Blogger on a Budget | A New Series + 2 of the BIGGEST Sales of the year!

(above outfit details and links on this post)

Hey guys! I decided to start a new series on this bliggity blog of mine all about shopping on a budget. Yes, I post photos and links of recently bought items on my instagram and on the blog, but what you may not know or realize is that I actually have a shopping BUDGET. That's right... I'm not just spending my money on clothes and accessories all willy nilly, ok?!

So, I'm sure you're wondering how I come up with an amount to spend on clothes and accessories? Bill and I have a monthly budget that we like to stick to. He is all about the Dave Ramsey way of paying off all debt and having a safety net in the savings account. So, monthly budgeting is a necessity to work towards saving and being debt free. We obviously make sure all the necessities of life are paid for first, then add a specific amount towards savings and paying down debt. What's left over we divide up to all the 'extras' like eating out, entertainment, clothes and extra misc things we need to buy for the month. We are also working towards saving to complete some house projects in the near future, so that is my motivation to save vs. spend.

My monthly budget is typically around $200 - $300 (that's including buying for the boys), but I like to stick near the $200 mark so I can contribute to our savings account as well. You might be thinking, 'Wow! That's a lot!' or 'Wow! I spend way more than that per month on clothes!' just depending on your own personal spending habits, but I wanted to be honest and tell you so that I can 1. hold myself accountable for that specific budget, and 2. So that you understand how I shop and am able to save money by shopping online AND looking out for deals/sales.

First off, let's talk SALES. It is a great time of year to take advantage of a bunch of sales going on in the online apparel/accessories world. I wouldn't be a true 'style blogger' if I didn't let you know about the TWO BIGGEST SALES OF THE YEAR that are happening this month:

1. AMAZON PRIME DAY: starts at 9pm on July 10th (that's right, today) for prime members. If you are not a prime member, now is your time to sign up! I seriously use Amazon prime probably once per week to order things for myself and our family. It is the bomb dot com (literally).

I shop on amazon for literally everything. Makeup, clothes (like this top), toys for the boys, diapers, these meal prep containers (my most recent purchase). If you are a busy mom, or just busy in general, having a prime membership is completely worth the money. You get free 2-day shipping on so many items. There are also so many other benefits of being a prime member like photo storage, movies and tv shows, the list goes on.

2. NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE 2017 (July 21st - August 6th) is another very popular sale of the year! So many designer brand (and affordable brand) NEW items marked down for a limited time. This is a special sale because after the sale ends, they items go back up to retail price. It is a great time to stock up on those basic or high end must haves for fall and winter (so you won't be kicking yourself for not getting them when the temps drop). If you follow any other fashion related blog, I'm sure they've already mentioned this sale!

If you have a Nordstrom credit or debit card, you are able to gain early access on July 13th - 20th, before the general public (non-card holders) are able to shop the sale items. I have a Nordstrom debit card, so I am so excited to see what will be on sale in a few days! You can sign up for a Nordstrom card here.

You can get the first look at some of the items that will be offered in the sale here: NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE 2017 CATALOG: FIRST LOOK.

SO, my first tip on how to shop on a budget is to know what sales are happening and when. Then, make sure to save your money and shop during these big sales.

I just made an amazon purchase a few days ago because I wanted to make sure we had a few items for our upcoming family vacation. So, I don't have anything in my amazon shopping cart at the moment, but I will be browsing the deals they are offering tonight!

I'm excited to have early access to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale this year again since I have a Nordstrom debit card. We leave for our family vacation on Friday, so I'm not sure I'll be able to get to the actual store to try anything on on Thursday, but I will definitely keep you posted with what I find online! I'm planning on adding a 'Nordstrom Sale Favorites' tab at the top menu of my blog sometime this week, so make sure to check back for updated items I add to my wish list.

Are you planning to shop either of these sales? 

Friday Five

Hi guys! Welcome back to another Friday Five post! Here are five things I'm loving from this (rather short) week:

1. I just picked up this lip gloss from my local Target and I am loving it! I got it in shade 'radiant rose' and it is the perfect mauve/pink for my skin tone. It also lasts a lot longer than any other drug store lip gloss I've owned. Like I don't have to reapply every 10 minutes.

2. This palm tree sweater is oh-so-comfy and perfect for those chilly, rainy summer days. I paired mine with these shorts yesterday and I love the combo! It is currently on sale for less than $15, so go snag it before it's sold out!

3. If you follow my instastories, you know I recently got my hair cut and I'm finally figuring out how to style it. I absolutely love the shorter 'do and I think I may keep it this length going forward! A lot less maintenance!

4. I found a few more 'mom-bod' friendly one-piece suits from Target that I plan to wear on our upcoming family trip to Outer Banks (affiliate links here and here). They are really flattering and perfect for family vacation with the boys!

5. I think we are taking the big boy bed plunge this weekend with Camden! We have a double mattress that we are just planning to put on his floor for now. I picked up these sheets (also ordered these sheets bc they were out of stock at the store) and this quilt for his bedding. I'm also planning to order these sheets because he loves trucks, planes and all things that go at the moment, so I know he will love them! Any tips on making this transition from fellow toddler mamas out there?? I'm a bit nervous!

Happy Friday!! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Shop the post:

Our 4th of July Weekend

Our holiday weekend in a nutshell: splash pad fun, over eating, ice cream, pizza, grilling out, the boys' first parade experience, candy, long naps and (thankfully) sleeping through fireworks... Yes, this 4th of July weekend was definitely one for the memory books! 

Sunday afternoon (post naps) we loaded up the car with the boys in their swim suits and headed for the Powell Splash Pad. It was a popular spot because it was really hot and sunny that day, but it wasn't too over crowded to have some fun. I tried to explain to Camden what a splash pad was on our way there (since he'd never been!) and told him it was kind of like a playground with sprinklers. He just looked at me with a deer in headlights, "what?" look. Until we arrived! He was so excited when he saw all the water works and sprinklers all over this fun play area! He took off running as soon as we got there!

Bennett also enjoyed the little sprinklers too! Although his facial expressions may not seem that way 😂 

(Bennett's swim suit linked here - on sale! And his hat is here) 

 (Camden's rash guard is Old Navy | swim trunks are H&M last year - he finally fits into them!)

Camden was having so much fun that we had to bribe him with ice cream on the way home to get him to leave!

On the 4th we took the boys to the Hilliard Independence Day Parade and met up with Bill's brother and sister-in-law and their 6 month old baby (the boys' cousin). This was the boys' first parade experience and Camden was in heaven! Music, trucks, cars, police cars, tractors, candy... All his favorites! Bennett also loved the music and enjoyed watching the vehicles from his stroller. There was a float with bubbles that he really loved and I swear I heard him say 'bubble!' and pointed to the bubbles! 

(boys' tee shirts | Camden's shorts | boys' sandals)

Camden loved seeing all the big trucks and this big tractor!

He went home with allll the parade swag! Lollipops, tootsie rools, sunglasses and a flag that he carried around for the rest of the day! I'd say his first parade experience was a success!

We ended the holiday with a grocery shopping trip and grilling out for the evening. Then, after the boys went to sleep, Bill and I listened to the fireworks while catching up on some House of Cards on Netflix. That's patriotic, right?!

How was your holiday weekend?