Hey ya’ll! I’m back again with another gift guide and this time it’s for our babies! All items are either from Walmart or Amazon and offer FREE 2 day shipping or a discount if you pick up in store on certain items! I’m going to break this one down by age group with the first one being for ages 0-5. All items are linked below next to their corresponding number. Happy shopping!

AGES 0-5

1. Baby Einstein Sensory Place Space
2. Flappy the Elephant
3. Paw Patrol Lookout Tower
4. PJ Masks Spiral Playset
5. Melissa & Doug Play Cleaning Set
6. Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table
7. Vtech Spinning Lights Learning Hippo
8. Bright Starts Rock and Glow Unicorn
9. Barbie Dream Camper
10. Toothless Hatchimal
11. Peppa Pig Ride on Toy
12. Mega Bloks Build and Learn Table
13. First 100 Book Set

AGES 6-10

1. Nintendo Switch
2. Big Joe Bean Bag Chair
3. Magnetic Balls
4. Zelda: Link’s Awakening
5. Dress Up Trunk
6. Graver Digger Monster Truck
7. Frozen Hooded Poncho Bath Towel
8. NERF Modulus Motorized Toy Blaster
9. Monkey Bars Climbing Tower
10. Snuggie Tails Blanket
11. Skateboard
12. Beginner’s Acoustic Guitar

AGE 11-TEEN

1. LED Light Strips
2. Retro Bluetooth Speaker w/Cell Phone Stand
3. The Manual To Manhood
4. Live Fearless by Sadie Roberson
5. Inflatable Lounger Air Sofa
6. Mini Leather Backpack
7. Do Not Disturb I’m Gaming Socks
8. Felt Letter Board
9. Feather Wrap Bracelet
10. Bluetooth Beanie Hat
11. MONEY AND GIFT CARDS!!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…gifts! I had a request to find gift ideas for mothers, sisters, etc that already seem to have everything! That’s such an awesome idea that I decided to make an entire blog post and gift guide dedicated to just that! The best part about this guide is that all of the items are from Amazon, ship Prime, have great reviews and are under $40! I just want to say really quick, that all of my links are affiliate links and when you shop through them, I make a tiny commission (at NO COST to you) so thank you all so much for supporting what I love doing! Each photo is numbered, so the description and link will be next to the corresponding number!

1. Weekender Bag  $39.99! Fits 2-4 days worth of essentials and is approved for carry on travel! Also comes with a toiletry bag.
2. Massage Pillow  $39.95! I want one of these! Massages neck, feet, abdomen, calves. FDA approved.
3. Jessica Simpson Slippers  $23.88! Over 1,000 reviews and Amazon’s Choice, I would say these are a must have! Several color options as well.
4. LED Makeup Mirror  $19.99! Comes with a magnification spot as well! Would be perfect for travel or daily makeup.
5. Keyring Bracelet  $10.99! I don’t know how I ever managed without my O-ring key chain! This would make a great stocking stuffer or additional gift.
6. Capri Blue Volcano Candle  $26.98!  It’s true what you hear, these are the best smelling candles in all the land! With over 1,400 reviews I would say so! They are worth the money, I promise.
7. The Happy Planner  $34.99! I love my Happy Planner and I think people love getting planners to be ready to start the new year.
8. Girl, Stop Apologizing  $8.74! I loved Girl, Wash your Face so much, I think this would be a great gift for any woman you are buying for! You can get Girl, Wash Your Face HERE.
9. Roku Premier  $29.00! I added this to the women’s gift guide because us ladies love our Netflix and binge watching…or I do at least! We have had a Roku for YEARS and we use it for all of our streaming and it’s compatible with Alexa. It also has over 3,600 reviews and 4.5 stars!
10. Philosophy Perfume Set  $35.00! I love this fragrance! Such a subtle and clean smell and great price for all 3 scents.

 

 

 

This one if for all the mamas out there…especially the ones who would rather hear nails on a chalkboard than go shopping with their kids! HAHA! I’m only kidding…sort of. Seriously though, I’m not a huge fan of “subscription boxes” or ones that I have to commit to. Another thing I’m not a fan of, is spending a lot of money on clothes, especially for my son, because he grows out of stuff so quickly! If this is you, then keep reading. I even have a code for a little $$ you can save!

I recently discovered Kids on 45th which is a company that sells new and pre-owed kids clothes for cheap! Sizes range from newborn to 14/16 and it’s delivered to your door.

HOW IT WORKS:

• Go to https://kidson45th.com/thriftyblonde and create an account by giving your kid’s size and style in about 2 minutes.
• Tell them your kid’s style and build your own box or let the stylist build you a “suprise box.” Like I said, no subscription needed, but available.
• The stylist will shop especially for your kiddo with no styling fees…EVER!
• If you aren’t happy with an item, it’s just two taps on your phone, and you will be credited for it.
• Your box will be delivered right to your door!

My box includes 2 sweatshirts for $15.98, 2 long sleeve shirts for $5.98, 1 Fall jacket for $14.99, 1 pair of jeans for $5.99, 1 pair of athletic pants for $9.99, and another pair for $4.99 with a grand total of $57.92! That’s a lot of clothes for very little money. 

USE CODE THRIFTYBLONDE TO GET $10 OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER!

 

Hey friends!

There’s some major changes coming to the Cook house in the following months! I wanted to take a few minutes to share with you guys about what’s happening. My grandmother’s ability to live alone has slowly started to decline over the last few years and the fact that she has glaucoma makes it that much harder. She’s as healthy as a horse (mostly) and can still get around some but she needed around the clock care and an Independent Living facility wasn’t an option anymore. That being said, to the nursing home she went…until my dad approached me with the idea of her coming to live with me and honestly I didn’t have to give it much thought. If I can keep my family from going into a nursing home, even if it means rearranging my whole life (which I did) I’ll do it.

Basically, within two weeks, I have quit my job, changed health insurance, currently moving into a new apartment, bought new furniture, and became a caregiver and stay at home mom. Change normally terrifies me, like, I hate it. It’s just part of my personality, but for some reason, not this time. Now, don’t get me wrong, the move has me stressed to the max! But, it’s like I was ready for a change, I needed something new to recharge me. I was stuck in the day-to-day routine of going to work, coming home, cooking dinner and whatnot. Honestly, it will be good for everyone involved. My grandmother’s quality of life will definitely improve. I will be home to pick Caden up from school and save money by not having him in after-school care. I will have more time to work on my blog, meal plan, cook, do all the things I needed to do during the day at home while I was working and never had time. Oh, I left out the part where my dad is going to pay me more than I made at my 9-5 🙂

There may be more decorating/lifestyle posts coming your way because I have a bigger space to fill and I’ll be changing things up a bit and want to show off all the goods!

**Since I’m in the sharing mood, here’s a few other facts you may not know about me!

• I’m a certified phlebotomist, which means I draw blood. Your friendly neighborhood vampire!
• I’ve worked in an Emergency Room for 11 years of my life. Besides my brief time waiting tables and being a cashier, I’ve always been in healthcare.
• Speaking of health, I’ve been gluten free for 3 months now! After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in February, I thought I may need to start.
• I met my husband during my stint as a cashier. We both worked at the same grocery store. We had our first kiss on the bench outside, haha!
• I had a miscarriage, then was pregnant with Caden 3 months later. Found out years later I had endometriosis and had a hysterectomy so no more babies. Thankful for my one!
• I am a very introverted person, not shy, just observant. Blogging has helped me come out of my shell some with reaching out and meeting people and making friends when I otherwise never would’ve.
• I am the oldest of 4. I have 2 sisters and 1 brother.
• I’m OBSESSED with Christmas! If I had it my way, it would stay Christmas year round.
• My dream vacation would be to visit England, see the castles and Harry Potter World.
• I am a PLANNER! I have to be able to think things through before I do them.
• I am a morning person! I THRIVE in the morning and feel my best then!
• My favorite things to watch are murder/mystery shows, Grey’s Anatomy and of course all the Christmas movies.
• I honestly don’t think I have a favorite food. I love to eat and prefer salty over sweet for sure!  I do love me some avocado toast though!

 

So, I finally broke down and bought some overalls! I swore I would never wear them but I saw some on Shein’s website that I loved and had great reviews and I’m a sucker for button fly anything. Oh, and they’re only $26 and are petite friendly. I was afraid I would have to hem them, but they are perfect for us short gals!  I put together four different looks but literally could’ve done a hundred. They are so easy and fun to style, I don’t know what took me so long!

The first look is the more dressy one. I ran into Ross Dress for Less and grabbed this body suit (also a first for me) for $9 and added mules with a heel and a pearl headband to top off the look.

Overalls | Mules | Body Suit | Pearl Headband

I decided to go with a sweater underneath instead of a cardigan over the top with this Fall look. I’ve had this sweater since last year from Ross and added some black mules from last year as well. This would work with any sweater and mule combo you already have!

Brown Sweater |Brown Sweater |Overalls | Fur Mules

I still love pink and bright colors in the Fall and Winter so I when I saw this pink flannel on clearance at Old Navy, I bought it so fast! This look could work with any flannel and a short or long sleeve tee underneath, considering the temp. Such a cute pumpkin patch look!

Overalls | White Pocket Tee | Plaid Flannel | Pink Converse

Stripes and leopard print? I love to mix prints and that’s one of my fave combos! This is such an easy look, because I’m sure you have a striped tee laying around somewhere. I found this little headband at Walmart for less than $5 and my sneakers at Five Below (that everyone thinks are Vans) for $5! Add a cardigan or utility jacket for when it gets cold.

Overalls | Long Sleeve Striped Tee | Leopard Headband | Leopard Print Sneakers

I had so much fun styling these and the best part is, that they are basically just like jeans with straps so they can be worn in ALL SEASONS!! I will definitely be getting my $26 worth. So very happy with this purchase!

As always, shoot me a message with any questions! XOXO, Lauren