Another Birthday, Another Year Older!

Yesterday was my birthday!  

Another year older.  Another birthday here and gone.  Grateful for an amazing year and looking forward to even more great things ahead this year!

I love that stores send me coupons or free things for my birthday.  I mean, who doesn't like FREE?!?  But, typically I would receive a "free $10" coupon and end up spending another $70 in the store buying things I probably didn't really need.  My birthday comes at a very inopportune time for me...Spring has just arrived, I am antsy to put away my sweaters for the winter, and all of the clothing stores have just brought out all of their brand new Spring and Summer collections.  So I typically go a little hog wild and I just loose all control wanting to buy all new Summer clothes!  Not this year though!

My birthday also normally falls within Lent.  Easter has been on my birthday in years past too.  So, I have to keep up with my Lenten promises during my birthday.  This year I decided NOT to buy myself anything through Lent, among some other Lenten promises I made to myself.

 NO Starbucks! 

 NO impulse buys from Target!  
NO manicures or pedicures! 

NO purchases on Etsy!  

Only exception is, if I have a "free" coupon, I can only spend that amount (or closest to that amount as possible).  And I can except gifts! :) It is my birthday after all!  So the challenge is to see how much I can get for FREE on my birthday! 

So here's what I purchased on my birthday with my coupons! 

I love World Market's scarves.  I bought this scarf this year with my $10 coupon from them.  Full price at $9.99 + $10 coupon = FREE!

World Market Hot Pink Pashmina Scarf

And I bought a scarf last year with my $10 coupon.  I didn't realize until I got home that I bought a scarf both years from World Market with my birthday coupon.  Like I really need another scarf!  But it was completely FREE!  (you must be a World Market Explorer to receive a free $10 coupon from them for your birthday)

I love these looks from Pinterest, so I have been on the hunt for the perfect hot pink scarf anyways! 

via Pinterest

The LOFT is one of my favorite clothing stores!  It's probably safe to say 75% of my wardrobe is from there.  So when they sent me a $15 OFF coupon, I knew this one would be a challenge because I always just want to buy everything when I go in there!  I literally, make myself stay away!

The LOFT Sheer Floral Crochet Tee

I got lucky!  All of their sale items were an extra 50% OFF!! This was originally $50.00, marked down to $40 + 50% OFF = $5 and some change out my pocket!  So I did have to pay a little extra but that's okay!  Still a great deal!  And the biggest success is this was the only thing I walked out of the store with!

I wore my new top out to dinner that night!  Paired it with jeans, a leopard print belt, top half tucked in, and a long necklace from Jane.com.  I thought this was a good transition piece into Summer too. 

I knew it would be real challenge for me to go into shoe heaven a.k.a. DSW with a $5 coupon without spending a lot more money on top of that.  So I debated about even making this one last stop on my shopping adventure yesterday.  But, after all, its FREE $5 burning a hole in my pocket!  Surely, I could find something inexpensive.  

DSW Coral Bubble Stud Earrings

Did you know DSW now has jewelry?!?  As I began perusing the aisles, I found some really cute black flats that I loved!  They were fairly inexpensive at only $40 but that would mean I would still have to fork out an additional $35 out of my own pocket and that meant breaking the promise!  So I moved along to the handbag and accessory aisles thinking, I could at least get a pair of socks or something!  Exciting right?!?  And then I saw a small area with jewelry!  Saved the day!  I could still get something fun and exciting, and let's face it, a girl can never have too much jewelry!  So I picked up these bright coral studs that will be perfect for summer!  $7 retail price + $5 coupon = I payed $2 and something for these!!  Victory!

I also received some great gifts for my birthday!

UP fitness bracelet from Jawbone!  So excited to try this.  It tracks Sleep, Movement, and Food!  It will be great to track my activity outside when the weather actually gets warm again!

It comes in all different colors.  I liked the black best though because I feel like it blends well with my other bracelets and doesn't stand out too much.

Erin Condren Life Planner

I received this one a little early and have been using it everyday since!  I love it!  I am a list, make notes, write down everything type of girl!  So, the Erin Condren Life Planner is a life saver for a girl like me with a million appointments and things to do every week!  My sister did a whole blog post about how she uses her Life Planner.  See here!

I ended my birthday with an amazing meal from Delicia with my husband and a surprise appearance from my brother and sister-in-law.  We enjoyed lots of Margaritas as I continuously gazed around the room at the beautiful interiors.

Delicia is an upscale Latin restaurant located in the Broad Ripple area.  It has only been open a little over a year and has already made Indianapolis Monthly's Top 25 Restaurants List.  The Margaritas were fantastic!  You could tell they were fresh.  My husband tried the Fire N' Ice Margarita!  Wowza was it spicy!!!  The ice in the cocktail was a jalapeno frozen inside a ball of ice.  Finished with a chili and salt rimmed glass.  Not for the faint of heart! We all ordered something different, and we were all very happy with our meals!  So tasty!

The decor was a mix of upscale Latin influences with a mix of Scandinavian.  But it worked!  The place was different than other restaurant decor and very beautiful. 

 

At the end of the day, I'm a 28-year old married to an amazing husband, with a nice home that we own, I have my own design company working from home, and I have amazing friends and family.  A girl couldn't ask for anything more.  I am grateful for each and every one of those things!  Here's to 28 being great!