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Weekend Open Thread

Nordstrom Tissue Weight Wool & Cashmere Wrap | CorporetteI got one of these tissue weight wool cashmere wraps during one of the spring sales, and have been wearing it everywhere — the weight is perfect for fall, and a wrap/scarf is one of my favorite things to take with me out the door when I'm not sure if I need a jacket or not. (I have yet to master the headscarf so that I look more Audrey, less babushka, but hey, I am part Polish, and if it's raining out I'll still put it on over my head too!) The wrap is 40% off and available in a zillion fun colors still. Nordstrom Tissue Weight Wool & Cashmere Wrap Psst: Note that Nordstrom is offering triple points through 9/20 — note that a number of makeup brands (Clinique, Lancome) are also offering gifts with purchase. Nice. (L-3)

Sales of note for 12.5

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

115 Comments

  1. I just bought this, it arrived this morning! Warning, I got the blue tourmaline color that is pictured on the model here; it is much more blue than green (unless they sent me the wrong color, I only had time to open the box and peek at it and didn’t check the packing list). It’s very pretty but not the green-that-goes-so-great-with-my-green-eyes I had hoped for.

      1. I agree. I love the color on my screen. Let us know what you think after you get a better look.

        1. Pulled it out of the package today, it’s the right color and it’s definitely a soft blue, no green about it. (It probably really is “blue tourmaline.”) Very pretty, but not what is pictured, at least on my screen.

    3. I have one of these in periwinkle. I love it, but I have to say, it is truly tissue weight. Very easy to stick a fingernail through it, although it does not appear to cause permanent damage.

    5. Any recs for a heavier weight scarf that doesn’t break the bank? My trusty cashmere scarf/wrap needs to be retired.

      1. Talbots has had waterweave cashmere wraps for the last 2 years, so perhaps they’ll have them again this year. I have 3, and they are a very substantial weight and the perfect size between a scarf and a wrap.

  2. Anyone have any thoughts on Arbonne? I keep getting invited to parties and now one of my closest friends is throwing one. In principle, I hate the idea but is it actually that bad?

    1. I boycott all products that have associated parties. It’s such a hokey business model and I feel like the products can’t be that great if they have to rely on that.

      1. Me too! I have a policy against them. I can’t stand that stuff, don’t want to buy Arbonne, Pampered Chef, clothes, adult toys, any of those things!

    2. No direct experience, but my mom has really liked the cleansing system she purchased. I’m usually with Anonymous above.

    3. No strong thoughts, but I have used two of their products: a facial moisturizer with SPF and a deodorant (that is NOT an antiperspirant). Both have great smells (first smells citrus; the second like mint). I think it’s pricey, plus I hate that they charge for shipping (seems extremely out of date). I guess I stick with it because I got dragged to one of those parties and then once I had the products, they seemed to work well. I also try to buy things that are made with natural, less processed ingredients, and these seem better than the drug store options.

      1. I posted a comment with links that I guess is in moderation, but do your research on whether or not arbonne is actually more natural, they’re basically greenwashing

    4. I’ve tried a few of their make-up products – mascara, eyeliner and foundation – and found them all to be quality. I am a make up snob though!

  3. Anyone have a rec for a vest similar to that herringbone J.Crew factory vest everyone had a few years ago? I went to the J.Crew factory website prepared to cough up the $100 for it (which is a lot for me) but according to the reviews, they’ve changed it and the quality is now very poor. I don’t want to spend that much for something that’s not good quality so am looking for either a cheaper knockoff or something at a similar price point that is actually good quality.

    1. Lands End, LL Bean, Eddie Bauer – probably all have very similar vests, or other down vest styles. And likely better quality for the same (or lower) price. Columbia, North Face, REI probably have something similar too.

    2. Talbots is selling quilted vests. One has a cute polka-dot print. They’re not cheaper than the Factory one, but I would expect the quality to be better.

    3. Not much help since the style is rather different and the price is about the same (for probably similar quality to J.Crew factory), but I really like the look of the quilted vests on the Banana Republic website.

    6. I’m late to the party, but whenever I’m looking for something that’s discontinued, I check eBay for awhile until it pops up. You’d be surprised how successful this can be.

  4. Does anyone have advice on completing a self-evaluation? I’m a junior associate at a law firm and I’d appreciate any helpful info.

    1. Yes, I’m assuming yours is due soon? If not, I would create a word document and keep a running list of things you’ve done throughout the year. Because it’s SO much harder to try to remember everything.

    2. Yay! Weekend Open thread’s! I love Weekend Open thread’s and almost ALL Nordstrom Wrap’s, especialy those that are in CASHEMERE! We all look much more romantic in cashemere! YAY!

      As for the OP, we do self evalueations at MY law firm, and I have found it best always to rate yourself the best, b/c if you do point out any weeknesses, your manageing partner will be all over you like a cheep suit, pointeing it out to you over and over and over again. I did this early on at my firm, when I was an asociate, and learned what a mistake that was. Now I ONLEY point out the good things, with ONE exeption. I state I have a tendency to work to hard, and to long on project’s, but that is not that bad b/c the manageing partner gets me to bill for all of it and the cleint’s do NOT seem to mind! Then he puts his hours in on top of mine and that translate’s into alot more billeable’s for the partnership and profits for everyone! YAY! Win-Win as the manageing partner say’s!

      This weekend, Myrna is driving us up to the Berkeshire’s to do another 10K run. This is easy she says b/c there is NO swimming or bikeing involved. She did NOT even prepare for this. I will go to the hotel and meet up with the schmoe that want’s to date me. As long as he keep’s his hand’s away from my boobie’s, we should be OK. Dad says I am being to conservative, but I do NOT want his hand’s all over me at this early stage of our releationship. FOOEY on that!

      I wish the hive a nice weekend and I will check back on Monday. BTW, I could NOT get up to see SJP at Bloomie’s b/c the manageing partner made me meet with a new cleint. FOOEY!

    3. Think of it like a sales piece. Be specific and tout your accomplishments. So if you are supposed to write a narrative about what you did on a particular case, instead of “responded to discovery requests,” write something like, “led response to plaintiffs’ RFPs, including by working with the client to obtain responsive documents and information, supervising a document review team of 10 contract attorneys, internal litigation support staff, and external document vendor in the review of hundreds of thousands of documents, and managing the review from data processing through document production.” And +1 to Rose’s suggestion. I keep a separate evaluation doc in my files with a list of all my cases throughout the year and notes of various projects/accomplishments. I also have a “kudos” folder in my email inbox where I file any nice emails I receive from supervisors, clients, etc. so I can refer to those when drafting my evaluation. Also helpful for those days when you really need a pick-me-up.

    4. Make sure to add forward looking comments on how you want to develop. When I don’t see that in the people under me write their evaluations, it makes them seem out of touch.

  5. I’m cranky because I’m waiting to hear back if I get a second interview for this job I REALLY want. They said I’d hear in 1-2 weeks. It’s just been over a week. I don’t know how to not obsess about it from time to time. I mean I’m not focusing on it completely but it does come up and I get upset.

    And I KNOW I still very well will get a call. I just haven’t interviewed for a job that I’ve wanted as much as this one.

    1. I know this is so hard! you’ll get through it. It’s Friday; pour yourself a glass of wine!

    2. I hate this. My current job was this way in the interviewing process, and someone told me to double any time estimates given by HR. While it may be unhelpful, try to remember that you’ve done what you can, it’s in their court now.

      1. Thanks. I know it’s common and in this case I was even warned they are not that timeline driven, they prefer to look for the best fit. So I could be in for a long hall here.

  6. I need advice about buttons! I have a black Hugo Boss suit and several buttons have come off of the jacket. They are boring cheap black plastic buttons. Anyone have suggestions about what kind of buttons to replace them with? I’m thinking maybe silver? All this money for the suit jacket, and the buttons came off easily.

    I’m a consultant, so need to go more towards a conservative look…

    1. If you have a suit with buttons on the sleeve as well, I think I’d replace with black buttons, otherwise it might be too much. If it is just a couple in front, then silver could work. From your post, it seems line you probably have sleeve buttons… I’m a consultant too and that where I lose my buttons, something about working in random conference rooms where your sleeves rest on the edge of the table and chafe at the buttons, I think.

      I would look online at a button shop and check out the more expensive buttons, it might give you some ideas.

    2. Belle at CapHillStyle posts fairly frequently about changing out buttons on blazers. I think she posted a short guide within the last two months.

    3. I like silver buttons but to me they are not very conservative, just my thinking.

      If you go to a local “JoAnn Fabrics” most of the buttons there are very cheap/cheap looking. In most good-sized cities there will be an upscale fabric shop or even a shop that only sells buttons. Online might work too.

      It’s unusual for that many buttons to come off a suit, so unless it’s a result of too-vigorous dry cleaning, they probably weren’t sewn on very well. If you bought the suit from a reputable retailer (Nordstroms, Bloomys, Nieman etc) and it’s recent, I’d take it to them and ask them to replace the buttons.

    5. My tailor does this – but he knows what works best – do you have a tailor (not a dry cleaner) you can go to and ask/pay them to do it? I can sew on buttons myself but I can’t pick out cute buttons so I just pay my tailor to do it all.

  8. This didn’t make the news round up, but I thought I’d post it here. NYT had an interesting article on paid time off for dads and the issues it is causing. It’s interesting if we start to get better benefits for parents now that men are taking a more active parenting role. On the other hand, maybe the legal issues will cause some employers to do away with paid time off altogether and just offer the FMLA unpaid leave.

    2. Sheryl Sandberg made a really compelling case for paternity leave in her book. Obviously women who give birth need extra time off because it’s both a major medical event and a new baby, but I’m glad the dads are fighting for more than two weeks. That’s absurd.

  9. Any suggestions for a weekend vacation spot? My best friend and her boyfriend (who is also my fiance’s best friend) and my fiance and I want to take a weekend trip somewhere this fall– we’ve got Delta miles that are burning a hole in our pockets. What’s somewhere fun for 4 people in their mid-twenties for a long weekend? We’re not big on partying, but are interested in exploring a new city.

      1. The limiting factor here is really that you want to use delta miles. I would suggest
        Cartagena
        Iceland is quite doable in 3 days but you’d be flying icelandair– maybe they are a partner? It’s getting cold this time of year though.
        Paris- delta has tons of flights there. We had a great 3 day weekend there this year
        Call me crazy but I LOVE mexico city. Stay at the St. Regis ($270) ride the boats in Xochimilco, visit Coyoacan and the old center city. So cheap too.

    2. Where are you coming from and how far are you willing to travel? My first thought was Dublin which would be fun for a long weekend and isn’t a bad trip from somewhere like NY but my tolerance for planes is on the high side.

      1. Or for a shorter flight from NYC, Montreal, New Orleans, somewhere in the Florida Keys, Puerto Rico …

      2. Coming from NYC but Dublin would be pretty far for a long weekend for us! I’d estimate a 3-4 hr flight max.

    3. If you haven’t already been, Asheville is a great city for 20- and 30-somethings and you’d have the benefit of peak fall colors pretty much throughout October.

      1. Asheville was my first thought!

        I haven’t been, but am dying to go to Nashville.

      2. +1 for Asheville. My parents retired there (we are NY/NJ natives) and there’s lot of great things to do for your age group.

    4. I’ll always recommend Chicago – tons of restaurants, museums & attractions, neighborhoods, lake access, green space, and easy travel on the L between them all. There are also still festivals nearly every weekend through November.

      It’s a longer flight from NYC than you ideally mention above, but Portland is amazing – I think it’s more unique than Chicago and it’s one of my favorite places I’ve visited. If you like craft beer, the scene there is unbelievable.

      1. Not the OP, but I absolutely love Chicago, possibly one of my favorite cities ever

    5. Savannah and Charleston are lovely this time of year

      And so are Miami and New Orleans

      And (in the other direction), there are the mansions of Newport.

    7. I know it’s only a few weeks from now, but the first Saturday in October in New Orleans is Art for Art’s Sake. Galleries and shops open on Magazine St. from about Washington Ave to a little past Napoleon, with bands and fun stuff and shuttles to get you up and down Magazine. Runs from about 7-10 pm. Everybody goes to dinner somewhere down there then walks or takes the shuttle. There’s a whole other section of Art for Art’s Sake downtown in the gallery area around Julia St. as well. It’s fun!

      1. whatever happened to e_p? has anyone heard from the girl with the terrible DH?? just wondering what came of that poor girl

      1. Quebec City! Swoon!

        Husband and I went there for a romantic trip in August. We stayed at the Chateau and it was absolutely amazing. Gorgeous city, very much that feeling like you’re in Europe but not too far from NY.

          1. Montreal is much more modern, they have fantastic and hard to come by shopping and unique metropolitan type food choices plus Montreal bagels are the best. Quebec city is more historical, it got bombed significantly less than most of the water side cities so they still have original cobble stone and some beautiful architecture. Lots of traditional food like tortier. It’s easier to get by in Montreal without french than it is in Quebec city, but it’s totally do able.

  10. Dear manufacturers,

    NINETEEN AND A HALF INCHES IS NOT AN EXTRA LARGE. What the ever-loving [expletive.]

    Worst part? The men’s section on that store goes up to a 3x.

      1. Not saying that clothing designers aren’t occasionally off their rockers when it comes to clothing, but if that is the armpit to armpit measurement, then that sounds about right to me. My t-shirts are mostly women’s size large and they are 17.5 inches armpit-to-armpit on average.

        1. But… what you are describing is not a bust measurement, as understood in the majority of the garment industry. It’s a half-a$$ed garment measurement.

          If a seller is going to list a bust measurement, they should either be using the same methodology for measuring, or making it VERY clear how they are measuring different.

    2. Are those garment measurements? If so it is probably just across and not the circumference, so it would accommodate a 40″ bust depending on the material.

      1. Oh, I know, I’m just mad that their LARGEST women’s size is the same as a smallish L at Target, when their men’s sizes go up much farther.

  11. Shopping help, please: Looking for skinny black ponte-knit pants with an actual button/fly (nothing pull on, please), can be either ankle or regular length. I’m looking to replace my beloved GAP black “jeggings” (hate that term!) from a few years ago that I’ve worn religiously each fall/winter and now sadly need to be retired.

    1. I totally just got a pair like this from either Gap or BR, within the last month – they had invisible zippers at the ankles too. However, even though the pants have a button and fly, I can totally take them on and off without undoing either.

    2. Not what you asked for but if you are willing to consider other fabrics, I love the Pilcro cord Leggings from Anthropologie. They have an actual fly and look like pants, but are as comfortable as leggings and don’t sag.

    5. Try the Banana Republic Sloan slim ankle-fit pant. Or any of the Sloan cuts — the fabric is a heavy ponte, though they don’t call it that.

  12. I hate hate hate making phone calls, both personally or for work. Any suggestions on how to make work phone calls more comfortable and go better? I already write down notes so I feel a little more comfortable. I always feel awkward where I would be completely fine in person

    1. I hate phonecalls too. what works for me is imagining the person in front of me.

    2. It is very interesting you posted this. I never thought about it before, but I also dislike phone calls…. and I think this has increased since the internet.

      I also make check lists of things to make sure I cover in the call.

      I try to cluster my phone calls in the morning, when I am most alert and well rested. Once I make the first one, the next is easier. So keep going. The longer you delay, the more stress you deal with by dreading them.

      For social ones, I try to be the first one to tie things up,….. “It was so good to talk to you. Let’s talk again soon….”. I figured out part of my anxiety is that I worry that people think I am awkward in phone/in conversation, so I try to make sure I don’t talk too much.

    3. This may not apply to you at all, but I really hated phone calls for a while until I realized that I have a very minor hearing impediment that makes it just a little bit difficult for me to hear people over the phone, especially with a handset where the sound is only going in one ear. It was so minor that it took me a long time to notice, but I found talking on the phone very challenging – it felt very unnatural and strained. Now I either talk on speaker phone or I wear a headset that has speakers on both ears.

      The thing that tipped me off to this was how much more at ease I felt when I was talking on the phone while in the car, to the point that I actually tried to arrange calls so that I could take them in my car. The Bluetooth meant that I could listen with both ears and feel much more at ease. I had no idea about the hearing thing, just really hated talking on the phone and found it more bearable in the car.

      I know this is unlikely to apply to you but thought I would share, since it has really revolutionized things for me. Previously, I was the type of person who dreaded picking up the phone to even order pizza, and now it has become much less of a big deal.

      1. I do have a slight hearing impairment actually – a headset or the phone on the highest volume does help a lot. I find it takes me half a second longer to process on the phone than in person

    4. I despise phone calls too, which is funny because I love public speaking and presenting to people in person. I find that privacy helps me feel less nervous about talking on the phone; phone calls were much more nervewracking when I was in a cube/open floorplan where other people could hear me versus now having an office with a door I can close. If you don’t have an office, could you schedule time in a conference or privacy room for calls that make you nervous?

      Practice/repetition also makes perfect. The more calls I make (with my job, it’s a lot!), the more comfortable I get with being on the phone, even though I generally don’t enjoy them too much.

    5. At the beginning of my legal career, just out of law school, I actually wrote myself scripts for phone calls — down to the word. Obviously you don’t totally stick to the script, especially once you finish what you have to say and it becomes a discussion, but it helped me with the issue of “I know what I want to say but don’t know exactly how to express it when I get flustered.” I seriously started with, “Hello, this is Jane Doe at Law Firm representing Plaintiff’s Name. I’m calling to respond to your letter,” because when I was flustered it was hard even to remember that kind of thing. It got MUCH easier with practice and now I don’t even usually use notes.

    6. I’ve heard that this has recently become a “thing.” Especially in younger generations, we use the telephone a lot less than people used to.

      In my prior career, I had to make a lot of phone calls. Or at least, my work ended up being a lot easier if I called people up rather than tried to find out information or contact people through electronic means.

      I wholeheartedly second the commenters above: the more you do it, the more comfortable you will be. I still kind of dread dialing someone up because it seems so inconvenient with other technologies. However, I find that I most often end up enjoying the conversations, and I get a lot more out of them.

      My biggest tip would be to do what you can to create a little bit of rapport, so that you and the person you’ve called are both at ease, and that you’re really communicating well. Do what you can to have a friendly-sounding tone, and start off by asking them how they are. Just take a few seconds (really, under 30 seconds), to get the call started well.

      Also, I think being relaxed is important. Keep the conversation going at a slow pace. If you need to be taking down information, tell them that you need a few seconds to make sure you write down the info correctly. I find that if I start rushing things and talking fast — that’s when the conversation starts to go downhill. If I keep the pace slower (talk at a measured rate, really listen to what the speaker says, etc.), then things go much better.

      You can do it! And you can enjoy it! Good luck.

  13. I’m going on a three week vacation and taking just a travel backpack, but I’m having trouble figuring out what to pack. I need clothes for hiking, for sightseeing and for a few nice dinners. I also need to accommodate weather from freezing up to the 70s.

    Any tips on how to pack lightly!?

    1. No more than 3 pairs of shoes – I usually do a good walking shoe/sneaker, probably your hiking boots and a comfortable flat that can also be nice enough for dinners. Wear the heaviest/bulkiest on the plane.
      Pick a colour scheme and stick to it to maximize the mix and match element.
      Packing cubes are your friend.

    2. A well curated “check-list” for packing.

      I keep one on my computer, and modify it for each trip.

    3. Just one “nice dinner” outfit – or even better, a pretty skirt than can be mixed with casual tops that you also wear sightseeing. I always want a separate dress for each nice dinner, but that is conducive to packing light.

      1. +1. If I was going on this trip, my “nice dinner” outfit would be a black jersey blouson dress (knee length, drapey cap sleeves) and flats and jewelry. For weather variations, I’d have a light wrap that can also be worn as a scarf, and a warm blazer and tights.

    4. Only take two pairs of underwear that you can wash in the sink. I like the ex officio bikinis.

      Invest in good shoes and outerwear layers so that each piece can do double duty. I take a large scarf/ wrap that can act as another layer.

      I like to have two outfits of each type. I would take two dresses and two sets of hiking pants and shirts.

      1. I’ve never understood the aversion to bringing underwear. Two bras? Sure. Underwear takes little to no space and it is the /worst/ to have to wear slightly damp underwear if it doesn’t dry fully. Same thing with socks. Both of these items are great for packing breakable souvenirs in when clean and are awful to have to wear again dirty or slightly damp.

        Bring one or two sets of wicking work-out clothes for hiking because these are super easy to wash in a sink and are built to dry quickly. If you have the t-shirt variety as mentioned down below, BRING THEM. I have used these for sight seeing as well paired with jean or nicer pants. Paired with a scarf/blazer/nicer jewelry these pass well. As far as addressing the cold, bring a few long sleeve shirts that you can wear under your warmer weather clothes. The heavy coats that are two jackets in one would be great for this kind of thing.

        Honestly, pack for a week or week and a half and figure out how to have laundry done if possible. It makes life so. much. easier.

    5. Packing for three weeks in a backpack may be tough. For a recent hiking + sight seeing trip, I packed one pair of hiking pants, a pair of jeans and a denim skirt, a few moisture wicking scoop neck tees that didn’t scream activewear, two long sleeved zips, a lightweight fleece jacket and a rain shell. Gloves, scarf and a hat were key on colder nights. Shoes take the most room so I wore my hiking boots on the flight and packet comfly flats and sleek sneakers. The nice dinner outfits are a little more complicated but you could bring black skinny pants and a nicer top and wear that with the scarf.

    6. Pack a black jersey dress or two , Goretex hiking boots, casual shoes, a pair of athletic lifestyle-wear pants that look like cargo pants, a few t-shirts/tank tops, a wool sweater, a cardigan or athletic jacket, a scarf, warm hat, gloves, and fleece tights. You can layer tights and sweaters over the dress when it’s cold and take them off when it’s warm.

    7. Patagonia has some nice dresses that would be good for going out but can also be scrunched into a ball for packing. I find my body needs more structure to be flattered but you might not need that. Roll everything.

  14. Check out the awesome travel blog “Hitha on the Go.” She has a million ideas. Her rule of 3 pairs of shoes changed my traveling life. I spent one month in Europe including running, hiking, dining, beach, with that rule this summer.

    Your vacation sounds like fun – I am curious as to where you will be going!

    1. Whoops – sorry was to be a reply to Anonymous at 3:10 above, obviously

  15. Considering a spontaneous and very uncharacteristic trip to Wine Country in California next month. Best cities/wineries/places to stay? Looking for best bang for your buck. Help me actually do this!!! (Cheaper is better but enjoyable, not destitute, please.)

    1. We stayed at the Sonoma Orchid Inn in October 2 years back and had the best time. It’s a little B&B but they have private cabins as well as rooms in the house so you have plenty of privacy, breakfast was delicious (the eggs came from their own chickens), the town of Guerneville where the inn is located was really cute and had several good places to eat dinner, nearby there are lots of other cute towns to explore, Armstrong National Forest, and tons and tons of wineries. Oh, and the couple that runs the place is lovely. I can’t remember any of the wineries off the top of my head but there were plenty of options and we had a fun time exploring.

      Actually, just did a google and one we really enjoyed was Lambert Bridge. Possibly because they had an amazing St. Bernard and Yellow Lab hanging out in the tasting room. But also excellent wine :-)

    2. Mac Arthur Place in Sonoma is a charming b and b, and Sonoma is a cuter town/square and has a more quaint feel than Napa, which is more like a bunch of wineries off the main Road.
      Rutherford, Gloria Ferrer, Ravenswood all good.

    3. I’ve not visited as a tourist, so do research, but you might find Lodi fits your needs. It’s way cheaper than Sonoma if you can find the things you are looking for. It gets hot in the summer but is a bit farther from the current fires. You should definitely look into it – it might not be for your, or you might save a ton of money.

      1. I went to Lodi last summer to visit the wineries there. Honestly, the wines are just not as good as Sonoma/Napa. The reds are sweet and fruit forward and the whites are watery. I would not recommend Lodi for people interested in tasting the best wine.

        My ranking of the Bay Area wine regions: Napa>Sonoma>Santa Cruz Mountains>Lodi>Livermore. I have not visited the Anderson Valley but based on what I’ve had at restaurants and bottles at the grocery store, I’d say it is similar to the Santa Cruz Mountains in terms of quality.

    4. Be sure to check before you make plans – the Valley Fire is still flaring up in that area and while I think most of the damage is outside the wine corridor, it is a volatile situation.

        1. I’m a local with a family member in the evacuation zone, so I’e been watching this closely. The tourist areas in Sonoma and Napa are totally unaffected. Something could still go horribly wrong, but the fire is moving away from tourist areas, so you’ll most probably be totally fine. Might be a little smokey if the winds shift – but generally has been okay.

          I would say that Sonoma is generally going to be bit cheaper than Napa. Which is better is a matter of personal preference. Sonoma is more laid back, more rural feeling, but may take bit more research as things are more spread out. Napa has very high quality, and things are much closer so you can drive up and down the two main roads and see a lot. But, free tastings are really rare though. Check out Frog’s Leap – they have a great low cost/free tour and tasting.

          The other alternative would be the Paso Robles area. Much more scenic than Lodi (I wouldn’t go there as a tourist), but cheaper than Napa/Sonoma. The film Sideways was filmed there.

    5. It also may be the designated harvest weekend when you go – lots to do but limited/expensive hotel availability. Lots of chains have outposts in the area if you have hotel posts.

    6. October is peak harvest and fall color season, so its going to be pricey. I much prefer the Napa Valley, which is more expensive and probably more touristy than Sonoma, to other NorCal wine regions. Yountville is the cutest little town, with wonderful restaurants and good wineries nearby, but hotels in that region are $$$$. I’ve stayed several times in American Canyon, which is at the base of the Napa Valley, so you’ll have to drive to wineries and restaurants, but honestly the region is pretty spread out, and unless you stay in Yountville and restrict yourself to a couple of wineries, you’re going to have to drive for food and wine. American Canyon is much more affordable than the rest of the valley, and it isn’t that bad a drive at all to Napa and Yountville. Unless your hotel budget is over $250 a night, I think that’s your best bet in Napa in October. (if you can delay your trip at all, I highly recommend the Nov-Feb season – it’s beautiful, especially with the very dry winters California has been having, and much much cheaper if you avoid the holidays).

    7. It gets plugged here a lot but the cover story of the current issue of Sunset magazine is about wine country – they should have a lot of recs.

  16. I need to vent hard core about the fact that I just got the bill for the last STD I took because I was dating someone new and IT IS $552 AFTER INSURANCE. They billed my insurance $1,018. What in the ever loving HE!! I should have gone to Planned Parenthood and gave them a donation instead of rolling it into my annual exam at my GP’s. WHAT THE CRAP!!?!?

    1. Yea, I had $400 for basic bloodwork because it was processed at a hospital instead of an outside lab, where it would have been like $75. Our health insurance system is awful.

      1. Terrible! I just got bloodwork done by my GP as well, now I am scared about that bill. I think it is the same thing that happened to you – my GP is part of a larger health/hospital system and they sent it to the hospital. Unreal.

    2. I learned when I was pregnant to call the insurance company before any tests and blood work and ask (1) whether the test was covered and (2) if the test needed to go to a particular lab or provider. I was able to tell my doctor’s office, which was also associated with a large hospital, to send all lab work to the lab specified by the insurer. Both the doctor’s office and the hospital were in network, but only one national lab was considered in network for those services. The insurance system is crazy, and it’s annoying and time consuming to have to figure all this out yourself, but it was always worth the phone call. (Also, I think a good doctor’s office should work with the insurance company for you, and mine did, but I always double-checked by calling the insurance company myself.)

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