November Link Party + Life Lately

just hanging in my christmas PJ's and my daddy's hat

sissies

Hey yall!  Happy Monday!  I've been taking some time off from link-ups lately because things have been quite busy around here.  But I'm super excited about this one today with these fabulous ladies.  For today's link-up we are talking about frugal tips for the holidays.  I try really hard every year to be smart when it comes to holiday shopping.  Key word here: try.  I'm sure my hubby would vouch that I am not always successful at this, but I'm a work in progress ok?  This year, I'm really trying to be smart, though.  I absolutely love giving gifts.  I love the process of carefully selecting something that a loved one will adore, wrapping it so neatly and then watching them unwrap it.  It makes my heart sing.  But thoughtful, meaningful gifts don't have to cost a lot of money.  I've learned that over the years and this year here are three ways I'm going to be frugal!

1. Ebates.  Ok this is the best thing ever.  A friend told me about it and I had yet to give it a whirl until last week. You sign up with Ebates and when you shop online (basically ANYWHERE you can think of: Amazon, Sephora, JCrew, Target, Walmart, Gap, Piperlime, Belk, I mean the list is in the thousands), you go through Ebates to get to the site.  You shop as normal, check out and boom.  You get CASH BACK!  It's amazing.  You literally get a percent cash back for every purchase you make.  They can mail you a check or transfer it through your PayPal account.  To sign up go here.  It's amazing yall, and there's really no reason not to!

2. Planning.  I know this is a no brainer, but Matt and I really try to plan out our Christmas shopping so we don't end up buying everything in the same month/week.  That helps with budget as well.  If you haven't started planning yet, start today.  Make a list of all the people you will be buying for.  Then write some ideas down next to each name (and even a budget amount if you want!).  It helps, trust me.

3.  Remember that your loved ones love you more than the gift.  Ultimately Christmas is about Jesus, being with family and spending time with one another.  Don't let the hustle and bustle of the holidays drive you to forget that.  While your loved one may absolutely adore that gift you got them, I can bet you they love having you with them even more.  And if you can't physically "be" with all those you love most this year, schedule a special Skype session or face time with them.  That's what matters.  Not the present under the tree.

Have any frugal tips you want to share?  Link-up below!  And don't forget to check out all the other amazing posts.  **I'll be sharing my Holiday Gift Guides for everyone in the family starting next week so make sure to come back!

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking up with Elizabeth, Tara, Britt, Sarah, Denise, Katie, Keri, and Becky for our Monthly Link Party

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i kindaaaaaa want bangs. and this pineapple lamp

a few weeks ago i got a little crazy at the hair salon and did a drastic ombre if-you-will.  darker on top and lighter on the bottom.  picture above (excuses the car selfie).  that was big time for me considering i rarely change ANYTHING about my hair.  see, here's the thing.  my hair routine was low-maintenance before having a baby.  i rarely used a blow drier (or any styling tool for that matter) and it was generally in a ponytail.  well now, after baby?  it's just sad y'all.  i did the mom chop last fall and went to shoulder-length and i'm considering that again.  but something about getting bangs is calling my name.  there is one thing holding me back though... the fact that i had bangs until the 8th grade.  yep.  i wish that was an exaggeration but it's not.  i basically came out of my mom's womb with bangs.  oh and middle school bangs?  let's just say there was a round brush and lots of hairspray involved.  so that's why i'm hesitant about bangs.  i see all these cool people rocking them and i love the look.  and frankly maybe bangs would make my everyday ponytail look a little more chic.  but i can't get 7th grade denise out of my mind ha.  but if i do decide to take the plunge, these are my inspirations below.  i mean rose byrne, i love you.  and your bangs.  (all photos found on my pinterest page)

and this pineapple lamp?  it's on my christmas/birthday wishlist that's for sure.  

found at zara

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halloween wrap-up 2014

As previously mentioned, my tiny baby lady dressed up as the cutest mouse there ever was.  Well her sissy, Sevilla, decided she wanted to be a giraffe.  And mom and dad had zebra and monkey ears respectively, although we haven't managed to get a family picture yet!  Shame I know.  By the time Matt got home Friday night it was off to "trick-or-treat", or in our case, walk the streets and wave "hi" to everyone.  And this weekend was spent recovering from a nasty cold that said tiny mouse passed on to mom and dad  We are all feeling much better, but man!  Cold and flu season is for the birds!  Oh and throw in daylight savings time?!!?  What was once my favorite Saturday night of fall (hello more sleep!) has quickly changed as I've realized tiny mice don't get the memo.  So it's been 6:15 wake ups for us over here (but I'm not complaining.  Judging by my Facebook feed, I may have it good compared to some of you mamas!  babies go back to sleep!)  I digress... well here are some pictures of the mouse and the giraffe.  Best of friends I swear.  And a family photo to come soon.

PS - the sweet Elizabeth of All Kinds of Things was kind enough to feature me on her blog last week.  Check it out here!

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