The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, To Shop or Not To Shop…

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is happening with early access for card holders. The general public will be able to shop the deals July 19 – Aug 4. But first let me just say, it’s a sale people, and honestly not all that great! Allow me to share with you exactly how I feel about the #nsale…

Let me start by saying that I love a good sale as much as the next gal. I was about to do a little roundup of items to share but I quickly changed my mind. I went through the Nordstrom site several times hunting for bargains for the fall season but ended up with not much other than frustrated by the lack of options and the fact that they feature a lot of the same stuff year after year. I didn’t intend on writing a post like this if not for all of the obnoxious shopping sprees posted on social media by fellow bloggers. Oh, but the power of persuasion… Needless to say, I’m beyond turned off by how influencers hype this sale!

• First things first. Lets address the whole blogger/influencer thing. As you should already know, I (we) get commission from items you purchase through our links. You can find full disclosure here. Having said that, I’m not gonna hype things up just so I can get a little kickback. That is not authenticity and it’s not what I’m about. Word to the wise; not everything bloggers post is true or accurate. Many bloggers fake their content to make you think they are sponsored or have a great relationship with a brand. They post about trips and hotel stays that they paid for themselves or about clothing and products they bought on their own but won’t disclose that little bit of info. This article tackles the social media stardom mentality to a T! FACT; when influencers post about anything, including trips or products that are sponsored or backed by a brand THEY MUST disclose it, e.g. #sponsored or #ad. It is also true that usually the more followers an influencer has, the more partnership opportunities. Unfortunately there are a lot of bloggers (some you may already follow) that BUY their followers, a trend that is very much alive. If there is something I would prefer to emanate across to you is that you follow this simple rule; live within your means, buy what you need, when you need it and not when you don’t!

I personally know of bloggers who go on a shopping frenzy EVERY SINGLE TIME there is a sale and it’s actually quite ridiculous. I get it that some people do this for a living, (this is not my do-or-die job!). It’s also no secret that shopping can be quite addictive. The thing most people don’t know is that a high percentage of fashion and lifestyle bloggers get themselves into serious debt trying to portray a lavish lifestyle. I’m convinced most buy things for show. Posting mile long receipts of purchases along with bags full of stuff is incredibly tacky in my view. Ever notice bloggers posting ‘dressing room’ try ons? Yeah, they won’t or can’t buy everything but they want you to buy it all! Buyer beware…

• To shop or not to shop. Think about it; how many pair of booties does someone need in the exact same color? How many pairs of skinny jeans does it take to make your ass look great? How many ways can you style a t-shirt so that you’re compelled to buy it in every single color? Unless you’re OCD, no offense to anyone, this is totally unnecessary no matter how much money you have to spend. I can name in a second several bloggers I follow who do this EVERY SINGLE DAY! Funny thing is, they hate it when their followers complain about how obnoxious they are with their spending. They complain about the amount of rude emails they receive but try to play it as if the followers are the ones with the problem or are just jealous. And they also try to get others to back them up on their addiction and eventually shun the ‘nasty followers.’

I understand both sides of the argument, but if my followers are complaining about my spending habits and the amount of posts about every single item I acquire, then there’s something I should probably address. Maybe, just maybe, it’s a turn off for some people. I appreciate feedback even if it’s negative, it’s part of being authentic, but, but, but; it makes total sense for some bloggers to post a multitude of outfits all week to thousands of followers with the one goal in mind; to convince you to buy everything! This blogger has a fantastic post that she wrote last year explaining why she left Liketoknow.it. It’s definitely worth the read!

• When I shop, who I work with and what I post. I feature a lot of things that are either sponsored by brands (where I get paid for collaborating with them) or are simply gifted to me and I happen to like the product. I also post about things that I’ve bought on my own. There are many times when I come across a product and I want to share it with you because I find it to be a REALLY good product or a great deal. But in no way do I want you to feel obligated to keep up with my purchases. What I want you to know is that what I share here or on any other social media platform, I do it with the sole purpose that it serves as inspiration for you.

My kitchen reveal post has been by far my most successful post I’ve ever written and it has generated some nice perks. I published that post exactly two years ago and I still get daily pins on Pinterest and continue to receive emails with questions from readers. And my kitchen was paid for by us, we did not have sponsorship. In the post I included the items I thought people would enjoy knowing about. It has sincerely, thanks to you, paid off in a humble way. I get complements on the kitchen and I appreciate that very much. I have two specific ladies that were in the process of remodeling their own kitchens when they came across my site. After emailing back and forth with questions, answers and ideas (separately of course) they both decided on a similar style to that of mine and made it their own. Sooo flattering!

So… now that I got that all out of the way, I’m in the middle of giving my bedroom a little summer refresh (will have a post up soon) and there are some things I’ve already grabbed while others I’m still waiting on. I’ll share some of the home finds that are at reasonable prices and good quality.

Heads up, you can always check out Walmart’s home line which I think is stepping up to the competition especially since the Drew Barrymore home collection. Homegoods is also another great resource for home picks and one that I visit quite often. Also worth mentioning is Amazon ‘Prime Days’ for members, happening today, July 15 & 16. It’s one you don’t want to miss especially if you have specific things you need to get!

Oh, and one more thing, I want you to know that I sincerely appreciate all of your support! I’m not hating on anyone, just keeping it real! Happy savvy shopping! ♥️