Shop til you Drop!

On a lighter note today, I am going to talk about one of my favorite parts of being a girl mom…a mom in general!  SHOPPING…well DRESSING my daughter, doing her hair, and all things girly!  I’m going to share with where I shop, how I shop, and how I dress my daughter.  This will probably be one of the most easiest and informal post that I make. (Disclaimer: For those who need it…Yes, clothes and appearance aren’t  everything, and YES education is a priority in my household…and God…and family…happy? COOL)

OKAY! Starting with where I shop. I am a bargain shopper! I like nice things at discounted prices! Obviously kids grow super fast, so I am mindful of the amount of things I buy, as well as the amount of money I spend on them.  So, if I had a top three I’d pick Zara, Janie & Jack, and Nordstrom (rack included).  I also like the Saks, GAP, TJMaxx, Macy’s, Target and sometimes Old Navy!  Overall, I am a department store shopper.  I don’t like clutter, I like availability, easy access and, again, GOOD PRICES. Boutiques and overly crowded stores stress me out.  I rarely shop in them for myself, and definitely avoid them for my daughter.  I like to shop at stores that stand behind the quality of their product and I just feel like boutiques don’t…no offense, but if I rip a shirt I got from a boutique, I can forget them being willing to exchange it.  However, department stores and chain retails usually stand behind their brand and products.

Dress: Zara, Shoes: Target

Pants: Saks, Shirt: Zara, Shoes: Nordstrom, Jacket: GAP

So, you’re probably thinking these stores are really expensive and you’re absolutely right.  However, I only buy things on sale…like, SALE SALE.  So this is how I do it.  I shop a season or two in advance.  I know that Zara and Janie & Jack have huge sales at the start of summer and during the December/January timeframe.  Janie & Jack will even offer an additional 20% off the sales price, making prices 70% to 80% off.  I purchase items a size up, and for the next season.  Nordstrom sales are hit or miss, but when you hit, YOU HIT! The same applies for Macy’s.  The GAP also has amazing sales, just about every weekend.  However, I don’t shop there too often because, now that my daughter has real height, their bottoms are too short for her.

I usually never buy “outfits”. I always purchase separates.  This way, I have a lot of options, and we get a lot wear out of everything!  I also stopped buying a lot of “nice” things, because my daughter goes to daycare everyday, and comes home looking rough (kids can be wild)! So I pick a few nice items, and when wear them on special occasions.  Usually school attire is leggings and t-shirts, or athletic wear. I also let her mess up the same couple pair of shoes, because…recess!

Outside of school, I mix and match pieces as I would for myself. Generally, I buy things a size up to maximize the amount of time she can wear them. So when things are a little big, I go for a look that allows for a loose fitting look. Another thing I do is, I keep pants that would look cute as leggings! When my daughter has grown in length, she can then wear a cute capris look.

These were jeans last summer, but I hung on to them and they are super cute as capris!

Everything pictured here is a size too big. The jeans are huge but I went for a boyfriend jean look. They’re actually folded in her waist! Everything she has on is from Zara.

Finally, I don’t buy things I can’t wash, myself. I refuse to take a toddlers clothes to the cleaners, as my life is busy enough! I could talk about shopping all day! Feel free to ask questions in the comments.

Oh, and for those of you in the Metro Detroit area, don’t forget to join us at the Mom-2-Mom sales, on 8.18.18!