Easy Laundry Tip for MomsI swear the one thing no one talks about when having kids is how much laundry they accumulate. As babies, I didn't think it was as big of a deal. Sure, they'd spit up, but their clothes were tiny and people always gifted me so much of it. Now as kids get bigger, the laundry piles get bigger! There are pajamas, school clothes, sports uniforms, etc. I don't know about your kids, but mine are not really clean eaters, so there's always some spilled food around too. That being said, I was spending SO MUCH time doing their laundry and my laundry and my husband's laundry that other laundry items fell to wayside. Laundry items like our bedding. EW. My husband never washed his sheets in college...like literally never. It was gross. Even if I go over a week without washing the bedding, I get super grossed out. The dogs come and jump in the bed. The kids eat in the bed. There is just a lot of crumbs and dirt that randomly gets brought onto the bed. Here's how I figured out how to solve the problem without adding to the stress.... We created a laundry routine. Yep, I decided to embrace the problem and focus on it. Every Friday morning, the kids help me strip all the beds and that is what I wash that day. They are also responsible for helping me make the beds (as much as they can). This is one of the first responsibilities they have around the house and it has been game changing! It has made my life so much easier because I know every Friday morning, we wash the bedding. It's one less thing I have to keep track of. Let's face it, that laundry is going to pile up anyway, so we have to make the best of it that we can!
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How to Dress for WorkI love fashion, but when it comes to how to dress for work, my creativity just stifles. The color pallet is your basic navy, black and grey - no real room for personality (unless you look for it). I don't like stuffy pant suits. I don't like looking like a powerhouse lawyer and overdressing for my audience. I don't like wearing heels and letting everyone know I'm coming down a hallway. I drive and walk for longer periods of time than I would like, so everything has to be super comfortable too. I do like being comfortable. I do like feeling confident. I do like colors (in moderation). I do like saving money. For so long, my theory on shopping was spending minimal amounts of money on work clothes (since I enjoy them the least) and more money on trending fashions that I get to wear on the weekends. As flawed as my thinking really is, I'd like to say that I've changed my attitude, but I really haven't. I KNOW...yes, I know...that investing in good business casual pieces will last me so much longer. I KNOW that there are good working pants out there. I just literally refuse not to buy things on sale and spend tons of money on them. How to dress for work definitely depends on wear you work. When I was teaching, I could wear more jeans than I do now. When I worked in a corporate office, I dressed a lot more formal than I do in my role right now. As much as I hate to say it, your company definitely determines an extent of your work wardrobe. That being said, it doesn't have to control everything that you wear (unless you obviously have a uniform, in which case, you already know what to wear for your 5 days of work). Here are my top 5 tips on how to dress for work: 1. Comfortable Work ClothesYour outfit sets the tone for your day. I know, that sounds dorky, but it's true. If you feel confident in your outfit, then you'll exude that confident. If you think your pants are feeling a little tight today or your shirt is a little short, you'll be thinking about it the rest of the morning, afternoon and evening until you change. Ultimately, you have to choose clothes that you feel comfortable in not comfortable clothes (there is a difference). If you find something that works, I'm not opposed to repeat purchases (in different colors) or repeat outfits (in moderation). Also, know that our mood and bodies change every single day. What feels great one day, may not feel great the next and that's ok. If we embrace how we are feeling on a given day, then finding the right outfit gets easier. Don't push yourself to wear things you don't feel comfortable in. For me, I don't feel comfortable in blazers and high heels all the time. It's overdressing for my customers and I think it gives a standoffish impression in my business. However, maybe flats make you feel the same way. Maybe high heels make you feel confident and comfortable. Embrace the feelings! These pants (pictured below) and sweater (pictured below) are tighter fitting than most of my clothes. I only wear them on days where I am feeling confident and not bloated. That's ok! I know when I want to wear them and on the days I do, I feel confident and COMFORTABLE in them. It took me a while to warm up to the wide-legged pants and that's ok too. 2. Work Clothes for Your PersonalityI think this is why I avoided buying new work clothes for so long. Nothing seemed to reflect my personality. I am not a corporate climbing monster. I enjoy clothes that make me look approachable and girly. I also know that I look much younger than I actually am and want my clothes to understand that, but be age appropriate. There are so many brands out there. You don't have to live and breathe by one brand or store alone. Maybe your personality comes through in your shoes and you love shoes. Maybe you love bags. Maybe you love accessories. Maybe you love makeup and just have to tolerate clothes and look for ideas (that's ok too). We all have some sort of fashion personality and it's ok to show that even in work clothes. See below for my LOUD pink and red skirt that I love! 3. Incorporate Casual Clothes Into Work ClothesThis is so true! The fashion rules in the workplace have changed so much over the past couple of years. You can get away with incorporating more casual pieces into your outfits. Some easy casual pieces to add include:
This sweater (seen below) is usually paried with leggings. I decided to put it with my work pants and do a nice French tuck for a winning working look. 4. Invest in SOME pieces As much as it kills me to say to invest in some pieces, there are just certain staples you can't live without and it's ok to invest in some of them. I don't like to overpay for anything. Really, if it isn't on some sort of sale, I usually won't buy it. But work pants and shoes (and even a blazer) are certain items that just need to be invested in most of the time. For instance, I've had these work pants (pictured below) since I graduated college roughly 13+ years ago. I have had the sweater for almost as long. I invested in the Tory Burch wedges and wear them at least 1-2 times a week. I paid about $8 for the turtleneck sweater underneath and you wouldn't know that I've mixed cheap and semi-expensive pieces together for an outfit. 5. Don't Overthink ItI change my outfits so many times because I overthink the fashion. I worry that someone will think I'm dressing too young or think I'm not formal enough.
I've had the vest (pictured below) for probably 5 years and have never worn it. Finally, I made myself wear it BECAUSE I LIKE IT. I stopped overthinking what I looked like and wore it for a casual work lunch meeting with my favorite boots. I was so excited to finally wear it and I felt HAPPY. Target Mom Fashion IdeasIt's been a while since I've gone clothes shopping at Target. Honestly, I use their curbside ordering service so much that I hardly ever step foot inside a store. (Side note - I've tried out the Starbucks ordering from the Target app and it was just as amazing as the Target curbside orders normally are. I love Target. The fact that I can get my order quickly and don't have to specify a pick-up window makes all the difference.) Anyway, since I mostly live on the Target app, they've been advertising some cute "mom" fashion ideas with the beginning of the new year. They have some really pretty, vibrant colors that would look amazing in my closet of wintery, boring blacks, browns, and grays. Since I had to run into Target to peruse the Valentines and grab some juice, I figured now was my chance to actually get a look at these new mom fashion ideas at Target. I was very skeptical going into it. Target clothes have never fit me really well. They also have, in my opinion, not washed up the greatest. Sometimes the clothes they advertise too are a little "out there" for my tastes. However, one of my girlfriends always has the cutest outfits on from there so I thought I'd give it a shot for some Target mom fashion ideas and see how the store holds up. Matching Color SetThe color of the matching suit I tried on was so cute, but the fit was just not my favorite. The fabric was soft, but the fit wasn't super comfortable with that large elastic waist band. I also couldn't get past the large ties on the front of the pants. Maybe it's just my short stature, but the ties were overwhelmingly large. I'm not sure I'd go for the set if it wasn't on sale or in those pretty colors. 90's TrendnThere were SO MANY 90's trend items at Target. I just couldn't handle it all. It reminded me so much of walking through Wet Seal and Charlotte Russe back in the day. Don't worry, I looked through all the 90's trendy fashion options to pick the most functional for stylish moms needing a semi-casual look. When I first picked out the pants and skirt, I thought the cargo pockets were a little bit bunch, but the overall fit of the items won me over. I remember being excited when clothes had pockets and these two do NOT leave me wanting for more pockets. Then let's talk the shirts - I loved the fit of both of these and would wear them with other pants I already have in my closet. First, the "A New Day" black jersey pullover was the perfect material and length to double for an under-sweater or jacket business casual outfit. The cropped length too was also just long enough to wear with my beloved athleisure outfits. The lime green T-shirt was a thin fabric, but not too thin. I wasn't sure I was going to like it because it was so long, but I ended up really liking it. It was tight enough all the way down to almost give the appearance of a body suit without being uncomfortable. It came in so many different colors that you don't have to jump right into lime green if you don't want to. Affordable AthleisureI WISH I had found this 3/4 zip jacket first. It was amazing. For only $25 FULL PRICE, it was a steal. It's definitely not as heavy of fabric as my Vuori or Lululemon version, but I just loved the fit of it. The light weight fabric makes it a much better versatile option. I can't often wear my heavier coats and sweatshirts in the house because I get too warm. This would be perfect. It's definitely more affordable athleisure at that price point too. The shorts remind me of some Hotty Hot Lululemon ones that I have in this exact color. The waistband was a little snug, but the fit was absolutely perfect. I loved the length and the style. I'm not sure I'd really workout in any of these clothes, but I'd definitely wear them around the house for comfort and out and about running errands! Corduroy Pull OverThey had a few different oversized pull over shirts like this one on Clearance. I grabbed this one because the Corduroy fabric made it seem less likely to wrinkle very easily with every-day wear. However, it also made it lay a bit larger than I'd like. It wasn't my favorite, but I do love the oversized look.
January Old Navy Sale - Mom FashionIt's finally that time where stores move out the holiday merchandise and start moving in some fresh winter/spring outfits! Can we believe it's already January? Where has this last year gone? You know it's time for some new sales when Bath and Body Works has their semi-annual sale going on (post on that to come later). Click the pictures to link out to the items. Since some of them I snagged on Clearance, you may have to visit the store to see what's still available. One of my favorite Old Navy hacks is looking up a certain item and seeing where you can pick it up in store, so you don't waste time going to a location that doesn't have the item in stock. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about the Clearance section at Old Navy. There were left-over loudly printed sweaters and cotton-fabric shirts that wrinkle easily (and didn't have cute cuts). I tended to gravitate more towards the new fashion drops that still had great prices. Athleisure Outfit - Lululemon DupeThis athleisure 3/4 zip jacket is one of my favorite things I tried on. It's definitely a Lululemon dupe for the Scuba or Softstream jacket. The weight of the jacket is just perfect especially for Arizona winters. I have the Vuori version of the jacket (expensive!) and I would argue that the material on that one is much more heavy. The other plus to not having the heavy material is that this jacket lays really nicely. It can be layered easily and do a front tuck into pants if needed. It also came in some other cute colors that weren't too overstated. I personally loved the blue color in person, but the chosen colors were all really nice. The romper underneath in the picture (not the pants I am wearing) was not my favorite. It looked super cute on and it reminded me of the trendy romper bodysuits going around thanks to Skims. The materials was more like a heavy legging though rather than an under-clothes bodysuit. If I was going to wear it around, I would definitely layer something over it like the 3/4 zip jacket. However, some of the sporty-like stitching on it will make it hard to double as anything other than athleisure. I really prefer pieces that I could cover up with and pass off as more than just athletic-wear. Also, I normally have to go with smaller sizes at Old Navy and this item ran SMALL even for the next-size up option I grabbed. I get it's supposed to be tight and suck you in, but with that heavy fabric, I just personally wasn't feeling it. The Ultimate Fall/Winter Business Casual OutfitWe have our annual sales meeting coming up and this outfit may just be my go-to for travel, easy washing and wear. The Old Navy Fashion Sale on business casual hit the mark with this one. This outfit is the one that I keep going back to and wish I purchased. It was insanely cheap and so comfortable. The colors were neutral. You could have gone with a completely singular color blocking option, but I chose to do two different neutral colors. I sized up in the shirt because I didn't want it to be too clingy or too short. The skirt was half a size larger for me (normally I spring for Petites at Old Navy, but the regular option in this was perfect). The neckline was perfect for a longer necklace or even a statement-piece necklace (are those still a thing?). You could also dress it up with some longer earrings instead of a necklace. I'd style it with white tennis shoes (as seen) for a more casual look, or you could dress it up more with boots and pumps. It's so versatile that, for the price, it's definitely an easy go-to outfit. Casual Winter Outfit IdeasI grabbed this denim skirt thinking that it reminded me of skirts I had in junior high and seriously wore ALL THE TIME. It's now time for Old Navy's fashion sale to jump on the 90's trends coming back. I was very skeptical putting it on because the denim is legitimate and heavy. However, the weight is actually perfect for this time of the year. It's definitely not a summer-time skirt. That being said, the long denim skirts have been making a comeback and I fell in love with this one. There were some different wash options, but I opted for the lighter colored one. I also loved the high waist of the skirt. The high-waist cuts allow us to pair those body suits with them if we'd like. I also am really into tucking my shirts in a french tuck in the front and the high-waist bottoms let me do that. It wasn't on sale enough for me to splurge on it, but I'm definitely keep my eye on it for the future. The denim skirt is great because you can pair it with boots, tennis shoes, sandals or pumps depending on wear you are going and the weather outside. The collared sweater top I first paired with it was amazingly soft. I would be a little nervous it might snag with the type of fabric it is, but all cheaper-type sweaters have that snagging ability. The color was great and, again, the weight of this sweater was nice for layering and for an Arizona winter. It came in SO MANY different colors. I grabbed the neutral white/cream, but you could definitely grab a brighter hue if that's more your thing. I think this would look cute with leggings because it does have an over-sized feel to it. You could also pair it with jeans for a casual look. The fitted black shirt was super cute because of the bubble-type fabric. It reminded me of those 90's stretch bubble shirts without being too overly clingy. It gave the shirt a neat texture look. I also am leaning towards more of the cropped shirts over the body suits lately because then I don't have the extra fabric tucking into my pants (it's after the holidays and I don't have the extra room for fabric), and I don't have to worry about panty lines. I liked the more fitted top look with the longer skirt, but really either option could go with the skirt depending on the look you're going for. Finally, this fleece vest is something that I'm worried might be an in-store buy only. It was a great steal at $7. I remember when these first came out at Old Navy before Christmas and I thought they were so cute, but I couldn't justify the price tag for a vest I would only wear a few times here in AZ. That being said, the color variety that came in was cute and I did feel that the fit was nice. I'd opt for the next size larger if you want a more overflow feel. Overall, I'm kind of obsessed with the new drops Old Navy has made. They let me dip my toe into the pool of new fashion without breaking the bank. The pieces are also versatile enough that I can dress them up or down for that perfect mom-fashion look. This January Old Navy fashion sale had me swooning.
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