Billionaire lessons

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , ,
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Today I watched a show about billionaires that was quite interesting. I particularly liked the guy who told his children not to chase after making big bucks, but aim for impacting more people’s lives instead. Now there’s a good goal to go after, and a far better approach than just trying to make a ton of money. Funny enough, when these billionaires went after what they liked to do (and worked hard at it), they made their fortunes. If only we all were more motivated to pursue our passions and interests more than riches, power, or fame. Alas, we live in a world where passion feeds the soul but not the belly and greed is laser-focused on money and possessions.

What I thought was cool about these billionaires is that they don’t just sit back on their heels, which isn’t surprising given the work ethic it took to make it to their position. With the personality types to achieve that sort of financial status, I don’t think they could “retire and live a good life” – their inner drive would go insane without being pushed a million miles an hour. A lot of people talk about how great it would be to not have to work another day, but what they don’t seem to consider is the fact that they need something to occupy their time and attention. Generally, the relaxed life of leisure gets boring after awhile. I know I can get listless with too much free time.

So what I took away from the show was that we may think billionaires have it easy, but really they work harder than most of us. They’re just the type of people to dream big and shoot for even greater goals when they have all that extra loot. Whether it’s space travel, advances in science, or improvements to health, there’s still plenty to be worked on in this world. The pursuit of money for the sake of having more of it isn’t a worthy cause and that approach won’t get you nearly as far as working on something that makes you light up when you talk about it. Find that and you know you’re on the right track. Whether you make millions or just make a living, you’ll certainly be richer either way. I’m still searching for which of my many passions are ones I can sustain. With so many directions I want to go, it’s hard finding the path forward. I’m sure there will be plenty of trial and error!

Hong Kong haul

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Check out the awesome things I acquired in Hong Kong last month – some were gifts, some were free, and some I purchased. I’m very pleased with what I got! You’ll probably want to see some of these in more close-up, so feel free to click on the images to enlarge. 🙂

pandora bracelet and christian dior coin purse with pandora bag

Fancy gifts from the relatives!

3d holiday cards, tissue box cover, scarf, hong kong dollars, and red envelopes

More stuff from the relatives, including a tissue box cover, scarf, and red envelopes.

pizza express bag, ovolo hotels go bag, and drawstring bag with slippers inside

Free stuff from the hotel and Pizza Express. Two totes and a drawstring bag with slippers.

collage of black wristlet pouch with three compartments and clear purple pouch for toiletries

The very first items I bought were these pouches. I love the three compartments on the black one and the translucence of the purple one.

collage of chopstick set in box with two pairs of chopsticks and chopstick holders

At Ngong Ping, I got to choose chopsticks and chopstick holders. Panda and I both chose our own chopstick holders so they don’t exactly match! 😛

collage of glass teapot and mini cups set with pack of six blossoming teas

I’ve fancied a glass tea set for awhile and I’ve always wanted to get blossoming teas, so this package was too much to pass up.

collage of hong kong mtr map microfiber cloth

At first I saw generic ones and bought one, but then we found this one with the MTR map, so I immediately exchanged for it.

uniqlo purple down jacket and gray fuzzy hooded jacket

I have officially discovered Uniqlo and looove their jackets. These two are my favs for fall.

navy blue boxers with cat faces

When I saw these while shopping for gifts, I just had to get them for Panda. Smokey will love them!

empty box of flaky almond pastry treats from macau

We got these for our coworkers from Macau, but I forgot to take a picture before they were all devoured.

collage of five 3d cards that pop open to ferris wheels, eiffel tower, ship with sails, and dragon designs

Last but not least are these awesome 3D cards that I got my friends who helped catsit Smokey (and of course I snagged some for myself too).

Empties: Tree Hut, Physician’s Formula, Joyful Bath Co, NYC New York Color, Juice Beauty

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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I’ve been meaning to put together some empties posts for a long time, but somehow it hasn’t happened yet. Here we go with the very first one! I’ll share five items that I’ve completely used up and what I thought of each. This is a really varied batch, with everything from skincare to beauty to bath. Each happens to have been a hit with me, though I promise I won’t only share what I liked in future posts.

empty tree hut shea body butter in coconut lime containerTree Hut Shea Body Butter in Coconut Lime

This little tub came in a blissmobox and my opinion of it is still as great as the first impression. The scent is just fantastic and tropical without being crazy sweet like some scents. It lasted me a long time since it doesn’t take much to get great results. I’m a huge fan of this body butter and I was pleased to receive it also in one of my Beauty Box 5 boxes! The tub is also a really nice size for repurposing. I’ve since put some homemade body scrub in it. I would absolutely buy this and try the other scents too.

empty physician's formula bb powder container with used brushPhysician’s Formula BB Powder in Medium/Deep

I got a free sample of this and I’m so glad I did because it’s now my must-have powder. In fact, I didn’t use much on my face before but now that I’ve used this, I can’t stop. I get great results with nice coverage for my face, especially paired with my BB cream. I’ve already bought another one and am nearly done with that one too. When they had the buy one get one sale at Target, I really should have jumped on that. Here’s to hoping they offer something similar for the upcoming holiday sales. I wish it had better staying power though. I always forget to not touch my face, so midway through the day a lot of this has been rubbed off, especially on my giant breakouts. I use my own brush instead of the one that it comes with, since the flat line was making strange patterns on my face.

joyful bath co oatsy floatsie tagJoyful Bath Co soap in Oatsy Floatsie

I bought this back at Green Festival DC 2012 and I’m really glad I did. This lavender and oatmeal soap is so soothing and relaxing. I love how much it foams when I use it, yet it doesn’t dry out my skin. There are also chunks in it that make it kind of like a massaging bar too. I will definitely look for this at Whole Foods if I ever run low on soap (which might take awhile). This is my favorite of the soaps that Joyful Bath makes, so I’ll probably get the same rather than try a different formula.

empty nyc new york color applelicious lip balm tubeNYC New York Color Applelicious Lip Balm in Big Apple Red

This came in a VoxBox and it quickly became my go-to lip balm. It’s so moisturizing and smells amazing, plus it gives my lips an extra boost of red that isn’t overwhelming. I like a more subtle look. The added detail of the apple shape in the center is brilliant and made me smile every time. What a fun product! If I didn’t have a plethora of other lip items to use, I would have already gotten more of this in the other shades and flavors.

empty juice beauty blemish clearing cleanser bottleJuice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser

I purchased this as part of a set and it’s the only product I consistently used so far. Not that I don’t like what came in the kit, but there are plenty more serums and lotions I like to use. Finding a cleanser I like is much harder, so this was great to have. I liked how it was a bit slippery (slimy, even) and had a nice scent. Some cleansers are so gentle I wonder if they’re working whereas some are harsher and can’t be used regularly. This one was nicely in the middle, which made me go for it most times I washed my face. That’s a great sign. I just wish it clearly got rid of my acne. It certainly helped at first, but then I didn’t see any improvement in my breakouts. Still, it beats out most others I’ve tried for my acne.

Have you tried any of these items? What did you think? And what empties do you have to share?

Treatsie October 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions
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Halloween boxes often get their own little flair, much like this one did! It’s also the perfect time to get sweets. This Treatsie box included some great items for sharing.

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands (I am grandfathered in for $15 for 2-3 brands and fewer items). That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats (or 4 or 5 for me). Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program to earn store credit. Use my referral link to get your first box FREE!

treatsie october 2014 halloween wrapping with black tissue paper and orange pumpkin sticker treatsie october 2014 box contents with papabubble halloween and fruit hard candy mixes, wondermade apple cinnamon marshmallows, whimsical candy la-dee-dah, and avenue sweets caramels

papabubble Halloween Mix & Fruit Mix hard candy: The special Halloween mix came with four flavors: vanilla, orange, passionfruit, and blueberry. The fruit mix appears to be a variety of fruits like apple, orange, watermelon, orange, and more. Much like other hard candy I’ve had, the designs are cute, the candy is nice and crisp. The pulled texture makes it break into thin crystals so it’s pretty easy to eat. Fun and tasty!

Wondermade Apple Cinnamon Marshmallows: These are excellent little treats. I shared this at work with a bunch of coworkers and they all loved it. The apple cinnamon flavor is a wonder fall flavor to feature. I love how fresh these are and the branding is awesome. The packaging is lovely, with such attention to detail.

Whimsical Candy Original Dark Chocolate La-Dee-Dah: This is certainly a whimsical treat with a mix of flavors and textures. I tried to resist eating it all at once, but one bite led to another and I didn’t want to leave half of it sitting out… 😛 Yuuum.

BONUS AvenueSweets Pumpkin Spice and Apple Caramel Caramels: I’m a fan of just about any caramel and these are no exception. I love the choice of fall flavors, perfect for the season.

Another great box introducing me to some really nice candies. I would look at getting more of them the next time I buy candy. Which items would you want from this box? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and get your first box free!

treatsie october 2014 info card treatsie gifting subscriptions info card treatsie corporate gift info card

[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!]

Petit Vour October 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Just in time for Halloween came some thrilling items for the October box! I was amused that the order I pulled out the items in happened to match exactly to the order the items are listed on the info card. Spooky coincidence? 😉

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!).

contents of petit vour october 2014 box with pacificia devocean natural lipstick, forager botanicals natural eau de perfume, flo + theo body butter, sw basics makeup remover, and info card with beauty thrillers theme petit vour october 2014 box info card with item details

Pacifica Devocean Natural Lipstick in tenderness – This was exciting because I’d seen the emails from Pacifica about them and was definitely curious to try. What a great discovery when I found one lurking in my box this month! It’s creamy and hydrating, but I’ve learned I can’t apply them when my lips are chapping or they amplify that look. I like this neutral shade, but was surprised to find it’s actually more pigmented than I thought (based on the shade rubbing off on my mug). On my lips, it blends in well, so this must be similar to what my natural shade is.

Flo + Theo Body Butter in Lemon Orchard – First of all, I love that this tub is filled to the brim. I applaud them for including as much product as the container would allow. Second, I just love the scent. It’s refreshing and soothing – just what I want when I’m applying this to my skin. The consistency is super thick and it’s firmly packed in there, so just a little bit of rubbing melts enough on my fingers to really get into my dry skin. I can definitely use this to keep my elbows nice and soft all winter long.

Forager Botanicals Natural Eau de Perfume in Woodland – Maybe I don’t understand perfume, but this is a tiny vial and it was only about half full! They could have gone for 2/3 full to make me happy. I don’t wear perfume, so I guess ultimately it doesn’t matter how much there is, but still. The scent is pretty light when I tried a little bit. It’s a nice warm, subtle woody scent that reminds me of a fragrant Chinese wood that you’d find in an antique shop or something. This is what I think of when I’m reminded of my grandma, Buddhist temples, and other sacred/important Asian things. It’s pretty calming for me, so I might just use it for aromatherapy.

S.W. Basics Makeup Remover – I haven’t tried this as a makeup remover yet since I haven’t been wearing makeup, I can see it being great at dissolving away whatever you might have on. I did rub a drop or two on my face, since it can also be a light moisturizer after removing makeup. It feels good and my face is certainly not going to dry out! It makes my skin super soft too, which is awesome. This bottle will last me for awhile and I’m glad that so little can give me plenty of coverage.

While I wasn’t sure about the perfume at first, now I think I’ll keep all these items for my own use. Most of them were immediate hits! I’m really enjoying this subscription and it’s so awesome that all these brands offer such eco-friendly items. What do you think of this box?

[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!]

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