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Coffee Break: Water Resistant Bootie

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waterproof-wedge-boot-paul-greenThese boots from Paul Green are water resistant and have a fleece lining, making them the perfect choice for the winter weather we'll be “enjoying” soon. I also like how they've got a sort of architectural heel and a fun little tassel detail. Handmade in Austria, where the brand is based, they are available in either black or brown suede and in sizes 5.5-10.5. (Note that Nordstrom's product description advises customers to size up. Fortunately, Nordstrom offers free returns in case you pick the wrong size.) The boots are $389. Paul Green ‘Jada' Water Resistant Bootie (L-all)

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

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127 Comments

  2. Any tips for getting a musty smell out of our bathroom towels? They come out smelling nice immediately after I wash them, but smell a little musty after one use. We have decent ventilation in our bathroom, and the towels dry fine, but they just don’t smell fresh as long as I think they should. Should I wash them in a different solution? Or hang them somewhere else to dry? It’s driving me nuts… the towels are clean!

    3. I’ve had good luck with the Smelly Towel Cleaner laundry detergent and using that every 4th wash or so. Washing in hot water, using white vinegar instead of a fabric softener (extra rinse) and making sure to spread them out to hang over a bar also helps.

    5. This is pretty much always when I get new towels… which is why all of my towels come from Target, come to think of it.

      1. Every time I think I’ve got this adulting thing down, I come across a ridiculous problem like musty towels. Glad I’m not the only one :)

    7. There’s detergent residue built up on your towels. Wash once with one cup of vinegar, leave ’em in the washing machine and then wash again with one cup of baking soda.

    8. White vinegar as posted, AND hang them to dry outside on a sunny day. The sun is the BEST way to kill those kinds of smells.

      2. Ohh, the sunshine is also a great idea! My towels are going to be so nice now :)

    9. It sounds like you are having an issue just with your towels, but if you have buildup in your washer, that can cause the same issue with anything you wash in it. I use a washer cleaner every few months to prevent this.

    10. Likely culprits: using too much detergent, using ineffective laundry (i.e. Homemade stuff off of Pinterest), using fabric softener (very bad). How’s your water hardness.

      Besides the vinegar rinse and sunning already recommended, Google image search “Laundry Love Science stripping laundry” for a soak recipe to REALLY get your towels clean…I did it with my relatively clean white towels and there was light tea colored water in my bathtub afterwards (from gunk that was in my towels!). So gross but so satisfying! The info is from cloth diapering community so they really know how to do laundry.

    1. I didn’t notice the tassel, but definitely like it less on the brown boot version. On the black version it is less noticeable.

      I think this a beautiful and sleek boot.

  4. All, my SO and I are traveling to Portland for a wedding in late May. Does anyone have reccomendations for things to do/places to eat while there? Also, we are thinking of staying 3 days in Portland and flying elsewhere for another 3-4 days. Recommendations? We looked into San Fran.

    1. Not sure where you’re traveling from, but consider renting a car and driving up the coast. Portland is about 30-60 minutes from the ocean and you wouldn’t be far from Olympic National Park.

      1. +1

        Cannon Beach, Astoria, and Cape Disappointment State Park (in WA) are my favorite long weekend getaways from Seattle, and Portland is even closer than Seattle.

      2. +1 to the Oregon coast. There’s also wine country, Mt Hood, Seattle, San Juan Islands, Bend/Sunriver within a car drive.

        1. If you love books, go to Powell’s Books, it’s is like a department store for books with different levels for different subject areas.

    2. Pine State Biscuit for food. There’s a lot of excellent food truck pods you can visit. It’s a very walkable city with lots of cool little neighborhoods. Also public transportation is excellent.

      From Portland it’s not far to San Fran or Seattle. If you go to Seattle you can rent a car and come up hwy 101 around the peninsula and into town on a ferry. Or go along the Oregon coast and visit Astoria, Seaside, Tillamook (home of all things dairy). Or visit Bend which has to be the nation’s microbrew and all things outdoors capital.

    3. In PDX: it’s a small town. The food is incredible. Don’t miss Powells or the Columbia River Gorge. I am from Portland and when I visit, my dream is to drink good coffee in hip coffeeshops and read novels while the rain mists over everything. There’s a pretty good chance it will be raining when you visit.

      The coast is more like 1.5 hrs away if I remember correctly. If you decide to go to the coast, prepare for it to be chilly and probably rainy, even more than Portland.

      For the second part of your trip, I would probably opt instead to go toward the mountains. The best pdx attraction, other than Powells, is the Columbia River Gorge. There is light hiking there. Hood River is a great tourist destination for all sorts of outdoor activities (rafting, windsurfing, hiking) and has good food. Or you could go down to Bend, which is a farther drive, but you will have a much better chance of good weather.

      1. Definitely go to Powells! It is my happy place and an absolutely amazing bookstore. My MIL who specifically visits bookstores all over the world in her travels has not stopped talking about Powells since visiting there 1.5 years ago. Seriously, you have to go there.

    4. The hubs and I were in PDX last month. Hands down, our best meal was at Beast. Eight course tasting menu; every course was good with no duds (rare on tasting menus in my view). Good choices on the wine pairings, although we opted for a glass of sparkling (on top of the complementary glass) followed by what we thought was a well-priced bottle of red. Total tab was spendy but worth every penny more so than, say, Twist in Las Vegas where we ate earlier in the year. Full disclosure: Beast is all communal seating, so not for those who prefer an intimate and private meal.

      Other places we liked: Pok Pok/Whiskey Soda Lounge (pro tip: only the Lounge (across the street and down a couple doors from Pok Pok) has half portions of the justly famous wings), Han Oak (if you can get the rez), Lardo (fried mortadella sandwich!), Grassa (housemade pasta!), Tasty n Sons for brunch (we did not make it to Tasty n Alder, but it is supposed to be similar), Pine Street Market (food hall with multiple choices; we liked the ramen, the Korean buns, and the ice cream from Wiz Bang). Voodoo Donuts were all right, but Blue Star clearly is the shizzle in that department. Many good coffee choices (much like Seattle, PDX requires full caffeination at all times); our favorite was Courier Coffee.

      Also, cosign on Powells. The sad part is that we did not have the luggage space or weight to buy and carry home all of the books that we found and now will have to order.

      I would combine PDX with Seattle (for a more laid back vibe) or SFO (more urban and metropolitan). Or Vegas (but I have irrational love for Vegas).

  5. Any tips for getting shoes to stop squeaking? I just got a new pair of shoes and every step I take, the insoles are squeaking. Will this go away after a few wears or do you think I should try to exchange them for a different pair (keeping in mind I might not be able to since I’ve now worn them…)?

    1. Baby powder. It may not get better on its own. I have a pair of Paul Green shoes right now that I’m hoping will be saved by baby powder. Otherwise I’m trashing them.

  6. I know this has been discussed countless times, but I need help selecting a tote for business travel. My work trips are normally 1-4 days and I carry a 13″ laptop, a few files, a magazine or book and personal items (liquids, medication, various chargers etc). I need something practical for travel (lightweight) that looks professional enough in meetings with external parties.

    I am considering the Dagne Dover and the Lo & Sons OG/OMG. I don’t like the look of the OG, but I am worried about the Dagne Dover being too heavy. Any comments on either?

    Also open to suggestions for other bags!

    1. Should add that I want lots of pockets and organization. I have totes from Cuyana and Longchamp but everything gets disorganized and folders slip down to the bottom.

    2. I love, love, love my OG for travel and it is lightweight (not when I put a ream of paper into it plus a laptop, but it is superb as a rolling office over my tiny wheelie bag). Mine is 2-3 years old, use daily for commutes (not intended use) and monthly for a 1-3 night trips (so I am too lazy to repack). I bring a large envelope style clutch as my purse.

      I would only consider changing the Lo & Sons Seville (does ANYONE have it?) just b/c it has a wider mouth. I think that DD is too heavy unloaded and like that the Seville has a travel tote that is lightweight in addition to the pretty leather version.

      1. I will say that I don’t love the looks of the OG (I do love the Seville’s looks but I don’t have one), but you can’t beat it as a workhorse.

      2. I have a Seville! I love it but it definitely does not hold as much stuff as an OG (which I do not have) or even my old first gen Brookline. It’s bigger in dimensions than the Brookline, but the issue is that the leather shell is hard and doesn’t bulge very attractively when you overstuff it, say with a pair of shoes. It’s fine when it’s in its soft shell. On the other hand, I love the Saffiano and I think it looks very classy for a daily office bag. It always goes into a soft shell when I travel. Oh also, the handles do not fold down, so they stick out a bit under an airplane seat.

        It is still the best work bag I have found though that looks like a high-end purse but gives me really good organization inside.

        1. This sounds like the best of both worlds. I think the OG and OMG are unattractive so if you’re looking for something that isn’t an overpriced diaper bag, I think this is a great bet!

          1. This was also my problem with the OG, while clearly a well made bag it really did remind me of a diaper bag. I ordered one and promptly returned it, with zero hassle I will add.

        2. Good to know! I’ve never used the shoe feature (cut in to interior space too much) for shoes (have stuffed receipts in there or used for iphone). Will remind Santa that I’ve been good this year.

        3. Do you have the 13″ or 15″ Seville? I have a 13″ laptop but worry that I’d still want the larger sized Seville b/c I have so much paper (1 ream, if not more) that I carry when I travel (and home at night often).

          Any thoughts or advice?

          1. I have the 15″. It can fit a laptop and a ream of paper, but probably without anything else bulky (e.g., a big laptop adapter). Also should mention that my first Seville had a defective zipper that would split when I put in anything bulky, but L&S has awesome customer service and 2-day shipped me a new one immediately, and that one has been totally fine for the past few months. Just in case you get one from that batch!

            Good to know about the look of the OG. I’ve been thinking of getting it as a carryon bag for personal trips because I want to switch to a combo of check-in bag + large tote/handbag. Might rethink this if it looks too much like a diaper bag.

    3. I just bought a Tumi nylon tote for work and I’m in love. I have the large size and it definitely fits a laptop and files. The nylon is lightweight but it looks professional.

      1. I have one as well. So many pockets it’s almost a problem (I have trouble remembering which pocket I put things in). Super lightweight, professional looking, and very spacious.

      2. Third on the Tumi. Made for travel. Made to last. I buy the saffiano leather version.

  7. Any suggestions for a gift under $20 for a 7-year-old girl who has everything? I only see her once or twice a year, and I have no idea what she’s into, but she is very much a girly-girl.

    2. Temporary tattoos? My niece is 7 and loves them. You should probably ask parents first though.

    4. -Books are always my answer. Book picked from the highest ranked new releases on amazon in the age category (they break it down by age on amazon.
      -Alternatively, a tutu. My girly girl nieces love their tutus, and one wears one every day to school (she’s a little younger though – 4).

      1. FYI, my 7 year old won’t wear a tutu. She’s not incredibly girly, but I also don’t see them around school.

        Art supplies!! Legos, perler beads, sticker paper doll book, Nevergirl or Disney Fairy chapter books (they are surprisingly good). Temp tattoos, misc hair clips, fingernail polish.

  8. Hello All, I’ve had two strange situations happen in the past week (last Tuesday & today) that are bothersome and I’d like some objective input. Large HCOL city, fyi.

    1. Last week I was at my yearly specialist appointment/check up, male MD that I’ve seen 3/4 times now. He’s always been ‘normal’ but this year within five minutes the appointment was over because he was angry at me. The shortest version I can give is, I needed a specific test done. At his assistant’s behest I did the test at a lab that is not his. He was angry because I did so and became irate when I pointed out that it was his assistant’s initiative that had me at that location. The appointment concluded badly; after he stormed out to get someone else in the room I recovered from my stunned state & said I would find another specialist. He didn’t do my check or tell me if my results are okay.

    I’ll find another MD. In the meantime I think he was unprofessional and rude. Am I over reacting? A week later and I still don’t think I am. I would like to write a letter of complaint to the MD association (AMA?) if for any purpose other than that should it happen to someone else there is a record of a pattern. Thoughts please?

    2. I’ve recently become involved with a local Historical association and they’ve asked me to be on the board. I’m happy to participate. I’ve been on their board list since I went to the first meeting, last week as well. There was a message circulating about something and I asked for clarification yesterday. Today one of the members (70s, female) responded in all caps and with unusual grammar that made the somewhat incoherent letter even more unpleasant. I responded that as a new member to both the association and board it’s normal to want some clarification on different points & I pointed out that all caps indicate shouting though I did not expect that was her intent. Her response to that, in standard type, was that she was fed up with all the back and forth on that topic (I had received precisely 2 emails + mine ) and that sometimes capitalization is necessary.

    I did not nor do I have intentions of further responding. She seems just like a jerk. I’ll have to see and interact with her at regular meetings and association activities. Any advice on what to do when/if I have to talk to her (I can’t remember what she looks like, it’s a large group) or if she brings it up?

    I’m usually straight forward & polite but when people act mean, rude and angry I say my piece & then avoid future situations. In the first instance I likely won’t see this guy around but in the second instance I will definitely have to interact more closely. Thanks!!!!

    1. 1. Not overreacting.

      2. Maybe overreacting a bit. I never take all caps as seriously from older people – not sure they get that’s it’s really shouting even if intellectually they know it is.

    2. 1. I’d write to your state’s medical licensing board – not necessarily because he was rude, but because he failed to deliver needed care. Plenty of doctors are garbage at bedside manner, but the line he really crossed (to me) is that he allowed his emotional state to interfere with his ability to meet your medical needs. Not cool (especially for, what sounds like, a situation where there’s an ongoing medical condition in need of monitoring).

      2. I’d try to pretend it never happened for now, and see how she is in person. Given your newness to the board, it’s possible there was some kind of extensive back and forth prior to you joining that you weren’t privy to that triggered her seemingly disproportionate response – I’d err on the side of assuming you just don’t have all the information, and try to approach her as you would anyone else for now. I doubt she’ll bring it up when she sees you, but if she does, I’d probably go for the “I’m sorry you felt that way” non-apology to smooth things over, and then just proceed cautiously with her in the future.

      1. I agree. Doctor’s can be VERY unpredicteable. When I first met Noah (a Dr.), he seemed to be kind of interested in me. Then, once I decided I would be interested in him, he pulled away and did NOT show any interest in dateing me. I think men who are doctor’s are used to women fawning over them, and when a strong woman pressent’s herself, the men shy away, even tho they are Doctor’s and could have many women willing to date them. I was upset b/c I was putting myself out there, which I normally do NOT do for men b/c men tend to misinterpret my feeling’s as me just willing to sleep with them. That is NOT what I want to project, but men immediateley think that if a pretty women is interested in them, that they are interested in sleepeing with them. No. There is a difference. Men need to learn this, even MD’s. YAY!!!!

    3. 1) Do you otherwise like this guy and would you be willing to give him a second chance? Then do so and tell him you didn’t appreciate the way you were treated the last visit. Let him apologize. If you don’t want to stay with the practice, I’d request a copy of your medical records, including the test results. Write a letter to his practice and tell them why you won’t be coming back. IME, state medical boards aren’t that interested in policing doctors who are just being rude.

      2) Is it possible that the back and forth occurred prior to you joining the board? I wouldn’t read too much into this. People have varying levels of manners for email and may not be aware of the tone of their communications. She may be a jerk, she may not be.

    4. 2. I have an older client who writes to me only in all caps because she doesn’t know any better and apparently isn’t the best typist. I would let it slide.

    5. 1) agree he was unprofessional though no advice on how to resolve
      2) My 70 year old MIL uses all caps all the time (also terrible grammar and spelling when emailing/texting). I often find myself getting defensive over her texts even when no tone was intended and I finally realized it was the perception of being shouted at. I have tried repeatedly to get her to stop with the all caps but it doesn’t work. When I find myself getting annoyed now, I usually try to call her to get the tone of whatever she’s saying and usually it’s not how I interpreted it. Maybe try talking to this woman before/at the next mtg. Chances are she didn’t mean it in the tone you read it (though I would’ve felt the same way as you) and possible her follow up email was to deflect embarrassment – or at least I could see my MIL handling the situation similarly.

        1. I’m pretty sure one of those regulatory parameters is that you cannot deny a patient care as punishment for not using your lab.

    7. There should be someone with the office that can field your complaint about the provider. If this clinic is associated with a health system then there should be a compliance department in which you can file your complaint. A small practice the practice manager would be the person to contact,

      I work in a health system Compliance Department so I can only speak to my department would do when there is a patient complaint. There are specific process that we follow and we do track complaints concerning every clinical area within the health system.

      However, if you don’t get any response from your complaint, then I would go your state medical board instead of the AMA.

    8. Re your doctor, two things. 1. Look to see if he bills you for the visit. I don’t think he should since he didn’t do your check and didn’t tell you what your lab results showed. There is a good likelihood he will bill you for the visit however, and then you can complain to your insurance company. (You can complain to your insurance company regardless, but this way you may also get them to cancel the visit fee, saving you the co-payment or deductible).
      2. I’m in NY. Our physician misconduct rules and regulations state that it’s professional misconduct if the licensee (physician): Exercising undue influence on the patient, including the promotion of the sale of services, goods, appliances, or drugs in such manner as to exploit the patient for the financial gain of the licensee or of a third party;
      So, our professional licensing board would actually be interested in this conduct and could potentially pursue the physician. It’s not just being rude, it’s attempting to exercise undue influence on you to get you to use his lab for his personal financial gain. BTW, I wouldn’t give him another chance. He should never be angry at a patient for this (assuming lab is certified), and if he attempted to direct you to his own lab, that’s putting his personal gain over your health/well being. No second chances there. Good luck!

    9. That Doctor situation was totally ridiculous, and he should receive feedback now, before he forgets about it.

      Because I am the nose-y type that likes to get to the bottom of things, I would consider calling the Clinic and ask to speak to the Clinic Manager. Tell her you had a very disturbing encounter with this Doctor, and describe it matter-of-factly. Tell her that you are severing ties with this Doctor and are in the process of lodging a complaint, and before you do, wanted to know if there is something you should know that could explain this situation?

      You will probably learn nothing, but sometimes, if there is something unusual going on (maybe Doc’s family member just died/getting divorced/????) it might be hinted at. Or maybe there is something weird going on with this Doc’s nurse etc.. Should this excuse anything? No, not at all, and I recommend seeing a different doctor no matter what unless this is THE doctor for your problem.

      But the Doctor will get immediate feedback after your call, which is somewhat satisfying.

      1. While not exactly the same, I decided to change peds with my first child. When I called when he was 4 months old to tell the office I would like my files, they of course asked why and I said I was moving to another ped. They lady asked if I would like to see another dr in the practice and also hinted that this thing happens often.

        1. Thank you ALL for your very useful comments and advice! The e-hive is better than the live hive!

          1. Glad to know I’m not overreacting and will take care of this asap. Happily there are others that can serve his function, thanks big city, so I’m not stuck with this one person. Regarding the lab thing, I don’t know if it’s one that he uses or one that he has ownership in; good catch. I will check into that. He wasn’t denying me care, just pointing out that exams done not at “his lab” weren’t analyzed by him. He denied me care after I pointed out I was uncomfortable and he got angry. I suspected that something may have been going on with him at the start–he had gained weight, got greyer and his outfit was a little shabby. None of that however is any excuse for his conduct.

          2. Insight into older person much appreciated. I had a meeting yesterday evening, acted normally and she came up to me and apologized. Said her son also had pointed out the caps thing. Also the emailing incident had been going on for a week and she was super stressed about it. So I’m guessing she’s got some sort of anxiety but is happily not a jerk.

  9. I have 5 purses that I’d like to hang on the wall next to my closet, but I can’t figure out the best way to go about it. I could maybe get behind one of those over the closet door hangers, but my closet doors are the accordion style ones. Anyone organized purses successfully before and can give me some ideas? I have 2 totes, 1 satchel, and 2 cross-bodies, so there’s a variety of strap lengths involved.

    1. Hanging is bad for bags – it puts too much pressure on the straps. I keep all my bags in boxes in my closet.

  10. 1. I love this brand of shoes, highly recommend

    2. Has anyone used Costco travel packages before? My husband and I are thinking of taking a quick extended weekend trip to a warm climate in March, and the idea of buying something all inclusive appeals to me. The idea of shopping around for best prices does not appeal to me.

    1. I booked a trip to Hawaii through Costco Travel, and it was really easy. We stayed in two hotels and booked the flights, car, and snorkeling and a luau through them. It took a lot of stress out of figuring out all the moving parts together, and it was very affordable from the quick shopping around that I did.

      I had one small complaint, in that there was something odd with the system between the Costco system and the 2nd hotel that we stayed in, where somehow our hotel stay was booked for the wrong dates. The hotel got a room ready for us super quickly, but if it had been a busier season, it might not have been that easy. So maybe call the hotel before you leave to confirm.

    2. Costco travel – super easy. The only downside is that if you have loyalty points or status with any of the chains, booking through Costco negates those privileges, and you don’t earn any points.

    3. Used it to book our honeymoon, it was easy and seamless to book and we had an amazing trip. The pricing was also better than other “discount” sites I had checked out, because Costco had some kind of deal with the hotel we stayed at where we were able to get an upgraded stay for the same price as a “regular” room – the deal did not appear to be available anywhere else on the internet.

      I’ve also had good experiences with JetBlue vacation planner for Caribbean all-inclusives – if you wait for one of their sales, you can get good pricing and it’s as seamless as Costco.

  11. Thoughts on the wear white to vote movement? The idea behind wearing white, one of the official colors of the suffragette movement, is both a great nod to the final debate white pantsuit, and a common color for feminists in voting history. But I’m seeing a backlash from some minority activists and friends, angry at honoring the suffragettes when their rhetoric sometimes used racist appeals, and saying that wearing white is only showing solidarity for white women. Responses?

    1. I’m interested to hear what non-white women think of this. As a white woman, I was thinking HILLYEAH about wearing white, but didn’t do so today because I don’t own a white pants suit (and, let’s be honest, because I’m on my per!od and didn’t want to risk it). I can see both sides of this.

    2. It makes me feel uncomfortable. Not *all* women got the right to vote with the 19th Amendment. Native American and black women still couldn’t vote. The 19th Amendment was the start, not the culmination, of enfranchising women voters.

      1. Did they not have the right to vote, or were prevented from exercising their right to vote?

        1. Because my understanding is that both black and white women were legally able to vote with the 19th, but black women ability to vote was hindered by the things that hindered black men from voting. I appreciate that struggle, but part of me wants to yell “that wasn’t the fault of the 19th Amendment” and that the white is more about the 19th and having that breakthru.

    3. This all makes me realize that I really know nothing about this time in our history. I was hoping to see responses to the earlier question about books on the topic of the suffrage movement. I’m going to try and seek some out so I can learn about it.

      1. I don’t know enough about our history either to really have a strong opinion but I’d like to think we celebrate every step forward as a country even if it took awhile to get to our final destination. I’m struggling for apt analogy but I can think of one that comes close. In some states homosexuals are protected against job discrimination but transgender individuals are not yet. We can still celebrate the rights we conferred for our homosexual friends and family without at the same time putting down our transgender friends. That is just a battle we are still fighting.

    4. There was a thoughtful comment around this on the comments from this morning from Sarabeth:

      “She [Susan B Anthony] was involved in the abolitionist movement, but after the war, she wanted to include women in the 14th and 15th amendments and did not support passing them without the inclusion of sex as a protected category. The women’s suffrage movement split over this issue, and during this period, Anthony and some of her allies took donations and formed alliances with Southern Democrats who were trying to stop black suffrage.”

  12. I have just been told that I have tickets to the inauguration and I booked my flights and OMG!!!!!!!!! I’m kind of freaking out, I’m so excited. #HillYeah

    4. Hope you will find somewhere to go that is just as exciting. I can imagine your sadness … gosh. It was an opportunity of a lifetime!

  13. I have a weird question. Our guest bathroom has recently started to have a strong smell of pee. It is used by 2 adults (older parents who have been visiting and staying in guest bedroom), one elementary aged child, and a toddler who is starting to get toilet trained by the nanny. Also the nanny may use it during the day (or she possibly uses our main bathroom, I’m not sure).

    Possibilities I’ve explored:
    – Diaper trash can: I’ve moved it temporarily to our bathroom but the guest bathroom still smells so it isn’t that. It closes securely and the smell isn’t located near it.
    – Timing: Smell waxes and wanes but it was strong this AM when everyone was awake and had used it.
    – Toilet training: Toddler uses a seat on top of the potty, so no issues of missing the potty. This also happens only a couple times a day (still wearing diapers but sometimes asks or agrees to go, and follows through.)
    – Cleaning: Biweekly maid service cleans; smell still remained the evening after a cleaning.
    – Too many users? Our guests leave in a few days so I’ll get to test this theory out. For the record, the smell didn’t predate their arrival, but also didn’t start exactly upon their arrival.
    – Location: Seems to be closer to the potty/bathtub area rather than the sink/diaper trash can area.

    Thanks to you ladies for helping me problem solve this embarrassing issue!

    1. I would make sure it’s flushing entirely, every time. If it is a colored toilet bowl, you may not notice, but it may not be flushing all of the pee when it’s flushed.

      1. Another thought – do you live in a high rise and could the smell be coming from the drains (of the tub or sink)? That sometimes happens in older high rises…

    3. Is the floor around the toilet getting washed every time the bathroom gets cleaned? Or everything in the spray radius? I’d probably start by talking to person cleaning the bathroom to let them know the cleaning may need a step up to not just include the toilet, but the floor, wall, and cabinet surrounding the toilet.

      And you may want to be wiping those areas down between the maid visits.

      1. I’d guess this. I have a really sensitive nose, and when I went from a female roommate to a male roommate, I started smelling pee around the toilet all the time, even though I couldn’t SEE anything, and I was cleaning the same as previously. Men and boys can’t necessarily help it – there’s an aerosolization whenever they use the bathroom. I have to wipe down every. single. surface. within a 2 foot radius of the toilet to keep the smell away.

    4. If by chance you have a wooden toilet seat, replace it with plastic. The wooden seats retain odors no matter what.

    5. Is elementary-aged child a boy? Could he be missing the target? I used to babysit and honestly have heard about issues with boys up to their teen years have issues with missing the bowl and getting splatter on the seat, wall, etc. Or perhaps the toddler is dribbling a bit after he/she is done?

    6. We have this issue on our master bathroom right now! It’s just me and DH and we have no aim issues. Ethics is a new to us house. DH suspects it’s the seal around where the toilet meets the tile. I suspect it is the sink drain- we snaked the shower and sink drains but my new theory is that it’s the drain hole (for overflow). Not our mat/towels etc.

      We have hard water, so that may contribute. No issues in the kids’ bathroom at all. Let me know what you find out!

    7. Check the base of the toilet. Like the part at the bottom where it flares out to be anchored to the floor (I hope I’m describing that adequately?). On my model there are placea that pee collects from my little boy who misses. Our house cleaner cleans the top of the toilet surfaces and under the seat, and she cleans the floor, but she usually misses the bottom of the toilet. It’s not really something people without male children think of, I suspect.

      1. Alternatively, it could be the wax seal underneath the toilet. I couldn’t figure out why our bathroom smelled like a truck stop. Every time we flushed, a little bit of water/pee would leak out under the toilet and under the vinyl tile, where it would … stagnate. We peeled up and threw away the tiles and replaced the wax seal ourselves. It was fairly straightforward, but you may want to get a professional since you have to detach and lift the commode.

  14. I love MM LaFleur even more now! Just got an email from them “But today, her pantsuit game was stronger than ever”

    2. I think it’s over. Michigan, Wisconsin and NH all look pretty bad and she needs all three of those because it doesn’t look like she’s going to pick up any states that weren’t in her firewall. I’m devastated.

      1. For NH, Durham is not in yet and that is where the University of NH is located. All the other college towns have gone dem there. But I think I’m grasping at straws. I don’t think she’ll get Michigan.

    4. I’m so sad, angry, frustrated, disappointed, etc.

      its going to be interesting to see how all these Trump voters react when he fails to deliver on any of his promises, and frankly doesn’t even try

      1. I’ve been crying since I looked at the results at 3:30am. I’m devastated. And my heart is breaking for my LGBTQ, Muslim, Latinx, Jewish, Black, disabled, and immigrant friends.

  17. I can’t even. My son threw up twice tonight so far and that seems to be the perfect metaphor for this election.

  21. Ok….

    I’m thinking…..

    If we can handle a movie actor with onset of Alzheimer’s disease during his presidency,

    and another president (directed by Cheney), we will survive.

    But the Supreme Court is breaking my heart.

  22. I’m just don’t understand it out there. I don’t want to leave my blue state enclave. I’m so anxious for the world being left for my children. I am going to go in to work late tmrw so I can spend a little time with my children.

  25. The other nearly half of the country felt the way you do know… it was just four and eight years ago. It’s a cyclical process in the USA government. You cannot please all the people all of the time. We have to march on and focus upon what we can control. The USA, no matter what, is a strong country and still much of the bulwark and protector of justice around the world. We also still are the economic engine of the world. I am still praying that the divisiveness and aggression in our society diminishes. We are stronger when we are together as a country. Indivisible. Under God (no matter which you cherish). With Liberty. With Justice to which we continue to aspire.

    If you have actually lived for long periods of time in other countries in the “third world” you may understand what blessings and freedoms and security the USA provides to us. Let’s focus upon continuing that for ourselves, not in fighting.

    And yes, I have the conviction of my post. Under my handle.

    1. I’m a woman of color. With a Trump presidency, so many of those blessings and freedoms that you speak of will be taken away from me. Just because the color of my skin.

  26. This is how the other half of America felt four and eight years ago? I’m going to have to disagree a bit there. No presidential candidate in history has used sexism, racism, and other extremism as part of their campaign like Trump has. Voting for Romney and getting Obama is not nearly the same as voting for Hillary and getting Trump. There are so many groups (essentially anyone who is not a white man) that have reason to be worried that their lives are going to take a turn for the worse. I’m sorry but nothing about Obama or his campaign would’ve made half the country wake up feeling that way.

    1. I have only voted for the person who won the presidency once in the last 5 elections, but this is the only time I’ve felt this awful about the outcome.

      I am sad for the Americans who are part of groups that trump has mocked or promised to target, but I am also scared for all of us. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this will be a rallying cry for terrorist groups, and that makes everyone less safe.

      1. Yeah, I guess my point is that voting for one qualified candidate with positive aspirations and getting another qualified candidate with different but also positive aspirations is really not the same at all as voting for a qualified candidate with positive aspirations and getting a bigot.

    2. Agree. I am a republican who was disappointed when Obama won, confused when he was reelected. But I never ever felt the horror that I feel today– when my own party has “won” the presidency. This is absolutely nothing like the “other half” of the country felt last time. I am the other half and I can promise you that.

    3. Agree. I did not feel this way when W won and I would not have felt this way had McCain or Romney won. Trump built his campaign on hate and bigotry. This is totally different.

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