As a follow up to yesterday’s post, I thought I’d share what I actually bought from the Black Friday sales. I’ve mentioned that I like to tackle sale events like this with a list. It’s something I found really useful in 2018; it helps me to keep on track, and is a constant reminder of what I need and planning to purchase, rather than what I’d like to buy.
A big thing I’ve noticed this year, is how much my priorities have changed. With baby on the way, I would rather set aside a larger portion of my savings to prepare the nursery (or start saving for expenses like education), as well as thinking about some of the core renovations we’d like to get done in the next three months. In my twenties, much of how I approached any sale was with trigger happy fingers. I still did most of my shopping online, and I’d browse aimlessly looking for a good bargain. It probably goes without saying, that many of those purchases went unloved and unworn.
HOMEWARES
I started my Black Friday sale shopping a couple weeks early during Click Frenzy, which in my opinion, is Aussie’s take on the American holiday sale. The first thing I bought was some much-needed sheets. The linen on our bed had worn and torn months ago (and been stripped into cleaning rags), so we’d been making do with a hodgepodge of bedding that didn’t match. I’d been really pleased with the quality of the linen duvet/coverlet, so I decided to head to Adairs and invest in their washed linen sheet set. Full price, it’s a bit of an investment, so I’d been waiting patiently for this pre-Christmas sale to snag a set. They were offering 40% off, which I thought was a great price.
I also purchased a set of the Stonewashed Cotton Bedding for our guest bedroom, as I noticed the last time I made up the bed that there were some tears in the sheets.
There weren’t really too many other homewares bits on my list – aside from a nice rug for the nursery – but I thought I’d check with Luke just to be safe, as he does about 95% of the cooking. He reminded me we were in need of a new pan, as our old one had seen better days (it’s been on its last legs for months now). We ended up settling on a 30cm cast iron pan from Lodge. It’s a little larger than the pan we have, and being cast iron, it’ll be indestructible. I like that the handle is cast iron too – perfect for popping in the oven to make shakshuka.
BABY/NURSERY
Our baby isn’t due for another three months, but I figure once it gets too hot in Sydney, I’ll lose all motivation to organise the nursery. So, I’ve gotten on the front foot with it. I’ve bought most of the baby clothes I think we’ll need for the first few months (keeping an eye out for discount codes along the way), but had left a gap for plain white onesies and some sleep suits. Marks & Spencer do some basic organic cotton onesies so I bought a 7-pack of the short sleeved version when they had 30% off a couple weeks’ back. I also bought this three-pack of sleep suits, which I liked as they have built-in fold over mittens.
Because I’m not too sure how warm or cool March will be – particularly as I’ve read babies should wear one more layer than we have on – I also bought some little booties. I only got a couple sets as I wasn’t sure how much we’d use these. The final thing I bought from M&S were these little mittens. Babies have a tendency to scratch their faces, and these help to protect them. Crossing fingers that they’re effective!
FASHION/ACCESSORIES
Last on the list were a couple of fashion or accessory pieces. To me, these were a nice to have, and the last thing that I really shopped for. As a bit of a prelude to Black Friday, I managed to snag a key piece from my wishlist that I’d been after for a couple of years; a pair of Saint Laurent Nu Pieds sandals. Truth be told, I’d been umm-ing and ahh-ing over whether to even consider buying any shoes. Your body undergoes some pretty incredible changes during pregnancy, and during the final months, your feet can go up a shoe size. This is because the ligaments in your body are more relaxed to prepare for birth, and in some instances, your bridge can collapse slightly and permanently increase your shoe size (yes, even beyond the pregnancy).
While in Wellington, I popped into David Jones with my friend Nina, and our last stop was the shoe department. I wasn’t actually expecting to buy anything on this trip, but after seeing the Nu Pieds in the flesh (and in my size!), I figured I’d give them a go. The EU40 (my usual size) fit great, but the SA brought out the EU41 for comparison, and these were perfect. Wider across the foot, and there was just a little bit of extra space at the heel (just in case I go up a shoe size). I went totally off-script with the colour; opting for a mushroom-hued bone in the patent leather.
The other fashion purchase I made was from Missoma as they’re currently offering 25% off everything with the code “VIP25”. I’d earmarked three jewellery pieces about a month ago, but on Sunday night decided to do a quick sweep of the site just to be sure. Turns out, I’d totally changed my mind, and I’m so glad I sat on that decision for a while.
In the end, I settled on two pieces from Lucy Williams’ 1987 collection; the gold chunky entwine hoops and the gold t-bar bracelet. I can’t wait for these to arrive, as I think they’ll be a lovely complement to the jewellery pieces I already own.
So there you have it; everything I bought from the Black Friday sales. I’d love to know if you’re taking the opportunity to buy any much-needed items for your home (or closet), or if you’ve decided to sit the sale out this year in the comments below.
