Summer Staples... Maxi's & Midi's

Okay... so... unless you've been living under a rock, you know maxi dresses are ESSENTIAL for your summer wardrobe! How could you not love them? They come in standard color or prints, flowy or fitted, pricey and economic. You can find them just about anywhere and they look great on any body type!

So every summer, I am drawn to our beloved maxi dress but the current midi dress trend? IT'S EVERYTHING! I love midi dresses just about as mush as maxi's! They are so easy! and trust me, when you're pregnant, easy is your best friend! 

Rather you are pregnant or not, no matter your shape or size, you can find a maxi or a midi to make you look chic on these hot summer days! I am a huge fan of "less is more" but I'm not into "letting it all hang out." By throwing this quick summer staple on, you're only dealing with one article of clothing, you'll not only look great but you'll feel even better! Not to mention, you wont have to spend an hour trying on clothes and figuring out what to wear for the day! 

I love wearing a simple, standard color dress then throwing on some cute sandals and a statement necklace. That quick i have a stylish outfit that won't cause me to burn up! 

Love maxi's and midi's also? Let me know in the comments! 

picture created by @modamomnbabes on Polyvore

Why I chose Park Lane Jewelry...

First, what is Park Lane?

Park Lane Jewelry is a leading direct sales company that specializes in high quality fashion jewelry. 

The company was founded in 1955 in Chicago by Shirley Levine and to this day it is still family owned and operated! They have a parternship with E! Network and E! has it's own catalog and line with the company AND Park Lane provides all the Jewelry for Dancing with the Stars. Cool, right?

Now, before you start rolling your eyes and thinking this is a bogus pyramid scheme company, let me tell you what made me join!

I went to my first jewelry show in August 2014 and really didn't think much of it. Really, I was just going because my mom wanted to go. haha! Once we arrived, I fell IN LOVE with the jewelry! I was trying on and taking pics of EVERYTHING! I was shocked to see that it wasn't outdated or crappy! Plus, I went home with like 4 pieces of FREE jewelry just by playing games that night and agreeing to host my own show!

So, I held my party in November (really, just to get more free jewelry) and to my surprise the Director of the show presented me with the Diamond Couture set (found here) I fell in love with at the previous party JUST for having a show! Not to mention, I took home around $300 worth of free jewelry that night! So, after my party the Director tells me how much my party earned in sales and how much I'd earn in commission if I was the director! She expressed how I would be really good at joining the business. I pretty much was doing her job for her at my show. I knew the customer specials and crazy customer sale plus the hostess specials like the back of my hand! I knew this because I'm always looking for a great deal and I want THE MOST for THE LEAST! haha!

So i decided to give it a shot! I loved the jewelry, I loved the sale and I loved the hostess perks so why not get paid to promote and sell it? I went to Park Lane's annual Las Vegas Convention in February of this year and that changed the game for me! Learning the company's beliefs and seeing how many women are successful with this company (8% make 100K+) inspired me to hit the ground running! I wanted to quit my corporate job when I got home! haha! I was in love with this company! 

So, that is my "why Park Lane?" I love the company, I really love the perks and pay and I am obsessed with the jewelry! If you don't love your job, why stay? Life's too short to not do something you love and that brings you happiness and Park Lane brings me that and more! 

If you have any questions on the company, what I do or how you can see, purchase or earn the jewelry, just click here to email me and I will be more than happy to share any and all info with you! 

  

5 tips for Shopping Online!

Ohhhhh.... Online Shopping! This is a true hit or miss and not my particular favorite form of shopping; Mainly because I cannot see or try on the items before purchasing. However, I do have some pointers on how to make online shopping successful for you! Here are my 5 steps to online shopping:

1.) Know your body type and what fabrics/cuts work for you

This is an important thing to know in any shopping you do! Wearing the appropriate sizes can actually make you look more slim as opposed to clothes that are too big/small that result in looking bigger. 

Know what fabrics work for you! For example, cotton is very comfortable and when it is mixed with spandex or lycra, it'll add stretch and comfort! Another favorite fabric of mine is jersey (no i'm not talking sports jerseys, it's almost an extension of cotton). Knowing your body and the fabrics/ cut of fabrics that flatter it will help you minimize returns and wasted money and time! 

2.) Always read the description and reviews! 

This step is pretty self explanatory. By reading these sections, you will gather the fabric information and how the item fits! If a website does not have either of these listed under your wanted item, I'd skip it! You're taking a huge gamble that COULD result in disappointment. :( 

3.) Check if the website has a size guide

Being that you can't try items on from behind your computer, tablet or phone, you need all the information you can get on how the clothes from any specific site or retailer fit. A size guide is a chart showing how measurements relate to the given sizes that a retailer carries. (keep in mind, if a website has various brands they work with, size and fit are relative to brand so the size chart could be very generic).

4.) ALWAYS check shipping prices/times and return policies BEFORE ordering!

This is HUGE! This is probably the FIRST thing I would do when I get to a website before even browsing. If you need an item next week and it takes two weeks to ship, you have a problem! Also, if a site says no returns or exchanges, I'd pretty much run! I once purchased a dress from an "online boutique" I found on instagram and they did not honor returns or exchanges! I paid $50 for a very cheap dress that I could've found at the Alley in Downtown LA for $10! Total waste of money! It was NEVER worn!

5.) Unless a brand has amazing reviews and you feel at ease with it, shop BIG!

By shop big, I mean department stores and big retailers. Now, shopping small has it's advantages. Shopping small stimulates local economy and the shop owners tend to be more appreciative of customers. However, they tend to be pricey and you have to be very careful of craftsmanship. The advantages to shopping big are: you know the fit of the clothes, they usually have great shipping times and returns are easy! Some of my favorite places to shop online are Forever21, H&M, Asos, Karmaloop and Big department stores! 

Hope this post helped someone out there! Please comment any feedback!

image found on google via digitalsherpa.com

Karmaloop is a huge online retailer that has GREAT deals around Christmas! I usually get my husbands casual clothes here!

My favorite place for freebies and deals!

One of my favorite instagram profiles/websites is Free Stuff Finder!

Her blog has all kinds of deals! From beauty and couponing deals to new mommy freebies! There's seriously something for every body here. 

If you love freebies, saving money or are interested in how to coupon at your favorite stores, check her blog and instagram page out! You'll definitely find something useful and you might even get addicted! 

After all, what's better than saving money?