Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

The Perfect Black Dress for Spring

by Katie Haller

People always think of spring dresses as floral prints and bright colors, but not for me.  For me, my go-to spring dress is always a black dress.  I can’t find anything wrong with the color black.  It’s slimming, versatile, you can wear it year-round.  A black dress is always a safe way to ease me out of my winter clothes and into my spring dresses.

 *This post is part of a collaboration with PinkBlush.  As always opinions are 100% my own. 

I have a million back dresses in my closet (not literally, but I have A LOT of back dresses!!) That’s why I wanted to find something a little more trendy.  I wanted a back dress that was different than just a sleeveless black sundress.  My go-to place for affordable trendy clothes is always PinkBlush.  This black cold shoulder dress (HERE) is exactly what I was looking for.  I love the exposed shoulders.  As a mom of a toddler, it’s hard to wear dresses that are off the shoulder, but this dress is perfect because it has a high neckline and off the shoulder sleeves.  For the look below, I wore peep-toe booties, which I think are the perfect shoes for transitioning out of winter and into spring (or transitioning out of summer into fall).  To accessorize, I felt like my leopard print clutch was the perfect way to add a pop to the black dress.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Black dress for Spring

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Black dress for Spring

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Black dress for Spring

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Black dress for Spring

PinkBlush is having a Presidents Day sale this weekend!  Take 30% off your purchase! Plus there is always free shipping!!  Happy Shopping!!

Shein Review

by Katie Haller

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! 

I’ve been wanting to try the store Shein for a while now.  I keep seeing their ads pop up on my Facebook and Instagram.  Their clothes are so cute and trendy and even better, their prices are amazing!  I was a little skeptical of them at first.  It’s always a little nerve-racking ordering clothes online when you’ve never tried out the brand before.  I finally decided that I would just give it a try anyway.
A couple weeks ago they had a flash sale going on.  I wanted to play it safe, so I ordered 2 stripe tops that were on sale for $8.  I figured that tops fit me pretty true to size no matter what, but the site has the measurements listed for each size, so I knew they would fit just fine.  My shirts arrived in a little over a week after I ordered them.  The quality of the shirts is similar to Forever 21 or H&M, which I have always been a fan of.  I wanted something a little more trendy, so the first shirt I ordered was a peplum top.  I’ve been wanting to find a cute stripe peplum top for a while, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money.  This top is perfect for what I was looking for.  The second top was a striped t-shirt with ruffled sleeves.  I love love this shirt.  It’s so simple, but the sleeves give it the perfect pop of style.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe peplum top

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe peplum top

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe peplum top

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe peplum top
Hot women's fashion at SheIn 
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe top with ruffle sleeves

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe top with ruffle sleeves

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe top with ruffle sleeves

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe top with ruffle sleeves
Shop SheIn for the latest in Fall and Winter Fashions

I think that a lot of people are afraid to order from Shein because their prices and cute styles seem too good to be true.  Well, I can tell you that I was really happy with my Shein experience.  I love my new tops and I know that I will be ordering from them again.  I’m already eyeing their swimwear for this summer.  If you’re looking to add a few trendy pieces to your wardrobe this spring, I would definitely not overlook Shein! 

My baby is 2!!

by Katie Haller

 
Our first time meeting.  
Our first night home from the hospital.  I could not stop staring at him. 
It’s hard to believe that my little guy is already 2.  It seems like just yesterday we were all anxiously awaiting his arrival.  My pregnancy with Jack was very healthy and pretty easy for the most part.  After I got past the never-ending morning sickness in the first trimester, I felt pretty good.  Jack was an extremely active baby though.  There was never a time that I couldn’t feel his little feet kicking into my sides.  He was always on the go, even before he was out of the whom. 
He surprised us all by arriving 10 days early.  I had no problem with that because I wanted him out by that time.  I remember going to the doctor’s on a Monday and he talked to me about inducing on my due date.  I came home that day and discussed it with Kevin and we decided that it would be best to try to get him out by his due date.  I had planned to talk to my doctor the following Monday at my next appointment.  Little did I know, Jack had different plans.  By Wednesday night, my water broke.  We headed to the hospital early in the morning on Thursday and by late afternoon on Thursday, February 11th, we had our little boy in our arms.  My delivery didn’t go as expected for me.  Jack would not come out, so after 3 hours of pushing we decided it was safest for a C-section.  At the time I was so upset over this, but now looking back I completely understand why Jack was born cesarean.  He probably didn’t think that coming out the natural way was efficient enough, so he was too stubborn and made the doctors come and get him. 
Fast forward 2 years later, I have a healthy, active, smart, funny and loving little boy.  I’ve said it before, but I’m amazed at how smart my little guy is.  He soaks in everything.  Right now he is completely obsessed with letters.  He has a letter puzzle that my mom bought him when she visited and he plays with it non-stop.  He sings the alphabet song all the time and the best part is when he sings “Now I know my ABC’s, Next time won’t you sing with me.” It sounds more like “Now I ABC, Next time won’t you me!”  He also knows his numbers 1-10 and loves to count, especially when he jumps off of furniture.  

At school, Jack is officially in the toddler classroom.  He was such a big boy in the baby room, so it’s fun to see him with the older kids.  I can already tell that he is learning a lot from the other children.  I’m happy to report that I no longer have to worry about packing a lunch for Jack to bring to school now that he eats with the big kids.  This saves me a lot of time and dishes to wash every night.  I actually only have to run the dishwasher every other night now!!

  Jack has already been showing a lot of the terrible 2’s signs.  Tantrums are daily.  Some days are worst than others, but I’m hopeful that the more he learns more words he will have less tantrums.  Speaking of words, he’s been talking a lot more lately.  His vocabulary is growing all the time, now he just needs to put them into sentences so I don’t have to play the guessing game.

Jack is a total mommy’s boy.  He always wants me over daddy, unless it’s bath time or time to get his shoes on for school, then he runs to daddy and hides from me.  (it’s their new game that I don’t really enjoy, but they are pretty cute when they play it.) Sometimes his mommy obsession can get a little much, especially while I’m trying to get ready for work or make dinner, but to be honest, I don’t mind it at all.  I love how he takes my hand and drags me around the house.  It’s precious and I know that this stage won’t last forever, so I just enjoy our time together.  
It’s so hard to get a picture with this little guy.  That’s why our balloon is backwards. 

I remember holding Jack in my arms as a newborn and wondering what he would be like when he got older.  I wondered what kind of personality he would have and what his voice would sound like.  It’s just so fun getting to know your child as they grow.  I love learning about Jack each day.  I love watching him grow.  It’s such a blessing to be his mom.  

What I Wore- Weekday Wardrobe

by Katie Haller

Happy Monday everyone!  It’s been a while since I last posted my weekday outfits.  Sometimes I just really miss sharing my weekly outfit selfies. I had hoped to post this one last Friday, but these posts actually take some time to put together, so I thought I’d give you a little inspiration for this coming up week.  

I know I’ve said this before, but it’s hard to put together cute outfits when you’re a preschool teacher.  I spend the entire day with my little ones.  We eat together, play together, do art, go outside.  I’m always worried about ruining my clothes at work.   The good thing is, I buy most of my work clothes at thrift stores.  
Here are my outfits from last week. 
Monday
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Pinkblush cardigan with leopard print pockets
Top- Forever 21 (similar) || Jeans- Hollister (similar) || Cardigan-  PinkBlush (similar) || Shoes- Ross (similar) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar)
Tuesday
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Stripe sweater and jeans. Preschool teacher outfit ideas
Sweater- H&M (similar) || Jeans- LC Lauren Conrad (similar)  || Shoes- Target (similar) 
Wednesday
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Preschool teacher outfit ideas. Layered Chambray shirt
Top- Target (similar) || Cardigan- Target (similar) || Jeans- Old Navy (similar) || Shoes- Target (similar) 
Thursday
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Preschool teacher outfit ideas. Sweater and jeans
Sweater- Banana Republic (similar) || Jeans- Hollister (similar) || Shoes- Burlington Coat Factory (similar)
Friday
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Preschool teacher outfit ideas. White jeans with denim jacket and white jeans
Top- PinkBlush (exact) || Jacket- Jessica Simpson (similar) || Pants- Target (similar) || Shoes- Burlington Coat Factory (similar)


I should mention that Friday was a teacher workday, so I usually like to wear something that I can’t wear around the kids.  On this particular day, I wore my white jeans with my favorite booties.

I hope you have a great week!

Denim Dressed Up

by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Chambray shirt with black pencil skirt, nude pumps and a pop of leopard

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Chambray shirt with black pencil skirt, nude pumps and a pop of leopard

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Chambray shirt with black pencil skirt, nude pumps and a pop of leopard

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Chambray shirt with black pencil skirt, nude pumps and a pop of leopard
Hey everyone!  The other day I posted about all my favorite wardrobe essentials, so today I wanted to do a post featuring some of the pieces I shared.  I took these pictures back in the fall, but I really love how this outfit can really be worn year-round.  It’s a perfect work or church outfit and it’s made from 4 of my essential wardrobe pieces.  Here is why I love these clothing items. 

Chambray Shirt- I love denim and I think that having a chambray shirt in my closet is a must.  I love that I can layer it under a cardigan or over a tank top.  It’s perfect on its own as well.  I can wear it with white pants, black pants or even jeans.  I like wearing it with a skirt because it gives the appearance that you’re dressed up, but having denim on keeps it a little more casual than a blouse. 

Black Pencil Skit- This is a must-have in my closet.  A black skirt will go with EVERYTHING!  It’s flattering and classic.  You can find a pencil skirt easily at an affordable price.  I’ve had great luck finding skirts like this at thrift stores.  I’ve also found cute skirts under $10 at stores like Forever 21 and H&M.

Nude Pumps- I love nude shoes!  I prefer them over black pumps.  I think that the nude color lengthens your legs and for a short girl like me, that’s always nice.  Nude is a very neutral color, so shoes like this will go with everything.  My nude shoes are from Target and they are my favorite pair of heels.  I can wear them comfortably for a long period of time, which is rare for a heel.

Statement Purse-  A statement purse could be anything from a beaded purse to a bright color.  I love my leopard clutch.  I love to accessorize in leopard print and this clutch gives a sublet pop of fun to any simple outfit. 

What are your favorites?  

Wardrobe Essentials for the Thrifty Girl

by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Wardobe Essentials for the thrifty girl

People often come to me and ask for fashion advice.  To be honest, I don’t know what to tell them, because I’m not a fashion expert.  I don’t always shop for the latest trends and I don’t know all the designer brands.  I don’t even know what certain patterns and materials are called (I still don’t know how to pronounce Gingham properly when I say it).  What I do know about fashion, is that I understand the basics.  My entire wardrobe is mostly made out of affordable basics essentials pieces.  I like to buy clothes that can be mixed and matched with different accessories.  I like to re-wear my clothes, but I don’t like to wear them the same way twice.

Today I want to share my must-have wardrobe essentials with you.  If you are someone who is lost at how to put yourself together, hopefully, this can give you a guide of what you should have in your closet.

*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!

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Wardrobe Essentials
Once you have the basic wardrobe pieces, you can easily accessorize them with different shoes, jewelry, purses, and scarves. Here are my must-have accessories in my wardrobe. 
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Must Have Accessories
Shoes
Purses
Scarves
Jewelry 
Hopefully, this guide can help you build and evaluate what’s in your own closet.  If you want to see more style inspiration you can look back at more of my outfit post HERE.  You’ll see that I’m almost always wearing something from my essentials list.

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