Incredibly Thrifty

I would like to apologize for my brief hiatus from blogging, I have been out of state a lot the past month for family reasons. For the last month I feel like everything has been a blur between running a household, kids, school and family. I've been to Goodwill here and there so I put together a haul to share with you all! I've been having a lot of great finds lately :D So here we go!  Finding 5 pairs of shoes at the same Goodwill that were my taste & size was a pretty lucky feeling, not to mention I scored some major brands. These shoes are all never worn/hardly worn. $4.99 a pair!  These Dressbarn flats are perfect for Fall! I love the deep green color and capped toe detail.  These chestnut brown Mossimo flats with gold studded detail are the cutest! Once again, definitely going to be a Fall essential.  I love Sperry's, however I hate the price of them. I found these hardly worn leopard print ones today and I can't wait to wear them!  I love the vintage/hip...

Have you ever been amazed at how one simple thing, such as a phone call, can shatter your world and shake you to the core? That is the feeling I felt today as I answered my sister's phone call, knowing it was regarding the health of our grandfather; who raised me - that man is my heart and soul, my rock, my everything. She calmly told me to sit down and we both started to cry. She didn't even have to say the dreaded word, I knew. Cancer - the scariest 6 letter word. In my grandfather's case, lung cancer. He's 82, so his body is trying it's best to put up one hell of a fight. So many emotions have been running through my mind all day, on top of trying to concentrate on school and function enough to take care of my kids - I'm solo this week so it's just us. All of this got me to thinking, am I happy with what I've done? Who I'm becoming? Do the people that are important to me know that I love them? All I have to say is, it's never too late to b...

Hello there! It's been a couple of weeks, adjusting to being a college student and mother of 2 is easier said than done. I was able to get caught up on much needed housework and homework this weekend, so I thought I'd share my Goodwill haul and how I would style them for this upcoming fall season!  Fall is my favorite time of the year. From pumpkin patches, delicious flavored coffee, football and of course the fashion that fall brings! Scarves, boots, tights, cardigans..I love it all!  I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend, I spent most of mine inside but I'm so happy I'm finally able to post in my blog again.  So here's my Goodwill finds and how I would style them,  I adore this dress. It was only $6.99 but still has the original store tags on it for $59.50. I almost didn't purchase it because the brand was Hollister and I'm not a teenager anymore, I'm a 25 year old mother of 2; BUT...styled properly I think I can pull it off & I don't...

Hello there! As a busy mom of 2 sometimes it's hard to find something quick and nutritious, especially in the morning time. Between getting my oldest dressed for school/fed and battling my toddler to eat breakfast, I find little time to give myself the proper fuel to start my day off right!  I'm sure by now you have all heard the rave about green juice/smoothies, it's so true! I was extremely skeptical at first because the thought of putting vegetables in a blender and drinking it...well...barf? No! Absolutely not. One of my best girlfriends got me hooked on green smoothies and I love them now. It is full of nutrients, low in calories and very easy to make! Not to mention the combinations are endless. I thought I'd share my ingredient list for when I prep my smoothies.  Below is everything that I put into quart sized freezer bags, after it has been washed and cut 2 bunches Kale 1 bag spinach 1pineapple 4 kiwi 3 large cucumber 4 apples of your choice 1 package strawberri...

Hello again! I've been so busy since I got back from vacation. Between flooded basements, getting my son & myself ready for school I feel like thrifting had taken the back burner. Today I hopped in the shower and decided it was time to go! :) I went to my favorite Goodwill (this one always has the best finds! For me anyways) & although I only got 4 items I was so excited about them!  This was my favorite find for today. With fall approaching, I had been wanting a trench coat. This is brand new(still had the spare buttons on the inside in a tiny plastic bag) & is perfect! I love that it's belted & of course black goes with a lot of things. This is by Jessica Simpson and it was only $8.99, definitely a steal!  Recently, I been trying to build up my heel/wedge/girly shoes in my closet. I have tons of boots/booties but not enough heels to rock in the warmer months. These Charlotte Russe wedges are exactly what I was looking for & for only $4.99!  I'm not s...

I'm sure I'm not the only mom who practically has to beg their kids to eat vegetables. When it comes to my 5 year old, it seems almost impossible. He claims he is "allergic" to ALL of them. Well....*drum roll please*... I finally made a kid approved recipe with vegetables in it! He has eaten this before but avoided the zucchini and corn like it was the boogie man himself. I added a little extra cheese and some garlic to this & he actually ate it! He cleared his plate in less than 10 minutes and I didn't hear one peep about dreaded vegetables. This recipe is already in my blog listed as "healthy chili pasta bake". Here is the finished result!  He loved it! It is good and good for you. I will definitely be making this frequently in my household from now on!  Until next time,  Kristen 

Since I've gotten back from out of town, I have been itching to do a good sized thrift haul! However, school supply shopping & a flooded basement had been preventing that. Yesterday I finally made my way to my favorite Goodwill for the last day of tax free weekend, with my dear thrifting partner in crime of course! :) I have to say, this is probably one of my favorite hauls, I couldn't decide what I liked the most!  This grey faux leather jacket was $8.99. I can't wait to get some good use out of this come fall season.  I probably should stop buying boots, but when they are only $5 a pair I can't say no! These Madden Girl motto boots are going to be a wardrobe staple in the colder months for sure.  I love this maxi dress. It has a romantic/vintage vibe to it. The soft colors and tie waist are super flattering! Only $6.99!  I wanted to add some color to my closet, so this sparrow/striped detail dress was perfect! Only $6.99. From the lavender color, to the sheer f...

The older I get, the less material things matter. Material things don't necessarily have to mean something that is tangible, either. I'm talking about reputation, people's opinions, etc. Now a days, quality of life to me consist of things that money can't buy. I have happy children, a handful of great friends, a loving significant other and I'm in a place where I love myself, nothing else matters. Which leads to me the whole title of this blog, BE the CHANGE. Don't allow negative people to affect how you look at the world. Regardless of how may times I have had my name dragged through the mud, I still believe in kindness. There is still good left in this world & I have always set that expectation for myself to be part of that good. I was raised by very old school grandparents. I was taught to always be humble, even if people didn't deserve it. I thank God for the common sense and kind mentality they brought me up with. So on that note... CYBER BULLYING. ...

Hello & Happy Friday! I'm finally settled in from being out of town & I'm so happy to share a thrift haul. After spending $264 on school supplies alone for my soon to be Kindergartener, the first place I looked for clothes were of course some thrift stores. I found some great brands at even greater prices!  These were from my favorite Goodwill here in VA. Children's clothing is only $1.99 per item!  Osh Kosh hoodie Chaps long sleeve button down Tony Hawk polo Chaps polo Old Navy striped tee Gap logo tee Children's Place tee Children's Place tee All for a little over $16!  This was my Once Upon a Child haul. I absolutely love this thrift store! It's clean, organized and always has great brands for a steal! I purchased a pair of Jordan sneakers, 5 jeans, a pair of khakis, 5 polo shirts, a basic tee & 3 pairs of shorts for $86!  So all in all for a new school wardrobe I spent a little more than $100! My son a...

Since I'm on vacation in my home town I figured I'd take a break from thrifting and write about things that have been on my mind lately.  Let me start by saying I admire all mothers, working or staying at home. If you're doing what's best for your family, go you! I  am recently a full time student, I work from home, my boyfriend is constantly away for work, it's summer and I have 5 year & 1 year old boys.  ^ reading that made me tired, seriously. Coffee anyone? Shots! Shots! Shots! Espresso shots - duh.  Do you ever feel like as mothers, we are looked at as these invincible, forever patient, never tired creatures? I swear people think we function solely on caffeine & ..dreams? Who knows. I'm not afraid to say that I have my days where I feel like waving my little white flag and surrendering to the responsibilities of motherhood. Being a mother is the toughest job in the world. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. Before I sound like an ungrateful bitch...

Yes, you read that right. I believe that on the pursuit of self happiness you have to fall in love with yourself. You can't give your heart, soul, mind & body to somebody else if you don't love what is on the inside & what's staring back at you in the mirror. For the longest time, I wanted to be something I wasn't. I'm only 5' feet tall, I have a pear shape(smaller boobs/bigger butt&thigh area), my bottom teeth are crooked, I'm pale, my face is round & overall I consider myself more of an athletic build. I would look at myself in the mirror everyday and wish I had different features. We all see these beauty standards in magazines of women with long, lean legs, long&flowy hair, commercial ready smiles, tiny waists, curves in all the right places  and gorgeous, tan flawless skin. Let me tell you, I wanted to be that so badly. I always thought I might be "more" if I was "prettier". Comparing yourself to someone else is on...

Hello! So of course this last Friday I went to Goodwill. Having 3 near by means making frequent stops to each one, they always have new inventory! The Goodwill that I went to on this occasion is actually the smallest of the three, but in my opinion always has amazing brands! I've been trying to build up my fall/winter wardrobe lately (scarves, boots/booties, cardigans, sweaters, jackets, etc.) mainly because things like that get so damn exspensive! Here is what I found!  I LOVE this printed cardigan. It also happened to be the tag of the week cor(red) so it was 50% off! I thought it was 50% of $8.99 since I found it in the jacket section, but Iater checked my receipt and realized it rang up for half off of $3.49...making it $1.75! With some leggings, a comfy tank and scarf, and some riding boots this will make a cute outfit. Faux leather studded jacket. Yes please. I love adding edgy vibes to my outfits and this is perfect! It rang up for $5.99!  Grey pea-coat with ruffle deta...

I found these at my local Goodwill for only $4.99! Which means my next Goodwill visit will consist of finding a dress to go with these beauties :)  These are definitely perfect for summer! I can't wait to use them in an outfit of the day.  Until next time  -Kristen