Online Shopping 101

In my last post I explained why I am making the shift to online shopping. In this post I am going to explain some of my favorite online shopping tips and hints to quicker and cheaper shopping with fewer returns. Also check out the bottom of this post with some links to my favorite sites.

1. Always read the reviews! This one is important for understanding the quality and size of a garment. Pictures usually tend to be more flattering of an items fiber content, and can even alter the true color or hue of the product you're interested in. Customer reviews can help determine whether the picture is true to the product or not. As for sizing, unless you are familiar with a brand first-hand, you can never be sure as to how something is going to fit, especially with pants or shoes. Reviewers will typically inform you whether or not the item runs big or small, slim or loose, short or long, etc.

2. Check the return policy. If you can't return it - don't buy it! If you can return it, make sure you are comfortable with the return conditions/policy. Some sites will offer free returns while others you may have to pay full shipping. If you are ordering from a site that has a storefront, sometimes it can be to your advantage to return it in-store rather than mailing it back. If you're purchasing clearance items be sure to see if returns are available on that item. There is nothing more frustrating that purchasing something on-line, it not fitting/being what you expected, and then not being able to return it.

3. Check the shipping rates. A lot of online sites will offer free shipping once you've reached a certain purchase amount. Others will have promo codes you can enter at the checkout that will provide free shipping - or even better, total purchase discounts. I love checking out Retail Me Not for promo codes, free shipping, and additional savings.

4. If you have any hesitations, don't buy it! If the item you're considering purchasing isn't something you're absolutely crazy about, don't buy it. If you're not 100% about a flawless picture of it, just remember that it will look even worse when you put it on (no offense, it's just the truth). Then, on top of that, you have to send it back and you will be kicking yourself to the post office for having not listened to your intuition. So save yourself the trouble and just take my advice, okay?

5. Don't let online shopping consume you. You wouldn't go to the mall everyday (or at least I would hope), so don't shop online everyday. Yes it's convenient and you don't even have to put clothes on to do it, but it's a waste of time. Before I go online there are a few things I like to figure out. First, what am I shopping for? If I don't have a specific item (or items) in mind, then I don't need it. Second, what sites will probably have what I'm looking for? If I'm shopping for running shoes then I may go to a different site than I would if I were shopping for a cocktail dress. Being organized and focused in your shopping ventures can save a lot of time. Third, use the search filters provided. A lot of sites will let you narrow your search by style, color, size, price, etc. These tools can really hone in your search to the closest match they have to what you had in mind.

Now that you know some of the fundamentals, try them out for yourself. Here are a few sites I enjoy:

6 pm - lots of different brands and styles for every occasion at low prices.
asos - similar to 6pm but prices are a little higher
gap - great selection of basics and essentials and check frequently for additional savings on already marked down items + free returns
ModCloth - best site for dresses and shoes with great clearance deals
Urban Outfitters - carries a lot of the tacky/glittery stuff, but has a great basics/essentials line + great summer sandals
Forever 21 - hate the store, love the site! Use the search filters to find what you want at close to in-store prices

and don't forget to check Retail Me Not before every purchase!

Share your own online shopping tips and site suggestions in the comments below!

xo.

Summer Fashion = Bigger Bank Account

This morning my husband was thumbing through the pages of the July 2013 issues of Cosmopolitan when he exclaimed, "this is terrible!" Stepping away from the french press and leering over his shoulder to examine the situation, I saw two pages filled with what appeared to be women dressed completely in costume jewelry, slut-ified pant suits, and hats all reading "dope" above the brim. The title of this article was "Sexy Summer Nights." My husband and I shared a "you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me" moment and continued on with our morning.

photo: Cosmopolitan

As my day progressed I was unable to shake the Cosmo article and image associated with it from my head. As if that wasn't bad enough, I started noticing what everyone around me was wearing, and because I work at a middle school, I soon found myself giggling to myself at the trends I saw some of the students donning.

While taking in the costume-esque garb of the teeny boppers around me, I remembered another incident earlier in the week when I had gone to the mall with my mother. I was searching for a bathing suit to bring with me on my upcoming trip to Hawaii, and after several hours of searching and undressing and redressing, I left the mall empty handed. Neon this, fringe that, sequins here, plastic jewels there. It's as if Justice bought out the entire fashion industry and started marketing towards women above the age of ten.

Maybe I'm just too boring too embrace the "sexy summer" trends of 2013, but I have decided that from this fashion fail are two benefits. 1: I haven't spent hardly a dime on clothes this year. 2: Like all trends, this one will die, and if we're lucky, it will be at least 30 years before it's revived again.

Luckily, for those of us with an internet connection, there is still online shopping and the glorious clearance and sale pages associated with them. If you have the time to comb through pages of clothes and the patience to wait for items to arrive in the mail, online shopping can be a cheaper and more comfortable way to shop. Please check out my next post for online shopping tips and some sites that I have been very satisfied with.

xo.

What Happened to My Foot, and What I've Learned

Always listen to your body.

(Something that I failed to do this week.)

44 days ago I promised myself to get in shape for my belated honeymoon to Hawaii. Every summer I pledge to shed my beer belly, and every summer I get too drunk to drive to the gym. Okay, I don’t get that drunk, but I do always fall off the wagon and retire my fitness plan about one week in.

This year was going to be different. I was really going to do it! I was going to eat more salad, drink more water, and up my physical activity. I made realistic goals that didn’t exhaust me or leave me feeling starved. By the second week of my fitness plan my physical activity and diet habits became second nature. Running became easier and I was going twice as far. Healthy food was the only thing that sounded good because my exerted body craved the nutrients. I felt and looked great.

And then my feet started to hurt.

Not wanting to miss a day of cardio, I kept running. I ran until the foot cramps worked themselves out and I didn’t feel the pain anymore. That was my first mistake. Rather than keep going, I should have rested, because now my feet hurt so bad that I’m not even sure I’ll be able to get another run in before Hawaii.

In terms of my workout plan it’s not a huge deal because I can do other workouts that don’t put as much stress on my lower extremities. What is a big deal is what I have learned from the experience.

Last night I went out with my best friend and I drank more than I have since starting my fitness plan. This morning when my foot pain was too intense to run, and my breath was stale from the gin and my eyes burned red from the hangover, I would have exchanged every ounce of alcohol consumed the previous night just to be able to lace up my running shoes.

I guess my point is that when we make certain lifestyle changes, those changes impact other aspects of our life. Certain things that we used to enjoy become secondary as new rituals move in and take over. Had my feet felt strong and ready to run this morning, I still would have felt hungover and weak, and the performance of my workout would have diminished. In more ways than one I observed this feeling as a turning point and sort of next-step or pilgrimage into adulthood.

I’m looking forward to my feet strengthening up and getting some good sandy beach runs in during my trip to Hawaii. As for the gin and whiskey, next time I think I’ll skip out on that last shot.

xo.

Welcome!

Welcome to Wild Gift!

I am leaving for Hawaii in less than two weeks and it is almost unbearable to walk. In my first ever serious attempt to sculpt and define my squishy frame, I overdid it and sustained a foot injury - to not one, but both of my feet! I'm channeling the good spirits in hopes of a quick recovery, otherwise I could be in some serious discomfort for my upcoming belated honeymoon. 

That being said, I am looking at the bright side of things (always an optimist - except during menstruation) and am using my immobility as an opportunity to begin my blog. For some time now I have wanted to start a page that would serve as an all encompassing platform for my writing, handiwork, and general musings. After years of reading trash magazines, half-assed how-to-guides, and redundantly schmaltzy female empowerment articles, I figured it was time to put matters into my own hands. Consider this page my reaction to popular journalism directed towards women in my age bracket (25-34).

While I'm  not sure the precise direction I want to take this blog currently, I hope that over time it will sort of manifest naturally into what it is supposed to be. But for now it will remain a kind of hodge-podge platform for me to gush and rant about whatever pushes my buttons and tickles my fancy. Enjoy!

xo.