((little fat notebook))

The Ritz-Carlton treatment

laelene Post in photo blog，Tags: experiences, hotels, panda, pictures, quality, service, travel

19 March 2016

While Panda was away on travel, he got a chance to stay at a Ritz-Carlton property. When he left, he realized that he could not find his power adapter, so he contacted the hotel and they were unable to locate it. Weeks later, he was supposed to return to the property but plans got changed and he had to stay at a different hotel in the area. When the hotel staff found out, they offered to send the replacement adapter they got him and delivered it to his new hotel! Not only that, but he mentioned he wanted to get something from the gift store – a rubber ducky – and they even brought that all wrapped up at no charge. Now this is the type of service I’ve heard of from this establishment and it’s great to see it in action. They made his trip that much better with their extra effort and kindness. 🙂

ritz-carlton gift box with white wrapping paper and red ribbon

The gift box, all nicely wrapped.

Turns out they packed two ducks!

Now we have these keepsakes from their hotel.

universal converter/world adapter gift from ritz-carlton

And this wonderful replacement adapter for future travels. 🙂

Oh, deer!

laelene Post in video blog，Tags: animals, deer, experiences, national parks, panda, parks, shenandoah, videos, wildlife

17 March 2016

Last year, Panda and I took advantage of National Park Week’s fee free days to get into Shenandoah National Park for free. We spent the whole day driving along Skyline Drive from south to north and enjoyed various views as well as some wildlife. We got a chance to get super close to some deer while up there!

deer running to woods from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

deer eating on hill from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

deer eating by road from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

deer walking up hill from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

I got my husband back!

laelene Post in lifestyle glimpses，Tags: business school, family, future, home, panda

15 March 2016

It’s been 5 long weeks since Panda left me and I finally have him back again. I will never agree to such a long work trip again. It was far too much. I managed to stay relatively sane the first three weeks, but the last two have been much harder. I even gave up on eating properly and didn’t feel like anything, so I ended up resorting to instant ramen, mac & cheese, and frozen pizzas.

Now that he’s back, things are more lively again and the nights aren’t so lonely. I get to enjoy having food prepared for me and having someone to talk to after work. Even the cats get to have someone else to rub up against and spend time with. It’s nice to settle back into home life for awhile, before everything gets uprooted and I move to wherever I need to for my MBA.

I find it interesting that everyone asks me about my husband moving with me (and no, he won’t be). When I tell them, they are all shocked at how we will pass two years apart. I guess it’s more normal for Asian cultures to handle being apart for long periods of time. My parents do it all the time and much of my childhood was spent away from one or both of them. I wonder how many married MBAs go without their spouse. It seems like I will be the exception.

Anyway, I’m excited for the next couple months, where I’ll have a last chance to live this schedule before being engulfed by school. Soon enough there will be trips, orientation, classes, and so much more. I look forward to the change of pace. Turns out I get bored of a regular work schedule and I crave more unpredictability. Until then, I will appreciate having Panda back at home, being a complete family with our cats. 🙂

Yogi Surprise March 2016 review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: books, boxes, food, oils, pictures, pills, powders, products, reviews, snacks, sprays, subscriptions, yoga, yogi surprise

13 March 2016

Just when I miss getting boxes, I usually get this one. I like that it’s sent to arrive earlier in the month, since most seem to come mid to late month.

Yogi Surprise is just under $36 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with yoga gear, skincare, food, and other lifestyle products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

Gypsy Soul Organics Rosey Yogi yoga mat cleaner – Mmm, this smells nice and sprays a fine mist. I like how it recommends using before and after yoga – I hadn’t thought of spraying my mat beforehand to get a little whiff during my practice. I’ll certainly have to try that next time. For now, I’m trying out barre classes.

The Little Red Book of Yoga Wisdom – There are a ton of quotes, pictures, and a whole chart of yoga poses in this book. It’s a great compilation of thoughts and philosophies surrounding yoga.

Healthforce Superfoods Spirulina Manna – I’ve definitely heard of spirulina but never tried it, so here’s my chance! I’m not great at remembering to take pills, but I will pop one of these when I do. I can’t believe it says to have 15-25 tablets a day! That’s only 2-3 days’ worth in this bottle, wow.

Better Life Stain and Odor Eliminator – This is perfect! I’ve been looking for something to help with stains and odors, so I look forward to spraying this on a variety of things. My workout stuff doesn’t usually get gross, but my regular clothes certainly get stains that could use some treatment.

Simply 7 Lentil Chips – The texture of these is quite starchy and there’s a strong crunch that quickly melts away in your mouth. Quite a unique sensation. The flavor is good, very tasty with a nice saltiness to it. I usually find lentil soup to be too salty for me, so this is a nice way to eat them in a different form.

derma e microdermabrasion scrub – I love this scrub! I’ve received it from Ipsy before and it remains one of my favorite items. The texture of the fine beads just feels so good to rub on my face, and the scent is delightful.

Taylor’s Oil Pulling Herbal Rinse – The first time I came across oil pulling was from the Homegrown Collective project that I got. I was pretty good about doing it while driving in to work for a couple of days, but then I stopped and never got back into the habit. This one reminds me of a peppermint candy, which should be nice. I like that I’d only need to use it once a week or so.

Yogi Surprise Creating Space yoga sequence series card – These are all chest-opening poses and the theme encourages you to create time for yourself. Check out the instruction page to download this sequence.

Indian Table Pranayums spice shots – Whoa! Definitely can smell the spice in these powders. I might mix it in with my lunches or the many cups of hot water I drink throughout the work week to see if it helps keep my energy levels up.

This was a cool box with some very useful items that I look forward to using. Which of these products do you like best?

[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!]

What are your fears?

laelene Post in general blog，Tags: behaviors, experiences, observations, volunteering

09 March 2016

I’m not a very fearful person.

I’m not scared of bugs, or rollercoasters, or flying, or snakes, or public speaking, or traveling alone, or so many of the other common fears people seem to have.

The creature-related fears come up a lot since I volunteer at the National Museum of Natural History and I handle caterpillars, grasshoppers, hissing cockroaches, various beetles, Australian stick insects, butterflies, moths, tarantulas, and vinageroons/whip scorpions. I’m constantly amazed at the folks who are grossed out or terrified of these guys. Obviously if we have them out at the museum, they’re not going to hurt you. Yet children still cringe and cry when a butterfly circles them with their erratic dance and adults still make a face and stay ten feet away when they see a live insect or arachnid on someone’s hand.

Or take my friend, who is afraid of traveling by herself. Granted, this is probably something a LOT of people have not done or may never do. But the limitations you put on yourself when you can’t bring yourself to strike out on your own can keep you from a certain independence and self-discovery. I love my time traveling on my own, especially in foreign countries. I find those the most rewarding experiences to look back on. Should fear of some stranger in the world hurting you stop you from trying this? Or should you plan carefully, be vigilant and smart, and go for it?

Things like these make me wonder why people are so fearful. Of course, I’m not without my own fears, which generally are related to dying and pain, like falling from really high up (so stable buildings are fine, but if I have to balance on something to cross a chasm…) or not having some stability in my life (financial, emotional, or otherwise). But my fears don’t come up very often and they don’t make me shake or scream or cry or run away. So how do people deal with these fears they have that probably come up pretty consistently?

You’re bound to find a spider or two in your home at some point. You’ll probably board a plane to travel. You may not have to do massive speaking events, but you’ll probably have to present in front of a group occasionally.

So if you’re afraid of these things, what do you do? Do you spend exorbitant amounts of time worrying, fretting, sweating? Do you try to avoid them at all costs? I’m curious.

For me, when my fears come up, it’s more about planning for the future. This usually means that I spend some of my time concerned about the idea, but that allows me to consider how to prevent unwanted situations. I imagine having to deal with death and maybe I cry at the thought, but then I think about how I would get through it. I think about what life would be like if I had no money or I was all alone and consider the hard choices I might make. These are the types of fears I tend to have, about things that haven’t happened. It makes it a lot easier to deal with since I have time to think through possible reactions and courses of action.

My fears are mostly things I may never have to go through. I find it fascinating all the fears of things people have do have to contend with. Why am I not afraid of them? Why are so many people? And what are your fears?

The day (I knew) my life changed

laelene Post in mba，Tags: business school, education, future, graduate schools, life events, mba, schooling, schools, trojans, usc

06 March 2016

I got a call yesterday during dinner, which I forgot about upon getting home. It wasn’t until this morning when I saw the voicemail and decided to listen to it. Imagine my complete surprise when it was Dean of Admissions at Marshall, Evan Bouffides! Can you guess what he said?

I’ve been offered admission!!!

I did not expect a decision until nearly a month from now, so it was really amazing to have a call much earlier than expected. I’ve been going between confident that I must get in because this is my dream and if I feel the win I’ll get it (yeah, not exactly logical) and insecure that I wouldn’t get in because I didn’t apply to enough schools that were within reach and aimed too high. I spent time questioning my choices, wondering how I had presented myself and if it was strong enough. I’d worry about my GPA not being high enough, my story not being strong enough, my future plans and vision not being grand enough, or even my age being a bit too high. You really just don’t know with these things and waiting is the worst part.

Thankfully, just a week after my interview with them, I’ve gotten the fantastic news and now I can breathe a little easier knowing I definitely have a program to join in the fall. I can’t wait to go visit the school during admit weekend! Now I’ll just have to see if any other school offers me admission and see where that leads me. 🙂

Yippee!!!! I’m going to get an MBA!!!

Treatsie February 2016 review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, chocolates, cookies, food, pictures, reviews, snacks, subscriptions, toffees, treats, treatsie

04 March 2016

This is the first box I’ve gotten with all familiar brands. None of the flavors are the same, so it’s great to try some new products from their lines.

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands. That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program to earn store credit. Use my referral link and code FRBUCO01 to get double the treats (a purported $40 value) in your first box!

Salem Baking Co Chocolate Moravian Cookies: Much like the lemon ones I got before, I really enjoyed these! The crunch is so satisfying and there’s a deep chocolate flavor that hits you a few seconds in. The thinness of these helps me eat less while somehow feeling like I had more than I actually did. Plus, the tube is useful for keeping pens in after. There should be a lid for this one, but mine didn’t come with one. That’s ok since I don’t need it for my intended repurposing later.

Seattle Chocolates bars in Pink Bubbly and Just For You: This is a brand we’ve received twice before and each time we get to try different flavors. They always have such playfulness in their branding, which makes these fun. So far I’ve had the Just For You, with soft bits of caramel that look like they might be toffee. I would have liked a crunchy toffee or a gooey caramel to enhance the texture of it a bit more. The raspberry one sounds like a lot of fun so I’m excited to try that!

Shotwell Candy Co Tennessee Toffee Classic: Alas, this toffee was made with bourbon and I really avoid anything made with alcohol, even if it’s just part of the cooking process. I took it into work and left it in the kitchen for my colleagues, who promptly opened it up and gobbled them, so I’m assuming it was good.

These were all great for the romantic theme of the month, though I’d like to try out more new brands in the next box. What do you think of the treats from this box? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and code FRBUCO01 to get double the treats in your first box!

Prospurly February 2016 review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: bath milk, boxes, candles, cards, chocolates, lip butters, pictures, products, prospurly, reviews, salves, skincare, snacks, subscriptions, treats

02 March 2016

So about a month ago, I got an email that Escape Monthly was going out of business. I’m glad that I found Prospurly before that happened, because it helps make that loss a little easier. I’ll miss that box, but this one is my new fav.

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

Acanela Shashi India spice blend – Well isn’t it interesting that I got this when I recently received it in the last Escape Monthly box! I’ll probably share with a friend since it’ll take me forever just to use the original one I got.

Sakari Botanicals Rosehip lip butter – Adorable. The sliding lid is fun to use and there’s something about savoring the moment of letting the lip butter melt and then rubbing it on your lips that makes this an experience. A nice light layer has kept my lips well-hydrated and I really like this. I don’t smell a scent to it, so it must be really light.

Sacred Summit Herbal Chocolates Midnight Maca – Whoa! There are all kinds of cool flakes on this bar, which was totally unexpected. There are bits of coconut and cacao nibs and the bar itself is super soft and melty. I’ve never had maca before and this bar has a sweetness that is very warm. It’s strangely addicting.

Skin Nutrition from nature with love ancient bath milk – This is delightful! It smells milky and herbal all at once, which I’m sure will be good for my skin. Plus there’s clay, oatmeal, salt… it makes me want to take a bath, pronto. I love that they made a special blend just for Prospurly. I thought the brand name looked familiar and it turns out we got some other items from them in a previous box. I’m just about done with the lotion that I had received!

Sakari Botanicals Wild Rose Cedar salve – This salve is perfect for winter and absorbs so well after a few minutes. It takes some pressure to break it and speed up the melting process. Then I just slather it on and enjoy soft skin.

Lexy Olivia watercolor cards – I thought these cards were ones that opened, but they’re like name cards. They make for really cute artwork. They really seem to include cards pretty often in these boxes. I hope they branch out into things like this that are on household items like coasters or hand towels. That way I can use them and have cool-looking stuff!

Wax & Wick Cedar + Vanilla soy candle – What a cool candle!! Not only does it smell deliciously sweet, but it has a wood wick. I’ve never seen that before and I can’t wait to try it out to see how it burns. This might be my newest addiction. I love when people rethink something we’re used to and try a different approach.

Again, I’m having a lot of fun exploring these artisan brands. I can’t wait to use them all and see what comes next. What do you think of these products?

“If I…” series

laelene Post in general blog，

01 March 2016

If I made lip balm: I’d make all kinds of new flavors
If I was a cat: I’d sleep allllll day and ignore mice/birds.
If I had no hair: I’d get cold really easily & scare ppl with my weird head.
If I could, I’d get a phd

If I designed homes, I’d have lots of windows on all sides & access to the roof

If I designed high rises, the windows would open or there’d be balconies

If I designed clothes, I’d cover the knees

If I ran a restaurant, I’d have picture menus

If I had all the money in the world I’d run cat shelters and tours.

If I made cars or seats, I’d add foot rests

If I made cars, I’d make their lights not too bright

If I designed hotels, I’d have open rooftops

If I had an airline, I’d send surveys to pre-order food

If I built an airplane, I’d make the windows bigger and have a daylight section

Happy Leap Day!

laelene Post in general blog，Tags: coworkers, dinner, food, friends, holidays, meals, work

29 February 2016

I know it’s not a true holiday, but it sure feels like it should be. Today was one of the quietest days at the office, with a surprising number of people leaving early. Tomorrow are primary elections so a lot of kids are home and it’ll likely be another quiet day at the office.

In the future, I hope that I’ll be at a company where we can celebrate Leap Day by encouraging people to get one more day of trying something new. I mean, it’s only once every fortyear…

I celebrated with a colleague by taking advantage of Melting Pot’s $29 4-course deal. We saved over $10 each! It was great to slowly enjoy our meal and chat about all sorts of random things. Wouldn’t it be nice to get an extra day here and there to enjoy quality time with others?

So what did you do on this Leap Day?

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