365great Day 139: fuzzy

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
31 July 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 139: fuzzyOne of my all-time favorite textures has got to be fuzzy. Fuzzy usually means soft as well, and it’s such a fun thing to stroke, whether the fur on an animal’s back or these super comfy shorts that I got! It ranges from short little fuzzy bits like this or really long shaggy bits like on some rugs or teddy bears. The softness and warmness make it so cozy to snuggle with (and partly why Snuggies are such a fun invention!). What child doesn’t enjoy getting a nice fuzzy stuffed animal to hug and sleep with? I know I certainly did; I had a bear that was the very first gift I ever got upon arriving in the US and I was nearly inseparable from it for years, even bringing it with me to trips to China. Since then I’ve had various pillows and other stuffed animals, all of which I love to touch. It feels so great!

The hunt is on

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
31 July 2013
2

Man, job hunting this time around is quite challenging! It’s a combination of finding a company in a reasonably close location, looking for a position that’s not quite first job entry-level but isn’t exactly management, and trying to meet my desired price point. Now that Panda and I know where we’ll be located, I’ve had to shift my job search further west out of DC. I’d really rather not commute an hour to hour and a half each way – 30-45 minutes would be ideal. I also want something where I don’t have to start over again, but can pick up in a similar place to where I was when I left my previous job. This is difficult to find because I plan on moving into a different industry and some of the industry-specific skills they require are not part of my skill set. At the same time, I want a salary similar to if not slightly higher than what I had been paid

Adding to those criteria is my desire to work at company that either has immense opportunity to grow or has a cool, laidback work culture. Of course having both would be amazing, but I’d be happy with one or the other. A lot of companies in the region require highly technical skills – a good 75% of listings I’ve seen are for engineers, programmers, and the like. What about someone like me who is tech-savvy despite not having a technical degree? I wish there were more options out there. It seems like I find a ton of very basic administrative assistant type roles or far too complex engineering project management roles. How do I find something in between?!

I’ve definitely come across some promising leads, but boy are they competitive! I’ve gotten a few rejections and I’m still waiting to hear back on some others. I wish it was easier to find the sort of tech companies that I’m interested in, but most of the tech companies out here exist to service government needs and that sort of thing gets highly technical. I’m not in the best location for the type of work I’d like to do, which is really limiting my choices. I originally started looking for positions with opportunities to travel, but now I’ve thrown that out and will just count myself lucky if I do find a position offering that.

And the hunt goes on…

365great Day 138: cake pops

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , ,
30 July 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 138: cake popsI’ve written about them before and they’re worth mentioning again as part of my 365great series – cake pops are an amazing little treat! For awhile I was super obsessed with them and bought them frequently. I’ve since calmed down but I still love them and much of the reason I haven’t had any lately is because I don’t know where they sell them out here! At some point I definitely want to try making my own since those little suckers are rather costly. I love how they don’t dry out the way cupcakes or cakes might and they include a nice chocolate layer instead of icing or frosting (which are a bit on the sweet side, don’t ya think?). They come in such lovely *almost* bite-size pieces yet are super filling so one or two is plenty to fill you up. A more convenient, easier-to-manage dessert item? That’s great!!

Physician’s Formula BB Powder review

laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: , , , , , ,
30 July 2013
1

Last month I received that free Physician’s Formula BB Powder and I’ve gotten a chance to try it out a couple of times now. I like the powder concept since I don’t have to worry about leaks or my carry-on liquid limit when flying.

collage of physician's formula bb powder in box, out of box, and bottom

It comes in super shiny packaging and the underside has a bunch of ventilation holes. I wasn’t sure what that was for until I opened up the compact!

collage of physician's formula bb powder open showing powder, mirror, and brush

Turns out there’s a secret compartment underneath for the brush and mirror! Maybe this is standard with all powder makeup items, but I never use them so it was a nice surprise for me. Everything is a nice quality and the compact feels sturdy. The mirror is sometimes hard to get to, since you need to release the clasp but not let it fall back down on its own weight. I’ve found that opening it upside down does the trick.

collage of physician's formula bb powder brush with bb powder

I’ve never used a long flat brush like this, so that was interesting to see. I like how I can get a large area of my face in one swipe, but the edges need to be blurred out so there aren’t lines on my face where the powder was more concentrated. I’ll need to track down a round brush to try in comparison, which I think will help achieve a much more even finish. Still, this little brush gets the job done when you’re out or in a pinch.

As for the coverage, it’s a nice matte evening effect. Not full coverage if you’ve got giant blemishes like me, but it does help minimize the look of them. The powder is great for toning down your oily face with light, natural-looking coverage. Some of the BB creams I’ve tried are not meant for oily faces, so pairing that with the BB powder helps create a more covered look with a matte finish. Shine be gone! It also has SPF 30 coverage, which is pretty high for a beauty product! Definitely great in protecting your face from sun damage AND beautifying the overall look of your skin.

This is going to last me a very long time and I’d definitely consider buying it again when I use it up. I like the convenience and less messy application than a wet cream. The built-in mirror comes in handy at times when you don’t have a mirror to use and I’ve yet to see a cream come with a mirror. If you want full coverage though, I’d recommend pairing this with something else like a foundation or a BB cream. I’m so glad I got to try this for free! Thanks Physician’s Formula for your cool giveaways. 🙂

365great Day 137: dry shampoo

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , ,
29 July 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 137: dry shampooIt was only last year that I learned of this thing called dry shampoo. I got an aerosol can of it in my Pamper Me Fabulous goodie bag and I was pretty intimidated, so I never tried it. Then I won this Klorane one that is non-aerosol and decided to give it a try. What a strange concept that puffing powder onto my hair and brushing it through would actually help clean it! I guess it helps absorb any greasiness that may have built up. However it works exactly, I am happy to report that it is quite effective and I love it. Such an easy way for me to touch up my hair when I don’t have time to shower before going out. I’m partial to this non-aerosol design, where you basically squeeze the bottle gently to puff out a cloud of powder. Look closely and you can see the puff in the picture. This design allows me to bring it anywhere with me and not worry about it exploding or getting confiscated. Absolutely great!

How to: not waste soap

laelene Posted in how to guides，Tags: , , , , , , ,
29 July 2013
0

Don’t you hate when you get those little pieces of a soap bar that you can’t quite use but don’t want to waste? Well, hopefully you do or else you’re probably losing out on a lot of soap uses! So here I’ve compiled some ways that you can make the most of those broken pieces:

collage of various solutions to using up small broken pieces of soap

1. Put in cloth or bag

Fold it into a small facial cloth or cloth baggie, get the cloth/bag wet and then rub! Suds are able to make their way through the porous material and you might even get a better lather than usual. This way you also get some exfoliation out of it and the pieces don’t go down the drain.

2. Insert into loofah

Similar to the cloth, loofahs are great for exfoliation and improving lather, so if you’re into suds, stick those pieces in the center of your loofah and scrub away! It’s ideal if you can actually stuff them into a compartment where they won’t fall out, otherwise you might still struggle with small pieces falling through.

3. Stick to a cap

One of the greatest challenges I find with small pieces of soap is how thin and flimsy it is. I feel like I have nothing to grip on to, so by sticking it onto the cap of something, it gives you something to hold easily. Then just treat it like a tube of lip balm and rub around on your skin. It’s pretty similar to when you used the brand new bar, but of course with less material.

4. Adhere to wall

Ok, this one is probably the strangest suggestion I have, but hey it’s fun and hilarious. If you don’t have a cap to stick your soap to, just press it onto your shower tile. Then rub your hands or fingers on it when you need to use some! You’ll also help clean part of the wall that way… 😉

5. Shake in container

Finally (and probably least effective), you can throw those pieces into a plastic container, add a bit of water, and shake like crazy! You’ll get a watered down soapy mixture you can spray onto yourself if you have a nozzle or pour out to use like a super watery body wash. Alternatively, you can aim to just use the suds that you create as a foam cleanser.

So there you go! Never waste so much soap again with these 5 tips. 😛 It looks like I inadvertently ordered these in approximate from the most effective to the least effective method. Do you have anything to add?

365great Day 136: spring/summer rolls

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , ,
28 July 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 136: spring/summer rollsI had a craving for rolls today, both fried and not. So where did I go? To a Vietnamese place of course! Not only can I get delicious fried spring rolls with crisp lettuce and a sweet sauce, I can also get refreshing summer rolls with fragrant peanut dip. It’s really the best of both worlds with these two types of rolls. Whether hot or cold, sweet or salty, strong flavors or more mild ones, you can take your pick. I enjoy the easy-to-manage shape of rolls – bite off as much as you can on one end without worrying about something flying out the other end (ahem, burgers anyone?) and the round tube shape fits in mouths perfectly! You can get such a variety of flavors with them depending on what you put inside and how you cook them. Such a versatile appetizer is pretty great!

That dream condo

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , ,
28 July 2013
4

the three stages of the villas being built: foundation poured, frame up, and exterior completed

Here you can see some of the other buildings going up! Closest to us the foundation has just been laid, then you can see the building where the frame is up, and finally at the end you can just see the one where the exterior is completed. Then of course over on the model home side you can see models of homes with completed interiors as well.


Wow, things are moving fast! It’s only been a week since we first started looking at properties and that first day we came across our dream condo (I’ll call them the Villas). We wanted to keep our options open, so we continued looking and found another great option yesterday in Ashburn (further north and west of the regions we’d been looking in). We had set up an appointment for today to meet with a loan officer working with the builder of the Villas and after another look at them, we’re pretty set on our favorite model. The Ashburn one we like is called the Matisse model and it’s more traditional: 2 storied stacked condos, garage and balcony in the back “alleyway,” and a good 6-8 middle units per building. Meanwhile the Villas have 6 units per building, 2 of which are middle ones. It’s also unique in that is it ranch style and each condo is located on a single floor (not counting the garage space). Plus, the Villas are more high-end, with standard granite in the kitchen, nice large spaces, and a ton of windows.

For both properties, we were really attracted to the end units that allowed for a lot more window real estate. I love how bright and airy they feel compared to their center counterparts. The Matisse had a super cool Roman shower (I wish I took a picture!) with two showerheads on opposite sides and little seats too. I also loved the little window in one of the walk-in closets (totally claimed that for myself!). The Villas boast expansive single-floor layouts with a nice bonus room on the second floor units, a nice large porch, and a huge living room/dining area. For both models I loved the island in the kitchen, which is pretty important to me. On the Villas, Panda really likes how the garages face the road so there isn’t some small alley to maneuver into and you don’t have to walk around the entire building to get to the front door.

the future site of the pool and clubhouse for the community

Our ideal location is a very short walk to the community pool and clubhouse!


As for the location themselves, the Matisse is going to be very close to a future metro stop, which will be great for commuters. If I get a job in Tyson’s Corner, it will be a straight drive/train ride over. The Ashburn area is also a great region that’s developing very well. We loved the community feel though it did feel more crowded in our condo community. However, I’m also looking at jobs in the Arlington and Alexandria regions, which would be nearly twice as far and a much longer commute than I’d want. On the flip side, the Villas are located pretty equidistant from Tyson’s or Arlington, not that far and not that close. It’s reasonable middle ground and it’s very close to Panda’s work in Chantilly. The region is also growing and expanding, but it’s still a little more private and quiet, which we like. Oh, and the Villas will have a community pool and clubhouse whereas the Matisse community will not – definitely a good bonus.

The Villas are a higher price point than we had originally wanted to look for, but with all the bonuses, the nice materials, and a ton more space, I think it’s well worth it. We’d both be really pleased with our living situation (though we certainly could do with a lower price!) and the unit we’d most like in the current building is available! It’s a great place to grow into – we don’t need anywhere near that square-footage right now but in a few years, we wouldn’t feel any pressure to move as we build our family. I checked a bunch of details like the water pressure, the tub size, the window heights, the location of the AC unit (and how much noise it produces), the angle of the sun throughout the day, the availability of ceiling lights (not included but they make it easy to put one in), and the various storage options. I got almost every single feature I wanted and the only upgrade we’d pay for is a better floor tile in the master bath.

Now it’s just a matter of discussing things with our parents to see if they have any additional insights, prepping our financials, really honing in on getting me a job, and then getting ready to commit! I had expected to spend a good 5 or 6 months looking and deciding, but if we don’t lock down this unit soon, the next building they release will have even higher pricing and we don’t like the location quite as much. It’s such a crazy whirlwind, but when we both like the same condo out of all the ones we’ve seen, how can we go wrong? Our dream (first) home will be completed in November (possibly December) so my hopes of spending the end of the year there just might come true!

365great Day 135: soy candles

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , ,
27 July 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 135: soy candlesI’ve heard about soy candles for quite some time now, but never pulled the trigger to get one. Then I came across the cutest one in Gettysburg and I couldn’t pass it up. I finally started burning it a few days ago and it’s amazing! Ever since my tunneling experience at UCLA (which I talked about here), I’ve been slowly recovering from an extreme sensitivity to particles in the air. It was so bad for a while that whenever I stepped outside, I’d know how bad the smog was in LA depending on how bad my hacking cough was. A few months ago I started to get back into candles and got a super cool aromatherapy one at Bath & Body Works. While I loved the scent, it did slightly irritate my throat. I’d been told that soy candles burn super clean, but I was skeptical until I tried it myself. I don’t even notice that a candle is burning! My throat is saved! Between that and being able to enjoy the fun flickering flame and aromatic scent of a candle, I’m pretty excited. Totally great!

Blissmobox: Indulge…

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
27 July 2013
0

Yikes, I’ve got quite some catching up to do with blissmo! I’m nearly done with my subscription and I’ve only reviewed half the boxes. So this was the January box and I chose the “Indulge…” one because I wasn’t feeling the snacks and this one sounded so luxurious!

blissmobox is just under $25 per month with shipping (or as discounted as just under $120 for 6 months) and comes with eco-friendly products in themes like beauty, snacks, home, pets, and more. Each month you choose from two or three themes, or skip if none of them appeal to you. They do not offer a referral program.

the choices for january's blissmobox: indulge..., good morning!, and feel good snacks

The three choices for the January blissmobox.

I’m glad I chose this one because it included some cool products that I’m happy to have discovered.

opened blissmobox january 2013 with contents displayed

collage of stash tea bags in lavender tulsiStash Tea, Lavender Tulsi – I tried one bag of this and it was nice, but nothing I’d crave. Good to have in my stash (haha pun was unintended) but I’m not sure I’d get more since I have so much tea. However, when I do want a more relaxing variety, I will definitely pull these out. They strike me as the sort of thing that you’d drink when you need some calm, are trying to unwind, or are slightly sick. I just get the impression it’s kind of like chamomile tea, perhaps because of the lavender component.

divine crunchy milk chocolate barDivine Chocolate, Crunchy Milk Chocolate – A very well-chosen name! They certainly didn’t lie; this chocolate is absolutely divine. This particular flavor doesn’t appear to be sold on their site, but they have a great selection. This was THE smoothest chocolate I have ever indulged in. So creamy and fragrant and wonderful I couldn’t stop myself from gobbling it up. I definitely want to get more! YUM

collage of bambeco olive oil soap in peppermintbambeco, peppermint olive oil soap – Oooo this smells refreshing! I am generally sensitive to peppermint products, whether mints, lotions, or soaps so I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to use this or trade it off. I do love the branding, packaging, and overall look and feel, but I might want to try one of their other scents. Then again, my skin probably isn’t as sensitive to peppermint as my stomach is to it, right? Applying it to skin and consuming it in food/beverages may be different, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be sensitive to this too. I’m really on the fence with this one!

collage of kallari chocolate bar 85% cacaoKallari, 85% dark chocolate – This is a great dark chocolate! Very well-crafted and it’s not that bitter. It definitely feels exotic and exclusive. For some reason it makes me think of Amazonians… must be the name, not that I have a clue what it means or where it came from! I like that they package it in a sealed foil pouch to really preserve the freshness and it breaks off into bite-size squares. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen these at Whole Foods, and I would pick it up again.

collage of somersaults dutch cocoa sunflower snacksSomersaults, dutch cocoa – Oh, Somersaults… I first learned of you back when my friend was graduating and his mom shared some with me. I want to like you and I do enjoy your shape and super crunchy texture, but why don’t I like your taste? I can enjoy sunflower seeds on their own, so why not pressed into little cracker cookies? I don’t understand it and try as I have, I just don’t like you enough. 🙁 However, of all the flavors I tried, this is the one that I’d actually consider getting. Go chocolate!

100% pure body cream samples in honey almond and vanilla bean100% Pure, honey almond & vanilla bean nourishing body cream – I have a ton of lotions to use right now so I’m saving these to use a little later. I plan on keeping them for times when I need ultra portability and can’t or won’t bring a deluxe size lotion around. Say, when I’m going on a hike or otherwise planning on being out for a long time, for example. I haven’t been all that active lately so I probably won’t need to break into these for some time!

collage of tisano nibbles cacao nibsTisano Nibbles, Dark Chocolate Cacao Nibs – These are strangely addicting. It kind of feels like I”m eating coffee grinds that weren’t ground up so well, but gosh who knew I could love that? I enjoy dark chocolate, but sometimes the bitterness is hard to swallow. In this tiny form, popping a few is easy as pie and before I know it, I’ve consumed the whole thing. I love that it’s crunchy with those nibs and that I don’t feel like I’m eating a candy, even though they resemble Nerds.

If you’d like more info on these brands, you can click below to enlarge the photo and read more.

blissmobox indulge... info sheet

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