((little fat notebook))

When the weather is dreary…

laelene Post in general blog，Tags: opinions, random thoughts, stream of consciousness, weather, work

03 December 2014

We are so listless

We are so down

Lethargy is tangible in the air and conversations consist of how icky it is outside, how tired we are, how awful it all is…

All I want to do is drink cozy hot drinks like apple cider, hot chocolate, and tea. I want a fireplace to sit near, a soft comfy couch. I don’t want to have to think too hard. I don’t want to go outside.

My coworkers feel it too. We commiserate over the lack of light, lack of energy, and short days. Was it this bad last year? I suppose it was, but at least we had a room where we could close the door and turn up the music. This time around we barely see each other. I’m often off in a room or a corner, conducting a demo or webinar. When I’m at my desk, our faces are all buried in our computer screens. The day drags, yet the time still flies. The longest week manages to be the shortest and the weekends never last. Soon enough, we’re at it again. It gets darker earlier and earlier. Oftentimes it’s raining, cold. There’s no hope of getting home when it’s still light out. Oh how I miss the fairer seasons.

Yet, I get home and after dinner the night zooms past. Too soon, I need to rest but my body and mind aren’t ready to. If only there were more hours in the day, right? So then I succumb, finally. Rest is a wonderful thing. While it may be gloomy outside and totally zapping my motivation to move, at least it’s warm in here. If only I could sleep in a little more and just enjoy it.

Treatsie November 2014 review

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

01 December 2014

With the season cooling down, I’m happy to see more chocolates appearing again! The November Treatsie box came with a great treat for starting off the day and chocolates for any time.

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!

fixx chocolates chelle’s cashew nougat bar: I was apprehensive about this at first after reading is was inspired by a Snickers bar’s flavor and contents. I’ve never been a fan of those, so I was wondering how I’d like this, good as it looked. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. The dark chocolate casing is rich and wonderful, with just the right kind of hardness. The inside with the nougat and caramel is sweet and soft, not at all like the icky Snickers. I could actually do with some more cashews since there was hardly any and some crunch would have been nice. This luxury bar may be made of similar ingredients, but it is soooo much better.

Megpies Blueberry Tart: I could instantly smell the butteriness of these the moment I opened them. I thought at first that there were two and I tried prying the crust apart only to realize my mistake. Luckily, it took just a bite or two to cover up that accident. 😉 This is a great dessert or breakfast item and the crust is somewhat like a croissant. I love the blueberry flavoring both inside and on top. I’m a fan.

Alcove Chocolate Fleur de Sel, Mimosa, and Red Velvet bars: Funny enough, my favorite was the mimosa, despite never having had a mimosa before. I guess I’m into that citrus and chocolate pairing, though the bar is a bit sweet so I’d definitely want to have it with something to even out the sugar rush. The textures of the chocolates are all smooth and crisp, which I like. The salt granules in the fleur de sel hit me in little pockets and then blended with the dark chocolate for a stronger dark chocolate sensation. The red velvet is softer, probably because it’s milk chocolate and boy does that flavor pack a punch! If you like your chocolates strong and intensely flavored, these are great. I need to pair them with something more bland and eating on them on their own is overwhelming.

This was a lovely box with more surprises than I expected. Some I liked more than I thought I would and some I didn’t prefer as much. Still, it’s a fantastic selection of products I’m glad I tried. What products do you like best from this box? 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!]

Escape Monthly November: Hawaii Box review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: bath salts, boxes, cremes, escape monthly, europe, food, hawaii, lotions, pictures, products, reviews, shampoos, snacks, subscriptions, travel, vacations

29 November 2014

This is the first true repeat theme that they’ve done, so of course I was curious to see how much overlap it would have with the previous box. I personally don’t feel this was as good as the first box and especially having received that one, this was rather disappointing. Even just looking at it without considering what I had previously, I didn’t feel like the value and variety were there. I guess I prefer boxes with more smaller items versus a larger-ticket item or some medium ones. I’m starting to carefully evaluate the value I perceive I’m gaining from these boxes to decide how much longer I’ll stay with them. Another box or two that are under par might make me end my subscription, but for now I’m really intrigued with the possibilities for next month’s box.

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)

Everything here was new to me, so that was great for introducing me to different items. I like that some of them went full out with the British look while others are just products you might go for any day as you shop around.

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Maui – Well, at the least it’s good that they didn’t send the same guidebook. Last time I got the Big Island and this time I have Maui, which are perfect since so far I’ve only been to Oahu. With all that new territory still waiting for me to explore, both of the guidebooks I have will be useful.

Hawaiian Host Kona Glazed Macadamia nuts – As always, I’m not into nuts (though macadamia nuts are at least tolerable and even enjoyable at times). What really kills this for me is the coffee flavoring, so I’ve passed it on to Panda for him to eat. I doubt another flavor would have persuaded me otherwise anyway though.

Hawaiian Rainforest Naturals Stress Release Bath Crystals – This was the only entirely new brand to show up and I think it’s pretty cool. I love bath stuff, so this will be great for my next bath when I’m looking to soak away the stress. This pouch is gently sweet and almost reminiscent of baby powder. I find it wonderful that the ingredients are responsibly sourced from the Hawaiian rainforest and I’d love to go there on my next trip. I’m curious what flower essences went into this one, which would have been a nice thing to outline along with the directions for use.

Royal Hawaiian Orchards Kona Coffee Banana Macadamia Crunch – Again with the coffee flavor! I think with one, that should have been enough for this box and they should have included a different flavor. I would have been fine with receiving the same flavor I did with the last box (papaya lime) since that was pretty unique and tasty. Unfortunately, I can’t stand coffee flavored stuff, so this has been put in Panda’s pile as well. Pity.

Honey Girl Organics Face & Eye Creme and Night Creme – This is the exact same thing from the last box. I wish they’d included any other products from this line, since I would have been happy to try those, but I don’t want repeats of the same items! I sure hope someone would want to trade for this. I’ve barely even used the first set since I have so many other products I’m using too.

Personal Paradise Noni Papaya Pineapple shampoo – We received this brand in the last box, but I like that we get to try their shampoo this time. I like how they have very tropically-inspired scents and I’m looking forward to how my hair will smell after this one. I like the packaging for this brand and I like the lotion that I got in the other box, which I’ve already used up. Now this is how to repeat a brand across different boxes.

Personal Paradise Noni Papaya Pineapple body lotion – This lotion is definitely a lighter scent than the coconut lime one I got in the original Hawaii box, but I like it as well. It’s so refreshing and the lotion is a great consistency. It absorbs into my skin really well and softens my hands right away! I’ll totally be using this until it’s completely empty too, just like the other tube I had. I’m glad I get to try another one of their lovely scents.

seashell lei – The bonus item was again a lei, though a different design. I like the use of some cowry shells to change up the pattern and I’ll add this to my growing collection of seashell leis from Hawaii.

Well, it was an ok box, but I was to feel more excited about what I’m getting. I think something with koa wood would have been cool, like the bookmark I’d bought on my recent trip to Hawaii. What’s your impression of this Hawaii Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): MYESCAPE or YULETIDE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

To round up the year is a more general theme, with all sorts of possibilities! I look forward to some European delights. This will help me decide if I should actively consider cancelling this subscription or if I should continue on for awhile. Bring on the good stuff!

Black Friday (on Thanksgiving) for a First-Timer

laelene Post in lifestyle glimpses，Tags: black friday, electronics, experiences, family, holidays, pictures, shopping, target, thanksgiving

27 November 2014

My family isn’t big on shopping and my mom’s great at getting deals unrelated to the craze of this time of year. Growing up, we never did Black Friday (who wants to wake up that early?) and we enjoyed a much more chill holiday weekend. However, in recent years with retailers opening Thanksgiving night, it’s become something that I actually considered doing. Lining up at 5 pm at night is far easier than crawling up at 2 in the morning to get in line by 3. This year, Panda and I decided the one item we’d look for is a TV. We had never really gotten a TV since moving to the condo, so we had this giant living room area and no screen to match. What we’ve had is a 24″ that came free with the couch set. Not nearly the size you need when you’re sitting a good 10 feet away.

This morning, the ads came and we confirmed what we wanted: a 48″ Westinghouse at Target. With doors opening at 6, we decided to get into line around 5.

line outside target store thanksgiving night for target black friday store opening sale

It got pretty cold in line, but it definitely could have been worse.

target crackers with deal coupons inside

I’m not sure Americans know what crackers are, but the Brits certainly would!

westinghouse 48 inch tv on sale for black friday at target

Snagged that and went to check out!

Not what we wanted to see upon turning it on.

westinghouse 48 inch tv being exchanged for in-stock 50 inch at target

Of course they were out of stock when we went to exchange it, but we were able to get the 50″ instead.

Now that’s more like it… the old TV was sooo small.

It turned out to be quite the adventure and required another trip to Target. At first, the manager seemed reluctant to give us an exchange for a similar product without charging us the difference (which sort of defeats the purpose of the Black Friday deal, don’t you think?). Luckily, when we found the same brand with a slightly larger screen, she was willing to let the extra $100 price difference slide and gave us an even exchange. At least we got an extra 2 inches for all that hassle!

Empties: Jane’s Pick, Sranrom, Spa Technologies, Yes To, Acure

laelene Post in reviews，Tags: body oils, body soaps, candles, facial creams, facial wipes, pictures, products, reviews

26 November 2014

Here comes round two of empties, with five more items that I’ve completely used up (and what I thought of each product). It just happens that most of these came from Yuzen boxes, which might be saying something about how much I love the stuff I get from that subscription box.

Jane’s Pick all natural handmade bar soap sample in Kind

I received this sample from a Beauty Box 5 and since I liked the sweet orange scent, I started using it pretty quickly. I went through it in about a week and kept using it, even as the orange part was separating from the black part. I loved the super foamy formula of it and how it didn’t leave my skin feeling squeaky and dry afterwards. I would definitely consider getting this for future soap needs, if I ever make it through the tons of soap I already have.

Sranrom candle in Compassion

This lovely candle came in the spring Yuzen box and it wasn’t long before I’d burned through the whole thing. The scent is very calming and relaxing, with lemongrass and other refreshing yet soothing scents. It makes me think of a spa experience in Thailand and it’s great for when I want to chill out in a bath. It burns really well and doesn’t create black smoke, plus the container has such a lovely pattern! I’d definitely try their other scents too, like Contentment and Consideration.

Spa Technologies Hydrating Laminaria Oil

I finished this ages ago and it was my first foray into body oils for lotioning purposes. I had never really tried it before, but this one got me hooked. Now for the wintertime, I definitely look to body butters and oils to help keep my skin from drying out. This came in a Yuzen box nearly two years ago! Hard to believe. I loved the subtle scent of this and how non-greasy it is. As with other products, I have a supply of other brands I need to try, so looking to replace this will take a back-burner until I’m low in stock.

Yes To Grapefruit Correct & Repair Brightening Facial Wipes

I bought this one during a sale CVS was having for Yes To products. I’d wanted to try their wipes for ages, so I got this and another pack (which I’m nearly done with, so I’m sure they’ll make an empties post appearance too). I enjoyed the extra moistness of these wipes, which sort of foamed when I used them for all the juicy product they had in there. I always felt like I’d washed my face after one of these, so it was perfect to use at the end of the day when I’m cleansing my face and then applying the serums and lotions for the night. I think it’s a bit acidic, so I always felt like it was good for helping with any bacteria on my face.

Acure Radical Resurfacing Facial Treatment

This also came in the spring Yuzen box with the Sranrom candle. It quickly became my go-to cream/lotion after cleansing my face. It’s so light and refreshing, yet I feel like it’s helping with my skin texture, hydration, and acne. It smells wonderful too, which always helps. I like the citrusy, tangy type scents. I’m already well into my second one of these and I love it. I almost always find myself reaching for it.

Have you tried any of these items? What did you think? And what empties do you have to share?

The death of email

laelene Post in general blog，Tags: emailing, emails, google wave, opinions, technology

24 November 2014

I hate email. I think it’s one of the most inefficient things out there. I mean, just look at how hard it is to maintain your inbox and keep everything organized. Sure, you can leave messages for all sorts of people, from those you actually know to those you want to. But the way that technology has evolved, there should be a better way. If we could only throw off the shackles of our habits and start anew, our interactions on the internet would be nothing like email as we know it.

Here’s how I envision it: we have what you can still consider an inbox. People can send messages to it and you can reply, but there is no need for including their original message. Everything is threaded in a flow like instant messaging. You can scroll through the entire conversation and collapse it for easy navigation. When you want to create a different string of conversation, you just click new and choose who to message and what to say. When you want to attach a file, it’s loaded for easy previewing and downloading right in a sidebar. No need to search through which email actually contained the attachment. If you want to loop someone in, you just add them to the conversation. They can scroll back to see what had already happened in the conversation. If you don’t want them to see that part, start a new conversation by copying the current one and choosing what to exclude.

For organization purposes, as you view these, you can choose to file them into folders of your choosing, give them tags for keywords that weren’t explicitly mentioned in the conversation, or archive them (like in Gmail). Of course you can also create filters to put certain messages into the baskets you like. You can search for anything within a conversation, file name, or person’s name. If you’re on a group email (such as “support@yoursite.com”) and multiple recipients get the message but only one needs to reply, you can easily choose ownership of one to indicate to others that you’ve got it. No need to reply all just to let them know NOT to reply as well. Ownership can be changed at any time and your copy gets archived away. Replies can also be public, if someone else may need to reply to the thread to help out the person next time (much like those support tickets work).

I think if you combine the best of email, messaging, and support ticket management services, you could have an awesome tool. Each on its own is rather lacking in a variety of departments and it makes me not want to use any of them. Where’s the consolidated place I can manage all the digital correspondence in my life? Why do I need to mash together texts and emails and what have you to try to have a conversation? I was really hopeful back when Google Wave was launched. I thought it could be a much better replacement for email, but it just didn’t take off. I’m still searching for that awesome new thing that will upturn our interactions on the web. Until then, I’ll keep on racking up thousands of unread emails in my personal inbox, just because it’s so cumbersome to use emails. The world may be willing to work in such an inefficient manner, but I’m not going to waste my time with that.

Beauty Box 5 November 2014 review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, beauty box 5, boxes, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions

22 November 2014

I was a bit amused that some of these items would have been handy for my trip last week. Too bad I didn’t get them before leaving! Oh well, now I have some goodies for my next travel destination. I like that they did a little more for the skincare, hair care, and “tools” stuff, with no make-up item. For someone like me who doesn’t use much make-up, I’m good with getting them less frequently and receiving more products I’ll happily use.

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.

Afterfeather Refillable Travel Bottle: I was considering getting a travel bottle when I wanted to transport my Hawaiian red shrimp back home. I had bought them as a travel set packed for plane trips, but would have to put them in checked luggage, which I was worried about. Going forth I might just bring the empty bottle on trips for unforeseen uses. Or maybe I’ll put some shampoo in there. I like that this brand is eco-conscious and this item is a great reusable one.

DenTek Floss Picks + Case: This little case is adorable and an easy way to bring floss picks on trips. I think that will be particularly useful for Panda, since he actually flosses, but I’m hoping it’ll motivate me to floss a bit too. I’m totally throwing this in my toiletry bag for future travel.

HASK Macadamia Oil Revitalizing Shine Hair Treatment: This is perfect for the dryness of winter. It smells nice, a subtle sweetness with a bit of nuttiness, and is a thick-ish oil formula. I always forget to do hair masks in the shower, so I much prefer a treatment like this that I can quickly apply before heading out for the day.

Laura Ashley Body Butter in Coconut Lime: I first got into this scent with the shea butters I received. This one smells great too, though it’s lighter. The formula is also more lightweight – there’s like more wetness to it as I apply it. I might save this for the spring and trips where I need to have a smaller tub of body butter for my carry-on.

Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash: This little body wash is also perfectly travel-sized. I can certainly bring that along for a trip or offer it in the guest bathroom whenever we have people over (like my parents, who are coming for Thanksgiving week!). I like having small bottles so I can use just what I need and not have to carry all this extra with me. If I use it for guests, it’s great for them to not have to bring their own items and also not feel like they are using some of our partially-used products.

The “gracefully grounded” theme is month is all about more practical items to take care of yourself. I’m all about that! This will set us off on a great start for healthy skin, hair, and teeth. Which items do you want from this box?

Homegrown Collective October 2014 review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: activated charcoal, apple cider vinegar, bentonite clay, boxes, charcoal, face masks, food, hair care, hair masks, home, homegrown collective, natural, pictures, products, projects, reviews, rose water, sea salt, skincare, subscriptions, teeth whitener

20 November 2014

This mysterious package seemed to have gotten lost along the way, but it finally made it to me when we were out in Hawaii. I was really excited to get it and finally see what it had in store. I’m loving how useful all of this is.

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, activated charcoal: It seems quite strange to brush teeth with charcoal powder, but I’ll trust them on this one… as soon as I work up the nerves to not freak out that my mouth is black and foaming. I wonder what it will taste like. I’ll have to take a picture of my teeth now (certainly a lot more yellow than they used to be back in my teenage years) and compare after however many number of brushes with this craziness. As for the face mask, I’m far more comfortable with putting charcoal on my face. I love using soaps with it and I’m pretty sure some of the face masks I’ve tried have contained it, so I hope this one is a good formula for me!

Project #2, pacific sea salt: How cool! Smoking my own sea salt?! Where do they come up with these fascinating ideas? I do not have a grill, but Panda does have a set of grilling tools he got as a reward from work, so perhaps these should be compelling reasons for us to get a grill. I’ll have to see what (if any) are allowed in our community, or perhaps there’s a public one somewhere that I can use for a few hours. That could be a fun thing to do come spring – picnic & grilling! I love how this is an edible project, which is pretty unique so far.

Project #3, bentonite clay: While we’ve received bentonite clay beforeqqqqqqqqqq`qqq`, I’m happy that they included new ways of using it for very different purposes. I’ll definitely try it in the bath (I hate those bath soaks that stain the tub, so since this isn’t supposed to stain, that would be awesome) and on my hair and skin too! The recipe for hair is perfect for the coming cold, as hair will dry out more and probably get brittle without intense treatment.

I’m always impressed with the themes that they come up and the creativity they have to offer all types of projects, from personal care to home care and more. I’ve yet to be disappointed by anything from this company, which is just fantastic. It’s totally up my alley both as an environmentally-conscious person and a new homeowner! Now I just need to actually get off my lazy weekend butt and start doing these projects. I even put together a list of what I need to do (and it is plentiful). I should set a goal of doing one each week…

If you want in on this cool stuff, subscribe to the Homegrown Collective now! Your home, your family, and your health will thank you for it.

Working remotely in Hawaii

laelene Post in general blog，Tags: beach, experiences, hawaii, holidays, hotels, ocean, panda, pictures, travel, vacation, work, working remotely

18 November 2014

I spent a week out in Hawaii while doing everything to make it seem like I wasn’t even gone work-wise. It was a last-minute thing: when I realized Veteran’s Day was the following week, I had asked Panda what our plans were (anticipating taking Monday off to enjoy a 4-day weekend). Instead of the type of answer I was expecting, I discovered that would be the week he was slated to go to Hawaii for work. I was so disappointed because I was really wanted to enjoy the weekend with him, but work travel meant he’d be leaving me Sunday morning. In other words, what I thought would be a long weekend would actually only consist of Saturday. For the first time, I was actually serious about joining him on a work trip. I really didn’t want to lose out on making it a holiday weekend worth my time.

So, once it was confirmed that he was going, I decided to make a decision and book tickets too. I’ve never planned a trip like this on such short notice, but it was one of those things I knew I’d regret for ages if I didn’t go for it. I figured I could still get all my work done at the normal EST hours I work and then I’d have the afternoon to enjoy the surroundings in Hawaii. Just like that, we found tickets for times I felt were reasonable and least interfered with work. By Sunday, we were off on our journey to spend a week out at the North Shore.

turtle bay resort at north shore hotel room with king bed

My office for the week.

I woke up daily (except Veteran’s Day and the weekend) at 4:30 HST to start work. I joined meetings remotely, answered emails, and worked on projects. Before I knew it, the sun would be rising and people were going off to lunch. I’d usually have a late “lunch” break and go enjoy the breakfast buffet downstairs. I savored the meals and watched the waves coming in as the heat began to build outside. Then it was back to the room for more work, which flew by pretty quickly. I found myself to be more productive (or at least it felt so) working from the hotel. This was probably because I had very few distractions. I hardly even got up for a drink or restroom break whereas usually at work I’m up at least once or twice an hour.

view of sunrise from turtle bay resort hotel room

Being awake for the sunrise was pretty cool.

view of turtle bay beach and ocean from turtle bay resort hotel room

The daytime view was pretty awesome too.

breakfast spread from breakfast buffet at turtle bay resort

A typical breakfast halfway through the work day!

I tried to finish my day around 1, but it usually went past that, though for the most part I was able to stop working by 2. At that point I had the choice of beaches to play at. One day I went the less traveled route and happily caught dozens of hermit crabs, snails, and even fish. Another day I found other crabs lurking by the rocks and swam around in the bay following a variety of fish around coral reefs. Yet another day I caught more critters and had a staring contest with some ghost crabs. I kept meaning to go to the banyan tree everyone checks out, but there were so many distractions along the way that I never quite made it there. I did have fun filming storks taking off in slo-mo, getting super close-ups of the creatures I caught, and generally basking in the sun.

clear plastic cup with a fish, hermit crab, and sea snail

Just the beginning of my catchings.

As the sun went down, we’d search for dinner and my night would wind down. I’d shower off the sand from the day and spend some time online before calling it a night. I tried to sleep around 8, but oftentimes it was closer to 10 when I got to bed. And then the day would start anew just past 4 as my alarms began to ring. It was much easier to wake up at that time than I thought it might be. I was quickly alert and ready to go! On our days off, we’d sleep in until 9 or so and then grab breakfast before embarking out on some adventure. Panda didn’t get the weekend, but luckily was free on Veteran’s Day and had some opportunities to leave work for a few hours. We went to Waikiki twice, hiked Diamond Head, visited Pearl Harbor, and even swung by the Dole Plantation. Not bad for a working vacation!

How to train a crab

laelene Post in how to guides, lifestyle glimpses, photo blog，Tags: animals, beach, crabs, hawaii, how to, ocean, pets, pictures, travel, wildlife

15 November 2014

I’ve been playing with a variety of crabs of late and it’s fascinating. They’re rather smart creatures and I can almost swear they understand me. I’ve definitely stared into the eyes of some and felt like they could communicate with me. Maybe that’s just how their eyes look, but if you’ve ever tried to stare down a crab you might know what I mean. Sometimes their cunning is shocking. I’ve had them figure out how to climb up and out of cups, planning their escape. I’ve had them (somewhat) calmly crawl on me and learn that I’ll keep picking them up every time they try to leave. I’ve even had them working in teams to try to reach higher out of their temporary home in my cup.

tower of hermit crabs climbing on top of each other

The leaning tower of crabs. Smaller ones love to hitch a ride on larger ones!

clump of hermit crabs crawling on each other climbing up side of paper cup

Hitching a ride or using teamwork to escape?

line of hermit crabs crawling up side of paper cup

One by one, they learn from each other and crawl out.

It all started with some hermit crabs. It was the first day I got to go to the beach by the hotel (Turtle Bay Resort). I went wandering and eventually found a way to get to the beach I’d seen from the breakfast table. At first it was just tons and tons of snails on the rocks. I picked a bunch and was just enjoying the day playing around in the water with them when I noticed much faster movement. It was a hermit crab scuttling by! Once I knew what to look for, it was game over. I spotted so many that I had caught at least 30-something and there was no room in my cup. So I started to take pictures and release them. After all, what I really want are some close-up images of these cool creatures.

hermit crab staring at person holding it in fingers

If you just hold them, they’ll come out and look at you.

The next day, I went to the other side of the resort to check out what else I could find. It turned out to be a gold mine for other crabs. The land ones move far too fast to ever be caught, but the water ones have a tendency to hide and blend with the rocks. Since these rock formations have plenty of pools, it provided an easy microcosm to focus on. I was determined to get a “normal” crab (the kind that walks side to side). I succeeded with that eventually and got a crab that was almost too big for my cup! Now my goal is to get one of those burrowing crabs, which are a lot harder since they’ve got plenty of open beach to run across and even more sand they can dig below to escape.

crab hiding against rock and blending in

The crabs blend in quite well with the rocks!

crab hiding against rock and person pointing finger near it

I see yoooou.

ghost crab in hawaii sitting at entrance of tunnel in sand

My next challenge awaits.

So, how to train a crab:

1. Figure out where they hang out and go sit/squat nearby.

2. Stay still and watch for a bit. Look for an area they’re hiding where it’s enclosed enough for you to chase it.

3. Choose one that isn’t too large (no bigger than your pinky is probably best) and use a clear cup to get close to it. If we’re talking hermit crabs then just pick them up.

4. It takes a bit of back and forth to trick them into running into the cup area or falling into it as they scurry around. Just be careful and use one hand to guide them towards the cup.

5. Once caught, make sure you provide a decently comfortable environment, whether it’s just having enough sea water and not making it too warm or you need some rocks so the crab can sit out of the water too.

6. Keep it in the cup for awhile. Let it calm down and get used to this strange new environment.

7. After the crab is no longer desperately attempting to crawl out of the cup, you can stick your hand in and see if it’ll let you brush it. Move your finger around to guide it where you want to (that’s how I taught a crab that it actually could climb up the cup – of course then it wouldn’t stop climbing up the wall after that).

8. Before you know it, the crab will be totally fine with you touching it and might even crawl around on you! Beware, it’s definitely trying to escape though. If you’re good you’ll get some moments of peace where you can actually stare into its eyes, make that eye contact, and ponder its thoughts.

baby crab sitting on hand with ocean in background

Spending some quality time with my baby pet.

Another one of my trainees, just chillin’ on my hand.

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