Introduction

The hamper begins to fill up, your closet becomes more spacious, and your drawers lighter – laundry day is fast approaching. Whether you currently have a set schedule to wash clothes or do it when needed, we often overlook some habits for efficiency and resource conservation. Do not worry, below are some pointers to address this.

When Is the Best Time To Do Laundry?

Electricity prices vary throughout the day, depending on demand. "Peak hours" refer to the times of the day when demand is highest – usually when people return home from work or school and begin using electrical appliances and lighting (think weekdays, 5pm to 8pm). As such, the price paid per kilowatt hour ($/kWh) during this time is the highest. 

Since your washing machine and dryer use the same amount of energy regardless of the time, it is highly advisable to run loads outside of peak hours to save on electricity bills.

Best Time to Wash Clothes Based on Seasons

Of course, peak hours vary depending on the time of year and climate. A good way to gauge whether demand is high is to check whether you have air conditioning or heaters running at home. To make it even easier, here is the best time to do laundry by season:

• Summer: Best to do laundry in the morning, before everyone has their air conditioners and cooling appliances running (think before 8am).
• Winter: The later the better. Most people turn off or reduce their heater temperature when they go to bed, reducing energy demand. This is your window to run your washing machine and dryer. Of course, it is important to also consider the noise your washer or clothes dryer may make!
• Spring & Fall: These months will depend on the climate you live in. In warmer places, you should follow summer hours and winter ones for colder months.

Tips to Wash Clothes and Save Energy & Money

Good news – we have more tips to share to help you maximize savings and be environmentally conscious! Here are a few additional ideas:

• Use Cold Water: Setting your washing machine to "cold" ensures your energy bill will be lower – heating water is by far (~75%+) the main use of energy consumption in a laundry cycle. In addition, less energy used means fewer greenhouse gas emissions! Do not worry about the quality of your load outcome – most detergents are designed to work just as well with cold water. Some fabrics (delicate ones like silk) do best in cold water, and there is always a lower chance of clothes shrinking, fabric fading, and colors bleeding (no need to separate clothes!).
• Hang Dry: Skipping using the dryer is a great way to save money and be energy efficient. There are creative ways to find a good spot to install some clotheslines or simple hangers, whether that is in your laundry room, backyard, or apartment. 
• Dryer Best Practices: If you do use a dryer, do not forget to clean the lint trap after each drying cycle to ensure proper air circulation and reduce drying time. You may also want to consider using dryer balls (or tennis balls) to help fluff clothes, accelerate the drying process, and reduce static. In addition, use your dryer's moisture sensor feature if available. This ensures your appliance turns off by itself once your clothes are ready.
• Keep Filters Clean: Ensuring your dryer's filter is clean and in peak condition not only reduces the risk of fire but also lets additional air circulate, allowing clothes to dry faster and spend less time in the machine.
• Wash Full Loads: It takes the same amount of resources to complete a full load versus a partially full one. Making sure your washer is filled (but not overloaded) provides the best return on your electricity bill. In addition, washing on shorter cycles is a great way to save money – less water and energy will be used. 
• Upgrade Old Appliances: Although a considerable investment, upgrading your washer and dryer to be more energy-efficient (ENERGY STAR) would go a long way towards reducing resource consumption each load. Newer appliances require less water, detergent, and energy, unlocking savings over the appliance's lifetime to offset the upfront costs. In addition, newer machines tend to be gentler on fabrics, quieter when operating, have quicker cycle times, and offer more capacity. Higher-end models feature advanced features, such as Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing for smart home integration or to be controlled and monitored remotely via smartphone apps.
• Outsource Laundry: Leaving your laundry needs to a professional can yield many advantages. For starters, having someone else take care of washing and drying clothes will save you time and eliminate stress or worries from completing this chore. The convenience of this service puts time back into your schedule and allows you to focus on other activities, such as leisure, or be productive elsewhere. You can also rest assured that your environmental impact is optimized as laundry professionals use efficient facilities, limiting energy, water, and other resource use. Lastly, the quality of service and results should not be overlooked – leveraging the expertise and equipment of laundry professionals will provide better stain removal and fabric care.

Rinse Can Take Care of It

If the benefits of outsourcing laundry sound appealing, why not try out Rinse? We offer pickup and delivery services for all your laundry and dry cleaning needs, any day of the week – you do not even need to be home. You can also rest assured that your clothes will be well taken care of, with Rinse users claiming that we save them three hours per laundry load!

'Tis the season of gift giving! The holiday season is upon us and that means eggnog, crackling fires and, of course, gifts. Holiday shopping can be stressful, so we put together this gift guide to help you pick out the perfect present for your secret santa, best friend, and impossible-to-shop-for dad.

Gifts for the Fashion-Lover

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your fashion-forward friend, look no further. When picking out a gift for someone whose prized possession is their entire closest, you can’t go wrong with accessories. Especially cozy accessories to keep your loved one warm this winter! Here are five gift options for the ones who are always cold, featuring some of our most commonly dry cleaned brands.

Lambswool Fair Isle Beanie J.Crew $39.50

A warm toboggan - This green lambswool beanie from J. Crew is the perfect gift for someone who loves outdoor winter activities. From skiing to snowball fights, the wool material of this hat will lock in body heat, while the Fair Isle pattern offers a timeless style. Fun fact: Fair Isle is named after a Shetland Island in northern Scotland that became known for its traditional knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colors.

Leather Dress Gloves (Women's) Banana Republic $100

Leather Driving Gloves (Men's) Banana Republic $150

Leather gloves - Everyone needs a nice pair of luxurious driving gloves. Banana Republic has both men and women covered in this department. The brown leather women’s dress gloves are crafted from goatskin leather and lined with lush cashmere for timeless luxury (and warmth). The men’s driving gloves are a modern rendition of a timeless classic lined with a cashmere and wool blend for ultimate winter road trip comfort. With proper care, these quality gloves should last for many seasons to come!

Cashmere Fringed Scarf Brooks Brothers $238.80

Cashmere scarf - Who doesn’t love cashmere? Particularly in scarf form, protecting us from the winter chill. This fringed scarf from Brooks Brothers is a wardrobe staple, available in six different colors. Rinse customers love Brooks Brothers’ quality materials, making it our third most popular dry cleaned clothing brand for good reason. Gift your sophisticated loved one the perfect layer to add to their winter wardrobe.

Arctic Socks Canada Goose $125

Arctic socks - This gift is for that special someone in your life whose feet are always ice cold. Canada Goose is known for their plush down coats, but they also offer socks designed to keep your toes warm and toasty. These high performance socks are made from equal parts Italian Merino wool and recycled cashmere. This is the perfect gift for your friend who loves to hit the slopes, the neighbor who enjoys shoveling snow, or anyone who lives in the polar vortex of Chicago.

Exaggerated Check Cashmere Blanket Burberry $1,350

Blanket for the ages - If you want to splurge for the loved one who’s always cold, there’s nothing more classic than Burberry’s iconic checkered print. While you could go with a scarf, why not step it up a notch with a cashmere blanket? This 55x55 inch blanket made from Scottish cashmere is washed in local spring water and brushed with teasel plants for an uber-soft finish. There’s no chance this cloak of luxury is ever going out of style, and it would provide a lifetime of coziness (as long as they get it dry cleaned by the experts!).

Gifts for the Smell-of-Fresh-Laundry Lover

We all have that one friend who is obsessed with the smell of fresh laundry. We agree, there’s nothing quite like a whiff of fresh linens straight out of the dryer. Since most of us don’t have the time for a load of laundry before we get dressed every morning, this can be an elusive scent to capture day-to-day. However, many perfume houses have attempted to bottle up the scent of fresh laundry so you can smell clean all day, every day. Here are some of the best freshie perfumes to gift your fragrance loving friend or coworker.

Lazy Sunday Morning Replica 30mL $76

Maison Margiela’s fragrance line is notorious for capturing the smell of specific moments in time, and Lazy Sunday Morning doesn't disappoint. It’s described as “silky-smooth skin, crumpled linen sheets, and the reassuring scent of laundry” and includes soft floral and white musk notes. If you want to gift the eternal smell of clean sheets, this is the one.

Warm Cotton Clean Reserve 50mL $68

There’s not much that compares to the simple joy of throwing on your favorite t-shirt fresh out of the wash. This is what Clean Reserve encapsulates with Warm Cotton, starring notes of bergamot and skin musk. This is also a sustainable fragrance option, made with ethically sourced ingredients and green manufacturing processes. If your loved one loves to bury their face in fluffy, freshly laundered towels, put this one under the tree.

Room Service Vilhelm Parfumerie 20mL $90

So your partner wants to smell like laundry (or maybe YOU want them to smell like laundry) - but make it fancy laundry. Imagine you’re a movie star who's woken up after a premiere and just ordered breakfast in an old-Hollywood hotel wearing a luxurious bathrobe. That’s kind of what Room Service smells like, building on the familiar scent of fresh linens with twists of bamboo and sandalwood. Get this fragrance for the loved one who likes to smell clean but also glamorous.

Gifts for the Busy-Lifestyle-Lover

We all have people in our lives who have a jam-packed schedule but wouldn’t have it any other way. They also tend to be the ones who are the most difficult to shop for, because they already seem to have everything they need. So why not give the gift of time (or creative ways to spend all that time saved)? Here are some of our best life hack gift suggestions - no wrapping required!

Rinse gift cards starting at $20
Rinse, of course! - Give the gift of Rinse! A Rinse gift card is the perfect present for anyone in your life who could use some extra time back in their calendar. The average person spends 3 hours a week on laundry, so save your loved ones from their least favorite chore and give the gift of time saved. We’ll take care of the laundry and folding while they do more important things - like date night, bingo, or following through on their New Year’s resolutions of more time clocked at the gym!

ClassPass - That brings us to our next gift guide suggestion, ClassPass. This workout class subscription might not save time but it’s a great way to spend time trying something new. ClassPass subscriptions operate on a flexible “credit” system. You can book classes at a host of different gyms to try out a variety of workouts and studios, from yoga to spin classes to regular old gym time. Perhaps the best part of ClassPass is that you can also use your credit for spas and other recovery options, such as cryotherapy. Gifting ClassPass is a great option for the loved one who cherishes all things health and wellness. 

Meal subscription - Meal prep subscriptions are another great time-saving gift for the busy mom or young professional in your life. Perfect for your foodie friend, a HelloFresh subscription turns dinnertime into a breeze. This meal prep service (one of many on the market) delivers pre-packaged ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes to take the stress out of cooking. This gift will help save time and labor in the kitchen, and is a great option for that special someone who puts “no more UberEats” on their resolutions list every year.

Happy gifting!

The average person spends 3+ hours a week doing laundry. When Rinse takes your least favorite chore off your hands, you get that precious time back. There are so many ways you could spend an extra three hours, but might we suggest a hike? With those bonus hours you could get some fresh air in nature, discover a new hike in your area, and spend some quality time with family, friends, your dog, or yourself.

Walking and hiking are great options for low-impact physical activity and, according to the CDC, can reduce anxiety symptoms and improve sleep, memory, and the ability to learn. So go out and explore some trails before the chill of winter traps us inside the house. You might even catch the last of the autumn leaves changing! We picked out hiking excursions in each of our locales that should take about 3 hours, all of which are rated as easy so you can bring the whole family along. So grab some water, a hat, and a walking buddy and take a break from the city (and your laundry)!

Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve

New York City

Hike: Arden Point and Glenclyffe
Location: Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, Garrison, NY
Central Park is beautiful, but sometimes you just need to step out of the city that never sleeps and into something a bit more secluded. For our New Yorkers we recommend traveling due north to Arden Point and Glenclyffe. This 3.8 hike will lead you through some rugged sites that will transport you far from the bustle of the city. You can expect to discover an old bridge, river views, meadows, abandoned homes, and even a waterfall. We’re not going to guess how long the commute might take, but you can access Arden Point directly by taking Metro North to the Garrison stop, where you’ll find two stone pillars marked Arden Point–Hudson Highlands State Park. Via car (if you happen to have one in the city) it should only take about an hour to get there from Manhattan.

Boston

Hike: Mass Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary
Location: Natick, MA
Roughly 40 minutes southwest of downtown Boston is Mass Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary is nestled along the Indian Brook and Charles River with plenty of trails. The longest hiking trail here is only about 1 mile, so you’ll get to pick and choose which of the 10 trails you’d like to stack to get your steps in. Or you can cover the larger loop by starting at Glacial Hill Trail and taking it to Blueberry Swamp Loop to Old Orchard Trail to Charles River Trail to Boundary Trail to March Trail to Indian Brook Trail back to Glacial Hill Trail. Don’t forget to grab a map from the nature center! Please note this is the only hike on our list that is not dog friendly, so you'll have to leave your pup at home for this one.

Paw Paw Tunnel along the C&O Canal Towpath

Washington D.C.

Hike: C&O Canal Towpath
Location: Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
There’s no shortage of walking trails all around the D.C. area. If you want a break from Rock Creek Park or Theodore Roosevelt Island, you could head just out of the city to Mount Vernon Trail for views of the D.C. skyline. However, if you want to escape the city limits of Washington D.C. let us suggest Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The National Park entrance is a bit farther out, taking a little over an hour to commute to via car from central D.C., but is well worth the drive. You’ll find fabulous scenery of the Potomac River Valley as well as historical features of the once booming transportation system. If you don’t want to make the drive, there is a trailhead right in the heart of Georgetown (just plug 3051 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 into your GPS)! The C&O Canal Towpath rambles on for 184 miles so you can hike as far as time allows. 

Chicago

Hike: Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve
Location: Lemont, IL
If you live in Chicago, you know it’s a very flat landscape. It may seem like there’s not many hiking options in or around the city, but there are lots of nature preserves and forests scattered across the suburbs. Our recommendation is Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, just southwest of the city. Only about a 30 minute drive from downtown Chicago, Waterfall Glen Forest offers rolling terrain (you heard that right, a little elevation!), overlooks, and of course the waterfall it is named after. The main trail is about 9.5 miles, which is a pretty ambitious goal for 3 hours. Instead, you could hike the Tear Thumb Trail and then drive over to explore the waterfall on foot. Hurry, before the Windy City gets too cold to enjoy the outdoors!

Los Angeles

Hike: Escondido Falls
Location: Malibu, CA
Angelenos, we’re sending you to Malibu. Escondido Falls Trail in Escondido Canyon Park, to be exact. This 4-mile hike should take you a little under two hours to complete, and if it has rained recently you might even see a pretty awesome 150-foot waterfall. The hike begins in a residential area but leads into a shaded woodload of oak and sage. Once you reach the waterfall, don’t continue to the Upper Falls unless you’re an experienced hiker! Lucky for you, this hike is best visited in the winter months - so if you’re tired of Runyon and the Griffith Observatory hike, give this one a try.

Tennessee Valley Trail in Marin Headlands

San Francisco

Hike: Tennessee Valley Trail
Location: Mill Valley, CA
San Francisco (and the broader Bay Area) is a prime destination for hiking. You don’t have to go far for a good hike with breathtaking views of the ocean. We recommend heading across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin Headlands for your outdoor adventure. Located at the southern peninsula of the broader Golden Gate National Recreation area, you can find beaches, lighthouses, and lots of fog at Marin Headlands. For an easy-rated hike that’s long enough to get your heart rate up, take the 3.4 mile out-and-back Tennessee Valley Trail. You could even pack a picnic lunch to eat on the sandy shore of Tennessee Beach. The trails of Marin County are vouched for by Ellie Baer - read about all the reasons she loves San Francisco here!

When you get home from your hike, don’t forget to hang dry your activewear! Or just let Rinse take care of your laundry for you and save 3+ hours a week to spend on more important things. Like hiking and quality time with family and friends!

Ready to trade laundry day for a hike? Check here to see if Rinse picks up and delivers laundry and dry cleaning in your zipcode!

The month of October is all about scary movies, jack o'lanterns, and Halloween costumes. Whether you’re grabbing something from Spirit Halloween or thrifting a costume, we’re all thinking about what we’ll be wearing on October 31st. For some people, though, costumes are on the mind all year long.

In honor of Spooky Season we interviewed Anna Glowacki, a costume designer by trade, to learn about her fantastical world of creating custom costumes year round. Of course, Halloween is the busiest time of the year for Anna but it doesn’t stop there. This costume connoisseur shared insight into everything from design inspiration to textiles to her own care tips. You can hardly call Anna’s costumes DIY, but she certainly made them herself.

Anna Glowacki has been in the costume design industry for almost 18 years. As a little girl, she wanted to be one of two things: a fashion designer or mermaid. She began sewing clothes for her dolls at a very young age and eventually went to college for fashion design. While studying fashion, Anna realized she was drawn to costumes over fashion, as her designs tended to be more conceptual and less “sellable” than typical fashion designs.
"The Garden Party Gal" Photo by April Love Photography

“I’ve always liked the one-of-a-kind-ness of costume design,” says Anna. “The way I can make one or very few of them and not have to worry about mass production. Instead they just have to tell a story on a stage or on a person.”

After designing for theater for several years, Anna found her niche in designing for movement and began working with circus and dance companies. She was soon getting requests from professional clowns, wrestlers, and ballroom dancers.

“Sometimes with theater you have a text or script that you really have to fit into the character. My designs were a bit crazy and wild, so some directors would tell me I was a little too nuts for them. When I started designing for circus and dance shows they were often all about what the performer was wearing. That’s where I started getting more and more inspired.”
"The Queen of Spades" Photo by Andy Marfia Photography

Anna isn’t scared of working with different types of fabrics and textiles. “I’m always into what’s new and interesting,” she says. “I love to see what new fabrics are out there and anything that’s different from what I’ve seen before.”

So what are some of the up-and-coming materials that Anna has noticed at fabric stores? Neoprene (the material used to make wetsuits), stretch leather spandex, and lace with unusual cutouts - to name a few.

“I’ve been seeing different types of lace out there with different cutouts,” says Anna. “Lace used to be just florals but now I’m seeing things like vinyl cutouts on top of lace or different textures and patterns. I recently made a costume for someone where the lace had a branch design on it instead of flowers.”

Anna finds inspiration from everywhere, but especially from nature and animals. When she’s designing for a specific era, she goes beyond just looking at the fashion trends from that time period. “If someone wants to get a 1920s costume made, I won’t just go look at images of 1920s flapper costumes. I’ll go back and look at the decade and the architecture and art deco designs and colors that were used. I try to look at the whole picture.”
"The Ice Queen" Photo by Kirsten Miccoli

Anna has learned plenty of clothing care tips throughout the years behind the scenes. Her nightmare fabric to clean is white spandex or satin. Anna suggests that if you get a stain on these materials, don’t bother trying to spot treat them because the stain will just run down the entire garment. Instead, you need to go ahead and wash the whole thing.

One of Anna’s favorite costume creations of all time is her Viking Ice Queen, a character on stilts that serves food at corporate parties. For this costume, Anna made a giant hoop skirt out of crushed plastic made to look like ice and giant shoulder pieces that appear iced over. She also goes all out on her own Halloween costumes. This year, Anna will be dressed up as an interactive human coloring book. Her costume will feature long kimono sleeves that open up like a book, allowing trick-or-treaters to color in the pattern.

Halloween is all about dressing up in fun outfits that you might not be able to wear on a day-to-day basis. It gives us all a break from our normal wardrobes and is the one night of the year where we can transform into another character. On November 1st we’ll pack our costumes away (read our care tips on how to keep your Halloween outfits fresh), unless you’re Anna Glowaki who will be busy sewing her next big thing.
"The Ice Queen and her Minions" Photo by Kirsten Miccoli

We believe in taking care of your clothes so they can last a lifetime. In that pursuit, we’ve partnered with Storey, an innovative digital wardrove app, to help extend the lifespan of your wardrobe and advocate for more sustainable fashion. Do you ever feel like you have nothing to wear, yet your closet is overflowing and your dresser drawers are too stuffed to shut properly? We’ve been there, and Storey has created a solution.

What is Storey?

Storey is on a mission to digitize wardrobes in order to make your clothes more wearable, shareable, searchable, re-sellable. It’s basically the modern version of Cher’s virtual wardrobe in Clueless. You can upload your entire wardrobe, create collections, and connect with other fashionistas.

Storey gives you easy access and full visibility of what you own so you don’t accidentally repurchase something you already have in your closet, and helps track what you wear the most often. Did you know most of us don’t wear at least 50% of our wardrobes? If you’ve been interested in starting a capsule wardrobe, downloading Storey is a great place to start. They also leverage technology that encourages you to be more thoughtful and creative with the clothes in your closet through their outfit recommender engine. This community also helps promote sustainable fashion by letting you list items for sale (or borrowing) on your profile, while documenting their journey through circularity. 

Meet Ellie

Ellie Baer is a business professional based in San Francisco with an eye for fashion. She’s on the road a lot, visiting new cities almost every weekend. Ellie is passionate about curating her wardrobe and adamant about bringing her most special, beautiful pieces wherever she goes. In other words, she doesn’t pack lightly. At the end of the day, she wants the items she spends hours researching, curating, and purchasing to last a lifetime. Ellie, a fashion icon in our eyes, answered a few of our burning questions about life, travel, and fashion. Be sure to follow Ellie on Storey (@Ellie Baer) so you can admire her gorgeous wardrobe and travel escapades!

What do you love about living in San Francisco? 
San Francisco is an exceptionally special place to me. Aside from the fact that I was born in SF and spent my childhood down the Peninsula, San Francisco and the broader Bay Area are like nowhere else in the world. The city itself is alive with light and energy - from some of the most exceptional chefs in the world, to unique exhibits at the many cultural institutions that highlight the diversity and color that this area is so unique for, to the thrilling underground music scene. The culture of creativity, openness, and adventure is apparent in everyone who chooses to take up residence here. Beyond the city itself, the Bay Area has world class golfing in Pebble Beach, breathtaking views on Marin County hikes, award winning wine country in Healdsburg and beyond, and the coastline is dotted with charming towns with their own eclectic histories and activities. It’s a place where you can do anything you want, with perfect weather, all year round. As I mentioned - lots to love!

What your favorite thing about traveling?
My favorite thing about traveling is absolutely building a community wherever I go. I spend a lot of time making friends with locals and other travelers with similar interests. Whether I end up visiting again and making plans with those I meet or not, I deeply appreciate understanding different cultures and sharing experiences with strangers. Being a tourist and being a traveler are markedly different things, and I work to make sure I am never the former. I spend huge amounts of time curating travel lists (as all of my friends know, I am very generous with my 80 or so Google Maps lists when requested!) and delight in finding hidden gems across the world that I can share with my networks. 

What is the best destination you've traveled to recently?
We recently traveled to Placencia in Belize which was an incredible trip I would recommend to everyone (and often do!). We spent our days among the wildlife - bird watching, boating down the “Monkey River” in search of howler monkeys and manatees, snorkeling with nurse sharks and rays, and on a rainy day, making new friends at a local bowling alley and playing lots (and I mean LOTS) of rummy 500. Lately we’ve been excited by the adventure of ecotourism after a few years of some admittedly less outdoorsy locales (think Saint Tropez, Tulum). We hope to check out some wildlife in Kenya next.

How would you describe your personal style?

I think a lot about how to capture my style and have gone through a myriad of ways to try and put myself into a more manageable box. I've done the Kibbe Body Type test to understand what shapes flatter me best (soft classic, with longer lines and silhouettes), the "three word method" to attempt to distill my essence (I can never choose three - somewhere between polished, playful, feminine, elegant, and dramatic), and seasonal palettes to stick to colors that look best with my skin tone (warm/deep spring, leaning towards lighter neutrals and greens). All of this, of course, flies out the window when I find something that speaks to me - often in the wrong color, a shape that doesn't flatter me, and something entirely incompatible with the rest of my wardrobe. But for me, style is supposed to be fun, unexpected, and though maybe we all reach for certain shapes, colors, and styles - at its core - I really love playing dress up. I love to wear my glossy custom cowboy boots when I spend summer nights in Park City, and dress like a 1950's flight attendant when I'm in Italy. I don't care if something doesn't flatter me if wearing it makes me smile.

Where are some of your favorite places to shop for clothes?
I tend to gravitate to certain brands based on the season and activity. For summer, I lean towards Zimmermann, Agua Bendita, Ulla Johnson, and Johanna Ortiz. Spring, I love Chloe, Aime Leon Dore, Celine, and Gucci. Autumn, I spend a lot of time in Maje, Sandro, ALC, and Ralph Lauren. And winter I'm in Jenni Kayne, Frame, Acne, Sezane, Allsaints, and Valentino. I think Ronny Kobo makes gorgeous wedding guest attire, and I'm a sucker for Prada and Gucci shoes. I spend a lot of time (and money) at The Real Real on vintage, and love supporting friends who make gorgeous clothing and jewelry (By Fede makes all of my summer jewels, and Sullivan makes the cutest neutral sets).

What’s your favorite piece in your wardrobe right now?
The item I have been reaching for seemingly every day is my white Gucci Jackie bag, which a friend aptly commented is "Ellie in bag form." The silhouette is classic and sophisticated, and since I wear tons of lighter colors throughout the year, it has become a bag I can't stay away from. As fall approaches, I know I'll be reaching for my favorite Acne coat, which I searched obsessively for after ordering last year, and received an email letting me know it was out of stock. It's the perfect long, loose silhouette that balances slimmer evening wear, and adds something unexpected to more casual street style.

Do you have any packing tips?
I will scream from the rooftops how much I love using Storey for putting together packing lists when I leave for a trip. I pride myself on packing well, and finding modular ways to wear pieces in different ways when I travel. I don't fully subscribe to the idea of capsule wardrobes, but that may just be since I'm not very good at or interested in wearing basics. Traveling provides a great opportunity to find, say, four new ways to wear something you may not have reached for in the last year and falling in love all over again with a piece you used to love. I try never to bring more than five pairs of shoes and four bags, even if I'm gone for as long as two or three months. Those are the pieces that end up being challenging to travel place-to-place with, but this is always tough for me given a collection of both I am incredibly proud of. More specific tips include: a scarf can also be used as a shirt in about 30 ways in the summer with the right necklace to hold it up. Always pack bags within other, larger bags. Keep a travel bag ready of all of your toiletries and travel-size versions of your makeup, and keep jewelry packing simple aside from one or two statement pieces (if you bring more, you'll never wear them).The one rule my partner and I abide by is to NEVER forget a swimsuit, no matter the location.

Are you as obsessed as we are? Go find @Ellie Baer on the Storey app! Then upload your own wardrobe so that your closet can reach its full potential. Finally, don’t forget to use Rinse to dry clean your most loved pieces so they last a lifetime! Storey members who create a Rinse account will receive a $50 credit towards extending the longevity of your wardrobe.

It’s that time of year where suitcases get swapped for briefcases. Summer vacation is over, school is back in session, and many of us are returning to the office. As the weather cools down and work heats up, it’s important to get back into a solid routine. That’s easier said than done, so we’ve gathered some action items to help you transition back to the grind.

Save Time With Subscription Services

There are never enough hours in the day to balance work, school, and managing the household. This juggling act is especially difficult as you switch out of vacation mode and head back to the office after an extended period of working remotely. One of the best ways to make this transitional period easier is to automate your life with subscription services. These three subscriptions are sure to help you save time and energy that could be spent working out, impressing your boss, or just getting some much needed beauty sleep.

1. Rinse Repeat
   You saw this one coming! Laundry: one of the most despised chores. Let’s be real, you’ve got more important things to do with your time than laundry. With a Rinse Repeat subscription, we’ll pick up your laundry or dry cleaning and deliver it back to you clean and ready to wear. Just throw your dirty clothes in the bag and we’ll take care of it. Learn more about our Rinse Repeat plans and save 3+ hours a week.
    
2. Meal Prep Subscriptions
   Stop worrying about what’s for dinner when you sign up for a meal prep subscription. Spend less time grocery shopping and meal prepping when you join a subscription such as HelloFresh, which delivers step-by-step recipes and fresh ingredients to your doorstep. Picture it now: a Wednesday night to yourself with no laundry to fold and minimal kitchen clean up.
    
3. Productivity Subscriptions
   You probably use productivity tools at work, but why not incorporate them into your personal life as well? Subscriptions like Evernote help keep you on track as a place to save notes, manage tasks, and stay organized. Keep your calendar, notes, and to-do lists synced so you can get your routine on point and save time by keeping everything in one organized virtual space.

Use That Extra Time to Get Active

Now that summer travel is winding down, it’s time to get back into a fitness routine. With those extra hours you’re saving on trips to the dry cleaners or grocery shopping, you get time back for physical activity. One great way to ease back into an exercise regime is yoga, which offers endless benefits for both the body and mind. Or you can use those 3 hours you saved with Rinse Repeat to go for a hike, because the only mountain in your life should be one you’re climbing, not a heap of dirty clothes. Perhaps you want to try something new, like Barry’s Bootcamp, the international gym that’s all the rage this season. Barry’s incorporates running and weight training in their famously red-light studios. However you decide to get active, exercise endorphins will help alleviate your post-vacations blues and kick start your routine.

More Tips To Help Optimize Your Routine

Everyone wants to be the best, most successful, healthiest version of themselves. Here are a few more underestimated tricks to get you back into a troutine.

• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Being well rested can make all the difference in your day, so be sure you’re sticking to a consistent bedtime routine and getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
• Don’t forget to drink plenty of water. The general rule of thumb is that you should halve your body weight and drink at least that many ounces of water per day.
• Take your vitamins. Now that you’ll be spending more time indoors, give your immune system a boost by starting up a vitamin regime. Start with a multivitamin to improve your overall health and check with your doctor to see where you might have deficiencies.
• Try journaling. Take a few minutes before you start or end your day to get some thoughts down on paper. How are you feeling? What goals do you want to achieve? What are you grateful for?
• Test out a meditation app. HeadSpace or Calm are great options to help decompress after a long day through guided meditation.

It’s easy to gloss over these general knowledge tips, but they can make all the difference in your energy levels, and you’re going to need all the time and energy you can get to master your post-summer routine. Read more about subscriptions that are worth every penny (in our humble opinion) to help reclaim your day. These investments will help you get back to the grind and stay happy, healthy, and hustling!