Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Practical Baby Gear

by Katie Haller

practical baby gear

When it comes to buying baby/kid gear, I’d like to think that I’m a minimalist.  I try to stick to only the necessities.  When I made my baby registry back when I was pregnant with Jack, I tried to keep it to only the things that I would absolutely need.  One item that I struggled with finding was a diaper bag.  The diaper bag was the one item on our baby registry that caused a fight between my husband and me. 


I wanted something practical, but I also wanted something that was cute that I could carry around.  I completely forgot that my husband was going to be staying home with Jack half the week while I was working and he might want to use a diaper bag too.  When we got the “cute” diaper bag in the mail as a gift my husband saw it and immediately vetoed it.  His argument was that he was not going to carry around a “girly looking purse” diaper bag.  Anyway, I ended up finding a simple black over the shoulder “gender-neutral” diaper bag for us to share.  It worked fine and I carried it for about the first 6 weeks, then I just decided to throw everything in my purse when we went out, but we still used the black bag as his school diaper bag. 

*This post is part of a collaboration with Birdrock Baby.  All opinions are 100% my own. This post also contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will earn a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support! 

back pack diaper bag

Since I rarely used our diaper bag, I forgot how useful a diaper bag can be.  It makes me wish that I had my diaper bag from BirdRock Baby sooner.  This backpack style diaper bag has been so useful. It is spacious and has a spot for everything.  I don’t know what I would do without it when we travel.  I’m able to pack all Jack’s supplies and also keep my things in it.  This diaper bag has thought of everything.  It even has a charger in it for your phone. Did I mention that it’s gender neutral? There should be no arguments about dad not wanting to carry it.

back pack diaper bag

back pack diaper bag

Birdrock Baby is one of those small business that I love sharing, because they sell quality affordable baby products at a low price.  Plus they give back.  For every purchase you make from Birdrock Baby, they will donate a day’s worth of food for a child in need.  Check them out on their website (HERE) or you can also find them on Amazon (HERE), which is perfect if you are putting together an Amazon Baby Registry!!

Mom-Friendly Fashion for All with Turquoise & Tangerine

by Katie Haller

Mom friendly fashion


This post is part of a collaboration with Turquoise & Tangerine. All opinions are 100% my own.

  I use to hear the word boutique and think of a small specialty store where the prices and styles were out of my league.  I now hear the word boutiques and get excited.  As a busy working mom, I do a lot of my shopping online.  The days of going for a full day of shopping at the mall are over for me.  I want to find affordable clothes fast, easy and online.  That’s why I’ve grown to love shopping at online boutiques.

Turquoise & Tangerine is one of those online boutiques that has made me want to explore shopping more often at small online shops.  They sell affordable, trendy clothes that are made for all women.  It doesn’t matter your age, body shape or budget and I love that.  The owner is a busy working mom herself, so she understands the importance of having a stress free shopping experience.  Their clothes are comfortable and mom-friendly, but they don’t sacrifice style. 

Today I’m sharing 2 pieces that I was gifted from Turquoise & Tangerine.  The first is this eggplant ruffle bottom tunic.  I always love a good tunic. It’s the perfect shirt to wear with leggings and a cardigan or you could dress it up for the classroom or a date night out.  Plus this is a great year-round color.  Below, I styled this top with my white jeans and my strappy sandals.  I also styled it a bit more casual with my distressed jeans and wedge sandals.

ruffle bottom tunic

ruffle bottom tunic

ruffle bottom tunic

ruffle bottom tunic
The other piece that I received from Turquoise & Tangerine was this floral kimono.  I love kimono’s in spring and summer.  They are so versatile.  You can wear them with jeans, dresses, shorts and they even make for a great bathing suit cover-up.  Below I have this kimono styled with the outfit from above and I also styled it with a black tank top and my black strappy wedge sandals. 
Floral kimono

Floral kimono
Floral kimono

Floral kimono

Floral kimono

(It was a pretty windy day when I took these pictures so I couldn’t resist this windy day picture.)

If you are looking for an easy shopping experience with casual trendy clothes, I highly recommend checking out Turquoise & Tangerine.  I’m sure I’ll be wearing these pieces in different ways all summer long, so follow along with me on Instagram to see how I wear them!

Shop my closet

How to Put Together an Athleisure Look

by Katie Haller

How to Put Together an Athleisure Look

 As a native Michigander, I really can’t complain too much about the 50-degree temperatures of the Las Vegas winter, but I’m still feeling the winter blues.  The days are short and days are colder, it still puts me into a funk with my wardrobe.  Thankfully winter in Las Vegas is very short.  Before I know it the sun will be out and it will be 70 degrees every day, probably before I ever get around to posting these posts.  To be honest, all I want to do lately is to wear comfortable clothes.  Leggings, cozy sweaters, t-shirts… anything to keep me comfortable and warm.  That’s why every weekend I’ve been wearing athleisure wear.  I love athleisure clothes because it’s a perfect combination of workout athletic clothes with everyday casual clothes.  

Today I want to share one of my favorite athleisure looks and also what the key components are to putting together an athleisure look.  It’s actually really easy and most of you probably already have these pieces in your closet.  

*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will earn a commission for this blog at no extra cost to you.  Thank you for your support!
How to Put Together an Athleisure Look
1.) Tennis shoes-  The most important piece of an athleisure look is athletic tennis shoes.  I personally think that black athletic shoes make for the best athleisure look, but.  I just feel like the black and white look so polished, but I also love other tennis shoes with these looks too.  I bought my tennis shoes (HERE) at Kohl’s back in the fall.  Tennis shoes seem to be my most expensive shoes in my closet because I always buy name brand.  I love Nike, Adidas, New Balance… they all have great styles.  The key is to find them on sale!  I’ve linked some of my favorite shoes below.

How to Put Together an Athleisure Look

2.) Leggings-  I think we can all agree that leggings are the best!  When I buy leggings, I look for 3 things; comfort, thickness, and affordability.  I like something comfortable that sucks in everything with a high waist.  I also look for something with a decently thick material.  One of my biggest fashion fears is to be the person who bends over in leggings and you can see the pattern on their underwear perfectly.  Lastly affordability.  My dream leggings are the Zella Live in High Waist Leggings (HERE), but I just can’t bring myself to spend the $59 for them. (Maybe the next big Nordstrom Sale).  I typically will look at stores like TJMaxx or Marshalls for decent brands of leggings.  I recently bought this pair of leggings (HERE) at Nordstrom Rack for under $10.  I really like the thickness of the leggings, but I will say that they are not as soft as some of my other leggings.  Another legging steal is at Forever 21 (HERE).  Their leggings are really nice everyday leggings and they are under $4!!  I still have a pair of Forever 21 leggings that I bought when I was pregnant with Jack, but I will say that their thickness wears out a lot, so I save those ones for my around the house leggings.

How to Put Together an Athleisure Look

3.) Graphic tee or loose-fitting top- I love my stripe tunics and I also love a good graphic tee.  For this look I’m sharing today I stuck with my comfy thrifted striped American Eagle top (HERE).  With tops, I like something that’s loose-fitting and long enough to cover my front and backside.  

How to Put Together an Athleisure Look

4.) A layering piece-  When I say a layering piece, I mean anything you can wear casually over a t-shirt.  It could be a vest, cardigan, jacket… really anything that you like to layer with during the cooler months.  I personally like denim jackets or boyfriend cardigans.  For this look, I went with my grey boyfriend cardigan (HERE) from Target.  It’s super cozy for the winter.

How to Put Together an Athleisure Look

5.) A hat- I love wearing hats lately, especially when it’s cold out.  For this look, I wore my winter pom pom beanie hat (similar HERE) that I got in the dollar section at Target before Christmas.  I also wear my Tigers baseball cap (HERE) all the time with my athleisure clothes.  It’s the perfect way to hide the fact that I didn’t want to do my hair.

So there you have it, 5 key components to completing an athleisure look.  If you like this post, check out my post on 5 Ways to Make Your Momiform More Stylish. Post HERE!!

LuLaRoe Review

by Katie Haller

Have you heard of LuLaRoe yet?  If you are like me, you probably know of them or maybe even know someone who sells it.  I mostly know LuLaRoe for their colorful prints and leggings.  The clothing brand focuses on selling comfortable clothing for all women, all sizes.  You can buy LuLaRoe from an independent retailer, through Facebook groups and pop up parties.  I was recently contacted by one of my followers, Crystal, from @coffeewithcrystallife.  She sells LuLaRoe and wanted to send me some of their clothing to try out and see how I liked it.  Of course, I said yes!  I had never actually looked closely at anything from LuLaRoe, so I was expecting a lot of leggings with big prints.  That was not the case at all.  Crystal had a lot of really pretty dresses and tops in her boutique.  Some had patterns, some had simple prints or solid colors.  There really was a wide variety to choose from, something I wasn’t expecting.  I picked out 3 items, so today I want to share them with you.


The first item I picked out was this striped dress called the Amelia.  I can never pass up a striped dress.  This dress is super comfortable and I love the fit.  I really love the quality of the fabric too.  It’s very lightweight and breathable.  I tried styling it casual, but I personally think that it looks better dressed up.  I’m thinking that I’m either going to save this dress for a wedding we are going to next fall or I will wear it to a Christmas party this year, who knows maybe I’ll wear it twice!

The other 2 items I picked out was a black tank top and a long grey duster cardigan called the Sarah.  Again, both of these clothing items are very good quality and extremely comfortable.  I feel like you can’t go wrong with a simple tank top because they are perfect for wearing under cardigans and jackets, then in the summertime, you can wear them on their own.  The duster cardigan is so cozy!  I’m loving the length of it!  The other day I wore it with leggings and I didn’t want to take it off.  I also love that it has pockets! 

I’m so happy that I had the chance to try out LuLaRoe because I can finally find out what all the fuss is all about.  I was really impressed with the quality and the comfort of all these items.  I also really love that LulaRoe caters to all women.  Their sizes go from XXS to XXXL.  Fashion is for everyone, no matter what size you are and I love that this company recognizes that.  The only downfall that I could find is that their clothes are a little pricey, at least for my budget.  I typically don’t spend that much on my clothes, however, I am never afraid of a splurge.  
If you are interested in trying out LuLaRoe, head over to Chrystal’s Instagram (HERE) or Facebook group (HERE) to learn more. 

Floral Fall Maxi Dress

by Katie Haller

It’s hard to believe that it’s already October.  I’m not sure what happened to September, but I’m okay with the month change. It’s finally cooling down in Las Vegas and feeling a little more like fall, not quite like a Michigan fall, but it looks like our hot 100 days are finally behind us.  

Fall has always been my favorite season to dress for.  The weather is perfect for wearing almost anything in my closet.  Everyone always gets really excited for boots, scarves, and sweaters during the fall.  I do too, but I also love wearing dresses in the fall.  I think with all the fun fall clothes everyone forgets about fall dresses.  I love a pretty fall floral prints on a flowy maxi dress during the fall.  That’s why I’m loving this navy floral ruffle trim maxi dress from PinkBlush.
When I saw this dress, I immediately was drawn to the print and style.  Most of my wardrobe is pretty casual and practical, but having a dress like this is the perfect way to spruce up my everyday momiform.  It’s the perfect dress for work, date night or church, and I’m not against wearing this dress on a day you just want to be a little more dressed up while you’re out running an errand.  I’m planning on wearing it on my teacher’s workday next week because I always find it safer to wear my clothes I love the most when the kids aren’t at school.  In a maxi dress like this, it gives the appearance that you tried to dress up, but really you feel like you are wearing pajamas.  I love that you can easily wear this dress on its own or you can layer it up with a denim jacket. 

Shop the Look
Dress- PinkBlush (Exact) || Shoes- ThredUP (Similar) || Jacket- Old Navy (Exact) Purse- Last Call Nemian Marcus (Similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom (Exact) || Earrings- Walmart (Similar) 

How to Make Your Momiform Pop!

by Katie Haller

Momiform is a hashtag that I use often on Instagram.  A “momiform” is basically your mom-uniform.  It’s what you wear every day as a mom.  It’s the mom-friendly fashion that you feel the most comfortable in.  It can be any kind of outfit from athleisure, to a simple dress.  I find the most common momiform involves a t-shirt, jeans and some sort of flat shoe, at least that’s my go-to momiform.  Today I want to help you transform a typical momiform and make it feel more fashionable to give you more confidence in your everyday style.
*This post contains affiliate links, which means by making a purchase through a link I will earn a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support!

Above I have two looks.  The one on the left is simple.  There is nothing wrong with the look, but it’s a little boring.  It could be style up a little more.  The look on the right is an example of how you can easily style up the simple look.

1.) Accessorize

Adding a few accessories to any outfit is an easy way to make your outfit more fashionable.  I use to love big chunky necklaces, but now that I’m a mom I’m all about dainty light jewelry.  I typically wear a dainty gold necklace, with a watch or small bracelet and earrings.  My favorite new earrings are my leather earrings from Brinley & Co on Etsy.  I won them in a giveaway and I absolutely love them.  They are so lightweight and make it feel like I’m not even wearing any earrings.  Whoever invented leather earrings was either a mom or a teacher, because they are the perfect statement earrings for wearing around little kids.  I’ve also been loving accessorizing with a scarf or bandana.  I like to wear one in my hair or on my purse.  I like wearing it on my tote purse because it just dresses it up a little bit.

2.) Tuck or knot your tee

I am a huge t-shirt fan.  T-shirts are not what they used to be.  I love the loose fit.  They are perfect for hiding any mom imperfections you might have around your midriff.  I find that when you tuck in your t-shirt in the front of your pants or tie it in a little knot, it makes your outfit look complete.  I love the French tuck, a term I learned from watching Queer Eye.  I think it’s the perfect way to hide your tummy.  I’m also a big fan of knotting, if you’ve been following me on Instagram, I’m sure you’re already aware of how much I love to knot my tops.

3.) Layer

Fall is the perfect season for layers.  Adding a layer to your outfit is always nice for practical reasons and also just helps to make your outfit pop a little more.  I love to layer with a cardigan, denim jacket or a big trend right now are utility jackets.  Cardigans are my favorite for fall.  I love a good neutral color cardigan, but adding color is always fun.  Burnt orange, olive green, muster yellow and maroon colored cardigans are all great fall and winter colors to try out.

4.) Distressed denim or cuffing jeans

I love my distressed denim.  I don’t know why, but having wholes in your jeans gives them a totally different look.  I also love to cuff my jeans.  I’m only 5’1, so I have to cuff my jeans all the time.  I really like the look it gives to your jeans though.  I like being able to show off your ankle a little.  Plus it makes your shoes look better.


5.) Pointy flats

I wear flats most of the time.  I just love the look of a pair of ballet flats.  Lately, I’ve been loving pointy toe flats.  I think that wearing pointy-toed flats makes your outfit look more polished.  They are defiantly my favorite shoe trend at the moment.  I have 2 neutral color pointy-toed flats, but I have my eye on a leopard pair.  If you want to step it up a notch, I’d recommend trying out some loafers or mules. Those are super trendy right now and also very comfortable.

So there you have it!  Those are 5 easy ways to make your momiform pop.  What are your go-to mom outfits?

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