We recently got a few Amazon Alexa’s for Christmas and it’s amazing how useful these things are! Sure, I wish I could just say “hey Alexa, cook dinner” or “hey Alexa, fold my laundry” and it would happen but it does help us out a lot in ways we didn’t even realize. It’s nice to have an assistant who is able to set timers, play music, check the weather and answer questions I may have. I usually ask Alexa to do something or answer a question before I take out my phone. You can also sync it to other technology in your house so we can turn on lights, change the temperature and other systems.
How We Use the Alexa in the Kitchen
We have an Alexa in the kitchen and it can hear us tell it to do things anywhere on the first floor which is really nice. While I unload and load the dishwasher or cook dinner at night, I like to have Alexa play music or play a podcast. Without having to waste time on my phone pressing buttons to play what I want, I just simply have to tell Alexa to play. If I’m cooking, it can tell Alexa to set a timer or ask it a question while my hands are dirty. The volume is great and can be heard throughout the entire first floor and even house so I can go from room to room without missing a tune or missing parts of my podcast.
How We Use the Alexa in our Bedroom
We replaced my very old alarm clock from college with an Alexa and at first I was a little nervous with the change. Are we sure it was going to go off? Was it going to wake me up?? I asked Alexa to set my daily alarm for a certain time and she said she would so I went to sleep. The next morning I woke up to a very pleasant alarm and was happy I swapped out the alarm clocks. I was able to create a morning routine with my Alexa so in the morning I have an alarm that goes off, that I usually hit snooze on and then a few minutes later, Alexa gives me the morning briefing. A customizable feature that shares snippets of news stories. I love it because the noise helps wake me up in the morning better than an annoying alarm going off. You can also create a nighttime routine, I’ll have the evening briefing news play at night which is a sign that I should be getting into bed for the night. Sounds silly, but it’s nice to have something to help me stick to my routine. Alexa is growing in what it is able to do. You can also create lists and easily order items by just saying “Alexa, add diet coke to my grocery list” or “Alexa, order paper towels”.
After my new job and moving to a larger house in 2019, my finances this month look very different than how they did January of last year. This year, I really want to focus on saving my money and spending my extra money on vacations and experiences. There are also other things that I want to do this year like cooking at home more, reading more books and spending more time making my house a home. Here are a few things I am doing in 2020 to stay motivated!
Set up multiple bank accounts. I bank with PNC Bank and I am able to move money easily from my checking and savings and then put money in different savings accounts based on long term and short term savings.
Budget Spreadsheets I actually got inspired by Jake because he keeps a tally of every bill paid and balances on all of his accounts. I want to track where I spend my money and document my savings goals.
Create a Minimum in Checking Account I can proudly say that I have never bounced a check because I always keep a thousand dollars in my checking account. Since I know what my monthly expenses, I can have enough money in my checking account and move the rest to my savings. Then once payments start coming out, I will move money into my checking account to keep myself at the minimum.
Meal Plan We are good at keeping a balance of eating out and cooking at home. So this year I want to keep it going by meal planning and making lists when we go food shopping so we eat in more.
Investing with Acorns Honestly, I’m not that interested in the investing part more of the savings part. Acorns is an easy easy way to round up your change from every day purchases and a $5 a month goes into an account that is invested. It’s an easy way to put money into savings without realizing that money is missing from my account. I started doing this a few months ago and was amazed how much money was in my account just from round ups!
No Shop Months Last year I was on a really tight budget and went months without buying something just because I wanted it. It’s been nice to have some extra spending money and now I’m looking forward to having a few months of no shopping challenges.
I feel like a lot of people make wellness goals in the beginning of each new year and then they are the ones that are quickly forgotten because they don’t have the time to stick to it. I was one of those people who made a resolution to focus more on wellness in 2020 because my life was lacking it in all aspects and it was really obvious. Before I promised to have a new year, new me, I wanted to explore a little more what wellness really meant for me.
FEELING WELL RESTED
For months I had been hitting the snooze button in the morning and staying up later than I should have. I felt tired all the time and had little motivation to do things after work because I was exhausted. There was once a time in my life that I would fill up my social calendar with things to do and would wake up extra early to spend time getting ready in the morning. I knew sleep was something I needed to work on but what I really wanted to focus on was feeling well rested. I’m guilty of staying up later than I should and my Fitbit would track that I only got an average of 6 hours of sleep most nights. In 2020, I started to set an alarm on my Alexa as a reminder that I should be in bed already and started to follow an evening skincare routine to tell my body that it was time to start winding down.
HAVING A TIDY HOME
It doesn’t matter if you live in a tiny studio apartment or a big house, our homes get messy quickly and it can impact our mood. Jake probably thinks I am insane but I hate going to bed with a messy house. It takes a few minutes to tidy up at night and I like to spend a few minutes putting away clothes and clutter in the bedroom before bed. On Sunday mornings while I wait for my Keurig to turn on, that is when I collect all the cups around the house and run the dishwasher, wipe down the counters and throw out trash that I see. It takes maybe 10 minutes and when I’m done, my coffee is ready! Find a routine that works for you and with a clean home, it’s amazing what it can do more your mood!
DRINK WATER
Just do it. Your skin, hair and body will thank you for it! One trick is if you have a water bottle near you, you are more likely going to drink water! I prefer to drink water while it’s cold with a straw so I fill up my Starbucks cup in the morning and refill it throughout the day.
EAT HEALTHY
My body gets in a funk when I don’t eat my fruit and veggies so I like to stock up at Trader Joe’s every week. Stock up on salad kits, baby carrots, fruit and have them ready to go in your fridge so you can easily have healthy snacks. For healthier meals, I found it helpful to create a menu on Sunday before I food shop so I can plan out healthy lunches or dinners. Pinterest has been really helpful with meal inspiration. You’re more likely to eat healthy if you already have healthy food at home.
PRACTICE SELF CARE EVERYDAY
I mentioned earlier that I like to have an evening skincare routine to help me get ready for bed. Why wait for Sunday night to do a face mask when you can do it every night! I’m wanting to make it a habit to do something for myself every night and not just one day a week. I want it to feel weird if I don’t do something for myself because it’s important to take care of yourself. At night when I shower, I started to actually use some of the gazillion products I have because why wait for a special occasion?
I love to have my nails done and do them myself to save money. For my daily self care, I like to catch up on my reality tv shows and do my nails during a weekday. On the nights that I wash my hair, I like to put on a podcast, catch up on Instagram stories or watch a movie while I blow dry and straighten my hair. Turn the tedious things into something fun!
MAKE PLANS ON SUNDAYS
The same reason you should meal prep on Sundays, make plans with friends for the upcoming week. Even if you have to cancel or can’t commit, put a feeler out and send a text to a friend with your availability. My friends and I all have busy lives and say we don’t see enough of each other, so I want to actually make plans in 2020. Send a few texts on Sunday night and see who is available!
I’ve been relying on Amazon a lot lately because it is so easy to search, add to cart and it’s at my door in just a few days. Here are some of the items that I have found on Amazon that have quickly become my must have items!
FOR THE HOME
Folex Carpet Stain Remover // This carpet stain remover is amazing! I used it on the really old carpet that was already stained when we moved in and now it looks brand new after I used this cleaner.
Amazon Echo Dot // We have this in the bedroom and it replaced my very old alarm clock. The things it can do is endless and we are still having fun seeing what it can do!Amazon Echo Plus // This is the device we have in the kitchen and love how it can be loud enough to listen to music throughout the whole first floor and can hear us ask Alexa for things no matter where we are.Nail Free Towel Ring // When we moved into our house the guest bathroom didn’t have towel holder and since we are renting, we didn’t want to put holes in the wall. I did some browsing and found this nail free towel holder. It was really easy to install and we have had no issues with it!Wall Mount Key Holder // I spent months trying to find a cute and functional key holder for our foyer and immediately fell in love with this one!
Refrigerator Storage Bins // Best money I ever spent because now my fridge is organized and I can easily find the items that I am looking for!
Touch Light Battery Powered // Our linen closet is in a long hallway that gets no natural light so we got these touch lights to help us see what was in there!
Standing Toilet Paper Holder // Perfect for storing TP in the bathrooms. It’s functional and pretty and fits perfectly in the corner not taking up too much space!
Ring Doorbell // This has been in my shopping cart for a while to have the extra security living in a city.
Broom and Mop Wall Mount // Since I don’t have a storage closet to put my cleaning supplies, I had to get creative! I put the adhesive wall mounts on the wall next to the stairs going down to the basement. They are out of sight and still easy to get to easily when I need them.
NACHOsaurus // Not only is this nacho holder the coolest thing ever, it makes eating chips more fun!
Storage Bag // I’m ordering more because these are great for storing extra bedding that takes up so much room.
Bucket // Amazon is great for when you need something kinda obscure but don’t want to drive to the store to get it.
Tomato Seeds // I planted these a few weeks ago and I already see some green sprouting!
Bird Feeder // Another impulse buy because we thought Ed would appreciate seeing some more birds in the backyard.
Bird Seed // Going to need to start buying this stuff in bulk because we go through this stuff so fast. We are convinced we are the only ones in our neighborhood with a bird feeder because we are constantly refilling our bird feeder!
Water Hose Nozzle // I was ready to spend a lot of money on a hose nozzle and bought one off Amazon for a temporary fix. The jet setting is like a power washer and is great at cleaning the sidewalk. Will not be replacing because this one is great!
Scrabble // I saw someone playing it in a tv show and immediately hit add to cart so it would show up the next day. Haven’t played it since Jake beat me…. twice!
Pool Float // This pool float is so good that we now have 3 f them for our family! It is comfortable to sit in and read (see above) and has a cup holder to hold your sweet tea. We had to buy more because everyone kept fighting over it!
BEAUTY
Redken Anti-Snap Leave in Conditioner // Living in a city means items are a bit more expensive than they would be normally. So when I wanted to buy this leave in conditioner after my hairstylist recommended it, I found the best price on Amazon!
Lipstick Organizer // I have so many lipsticks and I often forget to put it on because out of sight, out of mind. I put my most used lipsticks in it and have it on my dresser so now I can see what I have.
Spa Headbands // These cute headbands are great for washing my face or when I put on a face mask because they keep my hair out of the way and look so darn cute!Tinkle Razors // I use these once a week to get rid of any fuzz and it’s a great way to exfoliate! It’s amazing how much dead skin comes off even though I exfoliate all the time. Now my skin can actually absorb the serums and moisturizers that I put on my face.
EVERYDAY ITEMS
Dyson Cordless Vacuum // You know you are an adult when you get this excited about getting a new vacuum! It’s a bit of a splurge so I suggest waiting or a sale but since I use it every other day I am definitely getting my moneys worth.
Portable Charger // I don’t leave home without this and it lasts for a long time before I have to recharge it.
Spiralizer // Save the money you would spend on veggies already spiralized at the grocery store and do it yourself!
IN MY CLOSET
Chewbacca Bath Robe // He looks ridiculous but Jake loves this thing so much. I was impressed by how soft it was and it is a one size fits all.
Leopard Print Bathing Suit // Immediately fell in love with this bathing suit after I saw it in a Facebook ad. I was really impressed by the quality of the fabric and it fits true to size. It’s a little bit cheeky because it has a high leg but it’s a fun suit!Scalloped High Waist Bikini // One of my favorite purchases this summer! This swimsuit is high waisted so it sucks you in, hiding all signs of any ice cream eating, and looks so chic! I was shocked by the price and had low expectations for the quality but was happily proven wrong. Great fit – just order up one size for a more comfortable fit. Heart Shaped Sunglasses // Unfortunately the exact sunglasses are no longer available (mine were Feisedy) so I am linking another seller on Amazon. Still amazing quality for $10 sunglasses and have been my favorite shades for this summer. I’m so happy I bought them in multiple colors because they have been so fun to wear.
CHRISTMAS STORAGE
Ornament Storage Chest // Not only do they keep your ornaments in order and prevent them from breaking, I can put the storage bin on the shelf and not have to worry about it until next Christmas!
Gift Wrap Organizer // It hold our birthday and Christmas wrapping paper. I love it because I can put it in a corner of a closet and can easily tell what gift wrap I have since it’s clear.
My first move to Philly was a very easy process. I moved into an apartment building that I had been to many times before because a friend of mine lived there. I drove down, signed a lease and moved in two weeks later. At the time I was fun-employed during a transition between jobs so I had a lot of free time to do this move in the least stressful way. Lots of organized packing and labels and to do lists. A year and a half later, my next move was a bit more challenging. I spent months trying to decide what neighborhood to move to, what a fair price was for certain square footage, a townhouse or apartment… there were a lot of decisions to be made before we even got started. This move was challenging. It was hard to find a place while working during the week and with personal things getting in the way like interviewing and getting a new job, a family illness and a million other things that kept popping up. Trying to find a new apartment was like a full time job.
Here’s a list of a few things I learned while trying to find a new place to rent in the city. Once we signed the paperwork, I was finally able to breath. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be and we hope to be staying in this house for a long time! Once we had the check submitted, the paperwork signed and a date to move in, I realized there was still a lot more to be done! We have been in our house for six months now and we are still unpacking!
Make a list of things that you cannot live without. That can be laundry in unit, close to public transportation or a really big closet in the master bedroom. Some things are cosmetic and will have to be reevaluated again to determine if you really can’t live without it. Then there are some things like laundry that are essential to have and can help eliminate options that don’t meet your criteria. If you are working with a realtor or looking on Zillow, you can put in your must haves to shorten the list of available options. This also allows you to have an honest conversation with yourself and the person you will be living with to make sure you know what you can afford financially and what you both need.
Walk around the area you are interested in moving to. While I loved my old apartment building, I learned quickly after moving there that there wasn’t much around the building. This time around, I did enough research to find out where the food store was, the restaurants and coffee shops in the area and what my commute to work would be like. Spend a full day walking (or driving!) in each direction so you can get your bearings to see if the neighborhood has everything you need. We are still exploring and finding a new CVS or Starbucks in our area but I am happy we got to see what the area had to offer before we committed to anything.
Know your budget. Jake and I had an honest conversation about our finances and came up with a real number of what we could afford each month. We made a list of what expenses we each had and what our monthly income would be after rent and expenses coming out. We both wanted money to be left over for experiences and available to put into savings so we considered that as well before coming up with a figure. We wanted to make sure that both of us could afford rent and not just one of us. It takes some back and forth to figure out what rent range we could look at and I’m happy we had that conversation first before we started looking at options.
Who is paying for what. I read an article once that one of the worst things you can do when moving in with a significant other is to split things 50/50. Seems like odd advice but the more I thought about it, I realized that this helps having honest conversations about what each person can afford. Jake and I split rent, electric and gas evenly and sometimes will just pay the full gas bill if it’s low enough and we are feeling generous. We turned one of our extra bedrooms into a media room that has most of Jake’s stuff and his own tv for video games. It is technically a shared space, but I let him do whatever he wants with the space. Since it’s square footage I don’t use, we agreed that Jake would pay the Verizon bill for cable/wifi. He’s the tech guy so I let him pick what type of service to sign up for. By letting him pay for it, I didn’t care about what plan we had or costs. I pay for most groceries because I’m the snacker and I bring a packed lunch to work more often. Jake also does most of the cooking so I think this compromise works for us! We will take turns paying for groceries too when we are stocking up on essentials too! Find a system that works for everyone and that everyone can live with.
Network. The same way you network to find a job or to make friends, you should do the same to find an apartment. I joined Facebook groups that often posted rentals that were available and reached out to realtors to assist us in finding the right home for us. You can also get email notifications on Zillow and other home rental websites – that is actually how we were able to find our place!
Be ready to take action. I found that the good places go quickly so be sure to have enough money for a down payment and paystubs easily available. We scheduled to tour our current home just minutes after it was posted on Zillow and spent less than 10 minutes in the house during the open house before we walked to the realtor office with a check and a filled out application. Because we had done all of the steps above, we didn’t need much time to talk things over. We fell in love with the house, knew we could afford it and it had everything on our list!
This year there was a lot of change for me, a new home, a new job, and new products I have fallen in love with and use daily. It seems that as I get older, I get more and more excited about the convenient everyday things over the newest clothing trends. With the move, I got rid of a lot and asked myself if I really needed it at the new house. I went from a 700 square foot apartment to a two-story house with a full basement and I ended up parting with a lot more than I thought. Even while unpacking, I struggled to find space for everything and got rid of more stuff. The items that I purchased in 2019 are items that brought value into my life and didn’t just sit on the shelf. I hope to continue this minimalism into 2020 and continue to purge and be more intentional about the purchases I make moving forward.
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Dyson Cordless Vacuum // This is a very recent purchase but it took me the entire year to actually purchase one because I debated if it really was worth the hype. The verdict was one hundred yes! It has made my life so much easier and our home so much cleaner. I talked more about the vacuum in this blog post.
Kitchen Mat // Okay, so this sounds a bit ridiculous and a clear sign that I am becoming an adult, but Jake bought me a lemon themed mat for the kitchen when we first moved into the house and I immediately fell in love with it. It’s nice to have a mat under my feet while I do the dishes at night or do my meal prep. It also ties in the kitchen a bit more and it’s machine wash friendly!
T3 Hair CurlingIron // I recently purchased this hair curler for an amazing price at Costco and brought it with me to my parent’s house for Thanksgiving. We were all rushing to get ready to go to dinner one day and I had 10 minutes to do my hair and makeup. Even with my thick, long and frizzy hair, it only took me a few minutes to add some curls and be ready to go. They even last until I showered the day without hairspray. In the past, I would buy so many inexpensive hair products for the price but they wouldn’t do what I needed so they would just go unused. As I get older with more money to spend, I would rather buy the product once and have it work and last for years!
Aluminum Free Deodorant // I talked a bit about my own personal reasons for going to an aluminum-free deodorant in this blog post, and it’s one of the easiest changes I have made. It was a bit of an adjustment to get used to because it’s a different formula than I am used to but the more I thought about the chemicals in my previous deodorant made me happy that I made the change!
Olay Night Cream // It was one of those impulse buys at Target and I’m happy that 2019 is the year that I am taking my skincare seriously. I talked about why you need a night cream in this blog post in case you need some motivation to add it to your skincare routine. I keep it out on my vanity next to my bed so it takes two seconds to apply it before I collapse into bed!
Marc Fisher Caitlin Pumps // These shoes were so good that I bought them twice! They are my go-to heel to wear at work because they look good with everything and I look a little more dressed up whenever I have meetings. During the move, I donated most of my shoes because I just didn’t have space and only kept shoes that work for what I need. I just noticed that there are a few new colors of these heels that I really like so I’m sure I will be adding a few more of these to my shoe collection in 2020! They were featured in this blog post.
Simplified Planner // While a lot of people are moving to digital calendars and reminders to keep track of things, I still cling onto my paper version! A few years ago, I started to keep ticket stubs, paper mementos, and dates of special occasions taped in my planners so I can keep them as a way to keep all of my memories of that year in one place. I did a full review of the Simplified Planner in this blog post.
The Grove Collaborative Subscription // I’m sure you have seen the ads for the company The Grove Collaborative that sends cleaning products to your door. After our move, I decided to try it out and wow, I was impressed with the selection and how easy it was to order what I need, and didn’t know that I needed, right to my door! I talked about my experience with The Grove Collaborative Subscription service in this blog post.
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