Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Making the Most of Your Wardrobe- Chambray Shirt

March 29, 2018 by Katie Haller

One of my many wardrobe staples in my closet is my chambray button-down shirt. It’s one of those clothing pieces that you should have in your closet because it’s so versatile. I wear mine with skirts, jeans, leggings, even as a cover-up over dresses and tops. On one of my recent thrift store trips to Savers, I found an H&M chambray top for $3.50. I really fell in love with how flowy and soft the material was. My other chambray shirt is stiff and although it looks great, it’s not always super comfortable. I also love how this top is a lighter color, which is perfect for spring.

For today’s post, I have 3 different spring outfits wearing my chambray shirt.

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

Denim on Denim

I’ve been obsessed with mixing denim right now. I never thought that I would like this look so much, but I think with the 2 different washes, you can pull it off. I styled my top by tying it, which is really popular right now. I kept is simple and wore some nude pumps and my black satchel purse.

Chambray top over a black dress with a pop of color

Over a Dress

I always love to wear my button down shirts opened as a cover up. I think it’s a nice alternative to always wearing my jean jacket. To add a little color, I styled it with my coral purse. For shoes I’m wearing my cognac peep toed booties, which are great shoes for transitioning into spring.

Chambray shirt with white jeans and a pop of leopard

White with a pop of Leopard

This look has to be my favorite. I love how the white jeans look with the wash of this top. I stuck with simple nude flats as my shoes and added my leopard clutch so it wouldn’t feel too boring.

Hopefully you have some inspiration for styling your chambray shirts this spring. Below I’ve linked all the similar items that I’m wearing, which most of them are all under $30!!

Shop my Looks

Kimono Outfit for Spring

March 22, 2018 by Katie Haller

Sometimes I like to get out of my comfort zone and try out something new that I normally wouldn’t wear. It’s always nice to get away from neutral colors and stripes every now and again. Lately, I’ve been loving floral prints and bright spring colors. Whenever I need a good floral print, I always like to browse my favorite online boutique, PinkBlush. When I came across this floral chiffon kimono (HERE), I immediately started to brainstorm all the different ways that I could wear it in the upcoming months. I like to layer a lot, but when it’s hot out, you can’t layer up. That’s why I felt this kimono would be the perfect way to still get away with wearing a layer over my tank tops and dresses this summer. I figured that I could also wear it as a bathing suit cover-up as well.

For today’s look, I put together a fun spring look with distress jeans, wedge sandals, and a black tank top. I cannot wait to wear this look!!

*This post is part of a collaboration with PinkBlush. Although I was gifted this item, all opinions are 100% my own.

Check out PinkBlush for more styles like this one!

Making the Most of Your Wardrobe- 3 Ways to Wear a Blanket Scarf in Spring

March 19, 2018 by Katie Haller

As you may have noticed already, I’m a big fan of accessories. Just like all of my clothes, I like my accessories to be versatile so I can wear them all the time in different ways. I also like to think outside the box and wear most of my clothes throughout any season. I recently bought a blanket scarf, but I was a little afraid that it was too late in the season to wear it. That’s why I decided I would put together a few spring outfits with my new scarf.

The transitional seasons are all about the layers. A blanket scarf is a perfect way to layer up your look. It’s so easy to through on with a t-shirt or dress. It’s taken me a while to find the perfect blanket scarf at the right price. They always seem to be so pricey to me, especially in the fall. I decided that I would hold out for the right price. I was happy when I came across the store ILYMIX through Instagram. Their scarves are everything I was looking for in a blanket scarf and their prices are right too! I bought this scarf (HERE) during their 50% off Valentine’s sale. I liked the pink and grey palette. I felt that they would be good colors to wear year-round.

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

Today, I’m sharing 3 looks wearing my new blanket scarf that would be perfect for spring.

Top- Zappos (similar) || Pants- Target (similar) || Shoes- Target (similar) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar)

Dress- thrifted from Savers (similar) || Chambray shirt- H&M thrifted from Savers (similar) || Booties- Burlington Coat Factory (exact) || Purse- Same as above

Top- Forever 21 (similar) || Jeans- Old Navy-thrifted from Savers (similar) || Shoes- Madden Girl thrifted from ThredUp (similar) || Purse- Same as above

The weather in Las Vegas is warming up pretty quickly, so I may not get to wear all these spring looks very much this year, but I’m sure a lot of you still have a couple more months of unpredictable cold weather, so hopefully you can use these looks as a guide.

Spring Shoes for Less

March 13, 2018 by Katie Haller

I am such a shoe fan. Every time I put together a list for a new season, the number one thing I always want is shoes. My husband, who owns only 5 pairs of shoes, cannot understand my need for new shoes. I feel like shoes are the most important part of an outfit.

This spring, I have my eye on lots of different shoe styles. I love getting inspired by other blogger’s outfits on Instagram and Pinterest, but I always find their shoes are often out of my price range. That’s why I always set off to find a dupe. In my opinion, the best place to find designer look-a-likes is good old Target. I always find stylish shoes that are designer knock off’s for a fraction of the price of the real thing. Besides the price,

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

Today, I want to help give you a guide for your spring shoe shopping.

I love Peep toes, especially with a bootie. I’ve been eyeing these Vince Camuto Karinta block heel booties (HERE), but with my price range being between $30-$50 per item, even with their best sale, these booties have been out of my reach. Good thing I found an almost exact pair at Target (HERE) for only $34.99!!

While we’re talking about booties, I should mention that I also love these Vince Camuto Phandra Booties (HERE), but again I found them out of my price range. Target has a similar pair with the same laser cuts for $33.99 (HERE).

Last summer, all I saw were espadrille wedge sandals everywhere. I wanted a pair so bad, but I was having a hard time finding one in my price range. The splurge pair I was looking at was the Marc Fisher LTD Adalyn Espadrille Wedges (HERE). This year Target has an almost identical pair for only $34.99 (HERE).

I haven’t decided how I feel about mules yet, but I couldn’t ignore this dupe. These Gucci Princetown Loafer Mules (HERE) are a beautiful pair of shoes, but not everyone can afford the $680 price tag. Target has a pretty good dupe for only $22.99 (HERE). I don’t know about you, but I think that’s the perfect price tag for a trendy shoe like this.

These Marc Fisher Annie Perforated Wedges (HERE) are another pair of espadrille sandals that I’ve been loving. They are beautiful, but they are also $150. Target has a similar style for $32.99 (HERE).

I keep wanting these nude colored sandals every year. This might be the year I buy them. I love this classic pair from Nine West (HERE), but personally, I think I like the ones from Target best (HERE).

Shop the shoes!
The designer splurges

The Target look dupes for less

It’s up to you how much you want to spend on your shoes, but if you’re a shoe lover like myself, you might want to keep yourself on some sort of budget. Hopefully this will help you find those great designer styles for less!

Happy Shopping!!

Daily Makeup for a Busy Mom

March 8, 2018 by Katie Haller

You will rarely find me without makeup on. Unless I’m working out, at the pool or I just got out of bed, I always wear makeup. I think that makeup is one of the best things about being a girl! Every morning, I set aside a little bit of time to put on my daily makeup. It doesn’t take me long and I always feel like it makes such a difference.

If you don’t wear makeup every day, I can understand how you might be a little overwhelmed by it all. There are so many different products and makeup brushes. I mean, even I get overwhelmed when I walk into a Sephora store and start to question if I am supposed to be using all these different products. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of experimenting with my makeup. After watching lots of YouTube tutorials and reading a lot of beauty bloggers, I finally have a good routine down for how I apply my makeup everyday. I switch up my makeup products, but my routine usually stays the same.

*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!

I mostly wear budget-friendly drug store brands, with the exception of a few things. Maybelline and e.l.f. are just a couple of my favorite brands. I’d love to one day start wearing a few more higher-end products, especially with my foundation, but as of right now, drug store brands work just fine. I really think it’s all how you apply your makeup that makes all the difference. I use eco tools or e.l.f. brushes to apply most of my makeup and I have a beauty blender that I like to use for my concealer.

Since I have a hard time writing down in words my daily makeup routine, I decided to make my very first video to show you how I apply my makeup daily. Hopefully you will find it helpful!

Kid-Friendly Spots in Las Vegas

March 5, 2018 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || 30 Kid friendly places in Las Vegas

Whenever I tell people that I live in Las Vegas, they are always surprised. A lot of people have a preconceived assumption that Las Vegas is Sin City and it’s no place for a family. That’s not true at all. I had about 5 months of life in Las Vegas before I found out that I was pregnant with Jack. Ask me what the best night clubs and shows are in Vegas and I have no clue. Ask me what to do with kids in Las Vegas, I could go on and on. Whether you’re a tourist or a local, there is a place for everyone in Las Vegas.

I have quite a list of places to visit. I’ve listed my favorites below. I’ve been to almost everyone, except for a few, but I’m sure I’ll visit them all soon. My husband suggested that I list them in order, but that’s just too hard to do. I did go through and rate my top 10 favorite places first, then the rest are in random order.

1.) Container Park
Container Park is by far my family’s favorite place to go. It’s a short walk down the street from the Freemont Experience (not always the greatest place for kids). We love that there is something for everyone here. Jack loves the slides and large blocks for building and Kevin and I love that we can get a beer and some yummy food. There is shopping, food, drinks, concerts, and even a Dome theater.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || 30 Kid friendly places in Las Vegas, Container Park

2.) The Linq

The Linq is a great little spot that is perfect for families. It’s full of fun gift shops, restaurants and what kid wouldn’t love a cupcake ATM at Sprinkles Cupcakes?

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || 30 Kid friendly places in Las Vegas, The Linq

3.) The Bellogio Fountain

Kids or no kids, you have to see a fountain show if you’re in Vegas. Jack goes crazy watching the water spray up. I love the beautiful view and atmosphere. It’s a great place to take pictures! I can never put my phone down every time we visit.

4.) Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
We love the gardens at the Bellagio too! It’s a beautiful garden that is always dressed up for the season. It’s a great place to go year round.

5.) Eiffel Tower Experience*
Can’t afford to take the whole family to Paris? Well, Las Vegas has you covered. The Eiffel Tower Experience is a great view for the whole family. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower last summer, but what I really love to do is just walk around the hotel and check out the little shops and cafes.

6.) The High Roller*
If the Eiffel Tower isn’t a good enough view, try the high roller. It’s a fun way to view the entire valley in one of the world’s largest ferries wheels.

7.) The Park
We love the Park. There are plenty of restaurants that are family-friendly. It’s right outside T-Mobile Arena if you want to catch a Golden Knights hockey game. Plus you are only a quick walk away from New York, New York with a roller coaster and Hersey’s World.

8.) Town Square

Town Square is what my husband and I call a fake downtown. It has all the charm of a classic downtown, but it was all constructed in the 2000s. Town Square is a great place for shopping, food and in the middle of it all there is a park with food stands that you would find at a local carnival, a splash pad, playground and lots of fake green grass for your little ones to run on.

9.) Mount Charleston
At 12,000 feet above sea level, Mount Charleston is a perfect escape from the Las Vegas Strip. If you come in the winter, you can enjoy skiing, sledding, and other fun winter sports at Lee Canyon. In summertime you can escape the desert heat by heading to higher elevations for some hiking.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || 30 Kid friendly places in Las Vegas, Mt. Charleston

10.) Red Rock National Conservation*
Most tourist don’t even realize that only 30 minutes from the Las Vegas strip, you can find the beauty of the Mojave desert. Red Rock is the perfect place for a drive, family hike or a family photo shoot.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || 30 Kid friendly places in Las Vegas, Red Rocks

11.) The Hoover Dam*

12.) The Springs Perserve*
13.) The Volcano at the Mirage

14.) Discovery Children’s Museum*

15.) Downtown Summerlin

16.) The District at Green Valley Ranch

17.) Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay*

18.) Nelson Ghost Town

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || 30 Kid friendly places in Las Vegas, Nelson Ghost Town

19.) Pinball Hall of Fame
20.) Boulder City
21.) The Lion Habitat Ranch*
22.) Cowabunga Bay Water Park*
23.) Wet n’ Wild Water Park*
24.) Madame Tussauds Museum*
25.) Seven Magic Mountains

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || 30 Kid friendly places in Las Vegas, Seven Magic Mountains

26.) The Adventuredome at Circus Circus*
27.) Coca Cola World
28.) Cactus Garden at Ethel M’s

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || 30 Kid friendly places in Las Vegas, Ethle M's Cactus Garden at Christmas time

29.) M&M World
30.) Fall of Atlantis at Caesar’s Forum Shops

The best part about this list is that more than half of these places are free!! I’ve stared all the places that you have to pay. I think that you would be surprised just how kid friendly Las Vegas can be.

Shop my Looks

Follow

thriftywifehappylife