Orvis Spring Collection #SpringIntoOrvis

*I received complimentary product from Orvis for this review.

I'd never shopped with Orvis before starting this campaign and to be honest, I sort of thought that they were specifically for fishing gear; I'd only vaguely heard of them. When I had the opportunity to shop their Spring collection, I was actually surprised by how many wearable pieces that they carry. Not only do they have dresses and skirts but they carry active wear as well! I needed something that I could wear on a cool morning jog then not have to worry about a quick transition to running errands or playing with the guys. You see, I may be a bloggin' girl but I'm living my life over here. Planning a photo shoot with my Orvis goods was going to be a struggle with the #PropahToddlah so what I did was just grab my camera on a Saturday morning, ask the hubs to get involved and try to catch some moments with my son and furbaby. What's great about the Orvis Spring Collection is that it's perfect for the type of active lifestyle that I have, even if I'm not fly fishing or hiking everyday, ya know? We had our coffee, took some snaps and that's what I love about my new pullover; it was along for the ride! + Thumbholes!

Besides the sunshield pullover hoody (perfect for the chilly Spring run-jogs!). I grabbed the Striped Knit Tee Shirt Dress and a pair of grey Sperry Seacoast Canvas Sneakers, you know, for a classic nautical look for Summer. I'm actually really drawn to the dresses that they're carrying right now. Super simple but classic and versatile. I've got my eyes on a plaid popover number for this Summer! So now that I've piqued your interest and all that, there's something exciting that Orvis is working on!

Influence Central along with Orvis is hosting a contest for the new spring collection available at Orvis through which Prim and Propah readers can enter to win one of ten $100 gift codes to Orvis. Contest opens on March 28, 2016 and closes May 2, 2016. Readers can enter by choosing a social media sharing option from the social media tool below! Can't wait to shop? Orvis has kindly offered coupon code: ICSPRING for $25 off a purchase of $50 or more (good until September 30th, 2016)... so what are you waiting for? Enter the giveaway and head over to Orvis to check out their Spring Collection!

Orvis
Refresh Your Wardrobe Giveaway
*Influence Central will randomly select 10 winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.

I first found Cause I Run through the JUGS/ Boston Green Blog as I often find good things in and around town (Boston). I was immediately like "I WANT TO KNOW MORE" because coming off of the WELL Summit, I am all thinking about who makes my clothes, what am I putting on my body, where was my food grown and all the questions that you ask yourself because you should actually care about these things... Cause I Run is just getting started but creator/doer/magic maker Amanda Yanchury is hoping to create a sustainable athletic/leisure line that will stand the test of time and help you develop a mind set that has you making thoughtful purchases, even for your workout gear. Not only that? Amanda plans to "give back" to worthwhile organizations, developing lasting relationships so that this small business of hers can be a kindness powerhouse. I had the opportunity to chat a little with Amanda and am excited to see what is in store for Cause I Run. I sincerely hope that you will sign up for their email list so you can be the first to know about their upcoming Kickstarter!

Give us a little background on what Cause I Run is all about. What was the inspiration the sparked the creation of CIR?

I've been running for just over 5 years, and I was always the fashionista of my group of friends growing up -- and my mom used to call me her "personal shopper." Then I started working from home for a year and a half, and one day I realized that "athleisure" was my entire day-to-day wardrobe. I started thinking about the clothes I was wearing. As runners, the clothes we wear represents us and what we stand for in the most public of ways, when captured in race photos (and let's be honest, shared on social media). There are lots of runners who are altruistic and generous by nature, as evidenced by the multitude of running events with a charitable giving component, and yet the clothes we wear might not necessarily reflect those values. Most are constructed by workers making pennies on the dollar in sometimes unsafe conditions. Runners deserve athletic wear that is ethically made. Aside from producing ethically and sustainably, I also wanted to help people in a real, tangible way -- so runners can give back even before they line up at the starting line. A percentage of each purchase will go toward one of our chosen causes. The name just came to me one day, and there was no going back. 

What is one easy tip that you can give about how to make educated and ethical purchases?

​

Buying ethically is tough, but it is possible. My advice is to start by picking one big-ticket item that you'll intend to wear for years. Search around for independent brands and save up for that one purchase. Then tell all your friends. :-)

Can you give us a little peek at what CIR is going to be offering and when we can start giving back with our purchases?

I'm so excited to say that we have our first prototypes in hand and our production partner is 

​working on perfecting​

 them as we speak! We'll have a line of women's athletic wear available for pre-order in early 2016 via Kickstarter. This first collection will include a tank top and running capris -- and we'll have unisex t-shirts available too in the interim, until we're able to get started on the men's collection!

When you aren't "running" your super sweet business, what do you love to do for fun in New England?

I moved to Boston from San Diego last June, so I mostly spend my time preparing for winter. Just kidding (sort of). When I'm not training for a race, I enjoy exploring my new 'hood (Cambridge/Somerville) and connecting with fellow women and/or product-based entrepreneurs. 

I love what you are doing with Cause I Run. Where do you hope to see the brand go in the future?

Thank you -- I can't wait to share it! My hope for Cause I Run is to create lasting partnerships with a few really amazing organizations who are listening to communities in need and enabling them to lift themselves up. Aside from using recycled materials, another way we can value sustainability is to help make lasting positive changes for people. And I already have big plans for the next three collections, including expanding to men's active wear, and more athleisure items like sweatshirts, joggers, and more. Make sure to sign up for the email list to know when we launch!

Be sure to catch Cause I Run on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Kickin' My Butt with New Activewear

This past weekend I was super fortunate to get the opportunity to get my butt kicked at a spin class courtesy of Flywheel Boston and Marshalls. I say fortunate with a little bit of hesitance since while I was peddling away on my spin stationary bike, I was cursing my life... but at the end of the day, I got a killer workout, with some killer folks in a killer outfit. Let me start at the very beginning... The #propahbaby and I headed out to my local Marshalls (also a HomeGoods, BONUS) to get some new workout clothes. This is a new year, and as cliche as it sounds, I want to get fit and lose that baby weight. As hard as it is to get to the gym or to yoga, it's that much harder when I feel like a frumpy dumpster. The other day, I legit wore my maternity yoga pants because I didn't have anything else clean. While those pants are comfy, for sure, they don't really make me feel like I am ready to conquer the world. The lil' dude and I took to the activewear, dividing and conquering. What I came home with was a whole lot of new gear that I can wear to yoga, to spin, to drop the babe at daycare and everything in between.

Yoga Week, Day Five: Aurorae Yoga and a Sweet Giveaway!

It's Day Five and what a fantastic week it's been. I feel so inspired to get back to my (new) normal routine and am happy to have new motivation in the new roommate that I have living in my house ;-). The #propahbaby has me all sorts of motivated to keep active and fit for his sake. A Mom who can keep up with him is a Mom who is winning. In any event, here we are at day 5 and I am so excited to introduce a fantastic yoga line called Aurorae Yoga.

Aurorae is a family business founded in 2009 by yoga student and cancer survivor, Dennis Ingui. Cancer-free for more than 10 years, Ingui started Aurorae as an outlet in his life to help build his body and develop inner peace of mind. Aurorae considers all customers, supporters, partners and employees a part of its Aurorae family and treats everyone with the same respect, kindness and love that each deserves.