Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Thrift Store Look for $16!!

by Katie Haller

Hey everyone!  I hope you’re having a great week so far.  For today’s outfit post, I wanted to share my latest thrift finds.  I typically don’t buy an outfit when I shop, but on this particular thrifting trip, I ended up coming home with an entire look.

 On Veterans Day, I had the day off work.  I took Jack to school for the day and Kevin had to work, so I thought the perfect activity for me was to have a day of thrift shopping.  It is so much easier to thrift shop by myself, without Jack all over the place.  I went to Goodwill first, which was a little disappointing.  They didn’t have much of a selection at all, so I decided to go to Savers.  I completely forgot that Savers was having a 50% off sale for Veterans day.  Normally when I know they are having their big sales, I head over to the store right when they open because it can be kind of crazy.  That didn’t happen on this day, so I walked into the store and it was so busy.  The line was all the way to the back of the store.  I had to browse kind of quickly.  The fitting room line was ridiculously long too, so I didn’t want to try on anything.  I was excited because, despite all the chaos in the store, I was able to find 3 things that I really loved.

The first thing I found was a pair of Ann Taylor black jeggings for $2.50.  I’ve been needing a pair of black jeans for a while.  When I found this pair, in my size, for that price, I decided to take the risk and buy them without trying them on.  They ended up fitting great.  Next up, I found these cognac riding boots.  The brand is Sam & Libby and I couldn’t resist them.  They were $10.49 and they look like they have never been worn before.  I love the color!  Anything in that cognac or camel color is my favorite and it goes with everything.   Lastly, I bought another striped shirt.  This one is from American Eagle and I know it will go with everything.  It was only $3. 

*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 with no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support! 

 So there you have it, my $16 outfit!  When was the last time you went thrifting?

If you love the style of this look, I have similar affordable items linked below for you!

5 Things I Didn’t Know About Motherhood Before I Became a Mom

by Katie Haller

It’s hard to believe that in a few short months, I will have a 3-year-old.  Time is flying by.  I absolutely love being a mom.  Jack is my pride and joy.  He makes me so happy, but it’s not always easy being a mom.  When I look back on my pre-baby life, it seemed so easy.  I sometimes question what I did with myself back then.  Today I want to talk about what I didn’t know about motherhood before I became a mom.  It seems like everyone tells you things about what it’s like, but you never really know what it’s like until you live it for yourself.  Here are the things that I didn’t know about.  

1.) The lack of personal time I would have- I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been alone in my house since Jack was born.  It’s very hard to fit in me-time.  Painting my nails after Jack goes to bed on a Friday night or sneaking in an episode of Very Cavallari is about all the me-time I get these days.  I knew that becoming a mom would make me busy, but I think I imagined having a little more time for myself.  I guess I imagined that I would have a child who would sleep and I wouldn’t be so tired all the time. 
2.) How much I miss my husband- I see my husband every day, but I miss him.  Jack demands a lot of my attention and sometimes I miss having one on one time with my husband.  We do not have the luxury of having family close by as babysitters, so we don’t get to go on date nights every weekend like some people do.  Occasionally, when we both have the day off work and Jack’s school is open, we will take him into school and we will go out and have a date day together.  Those days are the best, but we haven’t done it since last winter.   I look back on my pregnancy and I cherish all those outings we went on together because I didn’t realize then just how much our relationship would change when we became parents.  
3.) The mom guilt- I didn’t know anything about this thing they call “mom guilt”, but it’s a real thing.  I feel guilty all the time.  I feel guilty that I work, guilty that I live far away from our family, guilty that I don’t pack Jack a lunch for school… I could think of a ton of things that I feel guilty about.  It’s something that doesn’t go away, but you can manage it.  All you can do is do what’s best for your family and tell yourself it’s okay.  
4.) How hard it is to balance work and motherhood-  Working is my greatest challenge as a mom. I feel like I was a better teacher before I was a mom.  I don’t know how other people work full time and have more than 1 or 2 children.  I give them a lot of credit because it is not easy.  If work is such a hardship for me, then why do I still work?  That’s something I get asked from people.  My answer is because I’m working for our future.  Most of my paychecks go into our retirement accounts.  The more you save when you are young, the more money you will have in retirement.  Basically, I work now, because I don’t want Jack to have to pay for any of his education, I don’t want Jack to ever have to struggle to pay off student loans like I did.  My husband is going to be upgrading to captain early next year and the topic of quitting my job has been coming up a lot.  I do plan to stop working one day, but as of right now it just doesn’t make sense to lose my income.  Plus, we would need to pay for preschool for Jack anyway and he loves going to school.  I would hate to take him away from his social life right now.  Right now, I’m making the most of my working days and if I’m a bad cook and my house is always messy because of it, it’s okay because I’m a working mom. 
5.) The amount of joy and pride a child brings-  After saying all that above, I have to say that being Jack’s mom is my greatest title.  I am so proud of that little guy.  I love watching him grow and learn.  He’s talking so much more lately and has his own little personality.  He brings both my husband and I so much joy.  Yes, I miss our life before kids, but I know that once Jack is grown, I will look back at this period of my life and miss it the most.

PinkBlush

 *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!

PHOTO CREDIT: Chasity Jean Photography

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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. 

Striped Button-Front Shirt

by Katie Haller

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve sat down and tried to write this blog post.  I’ve been wanting to share this look for weeks, but every time I go to write, I realize that I have something else to do before I can start.  That task usually leads to another and before I know it, I’m too tired to write.  The last few weekends have been productive, but busy.  My plan was to get a bunch of blog posts drafted and scheduled for the last couple weeks of October because I’m going to Michigan at the end of the week and I know I won’t have much time for blogging while I’m there.  That didn’t happen though.  There were just more important things to get done before our trip, plus this weekend Jack decided to boycott his naps, which is not a good thing for me.  Naptime is blog time for me on the weekends.  But finally, I have a minute.  Due to not having a nap today, Jack passed out on the living room floor at 7:30, so bedtime was a breeze tonight.  With the husband sleeping too, I can finally work on a few blog posts and plan out my life a little.  Yay!

Anyway, today I want to share this super cute Amazon find.  This black and white striped button-down tank top (Find it HERE) is the perfect tank for wearing under my cardigans this fall.  This style of top is very in style right now with the buttons and the knot at the bottom.  It was only $5 on Amazon, but I don’t have Prime, so I did have to pay for shipping.  Sometimes I get nervous when ordering really cheap clothes online, but this one turned out to be a pretty good find.  Minus the poorly sewed buttons, it’s a pretty decent top.  I bought it in a small, but I do wish I would have sized up because I do like my tops a little baggier for styling. 
I thought that this top went perfectly with my new duster cardigan (HERE) from Forever 21.  I may have mentioned before that I hate going to the mall.  It’s too time consuming and too overwhelming, that’s why I’m all about mall shopping online.  I’ve been doing almost all my shopping online lately.  So I was unsure about this cardigan at first. I wasn’t sure if I should size up or down, but I have to say that I really love it.  It’s the perfect fit and It was under $13, which for a cardigan, I think that’s a great price.  I accessorized my look with my favorite leopard clutch that everyone likes so much.  I love to mix leopard and stripes.  It’s one of my favorite combos for fall. I’m also always a fan of the peep-toed booties in the fall.  These booties are the perfect color for me. You can scroll down to get all the details on this outfit! 
*This post contains affiliate links.  By clicking on and making a purchase through a link, I will earn a small commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support. 

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Cardigan- Forever 21 (exact) || Top- Amazon (exact) || Jeans- Old Navy- Savers (similar) || Clutch- H&M- ThredUP (similar) || Shoes- Target- ThredUP (similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom (exact) || Watch- Nordstrom Rack (similar)

Pink Plaid for Fall

by Katie Haller

Hey everyone! Happy Friday! I hope everyone is having a great fall so far.  Today I want to talk about a great fall wardrobe staple to have in your closet… a plaid button-down.  I love the classic look of a button-down and the plaid print just gives it that fun falls touch.  I found this pink plaid J.Crew top on ThredUP for only $3.99.  When I saw that price for that brand, I knew I had to snatch it up.  I feel like most people go for blue or red plaid in the fall, but I thought that the pink fit my personality perfectly.  Plus I thought it would also look great in the spring as well.  My favorite way to style my button-down tops is to layer them under a boyfriend cardigan sweater.  I bought this tan boyfriend cardigan at Target years ago and it continues to be a great go-to sweater.  I’ve linked some similar items below, along with a few other ThredUP plaid shirts. 

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

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Plaid Shirt- J.Crew- ThredUP (similar, similar, similar) || Jeans- Express- Very old, I distressed them myself (similar) || Cardigan- Target (similar) || Shoes- Madden Girl- ThredUP (similar) || Watch- Jord (exact) || Necklace- Nordstrom (exact) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar) || Earrings- Walmart (similar) 

Travel Must Haves with Rock Flower Paper

by Katie Haller

Back before we had Jack, fall used to be my husband and I’s favorite time to go on vacation.  We always enjoyed traveling in the fall, because it’s not a time of the year when most people are going on vacation.  You can usually get low prices and do a tropical vacation for a fraction of the price of what you would pay during the high travel season.  I remember our first vacation together we went on a 4 night cruise to the Bahamas in late October and we paid under $250 per person (for everything).  That was probably the best trip ever.  Nowadays, our vacations are few and far apart.  After moving to a vacation destination a few years ago, having a baby, having a husband in and out of training with his airline and both of us having busy work schedules, when we get a little time off we mostly vacation to visit our family.  Our next trip is to Michigan in a couple weeks.  Even though it’s not a “real vacation”, it still involves traveling, which is always an adventure when you have a two-year-old.  

*This post is part of a collaboration with Rock Flower Paper.  As always my opinions are 100% my own.  It also contains affiliate links, which means by making a purchase through a link will result in a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support!
For today’s post, I have teamed up with a store called Rock Flower Paper.  Rock Flower Paper is based out of the San Francisco Bay area and they sell unique, high-quality lifestyle goods at affordable prices.  They have everything from home goods items to clothing and accessories.  Many of their products are perfect for traveling, that’s why for today’s post, I’m going to share my 4 must-have items when traveling. 

1.) A Tote Bag–  As a mom, I can’t think of anything more useful than a giant tote bag.  The bigger, the better.  I always like to bring a tote bag as my carry on when flying because it’s like bringing an extra suitcase.  One thing that’s great about a large tote bag is that you can throw a smaller purse inside and still use the tote as your personal item when you’re flying and bringing your suitcase as a carry-on.  This bag above is from Rock Paper Flower’s Jute Tote Bag collection.  I love the whale tale print on the bag, but sadly they are sold out on this print, but they do have some other great prints worth checking out.

2.) A makeup/cosmetic bag– I always need a safe place to transport all my make up and this adorable pineapple print is the perfect travel makeup bag.  It’s large enough to fit all my makeup, brushes and then some.  I’m still debating on whether I want to keep it as my go to makeup bag or use it daily as a purse organizer.

3.) Small pouch-  I don’t know about you, but I’m always losing all my stuff in my tote bags.  Having a little pouch to organize all your important things in your purse is extremely helpful.  It’s nice to have a safe place to keep your keys, passport and credit cards.  I love this black and white wavy stripe canvas pouch.  This is now going to be something that I use daily in my purses.

4.) Comfortable Travel outfit- Lastly, but not least, I always need to have a comfortable travel outfit.  This black and white palm print kimono is perfect to wear as a comfortable travel look.  I love how it looks over leggings and a tank top.  The best part about this kimono is that it’s totally versatile.  It’s great to wear on travel days, but it also makes a great bathing suit cover up.  It would also look great layered over a dress.

Even though I plan on using all my new travel accessories now, it makes me really excited to plan our next “real vacation”.  What are some of your must have travel items?

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