Hello April!

Hi everyone!  How are you?  I missed blog land! =)

We had a great trip to Disneyland last week...my boys loved every second of it and the weather was gorgeous every day we were there. We got back Thursday night, and then bright and early Friday morning I got to visit the dentist for a dental procedure that took all morning.  Thankfully hubby was up for the task of playing Mr. Mom because me and Tylenol with Codeine for the pain=a LONG afternoon nap.  I was back to business yesterday morning and have spent the rest of the weekend doing all the fun after-vacation duties of laundry, cleaning up the car, and just picking up in general.  Somehow when you get home from a trip the whole house looks like a tornado blew through it.  How does that happen?

So it's a new month...hello April! Moving right along.  This week ahead of us is my boy's actual spring break so we have a week of relaxing, park dates, and visits with family in store.  I even have plans to visit Anthro this week for a girls day...kids get a play date and momma gets to do some returns and fitting room reviews...everyone wins!  Since March ended I thought I'd share with you how I did with my March budget...here's what I ended up getting:

March Purchases by jennifoundinmycloset featuring a pointelle cardigan

So as you can see, I went a bit over my $200 budget.  One item short of sticking to it (shame), but I feel ok about it since I got some great deals and bought items that I really was hoping to get.  I was planning on getting the green denim at Old Navy but they ended up being a terrible fit (I found this great pair at Gap) and I just decided against the cobalt blue colored denim altogether in favor of the turquoise (which I also found at Gap).  The prices of these jeans were a little more than I had planned on but were still great deals (just more than Old Navy and American Eagle sale prices).  The one thing I added to my closet that I hadn't really planned on was the second Eunice Cashmere Cardigan (in the Lilac color).  It was a spur of the moment decision but I don't regret getting it at all. I've already worn it once and love it.  Cashmere for $40?  Can't beat it!  And after a long search, I was finally able to score the elusive Drawing Room Necklace on popback.  Yay!

The overall idea of setting myself up on a budget in March was to spend less money and really think about what it was I was purchasing, and in the end, I did just that.  I spent a lot less in March than I had in previous months, so it was a good thing.  It really made me think about what I was getting and I passed on a lot of things that I normally would have grabbed.  And I'm still alive to talk about it...imagine that. =)  I'm planning on sticking to a budget again in April...this time I'm making the budget $250.  Since this was the magic number I ended with in March I hope to stick to it once again in April.  How was your spending in March?  Did you stick to your budget?  Are you continuing on in April??  Join in!!

Here are the things I have my eye on this month:

April Wish List by jennifoundinmycloset featuring a chiffon blouse

As you can see I have WAY too many items on this list...there's no way my $250 budget will cover all this even on sale, so I have some decisions to make.  It'll all come down to what goes on sale during the next 30 days.

Just like last month, I have a few rules for myself for the month of April when it comes to spending:

1. No full price purchases on clothing, with the exception of the new pink Fluttered Hem Tee pictured above.  I had originally wanted the yellow and navy versions, but both have already sold out in my size online.  I really don't want to lose out on another.  If I can find the navy I'd consider that too.

2.  No shoe shopping this month again, with the exception of the two pairs pictured above.  The pair on the right probably won't be on a good enough sale anytime soon for me to bite, but the lavender pair on the left just might go on sale this month, so I'll allow myself those if they hit sale.  I would love to add them to my shoe rotation!  Other than these two pairs, no shoe shopping in April.

3. No skirt shopping once again this month.  There aren't really any skirts that are tempting me right now anyways so this should be an easy rule to follow.

4. I have two few items I am still waffling about at my house that I've already accounted for in my spending.  One is from last month (the Dieppe Top from Anthro...I'm worried it looks too much like a tent on me) and the other is from the month before (the Colorblock Stripe Boatneck Tee with the neon pink at the top from J Crew...I love it but I'm not sure anymore if it's versatile enough).  I may keep one or both, but if I do return either, I reserve the right to exchange these items for other items of equal or lesser value without docking it from my monthly budget.  If I exchange or return either and then purchase something that costs more than the item(s) I returned, I must charge myself the overage to my monthly budget.  Make sense? Sorry for all the legal sounding mumbo jumbo...just want to make it plain as mud. =)

So there you have it...my April budget and rules.  Wish me luck!

Hope your week gets off to a great start!