I didn’t really shop at Target until I met Panda. A few years ago, he started to introduce me to it. And as I began to see all the different deals and offers I also began to hear about how all these people love it. I began to follow some bloggers who happen to be huge fans and I slowly started to learn the ins and outs of Target shopping. I love using my RedCard, bringing a bag to get that 5-cent discount, and compounding Target coupons with manufacturer ones. Oh yes, I’ve certainly enjoyed adopting Target as my new store of choice. There are some fantastic products to be found and if you’re patient you can get them at absolute steals! Just check out the deal I got on some shampoo. 🙂 Not only do they offer products I like at good prices, there are so many discounts to take advantage of! Makes for a great shopping experience.
365great Day 205: Target
365great Day 204: persimmons
I think the first time I came across persimmons was somewhere in southern China. My mom loves these fruits and for the longest time I got them confused with tomatoes. You see, in Chinese we call them a term that also happens to be the casual way we refer to tomatoes – my mom happens to be obsessed with both, so whenever she referred to them I thought she just meant tomatoes. Little did I know about this fascinating fruit until years later. I enjoy them at various stages of ripeness, from the crisp and slightly drying flesh to the super sweet and mushy flesh. They’re a wonderfully tasty food with a hint of spice or something I can’t quite place. Totally fascinating and yummy, which makes them great.
365great Day 203: 30-day challenges
I’ve been doing a couple of monthly challenges as each month passes by and it’s been cool seeing all that happens within that time frame. Most recently I’ve stuck to photo challenges, with themes I’ve been choosing myself, but I think I’ll attempt more ambitious ones aimed at changing behavior, like walking half an hour every day or taking time to read at night. I did manage to do 30 days of using my Juice Beauty products awhile back and I definitely saw improvement in my skin from that. I’m taking on some other challenges that are less frequent, like cooking at least 3 days out of the month and applying a face mask at least once a week. All of these are a great way to systematically change habits and behavior patterns. It’s a nice way to tackle self-improvement goals!
365great Day 202: The Homegrown Collective
I just got my second Homegrown Collective greenbox yesterday and I cannot wait to do an unboxing video and get pictures. Once again, I just love the theme and all the cool products they helped put together. It’s exciting having mini projects that aren’t too hard or time-consuming, but can make a good impact in how you do things at home. There’s really no easier way to start greening your household, with everything from skincare to snacks provided for you. I also really enjoy the materials that projects come with, like mason jars and muslin bags. I will most certainly be reusing them! The Homegrown Collective is a fantastic subscription box service that is a great blend of going green and DIY – so much fun!
[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!]
365great Day 201: PayPal
When it comes to transferring money between friends, collecting sales revenue, or even printing shipping labels at a discount, PayPal’s got you covered. I started off using it to occasionally buy things online so I wouldn’t have to share my credit card info. I then found it to be really handy when I wanted to move money to someone else (or even between my own bank accounts) at no charge. As I began to sell things online, it became the source for collecting payments. I don’t have to worry about charging credit cards or doing any currency conversions; it’s all part of their services. The fees they get out of it aren’t too bad especially considering the value they provide me. More recently I’ve found it’s the perfect way to take advantage of better USPS shipping rates without having to get an account with Stamps.com. I pay for and print my labels right within their interface! PayPal’s been great not only personally, but for my small side business too.
365great Day 200: loofahs
I love loofahs. If you don’t decide to eat them you can just let them dry out and boom, you’ve got yourself a wonderful exfoliating sponge. Not only can you wash your skin with it, it makes for a perfect sponge to clean dishes with. So take your pick on how you choose to use it and then when you’re done just bury it in the ground! A beautifully natural tool for bath and kitchen that will compost away and create no waste when it’s time to get a new one. You can even save the seeds from them to plant yourself for a never-ending supply. Now that’s a great thing.
365great Day 199: flowers
I’m a fan of many types of plants, but flowers are a surefire way to enhance a space so just about anyone would like it. They add color and sometimes fragrance to enliven an area. It’s no wonder you find them along streets, on tabletops, and adorning windowsills. Look at how they spruce up the front of this building! While many women enjoy a bouquet of these beauties, I find them to be useless in that form so I’d much rather get a live plant in a pot. That way I can enjoy the flowers year after year (assuming I can keep them alive). Flowers come in so many gorgeous shapes, sizes, and colors that you’re sure to find one that appeals to you. My personal favorite is the orchid, though anything purple or blue is perfect too. Whatever your preference, flowers are a great way brighten your day.
365great Day 198: Facebook debugger
Ok, this is probably something most people have no need for nor care about, but for my purposes, I’ve found it to be a useful tool. Facebook’s debugger detects any errors that may be on a page, which makes it easy to see what might need fixing. This is really helpful when, say, a blogger wants to post a link to their blog post but the image isn’t being pulled correctly. A quick check on this site can pinpoint the issue (or at least eliminate other factors) without having to trudge through the code trying to figure it out. It’s simple and provides a service that really eases a pain for those of us who have to deal with it. Great way to enhance our operations and save time and hassle.
365great Day 197: teppanyaki
The first time I ever went to a Japanese steakhouse and got acquainted with this whole teppanyaki idea I was about 13 or 14. I loved the entertainment part of it and the stronger flavors they tend to cook into the food. The best place I’ve ever been offered white fish, which I just loved. I’m pretty much always obsessed with the fried rice at these places, because they pack in so much salty goodness. I love nearly drowning my rice in soy sauce and cooking it. As I mentioned earlier, this year Panda and I celebrated our 5th anniversary with dinner at a teppanyaki place. We were originally going to go to a fondue place because it makes a great date night meal, but we happened to discover we both would prefer a Japanese steakhouse this time around. Between the fun performance and tricks the chefs do and the super flavorful food you get, it’s a great choice for a special occasion.
365great Day 196: Yorkshire Soap Co
While strolling through the streets of York, I came across the Yorkshire Soap Company shop. It was filled with delicious-looking soaps in the shape of cake slices, cupcakes, and other such desserts. It reminded me of Lush, but more delicate, if that makes sense. They use lighter colors, more girly glittery and flowery looks, and sweeter scents. It felt like walking into a couture-inspired bakery. The moment I smelled their orange cream cupcake, I knew I had to have it (along with a few other things ;)). Their handmade goodies are irresistible and feel so indulgent. I opted for that cupcake and a set of four bath truffles. I must admit I’ve yet to use them since they just look too cool, but at the moment they are making some very fine fragrances. Whenever I walk by, I get a lovely whiff of them and I can’t wait to use them… once I’ve convinced myself it’s time to ruin them and let them melt away.
