Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Making the Most of Your Non-Maternity Clothes

by Katie Haller

I may not be pregnant anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still share some of my favorite maternity looks.  I had so much fun being creative and coming up with ways to dress my baby bump on a budget.  I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from friends and readers about how much they liked the maternity posts that I figured why not do a few more maternity posts? 
One thing that I love to share is just how simple it is to take a normal non-maternity outfit and turn it into a maternity look. 
Today I thought I would share a few of my favorite striped dresses from my wardrobe.  I kind of have an obsession with stripes, especially if they are black and white.  I just love the bold look that a striped dress gives.  Here are some ways I wore my non-maternity dresses while I was pregnant and also before and after my pregnancy.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link I will earn a small commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support!
This dress I bought at Target a couple years ago. (Similar)  It’s very comfortable. It has an elastic waistband in the middle that I usually wear the tie over or put a belt over.  While I was pregnant, I just put the elastic on top of my bump and folded over the extra material. 
This is also a Target dress (Similar).  It’s a thicker material, so it was nice to have during the winter months.  I actually liked wearing it with a bump better than without the bump. 
This dress is from Old Navy (Similar).  It fit perfectly through my second trimester.  I always liked wearing a belt above my bump while styling my maternity outfits. 
This dress I bought at H&M while I was pregnant (Similar).  I love it!  This look was one of my favorite maternity looks while I was pregnant.  I wore a long black cardigan with a green statement necklace and black flats. 
I hope you have some new ideas for styling your baby bump!

Shop baby bump-friendly non-maternity dress

Weekend Wardrobe

by Katie Haller

It was another hot weekend in Las Vegas.  This is my first real summer of planning outfits while living in Las Vegas.  Last year I was pregnant with Jack and spent the entire summer indoors as much as possible with morning/ all day sickness.  This year I’m really trying to embrace the heat with my wardrobe, but it’s not always easy dressing in the heat.  I’m learning that I’ve been overthinking my outfits this summer.  I’m now just trying to keep my looks simple and comfortable.  That’s what I did this weekend.  I really haven’t had the opportunity to do much shopping this summer, so I’m trying to pull out old clothes that I haven’t worn in a while and find new ways to wear them.
On Saturday, I kept it really casual and wore cut off shorts that I actually made out of an old pair of Bermuda shorts that I wasn’t feeling anymore.  I cut them to a better length and now I’ve been getting a lot of use out of them around the house. 
Top- Old Navy
Shorts- Kohl’s 
Sandals- Target
Necklace- Target
On Sunday, I wore this green striped halter top dress that I’ve had since college.  I never got much use out of it, because I always felt like it was never hot enough to wear.  Well, it’s perfect for Las Vegas, because it’s defiantly hot enough around here to wear a summer dress like this, even if I do go into an air conditioned place.
Dress- Victoria Secret
Sandals- Target
Necklace- Kohl’s
Hope you liked my weekend looks.  Have a great week! 

Tips for New Working Moms

by Katie Haller

One of the hardest things that I had to do after having my baby, was going back to work after my maternity leave was over.  After spending almost 8 weeks non stop with my baby, not to mention the 9 months I had him growing inside my belly, the thought of leaving him for 8 hours a day made me feel so sad.  However, I’ve made it work and I’ve slowly gotten used to being apart from my little guy during the week.  I’ve been very fortunate because my husband has a job that allows him to have a flexible schedule and be home most of the week.  He’s home with Jack 2-4 days a week and the other days we have a daycare center that we use as our back up.

When my maternity leave was coming close to the end, I started to have a lot of anxiety about going back to work.  I had no idea what to expect.  That’s why I wanted to share what has been working for me and my baby, to hopefully help other new working moms out there. 

  • Set a Routine- This is so important, whether you’re a working mom or a stay at home mom, babies need a routine.  I have a morning routine that Jack expects each day.  He wakes up super early at 4:30 am!  He gets a diaper change, then I almost fall back to sleep before my alarm goes off at 5:00, I shower, put him in his bouncy chair as I eat breakfast, do my hair and make up then get dressed.  After that, I nurse him around 6:30, get my stuff ready for work and then it’s already time to go at 7:15.  He gets confused on the weekends when I try to sleep in.  The evenings are similar to a comfortable, predictable routine for him and me.  Our routine doesn’t only benefit Jack, it helps me stay organized. 
  • Plan your outfits out ahead of time- This has always helped me when it comes to getting ready in the morning.  On Sunday night, I like to go through my clothes and try to figure out what I’m going to wear that week.  I look at the weather forecast and think about my schedule for the week, then plan around that.  It helps me feel good about what I’m wearing at work, plus I save myself a bit of time in the morning as well. 
  • Eat breakfast- When they say breakfast is the most important part of the day, it’s the truth.  I feel much better and ready to function when I eat a little something in the morning.  Usually, I have cereal, lately, it’s bran flakes topped with lots of fruit and of course my morning cup of coffee.  After breakfast, I feel energized enough to start my day. 
  • Do what works for you and your baby- I know that there are a lot of books and articles out there all about the correct way to parent.  What I’m finding out is that you have to do what works best for you and your family.  Working with children for many years, I use to judge parents for the things they did.  Now that I have a baby of my own, I am not so judgment because I find myself doing things that I thought I would never do.  
  • Leave work at work- Ever since I went back to work, my goal has been to not take home any work.  I get 2 hours of planning time after the kids go home and I force myself to be as productive as possible so that I can be on my way home as soon as possible.  I like to write myself a To-Do list every Monday.  As I complete my task I cross it off my list.  This helps me stay organized and on top of my work.
  • Do something for yourself- Life can get pretty hectic when you’re a working mom, that’s why it’s always good to still set aside time for yourself.  Some moms might like to do something physical like running or a yoga class, while others might like to read.  For me, I still like to set a little bit of time aside to blog.  I’ve always enjoyed sharing my ideas, so I’m not ready to give that up yet.
  • Wear your baby- When you’re at home, it’s nice to be with your baby, but there are always things that need to be done around the house.  I find that it’s nice to wear Jack while I finish up my daily chores at home.  That way we can still be together, but I can also be productive around the house. 
  •  Don’t feel guilty- Every Sunday evening, I sit holding my little guy in my arms and I wonder if I spent enough time with him over the weekend.  I question myself…. did I hold him enough? Did I kiss him enough?  I worry that I miss out on so much because I’m at work, but the truth is, Jack knows how much I love him.  He knows I’m his mom and he gets this big smile on his face everyday when he sees me walk through the door and that is all I need.  Supporting a family used to be completely on the man’s shoulders, but I feel like that’s changed in this day and age.  I feel like my husband and I are a team and we are working together to provide for our family and sharing in the responsibility of parenting.  I’m proud of the life we are building together.
Those are my tips.  Let me know what you think.  Do you have any tips to make life a little easier for new working moms?
 

    Simple Sunday- Michigan Trip

    by Katie Haller

    It’s been a long fun, but also an exhausting week for me.  I just came back from a visit to Michigan to see our family and introduce Jack to everyone.  Jack did great with traveling and meeting all the new faces.  Now that we are home, I’m trying to prepare to go back to work on Monday and get Jack back on the west coast time. (I don’t enjoy a 3am playtime.) 
    I’ve been so behind on coming up with outfit posts, but I have been trying to post some looks on my Instagram.  I do have some new posts that I promise I will get around to posting soon, including some more maternity posts and mom tips.  I’m excited to share it soon!  In the meantime, here are some pictures of my week!
    4th of July look.

    Shorts- Old Navy/ Shirt- Target/ Jacket- Meijer/ Shoes- Target/ Purse- Savers

    Shirt- Old Navy/ Shorts-Good Will/ Shoes- Target/ Purse- Savers/ Shoes- Target

    Dress- Savers/ Jacket- Meijer/ Belt- Target/ Purse- Savers/ Shoes- Target

    I just loved being with my little guy everyday.

    Jack went to his first parade and loved it.

    I learned that the things I miss most about Michigan are green trees and sunsets over the water.  I love living out west, it has a beauty of its own, but I will always love being in Michigan during the summertime.

    I know it’s going to be hard to get back to normal life tomorrow, but today I’ll just enjoy my time with my baby boy!  Have a great week everyone!

    What to Wear for the 4th of July!

    by Katie Haller

    I love the 4th of July!  It’s always been a special holiday for my family and me.  Not only is it our country’s birthday, but it’s also my dad’s birthday.  I have a lot of happy memories spending this day with my family while growing up.  Ever since I was a little girl, I always had to make sure that I wore my red, white and blue on Independence Day.  Now that I’m an adult,  not much has changed.  I still look for those colors in my closet to make sure I’m festive for whatever I have planned on that day. 

    Some easy ways to put together a great 4th of July outfit is to look for basic pieces like shorts, tank tops, and skirts, then accessorize them with some holiday flair.  For me, I like to accessorize with my red beads and add some denim in for my blue.

    Whether you plan to spend your day at the beach, a picnic, barbecue, parade, fireworks or even if you have to be at the office…here are some easy ways to incorporate red, white and blue into your look.
    I like this casual maxi skirt look.  It’s perfect for a hot summer day, plus it’s super comfortable!
    I love this white Ann Taylor dress.  I actually wear it as a bathing suit cover up most of the time, but when you pair it with some wedge shoes, red beads, and a denim jacket; it can really dress it up nicely. 
    This casual look is perfect for a day time BBQ, then you can add the denim jacket to it for evening fireworks.  I love the navy and white stripes in this tank top. 
    This is another great evening to look for fireworks.  Having a red sweater in your closet can definitely come in handy, especially for holidays. 
    This look is a great work outfit for the day before the long weekend.  We all know that a workday can drag on, especially the day before a holiday weekend.  Dressing up a little bit festive can make your day more fun! 
    Those are my 4th of July looks.  Follow me on Instagram @thriftywifehappylife to find out what I end up wearing this year on the 4th.  I hope everyone has a safe a fun holiday!

    Weekend Wardrobe- Summer Style

    by Katie Haller

    The forecast for Las Vegas this coming up week is going to be hot.  The highs are between 111 and 117 degrees.  It’s hot!  As I mentioned last weekend, I’m kind of at a loss for getting creative with my outfits in the heat.  That’s why this weekend I just decided to play it safe and get some use out of my sundresses.  When it’s hot out, I feel like a simple sundress is the most comfortable thing that you can wear.  I don’t even like to wear a lot of jewelry or accessorize that much in this kind of heat. 
    Here’s what I came up with…
    Saturday
    I spent the first half of my day in my bathing suit at the pool.  It was nice because Jack took a nap in his shaded stroller while Kevin and I enjoyed a swim. 
    Top- Target (exact)
    Bottoms- Old Navy (exact)
    Sunglasses- Smith’s (I buy my sunglasses at the grocery store because they’re only $5)
    When we came home I changed into this little black dress that I recently found at Savers.  I remember when I was younger, people always told me that you couldn’t mix black and brown.  I’ve talked to a lot of my friends my age and they still feel like you can’t mix these two colors, but I say that nowadays anything goes.  That’s why I wore my black dress with some brown accessories just to switch it up a bit. 
    Dress- Target (bought at Savers) (similar)
    Sandals- Target (exact)
    Belt- Target
    Purse- Savers
    Sunday
    I decided to wear this purple smocked dress that I’ve had for a while now.  It’s perfect for the heat and in a closet full of black and white, it’s nice to wear some color.  I’ll have to wear this dress again sometime soon! 
    Dress- Forever 21 (bought at the Salvation Army)
    Sandals- Target
    Purse- Savers
    Have a wonderful week!

    Follow

    @thriftywifehappylife