This one is self explanatory… I’ve loved this shirt since the first time I saw it and impulse bought it because it can be used for any sport. Check it out on Etsy or the other items in this outfit below!
Well, here in Ohio the weather can’t just magically be fall. That means a few last minute warm weather game day outfits! This one relies on maximum airflow, so as usual, my main choice is a dress. Pair it with a favorite sun hat and a team accessory and you’re set! Find all of these items below to cheer on your favorite team!
You guys… kids shoes fit me. Why am I JUST NOW figuring this out? So many missed shoe opportunities not realizing this until now! Here’s a handy chart to see if you can share in my new found joy:
You can find all of the items in this outfit below!
It’s game day and it’s finally feeling like fall (even if it’s only for the next few days). I decided to bring out the sweatshirts to get ready for fall. This sweatshirt is one of my favorites because although it’s not very thick or bulky , it’s so warm!
Find all of these game day favorites linked below!
When you’re momming all day you don’t really have time to think too much, which is why I live in tees, straight leg jeans, and sneakers. No one has time to be uncomfortable! As much as I love band tees, you never see many rap tees, which is why I absolutely love this one from Amazon! You can shop this entire look with the breakdown below!
Although I love how white Chucks look with a multitude of clothing options, white is not kid friendly. Or accident prone friendly. So, off I searched for a great way to clean these babies. Well, it turns out there isn’t really one great way, so I combined a few that seemed to work well for me, so I hope this method works well for you, too!
The weather is starting to change and we’re sprinting towards the winter months. This means dry skin, dry hair, dry nails. Ok, you can only moisturize so much and cuticle or nail oil is great… when you actually remember it. I don’t know about you, but things around here are extra crazy this time of year and 2020 has not been kind to anyone, so I definitely don’t have time for 500 steps in my skincare routine right now.
My nails keep splitting and breaking way, way, WAY back. If I paint them this won’t help with the breaking, so I thought maybe I’d go get them done soon with a gel manicure. Ok, that might help some, but it still won’t stop them from splitting or breaking too far back. I suddenly remembered seeing a Facebook ad for dip manicures. Hmm… ok, but are they sturdy enough to withstand the cracking, splitting, and breaking nails?
Like all of my posts, I’m sure you know where I headed. Time for some hardcore Amazon research. I found many kits, but I always opt for the ones with the best price and best reviews. Bingo… I found a starter kit that contained colors I love and there was a coupon with a lightning deal. I looked at all of the photos, read the reviews, and this seemed like the real deal, so I went for it.
What I liked about this particular set is it seemed like there were only a few steps, the kit came with everything already included, and the colors were perfect! I chose the kit with a gray and pink color scheme. This particular kit had a two different color options, so if I did fall in love with it, I could order a second set in a different color scheme.
The directions were simple and there wasn’t too much to read through. I was able to apply the dip powder easily and quickly. I completed my entire manicure in about half an hour. The manicure looked great for a first attempt. I know the second attempt will be even better now that I know what I’m doing. Next time I will make sure I don’t get sloppy with the base coat as it can go outside the nail line fairly easily. Once you go outside of your nail line it adheres to your skin and it’s a little difficult to correct. When applying regular polish I’ve always gone very far outside of my nail line and cleaned it up later, but this forces me to be a little bit neater.
My nails are now strong, sturdy, and aren’t tearing, breaking, or chipping like they have been the last few weeks. I think this is a great solution to help me grow my nails out without them continually breaking. The colors are great in this kit, it is quick and easy to apply, and I found it to be very forgiving for a dip manicure newbie. For the price of one manicure I will now be able to keep up with them myself at home whenever I have time. I believe I will be purchasing an electric nail file to sand down the manicures when I need to fill in in a few weeks. Otherwise I think they’ll become a little too thick after fill-ins.
If you like a little more length than what you currently have, Amazon has a lot of options for tips. The directions in this kit even tell you how to apply the nail tips, then apply the dip manicure for a great finish.
After being stuck in the Victoria’s Secret conundrum for over a decade, I finally embraced the fact that it MIGHT NOT BE the only good intimates option *gasp* I know, I know… it’s kind of like Clinique. Abercrombie & Fitch. Lulu Lemon. There ARE other brands and yes… they can be comparable, if not better.
Yes, I have always gotten amazing deals from Victoria’s Secret in the past, but like every other brand name, those deals seem to be becoming few and far between lately. So, I did what any great shopper does and hit up my Amazon Prime for other options. I’ve had great luck lately just typing in whatever I’m searching for then BAM! An item with thousands of glowing reviews pops up as “Best Seller”. So, today I have two alternatives for you-Body by Victoria underwire bras and cotton bikini underwear.
So, the best option that came up on Amazon was Maidenform’s Comfort Devotion Embellished Bra. Reviewers even posted photos comparing their Victoria’s Secret version to the Maidenform version. They are so similar that you can hardly tell the difference. Here are some pros and cons that I found with this dupe:
The fit and cut is nearly identical to the Victoria’s Secret version. In fact, reviewers posted photos of the Body by Victoria bra with the Maidenform version and they looked nearly identical. Maidenform’s version has a three hook and eye closure, while the Victoria’s Secret version has only two. I definitely prefer the three hook version as it helps everything stay in place and be much more secure. Maidenform’s version even seems softer than Victoria’s Secret’s. This could mean it won’t hold up as well as the Victoria’s Secret version, but I’ll keep you posted on how they wear!
I don’t really know that there are many cons to this one. The straps seem a little stretchier, which could mean a little less support and the Maidenform version is definitely thinner. The Amazon selection of Maidenform also mostly have lace, which might not be the best style under tighter fitting t-shirts. Other than these minor cons, the bras are definitely comparable.
Amazon Essentials has the best dupe for Victoria’s Secret cotton panties. You know, the ones you always get free when you have a VS credit card? Who doesn’t love those?! In fact, I’m not even giving you a pro/con list for this one (yeah… I know your inner Rory Gilmore just died a little…). They’re that good. I even grab these before I grab any of my Victoria’s Secret versions. They wash well, they hold up well, and they’re just plain comfortable. These are just plain great. The cut is also comparable to Victoria’s Secret Cotton Bikini Panties. The price? $2.25 per pair. Seriously. Buy some.
After years of wanting to see what the hype of Urban Decay Naked palettes was all about, I could never bring myself to purchase one for full price. Honestly, I always wear the same boring neutral shades of shadow and I wasn’t about to shell out over $50 for an eyeshadow palette. Do you know how many diapers that can buy? Oh, right… back to the palettes. I finally bit the bullet when I found the Naked Smoky palette which had been previously discontinued for half price. Do I ever wear a smoky eye? Nope. Was I going to buy it? Yep. Girl logic.
I was so excited to finally get my palette in the mail, tore open the packaging, and opened the prettiest box of makeup I had ever seen. The packaging didn’t disappoint and there was a helpful tutorial inside the box. Score! Perfect for a smoky eye newbie like me. I whipped out the little tutorial card and went to work. Added the shade Password and moved on to the shimmery dark gray shade of Armor. Wait… Armop? What the heck is Armop? Seriously? Now, even though this is my first Urban Decay palette I KNOW shades should not be misspelled. That is a perfect sign of a dupe. Did Sephora ship a dupe?! Ugh. You. Are. Kidding. The color also didn’t seem to be terribly pigmented. So, I packed up the palette and called all local Sephoras. They weren’t even aware that Urban Decay had brought the palette back at half price. An email to Sephora customer service was in order.
To my surprise they responded in less than 24 hours and told me they would send a new palette out as soon as possible. I received a follow-up email after the new palette had been shipped instructing me to ship the defective palette back to Sephora. New palette arrived, I shipped the old one back, and my problem was solved.
I still can’t help but wonder if Sephora shipped a lot of these misspelled palettes. Did they somehow receive a bad shipment? Let me know if you happened to receive a misspelled palette!
Ugh! Poshmark. Staaaaaaaahhhhhhhp. Look what you’ve done to me! I promised myself I wouldn’t purchase anything, but my word. I’ve never seen so many pretty things at such prices in my life. It’s a struggle, guys.
I have wanted a pair of Tory Burch flats for… forever. I’m a ballet flat kind of girl. They’re my go-to nearly every day. Now, I have to preface this post with the fact that I never spend more than $20 (and that’s steep for me…) on a pair of flats. Ever. EVER. No, seriously, I won’t do it. Why? Prepare to be grossed out-I was blessed with hyperhydrosis (fancy name for your feet sweat like you regularly walk on coals… not flattering… thanks a lot, dad!). So, guess what happens to all of my adorable little ballet flats? They become filled with puddles. Yep-disgusting. After a season of flats I throw those babies out and feel no shame.
I somehow became rather addicted to my cognac colored pair. They go with black, white, navy, you name it… can’t go wrong! They dress up, they dress down, they always look classy with whatever they are paired with. Thanks, Target… you rock for carrying them for years! And yes… I do now have them in nearly every color they manufacture…
Alright… now that you have the weird background of my ballet flat obsession, here’s where a used shoe Purchase comes in. When I began my Poshmark closet, I made a pact with myself. I said, “Self, I will NOT purchase any used clothing. If I find a GREAT (and I mean this has to be the deal of the century) deal on an item that is new with tags, I will THINK about making a purchase”.
Now, I have had my eye on Tory Burch flats for years, but would never dare pay $250 for a pair. Are you kidding? They would be filled with a puddle in 30 seconds and I would cry because I practically gave my first born to pay for those shoes. No, sir. I eyed several pairs of NWT (new with tags) pairs of Tory Burch flats on Poshmark and even countered an offer, but no dice. I stopped checking out the listings for a few days and out of the blue the former Roomie shoots me a text: “What do you think about these shoes on Poshmark?”. Well, they’re used. That was my thought. Used shoes? Then I took a look at them. Sam Edelmans. They looked BRAND NEW. For $38. Hmmm… you know, not everyone creates puddles while standing. There just may be something to this. I shot her a text back and said I don’t do used shoes, but they’re in amazing shape and you’ve wanted those shoes for a long time… buy the shoes.
Reluctantly, I opened my Poshmark app to take a look at new Tory Burch shoe listings. There. They. Were. “Used” Tory Burch flats in my beloved cognac color. $100. I thought “uh huh… bet those things look like they’ve been through WWIII”. I took a look through the photos. These things looked brand spanking new. Ughhhh… ok. I “liked” them. A few hours after liking that pair I received an offer: $75 with free shipping. After selling a few pairs of jeans I’ll never fit in again, I have around $15 credit on Poshmark that I was considering just withdrawing for cash, but if I were to apply it to this purchase, these shoes would be about $60 even. Not. Bad. Alright, I don’t even know if these things will fit! I decided to look at some reviews. Most people complained that they’re snug and said to size up AT LEAST half a size. I asked the seller what her opinion was. She suggested looking at other reviews, but from her experience they fit very true to size. Dang. I give in. Shoes ordered. Anddddddd I wait.
The shoes shipped very quickly, were packaged with such care, and were absolutely perfect. These shoes looked like they had been worn no more than once. Indoors. Such minimal wear on the sole, no scratches or visible wear on the leather, and so adorable. Now, to see if they fit. The moment of truth, y’all. I put some no-show socks on so I don’t ruin the poor things within 5 seconds of trying them on with my puddle producing feet.
Well, I do believe the reviews were correct. They are snug. After having babies my feet grew and never quite returned to their size 8 status. They’re now more like an 8 1/2 almost 9 most days, so overall these aren’t too far off from true to size. However, since they haven’t been broken in I’ll have to say, they just may be the most uncomfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. They darn near bruised my poor feet the first day I wore them. They are so stiff from not being broken in I think me and the Torys will need to spend some quality time while I’m home and wear them with some very thick socks to do some leather stretching. BUT… would it even matter if they were so small I couldn’t walk? Nope. They’re too darn cute!
After wearing them more they’ve stretched a significant amount. I also don’t wear no-show socks with them any longer because I believe that may have been exacerbating the problem. Exacerbating? Did I just use that word? I need a nap, guys… I did, however, invest in a pair of Gekks.
What are Gekks you ask? The most amazing no show socks EVER. They are seriously life changing for flats, heels, and loafers. I found them from a Facebook ad (don’t judge… I know you’re judging) and they were a little pricey, but with my sweaty feet problem I’m always willing to give options a try. I have to say, they live up to the hype. They have made my shoes so much more comfortable and I don’t feel like I’m completely ruining every pair of shoes I own.
After being so used to my cheap Target flats I have to say these flats are VERY well made. The leather is beautiful, the Tory Burch medallions add such a great touch of style without standing out too much, and they’ll go with literally anything. These were a great purchase at an even greater price.
So, of course after I found these I HAD to keep looking at Tory Burch shoes. Well, I also found an adorable pair of Tory Burch wedges I had to have. I got them for $40 and I know these have never been worn. The soles are pristine and the canvas isn’t stretched or discolored in the slightest.
You know, if you have great shoes, you then need other awesome accessories. It’s kind of like “If you give a mouse a cookie” or “If you give a moose a muffin”. Don’t pretend you don’t know those books… by the way, Amazon Prime Video has an “If you give a mouse a cookie” series, guys and it’s adorable. Play it for your kids! Ok… I digress.
Tory Burch earrings and a Kendra Scott necklace completed my collection nicely. I have wanted a Kendra Scott necklace for a long time, but never really wanted to pay the (according to me) high price for something so simple. They never go on sale, so I figured I was out of luck. Until Poshmark! I scored an Elisa necklace for $30.
When I started Poshmark I promised myself I wouldn’t purchase anything, let alone used shoes. Well, I broke my promise. Poshmark, you’ve made me a believer!
The Engineered Mama 