style Archives - Floradise

11/06/2017

5 Onesie Pajamas to Keep You Warm This Winter

** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise!

All images via Target

Lately I’ve been all about comfort. All I want to do is lounge around in the coziest of pajamas. It doesn’t help that it’s been gray and in the 30s and 40s, either. I currently only have one onesie ― a pancake-stack print ― and I recently bought the most comfortable pair of pajama pants from the Gilligan and O’Malley brand, but I want more. More! Today I’m sharing what I think are the most adorable onesie pajama options at Target. Consider this my onesie pajama wish list! These are all super affordable, too. (Some of these were recently on sale for only $20. While that sale is over, look for more deals as the holiday shopping season ramps up.)

Unicorn: It has a cute hood!

Harry Potter: I mean, who doesn’t love Harry Potter?

Black Buffalo Check: These just look so comfortable to me!

Elephant: Because elephants are one of my favorite animals.

Penguins: These just scream cozy Netflix marathon.

Which onesie is your favorite? Are you a fan of onesies?

08/23/2017

My Experience With SheIn

** This post about SheIn contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise.

Chances are you’ve seen bloggers on Instagram touting trendy clothing items at insanely low prices and wondered where they bought them from. I have noticed a lot of them are from SheIn. In the past year, I have purchased 11 items from SheIn, the inexpensive-fashion online site. Out of those eight items, I returned two, and I would have returned at least another had I purchased return shipping insurance.

Here’s what I bought:

Long Sleeve Casual Dress ($8.89): On the site this is described as purple, but it was red. It was perfect for fall, and it was comfortable to wear. On me the dress was a bit long, but I didn’t mind. Sadly I ruined this dress by spilling cleaner on it, so I could not longer where it. I decluttered it last year. I loved the neck and I would buy this again if it weren’t sold out.

Marled Knit Cropped Tie Leggings ($9.99): These felt cheap and were too thin. The tie-back feature was actually kind of awkward on a short person. I donated these.

Burgundy Glasses Print T-Shirt ($9.99): I love this shirt and wear it often. It’s comfortable and cute! My only issue with it is that the red kind of bled into the white glasses on the front during one of the washes. I still wear it, though. (This is the top in the photo on my website.)

Army Green Criss-Cross V Back Tee ($10): I wear this once a week. It’s super comfortable and thick material. It’s a little long on me but I don’t mind that.

- Palm Leaf Print Embossed Fit and Flare Dress ($13): I returned this dress because it didn’t fit. I ordered a small when I needed a medium, but I also didn’t like how thin the material was. It was almost see-through.

- Button Closure Back Ruffle Cold-Shoulder Top ($12): I like this top. I have worn it several times. The color is nice. (I actually only paid about 45 cents because I applied the refund from the dress above to the purchase.)

- Palm Leaf Plunging Cami Romper ($9): I bought this for our upcoming tropical vacation. I am guilty of wanting to wear leaf print. Sorry, not sorry! The plunging part is a little much for everyday wear but will be fine on the beach. It’s also a little thin. It was a bit too tight when I first tried it on but now it zips. If it doesn’t fit in December I plan to donate or sell this.

- Multicolor Pocket Off-the-Shoulder Romper ($15.49): I absolutely love this romper and wear it often. It’s a bit thin, a common theme in my purchases, but I don’t mind. I love the colors!

- Cut-Out Strappy Shoulder Tee ($9): I wear this often as well, and it is starting to show signs of wear, namely loose threads.

- Black Waterdrop Pendant Lace Choker ($2.99): I liked this choker but I realize as I type this that I haven’t worn it in months. It’s time to let it go or start wearing it again.

- Wrap V Neckline Palm Leaf Print Self Tie Slit Dress ($6): I am not sure who would ever wear this. It looks cute but that slip comes up to your waist almost. It’s totally not wearable except as a bathing suit coverup. I am not sure why I even bought this, but I immediately returned it.

Note: The prices I listed are those that I paid. Prices can change and some of mine were lower because I applied credits I received from reviewing purchases.

My SheIn purchases so far have totaled less than $100. Overall, you get what you pay for. I was pleasantly surprised with a few of my picks, and disappointed in just as many items. The other items were just OK; they were cute but didn’t last that long. I recommend getting the $1.99 shipping insurance if you decide to purchase anything so that you can easily return it if it doesn’t work. I have had no issues with my return. I simply printed the label, sent it back and the refund was deposited within the week. From there you have to request a withdrawal from your “Wallet” on SheIn, but that was easy to do.

You should know that the sizing is weird. Some items are just listed as one size, while others are in listed in both inches and centimeters. It’s hard to know what will fit. Reviews are your best friend with SheIn. Also, if you review you get points that you can redeem on purchases for small discounts on already inexpensive clothing.

Shipping was hit and miss. Some items arrived quickly while one item in particular took almost a month to arrive. (In that case customer service sent me an email apologizing for the delay and credited my account with points to redeem on future purchases.) Some items were shipped from China, while others seemed to arrive from Europe (though I’m not sure).

Want to shop SheIn? You can get a $5 off purchases of $55 or more with code BTS5 from Sept. 1-Sept. 15. (This is not my discount code.)

Have you shopped at SheIn? What has your experience been?

05/08/2017

April Favorites

**This post contains affiliate links, but these are my honest opinions about the products. I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.

I’m also loving this palm tree print makeup bag I found at Marshall’s.

April was a bit exhausting, but in a good way. Graham fulfilled a lifelong career dream, we celebrated Victoria’s birthday early and I did my best to balance an overwhelming workload with my fitness and personal goals. I also tested some new beauty products and accumulated more empties, which I’ll be sharing soon. (One recent purchase was the LA Girl luminous foundation, which I like so far. ) I am still making my mind up about recent buys, but I do have some favorites to share:

KL Polish in Miss Honey: Kathleen Lights described the color (pictured above on the left) as something Miss Honey from “Matilda” would wear, and I agree. It’s become my everyday nail polish color since I bought it last month. I was looking for the perfect spring color, and this is it for me. It’s cruelty-free as well. KL’s website describes it as a warm, melon hue. This polish is long-wearing for me, which is saying a lot.

Photo by KL Polish

The Big One Gel Memory Foam Pillow (Side Contour): I don’t know what I have been doing with my life, except not sleeping well. I switched to this pillow recently and have been sleeping much better. My head and neck rest comfortably on the pillow, which is contoured, so I don’t need to constantly adjust the pillow during the night. I am getting much better sleep, minus the sinus issues I’ve been having. These are normally about $50, but I found them on sale recently for $15 and $25, both good deals.

DV Bailey Slide Sandals: I found these at Target (it wins again!) and when I saw the price tag of about $16, I had to get them. I was in need of new everyday, neutral sandals to throw on with many of my late spring and summer outfits. They come with yellow and black straps as well.

Army Green Criss Cross Front V Back Short Sleeve Top: I was hesitant to order this because I was unsure of the quality for the affordable price, but I was not disappointed. It’s a thicker material than you’d expect for $10 and it’s comfortable and cute. I’ve worn it many times already. (I’m actually wearing it as I type this, too.) It comes in maroon, black, blue and yellow, too.

Wrappily: I love the fabulous prints offered by this eco-friendly and reversible gift wrap company, which is based in Hawaii. I shared more about it in my last post, so I won’t go into too much detail here. P.S. There’s still time to enter the Wrappily giveaway!

What have you been loving lately?

04/26/2017

Mother’s Day Gifts That Give Back

** This post contains affiliate links.

When I shop for gifts for holidays and birthdays, I try to support companies that do good in some way, especially those that give money or products to charity. It used to be a challenge to find such companies, but now many popular brands have programs that give back. This Mother’s Day will be my first one as a mother myself, so let’s be honest: I wouldn’t mind receiving any of these gifts!

My Mother’s Day picks:

Floral TOMS wedges**: Mom can look gorgeous in these floral wedges all spring and summer long, and she can feel good about providing someone in need with a pair of shoes.

Coral Washed Twill Women’s Platform Espadrilles**: For those who want more comfortable, everyday shoes, these TOMS espadrilles are perfect, and they come in blue and gray as well. Plus. these have a vegan microfiber liner!

Diff Eyewear: For every pair of Diff sunglasses sold, a pair of reading glasses is given to a child in need. I like these Barry Black/White Frames with polarized lenses. The mom friend in your life will love these this summer.

Little Market North Shore Overnight Bag: Little Market has a variety of adorable overnight bags for the traveling momma. You can also find makeup bags and trunks. Little Market says: “Every purchase empowers artisans in Guatemala working with Maya Traditions.” Frankly, every item on the Little Market website is adorable. You also get a free luggage tag with overnight bag purchase (at least at the time this was written).

Kate Spade On Purpose Canvas Wristlet**: This adorable wristlet has a cute little bow detail. It benefits artisans in Rwanda as part of Kate Spade’s On Purpose program.

Where are your favorite places to shop? What would you add to this list?

Note: It’s up to you to do research on which companies are worth giving to and how much good they actually do. These are just my picks. Happy shopping!

01/10/2017

December Favorites & a Disappointing Product

** This post contains affiliate links.

December had highs and lows, and so will this post about products I’ve been using. I like to focus on the positive, so I will start with the products I loved in the last month of 2016 before getting into a product that let me down. My December favorites are my new running shoes, a new nail polish from Kathleen Lights, my new pajamas (an adorable onesie!) and an amazing camera lens. My disappointing product was a high-end concealer I’ve been using for two months now.

First, the favorites:

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 17 in purple. Graham gave these to me as an early Christmas gift and to motivate me to run my virtual half-marathon. They come in my favorite color and sort of a cosmic color scheme. I have long been a Brooks fan. I find that their shoes, the adrenaline specifically, give me the right amount of support. Even when I let experts suggest shoes for me they pick the Adrenaline for me. It’s meant to be.

The Brooks Adrenaline GTS 17 shoes come in many other colors, too.

KL polish in Gumption (blue). Youtube made me buy it! I was looking for a cruelty-free polish, so when I saw Kathleen Lights came out with her own line, I bought two colors immediately. I have been wearing Gumption nonstop since early December. I find that normally nail polish chips on me on the first day, but this polish last me at least a couple of days before chipping, which is an eternity for me. This is without applying a base or top coat for testing purposes. I was impressed. I have not yet tried the other shade I purchased, Snickerdoodle, but I will share my thoughts when I do. I also like the applicator brush. It’s wide enough to cover your whole nail, which makes applying the polish a breeze. I should mention that in a recent video Kathleen says she tweaked the formula for future releases, so the polish will be “a hair” thinner.

Nite Nite Munki Munki Women’s Union Suit Pancake Stacks Print onesie. I bought this for myself to spend the holidays in, and I’ve been living in it since. It’s super comfortable, and flattering, which is weird to say for a pancake onesie. I love the cute print. It’s perfect for Sunday brunch at home.

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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Lens. This was another gift from Graham. He is supportive of my interest in photography and wanted to get me another good lens. I absolutely love this lens. It makes shooting in low light situations a lot easier. I find that it takes quality images that I have been posting on my social media channels and blog since. You do need to move your feet more to frame your image, but I love the images I have taken with this. I still need practice in using it to avoid non-focused images. (See the image of the Born This Way concealer below for an example.)

My disappointing product:

Too Faced Born This Way Concealer. This creased on my every time, no matter what I did. And it didn’t last long at all. It also didn’t cover as much as I’d like. Even more disappointing was that the packaging — which I adore — came apart and spilled some of it all over my makeup bag. I continued to use it because it was about $30 so I didn’t want to just waste it. If you’ve had a positive experience with it I’d love to hear about it.

01/09/2017

A Phoenix Hike

Dreamy Draw Recreation Area

The No. 1 activity I had planned during our weekend in Phoenix was a hike, even if it wasn’t too challenging or long. I longed for the Phoenix sunshine, especially as we made our way to the Chicago airport with a real feel in the negative digits. I didn’t pack any jackets or sweaters for Phoenix, which was wishful thinking considering it does get chilly in the mornings and evenings. I ended up wearing Graham’s Cubs hoodie or his jackets when I couldn’t take the desert “cold.” Victoria spent some time with her great-grandma while Graham and I took a quick trip to the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area, our old stomping grounds. It’s not the most impressive mountain area to hike, like Camelback Mountain or Piestewa Peak, but it was our hiking spot. It’s also huge, you could spend all day or multiple days exploring the vast network of trails, which are shared among hikers, dog walkers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. We would hike here frequently when we lived in Phoenix, usually during summer storms. We called ourselves storm chasers, in fact.

We went to our old sunset-viewing area during the early afternoon to get a glimpse of the city. We were also treated to a coyote sighting.

I was quite comfortable and cool in my new workout gear, which was a Christmas gift from my older sister. She knows the way to a fitness lover’s heart! Plus, all I ever want for the holiday is athletic wear to help me reach my goals. She bought me an outfit from Fabletics** in my favorite color, purple.

Fabletics is offering a first outfit for $10 until Jan. 10, 2017. **

The tank has side band detail.

Took this photo of the back of the tank after the hike.

The top is the Theresa Tunic Tank, which covers your assets, if you know what I mean. I appreciate that because sometimes I feel self-conscious when I wear athleisure clothing out and about. This tank is a little longer on me because I have a short torso, but I think it would be flattering on many body types. Also, this would be ideal for yoga, because during certain poses your top tends to move about and expose your midriff, and this could help with that. It’s a racerback tank as well.

The print on the leggings is my favorite. It’s called the Metallic Pebble print, but it reminds me of my cosmic inspired Brooks Adrenaline GTS 17 running shoes, which I wore for the hike. The size small leggings fit perfectly.

Shop my Fabletics outfit **

Shop this look through Fabletics**.

12/07/2016

November Favorites

This post contains affiliate links.

November was a crazy month workwise and familywise. Adjusting to life with a toddler has been a challenge. Graham and I are constantly worn out, but we don’t like to complain because having Victoria is a blessing and a joy. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s difficult to change your entire lifestyle and learn to parent a strong-willed toddler. November for me was about trying to relax (sometimes unsuccessfully), so I don’t have many genuine favorites to share. The four favorites I am discussing today though were my go-to items all month long.

November favorites:

“I Wish You More” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. This is my favorite book to read to Victoria. It’s heart-warming, well-illustrated and well-written. I recommend this for any parent or as a gift for a child.
Stress Relief body wash and foam bath from Bath and Body Works – Sleep (Lavender Vanilla). I have been using this almost nightly to relax and unwind before bed. I love the scent and the experience of a foam bath, especially after a workout. Also, the holiday rush makes me reach for this even more.
Thayers Natural Remedies Witch Hazel Toner in Lavender. I have found a gentle, cruelty-free toner I like! I enjoy the scent and it does the job. It’s also not too expensive for the amount of product you get (12 fluid ounces). Shoutout to Sarah from Pretty Simple Ideas for the recommendation.
Candies’ Black Over-the-Knee Boots. I bought these before our family photos in Lincoln Park and I’ve been wearing them nonstop since. They are comfortable and cute, and you can buy them in brown as well. I love the buckle in the back.