Day: July 2, 2025

Summer Means Renaissance Events- Costuming on the Cheap!

Abby H.

Summer means lots of excuses to dress up in funny clothes: Renaissance faires and festivals, Viking events, Medieval faires, Scottish Highland games, SCA events, and fantasy events! Costumes can be expensive, and with the loss of Joann Fabrics, there aren’t a lot of places to buy fabrics and patterns. Sometimes, thrifting costumes (sometimes called garb in these circles) or buying online can be more time or cost-effective than making it yourself.

Looking for basic, medieval-looking clothing pieces can help you start a wardrobe. When looking for garb options, look for natural fibers like linen, wool, cotton, silk, ramie, or rayon. These types of fabric are found in nature and are breathable. They are also easier to care for. Here are some of the items to keep your eyes open for at thrift stores.

One look that can be thrifted

Women:

  • Plain colored peasant blouses
  • Long, flowing skirts
  • Tunic-style tops
  • linen or cotton pants with drawstring waists
  • Plain/ solid colored long dresses
  • Scarves
  • Belts
  • Vests
  • Cloaks/capes
  • Pouches/drawstring purses
  • Knee socks
  • Boots
  • Mary janes
  • Clogs
  • Sandals
  • Floppy felt hats
  • Jewelry

Men:

  • Tunic-style tops
  • linen or cotton pants with drawstring waists
  • “Pirate” collared shirts
  • Boots (tall boots, chukka boots, combat boots)
  • Vests
  • Belts
  • Cloaks/capes
  • Pouches/drawstring purses

In addition to clothing and accessories, thrift stores are great places to look for fabric, notions, and trim. Cotton, linen, wool, silk, ramie, and rayon are great choices. 100 percent cotton top sheets are also a good choice for under tunics or for lining other garments. White linen tableclothes and curtains make great undertunics and aprons.

Local San Diego, CA, thrift stores that have a good clothing selection:

  • Veterans Thrift 1130 E Main St El Cajon, CA  92021
  • Veterans Thrift 1049 Elkelton Blvd Spring Valley, CA  91977
  • Veterans Thrift 881 Broadway Chula Vista, CA  91911
  • AMVETS Thrift Store 999 Cardiff St San Diego, CA  92114
  • AMVETS 3441 Sutherland St #2031, San Diego, CA 92110
  • Twice Treasured Thrift Store 8363 Center Dr Unit 2 La Mesa, CA 91942
  • Thrift Corral Thrift Store 8693A La Mesa Blvd La Mesa, CA 91942
  • Father Joe’s Villages Thrift 405 Broadway Chula Vista, CA  91910
  • Father Joe’s Villages Thrift 1457 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
  • Valley Thrift 2085 E Valley Pkwy, Escondido, CA 92027 (cash only)
  • Assistance League of North County Thrift Store 2068 E Valley Pkwy, Escondido, CA 92027
  • Bridge Thrift 9617 Campo Rd Spring Valley, CA 91977
  • Bridge Thrift 4220 Balboa Ave San Diego, CA 92117
  • Goodwill Outlet 1466 F St San Diego, CA 92101
  • Goodwill Outlet 1996 Don Lee Pl Escondido, CA 92029

If you have trouble finding shoes, don’t worry. No one is going to think less of you for wearing modern-looking shoes. There are a lot of people who have to wear specific shoes for orthopedic reasons.

Look 2 for women- A long sleeved white blouse under a long jumper style dress to mimic a medieval Surcoat outfit.
Look 2 for men- A Near Eastern men’s ensemble.

If the thrill of the thrift store hunt isn’t for you, but you still want to save money when looking for your first garb, there are a lot of places online to look.

I know Temu gets a bad wrap, but there are a lot of companies that sell on Temu that drop ship items from all over the US, which means quick shipping and no import taxes.

Amazon is the same- there are a lot of great pieces that are available that work great for garb.

The Amazon Store PROCOS has great linen tunics and accessories for men and women.

Looking for knee socks? This is a great value.

And these linen pants are really soft and comfy. I own a few pairs.

 

Enjoy Luxurious Bedding with Crown Goose!

Abby H.
Look, I made my bed! My grandmother would be proud.

Thanks to Crown Goose for this amazing Duvet and pillow cover set to facilitate my review.

It’s been a year since I’ve been living solo with the kids. It’s taken me about a year to move stuff around and make my room *my room*. Adding Near Eastern art to my room (a gift from a family friend), bringing my grandfather’s desk into my room, cleaning and purging so much stuff from the bedroom and closet.

The final step to making my bedroom a place to relax and rest was to make my bed a comfortable nest where I can sleep each night.

The Crown Goose Jardinne Collection duvet and pillow cover set in Majestic Charcoal was exactly what I needed.

This cotton fabric is so satiny!

The fabric is buttery soft and cool to the touch. The embroidery is so neat and perfect.

It was super easy to put the duvet cover and pillow covers on my existing down comforter and king-size pillows.

This set elevates my bedroom and makes it look so.. adult. The subtle hints of dark grey at the edges of the pillows and duvet make my room feel like an oasis. A place I can rest and relax after a long day. Even the cat likes it. She’s burrowed under the duvet every afternoon since I put it on!

Some of the features of this 100% cotton set include:

  • Soft, lightweight sheets that’ll last through decades
  • High-quality sewing and back stitching
  • Button closures
  • Extremely breathable during the warmer months, while retaining your body heat during the colder months
  • Durable and does not pill or produce much lint
  • Total 16 loops on the duvet to keep your duvet in place

As a mom who spends a lot of her time and mental energy making her kids’ lives the best she can, it’s nice to have something just for me.  If you are a parent or caregiver, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Now I look forward to heading to bed at night, having soft, satiny bedding that makes me feel like I’m sleeping in a soft cloud. Keep your eyes peeled on my Instagram page, I’ll have some more pics of my awesome bedding set up in the coming days.

If you are looking for some simple luxury, check out Crown Goose.

This review was done in exchange for goods. For more information about reviews and links that we may use, check out my disclosure page here.

July 2025: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

Abby H.

 If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is right up your alley. Sign up and apply to sample products that you are interested in. I usually receive 4-6 offers/freebies per month, sometimes more if I have time to shop. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

In addition to the offers where they mail you a coupon for a free product, Social Nature has started offering 100% cash-back, similar to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. I love this because I can select exactly what I want, Social Nature tells me which local stores have it, and I can add it to my next shopping list.

And it’s just as easy as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Snap a pic and upload it. You can select Venmo, Paypal, or an Amazon Gift Card for your rebate.

Here are just a few of the offers available now:

  •  Gluten-Free Pasta by GOODLES
  • Organic Kombucha by Humm Kombucha
  • Mental Performance Shots by Magic Mind
  • Gluten-Free Cookies by Schär
  • Gorgie Sparkling Energy Drinks
  • Crumbled Tajín Feta Cheese by Athenos
  • Electrolyte Refreshers by Leisure Hydration