Last week, I was wearing shorts and a tank top or a bathing suit and this week I am wearing long sleeves and leggings! The weather has definitely shifted; it’s cold, overcast and the sun is going down a lot earlier. It’s making me think of Jake’s family who was directly impacted by the hurricane this week in Pensacola and my friends out west in the path of the fires. I’m excited to be back home in Philly with Jake and Ed but I really am going to miss my time in the South with my parents.
One of the best things about fall is all of the new things to watch! I even made a list of things to watch because I didn’t watch much tv the last few months. Fall television is going to be different this year so I plan on watching shows live to support. One show that will be interesting because of the cast is Dancing with the Stars.
This week I made time to watch the This Is Paris documentary on YouTube. It’s free to watch and heartbreaking to see what happens in Paris Hilton’s life behind the cameras and her brand.
I was excited to be home because I can finally catch up on the current season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I’ve been trying to keep up with the drama on Twitter so now I’m binging season 10 this week.
I’m still sharing my reading list on Goodreads to keep me committed to my reading goal. I did a lot of reading over the summer and I need to get into a routine of reading everyday this fall.
I stocked up on a ton of products before we came home so I got this new bag to keep it all organized. It’s so cute and holds so much that I plan on getting some more bags in this print.
There is currently a ton of new products on my vanity that I am excited to share on the blog in the next few weeks. Over the summer I’ve been going makeup free most days and really focusing on skincare. After seeing an amazing deal on 3 full size eyeshadow palettes from Tarte, I had to order it ASAP!
Recently bought these sandals because they were on clearance and I’ve been wearing them nonstop since. Very comfortable and do not look or feel cheap even though they were only $12.
WOW, I have missed my kitchen so much the last few months! I am back to making dinner every night and trying new and old recipes. We did a big grocery trip when we got back to Philly so I was able to make our favorite penne vodka which was delicious! I’ve been sharing our dinners on Instagram stories and it’s been a great motivator to cook and interact with you all.
Speaking of amazing food, I just discovered the Starkist tuna creations and they are a game changer for lunches!
Holy moly where did July go!? Wrapping up July with really hot days and lots of pool time to cool off. This week was definitely busy and I was excited for the routine. We are expecting family to stay at my moms house for a few months to get a change of scenery while we quarantine. So we have been busy getting the house cleaned and decorated for their visit. This weeks Friday Favorites post is being posted late because I just found out it is Friday. I’m on summer time and days don’t count! Luckily, I keep a post it in my planner to write down a favorite thing every day and start a draft of this post on Mondays.
I woke up this morning terrified that I forgot to pay rent this month because I forgot it was August. Don’t worry, rent was paid back in late July but now that seems so long ago. Jake and I were talking today about how the days seem to be getting longer. I woke up early this morning and had breakfast with my family which was a nice way to start the day. I checked my emails and did some browsing because J Crew is having their big summer sale. While I saw a lot of cute things I would love to have, my bank account reminded me that I don’t currently have a job or any plans to leave the house in the next year. I worked outside, finished my book and did a few laps in the pool. I came inside thinking it was past dinnertime and it was only 4pm! These days are long! I’m in bed before 10pm most nights because the days feel so long that I’m ready for bed earlier and earlier!
For now, I spend my days outside as much as I can. I like to work on projects in the backyard like tending the garden or working on some landscaping project. Honestly pulling weeds takes up most of my day! Hurricane Isaias went through North Carolina so I’ve been sweeping up debris all week. Luckily, our home did not have any damage but we did lose electric for the night and most of the morning. Not fun with no AC and the Southern heat. With all of that time outside and quick dips in the pool to cool off, I haven’t had to use any of the fake tanner that I brought with me. I can’t remember the last time I was this tan! Waking up early has helped my mental health which I thought I would never say. I start to get “bored” around 4 or 5 o’clock so I’ve been going to my parents library or laying in a pool float while I read. My goal is to read a book a month and I’ve been keeping up. I recently created a Goodreads account which has been fun to keep track of what I’ve read and what I want to read.
At night I’ve been cleaning the kitchen before bed which is my little alone time where I load the dishwasher and wipe down the counters. Most importantly, I watch an episode of TV while I do it. I’ve been really good at not watching TV when I’m bored or for something to do. For months when we all were first stuck at home, my day revolved around the TV and now I limit myself to the news in the morning and then an episode at night while I clean. Last month I finished The Real Housewives of Dallas and have moved onto The Real Housewives of Potomac. I’m currently on the second season and it’s getting good!
I mentioned earlier that I created a Goodreads account so you can keep up with what I’m reading for suggestions. I finished reading Tidelands by Philippa Gregory today actually. I’ve been reading a lot of chick lit this summer which has been nice but wanted to switch it up with some historical fiction. I’ve been a long time fan of Philippa Gregory and was excited to see this book on sale when I ran errands a few weeks ago.
It was a good mail week so I’m excited to bring a lot of product reviews to the blog in the next few weeks! I’m keeping my routine simple since I am in the pool almost every day so it doesn’t make sense to wear makeup or much product. I’ve been using Ouai Leave In Conditioner a lot to protect my hair with all of the hair washing which my hair isn’t a big fan of. My mom and I are both using my Loreal Scalp Care shampoo and conditioner and are big fans!
If you have been following my blog you will know that one of my goals this year was to use up every single product that I already own. My linen closet back in Philly is filled with products that I’ve purchased and received for free because of the blog. Quarantine has helped me slow down and really create some time for self care. When I packed for a summer at my parents, I brought a giant bag with a ton of products and I’m on my 3rd bottle of lotion so far! The sales at Bath and Body Works are great but I end up with so much stuff I never use. Seems silly to be excited about that but I really want less clutter in my life in every single way. I’ve also been leaving my nighttime moisturizer on my night stand to help remind me to put it on at night.
I haven’t left the house this week so I didn’t do any in store shopping but I do have some Amazon purchases on their way! After telling myself that I didn’t need them for months, I finally ordered the plastic heart sunglasses from Amazon that are like $10. Jake also told me to keep an eye on the door because he has shipped some items to me. Can’t wait to see what is on it’s way! Not beauty related but I am currently obsessed with Oui yogurt. Yes, I bought it because the jar was cute but now I’ve been buying them because it’s delicious and way more filling than my usual morning yogurt.
Starbucks bottled iced coffee. Going to the garden in the evening to pick tomatoes off the vine. Cooking dinners. Snapple iced tea. Oui yogurt. My new seashell bath mat. My mom got me new girly bedding for my room here. Tan lines. Noticing my body getting toned and getting fit. Box hair color. Facetime movie date night with Jake. Cookout drive thru for lunch last week. Gorgeous sunsets this week. Minion shaped chicken nuggets. The Calm App.
Happy Friday! We are back with another Friday Favorites post where I talk about my favorite things, what I’ve been up to recently, and recent purchases. I’ve been doing these every two weeks so I have more to share in each post and it is summer so, I am taking some time off from my laptop. I’ve been really enjoying spending a lot of time outside. I’ve been working on a lot of weeding projects and power washing the driveways. Plural because my parents have a carport on the side of the house and behind the pool, they have a long driveway leading up to the two-car garage. I want to clarify that no one asked me to do these projects, I am just finding any excuse to spend my day outside. I’ll work for an hour, get hot and jump in the pool and then go back to work. After months of sitting in a house, I am going outside to find something to do whenever I get the chance. Sweeping? Weeding? Cutting the grass? I’ll do it because the last place I want to be is inside! My parents moved into this house only two years ago so they are still making this home theirs. Luckily there are plenty of projects to keep me busy!
My brother is living in Raleigh and since it’s just a two-hour drive away I’ve been able to see him a few times. Two weeks ago, my dad brought golf clubs and my mom brought lunch so we had a socially distanced picnic and hit some golf balls at a park near where my brother lives. I also love to visit my brother because there is a Costco and a Trader Joe’s there. On our recent trip, we stopped at DSW on our way home and I bought so many shoes because of their major clearance sale. This is one store you want to keep your eyes on for sales right now.
Another interesting tidbit is that I’ve become a morning person. This is breaking news because I have never naturally woken up early before. Lately, I’ve been waking up between 6:30 and 7am without an alarm clock. I’ll check my emails and messages, go downstairs and get coffee, have yogurt for breakfast while doing some work on my laptop. Around 9am I’ll throw on a bathing suit and head outside to get some reading done. My afternoons are spent working outside and jumping in the pool! Did you know it’s hot in the south?!
Since businesses and (most) people here are taking COVID seriously, my mom and I were able to go to the farmers market last weekend and do some antiquing. It was fun to walk around and look at all the veggies and flower vendors. I got a really pretty french lavender plant for $3 that I plan to take back with me to Philadelphia. My dad and I are digging up evergreen trees that are popping up all over their property to take back with me too. I got box planters that I plan on putting in front of our house and I’ll fill them with the evergreen trees so they are green throughout the year. I’m really taking advantage of what is growing in my parent’s backyard to bring some back home.
Of course I miss Philadelphia and Jake and little Ed. Right now I am taking advantage of having a car and being able to drive around and do errands easily. I’m loving the pool and laying in a lounge chair while I read all day. I’m loving this time with my family and being able to go on a walk or down to the Dairy Queen and get a scoop of ice cream. There is a lot that I’m loving right now even though my two favorite people are in Philadelphia holding down the fort while I’m away.
I’m not watching any tv lately because I’ve been using any free time that I have to read. At night I replaced my usual falling asleep to a movie with the Calm App. I’ll do a meditation while I snuggle into bed and focus on my breathing. Usually by then I’m half asleep and I’ll put on a bedtime story on the app and I have not been able to stay awake for one story! Waking up early has really helped me go to bed early too without much fuss. I love falling asleep shortly after my head hits the pillow.
I just finished Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner which was a nice easy lounge by the pool read. I just started Tidelands by Philipa Gregory which is historical fiction since I needed to mix it up a bit. I brought a ton of books down here and recently bought a ton more so I have a lot of reading to do!
I’m proud of myself for finally working on my long list of blog posts that I have been neglecting since I got here. I talked about my favorite leave-in conditioners in this post which have been really making it easy to have good hair days during quarantine and hot summer months.
A few months ago I worked on a blog post with Love Beauty and Planet about a new shampoo and conditioner that I am so excited finally hit the shelves! I also got to work with Loreal and talked about their new scalp care and detox shampoo and conditioner on the blog. Lots of beauty posts are coming to the blog so stay tuned to more!
In case you didn’t know, Pier 1 is going out of business so I’ve been stopping by once a week to browse. It’s a very slow liquidation but new items go to clearance and markdowns happen on Thursdays FYI. I recently picked up adorable bunny plates that were a set of 4 for $3 and Jake sent me money to get their lemon plates. I also got a cute lemon themed fruit basket since our yellow kitchen kinda became a lemon theme when we moved in!
The Target near my parents is not that great but I am loving the dollar bin section! Their recent theme is lemon decor and really cute home decor items. The price was right so I got a few things to bring back with me to Philly. I picked up this Friends tee shirt because it would make a great outfit for my next move. Oh and somehow this pajama set ended up in my cart LOL
Belk is having a big sale so my parents and I went today actually to browse. I stocked up on $6 candles, an adorable rug, a bag on major sale, and bought some cute clothes. My parents bought a lot of cute new bedding because it was on super sale. I need my roommate to come visit me before I buy anything else for the house!
Peaches Tomatoes from the garden Working outside Sweet tea Going to the grocery store. I was even excited to go to Lowes so I clearly have missed shopping! Tan lines Oui Yogurt My new Conair hair dryer brush
Hi friends! I am writing this weeks Friday Favorites post while I am sitting by the pool and sipping on my morning cup of coffee. The last few weeks at my parents house have felt like a vacation I didn’t know I needed. For months I was sitting around my house in Philadelphia in quarantine going a little stir crazy. I was so fortunate to have a house and enough money in the bank to pay rent each month but I still felt stuck. I don’t like to sit still and as a coping mechanism for my anxiety I have always been on the move. Working more than one job, long list of errands after work or even a long workout helped keep me focused. Quarantine gave me too much time with not much to do so I’m happy I took my parents offer to stay with them for a bit. Not only has it been beneficial socially because I am around more people but because I am able to move more. My parents have a large property with lots of gardens and landscaping to take care of. It’s not like my parents just invited me down to help them work, but my mom knows how I like to stay busy.
With this in mind, we all work for an hour outside in the morning. Between weeding, sweeping, painting or landscaping projects – there is plenty to do to keep you busy! After a jump in the pool to cool down, we all head inside to work for an hour. With rooms straightened, laundry going and floors cleaned we will make lunch and head back outside to enjoy the pool. My afternoons are spent working on a project of my own or out running errands. Back in Philadelphia I wouldn’t dare go to stores because of the congested streets and high number of people not wearing masks. Down here in my parents small town, running errands during the week means empty stores and everyone wearing a mask. I’ve gone a little shopping crazy after not being able to get essential items for a few months. In my planner I keep a sticky note of things we need for the house which has kept getting longer and longer in 2020. Also it’s hard to beat the prices down here since we are not paying city prices for items. While out grocery shopping with my dad I went a little crazy in the cereal aisle because it was $6.99 a box back at our market in the city, so I was shocked to see the $1.99 price tag.
This is the first week I’ve started to see changes in my body as I work off that quarantine weight and the weight I put on before that because of stress and depression. Those morning chores are a great way to get my steps in and are honestly a work out. With lots of stairs, heavy lifting and out in the sun it is helping me gain some muscle. At night, I will take a long walk around the property while the sun is setting. The air is still hot but is starting to cool, the sky lights up in cotton candy skies and I am just in awe with all of the greenery around me. I go to bed most nights with my feet throbbing and legs all wobbly because I was working so hard.
Funny how with all the time in the day right now the last thing I want to do is sit inside and watch television? I spend every minute that I can outside either working or in the pool to enjoy the sun on my face and work on that summer glow. At night I spend an hour reading in the back screened in porch and taking a long walk before bed. I’ll occasionally watch something on my laptop before bed but I am not that invested. I think since I know I am only down here for a few more weeks and summer will be over before I am ready, I want to enjoy every single minute that I can.
I’m currently reading Jennifer Weiner’s Who Do You Love at night before bed. It’s longer than I thought it would be but I am really invested in the characters making it an easy read. My mom and I get the same magazines (Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens) so I’ve been able to catch up while I am visiting. If you want a way to do stuff with your mom who lives far away, getting the same magazines allows us to talk about them on the phone and read them together. She will text me if I saw the recipe on a certain page and how cute curtains looked in the beach room in another magazine. Even though we were 10 hours away from each other, it felt like we were closer since we were doing stuff together. I went to Ollie’s again, a store that has a lot of things for low prices and got some more books that will look nice on a shelf and will be fun to read.
I’m spending a lot of time in the pool so I’m letting my hair air dry every day. Not only has it been great for my hair but with a new shampoo I’ve noticed that it’s less frizzy. I can go to bed with it damp and wake up with cute bed head instead of my usual frizzy big hair.
I’m also using a leave in conditioner in my hair and I think that has helped me lay off the heat tools to style it lately.
Because of the heat, it is the South afterall, I usually wake up feeling a bit sweaty and then I put on sunscreen and bug spray. By the end of the day my face is feeling bumpy and oily so this week I’ve been using this face mask. After my shower I will put hair up in a towel and wear the mask while I straighten my room or something. I think the face mask has helped keep my skin looking brighter and not as oily.
Oh boy! Where do I begin!? I first need to point out that the county where my parents live has a very low number of COVID cases. We are taking all of the necessary steps to keep ourselves and others safe when we go out. My parents live in a small suburb surrounded by farmland, seriously lots of horses and field of corn and tobacco. All of this allows us to go to stores that are practically empty and everyone is wearing masks. Since I haven’t had a car in December and Philadelphia really was in lockdown, there are things we needed but could not get because of logistics.
Pier1 has their going out of business sale so I bought these plates for $3 for a set of 4. I got two sets because at that price I had to take advantage of that price. My mom then had me go back to get her two sets and my aunt two sets as well. They thought I had a lot of friends when I really just got asked to buy plates for people.
I went to the store to get plastic bins and had to have this dinnerware set when I bought it! I ended up getting matching pasta bowls as well since we never had them. Also had to get this canister for our kitchen because it matched perfectly!
The Homegoods near my parents recently opened so when we went the entire store was on major clearance. If you feel safe, definitely go to TJ Maxx and Homegoods now while they try to get rid of their inventory. I bought a few things for our house that you can only buy at Homegoods and a few Christmas presents to give people.
Walks at night. Bike rides through town. Organizing a cabinet. Redesigning my moms laundry room. Reading outside in the screened in back porch. Making flower arrangements with greenery from the gardens. The marina being so close. Being able to drive to towns nearby to walk around. Going out to eat. My dad cooking dinner for me every night. Sweet tea.
I’ll admit I had to look up the date and day of the week while writing this post. I’ve been at my parents house in North Carolina for a week now and finally took out my laptop to get some writing in. I took some time to just settle in and unpack, enjoy the pool and grocery shop. My visit was a surprise for my dad for Father’s Day which he loved and was very surprised. We had to do some grocery shopping and such so I could get my favorite snacks. It’s something silly but my dad and I would always go grocery shopping together at Wegmans and we would act shocked when the other person added something to the cart that was not on the list my mom made for us. It was fun to do it with my dad because he got to take me to his grocery store down here and complain that they always move everything and can never find what he needs. You don’t realize how much you miss being home until you’ve been away for a long time. My mom and I are spending time together by the pool chatting and catching up. My parents gave me a few projects around the house because they know I like to stay busy and I’m young so I can do some heavy lifting. Earlier this week, we went to Walmart to buy plastic bins to put all of my stuff that has been sitting in all of the guest room closets since the move to put in the basement. I’m starting to make my room here a little more cozy. While we were out, we bought a few things to turn a previous play room into a craft room for my mom. It was where the movers put all of the boxes during the move so now that most of their stuff has been unpacked, I spent two days deep cleaning and building furniture to make it a practical craft room for my mom.
After months of just sitting, I’m excited to get busy with projects around the house and take a quick dip in the pool to cool down. I’ve been spending my mornings drinking coffee outside by the pool and then spending my nights in the screened in porch at night watching tv or relaxing. It’s definitely been a nice change of scenery even though I miss my two boys back home in Philadelphia!
I’ve enjoyed the break from tv since I’ve been down here. I’ll watch some Real Housewives for some noise in the background while I clean or work on a project. My parents finally watched Frozen I and II with me and now my mom understands my obsession with all things Olaf! She even surprised me with an Olaf loofa the other day which I am obsessed with! My dad has the news on 24/7 so I’m back to sitting with him watching what is going on in the world. I already stay informed with The New York Times on Twitter and Huffpost news alerts on my phone but it’s nice to sit on the couch with my dad and complain about morons denying the existence of the coronavirus.
I brought a ton of books and magazines to read while I’m here so I’m excited to lay out by the pool and read. My dad took me to Ollie’s, a store down here that is like a Big Lots to get some pool floats and such. They have a huge book section with books for under $5 so I was able to buy all of Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbooks and Goop books. I’ve officially turned into my mother with collecting cookbooks because they are pretty!
Since I knew I would be in North Carolina for more than two months, I over packed on things I may need while I am down here. My goal is to use up everything I own so I brought every face mask, half used lotion and hair product I have. I’m taking my vitamins each day – hair vitamin, b-12, daily and melatonin. I’m also really committed to using a moisturizer while I’m down here to keep my face hydrated even with all of the time in the sun. At night after I shower, I like to use this face mask set while I tidy up the kitchen and run the dishwasher. I’ve noticed a big change in my skin texture since I a doing masks more often.
Drinking coffee outside in the backyard, front porch or screened in back porch Dad making dinner every night Having a car Safely shopping at stores while staying far from other shoppers and wearing a mask Visited my brother in Raleigh for the first time in more than a year Long walks with mom Pool days Making my new parents house a home Designing a craft room for my mom Cocktails Hanging with my parents Change of scenery Getting a daily work out in because of all of the steps at my parents house
I hope you are doing well during these challenging times that seem to be longer than we all thought. Take care of yourselves, friends!
I woke up today and legitimately thought it was Saturday. It’s been one of those weeks that was long, tiring, and heavy on our hearts. Because of what was going on in the world, I paused scheduled posts on the blog and didn’t post anything superficial on my Instagram. No one cared about what I was wearing, how I washed my face and what I was thinking this week truthfully. Like many others, I stopped to listen, read and educate myself. I attended a protest in Philadelphia on Saturday and it’s hard to describe but I was so moved by the amount of families with young children, friends walking together, different groups of people talking to one another and walking side by side. I’ve been to other protests but this one was different. This one was taking a stand that enough was enough. The media will focus on the “violent protesters” and the damage on the city that followed all week. I’ll admit that the smashing of windows, helicopters and loud sirens kept me up at night and made me uncomfortable but that feeling of being uncomfortable reminded me how uncomfortable racism is in this country. We should feel uncomfortable as we look back at what led to today and look at the systematic racism that exists. I spent years in inner city schools and talked to students about the challenges they faced. I’ve known for years that this country created legal ways to discriminate and a culture that allowed an us versus them way of life. This movement is here to stay and I hope more positive change will continue.
On Friday mornings I like to sit down at my dining room table with a cup of warm coffee and check my emails before I get to work on writing my Friday Favorites post. During the week I jot things down in my planner that I’m loving so I don’t forget. This week felt different. There are a lot of posts out there about resources, restaurants to go to and ways to take action. Instead of adding to the noise, I wanted to focus on resources, things I loved and how I am moved by this week personally.
I watched the movie 13th Amendment when it first came out on Netflix and think it did a great job of explaining how discrimination became legal. I’ve been watching Mrs. America on Hulu and it looks at the tension during the women’s movement when it came to race and lesbians while trying to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed. Film allows us to learn and absorb information so I will continue to watch movies that expose our faults as a country and as humankind.
The New York Times Twitter Resources shared on Instagram What my peers are saying What people who may not look like me are saying Local community journalism
The Calm App is free for one year if you have an American Express credit card.
Philadelphia coming together this week.
Voices being heard, voices joining together to become louder.
Not tolerating statements that lack action from politicians, companies, peers.
Listening to Pod Save America and The Daily podcasts.
Blonde Rosie Blog 