It’s time for the sale everyone loves to hate: the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! Nordstrom marks down fall items for a few weeks and then prices go back up on August 5. The pre-sale for cardholders opened today so if you have a Nordstrom card, you can shop now vs. wait until the general sale opens up next Friday. Some things sell out quickly, some don’t–but keep an eye on stock because there are tons of returns being made throughout the sale.

This sale is good but it’s gotten to the point where I buy less and less each year and end up searching for the diamonds in the rough. When you’re shopping, be sure to read the product reviews and fabric compositions, check the care instructions, and look at the actual percentage off before you buy! The best part is Nordstrom’s free shipping and free returns policy so I recommend ordering things you’re considering (or going into a store, if you’re near one) but not getting carried away about what you ultimately keep. It’s not worth spending hundreds of dollars on impulse purchases–do an inventory of what you own and just hold onto what you need because we still have the whole season ahead of us and that means lots of other (often better) sales! I also don’t cut the tags off things so in case I haven’t used it by mid-fall, that may be a sign it needs to go back.

Also, to address the elephant in the room: If you read multiple blogs, you’ve probably seen every possible way this sale could be covered…it’s a huge money-making opportunity for bloggers due to its longstanding popularity. It’s great being able to shop for fall items on sale vs. waiting till items have been out for a bit before they get marked down, ya know? The markdowns used to be pretty noteworthy but now there are many cases where you can get the same item on a discount by October…which means the Anniversary Sale prices aren’t always the best deal. That being said, shopping the sale is a way of guaranteeing you’ll get some kind of sale if it’s an item you have your heart set on. If you don’t cut the tags and it goes on further sale before you wear it, just return the one you have and buy it again, or ask for a price adjustment!

Read more “My 12 Picks from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Early-Access”

We’re in the thick of summer and my sandal collection is working in overdrive! While I love a good (low) heeled pair, I wear my flats styles the most and have had to be really picky about what I reach for lately given some foot and leg pain that developed over the past year. None of these are that supportive (though the Sarah Flint pair has been praised for it’s comfort when walking long distances) so I usually reach for sneakers when I’m walking around two miles or more. That being said, I’ve been impressed by the comfort on all of them–hence why they’re the four pairs of sandals I wear regularly!

Read more “My Four Favorite Flat Summer Sandals”