It's the first round up of the new year! It was a a solid week of 2024; I didn't go back to work until Wednesday so the adjustment took a minute but I am happy to be back in a true routine. Next week will be even better since I'll be back in the office.

I will say though that it was so nice to have a good chunk of time off. I spent a lot of time at home, getting things done, enjoying every moment of the holiday season and reflecting on the past year. I was so refreshed and rejuvenated afterwards and saw how important it is to have extended periods of time off. 

Throughout the year I usually just take a day or two in a row off, if I'm not going on vacation (which I rarely do) so I think one of my 'resolutions' this year will be to take more 'staycations' to give myself that much needed refreshed feeling. 

This weekend will be spent with friends and family, and just trying to do whatever I have to do...as usual. 

Let's get into the round up!

 What a week it has been! I was in the office most of the week because I had a skincare conference to attend, and then a few holiday office parties. I was a bit nervous because I hadn't been to work on a Monday since March 2020 but it was honestly totally fine. It actually felt kind of good to get out of the house at the beginning of the week.

Now, I'm home until early January and I'm very excited. I'm working next week but at least I'll be home. I want to hibernate and enjoy the last bit of the Christmas season. I can't wait watch all the movies I haven't watched yet, bake, and just feel festive.

I also want to do some organization and planning for the new year; I want to take a different approach to goal setting so we'll see what happens.For now, I'm going to enjoy the weekend, see what I could get done in preparation for Christmas, and relax. 

Now, let's get into the roundup!

 Hello sweet Friday! Today is the first day of fall and New York has been acting accordingly. I hope it stays that way! 

It was a fine week; I had a great therapy session, worked from home all week, and even made a trip to the county clerk's office for jury duty. I didn't get called to a trial but I did get to finish reading a book so I'll call it a win! 

This weekend is going to be rainy in New York but I'll be getting together with one of my best friends, and then will spend the rest of the week cleaning and checking items off my to do list. I can't believe next week is the last week of September; the month went by slow and fast at the same time, which I'm thankful for.

I don't have much else to say so let's get into the roundup.

 Hello Friday! Hello long weekend! I am celebrating my friend's wedding tomorrow so today will be spent pampering and prepping for the big event. Then, the rest of the weekend is up in the air; I have no plans aside from cleaning and organizing my room because...

I'M MOVING!

That is the first time I've said it on the blog or really anywhere because I was unsure if it was going to work out. But now I have a move in date and I simply can't wait to share my new space with all of you! I'll be staying in the area I'm in now which is great, and the fact that I'll have my own space, be able to do whatever I want, decorate however I want and just start a new chapter is so important and exciting to me.

There is a lot more to come but the next few weeks are pedal to the metal to get myself ready.

The week itself was blah. I was in the office but the weather in New York was so hot, humid and very strange so it was affecting me. I also think I have a lot of anxious energy about moving. 

I don't have much else to say so let's get into the round up!

 As I write this, I should be at the first night of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour but sadly, I am not. I missed out on Verified Fan and couldn't score second hand tickets. I'm trying to not think about it and thankfully I have plenty to distract me this weekend but still, it stings.

I just want her to leave the east coast so I could feel free. 

I'm not used to not going to the concerts I want to go to; I know that sounds incredibly spoiled and privileged, and it is. Since I was a teenager I never missed a concert that I set my eyes on; from the Jonas Brothers to Taylor Swift to Blink 182 and Good Charlotte. When my friends and I wanted to go to a concert, we went. From the ages of 13-21, I probably went to at least 2-3 concerts a year. Live music is one of my favorite events and I'm devastated I'm missing out on the tour of a lifetime.

I did go to the Reputation Tour so at least I have that in my back pocket.

And I'll be going to the Jonas Brothers at Yankee Stadium in August which I am so incredibly hyped for, so I'm trying to not focus on the negative.

This week was pretty intense; I was super anxious and all over the place, got my stitches removed and then finally felt like I could breathe. Now, it's officially the summer, summer Friday's have kicked in and I'll have even more moments to breathe and get my life in order.

This weekend will be chill; I went into Manhattan for a little Stoney Clover pre-Taylor party at the store, walked around the West Village, treated myself to Popeyes and took a nap. Tomorrow will be spent running errands, reading and doing things for me and then Sunday I'll be with friends. I'm looking forward to the slowness and the socializing. 

Enough rambling, let's get into the post... 

 Happy Friday! This week went both fast and slow at the same time, and I can't believe that we're nearing the end of August. I have so many fun things planned for the fall and I can't wait. I've been looking at all the fall clothes and willing the cool weather to stick around New York.

I have an easy weekend planned, just some family things and I'm excited to just chill. I had such a busy summer it almost doesn't feel real so I will take every bit of peace I can get.

I don't have much else to say so let's dive right into the post.

 Friday, Friday, Friday... thank God it's Friday! This was such a weird week, I don't even know where the time went. I was working from home most of the week and went into the office for a bit on Thursday. I'm also dealing with a terrible backache which I think is a mix between my period and a bad mattress.

It's so bad that I can't even bend down and it's hard to walk. I'm praying it goes away soon because it's really painful.

Anyways... I don't think there is much else to say, I'm blanking pretty hard right now so I'll just dive right into the roundup.

Friday is here again! This was a solid week and aside from getting sick, it was great. I feel like I have been getting sick at least once a month for the past few months and it's really annoying. 

At least one week out of the month I catch a really bad cold that I think is Covid or strep throat and it knocks me out. I mean like in bed, can't move, sleeping all day knock me out. I need to figure out what the problem is because I can't be getting sick every month.

Aside from that, I don't think much else happened. I've been obsessed with watching the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial and I honestly don't know how we got here. It's borderline a comedy show because there is so much going on and it's all so strange. There is so much evidence against Amber and in favor of Johnny that it's insane. It really makes you think about how we view people and celebrities. I could talk about it forever but I will leave it alone. 

For now, I am watching the Kardashians on Hulu, relaxing with a candlelit and ready to go to sleep. Let's get into the wrap-up! 

I skipped last week's round-up post because I simply could not muster up the energy to write before flying off to Nashville. Last week was rough in a few ways: I went back to the office for the first time, went on a really fun Bachelorette party but felt very off, mentally. My anxiety and depression has been off the charts lately and I was really scared I was going to have panic attacks while traveling but it all turned out perfectly fine. 

This week has also been perfectly fine and I haven't had any anxiety or depression this week. I feel good and I'm very grateful, especially because it's my last week of fully remote work. Starting on Tuesday, I head back into Manhattan three times a week and I'm doing my best to not think about it, but truthfully when I went in last week it wasn't bad and it felt really good. Who am I?! 

As we enter April and spring comes along, I'm gearing up for a very busy rest of the year, especially the next 30 days. I have at least one thing every weekend: baby shower, birthday dinner, Easter, wedding and baptism... and then in the coming months tons of bridal showers and weddings happening. It's all exciting, fun stuff and I'm honestly looking forward to everything.

I'm done with the rambling, lets get into it.

PSA: The Sephora sale starts today for VIB Rouge. I'll have an updated post next week but in the meantime, take a look at my picks from the November sale.

 I know it's not the last week of the year but I have no idea how I messed up my calendar. Anyways... Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you all are having a safe, happy, and healthy holiday. I know a lot of people have Covid/have family members who have Covid and are spending Christmas alone so I feel for you.

Friday is here again... the week after Thanksgiving is always a little bit of a struggle but it's also always broken up nicely by my birthday which was this past Tuesday. I turned 29 and had a great, calm, peaceful day. I felt good, not anxious like I have the past few years, and was able to just have the day to myself.

I slept in, woke up to a Tiffany & Co necklace and balloons from my mom and sister, and then went to Target. I didn't need anything at Target but I really just wanted to spend the day shopping and treating myself to some Christmas decor and snacks. Then, I treated myself some more to McDonald's, visited my grandpa, and then watched TV at home until everyone came home from work. We ordered pizza and sang happy birthday with a Milk Bar cake. It was pretty dam near perfect.

Over the weekend I celebrated at a karaoke bar with my friends and this weekend, I'll celebrate some more with my sorority sisters when we go for brunch on Sunday. 29 is pretty good so far.

I also can't believe it's December and we're already in our merry mood. The house has been decorated for Christmas for a bit but now I can fully enjoy it with Christmas movies and specials. 

Right now, I'm waiting for my soup and mozzarella sticks dinner to be delivered, watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and relaxing. I'm feeling slightly under the weather and just need to hang out. Tomorrow is my mom's birthday so we'll celebrate that and then like I said, Sunday is brunch. It's a jam-packed but celebratory weekend which is always fine by me.

Let's get into the post! 

Pink Positivity of the Week

My birthday was definitely the highlight. I was really nervous I was going to be upset and anxious on the day because I usually am. I get sad if people forget it's my birthday and lately have been stressed about getting older. However, this year, I felt totally at peace and it was a wonderful day. It made me hopeful that the year ahead will be a good one. 

Links I Loved

• Why do we love pillow bags so much?
• TikTok loves Dark Acadamia 
• 10 Self Improvement books to read now 
• The internet loves a morning routine, and so do I
• Minimal skincare routine from a dermatologist 

What You Missed on Royally Pink

What I Bought This Week

xoxo
B

 Happy Valentine's Day! I was busy all weekend which I'm very grateful for but that's also why I'm writing this so late. Friday night I went out on a date (!!) and last night I was with my friends, celebrating one of their 30th birthdays (!!!). He is the first of our group to turn 30 and it was truly a perfect night.

Indoor dining opened in NYC on Friday so we were inside all weekend; Saturday we had our own private room which is amazing because #covid but also because it was nice to feel kind of special and have some fun.

Today I will be eating chocolate, probably treating myself to pizza and watching To All the Boys I've Loved Before Part 3 and the Brandy Cinderella on Disney+, I also have a few articles due this week and would like to get a head start on them... therefore, today is a semi-working day.

Our 'offices' are closed tomorrow for President's Day so a three day weekend is perfect. It feels like a lot of people have hit a wall in terms of the pandemic and everyone could due with an extra day to lay around and not think about anything important.

Let's get into the round up! 

Pink Positivity of the Week

All in all, it was a good week - work was slow yet productive, I had an incredible weekend that was much needed and I'm happy to lounge around for the next 24 hours. 

Links I Loved

 I'm writing this on Saturday night, just having finished Emily in Paris on Netflix. My friends texted me last week to tell me to watch it, my cousins told me to watch it and my sister told me to watch it. They all said it was a show that reminded them of me and that I would love it.

From what I read about it online and saw on social media, it definitely was up my alley. Then, I found out that Darren Star, the creator of Sex and the City was the creator of Emily in Paris so like, obviously I was going to love it. 

I just binged the entire thing, start to finish today, and I simply will not think of anything else for a week. It was basically Sex and the City, in Paris, in 2020 if Carrie Bradshaw was a social media manager. Can someone please tell me when the second season will be released? 

For now, I will watch Hocus Pocus and dream of when I can move to Paris and find a handsome chef who lives downstairs from me. 

The week was solid; I was off on Friday and finally went back to the gym after 6 months. Working out with a mask is a task but I went again today so it can't be that bad. My anxiety and stress were at a 2020 level of minimum this week; I've calmed down about politics and just pray every night that things return to a sense of normal very soon.

I'm also trying really hard to get back on the Weight Watchers horse. I have never stopped following the plan but I could be stricter and I'm eager to stick with it and hopefully get back to the weight I was when I first lost on WW. 

That's where my head is at right now: fall, politics, and weight. 2020 is simply wonderful. *said no one ever.

Pink Positivity of the Week

I might just chalk it up to Emily in Paris. I haven't felt that much serotonin in a solid year. Also, getting back into the gym felt really wonderful and I'm excited to continue.

Links I Loved

What You Missed on Royally Pink 

What I Bought This Week

Happy October!! I am so excited for my favorite month! There isn't much planned but I'm still happy for all things ~spooky~ and to watch Hocus Pocus every day. I watched it for the first time last night and the instant mood boost it provided was wonderful.

Tomorrow I am headed to New Jersey for the day for a little Oktoberfest celebration with some family. I baked an apple pie for it tonight and then curled up to watch Halloweentown on Disney+ and it's the perfect fall night.

This week, in terms of my mood, was touch and go. Politics got the best of me, work was super busy, and I just wasn't in the best mindset. However, I'm feeling much better and trying to keep up the momentum. 

I don't have much else to ramble about so I'll dive right into the roundup!

I listened to Governor Cuomo's daily briefing this morning and he informed us that we are on day 56 of the Coronavirus pandemic. Personally, I am on day 43 of lockdown and I really don't see an end in sight. I don't know what the future holds, no one does and there is nothing more stressful on the human brain than that feeling.

I was fine this week, a little under the weather, a little confused, and just waiting for the weekend. I just needed to decompress, a day to do nothing, and to let my brain heal. In the first half of the week, I was incredibly nauseous and couldn't keep anything but seltzer and saltines down. Then, I spent the second half of the week with vertigo and incredibly confused. Allergies were on the fritz and I couldn't breathe. It just wasn't a good week but nothing a lot of sleep couldn't fix.

Today is a day of errands, a nice walk around the neighborhood, and perhaps working on some content. I need to shift my mindset and get in the groove again.

I hope you are all staying sane, safe, and healthy.



Now, for the links of the week...

Links I Loved

• Should face masks be a fashion statement?
• Colloidal oatmeal is the skincare ingredient you need 
• Glossier launches a new product during a pandemic 
• Small desk solutions for WFH
• How to have a functional home office
• Viral beauty products that are worth the hype

What You Missed on Royally Pink

TGIF! Even though we're stuck inside, there's something great about waking up on a Friday, but perhaps that's because I'm grateful enough to be working 5 days a week. It was another hard week but when you hear that you're going to be quarantined another month, it's hard to not have it be a hard week.

This week I stressed about my job, money, and life in general. I'm hoping the weekend will bring some sort of clarity and calmness to the situation. I just really hope everyone stays safe, follows the rules and we can get out of this soon.

How are you all doing? I hope ok!

I'm going to attempt to get work done on the blog and Youtube this week, as well as work on some passion projects that I hope turn into something. I got a burst of inspiration this week so maybe I can maintain that.

Here's what I loved this week!

Links I Loved

• Getting to know the editors of Fashionsita.com 
• Disney recipes to make at home
• The pandemic is making people think about old relationships
• How influencers are pivoting during coronavirus
• How to practice self-care with the moon
• We still need rest days
• How to manage our anxiety right now, because it's a STRUGGLE 

What You Missed on Royally Pink

Happy Saturday and almost a month into quarantine. I'm pretty sure I stopped going to work on March 13th. This is not how I thought the past few months would go but I'm sure no one did.

This week was so-so. I'm struggling somewhere between wanting to be productive and wanting to lay in my bed and do nothing. It feels like I'm two different people and I can't quite wrap my finger around it. Being in the epicenter of the virus, it's really jarring to hear first-hand accounts of what the hospitals are like and how many people I know/know of are losing loved ones to this. Mass graves are being dug and freezers are holding bodies on the streets outside of the hospitals. It's just a lot to wrap your mind around.

While I have my productive moments, it's still hard sometimes to sit down at my desk and churn a blog out. I have so many ideas and in theory, a lot of motivation but physically, sometimes I can't make myself do it which is why this post is coming on a Saturday night and why there were hardly any posts this week. I vow to always be better but sometimes I just can't. I'm trying to work on it though, for myself.

Quarantine is not a productivity contest but I feel good when I'm doing something, or when I feel like I accomplished at least one task.

For example, this morning I woke up very late (11:30 AM to be exact) after not sleeping all night and immediately cleaned my room, changed my sheets, and spend a good hour or so cleaning under my bed (lifted my mattress and box spring to vacuum UNDER MY BED) and changed some summer & winter clothes in my closet. After that, I felt like I got hit by a truck and showered, did my hair and took a nap.

Tomorrow is Easter and for the first time in my entire life, I won't be celebrating with my whole family. I'll be with my mom and my sister and we'll have a traditional Italian Easter meal but it's just weird.

I hope you are all staying safe & healthy, and staying sane because I know this is hard for everyone.

Links I Loved

• How to design a WFH space 
• One blogger scandal that really pissed me off this week 
• How beauty editors are taking care of their skin right now
• Marie Kondo tells us how to make a workspace more joyful
• This listicle will make you feel very old
• Where does the "influencer" go from here? 

What You Missed on Royally Pink

• Items I Have Been Using Everyday
• Beauty 101: How I've Been Getting Rid of Blemishes & Dark Spots

What I Bought This Week

Another week in quarantine down, a lot more to go. This was a solid week in terms of my mental health which is something I am very thankful for, but in the same breath, one of the most devastating ones for the virus.

There were too many deaths this week; two in my extended family and many more in my neighborhood and friends of friends of friends. This is no joke and people who still aren't taking it seriously are bugging me. I found myself getting angry too many times this week because people are stupid. If you know someone who is not taking this seriously, do something to shock their systems. Tell them that there are bodies being piled up outside hospitals in portable freezers because the morgue is overcrowded.

That's the reality of life in New York City right now and it's fucking terrifying. I don't know how to move on from that point so we're just going with...

My sleep has been shit and I'm really thankful for the weekend so I can try to sleep past 6 AM. Not that I wake up for work at 6 AM but I've been up at all hours of the night and knowing I have to wake up to work doesn't help the process.

Work has been keeping me busy and on my toes, and I cannot say how grateful I am for that right now. It is the one normal thing in my life and I am blessed.

For now, I'm going to spend the weekend organizing, cleaning, taking care of the blog and my other creative outlets, reading, and having Zoom meetings with my friends.

Stay safe & healthy everyone!

Links I Loved

What You Missed on Royally Pink This Week

What I Bought This Week

Once again, it was very bad. What happened to my low-buy?? The craziness of the world and my life has me throwing it all out the window.

I bought this sweatshirt and a phone case from BellePark; this Lele Sadoughi headband was 50% off today (she's been doing happy hours for the past two weeks where a different item is 50% off). I've been in the market for a new laptop bag for my work computer since I bring it back and forth so much so I finally got the perfect one! This old Kate Spade model was on Poshmark and I'm so happy I found it in perfect condition for an amazing price.
Make sure to follow me on RewardStyle aka LiketoKnowIt!
xoxo
B

This is coming a few days late but it was a rough week/weekend. When is it not in our new normal, though? If I'm being honest, it hasn't been that bad, I've just been lazy. Work was super busy this week and it kept me incredibly occupied, and then Saturday night I had a Zoom Hangout with my friends and wow, it felt so good!

It's so strange how normal seeing my friends and talking about nonsense made me feel. My sister and I also ordered some delicious food both Friday & Saturday so it was a delicious treat.

What I've realized is that my routine is pretty normal; I work at home 5 days a week and then shower, relax and do nonsense and now my weekends are the only time I need to adjust. I'm going into week 3 of quarantine and I'm a little used to it, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

While I didn't do a lot of blogging this weekend, I did a lot of cleaning and organizing which is what I really wanted to do. I'll continue this trend this week... I love organizing and cleaning so it's a great way to calm my mind.

On another note, I do have to tell a story. I had to run into Manhattan this week to get some stuff from my office. If you have ever been to Manhattan, you know it is always busy. They don't call us the city that never sleeps for nothing!

I don't think I have ever seen the city so quiet. It was eerie... like something out of a movie. The only people on the street were from UPS or the post office. I have never and probably will never experience anything else like that in my life. That's what really shook me this week and probably made everything a touch scarier.

Right now, I'm catching up on Youtube videos, under my weighted blanket and feeling a little under the weather. Hopefully, I find the energy and right headspace this week to blog more and not be as anxious and depressed as I have been.

Links to Love

• A tidbit about influencers & the pandemic
• The beauty editors guide to the best sheet masks 
• What doctors use to strengthen their immune systems
• An interesting article about anxiety during this time
• Selfcare you haven't thought of yet
• How to get a job in marketing

What You Missed on Royally Pink

What I Bought This Week

xoxo
B

I was a bad blogger this week but I have a good reason! I started my new job as a social media coordinator at a beauty/skincare brand and I'm so excited!

As you know I've been unemployed for the past few months (full story coming soon) and it was amazing to get back into the office environment and feel like I have a purpose! It was a long but short week filled with a lot of change, getting back into the swing of commuting and absorbing a lot of new information.

It was a really great week and I'm so happy -- I don't remember the time I felt this happy in a job and it's only week one! Because of all of this, I was super tired and not in the mood to blog so here we are.

This was also the first week where it felt semi Fall-like, especially in Manhattan -- it was so cool! I went to Trader Joe's today and got so many Fall/pumpkin items. It is really starting to feel like my favorite season!

I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things and blog for the week on the weekends so hopefully, I'll have more posts next week!

Here's the round-up from the week!

My new Evil Queen candles arrived yesterday on Friday the 13th

Links I Loved

What You Missed on Royally Pink