shopping – Bits of Love Creations

Fashion Finds – Shoes

Hey friends!

I am back with my favorite fashion finds yet. As I have mentioned to you all before, I have a slight shoe obsession. Some may say it’s a little bit more than a slight obsession. In total I have 51 pairs of shoes. This may seem like an extremely large amount but I have been collecting said shoes since my sophomore year of high school when my feet stopped growing, so it is well worth it to me! While I have a large amount of shoes, 15 of those shoes are tennis shoes, which is my biggest obsession. Another plus about my shoe collection is that I ALWAYS look for the amazing deals and my favorite stores. Yes, you probably guessed that one of these stores is Marshalls, no one is shocked. The other store that never fails me with a good shoe deal is Ross Dress for Less. The shoes I will be sharing today are all under $40 a pair, so getting ready to go shopping! I know that you are all anxiously awaiting so I’m going to dive right in!

Starting with Marshalls, I have 4 pair of cute tennis shoes to share with you all. The first pair I am going to discuss are a cute pair of purple Reebok’s. They are very stylish and comfortable. The shoe laces are white with a sliver sparkle detail, which I am not extremely fond of, but that is an easy fix. So overall, I would definitely recommend these shoes because, wait for this, only $20. How can you beat that?? Next up are three pair of Adidas. Can you tell I have a thing for Adidas shoes? Anyways, these pairs are form fitting to the foot, which I believe makes them more comfortable. One is a light blue color all around with a white base. I have worn the heck out of these shoes and they wash extremely well. What makes them even better you ask, they are only $40! Coming in with another blue pair, they are navy and form fitting with dashes of colors on both sides, and again have a white base. These have held up well so far and I would again recommend especially for $40. Lastly from Marshalls, I have an all black pair of Adidas that are form fitting and have reflective sides for running at night, for only $30! They have also held up well, washed well, and are very fashionable, which comes with a recommendation from me! Of course, you could say I am biased for Marshalls, but I would definitely recommend these finds and check out the Marshalls near you for more incredible finds!

Bringing up the caboose, Ross Dress for Less. I have three pair of shoes I want to share with you all from this store. First up is a pair of blue Nike Air Max. They are blue and grey freckled with a white base. They are so comfortable and extremely cute too. They are my newest pair and I am in love with them! I also wanted to share a pair of pink Adidas Tubular shoes. They have black specks in them and a pink base. They are also very comfortable and have held up very well. Lastly I found a pair of deep blue Adidas shoes with a really thick white base. They are kind of bumpy/raised on the base as well. They are definitely different from any other tennis shoes I have worn before but I have taken a great liking to them. All three of these Ross finds are super affordable at $40 a pair. I would definitely recommend to anyone and everyone, so you should probably hurry to your closest Ross!

All in all, I love shoes. There’s no secret here. Marshalls is the best thing that has happened to my feet with Ross coming in at a close second. I love these stores and shop for the majority of my shoes and even clothes there.

I hope you all have enjoyed these finds and that your feet will thank me later!

Until next time,
Xoxo Mal

Decorating Your Tiered Tray

I know you’ve all seen the tiered trays that are trending. In fact they’ve been trending for a few years now. I love them! There are so many different ways to decorate them and there is no wrong way… just do it how YOU want!

I made one, like so many others have, by using materials from Dollar Tree. Look for a DIY blog on that later. But I didn’t want to spend a lot of money each season for decorations, because I love to change things up way too often. While stuck in quarantine, I decided I would try my hand at decorating for as many seasons as possible with mostly things I already had. Mal helped me and we had a blast being creative! In all honesty, we could’ve probably decorated for more themes since we actually became pretty decent at re-using a lot of the items.

Winter – Hot Cocoa:

For the winter decorations, We went with a Hot Cocoa theme.. We used a small glass milk bottle from Michaels that I painted white on the inside. The greenery is lambs ear I’ve had forever, and the little one piece on top in the back is a photo holder (with the photo holder removed) also from Michaels. The camping cup is one I have had forever from —. I added a little ribbon and the most adorable mug topper from the Etsy shop – mug toppers. A little white Christmas tree, pick up truck ornament, and wood box present add more dimension to the bottom layer. Also on the bottom layer is a small marshmallow mug with another cute topper from – mug toppers, and some scrap material in a Christmas’y’ plaid. The small hanging chalkboard sign was found at Hobby Lobby a few years ago and I just used a chalk dust type of font on my Cricut and cut the words out in vinyl.

Valentine’s Day:

We re-used the milk glass, lamb’s ear, marshmallow mug with topper, and berry greenery photo holder. We added a few teddy bear Valentine’s I have had for longer than I’ve has my kids! lol!We also added a heart shaped candy dish (also had forever), homemade snowballs out of yarn, a few glitter hearts from floral picks, and a kitchy cupcake shelf sitter, all items I have had for longer than I can remember.

St. Patrick’s Day:

The ST. Patrick’s Day trays were difficult for us… because we just didn’t have many things. I had found the plastic gold coins, green cauldron, and the green hats at WalMart earlier in the season for super, super cheap. The hats fit perfectly on my little marshmallow guy. The shamrock garland, leprechaun, wooden shamrock, and shot glass I have had for years. The ‘luck of the Irish’ and Welcome signs I also found earlier in the season at Hobby Lobby. If you look, you can always find things like this for decorations for very little money!

Spring:

To freshen up the trays for spring, we opted for brightly colored items and some green Easter grass. The small metal pot, springs of pink berries, and cute frog were found at Hobby Lobby. The daisy candy dish and Gerbera Daisy flowers have been in my craft closet a long time. The hanging sign was a Michaels find about 5 years back, and we just wrote Spring in chalk. There is definitely more room to add other things, but this starts the decor out just fine.

Easter:

Moving into Easter, we kept a lot of the tray the same with the grass and the Gerbera Daisies. We added a little more grass to fill out the surface of the trays. The Easter sign, carrots, and Bunny Trail rock were all found at Hobby Lobby last year. The woodland bunny was found at Michaels, and the eggs and egg carton were found at Dollar General. All last year. We swapped the marshmallow mug for a different one (no chocolate on top) and added felt bunny ears made by me, and a ribbon.

Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day:

We kept this simple so it would be easy to un-assemble and re-assemble throughout the summer months. The 3 flags we have had for a while, but the starry mason jar was purchased this year at Hobby Lobby. The firecrackers, ‘Home of the Brave’ sign, and Uncle Sam are all from Hobby Lobby. The candle holders are from my days (long gone) as a candle lady, and the bear was a gift from my mom years ago. I wanted a little filler – nothing too over bearing – so I took blue and red scrap material and made a miniature fabric bunting.

Summer – Beach:

So this one was mine and Mallory’s guilty pleasure. Being in quarantine, we could not and would not go to stores. But for this one, we found almost everything on sale at Hobby Lobby and ordered online. We didn’t have much for this kind of theme at the house already and set a budget because, quite frankly, we were having shopping withdrawl and this was an inexpensive way to get a ‘quick fix’. We already had the rocks, piece of driftwood, and sand. Everything else was in that Hobby Lobby online order and was less than $20! Warning: this one was a mess to clean up!

Fall:

For fall we broke out the camping mug, mug topper, and lambs ear again. With it we added a Dollar Tree ceramic pumpkin, a foam pumpkin painted blue (also from DT), and another covered with buffalo check fabric. We also use a spare piece as a napkin to lay on the side of one of the trays. The fall candle holders are a Rae Dunn find from Marshalls. Seriously if you don’t shop TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Homegoods, you’re missing out! I always find the cutest stuff at great prices!

Halloween:

Pumpkins, spiders, and leaves! I loved doing this one! All the leaves were off of a leaf garland I’ve had since I got married. It’s slowly started falling apart over the last couple of years, but I don’t typically get rid of the leaves for ideas such as this. All the pumpkins… ceramic, foam, and painted are all from DT. The flowers are also from DT as are the spider rings. The cutest wooden ghost, and teddy bear pumpkin I’ve had forever. The pumpkin sign on top was purchased from Hobby Lobby probably 2-3 years ago. The ‘hello Fall’ piece is actually a candle I purchased last year from TJ Maxx. I added one of my small mug toppers to it and think it’s pretty cute! My most favorite piece is the witch. As a kid my mom did a lot of ceramics painting. This particular year, (I think 1979), she painted a brunette witch for me, and a blonde with for my sister. Even with the chip on her witch hat, she has so many sentimental memories for me.

Thanksgiving:

Keeping the decor mostly the same for Thanksgiving, I just added a wooden turkey I purchased from WalMart many years ago, and another of my favorite ceramic pieces from my childhood, the scarecrow. Like the witch in the Halloween tray, this little guy has been with me since the 70’s or 80’s. I love the fact that my mom made these for my sister and I and am even more happy that my kids can have these as a part of me and a part of their grandma for years to come.

Christmas:

For Christmas I brought the out a different marshmallow much and attached a plaid Santa hat which was originally an ornament from Michaels. The present is just a box I had in my gift wrap tote as is the bow. The same plaid material that was used in the Winter – Hot Cocoa tray is used here. I also re-used the grapevine present, white tree, hot cocoa sign, milk jar, and berry greenery. The holly leaves are from old candle wreaths I had when the kids were little. The final addition was the wooden Christmas sign from Hobby Lobby last year.

So I have to mention, the marshmallow mugs I’ve used throughout are a plastic take off of the ceramic ones floating around the internet. I ordered these through Oriental Trading. I needed up with 1 dozen, 4 of each kind they offer, and saved money per piece in the process. I e given some away and used others in baskets for silent auctions. All in all not a bad deal since I only use them for decorating… you can check them out here.

There are so many more options you can do with these trays! You can do birthdays, New Years, Farmhouse, whatever you like… I think that’s part of the appeal! Mix and match, fit your style and decor, it’s so easy! And don’t forget you can find so many inspiring ideas on Pinterest. Follow our DIY Tiered Tray board to see all the pins we find and re-pin!

Have a lovely day,

Fashion Finds – Workout At Home

Hey friends!

I am back with another great Fashion Find, in my opinion. I am an Exercise Science major so as you can probably infer, I love to work out. I have to be active and make sure to fit it into my daily routine or my whole life balance is just off. Working out is important, again in my opinion, but having good workout clothes makes it even better. I have found some good clothes along with pieces of equipment, all at affordable prices, for you to check out. Since it is more convenient for some individuals to workout at home rather than finding time to go to your local gym, I thought I would give you all an insight into what I have been doing with my at home workouts!

Workout clothes. They make or break your experience! If you are constantly tugging at your pants or fidgeting with your shirt, you are not getting the full workout experience because you are just distracted. Marshalls, the love of my life, had an amazing deal for a workout crop top. They had full length versions as well so that is always an option! It is a super cute blue color with short sleeves, only $6.99 guys! Just amazing! Leggings have always been a struggle for me, since I live in them I am super picky. Of course I hopped on the Lululemon trend because I was desperate for a good pair and they sure lived up to the hype, BUT Walmart leggings are an amazing alternative. I got a few pair to try and let me just tell you, GREAT option. I got a cute cropped pair with side pockets for your phone, and a cute mesh design that wraps around the legs. I was skeptical at first, but I am so glad I decided to try it out because the price of $14.96 for leggings now a days was UNBEATABLE. Definitely a must on that one!

Next up, I have some equipment I have been using. Workout equipment can be expensive, but if you look in the write places man can you find a deal. My mom and I were at Five Below just doing the usual look around type of shopping, and we found a workout section. Like who would have thought. I, of course as my mom would say, had to get some stuff to try out because the price was too good not to. I got a yoga ball, a set of 3 resistance bands (at varying resistance), and ankle weights. They were all just $5.00 each. So in total, $15 for some must have workout pieces. They are so versatile and can be used for a variety of exercises, so it was a beneficial purchase.

Lastly, my water bottle. I am glued to my water bottle, so a reliable one was key. I have been using one that my mom and I found at Walmart a few years ago before I went away to college. It definitely lasted, but with some dings, dents, and chipped paint. I have been on the look out for a good, but reasonably priced, one. Man did I hit the jackpot. We were at Marshalls, no shock there, and came across the style I have been looking for. I was skeptical because I really wanted it to last long term because I live by my water bottles. So far, this water bottle has been amazing to me and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone that cares to listen, or read it in this case;). It was $12.99 and most absolutely, positively worth it. They had a variety of colors, from neutrals to vibrant, and I got a coral color. I use it everyday of my life and would be absolutely lost without it!

So as promised, those are the workout finds that I have been working with recently! Above and beyond that I have some key workouts that I have been focusing on at home to better myself. I use a note in my phone, so I will screen shot that and share below! Maybe you will find it useful and join in with me!

Until next time,
Xoxo Mal

8 Birthday Party Ideas on a Budget

I don’t know about any of you, but I had a blast planning and throwing birthday parties when my kids were young. However, the one thing that was always a struggle, especially since I was a SAHM, was money. Why in the world does everything cost so much money?

I began to use my creativity to plan and execute these parties. It became a sort of challenge for me to see how fabulous (for the kids) I could make these parties on as little money as possible. Now – total honesty here, I don’t have many quality pictures of these parties. Sure, I have the standard – birthday kid w/cake and maybe opening some presents, but 15-20 years ago I didn’t know I would want other photos for something like this. So alas, what I do have had to be scanned and most likely out of a birthday scrapbook!

Now not all of these ideas I’m going to share will be a perfect fit for every child. And not all of these ideas will be fit for today’s culture, as my kids are now grown and grew up in a different decade, but feel free to read through these and maybe they will spark your own creativity or maybe you can adapt to today’s culture. This was also before the introduction of Pinterest and Dollar Store Crafts – type of sites.

All I really know is, while all my kids are currently in their early to mid twenties, they will still share stories from some of these birthday parties. And that warms my heart, because at the end of it all… my goal was for them to have a party with friends and loved ones making memories and celebrating their day!

1. Fiesta

Bright, fiesta colors in $1 table clothes, plates, napkins, utensils and cups are easily found at your local dollar store or Walmart, You can even use the $1 table cloths to make decorations. Use your imagination and get a little crafty!

Pinata – We got ours at WalMart and filled it with a huge bag of candy for very little! Luckily we had a tall Shepherd’s Hook in our back yard that we hung it on and just let the kids use a bat to swing at it.

If you do party favors (sometimes we did, sometimes we did not) you can check out sites such as Oriental Trading and Rhode Island Novelty for inexpensive trinkets and fun items to either decorate with or use for party favors.

2. Super Hero

So easy! We did a super hero party for my son and all kids were invited to wear a super hero costume or make and wear one! Even just a simple piece of fabric, bed sheet, or old table cloth can be made into a cape!

Party City has great decorations, favors, plates & napkins; just be sure they fit into your budget. You can always use the dollar store or finds from the Target Dollar Spot or even WalMart to create the look you are going for.

3. Spa Day

My girls always loved a good spa day so it was natural they would choose to have their friends over for sleepover birthday parties to do spa activities.

My mom would come over and help me “treat” each girl to a manicure. The Dollar Store was our “go to” for party favors and all of the beauty essentials.

4. Shopping Mall

This one my youngest still talks about to this day and she is about to turn 21!

She only wanted 5 of her closest friends over for a party and a sleepover so my other 2 kids and I turned the house into a shopping mall.

Each “store” was in a different room in the house. I used the Dollar Store and Oriental Trading to purchase the stock for the “stores”.

I used the computer to make and print out currency for them to use with my daughter’s name on it and each party participant was given money and a shopping bag when they arrived. In the pet shop they could adopt animals, so I also used the computer to print adoption certificates they could have filled out when they chose their animal.

5. Luau

Another bright colored – fun party! Like a fiesta, using brightly colored $1 table clothes, plates, napkins, utensils and cups is easy and inexpensive party decor.

The dollar store almost always has luau-type decorations and favors including leis and grass skirts each summer making it even more budget friendly!

We have a pool so that was an easy entertainment solution, especially for a luau!

6. Bratz

OK so this is totally dating my kids and myself, I mean do they even make Bratz Dolls anymore? Even if they don’t or your young one is into a different, more current cultural icon, this can be adapted to almost anything.

So plain and simple, we chose solid colored decorations (plain colored plates, napkins, etc.). Each party go-er was invited to bring their favorite Bratz doll with them and had a photo op at the end of the party with the birthday girl and their dolls.

I also took a piece of poster board from the dollar store and drew a Bratz doll, colored it in and hung it on the wall for a “pin the lips on the Bratz doll” game! They had a blast and it turned out fairly cute. Easy peasy, super inexpensive fun for the night.

7. Sports

This could not be any easier. A group of kids, a back yard, soccer balls, basketballs, footballs, plenty of playtime and inexpensive decorations from the dollar store and WalMart = party success!

A breaktime with birthday cake just long enough to rest and then back at it for playtime, and the birthday kid as well as party go-ers will all sleep well tonight!

8. Party at the Park

Perhaps one of my favorite venues to hold a kids party other than our house was the park. You can rent a pavilion or picnic area if you would like or want to be sure you have a spot, or you can just take a chance that there is enough space for all the park goers that day. (not gonna lie, we did this quite a few times)

Out of all the times we had a party at the park, most often we would show up early to “set up” and snag a spot fairly close to the park playground with multiple picnic tables. We also would bring our own fold-able banquet table and lawn chairs. Balloons, streamers, etc.

Playground = instant entertainment

Park = means we wouldn’t have to limit the number of friends invited.

That made this an easy and very affordable party every time!

There are many more party ideas out there. Some more affordable, some more creative, but the point is: the kids will remember the memories, not how much money you spent trying to make their parties ‘Pinterest perfect’. It is about being together, celebrating the birthday kid, and adding to those childhood memories they will cherish for years to come.

Have a lovely day!

Fashion Finds – Colorado Ski Trip

Hello everyone! We’re back with another Fashion Finds for you!

My friends and I had the opportunity to go to on a ski trip to Evergreen, Colorado for spring break this year. Of course I needed to make sure I had what I needed for skiing, but I also wanted to make sure I was fashionable too! My mom and I were so excited to go shopping for some accessories to take with me on my trip. I am super thankful that my trip actually went as planned since this was my first time to ski, but also my first time visiting Colorado! By the time our trip ended and we came back, travel plans across the country and the world were being altered due to COVID-19.

We went on the search for a new winter coat, that was long, so I didn’t freeze while skiing. I have a winter coat that I wear everyday, but I didn’t think it would’ve kept me warm enough for skiing, plus its an odd color that isn’t very fashionable lol.

Marshall’s was the place to go, man I love that place. I found a long black coat with a detachable fur hood that is reversible with the other color being white. I was so excited to find this, as I have been looking for a long coat since after Christmas. This was an AMAZING deal. I found this long, reversible coat with a detachable fur hood for just $12, like can you believe it.

While we were at Marshall’s we found a cute hat and mitten combo pack for $12.99! It wasn’t a necessity for the trip but it was definitely a cute addition. The hat and mittens are a cute white with color speckles and the hat has a furry ball on the top! They are Steve Madden, so this was an amazing deal and an adorable fashion accessory as well!

The other necessity was winter boots. I knew my feet would be cold since I do not own insulated fur boots because where we live, it isn’t essential. We looked at a few different stores, but we were successful at Academy Sports + Outdoors since they had a huge boot sale! I found these fur lined, insulated boots for $21.95! They had a huge variety of boots, so my mom even got some duck boot dupes for only $24.99! It was a huge winter sale and there were some AMAZING deals!

That is all I have for this Colorado edition, but I hope this was helpful if you live or are going to a cold climate for some reason! I’m sure you’ll feel and look great it whatever you decide!

Until next time,

Xoxo Mal

Fashion Finds – A Walmart Easter

As a preface, I would like to say hello and welcome to our first fashion finds blog post! My name is Mallory I am the 3rd and probably most fun and/or important child. 😉 It has been a process to get this going with me being away at college, but with the new developments I will be home for the semester. In case you are under all the toilet paper, we are currently in a global pandemic with COVID-19 (coronavirus). So my semester as been cut short but will be completed in an online format, but hey, at least I will be in the comfort of my own home. Our weekends are spent out and about running errands, but most importantly shopping or looking, whatever the bank account allows. We have found many things we want to share with all of you, but Easter is right around the corner so this seems to be the most logical place to start.

On our most recent trip we accidentally found my Easter Sunday Outfit. We were looking around the clothing department at good ole Walmart and I saw a pair of paper bag pants, and they were to die for. They are full length with a tie belt around the waist. They are a very light cream with no yellowy undertone and have slate blue stripes down them. I found a white ribbed turtle neck tank that, in my opinion, looks so good with them. I have TONS of shoes, so mom said we probably did not have to look for those. The shoes that I will be wearing I have had for around 2 years now and are a Payless find :(. They are super cute heels but are not too high that I will be uncomfortable all day. I am super excited to wear the outfit for this occasion, but it includes staples pieces that are great to add to my wardrobe. Best of all, being Walmart, everything is a super affordable price. I feel that Walmart’s game has recently stepped up with the quality of their clothes which now actually last longer than one wear. The paper bag pants were a whopping $18.87, the ribbed turtle neck tank was $5.95, and my super cute heels were $25 (again *sad* the shoes are old from Payless, I really miss that store).

On the complete opposite end of the wardrobe spectrum my sister Megan, the sibling behind the ‘Coffee Crawl’, found an outfit for herself as well. Her style is VERY different from mine, but she’s still cute in her own way ;). She found the CUTEST flare jeans, that I will be stealing, in black denim. The absolute best part about these jeans, other than the adorable fit, is that they were a clearance find for only $3! She got a long sleeve button up shirt, which is a light weight material, and has a tie at the waist to be cinched. Her shirt was also a clearance find for only $7. Megan is the epitome of a bargain shopper to say the least! Her shoes are also a Payless find :(. She found these on clearance, shocker, about a year ago for only $13.

We are excited to get to show case our outfits this Easter (providing we are out of quarantine by then) and we hope this has helped give you some ideas and show you that you can/will look great and grow your wardrobe on a budget!

That’s all for now, but we will be back;)

Girls Weekend

Girl’s Weekend … do you have one? Many do these every year with family, childhood friends, school friends, work friends… it’s not a new concept. But for me, since marriage and kids, they have been few and far between.

So I began a tradition with my girls. In fact, it’s a tradition I’ve wanted to start for quite a while, but until I went back to work, I didn’t feel a weekend away and all the costs that come with that were feasible.

Each year in the fall–usually in the month of October– we will leave on a Thursday or Friday afternoon and head out of town. Not too far away, but far enough that we are away from “our reality”, and we stay until Sunday evening.

This year, they even agreed to matching shirts! Ok, not matching… complimenting. Same color, same design, but whatever style we wanted. I designed a few options and they mixed and matched to create their favorite. To some it’s just shirts, but to us it’s a representation of our time together and one day we can look back at all of these shirts and reminisce on the laughter and fun times.

Our main objective for the weekend is to get as much of our Christmas shopping done as possible.

While that IS our main objective, the time we spend is much more worth the trip!

Girls Weekend fun.jpg — This picture perfectly captures my beautiful girls, their Bits of Love shirts, and our weekend!

Time together. Time to relax, unwind from work/school and life, and time to catch up with each other.

My hope is that this will be at least one weekend that we can look forward to each year. No matter where we are, we can re-connect and be together. They are growing up. They are young adults now. Soon they will be moving out on their own. Beginning their life away from mom & dad. Perhaps starting their own families… but for this one weekend a year, we come together.

Memories are important to each of us. I love that all of my kids have the appreciation for the little things and the understanding that a lot of the time they are the big things.

Have a lovely day!

Looking for your own girls weekend shirts? Click here to send us a message, we would love to help!

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

1. Fiesta

2. Super Hero

3. Spa Day

4. Shopping Mall

5. Luau

6. Bratz

7. Sports

8. Party at the Park

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: