blonde rosie

Preventing Hair Damage with L’Oreal

Published on April 6, 2020April 2, 2020 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

My hair has gone through a lot the last 5 years or so. I had long blonde hair during my college years and a few months after graduation, I did a drastic chop cutting off more than a foot of hair. I had fun with short hair and whenever it would grow past my shoulders I would get it cut again to a short bob. After a few years, I missed my long hair so I have been growing it out and I’ve learned a few things about keeping it healthy. I like going back and forth using my higher end hair products to the more price friendly ones. Just because it has a well known name and costs more than $20, it doesn’t mean that product is what works best for your hair. Today I wanted to talk about some of my favorite products that I use before applying to any heat to my hair. They are a great price point and help keep your hair healthy!

I have frizzy hair so I like to style my hair with heat products every day so I can look more professional and more put together. Using heat products along with my fake blonde color, I really need to take care of my hair because it can be damaged very easily. Using a hair straightener often can lead to weak, brittle hair and split ends which can prevent long flowy hair.

Using my core hair products consistently help repairs hair damage and protect my hair from heat. I like to let my hair air dry for a bit before I use any heat tools. Right after the shower after I towel dry my hair, I will take a hair scrunchie and put my hair in a half up ponytail. I’ll use three pumps of the L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil and apply it to the lower section of my hair. I have really thick hair so I want to make sure that all of my hair gets the attention it needs. Then I’ll take my hair out of the scrunchie and start at the ends and work my way up to the roots applying the serum. With my leftover product, I emphasize any spots I notice brittle hair that needs some extra product.

If I am blow drying my hair, I will use the L’Oreal Blow Dry It quick dry primer spray. It cuts my drying time in half and protects my hair from any heat damage. I also noticed right away that my hair gets the blow out shine, bounce and look when I use it no matter what shampoo that I use. I like to generously spray my hair and then I will spray my round brush for my layers when I curl my layers.

Using a hair straightener can be so bad for your hair when you do it frequently so always use a heat protection spray! The spray on the L’Oreal Sleek It iron straight heatspray is amazing because it just takes a few sprays to get the right amount of product all over your hair to protect it.

The best thing about these products is they give you great hair that can last days inbetween washes! The most important thing to prevent hair damage is to try to go as any days as you can inbetween washes. I actually have a hair washing schedule and try to go through the whole weekend without washing my hair to keep free from any heat products. With the right products, you can keep your hair healthy and protect it from heat damage with often leads to hair breakage – the opposite of what you want while you are growing your hair out!

Improve Your Mood & Have A Good Day

Published on April 2, 2020March 30, 2020 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

It’s easy to wake up groggy and in a funk these days. It’s even easier to go to bed in a discouraged mood feeling like you didn’t do enough. After a few days of this bad mood, I decided to start my day telling myself it was going to be a good day. Sometimes just telling yourself that you are in a good mood, helps you put yourself in a good mood. A lot of it is mental but also how you start your day and how you end it. I like to start my day with a to do list and a few times a week I’ll do a brain dump of things that are on my mind and keeping me overwhelmed. Once I see it on paper, I can make a plan to tackle these obstacles and find ways to address what is making me anxious.

Here are a few things that are on my daily to do list that help improve my mood. Your mental health is always important and deeply impacts on the type of day you will have.

Make your bed every morning! It takes two seconds and it’s an easy routine to do every morning. When I make my bed, I feel motivated to get the day started and a little energized knowing I already accomplished something on my to do list! It also feels great to get into bed at night into a made bed.

Staying at home all day makes me feel like there is no point in washing my face in the morning. To help me get ready for the day, I recently started showering in the morning. It’s refreshing it and it really helps me wake up. Now is also the time to use all of those products you have in your shower since you have time for daily self care.

You don’t need to do a full face of makeup everyday unless that is what brings you joy. For me, it’s starting the day nice and clean and putting on real clothes. When I get out of my pajamas, it helps me turn on “work mode” and makes me productive. I’ve been transitioning from my night time pajamas to my daytime pajamas, leggings and a loose fitting top, and then put on a fresh pair of pajamas at night so I can tell my body it’s time for bed.

For a while, I would wake up and turn on the TV while I ate breakfast. Then before I knew it, hours had passed and I got nothing done. Now I like to start my day listening to a podcast while I make my coffee and will listen to music while I work. The TV stays off during the day. I’ll watch TV at night while I eat dinner and it’s become more of a treat then being the sole focus of my day. Fridays are when I binge watch my shows as a nice treat.

If you feel bleh and like the days blur into one, I encourage you to start a project. It can be an art project or a house project you have been putting off. Every day, I spend time in our guest room which was a room filled with boxes and junk from our move. Slowly I’m unpacking and decorating the space to be functional as a guest room and office. At the end of this, I should be able to have a completed project to show off!

Finally, create a bedtime and stick to it. I’ve been going to bed earlier than I normally would instead of watching another episode or scrolling on my phone. Now is the time to get enough sleep at night so you can wake up in a good mood with energy. An hour before I’d like to be asleep, I’ll take a Melatonin and read or I’ll watch an episode of a show I’ve seen a thousand times.

Spring Cleaning with a Side of Quarantine

Published on March 31, 2020March 30, 2020 by blonde rosie3 Comments

Spring cleaning is nothing new since most of us either do a big clean each spring or know about it, just may not get to it. Well now that we have some extra time on our hands and we are sanitizing our homes, I thought it would be helpful to talk about spring cleaning in a time of the Corona Virus. Here are some of the ways that I clean throughout the year and have stepped up my cleaning process today to be safe.

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In recent weeks we saw how unprepared people were when we needed cleaning supplies and basic cleaning supplies. I personally use Grove Collaborative, an online cleaning supply delivery service. This way I can add items to my cart and then have them shipped to my home. You can choose how frequently you receive items and can adjust your cart with what you need. Since I have the storage space, I also order toilet paper, paper towels and laundry detergent in bulk from Target’s online website because I get free shipping and never have to worry about running out. My mom called asking if we needed anything and because I have my cleaning supplies mailed to me, I never had to worry about buying anything.

Have cleaning kits ready to go

Whether you have a big house or a small apartment, I have found that having a cleaning basket for each bathroom and floor makes cleaning so easy and fast to do. I have a set of bathroom cleaning products in each bathroom so I can easily grab a cleaning spray and wipe everything down post shower at night or while I brush my teeth in the morning. Most of my cleaning supplies are in my kitchen so it’s easy to wipe down counters each night before bed and I have a cleaning kit in our linen closet off our bedroom. On Sundays, while I collect all of the dirty clothes and bedding to bring down to the basement, I will quickly spray and wipe things down to keep it up. Now with this paranoia, I’ve been cleaning almost daily so now I can grab a kit and quickly clean.

Keep counters clutter free

I love a good knick knack but I try and keep them to a minimum because it makes dusting and cleaning a pain. My kitchen counters are the most frequently cleaned space in my home since I do it daily so I like to keep the bare minimum on the counters. If I decorate a table, I like to decorate with books in my living room because I can move things around and clean with ease. With the being home more now than ever, my coffee table has been used as a desk, dinner table and a catch all for junk. While I love a good decorative centerpiece, I simplified things a bit to make the space more functional for my daily needs. Now more than ever, we need to sanitize and the kitchen is a space where outside items are most. Having clear countertops makes cleaning a breeze! If you have stuff on your countertops, try to find a cabinet or drawer for them. If there is no space, see if you can purge a few things.

Everything should have a home

If you are cleaning and ask yourself, where did all of this stuff come from? The answer is you probably didn’t home a place for it to begin with. I use one of my end tables in my living room as technology storage. It’s where all of the cords, chargers and unused tech goes so it’s in one place and out of site. It makes cleaning easy because I just throw stuff in there and know where to find it later. Drawers do not have to be labeled and super organized, just have a drawer or cabinet where similar things go so it makes cleaning easy and you always know where things are. Having cleaning kits allows me to keep things sanitized but I didn’t have to worry about not having enough cleaner when the stores ran out.

Decide if you need more than one

I’ve moved so much over the last few years that I have really simplified the items that I own. Sure, I would still need a moving truck if I moved again because I’m not that minimalist, but I’ve done a good job of making sure that I have only one of everything of items that I don’t need more than one of. Not only does it help you get dressed easier because you are not overwhelmed with options, but I also am able to find what I need because I know exactly where it is. I donated a lot of unused bags, sweatshirts, shoes and home items that quickly became clutter because I couldn’t find a place to put allll of my bags or alllll of my sweatshirts. This quarantine has definitely showed me what I use most and what I really don’t need. My closet has full of work tops that I truly love but lately I’ve been wearing a lot more pajamas. I’ve always debated if I really need that many pajamas and I’m happy it’s something I like to have a lot of because they have definitely been my go to the last few weeks! Before I buy another top for work, I am probably going to ask myself if I really need it because I know that I already own so many.

Have the right tools to make cleaning easy

Hands down the best thing I ever bought was our Dyson vacuum. I got it on Black Friday for a good price at Target because yes, it is pricey but I read the reviews and wanted it. HSN also runs good deals throughout the year! Because it is so lightweight, I can vacuum when I see a mess easily instead of telling myself that I will get to it when I vacuum next. I have hardwood floors throughout the house and a few area rugs so I love that I can vacuum both floors without dealing with a long cord behind me. Now that I am home all the time, I have been vacuuming every other day because it is so easy to do! I also have a Swiffer with wet Swiffer cloths on each floor so I can easily wipe down our floors when needed. Since I have cleaning tools easily accessible, I am more likely to clean once a week than when it gets really bad and I reallly need to clean. I also purchased a few items like dusting cloths, a duster and others on Grove Collaborative because they have a section on their site of cleaning tools.

Oh and I wanted to also talk about a new item I purchased on Amazon! We don’t have a hall closet on our first floor so I didn’t know what to do with our broom and Swiffer so I bought these holders to put on the wall next to the stairs going down to the basement. It was the perfect space where I could store items so they are easy to get but out of site.

Why We Choose Chewy For Our Pet Needs

Published on March 30, 2020March 28, 2020 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

Shopping for pet supplies doesn’t make my weekly shopping list that often but when they do, it is usually needed urgently. Since Ed and I moved to Philadelphia, I have been relying on having our pet supplies shipped to my front door because there is just no way that I would be able to haul litter and food from the store to my home. I used a few different sites but when we moved to our house a year ago, I wanted to try Chewy and see if it was all that different from ordering from Target or Amazon. So far, we have loved it with zero complaints! The prices were so low that I ordered all new pet supplies for Ed along with his food for our first order. Since then we have been choosing Chewy for our food and toy needs for Ed.

There is a $50 purchase minimum for free shipping and let me just say that it is hard to meet that requirement because of the discounts on products we use daily. Chewy makes it easy to shop because of their very user friendly website and list of suggested items you may want to purchase. It has all of the name brands that I know and trust along with other pet needs and accessories. Instead of searching, browsing and researching reviews, I can easily search for what I need on Chewy’s website and click to add it to my cart without worrying if it will work for us or not. Also, I need to add that their customer service is amazing. I had to chat with someone over chat and I got a real person who answered quickly. They also sent Ed a Christmas card!

Since there is a spending requirement for free shipping, I like to order the biggest size of everything we need and I’ll throw in a few cat toys for Ed because they are soooo inexpensive. I like to do it this way because normally I would have to pay for an overpriced smallish bag of food because it was the only thing I could transport back home and I would be back in a few weeks to stock up again. Chewy makes it super easy and convenient because we can go months without having to reorder or running out of anything. Plus, I don’t have to pay extra for the weight of anything or it affect delivery time. I am also very impressed with their two day shipping and everything arrives at our front door right on time.

You can subscribe to auto-ship and you can tell Chewy how often you need items to shipped to your home. There is also a questionnaire for your pet so their analytics can suggest the right items for your pet. I don’t auto-ship my pet supplies because we can go months without having to reorder supplies because I order multiples and large sizes of everything to meet the shipping requirements. Another helpful thing is I can easily reorder from our previous shopping cart so I don’t have to search and add items again – takes maybe five minutes and everything is delivered in 2 days. It seems silly to love a website that ships pet supplies but I have been realizing how much time we spend going to the store, shopping, overpaying and then bringing items back home we use daily when we could easily have them shipped! I’ve tried ordering from other sites and sometimes there are shipping delays or an item is out of stock or I have to read through a dozen reviews to make sure the product is actually legit and then I have to question why it’s upcharged so much to get it shipped quickly.

If you are your furry friend are living busy lives and want to simplify a few things, get your pet needs at Chewy.

Be Intentional With Your Time

Published on March 28, 2020 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

I woke up late on Saturday and didn’t have much motivation to do anything after I woke up so I just laid in bed scrolling on my phone. There was a time that I would relish when I would wake up to a rainy morning with time to scroll on my phone. Instead of enjoying reading the news updates on Twitter and getting inspiration from photos in squares like I usually do, I got bored and put my phone away. Luckily, my parents called on speakerphone as they were making cupcakes for their neighbors. I got to talk to them about the weather, what their garden looked like and a promise that a photo would be sent shortly. We did the usual check in and reminder to stay indoors – this was directed to my dad after he told us he wanted to play a round of golf with friends. It really is true that we need to emphasize the staying indoors more to our parents than us young people! Luckily, my mom with her doctor title and me as the concerned daughter won and my dad will not be playing golf with the guys this weekend!

After a long conversation on the phone with my parents, I changed out of my night time pajamas and got into a matching set of “daytime” pajamas or comfy lounge wear as we started to call it. I made an easy breakfast and a cup of coffee even though it was late in the afternoon. I checked my email and deleted the ones with the subject titles that mentioned “SALE!” because I am doing a no shopping rule during the quarantine and I can proudly say that I have not purchased anything besides groceries and other essential items. I also filled out the Census questionnaire which was really easy and quick to do – kind of a bummer when I was hoping it would take up more than 5 minutes.

I’ve been good with keeping myself busy this past week. I like to create a to do list with a list of a few things I am grateful for each day while I drink my morning coffee. I’m cleaning and catching up on laundry and spending time in the kitchen making dinner. My mom commented that I was getting through this with a smile in my heart and it made me realize that the way we think about this time in our lives can impact our day so much. There are days that I am bored and don’t have much motivation to do anything or I stress about our finances. There are so many times in my life that I wish I could have a week to let my mind rest or to catch up on everything or to get to that long to do list. I’m being lazy because it’s what my body needs but I am also being intentional with my time at home. I’m also creating a routine that helps me find structure during a day without much to create it like usual. I like to start my mornings emptying the dishwasher and tidy the kitchen while listening to The New York Times Daily Podcast as I wait for my Keurig to get started. It’s enough of the news to stay in the know but not too much to feel overwhelmed. Then in the afternoon, I like to work on a project to keep me moving. I deep cleaned our kitchen and I’m rearranging our first floor to make it more functional. I’m finally unpacking a few more boxes from the move and working on our guest room/office. I added photos to an album that have been in a box for years and I organized my box of treasured items and cards late one night while watching Netflix. I’m making my bed each morning because I have the time to do it and spend a few minutes to do a short work out to keep my body moving. Make a to do list and check the item off proudly once accomplished, even if it’s tidy like washing your face in the morning or brushing your teeth at night before bed.

There is so much uncertainty right now as we go into another week of us being unsure when things will go back to normal. For now, I don’t want to dwell on that. Instead I want to be intentional in how I use this time I have at home. Even if you are working from home right now, make your bed each morning, find a project, big or small, to accomplish each day and go to bed at your normal bedtime.

Stay safe…. Stay inside…..but most importantly, be kind to yourself.

Finding Joy

Published on March 25, 2020 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

Our days look a little different than they did just a few weeks ago. I find that I have more free time and not much motivation to do anything. I’m usually a homebody and will try to go for a daily walk to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. Now with the quarantine, knowing I can’t leave my house makes me a bit anxious. My step goal rarely gets accomplished so I’ve been doing at home workouts to stay active. Right now I am adapting to my new “normal” and new routines. It took some time to adjust and some days are better than others. One thing that has helped me tremendously is starting to journal and writing down a thing or two that brought me joy. It could be finally organizing the linen closet or sunny skies after weeks of rain. Just find one thing in a day that brought you joy and cling to it. There is a lot of talk of fear and uncertainty in the future. Instead of dwelling on the unknown and freaking out, I find joy in my day even if I have to go out of my way to create it.

Here are a few things that have brought me joy during a time of uncertainty.