It’s always nice to get some time off to go enjoy something outside of work, school, or your general obligations. Taking a vacation changes up a routine, offers a reprieve from any buildup of stress, and encourages people to explore a different environment. Sometimes it’s as simple as a day trip to a point of interest. Or, maybe you go all out and plan an intensive couple of weeks getting totally out of your comfort zone. Maybe you’re the type to revisit a favorite spot time and time again. If you’re like me, you revel in trying out a new city or country. Whatever the case may be, vacations are a chance to have some fun, relax, and step out of your “regular” life. When I was in China a few years back, I saw this group of Buddhist nuns – even they take vacations! No matter who you are, a vacation is a great break to work into your life.
365great Day 351: vacations
When the internet is down
Some chat it up.
Some get their game on.
And some get to fixin’.
365great Day 350: buffets
A never-ending supply of food? How does that not sound good? Buffets may not have that signature dish that you can get time and time again, but they offer so much variety that you don’t have to settle for just one type of dish. It’s a nice time to sit and take the pace slowly while trying a little bit of many dishes. If you pick carefully, there are some delicious choices. There will definitely be some misses, but that’s what sampling is useful for. I always have a hard time choosing just one entree at a restaurant, so buffets are great because I can graze among many choices!
365great Day 349: community
I’m looking forward to getting to know a bunch of my neighbors and being involved in the HOA here. It’s so nice to at least have a sense of who you’re living around and be able to share a smile and a wave sometimes. The community feel is gaining traction and I expect it will be a lot easier when the weather is suitable for more outdoor activities. A strong community can be so important for the environment we live in and I plan on doing my part to make ours friendly, interactive, and fun. While there are some neighbors who aren’t that sociable and won’t engage with the community, it seems that many are open and willing. I hope to take up a few of them on their offers for meals. It’ll be a fantastic way to bond and grow closer as a group. Our area is really coming together and I’m excited to see how it all goes. I’m sure it’ll be great living here.
Setting up our Homeowners Association
Tonight was the very first meeting for our new HOA! The builders are ready to turn things over to us residents, so we met up in the library of the local high school and got to know our neighbors, elected our board, and hashed out some issues. We easily met quorum, with over a third of the units represented (and a few more of the units aren’t even sold yet!). All we needed was 10%, which would be 6-7 people (66 units total) and we got 23. It’s very encouraging to see so much of the community engaged and willing to spend time attending.
Getting ready to join the inaugural HOA meeting.
There are three positions on the board and I thought it was kind of strange that we chose three people irregardless of what position each might take. What if we got all three vying for President and nobody wanted to be the Treasurer/Secretary? And why is there a Vice President when it seems to make more sense to break out Treasurer and Secretary, which can use very different skill sets? One gentleman came in well-prepared with a handout of his qualifications – I totally voted for him and thought he’d be a great addition to the board, but he lost out because this is not his primary residence. While I understand the concern that he would not be living in the community, he did say he’s only 5 minutes away and would share his email and phone number. Everything else about him screamed excellent candidate and I don’t think it should have been overshadowed by the fact that he is a few streets over.
Alas, we ultimately chose the three other people up for positions – the one who I didn’t vote for admitted he had no experience like this. There is so much to navigate that I would have preferred the guy with far better credentials. After all, I don’t want lack of knowledge and expertise to hinder the development of my community and any initiatives we take on. This man is a mechanical engineer by trade and I think he said he’s from Russia. The other two that I agreed with the others on were a banker who came in with some great knowledge (and vibrant personality) and a massage therapist who is very active in the community (and the lone woman on the board). I’m happy with our board though – great diversity in background, experience, profession, interests, passions, gender, ethnicity, etc. I might have considered getting involved if I was technically considered an owner (I’m not on the paperwork so I’m only allowed to attend the meetings and vote as a proxy for Panda).
We spent a long time going over a variety of issues that we all griped over – not enough parking space, challenges with snow plows plopping piles of snow we couldn’t shovel, house settling issues, dog defecation, temperature differences in the homes, doors that get stuck… at a certain point, I felt like people were bringing up maintenance issues that should be dealt individually, though some of them were a common problem across all units that we want to take action on as a group. It was nice to compare notes with other homeowners on how they handled certain nuances of these homes and have people to commiserate with about things that can’t be helped. I thought it was really cool to be able to connect with my neighbors on these things. 😛
As we finally wrapped up, I got a chance to chit chat with a few more of my neighbors. It’s been so cold and dreary lately that nobody comes out of their homes so it’s been difficult meeting people! I’m looking forward to some community events in the coming months – we’ve talked about a barbeque, block party, pool party, pot luck, and more. Most of the residents in attendance are older and have children who are around college age. There were a few of us in the 30ish range, some with young children, and some just couples. Culture-wise we have quite a diverse offering! South Americans, East Asians, Southeast Asians, Eastern Europeans, and general Americans at the least. Many have invited me over for food, which I think would be awesome.
I had a ton of ideas that I shared with the lady board member, including an email listserv for the community and maybe even setting up a website that we could post things to. Of course later down the line we can also talk newsletter and other such communications. I also suggested mapping out where everyone lives so we can easily visualize where our neighbors are. I’m really looking forward to being involved in this HOA and I’ve offered to help out with some of the more techy things. 🙂
365great Day 348: WordPress
My absolute favorite blogging platform is WordPress. It’s simple enough for anyone to use, yet extremely powerful for more robust needs. I’ve been maintaining my blog with it for years and the features just keep growing. It’s professional and constantly improving. You can create and manage your own website through their interface, sharing whatever content you please. You can go with WordPress.com if you just want to dabble and don’t need your own domain. Or if you’ve got your own domain, WordPress.org makes it easy to put together a wonderful site. Best of all, it’s all for free! Such great offerings. 🙂
January Favorites 2014
Let’s take a look back on how the year got started!
1. Groupons – Panda really got into getting Groupon deals for our meals and now we often try new places based on what deals he’s been finding. This was one of the places we went for lunch/brunch one time.
2. snow days – Before storm after storm attacked our region, I was still enjoying the snowfall and this one in particular was exciting. Panda and I got a chance to enjoy it together and I had my first work from home day.
3. Yuzen – Jen was kind enough to send me the men’s Yuzen box as a gift for Panda! I love how everything about it really caters to guys more, including the actual look of the box. If you want to know what came in it, watch out for the review.
4. snuggling – I was sick much of the month, so I spent a lot of time resting in bed, getting cozy with the blankets. I love feeling all toasty and swathed in softness. It’s so very comfortable.
5. home hopping – This entire month we had access to both the apartment and condo, so we’d spend time hopping between them. We started moving boxes over to the new place little by little and I spent some time enjoying the space. All was lovely but then I saw the morning traffic and knew I’d be in for quite a change in my morning commute with the move.
6. moving offices – It was really exciting to finally be moving to the new office that I’d been hearing about since I started. Taking some time in the afternoon to go help out and build furniture was a nice break for me from the stress of work. I very proudly helped build something like 8 motorized desks!
7. gloves – Mornings were so cold I had to wear gloves while driving, until my heated steering wheel kicked in. Even then, if I didn’t wear gloves the tops of my hands would be cold. A few times my hair even froze on my way from the apartment to the car.
8. Origins free facial – I’ve been getting the Origins free facial offer for years, but never took advantage of it. This time I decided to give it a try and it was much more thorough that I anticipated. It lasted a good 20 minutes and the lady used seven products on me.
9. Carrabbas First Tastes – Panda and I got to attend our second First Tastes event at Carrabbas and we had a lovely time with the mother daughter pair who sat across from us. This is always a wonderful event to attend and I hope they keep hosting them!
January was all about getting back into the groove out east. We’re truly settling in and everything is feeling like home more and more. What were your favorites in January?
365great Day 347: perfect fit
When things are just right, doesn’t it make you feel happy? I love when things fit perfectly, whether it’s the right size, personalities, colors, or otherwise. Take this bowl, which we have deemed the “pho” bowl at home. It is exactly what I need whenever I bring home pho to eat. It’s large enough to hold all the broth, noodles, and veggies that I want and I never have to worry about anything spilling out! Similarly, I feel that same satisfaction when I find clothes that fit just right or a blanket that is just the right softness and warmth. I found it with my cat Missy, who is exactly the right kind of cat for me. We’re truly two peas in a pod. You know all those phrases – made for each other, yin and yang, complements, soul mates… the perfect fit. I have that with Panda too – I really can’t think of anyone who as a whole could be more perfect for me. Sure there are clashes and incompatibilities, but I am constantly amazed at how right we are for each other. It’s a beautiful thing and such a great feeling when you find that fit, whatever scenario it may be.
Fabletics Emanate Outfit (Lorida v-neck top + Vaasa sports bra + Lima capri) + Asaro legging review
So a long time ago I meant to review the outfit that Panda got for me, but when I was finally getting around to it I realized I didn’t have the right bottoms. I had him contact Fabletics and they sent the correct ones, so now I have both to compare. I think I’m just going to have to send the capris back since I ultimately like the leggings more. I chose this outfit because of the fun sports bra, which was such a unique design. I went bold with bright lime green on my tops!
One thing to note – according to the order, this is the Emanate outfit, but I also found the Elevate outfit that is the exact same… so I think they changed the name from Emanate to Elevate.
Fabletics is just under $50 per outfit credit and comes with a 2- or 3-piece set of athletic wear. Each month, three outfits are selected for you to choose from at the 1 outfit credit price point. You can always get other outfits at their VIP pricing of $50-80 (2- and 3- pieces available) or buy any individual item separately. Outfits are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free outfits.
Get your first outfit for half off with my referral link! All Fabletics items are chafe-resistant and feature four-way stretch for comfort and movement.
Lorida V-Neck Top in Ultra Lemon Heather
Oh what a soooft top! Buttery soft? Absolutely. It’s wonderfully smooth and feels fantastic. It is moisture-wicking to keep you dry from perspiration. It does hike up on the shoulders if you’re lifting your arms a lot in your workout. Retail value on this is listed as $29.95.
Vaasa Sport Bra in Ultra Lemon
This sports bra provides medium bust support and does not have extra padding. It is super lightweight and fits snugly. I just love the criss-cross straps that keep it secure on your back. Its retail value is listed as $19.95.
Lima Capri in Black
These are the capris I was supposed to receive. I found that I’m not that into capris since my feet get cold easily. I also have thick legs so they’re kind of tight on my calves and I don’t feel like I get enough circulation. These offer maximum support, which explains why they’re pretty tight. As with all the other Fabletics bottoms I’ve seen, they include a hidden pocket on the right hip. Retail value is listed as $39.95.
Asaro Legging in Black
And these are the leggings that originally came with my outfit. I didn’t even realize they were the wrong product until I was coming to review them for a post! Turns out I like them better, so I plan on keeping these in lieu of the capris. As you can see these go the opposite way and are super long. I like the random seam that wraps around the leg. It offers medium support so it’s more comfortable for me. The retail value on these are listed as $49.95.
Funny how I ended up liking the mistaken product more than the intended one, eh? The Asaro legging is more silky feeling than the Nadi legging I got in my first outfit, which is more cotton-y. I love how long the legs are and I love the comfort of the Lorida shirt. I tend to prefer v-necks and it’s long enough that I don’t have to worry when I lift my arms. And the whole reason I wanted this outfit in the first place was that super cool sports bra! I can’t remember the last time I owned a sports bra, so it’s fantastic to have one for working out in.
[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 (well, Panda) just purchased this outfit and wanted to share what I got!]
365great Day 346: museums
Museums are a wonderful blend of exploration and learning. You can choose to just walk around and absorb the views or spend more time reading through the exhibits. The experience is whatever you want to make of it and you might find yourself going back time and time again. You can learn about science, technology, art, history, and all sorts of disciplines in those large halls. Sometimes you can watch a movie or do an interactive activity. Everyone from young children to seasoned adults can find something to enjoy in a museum and there’s always something new to learn. They make a great place to go no matter who you are.
