#6MonthsWithoutShopping: Lessons From a Former Shopaholic

It's here! The end of June! After completing my #6monthsWithoutShopping challenge without a single fashion purchase, I think I'm officially able to call myself a former shopaholic!

I love shopping and bargain hunting a lot. Getting together with friends would be an excuse to shop, I'd shop during my lunch breaks, shop when a sale email came through....shop whenever I got the chance basically, and often that meant shopping more than once a week. I'm an emotional shopper too - happy, sad, bored, all were excuses to shop. My parents taught me the value of money so I wasn't spending huge amounts and never more than I earned, but I suspect I was shopping a bit more than average. Especially after discovering designer handbags 😂

How My Wardrobe Grew

Wardrobe at my parents 2008

My wardrobe expanded from a single wardrobe at my parents to a wardrobe and a half after getting married and moving in with hubby, then adding on an extra clothes rack and eventually taking over an entire room filled with clothes and bags. I routinely broke the clothes racks from overloading them! I had way too much stuff. It was when my 'wardrobe room' was turned into Toddler T's nursery that I did my first big declutter. I got frustrated at the amount of new with tags items in my wardrobe and resolved to shop better.

The year Toddler T was born I realised if I was going to be adding things to my now limited wardrobe space I'd best be sure I would get use from them - and so started thinking more critically about what I bought.

I attempted a few 'tricks' to help tame my wardrobe and my shopping.

• Started the 'wear twice in a month after buying it' rule. 
• Donated or sold everything I tried on in the postpartum days that I no longer liked the fit or practicality of (this was a mistake and I tried to avoid doing it after Baby Boy's arrival! Your body changes so much - wait a while!).
• Had a professional wardrobe detox session which helped declutter and reorganise my wardrobe.
• Changed my shopping rule to 'wear twice in the month I buy it' to force me to only buy things I'd want to wear so frequently.
• Attempted No Buy July in 2015 and successfully completed No Buy July in 2016.
• Set myself a clothing 'wishlist' to shop from.
• Started and completed 6 months without shopping.

Wardrobe 2012

Why #6MonthsWithoutShopping?

I covered it in more detail here, but basically it was another 'trick' to hopefully curb my shopping and help me use my existing wardrobe more, so I could wear more of what I own 30 times (idea from The True Cost movie). I wasn't sure I could do an entire year, 6 months seemed more reasonable.

Wardrobe 2014

How did I manage no shopping for 6 months?

I couldn't make it 31 days without shopping before, so I'm just as amazed as you are that I made it a whole 6 months without spending anything on fashion. There are a few things that helped make me successful this time around that I thought I'd share, in case you want to do your own no-shop challenge for any length of time.

• Major life change. I mentioned it briefly on the blog, but the later half of 2016 was a bit scary, particularly in December when Baby Boy was admitted to hospital. The next few months involved re-prioritisation and shopping was just not on my radar.

• Tell people about it. Of course I shared my intentions online on the blog, but I told everyone else about it. Friends, family, everyone was 'in' on it to help me with my goals. I'd meet up with them other places instead of defaulting to shopping as an activity.

• The long timeframe. I didn't want to be that person that caved in the first half of the challenge, and by then I'd had 3 successful months behind me so didn't want to invalidate it by buying something in the last 3 months. It actually got easier the longer it went on.

• Timing is everything. The challenge started in summer, and after an autumn full of heat-waves I was thoroughly bored and uninspired by my current wardrobe. When the temperatures eventually dropped, I got to unpack all my winter items and feel like I had something 'new' in my wardrobe. As I don't pack away much of my summer clothes, I wouldn't have had the same enjoyment if I'd started this in winter and had to box away half my wardrobe when it got warmer.

• Get another hobby. I've always said shopping was a hobby for me - instead I took that time and channeled it into something else. I recently started a volunteer job as an example.

• Limit your time. Similar to the point above, as Baby Boy grew and he and his big brother napped less, I had less time to shop. Instead of online shopping on the computer when they went to bed, I'd be trying to write a blog post or read the blogs I didn't get to through the day.

• Have a reward. I purposely asked for (and gratefully recieved) a lot of gift cards for Christmas. It was my 'reward' at the end of the challenge. Didn't make sense to spend money in my favourite stores when I had gift cards just waiting to be spent in July!

• Practice makes perfect. I didn't always meet my goals when I did No Buy July but I did learn more about my shopping habits - when I was inclined to shop and break the challenge and how I could avoid doing that in future. They were lessons rather than 'failures'.

Wardrobe 2015

What Next?

I have the gift cards ready to go, I've had 6 months to put together an updated clothing wishlist...but I'm not going to be marking the 1st July with some purchases. I'm going to do #noBuyJuly17 instead, making it 7 months without shopping.

Why another no shop challenge?

As I mentioned above, my parents taught me the value of money and I'd frequently buy bargain pieces to fit my budget. 30 wears and the 6 months without shopping has taught me the value of quality: to have a wardrobe that I love, that I wear often, and where every piece is something I'd want to wear 30 times. It doesn't matter if something was $5 or $50, as long as it's something that's actually getting worn.

I think I have so much further to go to really get value from what I already own in my wardrobe, so I'm not looking at shopping again any time soon. I calculated if I wore some things 30 times I'd have 11 years worth of outfits. Not really feeling the urge to add to that number at the moment! Buying more just means I'll wear the existing things I already love less.

I'm not saying I'm never going to shop again, just that I'm content with the wardrobe options I have at the moment and don't yet see the need to add anything new. I'd like to wear more of my recently unboxed winter pieces before I buy any new ones.

I'm definitely a former shopaholic!

Wardrobe 2017

Have you ever attempted a no-shop challenge? Do you find my tips useful? Or did you just scroll in amazement at my ever-changing wardrobe?

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Wearing Havaianas In Multiple Seasons

Thanks to a knee injury a few years ago, flats are my most worn shoes.  Out of all the flats I have, I'm sure that my Havaianas are the most frequently worn.


While I do tend to swap them out for my ankle boots in the middle of winter, like the majority of Queenslanders I love my thongs (a.k.a flip-flops for the non-Aussies). The mild Brisbane weather means I can wear them for most of the year, and often do. I'm not as dedicated as some of my friends or Gold-Coast-living-sister who wear them constantly year round, but I have worn them in winter a handful of times despite how much it makes people like Beth in chilly South Adelaide shiver at the thought!


They are so incredibly easy to wear and I'm sure most people have a pair somewhere, even if they only break them out in summer. Despite their popularity, I doubt you'll see Havaianas announced as one of the latest fashion trends (I hold out hope as it was only recently that slides were 'in'!). There's no denying that they are a very common choice here in the sunshine state of Queensland. I wasn't able to find a better shoe to wear through all trimesters of pregnancy, especially in those final days when my feet were so swollen nothing else would fit!


Here's some different ways you can wear Havaianas away from the pool or beach. And yes, some of these outfits were worn in winter!

Havaianas and Maxi Skirts

One of my favourite ways to wear maxi skirts is with a pair of my Havaianas. You can layer with things like a denim jacket when it's cooler. The outfits below were what I wore for a bunch of different activities: working from home, a coffee date with a friend, visiting the zoo, and a day shopping at the outlets. Not a beach in sight.

Havaianas and Jeans

This is a good way to keep your legs warm if the weather is cooler but not yet cold enough to wear boots. I wear this often in autumn. You can add cosy scarves and cardigans if it's cooler, or wear my spring favourite outfit topper: a pretty printed kimono. Havaianas are so easy to slip on to run errands, go to playgroup, or even a casual BBQ which are some of the activities I wore the outfits below for.

Havaianas in Summer

They really are a great summer shoe! You don't have to just wear them with a bikini, you can try denim shorts, skirts, dresses....you really can wear Havaianas with so many different outfits and to so many different places.

You can see why they are a favourite. Do you have any Havaianas or similar shoes? Do you only wear them for summer?


This post was created in partnership with Flarecom. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

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Maxi Dresses in Winter (And How To Get Cheap Leather Jackets)

First, sharing the link to a recent article I was featured in about I how I use me-time for blogging. If you've ever wondered how I juggle blogging and two toddlers, it's a good read!

Just like Friday's post, today I'm wearing more summer pieces in winter. This time around it's my maxi dresses. I like to wear my maxi dresses and skirts year-round. Helped by Brisbane's snow-less winter and a few cosy layers.

What I wore:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket

Dress:  Jeanswest Gigi printed maxi dress in shorter length (C/O)
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Balenciaga envelope clutch in 2012 mangue with giant 12 RGGH
Nail Polish: OPI Fire Escape Rendezvous

Why I wore it:

Wore this for my first girls night out in a very, very long time! A friend was celebrating her birthday at a rooftop bar so I went for a few hours to celebrate with her. It was nice getting all dressed up again - this dress has been rarely worn since I got it while pregnant as it's not breastfeeding friendly at all. It was my first choice for a night out, as it's so pretty and definitely under-worn!

I was going to wear ankle boots with this but there were a lot of dress code restrictions at the bar...so I wore flats to be on the safe side. Ankle boots would have been warmer though, especially when it rained a little. I really liked the black printed leather jacket with the printed maxi dress, the print on the jacket is subtle enough that it doesn't clash with the dress.

I bought this leather jacket 4 years ago, in the ASOS sale reduced from $385 to $150. It's just passed 30 wears. While it's winter now in Australia it's summer in the UK so if you're looking for a leather jacket massively reduced, check out the ASOS sale! You can get pieces like this awesome studded leather jacket reduced from $245 to $101, or this plain black one which is now $138.50 instead of $443.

I nearly wore my black vintage Chanel bag, but as I was completely kid-free for the evening I wanted to wear the least kid-friendly bag I own, which would be this handheld Balenciaga envelope clutch.  I'd usually get to enjoy my clutches over Christmas but as baby boy was in hospital I spent all the time by his bedside instead of going to the usual parties and events. It was nice to give this a wear again. It was crazy how few things I needed for the night out, and how light the clutch was to hold. Such a difference from the overstuffed baby bag I often have in addition to my handbags each day. I don't think the yellow really goes so well with the print on the dress, but it's such a pretty clutch I wanted to wear it as who knows when my next chance will be! 😂


Last worn: printed leather jacket, printed halterneck maxi dress, black ballet flats, Balenciaga mangue envelope clutch.

Other ways to wear: printed leather jacket and jeans, printed halterneck maxi dress in spring, black ballet flats and skinny jeans, Balenciaga mangue envelope clutch and printed jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: maxi dress in second trimester, clutch in the third trimester.

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More Leather Jackets Under $150:

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What I wore:

Jacket:  Jeanswest Peggie kimono cardigan in purple mulberry marle

Earrings: A Little Bit of North blue mandala earrings (giveaway prize, close up photo)
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
Dress: MEV Havana maxi dress C/O Zibibo
Belt: Kmart thin gold glitter belt
Nails: OPI Russian Navy

Why I wore it:

More pink and purple! I've worn this dress and belt together so many times, it's a frequent go-to for me. I really like pink and purple together too, although it's the first time I've worn the cardigan and dress together.

This is what I wore for Toddler T's third birthday party - no shoes as I stayed home all day and sent hubby out for the last minute things that morning. Picked this dress to wear as I love wearing a maxi dress for a birthday party - easy and quick to throw on while setting up last minute things, and stylish and simple for spending the day running around with two toddlers. Even wore this a couple of months ago for Baby Boy's first birthday! Just crazy to realise Toddler T is 3 now!

I was pretty tired after staying up until 1.30am putting the finishing touches to Toddler T's train cake, but it was worth it in the end seeing his excitement! Next year I might just stick with a simple round cake though...


Last worn: purple cocoon cardigan, gold glitter belt, pink nursing maxi dress.

Other ways to wear: purple cocoon cardigan and graphic tee, gold glitter belt and Aztec print dress, pink nursing maxi dress and sequin scarf for another birthday party.

Perfect for pregnancy: cocoon cardigan in second trimester, same dress and gold belt over a baby bump, maxi dress at 39 weeks pregnant.

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More purple cardigans under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

You don't need to give up your maxi dresses when summer ends! Have a look at the winter layers you have in your wardrobe - a cosy cardigan or a leather jacket can be a simple addition to a dress and make it warm enough for a mild winter day. Leather jackets can be expensive, but if you buy at the end of season sales or take advantage of the opposite seasons when shopping internationally, you can find one that fits your budget.

If you have colder winter weather, wear ankle boots and even leggings underneath your dress, with a nice cosy blanket scarf too. When spring arrives you can continue to wear your dress with a light layer like a cardigan. You really can wear most dresses year-round!


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