Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Living in Las Vegas

by Katie Haller

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been living in Las Vegas for almost a year and a half.  Time is flying by!  I came to Las Vegas with an open mind, knowing that this may not be long term.  My husband’s job here was supposed to be a stepping stone for him in his career, but with the way things are going, Las Vegas is ending up being a possible long term home for us.  Things have been going so well for both of our careers here that we are both settling into the idea that we could call this place home for the long term. 
It’s always funny to see how people react when I say I live in Las Vegas.  They usually ask me if I live on the strip or if I gamble a lot.  Actually, I never gamble and no, I don’t live on the strip.  I live in a normal suburban area.  I will say that there is always something to do when you live in Vegas.  It’s a growing city and there is always a new restaurant or brewery popping up to try.  We seem to never run out of new places to explore.

I had never vacationed in Las Vegas before, but ever since I moved here, I feel like my life has been one long vacation.  (At least on the weekends that is.)  I definitely have some favorite spots in the Las Vegas Valley that I love to go visit.  Here are some pictures from the last year and a half of my time exploring our new home. 

When Kevin and I really want to feel like tourists, we head down to the strip.  My favorite hotel to walk around is The Bellagio.  I love its location right in the heart of the strip, making it a fun place to walk around.  Last fall we spent a Saturday visiting The Bellagio Botanical Gardens in the hotel and watching a fountain show.  I love the fountain shows!  If you’re ever in Las Vegas, this is a must-see, plus it’s free. 
The view standing in front of The Bellagio looking at the fountain and the Pairs Las Vegas.
Same view, during the fountain show.
Another favorite place of mine in Las Vegas is the Red Rock Canyon.  The majority of people who visit Las Vegas don’t even realize this exists.  It’s a very short drive to the canyon from the Strip.  It’s such a beautiful place to see.  It definitely showcases the beauty of the Mojave Desert.  Here are a few pictures from one of my many trips to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Another great place to visit outside of the strip is Boulder City.  I’m sure most people know about the Hoover Dam.  Boulder City is right on the way to the Dam.  There are shops and restaurants in town, but my favorite part of Boulder City is the views of Lake Mead.  I just think that this huge body of man-made water in the middle of the desert is pretty impressive. 
Last fall we discovered this park in Boulder City overlooking Lake Mead with wild bighorn sheep grazing.
A view from Lake Mead National Recreational Area
 Lastly, I just had to share this final picture.  One great perk of living in Las Vegas is that locals get deals on show tickets on the strip.  The weekend before I had Jack, Kevin got free tickets from work for a show on the strip.  Even though I was 9 months pregnant, I jumped at the chance for us to have one final date night before we became parents.  This was the picture I took while leaving the Paris Las Vegas.  I love it because it looks like we had our last date as a couple in Paris.
 

If you’re interested in planning a trip to Las Vegas in your future, be sure to check out vegas.com for great deals in Las Vegas and to find out all that Vegas has to offer both on and off the strip! 
#capturingvegas

Shopping Finds- Target Clearance

by Katie Haller

I’ve been feeling the itch to go shopping lately.  It’s not easy to casually shop the way I use to with a baby.  In the past, I was able to stop at a store by myself and casually scan the racks for deals.  Now, I have to plan out my shopping a little more.  That’s why this week when I got a notification on my phone that my Target Cartwheel app had 20% off all clearance items in appeal, shoes, and accessories, I thought today would be a good day to check it out on a family trip to Target. 
Here are my finds. 
I thought this navy top (exact) was really cute.  I like the embroidered detail at the bottom.  It was $8.48 before 20% off. 
I’m still debating on whether I will keep this teal swing tank top (exact).  I like it, but I might have to try it on a few more times to figure out how I would like to style it.   I figured I could wear it with shorts.  It was only $5.48. 
Of course, I never can resist buying anything striped.  I love these t-shirts (exact).  I already have one in tan, so I knew I’d like this top.  You can’t beat $5.
These striped flats (exact) were only $8.48.  I have to wear closed-toe shoes to work, so I thought these would be perfect to pair with some of my work clothes.
With the discount, I spent under $25 for 4 items.  I was happy that I was able to stick to my $30 spending limit for all shopping trips.  Today is the last day to get 20% off of clearance.  Sorry, I waited until the last day to shop and share, but there are always lots of great deals to look for in the future at Target.  If you don’t have the Target Cartwheel app already, I suggest you download it to help you get those extra Target savings.

Making the Most of Your Non-Maternity Clothes

by Katie Haller

I may not be pregnant anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still share some of my favorite maternity looks.  I had so much fun being creative and coming up with ways to dress my baby bump on a budget.  I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from friends and readers about how much they liked the maternity posts that I figured why not do a few more maternity posts? 
One thing that I love to share is just how simple it is to take a normal non-maternity outfit and turn it into a maternity look. 
Today I thought I would share a few of my favorite striped dresses from my wardrobe.  I kind of have an obsession with stripes, especially if they are black and white.  I just love the bold look that a striped dress gives.  Here are some ways I wore my non-maternity dresses while I was pregnant and also before and after my pregnancy.

*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!
This dress I bought at Target a couple years ago. (Similar)  It’s very comfortable. It has an elastic waistband in the middle that I usually wear the tie over or put a belt over.  While I was pregnant, I just put the elastic on top of my bump and folded over the extra material. 
This is also a Target dress (Similar).  It’s a thicker material, so it was nice to have during the winter months.  I actually liked wearing it with a bump better than without the bump. 
This dress is from Old Navy (Similar).  It fit perfectly through my second trimester.  I always liked wearing a belt above my bump while styling my maternity outfits. 
This dress I bought at H&M while I was pregnant (Similar).  I love it!  This look was one of my favorite maternity looks while I was pregnant.  I wore a long black cardigan with a green statement necklace and black flats. 
I hope you have some new ideas for styling your baby bump!

Shop baby bump-friendly non-maternity dress

Weekend Wardrobe

by Katie Haller

It was another hot weekend in Las Vegas.  This is my first real summer of planning outfits while living in Las Vegas.  Last year I was pregnant with Jack and spent the entire summer indoors as much as possible with morning/ all day sickness.  This year I’m really trying to embrace the heat with my wardrobe, but it’s not always easy dressing in the heat.  I’m learning that I’ve been overthinking my outfits this summer.  I’m now just trying to keep my looks simple and comfortable.  That’s what I did this weekend.  I really haven’t had the opportunity to do much shopping this summer, so I’m trying to pull out old clothes that I haven’t worn in a while and find new ways to wear them.
On Saturday, I kept it really casual and wore cut off shorts that I actually made out of an old pair of Bermuda shorts that I wasn’t feeling anymore.  I cut them to a better length and now I’ve been getting a lot of use out of them around the house. 
Top- Old Navy
Shorts- Kohl’s 
Sandals- Target
Necklace- Target
On Sunday, I wore this green striped halter top dress that I’ve had since college.  I never got much use out of it, because I always felt like it was never hot enough to wear.  Well, it’s perfect for Las Vegas, because it’s defiantly hot enough around here to wear a summer dress like this, even if I do go into an air conditioned place.
Dress- Victoria Secret
Sandals- Target
Necklace- Kohl’s
Hope you liked my weekend looks.  Have a great week! 

Tips for New Working Moms

by Katie Haller

One of the hardest things that I had to do after having my baby, was going back to work after my maternity leave was over.  After spending almost 8 weeks non stop with my baby, not to mention the 9 months I had him growing inside my belly, the thought of leaving him for 8 hours a day made me feel so sad.  However, I’ve made it work and I’ve slowly gotten used to being apart from my little guy during the week.  I’ve been very fortunate because my husband has a job that allows him to have a flexible schedule and be home most of the week.  He’s home with Jack 2-4 days a week and the other days we have a daycare center that we use as our back up.

When my maternity leave was coming close to the end, I started to have a lot of anxiety about going back to work.  I had no idea what to expect.  That’s why I wanted to share what has been working for me and my baby, to hopefully help other new working moms out there. 

  • Set a Routine- This is so important, whether you’re a working mom or a stay at home mom, babies need a routine.  I have a morning routine that Jack expects each day.  He wakes up super early at 4:30 am!  He gets a diaper change, then I almost fall back to sleep before my alarm goes off at 5:00, I shower, put him in his bouncy chair as I eat breakfast, do my hair and make up then get dressed.  After that, I nurse him around 6:30, get my stuff ready for work and then it’s already time to go at 7:15.  He gets confused on the weekends when I try to sleep in.  The evenings are similar to a comfortable, predictable routine for him and me.  Our routine doesn’t only benefit Jack, it helps me stay organized. 
  • Plan your outfits out ahead of time- This has always helped me when it comes to getting ready in the morning.  On Sunday night, I like to go through my clothes and try to figure out what I’m going to wear that week.  I look at the weather forecast and think about my schedule for the week, then plan around that.  It helps me feel good about what I’m wearing at work, plus I save myself a bit of time in the morning as well. 
  • Eat breakfast- When they say breakfast is the most important part of the day, it’s the truth.  I feel much better and ready to function when I eat a little something in the morning.  Usually, I have cereal, lately, it’s bran flakes topped with lots of fruit and of course my morning cup of coffee.  After breakfast, I feel energized enough to start my day. 
  • Do what works for you and your baby- I know that there are a lot of books and articles out there all about the correct way to parent.  What I’m finding out is that you have to do what works best for you and your family.  Working with children for many years, I use to judge parents for the things they did.  Now that I have a baby of my own, I am not so judgment because I find myself doing things that I thought I would never do.  
  • Leave work at work- Ever since I went back to work, my goal has been to not take home any work.  I get 2 hours of planning time after the kids go home and I force myself to be as productive as possible so that I can be on my way home as soon as possible.  I like to write myself a To-Do list every Monday.  As I complete my task I cross it off my list.  This helps me stay organized and on top of my work.
  • Do something for yourself- Life can get pretty hectic when you’re a working mom, that’s why it’s always good to still set aside time for yourself.  Some moms might like to do something physical like running or a yoga class, while others might like to read.  For me, I still like to set a little bit of time aside to blog.  I’ve always enjoyed sharing my ideas, so I’m not ready to give that up yet.
  • Wear your baby- When you’re at home, it’s nice to be with your baby, but there are always things that need to be done around the house.  I find that it’s nice to wear Jack while I finish up my daily chores at home.  That way we can still be together, but I can also be productive around the house. 
  •  Don’t feel guilty- Every Sunday evening, I sit holding my little guy in my arms and I wonder if I spent enough time with him over the weekend.  I question myself…. did I hold him enough? Did I kiss him enough?  I worry that I miss out on so much because I’m at work, but the truth is, Jack knows how much I love him.  He knows I’m his mom and he gets this big smile on his face everyday when he sees me walk through the door and that is all I need.  Supporting a family used to be completely on the man’s shoulders, but I feel like that’s changed in this day and age.  I feel like my husband and I are a team and we are working together to provide for our family and sharing in the responsibility of parenting.  I’m proud of the life we are building together.
Those are my tips.  Let me know what you think.  Do you have any tips to make life a little easier for new working moms?
 

    Simple Sunday- Michigan Trip

    by Katie Haller

    It’s been a long fun, but also an exhausting week for me.  I just came back from a visit to Michigan to see our family and introduce Jack to everyone.  Jack did great with traveling and meeting all the new faces.  Now that we are home, I’m trying to prepare to go back to work on Monday and get Jack back on the west coast time. (I don’t enjoy a 3am playtime.) 
    I’ve been so behind on coming up with outfit posts, but I have been trying to post some looks on my Instagram.  I do have some new posts that I promise I will get around to posting soon, including some more maternity posts and mom tips.  I’m excited to share it soon!  In the meantime, here are some pictures of my week!
    4th of July look.

    Shorts- Old Navy/ Shirt- Target/ Jacket- Meijer/ Shoes- Target/ Purse- Savers

    Shirt- Old Navy/ Shorts-Good Will/ Shoes- Target/ Purse- Savers/ Shoes- Target

    Dress- Savers/ Jacket- Meijer/ Belt- Target/ Purse- Savers/ Shoes- Target

    I just loved being with my little guy everyday.

    Jack went to his first parade and loved it.

    I learned that the things I miss most about Michigan are green trees and sunsets over the water.  I love living out west, it has a beauty of its own, but I will always love being in Michigan during the summertime.

    I know it’s going to be hard to get back to normal life tomorrow, but today I’ll just enjoy my time with my baby boy!  Have a great week everyone!

    Follow

    @thriftywifehappylife