Don’t Forget to Do These Things This Month

Published on by blonde rosie4 Comments

I love lists because they keep track of all of the things going through my mind and help me get it all done! Since we are halfway into 2020 and starting a new month, I thought it would be good to do a long list to start off the month! Those New Years Resolutions have long been forgotten along with those plans and projects to accomplish during quarantine? Are we still pretending to work out every day from home? I wanted to make a realistic list of things to do this month of stuff I should do and things I may have overlooked.

Clean your door knobs
Okay, so I know this sounds crazy but during the pandemic I’ve realized how rarely I’ve ever cleaned a door knob. I’ll grab a Clorox wipe or just a paper towel and spray it really good with a cleaning spray and then walk around wiping down the door knobs. Takes a few minutes and gives me some peace knowing our home is COVID free!

Water your plants
My poor plants! I prefer succulents since they are tricky to kill and my one plant is really struggling because I just forget about it! I’ve added watering my plants to my Sunday refresh routine and I’ll add it to my calendar to remind me!

Save a copy of any rent/mortgage policies for COVID
Things changed very quickly in 2020 and we all got a lot of emails from every retailer, credit card and company that has our email letting us know that they are here for us. I saved every notice about a COVID policy change in case I need to refer to it in the future. Know your options and be prepared in case you need assistance or receive conflicting notices.

Clean your fridge
Take everything out and scrub it clean real good! Invest in some fridge organizers and glass tuperware to keep your fridge looking clean and organized.

Back up your photos
We are all on our laptops more than ever right now so use your downtime productively. I’ve always used Google Photos to back up my photos and recently started to clear out junk and create albums so I can easily get to photos.

Finance check in
Take a look at your income and note any changes since COVID. If you are saving money on your commute or daily Starbucks, add that money that you are not spending to your savings since you are already used to not spending it. Now is a good time to look at those quarantine purchases and how much money you spent. Looking at previous purchases will help you stop making impulse buys!

Buy a new toothbrush
If you have to think about when the last time you got a new one, it’s been to long. I have a little reminder in my planner to get a new toothbrush head for my electric toothbrush every 3 months. After going on trips and forgetting a toothbrush too many times, I finally got a toothbrush to leave at my parents house in North Carolina, one for my toiletry bag and bunch of toothbrush heads to easily swap out every 3 months. Now I have no excuses for forgetting a toothbrush and not changing it on time.

Create a file for important documents
If you asked me where my passport or birth certificate was, I would have to wait a few minutes to think and try a few places. A goal for me is to create an actual file with these important documents so I can find them easily when I design and decorate a guest room turned office in September. For now the goal is to find the documents….

Make a list of local restaurants to try
I can’t wait to go back to Philly in the fall and one thing I am really looking forward to is going out to eat again. Jake and I are making a list of restaurants that are safe that we would like to visit. It’s a great way to support local businesses and help with making plans to get out of the house during the week.

Make cleaning caddies
A bit excessive, but I have a bucket in all of my bathrooms and on each floor with cleaning products with a cabinet of extras so I always have what I need to clean. When everyone was struggling to find to find cleaners, I was prepared because of my Grove Collaborative subscription. Stock up because the stores are still bare and we will be getting another wave of Covid soon…

Current Easy Summer Makeup Routine

Published on by blonde rosie1 Comment

One of my favorite things about being at my parents house in North Carolina is being able to get dressed up and wear makeup while we run the essential errands. My parents live in a county with very few COVID cases and the stores are taking precautions seriously so shopping can be safe. It’s also summer and feels like 114 degrees in the South so I want an easy makeup routine without much fuss because it will melt off! Everything you see below is simple and quick to apply. I wear a little makeup to help myself look and feel put together without taking a long time to get ready. You’ll notice that there are very few products because it’s summer so no one wants to wear a lot of makeup!

Mascara Great for everyday when you want some volume and color for us blondes!

Eyeliner Super easy to apply and gives a perfect thick black liquid line that lasts all day.

Eyeshadow I brought a ton of eyeshadow palettes with me and I keep grabbing this one for a natural everyday look. I linked a similar one since mine is discontinued.

Setting Powder with SPF If my face looks a little red I like to use this setting spray because it’s a bit lighter than my current shade. Plus there is SPF!

Foundation I don’t wear foundation often but when I want to wear a bit more makeup, I’ve been using this one because it looks the most natural and doesn’t melt off my face in the heat.

Cute pajama sets from Target!

Published on by blonde rosie2 Comments

pink long sleeve set // leopard cami set // flower pattern set // leopard short sleeve set // snakeskin print set

Last week I went into Target to get one thing and somehow pajamas ended up in my cart. Don’t you just hate that?! I was also really excited to see that my leopard short sleeve pajama set are also back in stock. I wear these all the time because they are so soft and comfy. Target is really killing it in the pajama game because they are so soft and affordable so I’m always buying another set! Be sure to grab a pajama set asap because these do not stay on the rack for long!

Sales I’m Watching for Home Items

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Anyone else’s email full of email after email about a sale? The last few months being at home made me realize that we did need a few things for our home but I wasn’t paying Amazon prices and sometimes you just need to see the things in store, ya know? So while in North Carolina I’ve been able to do some in store shopping because my parents town is very large (lots of land) and a small population. Stores are often empty especially on the weekdays so that is when I browse. I wanted to share what stores I am keeping an eye on for sales and good deals on home items.

Starting off with TJ Maxx, Homegoods and Marshalls because for the months the physical stores were closed, they still continued to receive weekly shipments. My mom and I went to Homegoods a week or so after one opened back up and it was like Christmas because so many items were on clearance. Those kitchen basics like a butter dish we never got around to buying was on clearance. These stores need to clear the shelves to make room for more stuff. Lots of holiday decor ( Easter, Spring and Summer) were really cheap because they need to make room for Fall and back to school items. Now that the stores are back open, I am still seeing a good amount of items in the clearance section marked down.

My parents have a Belk around the corner so we went there recently to stock up on bedding and towels for their Air BnB. While I was there I took advantage of some good sales as well, They have name brand kitchen and home items that were on major sale so Jake got some presents! Belk also has adorable bedding so we got some for my bedroom here at my parents house since I took all of my stuff with me to Philly. I also bought too many candles because they were only $6…. Oops!

I’m sure you have heard that Pier1 is closing. They have a slow liquidation and markdowns are on Thursdays so that is when I pop into the store and browse. Right now I am only purchasing items that go on clearance because the prices are still a bit high. I was able to get adorable Easter bunny plates that were less than $1 each. My mom got me some cute seagull beach themed plates and Jake sent me money to get lemon themed dinner plates because I’ve had my eyes on them for weeks. I talked more about my recent Pier1 haul here. If you can, stop by a store and do some shopping. Most of the items listed online are marked sold out but are available in store so it’s best to shop in store.

I’ve only been to Hobby Lobby a few times because we never had one near us. It’s where my mom and I went to get some decor for her laundry room redesign and it’s impossible to go in and not get something! I have been watching their sales, some categories have been 50% off and Spring/Summer items are significantly discounted to make room for fall.

My parents have been talking about Ollie’s since they moved down here but I never heard of it. I finally went and now I’m making stops all the time to browse. It’s similar to Big Lots with just more inexpensive items and more known brand names. They have a large book section and everything is under $5 so I went a little crazy stocking up!

In the South there is a giant Walmart in every town. I went there with my mom a few weeks ago when we redesigned an old playroom into a craft room for her to get some cube organizers and containers to organize her crafts. While we were there, we bought new towels for the pool and I got some items for our home. I’m in love with a lot of the Better, Homes and Garden collection and the price was too good not to take advantage of!

Of course I have been to Target while I’ve been visiting my parents. I’ve been pretty good at not buying much there but I have been buying a lot of home items that are in the dollar bins. Cute lazy Susan’s, lemon decor, serving platters and more!

My parents town is full of antique stores so I’ve been going to a few with my parents. Even if we don’t buy anything, it’s been fun to just walk around in air conditioning and look at some cool stuff. I’ve purchased new lamps, a table for $40 that will stay at my parents house until we get a bigger house and other little things. Living in a city is great but being in a small town makes me miss how easy it is to go to a store, how affordable things can be. So after a few of my shopping trips, I told Jake that he better rent a SUV when he comes to visit and take me back Philly in September!

How I’m Making My Days Happier

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We are halfway through the year and the world looks nothing like it did back in January. I made lists of things I wanted to do, personal development and hobbies to start. Let’s all take a minute to laugh at those plans that never happened and were quickly derailed. When the stay at home orders first began, I started to make changes in my life that added value and wrote about them on the blog. Now that we are in full summer mode, I’m sitting down again to see what improvements I can make to have happier and fuller days.

Reading More
I schedule an hour a day to read at night when the sun starts to set. I’ll sit in the screened in porch and read my book for a bit and unwind. It’s helped me quiet my body and get ready for bed a lot and I’ve noticed I’m sleeping better.

Early Bedtime, Early Rising
Not sure how but I somehow became a morning person. I’ve been naturally waking up between 6:30 – 7am which has been so nice because I get more out of my day. After a full day of fun and working outside, I’m showering and getting ready for bed at around 9pm. The first few weeks of quarantine, my sleep schedule is so screwed up that I went days without sleeping because I physically could not fall asleep. Now when my head hits the pillow, I quickly fall asleep.

Calm App
I used to fall asleep to tv or a movie but now I go electronic free at night. Instead, I’ve been doing a meditation and a night time story on the Calm App. As soon as the meditation starts to play, my body gets into sleepy mode and I never get through a full story without falling asleep before it’s over.

Notes
Since I’m a few hundred miles away from my roommate/boyfriend, we have been using the Notes App to make to do lists. We can add each other so we can both read and edit them as necessary. It’s been great to make grocery lists, make plans for when I go back to Philly and jot down things to remember. Since I always have my phone on me, I’ve been using the Notes App for everything so I don’t forget or have it easily accessible.

Automatic Savings
Everyone wants to save but few people have a nice nest egg for just in case. I cannot tell you how grateful I am that I put money in my savings before COVID because it’s calmed a lot of my anxiety. I still put $100 a week into my savings and have it set up that my bank account does it automatically so I don’t forget. I have money in a savings account that I can’t touch unless it’s an emergency.

Spending More of My Time Outside
I am taking full advantage that my parents have a large property and a pool this summer! At this point I’m making up projects to do outside just so I have an excuse to be outside! Being outside brings me so much happiness and I’m loving the hot summer months. Jake and I area already making plans to renovate our backyard to really utilize it this year. I’m not working and with the sate of the world, I don’t plan on going back to work in the fall. So Jake and I have walks planned for when he gets done with work and long walks or picnics on the weekends to explore our city some more. My mood is better, I have more energy and I go to bed early because I’ve had a long fulfilling day.

Spending Time With Friends and Family
If this whole pandemic has not encouraged you to call your mother more, what will? I’ve mentioned before that my mom, aunt, cousins and I have been sending each other handmade cards to each other. Not only is it fun to do a craft, I get to have a box full of memories made during this time even though we couldn’t see each other. My mom has always wanted a big house where people gathered and that is our plan for the summer. Some of my family is going to get tested and then spend a few weeks at my parents house here in North Carolina. It’s a time we will never have again to be able to spend this much time with family without work getting in the way.

Jake and I are planning vacations and taking advantage of the deals right now. With a deposit, we can schedule a trip in 2021 and then have the flexibility to change the dates if needed. We are planning trips to the mountains, to the beach in the off season and long drives. Seeing people outside of family can be tricky but I’m excited to start making plans when it is safe to do so. I’ve always been shy about making plans but this experience has made me crave social interaction. For now, I’m sending care packages, texts to old friends to check in and old fashioned snail mail.

Cooking
I didn’t realize I’d miss my kitchen and cooking so much while being at my parents! For months I was making breakfast, lunch and dinner for Jake and I and I cannot wait to be back in our kitchen cooking again. I spent my Sundays meal planning and making a grocery list for items to pick up that week. Without meaning to, we were cooking and eating really healthy and both saw it with our bodies getting smaller. We are still ordering our groceries through a produce delivery company that has really been affordable and given us a lot of healthy fruits, veggies, eggs, milk and butter. We are going to do a big grocery run in September so we can self quarantine for two weeks once we get back to Philly.

Friday Favorites 7.24

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Happy Friday! We are back with another Friday Favorites post where I talk about my favorite things, what I’ve been up to recently, and recent purchases. I’ve been doing these every two weeks so I have more to share in each post and it is summer so, I am taking some time off from my laptop. I’ve been really enjoying spending a lot of time outside. I’ve been working on a lot of weeding projects and power washing the driveways. Plural because my parents have a carport on the side of the house and behind the pool, they have a long driveway leading up to the two-car garage. I want to clarify that no one asked me to do these projects, I am just finding any excuse to spend my day outside. I’ll work for an hour, get hot and jump in the pool and then go back to work. After months of sitting in a house, I am going outside to find something to do whenever I get the chance. Sweeping? Weeding? Cutting the grass? I’ll do it because the last place I want to be is inside! My parents moved into this house only two years ago so they are still making this home theirs. Luckily there are plenty of projects to keep me busy!

My brother is living in Raleigh and since it’s just a two-hour drive away I’ve been able to see him a few times. Two weeks ago, my dad brought golf clubs and my mom brought lunch so we had a socially distanced picnic and hit some golf balls at a park near where my brother lives. I also love to visit my brother because there is a Costco and a Trader Joe’s there. On our recent trip, we stopped at DSW on our way home and I bought so many shoes because of their major clearance sale. This is one store you want to keep your eyes on for sales right now.

Another interesting tidbit is that I’ve become a morning person. This is breaking news because I have never naturally woken up early before. Lately, I’ve been waking up between 6:30 and 7am without an alarm clock. I’ll check my emails and messages, go downstairs and get coffee, have yogurt for breakfast while doing some work on my laptop. Around 9am I’ll throw on a bathing suit and head outside to get some reading done. My afternoons are spent working outside and jumping in the pool! Did you know it’s hot in the south?!

Since businesses and (most) people here are taking COVID seriously, my mom and I were able to go to the farmers market last weekend and do some antiquing. It was fun to walk around and look at all the veggies and flower vendors. I got a really pretty french lavender plant for $3 that I plan to take back with me to Philadelphia. My dad and I are digging up evergreen trees that are popping up all over their property to take back with me too. I got box planters that I plan on putting in front of our house and I’ll fill them with the evergreen trees so they are green throughout the year. I’m really taking advantage of what is growing in my parent’s backyard to bring some back home.

Of course I miss Philadelphia and Jake and little Ed. Right now I am taking advantage of having a car and being able to drive around and do errands easily. I’m loving the pool and laying in a lounge chair while I read all day. I’m loving this time with my family and being able to go on a walk or down to the Dairy Queen and get a scoop of ice cream. There is a lot that I’m loving right now even though my two favorite people are in Philadelphia holding down the fort while I’m away.

I’m not watching any tv lately because I’ve been using any free time that I have to read. At night I replaced my usual falling asleep to a movie with the Calm App. I’ll do a meditation while I snuggle into bed and focus on my breathing. Usually by then I’m half asleep and I’ll put on a bedtime story on the app and I have not been able to stay awake for one story! Waking up early has really helped me go to bed early too without much fuss. I love falling asleep shortly after my head hits the pillow.

I just finished Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner which was a nice easy lounge by the pool read. I just started Tidelands by Philipa Gregory which is historical fiction since I needed to mix it up a bit. I brought a ton of books down here and recently bought a ton more so I have a lot of reading to do!

I’m proud of myself for finally working on my long list of blog posts that I have been neglecting since I got here. I talked about my favorite leave-in conditioners in this post which have been really making it easy to have good hair days during quarantine and hot summer months.

A few months ago I worked on a blog post with Love Beauty and Planet about a new shampoo and conditioner that I am so excited finally hit the shelves! I also got to work with Loreal and talked about their new scalp care and detox shampoo and conditioner on the blog. Lots of beauty posts are coming to the blog so stay tuned to more!

In case you didn’t know, Pier 1 is going out of business so I’ve been stopping by once a week to browse. It’s a very slow liquidation but new items go to clearance and markdowns happen on Thursdays FYI. I recently picked up adorable bunny plates that were a set of 4 for $3 and Jake sent me money to get their lemon plates. I also got a cute lemon themed fruit basket since our yellow kitchen kinda became a lemon theme when we moved in!

The Target near my parents is not that great but I am loving the dollar bin section! Their recent theme is lemon decor and really cute home decor items. The price was right so I got a few things to bring back with me to Philly. I picked up this Friends tee shirt because it would make a great outfit for my next move. Oh and somehow this pajama set ended up in my cart LOL

Belk is having a big sale so my parents and I went today actually to browse. I stocked up on $6 candles, an adorable rug, a bag on major sale, and bought some cute clothes. My parents bought a lot of cute new bedding because it was on super sale. I need my roommate to come visit me before I buy anything else for the house!

Peaches
Tomatoes from the garden
Working outside
Sweet tea
Going to the grocery store. I was even excited to go to Lowes so I clearly have missed shopping!
Tan lines
Oui Yogurt
My new Conair hair dryer brush