Savvy Outfit of the Day - $27 Gruffalo Green & Bronze

Yesterday was a breezy 80 degrees here in Music City. The Superstars and I had a wonderful day out and about our fair city. It started with a field-trip to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) to watch The Gruffalo a cute play adapted from a picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

We walked around the Tennessee State Museum for an hour after the performance since the museum is free and in the same building beneath the theater. By then it was lunch so we headed to one of my old single-day's haunt, SATCO (San Antonio Taco Company) and ate out on the deck after which we walked around the grounds of the church where my husband and I were married. From a 3500 year old mummy to chips & queso, all in all we had a fun-filled day full of new experiences as well as a reminder of why I love homeschooling so much.

This beautiful green outfit fit the day to a T and I was thankful to squeeze it in before the cold front moves in to give us 40 degrees and rain today.

The Breakdown.
Green cotton Mossimo Sweater ($5 Target/ARP $18), white tank ($3 For Love 21/ARP $3), green leaves Liz Clairborne skirt new with tags ($4 thrift store/ARP $60), Enzo Angiolini bronze leather shoes ($5 thrift store/ARP $80), bronze leather Banana Republic hobo ($10 eBay/ARP $150).

Grand Total: $27
Approximate Retail Price: $311
Savvy Savings: $284

Once this cold front moves on you'll be seeing me in more skirts as the weather warms up. I was never really one for skirts growing up a tomboy and all, but the hot humid summers here in Music City have convinced me that skirts are very practical and cool, not to mention SO much more flattering on me than shorts and most capris.

Savvy Outfit of the Day - $67 Sunny Days & Sigrid Olsen

There's a saying here in Music City that goes something like this, "Welcome to Nashville! If you don't like the weather, wait a minute." It's our way of saying that the weather here can be kind of crazy.

For example, last weekend we had several inches of snow which had all the kids out in layers of clothing on inner tubes & sleds. This weekend it was in the mid-70's. Of course the change in weather is wreaking havoc on everyone's sinuses but I can't say any of us would trade the warm weather for it.

This was a transitional outfit that helped weather the change from freezing to warm a couple days ago. It was what I wore to feel a little less "poufy" and bloated; a lovely combination of that-time-of-month and sinus-blech.

The Breakdown.
Merona cotton knit shirt ($6 thrift store/ARP $25), Sunny Leigh skirt ($4 thrift store/ARP $70), Mossimo sweater/shrug ($7 Target/ARP $35), Franco Sarto suede boots (birthday gift!/ARP $150), Sigrid Olsen purse ($50 eBay/ARP $190).

Grand Total: $67
Approximate Retail Price: $470
Savvy Savings: $403

I bought this Sigrid Olsen purse on eBay after a girlfriend of mine found one at the thrift store. Of course she got a much better deal on it than I did (I think she paid $14) but what drew me to her purse was the gorgeous leather and the fun bright satin interior that Olsen used on her line of handbags. Unfortunately Liz Claiborne discontinued the Sigrid Olsen brand and closed all the stores in mid-2008.


The good news is you can still you can find lots of her purses on eBay. As an interesting aside, Liz Claiborne also holds the Kate Spade, Lucky Brand and Juicy Couture brands.

Stay Savvy Y'all!

Food, Glorious Food: Raising Kids Who Try Anything!

I realize that as a mother of a 6 and 4 year old, I'm still very new to this parenting journey. I'm beginning to think that we will only truly know what good parents we were when the kids are 30. Till then I waiver between wondering what power we really have to help the Superstars become upstanding human beings and what things really have nothing to do with our "failures" in parenting, but are battles they will fight in some form or fashion for the rest of their lives by virtue of their personality. One of the battles that I hope we help them win is the one of good healthful eating habits.

I talked with my Mom the other night about the phenomenon of kids eating habits. My kids pretty much eat whatever we eat. They love raw veggies including broccoli, bell peppers and cauliflower, all types of fruits, baked fish, clams, beef, chicken, pretty much anything we put before them. They eat Indian food, sushi (they love smoked eel), Italian, German, Korean, Thai, and will try most things at least once - the catch being, if Mom and Dad eat it too.

And it's with that I had an "AHA" moment, because if we've heard it once, we've heard it a thousand times, "It's not what you say but what you do." When I searched on line about how to fixing food for kids I see tons of lists suggesting WHAT to feed them, HOW TO disguise good foods in "fun" foods and WHAT a balanced diet looks like. What I rarely see is the kids' point of view - and I don't mean "How does your kid FEEL about what they are eating?" but "What do your kids see YOU do?"

Do you fix your kids macaroni and cheese for dinner and eat something totally different with your spouse? Do you ask them to eat their veggies because "it's good for you" then push your own vegetables to the side? Guess what? They totally notice (yeah, that's a throw back to my So. Cal. upbringing...totally, Dude!).

Kids seek the approval of their parents. Goodness, at 40 I still want to know that my Mom & Dad think I'm smart, a good parent and a self-assured woman! How much more do our children look to us to help us make sense of this crazy world we live in?

What you as a parent think about food, defined by what you fix for your meals and theirs, how you serve it (on the fly or sit down meals), and the choices you make when you eat out, are viewed by your children as "the food laws" or "that's just what we do when it comes to food in our lives."

The other day when Daddy was out of town we ate sushi. I watched Superstar #1 close her eyes and relish the taste of the sushi she ate with a sigh. What 6 year old does that? Uh, mine, because I realized that I often do the same thing when I eat something I love. She was just mimicking me. Now just because my daughter enjoys sushi does not make me a better mom by ANY stretch of the imagination, it just shows the power we have as parents to help mold our children's view of food.

And for that I have MY parents to thank. My Dad, a Japanese-American soldier, met my Mom in a disco in a small fishing village in northern Germany back in the sixties and was the first to introduce her to Habachi-grilled steak and prime rib. My Dad, in turn, ate my Oma's (grandmother's) traditional German food with gusto and asked for seconds. A few short years later my Mom & Dad moved back to my Dad's hometown, the colorful and diverse melting pot of Honolulu, Hawaii.

My Mom dove into the various ethnic cuisines with relish learning how to prepare Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean and Hawaiian dishes from the numerous family potlucks that define much of Island life. If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, my Mom came, saw and conquered so proficiently that she earned "props" from my Dad's side of the family as well. Food has always been an adventure, a way to get to know people and cultures better, and I hope we are teaching the Superstars the same.

If you're not there and don't want to be, well, then there's not a whole lot I can say to convince you that eating healthy, even small choices to be healthier (choosing the apple dippers without the caramel versus fries with the McDonald's kid meals) and helping your kids make those decisions has a long term positive outcome on the longevity of your child's life (and yours!). Your children are less likely to deal with excessive weight or tiredness. They will be healthier, and you're less likely to deal with drama of sugar highs and crashes.

If you want to be there, but it's overwhelming, don't worry! It's not an overnight thing, but each little decision you make and talk to them about "No, Mommy/Daddy doesn't like spinach, but hey, Popeye did and it seemed to help him. Let's just try this together because it's good for us" is a step in the right direction. Because, let's face it, nothing is more endearing to a child when a parent shows that LIFE IS A JOURNEY and it's not about being right all the time, or doing the right thing all the time, but being willing to learn and grow.

The key is to find what works for YOU, your family and your shopping habits. Everyone has parameters within which they work. Maybe your child has food allergies, maybe your child hates everything but bread, maybe you don't have time to start something new because you're so overwhelmed with what you already have - just start where you are with baby steps.

In the coming weeks I hope to spend more time on savvy food savings and healthy (yummy!) eating not just for your Superstars but for you too! I'll be interviewing a sweet woman named Vui whom I met on one my trips to Whole Foods. Vui use to own a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia and I can't wait to share some of her ideas and tips to cook and eat healthy with lots of flavor and fun.

Savvy Outfit of the Day - $21 Business Sassy

Who knew that one day I would actually be excited about having to go to a meeting? I still remember the days when a meeting meant that I would be dragged away from the office to learn about the new work I would have to do while the other work was piling up on my desk waiting for me to get back!

A meeting was my opportunity to pull together a really professional (yet sassy) outfit and I loved it! It's always nice to be in a setting where your opinion is appreciated and considered with the utmost seriousness. As much as the Superstars love me, they aren't always as appreciative of my opinion on matters like, oh, the importance of a clean house and why math and reading really are important. Thankfully the meeting had nothing to do with any of that!

The Breakdown.
New York & Company argyle sweater ($6 thrift store/ARP $30), Nine West kitten heel leather boots ($8 thrift store/ARP $150), awesome Zara Basic pencil skirt ($4 thrift store/ARP $50), white tank top ($3 For Love 21/ARP $3), Coach Patent Leather Tote (FREE! A birthday gift from a dear friend).

Grand Total: $21
Approximate Retail Price: $233
Savvy Savings: $212

A search on the Zara name for the purpose of getting an approximate retail price yielded this nugget of information. It's a Spanish brand that started in 1975. According to Wikipedia: "It is claimed that Zara needs just two weeks to develop a new product and get it to stores, compared with a six-month industry average, and launches around 10,000 new designs each year. Zara has resisted the industry-wide trend towards transferring fast fashion production to low-cost countries. Perhaps its most unusual strategy was its policy of zero advertising; the company preferred to invest a percentage of revenues in opening new stores instead. Zara was described by Louis Vuitton fashion director Daniel Piette as "possibly the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world."

All I know is that I really like the skirt and it fits well.

So, yeah, I clean up pretty well, and the meeting went great. With the economy where it is, I'll take any little side project that allows me to put a little money away and get out of the house to look sassy!

Rejoice Ye' Costume Jewelry Lovers Who Have Nickel Allergies

I'm not sure where along the way I discovered I had nickel allergies. I think I had my ears pierced when I was around 7-8 years old. I had gold studs put in and never had a problem. Birthdays and graduation brought more little silver or gold studs and everything was good.

When I struck out into the world on my own I soon realized that I couldn't wear costume jewelry. Well, I could, but it would be a matter of minutes before my ears started itching. If I continued I would end up with big, swollen puffy ears that would ooze all kinds of nasty stuff. Surgical steel was less irritating, but if I wore them longer than a day, the reaction was about the same. So what's a poor starving college student suppose to do???

Unfortunately I didn't really figure that out until a couple years ago.

When it comes to post earrings I wish I could say I found something incredibly easy, but I haven't. I've tried to coat the offending post with clear nail polish, which seemed only to lessen the eventual irritation but it really was a short term solution and didn't seem to be worth the hassle. Now I tend to stick with silver and gold for my posts because the truth is I can buy most basic "costume" sterling silver post earrings for less than $5 on eBay.

But when it comes to dangling earrings I have found something that works wonders. Jo-ann's carries this wonderful "Elegance" line, which comes in .925 Silver and 14K Gold. Now when I find a costume earring at a savvy price that I like I simply replace the french wire hook with a silver or gold hook and I'm good! For the most part I use the little watch-repair kit that I mentioned in an earlier post, but any small pair of pliers will work as well. It's a great fix at only $3.99 a package, and if you use Jo-ann's weekly 40% off coupon it's only $2.39 for enough hooks to fix 3-4 pairs of earrings.

Not only have I used these hooks to change costume jewelry posts out, but I've changed out vintage lever back earrings (one pair was given to me by my Tante years ago) too. I have also used them to "make" earrings out of other jewelry. For instance, an old 3 pearl necklace I bought on eBay, which just never quite looked right and was so inexpensive that it wasn't worth the hassle of sending it back to the seller was turned into a pair of earrings that I now wear quite often.

You can also buy the back posts of earrings in both silver and gold, which I have found helps mitigate the irritation if you choose to use clear nail polish on stud earrings.

As it stands now, Superstar #1 only shows signs of nickel allergies, which we discovered when she was just 6 months old. While changing her onesie one morning I noticed several little upraised red circles on her belly. My first thought (daughter of a German nurse) was ringworm, and I was a little concerned and confused on how my breast-fed, almost always at home with me, daughter could have ringworm.

It took me a few minutes before I realized that the bumps were an allergic reaction to the little silver snaps on the onesie that went up the front and middle! Needless to say I passed along all the silver snap items on to friends and really haven't noticed any reactions in Superstar #2 although given that nickel allergies run in the family on both sides, we'll probably stick to silver, gold or platinum for the girls if they ever get their ears pierced. Bummer, huh? I bet their future husband's will be thrilled to know they can only wear precious metals.

Really, when it comes to earrings I tend to stick with buying things that are either 925 silver or 14 K gold. A couple months back I bought a pair of Etienne Aigner earrings at Belk's for $6 that were elongated costume hoops, but with 14K gold posts so that I had the best of both worlds.

There are so many more jewelry options nowadays for those of us with nickel allergies, whether it's changing out the french wire or buying online at places like eBay. So remember, Shop Savvy Y'all!

There's No Place Like Home...

Let me introduce you to Dorothy. Isn't she beautiful?

My friend and neighbor, Tisra, and her family have been in the adoption process for a girl from Taiwan for over 2 years now when out-of-the-blue there was Dorothy...in India. With the paperwork in the final phase and the date for picking her up being scheduled, Tisra and her family have devised a great way to raise the last of the money they need to pay for the adoption and bring her home.

If you have a minute check out their website here and for just a $10 donation, you will get a "ticket" that will be entered into a drawing for a whole slew of amazing prizes that have been donated to the Fadely's for the purpose of helping them Bring Dorothy Home Quickly. From a Wii Family pack to a professional camera and blog site set up as well as beautiful handmade items from friends at Etsy, there are wonderful prize packages to be won.

If you don't have the funds to contribute, then blog about it, put a blog button on your site and email your friends and you will be entered (up to a total of 3 entries) into their "Spread the Word" contest which features a GORGEOUS Coach leather Ergo purse and more as a prize.

Please take a moment, read their story and help them out if you can. Dorothy was just left at an orphanage, one of thousands of precious children without parents to love them. Please help Tisra and her family bring Dorothy home quickly!

Savvy Outfit of the Day - $54/$108 Presto Chango!

Today's outfit of the day is a two-fer. It wasn't cold in the beginning of the day so I went out in just the pants and the sweater and felt just fine, but once the sun went down and I had to run out and to run out for a few things I had to make a change.

In my vanity I didn't want to put a dark purse against a dark jacket where the lack of contrast could end up making me look like a bigger lump so I quickly changed out the shoes and the purse and ran out.

The Breakdown #1.
Gap khakis ($5 thrift store/ARP $40), Mossimo pink polka dot sweater ($6 thrift store/ARP $25), off-white tank ($3 For Love 21/ARP $3), Coach Chelsea pebble-grained satchel ($90 eBay/ARP $360), bronze leather Anne Klein shoes ($4 thrift store/ARP $80).

Grand Total: $108
Approximate Retail Price: $508
Savvy Savings #1: $400

The Breakdown #2.
Gap khakis ($5 thrift store/ARP $40), Mossimo pink polka dot sweater ($6 thrift store/ARP $25), off-white tank ($3 For Love 21/ARP $3), Coach Wool Shoes ($20 thrift store, new/ARP $150), Gray Banana Republic Wool Coat ($14 eBay/ARP $200), Gap ivory leather purse ($6 thrift store/ARP $60).

Grand Total: $54
Approximate Retail Price: $478
Savvy Savings #2 : $424

Really, the only thing that changed between these two outfits are the accessories, but either way you look at it, savvy savings netted us about $400 in our pockets. And well, even if you would have never paid full price for any of these items, it's nice to know that you can spend $108/$54 to look $508/$478 good!

Shop Savvy Y'all!