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Coronavirus-Related News & Resources
- Gen observed that women will bear the burden of getting our aging parents vaccinated.
- The New York Times looked at Dry January in the context of the pandemic.
In Other News…
- We couldn't just include one Inauguration Fashion link, so here's The Washington Post on the coats; Essence on Michelle Obama's hair; The Daily Beast on Jill Biden's and Kamala Harris' fashion choices, and more; Fashionista on Ella Emhoff's outfit; and The Cut on Amanda Gorman’s headband, Lady Gaga's pin, and other details.
- Vox's The Goods looked at department stores' long history of racist exclusion.
- At Reaktor, a business consultant shared what he's learned from three years of keeping a daily log of what he wears (h/t to MetaFilter).
- Fast Company offered five strategies to smoothly handle a workplace confrontation.
- LawSites noted that Bloomberg Law is offering free access to its research service to legal services and pro bono attorneys (h/t to Above the Law).
- Elle listed the nine best sleep apps.
- Your Laugh of the Week comes from this TikTok on our favorite workplace email phrases.
On CorporetteMoms Recently…
- We shared reader tips on hiding your baby bump until you're ready to reveal your pregnancy at work.
- We took a look back at past CorporetteMoms posts, including how to plan dinner every night and choosing birth control after having a baby.
- We offered some clothes for working moms, including some maternity basics and washable workwear.
Anon
What is a good work place blog for work etiquette? There is one that I used to read with a red-haired blogger that answers questions but I can’t remember the name of it.
Rachel
Are you thinking of Ask a Manager?
anonshmanon
wow, the Reaktor story was so awesome! Such a nerdy dive into the data of cost-per-wear and utility of the wardrobe. And nice to demonstrate that a data-driven approach doesn’t have to be the killer of self-indulgent passions, either.
Anon
I love analyses like that. I did something a little less scientific but I looked at the usage I get out of my clothing and concluded that I wear three colors – navy blue, teal, and plum – and that I should just stop trying to buy other colors because I won’t wear them.
Anonymous
This is where I cracked up: “Note that the CPW axis scale is logarithmic.”
Anon
Thus story was a pure jem… as a business consultant working woth data and someone who loves clothes I loved reading this!
His conclusions are very common sense but now – backed by data :)
Anon
Wow, I am tired… so many typos!
Anonymous
My children are both on the cusp of accepting their first career positions and will be transitioning from college student to young early professional. I have been collecting furniture for the last few years to help get them settled. It us all used but nice higher end brands. We would like to get them new beds as they get settled but I’m looking for other ideas that they might find useful. Both are currently single. Any items you wish you would have had as you made this transition?
Anonymous
From one mom to another: If you really want to help them out, give them cash and let them choose what fits their needs, space, and lifestyle. Also, how are you even going to get all this furniture to them if they take jobs that aren’t local?
Anon
I wish I had narrowed down my childhood items (papers, trophies, etc) to one Rubbermaid box that either I or my mom could have continued to store. Instead, we didn’t think of doing that, so it was scattered all over my mom’s house and she eventually got rid of everything without me knowing until it was too late.
My yearbooks survived because they were in a bookcase she never touched, and my daughter spent hours looking at them as a pre-teen. But I can think of so many things I would have liked to show her that probably ended up in a landfill.
I’m not blaming my mom. I just wish I had thought to be more intentional about what should be kept.
Anon
Another thought, my kids are college aged and I’ve been saving doubles of kitchen items for their starter kitchens. Like I replaced my flatware a few years ago and saved the old stuff, service for 16, so I can give each kid a service for 8. I would otherwise have given it to goodwill.
My son is interested in cooking and really wanted a particular Staub dutch oven and a lodge cast iron skillet, so we bought those and currently them in our kitchen with the understanding that someday he will take them.
My daughter is more of a baker so we refurbished her grandmother’s old stand mixer and she is excited to take it to her new apartment this summer.
Anon in Dallas
My mom cooked from a number of church cookbooks, mother’s culture club, things like that. My mom bought me and my brother each a set of 5 of those cookbooks that we were super familiar with when we moved out so we could keep using them.
Anonymous
Decent lamps for bedroom and desk, especially for WFH positions. I got away with cheap $10 target lamps for years after college since I spent long hours at work and my apartment was mostly for showering, sleeping, and occasionally cooking and eating… But thinking back, if I could WFH at that time, better lighting in my apartment would have made a huge difference.
Anonymous
My Target lamps give exactly the same light as my Pottery Barn lamps of the same wattage.
Senior Attorney
Tool box including picture hanging supplies.
Basic kitchen stuff including basic spices and seasonings.
Basic starter medicine/first aid (a propos of a thread earlier in the week).
Basic cleaning supplies including whisk broom/dustpan and small vacuum cleaner like a Shark.
I made a custom cookbook for my son (nothing fancy, just MS Publisher printed out and put in a folder) with instructions for his favorite home-cooked meals and he seemed to like that.
Anonymous
I would let them choose their own furniture, beds etc, not buy things you like just because it’s high quality. Offer cash or transport or install, sure, but don’t rob them of their opportunity ot decide for themselves what their style is!
You are no longer the person who is supposed to choose for them, they are now adults with their own tastes, even if those tastes are not yet developed. Let them find out for themselves what they need. And then help! :)
And in the mean time, I would say Senior Attorney’s suggestion of basic starter tools, first aid kid etc. is excellent. Help them check that all the fire stuff is to code, teach them to maintain the drains.
If you want to give them something where “nicer” counts right away, help pay for a mattress (of their choice) and more expensive bedding than they would choose (but ask THEM for styles and colours) so they can have cotton instead of polycotton sheets, for example.
Or you can ask them if there is a piece of furniture or artwork or quilt or whatever from home that they truly love and would like to inherit right away, that they would enjoy having in their first proper home.
Anon
Love the article from Reaktor! I also track my clothing but via an app called stylebook. I find I have a ton of clothes and barely scratch the surface on wearing most of them. I could definitely trim down what I own! What I love on his analysis is the wearability of items and haven’t seen that yet in my tracking.