5 Tips for Shopping on Craigslist

People always tell me, "Wow, you find such great deals on Craigslist! How do you do it?" And it's true, I'm a master Craigslist shopper. I've bought dressers, a dining set, patio furniture, end tables and lots of other awesome stuff through Craigslist. I thought that instead of selfishly keeping all of this wisdom and insight to myself, I should share it with you so that you too can fill your home with beautiful recycled things! Check out five tips for shopping on Craigslist below.

Made in America 2014 Style Guide

This is the third year the Made in America Festival is being held in Philadelphia and of course, I got my tickets nice and early. However, if you're anything like me, you wait until the very last moment to get your outfits together, so this weekend I'm headed out in search of some festival appropriate attire. Last year, I put together this 2013 MIA style guide, which I think is still appropriate, so check it out for some additional inspiration.

Wardrobe lessons learned over the past two years:

1. Wear comfortable shoes. This is not the time to try out knee-high gladiator sandals or your daintiest flip flops, for two reasons; one, your legs and feet are going to swell from standing and being in the heat (ouch) and two, the concert is dirty, really, really dirty. Protect your piggies and your pedicure and stick with close-toe, flat options with good support.
2. Leave your romper at home. I made the romper mistake last year. Think about it a romper is a one piece outfit with shorts...how do you think you go to the bathroom in that? I'll tell you. You either strip naked in the port-a-potty (so nasty) or you pull the shorts and your underwear to the side (also nasty, but faster.) Save the romper for another time!
3. Hands-free is key. Bring a back pack, cross body bag, fanny pack, whatever. You're just going to want to not have to worry about a shoulder purse/bag all day long.

Beach day essentials

Beach Day Essentials by marissasays featuring a blue beach towel

This little heat wave has me thinking about parking my tooshie in a beach chair and sticking my toes in the sand. Instead, I'm sitting at a desk in an overly air conditioned office. Major bummer. A girl can dream, can't she? I'm headed to Ocean City, New Jersey for the Fourth of July Weekend with a small group of friends, and since I'm a crazy planner, I'm already writing my lists of things to bring. When you're a beach bum like me, you have to be prepared or there's no way you're going to make it all day in the sun. So here's my list of beach essentials, for a full day on the beach. 

The key is an even mix of activities, entertainment and relaxation tools:

1. First up on the list, an over-sized beach towel, preferably in a nautical print. Whether you're lying directly on the sand, or sitting in your chair, you want a towel made of nice fabric, that's going to keep you comfortable and dry. 

2. Sunnies - beach sunglasses should be a) cheap and b) mirrored. This way if you happen to go in to the ocean with them on, you won't be too bummed when a rouge wave rips them from your face and you can eye up the man (or lady) candy without looking like a major creeper. 

3. Havaianas - I'm specifying the brand of flip flops because in this case, it matters. Sure, you can score 20 pairs of Old Navy flip flops for the price of one pair of Havaianas, but they're not going to be as comfortable and they're definitely not going to last as long. These are the best. Hands down. 

4. Sunscreen - I don't care how well you tan, grab a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF and apply that goop in liberal doses every hour. Believe me, you'll still get tan, but you'll protect yourself from the harmful rays, the ones that lead to a trip to a dermatologist years down the road. 

5. A hat - Don't forget your scalp when applying sunscreen, but I know it's hard when you have a full head of hair. Sometimes when you feel like your face or head is getting a bit too much sun, the hat is a perfect solution. I am a fan of the fedora variety, which has an air of cool and casual, but if you can pull off the wide brim Gone-with-the-Wind-fabulous look, by all means... 

6. Kindle, book or magazine - People-watching at the beach is one of my favorite past times, but I also love getting lost in a good book or gossip magazine at the beach. What I love about my Kindle is that it's super light and easy to pack, has an anti-glare screen and allows me to have a handful of books loaded up, so I never run out of reading material. 

7. Games - When you need to stand up and stretch your legs a bit, Pro Kadima is the perfect game to play with a friend. BryGuy and I love to play a version where you stand at the edge of the water and count how many times you can hit the ball before it hits the ground. If you're feeling a little less active, but still want to interact with your beach mates, spread out a blanket and play another board game like Bananagrams, cards or Scrabble. 

8. Boogie board - If I go into the ocean, it's usually just for a quick cool off and then I'm out again. But if I have a boogie board, I could stay out there for hours, trying to catch a wave, or just bobbing along. 

9. A good beach chair - We just invested in some Tommy Bahama beach chairs, they are definitely a little more expensive than I'd typically spend on a beach chair, but they are so comfortable, easy to carry (they come with backpack straps) and have a cooler pouch on the back! 

10. Beverage koozies - You need a way to keep your beverages cold in the hot sun, so grab a clever beer koozie and stay refreshed! 

11. Cooler - Keep your beverages and food cold all day long in an insulated cooler. Don't forget to pack plenty of water and lots of snacks! 

Nākd Bars: A Healthy & Delicious Snack

I always struggle to find healthy snacks. Sure, nuts are tasty, but they're easy to overeat. You start with one almond and then the next thing you know you've consumed half of your caloric intake for the day in nuts. Fruit is good, but not very filling and sometimes tricky to transport. Beef jerky is one of my favorites, but the grocery store brands have tons of sodium and other ingredients I can't pronounce, and making jerky at home is a complicated process. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to sample Nākd healthy snacks, they're made by a British company devoted to increasing world happiness with yummy healthy snacks. Since I was competing in the Girls on Girls Partner Throwdown last weekend, I figured I'd share them with my fellow hungry athletes. Lots of folks in the CrossFit community try to eat paleo, and luckily Nākd bars are both gluten and dairy free and have no added sugars. Check out more photos and my full review below.

2014 wedding guest style guide

Wedding season is upon us, my friends. It seems to get longer and longer each year. From May through October you can count on attending at least a few weddings each year, especially if you're in your mid-20s or 30s. I pulled together 11 options to serve as inspiration for your next soiree. My number one requirement when choosing a dress to wear to a wedding is comfort. Basically, I plan to be doing a lot of eating and dancing and therefore I need a dress that's going to hide my food baby, and not look risque on the dance floor. Keep reading to see my picks for 2014 wedding season. 

Mother's Day Gift Guide

If you've waited until the very last minute to pick up something for your mama. Here are a few ideas, most are available on Amazon Prime for next day shipping. 

1. Fitbit Wireless Activity and Sleep Wristband $99 // 2. Statement Necklace $26 // 3. French Press Coffee and Tea Maker $38 // 4. Salad Spinner $30 // 5. Fossil Rose Gold Watch $80 // 6. Flowers // 7. Birch Box Year Subscription $110 // 8. Toms $59 // 9. Garden Goddess Tool Set $30

Fitbit is perfect for the active mom, while the watch, necklace and shoes are perfect for the stylish mothers. If your mom loves spending time in the kitchen and she doesn't have a salad spinner or french press, both will change her life. For the gardening mama, this adorable garden set is sure to make her smile. Birch box, is the gift that will keep on giving all year long. It' a monthly subscription program that will let your mom try new beauty and grooming products each month.

Last but not least, I put flowers on there. While flowers might seem like a cop-out they are not, as long as they are done right. Don't order online, and don't pick out an arrangement from a book. Call up a local flower shop around where mom lives and talk to a real person. Explain your mom's style and taste. Does she like rustic, classic or modern arrangements? Do you know her favorite flower? Arrangements that have a lot or all of the same flower tend to have a dramatic impact. Also, consider switching up the vessel. A plain glass vase is just that, plain. Find a unique vase/container and she'll have it to put fresh flowers in forever! The key to having flowers not seem like an after thought is to make them different from any other arrangement she's received before! 

Most importantly, don't forget the card. While I'm sure you are all great sons and daughters and you tell your mom how special she is throughout the year, take a few minutes to jot down some of your favorite memories or reasons your mom is extra special to you in a Mother's Day card!

Go Popcorn

Step right up! Boy, have I got a treat for you! If you're not one of those people that's obsessed with popcorn, don't worry, you will be soon enough. I was recently introduced to Go Popcorn by some of my coworkers, although the adorable shop on 12th Street has been open for about five months now. The founders of The Pittsburgh Popcorn company recently popped up (pun intended) in Center City. This ain't your regular run-of-the-mill popcorn stand my friends, this is gourmet to the max popcorn. You want sweet popcorn? Treat yourself to the peanut butter cup variety covered in melted milk chocolate and gooey peanut butter. Feeling savory? Might I recommend the cheesy garlic bread? Yes. You read that right. Popcorn covered in cheese, butter and garlic. Just make sure to stock up on some mints before you dive mouth-first into that.

When you enter Go Popcorn you will file into a queue marked off with red velvet roped stanchions. A lovely lady or gent, behind the counter will greet you with a warm smile and ask if you would like to try any samples, to which you will answer, "Yes please. I'll try all of them." It may seem a little pricey at first, but once you see how much popcorn they pack up your bag and you take a bit into those flavorful kernels covered in chocolate, cheese, or whatever, you'll understand it's all worth it. More photos below.

Vacation lust list

Vacation Wishlist by marissasays featuring La Roche-Posay

We are heading to Puerto Rico soon and I have a wish-list a mile long of things I'd like to buy for the warm weather. Do you do that too? Suddenly you literally have NOTHING to wear. I'm in that boat. 

I just purchased a few new wedge sandals, new Havaianas and a bathing suit last month but there are number of other things I'm on the lookout for in the next week: 

• A beachy hat - how cool and boho do you look in a casual hat like this? 
• New sunnies - I always admire how people look in aviators but they always look super weird on my face
• The perfect new beach tote - it needs to hold all my shit without being the size of a mini cooper. Is that too much to ask?
• Spray sunscreen with mega SPF - I'm more translucent than Casper over here. 
• Summery dresses that are day and evening appropriate
• A light-weight beach cover-up - that's not mesh or whorish, or too conservative... like a suburban mother of five. 
• A good beach hair product with sunscreen that doesn't make my hair greasy. Is that too much to ask?!?
• Cute flat sandals (not flip flops)
• Brown leather heels - I like the ones pictured above. But ideally, I'd find ones with a chunky heel instead of a wedge heel 
• A crisp white blazer. 'Nuff said. 
• A grey jersey maxi. I'd live in this all summer. 
• Bright jewelry like these mint studs

What's on your wish-list for summer or your next vacation? 

Obsessing over...

Ponchos, capes and cardis, oh my!

I just can't get enough of these cozy ponchos, capes and super soft and long cardigans. I think it's the cold weather, I just want to wrap myself in giant cashmere throw, grab a cup of tea and a good book, and never leave my couch. I'm particularly fond of that lavender/grey number on the bottom right, it would be the ideal transition piece to take me into spring. As you can see, the cold weather also has caused me to pick an essentially neutral palette. With the exception of Joseph's technicolor dream coat on the top row. 

Most of my options are somewhat affordable but I gave you a couple of pricier ones if your pockets are deep (Why hello, Burberry cape!)

Which ones are you lusting after? 

Ponchos, capes, and cozy cardigans by marissasays featuring a zip front sweater

My favorite gifts

Christmas was amazing this year. For one, we got to spend a full week with our families! It was so nice to be able to stay longer than a weekend and have some quality chill time with our parents and my siblings. I also am fully aware that I overindulged on life (and food and drink) over the past seven days and need to step away from the cookies for the next month or more. I'm so blessed to have such generous people in my life and I wanted to share some really cool stuff that I scored this holiday! Read on for details and links. 

Last-minute shopping tips

So, you have seven days left to shop... don't panic. That won't help. I've got some tips for you if you have a few last-minute items to pick up or if you haven't even purchased one gift yet. Also, last week I put together a holiday gift guide if you still need some inspiration. 

2013 holiday gift guide

Are you in a panic looking for the perfect gift for someone on your list? I'm right there with you. Since I'm in full-fledged shopping mode for Christmas, I figured I would throw a little bit of my inspiration your way. I pulled together three gift lists that will hopefully help you find that special something for that special something. Let me know if there's any other must-buys this year that you've come across.

Holiday party style guide

'Tis the season of the holiday shindig. With weekends booking up like it's nobody's business, you're going to want some different options. Most have a bit of fanciness to them, I mean come on, it is the holidays after all, but all of them could easily be toned down. Plus the last option is SUPER comfortable. 

Which look is your favorite? Do tell. 

What to wear to Kanye's Yeezus concert

I'm heading to the Yeezus concert this Saturday and have been searching high and low for a little outfit inspiration. I wouldn't want to disappoint Ye, being that he's a creative fashion genius and all, with his leather jogging pants. With that being said, I think there's a few ways you can go with this, comfortable bad-ass, sexy video girl, urban glam, or an edgy punk look. 

Which look would you go with? 

I'm leaning towards outfit number one because I love my new leather jacket that was a birthday gift from Bry and I'm trying to wear it as much as possible, and I think this look will be the most comfortable and weather-appropriate. 

Fall fashion wish list

I have been itching to spend some cash on some new pieces for the fall. It's my most very favorite time of the year. The perfect fall day means waking up to a 55 degree crisp morning that warms up to the low 70s by the afternoon. Doesn't that sounds wonderful? It makes me want to grab a cider donut and some hot cider (spiked with rum of course) and go watch a football game.

Fall Fashion Must Haves by marissasays featuring a city bag