I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping recently. Maybe it’s the cold weather…or stress relief (we’ll be moving to a new house soon and I’ve got so much planning to do!). I already blogged about my Sigma order. Other recent purchases include: 4 swimsuits (I only plan on keeping 2), silk pillowcases and a purse organizer.
I have a hard time shopping for swimsuits (who doesn’t?). I want a suit with a cute print that covers my cleavage, tummy and bottom. But most swimsuits have a trade-off – if they cover your bottom, they are really low-cut in the chest….or they’ll cover your cleavage but will bare your belly. In an ideal world I’d order this swimsuit from jcrew:
But since I’d have to order it from the US it would come to around $120 with shipping and duties – not really worth it for something I’ll use to splash around in waterparks! Also, if it didn’t fit, I wouldn’t want to deal with the hassle of shipping it back.
I’ve purchased Old Navy swimwear before – they fit well and the colours don’t fade. My local store mainly carries bikinis, so I had to order the suits I wanted online. I checked their policy – and as long as the hygiene strip is intact, they accept returns on swimsuits (free shipping back or at my local store). They currently have a 30% online coupon code (ONCAN30 for Canadian shoppers) so I purchased these 4 suits to try on.
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| Blue suit – includes bikini bottoms and board shorts ($39.55 plus tax). Pink suit ($31.50 plus tax) |
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| One piece ($24.15 plus tax). Brown tankini ($28 plus tax) |
Most of their tankinis are halter tops – which I REALLY dislike – it always makes the back of my neck sore. Luckily, I’ve found an easy way to fix this. I take the halter strings and sew them down to the back of the suit as straps – it takes 10 minutes and is SO much more comfortable and secure.
I ordered silk pillowcases after watching this video from LanaIndiana. Apparently they are great for preventing wrinkles and keeping your hair healthy. I purchased the pink one first – and I LOVED it – it feels so cool and lovely against my skin. I often find hubby using my pillow! I offered to get one for him – but he prefers not to use a pillow when he sleeps (except for when he steals mine in the middle of the night!). Since I have to wash pillowcases frequently (to keep my skin clear) I purchased this beautiful aqua blue one as well. I got mine on eBay from this seller – they ship SUPER fast.
My last purchase was the “Purse-to-go” organizer in Large. I switch my bag frequently (at least twice a week) and I thought having this product would make it easier to move everything over without forgetting any important items. Also – it would make it easier to find the small items that keep getting lost at the bottom of my bag. I ADORE this organiser- it is so well made! It’s very light, flexible and reversible so you can have the pockets facing in or out, and it has Velcro bands to adjust the size to fit in smaller bags.
I’ve placed it my small Le Pliage bag – and velcroed the edges to make it fit neatly in the base. There are so many prints and varieties to choose from – I’m tempted to order a few more!
Which swimsuit do you like the best? Do you use silk pillowcases or purse organisers?
DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with any of the retailers listed and I paid for all of these items myself.
I like the one piece the best. 🙂
Too bad you can't get the J.Crew suit, it's adorable! I think the black & white striped is my favorite out of the other ones.I've been meaning to try silk pillowcases, I'm hoping it could help cut back on hair frizziness!
oh that organizer sounds very cool!! And that first bathing suit is too cute!Amber's Notebook
Ashley – I like the one piece too – I just hope the keyhole cutout isn't too revealing.Jessica – I ADORE the j.crew suit….hopefully it will go on sale soon…I'll keep stalking it! I've read that the silk pillowcases are amazing for keeping your hair sleek…I've noticed hardly any hairs on my pillowcase since I've started using them.Amber – the organizer is such a necessity for any purse lover…I can't believe I waited so long to get one!
I love J. Crew swim! So much. They have such great coverage, excellent for us mamas. I've also ordered 4 suits from them this month, but I only kept 2. I like the pink and black striped suits you chose.That organizer is so smart!
what a pretty and whimsical blog! the design is very nice..now following.. hope you can also, i just started and would really appreciate the support!
Andi – now that you've said it's mama-friendly, I'm REALLY tempted to get my Jcrew suit! I just wish I knew which one would fit me (S or XS, it always varies by store). I wish they had a store here so I could try some suits on in person!!! Ok, off to check the small print on the jcrew website!Lorena – thanks for your comment – I'm following your lovely blog too.
i'm so glad you liked it Ella! thank you 🙂
I need that organizer! I really do! What a great idea. I change my bag about once every couple months, but lately I've been carrying a clutch when I go out and so I think I need to re-organize.
The Jcrew suit is so you! I hope you find it on sale soon. As for the Old Navy ones, they are all very cute but I think I like the black and white one peice best.I've been wanting a silk pillow case for a long time (for wrinkles) but have yet to buy one.Also, I've been wanting to make a purse organizer. I've seen a few on tv but didn't really care for the look. I want something cutesie, lol.
Noelle – it makes it so easy to transfer stuff….I already change my bag frequently – but this makes sure I don't forget any essentials (like gum LOL!). They have so many different sizes on the website too…I'm so tempted to order more – but in all honesty, you only need one (since the size is adjustable).
Lindy – you should TOTALLY make a purse organizer – when I was deciding which organizer to buy, I saw this link and thought of you.http://tipnut.com/purse-organizer-sewing-tutorial/
Ooh, thanks for the link! I'm off to look now. 🙂
The last two swim suits are my favorites. I love anything retro! And I've been tempted to get a purse organizer. I'm always too lazy to switch my purse out because I'm afraid I'll lose something!xoxo
I also adore the jcrew suit!! I am in the same boat being a mama and needing ALL the coverage. LOL. Last year I got a very retro style one piece from TJ Max…it nipped and tucked….I loved it so much that I went back and bought 2 more in different colors. Do the silk pillowcases cut down on breakouts?
Oh….one last thing….I just got the Lands End catalog in the mail and there's some really cute one piece ones in it. You'd have to sew the straps as they seem to all be halter…but at least they wouldn't be AS expensive as the jcrew one. let us know what you choose.
Nuha – after using my purse organizer for a week – I really don't know how I was ever without one…I'm so much more organized now 🙂 No more digging in my bag for my phone!Marchlela – I ended up trying to order the lovely jcrew suit online – and they said it won't be shipped until May (?!?!!)…I've got some waterparking to do before then! Thanks for the tip on the suits at Lands End – I'll check them out.I'm not sure about the silk pillowcase's effect on breakouts…it is meant to minimize tugging on skin – so it's good for preventing wrinkles. And in general, switching pillowcases frequently helps prevent breakouts (that's why I got two – I have to air-dry the pillowcase overnight, so I need an alternate).
Love that black/white striped swimsuit! And the J. Crew one is cute Psst there's a J. Crew opening at Yorkdale next year:)
OMG! Monica – you always have the best news….I'm SOOOOOOOOO excited!!!!! Finally, a J.Crew in Canada 🙂
I used to use silk pillowcases and I regret stopping. I am actually going to be ordering some very soon. It is true that they keep your hair healthier!
It's good to know they really work for your hair! Hope you order some pretty pillowcases soon 🙂
That's remind me, I need to buy swimsuit:)