Blonde Rosie Blog

Spring Bedding with Ikea

Published on May 10, 2017May 3, 2017 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

I know my days are numbered living with my parents, so I have been in the process of getting rid of clutter, personal belongings and trying to get my entire life to fit in a little U Hual truck. I have donated two pieces of furniture so far and I only plan on taking my bed with me at this time. I have been really good at getting rid of things, but that does’t mean my bedroom can’t have some personality! I have plans to do a bedroom reveal because since Christmas, my room has gone through an amazing renovation. In December, I did a major purge and most of my belongings are either at Goodwill or in boxes in my basement ready for the big move. Continue reading “Spring Bedding with Ikea” →

removing laziness from my routine

Published on May 8, 2017May 8, 2017 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

I want to start taking a break from social media. I feel like whenever I have a free minute, I am scrolling on my phone or I am constantly refreshing on Twitter. I also wanted to take a break from laying in bed and watching Netflix before bed. I have spent too many nights wide awake watching Netflix instead of getting enough sleep. Making this promise sounded a lot easier when I made it! When I get home from work, usually around 10pm, I just want to put on pajamas and curl up into bed. I love to take off of my work clothes and put on comfy sweatpants that are too big, a cozy t-shirt and fuzzy socks. With my hair in a messy bun, I usually crawl into my bed and snack with some Netflix.

After work I really want to veg out, get some takeout and spend my night in bed leaving my to do list for the next day. But now that I have eliminated Netflix and scrolling on Instagram for hours from my nightly ritual, I find that I have a lot more free time.

If you are feeling lazy or unmotivated, here are some better ways to spend your evenings…

Organize

After work I still came home and immediately put on my comfy clothes. However, now that I don’t have any distractions I have a lot more time on my hands. I always make plans to pick up clothes off of my floor, clean up my bathroom before bed or to put laundry away- but it never usually happens. This week I put on a Spotify playlist and straightened up my room, switched out my winter for my spring wardrobe and cleaned my bathroom. Having a clean space only makes your night more enjoyable and you can finally get that big project out of the way.

Make Your Bed Everyday

This is definitely my hardest commitment to keep! When I wake up in the morning, I drag my feet to the bathroom to wash my face and get ready for work. The last thing on my mind is making my bed to unmake it later that night. It only takes a few minutes in the morning, but seeing a pretty bed all made up is a nice thing to have in the morning. You can’t have your life 100% together, but you can make your bed and at least it looks like your life is put together!

Read a Book

I started my week with 5 books next to my bed that are waiting to be read. Now that you have a clean room, light a candle, crawl into bed and read a book. A few months ago, I would read a few chapters a night before bed and it is something I really miss doing.

Pick Up a New Hobby

You know those awkward orientation games where someone asks what your favorite hobby is and then you realize that you actually don’t have one. Well everyday I am reminded that I don’t have a hobby and this is something I want to change. Right now my hobbies include walking around HomeGoods looking at pieces I want in my future apartment and walking around Target buying things I don’t need. I am looking for a new hobby that is a bit cheaper… the next item on my to do list is to do some weeding and getting the garden ready for summer. I like any hobby that keeps me outdoors in the sunshine!

Night Time Yoga

You don’t need to pay for a yoga class at an expensive studio when you have Youtube in your own home. I started to do a 15 minute yoga video before bed and when my head hits the pillow I fall asleep a lot easier with my body stretched and aligned. If you are looking for something more challenging, Tone It Up has amazing 15 minute work out videos that are great no matter where you are on your fitness journey.

Pamper Yourself

I have a million products that are sitting in my bathroom cabinet that are rarely used. I am committing more time at night to take off my makeup, wash my face, exfoliate and use the right skincare at night. Once I started the Lancome skincare challenge, I have a reason to wash my face at night and moisturize my face in the morning. It’s a nice winding down routine I started at night right before bed. Even if you don’t fuss much about your skin, at least wash your face every night and use a face cream before bed. Your 50 year old self will thank you!

Cook Dinner

My dinner lately consists of a drive thru or a meal that was frozen in a box that took 15 minutes to make. In college, my roommates and I spent a lot more time in the kitchen making dinner than I do now. It is something I miss doing, but cooking for one person isn’t all that exciting. I also have a lot more food restrictions now than I did before. A pain in the butt when I want to make dinner. This week I spent a little more time in the kitchen than I usually do and it is something I hope to keep up with. Don’t forget the wine 😉

Make Your Lunch the Night Before

The first step is to go food shopping and stock your fridge with food that you actually like to eat. I started to make my lunch the night before, and instead of throwing an apple and a diet coke in my purse on my way running out of the house, I actually pack enough food for me not to be hungry all day. It takes me five minutes, but saves me so much time and eliminates stress in the morning. I got a cube sistema plastic tuperware container for lunch that has little cubbies for different food and I pack it up the night before giving me enough food for the next day.

How do you keep yourself motivated during the week? Let me know in the comments so we can learn from each other.

Friday Favorites

Published on May 6, 2017May 6, 2017 by blonde rosieLeave a comment

Hello, friends! I took a break from the blog last week and there is a lot to catch up on! I always have a lot going on in my life between the jobs, family, my little blog and trying to complete my to do list everyday. However, no matter how crazy life gets, I try to find the little things in life that bring me joy. Whether that is lighting a candle in my room at night or getting into bed after a long day with a fuzzy blanket from Pottery Barn, I can always find a little thing that will bring me joy. I had a lot going on in my personal life the last few weeks and I actively spent time doing little things that would bring me joy. So on the blog today I am sharing some of the things that brought me joy this week in my Friday Favorites. Continue reading “Friday Favorites” →

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Published on May 3, 2017May 3, 2017 by blonde rosie1 Comment

When May rolls around it finally starts to feel like Spring. The flowers start blooming, the grass starts to sprout up and there is something in the air that brings happiness all around us. The winter has these dark and dreary months, but with spring I feel so motivated and filled with joy. It is also a month to celebrate our moms, not just on Mother’s Day, but I think they deserve the entire month to be spoiled! Our mammas work so hard the entire year that they need an entire month of us showing our appreciation.

Of course my mamma gets spoiled with presents on Mother’s Day, but throughout the month I like to do little things to show her how much I care. At night before I go to bed I will clean up the kitchen and tidy up around the house, do a load of laundry and put it away for her or come home and surprise her with flowers. My mom loves to get presents, but I know that the little things I do around the house are appreciated a lot more!

When it comes to presents I try to give my mom some things that I know she needs, but will not buy herself. I think everyone can agree that moms will always put our needs above their own. This is why I like to buy her new pajamas and cozy slippers because hers are worn out!

Pajamas // For Christmas I got my mom some Ralph Lauren pajamas from Marshalls that she loved, but with this warmer weather coming up she needed some new ones! I went to Soma and fell in love with the quality and feel of their pajamas. A bit pricey, but oh so worth it for your mamma!

Perfume // It is a tradition for my mom and I that I get her a new perfume every year. She knows a new one is coming every year, but she still acts surprised and over joyed! Find something that you can spoil your mom with every year and replenish it each year. It’s a nice little memory of my mom that I will have forever. I recently bought this one for my mom and it smells so so good.

Kitchen Accessories // My mom loves to cook and takes pride in her kitchen. However, my dad will wipe up spaghetti sauce with our Williams Sonoma kitchen towels without thinking twice! So we go through them kinda quickly in my house, making them a wonderful and easy gift for my mom. I also found adorable Kate Spade ones my mom needed in her life.

Toiletry Bag // My mom travels with her friends a few times out of the year and each time she asks me to borrow one of my many toiletry bags or makeup cases. This year I am going to spoil my mom with her own toiletry bag so she doesn’t have to keep asking me! hehe I fell in love with this one here.

Beauty Products // I know that if I want a new mascara or lotion I will just run to Target after work. But our mamma’s don’t always have the schedule that allows them to wander around Target after work. On Mother’s Day, I like to stock up on some items I know she wants and needs. For Christmas, I got my mom the Nivea in shower body lotion and she loved it so I will grab another bottle of it for her. I splurges a lot on makeup and my mom is always asking to borrow a new lip color or product. Also, being a blogger, I get a few packages a month with complimentary products to review and my mom is always asking if I don’t like them so she can take them ha! This lip stain from Lancome is perfect for mamma’s who have busy days because it will last all day! And this lip crayon gives a high pigment color that is creamy all day. Spoil your mom with this mascara because your mom needs it! My mom is always stealing mine so it is about time she gets her own. Lancome sent me a package of complementary Lancôme Visionnaire Crescendo™ Progressive Night Peel and my mom has been eyeing it ever since! I am two weeks into the skincare system and I love it! Super easy to apply and a one step product so it already has my approval. Spoil your mom with a high end skincare product because I am sure she wants it but can’t justify spending money on herself.

A Carry On Bag // Every moms purse has everything you could ever want in it like hand sanitizer, snacks, a sewing kit and a dozen more things! When we travel my mom packs up a big bag full of things we may need and then some more! Since I ~~stole~~ borrowed the big bag she usually brings on trips, I think it is time I spoil her with a nice chic bag of her own! I have had my eye on this one for a while, so I know if I give it to her for mother’s day I can allows borrow it from her when I need it.

Slippers // My mom refuses to buy new Ugg slippers because she already has some. However, these slippers need to go because they are worn out! Sometimes mamma’s can’t justify buying something new if they already own it! For me it is her slippers, so I am buying her these, but try to find something that your mom needs to replace and surprise her with it.

Flowers // Go to Costco and buy her some flowers because every mamma deserves fresh flowers.

Let me know what you are getting your mamma for Mother’s Day in the comments. And don’t forget the card!

How to Style Your Bathroom

Published on May 2, 2017May 8, 2017 by blonde rosie1 Comment

This post has been weeks in the making and I am so excited to finally share my bathroom renovation with you! A few months ago, after some Pinterest scrolling, I fell in love with the color grey. Already half of my wardrobe is grey, my new bedding is grey and I felt like I needed a new bathroom…that was grey. So I went to Home Depot and picked up some modern grey paint, bought a new sink vanity, new hardware and went home to work on it. That was back in like August, maybe? I spent a day painting my bathroom grey, and installing the new vanity. As months went by, it just didn’t feel complete yet. I wanted to take photos of my bathroom for an bathroom organizing post and I hated how they looked.

Continue reading “How to Style Your Bathroom” →

start your month off right

Published on April 30, 2017April 17, 2017 by blonde rosie1 Comment

Do you ever blink and then realize that another month has passed? Sometimes I am surprised when I have to write the number 1 on a form because I didn’t even realize a new month had started. To make sure I take advantage of every day, I like to spend some time planning and starting the month with some rituals. Since May is starting I thought I would share some of my rituals just in case you find them helpful.

1// Look at a calendar I can’t tell you how many times I go on Facebook to discover it is one of my friends birthdays and I forgot to send a card. I like to look at my planner on the first day of each month and see what I have going on. Then I make a long to do list of things I need to do that month like schedule a haircut, check when I have a doctors appointment or plan time to blog. An important part of my routine is to write down in my planner when I have bills due so I can budget accordingly for them. Trying to avoid those late fees!

2// Declutter your life I take time to tidy up in the beginning of each month. Clean up my room, organize my closet a bit, and delete my emails. I also take time to back up all of my photos to my laptop or Google Photo and then delete unnecessary photos on my phone. Start your month off with no laundry piling up and get a few other chores out of the way. I know this may not be for everyone, but I also get my car cleaned every month. There is a car wash near me that cleans the inside and outside of your car. It is a silly expense, but it makes me happy every month to treat myself.

3// Start off the month with a kitchen stocked with food Seems silly, but stock up on items that you know you need the first week of the month. Stock up on cereal, snacks, K Cups and other nonperishable items that you eat a lot of. It is something I have neglected to do this month and my morning stop to grab a bagel and coffee before work definitely adds up!

4// Have An Empty Hamper I have such a large wardrobe that I usually only do laundry once a month. The first week of the month is when I get a few loads of laundry done and I try to hang it up as soon as it comes out of the dryer. I also walk around the house and grab bath towels, kitchen sink towels, floor mats and anything else I can grab to throw in the wash.

5// Switch up your coffee table decor Not every month has a holiday, but I like to change my decor up every month. It makes being at home a little more special. I have a bunch of throw pillows on rotation and changing my decor around my home gives me an excuse to do a quick dusting as I go.

6// Clean out your purse or bag Now is a good time to clean out your purse and throw out those receipts that are building up! I am one of those people that carry their lives in their purse which is great when someone needs hand sanitizer or a pen. But these things can quickly build up and make my bag very heavy. Take some time and empty out your purse and then stock it with things you know you need. I keep a pen, a small notebook, deodorant, hand sanitizer and candy in my purse at all times.