ByKat Hours Updated
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Suit of the Week: Alexandre Plokhov

womens-suits-1For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional. I think this Alexandre Plokhov suit looks very modern yet still traditional — I could see some serious power brokers wearing this suit. I like the interesting zippers on the sleeves, the very straight legs of the suit, and almost slouchy look to the blazer — after so many painted-on peplum looks it's kind of a pleasant change. The blazer (Alexandre Plokhov One-Button Zip Sleeve Blazer) is $1,865, and the pants (Alexandre Plokhov Side Tab Slim Trousers) are $860, both at Barney's.
Alexandre Plokhov One-Button Zip Sleeve Blazer womens-suits-3
(L-5)

Sales of note for 12.5

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

133 Comments

    1. Those are exactly the kind of shoes to wear with a suit, c’mon!

      …but really, who styled that? They detract from the suit!

      1. Also, it looks like the photo was taken before the pants were even smoothed out. The right pant leg is bunched up into the shoe.

        I love, love, love the straight leg pant. And the shoes. Even together, but not for work and not with that blazer as the top.

  2. I’m in the eighth circle of brunch planning hell. Too many people. Too many scheduling/dietary/geographical issues (many of these coming from my own husband). Anyone have any great lifehacks on planning a restaurant get-together? I’ve finally just thrown it all out to the group to pick (especially because I HATE when I’ve gone through all this and gotten a reservation for like 15 people and then one person, who’s known about the location for three weeks, says “hey, why don’t we go check out this new place on the other side of town instead” like five minutes before we’re all supposed to meet at the place I’ve carefully, so very carefully, selected — RAWR!). You need about five bloody marys just to plan these things.

    1. you’re in DC right? if you have a group who’s being a pain and you have really picky eaters, clydes may be a decent option. not amazing or innovative but a decent standby.

      and nothing says you can’t drink while planning brunch!

      1. Just realized my post is stuck in moderation. I had a related question for DC locals: For dinner for a big group in DC (8-10 people), would P i n g P o n g or D * c k s o n (the wine bar) be a better option? For the first one, we can all sit at the same table. The second, we’d be on two tables but we’d have the entire lower floor of the restaurant for our party. Thoughts?

        1. I’ve never been to D-son, but both options sound good. If you’re all at one table, it’s not like people on each end can hear each other anyway, so two tables isn’t that big of a deal.

          Ping Pong, assuming you’re talking Chinatown location, is accessible from more metro stops, just a thought.

    4. Them: “hey, why don’t we try this other place?”
      You: “let’s do that next time. why don’t you email everyone to organize?”

      1. Yup, just lay out the plan and let everyone know you’ve got reservations. When someone decides to change something, suggest that they plan the next one with that change because these plans are already finalized. Be firm!

    5. “says “hey, why don’t we go check out this new place on the other side of town instead” like five minutes before we’re all supposed to meet at the place I’ve carefully, so very carefully, selected”

      This EXACT thing happened to me the last time I tried to plan a dinner for friends (I was coming in from out of town). I went into full rage mode, and it takes a lot to make me rage.

      1. As a fellow non-rager, a similar situation (dinner reservation for a large group, made weeks in advance) nearly triggered a Hulk-like alter ego.

        Yes, that new restaurant sounds fantastic, but you should have said something when we set up dinner plans… the whole point of reservations is because a table for 10 on a Friday night when we just “show up” is not going to happen. Also, do we know the menu has options for the gluten-free, vegan, etc. members of the group? Sigh…

        OP, totally acceptable to drink while planning such things.

        1. Right? Like I didn’t think of that restaurant…and RULE IT OUT because I have a vegan, a pregnant lady, a Muslim, a Catholic (and it’s Lent), three people who are “so sick of Thai”, and someone who has to be on the Red Line. The best is when two other people chime in with “or this other place, or my roommate is a bartender here so we’d get free drinks, or what about that place that was in the Post yesterday” and it becomes a brand new free-for-all. (This is when I say “wherever you find a table at a place that accommodates us all, I’m there. Oh, there’s no good options besides what I picked? Yeah. So let’s go inside before they cancel on us.”)

      2. Related question – for a large group (8-10) for dinner: Ping Pong (1 table) or Dickson (2 tables in lower level- so we’d have the lower level for our party)?

    6. This is why I have taken to planning things thusly: “Hey who wants to join me for brunch at 12pm at X restaurant on Y date?” Then whoever can/wants to come can come. Others can join another time.

      1. 100% this. I tell people the when and where, they can come if they want, and if they have alternate suggestions I gently ask them to plan that activity for another time.

        My friends were insane about this until I started being firm with my phrasing.

      2. Yes! That also lets them decide if the location/expense/restaurant are to their liking and decide to come or decline accordingly. I hate invitations that are just “want meet up for dinner with about a dozen people somewhere in the city on this day?”

    7. I hate planning these things. Even if you get everyone to agree on a place, inevitably someone backs out at the last minute or shows up ridiculously late. You make reservations for a reason, people. Don’t mess with the system. It’s rude to all the other people who have reservations after you. (My generation is so horribly bad at committing to plans and it drives me nuts).

      1. I don’t think it’s just your generation. My friends are just as bad and we’re probably 15-20 years older than you are. Although my boss and his wife are having a party in a couple of weeks and I haven’t RSVPd… yet.

      2. Oohhhh that is what gets me to rage. It wasn’t normally a big deal where I used to live, but here in NYC so many places won’t seat you until everyone has arrived and are likely to give up your table after awhile.

        I’m neurotically one time and it seems like most of my friends aren’t. I should just start telling everyone the reservation is for 30 min earlier than It really is.

        1. I have been known to tell the regularly late members of my family that our dinner reservations are half an hour earlier :) Works like a charm.

        2. Didn’t work for me – the chronically late don’t remember and ask the others the time, or less frequently do remember and talk about it and throw a major spoke in the plans. The truly chronically late should not be invited to restaurants that may pass on the reservation.

          1. I just might be successful then because the last few times we’ve gone out, I’ve been the only one on time so they’d all be told the early time.

    8. Your group may be too big for this to be at all workable, but here’s one trick that has worked for me/my friends: you kick off the discussion with a list of one more places than the number of people in your group (which might be the most annoying part, esp. when you’re dealing with dietary restrictions). Each person can eliminate one place off the list. So, in theory, by the time there’s only one place standing, everyone’s had a say and you’ve “settled” on a place that’s no one’s least favorite alternative.

    9. I’ve stopped taking input when planning dinners/brunches for groups and just set a date, place, and time. If someone can’t make it, I just say sorry hope you can make the next one. Same thing with suggestions about other places.

    10. Sometimes I am sad that I am not the kind of gal who has oodles of girlfriends inviting me to weddings and such. And then I read a post like this and I am happy I have just a few close buddies.

  3. So after the recent Banana and J.Crew sales, plus the purchase of a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag I have been lusting over for AGES, I’ve realized that I’ve spent far too much money in one week. Hopefully I’ll now be motivated to cut out other expenses and be better about bringing my lunch. But eeek – the final total is staggering…

  4. Travel TJ

    I’m going to Montreal for a couple of days in the summertime. I’ve lived there, so I don’t need any suggestions on places to go/things to do, but I am wondering if anyone has any B&B/small hotel recommendations. We are hoping to stay in the Plateau area, rather than right downtown or in Old Montreal.

    Also: my mom totally loves her new life. It is so.freaking.awesome. She is more social than she has been she since went on long-term-disability, and it’s so good for her mental and emotional health :)

    2. I’ve stayed at University Bed & Breakfast several times and really found it fantastic. It might not work location wise for you though.

    4. Why not check out Air BnB? I know there was an article about problems re: subletting in the NYT, but I really strongly doubt that Montreal will have the same issue, and on top of that, you’re pretty likely to find somewhere that’s being airbnb’d by the owner in the Plateau, avoiding the issue of “subletting” entirely. I’ve had great experiences using airbnb.

      1. second airbnb and VRBO, as well – i’ve gotten some great places through both sites, including the apartment we’re staying at in plateau next month. there were plenty of choices averaging $60-100/night.

      3. This is a great idea! I knew about this whole phenomenon (kind of) but had never actually looked into it…I’m pretty sure this is the way we will go :)

  5. Grumpy because 3 buttons fell off the cardigan I’m wearing today. I just bought it in October and it cost nearly $80. I bought it online so I have sent a message to customer service.

    1. I feel like all I’ve done this week is send things back. First, I sent back a little ring I bought because a diamond fell out and I’ve only had it for about a month. And it was an obvious hole. Then the clasp of my watch stopped clasping. I had to tape it together at work so I wouldn’t snag it on clothes.

  6. TJ – I need to buy some last minutes presents for my nieces this weekend. More than anything they need clothes.

    Any one know of some websites where I can get free and/or reasonably priced 2 day shipping on kids clothes?? I am browsing Amazon right now, but not crazy about the selection, and haven’t heard of any of these brands, so don’t know about their quality. If anyone has experience with kids clothes on Amazon, recommendations are very welcome as I have prime so free 2 day shipping!

    TIA!

    1. Zappos is free next business day shipping on clothes. I’ve never gotten kids clothes there, but I would check it out.

    3. Not sure how old your nieces are, but diapers.com also does cheap/free and fast shipping.

    4. Hatley stuff on Amazon–they have awesome raingear and pjs in particular. Also, especially for girls, Tea Collection has really great stuff (quality is very good and they have sweet, non-noxious girls clothing). Other brands I like (in terms of decent quality and good design) that are Prime-eligible: Nautica and US Polo Assoc (that must be some Ralph Lauren thing, right?).

      My strong vote would be Tea or Hatley, upon consideration.

    5. Carters/OshKosh don’t have free shipping but it’s $6 flat rate. I’ve had good luck with them. I always buy my friend’s daughter’s Easter dress and I forgot last year and ordered something at the last minute and it was great and came fast.

    6. You could always call the Nordstroms in Pentagon City and ask them to pick a few options for you and swing out and pick them up. Not quite as easy, but definitely doable

  7. Meh – looks the opposite of slouchy to me Kat – sorry. Looks like you’d have to be really tall and thin to look good in it.

  8. Am I really the only person who’s noticed where the zippers are on this “zipped sleeve blazer”? They are at the inside of the elbow. The inside of the elbow. What. In. The. World.?

    1. Clearly, it’s for warm days when your inner elbow is incredibly hot.

      2. If only there was a matching zipper at the knee, I’d be all over it. At this price point I would expect nothing less!

    2. Can you unzip them to turn it into a half-sleeve jacket and put the zipped off sleeves in the pockets? If so, totally practical for those days when it’s cold when you leave the house but later warms up. Reminds me of those convertible jacket/vests.

      1. That’s what I figured the purpose was, but why?!? Elbow length sleeves on a suit? For $1865? Sorry but if I’m in a situation that calls for a full suit there is no way I’m zipping off the arms and stuffing them in my pocket!

      2. On further review Lyssa is correct, the entire sleeve does not zip off. It really is just a vent.

    3. There are some days where my job is so hard, I say to myself, “I MUST UNZIP HALF MY SLEEVES RIGHT NOW OR I WILL KILL SOMEONE.” Doesn’t that happen to everyone?

      1. (It may be the double vodka soda I just had on a Wednesday nite, but) LOL! :)

  9. I’m moving to my first apartment soon and will be sharing it with someone who I know casually but not very well. Any tips would be much appreciated! First, for renting in general and second, for sharing a place with someone who’s not related to you. How do you pay for household expenses like toilet paper, etc. and do you share food/meals? The only other time I’ve done this was in college and it was with more than one other person and so we just did a big pot for shared expenses but that didn’t work put so great since some people weren’t too good at contributing regularly like they should have. Since it was more people though, the cost was more spread out so it wasn’t terrible but sharing with one other person kind of necessitates both sides chipping in. Do you have a set day that you put money in the pot or do you just switch off on making the shopping trips?

    1. I’ve had a lot of roommates and they key has been communication. For your toilet paper example, typically whoever noticed we were almost out would buy some. Obviously that becomes annoying if you feel like you’re the only one ever buying it, but instead of stewing over that fact, the key is to bring it up right away once you realize it before you get really frustrated by it. Another solution is to go to the store together every once in awhile to stock up on communal items like cleaning supplies, any food that you share, etc and then split the cost at the store. I’ve done every variation of sharing or not sharing food and that’s just something to talk about as well. It’s easy to share the items you both like as long as you can figure out how to pay for it fairly.

      One thing I’ve recently learned is how nice it is to be clear about what chores you don’t mind doing and hate doing. I hate taking out the trash and always procrastinate about it but don’t mind doing the dishes, and luckily my boyfriend is the opposite so we just split our duties that way. The key here is not to worry about who is spending more minutes doing these things over the course of a week but focus on the fact that each of you got out of doing the chore that you hate.

      Luckily, I’ve found that the communication part can be easier with someone you don’t know as well before moving in together than it is when you move in with your best friend.

      1. Oh, and sometimes you have to know when you’re willing to sacrifice something. If an issue starts happening like your roommate leaving dirty dishes in the living room regularly and it bugs you but clearly doesn’t bug her, talk about it at least once or twice to explain that it bugs you but if it keeps happening then you’ll have to decide whether its worth it to you to nag her about it regularly or just take the dishes and put them into the sink regularly. I’m not saying you have to start taking care of your roommate’s chores all the time, but if for the most part you have similar cleanliness levels and there is one thing that irks you and you can’t get her to change it, sometimes its worth just doing it yourself.

    2. I’ve been through a few sets of roommates- we’re generally happiest not sharing food (with the exception of things like maybe..flour, sugar, salt, etc.), and we’d usually do a trip to Costco together every once in a while for toiler paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc., and just split that bill.

      I think it worked best when we were both pretty laid back and generous, so neither felt like they were being taken advantage of, and worst when the others were territorial about stupid things. I’d also try to set out some sort of agreements re: cleaning – like, whoever is last to go to bed runs the dishwasher (though you both put in your own dishes), or you each wash all your dishes by the end of the day, switching off on bigger tasks like mopping, etc. I was lucky that my roommates always seeemd to prefer cleaning bathrooms, whereas I prefer kitchens, so we ended up just splitting it that way all the time, and sharing the living room cleaning (which was usually pretty minimal).

      Also, consider thinking about discussing when you’re cool with people coming over, etc. – my roommates and I generally were laid back about it, since we were in school, but now I’d be annoyed if I had a roommate bringing home friends on a Thursday night at 11pm for drinks, because I have work in the morning.

    3. You and your roommate should definitely sit down and discuss boundaries and house rules before (or immediately after) moving in. Topics can include, but are not limited to: how often the bathroom/kitchen will be cleaned, keeping common areas tidy, having significant others over, hosting weekend guests, sharing responsibility for contacting the landlord about problems & repairs, etc. Don’t assume that just because you would do things a certain way, your roommate will necessarily act the same. If you have a clear conversation about what is important to both of you, it makes it a lot easier down the road to address bothersome issues.

      As far as shared expenses go, this has been my post-college experience (I have one roommate):

      – Utilities: our landlord pays water & trash, I pay cable, my roommate pays gas/elecricity, and she reimburses me for the difference in our equal shares at the end of the month.

      – Household products: we try to be as fair as possible about this, just switching off whenever something needs replacing. My roommate and I are both generally good at remembering who bought the last set of toilet paper & paper towels, but WRT cleaning products, sponges, etc… I don’t think there is a way to be 100% equitable about it. If one of us recognizes we are out of hand soap or something, we will just pick it up from CVS during lunch. It tends to pretty much even out, but nickle and diming over $2 soap is not really a priority for me.

      – Food: sharing groceries & meals is not feasible for us as we have different schedules and eating patterns (she gets more takeout than I do). I keep my groceries on the left side of the fridge/freezer, and hers are on the right. We both drink a lot of tea, however, and usually share that (similar to household products, we switch off when something needs to be replaced).

      1. Your cable bill is more than your gas/electric?! I have recently been researching how to get rid of my cable internet bill (and realized that its not going to happen), but its so frustrating that its so expensive!

        1. Yep. Electricity & gas doesn’t cost much for our tiny SF apartment – it’s usually around $30 a month in the summer and $50-60 in the winter if we turn on the heaters a lot. We have one DVR box and high speed internet and the monthly bill is around $110.

          1. Ah, I see. Thats awesome. We’re about $85 for basic cable and high speed internet, and then about $150 a month on electricity for a 4 bedroom house. My electric bill says the average for a similar-sized home is $250 a month (in March when the weather is fairly nice and not much heat/air is required), which sounds crazy to me. I guess I’ll see this summer how it does with the heat and running the AC all the time. I’ve put the fear of god in anyone in the house that dares turn the thermostat below 78.

    4. I’ve lived with different sets of roommates over the years and have found when it comes to communal costs, the easiest method is to keep a running tally of all household purchases and then split that monthly/quarterly. For your situation, whichever roommate owes the other at the end of the period would just write a check. I find it’s easiest to keep one list via a Google spreadsheet (though a whiteboard also works as a low-tech version).

      Items that I would consider communal: toliet paper, paper towels, trash bags, dishwasher detergent, cleaning supplies, some cooking supplies (olive oil, salt, pepper), hand soap for the bathroom. I’ve never shared food, but that’s something to talk about as well.

      In terms of other roommate courtesies, communication is key. Having people over? Tell your roommate in advance (and perhaps invite her to join in). Decide who will clean what, and how frequently (will you rotate? etc.). For some chores, like dishes, how long is an acceptable timeframe (can they be left until the end of the day? Do you need them clean so you can cook your dinner?)?

      Generally, it’s best to knock out the big topics when you move in. Other things will come up and you can address them as you go. Everyone makes little mistakes, so try to treat the other person as you’d like them to treat you (wash a spare dish here and there, offer to grab them something from the grocery store when running an errand) and you’ll be fine :)

    5. For renting in general – I assume you haven’t rented the place yet? If so, when looking at an apartment check the water pressure of the shower and that doors close and windows open. Ask who you call re maintenance issues (i.e. if the heat goes out or something) and who you pay your rent to. If the person showing you the apt. can’t answer those questions I wouldn’t rent it, b/c then you may be stuck with no one to call re regular normal apt. issues.

    6. In terms of tracking expenses, I’ve seen two systems work really well:

      (A) If you’re both willing to use a website, Billmonk. You add in expenses, list what the expense is, and settle up at the end of each month (or whatever pay period you choose). It lets you set recurring expenses for utilities and such.

      (B) If you think entering items into a website is annoying (some people do), there’s the good old receipt jar. My BF and his roommate had a jar on their kitchen counter. Every time they paid for something communal, they put their initial on the top left corner of the receipt, circled the cost of the communal items and stuck it in the jar. They settled everything up monthly.

      In terms of general living with roommates you don’t know as well –
      (1) I recommend keeping food separate. Others may disagree, but I like to plan my own meals, etc without dealing with the scheduling needs/dietary needs of someone I don’t know well. It’s just easier. Somethings can be communal though (milk, flour, sugar) – we just add those to the communal jar.

      (2) Set clear boundaries with chores. There are two approaches. First, list out the chores that need to be done each week, and rotate them between the two of you. Alternatively, list the chores that need to be done each week, and split them evenly between you based on preferences. I prefer this method. I hate cleaning the bathroom, but am really grossed out by a messy kitchen. So I’m permanently on kitchen duty, and I clean it every week without fail because it bothers me. You’re more likely to do chores you care about (and so is your roommate).

      (3) Set clear boundaries about having friends over, overnight guests, etc. Many people say they’re cool with whatever when they first move in because they don’t want to seem uptight, but that’s usually not the case. For example, I live with 3 roommates, so we have a 24 hour notice policy if you plan on using the common area for something (study group, making dinner with BF, etc) so we can all plan accordingly.

    7. All good advice. I’ve mostly used the receipt jar method and it works well.
      I’d be leery of a roomate who wants to plan on always eating together – that implies they have no life of their own, and then the food will be the least of your problems. On the other hand one who never does may be badly antisocial :-). On the whole, I always invite the roomates when I want to make a special meal at home, to prevent awkward moments, but there’s no obligation to accept.
      I too have found it a lot easier to have roomates who are not friends. Easier to express displeasure at something soon enough, easier to stay objective about the pluses and minuses.

      1. Thank you all for your advice! I hadn’t even thought of the receipt jar or joint trips to the store but I love those ideas. In terms of splitting chores, I don’t think it’ll be such a problem since we are both similar in that we’re tidy but not too fastidious about it. For example, I’ll wash all my dishes right after I eat (or else use plastic and throw it out right after) so that dirty dishes aren’t sitting there, but I’ll also dump my jacket on the couch if I’m feeling lazy and not hang it up till I unwind, etc.

        We’ve already talked about the socializing aspect and I think we’re okay there as well but I like the idea of giving notice too. I’m definitely going to bring that up with her!

  10. This suit must be New York-y trendy, because the cool factor is lost on me and I can’t envision ANY power broker wearing it. It looks cheap, ill-fitting and is everything I want to forget about 90s suits. UGH. Sorry, didn’t mean to get so worked up :-)

  12. TJ: Does anyone have experience with consolidating private loans? I’ve already done it for my federal loans, and it would just be so much easier to make one payment.

  13. For SF Bay Area people without FasTrak: how are you going to pay tolls for the Golden Gate Bridge once they go cashier-less?

    The website recommends that CA drivers who cross the bridge once per year get FasTrak but that just seems so wrong. I cross the bridges maybe 5 times per year and am more than happy to not have FasTrak in my car or maintain a pre-paid balance.

    I’m thinking of just waiting for an invoice for the rare times I do cross the GG Bridge in my car. I am looking into the license plate accounts and one-time payments but those websites are freezing up and so I don’t think this would be a good option. Thoughts?

    1. I had no idea they were going cashierless, so thanks for the heads up! I’ve thought of getting FastTrak but mainly have just been too lazy to get around to it, I only cross a bridge maybe every other month. (Less often if I can help it, crossing the bridge usually means going to the in-laws’….) Last time I crossed the golden gate I only had $5.95 cash, luckily the tollperson let me though!

    2. What are foreign tourists (without US cellphones and in rental cars) supposed to do? I predict a major mess on the bridge, at least in the beginning. I have FasTrak as I’m often crossing the Bay Bridge, but I know a lot of people don’t.

      1. rental car companies get charged and you pay for it on your bill — this happens in many other states that have cash-less toll roads and bridges

    3. I had no idea they were doing this either and I also cross the bridge about 5 times a year and don’t want to sign up for FastTrak. Is it only the Golden Gate or are other bridges doing this too?

    4. We do have Fastrak, but if I didn’t need it on a regular basis, I’d just drive on through and wait for an invoice. If I understand correctly, the invoice is only $6, which is not very much if you’re talking about an infrequent crossing. I think this is a great system and will help traffic flow for everone.

  14. Finance TJ! My little sister has just rolled over her employer’s 401K into a fidelity IRA after having been laid off. She is confused whether she needs to redo her choices for how the investments are allocated. Our late father put it together for her as one of his last deeds and she wants to keep his choices because they did pretty well. Will she have to start over with the new Fidelity IRA or can she just keep what she already has set up? Neither of us is as finance savvy as dad, so I apologize if this is a stupid question! The employer’s 401K was with fidelity to begin with…

    1. If it was with Fidelity before and is still, she should be keeping the same funds. If you go into a Fidelity branch or call them, they should be able to confirm and help.

    2. You should contact the new IRA custodian to check whether the investment allocations were retained or the rollover caused a liquidation of 401(k) investment allocation such that the IRA is now invested in a money market (e.g. practically non-interest bearing cash account). Fidelity’s customer service is very helpful, and while they will not make investment recs, they can point you toward advice on their website regarding allocation based on age, active management (mutual funds) vs. passive management (index-based investments or some ETFs). One great option for people who want to “Set it and forget it” are lifecycle or target-date funds, where you tell them when you plan to retire and they do the rest. This is not the most sophisticated way to invest, but is a “typical” allocation given your investment risk tolerance and age. If your sister is in her twenties, then it’d be mostly equities. Hope that helps.

      1. Thank you so much! This is perfect! She was a bit overwrought about it, as she is laid up at home with pneumonia and the fidelity guy called about investment advising when she had requested not to be called for a week or so due to illness, so now I can give her empowering info to CALM HER DOWN… :)

  15. Health and diet TJ-
    I am overweight and trying to change that. However, I am also overwhelmed by lots of things in life in general right now. Does anyone have any suggestions for a clear diet plan that says: Day 1: eat ABC. Day 2: eat DEF, etc? Or something like: pick breakfast from this list of 10 recipes, lunch from this list, and supper from this list? I have a husband and kids so I can’t really do any of the plans that deliver meals because I don’t want to get into having 2 separate dinners (and would be setting a bad precedent for my 6 year old about “this is whats for dinner, everyone is eating it”). No major dietary restrictions, other than I prefer would prefer recipes with “real food” as opposed to Splenda, buying a bunch of powdered food suppliments or fake “diet” foods.

    Anyone found a meal plan they liked that worked for them? I’m willing to pay for one if I have some recommendations that it actually works. Thanks.

    1. I’ve never tried them, but how about emeals . com? They have clean eating, low fat, low carb and portion control plans and offer weekly lunch and dinner meal planning,recipes and grocery lists. In addition, the fitness magazines (Shape? Self?) regularly have meal plans online/in the mags where you can pick from a several different b/l/d options. They’re usually basic, quick meals that don’t require much preparation or many ingredients.

    2. Several of the 12-week exercise video programs have good diet plans, like P90X and Jillian Michaels’ Body Revolution. If you google around you should be able to find PDFs of just the diet plans. The Eat Clean Diet book is also pretty good, although it requires some weird ingredients and might be a pain with kids and a busy job.

      1. Tosca Reno (Eat Clean Diet lady) has a book called Stripped that has 30-day meal plans.

    3. I bought Harley Pasternak’s recent book for my sister and was pretty surprised to find that I like his recipes.

      I’m not doing the diet, but I am following his advice on what snacks to eat and how to make more nutritious smoothies (which I like to make for breakfast). He goes into quite a bit of detail about when to schedule your meals and snacks & what to eat each time. What I like is that the recipes are easy to multiply/divide–e.g., I’ve made single-serving versions of some, and quadrupled others to freeze in advance.

    4. I recommend googling this, because you’ll get a lot of results. Some examples:

      http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/diet_meal_plans/weight_loss_diet_meal_plan

      http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/healthy-eating-planner-31-days-of-superfoods/?page=2

      Sometimes they only include dinners, but I find that when I’m in weight loss mode it’s easiest if I pick 2 breakfasts I know I love and 2 lunches I know I love and alternate them every day. You can also try searching “300 calorie breakfast” or “400 calorie lunch” or “500 calorie dinner” so you find recipes that fit within your new healthy eating guidelines.

      Also, the eMeals website has always intrigued me.

    5. I’m a big proponent of Weight Watchers. One of the reasons that I got on their plan was that I wanted access to their library of recipes. I’m sure you could search through their recipes and find several that you can use and cycle through. You can search by recipe types and by ingredients. Also, having to track what I ate helped me to see what the problem areas in my diet were and keep me accountable.

    6. I really like doing South Beach. There are tons of recipes in the books, but I have also found it very easy to figure out what to eat on our own. So far, I have lost about 30 pounds. It seems to be healthy and sustainable, at least for my lifestyle.

      1. I love South Beach, too. It does call for a lot of artificial sweetners/reduced fat items and you can’t eat fruit for the first two weeks but the original book has both daily meal plans and a list of “things to eat/things to avoid” so I can either meal plan to a strict schedule or just make something that fits the bill depending on my mood. I find the first two weeks (Phase 1) really tough but Phase 2/3 is totally doable/sustainable for me. I even lost a little weight during a period of unemployment when I was living at home and my mom was cooking only south beach dinners (I was eating my normal breakfast/lunches). I also ordered a second South Beach quick/easy cookbook recently and last night’s dinner got rave reviews from my husband and preteen and the night before I made something I had a feeling they wouldn’t like that much and while they didn’t love it, they both said it was okay and they’d eat it again.

    7. I’m interested in others’ replies! I don’t have a great answer, but can tell you what has been working well for me since about January. My trick is using My Fitness Pal, and entering my whole day of food and snacks the night (or week) BEFORE. That way I can carefully check that I’ll be meeting my daily calorie allotment, and especially that I’m in good shape for my daily fat/sugar/protein, etc. requirements. This is much more effective for me than trying to enter things during the day/after I’ve eaten them. It’s kind of a contract with myself — I hate to have to make edits to my food diary because it means I went “off-plan”, and I have to anticipate splurges and account for them ahead of time. The downside is that for the sake of simplicity, I eat the same thing day after day (at least for breakfast and lunch).

      As far as food ideas go, how about chia pudding, hard boiled eggs/eggwhites, almonds, greek yogurt, quinoa, steamed vegetables? My SO and I also marinate and grill 8 large chicken breasts every Sunday to have on-hand for salads, wraps, or dinner, and that has really helped us not choose convenience food.

      Also, I got a FitBit on Sunday and I’m in love! It syncs easily to MFP to automatically adjust your calorie requirements based on activity. Anyone have tips for getting the most out of this gadget? I’ve been recording food/water exclusively on MFP which is fine, but I think it’s odd that the FitBit site wont let me increase my daily water goal beyond 48oz/day (so low!). I always meet my “goal” before like 10am… so I guess that feels nice, but it’s not terribly helpful.

      1. That is a really great idea–I hadn’t thought about entering my day in advance! My trainer has been trying to get me to eat more protein, and I’ve been using My Fitness Pal to keep track. I almost never hit my goal–maybe I will if I plan it out in advance so that I’m not scrambling to add something at dinner.

    8. Clean Eating magazine has 2 week meal plans in each issue. They include lists for the grocery store.

    9. Sounds like you need to do some meal planning. Find recipes or meals that you like and then YOU decide that on Monday you eat ABC, on Tuesday you eat DEF, etc. If you’re like me (likes lots of variety), meal planning is very cruicial to avoiding the “oh I’ll just get takeout” evenings. This is where spending 1-2 hours a week planning and acquiring the ingredients will make a big difference. Others have made some good suggestions for where to find recipes, but I would also throw in the idea of non-traditional meals. I’m thinking along the lines of yogurt, fruit, and granola for dinner. It’s healthy, hits several food groups, is easy to prepare, and there’s no reason it has to be reserved for breakfast. One night last week I made a dinner out of scrambled eggs with mushrooms and 2 pieces of toast topped with avocado slices. YUM.

      1. Yes, I know I need to do some meal planning. The problem is that I have ADHD that isn’t very well under control right now (working on it), so whenever I try to look into recipe websites or databases I just fall down the internet rabbithole – “ooh, this looks good and oh it links to that and oh look an ad for a food scale I’ve been meaning to get one …..” and a few hours later I have a long list of maybes and no definite plan or grocery list. I’m trying to avoid the other rut I tend to fall into of eating the same lunch everyday for weeks, then getting bored with it and floundering to find something else. I’ll definitely take a look at some of the suggested resources and report back if I find something promising. If I ever come into a windfall of money a personal chef/nutritionist is first on my list of things to outsource!

    10. Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. She has lots of easy recipes and 30 day meal plans based on them, tailored for what you’re trying to achieve, plus explains why it works for weight loss and other things you can do that help (sleep, supplements, etc).

  16. Does anyone have experience with chemical pregnancy? Did everything work out alright in the end or was it a sign of more major problems?

    This is the long backstory: I stopped birth control in anticipation of getting pregnant and waited five months without getting my period before I finally broke down and saw my doctor. She did an ultrasound and wouldn’t you know it, my ovary was about to release an egg, so she figured I’d get my period in 2-3 weeks. 2.5 weeks after that I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. Excited that I fertilized my very first egg (way to go egg + sperm!). Went to doc the next day and had a blood test to confirm pregnancy and it showed very low levels of progesterone – so I was going to miscarry (miscarry, btw, is a ridiculous, overly dramatic term to describe what happened). Got my period 4 days after that. Doctor told me I had a chemical pregnancy and if I weren’t so on top of things I probably would have never even known.

    So….anyone with a similar story? What happened? I’m so frustrated about this process and wondering whether it’s just an anomaly or if this is a sign of something bigger.

    1. My understanding is that 40-50% of fertilized eggs never implant, and so the person would never know they are pregnant. So, this is actually REALLY common and I don’t think it is necessarily a sign of something problematic, in that most women that this happens to have no idea at all, and assume it was just a month they didn’t conceive. Hugs, though. I totally understand why you’d worry.

    2. This has happened to me, as well! Took one of those “find out six days before your missed period” tests and it was positive, but I got my period. Definitely not a sign of a problem, just a natural but frustrating event!

    3. Yep, happened to me. Got prego the next month (didn’t wait at all in between) and all was well!

    4. 2 times had that happen. Third time was the charm. the BC I went off of was copper IUD. My son is now 4 years old.

  17. To follow up on Kat’s earlier post, how does everyone feel about ponytails at work? I’m wearing one today and it kind of feels young. But sick of hair down/buns.

    1. I’m ponytailed today too! My problem is that I never wear my hair this way and it’s longer than it has been in quite some time so I keep swinging it around. I was at dinner and my boyfriend was laughing because I kept nodding my head really vigorously because I found it entertaining.

      I think professional wise it depends on the pony, mine is definitely veering into cheerleader territory.

  18. Is there enough of a bottom hem on “the skirt” from Nordstroms that I lengthen the skirt? A 23″ skirt is just a little short for my tall frame.

    1. I am wearing mine today, and thanks to my handy tape measure can tell you it is almost exactly 4cm (just over 1.5 inches) – I don’t know much about alterations, but that doesn’t seem like a ton of room to play with… (this is the redesigned skirt that I bought in January – don’t think size will make a difference, but in case it does, it’s a 6. The way it is cut, you might be able to go up a size and let it hang lower (I’m basing this on being able to wear mine when I’m a little “puffy”, with it just sitting higher….)

  19. I have had 7:30 a.m. calls everyday this month. That means hair in a ponytail or not washing my hair after working out. I figure the ponytail is the lesser of two evils. My hair is clean, neat and professional (I do a low ponytail with a side part). And if people don’t like the ponytail, they should stop scheduling such early calls!

    1. Get color coordinated SCHRUNCHIES! I love them even if the Manageing partner goes hot and cold on MY SCHRUNCHIES ! PTOOEY on that! Yay!!!!!

  20. I have a “Quote of the Day” for everyone:

    “I’m studying to be a paralegal. I want to work in a law firm. I’m thinking about family law because I want to work with kids.”

    WHAT?!

    This is from someone I know from high school, who asked me on FB if it is better to graduate early with one major or to stay one more year for another major. I referred her to the ABA’s standing committee on paralegals site and let her know that whatever her major is, when I hire I want to see that the person can write and think. I also want to see experience, so she should be working as an intern or for free while she is in school to get as much in as possible. I also recommended that she work in an actual family law firm for no less than 6 months before seriously deciding this is her career path. I also referred her to her college’s paralegal department (one of the majors was “paralegal studies.” No joke.) to ask about certification and what else she should be doing.

    I feel like I gave her some decent information but it made me want to smack my head against a wall.

    1. It keeps getting better. One of the things I said was “if you go into family law as a paralegal, you’ll be working with attorneys that represent cranky parents fighting over kids. You won’t be working with kids.”

      She replied: “See and that’s what I don’t want. I want to punch those ppl in the face. Any suggestions on a good area?”

      I suggested a bunch of things like social work and other positions that work with at-risk youth. I still want to bash my head against the wall….she is more than 1/2 way though a paralegal program!

        1. OH! I can’t watch your video but I assume that’s “Cause I’m a Blonde” from Earth Girls are Easy. Big favorite in my house. LOVE. I sing it to my blond sister all the time (with love.)

        2. Very possibly. It is just really disturbing me that these things come from someone that is my age and has kids. She mentioned the name of the “school,” and from what it sounds like they should be closed down too.

      2. I had a young cousin who was studying criminal justice when I was working at the state attorney’s office. She and her mother wanted to know what kind of job she would get with a BA. I said the most likely job was as a probation office. “Oh my! With criminals?”

  21. TJ related to sussing out the skills/office of a potential lawyer (with a nod to Kanye East’s Miss Blankenship.)

    I called a lawyer who came recommended to make an initial appointment to discuss my pending divorce process. Left a message with her assistant; didn’t hear back.

    Twelve days later I call again and get the assistant, who notes, “Oh, I have a message from you but haven’t called you back.” Yep. Then she neglects to get my spouse’s name for the conflict-of-interest vetting process, tells me the lawyer “hates to do more than one of these [initial meetings] in a day, but she’ll just have to” meet with me on the day in question, and generally seems not very smart or competent. Including asking if I anticipate that there will be conflict over custody or financials. Lady, I’ve never done this before, but I’m thinking: if there wasn’t conflict – I might not be NEEDING A DIVORCE. Ahem.

    I have a few other potential lawyers to call but she really was the first person on the list of my recommending person, who does mediation and has worked with her in the past.

    Should I cancel and make an appointment with someone else? Or is this not anything to worry about? I’d rather not pay for the initial consultation if a seemingly bad assistant is a huge red flag.

    1. This sounds terrible. Do you really want this space cadet assistant to always be the intermediary between you and the lawyer you need to talk to? I’d say NFW.

    2. GURL BYE. Seriously, flounce.

      Although she does sound better than Miss Blankenship, who can barely be bothered to answer my phone.

      1. Does Miss Blankenship have photos of the senior partners in compromising positions or something else to hold over their heads? I can’t see why someone like her stays employed.

    3. Sigh. I kinda knew you all would say that. I’ll move to the next name on the list! Thanks.

    4. Hi!

      Unless I read your e-mail too rapidly, I think you misunderstand the legal meaning of the word “conflict” in a divorce proceeding. It doesn’t mean that you and your husband are having conflict. It means that your husband may have already consulted with her and paid a consulting fee, even if he doesn’t intend to retain her. This is common amongst the better family law lawyers. Husband and/or wife goes to several of the best attorneys in town, tells them his/her respective divorce story, and then that attorney has a legal conflict if the other spouse comes in to interview or retain that lawyer. In other words, the husband (or wife) is trying to preclude you from getting one of the better attorneys.

      So the conflict is not the one between you and the spouse; it is between you and the attorney who may not ethically be able to see you because she’s already seen your husband (even if not retained by him.) also, there are few good family law attorneys . . . so getting a good one is important.

      good luck to you; divorce is highly underrated as one of life’s worst experiences.

    1. I love that it suggests that I “finish this look” with some high-top wedge sneakers.

  23. ‘r e t t e s, you would be proud. I am notorious for letting my wardrobe tend toward “uniform” with mostly black, grey, and other dark pants and solid shirts, and either wearing very few or forgetting to wear any accessories with anything. I’m put together, but by no means could I have ever been accused of looking really great all the time. Well, now I’m in house at a design firm so I have to step it up a bit!

    This week I took this site’s advice and set out all of my outfits for the week on Sunday. It has made my morning so much better! It has also exposed my serious lack of accessories. I’m sure we can fix that just by watching this site….

    Thanks!

    1. Sounds like we have the same wardrobe! Case in point, today I wore a black collared shirt with gray slacks, only accessories are my wedding band and a small gold cross necklace. I’m not sure if I’m more cheap or lazy…

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