owlish deals on the web {great gifts $10 and under shipped }

I had lots of people asking me where I found this necklace I was giving away last week:

I couldn't remember for the life of me, and I shopped all of Amazon before I found where I got it- Hobby Lobby:

Hobby Lobby owl, $5 {no chain}

It was from the jewelry section with a coupon. But I figured since I searched high and low on Amazon before I figured that out, I'd show you what I found there that was similar in case you were looking for a fun gift. :D

I thought this was super cute on the high end of the price range- with a much different color combo, which I like too:

Vintage Bronze Colorful Enamel Owl Pendant Necklaces Fashion Jewelry for Women,100344, $10.86 {free shipping}

And this was just ridiculously adorable.

Jovivi Cute Animal Owl Flower Print Enamel Gold Tone Chain Necklace Adjustable (Blue), $7.98 shipped

And then this one looked a bit more heavy weight:

 Vintage Style Sweater Necklace Rhinestone Crystal Owl Necklace, $8.99 shipped with prime

And this one was just quirky fun:

BestDealUSA Small Bronzy Brass Elegant Owl Shape Necklace Pocket Watch, $4.85 shipped

And this one had a dragonfly {no owls}, but it is a watch too for $2.99 shipped! 

Unique Retro Design Bronze Dragonfly Pocket Quartz Watch, $2.99 shipped

And I apologize in advance for the cuteness overload. Not recommended for wearing around your neck, but these were too cute not to share! :D

Cute owl salt and pepper shakers, $7.50 shipped w/prime

They look like the little owlings {?} that belong with my cookie jar from World Market:

Owls might be super popular, but I still think they're fun. :) I'm going to try to keep that cookie jar until I have grandchildren. :D

{p.s. this post contains amazon affiliate links- should you buy one of the items above, {bh} receives a tiny percentage! yay!}

10 fun and manly online gifts for guys {$25 and under}

After doing the girl's gift guide, I couldn't help but do a man's version too! :)

I think guys are the hardest to shop for, don't you? It's hard to know what they really like, but for this guide I broke all the rules and asked my husband what he liked out of my gift findings. So this is an officially man-approved gift guide. ;) 

Here are my 10 favorite manly man gifts $25 and under:

1. Swiss+Tech ST66676 Utili-Key 6-in-1 Key Ring Multi-Function Tool, $8.58. {+ free prime shipping}. So small yet so functional!

2. Gerber 31-000699 Bear Grylls Survival Series Fire Starter, $10.83 {+ free prime shipping}. Guys and fire are.like.this.

3. Champion Eco Fleece Pullover Hoodie, $17.95 {free prime shipping}. A big hoodie just might be one of my husband's most favorite worldly possessions...

4. SAS Survival Handbook, Revised Edition: For Any Climate, in Any Situation, $15.29 {+ free prime shipping}.

5. Gerber 31-000750 Bear Grylls Compact Multi-Tool, $12.04 {+ free prime shipping}. Bear Grylls. Multi-tool. Manly man things I don't understand. {Watch out- get him all this survival stuff and before you know it your guy will be eating scorpions too. hahaha ;)}

6. MagnoGrip 311-090 Magnetic Wristband, $6.98 {+ free prime shipping}. It may seem a little underwhelming at first, but the men reviewing it LOVE it. It's like having three hands apparently. I need one that does dishes! ;)

7. Leathercraft 125L Handyman Flex Grip Work Gloves, Large, $11.71 {+ free prime shipping}. My husband loves his similar pair for working on house and car repairs.

8. Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work, by Tim Keller $19.99 hardback {+ free prime shipping}. I've never read it but I love the idea of how to connect our every day jobs to serving Jesus!

9. Audible audio book membership- $15/mo for one book or gift 3 months for $45. Perfect for guys who like to listen or have long communtes. Or you could just gift his new book in audio format. ;)

10. Thermos 16-Ounce Vacuum-Insulated Travel Tumbler, Stainless Steel, $23.15 {+ free prime shipping}. This gets amazing reviews!!

Bonus: WarTech USA Batman Knife with Dual Assist Open Blades, $7.12 {+ free prime shipping}. I was thinking this would be perfect for a younger teenager if they liked knives! The 624 reviews were almost 5 stars! 

What do you like to buy your guy? Food? Clothes? {now I need some ideas he won't know about!}


***disclosure- the Amazon links above contain affiliate information. Should you purchase the item through my link, I get a small percentage from Amazon. Hey! Yay for small percentages!! :)

10 fun + lovely online gift ideas for women {$40 + under}

One of my goals this week is to do my Christmas shopping, and so I figured I would share some of my favorite web finds with you while I was looking for deals!

My love language is gift-giving, so you know I had WAY too much fun making this list. I gathered up some of my very favorite gifts on the web! {most of them from Amazon because I shop there for everything now that we have 5 kids...heheh.}

Almost everything on this women's gift list is $40 or less, and I tried to cover several price ranges too. :)

Here are my 10 faves, in no particular order:

1. Botanicals Notebook Collection: 3 notebooks for $11.13 {+ free shipping with prime}. These are adorable! Rob bought them for me for my birthday, and I'm still using the first one. I carry it everywhere because I'm still a paper girl. :)

2. Swirled Anthro Mug, $10. A little different than a typical Anthro mug. Isn't it sweet?

3. Rifle Paper Co - Spanish Rose Iphone 5 Case - Inlay, $36 {$4 shipping}. This one is a bit pricey for a case, but the reviews say it's sturdy and really protects your phone. :D But I'll be honest and tell you I like it mostly because it's pretty. :) 

3. Sarah Watts Kitchen Linen Spice Adult Apron, $26.98 {free shipping with prime}. I am a little in love with this.

4. Aspen Bay 20 Oz Jar Capri Blue Candle - Volcano, $25 {free prime shipping} and so worth it. This candle it made it into last year's guide, and it's the only one to make a comeback for the girls this year!

5. Greenland Home Andorra Throws, Multicolor, $37 {free prime shipping}. It gets great reviews and I love the funky, colorful brightness of it. 

5. ESV MacArthur Study Bible, Personal Size, $39 + shipping {or $43 with free shipping}. While I don't agree with every single position John MacArthur takes, I love, love, love my MacArthur study Bible because of it's in-depth notes. This is the first smaller-sized ESV that just came out this September!

6. Cotton Gray Stripe Lightweight Soft Scarf, $13.99 {+ $2.99 shipping}. I wanted to go for wool, but since it's been 80 degrees here in Texas, it just doesn't seem right. ;)

7. Hand-stamped jewelry from Mary at Hope Homemade, $24. You can custom order a necklace with the words of your choice too! I think I would order one with beloved because sometimes I need a reminder of just how much the Lord loves me, and how I am His child. :) I love the leather necklace! :)

8. Timex Women's T2N836 Weekender Mid-Size Slip Thru Blue Nylon Strap Watch, $27. Fun for the weekends, no? :D

9. Passion: Let the Future Begin, $8.49 {free prime shipping}. This was one of my favorite CDs this year. It made me want to go to the Passion conference next year. I heard it was amazing! Maybe I should add Passion tickets to this list too...

10. 6.5 quart cast iron enamel dutch oven, $39. This thing has become an invaluable homemaking tool in our house! I got mine at Goodwill for $10 {total fluke!} but these are worth every penny at $40. They heat up fast, cook the food evenly, make everything taste better, and nothing sticks to it. I'm not even joking. I agree with the reviewer who said they'd marry one if they could. :)

Lodge Color EC6D43 Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, Purple 6-Quart, $73

So there are my 10 favorites- some of which I already own and love, some of which I will be buying for friends and family! :) 

Can you believe we only have less than three weeks to go? {with a 3.5 month old, I can't say enough- I'm so thankful for online shopping!! hahaha!}

*disclosure- the Amazon links above contain affiliate information. Should you purchase the item through my link, I get a small percentage from Amazon. Yay for small percentages!!

the thrifty girl gift guide {sweet October deals}

Note: some of these links are my amazon affiliate links, if you should decide you like the items as much as I do and buy them, I receive a tiny percentage. Hey!! and if several people buy something, I might be able to afford that owl necklace! 

It's been a few weeks since I did the last set of thrifty finds, so I thought I would share my October finds with you today! :) I love finding good deals on gifts and stocking up through the year, and Amazon is rocking with the accessory deals this fall! {p.s. if we're related or girlfriends in real life too, you might need to avoid this page if you don't want to know what you're getting for Christmas...heheh!}

Here are seven of my faves right now:

1. This necklace is only $2.19 shipped- I thought it would be so fun over a cardigan with boots this fall:

2. And this seahorse necklace is highly reviewed- $1.29 shipped:

3. And here is the silver version of the infamous owl necklace! :D It's $2.76 shipped:



4. This gray chevron scarf is a pretty good deal at $7.44 shipped. Other colors are about the same price shipped without prime. I think it's soo cute! :D



5. And this butterfly pendant necklace is just $2.19 shipped too! Rob surprised me with one the other day! I meant to take a picture of it for you. I love that man. He's always got something up his sleeve to surprise me with. It started back when I was in high school at 17, and he's consistently been surprising me ever since.  :)

6. This isn't from Amazon, but if you're looking for a fall flat that is cute, affordable, and generally comfortable, you might like these Target shoes! I have this one in glitter and I've had it in pink/magenta, and it's a tad wide, which I like in my flats, but probably too big if you have super narrow feet. If you have a Target red debit card, you can buy these flats and have them shipped for less than $7.48!

Target Odelle Flats, $7.48

Oh, and here are my magenta faux suede ones I found at Goodwill to give you an idea:

7. And this one is a sweet little rose ring that reminds me of James Avery jewelry- a little higher than $2, but $12.97 {+ $4.99 shipping} is a great price for sterling silver, and it's very highly reviewed!



What steals and deals have you found lately? :D

How soon do you start Christmas shopping? 

I just started! I have a few deals put away so far. :D

Does anyone else love cheap Target flats too? What's your favorite brand?

I also love Gap flats- anything that doesn't have that wrinked heel thing. Those kill my feet for some reason and they're everywhere! Do you have that problem too or is it just me?

thrifty date night outfit: $5 GW dress + $1.86 owl necklace {w/amazon link!}

I mentioned on Monday that we had the chance to go on a date at Carino's... it was the first time since our vacation last month. :) I was super excited to have a reason to wear this GW find from a couple of months ago that I hadn't worn before {and even more glad it still fit me! lol}:

My dress was originally from Target, brand new for just $5! I had so much fun dressing up again {and on the cheap}! In your last trimester, dressing up is not something you do or want to do frequently for some reason. :)

And remember this Vintage Owl Pendant Long Bronze Chain Necklace* from the gift guide for girls? It was $1.37 shipped. The price has gone up to $1.86 now, but I'd still say it's a great deal! :D {side note: I have quite a few more of these amazon finds- would you want me to share them on a regular basis?}

I've been putting it to good use since Christmas, and it's held up very well!

'

I've been so thankful for dresses this year especially- it's been hot in our old house this summer! Thanks to being 8 months along with baby #5, no matter where I go, I can only wear jeans or capris for so long without feeling like I'm overheating! :) In fact, I used to be so cold-natured that I had to carry a jacket with me year-round and now I almost never need one. I'd say that's one benefit of pregnancy, wouldn't you? ;)

How about you? How do you dress for the heat in the summer? 

For me, it really depends on the state of pregnancy I'm in that month...lol! :) For 4 out of 10 summers, I've been pregnant during the summer months! :) And I'm almost always at the end of my pregnancy, so Texas feels a little hotter than normal.

Favorite date restaurant? 

favorite chain restaurants: Carino's {Italian} and Saltgrass Steakhouse, and for very special dates- P.F. Changs. I find when we're without kids I really love to go to quieter places with big tall secluded booths. hahahaha! :)

Do you sit side by side or across from your significant other in a booth?

Side by side. Unless I've had a long day and I'm feeling the need to breathe, which has only happened a few times in our marriage. Most of the time I like to lean on his shoulder/hold hands while we wait for food. :)

Have you scored any cute finds lately? Please share the link if you have one! :D

*amazon affiliate link

gift guide for men {$35 and under}

I had a ton of fun making a gift guide for the ladies last week, so I thought I would share a men's gift guide based on things I know my man likes. :D

My hubs is a techie, but he's a handyman too. He's single-handedly remodeled the entire downstairs of our house so far. He's also very good at inventing things. And working out. :D {I like to tell him it must be because he has an amazing fitness instructor. Ahem. ;)}

So here are a few gift items he might want, use, or already love:

When we met, he got endless amounts of teasing from my dad that his favorite movie had the words princess and bride in it. I think my dad may have even called it the princess diaries once or twice. But Rob stuck to his guns, and still proudly admits his favorite movie of all time is:

1. The Princess Bride (20th Anniversary Edition)

And with "fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..."

I have to admit, it's the best movie ever. :D

Headphones are also at the top of his wish list- he loves to listen to the Bible and audiobooks while he remodels our.entire.home... ;)

2. Panasonic RPHJE120R In-Ear Headphone

$5.58 with really excellent reviews, and they come in lots of colors! {also apparently, they were recommended by Consumer Reports!}

And this may or may not be what I'm getting the hubs for Christmas. {don't tell!} It's a table top set that makes any table into a ping pong table. :D I'm excited about this one too!

3. Sportcraft Anywhere Table Tennis Set, $24.99. 

We saw this over at Restoration Hardware, and he fell in love with this:

4. Hidden LED baseball cap, $16.49

Here is a slightly less stylish Amazon version for $12.93 shipped.

And both my husband and my brother profess great love for their comfortable zipped fleece jackets. I know why- I love them too! They are perfect for wearing around the house all day:

5. Columbia Men's Steens Full Zip 2.0, $35

And I mentioned that Rob loves to listen to books while he does house repairs... this year he mentioned he would love to listen to this audio book again:

6. The Screwtape Letters

{That book is amazing- I think it's good for every Christian to read! It's a fictional work of letters written between the ranks of the demons as they work on Christians. It really makes you think!}

And you know every guy needs another flash drive! This one is special because it's crazy tiny:

7.  SanDisk Cruzer Fit 16 GB USB Flash Drive, $11.24

And if the man on your list works out, he really might like this blender bottle my husband LOVES:

8. BlenderBottle® Classic 28-ounce, $7.72

It's the only "glass" my hubs uses every day. ;)

And I loved this classic Timex. If I didn't just buy him a watch, I would totally buy this for him this Christmas:

9. Timex Weekender: Gray and Orange, $31.95

{It was selling for much, much more on the J. Crew website a year ago!}

And while the last gift definitely does not qualify to be exciting, I think every man loves a great pair of super comfortable socks that will last {comfort is always the #1 priority for most guys I know!}:

10. All-Pro Gold-toe socks- 8 pairs, $9.08

What kinds of gifts does your guy love? Would you say comfort is at the top of his list too? :D

{p.s. the amazon links above contain my affiliate information, so that if you should decide to buy those items, {bh} will get a small percentage! yay for affiliate programs!}