thrifty: thrifting 101

My thrifty tips for finding goodies at thrift stores...

• 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.

• There is usually a "best day" to go. For many of my thrift stores it's Mondays. A lot of people make donations on Saturdays and often the new stuff isn't put out until at least Monday.

• 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.

• 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. These 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 your 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 it 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 stores. Particularly around March when most people are doing their "spring cleaning."

• Have something in mind that you are looking for to focus your search. It can be really overwhelming to enter a thrift store if you aren't used to digging through stuff to find a bargain. Focus on jeans if that's what you need or a particular pattern that you love.

Feel free to e-mail me at emily.soto@live.com if you have any thrifting questions!

thrifty: thrifting 101

My thrifty tips for finding goodies at thrift stores...

• 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.
• There is usually a "best day" to go. For many of my thrift stores it's Mondays. A lot of people make donations on Saturdays and often the new stuff isn't put out until at least Monday.
• 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.
• 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. These 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 your 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 it 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 stores. Particularly around March when most people are doing their "spring cleaning."
• Have something in mind that you are looking for to focus your search. It can be really overwhelming to enter a thrift store if you aren't used to digging through stuff to find a bargain. Focus on jeans if that's what you need or a particular pattern that you love.

Feel free to e-mail me at emily.soto@live.com if you have any thrifting questions!

thrifty: tips

My thrifty tips for finding goodies at thrift stores...

• 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.
• There is usually a "best day" to go. For many of my thrift stores it's Mondays. A lot of people make donations on Saturdays and often the new stuff isn't put out until at least Monday.
• 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.
• 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. These 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 your 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 it 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 stores. Particularly around March when most people are doing their "spring cleaning."
• Have something in mind that you are looking for to focus your search. It can be really overwhelming to enter a thrift store if you aren't used to digging through stuff to find a bargain. Focus on jeans if that's what you need or a particular pattern that you love.

Feel free to e-mail me at emily.soto@live.com if you have any thrifting questions!

Happy Thrifting!

My thrift store find today- this brand new Fossil jacket for $5! So perfect for fall!

thrifty: this week at Goodwill

I stop by Goodwill once a week. I generally have something in mind that I'm looking for. Today I needed a pair of jeans so that was my goal. I lucked out and found a pair that fit perfectly! One of my secrets is to ignore sizes and try things on. I just looked for style and wash of the jeans. Found 3 pairs all completely different sizes and only one of them worked for me. You've got to try things on or you'll leave with something that might work and you may be wasting your money, even if it was inexpensive. I don't like to waste money!

I always browse the children's clothing too. I only look for Julianna's current size or the next size up. I never look for Olivia's size right now because she wears all of Julianna's hand me downs. Almost all of their clothing is thrifted unless it was a gift. Kids grow so fast and are rough on clothes so I don't pay full price. There's really no reason to thanks to thrift stores. Today I found 4 dresses from Target, Crazy 8, and Janie and Jack. 

I also look in the home goods section every time for a DIY project. Today I found these pieces of silver for 99 cents! I can't wait to polish them and use them for jewelry storage on my dresser.

I was at the register and spotted these red wedges. They are brand new and can still be found in Target stores. My size! So they came home with me too. 

A successful day of thrifting!

thrifty: look for less

I love getting the look for less. I love clearance racks, coupons, sales, and thrift stores. Getting the look for the least amount of money is my goal. Also remixing old pieces and basics is key. I love taking a basic t-shirt and adding a bold, statement necklace for a brand new look. Here are a few of my most recent outfits...

This top was thrifted and it was a great find! It's from Old Navy and I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of it.

The sandals were a clearance find at Target, the shorts were over 50% off at Old Navy, and I got this shirt on clearance for $5 at Banana Republic!

I found this t-shirt on clearance and it's a great basic piece. I've worn it at least 4 times in the past few weeks. 

This dress was a "splurge" for me. I paid full price-$20 and that is very rare for me. But it's a great basic that can be dressed up or down and it will never go out of style. I love chambray and how versatile it is!

And as you can see above, I'm obsessed with jewelry. I will post about my favorite jewelry stores/websites soon!

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."

thrifty: Easter weekend outfits

I try to incoporate something thrifted into my outfit everyday. It's really not that hard for me to do because so much of my wardrobe is thrifted. My outfits for Easter weekend are a combination of thrifted and non-thrifted items... but if I buy something that isn't from a thrift store, it's always on sale! I never pay full price unless it's something I know I will use a lot.

Good Friday:

Shirt: Old Navy, clearance
Jeans: Target, thrifted
Shoes: American Eagle, old
Necklace: Groop Dealz

Julianna and I made a quick stop into Goodwill before getting groceries on Friday and I found this beautiful floral tulle skirt. I paid about $3.50 for it!

 

Saturday Egg Hunts:


Shirt: Target, thrifted
Jeans: Target, clearance 50% off
Shoes: Target, clearance 50% off
Jacket: Gap, thrifted
Necklace: Groop Dealz

Easter Sunday:

Shirt: J. Crew, thrifted
Skirt: Coldwater Creek, thrifted for $1 on Dollar Day at Goodwill!
Necklace: Sassy Steals
Boots: Dexter, thrifted

thrifty: denim with a pop of floral

Here's how I styled one of my most recent thrift store finds...

Floral top: Izod, thrifted
Jeans: Target Mossimo, thrifted
Jacket: J Crew, thrifted
Boots: Dexter, thrifted
Tank: American Eagle
Necklace: Groop Dealz

Outfit total... less than $20!

thrifty: purple & yellow

Today's outfit is similar to Friday's- skinny jeans, bright colors, boots, and a bubble necklace. Since the temperature isn't Spring like yet- I'm using color in my outfit to make me feel like it's actually Spring.

The sweater in today's outfit was one of my thrift finds when I went to Goodwill on Friday. It's from the Prabal Gurung collection for Target. This sweater is actually still available at Target for $29.99 but I paid about $3.50 for it! I recognized the sweater from seeing it at Target, saw that it was my size, and quickly threw it into my cart. Such a bright color and it's so comfy, too!

The purple jeans are also from Target- clearance for about $8.00, boots were a birthday gift last year, and my necklace is from Groop Dealz for only $10! Even when I buy things that aren't thrifted, they are on sale!

This bright yellow and purple outfit makes this rainy day a little brighter. Happy Sunday!

thrifty: thrifting 101

I love thrifting and you definitely know that if you follow me on Instagram (http://instagram.com/emily_soto). I love posting my daily outfits to show off how I've styled my thrifted items. You don't have to spend a fortune to dress fashionably! I get asked pretty often what my "secret" is to finding good stuff so I'm going to share a few tips.



Today's outfit of the day: thrifted Gap sweater and Target leopard print jeans with a bubble necklace from Groop Dealz, boots from Belk, and a t-shirt from the Target clearance rack.

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 everytime 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.

And here are my thrifted finds for today:

J. Crew button up for Josh and a floral Izod button up and a yellow Prabal Gurung sweater for me. All for less than 10 dollars!

Happy Thrifting!

thrifty: new finds

My parents had Julianna on Saturday evening so it was just Olivia and I. It's much easier to go thrift shopping with one child rather than two so I took advantage of my one baby time and went to Goodwill. I didn't need any clothes for the girls. They are stocked up very well for awhile but I needed a few things for myself since a lot of my fall/winter clothes do not fit or they were maternity since I've worn maternity clothes during the fall/winter for the last 2 out of 3 years.

I really wanted a long sleeve light weight denim button up top. I had seen them online from J. Crew, GAP, Old Navy, and a few of my other favorite retailers but I'm not paying full price. I like going into a thrift store with a game plan. It helps me stay focused and not walk out with a bunch of stuff that I really don't need and won't actually use. So I went to the long sleeve section first. I found a cute plaid long sleeve Tommy Hilfiger shirt that I loved and then went down the next aisle. And guess what I found?! A denim top that was exactly what I was looking for! It was my size and from the GAP. Both tops were about $8.00 so I'd say that was a successful thrifting trip!

thrifty: black & khaki

I think for most women, after having babies, one of your first personal goals is to be able to wear clothes that you wore before getting pregnant. The was definitely a personal goal of mine. I reached my pre-pregnancy weight this week so I got a little more brave about trying on clothes. These shorts I'm wearing today are nothing fancy. I bought them for $3.00 at the thrift store because they were a good basic but I could barely button them last July. It wasn't pretty. So today, after a great workout of strolling the girls through the neighborhood, I figured I'd give them a try. They fit! They fit with no muffin top. Woo hoo! Yay for thrifty finds that fit!

Top: thrifted; brand unkown
Shorts: thrifted; Merona; Target
Shoes: American Eagle

thrifty: stripes and solids

I'm still gravitating towards stripes while I'm out thrifting. The horizontal stripe supposedly makes you look "wider" but I find that it hides some of the stuff you don't want noticed. I'm really just loving any thing with a pattern right now. I also love bright colors. My skin is pretty fair so bright colors tend to look better on me than light ones. I found this skirt on my thrifting trip to Goodwill a couple of weeks ago and I got this shirt while I was shopping at Carolina Thrift. The shoes I bought almost 2 year ago at Plato's Closet.

$3.75 Lily Pulitzer Goodwill find :)

Shirt: thrifted; brand unknown
Tank Top: Downeast Basics
Skirt: thrifted; Lily Pulitzer
Shoes: thrifted; Mossimo, Target

thrifty: clothes for the kiddos

I'm not the only one in the house that wears thrifted clothes. Most of Josh's clothes are also thrifted. He got a really nice Ralph Lauren striped polo on Saturday. He's wearing it tomorrow. Maybe he'll let me photograph him for the blog. Besides what I've received from baby showers and as gifts, most of my girls' clothes are thrifted. Kids ruin clothes so I'd rather not pay $20 for an outfit that will be worn once and ruined or outgrown in a week. They both wore adorable, thrifted outfits today. Julianna's was particularly fun. I'm not sure what the brand is but this little shirt is so fun and colorful. Very unique! I know she'll never run into another 2 year old wearing the same shirt. The best part is that I bought this adorable shirt for only 99 cents!

Thrifty: for fitness

I workout just about daily but I never leave my house to do it. I've been doing the 30 Day Shred at home in the comfort of my living room. So do I need cute workout outfits? Nope. My 2 year old wouldn't mind if I exercised in my pajamas. But let's be real. Sometimes I wear my workout clothes all day long before I have a chance to actually workout or shower. So yes, I want to be cute in my workout clothes since I may wear them all day. I found this Under Armour shirt for just $3.75. It was my size, it fits well, and it perfect for working out.

Shirt: thrifted; Under Armour
Capris: Wal-Mart, Athletic Works
Shoes: Asics

Thrifty: new finds!

My husband came home earlier from work today so after I fed Olivia, I headed down the street to the Goodwill- by myself! I haven't been anywhere alone in a long time. It felt good to just get out of the house without the diaper bag and a sippy cup. I browsed for about 20 minutes. Tried out several things but walked away with one dress, one skirt, and one shirt for just over $12.00. For my next 3 thrifty posts, I'm going to show you "thrifty" outfits featured my new items. This is what I got...

This shirt is Under Armuor...in case you couldn't already tell by the logo on the front. My husband is a huge Under Armour fan. So when I walked in the house and told him I got an Under Armour shirt he got all excited thinking it was for him... sorry, honey, this one is all mine! These shirts retail at about $25 so I got a great deal at $3.75- it looks good as new.



This skirt is from Lilly Pulitzer and I paid just $3.75 for it! Woo hoo! I love Lilly Pulitzer clothing but let's be serious... it's too stinkin' expensive! Their skirts usually range from $70-$100. No way! I'm too cheap for that so I was so excited to find this pretty blue skirt in my size!



This is a Calvin Klein dress and I almost didn't try it on. It's an extra small so I didn't think there was anyway it was going to fit. Thank goodness for trying it on! It actually runs big and fits me perfectly! A great thrifting tip: never pass up on an item just because it doesn't say "your size"... try it on anyway! I got this pretty dress for just $5.00.
  

Thrifty: post-baby fashion

The thrifty shopper in me was dying to go thrift store shopping. I finally made it to the Goodwill (with the help of Josh) on the 4th of July. The Goodwill is only 5 minutes down the road but it's hard to manage my 2 girls alone in a thrift store- keeping up with one is tough enough. He took care of Julianna while I took Olivia with me. I was on a mission to find a few cute things to spicen up my post-baby wardrobe. Even with a fussy newborn, I took home 3 tops, 1 pair of bermudas, and a dress. I haven't worn one of the tops or the bermudas yet- the bermuda shorts are white and look good as new. They're from Express. They fit but they fit with a muffin top. Yuck! So I won't be sporting those until my tummy flattens out a bit more. But here are 3 post-baby outfits that I've created using my new thrift store finds...

Top: thrifted; J. Crew
Tank Top: Wal-Mart
Skirt: thrifted; Kohls

Dress: thrifted; Old Navy
Tank Top: Down East Basics

Top: thrifted; Gap
Shorts: thrifted; Target

Health & Fitness: Day 5 and a new dress

Today is day 5 of my health and fitness journey. I was so hungry when I woke up this morning. I needed a jolt of protein to get me going. You know what I ended up eating? A leftover turkey burger from the 4th of July on a whole wheat bun with a little ketchup and mustard. Not exactly what I would normally eat for breakfast but it was so delicious this morning and definitely filled me up. For lunch, another leftover. I ate a small piece of the lasagna that I made for Josh's birthday last night. Again, delicious and filling. I'm finishing up 20 oz. of water right now. That's one thing I need to work on- drinking more water.

For dinner we're having taco salad- ground turkey seasoned with chili powder and crushed red pepper, shredded cheese, light sour cream, tomatoes, spring mix, black beans, salsa, multi grain tortilla chips, and homemade guacamole for Josh.

Day 5 Exercise:
20 minutes of the 30 Day Shred and hopefully some walking either on the treadmill or around the neighborhood when it cools off a little this evening.

Me... 7 weeks postpartum in my new $5.00 dress from the Goodwill ;)

The 4th and Fashion

Yesterday, we celebrated our first 4th of July as a family of 4. The day started off with a "bang" when our AC went out upstairs at about midnight. Julianna woke up around 1:30am and never went back to sleep. Olivia slept as usual but Josh and I took turns with Julianna. I ended up on the couch watching Nick Jr. with her. She finally crashed for a nap around noon and I woke up up around 3pm. She wasn't happy with me this time! We ventured out to the Goodwill. I haven't been thrifting since before Olivia was born so I was very excited. We only stayed for about 15 minutes but I still managed to find 5 items that I loved. I'll show those off in another post. We also got Julianna a bag of Mega Blocks... I'm not sure who loved those more- her or Josh! We picked up a few items from the grocery store and went back home for a little cookout. We grilled ranch turkey burgers and also had potato salad, baked beans, and sweet potato fries. Delicious- and Julianna even ate! We had planned on having strawberry shortcake for dessert but we were all so full. I think that would be good for breakfast! Josh bought a few fireworks to shoot off with the neighbors. We thought Julianna would love them. We were wrong. She was okay with the idea at first but then we gave her a sparkler and she immediately grabbed the "sparkler end" instead of the stick. It happened too fast for us to stop her. A little burn later and she was completely scared and done with fireworks. She screamed and cried for 5 minutes so I took her instead for bathing and consoling. Oh well! We'll try again next year and maybe Olivia can join us instead of snoozing!

Speaking of being thrifty... 4th of July was the perfect chance to wear my blue and white striped shorts. I scored this Banana Republic shorts for $2.00 at the thrift store when I was pregnant. I was excited to pair them with a fun red top for the perfect 4th of July outfit. Thrifty and fashionable! :)

thrifty: outfits fit for work

Top: thrifted, Liz Claiborne, $2.00

Capris: thrifted, New York & Company, $5.00

Shoes: thrited, Liz Claiborne, $3.75

Necklace: Old Navy

Total: $10.75

Top: thrifted, $2.00

Tank Top: Old Navy, $3.00

Skirt: thrifted, Madison, $3.75

Shoes: thrifted, Liz Claiborne, $3.00

Total: $11.75

Top: Down East Basics, $20.00

Skirt: thrifted, Larry Levine, $3.00

Shoes: Duck Head, $13.00

Total: $36.00

Top: Wal-Mart, $4.00

Capris: thrifted, New York & Company, $5.00

Shoes: Target, $13.00

Necklace: Latasia Jewelry

Total: $22.00