One of my most difficult decision while packing for Florida was what I was going to wear to Universal Theme Park. I have to point out that while I was packing for Florida, it was freezing in Jersey. As I was wearing comfy sweatpants and my warm sweatshirt packing shorts and little dresses I kind of forgot what warm weather was. I knew I wanted to be comfortable, but what if it was chilly like it was in Georgia? I wanted to look cute, but also be comfortable. While going through my closet I had an AHA moment and found the perfect outfit.
Tag: blog
HOW TO LIVE EVERY DAY LIKE IT IS VACATION
One of my favorite parts about being on vacation is all the relaxation and calm that comes with it. I don’t really care what I do on a vacation, whether it is museums, beaches or a cozy cabin, because no matter where I am, I can find a cozy spot to curl up and read. I made a promise to myself when I came home from Florida that I would try to live each day like a vacation. Lately I feel like I just go to work, go home, sleep and do it again. I am trying to find more purpose in my everyday life and a reason to jump out of bed in the morning. Okay, so this current snow storm is making it a bit tricky to do, but with the warmer spring weather I hope this gets easier!
Here are some ways I can continue to live each day like I am on vacation… Continue reading “HOW TO LIVE EVERY DAY LIKE IT IS VACATION”
because it is still winter
I found myself looking at jobs below the Mason Dixon Line lately because my body is just over the cold weather. I ran out for a few errands a few weeks ago and it took a lot of effort not to throw on leggings, Uggs and a sweatshirt. To compromise, I threw on a sweater, leggings and boots (ha!). I had an early hair appointment and the only reason I get out of bed early on a Saturday morning is for someone else to wash my hair and the fact that there is a Starbucks next door!
Continue reading “because it is still winter”
I have to keep moving or else I won’t be able to get up again
Last night I got home from work and went straight to the kitchen to heat up a Lean Cuisine and sit on the couch to quickly eat. My parents were in shock to find me laying on the couch in my work clothes falling asleep instead of watching the Oscars. Me missing an award show, this never happens! My parents looked at me in horror as I skipped watching an award show to crawl into my bed instead. I forced my body to walk upstairs to bed, threw on comfy pajamas and climbed into bed. It was around 10pm and I set my alarm for 6am.
I complain how busy I am, but I have to remember that in the fall I quit my desk job to live this life because this is how I function better. I love having a full day of things to do. When I don’t have anything to do, I get restless and need to do something. (Which is why every drawer or closet in my house is OCD organized.) When I have free time I tend to get a little blue. If I have a day off of work and don’t start my day with an activity, I will sit down and getting back up again is next to impossible.
My life has been very chaotic lately, with two jobs, traveling, doing adult things like cleaning and laundry, catching up on my TV shows, while trying to find time for a social life. At work this morning I realized that the last day I had off was last Monday… seven days ago and my next day off is Wednesday when we have a 6am flight to Florida. A typical work week is two days a week at my job at a college and 3-4 days a week at J. Crew. I’m exhausted,but when I had a week off and didn’t work, I was so bored and found it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. As much as I complain about how busy I am, I love that there is always something to do. And as busy as I am, there is always time for me to be able to get everything done in the day with a few helpful tips.
My Planner For my birthday, three people got me planners because everyone knows that I love to be organized and have everything planned out. I would be lost without my planner because on Sundays I like to plan every hour out ahead of time so I know what to expect for the upcoming week. I leave my planner in my car because that is where I start and end my day, so I can always grab it easily. My work schedule is always changing, so I like to plan out what day I can do laundry, vacuum or set time aside to watch a tv show. It seems silly to schedule in time to shower, but I know that if I don’t plan to shower right when I get home from work, I will go to bed with dirty hair because I am too tired if I wait! On Sundays I get out of work at 8, so that usually leaves me time to make outfits for the upcoming weekend.
Plan Outfits On Sunday Night I spend my free time on weekends doing laundry, so on Sunday nights, I spend an hour or so picking out outfits and putting them aside in my closet. It is a pain to do every week, but I light a candle in my room, put on a tv show and make outfits for the week. I appreciate it in the morning when I just roll out of bed and already have an outfit ready and I don’t have to waste time trying to find a shirt that matches my pants!
Make Cleaning A Priority I wasn’t much of a clean freak before and I rarely cleaned my room or cared if I made my bed. Now that my life is nonstop all day, having a clean room makes going to bed a bit more peaceful. I spend a day once a week to just tidy up my room, vacuum, and put dirty laundry in the hamper and put clean clothes back in the closet. Being organized allows me to get ready in the morning faster and I am a lot calmer when I everything is in its proper place. On my bathroom sink I only have the products I use daily and have all of my extra hairsprays away in their proper space. If I don’t, I waste time looking for my contacts and knocking over hair products. On my vanity, I have a small cosmetics container and it holds the makeup products I use daily, so I don’t have to waste time getting ready in the morning.
Declutter Over the summer I purged my bedroom of clutter and put momentos in a box and threw everything out that did not have a purpose in my life. It seems a bit harsh, but I just felt this freedom and calm not having so much stuff in my room. Having clean surfaces in my room just brings more life into my room instead of having it full of clutter. Every three months I go through my closet and usually find 4 bags full of clothes to give away. If I have a day off, I pick a room and go through everything in the room and decided if I really need it, if it can be put away in storage, or if it should be donated. Most recently, I purged my basement and oh my gosh there is so much room in there now! My parents think I am crazy, but they appreciate the linen closet that is no longer overflowing with sheets and towels!
Schedule Showers One of the craziest items in my schedule is when I put down in my planner when I shower. I know this sounds crazy and I do shower every day, but there are days when I carve out an entire hour to shower, which turns into an hour of me time. A time I can do a face mask, a quick mani or just lay on my heated bathroom floor in my towel and scroll on twitter. If I don’t schedule “me time” in my day, it just won’t be done!
Meal Planning I am not one of those girls who counts calories, but I recently started to eat Lean Cusines for lunch because it is an easy grab and go in the morning. But I also spend my nights before work getting small plastic containers and filling them with different snacks. That way I can quickly grab pre-made snacks and a lunch in the morning. I need to snack all day or I get crabby!
Reading Before Bed This is a recent change I made in my life and I have seen a lot of positive changes. I would usually just fall asleep to a movie or Netflix show, but now that I commit to reading 20 minutes before bed, I am usually falling asleep within 15 minutes. One of my biggest complaints in life was that I did not have enough time to read before bed, but now that I commit time to it every night, it is something I can do to help me fall asleep.
Even though my life is chaotic and I have a million things to do, I stick to my routine so I am able to get everything done. I keep lists with me so I can check items off as I complete them. There are weeks that my laundry piles high and my sink is full of dishes, but I don’t let that get to me. This morning I showed up to work an hour late and just laughed it off. My boss insisted I get a cup of coffee and take a minute to settle into my office before I got started on a work project. Most importantly, I have my parents who help out whenever I need it. On busy mornings, my dad has breakfast waiting for me in a paper towel so I can eat it while I drive to work or dinner ready when I come home from work after 10pm. Guys, I am so tired, but I cannot imagine how tired I would be if I did not have my routine. Being busy forces me to create structure in my life and that’s when I’m happiest!
Hope you all learned a bit on how I keep my life organized to live a busy life. Feel free to post your tips below in the comments. Any advice is appreciated!
splurge or save
For this weeks Wear It Wednesday, I wanted to do something a little different. Today I am sharing some of my secrets to get name brand cosmetics for cheap! I am known for giving presents and finding a good bargain. Today for my blog followers I am sharing my secrets, but feel free to tell all of your friends because it is too good not to share!
I love Sephora like any other girl, but it pains me to spend $30 on mascara. However, when I spend $30 and buy the expensive mascara, it is impossible to go back to drug store brand. One of my favorite places to shop is TJ Maxx. If it is your birthday or it is gift giving holiday, there is a 98% chance I purchased your present at TJ Maxx. The other day I was bored and wanted to get out of the house, so of course I drove to TJ Maxx just to browse. Yeah, browsing did not last long especially when I went over to the cosmetics section. Today I am going to share a post about splurging and saving.
Here are the products I picked up on my last TJ Maxx trip. I know, right!?!?
This Too Faced Sugar Pop eyeshadow pallet is usually $36, but I found it for $10 at TJ Maxx. The packaging was too cute even though I knew I didn’t need another eyeshadow pallet. I love Too Faced eyeshadows because of the high pigment colors and they last all day, I cannot wait to try it out!
I know that the Too Faced Melted Metal lipsticks were very popular during Christmas. I was thrilled to find them at TJ Maxx for only $7 because they sell for $21 at Sephora. Score! Lately, Too Faced is started to promote a matte version of the Melted Metal lipsticks, so expect to see a lot of the original on clearance to make room for the new products.
This was something I did not need…but had to have because it was only $6 at TJ Maxx. Right now I think these are no longer on the market because I could not find them anywhere to find out how much they sell for. But good for us because we can buy up the old product stock for super cheap! I know Kat Von D products are very popular at Sephora and when I used the blush I really did notice a big difference from my usual blush.
My biggest secret is where I get my Essie nail polish. I actually own a lot of Essie nail polish…but I have never paid full price for it. In my opinion, Essie is the best nail polish out there. I used OPI for years, but found it would chip after day two. For me, Essie nail polish will stay on for an entire week, so I need Essie in my life. I purchase my Essie at TJ Maxx for usually $3 or $4. That is like more than 50% off! Only downfall is that you can’t control the colors they are selling. There are times I come home and I have already purchased the color because they get very few colors.
I hope you enjoyed this weeks post and take advantage of my shopping secrets!
I will definitely let you guys know if I find any more good products at TJ Maxx and let you know on the blog.
winter & pastels
Here’s a look I wore back when we had snow in Jersey! It was the day my family and I were going to Ikea to buy me a new dresser. Before leaving the house I threw on my Lululemon leggings, a black long sleeve shirt and Uggs, an outfit I have been wearing literally every day lately! After I looked in the mirror I told myself I needed to make more of an effort before leaving the house! In the winter months, I feel like all I wear is the color black, I literally live in my Lululemon leggings and Uggs.I have been making more of an effort to wear color during these cold, winter months.
I finally had an excuse to wear some of my birthday and Christmas presents! This sweater is from Banana Republic and while I cannot find the exact one, I did link a similar one below. It is so cozy and perfect for the winter months. I find myself buying boring black sweaters, so I love that I finally had a colorful sweater in my wardrobe. I am blessed with friends who spoil me because also I got a Tory Burch bag for my birthday that has been on my wishlist for a while. It was the perfect addition to this outfit for our little outing. I scored Tory Burch boots when they were on major sale during Cyber Monday. If you are going to invest in new boots, I suggest investing in Tory. Just wait for a sale and it makes the purchase a bit easier!
Click HERE to get my outfit details!
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