Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Baby Registry

by Katie Haller

If you’ve ever been married or had a baby, you know how fun it is to register for gifts.  Who doesn’t like picking out their own gifts and being showered with them? 
I recently registered for my baby shower.  With all my experience working with infants and young children, I never thought that I would have any problem putting together a baby registry for my own child.  Well, I was wrong.  It’s really hard figuring out exactly what you’ll need for your little one when they arrive.  I really wanted to just stick to the basics, but what are the basics exactly?  Of course, there are a lot of resources out there when trying to figure out what to add to your baby registry.  I read lots of blogs, watched YouTube reviews and of course talked with my friends who have little ones, but when it really comes down to it, it’s your decision on what to put on that registry. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of sticking to the basic needs of a baby, but I won’t know for sure until he arrives.   

Before you start picking out your baby gear, you have the decision of where to register.  For me, all my family and friends live out of state, so I wanted someplace with good shipping prices and a decent website.  I ended up going with Babies R Us and Target.  I thought about Amazon, but I decided that I wanted to go to the actual store and see some of the baby gear for myself.  Of course, being the frugal person I am, I wanted to pick out the best baby gear for the best price.

 

My first stop for registering was Babies R Us.  Since it’s a store dedicated to babies, it’s definitely a great place to find some great baby gear. Not to mention, you are signed up for their rewards program automatically and anything not purchased on your registry, you automatically get 10% off, which will definitely be helpful after the baby comes when we figure out exactly what he will need.  One other thing that I liked about Babies R Us is that they will price match other stores like Wal-Mart and Amazon, so you will always be able to find the best price.

Here is the little freebie gift bag you receive when registering with Babies R Us. 
  • Pampers diapers and wipes with a $5 coupon
  • Lansinoh breastmilk storage bags sample
  • Chicco natural fit pacifier
  • $20 off Tiny Prints
  • $20 off Shutterfly
  • $5 off $25 or more at Babies R Us
I wasn’t planning on registering at two stores, but since I’m such a huge fan of Target, I couldn’t pass it up.  I actually like some of their nursery furniture a lot more than the other stores.  Plus they have some really cute baby stuff.  Just like Babies R Us, Target also offers a discount on any non-purchased items from your registry.


Here is a picture of the Target freebie gift bag.  I really liked this one because it was filled with samples and coupons for baby and mommy too!
  • Pampers Diaper and wipe sample with a $5 coupon
  • The Honest Co. Diaper and wipe sample with a $25 off $50 coupon
  • Mam newborn pacifier
  • Philips Agent 4 oz bottle
  • Lansinoh breastmilk storage bags and nursing pad samples
  • Seventh Generation Baby Free and Clear wipes sample
  • Dreft laundry detergent sample
  • Olly prenatal vitamin sample with a $2 off coupon 
  • Johnson baby head to toe wash sample with a coupon book
  • Babyganics 3x laundry detergent with $1.50 off coupon 
  • Zarbee’s natural baby vitamin samples with coupons 
  • Enfamil formula coupons
  • Seventh Generation diaper and wipe coupons
  • One a Day prenatal vitamin $2 off coupon 
  • Target 10% off nursing bra and 15% off maternity apparel coupon 
  • Not to mention all that comes in a cute grey chevron reusable bag

The great thing about getting all these free samples is that first-time moms like myself, who are a little clueless when it comes to baby products, get a chance to test out products and find out exactly what works for them and their baby.  I can’t wait until he’s here and we can start getting to know each other and start using all our new baby supplies!  I’ll have to follow up with this post after he’s born and share what my favorite baby products end up being.  Until then, I’ll just have to keep reading up on baby stuff and preparing myself for this little guy.

 



My Closet~ Throwback Thursday

by Katie Haller

I’ve really been trying hard to keep up with my blogging schedule.  I really enjoy writing new posts and sharing new ideas with all of you, but sometimes I fall behind due to the reality of my real life, especially when it comes to my outfits.  Unfortunately, for my wardrobe, my current job doesn’t allow me to explore my closet and put together cute outfits the way that my old job did.  That’s why I have decided to start doing a “Throwback Thursday” post.

Every so often I take a picture of an outfit that I wore and then I forget about it and never post it.  I was going through some of my pictures of outfits recently and realized that I still wanted to share these on my blog.  So Thursday can be a day that I can share a throwback outfit for me, but it will be new for you.  From now until February, most of the outfits that I share will be maternity.  With Throwback Thursday posts, I’ll still be able to share some of my normal outfits.

Here are 2 outfits that I wore early this summer before I found out I was pregnant.

Dress-Salvation Army (similar)
Necklace- Charming Charlie (similar)
Jacket- Meijer (similar)
Shoes- Macy’s (similar)
Tank Top- Old Navy (similar)
Sweater- Old Navy (similar)
Jeans- Kohl’s (similar)
Shoes- Target (similar)
Look for more Throwbacks in the upcoming Thursdays! 
 

My Closet~Weekend Wardrobe

by Katie Haller

Lately, I’ve been a little homesick for the fall weather.  I see pictures of all my friends back in the Midwest wearing all their cute fall clothes, and it makes me miss the season.  The good thing is that even though we have a long summer here in Nevada, it cools down and we get almost 5 months of fall-like weather, which makes me happy.

Today when I woke up there were clouds in the sky and the air was a bit cooler.  It made me feel like I was home.  I decided to put on some jeans and put together a fallish looking outfit.

Shirt- Savers
Sweater- Old Navy
Jeans- Meijer
Shoes- Target
I thought I’d show off my baby bump as well with my outfit since it’s an accessory I’ll be carrying around for the next 4 1/2 months.  The little guy is still pretty small, but I just hit the 20-week mark and so I’m sure there will be lots of growth in the next 20 weeks.  My goal is to stay in my normal clothes for as long as I can.  My jeans still fit, but I’ve been leaving the top button unbuttoned for comfort.  For my tops, I try to wear stretchy and loose-fitting top.  I did just buy a belly band at Target today.  I figured it will help me with staying comfortable in my normal jeans.
20-week baby bump

Have a great week!

 

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?

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