It looks like the Reston Town Center does a fun joke each year for April Fool’s! Last year the balls were all rainbow colored and this time around they went with a new theme. Pretty fun!
This year, there was a sports theme!
I claimed a giant blue one. 🙂
There was no way it would fit in the car like that.
Obviously stuck, and so started the deflation process.
Getting there…
Success! Snugly inside.
Buckle up for the ride. 😉
This was my view from the driver’s seat.
Selfie with the ball, of course.
Woo hoo, spring is just around the corner! What a great way to get ready for it, with refreshed, hydrated skin.
Petit Vour is $15 per box (or as much as $30 for international subscribers) and comes with vegan beauty, skincare, and other personal care products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes (email contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you if you sign up!).
Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream in Warm Glow – Holy cow! I was very surprised to find this in the box and totally thrilled. I’ve wanted to try this for a long time but the price is quite high for something I wasn’t sure would work for me. What a great opportunity to try it! I found it had a pretty thick consistency and provided light coverage. It looked good and blended with my skin tone well. I’ll see how I feel once I use the whole thing and decide if I’ll get more.
Metropolis Soap Co. lavender & spearmint nourishing lip cream – Ah, the lavender scent is just wonderful. Why aren’t there more lip balms with that scent? This is a great lip balm for relaxing with and it provides good moisture. Sometimes I just want to sniff it though! Applying it was very soothing and the spearmint gives a nice cooling sensation. Having the scent right under my nose actually helped calm me AND clear my sinus congestion! Pretty useful, eh?
Vert Mont Perfumery EROS perfume – This is probably one of the boldest fragrances I’ve experienced. There are some really earthy scents going on in there, which kind of remind me of a fragrant sort of wood. It makes me think of my grandmother’s dresser. I can’t say I’d use it though – for reason it reminds me of a fortune teller. It’s a bit too strong for me and the more subtle scents I prefer.
The Little Alchemist Cacao & Banana Face Glow – This is so cool! I love the glass jar and I was surprised to find a powder inside, which makes this a really generous size. I used a small bit for a face mask and was surprised at how well it covered my face. The smell is hard for me to place – sometimes the cacao is obvious, but other times there’s something else I smell. Can’t identify the banana in there at all. It tightened when drying and then felt great washed off. I definitely felt like my face was fresher and less inflamed.
Whoa, I’m impressed by the value of this box. Just the CC cream alone is worth it, but the mask is amazing too! Which items do you like most from this box?
[This post mentions a referral program. Signing up and emailing contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you 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!]
This is the first time I ordered an extra item as an add-on to my box this month! Pretty exciting. I’ve been meaning to do that but then it’s so much effort to look for items to add that I just hadn’t gotten around to trying before.
Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands (I am grandfathered in for $15 for 2-3 brands and fewer items). That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats (or 4 or 5 for me). 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!
Quin Candy Fruit Lollipops in strawberry, cherry, tangerine, lemon: These are nice, light candy lollipops. I had one and I couldn’t tell if it was cherry or strawberry though – it was kind of just sweetness. It was really nice and I did enjoy it. They’re so delicate and cute!
stay. sweet. macs gourmet macaroons in half dipped milk chocolate: I found these to be a nice snack, though more dry than I prefer my food. I certainly could have used more chocolate on them. If you like coconut, this is a good snack. I only like my coconut when it’s super moist (think Almond Joy) so perhaps I’ll have to eat these with some hot chocolate to dip them in.
Sticky Toffee Pudding Co. Millionaire Shortbread: Hmm, I expected more flavor in the bread part. The salt kicked in later, but I was hoping for some butteriness too. The shortbread is also more on the crumbly side whereas I prefer crunchy. I think I also imagined something else that I thought was millionaire shortbread, but maybe that is just a figment of my imagination.
Zingerman’s Candy What the Fudge? bar: This reminds me a bit of a Milky Way bar. It’s a bit grainy and packed with flavor. The large size makes it perfect for sharing or eating over multiple sittings. It can be quite sweet, so I like to drink some water or tea with it.
Viveltre Confections Classic Devotion 7 Layer S’mores jar: This is what I sprung for from the store to take advantage of free shipping with my monthly box. Each month, there are certain items you can add to your cart and pay no shipping on because it comes with your subscription mailing. I’m really glad I got this! I was surprised how much I enjoyed the soft, gooey marshmallow layer in contrast to the firm layer of chocolate. Delicious! The crumbs caused quite a mess though, so be careful where you eat this.
Each item this time was a solid product, but not all of them aligned with my personal preferences. I did like trying them out though. What items look good to you? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and get your first box free!
[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!]
It was a long time ago that I first learned of Galileo thermometers and immediately put it on my mental wishlist (and then my blog wishlist). After many years of waiting, I was super excited when Panda treated me to one – that was four years ago. I proudly displayed it first at my apartment and then in my room at home when I moved back. But just two years into my ownership, Missy managed to break it when she was jumping from a cabinet to my desk’s shelf. Due to the height, and perhaps an impact with part of the desk on its way down, it shattered and left quite an odor in my room. I was bummed and vowed to get a replacement someday.
I’m glad I waited, because I had no idea I would relocate to the east coast and it sure wouldn’t have been easy to transport it on my own. Turns out it was another 2 years before I decided it was finally time to reward myself with that replacement. At first I was sad that I couldn’t get the exact same one I had before. Attempting to reorder gave me an error that none were in stock. I had meticulously compared options and found the 17-inch height with 10 temperature globes inside was the perfect combination for me. I don’t think I would have been satisfied with anything else. I saw 21-inch ones with 10 globes, 17-inch ones with 7 or 8 globes, but not my ideal one. So, I waited.
One day, I just happened to notice they were back in stock! It was pretty thrilling. But then the challenge was that I didn’t want to pay shipping and I was $5 off from the minimum charge to get free shipping. Right around that time, we decided to take a look at headboards, since the furniture store ones were way more expensive than we’d like. Panda found an awesome one for a very good price, complete with shelf space for me. We got that and tagged on the thermometer – yay, free shipping!
I was super excited when it came, in the same box I remember.
I carefully opened the box and considered a safe place to display it.
I found my spot, but then noticed that strange blue tint. Was it supposed to be like that?
Turns out one of the globes completed shattered inside and dyed the whole thing blue. Sad times!
Luckily, it only broke on the inside and it wasn’t leaking. I had to file for a return and spent some time trying to figure out how to do a straight exchange. Turns out you can’t when the item is sold by an individual vendor like mine, versus by Amazon itself. All I could do was return and reorder. I printed out a label and a UPS guy even picked it up from my front door one day! Unfortunately, due to the shipping charge, I’d have to order something else to get that free shipping again. I found myself waiting yet again… the item went out of stock, but then eventually came back. I figured out what I could order with it that was around the $5 price range, so I ordered it a second time and hoped that it wouldn’t get thrown around during shipping. About a month after getting the previous one, this one arrived.
So I got my second one and all looked well until… hey, what’s that pink one doing so low?
Upon closer inspection, the tip of it was broken just enough to leak.
I got a lint roller in this shipment to pad the cost. I’ve wanted a large one for years!
See the tiny globs of pink liquid escaping? I considered keeping this and having a non-functional globe that looked ok from afar. I couldn’t do it. So again, I returned it. This time UPS even printed the label and applied it! I just packed it up and left the box outside my door. I quickly found another $5ish item to get – a hand boiler toy. I reordered once more before they ran out of stock on me. I almost didn’t dare hope. I mean, shipping had been rough and these things aren’t crazy delicate, but they can’t be thrown around. It might just take some luck to get an unbroken one. How many tries would it ultimately require?
Thankfully, this one came in mint condition! It is now on display with my other items.
I had to check and recheck this one over the course of a week or two before I truly felt like it was pristine. I was worried I might have missed something! But no blue tint and all globes float! So finally, I have my replacement. Isn’t it gorgeous? This one better last me my lifetime!
Monday night I was chatting with my dad about how grandpa was going to be visiting him in Beijing in a few months. He mentioned that grandpa had given me a ton of money for my wedding and that he’s so happy I’ll be married. That was so sweet of him. In my family, money is not really important – it exchanges hands rather freely and nobody hoards it all selfishly. Everyone earns their keep and family members help each other out as needed. The giving of money is really more symbolic than anything. It’s such a touching thing for my grandpa to give me money because he wants to celebrate. It’s completely unnecessary but a really nice gesture. I don’t know why it affects me so much, but it had me gushing tears.
For some reason, whenever I talk to my dad about my grandpa, I get all teary. It’s this crazy weird emotional thing where all the joy of unspoken love is just too much to keep inside.
My grandpa is undoubtedly the patriarch of our family. He is the father to four grown children, each with 2 kids of their own (well, except my father, with just me). We grew up having family gatherings each summer to celebrate his birthday. It was always a big deal, and we’d so some of the traditional Chinese things, like offer a peach bun. My cousins and I would sit at the children’s table as the adults marveled at the years gone by (and how big we were all getting). I always was meeting new relatives at these things (someone from each family including his nieces and nephews had to send a representative to be respectful to my grandfather, after all).
As a child, I would only spend a few months in China before returning to my American life. Most of my time I did not get to spend with family. What precious time I did have I wanted to hang out with my cousins (they were more fun, you see). I never sat with grandpa and had long chats or got to know what was in his mind or heart. We just aren’t that type of family. I have a deep respect and love for him that doesn’t require me to spend tons of time with him or say certain things just to feel or express it. He sits in the tenderest part of my heart.
One year when I went back to China, I was presented with an essay he’d written. In his 80s, he decided to put together a little summary of our family history. He outlined his family lineage all the way through to my cousins and their children. It was such a precious thing. My aunt sat with me and patiently helped me read through it (my Chinese isn’t great, but manageable). Maybe I get my sentimentality from him. That’s exactly the sort of thing I like, knowing some of our past. Now I have a full account of his parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren. It was then that I learned that I would have had another uncle, but he drowned as a child. Wow – the quietest bombshell ever.
Sometimes I do ache for the time that we could have spent together. What would it have been like to grow up being able to visit all the time? What I do know of him is that he loved raising birds. Whenever I was there, he was always checking on his birds, making sure they were doing well. He was enterprising too – in retirement, he found activities to keep his mind sharp even as his body started to weaken. He’s a bit deaf and his eyes are getting droopy, but he’s still got his mind and that’s a blessing.
I see him clearly in my dad and uncle, and maybe that’s why I have similar feelings about my dad. As the only male I grew up with, he was somewhat intimidating but a strong figure I respected. We are not much into expressing ourselves, but in adulthood we’ve started to explore ways to be more affectionate. Funny enough, digital interaction has allowed us to open up more. When I see him I see all the sacrifice, the hard work that he has given. It’s so touching how much he has done to make my life far less difficult. I don’t see him much, but he’s certainly in my heart too.
My father and grandfather’s actions are so subtle in their love that many may miss or dismiss it. But for me, they speak volumes. Ours are not relationships of hugs, praise, and hoopla. It is a quiet, joyous love that touches the heart deeply. And sometimes that’s a little overwhelming.
Ok, it’s like they’re reading my mind (or maybe I’m just interested in too many places that it’s hard to come across a theme I wouldn’t be intrigued by). I mean, Australia?! Yes please! So while I’ve been meaning to cancel my subscription just to cut on costs, I haven’t been able to pull the plug. I love it down under and I couldn’t wait to see what they had in store.
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)
I’m glad that what was included really felt like it was authentic from Australia. I haven’t come across these brands, so I like being introduced to them.
Here’s what came in the box:
Moon Handbooks guide to Living Abroad in Australia – I’m definitely going back to Australia again and hopefully can even live there for awhile, so I’ll keep this handy for when that time comes. I’ve only explored Sydney and the Gold Coast previously; there’s so much more to see!
Australian Gold Face Guard Sunscreen Stick – This is just so fitting! What a nice easy way to apply sunscreen to the face without looking like some pale monster. With so much sunshine in Australia, I’m sure this would be a staple need. Now that spring is coming, we’ll be having lunch outside again and this will come in handy.
Simple Scents Australian soap in Eucalyptus – This is what I smelled as I opened the box and it kind of reminds me of Irish Spring soap. It’s a very refreshing, clean sort of smell that would be great for anybody to use.
clip-on koalas – Oh yes, I’ve definitely gotten these myself before. Can you go to Australia without leaving with one of these clingy little guys? They’re a fun little trinket to have and remind you of the real koalas that you can find there. I think they might also make a good cat toy…
Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft Licorice in Strawberry – Yum! I may not like black licorice, but I can appreciate strawberry and these were so soft and fresh that I wasn’t even sure they are licorice! I really like these.
La Mav Bio-A7 Firming Eye Lotion – I don’t exactly have wrinkles to test this on, but I can say it’s very gentle on the sensitive eye area, and very velvety in texture. It feels nice and luxurious and I love that it’s organic. This is the most high-value item, being an eye product and all.
B’Lure Hibiscus Flower Extract – I wish I’d gotten their original made from butterfly pea, because apparently it changes color from blue to purple to pink with more acidity! How cool is that? It’s like a science experiment in your drink. My hibiscus one does appear more versatile though, with recommended uses including glazes or cream cheese. All the extracts are good for drinks and desserts as a natural sort of food dye. Pretty cool! I’m definitely trying making ice cubes with this, among other things.
I’m pretty pleased with this box, which definitely opened my eyes to some of what Australia has to offer. What products in this Australia Escape Monthly box do you want to have? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): YOURESCAPE or MYESCAPE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.
Next month is Japan, so of course I’m staying on board – who could resist that? I’ll keep my Escape Monthly subscription as long as they continue to choose awesome destinations.
[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!]
Spring is starting to show its signs and this month they took a spin on the word, with the idea of springing into gear! The nicer weather sure does make the world seem more conquerable.
Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.
Eslor Introductory Collection Second Edition: At first glance you might think they sent a repeat from a previous box, but this is a different set of samples from this brand. It’s the second edition, with a cleanser, peeling gel, mask, and cream. I enjoyed their stuff last time, so I look forward to trying these out too.
Elite Therapeutics Rosemary Eucalyptus Body Cream: This is a nice light formula, perfect for warmer months. The scent combination makes it feel super soothing and slightly cooling on the skin. It absorbed really well and left my hands super soft.
Scandalous by Nanacoco Thickening Mascara in Dark Brown: Something about fatty tubes of mascara just appeal to me. It seems more fun, more bold. This is not a volumizing type mascara, but provides a more subtle boldness. Perhaps part of that is the shade, making it less in your face. I think it’s great for day-to-day wear at work!
Styli-Style Line & Seal Twist Mechanical Eye Liner in Brown Glitter: I can’t say I’ve ever had brown glitter eye liner before. I’m curious, but with how little I use these liners, I think it’s best to put this up for trade.
Laugh Out Loud by Nanacoco Lip Gloss in Call Me Babe: This is a nice neutral shade to provide gloss without being too bright. It makes my lips look just moist enough without being obvious that I have lip gloss on! I’m liking the formula, which is not sticky/gooey at all and applies really well.
The “hustle” theme seemed to bring about more mature products, which are quite good for the office environment. Still, I decided it was time to part ways with this subscription – while I like the products, I’m accumulating too much stuff and I feel the fit is not as good as some of the other boxes I get. Since I was on the quarterly plan, I’ll get one more box because my subscription cancellation kicks in. Which products do you like from this month’s box though?
[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!]
Sometimes, Missy and Smokey will get into wrestling matches. I can’t quite tell who is instigating it and who is causing more damage, but Smokey is larger, so just putting her weight on Missy is potentially dangerous. For a long time, I’d just make a loud noise when the fighting appeared to get aggressive. One day, Panda suggested we put collar back on so she can’t sneak up on Missy. We decided to give it a try and we found a surprising result: Smokey appeared to be much nicer overall with the collar on!
Look at how angelic she is! She’ll even touch my leg when she’s sleeping.
Not only did she and Missy fight less, but she was less aloof and more tolerant of being held or picked up. It seems that she became more docile, as if it exerted control over her and kept her bad behavior at bay. What a curious effect. It ended up being far more effective than we’d imagined, so now whenever she acts up, we put her collar on. She’ll sit there frozen as we strap it in and then calmly strut around, not looking for trouble. When she sleeps, she actually looks happy. Not alert, or wary, or downright uncomfortable/unhappy. It’s like she’s finally at peace.
This usually works for 2-3 days and then I start to feel bad because she can’t hide from Missy and I also notice her starting to kick at it. So by and by, I remove it and let her be free (but perhaps more prone to attitude too). At least we’ve found something simple that can help curb her issues if they escalate again! Overall she’s getting better at letting us pet her and even hold her at times. I’ll retrain her yet!
I’m still very much impressed with the product choices in these boxes and I’m glad I decided to subscribe.
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.
Gone Nuts White Chocolate Cacao – Alas, nuts aren’t my thing, but the white chocolate aspect could be good to offset it for me. I have some other pouches to get through first before I try this out, but I’m sure it’s a healthier alternative to many of my snack choices.
Gaiam yoga clutch – I’m a sucker for clutches and this one is totally unlike any others I have. I love that it’s using the scraps of yoga mats, though I wish my color was a little more exciting, maybe even with a bit of a print on the corner or something. Nevertheless, this will be really useful for future yoga classes, since it can house my phone, ring, extra hair ties, and other loose items.
Blessed Blend Whispers of the Trees CD – I can’t wait to throw this on, close my eyes, and let the world melt away. My computer actually doesn’t have a CD drive, so I’ll either have to use Panda’s or listen in the car. I can imagine this being perfect combined with candlelight for a relaxing evening.
Namtso healing incense – This must be the item that took a little longer for them to receive! Looks like it came straight from India and herbs are a nice mild scent. Nothing overwhelming, so when it burns it shouldn’t be too strong. As spring goes into full swing, I can use these while airing out the rooms.
RAD roller – What a fun tool to have. I’m going to be rolling my neck and shoulders every night now! I had fun with this and will have to take some time to read more on recommended use. It smells rather strongly of something that’s similar to paint though, so I’ll have to let it air out and wash it a bit.
Buddha Chocolate Almond Butter cups – I got a sample of this previously and I’m not much into almond or nut butters, so I’ll share this with Panda. Love the idea, just not to my taste.
Again, I’m a total fan of this box and I feel like they’ve been quite well curated. Very fitting for a yogi to have these items and just seeing them makes me feel more calm and peaceful.
[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!]
Now this is a theme I’ve seen before. In fact, it was exactly a year ago! I like that the projects are slightly different from the first time around, though I think once my annual subscription is up I’ll have to take a break since I’m starting to see repeats.
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, honey lip balm: This simple recipe for lip balm is all you need for soft lips! I like that there are the tubes and tubs to use. I didn’t realize until later that the essential oils were meant for this one. I have a ton of lip balms, but this might be just the thing I can make for Panda so he doesn’t always complain of dry lips in the winter.
Project #2, honey & sugar scrub: This time around, the sugar was not included. Luckily, I have the bag from last time and raw sugar isn’t hard to find at the supermarket. I think the essential oils could be useful in this as well. I love a good scrub!
Project #3, beeswax wood butter: Sweet! Last time we did wood coasters, which I still use pretty much on a daily basis at home. Now I get some cooking utensils, which will be great for the meals we make. I even used some of the wood butter I made previously on the kitchen cabinets, which helped give them a nice luster (and hopefully be more resist to the steam and oils from our cooking). I’m excited to add these to my collection of tools.
I couldn’t quite understand what the peppers are for and I wasn’t sure about the essential oils until I reviewed the recipes in depth, so I took a picture of these mysterious extras separately. I still don’t see a use for the peppers, but I can use them for other things!
I would have enjoyed these a lot if they were new to me. I do appreciate that it wasn’t identical to the last box of this theme, but some greater variation would also keep me interested. We’ll see how many more repeats come along.
Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective to get your own projects to try. You’ll be going green in no time.
[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!]
