Since we have been spending more of our time at home, I have been vacuuming more throughout the week. Not surprising as we both work, live and eat all of our meals at home so it’s going to get dirty at times! My most needy roommate is Ed the cat, he has adjusted to us being home 24/7 so he moves throughout the house to find a comfy place to nap and often leaves a trail of hair behind. We are all adjusting to our new normal right now and one of my new routines is a new cleaning routine with some new tools!
Last year, I purchased a vacuum and when I saw the pet model and the standard model, I didn’t know if there would be much of a difference. In the end I just bought the standard version because it was cheaper and thought it would work just as well. So far it’s been great and I have had zero complaints to clean up after my cookie crumbs and dirt that accumulates in our older house. It wasn’t until Bissell reached out to ask if I wanted to try a pet model vacuum. With Ed we thought it was a good thing to have and see if there was that much of a difference between our regular vacuum and a pet model.
Not knowing when the Bissell Powerlifter Swivel Lift-OFF Pet vacuum would arrive, I did my usual vacuum routine earlier in the week. When the new vacuum arrived, I took it out of the box and wanted to see if it was easy to use not thinking it would pick up anything since I just vacuumed earlier in the week. Our guest room slash my new office is rarely used and is carpeted so I wanted to see how it worked in that room. It was lightweight, easy to push and the swivel feature let me easily get to the corners in the room without using the attachment. It’s a small room so my jaw dropped when I saw how much dirt and hair was in the vacuum.
I pushed it down the hallway to our bedroom which has a rug over our hardwood floors and when I finished vacuuming the room that I just cleaned, the canister was completely full! The Bissell Powerlifter Swivel Lift-OFF Pet vacuum is an easy way to do a deep clean around the house. I can honestly say that I am so impressed with this vacuum and it has made cleaning up very easy.
This week is when the countdown to Christmas begins as we wrap presents to put under the tree and get to sit on the couch enjoying our home all decorated in lights. If you are still shopping for presents, check out my gift guide here. Last weekend my family and I got together on Zoom and made cookies to send to each other. We had so much fun reminiscing, being able to ask about substitutes for ingredients and making a mess in our kitchens virtually together. I recently shared a blog post here about making new holiday traditions here where I shared how my family and I are celebrating Christmas together even though we are all in different states. Over the weekend I did a lot of prep work for scheduled content on the blog and other boring stuff around the house that had to get done so I could have a relaxing week. I hope you are all taking time to enjoy your homes decorated for Christmas and all of the lights. Stay tuned to the blog because I am so excited abut the content and collaborations coming to the blog soon!
Enjoying all of the Housewives on right now.
Caught up on The Spanish Princess on Starz this week when I wasn’t watching a Christmas movie.
At night I’ve been putting on BBC documentaries on Netflix while I’m in bed because they are so relaxing to listen to.
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water at night to help take off my makeup. Even after I shower I use this on a cotton square and I’m amazed how much junk is still on my face.
My new Kevyn Aucoin mascara is a game changer and I’ve been wearing it every day the last two weeks.
I had some Old Navy cash to use so I picked up a few amazing pieces from Old Navy this week. I did a try on session on Instagram stories and shared pictures and links on the blog here.
This book is the perfect gift for the Hallmark movie lover.
Just ordered a bunch of photo collage magnets on Shutterfly to give to our family and they were very inexpensive because of the sale going on now.
Hot coffee in the morning in a Christmas coffee mug. Over the weekend I rearranged our cabinet so they are all in the front making them easy to grab! Still loving our new Keurig.
Our new sherpa comforter is probably the best thing I bought all year. It keeps us warm all night and makes it impossible to get out of bed in the morning.
This super easy and delicious sugar sprinkle cookie recipe. We added a ton of sprinkles in the dry ingredients to make them sprinkle cookies. With our second batch we used chocolate sprinkles and it gave them a nice hint of chocolate!
The themed place and bake cookies are still the best though 😉
Bedtime stories on the Calm App every night because it’s the only way I can fall asleep these days.
I’ve always loved the day after Thanksgiving because overnight the pumpkins are put back into storage and my family and I would start decorating our house for Christmas. We would watch our favorite movie, A Christmas Story, while we stayed up late into the night putting up garland in all of the rooms and decorating 5 trees throughout the house. With a birthday on Christmas Eve, we took Christmas very seriously in our house growing up. Even to this day, I get obsessed with Christmas traditions because it’s how we have always done things. It’s great to give and receive presents, but this year has taught me just how important having my family around during the holidays. The reason I love our traditions through December is because of the years of memories of spending time with my family. For all of those years that I worked retail, December was our busiest month but I would still give up sleep and work the closing shift so I could spend time with my family during the day.
This year looks different for everyone and Christmas is not going to be spared from this pandemic. My family and I are back to our weekly Sunday Zoom calls and we scheduled a different theme and activity each week to keep us connected during the holidays. I thought it would be fun to share some things my family and I are doing this month to make new traditions and to keep our favorite traditions going even in 2020.
1. Cookie Making On Zoom
One of my favorite things is Christmas cookies and my mom would always make a bunch of different kinds throughout the month. My brother and I would help with icing the sugar cookies and spend more time eating them! My mom, aunt, cousins, and I scheduled a cookie-making Zoom on Sunday and it was so much fun! We were all laughing over kitchen mishaps, my mom and dad made a cocktail while they waited for their cookies to bake and Jake and I spiked our orange juice with vodka and cranberry garnish.
2. Cookie Exchange
This year we learned that we really don’t need anything and if we did, we bought it for ourselves back in June. Our family is sending cookies instead of presents and honestly, this is the best decision ever! Jake had a bit too much fun ordering boxes, bows, and more to properly box up the cookies safely.
3. Gifts With Purpose
I donated money to the Arbor Day Foundation over the summer and got a letter from them recently about their campaign right now where you can buy trees in the rainforest in honor of someone. I thought this would be a great way to spend money on a good cause instead of clutter to wrap and send to someone for Christmas. My parents are donating money to Heifer International to buy a goat for a family in Africa instead of giving presents to extended family members.
4. Christmas House Tour
We decorated our house knowing that Jake and I would be the only ones to really see it and we were okay with that. For fun, my family thought it would be fun to do a house tour so we could see each other’s Christmas decorations. Without trying, my mom is going to win because she always goes all out for Christmas. With the scheduled virtual tour, I like that it gave us a push to all decorate and get it done with time left to enjoy it before Christmas.
5. Send Christmas Cards
Funny enough, this is the first year since moving to Philadelphia that I have Christmas cards with a photo all ready to ship before Christmas! We had to get creative since we wanted to take a photo with a timer of us in our home. While I got ready, Jake moved our couch and propped his phone up with a box so we could get the perfect shot. I was in charge of bribing Ed with treats! My family and I have loved sending snail mail to one another and I appreciate Christmas cards now more than ever.
6. Festive Cocktails
Earlier in the month, I sent Jake a ton of fun cocktails to try that I found on Pinterest and we have been having fun making them on the weekends. After work, we will enjoy dinner on the couch with a seasonal beer while we watch a Christmas movie and it’s been a nice treat.
7. Hot Chocolate Bar
Personally, I don’t like hot chocolate but I know Jake loves it. I went to Target and got hot chocolate mixes, mini marshmallows, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream so he can make himself a special treat. I also picked up a ton of Christmas themed chocolate for us (me).
8. Print Photos
It’s something I’ve been putting off for forever and I finally sat down and printed photos. Update picture frames, send some to family, or create a photo album. Going through photos of 2020 reminded me that there were good parts of this year too.
9. Call your mother
The day before Thanksgiving I broke down crying because I couldn’t find a pie pan. I was late to a family Zoom call because I was searching for the pan and when my mom called to see where I was, I told her about it in between sobs. It was so nice to have her to cry to even if was just over the phone but she was able to calm me down and told me she was having a hard time keeping it together too. When she told me that she was also struggling during this holiday season, I felt a sigh of relief go through my body because it wasn’t just me. Since then I have been Facetiming my mom to show her our tree and just calling to check-in. This time of year isn’t easy for anyone and it feels better to talk about it than pretending everything is fine.
Happy Friday and most importantly, happy December! I hope you were able to have a good Thanksgiving and make it special in your own way. Jake and I stayed home and cooked a feast for the two of us. The one bummer is that I woke up sick with a terrible headache that made me nauseous all day, so we stayed on the couch in pajamas watching the parade most of the morning. Thank goodness for iPhones because I was able to talk, text, and Facetime my family all day. It was definitely different but after the National Dog Competition, I got up and pushed through to start making dinner. Jake and I cook a lot, and both really enjoy it, so it was fun to make a feast. We purchased a small turkey and made all of the sides since they are our favorite thing. I called my mom and thanked her for getting me the Ikea table that extends to make it longer because we needed every inch of it for all of the food. I had like 5 bites and then had to go back to the couch because I was just so sick. We’ve been living off of leftovers all week and loving it!
Last weekend all I wanted to do was nap because of my bad headache, but I am so happy I pushed through, and decorated our house for Christmas. This year we have three trees up and every room in our house has some Christmas spirit. Seriously, it looks like Christmas exploded in our house and I am loving it!
This weekend I have a family Zoom planned and we are going to bake cookies together. Last week we had a family Zoom to bake pies together for Thanksgiving and I had a complete meltdown because I couldn’t find our pie pan that I have never used but my mom got me as an apartment gift when I moved out. I tried to go into this holiday happy and excited for new traditions but this year is hard and I wanted to be open that I’ve been struggling too.
I’ve been keeping our living room TV on Freeform all day to have Christmas movies playing in the background. At night we will watch a Hallmark movie and check them off in our Hallmark app – if you don’t have it, you need to get it!
This week I finished The Crown and I did not want this season to end. I have been watching just one episode a night and then watching documentaries on Netflix about Diana and the Royal Family because there is just so much that The Crown doesn’t include. Now I’m finishing The Queen’s Gambit since that got pushed to the side when The Crown came out.
I finally finished reading The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. Took a bit longer than normal to read because there was a lot of fluff in the book but I enjoyed getting lost in the story. On my nightstand now I have Girl Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis. I tried reading this book like a year ago and just couldn’t get into it. I’m trying it again to see if it’s worth the hype. After watching The Crown and a ton of documentaries on Netflix about the Royal Family, I also have a thick book about Queen Elizabeth on my nightstand that I got at a used book store years ago because it was pretty but now I’m actually motivated to read it.
I love this time of year because it’s the best time to purchase cosmetics, fragrances, and skincare. Not only are they discounted but the kits come with a bunch of great extras too. Lancome reached out to me with a sample of their Lancome Idole perfume and a discount code towards the purchase of a full-size bottle. I immediately fell in love with the perfume after wearing it for a week and decided to treat myself to the full size. While checking out I added a Lancome beauty box to my cart. The kit comes with a bunch of full-size products and it’s something I get every other year since they last forever.
Recently I got a PR package from Kevyn Aucoin in the mail and I’ve been using the contour book and mascara every day. I’m working on a full blog post with a full review and details because I’ve been loving it a lot.
I’ve been noticing that my skin has looked amazing when I’m not wearing makeup and it’s because of my commitment to my skincare routine. I’ve been using Loreal Revitalift moisturizer at night and the Revitalift Derm Intensives Serum in the morning and at night. Loreal sent me them in a PR box in the Spring and I got the serum again because they are so easy to use. My face has been glowing lately and it’s honestly because of the hyaluronic acid products.
The Black Friday deals turned out to be week long deals so I did some Christmas present shopping and got a few things for myself.
Going through my camera roll and going to share a few things I have been loving right now. It’s been a crazy week that has felt like a month and I’m so excited for a relaxing weekend. Jake is working so hard and I’ve been working on this little space on the internet as a passion project because it brings me joy. Every night while we turn off the lights and get ready for bed, Jake will say out loud how much he loves our house. In the last few weeks, I have cleaned, decorated, and added personal touches to our home to make it cozy for this long cold, dark winter. This will be our second Christmas in this house and it finally feels like home. One positive right now is that we get to be home all day to enjoy our scented candles, lit up Christmas trees, and cozy blankets.
Our new $30 flocked tree that I had low expectations about when I ordered it is my new favorite tree. We put this one up in our hallway upstairs and it brings me so much joy. I got an unlit one and it looks like that one is sold out so I am linking a lit tree.
I ordered this inexpensive garland with lights for our banister just to see if it was good quality. Turns out it’s much better than I thought it would be so I ordered a bunch more to go up the stairs and around the banister on the second floor as well as around our headboard.
We are still obsessed with our new sherpa comforter and it’s impossible to get out of bed in the morning.
I created a new Instagram account ( @BlondeRosieinPhilly) where I can post photos of Philadelphia that I take on my walks. It’s not about the followers or the likes, I just love taking photos of Philadelphia, and now they are all in one place.
If you haven’t already, please take a look at my gift guide. I know budgets are tight this year so I am updating it whenever I find a great gift that they will LOVE!
If you love scented candles but don’t have the budget for them, the Glade scented candles are affordable and smell amazing!
I organized my pajamas the other day because it was really getting out of hand. I bought a ton of holiday pajamas because I have no self-control and can’t say no to cute pajamas.
Target is selling fun marshmallows and I was so sad when I walked all the way there and my Target didn’t have them. I don’t like hot chocolate but Jake loves it so I plan on making a little hot chocolate bar for him.
This time of year is always my busiest because I love sharing content with you all. With that comes campaigns and affiliate links that help keep this blog running. I really appreciate every single click and view that allows me to keep doing what I love.
The temperature has dropped and it’s now dark before 5PM but with the holidays around the corner I am full of excitement! I’ve been busy cleaning our house and ordering a few things to get ready for our Christmas transformation after we eat Thanksgiving dinner. Jake and I agreed on waiting until after Thanksgiving to decorate but I’ve been slowly taking out my greenery in rooms just hoping he won’t notice! Thanksgiving is going to look different this year for everyone and while I’m sad right now, I am happy that my family will be safe. Doesn’t stop me from getting a new dress to wear on Thanksgiving that I shared on the blog earlier this week. My family and I plan on cooking together on Zoom the day before Thanksgiving and finding ways to feel connected over video during this holiday season. On Instagram stories I shared our grocery delivery from Giordanos and oh my, we are going to need a bigger fridge! People usually complain about other people sharing their plates full of of food on Thanksgiving but I am proudly going to share Even though I’m planning to keep gift giving small, I want to be intentional with what I give. I shared a few gift ideas on this gift guide post which I plan to keep updating as I find new items. My Friday Favorites is made up by scrolling on my camera roll on my phone so let’s see what I’ve been up to this week!
I’ve been watching a few shows this week because there have been so many new shows released lately. Jake and I like to watch a show together a night and we recently finished watching Terra Nova – a great one season show from a few years ago that Jake was obsessed with. We quickly binged The Umbrella Academy and it was better than I thought it would be!
At night I’ve been watching one episode of The Crown in bed before I read a chapter of my book. I usually watch this series in one day but I’m enjoying it as a treat before bed.
I started The Queens Gambit but realized it’s a show I can’t multitask while I watch so I’ll go back to it after i finish The Crown.
I’m really hoping Bravo changes the time of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City because I could not stay up that late this week to watch it live. Thank goodness for DVR so I could watch it the next morning while i checked emails. The Real Housewives of Potomac is the best when it comes to authentic story lines and genuine friendships. RHOSLC so far has been doing a great job of petty fights and creating drama.
I talked about my thoughts on Savannah Chrisley’s new makeup line, Sassy, on my Instagram Stories this week. The packaging is amazing and the quality is high end even though the prices are affordable. After listening to Savannah talk about her line on their podcast I put in my order because she talked about how much longer it took to launch the line because she wanted great products but affordable for everyone. You can tell she put a lot of heart and good work into this line and the products reflect that.
This week I talked about Dermalogica’s new face mask and the packaging is so smart! No more messy hands and wasting product! I shared my review on the blog here.
With the colder weather, I have been using lotion all over to keep my skin soft! This week I’m using my Revitalift moisturizer and I love waking up to hydrated, plump skin. I’ve noticed my face looks brighter, smoother and the fine lines on my forehead (thanks, sun!) are not as noticeable.
I’ll go weeks not spending a penny and then do a bunch of shopping in one day. Oops!
Shared this sweater on Instagram this week and it is so cozy and comfortable. I’d recommend sizing up – I got a small but I should have gotten a medium.
I’ve been wearing my new holiday pajamas that I bought recently that will be making an appearance on the blog and Instagram this week.
SO excited to wear this new dress on Thanksgiving while Jake and I cook our first turkey dinner by ourselves.
We are staying warm with our new holiday bedding that was so inexpensive I was prepared for poor quality but I was blown away! The sherpa is very soft and now Jake, Ed the cat and I are fighting over it in the morning when it’s too cold to get out of bed.
I’ll share more details soon but ordered a ton of Christmas garland and another tree because I’m convinced that decorating my house for Christmas will make everything better, right?
Jake’s mom sent us a cheeseboard kit from Di Bruno Bros. and OMG it was delicious!
After waiting for months, I finally got my Taylor Swift cardigan and vinyl that Jake bought me for our anniversary in August. It was worth the wait!
I’m currently wrapped up in a new blanket from TJ Maxx. It’s from the Berkshire brand which I had never heard of before. If you see them while shopping at TJ Maxx/ Homegoods buy a ton because they would be great gifts. I’ve never had a softer blanket for this low price. It’s also really cute too 😉
This book is on my Christmas wish list 🙂 Anyone obsessed with the royals will love it too.
I’ve never been much of a Monday person but lately I have found myself really motivated to get stuff done on Mondays. Maybe it’s the relaxing weekends or knowing we are going into another lock down, whatever the reason is I like to be productive during the week. As someone who craves structure and doesn’t have much of that these days, I created a schedule that I like to stick to as much as I can. Over time my body has adjusted to these routines and I’m getting some of that structure back. In case you are interested, here are my everyday habits…
Wake up with alarm
Throw on bathrobe and head downstairs to make coffee and breakfast
Fill up giant water bottle which I refill all day
Take my vitamins
Head to my office where I’ll check emails and make my to do list for the day
Listen to podcasts like The New York Times The Daily while I get work done
Update my Google Calendar with reminders and tasks
Break for lunch and get dressed for the day before heading back to my desk
Daily walk at 3PM (most days) and I’ll listen to a fun news podcast like Pod Save America
Run errands in the afternoon
After my walk, I’ll catch up on tv or finish up some work
We usually make a dinner plan in the morning and take turns cooking at night
I’ll spend 20 minutes at night tidying up before I head upstairs for the night
On Sundays, I’ll talk a long bath and during the week, a long shower at night
I like to blow dry my hair, apply lotion or do a manicure if needed after my shower
When I get into bed at night, my body knows it’s time to unwind
My night time skincare products are on my nightstand so I remember to apply them
The goal is to read a chapter a night so I keep my book on my nightstand
The Calm App has changed my life and now I can’t sleep without it
Seems silly when it’s broken down but I love having this outline for my day. I have purpose in the morning and motivation to finish up my work so I can go on my walk. My daily to do list can be very long with urgent tasks and tasks to do eventually. I’ve been writing my to do list and then adding tasks and reminders so I can get alerts on my phone. It’s also an easy way to add to my grocery list or move things around. Creating a routine does not need to be precise, I prefer mine to guide me with goals and times allotted when I can get work done, get in some fitness, and when to take care of myself.
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