Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Denim Dressed Up

February 1, 2018 by Katie Haller

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

January 31, 2018 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

Denim Jacket || Navy/Black Blazer || Neutral Color Pullover Sweater || Long Cardigan

T-Shirt (Stripe/Grey/Black/White) || Tunic || Swing Tank Top || Chambray Button Down

Black Jeggings || Distress Jeans || Skinny Jeans || White Pants

Leggings || Denim Shorts || Pencil Skirt || Little Black Dress

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

Brown Riding Boots || Ankle Boots || Nude Flats || Nude Pumps || Convers/ casual tennis shoe

Purses

Black Satchel Purse || Cognac Tote || Statement Purse

Scarves

Leopard Scarf

Jewelry

Dainty Necklace || Watch || Statement Necklace || Cuff Bracelet

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.

Thrift Store Look

January 24, 2018 by Katie Haller

I feel like ever since I moved to Las Vegas 3 years ago, my closet has been overtaken by thrifted clothes. I’ve always loved to thrift shop, but now I have such a great selection of thrift stores in my area. It’s so hard to go back to shopping at normal stores after you have just finished a shopping spree at a thrift store.

On my most recent thrifting trip, I went to my local Goodwill store. I’m a VIP member there and they always have great sales every day. On Sunday’s they do a fill-a-bag sale, where they give you a bag and they pick a color tag that you can fill as much into your bag of that colored tag that will fit for $12.99. I’ve never actually done a fill-a-bag sale, but on this particular day I ended up finding some really cute things. I came home with 2 blouses, 3 dresses, 3 striped tops and a pair of jeans. I probably would have stuffed more in my bag, but it was getting close to nap time and Jack was getting pretty restless. Everything I bought rang up to $50 which is a pretty good deal for 8 different clothing items, but I only paid $12.99 which is even better. It’s so addicting when you get sales like this. I should also mention that you don’t pay tax at the Goodwill, which also helps keep your sale price even lower!

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

Here is one of the outfits that I bought. The top is Tart brand, which you can find that brand a lot at Nordstrom Rack. I believe the jeans are from H&M, but the tag was cut out. The jeans were super comfortable, but a little worn out, so I decided that I would distress them myself, the same way I have done it to my other jeans. (Read about how to distress your own jeans HERE.) I accessorized my look with some of my fun designer jewelry from my Rocksbox. (Be sure to try out a free month of Rocksbox. Click HERE and use my code thriftywifehappylifexoxo)

Shop my Closet Styles

Are you a thrifter? If not, I highly suggest checking out a few thrift stores in your area. Find out what the sales are and I promise, you will have a hard time going back to the mall.

Gift’s for Second Time Around Mom

January 20, 2018 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Gifts for a Second Time Mom

I feel like there are so many baby’s due in 2018. It just another year of babies. Everyone that I know who is having a baby in 2018 is having their second, third or even fourth or fifth baby. Expecting baby number one is so exciting. Making your registry can be such fun. Usually, you want to stock up on all the basics that you will need for your first baby. But what do you buy for an experienced mom?

Personally, as someone shopping for others, I think baby number 2 is a little more fun to shop for. You don’t have to worry about the basics as much and you can get creative with your gifts. It’s the perfect opportunity to look into some fun baby/mommy gifts that your second-time mom may not already have.

I’ve put together a list of great baby products that I think would be appropriate for most second-time moms.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means that by clicking and/or making a purchase through a link will result in a small commission for this blog. I am being compensated for this post. As always my opinions are 100% my own.

One || BirdRock Baby Moccasins
I always think that baby’s look so adorable in little leather moccasins. At only $25 a pair, BirdRock Baby Moccasins are the perfect mix of quality and price for leather moccasins. They also have cute cozy fleece booties that are perfect for keeping your little one’s tootsies nice and warm in the winter. If you know someone expecting a little girl, they also have the cutest selection of leather hair bows.

Two|| DockATot
I think that DockATot is a great gift for a second-time mom. It’s perfect if you plan to co-sleep with your baby. It’s also a great safe place to put your baby down to lounge around the house away from the big kids.

Three || Newlie Tote Diaper Bag
Who wouldn’t want a new diaper bag? I know that I stuck with a more traditional diaper bag with Jack. To be honest, I rarely used it. I think that a second-time mom would definitely appreciate a new stylish diaper bag. Something nice and big, because you will need the room once you have 2 or more little ones to pack for. I love the diaper bags at Newlie co. They are so stylish and perfect for a second time mom.

Four || CoCo + Kiwi Clutch + Changing Kit

I think any mom would appreciate a cute changing kit clutch like this one from CoCo + Kiwi (HERE). I like how convenient it is to just throw a little changing kit in my purse or diaper bag.

Five || Cardimom from Multiwear
I’ve heard that nursing the second time around is not as easy as you would think it would be as an experienced mom. The Cardimom can help make nursing a little easier on you. You can wear it as part of your outfit and when it’s time to feed your baby you just use it as your cover-up. It’s perfect for nursing in public or if you don’t want to expose yourself to all your family members.

Six || Clothes
Yes, who doesn’t love to pick out cute baby clothes? It’s so fun shopping for babies. Clothes are always a good gift for any new parents. My advice if you’re baby clothes shopping for someone else is to keep in mind the seasons and climate of where they live. I had a lot of winter clothes for Jack in newborn and 3-month size, but he never got to wear some of them, because it was 80 degrees when he came home from the hospital. Also, buy clothes in all sizes. It’s always nice to have a variety of clothes because you will need them.

Seven || Honest Company – Baby Arrival Gift Set
If all else fails, you can always help the second time mom restock on all the baby essentials. My friend sent me a care package from the Honest Company right after Jack was born and it was so nice to have. The baby arrival gift set is perfect, because it comes with diapers, wipes, diaper creams and other useful baby products. Without a shower, a second time mom might be lacking in some of the basics, so this is a great gift!

Hopefully this is helpful guide for everyone needing to buy for a second time mom. And if your expecting this year, congratulation!

Pink Bell Sleeve Top

January 16, 2018 by Katie Haller

Shopping has been difficult for me lately. I have a hard time setting aside the time to just stop in a store and browse like I used to. It can be really time-consuming when you’re shopping on a budget. I’m always looking for the best deals, so it’s hard to find the right amount of time to dedicate to spending time at a store.

There’s always online shopping, but there are 2 things that I don’t like about online shopping; waiting for my purchase to arrive and paying for shipping. I only buy online when the shipping is free.

Back in December, I had $10 of Kohl’s cash that I wasn’t going to let expire. I just didn’t know how I was going to fit in a shopping trip to Kohl’s and have the time I needed to stretch my $10 out the best I could. I decided to try online. I remembered that at Kohl’s you can buy online and pick up at the store the same day. It was perfect because I was able to spend as much time as I wanted on my phone searching while Jack played with his puzzles. The next morning I had an email saying my order was ready, so I made a quick stop at Kohl’s to pick up my order. It worked out perfectly for me.

*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!

I ended up buying this blush bell sleeve top for $7.99. I’ve been wanting to try out bell sleeves, but I don’t like to spend a lot of money on trendy clothes. I thought this simple cotton top was the perfect way for me to try out a new trend and also save my money if it goes out of style in a month.

In case your wondering, I also bought a beauty blender for my makeup and I ended up only spending $1.50 of my own money. I’m sure I’ll be trying this style of online shopping again. It’s perfect if you’re not willing to wait for a package, but don’t feel like dragging a toddler around a store for an hour or more.

Have you ever tried in-store pick up?

Thrift Wife, Happy Life || Blush bell sleeve top

Top- Kohl’s (exact) || Jeans- Meijer (similar) || Shoes- Target (similar) || Purse– Ross (similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (similar) || Watch- Nordstrom Rack (similar) || Bracelet- Kohl’s (similar)

Saranghae 5 Step Anti-Aging Skincare Routine

January 12, 2018 by Katie Haller

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

I have never had perfect skin. It’s always been oily and prone to acne. My biggest concern when it comes to skincare has always been keeping a clear face. I never really gave much thought to using anti-aging products until after I turned 30. I’ve always heard that it’s never too early to start using anti-aging skincare products. That’s why I’ve had more interest in trying out different skincare products in recent years.

When Saranghae contacted me to collaborate with them on a post, I knew very little about what they were all about, but I was very interested in learning more about them. Saranghae is an award-winning Korean 5 step anti-aging skincare system. I had heard of Korean skin care products through social media and other bloggers, but this was my first time trying it out for myself.

I was very impressed by Saranghae at first sight. Everything came beautifully packaged, which I’m a huge fan of presentation. I felt like they really nailed it on this one. All the products have a nice clean smell to them without being too strong. The 5 step routine includes…

Nourishing + Moisturizing Cleanser
Deep Radiance Essence + Serum
Firm & Lift Cellular Regeneration Cream
Focus Renewal Eye Cream
Elemental Essence Mask

The first 4 products are used daily and the Elemental Essence Mask is recommended to be used weekly. I’ve been doing the 5 step system once a day for almost a month now (for best results it is recommended to use the system twice a day). So far, I’ve been really happy with my results. I get a little nervous when I try new skincare products, because I’m always worried that it will leave my face feeling greasy, but that was not the case at all with Saranghae. I absolutely loved the cleanser, because I had never tried anything like it. It goes on dry as an oil, then it foams up as you slowly wash it away with water. I also really love the regeneration cream. It’s like a mini facelift in a jar. All the products were very absorbent and left my skin feeling hydrated and refreshed. I usually dread washing my face at the end of the night, but lately, it’s been my favorite part of my bedtime routine.

In Korean, Saranghae means “I love you”. I completely understand why they chose that name for this product. I am truly enjoying using Saranghae and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new skincare product.

For more information on Saranghae, click HERE!

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