Wednesday’s Workwear Report: PerfectFit Pants
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
I have two pairs of these ponte pants from Spanx and they spend almost no time in my closet because they are immediately back on my body as soon as they’re washed. They’re comfortable, they fit well, and they’re easy to care for. I cannot say enough good things about them. If you’re not looking for a ton of compression, I would suggest sizing up for a more comfortable fit.
The pants are $158 at Spanx (and Nordstrom!) and come in sizes XS-3X and in petite (28”), regular (30.5”) and tall (32.5”) inseams.
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What would you do – my mother in law (who I would classify as ‘lovely but oblivious’) gifted me a set of china which was hand painted by her grandmother. So this lady and her girlfriends decided to take miscellaneous china and make a set by hand painting all of it.
Lovely, right? Except… I don’t think this stuff is safe to eat off of. It’s definitely lead paint. I’m currently utilizing it for non-food things or using like a serving platter with a napkin on top for things like rolls, etc… but… does anyone have other ideas as to what I could do with this? I do have other family members I’d like to spread this out to but nobody wants a non food safe set of china to sit in their basement.
I would prefer not to destroy it to make like mosaic stepping stones, but I keep thinking like picture frames or similar?
Can you hang one or two on the wall with one of those plate hangers?
+1
And if you need the reminder: you do not need to keep the entirety of an arts and crafts project that women you’ve never met had created to pass time. It’s ok to let it go. Your mil let it go. She just gifted it to you to eliminate any guilty feelings she might have had in doing so.
I’d keep a plate or two and offer up the rest to anyone who wants it and then throw out what’s left. I really don’t like the idea of non food safe china cluttering up anyone’s cabinets.
This. My in-laws are forever dumping family antiques on us as they downsize, mainly to avoid feeling bad about getting rid of the stuff. For years two of our home’s four bedrooms were crammed with hand-me-down furniture that didn’t meet our needs for those spaces. It took two full years of being stuck with dual WFH during the pandemic for my husband to admit that we needed to trade in the useless furniture for two functional home offices.
This
This is a great recommendation.
Does your partner care about keeping/displaying it (assuming it’s their mother’s/family’s heirloom)? I’d let them take the lead on what do to with it.
He doesn’t feel like it’s causing a problem the way we have it now – mostly in a box but me using a lot of it decoratively. (he’s not wrong…)
So here’s what I’ve done—accepted that all old China is unsafe to eat off of, eat off of it anyway one day a year, and then keep a few serving pieces out to use like you do—rolls or cookies.
Or you can just keep a nice serving plate out, put the rest in the attic, and toss once she passes. No need to destroy it in her lifetime.
You have one or more boxes of sentimental, decorative-only items. You can keep them, throw them away, or give them away/sell them (clearly labeled as not food safe). If you want to keep them, you can store them, use them in a non-food way, or display them.
Personally, I’d offer items to other family members and split up the set. If they didn’t want them, I’d display one or two items and leave the rest in a box in my basement until I could throw them away without MIL being deeply offended.
Solidarity. I have an aunt who LOVES to pass down vintage items that contain lead. Some of them are gorgeous but we just can’t use them with a toddler.
Have you tested to confirm it contains lead?
Not the OP but our health department advises us to assume that vintage items contain lead unless you are absolutely sure otherwise. The risk is greater with certain colors, too – a red enamel has much more lead than a white one.
I’ve had testing run on a number of items and was shocked by the ones that did *not* contain lead! Not so surprised by the others that did. Worth a double-check.
What lead testing kits do you use? I’d love to get one and just bulldoze what fails. No point giving it away. Just gone from being anyone else’s problem.
Serious question, don’t jump on me for it. Do you really refuse to eat off it ever if it tests positive for lead? We eat off the old china that is sentimental once or twice a year. I had always heard that you shouldn’t use it every day but a tea party once or twice a year really is not that big a deal.
Yeah, same. Lots of things will kill me. China and lead crystal won’t, twice a year. Otherwise I sourced my every day plates and glassware pretty carefully.
Valid! I have young kids and the fact that it’s hand painted means I can tell it’s not ‘sealed’ like normal pottery, so those two things have this particular set a little higher risk than most.
Just in general, I’m not somebody who has things I only use once or twice a year. I have one set of dishes I got when we got married – they’re sturdy an classic and I use them for everything. There’s a reason I didn’t register for china.
I don’t sweat it as a guest in someone’s home but we only have space for one set of dishware and we’re not going to choose one that has lead. I personally prefer to remove the hazards so I don’t have to think about them ever again – like when more research came out about how it’s bad to microwave plastics, I got rid of plastic Tupperware and got glass instead. No more mental energy!
I did this too w Tupperware! But I do hold on to gifts if the giver is around to ask about it. Once gone, I toss, donate.
I use some dishes like this for holding towels on the counter, as catch-all dishes on the dresser, and with a napkin inside as fruit bowls for seasonal produce (currently, apples, pears, and sweet potatoes).
Lead testing kits are pretty inexpensive. You can easily know for sure. if you have larger dinner plates you could consider using them as chargers for smaller plates. (I.e. eat off the ivory plates but have the trim visible on the plate underneath). You can also use smaller pieces as catch-alls for jewelry if you put some soft velvet in the bottom (a sugar bowl might work well for this)
+1 to these suggestions.
You know, somehow adding a velvet or upholstered bit hadn’t occurred to me… I could very easily combine this with the plate hanger idea above and use the plates as earring holders. Thank you!
Somehow I was stuck on turning these into picture frames… but I don’t know how.
I’ve heard those home testing kids are pretty unreliable for plates/ceramics.
I would box it up and stash it in the garage and the next time I moved it would get lost.
Seriously. Just wait another few decades and toss it.
I would get rid of it all
In the words of Sheldon, “you haven’t given me a gift, you’ve given me an obligation.”
You can use it for plants – set pots on plates, bowls/tureeens/etc as planters.
where do you get halloween costumes that are not a-zon, t-get, or spirit? Maybe slightly better quality, although I really just want something that’s not going to break as soon as we open it. Elementary age kids.
A little pricier, but we have some dress up (that will be repurposed as Halloween costumes) from Little Pretenders and I’m very happy with the quality!
For little kids, Little Pretenders is fantastic. The other idea – may be too late to order now – is etsy. I have no sewing skills but so many people do and are willing to make you a lovely costume!
A dance supply store might have something. There’s one in my area that also sells and rents costumes.
I’ve just learned to sew and make them. Everything is such trash quality.
Little Adventures
I have gotten a lot of costumes second hand via the parents list serv in my area or from friends/neighbors. So many people have old ones they are happy to off-load. You could check FB marketplace, local FB groups, Buy Nothing or thrift stores. Or just ask your local friends with kids.
Costco
Costco is solid. The girl options do have a ton of glitter that will take over your house, and they can be scratchy if there are sequins.
My kids make theirs with cardboard, construction paper, markers, paint, clothes from their closet, and the occasional trip to Goodwill.
It’s a sense of accomplishment for them and minimal work for me.
This is what my mom and I did, including the Goodwill trips. And I have wonderful memories of making my costumes with her.
Once my kids were elementary-aged, we did a lot of assembly vs. buying a costume. I sew a little, so I could sew some of them, but we also visited thrift stores and such to make their visions come to life. If we couldn’t make the vision come to life, we encouraged them to dream a different dream that we could.
For younger kids, Little Adventures has lots of princess dressup that’s very well made and non-scratchy. They have a limited number of boy options, and even mom and doll offerings.
IKEA actually has some great costumes for little kids, too.
Hanna andersson. Limited options but very high quality.
I want to eat more oatmeal for breakfast for health reasons but I can’t help but feel like a horse chomping away at its grains. The texture is just kind of gross to me. For any oatmeal fans, how do you prepare them?
Have you tried overnight oats? Baked oats?
It’s not that healthy so you don’t need to force yourself to have it! It’s not *unhealthy* but it’s not a miraculous superfood you really need to get into either.
Ditto. I tried to force this in my early 30s and…bleh. It’s not the superfood people hype it up to be and also gross. This morning I had leftover chicken, squash, and potatoes with gravy—my own version of superfoods.
Exactly. If you want more whole grains but prefer crunchy over gloopy, make or buy a good whole grain bread and have toast with whatever toppings you prefer.
Fair enough. I just need a quick breakfast as I’m just trying to eat healthier and if left to my own devices I would have a croissant for breakfast every morning. My cholesterol was also a touch high when I last got bloodwork done.
Baked oatmeal cups are easy and delicious! How Sweet Eats has some good recipes.
In just ate whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana slices. It was delicious!
I had this – I switched to flax meal and berries with some high protein greek yogurt. It requires 0 brainpower. I even just let myself by the packaged single serve greek yogurts because then it was no brainpower to eat.
FWIW, my cholesterol dropped by 30+ points.
I’d rather eat oatmeal than flax meal, doesn’t flax have a strong flavor?
Flax goes rancid, so you might have had rancid ones, if they tasted bad.
Cheerios with blueberries?
I like oatmeal, but wouldn’t suggest forcing yourself to eat it if it gives you the ick.
Quinoa with peaches and blackstrap molasses and a ball of burrata and chopped pecans is my go-to breakfast in the summer. So good. Takes 90 seconds to dump in a bowl. (I make the quinoa in the rice cooker 2x a week). Peaches are moving out of season now, so I’m going to have to reevaluate, and I’m sad about it!
Egg and cheese mini-quiches in a muffin pan are filling and tasty and keep great in the freezer. Add your favorite veg for even more health benefits. You can omit the pastry crust to make it lower calorie but I’m more worried about adding nutrients than cutting calories, so I make it with the pastry crust.
Yeah, this is where I fall too. I actually like oatmeal, so I eat it from time to time, but if you don’t like it, just find something else! It isn’t a miracle food that will solve all your health issues.
I really prefer the texture of steel cut oats (that are small chunks, kind of like grits) to the flat, rolled kind.
Same. And you can make a big batch and heat up individual servings in the microwave.
Have you tried baked oats? Personally I do a banana bread baked oat situation. I blend bananas, soft tofu, and non dairy milk as the liquid, add salt, cinnamon and vanilla for flavor, some sort of nut for crunch, and either sugar or maple syrup for sweetness, then bake in the oven. It gives a denser more loaf like texture, and can be prepared in a big batch just scooping out individual portions. The tofu provides protein and makes it super creamy.
I have been thinking about ways to make my baked oats higher in protein, and never considered blending some soft tofu in there, that is a great idea! Thank you!
A pinch of salt is absolutely key. Otherwise, it is just mushy ick.
With brown sugar and cream which makes it… less healthy, but more tasty!
I cook steel-cut oats in the rice cooker with milk (my rice cooker has a special setting for steel-cut oats). You can make a batch, refrigerate, and reheat portions in the microwave as needed. Add a little more milk when reheating and stir afterwards. I top it with a little brown sugar, berries, chopped toasted pecans, and a splash of half and half.
This is what I would do – rolled oats don’t have the best texture, and steel-cut are much better. They reheat beautifully.
Probably not what your asking, but… I don’t like oatmeal so I just do granola instead. After all, it still has oats
I also dislike the texture of oatmeal, but I like a nice crispy oat-based granola.
Granola is a great idea, I do love granola.
Yes because it’s cereal candy lol. Granola is not a health food
Strong disagree. There are plenty of healthy granola recipes out there (I posted one earlier that apparently got moderated) if you want to make your own, and decent options available in stores too.
Granola can be very unhealthy (just like basically any dish taken to the extreme), but there are plenty of muesli-like versions that are definitely not cereal candy.
Try Cookie and Kate’s recipe if you’re up for making your own – super easy and delicious!
I can’t handle the consistency of regular oatmeal as normally prepared for breakfast. I do like baked oatmeal, so you could look for some recipes for that. As a bonus, it’s quicker and more portable than a bowl of oatmeal. Sally’s Baking Addiction has some good recipes. You can also search for oatmeal breakfast bar recipes.
The other option is this recipe which makes a non-gloopy version of oatmeal: https://fountainavenuekitchen.com/mush-free-oatmeal-chewy-granola/.
Thank you, I love Sally!
Sally’s baked oatmeal recipe is legit. So are the baked oatmeal cups. I’m not a huge oatmeal fan, but I like these options.
I change the texture and lean into the savory of it all. I find irish quick oats texture is better and then I add stuff to it to make it less mushy – everything bagel seasoning is good, some diced avocado and feta with some herbs and sriracha, crunchy peanut butter mixed in, or a fried egg all work.
I used to despise the texture to the point where I couldn’t eat it but eventually learned to like it (almost). I get a flavor I really like and make sure it has other stuff in it that provides some kind of crunch or good texture. Like raison/walnut/date. And then dump even more raisons into it. Experiment with how thick you like it. I like oatmeal with less water. My partner likes much more water which makes me want to gag.
The misspelling of raisin is very QC coded.
Not exactly sure what “QC coded” means but I’m just a regular poster who isn’t firing on all cylinders today due to a death in my family. So sorry for the misspelling I guess?
I wasn’t sure what it meant either (Quebec?).
I’m sorry for your loss.
Bob’s Red Mill thick rolled oats. The thick ones don’t have that wallpaper paste texture. Steel cut oats also have a non-paste texture.
I ate Bob’s oats this morning :(
I love it: I boil milk with a pinch of cinnamon, then add the oats, and—after cooking them—I add banana, plum, apple, baked apple…
I eat overnight oats almost every day. It checks your boxes of quick and easy and healthy. You can make smaller or larger batches depending if you mind eating the same thing several days in a row (I don’t). There are tons of recipes online. I use Greek yogurt, a bit of milk, old fashioned rolled oats (instant oats and steel cut do not work), chia seeds, and some kind of fruit. Usually frozen blueberries. Sometime fresh banana.
I eat oatmeal every day. Just microwave it in the morning with milk, add fruit, chia, and flaxseed. I’ve put it in yogurt overnight before which may help. Along with the other suggestions, have you tried adding peanut butter or pumpkin or something else to make it creamier?
I’m a late convert to oatmeal but I love it now. I eat plain oats with a bit of honey and cinnamon, sliced almonds, and whatever fruit I have, usually blueberries.
The slimy texture thing is less bad if you cook fresh in boiling water (1 c boiling water, add 3/4c oatmeal, cook till absorbed), or a nonissue if you make granola out of it (1000g oatmeal, 300g honey, 200g oil, 1/2tsp salt + whatever spices you like, bake at 350 for 20 min, mixing once halfway through)
I make a pot of steel cut oats (in my rice cooker) and then microwave a portion with some milk in the morning and add berries and nuts. I also really hate the texture of rolled oats but this works great for me. If you want to be extra fancy, sauté the uncooked oats for about 1-2 minutes in a pat of butter before adding the water to boil — it adds a nice toasty flavor.
Boil 6 cups water with 2 chopped apples or pears with a generous pinch of salt and any spices you like*. Fine to keep the skins on the fruit. When boiling, add 3 cups rolled oats (Bob’s Red Mill**) and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Reheat in microwave throughout the week. I eat it with milk on it because that’s the way my mom made it and I love milk. In the warmer months, use berries but add them at the end of the coking time. I think the fruit adds enough sweetness but you can add maple syrup/honey/sugar if you like.
*cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc.
**regular or thick cut
I’m not a big fan of old fashioned / rolled oats but I really like steel cut oats. I make 6 portions at a time, putting them into small pyrex containers when the mixture is still really soupy. I add fruit/almond butter/maple syrup/etc. and a heaping tablespoon of protein powder.
I genuinely like oats, and have them often. I do think that different brands, sizes and cuts taste differently, and if you feel you are chomping, you might try smaller porridge oats, or blending half of your oat portion into oat flour and mix them.
Porridge: I like plain porridge oats cooked with water (1:3) and salt, but if you prefer, add some milk or coconut milk at the end. I bring it to the boil quickly, and then simmer for a few minutes.
I like to eat my porridge with plain yogurt, kefir and berries/fruit (fresh or dried) and seeds. I often add either cinnamon or cardamom. I sometimes stir a few tablespoons of chia seeds into the porridge while boiling.
Overnight: I make parfaits with a layer of plain yogurt, a layer of oats, cinnamon, chia seeds and frozen berries/fruit. Maybe some honey or kefir as well. The frozen fruits thaw overnight and add moisture to the oats.
I eat it every single day: old fashioned oats cooked 2 minutes in the microwave, stir in a spoonful of flax seed, spread a spoonful of apple butter on top, sprinkle with sliced almonds, and serve with soymilk. The best!
Anyone still rocking a No2 pencil or The Skirt or Memo dress these days?
There were a few young women in their 20s at my firm retreat wearing pencil skirts with tucked in silk blouses. They looked great!
With what shoes though? I’m not sure I’d get that right.
They were wearing pumps.
Not the poster but I’m seeing more heels than ever on the 20-something’s at my large financial firm.
No, and it’s interesting because I have been reading how pencil skirts are back and very in (or about to be) but it still doesn’t quite feel right to me? But I think the “now” version is at knee or slightly longer (or way shorter), so not sure my old pencil skirts/skirt suits would really translate anyway.
If the skirt is longer, then they need to have a slit that I can actually walk in at city walking speed. I can’t be mincing around like Peg Bundy.
A dear family member just had a huge car accident totaling their old and trusty Toyota Rav4. Fortunately, they are fine! Car needs to be junked though. They’re close to retirement and want something solid and dependable, that won’t require a ton of maintenance, will go the distance in retirement and not need to be replaced anytime soon, and priced at around $40K or less. What cars fit the bill? Trying to help with the search but not sure where to start.
Rav4/CRV/etc. Adjust trim levels and new vs used to fit the budget.
We just bought the base model of the updated RAV4 and love it. It comes in under $40K, but there will likely be a waiting list several weeks long.
My parents are in love with their new Subaru
We’re a Subaru family and a Forester fits the bill. But if they liked their Rav4, I would just go with that again because it meets all the criteria! Maybe test drive a Forester just for comparison’s sake.
Another Rav4. This one did its job admirably by protecting them; why change it up? They can get a brand new one in that price range.
Joining the chorus, why not just get another RAV4 if they were happy with it?
I also like the newer Kia Sportage Hybrid if they want something different. The base model is well below $40K, so they could even get some higher end trims and still stay under budget.
VW Tiguan or Taos. Very reliable. I love mine.
Definitely another Rav4 if they can wait on one to come in. There’s always the secondary market if they can’t wait. I think cars with a little height on them are even more beneficial as drivers get older. Easier to get into, easier to see out of.
Explain to me how my same-height XS teen daughter can steal my M outfits and look awesome or charming in them but on me, if anything is slightly too big or not tailored above the waist, it’s not cute or “cute in an oversized charming way” but just ill-fitting and makes me look large / blockish / not good?
Because thin people look great in everything. So do the youth. I’m neither but this isn’t hard.
+1. Baggy just looks frumpy and tragic on my middle-age body.
+2. This is the answer.
Perhaps it’s a confidence issue and you actually look great. Also please don’t compare yourself to your daughter as if she’s your competitor. You can both look great in your own ways, and it’s wonderful that she’s a beautiful young woman coming into her own!
Tops that are a bit big look great if my pants are also a bit loose. If they are tight my tops need to be fitted, too.
It needs to be large enough to actually be baggy. And balanced with something tight fitting, showing a little skin (even forearms can be enough).
Yes. XS teens get a pass, because everyone “knows” they’re cute.
Generally, the older we get, the more we need some structure in our outfits. So if you want to wear oversized clothing, you still need structure somewhere — I need a good fit around my shoulders and neckline. Or, your body itself needs to provide the structure — there are some older women with a lean, angular frame who wear oversized clothing as their “look” and it works well, because their body lines are providing the structure.
This is an interesting insight I had not considered — that for some people their body frame provides the structure!
This look is easier for the young and tiny to pull off in my opinion. You’re not wrong.
That said, you might have better luck if you telegraph intention. I’m wondering if you’re actually trying what your daughter is trying: everything oversized. Of course one slightly ill fitting top isn’t going to have the same effect!
There are older women who pull this off. Their accessories are usually oversized, bold or modern. That’s how they telegraph “this is fashion” rather than “these are ill fitting clothes.” They might show a wrist, ankle or collarbone to sort of rein in all the fabric. But they’re not really concerned with looking as skinny as possible. Personally I think it’s a fabulous alternative to head to toe j Jill or whatever but you’ve got to own it. Try it!
This. As someone that does oversized clothes as a forty something, it takes trial and error to find where it is oversized and where it needs to be fitted. Today’s pants are super voluminous but fitted at my waist. And, it also takes a lot of starch as a well starched oversized boxy shirt or really crisp extra wide leg pants look more intentional.
It isn’t just about size; it’s about proportions and tone. Muscular, sleek, hourglassy people can look great in a lot; someone who is the same size but squishy and shaped differently need more tailoring.
It’s all about proportions. My 19-year-old daughter and I are the same size, but I am built straighter with shorter limbs. We wear a lot of the same oversized sweaters, sweatshirts, and tees, but she buys hers a size larger than I do. The larger size looks effortlessly chic on her and dumpy on me.
I am in my 50s and have for years thought I would get some cosmetic touch-ups when I felt I needed them. I had in mind maybe a bleph and possibly a deep plane face lift. Seeing all of the photos of people with bad “mar-a-lago” face is making me re-think my plans. Lauren Bezos and Kimberly Guilfoyle definitely “went too far” on their procedures in my opinion, but what actually scares me is what happened to Susan Dell, who – as a billionaire – can afford the best plastic surgeons in the world and can fly private to get there. If those are the results you can get from the best surgeons, can a normal person like me be able to get better enhancements from my local plastic surgeon? I am asking this genuinely and don’t want to get into mud slinging about their politics, which is an entirely different issue altogether.
I think the politics are not an unrelated issue though. There’s a difference between wanting people to look at your face and know that you spent a lot of money on it, and wanting a natural look. You are assuming that they “went too far” or that the best surgeons in the world didn’t give them what they wanted. I think this is what they wanted.
+1 – they want to look this way.
You can get very good, very natural looking work locally. If you want to start with a bleph look for an occular plastic surgeon – the risks of it going wrong are higher with a ‘general’ surgeon.
Eh, Mrs Bezos had that look before though. And plenty on the left have had bad work done. Or Emma Stone (she had something done and she is in her 30s).
You can’t go wrong with Botox and lasers IMO. Ease into that and see how it goes. Cutting IMO has such serious downside risks. And IMO never touch the eyes and stay away from mid and lower face filler
Yup, this
This.
Some of these people just have so much money to throw at this that they keep going and going with the work simply because they can. It’s not that the work went off the rails, it’s that they had the means to keep getting more and more work done and so they did.
Yeah. Messing with your face is a thing that can’t be undone. Some people go small and get great results, and some people find that it can never go far enough.
I saw mar-a-lago face IRL for the first time this weekend and I couldn’t help but stare my brain couldn’t quite process it as human, it was a really weird experience.
There’s a tiktoker who says you can’t look young when you’re old. You can look old, or you can look weird, but you won’t look young.
Even Kris Jenner’s miraculous facelift results don’t look as good a year later, now that the swelling has subsided. She looks her age, sorry.
I would much rather age like Helen Mirren than like a Kardashian or Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Same. Weirdly, I’ve actually been kinda into my late-40s face. The eye crinkles and smile lines add some nice character. When I see photos of my younger self, I appreciate how good my skin looked, but I don’t think I was actually prettier, if that makes sense.
I think Martha Stewart looks fabulous. She doesn’t look young, but she looks great.
But does Debbie Harry (who looks more natural) look better?
I know people with amazing, subtle work. They had realistic expectations. You can remove 5-10 years from your appearance but not 20+. Most people with lizard-in-a wind-tunnel face asked their surgeon for something that will never look natural.
Omg “lizard in a wind tunnel” made me laugh!
My aunt got a bleph because she had pretty severely sagging eyelids, and it looks great on her. You can totally get good looking work done. Just keep in mind they have to pull skin from somewhere, so it’s easy to go too far.
Agree. My hypothesis is that there’s a subset of Very Famous Older Women who have had extremely subtle work done (along with a glam squad & a stylist) and look pretty amazing for their age. I think about Botox for my forehead lines but I’m cheap and lazy.
I saw a plastic surgeon weigh in on Susan Dell and he thinks she has other medical issues that have led to her eyes popping out so dramatically and she also has a caved in sort of look on her jawline that he said would never be due to plastic surgery. Perhaps thyroid disease and something else? Her makeup was also just horrific. That said, I’ve had a deep plane facelift and it was the best thing I’ve ever done. I had tried laser therapy for the jowls and the sagging neck and it worked for maybe a year? I definitely still have some fat in my face and would say that any good plastic surgeon would try to steer you to a natural look instead of Mar A Lago face.
This. His video also resonated with me. Something is medically wrong with Susan dell
beyond bad plastic surgery. People really want to think she had a facelift and it left her with what looks like an Adams apple and a larger nose. That just doesn’t seem plausible.
That said I think maga aesthetics are vulgar and tasteless. The creepy eyeliner on jd, the makeup and the combover and ill fitting clothes on the president. Whatever happened to Kimberly guillfoile. It’s the personal style expression you’d expect from people who think gold toilets are classy.
Dell looks very thin, which has its own impact. Also who is to say that wealthy people are fully objective and rational. You can always find a surgeon willing to do a little more than you probably should.
I think Susan Dell (and some of these other women) likely have body dysmorphia issues. I’m sure there’s probably some male stereotype they are playing to as well that is a specific signifier for Republican circles. That’s not to say Dems don’t do it too, but like big hair in Texas, stereotypes are that for a reason.
And with very rich people who can afford everything, sometimes there is the instinct from a doctor to just cash the check because someone else will. They want what they want whether the doctor thinks it’s reflective of good taste or skill. In that way, not having billions to work with probably helps moderate to an extent.
I think we see “good” plastic surgery all the time and just don’t notice it. There are a few actors/famous people in their 40s/50s/60s that look great but slightly different every time I see them, not enough to be able to point out exactly what they changed but over time it can make a pretty big difference in youthfulness. The most recent example I can think of this is Meghan Markle, who I just saw a photo of today, and also Sandra Bullock. A good face lift can make a difference as well – Rosie O Donnell looks great and was open about her plastic surgery. But you can do a smaller tweak that can really mess with your whole look (Emma Stone’s eyes, Jennifer Grey’s nose job).
In general I think one or two small tweaks can make a subtle difference without going overboard, and people have one good facelift in them so use that wisely. But I think the positive reinforcement can be addicting, and at some point you end up in Mar a Lago land (where the women need to keep trying to recapture youth and beauty because that’s what the men value and they value above all the men).
People keep giving me random spices and salts and oils and other food products that I do not want, but I feel guilty throwing out. They seem too precious to be donated to food pantries. What should I do with them?
Donate them! There are lots of foodies in poverty who love getting a fancy oil or spice blend from the food pantry.
donate to food pantries. If you don’t want them, other people might.
If they are still sealed and you don’t want them, why not donate them? Food pantry clients can enjoy tasty food, too. Do you really think they should be punished for their need by being relegated to bland dishes?
If they are opened, give to a foodie friend who is okay with opened seasonings, or really just toss them.
Trash. The oils will get nasty fast and pantries dont want glass.
There are many “leave a non-perishable food item, take a non-perishable food item” boxes around beyond official food pantries. A lot of churches have them these days.
I worked at a food shelf, and we definitely had items that were in glass packaging. I’d go ahead and donate them!
We do a post Christmas re-gifting party. Bring all the random work gifts, white elephant, MIL presents, etc. and the group takes what they wants. Similar to a clothing swap. Rest gets donated or thrown out.
unpack those thoughts on why they would be too precious to be donated to food pantries? like what are you saying..
This is what I was wondering. Having grown up in a family that relied on the food pantry, being able to snag a fancy olive oil on occasion was a godsend.
100%
+1. While cash is still king, I’ve seen food pantries specifically request spices and oil. Given today’s economy I doubt oil would sit out long enough to go rancid.
+1
A charitable take: a lot of fancy spices bolster an already good dish, but can’t really redeem something made with poor quality ingredients.
Maybe she (erroneously) thinks that all food pantry food is something like Knorr’s packs and government cheese.
This would not be that charitable a take.
It is the best I could come up with. If you find it lacking, you’re welcome to come up with an improvement.
People who benefit from food donations rely on exactly the kind of bland cheap staples that benefit most from fancy spices and seasonings. We all know the food pantry isn’t just pre-seasoned Knorr’s packs.
Erroneous take, sure. Definitely not charitable.
… what?
You struggle with reading comprehension, I take it?
Nope, just bewildered at how you look at the world!
And brave enough to use a regular username, unlike you :)
I am the Anon at 2:03 pm.
To all those dunking on me: expensive oils and spices are meant to help enhance the flavour of good quality food. It isn’t meant to mask poor quality food.
Consider how this works with alcohol. No matter how nice your bitters, it won’t change a bottom shelf bourbon; you want something there that covers up the taste, not enhances it.
This is so false it’s like some kind of culinary illiteracy.
Imagine thinking that rice is beneath saffron, or that polenta just isn’t good enough for truffles.
You sound insufferable.
What do you think people are eating exactly? And how do you think they’re covering up the taste currently?
I wouldn’t know where to find food so poor quality that it couldn’t benefit from “salt” (including fancy salt) or fancy oils. Do you think the food is rotten or something?
Agreed. You’d rather *literally* throw food away than to donate food to someone who may use it? I can’t comprehend.
Donate them to food pantries because you don’t want them
Honestly? Learn to cook more things.
Put them on Marketplace or Nextdoor for free or donation. If you have a lot and it is good quality, you can ask for donation to foodbank.
This is bizarre to me. How often is this happening? Why does it cause you such anxiety? Obviously you just donate them or regift them.
Please share with us the criteria used to determine whether a food is too precious to be donated to a food pantry.
I’ve watched people buy half used taco seasoning at an estate sale. Definitely donate these to a food pantry. Another option would be to offer it up on a Buy Nothing group.
Yeah it’s important that those poors not get anything too fancy. They won’t be inspired to pull themselves up by their bootstraps if their food has flavor, amirte?
Unless people are regularly giving you truffles or saffron, I think a food pantry is fine. It’s much worse for you to let spices go to waste. A lot of people learn to be very creative cooks when they’re making ingredients stretch versus when cost is not a factor.
Really, you can donate truffles and saffron. Food insecurity doesn’t mean not knowing these ingredients.
+1
OP, if it is things like truffles and saffron and you are worried they will seem too random, you can make small kits in ziplock bags:
Saffron, bag of rice and can of chickpeas with short recipe for pilaff. Maybe stock cubes and some lemon juice.
Truffles, bag of pasta and a short recipe. Maybe a shelf stable dairy.
Turmeric? Turmeric, bag of red lentils, can of coconut milk and short recipe for dal.
Of course it doesn’t. OP is just making it sound like they are $500 spices or something, which I found odd.
And if you’re worried they’re too obscure, you could google a “shopping” food bank near you (ie. one where users walk around with a basket and pick what they want off the shelves, instead of the kind where they hand you a prepacked box of food). Then you can be sure whoever picks them up wants them and can use them!
+1
spices and salts and oils are exactly the kind of items that are helpful to pantries. They help make bland staples such as pasta or rice into tasty dishes.
Offer them to a friend or relative.
Offer them to a neighbor or work colleague.
Donate them to your local food pantry.