Author Archives: Xenia

Essentials for Hosting an Election Night Watch Party

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Once every four years, politics is granted the same amount of excitement as a Super Bowl – and for good reason, as presidential candidates duke it out in a winner-takes-all contest on the national stage.

Tomorrow night, the world will be watching as the results come pouring in for the 2012 presidential election. With early polls showing that this election could go to either party, you won’t want to miss out on all of the action. Gather your good friends and these essentials for an election night watch party:

  • Festive decorations: No watch party is complete without decorations like tissue patriotic bunting or mini American flags.
  • State result tracker: Don’t lose track of the voting results – note them on a whiteboard or mark them on a map in real-time.
  • Patriotic-themed food: Celebrate American democracy with some red, white and blue treats. Serve them on colored plates, like these Sur La Table Terracotta Solid Tapas Plates, and check out this PBS feature for patriotic food ideas.
  • Drinks: Whip up some festive cocktails like red cosmos and blue martinis to accompany your patriotic-themed food. And to help your guests party into the wee hours of the morning, good coffee is a necessity – especially if this election is as close as predicted. Bouchon Bakery House Blend Coffee is a good pick (available via Williams Sonoma).
  • Support apparel: Wear your support with pride – assuming that all of the guests at your party have the same views. You wouldn’t want your party to turn into (yet another) heated debate, after all! Amazon.com has plenty of options for Obama supporters, Romney supporters…and everyone in between.
         

Photo credits: williams-sonoma.com, amazon.com

Running Gear Fit for a Marathoner

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In six short days, 47,000 runners will gather at Ford Wadsworth, Staten Island, and prepare to run 26.2 miles through the five boroughs of New York City. The ING New York City Marathon is one of the largest marathons in the world, and it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement as runners from all over the world gather to crank out the miles.

In the spirit of the marathon, let’s take a look at the latest gear for the Fall to Winter running season. Whether you’re an avid runner, casual runner or aspiring runner, here are five pieces that will keep you warm on those crisp morning runs:

  1. Lululemon Runder Under Pant, $92. These running tights are designed with a runner’s needs in mind. The waistband has two gel pockets for on-the-go fuel, flat seams provide relief from chafing, and reflective piping inside the ankle cuff keeps you visible on early morning or late night runs.
  2. Under Armour Men’s Coldgear Longsleeve Compression Crew, $49.99. Cold weather calls for layers, and this compression crew can serve as a solid base layer. The compression fit provides enhanced muscle support, and the dual-layer fabric features a cozy, brushed interior and a fast-drying exterior.
  3. The North Face Handheld Hydrator, $28. It’s easy to forget to hydrate properly when you can see your breath in the air, but dehydration is dangerous, even when you hardly break a sweat during your run. Carry this handheld water bottle with you on your runs — not only does it hold 20 ounces of water, but the convenient zip pocket can hold your keys, gels or emergency cash.
  4. Nike Lightweight Wool Running Hat, $22. Keep your noggin warm with this Dri-FIT hat, which does double duty by locking in heat but sicking away sweat. Additionally, reflective details help make you visible even in dim conditions.
  5. Smartwool PhD Running Ultra Light Micro Socks, $47 for a 3-pack (via Zappos.com). Runners agree that these Smartwool socks provide just the right amount of cushion for long runs, without feeling bulky. Although the socks are ultra light, the SmartWool performs well under all weather conditions, so you can tackle cold, wet runs and humid, sticky runs with the same pair.

Photo credits: shop.lululemon.com, thenorthface.com, zappos.com

Halloween for Procrastinators

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Halloween is right around the corner, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve waited until the very last moment to scrounge up a costume. Luckily, all it takes is a little creativity and a good deal or two to whip up an affordable, Halloween party-worthy costume. Whatever your reason for procrastinating on your costume hunt, Shopilly has a solution for you:

  1. I don’t want to pay a lot for a flimsy costume I’ll only wear once. This is where the beauty of DIY comes in. You can pull together a great costume at minimal cost by assembling the pieces yourself, which also allows you to strategically purchase pieces that you’ll continue wearing and using after the festivities are over. You may even already have pieces in your closet that you can integrate into your costume. Let’s take Little Red Riding Hood as an example. Start by layering a Fleece Cape by American Apparel over Forever 21‘s Flared Chambray Shirtdress.
             Complete your look with a wicker basket (psst — Linens ‘n Things is offering 20% off selected items until 10/23 with the coupon code Halloween20). Your costume will be instantly recognizable, and after Halloween is over, you’ll have a trendy cape to keep you warm throughout the winter, a versatile shirtdress to add to your closet, and a wicker basket to use for decoration or organizational purposes.
  2. I can’t come up with an original/funny/witty costume idea. Stop being so hard on yourself! Halloween is all about having fun, so don’t stress out about having the wittiest costume at the party. Amazon.com is a reliable source for a variety of costumes, available in a wide range of prices to fit your budget. If you’re lusting after the “most original costume” award, search for “Halloween costumes” on Amazon.com and sort the search results by “New and Bestselling” to get an idea of the most popular costumes. Then avoid purchasing these costumes — or just laugh about it when you bump into another Flo the Progressive Insurance Girl at the party.
  3. I hate dressing up. Who says you have to go all-out on Halloween? Even a little creative face paint can be transformational. A quick web search for “Halloween makeup tutorials” returns a bevy of tutorial videos — one of my favorites is this zombie makeup tutorial. Once you’ve picked out a look, head over to Sephora to purchase the makeup you need to achieve the look. And just in time for Halloween, Sephora is giving you the opportunity to win a discount with its Spin To Win Friends & Family Sale!

Happy Halloween from Shopilly!

Photo credits: store.americanapparel.net, forever21.com, sephora.com

A New Way to Window Shop

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For me, the phrase “window shopping” conjures up thoughts of snowy sidewalks and the famed holiday window displays of New York City.

Though I’ve never lived in New York, I’ve always loved to window shop, even if these days, my increasingly busy life makes it difficult to actually do so.

Luckily, just as we’re rounding the corner to the holiday season, Shopilly now makes it easy for me to indulge in an exciting new form of window-shopping. Whenever I have a free moment, I find myself going back to the site to browse through my favorite brands.

You can think of Shopilly as your visual inbox for everything shopping-related – great deals from your favorite brands, a history of your past purchases, receipts that you might otherwise easily misplace and – of course – a little virtual window shopping on the side.

Here’s a short guide to getting started on Shopilly:

  1. Sign up for an account. You’ll get to choose your Shopilly email address, which you can…
  2. …give out whenever you are asked for an email address while shopping online or in stores. By doing this, you’ll reduce the clutter in your personal email inbox.
  3. You can also clean up your personal email inbox retroactively – simply let Shopilly automatically import emails from your other accounts into Shopilly, and you’ll see them in your Visual Inbox.
  4. Now that your inboxes are organized, begin shopping with a clean slate. Visit the Shopilly Brands tab to explore brands in categories such as Travel, Home and Beauty, just to name a few. You can bookmark your favorite brands by following them.
  5. Then comes my favorite part of Shopilly – visit the Window Shop tab to view offers from your favorite brands. It’s as if you had a personal shopper bringing sales from your favorite stores right to your door! You can do all of your shopping directly from your Shopilly account, and once you’ve checked out using your Shopilly email address, your purchase(s) will appear in the My Purchases tab.

There you have it – your entire shopping life transformed. But I do worry a bit – is there such a thing as a window shopaholic?

What else would you like to be able to do with Shopilly? Tell us at feedback@shopilly.com.

To Unsubscribe, or Not To Unsubscribe?

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By Xenia Shih

I’m not sure exactly when, but at some point in time, checking my email cemented its place in my morning routine. Along with brushing my teeth and brewing a strong cup of coffee, I instinctively sign-in to Gmail every morning — only to be inundated by a virtual flood of new emails.

Overnight, my inbox transforms from its obsessively organized and filtered state into a labyrinth of deal-related emails and e-newsletters. I only have myself to blame for this inbox chaos, since I signed up for all of this stuff in the first place.

Plus, I could easily put a stop to all of this by unsubscribing from these communications, but as someone who values staying on top of the latest news, trends and deals, I can’t seem to convince myself to click ‘unsubscribe.’

Some might consider this an example of the digital era phenomenon “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO). What if I unsubscribe from LivingSocial’s e-mails and then miss an incredible deal at a restaurant I’ve been meaning to try for ages? What if my favorite denim brand sells out in a Gilt Groupe sale that I hear about two hours too late?

My never-ending battle managing my inbox (pristine inbox by night; overflowing chaos by day) is just one of the reasons I’m excited to be part of Shopilly. I can’t wait to have all of my shopping and deal-related messages consolidated in one place — especially since that one place will no longer be my Gmail inbox.

Not only will it make shopping easier and more convenient for me, but I’ll be able to wake up every morning, brush my teeth, brew my coffee, and check my email in peace.

P.S. Excited about Shopilly too? Don’t miss out — reserve your Shopilly ID before it’s too late (this is one time you should listen to your FOMO!).