, , ,

8 Ways to Make Stitch Fix Work for You

8 Ways to Make Stitch Fix Work Better for You

Over the past year, Stitch Fix has become part of the busy woman’s vocabulary. No time to shop? Stitch Fix will do it for you. Looking to update your wardrobe post baby? Stitch Fix can do that too. Yet despite how amazing the program is, many women are still struggling to make it work for them. When I’m wearing a fun novelty sweater, my friends will now say, “That’s a Stitch Fix isn’t it? Why don’t I get stuff like that?” Everyone loves the idea of it, but some need to guidance of how to work for them.

Stitch Fix has given me a closet I love. I walk in and it takes me very little time to get dressed. I have options for dressier gatherings, but also chic everyday clothes. I truly enjoy each piece I have decided to keep and they bring me joy. (yes, I have read this book, and now reading her second.)

Today I’m going to share some tips on how to make Stitch Fix work better for you. It’s still a fairly new company so things continue to be updated and allow for more communication with the stylists. There are lots of different places where you can make your opinions known, loud and clear.

Take the time to fully update your StitchFix Profile to make it work for you.

Take some time to fill out your Style Profile, but remember to come back to it occasionally to see if it still makes sense.

 

1. Style Profile: spend some time filling this out. I think it should take no less than 10 minutes to fill it out for the first time. This is where you fill out the info for your size, style preference (based on image collages) and needs.

2. Style Profile: for returning customers, continue to go back into your Profile. New questions get added by the company, including ones regarding Petite sizing and are you are Pregnant.

3. If you really want more clothes to choose from, select the jewelry from the list of items you do not want them to send you. I have never received any bracelets/earrings/necklaces and instead get a lot more clothing items to choose from. (my accessory exceptions are handbags and scarves)

The note to Stylist is the best place to give specific feedback for your next StitchFix box.

4. Note for your Stylist. This is a fun place to be specific about what you want to see in your next Fix. You can always get to this by signing in to your account if you have a fix scheduled. Go to your Home tab and enter details of what you need in the note. This is the place to remind the stylist that you don’t want sleeveless, have a long torso, looking for cardigans, hate cardigans, etc. I am specific here about what is appropriate seasonally. Living in the Boston area and still looking at snow, I don’t need anything too summery yet. I share that I need transitional items that lend themselves to layering. Living down South, you may be ready for sleeveless tops and cute dresses.

Create a Pinterest board to help your StitchFix stylist

5. Creating a Pinterest board to help guide your Stylist. I had one started long before Stitch Fix arrived at my doorstep and had hundreds of pins to help share my style with my stylist. (Thank you Michelle!) Start your own and see what outfits make you smile. You can search Pinterest for ideas, head to the women’s fashion section, or pin directly from J. Crew or other shopping site. You can follow my Pinterest board below and scroll through to take a peek at what I’m saving to share with my stylist.

 

Use the StitchFix checkout area to give specific feedback about your box.

6. When you checkout your box, be very specific in the feedback. This is your chance to say if you have a long torso and need longer length tops. Same for bottoms. Got something you really didn’t like? Tell them what it is? The shape, the print, the feel of the fabric, the color, the length? There are so many things that make a piece of clothing work for someone, but it may not work for you. Let your stylist know.

7. Share Stitch Fix with your friends and if they purchase a box, you get $25 in free clothes. Lovely, right. This is my affiliate link and I have been able to get a few credits to help update my closet the past 18 months of using Stitch Fix. It’s no cost to you either and is easy to share online with friends and family once you have a profile.

8. Stick with the same stylist once you find one that gets your style. I’ve had the same one for 7 of my 10 fixes. She knows I’m partial to navy and green and novelty printed tops. Is it always 100% keep? No, but I’ve had at least 4 100% keep boxes, which is great because you get an additional 25% off. I have friends that will keep item #5 and then barter with friends to trade! This may not always be accommodated, but it’s great when you find a match.

Declutter your closet with Stitch Fix

Are you ready to streamline your closet so you only see items you love? Head here.

Stitch Fix has been great for this busy mom. Not only do I save time by not having to shop around for clothes, but I can try them on at home and then drop anything I don’t want to keep on my doorstep for the mailman to return. So easy. I also recommend keeping the styling cards that come with each item. Over time, it is helpful to go back and relook at how an item can be repurposed for different occasions.

Head over to Stitch Fix and schedule your box today! This month I coordinated my delivery with a friend so we can trade items if something doesn’t work for us. It’s a Stitch Fix Swap!

p.s. Have you seen my favorite picks for fun Fall Fashion? Head over here to check it out. And now the Winter Survival Guide is live too!

Follow Me
/16 Comments/by
, ,

Monday Meal Plan March 2nd

Hey look. It’s snowing. Must be a Sunday night in Boston. Here’s to dreaming of days without snow pants and grilling without gloves on. Anyone else ready for a big thaw this month?

On the dinner menu this week there is a mix of new recipes and family favorites. Last week I shared my two favorite new recipes in this post. I’ll continue to share the winners, and if there are any big losers too.

Sunday: Chicken Satay Bites from the Weelicious Lunches cookbook. Told the kids it was “peanut butter chicken” and they were sold.

Monday: Autumn Chopped Salad. Skipping the bacon to keep it a Meatless Monday meal. Will add hardboiled eggs to up the protein content.

Tuesday: Fish sandwiches, corn and salad. We use haddock, dress it in panko and pan fry it in coconut oil. Super fast and a winner.

Wednesday: Slow cooker sausage and spaghetti dinner. More salad

Thursday: Family favorite chicken nuggets, oven baked fries and roasted broccoli.

Friday: Pizza night! (with bread maker dough)

Saturday: Thai night! Thai Butternut Squash soup and chicken pad thai.

Sunday: Soy Ginger Pot Roast, snow peas and sweet potatoes.

Monday meal plan to help organize family dinner

For more recipes, see three years of past dinner menus here,

my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

 

Follow Me
/3 Comments/by

What I Learned In February

What I learned in February

This is a fun little exercise for anyone to do at the end of each month. What were the highlights and new ideas you came across? Here’s my little wrap up of what I found inspiring this month.

Favorite new recipes (see meal plans for details)

Reading

  • The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Interesting ideas and good for people who need a jump start letting things go.
  • The Blue Bistro– loving the Overdrive app and getting books downloaded to my Kindle app from the library
  • Magazines with the Zinio app and discovering lots of free ones from the library

Listening

  • Happy radio on Pandora to make us smile and think of summer
  • Deva Premal while I work
  • French Cafe radio while I’m cooking

Podcasts

Around the web

On the Blog

swim

beach play

What inspired you in February? 

Follow Me
/2 Comments/by
,

How to Tackle Your Creative Stash of Stuff

how to tackle your creative stash

The new year brought about a renewed awareness of “stuff” in our house. Do we need it? Do we love it? Does it add value to our everyday life? As I sorted and purged through the nooks and crannies in our house, I was able to make a quick decision on most items. (Especially after reading this book.) The trickier things are those that are project driven. The scrapbook supplies for the baby book I didn’t put together, the fancy stamps for card making, the old sweaters to cut into fingerless gloves. How do you know when it’s time to let go?

It feels wasteful to just toss some of these things, and I am not quite ready to give up on making time for more creative endeavors in my life. After pulling everything together, I tried to think about the stuff in this light.

  1. If I finished the product, where would it go in my home or closet?
  2. How much will I use my creation?
  3. Do I still enjoy this hobby?
  4. Could I borrow like items from friends if I decided to let mine go?

As the sorting continues, I saw that an eCourse is part of the new Ultimate DIY Bundle called “Use Your Stash” and written by Elise Joy (who’s podcast Elise Gets Crafty is awesome!) I consider it a little kick in the pants to get moving and just DO something. It will encourage you to use up the stuff you have and enjoy the process. Make something fabulous and be okay with using something up.

This even can apply to your kids craft supplies. Let them go a little wild and use their stash. There is no need to hoard pompoms and pipe cleaners. Let them use their stickers. Set out their creative bits and bobbins and see what happens. Adults can learn a thing or two about freedom of expression as you watch the kids use their stuff with abandon.

reuse old sweaters in new ways

This sweater is so beautiful, but it has moth holes. Now what?

If you are encouraged to use some of your creative stash, but need a little jumpstart, there is the Ultimate DIY Bundle available Jan 21-Jan 26. There are 76 ebooks, which cover photography, sewing, writing, small business and more. My favorite part this go round are the ecourses- Use Your Stash and the Photo editing one both look awesome. The value of everything is $1200 and is only $34.95.

I’m not going to read more than half of what’s included, but the ones I do want to read would cost:

  • Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose $3.99
  • The Social Spread $129.99  (amazing deal on social media update ideas for a year!)
  • Say No to Auto $10.00
  • Easy DIY Crafts for Every Season $10.00
  • TOTAL $153.98

So I bought the bundle. I saved $119.  Plus I may finally make those sweater covers for mason jars I keep seeing on Pinterest…

What will you make?

 

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post. I bought it on my own and think it’s a valuable resource. Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.

make time for creativity in your life

Follow Me
/8 Comments/by
, , ,

The Most Surprising Organizing Book You Will Ever Read

organizing solutions book

The new year always brings about an organizing fever to many homes, mine included. Over the past few years, we have tackled small organizing projects, which often included buying new storage units for all of our stuff. This year I read the book, Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD. It was life changing and maybe it can be for you too.

Letting Go of Stuff

First off, I don’t have ADHD. However, I do suffer from owning too much stuff and blessed with three kids 5 and under who also have a lot of stuff. We try to take good care of our belongings (and toys) so everything is always in “good” shape. Reading this book taught me that being in good, or even perfect, condition doesn’t give an item permission to stay in our home. If it doesn’t have a purpose, it’s just more stuff.

As I keep my Word of the Year in mind, clearing out the clutter allows me to focus on the task at hand. Instead of struggling to put clean dishes away in an overstuffed cabinet, I took some time to pare down our collection of pots and pans. Some were donated and others that are used infrequently were moved to an accessible area in the basement.

The Organizing Solutions book addresses the challenge of dealing with sentimental items, like gifts. Some may not be your style, or the gifts are no longer IN style. Somehow after reading about how to reevaluate gifts made it okay for me to say goodbye to certain items. I’ll always appreciate the sentiment, but now my home can really show our favorite items and those that mean something to each of us.

The book is not just for people with ADHD, the author notes early on how distracted busy mothers can benefit from her methodology. In any give day (hour) a mother has to wear many hats. Following the same approach to make clean up easy, clearing the clutter in every room is the first step.

Chapter by chapter I got a few new ideas to bring order and calmness to my space. My office desk has a space for a couple of beautiful things and my new 2015 Emily Ley planner (yes, I am a paper and pencil girl!) Papers have a home and I’ve learned a few tricks on how to be a bit more ruthless with all the paper that does come into the house on a daily basis.

Simple rules for toy storage

 

In the playroom, I finally realized why my very pretty Ikea storage unit still didn’t help with clean up time. The book explains the difference between “pretty” storage and “efficient” storage. I think there is a happy medium but I would much rather make clean up as easy as possible for me AND the kids.

I created a downloadable printable of the SIMPLE RULES FOR TOY STORAGE that I hope can help you bring some peace and calmness to your toy mismanagement. Sign up in the box below to have it sent to you. Print it out and keep it handy to refer back to when the toy room starts to overflow again.

If you get on an organizing kick, my other favorite reads are One Bite at a Time and The Nesting Place. It’s easier to keep reading about organizing, but the reality is you have to start taking action. Good luck and happy sorting.

photo credit: Wendy Copley via photopin cc

Follow Me
/15 Comments/by
, ,

Monday Meal Plan Jan week 1

Are you ready to commit to meal planning in 2015? If it’s one of your resolutions, I wish you luck and welcome any questions you have. This is the third year of meal planning here on the blog. Writing out the plans every Sunday and sharing it has held me accountable, but also better organized heading into the week ahead.

Soup makes a great freezer meal. Cook in bulk

 

One new resolution I have is planning further out in our week ahead. I love spending time on Sunday dinners, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with a good recipe, and the ingredients, on a busy Saturday. The second resolution I have is to stay on top of what we already have on hand to create a meal. You will see two freezer meals on this week’s menu after taking inventory this week.

On the menu…

Sunday: Chicken Pad Thai. so, so yummy to start the week off with one of our favorites and also have enough left over for lunch.

Monday: Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa, sautéed kale and pasta shells

Tuesday: Turkey Soup (freezer meal) and popovers

Wednesday: Lazy Bolognese (freezer meal) with spaghetti and roasted cauliflower

Thursday: C.O.R.N. {Clean Out Refrigerator Night}

Friday: Family pizza night with homemade pizza dough from the bread maker

Saturday: Patriots Game Night with friends. I may make the amazing pork ragu from Dinner A Love Story again. Last time we made it for friends it was a winner for both the kids and adults.

Sunday: White Bean and Roasted Tomato Chili: new recipe I’m trying from the delightful The Kitchn Cookbook. This has been my bedside reading and there is a ton of information in it for both novice and advanced cooks.

 

If you are an avid meal planner, what would be your ONE tip to share with someone just starting out?

Monday meal plan to help organize family dinner

For more inspiration, see three years of past menus here, my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

Follow Me
/6 Comments/by
, , ,

Peapod Celebrates 25 years of Grocery Delivery {Giveaway}

Peapod grocery delivery.

Grocery shopping takes on new meaning once you have a child. You have to plan your trips around naps and you may not be able to go as often as you once did. You also need a lot more stuff. Switching to home delivery of your groceries can free up so much time, and money. No more buying incidental items, no more adding things the kids are asking for. I have used Peapod grocery delivery for a long time, going back to my Boston College days. We had a dorm room with a kitchen, but no one had a car. I still remember getting groceries delivered and I thought it was the coolest thing.

Peapod is actually turning 25 this year. They were ahead of the trend on home delivery. New this year is the expanded Pick-Up Service, which means you can order groceries and pick them up at the store when you are out and about. No need to stay home during the delivery window. You can learn more about my experience with the Stop and Shop/Peapod pick-up service here.

As you head into the holiday baking season, here’s a quick tip. There are huge sales on staple baking ingredients coming up the weeks before Thanksgiving. It’s the best time of year to stock up on flours, sugars and baking supplies. Even spices that never go on sale can be found at a discount. Getting a large ordered delivered is so much easier than trying to do it with multiple children in tow. I also remember to add in other heavy items when I do online orders, like seltzer cans and distilled water.

Peapod 25th Anniversary Celebration. Switch to getting groceries delivered to your door step!

Want to try out online ordering? Peapod is offering one of my readers a $25 gift card. Who doesn’t like free groceries?! Did you know they have over 15,000 items in their online shopping site?

Please use the Rafflecopter to enter below. Contest will close November 21st at midnight. US Residents only. Winner will be notified via email and have 48 hours to claim their prize.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy shopping!

Disclosure: Peapod provided gift cards to me to facilitate this review. All opinions shared here are my own.

Follow Me
/9 Comments/by
, ,

Don’t Lose It! Label it with Mabel’s Labels. {Giveaway}

Back to school Giveaway from Mabels Labels

If you have kids in daycare, preschool and beyond, you know how important it is to label EVERYTHING with their name on it. Even if you are just bringing in your kids to the daycare at the gym you need to label everything, like their shoes. {ask me why I know some time…} We have used Mabel’s Labels since Madison was in daycare and I have passed along clothes to friend’s babies with her name labels still attached. This year you too can get organized for back to school with the Ultimate Back to School combo pack of labels.

Shark Mabels Labels

JJ was the lucky winner of getting to pick out new labels this year. He was excited about the shark logo. I got started using those cute shoe tags to label his new back to school sneakers. His best buddy (or his Mom) picked out the same sneakers as JJ so having a label makes life a little easier.

Don’t forget to label lunch supplies too– lunch boxes, water bottles, reusable bags and an ice pack.

Label those ice packs for the lunch box

Note~ This is our favorite ice pack for the kids lunch. It’s “sweat-free” so it makes clean up at the end of the day a lot neater.

There’s still time to order your favorite set of labels for back to school from Mabel’s Labels. Got big kids? There is a Stylish Scholars combo that may interest them. Are you a blogger? I have seen lots of people use their Skinny labels on their iPhone case, chargers, and water bottles when they are at a blog conference. Just because you are a grown up it doesn’t mean you can’t get in on the fun!

Please enter below in the Rafflecopter. You will be able to pick the Ultimate Back to School combo package or the Stylish Scholars combo. Entries will close this Saturday at midnight~~ enter soon!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure~ JJ got a new package of Mabel’s Labels to help facilitate writing this post. All opinions shared here are my own. Some links included are Amazon affiliate links. 

Follow Me
/13 Comments/by
, , , ,

How Do You Rock the Lunchbox? {Giveaway}

Rock the Lunchbox. #schoollunch #backtoschool

Does your idea of a healthy lunch differ from one your kids dream about? Is there some way to get you both on the same page? As we continue to talk about school lunches this week, today I’m sharing an awesome giveaway and some resources on how to make your kid’s lunchbox rock.

I asked Madison to draw her favorite lunch. She struggled because she said she “likes everything.” If only that was true. So I asked what she would like for her first day of kindergarten. Can you tell what it is?

Rock the Lunchbox Dream Lunch

It’s a sandwich, with Nutella AND Fluff. At least we could have the conversation now that this would not be her lunch on the first day of school. On the side, she choose fresh pineapple. Now that I will happily pack in her lunchbox.

Then I took another approach and asked the kids to pack a lunch with the Laptop Lunchbox. I was pretty excited when they packed nearly all fruit into the box. There is something so compelling about filling up the little bento box containers with brightly colored fruits and veggies. The kids just naturally tapped into the rainbow.  We did talk about what’s missing-the protein. We could add in some Stonyfield Kids yogurt squeeze tubes or Organic Valley string cheese.

Kids fruity lunch in laptop lunchbox

The RocktheLunchBox website is filled with tons of ideas to pack for lunch. They are made by real moms and can help inspire packing lunches this year. I also like getting ideas via Instagram and you can find them @rockthelunchbox. {I also share a a few other lunch packing resources in this post.}

Ready for the Giveaway! One lucky reader will win:

Three Free Lunchbox Containers – get creative on how to pack!

Six Free Product Coupons – get creative on what to pack!

  • o   Annie’s Homegrown
  • o   Applegate Organic & Natural Meats
  • o   Honest Kids
  • o   Organic Valley
  • o   Rudi’s Organic Bakery
  • o   Stonyfield YoKids Yogurt

Plus 1 Set of Free Crayola Crayons – get the kids involved drawing their dream lunch!

Please enter via the Rafflecopter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure~ I received the same giveaway set to facilitate this post. All opinions shared here are my own. Now go Rock the Lunchbox! Grab coupons from these popular brands to help build a better lunchbox™: Annie’s, Rudi’s Organic, Applegate, Organic Valley, and Honest Kids at www.rockthelunchbox.com

Follow Me
/28 Comments/by
, , , ,

Back to School Organizing with Sharpies {courtesy of Staples}

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Sharpie, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia  #StaplesBTS http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Back to School Organizing with Sharpies

It’s nearly back to school season! Don’t you just love the rush of getting the kids all ready for school and buying beautiful new notebooks, markers and lunch boxes? I’m a sucker for pretty notebooks and colorful markers. I still remember how excited I was to go back to school shopping for all the items on our supply list when I was younger, back in my Trapper Keeper days.  While my excitement for back to school now focuses on my kids, it’s also about getting our family back into a routine.

Yummy Sharpie Colors. I just can't get enough!

As I started looking at the back to school deals at Staples, the fashion assortment of Sharpies caught my eye. All those colors…all that color coding I can do. Yes, even I who loves all things digital, has paper calendars and check lists. I read an article last year that said we remember more of what we write down on paper than we do after keying it into a computer (or phone.) The brain registers these two actions differently, and it’s handwriting that has the staying power. After reading this, I felt better about sticking with paper and pen for my weekly agenda. It has made a difference keeping track of my schedule as I write out the week ahead, along with my menu plan, every Sunday.

Free Printable Weekly Calendar

September has always felt like a fresh start to me, even if it’s not really a “new year.” Today I wanted to share with you a fun, FREE, printable calendar that you can use each week to stay organized. There are three ways you could use this to help keep everyone on the same page in your home.

Cute weekly calendar printable

 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE WEEKLY CALENDAR PRINTABLE

(this is a file in Google Drive, open the link then go to File–>Print)

1. Print out the calendar each week and write out your family’s schedule and color code with Sharpie markers. The Fine and Ultra Fine Sharpie packs are currently on sale at Staples through August 24th, while supplies last. I love all the colors in the fashion pack I bought. (I dug up my Nana’s old cranberry mold glass jar to hold them all for easy access. You can get the same effect with a wide mouth pint jar.) 

2. Print out the calendar once, color code your “master” schedule and then laminate it. You can then add in the weekly appointments that change using a dry erase marker. (Hint- I use the wet erase markers, which you can also find at Staples.)

3. Print out the calendar for each child and write out their weekly schedule with them. I know the young ones ask a hundred times a day when they are doing something and which day it is. Having their own calendar schedule is a great way to teach them the days of the week, and explain to them when their activities will be. Use the Sharpie colors to color code their schedule for non-readers. Red = school, blue = swimming and so on.

Sharpies from Staples for Back to School

What other ways can you use this calendar? Are you a back to school organizing junkie like me? Want to shopping at Staples together and see what deals we can find? 

 

Follow Me
/9 Comments/by