Corporette.com

Updated: Oct 31, 2018 62 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Stackers Jewelry Wrap

Coffee Break |

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Container Store Stackers Jewelry Wrap | CorporetteWhat are your favorite products (or hacks) for traveling with jewelry? I must admit I usually wear my best jewelry on the plane, and either hang it over a knob in my hotel room or lay it flat on a dresser; I have one girlfriend who swears by looping necklaces through empty toilet paper rolls, then putting them in ziplock baggies or makeup bags. This lovely jewelry wrap from The Container Store looks like a much neater alternative, and I like that it rolls up as well as unfurls to “display” your jewelry so you don't forget about it. It's $50 at Container Store. The Container Store Stackers Jewelry Wrap (L-2)

Sales of note for 9.30.24

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. Anon

    Is there any polite, not awkward, way to ask my cousin’s mom-in-law to pitch in on a baby shower? Cousin asked me to host and her mother-in-law has previously expressed interest in “helping out,” but now that we’re planning the party all I’ve gotten out of her is what days she’s available. I think she’d be willing to help if specifically asked to do “X, Y and Z” but I’m struggling with how to bring it up or how to ask nicely for some help?

    • LAnon

      Depending on how she likes to communicate, I can think of two options. One would be to send her an email and say, “Thanks for offering to help out! I’ve thought about it some and really need some help with X, Y and Z! Are those things you could take on?”

      If that seems to abrupt or demanding, drop her a line and say you’d love to get coffee or hop on the phone to talk about planning the shower. Then you can describe what you already have in place and say, “I haven’t done anything about X… do you have any ideas? … that’s a great idea, can you take care of coordinating that?” Then maybe wrap up by saying, “I’m so glad we chatted; I’m so relieved to have you take on some of this… so you’ll handle everything for X, Y and Z? Thanks so much; I’m sure it will be so great.”

    • Anonymous

      “Hey are you still interested in helping out? Is there anything specific you’d like to do?”

    • Anon

      “Hi Susan, I know you had said you were interested in helping out. Is there something in particular you’d like to do? I didn’t want to get too far into planning without talking to you! I know how special this time is for you as a grandmother!” If she says there’s nothing in particular, I’d follow up with specific suggestions that you actually would like her help with – menu/catering, decor, invitations, etc.

    • NYC tech

      “Hi! I remember you mentioning you’d be interested in helping out with Cousin’s shower. Would you be able to do XXX on that day? Or if that doesn’t work for you, maybe YYY? Looking forward to seeing you there!”

  2. CHJ

    Several people have commented here that they’re on self-imposed shopping bans. Any good blogs or inspiration for a shopping ban? I’m realizing today that 95% of the ads on my computer are shopping related, and much of my mental relaxation time at work is spent browsing fashion blogs and casually shopping. Any good places to redirect that energy? I like Mr. Money Mustache and the Frugalwoods, but would love more ideas.

    (And I recognize the irony of posting this question on a shopping/fashion site!)

      • Kdlaf

        +1 Especially food blogs. I’ve been trying to use that time trying out delicious new recipes; which also helps me save money on eating out.

    • Killer Kitten Heels

      I like browsing minimalist blogs – it helps redirect my aspirational feelings towards paring down, rather than buying more stuff. Becoming Minimalist, and The Minimalists are my favorites.

    • Meg Murry

      Another +1 for food blogs. I’m also liking NPR’s Monkey See pop culture blog and the affliated Pop Culture Happy Hour, as well as putting a million books in my library’s ebook queue – maybe in 3-6 months my turn for that bestseller will come up. In the same books vein, if you like romance novels or other “fluff” reading reviews on Smart B!tches, Trashy Books can be fun – read the reviews of the books rated F- for a good laugh.

      If you clear your cookies and your google browsing history (https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/465?source=gsearch ) you’ll start over with fresh ads, which may or may not be shopping related (on this s!te they probably still will be, but they won’t be the items you just looked at in Amazon or the shoes you were checking out at Zappos,, at least). Right clicking and following any links from places like here in an incognito browser might help as well.

      Use unroll.me to roll up all your emails about sales into one message, and then don’t check it until you are looking for a sale coupon for a specific s!te for a specific item.

    • Walnut

      Blonde on a Budget has written quite a bit about her shopping ban and has just re-upped it for a year.

  3. Ellen

    When I travel, I try NOT to bring my good jewelry b/c I tend to loose thing’s when I am on the road, or somehow I do NOT come back with what I started with. When I was in St Louis, I left my MOVADO watch on the dresser of my hotel room when I checked in –and it was a very nice hotel–but when I went to look to put it on to go to my meeting the next MORNING, it was NOT there. I did go out to dinner w/o it, and they did have a turn-down service where I got a piece of chocolate. I told the matre-dee about it the next morning, and he said he would notify the manager, in case it turned up when the cleaneing lady cleaned the room. Because I was checkeing out, I went right from my cleint meeting to the Airport, so I never did get to meet the manager. And I never got my Movado watch back. Dad filed an insurance claim for me, and he did get back some money, but the morale is: DO NOT LEAVE VALUEABLE JEWELRY IN A HOTEL ROOM! FOOEY on that!

  4. Dress code rant

    After ten years of post-law school employment in business attire environments, my current (and awesome) employer is switching to business casual. I am mourning my sleek suiting dresses and formal combinations already :(

    Also, now I have to go shopping :(

    WHY is this supposed to be a positive thing? It’s not like I can wear my weekend clothes (see: maxi dresses, mostly) to the office.

    • Dress code rant

      ARG I miss the edit feature. Switching to CASUAL casual, not switching to business casual. As in all jeans, all the time (but I don’t wear jeans to work…ever).

      • Houda

        My employer moved from “smart business casual”, to “casual fridays” to “no dress code”.
        At first it was cringeworthy, I mean some people in Finance who are in their fifties showed up in hoodies.
        But over time, people started leveling up. Now it’s mostly khakis and polos/shirts for men and anything goes for women.
        This doesn’t stop me from dressing the way I like: Today, I am wearing a light gray Loft 3 sleeve top, black ankle pants from Marks & Spencer (I am petite), and black Flat shoes (not ballet flats, real shoes with a stacked heal) from Clarks.
        I think while you’d still see some crazy looks at your office, you can dress slightly better than average.
        Also, I noticed that interns dress up and so do some business leaders.

    • Hollis

      So, your company is going from business attire (suits) to casual-casual (jeans)? What is motivating that change now? I love having business pieces to wear as separates (blazers with jeans, suit skirts with other blouses or non-matching blazers), but I’ve only ever worked at business casual environments.

      • Dress code rant

        I guess because it is the way of the future?

        But yes, we’re going from suit-or-nearly-suit (suiting dress with tweedy blazer, etc.) to casual.

    • roses

      Are you sure it’s only jeans all the time? I just switched to a casual environment, and I could definitely wear maxi dresses to the office if I wore a sweater or something with it. In the summer, I wear jersey dresses and flowy skirts.

      • Dress code rant

        Sorry – I wrote that to emphasize the point that it was going casual (not biz casual), as in you could wear jeans every day now.

        I would not be comfortable in a maxi dress, and I’ve never seen anyone wear one on a casual day. I think that would be waaaaaay too casual for this environment.

    • BB

      Can you repurpose some of your formal clothes? E.g., blazer with jeans can look very nice in a casual professional setting without looking too formal. You might also be able to accessorize your dresses with a colorful belt or scarf.

      • Senior Attorney

        This. And also, is the change mandatory? Is casual-casual required or just permitted? If it’s the latter, just keep on wearing what you’ve been wearing. I don’t know why you have to replace all your work clothes just because the dress code has relaxed.

    • Anonymous

      You could probably wear your old business clothes sans jacket, or wear the jackets with jeans or a more casual dress.

    • anon

      I’m struggling with this too. I switched positions about a year ago from a business environment to a law office that is casual-casual, meaning most are in jeans every day, some male partners wear shorts, etc. I still haven’t adjusted and struggle with it.

    • DisenchantedinDC

      I’m interviewing with a very small company where I asked about what to wear to the on site and they basically said “as informal as possible”. Still haven’t figured that out but I’m excited for the possibility. Sundresses + jeans + thick leggings and sweater? I’ve been in defense for the last 4 years but I’m so excited about the possible change.

      On the same note, also had an interview yesterday where I wore a blazer and the hiring manager wore a suit. It was a group test and the other two guys were dressed pretty schlubby (polos, cargo khakis) so…. I don’t know what’s happened to dress codes. It’s been a pretty confusing and inconsistent ride in my DC career.

  5. Hollis

    Anyone use a kneeling office chair/stool? Standing desks are all the rage and I need to do something about my lower back pain, but the kneeling stool looks more appealing to me, in part because I don’t want to make too big a change to my current configuration in case it doesn’t work out for me. Also, if anyone here has some advice on how to avoid lower back pain, I welcome any. Never had this problem until I hit my late 30s, and it’s occasional and I have no idea what caused and whenever I have it, it normally goes away after a couple of weeks, but during that time, it is super annoying. Thanks.

    • Seattle Freeze

      I used one in high school & college – can’t say it helped my back much, as I slouched just as much on the kneeling chair. For longer work sessions, I remember ending up perched on the seat with my feet on the knee rest, knees under chin.

      When I have a flare-up of low back pain, I make a conscious effort to sit less, walk around more during the day, be conscious of my posture when driving. Standing at my desk tends to make my knees & back hurt so I don’t do it too much.

      I’d also suggest some core strengthening – not just abs. Pilates is excellent for this! Pilates matwork classes are really accessible at any fitness level and really help with core strength.

      • Hollis

        Thanks for your response! I guess a fancy set up is not going to be a panacea. I will try Pilates!

  6. Anonymous

    What are your favorite healthy snacks?

    I’ve been loving dates rolled in coconut with an almond in the middle recently. They’re super sweet, which calms my sweet tooth after only one or two, but not nearly as bad for me as many processed snacks.

    • AIMS

      I really like super dark chocolate which I find to be rich enough to satisfy any craving with just a small piece. Trader Joe’s sells these little round tins of triangle pieces that are 80 or 90% dark cocoa and I really find just one piece to be sufficient (and I am not that kind of person, normally).

      I also like a handful of dried cranberries (I get one sweetened with apple juice instead of sugar at the health food store) with some nuts of dark chocolate chips mixed in.

      Pistachios. Berries. Baby carrots dipped in hummus. Apples (with or without honey or cheese).

    • BB

      Freeze a bunch of bananas, then blend them with almond milk (or soy or regular milk). It basically makes a banana milkshake and will usually satisfy most of my ice cream craving (most of…sometimes I still just need ice cream :))

      • Lobbyist

        Or put the frozen bananas (cut up works better) in a Cuisinart and make banana ice cream! You have to let it blend for a good long time, and you might add a tablespoon or two of milk.

        You can add peanut butter, cinnamon, cocoa, or nothing. Its great.

      • Anon

        I don’t have a blender, but now I want one desperately! I have a bunch of bananas in my freezer.

        • BB

          Get a stick blender. Very small footprint, usually pretty cheap. I stick one of these into a big glass with bananas + milk. This may not work to make the banana-only ice cream, but works well for the milkshake. Just make sure you submerge the whole “head” of the blender in liquid and you won’t have splatters.

          • Meg Murry

            I killed my stick blender trying to do the banana ice cream thing – don’t do it without a decent amount of liquid and really small banana pieces. Stick blenders are great (especially if you get one with a little container you can attach it to to use like a mini food processor.

          • First Year Anon

            Yes, if the banana is really frozen it will be too much of a strain on an immersion blender- try to let it defrost for a bit or run the container under some hot water.

            Bananas are the best! I know they get a bad rap for being high in sugar, but I’m not really a junk food person so I don’t care. They just make smoothies so much better…as do avocados :).

            I also like making smoothies with frozen blueberries and milk and maybe some yoghurt (for breakfast I will include some protein powder).

            Now I want a smoothie

    • KinCA

      Low fat string cheese (because it’s so easy to grab & go) or a handful of nuts (I portion them out into little snack bags ahead of time so I don’t go completely crazy).

      If I need something sweet (which is basically always), I like Kashi’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies or Yasso Greek Yogurt bars (yum!).

  7. Chill Pill

    I am seriously struggling with my attitude at work. This started about 3 months ago and has progressively gotten worse. It’s at the point now that every single person I work with grates on my nerves to the point that I am stressed out and miserable. I find it difficult to have pleasant and professional interactions with them. I get so annoyed that I take a sarcastic tone or say something passive aggressive, despite that normally I am a very calm, direct person. Even if I can force myself to hold back on the snide comments, I get so irritated that it takes me a while to calm down and refocus.

    My coworkers can definitely be annoying and rude (can’t everyone’s?), but I really think this is more about me than them. Work has been insanely busy for more than a year, so I thought I was just getting burnt out. But I have been moderately slow for the last three weeks and despite working less I still feel super grumptastic.

    Anyone been through a funk like this or have advice about how cheer up and stop treating people badly?

    • roses

      Just a guess, but could it be that you’re resentful for them making your life super busy? Or do you feel that you’re otherwise underappreciated by them, or being treated unfairly? It seems like you’re taking out some other type of frustration on them by acting this way. Probably better to see if you can remediate the root of the problem first.

    • Hollis

      Any reason you are not looking to work elsewhere? Workplaces have extremely different cultures. This phrase made me raise my eyebrows: “My coworkers can definitely be annoying and rude (can’t everyone’s?)”

      I could say a lot of things about my working environment, but I would not describe my coworkers as “annoying and rude.” Quite the contrary, that kind of behavior is not tolerated well where I work.

      It may just be that you have outgrown your position and it no longer satisfies/motivates you. So, why not network and find a workplace where you actually enjoy going to work/working?

      • moss

        I agree. My coworkers are professional, never rude. Possibly slightly annoying but I am somewhat annoying as well. But we are never rude to each other.

    • Anon

      I found that my constant and inappropriate irritability was a symptom of my depression. I found myself almost constantly frustrated and snappish with friends (though I could usually control it at work, partly because I don’t interact with a lot of people day to day). Once I started on low-dosage antidepressants, I was able to regain a lot of my usual even-tempered approach to life and friendships–the little things might still bug me, but they don’t ignite scorn or fury anymore!

    • Me2

      Sounds like it’s time for a vacation. A few years ago I read someone’s comment on a blog that when they find their co-workers are really getting on their nerves, they know it’s time to take some time away from those people, even if it’s only for a few days. I don’t have many vacation days right now, but it’s been especially hectic here so I’m actually taking a half-day tomorrow for myself.

    • Meg Murry

      If its slower than it’s been in a while, can you take a couple of vacation days to make a long weekend, or even just a random Wednesday that you can sleep in and not come in to the office? Or if you don’t want to use the days, schedule something relaxing for after work – for instance, I stopped getting my hair cut at my fancy salon because I was growing it out and just wanted cheaper trims, but I will occasionally schedule a shampoo and blowdry for after work, not because I actually need a blowout but just because it feels so nice to have someone shampoo and massage my head, and its cheaper than the works of shampoo, cut and style.

      Similar things: could you actually go out to lunch somewhere nice and a little slower, now that you aren’t working at a frantic pace?

      When my coworkers were driving me crazy with their constant griping, whining or b*tchy gossiping, earbuds with white noise plus a small desk fan blowing right at me helped drown out the worst of it when they were just griping to each other but I couldn’t help but overhear it. “Forgetting” something in my car and having to walk out to the parking lot to get it or otherwise just taking a 5 minute break outside for some air and to get away from other people helped too.

    • Chill Pill

      Thanks, all, for the thoughts. They really all aggravate me for different reasons, so the common denominator is me. They didn’t use to annoy me. I actually use to really love working here in large part because of the people. Like I said, we have been very busy for an extended period of time. But this all started when I had three huge deadlines in one week — I pretty much killed myself to meet those deadlines and actually got sick after it was over. I have not been the same since, mentally, despite taking a bit of a break (i.e., working only 40 hours a week instead of 60-90). But I usually internalize my stress rather than take it out on other people.

      I’m taking a vacation in a couple of weeks, so maybe that will change things. If not, maybe I do really need to consider therapy/medication or finding a new job.

      • First Year Anon

        I am feeling pretty burned out lately, and yes, it makes me get annoyed with some people more easily. I haven’t lashed out at them, but I’m cranky in my mind…I think a vacation is what you need, along with a period of time where you’re not working 90 hours a week, which is not sustainable long term.

        Take a vacation, take time for yourself, do what needs to get done, don’t volunteer for every task, then see how you feel! That is my plan :)

    • Anonymous

      There is a lot of tension and infighting in my office and it is hard to stay out of the negativity. I found that it helps if I leave for a longer lunch a few times a week. That may mean no lunch the other days, or that I have to stay later but having a real break in the middle of the day can be great! Go to the chiropractor, or for a walk in the park, or shop at Sephora, or have lunch with a friend. Just get out during the day!

  8. Bonnie

    This seems so much better than what I end up with after throwing all my jewelry into a pouch.

  9. Miz Swizz

    I’m taking evening classes that start pretty much right after work and I need to find some go-to outfits that will take me from a business casual work environment to sitting in those cr@ppy desk/chair combos that are still the rage despite them being horribly uncomfortable. Any tips?

    • Anonny

      In my experience, I went from finance job to finance evening classes (not MBA – just one-off classes for my own professional development) and everyone else was wearing their work attire… no special consideration for outfits/getting more comfortable as best as I could tell. All I’ll say is be conscious of hemlines and leg crossing!

    • Coach Laura

      Miz Swizz – after hours classes to me are about comfort. But it depends on what you wear to work normally. So if you wear a skirt suit, perhaps make sure the skirt is one that isn’t too constricting to sit in for a few hours, and a comfy blouse instead of a starchy button-front. Replace a suit jacket with a cardigan that you can take off if the room is too warm. If you normally wear pants, again make them non-constricting and wear a jersey t-shirt or t-neck and top with a cardigan. Perhaps a swacket/jacket cardigan with structure. I can also see a ponte, jersey or wrap dress, sweater, boots and tights as we get into fall weather.

    • Susie

      I’d probably wear a skirt to work and change into jeans after, keeping the same top and shoes.

    • Anonymous

      Keep a pair of leggings in your tote and change en route. Or FLEECE TIGHTS

  10. gmail

    Is there a way to turn off the autocomplete feature in Gmail? I’ve deleted the folks I don’t need from my Contacts page, but they still pop up when I type the first letter of their name in the “To” field of a new message. These are people from way back. Can this feature be turned off, or at least cleared? Google was of little help on this.

    • Mpls

      I think it can. You basically have to delete the entry out of autocomplete. So, when you start typing and the field prompts with a completed address, hit the backspace button.

      I know this works in the TO field for Outlook, so I’m assuming something similar works in the TO field for G mail.

    • anon a mouse

      Yes. Go to the drop-down menu on the top left (right above the compose button) and switch it to the contacts view. Then you can manually delete old contacts.

      PSA: Good idea to do this from time to time anyway, so if your gmail gets hacked the thieves won’t email everyone you’ve ever emailed. (Sorry, random people I bought the couch from on craigslist!)

  11. AN

    This post illustrates perfectly what is meant by needless buying. For $50 plus the cost of the jewellery in the image, I can buy a lovely freshwater pearl strand. That then becomes my only jewellery on a business trip as it would go with everything! No need to worry about losing it or buying something to store it…..

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions