Category: life

Rethinking Empty Calendars

Published on by blonde rosie2 Comments

Every morning I sit down at my dining room table which has become my desk with a fresh cup of coffee, my planner and a notebook. I’ll start up my laptop and review the previous day’s to-do list as I make the new one. Under categories, I break up tasks under home, work, fun, and self care tasks so it doesn’t seem that overwhelming and also find a few few things to place under the fun category – something to look forward to at the end of the day. The reality is that I have nothing pressing to do during the day. Nothing important that needs to get done because what feels like over night, the world has stopped rotating. We are all going through some type of big change – whether you are working through this pandemic at home or not. Our jobs at home have become more challenging. More laundry, more tidying up and where are all of these dishes coming from? My home has always been a refuge after work, a place to unwind and where doing nothing was actually encouraged as I recharged for another work week. But today, I don’t have a job so I don’t need a place to recharge before I head back out the door. Right now I am making my home a productive place and a place to be relaxing as we enter this time of unknown. Even if I was working from home, I would still have more free time than usual because of being quarantined at home. Spending a lot of time at home makes it hard to break up the day and even more difficult to go to bed after being in “lounge” clothes all day.

I’ve had a lot on my heart lately and definitely broke down last week because I let my mind think of the worst about this pandemic lasting throughout the summer. Jake was in the middle of a work call and had to step away to talk me down to remind me that financially we are okay. We are healthy and taking the quarantine seriously. Instead of thinking about the things that I can’t do, I need to be enjoying this time as much as I can because I don’t have any responsibilities. Jake is working weird hours so he is able to take his laptop and monitor emails next to me on the couch sometimes or use his lunch break to help me with home projects (which he is thrilled about!). I’m trying to see the positives right now and I’ve been enjoying making dinner at night and having the time/energy to clean the kitchen before going to bed. Enjoying the slow mornings enjoying a hot cup of coffee before I get my day started. And finally, coming up with a project or something to accomplish each day so I can feel good that I did something.

This morning when I sat down at my “desk”, I saw that my planner was very empty. This unknown of when we will go back to normal would usually cause me to panic and begin to overthink but I was able to change my mindset into looking on the bright side. For some reason, we begin to believe that we are our best selves when our planners and days are full of activities from morning until past our bedtime. For so long I went through the motions and didn’t get the opportunity to ask myself what I needed. So now I am taking the time to enjoy a blank planner. April was going to be a month of fun trips and things to do so while I am sad about cancelled plans, I am going to enjoy this time of unknown. Our lives were disrupted in every single way possible and I’m trying to think what I can learn from this disruption. It’s definitely made me grateful that I have money in my savings, I have talked to my parents more than ever because I’m just bored, taking advantage of this new free time to do some house projects and most importantly, sit down in the morning and have some alone time.

Here are a few things I have done during this time of our calendars being empty for the unforeseeable future. Instead of stressing about what we can’t do right now, I am finding things to do that benefit me.

  • Made a list of projects I’ve been putting off.
  • Making daily to-do lists.
  • Catching up on laundry and other chores around the house.
  • Reorganizing drawers to make them more functional.
  • Going through all of our stuff to organize it better and purge what I can.
  • Watching shows that I just never had a chance to watch.
  • Clean out your inbox and unsubscribe!
  • Ordering a lot of home organizers/storage items that I need now I am home all the time.

Improve Your Mood & Have A Good Day

Published on 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 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.

Sign up for a subscription services

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.

How Going To Bed With A Bedtime Helps Me Sleep Better

Published on by blonde rosie1 Comment

My schedule has looked a bit differently lately and while there some changes that can be nice like having time to actually drink my coffee in the morning before it gets cold, there are some changes that I need to get rid of. One of them is that my bedtime has become later than it should be. Seems silly to say that I have a bedtime at my age but I’ve known for a long time that my body needs sleep and a lot of it. In high school, I went to bed at 9pm and scheduled my classes in college so that I could balance my work load and sleep. A part of growing up is learning that you have to do things for yourself like grocery shopping, cleaning your own home and setting your own bedtime. It’s easy to stay up and watch another episode but you and your body will probably regret it the next day.

I noticed on my Fitbit that my hours of sleep were declining and I was groggy in the morning. Clearly, something needed to change. I needed to get my nights in order so that I could have more productive days. Here are a few things I’ve been doing to make sure I get a good night’s sleep.

Melatonin

Melatonin helps you fall asleep which I think is where most of us struggle. I like to take a gummy an hour before I am going to go to bed and I find that when my head hits the pillow, I quickly fall asleep.

Shower

I like to shower at night and I’ll use a face mask, exfoliate and use a relaxing scented body wash to unwind. It’s my way of telling my body that I am ready to go to bed. There is nothing better than taking a hot shower, putting on fresh pajamas and getting into bed!

Reading

If you want to go to bed and get a good nights sleep, turn off the tv and read a few pages before bed. It’s tempting not to put on movie to fall asleep to at night but I have found that every time I read a chapter before bed, I am asleep after only a few pages.

The Right Bedding

Hopefully you wash and change your bedding once a week to begin with! I like to change my bedding on Sundays so I can start the week with clean sheets. I also wash all of my blankets at least once a month and like to swap them out when the weather changes. I invested in cozy bedding and the perfect pillows since it’s where I spend at least 8 hours a day – I want to be able to enjoy them and be comfortable!

Set an Alarm to go to Bed

Seems silly but I have an alarm set on my Alexa 15 minutes before my bedtime as a reminder to start getting ready for bed. You can also set reminders on your phone with your nighttime routine to keep you on track to going to bed on time. Having the same nighttime routine every night helps train your body to get tired before bed.

These are the things I have been doing that have really helped me go to bed at a normal time and get enough sleep to be in a better mood and have more energy the next day. I hope you find them as helpful as me. The biggest change for me to get a good nights sleep is having a bedtime and sticking to it. Right now I am slowly going to bed a few minutes earlier every few nights so I can wake up earlier to get the most out my mornings. Who knew that when we grew up we would get so excited about going to bed early? 🙂

How Creating an Elevator Pitch can help with Personal Growth

Published on by blonde rosieLeave a comment

It was one of those nights that I couldn’t sleep so I was laying in bed making a to do list for myself, my version of counting sheep. This to do list quickly got crowded with a lot of little thought bubbles because I wanted to update my LinkedIn bio and it made me realize I wanted to update my blog’s “about me” page, my Instagram bio and such. It made me ask myself, “Who am I?” and then my mind went blank. I didn’t really have a good answer. So I asked myself “Who is Rosie?” and I thought of the book sitting on my nightstand with the author’s bio on the book jacket with a nice photo of a woman who has the perfect outfit and blow out. If someone had to write my bio on a book jacket, what would they write?

Professionals suggest that you have an elevator pitch ready so that you can quickly summarize your past, present and future goals in a sentence or two that describe who you are. This can be what you do, where you work, what value you have at your job, and something to catch their attention. I thought it would be clever to apply the same elevator pitch strategy to answering the question of “Who am I?” The same elevator pitch is often said when you meet a new person and start to get to know one another. I imagined myself getting coffee with someone and what I would say to introduce yourself. This approach helps make it less business oriented and help explain who you are in a more authentic way.

Once I had a few things in mind, I typed up a little bio of myself similar to what I would see on a book jacket for an author. We are the writers of our own life so why not have the same approach when describing who you are? Since I was writing it as if I was going to have it printed in a book that I wrote, I chose more confident words and highlighted my accomplishments that I often overlooked. I typed it up in an email and sent it to myself to have so I can easily refer to it when I know I will be asked to “Tell me a little bit about yourself” – a question often asked during interviews and mentoring events.

Once I had my book bio page and elevator pitch written, I took the opportunity to see how I could improve myself so I could therefore add anything that would benefit my bio. Is there community service you wish you did? I would do countless of hours of community service as a college student and would like to get back to it. Was fitness once important to you but got pushed aside once life got busy? For years, I was committed to my gym routine and was really strong because of my Pilates classes but now I’m not sure when the last time I took a class was. I could go on but I think you get the point.

I’ve updated my bios and have a prepared paragraph to answer the dreaded “So, tell me a little bit about yourself” question. Instead of being a deer in the headlights, I have something prepared that I am proud of and can be used for my personal growth as well when I see on paper how I am summed up in a few words. By doing this, it can help you look at your career path with fresh eyes and see what hobbies or passions are missing from your life. It was fun for me to do and I hope you get something from it to!

So What Do You Want To Do?

Published on by blonde rosieLeave a comment

It’s a question I’ve been getting asked a lot lately and I keep asking myself the same thing because I don’t really know. For a while I did some deep thinking about what I want to do but I couldn’t really think of anything that inspired me. What I want is to wake up in the morning and be excited to go to work. It’s something that I haven’t experienced in a while and I did a brain dump of what causes me stress and what makes me excited about a job. I found this really helpful to see it written down on one page because it helps me look for certain words in the job description and avoid ones that I knew didn’t bring me joy.

I remember feeling confident walking into my office at my first job after graduating college. I was able to multi-task and take on more work than was expected. After just a few months of learning procedures and the day to day, people referred to me as the go-to person and relied on me to have the answers. There were days that I stayed at work late because I didn’t want to go home because I enjoyed getting work completed. Over time, the job got easy and with my free time I realized how isolated I was being alone in my office all day. There were busy days during the summer season but the winters were long and it made me realize how isolated I was.

I left that comfy desk job with normal hours to work in retail because I could not sit at a desk answering phones for much longer. Those 9 hour days flew by and I didn’t mind the weird shift hours. The job was the right amount of repetitive that I felt confident going into work because I knew what to expect. I was surrounded by people who were there for stupid questions and encouraged me constantly. Over time, my bosses saw my potential and taught me how to be a leader and learn about store operations. I was being groomed to climb in the company and getting promoted. But those late nights at the store and working on every holiday made me ask if I was going to do this forever? As much as I loved waking up for work every day, even with those 5am alarms for those early morning shifts, working retail isn’t something I could do long term.

Then I was the customer, not the employee behind the register. I was making more money than I could spend and had a prestigious title that my mom loved to tell her friends about. It was a dream job and I was running around all day making things happen. When I was working retail, from the minute I walked in the doors, the repetitiveness allowed me to fold shirts, clean the store and ring up customers at the register without much thought. I knew what I had to do and the days were so busy that I didn’t have time to do much else. Fast forward to my desk job and I would walk into work with a long to do list with 8 hours to get it done. Some tasks seemed daunting and others couldn’t be completed until someone sent me an email so I had to wait with the task haunting me. In the morning, I just wanted to sit at my desk and slowly drink my coffee to start my day. Instead, I spent most of the day overthinking and my to do list only gets longer and longer no matter how hard I try to accomplish it all.

So here I am asking myself what I want to do. If I could describe what I’m looking for, it would be a mix of walking into work feeling confident, knowing what to expect and with fun coworkers. Is there a job out there that has that work life balance we are all looking for? I want to be confident but comfortable with where I am. Is there a way we can wake up early to enjoy our morning before we go to work instead of feeling rushed? Can we go to work to do our job and walk out the door at 5pm with still energy after work to do other things? Or even step away from our desk for lunch with friends without feeling guilty about the work that isn’t getting done…

I came to realize that the dream job is only there if you make it. That work life balance is only there if you put up boundaries. Those relaxing mornings are only there if you go to bed early and set that morning alarm. Create a list of what you need and what causes you to overthink. Find a way to create the life you want because the truth is, it is a lot easier to make it happen instead of creating excuses why you can’t. What do I want to do? I want to be happy and I’m going to find a way to make it happen. I’m just still working on it.