Category: life

This morning I skipped the K Cups and went straight to the coffee beans to make a big pot of coffee. It’s going to be that kind of day! I was quiet on the blog and Instagram the last month because we spent the entire month of August on vacation. It was an amazing trip but we are exhausted!! Spent a week at sea on a cruise to celebrate our three year anniversary. We docked in the Bahamas and Jamaica – everything was such an amazing experience. Then we spent a week in Florida visiting Jake’s family and had some bonus days because of the hurricane cancelling planes. Before I knew it, September was here and with it brings little and big life changes. I love the feeling of a new season. It gives me the motivation to try new things, feel refreshed and ready to live life.

I’ve been having fun sharing in real time what I’m watching on the Blonde Rosie Facebook page.

• Flack on Amazon Prime was a show I found by accident and binged the entire thing in one weekend.
• Virgin River is my go-to when I’m taking my weekly Sunday baths.
• Outer Banks is one of my favorites! We did a rewatch and binged season 2 in one weekend.
• Turner and Hooch on Disney+ is a show we are watching when we only have time to watch one episode together.
• Good Girls on NBC and Netflix is another show I stumbled upon and I’m so sad I didn’t find it earlier! It’s better going in blind so just trust me, watch this one asap!
• Outlander on Starz and Netflix quickly became our favorite show when we caught up in 2019. I’m reading the books right now so we are doing a rewatch while I quickly read the books.
• Monsters at Work on Disney+ is a show with the Monsters Inc characters that is funny for alll ages.

The entire month of August I basically only used the same makeup and skincare products that fit in my travel bag. Before the trip, I put together a small cosmetic bag of trail sized beauty items so I didn’t have to pack and unpack a ton of items while we were traveling. It was a game changer and I only want to travel this way moving forward!

I talked about this Lancome foundation on the blog and it’s been great at staying put during the summer heat. The design of the foundation is also genius because it comes with a built on sponge to make applying easy with no fuss.

For the no fuss, easy makeup days, I’ve been enjoying using these affordable and high quality products. I’m excited that this brand is coming out with more items because I have been loving everything so far.

Finished this face mask this week and it was much needed to get my skin back to normal after eating a lot of food, traveling and having fun in the sun.

On the higher end, I used this face mask a lot before our trip. My face honestly feels like I had it professionally exfoliated, moisturized and pampered!

Ummm haven’t done much shopping in August because we made some big purchases like flights, a cruise, and had to pay for basics like food while traveling all month. I’m sure American Express thinks I’ve been kidnapped because my balance is going to be very different!

As much as I enjoyed fine dining and trying new restaurants the last month, I am so excited to get back into the kitchen! I didn’t realize how much I loved cooking until I didn’t have a kitchen to use.

Love love love this healthy rosemary chicken and veggies recipe.
Jake immediately asked me to make my penne vodka when we got home.
We are making tacos tonight for dinner with our Giordano’s taco box delivery.
If you are looking for a healthy and easy lunch idea, I love to make a salad and then microwave a few pieces of popcorn shrimp to get some tasty protein in. It’s probably not the healthiest thing to do but I love adding some texture and zest to my boring salads.

Started to read Freed, the Fifty Shades book before leaving for vacation and it’s bad, but a nice way to revisit the series.
Months ago I bought Outlander to read on vacation because it was 500 pages so I thought it would be a great book to bring on a long vacation. The only problem is that I finished it in 4 days and had to Prime the second one when we landed in Florida. The third one is already on it’s way and I had to limit the page limit I read each day to make it last even though it was 800 pages.

• I rarely drink and definitely indulged on the cocktails on the cruise!
• Everything about our trip.
• A relaxing week at Jake’s parents house.
• Rounded up my favorite snacks here.
• Snuggles with Ed! He’s been very clingy since we got back home.
• My bed.
• Looking forward to a quiet, relaxing weekend!

I love to sit down and write up my Friday Favorite posts because it reminds me of what I loved about the week. My weekends lately have been getting busier and busier and I don’t see them slowing down anytime soon. On Friday, I went to browse shoes at Nordstrom Rack and came home with my hands full! Last weekend was supposed to be a slow weekend and then one errand turned into a long day of errands on Saturday. We went to Costco to get three things and walked out with a VERY full cart. This weekend I have my bag packed and I’m heading to visit my parents in North Carolina for a quick trip. In todays post I am sharing a new makeup product that I am loving, a good deal on shoes, and an easy yummy dinner idea. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Lately, I have been sharing what I’ve been watching on my Instagram stories and my Blonde Rosie Facebook page. This week I binge watched Bethenny Frankel’s HBO Maxshow The Big Shot which is like a way better version the The Apprentice in my opinion. For some reason it took me so long to watch Jenna Lyons, head of J Crew for 27 years, Stylish show also on HBO Max.

With a busier schedule I’m wearing makeup more often. I have been loving the of the Lancome Teint Idôle Ultra Wear Foundation Stick. It lasts all day and works best with oily skin which is what I’m struggling with now with of the heat, bonus points because is easy to apply.

With the deals so good at Nordstrom Rack I got the Steve Madden slides that everyone seems to have and a pair of gold Steve Madden slides that will be a nice neutral for any outfit. But I am most excited about finding these block heels that are SO comfortable!

So happy I ordered a few bright dresses from Target for our cruise next month. My suitcase is packed and I’m so ready to spend a week on a beach with a drink in my hand. Target has so many great pieces for $25 right now that it’s hard not to buy everything!

Ordered a new phone case and I am o b s e s s e d! Fell in love with it when I watched Emily in Paris and finally got around to ordering it.

Since I’m out of town this weekend I didn’t go to the grocery store this week so I’ve been making a lot of Trader Joes meals since they are so easy. Can’t go wrong with the orange chicken and the soup dumplings are so easy to make for a quick dinner. I did make pasta with a homemade sauce that did turn out really good! So good there were no leftovers!

Easy Sauce

• tomato paste
• diced tomates
• chopped onion
• garlic
• fresh basil and oregano
• spinach
• splash of heavy cream
• Parmesan cheese

• I think it’s because I missed my dad last week but I subscribed to a newspaper and I love waking up every morning and picking it up from the doorstep.
• I love working on a crossword puzzle from the newspaper in pen. Never finish them but it’s so much fun to do every day.
• Trying to be healthy by having hot water with lemon every morning before I have my coffee. It helps me start drinking water in the day and then I continue to fill up my mug throughout the day.
• Clean sheets this week felt even better with a new Berkshire blanket I picked up at Costco last weekend. I found this brand at Homegoods years ago and now I need to buy one in every single pattern because they are the softest blankets and hold up so well wash after wash.

This week I’ve been doing some journaling in my daily planner to be intentional about writing down three things that brought me joy that day. It takes just a minute and helps me reflect on the day on a positive note. My weekends are getting busier making my weeks busier as I make time to get work done, run errands and then the usual to-do list for the day. After a year and a half of taking it slow, I am getting an adrenaline rush as my weeks and weekends get busier because it’s when I thrive best. Last weekend we spent all day Saturday in Old City in museums and had lunch on the rooftop at Liberty View at the Independence Visitor Center. I shared more about our day in a blog post here where I share a ton of free things to do in the historic district. On Sunday, Jake had signed us up to work a charity event at the Philadelphia Zoo. It was fun to volunteer and then spend the afternoon at the zoo. It was like 103 degrees so we were excited to get home and spend the rest of our night in our living room with the AC on blast!

If you have a Disney+ account, great! If you don’t have an account, you should sign up now because there is so much included on the streaming platform not just cartoons. This week, we watched the new Disney+ movie Luca and to be honest, I sat down to watch expecting it to be kind of childish and not the best. Just a few minutes in and loved it! Cute story line and loved the whole thing from start to finish. We also started watching Monsters at Work, the Monsters Inc spinoff show. While catching up on the Real Housewives franchises, I wanted something to watch in the background while I got some work done. Started to watch the reality tv show Family Karma on Bravo and wow, where has this show been?? Not sure why it took me so long to watch but it’s everything that makes reality tv good. I made Jake watch the first episode of the Gossip Girl reboot with me because he doesn’t understand the concept since he never watched the original. He kept asking if this was supposed to be about high school kids because it’s not like the kind of school he went to! This fall I am going to do a rewatch of the original Gossip Girl with Jake because it’s been too long since I’ve watched it and Jake is missing out ha! Since my days are getting busier, I am setting a goal for myself to wake up earlier so I have more time in the day. I also want to continue eating healthy and drinking more water. Little life style changes that make a big impact on my day can make a big difference. Almost done with re-watching Dexter and need a new show for Jake and I to watch. Overwhelmed with so many options!

Wearing Essie Virgin Snow nail polish this week because I want a subtle pop of color.
The Essie Gel Top Coat is my favorite top coat because it protects my nails all week from chips.

Using St Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Lotion this week to get a little tan without laying out in the sun. With one application, I wake up the next morning with the perfect shade of tan.

Ordered this jewelry cleaner after I went to wear bracelets last weekend and couldn’t because they were so dirty!

This is my third time ordering these storage bags for our linens.

A friend recommended Flo Vitamins for helping with wacky hormones and I am excited to see if they work. Even if they just do half of the things they claim to do, I will be a very happy person!

Happy Nordstrom Sale! Shared the booties that I thought are worth purchasing on Facebook. Wanted to be intentional with my purchases this year because I already have so much stuff so I just ordered pink Ugg slippers and another set of comfy pajamas in navy blue.

Took a bit longer than I’d like, but finally finished reading The Virgin Queen by Philippa Gregory.
This week I started to read The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby about the famous pink suit that Jackie wore when JFK was shot. The book is about how the suit came to be, the dressmaker and how it became famous.

Did a biiiiiiggg grocery run this week at a grocery store in the suburbs and then Trader Joe’s. The car was packed with groceries and I was exhausted when I got home. I didn’t take any photos this week but I made a quick dinner with yellow rice, shrimp and sweet potatoes. For nights when I don’t want to spend too much time cooking, I love cutting up a lemon, sprinkling Mrs Dash and rosemary on everything and throw it in the oven.

Trying to be on a strict diet since our cruise is only a few weeks away. EEK! Stocked up on salad kits for lunches. To get my protein, I got popcorn chicken to heat up in the microwave and chop it up into my salads. The salads are filling and a healthy lunch so I don’t snack until dinnertime .

Lot’s of things I’m loving this week!
These new Friends magnets for my fridge.

The “Edith” Podcast by Crooked Media. It’s even better what I imagined it would be.

I have been working out every single day. Sounds boring but I have been loving @Kirastokesfit on Instagram for fun workout inspiration. It’s challenging but it gets the work done and makes me see results with a daily 20 minute workout.

These mini ice cream cones are the perfect sweet treat that allows me to indulge but only like 100 calories.

Oui oui! I’ve been loving the Duolingo app lately as I brush up on my French skills. At night in bed I spend a few minutes going over lessons and it’s an easy way to learn a language. Not ready to go to Paris yet but it’s fun to be able to pass the challenges and think to myself, it’s not that hard!

Got some fresh flowers at Trader Joe’s on Monday for the living room.

I love to listen to french music at night while I get ready for bed. I just tell Alexa to play french music and it’s so relaxing while I wind down for the night.

Getting better at making time to read before bed. Even if it’s just 10 pages, it helps me fall asleep faster and get better sleep.

Needed a new nail file and grabbed this Olive and June set at Target and loving it! Very affordable and hope they add more to their collection.

Still finding ways to get a break from this heat wave that is here to stay in Philadelphia. Luckily we got a nice break last weekend and got to enjoy the holiday weekend. While on our way to Old City last Saturday we had to cut our walk short when an unexpected thunderstorm made us seek shelter so we went to brunch at Lou Bird’s. On Sunday, we made our way to Old City again to do some touristy things for the 4th of July. Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and Elfreth’s Alley – all of the classic touristy things which I haven’t done in forever! Couldn’t let the holiday weekend end without a trip to the beach. Spent Monday at Long Beach Island and it was the perfect beach day. I think after last summer when we were inside all day everyday, we have been doing a lot of planning ahead when it comes to weekend plans.

I had a lot of expectations when it came to the Gossip Girl reboot and sat down to watch it waiting to be disappointed. After one episode I was happy to see what direction they are going in and paying tribute to the OG characters.

Loved watching this weeks Real Housewives of New York because it was filmed in Philly.

Retinol is a very important step in your skincare system and the trick is learning how much to use. Especially with my extra time in the sun lately, I need a Retinol that can work for me. Every other night I have been using my Olay Retinol cream that has been a favorite for a long time. I talked more about it in a blog post here. I love that it is effective, easy to use morning and night, and most importantly it’s very affordable.

Made some delicious purchases this week 🙂
Went to the grocery store while hungry and that is never a good idea! Picked up lots of fresh fruit and veggies. I’ve been trying to eat healthy so I stocked up on salad kits for lunches which have been an easy and healthy lunch every day this week. When I need a light snack I’ve been having sliced peaches and blueberries and it’s the perfect summer snack.

Lunch at Campo’s

These mini ice cream cones when I’m craving a sweet treat

Brunch and mimosas at Lou Bird’s was delicious

Exploring Old City

Our beach day to LBI makes me want to plan another one.

Ice cream with sprinkles at Skipper Dipper

Happy July! I think July may be my favorite month because summer is in full swing and there is so much fun to be had. I’m looking forward to trips to the beach, getting together with friends and enjoying every second of summer! Right now we are in a heat wave and even in this horrible heat I am loving it compared to the cold winter we just had. This weekend, we are seeing some friends, going to stay in the city most of the weekend and play tourists and then go to the beach hopefully on Monday. Hope you all have a fun and relaxing weekend – we all need it!

Recently stumbled upon the E! tv show, The Royals on Prime. It was a show that I wanted to watch but wasn’t available on demand so I quickly fell behind. It’s been great background noise while I get work done. Jake and I are still watching Dexter together at night. I forgot how many seasons there are LOL!

I talked about this exfoliating facial on the blog earlier this week and I am still loving it! It seriously is a game changer in getting soft, smooth skin. It’s been almost a full week since I used it last and I still am seeing the difference in my skin.

Ordered these toys that look for sushi for Ed and it’s the cutest thing!

Ordered new sandals after doing a big purge of old shoes to make room for new ones. Got some embellished slides that look fancy that are comfy. These pink ruffle slides were too cute not to get!

Loving this look that I shared on the blog for an easy go-to look for summer.

Swapped out some living room decor for summer while I was tidying up the house this week. I recently got some new artwork from Hobby Lobby and some more faux flowers to put in vases around the house.

We hosted a little dinner party last weekend and had so much fun cooking and entertaining! Looking forward to more get togethers with friends this summer.