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Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Gifts That Give Back

November 21, 2016 by Katie Haller

One// Two// Three// Four// Five// Six// Seven// Eight// Nine

With the holiday season quickly approaching, I’ve been thinking a lot about getting ready to do some Christmas shopping. To me, Christmas is so much more than just gifts.  It’s a time to count my blessings and try to give back in some way or another.  That’s why this year, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about purchasing gifts that give back. 


  I love how there is such a big movement right now with more and more companies being charitable and trying to use their business to better the world.  I’ve been doing a lot of research to find some gifts to purchase this season and I’ve found that you can find a gift that gives back for pretty much everyone on your shopping list. 
Here is a list of some of my favorite companies and gifts that give back. 


One | The Little Market
The Little Market is a fair trade online shop that was co-founded by one of my favorite entrepreneurs, Lauren Conrad.  The company helps support artisans and empower women from all over the world.  While browsing their website, I found a number of beautiful and creative gift ideas that were also quite affordable.  I really love these soy blend holiday candles.  They would be perfect for a teacher gift or co-worker, even a friend or family member.  I also love these cute little aprons.  Aprons always make great gifts, because they are not something most people buy for themselves.   

 Two | Hand in Hand Soap
Hand in Hand Soap is a company that I came across in my search for charitable companies and I was drawn to them because of their products and their affordability.  For every bar of soap that you buy from Hand in Hand, they donate a bar of soap and a month of clean water to a child in need.  They sell bar soap, bath salts, candles, lotion and all kinds of fun bath products.  It’s a great place to find gifts and I love that they sell their products at Target!  It’s perfect because you don’t have to go anywhere fancy to find their soaps.  I am eager to try out their Coral Sugar Scrub and the Juniper Berry Bar Soap.   These also make great teacher gifts! 

Three | Cuddle + Kind
This is my first Christmas as a mom, so I decided to look into baby and kid companies.  I ended up finding Cuddle and Kind, which is a really great company that gives back to children.  For every dollar you spend, they provide 10 nutritious meals for children around the world.  I love their adorable hand-knit dolls.  I thought that this doll, Aspen the Penguin would be such a cute gift for a little one in your life.  I also love the wall art.  It is the perfect gift for an expecting parent this holiday season.  I know that I would have loved one of these adorable gifts for Jack while I was pregnant last year. 

Four | Better Life Bags
I was so excited when I came across this company, Better Life Bags, because not only do they sell handbags, which what girl doesn’t love handbags?  But their business is set up to help support local women from low-income households in Detroit, MI.  With me being from the Detroit area, this company’s mission is really close to my heart.  They sell custom made handbags, made by women living in Hamtramck, Michigan, which is a very culturally mixed area of Detroit.  I love that you can pick out your own material for your bag and design it however you want or you can pick from their collections.  I really love this black and white striped crossover purse, also these cute little nesting pouches are perfect for organizing your purse or closet.  I definitely encourage you to check them out and learn more about their mission.

Five | AUrate New York  
If you are in the market to splurge on something special for someone, or maybe you are making a wishlist for your significant other, AUrate New York is a company that sells beautiful gold jewelry.  From white gold, to yellow gold and rose gold, they have it all in beautiful modern styles.  I‘m really in love with their collection of necklaces, especially this absolutely gorgeous gold bar necklace.  What I love most about this company is that with every purchase that you make, the company donates a book to an underprivileged child.  Being a preschool teacher of low-income children, I realize how important this mission is.  So many of the children that I work with do not have books in their homes, so it’s my job to encourage them on how to find books and teach them the importance of early literacy.  That is why I love that this company is giving back through reading!  I would definitely recommend checking out their site and browsing their beautiful jewelry collection.

That’s my list, I hope these companies will inspire you the same way they did for me.  What are some charitable companies that you will be shopping with this year?  I’d love to hear them! 

 

Filed in: holidays, Shopping • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Shopping Finds- Thrift Shopping for Baby

November 4, 2016 by Katie Haller

If you follow my blog, you know how much I love to a thrift shop, so I’m sure it’s no surprise that I love to thrift shop for my baby too.  Baby clothes can be so expensive at times.  I hate to spend a lot of money on baby clothes because they grow out of them so quickly, plus they get their clothes so messy, that’s why a thrift store is a perfect place to buy clothes for my little guy. 
I am grateful that our family members and friends have kept Jack clothed for so long.  I have so many cute outfits for him that we got as gifts, but he’s quickly growing out of many of his clothes, plus the weather is slowly getting cooler, so it’s time to start shopping for the winter.  One nice thing about having a boy is that they are so low maintenance, even as babies.  All they need are some onesies, some pants and a jacket of some sort.

Last Friday, I went to my favorite thrift store, Savers.  They tend to have a very small boy selection, so when I find cute things, I buy a lot.  It was Nevada Day on the day I was there, so all the clothes were 30% off, plus I bought 2 yellow tag items that were 50% off.  I ended up buying him 3 pairs of pants, a button down shirt and a fleece jacket all for under $10.  That’s not bad considering I already know that my little guy will only wear them for 3 months, then it will be back to summer clothes again.  That’s okay, because I will just have another excuse to do some more thrift store shopping.

Filed in: Baby, Baby on a Budget, Shopping, Thrifty Tips • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Shopping Finds- Target

September 20, 2016 by Katie Haller

There is nothing that makes me more excited than saving money on new clothes.  I love to stretch my dollar as far as I possibly can.  That’s what I did this weekend at Target. 
Sometimes shopping the clearance section can be so hit or miss.  Target usually has a great clearance section, but you have to go at the right time to get really good deals.  I find that the end of the summer and early fall are perfect for finding clearance deals.  It’s easy to take summer clothes and style them into the fall and winter. 

 I had some Target coupons sent to me in the mail last week, so I was excited to use them.  I had a coupon for $5 off $25, so I knew I was going to try to get as much as I could for $25.  I was still on the hunt for a few more pieces from my fall wish list.  I ended up buying 5 new pieces of clothes and only spending $18.86 after tax!  I actually surprised myself, because I didn’t realize that I could use my Cartwheel app, with a coupon, on top of the clearance price. 

I ended up buying 3 new tops; one striped tank top (here) and 2 t-shirts; one striped and one green (here).  I also bought a simple grey dress (here) and a scarf (similar here and here).  Here are my dressing room pictures of the tops I bought.  (Don’t mind my little shopping buddy in the background.  He was busy trying to get the hangers.)

I can’t wait to style my new clearance pieces for the fall months! 
 Happy shopping everyone! 

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, Shopping • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Shopping Find From my Fall Wish List

September 5, 2016 by Katie Haller

This past week, I posted my fall wish list.  This weekend I was able to knock a few items off my list.  I love Labor Day weekend because there are great sales everywhere, plus I start to get really excited about all the fall clothes.  I was able to put together a cute fall look for under $70.

On my fall wish list, I had said I wanted a t-shirt dress and an olive green t-shirt.  I ended up combining the two and buying this olive green t-shirt dress (similar) at H&M for $12.99.  H&M has such great everyday prices on their basic clothing items and accessories.  It’s currently one of my favorite stores to shop at.  I also found a new cardigan while I was there (exact) for $12.99.  The cardigan wasn’t on my list, but I can’t resist a new cardigan for fall.  This one is great because it’s nice and lightweight.  I bought a similar one like it last fall, so I knew I would be happy with my purchase.  
After I left the mall, I was on a hunt for ankle boots.  I’ve been wanting a pair for a long time.  I had a $30 budget for my boots.  I looked at DSW and Nordstrom Rack and even though they had some awesome sales, I just couldn’t find boots under $50.  Then I remembered that I had never been to Burlington Coat Factory.  I had always heard that they have great prices, so I decided to check it out.  I was in luck because they had a great selection of ankle boots all under $30.  I found these suede ankle boots (similar) for $27.99.  They are exactly what I was looking for, plus they are super comfortable!
I also found a new pendant necklace that I had on my fall list.  This one below was on clearance for $3.99 and it caught my eye.  I don’t have any like it in my jewelry collection and I thought that it would complete my new fall outfit.

Here is my new outfit for fall altogether.
 Now I can’t wait for the cooler temperatures.  I know it’s right around the corner.  Look for more fall looks coming soon! 

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, Shopping • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Shopping Finds- Target Clearance

July 23, 2016 by Katie Haller

I’ve been feeling the itch to go shopping lately.  It’s not easy to casually shop the way I use to with a baby.  In the past, I was able to stop at a store by myself and casually scan the racks for deals.  Now, I have to plan out my shopping a little more.  That’s why this week when I got a notification on my phone that my Target Cartwheel app had 20% off all clearance items in appeal, shoes, and accessories, I thought today would be a good day to check it out on a family trip to Target. 
Here are my finds. 
I thought this navy top (exact) was really cute.  I like the embroidered detail at the bottom.  It was $8.48 before 20% off. 
I’m still debating on whether I will keep this teal swing tank top (exact).  I like it, but I might have to try it on a few more times to figure out how I would like to style it.   I figured I could wear it with shorts.  It was only $5.48. 
Of course, I never can resist buying anything striped.  I love these t-shirts (exact).  I already have one in tan, so I knew I’d like this top.  You can’t beat $5.
These striped flats (exact) were only $8.48.  I have to wear closed-toe shoes to work, so I thought these would be perfect to pair with some of my work clothes.
With the discount, I spent under $25 for 4 items.  I was happy that I was able to stick to my $30 spending limit for all shopping trips.  Today is the last day to get 20% off of clearance.  Sorry, I waited until the last day to shop and share, but there are always lots of great deals to look for in the future at Target.  If you don’t have the Target Cartwheel app already, I suggest you download it to help you get those extra Target savings.

Filed in: Shopping • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Must Have Spring Basics

May 13, 2016 by Katie Haller

One/Two/Three/Four/Five/Six/Seven 

When putting together an affordable wardrobe, it’s always a good idea to stick with the basics and just build off of that.  I like to accessorize and mix and match my clothes to get the most use out of them.  In the spring, I have a few favorite pieces that I like to wear to add a little spring to my everyday looks.  


Today I want to share some of my spring essentials wardrobe pieces that I couldn’t live without. 
  1. Blazers- I love to layer and blazers are perfect for layering in the spring.  They make the perfect lightweight jacket.  I love how putting on a blazer can ready dress up a simple outfit and make it look polished.  My favorite blazers that I have bought are from  the LC Lauren Conrad collection at Kohl’s.  I like to buy them on sale with a coupon or look for acute one on clearance. 
  2. Colorful Statement Necklaces- If you follow my blog, you know I love colorful statement necklaces.  I think that they are the perfect way to make a simple look pop with a little color.  My favorite place to buy accessories like this is Charming Charlie.
  3. Denim Jackets- My denim jacket is my favorite right now and it’s perfect for layering in the spring with almost any outfit.  I found mine a couple summers ago for a steal (read about it here), but denim is pretty popular, so it’s easy to find a cute jean jacket.  Just keep your eyes open for great deals. 
  4. Maxi Skirts- Long skirts are great in the spring.  I like how comfortable they are.  I find the best prices on maxi skirts at Ross and T.J. Maxx.
  5. White Pants- White is the perfect way to add a little spring into your look.  This time of the year is always a great time to look for white pants.  I found my pair of white jeans at Target in the clearance section for under $10. (read about it here)
  6. Colorful Hand Bag- I tend to wear a lot of neutral colors, that’s why I always like to carry a bright colored purse to add some color to my look.  I’ve been using the coral Coach purse that I got as a gift last Christmas.  Charming Charlie is a great place to find a colorful handbag for a decent price! 
  7. Wedge Sandal- I love a wedge sandal as an alternative to a heal.  I’ve been wearing my black strappy wedge sandals a lot this spring.  I bought them at Target last summer for under $10.
Here are a few spring outfits that I’ve put together using my favorite spring basics. 
White Pants//Turquoise Necklace//Denim Jacket

Navy Blazer//Light Pink Necklace
Maxi Skirt//Denim Jacket//Turquoise Necklace

Denim Jacket//Coral Purse//Wedge Sandals
White Pants//Denim Jacket//Green Necklace
Grey Blazer//Coral Purse//Wedge Sandals

I hope you like my looks and get some ideas on how to style your own spring look!

Filed in: Shopping • by Katie Haller • 1 Comment

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Hi I'm Katie! Welcome to my blog! I am on a mission to help women build a wardrobe that they love without spending a lot of money doing it. I believe that everyone has the right to feel good in their outfit, no matter what your budget is! I am excited to have you here!
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Katie Haller

thriftywifehappylife

Affordable everyday petite (5’1) mom style
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