-
From basic to interesting
Well, this outfit might not be outstanding but it definitely becomes more interesting and stands out more with its improvements. How do you transform an outfit from basic to pretty? A week or so ago, I was getting ready for church but I was not sure what to wear. I knew I wanted to wear something different that would go with my gray boots because while it was not too cold, it was overcast and probably would rain. I decided to build from a plain black dress. Basic black dress and boots One of my very versatile accessory in my closet, these boots have been worn many times since I…
-
Why I changed the way I grocery shop
About a year or so ago, I changed the way I go about making a grocery list. While sticking to a monthly grocery budget (I strive for about $520 a month including our toiletries and paper items), I changed the way I planned my menu and wrote my grocery list. I used to just write my menu then list the ingredients I needed for these meals on my list and then shop typically at Walmart and Aldi. When we moved to a new town, I finally discovered why so many people enjoy shopping at Kroger. While I still do the majority of my shopping at Aldi, these are the steps…
-
New Orleans: Family fun on a budget
Last fall, our family decided to spend a long weekend in New Orleans. My husband travels there for work a few times a year and raves about the food and the architecture each time he comes back. So we decided to take advantage of a long weekend break in October to visit. We used our Hilton Honors points and treated ourselves to a fancy hotel, the Waldorf Astoria! We took advantage of the one sunny afternoon to enjoy some pool fun. As it turned out, our visit coincided with the beignet festival which made our trip even more fun. The event was free but you had to purchase the different…
-
#thriftedchicstylechallenge outfits
This week I am participating in a challenge on Instagram called #thriftedchistylechallenge. While I have known about this challenge for a while, I never took the step to participate. So this week is the week! My son has been helping me with my photos so that I do not post just a bunch of selfies and we have been trying to be creative with where we can take our pictures whithout leaving the neighborhood. While they are some cool places in town where I would like to take pictures, bringing my 4 boys with me would not be conducive to a smooth photoshoot. But as we learn, we will become…
-
Thrifting with a purpose
While I am ok with spending two dollars on an item that I might only wear once, I would rather fill my closet with clothes that I actually will wear multiple times in a variety of ways. To do this, I visit thrift stores or consigment stores with a plan. I tend to shop at thrift stores with friends or when my clothing allowance/budget is tighter. Know your thrift stores Because I usually thrift shop when my budget is limited, I usually try to head to the thrift stores when they have a special discounted day. There is a Value Village thrift store that has all of their merchandise half…
-
Dining on steak on a budget
My husband and I love our ribeye steaks. When asked to choose a steak, we will ideally choose a ribeye every time, medium rare. But ribeye steaks are definitely not something too friendly on our budget. A few years ago, the hubby came home with some chuck eye steaks and I was sold! Chuck eye steaks have a very similar taste to ribeyes but the cost per pound is a lot less. We usually can find them for around $6-7/lb versus $13-14/lb for ribeye steaks. Since they can usually only cut two chuck eye steaks from a cow, you may not find many on the beef shelf at the grocery…
-
Choosing lodging on a budget
When choosing a destination for your vacation, take into account the length of your stay, the location and your budget! You have several options: Stay with friends Stay in a hotel Renting a house/condo on a site such as vrbo or Airbnb Camp/rv When staying with friends, make sure to bring your hosts a gift and if you have a large family like mine, help out with groceries! Saving money on hotels If you have a credit card associated with a hotel institution like IHG or Hilton Honors, redeem points for free hotel rooms. You may need to change your plans if you realize that your original idea is too…
-
A few of my favorite things : Monday Linkups with the Blended Blog
Must have booties for fall/winter A year and a half ago as part of her recommendations for the Nordstrom Yearly Sale, Audrey from Putting me Together recommended these Franco Sarto granite booties. They are now sold out but if you wear a size 11 you are in luck, Walmart (of all places) has them in that size for $29.99.I had never shopped the sale before so I added them to my cart as well as a sweater. Best decision ever! I wear them with skirts, dresses and my skinnies jeans. They were comfortable from the get go and are holding up well. Favorite new purse My sister in law has…
-
Finding inspiration for outfits
While I still shop at thrift stores and stores like Target, Old Navy and Nordstrom, I am trying to curb my shopping in order to save for our upcoming trip to Europe. When I go on one of these clothes shopping freeze, I try to shop my closet and come up with new combinations of clothes. Here are several steps I use to control my desire to shop and to enjoy my clothes anew: Purge and reorganize my closet When my closet is organized and filled with only clothes that fit me and that I actually like/love, I find it easier to create new combinations. It is easier to find…
-
Garage makeover
We moved into our new house about a year ago. With 4 boys, my husband’s tools and my old teaching stuff, our garage has had periods of relative organization but without shelving this is what it eventually looks like: Without shelves there is really no way to keep things organized. I enrolled the help of my husband to make some shelves for all of our junk! I needed shelves for the kids’ craft supplies, their outside toys, my tubs of school supplies and husband’s miscellaneous items and space to park riding toys and bikes and toys such as soccer balls and nerf guns. With the help of a you tube…