Author: Joules

My Arizona Spring Break Thrift Haul

We just got back from an amazing spring break trip to Arizona, and I’m working on putting together a series of blog posts to share all our adventures. But while I’m organizing my thoughts, I couldn’t wait to show you something fun…

Let’s talk travel thrifting!

One of my favorite things to do on vacation (besides eating all the delicious food and seeing the sights, of course) is checking out local thrift stores. It’s the best way to score unique souvenirs that actually mean something. They’re usually way cheaper than gift shops, way cooler than anything you’d find at a chain store, and every piece comes with a little story. Also, my husband is super into it too… so it’s a fun family activity for us.

So before I dive into our adventures visiting the Grand Canyon, hiking the Granite Dells and the fact that it SNOWED one day and we were in shorts the next, let’s check out some thrifted treasures!

Zara skirt, $3

I found this new with tags Zara skirt and was intrigued by the parachute-type material, stretchy waist and deep pockets. It’s marked as an extra-small/small, which is ridiculous because it fit my body just fine. Apparently it sold for $69.90 at Zara, but all skirts were just $3 at the Prescott thrift store. Everything was priced so cheap there – my husband bought 2 tee shirts for just $1.50 each!

Anyways, here is the skirt on me:

It’s flowy and comfy and I like it a lot. My original thought was that I’d hem it a bit shorter, but I may wear it a few times at its current length before I make my final decision.

Vintage skirt, $7.29

I accidentally overpriced this on my Instagram share, but found the receipt while typing up this post and it was actually less than $8. SCORE! And yes, I know that this skirt leans a little hippy-dippy. Mid 90’s Joules would have LOVED this skirt and honestly, so does 2025 Joules.

Here it is on and I ended up wearing this outfit for our travel day from Prescott to Scottsdale to the airport and to home.

This skirt is just so eclectic and lightweight and I love the different fabrics. It’s a vintage brand, so probably from the mid-90’s and I can’t wait to it with tank tops and graphic tee shirts this summer!

Vintage skirt, $9

Yes, I was on quite the vintage skirt kick on this trip. This one is another vintage label – most likely from the 1980’s or 1990’s, with a gorgeous flow and pretty detailing. It’s a smidge loose in the waist, but that’s an easy fix.

Here it is paired with a graphic tee:

I love the mix of soft and tough! It’s such a pretty color in person and the fabric is super soft but thick enough that it has a bit of weight to it. I do feel like this one could look quite dated depending on how you style it, but I really like it with a graphic tee shirt. I’m looking forward to experimenting with styling this one with other items in my closet soon.

Everlane sweater, $7

You guys. I’m OBSESSED with this sweater. I love the long cuffs and the stripes and the chunky 100% cotton knit. I’ve actually eyed this sweater on the Everlane website, but it’s $110 so I hadn’t pulled the trigger. I was concerned that the medium would be a little too fitted, as I like my sweaters oversized, but it’s actually pretty fantastic:

It looks pretty darn cute with the skirt and I’m sure it will look fabulous with jeans and joggers too. I almost hope we get a few more cool days before summer hits so I can enjoy it, but I’m sure future Joules will appreciate it when she re-finds it in the fall too!

Acme cowboy boots, $25

One of things I was *hoping* to find while thrifting in Arizona was a pair of authentic vintage cowboy boots. At each store, I checked both the women’s and the men’s sections, because I actually prefer the fit of men’s boots (they are wider and you can stick some big, fluffy insoles inside and wear comfy socks). Each store had a couple pairs (at least), but they were all either in terrible condition, the wrong sizes, or marked at $50 or higher.

And then, at a Goodwill in Sedona, my husband pointed me towards these! Vintage leather Acme cowboy boots for just $25!!!

And they looked kind of terrible:

But I had hope that they just needed some love. And conditioner. So I grabbed some boot conditioner and mink oil at a local boot store and went to work. First, I scrubbed all the dirt and yuck around the edges with a scrubbie and water. Then, after letting them dry for a day, I massaged on some boot conditioner and let it soak in. Then, I gave each boot a really good rubdown with mink oil and let it dry for an hour or two. I buffed it down and then gave it another coat of mink oil. One more buffing. And BAM.

Gorgeous and the perfect amount of worn/broken in! I kind of wanted to wear them home on our last day, but they went into the suitcase for the ride. In order to finish preparing them for real life, I just need to add a pair of squishy insoles (which I have already) and also throw on some comfortable socks!

We had so much fun with our Arizona vacation thrifting and I can’t wait to wear all my new treasures. And once again, staying in a VRBO with a washing machine is so helpful. I was able to launder all of our new finds before packing them back in our suitcases to bring them home!

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The Spring 2025 Trend I’m Actually Loving

Every year, we are always inundated with the latest “trends” or “micro-trends” that you just HAVE to purchase. And yes, we all know it’s just fueled by the buy-buy-buy mentality. And frankly, at a certain age you just really don’t CARE whether something is cool or not, as long as you love it.

Anyways, I’ve always loved the vintage band tee and distressed denim look. It’s a little tough/badass, while still being pretty timeless and trend-free. However, I’ve noticed lately that a more oversized t-shirt with a cropped hem keeps popping up on my feed.

Yes, I know that is very specific. But like this:

Source: Octopiedmind.com

It’s cropped, but there is no belly on display. And it’s a boxy cut, so it’s nice and slubby and oversized. These tops from Octopied Mind intrigued me, so I decided to play around with the look a bit on my own.

First off, I hit up my favorite thrift stores and checked out the men’s t-shirt sections. I wanted something boxy and oversized and found a couple graphic tees that I liked for less than $5 each. Then, I brought them home, washed them, tried them on and chopped them with a pair of scissors.

After wearing them for a few weeks, I have feedback. I LOVE the look. But I was overaggressive in chopping them too short. After a few wearings/washings the hem tends to roll up and get shorter. I’ve learned my lesson now and on my latest try I chopped the tee right at my hips. That way, after wearing them a few washes I can determine if they need another little trim.

So yes, thrift stores for the win again!

However, to be completely transparent I also ordered a couple tee shirts from Octopied Mind because the ads internet stalked me and how could I resist a shirt that says “Poison the Patriarchy” with Medusa on it?! Or “Overwhelmed and Overtired” or “Riots Not Diets”. While they do offer the cropped versions for sale (as pictured above), I ordered the longer versions so I could do a bespoke cropping on my own. I’ll be sure to post photos on my Instagram when they arrive!

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What Do You Do With Teenagers During the Summer? (Seriously, I’m Asking.)

This is the first summer ever that my kid is officially old enough that I don’t have to plan for daily childcare. Also new this year – I’m working a mostly remote job. Which means that we will both be home, I can sleep in until something crazy like 8:30am on workdays, and we are not spending THOUSANDS of dollars on summer camp.

Which is a total winner. But also, kind of confusing. Because while we’ve now entered the “no more camp drop-offs” era, we are not exactly in the “see you at dinner, Mom” phase either. The kid is 13. Independent-ish, but not feral in the woods like a GenX kid level of self-sufficient.

He still needs some structure to his days to keep his brain from turning to mush from endless Fortnight games and Netflix marathons. But also, I kind of WANT his brain to get a little mushy, because it’s summer. And after 10 months of non-stop school and homework, he deserves a break.

Which makes me wonder… what do people do with teenagers all summer?!

Here are my thoughts so far:

  • Daily chore list – Each summer I typically give him a daily chore list on days that he’s home with me and I’m teleworking, so this is pretty normal for him. Things on the daily chore list include actual chores – like emptying the dishwasher, cleaning his room, and vacuuming – and also ‘annoying mom chores’ like read for 20 minutes and create art with something.
  • Volunteering – He’s too young to get an actual job, but I’m keeping my eyes open for any volunteer opportunities that might be a good fit. Maybe there will be something at the library, or at the local animal shelter?
  • Sneaky Learning – The local community college has some half-day class options for teens, so I signed him up for a couple video game animation courses.
  • Lending Him Out – I have 6 nephews and nieces between my 3 siblings and they are all pretty much obsessed with Jack. I may lend him out as a helper for a day here and there to help keep an eye on the little kids at the park or splash pad.
  • Learn a Life Skill – Sure, he’s only 13 but I’m trying to raise an awesome dude, so maybe we should start with learning how to cook something? Or how to do laundry properly from start to finish?

Suggestions welcome! If you’ve figured out how to keep teens reasonably productive, relatively social, and only mildly screen-addicted during summer break… let me know.

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