Target – Life of kk

Christmas, Decorating, Mr. KK, shopping, Target

I’m Torn Between 2 Seasons

November 18, 2022 littleshoeprincess

I think we can all agree that when November rolls around, summer is officially over. (I tend to hold onto summer for as long as possible, and will consider 65 degree October days basically an extensions of summertime). However, global warming is starting to mess with my logic, considering it was 75 degrees and sunny this past November 12th. The next day it was 20 degrees cooler, but that’s New England for ya.

November is a tricky time of year for me. We host Thanksgiving each year, so naturally I look forward to having everyone over, curating a menu and signature cocktail and eating, eating eating! Our house is decorated for fall, with leaves and pumpkins and oranges and browns. This is the first year I really got into fall decorating; and since orange is an accent color of our family room, the decor fits in seamlessly.

I love little houses! I have them out all year round, and decorate around them with the theme of the season.

But the problem with November, is that it’s not December.

While I like Thanksgiving, I LOVE Christmas. Like, LOVE LOVE. It is my most favorite time of the year (even better than birthday week), and each year I am itching to get started early. I am, however, shamed for these thoughts by Mr. KK and Little Mister. In fact, I took Little Mister to Target with me in October, and I happened to find some Christmas decor items in my cart (not sure how they got there?). When we got home, the little tattletale went right up to Mr. KK and yelled, “MOM BOUGHT CHRISTMAS STUFF!”

Thanks, a lot, dude. After I took you to Target for toys.

I also made the mistake of putting on Christmas music one morning while I was driving Little Mister around, and he ratted me out again! Where is this kid’s allegiance?

I’ve had our fall decor up two months now and I’m getting tired of it. I ran the idea of switching to Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving, however Mr. KK was not too keen on the idea of eating turkey next to a tree.

So, the fall decor will stay up until the clock strikes midnight on Thanksgiving night and then it’s all Christmas, all the time.

When we were first married, Black Friday used to mean a fun day of shopping and lunch. Then we had Little Mister and after a two years of Black Friday fun when he could be in a stroller, we realized that crowded shopping and lunch we not as fun with a toddler. After that, Black Friday became Christmas decorating day!

So this year, the seasonal switcheroo will start early on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and go all day until it’s done. It takes hours to transform the house, and even longer with Little Mister wanting to “play” with my decorations. I’m not particular about much, but the Christmas decorating, that is MY project. Everything has a place, and I use photos from previous years to ensure the decor is where it should be.

And, of course, I have already been ~~secretly~~ purchasing new holiday decor items.

Here are some of my favorites:

Lit Village Stocking Holder from Threshold™

I loved this item at Target from last year, but it sold out quickly. I was so happy to see it back this year! I won’t be using it as a stocking holder; instead, it will fit nice on a shelf in my built in bookcase. And it lights up! How cute is that!

Flocked Bottlebrush Tree from Threshold

My decor color scheme tends to be in the cream, silver and gold family, so this tree will fit right in. It’s pretty tall, too, so will add some great height on the tops of our built ins. Also comes in green with colorful ornaments.

Bottle Brush Trees Gift Wrap White – Wondershop™

The key to a successful Christmas is having a strong wrapping paper game early on the season. I have already identified my wrapping color scheme for the season, and am up to my armpits in new wrapping paper, ribbons and gift tags.

T-minus one week until Operation: Christmas here at the house. Just have to get through turkeys and pumpkin pie, but my eye is on the prize. I’ll even be able to share photos before the end of November!

What’s your POV: Christmas decor before or after Thanksgiving?

clothing, Fashion, kickboxing, Target

I Am Obsessed with Skorts

November 12, 2022 littleshoeprincess

In grade school I wore a pair of black velvet culottes for picture day with a white blouse and Mary Jane shoes. This year, I found myself purchasing not one, but two pairs of culottes. When I went for my drivers license, I wore an entire outfit from the Gap, right down to my ballet slippers, which made a comeback last year (Remember Sam & Libby? Swoon!). However, one of my favorite outfits from childhood was from high school: this cute little skort that was basically a dressy pair of shorts with an extra panel that came across the front to cover up the shorts and buttoned at the waist, giving off a “skirt” vibe. It was all dressy in the front, casual in the back. I wore it with loafers and a cardigan.

When skorts started showing up last year and then more prominently this spring I was ecstatic. Super versatile and super forgiving, long live the skort!

Skorts aren’t anything new; they have a long history and have been around since the early 1900s. But if the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we want to be comfortable and we no longer can tolerate button-front pants. It’s an athleisure world, and I’m happy to be living in it.

My first skort purchases were for our trip to Disney. I wanted something comfortable and that I could easily walk miles in without anything riding up or chaffing. Plus, it was going to be in the 80s so leggings were out. Enter: the skort! I found athletic skorts at Target that were perfect.

These skirts doubled as great dog waking attire too. They had pockets for my phone and dog treats. Eventually Bruno recognized my “walkies” outfit so whenever I put a skort on he would start going crazy thinking we were headed out. These skorts were so easy to slip on each morning that they became my de facto work uniform. (Move over, leggings!)

This summer, I started taking golf lessons. Mr. KK is a really good golfer, so I thought it was time to learn how to play, just in case golf would become the thing we did together in our retirement. On the first day of golf lessons, they were reviewing proper golf attire, and guess what women golfers wear? SKORTS. Score! I already had a built in golf wardrobe. Though I did buy some fun golf shirts because if you can’t get a new wardrobe around a new endeavor, what is the point?

I also purchased a “fancier” cotton skort to wear out and about on weekends, running errands or going to lunch. Again, you can’t beat the comfort of the skort. I found mine at TJ Maxx, but this one at Kohl’s is similar.

Eventually, it got too cold to wear my skorts. However, I have extended the life of my athletic skorts by wearing them to kickboxing! I feel a little fancier on the mat, and the spandex undershorts make it easy to move and kick.

‘Til next summer skort season…

Amazon, clothing, favorite things, shopping, Target

My 7 Best Purchases This Year

November 6, 2022 littleshoeprincess

Sometimes I buy something and it just becomes a favorite. Many times, the item was never intended to be a must-have, it was either filling a need or was purchased on a whim.

This past year, I had many of those “Surprise, I’m Your Favorite!” moments with things I’ve bought. Here are my 7 best purchases that I made in the last 365 days.

LL Bean Swimsuit Cover Up

I first fell in love with the color of this cover up. Is there a beachier color than this soft turquoise? Second, the fit is perfect: slightly fitted but not skin tight, and it doesn’t stick to your bathing suit so no bunched up weirdness around your middle. The long sleeves make it perfect for early summer, when you need to cover up from the sun, or when you’re lucky enough to be at the beach for the golden hour when the sun dips low and it starts to get a little cool.

Rain Booties by Universal Thread at Target

These were a last-minute purchase before a weekend trip to Cape Cod. (Aren’t the best purchases the ones you make in haste and they end up being a wardrobe staple?). I was headed to the Cape for a long weekend with a dear friend, and a hurricane was making its way up the coast causing a weather forecast of “soaking rain” and “windy conditions”. Determined to not let a little rain stop me (and by a little rain, I mean pouring rain for 12 straight hours during our outdoor Saturday shopping extravaganza), I knew I needed rain boots. I found these Universal Thread booties online at Target, ready for in-store pick up in 2 hours. Perfect! Except an hour later I received an email telling me that they no longer had them in stock and they cancelled my order. Determined to find the pair the website said the store had in stock, I went to the store and scoured all the shelves, and wouldn’t you know, I found the only pair of size 6 black rain booties shoved in with the dress shoes. They turned out being a literal life saver from the deep puddles and sheets of rain we endured. Not only did they keep my feet dry, they were super comfortable (I wore them all day shopping and walking around for 6 hours!) but they almost look like cute little black boots.

lululemon Everwhere Belt Bag

I think this bag is really hard to find now, it seems sold out at lululemon but they sometimes get them on Amazon.

When we booked our trip to Disney for the spring (an entire blog post on that, I promise!), I wanted something to wear in the parks that would carry my wallet, lip balm and phone, that was lightweight for the warm weather, and that allowed me to be hands free. Enter: the Everywhere Belt Bag. You could wear this as a fanny pack (which admittedly I did in Disney) or you can wear it as a sling bag (which is how I wear it now running errands). I love this little bag, and can’t recommend it enough. It beats the full crossbody bag that can cause weird boob cleavage. And I’m a sucker for anything camo.

Long Puffer Vest from Amazon

Yes, you read that correctly, this vest is from Amazon. Their “try before you buy” option is so easy to use, and being able to return Amazon items at Kohls is the best partnership on the planet (and likely what is keeping most Kohls stores open, TBH). This vest came shrink wrapped in a package practically the size of a postage stamp, but once opened it puffed up into a full-length vest. I LOVE this outerwear option because when I wear leggings and a long top, a regular-length coat looks ridiculous with 6 inches of sweater hanging out the bottom. This vest allows me to wear my long tops and also wear a jacket without being too bulky or warm. It comes in a variety of colors but I loved the olive!

Fir & Grapefruit Scented Candle

This is the only holiday scent you will want in your home. I found this candle at TJ Maxx while Christmas shopping last year, and bought it as a gift, and ended up keeping it for myself. After lighting it once, I knew I needed to stock up on the scent. When I looked online for it, Amazon had it but for WAY more money than I paid at TJ Maxx (which tells me that they no longer really make this candle and I was lucky to find the one I did). So one Saturday, I hit up every TJX Companies store in a 25 mile radius and found 5 more of these candles! I included the Amazon link here, but I would scour your TJ Maxx/Marshall’s/Homegoods to find it at a good price! I can’t wait to light it this year for the holidays!

Funnel Neck Sweater from Amazon

This list contains not one, but TWO clothing items from Amazon. Make fun of me all you want, but I have had GREAT luck with Amazon apparel purchases. I bought this sweater in black and olive (is this becoming my signature fall color?) and it pairs perfectly with jeans and is also the perfect length to wear with leggings. It’s not too boxy and not too heavy. Perfect for fall. And would go great with the long length vest…just saying!

COVERGIRL Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm

I wore I Cherry-ish You all summer long.

After an almost two-year hiatus from make up, it was time to put some color back on my face. I found this tinted lip balm at the drug store, loved the cherry color, and tried it out. It’s more lipstick than lip balm, though perhaps it does have some moisturizing qualities. But the color is bright and more matte than I expected. That being said, it was the perfect summer color with a tan. It went on easy, was ridiculously inexpensive, and gave me stand-out lips. I just purchased the “Bliss You Berry” color for fall.

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I hope you find even one of these items inspirational or something you want to purchase for yourself. They have all become my favorites!

Christmas, Decorating, Target

Target Has All Of The Things for Christmas Decor

November 11, 2021 littleshoeprincess

All of the photos here are from Target.

This time of year is when some of my most favorite things convene into a perfect storm of bliss: Christmas, decorating and Target.

Last year (also known as ‘The Year with No Rules’), I decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving because it makes me happy and last year sucked big time. Plus, I was spending so much extra time in my house, I wanted pretty things to look at 24/7.

This year, Mr. KK (sort of) put his foot down that I was to not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Which I heard as, “You have extra time before you have to decorate, so you should buy more stuff!”

Personally, I can’t wait to start decorating because I am running out of ~~hiding spots~~ places to put my new decor purchases.

If you haven’t been to Target yet this season, prepare yourself. Their holiday offerings are on point.

The minute you walk in you will be greeted by Bullseye’s Playground (formerly known as the Dollar Spot). During the holidays, they have great items like gift bags, gift tags, little houses, greenery…all for $1, $3 and $5. I have a love/hate relationship with Bullseye’s Playground; I love how cheap and cute everything is, and I hate how fickle the inventory is. I stalk Instagram accounts that showcase holiday finds, and I am SO JEALOUS of how awesome Targets are in other areas of the country.

And now, for the good stuff. No matter what your holiday decor theme is (or even if you don’t have one!) there is something for your home at Target. I’m obsessed with little houses, red trucks and bottle brush trees. And Target does NOT disappoint.

My Favorite Target Holiday Decor Finds

Light Up Trees, $10+

These trees come in 2 sizes, and are a perfect way to light up your decor. I have a similar version of these trees that I put in a bookcase where I don’t have any lighting and it lights them up so nicely! (NOTE: I will also be purchasing these this year!)

4-Pack Bottle Brush Trees in Pink, $5

You can never have too many bottle brush trees, that’s my motto! And I love that there are a few different styles of trees! I can’t wait to add these to my collection.

Metal Truck with Tree, $10 (medium size)

I love, love, love the truck trend. In fact, I have an entire side table dedicated to red holiday trucks in our living room. And only $10 for the medium is a great price!

Metal Bus with Tree, $20 (large size)

If you get the metal truck, you have to get the metal bus to keep it company. How cute is this??

Ceramic Tree in Charcoal Gray, $5

If you have a more modern decor or a darker color palette, this little ceramic tree is perfectly understated! I would mix this with cream and gold decor items of different textures.

Pom Pom Wreath, $20

If you’re looking for an alternative to a traditional wreath, this is it! It’s so colorful it can go in almost any room, and would be especially amazing in a kid’s room or playroom!

Christmas Tree Colorful Tree Skirt, $30

If you get the colorful wreath, you need the colorful tree shirt! If you’re like me and you have more than one Christmas tree, this is a great skirt for the secondary tree, wherever it may be!

Tassel Tree in Teal, $10

Oh my goodness, I need these funky trees! They also come in red, purple and light blue. Going for glamorous, these are your trees!

Modern Wood Tree, $15 (small size)

These sleek, neutral trees will blend into any decor. They would be great on a mantel, mixed with other tree types in a cream and gold color palette.

Antique Table Top Tree in Gold, $20 (large size)

These three dimensional trees are the perfect accent, and would go beautifully with the modern wood tree above.

Ceramic Houses, Assorted prices and sizes

I mentioned my affinity for little houses – wood, metal, ceramic – and this little collection makes a cute little village. The glitter roofs add a special sparkle.

Paper Decorative House, $10

I can’t wait to add this sweet house to my paper house collection for the top of our living room built ins. Best part is they light up!

Trio of Winter Birds, $10

I have a few of these birds (the Fall version is out in my bookcase right now!) for Christmas but I love the red and pink outfits on these three. I’m sure I could fit a few more birdies into the decor…

Faux Fur Wreath, $15

Glam, glam, glam! Who doesn’t need a feather wreath in their lives??? Honestly, this could stay up year round!

Metal House Stocking Holders, $30 (4 pack)

How cute are these?? If you have a little house theme, these are the perfect addition to your mantel.

There you have it, all of my Target Christmas favorites. Stores have had limited stock, but everything is online! For your late night/early morning shopping!

clothing, NaBloPoMo, shopping, Target, Uncategorized, wfh, work

Your Guide to Your WFH Wardrobe

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 littleshoeprincess

Let’s be real, the minute we all started working from home, our wardrobe went downhill. If you had previously worked from home pre-pandemic like I did, you likely had already developed comfortable work from home attire. However, it’s possible even your casual WFH clothing started to deteriorate, along with your sanity.

There are 3 stages to the WFH Wardrobe:

Newly Working From Home. At this stage, you are putting in some effort! Possibly jeans or casual dress, a nicer top with statement jewelry for the ladies or a button down for the men. Daily shower. Perfume or cologne.

Working from Home, 3 Months In. You are up and dressed today! Still casual, but leggings have replaced the jeans (buttons? on your waist? this isn’t a prom, people!) Gone are the jewelry and cute/button down tops, replaced with t-shirts and athleisure (I love that this is a term!). Hair is in a ponytail and you likely showered within the last 36 hours.

Working from Home, 6 Months In. Do I have any video meetings today? No? Feejays and a fleece it is! Or possibly your workout gear from the morning, sweat included. Bonus points if you change out of both your pajama tops AND bottoms.

If nothing else, you likely saved some money on your spring/summer/fall wardrobes this year. I know that when I changed over my closet to my summer clothes 80% of them went unworn. Oh, well, there’s always 2022.

If you’re like me, you needed to buy a few key pieces – not because you needed them, but because having new clothes for a new season just makes you feel good. And who couldn’t use a little more “feel good” this year?

I’m very public about my love affair with Target. And this year, when it came to my casual WFH wardrobe, Target didn’t disappoint. With every retailer shifting their summer and fall lines to have more “cozy chic” options (let’s face it, no one is putting on a rayon dress or stilettos right now), Target was on point with their wardrobe staples.

7 Items You Need to Buy From Target Right Now

I love every one of these items and could not recommend them more. I also think I have a slight addiction to camouflage.
(NOTE: camouflage items should NOT be worn together. Ever.)

This camo sweatshirt can be dressed up or down! (Hahahaha, who am I kidding? Who is dressing up a sweatshirt right now?) This literally goes with anything. Your jeans and Uggs need this sweatshirt.

Hey, what do you know, more camo! These joggers are perfect for those days that you don’t have any clean leggings, and you’re feeling like you’re better than pajama bottoms.

When you need a break from camo, this flannel shirt is perfect. I love it with leggings and tall boots. Warning: you might feel you need to hit up a brewery for some outside drinking when you wear this, so plan for a day of no meetings!

A girl can never have too many ponchos, that’s what I always say. Surprisingly, I didn’t have a black one (though I have about 3 cream colored ones), so this black turtleneck poncho was perfect. It goes with jeans, leggings and everything in between.

Bring on the camo footwear! These little slip on sneakers go with anything (except more camo). But, if you’re like me and your entire wardrobe is black and gray, you’re golden!

As much as I detest the phrase coatigan, that’s essential what this little number is. This cardigan is part coat, part cardigan and 100% cozy. It’s the perfect thing to throw on when it’s chilly out and ~~you’re too cheap~~ it’s too early to turn on the heat. If you live in a city and you have to run to corner bodegas or down to get your mail, this is what you would wear.

Universal Thread High Rise Skinny Cropped Jeans

(Please – for all that is holy – pretend this model isn’t wearing these shoes with these pants.) Back to camo! I used to think I hated high wasted jeans and couldn’t wear skinny jeans. Well, these high rise jeans proved me wrong. They are SO comfy and stretchy and fit perfectly. And, these jeans are suitable for those WFH days when you’re feeling a little too fancy for yoga pants.

Each one of these items is in rotation in my WFH wardrobe. Paired with my other wardrobe staples: dark denim, black leggings, high top sneakers, tall boots and gray long sleeved tops, I can mix and match until my heart’s content. Plus, I can be incognito on my video calls wearing my camo!

Christmas, Decorating, Pandemic, shopping, Target

Today, I Busted Out of the House

November 14, 2020 littleshoeprincess

This year, I’d like to skip right over Thanksgiving and dive antlers first into Christmas. I mentioned this ~~constantly~~ casually to Mr. KK who replied, “It’s not even the middle of November.” Well, seems the Grinch came early this year at least!

It goes without saying that this year is unlike any other year we’ve experienced. I remember being on a neighborhood walk in April and a house was decked out in holiday decor, with 3 different Christmas trees in the windows. Everyone’s mantra is basically, “Because, 2020.” And I’m totally down with that.

As COVID cases continue to rise, schools move to remote learning and states threaten to shut down, I saw my opportunity for one last hurrah before the sh*t really hits the fan. I took the day off from work to run a few errands on a weekday to avoid the crowds. And, in true KK style, I made sure I was at the stores waiting for them to unlock their doors for the day.

After being the envy of the entire country all summer, this is what CT looks like now.

My agenda for the day included Target, Homegoods and TJ Maxx. I broke my Target hiatus in the summer, but I haven’t been to Homegoods or TJ Maxx since before last Christmas. I was looking forward to a day of me, wandering down empty aisles with a highly-sanitized cart.

Before I left the house this morning, Mr. KK lovingly said, ” Have a great day off today! Buy everything you want, but remember that we already don’t have any room for more Christmas stuff in the basement! Love you!”

Talk about a pep talk.

I spent the morning in my glory, wandering aisles and perfecting my anti-social behavior of avoiding all other humans (except for the cleaning aisle at Target, where they were restocking Clorox Wipes; you’d have though they were handing out winning lottery tickets). I wasn’t even there to Christmas shop – as a family we talked about not really going crazy with gifts this year (what do you get for the person who doesn’t leave the house?) – but instead to hoard bottle brush trees and wooden houses from Bullseye’s Playground. Mission accomplished!

You can’t have too many mini trees is my motto!

And, because Mr. KK has so wonderfully reminded me that we didn’t have any storage room for additional Christmas decor, I smartly purchased a nice red bin to store all of my new Christmas! Problem solved!

While it felt good to be out, between my hat, mask, glasses and Airpods, I’ve never been so decorated from the neck up. I got my fix of Christmas Inspo (and a few small gifts) and headed home. I spent the rest of my rainy day off on the couch with Mr. KK, Little Mister, Rocco and Bruno watching a movie. Which was better than any shopping trip.