When I want a hot drink that’s sweet, I almost always go for hot chocolate. 
I love that rich goodness and it comes in so many varieties that it’s fun to experiment. Hot chocolate is always best with milk for a super creamy texture and better taste. I like to try ones like this s’mores one and others that have chai flavoring or other include marshmallows and whipped cream. I can almost never have more than a small cup though because it’s so strong. Still, it’s an awesome drink to have on a cold day – so soothing and wonderful. They make for a great treat in the winter!
365great Day 318: hot chocolate
26
January
2014
0
Scatterbrained (and reviewless)
laelene Post in general blog，Tags: blissmobox, customer service, fabletics, pictures, reviews
26
January
2014
I really need to keep better track of things. Back at the end of August, I was so caught up in our vacation to the UK and then starting my new job that I completely forgot I was supposed to get one more blissmobox. Due to a customer service issue I’d contacted them about previously, they’d agreed to give me one bonus month. My normal subscription ended and they had to handle that last one separately, but the customer service guy was going on vacation too. We agreed to pick it up when I got back (but I totally forgot).
I was reviewing my blissmobox reviews, trying to finish them off (finally) but for the life of me I couldn’t find pictures for the May box (so you’ll just have to watch my YouTube unboxing video if you’re curious). Then I decided to check to make sure all other reviews were accounted for and I found that I was supposed to get Rejuvenate & Repair for August… but I never did! Oops. No wonder I can’t review it.
Definitely not capris.
Earlier, I had been planning on posting a review for a Fabletics outfit that Panda gifted me, only to find that the bottoms I got weren’t the ones that were supposed to come with the outfit! As I was confirming the name of the item for an accurate review, I wondered why mine were long enough to go past my ankles but the ones in the picture only reached halfway down the calf. I dug up the tag from those pants and noted that they’re Asaro leggings. My outfit was supposed to include the Lima Capri instead. So, I’m holding off on the review until I get this sorted out and hopefully Fabletics will correct their mistake and send the capris like they should have. It’ll be a test of their customer service how they handle this issue – I’ve removed the tag and already worn the leggings, so I can’t return them. Bad service would leave me with what I got while great service would send me the original bottoms I was supposed to receive. Good service would probably give me some sort of credit to offset me getting my next outfit. Out of this world service would give me credit AND send me the capri.
What do you think I can expect?
Giveaway announcement!
laelene Post in general blog，Tags: achievements, announcement, blogging, free stuff, giveaways, goals, prizes, products
26
January
2014
Why hello you lovely reader!
Guess what?! You’ve helped me achieve my goal of reaching an Alexa rank better than 1 million!!! Yup, that’s right, I’m finally in the 6-digit territory now. As of Friday I noticed it and I’m thrilled. I’ve been tracking my progress since I decided to bring my rank up back at the end of April 2013. On 4/25/13, I was at 7,187,608. Within four months I’d made it to the 1.something millions. For the past five months I’ve been hovering in between 1 to 2 million, never quite making it below the mark… until now!
So, to celebrate I thought I’d do my very first giveaway! 🙂 Who doesn’t like a giveaway, right? Give me a little time to put some things together and I’ll post it up. Let me know if you have any suggestions – should I do one massive giveaway or a series of smaller ones? What types of stuff would you want? Of course there will be beauty and skincare items and some snacks because I have plenty of those to share, but what else? I do have some tech accessories I can include too. If you have an opinion, do share and I’ll see what I can do.
Thanks for reading & check back soon. 😀
365great Day 317: Escape Monthly
laelene Post in 365great，Tags: 365great, boxes, escape monthly, pictures, products, skincare, snacks, subscriptions, travel
25
January
2014
I’ve been with Escape Monthly since they started with their first box in August 2013 and it’s been a fun ride so far! Each month, they’ve carefully chosen products that reflect the spirit of a certain region and almost every single product is actually made there (if not all of them). Products include a bit of personal care, a bit of food or snacks, a bit of home goods, a bit of random items, and always a guide book for that area. The vibe of each box has been different based on the theme of the month and it’s been lovely trying products from all over the place. So far it’s mostly been US cities and states, with one international box focused on Italy. I hope they mix in more international destinations as time goes on! I also love their referral program, which has earned me quite a bit of money back. 🙂 Awesome tours of cool destinations AND recurring commission for referrals? That’s great!!
Any haircut goes
laelene Post in general blog，Tags: hair, haircuts, pictures, salons
25
January
2014
What kind of hair cuttee (aka hair salon customer) are you?
I’m probably the most easy-going you’ll find. Get foam in my ear? No problem. Leave water dripping down my face? That’s ok. Cut my hair more or less than I hoped? I’ll take it anyway. Color my hair a shade that’s not so great? Let’s just go with it. I mean, short of giving me a pixie cut I don’t think I could ever walk out of a hair salon unhappy with my new ‘do. Sure there are times I love it and times I just like it, but hair grows back and it’s not a big deal to me if it’s not quite how I envisioned (or even close). The nice thing about hair is that with so many strands, they kind of fall into place by themselves.
I’d like three inches off, please.
If they offer me a drink or magazine, great. If not, I entertain myself with my thoughts. It’s a chance for me to be still and let the world around me hustle and bustle away. Sometimes I watch as they snip off my hair and brush it this way and that way to get whatever angle. Sometimes I just zone out staring at a hair brush or clip. The one thing I never do is critique what they are doing. If they decide to part my hair differently from how I came in, I roll with it. If they are too afraid to cut as much as I’d like, I accept I’ll keep longer hair. If they have fun going at it and end up snipping away more length than intended, I just think of how I’ll grow into it. A hair stylist could seriously give me short short bangs, pink streaks, and a choppy cut and I’d still enjoy it.
That’s not the impression I get about most customers though. So I wonder, what type are you? Do you worry each time you book an appointment that you’ll come out looking too this or that? Do you always book the same person at the same place because you don’t want to change? Do you cringe as too many inches of hair starts falling to the floor? Or are you like me and take it however it comes? Do you go in with a general guideline of what you’d like and then let go? Do you watch as things don’t go as you imagined and decide that you’ll like it anyway? Do you book anyone anywhere as long as they have a decent price and time slot available?
365great Day 316: Dropbox
laelene Post in 365great，Tags: 365great, dropbox, pictures, services, storage, technology, the cloud
24
January
2014
Cloud storage has become such a useful tool that seamlessly links files across my devices. When I take a picture on my phone, I can easily have it all uploaded and stored automatically in Dropbox so I never have to worry about manually doing it. All of that is automatically synced with my laptop so I can start accessing those files quickly and easily. With all the free storage I’ve earned, I have well over 20 GB of storage that is perfect for my needs. Dropbox was the first cloud storage solution I ever used and it still remains my favorite, though I had to find others for the times when I wanted to download a video onto my phone from the app (it doesn’t allow me to do that as of yet). In all other aspects, I find it to be the best option for my needs. They offer a great service!
Sign up with my referral link and get an extra 500 MB of free space in your account (I get extra space too!): https://db.tt/UxCtxNI.
Blue Apron January 7th Delivery review
laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, cooking, food, pictures, reviews, subscriptions
24
January
2014
Ok, this time I managed to get this review up about two weeks after cooking the meals. I’m getting better! I enjoyed each of these dishes and would definitely recreate parts of each at some point. The Thai soup was awesome and I’d make more with a ton more rice next time. The turkey meatloaf was tasty and better than expected. I loved the roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach – sides that I could eat again and again. Finally, the steak fajitas were fabulous! The whole wheat tortillas were perfectly soft and I devoured the taco-fajita hybrid we had going on.
Blue Apron is just under $60 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s $10 per meal serving! Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). After ordering a few times, they will offer free meals you can send to friends (but no referral program).
The first one we tried was this yummy soup.
I never knew lemongrass is kind of purplish inside!
It was just enough spicy and not too creamy.
I’ve never had turkey meatloaf before, so this was intriguing.
Yum, the meatloaf and potatoes and spinach made for a well-rounded meal.
All good, but the sides were the best.
Then it was fajita time!
Loved the use of whole wheat tortillas.
All kinds of wonderful tastes blending.
365great Day 315: derma e
23
January
2014
When I saw this microdermabrasion scrub that some Ipsters were getting one month, I knew I just had to have it. I’ve had microdermabrasion treatments before, but never saw a scrub like this, so I was intrigued. When I got it, I was thrilled. It’s a rich creamy texture that applies smoothly and those fine little beads scrub unlike any other. It smells fabulous with a light citrus scent and I love scrubbing away with it. Just a little is all you need to cover your entire face, so it will last and last for many uses. My skin felt immediately softer and finer afterwards and I couldn’t have asked for a better feeling. I love that their products are natural and I can’t wait to try more in their line! They all look great. 🙂
Why I no longer want to be an entrepreneur
laelene Post in general blog，Tags: business, emotions, entrepreneur, future, panda, philosophy, pictures, work
23
January
2014
Every now and then, it seems like the world is beating me up. These are the best times for growth, but boy are they challenging. I’d been feeling rather downtrodden for the past week or two – a combination of illness and challenges with work were making me feel less than adequate. I was weak, always exhausted, and not nearly as productive as I wanted to be (and thought I could be). A looming sense of failure followed me around and made me question myself. It reminded me a lot of why I decided that being an entrepreneur might not be for me after all.
Back in early 2012, I had reached a point professionally and personally that gave me the courage to quit my job and start my own ventures. A year later, I had learned a lot and decided that the lifestyle wasn’t what I was looking for. I found that I couldn’t shut off from work and the stress of it followed me at all times of the day. I like more balance in my life, but it was hard to justify not taking care of work whenever it came up. I’d feel guilty if I didn’t handle things right away. It began to take over my life, even as I was seeking more control over it.
Today I came across an article on Inc.com that rang so true to me. It’s about the psychological price of entrepreneurship and talks about how taxing it is to manage your own business. When you pour your heart and soul into working on something, it can really drain you. If it doesn’t work out the way you had hoped, it’s easy to take that as a personal failure. That certainly does a number on your confidence. When you decide to pursue entrepreneurship, you better be ready for a crazy rollercoaster. And for me, it’s just not worth the stress. I don’t crave the recognition or attention at that scale, nor do I want to pursue that sort of money. So why would I put my health, my relationships, and my mental state at jeopardy to chase after that dream?
If I could, I’d play with cats all day. So cute!!
Once I’m done with my 365great series, I’ll start up a weekly series related to that, sharing ideas and tips for how to enjoy life more and stress less. Our culture is so caught up in accomplishments that we often forget the value of the richer experiences in life that may not produce an award or a higher paycheck or other recognition.
Share Your Subscription link party!
laelene Post in general blog，Tags: airplanes, bloggers, link ups, subscriptions
22
January
2014
Hosted by Unpack the Box and MommySplurge
Yay it’s a par-tay! This fun new link-up is a wonderful way to discover some fantastic subscriptions and see what others are getting and loving. I’ll have to set a reminder to link up every 22nd of the month going forth. 🙂 Here’s MommySplurge’s post about it so you can see the linked blog posts.
