Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Maternity Style- Before the Bump

by Katie Haller

Maternity fashion has definitely come along way over the years.  People used to think about maternity clothes as a bad thing because there were no cute options.  When I look back on some of the clothes that my mom wore in the ’80s when she was pregnant with me, I question how anyone ever thought that looked good.  Why would you put a pregnant woman in a giant sheet hiding her figure completely?  Now a day’s being pregnant is all about staying fashionable and cute.  Women have the chance to show off their baby bump proudly without hiding under a giant piece of clothing.
When I first found out I was pregnant, the one thing that I was really excited about was putting together cute maternity outfits.  I couldn’t wait to find ways to dress my baby bump.  Well, it takes a while to grow a baby, so really maternity fashion comes later in pregnancy.  I’m currently in my 5th month, so my baby is still very small.  My belly is slowly growing, but I still feel like it looks like I just ate 2 Thanksgiving dinners.  It won’t be long until I’m officially in maternity clothes, but as of right now, I’m still in that in-between stage. 
Even though I’m still pretty small, I am constantly uncomfortable in my clothes.  My jeans are tight, my tops are tight…all I’ve been wanting is to be comfortable, without looking like a slob.  So today, I thought I’d show off a few of my favorite “before the bump” maternity outfits.  These are just a few of my favorite clothing pieces that have helped me get through the first 4 months of pregnancy.
Left: Old Navy (similar) Right: Express (similar)
The first look that I have really been enjoying are my sundresses.  Sundresses are great during early pregnancy, especially during the summer.  It was so hot this summer and even though I wasn’t showing yet, I was sick and miserable.  Being able to throw on a cute empire waist sundress helped me dress myself up a bit and stay comfortable and cool at the same time.  Above are a couple of my dresses that I’ve worn recently.  Here are a few more sundresses I’ve posted in the past that I’ve also been getting a lot of use out of (here) (here) (here).

Another piece of clothing that I’m loving is my leggings.  Leggings are my best friends right now. Who doesn’t love a comfortable pair of leggings, especially when your feeling bloated?  Even though my jeans still fit, it’s just been too hot and they feel too tight, so I’ve been pretty much living in a legging.  I even bought a pair of jeggings a month ago at Ross, so that it didn’t look like I was wearing leggings to work every day.  I sometimes feel like leggings are a bit too casual for normal daily wear, but I think as long as you wear a long enough shirt and accessorize properly, leggings can be a cute option. 
Left: Skirt-Ross (similar)  Right: Dress- Target (similar)
Maxi dresses and skirts are another perfect options during early pregnancy.  I’m sure they will also be great to wear throughout my entire pregnancy as well.  I just love maxi dresses and skirts, because they’re comfortable and casual, yet they are dressy at the same time. 
Those are just a few of  my favorite “before the bump” looks.  I can’t wait to start putting together more maternity outfits and of course sharing them with you! 
What’s your favorite “before the bump” look?

It’s a Boy

by Katie Haller

My husband and I just found out this week that we are having a little boy.  We are so excited!  Everyone had me convinced it was a girl, so when the ultrasound technician said “oh this is definitely a boy baby in there”, I have to say I was a little surprised, but at the same time I wasn’t, knowing it’s a 50/50 chance.  I was thrilled to find out.  I know some couples wait to find out until the day they give birth, but for me, I wouldn’t be able to wait that long.  Now that I know what I’m having, I feel closer to the baby and it all seems so real.

I have to admit that I have not been enjoying every moment of this pregnancy so far.  It’s mostly because I spent 16 weeks throwing up every day.  Yuck!  Now that I’m feeling better, I’m starting to enjoy this time more and more.  I’m finally starting to see some changes in my body, which is pretty exciting.  As much as I’m not crazy about gaining a bunch of weight, it’s really cool to see your belly grow and know that there is a little life inside you.  I’ve also started to feel little movements, which is a really cool feeling.  At first, I thought it couldn’t be the baby, but the more I feel it, the more I know it must be him. 
I’m so lucky to have such a supportive group of family and friends right now.  Even though I live far from everyone I’m close to, I enjoy weekly phone calls and texts from friends and family, just checking in on me and baby to see how we’re doing.  My co-workers have been amazing too!  They are always making sure I’m getting potty breaks when I need it and my class is being good to me.  Twenty 4 years old’s can be a handful for anyone, but they are even harder to manage when you’re pregnant.  
18-week baby bump.
It seems like I still have a long way to go, but I’m almost halfway there.  I’m so excited to be a mom and meet this little guy.  Of course, there is no one else that I would want to share this experience with more than my husband.  He has been great through the past few months and I can’t wait to see him as a dad.  He will be amazing at it! 

5 Simple Tips for Living a Healthier and Thriftier Lifestyle

by Katie Haller

I have to confess that I’m not always the healthiest person ever.  I don’t work out nearly as much as I should, and I don’t watch how many calories I consume, but I do always try to be conscious of making healthy choices as much as possible.  Sometimes it really is the little things that you do that can make a big impact.
I wanted to share a few very simple ways you can improve your lifestyle, and also save yourself some money while doing so. 

1.) Park in the back of the parking lot

When you park at the back of the parking lot, not only is your car protected a little more from getting dings from carts or other cars, but you’re adding a few extra steps into your day without even realizing it.  It’s something very simple, but you’d be surprised by how many people don’t do this.  Stop driving around the parking lot looking for the closest spot and just start parking in the back.

2.) Split a meal when you go out to eat
The United States is guilty of eating large portions, especially when eating in restaurants.  As much as I don’t always like to share my food, my husband and I will often split a sandwich when we go out to eat.  We save money and calories at the same time. 
3.) Cut out the pop
I used to drink diet pop all the time, but a few years ago I realized that we were going through pop at home so fast, that I decided to just stop buying it altogether.  I still like a diet Coke or Pepsi here and there, but I save it as a treat, instead of buying it every week at the grocery store.  I mostly drink water and I have to say that I feel much healthier now, than I ever did when I was drinking a lot of pop. 

4.) Take the stairs
Why not take the stairs?  Whenever my husband and I stay at a hotel, we always ask for a room on a higher floor, so we can get our quick exercise.  You never have to wait for the elevator and it’s an easy way to get your heart rate up. 
5.) Order from the dollar menu
I have to confess that I eat at fast-food restaurants.  I’m guilty of this, but when I do I always order off the dollar menu.  Not only is it the cheapest way to eat, but you eat smaller portions.  Even though your eating unhealthy, you won’t feel like you pigged out too much on junk.  One of my favorite dollar meals is the mini chicken quesadilla at Taco Bell on the dollar cravings menu. I substitute the shredded chicken for grilled chicken and the meal is only 180 calories.

So those are my short cuts.  You’d be amazed how making small changes to your daily life can really help you live a healthier lifestyle while also saving you some money here and there.  What small things do you do to stay healthy?

Shopping Finds-Labor Day Weekend Deals

by Katie Haller

One of my favorite things about Labor Day weekend is all the sales!  On top of all the sales, my birthday just happens to fall around  Labor Day, so I always like to treat myself to a little shopping.  That’s just what I did this weekend. 
I’ve been searching for a casual pair of shoes to replace my favorite everyday pair of Toms for a while now.  My Toms has been such a great pair of everyday shoes, unfortunately, they are so beaten up, I have to retire them.  Since I really didn’t want to spend $50 on shoes right now,  I decided to go to DSW in search of some casual shoes.  I lucked out!  I found these slip-on Roxy shoes for 40% off $39.94.  I had a coupon for $10 off and then another $5 off birthday coupon.  My grand total for the shoes with tax came to $9.69.  I was so excited!  Even the girl who rang me up was impressed with my deal.
After my DSW trip, I had to stop at Old Navy.  They had everything on sale in the store, plus 30% off all clearance items.  I ended up finding these 2 tops below.
My favorite thing to do when I buy new clothes is to pair them with my old clothes and come up with new outfits.  This top below was my favorite purchase.  It was 50% off so it rang up $8.97.  I paired it with jeans and a black blazer.  It’s a cute look for fall. 
I felt that this magenta shrug will come in handing during my pregnancy.  These always look cute on pregnant women.  This was a clearance item.  It was marked down to $10.99, but with the 30% off the total came to $7.69.  I tried out this shrug with some jeans and a striped tank top.  The shoes I’m wearing are shopping find worth mentioning.  I found these strappy black wedge sandals at Target a few weeks ago on clearance for $8.49.  I was able to get 20% off of that with my cartwheel app, making them only $6.79.
Of course, no holiday weekend would be complete for me without stopping at a thrift store.  I went to my favorite thrift store, Savers, and found some cute clothes.  Everything was 50% off.
I love this striped maxi dress.  If you haven’t noticed, I love stripes.  So what’s one more striped dress in my closet?  Buying a maxi dress used is a great idea for me because it actually fits and it’s not dragging on the grown.  I always have to wash my maxi dresses about 10 times before they become an acceptable length for me.  I paired the dress with a leopard infinity scarf and black sweater to give it a cute fall look.  The dress was $4.
This t-shirt dress is super comfortable and casual.  It was $3.  I paired it with my new shoes and my jean jacket.
Continuing with my striped obsession, I found this long navy and white striped tank top for $2.  I thought that it would be too tight at first but there’s plenty of stretching room in the tummy.  I paired this one with grey leggings, my new shoes, and a grey long cardigan.  I figured that this would make a great outfit for work.
My final stop for the weekend was Ulta Beauty.  How could I reset?  They only send me coupons every day.  I haven’t bought make up all summer and I’ve been getting extremely low on some of my basics.  I had a $5 off $15 coupon, plus a free birthday gift, so I figured why not stock up on a few things?  They did have some buy one get one 50% off deals along with 50% off clearance items, but my coupon was what really helped bring down the price.  Here is what I bought:
 Maybelline eyeliner, Maybelline’s The Nudes eye shadow palette, essence blush, essence lipstick, Ulta mineral powder foundation, and a free urban decay mascara sample. My total was $18.87.
The total of all my shopping purchases for the weekend ended up coming to $56.27.  That’s really not bad if you consider everything I bought.  I love shopping. Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than a successful shopping trip, knowing that I saved a lot of money.  Now I have to stop spending money for the rest of the month.  We’ll see how I do with that. 
Happy Shopping!

 

My Closet~ Weekend Wardrobe

by Katie Haller

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend!  Labor Day marks the official end of summer, but for us here in Vegas, summer is nowhere near over.
Even though it’s still hot out, I’ve decided to try and get some use out of my jeans while I still can fit into them.  I’m 4 months pregnant right now, so I don’t have a bump yet, but I can definitely feel a snugness in my jeans.

The shirt I wore on Saturday is from Walmart.  I don’t typically shop at Walmart, but I was there buying school supplies for my classroom, and I couldn’t help but wander into the clothes section.  I ended up finding this really cute striped top for $6. 

Saturday
Shirt- Walmart (similar)
Jeans- Jessica Simpson (similar)
Shoes- Target (similar)
Necklace- Target (similar)
On Sunday I wore my favorite new t-shirt that I bought at Target a few weeks ago.  It’s so comfortable.  I’d like to buy it in every color, that’s how much I like this shirt right now.  
Sunday
Shirt- Target (exact)
Pants- Target (similar)
Shoes- Express (similar)

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