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Weekend Open Thread

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collarless fitted cardigan jardigan in light tan

Something on your mind? Chat about it here.

I'm loving the more fitted shape to this jardigan, now back in stock at M.M.LaFleur.

I've always been a fan of their jardigans, of course, but I've sometimes wished they had a bit more of a shape — so I really love the sleek looks on this one. It only comes in two colors right now, but it looks like a a great basic to wear with jeans on the weekend or regular pants to work.

The jardigan is $269, available at M.M.LaFleur in sizes XS-XXL. Use code CORPORETTE15 to bring it down to $228.

Sales of note for 1/15:

113 Comments

  1. I’ve never had a lash lift or tint but noticed a spa near me offers it. How do you gauge whether a place is safe? Red flags to watch out for? Is there any sort of eye protection I should expect?

    1. Save your money, it’s the least bang for the buck service out there. If you really want to do your lashes, get extensions. They last a few weeks and look amazing.

      1. I disagree and believe lash lifts + tints are money better spent. It lasts longer, is significantly cheaper, and lower maintenance. It can make a huge difference if your lashes are naturally straight or difficult to curl.

        1. I loveeee my lash lifts and would never get extensions because I don’t like having to go to the salon regularly. I just get a lift when I have events or feel inspired and then let it grow out naturally. My lashes are very straight and hard to curl.

      2. Totally agree. Did very little for me and I’m blonde. Lash extensions are the way to go for occasions. They last a good month and a half for me and I can even swing a little longer if I add some under lash falsies to patches.

    2. I’ve had it done a couple of times and liked the results – it was like having mascara on all the time, but not the kind that gives over-the-top lashes. It’s basically a combination of a perm and a dye job. There really isn’t any eye protection used.

      FWIW, I’ve also had just the tint and used clear mascara with an eyelash curler and it was as almost as good as the lift.

    3. Just fyi, if you end up not finding a lash lift dramatic enough, you generally need to wait a few months before you can do extensions so your lashes can recover.

  2. Please share your ultimate moisturizers for lips, face, and hands with me, please. I’ve just moved to New England from the South and my skin is acutely aware of the lack of moisture in the air. I’m slathering on products multiple times per day and it’s not enough.

    1. 1. running humidifiers in your home
      2. hydrating
      3. Working Hands for … hands. For lips I swear by Blistex, the squeeze tube kind, not the Chapstick kind.

    2. I live in the desert and keep chapstick in every room in my house, in my car, in my purse, etc. I need lots of chapstick haha. I like Burt’s Bees or Aquaphor Lip Repair. I also have a mini cocoa butter vaseline that I like. I use Gold Bond ultimate healing cream for lotion. I use different products on my face but right now I like Eucerin and Cerave.

    3. i slather my entire body in coconut oil while i am in bed before sleeping. highly recommend. I also think neutrogena (chap stick, face and hand lotion) are terrific.

      1. I love, love, love Neutrogena Hydro Boost Body Gel Cream (which, despite its name, is a lotion that comes in a blue pump bottle). I learned about it on here and it’s a non-greasy game changer. Plus I just discovered they have a whole line of other products so I’m gonna have to check those out, too.

        1. +1 to the Neutrogena as a good non-scented option. I also really like the Vaseline serum burst lotion, it sinks in very quickly and lasts all day for me.

        2. Thanks for this rec. I am allergic/sensitive to a lot of things, and I am happy to see that it’s on my “safe list”.

    4. 2 years ago I bought a tub of every brand of “advanced moisturizer” Walmart carried to try to find some way to stop my hands from getting so dry they bleed in high desert winters and none worked particularly well on its own. What did make a difference is:
      – Thin moisturizer by every sink in a pump bottle, use every time you wash your hands
      – Sleeping with humidifier running
      – Body cream after every shower, when your skin is still a little damp
      – Hands & feet: At night, I slather moisturizer on thickly, then cover with a “waterproof” layer (something like aquaphor) and then sleep with cotton gloves/socks.

      1. Using moisturizer after every time you wash your hands is key. I also use very moisturizing soaps like Dove.

    7. Vanicream and then a layer of an occlusive to lock it in. Vaseline works but I prefer the COSRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream for the sake of my pillowcases. Lips – Osmia has the best chapstick I’ve ever used, better than Laneige/Fresh/aquaphor/etc. Slather it on.
      If you get eczema the Marin skincream is a godsend. It works better than steroids I’ve been prescribed.

    8. Try slipping some electrolytes into what you are drinking and eating fruits and other slow-release hydration to help with the underneath-the-surface points.

      Night-time lotions and lip balm help me, as well as neutragina lip slicks (or similar) during the day, with tinted ones when I need to look more “made up”

      Wearing a mask can help with what is covered, whether it is outdoors or N95.

    9. This is what I do as a dry/dehydrated skin kind of gal:
      – hydrate aggressivly and often
      – Eucerin hand cream every time I wash my hands, Eucerin body moisturizer (in the winter the advanced repair) after every shower
      – Working Hands at night before bed. I also use this on my feet and sleep in socks in the winter
      – Religiously applying chapstick/blistex during the day
      – Dieux Instant Angel for my face, morning and night, along with their Deliverance serum. The Instant Angel is a lipid-based moisturizer, so it helps with my skin that doesn’t produce enough oil generally. I also use Byoma’s milky toner for barrier repair, and oil cleanse before using a gentle foaming cleanser (also by Dieux – I’m devoted).
      – Aquaphor on my lips and over my moisturizer before bed

    10. In addition to the other suggestions, hydrating face, hand, and feet masks at least once per week. I like the Inc.redible Prep to Party face mask, and the Thirsty Hands or Thirsty Feet masks. You can buy all of these at CVS.

      +1 to using an occlusive at night. I do put a thin layer of Aquaphor on my face and lips to seal in my moisturizer and my chapstick (I use a very thin layer so that I don’t feel like my skin is suffocating).

      I sometimes sleep in socks and/or gloves at night to seal in my lotion as well.

    11. Kiehls recovery oil at night along with the Laneige lip sleeping mask. During the day, the Biossance Rose oil and Burt’s Bees lip balm.

    12. For body, the Sephora house brand shea body butter All Day Body Hydrator. At night the Gehwol foot cream.

    13. I have mixed/oily skin in spring/summer which turns into a dry desert in winter.
      After some experimenting, this is what worked for me:

      Use moisturizer on face/lips/body and then lock the moisture in with some more oclusive product. The first layer is usually a blend of glycerine, ceramides, squalane (Geek & Gorgeous Happier Barrier is my current favorite, Aveeno Dermexa, Pharmaceris E) and then I lock it with petrolatum-rich product (Aquaphor, Cerave Healing Ointment).

      In the morning, I use my regular serums, then Geek & Gorgeous Happier Barriers cream. If it is windy & freezing, I add Aveeno Dermexa Body Cream. Let all absorb and then follow with make-up.

      For lips, only Aquaphor SOS tube works for me and I reapply several times per day.

      At night, I apply serums, treatment products, and the Happier Barrier cream. My second layer is either Aveeno, Cicaplast (if my skin seems irritated) or Aquaphor/Cerave Healing Ointment (on dry patches).

      For body, I use either Cerave blue body cream, or Aveeno Dermexa or Pharmeceris E body cream.

      For hands, I like Cerave Hand cream (day) and Foot cream (night). Follow with Aquaphor/Cerave Healing Ointment if needed (eg heading out when it’s freezing).

    14. You need to layer the hydration for your skin.

      Start with drinking warm water. I drink 3 jugs per day which is 2.25L.

      First layer is the bits to the exposed areas. I slather on Nivea soft. It works well for my skin. Don’t forget your neck.

      Second layer is what you do at night or after a shower which is I use a body oil on a damp facecloth to ‘seal’ the moisture in my skin on my body. My nails get the Trader Joe’s vitamin E oil rubbed into them and my hands get the Trader Joe’s thick hand cream rubbed in. My face gets the really nice moisturizer that is stupidly expensive but my skin loves it by cle de peaux. No one should have to spend what that cream costs but I do because it works so well for my face.

      Third layer is hair. Do not forget your hair. Lots of thick conditioner. I use a stupidly expensive deep conditioner 2-3x a week. This helps preserve color and limit breakage. I also wear a balaclava to help preserve the inside of my nose. I do a saline rinse morning and night and aquafor does up there. I am still regularly blowing my nose in the morning and it’s full of blood. My ears hurt in the wind. I’m in NYC and the wind can be brutal with no escape. I wear eyeliner and mascara. The rest of my face covered in ski balm to prevent wind burn.

      Finally, lips, which are hydrated by the water intake but need something to seal the moisture in. I have found the sticks of carmex to be best. Try a few out and find one you like. Burt bees is also good.

  3. Tis the season to buy gifts for people who need nothing. Inspire me!

    Mother: 68, lives alone in a retirement community in the south. Needs nothing (truthfully, needs a dumpster and to offload 90% of her belongings). Her love language is gifts and she will be with us on Christmas morning so consumables don’t work well here.

    MIL and FIL: 80s, live in a retirement community, are multi millionaires, need nothing. They would like a visit but that’s not a present and not happening any time soon. I like consumables here but they are fussy about that stuff, too. FIL mostly yells at the TV and has mild dementia. MIL spends her days fussing over FIL.

    Dad: lives with his very wealthy (3 homes wealthy) girlfriend, both are in their 60s. They like concerts and ideally I’d get them concert tickets but that’s super hard to do without knowing their schedules. In the past year they had to put their dog down and got a new puppy. They bike, boat, live near the beach, have a very fun and active live but I can’t imagine they need *stuff*. They would enjoy experience gifts. GF likes birds and her grandkids. My dad fishes, boats, and sees a lot of live music.

    Bonus: my brother and his GF are early 30s, still sort of getting life set up, have 2 dogs but I feel like I always default to dog gifts. If you are in this phase of life, what has been an awesome gift recently? Absent better ideas, I’m going to get them a big gift card to a local restaurant.

    1. where are you in life? asking because if you have small children i would recommend sending the grandparents mugs with their pictures or framed artwork or something adjacent to that. are these people christmas observers? or if you have kids who are in school you could get swag (like my dad wears a baseball hat all the time and has one for every college, HS, town that his grand kids attend) I like to get an ornament that reminds me of them (like a charcuterie board or mahjong tile or whatever) Early 30s: are they into their house? do they have hobbies? otherwise i think a gift card to a restaurant is great. the best wedding present we got was to go to a super shmance NY restaurant. It was the kind of thing we wouldn’t have bought ourselves.

      1. We are sort of right in between- kids are in elem/middle so they’ve done the Kid Art gifts and we are not yet at the College Sports Team swag.

    2. Would your mom or inlaws like a digital photo frame, that you/your husband set up with some family photos, and maybe send them occasional update photos to?

      1. They all have them…and my dad and his GF have like 5 because her kids have gifted them too :). It’s a running joke which kid has the most face time on the frames!

    3. For all the parents and in-laws I’d recommend a consumable of the month club if it’s in your budget. We’ve been re-upping a Harry & David fruit of the month club for my dad (and now his new wife) for years, and they love it every month. For your Mom, you could give her a small wrapped gift on Christmas, but also a card telling her about the subscription. There are similar subscriptions for things like cheese, cookies, and international snacks if the fruit isn’t quite right.

      2. Ugh. The Harry and David quality is really grim. I love Frog hollow Farm, located in San Francisco. They ship genuinely gourmet quality fruit and baked goods.

    4. Wild card for your dad and girlfriend – would they be interested in some kind of falconry experience? I looked into one a while ago that offers a “walks with hawks” experience. Alternatively, do any local wildlife rescues/organizations offer bird-related events?

      1. This is a great suggestion- they belong to all the local bird type places, plus donate to them and go to their galas. Same for the ocean habitat preservation groups. I am not sure I could find an event that is not on their radar but if I did it would be a huge hit.

        1. Just a warning on this one, from who is really into birds, but likes them in the wild and would not enjoy something falconry related at all. I don’t think I’ve ever been so turned off by a book as I was when reading H is for Hawk. The way she talked about breaking the bird to her will completely revolted me, and I’ve found falconry completely disgusting ever since. I can rationally acknowledge that it can be useful in some contexts, but at a gut level find it so repulsive that I wouldn’t want a gift like this at all.

          1. I’m surprised by this reaction! I do remember that Lawrence’s inept and abusive treatment of his bird was a theme.

            I am in US so maybe falconers have a stronger relationship with conservationists here? I’ve not yet witnessed poor treatment of a bird by a falconer; it’s hard to hide unhappiness in birds.

          3. I don’t think it was necessarily abusive in the way people usually think of it, I just found the way she talked about breaking the will of a wild animal so it would do her bidding be so awful that I’ve been permanently disgusted by the entire idea of falconry. I like birds because they’re wild animals with their own minds and ways of living in the world, and a falconry trip would be fundamentally opposed to that.

      2. I was going to suggest the Cape May (NJ) Birding Festivals in the spring and fall – the birding is fantastic, great guides, and fishing is right there for your dad. Lots of fun.

    5. When my parents were getting old, I got into the habit of sending them a big fancy holiday floral arrangement every year. That might work for your in-laws. IF they have their own front door, a Della Robbia wreath is nice: https://boysrepublic.org/collections/shop-della-robbia-wreaths

      For your mom, how about a Christmas-themed something? Brooch? Scarf? Sweater? Or some really nice and expensive hand soap and/or lotion (stealth consumable).

      For dad and GF, how about one of those bird feeders with a camera? Or the Christmas floral idea would work for them, too.

      Oh, for any of them, how about a wall or desk calendar with either photos of or art by your children? I get one at Walgreen’s every year and they’re surprisingly nice and they always have discount coupons. (N.B. opt for it to be mailed to you because the ones you pick up in the store are not as good quality.)

    6. Mom – Photo versions of things from Shutterfly (a mug, a mouse pad, a water bottle) + a new necklace (small, won’t take up much space, but is fun to open) + bonus new version of a sweater or scarf

      ILs – fancy consumable delivery from a local gourmet shop.

      Brother – GC to restaurant always good, but I’ve had good luck finding a nice personalized cutting board on etsy.

      Dad/GF – wind chimes that have their dog’s name on it (YMMV, I got one and love it, but others have said they thing this is morbid)

    7. My mother, in her 80s, loves the Aura digital picture frame wwe bought for her a few years ago. Her four daughters and adult grandchildren have the app and can add photos at any time – sometimes photos of a party at her house are uploaded to Aura while the event is still going on. She likes being surprised when she sees a new photo pop up.

      1. Seconding the Aura as a popular gift for parents, especially if kids/grandkids have access and can upload photos. This has been the best present I’ve gotten my parents in recent years.

    9. I don’t have any gift suggestions but this sounds like a great cast of characters for a mystery novel!

    11. I’m a fan of Fortnum & Mason hampers. Here they’re sold via William Sonoma. Also, booze like a wine/champagne/whisky/craft beer of the month club. Fun stuff is matching pajamas, books. For your dad, tix to a local music venue. For mom— what about a family portrait for/with her? A portrait of all of you or her with the grandkids, then get it really nicely framed.

      1. +1 Fortnum & Mason. They ship worldwide and the baskets are good quality so can be used again and again. Most of the jars etc can also be reused and are aesthetically pleasing.

      2. +1 for F&M. I have family in Europe and this is what I send every year. The Stilton cheese in the ceramic jar thing is amazing. The jar is a good utensil holder.

  4. Talk to me about how you frame needlework. Under glass? Or just in an open frame? Is this something I need a framer for? How would you pick a frame — most sod my frames hold photograohy that is black and white and framed under glass with a white mat. This needlepoint is medieval animals on a dark background, so very different. It may need to be hung somewhere by itself.

    1. If it’s in the budget, I’d just take it to a framer. I have a couple of pieces–one was a basic cross-stitch I made and I framed it myself, the other is one I bought and is a much fancier silk embroidery, so I took it to a professional framer. They’re both under glass with a mat, but I think an open frame would be fine too depending on the piece.

    3. All of our family needlework – and a lot is quite old – are framed in lovely old wooden frames that work with the style/colors of the piece. I suspect all of the frames were bought second hand. You can get them for next to nothing at estate sales / garage sales / second hand shops, if you have time for that sort of thing.

      There is something about having the needle work not under glass that I love. I do keep them out of direct sunlight.

    4. I inherited one of my grandmother’s embroideries, which had been mounted as a free-standing fire screen. When the fireplace is being used, the fire screen stands to the side of the fireplace.

  5. I have an interesting (maybe?) dilemma. I found what I’m almost certain is some kind of animal tissue in a food product (which was purchased sealed). The look and texture makes me think it’s rodent tissue. It’s springy and definitely not disintegrating. It’s a liquid product and the really gross thing is that I had already been pouring and drinking from it before noticing the contaminating item. I’ve been in touch with the manufacturer of the product. They claim that it’s mold and have offered to send me a voucher. I’ve emailed them back saying this is definitely not mold (it’s pretty solid). They hold firm, and really seem to not care. I’m getting annoyed that they’re not taking this seriously, but also not sure what I’m expecting them to do. I’m just so grossed out by the whole thing. What would you do?

    1. ewww what a terrible discovery! so curious what you’re drinking from? is it milk? eggnog?

      1. A plant based milk. With an ingredients harvested from fields, so not inconceivable that a rodent would have made it in there, although the manufacturer claims it’s impossible because they have “a closed system”.

    3. Are you sure it isn’t mold? Mold/bacteria can be semi-solid (like scoby in kombucha)

      1. but wouldn’t it disintegrate when you touch it? I touched this item with a paper towel and it’s more hard, like cartilage or skin.

        1. I mean if you want you could channel your inner Erin Brockovich and go get it tested… but I’m not surprised the company’s written message to you is brushing it off. do you really think the customer service people are going to suggest a safety violation in writing?

        2. nope, a scoby (which is bacteria and yeast) is definitely cartilage-y and stays together when you pull it out of the kombucha. You have to use metal tongs or a knife to split it (source: brew a lot of kombucha).

          1. Oh interesting! I guess I’m learning a lot here. Since I have been drinking it, I would sure feel better if it’s mold rather than animal tissue. They rate differently on my personal scale of gross-ness.

        3. Scoby is exactly like cartilage

          If it’s a fermented product that makes even more sense

    4. You could do a police report for adulterated food, not because they are likely to make a criminal case of it, but to provide documentation and a third party witness to the whatever is in the food.

  6. My 79-year old mother fell and broke her hip exactly one month ago. She lives alone. She had hip replacement, then rehab and was released to go home with me 2 weeks ago. I was woefully underprepared for how much work it would be. My sister and brother live 30 minutes away and take turns helping when they can but she lives with me fulltime right now. I’ve applied for intermittent FMLA and it’s working it’s way through the process. I’m solo – no partner or kids. My boss and colleagues know what is going on and understand. Yet I feel very tired and overwhelmed as this corresponds with a busy period at work. Any encouragement or words of advice — especially from those of you who have lived (or are living through) this experience?

    1. Get help. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, but relying on daughters’ unpaid labor for all elder care is completely unreasonable in this day and age. I suggest starting with an elder care social worker who can help you navigate care options in the community, benefits, and also provide material support. We have one for a family member with dementia and she has been a complete godsend.

        1. We initially had a “companion” through Comfort Keepers, an agency that provides companions for things like errands and socialization, and then they recommended a higher level of assistance through a different agency. We also reviewed online resources in her county.

      2. +1 to this, but it’s ok to wait until the FMLA comes in/the immediate needs on you or less – I wonder if this would feel like just one more thing on your plate right now.

        Also, as the relative who lives furthest away, “Can you research XYZ and find out what options are” is the kind of thing I can easily do remotely; would your brother/sister be able to take the lead on this?

        1. Very true but if at all possible, it’s been beyond worth it for us. It’s between $500-$1200 a month. It varies depending on whether there are any long medical appointments.

      4. I guess my immediate response is—does it matter?

        Elder care in this country barely exists and is outrageously expensive—the average person really can’t “save” for this. Our government’s plan is “good luck, kids.” So yes, it does fall on the kids, and whether thats reasonable or not, it’s the reality. Not just here, but globally.

      5. I’ve seen this recommended here before and am genuinely curious what a social worker does for you if you have the means to pay for care? My father in law is in assisted living, in memory care, and we pay the bills and visit him at the facility. The biggest battle was a few years ago convincing him to go. We have finances figured out, power of attorney, etc. What does a social worker do? Are they a bridge before assisted living in some way? I would love to know what we’re missing.

    2. My husband works in home health, and a lot of people who come back from rehab continue to be seen by nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, and/or PTs in their home. Could this be helpful to you? Do you know what care she qualifies for at home? It doesn’t have to be rehab or nothing.

    3. This is drastic, but is sounds like it’s time for assisted living if that’s possible at all.

    4. Living this for many years now. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. . . be kind to yourself, the exhaustion is real. . . lower your expectations on who and what programs will help. Best to be realistic about what’s available – usually little is – and who will step up for you (on the plus side, some people will surprise you!). Finally, find an outlet for support for yourself, whether therapy, an online group (r/agingparents?), or a support group for caregiving for parents.

      1. The elder care phase of life is mentally, emotionally, physically, and professionally debilitating. You have my sympathy and for what it’s worth, virtual hugs from an internet stranger.

    5. Call your local Department of Aging or equivalent city/town/government agency, and simply ask for a social worker visit to come assess your mother.

      I assume she is getting ongoing home rehabilitation visits – PT, OT , visiting nurse? Ask the Home Health agency to send a social worker as well to see if they have any additional suggestions.

      The social workers need to determine all resources she is eligible in the community based on her income/assets. Then the doctor / PT need to assess how much progress she is making and give you an idea what to expect timewise and how much of her function to return. And I completely agree that if she is this helpless after a hip fracture, it is likely time to assess nearby facilities that have independent/assisted (and ideally in house rehabilitation / nursing facilities). She may not be able to live completely independently anymore. Or she may need to go to one of these places for an period of time while you return to work. It is crazy expensive. But the social workers should be able to give you some ideas about what is available.

      Also, I would ask the Home Health company to send the aid twice a week to help with showering/make a meal. And if you have the money, ask your neighbors if there is a local Home Health company that they recommend to hire a caregiver to help relieve your burden. Sometimes community bulletin boards / word of mouth / churches have recommendations of individuals who are looking for this type of work, that can be more affordable than hiring through an agency.

      1. Second this but also check your local hospital. One of ours has a gerontology program that offers a community services counselor who might also have support suggestions. But the area aging agency will also likely have a list of volunteers or trusted staff that can help for an hourly fee if no formal agency is available. It’s very physically taxing to try to care for anyone solo after major illness.

    6. My spouse broke an arm a few years ago and it was dreadful (a particularly bad break and he’s a really tough patient tbh). If I had to do it all over again, I would have hired a personal care attendant to come in a few days a week. It was really, really hard but our relationship survived and he got better.

    7. That’s a really short stay in the rehab home for a hip surgery. Can she go back in, then get released back to you when she’s a little stronger? She can do her rehab in the home. Your insurance may not pay for it, but is money well spent. In the S.F. Bay Area it was about $7k/month.

      If you can’t do that, what about hiring some caregiver help? You can reach out to an agency and tell them what you need. Full time, it was about $8k/month in the SF Bay Area, but you can ask for part time. Also, reach out to your village— a family friend who is a physical therapist would spend time with my mom so I could go home and shower, and generally get a break. A cousin was great at giving me a break in the evening. This is also a good time to outsource cleaning/laundry/whatever tasks if you can.

      Pay attention to your mental health— use your company’s EAP if you can. Even an app like Calm for a 10-minute guided meditation can help. Kaiser used to give a bunch of guided meditations for free. If you’re a Kaiser member, Calm is free. You need to give yourself a break, it can be very hard, especially because you’re family. Your mom is likely frustrated too. Also, I found that trying to do everything was incredibly stressful, it was much, much easier on me to take some leave.

      Good luck OP!

    8. You (collectively as in brother sister and you) need to hire a nanny for your mom. I’m getting to this stage and I have an excellent nanny who Id like to keep for my family. My in laws will probably move in with us at some point soon and I will have the nanny take on this work during the day.

      Go to care.com and do detailed background checks beyond what they offer. I use a local PI to run my background checks and he has managed to find things out that were not disclosed on the regular background checks.

  7. At almost 60, I heard an older women reference an Eddie Haskell about her son’s friend the other day. GenX and older know he is fake and polite to the parents but a bully in the neighborhood. Who is that for young folks? What about Archie the bigot or Edith the long suffering housewife? It seems that we used to watch TV together as a country so we all knew JR and wanted to know who shot him. But now we all have a different streaming service. I mean, I just now caught up on Homeland. What other archetype characters have lost their impact as time goes by? What are some new ones?

    1. There are a bunch of girls named Khaleesi who were born before Season 8 of GOT came out. Never mind that that is a title, not a name.

    2. My GenZ kids understand my GenX references to characters from The Simpsons and 30 Rock, but I think there aren’t as many common references as there were in years past.

    3. Everyone older knows the six Friends characters, and I think it’s even popular with some younger kids who only know the show streaming.

    4. Internet memes also fill some of this “analogy for a person/situation that is like xyz” cultural space too.

    5. I hear a lot of Harry Potter and Game of Thrones references, and sometimes The Sopranos and The Wire. I don’t know anything about the first two, so they wash right over me.

  8. Random niche question: does anyone know where I can digitize and then retouch old slide film, preferably in SF Bay Area? I would rather not ship. It’s just a few slides so cost is not a consideration.

    1. If you’re in/near Palo Alto, I think the Mitchell Park Library has the equipment to digitize a few old slides. I think there are limited hours for the room that has this kind of stuff and reservations are suggested or required.

  9. Ya know how there are people who will install and take down outdoor Christmas lights? Are there people who will schlep your mother’s THREE artificial trees upstairs from the basement and assemble them and fluff them? We can decorate them ourselves. Mom lives alone and I’m an only child, and lawd do I dislike artificial trees. I’d gladly pay…$200? for this. #teamrealtree4lyfe

    1. Our artificial tree takes 10 minutes to set up and fluff. Do you just have some older type that is a million pieces?

      1. +1

        Also I saw an Instagram video about how you shouldn’t really be fluffing the artificial tree. You should spread out the little branches but leave them flat and it makes it look more real. (And of course I can’t find the video to link it but hopefully you can get the idea. Here’s a pic of a real pine branch to give you an idea: https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=T%2FVkRPvj&id=F1E64325834E540C01CAB0FC324810CF4774D757&thid=OIP.T_VkRPvjWfUmP4z-lDnOgQHaE7&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.pexels.com%2Fphotos%2F594577%2Fpexels-photo-594577.jpeg%3Fcs%3Dsrgb%26dl%3Dbranch-pine-tree-594577.jpg%26fm%3Djpg&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR.4ff56444fbe359f5263f8cfe9439ce81%3Frik%3DV9d0R88QSDL8sA%26pid%3DImgRaw%26r%3D0&exph=2581&expw=3872&q=real+pine+tree+branches&FORM=IRPRST&ck=C9F3A922E0A1DFD78C16462A51D32FCE&selectedIndex=0&itb=0&cw=2297&ch=1147&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0 )

    3. taskrabbit, or if you mom has teenage neighbors who would like to make some easy money, this would be a great option for that.

  10. Just wanted to shout out to the Corporette community for repeat recommendations of the Belleville top from The Fold. I had never heard of the The Fold or these tops until discovering Corporette. I just purchased one for myself on sale as an early holiday gift, and I LOVE it! This will be part of my go-to holiday reception outfit this season. FYI, I sized up from my normal size, and it fits very nicely.

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