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My First Stitch Fix Experience

Stitch Fix Fun
Happy Sunday!

I hope you guys are enjoying a wonderful weekend. I enjoyed a great long run with Lululemon run club yesterday before a fun evening in Brooklyn with friends. This morning after church I headed to Williamsburg for brunch with a few girlfriends. It was definitely a busy weekend but wonderful to see so many friends.

Before heading to brunch, I finally opened up my recent Stitch Fix delivery. I think I’m officially the last person to try Stitch Fix! The company launched while we were living abroad so I was excited to finally register and give it a try for myself after hearing about it from my mom and a number of bloggers and friends. It’s become VERY popular for a good reason. If you rarely have time or patience to go shopping at a mall or fight the tourists in New York, it simplifies life by bringing the clothing to your doorstep!

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In case you haven’t heard of it before, Stitch Fix is an online personal shopping and styling website. After registering for the site, new members fill out an in-depth style survey and profile which helps the Stitch Fix personal stylists get to know you. The questions include things like sizes, styles, favorite colors, brands, and other likes and dislikes.  I appreciated the fact that you could opt-in or out of certain items or accessories. I have plenty of accessories and therefore will most likely opt out of these in the future.

Once you finish the profile you are able to schedule your first Stitch Fix delivery. Each Stitch Fix delivery is a box of five pieces of clothing or accessories. Your personal stylists selects the items for your individual fix based on the answers you provided in the survey. There is a $20 styling fee which you have to pay up front, but, the good news is that this $20 works as credit towards any of the items you want to keep.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, and per my personality, I managed my expectations by telling myself that the first fix may not be great since they are just getting to know me and my style. As soon as I opened the Stitch Fix box I saw that there was a style card which provided inspiration on how to wear each of the items. This served as great inspiration for style options and combinations as I tried on each of the items. A person of habit, these style cards will be helpful in the future to inspire me to style items differently than I normally would.

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Once you open the box you can try each item on and decide whether you want to keep it or return it. Similar to an item you’d purchase from any other retailer, each item has a tag on it with the size, brand and price information. If you don’t want to keep an item, you just put it in the pre-paid shipping bag and return it within three days.Stitch Fix Checkout

I apologize in advance for these pictures as they aren’t very flattering but they will give you an idea of what I received in my first package, which included four items of clothing and one necklace.

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  • Just Black Adorra Skinny Jeans – $88.00 (I loved that these were the perfect length and flattering, however I have a similar pair from LOFT which were half the price. RETURN)
  • Market & Spruce Dexter Faux Wrap Dress – $68.00 (This dress is the perfect three-season dress that can be dressed up for work or dressed down for the weekend.  I love the print and the faux wrap styling is flattering as well as practical since I don’t have to worry about falling out or pinning it. I’ve already worn it once with boots and black hose and another time with heels. KEEP)
  • 41Hawthorne Neo Pullover – $58.00 (As soon as I saw this I new it would be returned. The cut and color were very boring and didn’t do anything for me. RETURN)
  • Market & Spruce Chaplin Lined Anorak – $94 (I loved this jacket and though it would be a perfect Spring and Fall jacket but I felt that it was too similar to my Barbour jacket and therefore chose to RETURN. )
  • Bay to Baubles Dallas Geo Pendant Necklace -$28 (I didn’t like the quality or style of this necklace. It felt cheap and is the reason that moving forward I won’t be requesting accessories in my Stitch Fix boxes. RETURN)

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Overall, I really enjoyed my first Stitch Fix experience and am already looking forward to my February box. While I only chose to keep one item, I found it to be a good deal since the $20 styling fee went towards the price of the dress. In addition, who doesn’t love getting packages in the mail, especially when they are filled with fun, new clothing. Many of the brands are ones that I wouldn’t discover otherwise!

Want to try it yourself? Use this referral link!

Have you tried Stitch Fix before? If so, what were your thoughts? 

The links to Stitch Fix are affiliate links as I have partnered with Stitch Fix to provide monthly reviews. Though Stitch Fix provided me with the first box free, I paid for the item I kept and all opinions are my own! 

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ashleyd /

Friday Favorites – January 29th, 2016

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Is anyone else ready to unwind from the week? This morning’s Rise and Shine yoga class was the perfect way to start releasing the stress of the week.  This weekend’s plans include a steak and red wine date night at home tonight followed by a long run tomorrow morning with Theodora and some quality time with my cousin who is in town tomorrow as well as a few of our friends tomorrow night. In between there will be a few baking experiments as well as a lot of sleep. I’m still feeling the effects of Wednesday night when I only slept 5.5 hours. This 32-year old can’t do that mid-week anymore and still wake up energized for the day.

As promised, in regular Friday fashion, here is this week’s version of Friday Favorites. So, as you count down the minutes until the weekend begins, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

  • Now that I have a bath tub at home, I love taking at least one relaxing bath per week. I fill the tub up with warm water, drop a few sprinkles of this heavenly coconut and vanilla bath soak, enjoy a glass of wine and read a good book.
  • During the Winter months, I tend to only drink red wine. There is something so soothing and warming about the rich tannins of a red wine that makes me want to sip it all through the weekend while bundled up in a sweater. The Josh Cellar’s Legacy is a well balanced blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sarah. This bottle paired perfectly with everything we enjoyed last weekend, even the chocolate cake! An easy to drink and approachable wine, it is a perfect wine to stock for your next dinner party as every guest will enjoy it.
  • Speaking of comforting, Tina’s Light & Creamy Chickpea Salad looks like the perfect pairing for any meal! I always love pairing Brussels sprouts with Dijon mustard so I know I’ll love this recipe. In fact, I think I’ll whip up a batch on Sunday to enjoy for lunch throughout the week.
  • I’ve been inspired to improve my smoothie game this year thanks to Kristine, Rachel and the rest of the smoothie Instagram images brightening up my Instagram feed daily. The team at Well+Good continues to deliver with perfect articles including the 11 staples for a killer smoothie pantry, which inspired this week’s shopping on iHerb.com! I had no idea that you could get Goji berry and Acai powders.
  • The winter weather combined with this week’s client meetings forced me to swap leggings for tights as I donned dresses or skirts three days this week. Our team of ladies ended up joking about our favorite tights and it turns out we all agree that these are the absolute best! They hold everything in without making you feel like a sausage, stand up to my often jagged nails and are perfectly opaque!
  • I’m so glad hat the modeling world is starting to evolve from the “heroin-chic” days of yesteryear when models were idolized for their visible ribs and gaunt figures. I loved reading that Nina Agdal, Sports Illustrated cover model, likes to sweat with the best of them at some of my favorite NYC workout locations.  Maybe I’ll run into her at Y7 soon!
  • Are you one of the lucky runners who snagged a spot in the NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon? I can’t believe that the race sold out in just 52 minutes! I’m now some how signed up for three Spring half marathons including one which I’ll be running for fun with a bunch of other NYC blogger friends! If you’ve read my race recaps (here and here) from this race, you’ll know it’s never been my favorite due to the six miles of monotonous running towards Coney Island. BUT, the start is walking distance from our apartment and so many of my friends are running it that I just couldn’t resist.
  • Another week, another couple who is giving me and Bo some major #couplegoals. I loved Dax Shepard in Parenthood (BEST SHOW EVER) but I think I may love him even more in this video that he and his wife made together! Let’s go to Africa and dance with the giraffes and zebras, okay Bo?
  • The results of this I Side With survey scared me a bit BUT I loved the ability to click on each issue and learn more as well as getting more familiar with each candidates views. Take a few minutes, please, to become more educated in advance of the elections.
  • Dogs in photo booths – need I say more? There is nothing more hilarious than these images of pups cheesing it up in front of the camera!
  • If you love using scrubs to slough off the dry skin, you may want to toss out your coffee infused ones based on this latest finding that it can actually clog your drain. Good to know, especially since our brownstone’s pipes are definitely not new.

Happy weekend! What are you loving this week??

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Five Tips to Improve Your Next Treadmill Run

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I don’t know about you guys, but this winter weather wreaks havoc on my love of outdoor running.  Suddenly my regular path can barely be found beneath the snow and slush and those other spots of sidewalk and street are often a danger zone due to black ice. Even though I love the winter weather, it has forced me to spend more time than usual on the treadmill.

Luckily, after ten classes at Mile High Run Club, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks to improve my time on the treadmill. These teachers, many of whom are elite runners and run or coach a multitude of run clubs and workouts throughout New York City, do a great job dishing out tips on form, posture and workout structure during class. Even though they spend the entire class walking around the room, supporting and motivating us to run stronger and push harder, they never miss an opportunity to provide coaching that goes far beyond our pace and often applies to runs both on and off the treadmill.

Five Tips to Improve Your Next Treadmill Run

Based on the ten classes I’ve taken at Mile High Run Club this year, these five tips will help any runner get more out of their next treadmill workout.

  1. Never start your workout without a dynamic warm-up. Similar to what I’ve learned during my NYRR workouts, I feel a significant difference in my workout when I invest even just 3 to 5 minutes doing a few key moves before I start running. These moves help get your heart pumping, loosen your joints, stretch your muscles and tell your body it’s time to work. The most common warm-up moves are body weight squats, lunges, lateral lunges, butt kicks, and high knees. 
  2. Always set your treadmill to a 1.0 incline unless you are doing specific hill work. Researchers have found that a 1% grade on the treadmill best matches the intensity of outdoor running. If you are training for a race, the last thing you want to do is train in conditions that are easier than what you’ll encounter on race day. While you of course can’t replicate all of the variables such as weather, by setting the treadmill at 1.0 you make up for the lack of wind resistance and better simulate outdoor running.
  3. Use the entire treadmill. Like many other runners, I found myself running towards the front of the treadmill, hunching over the screen. During my first and second classes at Mile High, the teachers constantly reminded me to move back towards the middle or back of the treadmill so I could reach my full stride potential versus running like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. But, what I noticed more then improved posture or gait was actually the opportunity to pump my arms. Once I was running further back I was able to move my arms, providing extra momentum during the speed and hill intervals.   Give it a try during your next treadmill session and I promise you’ll notice the difference immediately!
  4. Switch things up to beat boredom. During each of the Mile High classes, whether we are running for 28, 45 or 60 minutes, the goal changes every few minutes. This method of breaking the class into individual workouts such as hills, recovery and speed helps students compartmentalize each workout so they can push through walls as well as make the class fly by.  I don’t know why but 90% of the classes I’ve taken at Mile High focus on hills first and end the class with speed. If it works for them, it’ll work for me next time I find myself on the treadmill.
  5. Grab a friend. Surrounding yourself with 30 other runners, each pushing through the same workout as you, it’s hard not to push yourself to your full potential each class. There is always someone in the class you can use as your motivator whether it’s their form, speed or endurance. More often than not, Theodora is my motivator during Mile High classes, helping me reach deep and push harder since it’s my goal to keep her pace. But, whether you want to race a friend or just have someone to keep you company, running on a treadmill is far more enjoyable with a friend on the treadmill next to you. Over the years, my friends and I have scheduled many group running sessions at a nearby gym when snow or inclement weather has kept us from running outside.

Want to learn more about Mile High Run Club? Check out my full review or send me an email! If you’re local, let me know as I’d love to grab a class with you! My favorite instructors are Andia, Jes W and Laura C!

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