Amazon Fresh 120 Day Review

I'm sitting here, as we head into the fifth month of quarantines and stay-at-home orders from COVID-19, awaiting my 19th Amazon Fresh order this year. Yes, in the past 5 months I have placed 19 Amazon Fresh orders for groceries, but let's just go ahead and round up to 20. While a lot of states have been opening up and loosening up their restrictions, I am in no rush to go outside, so after having used it for most of the year, I am pretty confident in whatever comes next because at least I know we'll be fed.

So what has it been like doing my grocery shopping almost* exclusively on Amazon Fresh for the past 4 months?

LifestyleAlbie KnowsJuly 26, 2020amazon, covid19, shopping

Stay At Home Order: Comfort Essentials

For the past month (maybe longer?), I have been blessed and fortunate enough to have been working from home as we try to protect ourselves and prevent the ongoing spread of COVID-19...aka flattening the curve. Yes, “working from home” sounds fun & easy, but being at home for both work and home life isn’t exactly a pleasure picnic. I also know, firsthand, that working from home as an employee versus working from home as an entrepreneur are two similar, but different experiences; and I had to make adjustments to my mindset and home accordingly.

I had to invest in making sure I was both comfortable and productive.

ShoppingAlbie KnowsMay 12, 2020covid19, work life balance, workspace, mompreneur

How My Anxiety May Have Prepared Me For COVID-19

It’s not easy for me to admit that my character isn’t naturally a “calm” one and I don’t know anyone that would use the word calm to describe me either. I have always danced on the edge of worry and even occasionally tangoed with straight-up paranoia, and yet in the midst of a pandemic, I find myself probably the calmest person in my circle. Why is that?

LifestyleAlbie KnowsMay 10, 2020covid19, mental health, mompreneur

Achieving Simple Feng Shui For Happy Living

The words "Feng" and "Shui" have very simple meanings -- "wind" and "water" -- that represent the presence of balance & harmony. The overarching principle behind the art of Feng Shui is about creating harmony in your everyday life through the flow of energy. This is why so often, although sometimes misused, we'll hear people talk about Feng Shui when referring to their furniture layout -- how is the energy moving throughout this space? That flow of energy is your "chi" and at the center of really establishing good Feng Shui and ultimately setting the tone for your space.

DesignAlbie KnowsApril 5, 2020bathroom, living room, dining room, feng shui, design therapy, kitchen, bedroom, small spaces, covid19

To E-Design or Not To E-Design

BusinessAlbie KnowsApril 2, 2020edesign, covid19, design therapy, designpreneur

4 Pieces to Transition Your Home Into Spring

Thankfully, winter is gone, gone, gone, and spring is officially underway, which means time to pack away all that winter wardrobe and decor, and step into some long overdue spring style! Since I am no fashionista, here are my 4 recommended pieces to help you transition your home into spring:

ShoppingAlbie KnowsApril 1, 2020spring, west coast transplant, covid19, shoppingComment

Working Out At Home With Fabletics

Now that we’re all home for the foreseeable future, it’s so easy to not put in the same amount of effort when it comes to our wellness -- there are NetFlix shows to binge, piles of snacks to eat, and lots and lots of naps to be had -- but truth is, it’s probably more important now more than ever to stay on top of it. For me, working out is a welcome mental distraction from everything going on but also a way to ensure I’m not physically susceptible to any nasty viruses out there. Right now, health = wealth and I plan to look good for all of it.

Lifestyle, Video, ShoppingAlbie KnowsMarch 29, 2020fabletics, work life balance, mompreneur, mental health, favorites, covid19, fitness

How To Create Easy Mood Boards

Ever since diving into interior design as a career, I have become pretty known for how I’ve employed technology to launch my path, specifically as an e-designer. Specifically, people started really noticing my renderings and my mood boards, with the latter being some of my most popular content amongst designers and design enthusiasts alike.

Spoiler: I use Keynote to create easy and dynamic mood boards. This isn’t to say I haven’t used different platforms over the years. Trust me...I have! I got here after a lot of trial & error with my deliverables, with my content, and with my business across the board. For me, this made (and still makes) the most sense. Truth be told, my gigabytes are precious so it was worth it to me to give a native application a fair shot if it meant I could delete additional software and/or have one less website login to remember.

BusinessAlbie KnowsMarch 28, 2020mood board, technology, designpreneur, how to, covid19

Grove Collaborative: What's In My Cart?

Two years ago I made my very first Grove Collaborative purchase and I have to say, not entirely sure what to expect from a household subscription service. I was intrigued by the idea that I could get cleaning products for our home, especially now that my daughter was way more active and I was now full-time working from home. With spring cleaning around the corner, it was as good a time as any to try Grove Collaborative and two years later I still turn to them for many, if now all, of our household cleaning essentials.

Lifestyle, Shopping, VideoAlbie KnowsMarch 27, 2020grove collaborative, covid19, shopping

Dress Up Your Desk

So if you had to ask me what my fav part of designing is, it’s the shopping! In my everyday life I love finding pretty things; and if they happen to solve a problem while we’re at it...well, then I’m #winning.

I don’t discriminate when it comes to my love of shopping, but I used to especially obsessed with shopping for my office, before switching it over to my daughter’s bedroom. A lot of the decor I purchased, I still like to switch out & rotate between my desk, bookshelf, and other areas of our home; but when deciding what to get, my desk def served as a lot of the inspiration, aka the anchor piece.

ShoppingAlbie KnowsMarch 23, 2020home office, small spaces, covid19, shopping

How To Unplug, Take A Break, and Live Slow

I basically live my life online — working, shopping, and even school — and one day it hit me that I was getting completely disconnected from the “real world”. As an introvert I will never complain about not having enough people interaction — I prefer it that way actually — but what I found was happening was that I was losing touch with myself and I was also losing my ability to connect with people — to communicate. It was almost as though I was losing a sense of reality that, if unchecked, would only get worse. So how do you unplug, take a real break, and slow down for more intentional & present living? Here are some tips that have been helping me unplug for more slow living.

LifestyleAlbie KnowsMarch 13, 2020work life balance, self care, covid19, new year

How To Treat Your Body Better & Stay Physically Productive

This time of year is when everyone is hitting reset for the new year ahead -- making resolutions, setting goals, choosing words to serve as their "North Star", etc -- all in order to really set the tone for the next 12 months. This doesn't necessarily mean drastic changes of any kind, but there is something about a new year that really makes you go, "I need to get my ish together!"

As someone who's made a life out of always being home, I decided to share with you some of my productivity hacks and ways that I stay focused & keep myself accountable day to day.

LifestyleAlbie KnowsMarch 8, 2020behind the scenes, mompreneur, sponsored post, fabletics, favorites, covid19, fitness

Shop With Me: How To JOMO?

What is JOMO? It's the JOY of missing out.

Instead of burdening yourself by worrying about what you could be missing by not being at all the places, with all the people, doing all the things, you take pleasure in having personal time. You can experience JOMO but not attending social events (aka not people'ing) or by simply unplugging, which these days, is a vacation all in itself.

Here are 28 essentials that I think are perfect for getting your JOMO on.

ShoppingAlbie KnowsFebruary 16, 2020jomo, hygge, self care, covid19, shopping