((little fat notebook))

Hello Fresh October 1 Delivery review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, cooking, fish, food, hello fresh, meals, pictures, recipes, reviews, soups, steaks, subscriptions

19 June 2015

Back to catching up on these reviews… it feels like I just made some of these meals a few weeks ago, but holy cow, it’s been 8 months?! I’ve brought back some of these recipes on my own, which has been fun. (Interested in trying Hello Fresh? Use my referral code to get $40 off your first order: 9CAMJS)

Hello Fresh is just under $70 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s less than $12 per meal serving. Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral code that gives $40 off to the person you referred and $20 off your next order.

The exterior box changed to a new design.

collage of hello fresh taste of italy info card

The theme of the month was Italy, with dishes inspired from different parts of the country.

collage of hello fresh steak tagliata with roasted tomatoes and potatoes recipe card

We went for the steak first and I found that I really like roasted tomatoes!

collage of hello fresh steak tagliata with roasted tomatoes and potatoes ingredients and meal being made

Tons of herbs and drizzles of oil in this.

hello fresh steak tagliata with roasted tomatoes and potatoes finished product

Delicious final product that I quite enjoyed.

collage of hello fresh emeril's catfish with glazed carrots and rice pilaf recipe card

Then it was time to try a recipe by Emeril.

collage of hello fresh emeril's catfish with glazed carrots and rice pilaf ingredients and meal being made

Pretty simple meal with minimal ingredients, but a bunch of flavors.

hello fresh emeril's catfish with glazed carrots and rice pilaf finished product

I like fish and rice, so this was good. I probably would try more veggies though.

collage of hello fresh alexis' chicken tortilla soup recipe card

Finally, it was tortilla soup time. I’m a fan of soup and the taste of chunks of avocado inside.

collage of hello fresh alexis' chicken tortilla soup ingredients and meal being made

Soup is fun since you get to throw a bunch of things in the pot. Forgot to take a picture of the final product, which was a little more watery than I would have wanted.

collage of hello fresh tnt show info card

Apparently there’s a show so that’s why one of the recipes was Emeril’s.

All in all, solid dishes that I’d tweak a little do my own thing with. I’ve already done more roasted tomatoes, since they’re so simple and I quite enjoyed that.

[This post contains affiliate codes. 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!]

An iPhone exchange mistake

laelene Post in general blog，Tags: apple, genius bar, iphone, technology

16 June 2015

It’s been a good nine months with my iPhone 6 and I only had one minor issue with the earpiece that required a replacement of the screen a few months back. While the physical hardware seemed to be ok, I was having a lot of crashing issues with it. It would sporadically restart when I was using it – sometimes when using an app, sometimes when trying to update a bunch of them. This Friday it happened again and since it’s been occurring almost regularly now, I decided to go get my phone checked out. I made an appointment for the Genius Bar after lunch, backed up my phone to iCloud, and went off.

A diagnostic couldn’t pinpoint what it might be, so I was offered a new device in case it was a hardware issue. If the problem persists, then we know it’s probably a software issue. I felt pretty confident swapping out devices since I’d done it so many times before. As we were setting up the new device, I remembered some photos from lunch that I had not backed up, so I made sure to do that. Once I felt good about it, I relinquished that device and went back to the office.

The rest of the afternoon I let my phone restore from backup. By the end of the day, the apps were all there and everything looked like normal. Except… why were my photos not syncing? I figured it would take more time. Later at night I checked again and not a single old photo was there. That’s when I realized that my iCloud backup didn’t back up photos. Since we only get 5 GB for free, I didn’t have room for them. I was so rusty when it came to this process that I hadn’t made a backup via iTunes (rookie mistake).

Luckily, I had done the photo backup to Flickr and Dropbox, so the photos are available, just not the way I want (in my Camera Roll). However, with more digging I found that some videos I’d taken last weekend were not backed up. My Dropbox had run out of space and Flickr doesn’t auto backup video files. Sad times! No matter what I did, I just couldn’t recover them anymore. It’s unfortunate and I’m not happy about it, but it was my own oversight.

Lesson learned.

From now on, I will be sure to back up to iTunes. While this is inconvenient, there’s not much I can do. The last iTunes backup I have is from December! It feels like too much lost data along the way if I restore using that version. So while I am happy to have a brand new device, I mourn the loss of the media that got lost in the shuffle.

Homegrown Collective May 2015 review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: eco-friendly, green, health, pictures, products, projects, reviews, skincare, subscriptions

14 June 2015

What a cool theme! Focusing on an area of the body allowed them to really include a nice variety of projects this time. I’m super excited about these, some which are totally new and some which are familiar.

The Homegrown Collective GREENBOX is $39 per box + $9 shipping (or as discounted as $429 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with fun and easy projects to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program you can apply to join.

Project #1, DIY rosewater tonics: I have a bottle of rosewater sitting on my counter, which I use to lightly mist my face from time to time. I like that this time they also offered a toner option, which I’m totally going to try. I definitely need to use toner!

Project #2, DIY makeup remover pads: I’ve already done this one so I can try them out this week. I generally use facial wipes, but I’m happy to make my own makeup remover pads to use instead. I love how simple and easy it is.

Project #3, DIY activated charcoal mask: I’ve seen both these projects in previous boxes before, but I think it’s the first time they’ve been offered together. I just started trying a teeth whitening toothpaste, so once I get a chance to see how that works, I’m curious to try the charcoal and compare.

Project #4, DIY coconut oil pulling chews: I also went ahead and made these to try first thing tomorrow! It takes me a good half hour to get to work, so I might chew these on my drive. I’ve never heard of oil pulling before, but I figure it couldn’t hurt. I made half peppermint and half cinnamon to see which I prefer and future batches will probably be one or the other.

I couldn’t quite figure out what the loofah was for, but I’m happy to have another one. Is it weird that I love the unique jars, molds, and containers they send? I just love that stuff. I’m also really pleased with this box. I’m trying to be better about doing them right away or else I sort of don’t get around to trying them…

Want your own? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective start getting projects too!

[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!]

Yogi Surprise June 2015 review

laelene Post in general blog，Tags: bars, boxes, bracelets, gloves, mists, pictures, products, reviews, sprays, subscriptions, yoga, yogi surprise

12 June 2015

It was pouring rain when I got home and found this box on the stoop. It got pretty wet, but everything inside was ok!

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.

Natural Fitness hemp yoga strap – This is a nice strap that feels soft and thick. It’s strong and long, with very sturdy metal buckles. Between this and the other yoga strap we got, I’m all set for classes! I will also use them to help with stretches at home.

Mind Over Lather yoga mat spray – What a refreshingly clean scent! Perfect for cleaning off my mat. It’s a really large bottle too, so it’ll last me a good, long time. I might transfer some to a smaller bottle so it’s not quite so heavy to carry around.

Yoga Gangsters Truthful Mist – I don’t quite get this energy mist thing, but I sprayed and inhaled it as recommended. I think it’s nice for being a face mist of sorts. This particular scent isn’t my ideal, but it’s different so I think it’ll offer a nice change of scenery from the usual lavenders and citruses I have.

Gaiam Super Grippy yoga gloves – Fascinating product here, which certainly helps make it easier to keep your hands in place. I would like a pair of similar socks to use and then I can practice yoga on any smooth floor!

Bearded Brothers bar – I’ll be saving this for before or after a workout when I feel like I need a boost. Today I ate a bar before running and thank goodness! I probably would have passed out otherwise.

Jade Tree of Life bracelet – Aww this is cute. I like the delicate pendant hanging off the bracelet. I wear a solid jade bracelet, so I might try pairing them together. I can also use it for meditation like meditation beads. 🙂

Another box I’ll make good use of for the most part. Some items are more of a novelty sort of thing, but others are really practical. What do you think?

A walk around Macau

laelene Post in video blog，Tags: casinos, cookies, family, fish, food, macau, mgm, panda, snacks, tourists, travel, treats, vacation, videos, wynn

08 June 2015

Last year, when Panda and I went to Hong Kong, we also got a chance to swing by Macau! His mom had spent some time there as a child, so it was pretty special. I don’t remember much from the time I went myself, so it was good to visit again. Check out some of the random things we saw, starting with some guys feeding the sea creatures at the MGM Macau. I want to do that!!!

fish tank feeding frenzy from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

fish and ray swarming diver from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

second diver entering tank from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Over at the Wynn, we watched a random show about the Tree of Life. The ceiling opened up, a tree came out of the ground, and there was some epic music. After some storytelling, the tree went back down and the ceiling closed up again… I vaguely remember seeing this the first time I was there.

Macau casino ceiling closing from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

And I got to witness a lady making treats! It’s like a crepe cookie wrapped with dried pork and seaweed. What a strange combo.

making handmade Macau treat from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

AdoreMe Soleil bikini & Darling hipster review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: adoreme, bikinis, clothing, hipsters, pictures, products, reviews, subscriptions, swimsuits, swimwear, underwear

06 June 2015

I went crazy playing their version of 2048 one week – I was determined to win first place! Ultimately, I was able to cinch it and I got a code for $50 off. I had some credit in my account too, so I actually got this order free! Now that’s a steal. Totally love the opportunity to win, especially a game I’m quite good at. 🙂

AdoreMe is just under $40 per store credit for intimates, sleepwear, or swimwear. Credits are charged monthly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). Each month, bra and panty sets available in your size are selected for you in the showroom. You can always get other items at their VIP pricing of $40-50. They offer a referral program that earns you money towards purchases. Use my referral link to get your first outfit for $25!

The Soleil bikini swimsuit.

Soleil

VIP: $39.⁹⁵/SET (Regular: $49.⁹⁵/SET)
22 reviews, 4.5 stars

Lined V-neck wrap bikini
Wide self tie closure
Nylon / Spandex
Mix & match bikini top & bottom set

Beat the heat in this fresh coral number! Featuring a criss-cross wrap style top and cute bottoms with split straps along the side, our Soleil is guaranteed to flatter your figure. You’ll love the side boning for additional support and fully adjustable straps for your custom fit.

I enjoy the look of this and it’s a sort of coral pink that is bright and fun. The top has cute peekaboo holes on the sides, which I thought was a nice subtle hint of skin. It does get a little out of shape with some wear, since it’s a wrap style and all the pieces move. This is probably because I don’t have much to fill it, so it shifts more. The bottom is perfect and fits nicely, plus offers a little skin on the hips. This is a good bikini for swimming and tanning!

The Darling hipster panty.

Darling Hipster

VIP: $14.⁹⁵ (Regular: $24.⁹⁵)
8 reviews, 5 stars

Hipster panty
Rayon / Spandex
Matching bra sold separately

Soft to the touch & easy on the eyes, you’ll love this flirty new hipster! Peacock blue and playful aqua make a bold color combo while the faux lace-up accents add a romantic touch.

I really like the design of this and the material is super soft. It fits really well and looks great. The only thing that could use improvement are the seams where the two vertical pieces come down. The interior is itchy there and takes away from the softness of the rest of it.

I’m pleased with both these items even if they’re not perfect. I enjoy the designs they have and I’ll probably purchase more later.

[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 product and wanted to share what I got!]

Fabletics Skinny Headbands + No Show Socks review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: accessories, bonus, clothing, comfortable, deodorant, exercise, fabletics, free gift, headbands, pictures, products, reviews, socks, subscriptions, workout

04 June 2015

When I made my most recent purchase, I decided to use some of my points to redeem some accessories. Points are earned based on the money you spend. I’m really glad I did the add-ons because I’m loving them!

Fabletics is just under $50 per outfit credit and comes with a 2- or 3-piece set of athletic wear. Each month, three outfits are selected for you to choose from at the 1 outfit credit price point. You can always get other outfits at their VIP pricing of $50-80 (2- and 3- pieces available) or buy any individual item separately. Outfits are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral program that earns you money towards free outfits.

Get your first outfit for half off with my referral link! All fitted Fabletics items are chafe-resistant and feature four-way stretch for comfort and movement.

collage of fabletics skinny headbands 6-pack in multi print

6 Pack Skinny Headbands in Multi Print

This set of headbands are perfect for keeping hair out of your face. I love the fun colors and skinny band. The interior is lined with plastic so it stays put in your hair and doesn’t slide off. I feel very secure wearing them and I don’t have to worry about them sliding off. At 300 points for a listed retail value of $9.95, these were a nice deal!

No Show Socks 3-Pack in Blue Multi

The no show name works pretty well with my sneakers. I normally hate socks, but I could barely tell these were on. I love the extra fabric at the heel to help prevent the shoe from rubbing on you. These are nice and soft, the fit is great, and they don’t slide off my feet! Total win in my books. The retail value for this is listed as $14.95 and they were also just 300 points. What a steal!

These two bonuses plus the free deodorant were a lovely addition to the outfit I got. I’m very pleased and will continue to redeem other accessories as I accumulate more points. Want them for yourself? Sign up for Fabletics to get your first outfit for as low as $25.

40 minutes

laelene Post in lifestyle glimpses，Tags: habits, home, panda

02 June 2015

Panda and I (try to) have a tradition. Every night before bed, as we’re winding down for the night, we have our “40 minutes.” It’s time for us to talk about our day and share our thoughts before sleeping. It started when he had first moved out east and we’d sit on Skype, both doing our own thing, occasionally talking. I think it started off as 20 minutes and it’s fluctuated back and forth a few times. The point is to have time to each other; we don’t need to accomplish anything from it and we don’t have anything specific we need to say. It’s sort of like when you sit down to write and sometimes you just write your stream of consciousness.

By talking, we end up covering important issues some nights. Sometimes it’s an experience we want to share, sometimes it’s our life philosophies. I think it’s a nice way to put time aside for each other and be able to exchange ideas. However, it almost never goes so smoothly. Just in trying to enforce our “tradition” we often end up debating when we should have started and whether sleep is more important. Panda’s always trying to sleep early, but unless he announces 40 minutes, any talking is just normal conversation and not our special time. I’m weird like that.

And so the night continues, we us spending as much time talking about whether we should do 40 minutes as we actually do “doing” 40 minutes. It’s silly, but it’s a part of how we close out the night. It’s hard to close out distractions and I’m starting to think maybe we should have topics or questions to discuss so there’s a little less ambiguity around it. But I like to go with the flow and see where our thoughts take us. It just feels better to me.

Do you have any strange traditions in your family?

Treatsie May 2015 review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, brownies, candy, caramels, chocolate, cookies, food, pictures, products, reviews, snacks, subscriptions, sweets, toffee, treatsie

31 May 2015

For a long time, I was grandfathered in to the original $15/box price. This is the first box since they discontinued that and have everyone on the same plan now. I’ll have to evaluate if I feel the extra shipping cost is worth it over the next few months. The box arrived on a hot day and sat in the mailbox for a couple of hours. Summer treats are carefully chosen to be types that don’t generally melt, so everything was fine!

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 to get your first box FREE!

Hard Crack Toffee Cookies in Mocha, Chocolate Chip, & Original: What fun! Toffee cookies? Now that’s different. I like the taste of these cookies in general, though I’d love them if they were a little more sticky. I really like a toffee that gets stuck in your teeth. These are nice for a crunch and when you want something that doesn’t feel too heavy.

Keena’s Kake Designs Fudgeez Gourmet Brownies in Dark Chocolate: I like making brownies, so I’m not sure about this treat. I’m saving it for a snack or breakfast one day and I’m hoping it isn’t too dry for my taste. It does look good!

Bequet Confections caramels in Chocolate, Cinnamon Swirl, & Salted Butterscotch: Caramels are some of my favorite sweets. The caramels did get a little melted and stick to the plastic wrap, but it’s easy enough to lick it off. All the flavors are good and I’ve kept this in my bag for work! Great morsels to have around in the afternoon.

I like all these treats and will eat everything except the mocha-flavored toffee cookies. It’s nice trying some unique treats that I’ve never seen before. What items do you like from this box? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and get your first box free!

Escape Monthly May: Rocky Mountain Box review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: bars, bath bombs, boxes, chocolates, escape monthly, food, keychains, lotions, pictures, products, reviews, root beer, skincare, snacks, soaps, subscriptions, sunscreen, travel

29 May 2015

For the first time, there was no brochure/info card insert – instead it was sent digitally! I’ve embedded it below and also included a link to where you can view the PDF in detail if you’d like. I’m a fan of less paper waste and if this box is an indicator of the quality of future boxes sans paper insert, I’m totally happy.

Escape Monthly is just under $40 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – see end of post) and comes with a variety of food, home, skincare items themed around a city/region. Each box comes with a guide for that area. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral commission program.

(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

escape-monthly-rocky-mountain-box-info-card-pdf

(view the file to read in detail)

When I first opened the box, I was totally impressed! Not only did it smell fantastic, but it had so many items that it truly felt like a treat. I’m all about more medium-sized (and value) items rather than a larger one that may have monetary value, but isn’t something I like as much. Or maybe I just really like what this theme meant in terms of curation! I could have done with digital versions of the info cards in addition to the already-digital brochure they always have.

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Montana & Wyoming – Well, this doesn’t quite match up to the listed handbook, but it looks like it covers more than that one would have so I don’t mind. I’ve been to Yellowstone before, but haven’t really explored the rest of the national parks or either state. I think it’d be fun to do a road trip in that area to admire all the nature. I love scenery and animals!

Rocky Mountain National Park commemorative keychain – This is a nice, quality keychain that is very well-crafted. It’s so nice that I’m going to have to store it rather than actually use it on my keychain. I don’t want to wear it down!

NAAWK EcoPack sunscreen – I love this packaging, which is so perfect for traveling through national parks and wilderness. Just clip it to your belt buckle or backpack and you can reapply sunscreen throughout the day. What a cool pack!

the Spirit Goat Goat’s Milk lotion in Bear Lake Raspberries – This is a rather unusual scent for me (in a good way). I’m not sure I’ve had a raspberry lotion before and I love it! There’s a mild sweetness that is really nice and not in your face. It’s such a fresh sort of feeling. My skin feels wonderfully soft after applying.

Rocky Mountain Root Beer – I heard something moving in the box as I was carrying it and it turned out to be this bottle. I opened it pretty much as soon as I took the picture and it was a nice treat to enjoy. I love the glass bottle and that it wasn’t super sweet. Sometimes sodas are just too much, so this is a nice alternative.

Kate’s Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Stash Bar – While I don’t really like bars or peanut butter, this one looks quite good. I will definitely make good use of it next time I need a boost, whether from travel or exercise.

Salus Bath Bomb in Mountain Mint – How perfect that I got shower bombs from Yuzen and now I have a bath bomb to try too! This strong mint scent is sure to be a nice cooling experience. I hope it helps soothe aches too.

Dirty Diana Preserves – I’m hesitant to try this due to the cherries. I typically only like fresh cherry flavor. I’m also not quite sure how to use this… as a spread? To cook with? We’ll see.

Sierra Nevada Soap Company Rosemary Lavender soap – Ah yes, this was emanating relaxation as soon as I opened the box. I love the scent and will add this to my soap queue near the front. It’s fun that there are chunks in there – I like a soap with some added texture.

Wild West Howdy chocolate bar – This bar has dark chocolate and almonds. It’s a very hard chocolate that is a perfectly balanced so it’s not bitter, but not crazy sweet either. The almond bits are smaller and don’t steal the show.

I’m thinking I need to move near the Rockies at some point in my life. I love eco-friendly stuff and the clean, fresh feeling these products give me. Which products from the Rocky Mountain Escape Monthly box would you want too? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): YOURESCAPE or ROCKY for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

Coming up is Vancouver for some Canadian goodness. I’m excited for that and I wonder if any packaging will change since I just noticed their new logo.

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