Category: life

Books I Read in January

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I was recently with a group of friends, and someone said they had felt a little off the last few weeks. I had to remind them that A LOT is going on in the world right now, so of course, it is normal with everything in the news and the world that we would also feel a little bit off mentally.

This may explain why I’m only two months into the year and have already hit my book-reading goal for the year. Lately, I’ve been getting into bed at night with a book and getting lost in a fantasy world. Reading at night has honestly been the highlight of my day. I rush home, make dinner, finish my work around the house, make a cup of tea, and then hop into bed with a good book.

Here are the books I read in January….

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton
Julia Quinn

Last year, I started to read the Bridgerton series, and I loved watching the TV show and then reading the book afterward to get more of the story.

Paris The Memoir
Paris Hilton

I love getting a celebrity biography for Christmas for a fun and easy read. After a few pages into this book, I knew right away that this wasn’t just another celebrity biography. I’m so happy this story was written and has been able to bring light to her story.

A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas

I got the box set of ACOTAR books for Christmas but was unsure if I wanted to commit to a series. On a Sunday afternoon, I started reading this book and finished it in two nights. Little did I know that I would be starting my addiction to romance fantasy….

A Court of Mist and Fury
Sarah J. Maas

I was so grateful I didn’t have to wait after I finished A Court of Thorns and Roses to find out what happened next. I didn’t get much sleep and read most of it in one night.

A Court of Wings and Fury
Sarah J. Maas

I saw someone on TikTok at a bookstore saying she heard that these books were really good but was complaining about how long they were. Meanwhile, my one issue with this series is that I would finish the book, but I felt like I could have kept reading for another few hundred pages.

A Court of Frost and Starlight
Sarah J. Maas

I’ve read people complaining about this novella for various reasons, but I loved it. It gave the readers more time to fall in love with the characters and gave us some insight into their everyday lives.

A Court of Silver Flames
Sarah J. Maas

This book should have come with a warning label because….woah. Again, I’ve heard complaints because it is written from Nesta’s point of view, but I loved learning more about this complex and interesting character. This book also motivated me to go to the gym more so I could be that strong female lead like Nesta.

Fourth Wing
Rebecca Yarros

When I finished the ACOTAR series in 7 days, I am not kidding when I say that I had a void in my soul when I couldn’t pick up another book to read. Jake was away for a work trip when I finished A Court of Silver Flames, and I told him I didn’t know what to read next. A few people on the internet suggested that Fourth Wing was another good series that was a must-read. So I was very happy when Jake stopped at a bookstore on his way home from his work trip in DC to get me the book. Which I then read in one night…..

Friday Favorites 1.10

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Last week I feel like we were all excited about the new year with our goals and plans. This week, with the fires in California I find myself in a weird mood because on the East Coast we have freezing temperatures and snow and on the West Coast we see homes being destroyed block by block by the wildfires. Don’t ask me what I would take if we would have to evacuate because that is too much for my brain to process right now. Material things are just…. things. Watching the news makes me hug Ed a little tighter and make a quiet promise we would never leave without him.

OKAY but now back to pretending everything is fine while our world is consumed by natural disasters. If you are a millenial, it’s just another world changing event for us…. nothing new around here.

I know everyone is doing the “No Buy January” and the “Project Pan 2025” but if you do not have an eye cream right now, be sure to get one. Your future self will thank you. I love this one but this more affordable eye cream is also a good option. Last year, I started to get Botox for my crows feet lines, not because they are that noticable but to prevent the lines around my eyes from getting deeper down the line. To have good skin in your fifties depends on what you do today to keep it healthy!

My plan was to go to the gym a lot this week…. but it’s cold and windy. So instead I’m doing an at home work out every night and I love this work out video on Youtube. It’s only 10 minutes but every muscle in your body will be in pain!

We started this week with a snow day on Monday and it was a nice unexpected day off! Jake still had to go into work so I slept in a little and read some of my book in the morning. I wanted to be productive in the afternoon so I deep cleaned the whole house and then got my Bissell Carpet Cleaner out of storage and decided to deep clean all of the carpets in the house. It was so nice to wake up on Tuesday to a very clean house!

I listened to the Mel Robbins episode on the Life with Marianna podcast this week and loved hearing the discussion about the Let Them Theory. Definitely listen to it as you go into the new year!

Today is the season finale of Outlander and I am not ready.


I love the girls behind The Home Edit so of course I am watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition.


On Saturday mornings, I like a little quiet time on the couch while I drink my coffee and watch a home design show and right now I’m watching Christina in the Country for some home design inspo.

I just finished Paris Hilton’s memoir and I went in thinking it was going to be a light and easy to read celebritiy memoir. But just a few pages in, I realized that this was going to be a different type of story. The writing is great, a moving message and worth reading. I actually put it down a few times to be able to process what I read and wanted to last a few days even though I could have read this book in a day.

For Christmas, Jake got me ACOTAR books so last night I decided to start A Court of Thorns and Roses. I’m only a few chapters in and intrigued…

Embracing Peace: My Word of the Year for 2025

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Hey there, friends!

Happy New Year! I can’t believe we’re already in 2025—time is flying by, but I’m stepping into this year with a fresh sense of clarity and intention. If you’ve been following along on the blog, you know I’m all about embracing the messy, the fun, and the unexpected moments of life. But this year? Well, I’m ready to make peace my priority. I went to bed on New Year’s Eve saying out loud, I’m so happy I don’t have to plan a wedding this year! Last year….was a lot. A lot of planning, emotionally, financially and so now this year, I want to have some peace. Some time to live in the now.

Yes, you heard me right—peace is my word of the year.

Now, before you roll your eyes and think, “Oh, great. Another person talking about peace and zen,” hear me out. I’m not talking about some unattainable state of perpetual calm (although, wouldn’t that be nice?). Instead, peace for me means finding balance, cultivating inner calm, and setting boundaries that protect my well-being. It’s about feeling settled in my choices, trusting my instincts, and not getting bogged down by the chaos around me. Last week, I was talking to a friend about how my mind can’t shut off and I’m an overthinker. My friend asked me what I do to find peace when the world gets loud…. and I didn’t have a good answer. Turns out, it’s up to us to find our own peace and it looks different for everyone.

Why Peace?

2024 was a whirlwind, to say the least. There were highs (hello, planned a wedding and got married) and lows (you know, the usual life hurdles), but one thing I realized through it all was how much I craved a sense of peace. Peace in my heart, in my mind, and in my daily life.

Life is full of noise—whether it’s work, family, social media, or just the constant pressure to “do more.” But this year, I want to create space for calm. I want to step back and give myself permission to take things slow. No more hustling just for the sake of hustling or saying “yes” to everything in fear of missing out. At work, I’ve been able to step back and let the team do what they need to do without having to tweak things to make them perfect. I work with kids and I have to remind myself, they don’t know an event was supposed to be grander or I forgot to order something. On my last day at school before break, my team brought a few problems for me to fix, and my response was “Pretend I’m not here, how would you handle it?” as I sat back as my team handled the situation just like I would have. Sometimes we need to put faith in other people around us and trust that things will work out…. we don’t need to be involved in every single thing.

For me, peace means choosing what matters over what’s loud. It means aligning my energy with the things that truly light me up, and letting go of what no longer serves me.

My Goals for 2025

With peace as my guiding word, here’s what I’m hoping to cultivate in 2025:

  1. Create More Calm in My Day-to-Day Life
    • This year, I’m all about creating moments of peace throughout my day. Whether it’s starting my mornings with a quiet cup of coffee (no phone allowed!) or carving out time at night to color before bed, I want to build little pockets of calm into even the busiest of days. The last few days, I’ve really enjoyed putting on a record and drinking coffee on the couch while I read for a little bit before officially starting the day. The goal: less rushing, more breathing.
  2. Prioritize Real-Life Connections Over Digital Noise
    • While I love sharing with all of you here, in 2025, I’m making a conscious effort to step away from my screen and spend more time in real-life moments. That means more dinner dates with friends, outdoor walks, and making plans with friends, without interruptions from notifications. It’s all about nourishing my relationships—offline!
  3. Embrace a Simpler, More Sustainable Wardrobe
    • I’ve always been a sucker for cute outfits, but this year, I want to focus on quality over quantity. I’m aiming for a wardrobe that’s chic, minimal, and more sustainable. This means investing in timeless pieces that I actually love and making smarter choices when it comes to what I buy. In the past I’ve tried to stay away from fast fashion and wear more sustainable luxury. This year it’s also about the purge. I want to get rid of as much as I can that’s just taking up space and clothes that no longer work for me. It’s about feeling great inside and out. I don’t need more clothes in my closet. I need more places to go with the clothes I already have in my closet!
  4. Mindfully Build My Creativity and Side Projects
    • In 2025, I’m giving myself the space to nurture the creative projects that bring me joy, whether it’s writing more, reading more, starting a new hobby, or learning a new skill. Or like starting a Substack and committing to write more. The key is to enjoy the process without putting pressure on the outcome. Creativity should be fun, not stressful.
  5. Give Myself Grace and Space to Grow
    • This year, I’m practicing self-compassion like it’s my new full-time job. I’m letting go of perfectionism and giving myself permission to take breaks, to rest when I need it, and to evolve at my own pace. No more guilt for slowing down or changing my mind—growth is a journey, not a race. Last week I noticed that whenever I sat down, I would take an accidental nap. Like a deep sleep two hour nap and wake up and not know where I was. I think that is my body telling me to slow down?

What Does Peace Look Like for You?

As I step into 2025, I’m inviting you to join me on this journey. What does peace look like for you? It might not mean silence and stillness, but it could be about finding balance or letting go of unnecessary stress. Maybe it’s about carving out more time for yourself or choosing to focus on the people and things that truly matter.

No matter where you are in life, I believe we all deserve a little more peace in our days. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, scattered, or just need a little reminder to breathe, know that you’re not alone. I’m right here with you, setting intentions and finding my way to peace one day at a time.

Here’s to a Peaceful 2025

I’m so excited for what this year has to offer, and I can’t wait to share more with you along the way. If you’re feeling inspired to choose a word for the year, I’d love to hear it—share it with me in the comments or hit reply to this post. Let’s make this year one of purpose, growth, and, of course, peace.

Wishing you a year full of all the beautiful moments that make life so special.

Until next time,
Rosie

Friday Favorites 1.3

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I have been asking myself a dozen times “What day is it?” because the concept of time the last two weeks is a blur. It’s Flursday. I have alarms set on my phone to make sure I am aware of my commitments but other than that, it’s been a lot of lounging around in pajamas and giving my body permission to REST. I’m using this time to make lists, reflect on the last year, and deep clean the house. I’ve been seeing the trend Pan Project 2025 a lot and I thought I was bad with having a lot of clutter but after watching these videos, I’m realizing I have a normal amount of backstock products. But that doesn’t mean I’m giving myself permission to not clear the shelves so to speak. This being my first Favorites post of the new year, I thought it would be fun to summarize my favorite things of 2024. So let’s do it!


This year, I’ve been grabbing my makeup that brings me joy and that has been a lot of pink. I took that Barbie trend and kept it going into my makeup routine. I created a go-to easy, natural makeup look….Glowy skin, pops of pink with pink lipstick and gloss in my pocket to reapply often. Each season I committed to an eyeshadow palette and only used that one (or two) to use up what I already have. Swapping them out every few weeks reminded me what I already have and it felt like I was getting something new even though I already had it.

Lipstick lasts longer, but gloss is more fun.
– Serena van der Woodsen

This year has been about less stuff and more joy in experiences. Going to one of my favorite restaurants in Philly, Parc, just because we want to, and no longer waiting for a special occasion. Getting tickets to see the Philadelphia Orchestra perform, taking advantage of the amazing restaurants in walking distance from us like the amazing Italian restaurant, Giuseppe & Sons. Walking to The Dandelion for tea and scones on a Sunday morning because we missed London. Walking through Rittenhouse Square on a Saturday morning to shop the farmers market is always a must for me in the summer because it reminds me to slow down and appreciate where I am in life right now. I worked so hard to be able to live in a city and be able to do these amazing things, that I need to slow down and appreciate the things around me.

Now or Never

This year I really committed to always have a book I was reading. During the warm summer months, I would get home from work, pour myself a glass of wine or an Aperol Spritz, and head out to the backyard to read a little before making dinner. During the “ber” months, I’ve been finding time to read before work or have a cup of hot tea and get into bed to read a few pages before I fell asleep. I didn’t read as many books as I wanted to this year, but it’s been nice getting lost in a fantasy world of the Ton or 200 years ago in Scotland.

  • Monday Mourning, Kathy Reichs
  • The Woman in Me, Britney Spears
  • A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Diana Gabaldon
  • The Christie Affair, Nina de Gramont
  • The Duke and I, Julia Quinn
  • The Viscount Who Loved Me, Julia Quinn
  • An Offer From a Gentleman, Julia Quinn

Another highlight of this year…..

One of my goals this year is to write on this little corner of the internet more in 2025. It used to bring me so much joy to recap my weeks and share things that brought me joy. Then life got busy and the internet told me videos were more trendy to do so I found finding time to write long updates about my life difficult to do.

Thank you for supporting Blonde Rosie. Your support helps keep this little page on the internet running.

Our Christmas Cards 2024

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Sending out our Christmas cards every year was one of my favorite traditions growing up. It was always a process though… get dressed up in coordinating outfits with my brother, find the perfect location, take photos, get cards ordered, write a personalized message on each card, address cards, seal ’em, and put a stamp on it before dropping them off at the Post Office. Did I mention, that my mom did all of this while working a full-time job and she got them out in early December??? Now as I sit down to order our Christmas cards, write a personalized message on each card, and go to the Post Office to buy stamps because who has them these days to then address them and bring them back to the Post Office to mail out — I have a lot more appreciation for what my mom did for decades to get these cards out on time!

A lot of hard work went on behind the scenes to get these cards delivered, but the looks on people’s faces when they got one, were worth every minute I stayed up past midnight to write on each card. Let this be a reminder to bring Christmas cards back because they are a part of the Christmas magic that makes the holiday season so special.

PS – Ordering cards from Minted was the easiest part of this process. Finding time to write on them and get them out was because I needed to plan better LOL

Use my referral code and receive $25 off a future $100+ order. 

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Lunch at Royal Boucherie in Old City

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It was July 4th weekend and our original plan was to walk around Old City but the heat wave made that difficult. We still wanted to spend some time in Old City, walk past Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and get in the holiday spirit. So what better way to celebrate the 4th than go to Royal Boucherie? It’s been on my list to try for a long time and I’m glad we could make it happen.

A dimly lit restaurant and bar is around the corner of Chestnut Street on 2nd Street. The floors and walls look like they have their original panel walls and hardwood floors. We sat at a table in the corner by the window to enjoy the pub aesthetic of the restaurant. How could we pick just one thing? The menu has a classic French menu but enough selections for patrons new to French food. We joked that Royal Boucherie is the delicious peasant food compared to the fancy and formal French restaurants we have visited before. Could it be that Royal Boucherie has better food than another well-known French restaurant in Philly?

We started with cocktails and chuckled at the creative drink names like Franklin’s Mistress and Wham Bam Thank You Cran. If you don’t have time to sit down for a meal, I highly suggest you order a drink at the bar to enjoy the custom-made bar and mingle with fellow patrons.

Since we are foodies, we wanted the full food experience and started with a Fromage Tasting Board and escargot a lail noir, black garlic braised escargot, ratatouille, panisse, crispy garlic escargot to share. The cheeses were perfectly selected to pair with a baguette and jams that we were making notes to make this board at home. I should note that the portions are more similar to what I’ve experienced in Europe, smaller portions with high-quality selections. At first glance, I thought there wouldn’t be enough of the Fromage board for both of us to share, but I was left satisfied without being too full for the main course.

For the main course, Jacob went with a boucherie burger, foie gras, brie, onion confiture, frites. He said it was probably the best burger he has ever had with the perfectly melted brie on the burger. I wanted to try something new than my usual order of modules and went with the crab cakes, blistered cherry tomatoes, roasted broccolini, saffron rouille. The crab cakes were not your traditional style like you expect in beach towns but instead had a French twist with unexpected flavors. Every bite was delicious!

We split a chocolate mousse tart as a special treat before heading back out into the heat. Restaurants like Royal Boucherie are hard to come by with their dark moody interior, friendly staff, and perfectly curated menu. The next time you are looking for a good meal out with an experience, I highly recommend stopping by here. We’ll be back again soon because it’s been a week and we are still talking about the fromage board!