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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #133

Hi everyone! Happy Friday and more importantly, Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you are showing and getting some love today. I know I have been making some time for my girlfriends over the past few weeks. Whether it is with your significant other, spouse, girlfriends, or even yourself, today is such a good reminder to give yourself some extra love and maybe even treat yourself too!

I am out of town this weekend, for a little getaway, so I am looking forward to a break in the routine for some fun. However you are spending the day, I hope it’s enjoyable. Before we get to the weekend, I wanted to share some current favorites with you as I link up with Erika and Andrea for Friday Favorites

Simplified Bags and Pouches-We kick things off with travel accessories which ties in perfectly with me being on the road today. I got the Simplified tote and pouches for Christmas and have used them here and there, but was waiting for a trip to use and take advantage of them. I love the soft blue color and the quilted pattern. The size is great for running errands if you need to hold lots of things or for a weekend away. The pouches make organizing small items much easier too.

New Car Scent– My interior of my car has gotten very dirty this winter with lots of snow, ice, and salt. I try to keep up with cleaning it, but it just keeps getting messy. I can’t wait for spring and summer when I can really detail it. One thing I have kept up with is keeping my car smelling good. I swapped out car scents and am going for a fresh scent for a new month. I want to be better with the maintenance of my car this year by including monthly car washes and scent swaps. Here’s what I’m currently using from Bath and Body Works. I love the freshness that it provides to my car.

Valentine’s Day Playlist– It’s Valentine’s Day and I have been enjoying the month of love as much as I can. From doing some decorating, wearing my reds, pinks, and purples, and listening to lots of love music. I found this great playlist on Apple Music which has a little bit of everything, some classic songs, new hits, and all genres of love songs. This has been a go-to playlist for me as I drive or get things done. Give it a try if you are looking for some background music this weekend.

The Six Triple Eight- This has been on my watch list for a while on Netflix and I finally got around to viewing it. The Six Triple Eight is based on the all-black, female battalion in World War II who worked to help organize and distribute mail. I was first intrigued by it because it starred Kerry Washington was a Tyler Perry film, but the more I watched and read about it, the more invested I got. I really loved the historical storyline, and I think they did an incredible job showing just how challenging it was to be a woman of color in the army in World War II. They had a stellar cast who brought so much emotion and passion to the film. I wouldn’t be surprised if it got nominated and won awards for it. This would also be a great film to watch as we make our way into Black History Month.

Ice Scraper-This winter season has been oh-so cold.  We have dealt with record-breaking snow falls, blizzard warnings, freezing temperatures and everything else in between. Needless to say, winter tools have been my best friend this year. I got a heated ice scraper for Christmas, and it has been a game changer. You just plug it in your car, and it heats up and you can start scraping ice off your windshield or other parts of your car. It’s proven to be a big help especially when you don’t want to spend too much time outdoors.

That’s a roundup of things that have grabbed my attention this week! As we make our way to Valentine’s Day weekend, what are your plans and how will you be celebrating? Whether it’s by yourself or with loved ones, I hope it’s a wonderful day and weekend. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #132

Hello everyone! Happy Friday, it’s the first Friday of February! I know I am happy to see a new month. I love all the things that come with February, more winter fun, Galentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day, plus we are one step closer to Spring!

My pup has been enjoying chilly nights and the warm fire!

Today, I’m linking up with with Erika and Andrea for another round of Friday Favorites! Here’s some things I have been loving this week! This is a fun mix of things I have watched, used, and some life hacks that has made my life a whole lot easier. Warning, we have had a lot of days inside due to cold weather, so this post is heavy with shows and movies to check out. Let’s dive right in!

Martha– A documentary that’s been on my watchlist was Martha. I have always known of and followed Martha Stewart and was excited to see that a documentary about her would be coming out. I got around to watching it after the holidays and really enjoyed it and learned a lot about her. I appreciated how they showed a lot of her early life and how she got her start and shared some of the not so pleasant parts of her life . My favorite part was that it was in her own words. After watching this film, I will definitely be reading her entertaining books. 

Man on the Inside- I know this series has been out for a while but my mom and I got around to watching “A Man on the Inside” starring Ted Danson. It’s all about a man who goes undercover in a retirement home. There were so many older actors and actresses in this series on Netflix and the one-liners and references were incredible. Although, some serious parts, the show had me laughing out loud. An easy watch for winter months. It’s only one season, but a second season is coming soon!

Sweet Magnolias-Another Netflix favorite! Sweet Magnolias is back for a new season. It returned yesterday for season four on Netflix and depending on when you are reading this, I may or may not have started it yet. I’m excited to see where this season takes the women and the drama, love, and stories that come along with it. So many of my shows have new seasons coming out which makes the long winter months go by fast. I’m excited to pass the time by catching up on some of my favorite shows.

Sweat suit– I have been spending so much time indoors due to cold weather and you can tell based on my other favorites. Haha! I have been looking and wearing warmer and cozier apparel. This cream sweat suit from Aerie has been a big favorite of mine. First, I love the color, I don’t have too many creams or whites in my wardrobe, so it’s been a nice change of pace. The material is so soft and it’s presentable enough that you can wear it out and about if you want. All wins in my book for a good outfit!

Extra Work Tote- This has been an unexpected favorite of mine. Besides my purse that I bring into work every day, in the winter I have a more things that I take with me. I have my lunch, shoes to switch into from my boots, a jacket or sweater for layers, a scarf, hat, gloves, and any other odds or ends I may need depending on the day. I found myself lugging in lots of little bags and items every day and it became a hassle. I decided to get a larger recyclable tote that I can put all the small things in every day. This was a small change that has made a huge difference and life a whole lot less stressful. It’s incredible what small changes can do to make life easier.

That’s a look into what I’m loving this week. Lots of warm items and forms of entertainment to keep me busy on chilly days. I’ve also been breaking out some Valentine’s Day decor!

How has the weather been by you? Are you staying warm and cozy? Have a great weekend!

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Fun Ways to Organize

Spring Cleaning

Hello all! Happy Wednesday!

The days are getting longer, the sun is setting later, and we are having more days that are warmer rather than freezing…there’s nothing quite like spring. I can hardly wait for next month!

Ever since the start of the new year I have been in cleaning and organizing mode. From closets, to cabinets, under beds and all around the house. I tossed and donated A LOT! I first blamed it on being coped up in the winter and wanting to get things tidied up after the holidays. Then I said I was getting my spring cleaning out of the way. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. The one thing I didn’t do was take any before or after pictures…blogger fail. So I apologize for the lack or pictures in this post.

If you are on the fence about doing some spring cleaning or need that extra push to get it done, I hope this post serves as that motivation.

Here’s some tips and tricks for spring cleaning:

  • Start small
    • It can get overwhelming to start cleaning and organizing. Don’t get too stressed out about the mess or clutter, instead break it up. Start with a closet one afternoon or cabinets one night.  For example, I did my closet on Sunday after work, then the following week, I worked on organizing shoes and donating ones that didn’t fit. The following week, I went through my drawers. I broke it up when I had the time and I worked on small areas. I had a sense of accomplishment at the end of each task but wasn’t burnt out after a mass undertaking of non-stop cleaning.
  • Make a List
    • If you can’t get to everything in one day or even one month, keep a running list of things of things you want to tackle. Sometimes I would be going about my day and would see a cabinet that needs organized or tidied up, if I didn’t have the time to tackle that in that moment, I jotted it down to clean it out when I had the time. I had a list to refer to when I had time to clean or organize and then it was always good to see how far you have come with organizing.
  • Use It or Lose it Rule
    • This is a question I ask myself if I’m on the fence about getting rid of something. There are some things I know can be an easy decision to donate or toss. But then there’s the other things that may be harder to decide to donate or keep. The first question I ask myself is “Have I used or worn this in the past year?”, yes, the pandemic makes it tricky, but if I have used or worn it then I keep, if I haven’t then I reconsider. The second question I ask myself is “If I keep it, will I use it within the next few months?”, if the answer is yes, then I keep it and I do my best to use or wear it. This is another way to make sure you are using or wearing what you have.
  • Don’t buy organizational tools while you are in the thick of it.
    • This is easier said than done. It can be easy to be cleaning something and then think, “I need to buy a new bin or desk organizer”. Hold off on buying a new tool or item, instead see what you must use. For example, for the longest time, I thought I needed a new jewelry box. I hunted for one for a while, but kept coming up empty handed. I went through my jewelry and ended up getting rid of things that were broken or I hadn’t worn and was able to reorganize my jewelry and turns out I didn’t need a new jewelry box. That’s another benefit of cleaning or reorganizing, you find new purposes for old things.

Those are just a few ideas or tips when it comes to spring cleaning. I have spent a lot of time over the past few months cleaning, tidying and reorganizing and it has been so nice to see more clean and empty spaces around my house and room. For those who enjoy spring cleaning and organizing, what are your top tips for cleaning? Drop them below!