Now that I'm a mom, I spent the better half of my last trip to Kohl's in the Carter's baby section, but never fear, I made a pass through the shoe department - and there are so many cute pairs to covet! Topping my wish list: These Simply Vera ankle boots ($40, down from $70), which look a lot like Sam Edelman's 'Petty' boots but cost much less (I'd love them even if they didn't look like the Sam Edelmans but it doesn't hurt to get that designer "stamp of approval," so to speak). I'm also in love with these LC Lauren Conrad ankle boots ($60, down from $80) but I have a pair from last season that looks almost identical (plus I'm waiting for the price to drop), so I can't justify buying these. Sigh. And finally, these SO ankle boots ($30, down from $70) really stood out as another must-have ankle boot that won't look dated next year thanks to clean, modern-classic lines (much like Rag & Bone's 'Newbury' boots).

Those are just a few highlights - click through to see more pairs I'm loving! Which ones stand out to you?

During a recent trip to JCPenney, I finally had a chance to scope out Happy Chic, the affordable home decor line by interior design darling Jonathan Adler. If you love ELLE Decor or Domino, you will love Happy Chic. It's modern, bright and fun. There's bedding, furniture, decorative accents, kitchen & bath accessories and more featuring Adler's unmistakable prints and patterns. The store display at my newly revamped JCP looked amazing - almost like a Bloomingdale's display, without the Bloomie's prices! It's really good stuff, you guys.

This past Thursday I made a trip to my local Westfield shopping center to make some returns at JCPenney (I had ordered some home decor items online from the Happy Chic collection that just didn't look right once I got them in my house). Anyways, after making my returns, I took a stroll through the store to check out the progress being made, and I have to say things are looking good.

The most noticeable change was the addition of a Sephora boutique - it looked amazing, with gorgeous glossy displays and loud dance music blaring (my mom would hate this, and honestly I had to stay away because my little one had fallen asleep in the Ergo and I couldn't risk having the music wake him up). Another cute new boutique was the Disney section, something I would have walked past previously but now as a mom I had to stop to check things out.

My favorite new section is still the Joe Fresh - love it - and the Levi's section. I also think the JCP basics are worthwhile. I also scoped out the home section for the first time and it looked amazing, especially the Happy Chic display and the Martha Stewart craft section. The only sad thing? The lack of people. I could have crawled under the Jonathan Adler comforter and taken a nap and no one would have even noticed. Ah, sleep...

Have you been tracking the changes at your JCPenney store? Do you like what you see? Still rooting for them? I am!

Cozy fall sweaters, cool jackets and day-to-night dresses are just a few of the must-have pieces you'll find at Target right now (a major improvement from my last visit!) Here's what caught my eye - read on for riveting commentary and lots of photos!

As a Kohl’s fanatic, I was so excited to be given the opportunity to cover the Catherine Malandrino launch on September 27! I had seen advertisements everywhere and couldn't wait to view the collection myself. I was not disappointed one bit! I suggest checking out the line at your local Kohls store, but keep reading for my personal thoughts and opinions on this anticipated fall launch—and to see what I bought!