Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Making the Most of Your Wardrobe- Year of Color

August 18, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Making the most of your wardrobe- 3 ways to wear a bright pink shirt

I’ve been dreading writing this Year of Color post for a while. I always like to do some kind of outfit post with the color of the month, but this month’s color theme is neon.

When I started to brainstorm outfits with neon colors all I could think about was an 80’s theme party outfit. I felt completely stumped on how I could incorporate neon colors into my wardrobe. But then I remembered that I do wear neon colors. I typically stick to neutral colors when putting together outfits, but when I do dress in color, it seems that I always gravitate to bright neon pink. I have a cute hot pink cold shoulder top that I’ve been wanting to share in an outfit post for a while, so I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity. Today I have 3 looks for you to show how you can easily incorporate a bright color into your wardrobe.

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

For my first look, I wore my bright pink top with white pants, then I accessorized it with some gold and turquoise accessories. I really love how the turquoise looks with the bright pink. The two bright colors go well together. I also love how the white pants help keep the whole outfit bright. It’s a great look for summer.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Bright pink shirt with white pants and gold and turquoise accessories

Pants- Target (similar) || Clutch- hand-me-down (similar) || Shoes- Kohl’s (similar)

I’ve always liked pink and black together, that’s why for this next look I wore black shorts, black wedge sandals and a black satchel purse. I accessorized with a turquoise necklace. I figured that this would be a cute look for a summer date night out.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Bright pink shirt with black and turquoise accessories

Shorts- Forever 21 (similar) || Purse- Last Call (exact) || Shoes- Target (similar)

The last way that I wore my pink top was with my distress jeans and I accessorized it with a cognac bag and sandals. This is a more casual everyday look for me. I like keeping the accessories simple, because the bright pink is a big enough statement.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Bright pink shirt with distressed jeans and congac accessories

Jeans- Target (similar) || Purse- Last Call (similar) || Shoes- Target (similar)

Shop my closet

Here are some similar pink tops I found that you can style in similar ways.

One | Two | Three
Four | Five | Six

Do you incorporate neon colors into your wardrobe ever? If so, how do you wear it?

Don’t forget to leave your link below with your neon post. Next month our color theme will be blue! I hope to see you there!

An InLinkz Link-up

Summer Favorites- Accessories

August 14, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Accessories

It’s time for my last post on my summer favorites. I’ve talked about my wardrobe favorites, my beauty favorites and now today I’m talking all about my favorite summer accessories. I had to save the best for last. I love accessories! Accessories can totally make an outfit. Without them, you’re just wearing clothes, with them, it’s a look. This summer I have been on repeat with some of my favorites.

Here are my 5 favorite accessories this summer.

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

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Mirrored Aviator Sunglasses

Mirrored Aviator Sunglasses- I love all my sunglasses, but this summer I’ve really been into my mirrored aviator sunglasses. I started to obsess over this style this spring and I ended up picking up a couple pairs at Smith’s, my local grocery store. I’m not ashamed to say that I buy accessories at the grocery store. They are super cute, very affordable at only $5, plus I’m at the grocery store at least 3 times a week. It’s the most convenient spot for me to shop at the moment.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || turquiose accessories

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || summer turquiose necklace

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || turquiose pendant necklace

Turquoise Accessories- I love the color turquoise. Next to pink, I think it’s the most common color in my wardrobe. I really love to accessorize with turquoise, because I feel like it’s such a summery color. It looks great with black or you can pair it with a color. Currently, I have 2 turquoise necklaces that I wear all the time. I also have a clutch and bracelet that I wear all the time.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || wedge sandals

Wedge Sandals- I love wedge sandals in the summer time. They are so much more practical than a pump. I have 2 favorite pairs of wedge sandals that I’m sure you have noticed in a lot of my outfit posts this summer. One pair I bought probably 10 years ago at Kohl’s. I know I found them in the clearance section for a great price, but I can’t remember exactly how much I spent. My other wedge sandals are a Target clearance purchase a few years back. I’ve linked some similar options below.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || summer look with colorful purse

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || summer purse

Colorful Purses- I love adding a pop of color to my outfit with a purse. Colorful purses can be so fun in the summer. I have my coral Coach purse that I try to bring out whenever I feel like my outfit is lacking in color. It defiantly helps give it that slash of color.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || converse summer look

Converse- Lastly, I want to talk about my converse chucks. These are not only my favorite summer shoe, but they are my all around favorite everyday shoe year round. This summer, I’ve been wearing them with a lot with shorts and dresses. I just love how versatile they are with my everyday wardrobe.

Those are my favorite accessories this summer. I hope you enjoyed this series. My favorites are pretty basic, but that’s why they are my favorites. Enjoy your last weeks of summer and hopefully you can enjoy your summer favorites too!

Confessions of a First Time Mom- Working Mom

August 7, 2017 by Katie Haller

When I was growing up, my mom was a stay at home mom. Every day she took care of us kids. She cooked, cleaned, took us to school, play dates, doctor appointments all while my dad was at work. All my friend’s moms were also staying at home moms. When I was younger, I always figured that I would do the same thing as my mom. I thought that I would get married, have kids and be home with them. Somewhere along the way, my plans changed. I went to college, got a degree, a job and oh yeah… lots of student loans. By the time I got married, my husband and I knew we had to take on the loans first before we could start a family. We ended up paying off the loans and working very hard at our jobs. By the time we moved to Las Vegas, we both finally had good jobs and it felt good.

After Jack was born, there was never a question of whether I would go back to work or not. After an 8-week maternity leave, I returned to work ready to get into a new routine of being a working mom. It was defiantly an adjustment for me at first. Mornings took me a little extra time to get ready, I was very tired and then there was the whole breastfeeding a pumping routine I had to get used to. After a while, things just started to flow.

After work snuggles were always the best when Jack was really little. Now he’s too big and just wants to play.

Now, after being back at work for well over a year, I feel like I kind of have this working mom thing figured out. I have a really good routine and I try to stay on a schedule the best that I can. The major thing that has changed in my life is that I don’t have as much free time as I used to. I honestly don’t know what I did with all that time that I used to have before becoming a mom. I guess I used to cook and binge-watch shows on Netflix, but not anymore. Nowadays, when I get a little break from work and mommy duties, I usually spend my time cleaning or working on my blog.

When it comes to my job, I often struggle, because I feel like I’m not as good of a teacher as I used to be. This past year was hard because Jack has been sick with ear infections or teething really badly. When he’s sick, I have to stay home or leave work early to be with him. Sometimes I feel like I don’t put as much effort into my job as a teacher as much as I used to, but after Jack was born I told myself that I wasn’t going to bring my work home with me anymore. I try to keep work at work so I can focus on my family when I’m home. My job is important to me, so I work hard during my work hours, but I always tell myself that I’m a mother first.

I used to feel guilty about working and leaving my baby, but now that Jack’s a little older, my thoughts have changed. He loves going to his school every day. He loves his teachers and friends. I’m always impressed with how much he is learning. I’d like to be home with him at times, but I would feel very pressured to keep him busy and active every day. Plus he wouldn’t get all the social interaction that he gets at school. Since he has no siblings or cousins his age, that socialization he gets from school is very important.

Sometimes my class gets a visit from the famous baby Jack.

On top of my job, I also have my blog, which has pretty much turned into a second job that I don’t make a real income from. I started blogging for fun, but the longer I keep writing, the more my goals change. The only difficult thing for me with blogging is that I don’t always have time for the other things associated with it. When it comes to writing a new post every week I have no problem with that, but then there’s keeping up with all my social media accounts, my e-mails, networking and it makes me sad how many invitations I have to turn down to blogging events. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. The great thing about my blog is that it’s for me, so there’s no real pressure or deadlines from anyone else but myself. I tell myself to do what I can and just have fun with it.

I love hanging out in Jack’s room after work, trying to sneak in some snuggles from my busy boy.

Bath time is always our special time

So there you have it. My life is super busy. People always ask me how I do it all and I just say, I just do it. I blog because I enjoy it, I work, because it’s my income and I give as much as I can to my little guy, because I love him more than anything in the word. My husband and I have discussed the possibility of me staying at home if and when another baby comes a long, but that’s in the future. Right now, I’m a working mom.

What I Wore- Weekday Wardrobe

August 5, 2017 by Katie Haller

This past week was my professional development week at work. I always look forward to this week every year. It’s not because I love sitting through the same boring trainings that I’ve sat through for the last 3 years. It’s because I look forward to planning out my outfits for each day and wearing something fun and different than my normal work clothes. I have a lot of restrictions in the classroom working with the kids every day, so when I’m sitting at a training all day, I can wear some of the things that I’d like to get more use out of in my closet. This week I was able to wear wedge sandals, blazers, white pants and dresses that I typically wouldn’t wear in the classroom.

Here’s a look at my outfits from the past week.

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

I’m going to start with last Friday because it was our last day of school funfair for the kids. I wore my pink maxi dress with my denim blazer.

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Pink maxi dress with denim vest

Dress- Target (similar) || Denim Vest- Savers (similar) || Shoes- Target (similar)

On Monday I wore my white pants with my burnt orange cardigan. I liked the color combo with the turquoise accessories and white pants. I also decided to wear my cognac wedges, because I never get the chance to wear any kind of heal in the classroom.

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Orange cardigan with white pants and turquoise accessories

Top- Old Navy (similar) || Pants- Target (similar) || Cardigan- H&M (similar) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (exact) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (similar)

Tuesday was my favorite look. I found this swing tank top at Target in the clearance section last weekend for under $7! I have a similar tank in navy and it’s one of my favorite tanks this summer. I wore it with my grey LC Lauren Conrad blazer that I love, but rarely get to wear.

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Grey blazer with stripe swing tank top

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Stripe swing tank top with jeans and wedge sandals

Top- Target (similar) || Jeans- Hollister- thrifted from the Good Will (similar) || Blazer- Kohl’s (exact)|| Shoes- Target (similar) || Purse- Last Call (exact) || Necklace- Savers (similar)

Wednesday I went with a dress. I haven’t worn this pink stripe t-shirt dress since I was pregnant and I’ve missed it. I always think it looks nice with my denim jacket.

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Pink stripe dress with denim jacket

Dress- Old Navy (exact/ similar) || Jacket- Meijer (similar) || Shoes- Target (exact) || Necklace- Kohl’s (similar)

Thursday was a repeat of my white pants and denim jacket. I wore my Gap navy and white stripe t-shirt with my lace up faux suede flats. I figure I never get a chance to wear my white pants, so I’d get good use out of them and wear them twice.

Thritty Wife, Happy Life- Daily outfits. Navy stripes with white pants

Top- Gap-thrifted from Goodwill (similar) || Pants- Target (similar) || Jacket- Meijer (similar) || Shoes- Ross (similar) || Purse- Savers (similar) || Necklace- Burlington Coat Factory (similar)

Those are my outfits from training. Next week I’ll be in my classroom getting it ready for my new class. I hope all the teachers out there have great start to the new school year. I’m sure I’ll be sharing more of my daily outfits on Instagram, so look for them there!

Summer Favorites- Beauty Product Essentials

August 4, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Summer affordable beauty essentials

Welcome back to my summer favorites series. Last week I was focused on my wardrobe favorites (in case you missed the post read about it here), but this week I am switching gears to talk about my favorite beauty products that I’ve been using this summer.

When it comes to the beauty products that I use, I tend to stick with the products that I like. My favorites don’t usually change from year to year, but every now and again I try something new that I really love. I always gravitate to affordable products, because they are always accessible and my wallet likes them. It doesn’t scare me to buy a $5 lipstick to try out a new color. If the color was in the $20 range or higher, I might be a little more hesitant to try it.

Here is a list of my current favorite beauty products.

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

1.) Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion- I love this lotion. It has SPF 15, so I use it as my daily lotion in the summer to give my skin some extra protection from the sun. It’s moisturizing, lightweight and not greasy at all like other sunscreens and lotions. That’s why it’s one of my summer favorites. There is nothing worse than using a heavy, greasy lotion when it’s super hot out.

2.) Garnier BB 5 in 1 Miracle Cream- I’ve been using this bb cream for a while now and I love it. I like to use it as a foundation. It goes on very sheer, so it’s perfect if you don’t want to wear a heavy foundation when it’s hot outside.

3.) Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation- I tend to have oily skin, so I’m always looking for a good foundation that’s not going to feel heavy on my skin or oily. I was attracted to this foundation because of the low price, but it ended up becoming one of my favorite foundations. I think that this line was marketed for teenagers who typically have oily skin, which is perfect for my skin because sometimes I think it never grew up.

4.) E.L.F. Bronzer Palette- I bought the Turks and Caicos bronzer/blush palette this spring. At first, I was worried because it looked like it was really dark and it had a shimmer to it, but after trying it and using it for a while I started to really love it. I have pretty fair skin, but I tan in the summer, so the color blends perfectly. I was surprised that it wasn’t as dark as it looked and it has more of a matt finish despite the shimmery look it has in the case.

5.) Burt’s Bees- I am someone who finds something that they like and I stick with it. Burt’s Bees has been my favorite chapstick for years. I just love the minty feel on my lips. You have to keep your lips moisturized in the dry heat and for the price, I think that Burt’s Bees is the best option.

6.) Olay Complete All Day Moisture with SPF- It’s very dry living in the desert, so I always need some kind of moisturizer for my face. As I said before, my skin is pretty oily, so finding the right moisturizer can be hard. I ended up going with this brand last time because it had SPF and I liked the price. It’s perfect for wearing under your foundation or on its own. I like to wear it as my face sunscreen at the pool.

7.) Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish- Of all the millions of nail polish brands that I’ve bought over the years, Sally Hansen has to be my favorite. I love that it’s accessible. You can buy it at almost any store. I buy my nail polish at the grocery store because I’m there 2 to 3 times a week. I love that it’s a great price. I really like the Xtreme Wear because it’s under $3. It’s also always a quality brand. The polish lasts long, it goes on smooth and it has a nice shine to it. My favorite color for summer has been White On.

8.) Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss- I’m always trying to add some color to my lips, so I recently bought this lip gloss in the super natural color and I love it. The color is perfect year round, but I especially love a little light color in the summer. It’s perfect for someone like me, who doesn’t like too bright of a color on my lips, but doesn’t want my lips to feel left out.

So there you have it. Those are my favorites this summer. Next week I will be talking all about my favorite summer accessories. I hope you stick around for it!

Summer Favorites- Wardrobe Essentials

July 28, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- 5 summer clothing essentials

We are officially in the dog days of summer. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer. Who doesn’t? But sometimes I get really bored with my summer wardrobe. The heat can really limit you on what you can wear. In the spring I get so excited for shorts, sandals, and dresses, but by the end of July, I really start missing my jeans and cardigans.

To help me pull through these last few weeks of summer, I’ve decided to do a 3 part series to focus on all my summer favorites. I will be sharing all my favorite summer wardrobe pieces, beauty products, and accessories. Today I want to start off my series by talking about my favorite everyday summer wardrobe pieces.

As I said before, getting dressed in the summertime can be challenging when it’s 110 degrees outside, but I have narrowed down my closet to 5 must-have clothing items that I’ve had on repeat this summer.

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

LBD- If you’ve been reading along, you know I love a great black dress. I live in these dresses during the summer. I really just love how versatile black is. It can be accessorized in so many ways.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- Black sundress with denim vest

Denim vest- I bought my denim vest for $2.50 at Savers a couple months ago and it might have been the best 2 dollars and 50 cents that I spent all summer! The sleeveless style makes it perfect for layering in the heat.

Jean shorts- I prefer to wear long jeans, but when it’s really hot, jean shorts have been my go-to bottoms. I bought this Abercrombie pair of shorts (seen below) at Savers for $5 this past January. They are a little on the short side, but they’re super comfortable and have quickly become my favorite pair of shorts.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- jean shorts

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-lose fitting tank tucked into jean shorts

Loose-fitting tank tops- I am just loving to lose tank tops that you can tuck into your shorts. I’m loving this look because it’s much more flattering and comfortable than a fitted tank.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-lose fitting tank tucked into jean shorts with converse

Maxi dresses- The hardest part of getting dressed in the summertime, is figuring out how to dress for work. I can’t wear shorts, sandals or thin tank tops. I find maxi dresses a great summer clothing item for work because they help me stay covered up, but they are also comfortable to wear in the heat.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-stripe maxi dress with denim vest

Those are my 5 go-to favorite pieces of clothing this summer. Stay tuned for next week when I will be sharing my favorite beauty products of the summer!

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