App Review: Spring

If Instagram and Tinder had a baby and that baby loved shopping, it'd be Spring, the latest mobile shopping app that expects to be a serious game changer in the e-commerce world.

With your Spring account you can follow brands and their latest products will display on your feed. From there you can like an item (to save to your "Loves" list), share an item with a friend, or buy it on the spot. Pretty cool right?



You can discover new brands or trends via the "Discover" section where stylists and lookbooks are displayed or you can browse via category or the master list of shops available on the app. Many name brands like Warby Parker,Vince, Mara Hoffman, and Joie, area already on the app but what's really cool is when you sign up, Spring also defaults you to follow a bunch of underground brands. While some might be a strike and a miss for your style, it is great exposure for the brands and helps any gal who doesn't want to dress like every other gal (aka a basic betch), discover new designers. Unfollowing brands is also as simple as click "Unfollow," which is what I am in the process of doing for anyone that is way over my budget, cough cough Marchesa, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, etc.

Some of my new favorite and cost friendly stores that Spring helped me discover include:

giejo
USA based swimsuit company that uses vintage and reclaimed textiles to create their colorful styles.

Industry Standard
Minimalist skinny jeans that start at $95 (amazing).

Bing Bang Jewelry
Made by a former blacksmith, their jewelry is badass with a femine touch.

My biggest and only gripe with the app is that it's so easy to purchase and item once you put in your payment info and frankly I'm a little scared of what might happen after a few glasses of wine. Maybe I should email them and ask them to put in a passcode or some sort of intoxicated blocker...

To learn more about Spring visit these helpful links:

Spring

Quick Purchases, Sleek Brands, No Social: How New App Spring Looks To Crack Mobile Shopping (Forbes)

- Suzanne

(Images via Forbes)

The Week of September 15th

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Fall is in the air!  Here are some updates you need to know about this week:


C E L E B R I T Y
LC got married this past weekend!

Martha has some fighting words.


L I F E  A D V I C E
Emily outlines some great money-related tips good to know sooner than later.

How to find the best foundation for your skin.


L O C A L
The new RMV branch opens at Haymarket today.  Definitely more convenient than the Chinatown location, but how do we think this will change the area?


M I S C E L L A N Y
Our lovely blogging neighbor to the north, Stephanie Sterjovski, relaunched her printshop today and she really did not miss a detail; everything looks so cheery and cohesive!

One of the secrets behind Disney movies.

A new hit song made better by this lovable video.

An amazing Drake cover ballad.

The things about life that dogs teach us that no one should take for granted!

Altuzarra for Target just launched and has some great pieces for work.

Something that no one can stop talking about, Apple's keynote last week.  That Apple Watch is just unreal.  What was your favorite part of the big announcements?


Have a great week, everyone!

- Meredith

New Favorite iPhone Apps

After bitching and moaning to friends last week about a broken iPhone (white screen of death for 4 whole days), I rejoined 2014 with an upgraded phone.  Thanks to iCloud, everything restored perfectly and now that I have more space, I can download more apps.  Here are some of my recent favorites that I would recommend to bring efficiency to your life:

LevelUp // As a Boston-based company, LevelUp is essentially that "virtual wallet" we should all have by now.  You hook up a debit card to your account and can pay with your phone at local retailers, racking up savings over time.

ShopStyle // After selecting a brand, item type or specific product name, ShopStyle scours the internet for you to find your favorite items on sale.  You receive an email when the item's price lowers, so you know it's the right time to grab it!

Uber // From suburban meetings for work to not wanting to deal with Boston cabbies, Uber is IT. The cars are generally immaculate, fares cheaper than taxis due to different licensing, you pay through the app itself and even rate the driver at the end of each ride.  Plus, the promotion of 25% on UberX rides all summer is reason enough to download.

Songza // Songza presents curated playlists according to mood, time of day, or a certain event.  You can then "like" or "dislike" the song, and those you do like, save in your account.  It's like having a DJ with you at all times!

Drive // Google just does no wrong in my eyes.  Drive is connected to your Google account and is virtual storage of documents, spreadsheets, photos and more.  You can easily share items with friends via email in addition to group editing.  Cam, Suz and I pretty much live by this app for all JUGs-related things, such a lifesaver!

VenMo // I use VenMo almost weekly, it is a great way to split bills and pay friends back for that cover charge you just didn't have in cash for this weekend.  This is a shared favorite in my friend group, it just couldn't be easier! Plus, the newsfeed of payments is built-in entertainment.

Any others I missed?  What are your favorite apps these days?

- Meredith


photos from Google and Forbes

Graduation Gift Ideas

Graduation gifts have been on my mind as of late since I have two graduations coming up in the next two weeks, eek! In my opinion graduation gifts don't need to be on the extremely expensive side, like a family heirloom or a Cartier bracelet. I prefer giving gifts that are purposeful, memorable, cheery, inspirational...or sometimes just a necessary item. 

H I G H   S C H O O L  

For a high school graduate that's about to head off to college, dorm room decor or weekend travel accessories are perfect functional and affordable gift items.

Shams  //  Frame  //  Print  //  Pioneers of the Possible  //   Weekender Bag  //  Desk Trays

C O L L E G E 

For a recent college graduate, try to keep their spirits up and reassure them that their life isn't ending as they enter into the "real world." Keep the gifts light, but practical - maybe a grown-up accessory for work, a cute wallet with a financial learning book, decor for their first apartment, or a one year pass to a gym, since they'll no longer have their campus membership.

Satchel  //  Tassle Keychain  //  Oil Painting  //  Financially Fearless  //  Wallet  //  Moroccan Pouf  //  Yoga Mat  

- Suzanne

Overdrive App for Book Lending

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Remember that place called the library?  Yeah, between the holidays and hectic after-work schedule, it had been a while for me, too.  Well, so long as you have a library card, you can borrow books and have them sent right to your iPad/kindle!  A friend of mine walked me through this, and I'm so glad that I no longer have to buy book club books!  Steps are as follows:

1.  Using your library card number, create a pin either at your local branch or online
2.  Install the Overdrive app on your device
3.  Search for the book on the library website

4. Choose "ebook" version, and select "send to kindle" when the amazon prompt appears.

You now have the book on your device for a two week lending period.  Now, off to start (and finish) Beautiful Ruins before next Thursday!  Have you tried the Overdrive app?  Or do you still prefer the classic physical paperback version from the library?

- Meredith

Holiday Gift Guide Vol. 5: For the Parents

Mom and Dad... always there for you, always say that they don't "need" anything, but where does that leave you to show your gratitude at the holidays?  I've rounded up a few gifts any parent would love to entertain with, or treat themselves with since they should be traveling more with an empty nest at home these days!

makeup bag, $35 // holiday tumbler glasses, $24 // wine cooler, $60 // east coaster coaster set, $36

slate cheese board, $30 // hi-rise iphone/ipad dock (great for the kitchen or use as a stereo), $35

neck warmer, $48 // #nomnomnom oven mitt set, $14 // anti-wrinkle kit, $53 // needlepoint clutch, $78

dopp kit, $58 // ipad case, $42.50 // custom leather luggage tag, $45 // hoodie, $75

countertop bottle opener for the deck, $40 // gym bag, $70

classic v-neck sweater, $60 // cedar shoe trees, $30 // handbook for his favorite drink, $20 // USB charger, $34.50

In case you missed our other gift guides...
for the hostess // for your secret santa (all $25 or under!) // shopping local // for your favorite guy


- Meredith

Fair Trade Finds for Fall

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1 Green Mountain Coffee Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Coffee Grounds  /  2 Stone + Cloth Ipad Case / 3 Harper Chukka Boots / 4 Sweetriot Chocolates / 5 Orpha Scarf / 6 Fair Indigo Socks

Fun fact: October is Fair Trade Month, so this is the perfect time to reassess your shopping methods. Sure, all gals want practical, beautiful items, but how often do we stop to think about where these items come from and who is making them? The six items above are pretty things that you can also feel good about buying. Each was handmade by artisans that will be paid fairly for their work. Purchasing items at a fair cost means you'll be stabilizing fragile economies across the globe. So, go ahead, shop!!! 

p.s. how amazing are those boots?! I am obsessed.

- Cameron

Recap: Altitude Summit NYC

Alright gals, we promised we'd dish on Alt Summit so here it is! To be honest I've taken the past few days and still feel as if I am just beginning to digest it all...so bear with me:

First and foremost it was our first Alt Summit and as all the bloggers before us have said, it was an amazing and very educational experience. We met some wonderful bloggers and sponsors and all the speakers were top notch. From Grace (my blogging idol) and her words on Surviving Internet Trends, to Kathleen King's amazing and scary story of Tate's Bake Shop's ups and downs, to the advice on building a relationship with your audience from head of Warby Parker social media, Jennifer Rubio and John Jannuuzzi of Lucky Magazine, they all captivated the audience. And those are just a few of them!

As I'm looking back and trying to put it all together, I think the two most important things I learned from all the speeches were:

1) Build a community
Blogging is a very supportive and community driven industry. The friendships you build will become a safety net and a sounding board for you throughout your endeavors. Seek out people in your same space as well as those you admire or consider way out of your league. Everyone at some point has looked to someone for inspiration, and will probably be willing to lend a hand or send a quick email response. Why not ask that blogger you admire how they got to where they are? Don't be afraid of rejection. Remember, you won't get anywhere without sticking your foot out.

2) Build a relationship with your audience
We as bloggers are nothing without our readers. Find ways to be constantly reaching your readers - yes that means keeping up with technology. We're not saying jump on every tech wave that rolls in, but be conscious of outlets that will make an impact in your sphere like twitter, facebook, pinterest, instagram. Take your readers' input with a grain a salt. That means try and reach their demands but also remember you're human and can't be in 10 places at once.

Those two key points really sum it up for me, though I'm sure we will continue to reference the conference over and over as the summer goes on. We will probably also do another little write up Garance Dore's closing speech soon too, so you won't want to miss that!

Oh and how could I forget Martha! Yes, because the conference was held at Martha Stewart Living's HQ (which was an amazing warehouse space with a roof deck), Martha graced us with her presence. I think my heart stopped for a wee second.

To learn more about Alt and their upcoming events or classes (new!), check out their homepage.

- Suzanne

Just Hukk It

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A few months ago, my friend Zoe told me about Hukkster. Have you guys heard about this? Its amaze!  I don't like paying full price. Like many of  gals, I find shopping to be a sport. How can I get the best deal on my "must-have" item? There is now a web site that helps monitor my "wish list" and alerts me when an item goes on sale. Hukkster, allows you to "hukk" items that you would like to buy, but not until they are on sale. Simply sign up, install the "hukk it" button in your browser, visit your favorite web site and "hukk it!"

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- Cameron