Maxi Skirts and Marl Knits With Balenciaga Day Bag | Weekday Wear Link Up

Cheating a little bit for today's Weekday Wear Link Up as I only wore one of these outfits during the week, the other I wore on the weekend! Both very comfortable outfits, I've paired two of my cosy marl knits with some colourful maxi skirts and my Balenciaga day bag.

What I wore:

Necklace: navy and silver circle pendant tassel necklace
Jumper: SES fashions mustard marle knit jumper
Skirt: thrifted Billabong 'Don't Think Of It' bikini red printed maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

With the yellow print on this pretty red maxi skirt, I've been slowly trying to wear it with more yellow pieces. This mustard marle knit was the perfect paring! I thought the blue Balenciaga day bag worked as a bit of a neutral with all the colour. Even if I didn't need a big bag to carry that much around with me, working from home and doing the school run as well as a telehealth appointment in the evening.

The only thing I didn't like about this outfit was when I picked my son up from school in the afternoon it was a bit windy - and this skirt loves blowing in the breeze. It's a pretty big skirt so I wasn't in danger of having my own Marilyn moment but I had not shaved my legs for a few days and was trying to keep my skirt down to hide that fact  😂 I was somewhat successful. Hopefully social distancing away from the other parents at pickup meant nobody noticed!

Last worn: mustard marle knit, navy tassel necklace, red maxi skirt, Converse, Balenciaga tempete day bag.

Other ways to wear: mustard marle knit and jeans, red maxi skirt in summer, Converse and tee dress, Balenciaga tempete day bag and wrap dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse in second trimester, Balenciaga tempete day bag in third trimester.

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What's In My Bag - Balenciaga Day Bag:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Jeanswest Taryn turquoise tassel bead necklace
Knit: thrifted Valleygirl blue knit jumper
Skirt: thrifted Cotton On navy and grey striped maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

Not quite a monochrome outfit here but I think the blues and greys worked together so well! I wanted to wear this cosy marle knit again but I wasn't sure what skirt to wear it with - I tried out a few before I realised the navy and grey in this skirt would go perfectly with the bluey-grey colour of my Balenciaga tempete day bag. And the stripes went so well with the bright knit.

This was a cosy and comfortable outfit for what we anticipated to be a long day at the shops, trying to social distance and entertain two little ones as we shopped for a new fridge. This time around my bag was pushed to its limit with water bottles and snacks inside, definitely needed a big bag on this day. Turned out we found a fridge we loved at the first store and they could price match a store that was further away but had it cheaper, and we got a great deal on the fridge without spending all day walking around.

Had a bit of a giggle when we left, as I stopped to grab a photo and realised my grey lined maxi skirt matched the metal wall behind me!

Last worn: blue marl knit, turquoise tassel necklace, striped maxi skirt, Converse (above), Balenciaga day bag (above).

Other ways to wear: blue marl knit over a maxi dress, striped maxi skirt and statement sleeve tee, Converse for long haul flight, Balenciaga day bag and swing dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse in third trimester, Balenciaga day bag in second trimester.

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How You Can Wear It:

A cosy marl open knit like this is a good light-weight choice for a Brisbane winter. If you're in a colder climate you might want to add a few extra layers, but on a mild winter day, with just a tank underneath and a cute maxi skirt, this is an easy outfit.

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Weekday Wear Linkup #77

Welcome to the Weekday Wear linkup! A linkup for you to share your weekday outfits - whether that is office wear or stay at home mum wear - if you wore it on a weekday, you can link it up!

Guidelines:
1. Please link to a specific outfit post, not your blog homepage.
2. Link back to this post so others can find the link up.
3. Follow your host Away From The Blue on Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.
4. Add up to two posts and be sure to visit and comment on as many other posts as possible to get some weekday outfit inspiration!
Optional: tweet the post you linked up with the hashtag #weekdayWearLinkUp so I can retweet!

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Layering Knits With Maxi Dresses & Weekday Wear Link Up

It might be winter but I still love wearing my maxi dresses! Helped along by Brisbane's mostly dry and definitely snow free winters, with the kind of temperatures that mean all I need to do is add an extra layer with a cosy knit jumper. 

What I wore:

Earrings: Piper gold heart earrings
Necklace: thrifted pearl and heart charm long necklace
Knit: thrifted blue Mossman knit jumper
Dress: Kmart Tropicana sleeveless tiered maxi dress
Shoes: slim navy and pink Havaianas

Why I wore it:

For my son's birthday party I wanted something simple but warm for the cooler morning, although I did find the knit a bit warm over the afternoon when it warmed up. Last time I wore this knit I mentioned how it was a bit of a pain being cropped as I wore it with low rise jeans. It works so much better over dresses and I liked the blue colour with the coral dress.

Wearing my new heart stud earrings I felt this layered heart charm necklace was a good matchy-matchy choice! I didn't actually wear the Havaianas though, as I spent all day inside with the party I didn't need to wear any shoes and I just put these on to go outside for the photo.

It was a good day even if we only had a few family members over to celebrate to stick to the COVID safety rules.

Last worn: blue cropped jumper, layered heart charm necklace, tropical print maxi dress, Havaianas. First time I've worn the earrings as they were a recent gift.

Other ways to wear: blue cropped jumper and purple jeans, tropical print maxi dress for Christmas.

Perfect for pregnancy: blue cropped jumper and hidden baby bump.

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Rebecca Minkoff Micro Bedford: What's In My Bag

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What I wore:

Necklace: Jeanswest Taryn turquoise tassel bead necklace
Knit: thrifted Spirit grey marle jumper
Dress: Jeanswest 'Chantelle' crochet detail blue printed maxi dress
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Micro Bedford zip satchel in twilight

Why I wore it:

Since I liked the jumper over the maxi dress outfit above I decided to try it again another week with this grey asymmetrical knit over the blue maxi dress. I wasn't too sure at first about the prints together but I think they really worked, the space dye effect on the knit looks almost like stripes and I wear stripes with everything!

My plan was to knot this knit over my dress, the asymmetrical hem is perfect for that. When I put the jumper on though I realised it looked quite nice over the top without being knotted. I was hoping for flowy rather than sloppy, and I'm not 100% convinced I nailed it looking at the pics, but I loved the relaxed vibe of this outfit and it was so comfortable to wear. I was really happy with it!

Added the little Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford cross body bag to keep my hands free while out shopping with my sister. I had a voucher to spend and she was on a mission to buy some new clothes. I did try on a couple things but decided to spend my voucher on more clothes for the kids instead. 😂

Last worn: grey marle knit asymmetrical hem jumper, turquoise tassel necklace, blue geometric print maxi dress, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag.

Other ways to wear: grey marle knit asymmetrical hem jumper and olive jeans, blue geometric print maxi dress with yellow, Converse and jeans, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag with shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: blue geometric print maxi dress at 39 weeks, Converse in second trimester.

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How You Can Wear It:

You don't need to pack your maxi dresses away when summer ends! You can make even a spaghetti strap maxi dress work for a cooler day by layering a knit over the top. You can go with a cropped style or keep it loose and flowy with an asymmetrical hem.

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Weekday Wear Linkup #77

Welcome to the Weekday Wear linkup! A linkup for you to share your weekday outfits - whether that is office wear or stay at home mum wear - if you wore it on a weekday, you can link it up!

Guidelines:
1. Please link to a specific outfit post, not your blog homepage.
2. Link back to this post so others can find the link up.
3. Follow your host Away From The Blue on Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.
4. Add up to two posts and be sure to visit and comment on as many other posts as possible to get some weekday outfit inspiration!
Optional: tweet the post you linked up with the hashtag #weekdayWearLinkUp so I can retweet!

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Two Ways To Wear a Mustard Cardigan: With Green and Orange

This mustard cardigan was an awesome opshop find and just $2! It's a great way to add more colour to a winter outfit. I decided to be really colourful when I wore it recently and paired it with some other bright colours: green and orange.

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan
Necklace: Jeanswest Taryn turquoise tassel bead necklace
Tee: Cotton On "The One" fitted v tee in Cole stripe white moonlight
Jeans: thrifted ASOS petite green skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB Camera Bag in almond

Why I wore it:

I really like green with yellow, and it's not the first time I've worn these green skinny jeans with yellow. I loved the bright combination, nice and cheerful for a wet day. It started raining on me as I took these pics!

Thankfully we didn't get too wet at school pick up and drop off, and the rest of the day I was working from home so I was cosy and dry. Jeans and a tee is a perfect work from home outfit, and this cardigan was a much dressier alternative for keeping warm than my daggy old bathrobe when I had a zoom call 😂

With the turquoise tassel necklace adding a little more colour too I went with a neutral bag, this Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag is a classic that goes with so much.

Last worn: mustard cardigan, stripe tee, turquoise tassel necklace, green skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag. 

Other ways to wear: mustard cardigan and navy dress, stripe tee worn two ways, green skinny jeans with blue, Converse and maxi skirt, Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag and floral dresses. 

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse in second trimester. 

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Whats In My Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB Camera Bag

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan

Necklace: Colette tortoise shell acrylic disc tassel necklace
Tee: Jeanswest essential v-neck tee in marigold
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB Camera Bag in almond

Why I wore it:

This was inspired by an outfit I saw on Instagram on theshoestringshopper. As soon as I saw her orange and yellow outfit I wanted to try it myself with this orange tee and my mustard yellow cardigan. She was inspired by someone else to try it too, it's good seeing how inspiration spreads on Instagram!

I really liked this combo! It was something very different for me and I did feel very visible for school pickup and drop off and sitting on the sidelines of the gym as my son returned to his regular sports sessions. Feels like life is getting so busy now that things are reopening, but it's good to return to regular routines.

Despite a busy evening, we still had plenty of time for a browse in Kmart after dropping my eldest son off at school. No luck getting more pantry containers I'd hoped for, the stock shortage is painfully clear in many aisles. My little one did help me pick out some more Little People, Big Dreams books for our collection though! Kmart has them for $8 each, half the price of everywhere else I've seen them.

Stuck with the Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag to balance out the brights, as well as my grey skinny jeans as black felt a bit too harsh.

Last worn: mustard cardigan (above), marigold tee, tortoiseshell necklace, grey skinny jeans, Converse (above), Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag (above). 

Other ways to wear: mustard cardigan and chambray skirt, marigold tee over a dress, grey skinny jeans and leopard print, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag and maxi dress. 

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse in third trimester. 

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How You Can Wear It:

Mustard is a very versatile shade of yellow! You can use a mustard cardigan to bring some colour to darker or neutral winter layers. It works equally well paired with other bright things in your outfit too like the green skinny jeans or the orange tee.

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Kimonos In Winter With Skinny Jeans, Grey Tees and Converse

Sticking with the jeans and tee outfit formula that has been on repeat lately - it's perfect for winter days! To mix things up a little, I'm wearing some slightly different colour schemes with grey tees, red (and burgundy) jeans, and then some very different kimonos to suit the different temperatures that week!

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Melanie floral kimono
Necklace: Target silver Alisha trinity pendant necklace
Top: thrifted Cotton on grey tunic tee
Jeans: thrifted Emerson red skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB Camera Bag in almond

Why I wore it:

I was glad it was a warm day to give me another chance to wear this duster kimono - I picked it up in the January sales and while it was a complete impulse buy I've been liking how easy it's been to integrate into my wardrobe. I've used the colours in the prints to match it to yellow and a different shade of red before, I knew it would make a great matchy-matchy combo with these red skinny jeans.

Like the skinny jeans that were a thrift find, this grey tunic was another opshop find. And since I got it in a "fill a bag for $5" sale it works out to about 63 cents! With the bright jeans and the printed kimono I thought a nice neutral grey tee was a great piece to wear in between and I was hoping the thrifted pieces would bring me luck at the opshop! I really liked the silver necklace with this outfit too, even if the hardware on the Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag is gold.

After the school drop off the little one and I headed out to our recently reopened opshop. There were a few new rules, such as using hand sanitiser and wearing the provided gloves, but it's a small store so actual social distancing was tricky! I bought a couple of things - a book for myself and some DVDs and a PJ masks playset for the kids. I didn't get a chance to look at much else as my son was fairly insistent that we had to pay for the toy and take it home right away so he could play with it 😂 It is missing a few pieces based on what I can find online but it was just $2 so I wasn't going to say no!

Last worn: floral duster kimono, grey tunic tee, silver necklace, red skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag.

Other ways to wear: floral duster kimono and shorts, grey tunic tee and pencil skirt, red skinny jeans and peplum tee, Converse and printed dresses, Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag and matching boots.

Perfect for pregnancy: Converse in second trimester.

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Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC vs MAB Camera Bag

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What I wore:

Jacket: Rebecca Minkoff Ruana poncho
Necklace: Colette tortoise shell acrylic disc tassel necklace
Tee: Atmos&Here charcoal grey v neck tee
Jeans: Jeanswest Harper skinny pant in Russet
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff striped coated canvas mini MAC in berry stripe

Why I wore it:

Unlike the kimono above, this was made for winter! Last time I wore it it was much too warm, but when the winter weather arrived again later in the week this was the perfect outfit. I wore this to work from home, and to pop out in the afternoon to pick up some party supplies for my son's upcoming birthday party.

This poncho / kimono is just a big cosy knitted blanket so it was perfect for the cooler evening and so comfortable for working from home. But a more dressed up option than an actual blanket or my usual go-to bathrobe 😂

This darker grey tee is one of my favourites and it was definitely overdue a wear again! With the darker grey I thought these burgundy skinny jeans were a good accompaniment. The woven kimono makes enough of a statement on its own but I couldn't resist adding a couple extra prints with the striped Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bag and the tortoiseshell necklace.

The only downside to this outfit was that I kept getting the kimono caught on things all day!

Last worn: Rebecca Minkoff ruana knitted kimono, grey tee, tortoiseshell necklace, burgundy skinny jeans, Converse (above), Rebecca Minkoff striped mini MAC bag.

Other ways to wear: Rebecca Minkoff ruana knitted kimono with yellow, grey tee and printed shorts, burgundy skinny jeans and striped tank, Converse and maxi skirt, Rebecca Minkoff striped mini MAC bag and chambray skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: grey tee in second trimester, Converse in third trimester, Rebecca Minkoff striped mini MAC bag in third trimester.

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How You Can Wear It:

Kimonos are fun ways to add more interest to a plain shorts and tee outfit. While a longer sleeved duster kimono might work on a warmer winter day, a cosy knitted version comes in helpful on the colder days!

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Weekday Wear Linkup #76

Welcome to the Weekday Wear linkup! A linkup for you to share your weekday outfits - whether that is office wear or stay at home mum wear - if you wore it on a weekday, you can link it up!

Guidelines:
1. Please link to a specific outfit post, not your blog homepage.
2. Link back to this post so others can find the link up.
3. Follow your host Away From The Blue on Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.
4. Add up to two posts and be sure to visit and comment on as many other posts as possible to get some weekday outfit inspiration!
Optional: tweet the post you linked up with the hashtag #weekdayWearLinkUp so I can retweet!

Subscribe for The Weekday Wear Linkup reminder emails

Email Address 

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It 

Striped Tanks and Colourful Skinny Jeans With Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere

These striped tanks are firm favourites, and I often post them together! While one is navy and white stripes and the other is black and white stripes they both pair so perfectly with my brightly coloured jeans that I've been wearing more lately, now it's autumn and cooling down.

What I wore:

Necklace: Roie Designs feather, quartz and love charm long necklace
Tank: Jeanswest 'Josie' striped back strap tank
Jeans: thrifted Emerson red skinny jeans
Shoes: slim navy and pink Havaianas
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

This was such a fun day! Some restrictions had been lifted, allowing for both picnics (previously you could only exercise outdoors, not stop and sit) and travelling 50ks from home (previously they recommended staying in our suburbs as much as possible). And while they were relaxing the rules even more the day after this, my sister and I stuck with the current rules on this day and found a spot 50ks between both of us to have a picnic.

We couldn't have asked for better weather - it was a gloriously sunny day, but not too hot, and our picnic spot was mostly deserted, giving the boys plenty of space to run around. As you can see in the insta pic there we had a LOT of space! It was such a nice day and so good to see my sister in person again - while we do frequent family video calls, nothing compares to catching up in person!

While I thought about a pretty dress I realised jeans would be a bit more practical for running around with the kids and their kite - and so I tried to put a little effort in with my hair instead. I did the old no heat overnight curls trick I used to do a few years ago, it turned out okay.

Picked the speedy bandouliere bag as it was fuss free for sitting on the grass, so easy to clean, you just wipe down the canvas!


Last worn: white striped tank, feather necklace, red skinny jeans, Havaianas, Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: white striped tank and shorts, red skinny jeans and winter layers, Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: white striped tank in second trimester, Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere in third trimester.

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What's In My Bag: Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted black Emerson drawstring waist utility jacket
Necklace: Happiness Boutique turquoise and coral pendant necklace (C/O)
Tank: Atmos & Here Oregon stripe tank
Jeans: thrifted ASOS petite green skinny jeans
Shoes: New Balance white and blue sneakers
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

More relaxed restrictions in Brisbane means the kids are back at school! The early morning start had me reaching for a jacket to cover up my arms and this drawstring waist one I thrifted for $1 back at the start of the year was perfect! It hadn't been worn previously as it had been a warm autumn and we spent most of it isolating at home like the rest of the world.

With the black striped tank and the black jacket, my outfit needed a little extra colour and these bright green skinny jeans were perfect! The first day back at school after an extended break from the virus went well - my son missed his regular routine and I know I'm not as good at teaching as his actual teacher, especially when I had to work from home 3 days a week too.


Last worn: black striped tank, Happiness Boutique necklace, green skinny jeans, New Balance sneakers, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag (above). First time I've worn the jacket as although I bought it back at the start of the year it's been too warm to wear until now!

Other ways to wear: black striped tank and blazer, green skinny jeans and kimono, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag for a long haul flight.

Perfect for pregnancy: Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere bag in second trimester.

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Striped Tanks Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A striped tank is a great wardrobe basic and it goes so well with jeans! To add a little extra colour you can try a brightly coloured pair of jeans like these red and green ones, or even introduce a little extra print mixing like I have with the damier ebene speedy bag.



Linking up with Ageless Style.

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Kmart Tiered Floral Print Dresses

Even though it's autumn in Brisbane it's good to give these Kmart tiered floral dresses another wear before I start layering up - especially as we had a very warm April, when I wore these. Two very different occasions though, one to stay home and another for my weekly grocery shop!

What I wore:

Necklace: Lovisa gold filigree heart pendant
Dress: Kmart Tropicana sleeveless tiered maxi dress
Shoes: slim navy and pink Havaianas

Why I wore it:

I wore this back on Easter Sunday. I'd ordered some eggs for the boys, with guaranteed Easter delivery, but as it hadn't shown up I'd had to make the dash to the shops for something for them to hunt for the day before. I was feeling a bit upset about not having the things I ordered and the limited options at the stores the day before Easter, as well as the sadness of celebrating another isolation birthday on the same day and missing both my family and our church family. So I decided to dress up anyway to boost my mood. This pretty floral maxi dress is one I've had a few years but it hasn't actually been worn on Easter before, seemed like the perfect thing to wear.

It was a strange Easter at home, but we still had an indoor egg hunt for the boys, they got dressed up in their Sunday best too, and we video called with family for Easter and to celebrate the isolation birthday. We even had birthday cake, and thanks to Church Online we had our church service at home too.


Last worn: Kmart floral maxi dress, gold heart necklace, Havaianas.

Other ways to wear: Kmart floral maxi dress under a tee.

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Handbag Tag Video: Most Mused, Least Used And Cutest Bag In My Collection

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What I wore:

Dress: Kmart strappy tiered sundress in watercolour blue and blush print
Shoes: New Balance white and blue sneakers
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Micro Bedford zip satchel in twilight

Why I wore it:

I actually wore this dress outside! Continuing with my "grocery shopping uniform", a simple dress, the only shoes and bag I wear outside now, my Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag. All my other bags are stored away in my handbag cupboard waiting for a time when it will be a bit safer to change bags around and bring bags I've worn outside back into the house.

The navy blue of the bag matches the background of the dress really closely, and if I hadn't been restricting myself to just taking one bag out whenever I leave the house I probably would have changed this for something with a little more contrast.

Didn't wear this all for very long though - went out, got groceries and then as soon as I got home put the accessories away and changed out of these clothes. Because despite social distancing rules in place people seem to think it's okay to reach over you and walk up next to you at the supermarket! At least there was a little more stock on the shelves this time.


Last worn: floral tiered sundress, New Balance sneakers, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag.

Other ways to wear: floral tiered sundress and knit, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag and shorts.

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Tiered Floral Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A floral dress is so easy to dress up or down - perfect for celebrating at home or navigating the aisle of the grocery store. Floral prints aren't just for spring either, they work well all year round, as I wore these on warmer autumn days.



Linking up with Mutton Style, Sunday Reflections, On Mondays We Link Up.

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How Things Have changed (And What I've been Buying!) : Isolation and Working From Home With Kids

With the schools closed, working from home and parenting and teaching a 4 and 5 year old, things are a lot different now than they were at the start of the year! If you're coming to my blog just for an escape I apologise for how much this post discusses the impacts of the coronavirus! I am trying to keep it outfit focused and make this my regular break into fashion and frivolity, but the truth is the virus has impacted life so much.

I'm sharing two outfits I wore back when I was working from home while the schools were open, so I did the school run. It was a crazy week with a lot of unknowns in Australia about if and how school would continue, so I wanted to be comfortable and wear things to try cheer me up a little as I worked from home and counted down the hours until I could pick my boys up!

Also thought I'd share with you what I've been buying lately. Definitely no fashion spending - aside from the two things I mentioned in this post - but a lot of things to prepare for home isolation with kids. We are in a new world where I have to ensure my kids are learning at home every day as well as working from home myself 3 days a week. I'm blessed to still have my job, but the juggle is hard!

What I wore:

Tee: Life Church Online "Come change the world with me at Church Online" tee
Skirt: thrifted Billabong 'Don't Think Of It' bikini red printed maxi skirt
Shoes: slim navy and pink Havaianas
Bag: Balenciaga first bag in 2006 Blue India

Why I wore it:

For over 9 years now I've been volunteering at Life Church Online. We have a great group in Brisbane that meets up to stream the service together, and every Sunday night I hop online to help at another one of those services. With the news about churches needing to close, and understandably no more Brisbane catch ups, I wanted to wear my Church Online tee. Faith over fear I guess! And a reminder to myself that no matter what is happening in the world, some things like God's love and my regular Sunday online services, stay the same!

Wore my red maxi skirt with this as it was a bit of a cooler day and this felt more comfortable than jeans for working at home during the day. It, along with the turquoise Balenciaga first bag, were easy ways to add more colour to the black and white tee too.


Last worn: red maxi skirt, Balenciaga first bag, Havaianas. First time I've worn the church online tee on the blog.

Other ways to wear: red maxi skirt and scarf, Balenciaga first bag and pencil skirt.

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What I've Been Buying For Home Isolation:

I've been buying a lot lately. I'm an emotional shopper and while I'm not splurging on fashion items or stockpiling food, I'm thinking about what could be 6 months at home and how we will amuse and teach the kids in these times. We don't often do screen time, just a weekly family movie night and maybe a Daniel Tiger or Bluey episode once during the week, so I have been looking for things other than apps. As a bonus, most of the items I'm sharing are from local Aussie mum owned businesses, so your purchase helps their family as it entertains your own!

Little Birdie Books

Fun book boxes with activity and game ideas (and all the materials you need!) based on the books in the box. You can buy one off book boxes or subscribe to get a steady stream of books and activities. Started by two Aussie mums and speech pathologists, the books and activities are aimed at helping your kids develop essential skills. You can see what I got in a previous box in my YouTube review. I learnt about this company after friending one of the founders on Instagram.

Keeping Kids Busy

This company had been on my radar for a while - a local Aussie mum takes all the guesswork out of travel (or isolation!) by packing a bag filled with activities to keep any age kid entertained. Low mess but high fun bags. My boys got these as bumper "party bags" from my parents after we had to cancel my son's birthday party when the government social distancing restrictions came into place. The things in the bags are still being played with now, just today even. Found this company through a Facebook group, and you can get 15% off this weekend with code EASTER15!

Kids Craft Box

Another Aussie mum owned business, based in WA, who ships a box of crafting materials and activities across the nation, with different themed boxes available. She has special discounts on her Instagram page often, and has a sibling box option to reduce costs which is what I bought for the boys. I "met" this lovely lady through YouTube a couple of years ago.

Messy Play Kits

My kids have been going to these messy play sessions since they were tiny, and now you can order a box of messy play activities to entertain the kids at home! Janelle is a local Aussie mum who is diversifying her business and offering do it yourself packs instead of hosting the big parties she usually does. I'm so glad to have connected with her through playgroup, we have tried a few of her activities we've seen at the sessions at home too over the years!

Activity Books

From anywhere I can find them in stock! Think sticker books, Easter themes, puzzle books and educational workbooks or wipe-clean books. Kmart had a good range but I know stock is really low at the moment.

Printables

There are a few educational sites around with freebies at the moment due to the virus, where you just print the activity pages you think would be helpful for your kids. Some are even created by teachers, for teachers. You could also ask your child's teacher for some ideas if they haven't already provided some. Queensland Education department has a good list of sites too.



There are no affiliate links in these product suggestions and this post was not sponsored in any way. I'm just trying to be supportive and share a list that's useful for a parent if they find that like me, all my time is filled with working, playing with the kids, or worrying about what activities to do with the kids next. I've been visiting fashion blogs less as a result of trying to come up with a learn at home plan for the kids but I'm trying to continue my two posts a week goal here.



Also, if you're an Australian parent, Triple P Parenting (Positive Parenting Program) is now free and has a helpful module, guide and tips for parenting during COVID-19.

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What I wore:

Tee: Life Church Online "Go online reach the world" graphic tee
Skirt: Jeanswest Luxe jersey maxi skirt
Shoes: slim navy and pink Havaianas
Bag: Balenciaga first bag in 2006 Blue India

Why I wore it:

A very similar outfit to the one above, another Church Online tee with a maxi skirt. I like the "go online, reach the world" message on this one as it's so true! And I'm so glad for the internet at a time like this, and technology to keep in touch with all my family despite the travel restrictions.

Stuck with the same bright Balenciaga first bag as I thought the grey tee and black maxi skirt needed a little extra colour, even with the yellow print on the tee. It was clear this would be my kids last day at school and kindy for a while, so that was bittersweet when I picked them up at the end of my work from home day.

Last worn: black drawstring maxi skirt, Havaianas (above), Balenciaga first bag (above).

Other ways to wear: black drawstring maxi skirt worn two ways, Balenciaga first bag and shorts.

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How You can Wear It:

A graphic tee is a simple outfit choice with a maxi skirt - and so incredibly comfortable for working from home, while being presentable enough for any video calls!

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It will be a very different Easter break but no matter what you are wearing: stay safe, wash your hands and stay home as much as you can as you watch your church Easter service online.


Linking up with Mutton Style, On Mondays We Link Up, Runway Monday.

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