SAHM Cheats and an LBD

Dress - Ann Taylor via Goodwill - $5

Coat - Kohl's - $27

Tee - F21 - $5

Pumps - Target - $12

These photos were taken last Sunday. I feel like I rarely get to wear heels and dresses anymore. My wardrobe keeps getting more and more practical as I find myself with more "mom" chores than ever these days. Capri needs to eat more than usual (growth spurt I'm assuming), my husband is out of commission due to shoulder surgery, and my two older kids are as high energy as ever and demanding a lot of my attention. 

Needless to say, my husband with his shoulder surgery isn't the only one with only one usable arm right now. I am also one-armed because Capri has full use of my other arm. But it's amazing what you can do with only one arm/hand. You can cook dinner, do the dishes, sweep, vacuum, type, email, blog, take photos, run, brush your teeth, wash your face, help a toddler get on and off the toilet, use the restroom yourself (is this TMI?), apply make-up, make beds, do laundry, etc. Having two arms is merely a luxury.

Here are a few of my cheats that I couldn't live without right now:

1. Clorox wipes. Need to clean the bathroom, clean up spills, disinfect something that's been vomited on, but still have that baby on your hip? This does the job in one quick swipe. I have these babies in each bathroom and the kitchen.

2. Unscented sensitive baby wipes. Only have one hand to wash your make-up off? I use a baby wipe in a pinch. Chris says my face smells as fresh as a baby's bottom. Now who wouldn't want that? 

3. Slip-on shoes. Who has time to tie shoe laces or configure a buckle? 

4. Cross-body bags. Hands free. Enough said. 

5. Cordless hand-vacuum cleaner. I love my little vacuum. Sometimes I just leave it on our coffee table during school time to quickly vacuum up little spills that occur all over the house throughout the day from my littles. And it's the only way I can get the stairs vacuumed when I'm holding Capri.

6. Rice cooker/steamer. When you have only one hand to cook dinner, just throw some rice and veggies in the rice cooker with your free hand. 

7. Pre-cooked meat in the freezer. Need some meat to add to your rice and veggies? I keep organic nitrate-free beef hot dogs and burgers for days when I don't have my hands free to cook. 

8. Double jogger. The weather has finally been mild enough for me to take the kids on my runs. The girls ride in the Burley and CJ rides his bike. Now I have no excuse not to get my butt out there for a run.

9. Uniform. Since dressing has to be pretty hurried most of the time, I always have a fall-back look I go to when I can't think of anything else. Lately (if you haven't noticed) my uniform is a long top with skinnies. 

10. Minimal make-up routine. One handed make-up can be tricky, but I can usually get my BB cream, a little mascara on my top lashes, and some blush or bronzer on with the baby in tow. 

I have plenty more little ways I've been cutting corners these days, but I'd say these are my top 10 right now. What are your time-savers?  

Boyfriend Jeans and a Classic Peacoat

Ha! Can you tell I haven't quite figured out my new camera yet?

Finally a clear shot. Eventually I'll get this figured out!

Over the weekend I caught a nasty stomach bug. I'm eating again, but my stomach is still pretty weak and sore. Even though I'm not a huge fan of boyfriend jeans for my body type, I love that I can pull these out whenever I need something comfortable. They are so soft and hang so loose around my waist (perfect for my sore stomach). I bought these at Goodwill for only $5 in an in-between size right after Capri was born. They've been great for days at home when I needed something loose and baggy to accommodate my postpartum belly. After this stomach flu these jeans are officially too big for me, so this is the last time I'll be wearing them. Hopefully that means I'll be able to fit into another pair of my pre-pregnancy jeans.

Jeans - Levi's via Goodwill - $5 Really wanting these for $79

Sweater - Land's End via Goodwill - $2 Similar for $20

Booties - Guess via DSW - $20 Similar for $35

Peacoat - Gap Outlet - $20 Similar for $95

New Winter Coat

You might remember this post that got me in the mood to look for end of season clearance buys on a winter coat. Sure enough, I snatched up this one just yesterday for under $25!

Sweater - Target - $6.88

Coat - Gap - $23.98 Similar

Jeans - H&M - $2.50

Booties - Guess via DSW - $19.98

Shades - Banana Republic - $17

Puffy and Warm

We're dreading looking forward to another snowstorm this weekend and today was exceptionally cold. We had plenty of sun to keep it cheery, though.

At first I thought I could get by with just this leather jacket since I was going to be indoors all day . . .

But a puffer jacket and a down vest won out. After all, my daughter looks so cute in her puffy coat I had to match.

 In other news, my husband has been flipping channels for the past several minutes and has settled on Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman's Bewitched. He can't stop laughing at Ferrell's antics. I can't stop laughing at him for enjoying this.

Jacket - Wal-Mart - $10

Vest - J.Crew Outlet - $20

Jeans - H&M - $2.50

Sweatshirt - Goodwill - $3

Booties - Target - $7

Window Shopping for Clearance Coats at Nordstrom

While everyone else is thinking Spring, I usually start looking for good deals on end of season Winter coats. Here are a few of my picks for under $200 in a couple of different styles (click on the pictures to shop).

The Puffer:

I'm really liking this Tahari puffer. It looks like it could withstand the temps we've experienced this season and I love the taupe color and the flattering princess seams.

The collar totally makes this coat and I love how it keeps it's shape by defining the waistline.

How cute is this? Love the moto style in a puffer.

Maternity:

When looking for a maternity coat, I try to avoid actual maternity coats. I want something that I'll wear whether I'm pregnant or not. This one is really cute and should work throughout a pregnancy.

This is a really cute style and perfect for pregnancy. I wore a swing coat for my second pregnancy and it worked great.

Trendy:

Leopard print is so glamorous and classic. I love it that this vintage look is so very now. It's under $75, too. Can't beat that!

I love this deep blue collar, and the dropped button and faux leather skinny shawl collar is very on trend.

I like how this coat has a moto jacket look, but provides extra warmth because it's longer. It would give toughness and edge to any look, but be totally comfortable and easy to wear.

Leather:

I'm not a big fan of faux leather. If you want a leather jacket, the classic moto style is always on trend and goes great with any outfit. This grey jacket is no exception.

Only the sleeves are leather, the rest is coated fabric, but the quality looks impeccable for under $200.

This leather jacket looks effortlessly chic and so comfortable. It would be a great transition coat, too.

Classic Wool Coats:

The asymmetrical collar keeps this classic shaped wool coat fun.

Classic herringbone wool coat that reminds me of something Audrey Hepburn would wear.

Wouldn't this be perfect for an English countryside stroll?

Let It Snow

I spent last week in MI at my parents house while my husband had a work trip in Boulder, CO. I packed up my kids, all of CJ's school books, our snow clothes, and drove up there as soon as I finished the school, laundry, and packing on Monday. The change of scenery, the warmth of my family, and closer access to shopping was just what I needed to change my perspective on my life. Between postpartum hormones, winter blues, extreme temps, and my husband being gone, I was starting to feel a little low and a little lonely. But being away from home always gives you a fresh appreciation for it and I feel so refreshed and contented now. 

I am so blessed to live in my beautiful antique home with my loving kids and husband. I am so blessed to live in a safe community in a state that experiences all four seasons in all their glory. The snow looks so beautiful and it won't last forever. I need to enjoy it while I can. 

That being said, I'm learning to embrace wearing my snow boots just about every day and being sure to wear lots of layers. This is what I wore today for grocery shopping, then taking my daughters to a cafe while my son took his karate class. No amount of snow mounds threatened me dressed like this.

Hat - Target - $6

T-shirt - Gap - $3

Sweater - Target - $6

Fleece lined leggings - Wal-Mart - $7

Knit pencil skirt - Old Navy - $6

Boots - Target - $25

Puffer coat - Wal-Mart - $10

Bag - Dooney & Bourke - hand-me-down

New Coat

While everyone else is gearing up for Spring, I'm stocking up on Winter essentials at 80% off. February and March are the best months to shop for winter clothes, because everything is on clearance.

 

I bought this coat from the Narciso Rodriguez line at Kohl's for only $26. It was originally $130.

Lace for Winter

On a shopping trip with my sisters in Chicago, my sister and I both picked up this dress as Target. It is seasonless, flattering, feminine, and trendy - what more could you want in a dress?

 

Dress - Target - $25

Jewelry - Dillard's - gifted

Belt - gifted from the leather market in Florence, Italy

Tights - Kohl's - $2

Boots - DSW - gifted 

 

I found this cute navy peacoat at the Gap Outlet for only $21! Haven't had a new coat in a while, so I'm glad I have something new to keep things interesting for the rest of this dreary winter.

At the Airport

Jeggings - Target - $5
Coat - Gap (years ago) - $25
Scarf - Target - $6
White t - Target - thrifted for $1
Chambray shirt - Gap - thrifted for $3
Boots - Michael Antonio - $9
Orange bag - NY&Co - borrowed from sis
Luggage - TJMaxx - $42

On my way to see my sis today!!!!

Outfit Post: My Floppy Hat

Dress - Elle - thrifted for $5

Belt - Banana Republic - $3

Jacket - Hydraulic - gifted

Tights - Kohl's - $1

Leather pumps - Dillard's (Gianni Bini) - $27

Earrings - gifted

Coat - Anne Klein - $23

Hat - Francesca's - $5

Shades - Wal-Mart - $7

Outfit Post: Adding Layers

So this sweater dress from Forever 21 is one of the "new-to-me" items I got this week. I was so glad when the boots I won with my eBay giftcard for hosting the eBay giveaway arrived in time for me to wear the dress with the boots to church this morning!
After taking these first two pictures, I realized this dress was definitely too tight, and decided I needed to start adding some layers.

First I thought just the jacket would be enough, but after I took this picture, I noticed I needed something for my ever growing neckline as well.

This scarf added just the right amount of coverage, and helped the outfit come together very nicely, I think.

After my son and I got our coats on and were about to leave for church, he insisted he get in on one of my pictures - so here's a picture of the last layer I added before heading out.

Dress - F21 - hand-me-down

Coat - hand-me-down

Scarf - gifted

Jacket - Jones New York - thrifted for $3

Boots - Jessica Simpson - courtesy of eBay

Jeggings - Wal-Mart - $1

Bangles - F21 - gifted

Hoop earrings - Premier Jewelry - $21

Shades - Ann Taylor Loft - $3

Cutest 4 year old boy in the world - PRICELESS!

Outfit Post: Maternity Coat

I had my 24 week prenatal appointment today. Just a quick weight check, blood pressure check, listening to the heartbeat and measuring the fundal height...boring, I know, but exciting to me that I'm more than half way there! I don't know why my son wouldn't smile for the picture - he was smiling before and after at least!

And this is my new "maternity" coat. It's actually my Mom's swing coat that she is letting me borrow since it has plenty of belly room. I love it!

Hat - Target - $6
Corduroys - Gap Maternity - $7
Sweater - Kohl's - gifted
Pearl necklace - gifted
Silver hoop earrings - Target - $1
Clogs - Colin Stuart (thrifted) - $4