ByKat Hours Updated
Comments 245 Comments

Weekend Open Thread

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

black wool coat with asymmetric lapel/zip

Something on your mind? Chat about it here.

Oooh: I do love an asymmetric detail, particularly on coats. This one from Cole Haan Signature reminds me of one of our Hall of Famer coats from Ted Baker (the olive one on the far left below) — but without the belt. As someone who always feels like I'm wearing a bathrobe in anything belted, this is a plus for me.

(I blame my height!)

It's even on a decent sale — and the navy version is available in sizes 0-14, while the black one is down to lucky sizes. Note that if you plan to wear a blazer beneath the coat you may want to size up!

The pictured coat is currently $238, down from $398, at Nordstrom. You can also find it full price at Dillards and Cole Haan.

I'm still hunting for something similar in plus sizes — in the meantime, take a look at some of our all time favorite coats in both regular and plus sizes. (Hmn, this one is belted and only available in lucky size 3X, but it's really cute! This City Chic one has similar vibes, too.)

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Some of our favorite classic coats for work as of 2025 include J.Crew, Sam Edelman, Aritzia, L.L.Bean, Quince, and Cole Haan. On the splurgier side, do check out Mackage, Soia & Kyo, Eileen Fisher, Fleurette, and Cinzia Rocca. We've also rounded up our favorite washable winter coats!

Black woman wears light blue coat with blue blouse, white pants, and carries a brown suede bag; she has a blue sweater tied around her waist
J.Crew
beige cashmere coat
Fleurette
Babaton coat from Aritzia
Aritzia (exact)
hot pink boucle coat
Sam Edelman (exact)

Some of our favorite plus-size coats are below!

collage of 5 plus-size professional women wearing winter coats
Some of our favorite plus-size coats of 2024 include these brands J.Crew, Lands' End, L.L. Bean, Eileen Fisher, Fleurette, and The North Face.

Sales of note for 1/16/25:

  • M.M.LaFleur – Tag sale for a limited time — jardigans and dresses $200, pants $150, tops $95, T-shirts $50
  • Nordstrom – Cashmere on sale; AllSaints, Free People, Nike, Tory Burch, and Vince up to 60%; beauty deals up to 25% off
  • AllSaints – Clearance event, now up to 70% off (some of the best leather jackets!)
  • Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase; extra 50% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Boden – 15% off new styles with code — readers love this blazer, these dresses, and their double-layer line of tees
  • DeMellier – Final reductions now on, free shipping and returns — includes select options like Montreal, Vancouver, and Venice
  • Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; extra 50% off all clearance, plus ELOQUII X kate spade new york collab just dropped
  • Everlane – Sale of the year, up to 70% off; new markdowns just added
  • J.Crew – Up to 40% off select styles; up to 50% off cashmere
  • J.Crew Factory – 40-70% off everything
  • L.K. Bennett – Archive sale, almost everything 70% off
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Sephora – 50% off top skincare through 1/17
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Summersalt – BOGO sweaters, including this reader-favorite sweater blazer; 50% off winter sale; extra 15% off clearance
  • Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale – 50% off + extra 20% off, sale on sale, plus free shipping on $150+

245 Comments

  1. Anyone else confused (and obviously heartbroken) by the University of Idaho story? How does someone kill 4 people with a knife? Did no one wake up or ready themselves to prepare when they heard someone else getting stabbed? What could possibly be the motive?

    1. We’re waiting to hear about toxicology results. If everyone in the apartment was drugged, it would have been easy for someone to commit the murders. For that matter, someone could have been on a really bad trip and done something that they don’t remember or are terrified to admit to.

      2. So eerie to think that they could have all been deliberately drugged. The coroner’s report showed defensive wounds, which means they were alert enough to fight back. But I suppose not alert enough to wake up when others were being attacked?I If they were each in bed, it just seems that the person would have gone from room to room and essentially someone would have been woken up by someone else getting murdered in a room next door.

    2. As far as motive, Ted Bundy committed a similar attack in Florida, at a sorority house, not long before he was apprehended for the last time. His motive is that he was a sadistic psychopath. If the motive in the Idaho murders wasn’t immediately apparent (money, jealousy, etc.) I don’t know how helpful it is to consider motive.

      As for “how did someone not hear this happening” – again, consider Bundy’s crimes. From Wikipedia, the entry where it talks about Bundy’s assault on college students living in a sorority house: “Tallahassee detectives determined that the four attacks took place in a total of less than fifteen minutes, within earshot of more than thirty witnesses who heard nothing.”

      We all like to think “oh, I definitely would have heard something,” “Oh, it has to be someone the kids knew.” Not necessarily. I am not saying the Idaho murders were committed by a serial killer – there’s not enough evidence to say, obviously. But it seems like people jump to a lot of conclusions about these situations really quickly. I agree this is a horrible, tragic thing and I feel so sorry for the families of the victims.

        1. No, just irritated at people who immediately leap to blame the kids themselves (or their roommates), or like to throw around accusations about “well they must have been on drugs/involved with drugs,” etc. It’s victim-blaming just to throw those speculations around. This is a tragedy; I can’t imagine how much pain the families of the victims are in. Who knows what the real story will turn out to be, but I think it’s profoundly lacking in empathy to engage in online speculation about how or why the victims could have contributed to their own deaths. Or blame the roommates for not preventing something they didn’t apparently even hear. If my child had gotten murdered, insinuating that he or his friends must have been responsible somehow would compound my pain.

          1. I don’t think anyone is saying that they were blamed. Just that there were 6 people in the house, 4 of them got murdered in bed, and none of them seemed to wake up while any of them were being stabbed. It’s just hard to make sense of no matter what.

          2. Since I was the one talking about toxicology. I don’t think the victims would have even known they were being drugged, if it comes out that they were. Being roofied is a real thing. Any/all of the women posting here should know that by now. But, it’s one of the few things that could have led to that many deaths in that manner without the entire building being aware of a struggle going on.

    3. It’s odd that no one woke up but not impossible. Ted Bundy attacked that sorority house and got the jump on almost all the women inside.

      1. I think people think you’d automatically scream and fight. Sometimes people just freeze , or they woke up but not before they were severely disadvantaged in a fight

    4. My daughter is a travel nurse and is living in Moscow ID about 1 mile from the scene.

  2. Living alone for the first time and having some thermostat self control issues.

    Where do you live/what is your climate, do you run hot or cold and what do you set your thermostat to? Do you adjust it at night or while at work?

    1. I keep it at 68 at all times in the living room for my cat and my bedroom is icy cold as per my preference

    2. I’m in the inner Bay Area, where it feels colder than the temp due to moist air. We’ve been in the low 60s/high 50s during the day and low 40s/high 30s at night.

      We have a nest thermostat so we have it set to basically not go on at night, and it maxes out at 66-67 during the day. I bundle up but I also have a space heater in my home office and one in the en suite bathroom for showers. It doesn’t make sense to heat my entire old house to high 60s when I spend most of my time in the office during the day. And the space heater for getting out of the shower for the same reason. But yeah, right now I’m wearing a turtleneck, baggy handknit baby alpaca sweater, and a fake down vest in my house.

    3. PNW so cool from October to June but rarely super duper cold. Currently keep house 67 in the day (WFH) and 65 at night, considering lower at night. I run cold, with poor circulation in my feet, and our electricity is cheap but we have great insulation- house is not drafty. Living in New England as a poor student it was 65 day, 60 night in a drafty house and I was totally miserable. My in laws in New England keep their house at like 55-60 during day and I can no longer visit them in the winter. I’m freezing even in long underwear, multiple sweaters, coat, and hat.

    4. I live in the Midwest. We keep it around 68 in the winter and maybe around 74-75 in the summer. The thermostat is on the first floor so second floor bedrooms tend to be a bit warmer. I would like it a few degrees colder at night for sleeping, but my husband can’t sleep unless he’s really warm, so we usually don’t turn it down much at night. We WFH but when we left the house for work we’d adjust the thermostat by a few degrees to save energy.

    5. I live in the mid-south (usually mid-40s-ish during the day in winter), and I run very cold. (I was the one who asked about warm lounge pants this morning!) I struggle with setting it between 69 and 72 during the day, but if I’m trying to relax, even 72 calls for a blanket for me (which just makes me sleepy, hence the need for warm pants). I can drop it to mid-60s at night.

    7. Midwest, temperature is in the thirties. While home during the day I have it at 67. It’s perfectly comfortable with pants and a sweater. I switch it to 68 or 69 if I’m having guests that aren’t dressed warmly. Overnight I turn it down to 65ish. While getting ready in the morning I wear a robe and drink hot coffee as my apartment heats up. If I’m going into the office I change it to 63 before heading out the door. You should absolutely turn the heat down while you’re sleeping or know you’ll be gone for several hours. It’s a waste of money otherwise.

      I’m not saying you should constantly wear a big sweater and fleece jacket while sipping hot tea in your own home. But if you’re lounging in a tank top and turning the heat up to 70+ then maybe reconsider your attire.

    8. NY suburbs. During the winter the house is at 64 in the evening, early morning and during day on the weekend when everyone’s home, and 60 at night and during the day. I WFH and keep a spaceheater in my office to avoid heating the whole house when I’m the only one home. Will turn up the heat when we have guests over bc I recognize we keep it kind of chilly.

      This is how I grew up, so it’s normal to me.

      1. Upstate NY and same. We joke with our friends that they get the “company” temperature when they come over.

      2. This is like my parents house, and I spent my entire childhood cold. I am very close with my family but dread visiting them in the winter!

      3. Midwest rural and this is similar to our habit, too.

        Three level quirky old house and the thermostat on the 1st floor can’t go lower than 62 at night without risk of the plumbing freezing once the outdoor air is 20-ish or lower. During the day when we are home it goes up to 65. The living areas where we spend most time are on the upper floors and these settings mean it is in the low 70s in those rooms, so actually quite comfortable.

    9. I didn’t know so had to get up and check what it’s set at right now. It’s 20 celcius which Google says is 68 fahrenheit. The weather just changed here and it’s an adjustment. It’s -3 celcius or 24.8 fahrenheit right now and it’s cold in the house. I just went and put a warm sweatshirt on over a long sleeve shirt.

    10. Upper Midwest – Our smart thermostat has a range of 69-74 right now, but for sleep 64-69. in summer we try to keep it closer to 71 but at night i still want it like 66.

    11. Judging by how many women on this comment board are always cold, I am beginning to really think that thermostats are lying or are very inaccurate. The word “gaslighting” has become wildly overused, but I really think it applies here. Women may think they are crazy for being cold all the time, but what if the thermostat is inaccurate?

      1. That’s why I use a separate thermometer in addition to my thermostat. Humidity is a big factor in how temperature feels.

      2. I mean, yes, calibrate your measuring devices if needed, but there’s not some big old conspiracy. I have other thermometers/hygrometers in my house. The thermostat is not wrong. Also, the humidity in the air can affect how you experience temperature, so that drier air may not feel as warm in the winter, but moist cold air feels colder?

        It’s a known thing that women (on average, obvs varies by person) do like temperatures warmer than men (on average). It’s also a known thing that estrogen can reduce blood flow in the capillaries in the extremities, which is why women can feel the cold in their hands and feet more readily (cold and blood flow being related). And that some of this changes after menopause.

          1. Ah there will be a period of your life where you run much, much hotter. I used to look forward to that when I was a freezing cold 30 something, but it turns out it’s not the cozy kind of warm, but more like being in Bakersfield in July wearing an Icelandic sweater, and it tends to come on quickly, like while you’re in a meeting with your boss’s boss.

      4. My parents’ house feels warmer than my house at the same temperature. I have a separate indoor thermometer/hygrometer and it’s consistently lower than the temp the house is set at. But I also have a heat pump, which impacts the feel of the air and also means I can’t set it lower at night.

    12. Texas. AC set to 74 or so, 72 to sleep at night. Heat set to 66-68, but house is open concept so portions are certainly colder than that.

    13. Thanks all! I’m in the mid-Atlantic and run cold. I live in a beautiful apartment, but I have 10 foot ceilings with probably 7 door windows (beautiful but not energy efficient!).

      I’ve been keeping it at 70, so glad to hear I’m not too off base (I knew I’d keep it warmer than most but didn’t want to be wildly off).

      FWIW, I’m currently wearing wool socks, slippers, sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt and a thick wool sweater and am under a blanket and am just slightly chilly :)

      My buildings maintenance told me my HVAC unit is brand new but there doesn’t seem to be a way to program my thermostat, so I haven’t turned it down at night bc it will be freezing in the morning.

      My utility bills have been shockingly reasonable, so I will just continue as is :)

    14. 75 during the day, 70 at night, year-round (and I use the AC as sparingly as I can, I like the warm). I live in an old brownstone in the NE, so get all the seasons.

        1. One of the great joys of living alone is full control of the thermostat!

        2. Move to an old NYC apartment with steam heat and you will likely need to keep your windows cracked half the winter to keep the temp under 75. Our kitchen is routinely 80 degrees when the oven is on.

          1. I have fond memories of cracking open the windows in a steam heat apartment in the NE.

          2. This is seriously one of the reasons I will never live in NYC. I require a temperature of 65 degrees or lower to sleep in the winter.

          3. god yes. Your temperature options are fires of hell or polar ice. there is no in between. glad I no longer live in steam heat NYC apartments.

    15. Oh my gosh I would die in all these homes. I keep mine on 74 day/ 72 night in winter (work from home and it’s a small house so really no wasted space). 76 day/74 night in summer.

      3. I would roast at those temps! 68 day/65 night winter, 72 day/70 night summer is the warmest I can go.

      4. I would be sweating my a$$ off at 74 in the winter! Wow. We keep it between 65-68 during the day, and drop to 63-65 at night, depending on how cold it is outside. (We’re in NJ.)

    16. SEUS, but we’re Yankees. Thermostat is currently set at 62. I like it at 68 up north, but I rarely feel chilled in the south the way I feel up north.

    17. I live in the Southwest, so it is hot in the summer but can get pretty cold in the winter, especially at night. We keep our thermostat at 70 in the winter during the day, 68 at night. In the summer, we keep it around 72 in the summer, sometimes down to 68, but that gets expensive.

    18. I live in Southern California. I do not use a heater in the winter. I just put on the flannel sheets when it gets “cold” and wear an extra layer around the apartment. If it’s really cold, I’ll turn on the oven to 200*, which does a fine job of warming the living room/kitchen.

    19. Northern Europe, with 4 full seasons, the longest of which is winter. Central heating, so no thermostat, but I keep the central heating to a level of 73 Fahrenheit.

      Anywhere with AC systems as the heat source, like hotels, I set it at 77 Fahrenheit, whatever season. AC “heat” is drafty and chilly, so normal temp is not enough.

    20. We’re in the mountain Southwest, so we get seasons and it can get very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter (we had highs in the low 40s all week this week; lows were in the low 20s. Summer we’ll get up to as high as 105 in the day and then it won’t drop much below 80 at night).

      Summer, we set the thermostat to 74 during the day; peak of summer I reset it to 76 for a few weeks, or else it runs all the time and the electric bill eats us alive. Nighttime I have to have it at 72 or I can’t sleep. So I deal with some discomfort in the daytime to have some comfort at night. We have zoned A/C which is a huge help – our downstairs stays cooler than our upstairs, obviously, and we have two different thermostats to control each area.

      Winter, I keep it between 68-70 during the day and let it drop to 62 at night. But our “night” only lasts from 10-5 a.m. because my husband gets up early.

      Our A/C is electric and our heat is gas.

    21. If my apartment is too cold I just fall asleep, no matter (or especially?) if I’m bundled up. If I’m not home we drop the temp to 68, but I need it set to about 75 if I’m home. I’d be happy to not run the AC for most of the summer, but husband needs it colder.

    2. I feel like this is what Nina Voss’ character in Tar wears about a month after the end of the movie. I love it.

    3. Agree! Semi-related: I keep seeing influencers doing looks that include a coat which is great if you’re trying to look nice outside – but once you get inside the looks are totally basic (or borderline inappropriate like the catsuit + trenchcoat girls)…

      1. does anyone have leads for a smilar pant for a curvy size 12 person with 5’1 height? I feel every similar looking pant I try are made for taller slimmer people.

  4. Book recs needed! I’ve read a lot of really wonderful books this year but many of them have dealt with heavy topics like climate disaster, child abuse, sexual assault, war, etc. For the upcoming holidays + vacation I really want to give my anxiety some time off with lighter reads. But I don’t want things that are totally brainless and I don’t like romance novels. I think what I’m looking for is authors like Taylor Jenkins-Reid, Curtis Sittenfeld, Meg Wolitzer, Ann Patchett, but I’ve read their books. Any books you loved that fit this description?

    1. Hmm, this is a great question! Are you open to historical fiction if it doesn’t deal with the mentioned topics?

      1. Yes, but I can be kind of picky about it. I feel like often historical fiction either sacrifices the writing in favor of historical detail or is well-written at the expense of historical accuracy. Some historical fiction I love: Paula McLain’s The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin, Mercury Pictures Presents, The Marriage Portrait (although I would put the latter two in the bucket of heavy topics I’m looking to avoid right now – they are beautiful books though!)

        1. Sure, I’m picky too! Not all historical fiction is written alike.

          Here’s some from my Goodreads recents that I felt were lighter/easy to read:
          Authors: Agatha Christie, Sally Rooney, Liane Moriarty, Anne Tyler, Jennifer Weiner, J. Courtney Sullivan, Marie Benedict, Kate Quinn, Katherine Center (who is sometimes called a romance novelist but I find her work smart and well done), J. Ryan Stradal

          Titles: This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub, The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, The Gown by Jennifer Robson, Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin (or A Special Place for Women by the same author), Her Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen, Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen

          I’ll put in a plug for my favorite historical fiction: Elizabeth Chadwick’s Eleanor of Aquitaine series.

          Hope you find something great!

    2. Lessons in Chemistry
      West with Giraffes
      The Latecomer
      Count the Ways
      The Great Circle
      This Tender Land

      1. Loved The Great Circle and The Latecomer! I wasn’t a huge fan of Lessons in Chemistry and sexual assault/harassment is a major plot point so I was thinking of that in the heavy topics category (though it’s definitely a quick, easy read). I’ll check out the others on this list.

        1. If you liked The Latecomer you might like The Plot, but not for your current request avoiding heavier topics!

          1. I’ve read The Plot and also her other book that was the basis for The Undoing (can’t remember the name right now)! They were both good, but The Latecomer was by far my fave.

        2. True. I loved the dog character in Lessons in Chemistry so much. He brought me much joy when reading this book, so I had to include it on the list.

        3. Oh my gosh I DESPISED lessons in chemistry! I rarely don’t finish a book and I have not understood how this has so much buzz.

    3. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (I’d recommend you go in cold and not read any descriptions)

    4. Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados!!!! Hardly anyone I know has read this book and I was sooo delighted by it. Two young, broke, glamorous girls spending the summer in New York City meeting people and scraping together rent money. The writing is really what makes it– very smart and original, every sentence was like biting into a juicy peach.

      Also Tessa Hadley has a similar vibe to Anne Patchett, I thoroughly enjoyed her book The Past. Complex family relationships, intergenerational family dynamics, etc.

    5. I love books like these! Here are my recommendations:

      –Three Women by Lisa Taddeo is PERFECT for this – most engaging book I’ve ever read
      –Yolk by Mary HK Choi – beautiful rendering of sisterhood
      –A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. -Really engaging and nice
      –My Body by Emily Ratajkowski
      –Catalina by Liska Jacobs
      –Anything by Kevin Kwan
      –Wahala
      –Ghost Lover
      –The Worst Kind of Want by Liska Jacobs
      –A Novel Obsession
      –Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
      –Vanishing Half
      –Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey (a bit darker and more expiremental, but I enjoyed it)

      1. I really liked Good Squad, Punjabi Widows and the Vanishing Half. Will check out the rest of your list. Thanks!

    6. I love books like these! Here are my recommendations:

      –Three Women by Lisa Taddeo is perfect for this – most engaging book I’ve ever read
      –Yolk by Mary HK Choi – beautiful rendering of sisterhood
      –A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. -Really engaging and nice
      –My Body by Emily Ratajkowski
      –Catalina by Liska Jacobs
      –Anything by Kevin Kwan
      –Wahala
      –Ghost Lover
      –The Worst Kind of Want by Liska Jacobs
      –A Novel Obsession
      –Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
      –Vanishing Half
      –Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey (a bit darker and more expiremental, but I enjoyed it)

    8. Elin Hilderbrand. I have turned to her in times like this and her books made me just purely enjoy reading again.

        2. Yes, with the knowledge that once you get past the first three of the Discworld books, they are meant to explore significant concepts in a manner designed to make it easy to get into them.

          I will never not quote the Vimes’ Boots Theory of Economic Inequality.

          1. If you like Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams and Bill Bryson should be considered!

    10. Not new and slightly dark themes but overall positive: I really enjoyed The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

      1. I’m rereading all my old Kingsolver novels for comfort. They feel like old friends.

    12. Our library system Instagram account does personal book recommendations once a week or so and it’s the best thing ever- I often make note of what they recommend for people! Multnomah county library if you want to look it up.

    15. – Counterfeit by Kristen Chen.
      – Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn.
      – Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (or any of her memoirs).
      – A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.
      – To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey (not as light in tone as the others I’ve listed, but doesn’t have the heavy themes you mention).
      – With the Fire on High or The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.
      – Circe by Madeleine Miller.
      – Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
      – Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.

  5. I’m looking for a couple of side dishes for burgers that aren’t your typical sides – no fries, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, etc. We’re having a small dinner party this weekend and are making “gourmet” burgers – white cheddar, mixed greens, balsamic onion jam, a fancy ground beef blend, nice brioche buns. So any suggestions for some slightly elevated sides to go with them? Thanks!

    1. My advice would be to look up the menus of the fanciest burger-serving restaurants out there (maybe find an NYTimes type article for “most elevated burgers in NYC”) and then find a recipe for whatever the sides they serve are.

      My ideal as a guest would be sweet potato or purple potato fries. Or even roast potatoes with a miso butter glaze. I don’t think you have to deviate too far from the standard sides though – just mix it up enough to make it special.

    2. fancy salad, fingerling potatoes? Haricot verts? Think what a French brunch place offers as side dishes for its mains.

    3. Sweet potato fries, maybe with a dipping sauce
      Homemade pickles
      Parmesan truffle fries

    4. Mac & cheese can be fancy. Other pasta salads. There are oodles of recipes for BLT pasta salad, but lots of fancier pasta salads would work. I serve baked sweet potatoes all the time when I need a flexible side. Bake for 3+ hours at 250 per Cook’s Illustrated. They’re not pretty, though.

    5. Maybe a salad with some sharper greens, like escarole, with blue cheese and a vinaigrette?

    7. Seasoned roasted sweet potatoes, homemade onion rings, baked zucchini fries with panko

    8. Roasted carrots with a Tahiti sauce
      Roasted beets with lemon thyme (or you can totally switch the preparation with the carrots)
      Roasted radicchio salad

    10. since I was browsing NPR and it’s that time of year, I think a cranberry-based condiment would be a good taste contrast to what you have and goes well with balsamic onion jam. I’m partial to Madhur Jaffrey’s Cranberry Chutney.

    11. Elotes? You can make it off the cob for easier eating. You could also do a fancy salad – I like a beet/goat cheese/walnut salad and it’s not hard to make.

      1. Truffle fries or roasted potatoes, lobster Mac and cheese with orzo, crab salad, other pasta salad, bacon wrapped asparagus, bacon wrapped dates, charcuterie board, etc

    13. I think a fancy broccoli slaw would be perfect here. And look at the NYT recipe for salt and vinegar roasted potatoes – similar to potato chips but fancier.

  6. I have a 1920s house with no overhead lights in the living room. I have two table lamps but it isn’t enough. Walls are plaster. There is a non-working fireplace. Would you add sconces (wires? Plug-in?) on either side of the fireplace for more light? I don’t think a ceiling light would look right and it would involve a lot of ripping through plaster (there is a room above it). Thoughts? I just need to see now that is dark when I get home.

    1. Freestanding floor lamps? Use a timer or smart bulbs so they turn on when you get home.

      I think sconces with cords is a terrible look so wouldn’t do that unless you are willing and able to have your walls dug open for the electrical changes.

    2. More lamps. I have a 1909 house with dark wood and no overhead light. I have two end table lamps on tables on either side of the couch on timers. I have a smaller reading lamp next to my favorite chair (Tiffany shade). I have a floor lamp next to the other chair. And I have a floor lamp next to my piano.

      You can also get a ceiling light on a chain – very period appropriate and no construction needed save a few hooks.

    3. If I were you I would probably add a ceiling light, but I’m a bit nuts and do all my own authentic plaster repair. For a non-restorationist I would suggest installing sconces on either side of the fireplace either plug in sconces, or real sconces (but not hardwired) with usb rechargeable lightbulbs.

      1. +1 to rechargable light bulbs. That seems like the best option to cut down on cords

    4. More lamps. Big lamps, small lamps, bright lamps, soft lit lamps. One of them powerful enough to light the place up like a Florida beach at noon in July.

    5. Similar situation here in a house from the 1800s. All of our rooms are lit by lamps except for the kitchen/main bedroom addition. We have either 2-3 table or floor lamps per room plus a chandelier converted to a plug in with the cord looped through a chain, and the chain affixed to the wall with small taps painted the same color as the trim. In our family room we put up sconces on either side of the fireplace but had them cut into the plaster to do it (we then painted that room so the patching was done as part of that process). An electrician can convert a chandelier to a plug in pretty easily fwiw.

    6. In my previous 1930s house, we put in recessed lighting in the plaster ceiling in the first floor living room. Bedrooms above. The ceiling damage was surprisingly minimal, only about 4 small holes to be filled and sanded. It was so worth it.

  7. Just watched Saturday Night Fever and I’m shocked that this was such a popular movie. Good music and dancing but so, so rape-positive. Was that how it was then? Or what happens when there aren’t enough women writers in the writing room? I was looking for a boozy good time and it was so icky. Did not age well except for the music (I just took a CPR course, so the song was stuck in my head; now it is definitely out).

    1. Sweetie, it was made in the 1970s. Have you watched any other movies from the 1970s? Not a lot of enlightened attitudes – at least, the way we define “enlightened” these days. Saturday Night Fever was a product of its time and judging it by today’s standards is not entirely fair.

      1. This!

        The world changes a lot in 50 years and yes, a lot of those changes centered around s*x and s*xual morality. In the 70s (and 80s for that matter), “nice girls” were supposed to be virgins until they got married and if they had s*x before then, they needed to be “persuaded”. They needed to start out saying “no” or they were sluts. And both men and women bought into that dynamic. That is why “no means no” – which seems so laughably obvious now – was actually a bona fide education campaign.

        If you really want to be horrified, read some “romance” novels from that time period. They are full of 17 or 18 year old girls who are raped by the 30 year old “heros” (usually under some kind of mistaken identity plot) and end up blissfully married to their attackers.

        It is one of the reasons I find the tendency to judge people in the past for actions that were perfectly acceptable then under today’s standards. Judge the actions but remember that the world changes faster than you can imagine when you are young.

      2. Yeah. Friends aired in the late 1990s and early 2000s and has aged poorly in many ways. I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect anything made in the 70s to meet today’s standards in terms of women’s rights, race issue, gay rights, etc.

        1. I came across some of the dating episodes of Boy Meets World recently and ufff, in addition to the afterthought presence of people of color and the horrible stereotypes of Italians, the heteronormativity and gender roles don’t age well. This even though honestly I think the basic messages (relationships should be built on love and trust!) aren’t bad.

    2. Idk I watch old movies from the 40s and a common theme is that women have left their husbands when the husband has philandered, then they realize what a mistake they’ve made and they go back. The End.

    3. I was recently talking about this movie with someone, I was a teen when it came out. There was a PG version of the movie released slightly after the movie came out, so there are people who have seen the movie without the rape scenes (and I think the suicide). Rape wasn’t much discussed when the film came out, and there are many who saw Tony raping Stephanie as part of a love story. Remember, a very popular soap opera that was airing at the same time had the male of the main couple rape the female and they became one of the great television love stories of all time.

      https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2019/06/12/what-we-dont-remember-about-saturday-night-fever/

      I still think the opening scene of SNF is one of the best opening scenes ever.

      1. Cosign your final sentence. I used to think of that when I trudged with my overloaded laptop bag to the metro. The rest, ugh, not so much.

      2. I don’t know if SNF was ever in major broadcast TV or cable rotation, but they really cut the heck out of some of those movies so they could show them as reruns. I remember finally watching the unedited version of The Breakfast Club and being surprised at how the mood is much more introspective and sad than the TBS/basic cable version.

        1. Speaking of John Hughes, Sixteen Candles has not aged well. The popular girl is blackout drunk and the “hero” encourages a nerd to have s*x with her. The next day she doesn’t remember what happened and it’s played for laughs. And we haven’t even gotten to the horrific depiction of an Asian character.

          1. Yeah, I tried watching it one day when I was home sick and – oof. It absolutely has not held up. So much stuff that would never, ever make it into a movie now.

    4. I’m a GenX and some old movies (and some newer ones!) just don’t age well, even ones I loved as a kid. Even ones that are more recent (e.g., 90s/early 2000s) can be pretty awful in terms of consent. For instance, I remembered Bend It Like Beckham as a sort of sweet/harmless movie, and my 14yo was absolutely scandalized that one of the girls ended up dating a coach. (She also thought the two leads should have ended up together and I have to agree.)

      1. I totally forgot about the adult-coach-dating-teen-player subplot and watched the movie with my daughter. Ick ick ick.

    5. Most movies do not age well, IMO. But I love that someone in a younger generation would be shocked by it. That shows some real progress has been made!

    6. I was a teen in the 70s. Yes, that is how things were, to a huge extent. I do not know a single woman who is a contemporary who would disagree with the statement: “By today’s standards, I was sexually assaulted multiple times.” I am not saying that such a woman doesn’t exist, but when I talk with contemporaries, all have agreed that the quoted language understates how things were.

      1. I am in my 50s and know younger women who insist that lack of affirmative consent or any degree of intoxication (even between long-time partners) makes it assault – although they do not seem to have an explanation for why it is always to woman who was assaulted. I have learned to keep my mouth shut on how infantalizing I find that, or how dismissive of what I consider to be actual sexual assault.

        But yes – by today’s standards I was the victim of multiple assaults. I remain untraumatized. However, I am very glad that the “no, no, no – yes, yes, yes” dance is in the past and that younger women feel less pressure to deny being sexual beings.

        1. Age 49 and I agree with you completely – the infantilizing and dismissive part, but also the “less pressure to deny being sexual beings” part. In college, I went on a bit of a crusade that the flip side of the coin had to be to allow (and teach) women to say “yes.” In my generation and earlier, it was ingrained in most of us that saying “yes”, particularly as a first answer, was inappropriate. The ideal scenarios for premarital sex were (1) to avoid it and (2) to have a long relationship with someone and go back and forth for months until the woman finally agreed to have sex on a designated evening in a room bathed in candlelight and rose petals followed by declarations of deep gratitude from the boyfriend. All unrealistic but that was the messaging I got, even being raised outside any church. My mother, otherwise a feminist at least by her telling, bandied about the word slut and encouraged me to remain a virgin into my 20s, long after I had had dozens of sexual encounters, while also discouraging me from getting married before finishing graduate school and admitting that she had mostly married the wrong man, my father, out of sexual desperation. The messaging was really toxic. If young women have been given freedom to say “yes”, that is progress for all of us.

        2. As a criminal defense attorney, I agree. When a young man is drunk, he may not be able to understand mixed signals from a drunk woman. We know women were taught to say no no no even when we were physically saying yes in many ways. I agree that women must learn it’s okay to say yes or no and that men must leant to respect no even in the face of mixed signals. “Baby it’s cold outside” was not “rapey.” She wanted to stay but was worried about her reputation.

      2. I think about this a lot. I had at least half a dozen sexual encounters in high school and college that would be considered sexual assault today. The men my age also didn’t grow up with good role models or understanding of consent. No one called it rape. No one considered it assault. I’m 45.

        1. Exact same for me. Even beyond sexual assault, actual rape. I turn 45 in three weeks.

          1. I’m 57. I’ve been groped by any number of men at work, at parties and bars, etc. Fortunately didn’t go farther, though I wish it hadn’t happened at all.

            But my sister, 3 years younger than me – when we started using the term “date rape” she asked what it meant, and then said “oh, that’s how I lost my virginity.”

    7. I rewatched not to long ago and was bothered by the rape scene but didn’t think it was “positive.” Shortly after the rapes, one of the friends killed himself. It was just a sad window into the lives of teenagers in the city. This kind of thing actually happened and the movie showed it.

      1. I don’t thing that the movie is pro-rape but oddly nonchalant about it, like it just another thing that happens on a Saturday. Gang-rape, even. What that does to women is . . . Not worth dwelling on.

  8. Is anyone else really sad about Nancy Pelosi stepping down? I totally understand that it was time, I’m just sad that it’s the end of an era. I have looked up to her for so long, and between this and RBG’s death, I feel a huge loss in role models.

    2. It is beyond time for her to step down. She and the other power-hungry octogenarians have made it impossible for middle-aged people (who are young enough to be in touch with real-life issues but also have enough life experience to have developed some wisdom) to step up and lead the nation out of the mess we’re currently in.

      1. +1 million. I want someone old enough to understand the arcs of issues (how things happening now were put in motion 20 or 30 years ago), but young enough to have several decades in front of them (ie will feel the consequences of what they are implementing).

        1. OP here. I never said I didn’t want her to step down. I completely agree that it’s time. I’ll just miss her leadership and the female empowerment that came with it.

          1. The point is that she should have stepped down many years ago. She isn’t an icon of feminine empowerment because she disempowered a whole generation of women by hanging on to power too long.

      2. Can we please stop with the casual ageism?

        I appreciate succession planning and am glad she is engaging it it but “power-hungry octogenarians”? Seriously?

        1. It’s not ageism at all. It’s the ugly truth. That generation hung onto power far too long, and now the democrats don’t have a viable presidential candidate because they never made room to develop the next generation of leaders.

          1. Too long by whose metric? And we had plenty of viable candidates (several under 50)- it was just that the majority of voters preferred Biden, whether because they thought he was most electable or because they liked him best.

            I voted for Pelosi in the primary and the general. I would vote for her again because she remains sharp as a tack and well able to do her job. I respect her decision to step aside and understand her reasons but the idea that someone should stop doing the job they are good at because they are “standing in the way” of younger people is absurd. And while Nancy Pelosi obviously does not need to work, this mindset carries down to those of us over 50 (or 60) in regular jobs. We need to work. We want to work. Frankly society needs us to work given labor shortages. The idea that we somehow owe it to younger people to get out of their way is ridiculous and discriminatory.

          2. Hahaha to the idea that the majority of the voters preferring Biden. I live in Florida and no one asked me or many other voters. The DNC pushed all the other candidates out.

        2. +1 I’m always surprised at people who consider themselves woke who have no trouble engaging in ageism. Knock it off.

    3. No. I am relieved. She has been brilliant, and may I have a moment of her strategic thinking and quick wit at 80+ in my lifetime, but the Dems are way behind in succession planning. I hope it starts a trend across government and into the private sector.

    4. I’m sad but also really respect her timing. She has made sure the next house leader will have two years under their belt before the next election. She’s pretty amazing. We need a younger generation of leadership but she had the sophistication and skills necessary for the last 6 years. I’m a moderate to left leaning gen X democrat for context. I respect the Squad, but am not quite that far to the left.

      1. The Squad would absolutely guarantee that the Democrats never take another national election. AOC is great but lets not forget that she beat another Democrat to get her position

      2. I am a lifelong Democrat but I am more aligned with the Obama/Clinton democrats. The only way I would ever vote for a member of the squad is if they were running against someone like Trump. As a Jew, I would struggle to vote for them. They seem like entitled Gen Z’ers with a little casual anti-Semitism thrown in there.

  9. Maybe this is a weird question, but does anyone do “shuffle dancing”? Can you recommend a good fitness Youtuber or something to teach me it? I’m not a great dancer but it looks so fun…

  10. Thanks for the help with my interview question yesterday! The interviewer literally said “I know what happened at Nottwitter, did you get laid off?” I handled it like I planned, “No and I’m not terribly worried that I will but i am concerned about the lack of opportunities for growth given that they’re contracting.” I thought it was pretty positive! I’m excited and terrified. Thanks again!

  11. Has anyone used an online mortgage provider? How did it go? Pros/Cons? About to start the pre-approval process with a trad bank set-up but very intrigued by online. We have excellent credit and a down payment if that matters. Thanks for any insight!

    1. What do you mean by “online mortgage provider”? I tried to use Costco’s connection when we refinanced because no closing costs, but when I filled out the form I started getting massive spam calls, texts, and emails from a bunch of strange mortgage brokers. (Within minutes.) We wound up going with Mutual of Omaha through Costco, and our closing costs were really minimal.

      1. There are now tons of mortgage providers online. Some are banks, some are…I’m not sure what else. That’s kind of why I was asking. I don’t mean going through a 3rd party like Costco. The only one I have heard of is Rocket Mortgage but there are a lot of Unknown Name places offering great rates. Can’t help but think they are scammy but would love some real life experiences.

    2. Prequalified with one because it had the lowest rates but I just couldn’t get a hold of my lender when I was in a bidding war (this was last year) and so switched to a traditional lender. In a buyers market it may matter less.

    3. I used Better Mortgages in 2021 for 2 refinances. It did not go smoothly, and I would not use them for closing on a new house. The worst part was, toward the end, they insisted on us having homeowners’ insurance with a certain term that is not written in our state (and didn’t make sense) and then wanted us to buy it from their affiliated insurance company. We got it worked out eventually, but it was really suspicious, and we could have lost out on a house if we were getting a new mortgage and not a refinance. We did get a really low rate, and they sold the mortgages immediately, so we never have to deal with them again.

      When we purchased our house, we used a local bank and had an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend that.

    4. We used Loan Depot in late 2021/early 2022. They quoted a great rate and after shopping around, only Rocket Mortgage could match and I found them spammy and disorganized.

      The biggest downside to LD is the online interface, strangely enough. It didn’t update quickly or show payments well. They sold our mortgage to Chase over the summer and servicing is much better, but glad I started out with the online route because we locked in an unbelievable rate.

  12. any finance fintech or tech recruiters for NNJ or NY. or hybrid that you recommend?

  13. Hopefully the final apartment dog update- the complex removed the option of switching units or breaking the lease because so many were impacted and they couldn’t move us all. The complex found out the city was involved due to noise and they got their lawyers involved. It’s been 3 days of barkfree living, which is wonderful. They told her they’ll be continuing to check in with her neighbors and if even one complains about dog noise, the lawyers will file eviction. They did tell me that I should not have tried to engage with her first, to only ever contact the office, that they always tell all tenants of all properties to never approach another tenant, to go through the office only. (That’s counter to what the usual advice is about neighbor stuff, so that’s interesting.)

    I think that life burnout plus the sleep interruptions and it feeling like no end in sight made me catastrophize and I am really grateful to all for checking me for emotions versus facts when I posted. Thank you!

    1. Wow, that’s a lot better than I was expecting to happen based on your last post! What happened to the dog?

      1. Dog is still there, as far as I can tell, so my best guess is that she now takes the dog everywhere (including into the bathroom when she bathes) and must be taking the dog to daycare or a sitter when she is out. I worry if she’s keeping the dog in her car while running errands since it’s still 80* here, but I hope this quiet continues. I think they also came down hard on her because, when she spoke with the corporate people, they said she told them she “only lets the dog bark from noon to 1 and 5-7” and seemed shocked when they explained that she can’t allow the dog to bark at any time ever. She said she is training the dog by leaving it in the crate while in other rooms or going out, they told her this isn’t a training facility. But her nonchalance about it made them even madder since they’d been talking with her for weeks about this, which pushed them to be stronger in their approach. She also acknowledged that she failed to report a roach problem in her unit for over a year, which allowed the problem to infest multiple units. (No one is saying she brought them, no one knows that, but her acknowledgement of seeing them regularly for “over a year” and then not reporting because shrug has them pretty mad that they’re now having to replace infested appliances and pay a lot to fix multiple units.)

        I am hoping that, if she has a daycare or sitter for the dog, they’d notice if the dog is neglected or abused and report or something and, the more eyes on this poor puppy, the better.

          1. Dogs bark some time but crating a dog and intentionally letting bark for two hours (5-7) is beyond that.

          2. I’m guessing they don’t mean if the dog ever barks once, I’m guessing they mean if the person goes back to letting the dog bark and bark and bark like it had been. Considering the rental market, I’ve seen a lot of people get kicked out for minor infractions, told to leave or have eviction filed so they left so they could rent again (since you often can’t get approved with an eviction on your record). It sounds like the housing complex is being more than fair since this conversation has been going on for at least a month (maybe more? I can’t tell time anymore thanks to c0vid and daylight savings lol)

            While I don’t expect silence from neighbors (I’ve lived in NYC!), I do think it would make me consider moving if I had a neighbor who seemed to be choosing to allow a noise problem, let alone one where an animal sounds like it was being abused or neglected. My heart wouldn’t be able to take it!

    2. 1. Ignore management’s advice to never engage with the neighbor before reporting. That serves them, not you.
      2. To support my contention that they should be ignored, I will add that it is utterly inappropriate for management to have shared most of the details they apparently shared with you, but most specifically the roach issue. You are not dealing with competent, professional staff, and I think they may have encouraged your personal spinout.
      Best of luck with the path forward.

    3. I’ve been thinking of you, well actually more the poor dog, and am so glad to hear the update. Thank you.

  14. Someone asked a few days ago how much go budget for their new townhouse. The answers varied wildly. I wanted to suggest a different approach – go to a store website in your price range (Macy’s, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, etc.) and dump pieces into your cart that match your needs. It doesn’t matter if it’s the exact item you want, just a 1 for 1 match (i.e. pick an average priced dresser and keep moving). Do this at a few different stores and note the total price in the cart. This will help you come up with a budget.

  15. Can anyone recommend a good toaster? It seems like they should all be the same, yet the one I have is terrible.

    1. Paging Senior Attorney, who just got one recommended here and said it was actually excellent – can’t remember the name of the darn thing!

    2. I’m Team Toaster Oven instead of toaster. Super versatile for toasting larger items like a pita or naan, better at bagels, and you can crisp up leftover pizza or heat up a small oven dish (like a frozen meal) without wasting energy or time on the whole oven. Love our Breville.

      1. Heh, I am too but toasters look so much prettier on the counter if you get a cute one I swapped.

    4. Egh I’m in mod – have linked the Ninja foodi 2-in-1 flip which has a small footprint but flips horizontally into a small toaster oven. I love mine!

    5. If you want just a regular toaster, we like the Avante one we bought at Target several years ago. Much better than our previous one.

  16. For those who thought Elizabeth Holmes would get off easy…she was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

        3. +10m. And especially the second child that she’s now pregnant with. How sad for them.

    2. Oh my god!

      I’ll have to find those old podcasts about her case to see if they have a follow-up episode.

      I’m shocked, but pleased. As a physician / scientist that would have had patients using those machines in Walgreens….

    3. Good! I do feel bad for her kids who are innocent in this, but I’m glad she didn’t get let off easy.

      1. Honestly, she is so manipulative that they may be better off without her. I agree with speculations that she brought them into this world solely to receive leniency, first with the jury and second with the sentencing.

    4. The sentence is appropriate. However, she got to walk free for a year between conviction and sentencing, and now the judge has said she doesn’t have to report to prison until April 27, 2023. So she won’t have to give birth in prison. Somehow, I don’t think the same accommodations would have been afforded to a defendant who wasn’t an attractive white woman married to a rich guy, and so it’s hard for me to be like “yay, the system worked!” Somehow I don’t think a pregnant BIPOC mom from Oakland picked up on a drug charge would be afforded the same courtesies Holmes has received. She’s also still got an appeal pending, and so who’s to say whether she’ll ever do a day in prison?

      1. I know someone who pled guilty to a pretty heinous crime (federal), and he was allowed to report 4 months after the sentencing. To your point, black male, but wealthy, so not an attractive white woman married to a rich guy, just wealthy.

        1. Yeah I’m not saying our justice system isn’t racist because it is, but I think it’s her family wealth that’s greasing the wheels here more than her whiteness.

        2. Yeah, I mean, this is not that unusual for white collar crimes in federal court. Even post-trial, defendants are given some leeway in reporting for their sentence, unless there’s anything to suggest they are a flight risk or danger to the community (and as much as I loathe her, I would be hard pressed to say she is either).

    5. I thought it was incredibly audacious for the uberwealthy man who impregnated a woman who was set to stand trial/be sentenced for heinous crimes to use his fear that his children might grow up without their mother to plead for leniency for her. F them both. God help those kids. Being raised by narcissists is tough, though it may be genetic (see, the Trumps) in which case they will be just fine even though also awful.

      1. I think it’s hard to separate nature vs nurture. I suspect the Trump kids’ narcissism is more about their upbringing than their DNA.

    6. I feel sorry for the people who could have died due to her greed. Those kids will be better of without that sociopath raising them.

  17. With RBG gone (my birthday twin; I was born on her 50th birthday and I swear, nothing I ever do will be cooler than that), with Speaker Pelosi stepping down…

    Who are your role models? Tell us who these women are, what they do, and what about them is inspiring to you! Maybe we can help each other find some new ones!

    I’m a fan of Gail Vaz-Oxlade who is no nonsense about money and money maturity while also being empathetic to people. I like her mix of compassion and reality. (Her tv shows aired in primetime in Canada and are all over youtube, she also has a lot of books.) I’ve also really been loving Lizzo’s outlook on life and self-love. I’ve also been watching Hair Tales on OWN network and not only learning about some awesome women, but also learning about Black hair and its power (I’m a white woman).

    1. I find it hard to relate to famous / distant women as role models. Mine are closer to home, perhaps because they set an example that I can more realistically incorporate into my own life. Like, a woman in senior leadership at my co who is not only awesome at her actual job but is one of those magical mentors that helps people deftly navigate office politics.

    2. I’m 65, which likely has a lot to do with my role models. I was a fan of Jacqueline Onassis since I was a little girl. In particular, she is my fashion icon (would Jackie wear this?), but she always seemed to me to be the epitome of elegance. I also have huge respect for both Hilary Clinton and Michelle Obama.

      1. Hilary and Michelle are amazing! I know a lot of people don’t like the Clinton’s but I don’t care

      2. I have tremendous respect for Hillary and Michelle. I think they’re both incredible women and I love hearing them speak and learning about their life stories. But I don’t consider them role models, because I have less than zero desire to be in politics or a political spouse. I agree with Cat that I tend to look to women in my personal network when I look for role models.

    3. I am looking forward to seeing Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first public defender to become a Supreme Court justice, in action. My real-life role models are my voice teacher (teeny tiny soprano who is a total bada$$ and the best teacher I have ever had), my ballet teacher (world’s most dignified woman), and a woman in my professional association who can only be described as a force of nature. My current fictional role model is Zoe from Firefly, although I am sad her character was never adequately developed.

      1. As long as I live, I will never, ever forgive Fox for canceling Firefly after one season. So much wasted potential

    6. Jacqueline Novogratz is definitely one of our current greatest living minds that not enough people know about!

  18. My cuticles are horrible. The skin next to and underneath my nails is bloody and peeling. I have a manicure scheduled for Wednesday. Any emergency help products to try in the meantime? It’s dry here and I’ve been handling a lot of cleaning supplies and paper products so I’m guessing this might be why.

    1. CND SolarOil Nail & Cuticle Care painted on your cuticles, topped with Aquaphor to seal in the oil. Both products available at Am*zon and at many drugstores.

    3. I like the Burt’s Bees cuticle balm. The real trick is leaving them alone, but I found using the balm when I was inclined to mess with them to go a long way toward the fix.

  20. For those who outsource holiday light displays how much do you pay? My husband and I don’t celebrate Christmas and have never done holiday lights, but last year our 4 year old begged and begged for a sparkly house and we said we would do it this year. I contacted a company that specializes in that and got a quote for $600 for a pretty basic display including the lights and labor. I thought that sounded fine (obviously outsourcing is going to be quite a bit more than DIY) but I told my husband and parents and they were horrified by that price. We’re in a LCOL area, although I’m not sure home repair/upkeep projects are actually cheap here. I think maybe because we have fewer employees looking for work in this area than big cities do (for example, we pay more per square foot for our cleaning service than we did when lived in the Bay Area).

    1. I am in a MCOL city in the Midwest and was quoted $1,000. $600 sounds like a deal!

    2. A 4-year-old will be thrilled with two strings of lights haphazardly wrapped around a tree and one of those tinsel animals from Target.

      If you are talking lights on the roofline I would definitely pay someone to put those up. I know too many people who have either been seriously injured or narrowly escaped serious injury falling off ladders.

  21. Random late in the day question – if you know your husbands/fathers/brothers/whatever shoe brands – what hiking brand shoes should I look at for my husband who has liked cole Haan, born and new balance? And hated rockport?

Comments are closed.