365great Day 42: the interwebs

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , ,
25 April 2013
2

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 42: the interwebsSince about 11:30 am, our house has been internetless. This was not a big deal until the AT&T technician came in at 7:30 pm to say that while he had done all he could, a different tech had to come fix an issue out in the street. So tonight we have no internet for our laptops and it makes me appreciate all the time I spend on there and everything it allows me to accomplish. Luckily, I’ve still got my phone, but it’s more of a “skeleton crew” kinda thing where I’m only doing the basics and nothing else. So here’s to the internet! It connects in ways we sometimes forget and is a great tool.

AT&T Uverse Upgrade

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
25 April 2013
0

A little while back, I was trying to print a coupon when somehow I got tricked into enrolling for some texting service. Before I even knew it, they were charging me $9.99 and sending me texts I did not want! I had no idea that I could subscribe for something without inputting my credit card info. I quickly got on the phone and called AT&T to get the charge removed. Of course, they also took the time to try to get me to upgrade my service.

This time, the deal sounded pretty good: a free Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire or XBOX something or other. I’d the Uverse internet, TV, and home phone bundle for only $5 more than the current cost for home phone and DSL. The contract term was only a year, though I could lock in that pricing for another year if I stayed with them. I set up the appointment to get installation today, with the technician arriving between 11 and 1.

black motorola dsl modem and router box

Farewell DSL.

Well, he arrived by 11:30 and has been here on and off ever since. First there were issues outside with the telephone box and what cables connected and were live. Then there was the issue indoors of not having a centralized place that our phone, TV, and internet would plug into. At one point we discussing drilling a hole in the wall to get the necessary cables in the right place. There were mysterious cables running in and out of walls and no signal where there should have been. It was a hot mess!

For awhile, he had to leave to get more equipment (and hopefully grab some lunch). Then he was back at it, setting up and fixing a lot of the odd wiring in our house. Maybe that’s why we always had trouble with the phone and internet signals. Could our troubles finally be over? Once everything inside the house was set up, we spent over an hour waiting for a different technician to come fix something interfering with the signal outside. I think we’re finally near the finish line though*. Hooray!!

gray/grey belkin backup battery for home phone lines and black at&t uverse modem and router

Yay new internet!

*Definitely was not – ultimately the issue couldn’t get fixed today so tonight we are home internetless.

365great Day 41: facial wipes

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
24 April 2013
0

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365great challenge day 41: facial wipesI only recently started using facial wipes and I wish I had gotten into them sooner! They are a fantastic way to refresh your face during the day or even help wipe off everything at the end of the night. I’ve always hated the “water dribbling down your arms” part of washing my face, so this is a great way to “wash” my face without all that messiness. Plus, you can use it on the go – even better. For me, it started with the samples of La Fresh wipes that I got in a Yuzen box. I probably wouldn’t have tried them otherwise, but hey, I had samples already… and so I did, and loved how refreshing it felt. I then went on the buy the full packs, which I pull out every now and then when the day’s really been wearing on me. A simple, easy, effective way to freshen up? That’s great. 🙂

Rationing control

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
24 April 2013
0

Perhaps you associate rationing with wartime, like I generally do. Did you know that in China they still do it? Well, at least in terms of the [centralized] heating supply. Every year, as fall fades away, the citizens await the day that their heating will get turned on. It’s earliest in the northern cities (like my hometown of Shenyang) and later in areas like Beijing. For those in the south – forget about it. No matter how cold it gets, they have no heat unless you purchase a special air conditioning/heating unit for your home. Then, as spring approaches, as soon as the government deems it warm enough, the heat is taken away again. And so year after year, the Chinese get to deal with bundling up in their homes because they don’t have enough heat.

chinese granddaughter and grandfather standing outside doorway in winter

Maybe that’s why winter wear looks like this and usually includes 5-7 layers, even indoors.

Back when I was born in the 1980’s, there was a lot of food rationing too. My mom always told me how eggs were a valued commodity in the cities and when she was pregnant, she got to enjoy the one egg per household (per month I think, though maybe it was per week). I had a cousin who was a year older than me and when I was born, I turned out to be a big eater. Or drinker, I guess. I gobbled up milk like nobody’s business (which meant that my cousin’s milk rations often went to me too). Maybe that’s why I grew up so big and strong.

Even housing in the old days was “rationed” – you were given a place to live and that was that, pretty much. If you wanted to move (within the same city), you could apply to be “given” a different apartment that might be newer and/or in a better location. I believe there was some sort of lottery system to help determine who got to live where. Certainly unlike the American buying experience I’m used to, where any house anywhere is fair game if it’s in your price range.

And then there’s the One Child Policy, which is kind of like rationing children to families. Except in this case, rather than waiting to be given what you want, you have what you want (once) and that’s it. Still, it’s similar to getting handed rations since you are allowed a limited supply, which has nothing to do with your personal situation. Rather, it’s an “everybody gets the same restriction” kind of thing.

Each of these in their own ways take control away from you the individual. You do not have the power to decide that you want to heat your home earlier in the year, or that you want to eat half a dozen eggs in one sitting, or that you want to move clear across town to that beautiful new complex, or that you want to have another child. Granted, things have eased up over the years and many of these rules have gone away or at least become more flexible. Still, sometimes it amazes me what sort of uber-controlling environment some cultures grow up in. And how the act of rationing itself is a rationing of control: Here, this is how much control we’ll give you over your own life. All’s fair in communism, right?

365great Day 40: giant toys

laelene Posted in 365great，
23 April 2013
2

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 40: giant toysIf a toy can bring you joy, a giant toy can bring you even more! I mean, what’s more fun that a huge cuddly bear like this? You’ve got someone (something) to lean on and hug and use as a pillow or backrest… This giant bear is an impressive 53 inches and a really fun companion. My cat Missy especially likes him because he’s so soft and fluffy. Great for leaning against! If you’ve never owned a super large toy like this, you absolutely must. Don’t miss out! 🙂

On My Mind, episode 4

laelene Posted in on my mind，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
23 April 2013
5

Ready for another round of On My Mind? Here goes!

~Ha! I was just thinking about how my blog posts used to be so much more insightful/thoughtful/interesting when I started to get the inspiration bug again and went crazy preparing some draft posts. Tons of goodness to come!

~Sooo I had said I didn’t want to buy any more nail polish until I used up one bottle. Just one! Which shouldn’t be that hard since I rarely buy nail polish anyway, but then I came across a BOGO deal and I couldn’t resist! BAH. I bought it and then promptly spilled one all over my carpet (which took out about a third of that bottle). Karma for going against my word? 🙁 I did manage to mostly get it out (and better than I had hoped at least!).

collage of sally hansen insta-dri nail colors in clearly quick, pronto purple, lively lilac, and blue-away~That nail polish I got? Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri. I’d never tried it before, but that coupon for buy one, get one meant each bottle was $2. While I may not want to pay $4 for some nail polish, $2 was a deal I couldn’t resist. I know, I’m terrible. But you know what? I discovered an AMAZING brush! Like seriously, why don’t all (or at least more) nail polishes have brushes like this? It applies so well, I just love it. Plus, I really love that these nail polishes dry so quickly, since clumsy old me would usually mess up at least three nails before they managed to dry.

~And if you keep up with the blog, you will see that I’ve decided to exchange some of my old nail polishes for some Zoya ones! At least I’m not accumulating more, right? That’s ok, right?!

~My family went out and got a bunch of Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge shampoos because of the current deal for them! Only $0.86 in CA if you bring your own reusable bag. Less in other states since our tax is a high 9%, ugh.

collage of broken galileo thermometer

I cleaned the bulbs and put them in a vase.

~About two weeks ago, Missy (one of my cats) broke my Galileo thermometer when she knocked it over – RIP 🙁 – and I learned that the oil they use in it smells naaasty. It smelled like a gas station exploded on my carpet. I guess that’s the only material the bulbs will float in correctly. I cleaned and scrubbed and patted for an hour and the smell didn’t dissipate, so I had to move to another room to sleep. Took about a week of leaving the window open and spraying odor remover on it daily before I could move back. My carpet is forever scarred though – for some reason, it grew a bump that won’t go away.

long raised bump in carpet

It used to be a lot worse but it has since shrunk.

~Panda (the boyfriend) was in town earlier in the month and we got a pretty cool room at the Hilton Garden Inn LAX! I loooved the rocker, which was so smooth and made me feel lighter. Reminded me of the zero gravity chairs they have a Brookstone. The bathroom was rather sweet too, with a jacuzzi/hot tub (what’s the difference?) on one side and an electronically-controlled shower on the other. I got to set the shower water to exactly the temperature I wanted!

panoramic shot of large bathroom in a hilton garden inn lax room

Here I am demonstrating the rocking chair…

awesome smooth leather rocking chair from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

~I had told my cousin about the 1 Second Everyday app, which she was interested in. I’ve been having a blast with it! I was sad, however, that I had redeemed an iTunes gift card for $50 and wasn’t able to split it into two $25 gift codes so she too could get some apps without paying. Then a few days later it dawned on me: gifting an app! I hadn’t thought of it because I never used it (and really wasn’t sure it was even a feature), but I checked and it’s so easy to do it! But by the time I told her, she had already bought the app. Womp, womp… next time!!

~I’ve been doing pretty well with the giveaways I’ve entered and won a couple more, yippee! You’ll see pictures of them after I get them. One in particular I wanted to point out – I actually won another 3-month Conscious Box subscription and this time I got to share an additional one with a friend! I mean, what is more thrilling than winning for you AND a friend of your choice? I picked a super awesome, super supportive friend and she was totally excited. Coincidentally, her birthday was right around then too! Happy birthday!

~I’m so glad I went through that long, long DMV line to get a new picture taken because I am SO much happier with my new picture! The original picture was from when I was in high school and it looks like I have a fake orange tan when in reality I just swam outdoors a lot for our high school team.

driver's license pictures side by side comparison

The old picture looks a lot more orange in person.

~I’m STILL waiting to get my first Goodie box and Graze box. Waaah! I’ve held myself back from buying snacks because they were supposed to replace my snack food shopping and THEY’RE STILL NOT HERE… -___- I, being hugely reliant on snacking to survive/thrive, feel so forlorn… BUT I should be getting my Goodie box today*! *fingers crossed* My Graze box was prepared on the 11th and if I don’t get it by tomorrow I’m going to contact customer service. Yes, you can call me Cookie Monster.

~And finally, I was SO off-the-walls (maybe too) happy to get an email from the Pink Panel letting me know I’m in their nail care testing group. I had just signed up and filled out the survey for the latest testing group and it was awesome to get that invitation!! I can’t wait – I remember seeing Julep in the survey URL so I’m pretty sure we get to test some Julep products. I’ve yet to try anything from them, but I’d totally love to. I’m turning into a nail polish/hand care fiend. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that we get a $75 Amazon gift card (code, probably) for participating. I’m getting my cats a fun feeding maze I learned about from an article on Squidoo with those funds!

*Yay the Goodie box arrived! Time to rip through it. 🙂

365great Day 39: nature

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: ,
22 April 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 39: natureIt’s Earth Day! I think we should take this time to think about how our actions are affecting our planet so we can make changes for the better. Things will never be perfect, but we can always strive for incremental improvement. And while we’re thinking of this great place called Earth, let’s take a moment to appreciate nature! I mean, I think that’s what makes much of our world so beautiful – who doesn’t love a good sunset or gorgeous landscape? It’s pleasing to the eyes and very calming too. Plus, nature is great at renewing itself; we could learn a lesson or two. There’s wisdom in our world and that’s pretty great.

Zoya Earth Day Nail Polish Exchange

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
22 April 2013
2

Happy Earth Day! I hope you all are a little more mindful of how you can be less wasteful these days. 🙂

And I’ve spent the day contemplating and struggling over that very issue. See, I came across a really cool offer for a nail polish “exchange” by Zoya. Zoya makes 5-free nail polish (aka they don’t use 5 toxic ingredients that have commonly been in nail polish before people started taking note). They’ve got a ton of designs and colors, which are pretty awesome! For this week, they’re offering to help you swap your old toxin-laden nail polishes with their lovely 5-free nail polishes (excluding the PixieDust collection).

zoya earth day nail polish exchange offer 2013

Here’s the deal: you can pick anywhere from 6-24 bottles of nail polish to get at half off, which would make them $4 apiece. Then you’re supposed to gather up that same number of bottles of non-5-free brands from your collection to mail in to them. They’ll help you dispose of them appropriately. So for something like $35, you can get 6 bottles of Zoya nail polish and send off 6 bottles of your old nail polish. That’s 6x$4+$6.95 shipping+$4 shipping to them. I’m not sure exactly how much it would cost to mail your nail polish since you have to do ground shipping and that might have different rates from “standard” shipping, but my estimate should be close enough.

Now I don’t know about you, but a $4 bottle of nail polish is still kind of expensive. Factor in the shipping costs you’d have to pay and you’re paying around $6 per bottle. While I love the thought of my old, mostly unused polish getting properly disposed of, I’m struggling to decide if this is the best option. In a way, I still feel bad that that polish would get trashed rather than used and enjoyed. But then again, if something’s not good for your health or the environment, should you be enjoying it?

Dilemmas, dilemmas.

collection of nail polishes in shoebox top view

Some of my current collection.


Oh, and let’s not forget the economic aspect too – from that perspective, this is NOT a good deal since you’re not really gaining any new polish yet you end up paying $35! All in the name of “green”(er)? Well, there is a caveat here – you don’t have to return your old polish. That’s right, you are not obligated to send them anything and they will honor the deal! So basically you can look at this as a 50% off sale. In which case you should either get the nail polishes because you want them and this is a good deal (comparatively) or you should not get the nail polishes because you could just use your old ones.

However, I can’t just ignore the moral concern about doing good for the planet and being more responsible. Here is a chance for me to ensure that my nail polish with toxic chemicals is not left to leak into a landfill, but be treated however it’s supposed to be in order to safely dispose of it. Well, as safe as nail polish can get anyway. Unfortunately I don’t know if nail polish will ever be *that* green. So I could just try giving up on using nail polish, but I’m not that noble. I like having fun painting my nails! The best I can do is try to minimize the negative effects of it.

If I knew of a place I could drop off my nail polish to have it properly disposed of, I could go there and donate my “bad” polish. I’m not aware of such a service though and Zoya’s offer is the only way I know how to get that done at this point. So I think I’ve just talked myself into taking the offer. Can $35 buy me less guilt? Maybe for awhile. At the least I want to feel like I did better.

365great Day 38: 1 Second Everyday

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
21 April 2013
2

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 38: 1 second everydayI’ve officially completed a full month’s worth of 1SE clips! I found out about this fun project through Kickstarter, where I backed it and got to download it from the App Store when it launched. I was a bit late to the game (oops) and didn’t redeem my copy for quite awhile, but I finally got around to it and I’ve been having a blast! It’s so entertaining to watch little 1-second clips of days gone by and remember what was happening in that moment. For the most part, it only holds meaning for me, but it’s so meaningful.

If you’ve ever done a photo a day sort of project, you sort of know what I’m talking about. But the added dimensions of video make it even more powerful and it’s a fabulous way to look back on your life. You’ve seriously got to try it! Now you don’t have to rely on still visuals solely to share your story and record those memories. You can incorporate motion and sound, which are very enriching. I’ve had video clips that I chose purely for the sound that it had captured. What a fun, simple way to capture snippets of your life. And the app makes it super easy to clip and compile. It’s great!!

Target Earth Day Haul

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
21 April 2013
1

peek inside target earth day bag with samples from eco-friendly brandsThis morning, we had a little family outing to Target to get the free reusable bags for Earth Day! The good thing about my town is that store traffic is pretty light, so we didn’t have to worry about them running out. Also, ours came with samples! I’m sure plenty of other Targets only passed out bags mostly, especially if they’re in a concentrated area where a ton of people would come running for free snacks/skincare/cleaning products. That’s the one good thing about living in a quiet suburban area – we may not always have the most things in stock or the best sales, but on offers like this we tend to get a sweeter deal (and an easier time getting it). On the right you can see a sneak peek of the goodies we got from our 3 bags.

And here’s a look at everything laid out:

target earth day haul with reusable bag and samples from eco-friendly brands

target bit tote small reusable bag given on earth dayYou can see on average each bag had 4 samples, plus the coupon book. There might have been other samples available, but here’s what we got in our bags, which I think is pretty representative of what was available: 2 Method Smarty Dish Plus dishwasher tablets, 3 Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent samples (good for one large load of laundry each), 3 bags of Annie’s Bunny Grahams (with honey, chocolate, & chocolate chip) made with whole grains, 3 Burt’s Bees Sensitive skincare Daily Moisturizing Cream samples, 1 Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid sample, and three Target coupon booklets with over $44 worth of savings on various eco-conscious brands like the ones shown. Sponsors this year that didn’t have products included were plantbottle, GE, and Neutrogena Naturals.

target bit tote small reusable bag with words made of tiny handprintsThe bags themselves are deemed a “bit tote” because they’re a smaller size and the messaging this year is “each bit counts.” I totally agree with this! People often dismiss efforts to be more green because they think “oh this one time won’t matter” or they wonder “can I really make such a difference?” While we may not see it, the sum of all our little “bits” can add up pretty fast, especially over time. So I hope people become more conscious of this and do a little more each day to conserve, repurpose, reuse, recycle, etc. In addition, with each action we take, we can change our way of thinking and doing so that we become more and more “green” – so I see every small step compounding into bigger and bigger steps for the future.

One final note – I loved that the words were composed of tiny little handprints! Very cute and it goes with the idea that each of us counts. Every bit.

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