blah blah blah-g: shopping

80/20 Mindset: Shopping Big & Small

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with their loved ones and are feeling the holiday spirit. As the final autumn leaves fall and we enter the thick of the holiday season, shopping for the perfect gifts is at the top of everyone’s to-do list. And it can feel oh-so-easy to open Amazon and purchase with the single click of a button. Hello, timesaver. With a million other hectic things to prepare for this time of year, the ease of buying gifts from corporate giants is tempting. Because as much as we’d all love to spend 100% of our budget on shopping local, sometimes it simply is not feasible.

But that doesn’t mean you should exclusively shop at giant retailers, either! In moderation, you can find a balance. Use the 80/20 guideline: 80% corporate, 20% local.

It’s an easy mantra to apply going into your holiday season, and it helps make a big impact on the local community. Here are just a few benefits of dedicating a small portion of your gift-giving budget to local vendors:

You are boosting the economy around you.

Visualize the money that you spend at a local business staying local — you are literally investing in the betterment of your hometown.

Your gifts will be one-of-a-kind.

When you purchase from a local artist, maker, or small business, you get to give presents that can’t be found anywhere else. Nothing beats that kind of satisfaction.

You are making an eco-friendly decision.

Buying gifts from a smaller-scale business rather than a giant corporation means that you’ve chosen to reduce any additional pollutants.

You know exactly who you are buying from.

Have you ever felt guilty about not knowing where and how your gifts were sourced and assembled? There’s more peace of mind when you buy directly from a local maker.

You are supporting the dreams of a business owner in your hometown.

And you have the chance to directly impact the livelihood of that artist, craftsman, or maker in your own community.

The reality is that it’s not always easy to shop local - but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. With Small Business Saturday approaching on Saturday, November 27th, remember the 80/20 rule as you scroll through your gift-giving guide. That small push to add a few local gifts to your shopping cart will leave a big impact! So thank you for choosing us to be a part of your list. Anything big or small really means the world to us and we are thankful for you ❤️

Happy Holidays!

xoxo go play, Jill & crew

introducing, jewelry flights™, from hello ruby!

we've seen beer flights, wine flights, and the coffee flights from our friends at Zen Coffee Company have been all the rage as of late! we couldn't resist the fun and have decided to put our hello ruby twist on things. 

our jewelry flights ™ are flying in to deliver you a whole new accessory look! not only will you get a new necklace, bracelet, earrings, and hair clips, but also the cutest wood paddle & glasses that will be the perfect decoration in any part of your home. everything included is valued over $135 but with our exclusive jewelry flight you get it all for $75 with FREE shipping! get your on board now, quantities are limited, & we'll sell out fast!

jewelry flight 

what's included:

• your very own flight (including wood paddle and 4 glasses) to keep and use on whatever your heart desires -- retails at $39.99
• one gold plated fight or flight front clasp necklace -- retails at $28
• one gold plated in the pearl clasp bracelet -- retails at $20
• one set of gold plated always yours smiley earrings -- retails at $24
• one set of our mini babe clips -- retails at $8
• shipping directly to you -- $16

we've always loved collaboration and we are having the flight collaboration of your (& our) dreams! Zen Coffee Company is also launching their Toast Flight series! we've taste-tested the line-up and you guys are going to be O B S E S S E D 🙌  i could literally eat the caprese toast every. single. day.

if you're a flight fanatic like us, get your hands on our drop of ‘catch flights, not feelings’ crewneck in collaboration with Zen! there is no coincidence that the jewelry in our flights are the perfect accessories and also gives you extra room to fill up on toast & coffee- we're professionals don't forget it.

shop with us online at shophelloruby.com to lock in your flight and get a taste of Zen's flight selections at their two locations, 2504 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131 & 2505 S 133rd Plaza, Omaha, NE 68144.

saying hello to 2020 in style !!

hi, 2020, how are ya??

why is it that 2020 seems more exciting than others? is anyone else so ready for a fresh start in a new year? 

it would be a crime if we rang in the new year in a bum outfit though right? we pulled 4 of our fav pieces that will be sure to send you into the new year on the right foot. 

1. GLITTER GLAM 

this little mini dress serves the most glitter of all the looks. a showstopper you ask? duh. the midnight shine dress features a scrunch detail in the front, super flattering if you find yourself sippin' extra bubbly this holiday 😜🍾, a front panel that gives more length in the front, and a spicy spaghetti strap. pair it with your fav hoops + a sassy shoe {sometimes a planner bootie} and you have yourself a winner!

2. SHAKIN' SHIMMER

it's so shiny i'm gonna die!! ✨

be ready for heads to turn when you're rockin' this baby! shimmery gold from head {or chest? 🤣} to toe! i've got the gold, pops romper is a fully pleated strapless romper with a tie to accentuate your natural waist. 

3. LAVISH LACE

for our gals that don't fancy a dress or romper this one's for you! our for your ex cami's lace detail and shimmery fabric brings just enough shine to make you stand out. easy to pair with your fav jeans {the five star high rise} and statement booties {snake crawler ankle bootie} to make the perfect NYE staple outfit! 🙌🏼

4. S'MUCH SCRUNCH

could you ever go wrong in a LBD?? um yeah, no you can't. this archie pull dress is forever a winner in our book. a spin on a classic look, it gives you a chance to show off those legs girl! if you forget to get a spray tan {lol gets us every time😅} have no fear, this baby is fully adjustable. you decide how much leg to show and how deep the cowl goes! we paired it with our {mild} statement booties- the white croc booties!

hope everyone has a happy new year! this year doesn't have to be "new year, new me" but find intentions to make yourself better each day- there's always room for growth, just don't be too hard on yourself!

&& go play!

Cheers Denie & Jill ✨🥂💛

As I’m sure you’ve seen through our Instagram Stories {you’re welcome for the laughs} Jill and I have recently started our workout journey at Elevate Cycling and Fitness Studio. If you have never heard of it or experienced it, I seriously feel bad for you, but after reading this I have a good feeling you’ll be headed there reeeeal soon. 

I’ll start this by saying I have NEVER been a fan of group fitness. I’ve tried it multiple times before and always end up quitting. I love running and totally gave up on the idea of working out in a gym. UNTIL we tried our first class at Elevate. Sarah Marshall, the owner, {Yes, like Forgetting Sarah Marshall} invited us to a class after a pop-up we had at Elevate {after Jill wouldn't go alone for the past year} and the rest was history. Every time we go to class we are excited and {nervous} gitty to see what the workout will be like. The instructors mix up the workouts so even though we’ve taken the same classes over and over, it’s never the same workout. When we leave {after chatting Sarah’s ear off for over an hour} we both feel so accomplished and motivated to join more classes. 

Here is the list of the classes & their descriptions that we’ve tried so far:

Cycle & Sculpt:

Their signature 45-minute cycling class with an upper-body component, this class is set to the beat of the music that will get you going! Light hand weights are used throughout your workout to incorporate upper body toning throughout the class. Focus your energy and ride!

Cycle & Strength:

Raise your heart rate with 25 minutes of interval training on the bike and follow it with 25 minutes of floor work off the bike using dumbbells, Bosu balls, medicine balls, and TRX.

Box & Sculpt:

Get ready for a full-body workout! A combination of weights, bodyweight, TRX, and bag work will be used throughout the class.

What we loved the most:

-love the events they throw, they really strive to build a community with their clients {ehem, we pop up there a couple of times a year :)}

-feeling super fit and energized after {obvi, that ish ain't easy}

-having the competitive edge being in a group environment but having the lights off so there wasn’t any added pressure

-love the people: owner, staff, fellow clients

-how easy it is to sign up for class: the MINDBODY app makes it easy to fit the workouts into a busy schedule

-cash and coco {duh, the totally adorb pups you always see}

What was hard af:

-the classes, the instructors will work your azzz off {they cool though, don’t worry}

-being on time {sorry Sarah, we love you}

via GIPHY

ALSO, I think I can speak for both Jill and me when I say, having a buddy to hold each other accountable was KEY. It’s so much harder to say no to a workout when someone else is counting on you. It also makes it 1000x more fun! My fav is when the instructor demonstrates a hard station in boxing then Jill and I just look at each other and laugh {is it due to fear?? 100x yes}. 

Now that you have the DL on our experience at Elevate Fitness so far, we have a very special treat for you! You get the wonderful opportunity to join us on the bikes or on the bags with a free class! Find Elevate Fitness Studio on the MINDBODY app and use code ‘helloruby’ to try your first workout fo freeeee. {Message us to tell us what you signed up for so we can laugh together hehe}.

They also have a class deal for the month if July: buy 20 classes via the MINDBODY app and she'll tag on an extra 10 on your account! Also works if you buy 10, you get 5 free!

WARNING: try it once and you’ll be addicted!

BTW: No they aren't giving us a million bucks for this blog we genuinely just love it this much lol

Starting a business has been INSANE. I started hello ruby LLC last August and launched this year in April. The spring, summer and fall went by so quickly. It's crazy to see how the business has changed in that little of time. I never thought I would be doing a storefront for the holidays, but it's been a great learning experience! The best part of owning your own business if showing love for what you support and what you {and the business} stand for.

T H A N K S G I V I N G

I wanted to talk about giving thanks to you, my #1 customHERS, as our first year wraps up. I also wanted to share the good causes we were able to support this year because of YOU. 

With your help, we were able to donate and contribute to the following charities/causes:

American Cancer Society

Sunshine Kids

Marian High School

Ronald McDonald House

Junior League of Omaha

The Humble Lily / Bethlehem House

UNO

The Stephen's Center

WOW! Thank you! 

As you sit down to your Thanksgiving meal {or 2nd or 3rd for the day -haha}, I encourage you to think about contributing in ANY way, shape or form to something that means a lot to you. Whether that means monetary or donating your time and volunteering! In 2018, I would like to focus on cancer related causes {BECAUSE F*CK CANCER - my family has been affected more than once: see previous post here} and Cystic Fibrous {my great friend Chad passed away + he was such an inspiration to me -- we will be focusing our February Valentine's Tour on CF donations and supporting that cause in memory of Chad}.

What are your fav. causes to support?? Is there one you love or one you want us to focus on??

Gobble gobble,

Jill