Style it Saturday, Red Coat

Welcome back to another edition of Style it Saturday…on a Wednesday?

It’s that weird week in between Christmas and New Year’s, when no one really knows what day it is. So I decided that it was perfectly acceptable to post a Style it Saturday on a Wednesday! šŸ™‚

Today I am sharing 3 ways to style a red coat after Christmas. During the holidays there are countless ways to wear your red coat. After Christmas comes and goes, it doesn’t have to stay in the back of your closet! Red coats are fun to wear all winter long. (As a reminder, you can find all of the exact items featured today by clicking on the photos and following my commissionable links. You will also find other suggested items that would work in different price ranges.)

First, I am showing my favorite way to wear a red coat after Christmas. I love wearing a red coat with a blue and white button-up shirt. Paired with these trouser jeans and neutral accessories, this is a sophisticated and timeless look.

Click the photo above or HERE to find these exact pieces.

Next, I am showing how you can wear a red coat for a fun night out! Red + leopard print is always a YES for me. Add in some faux leather pants, and this just became a sexy date night outfit. You could swap the leather pants for jeans, and it would be equally cute!

Click the photo above or HERE to find these exact pieces.

Finally, here’s a fun way to wear a red coat while running errands or having lunch with your gal pals! I linked a lot of other shirts that would also work well with this casual look, so be sure to click the photo for more ideas.

Click the photo above or HERE to find these exact pieces.

That’s all for today! Be sure to subscribe below so that you never miss a post. (You can unsubscribe at any time.) You can also follow me on LTK, Instagram, or Facebook.

AbbyLeave a comment
Must have winter accessories

Style it Saturday, Winter Holiday Finds

Hi, friends! Welcome back to another edition of Style it Saturday! Today I am sharing some special finds that would work for the holidays and through winter. As always, you can click the photos to be taken directly to each of these outfits on my LTK.

First up is a holiday party outfit. Together these pieces make for a classic, sophisticated look. Separately, you’ll find that you can dress them up or down for countless looks.

Holiday party outfit
Click the photo above to find these exact pieces.

Next, here is a cozy, casual look for the holidays. This would be perfect for running errands or catching a movie.

Casual winter outfit
Click the photo above to find these exact pieces.

Finally, here are some must-have winter accessories. These classic pieces can be used year after year.

Must have winter accessories
Click the photo above to find these exact pieces.

That’s all for today! Be sure to follow me on LTK, and never miss a deal or outfit.

AbbyLeave a comment
Countdown to Christmas this yearā€˜s best advent calendars

Countdown to Christmas: This Year’s Best Advent Calendars

It’s November 1st, and if you haven’t started planning out your fun Christmas activities, today is a great day to start. One of our family’s favorite traditions is an advent calendar. They’ve changed over the years as our kids have grown. Some years I put together the little advent goodies to open each day, but on other years I felt like it was much easier to buy one that was ready-made. Today I am sharing a dozen of the best advent calendars you can find this year.

Below you can find a description of each calendar. You can either click on the name of the calendar to be taken directly to the retailer, or you can click on the photo below to be taken to my LTK shop. Did I miss a really great advent calendar that you’d recommend? Be sure to let me know in the comments.

This yearā€˜s best advent calendars

Playmobil was the very first advent calendar our kids did! Pro tip: This is actually a reusable advent calendar. Open the boxes carefully and save them to use again year after year. Click HERE for the Playmobil advent calendar.

Pukka Tea makes a wonderful advent calendar. My daughter and I did this together one year, and it is one of her favorite memories. Pukka tea is organic and sustainably sourced. Click HERE for the Pukka Tea advent calendar.

Dog Treat advent calendar is always fun to do at least one year if you have a furry friend. Our family had a ton of fun spoiling our pups with these delicious treats each day. We even made them pose with a Santa hat to get a cute photo opening their box each day. Click HERE for the dog treat advent calendar.

Rituals bath, body, and beauty advent calendar is really exciting for the makeup fan in your house. It even comes with little string lights to decorate the tree. Click HERE for the Rituals advent calendar.

Sugarfina advent calendar is perfect for the person who wants a little sweet treat each day. Each drawer is filled with FOUR pieces of candy! Click HERE for the Sugarfina advent calendar.

Harry & David Deluxe Advent Calendar is highly rated. These are some of the most decadent truffles you can taste. Click HERE for the Harry & David advent calendar.

This Wooden Advent Calendar is perfect for busy, small hands. No worries if they want to add the ornaments over and over again. With 5-star reviews from parents who love it, you can’t go wrong with it for small children. Click HERE for the wooden advent calendar.

Lego Advent Calendars are a hit with kids and adults who are kids-at-heart! Our college aged son picked this out for himself this year; he remembers having a lot of fun doing a similar one as a kid. Click HERE for the Lego Advent Calendar.

Coffee Advent Calendars are perfect for the coffee lover. They’re going to drink a cup each morning, so why not make it fun and festive? We love this one for the Keurig owner. Click HERE for the coffee advent calendar.

I am especially excited about this Bon Mamman advent calendar. I love their French jams and honey. For the price, I think this is one is a gem. It has sold out on a few websites, but I found one that still has it in stock. Click HERE for the Bon Mamman advent calendar.

Ornament advent calendars can help you get into the holiday spirit each day. At $125, this is one of the pricier advent calendars on the list this year, but I think these little glass ornaments are beautiful. Pro tip: save the calendar to store the ornaments in for next year. Click HERE for the ornament advent calendar.

The Adventure Challenge advent calendar is one of the more affordable calendars on the list this year. It is also one of my favorite finds! This advent calendar has a little scratch off box each day with an activity to do together with your loved ones. The website says, “this holiday edition was created to help build new holiday traditions, find new ways to connect during a busy season, and enjoy time with loved ones.” Love it! Click HERE for the adventure challenge advent calendar.

I’d love to know which ones your family did this year! Follow me on Facebook to share a photo of your advent calendar. You can also find me on Instagram and LTK, just search “BelleAntiquarian.”

Until next time!

Abby

AbbyLeave a comment
Activity gift guides for the whole family

Activity Gift Guides for the Whole Family

Today I am sharing some activity related gift guides for the whole family. These are gift ideas for the “tech tired” shopper. The gifts featured are ones that will involve the gift recipient in fun activities and hobbies and will get them up off of the couch and off of their phones.

Below each picture you’ll find a list of the items in each group. You can either click on the item’s name to be taken directly to the site, or you can click on the picture to find the gift guide on my LTK where I’ll be featuring curated gift guides all season long.

Here are a few gift ideas for the the men:

Click the photo to find the commissionable links for these exact gifts.

Here are some activity gift ideas for Women:

Click the photo to be taken to the exact links for these gifts.

Here are some activity gift ideas for the older teen boy:

Click the photo to find the exact links for these gifts.

Here are some activity gift ideas for the older teen girl:

Click the photo to be taken to the exact links for these gifts.

Next are some activity gift ideas for kids:

Activity gift ideas for kids

Finally, here are some activity gift ideas for toddlers to enjoy:

Activity gift ideas for toddlers

If you’re looking for more gift ideas this season, be sure to follow me on LTK or subscribe to my blog in the box below. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

Activity gift guides for the whole family

AbbyLeave a comment

New for Christmas 2022!

We aren’t yet to Halloween, and here I am coming at you with a Christmas post. Over on my Instagram I polled my followers as to whether they had started their Christmas shopping yet, and the majority said “Yes”! I have found that shoppers will always get the best deals in the 3 weeks before Halloween. Not only are we seeing Black Friday and Cyber Week sales, but Amazon is offering Prime Preview Days, Walmart has Walmart Deal Days, and so does Target.

Today I am sharing some Christmas decor items that have arrived on the shelves of my favorite stores. In the past few years the most popular items have sold out long before Thanksgiving. You won’t want to miss tomorrow’s post. I’m going to show several “dupes” for more expensive designer Christmas items, that are just the same – if not better – quality.

First, here are some items sold exclusively at Walmart. You can find these exact items by clicking on the photo below. I really like all of the pieces Walmart offers in this group, but the ceramic houses are a DEAL. Walmart’s artificial trees sell out every single year. If you see one you like, you can buy it online to pick up in the store. I linked my favorite one – just click the photo!

Walmart Christmas finds
Click the photo above to find these exact items!

Next, here are some finds from Target. Sadly Target has already sold out of several Christmas decor items. All of the ones in this photo are still available at the time of this post. Click the photo to find each item! My favorites in this group are the velvet ornament balls and the block print pillows!

Studio McGee Target Christmas decor
Click the photo to find these exact pieces!

And finally today, here are some Pottery Barn Christmas decor finds. Pottery Barn is my absolute favorite for finding classic, well-made Christmas items. They are a little more expensive, but the quality will last for years. I absolutely love the stockings made in vintage grain sacks. They also come in a French blue color. I recommend getting these Santa mugs if you like vintage ones. The vintage ones have skyrocketed in prices the last few years. Click the photo to find these exact items!

Pottery Barn Christmas finds
Click the photo above to find these exact items!

I am really looking forward to sharing more deals with you! Please click below to subscribe, or follow me on LTK or Instagram.

~Abby

AbbyLeave a comment
Amazon capsule wardrobes for the whole family

Style it Saturday – Amazon Capsule Wardrobes

Welcome back to another edition of Style it Saturdays! Today I am excited to share some capsule wardrobes for the whole family. These capsule wardrobes are all featuring pieces that you can find on Amazon.com.

What is a capsule wardrobe? Capsule wardrobes are made up of pieces of clothing that can be mixed and matched for countless outfits. The wardrobe as a whole uses a fewer number of clothing items, usually in classic colors or styles. Capsule wardrobes save time and money and mostly steer away from trendy pieces. As always, you can click on any of the pictures below to be taken to the exact items featured.

Here is a capsule wardrobe for women. All of the items featured belong to the “Amazon Essentials” store. Amazon Essentials are the same quality items you find in name brands, but at a lower price point.

Amazon capsule wardrobe for women
To find these exact pieces, click the photo or here.

Next is a capsule wardrobe for men. This capsule also features items from the “Amazon Essentials” store.

Amazon capsule wardrobe for men
To find these exact pieces, click the photo or here.

Here is a capsule wardrobe for girls. Not all of these items are from the “Essentials” store, but they are all from Amazon at great prices.

Amazon capsule wardrobe for girls
To find these exact pieces, click the photo or here.

Finally, here is a capsule wardrobe for boys. Again, these are all great pieces you can find on Amazon.

To find these exact pieces, click the photo or here.

I hope you found these capsule wardrobes helpful. You can find more posts like this from me over on LTK. LTK is easiest to use on their free app. Find me there by searching “BelleAntiquarian.”

Until next time!

Abby

Amazon capsule wardrobes for the whole family

AbbyLeave a comment
Three ways to style a white button up

One Item, Three Ways – Style it Saturday

Welcome back to another edition of Style it Saturdays!

This week I am showing three examples of how you can take one piece of clothing and style it three ways. It’s a great way to stretch your clothing budget and get the most out of one classic piece. As always, if you want to find these exact pieces, you can click the photos to be taken to the commissionable links.

First, I want to show you three ways that you can style a classic houndstooth blazer. As you can see below, this coordinates well over a dress, a skirt (or dress slacks), and even a casual pair of jeans. Sometimes we can overthink when it would be an appropriate time to wear a blazer. However, if you think of it as just a jacket or outerwear, you can wear it almost anytime you’d wear a regular jacket.

Three ways to style a blazer
To find these exact pieces, click the photo or HERE.

Next, I am sharing three suggestions on how to style a white button-up shirt. This particular shirt is a little oversized, but you could certainly wear a more fitted white shirt in these same ways.

Three ways to style a white button up
To find these exact pieces, click the photo or HERE.

Lastly, this week I am sharing three ways to style a fun, autumn piece – a vest. Vests are great for fall, when temperatures fluctuate wildly during the day. They’re an easy way to keep comfortable by adding or removing layers quickly. I’m showing a vest in a rich autumn color, but any neutrally colored vest is a great addition to your wardrobe.

Three ways to style a vest
To find these exact pieces, click the photo or HERE.

You’re invited to follow me on LTK, where you can see more decor and fashion. The easiest way to use LTK is on the free app. Search “BelleAntiquarian” to find me there.

AbbyLeave a comment

New Year’s Goal Setting Tools and Must Haves

Hi, friends!

  • Weight Loss/Eating Healthier/Fitness
  • Finances/Debt Payoff/Savings/Financial Independence
  • Spirituality/Church Attendance
  • Organization

Below I am sharing some commissionable links for things I personally find helpful in each of those areas. To find the exact items pictured, simply click the photos.

The key to long-term health and fitness is creating new habits and learning more about what is healthy. I’ve included some of my favorite things, including some really helpful books.

health and fitness must haves
Click the photo above to find the exact items pictured.

I haven’t shared about our debt free journey to early retirement before, but I highly recommend the Financial Health items below. If you get anything on the list below, I suggest the book A Simple Path to Wealth. If you are just beginning a journey to get out of debt, you will also need to budget and use an expense tracker. Everything is linked, just click the photo! (You can use the goal setting worksheet at the bottom of this post for savings or debt payoff goals.)

Click the photo above to find the exact items pictured.

I can’t pick one favorite from the Spiritual Growth must have list below. I simply recommend all of it. My favorite Bible to use is the NASB 2020 version because of the accuracy of the translation from the original Greek.

Click the photo above to find the exact items pictured.

I personally struggle with organization. I am constantly trying to find “homes” for things. It is much easier to do when you have the right “tools” to use. These Bathroom Organization must haves give a home to all of your bathroom items.

Click the photo above to find the exact items pictured.

The kitchen is another area of my house that tends to need organization. One of the most frustrating things for me is spices/spice jars. When we get into our next house I will be using the set below.

Click the photo above to find the exact items pictured.

For the past several years I have shared some goal setting strategies around this time of year. Today I want to provide you with an updated (2022) version of the goal setting worksheet that I use every year. This goal setting worksheet can be used in two ways. For an explanation of the two different ways to use this worksheet, please read THIS POST HERE. You can download the updated version below for free. Simply click on it, and it will open into a new tab. You can either print it or save it to your computer to use later.

2022 goal worksheet free printable Belle Antiquarian COLORDownload

AbbyLeave a comment

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for the Whole Family

Here are a few stocking stuffer ideas for toddlers:

Click the photo above or HERE for the toddler stuffer ideas.

Next, here are some stocking stuffer ideas for little girls:

Click the photo above or HERE for little girls’ stuffer ideas.

And now, here are some stocking stuffer ideas for little boys. Just a heads up that there are only a few of the Santa Legos in stock:

Click the photo above or HERE to find the commissionable links for the items pictured.

Here are a few stocking stuffer ideas for teens:

Click the photo above or HERE for teen stuffer ideas.

Dad would love any of these stocking stuffers on Christmas morning:

Click the photo above or HERE for Men’s stocking stuffers.

Last, but definitely not least, here are some stocking stuffer ideas for the ladies! Men, do not forget to fill Mamaā€™s stocking. We donā€™t want the kiddos thinking she was on Santaā€™s naughty list.

Click the photo above or HERE for Ladies’ stocking stuffers.

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AbbyLeave a comment

What Do You Give Someone Who Has Everything?

A follower recently messaged me asking for advice on what kind of Christmas gift to get for the person who has everything. In her case, she was shopping for her in-laws and parents, who didn’t really *need* anything. In this situation, I recommend one of two categories: Consumables or Experiences.

Consumable gifts are gifts that are going to be used. This could be something that is eaten or something that will last for just a season. Of the two categories I am featuring today (Consumables/Experiences), I generally prefer to give consumable gifts the most. Consumable gifts require less effort for the gift recipient.

Here are a few examples of consumable gifts:

  1. Real Christmas greenery – This can work for both local and long-distance gifts. For several years we bought table top Christmas trees or wreaths for both my Dad, who lives 1,500 miles away, and my Mother-in-Law, who lives 30 minutes away. This a great gift that will last for the season, and then it can just be thrown away. HERE is my favorite place to order from. Make sure that you enter the shipping address as the gift recipient’s address. Also be sure to leave a gift message. When I receive an email notification that it’s been shipped, I like to call or send a text that says, “Something we ordered for you should arrive on XX/XX/XXXX. Merry Christmas!”
  2. Specialty food gifts – This is often a decadent splurge that people don’t spend on themselves, but love to receive as gifts. In the past I have sent filet steaks for a big birthday year. I have also sent gifts of gourmet pears, apples, and specialty cheeses. These are great gifts for long-distance family members. For local family members, I like to put together my own basket at World Market or order one from Sprouts. When I am ordering food gifts to be shipped, THIS is my food gift favorite retailer. If you want to take a specialty food gift up a notch, consider a food of the month subscription! I’ll never forget the year my parents were gifted a subscription to the Fruit of the Month – it was something we all looked forward to!
  3. Another great “consumable” gift is a personalized calendar. You can easily create and personalize one with digital photos. At the end of the year, your gift recipient isn’t left with any clutter or junk; they can simply throw it away! One year for Christmas I created a calendar for my dad. Each month featured different pictures of him with his grandkids. I would say that is 100% grandparent gold!

Experience gifts are another great idea for the person who has everything. However, there are a few things I would keep in mind when gifting experiences. Make sure you consider if the experience you are gifting is good for an individual or a couple. Would the experience be something that the recipient would actually enjoy doing? I’ll explain more in a minute.

  1. A good experience gift for a long-distance family member or friend would be to find a highly rated local restaurant, and send them a gift card for it. Take it up a notch and ask if you can make the reservation for them. When you call the restaurant, explain that you are gifting an experience at the restaurant, and ask if there is anything special they can do. Sometimes they’ll offer a complimentary dessert or something.
  2. Theater tickets for an upcoming show or concert are a great “experience” gift. This would require some planning ahead of time to make sure the gift recipient is free on the day of the show. (Tickets for a sporting event would fall into this category as well.)
  3. A gift certificate to take a class would be a fun experience gift for the person who has everything. Maybe they have always wanted to learn French cooking, photography, or salsa dancing. A quick internet search should help you find the perfect class for something your gift recipient is interested in.
  4. A day at the spa or salon. This doesn’t just have to be for women! Try giving a certificate for a couple’s massage. A local Foot Palace pedicure would be enjoyable to both men and women.

And now a few things to consider for the “experience” gifts. If your gift recipient is single, it might not be the best idea to give them theater tickets unless you’re planning to take them. For me personally, a spa/salon day would not be an enjoyable gift, because I do not enjoy those types of things. Make sure the experience you are gifting is one the recipient would actually enjoy, and not something that you think that they SHOULD enjoy.

I hope these ideas help you to find the perfect gift for the person who has everything! To find all of the consumable gifts that I recommend in one spot, you can follow the commissionable links HERE or click on the photo below.

Click the photo above to find these exact commissionable links!

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AbbyLeave a comment