Tag: shopping

Fashion and Style

Styling the New Me

Jayne1 Comment

I’m still nowhere near the end of my weightloss journey, but I have lost enough now to notice that many of my clothes are now miles too big. This was okay when the weather was cold and I could just wear belts on the jeans and chuck a hoody on, but now it’s summer again (or at least pretending to be!) I’m finding it a lot harder. A few weeks ago, I decided to get my summer dresses out and all but one of them hung off of me like a potato sack! I’m not keen to to go and spend a fortune on a whole new wardrobe but I think there are probably a few key items that I can buy which won’t look outrageous once I’ve gone down another dress-size or two.

The thing I’m really struggling with though, is HOW to dress. Since gaining weight, I tend to opt for The Mum Uniform which consists of a selection of t-shirts, skinny jeans and cardigans. Every single outfit I wear is some variation on this theme and while I’m not planning to get to a size 10 and suddenly start going out in hotpants, I don’t really know what my style even is anymore. The last time I enjoyed shopping and was even ABLE to shop in non-plus-size shops, I was in my very early twenties, newly married and child-free. Now that I’m a mother of two and in my thirties, I feel quite stumped.

For summer, I reckon maxi dresses are a good bet. Any that I buy now will hopefully be too big by next summer, but I’ve seen lots of people styling maxi dresses with a big belt, or even wearing ones which are really baggy, so I think that could be an investment worth making. They’re ‘girlie’ and summery but don’t bare loads of flesh which makes them ideal for school runs on a hot day.

I have noticed already that shopping is significantly easier JUST from loosing one dress size. Previously, shopping for an 18 meant that there were lots of places I couldn’t shop at all and my body shape made it impossible to find things which suited me. A few weeks ago, I went to a wedding reception and needed a dress. I was DREADING going shopping because it’s usually such an ordeal. I go from shop to shop, getting more upset and frustrated that I either can’t find anything I like or nothing fits me properly.

This time, however, I went to ONE department store, picked up about 5 dresses, tried them on and managed to find something I loved with just one trip to the changing rooms. It was probably the happiest shopping experience I’ve had in over a decade.

From now on, I’m going to try to keep a positive head on when I go shopping as I think it makes it much easier to find something I like, instead of getting into a funk in my head and not wanting to look any further. I may even take the liberty of using a personal shopper to help me find some items that I love at some point in the future!

What’s your shopping style? Have you had a body overhaul which has meant that you’ve needed a new wardrobe? Do leave me a comment below as I’d love to hear from you.

 

Anger

Black Friday Madness

Jayne1 Comment

I love a bargain as much as the next person. Probably more-so than some as I’ll never buy things without looking for a Voucheroo code first (Dominos pizza, I’m looking at you!) but I have to say, the whole Black Friday thing leaves me cold. I went into town today to pick something up from Waterstones and walked through Debenhams to get there, and it was genuinely the busiest I’ve EVER seen it. I don’t know if it’s because I’m ill at the moment or what, but being in such a busy shop made me feel a bit panicky.

The thing is, I’ve not actually seen a single bargain online OR in shops which represents anything even close to a decent saving. People are going crazy for items that they probably don’t even need at prices which aren’t even that good. It’s just not British!

I did a cursory Google of “Black Friday crimes” and found stories dating back years of shoppers punching each other for the last discounted TV and even several stories of people pulling GUNS on other shoppers to get the best bargains. I found a report that showed that, since 2006 7 people have been killed doing Black Friday shopping and a further 98 have been injured.

According to Wikipedia “During Black Friday 2010, a Madison, Wisconsin woman was arrested outside of a Toys ‘R’ Us store after cutting in line, and threatening to shoot other shoppers who tried to object. A Toys for Tots volunteer in Georgia was stabbed by a shoplifter. An Indianapolis woman was arrested after causing a disturbance by arguing with other Wal-Mart shoppers. She had been asked to leave the store, but refused. A man was arrested at a Florida Wal-Mart on drug and weapons charges after other shoppers waiting in line for the store to open noticed that he was carrying a handgun and reported the matter to police. He was discovered to also be carrying two knives and a pepper spray grenade. A man in Buffalo, New York, was trampled when doors opened at a Target store and unruly shoppers rushed in, in an episode reminiscent of the deadly 2008 Wal-Mart stampede.”

I mean…it’s surely not just me who thinks that’s insane, surely? It’s capitalism at it’s ugliest.

I will admit to not being a hugely covetous person. I was massively frivolous with money when I was younger and it’s taken a long time for me to go the other way and show a bit of frugality, but I don’t really crave the newest cars or clothes which is probably why I don’t feel the desperate need to go out and spend a load of money on one day of the year. Maybe if the bargains were better I’d be a bit more inclined to get involved, but nothing really seems THAT cheap to me.

What do you think? Are you banging down the doors of your local department stores to get a few quid off or are you like me and a little bemused by it all? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

Baby · Fashion and Style · Kids · Shopping

Kids Autumn/Winter with Petit Bateau

Jayne1 Comment

Something that I love about shopping online is that I can source things which are a little bit different to what you’d normally find on the High Street. This is especially great for finding clothes for Sausage and Burrito Baby as I do love dressing them to accentuate their unique personalities, which is why I was happy when Petit Bateau asked me to put together an outfit for each of them from their new Autumn/Winter range.

Sausage is pushing boundaries with her fashion choices at the moment. She loves to be a little bit different (hence the pink hair during the holidays!) and relishes bucking against what girls in her class would be wearing. BB likes to wear things that look “pweety” (yep, that’s how she says it!) but which also allow her to charge around and don’t impede her running/climbing/dog riding. Here’s what I chose for them:

 

Petit Bateau

 

Grey is one of my favourite colours for clothing at the moment and I think the grey jeans make such a nice alternative to blue or black, which is what you see on most people. Sausage and BB both look amazing in most colours, but Sausage looks especially fantastic in autumn/winter palates because of her wild red hair, while BB looks great in more neautral shades because of her blond locks and pink cheeks.

I actually wnjoy shopping for the girls SO much more than shopping for myself, so spending an afternoon scouring a site and choosing things for them is a real treat! Have you shopped with Petit Bateau before? Do you enjoy shopping for your kids? What would you choose from the Petit Bateau ranges? Leave me a comment below!

Baby · Family

Simple Fun with Aldi Mamia #MamiaDaysOut

Jayne1 Comment

Aldi mamia picnic I have to be honest with you, dear readers – I am one of those Mums…the ones who go into mourning when their kids go back to school. Yeah, the girls bickered almost constantly for six weeks, but I feel lost when Sausage isn’t here, and Burrito Baby really misses her big sis. The only good thing is that I get to spend some quality time with the littlest one. Throughout the six weeks holidays, we tend to pack in as much as we can for Sausage before school starts again so between her birthday in early August, weekly pony club, visits here there and everywhere, the holidays are very Sausage-centric and BB largely just gets dragged along for the ride!

When the guys at BritMums got in touch and asked if we’d like to take a look at the Mamia range from Aldi, I knew that BB and I could have a lovely afternoon of simple fun, just the two of us, which would be the perfect antidote to a crazy summer and three weeks of missing Sausage all day. We’re lucky enough to live in a beautiful little hamlet tucked away in a rural corner of the South East which means we’re literally spoilt for places to have a picnic, so BB and I packed up our basket (and our hiking poles!) with our Mamia goodies and headed out.

Walking the path round to our picnic spot, BB and I sang nursery rhymes (Miss Polly Had a Dolly is her absolute fave at the moment) while we walked and soon found a secluded little spot next to the river with some cover provided by the trees. The farmer was out doing some ploughing, so we watched him making his way, back and forth across the field, with his legion of seagulls following for the seeds and worms which get turned out of the earth as he goes.

BB is learning her colours at the moment so while we ate we enjoyed a game of “where can you see…” where I ask her to point out things of a certain colour. The colourful blanket we took along with us really helped, as did the bright packaging for the Mamia goodies, such as fruity rice cakes and pouches of fruit puree (absolutely PERFECT for a picnic as no spoon is needed!).

Even before we were asked to try out these Mamia goodies, we’ve long been devotees of the Mamia nappy range. BB is currently potty training herself (she’s made it perfectly clear that she’s doing it all HERSELF and that she doesn’t need to be taught by anyone else!) and the Mamia Easy Pants are absolutely perfect for us. They enable BB to pull them down herself when she feels the need to use the loo but they’re really absorbent too, which means I don’t have to worry about leaks if she falls asleep or forgets to use a potty. Whenever I see a new mum asking which nappies to use, I ALWAYS recommend Aldi ones – we pay £1.85 for 18 which is significantly cheaper than the leading brands and I genuinely believe them to be of a far superior quality, even at such a low price. aldi-mamia-rice-cakes

I think the thing that I love about Aldi, and especially the baby range, is that the prices just seem to be far more reasonable than anywhere else but without a compromise in quality. I find that, in ‘cut price’ shops you can get a bargain but the food will be really unhealthy or stuffed full of unpleasant ingredients, but Aldi gives me peace of mind that I can save money without having to worry. Most of their juices and flavoured waters are low or zero sugar, their meat is all well-sourced and the fruit pouches I mentioned above are 100% organic and contain no thickeners, no added sugar and no preservatives – just one example fo their dedication to quality.

Once BB has finished her snacks, she decided it’s time to get wandering again. She’s a little obsessed with blackberries at the moment; I think she’s amazed that we can pick something off of a bush and eat it, and we’ve got an absolute ton growing near us right now so we’re foraging on a regular basis. We stop to asses our crop on the way home and decided they need a couple more days until we come back to pick another load.

blackberries

I love nothing more than spending time with both of my girls but getting an opportunity for some one-on-one time with BB was great and I think we’ll have to make a picnic part of our weekly ritual while the weather allows. Thanks to Aldi for sending us such a lovely treat for our afternoon of fun!

(As an afterthought, it’s also worth remembering that Aldi is having its next Baby Event starting on Thursday 22nd September and I guarantee you’ll be able to pick up some really impressive bargains!)

(This post is an entry for BritMums #MamiaDaysOut Linky Challenge, sponsored by Aldi Mamia.)

Shopping

Irresistible Shop Windows. How do they Do That?

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Source – Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/herry/3223433918/in/photolist-5UQWAS-5ULyDk-5ULxeZ-5UQXhs-6sMYG5 License – CC BY 2.0

The importance of effective visual merchandising is never underestimated in the fashion retail shop business. Window shoppers love to be captivated by shop window displays – including entertaining store -front set-ups – because of the creative genius that lies behind these creations, and of course it is a job that requires artistic skills, an eye for fashion and a passion for the job overall.

For those passionate about fashion and desirous to learn about interior decor/design, visual merchandising courses are held in London as well as in other major fashion cities around the world. In fact, professional visual merchandisers need different qualities and use different techniques. And that is exactly what these courses can teach.

Having a good sense of aesthetics and organizational layout, and knowing how to utilize store space (both inside and outside) effectively are only some of the requirements needed to become an expert visual merchandiser. The visual aspect also considers the use of effective means of communication to orientate potential customers via visual signals (advertising posters, dress mannequins, and other important tools such as the use of colour in the decor which is all important) so that they can easily find their way around the store and discover as much as possible that the retailer can provide for their tastes. In short, the strategic positioning of the displays must be pleasing to the eye and eye-catching at every location, from the store front to the interior.

Other vital techniques taught by courses focus on the merchandising aspect: these include learning the distinction between the demands of the commercial versus the luxury markets, and acquiring the experience to design diverse and demographically-targeted, distinct genres to satisfy different audiences.

Understanding the essentials of product grouping is an important point. This includes knowing where to position the products around the store in relation to the space assignment to be allotted according to sales objectives. The various levels of display, from vertical to horizontal shelves and equipment, use of walls and floor space must also be applied to the strategic use of a harmonizing element to enhance the ambient and customer experience – Feng Shui-oriented decor is a perfect example of this practice.

Furthermore, the synergistic bond between ‘offshore’ and ‘online’ store options is a primary consideration in order to make the most out of customer satisfaction and sales objectives for retailers. Customer relations are necessarily tied to customer loyalty and this means that you must know how to deal with clients first-hand. In this respect, after-sales experience is naturally another prerequisite in customer relations. Visual merchandising courses teach excellent guidelines to learn about consumer behaviour which is of course one of the main foundations that will ensure customer loyalty and enduring satisfaction that will lead to growing a solid loyal customer base. Do not forget also that a perfect balance is needed in the layout, use of space, decor, colour and product placement/grouping. Too much or too little makes all the difference, so cluttering the store may not be an advantage. Rather, leaving it simple and providing ample space for the customers to walk around will certainly prove to be a more successful methodology.