Posts Tagged ‘food’

A story of my tupperware

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses,Tags: , , , ,
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“I’m so sorry.”

I was just getting into my car leaving work and I checked my phone to see that text message from Bestie.

“Uh oh,” I thought to myself, “what bad news could it be?” I thought it might have to do with work — perhaps something he couldn’t change that we had hoped for.

Instead I opened up my phone to see he had sent a picture of my tupperware.

“Ok, maybe he broke it while washing the dishes?” I pondered.

empty tupperware on counter

I looked a little closer to find that it seemed fine, and then it hit me: he had eaten all the cookies inside it! LOL I almost died laughing. You see, earlier that day I had brought a batch of cookies to work. I was practicing baking them for a housewarming this weekend. As soon as Bestie confirmed they were vegan, he went to town on them and consumed 5 during a short 2-3 minute conversation. I shouldn’t be surprised, but it still amazes me how quickly he can make food disappear.

Later in the morning, we had a staff meeting where he gently ate one or two more. He went home before me and returned to find the remaining cookies on the counter. Next thing you know, they were gone too and he was texting me to apologize as he collapsed into a food coma.

His version of what happened when he got home is even funnier! First, he had already overeaten when he got back so he really should have resisted. But when he noticed there were more cookies, he went to just snack on one. And then a second one. By then, he was kind of ashamed but was still stuffing his face as he wiped the crumbs from the counter and sent me the picture. I can imagine him looking around to make sure nobody was around as he hid the evidence of his snacking. He then used his shirt as a makeshift basket to shovel the remaining cookies into and stumbled into bed still scarfing them down. So there he lay, eating the rest of the cookies in bed before passing out. Lol, it makes me chuckle every time I think about it.

All in all he consumed over a dozen cookies that day. I bet his belly paid for it!

Beyond candidacy

laelene Posted in mba,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Dearest blog, how I’ve neglected you. I still think about you all the time, but there is just too much going on for me to give you proper attention. I’ll try to be better now that I’ve graduated.

bright red hair car selfie

I dyed my hair red for graduation.

graduating usc marshall business school wearing all the regalia

I didn’t actually take any photos by myself so I’m just gonna crop out my friends…

2018 usc marshall business school commencement program cover

Commencement time. Here we go.

graduation selfie with dean ellis usc marshall business school

Selfie with the Dean on stage!!

posing on seat made from giant tree trunk

After the ceremony, we went for a celebratory dinner. 🙂

sprinkles mini cupcakes with graduation messaging

The next day we had a BBQ for friends and their families. These were our graduation cupcakes, for our EDM apartment (no not the music – those are our initials!). #roommatesand cupcakes

I can now officially change MBA Candidate to straight up MBA! The dream that formed on the basketball court of my middle school in New York has come to fruition and it’s back to the working world. It will be nice to have more time to get into hobbies, but I’m not looking forward to getting up early and being limited by my work hours. Luckily, I’m working at a family business my best friend runs, so I’m hoping it will be a nice balance of flexibility and blending life with work.

It’s been two and a half weeks and I’m still lingering in limbo. I’m working, but I don’t have to start full-time until July so I want to make the most of June. I want to travel but I also don’t want to plan travel… and so it goes, I just take it day by day. I’ve been posted up at my favorite boba shop in Alhambra and now I’m about to go try this awesome-looking vegan Thai place. Nom!

Prospurly December 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

I can’t believe I’m a quarter behind already… next weekend kicks off our spring break! And here I am trying to close out the year’s reviews still. Let’s get to it!

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly december 2016 box open with products showingprospurly december 2016 info card with product details

 

Nature’s Skin Nutrition ancient bath milk in Vanilla Noel – Ah, the sweet vanilla scent (with a hint of something medicinal perhaps?). This smells fabulous and I could absolutely bathe in it every day. I don’t like using the bath at my apartment, so this will have to wait until I move back to my own place.

Dr. Jacobs Naturals castile soap in peppermint and almond honey – Castile soap is so versatile! You can use these for cleaning your body, face, hair, or even clothes. I love how this soap is gentle enough for all uses and won’t strip skin of its natural oils.

The Brothers Apothecary Ancient Mulling Spices – Ooo this is the ideal winter drink. I need to get myself some cider and brew this next time I want something a bit more sweet or fragrant than tea.

Foxes & Ferns lavender room & body spray – Now I’ve got to say, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a room AND body spray in one before. Since this works as a toner, that’s the use I’d prefer to keep it for. I have plenty of other sprays and oils for the room, but I’m a sucker for toner.

Menagerie Tea & Earth cleanser – Ok, I was about to say this reminds me of the face wash I’m using right now… so I went to compare them and it turns out it’s the same thing! The formulas may be slightly different but it’s essentially the very face wash I got back in March 2016. I enjoy the scent and the soothing feeling of this cleanser. I do wish it was a little less runny and lathered up more though. This little bottle will be great for me to use in my travel bag.

Be ME Solutions Guardian Immunity oil – Behind that brown wrapper is the true label for this bottle. The outside wrap contains instructions on how to use this oil to prevent illness or help with healing. The consistency is a bit gooier than I expected and there’s a nice minty scent. It’s not too cooling, which I like since I’m very sensitive to that. I’m surprised it said to rub some on your feet too – is that a way to help with illness? And could it really be so powerful as to prevent me from getting sick? It’s the perfect time for me to try since I’ve been feeling juuust short of under the weather recently.

Dr. Jacobs Naturals Citrus Crush Cocktail loofah exfoliating castile soap – I love the delightful scent of this soap! It’s the perfect one to use in the shower to make me feel revitalized and fresh. I don’t really see where the loofah is though – I’m guessing they mean the small bits in the soap that help exfoliate? I was hoping to find a loofah in the middle of the soap, like some I made recently for my roommates!

I am going to enjoy every single item in this box. It’s full of all the kinds of things I enjoy trying! What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Prospurly November 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Where does the time go?? I feel like there is so much to do and not enough time to do it all. We’re already about to start our fourth week of classes, which feels so far into the program (yet also so far from the end of the semester). If I want to get caught up with these reviews, I’m going to have to post more frequently!

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly november 2016 box open with products showing prospurly november 2016 info card with product details

Prospurly greeting cards – These are nice little thank you cards that can be used when gifting something to someone. Since they didn’t come in envelopes, I’d tape/tie them to a present and use them that way, rather than on their per se (unless it’s a small thank you meant for a professor or something like that). I appreciate that they are printed on recycled card stock.

St. Fiacre’s Farm Coastal Cranberry Spice tea – Now this smells like a great tea, but I need to be careful with the cranberry because it is quite strong. I have liked pairing this with a plain green/black/oolong tea so there’s a stronger base, otherwise it can be quite tart. I wish the spice part came out heavier in the flavor – it smells great but doesn’t contribute to taste as much.

Oak Street Soap White Tea & Ginger bubble bar – Oh my, .how I love the smell of this! It’s so very refreshing and clean-smelling. I kind of like it as an air freshener. My apartment bathtub just isn’t that conducive to bubble baths, so I haven’t used it yet and will probably wait until I have my nice big tub back home.

Foxes & Ferns Rosey facial cleanser – I definitely expected this to be a toner and was surprised that you wipe it on your face with a cotton pad like one, but then you’re supposed to rinse your face. It was very cooling and felt good on my skin. It’s a great way to cleanse the skin right before bed, as I’ve just done.

Nature’s Skin Nutrition Winter Chest Rub – As expected, this chest rub has a menthol scent that helps clear the airways. I haven’t gotten sick since my Utah trip, so I haven’t needed it yet, but I’ll keep it handy whenever I need to open my stuffy nose. Although, am I supposed to use to prevent a cold too?

Neelu Kaur Amrit Nectar of the Divine oil – This is such a unique scent that I can’t place. It’s more on the earthy side but I don’t know how to describe it. I like rolling on oils like this to help me relax before sleep. It has a nice metal roller ball that is cold upon application and adds a little zing to the experience.

This was a nice box that I’ve made good use of! I really enjoyed the variety of scents. What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Prospurly October 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

My goal is to get caught up with these reviews by spring… I’m thinking this semester will offer me more time! So far it’s been nice, but I’ve only done one day of classes, so we’ll see how it pans out.

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly october 2016 box open with products showing prospurly october 2016 info card with product details

Momoko Therapeutics Orange Spice aromatherapy mist – Ahh, the sweet spicy scent of orange and cloves comes through strong with this one. It’s a great room spray when I want to feel like the holidays are here. It makes me think of those basket arrangements with the dried plants, which often have a similar smell. What a great way to freshen a room in a natural way!

Loverin Crafts Pumpkin Souffle natural soy candle – Whoa, this candle packs a punch! It has a very rich pumpkin scent that would certainly warm a room. I like that it’s a soy candle for a clean burn and that they will take the tins back for a discount on your next candle! After all, I can only reuse so many of these tins…

Chakra Love Sacral Chakra Aventurine necklace – This is a very earthy type of jewelry that generally isn’t my style, so I’ll either hang it up as decoration or find someone who will appreciate it more. I guess it’s supposed to bring self-gratification and enhance emotions, sensuality, and movement.

smashed! Boozy Jams Pear Whiskey + Garam Masala spread – I know the whiskey part of this will not appeal to me, so I hope one of my roommates will like using this jam. It’s such a different style that I’m curious what it will smell and taste like.

Ruby Rain Organics Nourishing Lotion Bar – Since this is sealed, I don’t want to open it until I’m ready to use it. It has a scent using lavender, frankincense, and myrrh, which should be quite interesting. I think this will be great to keep in the car when I need a little lotion and don’t want a mess.

This definitely felt like a fall box, though I wish they’d included more items. Why does jewelry always seem to be worth so much? I’m glad they don’t come often, because I much prefer skincare, home goods, and the like. What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Prospurly August 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Well, I seem perpetually two months behind on these reviews now… but with much of my recruiting behind me and things getting into a different rhythm, I hope to pay a little more attention to my blogging. We’ll see how well that works out. 🙂

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly august 2016 box open with products showing prospurly august 2016 info card with product details

Botanical Love Notes – How adorable are these? They have chamomile, calendula, and lavender. I feel like framing these in one of those three-panel frames rather than actually writing in them and giving them away. I may choose to use them eventually, but I like them as art for the moment.

Foxes & Ferns organic bath tea in Relaxation (bonus item) – One of these came back in May and I haven’t used it yet since I haven’t had a chance to take a bath, but it sure makes for a nice aromatherapy sachet. I will have to make sure I try it out when I’m back home in Virginia this winter. It’ll be fabulous!

Healthforce Superfoods Spirulina Manna – They recommend 15-25 tablets a day?! Wow, it seems so strange to consume so much of this stuff. I’ll try throwing a few in my food or something since it has a pretty strong seaweed-like scent. I could certainly use a health boost after all this time eating poorly.

Foxes & Ferns Lavender Love beeswax candle – This is a super cute candle with lavender buds in the wax and the bottom half of the jar dipped in gold. It’s such a wonderful decoration on the shelf that I don’t want to burn it just yet.

Atlas Cedarwood + Jojoba Oil roll-on – This is meant to be used to calm and purify. The woodsy scent combined with a hint of citrus (or something refreshing) is a really cool calming fragrance. It’s very unique and definitely not something I’ve smelled before. When I close my eyes it sort of reminds me of pine…

Angel Face Botanicals Grace antioxidant facial toner – Ah, I love facial toners. This one sprays wonderfully to create a nice mist on my face. It’s soothing and I’m a fan of the use of white tea. It feels fantastic and I can easily see this becoming my new fav.

Seva Amazon rainforest body oil – The first thing I noticed with this was the Off the Mat Into the World logo — I worked with a woman who is involved with that group! Totally awesome. This is a jar with a pump head, which will be fun to use. It has a light oil and seed sort of scent to it and absorbs well into the skin. This is the perfect kind of thing to use in the drier months to keep skin soft.

gomacro macro bar in cashew caramel – This little bar is very soft and chewy, which I like. It has a hint of nuttiness but is generally just sweet in my mouth. I like the smaller size since I don’t typically enjoy bars, but this is one I feel I can finish. If I decide to try bars in the future, I’ll definitely keep this in mind.

This was another fun box with some items I’m very interested in and others that I’m venturing out of my comfort zone for. I think that’s great! What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Prospurly May 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Gosh, I’ve been meaning to review this for quite some time, but I didn’t have the time to properly sit down and evaluate everything. Just like that, two weeks have flown by!

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly may 2016 box open with products showing prospurly may 2016 info card with product details

Skin Nutrition from nature with love pink grapefruit shea butter lotion – Mmm, what a nice light grapefruit scent! This is a very thick lotion that feels great and smells wonderful. This will be perfect for traveling with, so my hands don’t get dried out after hand washing.

Three Little Figs Citrus and Smoked Salt jam – Whoa, with orange slices, chiles, and smoked salt, this jam is all sorts of flavors. I’ll definitely want to try cooking meat with this to give it an extra boost of taste.

Skin Nutrition from nature with love organic matcha green tea under eye balm – What a unique eye product! I like being able to apply an eye balm like this, which helps me control how much gets on without using too much (which I tend to do with most other eye products).

Skin Nutrition from nature with love bug bite balm – This will be handy throughout the summer, helping with itchy skin situations. It’s so compact and easy to bring along anywhere.

Skin Nutrition from nature with love citronella campfire spray – Perfectly paired with the bug balm, this will hopefully help keep bugs away in the first place! Citronella is well-known for warding off mosquitoes. The addition of catnip essential oil is definitely different and pretty awesome!

Foxes & Ferns holistic bath tea in Rejuvenation & Relaxation – Both of these smell very nice and are definitely the type of thing you want to help you relax and enjoy a bath. I love the suggestion to throw these in the dryer for the next use, but also to freshen up the laundry.

Artisan Salt Co Alaea Hawaiian style sea salt – I enjoy these salts and have two from previous boxes. This is supposedly a special one made for Prospurly, but I definitely got the exact kind from Escape Monthly before… so it makes me wonder if they (and Yogi Surprise) are the same company. I’ve suspected it before, since they have similar styles in box presentation.

While I really like all the products, I do feel like it was very heavy on a single brand and I would have liked to see greater variety. Still, I like everything and can’t wait to use them all! What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Why you should give feedback to companies

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , ,
0

Are you the type of person who will write to a company or call them when you have a comment? Or are you like most and dismiss it as not worth your time and effort?

While mostly I’m thinking of standing up for yourself when something goes wrong, this can also apply to positive feedback. Companies won’t ever know if you don’t tell them explicitly. It’s amazing how many people never bother to share when something went awry. If that’s the case, the issue will likely persist.

On a personal level, you can benefit from reaching out to companies. For example, on our recent Europe trip, both Panda and Calavera’s suitcases were damaged (by different airlines). Panda wrote an email to them, was able to dig up an old receipt for a luggage purchase, and is being reimbursed $100. If Calavera doesn’t do the same, she won’t be compensated.

This works in all sorts of realms. When service was not good, I reach out to restaurants or airlines and they usually offer a free meal or airlines miles, as appropriate.

On the positive side, I once reached out to Yuzen because I was so in love with their service. Now I get to be a brand ambassador and receive boxes for free! Or another time, my excitement and eagerness in reaching out got me a free area rug.

Today I came home to find a box for Panda. It turned out to be a bunch of free jerky! Again, we never would have gotten it had he not reached out when we got a less than optimal product. See the opportunities that are out there? And this is not even factoring in how companies can take this feedback and learn from it. I sure hope they’re doing that!!

five assorted bags of epic jerky

Free snacks!!

five assorted bags of epic jerky and trail mix

Smokey wanted a piece too.

Treatsie May 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

This will be my last box from them. After being there from the start and seeing their changes in packaging along the way, it’s time for me to save money while in school.

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands. That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program to earn store credit. Use my referral link and code FRBUCO01 to get double the treats (a purported $40 value) in your first box!

treatsie may 2016 box contents treatsie may 2016 info card

Raley’s Confectionary Acid Drops hard candy: Well doesn’t that sound dangerous? I think it refers to the tartness of these sour candies, which are delightful. Just the type of thing that I like, sweet yet sour. This will last me a long time since one piece is enough for quite awhile. I totally want to try using these with a cotton candy machine – sour cotton candy? Hmm…

Izard Chocolate caramels: Love these! I’m a big fan of caramels and these are very good. I do like slightly more firm caramels, but if you like super soft gooey ones, try these. I probably should have stuck them in the fridge for the texture that I like.

Grey Ghost Bakery Chocolate Espresso cookies: I gave these to Panda to eat since I don’t like anything coffee-flavored, but I do like Grey Ghost cookies.

Grey Ghost Bakery Cinnamon Pecan cookies: These aren’t my favorite flavor from them, but it’s good with a nice cinnamon taste. It’s more dry than I tend to like, but still good. The sweetness is light at first and then kicks in after chewing a little bit. The chunks of pecan fall off easily.

Not a bad box to go out on, though I wish they had other cookie flavors that I enjoy more! What do you think of the treats from this box? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and code FRBUCO01 to get double the treats in your first box!

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Treatsie April 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

I ate these so quickly I nearly forgot that I haven’t reviewed the box yet!

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands. That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program to earn store credit. Use my referral link and code FRBUCO01 to get double the treats (a purported $40 value) in your first box!

treatsie april 2016 box contents treatsie april 2016 info card

Salty Road Chocolate Chews in Deep Dark Chocolate: I was hoping they’d have a firmer texture like Riesen, but these are still good caramels. The salt granules could be a bit smaller so the shock of the saltiness doesn’t hit quite as hard. Still, popping one or two of these is the perfect pick-me-up in the afternoon.

Two Moon Shortbread in Vanilla Bean: These were soft and slightly crumbly. They made a good snack to bring along on the flight. I like the light flavor, which is different from the harder crunchier types I’ve had before.

Zlicious Confections Oatmeal Cookie Salted Caramel Corn: As advertised, these are truly addictive!! I mean, I’m not even into popcorn. These were fabulous though, nice and crunchy and sweet. The oatmeal flavor came a little after and was a nice aroma that lingered. I had to stop myself from eating the entire bag in one go. I’d absolutely get these again.

Jacobsen Salt Co. Salty Caramels: These are your standard caramels, soft and chewy. I powered right through them since there were only a few pieces. I wish the portion was larger!

All of these were tasty treats that I enjoyed. I also found a new fav! What do you think of the treats from this box? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and code FRBUCO01 to get double the treats in your first box!

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]



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