Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Instagram Outfit Review- Winter Looks

by Katie Haller

Hey everyone!  I can’t believe that it’s February already!  Time is just flying by!  I’m sorry about the lack of post lately, but I’ve been super busy.  Ever since I went back to work after Christmas break it’s been one thing after another with doctor appointments, a sick baby, work stuff and preparing for a move.  It seems like there is always something, but hopefully this month things will start to settle down.  My family and I just moved into a new house, which was definitely a challenge to do with a baby.  It’s all worth it though because I love our new home.  It’s the perfect place for our little family!  It’s always fun to have a fresh start, but it always comes with lots of projects and of course a wish list of all the new home accessories that I want to buy.  I know that it will all get done eventually.  Until then, I can’t promise that many blog posts.  I have lots of ideas in my head of all the things that I’d like to write about, unfortunately, I’m lacking in time.  Until I can get together some time to put together some new posts, I thought that I’d do a quick round-up of my Instagram outfits.  
I have found this winter to be hard to dress for.  I think one of the problems with the winter in Las Vegas is that it’s not cold enough to wear actual warm winter clothes, but it’s still too cold to wear non-winter clothes… if that makes any sense?  The mornings have been in the ’30s, so it gets kind of hard to take an outfit selfie on my way to the car, that’s why I’ve been slacking on sharing my outfit of the day.

Here are my looks from this winter so far…

Coat- Old Navy
Sweater- Target
Jeans- Meijer
Boots- Burlington Coat Factory
Purse- Neiman Marcus Last Call
Top- Target
Jeans- Nordstrom Rack
Purse- Coach
Shoes- DSW
Top- Nordstrom Rack
Cardigan- H&M
Leggings- Forever 21
Scarf- Banana Republic Factor
Boots- Target
Sweater- Express
Necklace- Nordstrom Rack
Jeans- TJ Maxx
Purse- Neiman Marcus Last Call
Tunic- Old Navy
Jacket- Meijer
Leggings- Last Call
Shoes- Nordstrom
Sweater- Express
Jeans- Nordstrom Rack
Sweater- Meijer
Top- Target
Jeans- Target
Scarf- Old Navy
Purse- Savers
Those are my winter looks.  Hopefully, with the weather warming up a bit, I can get some more of my outfit of the day posts on Instagram soon!

Weekend Wardrobe- Casual Mom Style

by Katie Haller

It’s been so long since I last did a weekend wardrobe post.  Lately, my weekends are spent around the house and running errands.  We are moving at the end of the month, so I feel like I am just preparing myself for our move.  I also had a sick baby this weekend.  My poor little Jack had his fourth ear infection since September.  It’s so frustrating because I hate seeing him sick.  He doesn’t eat or sleep well when he’s not feeling well and it makes me sad to see.  Luckily he’s getting better.

To go along with my non-eventful life, I’ve been embracing a very casual mom style lately.  I’ve been really obsessed with a couple of my accessories from my closet that really help to dress up my casual looks.  I recently bought a pair of converse tennis shoes (here) and I’m loving them!  I’ve also been using my black satchel purse (here) that I bought this past fall.  I haven’t had a chance to use it that much, because it’s smaller than my other purses and I’m always needing to lug around a bunch of baby items.  But as Jack gets older, I’m able to run to the store without bringing all the extra diapers and bottles that I used to.

Here is what I wore…

Saturday  

Top- Target (similar)
Leggings- Forever 21 (exact)
Denim Top- Target (similar)
Scarf- Nordstrom (similar)
Sunday
Top- Nordstrom Rack (similar)
Cardigan- Macy’s (similar)
Leggings- Kohl’s (exact)
Those are my looks this weekend!  I hope everyone has a great week!

Making the Most of Your Wardrobe- Blush Long Cardigan

by Katie Haller

Happy New Year everyone!  I know I’m a week late, but it’s been a busy couple of weeks.  We were in Michigan over Christmas and then I went back to work on Tuesday.  My month is only going to get busier because we are moving into a new house at the end of January.  I’m so excited, but I have so much to do to prepare.  I apologize in advance for the lack of a blog post this month.  

As you can see, I’ve made a few changes to my blog for the new year.  One of my new year goals was to make some changes to improve my blog this year.  I still just enjoy blogging for fun, so I’m not ready to make any major changes yet, but I thought a new look might freshen it up for the new year.  This blog is always a work in progress.  I just want to thank everyone for your emails, pins likes and just for reading Thrifty Wife, Happy Life!  I felt like 2016 was a major year for my blog.  I gained so many new readers and followers, so thank you!  It means a lot to me!  I look forward to making 2017 an even better year! 
Today, I thought that I would share a post that I started working on before Christmas.  I bought this blush long cardigan sweater at Target (exact) while I was doing a bit of Christmas shopping.  My closet is full of neutral colors, so I thought it might be nice to have a blush cardigan to add a touch of color.  I love how versatile cardigans can be.  You can layer them over almost any top.  Here are four ways that I’ve styled my blush cardigan. 
For this first look, I layered the cardigan over a black LC Lauren Conrad top from Kohl’s (similar).  I like how the blouse dresses up a simple look with leggings. 
I feel like I’m always wearing stripes, so of course, I layered the cardigan with my stripe tunic from Old Navy (exact).  I like to cuff my long sleeve shirts when I layer them with a sweater.  I just like the look that it gives. 
For this look, I added a green statement necklace to add some more color to the look.  Pink and green are 2 of my favorite colors, so I always like to mix them together.
I always love a good scarf layered look.  I really love this simple silver scarf.  I found it at Five Below for $5 a few years back.  I always say that I will buy my clothes and accessories from any store, as long as it’s cute and a good deal.  Sometimes you never know what you will find at stores like Five Below or the Dollar Tree.  This simple scarf is one of my most worn scarves because it’s so basic and matches every outfit. 
That’s how I’m styling my long cardigan.  How do you style your cardigans?

Instagram Outfit Review- End of 2016

by Katie Haller

 It’s been a while since my last Instagram outfit review.  This is the last one for 2016!  I have posted a lot of outfits on Instagram since my last review, so here are some of my favorites. 

Top- Old Navy
Cardigan-Target
Jeggings- Old Navy
Shoes- Burlington Coat Factory 
Purse- Savers
Top- Old Navy
Sweater- Macy’s 
Leggings- Last Call Neiman Marcus
Ankle Boots- Burlington Coat Factory 
Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus
Top- Kohl’s 
Cardigan- H&M
Jeans- Target
Necklace- Charming Charlie 
Top- H&M
Cardigan- H&M
Boots- Target 
Scarf- Kohl’s 
Top- Target
Cardigan- Target
Scarf- Target 

Top- Nordstrom Rack
Jacket- Meijer
Scarf- DSW

Scarf- Charming Charlie 

Blazer- Kohl’s

Necklace- Target
Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus 

Top- Target
Scarf- Five Below
Shoes- Target

Jeans- Meijer 

Necklace- Burlington Coat Factory 

Cardigan- Target 

Boots- DSW

Top- Target
Necklace- Target 

Scarf- Nordstrom 

Coat- Old Navy- thrifted from Savers
I hope you liked my looks from this year!  As always, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @thriftywifehappylife.  Have a great New Year and look for more affordable outfit posts in 2017!!

My Closet- Holiday Looks

by Katie Haller

Every year around the holidays, I like to do a post for budget friendly holiday outfits.  This year, I have put together a few simple looks that I am planning on wearing over Christmas break.  I am flying home to spend Christmas in Michigan and my week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is completely booked with family gatherings.  I can’t wait to see everyone, but of course, I like to have an idea of what I’m wearing.  It’s always best to plan your outfits ahead of time so that you don’t have to worry about thinking about what to wear on the day of an event.  Here are some of the outfits that I have planned to wear for the holidays. 
 
 I’m planning on wearing this look for Christmas Eve.  I love wearing leggings and boots with a simple dress.  I accessorized it with some of my favorite Christmas accessories; my infinity scarf from DSW (similar) and my red boyfriend cardigan from Target (similar).
I recently bought this cranberry colored cowl neck sweater from Target (similar).  I love how it looks with leggings, boots and leg warmers.  I think this would be such a cozy Christmas Day look. 
I love my new grey plaid scarf from Banana Republic Factory (similar and similar).  I love the neutral colors, it can be paired with any outfit almost.  For this look, I wore it with a forest green shirt which gives it that Christmas look. 
I bought this cream top at Target (similar) last year and I love accessorizing it with this green necklace from Charming Charlie (similar).  I always like to accessorize with green and red around Christmas time and this necklace is perfect for that. 

Those are my Christmas looks.  What are you planning on wearing over the holidays?

Traveling with a Baby- What to Bring on the Airplane

by Katie Haller

I am looking forward to traveling to Michigan over the holidays to celebrate Jack’s first Christmas with all our family!  However, whenever the thought of traveling with a baby comes up, I tend to get very anxious.  There is just so much to think about and so much to pack!  I’ve been making lists in my head of all the baby essential I will need for the airplane, so I thought I would share some of the items that I will be bringing with me.  

The last time I flew with Jack was in July and he was only 4 months.  It was a little easier because we took a red-eye flight and Jack slept the entire way there.  This time, we have an early morning flight and Jack is an active 10-month-old.  I’m no professional jet setting parent, but each time I travel, I learn a little more about how to make it easier on myself.  So here are some of the baby essentials I have come up with for air travel.
1.) Large tote purse- I always bring a big purse on the airplane.  On most airlines, you are allowed to bring one personal item and one carry on bag, that’s why I always like to make sure that I have lots of space to pack in my personal item.  Plus, I have been using my purse as my diaper bag, so the more space the better! 
2.) Ergo Carrier- Last time I traveled with Jack, this was so handy.  I liked being able to wear him and have my hands free.  He also seemed more content being close to me in his carrier. 
3.) Stroller and Car Seat- Last time I traveled, I checked my stroller and car seat at the gate.  I kept Jack in his car seat connected to the stroller until we got to security.  Once we passed the security, I wore Jack and I used my travel system to put all my bags in.  This made it easier to maneuver my way through the airport. 
4.) Large tote bag- When we flew in July, I used my diaper bag as my carry on, but I ran out of space.  This time I am using a large tote bag as my carry on to be sure I have an extra room, especially if we need to bring home some Christmas presents. 

5.) Travel Size Wipes- Wipes are a must and the more the better.  I use wipes for everything with Jack.  My friend had sent me a care package from The Honest Company right after Jack was born, so I have lots of travel size wipes.  An awesome thing about the Honest company is that you can send away for a free trial kit with only having to pay for the shipping.  They will send you a bunch of samples, so you can load up on some travel size wipes and other fun travel size products for the next time you fly.

6.) Changing Mat- I hate using public restrooms for changing diapers, but it’s going to happen when you’re traveling with a baby, so it’s best to be prepared.  I use the changing mat that came with my diaper bag, but I would love a travel size mat like the one above to fit into my purse. 
7.) Diapers- That’s kind of a given.  Just make sure that you bring enough for the trip, you never know when your little one is going to have a surprise for you! 
8.) Travel size diaper cream and lotion- I use the California baby travel size diaper cream and lotion because I got them in a gift set at my shower.  It’s always good to have travel-size toiletries for your baby. 

9.) Light Weight Jacket- I like to dress in layers when traveling, so I dress my baby in layers too.  You never know if it will be cold or warm on the plane.  It’s just best to have a little jacket. 
10.) Comfortable 2 piece outfits with Extras!!!- It’s best to dress your baby in comfortable easy to change outfits while traveling.  I’d also be sure to pack extra clothes, at least 2 extra outfits in your carry on.  You never know what could happen. 
11.) Books- I’m going to try bringing books for Jack’s entertainment.  I figure that they are a quiet toy and he enjoys them.  I’m nervous about keeping him entertained during the flight, so any kind of toy will do. 
12.) Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets- We love these blankets!  They were one of my favorite shower gifts and they are perfect for traveling.  They are so lightweight and easy to pack.  They’re perfect for the plane!
13.) Pacifiers– My little guy is loving his pacifier right now, especially while he’s teething.  I’ve always heard that it’s a good idea to have a pacifier on hand while flying because of the pressure changes in a baby’s ears.  Jack’s favorite brand is Mam Pacifier, everything else he just chews on.  I like the glow in the dark pacifiers because they are easy to find in my large purse.

14.) Ready to Feed Formula- You are allowed to bring formula or breast milk through security, so this time I fly, I’m going to buy the ready to feed formula.  Last time we flew, I was breastfeeding still, so I wasn’t as concerned about running out of bottles.  This time, I need to make sure that I have enough formula and I’d rather not have to worry about mixing a bottle on the plane.
15.)Burp Clothes- My poor baby is a spit up machine.  He has been ever since he was born, that’s why lots of burp cloths are always a must for me.
16.) Baby food Pouch- Baby food in a pouch is perfect for traveling.  There is little cleanup and they can give your baby a quick healthy meal on the go.  
17.) Sippy Cup- I’ll be bringing a sippy cup of water to help make sure Jack stays hydrated and also give him some entertainment.  I’ve always liked the Playlex sippy cups, and Jack does too!
18.) Snack bowl-  Snacks are a must for the plane.  If he gets fussy, I’m hoping that the snacks will keep him quiet.  
If that seems like a lot of stuff….it is!  I didn’t even mention any of the things that I will be bringing on the plane.  Let me know if there is anything I need to add.  I’m sure I’ll forget something.  Good luck to anyone traveling this holiday season with their little ones!  It will all be worth it once you get to your destinations! 

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