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Updated: Jul 8, 2023 193 Comments · by

Thursday’s Workwear Report: Stretch-Knit Trousers

The Personal Shopper (TPS) |

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A woman wearing black pants, gold sandals, and a white top

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

These pants have become a wardrobe staple for me, so I was pretty psyched to see them featured in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. The cut is super flattering, and the fabric has the perfect amount of stretch to hold its shape without getting baggy during the day.

I bought them in the petite length (29-inch inseam) so I could wear them with flats without alterations and found the fit to be perfect, even as an otherwise non-petite person.

The pants are $78.99, marked down from $119, and come in regular sizes 00–18 and petite sizes 00P–18P. They also come in oxford navy and vanilla.

NYDJ offers these similar black pants in sizes 14W–28W ($119).

Sales of note for 9.10.24

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a 30-something lawyer living on the East Coast. She spent seven years as a Biglaw associate in NYC, three years as a partner at a medium-sized firm, and is now in-house counsel for a large company. She loves Diet Coke, '90s sitcoms, and dresses with pockets.

Comments

  1. Anon

    Can anyone recommend a tax accountant or company that can deal with private investment income, in or around Montreal?

    For the first time in my life I have serious (for me) investment revenue from a startup sale (I am an employee). I want to consult with someone who knows the ins and outs to have an idea of the amount of taxes I’ll need to pay next year so I know how much to put in different vehicles and set aside for tax (and impact of different things we could do, on that tax). Like advance tax declaration almost that we can adjust at the end if the year. (Is that a thing?)

    We are also considering purchasing a second property abroad and aside from all other considerations, want to understand the tax implications. And we also need to finally plan our estate. I am not even sure if those are three different specialists or one? If different, would be grateful for recs for all three.

    As you can see this is completely new to me. Advice/anecdata and local recs would be very, very welcome! Thank you.

    (Adding that we are not looking investment advice – I am fairly knowledgeable about different investment vehicles profit vs risk vs liquidity etc. It is really the tax/legal/estate part that is stumping me.)

    • Emma

      I’m in Montreal, but I’m not sure there are a lot of us here. We use Crowe for our personal taxes, but they mostly do healthcare professionals, not sure if they’re familiar with startups. My company uses Richter, which is a reputable local firm with international expertise, but they mostly do corporate or very high net worth so they might not be in your budget or appropriate. My advice for something hyper-local like this is to ask around, even ask your colleagues if you feel comfortable since they probably have similar situations. The international portion is tricky, and I would recommend finding someone who has in-depth knowledge of both the country you’re looking into and Canada, not just « international » experience.

  2. Anon

    I want to give my sister a toolbox and tools as a gift for buying her first house. There are lots of options on Amazon, but I’d like to buy something nice and solid and, if possible, something that can be personalized with her name (maybe on the front of the box). It needs to be delivered to another state.

    Any suggestions?

    • Anon

      What’s your budget? Quality tools are not cheap nor are they lightweight to ship.

        • anon

          Buy the Dewalt drill combo – normally its an impact drill + regular drill that comes with a tool bag, buy a set of bits for it. This will get her though most things and a good drill is the biggest thing when you first move in – it can replace a screw driver a lot. Buy a real set of Allen wrenches, hammer, small mallet, craftsman set of screw drivers.

          • anon4

            Agree with this, we bought a solid power drill, I think ours is DeWalt – we got it a decade ago and it’s still one of the most used tools (get an extra battery as well as the extra drill bits). Also, DH swapped out the hard shell tool box for one of those heavy duty tool bags after he saw virtually every construction worker that came to our house during reno using one. Many of the tools are held vertically inside and everything is so much more accessible.

    • Anon

      I recently replaced my toolbox with the Carhartt “Legacy” Tool Bag (14″). Has loads of interior and exterior pockets, so very easy to organize. It’s much lighter than the box, and but the bag’s metal frame keeps it standing upright and not collapsing upon itself.

      • Anon

        Another vote for a bag with lots of pockets. So much more convenient and easier to find what I need and doesn’t require so much muscle to lug around.

        I have one small metal tool box and I don’t like using it because it is soo heavy to lug around, things roll all over the place inside it, and it’s loud. Maybe if I were tossing it in a truck and pulling it out on job sites it would make sense, but for around the house it is not ideal. I do have a furniture-sized metal tool chest that lives in the workshop and I love that for larger tool storage.

    • Anon

      Look on someplace like zoro, not Amazon. Look at Channel Lock for pliers, Vaughan hammers, USA made TekTon or Proto or Williams screwdrivers, for racchet sets look at Tekton, Husky brand for general tools (available at big box stores). Colbalt is also ok as a brand.

    • Anon

      Something you shop for and assemble yourself (with the help of someone at the store if you’re not handy yourself) is going to be much, much more useful than anything you order on Amazon.
      A cordless drill and bits (Ryobi ONE is decent quality for the money) will see more use than many hand tools. Get the driving bits, too.
      Screwdrivers – Get a hard plastic handled set. Those with ergonomic type grips disintegrate over time. Maybe an extra Phillips head. Those always go missing when I need them.
      Needlenose Vise Grips. Trust me on this one. I don’t remember what I originally bought it for, but I use them all the time.
      Pliers. Small and large Channel-locks (or store brand of the same). Small needle-nose pliers.
      Wire stripping tool.
      Allen wrenches. T-handle are nice but take up a fair bit of room. Folding sets are usually fine. It’s what I have and I use them all the time.
      Socket set – a 3/8ths drive metric and a few spare 10mm in both regular and deep. You can never have enough 10mm sockets.
      Unless she’s working on her car, a small and large adjustable wrench is probably ok for around the house.
      Oil filter pliers. Even if she never changes her own oil, they’re great to have around. Mine is usually found in my kitchen drawer for opening jars.
      Hammer. Something small but not too small. She’s probably hanging pictures, not doing demolition. If she’s planning to do a bunch of renovation, a 4lb sledge is nice to have. A rubber mallet is useful.
      Shears that can handle metal if needed.
      Utility knife, scraper with replacement blades
      A sink/drain grabber
      Drywall/jab saw
      Consumables: roll of teflon tape. “Universal” replacement toilet innards. Drywall repair kit. Electrical tape.
      I’m probably forgetting something but these see the most frequent use at my house.

    • Sunshine

      A multiple head screwdriver is great because it reduces the number of tools you need to own.

      If you’re considering power tools, DH and his dad really like DeWalt products – this is an area where you want to own one brand so the batteries work on all of the tools. His dad is in the construction industry and DH is a serious hobbiest, so these tools get a lot of work.

    • Pep

      There’s a Black and Decker toolbox with drill set on Amazon that looks similar to the set my parents bought me years ago. My set had a cloth bag and this one has a plastic case, though. Search for BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX Drill with Home Tool Kit, 66-Piece (BCKSB62C1)

      • Anon

        this looks like Terrible quality to me – these tools would likely be frustrating to use, and will make her hate using tools. I would avoid.

    • Midwesterner

      I’m not a big tool person, but for some reason I’m really enjoying reading this thread!

    • Anonymous

      DeWalt drill (hammer drill) as a main tool.
      I keep a small, chargable electric screwdriver as well, with lots of different bits, this one has enough power to do any sort of IKEA job.
      A nice laser level is a luxury, in addition to a manual level.
      Simple hammer with claw, wrench, and solid manual screw drivers (tiny and large flat, and a good grip version of Philips and Pozidriv). I like Stanley for screw drivers.
      Box cutter.
      Some plumber’s tape, masking tape and a pencil.
      Pliers are great to have and Allan keys in different sizes. If she’s going to change plugs: electrical wire cutters.

    • Nesprin

      It’s worth thinking of the sorts of work she’s liable to do and then get the tools for that. For the sort of person who’d call an electrician/plumber, I’d recommend:
      pipe wrench+ combo wrenches in a few sizes,
      nicer caulk gun + can of roofing wet patch+ can of bath and window silicone
      bucket+ giant pack of rags+ possibly a small tarp,
      small (6″)+ large (6′) levels, preferably the kind with the magnetic strip
      stud finder (preferably one that also recognizes wiring),
      outlet/GFCI tester (possibly also a wire continuity tester)
      screw driver set (I really like to ratchet with a bit set kind) + hammer
      cordless drill with the extra large batteries (in my house we swear by rigid), drill bit + bits+ socket set,
      Safety glasses+ a box of N95s + work gloves in her size.
      possibly a circular saw, possibly a small wet-dry vac, possibly a tool bench if you really want to spend some $.

    • anon

      Love the ideas here – you might also try calling a local shop where she lives and asking them to pull something together for you using the info above as a guide.

    • Anon

      OP here – thanks for all the good advice. And for the idea to call a local-to-sister store — really great suggestion.

  3. Mrs

    What a site this is. Came for the fashion, stay for the r e t t e who admits to cheating on her husband with her own cousin

    • Anon

      This is mean-spirited.

      I would like to encourage that poster from yesterday to post again, if she feels she is in need of support, and these kinds of comments may prevent her from doing so. I absolutely can believe that this may be the only place she can talk about that experience – she certainly can’t tell her family, or likely any of her IRL friends (or at least I wouldn’t!) and it’s really not cool to showcase the experience of another person for laughs. Especially when the poster said she felt terrible about the entire situation and was really struggling to cope with what had happened.

      • Slow Runner

        She should absolutely not post again! This is a group of snarky women! I’d encourage her to seek therapy.

    • Anon8

      I’m the OP of the original thread that the commenter you’re referring to replied to. This is a really mean post. OP posted that to commiserate with me (the original thread topic was about how I’m going through a really tough breakup) and I appreciated that effort. Yes, it’s a wild story but OP clearly knew that and is struggling with it. The cousin was little more than a stranger to her (hadn’t spoken in 35 years), which I think is important context, too. A lot of women here take advantage of the anonymity of this forum to vent and seek advice on topics that they can’t speak to IRL folks about, for various reasons, and we can’t have posts complaining about how no one posts about their interesting personal drama anymore and in the same breath do stuff like this.

  4. Work Uniform

    Has anyone made the leap to a work uniform? If so, what is it and what was your criteria for creating it? I’d like to but I haven’t found pieces that I love enough to invest in.

    • Anonymous

      I’m wfh now but I did this at previous job. I wore simple dark dresses pretty much every day (etsuko in black and navy and dark purple and similar styles in dark gray and black mostly ). I had about a dozen I would rotate through and always felt pulled together. Shoes adjusted for season.

    • anon

      My work uniform used to be black ponte knit pants, a short sleeve or sleeveless patterned top, black cardigan and black flats. In the winter, I would follow a similar formula but with black booties and usually a sweater instead of the top and cardigan.

      In summers, I often wore a black fit & flare dress and patterned cardigan. Or a just dresses in general.

      But this was all pre-pandemic and I’ve packed away all of my work clothes. I keep them on hand in case I need to travel for work.

    • Anon

      Not a uniform, but I do a) wear a lot of dresses b) have set outfits for when I wear slacks and a blouse and c) make a weekly plan on Sunday for what I’ll wear and d) layout my clothes the night before.

      As result, it takes very little time or brain power to decide what to wear to work

      • Anon

        +1 to laying out my outfit the night before. I never deviate from it in the morning, it makes getting dressed so much easier!

      • Senior Attorney

        I just re-started laying out my clothes the night before. It really does make the mornings so much better!

    • Dolly

      I work in a jeans-casual office now, but at Old Job my rule was that all tops and shoes had to go with either black or gray pants. No navy or brown – nothing against those colors but eliminating those neutrals made shopping a lot easier.

    • anon

      Not quite, because I’ve found that I do like some variety. I will say, though, that limiting my color palette and pant styles has helped a lot. (I only wear dresses when it’s warm.)

      • Anon

        I am laughing because I only wear dresses when it is cold. If I try to wear a dress during warm weather, I end up with frostbite from the office AC settings. Kidding, but only a bit.

    • Anon

      I don’t know if I have a “uniform” but I do believe in buying multiples of something in different colours if I find something that I like. So some days I’ll wear two different outfits, exact same items in different colours. In the winter I wear the same cashmere/cotton blend sweater from Banana Republic that I have in like 7 colours (RIP to this sweater – they don’t make it anymore and I have to find a replacement for when mine wear out).

      • Anon

        my sentiments exactly! it started by finding a pair of pants that fit *chef’s kiss*. now I just buy the exact pair on Poshmark (pay attention to fabric content!)

    • Anon

      I did in a previous job where I had to wear “dressier business casual.” It was the 2010s and so I wore patterned or solid dresses with a cardigan, and tights/boots in the winter or closed-toe heels in the summer. I only bought dresses in certain colors – black, tan, gray, dark red and navy – and ditto with the cardigans. I had about 10 dresses and 7 cardigans and just rotated through them. It was a pretty easy way to just wake up in the morning and get dressed, which was important because at the time I had a kid to drop off at school every morning and getting out the door on time was critical. After that job, I went to a job where I could basically wear jeans and tops all the time, and now I WFH. So no need for a “work uniform” other than athleisure.

    • Formerly Lilly

      Not so much a uniform as a simplification of my closet – back in the dark ages as I was leaving law school and had a very limited budget for a work wardrobe, I received advice to pick either black or navy and stick to it. The theory was that I would only need a couple of pairs of shoes and one bag, and that all my clothes would go with each other. I picked black and have stuck with it. Basics are black, gray, camel, white or ivory. Most days that is my full color palette. If I add color, I stick to a limited cool weather palette and a limited warm weather palette. It’s easy to get dressed. Bags and shoes are where I’ve gone wild over the years.

    • Senior Attorney

      Funny you should ask. My workplace went pretty darned casual for the pandemic and for reasons best known to themselves, The Powers That Be have decided we need to go back to Business Wear (whatever that means), effective immediately. Putting aside the idea that it would have been much better to have let us have a casual summer and instituted this after Labor Day, if they must, I am reluctantly complying. I’m retiring in 64 days so I’m not about to go shoppoing, and the closest thing I have in my closet to “business wear” is a bunch of dresses I bought last year when I was re-elected president of my Rotary Club, so my new work uniform is “simple dresses in solid colors with low block or kitten heel pumps.”

      I’m just white-knuckling it at this point.

    • Anon

      I work from home now, but I rewear my clothing from my office job because I have a lot of zooms. So my shoes are more casual but everything else is the same.

      My uniform was slim pants, sleeveless blouse – usually silk – and a jacket or structured cardigan like those from MM La Fleur or Eileen Fisher. I wore mostly 1.5-2” low heels. Now I wear slip on sneakers or Birkenstocks pretty often, but that’s the only WFH modification. I really am on-screen most of the day. I feel like the Wizard of Oz.

    • Anonymous

      I have a work uniform! It’s a 100% cotton knit sheath dress and a 100% cotton knit blazer. I have both items in a range of neutrals (grey, black, navy, forest green, camel) and I just mix and match the two. Everything gets machine washed and line dried, my oldest dress is 7 years old and still holding up great. In the winter I add tights to the outfit. Only one person has ever noticed my uniform. Sometimes I accessorize with a necklace or something but not too often. I picked this particular outfit because it’s like sweatpants but professional.

      • Anon

        Please tell me where you bought these 100% cotton items! I only wear natural fibres and I have a hard time finding stuff like this!

        • Anonymous

          The blazers are from lands end (available colors differ per session), dresses are from Talbots (again different colors per season). Both those brands are often shamed as old lady brands but I’m 29 size 2/4, and the look is very classic.

    • Anon

      I WFH and have multiple pairs of the same black yoga pants (the flare kind) and the same white tshirt, short and long sleeved. After years of not getting dressed and feeling gross 24/7, this has improved life tremendously.

  5. Anon -- more on the stage 4 pancreatic cancer front

    My car is in the shop (hopefully not a fatal/$$$ issue) and I have a loaner Trail model Honda Pilot. Am I crazy to think that my Odyssey has better pickup and a steering that feels more robust (to me, something like more resistance)? My city has some crazy merges and insane drivers and being able to punch it and merge safely when needed is an important feeling of safety on the road.

    I had thought I wouldn’t replace a minivan with a minivan, but it seems like the Pilot is just trading down for passengers and rear space for a bit more ground clearance and AWD (AWD had been on my wishlist for driving in rural NW NJ).

    • Trixie

      I owned 3 honda odyssey minivans–they are a great car, and it is likely that it drives better than the Pilot. I may even buy another one…and I am an olderster with no kids at home! Keep the mini-van.

    • Anon -- more on the stage 4 pancreatic cancer front

      Also, many thanks for all of the PANCAN advice over the prior week. I feel like if my life were a football game, it would be piling on right now. I’ve done a lot of reading and thinking while at the dealership.

      • anon

        I’ve been thinking about you! I can’t imagine everything you’re dealing with. But mostly, I’m glad you listened to your gut that something was very wrong and got your DH the medical help he clearly needed.

      • Anon

        I think you’re the poster whose mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer? I just want you to know this internet stranger has been thinking of you and sending hugs from afar.

    • Anon

      No experience with either model or with Honda in general. I do take loaner car performance with a grain of salt, especially for anything that isn’t very low mileage considering my mechanic likes to add a “drive it like ya stole it!” when he drops loaner keys in my hand.

    • Anon

      I drive a 2019 Honda pilot and it has an Econ button to help with gas mileage but it massively reduces the get up and go. Anytime my husband drives my car he turns it off and I end up accidentally burning rubber leaving the neighborhood onto the main road.

    • anon

      First off, I love everything about my Odyssey (except the fact that it’s a van, haha). It drives SO WELL and is very comfortable. However, I’m guessing your rented Pilot is probably the base model, with the smallest engine available. So I wouldn’t put too much stock in that. Test drive the model you’d actually want to buy before making a decision.

    • Ginger

      Have considered an AWD Toyota Siena? We started out with an Odyssey, then went to a Pilot and our current vehicle is a 2013 Siena. We also have a Honda Civic (DHS primary car) for when we don’t need a lot of cargo space or don’t need AWD. We are at the point where all three kids on their own and 3/4 parents have passed on (we used to drive them a lot, too) but we’re thinking about getting another minivan because it’s just so easy to throw our bikes in the back, skis, etc. No need for a bike rack, ski rack, no worries about weather damaging the bikes or theft.

  6. Slow Runner

    Question for all the runners, how did you get faster? I’ve been running on and off for a few years and I’ve always had a slow pace of 11-12 minutes per mile. I’d love to get down to a 10 minute mile. Any best tips on how to improve and get faster?

    • Anon

      Yes. You have to purposefully integrate speed work into your training plan. If speed work is new to you, I STRONGLY suggest finding a running coach who can get you started so you don’t ramp up too fast and injure yourself. Specific speed work should be about once a week and really not more than that.

      Talk to the folks at your locally owned running store for coach rec’s and also any training groups that may be incorporating speed work.

      • Anon

        A running coach for a 50YO woman who runs 12 minute miles (me, not the OP on this) is a thing? I think I would be laughed out of any running store in my city if I asked someone that. But I would honestly love to have one.

        • Anon

          It’s absolutely a thing. No one at a legit running store is going to laugh at your for this. There are all types of running coaches, including those who love helping women who just want to improve their speed at any age.

        • Anon

          I would go as far as saying a 50 Y/O coming to the sport late would benefit more from good coaching than a young person who has speed and 30 years less accumulated mileage on their body. The young, speedy person is going to be young and speedy whether their coach is competent or not – young + good genes makes up for a whole bunch of errors. Older, new runners, with accumulated injuries and lower base of fitness can get hurt more easily if they attempt to follow bad advice.

      • Sunshine

        +1. Speed work. Running more at your regular pace will not help you get faster. It may help your endurance, but not your speed.

    • Anon

      Speedwork/intervals. Purchase and wear a heart rate monitor strap and learn to use the information it provides in your training. If you don’t know your body very, very well, you might do well to work with a coach for a while. Make sure it’s someone with an exercise science/training education and not just someone who was a collegiate runner and is relying on their experience as a really fast runner.
      It won’t be comfortable, so be ready to push yourself even when it’s tough.

    • Anonymous

      The Nike Running Club app has training plans that incorporate speed work that have been helpful to me as a slow runner who is new to doing anything other than running at one pace at all times. I’m doing the Half Marathon plan and it has some kind of speed work 2x a week.

      • Anonymous

        And by speed work I mean intervals, fartlek, tempo, or hills. I imagine the 5K plan may have more.

        • DC Pandas

          A really fun one on the app for summer: “Funky Fartlek” under the run-in-the-sun grouping.

    • Anon

      Like everyone said speedwork, intervals, hills. But make sure you have build a good solid base before you add these in, it can help with injury prevention. And when you do add them you need to make sure you balance your running program to include a variety of types of runs.

    • DC Pandas

      In addition to trying hill repeats or speed workouts, I would look into adding some strength training if your running efficiency is no longer improving over time.
      Just the basics: clamshells, planks, glute bridge, wall sits, squats, step-ups, side shuffle with bands, etc.

      • Mid Pack

        this was it for me. simply doing regular squats, planking, push ups, and an occasional hot yoga class really pushed my times down.

        also running with my club, much as I hate to admit it, definitely made me faster. I only say it like this because I love running as a sport because I can fall out my door and go, no need to drive, equipment, etc.
        I LOVE my club :) but it is a little more hassle to join them than run solo.

      • anon

        Not the OP but thank you for the detailed list. I’m also a slow runner, know I need to do more on the strength training front, and I find it super intimidating.

    • Anonymous

      I have successfully increased my basic “long slow distance” pace by dialing up my treadmill pace one notch per week.

    • RunningIsFun

      Running with faster people.
      Also it’s not overnight – took me about a year to see consistent speed gains.
      Key is to have a strong base, gradually (and this is super important) add either volume or intensity, and then don’t be afraid to run with other people.

      I’m normally 20-30 seconds slower when running alone.

    • Anon

      Get a copy of Daniels Running Formula. He gives appropriate plans and discusses how to do speed work without hurting yourself.

      Join a local club. Some have track or hill nights.

  7. texasanon

    My mom and I were supposed to go to Portugal before the pandemic struck and canceled our plans. We are now looking to rebook our plans and my mom just sent me a link for an online tour operator called Exoticca that is selling a Portugal tour “Coastal Cities and Cultural Treasures”

    Has anyone used Exoticca for a vacation?

    • anon

      If you’re looking for e reputable tour company, check out Gate1. They skew a bit older, but my parents have used them for multiple trips.

  8. Explorette

    I just paid off my student loans! Well, kinda. Since the loan isn’t accruing interest right now, I started a savings account that gets 4.5% interest. So I’ve been putting money into that account with the goal of having the balance equal to my student loans. I just made the last deposit! And, now I get to let it earn me interest for a month and a half before I need to actually write the check and pay the loan off before interest on it starts up again.

    • Anonymous

      It’s shocking to me how few people whose loans were paused due to Covid didn’t save that money. Like people who did not lose their very well paying jobs?

      • Anon

        About half of Americans could not come up with $400 for an emergency. What is shocking about not saving the deferred loan payments?

        Besides, wasn’t this part of a stimulus program? Wasn’t that money supposed to go back into the economy?

        I don’t have skin in this game, I paid my loans off a long time ago, but the elitism on this board is really annoying sometimes.

        • Anonymous

          The fact that I specified people with good jobs who didn’t lose income? Like consultants making 200k are the people I’m confused by. And I know several of them

        • Anon

          Agree with your last sentence. For many people, inflation are away at the money they could have used to pay down loans. Others were able to finally save some money for an emergency or max out their 401ks. Others lost their jobs.

      • Nesprin

        This is baffling to me given how many people lost their jobs in covid, or who had kids and suddenly ended up not being able to work. Like… life happens, and I’m glad no one you know was stuck but sheesh.

        • Anonymous

          Seriously. All those people who died? They left families in incomes behind that are now probably impacted.

      • Anon

        I used the money that would have went to student loans to save for a downpayment on a condo to become a first time homebuyer at 37. Now I don’t have to worry about my rent going up every year. If I had stayed in my apartment, I would have faced a 25% jump in rent.

        • Anonymous

          This is what I hate. I hope your loans don’t get forgiven. Why should they be? I paid mine off like a responsible person and now I’m saving up for a down payment.

      • Anon

        I make 6 figures and my spouse is the one still in school (going for a doctorate). We have not yet had to begin making payments on his master’s school loans. They have not entered repayment since he is still working towards his terminal degree. The ~6% rate not being in effect meant that debt was not snowballing this entire time. Once he does graduate, the lack of accrued interest means the monthly payment on those loans will only be twice our mortgage payment, not three times our mortgage payment, and we now have a healthy emergency savings cushion built up so we won’t be living paycheck to paycheck while trying to cover everything. It has been life changing.

  9. Kids phone recs?

    Can anyone recommend a first dumb phone for a tween? My 11 year old is going to be commuting on public transit for middle school in NYC this fall, and we want him to have a way to communicate.

    I’m leaning toward a Gabb phone that does not have an internet connection and can just talk and text so there’s no potential for gaming apps or social media. Are there any others I should consider? Will I regret not having internet or app store access? I realize this will probably only be workable for a couple of years, but I’d like to try if we can.

    FYI, I don’t want to get him a smartwatch because I think he will have to take it off/put it away when he is at school, making it just as easy to lose as a phone, and because he has a FitBit he uses and likes already.

    My husband and I both have cheap Android phones and use Republic Wireless, although we’re thinking of upgrading and switching services soon since Republic was sold. But we’re generally cheapskates and used to limiting our data use to save money.

    • Anom

      Following this. I’ve got a rising middle schooler myself. I don’t want to give her internet access on her phone, but want the phone access bc I want to give her some freedom to walk home etc, but she’s got life threatening allergies. I’ve been considering Gabb and have also looked into Pinwheel. We use t-mobile. She’s adamant that she doesn’t want a flip phone and I’m wary of a watch for the same reason as you are.

    • Anon

      We opted for an older iPhone for our tween’s first device. The parental controls (which one of you would also need an Apple device in order to use) made it possible to lock it down to nearly-dumb state while still allowing some of the smart features we did want (Find My app, time limits on various other apps, etc). The controls are really granular and easy to change as our tween grew, so we could open up new features on the fly when it made sense to do so.

      • Anon

        +1 to an iphone with parental control – having the internet is important for some things.

      • anon

        That’s essentially what we did. We had an older iPhone that has been repurposed.

      • Anon

        We also did this, but with an older Android phone. My husband is an IT guy and by the time he got done with the phone, before we gave it to our son, it was locked down so my son couldn’t get into certain things, and what he could get into was monitored. I couldn’t tell you how this was accomplished but I bet there are articles and YouTube tutorials out there.

    • Anon

      I got my kids iPhones when they were walking to school around early middle school age. I got them iPhones because I could use find my iPhone to see where they were. We all still have iPhones for this reason – mom, dad, two kids.

      My kids were very responsible with their iPhones. In the entirety of iPhone ownership, no lost phones and only one cracked screen, which we had fixed by a local guy called iPhone Joe.

  10. Anon

    Favorite light, unscented moisterizer for body? The skin on my arms and legs is dry, and I’d like to treat it, but really hate the feeling that a lot of moisterizers leave on my skin. Would prefer drug store brand, but could also buy some specialty brand if it’s good.

    • Anom

      Cerave! In the tubs/jars. Aveeno in the jars works great too. I think CVS sells a store brand version as well. The key is to buy cream not lotion.

    • Cat

      The basic CVS Beauty 360 or whatever their house brand is works just fine for me. Absorbs pretty quickly so doesn’t leave me feeling slimy.

    • AIMS

      Unexpected but I LOVE the unscented Trader Joe fragrance free hang & body cream ugh Arian oil. Very moisturizing but not greasy, absorbs quickly and with an easy to use dispenser. It’s replaced all my prior go-tos.

  11. Anon

    Annec-data, but how hard is it to rent a car if you fly into Newark on American? I usually fly into Allentown (where it is small and so easy to navigate), but can’t get the flight times I need except at EWR.

    Thank you!

    • Anon

      I always book ahead of time so I have never had a problem anywhere. EWR included.

    • anon

      If you rent from one of the on-premise companies it’s pretty quick as the AirTrain runs frequently from terminals, though make sure you include a toll pass bc there’s so many tolls in that area. Renting off airport is annoying.

      • Anon

        This is gold — I would not have thought about tolls but DUH I used to live there and remember that not fondly.

      • Anonymous

        When I rented in 2020, the toll pass was just already in the car. Handy.

  12. Anonymous

    I am working at a table outside the coffee shop because my internet connection is down at home. At least 25 percent of the cars driving through the parking lot seem to have some kind of modification that allows the driver to make a really loud VROOM VROOM VROOM sound on demand, even while driving at parking lot speeds. What on earth is this and whyyyyy?

  13. anon

    Home gym question. I have room in my kids’ carpeted play room for some exercise equipment. I have a treadmill already. But I really don’t enjoy weight training in there because of the carpet issue. Would a sticky gym mat help? Primarily, I want to save the wear and tear on the carpet and have a better surface for my shoes to grip. I have caught my shoes on the carpet before, and that is NOT a good time. Any recommendations for mats would be appreciated!

    • anon

      And to clarify, I’m mostly doing bodyweight exercises and dumbbells. Not benches or super heavy equipment.

      • Anon

        Would you consider working out barefoot or in socks on the carpet? If you’re not doing very heavy lifting that should be fine.

        • anon

          I honestly hadn’t thought about it because in my mind working out = shoes, unless I’m doing yoga. But it might be worth a shot.

    • bird in flight

      When I’ve had my weights in a carpeted room I just didn’t wear shoes. However I have a strong preference toward no shoes and realize it’s probably not for everyone.

      Can you put something down that will stay there all the time? I would think any kind of mat that you roll up easily every day would not be great on carpet since it is going to move around while you’re working out and be a tripping hazard. I think you need something pretty heavy.

      If you can leave something down all the time, a 4 ft. x 6 ft. Thick Rubber Stall Mat is excellent for working out on. We got ours from Tractor Supply. WAY cheaper than the “gym” mats. We have a bunch of these in our home gym, and they’re heavy enough that they wouldn’t move around on carpet. Not sure if they would stain the carpet though?

      • anon

        Good recommendation! Thank you. I do love going the Tractor Supply route instead of the overpriced gym option. ;)

    • Anon

      We bought gym mats on Amazon for our tiled basement. Since the basement floor is pretty hard, I think we did 3/4 or maybe 1 inch mats. For something on top of carpet, maybe you could go with 1/2 inch instead. In any case, we bought big black squares that interlocked. No idea what brand; they look pretty similar to me.

    • Anonymous

      We put gym flooring in the gym space in our home. We have a full weight set up so it made sense.

    • Nesprin

      I’m with you- working out on carpet feels weird and dangerous and gross.

      Any chance you could change out the carpet for engineered wood in the room or 1/2 the room? Engineered wood is like 3$/sqft, cutting back the carpet and adding a nail strip isn’t complicated (you could even store the removed portion) and sometimes home depot or the ilk will throw in installation.

      • anon

        It’s in a basement, so not sure that a floating floor would work well. That might be something to look into for the long term though, once it’s not being used as a playroom.

    • Anon

      What about those interlocking rubber mat pieces that resemble large puzzle pieces?

    • Anon

      I’ve heard good things about Gorilla mats. Having something oversized might be handy if kids want to join in later?

  14. anon

    We are headed to Montreal for a couple of days later this month with our 5-yr-old — any recommendations for restaurants/things to do? We are staying at Le Saint Suplice in Old Montreal.

    • Emma

      I would get tickets for Voile en voile in the old port if 5 yo is reasonably adventurous, it’s very fun. The biodome is cute and can be combined with the botanical gardens if that’s your thing. Near your hotel, I like Olive et Gourmando for breakfast (go early) and les Glaceurs for cupcakes. Bota Bota spa is very iconic Montreal but I don’t think they are kid friendly, check the website. Strom spa does have kid-friendly hours if you want that experience. Otherwise walk up Mount Royal and explore the different areas – go to Fairmount or St Viateur to get fresh bagels and walk around the Mile End, walk along the Canal to Atwater market and check out the outdoor food stalls.

  15. Anon

    Easy recipes for a special dinner? I’m not a good cook. I don’t enjoy cooking, and it stresses me out. My husband is a great cook, but I want to celebrate a milestone for him and surprise him. I can generally follow a recipe, but I like to keep things simple. Dietary restrictions: gluten free (me), mildly lactose intolerant (him…I wouldn’t make a chicken alfredo for him, but he can eat pizza with a lactose pill and be fine the next day).

      • anon

        Also was going to suggest this. Look for Ina Garten’s recipe; it’s pretty foolproof.

    • Annony

      How would you feel about boiling a lobster?

      Big pot, boiling water, a baked potato, done!

      • Anon

        Tell me more! Do I need to buy a specific lobster pot? I have a large pot I boil pasta in.

        • Annony

          Nope! You just need a pot large enough to hold a lobster. They only take a few minutes so you can do them one at a time, or buy a cheap stock pot at a restaurant supply store.

          Lots of instructions online for cooking times. Definitely clarify some butter (super easy).

    • Anon

      Shrimp scampi is pretty easy. Boil a bunch of linguine. Sauté some shrimp in olive oil in a big pan (you can ask the fish counter at your grocery store to peel and devein the shrimp for you). When the shrimp is opaque move it to a plate but keep the pan on the burner. Add a pat of butter and chopped garlic to the pan. Once the garlic is fragrant pour in a mini bottle of cheap chardonnay. When the sauce doesn’t taste like alcohol anymore add more butter and squeeze a lemon into it. Move your cooked pasta and shrimp into the pan then toss everything around in the lemon wine sauce. Optionally serve with parmesan.

    • Anonymous

      Do you have a slowcooker? If you want to do meat, slowcooking is an easy way to get the flavors without worrying about whether something is done.

      Beef stew with mushrooms, celeriac mash and steamed (still snappy not mush) broccolini could be nice.

      Celeriac because it’s fancy, but also because you can immersion blend it – if you do that with potatoes you get glue.

    • Anon

      I think this is an occasion to self cater. Maybe give yourself the title of Sommelier and provide the pairings and a fancy charcuterie, but you can get semi or pre-prepared nice main dishes from whole foods or the like.

    • Anon

      Marcella Hazan’s chicken with 2 lemons (thats pretty much the recipe), salad, asparagus or other veg baked on a sheet pan with salt/pepper/olive oil, crusty bread and a fancy dessert from whatever is your best bakery in town.

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