Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Restyling Your Wardrobe

April 15, 2019 by Katie Haller

Lately, I’ve been really feeling the itch to shop. I’ve been spending a lot of time browsing online and in stores trying to figure out what I really want to buy, but as always I have to keep my clothes spending to a minimum. It can be hard for me sometimes as a blogger because I always feel pressure to share something new and trendy. Sometimes I have a hard time identifying what I really want, with what I think I want because I see everyone else is wearing it. That’s why I have 2 methods that I use to keep my unnecessary purchase or impulse buys to a minimum. 1.) I keep an ongoing shopping list on my phone of my needs and wants. 2.) I try to shop in my closet first before I buy new clothes.

Lately, I’ve been eyeing dresses. I see so many cute dresses out there, but I also have a closet full of dresses that I rarely wear. For today’s outfit, I picked a dress I got last summer from PinkBlush (See post HERE). I’ve only worn it once or twice and for me, that’s not enough. I try to wear my clothes as much as I can in different ways, that’s why I decided to restyle my dress to wear it a bit differently for this summer.

I love the style of this dress, but it’s always been a little big on me. I’d like to hold on to it though because I think it would be perfect to wear for future maternity wear (if needed). I decided to add a belt to help define my waist a little. A belt is always a good way to restyle a dress when you get bored of wearing it the same way. I wore my black espadrille wedge shoes, that I bought 4 years ago on clearance at Target. I keep telling myself that I want a new pair of espadrille wedges, but I still have a couple pairs that I love in my closet, so I figured I will hold off for now.

*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!

Sometimes instead of spending, your best bet is to take a closer look in your own wardrobe to see what you already have. One of my favorite fictional characters is Carrie Bradshaw and I always love a good Carrie quote. One of my favorites is… “Maybe the best any of us can do is not quit, play the hand we’ve been dealt and accessorize what we’ve got.”

We can’t all be shopping all the time and have the latest most trendy wardrobes, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t be stylish with what you already have.

Shop my look

Dress- PinkBlush (exact)

Shoes- Target (similar)

Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar)

Belt- Hand me down from my mom’s closet (similar)

Necklace- Nordstrom (exact)

How to Take a Basic Outfit from Day to Night

April 9, 2019 by Katie Haller

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always felt that there are 2 different ways to dress for the day and night. I’ve also been known to overthink them both, that’s why today I’m sharing 2 looks, wearing the same exact base outfit. This base outfit is so simple, it’s just a black tank top, jeans with a necklace and earrings. All I did was switch out my shoes and purse to take this look from day to night.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link will result in a commission for this blog. Thank you for your support!

Day Look

During the day I like to stay casual and comfortable. I typically wear flat shoes and carry a large tote purse to keep all my toddler gear in. I love wearing simple tank tops and t-shirts because you can always change them up by the way you style them. For this day look, I knotted my top at the bottom.

Shop my look

Jeans- Old Navy (exact)

Top- Target (exact)

Shoes- Kohls (exact)
Necklace- Nordstrom (exact)
Earrings- Esty (exact)
Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar)

Night Look

I always feel like the night has a dressier feel. I like to put on a pair of heels or wedge shoes. I’m 5’1 so I always like to add a little height when I can. I also like to ditch my big mom purse whenever I have the chance to get out without my little guy. My go-to, kid-free purse is my leopard clutch. Leopard is always a great statement accessory.

Shop my look

Jeans- Old Navy (exact)
Top- Target (exact)
Shoes- Target (similar)
Necklace- Nordstrom (exact)
Earrings- Esty (exact)
Purse- ThredUp- H&M (similar)

The Perfect Spring Momiform

April 1, 2019 by Katie Haller

I have some exciting news that I’ve been dying to share with you guys. I can’t share all the details right now, but what I want to tell you today is that this school year will be my last year working as a preschool teacher. I’m retiring, well sort of. I don’t think you can officially retire when you have little kids at home. Basically, I won’t be a full time working mom anymore. This has been something that my husband and I have been planning for a long time and with his recent upgrade to captain this year, it just seems like the perfect time for me to quit my job. It’s no secret that I’ve been struggling for a while to balance work with being a wife, mother and also a blogger. I’m very thankful that I’m able to have this opportunity to stop working at this point in my life and not have to make any major scarifies financially. I’m hoping that I will be able to focus more of my attention on my family. I want to be a better wife and mom. I also hope that I can spend more time on my blog. As Jack gets older, I have been really struggling to find time for blogging, so I’m so excited that I will have more time to put into that.

Without having a job with a dress code, this will definitely give me the opportunity to have more fun with my wardrobe. I can’t complain too much about my current work dress code, because it’s pretty casual, but I look forward to wearing open-toed shoes, distressed jeans and best of all… leggings whenever I want. I’m just looking forward to not having anyone tell me how to dress. Even though I will not have a job to get dressed for, I’m still going to want to get ready every day and have a fun cute outfit to wear, even if I’m just hanging around the house. I have a feeling that I will really be embracing the momiform.

Today I want to share the perfect spring momiform. I found this look for under $20 at Old Navy last weekend. I’ve been loving anything and everything yellow, so when I saw this yellow daisy print tank top for only $5, I had to have it. I’ve also been loving light washed denim. These jeans were on sale for only $15. I love the rise on them and I also like that they are a light weight material which is perfect for the spring. This is the type of outfit I hope to wear more often. Scroll down for all the outfit details.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will make a commission for this blog. Thank you for your support!

Shop my closet

Top- Old Navy (exact)
Jeans- Old Navy (exact)
Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar)
Sandals- Burlington Coat Factory (similar)
Necklace- Nordstrom (exact)
Earrings- Etsy (exact)

March Daily Outfits Review

March 30, 2019 by Katie Haller

Hey guys! It’s time for another daily outfit review. March was a long month for me. I have to say that these 31 day months are a little harder to get through, especially when you have no days off work. I’m patiently waiting for my spring break next month. It’s been hard seeing all my family and friends on social media enjoy their spring breaks already, but it’s okay. Good things are worth waiting for.

Anyway, March was another busy month. It’s been nice that the weather is warming up and it’s staying light longer. This means better outfits and better lighting for outfit selfies. That’s probably why I have a good selection of outfits this month. I love being able to share my daily looks with you all because these are my real outfits I put together, not that I don’t wear the other outfits I share, but you can see how I repeat my clothes and still wear a new outfit each day. Scroll down to see all my favorite looks from the month.

*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. Thank you for your support!

T-shirt- Target (similar)

Cardigan- Savers- Old Navy (exact– color not currently sold)

Jeans- Savers- Old Navy (similar)

Shoes- Walmart (exact)

Top- Savers- Old Navy (similar)

Jeans- Target (exact)

Jacket- Savers- Old Navy (similar)

Shoes- Walmart (similar)

Top- Turquoise and Tangerine (Check out my post on it HERE)

Cardigan- Forever 21 (similar)

Jeans- Savers- Old Navy (similar)

Shoes- ThredUp- Sonoma (similar)

Dress- ThredUp- Menora (Similar)

Shoes- ThredUp- Madden Girl (similar)

Tops- Old Navy (similar)

Cardigan- H&M (exact)

Jeans- Abercrombie (similar)

Shoes- Lulus (exact, similar)

Necklace- Nordstrom (exact)

Top- Goodwill-Gap (similar)
Jeans- Target (exact)
Jacket- Savers- Old Navy (similar)
Shoes- Walmart (similar)

Top- Abercrombie (exact)
Cardigan- Charlotte Russe (similar)
Jeans- Abercrombie (similar)
Sandals- Burlington Coat Factory (similar)
Earrings- Etsy (exact)

Top- Old Navy (exact)
Jeans- Target (exact)
Cardigan- Forever 21 (similar)
Shoes- Walmart (similar)

Top- Target (exact)
Cardigan- Old Navy (exact– color currently not sold)
Jeans- Old Navy (exact)
Shoes- Walmart (exact)
Necklace- Kohl’s (similar)

Top- Nordstrom- (exact, similar)
Jeans- Target (exact)
Jacket- Old Navy (similar)
Shoes- Burlington Coat Factory (similar)
Purse- Couch Outlet (similar)

I’m excited for April. Look for more outfit posts and I have some exciting things coming up in my life that I can’t wait to share with all of you!

Spring Shopping List 2019

March 25, 2019 by Katie Haller

It’s that time of year again when the weather starts to warm up and I start to get the urge to do some shopping. I get so excited when I see all the new spring clothes out in the stores. It can be really hard if you are someone who is shopping on a budget not to make impulse purchases. I’ve been known to do it a lot in the past. As a clearance and sale shopper, I’ve been quick to jump on a good deal just because it’s a good price, but it’s not something I necessarily need or even want. What I’m finding out is that impulse purchases like that don’t bring me that much joy in the long run. What I’ve been trying to do is keep an ongoing list on my phone in my notes of the things that I want to buy/need to buy. This keeps me on track and helps me avoid buyers remorse. As the seasons change, my list might change a bit. So far it’s been working. I’m not perfect and I still have my moments when I buy something unnecessary, like for example, another striped t-shirt, when I already have 100 in my closet, but overall it does help me save money in the long run.

I’ve been doing a lot of browsing online and in stores when I can. I try to find the best deal that I possibly can when I have my eye on something. It gets to the point where I will buy something because I see it for a good price, but I will not wear it and save the receipt just in case a better deal comes along. I will obsess over it and spend hours searching for the perfect deal, but what can I say? It keeps me busy. Here are some of the items that I have on my spring wish list this year.

Wedge Sandals– This is more of a want than a need, but I would love a new pair of espadrille wedge sandals. I love the lighter colors for spring. I’m not going to lie, I’m eyeing the Walmart options (HERE) because lately, they have not been disappointing me at all in my shoe selections from them. Plus they have the best prices.

Slides– I love my slides and I have my eye on some cute ones this spring. I love the Steve Madden dupes from Target (HERE). I think that they are so similar to the originals (HERE) but at a much more affordable price. They are my current favorites, but I’m also really loving the scallop Target pair (HERE) as well.

Straw Purse– I’m a little late to the straw purse trend, but it seems to still be going strong this year, so it seems like a good time to jump in. I love the summer look they have. I think it would be fun to dress up a casual look.

Denim Skirt– I’m so happy to see that denim skirts are back in style. I’ve always been a fan. I love the button front look or the simple style as well. I’ve linked all my favorite options above.

Light Washed Denim– I have a jean obsession. Just like shoes, jeans are always on my wish list, but I’ve been noticing that my closet seems to be lacking in light wash denim. I love the lighter color for spring and summer.

White jeans– This seems to be my biggest challenge at the moment to find the perfect white jeans at the perfect price. The problem is that I have a pair of white jeans in my closet that are just fine, but I don’t love the fit anymore, so I’m looking to update them, but it’s been a struggle. Above are some of the jeans I’ve looked at or tried on in my search. I am determined to find the perfect pair soon.

Camo T-shirt– This is an item I’m still debating if I actually want or not. I’ve always felt that camouflage print should only be worn by the military or hunters. But lately, I see that it’s all the rage. The more I see other people wear it, the more I seem to want it. I think that a t-shirt is a perfect way to try out a new trend like this. It’s an easy way to ease into a trend like this.

Anything and everything Yellow!!– I am loving yellow this spring. I’m so attracted to the color every time I walk into a store. It’s so bright and cheerful.

Lightweight tanks- Loose-fitting lightweight tanks are my favorite thing in the summer. Something with a print or bright color makes it even better. They are so easy to style.

Thanks for coming along on my shopping adventure. I’m sure I will be sharing my finds as I buy them. What is on your spring wish list?

Practical Baby Gear

March 21, 2019 by Katie Haller

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!

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.

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!!

Shop my look

Day Look

Shop my look

Night Look

Shop my look

Shop my closet

Follow

thriftywifehappylife