Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts

All About Zulily


Have you all heard of Zulily?  If you haven't, boy are you missing out! Zulily is a retailer that brings you special finds every day at discounted prices.  They feature things for the whole family including clothing, home decor, toys, gifts, and more! 




If you are a member of Zulily (IT'S FREE TO JOIN!) you can enjoy savings up to 70% off retail prices on all kinds of brands you know, and even some you don't, but should know about.  I'm talking brands like Coach, Toms, Under Armour, Melissa & Doug, and more! Ya'll, they have the CUTEST kids clothes!  Seriously-if you have kids-you need to sign up and get your kid a whole new wardrobe for a fraction of what it would cost you normally.


What's even better? You can shop from your phone, tablet, or desktop computer.  You can sign up for daily emails or alerts to be sent to your phone or inbox or you can do what I do and just check it every day!  I have purchased a handful of things from Zulily and have always been pleased with the results.  They sell quality merchandise at a fraction of the cost and best of all, it's FREE TO JOIN! 


So, what are you waiting for?  Head on over and sign up here and start shopping and saving!




This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on something, I may get some money for your click.


Guest Post: Comparative Shopping

Boy, do I have a treat for you all today!  My friend, Nikki, from Dollar Store Diva has been so gracious to write a guest post for your enjoyment today. She's talking about one of my favorite things: shopping!  If you like this article, please feel free to share it with your friends.  


Hello Life & Leopard readers! My name's Nikki Vergakes from dsdstyle.blogspot.com. Over there I write about fitness, health, DIY, being a crazy college kid, and finding the best deals out there! I'm a 19-year old PR student from Massachusetts. My first order of business is to thank Sara for letting me guest post, my second order of business is to teach you how to utilize comparative shopping!



When I was younger and for lack of a better work, not "well-shopped", I would buy things without thinking about how well they would go with pieces in my closet, without trying it on, and without thinking about other options. That left me with too many crop tops, not enough high waisted things to go along with them, too many patterns that don't mix, and not enough basics! I was NOT a smart shopper. However once I got a job and started buying things with money I earned, that's when I started shopping smarter.





However I'm not alone. Not many consumers aren't using this, but that doesn't mean they're not smart. They're just not shopping to their full potential.

Comparative shopping isn't a new idea. It's pretty much finding the best price for what you're buying. For me, it also contains pros and cons. Whichever will fill  most of your pros and be the best for your wallet will win. However, when it comes to shopping online and in-store, the pros and cons are different for each scenario.

Questions to ask yourself when shopping online:
  • Lowest shipping cost
  • Is it true to size?
  • Is the return policy easy to follow and use?
  • Is this the best price?
  • Are there any deals and coupons I can use at checkout?
-- ** wanelo, shopbuddy, marketing emails, google


Favorite tools to use when shopping online: Wanelo, ShopBuddy, Marketing E-Mails from stores, Google.


Wanelo and Google are engines that use comparative shopping. Those marketing e-mails you get daily may be a bother, but they do tell you the latest deals and perhaps special member-only deals. Shopbuddy is an app that will automatically tell you the deals on a website the second you load it.

Questions to ask yourself when shopping in-store:
  • Is this a staple piece, or a statement piece?
  • Do I have anything else too similar in my closet?
  • Imagine at least three outfits/occasions you would wear it at
  • Do I have a rewards card here?
  • Do I get a percent off or signing up for a rewards card?
  • Are they having any promotions?
  • Will another store in this mall have the same thing cheaper?
You can use the app versions of all of those sites while shopping in-store. Remember your e-mailed and mailed coupons. You also may want to screenshot those coupons in case you can't find service. Also, don't be afraid to leave a store and see what else is out there. You never know what you'll find.

I wish you all smart shopping!


sources:

May Budget

Sooo.  HI!  Here I am.  I know its been awhile, and my absence was kind of unintentional, but kind of not.  More on that later...Like as soon as I finish writing this post, I will start writing an explanation as to why I basically fell off the planet. Anyway...

Today I am re-capping my May purchases for you.  I'm still new at this monthly budget/shopping thing, but I think I am getting a bit better as the months go on.  I didn't spend  a whole lot of money this month, but I am pleased with what I got.  I ended up buying some jewelry this month and some make-up, which is kind of out of my norm, but I got really excited about the stuff, so I went for it.  So glad I did!

Kohl's and Target got my money this month, but I also won a $30 store credit to InBloom Boutique!  I bought something from them that is totally different for me and I can't wait to wear them!

Items I Purchased: 


  • Distressed Boyfriend Shorts


  • Crew Tee


  • V-Neck Tee


  • Brown Sandals 


  • Black Sandals


  • Linen Pants (I purchased these in coral, but it appears they are sold out of that color now.)  


  • Crochet Swing Tank


  • Monthly Budget: $150
    Spent: $136.06

    My favorite purchase this month was the shorts.  They are amazing!  They are a 4 inch inseam instead of the usual 3 1/2 and I am convinced that extra half inch makes a difference.  I will be buying another pair of these shorts-I love them that much.

    The linen pants are exciting, too!  However, they have to make a trip to the tailor so I can have about 5 1/2 inches removed off the bottom of them so I can wear them.  Even if I wore wedges, they would still be too long for my short self. 

    That's all for now! As usual, I am linked up with Franish for Budget Bloggers! 

    Etsy Love

    Oh, Etsy. You have turned out to be one of my favorite websites since discovering you about four years ago.  I love browsing through the shops, "favorite-ing" those one of kind finds, and then pinning them to my Etsy Love board on Pinterest.

    I have found and purchased some great things from Etsy over the years.  A lot of our wedding supplies came from Etsy.  If I need something unique, that is the first place I go!  Etsy is also a great place to get some inspiration on gifts, craft ideas, birthday party ideas, etc.  Don't just stick with Pinterest, ya'll!  Broaden your horizons!

    Since Christmas is coming, I started hitting Etsy hard the past couple of weeks in search of unique, one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts for those that I love...and myself from time to time. :)

    Would you like to see what I've been digging on Etsy lately?



    All of these shops have great, one-of-a-kind items, in my opinion. I have a hard time stopping once I get started on an "Etsy binge", as I like to call it.  Go ahead and take some time to browse around some of the shops.  I guarantee you won't leave without selecting a few things for your favorites list.

    Have a great weekend everyone!
    I have some new things planned for the blog next week so I will see you all on Monday!











    Denim Dilemma

    *sigh*

    I hate jeans.

    There.  I said it.

    I never used to.  I used to love getting into my closet on my days off when I didn't have classes or work, pulling on my favorite pair of broken in jeans, and going about my day.  I welcomed them much more than any yoga pant I owned.  They just looked good.  They said, "I am comfortable, relaxed, yet stylish today.  Here I am world!  Let's go!"

    That was before I had the bay-bay.

    This morning I got up, showered, and went to the bedroom to put clothes on.  *sigh*  This is where my self-esteem usually plummets.  It's 8:30 in the morning and my self-esteem is usually trashed before breakfast.  Awesome.  So, there I stand in my bathrobe in front of my closet and even though I know this is going to suck, I do it anyway.

    I reach for my jeans.

    Now, let me help you understand something.

    I don't have any jeans that fit right.  None.  I own four pairs of jeans and a pair of jeggings.  I also own a pair of yoga pants and three pairs of "comfy pants" as I call them.  Normally, I put on the comfy pants or the yoga pants, but we had to go to Target today so, since I was leaving the house, I reached for the jeans.

    One pair of jeans is a size too small.  Those are my "some day" jeans.  I hang onto them because they are fairly new, but I can't get them over my ass.  My jeggings are a size too big so I am constantly yanking those up to save everyone from seeing my tramp stamp. (Oh yea, I have one.) I have two other pairs of jeans that are identical except for the wash.  One is light, one is dark.  The only places those fit correctly are in length.  They are tight on my hips and too big in the waist.  So, I am constantly yanking those up too.  They also cause my underwear to crawl down my butt and...yea, it is really just a hot mess being me most days.

    I step into the dark wash-perfect-length-make-my-underwear-fall-down-my-butt jeans and then I do the crab walk to get them over my booty, up my hips, take a deep breath, and button them.  There.  They are on.

    I look in the mirror and this is what I think of:



    I grab a t-shirt to cover the busted can of biscuits and realize I have broken a sweat getting jeans on.

    Damn it.

    I spend most of the morning yanking my jeans up over my ass and then doing the lovely yank-them-up-one-more-time dance as I get out of the car in the parking lot of Target.  I get L in the cart, do another yank, and off we go into the store.  We do our shopping with Mommy stopping several times throughout our trip to do a sneak yank in various empty aisles (I bet the loss prevention worker at Target loved watching that on camera.) and I finally snap.

    I march us over to the women's section and begin the hunt for the perfect pair of jeans.  I am begging in my brain, "Please Target, oh please save me from this dilemma.  Please let me find a good pair of jeans that are just perfect everywhere, like they used to be, when I was younger/thinner."

    I start looking at the jeans.  I become overwhelmed.  I know I need mid-rise (and probably Spanx at this point in my life, but that is another blog post.) and I need a short length, but I don't want skinny jeans, or do I?  Can I?  Should I just stick with my bootleg?  Should I do a trouser jean?  I had a pair of those once, I liked those....I look at L, I look at the jeans, I look at the fitting room, I look back at L.  It then hits me:  I can't try on jeans with a toddler.  Am I crazy? The last time I tried clothes on when she was with me ended in Cheerios all over Kohls' fitting room floor and a super angry baby, complete with carrying her out of the store like an infant and her beating the crap out of Mommy for all the world (or at least that part of the world) to see.

    I sigh.  Forget it.

    "Let's just go home, L."

    We go home.

    So, here I sit, unsure of what to do.  I am still wearing the jeans from this morning.  Why?  Because I hate that my husband always sees me in yoga pants or comfy pants.  I am trying to retain some of my self-respect and dignity while my jeans are showing otherwise.  I'm trying, and honestly, I feel like I'm failing.  My jeans are winning this battle.  I am uncomfortable as hell and they are crawling down my backside, laughing at me.

    I just can't get this right, no matter what brand I buy, what rise I buy, what length I buy-it doesn't work.  Nothing does.

    The only thing I haven't tried is spending more on my jeans.  I usually buy from Old Navy or Kohl's.  I have one pair from Kohl's.  They are the Apt. 9 brand and, when they fit, they make my ass look good, but I can't find another pair like them, anywhere, in a bigger size.  That sucks.  I have determined that I will never buy Old Navy ever again because they don't hold up like they used to and their pockets sit weird on my butt.  I mean, I know I have larger butt than I used to, but Old Navy, ya don't need to help me advertise it.

    So, what is this Mom to do?

    I am tired of having my self-esteem wrecked at 8:30 in the morning.

    I am tired of living in comfy pants.

    I am tired of this even being an issue.

    This Mom will take any and all advice given into consideration.  I am not kidding.  Someone please help me! Please help me take back the control over my jeans!

    Until next time,











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