ByKat Hours Updated
Comments 136 Comments

Weekend Open Thread: Tuckernuck

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.

rainbow-colored raffia sandal heels

Something on your mind? Chat about it here.

These Tuckernuck heels made me smile — they have such a joyful vibe!

If you tend to wear a lot of neutrals in the summer (black, white, neutral), these won't be a stretch to wear at all — you could also obviously wear them with one of the colors in the rainbow-colored raffia (probably pink, but try them with orange, red, and blue also).

Not a fan of the colors? They also come in black.

The shoes are $265 at Tuckernuck, available in sizes 6-11.

Sales of note for 7/3 (Happy 4th!):

136 Comments

  1. Thanks. For the posters who can never find good belts, Talbots has a bunch of belts on sale that drop down to under $30 when you toss them into your cart.

  2. What would you do?

    I’m mid-40s and single, no kids, and I own a 1 BR 1 BA condo in a nice residential urban neighborhood in a major city. Think like 45-50 min on the train from downtown. Mortgage and HOAs all in is just under $1500. I have a 2.5% mortgage with 10 years left on it from refinancing during the pandemic. I make just under $200K, so this feels very affordable to me, and it’s nice to have the cash flow. However, I have plenty saved so it’s not absolutely necessary.

    The condo itself is fine for me, if not very fancy. Still has a 90s kitchen and bathroom that I never renovated because I didn’t really think I’d be here this long. Now I’m torn about what to do.

    I find myself craving a slightly nicer place, but more importantly, being closer to the action. My neighborhood, while very nice, is kind of sleepy and family-focused. I genuinely feel like there is just no single energy here at all and it kind of gets me down. I travel often for work and stay in downtown urban areas, and I find I get a lot of energy from the sense of possibility in those neighborhoods.

    The current housing market in my city is INSANE, with places going for well over asking price and all cash offers. This feels really stressful to me, especially since I don’t have to move. I’d also have to get rid of my amazing mortgage rate for a much higher one.

    So I feel stuck. It would be a lot of effort and money up front to leave, and I keep worrying it wouldn’t be worth it. On the other hand, what am I going to do, just stay here forever? I don’t see rates or the market changing much any time soon.

    But investing in upgrading my BR and BA in this condo also feels like not the best option. Is it really worth it to sink money into a place I won’t be in forever?

    I don’t know what to do and would appreciate any advice!

    1. I’m in a similar boat, and here’s what I’m doing:

      – small cosmetic fixes to my current place that won’t break the bank, but will increase my enjoyment and the resale value (replaced the backsplash and had my cabinets painted, upgraded the vanity in my bathroom, wall paint).
      – started looking more seriously at neighborhoods that I think I’d like and what places are on the market to help determine what may be in my budget
      – I’ve also been visiting the neighborhoods that look good on paper – going to the restaurants, farmers market, taking walks to see what the commercial streets feel like

      I’ve narrowed my list down to a couple of neighborhoods that seem to fit the bill, and I think I’m ready to gt pre-approved and start looking with an agent that hopefully knows both my current neighborhood and the ones I’m looking in.

      I’m not sure if I’ll find something that feels “worth it” right away – but I wanted to explore the options more fully. If I find something that feels like a good fit (not perfect, because nothing ever is!), I’ll move.

    2. If you have time couldn’t you just start looking at places? I think once you see the realities of what it looks like in June 2026 you may a) decide now isn’t the right time, or at least b) start to get clear on what your unicorn home is. I wouldn’t engage a broker to come with you though, just try to do it casually yourself.

    3. Are you sure that places are still going that fast for well over asking? The housing market has really slowed down this year in a lot of places, though that’s certainly location specific and also varies for condos vs SFH and different price ranges. If you think you’d really be happier living in a more urban location, I think it’s at least worth taking a serious look at the market in your location and really running the numbers to see what the cost difference would be, which would allow you to make a better decision about whether the lifestyle upgrade is worth it.

    4. If I were you, I would move. We’ll probably never see mortgage rates in the 2s or 3s again and you don’t want to be stuck somewhere that makes you somewhat unhappy just because it’s a lower rate, especially when your cashflow and savings are good. In my VHCOL area, 1-2 bedroom condos can still be had for decent prices because most people want larger spaces, so if you plan to keep a similar size, you might be able to find some deals.

      1. +1 I would not let the interest rate get in the way of my happiness or what I really wanted.

    5. I’d stay and renovate and redecorate. Watch a couple of old love it or list it episodes as proof of concept for renovating and decorating. I’m 50 so I’ll just say you couldn’t pay me to go to one of the younger, hipper neighborhoods at this stage of life either, ymmv but I bet you end up liking where you are more as time goes on.

      1. I would too. I’d calculate the current sale price per square foot in the building and use that to decide how much I’m willing to spend on changes.

        A neighborhood I envied in my city really took off with nightlife, including rooftop bars. The noise is insane for residents. Their patios and balconies are all but unusable, and the noise is troublesome inside. I’m not jealous any more because that neighborhood that used to be just pleasantly lively before the change is now a nightmare for residents. I’ll take quiet at my place and a little travel to the fun any day over even the possibility of that happening.

    6. I’m generally quite frugal and also hate all of the logistics of real estate and moving, but my gut says moving would be right and worth it for you.

    7. Can you calculate the cost of monthly payments in a new place and put that full amount aside each month to make sure you really are comfortable with it while you decide what you want to do?

      Personally, we have almost paid off our mortgage on our starter home. We bought two decades ago, the local market had a brief dip during the GFC but has been wildly hot otherwise with no signs of slowing down. So instead of staying here for a few years and then relocating, we have made peace with this being our forever home. We refinanced at 3% about 10 years ago and our monthly payments are ~$800, including insurance and taxes. The financial freedom and lack of stress about retirement costs this affords us are amazing.

      1. Could also compare the cost of the move to the cost of taking a taxi more often to where the action is, and see which of the two options saves you money in the long run.

        Also worth considering if later in your life, you’d want to move *back* to a quieter neighbourhood.

    8. What do you want out of being where the action is? Is it just the ability to go out on weeknights without a long train ride home? Or something else about the lifestyle? I get that you want something different, but your housing costs are SO LOW that it’s worth dialing in a little more on exactly what you’re looking for, and throw some money at it in the short term. Would you consider renting a small studio in your desired neighborhood, or give yourself the freedom to get a hotel room/airbnb several nights a month when you want to do something downtown? You may ultimately decide to move, but it’s such an expensive decision that it’s worth a trial run to be sure.

      I’d also put some energy into refreshing your current space, even just new art or paint colors on the walls and fresh linens and throw pillows.

      1. This.
        I return to my city 10 years ago after living abroad in a smaller appartment in a trendier location. My flat was/is in a family neigborhood really nice but far from work and from the action.
        When I return after my expat life it felt boring? but convinient. I thought in rented it and taking a smaller place in another more central location I was not able to decide (to be honest part of the problem was I wanted my expat location in my city and doest exist)
        Fast forward to this year I never moved and neither made a “home” of my flat, my mortgage is paid but the prices are so high in my city now that it would be really difficult both rent or buy in another place.
        Then my advice to you is to do your research and if you can afford it rent in a place that feel more like you now. Keep your flat because maybe in 10, 15 years you feel different and the trendy area became unlivavle (like is happening too in my city) and you want to move back.
        For me I could take advise too. At least I should make a home of my place for now but not sure about the future location.
        Only a last detail, my expat flat was in a super nice trendy area, but, I was the only friend that could affort to live there then, yes, the energy was right but sometime seeing so much going on around without a local “gang” to hang up…

    9. You’re anon – can you talk about your actual city so you get better advice? Like, being in an “urban neighborhood” and yet nearly an hour from downtown is kind of confusing.

      1. Urban neighborhood plus an hour from downtown in my mind is either Hamilton commuting into Toronto, or in the vicinity of San Francisco.

        1. Not San Francisco, the actual city is small and you’re never an hour from downtown if you actually live in the city.

        1. oh gotcha. but aren’t some of those neighborhoods really chichi? might be worth it to see how much you could get for your place as part of the assessment. part of the reason we sold a few years ago was because our place had appreciated way past our enjoyment of it — why pay to live in a dump when you can sell it and profit 6 figures?

          i’m maybe just thinking evanston and wilmette though!

        2. I’m in Chicago, and I’d move if I were you! The energy in the closer-in neighborhoods is so different from the far north side. As a single person, I’d be much happier in Andersonville than in Rogers Park or Ravenswood. Your income seems quite comfortable to afford almost double what you’re paying monthly. It seems like the Chicago housing market is still hotter than wage increases, so it’s not going to get more affordable in the near future. You could look into a short-term bridge loan if you need to increase your down payment.

          1. I’m in Chicago and I’d move as well. But again, I am wondering what you are actually looking for? South Loop / Printer’s Row and spend more time at the theater/museums?

        3. I moved from Rogers Park to Logan Square 10 years ago because I wanted to be in a young, fun neighborhood with more energy. The commute downtown was much shorter but… I moved to Ravenswood after a year.

        4. In your case moving makes sense. Frankly I think that area has all the disadvantages of living in the city but few of the perks. You have a long commute to work, you’re far from the restaurants and activities downtown, you probably need a car, but you don’t have the newer housing stock or same level of safety as the burbs.

          I agree with the other commenter to slowly condo hunt and try living on a smaller budget in the meantime.

        5. I was in a similar-ish situation with my Chicago Ravenswood condo (though I actually moved to an even farther out/less energetic area to cut my commute out to the suburbs). I’d strongly consider looking at your finances and seeing if you can swing keeping your condo and renting it out – that’s what I did. I used a management company so it was very hands off and easy for me. Given how crazy rents are in Chicago and your favorable mortgage rate, this condo may wind up being an income stream for you.

    10. If you have 10 years left on your mortgage and such low monthly expenses (at your salary), I might throw extra money at the mortgage to see if I could pay it off sooner. Being able to upgrade with all the cash from the sale will help offset whatever you lose out on with higher mortgage rates.

      1. This is bad advice. Throwing extra cash at a 2.5% mortgage is nuts. Sure, use that extra cash to fund a move down the line. But in the meantime, invest it (even conservatively). Ultimately, you’ll come out far ahead of using it to payoff a 2.5% loan. It’s basic math.

        1. +1 to 3:53. Round up if it’s easier but your money will make more in the market than it will paying off the mortgage.

        2. +1, our mortgage is at 3% and even CDs are easy to find to beat that rate by a point or so.

    11. I would start exploring the idea! Start saving cash, spend your weekends visiting neighborhoods and causally checking out listings, hire a realtor. There’s no pressure to move so you can look around and see if there’s anything you fall in love with. Or maybe you realize what you really love is travel and you want to keep your large travel budget or or or.

    12. Why not rent your current place for a year and you rent a place in your desired neighborhood? At the end of the year, you’ll either be dying to go back to your place, or can put it on the market without a second thought.

    13. I lean towards staying where you are. I wouldn’t pay down the mortgage but I would replace the kitchen and bathroom. It won’t be too expensive for a smaller unit.

      You currently pay $1500 a month which is amazing (I pay $4500 for a 3bed 2 bath as a single parent). If you really want to move to a better area I’d look at what the mortgage would cost compared to your current $1500. After 3 months you will have a good handle of how you feel and will have probably saved up enough to renovate your current home!

    14. Try to move! Life is short, worst case you don’t find anything and stay where you are.

    15. What about renting the condo? Check out the housing market, and your financing options in this economy. I’d wait until early 2027 to make moves. I live in a very strong market, and lenders here are hunkering down, it’s mostly all cash deals here.

    16. I like the idea to rent your condo for a year and live in the new neighborhood to see if you like it.

      I lived in North Center for a long time and mainly liked the quiet, though that’s not as far north as it sounds like you are. Lived in a few other neighborhoods and the only one I did NOT like was Old Town which many folks seem to love. It was so loud, so many 20 something’s going out every night, traffic insane, crime insane. I think I would’ve lasted longer in the city but that neighborhood broke me.

      You may want a certain neighborhood vibe but after living with it for awhile realize it’s not for you. Or you love it and sell the condo!

    17. It seems like you like your house fine, but that you’d like to have some more fun?

      How would you feel about spending some money on staying some weekends in hotels and doing fun things in your own city? Have some long weekends in the areas you’re drawn to and spend the night instead of hopping on the train back home after your day and night out. You can think of it as a trial run to see if you get the same energy from your own city as you get from work travel cities.

      Maybe you’ll feel differently about getting home after your weekends, maybe you’ll find that the difference in your quality of life is so major that you’ll start looking, and maybe the contrast of spending some days in the city and some days back home is what you need.

    18. Can you rent out your current place and rent somewhere else and see if you like it as much as you think you’d like?

  3. What are everyone’s favorites self-tanning products? Is there anything I can use to make my pale legs look a little bit better without stinking up the house? merci!

    1. I just bought a bottle of Tanologist (or Tanology?) at the supermarket and I was surprised to find that I really like it. It has no real smell, certainly not an unpleasant one, the color is subtle on my blindingly-pale-from-winter legs (but probably would build if I applied it more frquently), and it goes on smoothly without streaks. Highly recommend.

    2. St Tropez self tanning bronzing mousse with the mitt!

      I can’t remember honestly about the smell, but it’s the best I have ever used.

    4. The Jergens gradual tanning lotion. As a pale person I appreciate the availability of multiple shades.

  4. I am in my mid 40s and can’t believe I have not figured this out yet. I love time off work but mostly spend it on house projects, yardwork, hobbies, or errands.

    What do you all do on vacation? Not where do you go, but what do you do once you get there? How do you fill your time?

    1. It took me until my early 30s to figure out that I do not enjoy vacations where the plan is “veg the whole time” or “just relax.” I strongly, strongly prefer and feel much more rejuvenated after active vacations. When we travel to cities, we do tours and try whatever cool regional things are on offer (whether it’s museums or what have you) and when we do adventure trips, usually whitewater rafting, we’re rafting all day and hiking, swimming, or playing games in the evening. I particularly love being active all morning and afternoon and then relaxing back at the hotel in the evening.

      I respect that other people love to go to a resort and chill by the pool or go to a cabin and just read a book but that’s not for me and that’s OK! Figure out what works best for you – do you like early starts? Do you like the ocean? Does the thought of a planned itinerary make you excited or stressed?

      1. Oh, and one thing I will add is that I also strongly believe that vacations are worth taking with my kid. We’re limited by budget right now, which is fine, but we have to tune out all the negative “it’s just parenting in a different place” or “they won’t remember it anyway” messaging that people seem to feel oddly compelled to say all the time. As my husband says, “at least it’s a different place” and as I say, my own enjoyment and memories matter too.

        1. This will 100% out me to anyone who knows me, but when my daughter was six months old, I took her to Tahiti. People kept saying “you are taking your baby to Tahiti?”, to which my response was “no – I am going to Tahiti and since I am still b-feeding, she is coming along.”

          We travelled a lot and it was amazing. She probably does not remember much from the trips before she was 8. But I do.

    2. Exploring museums and historic sites, rambling walks or hikes, long lunches, a nice dinner, a cooking class, a food tour, stopping in any store that looks interesting, reading a book over an afternoon beer at a local winery or brewery, ice cream and coffee breaks, going for a run, dropping into a local yoga studio, booking a ghost tour, seeing a show, watching a sporting event…

      What are your hobbies? It can be fun to try those out in new locations.

      1. Totally agree with all these!

        My best ones have been starting the day early with a yoga class, long walk somewhere beautiful, leisurely brunch, visiting a gallery or a bushwalk, then doing a cooling glass and getting a bit squiffy on wine with the other cooks after class.
        Fitness and skills but all fun!

    3. I have found that I like to have a few anchor events planned, with some downtime built in. I like being just scheduled enough to have a rough plan for the day. I have learned that I do not enjoy having too much activity with no time to recover, though.

    4. In my mind, there are two types of appealing things-you-do-on-vacation, and any particular trip can have a mix of both!
      1 is “see something new” : this is just being in a place that is interesting because it’s different. If you go on vacation to see/experience something you can’t see/do at home, that’s a type 1 activity: example – there’s cool stuff at the British Museum I can’t see anywhere else (even though I can “go to a museum”) for fun.
      Sometimes, especially in international trips, the “regular daily life” stuff is fun in this way too – like stopping at 7-11 for a snack in Japan is *fun* because it’s new and interesting, when picking out snacks at home is just an errand.

      And type 2 is doing more hours per day of recreational stuff you already think you’d enjoy – like if you enjoy swimming in the ocean and hanging out at the beach, maybe that’s what you want to do on vacation (or skiing or playing golf or what have you). Depending on where you live and what you want to do, this could be a staycation or require travel.

      If you’re planning vacations and then not sure what to do when you get there, maybe plan an activity (go to X museum, take a surf class, go on a city walking etc) for half the days & leave the other half open for adhoc and see if that’s the right balance?

      1. Going to grocery stores is weirdly one of my favorite activities on international trips.

        1. +1! I love going to the grocery store, looking for food I don’t recognize from home (especially local produce) and then having it for dinner with a good book or craft project!

    5. Someone on this site, years ago, wrote that there are three types of trips: Travel, Leisure, and Family. You can combine two of them in a trip, but if you try to combine all three you’ll make yourself miserable. The framing has been extremely helpful as DH and I make plans.

      Travel is seeing the sites, somewhere new, and active.
      Leisure is having a relaxing schedule, maybe you’ve booked things like a spa day or a round of golf, but the point is to enjoy the time, not to see things.
      Family is spending time with loved ones (friends included), and the destination is secondary.

      We tend to do one Travel trip a year and one Leisure trip a year. Sometimes we combine Leisure with Family and sometimes we just go visit Family separately.

      1. I love this. DH and I have articulated Travel (doing) vacations and Leisure (not doing much) vacations. But I hadn’t thought about Family. Last summer I had a trip planned with two girlfriends to a city in Canada. Unfortunately I had a work thing come up and ended up working during much of the trip. But I realized I wasn’t there to see the city, but to spend time with my friends. In spite of work, I had a lot of great quality time with them. So it was a successful vacation. I’d work had come up during another type of vacation things would have been very different.

    6. Have you gone through your mid-life marathon phase? Running friends and I like to book holidays around races, food tourism and going on (unexpectedly) educational tours.

    7. depends on the trip! I get bored at giant resort vacations where you aren’t really leaving your insular property, but not the kind of trip where you pick a community/island, rent a car, and visit different areas throughout your stay. Otherwise also snorkeling, reading, maybe a boat excursion, trying local foods, etc.

      for Europe we tend to have a way more relaxed pace than some. We often combine city time, where we have probably 2 maximum main ‘museum / church’ things each day and otherwise go on purposeful walks / bike rides / long meals, with coastal or countryside time. So we get a mix of city sightseeing and just enjoying new-to-us scenery and foooooood. Like, Rome & Amalfi Coast or Athens & an island or Paris & Loire chateau, etc.

    8. For me it, it depends on the trip.
      My family has been going to the same beach for 35+ years. What I like about that is, I don’t feel the pressure to See! All! The! Things!. If I want to lay by the beach all day and read, that’s great. Maybe I will go browse the cute downtown or a new restaurant, that’s fine too.

      If we go to a new-to-us location, I do want to explore. It is all driven by WHERE we are going, but those are the on-the-go trips.

    9. I usually have a historic site, museums, or gallery I want to see. I spread those out with walking in neighborhoods, shops, cafes and restaurants. I don’t really cram everything in now. I also might go see a concert or a play in the evening, depending on where I’m at. I also always go into grocery stores for different snacks.

    10. I am an active vacation but make it in nature person, so I do a lot of hiking and general outdoors exploring. I can’t sit on a beach or in a resort and just ‘lax. I don’t go to cities generally because that’s not my jam, but if I had to, I would do food tours, museums, local shop touring, and find all the estate/antique jewelers.

    11. I have three categories of vacations, which largely do not overlap: city site-seeing, outdoor active, and sit on a beach. City site-seeing we usually focus on museums and impressive architectural things (big fan of castles, palaces, and old fancy mansions), with occasionally food-centered tours. Outdoor active is usually hiking in a national park. Sitting on a beach is… sitting on a beach. I can happily do nothing but sit and listen to the waves and read a book all week, though we usually throw some snorkeling in as well.

    12. I visit museums and restaurants and cafes and historical sites and go for long walks and go shopping and swim and read books.

    13. It really depends on the vacation.
      At beach resorts and cruises we usually just relax at the beach/pool and enjoy the resort/cruise amenities. We used to be big snorkelers and spent a lot of time snorkeling when we went to places like the Caribbean/Hawaii/Tahiti but lately we don’t do that as much.
      In Europe we do a lot of walking, some museums, sometime food tours or wine-tasting and often an art class or cooking class (I have an 8 year old and she really enjoys this kind of thing). When my daughter was younger we enjoyed going to playgrounds in foreign countries. Fun for the kid, and also an interesting glimpse into local parenting culture.
      We go to Maine every summer and hike and swim and sail on a family member’s boat.
      We’ve done some theme parks for our kids (Disneyland, Legoland, will do Universal for Harry Potter stuff) and those trips are pretty self explanatory.
      For kid-free couples trips we tried a few things and decided our favorite is a fancy hotel with a good spa and fine dining reservations. We feel bad going to beach resorts without our daughter because she loves that kind of vacation, but we find that more active vacations don’t achieve the goal of a couples trip which for us is resting and reconnecting.
      I’ve had a spa/wellness retreat like Miraval on my bucket list for a solo trip forever but haven’t made it happen yet.

    14. I plan 2 or 3 activities that have a set start time or need to be prebooked – a guided bike tour, ticketed museum visit, a theater show etc.

      Then I add 2 or 3 places that I want to see or visit but can show up whenever- a famous shop or market, an architectural site etc.

      Then I add some hikes or walk that I want to do – a vague plan of time, distance or direction or sites to hit.

      Mix and match these 3 buckets to fit the length of your trip and dont feel like theres a right or wrong way to fill your time.

      I walked almost 15miles around london one day without a real plan beyond: step 1 get breakfast and step 2 where is buckingham palace. And that was probably the best day of the 2 weeks I was in London.

    15. We do a mix of things. Some trips to hike or snowshoe. Some city trips to do all the city things. Some wine country trips to go to a spa to decompress and go out for good food.

    16. 2nd this I like to get out and about, visit museums, try out restaurants, walk around. I prefer to go by myself, but it sounds like you might want to try out a tour to provide structure and see what you like. I do plan for one beach vacation a year, where all I do is sit out, drink wine, read, and walk on the beach. I love it :)

  5. Do you miss the Southwest free seating or prefer the assigned seating? I strongly prefer the assigned seating and am enjoying watching a coworker work himself up over how he thinks I’m wrong, ha.

    1. I miss the old days of Southwest. Flights every thirty minutes or so out of Love so I could easily change my flight based on meetings and never cared about my seat on an hour long flight.

    2. I like the assigned seating but only because I have a list preferred and get to sit up front and what not every time i fly.

    4. I miss it, as a family traveling with a young kid that means we now have to pay extra for assigned seats. The free checked bags were also huge when we were traveling with more baby items. I upgraded my credit card, so we can get the benefits without paying everytime – since we live near a hub, it’s worth it.

    5. I no longer fly Southwest because of the change. It was the one advantage and now that it’s gone, I’ll stick with more convenient airlines.

    8. I’m flying SW for the first time since they changed the policy and I don’t know (yet) what the big deal would be. I honestly do not care where I sit on a plane or who I sit next to. I also don’t really care when I board. The plane isn’t leaving until every one is on and we’re all going to land at the same time. I am annoyed that they don’t have the free checked bag anymore because now people will be trying to bring tons of pieces on board and that will lead to delays. I save all my airport/flying annoyance for the security theater that is TSA and having to have REAL ID.

    9. I hate it. I’m A list so yes I get good seats but the whole thing is just a big money grab. You used to be able to cancel and rebook flights so easily. Now, you have to pay extra for choice to do that. The fares are quite a bit higher, even taking into consideration fuel costs (they went up prior to Feb). The seats still stink, no power outlets and crowded. The whole vibe is off. I wish everyone would boycott them so that they would get the message.

      1. It seems like SW has been more expensive than even Delta/United for the last ten years, let alone actual budget carriers. So I don’t care what their seating policy is because it never makes sense to fly with them anyway

  6. Chicagoans: We are picking up two different people at O’Hare in a week, about two hours apart. O’Hare has frustratingly little space to hang out outside of the security area. Does anyone know of a spot nearby where we can get a coffee or drink while we wait for the second flight? All I really know in the vicinity is the yawning acreage of parking lots.

    1. The airport Hilton is connected to the domestic terminals via underground walkway and has a coffee shop and restaurant – nothing great and it’s airport pricing but it’s very easy if they’re coming into terminals 1-3. Otherwise the Fashion Outlet mall is a quick drive and has a lot of options.

      1. Agree. If you don’t want to shop, Rosemont, which is like 10 min from O’Hare, has a Stan’s Donuts (and easy parking) that is cute enough to kill an hour and a half.

    2. Downtown Park Ridge is ~20 minutes away and is cute enough with options. Depends what you mean by “nearby”, obviously.

    3. if I were Arrival #1 I would think nothing of finding a coffee shop in the terminal and waiting until Arrival #2 lands to exit security and meet you, FWIW. (Assuming these are domestic arrivals so you have access to airport restaurants when you land.)

      1. This is the answer if #1 isn’t elderly or a child. I’d have no problem chilling out for a bit.

        1. Even if they are elderly or have a kid, I think it’s fine. I guess it depends what you mean by elderly but my parents are almost 80 and would have no issues with this, and I’d have zero issues doing it with my young kids. Waiting in a coffee shop outside the airport isn’t really any more desirable than waiting in a coffee shop in the terminal.

    4. Thanks all – Arrival # 1 is traveling alone internationally, and doesn’t speak much English, so we don’t want to leave her to kill time alone. (Plus there’s really nowhere to hang at international arrivals.) Good ideas here tho.

      1. The international arrivals at O’Hare is appalling for a major airport. I don’t know why there isn’t more infrastructure there, but I’ve always found it odd considering what a hub the airport is.

  7. What’s a good housewarming gift for a frenemy? I’m joking about the frenemy part.

    6. Multiple oversized awkwardly shaped mugs with cute sayings on them. “Bless this mess” “cowboy butts drive me nuts” “Six Flags Tennessee”

  8. Does anyone have a favorite hairline coverup? My dark brown hair is a little thin at the temples when I pull my hair back in a ponytail. Is there a good product I can brush on to hide this? Thank!

    1. QVC used to sell one my mom liked. Really you can use ann eyeshadow and a cheap makeup brush.

  9. For those with men in their lives, are lululemon abc pants the work appropriate casual pants to get?

    1. I don’t know if brands matter in your world, but the Costco dupe is the travel uniform of choice for men in my office

  10. Fiery group chat debate today: is drinking soda in 2026 trashy? If so, what level of consumption moves you from normal to trashy?

    Current tasks include: not trashy unless you get one of those giant foam cups from a gas station or are going through a drive through just for soda; trashy other than at ballparks, amusement parks, and other places with the word park in the name or vibe; not trashy to drink but definitely trashy to have clothing or decor related to the soda; and trashy unless there’s rum mixed in.

    2. I always think of when Italians serve Coke in addition to house red if it’s a special occasion.

      When I was a kid we only got soda at the movie theater (I guess at anything with “park” in the name we wanted something more subjectively hydrating, even if it was a slushie).

      I’d much sooner own vintage logo items than actually drink the soda personally. My household does sometimes get the stevia sweetened knock off sodas though.

    3. I’d say it’s considered a vice – so, sure have a soda a day, but consuming large volumes is “out” and as such unusual for someone to brag about how addicted they are to Diet Coke the way they would have 20 years ago.

    4. I actually consider it passe to attack people because they like other things than you do. Like all the men who attack women who don’t like really dark coffee.

          1. Oooh, what loaded words can I use to describe you? I can think of at least two that would fit just fine :)

    5. It’s pretty regional/cultural I think. I live in a smaller Midwest city and know a lot of adults I wouldn’t consider tr@shy who drink it without shame. The norms around healthy eating are pretty different here than in the coastal cities. It does seem to be fairly rare at kids parties, which is a big change from my childhood.

    6. “Trashy” is a lot; but yeah, l think it’s lower socioeconomic coded, somewhat like smoking (not quite that extreme though). If someone has a soda at a cookout, or camping, or traveling or what have you, I wouldn’t think twice about it. But if I were trying to communicate executive presence at a new job, I probably wouldn’t show up every morning with a big soda in lieu of coffee. But if that’s your thing, life’s too short to worry about what everyone thinks of everything

          1. Some of y’all take the weekend comments section of a fashion blog wayyyyyyy too seriously.

          2. Sure. And some of y’all don’t really see how elitist they are, or they think determining who’s trash is a fun & cute!

          3. Girly pop, this group chat is my high school friends from a smallish Midwest town. The person who started the discussion is a SAHM married to a commercial plumber. But go off on this weird narrative you’ve constructed. Middle class and lower income folks definitely never talk about what is or isn’t trashy. Solely a pastime of the elites (…?). Sure. And Jerry Springer was only a hit among the landed gentry.

          4. Girly pop, you & your high school friends sound like a bunch of a-holes. You’re the one who brought your totally cool, fun commentary here, so here’s some commentary. But go off on how being from a small Midwestern town and being a stay-at-home mom means you can’t be an elitist mean girl.

          5. I take it you and your friends only discuss the noblest things in life? Or — more likely — you have no friends and therefore don’t understand that this is a pretty normal conversation for people (who all drink soda!) to have. God bless you; I hope the sanctimony keeps you warm at night, since I can’t imagine anyone else would want to.

          6. “The person who started the discussion is a SAHM married to a commercial plumber.”

            Often the exact type of person who needs to signal status by being demeaning.

      2. I mean, yes? Some vices like drinking or smoking can be more defiant, but right now I think soda comes across as more of a healthcare access/healthcare literacy and education kind of thing.

    8. My stepmom would invariably grab a Diet Coke from the cooler near the checkout at the grocery store, crack it open right then and there, and drain half of it by the time she finished shopping. She would put the partial bottle on the conveyor belt to pay for it, then tell the cashier to throw away the remains. To tween me, that was so trashy. I often thought: can’t you drink something at home before we go to the store? And if money is as tight as you say, maybe switch to tap water like the rest of the house? Or at least buy a 2 liter and pour yourself a glass of a size that you will finish. Maybe don’t buy 20 oz bottles by the dozens each week and throw them away half-full after leaving them in your car overnight after work.

      Adult me still thinks that was trashy behavior, but it’s not because it was soda. I would think the same with juice, water, kombucha, coffee, tea, whatever. It’s the wasteful, demonstrative, single-use garbage consumption that I find trashy, not the type of liquid.

      1. She probably hated grocery shopping and that was her treat to get herself through it.

      2. I think petroleum byproducts are warping people’s thinking. Convenient, single-use products are convenient and good actually! They’ve also been a part of human civilization since it began.

        And rationing a carbonated beverage out of a 2 liter bottle is just depressing.

        1. She went through dozens of 20 oz bottles a week, there was no rationing going on at all.

      3. That’s probably because you didn’t like her. 2 liter bottles go flat for this kind of use. They are most practical for 2-4 hour parties.

        1. Weird take; I liked her just fine. She was a kind, loving parent who made really questionable choices in many parts of her life and I’m not blind to that. She easily drank a whole 2-liter a day; no chance it would go flat before she finished it.

    9. Soda is so bad for you with either empty calories or artificial sweeteners which are bad for you. The packaging and transport is bad for the environment too. I gave up my favourite Italian mineral water for environmental reasons.

      I have emergency cans of coke for migraine attacks and some tonic water for gin and tonics.

      I drank some when I had covid and couldn’t keep anything down so they definitely have medicinal purposes!

      1. I feel like it also warps my palette. Fruit doesn’t taste as sweet, and vegetables taste bitter, if I’ve been drinking anything as sweet as soda and enjoying it. If fruit and vegetables taste good to me, then soda tastes wildly, vastly too sweet.

        Re. soda being medicinal, I’ve experienced the contrast partly because Coke is the first line intervention for bezoar!

    10. Trashy? Not sure if I’ve understood correctly, but it’s not the done thing to drink while walking around; I see it often and definitely clutch my pearls! Ditto with people who wear hats indoors, or baseball hats with non-sports clothes!

Comments are closed.