Dressing a "tween" for back-to-school

As much as I hate to admit it, it's time to start preparing for back-to-school.  I have two children, a boy and a girl, both in the "tween" stage of life.  Luckily, my son is care-free and will wear whatever I purchase for him without complaint.  He's not into fancy smancy name brands or the hottest looks.  He's prefers shorts, t-shirts, and flops or sneakers (depending on the weather), making shopping for him a cinch for me!

My daughter, on the other hand, is the ultimate fashionista.  She loves all things girly and can't wait to get her hands on the newest and hottest fashions.  So, back-to-school shopping for her can be a little tricky.  I love helping her find hot styles for great prices.  So, before we head out to take advantage of some tax-free savings, we decided to do a little web browsing as to reduce the number of eye rolls and arguments that we might have while out shopping!

So, here are some of her favorite back-to-school items:

Rare Editions Girls 7-16 Hi Low Dress



One Step Up Girls 7-16 Printed Crepe Button Down Blouse

My Michelle Girls 7-16 High-Low Hem Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YMI Girls 7-16 Floral Printed Skinny Jean

Well, now that we've spent time looking for things that fit her "style", I'll go mentally prepare for the fact that her mind will have completely changed by the time we get to the mall.

What styles are your tweenaged girls begging for this fall?

My Favorite iPhone Apps

I absolutely LOVE my iPhone.  So much so that I'll turn around and go back home if I discover that I've forgotten to toss it in my purse.  This relationship is real, albeit one-sided.  The phone is always giving me what I need and I'm always right there waiting to receive the awesomeness that it always supplies.  If loving my iPhone is wrong, I don't want to be right.  I've been on the iPhone bandwagon since the first generation.  I'm a bit tardy at taking the plunge to the iPhone 5, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I upgrade.  (I'm still a little salty about Apple changing the charger ports on it's newest iPhone.  Upgrading my phone will mean upgrading chargers and docks and everything...)

My love for my iPhone made it impossible for me to resist Alabama Women Bloggers' invitation to link up with their "Talk Appy to Me" Tech Tuesday post.  I couldn't wait to unveil my absolute favorite iPhone apps.  Well, without further ado, here they are:

Facebook - I LOVE having this amazing social network at my fingertips.  I can check statuses, send messages, add new friends, send birthday wishes, and more with the help of this great app.  Definitely one of my favorites.

Twitter:  Another of my favorite social networks easily assessible through an app.  This is another app that I use on a regular basis.

Cozi:  I've blogged about this great app before.  The Cozi app allows me to keep up with everything that I have to do.  Additionally, my family can add their activities and instantly, our calendars are connected!  I love being able to see who has a meeting, practice, or an event all at a glance.  Cozi doesn't stop there.  I'm able to add shopping lists, plan meals, and take notes.  I don't know how my family stayed organized before Cozi!



You Version Bible App: Incorporating daily Bible reading into my life is so much easier with this great Bible app.  You Version makes it easy to read daily verses, write notes, view videos, or participate in reading plans.  You Version allows me to set up reminders, which is very helpful when I embarrassingly forget to take time for God's word.  You Version helps keep me accountable to reading the word every day.



Wordpress:  This app recently became one of my favorites.  I started blogging in late May.  I discovered this app in June!  It is awesome.  I can write and edit blog posts, read my favorite blogs, and check the my blog stats!  I love being able to blog on the go with the Wordpress app!



ebay:  I love finding great deals on ebay.  The ebay app makes it easy for me to browse and shop anytime.



Rhapsody:  I love music.  I love apps.  So what's better than a music app?  Nothing!  Rhapsody lets me listen old favorites as well as the newest releases from all genres of music!

Well, those are a few of my favorites.  To find out what apps other women bloggers in Alabama are loving, click the picture below.  Before you go, don't forget to share with me some of your favorite apps.  I'm always looking for more!

Saturday Shopping Spree!

This spring, I had this novel idea to clean my closet.  Okay, I'll go ahead and be honest.  This is what really happened.  The husband said to me, "You need to do something with all this junk in this closet."  I reluctantly agreed with him, but after sustaining numerous injuries while trying to pick out the outfit of the day, I knew that he was right.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="206"] This isn't my closet. I promise. (I was way too embarrassed to post mine!)[/caption]

Trying to quickly finish an overwhelming job, I began selling, giving away, and donating items from my closet at alarming speeds.  I just wanted to be done with cleaning that stupid closet.  I'm not sure that I even paid much attention to the things that I was getting rid of.  Basically, if it was on the floor, it had to go.  I guess I didn't realize how often I threw some of my most coveted items on the floor of my closet as a result of coming home exhausted from a long day of work.

Nonetheless, I gave away so many things.  Now, I feel as if I need to replenish my wardrobe.  I need to spruce it up for back-to-school.  (It's coming whether I'm ready or not!)  But, I don't want to overload my closet again.  So this time around, when I shop, I will look for separates that can be paired and accessorized to make multiple outfits.  So, "less is more" will be my theme as I restock my closet.

Katie, over at Hems for Her, was my inspiration for this bright idea with her post, 7X7: 7 Pieces, 7 Ways.

Before I set out to shop, I thought I'd do a little online browsing.  Here are some of the pieces that I have my eye on:

Anne Klein Women's Cap-Sleeve Scoopneck Solid Dress



I love this dress because it can be worn alone or with a cardigan.  You can also mix and match your favorite jewelry with it.  This dress comes in several great colors:  jade, turquoise, paprika, black, and oak, just to name a few.

Wet Seal Women's Spliced Stripe Maxi Dress



I can wear this alone or throw on a denim jacket or a cute, fitted blazer.  I love the bangle that she's wearing with this!

Torrid Plus Size Torrid Denim - Rhinestone & Studded Denim Jacket



I love this studded denim jacket.  Makes it just a tad more feminine.

Democracy Women's Knit Blazer, Coral, Large



Very cute blazer.  And because I don't branch out much when it comes to color, I'll definitely keep my eye open for something like this.

Joe's Jeans Women's Baggy Fit Lucia



I have a pair of Joe's Jeans.  They're a little pricey, but the fit is phenomenal!  Gotta get another pair in a different wash for casual Fridays at work!

Well, I'm going to spend a little more time surfing the web for some great separate pieces.  If you run across any great items while you're on the web, sent the link my way!

Enjoy your Saturday!!