Right before the holidays, I suddenly found myself in possession of a lot of skincare items! I am excited to try all of them out and see what works for me.

I ordered a grab bag from Burt's Bees, which was supposed to include 14 random items. When I received this and found it wasn't quite complete, I emailed them to complain.

I didn't hear back for a long time, but suddenly got an email saying my items were re-shipping for free! So I got another bag, with some repeat items, but also many new ones.

I also treated myself to a kit of skincare products from Bare Minerals.

These were pretty cool rings at a store in the Keys, but were way too big for actual wear (at least on my fingers).

It’s nearly time for Opportunity Green 2011, and I am reminded of these fun Kimball Fit chairs that were on show last year.  Who needs a traditional chair when you have this?

Don't worry, just approach and sit!

After a long day, this was a welcome resting spot.

Lately I’ve decided that when I get my next phone, it will be white.  It’s not just an aesthetic thing though the brightness of white is kind of nice.  It’s actually much more practical: you don’t see fingerprints, smudge marks, or greasiness on white quite as obviously as you do on black.  The more I use my phone, the more convinced I am of the benefits of a white device.  I guess part of the problem is that I use quite a bit of lotion and the smooth screen of the phone gets covered in a layer of it.  After a couple months of use, no amount of wiping, buffing, or cleansing seems to work for very long.  I even have a microfiber towel handy at my desk to clean off the screen periodically.

My iPad is white and I if it weren’t for the screen turning black when it’s off, I’d probably notice the smudges only once every ten uses instead of once every use.  I know a lot of people use screen protectors for this very purpose, but I like how the screen feels with nothing on it to alter it.  Unfortunately that also means that I have to clean the thing every time I use it.  I think it’ll also be a nice change from all the black devices out there.  It’s nice to have a bright spot among all the dark.  I wonder if Apple will ever go back to trying to offer their products in a range of colors.  I think that could be quite nice too!  I’d probably be the odd one choosing orange to tout around, just because it is so cheery and eye-catching.  In the mean time I’ll just have to stick with white.

At Opportunity Green, you’re bound to find out about cool products like these lunch boxes that come in a cool, sealable design. It also includes a box for a sandwich half, a container for sauce, and a fork!

Duchess and I used our Box Appetit lunch boxes made by Black + Blum for the very first time together!

It’s been months and I’ve been looking for this hairbrush every time I go home. I knew that I had taken it out to use when I was here and though I searched high and low without success, I refused to give up. I like how it has wide teeth and is made of a fragrant wood. It’s also glossed and I think is even anti-static. Perfect for a quick brush-up in the middle of the day. I used to keep it in my purse, but then one weekend when I was hanging out at home, I lost track of it. Ever since then, I’ve been on the hunt.

Tonight I asked my mom about it again and she said she actually found a wooden comb while cleaning up. Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember where she had put it, so this sent us on a house-wide search for the elusive thing. As it turns out, she was referring to a smaller comb (the kind they give at hotels), which was sitting on the desk. Since I had already searched almost all of the house, I decided to keep going and flipped just about everything around. Then, I thought that I should check the pile of blankets and pillows on the bed upstairs, which I had used for awhile a couple of months ago.

Lo and behold, after lifting up a couple of blankets, I found it lying there, neatly hidden away! I’m really glad to have it back and will make sure to store it safely in my purse again. Yup, being stubborn does get me results.

I got my iPad today!  It was a bit earlier than expected (they had estimated a June 22nd delivery, but based on the tracking I estimated a June 21st delivery).  Instead I got it this morning and happily spent the day letting it sync up with iTunes.  After work, I began to play around with it to see which apps have iPad versions and which ones are still stuck in the iPhone days.  I’ve set just about all the settings I can think of and I’ve begun to organize my apps into folders again.

There’s something really fun about new things – setting them up, exploring them, and personalizing them gives me a great sense of satisfaction.  After spending most of the night fiddling with my gadget, it’s time to call it a night and get some rest.  Tomorrow’s a new day and another chance to find uses for my iPad.  :-P

I’ve been obsessed with my newest body products – Body Scentsations body butter.  I found them at Fiesta Hermosa and went for the 3 of the 2-oz size for $15 deal.  As you can see, I got the Acai Berry, Pineapple Pomegranate, and White Ginger.  They had so many great scents and everything is natural and made locally in Ventura.  Pretty cool brand.  I love the way the body butter greases on without actually staying greasy.  It melts with your body temperature and seeps into your skin, making it so soft and smooth.

As they say, a little bit goes a long way, so you’re encouraged to use the body butter sparingly since it is ultra effective.  I love it on my elbows, heels, and around my nails.  Unfortunately, a skin condition I have has flared up, so I keep rubbing it in, but it hasn’t gotten rid of the redness and slight swelling on my fingers.  Other than that, I’ve enjoyed it a lot (currently working on using the Acai one) and it gives me great joy just to get a whiff of it when I open the canister.  Shea butter is supposed to be good with eczema and psoriasis, but whatever I have is neither of those so I don’t know how to treat it.

But anyway, that’s not the point - I’m just really excited to have these new products to enjoy and I can’t wait to start using the other two scents as well.  When I get through these, I’ll probably want to try some of the other fantastic smells that this product line offers.