AppDelegate.swift

    func application(application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [NSObject: AnyObject]?) -> Bool {
        // Override point for customization after application launch.
        updateStylesFromServer()
        return true
    }    
    
    // MARK: - Remote Style Updating
    func updateStylesFromServer() {
        Alamofire.request(.GET, "https://consultant-aide.firebaseio.com/brands/lularoe.json")
            .responseJSON { response in
                // setting app delegate to prepare to save to CoreData
                //let app = UIApplication.sharedApplication().delegate as! AppDelegate
                //let context = app.managedObjectContext
                let entity = NSEntityDescription.entityForName("Style", inManagedObjectContext: self.managedObjectContext)
                
                if let data = response.result.value {
                    self.removeStylesFromDevice()
                    
                    for (_,object) in JSON(data) {
                        let style = Style(entity: entity!, insertIntoManagedObjectContext: self.managedObjectContext)
                        style.brand = "lularoe"
                        style.name = object["name"].stringValue
                        style.sizes = object["sizes"].arrayValue.map { $0.string! }
                        print("Adding: " + style.name!)
                        self.managedObjectContext.insertObject(style)
                    }
                }
        }
    }
    
    func removeStylesFromDevice() {
        let fetchRequest = NSFetchRequest(entityName: "Style")
        let deleteRequest = NSBatchDeleteRequest(fetchRequest: fetchRequest)
        
        do {
            print("Removing existing styles from device")
            try persistentStoreCoordinator.executeRequest(deleteRequest, withContext: self.managedObjectContext)
        } catch let err as NSError {
            print("Could not delete styles from device")
            print(err.debugDescription)
        }
    }