My Favorite Coffee Breaks of 2021!

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collage of 12 accessories for work outfits - see below images for more details

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone has the day off, but if not I thought we’d take a look at some of our favorite recommendations for workwear accessories like shoes and bags, as well as some of our favorite hair product finds over the past year!

Like our workwear recommendations, we recommend one accessory (or desk accessory) appropriate for the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Mondays I try to pick a budget-friendly piece, and the prices rise on Tuesday and Thursday. I generally try to include one office shoe and one bag each week, but the third item varies — we’ve done watches, wallets, scarves, hair accessories, beauty products, hair products, office accessories, coats, and more. (Wednesdays are Suit of the Week, and Fridays are picks for the weekend for the Weekend Open Thread…)

These were my favorites picks of 2021 — if you’re curious about older ones, here were my favorites from 2020, 2019, 2018201720162015201420132012, and 2010(Please note that anything marked below with an asterisk is still available!)

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Jan. / Feb.* / Mar.

Apr.* / May / June*

July* / Aug.* / Sept.*

(special mention!)

Oct. / Nov.* / Dec.*

Sales of note for 2/14/25 (Happy Valentine's Day!):

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save up to 25% on select suiting, this weekend only
  • Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase — and extra 60% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + 15% off (readers love their suiting as well as their silky shirts like this one)
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 300+ styles $25 and up
  • J.Crew – 40% of your purchase – prices as marked
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site and storewide + extra 50% off clearance
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Flash sale ending soon – markdowns starting from $15, extra 70% off all other markdowns (final sale)

Sales of note for 2/14/25 (Happy Valentine's Day!):

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save up to 25% on select suiting, this weekend only
  • Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase — and extra 60% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + 15% off (readers love their suiting as well as their silky shirts like this one)
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 300+ styles $25 and up
  • J.Crew – 40% of your purchase – prices as marked
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site and storewide + extra 50% off clearance
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Flash sale ending soon – markdowns starting from $15, extra 70% off all other markdowns (final sale)

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

120 Comments

  1. My white whale is a simple microfiber short-sleeve shell, preferably crewneck. I had some of 100% nylon that were excellent and inexpensive and lasted for 10+ years but are now at the end of their lives (one is a bit stretched out, one has a tiny stain, etc.). One attempted replacement was a bit too bodycon to wear without a jacket. One only came in white and it was too sheer. Another attempted replacement is now too pilly for anything but very casual wear. IDK why this is so hard — these were real wardrobe workhorses for me and were so easy to wear with suits, any sort of jacket, and as a easy-to-slide-over layer under sweaters. Short sleeves work best for layering things over, but I’d be open to longer sleeves if needed. Help pls! I’d love to toss what I have and replace.

    My searching is so intense that my FB feed keeps suggesting wool (woolx and wool&) items, which I’d also be open to in merino/nylon, but nothing seems to come in white or light colors (but there is a black I could use one of). So I’m happy for the analytics to try to help, but I think that’s wide of the mark still. Ugh.

    1. Not quite what you are looking for, but the Halogen line at Nordstrom might have something close (satiny poly, not microfiber) — search for “cap sleeve blouse”. There are a bunch of different solids and patterns. Definitely look intended to be work tops/worn under jackets.

      1. Boden seems to have discontinued the Ravello. I’m still grieving frankly.
        OP – I’ve had trouble finding something similar that doesn’t wrinkle (I prefer poly crepe) and am considering trying Quince’s silk knit tee shirt. I am guessing it will wrinkle but had some hope that the knit fabrication might make it less troublesome. I also think it is easier to find things like this that are short sleeved in the summer, even though they get worn year-round as layering pieces.

        1. Speaking of, I wonder if the brands that did a big pivot away from workwear in the last two years will go back.

      1. I thought sleeveless was a tank. No wonder I can’t do fashion, I don’t even have the right words

        :/

    2. Is sleeveless a no go? I like the Calvin Klein pleated crewneck shells. They come in a ton of colors and prints and are 95% poly. I’ve had one for 5 years and it still looks brand new.

      1. Sleeved to me is preferred to not get deodorant smudges / sweat on jackets. Otherwise, I don’t hate them, just don’t like as an bottommost layer.

    3. Search at Macy’s for DKNY Surplice top or Ruched top (they file it inconsistently). I seriously love these, not many options right now but colors rotate through year, they get smelly though due to artificial fiber so have to be replaced more than I’d like.

    4. Liz Claiborne at JCPenney usually has decent options for this. They last forever. I’m 5’2 120 and buy SP, their sizing is surprisingly consistent. The short-sleeve shells which they call blouses are not particularly body-contouring but are flattering.

  2. Santa bought our apartment a lot of vodka (IDK why, but it is here), which I really don’t drink (esp. bloody Marys). Roommate is game to try making drinks with it. But what are good drinks to make with vodka? I honestly do not know and I tend to leave mixed drinks to bars. But now our apartment is the bar for NYE — what should I shop for today to have good drink options that aren’t bloody Mary’s or martinis? Also, it seems that a lot of drinks have many ingredients or need another liquor to make them work. This is why I usually drink beer at home — so easy!

    1. I personally love Moscow Mules but keep in mind that you can sub in vodka for a lot of rum and tequila based drinks.

    2. Vodka tonic
      Vodka cranberry
      Vodka soda water
      Moscow Mule (ginger beer)
      Vodka martinis (vermouth)
      Lemon drops (simple syrup and triple sec)

      I was a boring vodka drinker, so that is my list.

      You will need limes. Lots of limes!

    3. You can turn vodka into kahlua with sugar, vanilla, and coffee and then bake with it!

    4. I don’t like vodka either (except in a Bloody Mary). Life is too short to drink what you don’t like. You’re going to either not drink it or drink it too fast to get it over with. Let roommate drink it and buy something you like.

    5. Moscow mules – buy high quality ginger beer and lime. Served on the rocks.

      Passion fruit martinis – buy either passion fruit juice or fresh passion fruit, Passoa passion fruit liqueur, vanilla paste or extract (you don’t need vanilla vodka, just add vanilla) and lemon. You need a shaker for this one.

      Mango jalapeno vodka. Steep sliced jalapenos in a jug of mango juice, add vodka to preferred level, serve on the rocks.

      1. Is ginger beer a beer? Or a type of ginger ale? It just matters which store in my area will sell that sort of thing.

        #rookie

        1. It’s like a more intense kind of ginger ale, no alcohol in it. You should be able to find it at most grocery stores.

        2. It is a soda. It will be in the soda aisle or where cocktail mixers are kept in the grocery or liquor store. If your grocery has a Jamaican section, you might also find some brands there.

    6. Courtesy of Texas Monthly magazine:

      The Chilton

      Makes 1.

      1 1/2 oz. vodka
      Juice of 2 lemons

      Rim a highball glass with salt, then fill with ice. Add vodka and lemon juice. Fill the glass with soda water and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon wheel or wedge.

    7. Shopping list:
      Lemons
      Limes
      Ginger beer
      Soda water
      Cranberry
      Berries
      OJ

      Tonight, make simple syrup.

      With this (and some orange liqueur), you can make: vodka gimlet, classic mule, screwdriver, lemon drop, vodka soda, vodka sidecar, vodka Collins, cosmopolitan, mule, a vodka sour (ask someone to bring bitters). You can also do vodka + berries + soda water + simple syrup.

    8. If you have any left over after NYE, how about making a batch of penne alla vodka? It’s a perfect winter dish. A number of barbecue sauce recipes also call for vodka.

      But to answer your question, I’m a big fan of French martinis. From Martha Stewart:
      1.5 ounce vodka
      0.5 ounce Chambord
      0.75 ounce pineapple juice
      lemon twist for garnish

    9. Not for drinking, but you could use some of it to make vanilla extract – steep some vanilla beans in it.

      For drinking, you could use it to make flavored vodkas – cucumber comes to mind, but I’m sure there are lots of other ideas. Honestly, I don’t have much use for vodka, whose main purpose seems to be to mix it with things. Since alcohol + fruit juice tends to make me sick, that leaves out a lot of options.

    10. In case you’re interested in non drink options, you could use some up in pasta with vodka sauce or homemade vanilla extract. Cinnamon vanilla extract is even better! Maybe infuse some in pretty bottles as gifts?

      1. Also, use to spritz on armpits of dry clean only clothes, and to sanitize your cell phone.

    11. Vodka is a must to understand. It is a classic alcohol and the base of many simple as well as complex drinks. In addition to Moscow mules, martinis, and vodka tonics with lime, cosmopolitans are a classic favorite. Time to learn some recipes!

      1. Yes and in Before Times I was all too happy to leave this to the professionals. I miss the 2020 cocktail / mixer kits now that bars have reopened.

      2. I can’t drink vodka (it makes me horribly sick, so I stick to gin for mixed drinks) but my vodka drinking friends LOVE cosmos and make them frequently.

    12. Sweet drinks:

      Black Russian- equal parts vodka and kahlua over ice

      White Russian/Caucasian – add half and half to the above

      Colorado greyhound – add Coca Cola to the White Russian

      Minnesota poodle – add root beer to the White Russian

      Classics:

      Vodka tonic – 2/3 tonic, 1/3 vodka over ice, add a squeeze of lime

      Screwdriver – a shot or two of vodka in orange juice, over ice

      Greyhound – a shot or two of vodka in grapefruit juice, over ice

      Sea breeze – a shot or two of vodka in a mixture of grapefruit juice and cranberry juice, over ice (this one is delicious)

      Drinks served up:

      Vodka martini: 2-3 oz of vodka, about 1/2 oz dry vermouth, shaken or stirred, strained, and poured into a martini glass. Add olive or a strip of lemon peel (my preference with vodka)

      French martini: 3-4 oz pineapple juice, 2 oz vodka, 1/2 oz chambord, shaken and served up. This is one of my favorites

    13. If it’s good stuff that would be wasted on me, I’d probably save to re-gift.

    14. For NYE espresso martini’s! I think the key to a good mixed cocktail is following the instructions for cocktail shaker and ice. We just have a cheap plastic cocktail shaker but for things like espresso martinis a proper shake to get it to have some foam etc makes it so tasty!

    15. Vodka is my alcohol of choice. I am pretty simple though and like it with cranberry juice, a splash of sprite, and lots of limes or with soda water and lots of limes. I also like it with grapefruit juice and soda water (and again lots of limes. Vodka needs limes lol). I also had it with a blueberry lavender lemonade before and that was delicious.

    16. The vodka sauce recipe from the cooking blog Dinner, then Dessert is excellent and uses a full cup at a time.

    17. Back in college (decades ago) we used to make “Boom Boom Punch” for NYE. Vodka, orange juice and champagne. Watch it though. It’s super potent, hence the name.

    18. This seems more like a warm weather drink to me, but the citrus is good right now (if you’re in the northern hemisphere), so I recommend vodka mixed with Fever Tree Pink Grapefruit Tonic and garnished with a serious wedge of pink grapefruit to squeeze in, or just a curl of pink grapefruit peel if you’re feeling fancy.

    19. Tip – a quick (about 1/2 a second) splash of gin on top of a drink (don’t mix it in!) will get rid of a lot of the vodka flavor in drinks. I like strong drinks but don’t like strong flavors. This trick has gotten me through many a vodka based drink.

      1. That’s so funny because to me, gin has a very strong flavor and vodka has basically no flavor!

  3. Re: the thread on single podcast episodes. Thanks for the recommendations!! My favorites were the episode of Reply All about the mystery song and the Daily episode called The Accusation.

    1. Do you have the date for this post? I meant to go back but now I’d have to search for it. If you happen to know already, I’d appreciate it.

      1. No, sorry! Would be sometime after December 15. Well worth the search time.

  4. I’m on the hunt for a pair of small gold hoop earrings. Where should I be looking?

    1. I love mine from mejuri. I have the bold hoop. It’s small and comfortable to wear all day and to sleep in.

      1. +1 to Mejuri. I got tiny hoops for my second holes (I’m very petite) and I’m obsessed with them: they’re the only jewelry I never remove. Mejuri has great customer service too.

        1. +2. I have the Daily Mini Hoops. I also have Gorjana’s Nico huggies. I get compliments on both of them.

    2. Honestly, I have some from Amazon that I really like. And they are cheap, so I won’t be upset if I lose one.

    3. Just make sure Regina George says ok before you spend too much on them. Ask me how I know….

        1. I don’t think my father, the inventor of toaster strudel would be too pleased to hear about you not making fetch happen.

  5. How do you balance making time to rest and relax vs. getting stuff done? I decided to sleep in today to try to get some extra rest to recover from a lingering cough that is keeping me up at night. I now feel well rested but also so stressed about all the stuff I need to do and that I missed my workout. I feel like i’m in a cycle of whenever I actually take the time to rest or relax or spend quality time with my husband in the evening instead of working or doing chores, it feels nice but I end up feeling more anxious about the things I didn’t do. I understand that yes I need rest but the work, chores, responsibilities don’t stop and someone needs to do them.

    1. Put “taking care of my body” on your list because this is just as important as all of the other things you list, and actually is more important because you can’t do any of those things if you don’t take care of yourself

    2. Definitely prioritize rest when you have a lingering illness! I usually give myself 3-4 days off of working out when I”m under the weather and also a break from chores.

    3. I stopped caring so much about what gets done. If my house is a bit messy, oh well. If my laundry isn’t done and I rewear something or wear something not exactly ideal, oh well. If I have to eat something out of the cupboard (i.e., cereal), who cares? Giving fewer Fs in general has greatly increased my quality of life. My life is still great, in fact it’s better.

      1. +1 and adding my own. I stopped caring so much what I looked like when people outside my home see me. It’s so much easier to do facetime to show a contractor an issue I’m trying to resolve and I guarantee you he can’t care less whether I have makeup on. It’s so freeing to go to the drug store for cold medicine in pajamas when I’m sick. It’s lightyears faster to get out of the house with a kid in the morning. I did replace some old ratty house clothes with comfy decent looking ones but that’s the extent of the work I’m willing to do now.

    4. I deal with my anxiety as a big picture issue because that’s the real problem.

    5. If sleeping in when you are sick makes you anxious about having missed a workout, then it sounds like there is either way too much on your plate or you are overall struggling with anxiety. I’d think about that.
      More generally, I accept that when I’m slammed at work or doing work+childcare while my kid is on COVID school closures, the house will be messy and we will eat more takeout because there simply is not time for everything. When work and childcare are more manageable, I can catch up on chores and cook more. You only have so many hours so it’s all about prioritizing, and things like sleep, friends, and relaxing need to be prioritized at least some of the time or you will be sick and unhappy.

    6. I don’t have any great advice, but I can relate. I get anxious about my to-do list too. If I’m sick, I try to prioritize rest and getting healthy. It may mean things around the house aren’t perfect but I’m not doing myself any favors by pushing myself if I’m not feeling well.

      As far as working out, I do that first thing in the morning before anything else.

      Can you husband help with some of these chores or is outsourcing an option? I WFH and full disclosure, I clean my house on Friday’s between meetings. Then I start off the weekend with a clean place. This cleaning involves running the vacuum in the main living areas, kitchen and then steam mopping the kitchen floors. Having a clean house makes me feel calm and relaxed so this is something I do every week.

      Are there any systems you can set up to keep up with other chores – like automatic bill pay? Would cleaning for 10 minutes a day help you feel more accomplished?

    7. I’m also prone to anxiety and sometimes it helps me to remember that I made a conscious decision to rest (or connect socially or whatever) instead of doing x,y,x because I needed the rest, not that I was just slacking off or being lazy or something.
      I think part of what can be triggering for me is doing anything outside of my routine too – unstructured time is always a challenge for me. I don’t have a real solution to this other than just being aware of it and that the fact that it makes me feel anxious doesn’t mean that anything is wrong or that I made a bad decision.

    8. I have talked to my therapist about the same issue, so totally get it! A couple things that have worked for me are designating certain nights for certain things – for example, my husband has evening classes for his MBA on Mondays, so I use that night for being productive around the house or getting some extra work done. It helps me feel less guilty to veg out on other nights, knowing that I already have a dedicated night of productivity. My therapist has also strongly encouraged scheduling smaller chunks of time for getting shit done. So, setting a timer for 20 minutes of picking up around the house, and when the timer is up I have to stop (even if the task isn’t done). That way I know that I’ve done something productive, and it’s easier for me to unwind and truly enjoy time relaxing with friends and family.

    9. I like to relax but I plan my day – sometimes to the 1/2 hour, sometimes in general blocks of time. If I schedule like that and keep my to-do list/deadlines listed, then taking time for a workout or a nap is planned and I don’t feel like I’m going to drop any balls. If I just relax and veg, that doesn’t refresh me. So planning is good for both reducing anxiety and getting the most out of my relaxation/self-care.

  6. A lot of people here were pessimistic about this, but looks like boosters for 12-15 year olds will be approved next week.

    1. Yep, on Monday! Great news. Although immunocompromised 12 year olds were already eligible and it’s really not that hard to just claim you’re immunocompromised. They don’t require a doctor’s note or anything.

      1. Thanks, but that is dishonest and I am not going to teach my teen daughter to lie to medical professionals. I also do not want her to grow up with a permanent record of being immunocompromised, especially when she is not.

        1. But who does the lie hurt? I teach my kids to be moral and not hurt other people, but I don’t see what’s unethical about this decision. Getting a booster could save their life or prevent a lifelong disability, and it comes at zero cost to other people. I think lying to jump the line as some people did last spring is absolutely unethical, but there is no line for vaccines in the US currently and unused vaccine doses are not being donated to low income countries. My state is currently throwing away thousands of doses a day. There’s no cost to society or other individuals and arguably a marginal benefit (boosted people are less likely to get infected and spread to others).

          1. I don’t think my daughter is able to make all of those distinctions/assumptions and will likely take away the lesson that getting ahead is based on her privilege (masked as “cleverness” or “ability to navigate the system” or “greater need because my job is so so so I’m.POR.tant” or whatever). I know that lots of the readers here and people I have to work with in law operate in exactly this way and it is one of my primary goal not to make my daughter into such a person so I don’t hate her when she is an adult.

    2. I have mixed feelings about all these boosters for wealthy countries while a lot of poor countries haven’t gotten any vaccines. It’s just really sad.

      1. Supply isn’t really the issue anymore. It was for much of 2021, but global supply exceeded demand sometime in the fall. A lot of lower income countries don’t have the infrastructure to distribute vaccines efficiently. Also vaccine hesitancy is a global problem. South Africa is ~30% vaccinated and was turning away vaccine shipments in November because the demand wasn’t there.

  7. Weird Q – has anyone ever heard of vertigo/vestibular problems as a seasonal illness? I had it last Xmas and then this one. Just started the Epley maneuver and the eye exercises again. ?

    1. My husband and I both had some vertigo that was fixed by the going through the Epley maneuver (just once) after getting over COVID this fall. No idea if it was related.

    2. My friend got it after long air travel. Any chance you were in a weird reclined position or upside down (swimming) or the like both years? Any chance you got up from a reclined position very quickly?

    3. Are there any activities you did both years? I could see travel, spending lots of time inside, or spending lots of time outside all being triggers. It could also be triggered by stress or a viral infection.

    4. This could be labyrinthitis. And once you’ve had it, it can come back any time as per my doctor. I had it three years ago and for more than a year after the symptoms recurred (milder) and now I never do anyhting potwntially vertigo-inducing (ex. air travel) without the meds at hand.

  8. In NY and generally lying low given the numbers. family is all fully vaxed and boosted except for the one child still too young to be vaccinated. We’re supposed to go my mother’s this weekend for a belated holiday visit (so will be seeing 2 vaxxed and boosted adults). Now some other family friends want to also come over – 3 fully vaxxed adults and a toddler. My mom and one of the family friends are both in healthcare if that matters. Too risky? Or is getting together with 5 other vaccinated and boosted grown ups still reasonable? My head is going explode from all this risk calculus soon. TIA.

    1. I’m starting to think focusing on vaccine status isn’t that helpful with omicron. Can everyone do rapid tests shortly before the event? I no longer know what is reasonable but think this would provide some peace of mind. I’m in NYC (which is bananas!)

    2. I’m in nyc also and think everyone is to get it, unless they are complete hermits. Being triple vaxxed it seems it would just be like a cold. I would go.

      1. I would say this except that both households have unvaccinated children and healthcare is particularly hard for them right now. I’d skip. Get together in a few weeks even.

    3. Truthfully the more people you add, the riskier. I know plenty of people who are vaccinated but go to the gym unmasked, eat out, go to the movies, etc. I pick outdoor activities to do with them. Maybe you can overlap the visit so you limit the amount of time you spend with the newcomers.

    4. I think we will all get it anyway, and I’d rather catch it closer to being triple vaxxed than when it’s a question about whether we can get fourth boosters. In other words, I’d go and be less restrictive now.

          1. The ER in NYC was BAD pre-pandemic. In our local hospital in Brooklyn the gurneys were stacked 2 deep 5 years ago on a random day in August; I shudder to think what it is like now.

    5. I’m not worried about my personal health but I’m refraining from gathering now because hospitals are in the brink of collapse in my state. There are currently two open ICU beds in the nine-county area around my city. I understand the situation in highly vaccinated states is probably not as dire, but with case numbers surging to many times their previous peaks I think things are going to get bad fast and this is not the right time to do optional gathering. (If the virus is half as mild, it only takes twice as many infections to get the same number of hospitalizations, and we’re going way past twice the number of infections). I’m definitely not in the “we need to stay at home forever” camp, but I can wait a couple months to see people indoors.

  9. Can anyone here point me to like a Halal 101 website?

    Situation here is that my kid (who is literally the Mayor and one of the most social beings I know) made friends with the new neighbors, especially their similarly aged kid. I know that they are thrilled because between moving and COVID, their kid has had a hard time making friends. Thus, my kid is regularly invited over and we reciprocate.

    I know that my kid regularly pawns snacks and meals off them and want to make sure I can reciprocate; however, I do think that they eat Halal food. I want to be respectful of their family’s dietary traditions without being weird about it… If their kid ate kosher food or gluten free or vegan food, I would have no problem accommodating that, but I don’t have any experience with friends who eat Halal.

    Thank you! And yes, I know I’m overthinking this, but I know that my kid at some point will offer like yogurt or fruit snacks to his friend… and the kids are at an age where I don’t know if neighbor kid would think to ask. I just want to be respectful! I’d never feed a kid I know ate kosher a cheeseburger, this is along the same lines.

    1. You’re overthinking! Here’s a link to the official info (https://. www. icv. org. au/about/about-islam-overview/what-is-halal-a-guide-for-non-muslims/ (trying to avoid moderation). Basically, no pork, no alcohol, and any meat must be labelled halal. It’s really easy to just serve vegetarian food.

      1. THANK YOU! This is so helpful! I knew about no alcohol and no pork, but wanted to make sure there were no other rules I needed to know about (I’m most familiar with kosher rules). I had figured I was good to serve stuff like fruit but wanted to make sure on the rules of dairy/gelatin/if snacks had to be labeled.

    2. I don’t know about Halal 101, but there are a ton of places that sell Halal snacks online. You might just order a couple of these boxes and keep them in the pantry for when friend visits. That’s what I’d do.

      1. Thank you! It’s helpful to just know that I could serve this kid a PBJ (jam is made by me and has pectin in it, not gelatin(.

    3. This is very considerate. We have lots of Muslim family friends. In my experience it is a very easy diet to accommodate, particularly if the family is not terribly strict about the slaughtering method of meat, as I think that many North American Muslims are out of practicality. Basically, my experience has been it’s easy to avoid haram or forbidden foods. So, no pork, no non-halal gelatin (you can get halal marshmallows! some yogurts/puddings you need to watch), no alcohol. We’ve successfully held many dinner parties including these families and their kids without making any significant changes to our cooking style.
      It’s easy enough to check with the Mom, and she’ll likely appreciate it (as you would if the situations were reversed). If you have a middle eastern grocery store in your area they can also be super helpful. Also, most kids are pretty well aware of their dietary rules and will speak up if you ask.
      See also: https://www.halaladvisory.ca/halal-101/
      You’re a great neighbour to think about this – I can tell you from experience that many people, shockingly, do not, or are pretty openly hostile to the concept. Sigh.

    4. It would also be fine to just ask the family – we love having Kid over, are there any allergies or dietary rules we should know about? That’s a normal question. Even people who follow dietary regimes differ significantly and lots of people have different rules for at home or at other people’s homes. I’m sure the family would appreciate the thoughtfulness.

    5. I’m Muslim. The answer is: no marshmallows, fruit snacks, or other gelatin-containing items. No meat. Done!

  10. A professional acquaintance I know from several years ago is recruiting for a job that looks interesting. She is an exclusively retained external recruiter. What’s the best way to express my interest? Do I need to update my resume before making contact?

    1. I think the best way would be to reach out, either by emailing and asking for a short phone call at her convenience or just calling her directly. Most recruiters I know love getting phone calls. I don’t think you need an updated resume for this type of call and you can always agree to send the resume after the call: I find most resumes today need to be tailored for the position (keywords, target audience etc) so preparing a resume in advance might be a waste.

  11. My husband and I got a lot of grief for not going to my in-laws’ for Christmas, but we have an unvaccinated 3 year old and weren’t taking any chances. Nine of the 10 people who were there are now positive, and the tenth is symptomatic and negative on antigen but waiting on PCR results.

    1. That’s too bad for those people, and I’m sorry. Your story seems to encapsulate what’s going on in my world. A lot of chastisement for taking precautions and “not getting on with my life” (I.e., skipping spin class), but then people are getting sick and spreading. I know it’s difficult. This internet stranger won’t give you grief. ;-)

    2. I hope all of your in-laws have a milder version and are feeling ok soon. Certainly this is a situation where being “right” still feels terrible, as many of your family members ended up sick.

      1. Thanks. They’re all triple vaccinated and seem to be doing fine. Most had cold symptoms, a few had flu symptoms like a high fever but seem to be better now.

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