thrifting 101: thrifting with kids

We've all been there (at least those of us with children).  We're out shopping with our kid(s) enjoying our retail therapy time when your child decides they have had. e. nough.  They start throwing things, whining, yelling, crying, and eventually have a meltdown while everyone stares at you annoyed that your child is now interrupting their retail therapy.

Lets face it, shopping with kids is hard.  ESPECIALLY thrift store shopping.  At least at normal department stores you have a little more freedom to let your child out of the cart or stroller and walk around or play in the dressing room while you try on your clothes.  But at thrift stores you can't really do this.  They are dirty.  And I mean diiiiirtyyyy.

 After months of trying to figure out how to wed my love for thrift store shopping with one of the loves of my life, I have finally discovered the answer.  BE QUICK.  I know that sounds silly and really simple, but it's true.  And this is especially hard to do in a thrift store.  There is SO much to look at and it's SO unorganized that it takes a long time to comb through everything.  So here are a few ways I have discovered to be quick in a thrift store:

1.  Choose to only look at 1 or 2 sections.  I used to love spending hours on end combing through every single piece in every single section.  That's usually how you find the best things!  But that is no longer an option with kids.  Now when I go in to a thrift store I usually tell myself that I am only going to look at dresses and shoes or housewares and shirts, etc.  This way I only spend about 30 minutes total in the store.  I have found that any time after that your kid is definitely done and ready to leave.

2.  If you want to look at everything just do a quick scan.  This option may take more practice and experience, but try it!  Since I have been thrifting for so long I am pretty good at spotting the good stuff just from walking down the isles glancing at the items.  I may not find as many great things this way, but it allows me to look at everything in the store.  Just keep your eye out for bold patterns or colors in the clothing racks or any fun material or fabric that is unusual and eye-catching.  

3.  Go when there are little to no crowds.  It's easiest to look through a thrift store when you don't have to fight people for dressing rooms, take turns going down isles, or wait in long lines.  This also cuts down on a lot of waisted time.  Hit up the thrift stores when they open in the mornings and avoid the evenings and weekends.  That is when they are most crowded.  

And on top of everything else, make sure you have enough snacks and toys to keep your little occupied while you shop.  I have found that bringing toys Sawyer hasn't played with in a while really helps because it will keep him interested for longer.  

Good luck to all of you and and happy (quick) thrifting!

i'm back and pregnant!

i'm back!  it's been a long time, i know, and for that i apologize.  i like to take my photos on our nice Canon camera, however when we moved back in the end of july, guess what?  we lost the charger :(  so our camera ran out of battery and i stopped taking pictures.  but blogging is one of my new year's resolutions for a couple of reasons:

1. i really enjoy sharing my thrift store finds with all of you

2. this is a great way to "journal" since i am so bad at actually writing in a journal, 

3. and last, but certainly not least, since i am PREGNANT (three cheers!) i want to document my pregnancy and my ever growing belly.   

since we can't use our nice camera right now, i had to resort to taking pictures on our iPhones.  not the best quality, but it'll do in the mean time.  i'm so glad to be back here with all of you and i hope you enjoy my upcoming maternity outfits from thrift stores, my crazy pregnancy stories, and just life in general! 

coat: thrifted, top: thrifted, cardigan: gift, corduroys: walmart, boots: thrifted, 

purse: thrifted, scarf: souvenir from london, watch: christmas gift

currently i am 15 weeks pregnant.  

i BARELY have the beginnings of a belly, but i like to pretend that i am showing more than i am.

this week i have been craving really crappy fast food.  

i haven't had any morning sickness - HALLELUJAH!

i have gained a grand total of 1.5 pounds. 

   

this was from one of my crappy fast food cravings last night.  for some reason chicken stars from Carls Jr. with criss cut fries have been my food of choice.  

we ventured to our favorite spot today:  main street in huntington beach.  

this guy could watch waves for hours.  literally.  

i can't wait for the summer to come back so i can catch some wonderful rays out here.

old town fun

top: thrifted, skirt: fitted, watch: veryjane, bracelet: thrifted, necklace: target, 

sandals: thrifted, sunnies: forever 21

dear diary,

yesterday my mom and i hopped on the train down to San Diego to see my sister Katherine for her birthday.  it was so much fun.  the train ride along the coast was absolutely beautiful.  it made me appreciate the state i live in and the beauty i get to see all the time.  

our final destination was old town san diego.  it's this quaint little area full of heritage, history, and tourist trap shops.  we looked at so many shops with the same stuff over and over, but somehow it was still fun just talking and laughing together about the strange little things these shops had.  we walked through the famous haunted Whaley house, katherine found some awesome angry birds sunglasses and a pair of hello kitty sunglasses, we got some yummy & refreshing sherbert ice cream to cool us off from the heat, goofed around, and, of course, drank lots of coke and diet coke.  

a big thank you to my mom and sister for making yesterday so much fun!  and happy birthday katherine!  i hope you enjoyed yesterday as much as we did!  

  

must thrift fall items

dear diary, 

i don't know about you, but recently i have been getting really excited for fall.  i LOVE fall fashion.  boots, scarves, peacoats, umbrellas, beanies....i could go on forever.  i can't stop thinking about all of my fall outfits and it inspired me to show you some super cute items you can thrift and add to your fall wardrobe.  here are some must have, must thrift fall items....

1. fedoras.  lately i have been wearing a fedora that patrick got for free.  it's a great way to get ready without actually having to do you hair! (one of my least favorite things)  i actually just saw some fedoras at the goodwill i was at tonight, so i know you can find one thrifting too! 

2. chambray. chambray. chambray.  this is SO in right now and they are ALL over thrift stores.  you won't have a hard time finding this super comfy, yet chic shirt while thrifting.  i love the one i got from goodwill a couple months ago because i can pair it with any style, color, or pattern.  you will not regret buying one.  

3. scarves.  scarves are a MUST HAVE fall fashion item.  they are an awesome accessory that are also very practical by keeping you warm and cozy.  thrift stores always have scarves, so this should be another easy one to find.  in fact, i found one of my favorite scarves at a thrift store.  

4. maxi skirts.  this item is going to be a little harder to find at a thrift store, although i have seen ones from target at goodwill lately.  if you can't find a maxi skirt, try finding even a maxi dress and then you can just wear the chambray shirt over the dress.  i do this a lot with a maxi dress i thrifted a couple of months ago and you can't even tell i'm wearing a dress underneath.  

5. BOOTS. these are definitely my favorite fall fashion item of all time.  they look cute with everything!  shorts, skirts, pants, leggings, etc.  i prefer riding boots, but you can choose what style you like.  this is another item i see crawling all over thrift stores all the time, too.  in fact, i just saw an adorable pair tonight that were real leather, but almost identical to a pair i just bought, so i didn't buy them :(  so, if you live in the OC, go get those boots!

6.  bomber jackets.  i love this style jacket.  it, too, goes with so many things.  it can be paired with more feminine clothes, or even more edgy clothes.  you won't have a hard time finding these at thrift stores either.  it's so fun when you find one that is vintage because the leather has so much character and life to it.

so, for this fun labor day weekend head out to some thrift stores and see if you can find some of these items!  then in the comments below write and tell me what you found!  i can't wait to hear from you! 

{happy thrifting!}  

stepped out of a magazine

as many of you know i had the opportunity last night to talk to a group of women from church about "how to shop at thrift stores," and let me tell you it was so much fun!  

they started out with a cute skit about where some different women bought their clothes from and then it was my turn to share my thoughts!  i spoke for about 15 minutes about my best "thrift store how to" tricks and then opened it up for questions.  the women had some really good questions about where some good kids thrift stores are, if the outfit i was wearing was thrifted, where are some good thrift stores to get furniture, and more.  they then had a fashion show spotlighting women who bought outfits from thrift stores.  women of all ages showed of their finds.  the MC was hilarious so we all had a good laugh and enjoyed watching the shows.  we even got ice cream after! yum......

i had the chance to talk to many of the women after who told me that they, too, love to shop at thrift stores and that they couldn't wait to try out some of the tips i gave them.  i had a display table to highlight some of the amazing things i have found at thrift stores and many women stood there talking to me about how they couldn't believe i had thrifted those things.  it was so much fun to talk to these ladies and to hear how excited and pleased they were with what i had shared with them.  

my favorite quote of the night was from a young lady while she was looking at my table: "you look like you stepped out of a magazine!"  i highly doubt that, but it made me laugh and made happy to know that people are beginning to find out that you don't need to spend lots of money to be fashionable.  

{happy thrifting!}

thrifting 101: pricing

 shirt: thrifted, skirt: fitted, necklace: etsy, bracelet: thrifted, 

watch: thrifted, sandals: thrifted, hat: free

alright my little thrifing friends, it's time for another thrifting 101!  i recently asked my instagram followers what questions they had about thrift store shopping so i can answer them for you here on my blog.  first up today is pricing.  

it is widely known that thrift stores are super cheap...most of the time.  sometimes there are items that are over priced because they are designer or "popular."  most of the time you'll find this at the more well known thrift stores like goodwill or salvation army.  goodwill is probably one of the more "expensive" thrift stores (if you can even call it expensive).  the little mom and pop thrift stores are always the cheapest and they usually have really good sales.  here is what i usually pay for things that i buy.  hopefully this will provide you a little guide as to what is too expensive to spend money on at a thrift store.    

i think that over $10 for any clothing, besides a suit, is way too much money to pay.  i usually try to pay only around $5 for anything clothing related.  

as far as shoes go, i don't pay over $10 either, unless they are really nice boots or heels.  in that case $15 is usually my max.  i usually end up paying between $5-$8.    

for jewelry i typically don't pay over $5.  watches i am willing to pay more for if they look nice, but i definitely won't pay over $10.  

are you noticing a trend in the pricing?  that's because thrift stores are SUPPOSED to be cheap!  anything that is over $10-$15 is usually too much to pay.  that's even pushing it.  

i hope this helps you decipher what is too much to pay while you are out thrifting.  remember, it's all personal as well.  if you really love an item and you have to have it, then buy it!  because if you leave without buying it, and regret doing so, you usually can't go back to get it.  most likely someone else will have bought it!  so good luck and have fun! 

{happy thrifting!}          

mom and pop

top: thrifted, shorts: thrifted, shoes: thrifted, necklace: target

dear diary, 

lately i have really been enjoying the mom and pop thrift stores over the more well known goodwills or salvation armys.  for some reason i have been into finding things for our house more than i want to look for clothes.  i think something may be wrong with me because i always want to look at the clothes, so this new development is very strange.    

anyways, sometimes the mom and pop thrift stores can be hard to find.  if you search on google maps, you most likely won't find them.  i have learned that yelp is the place to look.  there are lots of great reviews that you can read and get an idea of the place, whether it's good, bad, small, big, etc.  

these stores are generally a lot cheaper than the bigger chains, which is always a plus.  you can sometimes find things for $1 or 50 cents!  they also seem to have a really cool selection of home decor and furniture, usually more vintage/retro stuff, which is right up my alley and exactly what i love.  

so, next time you have an hour or two get on your computer or phone and type in "thrift" on yelp  to search in your area and visit some of the lesser known thrift stores that pop up!  i promise it will be fun, and you'll probably find something really cool from it.    

{happy thrifting!}   

wish list

so, i have a problem.  i think i am addicted to shopping.  i've never shopped as much as i have the past year of my life.  i think the reason is because i find things for so cheap i can justify spending money on them.  but now i have a list of like a million things that i really want right now, but i can't but them all because i'll be broke!  and this isn't even all of the things i am dying to buy.  i just wish it was going to be my birthday, or christmas soon so i could have someone else buy them for me!  but you know, if you happen to feel real generous, then buy all means, go ahead and buy them for me just for the heck of it :) 

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

1.  seriously?  i love this sofa!  i just wish it was a true vintage version.  but it's so gorgeous that i'm not going to be picky.  

2.  i have been wanting a gold michael kors watch for A LONG TIME now!  i am thinking i am going to ask for one for christmas. 

3. i am in love with this chevron iphone case.  the colors and the design are absolutely perfect.  

4.  i saw these pillows at urban outfitters about 2 months ago and it was love at first sight.  the only reason why i haven't bought them yet is because they are $34 each!  i am too cheap to pay that much for pillows.  i actually got lucky at goodwill the other day and found one similar to them, but its still not the same as the ruffled, velvety deliciousness as the original.  

5.  i saw this shirt on a blog i read and immediately fell in love with the cute heart print.  it's adorable, and i want it! 

6.  lately i have been obsessed with big, chunky statement necklaces.  i have imitation j.crew bubble necklaces in turquoise and coral, but i still really want the yellow!  

7.  again, another big statement necklace.  i love how all of the colors in this necklace create such a beautiful color pallet.  

8.  don't you think this dog tag stamped anniversary necklace would be a perfect anniversary gift for our 2nd anniversary in a month?  i think so :)  

{happy shopping!}

for the love of maxi

 

 

top: thrifted, skirt: fitted, necklace: etsy, belt: thrifted, gladiator sandals: thrifted, hat: gift, bracelt: thrifted, 

watch: thrifted, sunglasses: forever 21

my favorite piece of clothing this summer has definitely been maxi skirts.  i wish i could say i thrifted this fabulous skirt, but you have no idea how long i looked for a maxi skirt at thrift stores with no luck.  so, i finally gave in and bought one elsewhere.  i must say, definitely worth the extra money.  they are so incredibly comfortable, cool, and light.  perfect for a hot summer day that turns into a cooler night.  

what makes them even greater is that they are also extremely functional for the winter months.  this means you get more for your money out of each wear, which is always a plus when you are as savvy as i am.  i can't wait to pair my maxi's with some boots, a sweater and a scarf.   

so, moral of the story is that you NEED a maxi skirt.  you will not be disappointed, i promise.  now, stop reading and go buy one!  oh, and happy friday!

{happy thrifting!}