Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Olivia: 11 months


Olivia is 11 months old as of yesterday! I can't believe our baby girl will be 1 year old next month! Time flies! I think it flies even faster once you have children.

Miss Olivia can stand all by herself for a few seconds at a time. She's learned how to climb the stairs, too... which is really scary! Hello baby gate at the bottom of the stairs. She can crawl super fast and I just know she's going to be walking in no time.

She is still a nursing champ. I'm so proud that she has been exclusively breastfed for 11 months. She still nurses 4-6 times per day. She also eats solid food like a champ, too. She loves pretty much everything I give her. A few of her favorites are pears, peaches, bananas, graham crackers, beans, cheese, ham, yogurt, and so much more. She really hasn't turned much of anything down. She's such a good eater!

We won't go back to the peditrician until next month but I would guess she is still around 18 lbs. and about 28 inches long according to the chart in her bedroom.

She still doesn't consistently sleep through the night. We have a random good night here and there but she usually wakes up 1-2 times.

Her talking has jump started this month! Olivia consistently says mom mom and dada when she sees us. She always says nom nom when she wants to eat and says dog dog when she sees a dog. She seems to adore dogs and claps her hands when she sees one. She has also gotten really good at waving hello and goodbye.

Happy 11 Months, Olivia Grace!


Monday, April 15, 2013

thrifty: shopaholic

I love to shop. That's definitely not a secret. I've always enjoyed shopping and I get it honest. My mom is big shopper too. I learned to be thrifty from my mom. We've shopped in thrift stores together since I was very young. I remember hunting for good stuff at the thrift store as a child. It was just as thrilling then as it is now. My mom always taught me how to be a smart shopper in regular retail stores, too. Shop the clearance racks or wait for something you love to go on sale. I can be impatient but I've gotten good at waiting for a sale. I did some regular retail shopping this past week and it was so much fun. Julianna talked to the mannequins and momma found bright neon pink shorts. Fun was had by all!

Here are a few of my lastest outfits...

 Top: Target
Shorts: Old Navy, thrifted
Necklace: Groop Dealz
Sandals: Target
 Shirt: Target, thrifted
Pants: Target, clearance
Necklace: American Eagle (old)
Sandals: Target
 Shirt: Target, thrifted
Shorts: Old Navy
Flip Flops: Rainbows
Necklace: Groop Dealz
 Dress: Target, clearnce
Shoes: American Eagle (old)
Necklace: NY & Co. (old)
 Shirt: Old Navy, clearance
Shorts: Express, thrifted
Sandals: Target
Bracelet: Groop Dealz
Necklace: Old Navy (old)
 Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft, thrifted
Shirt: H&M, thrifted
Jeans: Target, thrifted
Shoes: Target, clearance
Necklace: Groop Dealz
Shirt: Anthropologie, thrifted
Jeans: Target, thrifted
Necklace: Groop Dealz
Flip Flops: Rainbows

Thursday, April 11, 2013

thrifting 101: updated

Thrifting 101:
  • Go often! To find the best stuff you have to go thrifting on a regular basis so that you don't miss out on any great finds. I go at least once a week to my regular thrift store.
  • Check out the racks of stuff that hasn't been put out yet. I always find amazing stuff there because no one has looked through it yet. Last week, I found brand new Target and Gap items on that rack- with tags still on!
  • Find out if your thrift store has a customer savings program. For example, Goodwill has a Preferred Customer program. For about $15 per year, you can save 10% every time you shop! It will pay for itself in no time if you shop regularly.
  • Most people say they don't have the patience to go through all of the stuff so here's a trick I use. I look at the fabric. You can tell a lot about the quality of an item by just looking at the fabric. I don't bother even looking at anything that looks worn out, faded, or the fabric doesn't look like it's of good quality. Josh makes fun of me for this one, but I also just go down the aisle and touch the fabric to see if it's good quality. Good brands = good feeling fabric!
  • Speaking of brands, I have a list of brands on my phone that I look for. This list would vary depending on your taste in clothing but some of my favorites are J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Lucky, Guess, and anything from Anthropologie. This brands generally have great quality clothing so even if it's second hand, it's typically going to be in good condition.
  • Look everywhere! I've found women's clothing in the men's and children's sections of the stores.
  • Sizing is so different from brand to brand so don't be afraid to try on a large if you typically wear a small. I've found some really great items by giving an item that wasn't my size a chance.
  • See if you thrift store runs any sales. I have a favorite thrift store that has daily deals but they also take 50% of all clothing on Mondays. I love a good sale!
  • Shop for the whole family! About 80% of our wardrobe is from a thrift store. I find amazing clothes for the girls at thrift stores!
  • Styling your thrifted items is the fun part- I love mixing my thrifted items with items that I've found at regular retail stores. You can make a thrifted item work with the latest trends!
  • Being patient is essential. You won't find a ton of stuff that works for you every time but don't get discouraged. A piece or 2 at a time is fantastic and sometimes I leave with nothing. Don't buy if you don't love it because it will just hang in your closet and end up back at the Goodwill in a few months.
  • Look out of season. This especially works well for children because kid's clothes don't ever really go out of style. I buy summer clothes in the winter and winter clothes in the summer. I've had such great luck with this! I bought so many gorgeous summer dresses for Julianna this past winter.
  • There are certain times of the year to be sure to shop. Always go at the end of December. Everyone is cleaning out their closet for tax deductions. I've found amazing clothes, toys, and more! Also, spring is a great time to shop at thrift store. Particularly around March when most people are doing their "spring cleaning."

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

thrifty: one dress, two ways

So this dress isn't thrifted. But it was on sale! Like I posted before, I don't pay full price for anything that I won't get a lot of use out of. This dress had been $27.99 but I caught it on sale for $20 at Target. I was willing to "splurge" because I knew I could wear it year round. Since the weather in NC is bipolar, within just a few days, I wore it two different ways, for two different types of weather!

On Thursday, I wore it to take the girls to story time. Complete with leggings and boots for rain and temperatures in the forties! It was cold!

Dress: Target (with belt)
Necklace: The Jewel Box
Leggings: Wal-Mart
Boots: Dexter, thrifted
 
And on Sunday, I wore this dress again but with bare legs and wedges because it was in the seventies and it was a gorgeous day! I love versatile items that I can get a ton of use out of!
Dress: Target
Necklace: Groop Dealz
Bracelet: Belk (old)
Shoes: Target (old)


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

thrifty: spring break

I don't have to work this week because the kids are on spring break.. I only work part- time (about 15 hours per week) so I'm mostly a SAHM but I work at an afterschool program at my church as a teacher. I love the balance of being a mom and spending tons of time with my girls and getting to leave a few hours a day to teach and work with other children. I'm so blessed! But I have loved not having to be anywhere at a certain time this week.

I took the girls to the zoo on Monday... the start of the spring season (and an absolutely gorgeous day!) and oh my goodness, it was packed! We only stayed for about 2 hours but we had a great time! And I'm pretty sure, even with the crowds of people, I was the only one wearing neon skinnies...


Top: Old Navy, thrifted
Pants: Target, clearance 50% off
Shoes: Toms
Necklaces: Old Navy (silver one) and gift (red one)
Watch: Target, clearance 30% off


And yesterday's outfit for mom group and relaxing at home:



 Top: Old Navy
Pants: Banana Republic, clearance 50% off
Boots: Dexter, thrifted
Necklace: Groop Dealz
Bracelet: Belk