When you think of picking out a Christmas tree, you’re probably not thinking of going to a home improvement store. However, this Christmas we went the unconventional route and decided to pick up our tree from Home Depot.
The Selection:
They offer a handful of different trees, firs, spruces, etc, so you’re sure to find your favorite type. Tree types and sizes are each separated in various sections so it’s easy to walk around and find the right tree for you and your home.
Most of the trees are wrapped up in string, so you can’t get a great feel for the fullness or shape, but everyone around us was opening the trees up to take a look, so it seems this is acceptable. Some families had pocket knifes to get the job done, but we were able to easily untie and unwrap the tree.
We went with a 4-5ft Fir tree this year. While our apartment has really high ceilings, we’ve been buying rather short trees for the past few years simply for the fact that we leave the cats home alone for a week or so around Christmas and feel knocking over a smaller tree (which they haven’t done yet) would cause less damage.
Packing up your tree:
Once you’ve found your perfect tree, you take it over to the wrapping station where the workers are happy to level your tree’s bottom and cut off any extra branches you don’t want that might get in the way of your tree base. You can even keep the trimmed branches if you want, but we opted not to. If you need help getting your tree tied onto your car, the guys seem more than willing to help, but we came prepared 🙂
Cost:
Depending on type of tree and size, costs seem to range from $20 to $55. Our 4-5ft Fir cost $23.52 with tax, so a really great deal!
Here’s the final result, minus a tree skirt arriving Monday!
Whether you go the conventional route and buy your tree at a Christmas tree farm, or pick up your tree at a home improvement store or lot on the side of the road, I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
Fall is my absolute favorite season, so after my first great fix of the Fall came in, I just had to try my luck again and see if I could pick up any other great fall pieces missing from my wardrobe.
What’s inside my latest Fix?
What I asked for this time around: I was still on the hunt for a lightweight cargo-ish jacket, so of course I put that in my note to my stylist. Besides that, I kind of left the playing field open. I suggested keeping in mind my past boxes, Kate Middleton (my style icon), and the season (crisp weather in the New York region).
#1 – Unpublished Athenia Button Back Top
When I pulled this top out of my box, I immediately said out loud, “nope, this is definitely not going to be a keeper.” Plaid, on me!? Ok, ok, so if there’s one lesson Stitch Fix has taught me, it’s to give things a chance, and don’t judge something right out of the box. I tried the top on, and was pleasantly surprised. I don’t know if it was the color combination or untraditional cut of this top, but I started to really like what I was seeing. I recommend pairing this top with black skinny jeans – I picked up a pair at Old Navy. Pairing this top with a solid color pant like blank instantly makes this top pop! I find that the white lined with the lighter blue make the colors appear neon, which actually looks quite cool. The back is pretty neat too, so I included a picture so you could get a better sense of the button up situation (this top is a button up in the front, and the back). Maybe plaid is ok after all, when done right 🙂
Athenia Button Back Top by Unpublished
Athenia Button Back Top by UnpublishedAthenia Button Back Top by Unpublished
#2 – 41Hawthorn Arava Knit Dress
This knit dress from 41Hawthorn is a keeper! The deep burgundy color is accented with a beautiful diamond pattern in blue and black. However, the best features are the pockets! I don’t know about you, but there are not enough dresses out there with pockets, so whenever I find a dress with them I can’t pass it by. As with all my other 41Hawthorn dresses, this one doesn’t disappoint, is super comfy, and in such a flattering cut.
I’ve been admiring polka dot blouses on Pinterest for quite a while now, and even pinned a few to my Stitch Fix request board. I was so excited to pull this blouse out of my latest Fix box. The polka dots are nice and big. The blouse itself is super lightweight which makes it a teeny bit see through in some photos depending on the lighting, but overall it’s perfect. The cut of the blouse is in a hi-lo style with the back being longer than the front, which is great if you like to wear leggings or prefer a bit more coverage. For this top, I paired it with the next item in my Fix, which my stylist suggested.
Koda Split Neck BlouseKoda Split Neck Blouse
#4 – Edyson Hampton Corduroy Skinny Jean
Cords?! That was my exact thought when I pulled these pants out of my box. The last time I willingly wore corduroys was when I was a child and my dad picked out my outfits. I can’t say that I’ve thought about purchasing corduroys in my young adulthood, so this was certainly a pick I would have passed by in stores. According to my stylist, corduroys are on-trend for Fall, so I’ll take her word for it 🙂 What I love about these pants is the color, they’re a super rich green that I think will be perfect for the holiday season. Another thing I was reminded of when I tried these on, besides running around on the playground, was how soft corduroy is. I feel really comfy and warm in these pants. Maybe, just maybe, cords will be ok to rock.
Edyson Hampton Corduroy Skinny JeanEdyson Hampton Corduroy Skinny Jean
#5 – O&O Loklay Cargo Trench Jacket
Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to the O&O cargo jacket I’ve been waiting for. Alright, I hadn’t explicitly requested this jacket, but I have been tirelessly requesting a cargo-ish jacket for a couple months now. When I picked up my box from the front desk this month I noticed the box seemed heavier than usual. Was I going to get my hopes up again, or did I really just receive a jacket finally? Thankfully my hopes were not let down with this O&O beauty! I love this coat. It’s super cute, has just enough weight in it for crisp October and November weather here in NY/NJ, and comes with a cute hood and roomy pockets. The detailing on the jacket is great, from the red zippers, to a tie waist you just can’t go wrong with this piece. I’ve worn this jacket almost every day I’ve had it, and I’ll be sad to hang it up once the snowy weather starts coming our way.
Final Thoughts: Â Overall, this was a pretty successful Fix. My mind was opened up to new styles like plaid and corduroy that I would have most certainly passed by in stores. It’s boxes like these that make me excited to keep getting fixes because I get to try something that I never would have thought would work for me. Did you get your Fall Fix yet? If not, there’s still time!
As always, suggestions for a better fix:
Be very specific. If there are certain pieces or types of clothing you really want, provide that in your styling note to your stylist.
Create a Pinterest Board. Stylists will check them out if you keep mentioning them in your style notes.
Call out designers or names of actual articles of clothing . Your stylist may not provide those exact items but they’ll start to get a better sense of what style you’re into.
Don’t forget to follow my Pinterest Boards for more Stitch Fix fun!
Haven’t tried Stitch Fix yet? Sign up with my Stitch Fix code! Disclosure: As a Stitch Fix Affiliate I receive compensation when someone signs up using my code.
Halloween is a little under two weeks away, so what’s a redhead to be? This year this redhead is paying homage to my favorite series (book + movie), Harry Potter. I’ll be becoming Ginny Weasley this Halloween. I’m actually surprised it’s taken me this long to be Ginny Weasley for Halloween.
To put together this costume, I knew I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, and I wanted to find pieces that I could potentially wear at other times of the year as well. Searching on Google gave me a few ideas, and I found my first stop was hottopic.com. Hot Topic is a great place for fan pieces and less costumey pieces.
The first piece of your costume you’ll need is a Hogwarts/Gryffindor sweater, which you can pick up from Hot Topic or Amazon. I chose to get mine from Hot Topic since a lot of people on Amazon complained that although the picture presented was of the grey cardigan, they actually received red ones. Hot Topic had the right color in stock, and it was on sale!
Gryffindor Cardigan – Hot Topic
I did have some issues with Hot Topic though (lost package and a poor experience calling customer service), so I would suggest shopping in store if possible. However, once I finally got a cardigan, I have to say, the quality is awesome, it’s super soft, and very cute! For sizing purposes I went up a size because when I tried on my usual size in store (even though the online size chart said it would work for me) I found it was too tight around the chest and the button areas kind of pulled apart leaving not so pretty gaps. Try on the sweater in store if you can to make sure you get one that works best for you.
The second thing you need is a black pleated skirt. I bought mine off of Amazon – the MBJ Womens Basic Versatile Stretchy Flared Skater Skirt. Don’t be surprised if you get a skirt several sizes larger than you would normally get. The size that I requested equated to a size 2 times larger than I’m used to wearing. The skirt itself is cute, comfy, and soft, so a pretty good find for only $15. The skirt also comes in a ton of different colors, so if you fall in love with it, go crazy!
To capture Ginny’s look, you’ll also want black shoes or flats. I’m going with a pair I already had in my closet. Pair these with black tights, socks, or go bare skinned if you prefer.
Black Tieks
I recommend wearing something under the cardigan. While Ginny has been captured wearing a button up top, I figured I would go with my own style, adding a white tank top underneath. Since I’m going with a tank top, I’m also opting out of the Gryffindor tie, but if you’re wanting to go all out, definitely wear a white button up and the tie. Pick up the tie here.
For extra fun, throw in a wand and you’ll be good to go! This outfit will work for girls and women of all ages, and is really easy to put together. If you’re also not wanting to look to costume-y, this outfit is perfect.
If you’re not a redhead, you can still rock this costume, be it as Hermoine or another lady Gryffindor favorite.
Who doesn’t love driving in the countryside, leaf peeping, and picking up some of Fall’s best products, pumpkins and apples on a lovely Fall day?
This past weekend we found ourselves with the Fall activity itch, and since it was the first good weekend of October, we wanted to take a drive in the countryside and see what we could find. We happened upon Riamede Farm in Chester, NJ.
Riamede is a cute farm for picking up pumpkins, apples, and yummy goodies, so we did just that! The farm claims they have trees that were planted half a century ago and that they were first “pick-your-own apple orchard in New Jersey.” Who wouldn’t want to give their apples a try with a claim like that?
There’s a ton of different apple varieties at Riamede, and plenty of apples to go around.
Riamede Farm Apple Orchard
It was a beautiful day on the farm, the air was crisp and full of the smell of apples.
We walked away with Red Delicious and Baldwin Apples. If you want massive apples, bigger than you’ll ever find in store, Riamede Farm is the place to go. I couldn’t believe how big the apples were that we found.
With our apples, we decided to make an apple crisp! Luckily the store had an apple crisp mix so we picked one up, especially since this was my first time ever baking one! Since the apples were so huge, we only needed 2 apples for the crisp, which came out delicious if I might say so myself.
If you find yourself free over the next couple of weekends, head over to Riamede Farm in Chester, NJ. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.
Things to note:
Admission to the farm costs $2.00 per person on the weekend – free during the weekday
You can buy plastic bags for your apple picking adventure for .50 cents. We had a bag with us, so we just brought that.
Apples are charged by the pound (under $2 a pound), which get weighed at the register
Riamede Farm is cash only. They do have an atm in the little shop if you forget.
Fall is here, and it’s my favorite time of year! Warm beverages, fall leaves, apples, and cozy sweaters are just a small part of what makes Fall amazing. This Fall I also had my FabFitFun box to look forward to. Check out what’s in store for this season!
First up, the box this season was plain white with fun Fall designs, so it was absolutely perfect to find that FabFitFun included a coloring book and set of color pencils (which they recommend using to decorate your box!). Coloring books are all the rage for adults nowadays!
Time for beauty products! This box you’ll find yourself with a luxurious body oil, gel for your eyebrows, and a night serum.
Mullein & Sparrow Mini French Lavender Body Oil This oil smells just like a fresh bouquet of lavender, it’s heavenly and not too overpowering. They say this oil helps calm your skin, but I also find it helps calm me as a whole, making me feel like I’m having my very own private spa experience. Tip: You can also add this to a bath.
The Browgal Clear Water-Resistant Eyebrow Gel
Full brows have been all the rage lately, so this gel is a great essential for keeping them in place and looking fabulous. The best part, is this gel is waterproof so you can even go swimming and still look great.
Skin Laundry Restoring Night Serum I’ve been meaning to find some sort of night beauty treatment, so I can’t wait to try this serum out. The serum promises to provide firmness, elasticity, and improve your skin texture.
To go with your beautiful skin and brows, I also received the Pure Cosmetics Nude Collection Eyeshadow Palette. This palette is full of beautiful colors that will look great on anyone.
Pure Cosmetics Nude Collection Eyeshadow Palette.
So we’ve got our beauty regime covered, so of course it made perfect sense for FabFitFun to include something for your bath/shower.
Spongelle Bulgarian Rose Body Wash Infused Buffer
Spongelle Bulgarian Rose Body Wash Infused Buffer This buffer/sponge smells amazing! I love the cute shape and how it comes prefilled with body wash. This buffer promises to restore your skin leaving you feeling like silk. Once the rose body wash has been used up, you can add your own soap to this sponge to keep the buffering going.
Fall is the time of year when you want to feel nice and cozy, and you can do just that with the next two items.
Toesox Toeless Fitness Socks These socks are so cute and perfect for use on your yoga mats. Slipping and sliding on your mat will be no more!
Toesox Toeless Fitness Socks
Modcloth Loch and Key Scarf This scarf is great and oh so massive! The scarf is practically a blanket and there’s nothing better than an oversized scarf when the air starts getting chilly. You can belt, wrap, or poncho this scarf up. So many options, so much warmth!
Modcloth Loch and Key Scarf
As always, every season FabFitFun provides some sponsored extras as well. This month they provided a couple great bathroom must haves as well, a Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloth box and a tester size Secret Outlast Xtend Clear Gel.
Overall, I think this Fall box is a great haul. I’m looking forward to using these items this fall, and pampering myself a bit with some of these amazingly smelling products. There might still be some boxes to purchase, so don’t wait, you won’t be disappointed!
