Blonde Rosie Blog

Shopping During A Pandemic

Published on April 29, 2020April 27, 2020 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

I’ve wanted to write this post for a while but just didn’t know how to put it into words. First I want to point out that there is a pandemic going on in the world right now. I didn’t leave my house for a month because of the fear of getting the virus or passing it onto someone else. I’ve been trying to stay positive throughout the day and on social media. Focusing on little victories like enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning before I start my day and getting dressed and putting on real clothes. I try to set myself up for success but then my inbox starts getting emails with the subject line saying SALE and my Instagram is filled with cute outfits and cute home decor. If this time at home has taught me anything it’s that I don’t need as much as I thought I did. Every week I keep washing the same clothes over and over because that is what I find to be most comfortable – not the trendiest. I’ve been using my Amazon Prime now more than ever to buy stuff for the house because I am spending more time at home. I’d rather spend $5 on broom wall holders to keep my cleaning supplies organized than a trendy top that will get lost in the back of my closet.

We went grocery shopping for the first time in weeks because we don’t have a car and we were waiting on masks. It’s a process to walk to the grocery store and back with our groceries packed in my canvas tote bags. I got more excited about finding the last box of Goldfish than I did when I got new clothes a few months ago before the pandemic. We have been eating out two times a week to take a break from cooking and to support local businesses. It’s great to order food but last week I was craving a fresh salad but we had run out of lettuce the previous week. This whole experience has me cooking really healthy and getting really excited about fresh produce!

If you have the money available, I encourage you to shop and take advantage of these amazing sales. But this pandemic has taught me that shopping is not going to fill that void or give my life purpose. It’s fun to hit add to cart and have packages arrive at your doorstep, but that exhilaration does not last long. This experience has taught me that spending 10 minutes at night doing a face mask and applying skincare products brings me more joy than buying new clothes. It’s the little victories like cleaning my floors or deep cleaning my kitchen because I have something to show for it.

If you do not have the money right now to buy all the cute things on sale, do not feel like you have to. Right now I am wearing clothes that I haven’t reached for often or completely forgotten about. I’m rearranging furniture to make my home feel like new. I’m lighting my scented candles during the day to make my home smell nice. I’m using products that were in the back of my cabinet as a special treat. If I get bored, I will do a quick workout and take a long relaxing shower to get moving.

I admit that I have done some shopping the last few weeks but I don’t look at it as a source of happiness. A few weeks ago I took everything out of my closet and put away my winter clothes and brought up my spring clothes to put in its place. I then made piles of clothes that I like to wear just rarely wear, clothes that don’t fit just right and special occasion clothes and put them in a box to put into storage. I was ruthless when I purged clothes because after weeks of wearing the same clothes over and over, I lost the attachment I once had to clothes I needed to have before.

Not that anyone asked but here is my advice if you want to do some shopping to take advantage of the sales but just don’t want to shop out of boredom. Shop with purpose!

I’m sure you are using this time to change your closets over from winter to spring. I like to use this time to see what is missing from my closet and get rid of clothes that look worn. Make a list of clothes you need and keep an eye out when they go on sale. Also take note of things that you have a lot of and do not buy any more! For me that is white jeans!
Walk around your home and clean up as you go. I like to walk around with a laundry basket and fill it up with everything that needs to be put away so when I walk through rooms I can easily put things away. When I did this recently I was frustrated because I didn’t have the right organizers to put things away. Our swiffer and broom kept falling down so I got a wall holder for them. Our tote bags for grocery runs were on the floor in the kitchen so I got a command strip hook for the kitchen floor to put them on. Right now I’m getting more enjoyment for buying things to organize my home so that is what I am focusing on.
Deep clean your home and get rid of things that serve no purpose! I’ve done a few posts on my favorite cleaners on the blog so check them out to see what I have or purchased recently.
Before you buy another product, use everything that you have first! This has been a goal of mine because I own so many products that I have completely forgotten about! My rule now is to not buy any new products until I go through what I have.

Home Essentials Series: Bathroom Accessories

Published on April 28, 2020April 27, 2020 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

There is a room in my house that I immediately fell in love with right away (my kitchen) and a room that I did not like at all (my bathroom) when we moved into our home almost a year ago. The kitchen had great natural lighting, newly renovated with so much storage. Meanwhile, my bathroom was the complete opposite. It’s a room that has barely been touched and everything from my previous bathroom went into our new bathroom without much thought. Now that I have some more free time, I thought I needed to spend some more time in my bathroom making it a bit more functional.

There is very little storage in our bathroom so I have to keep most of my products out of the bathroom and in the linen closet down the hall. I only keep products in the bathroom that I will use every single day. At first, it was annoying but over time I was able to figure out what products I really needed in our tiny cabinet and what could be in the linen closet. I’ve gotten creative with storing products so they are organized and disguised as decor. One thing that really makes the room look clean and not cluttered is having themed bathroom accessories that are functional. I like our sink and tiny bathroom shelf completely clutter-free because clutter can accumulate quickly. It can look messy very easily! One thing that made a huge difference was using a soap dispenser instead of a plastic hand soap bottle. I’ll buy a big bottle of hand soap and fill up the soap dispenser when needed. It is also so much cheaper to do it this way than to keep buying hand soap. Our guest bathroom on the first floor has the Bath and Body Works or Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap as a nice treat for guests. We like to have themed soap in the guest room for each season or holiday so we change it each season.

The wastebasket can be an eyesore because it’s literally a pile of trash! I splurged and got a pretty ceramic garbage can that matched my hand soap so it is more decor than a typical plastic garbage can. It’s something that I will have forever and looks a lot prettier than the typical plastic. Be sure to buy all of your bathroom accessories with the same pattern to give it a more cohesive design. It’s an easy way to decorate a bathroom and make it look nicer. Over time I have accumulated three bathmats that all match so every Sunday when I bring the sheets down to the laundry room, I will grab the bathmat with me. I’ll replace it with one that I have in the linen closet. This way I feel like the bathmats get washed consistently and don’t get too much wear and tear since they are rotated. If you are renting and can’t decorate the space like you would like to, having a bathmat with a design with color is a great way to add your personality and decorate the space. It can also hide the tile if you are unable to change it.

When you open the door to the bathroom, one entire wall is the bathtub so all you really see is the shower curtain. When I moved into my first apartment, I wanted to get an adult looking shower curtain that fit my personality but didn’t have a design that I would grow out of overtime. I am so happy I was able to find a beige shower curtain with ruffles because it’s girly but subtle! It’s easy to buy a cheap shower curtain but it makes your bathroom look more expensive when you have a nice shower curtain. You can buy a cheap shower liner and replace it once it gets moldy. I like to get a new one every year because it’s hard to wash them. In our shower, we have this shower caddy so it fits all of our shampoos, body washes, etc. If it doesn’t fit in the caddy, it’s not in the shower. Again, I hate clutter! In the corner out of sight, I keep a bottle of bathroom cleaner so I can easily spray and clean our bathroom every few showers.

One thing I am so happy we spent money on when we moved was new bath towels. I love these because they are so soft and plush! The towels come in different color stitching so I got two for each of in our own color. I also bought a few hand towels to match so I can swap weekly with clean ones. I have a bunch of inexpensive wash clothes to wash and dry my face and I use a new one every day to keep my face from breaking out. On the weekend, I’ll spray and clean the sink with the washcloth before I put it in the laundry. Saves a tree and does a better job at cleaning too.

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I Got Bored so I Moved Furniture Around

Published on April 27, 2020April 26, 2020 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

Hi friends! It’s another week of staying safe at home and I hope you are being productive while also taking care of yourself. I’ve done a lot of sitting which my body was not used to and my body is telling me to get up and move because I’ve been having aches and pains. Since I am at home all day I don’t get much walking in unless I am walking to the fridge or going to the basement to do laundry. My body is used to getting 10,000 steps in a day so this is a big change.

I was sitting on the couch one day watching another episode while scrolling on Pinterest and got motivated to do some redecorating. I went from rarely being at home to being home all the time so it made me really look at how my furniture was arranged and how it was decorated. Maybe I needed a change of scenery or just wanted to get up and moving but I woke up the next morning and started to move furniture. I took everything out of our living room, cleaned our floors and then started to put furniture back in the room. All it took was flipping our room 180 degrees but now it feels like a completely different space! I also removed a lot of clutter and put stuff into storage so I knew where it was in case I needed it later.

A few days later I moved my bed to another wall and rearranged a dresser making our bedroom look and feel so much bigger! I’m still working on the finishing touches of our bedroom but I love it already because it we have so much more floor space than before. I wanted to share my recent hobby because it costs zero dollars to move furniture around and it helps create a new space. Growing up I would constantly move my furniture around whenever I needed a change. Every few months I would sleep in a different guest room in our house for a week because it felt like a vacation. I kept my clothes and belongings in my bedroom because it was nice to sleep in a clean room without much in it.

A few friends and I watched a movie while we Zoomed each other the other night which was a lot of fun and I highly recommend! We watched Sky High because it was silly and just what we needed. After the movie, I did a quick home tour video to show them the new living room and talked about how relaxing it was to move furniture. Now I’m excited to sit in my living room because it’s different! Turns out, one of my friends does the same thing to her bedroom every few months so she understood that I wasn’t crazy for moving furniture around. Another friend saw how much moving the couch changed the entire room so now she’s motivated to do the same in her room.

It’s a great way to get up and get your body moving too! It can take a few hours or the whole day which is good if you are looking for a hobby that doesn’t involve buying anything or crafting.

Friday Favorites 4.24

Published on April 24, 2020 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

Happy Friday! This week flew by for me so I hope it was the same for you! One thing that has really helped me this week was creating a plan. Set yourself up for success and make sure you have everything you need for the week ahead.

I’ve gotten a few texts about recommendations on what to watch on Netflix/Hulu so I put all of my suggestions in a blog post here. This week I started to watch Mrs. America on Hulu that is about the women’s movement. Gives a lot of insight of what the world was for our parents growing up and how hard it was to get equal rights for women.

A Clean Kitchen // I make it a rule to have a clean kitchen before going to bed because I love waking up to it all clean! I keep cleaner under the sink so I can easily spray the counter tops down after I run the dishwasher. Since I do it every day it helps it from building up to a big mess! We keep joking why there are so many dishes since we are home for every meal and the dishes are multiplying.

Grocery Delivery // There are so many of us who are avoiding going outside when we can so that makes grocery shopping difficult. This week I ordered a produce box for $35 that had veggies, fruit, eggs, milk and butter from Giordano Garden Groceries with free delivery. If you are in the Philadelphia area, I highly encourage you to order a box now. There are a ton of produce distributors that usually deliver to the grocery stores that have extra produce so they are selling it to people directly. Do some Googling to see if grocers are delivering. Also a great way to support local businesses!

SALES // There are so many sales right now at all of the stores so if you can, shop!

Dyson Vacuum // Now that we are home all the time I’m noticing the dirt and dust on our floors. I’ve been really using the vacuum more than ever because it’s so easy to grab and do a quick clean. A friend recently asked for a vacuum recommendation so I thought I’d share this link. This retailer does payment plans and often goes on sale.

Amazon // I ordered a few things from Amazon so I wanted to remind everyone that I keep this page updated on my blog of all of my Amazon finds.

Time To Make A Plan

Published on April 20, 2020 by blonde rosie1 Comment

It’s starting to feel like Groundhog Day, waking up every morning and it’s the same thing. I try to wake up every morning with a positive attitude and while some days I allow myself to curl up in pajamas and feel all the feels, I do have more good days than bad days. At first I thought this stay home at home because the world has stopped would last a month and then we would slowly go back to normal. But now while I watch the news (riots, lack of resources, people not staying at home) I have started to accept that this is going to go on for a while and it’s time to make a plan.

Keep your morning routine…make breakfast to start your day!
Wake up, wash your face, get dressed and go have breakfast before you do anything else. Take this time to enjoy making breakfast instead of rushing out of the door in the morning. It’s a weird time that we can actually sit down and enjoy our morning without feeling rushed.

Now that this is going longer than we wanted it to, it’s time to get out of pajamas and put on some real clothes. Getting dressed in the morning helps tell my brain that it’s time to get productive. At night, when I get out of my day clothes and into pajamas, it helps tell my brain that it’s time to get ready for bed. Also, leggings are allowed to be considered real pants during this difficult time!

I’m sure you saw a meme about girls running to get their haircut, nails done and waxed as soon as the businesses open up again. Just because we aren’t seeing people like we usually do, it’s nice to still look put together! Do something beauty related each day! Do your nails, a face mask, a hair treatment, put on mascara – something so you can look in the mirror and be happy with what you see. I’ve been letting my hair air dry and not use heat tools but I have been using leave in conditioner and lots of hair oil to keep it healthy. And my at home manicures are a new favorite weekly fun activity!

I’m sure I am not the only one who goes to bed feeling like they did nothing that day. You might have worked from home but it’s hard to feel accomplished when you don’t have much to show for it. To give yourself something to look forward to, watch a movie or start watching a tv series with a roommate. If you don’t live with someone, you can do it with a friend and FaceTime during it or just text while you watch it. It’s nice to have something to look forward to that is also social!

Check your finances. Even if you are working from home, check your bank account and move money from your checking account into your savings that you won’t touch. Right now we don’t know how long this will last or what will happen when things “go back to normal”. Stores are offering so many sales right now so if you are able to, definitely take advantage of the great deals! Just check your finances to see where you are and plan ahead. I like to check my banking account weekly and take note of what bills need to be paid and where my money is going.

Accept it and find a bright side. A few years ago my dad had his knee replaced and he spent the summer at home recovering. It was his first real summer vacation since 8th grade and while it was a weird adjustment at first, he was able to take advantage of the time at home and not having to work. My dad brought this up while I was talking to him recently and told me to accept that I am safe at home and I don’t have to do anything. I was newly unemployed before the pandemic applying to jobs and obviously that was put on hold. Financially I am good – I have money in my savings and I have a boyfriend I live with that can support us until I find a job. Now to look at the bright side of this and realize that this is the only time we will be at home for a long period of time with nowhere to go. Parents and kids are at home creating memories. You pay all that money for rent now enjoy being able to be home and use it! It’s a weird time to think of a bright side, but it helps me change the narrative in my head to not freak out.

Make a list of things to do. From home projects to clearing out your inbox, make a list of things to do during this time that you have been putting off and make your way through the list. Deep clean your house, organize a closet and purge. It helps create structure and feeling accomplished.

Reach out to your family and check in. I’ve been calling my parents more often just to say hi and texting throughout the day. A group of my family members created a book club and we meet on Sunday evenings on Zoom. We rarely talk about the book and not everyone gets to the reading, but it’s a great excuse to set up a call and chat.

This post is to encourage you to stay busy and to stay safe at home. I’m sure I am not the only one who has broken down once or twice because of what is going on and because of the unknown. I journal every day and wrote down this list for myself to change the narrative in my head from freaking out to trying to have more control throughout the day. I thought it would be good to share on here in case you need some encouragement. Please feel free to roll your eyes at my ideas for a routine or to use just one of these. Do what works best for you at this time.

Shows To Watch Right Now

Published on April 18, 2020April 17, 2020 by blonde rosie2 Comments

Since we are spending a lot of time at home right now, I am taking this time to finally watch shows I never finished, never got to and rewatch the TV shows that just bring me joy. I like to have background noise on during the day while I get writing done or clean my house so I’ve been going through shows pretty quickly. I thought I would share some of my recommendations on the blog after my friends and I discussed some feel good shows to watch while they work from home.

FEEL GOOD SHOWS