Budget Friendly Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is right around the corner and I am sure some of us could use some budget friendly ideas. To be honest I am so sad about not getting a school made mother's day gift from school this year. I cherish all those gifts made at school! 

George has been asking me what color and kind of flowers I want. He said we are going to need to buy you some flowers soon. I am guessing him and Art have been having some conversations about mother's day. I told him I would like pink tulips. He asked you don't want pink roses? lol

I am not really a flower type person. They are just going to die, so how about getting me something off my Amazon wish list, another pair of the Birkenstock plastic knock off sandals from Target, or a day of no cooking. I told Art not to get me anything this year. I have everything I want or need. 

Here are some ideas that you could share if someone asks what you want. 

Color Street 

I absolutely love Color Street. I can put a set of nail stripes on and they will last me 10-14 days. However I did learn they will not last if you decide to play Lego's and start pulling them apart. I have a couple chips on 2 nails from my Lego building! It was worth it! My favorite color is Swiss & Tell a white color! It's my go to that I wear almost every day. 

Target Plastic Sandals

I bought these sandals to be my "slippers" around the house. I am going to buy a second pair to wear outside of the house. They are soooo comfy! I wanted to buy the Birkenstock plastic sandals, but they are $45 for plastic. I happen to find these at Target for $15. My cousin then told me she bought hers when sandals were 20% plus her 5% Target Card discount, which made them around $9. 

They come in black, silver and white. I have the white ones. I think I will buy another pair of the white. Hey I can bleach them if they get too dirty right. lol

Tie Dyed Tank Top

Tie dye is all the rage right now. I like the colorful subtle tie dye. I do not like the really bold red, blue, yellow, green colors. 

Camo Leggings

I have a pair of the Colorfulkoala black leggings that are AMAZING! I love them! I would like the black and green camo ones. These are the most comfortable leggings! I love that they are high waisted and 7/8 length. I have the hardest time with regular leggings being too long on me. I do not want to be bothered folding them under, so they aren't bunchy. These are perfect and hit right at my ankle. 

Mother's Necklaces

I buy my mother's necklaces from either Mac & Mia or The Silver Wren. Both of these small shops are on Etsy. I have numerous necklaces from each of them and they are amazing quality. I do not take my necklaces off for showers and they have not tarnished. You could not go wrong with either small shop for yourself or a gift. I have sent these necklaces for gifts too! 

Go Ask Your Dad Tshirt

I think every mom needs this tee for mother's day!!!! 

Comfy Pajamas

My mom bought me these pajamas for Christmas. They are so soft, comfy and perfect for hot Texan weather. I have been wearing these a lot of mornings during this pandemic. They are just perfect to lounge in! 

Sleep Eye Mask

If you are going to get some comfy pajamas a sleep eye mask would be perfect to go along with them! This pink silk eye mask is perfect for a mother's day nap! Naps are one of my favorite thing thing on Sunday. 

Do you have a wish list for mother's day? What is one of your favorite gifts you have received in the past? You still have plenty of time to order the perfect gift for that special person who deserves to be celebrated! 

OOTD - Traveling & Winter

Winter has arrived in California! It has been around the 60's, so that means we can pull out sweaters. I am sure any of you Midwesterners reading this are rolling your eyes. I plan to wear some of these outfits when I go to my parents. I need some warm, comfy clothes while I am traveling. If I think I am cold at 50 degrees in California I am going to die with the 10-30 degrees in North Dakota.  

Some of these items are new and some are oldies. I will try to link up to what I can find. 

Tee: Nordstrom

Cardigan: Nordstrom

Jeans: American Eagle similar

Booties: Nordstrom Rack

Button up: Gap

Vest: Old Navy similar

Jeans: Old Navy

Flats: Lucky

Tee: Nordstrom

Vest: Old Navy 

Leggings: Old Navy

Scarf: Express (old)

Booties: Nordstrom Rack

I am struggling to find a utility vest right now at Old Navy or Gap. I guess it isn't the season for them. They do carry them very often! I think everyone has more holiday things out right now. Watch Old Navy for the fur vests. Last year I bought mine for 50% off during Thanksgiving time. I recently started a Pinterest board just for fur vest inspiration. I don't wear it other than the holiday season. I am going to try to wear it more this winter. I really love it! 

The outfit above is really comfortable! It would be really good for traveling. There are plenty of pockets to put things especially when you are traveling with a toddler. I always need pockets when I am getting on and off planes. I need like 4 arms for getting on a plane. I really have a good system down, but still any mother could use a few more arms. 

Nordstrom Trunk Club Review

I recently received a Nordstrom Trunk in the mail. I haven't gotten one for over a year. If you aren't familiar with the Trunk Club it is a really great service through Nordstrom. It's a personal styling service where you work with a stylist. My stylists name is Hannah and I really like her! I am going to say this right away. The first 1-2 boxes were a little rough. It took my stylist a little bit to understand my price points and my style. Now that she gets those things she sends some amazing stuff. She also sends stuff out of my comfort level too. I like this because I am not sure I would ever try certain things if she didn't help me think outside the box. 

You are able to preview the box of items prior to them being sent. Sometimes I will decline things. I send links to other clothing or shoes and ask for them to be sent to me. I have told Hannah that I do not need anymore scarves, so she doesn't add them to my box. Seriously I have enough scarves for like 10 people. Now that I am a stay at home mom I don't want fancy things. I need kid friend clothes. I do like to invest in a pair of designer jeans. They last and are very comfortable! I bought a pair of Joe boyfriend jeans I wear a lot. They are the most comfortable pair of jeans. In my last box Hannah sent a pair of Hudson jeans. I still kind of wish I had kept them! They fit amazing, but also were sooooo soft. When you pay for denim they are so much softer than the cheap pairs. 

You can try the Trunk Club HERE. 

Here are the items I received in my box. I will try to link everything back. I am sorry most of these pictures are dark. I am struggling with lighting in my bedroom. 

I really like this top, but I felt part of it hit me in a weird place. If it had been a little longer on me I would have kept it. It was super soft!  These are the jeans I talked about above. Amazing jeans!!!! 

Twist Front Cozy Fleece Pullover

Colette Step Hem Skinny Jeans

I am actually getting this tee in a different size with my next box. I loved it, but it was a little too long for me. If I folded it under it worked great, but I would like to be able to wear it out. I will let you know how the next size works for me. 

LS SIDE SLIT TEE

This was a cute sweater. I just can't do short sleeve sweaters. In the winter I need long sleeves. I felt this defeated buying a sweater if I have to lay another item over it. 

Layered Look Cable Sweater

This was the item that was out of my comfort level, but I decided to try it anyhow. I keep seeing these big sleeve sweaters, sweatshirts and various other types of tops all over blog land. I decided to give it a try. I just couldn't do it! I felt like I had wings. I could have flapped my wings chasing a toddler around. lol

FLARE SLEEVE SWEATER

I have tried peplum tops so many times. I think they are darling on other people, but I just can't pull it off for me. I feel like it makes my hips and midsection look weird. I have a peplum just like this that I still haven't worn, so I sent this one back.

LONG SLEEVE PEPLUM CREW

This top was sooo comfortable!!! It was soft! It was short on me though. I didn't feel it was mom friendly. If I bent over it didn't cover anything. I tried this on numerous times trying to make it work. 

'Hanna' Split Neck Knit Top

When I saw these shoes I was like yuck! These are just gross! I tried them on anyhow. They were soooooo comfortable!!!! I feel I could have walked 50 miles in them and my feet wouldn't have been sore. I considered keeping them. I just didn't feel they were for fall. If they make these without the frayed-jute espadrille trim I would buy them in a second!!! 

Jinnie Platform Sneaker

Here are a few other items I received that I did not photograph.

The knit tee I didn't take a picture of was white and VERY sheer. I have asked Hannah to send it to me in some other colors. It is coming in my next trunk! 

Long Sleeve Slub Knit Tee 

The item I kept was the sneakers! They are blush pink! I just love them. They are super comfy. I think they will be great for fall! I need some comfortable shoes for the cooler temperatures that are suppose to come our way at some point. 

'Gazelle' Sneaker

If you are interested in trying out the Trunk Club click HERE. 

Let me know if you try a Trunk Club and your thoughts! 

OOTD August 2

I have been trying to pull out my dresses and wear them more this summer. The weather has been super hot, so it's either a dress or shorts. I bought this green dress from Old Navy a few years back when they had a special on them for $5. It hung in my closet for the past few years. I just took the tag off of it. This dress is a knit material. I have a similar one in the same color, but it is made out of a cotton material. I usually start off with a cardigan, but once the heat starts up off the cardigan comes. 

It is such a comfortable dress! Also a great length for chasing a toddler around. I wish I had it in more colors. 

Dress: Old Navy

Cardigan: NY & Co

Sandals: Tory Burch

I have been wearing some of my cotton shirts with the sleeve rolled up. They can be a great shirt to wear with shorts on days when it's in the 70's. When the temperatures are warmer these shirts don't work. I bought these gray shorts from Old Navy earlier this year. I really love them and wear them a lot. 

Shirt & Shorts: Old Navy

Flip Flops: Havaianas

As you can see the cotton shirts are very versatile. You can wear them with shorts like I did above or you can wear them with jeans and a vest like I did below. The shirt would also look cute with white jeans and a denim jacket when the weather is cooler. 

Shirt & Vest: Old Navy

Jeans: American Eagle

Shoes: gifted

I have a few Lularoe Irma's that are too big on me since I lost some weight. I really love my black & white Irma, so I haven't gotten rid of it. I decided to use a rubberband to tie the side. This helped with the extra material, so it wasn't all baggy on me anymore. 

Shirt: Lularoe

Jeans: American Eagle

Flip Flops: Havaianas

The majority of these clothes are all old, so I can't find links for them. 

OOTD June 30

Happy Friday! I hope you have some fun plans for the weekend!

I really love the Carly Lularoe dresses! They are so comfy. My cousin Mary Kate sells Lularoe and carries the Carly dress. I linked her Facebook group. This dress looks like it hits below my knee but it is the angle of the picture. This dress hits right at the knee. I am wearing a size small for reference. 

I bought these Tory Burch Miller Sandals last year in a camel color. They are so very comfortable and versatile. They go with everything! They were a splurge, but I feel I will have these for a very long time. I would rather pay a little more for an item when it will last me for years then to spend $20-40 each year on sandals. I might as well have spent a little more on something instead of replacing it every year. 

Lularoe Carly Dress

Tory Burch Sandals 

These leopard Tory Burch Miller's are on my wish list! They are amazing and I could get so much use out of them. I love leopard!!!! 

The Nordstrom Anniversary sale is coming in about 2 weeks! I can't wait! I bought the sweater in the picture below last year. I got so much use out if it! It is the perfect length! It is very cozy too! I am hoping they have something similar to this in another color! I will be scooping up another one. 

My top is a Lularoe Classic Tee. Again you can shop with my cousin Mary Kate to find great Lularoe items! I really love this mauve colored tee! It is perfect to wear with gray. 

I am wearing my favorite American Eagle jeans. I linked a similar pair below. I wear these things so much! I have 3 pairs of jeans I wear lately. One pair is from AE and the other 2 from Gap. 

  

Gray Cardigan: Nordstroms
Tee: Lularoe
Jeans: American Eagle
Flats: Lucky Leopard 

This is my other pair of jeans that I wear Gap boyfriend jeans. I bought these a really long time ago. Maybe 4-5 years ago. They have held up amazing. They don't get a saggy butt after you wear them. They have a little distressing, but it's very minimal. I think I paid about $30 for them. Well worth the money! 

The white tee I bought for $3.50 at Old Navy on clearance. It's really a great tee! The cardigan is old from Old Navy. I think I have had it 3-4 years. These items are staple pieces in my closet. I get a lot of wear out of them since they are so versatile with the items in my closet. 

Tee & Cardigan: Old Navy 

Jeans: Gap

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post OOTD appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.

OOTD

This is such a mix of outfits because our weather has been insane lately. One day it is shorts weather and a couple days later we need a sweater. It's been kind of nice in some ways because you get to wear a variety of clothes. 

The top in my picture below is kind of a pink tie dye. I just bought it from Gap. I really like Gap tshirts, but I hate how they lose their shape after a few washings. My Havaian flip flops are on their last leg. I love them! I go through a pair every year. I wear them around the house all summer long. I will have to keep my eyes out at Nordstrom Rack for a new pair. Amazon carries them too. I buy them from both places. 

Tshirt: Gap

Shorts: Old Navy

Flip Flops: Havaians
Sunnies: Old Navy (last year)

I link Gap white jeans below. Gap jeans fit me really nice. I also don't feel they lose their shape. The butts don't start sagging on them by 10am. This is my second pair of Lucky leopard flats. My cousin bought me a pair of them when I had one of my MS attacks. I wore those suckers out until they had holes in the bottom of them. I had to buy another pair to replace them. They are my go to shoes to wear with almost every single outfit I own. They are worth the price and super comfy! I usually size up 1 size in Lucky shoes. 

Sweater: Nordstrom Rack

White Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Amazon Lucky's

I have been loving my Gap boyfriend distressed jeans again lately. They have been stuck in the closet for the past few months. These just fit me nice and are comfy. I bought the top I am wearing from Target in black and white. This is super comfy! Goes great with jeans and skirts. I like the little cap sleeve too. My sandals are very old from Target. I bought them on clearance for like $3. I am wearing a pair of Nickel & Suede earrings I bought ages ago. They are a lime green color. I think I bought these earrings back when Nickel & Suede was still on Etsy. They now have their own website and such cute stuff! These earrings look huge, but they super light weight! You don't even feel them on! 

Top: Target

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Target

Earrings: Nickel & Suede

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post OOTD appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.

Monday Thrive!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend and all you mother's had a Happy Mother's Day!

1) I wanted to start this Monday Thrive off with one of my favorite new BeautyCounter products! I recently decided to try the Tint Skin. I don't wear foundation very often. Lately I have felt I wanted to wear it more. Even out my skin and to help my make up stay in place. I decided to try the Tint Skin about 2 weeks ago. Normally if I wear foundation for a week straight I will start to have breakouts along the sides of my face near the hairline closest to my eyes. The breakouts can get pretty bad. 

I have been wearing the Tint Skin for over 2 weeks and my skin is still great. I love that I can apply it with a foundation brush over my entire face. It doesn't feel like I have anything on my face. Half the time I forget I even have a foundation on. It is so light weight! It has great coverage, but isn't heavy. I really hate heavy products on my face. I ended up going with the sand color. It is a perfect match for my skin tone. I might need to go one shade darker for the summer time. All depends how much sun I get on my face. 

I included the color chart below if you need help on finding the perfect color for you. 

2) I have a lot of different blog posts going through my head that I want to write. I want to write about potty training G. I started in January when he was 2 years 4 months. I have a lot of reasons why I started then and what has worked for us. Then I would like to write about recent purchases, more on Paleo, skin care routine and a Father's Day gift guide. Friday I am talking about taking G's bottles away. Yes, I potty trained him first then I took his bottles away.

3) I have really been wanting the bow sandals by Sam & Libby at Target. I tried to find them in store, but they were sold out. They were also sold out online for a little while. One day I checked online and they were back in stock. I quickly ordered my size. I just received them. I love them! They are so comfy and cute! These are going to be great for this summer. 

4) G loves popsicle. What kid doesn't! I am not a fan of all the sugar and artificial crap that is added to most of them. I decided I would make him some. I could get some extra veggies in there for him too. I bought these popsicle molds on Amazon. I take a couple handfuls of spinach, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1-2 cups of fruit and blend it all. Then I pour it into the molds and freeze them. Over ripe bananas work great for these! He loves them! He calls them popsies. 

5) It's hard to believe G birthday is approaching again so soon. I think this year we are going to rent a space at the park and do a jumpy house. All G wants is piecy (pizza), jumpy house and cake. At 2.5 that is the perfect party for him. That works well for me. I will just get some pizza and cake from Costco and rent a jumpy house. I need to get this all booked very soon. The summer is going to go by quickly and I am sure things will fill up soon. I really wanted to have the party at the park down the street from our house, but they don't allow jumpy houses. 

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Monday Thrive appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.  

Spring OOTD

I recently bought this tshirt on Etsy. I think the eyelash and lip shirts are really cute. I went out with a friend for drinks one night and wore this. I haven't worn a blazer in ages. I use to wear them all the time for work. I tried to find some similar booties like the ones I am wearing. I bought mine at Nordstrom Rack on a great deal! I found a couple pairs that are similar I linked below. 

Tshirt: Etsy

Blazer: Old from Target (similar)

Jeans: American Eagle

Booties: Nordstroms Rack (similar) (similar) 

I love these jeans! I wear them at least 3 times a week. Sometimes I have to force myself to wear something different. I have 2 pairs. I bought a pair at Gap and American Eagle. The pair from Gap I got for like $10. It was the only pair they had or I would have bought a second pair. I just love them because they are so comfy, cropped and they don't sag. I really like cropped jeans because I can wear them with booties, sandals or my converse. I don't have to roll them up at all. They are just perfect! 

I bought the sweater from Nordstrom Rack a few years back. It's a staple. Just a simple crewneck black comfy cardigan. I can't find anything on their website currently that is similar. You can find this type of sweater anywhere. Target even sells them. 

Sweater: Nordstrom Rack

Jeans: American Eagle 

Booties: Nordstroms Rack (similar) (similar) 

I recently bought this dress from Old Navy. I have been on the fence about this dress over the past year. I LOVE it, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to wear a form fitting dress. I decided that I needed to stop being over self conscious. This dress is the perfect dress for summer! It is comfy, cool and covers enough while chasing a toddler. I wore it recently when it was 89 degrees! We were dying from the heat. We went from the 60's to almost 90. I suggest you add it to your wardrobe! 

Dress: Old Navy

Sandals: Target (similar)

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Spring OOTD appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.  

Monday Thrive!!!

It's crazy to me that it is May already! I feel like this year is just flying by. I was going to say I felt like April flew by, but I feel March also flew by. Last week we had some amazing summer weather! It was in the 80's for a few days. We wore shorts almost all week. Shorts and flip flops are my favorite things! 

1) I have been uploading some of my posts to Pinterest lately. I go in stages with Pinterest. Sometimes I go on there a lot and other times I just go on to find a recipe. I do look for meal ideas and paleo type recipes often. I pin a bazillion projects I would like to do that never happen. If you want to follow along with me on Pinterest you can find me under MrsPost08. My goal is to complete some of those projects in the month of June. G will be going to preschool. My goal is to go to yoga a couple times a week and work on projects the other days. You can follow along with me on Pinterest by clicking the Pinterest button on my blog page upper right corner. 

2) BeautyCounter has a beautiful new gift set out for Mother's Day. It comes with a lip sheer, blush, mist spray and a white make up bag. I have talked about how much I love the lip sheers in the past. I love their blush too! I wear the powder and cream blushers. They just are fabulous at staying put! If you add the mist spray to your make up it really helps set it for the day. 

3) I usually keep a blanket over our couch cushions to help with spills and dog hair. I keep seeing these pet covers that covers. These things kind of remind me of the plastic covers that people in North Dakota use to keep over their couches. I remember sliding off couches as a kid. Or in the summer you would get stuck to it. It sure kept those couches from looking brand new even after the springs were worn out. I decided to order one from Amazon for less than $25. 

I just love this thing! I wish I had bought it years before. It keeps all the pet hair off the couch. Sammy likes to lay on one couch which annoys me. It's our newer nicer couch. I have just got done fighting him over this couch and now keep it covered. I also feel like a granny now that I have this. lol

4) I have been on the hunt for a non-toxic and fragrance free dry shampoo. I have been using an organic baby powder that was just not doing anything. I have felt frustrated because I have needed to wash my hair way too often. I HATE washing my hair! I decided to try LuLu Organics Hair Powder. It is a little pricey. I decided to try the 1oz size just to see how I liked it. I have been using it for a couple of weeks and I really like it. I sprinkle it on my hair at night before bed. I pat it into my head, but I don't brush it in. I let it soak in over night. It really helps soak up any greasy hair. I can now wash my hair once a week. 

5) Can we talk about Birkenstock's? I bought a pair of the Gizeh's last summer. I wore them on and off since then. They are the most uncomfortable shoes I have ever worn in my life. I have tried to break them in, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I keep hearing people rave about how comfortable they are. Is it just my pair? Or my feet? I want to love these. I want them to be comfy. I need some comfy mom shoes for summer. I tried to wear them the other day and within 5 minutes I took them off. I went back to my Tory Burch flip flops instead. I seem to wear my Tory's or Havaianas all summer. What are your go to summer shoes? 

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Monday Thrive Ideas appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.