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Wednesday’s Workwear Report: Double Pleat A-Line Midi Dress

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A woman wearing a black short sleeve midi dress with black open heels

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

I used to have a much harder time finding work-appropriate A-line dresses, but as we’re trending away from form-fitting sheaths, it’s becoming a lot easier.

This pleated midi from Maggy London comes in black, burgundy, and plum — all perfect for pairing with tights and boots this winter and then wearing with heels and flats this summer. 

The dress is $138 at Nordstrom and comes in sizes 0-18.

Hunting for the best fit and flare work dresses? In general look to brands like Eliza J., Maggy London, Karen Kane and (for plus sizes), eShakti, City Chic, and Kiyonna. Some of our favorites of 2026 are below — also check this classic Elie Tahari dress (with pockets!), this affordable dress from Amazon seller Rekucci, and this affordable midi tea dress from Marycrafts.

A woman wearing a black short sleeve midi dress with black open heels
Maggy London (exact)
A woman wearing a black short-sleeved shirt
Elie Tahari
A woman wearing a v-neck white dress
Black Halo
red flippy fit n flare dress with three-quarter sleeves
Rekucci

Sales of note for 1/15:

224 Comments

  1. I had posted a while ago asking if asking for a raise at a nonprofit was out of touch – I ended up asking and got a ~10% raise! I think a solid part of that is that some high level people left and they realized that they need to keep people. A lot of people got raises or promotions.

    1. Recent departures seem to what moves the needle here, too. It’s not about merit, sadly.

      1. I wouldn’t be so quick on this theory, there’s always limited budgets and people you want to retain. Not everyone who wants a raise gets one or is someone the company wants to keep.

        1. Being someone the organization wants to retain is necessary but not sufficient for a raise. You will only get a raise if they are worried you will find a better opportunity.

          2. Not necessarily. When the market is bad and people haven’t been leaving for greener pastures they will try to make you think you are lucky even to have a job and won’t give raises.

    3. This is great news! I am truly glad that I was proved wrong in the likelihood of this!

      Meanwhile, my nonprofit isn’t even giving COLA adjustments this year. We are also running a $3M deficit due in part to an unexpected gov funding cut, and are in the midst of a once-in-50-years (literally) leadership transition. I am so desperate for a new job, but there aren’t a lot of options in my niche field and senior level. I am trying to just be grateful that I have a decent and relatively well-paying job.

      1. We did have a better second half of the year fundraising-wise, but I really think a lot of this is driven by being scared that people will leave. The work environment and the work is great but at some point salary and progression are important too. There were layoffs earlier in the year so people have been passively job searching or at minimum keeping an eye on the market.

  2. I need to send my nephews some books for Christmas and my budget is $30 for both (same household), not including shipping. Any recommendations for a 5-year-old who isn’t reading yet and a 2-year-old? Books about diggers have been popular in the past. I wouldn’t mind mixing it up this time but I need to just get this ordered and done so not going to let perfect be the enemy of the good. Any titles you can give me that fit the price range are going into the cart!

    1. Do you know if they have any The Pigeon books (Mo Willems)? They are a huge hit with my 5 year old but would also be fun for the 2 year old.

    2. These are more aimed at the 2 year old; I’m not sure what to suggest for a 5 year old who isn’t yet reading but suspect they would enjoy the stories as well:

      Little Blue Truck
      Hippos Go Berserk (and really anything else by Sandra Boynton)
      Dragons Love Tacos
      Goodnight Moon
      The Very Hungry Caterpillar

    3. Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel for the five year old
      Goodnight Goodnight Construction Sight or Where Do Diggers Go to Sleep? for the two year old.

      Also – Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. I think there is also Busy Busy Construction Sight that would make a nice companion for the younger child.

      In non car options, Pete the Cat books are fun for the older one, anything by Sandra Boynton for the younger. Both my kids also LOVED (and actually still love) the animal poem books by Giles Andreae – Commotion in the Ocean, Rumble in the Jungle, etc. I think they’d work for both ages. The main difference in what 2 year old should get is I think just in terms of destructibility – you want a board book that’s hard to tear.

    4. My daughter had a really sweet book called Little Excavator that she loved at that age. Dragons Love Tacos and its sequels is also good for that age group.

    6. “Little Blue Truck” series is a lot of fun – decent rhyming, very sweet, and they come in board book version and they have a sound book in case the 2 yr old is into that (they also have a Christmas book). “Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site” is a good one if they like diggers. There is also a sound book called “Dig it, Dump it, Build it.”

    7. For something less well known, I love the Cafe at the Edge of the Woods, about a finicky would-be chef and her esoteric clientele.

    10. My now-10yearold started reading with Chicken in Space picture book when he was about 5. Super cute.

    11. I always give books to my nieces and nephews, and choose them by searching for new releases in age ranges. I figure picking new releases is the best bet to giving books that they don’t already have.

      1. This is the best advice for sure. My kids have a million books, you’d be taking such a chance hoping we didn’t have it already.

    13. Anything by Julia Donaldson. The Gruffalo is probably the most well known but she has quite a few that are great. I particularly like A Gold Star for Zog. Stickman is fun at Christmas.

    15. My son’s favorite books are “Digger Dozer Dumper” and “Naked!” My son is 2, but I think these books have things to offer the 5 year old as well. Of the parents are interested in doing longer-form read aloud books (a chapter a night for a week or two) My Father’s Dragon is excellent.
      Also, I’m always delighted to get books from thrift books instead of new because then I get more book for my money and prevent books from going to the dump.

    18. The David books; Iggy Peck, Architect; Rosie Revere, Engineer; The Day the Crayons Quit. Also Knuffle Bunny.

    20. I Stink is a great picture book for the 5 year old that wouldn’t bore the 2 year old. Stuart’s Cape is a lovely short chapter book; def. better for the 5 year old. Margaret Mayo’s Dig, Dig, Digging had great repetition and rhythm for reading aloud, good for both ages I would think.

  3. What are we doing for washable kitchen and mudroom rugs in 2025? In 2020, what you couldn’t go in stores and we had a chewing unpredictable puppy, we got a ruggable. It’s time for a refresh. Just reget, but with the cushy pad or the all-in-ones they have now vs the two-part? In a busy kitchen and mudroom, it has been handy to have this type of rug and my feet appreciate a rug to stand in to soften up the kitchen floor.

    1. For a mudroom, I’d do one of the waterhog mats from LLBean and repeat the ruggable in the kitchen where you might want something prettier.

      1. I have mixed feelings about the waterhog mats. They really are fantastic, durable doormats, sucking up water and snow and catching all the dirt that comes in the door. 15 years later, they still look almost new. On the other hand, the texture that makes them so good at holding onto dirt and water makes them a giant pain to clean. The roomba doesn’t get them clean, so we have to haul out the real vacuum to clean them. The cats love to puke on them, and you can’t use paper towels on them without leaving white residue, and it’s hard to get them really wet to clean because they’re so heavy and hold onto water and take forever to dry. So think carefully about how dirty they’re likely to get and maybe get something else if you’re going to need to frequently clean them.

        1. Oh, shoot. I guess I was thinking of the utility of being able to hose them off, not the other issues.

          1. You can absolutely hose them off… but then you need to figure out how to get them to dry, which is where I get stuck. They take at least a full day to dry enough to put back down, maybe two or three depending on the season and whether you have the space to leave a dripping mat fully laid out, plus they’re stiff and heavy, so they’re not that easy to handle when wet. If you have space to do that, then they might work better for you. That said, I still like these mats and have a bunch of them, I just hate how hard they are to clean (and really wish I could convince my cats not to puke on them!).

      2. Second the Waterhog for the mudroom space. I have one in a heavily used mudroom in the Midwest and it does its job and is super durable. Not the nicest looking or soft for bare feet but highly recommend for entrances.

      3. I tried the new Ruggable all-in-one and really don’t like it. I’m going to return. Much less comfortable than the tufted rug + cushioned pad I had before. I wouldn’t have known it had a pad built in.

    2. I have Persian rugs everywhere except my kitchen where I do have a ruggable. They’ve kept up with design trends so I’d just do that again.

      1. Yes at least get this kind of design! Even in very minimalist homes, it helps to have something interesting to look at – I love classic rug designs like this and most washable rug companies have these as an option

      2. I tried all kinds of rugs in my kitchen and finally put a Persian rug in there, too. It’s holding up great so far after almost three years.

    3. I haven’t tried the all in one Ruggable but I’m intrigued. I have the extra thick pad type in my kitchen and it is nice and cushy. Those wipe clean gel mats are also popular in kitchens.

      1. How easily dry-able is it? I live where it is humid, so even air drying inside can take days if it is too big / heavy for the dryer.

    6. i keep seeing washable rugs at sams’ club and costco for under $50 – maybe take a look there if you’ve got memberships and see if design-wise something fits your style.

      for mudroom we just have cheap polyester rugs, but they cover about 90% of the floor. we have one 5×7 in the mudroom and then a runner down the hallway before you get to the kitchen, and i think the area of them helps keep dirt/slush at bay.

      we got a super-absorbant rug, i think from ll bean or lands’ end (but maybe amazon) for the back sunroom door where the dog comes in and out. it’s only a 2×3 kind of rug and doesn’t absorb enough, but i think that’s just because there isn’t a lot of real estate. it basically has the texture of one of my hair towels.

      we love our dumb gel mat in the kitchen. fugly but at least it kind of matches the wood floor.

  4. OOTD: encased in wool, office edition

    Older cashmere twin set work over long sleeved base layer because my office is freezing and my skin hates all wool but merino-nylon blends

    Wool pencil skirt, lined

    Tights

    Orthopedic low heel pumps. The tights make them slightly large — maybe I tried on in feets? Minor issue.

    1. Big camel-colored cable knit sweater, straight/skinny black ponte pants, black velvet Birdies loafers.

    2. I’m in my basic winter uniform today: ivory sweater, necklace, camel dress pants, merlot-colored ankle boots. Warm socks. My office has been freezing this week.

      1. I could never just have a dress on — maybe outside in July? I do have office blankets to huddle under and it’s gotten so cold that I have them over my head, freezing peasant style.

        1. I can’t wear sweaters and long pants in many buildings during the winter–too hot! A dress can be styled in a seasonally appropriate but much less stifling way.

    4. It’s snowing really hard today, so my already-informal office is even less formal than usual.

      Sorel snow boots, black ankle pants, white blouse, and a Lululemon funnelneck sweater/sweatshirt thing that I’m claiming is the equivalent of a Patagonia vest on a man.

    5. Slightly festive but warm here today. Black wide leg pants, dusty pink silk top with aa gathered neck detail, ankle boots, sparkly bow earrings.

    6. At 48 degrees, sun, and no north wind it is comparably a heat we’ve here compared to recent weather. I’m wearing an ivory waffle weave cotton funnel neck top over flowy gunmetal gray pants with a fitted top and wide legs (the only version of wide legs that I think works for me), and dark gray wool Rothy points. Because I’m on a glp-1 and always run cold now I’m also wearing a medium gray wool scarf with hot pink and orange variation that shows sparsely. I wove it myself, thought it would be a give away, and ended up keeping it. It’s cozy and modern at the same time.

    7. Blue velvet pants. Black watch plaid top. Utility office black heels or blundstones depending on audience.

      Going slightly holiday-esque.

    8. Freezing and snowy here. Flouting yesterday’s discussion of knee-high boots, I’m wearing:

      black midi sweater skirt with some pleats
      taupe cropped mockneck merino sweater with wide sleeves
      black leather-and-suede riding boots (with black tights and wool socks that don’t show)

      I feel moderately cute and cozy.

    9. It’s warm here today and I’m going to a holiday luncheon, so I’m wearing an olive green midi-almost-maxi length tulle skirt, dark red lightweight merino sweater, bandana-sized silk scarf with a red-and-green Tiffany-lamp print (from the Metropolitan Museum of Art), and red suede block-heel pumps. And earrings that look like Christmas lights.

    11. It’s cold here!
      Wide leg blue semi-dressy “track pants” style pants from Zara with red, white and black track stripes
      Black mock turtleneck sweater
      Cheetah print asics

      Actually loving this look for a very quiet and nearly empty day on the office.

    12. I’ve worn all black as a personnel passive silent protest since Nov 6, 2024. (No one has asked, but I work with mostly dudes so they probably never noticed?) It is actually fun in a way that lets me try out interesting silhouettes I wouldn’t normally try at 46yo.

      Black very wide legged pants, black sweater knit tank, black bomber-style cardigan sweater, black and gray Jordan’s

  5. Has anyone come across any cute patterned or embellished sweatshirts? I’m looking for something fun that you’d wear with jeans, not something you’d wear to the gym or as athleisure.

    6. Loft used to be my go-to for this kind of thing, but I don’t know what the quality is like these days

      1. Oh I like that!

        But why are they offering monograms placed on the Left Mid Torso? That must be a thing? obv you don’t have to get it, but now I’m curious why

    9. isn’t this what Anine Bing is known for? or at least twee/ironic sweatshirts

  6. Madeline Wickham, who also wrote using the name Sophie Kinsella, passed away today. Her books brought so much happiness to so many of us, and it’s sad to know there won’t be anymore. Although I like the books written under Madeline Wickham more, Shopaholic will always have a place in my heart.

    If you know her books, or the movies some were made into, we can rake a pause today to appreciate a kind person who added happiness to the world through her writing.

    1. Confessions of a Shopaholic is one of my favorite movies. It is well outside my usual genre, and I didn’t even realize there were books.

    3. Oh, how sad. I read her final book, which was a fictionalized depiction of her brain cancer, and though it mostly sparkled with her typical optimism, you could tell that the dark days were very, very dark indeed. Glioblastoma is just an awful, cruel disease.

    4. Ah this breaks my heart! I was just thinking about her. The Shopaholic series brought so much joy to my life when I was younger. I think it planted the seed within high school me to imagining life in a city and wanting to visit the locations in her books, which older me has done.

    5. I am so sad! I wanted the Shopaholic series to go all the way through Becky having an adult daughter (Shopaholic Mother of the Bride?) and grandkids (Grandma Shopaholic).

      I like all her books so much. And I like that the heroines mostly helped themselves – the had assistance from friends and family, but the started their own rescues and were never helpless.

      F’cking cancer.

    7. This was sad to read. I love Becky from the shopaholic series. my favorite is the first one, but the planning of the two simultaneously weddings are pretty great too

    8. she was one of my first regular romance reads… RIP. my favorite was Undomestic Goddess. i looked into the Wickham books but it seemed like they all had a cheating storyline? so haven’t read her in 15+ years.

  7. Office shoe recommendations for someone with bunions and narrow heels? I don’t wear high heels. I love the look and practicality of loafers, but every pair I try either pinches my toe box, or slips off my heel because my bunion stretches out the entire inside panel. I’d consider Mary Janes; I’m wary of feeling like a little girl, though. This is a no-jeans office, but some sneakers could be passable. I’d love very specific shoe recommendations. Price under $300 preferably.

    1. I have loafers that I wear with tongue pads to make sure my foot stays back properly in the shoe. I don’t think tongue pads are popular anymore but they make loafers wearable for my triangle feet. I wish there was the equivalent of Altra sneakers for office wear.

      1. I have never heard of these! Maybe I can save some of the loafers I already own using this cheap hack. Thank you!

    3. Do you like Rothy’s-type shoes? The elastic fabric is one of the only types of flats that stays on my duck feet. I have the Sketchers Cleo dupe in two colors that I really like. Consider sizing down half a size, especially if you are between sizes.

      1. I have duck feet and bunions and Rothy points or loafers are my daily drivers for office days.

      2. I have narrow heels and can no longer wear Rothys. A few years ago they made all their styles wider, even the “original” styles. I walk right out of them now.

    4. Same feet here. I just got the Ecco Vienna loafers and Sorel Revel Ave loafers, and both seem like they might work. I need to try them on again to be sure.

      I have several pairs of Blondo booties – a few that look similar to the Valli and the Cammie.

      And I’ve given in and bought some Samuel Hubbard oxfords – not my usual style, but if oxfords are your style, they would be cute with office pants.

  8. My boyfriend’s summer outfit is a fun Hawaiian print shirt with colorful shorts – we live somewhere warm, so this works for 75% of the year. He really struggles with something that fits his style in the colder months, though. He’ll wear a solid button up shirt or a sweater with jeans, but it doesn’t bring him the same joy as a fun printed shirt. Does anyone have any cold weather recommendations for something that could show his personality better? The printed long-sleeved button ups I’ve seen wind up looking like something a mob boss might wear to a night club, so I thought I’d check in with you all and see if you had any good ideas!

    1. I feel like the winter equivalent of a hawaiian shirt is a fair isle sweater. Those patterns can be very personality forward, esp for a man.

      1. look how cute!
        https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/594?itemId=515581&attrValue_0=Rangeley%20Blue%20Fair%20Isle&sku=1000283979&pla1=0&qs=3156268&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20151161967&gbraid=0AAAAADoqq1KSJ0xqBSQ3NxG5swKjKLg1Z&gclid=CjwKCAiA0eTJBhBaEiwA-Pa-hcPtpG7wd9yjw9QdOfoUE1ElCCYrsOqhR6nl1sZbCghG_xBNWaQxSBoCgQMQAvD_BwE&SN=findability_search_preview_03&SS=A&SN2=findability_trending_searches_04&SS2=A&SN3=MobilePLA_03&SS3=B&noaa_region=northeast&originalProduct=126184

    3. More from LL Bean! https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/506674?itemId=527160&attrValue_0=Abstract%20Landscape&sku=1000305810&pla1=0&qs=3156266&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20151164823&gbraid=0AAAAADoqq1LksQZYjhfAa4doIhd9mo_fK&gclid=CjwKCAiA0eTJBhBaEiwA-Pa-haoWQgseF8bnceVp_eZU4ZXneimKoNPH3n0C_GFzJNXyVtJWhV2imhoC9UgQAvD_BwE&SN=findability_search_preview_03&SS=A&SN2=findability_trending_searches_04&SS2=A&SN3=MobilePLA_03&SS3=B&noaa_region=northeast&originalProduct=20010190

    4. Macys: https://www.macys.com/shop/product/club-room-mens-glen-plaid-sweater-macys-exclusive?ID=25263493&pla_country=US&CAGPSPN=pla&trackingid=&m_sc=sem&m_sb=Google&m_tp=LIA&m_ac=Google_Mens_PLA&m_ag=&m_cn=GS_Men%27s_Sweaters_PMAX_LIA&m_pi=go_cmp-21821562668_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-194137684223USA&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21815012814&gbraid=0AAAAAD-Tw4KJIIuCz9CEtobjCmvJnqkpc&gclid=CjwKCAiA0eTJBhBaEiwA-Pa-hf-SZDbsRXPj8FfCxfXTPOMFfuLVpSAZzhsZSrs1LTwFJmuzYzOhLBoCyT8QAvD_BwE

      1. The Glen Plaid and Navy abstract have more personality:

        https://www.macys.com/shop/product/club-room-mens-glen-plaid-sweater-macys-exclusive?ID=25263493&pla_country=US&CAGPSPN=pla&trackingid=&m_sc=sem&m_sb=Google&m_tp=LIA&m_ac=Google_Mens_PLA&m_ag=&m_cn=GS_Men%27s_Sweaters_PMAX_LIA&m_pi=go_cmp-21821562668_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-194137684223USA&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21815012814&gbraid=0AAAAAD-Tw4KJIIuCz9CEtobjCmvJnqkpc&gclid=CjwKCAiA0eTJBhBaEiwA-Pa-hf-SZDbsRXPj8FfCxfXTPOMFfuLVpSAZzhsZSrs1LTwFJmuzYzOhLBoCyT8QAvD_BwE

        1. https://www.macys.com/shop/product/club-room-mens-glen-plaid-sweater-macys-exclusive?ID=25263493&pla_country=US&CAGPSPN=pla&trackingid=&m_sc=sem&m_sb=Google&m_tp=LIA&m_ac=Google_Mens_PLA&m_ag=&m_cn=GS_Men%27s_Sweaters_PMAX_LIA&m_pi=go_cmp-21821562668_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-194137684223USA&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21815012814&gbraid=0AAAAAD-Tw4KJIIuCz9CEtobjCmvJnqkpc&gclid=CjwKCAiA0eTJBhBaEiwA-Pa-hf-SZDbsRXPj8FfCxfXTPOMFfuLVpSAZzhsZSrs1LTwFJmuzYzOhLBoCyT8QAvD_BwE

    5. If he likes color, what about some colorful chinos/pants, in addition to the sweater recommmendation above?

      The man in my life also loves a printed hawaiian/short sleeved shirt with colorful shorts in the warm months, and he ends up in colorful pants + textured outer layer. He’s not a fan of sweaters due to sensory issues/running hot. He’s also a big fan of pants that are what he calls “secret pajamas” that look like chinos/etc but are stretchy/tech fabric.

    6. RSVLTS Flannel (long sleeve hawaiian adjacent shirts) or Tori Richard long sleeve get my vote!

    7. My husband also loves prints. In the winter, he leans into accessories (shoes in particular) and interesting jackets. He recently got a lovely jacket that has a beautiful print on the interior lining. He also wears plaids, particularly in interesting/unusual colorways.

    8. He might like those knitted, often vertical two-tone cardigan shirts with a collar, you can search for Mod knitwear or cardigan, and other knit shirts and jackets.

      Think young Vince Vaughn, Christopher Walken goes bowling, Mod hipster.

    9. Robert Graham long sleeve dress shirts. Great patterns. People often think they are Etro.

    10. My husband has amassed a collection of patterned shirts from Bonobos over the years – sort of a winter version of a hawaiian shirt? These patterns are a little more sedate, but sometimes they have wackier ones: https://bonobos.com/products/stretch-washed-button-down-shirt?color=navy%20paisley%20floral
      https://bonobos.com/products/stretch-washed-button-down-shirt?color=rose%20blue%20peyton%20floral
      Also agree with the suggestion of fair isle sweaters!
      https://bonobos.com/products/phone-home-fair-isle-sweater?color=blue%20multi
      https://bonobos.com/products/jazzy-fair-isle-sweater?color=green%20multi

    11. Marine Layer has an adorable yeti stretch flannel button up shirt. I love it so much. It’s mens. LIke all things Marine Layer, it’s pricy.

  9. Has anyone ordered from Porte + Hall? They are stalking me online and their ultra thin door mats look like they might work for me. My husband installed a new door sweep on our front door and it is too low to go over our ruggable.

    If anyone has other recs for super, super thin mat, please let me know!

    1. Yes, I have a couple, they’re thin and mostly work for the stated purpose but our doors are really low to the ground. Quality is nice, it’s worth a try.

    2. I have those door mats and love them! I have a giant one for my entry and smaller ones for garage and deck slider. They’ve held up for over 3 years and are super easy to clean.

    3. I dithered over Porte + Hall for ages, but my thrifty self just couldn’t pull the trigger. I found Matterly instead and have been really pleased. I don’t have both brands to compare, but I can confirm that Matterly is very thin and stays put.

    4. I have two on my kitchen. They’re attractive and high quality and work really great under low door sweeps. They do slide around a little bit on the kitchen floor, which is linoleum, but not enough to bother me.

    5. I just replaced our “Insider” today with a ruggable. It looks like they do have other options, but this style is cut and not finished on the edge. It really cheapened the look of our entryway. I decided to replace with a ruggable because I wanted to be able to wash it and have something more polished.

  10. Is Sephora still the “it” store for makeup enthusiasts? I want to get my sister a gift certificate but wondering if this place is still nice given that they are also inside Kohl’s now.

    1. Sephora carries a lot of both high end and cheaper brands, especially online, so it is still a solid bet. If you want to get more niche high end brands, Violet Grey is one of the go to options.

    2. Shopping at Sephora is no longer a pleasant experience, but it’s still the best place to get a variety of brands.

      1. Was it ever? I feel like I always snip at someone in Sephora. No, I don’t need your help; no, I still do not need help; no, really-can you people not talk to each other and see that I’ve refused assistance 47 times? And no, for the hundredth time, you cannot have my phone number to sell me a bottle of nail polish.

      2. Agree – the tweens have taken my local one over in hordes. I now do business online and try first to see if Nordstrom has it (for easy returns), then ulta, blue mercury, or violet grey. Don’t shop Sephora anymore.

        1. I shop at both; there’s a decent amount of overlap but Sephora tends to have more variety in higher-end brands I think.

        2. At least in my local stores, I think Ulta has more variety overall including hair stuff, while I agree with Cat that Sephora has more variety in the higher-end brands.

          1. The 20 yo little sister says Ulta has more if you’re balling-on-a-budget but Sephora has more variety in the nicer brands.

    4. Sephora and Ulta are competitors. Sephora sells more high end (read: expensive) brands. Ulta still sells plenty of nice brands, but also sells drugstore makeup. You’ll have to know your sister to know which one is a better fit.

  11. Interested in hearing from people who were overweight by 20-25 pounds and were able to lose/maintain weight loss from a semaglutide. I have tried multiple times to lose my perimenopause weight on my own, and it just hasn’t happened. Like it’ll take me three months to lose less than 5 pounds, all while feeling pretty miserable in the process. I am tired of feeling uncomfortable in my body and wonder if I should consider something different.

    1. Would you be interested in hearing from a menopausal woman who had a lot more than that to lose? Like you, I tried hard with abysmal success. I was literally crying about it to my gynecologist after she had gently told me I really needed to lose some weight. She said of course you can’t just diet and exercise off like you used to, you need medical intervention at your hormonal levels.

      I use compounded Tirzepatide. I’ve lost 50 pounds in 15 months without trying too hard. I do have to try in that I have to stay in a pretty hard diet mode at a certain caloric load, as I am quite short and have some physical limitations that make regular, hard exercise result in significant pain. But this drug both makes it easy for me to stay on a diet and appears to chemically balance my body so that it will shed weight on a caloric deficit. In other words, it’s not miserable and it works.

      I am using the same pretty harsh diet that used to get maybe a pound or a pound and half off me in a month, while suffering daily to try to stick to it. Now I just don’t mind eating not very much and am not left very hungry from it. Major bonus is that I am getting back into good quality clothing from many years ago – so long ago that you could buy clothing of 100% wool, silk, cotton, linen substantial fabric. I recently got back in 100% wool, fully lined suiting trousers from Ann Taylor. I know objectively that major health gains are my big win, but my daily joy is enjoying getting dressed in the morning!

      1. Thanks for sharing this. Really well done.

        Can you give a typical day example of what you eat?

        Also, have you noticed that any other typical urges-for-you are lessened since starting treatment? Like if you were a snacker/compulsive shopper/regular alcohol drinker/whatever, and now you do less of those things without thinking much about it.

        Thanks. I’m thinking about myself and my weight gain since perimenopause.

        1. +1, please share what you eat! i’ve been trying to stick to under 1400 (and on a GLP) and some days i’m under 900 and others i’m over 1800. i know the candy has to go but it’s hard to make “good” choices for protein/fiber when i don’t want to eat anything, or forget to eat entirely and then realize i’m probably pissy because i’m hungry.

        2. I’m not the previous poster, but I’ve been on a GLP-1 for 3 years to maintain my weight loss of 40 lbs. I had insulin resistance, so if I even looked at a carb before I gained weight and dieting was miserable. Once I started the GLP-1 (first Wegovy and now Zepbound), after the initial weight loss period where I was pretty careful about what I ate, I can now pretty much eat whatever I want and maintain my weight. Carbs don’t affect my weight and I eat healthy whole grains and rice, whereas before I couldn’t eat any of that. I still eat reasonably healthy now, but have desserts almost every weekend and my weight doesn’t fluctuate if I eat poorly.

          The meds have definitely affected other areas of my life – I stopped drinking alcohol altogether, I lost interest in shopping, and my s *x drive plummeted, so the meds have definitely changed my brain chemistry. I think I’m a little unusual in this regard since my other friends on the drugs don’t seem to have the same urge changes, but (apart from the s *x drive loss) I’m definitely happier and don’t miss booze or shopping. Hope this helps!

        3. I’m only five weeks into Mounjaro (just started 5mg this last week after four doses of 2.5mg) and noticing real and very welcome changes around urges to drink alcohol and shop. These things that have plagued me for years just aren’t really on my mind anymore. The weight loss is needed (I already lost a lot of weight over the last couple of years but have at least fifty pounds still to lose) but the not obsessing over some stupid thing I want to buy is the real joy.

        4. To Anon at 11:09 – my work afternoon is pretty packed but I will put up a post tomorrow to answer your questions. Maybe others will chime in with their meal suggestions. I would love that.

    2. I was about 25 pounds over my ideal weight. I did a very low dose of semaglutide while also continuing to be intentional about getting weight bearing exercise (walking and lifting weights). I lost the 25 pounds over the course of a year, but was not one bit miserable the entire time and in fact was happier and calmer than ever. I could have gone to a higher dose I guess to lose faster but I was happy with the pace since I could still enjoy food and have energy to exercise.

      This was a huge change from my previous efforts, where I *could* lose weight but extremely slowly and only by orienting basically my entire life around meal planning, avoiding my hunger, lots of exercise and going to bed hungry and miserable.

      1. So I did the same thing and was a little bit miserable. Just chiming in to say sometimes it just is miserable–your body is doing work!

    3. similar boat and am considering going on it in the new year, so cant share experience yet. i feel very strongly that people should do this with their doctor – not some random place on the internet, and use the real deal, not compounded.

      1. My compounded is prescribed by a physicians assistant with an aesthetic practice, and is sourced from a pharmacy that does more than just glp-1’s. All of my other doctors are aware of my medication and its source and are fine with it. It is fine. There are some pretty bogus online sources out there, but not all compounded medication is iffy.

        1. Yeah there are some terrible compounding pharmacies out there, but there’s also a lobby that would like to get rid of them altogether and sometimes people are encountering their propaganda efforts.

          Compounding pharmacies will always be needed. We need good ones, and it’s completely fine to get meds from good ones.

          1. we need good ones when you actually need a compounded medication. not when what you need actually already exists and doesn’t require compounding.

          2. My insurance will not cover it. The physician assistants practice I a few doors down from my office and the cost of the meds is comparable to or less than what I would pay for name brand. Meanwhile, I can pop in and out of my appointments without missing hardly any work and my meds come in the mail monthly. It’s quite convenient – much more so than going to my PCP’s office, waiting to be seen, going back to work, and having to pick up my meds at the pharmacy. Works out very well for me. YMMV, but that doesn’t mean my way isn’t perfectly valid.

      2. Will a doctor prescribe a GLP-1 agonist to someone who only has 25 lbs to lose, though?

        1. Yes, if there’s evidence supporting benefits (which there is). Insurance is more the obstacle.

        2. For better or worse, there are basically online prescription mills that will definitely prescribe for this use case. If you google anything related to glps, you will immediately and forever after be inundated with ads for them.

          In terms of “real doctors”, like a GP you actually trust, some will & some won’t. I also know some practices that won’t do insurance paperwork unless the patient meets a much higher need bar (because it’s a lot of work for them and not very likely to be successful anyway) – so if you go into it saying you are definitely willing to pay cash out of pocket, you might be able to get a prescription but you’re on your own with insurance.

    4. I used a low dose of tirzepetide to lose about ten pounds, which was entirely vanity weight. I have continued basically microdosing it ever since to maintain the loss. I had thought about it for a long time but didn’t do anything because I have no medical need to lose the weight, so felt weird asking a provider for it, but earlier this year sucked it up and asked my botox med spa if they would do a consult. I don’t think I’m exactly who you’re hoping to hear from, but did want to say…if you want to try it, go for it. It is freeing to not think about food so much, and when I do indulge, I actually enjoy it. I also drink a lot less, and frankly, I really enjoy looking in the mirror these days, and enjoy the compliments/comments I get on how slim I am, which is somewhat obnoxious so I am going anon for this one :)

      1. Oh and I told my doctor about it at my last annual, and showed her my blood test results and she said it was fine, no worries.

      2. this is my issue with med spas. i think there is NOTHING wrong with you using the meds for this purpose. but you can ask your actually doctor!

    5. I worked out and had a decent diet but could not make the scale move for years. I went to an endocronologist who works with my PCP and ran lots of blood work which showed insulin resistance. I started on Wegovy and have lost 23 lbs in 4 months.

    6. I went through surgical menopause and GAINED so much weight. I have been on GLP for 3 years and I have lost 95 pounds. It has been life changing in more ways that just my weight. I was always healthy….just over weight and not sleeping. I am slowly starting to stretch my time in between dosages, but I think I’ll be on it forever.

      In a typical day, I eat a smoothie or bowl of cereal with fruit for breakfast; a half of a sandwich and some side salad for lunch (like a chicken salad for protein); and a protein (breast of grilled chicken) and veggies for dinner. The major difference for me was the constant snacking completely went away. Then the portion sizes and then the desire to drink less.

      About a year ago I started Pilates and I have completed 250 classes this year. I would have never done this at my original weight. I am currently 145 pounds and 100% healthy. I cannot say enough great things about GLP.

      Oh side effects! I’ve had only one. My hair has started to fall out. I am working on fixing that with Wellbell. Hope this helps and best of luck

  12. What would be a good family gift for a family with two 11yos going on a trip to the Galapagos? Budget up to $200

    1. a go-pro if they don’t have one! My husband and 12 year old take ours on their wild adventures.

    3. Underwater camera. There are a lot of cool photos to be found during the snorkel or scuba trips they will likely take.

      1. Check if they have one though – Someone who is an avid enough traveler to be going to the Galapagos probably already owns an underwater camera. (I think we own 4? and Galapagos is still on our bucket list!)

      1. They are likely taking a cruise on a small boat and the Galapagos, as that’s the main way to get around. The ship will have that stuff and it would just take up a ton of space in their luggage.

  13. One of my friends has a serious problem giving money to scam artists. Her family and her friends have repeatedly talked with her about it, and she acknowledges it in the moment but months later will return to this idea that there’s going to be money in it eventually. The police have had to be notified, since there were swatting attempts made when she stopped sending money. She’s changed her phone number but we later found out she wrote some numbers down of the scammers and reached out to them again. She agreed to be removed from the joint bank accounts and I thought things were getting better, but I just found out she’s forged her husband’s signature on a check to herself and gave the money to the scammers. I am so distraught. I feel like I am watching her ruin her family and life and I don’t know what else I can suggest for her husband and family. She’s been examined by a doctor (one of her husband’s requests after an incident last year) and it’s not dementia. I think the family is looking into a rehab-type place, but does anyone have any other recommendations or experience with something like this?

    1. Hugs — this hard.
      I have a POA for an elderly family member and would try these things:
      Husband gets a new solo checking account so wife doesn’t have the #s to do direct debit or ACH. She gets as much cash as she needs and gets more with receipts (and question any big $ items or things bought to be returned for cash). Funds go into new account. She gets a credit freeze put on her credit bureau accounts so that she can’t open new accounts.

      Consider getting husband a POA for managing her affairs since she is lucid that defaults to someone trusted if he should die first. That is probably the biggest risk to her.

      I keep elder’s checkbook and he does not know how to do ACH. He also has a low-limit credit card and the bills go to me. He knows not to answer the phone for #s he does not know.

      1. Husband needs to 100% separate his and the households financial accounts. He needs to make sure to the extent that he is able that she cannot access retirement and investment accounts. For of those to which she has legal access, he needs to immediately set up separate accounts in his name only and quit contributing to the old accounts.

    2. I’m glad it’s not dementia, but I’m not convinced that the doctor she saw did an adequate evaluation for anything neuropsych at all; I’d want a full assessment with a neuropsychologist. If this is wildly out of character, I’d want imaging. If it’s not really that out of character, there are people who are first diagnosed with developmental conditions (including conditions affecting trust and credulity) as adults. If there’s addiction psychology, there are medications a psychiatrist can prescribe. Something is wrong here.

      1. Yes, agree with this. Also need to evaluate whether this impulsivity and poor judgment is showing up in other areas of life. If the doctor in question was a PCP, she needs to be seen by a specialist instead (probably neuropsych, like you said).

      2. It was a neuropsych evaluation. I never heard anything more so I am assuming that there weren’t any recommendations for treatment or medication. The behavior has been going on a long time, over a decade I think, but I wasn’t aware of the extent of it until the last few years. And to someone else’s point, it’s possible that the risk of losing her family home will put enough pressure to stop it and I will bring that up but it’s very depressing to think that apparently the risk of divorce and estrangement from her kids is not enough.

        1. I think the way healthcare works, if something continues to be a problem we’re generally supposed to keep bringing it up. Also it seems that a good neurologist or psychiatrist can be two or three times better than an average one, not just ten or twenty percent better, so second (third or forth) opinions can change everything.

          If I start sending money to scammers and sneaking around to do it, I really hope someone will get me an MRI, check my medication doses, and if everything looks okay, prescribe me a relevant med (I’d try bupropion, or Modafinil, or personally I’d sooner try a GLP1 for this than for losing 10-20 lb!).

          1. +1 to the MRI. There’s something about the impulsivity and risk taking (forging a check, not caring that her husband is probably going to leave her) that makes me think it could be some type of tumor. At this point it can’t hurt to rule it out.

          3. I agree with this poster, and I’m a neurologist.

            She needs active treatment with a complete neurologic work-up, geriatric psychiatrist and medication.

    3. I’ve posted before here about my mom giving money to scam artists who she genuinely believes are from some government grant program. She has just $33k a year in pension and Social Security, and one year she gave away over $10k.

      See if there’s any pressure point that will motivate the person. I own my mother’s house, and finally threatened to sell it out from under her and move her into apartments down the street. She LOVES her house and knows I’m serious enough to do it. I actually saw her texting the last scammer, “Sorry, I can’t talk anymore, my daughter says she’ll sell my house if I do.”

      I wish I knew what to do about the mental aspect. I could logic with her all day long and never make a dent. She still believes there’s money out there – she just wants her house more. Mom and her family always joked that she had lead poisoning from chewing on the windowsills outside her crib too much – heck, maybe that’s the cause.

      1. Unfortunately it’s probably dementia. It’s just not normal for an able-minded adult to do this repeatedly.

      2. Does she have a psychiatrist?
        Does her primary care doctor know, and is willing to help?

    4. I second the suggestion for imaging. My grandmother started acting…unusual for her in her mid 70s and we all thought dementia. She wasn’t tested, no signs per the neuropsych. She had a brain tumor. It was removed and she was back to normal and lived another decade.

      Just throwing it out there.

  14. If you host Christmas, what do you do on Christmas Eve?

    We host on Christmas Day — a significant number of people — so I try to keep Eve low key. For context, I have two kids and a husband, and I get moody and FOMO if we don’t have anything planned in advance. But I don’t want it to be taxing, since we host the next day!

    Over the years, we’ve: gone out to dinner (I found it depressing), invited a family over (our friends — two adults we pretty regularly hang out with, and their two kids, who our kids love), and driven around to look at lights (which frankly doesn’t take long!).

    This year I want whatever we do to be intentional. Would love some inspo!

    1. Board games! We host with three kids ages 9-12 and we play all the longer board games we don’t have the energy or time to play on a normal afternoon. (Monopoly, Clue, strategy games like Catan)

    2. Okay, so we do what I think is a nice Christmas Eve. We dress up, maybe go to church, and then come home and have a cocktail party essentially. Dinner is appetizers with a crockpot of soup if people want something more substantial. I make fancy cocktails and mocktails and we play a game like categories or charades or similar. Around 7 or 8 we put on our pajamas and eat cookies and read the night before Christmas. We then put on a Christmas movie (it’s a wonderful life usually) and kids get put to bed while adults sit in front of the fire watching the movie and gently weeping re:the cheesy Christmas movie.

      It’s great.

    3. We go to an evening (not super late) church service. Even if you are not overly religious, the Christmas music and decor is really nice!

      1. Oh see if you can find a candlelight service! I’m not at all religious, but growing up my family was very religious and we always went to a candlelight service on Christmas Eve and it’s the only church service I miss.

    4. We used to go to church. Now that we’re not religious, we bake cookies, watch a holiday movie, and eat something fun for dinner (sometimes Chinese take out, one year we made tamales). Take a walk around the neighborhood if it’s not too cold out. Send the kids to bed early and have a quiet nightcap by the tree.

    5. My family has the big meal on Christmas Eve, so on Christmas Day we just do a lot of easy appetizers for dinner – frozen things, a veggie tray, cheese tray, etc. Watch movies and chill out.

    6. I would make expand on the driving around looking at Christmas lights and make it a whole thing.

      Everyone gets dressed warm.

      First stop: get hot chocolate at a coffee shop for everyone.

      Second stop: Do you have any local displays of Christmas trees/lights that you walk through? A couple of the nearby towns have Christmas tree displays that you walk through and they are lovely.

      Third: drive around the best neighborhoods and be the pretend judges for the Festive Holiday Light Display Awards. Everyone gets an equal vote or scores points, and you can just do a “best one” or you could do a few categories. It’s fun because it’s low stakes and you get to chat about who likes what and why and enjoy the lights before everyone turns them off.

      But I love Christmas lights, and try and make this a thing for me every year.

      1. If you really want to make the awards a thing, you could even print out fun ballots. There’s downloadable on Etsy, and they’d be easy to make in Canva too. Of course this depends on the ages of your kids.

      2. We used to drive around looking for one specific decoration and seeing how many we could tally in one night. E.g., grinches, abominable snowman, peanuts character, etc. Made it fun for the littler kids who enjoyed shouting out “there’s one!” while the adults just enjoyed the view.

    7. Are you religious? My church does a candlelight Christmas Eve service that is lovely.

    9. One of my favorite traditions–sadly, no longer an option for us–was for DH and I to do a charcuterie and cheese board. We used to do it on Christmas night after all the festivities were over, but it would work well on Christmas Eve before hosting people the next day. It was perfect because neither of us had to cook, but it felt fancy and intentional. We’d go to the really good place in town the night before and buy the good stuff plus all the extras like nuts, jam, honey, olives, etc.

      The idea can easily be adjusted for kids, depending on how picky they are. With my kid, I’d probably add some mild cheese, ham, and Ritz crackers, and he’d be thrilled to call that dinner.

      I’ve also always wanted to do the Icelandic “Christmas Book Flood” tradition on Christmas Eve. Exchanging books and creating a cozy atmosphere to read together sounds perfect to me.

      1. My husband and I do “wine and cheese night” on occasion like you describe, and the kids think it is the absolute best. Wine or cocktails for grown ups, and “special drinks” (juice with soda water and maybe some sort of garnish) for them, and we just hang around and snack until we’re full.

        I’ll probably have family over, but that’s what we’d do if it was just us for Christmas Eve. (It’s nice on NYE as well.)

    10. Our eve menu is French onion soup and a series of appetizers. It’s nice because aside from the soup, it’s minimal prep but still feels festive.

    11. Music! My family of origin sings a cappella rounds or someone volunteers to accompany – my mom plays piano, and 2 of my siblings play guitar. (I’m a violinist so not as helpful on the accompaniment front.) The in-laws are not the same sort of musical, but they have a set of bells and do a sort of bell choir party game where they have posters that have the music noted like 1-3-5-3-3 (each bell is assigned a number) and you go at it to try and play the song.

      Of you want to be really low-key put on a favorite Christmas movie and just let people hang out.

    12. We make Christmas eve our fancier dinner – I still have energy then. This gives us permission to be slobs on Christmas, when I’m spent from the energy of December. We always make a lasagna weeks in advance and defrost – that is dinner. Lunch is leftovers from the night before. The day is spent in pj’s, relaxing, reading and making a special cocktail late in the day. We went this route after I found the letdown after the kids opened all their gifts and nothing was missed, no tears, etc so fatiguing I would need a good nap. Then, no desire to cook. Hence the slip and not going back.

      1. We do this too – we eat a nice meal on Christmas Eve and then have leftovers for dinner on Christmas. Less stress on everyone, and no one has to dig themself out of a new book or gadget set up to start cooking!

    13. We go to church, come back and have cocktail appetizers and our traditional Christmas Eve meal (just immediate family) is the French Canadian tourtiere- meat pie and potato pie. After dinner we watch family home movies.

    15. We do candlelight fondue with nice music playing, followed by a Christmas movie. There’s the cheese course and then there’s the chocolate course. Minimal prep, minimal clean up, and we find it quite festive.

    16. I think going out to dinner on Xmas eve is chic, not depressing! I’m happy I get to do it again this year with my boyfriend and parents since our big party is the next day.

  15. Pasting a late reply to the person who asked for Hong Kong recs yesterday:

    Take the tram up to Victoria Peak and bus down for a great skyline view. Caveat that I went in the morning (thank you jet lag) and it was incredibly misty, couldn’t see anything. The ferris wheel and Kowloon Pier are nice! If you’re looking for something less touristy, I also really enjoyed West Kowloon for the vibes and art.

    For food, it depends on where you’re staying but I found some great hole in the wall places. The Cheung Hing Kee pan-fried buns in Tsim Sha Tsui are incredible. Loved Dim Dim Sum in Mong Kok and Din Tai Fung in TST, but the lines start early! Try a local cha chaan teng too.

    If you have an extra day, you could consider taking the ferry to Macau. I’m not a big casino person, but I really enjoyed Taipa and the Portuguese vibes.

  16. Does anyone here have pancreatic enzyme insufficiency? What was the work up for diagnosis, and did your PCP or a specialist handle it? Has enzyme supplementation actually helped?

    My PCP and I are discussing a workup/referral for it this week, and the broader internet either makes it sound like it is either a huge deal and possibly a sign of cancer or diabetes, or barely even worth working up at all. I’d like to get a little smarter about it before we discuss further.

    1. Hugs. I am not a doctor, but don’t fool around with any trouble with the pancreas. It is an organ that deals with everything (it is both an endocrine gland and an exocrine gland) and is so hidden away that problems with it often hide until it is late in the game. Insist on an MRI or CT scan so they can visualize what is going on and get all the bloodwork. Keep a diet and poop / stool diary and note any urgency or unpredictability — that may tell them a lot. You can both have urgency and constipation. And don’t be afraid to get second opinions. IDK who will own this as you figure this out — GI or oncology, but use all of the good doctors you have access to.

    2. Hopefully not your scenario, but my mother had pancreatic cancer and the emzymes helped her maintain as much of her nutritional health as possible as the disease progressed. She was really not able to get nutrition from the food she ate without it. She got hers for free from her oncologist. Pertzyte was the brand maybe? You need a lot of it before each meal, but it did the trick.

      1. +1

        Similar for my mom with pancreatic cancer.

        OP, you should see a GI that specializes in the pancreas, if this is what you have. I wouldn’t mess around with a PCP. Definitely not.

    3. I’m most familiar with this in veterinary contexts, but my understanding is that it’s totally worth working up even in a best case scenario.

  17. This was sad to read. I love Becky from the shopaholic series. my favorite is the first one, but the planning of the two simultaneously weddings are pretty great too

  18. my computer just updated – any downside to doing the PC/iPhone pairing request?

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