Author: blonde rosie

friday favorites

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I know I am not alone when I say that adjusting to Daylight Savings was a little bit of a struggle. A few coworkers and I joked about how difficult it was to get out of bed in the morning just because of that one lost hour. This week was amazing for me because of the extra hour of daylight after work. For months, I have left the office when it was dark and cold with zero motivation to do anything. I cannot even begin to count how many plans I cancelled last minute just because I just wasn’t feeling it. Now with this extra sunshine after work and the temperatures are slowly starting to warm up, I am filling my planner with plans again. It’s comical how excited I am about 50-60 degree weather right now after months of single digits!

This weekend, we are celebrating Jake’s birthday and I put together a fun adult version of a birthday party for him. I’m also really excited because one of my really close friends from college just moved back to Philly so it’s nice to have another friend to hang out with. There is a post it in my planner that has a list of all of the restaurants I want to try and this helps take out the hard part of planning where to go. This has been so helpful whenever I find a friend who is free to grab brunch/lunch/coffee

This week, my car has officially been registered to Pennsylvania. It was very bittersweet to take my Jersey plates off, but this girl will always be a Jersey Girl! Yes, I have lived here for a year but this is a lot harder than I thought it would be. So much paperwork and waiting on lines.

What I’m Watching

The biggest TV event this week was the season finale of The Bachelor. Definitely did not see that coming! A few people have said it was a bad season, but I kinda liked how it didn’t go to plan at all. In my head, I kept comparing to how previous seasons are done and this one ended a lot shorter than it was supposed to. It was refreshing to not have the same formula that every single season plays out. Hannah B. will be a new take on the Bachelorette since she will be representing all of us awkward girls who cannot form complete sentences. I say this as someone who does this daily!

What I’m Loving

Obsessed with the heels Taylor Swift wore to the iheart radio music awards last night.

For some reason, I still don’t own cups after almost a year of moving into my apartment. I have my eyes on these for obvious reasons ha!

I have no purpose for this adorable elephant basket, but I need it anyway!

These tie waist pants are so so cute and will finally be purchasing them this weekend. I have a gift card that has been waiting to be used since Christmas.

This skirt is also a must have to transition into spring and can be worn through the summer.

The Lilly Pulitzer x Pottery Barn collection launch is here! For those who don’t want to add to much print to their home, Lilly sheets or little accessories are the perfect addition to your space.

I loved reading these tips for the next Instagram black out by Poor Little It Girl.

If only all newspapers would do a little more of this, maybe we would all be less anxious.

On the blog this week…

Work Smarter, Not Harder
How to Enjoy the Extra Daylight
How I Keep My Apartment Tidy
Friday Favorites

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Published on by blonde rosie1 Comment


A few weeks ago, I had to go to a training seminar for work. Of course, being the nerd I am, I brought a notebook with me and took down notes. Then because life gets busy, while I was cleaning off my desk I found my notes from that meeting. The seminar had all valid points and they all seemed so simple. So why wasn’t I doing them daily? Most of the time, I am just so thankful to have a full time job that I don’t take the time to think where I can grow from here. The meeting focused on ways to get more training and how to improve at your current position. But how does one do that?

During my annual review, I made it clear about what I found challenging at my job and what I loved about my job. This way, my boss knew what obstacles I faced while completing a task and by showing him what I loved, I made sure that I could continue doing that role. There are some work tasks that people do not enjoy but I love them, so I always like to point out to coworkers that they can have me do it for them. This way, I have been able to work with people I wouldn’t normally making it the perfect time to network.

Don’t wait for permission if you find something that you could do yourself. After a few months at my job, I noticed that meetings were not properly reviewed so things were not set up properly. With just a few extra emails a day, I was able to confirm meetings, retrain people and most importantly, make myself valuable. While I identified certain parts of my job that could be improved or added to, I was able to become a resource on how to do the job better. I felt more dedicated and excited to do my job too which was a nice bonus. If you think of a better, more efficient way to do your job, don’t ask for permission. See if it works and show the success to your team or boss.

Instead of being afraid to ask for time off, a raise or promotion, just go ahead and ask. It is easier to ask for things if you come prepared with a list of accomplishments, your goals and maybe a list of kudos from other people at work. Have that follow up question, “why” answered before the person responsible for those answers has to ask. If you still need some support to ask for things, become friends with the human resources department and ask what they would recommend.

Stop comparing where you are on your journey to where other people are in theirs. I have friends who are rising to the top of where they work, who make way more money than I do and look perfect working that 9-5. There are days I wish I was doing something else, making more or on vacation. But I need to stop comparing myself and appreciate where I am in life now. Keep the negative away and find ways to be inspired to work harder and appreciate everything you have.