Omfreakin’g. I think my feet have found their personal heaven. These memory foam footbeds in my sneakers are fabulous. I’ve often had foot pain due to the lack of padding in my flats, flip flops, and other footwear so this time around I went shopping with just one purpose: comfy shoes that I can stand in for hours. When I started browsing, I happened upon the Nike In Season model of shoe and I knew right away I could get nothing less. I looked for the comfort footbed in other ones, but of the items at the outlet, they were the only ones I could find. Luckily, I liked the colors of this pair, so I got them when I went back. Today I wore them for the first time as a test run throughout the day and never have my feet felt so fabulous. It’s been years since I’ve worn sneakers and now I’m considering wearing nothing but! Or I suppose I could remove the insoles and put them in other shoes. I may not have liked the heavy feeling my head got from a memory foam pillow, but for my feet, it’s a dream come true. Amazingly great!
365great Day 195: memory foam
Escape Monthly September: Oregon Box Review
I was pretty surprised when my Escape Monthly box came last week. I somehow had it in my head that they ship later in the month, but I guess they go for mid-month. That’s perfect since most other subscriptions come at another time so they help bridge the gap and prevent a dry spell. I didn’t win the trip this month, but alas, there’s always next time. 🙂 Check out my unboxing video and then read below for more!
Escape Monthly is just under $40 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – see end of post) and comes with a variety of food, home, skincare items themed around a city. Each box comes with a Moon Handbooks guide for that region. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a lovely recurring referral commission program.
(click to enlarge and read full messaging)
Ah, the great Northwest. I’ve barely ever been there (through a few airports a few times) and I definitely want to visit after this box! They included a lot of fun products locally made in Oregon, which is fantastic since that’s what subscribers were asking for. They covered mostly food and beauty this time, but I still felt the variety was good. I like how they highlighted so many things Oregon is known for – most of which was all news to me!
Here’s what came in the box:
Moon Handbooks guide to Oregon – Looks like these handbooks are going to be a staple in our boxes. They’re nice and very informative – right up Panda’s alley (he totally got similar books from the library before our UK trip). I do like one subscriber’s suggestion to offer the option to get these as ebooks. It’d save them quite a bit of weight and allow us more portability.
Doug’s Nuts – Normally I don’t like nuts, but hey it said “crazy good nuts” so I had to try them. I like the combo of sweet and salty, which made this one of the best nut blends I’ve tasted. I’m still not crazy about nuts, but I can definitely see myself munching on these from time to time. I’ll have to see what Panda the nut-lover thinks of this blend. He’s usually happy with some cashews so I wonder how he’ll like the sweet undertones.
Metolius Tea and Apothecary – Ooo what a fancy mix of ingredients! I’ve never had a tea with coconut before so that was pretty exciting. The blend smelled wonderfully of coconut and lavender, which is strangely complementary. I’m not used to my tea coming in such small bits, so probably should have used a strainer to brew it. Can you imagine me blowing on it trying to get a hole in the floating parts so I could drink it without consuming the tea too? Well, that’s how it happened and it was quite the spectacle, lol. I like the fragrance of this tea as I’m drinking it! Definitely smell the lavender.
Molly Muriel Volcanic Bliss soap – Yes, yes, yes! I’m a sucker for anything that’s detoxifying and/or has tea tree oil and charcoal. This soap hits all those and more, like neem oil, which is a new ingredient I just learned about at Green Festival over the weekend. I like the branding of this company and I definitely want to try more of their products! Of course I need to work through just a few dozen other soaps first… 😛
Oregon Orchard Hazelnuts – Holy cow, what a special concept. Hazelnuts encased in cherry-flavored milk chocolate? Cool! I’m always wary of cherry-flavored items but this one wasn’t so bad. Pairing it with hazelnuts creates this crazy blend of flavor that lingers in my mouth. What a fun treat. I’m sure most people would love them! Once again, I’m not that into nuts, so while this snack is fascinating I’ll probably just have this pouch and be done.
Oregon Rain Portland Rose Lotion – How cute that they make this lotion with rain that fell in Oregon! I can smell a bit through the seal and I like the sweetness. I don’t want to open it just yet until I use up some other lotions, but I do look forward to trying it eventually.
Portland Bee Balm – Aww, it’s awesome that this is made with local beeswax and includes peppermint for a refreshing cooling sensation. I’ve got a major backlog in lip balms, so I won’t open it just yet. Always good to have a stash though! I’m going to start keeping a lip balm in my purse, car, at my desk, and by the bedside. You never know when your lips might feel dry!
Primitive Lights Beeswax Cinnamon Roll Votive – What an adorable design!! I feel bad burning it so I think I’ll let its cinnamon scent fill the room for awhile before lighting it up eventually. It has an amazing sweet spicy scent that is perfect for the upcoming winter months.
Grounds For Change coffee – I’m not a coffee drinker, but this one actually smells decent! I’m saving it for Panda’s brother, who’s a big coffee drinker. I like that it’s fair trade and carbon-neutral. Definitely conscious of the environment and the welfare of the growers.
wooden pumice brush – I love the bonus items! Is it sad if I say that’s one of my favorite parts of Escape Monthly? Well, honestly I’m all about these accessory type items, like this pumice brush and last month’s loofah. It’s exactly the sort of stuff I want and need and don’t get in other boxes.
What do you think of this Escape Monthly box? Have you been to Oregon? If you want Escape Monthly for yourself, sign up, and try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): ESCAPENOW for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription, TROPICALESCAPE for 20% off, GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.
And a preview of next month:
[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 won this box and wanted to share what I got!]
365great Day 194: free stuff
Who doesn’t like receiving free things? It’s a treat that you didn’t have to pay for, but you probably earned in some sense so it’s rewarding to feel like you deserve it. Sometimes it might be things given to you for free because you put forth a lot of effort. Other times it might be something that doesn’t cost you anything because you were a good person. At least that’s been the case for me – all my winnings have been because I either took the time and energy to try and many of the other free things have been earned through certain behaviors. It always feels so wonderful when I receive items at no cost to me, because it’s like I’m getting a present that I deserved. It’s amazing how different it feels to buy something for practically nothing versus being given something for nothing monetary. Getting free stuff feels great every time!
Mini golf time
Back in 2nd grade, I went mini golfing (or putt putt golfing as I called it) and my only recollection was when somehow I found myself on the ground, screaming and crying as blood gushed from my knee. I don’t know how it happened, but it sure hurt and I still have a scar. I’m pretty sure I managed to do it to myself in just about the least dangerous activity there is, but who knows, maybe some kid accidentally whacked me. Whatever the case, I kind of never got around to playing again until a few years ago with Panda and friends and I sucked. Thankfully this time I fared better than expected! I even got a few 2s. 🙂 Good times.
Of course that left me with little time to blog, so you get to enjoy some images from the night. It was a fun jungle theme and I’d never really attempted this kind of thing in the dark so the shadows provided a unique challenge. I nearly lost my ball at one point! Too bad we got kicked out right at closing and couldn’t finish the holes. Fun time though! I’m glad we got to hang out a bit outside of work and the timing was perfect since I didn’t have plans. Now Thursday and Friday are completely different stories… it’s our anniversary coming up!
365great Day 193: instant noodles
On days when I’m exhausted or pinched for time, instant noodles pull through for me. They may not be healthy and certainly not a normal part of my diet, but they’re a pretty important backup plan in my household. What’s easier than just adding water? It’s a lazy way to eat something when it’s too much to prepare food or even go out to eat. Plus, I just like how they taste and crave a bit of unhealthy, filling noodles. I particularly like these udon ones these days, which includes fun toppings as well. Nom! They’re pretty great (in moderation).
Half mast
I’ve often wondered: Is there some sort of information site that tells you when a flag should be half mast?
I mean, there are the standard holidays every year that people know about – Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, and now Patriot Day. But sometimes you get the unexpected, like most recently with the shootings at the Washington Navy Yard. There was one time I remember someone important in politics died (and the reason I knew was because the flag at my post office was at half mast and I wanted to know why).
So how do all the public institutions and businesses ranging from office buildings to plazas to fast food joints know when to raise the flag? Do they check on a website? Back before the WWW came about, did they each have to call in to some pre-recorded line? I mean, this is something that fascinates me because it’s ubiquitous across America. You’ll see flagpoles all over the place, and if you fly a flag, I think you should be respectful enough to pay attention to when it should be lowered. Nowadays with the internet it’s easy to get the word out, but I’m curious how this age-old tradition was managed in decades past.
I don’t know why it intrigues me so much – perhaps just the logistics of effective communication baffling me – but I think it’s pretty amazing no matter how they do it. It takes a concerted effort to pull off something like that, yet to most people it’s probably you never think twice about. I just love how it works so well behind the scenes day in and day out. To all those who are the flag-raisers, thank you for doing what you do.
365great Day 192: dumplings
One of the few things I can cook are dumplings. It’s one of those things that I slowly learned as a child, helping my mom prepare various parts of it over the years. Sometimes it was as simple as getting water so she could easily pinch together the skin and have it stick. Other times it would be helping with the folding, where I almost always tried to overstuff each skin with filling. From the boiling of the water and pushing the dumplings around so to keep them from clumping to the mixing of the meat and veggies, I eventually got to try it all. So, when it came time to try to make food for myself, one dish I was always comfortable with was dumplings. Granted, my pinching skills are still not very good and my dumplings look nowhere near as pretty as these, but I get the job done. And then I love the eating part because each one is like a little treat, so it feels like eating a bunch of snacks rather than a full on meal. I’m also a sucker for dipping things in my own soy sauce, black vinegar, and sesame oil blend – which dumplings are amazing for. A dish that can be an appetizer or entree, and one that I can cook easily? That’s great.
Goodies Co. September Taster’s Box review
Here’s my September Taster’s Box #3, which included a bottle of Nestle Pure Life Splash in Acai Grape, Mario Pitted Snack Olives, barefruit Fuji Red Apple chips, Kashi Sundried Tomato, Basil & Feta Hummus Crisps, Numi Savory Tea in Spinach Chive, Zone Perfect Greek Yogurt Chocolate bar, and Attiki honey. You can find my unboxing video online soon.
I was super surprised by the Nestle Pure Life Splash since I didn’t expect it to have such a strong flavor. I thought it’d be like those waters at hotels where they put some fruits in there to give it a hint of flavor. Instead it’s this sort of indescribable drink that is like drinking water with the taste of juice. Pretty good! I’m not really a fan of olives, but I gave Mario Pitted Snack Olives a chance. Since they’re seasoned with spices, I thought they might taste kind of like a pickled vegetable and I love almost anything brined! Unfortunately, I still don’t like that olive taste though I did like the firm texture of the olives. It tasted a bit bitter to me to though and I can’t say I’ll ever want to eat olives, no matter how they’re flavored. On a completely different note, the barefruit Crunchy Fuji Red Apple chips are something I really like. It’s not new to me but it’s something I enjoy so I certainly enjoy having a little bag to bring to work! Out of the apple types, this is my absolute fav too. Then there’s the Kashi Sundried Tomato, Basil & Feta Hummus Crisps, which are yummy! They have a stronger flavor than the sea salt ones I got to try for free from BzzAgent but I like them both depending on whether I want a strong taste or something more mild. When it comes to the Numi Savory Tea I must admit I’m intimidated. Spinach and chive tea?! I don’t know about that… I’ll have to try it out soon before I lose the nerve, haha. Next up is the Zone Perfect Greek Yogurt Chocolate bar that is quite good. I don’t normally eat bars, but I could see myself eating this regularly after a workout (if I ever worked out!). And then there was the Attiki honey that had me confused at first – was it supposed to go with something? I guess it’s a stand-alone sample and I’m not sure if it’s normal that mine is less than half full. It’s pretty good with a more intense flavor than the honey I’m used to. That must be the thyme they used to make the honey with!
This time the box was ok for me, with some items I already knew and a few I’m not so sure about. There were a few I do enjoy and would definitely get more of though! What did you get in your Goodies box? What are your thoughts on these snacks?
365great Day 191: volunteering
Volunteering is one of those things that can be quite enriching and fun. Not only do you get to enjoy access to certain things like exclusive events, you’re helping an organization accomplish their goals. How you help may vary from cleaning up to using your personal strengths to enhance their organization. It’s definitely something that everyone should do. Panda recently got involved with the Smithsonian, where he will be helping out from time to time. I am planning on going to the local animal shelter to contribute what I can every few weeks. We both get to explore our own passions while being useful to non-profits. I call that a win-win, which of course is great!
Green Festival DC 2013!
Last year was the first time Panda and I came across the Green Festivals and got involved volunteering there. You can check out what it was like and some of the goodies I scored! I also signed up to help out at the LA one, but then managed to total my car on the way so I didn’t end up going. This year we were back again and I signed up to help at the Green Festival store, which I had helped out with in the second half of my shift last time. I really enjoyed sharing the products at the store with passersby so I figured I’d do it again!
This year we were in Hall A, which seemed a bit smaller than last year’s.
I really liked the concept of these cleaning products and I loved the Minty Thyme scent they had for their kitchen and bathroom cleaner! I got a sample of that an the glass & surface cleaner, both of which I’m excited to try.
These rareEARTH artisan candles had a really cool look that was like gemstones. I didn’t get one but it’s on my list.
I was really enjoying my time helping out at the Green Festival store (except for the standing with backache part). The sales kept flowing in!
There was a rock wall in the middle of it all this year!
After a long day out, we stopped by Mandu to try a new place for dinner.
As we drove away I noticed the Washington Monument all lit up like a skyscraper.
Look at what I scored today!
I also bought a few items – I was super surprised to find Neal’s Yard Remedies available in the US!
As you can see from Panda’s pile, his priorities were quite different from mine.
