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.
Something on your mind? Chat about it here.
I tend to wear a lot of black, so I like my accessories to make an impact — and this unusual watch from Tory Burch is calling my name.
The watch feels delicate because it's on the smaller side, and I love the unusual blue stainless steel. There's also a purple version, as well as a two-tone and gold version.
The watch is $330, at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and Macy's.
Sales of note for 9/5/25
- Nordstrom – Summer sale has started, up to 60% off top brands
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event: 30% off your entire purchase, including new arrivals
- Anthropologie – 30% off clothing and accessories
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- J.Crew – Everyday styles from $34.50 — see our full roundup of what to buy for work at J.Crew
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off fall faves + extra 60% off clearance
- L.K. Bennett – 20% off all new-season
- Nordstrom Rack – Season Closeout: extra 40% off select clearance dresses, sandals, shorts, and swimwear(ends 9/11)
- Rothy's – Up to 50% off last-chance sales
- Soma – 5 panties for $39 + 35% off 3+ styles + buy 2 get 3 free panties — readers love these PJs and these no-VPL panties
- Talbots – 25-40% off select fall styles + extra 30% all markdowns — here are all the reader favorites at Talbots
- White House Black Market – 50% off all sale styles (ends 9/5)
First, I wanted to thank everyone for all the super kind comments on my doctor’s appointments after years of delay. I went to the dentist and the great news is it was an awesome experience and I didn’t need any work done.
Here’s the bad news; and I’m afraid I’ll sound like either an idiot or a conspiracy theorist. My last dentist found cavities (more than one) every single visit. I stoped going because I was kind of incredulous that I always had two cavities at every visit. I did confront them and asked if it was a matter of dental discretion or philosophy and maybe they were just more proactive than any other dentist I’d been to. They said no. It was a big operation and they frequently shamed me about my dental habits. This new dentist was tiny, easy, definitely not state of the art and they were nice. They actually said “her teeth and clean, she’s great.” Here’s the thing: when I just quit on the last dentist they were still saying had cavities. This dentist took x Rays and confirmed none. Is this a standard of care issue? Was I scammed? I’m kind of frustrated that I might have gotten unnecessary tooth drilling? Do people get second opinions on cavities?
I had this happen before—dentist said I had 4 cavities, I had 2 addressed and then switched dentists and never told new dentist anything. New dentist didn’t find the 2 cavities I supposedly had? I chalked it up to lesson learned and moved on. I slept ok at night thinking there’s a range of acceptability for defining cavity. If a dentist ever whipped out that I had 4 cavities again I’ll definitely get a second opinion.
Unfortunately a lot of dentists are scam artists. I sadly got a bit of drilling I also didn’t need before finding my gem of a dentist who hasn’t had to do anything major on my teeth ever and is happy.
This is a very common thing among dental practices. My daughter was a freshman in college out of state, went to a dentist with a toothache, and was told she had 9 cavities. Our hometown dentist told her to have the x rays sent, and said she had 1 at most.
I do think there is some gray area of pre-decay where one dentist might diagnose a cavity and another would let it go and watch it in the future. So it doesn’t mean you were totally scammed, but it sounds likely they were doing more work than necessary.
Yeah, I think the gray area thing is common – both in that some dentists are more comfortable with “wait and see”, and some want to patch every little thing. Also, there’s actually some evidence that even in adults, fluoride treatment prevents those tiny “pre cavities” from getting worse/ever needing treatment. Second opinion is totally fine to get; and if it is happening frequently, I would switch dentists. And even a proactive dentist should be able to have a “hey, I would rather not get this filled right now, is there an option to wait & see/I’ll come back in if XYZ happens?” and not make you feel ashamed for asking!
And CONGRATS ON DOING THE THING!!!
Yea, I’ve had this same experience. Never had a cavity in my life. New city dentist told me I had two. Got a second opinion from my hometown dentist when I was home a few weeks later. She said I didn’t and that a lot of dentists overcall pre-decay/discolored areas. I found another dentist. A decade later, I still have not had a cavity.
I have heard of dentist saying more work than necessary is needed to make more money. I think given the difference in your experience, you did get scammed but I don’t think you should feel dumb or stupid because of it because it happens to a lot of people.
Yes, some dentists are too drill-happy, some are scammers, and some are careful to do as little as needed.
There are big red flags in how you describe the previous one, particularly that they were shaming you! That would be a terrible dentist, even if you’d give them the benefit of the doubt about actively scamming vs. being “proactive”.
It’s not unheard-of – in my hometown there was a dentist notorious for suggesting more work than was strictly necessary. My current dentist is more wait-and-see than my previous one. Unfortunately I don’t know how you can tell this sort of thing ahead of time.
I’ve run into this too. It makes you feel so stupid, but it’s them, not you.
Yeah echoing others that unfortunately this is super common in the dental industry. My husband saw a dentist who said he had 9 (!!!) cavities and needed some sort of deep cleaning procedure in addition to the drilling, but we got a second opinion and the second dentist said he didn’t have any cavities and would be fine with a regular cleaning. I always get a second opinion for any dental work. It’s a good practice in general but especially important with dentists.
Scams are definitely possible. Look up Larry Rudolph and Three Rivers Dental. Another dentist affiliated with Three Rivers Dental died a few years ago. It was determined later that he was charging patients up front fees for services ($4,000 for a root canal for example). Work was scheduled at a later date. He died before all of the work could be completed. Lo and behold, those deposits are long gone because he was depositing them into his personal bank accounts. His estate was insolvent and all of his assets were in his wife’s name.
When I was away at law school, I went to a new dentist who told me that I had severe gum disease and needed a series of deep cleaning treatments. I had never even had so much as a cavity before and was freaked out by the suggested treatments. Over winter break, I went back to my local dentist and didn’t say anything. He checked everything, did the usual cleaning, and said everything looked great. I’ve been to 2 other dental practices since, and have never been told that I have anything approaching gum disease. Sorry you may have encountered a scammy dentist – sounds like they’re unfortunately not that unusual.
I had the same experience. Freaked out when the more chain-like dentist said I had severe gum disease, same series of deep cleaning. Went to a local dentist and nothing was wrong. I needed to floss more.
Remineralization of early stage caries is possible, but it’s also supposed to be encouraged (they’re not supposed to recommend fillings if remineralization may work). So the old dentist was a bad dentist either way.
Dentistry is unfortunately a bit buyer beware, maybe partly because it’s not covered by health care insurance, and dental insurance is more of a discount plan than real medical insurance.
I also learned this the hard way and am sad about the unnecessary fillings too. Just don’t do what I did and drag your feet on necessary work recommended by a good dentist later; I could have saved some money on crowns if I’d gotten them put in sooner when more of my teeth didn’t need them yet!
yes! the atlantic had an article a few years ago about how it’s less science, more art, than you’d think — gift link: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/05/the-trouble-with-dentistry/586039/?gift=PEb_GDID3744HtoRx9Zp6V_4L65lP4Eo_V9t0lnYSUY&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
Hi, my sister is a dentist, and she explained that some small cavities can self correct with flossing, brushing and sometimes a fluoride treatment. Dentists may have different risk tolerances. She just sent my son home with 2 gray areas and gave strict instructions to floss.
I was wondering if that was the case but the old dentist didn’t say that. Old dentist has a ton of five star reviews but I’m wonder if it’s fair to write a review that says they are very pro drilling? Like, if you go you may have multiple cavities every visit that wouldn’t be an issue for other dentists? I feel like people need to be warned if a dentist drills a tooth where other dentist’s wouldn’t? Outside of specific instances I can’t imagine anyone wants more fillings than necessary?
I’ve had both – a dentist who was pretty negligent – even when I asked about a tooth feeling funny, he did not see the decay that would later become my first root canal -, and a dentist who was a bit drill happy, although maybe not outright scamming.
I am leaning towards booking Tanque Verde in Tucson, AZ for the December break holiday (if anyone has been and has anything to share about it – that would be awesome!). I am wondering where else in AZ around the area may be worth visiting before/after? Was thinking Sedona and Tucson itself too. Phoenix we have already been and the Grand Canyon/Antelope Canyon seem risky with the weather (read online it can be icy at times and not safe driving)
The weather will be beautiful that time of the year, even a little cold. It can be 30 in the am, but warm up to high 50’s low 60’s during the day. In Tucson, I would do outdoor activities like horseback riding and hiking, if that’s your thing. If it’s not, then other than resort activities like spa and laying by the pool there is not a lot to do there.
Sedona is about 4 hours from Tucson, so long drive. If you do plan to go there it is beautiful and you can hike, take a jeep ride, horseback ride.
My family went to Tanque Verde about 10 years ago and it was excellent. Good food, fun options on horseback, beautiful area, etc. We went in the summer, though, so I can’t speak to the weather.
Looking for a new pair of wide-width shoes for walking, running (not much), and gym classes. I used to like Hoka, but the price has become positively absurd for relatively poor quality. Any recommendations for a good “cross-trainer” that isn’t priced into the stratosphere?
How much running is not much? I’m pretty cheap but don’t screw around with running shoes, as running injuries are expensive. And what works for running often isn’t great for gym classes, as the latter tends to involve more lateral movement. All that to say, it sounds like you need 2 different pairs of shoes.
For cheaper shoes, generally getting last year’s model of a shoe you like is $30 or so less. So if you know you have a style of Hoka that works for you, look and see what they have available in older iterations. If your feet are large enough, you may also be able to buy men’s shoes – at least in some brands, they use the same lasts for mens/womens shoes in comperable sizes. That might open up some more discounted options.
I personally tend to buy Brooks running shoes, but a lot depends on what works best for your feet/body, and I get fitted at a running store periodically.
+1 – I’m all about Target flats for work, but I buy the name brand running shoe that works for me with my stride.
Where have you seen last year’s Hokas for $30? I’ve been lucky to see them for $30 off full price.
That’s what she was saying!
I meant a discount of $30 off the current price, sorry to be unclear
I read it wrong. Wish you had meant $30 total though!!
+1 gym shoes and running shoes do not overlap, and injuries are expensive. For gym shoes, you need something that is flat for lifting – there are plenty of cheap options from new balance that you can pick up from DSW, or alternatively air jordans and converse are also popular for lifting for a reason.
I can’t remember the pricing, but on cloud is great and asics are great if you are ok with them being ugly. I will say though after wearing Hokas I hate all my other shoes, so it may take a bit to get used to but I hear you on the pricing – it’s kind of ridiculous
Asics and Brooks have both in recent years come out with “entry level” running shoes that are the price point of what Adrenalines/Ghosts/Gel Nimbus were 10 years ago. Might be worth a look.
I wear my Brooks glycerins for all my workouts. Years ago when I was a runner, the running store fit me for them and I’ve worn them ever since. You can get older models a little cheaper.
This is what I wear too and I love them. I think the only way you can buy running shoes is to go try them on though.
I have wide width running shoes from new balance that I consistently reorder every year. I like the 1080s and 880s but I think you can hardly go wrong with them.
Brooks Ghost is my go-to, but I doubt it’s much cheaper than Hokas. I try to find last season’s models to save a few bucks.
The Outlet section of roadrunnersports.com has last year’s Hokas for about $30 off list price, as well as other brands and styles at larger discounts. The website has a helpful fit finder.
When I used to run a lot of miles, I joined their VIP program. It’s a great deal when you buy new shoes frequently.
Altra
+1 for shape and comfort, maybe not so much for price, but you can get older models and weird colours.
For running I like Saucony Triumph. Altra are also good and I liked the Salomon shoes I found in Europe.
There is a Spanish brand called Joma which is apparently much cheaper and very good according to a couple of guys in my running group.
Check out Relay Goods for discounted shoes. I got my last two Brooks there for the price of one, nearly. They’re prefect quality – think returns past the date.
Going to Nairobi for work next month and wondering if anyone has suggestions to what I can add to my trip (I can take as many days as I need). I have already done safaris in Kenya and Tanzania so was looking for something new/different.
Have you done the giraffe hotel?
Most of the things are animal related
Near Nairobi: elephant orphanage, giraffe center. Naivasha / hippos / flamingos outside of the city.
The National Museum is a little dilapidated but worth a visit, especially if they have the Lucy skeleton back up. I like Spinners web for handicrafts and the cafe. You could go to the coffee estate on the outskirts.
You could fly to Zanzibar but don’t stay in Stone Town long. The beaches are gorgeous further down the island. I also really liked Dar es Salaam, more than Nairobi.
Go to Istanbul on the way there/back
The Lucy skeleton is in the National Museum in Addis Ababa not Nairobi; but I still enjoyed the Natl Museum in Nairobi! {and it’s got other really impressive early-humanity stuff if that’s your jam} Heads up that you’ll have to figure out the govt payment app (which was buggy as all get out last time I tried).
I know you said you’ve been on safaris before; but if you go up towards Naivasha there are a few places you can walk or bike unaccompanied (Crescent island reserve; Hell’s gate national park) which is a pretty cool experience
A few days at the coast maybe, seeing if you could fly home from Mombasa instead of Nairobi?
I really liked Crescent island – very cool to walk through it basically unaccompanied. Hell’s gate national park is also great. It’s what the hyena’s area in Lion King is based on.
Renovating an antique house. Decision fatigue has set in. We’re creating two new en suite bathrooms to go with the upstairs guest rooms. Is there any reason I can’t make these two bathrooms the same? Going for a 1920s look: penny tile, white porcelain, etc, etc. My designer says they ought to be different, but I’m out of time to give my decisions to the contractor and I just want to be done. I think about all the houses I grew up in, and their bathrooms were more or less the same bones…but none was a historic house that “deserved” more.
I would do the same ‘bones’: tile, fixtures etc and then pick two different colours for paint, accessories, curtains etc.
This could be a good compromise. I will say I did two bathrooms this summer that have just a bit of overlap, and I really like that they feel like two distinct spaces. I hear you on the decision fatigue, but I’m glad I pushed through because I LOVE both of them and love that they are so different. It’s a thrill to walk into each one.
One is natural wood vanity and linen cabinet, mirrored medicine cabinets, Carrara marble-type shower walls, large rectangle floor tiles, mix of brushed nickel and aged brass metals…the other is gray vanity, single large mirror, cast iron tub, aquamarine hexagon floor tiles, mix of brushed nickel and black metals. We even did two different toilets and shower heads because we decided to try them both! And thereby not have to make a decision between them, lol.
The vanities/countertops and tub/shower walls are from the same companies just different color ways, so that helped streamline things. And it’s possible what I listed is too much variation for your style house. But I would probably customize each bathroom slightly in your shoes.
I love the bathrooms I did in my old house – identical except one had a tub/shower and the other just a shower. I was on a serious budget and it was a big part of being able to fully gut renovate two (albeit tiny) bathrooms with decent materials and good workmanship for $17k all in.
I think typically designers want you to pick different looks because then it screams “custom” and that a designer did your house. If you like the look though, I don’t see a reason to vary. That’s a pretty classic palate for that age/style. Are you painting? Just use different colors maybe? Or different marble accents?
If each bathroom is attached to a different guest room, I’d say it’s fine! If both bathrooms are attached to one guest room, I’d still say it’s fine but might do something different in each one—paint color, wallpaper, etc.—but what you’re describing sounds perfectly lovely!
Especially since they’re so classic, this is totally fine! You can change the towels and shower curtains and stuff if you want them to feel different but this sounds amazing. Get ‘er done!
I’d go with “very similar.” For example, a slightly different pattern with the penny tile on the floor (maybe one has a border, one has medallions, etc.). Maybe a different accent tile: one bathroom gets black, one gets dark green. The designer can get designer-y with the less-permanent finishes: paint, window coverings, etc.
The only reason I’d counsel pushing past your decision fatigue is if you know you’re the kind of person who really really values a designed house that has “special” in all the rooms and finishes. And if, knowing yourself, you know that you’ll be really disappointed 4 years from now that you didn’t do the extra push to make it next level. I’m not that person; I’m the white penny tile person. But you might be.
If the designer wants them to be different, has the designer presented you with two different options? If no, I’d totally just go with the same look for both.
Do them the same way; it might even save you some money on both the building of them and repairs. If one part breaks (need new tile, a bathroom fixture starts to go), you can order two and fix the other bathroom at the same time.
Interchangeable parts for the win.
What type of historic house are you talking about? If it is of the Sears kit house era, feel confident in your decision. All the building materials were the same in the kit that came of the rail/ship – so what you are doing is actually historically accurate. Really, the differences can come in wall color choices and/or contractor discretion in the tile patterns.
Poll: I just passed my background check. Do I call my boss and quit now or wait til our 1:1 on Monday. Either way we probably won’t be in person based on our schedules.
Wait. It’s a Friday. Non-cynically, don’t ruin their weekend. Cynically, while unlikely, they could terminate you on the spot, and I’d rather get paid three extra days for exactly the same amount of labor.
If it’s a salaried job, you don’t get weekend pay and being terminated on Monday vs Friday isn’t 3 extra days of pay.
Yes, it is? Your salary is prorated for the days you work. If you work 100/365 days in the year, you receive 100/365th of your salary. If you work 103/365 days, you receive 103/365th of your salary.
The denominator is normally the number of business days, not 365.
Are you in Europe? Salary is prorated based on working days typically
It’s normally calculated based on the number of working days in the pay cycle. So if you’re paid monthly, and the month has 22 work days and you work (or use paid leave) on 22 of them, you get 100% pay; if you work/use paid leave on 11 of them you get 50% pay and so on. Weekends are irrelevant.
Fair enough! Well, change my comment to say one more business day instead of three more calendar days, then. Point is you’re leaving money on the table by doing it today.
I oversee payroll. When someone is salaried it’s always pay calculated by 365 days not business days. The rationale for this is that salaried means people are expected to be able to work outside of regular business hours.
Okay, see, the reason I said /365 is that I quit a job on January 5 or 6, on a week which included both New Year’s Day and a weekend, and I’d been prepared for a tiny last check but in fact was paid for 5 or 6 days. It must vary by employer?
Do you have a start date?
Wait.
I would wait. You can tell her in all honesty that you heard back on Friday afternoon.
It will also give you a bit of time to prepare for handing things over, and, per other comments, to be terminated on the spot and have your laptop access shut off.
Remember, on good terms is almost never the wrong choice.
What’s your start date?
Friday afternoon, in my opinion, is a terrible time for major news. Higher ups at both my new and old company were prone to major, awful announcements late on Friday afternoons. I think that’s how I found out I’d no longer get a bonus, that my manager was being demoted, ect. So I’d avoid ruining someone’s weekend, personally. But congratulations on the new gig!
I vote wait, unless your manager is busy enough + you are working things that are urgent and important enough that she would genuinely need to work the weekend to start getting things in place to backstop you (in which case, frame it as “sorry to drop this on you on a Friday afternoon; but I wanted to let you know ASAP so we could use our 1:1 Monday to start planning the transition”). If you aren’t in work-on-weekends roles, then just wait until Monday (and I think you can still ask for next Friday to be your last day, if that’s the issue)