Category: life

A Little Bit of Wellness Everyday

Published on by blonde rosieLeave a comment

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!

Amazon Finds

Published on by blonde rosie4 Comments

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!

Birthday Decoration Kit // Great for the people who leave things for the last minute (aka ME).

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.

The Process of Renting in the City

Published on by blonde rosieLeave a comment

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!

My Favorite Products of 2019

Published on by blonde rosieLeave a comment

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.

_________________________________________________

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 Curling Iron // 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.

Recap on 2020

Published on by blonde rosieLeave a comment

I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s Eve because of all of the pressure to do something Instagram worthy and then have this “new me, new year” mentality. I do like to take some time to reflect on this past years accomplishments because I think we should appreciate where we started 365 days ago. I went through my photos on my phone and wrote down my accomplishments for each month. It makes it easy to actually remember what I actually did and appreciating all of the trips and events in the last year. More importantly, I can see what worked and what didn’t work so I know where i can improve. This past year had some big decisions to make and some big (expensive) changes. The start of 2019 was a little slow which made me feel stagnant. I wanted a change in my day to day life and boy, did a lot change in the later half of 2019! With a new job, a new house, a lot of unpacking and getting settled in the new house, as well as adjusting to new routines – wow it’s been a busy few months!

January // nothing eventful, It made me want to make a few changes in my life.

February // first Valentine’s Day with J, trip to DC

March // celebrated J’s birthday at Barcade

April // explored Philly on the weekends

May // Started a new job, mom was diagnosed with breast cancer

June // family reunion in Philly for cousins graduations, trip to North Carolina for moms surgery, work trip to New York City for work event

July // trip to Avalon, NJ, trip to Pensacola, FL to meet the Jake’s family, trip to Ocean Grove, NJ, signed lease to our first house together

August // moved into a house with J, anniversary trip, parents came to visit to see the new house, family trip to NJ, trip to North Carolina to see parents

September // organized big week long event at work, college alumni event

October // pumpkin picking, fall things

November // trip to North Carolina for Thanksgiving with both of our families

December // Christmas sights in the city, car was totaled in an accident, spent Christmas in Florida

Recently my life has been really busy with settling into our new house, long hours at work and I feel like there is always something that has to be done. I’m excited to get back into a routine and let things slow down for a bit in 2020. It’s rare that I have a weekend to do nothing and with some extra planning during the week I hope to have more relaxing weekends. There is still a lot I want to do in Philly and Jake and I have a few trips planned for 2020. Another really important goal is to budget and save money. We also have to buy a new car after mine was totaled in a hit and run in December. It seems that every time things start to slow down, life like’s to get busy again! I have a lot of goals and a lot of things I want to accomplish this upcoming year which I will be sharing in future blog posts to hopefully inspire one of you.

How Keeping My Home Clean Helps My Mental Health

Published on by blonde rosie2 Comments

I like to consider myself a clean person. I have my weekly routine of tidying up, laundry and changing my bedding that helps me stay on top of everything. However recently, life has been so busy that I just haven’t had time to clean. I thought going to bed without putting my dishes in the dishwasher to get an extra five minutes of sleep would be worth it but at the end of the week, I now needed more than 5 minutes to clean the house. So starting in January, I am doing a deep clean of my house and going back to my routine to keep my home clean… Does anyone else like to do a deep clean in January?

Bathroom
I keep a small plastic bin of cleaning supplies in our hall closet next to the bathroom so I can make cleaning easy and convenient. Be sure to have a roll of paper towels, a cleaner with bleach, a multi-surface cleaner, and toilet cleaner so you have no excuses not to clean the bathroom! At night while I do a face mask or use mouthwash, I will clean the sink and countertops and I can get everything clean by the time I need to wash the mask off.

Vacuum
I used to never vacuum because it was such a pain until I bought myself this cordless vacuum. Now when I see a mess, I immediately clean it up and do a quick walk through the house while I have the vacuum out. Once a week, I will vacuum the floors and pick up pet hair on the couch and it only takes me minutes to keep the house dirt free.

Bedding and Laundry
On Saturday mornings, I bring all of the laundry to the basement and sort it by color in baskets that I keep by the washer. Since I have enough clothes that I don’t need to do laundry every week, I can pick out the clothes that I need to wash and leave the rest in the hamper for the next week. On Sunday mornings, I strip the bed and bring the sheets to the basement to get washed. Under our bed, I have a storage container of sheet sets so I can immediately make the bed with fresh sheets. After too many times of bringing sheets down to wash and then forgetting to do it until late Sunday night, now I just swap out the sheets right away. Once a month I will wash the other blankets and duvet cover.

Containing Clutter
Having a two story house is great until I need to clean and put everything away. I keep a fold up storage cube at the bottom landing of our stairs and at the top of the stairs to collect items that need to be brought up and brought down. Everytime I go up or down the stairs I can pick up something and put it back where it belongs. It takes time but then it doesn’t make cleaning so overwhelming.

Kitchen
We take the trash out on Sunday nights and go through the fridge to toss old leftovers or expired food before we bring it to the curb. We are pretty good at keeping the kitchen clean and I like to wipe down counters and load up the dishwasher while I cook dinner. I’m a big multitasker so I like to clean up while I watch tv or wait for dinner to cook.

After work I rarely have any energy so I like to do my cleaning on the weekends. I found that when I keep up with a routine, cleaning is easy and it’s easy to keep up with. One day I will have enough money for a maid, but for now I spend my Saturday mornings cleaning! I love coming home to a clean home and cleaning has always been relaxing to me. There’s just something calming about organizing a drawer or finding a better system for my linen closet.