Coffee Break: Wallice Mule

67 Comments

1. I can tell you what happened here – even if you’re cool with mules (which I realize are coming back), these are a fairly fugly pair.

   1. +1

      1. Is it the colors, or style? Everyone on MUA is getting them so I thought maybe I am just tragically unstylish.

         1. It looks like something grown up Xenon would wear. This color is bad.

            1. Zoom Zoom Zoom
               Make my heart go
               Boom Boom
               My Supernova Girl

               I unabashedly love Zenon and that era of Disney Channel original movies.

            2. Xenon FTW.

            3. Me too, TrianglePose. I also like the smart house movie A LOT.

   2. Hideous. Fugly is too nice.

      1. Indeed.

2. If you wear trouser socks with these why not just give up and start wearing skorts and scrunchies

   1. Yes, do not wear trouser socks with these. Please. Tights, MAYBE? I don’t know what would work best here besides bare feet.

      1. Bare feet only is the rule for mules.

         Not a shoe for February for most of us.

         I love mules because of my triangular shaped narrow feet. But as with all shoe styles you must be selective.

         Definitely not work appropriate for me.

   2. Sloan Sabbath, I love mules, and I also love schrunchies! I am not sure how many women are like me, but the manageing partner says he has his hand’s full between me and Margie (his young wife), b/c we both love to shop for clotheing that he does NOT particularly like. But he has learned to live with our taste’s which differ from him.

      Anyway, I wanted to report to the hive that a grungy man with a dirty mustache was VERY rude to me on the bus today. He kept stareing at me (I was standing and he was sitting in front of me). He kept looking at my waistline and up and down to my boobies, but would NOT make eye contact, preferring instead to stare and was very likely thinking of doeing things that are unmentionable on this websight. FOOEY! I had to take a bus to work b/c I was late for a depo. I had to explain to my dad why I did not do my 10,000 steps — he called my office by 11am to scold me. FOOEY! I wish he would not track me like some kind of bait. If onley a young and handsome prince was so interested in my whereabout’s I would be a lot better off. But there is no one who cares like my dad! YAY!!!!

3. Unless you live in Palm Beach, please, just no to mules. I am still recovering from a co-worker who used to clomp down the hall circa 2002. No. No. No.

   Who has attractive heels? That’s right, nobody.

   There are so many cute shoes in the world. Wear those. Let the mules go.

4. My 91yo nana used to own these.

   She got rid of them. “So dated, dear.” was her response.

5. I just did my first barre class today. I’ve gained 15 pounds and feel generally crappy and out of shape. I know losing the weight is mostly about diet for me, but feeling strong and fit from working out gets me in the right head space to eat well.

   For those of you who have done barre, have you been happy with your results? Does it get more enjoyable after the first class or two? I’m just really tired and spent a lot of time focused on doing the right movements, so it wasn’t awesome but I see potential.

   1. I enjoyed barre but did not do it long enough to see results. Ultimately, what kept me from going back is that it took much time out of my life for me to sustain long-term. I have young children and could only work in a 6 am class, which is just way too early for me – that, plus driving to the class annoyed me. I’m getting very good results with doing Fitness Blender workouts at home, 30 minutes 4 days a week. And i’m saving so much time.

      If you feel you can consistently make it to the classes, I think it can be a great workout.

   2. I know people that love it, but I could never get into it. I need to do true cardio/HIIT/running to feel like I’m getting a workout and I only have so many hours in the day. I didn’t get any of the stress release or endorphin rush from barre.

      Long story short, it may not be for everyone. Find an exercise form you love and you’ll do it more.

   3. I really love barre. I’ve not been able to do it for months due to some serious health issues, but I was doing it 5-6 times a week from May to September. I felt strong, my mental health was good, it was a nice break, and da*n did my arms and legs look good.

      You’ll figure out the moves. I sometimes still look like a fish out of water. But so does everyone else. After the figures our what in the world I was doing it got better and I loved it.

   4. I absolutely love barre classes. In January 2014, I started barre classes three times a week MWF at 5:30 AM and saw noticeable results by mid-April. At first, they were extremely hard, particularly the pilates style floor exercise part, planks, etc. I live less than one mile from the barre classes and had trouble carrying on a conversation because I still felt physically exerted after arriving home. It was odd – not out of breath, just kind of shaky.

      Anyway, they cancelled the 5:30AM slots and I could no longer attend. Twice a week did not work for me. Three times was the magic number.

      I’m onto weight training and running but sure miss the barre classes.

   5. I never got into it. I’d rather do hot vinyasa (flow) yoga. I feel like I got way better abs doing that than barre, which really just felt like doing various ting movements in high heel position on my toes. I tried different studios and stuck to it for at least 2 months each but it just didn’t stick. To each her own. I have a friend who LOVES it.

      1. ting=tiny*

   6. I LOVE barre. I started in January 2017 and now go to 4 – 5 classes per week. I imagine it depends on the studio and your overall familiarity with group exercise and pilates-type movements, but for me, it took about ten classes before I understood what the heck was going on. It took a couple of months before I finally understood how to position my body to actually do the work correctly. I am amazed at how much stronger I am now than I was a year ago. And it’s good for me mentally/emotionally, too. Some of the big barre chains have a cardio offering which might be helpful for the weight loss part of your goals.

      Give it a month – you’ll know by that point whether you like barre or not.

   7. I’m intrigued by barre, but do ballet classes instead.

      1. Same. I might try a barre class someday just to see what it’s like, but I’ve been told that if you’re used to ballet classes, barre is both familiar and very strange.

   8. I love them! I did them for about 6 months last year (3-4x/week) and then re-aggravated an old knee injury (hiking, not barre) and had to stop in June. I then moved and started law school, and just signed up in January for more barre classes, which I’ve been doing 3-4x/wk. Once you know what the movements are, it gets much easier. I haven’t seen a huge weight loss, personally, but I have seen a huge change in muscle, in terms of more toned arms and legs and being able to hold a plank for so much longer. But I’m also a believer that weight loss comes from the kitchen, not the gym.

   9. I love barre! I got 3-4 days a week and also mix in yoga and cardio. It has made a huge difference in my physique – I’ve lost a size and gotten so much stronger plus arm, shoulder and core definition. Keep it up!

   10. I have been going twice a week for years and LOVE it. I also run or walk two days a week to get some cardio. I am toned and very happy with the results.

       That being said, I have never done it for weight loss purposes, so I can’t comment there.

6. Any recommendations for a layover hotel at Heathrow?

   Still finalizing flights but it will either be a short overnight (9pm – 11am) or short daytime (8am- 1pm) layover. Something with a pool preferred so that the kids can tire themselves out.

   1. So at night you don’t have time for pool time. You’ll be at that hotel at10:30pm at best and leaving around 8 am. During the day, 8-1 is not enough time to leave the airport.

      1. Sorry I wasn’t clear – those the actual times we’d be at the hotel, accounting for checking in/out and security etc. It’s not an 11am flight or 1pm flight. Was hoping to let the kids swim in the pool on the morning after the overnight before we have to get on the second long haul part.

         1. Oh oh gotcha sorry!

            1. I’ve stayed at both the Sofitel (in Terminal 5) and the Sheraton, and I have a strong preference for the Sofitel. Not sure if it has a pool, though.

   2. I had a good experience at the Renaissance Heathrow. They had a reliable and easy shuttle back and forth to Heathrow (where there is also a Tube station if you have time to go into the city). The hotel restaurant had a huge menu, and it was decent as far as hotel food goes.

      1. Do not take the Tube to the City. Take the Heathrow Express. The Tube is like 1.5 hrs each way and stops every ten feet. The HE goes straight to Paddington.

7. These look nearly identical to my 95 year old grandmother’s Daniel Green slippers from the Vermont Country Store. She’s been wearing them for so many years that they’re part of her identity.

   https://www.vermontcountrystore.com/leather-skimmer-slippers-for-women/product/54912

   1. +1 – my grandmother wore the same slippers from Vermont Country store in blue for decades.

8. PSA: If you are in DC, go take a quick walk outside right now. It’s amazing. Mood instantly improved.

   1. Yes! Went on a 40 minute walk over lunch – amazing.

   2. And it is literally freezing (at least overnight) in the Bay Area. What gives?

      1. It’s snowing on and off in Seattle.

   3. It’s 60 in NH today. This is seriously bizarre.

      1. 74 in Pittsburgh….and it snowed on Sunday.

         1. Balmy 75 in Indy! Back to the 40s tomorrow.

         2. We had snow Saturday into Sunday too.

   4. 78 with 60% humidity here. Not that I’ve left the building…

9. Can anyone tell me what to expect from CBT therapy for general anxiety? What actually happens in terms of visits- what type of discussions and work? I’m sure it varies by both therapist and client, but looking for very general info. Thinking about taking this first step!

   1. For me, it’s always involved “talking back” to whatever thoughts. So when your mind says you can’t/aren’t qualified/will screw it up, you challenge it. Challenging can either take the form of “yo self, prove I’ll screw up – ya can’t, huh?” or “ok, so what if that happens? then what?” When I first learned about CBT, it sounded like this big involved thing, but in my experiences, at least, it’s always just involved talking back to the thoughts in my head. You’ll get homework to write down your thoughts and your challenges to them. CBT’s been super helpful for me.

   2. It’s going to be great! Yay therapy!

      In session we do a lot of close reading of my feelings. Like, “you’re anxious that you’ll fail. is failing itself the problem, or would something bad happen after? what? why?” etc. etc. to a very granular (?) level. And then we talk about ways those thoughts might not make sense (‘would you really lose your job? would your family really disown you? if they did, what would that say about them? would you call a friend who failed once a failure?’) etc., and come up with ways to to counter those thoughts.

      My therapist gave me a lot of homework when we started out (at my request — I know that not everyone works that way); exercises of actually writing down what was going on in my head, and writing down responses to the things that weren’t actually true or helpful. I found the whole thing really empowering, like “these thoughts aren’t the boss of me!”

10. I’m finishing my part-time MBA program in August and, because I simply can’t WAIT to be done, I’m starting to plan a vacation for myself to celebrate. Does anyone have recommendations? Here’s a little about me/what I’m looking for:

    -Away 4-5 nights over Labor Day weekend or late August
    -Leaving from Washington, D.C.
    -Solo female traveler
    -Somewhere quiet and calming where I can finally RELAX and read something other than HBR articles, extra points if it’s on a beach
    -Cheap is great (student loans are coming knocking soon) but I’d be willing to spend up to $1500 on this trip
    -Not essential but preferred for it to be all-inclusive
    -I don’t mind flying somewhere if it fits in the budget above

    Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

    1. Me, too! After two solid years of two classes a term with no breaks, I am SOOOOO ready to be done. I find myself planning my life post-program, too. You are so smart to get it early (assuming youth due to loans coming due). I’m in my forties with a pretty demanding job and a teenager – what was I thinking? No advice, but enjoy your trip!

    2. Maryland or Delaware beaches. Get an air bnb with a balcony overlooking the beach and, if you’re in OCMD, get steamed crabs delivered from Belly Busters.

       Virginia wine country – Loudon County area. Pretty countryside and possibly less expensive over Labor Day because everyone’s at the beach.

       Fingerlakes NY. A road trip around the lakes would be a great solo trip.

    3. Eastern shore of MD would probably be cheapest option that checks your boxes – I think there is a Hyatt resort in Cambridge, MD that is all-inclusive. For nicer beaches, maybe see if you can find a good deal in Hilton Head, SC? Might be outside of your budget though for Labor Day weekend.

11. I could just use some healthy vibes today. I had my IUD removed about two weeks ago to TTC and have had severe bleeding ever since– lightheadedness, low blood pressure, low hemoglobin, the works. My doctor is putting me back on HBC to get the bleeding under control because as it is, I can’t even stand up without feeling faint. I’m bummed about delaying TTC for a couple of months but more generally scared and frustrated by this situation. I feel like crap and I’m concerned that when I go off HBC again, I’ll be right back in the same boat with no answers.

    Add on to that a crazy demanding big law schedule and an impending move, and I just want to crawl in a blanket. Making excuses at work is getting harder because I LOOK fine and clearly don’t have the flu, so saying I’m working at home or have a doctor’s appointment but without further explanation probably comes off a little weird. Really what I need is to just cut back to a normal human level of hours so that I can take some time in the evenings to rest, but I’m not coming up with an okay way to implement that.

    1. Sending good vibes your way. I know how hard it is to find balance, and how frustrating it is to run into issues TTC. Hope the short term HBC is helpful for you!

    2. Also in Biglaw so I know how hard this type of thing is. It might be worth going to Legal HR or your firm’s equivalent and saying you have a medical issue that you need to address and are addressing and see if they can run interference for you on your bigger matters. My firm would not hesitate to do this and probably wouldn’t even ask for a doctor’s note, but your firm may differ.

    3. Would also recommend you get a second opinion on the bleeding issue. You shouldn’t be bleeding so much that you’re lightheaded, low blood pressure, etc. just due to hormones. You might want to see someone to make sure there is no perforation.

       1. +1. I have had extremely heaving bleeding before, but it doesn’t make me lightheaded or give me low blood pressure like actual blood loss would. I would get a second opinion.

       2. Thanks, this is a good point. I have been to the ER, urgent care, and my regular doc and none of them suspect perforation because the truly heaving bleeding took several days to start. But I will be following up in a few days if the hormones don’t resolve the issue. I’m definitely nervous about what else could be causing this.

    4. This is a know your office thing, but this is not something to be embarrassed about and telling the right secretary or partner the truth of what is going on and they can cover for you. The biggest thing is you need someone in authority that knows the truth and can convey sufficiently yes, you are out of commission and no, there are no more details. Also, please get a second opinion ASAP and talk to them about when you need to go to the ER for a transfusion.

       1. You also don’t have to say you are TTC, you can say that you are switching medications and are having some of the following issues. Up to you if you even want to mention birth control. I don’t think anyone will follow up to inquire.

          Good luck with all this, it’s definitely stressful but hopefully something that resolves quickly.

    5. I suggest saying that you have “vertigo” – it encompasses dizziness and light headedness, which are your symptoms, and can onset suddenly. It would explain your having to go in for tests and work from home due to the lightheadedness. My dad was recently diagnosed with vertigo and he gets lightheaded at unexpected times. He is undergoing some tests to figure out why – so it all fits. Good luck!

    6. I had a copper iud removed and had two very early (only I knew i was pregnant) miscarriages right after. 3rd time was a charm & baby was healthy. But, my point is, TTC immediately after the iud removal wasn’t my greatest move. A few months is probably better. That said, I am sorry for your inexplicable bleeding, it’s so frustrating and uncomfortable.

    7. At the risk of sounding insensitive, I’ll share that I had mine taken out after 4 years in December, 1st period Jan 3, and conceived mid-Jan. I don’t say this to rub anything in your face, but know that good results are possible.

       Stress is unavoidable, but please take care of yourself. Hugs and good vibes.

    8. At the risk of sounding insensitive, I’ll share that I had mine taken out after 4 years in December, 1st period Jan 3, and conceived mid-Jan. I don’t say this to rub anything in your face, but know that good results are possible.

       Stress is unavoidable, but please take care of yourself. Hugs and good vibes.

12. Just say no to mules, problem solved!

13. Mules are not a shoe that belongs in Corporate America. If you work in a creative industry they may work, but they are not see as a shoe for business and may damage your career wearing them. We have to take care of our personal brand image. Deviations confuse people.

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