I’ve complained before that I had a dinosaur of a phone — a Treo 755 — due to my loyalty to both Sprint and to my 10+ years of history with a Palm Pilot. I finally bit the bullet and bought a new phone — the Samsung Epic 4G, an Android phone available from Sprint. … Read More about Open Thread: What Are Your Favorite Apps?
Open Thread: When is the Best Time to Get Pregnant?
One of the interesting topics that readers wondered about when I announced my pregnancy was WHEN to get pregnant. So let’s talk about it today. This is kind of a long post, so I’ll start with the questions: When is the best time to get pregnant? What considerations should you factor into the mix? Psst: … Read More about Open Thread: When is the Best Time to Get Pregnant?
Open Thread: What’s Your Favorite Pen?
When I was a kid, I loooooved going back to school shopping. New pens! New folders! All that crisp, white, lined paper… It seemed like everything had possibility and promise. (Yes, I was a dork.) These days, I still love getting new supplies, but it seems like too many of them let me down — I’ve literally thrown about 5 different brands of pens across the room because they work inconsistently, or stop working. And a good pen is really important. To be clear, all I want is something that I can pick up from my pencil cup or my desk, and use it without for something simple like signing my name or writing a brief note, WITHOUT having to scribble somewhere else to make sure the ink is flowing. Is that really too much to ask? (Let’s not even get into something more arduous, like taking notes for an extended period or writing a letter… sigh.)
So I thought we’d have an open thread: what is your favorite pen? (Pictured: Ball point pens by Caran d’Ache, available at Plastica for $23 — they also seem to be available at Amazon for a bit cheaper, though. Hat tip to Daily Candy.)
My favorite used to be the Pilot Precise V7 Fine Point Blue Rolling Ball. I liked the bright blue color (more royal than navy, but still “plain blue ink”), I liked that you could buy them in bulk for a reasonable price, and I liked that you could see how much ink is left. Maybe it’s just my bad luck, but it seems like every pen in the last pack I got was a dud.
Next, I really really liked the DIVOGA retractable gel pens, which I received for review from the company — they wrote fantastically, beautifully smooth, AND they looked pretty? Sign me up. Perhaps my ink supply is getting low on all of my pens, but it seems like I spend half my time drawing circles on scratch paper, trying to get a steady flow of ink — but it seems a bit suspicious that all 3 died at once.
I’ve had inconsistent luck with the Pilot G2 (but it’s currently my go-to pen that I keep in my purse). I also was really excited to try the Sharpie Liquid Mechanical Pencils, which promised to write like a mechanical pencil but turn to a permanent ink after 24 hours — and found that it just works like every erasable pen I’ve tried (which is to say, poorly).
So readers: what are your favorite pens? Which brands do you swear by?
Open Thread: What Makes Outfits Look Dated?
What makes outfits look dated? If you invest in a good working wardrobe, the idea is that it should last you for a long time — and it’s disappointing when they immediately signify to other women “I bought this 5 years ago.” So I thought a fun topic for discussion would be thus: what dates … Read More about Open Thread: What Makes Outfits Look Dated?
What NOT to Wear as an Intern or Summer Associate
What should you NOT wear if you’re a summer associate? We have some thoughts…
Open Thread: Which Tools/Programs/Tricks Are Your Current Favorites?
In a semi-regular feature here on Corporette, we’ve talked about “Tools of the Trade” — ways to make a busy woman’s life easier, either in terms of scheduling programs, tricks to make things go faster or help you remember, and even the multitude of uses for a scarf/wrap. Do you have a newly discovered favorite … Read More about Open Thread: Which Tools/Programs/Tricks Are Your Current Favorites?
Open Thread: Design No-nos for Women’s Workwear
Update: This is still a fun discussion on design no-nos for women’s workwear — but if you want to see our current thoughts on design mistakes for workwear, click here! Wondering what we LOVE? Take a look at our wardrobe essentials for work! Far too frequently, I see a garment that makes me want to … Read More about Open Thread: Design No-nos for Women’s Workwear
Resolutions, Charts, and Carrots
Kat shares the habit chart that helped her get in shape in law school!
What to Pack for Conferences
Over the past few years, I’ve attended a few multi-day conferences in far-off locales, and I’ve realized: packing for this kind of conference is an art, not a science. I’m still learning what to bring, but I thought I’d start an open thread by sharing my must-bring items — readers, what do you bring? In … Read More about What to Pack for Conferences
Open Thread: Thoughts on Bathing
2018 Update: We still think this is a fascinating conversation about thoughts on bathing — you may also want to check out our more recent post where we asked the readers how often they wash their hair. A few days ago the NYT had an interesting article about people who don’t shower regularly. Reading it, … Read More about Open Thread: Thoughts on Bathing
The Best Halloween Costumes for Office-Related Events
Update: We still think this is a great discussion on Halloween costumes for office-related events — but we also rounded up our own list of the very best reader suggestions and more for smart costumes for smart women in our more recent discussion on how to dress for Halloween — at work. We’ve gotten a … Read More about The Best Halloween Costumes for Office-Related Events
Curly and Wavy Hair in the Winter (Open Thread!)
How do you deal with your curly or wavy hair in the winter? What are your favorite diffusers? What hair products do you pull out when you do your seasonal swaps?