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For 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. Also: we just updated our big roundup for the best women's suits of 2023!
This suit caught my eye at Shopbop – I don't think I've ever seen one quite like it. We've definitely seen suits where the fabric is different on each half, and I've never quite liked those — there's something reminiscent of a jester, I think? But here, where it's only her left shoulder and arm, it's… interesting. I don't hate it.
(As styled, of course, it's totally wrong for work – know your office, but I'm going to guess that at most offices you do not want to show your belly button. I'd swap it out for a work-appropriate bodysuit or other fitted top. Here was our last discussion on crop tops at work…)
The blazer is $550, available in sizes 0-14 at Shopbop, and the matching pants are $395. Neiman Marcus has a matching knee-length blazer, and, because it's Alice & Olivia, there is of course a pair of matching shorts. You can also find the various suit pieces at Revolve, Amazon, and Alice & Olivia.
Pinstripes are definitely trendy right now; we just posted this more affordable navy option from Bloomingdale's a few weeks ago, and ShopBop has another trendy option from Simkhai. This Rag & Bone suit is a bit more traditional, if that's what you'd prefer.
Just hunting for a plain gray suit? Here are some of our favorites:
Sales of note for 11.5.24
- Nordstrom – Fall sale, up to 50% off!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 40% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 25% off with your GAP Inc. credit card
- Bloomingdales is offering gift cards ($20-$1200) when you spend between $100-$4000+. The promotion ends 11/10, and the gift cards expire 12/24.
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Fall clearance event, up to 85% off
- J.Crew – 40% off fall favorites; prices as marked
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 60% off clearance
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – New sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Buy one, get one – 50% off everything!
- White House Black Market – Holiday style event, take 25% off your entire purchase
tax resources?
I have a really big bonus coming this year and it will push my gross income above 200k. I usually make just under 90k, so this will be a big change for me from a tax perspective. This won’t happen most years – I had a really unusually high sales year (landed a client I’ve been working to get for 8 years!). I have an accountant who said we can talk about things in January, but I really want to do a little advance planning/strategizing. I have never done anything other than take the standard deduction – I’m single, no kids. I do have some work expenses that aren’t reimbursed but have never really tracked them. If any of you have general advice or even if there’s a “for dummies” type of book or website, I have a slow October and would feel better if I could do a little reading!
Anonymous
congratulations! I’m surprised your accountant said talk in january, but maybe because it’s so close to end of the year already. when i was getting big bonuses from a law firm the rumor was to increase your 401k contribution to the highest you could for the bonus so the money went straight into retirement, but i’m not sure it had a big impact.
Anon
It’s helpful because increasing your 401k contributions lowers your taxable income for the year. But money received during the year is fungible – the IRS looks at the total amount you received, not when or how your received it. So if you were already going to max out your 401k contributions, you don’t save any more by having the money come out of your bonus.
Anon
If you are an employee (which I assume since you haven’t tracked your work expenses in the past), you are not permitted to deduct unreimbursed work expenses. If you are not already, I would max out your 401k for this year to lower your taxable income.
IME, there isn’t much you can do as a W-2 employee to lower your taxable income for one year besides the 401k. I itemize each year because my mortgage interest and the $10,000 permitted for state taxes is more than the standard deduction for me. I also track my charitable contributions, so I can take that direction. Medical expenses have to be such a high percentage of your income that i never qualify to deduct those.
Anonymous
The final tax bill is what it is— not much you can do to change that as a W-2 employee other than max out your 401(k). I think what you might be getting at is that you should expect to have to pay a bill next April because your withholding throughout the year will have been based on your lower base salary. If you hate the idea of having a big bill looming, I’d recommend you talk to your payroll team to find out what rate they’ll withhold on the bonus payment. It can depend on whether they process the bonus as a separate payment or combined with your regular salary. No matter what, I wouldn’t spend your bonus or lock it up in an illiquid investment until you meet with the accountant to understand what you’ll owe.
anon
Yes, this.
If you haven’t received it yet, max out 401k / increase contribution limit and then adjust back after the payday hits.
Otherwise, all you can plan for before January is just to keep the money available and plan to owe Uncle Sam. Accountant prob just wants to see your EOY pay stub information so they can do accurate calcs on what the final bill may be.
Tax
there is also a tax calculator on the IRS website you can use to calculate what you owe. I typically make an estimated payment after I receive my bonus in mid December so I don’t get hit with underpayment penalties and can never seem to get my withholdings adjusted to account for bonuses properly
but if you use an accountant, they can do the same thing!
Anon
If you are planning to make charitable donations, do it before 12/31.
Pay your real estate taxes before 12/31.
Get as much as you can into tax-advantaged accounts (401k, 403b, 457b, IRA – or, if you can swing it, the Roth version of any of these).
If you have one and would use it, put money into your healthcare reimbursement account to pay your medical bills for 2023 with pre-tax dollars. (You can also use this to buy COVID test kits, eyeglasses etc.)
Don’t freak out that you may end up paying an additional Medicare tax of 0.9% of any eligible income over $200K. You might not depending on your deductions. If you do, just think about it as, “I can afford to help people in this country who need help to stay healthy, and I am helping this year.”
I used to read the December issue of “Money” or “Smart Money” or “Kiplingers” personal finance magazine for these kinds of suggestions. I don’t know what the 2023 version of that is. Maybe search online (legitimate news sources only – not random blogs) for “end of year tax planning tips?”
Anonymous
Will the bonus be paid in 2023 or 2024. Your accountant may have suggested a January meeting because he/she assumes 2024. (In my industry, and I think many others, bonuses for the past years work are paid in the new year.)
Anon
Max out your 401K this year. If you’re over 50 take advantage of catch-up contributions. That’s all you can do at this point.
By the max I mean this, not the max amount your company will match:
Savers will be able to sock away $22,500 a year in 2023; those 50 and above can contribute an additional $7,500, for a total annual contribution of $30,000.
Anon
https://www.aarp.org/retirement/planning-for-retirement/info-2021/401k-contribution-limits.html
Anonymous
I’d consider also increasing your tax witholding now so that you’re sending extra to the IRS during this tax year where you know you’ll owe $$$.
Anon
My boss and I usually have a great relationship, but every once in a while he’ll get super condescending about something small. Today he has decided we all need to be able to pull reports from a database so that we can all support with a certain task. I am more than happy to learn, but we need to get a report from this database prior to the call on Tuesday when we’ll all learn how to do this. Boss’s response when I ask who will pull this report is, “You need to learn how to pull the report, everything can’t fall onto one person, we all need to be able to do this, I do it for XYZ, you should do it for ABC. John is learning.” Meanwhile said report is due tomorrow and the call for me to learn to pull reports is due Tuesday. Ugh. Do any of you have similar situations? Do bosses just get moody? I don’t know why he seems mad about it when we haven’t discussed this before.
Anon
My take on this is he expects you to figure out how to get it done. Find someone who can pull the report. Basically find a solution rather than asking him for the solution.
Cat
except boss is making it clear he wants everyone to be able to DIY? I would say “the timing doesn’t line up for me to DIY prior to this meeting but I will put it on my list for the next cycle”
Anon
There has to be one person other than your boss who can pull this report. Go to that person.
Anon
Yikes, do not say this. This is doubling down on throwing this back on the boss’s plate. Make an effort to get it done. Go to the person who is doing the training and have them run the report. Bosses tend to look favorably on working that make an effort to solve issues on their own. (Especially something like this that had seemingly easy solutions.)
Cat
Omg i was not suggesting not doing it AT ALL, just saying that the DIY aspect (everyone being trained) is justifiable pushback for this specific meeting. Thought that was clear!
Anon
Right – go to that person and have them show you how to pull the report, not just have them pull the report for you.
I’ve been in your boss’s frustrated position before.
Anon
Have you talked to the person who can show you how to do it yet? They may not know that you need to do it sooner than Tuesday.
anon
Bosses get pressure from places above them that aren’t always visible to direct reports. When my boss goes on some kind of seeming tangent I always suspect someone above them made the point/asked for the thing and s h i t rolls downhill.
Anon
This suit just looks like they ran out of material half way through, and decided to use a different one because they were desperate.
Anonymous
I viscerally hate this jacket and the crop top styling.
Anonymous
I was thinking the same thing!
It’s also way too noticable to be worn regularly, and will be considered ‘dated’ in less than 6 months…
Anon
It’s a little Frankensteined!
AIMS
I don’t hate it but I feel like this mostly looks good if you’re either 20 or 70.
Nesprin
I thought it was a graphics error, like the left half of the image was highlighted. What a mess.
Anon
My pet peeve is when colleagues do not respond to email or reminders but will answer if I text them. I don’t know why professionals can’t figure out how to check their email. Tired of chasing after some people.
Anonymous
When I don’t respond to an email it’s because I’m busy and you’re not top
Of my list
Anon
+1
Everyone thinks their thing is the most important thing
Anon
Sometimes it IS the most important thing. People who roadblock deliverables because they’re “too busy” for a 10-second decision are very frustrating to work with.
anon
And that’s when you text/teams/message/pick up the phone/go see them in person. Email is the snail mail of this day and age. If you need immediate responses, email ain’t the way to get it.
Anon
It is YOUR most important thing. It’s not necessarily THEIR most important thing, no matter how much you think it should be.
Anon
It’s the COMPANY’S most important thing. It’s not mine. My most important thing is my personal life. I’m sure you’re not suggesting letting a major deliverable go un-submitted because a higher-up can’t be fussed to read an email.
Anonie
I get 100+ emails a day, but relatively few texts/instant messages because people reserve it for things that are truly urgent. So naturally they get more attention.
Anon
My pet peeve is people who complain “this meeting could’ve been an email” when really, they never respond to email so now it’s a meeting.
anon
This is showing my age but, if you need a response, call someone. From my perspective, I don’t know why people cannot just figure out to call me if it is urgent.
Anon
Seriously.
Anon
OP here. There are so many people in the same office or same line of work who manage to either respond to email in a few days substantively, or at least say “I will get back to you” that those who don’t respond seem lazy or disorganized. Yes, I CAN call you. But if there is a team of five people who have responded on a topic, in this case it is about when a court hearing will be and you are my co-counsel, then me having to call you or text you means you now think I am your mother. “Oh, John, opposing counsel emailed two days ago about this hearing and all the other lawyers and two psychologists have responded.” John is too cheap to pay for an assistant. If you are THAT busy, you wouldn’t respond to text either. I love the “go see the person” response since so many of us work from home now. Yes, indeed, some of these folks are allegedly working from home.
Anon
Lets have a fun thread! What is something that you’ve learned or taken away from a TV show or move that helps you in business?
Mad Men: That’s what the money is for!
Suits: Would this hurt Harvey’s feelings? If no, then it shouldn’t hurt mine.
Billions: Have the confidence of Dollar Bill
Mollly’s Game: Zero plans of running poker rings but I find this to be weirdly inspiring
How about you?
Anon
I love this! Reposted since it was late this morning.
Insecure: Careers ebb and flow; don’t sweat when things are at a low point since they can always turn up.
Generally from movies: So much depends on how you dress and impression management! Just looking chic and elegant can really affect people’s view of you.
Anonymous
Working Girl – reading a variety of publications, in separate areas, can sometimes lead to great ideas
Heathers – not to be like that kid who was editor of the school paper
Secretary – people do strange things in office bathrooms
Anon
After Tonya Harding’s scummy boyfriend and his friend kneecapped Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya still had to compete. She was interviewed on a 20/20 kind of show, and she was asked how she manages to compete with all of that going on.
She said she’d always had troubles in her life, and she can’t bring them onto the rink with her, so she said if you watch her step into the rink, you’ll see her slap the boards on her way in, and you’ll see her slap them again on her way out after she performs. She said that’s her leaving her troubles there so she can focus on performing. She knows they’re not gone forever and that’s why she picks them back up on the way out.
I was entry level when all this happened, and it really stuck with he. There have since been many occasions where I’ve had to leave my troubles on the boards so that I can function when I need to, and it’s a really good way to think about it. I know they’re there waiting for me when I get done.
Anonymous
wow, love that.
Anonymous
I too cite “That’s what the money is for!” a lot.
Peaches
Me too!
Anokha
I use this phrase ALL the time. And Hamm carrying the sign during the strikes with that exact quote made my year.
Anonie
Where would you all look to buy secondhand lawn decor for holidays like Halloween and Christmas? I don’t like the thought of buying used because I don’t want to have to store anything, so I’d like to buy used and resell at the end of the season, but there doesn’t seem to be anything available on FB marketplace or at Goodwill. Are these just the type of thing that people buy and keep forever, or is there some other source out there that I’m not thinking of?
Anonie
*don’t like the thought of buying NEW
Anonymous
people aren’t going to buy it at the end of the season — even choosier thrift stores won’t take it at the end of the season.
Anonymous
Do a search for second hand stores in your area and just start going to them one by one until you find what you are looking for. Every second hand store I have ever been in sells seasonal decor, it’s just hit or miss with what they stock, and when they start putting them out.
Anon
Most places to buy used, like thrift shops or FB, also don’t want to store these things out of season, so they have nothing to sell before the particular season starts.
Anonymous
Estate sales and garage sales. I don’t think they’re the type of thing that people would bother listing online, but are likely to get thrown in to an estate sale
Anonymous
Oh, I missed the fact you want to do this every year so you don’t have to store. That, I think, would be a challenge. it’ll show up, but not frequently. Probably too much work to hunt it down every year.
Anonymous
I think there are places that let you rent holiday lights and decor, and they install and remove them for you
AIMS
Gently – I don’t think buying used and reselling at the end of the season every year is going to work for anyone but you which is why you don’t really see it. I do think you can probably find used items on all the different places that you can normally shop for used things like eBay, FB Marketplaces, CL, etc. You can also probably find really good deals on new things at end of season clearance sales. Or, depending on where you live there may be holiday decor rental companies but that is more geared toward businesses or private decorating and will be $$$$.
I don’t think you can just use this “off season” plan reliably to just avoid having to store stuff.
Anon
I don’t think this is a thing.
anon
This stuff goes like hotcakes on our local FB yard sale page. Like, 2 dozen people wanted some old styrofoam “tombstones” that a neighbor was selling during a garage cleanout. I don’t think it’s often put up for sale in general and when it does, get in line. I think they’re buy and keep for ever because they’re generally timeless and you don’t grow out of them, unlike clothes or baby items, and tastes for furniture, etc.
Anon
You have to look for next year’s stuff after the season this year. It will be there. No one is looking to unload Halloween stuff right now unless they’re basically a reseller timing the market.
Cat
I don’t think this plan is going to be great for you- most people looking to sell are unloading after they finish with this year’s holiday, and thrift stores don’t want to buy it at that point because THEY have to store it for 11 months until it’s saleable again.
I would rethink your strategy and just decorate with things that are easy to store (like strings of lights) and not bother with any large lawn items at all.
Anonymous
+1 or just get those inflatables people get if you want a big display
Runcible Spoon
Yes, these are the types of things people buy and keep forever — hence the concept of building a collection of seasonal decorations. Additionally, good for you for seeking to buy second-hand, but you will need to buy and keep forever. You won’t find a critical mass of such decor immediately BEFORE the holiday in question. The best bargains are immediately after the relevant holiday, which means you need to store the item for the next 11 months until the holiday rolls around again and you pull out the second hand decor your purchased right after the previous year’s holiday. Someone else suggested renting decorations — that’s a handy way to avoid purchasing new and also to avoid the need to store the decorations throughout the year.
Trixie
Halloween decorations will go on sale any day now…check out Target, Walmart, and the like, so you can buy some things and put them away for the future.
Anon
Oh the angst of waiting to hear a response after a job interview… I hadn’t actually expected to get an interview after I just submitted my resume cold to the company, but I did and it seemed to go well, and now I’ve just got to put it out of my mind…
Anon
Apply for more jobs. That’s the best thing to do!
Anonymous
here’s a fun question for today:
What’s something you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it yet?
(My answer: go to Japan — I haven’t because I didn’t have the time/money was I was younger and then logistics with kid and family were too hard for a long time. Meeting with a travel agent on Thursday to plan it and I keep getting so nervous about it, like I’m making a horrible mistake and we’ll all hate it.)
Anon
You’ll love Japan! Even our hardest trips have still been great fun and so many great memories.
Mine is write a novel. I write professionally, but not fiction. Main obstacles are lack of time and lack of a great idea. I hope to do some kind of writer’s retreat and/or MFA when my kids are grown but I’ll be in my mid-50s by then and I know there’s a lot of ageism in creative industries.
Anon
Move to Bali for a year and focus on yoga, meditation, and eating lots of fruits. I’ve convinced my partner to join before we have kids. hoping we can really do it.
Anonymous
Bali is also on my bucket list – I wanted to go for my honeymoon, and would have except my FIL insisted on paying for our honeymoon, which meant I felt like I had to keep it to a reasonable budget. If/when my kids get married I’m just giving them a check for their honeymoon.
A friend just went for some kind of retreat and I’m totally jealous.
Anon
Bali is super overrated. It’s so over-touristed, so many drunk backpackers and rich white women pretending to have a grand culture experience but only interacting with other rich white women. Other parts of Indonesia are well worth a visit though!
Anon
Sad answer: get married. I haven’t done it because I haven’t found anyone worth marrying who wants to marry me. :/
Fun answer: I could get my Irish citizenship through my mom and then run away to the UK like I’ve always dreamed but…no money and life isn’t a romcom.
Vicky Austin
I’m team get your Irish citizenship anyway. You never know where someone wonderful might appear from!
Anon
Sadly, I’m with you on the first answer. I always assumed growing up that it would just happen but I’m in my late 30s and I still haven’t met anyone I’d be interested in marrying.
Anon
No money is a valid reason not to run away to the UK right this minute, but thinking you shouldn’t do things because “life isn’t a romcom” is too dismissive, imo. There are lots of other good things that can happen from shaking up your life like that, even if you don’t meet somebody. You don’t have to stay in a rut just because.
Anon
+1000. Get that citizenship!
Anon
Definitely apply for Irish citizenship. We just completed the process with our kids (through their Irish grandmother). The initial paperwork takes some time, and the processing wait was close to two years.
Anonymous
Wait, how would getting Irish citizenship let you run away to the UK?
Anon
Lol. This makes me think of Cillian Murphy’s “I’m Irish. Not British, Irish.” interview where the interviewer kept insisting on calling him British.
Anon
Maybe Northern Ireland?
Anon
Ha, I wondered the same thing but wondered if the UK and Ireland have some kind of agreements outside of what Brexit affected.
Anon
The UK and Ireland have a common travel area and Irish citizens can can take up long-term residence in the UK with no visa or work permit requirements, and are treated as British citizens (and vice versa). It was reaffirmed post-Brexit as well.
Anon
I’m in the process of getting my EU citizenship! Why? Because I can.
Anon
Learn how to make cheese. My husband and I were registered for a weekend cheese making course in late March of 2020, it was canceled due to Covid. Since things have reopened we just haven’t had the time. I think I’m aiming for us to do it in the Spring of 24.
Anonymous
I’ve always wanted to go on an arctic adventure.
I haven’t because it is stupidly expensive and I’ve always had other priorities.
Anonymous
Visit New Zealand. Haven’t done it because time/money, but planning it for a 40th birthday trip in a few years.
Anon
+1. Didn’t have enough money and then the pandemic hit (high-risk over here), but hope to go in the next few years.
Runcible Spoon
DO IT! New Zealand is fantastic, and I’m saying so on the basis of only a one-week visit. Rotorua, Queenstown/Milford Pass, and Napier. I’m dying to go back and explore other areas. Enjoy!
Anonymous
I have always dreamed of building furniture. Not like ikea furniture, but a dining table and chairs for my house or similar “real” piece of furniture. Specially, I hope to be able to participate in the customer in residence program at Thomas Moser up in Maine one day. Stopping me is the cost (currently $9,000 plus the cost of the furniture you want to build, which starts at $4,000), the fact that I don’t think we’re in our forever home yet, so it doesn’t quite make sense to spend this kind of money on furniture, and, probably most importantly, while this is my dream, it’s not my husbands idea of a vacation (although he does always love all the furniture they make), so it’s really not even on the joint list of things we want to do as a couple/where we want to allocate our finite monetary resources. One day I’ll take my bonus/save up and go.
Wheels
This sounds amazing!
anon
I took a local woodworking class. Obviously what I made wasn’t as fancy as Thomas Moser, but it only cost a few hundred dollars and was a lot of fun. I learned enough skills that I’ve made some more furniture on my own since then.
Anon
I actually did it, finally!
I went to perfume school a couple of weeks ago. It was an intense one-week program and I’m currently mulling over whether I want to take the next two week course for professional perfumers. I was the only hobbyist in the class – everyone else was planning to make a career of it or add it to an existing career.
I’m in an analytical profession so this is not something I’m likely to make my main hustle but I’m so inspired now! And I made a perfume myself from the base aroma chemicals (not pre-existing compounds or accords) that is very good, like I would have bought it in a store. It’s so fun to exercise the other half of my brain this way.
Peaches
Whoa – very cool! I say go for the next level class – you never know how it might turn out!
Wheels
Travel around Spain and Portugal for two months. Planned, booked and paid for, then became disabled.
Anon
I’m so sorry. I hope you get to do it someday!
Check out “Africa with Ade” series – he seems to somehow manage to travel all around Africa in a wheelchair.
Anon
Learning how to fly a plane. Reason I haven’t done it yet, mostly time, but a little bit money. I have a lot of hobbies already!
Anonymous
I too would love to do this, but I already have one expensive, potentially dangerous hobby (horses), I probably don’t need another.
Anon
Horses are also one of my expensive hobbies! Lol ~ Anon @ 5:22
Anecdata
Peace corps has often floated around the back of my mind. I worked in international development for several years right after school (and that was great experience, I don’t /actually/ wish I had taken a different options); and I’ve heard all about the negatives of the program (tons of ID colleagues have peace corps backgrounds); but somehow it’s always still appealed. Reached the point in my life where I need to have a 401k and it just doesn’t make sense… but there’s a part of me that still hopes it might some day.. an early retirement option, if I’m lucky enough to be in good health at that age
same on the marriage (and kids for me). not giving up on that one, it’s just… harder than I expected
Anon
I wish there was a senior citizens Peace Corps! I’d love to do something like that if I’m in good health in my 60s.
Anonymous
There is! It’s . . . regular Peace Corps. You have to medically qualify, and they won’t send you to certain countries, but there are totally retirees who do Peace Corps. My friend who did Peace Corps in Morocco had several retirees in her class. (I was in Togo and we didn’t have any due to limits on medical care in-country.)
Anon
Peace Corps doesn’t have an age limit and there are dozens of other opportunities that are similar for retired folks. I can think of 5 right off the top of my head and I’m sure if I was interested research would give me more.
Anecdata
in addition to the regular peace corp program (open to any age as long as you pass medical clearance; and they can often place married couples together); there’s a 12 month professionals version for folks with 10+ years experience in specific fields (like health care)
Vicky Austin
Can we do a refresher thread of shelf stable office snack ideas? I am trying to rein in my “wander down to the kitchen” habit while WFH, but also breastfeeding and CONSTANTLY hungry, so just not eating isn’t the answer for me.
Anonymous
I like the tuna snacks in little boxes but that is more like a stand-in lunch for me esp. due to the price
I always have oatmeal and nuts
I love the Epic protein bars but they are also $$
Anon
Peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit.
Anon
Instant oatmeal with peanut butter
Triscuits (gotta be name brand)
eertmeert
Microwavable mac n cheese cups (just add water, i use the Annie’s gluten free kind)
NuGo (chocolate & pretzel is my fav), Cliff/cliff kids/Luna bars
Fruit snacks
Cheese & pb crackers (if I could eat gluten again I would mainline these)
nuts, dried apricots, trail mix
single serve applesauce
Anon
I remember how hungry I was during breastfeeding, so I’m on team feed the hunger. Don’t kick yourself for ending up in the kitchen looking for a snack. If you’re hungry, you’re hungry. But make sure it’s not just thirsty. I often mistake one for the other. You do lose so much liquid breastfeeding.
Anan
I like nuts (Korean BBQ almonds from Costco are my new love), peanut butter pretzels, brown rice crackers or rice cakes (especially with seaweed flavor). Fig newtons. Beef jerky or sticks. (Basically I go to Costco and grab whatever from the single serving snack aisle that looks appealing). Fruit isn’t indefinitely shelf stable, but will keep for at least a few days so I always try to have some on hand.
Runcible Spoon
Kind bars. Lots of variety to choose from, and they don’t contain grains — just nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter, and all types of sweeteners, but never a high proportion. Yum!
Anonymous
Put an apple in front of you at your desk
I also will have protein bars or crackers near my desk.
Anonymous
Has anyone done a day trip to Reims from a Paris? Worth it? I was also considering Strasbourg but I’ll be there a few days after the Christmas markets close and worry it will feel a bit flat.
Anon
Day trips in Europe are always worth it. Just go!
Anon for this
Yes, it was amazing. We took the TGV and did a small-producer half-day of Champagne tasting with cris-event (one of the tour operators rec’d by Rick Steves), which was a highlight of the trip. 4 couples, one guide, very well done — the perfect balance of touring and explanation vs. just enjoying different flavors. We toured Veuve after lunch and it was such a fun contrast from the morning experience. Also went to the cathedral and walked around town a bit before catching the TGV back.
JLW
Yes, it’s a pretty easy day trip, we did it in Fall 2019; took TGV from Paris, it takes less than an hour, and there’s public transport/bus/tram once you get to Reims. We chose one big champagne house and pre-booked a cellar tour and tasting through their website; we also found a smaller house that did a walk-in tasting (but I don’t think most places do walkins); we also had time to visit Cathedral de Notre Dame de Reims, walk around, shop, grab a bite, before taking the train back to Paris, late afternoon/early evening.
Anonymous
YES +1 do it.
Make advance reservations now for the House you want to tour, some of them are closed/renovating. I did Veuve with my in-laws and did the Madame Clicquot focused talk and it was an excellent day. A very walkable town.
Sasha
Yes–it’s super easy! Take the TGV from Gare du Nord to Gare de Reims–it runs about 100e round trip, iirc. Most champagne tours will pick you up at the Reims train station and drop you there after. The Notre Dame de Reims Cathedral is incredible and well worth a stop by–I think it’s even more impressive than Notre Dame de Paris.
One tip–Reims is pretty sleepy outside of harvest season, so food options will be limited, particularly in the morning when you’ll arrive from Paris. Bring snacks for the train and temper your expectations for dinner.
Anonymous
No advice except to say that my husband and I TRIED to make that very trip in 2008 and somehow completely screwed it up – misread the train schedule or something. We were not happy.
Anon
Yes! We did it last month Reims is so beautiful If I had to do it over again, I would definitely spend the night in Reims Not only is it beautiful (Notre Dame Reims!), it was such a nice change from crowded Paris.
Anonymous
another rando question for today: who is your celebrity boyfriend or girlfriend? mine is ari melber, for no real reason.
Anon
Daniel Ricciardo. It doesn’t help that my husband is also Australian and thinks that I like Danny Ric more than him :P
Anon
Val Kilmer, don’t ask because I don’t understand either.
ANON
Chris Evans, even though he seems like a human golden retriever and that is not my energy…he just seems so normal.
Anon
Open rumor in LA that he has a dungeon in his house and is very into a certain type of gardening. I always thought he seemed very normal too!
Sunflower
Jeff Bridges
Anon
That’s just your opinion, man.
anon
hehe
Anon
Harry Styles!
Anon
I assume you’ve read The Idea of You but if not, read it!
Anonymous
I am confused by this concept. This is clearly different from celebrity crush since you can’t explain the choice. What does this mean to you?
Anonymous
Also confused…I’ve only ever heard the term used in the context of a parasocial relationship.
Anonymous
Celebrity crush is more about lust
Celebrity boyfriend (to me at least) is that weird feeling that in another universe you and he would be great together in a cozy couple way.
Kind of the “marry” in fck /marry / kill.
Anon
Kai Ryssdal
when he says “let’s do the numbers,” he is talking to me, and you can’t convince me otherwise.
Anon
I can dig it.
anon
When I learned he used to be a Navy pilot, my crush went off the charts.
Anonymous
Just came here to say the same. Like, I have no idea what the man actually looks like, but same.
Anon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqnHEs880Os&ab_channel=MarketplaceAPM
Seventh Sister
Pedro Pascal if I have to pick a boyfriend, Rosamund Pike if I’m picking a girlfriend. I think I’d be a really excellent trophy spouse, I’ve read several decades of Vogue puff pieces about renovating old mansions so I’m fully qualified to talk about restoring something in the Cotswolds or in Hancock Park.
Anon
Idris Elba
Anon
Joseph Gordon Levitt
Runcible Spoon
George Clooney and Idris Elba are my future husbands. They just don’t know it yet.