Dress: Kmart ($13.99, saved $5.07 with Kmart coupon codes)| Shoes:Kmart ($16.99, saved $3.48 with Kmart coupon codes) | Necklace: Musana Jewelry | Bracelet: Olive + Piper | Watch: Anthropologie | Earrings: JEWELIQ | Clutch: ASOS | Aviator Sunglasses c/o Sunglasses Shop | Hat: H&M

As I shared with you in this post and this post,   Coupons.com gifted me $100 to Kmart as part of the Show Your Savvy Style collaboration.  This is my third and final post in this series.  From this outfit, my dress and sandals are from Kmart.  This look is great as it’s more of a casual running errands or hanging out by the beach (if only I lived by one) type of outfit.  This dress has got stripes and chevron and a little lace detailing on the sides and is oh so comfy.

And just wanted to share my new Ray-Ban Sunglasses with you all too.  I’ve always wanted a pair of aviators and it took me awhile to decide on the color, style and size, but I opted for the Large Ray-Ban 3025 Aviator in the classic black/green color with gold trim.  I am digging the oversized look of the sunglasses which means it protects me better from those UV rays and (hopefully) makes my face look smaller haha.

And just to give you a little recap of my Kmart Show Your Savvy Style looks c/o Coupons.com… the pre-tax, pre-shipping total of the 7 items I purchased came out to ONLY $75.58 (a little shy of $100 with tax and shipping).  Honestly, through this experience, I was pleasantly surprised at all of the fashionable and trendy items that Kmart has and how affordable everything is especially with some Coupons.com codes!  Hope this little series has inspired you and opened your eyes up to look for little ways to save anywhere you shop! 

Which is your favorite look?

Disclosure: I am part of the Verizon Voices Style Program and have been provided with a Samsung Galaxy Camera and 6 months of service. All photos in this post were taken by the device.

Tank: Madewell | Skirt: Loveappella | Cardigan: Target | Bag: Chloe Marcie | Sandals: H&M | Necklace: Wild Butterfly Boutique | Bracelet: Apple Of My Eye Jewelry

In yesterday’s post, I said I was living in shorts this summer, but the other thing I’m living in is maxi skirts.  And apparently this peach tank top since I wore it in last week’s post.  My absolute favorite way of styling is a maxi skirt is with a tucked in top, belt, cardigan, statement necklace, and flats.  It’s an easy combination and so comfy as well.  I like this look because it is perfect for work, date night, girl’s night, running errands.. it’s super versatile!  The weather is really warming up this week for us this week – as in high 90s and low 70s, and I am loving it!  Special thanks to my friend Sam for snapping these pictures for me.

I am linking up to the Verizon Voices Fashionista Style Hop and Style Elixir Style Sessions with this post!

P.S. Please help keep me in the Chippmunk Expert Shopper contest by clicking the LOVE IT button next to my picture!    You can vote once every day!

Top c/o Conversation Pieces | Shorts c/o Lee Jeans | Shoes: Zara | Bag: Cuore and Pelle | Watch: Anthropologie | Earrings: JEWELIQ | Bracelets: Olive + Piper, JEWELIQ

A few days ago as I was moving my sweaters to my upstairs closet and moving my shorts and summer clothes to my bedroom closet, I snapped a picture of my shorts collection and posted it on Instagram.  I never really realized just how many patterned and colorful shorts I had until I snapped that picture… and also realized that I’m missing basic denim shorts and mint shorts (mint is one of my fave colors, how could I not own mint shorts?).

These shorts I’m wearing in this post are my new faves.  They are a pretty pink color and they’ve got polka dots and they are just a perfect length for me.  I decided to go all white with a boho style top and crochet glitter flats, but added in pops of mint in my accessories.  And a neutral gray bag is just the perfect thing to complete this outfit.

P.S. Please help keep me in the Chippmunk Expert Shopper contest by clicking the LOVE IT button next to my picture! 

Linking up to #YOLOMONDAYS!

A few weeks ago, Samsung contacted me to review one of their Solid State Drives (SSD).  To be honest, I didn’t really know what that was, but my husband immediately said “YES” for me.  And for all you other non-techie folks out there, an SSD is a data storage device that can be installed on a desktop or laptop as an alternative to a hard drive.  An SSD will noticeably speed up your machine, make booting up fast, and use a lot less battery power.  They also are much more durable than a hard drive, so are perfect for laptops that are often on the move.  You can check out the top ten benefits here.  When many people’s computers start slowing down, they tend to look for a new computer or an upgrade,  but alternatively, upgrading a hard drive to an SSD is a better and (probably cheaper) option!  As a blogger, I’m on my computer daily, editing photos, writing blog posts, reading blogs, being involved in social media.  And making sure that my computer can react fast to my every need is a very important feature for my daily life. 

So today, wait for it, I have a vlog for you.  I’m sharing with you all how simple and quick it is to make the switch from a desktop hard drive to the Samsung SSD 840 Pro series.  If a non-techie person like me can do it, you can do it.  I may have had a little coaching from my husband on how to do it, but I think I picked it up pretty quickly.    So grab some popcorn, turn up the volume, and enjoy watching me trying to act like a serious techie person…

Pretty easy to install, huh?  I think so.  I’ve already seen our computer move faster and now we have more storage for my excessive amount of photos too!

Have you heard of a Solid State Drive before?  Do you use one?

**Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Samsung as they sent me an SSD 840 Pro series to review.  All opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own. Video was taken with my Samsung Galaxy Camera which was gifted to me through the Verizon Wireless Voices Style program.

P.S. Winner of the That’s Mine Boutique giveaway is Georgina V!  Congrats!  Email me at sandyalamode(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your $75 credit!  For those of you who didn’t win, remember, if you make a $40 or more purchase, you can also get a FREE signature necklace with your order!  Just add one of the signature necklaces to your cart and use code “sandyalamode”.

Hi Sandy’s friends! I’m Christy, the blogger behind Sunnywithasideof. I’m so happy that Sandy has graciously given me an opportunity to guest post on her blog! As mutual followers, I may have met a few of you peripherally and I really admire the readership that Sandy has- a body of loyal readers who are sincere, supportive, and genuine. She is one blessed blogger

Briefly, I’m a Geriatrician and acupuncturist by day, and a mom to an 18-month old little girl named Grace. I’d like to say I’m a blogger by night, but in all reality I’m still slaving away with a lot of research work at night. I can’t remember the last time I’ve actually had a real hobby besides work! (Truly sad) Last year, I started this blog to document our lives in more detail, especially after our family went through a terrifying time with our daughter’s health problems. Along the way, I discovered an incredible blogging community full of supportive, creative, fashionable and innovative people. My eyes were re-opened to all the wonderful things in life that I haven’t had a chance to fully enjoy, and being able to share it with a great community of people whom I have learned so much from.

I’d say this year has been the biggest evolution of how I view fashion. Two years ago, before I had Grace, I was a dull, boring, overworked resident who hid behind her baggy white coat everyday. I mean, who was going to see what I wore underneath, right? Nevertheless, I still had a closet full of neglected clothes. I gained about 60 pounds during the pregnancy, and it wasn’t until then that I felt the heartbreak of not being able to fit into 90% of the clothes in my closet. However, I was also determined to revolutionize each piece of clothing in a different way in order to fit and flatter a different body type.

1. Motherhood changed my body: For those of you with children, you may notice that some parts are not exactly where you left them before pregnancy. At least for me, things are just a tad longer, flabbier, saggier…. I could go on, but I’ll spare you unwanted details. This is when I re-discovered the DRESS. Summer dress. Maxi dress. High waist. Anything with a flare. These are timeless pieces that define femininity, that continue to flatter your figure and hide everything else nicely. Add a belt to accentuate that waistline. It conveniently turns into a skirt by throwing on a top- a flowy blouse or loose sweater would be perfect! Also, you would think that LAYERING would add extra bulk, but I have found that layering actually adds an interesting blend of texture, sophistication and elongation to the entire outfit. Other pieces that have worked well for me are peplum tops, button up shirts, and cute heels to elongate those lovely legs you have!

2. Motherhood has changed my view on life: Long story short, our daughter almost died twice, but I’ll save that story for a different time. After we left the hospital the last time, I realized what a fortune it is to be ALIVE and HEALTHY. It’s strange how your perspective in life changes when something dear to you is almost taken away. I saw life differently that day. I had more appreciation for the things that were ordinary to me before. Things were more colorful and beautiful. My husband had gifted me a few designer pieces back in the day that I kept hidden in the back of my closet (because I was too embarrassed)… and now I AM going to ENJOY them and WEAR THEM dagnabbit! I learned to be more expressive, colorful, daring and creative. I learned that style is just another form of expression, and it’s okay to have more than one flavor of expression. I had more fun and felt more beautiful every time I dressed up for date nights or went out with friends. God has given all of us women beautiful bodies. Embrace them, and appreciate everything that you have.

Thanks so much Christy for sharing your heart with us!  To read more about Christy, you can follow her blog, bloglovin, facebook, instagram!