Back To School Season: 7 Time Saving Tips ...

Back To School Season.. by hchdesigns featuring a ray ban aviator

Ok so it's back to school season.. and it's like a madhouse with traffic at 8:00am and you forgot to leave for work early... Gosh those little kids are cute but they are a real buzz kill when it comes to getting to work on time.. unless.. you plan ahead! Here are some tried and true tricks to help you getting out the door on time!

• Shower at night.. I know, brilliant right? I should write a book.... If you shower at night, first off it will relax you and help you sleep better, therefore not waking up like the zombie that may or may not happen.. 

• Speaking of sleep, go to bed! You are not a kid, you are not going to par-tay all night long... the average person needs about 7 hours of sleep.. Getting enough rest will help you not curse at your alarm and help loose the under eye baggage!

• Skip the coffee shop... There is nothing more chic then saving money... so set your nifty coffee maker to brew right before your alarm goes off in the morning.. that way when you get up, the house smells like coffee and you can stumble to the kitchen poor yourself a cup and all will be right with the world again.

• Keep your makeup fresh & simple, skip the layers of eye shadow and false lashes... go for neutral tones and classic looks... If you need to carve out more time for this, to do it at home, then do it... It's tempting to do your makeup in the car but repeat after me, "I will not put makeup on in the car".. there are kiddos out there and you need to pay attention to the road... If you are carpooling, then well, if you are comfortable putting on your makeup with an audience then be my guest... 

• Pick out your outfit the night before, try it on.. accessories and all and make sure you like it.. I say this because there have been many times I've picked out a look the night before only to change my mind the morning of, which consequently results in half of my closet emptied onto my bed.. never a good idea...

• Set your alarm to go off 15 minutes before you need to get out the door.. this helps me so much, because before you know it you've wasted some serious time wondering if your eyeliner is on evenly..and your not dressed it's time to leave.. awkward...  if you only have 15 minutes left, then you my friend need to start to hustle...

• Top knot...I know, brilliant again! I'm on a roll.. So you showered the night before and then didn't dry your hair enough, you wake up with random waves and not in a cool way.. Brush that bad boy and pull it into a top knot... 

So there you have it.. my tips and tricks for getting out the door on time! It's that time of year when we are playing frogger with school buses and summer is over... We can handle it with these tips and comfort ourselves with this, if school is back then so is FALL FASHION! Can I get an amen?

Falling For You...

Falling For You... by hchdesigns featuring platform heel pumps

Lately I've been totally falling for anything red.. It's one of my favorite colors... and true story I wore amazing red heels for my wedding shoes.. I was so glam...but I digress... When the Phillip Lim Target collection hit stores like an idiot I thought for sure I'd have days to score one of his trademark bags...  You know that part in Pretty Woman? "Big mistake... Huge"... I went to my local Target thinking I'd obviously still have a chance in my area.. When I asked the sales associate for help, he looked at me with look of pity and said "they were gone within hours"... So, I'd accepted my fate and let the dream die and honestly I'd only seen the bag online so I wasn't so certain it was the right one for me anyways... So then a week later, I spotted one lonely bag in the Target in Montana.. I couldn't believe my luck "what? Can this be true?" and then in a moment of what I'll call fashion stupidity... I put the bag down and walked away... Granted, I wasn't in a frame of mind to really think clearly... Rule of thumb, do not make decisions on handbags that you've been wanting forever when you are in the middle of a family crisis...  so I walked away.. and all the fashion world is screaming in slow motion... "Nooooo!!!"

Sigh.. So now instead of going for the $55 one.. classic Hope.. I've got my eye on the $800 red one that I like even more.. I keep thinking there's got to be a way I can score this awesome-ness...save my money, take on a few extra jobs, sell a kidney.. Ya know the usual options.. Expensive taste.. the bane of my existence.. that and laundry.. but I want to talk about that... Between my desire for scarves, gold office supplies and my ridiculously overpriced fashion choices..Fall shopping/Christmas wish list is getting full and who can blame me when there are sweet things like an $800 bag or a $1400 Burberry Trench to dream over.. and everyone in my family says "keep dreamin Hope"... Oh I will and if all else fails there's always the whole sell a  kidney option... kidding..

For the mama to be..

For the mama to be.. by hchdesigns featuring michael kors watches

(don't freak out, I'm not pregnant)

So I was thinking a few days ago... I've got a lot of friends who are pregnant... I think I counted at least 5 on Facebook... wow...  One being my amazing sister in-law Leah... she asked me a little while ago to do a blog post on Maternity Clothes... I of course said yes! And since I don't have any experience in this department ... I asked a few of my friends... This is what some of  them said...

Erin -"it needs to be cheaper!!"

Kirsti - "It soooo needs to be cheaper! And cuter! And they need to have more flattering options for those of us (like me) that get pregnant "all over"..."

Sarah - "Urban outfitters maternity"  She wishes...

Tara  -"Something I wish I had more of are maternity clothes that don't look so maternity! (If that makes sense) I love when I can wear something while pregnant and after I've had the baby!"

In hearing all this... I had to do a little research... and here are some awesome links that I found along with a few tips!

Inexpensive Maternity Clothing sites or stores-

1. Old Navy... Did you know that you can order things online and return to your closest Old Navy store?
2. Target... Same story, you can find more selection online and return it to the local Target store...
3. Pink Blush Maternity.. typical 30 day return policy, responsible for shipping charges..etc.
4. H&M.. so if your lucky to live close to these stores then score! Otherwise, I would search Ebay for this brand of Maternity..
5. Ebay... check for used/gently worn Maternity or brands that you love... some great deals on there!

Tips-

•  Spend money on items that are versatile... and will (hopefully) last a while...
• Accessories are your best friend! A scarf is a great way to add pop to your outfit without spending an arm and a leg...
• Dress to flatter your shape, not cover it up... repeat after me... moo moos are not for me..

OK, so full admitting here that what these tips are just basic fashion rules.. but I feel the same thing applies...  Spend the money on your basics like jeans, T-shirts etc... (depending on the season) they will get a lot of use... and these are things that you will always reach for in your dresser.Then pull from your closet, anything that has an open front like a cardigan,wrap sweater or blazer... Add in a few awesome accessories and cute comfortable shoes..

Then lastly...

Hair, Nails & Makeup! I know this doesn't really count for the Maternity category.. but honestly I feel like its extremely important to pay attention these area's especially if the rest of your outfit is a little on the casual side. Tease the hair, play with some new eye shadow and get a pedicure... Because hey, you're making a person and that's more than the rest of us can say we did with our day!