With so many monthly subscription services available now, its hard to sort out what ones you really want to subscribe to. I have been trying out a few of these services and thought I would share my experiences and what I think of each "box" that has arrived at my door!

1. Birchbox// I am not a huge fan of Birchbox, and I feel like I'm the only one. I had high hopes for this one when it started. I was receiving really cute useful products and then all of a sudden I stopped getting useful ones in my box and started getting things that I really wasn't interested in. What happened? The one plus about Birchbox, Its super cheap! Only ten dollars a month.

My verdict?  Not terrible, but I probably wouldn't try it again. (10$ monthly)

2. Rocksbox// I really couldn't love Rocksbox any more than I already do, and I think it has a lot to do with the jewelers that they use. Loren Hope and Margaret Elizabeth pieces are gorgeous! And if you decide you just cant bear to give the borrowed jewelry back and you need to buy it, Rocksbox will give you 10% off the retail price.

My verdict? Love it! (19$ monthly)

3. Scent Bird// I've only been sent one perfume thus far, but I really like the idea of this and the perfume I did get was great. I especially love the little twist bottle they include with the fragrance, its spill proof and tucks right in to a purse. The vial is big enough to last the whole month but is not a full size.

My verdict? I like what I see so far! (15$ monthly)

Glossybox// Glossybox is my favorite out of all of these! The samples are ginormous (if not full size sometimes) and are incredibly high quality. I look forward to my Glossybox arriving every single month! Almost every box that I have received has a nail color in it, making it worth the price with just that alone.

My verdict? Absolutely amazing!

Julep// I never tried out Julep because (and this is completely ridiculous) I thought the bottles were weird. And then I received a polish at a conference I was at last summer and fell in love! The formula is great and the brush swipes the perfect amount of polish on to the nail. I would equate the polish worth to be about the same as Essie, but the fact that you can subscribe and try out new colors is pretty cool.

My verdict? I like it! (FBF)

Boxy Charm// This is my least favorite out of the bunch. I feel like the products are not only poorly manufactured (one of the mascaras they sent snapped in half) but the box is also way overpriced for whats inside.

My verdict? Not for me. (21$ monthly)

Stitch Fix// Expensive! The clothes were cute and they have a wonderful team of stylists ready to help if need be, but I really couldn't get over the cost with this one. I'm also someone who really enjoys shopping so to have a random assortment clothes arrive was a little weird. I could see someone who is on a time budget loving this service! Another thing that is great about this one is you can send back whatever you don't love so you aren't taking too huge of a risk.

My verdict? Wonderful for the right person. (80$ or more monthly)

Nibblr// Adorable and delicious! I pop the little snack packs into my car for a last minute snack supply. I have yet to come across a nibblr mix that I don't like! It keeps me from getting too hangry and its the least expensive box on this list.

My verdict? Yum! (7$ monthly)

A little disclaimer to end this post, I did receive some of these boxes free of charge and others I paid for. There is something to be said about your review holding more weight when you pay full price for services like this and these opinions are just my two cents on the matter. I also wouldn't recommend something to you guys unless I felt like I would spend my own earnings on it. I would love to hear about your experiences with subscription services in the comments below!

xo,

Natalie

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Incase you haven't noticed, it's very very....very cold outside! 

Last weekend I was up in the mountains at Timberline Lodge and officially had to break out the cold weather accessories for my trip. Hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, boot inserts the full deal. Today I'm sharing my go-to combo for staying warm against the winter chill.

Outfit Details: Plaid Scarf/ Rain Boots/ Denim/ Rain Coat (c/o)/ Similar Hat/ Cable Knit Cashmere Turtleneck (under 100$!)/ Mittens/ Monogramming by The Monogrammed Home

Whats your go-to combo for staying warm in the snow?

xo, 

Natalie

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I just love "whats in my bag" posts! Since a few things have changed in my purse for the holiday season, I thought I would share with you what I have been carrying around with me lately!

Barrington Gifts "Stadium" Crossbody/ Probably one of the teeniest bags that I own. Tiny in the best way though! It holds just enough to have your essentials when you go out. Ive been taking it absolutely everywhere and ironically enough have yet to use it in a stadium! 

Buisness Cards/ You never know when you will meet someone who you might want to work with later on or even just grab a cup of coffee with. I like to have my contact info available at all times just in case. I get my business cards from moo.com and am oh-so happy with how they turn out every time. 

Starbucks Gold Card/ Gotta get those gold stars! It makes my entire week when I get a free drink. 

Nordstroms Debit Card/ If you don't have one, get one. You earn points on purchases and it doesn't have the same financial weight that getting a credit card does. 

Five Dollar Starbucks Gift Card/ Now your thinking "thats weird" and normally I would agree. I buy a batch of five dollar gift cards every 4 months or so to give out as impromptu gifts. I find that they are great to slip into cards to send to someone for a multitude of reasons. Perfect for celebratory occasions, thank you notes, or just when someone has had a hard day. I've been using them this holiday season to send to those who I want to get a little something for, but don't know their personal taste that well. I choose to keep them in high stock around this time of year and tend to always have one with me. Incase you were wondering I settled on five dollars because it's enough to buy any item on the menu! 

Christmas Kleenex/ So cute! I just couldn't resist getting a pack! 

Candy Canes/ Tis the season! I always have little candy canes on me during the holiday season. It started in high school when I used to babysit and used them as rewards for a chore well done. But since then, I just like to have them around for myself!  

Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil/ I use this instead of perfume around this time of year. I stumbled on this Aura Cacia one at the grocery store and quickly became obsessed with its scent. I swear it smells just like the holidays if you could capture that in a bottle. I carry the one pictured around with me in my purse and just ordered a replacement from Amazon because I'm almost out.

Seasonal Lip Gloss/ There is no doubt that I am absolutely ridiculous for carrying both of these around with me. Regardless, I love them. 

Not Pictured: A whole gambit of receipts from one too many trips to Target, embarrassing. 

What do you carry in your bag during the holidays?

xo, 

Natalie

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If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed my feed was filled with a little more snow than usual! I spent the weekend up on the mountain at Timberline Lodge with the boy and my family. We spent the weekend playing in the snow, sitting by the fire, and celebrating the season. I had the best time and was so sad to come home!

If you haven't heard of Timberline, It's a lodge here in the Oregon mountains (Mount Hood) that was built in the 1930's as part of the WPA during the great depression. The lodge is full of history and a ton of the original elements (including the furniture!) are beautifully restored.

The absolute best part was waking up in the morning to the fresh snowfall! It made for a gorgeous winter wonderland. It was so enchanting, right up until I slipped and fell for the third time. Then it was time to go back inside and view the snow from a "Natalie proof" distance.

The signature hot chocolate is oh-so good! I strayed away from my usual coffee drink more than a few times to enjoy one. Even if I tried my very best, I don't think I could re-create it at home. A true snow day treat!

Both nights at the lodge my family went to dinner down in the dining room. The festive decorations that surrounded me definitely gave me extra inspiration to hop out of my fleece snow pants and get a little dressed up for the evening. To be completely honest it was just nice to take a shower and put on something dry at the end of the day. Snow has a way of leaving you soaking wet. I swear I will never take my blow dryer for granted again!

Friday night dinner: Wearing: Dress (c/o)/ Shoes/ Sweater/ Earrings (c/o)/ Lip Color

Saturday night dinner: Wearing: Dress (Similar skirt here!)/ Shirt (c/o)/ Shoes/ Earrings (c/o KEP Designs)/ Lip Color

A very merry weekend getaway!

What did you do this weekend?

xo, 

Natalie

PS. "Green Monday" has some great sales going on! Ive included a list below for holiday gift searching, happy shopping!

Nordstroms/ Up to 40% off select markdowns.

C.Wonder/ 30% off + free shipping. 

Nieman Marcus/ Up to 50% off women's

Saks Fifth Avenue/ Up to 40% off

Anthropologie/ Extra 30% off with code: EXTRAMERRY

Kate Spade/ 25% off with code: JACKPOT

ASOS/ 20% off select brands.

Forever 21/ 30% off select merchandise.

Barneys/ Free shipping!

Club Monaco/ 30% off select merchandise with code: WINTERFAVES

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"Whaley" excited about this post! (hehe, can't seem to stop with the whale puns!)

I have had my eye on a Vineyard Vines shep shirt for quite some time and even had it listed at the top of my Christmas list this year! So when I arrived home from Thanksgiving break to find one at my doorstep, I just about passed out. What a way to kick off the Christmas season!

Let me preface this by admitting that I haven't taken this shirt off since it arrived, seriously I think its been over 48 hours by now. Yikes! It's just so easy to wear it running errands, going to class, to meet someone for coffee. The possibilities are endless I keep adding more and more appropriate occasions to the list. Probably my favorite feature of the shirt is the plaid shoulder fabric, I mean it doesn't take much to convince me that plaid is the most versatile pattern ever. Extra festive this time of year!

All of the shops in my college town have put up holiday decorations! So adorable! I've been bearing the cold and taking the long walk back to my car just to admire all the window set ups.

Outfit Details: Shep Shirt (c/o)/ Denim/ Short Hunter Boots/ Headband/ Earrings (Similar Here)

Vineyard Vines is not only a favorite brand of mine but the story of how the brand started is one of my all time favorites! I think it captures the "quit your job and run with it" spirit of entrepreneurship!

"In the late nineties we found ourselves miserable behind desks in Manhattan so we decided to trade in our business suits for bathing suits by selling ties so we wouldn't have to wear them. We got our wisdom teeth pulled while we still had insurance, leased cars while we still had jobs and signed up for every credit card we could. We quit our jobs within ten minutes of each other, ordered some drinks, clinked our glasses together and vineyard vines was officially open for business.

We delivered our first 800 ties July 3rd, 1998, and sold out in the first week. We quickly re-ordered, paid off our debt, hit the road and moved into our first office. After that, we moved to a bigger office and hired a few friends to help out. Then, we moved to an even bigger office, hired even more people, and opened a few more retail stores, proving that the American Dream is alive and well. 

Today, we're in an even bigger office and are opening more stores across the country. We have an incredible team by our side and no plans of slowing down anytime soon. And we couldn't have done it without the support of our family and friends. People always say that if you do what you love, you'll be successful. There's no doubt that we're doing what we love and loving what we do: we're having fun, working hard and meeting great people."

So inspiring! Like I said...one of my favorites!

Whats your go-to combo for "festive comfy" this holiday season?

xo, 

Natalie

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