365great Day 145: giveaways

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , ,
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365great challenge day 145: giveawaysAh! I wanted to find a giveaway to use for this image so I decided to go to Ramblings of a Suburban Mom because she’s awesome and I know she’s been doing some great giveaways. I was soooooooo unbelievably thrilled to find that she’s giving away Zoku products! AND THEN I kept reading and discovered she’s giving away a Homegrown Collective box too (they’re the first thing I’m ordering when I get a job)!!! I swear, I can’t be any happier. And this is exactly why giveaways rock so much. Sure, you won’t win most of the time, but honestly if you keep trying, you will. I set my heart out to win Conscious Box because I wanted to try it without having to pay and when I found that they were really promoting themselves amongst bloggers, I tracked down a ton of giveaways and entered them all. I didn’t just win one 3-month subscription, but three! Granted, two were part of the same giveaway, where I could gift a subscription to a friend, but that’s still awesome. Similarly, I reaaaally wanted to win Escape Monthly so I entered dozens of giveaways for that as well AND won twice yet again! Of course, winning makes you feel super, but even just participating and hoping brings a little joy each day. Sometimes it’s nice just to get involved and share in other people’s happiness as they win. And then winning a giveaway? That’s beyond great.

Blissmobox: Summer Beauty

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Yay look at what came in the mail a few days ago! This is the July blissmobox, themed Summer Beauty. I had actually missed out on June because I wanted a box that was sold out by the time I went to choose. I decided to do my very first skipped month, which brought me to now. July would have been my last box (my subscription was from July 2012-June 2013, with a bonus month thrown in when I had some customer service issues) but now August will be!

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 june's blissmobox: summer snacks, baking & pantry favorites ii (deluxe value), cleaning favorites, and beauty favorites (deluxe value)

The four choices for the June blissmobox. Can you guess the one I wanted?

the choices for july's blissmobox: savory snacks and summer beauty

The two choices for the July blissmobox.

I went with Summer Beauty not only because of my new obsession with skincare products, but because I didn’t want nuts or popcorn or bars, which seemed to be what the snack theme would include. I like crackers, chips, cookies, candy, chocolate… 😛  I was surprised to find it fit into my tiny mailbox and that it was suuuper heavy! Looks like they rid this one of any packing material and let the items keep each other in place, which was nice.

opened blissmobox july 2013 with contents and info card displayed

collage of own skin health anti-aging rejuvenating facial cleanserOwn Skin Health, Anti-Aging Rejuvenating Cleanser – Wow, this is one giant bottle! This would last me for ages. I’m still debating if I want to use it since I don’t really need anti-aging benefits at this point and I have a ton of facial cleansers I’m working through. I’ll keep it brand new and consider put it on my trade list. Own is a brand I’ve been interested in so I’m glad to be getting their products. I’m curious how this non-foaming cleanser works, since I’m used to (and love) foaming ones. Even ones that aren’t foaming ones seem to foam when I use them. I’ll keep it in my queue for now and see how I feel later.

collage of own skin health dual protecting day lotion with spf 30 sampleOwn Skin Health, Dual Protecting Day Lotion sample – This lotion smells ever so lightly of that sunscreen scent, in a nice way. It’s a nice thick formula that’s not drippy and absorbs superbly into your skin. I can see this being a perfect lotion to use when you’re going out and exposing yourself to UV rays. It definitely feels like you’re being protected, unlike with some other products I have that have SPF, but make me wonder if they’re effective. I would absolutely consider purchasing the full size of this lotion when I start running out of lotions. Once again, it’s one of those products that I have so much of right now that I can’t justify getting more.

collage of trillium organics lemon ginger body polishTrillium Organics, Lemon Ginger Body Polish – Oooo I’m so excited about this! I adore scrubs, whether for your face, body, hands or feet. I currently have all of those! This is a super adorable size too and perfect to bring on travels. I might break and open this before I use up my current scrubs because I’m such a sucker for these things. I really want to try it out right away! I also want to get some of their other products to test out.

collage of le buchette pucker up peppermint lip fix balmLe Buchette, Pucker Up Peppermint Lip Fix – I thought it was funny how they filled up the lip balm over the edges of tube so it had that sort of mushroom cap. I’ve never seen that before! This is a nice cooling peppermint lip balm and I was glad to see it’s good for dry lips, cold sores, and burning lips! Pretty much anything that can hurt your lips can be prevented/healed with this lip balm. I started using it right away to ward off any lip issues. The balm is very sticky and I couldn’t glide it on my lips at first. It has since gotten smoother, but is still more of a sticky formula.

collage of dream water nighttime nectar sleep easy shotDream Water, Sleep Naturally Nighttime Nectar – I’ve got a few of these lying around now, from various subscription boxes. I’m going to try one out tonight for the first time since I want to get to sleep earlier than usual for an interview tomorrow morning! I always have trouble falling asleep at night unless it’s way into the wee hours of the morning, so let’s hope that Dream Water comes to my rescue. 🙂

collage of better life citrus mint cool calm collected lotion sampleBetter Life, Cool Calm Collected Citrus Mint – What a refreshing lotion! The mint is very soothing and this is a great lotion to use on a hot day to help cool you down. It does apply a bit sticky on my skin so I’m not sure I’d get more. Plus, I’m pretty sensitive to mint and I already started to feel cold from the little bit I used on my hands and arms. I do love what I see on their site and it kind of reminds me of Method with their cleaning products. When I move to our new home I might want to get some cleaning supplies from Better Life.

Greek Island Labs, Joint Mud sample – Missing. So I guess they forgot to throw in that sample for my bag, which is no big deal, but it would have been nice to get! I’m going to see if they can remember to add it in to my next box, if they still have samples left.

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

blissmobox summer beauty info sheet

365great Day 144: bread

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365great challenge day 144: breadBread comes in so many shapes and forms: as buns, rolls, baguettes, loaves, and more. You can get sourdough or whole grain or English muffin or rye… I mean, there are almost boundless ways that you can enjoy bread and I love so many types. It’s filling, not too sweet or salty, and goes well with a lot of other dishes. You can have it as a snack, along with appetizers, as a side dish, or as part of the main course. You can have it soft or crispy or soft with a crispy shell. You can add things to make it sweet or salty or let it be bland. How could you not enjoy something with so many options? You can really customize it to your preferences, whether it be according to taste, texture, ingredients, or otherwise. I’m a huge fan of French baguettes and my favorites are the ones they give you a piece of at Panera Bread. Nom!! They taste great.

The pounding on the door

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front door as viewed from inside room

What was on the other side of the door?

It was about 1:30 am and I was working on my laptop in the living room. I heard some voices in the hall of what sounded like drunk people coming to or from an apartment. “Rowdy neighbors,” I thought. Suddenly, there was banging on the door. It sounded like the drunk people who were supposed to be leaving causing some trouble as they headed out (or kids being mischievous knocking on doors and running away). I dismissed it since it seemed like a poorly-chosen joke. Then a few minutes later, a couple more thuds followed by the doorknob turning. I was surprised to hear the knocking again and suddenly wondered if someone was trying to figure out if we were home so they could break in or something. When they tried to enter the apartment I got a little freaked out, but I figured the best policy was to act like I wasn’t here.

Unfortunately, I had a light on that you could probably see from the sidewalk, so the knocking continued. This time I carefully tiptoed to the door and hoped that the person wasn’t watching if the peephole got dark from my head blocking the light. There was a slightly disheveled man standing there. He started to call someone on his cell, so it seemed like he’d soon figure out he had the wrong address. I returned to my computer. Just a few minutes later… again, that loud knocking. At this point I wondered if Panda and his dad would wake up. They were already asleep inside the bedroom and didn’t seem to be bothered by this. This time the guy used our metal door knocker for a crisper sound.

Seriously?! It’s in the middle of the night and he won’t go away! Finally, I went up to the door again and looked out. He was just waiting there (and actually looked like a different guy… perhaps there other one was downstairs calling their friend?). I carefully opened the door and stuck out half my face to tell him he had the wrong address, please stop knocking. He looked rather dumbfounded as I quickly shut the door and locked it. By this time I definitely had some nervous energy and I was glad that he was gone, but I felt vulnerable since the porch door was right next to me and the shades weren’t drawn. What if someone climbed over? I’d be terrified.

Of course, much of that was an overactive imagination making ghosts in the dark. That guy didn’t mean to scare the pants off me, but if he hadn’t been drinking perhaps he would have been clearheaded enough to not keep banging on a door if he couldn’t get a hold of his friend. I warily went to sleep and told Panda all about it the next morning. It’s funny because in that moment of stress, I never even considered waking him up, but that’s exactly what he told me to do. In the future I’m sending him to investigate. We’ve also decided to add a welcome mat or door wreath or something to that extent to make our door look different from others – hopefully that will help!

What would you have done in this situation? Would you handle it yourself or wake up a loved one?

365great Day 143: zero gravity chairs

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365great challenge day 143: zero gravity chairsHave you ever seen these chairs at Brookstone? Sometimes you might find the massage-equipped one as shown, but they also have a non-massage one as well. The first time I ever tried one was the non-massage one and it was amazing. I couldn’t believe how feather light I felt. It literally did take the weight off me and it was so relaxing that I’ve put this on my wishlist. Today I tried out the massage one and found it to be quite effective for relieving some of my shoulder pain. This time, I did feel some vertigo when I came back upright, so now I know you’ve got to be more careful about getting up after the zero gravity experience. I love both of these versions and would probably get just the plain version since it’s a whole lot cheaper and I quite enjoy massages given by people. I mean, a chair that can make you feel weightless? That’s great in itself, no massage needed.

Yuzen January 2013 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Getting closer to finishing this game of catch-up! Here’s the January box, which was the last monthly box that Yuzen sent. In February they started the seasonal boxes sent out every three months, with a favorites box showcasing some of the items from previous boxes as a separate gift option. They tend to sell out quickly of all box varieties, so sign up quickly if you’re interested!

Yuzen is $26 per month (but will be changing to quarterly as of the next box) and comes with around 7 or 8 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). :)

yuzen january 2013 box so full it was bulging

This time around the box was so full that it was nearly bursting at the seams! Look at how mine was bulging with goodness. 🙂 I didn’t get a chance to get individual pictures of everything, so I’ve included what I have.

collage of unboxing of january 2013 yuzen box

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of sweetriot 65% dark chocolate covered cacao nibs included in the january 2013 yuzen boxsweetriotflavor 65: Let’s start with the wonderful little snack! These dark chocolate-covered cacao nibs are 65% dark chocolate and amazingly crunchy. They’re the perfect treat to pop when you want something nice and crispy, chocolatey, and delicious! The tube doesn’t look like much, but just a few of these nibs is more satisfying than you’d expect for eating so little. I love the 65% taste that’s not too bitter and still a bit sweet. These taste like a high-quality product and I’d try their other products too. I was nearly done with them when I discovered the cute little “fortune” note inside! This company’s got personality. 🙂

TilveeLavender Lemon Lip Balm: I have a ton of lip products so I haven’t tried this yet but I’m excited to. I loved the healing balm that came in the August Yuzen box and I’d be happy with any of the Tilvee line! I like both lavender and lemon, so I can imagine this would make my lips feel great and smell/taste quite lovely too. I’m working through my current stash of lip balms and will pop this one open ASAP!

pangea organics facial cream in italian red mandarin with rose for dry to sensitive skinPangea OrganicsItalian Red Mandarin with Rose Facial Cream: Pangea is a brand I’m fascinated with and I’m glad to get to try their products. Similar to my lip balm dilemma, I have a looot of facial creams I need to use up, so I’ve kept this one sealed to be as fresh as possible when I do start using it. I’m curious how strong the rose will factor in, since I generally don’t like that fragrance (except real roses on bushes), so hopefully it’s mostly the mandarin scent that comes through! I’m starting to think I might have sensitive skin so this would be great to try.

Essence of ValiSleep essential oil concentrate: This little vial is an essential oil blend that’s supposed to help you get to sleep and be more comforted during stressful times. Apparently it’s so powerful/effective that you just put one drop on your pillowcase! I sure wish I brought this out east with me because I’ve had trouble sleeping at night and I’d love to see how effective this might be. At first I thought it was a perfume sample, and I nearly dismissed it, but once I learned more I found it’s definitely something I’d put to good use if it works!

collage of sheaterra organics moroccan argan oil included in the january 2013 yuzen boxSheaTerra Organics Moroccan Argan Oil: I have a large jar of argan oil for my hair, which I’ve been using here and there for ages. However, I’d never tried it on my skin before and this adorable little bottle with its dropper cap makes me want to dot oil on all my rough skin and rub away! Then again, I don’t really much rough skin these days since I’ve been taking better care of my body. Still, I enjoy rubbing this on and it almost doesn’t have a scent – just a faint kind of herby smell if you take a good hard whiff.

Acure Organicsmoroccan argan oil + argan stem cell shampoo & moroccan argan oil + argan stem cell conditioner: I’m not really into almond-scented things and unfortunately this is no exception. I tried the products once or twice but couldn’t stand the smell so I haven’t used them since and I was too busy being distracted by the smell to know if it actually worked any better than my current hair products. Plus, since I only used them twice I don’t know if I would have noticed a difference or if I’d need a few more washes to get a good idea. Whatever the case, I’m going to have to pass this on to my family and get their feedback. I’m sure they don’t mind the almond smell!

aromafloria aromatherapy stress less foaming bubble bath with lavender, chamomile, sageAromafloriaStress Less Foaming Bubble Bath: So this is what was making the box bulge so much! A nice GIANT bottle of bubble bath that I cannot wait to try out in the new condo someday. I can’t remember the last time I took a bubble bath, but I’d love to and the tub I’m going to get is nice and large, with plenty of room for bubbles to foam up without overflowing. Lavender, chamomile, and sage all sound so soothing and nice that I’m sure it be a perfectly relaxing scent. I’m eager to find out just how well this foams up when I put it to the test.

And there you go, the January box, with so many fantastic products to promote relaxation, destressing, and keeping your skin in tip-top shape.

365great Day 142: future plans

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365great challenge day 142: future plansAh, the anticipation of what’s to come! It gives you something to dream about, to hope for, and to think about. One of the main things on my mind these days is that ever-enticing move-in date, when Panda and I will have our brand new condo to call home! Here I took a picture of some construction plans for the site, which has yet to be built but today I saw they started the initial stages of laying the foundation; so exciting!! When you make plans, it gives you something to make decisions around and it often triggers tasks you can do, like buying or selling things, arranging and rearranging your schedule, and perhaps preparing to usher out the old to make way for the new. Sometimes it’s just another part of your day, but sometimes it’s a life-changing event. Whatever the case, our ability to think to the future and run scenarios in our imaginations is a pretty unique skill. So here’s to the future! Let’s make it great.

Our new condo, almost a done deal!

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What a productive morning! Panda’s dad came in on a red-eye and we picked him up around 7:45. We drove him up to our second choice condo just so he could see what the neighborhood looked like and get an idea of what we’re comparing to. After spending some time there, we headed to our first choice, where we were set to meet the sales rep at 10. We decided to show up early so we could show him the community and explain the layout of everything prior to delving into the property more. Just as we were checking out the entryway to the model house that has the same layout as our ideal unit, the sales rep showed up and let us in.

panoramic of living and dining room area of model home

What our future living space will look like.

We spent a good hour going over all the features, analyzing every possible detail and feature. I took a bunch of pictures to share with our family back home so we can fully explain and help them visualize what it’s like to be in that space. Then we proceeded to get into the negotiation, where we laid out the various features that we wanted thrown in. There was a ton of conversation over what was possible, what wasn’t, what was worth it, etc. We also went over to the preferred lender, who showed us what our new numbers would look like now that we’ve decided we’re going to pull together the 20% down to avoid mortgage insurance. With those numbers in mind, we were back to the sales rep to hash out final offers and ultimately came to a good compromise. As long as the big boss approves it, we’re good to go!

We’re going to be family #46 to join (not counting the families already living in the units built by other buildings on the property) and I can’t wait! They estimate our building will be completed in November, so I think we might be in by the holidays. So that begs the question: should we go home for the holiday season or have our families come spend time here with us? We’ll have to see as the time draws closer, but I think it’d be really fun to have a house warming by bringing in our folks.

I’m pretty confident our deal will go through, but I’ve still got my fingers crossed! You never know what might happen before the final approval.

365great Day 141: shelves

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365great challenge day 141: shelvesWhen counter and desk space start to get crowded, one of the easiest ways to alleviate the problem without stuffing everything away into drawers is getting some shelving! I personally love shelves because it gives you so much room to put stuff and still see it all. I like to keep my stuff within easy reach and if I tuck it away into a drawer, I might not use it as much as I’d like. Recently I decided that I needed a shelving solution and I found this great 9-cube shelf at Target. Imagine the clutter I had with all that stuff before I had the shelves to help me out! Things were laying all over the floor, the bed, chairs, and nightstands. Now it’s much more organized and I can always drape something over the entire thing if it gets unsightly and I don’t want it to be an eyesore. I love storage solutions and shelves are one of the greatest.

Site issues

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Two nights ago I got a 500 error on my site (internal servers down). Last time this happened I kind of freaked out and did a ton of troubleshooting, only to find that if I had just given it an hour or two it would be fine. So, lesson learned! I decided to go to bed and the next morning everything was fine. Buuut this time my site wouldn’t load at all! I gave it some time again before going to my web host’s site to try to contact them.

server timed out error message

screenshot of facebook announcement that justhost's servers were downAs it turns out, all their sites were down. Looks like the entire set of servers they use got messed up somehow. After trying to search for answers, I decided to find them on Facebook and discovered that they’d posted a message about the outage. I’m curious though, what they were doing for the past 8 hours… my best guess is that the maintenance was automated and routine, so they might not have caught the issue until they got to work this morning. Or, maybe it really takes that long for them to fix an issue this large. I mean, even all their sites were down so it looks like every single part of their network was kaput.

This does explain another question I had: why I hadn’t received emails since 4 AM EST. Since I use an email with my domain name, no incoming messages were making it. I wonder if I’ll be able to recover those emails when the servers are back up or if they’ve been lost in web wilderness forever. Hopefully nothing important was supposed to reach me at that time! My site is back up for now, but I’m still not sure if it’s all clear since it was up a little earlier and then wouldn’t load again. I hate this feeling of uncertainty! I should probably look into backing up my site on another server just in case.

Once things look resolved, I’m going to reach out to JustHost to complain if they don’t automatically offer some sort of compensation for this. A ton of people commenting on their Facebook page think similarly and I’m just glad I don’t need my site to make money, or else I’d be much more upset too! This kind of interruption of business is not good.

What would you do if your servers were down for nearly half a day?

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