If you have a stylish mama on your Christmas list, including yourself!!, then hurry to Babysteals.com!!
I just ordered the Mamie
In this grey!!
And the Eli in camel!!
These are great bags and this is a huge discount that Babysteals only features once a year! Hurry, they sell out fast!!
Here are links to all of my Frugal Fashion and Modest Mama posts, so far. I hope they inspire and encourage you!!
I wanted to pop on here quickly, before I even have the post completed, in case you are shopping for last minute holiday clothes, and you need a little encouragement and inspiration!!
I found a whole bag of trendy, frugal fashion at Goodwill the other day!!!
I have been seeing a lot of lace detail in sleeves on Pinterest lately,so I was really excited to find this top! Sorry for the washed out pic. I was in a hurry! I hope you can see the lace on the sleeves, and the elegant neckline.
Grey top $3.00! Jeans $4.oo! Necklace $2.99!
Here is a close up of the top and necklace
This top would be great for a casual holiday get together or even something a little fancier by adding a skirt and a little sparkle
Top number 2
I really like this little “baby doll” top from Cold Water Creek. And it was only $3.00 at Goodwill!!
This top can also be worn casual or dressy. I wore it with a casual look to a little holiday get together with some Christmas-y jewelry and cozy boots.
Here is another angle, but it really doesn’t due this top justice. It’s actually more flowy, as you can see a little better in the first pic of it.
You can’t tell in the pics, but the boots I’m wearing are quilted. Love that detail!! They are only $30 at Aeropostale!
My Frugal Fashion Shopping tips for today:
tip #1: Shop second hand stores like Goodwill If you’ve tried a time or two and been unsuccessful, keep trying!! Shop frequently and during less busy times, like weekdays.
Tip #2: Don’t fall into a Second Hand Store trap. They can seem like a good idea because their prices are a little lower than full price retail, but a little patience when shopping Goodwill and the clearance racks at your favorite department stores will yield more bang for you hard to come by bucks!
Tip #3: If you are trying to get back in the fashion loop like I am, you’re going to need a little direction and inspiration before shopping. Pinterest is perfect for that. I often peruse Pinterest, find a few favorites, and then try to find similar items at the store that I can make a little more modest.
>You can follow me here!! LovingLivingLarge on Pinterest
As I mentioned here, I have always enjoyed fashion, but have kind of been in a fashion and beauty ‘bubble’ while growing and caring for my large family for the past ten years.
Well, I was feeling a little adventurous this past week, and made a trip to the mall. I’m so glad I did!
There are some great sales this time of year and a girl can really score some frugal fashion if she’s careful!
I went armed with a coupon and as much self control as I could muster. (There were so many cute finds, I really could’ve gotten into trouble!)
Here is what I came home with…
I think I’d like to build around a few basic wardrobe staples, so that my clothing stays in style a little longer, and then add a few trendy accessories.
I think this blouse qualifies as both a staple and a trendy addition. It’s a classic color. It’s feminine. It’s a little sexy, but at the same time modest with a cami underneath. And the color seems to be popular this year. I found it at Deb, on clearance, for only 10 bucks!
As soon as I find a cami I like, I’ll post a pic of me wearing it, so you can really see what it look like.
I’m so excited about this little find! Animal prints are really hot right now, so this is definitely a trendy addition. But, animal prints are also pretty classic, so I think this shirt, like the previous one, qualifies as a staple and a trendy addition!
While animal prints are in I’ll wear this on it’s own, with a cami underneath. When animal prints are not so in, I’ll use it as more of an undershirt with a sweater or shirt over it. It will provide a nice little flair to a plain sweater or shirt. Especially since the back is longer than the front, it will peek out from under a regular length shirt or sweater. Love that!
Deb was running a buy one, get one %50 off, including clearance. It was already marked down to $5, which means I only paid $2.50 for it! That’s cheaper than Goodwill. Score!
Again, when I find the right cami, I’ll post a pic of me wearing it.
These, I really didn’t have to pay for. I had a gift card for $25 at Old Navy. These happened to be on sale for $25, so I only had to pay tax.
Since I don’t wear jeans very often, especially skinny jeans, I consider these a trendy addition. They are a nice neutral jean color, without too much detail so I that I don’t look like I’m trying to be younger than I am, but enough that they look a little nicer than just basic jeans. They are the ‘Rockstar” skinny jeans, which means they are not low rise, and they feel great on!
I’ll post a pic the next time I wear them.
This is another score I’m really excited about! I love big bags!
I’d been searching for a black bag for quite awhile. They are really expensive, so I needed one that was a little more basic. That way, it wouldn’t go out of style too quickly, but with a little detail so that it looks trendy, too.
This bag was at Express. Regular price on the tag said $59.90. Purses were on sale %40 off, and I had a coupon from Express for $15 off when you spend $30. %40 off of $59.90 reduced the purse to $35.90, minus the $15 made the purse only $20.90! Even though it isn’t real leather, it is really cute and a great deal!
So, my total out of pocket for these great Frugal Fashion Finds was less than 40 bucks!
I LOVE finding great deals! That way I can spend the rest of my money on the more important things in life. Like, ya know….HAIR!
Although Fall is nearing it’s end, already, and this….
Has gone to this….
And this….
to this…..
There is still plenty of beauty. You just have to look a little closer.
Our cabbages and turnips are doing great!
Maybe it’s a case of “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, but I just think veggies in the garden are lovely!
Our Kale bed.
And I love contrasting colors!
Beets and turnips snuggling in for the Winter.
And we are even giving broccoli a go this year!
Although a little droopy, our chard by the front porch is still providing much needed color.
We planted our Fall beans at the beginning of September. A little too late, I guess.
I’ll let you know how the Fall harvest goes.
I still haven’t officially committed to the Trim Healthy Mama diet. I’m just doing it as much as possible while researching and figuring out a menu that is easy and affordable for me.
Here is my breakfast this morning.
So, organization and planning ahead are not my strong points.
However!!!!!
Thinking on my toes, is!
We are gone all day, one day, every week. Well, it happens to be payday, which means groceries were running low at home. Especially convenience foods, making it hard to pack snacks for my day out.
Dilemma 1: I need either low fat, or low carb protein about every 3 hrs.
Dilemma 2: there is a Starbucks right around the corner from where we will be spending our day. The Starbucks’ ‘Iced Double Shot’ is my favorite drink, and a huge weakness!
Fortunately, there is a health food store nearby, as well! I stopped by there this morning and grabbed a few things for the kids to eat, and a couple of ‘on plan’ things for myself.
The hot dogs are a frequent ‘go to’ for me as they are both low fat and low carb.
A new find was the almond milk singles!! I grabbed a couple of those, and a bottle of vanilla stevia and I had a great idea!! Maybe I could just order a few shots at Starbucks and put together my home home version of the ‘double shot’!
It turns out, an espresso shot is $1.88 at our local Starbucks. Well to get enough shots for a Grande, which has 3 or 4, depending on who’s working that day, can be more than $5!
It was cheaper to just order the Doubleshot, for about $3, without any syrup or breve. So that’s what I did, along with an extra grande cup of ice. And, it was so strong that I was able to divide it up for a total of 3 THM friendly ‘double shots’!
So, for my on the go, Trim Healthy Mama, ‘Double shot’….
Fill the empty ice cup up 1/2 way with Starbucks Double Shot.
Add 1 full dropper of vanilla stevia.
Top off with vanilla unsweetened almond milk.
Voila!! A Skinny Doubleshot!!
Tip: if you don’t like stevia, I highly recommend giving vanilla stevia a try. It is very sweet without the stevia after taste.
Being a bad girl today!
Back on the wagon tomorrow!!
I’d hoped to be posting a how-to, or a really helpful review, but I just can’t resist sharing these with you. Enjoy!
Our barn.
A Falcon (?)
Our front yard
Another view of the yard
Another view of the yard
A barn just up the highway
Our little barn
God is good!
I have started the Trim Healthy Mama Diet, and so far I’m enjoying it. Today is my official start day (up until now I’ve just been experimenting with meals and recipes to se if it’s doable for me). I’ll be keeping track of everything I eat and drink and posting it here!
I’m working on posting my first day’s menu and review for you, but in the meantime I thought I’d quickly share what I drink for a coffee treat.
Not being able to have iced coffee would have been a deal breaker!!
THM Friendly Iced Coffee (FP)
First I make about 4oz of strong coffee with my Aero Press. Sometimes I use a Starbucks instant packet poured into 2-3 inches of water. These are nice because they are fast, and I keep both regular and decaf packets so I can adjust the caffeine. Usually I use 3/4 of a decaf with 1/4 of a reg.
Then, I add about a half tsp. of Stevia, sometimes a little vanilla.
Stir and add enough unsweetened vanilla almond milk to just about fill the glass. If I’m making a big one I use a quart jar and add almond milk to about half to 3/4 full and fill with ice. For the small size (pint jar) I just about fill the jar with almond milk and add a few ice cubes. Does that make sense?
What really makes it feel like a treat Is the Redi-Whip!!
Yum!!!
1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk 2.5 fat grams and <1 carb
2 TBS Redi-Whip has 1 fat gram and 1 carb
That makes this yummy treat a Fuel Pull, enjoy!!
This is a garnish my husband makes. He is so fond of it he often will eat it with a spoon, right out of the bowl!
Simple Onion and Cilantro Garnish
What you will need:
2 onions, diced. Onions contain anti-bacterial and anti-viral compounds, and are known to increase mineral absorption. Great for your immune system!
A whole lime, rolled on the counter to release the maximum amount of juice. Limes are great for your immune sytem since they are high in vitamin C, and more!
A small bunch of cilantro Cilantro is very good for building up your immune system!
Add your onions to a bowl. Add lime juice.
Now tear cilantro and add until it looks like it has enough color for you.
Mix and enjoy now, or refrigerate for later!
Loving Living Large 