Best Black Friday Sales to Help With Your Christmas Shopping

It's sale time! Cyber week traditionally has the best online sales for you to take advantage of when buying Christmas gifts (or things for yourself...).

I previously shared a few sales that started early, but now that Black Friday is underway I wanted to share more. I've taken all the best reductions and discount codes and categorised them below so you know where to shop for each person on your Christmas list!

Everywhere listed ships to Australia, and there is plenty of time to order now and have it delivered before Christmas day.

Gifts for Him

The best sales to pick something up for your brother, boyfriend, hubby, dad or uncle.

Mr Porter has 30% off selected styles.

East Dane has up to 25% off site-wide. Use discount Code 'GOBIG16' to get 15% off orders over $200, 20% off orders over $500 and 25% off orders over $800! They have a great gift guide organised by budget.

Gifts for Mums

The best places to get gifts for your mum, a new mum or your grandma.


Nordstrom black friday sale also has an extra 20% off selected sale items

Marks and Spencer Gifting weekend - up to 50% off selected gifts

Bloomingdale's - up to 50% off selected items. Get 15% off orders between $100 and $199, 20% off orders over $200 with no code needed.

Gifts for Her

The coolest sale items for your sister, cousin, or bestie.

Shopbop Buy More Save More Sale - use discount Code 'GOBIG16' to get 15% off orders over $200, 20% off orders over $500 and 25% off orders over $800!

Dogeared has 25% off sitewide with code 'SHINE25'

Rebecca Minkoff has up to 75% off PLUS get 25% off your entire order when you spend $100 or more!

Gifts for Kids

Your kids, your friend's kids, nieces, nephews or your little cousins, these sales have an awesome selection of items for children.

Gymboree have 50-80% off sitewide

House of Fraser have up to 30% off kids clothes

The big department stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's have great childrens clothing and toys on sale too.

Gifts for Pets

The one category I go consistently overboard with...you can find gifts for your fluffy friend in these sales.

Nordstrom pet section has a lot for cats and dogs!

Neiman Marcus has luxe gifts for your pampered pet

Something for You

You can get some great accessories in these sales for other people, and pick yourself up a few new clothes too. The black Friday sales are the perfect time to pick up your Christmas or New Years outfit at a discount.

ASOS have 20% off everything with code 'GOGOGO'.

Saks 5th Avenue thanksgiving sale means up to 60% off a huge range of designer items.

Have you made any purchases in the Black Friday Sales?

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October Purchases and Clothing Wishlist

Almost the end of October already! Sharing what I bought and how I wore it.

Like I mentioned last month, October is Buy Nothing New month. I didn't meet the challenge as I couldn't resist the Shopbop sale...but I did browse more often in the op-shops (thrift stores). I managed to find some pieces I wanted there too.

A little over two years ago, I set myself a goal of wearing things twice in a month after buying them. I've recently changed that to wear things twice in the month that I buy them. It gives me less time to wear things if I buy them near the end of a month, and makes me think even more critically when I'm buying. Near the end of a month I have to think 'do I really need this?' and 'will I wear it twice in just a couple of weeks?'. Often I chose not to buy, which is great for my budget, and wardrobe!

So here's what I bought in October:

• Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold
• Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush (still on sale!)
• thrifted Edited floral and bird print kimono
• thrifted grey oversize tee
• Kmart navy ribbed tank
• Kmart blue marle tee

How I Wore It:

The only thing I haven't worn twice or more is the grey tee, but as mentioned in the video that's partly because I have a lot of grey tees and partly because I bought it so close to the end of the month.

Overall I think I did pretty well, especially after shopping so little over the past few months with #noBuyJuly and #noSpenderSeptember. It's made me use my own wardrobe more to see the gaps. While there are still some things I'd love to buy I haven't found the perfect pieces yet and so I'll keep looking. I'm going to try to not settle for anything less than perfect. It's not like I don't have any clothes to wear if I don't buy these things!

This is my current clothing wishlist:

• white v-neck tee that isn't see-through
• basic block colour relaxed fit tank without super low arm holes that show off a bra
• boyfriend denim shorts (I miss my maternity ones!)
• dresses I can breastfeed in
• block colour maxi skirts

Pretty much just wanting to focus on adding more basics to my wardrobe! Would love recommendations if you know where I could find anything on my wishlist above.

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Handbags and Strollers: The Easy Hack for Any Brand! Baby Jogger, Bugaboo, Steelcraft etc

If you've read my blog for any amount of time you'll know that I love my handbags! Despite having a toddler, infant, dog, stroller and baby bag, I'm still using and and carrying my bags. After a few months of just using the baby bag when my eldest son was born, I figured out how easy it is to carry a handbag with a simple hack for any stroller!

Picking a stroller can be difficult. You might know you want one of the many baby strollers by baby jogger because a friend recommended them, or you might have seen a celeb with a Bugaboo or maybe you've come across a Steelcraft on sale. When trying to pick one you need to consider weight, ease of use, accessories, lifespan...there's a lot!

The Australian government has a stroller buying guide that's really helpful. Here's what helped us narrow down the options:

• Price - we started with a budget in mind
• Weight - there is everything from lightweight to heavier than a toddler strollers
• Ease of use - something foolproof to put up and down
• Size - we needed a stroller that would fit in the car boot
• Compatibility - we wanted a travel system so we looked for a stroller and travel capsule pack
• Safety - as the stroller came with a baby capsule we checked the government ratings to find a safe one
• Functionality - the ability to add another seat for a second baby and being able to change the direction the seat faced in were extra functions we liked.

I'm really happy with our Steelcraft Strider Compact stroller, but the one thing that I didn't think about when buying it was my handbags.

Having a baby doesn't mean you need to give up your handbags though. You know I have a lot of bags I wanted to use! I did think about how I'd juggle everything (baby, stroller, dog and baby bag) and figured I might just use my Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bags for a while as they slide nicely into the pockets on our baby bag.

I really needed an extra set of hands if I wanted to carry a bigger handbag with my things in it when we went out though. Throwing it into the base of the stroller was tricky get to when I was babywearing, and not all my handbags fit nicely into the baby bag or could be worn cross-body. When baby T was a few months old I found the solution to my problem.

All you need is a bag hook! It can be as simple as a carabiner or a specifically designed hook for your brand of stroller. Since I spent a few dollars on one it's made it easier to have my handbag with me when I'm out with the boys. When baby boy was born earlier this year, I kept on using and enjoying my handbags as I had that handy little hook!


It's the plastic clip you can see on the stroller handle in some of my pics. Such a simple solution, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who hadn't heard of it before. I get a few comments now and then from people wondering how I use more than just a baby bag with two boys. That little plastic hook on the stroller is my secret!

If you're a mum, how you carry your things? Only wear cross-body bags? Put what you need in the baby bag? Did you think about it when buying a stroller?

This post was created in partnership with Diapers.com. Occasionally, Away From The Blue blog may receive vendor or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products or services. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

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