I can't remember exactly when I first saw the first Descriptive Apparel tee come across my Instagram feed but ever since then, I seem to see the white tees with positive + affirming messaging at every turn. Maybe since we travel in some of the same blogger circles, our paths were destined to cross and I am certainly glad it was sooner than later. Founder Kerri Koen is one of those gals who had an idea and when the creative juices are flowing, sometimes you just can't stop them! Her vision is coming to life and her tees' messages are resonating with gals just like me. Her Mama Bear tee allows me to show the people of the world that I am proud to be a mother + I will protect my lil' cub with a fierceness you don't even realize... but, well, the t-shirt makes it simpler to explain than that. I had a chance to ask Kerri a few questions about her brand and where she sees herself in the future. 

Give us a little detail as to how Descriptive Apparel came about. What initially drove you to start DA as a brand? 

The idea of the “Fire Wife” tee has been on my mind for a while.  I had this daydream of a crisp, white tee with black script.  No red or firetrucks, just something cute and classy that I could dress up or down.  Last September, I was right in the middle of this really busy orientation at my office when I realized that my husband knew a screen printer that could bring my idea to life.  It was the worst possible timing, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  Starting with something as specific as a shirt for wives of firemen seemed too small, so I went back to the drawing board and came out with “Over Achiever.”  I was doing designs and building a website at night, taking calls between meetings, and sending my husband all over town to get it off the ground, but it was so worth it.  I love the creative outlet that DA provides, and the community of women that I’ve been able to connect with is simply amazing. 

When creating your products/tee phrasing, where do you take inspiration from? 

I want the descriptions on our tees to always be positive and motivating, and to reflect how real women feel about themselves.  My inspiration comes from the women all around me that are doing amazing things every day.  We work, play, and love.  We raise babies, support our partners, and encourage our friends.  I want there to be a Descriptive Apparel tee for all of these things.  Currently, we have Over Achiever, Mama Bear, Fire Wife, Wanderer, and Like a Girl, but the list of upcoming descriptions is so long!  And, of course, I am always open to requests.

Who do you hope to reach with your Descriptive Apparel messaging?

Women!  To be more specific, hardworking, butt-kicking, non-stop women.  I see so many of us working our way to the top of a company or industry, or starting our own business, or raising amazing little people.  Too many of us are afraid to say just how amazing we are.  Why not WEAR how amazing we are?  The roles that we play every day – and there are a lot of them! – make a difference in the lives of so many.  I love the idea of being able to describe ourselves with something as simple as a t-shirt.

What do you love to do in New England, when you aren't busy running Descriptive Apparel?

I am a lake-girl at heart, so in the summer months you can always find me on my parents’ boat up in Maine.  In the winter, I mostly hibernate!  I am such a home-body, which I am learning to embrace as I get older (maybe a new t-shirt idea?).  I love to visit restaurants, whether it be at my favorite local spot with my husband, or grabbing a few cocktails & appetizers somewhere in Boston with the girls. 

You have certainly hit the ground running! Where do you see Descriptive Apparel headed in the future?

Right now, I am excited to expand options beyond our signature tee.  A muscle tank is currently available for pre-order, and a long-sleeve is in the works.  I definitely do not want to exclude the men in our lives forever, because I know they are out there doing amazing things as well.  But expect lots more options for the ladies before we take on dressing gentlemen. 

I am excited to watch Descriptive Apparel grow and reach new audiences. Want to get in on the action? You can find Descriptive Apparel 

on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter so be sure to join the conversation and follow Kerri's journey! 

Elena Brower's Art of Attention Deck

Elena Brower is one of my favorite yogis. I first experienced her instruction at the Yoga Reaches Out New England event last year and I was just in awe of how great her/our practice made me feel. Imagine how excited I was to get to hit the mat with her again at BlogHer this past Summer for back to back morning sessions (shout out to Depend for sponsoring!). I was 100% officially an Elena Brower yoga fan. This post, I guess, is a sort of gushy one but really it's more so to introduce my readers to some amazingly motivational yoga cards. I have to thank the super sweet Rebecca Casciano for introducing me to the Elena Brower's Art of Attention Yoga Healing Cards at the Well Summit in November. In her Sacred Beauty session, she had us all pull a card from the deck and noted that most likely, no matter which card that you pulled, it would speak to you on any given day. It was true, I found something that resonated with me in the card that I chose from the deck. Ever since then, I've been thinking about getting the entire set for my every day because it's really important to have conversations with yourself to remain grounded. I made hints to get them gifted to me and it just didn't happen so I finally made the decision and now they are home (because they're on Amazon, hello and that made it easy + I'm an independent woman!). I made a commitment to be more mindful this year, and felt that this would be a worthwhile purchase. Whether it's with my morning coffee before my son wakes up or after a calming yoga practice away from home, these cards are sure to be a (beautiful) reminder of the important things that we should cherish and be thoughtful of. I would recommend them to anyone who asked, really.

If you've never practiced with Elena, you should check out Elena's Calendar to see if there is a class or workshop near you! She's traveling all over this Spring from New England, NYC, CA to the UK and Australia; she is trekking to spread the good vibes. I am trying to see if I can make her Art of Attention weekend in West Hartford in March, since it's only about an hour or so away. Her weekly/monthly classes in NYC are likely amazing so check those out if you're a New Yorker. It's worth your time to take care of yourself and your mind so I encourage you to hit the mat and meditate on life sometimes, if only for a few minutes.

Shop Smarter- New Year's Goals

Each year, we usually sit down and look at all the things that we can improve upon and give ourselves resolutions. I am always trying to improve but there is something to be said about a new year and a fresh start. We are looking at this year kind of differently. Rather than the ol' stand by's of eating healthy, being more active, losing weight etc, I am sort of looking at my financial wellness as well. I am trying to spend less frivolously and make my dollar go further. We are fortunate to not have to pinch every penny but we need to be better about saving money where we can. Also, I do NOT need any new clothes or shoes or beauty products. As much as it makes me feel good, I just can't do it this year. #1 space is getting slim in the closet and #2 our money can be spent and saved more wisely. Jet.com contacted me before the Holidays to do a post about their site. I had never heard of them before but agreed to give them a trial run. One of the best things about blogging, and getting to try new things, is to actually discover a site that you would truly use and offers an alternative allowing you to save money.

Right off the bat, I searched for diapers. I always need them and they are hella expensive. We really like Pampers Swaddlers but #1 it's tough to always find the Propah Toddlah's size and #2 anywhere online doesn't really offer the best discount. I was pleasantly surprised to find the size I wanted and a decent price on diapers on Jet.com. Ex: Pampers Swaddlers Economy pack, Size 5 on Amazon is not even available and the comparable Size 6 is $45+ dollars. On Jet.com, they're available and $35.77 with free 2 day shipping (and by the end of the experience they were $26.57). Saves me a trip to the store (time is money) and I get exactly what I want. Believe me when I say, that I was surprised that they had Amazon beat but it just goes to show, that you have to do your research if you want to save money. I did this same exercise with trash bags, light bulbs and other household items and all were cheaper on Jet.com. Plus, with every item you add to your cart, you save money. You can also forgo the option to return, which saves you additional money. I won't be returning diapers so I'll take that change back, thanks!

In addition to the little things that add up while shopping the site (return waived, debit payment discount, more items added discount), Jet.com has something called "Jet Anywhere" which allows you to shop through Jet.com on other sites (like I did with Uniqlo, 15% JetCash back) which then will translate to a percentage back to you in Jetcash. If you use Jet a lot, the % rate of return on your purchases is actually pretty great and it just goes right back into your household shopping budget. Mama likes.

Since I was a first time customer, I used a discount code they provided for creating a new account (which you can do here). Always look for a discount code when shopping anywhere and you'd be surprised at how often you could take another 10-20% off of  your order. The product arrived within a couple of days, albeit in separate shipments in some cases, so I cannot complain about that aspect at all, if we are going to compare to other sites. For no money out of my pocket, unless you consider the Jet Cash earned through my Uniqlo purchase, I was able to get 104 diapers, trash bags, light bulbs, Dog Dental Treats, Erasable Pens, and some crafting supplies (four grommet and eyelet kits) for under $70. Just looking at my cart before and once I placed the order, you can definitely see the savings on each item.... Plus, I had a good time doing it, SAVING MONEY!

If you are serious about saving money for your family in the New Year, then I urge you to check our Jet.com. They have an extremely wide variety of products that you are used to seeing on other sites, and even some  you have found aren't available elsewhere. Just because you have been shopping a site for what seems like an eternity, doesn't mean that they are always offering you the best deal. Just keep Jet in mind in the future.

*Jet.com provided me a credit to shop their site. Though I did recieve compensation, all opinions are my own and I did try to show you the honest experience I had shopping with them.

New Year's Goals

This isn't a post about resolutions rather a post about what I want to do this year. The commitments that you make to yourself are important and should be honored all year long, not just at the turn of a new year but that being said there is something nice about putting your goals down in writing so you can refer back to what you'd set out to do because if you're anything like me, well, you forget a lot of things. So the things I want to do, in no particular order, are as follows:

Avoid Over Committing Myself: I do it all the time. I have a hard time saying no to people, invitations and I often am tired at the end of the day. I don't need to do it all and if I am more mindful of how I am spending my time, I will have more time to do what I want to do, which is to work on my handbags.

Ask for Advice: I do not know everything. I don't claim to. I often consider myself smart but there are a lot of times that I just need to know what others' opinions are on things. Instead of keeping my trap shut, I am going to reach out to the crazy talented and friendly people that I surround myself with. These people will help me, I just know it, and their advice will be super valuable.

Take Advice: Asking for advice is one thing but taking it is completely another. I need to learn from others in order to grow and I am all about personal growth this year and forever!

Collaborate with Honest and Worthy People + Brands: This blog is important to me but I am not going to sell my soul down the river just for some product samples. I am going to be very mindful of my relationships this year. Are they good people? Do I like what they are doing? Do they align with my values? Can we provide each other with a mutual beneficial relationship? All these are questions I will be asking myself.

Do More Yoga: I just feel good on the mat. I need to make this a priority so that I can focus my mind.

Use my Real Camera More: We paid a nice chunk of change for this thing and I even bought a tripod so it's on this year, Canon Rebel!

Be Healthy without Stressing: This one is important because I am not about to "let myself go" but I am kind of sick of stressing about how I look in skinny jeans or why I have to wear bras with thick straps (because my boobs are so big). I am what I am and while I would love to be smaller, I need to focus on just being healthy and mindful.

Make Handbags: I want to make handbags. There, I said it. I put it on my blog. I took a class the Summer before #PropahToddlah came along and it's been jangling around in my mind ever since. I want to make them and I want people to use them. More on this to come, but I want to make this happen for me no matter how long the process is going to be.

See Celine Dion in Vegas: Her residency ends in June. I have Brandon almost convinced that we can make a long weekend of it. I will make this happen this year.

What do you want to make happen this year? Do you have a resolutions post? 

The Third Piece Pops Up at The Street

The Third Piece, a luxury knitwear line owned by two trendsetting Boston women, will take over The Pop-Up from Thursday January 7, 2016 through Wednesday January 13, 2016. The Pop-Up at The Street is located at 7 Boylston Street Chestnut Hill, MA. If you haven't heard about The Pop-Up at The Street, well, my friend, you are missing out on a cool new concept to hit the outskirts of Boston. The Pop-Up just recently housed a bagel joint and will welcome a floral artist in the future but for the week of January 7th through the 13th, The Third Piece will pop up it's first store front! Now, I love what they've got going on... for those who are interested in purchasing some crafty, cool Winter accessories, you can go ahead and purchase those luxe-handmade pieces... but those who want to whip them up themselves? The folks at The Third Piece want to help you do that as well. They are offering up a knit bar and knitting workshops throughout the week so you can pop in and try your hand at the whole kit 'n caboodle yourself.

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE: NEW YEAR NEW HOBBY Thursday 1/7 (630pm), Friday 1/8 (630pm) , Saturday 1/9 (12pm, 3pm, 6pm), Sunday 1/10 (12pm, 3pm), Monday 1/11 (630pm), Tuesday 1/12 (630pm)

The workshop participation includes:

- 1 Skein of The Third Piece Funky Chunky - Color of Your Choice
- 1 Set of Bamboo Knitting Needles (US Size 15)
- A Knit Kit Tote Bag
- A fun creative learning experience taught by a Master Knitter with additional guided assistance
- Access to Complimentary Pattern Support for future yarn purchases
- 20% off All Collection & Yarn Purchases at our Pop-up Store!

AFTERSCHOOL LEARN TO KNIT (ages 7-13), Friday 1/8 (4pm) and Monday 1/11(4pm)

The workshop participation includes:

- 1 Skein of The Third Piece Funky Chunky - Color of Your Choice
- 1 Set of Bamboo Knitting Needles (US Size 15)
- A Knit Kit Tote Bag
- A fun creative learning experience taught by a Master Knitter with additional guided assistance
- Access to Complimentary Pattern Support for future yarn purchases
- 20% off All Collection & Yarn Purchases at our Pop-up Store!

KNIT AT NOON Thursday 1/7, Friday 1/8, Monday 1/11 and Tuesday 1/12

The workshop participation includes:

- 1 Skein of The Third Piece Funky Chunky - Color of Your Choice
- 1 Set of Bamboo Knitting Needles (US Size 15)
- A Knit Kit Tote Bag
- A fun creative learning experience taught by a Master Knitter with additional guided assistance
- Access to Complimentary Pattern Support for future yarn purchases
- 20% off All Collection & Yarn Purchases at our Pop-up Store!

Will you be hitting one of the workshops this coming week? I sure will be!