Missy loves to massage me, the pillow, or Rupert right before she settles down for a nap. It’s become a ritual for us, kind of like when a dog spins in circles to get into position for rest. She always purrs gently, kneads at something cushy, and sticks her nose into whatever she’s massaging, hehe. She’ll massage anything that’s soft and squishy!
cat arm massage from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
cat massaging teddy bear from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
I’ve just spent a good 3-4 hours deep in the world of community marketplaces offering all kinds of awesome products and services, powered by the individual. These sites are empowering people around the world to become part-time (or even full-time) entrepreneurs who get to choose what they do and when they do it. It ranges from sites like TaskRabbit and Zaarly, which offer skill-based listings, to Vayable, which offers tour listings, to Airbnb, which offers accommodation listings. Whatever the niche, the message is clear: personalized, personable services provided by your neighbors or that local in your destination city are on the rise.
Our society is seeing a shift away from “traditional” jobs and towards the more flexible, on your own terms type jobs that are a far cry from the salaried employee. And those people clamoring for these unconventional/unpredictable job bookings find themselves serving a consumer that has evolved too. It used to be that consumers had to go to the store and choose from whatever was available at the time, or customers had to sit through customer service calls before finally getting help. Now it’s all about getting what you want when you want. Who needs to sit through half an hour of automated phone menus when you can just hire the guy in your town to install that new TV? Why go to the store and be forced to choose from food in flavors you don’t like when you can have someone come cook for you or bring you delicious baked goodies just the way you like?
It’s service to the max, because it’s customized for your needs. On TaskRabbit and Zaarly, you can post exactly what, when, where, and how you want things done, then choose who to do it. Or, for sellers, you can post exactly what and how you’ll do something, then determine the when and where with the “who” who’s booking you. The great thing about these services is that it not only empowers people to make money for doing what they love and/or what they’re good at, but it offers a better experience for us as clients. Get a tour of a city you’re visiting customized to your interests! Discover that perfect room to stay in that’s closer to everything you want to see than any reasonable hotel option. Let someone else handle the chores for once, so you can relax and take time to do what you love. Meanwhile, the people doing this work find themselves more fulfilled AND with more money to line their pockets. It’s a wonderful win-win situation.
Along those lines, I have a similar idea of connecting people with specific needs to those who can help fulfill them. I’m still working on the details of the idea, but as far as I’ve seen there is no other service out there that completely addresses the issue. I’m really excited to develop it further and hopefully I’ll be sharing it with the world sometime next year! For now, you can use your imagination to try to guess what it might be… and hey, maybe you’ll come up with another brilliant (and viable) idea to take advantage of the power of community-powered marketplaces, where everybody’s a micro-entrepreneur!
Ready for the belated August blissmobox low-down? Here goes! The options for that month were Skin ‘n’ Hair Care, Lunchbox Snacks, or Pristine & Clean.
blissmobox is just under $25 per month with shipping (or as discounted as just under $120 for 6 months) and comes with eco-friendly products in themes like beauty, snacks, home, pets, and more. Each month you choose from two or three themes, or skip if none of them appeal to you. They do not offer a referral program.
The three choices for the August blissmobox.
Since I had just gotten a box of snacks and I wasn’t particularly interested in excuses for cleaning, the beauty box was perfect! When I opened the box, I was greeted by a sampling of items for just about any skincare need, ranging from practical to pampering.
Wellinhand Action Remedies, Therapy Oil – The most practical of them all, this little oil is great for all kinds of skin conditions ranging from cuts and burns to soreness and pain. I haven’t really had any skin conditions that I can test it out on, but the soothing herbal scent with a slight hint of sweetness already indicates to me it has some of the healing properties of herbs. I almost didn’t see the sample when I was looking at the info sheet, so it would have been nice if there had been a more decent size included.
MyChelle Dermaceuticals Pumpkin Renew Cream, Unscented – This is a rich and creamy face and neck cream that is gentle and soothing. It has a thicker consistency than a lot of other moisturizers and even feels a a bit elastic. It’s really nice! I also love that the pumpkins they use come from their very own garden (or so it says).
Hugo Naturals All Over Lotion, Comforting Vanilla & Sweet Orange – Can you say YUMMY?! The combination of the sweet and citrus elements in this lotion remind me of a delicious orange cupcake! It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling whenever I put it on and it’s almost like getting a dose of comfort food.
Giovanni Eco Chic Hair Care, Brazilian Keratin & Argan Oil Ultra-Sleek Shampoo – This shampoo has a really nice smell that I think is something like macadamia nut? I can’t quite pinpoint it, but it’s familiar and nutty. The shampoo is pretty runny as you can see, but it’s also creamy and rich. I love the subtle sweet scent that lingers and makes using this shampoo feel like a luxurious experience!
La Fresh eco-beauty, Instant Body Soother – I wasn’t too sure what to do with a “body soother” at first, but then I discovered that it is PERFECT for after a workout. The minty smell gets deep in your lungs to really refresh while it cools and soothes your skin! It’s downright pampering. 😉 These moist towelettes are just moist enough to gently clean away some of the grime on your skin, yet aren’t so wet that you have to wait for the residue to evaporate. La Fresh is really water-conscious in how they produce their products, which I totally love!
If you’d like more info on these brands, you can click below to enlarge the photo and read more.
Remember that squirrel that randomly climbed all around my house? Well, here’s some video of it in action, first just trying to get away, then being too scared to move because my cat had spotted it (but quickly lost interest), then hanging on to the chimney despite the windy conditions that day.
squirrel climbing by roof from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
squirrel hiding from cat from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
squirrel on chimney from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
I finally had the opportunity to stay at a W Hotel, which sometimes feels like a breed unto its own, hence it being a whotel and not just a hotel. When I was describing the hotel chain to some friends, I found myself saying it’s like the hotel version of Virgin Airlines. And truly, if Richard Branson were to run a boutique-y hotel, I’d imagine it to be exactly like the W.
When you come in the door, there’s a nice little threshold section with hardwood floors .
I love the openness of the suites, with the bed area and sitting area merging into one.
Off to the right are a mirror and nice padded bench.
There’s a nice open area to relax on the couch and put your feet up while watching TV or chatting.
The desk space feels modern with its simplicity and arm-less swivel chair.
The bed area with swivel TV so you can watch from the couch or bed.
The bathroom is sleek with bright lighting and glass fixtures, plus a bathrobe for lounging in.
They offer a stand-alone shower and tub for your washing and bathing desires.
A handy kitchenette offers snacks for purchase including some wine on the wall, or just plain useful things like a microwave, fridge, sink, and cupboards.
Nice pool! Oh, and they like to use simple one-word phrases, like “Wet” for the pool, “Wheels” for the valet service, and “Step” for the shower mat.
One thing I didn’t get around to getting a picture of is the carpets placed in the elevator, which say “Good Morning,” “Good Afternoon,” or “Good Evening” depending on time of day. I don’t know exactly what time they switch out each, but they sure are on top of that one!
Lately I’ve been daydreaming about having a personal chef at my beck and call, ready to whip up whatever I’m craving when I want it. I even started an Evernote note listing a bunch of the dishes and types of food I like so my future chef can be prepared for all that I may request. While my desires aren’t particularly hard to meet since my tastes are simple, it would be so nice to be able to eat exactly what I want without the normal restrictions of either having to cook the dish myself or finding that the restaurant offering that dish is not in the vicinity or is closed. After all, I’m not a very good cook and unfortunately my favorite dishes are scattered around the country at various restaurants that I usually don’t get to go to except for special occasions.
This all started when a friend was telling me about one time when she had a business meeting with an affluent businessman who she was pitching an idea to. He met with her at a restaurant that he owned and the chef asked her about the foods that she liked, then went to the kitchen and whipped up what she remembers as one of the best dishes she ever had. That sort of planted this whole fantasy into my head about a personal chef, since I often crave things that I don’t have access to and/or am unable to make myself. Most recently I had a lovely Northern Chinese style seaweed dish that is a traditional cold appetizer or side dish, which had a really lovely sauce that I wouldn’t know how to replicate. I could track down some dried seaweed at an Asian market and mix it up with some of the sauces at home, but it wouldn’t taste anything like what was provided at the restaurant.
Wouldn’t it be great if someone could figure that all out for me? Much like people with perfect pitch, I’m sure there are those out there who can taste a dish and replicate it almost exactly. Then I not only save the effort of trying to figure out how to make it taste like that, but I also get to skip the whole preparing and making it process. I’d definitely need a capable chef who can make close imitations to my favorite dishes in a broad scope of styles, including Northern and Southern Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Ethiopian, Mongolian, Italian, French, British, and American spanning everything from appetizers, soups, salads, side dishes, entrees, and desserts. Oh, and in just about every cooking method as well… baking, stir frying, broiling, steaming, dehydrating, sizzling on a platter, and who knows what else.
What I wouldn’t want is someone who is too classically-trained, since they’d probably be happier making some weird dishes that are way too classy for me. I like simple foods – comfort food, finger food, and plain old tasty food. I’ve never really been into steaks, I don’t like lobster, and I hate caviar. I don’t go for “weird” body parts (I’m sure that’s all relative) and I generally am perfectly happy eating as a pescetarian, though certain dishes just aren’t the same without meat. Oh, and I love desserts, so that’s a total must! With that said… any takers? 😉 Well, I’m sure that one day down the line I’ll make this dream come true to some extent. I might have to hire a couple of chefs to handle the variety though!
It’s beautiful out in Hawaii! Oh, but watch out for that vortex of swirling water as the power plant pumps out its hot water and it mixes with the cool ocean water. It’s not toxic but it might take you for a spin!
swirling ocean water from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
cruising on boat from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
I’ve been spending more time at Targets lately (Panda got me into it), and one thing I’ve noticed is that they have a lot of cool products that come and go quickly. In addition, it seems that a fair amount of limited edition items are offered there, including the two lip balm sets you’ll find below. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to grab the item if you really want it, because the next time you decide you’ll swing by and get it, it’ll probably be gone. Happened to me a few times, especially with that bungee chair! I sure do hope they bring it back next year for back to school.
Awesome bungee chair! Should have bought it when I saw it because now it’s gone. 🙁
Don’t be fooled – these sunglass picture frames are actually really large. What a cute way to display pics!
How adorable! Anytime is meal time, right?
Ah, the product that launched my eBaying beyond iPhone cases and into beauty products as well.
Gum in fun tubes that also contributes to a cause. Cool!
It’s a pillow – it’s a seat! There were owls and elephants too. 🙂
I frantically searched stores for these once I decided to buy and came up empty. Turns out most of them don’t have them out on floors yet!
Ever since I started selling things on eBay, my choice of products has been affected by my physical location. When at home, I list the items we have there; when at Panda’s I list the items we get here. These things vary based on our interests, as well as what stores we have access to. So, when it came time for a bit of traveling, I found myself packing a suitcase full of products so I’d be prepared in case something sold while I was on the road. It certainly made for some interesting packing!
It’s funny how I’ve become a sort of new-age “traveling saleswoman.” Rather than traveling around the country to try to increase sales, I’m traveling as I please and bringing my inventory along for the ride. As my needs change, I hope to one day travel to discover new products to add to my offerings. That way I’m enjoying myself while still managing to get plenty of work done to further my business! Plus, I can find excuses to travel to some awesome places around the world, searching for the best gift items out there.
There are some key strategies: chirp flirtatiously (birds, you know what I’m talking about), run & pause, then stay your distance. Eventually you’ll get the girl!
robin chase from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
