Panda’s mom gave us this adorable tea set when we were visiting and I finally unpacked it today for us to use. After rinsing it all out, we got some of the loose leaf tea I’d bought from the Tea & Spice Exchange and brewed a pot. There’s something about brewing tea in a pot and then pouring it into tiny little cups that is such a fun experience for me. There’s a certain ceremony about it and it exudes gracefulness as you pour. The delicate little cups make me feel all fancy. I’ve been coveting those cast iron pots at Teavana for years and I’m still trying to justify the cost to myself. In the mean time, this set makes a perfect starter set for us to use at home. Paired with a slice of Chinese-style cake, this spread made the perfect way to wind down at night. I’ll be having mini tea parties nightly!
Tea time
Din Tai Fung meal review
While we were in Los Angeles, I wanted to take advantage of the many food options that I love out there. Panda and I agreed to go get dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, which up until just a few years ago only had two locations in the US, both of which were in Arcadia. Last time we’d discovered the brand new location in Glendale, so we decided to head there again. It was much more crowded this time around. I guess people have started to discover this newer location. We waited around 25 minutes for our table and ended up requesting to sit in a different one with a booth seat.
I was surprised to get this dish first. The minced pork made for a fine topping for the noodles. A really tasty dish, though smaller than I imagined.
This was a new dish for us. Good if you like spicy! It kind of overpowered any meat or veggie flavor though.
Every time we order this, the waiter informs us it’s meant for 6 people. No biggie, we drank it all.
Erm, we devoured all but one xiao long bao (juicy pork dumplings) before I remembered to get a picture. These are amazing – delicate skin, savory juice, and excellent taste all around.
These should have come first, but got forgotten. When I finally got them I could only eat about three pieces. One of my favorite appetizers is some nice cucumber in a tart sauce.
I forgot to get a picture of the pork fried rice that Panda ordered after much of the food arrived. I didn’t have any of it this time, so I don’t know how it tasted anyway.
Service was rather slow and our waitress was a bit absentminded. Not the best experience on that front, but boy is the food wonderful. One of my favorite things about this place is how delicate and fine the ingredients are, especially in the soup! I’ve never seen such thinly-sliced tofu, wood ear, and bamboo shoots. Just the way I love them. I took the leftovers home with me and my mom practically inhaled everything in 10 minutes. It was an awesome meal and I wish there was a DTF somewhere in the DC area so I could enjoy it more.
Homegrown Collective July 2014 review
Seriously? Just when I thought the Homegrown Collective boxes couldn’t possibly be cooler, they blow me away again. I mean this is insane – this box has to be the pinnacle of what I want in my home right now. Perfection!
The Homegrown Collective GREENBOX is $39 per box + $9 shipping (or as discounted as $429 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with fun and easy projects to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program you can apply to join.
Project #1, essential DIY air freshener: I’m so happy that they included a nice stainless steel spray bottle. It feels fancier than a normal plastic one and it’s nice and light. They included four lovely essential oils to choose from. I’ll try the lemongrass first since I like more citrus-based scents and I currently have a really nice Mandarin orange scented spray. This one’s easy-peasy!
Project #2, essential DIY aromatherapy oil diffusers: My greatest obsession when it comes to helping a room smell a certain way. For months, I was super cheap and refused to buy the $11-13 bottles at Target. Then the one I want disappeared from the shelves and I was so sad. I eventually got super lucky and found one after weeks of searching. Since then, I’ve loosened up on getting reed diffusers I like, lest I miss out again. This is made all the better with this fantastic little glass jar! How freakin’ adorable is that?
Project #3, essential oil DIY candle: Candles are classic and a great way to affect the ambiance in addition to the scent of a room. I enjoy the clean burn of soy wax and I look forward to trying the different scents. This project is the more complicated one in the box, but it’s still very simple. It’ll be fun to create my own little candles and play around with the scents.
For my recent focus on making our home more homey, these make the perfect projects. I’m a fan of all these types of products and why not make my own? It’ll bring a smile to my face every time I use them. 🙂
Go ahead, subscribe to the Homegrown Collective now! You’re not going to want to miss out on these wonderful boxes.
[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 purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]
Las Vegas good clean fun
Question: What do a pair of teetotalers who don’t gamble and aren’t into partying do in Las Vegas?
Answer: EAT (a lot), walk around (maybe even shop), and indulge in entertainment like a show or tour.
For what I’m deeming our “pre-honeymoon” trip, Panda and I went to Vegas for a few days. Sunday morning he got the rental car and came to pick me up. Off we went on our grand adventure! He drove until Baker, the place with the giant thermometer. We got some lunch and then I took over driving for the rest of the way. After checking in at our hotel, we went down the strip hunting for a deal on a helicopter ride. It was way more expensive than we’d imagined, but I really wanted to commemorate this trip with something special. We ultimately got the ideal package at a better than your average price. The rest of the night was spent walking around shopping and then trying to find a Johnny Rockets that was open past 8.
Water reflection along our drive.
The hotel room!
Yesterday we spent the morning in a time share presentation and then headed straight to the Maverick Helicopter center for our ride. We got to see the Grand Canyon and Vegas strip from our helicopter – fantastic! From there, we got some gifts for my dad and brother-in-law before making our way to dinner at Wicked Spoon. Somehow two hours just flew by in there, as we munched away on dish after dish. I think we finally made it out at the 2.5 hour mark.
Our limo to and from the time share presentation.
Just before boarding the helicopter!
So ready for a fabulous dinner.
This morning, we got a chance to go enjoy the pool and our bathtub jacuzzi before we packed up and headed out. It was a fun trip, without involving alcohol, casinos, or clubs. That’s how we roll. More on the Trump stay, helicopter ride, and Wicked Spoon experience another time. For now, I’m pooped after a busy day on the road.
Making time for a dip.
Pit stop along the way. Check out the invisible jerky! Lol.
World Cat Day!
Between vacationing, reading, writing, and so much more, I’ve neglected to post as much as usual. I just finished up the novel I was reading (Amy Tan’s latest – The Valley of Amazement) so that should free up time to blog more. It’s hard to write when so much flowing through my head consists of ideas for no less than five separate story lines for potential novels of my own. I add to them when I can and get a mind dump every few nights.
In the mean time, here’s a belated World Cat Day dedication to my beloved felines. I was absolutely tickled to find it coincided with my now marriage anniversary date!
To Missy, the best snuggle buddy ever, particularly in the cooler months. She’s overcome her little mute tendencies and now meows all the time!
To Molly, whose old grumpy self has eased up a bit. She still follows my mom around like her life depends on it and it’s hilarious.
And to Smokey, the adorable little weirdo who gives me some super entertaining stories to share at work. She may not like to be held, but she’ll come to you on her own.
My cats are a special bunch and provide me with endless joy and entertainment. Don’t worry if I become a crazy cat lady. I’ll be loving it!
He’s a keeper
I enjoy getting priority boarding using his status. Peace on the plane as I settle in!
When Panda and I were flying down to Orlando for a vacation last year, he got an upgrade to first class, which he gave to me. I was sitting there next to a really nice lady who was going down for a meeting with Disney about those new smart bands that you get as your pass (her company makes them). As we chatted and I mentioned that my fiance had given me his upgrade, she commented that “he’s a keeper for sure!” And indeed he is.
I enjoyed some breakfast on the flight.
With this most recent flight, he got an upgrade again and they were one seat short of upgrading me along with him. As usual, I got to take the seat up front and enjoy the meal service, snacks, and drinks. I’m pretty spoiled by him in general and this is just one of the many ways he pampers me. I love that he never hesitates to share these kinds of things with me. If we don’t get an upgraded seat, I get my beloved window and he’ll accompany me in the middle seat even though he prefers the aisle. At home, he takes care of pretty much all the chores (though I’m convinced that much of that is due to his need to clean more frequently than I – he ends up doing things before I think they need to be done). When we go out, I rarely need to bring anything other than my phone; he’ll take care of the driving and the payments and whatnot.
Even when it comes to things like my personal choices and life changes, he is strongly supportive. When I decided to go try out a job opportunity in Singapore just six months into our relationship, we found a way to stay connected through email and Skype. When I was interning, looking for a job, and then going to work after returning stateside, he opened his apartment to me. When he left to work on the east coast, he (mostly) indulged my newly-implemented 20-minute rule: every night before sleeping he had to announce he was getting ready and then spend the next 20 minutes – minimum – talking to me, no distractions. When I decided to quit my job, he understood my need to strike out on my own.
Most recently, he was the one who encouraged me to keep my name when we get married. I had been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to preserve my current identity yet meld it with his family’s (and no hyphenated names, thank you very much). I thought I shouldn’t shun all traditions, right? But then again, Chinese tradition involves no change of name either, so perhaps we are observing tradition, in a way. 😛 We’ve been together for about 6 years now and I’m so excited to call him husband soon!
Mostly unrelated, but I wanted to share this from our flight… a special passenger was on our flight – a Make A Wish kid!
Freaking out
Tonight, Panda and I changed up Smokey’s litter because she didn’t like the lightweight one we were using. We’d gotten a more normal type that she was quite happy with and we haven’t had any accidents since we got her the new litter. With another litter box and a pan, we decided to add the new litter and see how she reacts. Right after the change, she came around to sniff the pan. She started to get in, sniffing hard, but then decided to go into the litter box she favors most. We waited as she kicked around and then did her business. As she was coming out, she was furiously kicking the litter.
Suddenly, she plopped out of the box. Like her butt landed on the ground and she was curled up with her rear tucked up under her. I thought her foot got caught, but then she stayed like that and suddenly I thought she hurt her foot. Horrible thoughts of paralysis and diseases raced through my mind as we watched her start to drag herself along, butt scraping the floor. She left little poopy drag marks. As she made her way down the hall to the bonus room (our giant room the size of a 2-car garage), Panda and I stared in shock. What was going on?
We then realized that she was rubbing her butt because it somehow didn’t feel good. When it looked like she was going to continue her duty on the carpet of the bonus room, I quickly went to try to pick her up. She stayed in that awkward vertical position, making it difficult to carry her. At first she meowed her sad, complaining little meow, but then she hissed at me – that’s the very first time I’ve ever heard her hiss. I quickly let her down and we managed to get her in the hallway again, where she continued dragging her toosh on the ground. Finally, something came off and she ran off to lick her wounds.
I guess she’s not getting enough fiber, because that’s one odd issue that I’ve never seen before. I wonder what would have happened if Panda and I weren’t there to observe. Thank goodness we were, and quickly cleaned everything up. Smokey then sulked around for much of the night, before collapsing in exhaustion and sleeping the stress away. What a little worrywart.
Before the chaos, I was admiring how cute she is.
Tax free weekend scores
For the first three days of August this year, Virginia stores had tax free promos for school supplies and clothing. It’s an official August Sales Tax Holiday every year in the state, apparently. Panda and I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to go try to find some of the shoes and clothes I’ve been trying to get more of. While initially the plan was to go to Dulles Town Center, we decided to go check out the Leesburg Outlet. That turned out to be a great decision and I found so much stuff that we had no need to shop further after browsing those stores. For the first time ever, I actually enjoyed shopping (and Panda didn’t! It’s like we reversed roles). I guess it was because I went with a purpose: I needed some new flats and jackets.
What a fruitful day! Check out some pics:
Wow, I want my own!
I was tempted, but they’re not ones I’d get around to wearing much.
Charlotte Russe, American Eagle, IZOD, J.Crew, and Bass & Co bags lined up. I used the little red Target bag as a purse.
First stop was J.Crew, where I found these super comfy ballet flats! I’d never bought from this store before and I almost got black patent leather wedges too – also very comfortable. I hope I don’t regret not getting them.
Next up was a store I was not familiar with – Bass & Co. They had these fun shoes on clearance and I decided to spring for more playful shoes for cheap!
“Mmmmmm new shoe smell.” (as she stuffs her face in there)
As we passed by IZOD, a jacket on the rack outside caught my attention. The teal color is fun and the thermal sleeves are different! I then came across the other style and almost got the blue before trying the black. Who knew golf gear would provide the perfect jackets for me?
A peek inside AE led to two discoveries of nice, loose sweater jackets.
And finally, I spent a good hour in Charlotte Russe trying on jackets and shoes. I had a gift card from a previous return that I needed to use and I found a ton of things I wanted! I now have wonderful black and tan flats to choose from, as well as an assortment of cool blazers.
I’m pretty much set with what I want now, so I’ll only need to buy things that really catch my eye. That’s the stage I’m at with dresses too. It feels great to finally have some of the items I’ve been searching stores for, so I no longer have to think about shopping. Today was an anomaly and I actually wasn’t too tired/grumpy from shopping, PLUS I found a bunch of stuff. Usually I get bored an hour in and never even find something I want. I’m so happy to have gotten this all out of the way in one day!
Traffic spike
I like to check how much traffic my site is getting each day, and WHOA when I checked yesterday, I found that July had ended on an insanely high day for me. I typically get about 150-180 page views a day, with a previous high of 256 or so. Out of nowhere, it shot up to 344 on Thursday!
Did something break? Did I suddenly show up in search results a whole lot more? Did I do something really good for the traffic? I have no idea. Everything’s back to normal now and I don’t know why there was that influx. Crazy, but awesome. Can I have some repeats? 😛
Petit Vour July 2014 review
Ready to Set Sail with some Summer Loves? I think both of those are the theme this month and they coordinated with a blogger to choose these items.
Petit Vour is $15 per box (or as much as $30 for international subscribers) and comes with vegan beauty, skincare, and other personal care products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes (email contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you if you sign up!).
LVX 5-free Nail Lacquer in Lolli – I’ve heard about this brand a lot and I’d love to try it, but this just not my shade. Way too light pink for me. I’ll have to trade it and hopefully I get a chance to try a different shade. The lid on mine is loose so I wonder if this is an issue with the design of the cap for this brand. I guess we’ll see when I try another one!
Modern Minerals Shimmer Eye Shadow in ANJU – This is a fun metallic shade that I might have tried if it weren’t for another eye shadow I play around with. Since I use so little and rarely apply any at all, it’s just not practical to open this too. I’m not sure how I’d apply it though – do I need a brush? Do I just use my finger? This could be a nice shimmer to use on my chest for added effect. Holiday party, anyone?
Pelle Beauty Facial Oil in Nourish – Whoa, applying an oil to my face before makeup? Now that sounds interesting. I’ve been using a cleansing oil to clean my face, but I rinse it off and pat dry before putting on toner, BB cream, etc. At first I was disappointed with the tiny bottle (cute as it is), but now that I read more about it, the highly concentrated formula isn’t diluted with water like many other products. That makes total sense and a drop on each cheek is enough. I think I smell rose in there, or something nice and soothing.
Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant in Lavender + Sage – This is so perfect. It’s the first time I’m getting a product like this from a box, so I could certainly use a deodorant! I’m skeptical of most because of the crazy chemicals and I don’t really sweat so I find I don’t need it. However, this makes me feel good about applying deodorant, so I’ve been enjoying using it. It’s pretty solid, so it does take some rubbing to start melting it enough to get it on my fingers. The scent is amazing and it absorbs so well. I spend the day with a happy secret protecting my underarms and I love it.
I am always impressed with the quality of the products that Petit Vour includes. While this time I won’t be using all the items, I can still appreciate what they chose for us. Which product would you want to try most?
[This post mentions a referral program. Signing up and emailing contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you 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 purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]
