365great Day 35: LUSH

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
18 April 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 35: lushI first came across LUSH when I was studying abroad in England. It was love at first smell! I mean, so many of their amazing products look so good you just want to eat them. Plus, they smell lovely and they’re made from natural ingredients. Add to that the fresh and handmade factor and I was totally sold (in theory – I was still to cheap to actually buy anything, much as I wanted). After returning to the US, I sorely regretted not getting that charcoal face soap I’d been eyeing.

A few years later, I was thrilled when they finally opened up shop in the LA area! This time I finally got to use some of their products and it’s always so fun since it feels like something you could just cook up in your own kitchen. Lately I got into solid shampoos and of course, LUSH has those too. I’ve got a lovely bar of that at home that I’ve been using and it’s perfect for travel. LUSH is one of the earlier eco-friendly, socially responsible brands I’d heard of and it still retains a special place in my memories. Their products are pretty great!

365great Day 34: spring

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
17 April 2013
1

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 34: springThis year, spring has been elusive. When flowers should have been budding and people should have been admiring the lovely cherry blossoms of our capitol, we were stuck with mini snow/slush/rain storm after storm. Cold front this, wacky pressure that, and no temperatures over 60-something. Over here on the west coast, at least the LA area, high winds have briskly whisked away our hopes for a nice warm day. What’s going on?!

I think just about everyone looks forward to spring – the renewal, the budding flowers, the warm air, the change of wardrobe, maybe even some cleaning! The world around us becomes more active and the weather gets warmer so we can shed those layers. Colors come back and beauty is everywhere – check out how amazing this flower in my yard looks! Playing outside becomes more accessible and everything just seems so alive. What a great feeling that is!

365great Day 33: dry erase boards

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
16 April 2013
1

Learn more about 365great here.

Dry erase boards are such a useful tool! It’s a great way to keep an ongoing list of things to do, groceries to buy, and other items that recur. Or, it’s just a fun way to doodle on a cool medium, then wipe it all away. Whatever you choose to do with it, they can be immensely useful since they’re reusable time and time again, unlike writing on paper. Plus, they wipe easily so you can truly start with a clean slate each time.

365great challenge day 33: dry erase boardsI found this awesome little Crayola board at Best Buy right when I was in need of a small dry erase board I could use at my desk! It was on sale and we had free money to use too, so I just had to get it. I love that this one uses crayons – how completely different from the markers I’m used to! These babies don’t smell and won’t wipe off accidentally, which are the two downsides to dry erase markers… which means they’re basically all pros, no cons! I love that the board is two-sided and in black or white. A black “white board” now that’s funny. 🙂 And for the practical purposes it serves in addition to the fun/cool/interesting factor, what isn’t great about a dry erase board?

365great Day 32: body pillows

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
15 April 2013
3

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 32: body pillowsHave you ever tried one of these? THEY ARE AMAZING. I first got a blue one at Costco back in my 2nd year of college and I kid you not, I did not get out of bed for a week. It was sooo soft, sooo comfortable, sooo warm and wonderful… my roommate probably thought I’d lost it when she came back from class to find me still snoozing away. I used this to keep me warm at night many a time when the blanket just didn’t suffice. It’s also great on road trips in the back of the car, wrapped around your waist when you’re working in bed/on the couch, or even laying on top of when the ground’s too hard. My blue body pillow is very well-loved!

For years I tried to find it again, but Costco only carried ones with weird designs that didn’t feel as good. I then finally found some listed at Kohl’s! I quickly got the beige one pictured and was more gentle with this one. One thing about the lovely fuzzy material that it’s made with is that it gets rougher the more you use it (you know like that stuffed animal that you lug around with you everywhere… the one that’s got the weird clumpy fur now). So with this one I wanted to preserve the lush, soft feeling for as long as possible. For whatever reason, they’re not that easy to find! In fact, I can’t even find a single listing online for these Hollander Home Fashions ones. Perhaps I should stock up… they’re really that great.

365great Day 31: freshly baked

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
14 April 2013
1

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 31: freshly bakedDon’t you just love the smell of something baking in the oven? Whether it’s bread, cookies, brownies, cake, a pot pie, a pizza, or whatever your favorite may be, a wonderful smell starts wafting up in the air and then you get to pull out a hot, delicious, steaming tray of food to eat. As the food cools down, you can dig in and enjoy the sensory experience of tasting and smelling it, as well as enjoying the lovely soft texture while it’s sill moist. It’s one of the simple things that is oh so satisfying. Totally great!

365great Day 30: kaolin clay

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
13 April 2013
3

Learn more about 365great here.

One of my newer obsessions when it comes to skincare is kaolin clay. I first encountered it when browsing BzzAgent campaigns; there was a campaign for Pond’s Luminous Clean facial cleansers and I was sooo intrigued when I read that it could “Gently draw out trapped impurities & makeup to brighten dull skin.” Draw out impurities? Yes please!

365great challenge day 30: kaolin clayNot long after, I had a facial at Massage Envy in which they used Murad’s Clarifying Mask, which also had kaolin clay to help draw out impurities. My face felt and looked amazing afterwards – it was the first time that I saw any effect on my blackheads. I was sold! Between the purifying effects and the oil-absorbing benefits, this is seriously exactly what I need for my skin. Plus, kaolin clay is gentle on skin so anyone can use it and that’s great!

365great Day 29: Teatulia

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
12 April 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 29: teatuliaFor any tea fans out there, Teatulia is an excellent brand. Not only are they organic with eco-friendly packaging, they grow their tea in Bangladesh and help support the local economy. I love everything from the cool canisters they use to the awesome corn silk pyramid bags to the taste of the tea itself, of course. The canisters are compostable, as are the bags. The pyramid shape of the bags allows for the leaves inside to fully unfurl. Unlike lower quality tea bags, these don’t contain the crushed bits and pieces of the tea leaves so the taste is far superior.

I was first introduced to this brand when I got some in my very first Yuzen box and I have been drinking it ever since. In fact, they’re the only brand of bagged tea that I drink now. You can find them at select Whole Foods, restaurants, or on their website. Sign up for their newsletter for some great deals periodically! It’s great to see a brand so dedicated to doing things right, including running social programs to help the local Bangladeshi. Between the quality of their products, their sustainable values, and their community initiatives, Teatulia is truly great.

365great Day 28: eos

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
11 April 2013
1

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 28: eosWho said lip balm had to come in stick or tub form? Oh no, it can be much cuter. I can’t remember the first time I found out about eos (aka evolution of smooth), but somehow I signed up for their newsletter and followed them on Facebook. I kept seeing updates of this and that celebrity posing with their lip balms (and loved seeing my adolescent fav, Lance Bass with one). When they announced their shave creams, I was intrigued and went to try some. I loved it!

At some point I acquired a strawberry lip balm and carried it in my purse at all times. The cute little egg shape made me smile every time and the all-natural formulation was definitely important to me. Then one day, they emailed about their Alice in Wonderland set and I was sold. My all-time favorite fruits & flavors are blueberry and watermelon, which this trio had, along with a vanilla flavor. I went out the next day to find them at Target! I’ve even been selling them on eBay, mostly to international buyers. They’re a hit all around the world! A lip balm that’s 100% natural and adorable? Now that’s great!

 

365great Day 27: micro-entrepreneurism

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , ,
10 April 2013
1

Learn more about 365great here.

I’ve written about micro-entrepreneurism before and I’ll say it again: I love that new business models are popping up all over the place (on the web), empowering people to be small-time entrepreneurs. Whether you want to pet sit, run people’s errands, do freelance projects, give tours, rent out your space, teach a private lesson, or cook/bake for hire… there’s probably a site out there for you. What a great way to take your skill sets and/or passions and turn them into income-generating gigs! While it’s definitely challenging and takes a lot to be able to live off odd jobs like that, the experiences are extremely rewarding and satisfying. And hey, for most people, it’s just a nice way to supplement your income by doing what you’re good at.

365great challenge day 27: micro-entrepreneurismIn this picture I was demoing food at the Whole Foods in Westwood through my employer, Natural Selection Promotions. I really enjoyed that job since I requested shifts only when I wanted, had an everchanging work environment, and got to get out from behind a desk. At first it was a summer job and then it was an in-between job once I graduated college and was looking for work. I liked that I got to move around in the day, meet new people all the time, and only work when I decided to. The pay was pretty good and I even got extra food samples to keep much of the time! Since then, a far more robust industry has grown to allow people similar experiences. It’s easier than ever to take what you love or know and turn it into an income-generator. This sort of empowerment is truly great.

365great Day 26: scented pens

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
09 April 2013
1

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 26: scented pensEver write or doodle (maybe even scribble around) just so you can use up ink? Yeah, you’ll want to do that with these amazing pens. The lovely fruity scents that waft up from the paper are deliciously reminiscent of the produce these pens are meant to emulate. Plus, with fun colors covering the whole spectrum, you can represent just about anything with these pens. I’ve always loved writing things down, just for the feeling of pen on paper and with such fun writing instruments, I only enjoy it more! Pens that not only engage your sense of sight and touch, but smell as well? That’s pretty great.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
First Prev 3233343536 Next Last