Arrivederci 2010, Bonjour 2011!

What a year it has been! So many ups and downs in our household, but in the end we've made it through together as one loving family. This update is a long time coming, and not as extensive, but being that Kylie is nearing 2 (you don't have to tell me twice, so fast I know!) her wardrobe is filled mostly with clothes for which I could care less if she spills spaghetti sauce or apple juice on. She also seems to age quickly, but ironically grows at a snails pace so there's still quite a bit of clothing we still have yet to remove the tags off of featured in previous posts. Never the less, no major gift giving event could ever be void of a little couture.

Juicy Couture Ruffled Tunic ($20.99, Originally $48)

I have to say, that it really does pay to shop early, I got a great deal on this tunic before Thanksgiving and scored on free shipping plus 30% off. People may think it's crazy to start so early, but I was done before Thanksgiving and never needed to fight the crowds for the holiday remnants. Thank you inventors of online shopping, you are my saviors!

Juicy Couture Embroidered Ruched Sleeved Dress ($34.20, Originally $128)

Purchased from one of my favorite online retailers, NeimanMarcus.com. You're probably thinking, "How bougie of you Christina." But wait! I saved an additional 30% off, got free shipping plus free gift wrapping. Time is money so adding in all those factors, Neiman Marcus has always been one of my all time favorite online retailers to shop over the holidays. Just because they are known for their designer duds and outrageous holiday gift offerings, doesn't mean you still can't snag a great deal!

Havaianas Sandals ($10.19, Originally $16)
I love how Kylie's little toesies look in these sandals and since she has outgrown the last pair she had (not to mention the left sandal is lost somewhere in nowheresville), I couldn't pass up this deal when I came across them.

Converse Chuck Taylor Slip Ons ($19.99, Originally $30)

Yeah for outlet shopping! I found a great deal on these cute slip on shoes (slip ons are a must for any toddler, unless you enjoy retying shoes every 5 minutes) for a pretty decent price. Just like her mommy, Kylie has quite the obsession with shoes. She's amassed just about a dozen pairs (pretty good for a girl who's not even 2!) and loves to strut around and play in her pretty shoes as well as anyone else's. It's wise not to leave your shoes out in the open in our house for too long, as they will quickly turn up missing and miraculously appear in Kylie's closet.

It is so amazing to watch a child grow and blossom into a little person. Even more amazing when they begin to mimic your actions and personality along the way of discovering themselves. Kylie has grown into my little girl so quickly, I can hardly believe she was just crawling the same time last year and now she's running circles around me. I love her budding interest for shoes, accessories and clothes, it's like I spawned a mini me! I cannot wait to see how her sense of fashion will develop as she begins to articulate her likes and dislikes. Being a mommy has brought me so much joy and happiness, and as I say goodbye to 2010, I look forward to the many adventures to be had in this new year. Cheers to new fashion finds in 2011 my friends!

And We're Back!

Wow, Summer just came and went in a flash! But after a brief hiatus, I am back in full shopping swing. My baby is now officially a walking and (sort of) talking toddler. Wish that I could say that we've been too busy shopping to blog, it's more along the lines of we've been too busy to shop! Shocking I know, but my petite princess still remains petite, fitting the same clothing she did 6 months ago. We have even spilled into a 2nd dresser for her despite doing 2 purges over the last several months. Luckily the weather has been getting cooler and cooler, hence the need for more "wintery" attire featured in this posting. You'll notice the presence of her daddy's influence in Kylie's wardrobe these days. He's taken a slightly more opinionated role in what she wears now that she's strutting her stuff solo without our arms blocking her fabulous attire. And when I say slightly, I mean daddy shows mommy what he likes, and mommy finds something quasi similar but less boyish and in pink.

Nicole Miller Tunic and leggings ($19.38 Originally $38)
I am beginning to love Nicole Miller's line of children clothing mostly because they always look and are constructed like adult clothing. Just like a good friend of mine loves when animals have human names like "Kevin" or "George", I love it when little kids are dressed like miniature adults. Since Kylie already follows me around all day like my shadow, she might as well dress like me!
Here's me and my little boo boo sporting her tunic with tights at a friend's wedding.


Hurley Sweatsuit ($19.99 Originally $48)
This is where the hubby's influence came into play. He showed me a purple, blue, green and white Puma sweatsuit, straight out of some little boy's closet circa 1977, that he wanted to purchase for Kylie. To which I replied "Oh My Geee, H to the No." And proceeded to purchase this adorable sweatsuit that is both sporty to his liking and stylish to mine.


Skateboarding is Not a Crime Onesie $12.99
Since the hubby is adamant about not wanting to raise an uber girly girl as I would perfer, I will on occasion oblige with the purchase of a more masculine band or skate/surf inspired article of clothing. So long as I can pair it with pink in some form, it's acceptable. Side note, not really sure what the meaning of this onesie is. If you put a circle with a line through the message of "Skateboarding is not a Crime" isn't that really saying "Skateboarding is Not NOT a Crime" thus actually stating it is a crime? Just to reiterate, this wasn't of my choosing. ;-)


Seven 7 Brown leather cowgirl boots ($19.99 Originally $32)
It was love at first sight with these boots for both Kylie and I. They are brown leather with rhinestone trim all around and the insides are pink zebra printed suede! I died as Rachel Zoe would say. The first thing Kylie did when we got home was take off her shoes and attempt to put on her boots. I had to run a few laps chasing her around the house just to get her to take them off before her bath.

If you couldn't tell, I have a little bit of New Joisey in my taste. Love me some leopard and zebra print, in moderation of course. A girl's gotta show off her wild side every now and again!

A Juicy June and July

I am a bit behind on the blogging as you can see. Summer approached so quickly and with birthdays, holidays and the like, my spare time has been consumed with planning weekend adventures for the little one leaving little time to peruse the aisles of my local Loehmann's. Shocking to hear I know, but as it is, her dresser already looks like it threw up a Bloomingdale's kids department so I had to cool it on the new clothing until we can finish redecorating her room. Ok, ok who am I kidding, I didn't really cool it. There's a few other outfits I purchased in the last few months, but just didn't have the time to take pics of to feature in this blog. There you caught me, I'm lazy. But it's summer, I have a walking, talking toddler and they don't call it the lazy days of summer for nothing. Here's a few of some of the highlights of purchases from the last month and a half or so, better something than nothing!

7 for all Mankind Cutoff jeans ($17.60, Originally $95)

Yet another one of my "so cheap I can't pass this up, even though they are waaay to big for her now" deals.

Juicy Couture Terry Pants ($10; Originally $48)
Can't go wrong with a track suit, as is evident in my own daily wardrobe. If you're going to wear sweats, they might as well be designer ones. Makes me feel "dressed up" even if the fanciest places Kylie and I frequent are the My Gym and Trader Joe's.


Juicy Couture Terry Jacket ($21.24; Originally $48)
Not entirely sure why the MSRP for the jacket and the pants are the same, yet the discounted prices are vastly different. Oh well, I'm not going to complain, a bargain is a bargain is a bargain.



Juicy Couture Terry Pants ($12.72; Originally $64)
Pants are all the rage this century, so might as well be in style and get them while they're cheap. Although for some peculiar reason, these pair look like they were made for a 4ft. tall 2 year old. (For those of you without offspring for a visual, that would be one giant sized toddler.) I suppose that explains why they were so cheap to begin with.

Nicole Miller Floral Tunic ($10; Originally $38)
This tunic actually comes with pants as well, but I bought a larger size so that I could make it into a dress which she wore for my birthday dinner. When she grows more, I'll slap on those pantalones and voila! Instant new outfit.

Hope the summer has been going well for everyone, it's been such a great few months watching my little baby turn into a young lady. It may be a bit of time again before my next post as she's beginning to be more mobile and nap times become shorter and shorter. But, I will make an honest effort to be more diligent on at least taking photos so that in some point in time they will be blogged about. Aloha Amigos until the next time!

Rainbows and Stripes and Gummy Bears, Oh My!

On yet another one of my routine shopping excursions, I stumbled across some great new deals. (Shocking, I know.) Often times I come fully prepared for battle with my arsenal of coupons if I have at least 1 specific item in mind to shop for, but my routine status checks have me wandering the stores aimlessly in hopes of stumbling across a great find. Contrary to popular belief, there ARE instances where I come home empty handed (although I'm going to have to admit, that those occurances are pretty few and far between), but in the instance that I do find something, it's rarely a singular item. My strategy dictates that if there is one great find, then there are certainly more so why waste my time waiting in line to pay for just 1 item?

Roxy Terry Cloth Striped Hoodie $11 (Original $26)
You can never have enough jackets for a baby. Not sure if this was something that was specific to my family or perhaps one of those overprotective mom things, but even in the dead heat of summer, my mom would always tell me to bring a jacket, "just in case". Just wanted to point out that I also grew up in New Orleans, where cold weather occurs just about as often as unicorn sightings.


C&C California Rainbow Hooded Shirt $5.23 (Original $36)
This shirt is a bit on the big side, of course everything pretty much is on my tiny princess, but it was a great deal not to pass up. I love C&C California's super soft fabrics, fashionable and comfy, you can't go wrong with that!


C&C California Gummy Bear Hooded Shirt $5.23 (Original $36)
I had seen this shirt eons ago, and thought it was sooo perfect for Kylie because we used to call her gummy bear back in the day (or more like 4 months ago) before she had any teeth. She would smile all the time and all we'd see were her gums, hence the nickname. Hurray that I finally found this shirt on super discount, but Boo that it's sized 4T! Oh well, into the drawer of "new clothes she won't see for years" it goes.

Juicy Couture Terry Track Suit $40 (Original $80)
I'm not going to sugar coat this and make excuses, this is not a bargain, but I saw the pants which were $15, and had to have them. So then I asked myself why not go for the whole kitten caboodle if the jacket is right there too? $40 bucks on a tracksuit for a 1 year old is probably not money well spent, ok it is definitely NOT money well spent, but it's hard to stop when you're already buying a ton of other items. Well, at least it is for me, probably not for the majority of you all out there who have this attribute called self control. This is a lesson in do as I say not as I do. Don't buy $40 outfits that your kid will likely outgrow in 2 months, and will probably spill applesauce on and ruin. Wait until you can buy them for $30 ;-)

Steal of a Deal

Last weekend on a usual Saturday family night out, I came across some fantastic deals for me and the little munchkin that were so good, I had to check the receipt several times to make sure I was seeing the right numbers. No decent Saturday night lacks a little shopping in some capacity, but this was definitely one for the books as being a great bargain hunting expedition, mixed in with a little bit of family fun time while at The Block in Orange.

Junk Food Little Miss Tiny Onesie $4.98 (Original $22)
This onesie could not be more perfect to describe my Petite Princess. She may be tiny, but certainly does not lack in the spunk or energy departments. Come over right before her bedtime to watch her climb and squirm around like a baby orangutan looking for a lost banana and you can see what I mean. Ironically or perhaps in her case, befittingly, this onesie is still too large despite it being in her size.

Juicy Couture Terry Pants $7.98 (Original $30)
I think these pants were meant to be capris for a 2 year old, but are the perfect length for Kylie. Good thing I've got a petite one, and not baby Giselle Bunchen on my hands. But that is only in reference to height, as far as beauty is concerned my Kylie is definitely a contender. Of course, that is purely my unbiased, completely neutral opinion ;-) Her smaller stature definitely makes for easier pant shopping and relatively minimal "baby pant ride up syndrome", as I like to call it. However, sometimes no matter how long the pant legs, she (and many other babies I've encountered) are still afflicted by this condition where normal length pants mysteriously transform into capris. It is just one of those phenomenons of life that we may never know the answer to. I'm debating on contacting Unsolved Mysteries to help me uncover this issue, but this may prove too trying even for the likes of syndicated network television.

Kylie's First Birthday!

A few selections from the deals I got for Kylie's first birthday.
Juicy Couture Black LS Tee $16.99 (Original $38)

Juicy Couture Pink Ruffle Tee $14.44 (Original $38)

Juicy Couture Velour Skinny Pants $21.24 (Original $38)

Paul Frank Tee $3.39 (Original $20)

Maui Wowie Part 2

So here we have the clothing portion of the Maui vacation wardrobe, and I must say that some of these bargains are quite the bee's knees. I like to think that it is a "rare talent" I have finding these bargains, although the hubby would probably describe it more as an "uncontrollable addiction", eh tomato tomotto.

Juicy Couture Denim Skirt $24.99 (Originally $48)

I didn't take a picture of the backside, but its has cute little heart shaped pockets with pink, brown and blue Juicy logo stitching. Best part is, the waist is adjustable, in case Kylie consumes too many macadamia nut cookies.

Roxy Teenie Wahine t-shirt $5 (Originally $20)
You cannot go to the birthplace of surfing and not sport some apropos attire.

Roxy Pink Shirt and Denim Capris $5 and $7 (Originally $20 and $28)

Juicy Couture Striped Logo t-shirt $12.99 (Originally $38)

Juicy Couture Terry Smocked Sundress $11.24 (Originally $92)
An amazing, bargain I found at the Juicy Couture outlets before she was even born, it was 75% off the already on sale price.

Juicy Couture Embellished t-shirt $14.97 (Originally $48)

C&C California Ringer t-shirt $2.97 (Originally $32)
Another one of my "heck, it's practically free so I should just buy it" items.

Juicy Couture Knit halter dress $24.99 (Originally $78)

Juicy Couture t-shirt $11.97 (Originally $48)

Juicy Couture t-shirt $13.99 (Originally $38)

Juicy Couture Pink Camo hoodie and shorts $29.99 (Originally $78)

Juicy Couture Pink Sparkle tunic and leggings $26.97 (Originally $88)

Ralph Lauren denim shorts $4.97 (Originally $30)

Juicy Couture Striped Terry Skirt $18 (Originally $58)

Needless to say, my baby will not be running around Maui's pristine coast nekkid. Although, she has recently reached an all important milestone for baby girls across the globe, by discovering her belly button and is not afraid to lift up her shirt or dress to show you. (However, I suppose this act isn't exactly limited to babies, if you've ever been to or seen Mardi Gras festivities). Her daddy likes to call this her "Babies Gone Wild" show, I refer to it as mission critical to find her summer crop tops and baby bikinis. I must stop this flashing epidemic starting with my own child before it is too late. Call me a vigilante if you must, off to the mall to save the world!

Maui Wowie Part 1

First family commitments, then the H1N1 "pandemic" scare and finally after many canceled plans, we are embarking on the much anticipated Moat family vacation to Maui! Her vacation wardrobe has been compiling since she could barely crack open an eyelid, some items even go as far back as to when she was physically attached to me (rather than emotionally like she is now). Kylie is a big time clingy mama's girl and I am perfectly a-ok having bore my very own shopping partner in crime. Since deciding to be a stay at home mommy so that I can dedicate more time to changing poop diapers, planning vacations and baby clothes shopping, there has been little time to blog these days. So after my brief blogging hiatus, here's the swimwear portion of this 2 part series.

Baby Gap one piece swim suit $4.97 (Originally $19.50)

This was the latest swimwear purchase and quite honestly not needed but who could pass up a steal of a deal like this? At 75% off, it's like they practically gave it to me.

Puma Hot Pink Flower Embellished One Piece $14.98 (Originally $30)

I had seen this suit last summer and passed on it, even though at the time it was only $20. Well, good thing I did, come fall it was still available and reduced to the price I ended up paying for it. Chachingers for those who wait!

Paul Frank Julius Ice Cream Head One Piece $12.99 (Originally $40)

Not that Kylie even notices but my second favorite brand to buy for her is Paul Frank. Most days you can catch her romping around in one of her Paul Frank ensembles, love that they put monkey ears on their hoodies and super LOVE that they now sell Paul Frank at the budget friendly Target! (Although these PF suits were purchased well before I knew they were selling the brand at Target so you will not be able to find any of these styles there.)

Paul Frank Magenta Julius Sunglasses One Piece $12.99 (Originally $38)

Paul Frank Julius Circles One Piece $12.99 (Originally $38)

I wish I could honestly tell my hubby that "these are all the bathing suits she owns, and don't worry, I totally didn't go overboard" but alas there are more suits secretly stuffed in her dresser, some were gifts, others I bought in larger sizes, because helllo everyone knows you have to stock up on swimsuits. No one likes to put on a cold, wet bathing suit from the day before. Plus, bathing suits are multifunctional. They can become dancing leotards in the winter time, and they dry fast if we have a diaper leakage situation. I have become the queen of excuses, you must always have a secondary purpose for making unnecessary purchases with a shopping habit like mine!

Oldies but Goodies: Part Deux

To make room for Kylie's ever growing wardrobe, I do a monthly donation purge to filter out all the adorable outfits that she has alas outgrown. In the process, I have been able to re-discover items that had long been lost and forgotten in the "abyss" known as her dresser. As we gear up to celebrate her first birthday, stay tuned for many more segments of the "Oldies but Goodies" series for your blog reading pleasure!

Juicy Couture long sleeved printed shirt - $11.38 (Orig. $48)

I purchased this shirt, along with many other items in the Oldies but Goodies series, when Kylie's arms and hands were wee little nubs, long before the days she learned she could use them to pick up toys and throw them on the ground in a hysterical fit of laughter for mommy to pick up. Luckily, I discovered this shirt when I did. If I had waited any longer, the description might have been Juicy Couture 3/4 sleeved midriff top.

Juicy Couture Reversible bucket hat - $18.89 (Orig. $38)

The inside of this terry cloth bucket hat is pale pink in color, making this accessory multi-seasonal. Being that it is a major fashion faux pas to wear white after Labor Day, Kylie can wear it year round if reversed. That and her mommy is not entirely certain when it is considered kosher to wear white again, so technically isn't any day always going to be "after" Labor Day???

Juicy Couture Terry Embroidered Eyelet Dress $28.79 (Orig. $78)

I have been waiting a looooong time for this dress to finally fit her. It is ranked pretty highly as one of my most favorite finds with regards to level of adorableness. If they made a matching mommy dress, you can bet we'd be strutting the strand dressed like twins. We are very lucky to reside in sunny Southern California, where even in the winter time, 70 degree weather is far from unusual. I can buy dresses and t-shirts year round without worrying if Kylie will ever have an opportunity to wear it. The only thing she's got to worry about is if her mommy ever remembers to put her in the clothes she's purchased.

Gap navy blue hooded dress $13.99 (Orig. $24.50)

This was actually purchased by Kylie's grandmother (who is my mom and also an avid bargain hunter). Grandma has quite the affinity for anything and everything with a nautical flair, so if you see Kylie looking like she's going yachting in the Hamptons with P Diddy and Christy Brinkley, you can be pretty certain from whom she got that outfit.