Tag Archives: shopilly

2012 Holiday Gift Guide

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If you were one of the brave souls who headed out in the wee hours of Black Friday (or even shortly after Thanksgiving dinner) to take advantage of the sales, our hats are off to you. If you chose to sleep in or just prefer shopping from the comfort of your couch, it’s not too late to catch up now – it’s Cyber Monday, after all!

As you navigate all of the great deals for your holiday gift shopping, take a look at this gift guide we’ve compiled for the special people in your life:

The Clothing Maven
Open anyone’s closet, and you’ll encounter a world of colors, patterns, fabrics and fashions. Rather than taking a (risky) stab at pinpointing a person’s style preferences, give him or her some peace of mind in the form of closet organization. The Container Store offers a plethora of closet organizers – the Milano 6-Compartment Hanging Sweater Bag keeps those pesky shoulder bumps caused by hangers away. Target sells a convenient Tie and Belt Hanger that keeps accessories organized, and for the jetsetters in your life, a GarmenTote Garment Bag (available via Bed Bath & Beyond) keeps dresses and suits wrinkle-free.

The Tech Lover
Thank your go-to tech expert for all of the times he or she saved your computer/phone/life with a cool accessory for his or her latest gadget. Amazon carries Speck’s line of eye-catching, protective and budget-friendly iPhone cases. A pair of Klipsch Noise-Cancelling Headphones from Brookstone is sure to make any audiophile’s ears happy, and Nike’s Jordan Gadget Gloves make it easy for your tech lover to fiddle with a touchscreen without risking frozen fingers.

The Foodie
‘Tis the season for good food, and lots of it. Treat your beloved gourmand to some seasonal delicacies. Williams-Sonoma makes a fantastic Peppermint Bark, and its Italian Food Lovers Gift Set makes throwing together a good pasta dinner easy as 1-2-3.  Cheese enthusiasts will appreciate one of Sur La Table’s many cheese samplers, and Wine.com makes it easy to ship a good bottle or two to any holiday table.

The Athlete
Nothing gets in the way of this person’s fitness goals – neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor overconsumption of holiday treats. Guarantee that your athlete doesn’t get caught in the elements unprepared. A proper baselayer is key for retaining body heat, and Patagonia has a good selection of baselayers for women and men. For those below-zero days when leaving the house seems like a workout in and of itself, your athlete can still get a good workout in with a video like Jillian Michaels: Ripped in 30 DVD, available from Gaiam. Lastly, the REI Outdoor School offers a wide selection of programs and classes for budding and experienced climbers, cyclers, kayakers and more.

The Artist
When displaying your artist’s work on the refrigerator just doesn’t cut it any more, show your appreciation with the gift of framing. Art.com’s Photos [to] Art program allows you to upload a photo and customize it into a work of art, such as a poster calendar, canvas print or mounted photograph. For the crafty, Papyrus does custom printing, so your artist can design and print his or her own stationary and cards. Lastly, Z Gallerie has a wide selection of art, and if you purchase a piece and enter the promo code GIVE20 today, you’ll receive 20% off your purchase.

Happy Shopping!

P.S. Is holiday shopping already causing your wallet grief? Here’s your chance to win $700 from Shopilly – invite your friends to join Shopilly by December 11th, and you’ll receive 5 entries into the holiday giveaway per invitee! Details here.

Photo credits: target.com, brookstone.com, surlatable.com, patagonia.com, art.com

T is for Thanksgiving and Table Setting

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If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this week, chances are by now you’ve finalized the menu and perhaps even started prepping some of the dishes. Between the turkey roasting, potato mashing and pie making, you might not have much time to dedicate to table settings. But don’t neglect the tabletop – it’ll be one of the first things your guests notice when they sit down for dinner.

If you’ve had your nose nestled too deep in recipes to think about decorating your Thanksgiving table, fear not. We’ve compiled a little list to help you assemble a beautiful table setting before the first guest hits the doorbell:

Happy Thanksgiving from the Shopilly team!

Photo credits: cb2.com, williams-sonoma.com, anthropologie.com

A New Look for Shopilly

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As the seasons change, so do we. Log into your account, and you’ll notice that we’ve given Shopilly a bit of a makeover to provide you with an even more visual, seamless shopping experience this holiday season. Take a look at some of the changes we’ve made:

Navigation

Now you can access Window Shop, Inbox, Brands and My Stuff from the top bar on any Shopilly page. The top bar is also where you can navigate to the Settings, provide us with feedback, read up on some FAQs or log out. Just look for your Shopilly ID on the right side of the bar and click on it to view your navigation options.

Include Your Friends
Can’t wait to tell someone when you find a great deal? Invite your friends to discover your best-kept shopping secret by clicking on “Invite Friends” in the top bar.

And, when you’re window-shopping and find a deal you like or you think a friend will like, you can easily share it via Facebook or Twitter. Just mouse over the deal to reveal the sharing buttons. How’s that for being a good friend?

Customized Editor’s Picks

That’s right, the Shopilly editors are hard at work hand-selecting deals for you. You’ll find the Editor’s Picks in Window Shop, next to My Brands and Other Brands. The picks are updated daily, so check back every day!

Link More Email Addresses
You told us that you love the email import feature so much that you want to be able to link more email addresses. Well, we’ve listened – introducing: the ability to link more email addresses to your Shopilly ID! Simply visit the Settings and click on Email Import to link additional email addresses.

Contact Us
Tell us, how did we do? We’d love to hear your feedback about these recent changes. And, as always, stay tuned for even more Shopilly updates and improvements.

Happy shopping!

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.

Our First Week in Review

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What a whirlwind first week it’s been for Shopilly!  We launched our site to great reviews from friends & family, new users and the media.

Starting with the simple yet radical idea of re-imagining email, our founder Anirban Datta has built an amazing team to bring this idea to life.

We’re thrilled to see the early positive reactions, including articles in Fast Company, MSNBC, and the San Francisco Chronicle — and emails and comments from lots of our early users.

Please keep the reviews and the feedback coming — we’re listening. And this is just the beginning for Shopilly. We’ll have plenty of news to share in the weeks and months ahead.

So stay tuned…