REAL DEAL: Autumn Flare

Nothing is better on a cool day than putting on GREAT pair of flared jeans, heeled booties and a chunky sweater. This look is just as comfy and practical as it is stylish. But of course this inspiration look is FAR (and I mean FAR) out of my financial reach. With a little bit of hunting I scavenged a similar look for a MUCH more likable price.

I am LOVING the 70's silhouettes happening for this fall and winter. Flares are back and in a BIG way! Here is a favorite look of the HUGE trend this season.

Like this Look:

   

*look courtesy of piperlime.gap.com

Break Down:

Sweater: Marc by Marc Jacobs  -$248

Jeans: Current / Elliott - $188

Earrings: Hive and Honey - $16.00

Shoes: Restricted - $59.99

Damage: $511.99 YIKES!!

Like this Price:

Break Down:
Sweater: HM - $9.95

Jeans: Forever 21 - $10.50

Earrings: Forever 21 - $5.80

Shoes: Patsy Oxford bootie - $23.60

Damage: $52.15 YIPPEE!!!

That's just about a 90% price difference!

I know forever 21 might not be every one's cup of tea (see this post for more), but it is a great resource for trendy inexpensive clothing and accessories. I tried on these flares this past weekend and they are REALLY cute, I didn't pull the trigger on buying them yet because I had the kids with me and couldn't focus, but I will be going back to get these FOR SURE!

What fall trends are you digging? How do you score fashion deals?

That's my Shiny ~

J

Skinny Budget & Skinny Jeans: A weekly Series Kick-Off

Jeans can definitely be an article of clothing to invest in, however I like to play it safe with trends like extreme flare denim and skinny. It is hard to say how long these looks just might be around. Could be ten seasons could be one. Like skinnies, remember 3 or 4 years ago when skinnies first hit, I was definitely a naysayer and wasn't sure about this "trend" but just look, skinnies are still going strong (this season it seems that the ankle skimming skinnies are the stuff).

So, when rocking denim that might be on the trendier side I am a MAJOR deal hunter. I also have a VERY moderate clothing budget. Literally an outfit head to toe including shoes most likely is under $50. MODERATE! This is for a few reasons:

1. I ENJOY deal hunting

2. My family is on one income

3. We operate on a pretty strict cash budget

4. My Super Hero name should be The Incredible Body Morphing Woman (wait is that a Circus name? hrrmmm) . I am sure lots of you Momma's are in the same boat. Maternity to postpardum to the last days of breastfeeding when ENOUGH calories cannot be consumed in a day. Since Q's birth in late November I have changed 4 going on 5 sizes. Averaging a size for about 8 - 12 weeks. I'm happy to loose the baby weight, not so happy to NEVER have a consistent wardrobe.

I REFUSE to spend a substantial amount of money on clothes that don't fit for more than a few months. Just when you think you are "done" shrinking it is time for the cycle to begin again. So, I won't be buying ANY investment clothing (okay maybe shoes) until we are done growing our family, so for now REAL DEALS is ALL I can muster.

I have been about every size under the sun for the last three years, so my saving grace has been Forever 21's skinny jeans. I own a pair of their $10 skinnies in EVERY size! They are holding up great considering the cost (each size gets worn A LOT for those 8-12 weeks!).

Moral of the story, sometimes the deal is worth facing the blaring pop music, narrow isle, short skirt paradise while navigating a double stroller through the madness.

Because I am a girl who has ALWAYS and will always LOVE a good deal and because I like the hunt just about as much, I am going to be sharing some of that with y'all! Get ready for some weekly fun and some REAL DEALS coming your way!

That's my Shiny ~

J

EmPOWER'ed

This may seem like a contradiction or backwards to many, but being a stay-at-home Mom is one of the most emPOWERing things I have ever done! Don't get me wrong, I have MANY-A-DAYS consisting of wiping noses, tears and bottoms that might not feel so empowering but here are a few things that ARE emPOWERing to me about being a Momma!

First, CHOOSING to be a stay-at-home Mom is emPOWERing! Just a few short decades ago women stayed at home without option or choice, can you imagine? I can see how IMPOSSIBLE it would feel to be a mother with a grateful heart in that time, you would almost feel chained to your home and children. In OUR time as Mother's we are given so many opportunities, we can be working mother's, stay-at-home mothers, part-time working, freelancers, bloggers, crafters, Etsy sellers and oh'so much more! Having so many opportunities to be a Mother and to pursue our passions really provides us, the women and mother's of today, the option for choosing our Motherhood story and giving it our best!

Second, not only choosing to stay-at-home but getting an education and having AMAZING career experiences before making this choice. This was an important thing for me personally. Also, having a degree and a few years of relevant work experiences before being a full-time Momma has given me the confidence to know, REALLY know, that I am relevant and capable and VALUABLE at home OR in an OFFICE! Getting a formal degree may not be what accomplishes this for all ladies, but find your story, what provides you with the DEEP and I mean DEEP know that YOU, WHO YOU ARE is fantastic, indispensable and all around EXTRAORDINARY! Do what it takes to find the authentic person you are and DON'T LET HER GO!

Third, doing it the way I imagined. For me, I always had a picture of the kind of Momma I wanted to be. I think in some way we all do this, we take references from our Mother's and other Mother's who have influenced our lives growing up. We edit, pick and choose what we like and don't like and create our imagined Motherhood story. Many days can be frustrating BEYOND all belief especially when we are not being the Momma we imagined and it is usually a downward spiral, but look at the big picture. Are you being the Momma you imagined? If not, STOP, PUT on the BRAKES and change your course, BE THAT MOMMA! This is a constant up-hill battle (I NEED to do this AT LEAST once a week) but it is one that is worth WINNING!

Fourth, don't waste time. Our children are young once, we GET to do this ONCE! Don't waste time! So many of us say "oh I can't wait for...." in anticipation to get through a phase or to reach the next milestone but each phase of parenting and childhood is it's own big ball of challenge and AMAZING! Enjoy this phase and be in THIS MOMENT!

Are you an empowered Momma? What is your motherhood story?

That's my Shiny ~ J

*images found via Pintrest

Strawberry Cake with Love from Germany

This strawberry cake is DELICIOUS!! I made this recipe for Q's baptism this summer with strawberries that the kiddos and I PICKED FRESH! YUM!

I swiped this cake recipe from a google doc my Brother-in-Law's family started. His sister works as a house Mom in Germany for missionaries' high school aged children. One of her responsibilities is cooking. In Germany they do not rely on things like pudding or jello for fruit flavored cakes like we do in the U.S., sooooo... missing her Grandmother's strawberry cake, she found this replacement recipe. My vote is that this cake is a pretty fantastic healthier version that I WILL be making many more times in the future. Not to mention it's quite beautiful, PINK to be exact WITHOUT food coloring!

Strawberry Cake & Icing
Cake:2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Pureed Strawberries, I used fresh picked hulled and tossed in my blender
1/2 Cup Milk

Icing:
1 Box powdered Sugar
4 Tbsp Butter (melted)
4-6 Tbsp Pureed Strawberries

Preheat over to 350. Butter or spray and flour 2, 9" round cake pans or one 9x13 cake pan. Set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a larger bowl. In a separate bowl, beat remaining ingredients together. Add to dry, beating with a wire whisk. Pour into prepared cake pans. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until done when tested with a toothpick.

To make the frosting, sift powdered sugar into melted butter. Add strawberry puree to spreading consistency. Frost the cake and decorate the top of the cake with fresh strawberries just before serving.

I cut some fresh strawberries into quarters from the top down to the bottom and made little pinwheels or flower clusters on top of the cake.  I of course forgot to take a picture of this, sorry friends. I will get it for ya next time.

That's my Shiny ~

J

Funner Summer and Autumn Anticipation!

This Summer went by in a flash and was filled with gobs of fun for our little family! We are sadly saying goodbye to summer but happily welcoming autumn. I sure do love summer but I am looking forward to the slower pace, warmer clothes and comfort food cooking the fall season brings. I will however miss all of our fun outdoor activities, the beach, grilling, the sun, fresh produce and most of all our Up North get-away, the cottage.

Things I am ready to say "see ya later" to until next year,  the slammed packed summer agenda, road construction AND my house in an utter chaotic dirty state due to the slammed schedule.

Being a SAHM (Stay-at-Home-Mom) with my Little's has allowed for us to do many fun things through out the year, but much of our exploring here in Michigan happens in the warmer months.

Here's a little taste of our FUNNER SUMMER this year:

Berry Picking: This is such a fun activity for toddlers and all the kids! They enjoy picking and helping and seeing our hard works results! It also provides kids with the knowledge of learning how our food is grown and the importance of supporting local agriculture and of course healthy eating! This is also pretty much a FREE activity due to the fact that your only cost is for berries and most likely you will pay slightly less than at the grocery store because YOU are the labor. Lets face it WHAT IS BETTER IN THE SUMMER THAN FRESH PICKED STRAWBERRIES or BLUEBERRIES (I will post two of my favorite recipes that we made this summer from the pickings)!!

LAKE LIVING: The kiddos and I and a few of our friends were able to explore a few of our local beaches. Several of which are on Lake Michigan! What a treat! These days are fun and tiring, the kids SLEEP AMAZING! We traveled to Lake Michigan's Silver Beach several times and enjoyed the, carousel, water cannon park and of course the beach front and lake! We also kept it closer to home and traveled to the local beach on the VERY hot days this summer. Our beach trips consisted of JUMPING in the big waves, making sand castles, eating picnic lunches and chasing minnows.

Also, like many Michigan families we are blessed with a family cottage Up North and THIS IS MY MOST FAVORITE PLACE ON EARTH!! We had a TON of amazing moments this year, C learning how to swim, Q splashing like a wild woman, C casting his little fishing pole all over the place, antiquing with the ladies,  the kiddos snuggling with their Auntie, Uncles, GG and Papa and so so many many more awesome moments! We escaped UP NORTH as much as possible, which also includes lots of packing, unpacking, laundry and crying melt downs in the car, all of which doesn't compare to AMAZINGESS of the experiences!

The Mundane: We also had so much fun doing everyday tasks outside with the kiddos. Including washing the car, play dates in the backyard, trips to the park, TONS of walks both around our neighborhood and at a great local walking trail.

OH WHAT FUN!!

Even though we had such a FANTASTIC summer we are looking forward to fall IMMENSELY!   

Look out here we come fall activities!! Like:

 story time at the public library, brisk nature walks, a trip to the apple orchard, football games, baking, cooking, going to the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins and oh so much more!

That's my Shiny -

J

SUPER simple, fun, practical, (one of the best gifts we got) gifts for babies / kids!!!!

Two and 1/2 years ago when I was prego with our first peanut (C), we received a gift.  It was a simple blue towel with a hood and a ribbon on top of that hood that said "Jesus loves me, this I know". We both loved the gift for our little man but did not realize JUST how much we would be lovin that thing!! As we now have experienced many-a-time, after ANY bath that the beloved blue towel is not clean, C shivers and cries "I FREEZIN"!!! Poor little guy! This is the INSPIRATION for this fun DIY gift-eroo!

Because before you know it those babies grow and they SURELY do NOT fit in the store bought multi-pack Gerber hooded towels. Our littlest peanut, Q's little cheekies have been hanging for months now! Looks like Momma needs to get to work for our house too! (This will be another project with our old white towels we need replacements for in the very near future).

Anyways back to the DIY gift. We are still lovin every piece of that baby gift we got so long ago and I imagine that we will be continuing to love that gift until about age 6 or 7. Wow!! TALK about longevity when it comes to a gift for a new baby or young child!!!!

Currently we have LOTS of friends having babies, mostly second babies (so I am making one towel for the new babies and one for big brother or sister). I have wanted to do this for a long time but need to 1. own a sewing machine (even if it is an ol'bitty) and 2. figure that ol'bitty out. Now that I had done both it was time to give it a go and make some awesome hooded towelness for our friends kiddlets. 

Here is how it went.

Attempt #1 (FLOP)

The hood was too big and it looked drastically out of proportion, hmmmm..... I realized I needed to sew a seam / hem in the front of the hood, this gave it a finished look and shortened the hood at the same time! YAHOO!!

Attempt # 2 (SUCCESS):

1. Fold long side of hand towel in about 3 1/2 to 4 inches, sew. This will be the front of the hood, adding the hem makes it look finished and corrects the proportions of the hood and towel

2. Fold towel in half, sew the second long side together (the side that is NOT hemmed)

3. Sew hand towel to big towel in the center, by attaching the two short sides folded out and with the point of the seam up and the sewn together side in the center (see pics below)

4. Place stencil in center of big towel, secure edges with clear packaging tape, spray stencil with fabric stencil paint

     

OR
DECORATE however you see fit!!

GET CREATIVE!

TAAAADAAAA!!!!!!

All in all each hooded towel cost about $10, not too bad.... however, in the future I will be hunting for towels on clearance and stock up for gifts and will NOT be paying retail. At this point in time I only paid full price ($5 for big, $4 for hand) because I couldn't pass up on the SUPER CUTE stripped towel funness that Target had to offer. 

Not too bad considering some of the larger hood towels that are for sale at boutiques and online are about $25 buckeroos and personalized hooded towels run closer to $40.

These from PB Kids are $39.50 a POP! YIKES! Really cute though!


Fantastic! From Moonbeam Baby, But cost $33.95 personalized

All in all this was a simple (towel took about 15 minutes total START TO FINISH), fun, personalized and handmade gift I am SO EXCITED to give!  Nothing is better than giving or getting a DIY gift that's practical, fun, cute and can be enjoyed for YEARS!!!

Here's the finished product being modeled by C =)

That's my Shiny ~

J

A Little Lemon Whimsy

Well the freebie find "garbage diving" highchair, that I previously posted about here, is now painted, complete and being used by our little peanut daily! It turned out great! It was a bit of a slow go at first. The can of spray paint I purchased of Rustoleum Sun Yellow didn't work properly and I spent too much time shaking and the nozzle kept clogging. We got things moving once I found the PERFECT fabric for the seat cushion and got a new can of paint.  

HERE SHE BE ~

BEFORE:

DURING:

This was the slow part using the faulty can of spray paint

CAN YOU BELIEVE I found this AWESOME lemon fabric?! It was almost like I picked the fabric first then picked the paint (this would have been the smarter route) but I picked the paint first and hoped some suitable fabric would follow. This is more than suitable it's PERFECTION!!!

AFTER:

I used quilt edging for the ties and the buckle. These old school highchairs don't have a safety guard to keep the little buggers from sliding under the tray, so I added straps on either side and one in the middle with a loop, adding a belt buckle thingy purchased at Joann's along with the fabric, batting and quilt edging.

 For the seat cushions I bought a pre-cut piece of outdoor dense batting that is washable and mildew resistant, this well DEFINITELY NEED to be washed a time or two. I cut it to size for the back and bottom cushion. I then made a basic cover using the fabric, sewing three sides inserting the batting and then closing the last side by hand.

So there you have it a piece garbage is now a little piece of sunny yellow in our dining room, fun and lemon whimsy! Oh yea, the best part, this project cost about $11.00 TOTAL!!! I spent $3 on the spray paint and $8.00 at Joann Fabric on fabric, batting, buckles and quilt binding (this would have been more but I utilized several of their AMAZING coupons!!) and I have fabric left over too, hmmmm I will have to think about how to use this on another project!

P.S. See you later large, chunky, ANNOYING, plastic Chico highchair!

That's my Shiny ~

J