Not So Basic Basics by Kidpik

My three kids were born and bred in NYC. We might have moved over the bridge to suburbia, but they are still City kids at heart. My littles are all about color and comfort - and like their momma, they love a good deal. We reviewed a Kidpik Subscription Box a little while back but today I want to talk about Kidpik Basics. The girls picked out a few pieces for back to school that we wanted to share with you. We're so excited to announce that we are giving away a Kidpik Subscription Box on my Instagram - click here to enter! And scroll down for an exclusive Kidpik coupon code just for my followers.

This past Sunday, we headed downtown to explore the Lower East Side to check out some of the walls we've admired on Instagram. And when we got down there we found ALL of those walls painted over. NYC street art is constantly being done and redone so you gotta act fast if you want to shoot. So we improvised and wandered around in search of colorful backdrops to showcase our Kidpik style.

Kidpik Basics come in sizes 4-14 in a rainbow of colors and silhouettes - which is just how we like it! My girls have a modest dress-code for school so they wanted to stock up on their favorite pencil skirts. Kidpik is brought to you by the same people as RUUM (loved their stuff!) and some of the items even came with RUUM tags.

To get an idea of fit, Ella is 52" and 56 lbs. and wearing a 7/8 on bottom and 10/12 on top. Ava is 48" and 48 lbs. and wearing a 7/8 on top and 5/6 on bottom. My girls (especially Ella) are VERY particular with fit. My skinny minnies are long and lean and we sometimes have a hard time finding clothing to fit their slender frames.

These pencil skirts fit like a dream and range in price from $3.75-7.50. And FYI the 7/8 measures 19" long and the 5/6 measures 17.25" long. They're not too thin, not too thick, nice and stretchy, and don't ride up too much when your wiggly kids move around.

As for tops, other than the tie dye which has a more slender fit, we probably could have sized down for the looser designs. Most of the arms fit wider so we had to push them up. They're also on the thinner side but still super cozy and not see through. The body of the 3/4 sleeve top was nice a fitted but the sleeves are a little looser than we'd like. If you do size down, just be aware that some of the designs are cropped and you may be need to layer with a tank top for full coverage. These tops ranged in price from $7.50-$17.50, and many styles offer deals if you purchase two. Kidpik also offers a deals of the week where the featured item is discounted. Right now they have the cutest booties on promo for just $19.99! And their sale section is pretty epic!

The girls were also super excited about their new lightening metallic sneakers. They are so chic and comfortable - Ella actually wore hers to Fashion Week (seen here) this year. She lasted all day on her feet without any complaints. They come in several colors too! Ella is wearing a 4 in shoes right now and Ava is in a 2, but these styles ran a little big for us so we sized down to a 3 and 1 respectively.

Biker shorts are always hard to find for some reason - and Kidpik has some on sale right now for just $2.75! My girls like to do cartwheels and handstands wherever they go so we always have some on under our skirts. You seriously can't beat that price!

It was pretty warm out so the girls started to lose it after a couple hours in the sun, so I took them to byChloe on Bleeker to chow down. I ordered them some treats but they just couldn't wait. By the time the real food came out we were all so hungry that we didn't bother taking pics. Ella always gets the Avocado toast and Ava went crazy for their cauliflower soup. And the fries with beet ketchup are always a big hit.

Everything featured here is now currently available on the Kidpik Basics website. The girls did add a few of their own accessories to show how easily these basics can be mixed in to their own wardrobes.

Bonus - get FREE shipping on a $25 purchase with code LEHOARDER (from September 18th to October 2nd, US only). Have you tried Kidpik? If you haven't, now is the time!

Thank you to Kidpik for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely our own. 

Happy shopping! Feel free to ask me any fit/sizing questions. Always happy to help another momma get her deal on!

XO
Michelle, Ella & Ava

Rock Center Style

Happy New York Fashion Week everyone! As always I've saved everything till pretty much the last minute and I'm still ironing out my calendar for the week. I've been online ordering up a storm but sadly 90% of my purchases haven't quite worked out. Looks like I'm gonna be raiding my closet and possibly hitting Zara one more time for a fashion Hail Mary. I typically wear my good stuff as I find it - and have nothing saved for NYFW. So be prepared to see several of my pieces and looks on repeat - like this $15 Club Monaco shirtdress, $50 Paul Andrew Lucite heels and $5 Eddie Borgo bracelet. All three of these pieces were 90% off NYC sample sale scores from this year.

Belle gave me the heads up that they were installing these murals by Rockefeller Center so we had to pop by for some pics. We met up the day I highlighted my hair (for free!) at Bumble and Bumble. I'm a hair model and have had my hair done for free for years - you can read more about my experiences (and how to become a hair model) in previous posts here, here and here. I stupidly had my dress balled up in my bag instead of hanging it up, ergo all the wrinkles. Oops.

But let's get back to my bargains. From head to toe:

• Sunglasses: Rosegal, C/O - currently on sale for $5.80!!
• Earrings: Mimilore Official, C/O (RV $175)
• Bracelet: Eddie Borgo, sample sale, $5 - read about my first Eddie Borgo SS experience here.
• Dress: Club Monaco, sample sale, $15
• Bag: Alexander Wang mini Rockie, sample sale, $175 (RV $650)
• Shoes: Paul Andrew Blossom sandal, sample sale, $50 (RV $1,195) - Check out a previous PA SS haul here.

You can shop my look here:

Thank you to the super cute Belle, @littlefashionstylist for this round of pics. She's seriously the cutest and I don't know what I'd do without her.

So my week is all about shows and parties and nothing on my radar shopping wise. You can give your wallets a break this week :) What's your favorite part of Fashion Week?

If you see me out and about during NYFW please be sure to say hello!

XO
Michelle

Ombre Walls and Too Much Pink?

How much pink is too much pink? In my opinion, there's no such thing. Gimmie all the pink! My latest pink obsession started with this Johnny Was cover-up that I picked up at TJ Maxx for $70. I was on a caftan hunt and was hoping for cute ones for about 20 bucks and of course I had to stop in the designer department and spot this pink perfection. Belle and I have been hunting down colorful walls so we headed to Brooklyn to shoot this amazing ombre one. I'm not sure why we haven't headed to DUMBO before - it's gorgeous over there!

It was love at first sight for this dress. The cut is insanely flattering because it's cut a little longer and narrower than most caftans. I hate when they are super short and boxy and turn you into a square. Once I tried it on I felt a whole lot better about the price - plus it was selling online at Neiman Marcus for way more. Plus with cost per wear this summer - it came out to pennies a day LOL.

Because of the cut-outs (and the fact that it's a sheer-ish beach cover-up) I added my new favorite Victoria's Secret slip. It's knee length and bias cut - so good. I haven't shopped VS in years but I needed a slip for my new Teri Jon dress that I wore for my niece's wedding seen here. It came with a nude slip and I really wanted a black one. I tore through dozens of stores until I found it. It was $50 (though I used a $50 Visa giftcard that I won) but if it ever goes on sale I'll grab more.

The pouch was also a TJ Maxx score but at $12.99 it was a no-brainer. With all the color going on I decided to wear with my favorite black and white Sophia Webster Lacey heels that I scored at the sample sale for $95. I'm starting to wear them down so they are getting a little unbalanced. It's gonna really hurt when I  have to retire them.

From head to toe:

• Sunglasses: Posey bifocal sun reader, Readers.com, C/O (RV $17.95)
• Earrings: AV Max, sample sale, $4 (RV $55)
• Caftan: Johnny Was, TJ Maxx, $70 (RV $279) - I'm wearing an XS so they run big
• Slip: Victoria's Secret satin midi slip, $50 - I'm wearing a M
• Bracelet: AV Max, sample sale, $10
• Bag: TJ Maxx, $12.99
• Shoes: Sophia Webster Lacey heels, sample sale, $95 - read about that epic sale here.

You can shop my style here:

After Belle shot me, I snapped a few of her as well :) I actually typically shoot her first because I like to test the lighting and see if the shot will work for me. I really need to go back to shoot the blue part of the wall with a different look. I just liked how my pink dress popped against the yellow and orange. I'm learning that where you shoot is almost as important as what you shoot. I love the contrast of a beach-y look in a more urban setting. And color is always good. A lot of the walls I find are pretty busy so I can't always shoot them because my looks tend to be pretty busy too.

I've taken a mini break from sample sales but not much is going on anyway. With Fashion Week around the bend I need to take a breather to start setting up my schedule. Kids have about a week left before they start school so I'm also scrambling to pick up all the odds and ends we are missing from their school supply list. Seriously, why do my kids need 20 glue sticks each? Good grief.

The Zara clearance sale is pretty much over and I didn't really get much this year. TJ Maxx and Marshalls have been yellow stickering for a couple weeks but I didn't find the designer steals like my $99 Rockrunners that I scored last year. I did find a slightly beat up Rag and Bone straw hat for $5 and a bunch of kid things for $0.50-$3. I popped in my Century in NJ but never made it to the downtown location. From my intel it was better downtown, as it always is, but I miss the days of 90% off when you could take home a huge bag of designer stuff for less than $100.

My only sample sale pick for the week is the Clothingline blowout. Can be a hit or miss but you usually walk always with something. If you go, get there early and watch out for the hoarders - they can get pretty aggressive.

Clothingline Blowout Sale
September 6, 11-7
261 West 36th Street, 2nd Fl

Also heads up, Clear the Rack at Nordstrom Rack starts tomorrow and runs September 1-5. I peeked in this week but didn't really see anything I need to go back for, even with the extra 25% off. But you never know so I'll probably pop in...

There is still one more day left for my Tory Burch bag, Apple watch and Kate Spade sunglasses giveaway - click here and scroll down to enter!

Good luck and happy shopping!

Summer Goals & a Giveaway!

This summer, Belle and I have been on a mission to explore the colorful walls of NYC. We recently headed down to the Lower East Side to checkout the new(ish) Kelsey Montague floral wings mural - and spotted this colorful wall right next to it and couldn't resist. Head to toe, my bargainista look cost less than $50 OOP (I'm on a roll!) and as always I'm happy to break it down. I'm also so excited to announce an amazing Tory Burch, Apple, and Kate Spade giveaway for you - scroll down for more deets!

Head to toe:

• Sunglasses: Janurary bifocal sun reader, Readers.com, C/O (RV $16.95)
• Dress: Burlington, $14.99 (Yes I have two, see the other one here)
• Bag: Larone Artisans C/O*
• Bracelet: Eddie Borgo, sample sale, $5 (RV $350)
• Shoes: Jimmy Choo, Thredup, $17 (after coupon codes and gifted credit)

*Just wanted to mention that Larone Artisans will be launching their site on August 20th - use code LEHOARDER for 30% off their beautiful handmade bags.

You can shop my style here:

Belle was super cute and casual in her tee and vintage skirt so I had to shoot her too.

The problem with these wings is the location. Cars can park right in front - and it was garbage day so we had to move mounds of garbage out of the way. Plus thanks to my 40m lens, I had to stand in the middle of traffic to try to get the full wall. Several times we ran for our lives trying to get the shot. FYI, we popped by post-sample sale in the afternoon. If you're gonna go, try for very early morning so there is less traffic and possibly better natural light.

If you're just getting started blogging (or you like to edit your own pictures) find a blogger BFF who is willing to stand in traffic with you to get the perfect shot. Thanks Belle!

In addition to my NYC sample sale picks from last week (seen here - where I also shared my $0.01 Chloe sandals!) I'm adding Club Clio for 90% K-beauty products (I need some new cushions...) and the Shoebox clearance sale, where everything will be $149 or less! So my new picks for the week are as follows:

Sachin & Babi
August 14-16, 9-6
132 West 36th St, 9th Fl

Club Clio K-Beauty Warehouse Sale
August 16-31, 10-6
11 W 14th St

Mahna Mahna Showroom
August 22-25, 11-6
134 Spring St, #304

The Shoe Box
August 22-27
T-Th 10-8, F-Sat 10-7, Sun 10-5
260 Fifth Avenue


Last but not least, it's giveaway time! I've teamed up with a group of amazing bloggers for you to win a Tory Burch bag, Apple Watch, and Kate Spade Sunglasses! Head to the Rafflecopter gadget below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy shopping and good luck!

XO
Michelle

Wynwood Walls

Despite running camp mom for my three kids this summer, I've been sneaking in some me-time (work and shopping!) where I can. I FINALLY got around to editing more of my pictures from my Miami trip. One of my biggest blogger problems is that I always overshoot so I end up with thousands of pictures - and it takes me hours (sometimes days) to edit through them. My photos from my trip to Wynwood Walls was particularly difficult because there were so many beautiful, colorful walls. It's literally an Instagramer's dream. I also made a rookie mistake and only had the one bargainista look I was wearing. Ella on the other hand had just picked up a few pieces at Goodwill for $.99 so she put together a second look in the car. The apprentice surpasses the master LOL.

We got there in the afternoon so I had to choose my walls based on the lighting. If you plan a trip there be sure to go for several hours so you can get all the walls! You can see a mini-tour on Ella's Insta here.

Everything in this look is head to toe favorites, all on repeat:

• Sunglasses: Moschino, Century 21, free after rewards (they were selling them for $59.99), RV $295
• Dress: Shein (sold out), RV $22, gifted
• Bag Strap: Rebecca Minkoff, sample sale, $10 - see other scores here!
• Bag: Chanel, Neiman Marcus, 75% off - read about it here.
• Bracelet: Eddie Borgo, sample sale, $10 (closure was damaged so they discounted it)
• Shoes: Sophia Webster Lacey heels, sample sale, $95 - read about that epic sale here.

You can shop my style here:

We had done some thrift shopping in Florida and Ava was particularly excited about her two new Baby Alive dolls. She's a little obsessed and has a collection of about 15 right now. She can watch those YouTube videos of grown women pretending to be kids playing with dolls all day. I told her to just make her own videos already. She's wearing a thrifted Lilly Pulitzer dress that's a hand me down from Ella. I thrift Lilly left and right for the girls - even used, their colors hold up beautifully.

Ella is the queen of handstands and cartwheels so you know this shot was coming. There's a reason she always has a pair of biker shorts under her dresses.

And now a quick shout out to my super talented 12 year old son, Akiva, my photographer. He found these walls in the streets and insisted on a picture. When he was little I used to dress him to the nines. These days he has a basic formula of tee + shorts = outfit.

As a Justice, Girls With Heart brand ambassador, Ella was toting around Charlie the Dog for most of that trip LOL. Truthfully she didn't wear a lot of Justice until she signed on because so much of her wardrobe is thrifted and penny finds, but lately we've been hitting the Justice sale rack and doing pretty well. Her fringed bag here is Justice and was around $4. Her striped dress was a TJ Maxx $3 yellow sticker find. Anyone else looking forward to the next yellow sticker sale?

It seems in Florida, Goodwill only charges $1.99 for kids items so Ella loaded up her cart. In the NY/NJ area kids stuff starts at $4.99 which is insane for used kids stuff so I don't even bother stepping in to local Goodwills anymore. She snapped up this cute Lilly for Target top and paired it with this colorful pleated skirt. Her sunglasses were $1 Dollar Tree finds - she picked them up on the trip because the ones she brought with her broke. When we got to Wynwood she rifled through her bag which was in the car and put this look together. She did swipe my Jimmy Choo clutch (scored for just $25 at the sample sale a while back!!) which I had in the car as a backup for my Chanel.

As they say in Yiddish, I was totally shepping nachas (loosely translated as taking pleasure) when I was looking these over. I know I'm biased but my kids are pretty awesome.

It's been a while since I shared sample sale picks but the summer tends to be pretty quiet. This week is Altuzarra and I confess I splurged and got myself a birthday bag. Stay tuned for my new pretty. My only other pick is Adam Lippes next week just because I like his stuff but I'm not sure about pricing. I also popped in to Century yesterday to check out the status of the sale and it's terrible. I checked out the sale bags and even with a second cut, most bags were over $1,000 and overpriced. I'm currently waiting for Zara to have another cut before I hit that sale hard. So for now I'm in holding, waiting for the good stuff to start already!

Altuzarra*
July 19-21, 8:30-7
233 Broadway, 14th Fl

* I shared pics in my Insta stories that may still be up. Bags were $300-750, runway shoes (Sz 39,40) were $100, most clothing was under $200. No samples this round.

Adam Lippes
July 25-27, 8:30-7
1133 Broadway, Suite 426

Happy shopping!

XO
Michelle