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Frugal Friday’s Workwear Report: Smocked-Cuff Split-Neck Blouse

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woman wears chartreuse blouse with smocked details at the shoulder and cuffs

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

One of my personal shopping rules is that if a piece of clothing comes in more than five colors, it’s usually an indicator that there’s something special. This split-neck blouse from Nanette Lepore comes in eight (!) colors and looks like it would be a perfect addition to any work wardrobe.

I love this yellow-green color, but I may also grab the black or navy for a great neutral.

The top is $29.97 at Nordstrom Rack and comes in sizes XS-XL.

Sales of note for 3/21/25:

  • Nordstrom – Spring sale, up to 50% off: Free People, AllSaints, AG, and more
  • Ann Taylor – 25% off suiting + 25% off tops & sweaters + extra 50% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Eloquii – $39+ dresses & jumpsuits + up to 50% off everything else
  • J.Crew – 25% off select linen & cashmere + up to 50% off select styles + extra 40% off sale
  • J.Crew Factory – Friends & Family Sale: Extra 15% off your purchase + extra 50% off clearance + 50-60% off spring faves
  • M.M.LaFleur – Flash Sale: Get the Ultimate Jardigan for $198 on sale; use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Buy 1 get 1 50% off everything, includes markdowns

295 Comments

  1. I work in the marine technology sector and this whole OceanGate thing has been such a blessing to my elevator pitch, now everyone knows what an ROV is and I don’t have to call them ‘underwater drones’.

    1. I have learned a lot from the stories! I actually didn’t realize how deep the wreckage was, and I’ve learned about materials from the stories. Very interesting.

      1. Absent ROVs, would the families ever really know what happened to their loved ones?

      2. I know you say that sarcastically, but as someone who makes a living studying the ocean and sharing that knowledge with people (but not OP of this post), it would absolutely be a comfort to me and my family if my death meant that millions of people learned more about the ocean and how people explore it. I have some uneasiness with wealthy tourists paying huge amounts of money to visit what’s essentially a gravesite, but I do think that they thought of themselves as explorers who also loved the ocean. I’m sure the families of the people who died have heard people say a lot of terrible things about them in the last few days, but maybe they can actually take some comfort in realizing that people have also learned something from it.

        1. That, yes, but a business person gloating about it being a “blessing” for an “elevator pitch” doesn’t have that same ring of rejoicing in new learning.

          1. I’m not a business person! Purely science and environmental protection, but you need great technology to actually go do that science.

          3. Scientists have been told for at least 10 years that they need to have an elevator pitch. Nonprofit workers, too. This is not a term exclusive to the money-making world.

      3. I mean, we’re all ghouls. “My Heart Will Go On” is #12 on the streaming charts right now.

        1. + 1. It’s silly to shame people for not having an overblown emotional reaction to the passing of strangers, when worse things happen with less cause on a daily basis.

    3. And now everyone knows why ROVs are so important.

      Side note: OceanGate is quite the name for a company. It already has “-Gate,” so it comes with its own scandal name.

      1. I know! I heard people debating if the debacle should be called Oceangate or Oceangategate

        1. lol when I first heard about this story, my first assumption was that OceanGate was already the nickname for the incident rather than the company itself!

    4. I think people have learned a lot from this story. What carbon fiber is, the fact that the deep sea is so pressurized, how unexplored the deep sea is and the challenges of reaching it. I think the unknown component is what hooked so many people.

      1. There’s a reason why 20,000 Leagues under the Sea was a raging best seller when it was first serialized.

        This whole situation also makes me think strongly about the benefits of receiving an education at the Naval Academy or the Coast Guard Academy. I know a few people who went that route and I always thought it was really heavy on the military side, but it actually seems like the knowledge of engineering, environment, material science, etc. would really prepare someone for any well-paid career they wanted.

        1. Husband is a marine engineer. Can confirm it’s a really interesting and well-paying career. Downside is that he is away for 6 months a year and often has very limited communications.

        1. So? I’m sure others know some things now that you don’t. People learning now is a good thing.

    5. This story has made me disgusted with alleged progressives sentencing people to death for being rich. So gross.

      2. +1. I agree with this. There’s a real nastiness that comes out when rich people die. I don’t think any of the women here would appreciate the public saying “what did this spoiled rich lady expect, and so close to the scene of the sunken migrant boat, how tasteless” if she died in an accident while on holiday in Greece.

      3. I haven’t seen that type of gloating in my circles and agree it’s sad anyone loses their life. I can see this being a particularly attractive example of “we’re going to HOW much effort for this?!” because of the immense cost of the rescue and the questionable sense of the participants regarding the chosen vehicle (construction quality, it being sealed shut from the outside, etc).

      4. This “progressive” is disgusted with the news media, and society in general for deeming the unfortunate tragedy of 5 men who willingly signed up for this dangerous adventure as more important and news-worthy than 700 migrants drowning as they fled poverty and political peril. Maybe that’s what other “progressives” are upset about. I take no pleasure from anyone dying, rich or poor.

        3. I don’t buy this. None of you were glued to the migrant story. Rich countries regularly turn their backs on these tragedies. People here can hardly be bothered to care about tragedies in their own backyards! It’s not right, but it’s how it is, and it’s disingenuous to pretend that you were all outraged about the boat sinking when really, you just clicked away and closed the story. Don’t use their deaths to justify meanness to the submersible victims now.

          1. I was not glued to the Oceangate story, but read quite a bit about the migrant ship and feel emotional about the latter and not the first. The difference is that I was getting multiple daily updates from the NYT and other sources about Oceangate and little to nothing about the migrant ship.

        4. +1 also disgusted that we are willing to expend so many resources to rescue rich people but not poor people.

        5. +1
          The migrant boat story has truly shaken me.
          I am sorry for the Oceangate loss, particularly the young man whose father paid hundreds of thousands to escort him to an early death, but I am sickened at the comparison of the news coverage and the rescue efforts in the two cases.

      5. Yes this! Were there a lot of resources invested in the search? Yes. But there’s a long tradition of mariners coming to each other’s aid because they all know that they’re vulnerable to the whims of the sea and there are only going to be a few ships capable of responding in a given area, so those that can are obligated to do so. It’s always been true that people who go to sea are a mix of rich people seeking thrills and poor people with no better options (the Titanic being a prime example), but that doesn’t change the way that people feel obligated to respond.

        1. I think you are missing the point. The wealth of the people involved in the two vessels is exactly the basis upon which the decisions to help or not were made in each case. The migrant ship was ignored as a matter of policy because the Greek officials did not want those people to come ashore in their country.

      6. *snort* this is the absolute funniest take I’ve read on the whole situation. Why won’t anybody think about the feelings of the rich?!

      7. Huh? Most rich people don’t take enormous risks like this. The reaction is similar to when someone climbs a mountain in flip flops in a blizzard (exaggerating but you get the point).

        1. The media portrayed Emily Sotelo as a very sympathetic victim.

          I don’t think any of these people deserve to die; I do think that their dreams, goals, and aspirations aren’t a substitute for multiple layers of safety.

          1. I have never heard of Emily Sotelo and I read a lot of news. Was that a local story?

          2. Does your search engine not work? I’m in the Midwest and I heard about Emily’s death.

          3. I mean, obviously I found it once I googled, but it was not a story that was covered at the time in the national media I consume or by my local papers in my very large SEUS city. So to me that’s a weird example of how “the media” deal with this type of situation.

      8. Please explain how progressives sentenced these rich people to death. I don’t remember ordering them to pay $250k to get into an unsafe submersible. Did I miss a meeting?

        1. If there was a meeting, can I be invited to the next one? I nominate Florida Man and Twitter Man to join the next unnecessary risky and expensive venture. Although I’d suggest maybe we make the rich folks who want to take silly unnecessary risks also post a bond for the cost of rescue efforts.

          Jokes aside, this is of course a tragic loss of human life. But no less tragic than the loss of life that happens every day to people for far more unfair reasons.

          1. I saw a Twitter post asking if Alito’s next free vacation can be to the Titanic. Dark, but I laughed.

      10. Yeah I saw people expressing hope and joy over the prospect that they may have suffered terribly, wishing the same fate on other people, and sharing tasteless joke memes pretty much immediately.

          1. Well, I am not? These were posts from members of online communities I’ve been in for a long time, but if you want to verify, I’m sure the meme groups where they were sourcing memes are easy to find.

    6. From the TGIF newsletter today:

      A friend wrote me summing it up beautifully: “What they were doing was the essence of being human and we are so denatured from it that it’s hard to even contend with someone doing something like that when we all just sit behind desks all day in air conditioning and say to ourselves ‘that’s enough.’”

        1. Really? It’s the exact same theme that writers like Jack Kerouac and Edward Abbey have expressed for years. Maybe it doesn’t resonate with you, especially if you are an indoor person, but there are a lot of dumber takes out there.

        3. Seriously! I have a great sense of adventure and totally understand why people climb Everest even though I also understand why it’s problematic. But this is so dumb. These people weren’t doing anything intellectually or athletically challenging. They were just sitting there looking out a tiny window. Even if it had gone according to plan, they just would have been bystanders.

          1. I disagree, I think being willing to do something like that shows a different sort of character and strength than most of us have. I place the blame with the regulatory agencies and the company.

          2. It does not take “character” and “strength” to sit in a tin can for a few hours and look out a window. It’s a risk that most of us wouldn’t take, sure. But you wouldn’t commend someone as noble for playing Russian Roulette (I hope!?!) and I don’t see why this is any different. Even if the trip had been successful, it wouldn’t have been an accomplishment of the tourists who paid to be there and just sat there doing nothing. It’s an accomplishment of the pilot steering the vessel.

          3. To anon at 1:05: what “regulatory agency” do you blame?? It was international waters and the company didn’t want regulations…

      4. idk, I get the spirit of exploration, but these guys weren’t exactly out charting new territory last week. they were sightseeing something that the actual explorers already found…

        1. This. They were looking to come back with a cool story, not information that will change our understanding of nature.

      5. I wish I could upload a picture of the spongebob pajamas kid because that’s exactly the face I made.

      7. That’s ridiculous, there are zillions of ways to adventure and push the boundaries that don’t involve spending an exorbitant amount of money to travel deep sea in a poorly designed ship. This story is about the danger of regulatory loopholes, not yearning to break free from our desks.

      8. Essence of being human? Oh good grief.

        More like the essence behind the Darwin awards.

      9. This is one of the stupidest and most condescending takes I’ve seen yet. This is the essence of being human? Who gets to define the “essence of being human” and why, exactly, do they get that honor? And the rest of us without infinite resources, who need to work for a living, and who can’t simply disregard the very real risk of death are, what, just….. dumb rubes so doped up on soma pills that we have lost our humanity? Spare me.

  2. I’m flying into London tonight, staying in SoHo for a week~ I would love any recommendations for cafes, shopping, and art museums that you adore!

    2. The Victoria & Albert has a great exhibit on Donatello right now, and regular admission is free so you can pop in/out easily to the regular galleries. The Kensington palace exhbition on fashion is REALLY cool if you’re a fashion-y person but you’ll want to get tickets in advance. If you’re at all into Liberty prints/fabrics it’s a great store to see, and Harrods is a classic for a reason. If you’re over at Liberty I’d walk over to window shop on New Bond (if you’re into luxury goods the UK prices are cheaper than the US prices even with the exchange rates). Have fun!

      2. +1 for the V&A museum. I also really love the Tate Modern, if that type of art is your jam.

    3. We found the Carnaby Dishoom to be less nuts, wait-wise, than the Covent Garden one, and had amaaaazing seafood at The Oystermen!

      1. My best Dishoom tip is they take reservations all the way until 5 something for “lunch.” Make one of those and skip the insane waits.

    4. I love Fortnum & Mason — it’s like a mini-Harrod’s without the ridiculous crowds. Especially the food hall in the basement.

    5. Soho is walking distance to Covent Garden for shopping, or Oxford street, depending on what you want to shop.

      The National Portrait gallery is just reopened, and the National Gallery is worth seeing. Walking distance.

      Kingly court by Carnaby street in Soho is a restaurant/bar quarter with great places.

    6. I’m late in the day, but:
      Pop into Swift and Bar Termini for great c*cktails. There are tons of great c*cktail bars in London, but those are two of my faves and they’re right in your neighborhood. Similarly, there is awesome food all over London but if you are staying in Soho you have so many options right at your doorstep. Try Yauatcha for Michelin-starred (but still pretty affordable) dim sum at all hours of the day, Bancone for Italian, Kiln for Lao/Cambodian (GREAT restaurant but everything is cooked in an open kitchen and your clothes will smell like fire, so don’t wear anything you need to wear again), Duck Soup for eclectic wine bar food. Please, please get a Portuguese egg tart at Cafe de Nata on the corner of Frith and Old Compton. I like the roasted milk bubble tea at Coco Fresh across the street from the British Museum; they’re a chain so depending on where you’re coming from you may have one near you at home, but I don’t now and I miss it.

      The gift shops at the V&A are wonderful; I always stop there for gifts for myself and others. I also like Spitalfields Market and all the little shops around there. I’d skip Oxford Street — nothing you can’t get anywhere else. Agree with the museum recommendations that you’ve gotten so far and would add the tour at the British Library. It’s really, really cool. A lot of the museums also do 18+ late nights, so check to see if any are doing that when you’re there. You can get a drink and wander the museum when it is not overrun with families (or people generally), plus there are often cool exhibits/activities set up just for the Lates.

    1. Yes, Fitness Blender on youtube has a stretch called Relaxing Stretching Workout for Stiff Muscles & Stress Relief – Easy Stretches to Do at Work. It’s 6 minutes and I love it.

    3. If you have tight hips I like this flow sequence (all on yoga mat):
      Child’s pose
      Down dog
      Lizard pose (from down dog swing leg forward so your foot is right next to your forearm)
      Pigeon pose (from there swing bent leg in front of you and lean forward)
      then back to child’s pose and do on the other side. Before I stand up I often put my knee on the ground like I’m proposing and lean back to feel it in my hip flexor.

    4. For Achilles tendon / plantar fascia –

      Stand on a stair and let the heel of the affected foot drop down from the stair. Lean into the stretch for 30 seconds.

      Stand arms length from a wall with hands against the wall. Extend leg with affected foot behind you, with the foot flat on the ground. Bend the other knee and lean body into the wall, stretching the heel and back of leg rear leg. Hold 30 seconds.

      I do these 2-3 times a day.

  4. Camping people: what rope do you like best for stringing up ridge lines and rain flies and making clotheslines for things like wet towels? I like the neon reflective paracord that you can see and avoid at night but it can be slippery and hard to tie at times.

    1. Avid camper, hike & backpacker here; we use brightly colored paracord. We typically do one or more of the following knots when we string our tarp/rain fly/general line up: taut-line hitch, bowline, and trucker’s hitch. Should all work fine with paracord.

    2. Go to a climbing store and ask for “accessory cord.” You can check out the different types for yourself. you’ll want something between 2 and 5mm. Often it comes on a roll and you can have them cut a desired length! it’s all made by rope makers so the quality is great – a lot of “paracord” you’ll find at outdoors stores and online is junk.

  5. Does anyone have a good resource for landscape planning? App or course or book or anything?

    1. Your local nursery is a good start. If you are in Texas, there are local agricultural or parks departments that routinely have courses on planting with native plants, as does Texas A&M. I would assume that other states (especially in drought prone areas) do as well.

      1. our local nursery people never have time to talk to us so that’s a no go. i emailed the parks dept guy a while ago asking if i might be inadvertently planting something invasive and he didn’t know much either.

        1. Your local extension office will be a better resource for whether you’re planting an invasive species. The purpose of the extension offices is to help the public with those kinds of questions, whereas the parks have a different focus.

    3. google “master gardener” and your county or state name. The search list will give you a start on education resources and opportunities.

    4. book rec — The Living Landscape by Doug Tallamy and Rick Darke. Also Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Ranier and Claudia West

  6. For folks who have been married and partnered for a long time, I’d love your thoughts and advice on how to support your spouse through a major career change and manage my own anxieties about it. DH has been slowly becoming more disillusioned and dissatisfied with his career, and he realized very recently that he’s just done and wants to start looking for something different. I completely support him, both because he’s been in the same field his entire career (we’re now hitting mid-40s), and I see how my usually cheerful husband is increasingly becoming weighed down by work stuff (a crappy boss who is not doing right by the organization does not help). I don’t blame him for wanting to try something new, and better now than 10 years from now. But secretly, I’m freaking out! I think he’ll find something comparable, salary-wise, but we have worked out a very delicate balance that allows both of us to work, raise kids, and be there for them in the ways we want to be. He has a good deal of flexibility and leeway in his current job, more than I have. And so I have all these complicated feelings of wanting him to make a change and being afraid of the unknown and how it may affect our daily lives.

    I’ve already made my non-negotiables clear, such as no travel-heavy positions and no relocations, which, thankfully, he fully agrees with. I think what’s making this harder is that he’s not leaving a corporate position; he would be leaving a nonprofit field that he’s invested a ton of energy into, and that has required sacrifices from me over the years. There were lots of nights and weekends spent at work while the kids were young. It’s less difficult now, but I still kinda hate that part, and he knows it. But it’s more than a job; it’s something that our whole family has invested in for the greater good, so to speak. So this feels weird and unsettling, even though it’s not MY job.

    1. There is a lot there, but for that last part (what your family has invested), I would mentally reframe it as we have given a lot to this career, and now it’s time for others to take up the baton. You have done your due, or more than that.

      1. That was sticking out to me too. Like it feels like you suffered through the worst years of support but now aren’t going to reap the direct benefits, so it feels like you wasted your time. I have to remind myself of the sunk cost fallacy since I’m prone to the same thought process, but try to reframe that part as 10:16 suggested.

      2. Former nonprofit worker here.

        I was with a nonprofit for a few years where I really believed in the mission and worked a lot of long hours, nights and weekends, etc. because I truly believed in what I was doing. My husband picked up the slack for a lot of those times and had no problem doing so, because he knew that it was important to me.

        After I was told, in the middle of my 5th year at the nonprofit, that a promotion was going to be given to one of my slacker coworkers who never worked nights or weekends without the org even offering a competitive application/interview process, and oh by the way they were also not going to be able to fund the professional development I’d been asking for for years, I was just done. I had given and given and given and my cup was empty, and I had so little to show for all the work I’d put in. I started applying for other jobs and got an interview with a local megacorp doing a narrow slice of what I had previously done in the nonprofit job – at double the pay. With more PTO, ability to do WFH days, floating holidays, excellent health insurance, tuition reimbursement, etc. It was a no-brainer for me to take that job and I am so glad I did, because I ended up with MORE money and MORE flexibility and MORE growth potential than I ever would have had at the nonprofit. So, OP – don’t look at it as, this is going to change our lives for the worse. My life immensely changed for the better once I got out of nonprofit work.

        IMO – there is no “long-term payoff” with most nonprofit jobs. So many of them are dysfunctional AF; they’re run by toxic or dysfunctional people who have made the job their whole lives because of “the mission” – or, even worse, they have not sacrificed but expect others to work long hours for low pay because of “the mission.” If OP’s husband has a solid work history and good skills, he can likely get a better private-sector or government job and still have flexibility. I have known so many people who left nonprofit work and ended up way happier; don’t think that can’t happen for your husband, OP.

    2. I think you would benefit from figuring out how to deal with your feelings about the past sacrifices you have made because it sounds like you are harboring resentment about them. Important to keep that separate from what makes sense for the family going forward. If you feel like now it’s your turn to get to dig in deep, you should say that.

      1. I agree it’s important to deal with these feelings, but I don’t read OP’s feelings as resentment. I hear her more being concerned about the fact that those sacrifices at the time were seen as an investment in the future and in this cause – both of which her husband would be throwing away if he walks away now and basically bringing the value of those “investments” to zero.

        Similar would be a spouse who supports their partner through the grind of med school, and then at the end, partner decides eh, actually, don’t feel like being a doctor anymore. That would be understandably frustrating and upsetting, even if it’s not “resentment” because you were happy to make those sacrifices at the time.

      2. Resentment is too strong of a word, but there are some feelings there that I need to deal with. I do not necessarily want to dig in deep myself right now, but I have told my DH that I don’t see myself doing my own role 5 years from now. It’s draining in its own right; if anything, I want to back off at some point, career-wise.

    3. Remember how overwhelming it was to think of having kids? Then they came and you adjusted and working things out. Getting married was a big step too. But people are more flexible than they think and can adapt to a new normal. Have faith in yourself and your spouse. Thinking about the change is scarier than dealing with it when it comes.

      FWIW, I was 40, married for 14 years and had a 1yo and a 4yo when I quit full time work to go to law school. Sounds crazy, right? But each semester we adjusted our schedules and figured things out. Since then, my husband started his own consulting biz (just him) about 12 years ago; I went through over a year of unemployment; kids went to college. Life changes all of the time and you need to remember that it will happen even if he stays at the same job or in the same non-profit sector. Embrace this potential change as one that will make him (and, therefore, the family) happier in the long run. And, if not, it will lead to another change that will get you there.

      1. Yes, this is absolutely true, and I will keep that in mind. Life is a series of changes; it would be unrealistic to expect him to do the same thing forever.

    4. “But it’s more than a job; it’s something that our whole family has invested in for the greater good, so to speak.”

      Avoid the sunk cost fallacy. Also consider that it’s time for someone else to step up and do this work.

    5. I don’t think you should be freaking out secretly or feeling like you have to manage your anxieties on your own – share those with your partner, albeit compassionately. If you have concerns about your household budget, share them and let your spouse tell you his plan for why it won’t be a problem. Same for concerns around childcare or household load or work-life balance. Your spouse doesn’t just get to charge ahead with this sudden urge for a huge change in his mid-40s (hmmm) and leave you holding the emotional and logistical bag.

      1. It’s all fairly new, and I am vowing to be upfront about my concerns. He joked about a midlife crisis, but it has been slowly building up to this for awhile now. If anything, he’s such a steady guy that it caught me off guard that he’d even want to make a big change. Not sure that makes sense?

    6. It sounds really normal that your feelings about this would be complicated and conflicted. If you can, I’d just reset your expectations to include that this transition isn’t going to feel good for you, that it’s going to stir up all the fears or insecurities you have around change, that it’s going to make you question stuff you haven’t thought of in a while, that you’re losing something as well and may be feeling grief or loss or regret. None of that means that you’re not in favor of him making the change or that you don’t support your husband or want him to do it. You’re probably going to be a total champion of what he’s doing while also feeling insecure or scared or angry or confused or (whatever).

    7. You’re dealing with a sunk cost fallacy here. To the extent your family invested in his career, that’s done and in the past. What you’re considering now is what his job will he going forward. Every day is a new world.

  7. Calling all gardeners! I have gotten my first indoor ficus tree and want to take good care of it. Currently, the soil is exposed. Should I cover it? I’ve read that pebbles are good for keeping pests out of the soil but they will compact the soil.

    1. Not a gardener but I just water our ficus every couple of weeks and it’s fine. It’s a pretty low maintenance plant. I’ve never even noticed if the soil is covered, but I don’t think so.

    3. Are you expecting pests bigger than the pebbles or smaller than the pebbles? If you are thinking tiny bugs, I don’t think pebbles are going to do anything. Might keep a dog or cat from digging in the soil?

      If anything, it’s going to keep you from being able to check the soil for dampness, which is going to be important for not over or underwatering the plant.

    4. Hmmm I have a happy healthy ficus and the soil is exposed. Never any issues with pests in the 4+ years I’ve had it.

    5. I have a seven foot tall ficus (+ the pot for nine feet overall) that was given to me as a small plant in 1992. I’ve never covered the soil. Water as needed. Give it some Miracle Grow in the water every month or two, and repot promptly when it is too big for its pot. Mine likes bright indirect light best but will tolerate bright direct light.

  8. I’m running my first marathon this summer. My brother is going to come along for support, drop me off and cheer if he can find me – super kind, as I’m a little nervous. I don’t usually carry a phone or anything with me/on me when I run, I have a keypad entry so I don’t even bring a house key. He asked if I could wear an airtag so he can better track me. I tried putting a quarter in my shorts pocket today but the bouncing movement annoyed me…I’m just not used to it. Any suggestions for wearing an airtag in a way that won’t bounce around? I tie my shoes in a really specific way so I’m not excited about a shoelace cover, although I’ll try it if that is the best option.

    1. As a runner who is also an emergency manager, I would encourage you to re-think running without a phone. In case of an emergency or any medical incident, you should have a phone (or I guess an Apple Watch with cellular) with you on all runs!

      Could you slip the airbag in your sports bra? Not sure if the sweat would impact it.

      Do you wear a hat? Could you attach it either to the brim or loop it through the back strap?

      I tie my house key into a hair tie and wear it on my wrist. Could you do that with the airtag?

    5. Can you get a silicone keychain airtag cover, and then attach the keychain to your sportsbra strap and tuck it inside the middle back of your sportsbra so it won’t bounce around?

      1. This is what I was going to suggest, too. After the event this also works great for clipping to a zipper inside a suitcase for travel.

    6. I encourage you to carry a phone for safety. I like the flip belt to put my phone, keys, etc in while running

    7. I’d try a bra with a racerback pocket. Those will be tighter and prevent bouncing around. If the bouncing annoys you, imagine that times a thousand when you are doing the marathon. Anything that is mildly annoying will be downright torture by mile 18.

    8. Run with your phone. Ask me how I learned – twisted my ankle two miles from home and had to hobble back. The aforementioned SPI belt works well, the lululemon align shots with side pockets also work. Along the same lines, the lululemon shorts also work well for a credit card (also useful on long run surprises).

    9. Seconding the flipbelt. I’ve tried a lot of similar and that is the only one that doesn’t move , holds my phone against my body, and doesn’t annoy me. But now that I have an Apple Watch I don’t usually take my phone. I think it can be set to allow someone to track you. Garmin watches also can do that.

      1. I think Garmin watches need to be connected to your phone via Bluetooth to allow for live tracking.

    10. I would bring a phone if at all possible. When I ran a marathon without one, we planned a meeting place, but I couldn’t make it after the race so I had to ask a stranger to use theirs to call my family. It wasn’t ideal.

      I’ve used a fanny pack style running belt to carry small items and it works really well for me as long as it’s in the right place at my waist, it doesn’t bounce or rub, but definitely do some practice runs to see where you need to fit it. I’ve used arm bands as well, but I sweat into those more, for some reason and they’re not as capacious.

      Good Luck!

    11. Always, always, always run with a phone or a smartwatch with cellular so you can contact someone if you get injured or have some sort of emergency!

      I am fine carrying my phone in my hand on runs, but there are some good suggestions here for belts. I also have put a phone in the pocket of leggings (outer thigh) or shorts (back of shorts, at the waistband).

    12. I’ve done many marathons and more races than I can count. I’ve never brought my phone nor felt the need to bring a phone on race day. Most large events have some sort of athlete tracker where supporters can see their progress at 5k, 10k, half, etc. There’s ample course support such that if you’re hurt, aid can/will get to you pretty quickly. Other runners will let someone know at the next aid station, who will call/radio the race director or EMS. Aid stations are almost never more than 2 miles apart and nowadays usually closer to every mile.
      He can look at the course map or ask on the race’s Facebook page and figure out where good cheering spots are.
      Race the way you train. Good luck and have fun!

    13. Don’t you need to carry fluids and/or gels on long runs? I’m mystified about how this is possible even in training.
      In larger races, often bibs will have trackers in them that spectators can use to get a sense of where people are. But I think it works best if you know where he is going to be so you can find him, and he knows about what time you will be passing those spots so he is in the right place at the right time. It can be really hard for a spectator to pick a runner out of a crowd.

      1. The last half I did only did updates via the chip at each 10k, and there was usually a lapse in when the runner would pass and when it’d be updated. Good for seeing when someone finished, but not good for finding them on the course.

        +1 that both you, and he, should plan on wearing outfits that will stick out a bit to be easier to spot. And, if he can he should plan (and tell you ahead of time) what side of the course / street he’ll be on.

    14. Koala clip, attached to a racer back or high back sports bra. You don’t even feel it and it will leave room in your pockets for gels.

    15. If this is any sort of reasonably organized marathon, you do not need to wear an airtag. Your bib will track you throughout the race. He can go on the race website and see where you are. You guys should just look at the course map ahead of time and try to plan what side of the street he will be on around the mile he plans to see you.
      I get that it can be safer to run with a phone if you are doing training runs alone, but you don’t need to run with one during the race. And if a quarter is bothering you, there’s no way you’re going to not be annoyed by a phone for 26 miles if you haven’t been carrying one.

    16. I don’t get all these people saying you’re basically dead if you don’t run with a phone. People went running without phones for decades and had to deal with the risk of something happening.

      1. People also drove without seatbelts for decades. Once an option is easy and wildly available, its not a bad idea to use it.
        Also, before phones, many people made sure someone knew their route and approximately how long they were going to be out, so someone would come looking. Phones mean thats less necessary.

    17. Have you ever run with a bib? If you can’t find a spot for an airtag without it bothering you, you might want to figure out what bibs and trackers the race uses and get yourself acclimated ahead of time.

      For the airtag itself, I like tying my shoes very specifically as well. Maybe your threading pattern doesn’t allow this? On mine, it would only take a few minutes to unthread one lace far enough to slip the airtag on further down, then rethread the lace and tie per usual.

    18. Please run with a phone. A very fit friend from college died last sumer on a quick trail run after he got lost. The heat overcame him.

  9. It looks like there’s mounting evidence that the coronavirus originated from a lab. It’s staggering to think about how many people died as a result of something essentially preventable. I’m as liberal as they come and am confused as to why only primarily right leaning newspapers seem to reporting on this in earnest…

    1. I posted about that here back when the Vanity Fair article first came out. The conversation wasn’t yet in a place for people to take it seriously, but it seems pretty obvious now that it was a lab leak. I also strongly disagree with the “but what does it matter” response. We need to understand what happened so we have a chance of setting new international norms on laboratory standards, reporting, gain-of-function research, and pandemic response. The people who have died from this horrendous pandemic deserve that respect, but so do all the future generations to come.

      1. How is it trolling to comment on something that’s been reported by The Atlantic, NYTimes, and validated by multiple federal agencies?

        Say you’re uninformed without saying you’re uninformed.

        1. There are a number of narrow minded women on this site who accuse others of being a troll when they don’t understand post.

    3. I am a lib and usually proud of my team for following science and facts, but think we lost credibility on when Fauci said the virus wasn’t airborne (at a time when China was clearly treating it like it was) and when the dems downplayed the possibility of a lab leak. I think the latter was because of the horrible actions of Trump supporters following his anti Asian statements but shutting down debate wasn’t supported by logic.

      1. I agree. I don’t understand why we are downplaying it and ignoring the evidence when it’s clear what happened.

    4. “Lab leak” as in a lab studying emerging coronaviruses accidentally released it into the world (maybe someone caught it from poor technique and went and spread it around) is possible, I guess. “Lab leak” as in created in the lab and released, doubtful.

      1. That’s what lab leak means…. It was released as a result of research in a lab… no one is saying it was intentional – just that it’s clear where it originated.

        1. Except that lots of people are. That’s why this issue got politicized. If it had just been about an accidental infection, I think people would have been much more open to discussing it, because that always seemed very possible to most scientists. But the accusations were that it was engineered and deliberately released, and there was no evidence for that (and lots of evidence against it).

      2. +1. Either way, this virus came from an animal. It wasn’t created in a lab, though it’s certainly conceivable that researchers were sloppy when doing field or lab work studying bat viruses and infected themselves.

        1. Can you cite your sources for this? Major news sources are questioning the origins of the virus, but if you’ve found a credible source saying it came from an animal, please share.

          1. I don’t think there are any credible sources who still think this was engineered from scratch? Which means it came from an animal. It may have been cultured in the lab after it was sampled from the natural environment, but it came from an animal to begin with. I don’t even know what there is to cite, I think everyone assumes that. There aren’t even any signs of genetic manipulation, though it’s possible that growth in the lab selected for more infectious traits. Clearly not very well, though, as we’ve seen so many new variants arise since the original.

    5. Wasn’t it obvious from the start? Serious question for people who thought that it came from bat soup: why did you discount the lab leak theory?

      1. Pretty much all pandemics in human history have come from the equivalent of bat soup, so that’s clearly the most likely explanation without other evidence to the contrary. But every scientist I know also recognized that a lab accident was a possibility, there just wasn’t any evidence to support it and science requires evidence, not just speculation (though China obviously knows, one way or another).

        1. It isn’t the only explanation though. Given that it did come from a lab, the idea of dismissing the actual explanation out of hand – and mocking those who knew it! – seems unscientific.

          1. (And most “pandemics in human history” have been from animals because most of human history hasn’t had laboratories performing gain of function research! Not to be snotty, but you’re making a pretty rookie statistical mistake.)

          3. It’s not a given! You’re taking a very one sided stance and determined to prove… something? …. that seems to have more to do with your ego than actual evidence.

    6. On June 21, the NYT had a substantial article about how the government must say what they know about COVID’s origins. The NYT is not a right leaning newspaper, and I hope we see growing support to understand more. It may be impossible to ever know for sure, but perhaps this will force us to ask what is the desired level of bio safety for labs working on engineering viruses? How do we enforce this globally? And similar questions.

      It’s likely impossible to “assign blame” due to global and interconnected research and funding. In my opinion, people are hesitant to learn more because undoubtedly everyone had a strongly held opinion at some point that turned out to be incorrect. My view is that ignoring or hiding any evidence of the virus originating in a lab scenario simply provides an opening for disinformation and distrust in governments and scientists.

    7. I’m very liberal, very pro-science (many members of my family including me have advanced degrees in science), was thrilled and extremely relieved to get the Covid vaccine, and I’ve always thought the virus probably leaked from a lab. It just seems like way too big a coincidence that there’s a research lab right there studying coronaviruses. Occam’s Razor and all that. That said, I think it’s impossible to prove anything at this point and anyone saying it 100% leaked from a lab or 100% came from an animal at a wet market is wrong.

      1. I think just about everyone I know who works in a lab put their money on it being from a lab!

  10. What are folks’ thoughts on the recent reports about the fact that the lab leak theory is true?

      2. This kind of attitude of being too cool to care about important issues makes it sound like you have given up on life. It also makes you sound jealous of people who still have curiosity and desire to learn.

        2. This is not the place where I satisfy my intellectual curiosity and reading anonymous internet comments from non-experts is not how I do it either.

          1. That sounds pretty limited. Why wouldn’t you assume a community of highly educated women might have something to contribute?

      3. I don’t understand this response. The NY Times has a current article basically saying we don’t know exactly how the virus originated, but it’s entirely plausible it came from a lab leak. CNN has a recent headline about it as well. It’s worth a conversation, not to be dismissed as some kind of conspiracy theory troll post.

        1. ok except all we seem to be doing is shouting about whether it’s true or not…

    2. Not much new? The discourse was politicized early on, and a lot of loud voices had reasons for promoting the theory or opposing it that had nothing to do with what was likely. The lab leak theory was always strong, and a lot of what’s in the news now was known a while ago.

  11. I’m a partner at a small (20-person) law firm in a flyover state. My firm is a general practice, I am in the transactional group. I am early 30s, lead my practice area, and the firm asked if I’ll run for managing partner in 2025. I work a lot, and I care about the firm, but there are a few things holding me back: I don’t have other people in my topic area to bounce ideas off, I spend too much time on firm admin (like helping implement our new email system), and I make less ‘per hour’ than my partners because the vast majority of my clients are public entities or nonprofits with a lower rate. (I have zero collection problems, but it’s less per hour – I’m on track to bill 1900 hours this year but take home just over 100k.) I am tempted by the ads for large firm associates or of counsel positions, that make almost double what I take home but seem to have similar billable requirements. I have close friends and family in the three major cities closest to my current location. I like private practice, but I would like to make more money. Is it crazy for me to apply for a big firm job at this stage in my career? Would it be better for me to try to get corporate clients?

    1. BigLaw partner here. I don’t think it is crazy at all if you’re genuinely interested and don’t mind the high stress BigLaw will bring. It sounds like you’re aware that you wouldn’t be able to walk in as partner giving your current book of business, but firms may be open to giving you a senior associate or counsel position that has a possibility for partner track if that interests you. Just be prepared for the search potentially taking a while given the current market. And do your due diligence about firm culture first — not all BigLaw offices are the same, and IMO no amount of money is worth the toxic environment or off-the-wall hours expectations some BigLaw firms have. Also, make sure you’re maintaining your network if you’re looking to make this jump. I hope it will be a great success for you, but I’ve also seen a lot of friends shift back to BigLaw after being elsewhere, and regret it when they recall just how brutal it can be. You want to be sure that you have a network that enables you to leave if it turns out the grass isn’t greener on the BigLaw side.

    2. Do you want to lose all your clients start from zero as a senior associate with no book and work 24/7? Why?

    3. I think it’s really important to not under estimate the difference in stress level of 1900 hours at one firm and 1900 hours at another. My best friend from law school went through this – started at a small firm, lateraled to a mid sized firm, was dissatisfied by her pay for “BigLaw hours” and then lateraled to BigLaw. Her hours stayed the same but the job was much faster paced, much higher volume, and many of her hours shifted to nights/weekends/early mornings to accommodate constant client demands. It was so stressful it took a toll on her health and she left.

      Also, billing 1900 hours is not the same as a 1900 hour minimum. I worked at two firms with an 1800 hour minimum but the average associate billed closer to 2400. There’s often not a path to billing just the minimum – that’s a path to getting laid off.

      Not saying not to do it because your comp seems very very low but I think you should go in with your eyes wide open.

    4. FWIW, the billable requirement at Biglaw is basically the bare minimum expectation. At my firm the requirement was 2000 hours but you were seen as treading water if you weren’t over 2100… and client development work is not billable so add that in.

      1. +1 I think our official requirement was 1850 with an additional 100 hours of training, firm work, etc. but you were expected to have 2,000 billables to stay on track for promotions and bonuses, and the people who were gunning for partner were up more like 2,300-2,400. I had one 2,200 hour year and it was brutal. The difference between 2000 and 2,200 is huge in terms of work-life balance.

    5. I have not read the replies, but I am a partner in a much smaller firm, and most of my clients are also public entities and non-profits. I bill many fewer hours and probably make over twice as much. My firm overhead is very low, but still, I think there is room to negotiate for a bigger share of the pie.

    6. I would consider looking at midlaw firms. My firm is about 350 attorneys across 5 offices and someone with your profile may be able to lateral in as a salaried partner. We’re also based in a flyover state but I make around $300K as a newish salaried partner (also early 30s). You’d get to bring your book of business if your clients were willing to pay slightly higher rates (they would get the benefit of more support from different practice areas in return). Our requirement is also 1900 and most practice areas are respectful of that. Consider reaching out to a recruiter or networking to find out the options in your area for midlaw firms (culture can vary significantly so beware!)

  12. Favorite eco-friendly dishes for outside use? We are new to living in a house with outdoor space for dining. I’m reluctant to buy melamine dishes for environmental reasons.

    1. If you don’t have kids, I’d just use your regular dishes. That’s what I have always done. If you do have kids, I’m guessing you already have “kid dishes”, so the kids can keep using those and adults can keep using regular dishes.

    2. tbh we just use our regular dishes outside. we don’t regularly fling things off the table onto the floor at our regular table and that doesn’t change outdoors.

      1. +1

        I never really understood the need for outdoor dishes. I don’t drop things indoors, so why would I start doing so outdoors? Also, if I did do that indoors my plates would also likely break!

        1. 1. Real dishware is heavy. Depending how far your kitchen is from your outdoor table it’s difficult to carry everything.
          2. If you break something in your kitchen it’s pretty easy to sweep or vacuum it up. I don’t regularly smash my dishware but if you do break something outside it’s hard to clean up every speck of glass or porcelain. Someone who goes outside barefoot afterward (including pets) could get hurt.

    4. We just use our regular dishes. For actual picnics or something we use disposables, or just bring containers that we can eat out of.

    5. I use my regular inside dishes outside, especially since we just have a deck and not a pool. For more occasional use, I love bamboo plates or palm plates- smarty had a party is a favorite source. You could also use like a Correlle that are supposedly unbreakable?

      2. This, or going to your local goodwill or donation shop and taking a look to see if they have any interesting sets that have been donated you can make your ‘outdoor’ plates.

    7. I agree, just use your regular dishes and maybe consider stemless wine glasses to reduce the chance of them getting knocked over.

    8. I just use my regular plates and glasses. I don’t host kids very often, so am not worried about stuff breaking.

    9. I’ll dissent here, breaking a dish outside is a lot worse than breaking one inside. Especially if you have pets. I prefer melamine because it is reusable and runs in the dishwasher. You buy it once and it lasts for years just like regular dishes. But you don’t risk breaks and dealing with glass shards all over your yard.

      1. I don’t use glass outside, but ceramic plates typically don’t shatter and when they do, they’re not particularly sharp.

      2. Yeah I broke a Corelle plate outside and because my patio is pavers with nooks and crannies, it took forever to get it all up.

        To OP, despite that, my inside dishes still make it outside from time to time. But I did buy a set of outside dishes and glasses and we really try to use those. I’ve had them for years now, so as long as you’re not buying a new set and discarding them every year, I think you’re fine environmentally. The bigger issue really is single use plastics.

        I also love my wooden salad set for outside.

    10. Replacements sells vintage sets that are in good condition. They are my go to for anything like this, as you don’t have to spend time poking around on Etsy.

      1. OP here. I love this idea! I bought dishes from goodwill and similar thrift stores for my kids in the past for transitioning to big kid dishes, but have had trouble finding a thrift store near my new house.

    11. I use my normal “everyday” china dishes when we eat out on our wood deck. That surface is actually more forgiving than our indoor tile flooring when it comes to dropping things. I don’t like using stemware outdoors because the table seems more prone to getting bumped and anything top-heavy wobbles, so we just use regular drinking glasses (or more likely, a can in a koozie).

      I’m leery of lightweight dishes outdoors because a stiff breeze can too easily blow them around. Even if they don’t break, no one wants to get splattered with windblown food juice when a plastic platter goes flying.

  13. Help! I’m planning a bachelorette party – we’re going to watch the new Barbie movie. Half the group is sober so it’ll be more of a nice dinner, movie, maybe a short hike type of 1-night staycation. I want to give a small thank you/party favor type bag or gift to those coming. Everyone is 40s, has their own money, different interests. I’m looking at spending around 30/pp. I found pink plastic sunglasses that I think I’ll include. Any other ideas that wouldn’t get immediately trashed?

    1. sticking with the Barbie Pink theme maybe a punchy nail polish or gloss, but honestly I wouldn’t expect a favor at this kind of event. (Similar age.)

      1. I also am at the same age and wouldn’t expect a favor. but a punchy nail color or gloss would always be appreciated and make me think fondly of the event whenever I used it. (gloss more than nail color, tbh.

      2. Yeah, I think this (or a consumable) is a good way to go if you do favors at all. Nail polish could potentially get used, unlike cheapie sunglasses that will go straight to a landfill. I hate themed plastic crap.

      3. And I’d toss nail polish in the trash, personally. I’d stick with something that can be used over the weekend – sunglasses no, snacks, yes.

      4. Essie makes a nail polish called “Bachelorette Party” which is hot pink. I’ve given them as favors

    2. If you’re spending the night together, maybe something you can use while you’re there like sheet masks. Another idea is a consumable like a small box of fancy chocolates.

      1. Fancy pink chocolates! Like maybe those chocolate covered cherries that… David and Somebody, the one with the fancy pears, makes?

        Or a bag of pink Jelly Bellys, pink M&Ms, pink gummy candy… but I have trash taste in candy and would legit like these options as much or more than fancy chocolate.

    3. What about nice bunches of flowers? You could decorate the venue with them (I’m picturing the sunglasses somehow incorporated and maybe add a nail polish plus a Barbie logo). Then everyone takes one home at the end?

    4. The pink sunglasses sound cute!

      Some things I’ve gotten in these bachelorette goody bags that would apply to your group: face mask or under eye mask, lip balm (SPF!), hair scrunchie or claw clip or headband, noom or crystal lite, if the group likes hiking: hiking socks, nail polish, nice travel size hand lotion or other skincare item.

        1. My bad – I meant nuun! They are electrolyte tablets, but are helpful even if you aren’t drinking or hungover.

    5. Go on hallmarkornaments dot com has a bunch of the old 90s Barbie Christmas ornaments in the 10-15 dollar range. It sounds silly but I would bet that you will get to watch 40 something year old women try to bribe each other to give up the ornament from the doll they had.

      1. Omg – THIS! This would be awesome.
        If you truly think people won’t want ‘stuff’ what about going to a local target or toy store before or after the movie and having everyone pick their favorite barbie and then donating them? Our local children’s hospital has a ‘toy store’ that every child leaving after surgery gets to visit. Our kiddo adored it after having surgery when he was small and we’ve made it a point to donate toys there every year on his birthday to other sick children who could use the pick me up.

      4. Cute idea, but honestly this would also be trash for me. I would never decorate my tree with kitsch.

    6. What about some haribo raspberries (or other pink candy), a pink nailpolish or lip gloss, a pink face mask, and some pink mardi gras beads all packaged up in either a pink gift bag or a pink paper berry container?

      1. Adding to this good idea, rainbow candy bracelets are edible and can look cute in group photos

    8. Maybe a bright pink scrunchie? I have a silky one that I got in a bach gift bag that I use all the time—it’s nicer than I would buy myself but it’s not a Big Deal. So scrunchie + pink nail polish and maybe those little Sugarfina candy boxes? Consumables and easily given to a daughter or friend of it’s not their thing.

    9. Pink baseball hat (or bedazzled baseball hat)? That seems Barbie-ish to me without being obnoxious.

    10. Some ideas: Candy you can bring into the movie (old school good and plenty is perfect color, or pink gummy candy); under eye gel pads; small hair accessories (clips or hair ties); headbands to wear when washing face; sleep masks; reusable cup; or makeup bag.

    11. NYX Fat Oil Lip Drip in hot pink for everyone to wear to the movie (it’s sheer – you can buy a color that looks intense). Matching nail polish. Maybe a pink feather boa to go with the sunglasses. People are dressing up for this movie!

    12. Something that could be pink and useful: nail file, hair clip, no-show socks, washing up gloves, exfoliating glove, hiking socks, head lamp for hiking, Revlon Vivacious pink nail polish or spork.

      I would love a comfy, flexible head band to wear to the movie more than sun glasses – I need prescription.

  14. Niche question, but I know we have some cyclists/mountain bikers here, so I thought I’d ask.

    Anyone have a 2-bike hitch-mount bike rack they really love that’s not a Kuat? I know I should probably just buy the Kuat but wanted to see if anyone has anything else they really like. We have an old 4-bike hitch mount rack from Nashbar (bought waaayyy back in the day) but our kid is going to college next year, and won’t be riding with us as much; I would like to get a 2-bike rack as we’ll only be rolling with 2 bikes most of the time now.

    1. I have a One-up and really like it. It’s super easy to use, and you can easily add/remove trays to add bikes. So if your kid comes home and you want to ride, you can turn the 2 bike rack to a 3 bike rack with two screws.

      1. I have a Kuat and my bf has a One-up. I find the One-up a bit difficult to use. Maybe I don’t have the hand strength, or maybe it needs some grease. Someone always has to help me with the handle you pull up on. But, the One-up is super easy to extend and since many in my cycling group use them, we’ve been able to extend (I think up to 4 bikes?) it to carpool to bike rides. That’s a big benefit.

    2. I would just Google and look for those “best bike racks” roundups. I agree with moving away from Kuat, though. It’s ok but way overpriced and I haven’t been happy with its longevity.

    4. I have a Kuat and zero regrets. That thing is solid as can be and our bikes don’t budge. It is easy to use and the fold-down feature is great for accessing the trunk or hatch with the bikes loaded.

      Looked at cheaper racks and am glad this is one instance where I did not cheap out. I purchased through Rakuten for the cashback from Moosejaw for their reward dollars.

  15. Tell me about implications of next of kin removing a patient released from hospital to rehab after 2 days against medical advice? Will insurance claims go unpaid? Other than obvious health risks, any other implications?

    1. MD here. It’s a pervasive myth that insurance will refuse to pay medical bills if a patient leaves AMA (against medical advice). I’ve even heard it repeated by other physicians in the hospital, but it is not true. There will probably be health implications for your loved one and they should go see their PCP and get medications and care plan back on track. In particular, many patients in rehab need physical therapy and occupational therapy and this can be ordered as a home health service or outpatient clinic service by the PCP.

      1. Thanks MD…Extended family members elderly parent, with Covid and heart failure, needs significant physical and occupational therapy but has dismissed those resources from home health and declined service. Is there any intervention possible?

          1. This.

            My mom was near the end of her life and wanted to leave the hospital. They essentially kept her hostage there by insisting that insurance wouldn’t pay for the days she’d already been there if she left against medical advice.

            I’m glad someone chimed in above to say that was hogwash. Too late for Mom but yes to the sentiment that sick and old people can make their own decisions.

      2. A nurse said that to my face a couple years ago while I was at the hospital. When you’re sick and scared you’re not in a position to call up your insurance company to fact check. It’s crazy that medical professionals peddle false information like this.

        1. Medical professionals are not experts in health insurance. More likely they were wrong instead of lying.

          1. I don’t know if she was lying or misinformed. But when I said I wanted to leave she got very stern and told me insurance won’t cover anything if I left. It’s not like I asked her an insurance question and she responded to the best of her knowledge.

          2. I think it’s just one of those myths that spreads by word of mouth.

            Unfortunately these aren’t limited to information about health insurance; hospital staff can be wrong about more stuff than it’s comfortable to think about.

        2. I also had a nurse tell me that when I left with my daughter rather than wait around for hours and hours for a sign-off she did not need. I knew she was wrong because of the kind of work I do, and I told her so, but the nurse was adamant. I got a call later from the doctor they told us to wait for; insurance paid; it was not a big deal. So many nurses think this that I think it must be an intentional failure to educate by the hospitals. IOW, I suspect some hospitals implicitly encourage nurses to spread this false information.

  16. Brownie me! My family is having pizza and I’m lactose intolerant. It’s been A WEEK (no word on job app, grumpy kid, stressed out me) and I need a treat.

    What’s your best brownie recipe? I’ve got all the dairy subs so I’m fine just subbing something in versus a dairy free recipe.

    I’m about 4000 miles away from a shop that stocks Ghirardelli mixes.

    2. Not a brownie but may I suggest the Smitten Kitchen olive oil chocolate cake? Super easy, one bowl, lactose free, and extremely delicious.

      1. My go-to brownie when I don’t have a box mix at home is the SK recipe for the brownie ice cream sandwiches. But honestly, I think it’s hard to beat a box mix.

    6. Silver Palate brownies form scratch. I recommend using parchment in the pan and then spraying/flour. Do not overbake—you may think these are not quite done. I put them in the refrigerator to make cutting easier, and cut into 1 inch squares. I keep them in the freezer, and just take one or two out when I am in the mood. I cannot count the number of people who have asked for the recipe when they have tasted these.

      2. Ooh this was the winner! Thanks everyone. I’ve had a salad with fish sticks on it, so the brownie I’m going to eat compensates for that sad dinner.

    8. Chocolate mug cake is quick and easy to clean up:
      -Microwave one tablespoon of your non-dairy butter substitute in a mug until melted
      -Mix in an egg and a couple drops of vanilla
      -Stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar
      -Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
      -Add a pinch of kosher salt
      -Microwave for a minute and 15 seconds

  17. Going along with today’s running questions, what is your favorite way to carry water on long runs? I do a lot of my longer runs on trails (currently training for a 15k trail run and a half marathon road run). Now that we’re getting into the summer heat, I would like to start carrying water with me. I have some friends who like the belts, the packs, and the handheld bottles. I have a birthday coming up, so am trying to crowd source recommendations!

    Currently I carry my keys and my phone in my hands while I run. I haven’t yet been on long enough runs that I’d carry any nutrition, but would like to start soon so I can train with it.

    1. Orange Mud hydration vest. It is adjustable, comfortable, durable, has approximately one million pockets, and has a clip for my key ring.

      I have a handheld flask – 10 oz – and it really isn’t enough for any run longer than about 3 miles.

    2. I have a Camelbak that’s pre-cell-phones old. It’s one of their first women’s specific designs and is ridiculously comfortable. I believe it’s evolved into the Camelbak Hydrobak Lite. I only carry it for runs longer than about 2 hours or so in the summer. For nutrition, I just jam it down my sports bra if I carry anything. I generally don’t though.

      1. Edit to add. I only put water in my Camelbak but I do buy and train with whatever beverage the race has at aid stations. I stash it on my route or plan a looped route where I can grab a drink when I go by the house. For the races I do, 99% of the time that’s yellow or blue Gatorade. I know there are a zillion specialized drinks out there for working out, but getting/making sure your system is used to plain old Gatorade will pay dividends on race day.

    3. I have a Nathan Vaporairess 2L from yearsssssss ago. It’s great. I can put nutrition and/or my phone in the front pockets, water and any extras (dry socks, emergency p o o supplies, etc.).

      1. Yep, a vest is an awesome way to go. Mine is Ultimate Direction and is women-specific style. It can hold a big bladder, plus two collapsible water bottles in front pockets. And zip pockets for phone and nutrition, a bungee for tying on extra layers you shed, and comes with a whistle and a scrunchie on the zippers. I love it so much.

    5. I have a cheap belt that holds 2 little water bottles I got from Amazon, but it is no longer available. It also has a zipper pocket that can hold a few gels. I keep my phone and keys in my shorts’ pocket.

  18. Suggestions for caring for a cracked rib? I got hit by a bike this weekend and my doc says it’ll be awhile before I’m all healed up, but the pain is annoying and not exercising is hard

    2. Rest! My doctor was fine with walking and it actually didn’t hurt so that’s what I did for exercise. But you have to listen to the pain. Also edibles helped before bed

    3. Rest, ice, painkillers as needed. Both of my parents cracked ribs recently and really the only treatment is rest.

    4. Taping it up might help. Or get an elastic binder thing at the drugstore. That’s what I used to do when I was doing martial arts.

      1. Maybe check with your doctor first on wrapping or taping. My doctor advised against taping or binding because it limited deep breaths. She said taking deep breaths may help prevent pneumonia or a partial collapse of a lung. I agree with rest. It just takes time.

    5. Yes! Lidocaine patch. I had a bruised rib and it really helped make the pain tolerable. I had rx ones but there are slightly lower dose ones over the counter.

  19. I’m hoping the hive can help me find a therapist in the Philly metro area that has experience with workplace anxiety. I’ve had a few bad workplace experiences that I now realize I haven’t been able to psychologically let go of, including working in Big law, abusive bosses, bosses with mental health issues, bullying and resulting job loss, etc. I have an EAP, but they are not that helpful. This will be my first time going to therapy for a bigger issue. Any advice is appreciated.

    1. Beverly Sigel, Certified EMDR Therapist
      She’s a psychologist whom I found very helpful 20+ years ago. Google says she’s on Bala Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, PA (suburb just outside Philadelphia).

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