There certainly are some strange creatures here… (this was at the National Aquarium in DC, not to be confused with the larger one in Baltimore).
spotted eel from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
skinny eel from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
seahorses from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
upside down fish from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
A little bit of snow finally came ’round. I love all the snow you can see falling in the pictures – those flakes got pretty large!
Alright, I know I’m totally late to the game with this one, but I still want to put it out there for posterity. It’s still useful to go through the treats that came in previous Yuzen boxes and who knows, maybe you’re looking for a review of a specific product that was included.
Yuzen is $26 per month and comes with around 5 or 6 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.
[Update: the collage below was featured on Yuzen’s Facebook page! How exciting. :)]
Even my cat was eager to check out the box this time!
I got so excited to try out this box that I completely forgot to take a shot of all the products together! Oh well…
Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product! You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.
Cowgirl Skincare – Ranch Hand Cream: My very first reaction to this was of stunned surprise, because the packaging is the exact kind I was looking to use for a product I was working on launching (different dimensions though). What a coincidence! I was happy to get another Cowgirl product, after enjoying the cleanser that had come in the previous Yuzen box. When I first opened this, the flower pattern was just too pretty to ruin! I let it sit around for a couple of weeks as I used up my current solid lotion and then I couldn’t resist anymore. Now this is my go-to lotion whenever my hands feel dry from too much washing. It’s wonderfully hydrating and really fun to apply.
St. Claire’s Organics – Spearmints: I wasn’t expecting brown mints when I opened the tin, so that was kind of cool. It makes these mints feel more natural, as if they’re straight from the earth. I also love the quote inside the tin, which is totally random. The mints themselves are great and not only taste good, but have a good texture. If I ever need more mints, I’d definitely look at St. Claire’s. It’ll probably take me ages to get through just this tin though! I love that Yuzen started adding discount codes so you can save when you do decide to buy more.
La Fresh – Instant Body Soother, Oil-Free Face Cleanser, Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover, & Waterproof Makeup Remover: Wow, wow, WOW! I mean, I am just in love with La Fresh. I had heard of them, was intrigued, but couldn’t make the plunge. Thank you Yuzen for completely converting me into a fan. I was amazed at how effective the nail polish remover was (and how wonderful it smells) – all without acetone! The face cleanser was lightly scented and very soothing. My skin felt so good afterwards I didn’t even apply lotion. The body soother is a great refresher to your skin after a workout or time out in the sun. Its peppermint scent is totally relaxing too. Finally, the makeup remover was gentle and effective for the one time I’ve used makeup since I got it! Thank goodness I had that wipe, so I didn’t have to wash my face multiple times or rub my eyes like crazy. I’ve since bought a ton of things from La Fresh, taking advantage of their free shipping for orders over $50 and 10% discount code for first-timers (8LFFSW5)!
Pangea Organics – Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask & Nigerian Ginger with Lavender & Thyme Facial Cream: Ok, I admit, the hype around this brand has intimidated me. So much so that I have actually yet to open these bottles to try! I just want to really enjoy them and right now I’ve got all this facial stuff that I want to use first. I promise I will try them and update, if you ever come back again… I have tried another product that I got in a later Yuzen box, which I like so far.
Honey Stinger – Pomegranate Passion organic energy chews: These gummies are fun! I’ve got to be careful not to treat them like normal candy, or else I might just down the entire bag. I think this is a great way to get energy, especially since I don’t drink coffee or energy drinks. I haven’t gotten to test how effective the energy boost is though, so that has yet to be seen. At least the taste and texture is good! The energy boost wouldn’t be worth it if they weren’t.
Look at all the cool things they can build with Legos!!
lego escalator from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
lego santa sleigh from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
lego hollywood bowl from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
For a period, my cousin and I had to fend for ourselves, so we got into cooking rather than eating out or microwaving. This is what we ate that week…
Day 1: chicken & snow peas, tomatoes & eggs, rice. The chicken was leftover from my mom’s previous dish.
Day 2: potato strips, sausage with carrot & snow peas, mung bean jelly, rice. The jelly is a cold dish.
Day 3: potato strips, sausage with carrot & peas, tomatoes & eggs, brownie, rice. Rice not pictured.
Day 4: chicken noodle soup, sausage with carrot & spinach, mini quiches, tomatoes & eggs, rice. Soup & quiches from store.
Day 5: chicken noodle soup, spinach & eggs, mini quiches, rice. Soup & quiches from store.
I’ve used a Venus razor since I started shaving some 12-13 years ago. I don’t shave often, so those first couple of replacement heads that came with the handle have lasted me all this time. While I have supplemented my shaving with a few disposable razors and whatnot when I was at hotels, I’ve pretty much been a one-brand gal. Enter the Schick Hydro Silk razor, which I was given to try (for free!) as part of a BzzAgent campaign.
After trying the Schick Hydro Silk razor, I definitely have a very positive impression of Schick. Prior to this, I hadn’t really known much about the brand or thought of it as highly as I did Gillette, but now that I’ve experienced one of their products, I’d put them on par with Gillette. In fact, they might just be my go-to brand for my shaving needs now. That will be determined as I continue to put their razor to the test over the next few years!
Even animals can be addicted to bad behaviors. Case in point: Molly loves to lick tape and Missy enjoys chewing plastic.
cat eating tape from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
cat chewing plastic heat pad from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
I come across a fair share of dogs waiting in cars for their owners (sometimes with them too). Other than the pair of dogs I saw hanging out together in the front seats of a car, here are some others I’ve noted:
This one was waiting for its owner to get lunch at Panera Bread. I was pretty startled when it barked at me fiercely!
This one was waiting with its owner for someone to come out of the Hertz rental return. I was shocked to see such a large dog staring at me.
This one was waiting for its owner to get packages from the rental office. It was so calm and still.
I was organizing my pictures the other day when I came to realize that I have far too many cat photos. Not that I’m sick of them, but for a blog like this where I want to have a good variety of subjects/topics, I don’t have enough real estate to dedicate to my cats. So, for that reason, I’ve decided to post up pictures of my cats over on Tumblr. Maybe nobody will ever go look at them, but at least I have an outlet somewhere where I can post up pictures of all things cat.
After all, I’m really blogging for myself a lot of the time – for my unwavering desire to document and chronicle things. So here’s to my cats! And if you like them too, go follow the cat chronicles and get your daily dose of cuteness. 🙂 You’ll also find them on my corresponding Pinterest board. I’ll still be posting some pictures and videos of my cats here, since they are an important part of my life that I like to share. However, there’s just so much cat-centric content that I want to put out there that it really needs its own channel.
Just walking along the pond one day when I spotted what at first looked like a log, and then a dog. As I got closer, I could discern that it was a stork! I then tried to see how close I could get; when I got too close, it took off…
stork by lake from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
stork flying from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
