Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Why I Love Thrifting my Jeans

by Katie Haller

Hey guys!  Today I want to let you in on a little secret of mine.  For about the last year, I have been obsessed with thrifting my jeans. To me, jeans are like shoes and purses, you can never have too many.  There are just so many styles and colors to choose from and you can wear jeans with EVERYTHING!!  What is not to love about a great pair of denim bottoms?  I’m always amazed by the prices that people will spend on a pair of jeans.  I get it, some jeans are too perfect to pass up, but owning 10 or more pairs of $80 or more jeans seems a little much to me.

In the past, I’ve bought a lot of my jeans on clearance racks and I’ve often had to comprise comfort and quality for a good price.  Ever since I started thrifting my jeans, I’ve been able to spend less and find great quality brands.

*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!

So here are my 3 reasons why I love thrifting my jeans…

1.) You can buy name brands, like Levi’s, American Eagle and Abercrombie, but you don’t have to pay the name brand price.  They still have the same quality, they are just worn, which sometimes when you’re talking about jeans, worn is best.  Recently I’ve bought a pair of Hollister, Abercrombie and American Eagle jeans for under $5 and I honestly can’t tell the difference between mine and the brand new ones in the store.

2.) You can alter your thrifted jeans to fit your style and not worry about messing them up.  I love to distress my jeans myself.  I like to take a picture of a pair of jeans I like from the store and then I try to recreate the distressed look myself.  The jeans I’m wearing above were a Savers find of Abercrombie jeans.  I was inspired by the Free People jeans HERE to create the bigger holes in the knees.

3.) They are guilt-free! Being a preschool teacher and a mom of a 2-year-old, expensive clothes don’t fit my lifestyle.  I love that I can wear my thrifted jeans to work and if one of the preschoolers walks past me with a paintbrush to the butt, it’s no big deal.

Here are some of the jeans that I’ve thrifted over the last year.  I tried to put the brand and the store they were thrifted from.

 Old Navy- Savers

 Hollister- Goodwill

Abercrombie- Savers

H&M- Goodwill

So there you have it.  Those are 3 things I love about thrifting jeans.  Have you ever tried thrifting for jeans?  I challenge you to find a local thrift store in your area and look in the jean section.  You have to give yourself plenty of time to look through the racks and try on all the jeans, but if you stick with it, I know you will find something that will fit your style. 

Happy Shopping!!

3 Ways to Wear a Green Cardigan with PinkBlush

by Katie Haller

I feel like everywhere I look on Instagram, all I see are fall clothes.  Sweaters, cardigans, jeans, booties…all my favorite things.  The only thing that I’m wondering is how is everyone wearing all their fall clothes so early?  Is it really that cool in the rest of the country?  I don’t think so.  In Las Vegas, our summer last FOREVER.  Fall is a really hard season for me because I want to wear all my favorite fall clothes, but it doesn’t cool down until at least November.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t force myself to wear a sweater when it’s 100 degrees outside.  One thing that always helps me get through the warm falls is to transition into my fall clothes.  I love to mix my fall clothes with my summer clothes to create transitional fall looks that are still comfortable to wear when it is warm out. 

*This post is part of a collaboration with PinkBlush.  It contains affiliate links, which means by making a purchase through a link, I will make a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support! 
For today’s post, I want to share 3 transitional fall look with my new olive green cardigan from PinkBlush.  There are so many things that I love about this cardigan.  First of all, I love the color.  Olive green is the perfect fall color.  I also love the detail of the brown quilted elbow patch.  They make me feel like I’m ready to go riding or something.  I also love the material of this cardigan.  It’s not a sweater knit, it feels more like a sweatshirt.  It’s actually quite warm. 

Cardigan (Exact) || Jeans (Similar) || Top (Exact) || Watch (Similar) || Purse (Similar) || Shoes (Exact) 
Look 1: Distressed jeans and flip flops
For my first look, I wore my favorite pair of cuffed distressed jeans and a black tank.  For shoes, I kept it super casual with my leopard print flip-flops.  I felt like flip-flops help keep that laid back warm-weather feel. 

Cardigan (Exact) || Skirt (Similar) || Top (Exact) || Necklace (Similar) || Shoes (Similar) 
Look 2: Denim Skirt and knotted tank
For this look, I wanted to wear my denim skirt.  I’ve been loving this jean skirt all summer long and I plan on wearing it through out the fall.  I styled it with my white tank top that I knotted, because I’ve been knotting all my tops lately.  For shoes, I dressed it up with my strappy sandals.
PinkBlush 

Cardigan (Exact) || Shorts (Exact) || Top (Similar) || Necklace (Similar) || Shoes (Similar) 
Look 3: Shorts and Stripes
It’s hard for me to style something 3 ways without styling it with stripes.  I love all of my striped t-shirts and this one looks great with the green.  I wore it with my favorite jean shorts and wedges from the summer.

I can’t wait to wear this cardigan throughout the fall and winter.  I’m sure I’ll have lots of new ways to style it.  I also have some exciting news on how you can easily shop all my favorite PinkBlush clothes.  You can always shop through my posts, but now you can also follow me, thriftywifehappylife, on the LIKEtoKNOW.it App (HERE)  You will find all my outfits from my Instagram linked for your shopping convivence.  Look for this cardigan and my other PinkBlush favorites!

Little Black Tank Dress- Styled 6 Ways

by Katie Haller

There is nothing that I love more than a versatile piece of clothing.  If I can’t wear it in more than one way, then most likely I’m not going to buy it.  One store that I can always find good versatile clothing is H&M.  H&M is my go-to for affordable basic pieces.  I buy a lot of tank tops, t-shirts, dresses and cardigans at H&M.  When I’m thrift shopping, it’s one of those brands that I look for, because I’m familiar with the way their clothes fit and wear.

*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! 
For today’s post, I wanted to share this black tank dress from H&M.  It’s so simple, so there are endless amounts of ways to style it.  This dress is actually a hand-me-down from my sister-in-law’s closet, but since it’s one of those classic H&M basic pieces, you can still find it at the store.  

 Denim Jacket- Savers- Old Navy (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Kohl’s (SIMILAR)

Blazer- LC Lauren Conrad Kohl’s (EXACT) || Shoes- Target (SIMILAR)

Jacket- Old Navy- Savers (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Walmart- (SIMILAR) || Scarf- Old Navy (SIMILAR) 
 Kimono- PinkBlush (EXACT) || Shoes- Walmart (SIMILAR)

 Chambray Top- Savers- Brand Unknown (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Old Navy (SIMILAR) 
Cardigan- H&M (EXACT) || Shoes- Kohl’s (SIMILAR)

Surviving the Heat of Summer with Little Kids

by Katie Haller

I know that summer is coming to an end for most people, but for us here in Las Vegas, it feels like summer will never end.  Summer is long here and it’s hot.  Hot is an understatement.  It is brutally hot in Las Vegas during the summer.  As a mom of a young toddler, the summer months can be tricky.  I worry a lot about how the heat affects my little guy.  This is my 3rd summer as a mom and I’ve learned a few tricks on how to stay cool and comfortable during our forever summers.  Today I want to go through and give some tips on how we have survived the hot summers while having a young child.

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

Jack’s Bathing Suit (exact) || My Bathing Suit (exact) || My Hat (exact)
  

Pools and Splash Pads
Yes, pools are the perfect place to cool off in the summertime, especially when you live in the desert.  We are pretty lucky that we have a neighborhood pool, so we can go whenever we feel like cooling off.  We also have lots of parks in our area with splash pads which is always fun.  Another thing that we have started to do this summer is going to local resort pools.  A lot of them are free for locals and it’s a fun way to have a little day vacation.

Keep Your Car Shaded
We drive small cars without tinted windows, so when Jack was a little baby I was very concerned about the sun shining in on him while driving in the car.  I bought some sunshades (similar HERE and HERE) to put in our windows and they have worked out pretty well.  It’s probably best to drive a car with tinted windows in the back if you have kids, but if you don’t have them, it’s always nice to know a different option is there.

 Lightweight clothes
Dressing in lightweight clothes is the way to go in the summertime for adults and kids.  Currently, I dress Jack in a cotton t-shirt and shorts almost every day.  When he was a little baby, I pretty much dressed him in onesies every day.  A great way to dress up a onesie on a baby is to add some cute little footwear.  These lightweight booties from Bird Rock Baby are the cutest way to dress up a simple onesie on a baby.  I personally love the cactus print, because I think it goes perfectly for a desert summer.

Indoor Activities in the Air Conditioning
We all know that you can always stay inside your house in the air conditioning, but there are tons of indoor activities for kids.  I’ve learned from watching Blippi on YouTube kids that there are a lot of indoor playgrounds in Las Vegas, which we haven’t taken Jack to any yet, but I would love to go one day.  There are also children’s museums, arcades, movie theatres, and aquariums.  You can just google indoor activities for kids and I’m sure you will find a whole list of things to do in your area.  I think it’s important to not get cabin fever during the summer months.  There is enough of that during the winter months.

A vacation to Cooler Temperatures
When I lived in Michigan, I liked to vacation to warmer places.  Now that I live in Las Vegas, I like to vacation to cooler places.  We went to Oceanside, CA this summer and it was amazing to feel cooler temperatures.  It was still warm, but it was nice to escape the heat and feel 70 degrees.

Drink lots of Water
For my last tip, I think that it’s pretty obvious, but important not to forget.  Staying hydrated is so important when it’s hot out, especially for little kids.  I always keep a water cup in my purse whenever we leave the house.  When Jack was nursing the doctor told me to make sure he was eating often to stay hydrated and once he turned six months I started keeping some water in a little sippy for him.  You can’t forget water during the summer.

Hand-me-Down Bell Sleeve Dress

by Katie Haller

Hey everyone!  As usual, things have been pretty busy around here.  I recently started a new school year at work, so I’ve been busy getting my classroom all settled in.  I actually have to say that so far, this has been the best start of a school year.  I feel the most prepared for the new year.  Everything is the way I want it in my classroom and I have an awesome teacher assistant who is helping me stay organized and on track.  The kids are great too!  As each school year starts, I always have to be prepared for some kind of challenge, but so far things are going smoothly. 

At home, I have Jack who is always keeping me busy.  We also have a furry little house guest who is visiting.  My brother and sister-in-law are on vacation for 2 weeks and we are watching their cat.  Jack loves having the kitty cat around, but I don’t think the kitty feels the same way.  
For today’s outfit post, I want to share a hand-me-down dress from my sister-in-law’s closet.  A couple months ago, she gave me a bag full of clothes that I went through.  I ended up keeping a few things and this dress was one of them.  I thought that the bell sleeves were really cute and the print was fun.  I felt like this look would be a cute dress to wear on a date night…. if we ever get around to having one. 
*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking and or making a purchase through a link, I will make a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support! 

I’ve linked some similar affordable dresses below for you. 

Desert Style with Desert Tide Boutique

by Katie Haller

Before I moved to Las Vegas, I had never been to the desert.  I had only looked down at it as I flew over it on my way to California.  I never thought that I would end up living in the desert one day, but here I am.  I’m going on my 4th year of living in the desert and I have to say that I really love it.  I do miss the beauty of Michigan, but the desert has its own beautiful landscape.  It’s different than anywhere else in the world.  I love the mountains, the sunshine and the fact that you can see for miles at some points.

Another thing I love about living in the desert is the style.  I’m always attracted to Instagram pictures of the desert landscape or clothes styled in the desert.  That is why when I came across the Instagram page of Desert Tide Boutique, I knew I had to check them out.  Desert Tide Boutique is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and they sell stylish and quality clothes that match the style and feel of the American Southwest perfectly.  I was instantly drawn into their beautiful prints and flowy bohemian style. 
This summer fireworks tie front top caught my attention right away.  First of all, I’m obsessed with stripes.  I don’t have much red in my wardrobe, so this is the perfect way to wear red.  I’m also loving this style of shirt with the ruffled sleeves and the tie front.  I know I’ll be wearing it a lot throughout the fall and winter this year.  Even though my back yard doesn’t offer too much of a desert background, I do think this top has a great desert feel to it.
*This post is part of a collaboration with Desert Tide Boutique. As always all opinions are 100% my own.  This post also includes affiliate links.  By making a purchase through a link, with code, I will earn a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support! 
Check out Desert Tide Boutique for yourself and use the code THRIFTWIFE to get 20% off your purchase. 

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