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Thursday’s Workwear Report: Waisted Sweater-Jacket

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A woman wearing an olive cardigan, ivory pants, and black sunglasses

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

I’m really loving the most recent round of sweater jackets I’ve been seeing recently. This one from J.Crew Factory is more cardigan than blazer but has the shape of the lady jackets that have been popular for the last few years.

I would wear this “distressed fatigue” color with navy trousers for a neutral look that isn’t too bland. 

The sweater is $46.50 at J.Crew Factory and comes in sizes XXS-3X. It also comes in ivory and black.

Looking for lady jackets to add to your wardrobe?

Some of our latest favorite lady jackets for work in 2026 still include knit jackets such as those from ba&sh, MMLF, or Boden… but in general the style has gotten much more structured, closer to a Chanel-style jacket for work. On the budget side of things, check out J.Crew, Tuckernuck (XXS-XXXL), J.Crew Factory, and Ann Taylor… on the splurgey side check out L'Agence, Veronica Beard, St. John, and (of course!) Chanel.

beige lady jacket layered with a sweater the same color
J.Crew
blue and white tweed jacket
Tuckernuck
white lady jacket cardigan
M.M.LaFleur
black cardigan lady jacket worn with top two buttons only closed
ba&sh

Sales of note for 4/17:

  • Nordstrom – Beauty savings event, up to 25% off – nice price on Black Honey
  • Ann Taylor – Cyber Spring! 50% off everything + free shipping
  • Boden – 25% off everything (thru Sun, then 15% off)
  • Brooklinen – 25% off sitewide — we have and love these sateen sheets
  • Evereve – 1000+ items on sale, including lots from Alex Mill, Michael Stars, Sanctuary, Rails, Xirena, and Z-Supply
  • Express – $29 dresses
  • J.Crew – 30% off all dresses
  • J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything, and extra 50% off clearance
  • Lands' End – 50% off full price styles and 60% off all clearance and sale – lots of ponte dresses come down under $25, and this packable raincoat in gingham is too cute
  • Loft – Friends & Family event, 50% off entire purchase + free shipping
  • Macy's – 25% off already reduced prices + 15% off beauty & fragrance
  • M.M.LaFleur – Spring Sale Event – Buy More, save more! 10% off $250+, 15% off $500+, 20% off $750+, 25% off $1000+ (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off if you find any exclusions.)
  • Sephora – Spring sale! 20%, 15%, or 10% off depending on your membership tier; ends 4/20. Here's everything I recommend in the sale!
  • Talbots – Spring sale! 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns
  • TOCCIN – Use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off!
  • Vivrelle – Looking to own less stuff but still try trends? Use code CORPORETTE for a free month, and borrow high-end designer clothes and bags!

277 Comments

  1. I know some people look at Zillow listings to relax. If there aren’t things near you do you have specific search terms? Just do Zillow gone wild? Curious.

    1. I realize this isn’t what you are asking, but Jonathan Carson does some fun videos titled “Insane Unhinged Zillow Listings.” That might give you some search term ideas for the more outrageous homes.

    2. I mostly check out favorite neighborhoods in my city and then suburbs I’d eventually want to move to. If there isn’t enough to scratch an itch, I’ll also look at sold properties.

      I also will check out neighborhoods in other cities that I like. I used to live in DC, so I have favorite neighborhoods there. I also would go to Baltimore a lot (probably the only other city I’d consider living in) and check out neighborhoods there that I know I like.

      I like to look for both potentially possible for me properties and if I marry really rich properties and if I win the lotto properties (which then includes vacation homes too).

    3. Savills’ UK. £1.3 million for a castle in Scotland. It’s been on the market for years.

        2. I know. It’s near us and I always joke with my husband that we should go to a viewing. Or buy it with friends and create a commune :)

      2. True confession, I fantasy shopped for a house in Scotland inspired by your house hunting, CB!

    4. I went through a phase where I would look at houses on Zillow in the Dakotas, Montana, Arizona, etc. It’s so interesting to see how different houses are based on climate.

    5. For me it’s a little bit like window shopping. Sometimes I’m upgrading my apartment, sometimes I am looking for a country house, other times a beach condo. I would never just look to see what a house costs in like Cleveland but I have a friend who likes to imagine an alternate life in a random place like that.

      1. Yeah, I did a deep dive on Victorian tenement flats all over the UK because we are moving and I can’t figure out where to put the tv.

    6. I have done this to check out what it would be like to move to a different town or to hash out retirement ideas. To my surprise, an area I love has been adding tons of new housing and retiring there might actually be possible some day. YIMBY laws for the win!

      1. If you are willing to share the potential retirement destination, please do. I need to dream on a dreary day.

        1. Pacific Grove. They are adding housing on land that used to be federal, both there and in Seaside.

      2. Not anon at 9:40am but I look at condos in Hoboken, NJ or the DC suburbs (think I’m priced out of both NYC and DC). I live in a Chicago suburb with excellent schools, a short commute to my workplace and enough space for grandparents if they need to move in. It’s the right place for this stage of my life. I have a lot of responsibilities at this point and I’m dreaming of a time when I do not.

          1. Chicago/ Cook County and Illinois are on all the verge of a financial meltdown. I think it’s a great place to be now but am not optimistic about what it will be like in 20-30 years. I haven’t looked into the finances of Virginia or Maryland (or NJ) but I’m 15ish years from retirement so it’s all pretty theoretical. At night when I’ve spent $500 on a plumber, the kids have had school drama and my father’s health issues feel overwhelming I curl up on the couch and look at condos with city views.

    7. It depends what you like. I filter by age and neighborhood so I can look at the nice old houses in the fancy area of my city (any some near by cities) but if you like new builds you could do opposite filters.

    8. I like to check out homes in historic districts. I find it relaxing to virtually tour Georgian colonials, etc.

  2. Is YesStyle a reliable site? I’m looking to repurchase some favorites after that awful article about how bad Amazon beauty products are…

    1. No clue but I just use Sephora or Nordstrom and rarely deviate unless it’s too by direct. I think the takeaway is there is no reliable way to buy at a “discount” unless you wait for a 15 percent off beauty sale at one of the major retailers.

      1. +1. At best you’re taking a risk that the product doesn’t perform as well due to age or mishandling. At worst you’re rubbing harmful substances or bacteria all over your face.

    2. I have had good luck on sale beauty products from Nordstrom Rack and RueLaLa. I have been burned by Marshalls.

      1. but doesn’t this just open you up to the same problems with third party sellers as you’d get at Amazon? Not sure about Nordstrom Rack but I’d worry about TJ Maxx and flash sale sites like RueLaLa

    3. I’ve bought from both Yesstyle and Stylevana, and as far as I can tell, the products seem legit – packaging seems real and untampered, products seem to work. I think Yesstyle might ship faster and have better communication than Stylevana, but I’ve never had a problem with orders from either.

    4. Yes, it’s where I get almost all of my Kbeauty that isn’t sold in the US. The shipping times can be a bit longer (it was 3-4 weeks during the initial tariff madness) but it’s legit and reliable.

    5. I just purchased some Korean sunscreen from YesStyle last night. It seems fine so far and the reviews I read on Reddit were good. They did spam me with a ton of emails though.

    6. Yes, absolutely. I’ve ordered multiple things. Shipping can take awhile but the prices are way better than some other K Beauty resellers based in the U.S..

    7. Yes, and so is Stylevana. It just takes longer because it ships from Asia. I recommend!

  3. Are there any finance people here who had to have calculus to get into your undergrad business school major? I feel like many of us took that in high school and placed out of all college math and am really wondering, maybe it’s my imposter syndrome showing, but am I going to be OK with a huge math gap vs other people? Or does Bloomberg etc do all the crunching and you just need a good math sense (which I do have) and ability to spot gross errors (same)?

    1. I am an actuary and I never use calculus. I assume you’re not looking for a quant job with a BBA or MBA. You should be fine imo.

        1. Does anyone in any field do their own calculations anymore, though? The reason to understand calculus is to understand the concepts behind the statistical models you are building and what your computer is doing when it estimates those models.

    2. Are you planning to be in quant or building models? If no I don’t think it really matters as much as statistics or data modeling.

      1. I work on the legal side of securitization and am getting recruiting to go work for the clients on the deal side. I have a humanities undergraduate degree with zero math after high school. I do love the work and feel like BigLaw is just what you do while you plot your exit from BigLaw. IDK If I need a Coursera class to convince me this is crazy or that if I can do the work, I can do the work on the other side. I am really good at explaining things to humans and working with people with CFAs etc. on the client side.

      2. Agree. I have four years of college calculus, work in finance, and don’t use anything beyond high school statistics and algebra.

    3. My MBA program required a 3 credit calculus class for those who did not have undergrad calc or who could not place out of it. It did not count toward the credits required for the degree. This was for all majors not just finance and at an east coast state university about 10 years ago.

  4. So I’m irritated with DH for wanting to spend more time w/ me (by ourselves) and I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable or if he is being too dependent? We both WFH in comparably paid ‘big’ jobs; I do 80% of the kids’ shuttling around and house stuff/cooking/etc. We spend 6/7 nights after the 3 kids (tween/teen) go to bed watching tv before I go to bed. He is a night owl and works more, then goes to bed at 2 or 3; I have done all the morning routines since the beginning of time bc he’s not up until 10-11. We have time to ‘garden’ on both weekend days and at least twice during the week and we usually go out to eat once a week without the kids. I find time to do errands by not scheduling client calls etc. on Fridays. IMO, he over-schedules himself with work and then feels overwhelmed because he has ‘no time’ w/ me w/out the kids. Any ideas?

        1. And what WFH job are you still in bed at b/w 10-11? I am not going around quietly in my own house for that long (and kids are noisy AF). Is he remote from somewhere on Pacific Time and you live on the East Coast?

          1. Some jobs in academia are like this. If you are in charge of your own schedule, and also maybe working across time zones, this can be a workable schedule.

            Signed, wife of a professor who has a shifted daily schedule (but is there for the kids’ stuff.

          2. I think he needs to step up the evening homework and dinner duty if he wants to skip the morning routine. But if I don’t have court, I will stay up until 3 am getting work done and sleep to 10 am. Never have I ever woken up at 7 or 8 in the morning and started banging out a brief. That is only a midnight activitity.

          3. I’m a night owl. I do get up to say goodbye to my kids before they go to school, but I often go back to bed until ~10 am. I have a regular job (fully remote), but I rarely have meetings and can set my own hours if I’m generally available during core business hours of 10-3ish. DH does almost 100% of school drop offs (except when traveling) but I do almost 100% of school pick-ups. Kids are old enough to be pretty independent in the morning.

      2. Yeah this seems like the obvious answer.

        Maybe try something other than watching tv some of the nights? Just hang out and chat?

      3. I would be resentful if my husband was literally sleeping away the hours while my kids need a lot of attention and help. His schedule seems pretty extreme. Is that a problem in your eyes? My husband isn’t helpful with the kids in the morning but at least he drives them to school. To not even get up until 10 or 11am is crazy to me.

    2. Sounds like you need to spend quality time together and it’s good he’s paying attention to that. Book a sitter, get out of the house and go do something together. Staying connected is the key to a successful marriage, and so is listening to your partner.

      1. They’re already going out to eat once a week in addition to gardening 4 times a week and watching tv together every evening. That’s a lot of couple time for a family with 3 kids and 2 big jobs.

        1. If he’s asking something isn’t working. Ignore that at the peril of the marriage unless you don’t care.

    3. Tbh, the only issue I see here is that you are carrying way more of the household load than he is.

      Do you both feel like the TV at night is quality time? Or is he looking for something less passive to do together? Honestly, impressed by both your gardening and your weekly dates.

      Also, do you both have time to engage in personal things (hobbies, seeing friends, etc) without each other and your kids? Perhaps, leaning into this more would make you feel like he’s less dependent?

    4. maybe find something for the evenings to break up just watching tv together? I like puzzles and tea (or a glass of wine) and did date someone for a while who was happy to join for that and we ended up chatting and puzzling and it felt more connected without feeling like extra effort. It sounds like you have found solid chunks of time together for living a busy life with kids, he’s just not maybe feeling as connected during that time. So maybe a low key activity that’s not tv might leave him feeling like he is getting more attention during that evening time.

    5. We watch tv together as a way to stay connected also but it’s more like 1-2 shows at a time. Gives us something to discuss, frame of reference. Maybe add in restaurant dates or “learned something” dates every few weeks? Those are more bonding and fulfilling than TV.

      1. We did pub quiz, sometime solo, sometimes with friends / neighbors. It was more interactive and enjoyable than just looking forward at a screen.

    6. What if you do something more fun than TV? Play games, work on a jigsaw puzzle, do a yoga video?

    7. We substitute a board game or playing cards for TV some nights and it has helped DH and I feel more connected. I think asking your husband to rotate into morning routines 1-2 times a week would also help you want to connect more. That puts the ball back into his court.

    8. Since it sounds like he is doing almost none of the work of the kids or running the household, why not hand this to him to make concrete suggestions? Rather than making a vague complaint, ask him what “more time without the kids” would look like, and what arrangements HE would make to do it, including any needed childcare.

      1. My thoughts exactly. This is only an annoying request if it’s eating into your already limited free time and/or is one more thing that you’re expected to schedule. Otherwise, it’s nice to have a husband that wants to spend time with you, and really good if he can take something off your plate to make it happen.

    9. When you say you “have time to ‘garden'” does that mean you end up doing that four times a week? Or that you have time but your spouse overschedules himself so you don’t take advantage of those opportunities? If you are already gardening four times a week and going out to dinner once a week without the kids, I applaud you for being superhuman in my eyes.

      1. That seems like an awful lot of “gardening” to me. Maybe do less of that and go out to more concerts and shows or something else where you can have a shared experience and genuine connection?

          1. Gardening is not at all connective or bonding to me. The gardening in my marriage is excellent, but I feel the same about DH whether we garden or not. Because it’s bonding for him and I enjoy it, we do it regularly.

        1. You can be in the same room and not connect. OP should listen to her husband and they need to figure it out.

    10. Uhhh … I think you’re spending a lot of time together already. I would feel smothered by this request, but I recognize this is a very individual thing. Maybe less TV/more talking would help him feel more connected? But also, I’m finding the whole night owl thing pretty … off-putting. When do you get time to just be you, without your husband and kids up in your business?

      1. “Sure, but I need you to pick something to take off my plate to free up some time for this.”

    11. Gardening 4x a week seems so wild to me. I know there are people who enjoy that high frequency but to me it’s so, so much when you work and have young kids.

        1. That actually makes it harder for us! They are up later in the evenings and no weekend naptimes! And with 3 and no shared extracurriculars, they are rarely out of the house at the same time.

      2. Same here! We are empty nesters and my ideal gardening frequency is…not often. Maybe once a quarter? My spouse would be happiest with once a week. Four fricken’ times a week would have me running so fast to be single again.

        1. Everyone makes compromises but if I wanted something once a week and got it once every 3 months, I would be pretty sad.

    12. Why are you carrying 80% of the kids/home load, and is that sustainable?

      I think “I want to feel more connected with you” is a good starting point for a conversation, but it’s not okay if he’s just naming a problem and dumping the responsibility on you (We should connect more! … you do something about that). Let him bear some of the mental load of thinking hard about what that means and how to accomplish it in a way that works for your whole family.

      And yeah, he takes on XYZ sphere of household responsibility, handles both the planning and the execution, etc so you are not as mentally drained and maybe are up for a walk, or a do-art-together, or a look-at-our-wedding-photos-and-reminisce evening some weeknights instead of just TV sounds like a good starting point

      1. Sounds pretty great for the husband! No kid responsibilities, gardening 4x/week, keeping a night owl schedule, lounging around watching TV…

    14. I’d be annoyed that my husband gets all the quiet waking hours while I have to deal with all the hectic waking hours. I’d be annoyed that he wants more of me when he’s not taking anything off my plate.

      You two should talk about how he can take some of the load during his quiet hours. Maybe he packs lunches/snacks, packs sports equipment, takes out the trash, picks up common areas, and does a load of laundry at night? Anything else that can help you get out the door in the morning? Or that can help you get to bed earlier at night?

    15. When does he suggest that this more time be created/scheduled? I’d be irritated too if he just puts it out there that there’s “no time” with you but has no suggestions about where this time is suppose to be scheduled.

      Honestly if it was a flip remark, I’d be irritated as well – but he also perhaps means something different – like he wants more time spent in a different way. Like a new shared hobby or something. Like DH and I watch TV together, but hiking together on the weekends feels different and more quality time.

      But really he needs to take the lead on this, it’s a him thought. If DH said it to me when I was feeling regulated, I’d respond, “Okay, what would you like to do differently and when?” in a genuinely open way. It doesn’t mean you have to go along with whatever he says, but it’s a him problem so don’t solve it for him – make him come up with possible solutions.

    16. You need to sit this man down and discuss the division of labor in your relationship. He doesn’t get to have complaints about QT together until that’s righted. I am appalled by how many comments are just acting like this is okay!??

    17. I dont get all the focus on the OP’s husband waking up later in the morning. He is choosing to do his office work at 2am instead of 8am and that is not a huge issue. Kids and OP are off to school and work in the morning, so he is not skipping time with them. The morning routine (which I handle in my house with teen+tween kids) is not as intense as the dinner+homework+bed routine, since its only about a half hour tops in the morning from the time the kids wake up and get out the door, but perhaps OP’s kids have to be dropped off in the morning so that might be something additional on her plate.
      I agree that the ask should be – “I’d love to, but I’m overwhelmed with all these things I handle. Do you have any suggestions for taking stuff off my plate to make room for this?”
      One more insight from someone in a similar position – women get social input from friends, kids and many others, whereas many men may not have the same social connections, and may expect all their socialization to come from their spouse. Other than encouraging guys night out activities, having him spend time with a kid 1:1 may also fulfil his need for social connection and bonding time.

    18. What is the morning routine for you? The kids are old enough to get up, eat and get to school on their own. If they aren’t doing that, fix it. If you MUST drive them, that is a choice. Who made it?

  5. Once you’ve established your work wardrobe, how often do you buy new pieces? I’m 30, my size seems to have finally stabilized, and I’m at the government job I’ll likely stay at forever (after bouncing between a few jobs with wildly different dress codes in my 20s). I was just looking in my closet and realized I have way more work tops than I thought I did (and about half of them can be worn for fun too), but even so, things feel stale.

    I thrift over half of my clothes, so I’m not super worried about the environmental, ethical, or personal financial impacts of shopping more, but it still feels unnecessary. But also, my quarterly shopping trips are fun! New clothes are fun!

    My workplace is casual – jeans and sneaks are fine which doesn’t help me curb the desire to buy new things since a lot of what I wear to work I also wear out and about outside of work.

    1. When they start to look worn (pilly, saggy, faded) or I realize I never reach for the item and feel dumpy when I wear it. If I just feel blah about my choices I switch up jewelry and shoes.

    2. March is the worst month for this. Every March I want to burn my whole wardrobe and hate everything in it with a passion, and then in April I’m excited about my spring stuff that I can take out of storage. I sometimes window-shop for swimsuits during this time (OR go through my summer stuff and see what I can cull) or casually shop for winter stuff on clearance, BUT if you can ride it out for another few weeks, your wardrobe might feel ‘better’ with the change in seasons.

      1. I’m glad to know that it’s not just me! I just ordered a ton of new spring stuff because I hate everything in my closet.

        1. I literally put a reminder on my calendar to NOT buy any spring or summer clothes in March. I have plenty of spring-summer clothes, I’ve just forgotten about them.

          The urge to wardrobe refresh in March is strong!

    3. I buy a few new pieces every season, and replace things worn closer to the body (blouses/sweaters) more frequently. The big items I have shopped for recently are more midi skirts/dresses, new blouses to wear with the skirts, and replacement sweaters (the ones I bought during Covid are starting to wear/pill).
      Now is a fantastic time to buy sweaters/winter blazers/coats in natural fibers/from higher end brands as they’re all clearing out for spring stock.

    4. Generally buy stuff seasonally. Apart from replacements and emergency specific purchases, I will buy a few new items I’m excited about for fall, same for spring, post Christmas sales, then impulsive believing I will be an entirely different person for summer holidays. I buy more full price, and less on sale, so I get to actually wear it during the season it’s for rather than store it for the year.

    5. I tend to buy seasonally, based on whatever is a hole in my closet or has worn out or feels out of style.

    6. Your style may just be changing as you age. I have definitely bought more as my office/weight has changed, but there was definitely a period in my 30s (and 40s) where I just didn’t want to wear the clothes I had been previously wearing. If that’s where you are, I would try getting a few things that don’t feel like what you currently own.

  6. Work has been super slow lately (impacted by partial government shutdown), I honestly have very few things I can do. However, I do find when I have things to do I really struggle to get them done! The motivation and momentum are just not there. Any tips on this?

    1. Get evaluated for adhd? Seriously though “only being able to work under pressure” isn’t a personality trait it’s a symptom. There are ways without medication – gamifying it, chunking it, chaining it – but all the advice ultimately boils down to tricking your mind.

      1. That just isn’t true. Plenty of people aren’t going to be jazzed to work when it’s slow. OP, I just catch up on life, right now I’d do your taxes and figure out what else you can do you’ve been putting off.

        1. +1. It bugs me to see people complaining about something totally ordinary (being unmotivated when work is dull, needing to write a grocery list or they might forget an item) and then be told it’s a sign of ADHD. Not everything in the freaking universe is ADHD.

          1. All women between the ages of about 35-50 nowadays have ADHD, Ehler-Danlos syndrome, or aren’t eating enough protein.

            The solutions seem to be cottage cheese and pot gummies.

          3. I remember once reading here that using systems to stay organized was a symptom of ADHD.

          4. To be fair, a lot of 1970 “quirky” etc. would be ADHD, autism, or AuDHD now but at a place on a spectrum that is not what it once was, especially for girls, where you were just a lazy daydreamer or “weird.” Maybe the upside is that people finally get told it’s not their fault or a character defect?

          5. There are women at work who do this in a misguided attempt to bond. No, I don’t have ADHD and I don’t want to dabble in microdosing GLPs and no, I’m not perpetually cold. My body and health is off limits for discussion in the workplace.

    2. I think some things aren’t actually urgent and can be put on the backburner until they actually need to happen. I’m also not needlessly proactive.

    3. I set a timer and follow the pomodoro technique. You can’t do this all day every day, but when you need to get something done, it’s really helpful. Starting a project or transitioning between projects is often the hardest part.

    4. I have this experience, and it’s a lot worse for me when I’m not getting enough sleep. YMMV, but the best way for me to improve sleep is to just get directly into bed at 9pm, ignoring everything else in my life that needs to get done. A few nights of that usually gets me back on track.

    5. I worked in the government space so I know it can sometimes be like staring at the walls watching paint dry. I tried to fill my time with things I was interested in learning or reading. You’re probably just bored (and maybe a little apathetic). I found I would just stall the work time to do something because it was going to be another few weeks before I’d have another thing to do. And it’s not an environment that appreciates entrepreneurial ideas so even coming up with new projects would have often been dismissed.

  7. How do you balance discipline and fun/spontaneity in your life? I’m 32, single, childless, so I have lots of flexibility in how I spend my time and money. I still need to be responsible (need to tighten it up a bit financially) and I have work and personal (athletic) goals I’m working towards.

    In my early-mid 20s I worked super hard and just kept grinding, but then burnt out. So then I leaned into the spontaneity and hedonism which was great, but left me feeling a bit unfulfilled not making progress towards goals.

    I feel very strongly that life is short and meant to be enjoyed as much as possible, but also I know I need to be achieving things and making progress and challenging myself to be happy. And, a lot of the time the challenges are enjoyable to me, but the day to day habits that are also important (cleaning as I go, eating vegetables, that 6AM alarm to workout when I’m tired) are things I hate.

    1. Figure out your hard limits. In my case the whole week gets off balance if I don’t grocery shop and tidy up on Sundays. I’ve learned midweek alcohol always backfires. Are there hard and fast rules you can set for yourself that still allow flexibility most of the time?

    2. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I went from pressure cooker high school with a thousand extra curriculars and honors/AP classes to being a D1 athlete with a challenging major to a job with long hours to grad school and now I have a very easy life: I work 40 hours a week and make decent money, live alone, and can pretty much spend lots of time how I want to (hobbies, socializing, dating, vegging out).

      The first few years after grad school I vegged out too hard because it was the first time in my life I could since probably elementary school.

      I too need a challenge or something to work towards in order to feel fulfilled (gee, I wonder why), but I also don’t want to over do it. It’s really hard for me to calibrate the right level of “grind” at work, in workouts, and just in life. I feel bad about myself if I’m not working super hard, but I also don’t need to always be doing that. I don’t know, it’s weird.

    3. Contrary to popular belief, the most fun plans you can make are not spontaneous. Book a trip to climb a peak, go to a surf retreat, go tour the vineyards of France. You can be spontaneous once you’re there but the absolute best way to have more fun in your life is to make plans and put them on the calendar. They should be treated with the same importance as obligations.

        1. But you didn’t wake up on a Saturday and say what am I going to do today and hop on a plane to France. The point is to get things on the calendar and make them happen. And don’t book your hair appointments for 11 AM on a Saturday unless you want to guarantee that you’ll be staying home for that.

        2. If you think over the last ~year, what are the commonalities in what kind of spontaneous things you’ve done, and can you reduce the activation energy for them?

          For me, I love camping and having a “default kit” packed and ready to go makes me way more likely to do it. I also have a “frisbee at the park” backpack. Spending a little money to eg. have a water bottle dedicated to each kit so I’m not moving them around all the time is totally worth it.

    4. Hate seems like a strong word to use for everyday challenges like cleaning up after yourself or eating vegetables. Life isn’t meant to be enjoyable all the time. Why would it be? We aren’t living in paradise.

      1. Not every minute of every day is enjoyable, but parts of every day should be enjoyable!

      2. I get it, though. Honestly I hate having to spend time on my morning routine — shower, hair, makeup — even though I have it down to taking as little time as possible.

        I think the answer is to just make chores non-negotiable and enjoy the results. I have a bunch of routines like “close the kitchen after dinner so it’s ready for the morning” and it might be annoying at the time but it makes like easier overall.

        1. It’s so stupid, but I find that watching certain instagrammers do their kitchen or apartment “reset” is very soothing, so sometimes when I need to clean, I tell myself, Time to do the reset, and imagine I’m moving dreamily around my apartment making a reset reel, or whatever they’re called.

  8. Low stakes question here. What are your favorite dish towels? I usually get the ikea ones, but I am willing to try something new!

    1. I purely choose mine on looks, not functionality (they just don’t get used that much besides drying my hands – I don’t hand wash/dry dishes and I use rags for spills). So, I have splurged on some cute Anthro ones.

    2. I have been weirdly loyal to Crate & Barrel for years – it’s basically the only thing I buy there. They’re absorbent, wash well, have interesting patterns. I’ve gotten one from Geometry and that’s in our regular rotation (but a very different feel to the towel, it’s more like a hair towel). Also I’ve gotten some from Anthro. I hate tea towels with a fiery passion.

    3. I like Coucke. Reasonably priced European style. They have tablecloths as well.

    4. William Sonoma has nice ones. Everything else there is beyond my price range or not anything I need or would use, so they feel like a little splurge to me.

          3. You know, I worried that response wouldn’t land as intended, and it turns out I was right.

            Let’s try again: :)

    5. My favorites are locally made ones, whoever is making them on a loom and selling them at the farmer’s market or craft fair (this is not my answer for most things and I pass up nearly everything else at these types of markets, but I’ve had good luck with kitchen dish towels).

    6. These are for function, not looks, but: organic cloth diapers from Green Mountain. We have muslin flats and the birdseye flats. Actually absorbent, dry quickly, wash clean. Cheap. We have a stack and use several a day.

    8. I love this question. I only use ones that i have inherited (my grandma went into assisted living, my parents sold a weekend home) because i find the new ones are too thick. i like them really thin.

    9. I recommended Williams Sonoma above, but I’ve also recently been buying dish towels as small and relatively inexpensive souvenirs on vacation, and that’s been fun.

    11. Garner Thiebaut or ones I make myself. I took up weaving on a rigid heddle loom as a pandemic hobby and it stuck.

    13. Williams Sonoma will last forever. Otherwise get similar ones from a restaurant supply. I like a mix of cotton tea towels, absorbent cotton, and then some thin cotton towels for drying glasses

    14. All cotton, not «shiny» or stiff.

      I like classic check patterns on white, and quite like catering pro shop ones.

      I like them well used and washed without fabric softener.

  9. How many days a week do you workout and what do you do on your rest days? I workout 5-6 days a week (mix of strength, running, rowing, and playing sports) and I feel so “lost” on my days I’m not working out! I know rest is important (especially as I’m not in my 20s anymore) but I still struggle with off days.

    2. I am at about 40 minutes in the gym every other day right now. Illness, surgery and a few other things conspired to have me fairly deconditioned. There’s a huge chasm between what I’m doing and what I’m used to/would like to be doing, and I’ve always been active outdoors, not in the confines of a gym. Savor every moment you’re able to be active in your preferred way..

    3. I work out 5-6 days. My rest day is a walk in the woods or slow flow yoga via a utube video.

    4. I rest. That’s not a problem for me. Or I do household tasks that are not everyday, meet a friend for happy hour, schedule my rest day to coincide with evening museum hours and visit after work, see a play, read a book, give my dogs extra attention, try a new recipe, visit a specialty grocery store, etc. Or, as I said at the beginning, I rest.

      1. I also usually go for a walk on my rest days if the weather is decent. And then my usual stretching routine afterward, which takes about 15 minutes. My body does not thrive on days without movement.

    6. It depends on where I am with running and when it is in the equestrian competition cycle, but generally I run 3-4x a week, do a significant strength workout 1x a week, ride 3-4x a week, and try to do more restorative yoga or pilates at least 2x. I double up (e.g., AM run + PM ride) so I can preserve at least one day a week where I can do f**kall physically.

      If running and riding are both at the max, I’m so exhausted by the time I get to my one rest day a week that all I want to do is lie on the living room rug. I’ll take the dog for a walk at the park, or stroll alongside my husband if he’s golfing, but that’s about it.

      Honestly, you could reframe your expectations for your off days. Maybe you do an intentional activity that will support your recovery, like 30 minutes of yin yoga, meditate, short/easy hike, get a deep tissue message, session with a sports psych or mental performance coach, etc., if you want to have something scheduled that will be gentle on your body but still support your performance. Or you could continue working to reframe your mentality–you know the importance of recovery, so what it is exactly that you’re struggling with? Why exactly does not having a workout make you feel “lost”?

    7. Lost because you’re bored/have nothing to do? Or lost because you feel like you should be working out to maintain progress or whatever? I do non-workout things on my rest days like a music lesson, breakfast/dinner/happy hour with friends, see a concert, hang out in the park, etc, so I don’t feel bored. It’s rare I have a night or weekend day completely free, so when it happens I enjoy it. I also have a dog so I’m walking a couple of miles per day regardless. I don’t ever feel like I need to workout more, though to maintain fitness. I workout hard and the rest days are welcome.

    8. a good stretch or a walk is still a rest day. maybe a half hour you tube yoga? i would question though why you struggle…. like what do you mean by that?

    9. Try assisted stretch, if it’s available in your area, or a restorative yoga class, where the instructor helps get you into the position (with a lot of props) and then will sometimes deepen the pose with a little gentle pressure. Both leave me feeling like my body has moved, but in the coolest way. I sleep so well when I do either of these. Stretch Lab is one franchise that offers assisted stretching, but I’ve seen it be an add-on service at many gyms as well. Or, infrared sauna? Do something to help relax those muscles that are working so hard for you the other days of the week!

  10. I’m a longtime user of the Revlon dryer brush and am looking to upgrade. I’m overwhelmed by the multitude of options that Dyson and Shark offer. I’m thinking of getting the $400 Dyson bundle with brush and air styler. Are the more expensive options worth it?

    1. This exact question was asked and answered within the past two weeks. If you do a search, you should be able to find it.

      1. I’m team “why upgrade?” I love my Revlon dryer brush and am not interested in learning new tricks for my hair.

        1. The Revlon fried my hair. So did the Dyson, the Shark is just right. I like the flex style with the round brush – I rough dry 90% and then finish with the brush. Perfect blowout every day.

          1. This is fair. I only wash my hair twice a week and use my dry brush the day after once it’s air dried overnight.

      2. That was me last week. I got the shark flex style and so far love it. I just wish the brush was as big as the revlon. But no actual complaints! Revlon toasted my hair, too, and I like the temp control – it just feels way more gentle.

    2. Unless you know you want at least some of the various attachments (I could never get the curl attachment to work for me), I’d just get the Dry Bar blow dry brush. It’s a huge upgrade from the Revlon and I don’t need all the other bells and whistles.

    3. I am in the same boat. Where are you seeing a $400 Dyson bundle? I’m looking for the best deal on the air wrap, not just the hair dryer.

    4. I am in the same place. I just ordered the L’ange one so I will see if that is easier on my hair.

    5. I went on this journey. Loved Revlon, had to replace and went to the Shark, whatever version Costco sells. I do like it quite a bit, agree it’s more gentle but still effective. I use none of the attachments. I can’t see jumping up to the Dyson; I just don’t see what the value add could be.

    6. Yes, the $400 Dyson bundle is the way to go. Just did this exact update approximately 8 months ago. So totally worth it.

  11. How much would you pay a personal stylist to come to your home and, over the course of several appointments (3-4?), analyze your current wardrobe, identify gaps, and put together a “look book” of outfits with what you have + direct links to pieces that you’re missing?

    This service is offered by someone in my major city and it’s so compelling. I’m trying to figure out if her cost is worth it. This would be for 90% workwear / maybe 10% personal wear for date nights or whatever.

    3. A friend did this in the DC area and I think the fee was in the $2500 range plus clothing she bought. Her style really leveled up, though – if I were client-facing or in a sales role it would be a good investment.

    4. Omg, I would think this would be several thousand dollars. No way one person is doing all that work for a measly $1k!

      1. I agree $1k seems low.

        If you think how many hours of work you would need for this, with 3-4 one hour visits, plus the creation of a personalized analysis and look book that integrates your existing pieces, this could easily be around 10 hours of work. Assume a $250 per hour rate, and I’d think $2.5k would be the low end of what someone might charge.

    5. Thanks for the gut check! She’s quoting $1495 which feels reasonable for the service. Now I just need to decide if the service is valuable * to me *… which I continue to think it could be. Good to know the group doesn’t think I’ll be getting gouged at this rate!

  12. If you are obese, but 5 years away from Medicare and likely retirement, would you go on a GLP-1? Or not since you are likely going to need to stay on and it will likely be too expensive as a cash-pay person for years 5-to-whenever? IDK if it has been studied much in older populations, but I could see it being beneficial (lower BMI, more mobility, maybe lower risk of T2D and CKD and heart issues), but someone in my family is very nervous about going on a forever med because of cost, etc., even though there may be significant upsides. He thinks, “when I’m retired, I will go to the gym more.” IDK how often things are true; I know when I retire, I will travel and eat a ton of restaurant meals even if I do go to the gym more, so maybe no net change.

    1. Supposedly the pill version of Wegovy is coming down to $150/mo soon, but I think it’s one of those where you need to take it at the exact same time every morning before food so might be tricky. Losing weight can help bloodwork numbers a lot so I’d probably do now.

    2. Yes, the cost is like $150 a month and you more than pay for it in food cost savings. No question would I do it.

      1. This is really surprising — he thought it was more like $1,000 a month, which is a lot if you are working but even more if you are on a fixed income and retired. $150 seems do-able, especially if it could stave off conditions tanking your QOL as you age.

        1. Self-pay for Zepbound through Lilly (no insurance) is $450/mo for the highest doses. So still a lot, but less than $1000.

    3. There was a very preliminary study with data out just this week that when on maintenance, the control group took the same dose but less frequently and was still able to maintain the loss. I’m not sure how less frequent, as I caught the story on the fly this AM on the radio.

      Anecdotally, this has been true for me so this brief report on the news this morning really stuck out. Because I got a little lazy/forgot to look at the calendar, I got in the habit of taking a shot every 10-14 days vs weekly. I’ve been within 2 lbs of my low/goal even with the more spaced out medication. This is after a lifetime being overweight and then having a 90 lb loss on Wegovy that occurred over about 20 months. I’m 41.

      All that to say, the monthly costs may be 75% of what you’re calculating given this early data and my anecdata. It’s still expensive, I realize, but just something to think about!

    5. Yes. Odds are it will pay for itself. The complications of obesity as we age are not cheap and not fully covered by insurance either.

      1. Isn’t a big part of the reason insurance isn’t paying for it that the it doesn’t *pay for itself*, if you only count additional medical costs (ie it reduces risk of needing expensive heart attack treatment, but at an expected value lower than the cost of the drugs)

        I think it can be *worth it*, in that the improvements of quality of life matter, but financially, every single robust academic analysis I’ve seen suggests current prices fail the “saves $ in the long run!” test

        1. Paying for itself for us is not the same as paying for itself for insurance!

          Generally employer based insurance doesn’t worry too much about long term costs, because it doesn’t expect members will stay for the long term (they think some other future insurer, perhaps Medicare, will pay for the cancer or diabetes or cardiovascular emergency down the line, while they can pocket the difference between paying for e.g. prednisone vs. a biologic).

          Also if we’re paying $$$ where insurance is charged $$$$, that’s totally different math?

          Finally insurance simply doesn’t pay for a lot of the costs of disability. Patients do. So literally who cares if it doesn’t pay for itself in medical costs when it pays for itself in out of pocket costs?

    6. In the next five years, it’s only going to get cheaper and he’s only going to get closer to dying.

    7. Agree with the others here and would add:

      1. It seems silly to me to decline to improve your life/health now because you’re sure that in 5 years your insurance won’t pay for the thing you’ll be using. At absolute minimum, you get 5 years of improved quality of life. Also, 5 years from now, it’s very possible there will be a new drug (less expensive or covered by Medicare), costs will have gone down, Medicare will have decided to cover it after all, there will be new science on how to stay on track (meds, lifestyle, whatever) with the progress a GLP-1 gave you. Maybe he wins the lottery between now and then.

      2. If the GLP-1 works now, it’s likely to facilitate exercise now and also after retirement, by making it more physically comfortable to exercise. Much better to be in the position of having lost the needed weight and then using exercise to keep it off after stopping the GLP than to be 5 years older and just starting exercise to lose the weight. This Times article is on point, I think (gift link): https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/well/move/exercise-weight-loss-drugs-wegovy-ozempic.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Q1A.SaEc.x_5hr-YUYQeK&smid=url-share

    8. Yes. And
      – fastest growing market is older people
      – GLP-1s have been around for 25 years
      – prices are dropping and new meds are in the pipeline
      – compounded meds are still an option

      Last, and most importantly, do what is best for your health NOW. Don’t let your health decline in your older years, things can change fast. Give yourself the gift of improved health now. Good luck OP!

    9. You don’t get to make the choice to go on a GLP for someone else. Odds are that he isn’t telling you his complete thoughts on the matter and that’s okay.

        1. “but someone in my family is very nervous about going on a forever med because of cost, etc., even though there may be significant upsides. He thinks, “when I’m retired, I will …””

          I could be wrong, but this sounds like the family member is five years out from retirement, not OP.

    2. That doesn’t surprise me, this admin is closely tied to Silicon Valley. What does surprise me is the number of people who kept other jobs while working for the government – there is no way there aren’t conflicts of interest. Past administrations required people to step down from outside employment concurrent with public service.

  14. Sorry Q for the teen parents – when do you start with SAT prep for your kid? I think our school has some required testing for sophomores for ACT and SAT so I guess summer between 9/10? Is Kaplan or Princeton better?

    1. I have a teen with ADHD and autism, who is planning on college. Large public high school where the counselors deal more with arrests, drugs, pregnancy, and ICE, so no bandwidth for this. We wanted more runway in case we needed it. We used a local service for SAT testing and started spring of sophomore year because we wanted to be done junior year so that kiddo could get a solid sense of what was realistic and work on common application over the summer so it’s all done before senior year. Kiddo’s likely field of interest is “impacted” and some schools award spots based in part on SAT scores, even if the school as a whole is test-optional. We feel a bit more confident since we know of scores that seem to be at/above requested scores. We are not looking at the most selective (HYP) schools.

    2. We started summer between 10-11. He took a group class in August, first ACT in September of 11th grade. Focused tutoring based on results of first test in January, a couple practice tests too. Second test in February. Scored 36 on the second test.

      1. There is a book that the college board sells with practice tests in it and their website is helpful. For our kid, going to a local class where you met weekly for about 6 weeks and took a practice test, diagnosed weak spots and testing strategies, and then worked a test a week was helpful (especially since it was third party adults telling them something vs me telling them something). A local company / guys did all this and it worked well for us and wasn’t expensive. Our school did nothing at all.

      2. I’d encourage them to take a practice test, and then let them drive the bus on whether studying for the SAT (versus other things they could do with their time) is important to them.

        If the stakes are higher for them (ie, they’re not going to college without a merit scholarship), then I’d definitely tell them that so they can factor it in.

    4. Summer after sophomore year. The 10th grade PSAT is useless and counts for nothing, so I’d ignore that one and have them be fresh off the prep for the PSAT/NMSQT at the beginning of junior year and to give them a couple of chances at the SAT. Best to have the SAT score you want in the books by the end of junior year.

      I taught for Kaplan ages ago and honestly the curriculum was pretty weak. There are some specialized math and English review books out there that are better than either Kaplan or Princeton Review if your student needs review of concepts. The very best prep is working through real SAT problems and then reviewing detailed explanations (not the Khan Academy explanations) for any you missed.

      1. Conversely, taking the 10th grade PSAT is how I realized I was within range for qualifying for a national merit scholarship. That motivated me to study hard for the next PSAT in 11th grade at which time I became a national merit scholar and received a full ride scholarship to multiple colleges. That little test in 10th grade set my course in life and allowed to me graduate debt free from undergrad.

  15. If anyone can recommend a great travel agent in the Twin Cities area (MSP St. Paul) please drop their name. Thank you!

  16. Any recommendations for travel to New Orleans and Mobile for Easter and the week after? I think some things may shut down a bit for Easter. Last minute spring break trip because DH is now nervous about going to southern Europe. We can look at some colleges and I’ve been before (but for riotous living, not a family trip).
    Ideally, NOLA has a Garden District hotel with some sort of mini-kitchen or even a quieter part of the FQ. I’ve stayed in the Warehouse District before (Hampton Inn) and loved how easy it was to talk to things from there.
    I like the Malaga Inn in Mobile from past trips.
    Is Dauphin Island a good beach trip in early APril and would you stay there?

    1. Hi from a New Orleans local! For Easter weekend, I would head to New Orleans. There is an Easter parade in the French Quarter. It’s not Mardi Gras, but businesses will be open, and the atmosphere will be festive. (Last year I looked into an Easter weekend trip to Mobile, and I got the impression that things were shut down Sunday and Monday.)

      The following weekend (April 10-13) is French Quarter Fest. It’s my favorite of the New Orleans festivals. The weather is typically fantastic, and up on the levy (Waldenberg Park), you get a nice breeze. There’s lots of live music, most of it by local bands. It’s free to enter, no tickets or reservations required, and you can come and go as you please. Dozens of local restaurants set up booths to sell food, and alcoholic beverages are available to be enjoyed outdoors.

      If you want to go to Mobile during the week, there’s a new Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile that people are really enjoying. As for Dauphin Island–it might still be a little chilly for the beach/ ocean (but you’ll probably be fine if you’re coming from somewhere like the Midwest or New England), and it might be a bit boring for the kids.

      The Garden District hotel The Chloe would be awesome–it has a great restaurant and a pool. The only hotels with a kitchenette that I’m aware of are the large-brand “suite” hotels near the Convention Center – Homewood Suites, Doubletree, Hyatt House, Hampton Inn & Suites. These are perfectly serviceable and convenient but lack the character and charm.

      If you want more specific recs, I’m happy to say more!

  17. anyone else watching Bridgerton? the problem with making Michael Michaela is that in the regency period John would have married Michaela, not gone looking for Francesca.

    1. Bridgerton is basically fantasy, you can’t try and apply a historic lens to it or it all falls apart. It’s just fun. The furniture/fixtures are alll over the place in terms of period and the costumes are a wild ride of polyester.

    3. Well, I think the deceased Earl or some solicitor messed up by not including a status check of Sophie before annual disbursement of funds to Araminta.

    4. Its one of the many problems that gender swapping Michael/Michaela has, but its not like in the regency era people *only* married their first cousins. It was common but not exhaustively so.

    5. The level of historical inaccuracy about social conventions and laws (and the internal inconsistency between situations and seasons) is one of the many reasons I stopped watching mid-way between the third season. I do not mind the racial diversity (although I would have wished that they simply engaged in race blind casting and not come up with a completely unrealistic rationale behind it), but the changes they made to the books’ story lines were not an improvement.

      If someone was going to be gay, it should have been Eloise and I really hated what they did to Frannie and John’s relationship. (Not the mention the complete character assassination of Anthony and Penelope.)

  18. Petty grievance of the day. At a meeting a few weeks ago I thanked the woman chairing for keeping us on track and commended her excellent cat herding skills. She did the whole playing dumb ‘what does that mean?’ thing and made me explain the idiom in the meeting and it was awkward. The chair just emailed me and USED THE IDIOM, rage.

    1. Maybe she really didn’t know what it meant and assumed it was something sexist? Idk, but that’s weird.

    2. Is it possible she didn’t know what it meant then but is using it now that she learned it? Seems strange that she’d play dumb

        1. +1

          I thought the same.

          OP – I had no idea what you were talking about, and it definitely can come off differently than you intended. If I had heard you say that, I would have also thought you were saying something a little inappropriate about the attendees. Of course I have no idea what sort of meeting or its formality, but maybe slow you roll. Rage? Really? Yes, now I do wonder a bit about you.

    3. She might have been annoyed you were complimenting her admin-related skills, because women generally get recognized for only this and not our more substantive skills. It might have been a subtle push-back on you.

      1. That’s how it read to me. “Good job being a senior leader! You did great admin work.”

    4. Tone is so important here. This conversation reminds me of the times where two hetero couples go on a double date. The guys get along well and don’t notice how their wives are sniping at each other all night. On the ride home, the guy is dumbfounded to learn that no, she didn’t think my bag was super cute, that was a backhanded insult, didn’t you hear the way she said it?
      I am going to assume OP knows the chair better than we do. OP, that sounds annoying.

  19. Any recommendations for tank tops (not camisole-style) with a built-in bra or some support? They would just be for sleeping/wearing around the house.

      1. +1 to uniqlo – also check out OGL? I haven’t bought yet but they have a lot of nice styles.

  20. I have been touring colleges with my teens. I went to college (small state college) in the 1900s, as the kids say. When we go, I try to buy a local news paper and pick up any student publications (to see what they are complaining about — if safety, that is something I pay attention to; maybe overcrowding in dorms or freshmen having to live in hotels due to unexpected yields in admissions).

    One thing that has surprised me is many lengthy screeds attacking student government. It doesn’t seem to matter what school we are at. I feel that student government in high school and college are sort of the same: many kids do for box-checking and a few kids do a lot of meaningful work (dealing with concerts or stuff that actually has a meaningful impact on students). It’s often fluff and generally thankless. But not anything odious or screed-worthy. Is this just how it is in 2026? Or just youth wanting to stick it to the man (even if “the man” is some other kid in your dorm)?

    Randomly: a couple of schools have had truly delightful stops at the cafeterias where a trained chef talks meaningfully about dining options, how they take care of students and pay attention to the academic calendar, and how they buy locally and cook from scratch (and these were not fancy schools, just regional small colleges).

    1. They see their parents complaining about the government and think that’s just what you do. Outrage is very trendy right now.

    2. Some schools actively push their students into this with the belief that responsible citizenship means protesting, not building a better society through government and service. What you are reading is reflective of the campus culture.

      1. +1 million. This is a red flag signaling what the entire undergraduate experience will be like. Not all colleges are like this. Keep looking if it’s not the environment your kids want.

    3. My huge flagship uni has a shadow org that’s very tied to Greek life and is a pipeline to state level republican elected office. This organization cultivates and runs candidates for student government in very shady ways. This isn’t a university sanctioned organization, but it’s been around for generations and remains influential.

          1. All the big souther unis probably have one, but I’m talking about Burning Spear/FSU.

    4. I follow my alma mater’s newspaper and it’s a LOT of articles that are basically complaints about this activity or that club or this situation. I don’t take it very seriously. For every 19yo who wants to burn it all down over the lack of ice cream flavors, there are a dozen on their dorm floor who think they need to relax a little. There aren’t that many complaints about college government, but I expect there would be if the college government was responsible for running more student activities.

  21. College admissions people — my teen is getting bombarded with marketing materials via e-mail, text, and mail after taking the ACT. For schools that weight demonstrated interest in admissions, what are you looking for. Clicks? I feel that if he doesn’t open and quickly delete each day’s e-mails and texts, he will drown and miss school and club and other timely info. We have visited 5-6 schools of top interest. I don’t have the bandwidth for anything more — other schools he can look at online.

    2. Huh?
      You deal with promo email like with all other email – you create filters for .edu in Gmail or whatever email provider you use, have this go into a folder, and have your kid screen through that folder once a week. If there are any schools that you don’t want to be sorted away that way (e.g. your 5 favorites, or any big names you want to not miss), exclude those from the filter.

    3. This is not what anyone means by “demonstrated interest.” They mean things like touring.

    4. Read Who Gets In and Why – a lot of this is to encourage candidates to apply, even if they don’t actually have the spots for them. My kid started getting mailings in 8th grade (not a flex, I find it sooooo creepy to market a college to a 13 year old).

      1. There’s a well intentioned line of reasoning that sending college mailings to 8th graders encourages some students to think about college as an option for them when they otherwise wouldn’t. I know the mail is really annoying, but if it inspires some kids I can’t really find it in my heart to complain.

      2. Cynical take: the best strategy for a college is to really encourage marginal kids to apply. Most of them don’t have a chance at getting in, and an admissions officer can skim their file in five minutes flat before tossing it in the rejection pile.

        The benefit to the school is inflating their application numbers and decreasing their acceptance rate.

        1. I had to bite my tongue to avoid explaining this to my SIL when she was convinced that Harvard was “recruiting” her son by sending him mail. No, they don’t want your mediocre student to go there. They want him to apply to pad the denominator in their acceptance rate.

        2. Yeah, this is exactly what I’m saying. My kid is not marginal and the mail is coming from known application-inflators (U of Chicago, etc.) All it’s done is push up the timeline for our discussions about ROI for degrees.

  22. Why, in 2026, am I having to explain to staffers who are younger than I am how to download, complete and save PDF forms so they remain editable? This seems like very basic computer literacy. I’m so tired of having to handhold my team through simple tasks. I’ve told them what I want, they want me to troubleshoot it for them instead if figuring it out themselves, it’s so frustrating. Arghhhhhhh

    1. I think many office people don’t have to regularly do this, but if it’s a regular thing in your office, I understand the annoyance. They’ll figure it out.

    2. There’s literally a meme about how millennials have had to teach both boomers and gen z how to do this.

      1. Really? Haven’t seen it. I, a Boomer, am the Acrobat expert in my office. I usually start by subtly emphasizing that it’s not actually called “Adobe,” which drives me nuts.

    3. They are literally not teaching this in schools any longer. I have had to show my kids file structure, naming conventions, Excel shortcuts and ‘basic’ computer literacy. They also aren’t googling how to do this stuff and if ChatGPT/AI can’t tell them they act like the entire rest of the internet doesn’t exist as a learning option.

      1. So annoying that students are both using technology a lot more and somehow worse at it??

    4. I wish I knew. Problem solving seems to be a lost skill and help the world if any of these kids ever rise to power.

    5. IT person here. It’s not entirely on them. Many places either configure browsers to be the default pdf viewer to save money or a browser prompts users to make it the default and they do without thinking. Other organizations, in an attempt to save money, only enable Acrobat as a viewer and the person doesn’t know they have to ask for Adobe Pro. Depending on how the pdf was created/handled/filled out before the recipient got it, they can get squirrely. Pdfs are awesome much of the time, but when things go sideways, it gets painful.

      1. Right. In my 20 years in work I’ve been at the mercy of whatever the job decides to pay for at any given time re PDF technology. Some years you want an edit and we lost that ability for reasons?? We’re printing it, whiting out a portion, and taping a new portion over the old portion.

        1. You can do more than you might think for free in Acrobat via their website. I was shocked that I could use their website to turn a PDF into a word doc for free recently, that did NOT used to be a feature.

          1. Yes, but you get one or 2 per month before you either have to buy or wait till the next month. It’s a good way to sell the product, but not much more than that.

          2. Who uploads company data to the Adobe website, though? That wouldn’t be ok anywhere I’ve ever worked.

      1. agree. I’ve been using Adobe throughout my career and the dropoff in usability over the past few years is remarkable.

        1. So glad to hear others say this. I feel like a dinosaur now, but I don’t think it’s really on me. . .

      3. Yeah. I pay for the damned thing for my small business, and every time I have to actually use it (not just for reading or signing) I’m annoyed by how illogically it’s laid out. “Curated PDF Spaces”? What the hell?

        PS I’m Gen X and very computer literate. I could build the computer I’m using to respond here. But I don’t want to have to re-invent the wheel every time I do a task that is not central to my business. I just want it to be easy.

      1. But they don’t need anyone to teach them–they should be able to click buttons or do a web search to figure it out, just like we GenX dinosaurs do.

  23. does anyone have a heated eyelash curler? Thoughts? Is it scary to use? (I have very sensitive eyes)

    2. No but I’ll sometimes blow hot air from my hair dryer onto my eyelash curler for a makeshift one (obviously, you ahve to be careful with this.)

    3. I recently read (wish I could find the source) that eyelash curlers of any type cause about 20% more lash loss vs someone who doesn’t use one. So that alone is sobering, and I don’t think I’d want to add heat to the mix. I like my Shiseido curler just fine, but I may use it less going forward.

  24. Try asking yourself not just what he wants and if it is fair. What do you want? When I look at your schedule, what I would crave would be time alone. I am not saying you should feel the same, but just wanted to put it out there

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