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Soon after I bought an Apple MagSafe charger (Apple/Amazon) for my iPhone, I became really annoyed because it was constantly falling off my nightstand, either when the cable got pulled accidentally, or when one of my cats knocked it off on purpose. After months of that, I finally looked for a solution.
I found the highly-rated Etsy seller 3DofMind, who 3D-prints charging stands that accommodate iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods. The one I bought is designed for the iPhone's sideways StandBy mode. It looks unobtrusive on a nightstand or desk and it does what it says on the tin. The non-slip rubber feet are a nice bonus.
I do have to remove my phone case to use the stand, but that's probably because my case is a slippery and slightly bulky OtterBox, and my phone is small (iPhone 12 Mini). The product page does feature a video with a case-clad phone being charged.
This MagSafe charging stand is $21.99 at Etsy and available in eight colors and two options: iPhone Pro Max and iPhone/iPhone Pro. It's compatible with iPhone 12/13/14/15 models as well as AirPods.
While the Apple Store sells MagSafe charging stands, of course, and you can find lots at Amazon, here's an opportunity to support a small business.
P.S. Happy Holi and Happy Purim to those who celebrate!
Sales of note for 10.10.24
- Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
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- Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
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- Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
- White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles
It's me.
What do y’all eat on weekends for lunch esp with kids? I always find myself scrounging around and it is just so tiresome. We like to eat healthy and don’t want to eat out necessarily.
It's me.
I would love examples of what you actually feed your family on weekends for lunch and any pantry or quick ideas you have. Just a brainstorming session would be awesome.
Anonymous
We (kids and I) eat ‘snack lunch’ – chopped raw fruits/veggies, side of chips or crackers, and then protein of choice (peanut butter to dip, yogurt, deli meat, cheese stick) – it’s basically girl dinner for lunch. My husband usually heads off to the gym at lunch time on the weekends and has a protein shake.
Walnut
Yes, to snack lunch and the person suggesting sandwiches below. Some good examples are a sandwich with deli meat and cheese, cottage cheese, a babybel, hard boiled egg, celery and peanut butter, grapes and apple slices. Emphasis is on using up whatever is leftover from the week before I grocery shop again.
If I feel like cooking, we’ll do a late brunch with some pancakes and bacon. This past week we made breakfast tacos by adding in some soft scrambled eggs to the normal taco meat, tomato, guacamole, cheese and that went over pretty well.
The key for us is to keep it pretty simple for weekend lunches and prioritize using up the fridge odds and ends.
Cat
DIY breakfast burritos – eggs, cheese, and whatever veggies are leftover from dinners.
Cat
Growing up my family pretty much exclusively had sandwiches for lunch along with cut up apples and carrot sticks. There was always a loaf of bread, PB&J, and condiments around, and then as part of the weekly grocery shop my mom would pick up everyone’s choice of cold cuts or fillings.
Anon
We eat individually; we’ve never sat down for a family meal at lunchtime. DH and I both don’t really eat before noon and I like something breakfast-y for my first meal of the day so I don’t really eat traditional lunch foods.
My 6 year old is picky so we just cycle through her usual staples, all of which are pretty quick to prepare – mac and cheese, freezer chicken nuggets, bagel with cream cheese, yogurt, fresh fruit. Probably about half the time she has a weekend party or play date and gets fed there.
Anon
Usually sandwiches, Mac and cheese, soup or a snack plate. Kids really love the snack plate.
Senior Attorney
We eat almost exclusively dinner leftovers for lunch. Easy and healthy.
Otherwise than that — Bowls: rice, protein, veggie, maybe some soy sauce or salad dressing or whatever you like. I do love a nice bowl. Grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, burritos, make-your-own tacos. And I admit when I had a kid in the house we did a lot of boxed mac n cheese, frozen pizza, Trader Joe’s frozen entrees. It’s not ideal but cheaper and healthier than fast food.
Anon
Sandwiches, leftovers from weeknight dinners, veggies & hummus with fruit and cheese, fried egg & microwave-baked potato, bowl of cereal. My kids are grown now but when they were small lunches were a chance for them to DIY their own meals, within reason.
Anon
i often eat yogurt and am scrounging like you. my kids eating is so messed up on the weekends bc on weekdays they have lunch at school at 10:15 in the morning so on weekends they seem to want 5 meals. i wish my kids would eat sandwiches
Anon
Scrounge, usually, But weekends are often when I make a big pot of soup or stew i don’t have time for during the week. I generally get inspired after having breakfast & tea, then I go & get started on it. It simmers while I’m showering and getting ready. Then there’s something ready to eat whenever people get hungry. We don’t usually do a sit-down lunch on the weekend.
Anonymous
Usually leftovers. If I cook something new, it is because I am making food to have for the week (lunches/dinners – we all pack lunch daily), or I’m making pancakes/eggs/bacon. Now that my son is older I get up too late to make him a hot breakfast on the weekend–he makes his own–but sometimes I like to do it at lunchtime.
anon
DH and I usually scrounge around and eat leftovers for weekend lunches. DS (8) usually gets a PB&J, chicken nuggets, or leftover pizza, plus something like apple slices or carrot sticks.
If I can make it out the door to grocery shop on Saturday morning, I love buying prepared food at the farmers market or the grocery store for lunch. I’ll bring home sushi from Whole Foods, quiche from Fresh Market, muffalettas from a local grocery store, and fried seafood balls from the farmers market. These treats are pretty rare though, not least because I can’t actually make it to the grocery store before lunch most weekends.
Anon
Leftovers or lentil soup. My kids usually eat what they eat during the week or an occasional chicken nugget is involved.
Seafinch
I mostly make weekend lunches with repurposed leftovers and the dregs of the crisper drawers in the fridge. Top five would be: 1) soup made from whatever I have and whatever needs to be used with homemade bread or biscuits, reliable versions on the rotation are chicken noodle, some kind of Thai coconut curry or ramen with soy marinated eggs, beef and barley, ham and pea, and chicken vegetable; 2) I hoard 50% off naan bread and do home made pizzas using the same stuff as the soups that needs to be used up; 3) tuna melts; 4) Instant Pot mac and Cheese with either tuna or chicken and peas added; and 5) just straight up boring leftovers. We eat very little processed food and almost nothing from cans but tuna and the Kirkland chicken are used once or twice a month in this application.
Anon
My kids are older now, so I’d forgotten this one – english muffin mini-pizzas that they put together themselves. I just throw them under the broiler on low until the cheese is melty. A jar of pizza sauce and some pre-shredded mozzarella is all you need, or they can peel apart string cheese and use that, which can be fun for little ones.
Other toppings – I had one who liked sliced black olives, one who liked roasted red pepper strips, fortunately both things were from the pantry & I didn’t need anything fresh on hand. Over time they came to like pepperoni and those mini pepperoni rounds were a favorite.
Anan
We do pizza leftovers – Friday night is pizza and movie night and we always order enough to eat for linch all weekend. Cut ip veggies and fruit on the side.
AIMS
Quesadillas lately. I keep tortillas around pretty much all the time. Kids get cheese or chicken. I just do all the veggies I can find in my fridge. Favorite combo is spinach, cilantro, and green hot sauce. Extra fruit or veggie on the side.
I also make soup a lot so soup happens frequently. For kids, it’s sometimes as basic as chicken broth (I try to always have some frozen on hand) with either egg noodles or tortellini (the WF frozen tortellini is great for this).
Also dumplings and frozen edamame or whatever is in the fridge that needs to be used up and fills the same category.
Horse Crazy
Looking for recommendations for 2 nights in Vancouver in September – first visit for me and my husband. We will have a rental car. I’m considering the Sutton Place Hotel, but am open to other ideas. I’d appreciate recommendations for restaurants and things to see/do as well. We are definitely foodies, and I’m so excited to explore Vancouver’s food scene. Not super interested in coastal/ocean related activities (whale watching, etc.) because we will have just spent 4 days in the San Juan Islands and will do a lot of that there. TIA!
NotInstafamous
Sutton place is a nice hotel! The JD Parq and the fairmont are also nice if you’re in that price range.
From a food perspective, Sushi Mahana in north van is a spectacular Omakase restaurant, but pricey. St Lawrence is very tasty French Canadian food and I think just got a Michelin star. AnnaLena does good farm-to-table type stuff. I like cocktails at Bartholemew’s, live music at Guilt & Co, and if you’re in that area , Pidgin is good Asian fusion and Minamini is good sushi.
In terms of non hikes or ocean stuff, the Vancouver art gallery is tbh kind of mediocre so I’d skip that, but the museum of anthropology at UBC is super cool and should be open by then. There are tons of murals – you can downtown the vancouver mural festival app and wander around and find them. If you do that, I’d recommend the mount pleasant neighborhood – it’s where all the trendy coffee shops and artisans are.
anon
If you do the Fairmont, I would do the Pacific Rim Fairmont over the Fairmont-Fairmont one and get a water front view – you can watch all the sea planes landing. Also, excellent people watching. It’s a great location from the perspective of you can just run to Stanley park and otherwise meander around, or, if I recall right, you can borrow a bike from the hotel. Be warned, Vancouver traffic is nothing to be underestimated. If a local tells you it will take an hour to get somewhere, trust them. If the weather is terrible and rainy (always a risk in Vancouver), the Bloedel Conservatory is good indoor afternoon activity.
NotInstaFamous
True, I should have clarified! PacRim is much better.
Also, by downtown I meant download.
Anon
It was a long time ago now that we stayed there, but we really liked the Georgian Court, which I believe was a rec from here.
Anon
Long time ago here as well, but we stayed at the Hyatt Regency & enjoyed how centrally located it was.
Senior Attorney
We stayed at the Fairmont Pacific Rim and it was the nicest place we stayed from Vancouver to Halifax. The Cactus Club Cafe is right across the street and is a nice bar-restaurant on the water.
Anon
The Lunch Lady is a fantastic Vietnamese place. We eat a lot of Vietnamese in Seattle, and this was head and shoulders above everything.
Also highly recommend Pidgin. Absolutely delicious food and gracious, warm service.
Anonymous
Highlights for us were:
Kayak tour of the harbor
Renting bikes and riding around the perimeter of Stanley Park
Capilano suspension bridge park
The Museum of Anthropology is also really cool
Seafinch
I live to eat and loved sampling all the offerings at Granville Island. It’s cute and fun.
Anon
Granville Island was my favorite. I wish I’d thought to tag longer into my trip for it. I went too late in the day and didn’t have long before things started to close – which was surprisingly early, to me
Anon
The brewery tour there is great. Def a pack your comfy pants place.
NotInstafamous
I have had 5 people lose a parent in the past week in my broader social circle. No one that I’m super close with, but people like the husband of a friend, someone I work with occasionally, a law school friend from my hometown I see every year or two, a neighbour I mostly talk to about gardening. What’s the appropriate response? I would normally drop off flowers and food for a friend I’m close to, but I’m on a tight budget right now.
Anon
A handwritten card is always appreciated and it’s free.
Senior Attorney
+1
anon
+1 handwritten card
anon
Card, and if it is in your budget a small gift card for food. I’m always a fan of doing more “low-brown” options (pizza, fast food) mostly because that’s what I associate with comfort food.
anon
eek. low-brow. silly autocorrect.
Anon
a card is appreciated if that is all you can do right now. diff religions have different traditions, but i’m jewish and it is common to make a donation to a specified charitable organization
Anon
I’ve lost both of mine now, and I can’t remember the flowers or the food that people sent although I’m grateful. What I remember are the nice words that people wrote, and I’m not talking about a novel here. Just things like “I know you loved your dad a lot.” It was so personal and it came from somebody who really knew me and had known about my relationship with my dad. I will never forget her and the fact that she said that.
Anon
+1. When I lost my mom, most people I had the type of relationship with that you describe did not typically make donations or send flowers, but cards from them were really appreciated.
Anonymous
I live and work in higher education in a country to which I emigrated. My parents in my home country died within weeks of each other. Each time I made a quick trip home. On the first occasion one person, an undergraduate, gave me an empathetic note, and I often think of that student. It was the only acknowledgement from anybody on either occasion. I felt so alone. When my husband died several years later I received many notes, some from people I did not know, and people stepped up to help. The memories of the notes and the help still reverberate. I hate writing such notes but know personally how much they can mean.
Anonymous
A client contact is starting to invite me to non-work, offsite events. We’re both around the same age, she’s recently divorced but I’m long single, no kids. I would happily add her as a friend but I have this shimmer of fear that something will go south at the client and then I’ll – I don’t know, have a conflict? Have a hard time offering guidance? I am friendly with several clients but not to the level of “want to grab a beer again next week” when we don’t talk at all about work or issues. I guess I’m looking for how to navigate balancing friendship and client relationships. I’ve had friends become clients but not the other way around. I’m 31, just made made income partner, I am guessing this is a new level of biz but I haven’t seen it!
Anon
If I didn’t make friends with people I met through work, I don’t think I’d have many friends at all! If you like her, just go with it. This is how rain is made.
Anon
This, x1000
What if it went well?
No Face
Become friends without abandon!
anon
Go out with her. Don’t have more than two drinks, and be careful about not getting messy or overly personal. Think of it as the female equivalent of golf buddy or gym buddy for guys.
Fallen
Looking for a spring jacket for the northeast. I run cold so need something fairly warm -was thinking one of the Barbour (beadnell quilted maybe? Any other Barbourmodek anyone recommends?) but also curious about other recs that are of similar warmth.
Anonymous
Beadnell polarquilt is 10/10!
Anon
My kids are super into meatball sandwiches lately. What are your favorite turkey/chicken meatball recipes?
Bewitched
Giada De Laurentis has a great chicken meatball recipe (w/Orecchiette) that calls for a homemade sauce, but I just make the meatballs and use a quality jarred sauce. I think I like them better than regular ground beef meatballs! It’s a Food Network recipe, available online.
Anon
To be honest, buying them frozen from the grocery store. But if I’m going to go to the trouble, I tend to make kofta from ground lamb instead. This recipe looks about right to me. I make my kofta as sort of flattened meatballs and tend to bake them – no skewers necessary.
https://www.recipetineats.com/lamb-koftas-yoghurt-dressing-2/
Anon
Frozen
Anonymous
For an all purpose backed meatball to cook in large batches and freeze, I use a variation on this recipe:https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/01/sheet-pan-meatballs-with-crispy-turmeric-chickpeas/
leaving out water, garlic and spices, and adding about 1/2 tsp each of onion and garlic powder. The original version is good too; my edit is just more neutral in flavor.
I think Deb’s everyday meatball recipe is actually perfect for sandwiches though: https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/02/everyday-meatballs/
Anonymous
To clarify – I think you could make the everyday meatball recipe with turkey. I prefer the 85% kind as it includes dark meat and tastes better.
Betsy
Haven’t made this one myself, but my parents were just raving about these meatballs made with tofu, ricotta and ground chicken. My mom said they were the most moist meatballs she’s ever made, which is not usually something I associate with chicken meatballs! https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021458-cheesy-chicken-parmesan-meatballs?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share
Anon
I checked out the recipe and had to laugh at the first comment, saying “hey everyone, if you don’t like tofu, don’t make a recipe with tofu in it, instead of complaining in the comments about the tofu“ haha
Anonymous
Trader Joe’s chicken meatballs are so, so good.
AIMS
Weirdly, mine are both Gwyneth Paltrow recipes. Her cookbooks are shockingly foolproof. I simply as needed.
1. Turkey meatballs (i usually just use whatever herbs I have on hand):
https://sweetpotatochronicles.com/2013/04/its-all-good-gwyneths-turkey-meatballs/
2. Japanese chicken meatballs: https://goop.com/recipes/japanese-chicken-meatballs/
Alison
The Soprano’s recipe for meatballs is by far my favorite recipe for meatballs. It’s replaced by own family recipe and is a hit with everyone I’ve ever served them to.
Anonymous
Is there some secret to storing strawberries? I never buy them because I live alone so obviously I’m not going to eat even a small container in one sitting. But I find that if I buy them, have a serving, and put the rest in the fridge to be consumed another day, when go to consume them, guaranteed one or a few are molded. Should they be stored like in tupperware or ziplock bags or something airtight like that? Or is it better to leave them in the original container – only washing the ones you take out of there to eat right away? That’s what I usually do – store in original container and only wash a few at a time.
Normally I just don’t buy things like that – that I know I can’t eat alone or they’ll go bad. But obviously I don’t feel like I want to deprive myself of fruit just because there’s no one to share with. In prior years, I’d buy them knowing that I’d eat one serving and toss the rest but IDK as grocery prices go up, that seems like too much of a waste.
anon
Check your temperature settings. I don’t think it’s typical for strawberries to go bad that quickly. I leave them in the original container and put them in the fruit and veggie drawer. Maybe that adds another layer of protection, idk.
Anonymous
+1 to putting them in the fruit and veggie drawer, it easily gives you another 2-3 days of freshness.
Anon
It also matters what else is in the drawer. If I have something else in the drawer, that’s past its best days, I noticed the strawberries get moldy faster.
Smokey
I tend not to buy strawberries for that very reason. On the other hand, blueberries hold up very well.
Anonymous
When you get them home, wash them and the container they came in in a 1:3 vinegar and water bath, dry them all well, then line the bottom of the container with a fresh paper towel and return them to the fridge. And if you realize you won’t get to them, they freeze very well, though I tend to then use them in smoothies or to top yogurt rather than eating them alone since the texture changes when they defrost.
Anonymous
I should add – rinse after the vinegar solution, then dry.
Anon
I live in CA and get them at the farmers market where they sell the varieties that don’t ship well, so they’re usually pretty soft. I take them out of the little green baskets, eat the ripest ones and any that are damaged, and put the rest in a single layer on a paper towel inside a tupperware. I’m not a big paper towel person in general, but it seems to help absorb excess moisture so it’s much less wasteful overall than throwing out moldy food. You can also freeze any that you don’t plan to eat within a few days.
Anon
Check for bruised or mushy ones right away, wash and eat or toss them, then store the rest unwashed on the counter with good airflow. Wash when you are ready to use them, not before.
Putting them in the fridge sucks all the moisture out and turns them into sad, squishy blobs.
Anon
I cut the whole container up, sprinkle with a little bit of sugar and eat them over the next few days.
Anon
Wouldn’t sugar make them more likely to grow mold?
Anon
No. Sugar, like salt, is a preservative.
Anon
Nope, and it helps draw some water out, softening them up. Sugar is a preservative – that’s why jellies and jams exist, and why pickles are often sweet.
PolyD
I rinse them in 1:3 vinegar to water. Then I cut them up (I’m more likely to eat them if they are already cleaned and cut) and put them in Tupperware with a piece of paper towel on the bottom. Stored in the fridge that way, they last several days at least.
I bought some food storage bins that have bottoms with slots and a tray underneath for water. On the lids, it notes if the food inside requires water in the tray (i don’t think berries do) or if the air flow vents should be open. They work well for blueberries (which I also rinse in vinegar and water before storing) but I haven’t used them for strawberries yet.
Anonymous
I do the vinegar and water soak but don’t do as strong as 1:3 parts – I do maybe 1/4 cup vinegar in 4 cups water. This seems to work well, and I tend to get strawberries that are on the edge of rotting when they arrive in my home. I store them in the original box but with a paper towel on the bottom.
Anonymous
And i always put them in the fridge and don’t cut them up until I eat them. They do shrivel a bit but are edible.
Anon
This will keep them good for a few days. Wash the strawberries, put them in Tupperware with paper towels at the bottom, some paper towels on the top and lid.
Anon
I wash, dry, core, and quarter strawberries the day I purchase them, then very lightly sprinkle then with sugar if I’m not going to eat then right away.
Anon
I don’t think so. My 6 year old is a strawberry fanatic who’s eaten at least two containers every week since she was a toddler. I swear we throw out half the strawberries we buy. We’ve tried to switch her to grapes or blueberries which seem to not spoil as easily, but have had no luck.
Anonymous
I have a sistema box with a colander insert, good for storing whole, washed berries. I also like cutting up and putting in sealed portion size containers. Both will keep for three days.
Anonymous
What fruit is in season now – last week of March. In the DC area if it matters. I’m not a big fruit person but I’m craving it for some reason. Yes I’ll go the supermarket and have a look but because I don’t buy fruit regularly, I can’t always tell what’s in season, especially because most stores have most things available like year round now either due to cold storage or importing in from countries where it’s warmer. But somehow I feel like the best prices and taste tend to be the things that are actually in season here – here being within a few hours away domestically.
Anon
There isn’t going to be local fruit in season in March.
Anon
There’s nothing historically growing outdoors within a couple hours of the DMV right now because it’s cold still. That’s why fruit was such a luxury – because only certain kinds grew certain places in certain months. But you can get lots of things out of a greenhouse with grow lights.
But here’s a list of what’s historically available. (Apples are listed because they were harvested in the fall and kept in cellars to stay cool – but they are ~6 months old by now. (It’s why apples never taste great from the stores in July/August – they’re almost a year old.))
https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/virginia/regular-html-version.html
Anonymous
Apples from the fall/winter that are in cold storage. Check local farmers markets (Twin Springs is my favorite stand and at several markets). For in season local fruit besides apples, you need to wait a few months till berry season starts.
Anonymous
Nalls Produce in Alexandria was advertising strawberries from South Carolina this weekend and a few weekends ago strawberries from Florida. So I think summer fruit is starting to make its way to the area from the south. IDK if it’s in grocery stores yet as I’m not driving out to Alexandria for fruit but I can’t imagine the grocery stores being more than a few weeks behind.
Carrots
I’ll echo the call for farmers’ market – the Saturday morning one in Alexandria is always good for finding local farmers and what they’re growing. I follow Spring Valley Market (based out of WV) and they post ahead of time of what they’ll usually have, so you could also use that as a guide for what’s in season in the area.
Anon
Florida strawberries are in right now. Local to you, it’s still storage apples, carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes. It’s always a good day for apple pie, imo.
Anonymous
Nothing yet, strawberries soon.
Anon
If you don’t mind some shipping, Florida and California citrus is ripe right now.
anonshmanon
Oranges this year have been amazing! In season, but yeah, they won’t come from near the OP.
Anon
Agree – there’s no fruit in season in my northern midwestern state, but I just ate some delicious clementines.
Anon
If anyone reading this hasn’t had Cara Cara oranges by now, why are you reading this when you could be out buying some? They’re amazing.
Horse Crazy
Minneola tangelos are excellent right now.
Anon
Has anyone done a cruise to see the northern lights? How was it?
We are considering a cruise in fall of Norway, with the hopes of seeing the northern lights. After looking at a bunch of options, I think we are deciding between Princess or Fred Olsen cruises. I’ve never heard of Fred Olsen. Does anyone have experience with it? How does it compare to the big cruise companies?
Anonymous
PSA from Norway:
I don’t know what fall means to you, but please remember that the areas with the most Northern light activity are the areas with Midnight sun and light evenings. You won’t see the lights during the lighter fall months. I’m sure you already knew, but plenty of tourists forget to check… Welcome!
Anon
I’ve been googling the best months to come. Do you have any advice on that?
Anonymous
Even with the best planning you can’t guarantee that the lights will be out when you’re there.
So the best time to go depends on what you want to do apart from hoping to see the Northern lights.
If you’re staying on a cruise boat, are you doing excursions like whale safari, dog-sledding, skiing or city life with cafes and museums, or mainly enjoying being on the ship?
I’m assuming the cruise line is taking you to Tromsø or somewhere as far north as Tromsø. During winter, at least the whole of December to mid-January, there is no sun or proper daylight in Tromsø. This impacts what you can see during your visit – there will be plenty you can do, but it might not be as fun staying on a ship if you wanted to look at the views during daytime sailing.
On October 1st there will be 11 hours of daylight in Tromsø, on November 15th just 4 hours. December 1st less than 1 hour.
Anon
In Iceland, it’s usually dark enough to see them by late August or early September, although it may not be as spectacular as the darker months. But parts of Norway are farther north than the northernmost parts of Iceland, so you probably need to look up daylight hours by month for the specific city or region you plan to visit.
Personally to me I think it would be worth going earlier in the season and risking less spectacular lights to have more mild weather that allows you to do outdoor stuff, but YMMV.
anonshmanon
Northern lights are so amazing! I have not seen them from a boat though. Plenty amazing from the ground.
Miz Swizz
I have to supervise a fired employee coming to the office to collect their belongings and return their laptop. My workplace doesn’t appear to have any procedures or guidance around doing this so I’m hoping the hive has some advice?
Miz Swizz
I’m not anticipating any problems, I’m trying to avoid making an already awkward encounter worse.
Anon
Have boxes and packing supplies ready. Be polite and nice. Don’t ask what they are doing after/now/ect.
Cat
+1
Anon
Do you have a check list of items that should be returned, such as a company cell phone, laptop charger, company credit card, docking station, etc? Does this person have company notebooks at home? If there is anything but the laptop, send the checklist. I assume a badge needs to be returned.
Meet the employee at the door, escort him/her to his office, keep the chit chat to a minimum, and have boxes and such ready. If you anticipate this person having a lot of stuff to pack up, maybe bring one of those rolling carts for the boxes.
Anon
I think what you don’t want is a big gathering of staff who sit around them when they come in. It’s awkward for everyone. I’d think a bit about how to prevent that.
Anonymous
I do this for a living. Tips;
– schedule a time away from most prying eyes. I get you may not be able to control that. If you can’t, don’t make it weird by announcing they’re back or leading the person past their colleagues.
– have supplies ready, and a checklist of items you need to get from them.
– before they arrive, take a photo and or video of the space w your cell phone.
– do not help them. Sit nearby, like across the hall if you can, within eye shot but not watching over them in case they cry.
– tell them “I’ll be in the copier room – let me know if you need anything, and when you’re ready, I’ll walk you out.” If company policy or seating requires you to be right there, then I’d encourage you to make it obvious that you’re not paying attention- scroll on your phone, etc.
– understand the electronic file protocol before they arrive. Are they going to say their tax returns or personal family pics are on the desktop hard drive? Do you need to get passwords from them? Do you need to verify their phone is wiped? Hopefully you aren’t in charge of this give you sound like a stand in but don’t skip this / know who to call.
– calm, quiet, as little talking as possible, agree on the cart, they’re way more emotional than you. Be kind and kind in this case means quiet and professional. I don’t even ask how people are because they usually are not doing well, even if they quit by their own choice, there are lots of emotions during the 2-3 week period of leaving a job for any reason.