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I'm not always a fan of drop/dangly earrings for the office, but if you want to do it, this is my preferred type for work: stationary. The earrings aren't going to move much as you talk and distract from what you're saying, they aren't going to jangle as you walk down the hallway, and ultimately they're pretty sedate. I like. I like the price even more: They're $19 at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, available in three different colors. Nordstrom Teardrop Earrings
(L-2)
Sales of note for 10.10.24
- Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
- Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale (ends 10/12)
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
- Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
- White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Anon
Thanks to the people who suggested I ask about the referral bonus at my new job– I have a hard time asking for things sometimes, but did. At my old job the bonus was $2,000. At my new job, the bonus is … drum-roll please… $50. Fifty. dollars. I was so shocked. I mean, any free money is good money, but good grief.
Ellen
I had suggested $500. I am goeing to bring this up at our next partner’s meeting, Anon. If you recomend someone to my firm that can do WC, you will be eligibbel too! YAY!!!
Failure to launch sibling (or in this case, sibling-in-law)
I need some coping strategies.
My husband’s youngest brother is on my last nerve. He is in his early 30s and is textbook failure to launch. Never had a real job, only recently moved out of his parent’s home, doesn’t want real responsibilities/stress in his life/etc., has no desire to work for “the man” and is waiting for his big invention to sell like hotcakes (it’s been 7 years of very little sales), etc. Now he’s talking about wanting to get a PhD (to delay getting a job further? to garner praise? who knows).
It’s driving me bonkers because he won’t shut the F up about how awesome he is and it takes everything I can muster to keep quite and not smack him and tell him to grow up and stop trying to get attention.
I have two brothers but they are fully functioning adults, so I am not very well versed in letting this type of immature BS roll off my back. I know it’s not my job to say anything to him about it or otherwise offer opinions, but how do I keep from yelling at him? Particularly when he’s getting money from his parents (who can’t afford it), or trying to take work from his brother (who also can’t afford it), etc.
anon
I had a similar situation a few years ago. He was younger and was staying with us. I would avoid him to the best of your ability- for really all events that your husband doesn’t specifically request your presence. Basically I think you need to disengage. I wish I had done that.
Failure to launch sibling (or in this case, sibling-in-law)
Thanks. Fortunately (for our sanity), we live a flight away from the brother, so visits aren’t too frequent. Unfortunately, that means that the ridiculous behavior tends to be amped up, because the visits tend to be timed around someone else’s big event (a baby, a graduation, a wedding, etc.), so he acts even more outlandishly than normal because he isn’t the center of attention. You know, the way a 3 year old does.
Anonymous
Your response to pretty much anything he says should be “Really? Interesting.” then excuse yourself to go to the bathroom/get a drink/say hi to Aunt Suzie etc
So hard to ignore – especially because of the financial drain on your in-laws but no good will come of getting involved.
anon
Yes to the last paragraph. Even if you feel like you’re helping or have something you can or want to offer, some people are not capable of making use of help. Also some people are not capable of being major problems. Ask me how I know….
Failure to launch sibling (or in this case, sibling-in-law)
Oh, I stopped helping after I offered to review his resume for him, spent about an hour re-writing it for him, and then he applied to a handful (literally) of jobs and claimed he’d applied to “every job in the State”. My husband told me that my time would have been better spent doing pretty much anything else.
Anonono
YUP! My BiL is like this, but with a heavy streak of “the world has done me wrong!” and I (1) make it abundantly, abundantly clear that he is never staying with us unless he has an ticket home booked before he arrives (once he stopped by “on a road trip” and stayed for 10 days and it’s a goddamned miracle I didn’t murder anyone), and (2) become a huge gym nut every time he’s in town (“oh well, i’ll be at the gym and then pretty much go right to bed, but maybe I’ll catch you in the morning before work!”) to minimize the time I have to spend with him.
Anon
don’t spend time with him? My BIL is 33, is only semi-moved out and has the life goal of …..wait for it….being a professional bum/ sailing.
Failure to launch sibling (or in this case, sibling-in-law)
To be fair, “bum/sailing” is a goal of mine, too, but it’s my retirement goal – not my professional ambition :)
Anon
he was shocked when his girlfriend of 2 years decided that things weren’t working out when he didn’t change his goal after the 2 years they’d been together. I asked him if he had planned on bringing her onto this mythical world-cruising boat with her…nope. So not sure why it was so surprising she dumped him?
Oh, and he has 3 DUIs and no license and no car and works part time at a marina/marina bar
anon
Go easy here. I have a failure to launch brother. Yes, he drives us all crazy, worries us to no end, and probably takes too much from my parents. But this relationship is complicated and the complications have been ongoing for decades, way before my husband came on the scene. So while I will join in some venting and criticism, he’s still my brother and I love him. Follow your husband’s lead on this.
Failure to launch sibling (or in this case, sibling-in-law)
Thanks. Yes, I know I need to tread lightly here (I don’t vent to my husband, for example), I make sure to include him in all events, when we’re paying for his parents/other sibling & family, we pay for him too, etc. But he drives me bonkers.
bridget
No coping strategies, except to say that people (especially men?) do this when they know that they are no exactly rocking at life. Unfortunately, their coping strategy makes everyone else mental, and then they start to believe their own bs.
(I know a few people like that, and even thinking about it makes me want a drink. I have a fairly broad view of what constitutes success in life, but d*mn, some of these people are all-around mediocre and think they are just the specialist snowflakes to ever blizzard down on earth.)
Easily Excitable
I have a sister like this. After spending time with her for a few days of family vacation this summer, I was so mad I could barely speak. It took days for me to unravel, and I took a two week break from talking to any of my immediate family to avoid saying something really horrible.
I hate how the money stuff gets involved. And I hate how that part makes me feel. It does help me to remind myself that it’s my parents’ choice how they care for (or support) their children, and that relationship really isn’t mine to judge. I have my own relationship with them that is good and that’s good enough. I also remind myself that it is probably hard for her to be around someone who on paper has a lot of the adult check marks and is so ripe for comparison. So I count my blessings, bite my tongue, and consciously pray for patience and compassion when I know I will see her. And then vent to my husband endlessly after the fact (he gets to play too), get over it, and realize it won’t happen again until the holidays.
Honeymoon Budget
How much did you spend on your honeymoon, for how long, and where did you go?
Fiancé and I are brainstorming ideas and thinking a lot about budget. We could, saving slowly over the year, afford a 10-12k honeymoon. We expect to receive some cash at the wedding, but this is excluding that.
I guess 6k/pp sounds reasonable, but neither of us has taken such an expensive trip. We’ve both travelled extensively, but more on a backpacker’s budget. For our honeymoon, we’d like to do something nicer (though keep in mind that hotel instead of hostel is “nicer” for us).
We’re thinking of going to Africa for 2 weeks, so 6/pp might be a big stretch anyway.
Was your honeymoon worth it? We adore travel and prefer spending money on experiences. But $12,000 sounds like a lot to drop at once!
anon
We went to indonesia for 3 weeks and spent about 3k total including airfare, scuba diving, souvenirs and everything. We tend to do things on more of a shoestring budget. It was awesome and I wouldn’t have changed anything budget-wise.
go for it
Belize, 7 days, $5k? 2 weeks off for travel is a long time in my industry (law) so a honeymoon my be the perfect justification for that long of a trip. Africa sounds awesome.
Cat
12K is a lot! Doesn’t mean you can’t spend that on your honeymoon if you choose to. But I’d want to make sure my honeymoon was therefore a “bucket list” type destination for both spouses! (As opposed to staying in a super fancy room in the Caribbean or something, where the marginal value of going super deluxe vs. “normal” isn’t so great IMHO.) Safari/Africa, as you mentioned, would definitely qualify for me.
Diana Barry
Maybe $1000? All on food/gas – we went to a relative’s house and drove there. I wouldn’t even spend $12K on a family vacation now and we have 3 kids, so maybe I’m not the best person to ask? :)
Anonymous
Including or excluding airfare? If airfare eats half your budget because you’re flying out of a small airport or have very specific destinations/dates then it will be tight. Major airports mean more competition.
Africa sounds amazing – definitely do it!
Anonymous
We went to Greece for 12 days and it cost about $7K total. We stayed in nice but not super luxury hotels and flew between islands. This was about five years ago now.
$10-12K seems high unless you like to stay in the Four Seasons, you’re going somewhere famously expensive like Bora Bora or the Maldives or you’re going for three weeks or more.
Anonymous
Eh, I don’t think it’s that hard to hit $10k on a two-week trip. Figure $3k for international flights and $1500 for travel within the destination (for two people) and that leaves less than $400 a day for accommodations, food and activities, which isn’t that hard to hit even without staying in super fancy hotels. My last several big trips have all been about two weeks long and ~$10k. One of them wasn’t even international (Alaska) but we did a lot of flight-seeing trips there and those add up quickly.
Anonymous
We splurged on a nice hotel in the mountains four hours away for our honeymoon. It was lucky for us that we were relatively close to home; I got sick the second night of our honeymoon and after three more days of that we packed it in and went home early.
I have since guessed that the sickness was related to wedding stress (I’m a suppressor). If I were doing it again, I’d schedule my honeymoon a few months after the wedding.
picachu
Our honeymoon was a week in Paris about 6 weeks after we got married (awesome, about $5k). If you’re planning to do something immediately after your wedding you might want to keep it low key. We were both *really* tired after our wedding and needed some down time.
Anonono
$10K total, Morocco and Spain, 20 days, more time in Morocco than Spain. Like you, we’d been extensive but budget travelers, and it was really nice to stay at “nice” places (like places with our own bathrooms! places that gave us tea on check in!) and treat ourselves, like going to hammams and eating at places we couldn’t usually afford. We also splurged on things that made travel faster: a train rather than a bus, or a chartered car rather than either, so we could spend more time being where we were than getting there. It was also fun to buy some really great souvenirs (rugs, of course) without worrying too much.
For silly scheduling reasons, our honeymoon didn’t end up happening until 6 months after the wedding, but it was great in that we got to focus just on the wedding planning in the lead up to that, and then we still had a honeymoon to look forward to afterward.
Anonymous
We spent about $10k on our honeymoon (Turks & Caicos) and it was totally worth it. It was totally worth it for us because it gave us some true alone time, off the grid, with which to start our marriage. I feel like it’s one of the few times you can justify a truly indulgent vacation, so go for it! But I’m also the person who happily skipped a “real” wedding in order to have an amazing honeymoon…so take that for what it’s worth.
Anonymous
Same here – I did $7K for a week in Turks in May – our hotel was a luxury one and we opted for an all-inclusive plan for the hotel – absolutely amazing
Anonymous
It wasn’t my honeymoon, but the most expensive vacation I’ve ever taken was six days in French Polynesia that was almost $10K for two. And we basically did no paid activities or fancy meals – it was all flights and hotels. It felt super decadent, especially for such a short trip, but it was worth every penny and I hope to do it again some day. My only regret is that we overpaid for flights (I think we spent $2300/person from LA and you can definitely get better deals – we were locked into a particular time and next time I’d hunt for a better deal).
Anon
we did a 10 day driving tour of france/germany/austria back in 2008. Spent $5-6k inclusive of airfare. Stayed in mid-range hotels but went pretty elaborate on meals and car rentals.
arya
we traveled like ROYALTY in se asia for $3k pp for 2 weeks, including flights (~1k pp from SF). we did thailand, cambodia and vietnam. if i could go back and do another second honeymoon i’d do eastern europe (budapest, prague, vienna, maybe croatia too).
Anonymous
Same. Two weeks in Thailand for less than $6k total for two people; we stayed in luxury hotels and ate at some incredibly fancy restaurants.
Anonymous
I want to caveat this by saying that a luxury African safari is at the very top of my travel bucket list, so I definitely understand the desire to go there…but I do not know one person who has gone to Africa and not gotten at least mildly ill, no matter how high-end of a travel experience they shelled out for. Having just been to Southeast Asia with a husband who got a bad case of Montezuma’s revenge, I can assure you it is not conducive to romance and I would think twice about honeymooning in Africa, Thailand, India or any other place that’s really known for making people sick. We had a great time in SE Asia for the most part, but I’m very glad we did Europe for our honeymoon.
Am I the exception?
Spent 10 days in South Africa, including on safari, and neither myself nor my travelling companion (my brother) got sick.
waffles
I travel to Africa regularly. Avoid leafy veggies and tapwater, and you should be fine. Malarone (malaria pills) can make people quite sick too, but treatment options are available – look into the pills that are only taken if malaria is suspected (obviously ask your doctor).
It sounds like an amazing honeymoon! An African safari holiday is definitely on my bucket list too. The cost seems reasonable – I know that flights can be expensive (especially in business class) and safari accommodations can be expensive too.
Anonymous
Well its good to hear that some people have had uneventful trips there, but I know about 15 people who have gone to Africa and they all said they got sick. My husband and I were religious in SE Asia about no tap water, no ice, no raw fruits, veggies or meats, no coffee or tea, and got all our shots before we traveled…and he got violently ill. Even if only a minority of people get sick, it still seems to me like a risk not worth taking a trip on a once-in-a-lifetime trip that’s supposed to be romantic. You can also redo a vacation, you can’t redo a honeymoon.
Am I the exception?
OMG, no one would ever want to travel with me if I didn’t let myself have coffee or tea!
I eat/drink all those things when I travel with the exception of tap water (I buy bottled) and ice (don’t like ice in my beverages), and I’ve gotten sick twice in 36 years. I swear it has more to do with 1) natural predispositions and 2) how varied/adventurous your eating is back home, than anything else.
Dahlia
Lived in Africa for a year. Got malaria when I went off my anti-malarial pills due to the side effects about 6 or 8 months in (oops) otherwise was totally fine.
Get all the vaccines recommended by your doc, and theres a drink you can take that is a preventative for traveller’s diarrhea. Don’t drink the water, don’t eat raw veggies or fruit unless they can be peeled (I lived off the incredible mangoes because you can peel them). I drank tea and coffee- if you are making it, make it with bottled water. If you buy it, make sure its hot. I ate from street vendors, etc, and had no issues. Most of my colleagues were also fine- one guy got drunk one night and drank the tap water and got really sick, but he sort of brought that on himself.
Shopaholic
What? No! I’ve been to Africa multiple times and as long as you’re generally careful (and take the oral vaccine, I think it’s called Duccoral sp?), you will probably not get sick. I’ve done a safari with family but I think it would be a very romantic honeymoon.
nutella
My whole family went twice and never got sick. Meanwhile, fiance got sick in Paris of all places. Not always correlated!
buffybot
Just chiming in to say that I survived a 10 day trip in South Africa (including safari) without getting ill, as did my husband. A good friend did 3 weeks in Africa for her honeymoon (Uganda, Kenya, Maldives) and was also fine.
I think your observation is far more true in the case of, say, India (where I did get violently ill, and any of my friends who traveled there can say the same, for at least some portion of their trip).
Sasha
Uhhh, I’m of East African origin (parents immigrated) and have traveled throughout countries in East Africa and South Africa and I have never become ill. Always drink unopened bottled water and never eat produce (especially lettuce) that is washed in tap water.
Just a minor pet peeve for commenters. People have a tendency to refer to individual countries as a monolith “Africa.” Contrast that to how Americans will consistently and reflexively refer to European countries individually (ex: Spain, Portugal, France). The continent and countries that make up Africa are so varied, I suggest people try to be more specific in their speech when referencing a country or even a region.
AKB
I went to South Africa for safari and Cape Town, and I was never sick. Great trip, great memories.
Anonymous
I was in South Africa in 2014, did not take the malaria medication because of the potential side affects, ate leafy veggies. I was there for 10 days and was fine.
Anon
We spent roughly $15k-$20k for two weeks in Bora Bora. It seemed like an insane amount of money to spend, but it’s also probably the nicest, most luxurious trip we’ll ever take and we both came back to ‘real life’ super refreshed, relaxed, and happy. It was money well spent, in my opinion.
Anonymous
What did you do in Bora Bora? I’m not the OP but I’m researching honeymoon options and don’t mind blowing a bunch of cash. We’d like to go somewhere I’ll probably never get to go to for the rest of my legal career, that we wouldn’t want to do/wouldn’t enjoy as much in retirement, and doesn’t involve only sitting on a beach for 2 weeks.
Anonymous
Not 3:54 but I’ve been. I love Bora Bora but it’s not a place to go if you don’t want to sit on a beach for two weeks. There’s terrific snorkeling (including stingrays and sharks) and lots of water sports but, other than a two-hour jeep tour of the island, that’s about it. Hawaii is a much better destination if you want beach + other stuff.
Also if your career is such that this is one of your rare opportunities to take a two-week trip, I’d strongly encourage you to look elsewhere. Bora Bora is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, but it’s a perfect one-week vacation. With two weeks I’d try to go to Asia, Australia or Africa or even a country in Europe with lots of places I want to see (for example, I don’t think you could do Rome/Florence/Venice/Cinque Terre very well in one-week). You can see Bora Bora perfectly well in 6-7 days.
Anon
We did almost nothing, which was perfect for two burned out workaholics who had just thrown a destination wedding (in a separate locale in the US) for 70+ people.
In all seriousness, we went jetskiing, snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding. We had a few spa treatments. We did a private boat ride to a ‘private island’ where we were served traditional Polynesian food, which was amazing. We explored and went to dinner in the little town of Vaitape. But generally, it was a lot of eating, drinking, lounging, swimming, and reading (I think I went through like 9 books on our 13-day trip). To help mix things up a little bit, we switched resorts and moved to a different property halfway through. If we hadn’t done that, I think I would have gone stir crazy much sooner.
Normally, I’m much more of a ‘Go to Europe! Explore a city! See the sights and enjoy the culture!’ type person, and I was initially a little sad that we weren’t using two weeks of time off for this kind of vacation (my husband was the one who really pushed for Bora Bora). However, I was so wiped out after our wedding weekend that two weeks of relaxation in Bora Bora with my new husband was just what I needed.
Lorelai Gilmore
I don’t remember what we spent, but one thought. If you’re doing the honeymoon right after the wedding (which we did,) I highly recommend going someplace where you can be a little lazy. DH and I had always done Adventure Sightseeing Shoestring Travel together, but for our honeymoon we went to a resort and lay on the beach for a week and it was HEAVEN. For two introverts, the wedding was wonderful and amazing and exhausting, and I desperately needed the downtime. I was grateful to be in a place that was beautiful, but did not demand my sightseeing attention the way that a major European city would have. I was also grateful to go someplace that didn’t require substantial travel to get there.
If you’re doing the honeymoon a long time after the wedding it’s a different story.
DC Anon
If I were you, the question I’d be asking myself is whether a year after the honeymoon if you’d wish you’d spent half the money on something else. My husband and I spent $5000 total on a 2 week trip to Europe (stayed in Paris, Nice, and Rome). We used credit card points for the flight over and stayed in Airbnbs, but ate out at nice places for many meals and didn’t particularly scrimp on cost. I absolutely don’t regret having spent that $5000 and we had a wonderful time, but I would have regretted $10,000 when I could have had just as good of a time for $5000. At the end of the day though, you know yourself best.
Bonnie
+1. We were so tired after the wedding that a lazy vacation was what we needed (honeymoon package at the Bucuti in Aruba). I’d save the big Africa trip for the first anniversary.
lucy stone
About 7k total including souvenirs, we went on a cruise to Alaska and loved the hell out of it.
NYtoCO
8.5k, all over Spain for 2 weeks, price included our flights. We went budget-ish with all AirBNBs, but really love food so spent a lot of money on restaurants. Not so much on experiences/sights– we tend to just walk around and pretend to be locals (surely unsuccessfully) wherever we go.
Lillers
We spent around 7k including flights on our 2 week honeymoon and went to the Philippines. It was amazing. I would absolutely go to southeast Asia for a honeymoon again. Super romantic, beautiful scenery, wonderful people, affordable and great food.
We also went (not honeymoon) on a 2 week safari in Tanzania for around 10k including airfare. The safari was not relaxing but it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was a super cool vacation but I would not have wanted to go right after my wedding. You are up at 630am, spend 8-10 hours in a jeep, then get to your camp, shower, eat dinner and fall into bed. Repeat daily. That said, we loved Tanzania and found the country to be so beautiful and the people very welcoming.
We travel internationally all the time. If you decide to go that route, find a travel doctor in your area and visit him/her 3-6 months before you go. They can give you all the required/recommended vaccinations and medications for your destination, along with specific instructions on food/drinks. My doc also gives us antibiotics to take in case we contract any food-borne illness. Hasn’t happened yet though.
High rise skinny jeans for a pear
I really need a new pair of skinny jeans. I currently wear J Brand Maria and I love the fit, but the knees keep ripping and I’m tired of the bad quality.
I’m somewhat of a pear, a size 6, and have a little pooch. Looking for skinny, high rise jeans. Bonus points for non-black. I don’t mind paying for “premium denim” if it’s worth the price. Don’t want them to sag/stretch out.
Nordstrom is my usual go to store but I’m not finding much I like.
Any suggestions?
Anonymous
Have you tried Paige?
Monday
Madewell! Their high risers are great on me and I am a pear too.
In House Counsel
Try Paige Verdugo — I’m more hourglass than pear but have a pooch (thanks babies!) and find the Paige Verdugo to be a great fit around my curves while keeping the stomach contained.
Ginjury
This, exactly. I’m very much a pear, with a lower belly pooch and the Verdugos fit perfectly. If you’re shorter, you can also get away with ordering crops to avoid hemming.
Katie
Maybe NYDJ (Not Your Daughters’ Jeans)? I like that the high rise holds in my pooch, and they also make my backside look great! I find them at Nordstrom Rack but I’m sure a regular Nordstrom store would have a wider selection.
Anonymous
Silver Jeans? Not really ‘premium’, but they have the ‘Suki’ fit (‘curvy’) and the high-rise Joga-material jeans essentially feel like pajamas with a zip fly.
Anonymous
I want to love Silver jeans but all their jeans seem to cater to teenagers in styling (silver thread, elaborate stitching on the pockets, etc.), which is the last time I wore them. :(
anon prof
Jag jeans at Nordstrom. I’m a bigger size, but even Kate Middleton wears them.
NYtoCO
AG Prima– they’re pretty much the only jeans I wear now, I have 3 pairs. They are SO SOFT and comfortable. For them, I’m a size smaller than normal. They do stretch slightly, but they’re so smooth/hugging that they by no means look like they’re sagging. The pairs I have are in a beautiful darkish blue that looks great for either casual stuff or nights out. I’ve gotten them all on sale for ~$130. The “jet setter” is the high rise version.
I’m obviously a bit biased but I really recommend them.
An
Honestly, Banana Republic has some of the best. I like them more than my J Brand and Paige.
Trish
I am a pear and I just bought the Lucky brand high rise skinny jean a few weeks ago. Might be my favorite jeans ever.
dc mom anon
Where would you go within a 2 hour drive of DC to getaway and relax for a night?
Grandma will be in town tis weekend, which means DH and I can getaway for a night, but Im not sure where to go? It would be nice to be able to unwind, relax by a body of water (beach, lake, pool, anything will do), read a book, have a drink, and sleep!
cc
No water but Holladay House in Orange is one of my favorite places! I would go do wineries during the day, the chefs tasting table at elmwood and sparks at night and a night cap at the lighthouse bar for a local brew
j
Also no water, but I adore the Ashby Inn, which is just about an hour outside of DC, has lovely rooms and an awesome restaurant. Lots of wineries and antique stores nearby for good wandering.
Carrie M
+1 Ashby is so cute, and the food was very good when we were there! There are other cute looking inns on the way out there too if they’re booked.
Anonymous
Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa – Is in Calvert County. Nice rooms on the Bay and you do not have to cross the Bay Bridge!
anon a mouse
Co-sign. I went to a wedding there and it was a lovely setting. Close to DC but feels very removed.
VA Anon
Salamander Resort in Middleburg (again no water, but beautiful, quiet, quaint surroundings).
Bonnie
Culpeper VA. Cute town with nice restaurants and tons of nearby wineries.
Bri
Fredericksburg, Virginia. Hands down best. It’s beautiful, you can dine by the river, take the train there and back, and enjoy the historic offerings and the shops. Stop by Carl’s for ice cream!
Hospital
I had a baby last fall, and the hospital turned me over to collections for a bill I’ve already paid.
The bill was for $175, which was my copay, and my insurance covers everything for mother and baby as long as the baby leaves the hospital the same day as the mother (which he did). I got the bill in the month after he was born. I paid it the day I got it.
The next month, I got a bill saying I owed 87.50. I called and told them I already paid it. They said it applied my half but didn’t apply baby’s half because baby is not on my insurance. I told them baby is on my husband’s insurance but that my policy covers his birth. They said ok, we’ll fix it.
This same thing happened for eight more months. Eight times they’d send me the bill, eight times I’d call, eight times I explained (to the same few people, with decreasing patience), eight times they told me they’d fix it. And then they turned it over to COLLECTIONS. A collection agency sent me a bill.
I went through the roof. I called the hospital (not the separate billing company) and demanded to talk to a supervisor’s supervisor or whatever, explained the whole thing (AGAIN), and finally got someone to pull the bill out of collections and mark it as paid in their computer. Then I made them send me a letter stating that I don’t owe anything, I paid the account on time, and my credit has not been affected. It required another week and two phone calls per day, but I got it done.
The person who has been tasked with handling this has repeatedly told me “it’s the patient’s responsibility to make sure the insurance is correct” (what the eff does she think I was doing in the eight phone calls I made??) and has never once acted as if the hospital did anything wrong. So in about my tenth conversation with her trying to straighten this out, I told her I’d be submitting a bill for my time the hospital has wasted and asked her to let me know where to send it.
She called me today to inform me they won’t be able to pay that bill (that I haven’t sent because she hasn’t told me where to send it) because “it’s the patient’s responsibility to take care of the insurance.” I told her not to call me again because I don’t have time for her incompetence (probably shouldn’t have said that but how is anyone this bad at their job?), and that I will be submitting that bill for my time regardless. And that when she doesn’t pay it, it will be my turn to send HER to collections.
Anyway, I realize I probably can’t actually collect on a bill for my time (but I’m sending it anyway– this required 20 hours of my life that I will never get back). My question is: what can I do? The matter is “handled” now, in that they’re not still sending me a bill I paid eight months ago, but I feel like the hospital should recognize this error. Isn’t it illegal to turn a paid account over to collections? Should I write a letter to their board of directors or something? My bigger concern is that they do this to other people all the time, who may not be able to afford to pay it, and what happens to them? Thanks for any advice (and thanks for letting me vent).
ITDS
Call your local TV station? This sounds like one of those great consumer stories.
Anonymous
You need to stop dealing with them and address a formal complaint to the regulatory institutions in your state. There must be an agency in charge of regulating hospitals or financial services.
Anonymous
No advice on the actual situation, but it’s really unusual that your policy would cover the baby if he’s not going on your policy. IME, the baby starts it’s own policy immediately with a 30 day grace period to get them covered.
Hospital
My policy covers “childbirth” for me, which includes everything that happens with the baby as long as he leaves the hospital with me– they consider that part of “childbirth.” If he stayed longer for his own medical issues, it would not cover that.
Anonymous
What I’m saying is, if you’re in the US, that’s really unusual. Could that be the issue? Are you fighting about your policy or your husband’s? Because it could be an issue of interpretation that way. (And yes, my policy covers “childbirth” – but that’s what happens to me, not the child from the moment of exit.)
Hospital
Yes, the issue is that it’s unusual and the hospital doesn’t understand it. But after I explained it eight times, and paid the bill, the fact that it’s unusual is trumped by the fact that it’s their job to figure it out (or at least listen when I explained it to them, and when my insurance company explained it to them). I understand that a lot of policies are not like that, but that is my policy.
Anony
It’s really not that unusual. You’ll see it come into play most often when a dependent child has a child on the parents’ insurance–the grandchild can’t be added to the grandparents’ insurance, but he or she is covered as a part of the childbirth until the mother is discharged.
Mariah
1. Media.
2. Call your state’s insurance commissioner.
3. Call your AG’s Consumer Protection division.
I’ve dealt with hospitals/insurance/etc a bunch and these are the three things that get sh** done. Also, I’ve found that if you show up in their office and say that you’ll just wait there until someone can fit you in that things move quite fast. No one likes a pissed off person sitting in their reception area for hours.
AIMS
Call you local elected official(s) and ask them how to file a complaint/what you can do. Call the better business bureau. Write an op-ed for the local paper about your experience. If you want to make it painful for them, lots of things you can do. But it will probably eat up more of your time.
Anon
Not what you want to hear, but I think you have to just move on.
I feel your pain. This happened to me, but a bit worse – $700 of appointments with one doctor. There was a third party here, my insurance, and some issues with how it had been categorized. It went to collections and the fight literally lasted for three years. First the doctor would bill me, and I would call until they said it had been cleared. Then suddenly a collections agency started calling. Essentially, I would be told it had been cleared up, and then 2-3 months later I would be contacted that it was not paid. At the time, I was young and really broke. It was terrifying.
Just typing this up, I feel anxiety welling that a collections notice is going to arrive!
Maybe I’m cynical, but writing letters, collecting, etc won’t change their practices. I say move on, recommend friends against that hospital, and buy a nice bottle of wine with the $87 for which you no longer are being harassed.
Hospital
You’re probably right. It’s helpful to hear that. And I lol’ed at the $87 bottle of wine– it’s such a (comparatively) small amount for them to have raised such a ruckus! (Although at some point in there, one of the bills was for $10,000 or something for the entire medical cost, and I did laugh out loud when I opened that one because NO WAY Jose’!!)
Anon
speak to her boss. Write to the VP/Director of revenue cycle or A/R or whatever at the hospital. You could go “billing manager” but that’s probably the level you were at.
I wouldn’t send a bill per se; I’d write more of a letter about overall patient experience–this is something hospitals care deeply about (they are actually rated on it) to someone of importance.
Anon
This. One of our local hospitals has a department like Office of Service Excellence. Find out what the equivalent is and write them a heartfelt letter.
Anony
Yes, they’re rated on this as part of the ACA, although I haven’t got the details. This is where a complaint will hurt.
Anon
Rated not just as part of the ACA / public insurance but patient satisfaction scores drive things like negotiated rates with private insurance, and often Medicare as well.
I work for companies that help hospitals improve patient satisfaction and as a consumer/patient, if you really want to get a hospital where it hurts, it’s here.
NYNY
Hospital finance person here. Billing the person you had to deal with to resolve the issue may be satisfying, but it won’t help matters. It’s likely that she is an entry-level clerk with little to no autonomy in her work, down to the scripted response she kept giving. Try to let that go, even if you write up the invoice for kicks.
More productive efforts include:
1- Send a letter or email to the hospital president to complain about the complexity and frustration you experienced with their billing office – they read patient complaints, especially from maternity patients. (Giving birth is one of the few times you go to the hospital by choice, so labor & delivery departments are part of marketing a hospital to you, your friends, and your family.)
2 – Reach out to local media to see if anyone will report your story.
3 – Reach out to Abigail Zuger at the NY Times. She’s a physician, and writes health care articles for the paper.
Good luck – I know how frustrating hospital billing can be!
Hospital
Thank you; that is helpful. I did confirm that while the first eight phone calls were to the scripted clerk, but the lady I’m dealing with now is the head of Patient Financial Services (for the hospital, not the billing company), so at least she has a little more leeway. I will definitely send a letter to the hospital president and look into the other options.
caregiving
If you have to call back for any issue, always move it up the ladder to a supervisor. Always. The scripted folks don’t know much, turn-over is high, and they make the most frequent errors.
This is not worth a letter to the hospital president or the NYT. I understand the frustration, but this is totally disproportionate. Don’t waste anymore time and energy on this, which will only rile you up more and will make you appear a little…. over the edge.
This type of error unfortunately is common. Perhaps the insurance coverage was also a little confusing. Now you know.
My parents have been erroneously billed for thousands of dollars. Blatant fraud at times in addition to ridiculous errors, sloppiness, confusion, poor documentation. I report to Medicare occasionally. I ask for supervisors. The only time I ever wrote a letter to a hospital president was when patient safety was at risk.
You have no idea how bad the errors can be. Life altering. Life ending errors.
I feel your pain. I am no longer working as I am a caregiver full time and I deal with these problems every day.
Let it GO.
Sh
Let it go.
I am the caregiver for a family member. I have literally spent thousands of hours on the phone over billing / insurance errors and appeals.
Let it go.
For the future, always ask to speak to a supervisor. If the supervisor doesn’t appear knowledgeable enough, ask for their supervisor. Document every phone call with the name and extension/ ID# of any person you speak to. Ask for a phone call back to confirm when it is corrected. Call back within set time intervals to confirm things have been fixed. Sometimes, you push for a three way phone call with you, the provider, and insurance when nothing works.
And then, you let the little ones go.
This is a little one.
Anon
I’ve had something similar happen that was a total nightmare. The people who do medical billing are some of the stupidest, most incompetent humans I’ve ever encountered.
Oh, they aren't the stupidest
Apparently you’ve never encountered people responsible for paperwork in any branch of the military…
Anon
I just laughed out loud. The VA, too.
I’ve sent six emails to a specific department within a branch of the military at this point. And two certified letters. Over the course of 6 months. Zero response. My emails are now marked “URGENT” and the past emails are attached. So, now, are the certified letter receipts. I know they are getting the emails. So irritating.
NYNY
Medical billing is a low-paying job, so the line-level staff members (and even the supervisors and managers) tend to be less educated than the women on this board. But they are working with incredibly complex information in antiquated IT systems while under great pressure to perform or see their jobs sent offshore. Try to remember that you are speaking to a human being and forgive a little.
Alanna of Trebond
Not everyone is smart or competent. We don’t have to pretend that they are.
Also, I don’t think is connected to education. There are some very educated people who are still stupid and incompetent, and vice-versa.
lost academic
Something of a similar nature happened to me. I was billed twice for the same thing – error on the hospital’s part. I ran down that it was a duplicate charge and they told me I didn’t need to pay the other bill – which I should have got in writing, as it turns out. Then a couple months later, a collections notice arrived and I was irate! I called the hospital and they agreed it was a mistake and it never should have been sent, but as the bill was already in the other company’s hands there was nothing they could do (as I understand it, but could be wrong, the debt was sold). I disputed the bill on all my credit reports and got the hospital to provide a letter that it was in error and the item was removed from my credit history. It was only $80 but at the time that was a lot of money.
Anon
get over it. that or spend another 20 hours complaining to other people who also won’t care and will write you off…
Anon
This likewise happened to me after my husband’s heart attack. We have spent so many hours trying to fix this. It’s still not fixed. I feel your pain. It’s a nightmare.
Anon
Anyone have any tips for managing an older male peer in a situation where I’ll be the team lead? He talks over (and down to) everyone, assigns tasks to younger staff despite holding the same position, and forcibly added himself to my project, despite his utter lack of subject matter expertise. He’s not malicious, mostly just incredibly obtuse and disinterested in learning. He “helped” with an early planning phase of my project and it resulted in me spending a third of my time re-explaining basic technology and devising ways to politely tell him the “research” he was sending me wasn’t relevant. I was really excited to be the team lead on this…
cc
I mean that sounds like the definition of malicious to me.
NYNY
If he forcibly added himself, can you have him removed? You can try the sweet approach with him – This little project isn’t a good use of your valuable senior time – or a more direct approach with your boss – he’s impeding progress and I’d work better without him.
Failing that, assign him some ancillary (meaningless) research to keep him on the sidelines while you move on with the meaningful work.
cbackson
No advice on what to do, but make sure you check your credit report to ensure that this wasn’t reported to the credit bureaus.
Anonymous
Does anyone have a recommendation of a career coach or company that can assist in preparing a resume for a federal government position? Thanks!
Help with very basic prenup?
My brother, who lives in San Francisco, will be getting married in a few months. I told him that he might want to think about a prenup (he’s not well-off at all, but he owns his house and wants to avoid complications with that done the road). He then asked me if there was a “quick and dirty” way to get a prenup. I am going to tell him that he should work with a Real Lawyer (I do finance so am useless in this area) , but is anyone aware of any resources he could look at ahead of time to think about what the prenup should cover and make the process as efficient as possible? TIA for any thoughts.
Anonymous
No “quick and dirty” way to do a prenup. Not 100% sure about CA but in many places the marital home is excluded from prenup.
Anonymous
CA is a community property state, so if he owned the home before the marriage it should be excluded in any division of assets. He should consult a lawyer though – most will do a free consultation and can probably just confirm this for him without him having to pay any fees or get a pre-nup.
Senior Attorney
This is an incomplete answer. If payments are made with community funds the community will have an interest in the house upon dissolution. (Ask me how I know…)
Talk to a real lawyer. Prenups are complicated and both parties will probably need to be represented if you want it to be enforceable.
newbinlaw
This brings up a question I’ve had – what is the point of a prenup in california? if all you care about is maintaining your pre-marital assets — community property does that anyway, no?
OP
My (very limited) understanding is that as soon as they are married, his wife will be automatically deemed to have made 50% of any mortgage payments made after marriage, and receive 50% of the equity created by that mortgage payment.
sf doc
That sounds right.
Your original post was a little misleading. He doesn’t own his own home yet. He has a mortgage. Then definitely she will start owning/having rights towards some of it once she starts contributing to the household.
Senior Attorney
Yes, that’s right.
That’s why the groom needs to get a lawyer…
Anon
This seems like the perfect time to use UpCounsel. Your BIL can search for an atty that is a family law atty, with good ratings, in the price range he wants. It’s a great tool to find really good, competent attorneys.
Sh
Owning a house in sf these days = well off.
OP
Comparatively, yes, though by “house” I mean “loft condo in an industrial area, with high monthly mortgage payments”.
Bee Stings
Lately I have been feeling really insecure about my b00bs. I’ve always been self-conscious of their size, but now it’s worse than ever. Vain, first-world problem, I know.
I’m 26, no kids or bfeeding. I’ve lost about 25 pounds in the past year, and am overall feeling awesome and confident in my body. But the shrinking happened everywhere, and my barely-B cup is now a barely-A. More than size, I think I’m insecure about size difference. One has always been a nudge smaller, but now the difference is realllly noticeable.
My husband still treats me like I am Venus on a str*pper pole, but I also know he is very into curves. It is probably just my insecurity talking, but I feel like he is less attracted to me now than when I was heavier.
Am I crazy to consider surgical augmentation? Has anyone here done that? The confident feminist in me says, no way! But more and more I feel self-conscious about this, to the point where I am thinking about it every day. I don’t think it would be for my husband or anyone else, just the thought of myself with symmetrical Cs is becoming a real fantasy.
Catlady
You’re not crazy at all, and implants are not incompatible with feminism. I haven’t done it but I have several friends that have and they are all very happy. My mother also had a single mastectomy and had an implant put in to keep things even. Be sure to do your research and spend what you have to on a great surgeon.
Anonymous
The blogger ramshackleglam recently got implants and wrote about it on her site. Personally, I’d wait to do it until I was done having kids because from everything I’ve heard, kids destroy that region of your body. But of course a surgeon can tell you more. I don’t think it’s anti-feminist. If you want it and can afford it, go for it.
Anonymous
I don’t think it’s anti-feminist, and you do you, but I just want to chime in that I love my barely-As with an undying passion. I’m currently pregnant with #2 and am up to a C again and am.hating.life. I cannot wait until I’m through this and done BF-ing and am back to barely needing a bra. I don’t know how you well-endowed ladies do it!
anon
I went from a 32A my entire life, which I was always sad and insecure about, to a DDD while engorged and a D/DD while nursing (which was an utterly bizarre experience and added to the whole “this is not my body” sensation). I’m weaning now and am probably back down to a deflated 32B. I may be a deflated A when I’m fully done nursing, which is totally worse than the perky As I used to have.
I’m not sure if I will have kid #2, but once I make that decision in a few years, I am seriously going to contemplate a lift and/or implants. If you had asked me ten years ago if I would ever consider plastic surgery, I would have been insulted even as I was sad about having small ones. Because my mental version of feminism was incompatible with plastic surgery because The Man is the one making me insecure about my body, and d@mn The Man. But now… I will really consider it.
So, you do you. But I would strongly consider waiting on implants until you’re done having babies. Engorged and/or nursing with implants, assuming that one is still able to nurse well (and ps nursing is HARD even with natural ones), sounds like utter hell.
Baconpancakes
Totally not anti-feminist, but I’d suggest you seriously do some soul-searching on just how much of this is your own desire (in which case, go for it!) and how much of it is to fulfill some perceived need for approval from your husband. I only say that because you say your husband still treats you like the goddess you are, but you still feel that he’s not as attracted to you – if he didn’t treat you any different once you got them (sounds like he won’t), would you feel cheated? Once you get that straightened out in your head, I think it will be easier for you to decide. Also, congrats on feeling awesome in your body with the weight loss!
Goatsgoatsgoats
I can’t comment on the augmentation angle but I’m in the same boat–I’d describe mine as more mosquito bites than bee stings, haha. What helped me come to terms with it was realizing how many things I can wear that look better on me than on women with larger breasts, and especially being able to wear them braless! Also, not to swap one unattainable beauty standard for another, but boobs are on their way out instead of butts. I’m the friend of the group that everyone turns to for shopping/clothes advice and although I used to think a full (or even proportional) rack would be better no matter what, I’ve started to realize that with current fashions, nothing beats the bee sting :)
cc
Wait, do actual female body parts now come in and out of fashion?
Tina
Unfortunately, yes. See: Tina Fey’s Bossypants passage about the “jamaican dance hall a$$”
Goatsgoatsgoats
And being flat as an ironing board was all the rage in the 1920s.
Anon
I was going to chime in with a similar point – consider seeing your new body as letting you be sexy in a different way. So much if what is in and sexy right now – backless tops, lowcut dresses – is really meant for women with smaller chests that can go braless. Get thee to the Reformation website!
Midwest Mama
I have them. Got them a little more than 10 years ago and have had a child and bre@stfed for a little over a year. No problems. If you want them, I say go for it!
MargaretO
I think you should do whatever makes you happy, and I don’t think the politics of this are particularly consequential in the scheme of things, feminist or not. In your shoes I would be worried about a loss of nipple sensation – I have heard thats a possible side effects, and for me that is not something I would be willing to live with. And also, as a naturally very well endowed woman, if you do it don’t go above a D cup, possible if a C if you are really thin. DD and up bras are difficult and expensive to shop for, and they really start to get in the way of clothing and life at that size. I love the way my chest looks but from a purely practical standpoint I think a C would be way easier to deal with.
An
And also, consider how they will relate to your hip and waist measurements, for buying clothes. You can possibly choose a size to make everyone fit great off the rack instead of being two different sizes on the top and bottom, if that is what you have now.
Jealous DD
Just to offer another perspective — I am in my mid-30s with DD breasts. I loved them when I was younger (jeans + low-cut going out top was my thing), but I’ve slowly started getting more and more jealous of my sisters and friends with smaller breasts. I can’t wear strapless bras so no tops or dresses with fun strappy things going on, I can’t wear backless dresses because I can’t go braless, low cut dresses make me look trashy instead of fabulously chic, I have to wear bathing suits with wider supportive straps, I can only wear expensive sports bras, I can’t wear drapey tops or dresses because they make me look pregnant, my breasts are starting to droop and it’s only going to get worse, and on and on.
All this is to say, maybe look into implants but then decide to sit on the decision for a few years. Who knows if your perspective will shift. There really are a lot of advantages to being an A cup and they seem to become more apparent as one gets older…
Jealous DD
Oh yeah, MargaretO’s comment reminded me that bras are expensive… I also can’t really wear cute bras on the regular. Support comes first :(
Anonono
But if you get them “done” (“maybe i should get mine done” is as far as my thinking has gone in this matter) can’t you get them done so they’re perky and don’t need a bra even if they are big?
That’s my dream. I am so sick of buying frumpy $60 bras instead of cute $20 bralets.
Mindy
they may be perky but I don’t they can defy gravity can they?
I will also note that weightlifting actually made mine perkier which was a nice side effect.
Anne Elliott
Lucky you! I would be so happy to be your size and go bra less, wear whatever I liked without worrying about the girls…..
Grass is always greener….
anon
I’m visiting an old friend in Madison, WI this weekend. Any ideas on places to go/what to do?
Anonymous
Farmer’s Market at the Capitol.
Anonymous
Highly recommend Marigold Kitchen, even if there’s a wait. It’s right off the Square, so you could combine it with the Farmer’s Market. Also get a beer at the Memorial Union Terrace. State Street is not what it was when I was an undergrad there, but still a really enjoyable walk with plenty of shopping. And check out Brennan’s to check out artisan cheeses and a selection of local beers (they usually have a few samples of both at any given time).
Julia
Olbrich Gardens is lovely. There is great kayaking in Madison, too. Bradbury’s coffee for crepes and coffee. L’Etoile if you want to drop cash on dinner. Lots of great fun restaurants, though. I’m envious of your trip.
arya
if you go to the back of the student memorial on uw campus (right at the end of state st on the western side), there is a super nice lake facing patio/seating area with ice cream, beer, a dock etc. and free to access.
pugsnbourbon
These are my favorite kind of earrings – streamlined and sculptural. They go with everything!
Cute Office Supplies
Suggestions for where to look for a seriously cute clipboard for my daughter to use at elementary school?
This is one of two items that she gets to keep for herself (the rest are communal), so we’re prepared to do a bit more work for something with more personality. I’ve looked at Target, standard office supply stores, and amazon.
So come on, you lovers of office supplies out there, what would you get if looking professional weren’t a consideration?
cc
Usually can find tons of good ones at home goods/marshalls, etc
Anon
Erin Condren – Staples carries her line at some of their stores.
Small Firm Attorney
Check etsy.com. They usually have super cute office and home stationery supplies. I got myself a gorgeous planner!
worker bee
Stationery Studio dot com lets you customize everything.
There’s also some at American Stationery dot com.
What fun!
Anonymous
And apparently MSNBC reported that Omarosa is Trump’s director of African American Outreach? What is happening? Are we living in a reality tv show now?
Every time I think this election cycle can’t get any crazier, it does.
cc
I honestly feel like thats one of the least crazy things to happen this cycle. She is a pretty frequent political commentator
Anonymous
Yeah, I don’t think that’s crazy at all, given everything Trump has said and done.
Anon
Short of ditching Pence and announcing that, actually, he’s naming Bernie Sanders as his VP running mate, there is really very little that Trump could do to surprise me at this point.
Small Firm Attorney
Check etsy.com. They usually have super cute office and home stationery supplies. I got myself a gorgeous planner!
LALaw
This may be too late in the day to get any traction, but worth a shot. I am an avid e-reader and tend to get most of my e-books from my local library. I switched from an iPad to a Kindle Fire, but in the summer, the glare on the Kindle Fire is making it seriously hard to read.
I’m thinking of making the switch back to the regular Kindle or the Kindle Paperwhite. Here’s the thing – it is IMPOSSIBLE to tell the difference? Can anyone share their experiences with either? Any reason I should go for one over the other? From what I can tell, the Paperwhite has an LED light, which the Kindle does not (making nighttime reading in bed difficult). If that’s the only difference, is that really worth the $50 difference between the two?
Any thoughts much appreciated, thanks!
Chris
The light makes a HUGE difference, both for reading in bed and outside in the sun. I won’t read anything on my iPad, because it is too hard on my eyes. But I really like my Paperwhite, and will even download documents when I need to read them on the road and don’t want to lug a stack of papers with me.
Katala
I have both (one is supposed to be my husband’s) and the regular hasn’t been touched in a year. I used to read on the subway, so regular (with no light) was fine. I hated using a book light to read in bed. I love the paperwhite with its adjustable backlight. I do wonder if it’s good for me to use the backlight before bed, but I turn it down very low and it doesn’t hurt my eyes like the book light. The only other difference I noticed is more contrast since the background is whiter. That didn’t really matter to me.
So for me, yes absolutely worth it for the paperwhite. That said, I only read in bed now due to kid + car commute so if you don’t or don’t mind using a lamp/other light in bed, probably not worth it.
Charmed Girl
I have a Kindle Fire and ended up getting the Paperwhite to read. I LOVE it. I’m so happy I spent the extra $$ to get that vs. the regular Kindle (had a first or second generation). I don’t have the glare, so can read outside. And the light is not that bright. It’s great if I wake up in the middle of the night and read- it doesn’t disturb my husband like turning on the light.
Eager Beaver
I love the Paperwhite. My husband used to get grouchy when I read in bed. Even a small booklight was too much light for him. The Paperwhite has totally solved that problem.