Month: August 2013

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Ending Soon – Great time to pick up wardrobe basics!

The annual Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is ending on Sunday and prices will go *up* on Monday, August 5th!

This is a great time to pick up your wardrobe staples like skinny jeans, flats, boots and undies especially if you wear a hard to find size.  For me, regular end of season sales are usually hit or miss since I wear a size that they don’t stock in large quantities.

I just wanted to share a few items that I thought were of great quality and great value.

Yummie Tummie ‘Stephanie’ Shaping Tank

Yummie Tummie 'Stephanie' Shaping Tank (Sale: $22.90, Regular Price: $34.00)
Yummie Tummie ‘Stephanie’ Shaping Tank (Sale: $22.90, Regular Price: $34.00)

This is a great piece to put under clingy tops to help suck everything in a little bit!  They are also great for keeping you warm in the winter.

Chantelle Intimates ‘C-Chic Sexy’ Bra

Chantelle Bra - C-Chic Sexy Foam Spacer Bra (Sale: $44.90, Regular Price: $68.00)
Chantelle Bra – C-Chic Sexy Foam Spacer Bra (Sale: $44.90, Regular Price: $68.00)

Yes, this bra is pricey, but it is so worth it.  This fits really comfortably and maintains its shape through many wears and washes.  The band has not gotten loose for me as most bras do over time.  I love getting one in nude and one in black for wearing under everything.  This bra just disappears under your clothes, as a good bra should!

Zella ‘Live-In’ Capris

Zella 'Live-In' Capris (Sale: $28.90, Regular Price: $44.00)
Zella ‘Live-In’ Capris – Available in Regular and Plus sizing (Sale: $28.90, Regular Price: $44.00)

These are probably my favorite item from Nordstrom.  They really are “live-in” for me, as I wear them ALL. THE. TIME! They are great for working out (if you do that kind of thing! :-)) and they are great for lounging around the house, going out for a playdate, chasing after a baby… everything!

I bought a pair last year and have worn it tons and it still looks great.  I bought a second pair during the sale so that I would always have a clean pair!  I also think these are of outstanding value.  The fabric is completely opaque (here’s looking at you, Lululemon!) and really comfy.  I recommend these capris to all of my friends.  They also come in full legging length, though I personally prefer the capri length.

Zella ‘Booty’ Pants

Zella 'Booty' Pants - Available in Regular and Long length (Sale: $39.90, Regular Price: $62.00)
Zella ‘Booty’ Pants – Available in Regular and Long length (Sale: $39.90, Regular Price: $62.00)

I think these are another gem of the Nordstrom Sale.  I can’t say it’s a “hidden gem” because these pants are massively popular!  Just look at the 118 reviews, of which 88 are 5 stars!  These pants are extremely flattering.  I love them and am waiting for them to come back from alterations for hemming as they are quite long.

I also think these are a great value at $39.90.  I think the Lululemon Groove pant is quite comparable and it retails for $98.00.

Citizens of Humanity ‘Ava’ Jean

Citizens of Humanity 'Ava' Jean (Sale: $129.90, Regular Price: $189.00)
Citizens of Humanity ‘Ava’ Jean (Sale: $129.90, Regular Price: $189.00)

I love Citizens of Humanity jeans and there is no better time to find them on sale and IN YOUR SIZE than the Anniversary Sale.  I always have a hard time finding my size during the Women’s Half Yearly sale, so this is when I normally buy my jeans for the year.  I love this wash and cut.  So, so flattering!

MICHAEL Michael Kors Trench Coat

MICHAEL Michael Kors - Trench Coat (Sale: $119.90, Regular Price: $198.00)
MICHAEL Michael Kors – Trench Coat – Available in Regular and Petite sizing (Sale: $119.90, Regular Price: $198.00) 

A trench coat is always in season for the Fall. The Anniversary Sale is a great time to pick out a coat you can wear the whole season, rather than having to wait until next year!  I love that this coat is available in Petite sizing as well.  I have realized that petite coats fit me so much better… I need to stop buying regular cut ones.  Nordstrom has a pretty great selection of Petite coats year round.

That’s all for my list of wardrobe basics!  What items are your favorites to stock up on during the sale?

Diaper Bag Comparison Review – Kate Spade Stevie vs. StorkSak Olivia

Since I own 2 relatively popular diaper bags–the Kate Spade Stevie and the StorkSak Olivia–I wanted to highlight the differences between them.

Here’s what I regularly carry in my diaper bag.

Of course, I carry the absolute necessities like diapers and wipes, but I also carry my own essentials like my wallet, phone, sunglasses, water bottle and tissues.  The bulkiest thing in my diaper bag is my soft carrier–the Baby K’Tan.

Diaper Bag Contents
Diaper Bag Contents
  1. Purell Wipes for sanitizing surfaces like dirty high chairs or diaper changing stations
  2. Nursing Cover
  3. Aden & Anais Burpy Bib in Starlight pattern
  4. StorkSak Changing Pad – comes with the Olivia diaper bag
  5. Extra change of clothes and socks
  6. Baby K’Tan soft carrier
  7. Sophie the Giraffe — my baby’s favorite!
  8. Huggies Wipes and Aquaphor
  9. Huggies Diapers – four size 3 diapers
  10. Furla Wallet
  11. Happy Baby Squeeze Pouch
  12. Bumkins Superbib Dr. Seuss Bib
  13. CamelBak Eddy Water Bottle
  14. Babyganics Sunscreen
  15. My Sunglasses
  16. My iPhone, Keys and pouch with my allergy medicine and a tiny bottle of handcream
  17. Babyganics Hand Sanitizer and pack of tissues
  18. Bumkins Dr. Seuss Wet bag

As you can see, I have a lot of things I like to carry with me!  Here’s what it all looks like packed in each bag.

Exterior of Bags

StorkSak Olivia - Fully Packed
StorkSak Olivia – Exterior
Kate Spade Stevie - Exterior Packed
Kate Spade Stevie – Exterior

The StorkSak Olivia is pretty much bursting at the seams. The outside pockets are difficult to use at this point and I had to squish things down to zip it up.  The Kate Spade Stevie is full but not bursting.  No squishing necessary to zip the bag up.

Interior of Bags

StorkSak Olivia - Interior
StorkSak Olivia – Interior (K’tan packed on top)
StorkSak Olivia - Interior
StorkSak Olivia – Interior (K’tan removed)
Kate Spade Stevie - Interior Packed
Kate Spade Stevie – Interior Packed

The StorkSak requires the K’tan to be packed on top, so anytime I need to get anything from inside the bag, I need to remove the K’tan first before I can access anything else.  This gets a little annoying!  It also gets super full in the center part where Sophie the giraffe is.  I frequently end up unpacking the entire bag just to look for something near the bottom.

As you can see, the Kate Spade packs up everything so much nicer.  I can see everything all at a glance without having to unpack my entire bag!

One thing I will say about the StorkSak is that since there are so many more pockets, everything that has a place in a pocket is easily found.  I always know where the hand sanitizer is, because I put it in one of the end pockets.  Same with my phone because its always in the same exterior pocket.  It’s a little trickier in the Kate Spade bag because there are fewer pockets so more things go in the center.

Overall, I really like both bags.  Both of them carry a lot and I realize I may not need this much stuff with me as my baby grows into toddlerhood!  Hopefully you found this post informative in helping you decide on a bag!    Let me know if there are any questions I can help you answer.