Category: life

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.

J Crew Factory

– Pearl Cluster Earrings
– Velvet Headband
– Satin Knot Headband
– Sweater for Jake
– Pearl Bracelet
– Graphic Tee

Old Navy

– Star Wars Baby Yoda Christmas Tee
– Sweater for Jake
– Graphic tee for Jake
– Pajamas

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!

Just ran out of toasted graham Starbucks coffee pods. It was an impulse buy because they were one sale and they are delicious!

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 hope you all had a great and productive week! After being glued to the tv for a week, I was happy to put the remote down! I’ve been going on a long walk every day to enjoy the last few days of this gorgeous weather. As I say this it is pouring outside but honestly my legs are grateful for this break! A few months ago I thuught it would be great to start working out with all of this extra time that I had. I was committed to an ab workout every day and noticed zero changes with my body. Now that I have been moving and walking, I’ve been noticing my body getting stronger and my body slimming down. These long walks have also been great for my mental health. I’ve been noticing some people decorate for Christmas which I love! In our house, we are keeping the Christmas decorations in the basement for now since we willbe celebrating Thanksgiving just the two of us at home so I want the fall decor up. Dooesn’t stop me from ordering a few things here and there though!

This weekend we plan on going to Target to pick up some Christmas items from the dollar bin. I went last week and bought a ton of large items forgetting that I had to walk a mile home! It was a necessary purchase but comical as I struggled to walk home. Speaking of long walks, we also plan on doing a Trader Joe’s run this weekend to stock up on the Christmas themed snacks. I was joking the other day that I fall for cute marketing all the time and have no self control. Jake had to remind me that it wasn’t a good thing! Since this year is very different, I want to over decorate and really enjoy this holiday season. Jake and I are excited to work from home on the couch while watching Christmas movies on Freeform and bake cookies.

Watched the new movie, Rebecca, on Netflix the other night thinking I could have it on in the background while i cleaned my bedroom but was so captivated by the story. I had no clue what it was about before I pressed play and loved everything about it – the costumes, location and story line. The movie is based on a 1938 novel so I’ve added the book to my want to read list on Goodreads.

Speaking of Netflix, I also started to watch The Queen’s Gambit and once again, I had to stop what I was doing and watch this show. I know nothing about chess and I’m able to understand the plot. Also love a strong female lead in a male dominated game. Fun fact, in middle school I signed up for the chess club because I had a crush on a boy who was in it and I got kicked out…. because I didn’t know how to play! I wonder now what would have happened if someone taught me instead of just saying I couldn’t join because I was a girl.

Last week, we watched a lot of Steve Kornacki’s coverage of the board when the election numbers were coming in. Rumor has it that there is a petition to get his tie that he wore all week into a Smithsonian!

First, we need to talk about the breaking news this week that Ulta stores will be making their way into Targets. From a business decision it’s a great idea for Target and for the consumer, this allows us to be able to shop so many more products. In the last year, I’ve been working with new brands that are affordable and are in Ulta stores. These brands are clean and vegan with a commitment to good skincare and ingredients. If it weren’t through these collaborations, I may have never heard of some brands so I’m excited that with Ulta being in Targets, these amazing products will be more accessible.

One of these brands is Botanics and I’ve been loving the Simply Calm Overnight Mask. I’ll use it a few times a week and I swear my face feels so soft when I wake up in the morning.

I also shared recently on the blog my review of Covergirl’s Clean Fresh line. I’ve been using the mascara a lot since doing my makeup these days since my eyes are all you can see!

For anyone dealing with mascne (raises hand) I suggest using this quick drying foam to prevent breakouts from Dermalogica. It was great in the summer to prevent breakouts from sweat and now I’ve been using this foam in the morning if I have errands to run in the afternoon.

Just ordered a few items by the Sassy by Savannah collection so I will share photos and a review once I get them in!

Currently, I have a few things in transit on their way to my house and I am so excited. For now, I’ll just share the items that I have picked up recently like really affordable masks from Target that are really comfortable for wearing all day.

Last week I went into Nordstrom Rack to find a present for my moms birthday and ended up buying a few things for myself instead. I’ve loved the Rachel Parcell line even before it went to Nordstrom but it was never in my budget. I was excited to see a few pieces from the line at my local Nordstrom Rack that were heavily discounted. For the first time I got to see how well the pieces were made and the quality really does make it worth every penny full price. I picked up a few dresses and a top from the Rachel Parcell line, a Free People scarf that I fell in love last year and a super soft long sleeve top for lounging that was very discounted. I did notice that the prices in store were a bit lower than the online prices but I think that is because there has been less foot traffic in the stores. Also want to mention that the Madewell cardigan I shared earlier this week on the blog was also an incredible Nordstrom rack find!

Added new candlesticks to my fireplace mantle and I love the way they look! Very affordable and look very expensive with the antique gold finish. They are so good that I sent them to my mom for her birthday. I featured them on the blog this week here.

Currently reading The American Heiress and it’s going to take me a while to read but it’s such a beautiful bok to get lost in.

• I (we) made cinnamon rolls from scratch on Sunday and it was definitely a learning experience but worth all of the work because they were delicious! I found the recipe here.
• After being lazy for a while when it came to making dinner, we are back in the kitchen and I’m happy to be using fresh ingredients again. This week, Jake made a lasagna and I made breaded chicken strips with roasted carrots and broccoli with rice as well as our usual go-tos. Making a list of dinners for the week has helped us eat healthier and
• A recent Sunday ritual is an hour long bath with bath salts and bubbles. I’ll prop my laptop so I can watch an episode or movie while in the bath and it’s a great way to make myself to slow down. My skin has also never been softer!
• The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City premiered this week and Jake’s first thought was “There’s another one?!” while I’m blasting the AC and wearing winter pajamas to get ready for another franchise.
• We have a big tree in front of our house that from the second floor bedroom windows all you could see for weeks was the leaves changing to a gorgeous maroon color. With the wind and rain this week, most of the leaves have fallen making our front sidewalk look like a sea of leaves. It was sad to see them go but three giant trash bags later we got the sidewalk swept up. I love keeping the front of our house neat and clean which is a challenge in the city, but very rewarding.