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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 272 Comments · by

Thursday’s TPS Report: Coral Dress

The Personal Shopper (TPS)· Under $150

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. T Tahari Coral DressBoth Amazon and Bloomingdale's have this pretty and colorful sheath dress marked down to $72. I like the wide V, and the unusual blend of colors — I might try it with a navy blazer or sweater, and perhaps a long necklace. The dress was $148, but is now marked to $72 (and I think you can take an additional 25% off with code 25CLTH12 at checkout); it is eligible for Prime shipping. T Tahari Coral Dress Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-2)

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Comments

  1. KC

    This is really pretty! I like the color combination – it’s not one I’ve seen often.

  2. MU JD Says Thanks

    I don’t post often, but I read thissite everyday. I wanted to thank you for the recommendation of fleece lined tights. Living in the frozen tundra, my legs were often cold in the winter, even with tights and boots. I finally purchase a couple pairs of fleece lined tights and they are LIFE CHANGING (intentional Ellen caps). I’m convinced my legs are warmer in these than they are in pants. Thanks hive!

    • Alice

      Does anyone have a brand or type of fleece lined tights they recommend? I may have to follow the recommendations as well….

        • Amelia Bedelia

          just bought some and — not to be too dramatic — they’ve changed my life! I no longer am reluctant to wear skirts in winter.

        • First Year Anon

          The Plush brand is pricey- is it worth it? i read a review that some brands fall down over time (which I would hate). I will fork over the money if these are worth it.

          • Lady Tetra

            I bought Legalle at Nordstrom Rack and they do fall down. I’m 5’9″ though, they might work on shorter people.

          • Interrobanged

            I think they’re worth it. I’m from Wisconsin and wear skirts almost every day. They’re great when the weather falls into the teens and single digits. Admittedly, I haven’t tried any other brands because I’ve been so happy with this brand.

          • Lady Harriet

            I wish I’d discovered these while I still lived in Wisconsin. They might’ve saved me from many miserable months of leggings worn under pants when I’m really much more of a skirt girl. I’m invited to a wedding in North Dakota in January (!), so maybe I’ll buy a pair for that. :)

          • Anon

            Hope so. Just ordered. First time I have read a recommendation and immediately left the site to order something. Let’s just say it’s cold where I am and only getting colder. Brrrr.

          • Parfait

            I haven’t had any trouble with my Legale tights falling down, and I’m 5’10”. I am fat though, so maybe my hips hold ’em up.

    • Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler

      I’ve got some just in time for the lovely -10 degree weather were having here in Colorado.

      • Cb

        These are key. We’ve had gale force winds and a snow shower here today and I would trade my ‘don’t know what to wear’ jeans for a skirt and fleece lined tights in a hot minute.

      • NOLA

        Gah! You ladies are making me wish even more for some cooler weather (coming on Saturday but not soon enough to save a Christmas party on Friday night). It’s so hot and humid! Yucky. And I can’t figure out what to wear. Why do I live in the south when I love sweaters and boots?

        • Houston Attny

          NOLA, I feel you! We were 82 degrees yesterday but will be 40 tonight. It’s hard to rotate sweaters (short-sleeve stuff put up, pull out the scarves & gloves) when you need short-sleeve one day and your coat the next. :)

          • NOLA

            Yeah, luckily some of my dresses are 3/4 sleeve and I can wear them without tights (what I’m wearing today). Or even a sleeveless dress with a cardigan. I put away most of my summer dresses but I have a couple that I can wear now (because of color) and they won’t look out of place. I had to turn the AC back on in my house this morning. It was so humid in the house and I need to bake tonight for a party. Makes me feel Grinchy.

          • oil in houston

            yep, I had to turn on the a/c last night as we were so hot, and tonight we’ll have to turn the heating on! weird weather this year…

    • Anon

      I just purchased a pair myself based on the recs here! I bought mine at Duane Reade for $10. Not perfect with pumps, but very comfy and warm.

      • KC

        Walgreens has them as well. Agree with everyone else that they’re amazing in the winter.

    • CKB

      I agree that they are warmer than pants. We are having very, very frigid temps here this week. One day I wore my fleece lined tights, the next day I wore pants. I was definitely warmer with the tights than I was with the pants, no question. Also, 2 layers of regular tights are super warm as well. Comparable to fleece lined.

    • anonfish

      Do they add bulk to your legs? They sound wonderful, but I am concerned about that..

  3. anon

    Early plea for help – I have a huge (black tie) event tonight and of course woke up with a serious cyst-like spot forming near the bridge of my nose. A huge zit in the making. I cannot remember the last time I had something like this and therefore need an emergency plan! I took some advil hoping that would calm the inflammation and put on some topical acne medication. The skin is very red and the area very swollen so I’m nervous it will be obvious even if the redness is well-covered. What can I do to calm this down by 7:30pm?! This is gross – sorry – but I’m also nervous about doing anything that might bring the spot to a head, as right now it’s definitely under the surface which I think is better than something grosser exploding on my face. Am a little limited by being v busy in the office all day and having a court appearance later on (of course). Any tips?! Thanks so much!

    • HappyHoya

      Put ice on it! As much and as often as you can tolerate. It’s only a very temporary fix, but it will help bring down the swelling and redness a bit.

    • Anonymous

      Call every dermatologist in the area and see if you can get an appointment asap. As in the next hour. Tell them it’s an emergency and you need a shot of cortisone and say you have a big event tonight. You could even lie and say it’s your wedding. The cortisone is the only thing that will take down the swelling in a cyst-like pimple. If you CANT do that then I would just ice it and use a ton of concealer. Do you have full-coverage foundation and concealer? If not, run out to sephora or ulta and explain your dilemma. I’m sorry, this is really sucky :(

    • PolyD

      Ice and cortisone cream. I successfully kept a subterranean zit from surfacing using this approach. The ice and cortisone should cut down on the redness and swelling.

      Although if you can get in to see a dermatologist, that’s probably your best bet.

      • Frugal doc..

        This.

        A little steroid/cortisone cream for these type of emergencies. NEVER use steroid cream regularly or widely over your face, as it breaks down your skin over time. But it is perfect for situations like this.

    • TO Lawyer

      If you can’t make it to a dermatologist, Sephora has a few blemish-fighting tools that I find work really well on pimples. I like the benefit one which called boo boo zap i think but Ole Henriksen also has one as does the Sephora skincare line. You put the liquid directly on your zit and it usually works to take down the swelling/redness

    • anon

      Thank you all SO much – will call around and see if I can get into a derm over lunch, if not, ice and cortisone is the way I’m going. Will also see if I can get a real full-coverage concealer at sephora too. Feel like a drama queen but this is so annoying!

      • Anonymous

        Don’t feel like a drama-queen I’d be freaking out too. I tend to get huge cyst-like zits when I’m stressed….so right before a big event. I’m terrified I’ll get one the day of my wedding.

    • Maddie Ross

      A drop of original visine as it gets closer to game time tonight will help reduce the redness, too.

    • Holly

      You can dab nail polish remove on it (I read this in self or something). It definitely shrinks it down, but does dry out the skin around it, but it should look fine for tonight before the dryness is visible.

  4. Smoothie Queen

    TJ: Is it a good idea to prepare healthy smoothies (includes things like fresh spinach/kale/cucumbers/berries/apples/bananas/nuts/flax seed powder/almond milk) over the weekend, portion them in different plastic bottles and freeze them to be used during the week? I’m thinking of grabbing one bottle in the morning before heading out and drink it once it’s semi-thawed.

    Would the smoothie lose nutrients in this process? I’ve been trying to do this everyday but somedays there just isnt enough time in the morning and after skipping it a couple of days, i tend to stop it all together but would like to be consistent with this. Help!

    • HappyHoya

      Even if the smoothie would lose some nutrition in freezing and thawing, if making it convenient means you will do it more consistently, it’s probably still a good thing to do. In my understanding (not a scientist or a nutritionist), freezing does a much better job preserving nutrients than normal storage methods where heat and exposure to oxygen are more of a concern.

      • roses

        +1. Freezing does very little harm to the nutrients – you’re better off drinking frozen smoothies made with fresh produce than buying produce on Sunday and using it to make a fresh smoothie on Friday.

    • anne-on

      I make smoothies for my son and freeze them in ice cube trays and it seems to work just fine taste and consistency wise. If I take them out of the freezer before I go to bed they’re usually 75% thawed in the morning.

    • Bonnie

      It’s certainly worth a try. They make a while to thaw so you may want to take them out of the freezer and keep in the fridge overnight.

    • saltylady

      I don’t think it would lose nutrients, but it might not be as good. I make a spinach-pineapple-banana smoothie with almond milk every day for breakfast, and if I don’t drink it pretty quickly, it separates and tastes off.

    • anon in tejas

      we do this. we blend every morning, but the fruit is portioned out separately. the fruit doesn’t lose nutrients, but may kinda oxidize depending on what you use.

    • IM girl

      Don’t freeze it in bottles, freeze it in sandwich or quart size ziplock bags, laid flat in the freezer. Then when you get up, take it out and set it on the counter. It will soften enough to put in a glass/bottle by the time you leave for work. Takes forever to thaw if it’s frozen in the bottle.
      We do this all the time – whenever we have fruit/veggies on their last day, they go in the Vitamix and if we’ve already had our smoothie, we just freeze it for a day we don’t have time or supplies on hand!

    • greensmoothiemadness

      I know it’s late but my strategy is to prep everything the night before – peel 1-2 oranges, chop 1/4-1/2 pineapple and some celery, add some kale and add any other supplements but don’t blend anything. Put in the fridge with the lid on. The next morning I may add one or two things but its ready to blend and is still fresh.

  5. Hair too young?

    Hi! I had my hair bobbed (longish, grazing my shoulders) without layers and really liked it. My hair is very soft and wavy so it worked well.
    I wondered whether it looked a bit too young (I’m 34) and even more significantly, unstructured in a sort of cutesy naïve way. Therefore, next time I had some layers put in. It’s definitely more sophisticated but I can’t help preferring it the way it was.
    Would you have thought a bob with no layers, shoulder length, unprofessional. I don’t need a b a d a s s vibe but do need to look competent!
    Thoughts anyone?

    • MJ

      I personally think bobs fall into the “classic haircut canon”. They look good on most people as long as their hair is not too fine, or, in my case curly (hello triangle head!). I wouldn’t think twice about someone else’s bob as long as it looked sleek/brushed. It’s just a very normal, safe haircut….

    • DC Wonkette

      I call it the “rich lady haircut” — perfectly coiffed with the ends curling under at the shoulders :-)

    • anne-on

      I have this cut and what makes a huge difference for me is a good hairstylist who knows the difference between a blunt bob (which I do think looks a bit young) and a bob with very short layers cut right above the ends (think like 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch above the ends) to give it some additional fullness and movement. I never would have thought to ask a stylist for it, but my amazing stylist did it when she cut off a bunch of hair post-baby and it makes all the difference in the world to the movement of my hair and how it lays.

      • Rosalita

        This +1000. It’s all about the stylist. A “bob” from SuperCuts is heads and shoulders (ha) below a “bob” from a fancy salon.

        But honestly, most adult professional women I see in my life have hair that is sort of bobish – larger waves, between chin-length and a few inches below shoulder. If you can get that with a blow dryer and round brush, great. If you need some curler/curling iron help, fine.

    • Hair too young?

      Thank you ladies!

      I looked better with the blunt bob which works very well with my hair and face shape.
      Definitely didn’t look like I was bristling with zeal and efficiency though. Perhaps I will go back to the former (blunt bob) but go shorter and wear an updo now and again.
      Never achieved the sleek coiffed chic since I have soft waves. :)
      Thank you for the tip about the layers. Mine are way too long.
      I now know what my next haircut will be!
      Perhaps I was overthinking this but you ladies are the best. There’s very little this online community can’t give a brilliant solution to. Wish we could attend to the worlds major problems here!

  6. Baconpancakes

    Thursday-Why-Isn’t-It-Friday-Yet TJ:

    Ladies, I am so. bored. at work. Why isn’t it the weekend yet? Does anyone have amazing weekend plans they’re looking forward to? Alternately, any suggestions for keeping focused at a job that requires constant attention to the same repetitive task that I don’t really care about all day?

    • Cb

      Ugh, I concur. I have a big project that needs doing but just can’t make myself work today. Maybe Pomodoros with fun rewards in between?

      We’re on toddler-duty this weekend! The cousins are coming for a visit with their two kids, 2 and 4 and we’re watching them while they have a night out. Their parents are awesome and so are the two kids so I’m really looking forward to it.

        • Cb

          Definitely, they’re just fun kids. They are our flower girl (4) and pageboy (2). I think we’re going to go Christmas tree shopping. Hoping toddler excitement can help ease the pain of trees at £7 / a foot.

      • Miss Behaved

        I’m also bored at work this week and babysitting this weekend. My 3 nieces are 10, 9 and 7. We’ll be at my parents’ house. My apartment is too small. We’re going to decorate my parents’ tree, make peppermint bark and potstickers for the holidays, as well as barbecued chicken potpie for dinner. And we’re going to watch Masterchef Junior, which we got into over Thanksgiving.

        The girls are awesome and so fun. They could be the muses for the Goldieblox commercial.

    • Anonymous

      I’m going to look at wedding venues this weekend :) Places book up SO fast so I need to set a date quickly. My fiance gave me the go-ahead (he has a charity event to attend) to just pick a place. We’re pretty set on this one place so I just need to go there and hammer out the details.

    • CKB

      I am also SO ready for this week to be over! Month end was painful this month (and isn’t quite over yet).

      We are putting our Christmas tree up tomorrow night (YAY! One of my favourite Christmas traditions, and we’ve just been too busy to put it up any other night this week) and Saturday, between wrestling tournament visits to watch my older 2 ds wrestle, I plan on starting my Christmas goodie making with youngest ds. Sugar cookie dough (will freeze and bake closer to Christmas), whipped shortbread cookies (yum!) and caramels are on the list.

    • Woods-comma-Elle

      Yes, why isn’t it Friday?

      Christmas shopping for me on Saturday and football match on Sunday, but also potentially a lunch with my Friends With Kids, which I’m not so enthused about. I’ve had a really hard few weeks at work and really want to just be left alone (grumps). Work has been crazy so not that it’s quieter I’ve lost all motivation and everything is soooooooo slooooow today because I have something to do that I don’t want to do and I’ve basically spent all day doing it and obviously can’t bill for everything.

    • Interrobanged

      Yes! Well, the plans are for next weekend, but there’s additional planning involved. I’m throwing my annual holiday party (~35-40 guests) and so this weekend we’re doing all the cleaning and SOME prep work. I just finished the menu, so exciting!

    • Nonny

      My mom is visiting this weekend and my SO and I are having engagement/maternity photos taken! We are very bad at taking pictures of ourselves and have never had “proper” photos taken together, so I am really excited!

      Hopefully I’ll get a little Christmas baking done too. Strangely, after weeks of being completely exhausted, my energy seems to have come back. Not sure whether that means I’ll be going into labour soon but hey, I’ll take it. Tons to do.

      • Sydney Bristow

        The photoshoot sounds like fun! Have you picked what you’re going to wear?

        • Nonny

          We are doing the shoot outside – combination of forest and ocean view shots. Unfortunately my maternity wear colour palette is somewhat limited but I’m thinking of keeping to “natural” shades – black, forest green, burgundy/wine. I have a camel-coloured short cloak that I’ll probably wear for some of the shots – my SO’s wool coat is black.

      • preg 3L

        Hearing that your energy has come back is so reassuring! I was just thinking there is no way I’m going to make it through the rest of the third tri feeling sooooooooo exhausted all the time! I’m completely wiped out all the time. How many weeks are you?

        • Nonny

          35 weeks, 3 days. I’ve been totally wiped out for weeks – would go home after work, sit down on the couch after dinner, and fall asleep within about 10 minutes. But the last few days I’ve just felt great! Got a ton of Christmas presents wrapped last night and plan to do more tonight after my prenatal class. I hope this lasts – it really sucked for a while there. But I’m equally concerned that this might be the “nesting” phase and mean that I’m getting ready for labour…

          • preg 3L

            Oh that’s great to hear!!! I have heard rumors that the last few weeks are “energized” so I’m glad to hear you’re experiencing it and enjoying it!

    • Susedna

      Going to see my favorite pianist ever, Helene Grimaud, play one of my favorite pieces (Brahms Piano Concerto No.1) in a concert tomorrow evening. Am counting down the hours…

      Am brainstorming what I want to wear for the concert. I’d like to fight against the creeping tide of casual-attire-everywhere and wear something dressy plus some bling-y jewelry. :-)

        • KLG

          Agree. I’m all about fighting the tide of casualness at things like piano concerts.

      • zora

        omg, go for it!!! I always dress up for music/theatre events, that’s what makes it FUN! Bring on the bling. And have a great time, I am super jellus!!

    • Calibrachoa

      it is friday for me since I have tomorrow off ;) I’m not back until Wednesday. It’s my birthday weekend, and I’ll be assisting at the launch of the latest alternative night in town and maybe going to a gig, definitely going for drinks and otherwise just hiding in bed.

      Frantically hoping certain parcels show up tomorrow… I got a lovely black lace coverup I neeeeeeeeeed by saturday! :P

      • Kathryn

        I’m late :)

        I am also extremely bored today, but tomorrow my chorus is performing our annual holiday concert that I am so looking forward to. It’s a chorus for young women in my city and has been SUCH a great think to add to my workweek!

  7. Equity's Darling

    Can I just rant about how cold it is here this week? Our daytime temperatures are hovering around -20C, -30C with the wind (and there is a lot of wind downtown. my face hurts).

    And it’s dark all the time. The sun goes up at like 8:30, and goes down at 4:30. I always forget what winter is like until it gets here.

    I do not understand why people decided to settle here, or how they made it without modern heating conveniences. I’m assuming that I would have died if I had moved out here 120 years ago as a homsteader.

    • CKB

      I totally agree with you! I can manage winter with modern outerwear, good house insulation, and central heating, but my ancestors helped settle southern Alberta and I have NO idea how they survived. They must have been made of stronger stuff than I am!

      • Rosalita

        My ancestors settled south Alberta, too! They were homesteaders in Lethbridge, originally from Missouri.

        • Susedna

          You both have awesome ancestors. Ever since I heard this radio program, very old, from the CBC archives, by Glenn Gould, “The Idea of North,” I have daydreamed about living someplace cold, wintery, remote, and tough. But I emphasize — it’s a daydream! My ancestors came from the tropics and I have zero cold resistance.

          • Yugo18

            Oooo – I am looking up that radio program. I find it really appealing, too. :)

    • MT Atty

      Yes. This is miserable. This morning it was -25F at 7:00 am, with a windchill of -41F.

      • Equity's Darling

        So, moving south to MT wouldn’t be far enough is what you’re saying? But Whitefish is so lovely! ;)

        • Mpls

          I moved south and east ( Northeastern MT to MN) and that actually helped. I credit the forest of trees in northern MN for breaking that wind coming in from the Artic Circle. It still gets below 0F occasionally, but mostly at night – and rarely gets -20/30F windchills.

      • Gail the Goldfish

        … my poor Southern brain can’t even comprehend a temperature that low. NYC winters are about all I can handle, and even that has been rough.

    • Nonny

      Ouch. Haven’t lived in that kind of weather since I was about 11 years old, and I am grateful. I’m not sure I could do it at this point in my life! It’s bad enough dealing with the short days…-20C would just be brutal.

    • Mpls

      At least the sun is out? That’s about my only consolation when the weather gets that cold – it can’t possibly be cloudy, b/c the cloud cover would hold the heat in. So if it’s cold, at least the sun is out bright. And since it’s been snowing/cloudy the past couple of days, its a nice change in that regards. And I can enjoy my Christmas lights more since it’s dark at 5 instead of 8 :)

      But that is only really a consolation if you’ve got south facing windows you can bask in during those hours from 10 to 2. And the novelty of the Christmas lights tends to wear off by the end of January.

    • zora

      Wow, I don’t even know how you all do it up there!! You would all be laughing at Northern Californians right now. It’s like 52*F outside here right now, and Low of 39* today, and everyone is nonstop complaining about being cold, we all have our space heaters going in the office, and i have been wearing my wool longjohns all week. Does making fun of us make you feel any better? :o)

      • Lady Harriet

        I live in SW Florida. When it gets below 70 or 75 people start putting on jackets. If it gets to 40 there’s practically a state of emergency. :) I moved here from Wisconsin, where there was a policy that the public schools wouldn’t be canceled for cold unless the windchill was -40F and stayed that way all day. I vividly remember going to school in a -35F windchill in 8th grade and being very angry about it. I could barely handle that, so there’s no way I could live in a place that’s even colder!

    • windchill

      Inidigenous peoples “settled” and thrived in all those cold places for thousands of years before white people ever did.

      • Equity's Darling

        I’m pretty sure I would not have made it through a winter here as a First Nations woman several hundred years ago either? I’m just saying that I’m bad at winter and I blame my partially-tropical genes. I apologize if I caused offence.

      • Hel-lo

        Absolutely! And some of the technology they had was pretty incredible. I’m in awe of everyone that lived in cold areas before modern times.

      • wind chill

        I was responding more to the other commenters whose ancestors “settled” Alberta ~100 years ago. Indigenous peoples – probably many different groups at different times – “settled” Alberta way before that. Why aren’t we talking more about how awesome they were/are? I myself am not a descendant of any native North American population, but I find it annoying and offensive that people consistently and predictably overlook the fact that this continent was full of people doing their thing prior to the European invasion. We can’t turn back time but we can at least acknowledge historical fact.

        • Anon

          Probably because she was making a direct reference to her own ancestors, and how even though they are the same bloodline, obviously those women were way tougher than she feels she is.

          It’s actually ok for people to talk about their own family history without taking time to “acknowledge” every one else who ever did anything related to what their family did.

        • Anonymous

          Yeah… OK. She never said that or alluded to it so calm down. Are you OK? Sounds like something else going on there.

          “Their thing” also incudes starving and freezing from what the locals up have told me directly, as in not read in a third-hand account.

          IMHO (north of 60 resident here) it’s the folks who are not “a descendant of any native North American population” who start this dialogue. We need peace and understanding, not hostility to move forward. Tis the season, try peace.

  8. k-padi

    I have a question for the women who weight lift without a trainer or coach:

    How do you program your workouts? Do you use an online workout or virtual trainer?

    I am getting fed up with spending gobs of money on coaches, classes, and trainers and rushing to make class times. I am doing the Koko fitness thing (think Curves for men and women) but I don’t like the exercises (reverse bicep curls?), the weights assigned (15lb press? C’mon…), or the machine that thinks it can judge me or my form based on limited data.

    I want to go back to free weights and try my own thing. But even after years of lifting, I don’t feel like I can program for myself. I don’t want to shell out tons of money for a trainer but I would pay $30 per month for a program.

    What do you ladies do? Thanks!

    • ac

      Could you engage a trainer with the direction that the focus is to create a program for you to do on your own? I worked with a trainer who provided a DIY workout — complete with pictures of me doing the various exercises & instructions — after 5-10 workouts. Most trainers will need to work with you at least a few sessions to put together a program, but I think if you explained what you were looking for up-front, it may work well.

      • NOLA

        I agree. I don’t do free weights, but I see so many people with the trainer who just let the trainer lead them around and don’t write anything down. I think that’s odd. If I went to a trainer, it would be to try new things or get direction I couldn’t do on my own, but only for a brief period and I’d be happy to continue/progress on my own.

        k-padi, I know this wouldn’t work for everyone, but at my gym (admittedly, the school’s gym), there are people who would help me if I were trying to get started on my own.

    • Diana Barry

      Back in the day I used an online trainer. If your form is good then they are a good deal. I wouldn’t use them for nutrition though.

      Maybe try stumptuous or new rules of lifting first? They may have sample programs.

    • Statutesq

      The Body Sculpting Bible for Women has a ton of great plans depending what you are looking for–everything from beginner to super sets. I’d get that book and work off a plan to start. I use the book and just type the day’s plan into my Iphone that I also use to listen to music while I lift. That way I still have the day’s plan handy, but I’m not lugging around a book.

    • Equity's Darling

      I have a trainer, but I was using the New Rules of Lifting for Women and it is amazing- there’s a program, and if you do it properly (i.e. lift heavy), you notice a difference. It’s relatively time-efficient, I would highly recommend. But the real book, not the e-book, as you do sort of need to flip back and forth between exercises. It focuses a lot on functional strength and movements, so it’s practical. I’d give it a 10/10, and my trainer actually looked over the book and said that it’s pretty good.

      • Mpls

        I was going to chime in on this one too. And say everything Equity already said.

        Has workouts planned out (and a log to track available with a link online, I think. I just made one in Excel), and buy the actual book, not the ebook.

    • k-padi

      Thank you! I saw the “New Rules” book in my search. I will put it on my Christmas list.

      My last engagement with a trainer was supposed to be a 5-10 session intro and 1-2 sessions per month as refreshers. Yet somehow, the program never got made and she seemed to to be programming on the fly during my sessions. Frustrating.

      I still have 1.5 months of my 3-month initial Koko membership so I’ll use that up first.

      • First Year Anon

        I think, long term, it is a good idea to learn how to train yourself. Now, take this FWIW because I’ve played sports my whole life and I’m athletic, but this is how I do it.

        I had a trainer show me some new exercises that were less just “lift this weight”, and we more dynamic. I wanted that because it mimics more day to day functions/athletic movements and gives you a cardio boost too. If you know a bit about anatomy and are willing to experiment, you can pretty much figure out what you want to do for your goals. It was a nice jumping off point to have him show me some new exercises- especially for core work.

        Unless you’re doing specific training for a race, or a sport, I don’t think you necessary need to have a rigid program. What I like about going to the gym is that, I am flexible about it. If I feel like a solid lifting session, I do that. I recently decided I wanted more toned arms, so I make sure I hit the major muscle groups of my arms and back a couple of times a week, and I definitely can see the definition now. If I feel like really sweating it out, I spin. If I want to get some power in my legs but not lift, I do running intervals. I think it’s so helpful to know your body and learn what works for you.

        I hope that was helpful- I think this approach, if you’re dedicated to it, and don’t like rigidity, can make working out less of a task and more of a lifestyle. Good luck!

    • Ginjury

      This may sound weird, but I really like Lee Labrada’s workout plan on bodybuilding dot com. He uses three splits + cardio and makes sure every body part gets attention. I don’t follow the diet, but the workouts are really clear and easy to do.

      • bankratty

        +1 to bodybuilding dot com. I felt like a nerd posing as a jock at first but many of the workout plans on the site are great. And it’s all free!

    • Yugo18

      I prefer to do body-weight exercises. They work really, really well (for me, at least). So, I do things like push-ups, triceps dips, planks, burpees, squats, lunges, and all kinds of core and leg/hip work (think Pilates).

      I decided some time ago I din’t really want a gym membership. I run only outside now (no treadmill in almost a year, yay) and do the above as I please. I am happy with it.

      • CountC

        +1 This is what I do, with the addition of some free weights to squats, etc., and I also do varous arm curls. This is the type of workout, in a boot camp style, that has shown the best results for me.

    • HSAL

      I’m not sure if would meet all your needs, but the Daily Burn website has different exercise programs it will tailor to your needs, including weights I think. It’s $10/month and much more useful if you have an XBox/Roku/something to stream it on your tv.

    • Anon

      I am not sure if you work out at home, but if you do, consider checking out the fitness DVDs by a woman named Cathe Friedrich. I recently moved pretty far away from my old gym, and got some sets of free weights and a bunch of her DVDs and am really enjoying them and seeing results. She has quite a few DVDs, with a mix of cardio and strength, and you can watch a decent length snippet of each on her website or YouTube channel.

    • Anon

      I’ve heard there are some good apps now that will program a workout for you. I know Nike makes one, but I haven’t tried it so I don’t know if it is focused on lifting or what.

    • Emmabean

      What about Tina Reale’s best body bootcamp? She’s got this kind of virtual bootcamp thing going on, and she’s a blogger as well. She sends you about 8 weeks of workouts (3 workouts/week) for $35 or so. It’s very well run, and completely thorough – links to videos of each exercise, etc. You can keep the workouts and continue using them after the two months of bootcamp are up. I did it once, and loved the exercises. I didn’t continue using it because I got back into running and out of the gym, but I’d definitely do it again.

      • Kat G

        I think readers have rec’d Nerd Fitness before — website with lots of different weight lifting plans (and I think they’re even rolling out a plan/program just for women).

        • Sydney Bristow

          I recommend it and have been doing the women’s Academy (which was kind of a beta group) for about 8 weeks. The site is letting new people join the Academy in January, I think. The workouts portion of it is split into categories with 6-week programs laid out with multiple levels for Bodyweight, barbell, and dumbbell exercises. I’m doing Bodyweight and haven’t tried the others. Every 2 weeks the plan changes something a little and steps it up a bit. I’ve really enjoyed it and its the only workout program I’ve stuck with since team sports in high school.

    • health care anon

      Hi! I actually do this A LOT. I’m on instagram, and found a trainer that I liked and was certified with a national program, and paid her to create a custom work out and meal plan for me. It has worked well (although my mid section just won’t lean out!). I also subscribe to Oxygen (that just came back on!), fitness and women’s health and will utilize workouts from there. I stay away from Shape lately, to fluffy. At home I have a step, 15 & 30lbs kettlebells, free weights, lots of bands, TRX straps (LOVE). I also do a full body TRX class once a week, and I recently got a prescription from my primary care for pilates reformer in order to strengthen around my knee for running. I’ll probably start that at the beginning of the year once a week (since I can put it on my flex card). You can find great plans all over the web.

  9. Diana Barry

    Holiday party question:

    So I have an outfit for my work party this weekend and wondering what legwear and shoes to wear.

    Outfit is black pencil skirt from asos, black sequin/purple underlay tank top from laundry, black sequin trim sweater if it is cold.

    Legwear – nude hose, black hose, or some sort of ‘festive’ – shimmer etc. – hose?

    Shoes – I have naturalizer sequin black pumps. OK? Or too much sequin/shine for one outfit?

    Also, what necklace? Should I have something black and not too big? (I have a smallish jet necklace that works well)

    • Equity's Darling

      Because you have sequins, I would vote against festive hose…I’d probably do sheer black. I’d be on board with sequin black pumps given how the rest of the outfit sounds.

      I think the necklace depends a lot on how the neckline of the shirt and sequins, so I can’t say?

    • A Nonny Moose

      I’d go sheer black hose, and black booties if you have them. I think sequins on the shoes would be too much, especially if you wear the sequined sweater. Agree with Equity’s Darling w/r/t the necklace.

  10. hellskitchen

    I have a Prime membership but have never bought clothes from Amazon. bBut they do eem to have good deals. Have others shopped for clothes from Amazon? What was your experience? Are returns easy/free?

    • Miss Behaved

      I buy a lot of shoes via Amazon and some clothes. Returns are easy and free, but usually I don’t have to return anything.

      • Jules

        Same here – for some reason I haven’t bought many clothes from Amazon but have bought tons of shoes. I’ve returned a few; returns are free and super-easy. (You request the return online, then print out a prepaid label for UPS. I either drop it at the UPS store that’s on the way to my office or leave it with the receptionist for the UPS driver to pick up next time she’s here.)

    • Baconpancakes

      I bought a fantastic Maggy London dress from Amazon after it sold out on Nordstrom – shipping was fast and I didn’t have to return it. I’ve also bought shoes with no problems, but always after I’d tried them on in a store beforehand.

    • Bonnie

      I have bought some great items at great prices at amazon, including Trina Turk jackets and Joe’s jeans at 80% off. They offer free returns on most clothing, which makes it much less risky.

    • poppy

      I’ve bought clothes on Amazon before – lots of the same stuff as department stores. Easy and free return (for prime at least). But there is a time limit on returns. I think it is either 30 or 60 days, so be sure to heed that! But I have found Amazon to be a life-saver w/ fast approaching events (b/c free 2 day shipping). I will buy 3 or 4 dresses and return the ones I don’t want to wear to the event.

      (Can you tell I’m a procrastinator?? Lol!)

  11. Funk

    I am in a funk and just need to vent. I’m sick of the winter, sick of getting sick, my DH is driving me nuts, we haven’t had s*x in for what feels like ever, and I’m always tired. I need something to kick me in the butt and get me out of blob mode, but I have zero energy to do so. Bah humbug!

    • LilyB

      Unless you’re actually really sick right now, why not make a plan to have an awesome LGP tonight? Sometimes you won’t be in the mood til you actually get going. It might make you feel better!

    • PolyD

      Priceline a nice hotel for a friday or saturday night, drink fancy cocktails at hotel bar, commence LGP, then have hotel brunch (even better, room service!) the next morning?

      If this is too $$$, cook something you like (or better yet, pick up premade food at some place like Whole Foods, Wegmans, Harris Teeter, etc), eat at the table with candles and dim lighting, followed by LGP?

      Huh. I really need to take my own advice. Am in a bit of a rut myself!

    • Anonymous

      Exercise. I think I suffer from mild Seasonal Affective Disorder. The only two winters I can recall not being in a “funk” I was exercising regularly. Don’t underestimate the power of endorphins.

      • Elle

        Exercise gives you endorphins.
        Endorphins make you happy.
        Happy people don’t just shoot their husbands.

        They just don’t.

      • Anonymous

        Agree 100%. Its amazing how much better I feel on days when I exercise. I notice a huge difference in my demeanor and well being if I go a few days without a good sweat.

    • Anonymous

      Just have a LGP. Just do it. One of those use it or lose it sort of things. Having LGP more often will make you want to do it more often. Plus it will make you happier.

    • Rosalita

      I am feeling this way too.

      I think it is the lack of sunlight (I’m in a northern area).

      I need to take out my SAD lamp. It totally works.

  12. Vesper

    I’ve only bought shoes from Amazon, but they have some very good deals and the returns are both free and easy (as long as they’re from Amazon, not a third party vendor). You just have to log into your account, select the item to be returned, and print out the return label. They often give your money back as soon as you drop it off at UPS. The only catch is that the return period is relatively short- 30 or 45 days, I think, though it might be longer over the holidays.

    • hellskitchen

      Good to know about buying from Amazon versus another vendor. I refuse to online shop unless it is free shipping and easy (if not free) returns at minimum.

      • Vesper

        I should specify that there aren’t free returns on all Amazon items, just shoes, clothes, watches, purses, maybe a few other things? You want to make sure you see “eligible for free returns” on the product page.

  13. Katherine

    hi ladies, longtime lurker here, and sorry in advance for the total off-topic!

    I got an IUD placed about a year ago and I LOVE it–no period nasties, don’t have to fret about remembering to take the pill, etc. Problem is that BF of about a year can sometimes feel the strings during LGP. Not always…but enough that he suggested that I could take out the IUD and he could get a vasectomy. I was…not on board with this idea. I like that he wants to take an active role in birth control and am flattered that he would consider getting surgery done but I think it’s a really extreme choice! We’re pretty serious (and neither of us wants kids) but I feel very uncomfortable with the idea of him getting a vasectomy just for me or just because he doesn’t like my IUD–if he were considering getting one anyway that would be different. But thinking it over, I am considering getting rid of it and going back on the pill. I didn’t realize it was so distracting for him, and although the pill is somewhat more of a hassle, I have other daily prescriptions so remembering to take it consistently wasn’t a huge problem either.

    What do you ladies recommend? Should I get rid of the IUD because it is so annoying for him? I really like it but I don’t want it to cause problems in our s3x life. Another option would be to get the strings trimmed really short (making it so that he can’t feel them, but I understand there are potential problems with this approach as well). Or should I just say sorry but we have to work around it? Have you all had experience with this issue or found any fixes for it? I’m 26 and he’s 30, if that matters. Thanks!

    • Clementine

      Ask your doctor about trimming the strings. They’re really not necessary for the IUD to work properly and it’s not a big deal for them to trim them- def less of a big deal than surgery. Also talk to your doctor and make sure it’s placed properly, etc.- this isn’t that uncommon of an issue to have and I’m sure they will be able to advise you better than I can. :-)

    • Sydney Bristow

      That was sweet of him to offer. I wish my boyfriend was open to the idea because we absolutely don’t want kids either but the thought of surgery terrifies him.

      You said it would be different if he had already been considering getting one. Are you sure he hadn’t thought of it before? He might have thought about it before at some point if he doesnt want kids. Also, do you think you’d change your mind if you were married? Sometimes I think it might seem like a more extreme choice for a boyfriend to do than a husband, whether or not that’s fair/true.

    • Anonymous

      Be careful if you trim the strings too far they can be more pointy and prickly if they’re not above to curve back.

      Have you tried manipulating the strings so they’re tucked back around your cervix a bit more?

      • mascot

        This. My doctor likes to leave strings a bit long to encourage them to curl up more.

    • prof on a bike

      What are your concerns about the vasectomy plan? And how do you know that he wasn’t thinking of it already, independently of the IUD issue? If he’s the one who suggested it, and he’s firm on the idea of not wanting kids, it sounds like a perfectly reasonable plan to me and not at all like something he’s doing “just for you.” And honestly, I don’t think that a vasectomy is any more drastic than hormonal birth control when you’re sure that you don’t want kids and are looking for a long term solution.

      • Katherine

        He told me that he had started thinking about it as an alternative to the IUD, and he didn’t think it would be a big deal because he didn’t consider it a serious procedure. I would feel uncomfortable if he got a surgery that he only started considering because of something in our relationship, and I took out my IUD (that has a good 4 years left on it), when we really haven’t been together very long at all. In a lot of ways we’re still getting to know each other, you know?

        • prof on a bike

          I was thinking more that the IUD may have been the thing that precipitated the conversation, but may not be the only reason for it — perhaps he’s always assumed he’d get a vasectomy eventually, and thought he might as well do it now since it solves a current problem. Honestly, if I were a man, I’d get a vasectomy in a heartbeat, both for control over my own fertility and because it’s simpler than so many other birth control solutions.

          But I think that the other commenters are right that in a relatively new relationship, probably just trying a few tweaks and/or telling him to deal is the best solution. Whether or not he wants to get a vasectomy is a completely separate issue from whether you want to rely on that vasectomy for your own birth control, and I’d certainly want to keep my own birth control solution if I wasn’t in a committed relationship.

    • Anne Shirley

      Telling him to get over it? Condoms are annoying, hormonal birth control can be annoying, diaphragms can be annoying. Offering to get surgery to get you to change your prefered method of birth control doesn’t sound like a generous thoughtful adult move to ne, it sounds manipulative. What if you two break up? Then you’ll get the IUD reinserted? That’s not always a picnic either.

      I’d feel less strongly about this, but you say “I really like it!” and “I dont want it to cause problems in our sex life.”. Which sounds to me like changing it would be exclusively for his benefit. I mean, are these strings like puncture wounding his penis? Surely not.

      • Anne Shirley

        Or, at the least explaining that it works well for you, and while you’d consider removal if it really becomes a problem, you’d rather keep trying to make it work for now.

        • Katherine

          Yeah. That is basically my concern–I don’t want to have to pay and go through getting another one if we break up! also LOL @ puncture wounding his penis. No, I don’t think it’s quite that bad :) I told him that I really like it, I want to keep trying to make it work (and seeing if there is some way we can work around it, maybe tucking the strings up would work, I hadn’t thought of that. or maybe getting them trimmed) and if it is still a big problem in another year or so I’d consider going back on birth control. He agreed but I still feel bad that he is getting poked, heh.

          • Godzilla

            It’s not like his getting a vasectomy would get rid of your period. So +1,006 to adjusting your strings.

      • Anon

        The strings did draw blood on my husband! It’s not uncommon. Those strings can be rough. After enough of that, I had mine curved upward. No problems since then.

      • Bonnie

        I don’t think it’s manipulative at all when the IUD is affecting him. He’s not asking for OP to remove it to control her life and even offered to have surgery to protect OPs interests.

        • Susedna

          Agree. Anne Shirley– are you being unnecessarily suspicious about this guy’s motives?

          He’s throwing out an interesting option that’s reversible, I think he’s trying to be open-minded. It may not be the right answer, but there’s nothing wrong with his considering a vasectomy. Also, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt — and respect him when he says he knows his mind about not wanting children.

    • Rosalita

      I have heard that doctors often counsel against sterilization surgeries unless you are married and already have at least one child.

      But it sounds like you should at least consider other birth control options.

      • L

        Which is really quite honestly none of their business. And for men vasectomies are pretty easily reversible.

        The thought that people, usually women, should have to wait to make their own choices about reproduction for someone else is ridiculous and perpetuates the mindset that we’re all just baby making vessels.

        end rant.

    • Sarabeth

      Had this issue with my husband. In my case, it was actually because the strings were a bit too short, so they weren’t curling back properly. Anyway, my gyn was able to manipulate the strings into a position where he couldn’t feel them anymore. I was sheepish about asking, but it was quick and easy and I’m sorry I waited almost three years to bring it up! Also, I love my IUD and would not want it out even if I were not having LGPs – the lack of period and cramps is amazing. So in your shoes, I’d want to try to keep it.

      • zora

        exactly, +123238 to all of this. When I first had mine inserted, my OBGYN actually made a point of telling me to come back to her if the strings posed a problem during sex and she could fix them. It is really normal for the dr, I think you should at least talk to your doctor about it before you change your birth control. If you love it, it is giving you lots of benefits other than just birth control.

    • Abby Lockhart

      I am surprised that I am the first one to weigh in on your statement “I’m 26 and he’s 30 — if that matters.” I think it matters! Your 30-y.o. new boyfriend is suggesting he wants to have a potentially permanent procedure done that will prevent him from fathering children (at least without further surgery/medical assistance). In your shoes, I would want no part of that. 30 is very young for a man to make that kind of decision if he is not yet married/partnered and does not already have kids. Life changes. Attitudes and desires change. And even if he is sure, his decision needs to be driven by factors completely different from avoiding inconvenience during s&x in a new relationship. I know there are people who know they don’t want children at that age or younger, and never change their minds. I am one of them. I knew at 25 that I wouldn’t have kids and it is true more than a decade later. But I haven’t been in a serious relationship in that time. At 23, when I was in a long-term relationship, I thought I might want/have kids. And before that, I would have told you I was sure that I would never have kids, no matter what. In these circumstances, I don’t think you want your IUD to be any part of boyfriend’s decision about his long-term fertility.

  14. ezt

    I am going to be 14 weeks pregannt next week. Someone please reassure me I am going to start feeling better soon (lie if necessary). I CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMOOOOREE.

    • preg 3L

      You’ll start feeling better soon!!!! and holy h3ll, enjoy the second trimester because I feel like a whale and my back is killing me. (Oh and I’m super cranky. Yes it’s also finals.) But you will start feeling so much better soon! For me, it was gradual, like – I would suddenly feel totally fine for an hour or two at a time, then a few hours at a time, and of course every time I felt fine I would panic that the baby wasn’t fine, but don’t worry. Everybody’s fine. :)

      • Anonymous

        2nd trimester was magical. No lie, it was the best I’ve ever felt in my life. I had energy when I was supposed to and was tired when it was bedtime. My brain worked. I was hungry and craved healthy foods. Even running with an extra 20 lbs didn’t feel so bad.

        Third trimester is for the birds! I am tired and sore. My brain is foggy. And the morning sickness is back intermittently.

    • Nonny

      You are just on the cusp of feeling better now! Hold on, it’s coming! And preg 3L is right, enjoy the second trimester – it’s great. Go on a trip, go out with your partner, whatever – take advantage of it!

    • anne-on

      My HG got better (but didn’t go away) around 20 weeks. The exhaustion got so.much.better right about 16 weeks too. In fact, if it helps, I recall weeks 12-15 as being the worst of my entire pregnancy, so maybe you’re right about to come out of it!

    • Anon

      22 weeks here – it does get better! First trimester I felt queasy, tired, and generally lousy. Tons of food aversions and generally low energy. Then one day it was over! And now I feel great! I’m enjoying it while it lasts since I’m sure I’ll feel less energetic once I am huge huge huge.

      • Anon

        I’m the poster from above. I recall that I began to feel better around 15 weeks and that right around 14 weeks I was thinking the exact same thing as you.

    • anonforthis

      Ack! Don’t say that! I’m 11 weeks today and have been telling myself that 2 weeks from today I will feel human again! I already feel like I can’t take it anymore.

    • frustrated academic

      You will!!! I woke up one morning and felt like me again–enjoy the middle bit–it gets annoying again as you approach the third trimester :-)

    • Anon

      I’m also 14 weeks next week. I’m feeling a little better but not great. I am also SO DONE with keeping this a secret. (Waiting until my annual review to tell my employer.)

    • Joanna Toews

      9 weeks here and I am already SO VERY DONE with this first trimester business. My life is work, bed, work, bed, barf, bed, work, bed some more. It’s causing a bit of a strain on my marriage, in fact, not to mention my productivity at work.

      MAKE IT BE OOOVVVEEEEERRRR. GRRAAARRRR. /vent

  15. Anon

    So I know we’ve debated whether flat tall boots go with pencil skirts but what about boots that have a “cuff” at the top? Too casual? Weird?

  16. Marilla

    Question about ordering flowers long distance – for friends who moved away this year and just had a baby..

    I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews for Teleflora orders online. My instinct is to call up a local florist and talk to them directly, but I don’t know how specific I have to be. Do I have to specify exactly what I want (e.g., yellow Gerbera daisies?) or can I give them a price range and colours and leave it up to them to put together something nice?

    And on a related note, any recommendations for a florist in Buffalo/Williamsville, NY?

      • Marilla

        Just called them and they were totally nice and helpful – I gave them a price range and colour/style scheme (yellow, cheerful, sunshiney) and that worked perfectly. Fingers crossed they come through with something cute! Thanks again for the recommendation.

    • TO Lawyer

      I always order flowers long distance for my mom’s birthday – I found a florist online (i think through yelp) and just use them every year. I know nothing about flowers so I give them a price range and tell them what it’s for and they always come up with beautiful arrangements.

    • LilyB

      I think you can just give them the occasion and a price range, and any types of flowers you specifically want/don’t want, and they can go from there. They’ll know better than you which flowers are available and look good together and I think they’ll be happy to take care of the details.

    • Sydney Bristow

      I’ve had success with Proflowers online multiple times. I think most of the time they actually use overnight FedEx or something similar so they aren’t necessarily local. Sometimes local florists have websites where you can order bouquets or plants to be delivered as well.

    • Anon in NYC

      I’ve had success with local florists just giving a price range and style (“fall-ish” etc).

      • Anon

        This. I just use yelp and call the florist that are located nearest to that person that have good reviews.

    • preg 3L

      I always use 1800 flowers. I’ve ordered from them about 6x/year (Mom’s birthday, MIL’s birthday, Grandma’s birthday, Mothers day, Grandma & Grandpa’s anniversary, Mom & Dad’s anniversary) for the past 5ish years. One time I had a problem with them failing to deliver flowers (on Mother’s day) and they gave me a refund and a coupon. I always look for a discount code because I refuse to pay full price (especially when shipping costs are nearly $15 each time)! I’m usually able to find 10-20% off.

    • Tiger

      I’ve had bad luck with locals and 1800flowers, but great luck with proplants.com.

      • Marilla

        Oh, that’s an interesting business concept! I like it. I’ll keep it in mind for future orders.

      • FP

        My husband just sent me flowers from the bouqs and they are gorgeous! it’s been over a week and they are still beautiful. Great company.

    • Anonymous

      I live in Buffalo and highly recommend Mother Nature Plant Emporium (716) 881-1575.

      The owner, Bob, is really friendly and nice and will help you out with whatever you need. You can be really specific and he’ll do whatever you want. Or you can be not specific and he’ll pick out something nice.

    • anon

      You guys! I don’t have a recommendation, but I seriously just got chills when someone mentioned “Transit”! I used to live in Lancaster, and I think about it pretty frequently — I still have family there.

  18. movie recs?

    I just signed up for a free trial of Netflix, and I’d love some movie recs from you ladies. I like dramas, foreign films, indies, documentaries, and some comedies (but not like Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell comedies). Some of my favorite movies are Before Sunset, Midnight in Paris, Clueless, Flirting with Disaster, It’s Complicated, and Roman Holiday. Any ideas?

    • roses

      I would recommend using Netflix’s recommendation tool. I can’t remember how to get to it off the top of my head, but it will ask you to rate a ton of movies and TV shows, and then give you recommendations based on those.

      • Mpls

        The rec tool is available through the online portal, not through your streaming device (depending on you access Netflix).

        Netflix is also pretty good about sorting things into categories on their sites, so that’s another tool to use.

        My recent favorites
        What Maisie Knew
        Mozart’s Sister

        • Maggie

          There’s a new recommendation tool (I think it’s called Max?) that works for me streaming Netflix through a PS3. I haven’t tried the tool streaming through my Blu-Ray player or elsewhere.

      • Anon

        This works best if you are the only person in your household watching Netflix. I skew towards foreign, drama, period films. My SO skews towards sci-fi and fantasy, with some action mixed in. We joke that we are giving the Netflix algorithm a breakdown.

        • amelia earhart

          Now you can create profiles under your account so that he can have all his sci-fi with no recs for foreign/drama and vice versa.

          • Parfait

            My only caveat on this: you can’t actually get rid of the sub-profiles, or you couldn’t when last I used it. I could change the password and lock my ex out, I could delete everything in his queue, but his extra profile still sat there taunting me.

    • amelia earhart

      The Edge of Heaven (foreign/drama), The Constant Gardener (drama), The West Wing (not a movie, but still perfect), Call The Midwife (also not a movie, but very good). I wish I could access my account right now to give more recs, but these are the first ones to jump to mind.

    • Susedna

      I don’t have Netflix, don’t know if they have these movies or not, but they might fit what you’re looking for:

      The Closet – (French, starring Daniel Auteuil, nice guy gets trampled, but comes out ahead in the end.)
      The Dinner Game – (French, “Le Diner de cons”)
      Waterboys (Japanese film, comedy – I never laughed so hard over a movie. It’s about boys at an high school wanting to form their own synchronized swim team.)
      The Valet (French, “La Doublure”, starring Gad Elmaleh)
      Three Times (Taiwanese, starring Shu Qi and Chang Chen – this is 3 short films set in 3 different points in Taiwan’s troubled history. The same two actors play couples whose relationship dynamics mirror some of the issues in Taiwan’s history)

    • big dipper

      Kissing Jessica Stein (indie romantic comedy)

      Safety Not Guaranteed (indie romantic comedy with time travel)

      Fishtank (indie British coming of age story featuring Michael Fassbender)

      Like Crazy (indie drama about a young couple in a long distance relationship)

      Take This Waltz (indie drama about a married couple struggling with an affair starring Michelle Williams and Seth rogen)

      In the Loop (hilarious British comedy about government, from Veep’s creators)

      Butter (black comedy about a butter carving competition)

      Brick (Joseph Gordon Levitt in a film noir-style high school murder mystery)

      • AnnonFoo

        Take This Waltz is really good, I loved it

        Few others
        – Blue Valentine – with Ryan Goslin, touching love story and how it progresses (not all fairy tale)
        – Margine Call – good movie based on financial crisis story line
        – Netflix shows – House of Cards and Orange is the new black, might be tempted to binge watch, you hvae been forewarned :)
        – Bomb girls – Canadian TV show about women from different backgrounds working in ammunition factory during WWII.

      • Flying Squirrel

        Butter was awesome! Many of the others are on my list of plan to watch, but haven’t yet. Since at least today (and possibly until baby arrives, sadly) I’m more or less confined to the house, maybe it’s time to catch up :)

    • LilyB

      it’s super cheesy but I really liked this movie on netflix called Timer. It’s a romcom but kind of quirky.

      • buffybot

        Not to be totally predictable (considering my screenname), but for any Joss Whedon lovers out there, it’s worth noting that “Timer” stars the actress who played Anya in Buffy. I thought it was pretty cute.

    • Sydney Bristow

      I liked an Italian movie I watched recently called We Have a Pope. It’s kind of how I imagine things to be with the current pope. The premise of the movie is that it is conclave and the newly elected pope basically has a panic attack and doesn’t want to be the pope. I thought it was funning and charming/heartwarming at the same time.

    • Anonymous

      Call the Midwife is delightful. There are 3 seasons of a series called Doc Martin which are very enjoyable.

    • Senior Attorney

      For the Christmas season I don’t think you can beat Love, Actually.

    • MH

      I just watched Friends With Kids – it’s pretty good. Romantic comedy, but not super cheesy.

    • zora

      There are TONS of indies on Instant Watch. Like others said, once you watch a couple you can get recommendations I have found awesome movies that way. Here are some from my rated list:

      Dan in Real Life; Friends with Kids; Fish Called Wanda; Broken English; Murial’s Wedding; Topsy Turvey; Happy Go Lucky; Jeff Who Lives at Home; Casanova (with David Tennant, GAH!): The Giant Mechanical Man; Family Weekend; Safety Not guaranteed; Ira and Abby; A Little Help;

      ok, sorry i’ll stop now. ;o) Have fun!!

  19. Wintry Weather

    Online shopping help needed!

    I’m looking for court-appropriate shoes that have hiking boot soles. I live in a rural-ish area where there is ice and snow on the sidewalks and parking lots all winter. I really have trouble finding shoes that are appropriate for court with tread that I can walk on. I wear Danskos in the summer, but their soles are super-slick on the winter ice. Non-lawyers in my area wear hiking-type shoes most of the winter, because of the tread. Manmade material is better than leather (so it doesn’t get stained with salt). I already have boots, but I’m looking for shoes. Black or brown or some neutral I can pretty much wear every day. Under $100 is best. Any ideas?

    • LilyB

      Are you averse to changing your shoes once you get inside the building? I can’t imagine finding any snow/ice-friendly shoes that I would want to wear in court. Plus, if you change into your court shoes (heels, flats) when you get to the courthouse, they’ll hold up much better over the long run. I never wear my work shoes outside of the courthouse and they last forever.

      • Wintry Weather

        I’d prefer not to. It’s hard to find a place to store winter boots in the courthouse, and I would rather wear less-dressy shoes than lug boots around accompanying my clients.

    • rosie

      What about Merrells? They make some that are sort of Dansko clog style that could work. They’re leather or suede, but you should be able to coat them with something to protect them, and I’ve found that they hold up pretty well.

    • snow boot

      When I have brief court appearances in the winter I wear flat-soled knee-high leather boots under my pants. They are not warm but it’s only 2 blocks from my office to the courthouse. If I had a trial or supreme court argument I would probably wear snow boots and change my shoes. I have seen lawyers wear Sorels and rubber rain boots to court. I also once had a pro-se litigant take off his rubber boots and conduct an entire administrative hearing in his socks.

      • Wintry Weather

        Those look super slick to wear on ice.

        Maybe there is just nothing out there. :(

    • anonyomous

      Remember tread can easily be added by a shoe cobbler. Any pair of boots can instantly have good winter traction.

  20. anonfish

    Need fashion help! Can anyone find either a skirt or slim pants to go with the following top (link to follow)? I would like to wear this to an office holiday party being held at a private club with a dress code (business dress, men must wear jackets). Ideally I’d like to wear a skirt, but I feel like the shirt works better with pants. I am pear shaped, so pencil skirts don’t really work, although I may be willing to try a curvy pencil skirt. Would like to try to buy in store this weekend.. i’m in NYC. Thanks! Oh- I have the top in the blush color.

    http://www.piperlime.com/commonDomainFrame.do?targetURL=%2Fbrowse%2Fproduct.do%3Fpid%3D982459%26locale%3Den_US%26kwid%3D1%26sem%3Dfalse%26sdReferer%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526rct%253Dj%2526q%253D%2526esrc%253Ds%2526frm%253D1%2526source%253Dweb%2526cd%253D1%2526ved%253D0CCkQFjAA%2526url%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.piperlime.com%25252Fproducts%25252Fsabine-aphrodite-handbeaded-top-P982459.jsp%2526ei%253DAM-gUo3MLI7ykQfQvIH4DA%2526usg%253DAFQjCNG61H7CP1L2JrKFTxoRFeS7nL_zew%2526bvm%253Dbv.57155469%252Cd.cWc&sem=true

    (sorry that link is awful.. it’s the Sabine Aphrodite beaded top on Piperlime)

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