Coffee Break: Slim Card Case

79 Comments

1. Might ask again tomorrow because it’s been so dead lately but any thoughts on whether it’s worth it to have movers pack all our small items for us? We’re moving locally (10 mins away) and we’ll definitely do movers for the furniture, but debating whether it’s worth an extra $50/hour plus $7 per box packed to have them do the small items. We do have some irreplaceable family antiques we would want to do ourselves anyway.

   1. It all comes down to time vs. money for you. My time was much more valuable than the money, and I utterly hate packing. So I paid for them to pack and move all the kitchen and for many of the delicate items. Very precious things that were small I carried to my car and moved myself.

      That rate is great BTW.

   2. this is not a question someone else can answer for you. depends on how much the money is worth to you v time. i moved in the middle of a divorce with a toddler and an infant and had them pack everything. 5 years later i did most of it myself

   3. Sounds worth it to me. I moved locally a couple years ago and wish we’d done this. I found the small items the most frustrating because it seemed endless and constantly thinking “why do I have this? Where does this go? do I need this? ANOTHER festival hat ffs” was stressful.* Time is valuable. Other people I know who have done this have felt it was worth it.

      *Efforts to get rid of stuff I didn’t need while packing eventually stalled as move date got closer and closer.

      1. I self-packed areas where I knew I should do a lot of donating. It forced me to go through every item. Other areas I left for the movers. FYI, ask if you can provide boxes.

   4. We did a local move about 5 years ago and had movers do the final packing, but we did a bunch ourselves first and had them move the boxes. If you aren’t getting rid of a bunch of stuff when you move, you’re doing it wrong IMHO.

   5. Does it have to be all or nothing? Every time I’ve moved I’ve started as far in advance as possible and slowly packed stuff I don’t use on a regular basis using freebie supplies off of my Buy Nothing group. Then as I get closer to the move date, I let the moving company wrap up whatever is left.

      This process also encourages me to purge unnecessary things along the way because I neither want to pack it nor pay movers to pack and move it.

   6. I enjoyed using our move as a purge — forced us to really look at our stuff in a way that you avoid if you hire movers. Also, we had overlap with our old and new place, so we could move the “pita to pack” stuff gradually in Rubbermaid bins rather than having to pack it 100% perfectly in bubble wrap.

      But it’s ultimately time vs. money.

      1. OP here and I was warned that it can be a lot more time overall to “move gradually” a bin at a time, but I think we might end up doing that for some of our awkward items – not sure I want to pay a mover extra to put a slow cooker into a box, for example.

         1. You’ll have more awkward items than you expect. Packing your wardrobe and linens is easy. Everything else is a PITA and takes far longer than planned. By your fifth box of oddly shaped god-knows-what you’ll wish you hired someone else to do it.

   7. How late can you make this decision? i.e. if you get to a week or two out and panic, it might be worth the added cost.

   8. Yes. It’s worth it. Clear out ahead of time.

   9. man i let the movers do that exactly once — and they would use 2% of a reel packing tape and then throw it away, which didn’t make sense to me until i got the bill and realized they were charging me $5 per tape reel.

      if you’re comfortable with them chucking it in a box then i’d just chuck it in a box yourself.

   10. Will they insure boxes you pack yourself?

2. Anyone have a favorite cuticle/nail moisturizing product that help brittle nails?

   I mentioned to my dermatologist that some of my nails are developing longitudinal ridges, that lead sometimes to nail splitting at the tips. I don’t use nail polish/products. I do wash my hands a lot, so I moisturize frequently with cerave products, and before bed.

   My dermatologist gave me a “Handout for brittle nails”, but no specific recs. The only product the handout recommends (Elon Nail Conditioner) doesn’t have most of the things that the handout also says are essential in a nail moisturizer (occlusives, humectants and either added alpha-hydroxy acid / lactic acid / or urea).

   So I thought I would check with all of you.

   1. i used to have great nails. now have ridges and splits, think it’s part of getting older. i use hard as hoof at least 2x a day (keep one in my desk and one my bed) and also regular old hand lotion. i don’t think it has made the ridges go away but they look better and break less. i also use manicurist active smooth which makes them look better

   2. how are your vitamins? My hair, skin, and nails all do better when I’m faithful about taking them. (I’m talking a one-a-day here, not reality show contestant supplements.)

      1. Good question. I take the Costco multivitamin for skin/hair/nails so I think my biotin is ok.

   3. Jojoba oil to rub into your nails several times a day. NBM is my current fave; I have several of their little rollerball jars so there is one handy in my purse, in my nightstand, and in my bathroom. The scents are lovely, and the generic drugstore jojoba oil is much cheaper and also works well.

      This sounds silly but I swear it works wonders for me whenever my nails start to get splitty: if you can accommodate gelatin in your diet: eat jello.

      My nails are more prone to splitting if I have them filed square rather than in a more rounded or almond shape. But if they have already started to split, trimming them very short helps to curtail the split.

   4. Jojoba oil or buy a cuticle oil— Mooncat makes a really good one

   5. Jojoba oil

   6. Dazzle Dry Mend.

3. Have you had a neuroma? I’m trying to buy a few new flatter shoes (loafers and some supportive low sandals for summer) but I’m wondering if this is going to be permanent (and to toss a lot that I haven’t worn lately) or just wait and see.

   1. For me it goes away, but lurks, waiting for me to do something dumb. I have to be super strict about going barefoot in the house, and increasing distance much slower than I’d prefer when running. I also went a half size up on running shoes and replace at the first twinge of them feeling worn out.

   2. Mine completely went away when I stopped wearing high heels regularly.

   3. have you tried zero drop shoes? i got the brand xero on amazon and really like them; my only complaint is that i have to bend over to tie them (oh the indignity) but now i see they make slip-in styles.

   4. I have one. Check out the Barking Dogs Shoe blog. It is not a store, but a site made for women with problem feet.
      I wore exclusively Danskos for a year or two. They have lots of styles – from sandals to boots, and i felt cute and not dowdy while healing. Now I can wear most flats and some low heels, but i need to be careful.
      I also add a soft mat to the footbar when doing footwork in pilates, so that i cushion the sensitive spot. These keep the pain away. Mine is slightly troublesome, but basically in remission.

   5. One of the things that bothers my neuroma foot the most is driving. The gas pedal hits in the worst possible place. IDK what the solution to that is. Thick soles on shoes?

   6. A cortisone shot completely fixed mine, but was hands-down the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. Worth it, would do again, but wish someone had warned me. I did rein in my high heels (now only up to 2″) so it won’t come back.

4. Tips for negotiating an in house counsel offer? Associate GC role (second seat in a two-attorney legal dept).

   1. what did they offer? what do you think you should make? are there non money benefits that would be beneficial? i am a second seat in a two attorney legal department and i negotiated up but mainly said i can’t take it for that, need x.

   2. I have many tips but I need more info–

      – geo
      – what industry the company is in
      – how many years of experience you have
      – whether you’ve worked in-house before

      You should understand what you’re walking into:
      – is the GC a “divide and conquer”-type or will you be highly supervised/micromanaged?
      – plans to scale the legal dept – can you get a paralegal, contract manager, legal ops or temp legal help?
      – outside counsel budget (fixed bc “the budget is the budget” or flexible because adding attorneys may mean getting advice on matters that were known issues but not yet addressed?)
      – how is Legal regarded in the org? Afterthought or seat at the table?
      – Is the exec team sane or stable?
      – does the Co have a lot of litigation / red-flag risk due to industry or past practices?
      – is Legal expected to be “on-call” at all times, some times (EOM, EOQ), nights/weekends

      I would ask how this role was leveled. If your state has pay transparency laws, use that to your advantage and check similar job descriptions (states to look at could be NY, CA, CO, but understand if where you are going matches the “industry profile” and the cost of living of those peer jobs, so you don’t come across as wildly off.

      If you were in tech, at a later stage company, I would expect bw 300k-425K with a 15-30% bonus if it’s a larger private company, plus equity, at the AGC stage. If it’s public, at least that. However, if you’re say, in manufacturing, I would expect a lot less than that.

      Post more and we’ll help you more!

5. how concerned is everyone about the hantavirus? i’ve been trying to avoid stories about it so i don’t freak out but seeing one from Zeynep in this morning’s NYT made me take pause, I thought she had a lot of good things to say during Covid. Anyway my husband is traveling for work now and I checked with him to see if he had a mask for the plane – seemed like the least thing to do.

   https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/opinion/hantavirus-complacency.html?unlocked_article_code=1.h1A.DLEk.e3lj61dZ6Z9P&smid=url-share

   1. I’m definitely worried about complacency and “ugh I just can’t with that” as a general response to viral threats. I’m also very sick of news outlets reporting risks inaccurately (as Zeynep identifies) to soothe the populace, which is only more damaging. I don’t yet know how concerned to be about hantavirus but I plan to mask during travel for my flight next week.

   2. I’m kind of resigned, tbh. My hope is that no one else is carrying it and that everyone will be willing to practice good isolation until the incubation period has passed. But 8 weeks? Our society doesn’t lend itself to supporting people facing that scenario even if doing so is for the greater good.

      1. I mean, these people were on a long cruise, maybe they’re mostly retired. But yeah, I think it’ll probably be no big deal and it’ll probably be because we get lucky (and it hasn’t mutated to be more contagious), not because we handled it well. The CDC+WHO seems like they’re making all the same mistakes as early covid

         1. It was an outdoor expedition cruise not a leisure cruise, is my understanding.

            1. And either way, these people are flying home after possible exposure to a disease with a long incubation period. That’s why people are posting asking about this, not because they’re personally concerned about contracting it from dust particles from the source.

         2. Almost everyone competent at the CDC is gone and we’re no longer a member of the WHO.

         3. I’ve given up on lessons being learned. Not from becoming jaded, but to keep in touch with reality and align my expectations to human nature, and group human behavior.

            1. Human nature and group human behavior have eradicated deadly diseases before.

               This isn’t human nature that’s going wrong.

   3. I’m definitely pissed at the news coverage/CDC statements/WHO statements. It seems like we’re making the exact same mistakes as covid. I think the risk is low because we’ll *probably* get lucky, and it hasn’t mutated or no one theoretically “self isolating” goes to a giant concert, but that’ll be because we got lucky, not because it’s been well handled

      1. The fact that I’m trying to google “is an N95 mask protective against hantavirus Andes strain” and getting no official guidance or results from CDC or the WHO seems troubling. Hope it’s just a bad algorithm day and not the reality for everyone.

         1. There probably isn’t enough data to definitively determine that about this specific strain yet.

            1. This right here. Maybe Google in Spanish and focus on Chile and Argentina.

            2. If there isn’t enough known about the strain, why is the WHO confidently telling people the risk to public is low, and why are govt health agencies just asking people to voluntarily quarantine and cross their fingers that it’ll be enough? They are confusing “we have strong evidence this doesn’t spread respiratorily” with “we don’t have evidence this spreads respiratorily” again

         2. Like why? In the US, our hantavirus is different. Are you spending lots of time with people on this cruise? If not, if your close contacts are the typical working adults who aren’t cruise ship workers from this cruise or workers on flights taken by the passengers home, I think you are fine.

            1. The concern is that the vast majority of us are probably fine, until we aren’t. Having appropriate PPE on hand seems an easy step to take given our experience with Covid.

            2. I’m in CA where there are currently four people being monitored for exposure on the cruise ship. I agree the risk is low that I’ll be sitting next to one of those people on a plane or one of their potentially exposed close contacts but it’s not zero, especially if this strain of hantavirus has an attack rate of just over 2 people. A mask is a super low-effort layer of protection.

            3. Seriously?

               Even if the passengers in the ship get sick, they are likely old enough to be retired, so adverse outcomes are likely tied closely to that. Most passengers and staff (likely decades younger) seem to be doing OK. Supportive care is all that can be done anyway.

               Be as healthy as you can be because something else is likely to be your problem, not this. Make things under your voluntary control better.

            4. Do you need to Google then? Just wear the mask.

            5. Eh, the “just don’t worry about it” approach isn’t actually rigorous or scientifically sound. The article OP posted is helpful for outlining the reasons why complacency and bad communication are damaging.

            6. NBC interviewed a photographer/influence from Boston who is currently in quarantine in Omaha for “a few days” and then can go self-isolate after that if he likes. He is 29. The incubation period can be 8 weeks.

            7. The mortality rate for people who develop respiratory symptoms from the Andes strain of the hantavirus is 38%, and exposure hasn’t historically happened on a cruise ship filled with old people.

               That’s a rate that merits having a reliable mask on hand.

            8. The mean and median ages of people infected with this strain in the US over the last several decades are 39 and 38, respectively. This is the group that has experienced a 38% fatality rate.

            9. You realize that the US strain is different from this?

            10. what do you mean “our hantavirus is different”? it is airborne transmission. as transmissible as covid. just being in the same room as someone (or on a plane) who was in the same room as someone on the cruise could be dangerous. it’s not as bad as measles (which stays in the air for like 96 hours after someone coughs) but the circle expands pretty quickly given that people disembarked before they knew there was an outbreak and there’s hardly any public health guidance anymore.

            11. These stats are on the Andes strain.

            12. It is clearly not as transmissible as COVID. I’m not sure how many pathogens have ever spread as fast as Omicron!

                But wearing a mask and washing hands will protect against many pathogens higher risk to you personally than hantavirus.

         3. https://www.cdc.gov/han/php/notices/han00528.html

   4. I am not concerned about the virus itself. I think there may be some preventable, needless deaths, but I don’t think it’s going to spiral out of control or reach my community.

      I’m very concerned about the state of public health institutions, their deceptive and manipulative communication strategies, and the predictable loss of trust.

   5. If anyone is very concerned, get a cat https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html

      1. The strain on the cruise ship was the Andes strain, which is known to spread from person to person, whereas the Sin Nombre hantavirus (which can be found throughout the US southwest) is spread from mouse feces to people, but isn’t known to spread person to person.

         If you’re in the southwest, wear an N-95 mask when cleaning mouse droppings. If you’re concerned about the Andes strain, also wear a mask around people.

   6. I am taking my cues from Your Local Epidemiologist.

6. good question; same thing for me. i’ve been looking into manicurist products.

7. LA people: is Spencer Pratt going to be the mayor?

   It’s 2026, and I never know with former reality show contestants entering politics.

   1. My sense is that no candidate (including Pratt) will get 50% in June.

      While I hope it’s going to be a runoff between Bass (current mayor) and Nithya Raman (popular City Council member), it might wind up as a runoff between Pratt and Raman or Bass.

8. In the sort of thing that college kids use in dorms? I need to get something like this for a teen going to a college program for a month this summer and living in a dorm. Ideally, it has a key ring for the room key and a holder for debit and dorm key cards and her learners permit. A pocket on her phone won’t help now that she needs an actual key. Or do kids use a lanyard for the key and put the rest in a phone pocket?

   1. My college kid uses a lanyard. Although the newer dorms on campus use hotel-like key cards rather than actual keys. So to answer your question, both, I guess?

   2. will she have a traditional key or a keycard like a hotel?

      1. OP: a metal key for her dorm room door. We have a punch long at home and doesn’t drive yet, so keys are new.

   3. My teen used a lululemon card pouch on a lanyard until recently, when she received a small coach card case as a gift and switched that out for the pouch, still on the lululemon lanyard.

   4. My college kid and her friends all have tiny card cases that they keep on lanyards with their room keys. They carry their college ID, RealID or passport card, and credit card at all times. Thread is a popular brand.

9. Does anyone have a good alcoholic punch recipe? I have inherited a punch bowl and want to christen it over Memorial Day in a toast to my gram. She was a strict Baptist, so I haven’t inherited any high-test punch recipes.

   1. i haven’t made punch since college days and pretty sure you don’t want everclear at this point in your life. but i’d google “freezer door cocktails” and go from there maybe.

      i vaguely remember making one from hungry girl also.

   2. Chatham house artillery punch. NYT recipe. Very strong and very delicious— be careful!

   3. Pimm’s cup? I like it best with soda water rather than lemon soda.

   4. Definitely Pimms. Loads of Pimms, loads of lemonade, then ice cubes and chopped up fresh stuff (cucumbers sliced into circles, sliced strawberries, mint, sometimes a bit of elderflower if it’s the right time of year and you have some in the garden). It’s delicious!

   5. NYT’s apple cider and bourbon punch is my favorite!

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