Yes to pastels and no to flower print

I am in the market for some additional jeans, seeing as its a bit chilly and I am kinda over wearing my Supre jeggings to death (they are still my favourite though).  Having seen Flower Print jeans on Miranda Kerr, I was temporarily tempted to buy some.  Until I realised that I don't like flower print jeans, I just don't.  They remind me of 80's mums jeans, and I don't think they actually look that flattering on Miranda Kerr and she is a supermodel.  So after deciding I definitely do not want to try floral jeans, I decided maybe pastel jeans would be okay.  I discovered Kmart are selling coloured jeans for $15!! whoo hoo, thats a perfect price for trying a trend :-).  So I went to my local Kmart and got a pale pink and a mint green pair.  Unfortunately the next day when I went to put on the mint green pair I discovered they had a stain on them, I took them back and they had no more mint green ones :-(, so I got a pale blue pair instead.  I dont LOVE these jeans, but for $15 they are perfect!  And they are obviously popular as Kmart seem to sell them as fast as they can stock them.  I noticed that pretty much every chain store has a version of coloured jeans, so I might check out some others to compare.  How eighties looking is this Kmart ad for their coloured jeans lol.

CUE the bargains!

One day the sky opened up and the sun shone down and the angels singed - and hallelujah I found a Cue sale at Myers!  It was in a regional town that we were stopped and stayed a day at on our week away, I was amazed they had not only a Myers but a huge shopping centre full of good shopping :-).  When I first started working an office job I bought heaps of clothes from Portmans and Cue, the Portmans ones are just as pretty as Cue's, but of course a bit cheaper.  There is a reason for that, 8 years later I have every piece of Cue clothing, but none from Portmans.  If you are buying crisp shirts and trend pieces I would definitely buy Portmans, but if you are buying classic timeless pieces that can age well - Cue is worth every penny :-).  I haven't bought anything from Cue for about 6 years (when I was trying to work it out I was a bit confused because some of the shirts I have still look brand new), and to be honest a few pieces are starting to look their age (but most is still awesome).  But over the years because I was trying to save money I have been adding in cheap pieces from places like SES and Valleygirl, which is fine except my work wardrobe has somehow become half Cue and Half SES/Valleygirl which I hadn't released until my latest cull.  I had been going into Cue occasionally and checking their sales emails, but really couldn't afford anything. UNTIL I stumbled upon the 70% off sale at the Myers Cue.  I am assuming that because its a small regional place maybe nobody really wears Cue? Because there were racks and racks of cheap Cue clothes.  I seriously got heart palpitations and experienced true excitement.  I ended up buying three skirts, a dress and a shirt for $234, I put heaps of stuff back (while I cried), because I just couldn't afford to buy anymore (have I mentioned the serious spend ban I am on!). Love you Cue! Sorry for the poor photos, this justifies the need to buy a mannequin....when my spending ban ends.

$159 reduced to $47.70

$89.95 reduced to $26.95

$169 reduced to $50.70

$179 reduced to $53.70

$185 reduced to $55.50

Bargains!

Pinterest and Culling!

Add one more thing to the 'things I have to figure out' - Pinterest.  I have decided that I do want to participate in the Pinterest world, so now I just have to figure out how to go about it.  I have an account, I have figured out who to privacy settings it so it doesn't show up on Facebook - and I have added a few people to follow and some boards and pins.  I still don't really know how to use it, so hopefully at some point in my life I will be able to sit down and dedicate some time to it.

Because we have pretty much decided to move again, I am culling, culling and culling.  I have quite a few things to donate, so will be ringing my local Lifeline store to arrange a drop off.  I hate putting things in the charity bins you see around, its disgusting that people just dump their donations off and leave it front of the bins to get rained on and damaged just so the charity people have to them dump it.  I wish that charities would just get rid of the bins and do an advertising campaign to get people to actually go to a drop off location and hand it over to actual people. This is going to be the first major cull of my clothes that I have done in ages, so I am quite excited at the prospect of perhaps finding what I want to wear instead of having to wade through mountains of clothing and never be able to find anything :-(.  I have started and I am being ruthless, haven't worn it in a couple of years - to bad its going!!  I just can't live like this anymore, I need to find what I want to wear when I want to wear it!!

Here are some pins that I need to pin to my boards in Pinterest:

I love this whole outfit.  The big gold watch and the turquoise bracelet.  The brown leather bag, the striped shirt and the flower skirt  - awesome!

Gwen Stefani - how I adore thee.  This outfit matched with the hair is so sexy - I love it.  I also wish I had her butt :-).

I like the jacket with the high waisted skirt, its a look I wear often (and with tights when the skirt is a little to high or the weather is a little to cold)

To many Apples

This week we are traveling away from home so I don't have access to my IMac. What I do have is my IPad and my iPhone. Of course I understand that Apple was such an irrelevant platform that nobody was interested on catering for it, but now is the time people - its ridiculous. Because I don't have access to my iMac or a laptop, I cannot upload photos to my Etsy store, I cannot format any of my blog posts (I am using the Blogger app to write this), I cannot watch a majority of videos - I'm truly over it. I am very tempted they when I am off this spending ban to buy a cheap Microsoft laptop. SIGH. Frankly I had no problems until my laptop started dying last year and it's been nothing but frustration since.

I also forgot my makeup bag - very sad face!! I only wanted to buy the bare minimum to get me through as I have so much makeup at home, and while on a spending ban this is the last thing I want to waste my money on.so I went to the local Coles and bought the Garnier BB cream (I am in love with this), a Covergirl mascara on sale for $5 and a Covergirl eyeshadow kit on sale for $4 - bargain central. The eyeshadow kit is ok, it's definitely not nice like my Mac stuff but it will do. The mascara is okay, but is just plain- not curling or volume formulas do it was quite confronting to see my lack
of lashes! I think I want to try this maybelline mascara, I've never been able to master false lashes so I wonder if this mascara really does make your lashes like this! I also had a peek in the local Cotton On and got this horsey dress for $10 reduced from $40!!!! Awesome!

whoops! Blogger error

Forever New belt 50% off - $7.95

Forever New flower pony elastics

On my wish list - Nike Free Run+3 shoes: http://reviews.nike.com/9191/510643/nike-free-run-3-womens-running-shoe-reviews/reviews.htm

You may have noticed that my last post was very baby orientated - well actually completely baby orientated.  Thats because it belonged only baby blog:http://yoyoyoyobabypop.blogspot.com.au/.  I blame sleep deprivation due to baby not sleeping pretty much at all AND in stops and starts -boy I have been tired :-).  Here are some little things I have picked up for myself, because I only have small change left.  Very sad face, but we are doing a few big trips (just still in Australia trips) so the shopping ban is in force to pay for out our trips.

Fashion Binge

Dora explorer dress - Ebay $11.50.  The weather is still a bit cool so I have layered the dresses with a thermal long sleeve onsie and tights (and beanie is optional)

 As you can tell from previous posts I have been very frustrated by the fact G had no size 0 clothes and I felt like I couldn't buy much because it seems like she might be going to size one pretty quickly.  But I was so over looking in her wardrobe and seeing nothing I wanted to dress in I have completely binged on size 0 clothing.  EEK.  At first I thought I shouldn't waste money on clothes that a baby doesn't wear very long, but now I have realised that if you are anything like me you will take THOUSANDS of photos of your baby.  And those are forever photos, I don't want to look at photos of G in fifty years time thinking I wish I had of bought that outfit that was only $20 it was way cuter than the daggy one she was wearing in the photo - but lucky I saved that $20!!!  So this is the final haul, I have officially filled up all her coat hangers in her awesome closet.  The dresses are from Ebay and are brand new hand made, they come with matching headbands, but they squash poor G's head - very sad face so lucky they only cost an extra $4.50.  The nazi headband police would have my head if I took her out in public wearing them ;-).  I love the dresses, there is a huge selection to choose from so I will definitely buying up big in size one when the time comes.  G looks absolutely adorable in them! I went into Cotton On to get the long sleeve/pant onsie below that I had been coveting for so long, but hadn't purchased as it was $19.95, I picked it up plus another two shirts and long pants that were two for $20.  Cotton On are finally getting some cute stuff in = yay.  We may be moving back to the bright lights big city where there is a Cotton On kids at the DFO - bargain central here I come :-).

Winnie the Pooh dress - Ebay $11.50

Minnie Mouse dress - Ebay $11.50

Pink pant leggings - Cotton On, two for $20

Yellow long sleeve rocking horse t-shirt - Cotton On Kids, two for $20

long sleeve/pants Onsie - Cotton On Kids $19.95, this should be a hit with her Daddy who only wants her to wear onsies that are 'soft'

polka dot stars pant legging - Cotton On Kids two for $20

CUTEST long sleeve top ever - Cotton On kids, two for $20.  P.s the hugs are not for free, they come at the cost of your heart ;-)

The cutest environmental bag - $2 from cotton on kids

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online shopping

$29.95 reduced from $49.95 Bob Marley racerback singlet, cause I love Bob.

So online shopping has become very much the normal for me now.  A majority of my life purchases is made on a computer/ipad/iphone - there is nothing like suddenly deciding you need something and buying it on your iPhone while you are out and about!  I want to do the right thing and support my local retailers but there such a serious discrepancy sometimes a price instore and online store that its totally ridiculous.  I went looking for a tripod for my iPhone/camera so I can take better blog photos and also family photos, since a lot of our photos with our daughter are just with one parent usually while the other parent takes the photo!  I really wanted this one:http://joby.com/gorillamobile, so I stopped into Dick Smith to check out if they had one - well they were closing down and basically had no stock of pretty much anything left.  Woolworths are closing down Dick Smith stores Australia wide, so they must of been really losing money.  And no wonder, I went home got on ebay and bout one for $3.68 free shipping.  Thats right $3.68 free shipping.  Clearly for this amount this is a fake, but I checked the feedback and people had bought the item and been happy with it.  How can electronic stores compete with that?  Having said I do a lot of online shopping, its 50% bargains and 50% same price instore - just more convenient for me to buy online.

I did get a bit $$ in my budget this week, so did some budget clothing shopping.  I have finally decided to actually cull my clothes, I haven't culled for years but I am sick of the masses of clothes I have, I can't find what I actually want to wear through wading through so much crap!  Lots of my clothes are SO old, they probably will just need to be thrown out or given to Lifeline - but I have started to find some bulk lot items to sell on Ebay - all pretty old, but I figure if I bulk lot them cheaply I might make something.  Clearing out the old stuff will let me get the new stuff up and organised finally.  New purchases below, luckily I am not loving the fashion in stores at the moment so am not lemming that much anyway.

Kmart singlets - $5.00 each

ICE - skater dress $20.  ICE is a hit and miss store, 50% hooch mumma crap and 50% good stuff lol

A stripe and a plain black tee - two for $30 from ICE, covers my leggings so they are not pants, because leggings are not pants.

Hurray for real people

Today I saw a serious of photos that warmed my heart :-).  Celebrities seem to always be photoshopped to death and look amazing.  I am sure every woman in the world holds themselves up to an impossible standard, so I felt quite relived when I saw these photos of Blake Lively and Kate Hudson.  These woman are drop dead gorgeous, I think the sun shines from Blake - she is definitely an inspiration in terms of fashion.  So when I saw these pictures of her and Ryan Reynolds, my respect for her grew.  She looks so happy in these pics - and so normal!  This is what I look like in swimwear, a good body - but not really toned and not a great tan either lol, and here is Blake looking like an everyday girl.  Even her swimsuits are everyday girl, mismatched bikini and cute but not flash one piece.

And then we have Kate Hudson, who has birthed two babies.  Again super gorgeous, amazing body -  but proof she has two babies!  Go Kate, after having a baby I have so much respect of mumma's and their bodies - amazing things our bodies can do.  I love photos like these, I love celebs like Cameron Diaz who have no boobies and don't care.  While I moved on a long time ago from measuring my self-esteem from celebrities or other people in general, I have to admit seeing these pics gave me a little bit of confidence in not being so anxious and wasting time about thinking about how I look in swim wear :-).  Be happy and a smile makes your outfit!

Right steps?

Previously I had laser hair removal over a couple of years at: http://www.laserclinics.com.au. It was well worth the money considering I was very hairy, I got everything lasered off and it ended up cheaper than my waxing bill and a million times better :-D.  Fast forward to right now where I live in a different state and I need to get a touch up and could not find a laser hair removal place (IPL is not laser people!).  I am going to Sydney in a few weeks, so was debating getting some laser done while I was there, then I saw an advertisement for a cosmetic surgery here that does laser hair removal.  So I went in for a consult, and lets just say its going to cost a fortune compared to going to laser clinics australia - but at least they have the right laser.  I have decided to get the essentials redone now and then get the rest done on my Sydney trip.  Its so worth it, seriously laser hair removal changed my life!

Today the lesson from the Life's Little Detour book tells me that when in doubt of what do to next, I should just take the next right step.  This kinda annoys me because the issue I am having at the moment is not knowing what the next right step is.  But I do get the point its making, I should just do whatever comes next and that is the right step.  At the moment we are doing nothing, thats the right step for us :-D.  But for organised people, its kind of an anxious step as well!

Because I really wanted a new pair of leggings/tights, I bought this pair - mainly because they will also go under skirts/shorts/dresses okay as well as just wearing with a long top.  Oh and because I think they are super cool!BlackMilkLegs_2.jpg. And yes they cost a bomb and were completely outside my budget (my budget being zero dollars).

Get fit and lose money

So I need to get fit.  I was lucky to bounce back straight away after having a baby, but 6 months later I haven't really had any time to do any exercise and I really want to get some tone back.  But all my exercise clothes are fairly old, like years old and you know what its like when you want to start a new exercise regime - you need some feel good gym clothes!  Clearly everyone does feel the same way, because sports wear is so expensive -yet every sports store I went in to was busy. I am still bemoaning the fact that I found a perfect pair of Adidas leggings last year in Melbourne at the Adidas Flagship shop and I walked away from them.  Foolishly I thought that I would just get them later - never to be seen again instore or online :-(. My First stop was Lorna Jane since it seems like all the girls I see exercising have Lorna Jane gear on, the store was busy and they definitely had nice stuff, but nothing jumped out at me and quite frankly the prices were eye watering!  They must make a mint!  I then did all the generic sport stores before I found two tops I liked at Rebel Sport that were $29.95 each.  At this point I realised that all the shorts I had were still fine and all I needed were a new pair of leggings and that would be do.  I am trying to save money, so splashing out on exercise gear isn't the wisest choice at the moment.

At home I got online and searched for ages trying to find a fun pair of sports leggings, I finally found a pair at Nike online that completely blew my budget at $90 + $7.95 shipping (it was free for over $100 but I couldn't afford to buy something just to save $7.95.  So hopefully when they arrive I LOVE these leggings cause they blew my budget big time.  Its totally scandalous how much sportswear costs, especially for a frugal person like me.  Now when I see people exercising I can distract myself from the task at hand by imagining how much their outfits cost :-).

UGH the flu and bower birding again

So I haven't blogged for a few days cause I got the flu :-(. Total sad face.  Anybody who has had the flu, knows what I am talking about - it gives makes you appreciate your good health when you get it back!  It did force me to buy a Vicks Vapouriser that I had been meaning to buy for ages for my little munchkin, but since I needed it as well I finally bought it - I got it for a good price ($50 including the vicks steam syrup);Got to love discount chemists :-).

I also bought jewelry for the first time in months! Considering I'm a compulsive bower bird it's quite a feat that I got this far, I came unstuck when I stumbled upon a Colette Accessories store. There was no store here, and even though I get announcements from Colette on Facebook I did not know that they had finally opened a store here! I ended up spending about $18 on a triangle necklace and heart earrings on sale and diamanté earrings not on sale but still only $6.