Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

The Cardimom

by Katie Haller

Back when I was nursing Jack, I was always challenged by what to wear.  It was hard when we would go out because I never felt very comfortable nursing in public.  I had to be creative when putting together outfits.  I had a nursing apron, but it was bulky when I tried to pack it into my diaper bag.  Blankets always slipped off and I tried using scarves to cover up, but they never worked out as well as I had hoped for.  I was always trying to figure out a way to cover up, look stylish, yet also easily feed my baby.

The CardimomⓇ, by Multiwear is the answer for all the breastfeeding moms out there trying to figure out how to dress stylish, yet still, be able to cover up and easily feed your baby.  The CardimomⓇ is a shrug cardigan, that easily converts into a poncho, perfect to use as a nursing cover.  I feel like the cardimomⓇ is such a clever clothing item for moms.  The great thing about the CardimomⓇ is that it’s not just for nursing moms.  It can be worn as maternity wear, a shrug cardigan with any outfit, a car seat or stroller cover, a blanket, a shopping cart cover…. the list goes on.

I’m not currently in need of a nursing cover, but I am loving how comfortable and wearable my cardimomⓇ is.  It fits perfectly into my everyday mom wardrobe.  I can’t wait until I have the chance to wear it as a maternity top when it’s time for baby number 2…..one day. 

Weekend errand running look.

A big thank you to Multiwear for sponsoring this post!

Look for more CardimomⓇ outfit ideas in my next post! 

Weekend Wardrobe- Casual Mom Style

by Katie Haller

It’s been so long since I last did a weekend wardrobe post.  Lately, my weekends are spent around the house and running errands.  We are moving at the end of the month, so I feel like I am just preparing myself for our move.  I also had a sick baby this weekend.  My poor little Jack had his fourth ear infection since September.  It’s so frustrating because I hate seeing him sick.  He doesn’t eat or sleep well when he’s not feeling well and it makes me sad to see.  Luckily he’s getting better.

To go along with my non-eventful life, I’ve been embracing a very casual mom style lately.  I’ve been really obsessed with a couple of my accessories from my closet that really help to dress up my casual looks.  I recently bought a pair of converse tennis shoes (here) and I’m loving them!  I’ve also been using my black satchel purse (here) that I bought this past fall.  I haven’t had a chance to use it that much, because it’s smaller than my other purses and I’m always needing to lug around a bunch of baby items.  But as Jack gets older, I’m able to run to the store without bringing all the extra diapers and bottles that I used to.

Here is what I wore…

Saturday  

Top- Target (similar)
Leggings- Forever 21 (exact)
Denim Top- Target (similar)
Scarf- Nordstrom (similar)
Sunday
Top- Nordstrom Rack (similar)
Cardigan- Macy’s (similar)
Leggings- Kohl’s (exact)
Those are my looks this weekend!  I hope everyone has a great week!

Making the Most of Your Wardrobe- Striped Dress

by Katie Haller

I always love doing my “Making the Most of Your Wardrobe” post, because I love sharing how I accessorize my clothes.  My closet is full of simple clothing pieces that can be re-worn over and over again, I just accessorize it a little differently each time.  I feel like this is the practical way to make the most of your clothing.

 I bought this simple stripe racerback dress at Walmart back in August (similar here here and here).  Every August, I go get my school supplies at Walmart and I can never help myself but to take a quick peek at the clothes.  I found that a lot of their junior summer clothes were on clearance for really low prices between $1-$5.  I stumbled upon this little dress and couldn’t reset it.  It was only $5.  As I’m sure you can tell, I have a bit of an obsession with stripe patterns, especially black and white stripes.  I just find stripes to be so classic and simple to accessorize.

Here are some ways that I’ve worn this little dress.

This first look is my favorite!  I wore my black blazer from Forever 21 (similar), my new turquoise pendant necklace from Nordstrom Rack (similar), my nude flats from Target (exact) and my cross over blush purse from Ross (similar). 

This is a perfect weekend look.  I wore the denim jacket that I bought a couple summers ago while grocery shopping at Meijer (similar), my white sandals from Target (exact), a coral statement necklace from Charming Charlie (similar) and my coral Coach purse.

This is a great transitional fall look, perfect for the Las Vegas fall temperatures.  I wore my long cardigan from H&M (similar), my gold pendant necklace from Burlington Coat Factory (similar) and my new ankle boots also from Burlington Coat Factory (similar).

For this last look, I really love wearing sneakers with a dress.  It just helps to dress it down and give it a casual look.  I wore my same denim jacket as above, with a simple long silver necklace (I’ve had this one so long I can’t remember where I bought it.) and my pink sneakers from Target (similar).

  This dress has quickly become one of my favorite dresses.  I love how a little $5 purchase can add so much to your wardrobe.  Look for more posts like this, because I have a lot more closet favorites that I would love to share!

Weekend Wardrobe

by Katie Haller

I’m so happy that it’s August.  It’s the last month of summer and even though I love summer, I’m ready for some cooler temperatures.  I miss being able to wear jeans and layer my clothes.  Until then, I’ll continue to figure out my summer wardrobe by using what I already have in my closet. 


Saturday
Top- TJ Maxx
Shorts- Goodwill
Sandals- Target
Sunday
Top- Target
Shorts- Old Navy
Sandals- Target
It was a very casual weekend for me.  I hope everyone has a great week!!

Mom Wear + Pink Blush + $50 Giveaway!!

by Katie Haller

Lately, my wardrobe has quickly been turning into mom wear.  To me, mom wear is anything that I can throw on quickly, that’s comfortable and practical, but also stylish.  Little Jack does not like to let me have too much time to get myself ready in the morning, so that’s why it’s nice to have those pieces of clothing that are mindless and require very little effort to put together and still look stylish.

This is why when Pink Blush asked me to collaborate with them, I jumped at the opportunity!  When I was pregnant I remember coming across a lot of Pink Blush maternity clothes on Pinterest and I loved what I saw!  What I didn’t realize at the time was that Pink Blush is so much more than just maternity clothes.  They also have a women’s line, perfect for busy moms.  While I was pregnant, I enjoyed styling my bump in nonmaternity clothes because it was more practical for me to get the most out of my wardrobe.  That’s why I bought clothes that I could wear during and after my pregnancy.  This is why I love Pink Blush so much.  Their women’s line transforms perfectly from pregnancy into mom life.

I am currently loving my new dress from Pink Blush!  This dress is pretty much my definition of what mom wear is.  It’s comfortable, practical and stylish.  It is quickly becoming my go-to dress; perfect for work, running errands, church or for family outings.  Of course, I like to stick with what I’m comfortable in and stripes are always my go-to pattern.  The great thing about this dress is that it would also work perfectly if I were pregnant again.

  Another thing that I love about this dress is how versatile it is.  I love that I can wear it casually with flip flops or flats or I can dress it up with some wedges or heels.  It’s perfect year-round for any season.  I can’t wait to style it with some leggings and boots this winter.

Of course I’m always looking for a deal and I find Pink Blush to be very affordable.  I can even stick to my $30 shopping budget.  The site always has some sort of discount promo code running along with 15% off your first order, plus free shipping, which always makes me happy!
Right now I am hosting my very first give away!  I’m teaming up with Pink Blush to give one lucky reader the chance to win a $50 gift card to Pink Blush!  All you have to do is follow these steps…
Follow me on Instagram @thriftywifehappylife 
Follow on Instagram @shoppinkblush or @pinkblushmaternity
Like my Facebook page Thrifty Wife, Happy Life 
Leave me a comment on Instagram with the #pinkblushgiveaway in it. 
I will announce the winner on Instagram on August 20th!
*Please note- If you have won a Pink Blush gift card within the last 3 months you will not qualify for this giveaway. 
*Disclaimer- This dress was given to me by Pink Blush in exchange for this review.  My review is 100% my honest opinion.

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

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