Coming on one year

laelene Posted in 365great, general blog，Tags: ,
05 March 2014
0

I can hardly believe it’s been nearly a year since I started my 365great project. So much has changed since then that I don’t even recognize my life as it was back then versus how it is now. Did I really manage to fit all that into one year? My priorities have shifted completely and my outlook on life has drastically shifted. It’s been an interesting period of my life and these efforts have taken over my nights for a long time. I’m looking forward to having some more time at night and I wonder how things will change once I finish up the series.

I already have my next idea ready, but I’ve learned from this one that a daily challenge takes up way more time than I’d like, so I’ll try something weekly now. I know Panda is looking forward to having more time with me at night. Will it really free me up that much more? Perhaps. I’ll probably still be thinking about it but now I won’t have the self-imposed pressure to have to put something together every single day. I’ll still be posting my normal blog posts but this sort of themed post will take a backburner. Just 10 more days to go!

January Favorites 2014

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
25 February 2014
0

collage of january 2014 favorites including groupons, snow days, yuzen, snuggling, home hopping, moving offices, gloves, origins free facial, and carrabbas first tastesLet’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?

Better work at work

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
17 February 2014
0

It was back to work today after working from home Thursday and Friday due to the snow. While Panda happily snoozed away, I got up and went in for a normal day’s work. I felt much less stressed working in the office than I do when I’m home. The home environment makes me worry that I’m not working hard enough and it leaves me out of touch with what’s going on. I’d actually rather just work at the office, much as working from home sounds like a cool concept. Funny, since I never thought that’d be the case. I guess I just like home to be where I can relax and not think about work. Shouldn’t your home be your sanctuary?

Plus, today was fun because I took a Starbucks break with coworkers, made friends with a new guy in our company’s co-working space, got a cool delivery, found out I get to travel for work next month, and helped out on a couple of initiatives. An eventful day that sort of flew by and was pretty productive! Not much more I could ask for. I went home feeling good and looking forward to more days like this. I love being engaged and excited about what I’m working on. And with the recent shift in my responsibilities, I’m getting more and more of that, which is just awesome.

Do you prefer to work from home or at the office?

And the package I received, which was pretty thrilling:

girl holding thumbs up standing next to canvas vertical banner with "does paperwork have you tied up in knots? canvas has a cure!" messaging

It came out beautifully!

plastic x shape banner stand

What a cool design. Simple, lightweight, and effective.

((little fat notebook)) Inaugural Giveaway

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
14 February 2014
9

Hey remember when I said I was going to put together a giveaway? (Yeah, it’s been a little while…) Well, I’m finally settled into the new home and ready to get this underway! What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than to spread some love?

little fat notebook giveaway prize pack with lotion, lip balm, nail polish, iphone case, perfume, eye shadow, clay mask, scrub, and dust plug

I’m a big fan of those choose your own adventure books, so I created something sort of like that. This prize pack includes:

-one travel size lotion of your choice
-one set of Softlips lip balm of your choice
-one iPhone 5 or 4/4S case of your choice
-SpaRitual nail polish set of two (in Emerald City & clear base/topcoat)
-BHCosmetics California Collection eye shadow trio
-one perfume or mist of your choice
-one Freeman Chocolate & Strawberry clay mask packet
-one Freeman Apricot Scrub packet
-one dust plug of your choice

See below the giveaway for info on the selections you can choose from. The entry period is from today (2.14.14) through 3.14.14 at 11:59 pm EST. I hope you like what I put together! Good luck!

If you win, you will get to choose from the following:

set of travel lotions including pritte body lotion and four scents of bath & body works lotions

One of these lotions: Pritte 1 oz, Coconut Lime Breeze 3 fl oz, Dahlia Rush 3 fl oz, Peony Dream 3 fl oz, or Japanese Cherry Blossom 3 fl oz.

four sets of softlips lip balms in peach mango, vanilla, pearl, and jack frosting

One of these lip balm sets: Peach Mango & Vanilla, Peach Mango & Pearl, Vanilla & Vanilla, or Jack Frosting & Jack Frosting.

lotus wei infinite love mist and bath & body works beautiful day perfume spray

One of these sprays: Lotus Wei Infinite Love Mist (10 ml) or Beautiful Day eau de toilette (.24 fl oz).

For the iPhone 5 or 4/4S case, choose from the ones listed at DeckMyPhone (wallets not included). I should have all colors, but if you happen to choose the one or two I don’t, please forgive me and choose another option.

For the dust plug, choose from metal or plastic ones in a multitude of designs that I will email pictures of to the winner.

 

Terms & Conditions:

Nobody likes too many restrictions, so I’ll try to keep it simple: No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Open to anyone 18+, though if you live in Canada I might need to ask you to tell me what 19*32-250 is equal to (due to some strange law). The winner will be selected randomly by the Giveaway Tools widget at the conclusion of the giveaway period (Feb 14, 2014 12 pm EST through Mar 14, 2014 11:59 pm EST). Winner, you get 72 hours to reply to me with your choices or I’ll have to find another winner. Prize value is approximately $50, depending on the selections you make. I reserve the right to void your entries or disqualify you for reasons including: your region doesn’t allow you win prizes like this, won’t let me ship it without a ton of hassle, or you’re found trying to game the system. Just stay cool, ok?

Gogobot duffel bag

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
06 February 2014
0

gogobot branded large duffel bag with tons of pocketsI received a package from Gogobot today and opened it to find the duffel bag I’d recently earned for writing 250 reviews! It turned out to be way larger than I expected, which makes for an awesome travel bag but I don’t know if I want to use it for the gym. I was hoping to start bringing it to work so my workout clothes don’t get stuffed in my purse doubling as a laptop bag. Not sure if I want to have such a large bag sitting around, though perhaps if I put my purse in it that could work. I’ll have to try it out and see what feels best. It could turn out to be very convenient, or it could turn out to be too much work. Either way I’m excited to use this bag for my future travel needs!

The next tier is at 500 reviews and earns me a toiletry kit. I’m super curious what that might contain! Eventually I’m totally going to earn that luggage at 2500 reviews. Can’t wait. In the mean time, I’m also looking forward to the Gogobot Pro 2014 gear, which should be arriving soon. Last year we got the fabulous tote bag that I’ve used on every trip since, ad adorable beach towel, and cool flip flops. Very beach themed! Who knows what they have in store this year. I just know it’ll be amazing. I love free swag!! I’m also more than happy to show off their brand and tell people about it. What a win-win. 🙂

Confidence: the most attractive trait

laelene Posted in general blog, relationships，Tags: , , , ,
05 February 2014
0

When I think of what attracts me to a person, the only common factor I can find is confidence. It doesn’t matter what they look like, what their experiences have been, what their heritage is, how social (or not) they are, how intelligent they are, or how much we have in common. Across the board, my closest friends have been the ones who are neither cocky nor needy. They don’t need to be aggressive, but they’ll be as assertive it takes. They stand up for their beliefs, but don’t overpower people with them either. And they certainly aren’t clingy (I can’t stand clingy behavior). They have a wonderful balanced feel that makes them easy to get along with.

That’s exactly what attracted me to Panda when I first met him. He was comfortable with himself – he knew he was good at what he does, he didn’t feel self-conscious, and he didn’t go around seeking validation. He walked with a strut that was not quite peacocking, but let his presence be known. He didn’t feel embarrassed to laugh at himself when he goofed up. He didn’t sit around worrying about what perception others had of him. He just went out and did what he is amazing at, like being an engineer, managing things, researching, and planning.

guy walking on treadmill with confident stride

His confident stride.

He didn’t even want or need a relationship when we met. He was perfectly happy with how his life was. Maybe that’s exactly what I liked. The time we spent together was not because he was dependent on me to make him feel good about himself or to have something to do with his time; we made time for each other because we wanted to be in each other’s company. I don’t do well when I feel suffocated in a relationship (romantic or platonic) and perhaps I feel so far more readily than most. But when someone wants to see me every moment of every day (or even every day, really), that’s when I feel claustrophobic. I once had a roommate like that, who tried to join me on almost all of my social activities, clinging to me and my friends. I didn’t mind inviting her to some events and having her tag along here and there, but every single time got to be too much.

I must get it from my family’s lifestyle. We don’t see each other much: my parents and I see each other about twice a year (or in passing when we lived together), my relatives in China and I see each other once every few years for a few days, and even Panda and I are often separated by thousands of miles (generally for a week at a time). In these types of arrangements, you need to have the confidence to carry on your own life when others are not around and not a constant presence. While I don’t think you should “need” anyone as an adult, it sure is good to want certain people. If the reasons you spend time with them are because you like them and you get along well, it’s far more rewarding than because you feel obligated or guilty to do so. I certainly don’t want to get stuck in those situations, where the connection isn’t genuine. Why waste each other’s* time?

 

*On a side note, I totally went off on a grammar rule tangent with each other’s vs. each others’ (there seems to be a slight consensus that the first case is accurate, but my spell check indicates I should check it… alas, you get the point).

December Favorites 2013

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
31 January 2014
0

collage of december 2013 favorites including home ownership, vitabath lotion, julep, wrapp deals, sweaters, reading, wireless mouse, red lips, cat time, and snowI nearly forgot to get this together before the month was over! Oh boy, it’s already time to think about Jan favs and I’m still putting together the Dec ones…

1. home ownership – As of Dec 13th, 2013, we officially became homeowners. The keys were handed to us and since then we’ve been slowly planning the move. Meanwhile, all our neighbors are in and everyone is wondering when we’ll finally get into this condo they keep hearing about. 😛

2. VitaBath lotion – I got this in my Influenster Rose VoxBox in the fall and boy do I love it! I’ve been using it frequently after showers and I absolutely adore the lightly sweet scent that is also cooling and fresh. Even with frequent usage, I’ve barely used up a quarter of it and it’s wonderful how long it’s lasting me.

3. Julep – I finally caved and got Julep when they came out with a mystery box I couldn’t resist. I was totally impressed by it and will definitely get more, plus I’ve subscribed as a Maven to get some new nail polish colors every now and then. I actually really like the beauty products that Julep makes and will use my subscription as a way to explore them.

4. Wrapp deals – When I first found these shoes, I took that picture to remember to look for something similar. Then I got a great Wrapp gift card deal for something like $12 at Charlotte Russe (which cost me and Panda nothing to send to each other) so I ended up getting that exact style of shoe for a fantastic price. I only take advantage of the free offers in the app, which saves me a good amount.

5. sweaters – Well, my first proper winter in over a decade prompted me to go out and buy some sweaters to wear. I was also goaded on by Autumnfall, who laughed when I showed her what I considered to be a sweater, all proud that I finally bought one. I’ve since gotten ones that even she can’t dismiss as not “real” sweaters. 😛

6. reading – For that period when my life was a hot mess of confusion, I escaped into reading again. My childhood was filled with books and it was nice to get back into it. I hadn’t read fiction in many years, whenever that 4th Harry Potter book came out. I was surprised that I blew through the 50 Shades series the way I did (I thought I’d long since lost patience for fiction since it’s not a business book that I can learn a ton from).

7. wireless mouse – The touchpad on my new laptop gets wonky at times (kind of often). Thankfully, a wireless mouse makes it easy to move the mouse around and strains my fingers, hands, and wrists less. I’m rather particular about the feel of the mouse and I’m glad I found this one for my personal use. I even have a blog post drafted for my pickiness when it comes to this and what I look for in the perfect mouse.

8. red lips – I went through a few weeks when I experimented with bright red lips. It was fun, bold, and playful. I even tried making lip prints like this one on Panda’s cheek. Prior to getting that red lip crayon in my November Ipsy bag, I probably only used red lipstick twice before. Now I’m much more comfortable with something attention-grabbing like that, but usually only at night, special events, and the weekends. Still not a normal thing for me.

9. cat time – Going home for the holidays and spending time with Missy again was amazing. I can’t wait to settle enough to bring her over here. Having a cat around calms me and gives me something relaxing to do whenever I’m home. There shall be no ennui when I can cuddle with my kitty or play around with her. I absolutely love waking up to a cat on my chest or next to my legs, though I may never want to get up for work (or anything else) again.

10. snow – This was before the intense polar vortex/arctic chill madness. It was exciting to get snow again and get to sit by the window and watch it fall down. I’d be happy to get stranded indoors for a few days from a snowstorm so long as I have heat and food. 🙂

Oops, I left out a picture from frolicking at the beach, but I had a whole blog post on that so you can check them out. Returning to Los Angeles was wonderful and a much-need reprieve from everything else. What did you find to be your favorites in December?

Scatterbrained (and reviewless)

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
26 January 2014
1

I really need to keep better track of things. Back at the end of August, I was so caught up in our vacation to the UK and then starting my new job that I completely forgot I was supposed to get one more blissmobox. Due to a customer service issue I’d contacted them about previously, they’d agreed to give me one bonus month. My normal subscription ended and they had to handle that last one separately, but the customer service guy was going on vacation too. We agreed to pick it up when I got back (but I totally forgot).

I was reviewing my blissmobox reviews, trying to finish them off (finally) but for the life of me I couldn’t find pictures for the May box (so you’ll just have to watch my YouTube unboxing video if you’re curious). Then I decided to check to make sure all other reviews were accounted for and I found that I was supposed to get Rejuvenate & Repair for August… but I never did! Oops. No wonder I can’t review it.

fabletics asaro leggings in black

Definitely not capris.

Earlier, I had been planning on posting a review for a Fabletics outfit that Panda gifted me, only to find that the bottoms I got weren’t the ones that were supposed to come with the outfit! As I was confirming the name of the item for an accurate review, I wondered why mine were long enough to go past my ankles but the ones in the picture only reached halfway down the calf. I dug up the tag from those pants and noted that they’re Asaro leggings. My outfit was supposed to include the Lima Capri instead. So, I’m holding off on the review until I get this sorted out and hopefully Fabletics will correct their mistake and send the capris like they should have. It’ll be a test of their customer service how they handle this issue – I’ve removed the tag and already worn the leggings, so I can’t return them. Bad service would leave me with what I got while great service would send me the original bottoms I was supposed to receive. Good service would probably give me some sort of credit to offset me getting my next outfit. Out of this world service would give me credit AND send me the capri.

What do you think I can expect?

Giveaway announcement!

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , ,
26 January 2014
3

little fat notebook blog giveaway coming soon announcement badgeWhy hello you lovely reader!

Guess what?! You’ve helped me achieve my goal of reaching an Alexa rank better than 1 million!!! Yup, that’s right, I’m finally in the 6-digit territory now. As of Friday I noticed it and I’m thrilled. I’ve been tracking my progress since I decided to bring my rank up back at the end of April 2013. On 4/25/13, I was at 7,187,608. Within four months I’d made it to the 1.something millions. For the past five months I’ve been hovering in between 1 to 2 million, never quite making it below the mark… until now!

So, to celebrate I thought I’d do my very first giveaway! 🙂 Who doesn’t like a giveaway, right? Give me a little time to put some things together and I’ll post it up. Let me know if you have any suggestions – should I do one massive giveaway or a series of smaller ones? What types of stuff would you want? Of course there will be beauty and skincare items and some snacks because I have plenty of those to share, but what else? I do have some tech accessories I can include too. If you have an opinion, do share and I’ll see what I can do.

Thanks for reading & check back soon. 😀

Any haircut goes

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
25 January 2014
0

What kind of hair cuttee (aka hair salon customer) are you?

I’m probably the most easy-going you’ll find. Get foam in my ear? No problem. Leave water dripping down my face? That’s ok. Cut my hair more or less than I hoped? I’ll take it anyway. Color my hair a shade that’s not so great? Let’s just go with it. I mean, short of giving me a pixie cut I don’t think I could ever walk out of a hair salon unhappy with my new ‘do. Sure there are times I love it and times I just like it, but hair grows back and it’s not a big deal to me if it’s not quite how I envisioned (or even close). The nice thing about hair is that with so many strands, they kind of fall into place by themselves.

wet hair clipped forward ready to get cut at salon

I’d like three inches off, please.

I enjoy getting my hair cut at a salon. Any salon, really. I don’t care if my stylist is young or old, male or female, trendy or dated… I’ve had them all and I generally come out looking the same. I’ve had my hair cut and/or colored in China, America, and France too, all with similar results. I once got to try getting a haircut from students at a beauty school too. What I’ve found is that I always get my hair washed with hair products that smell fabulous, I always sit for at least an hour as they snip away at what seem like imaginary bits of hair, and I always come out with poufy hair. I love coming out with a lighter feeling on my head (and sometimes a brighter color too). I love the fragrant products that they use to shampoo, condition, spray, and style my hair with. I love sitting in that chair thinking absentmindedly, observing random details around me, and testing my willpower to not scratch that itch.

If they offer me a drink or magazine, great. If not, I entertain myself with my thoughts. It’s a chance for me to be still and let the world around me hustle and bustle away. Sometimes I watch as they snip off my hair and brush it this way and that way to get whatever angle. Sometimes I just zone out staring at a hair brush or clip. The one thing I never do is critique what they are doing. If they decide to part my hair differently from how I came in, I roll with it. If they are too afraid to cut as much as I’d like, I accept I’ll keep longer hair. If they have fun going at it and end up snipping away more length than intended, I just think of how I’ll grow into it. A hair stylist could seriously give me short short bangs, pink streaks, and a choppy cut and I’d still enjoy it.

That’s not the impression I get about most customers though. So I wonder, what type are you? Do you worry each time you book an appointment that you’ll come out looking too this or that? Do you always book the same person at the same place because you don’t want to change? Do you cringe as too many inches of hair starts falling to the floor? Or are you like me and take it however it comes? Do you go in with a general guideline of what you’d like and then let go? Do you watch as things don’t go as you imagined and decide that you’ll like it anyway? Do you book anyone anywhere as long as they have a decent price and time slot available?

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