Wolfram Alpha is a pretty cool computational engine. It’s my go-to whenever I have a factual question about a date, scientific information, data about our world, or things you might look up in an almanac. You can ask mathematical questions, historical questions, scientific questions, and so much more. It’s a powerful source of information if you know what questions to ask. I tend to use it most to learn more about dates, like what day of the week I was born (a Monday, which coincidentally is when it’s occurring again this year – I always thought it was a Tuesday though). I’ll sometimes reference it when I want to find out about moon phases or when sunrise and sunset were on a given day. It’s amazing the wealth of information you can draw from it and I’m glad to have it as a resource. It’s great for enhancing your learning!
365great Day 288: Wolfram Alpha
Hello Fresh Week 50 Delivery review
Has it only been 2 weeks since this delivery? Gosh, so much has happened that it feels like a distant memory. (Interested in trying Hello Fresh? Use my referral code to get $20 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 $20 off to both the person you referred and for your next order.
First up was the least adventurous dish, which we liked because it seemed most filling.
Stir fry is probably my favorite way of cooking, next to baking.
Good, solid dish. I never knew I’d actually enjoy my vegetables but frying them helps.
For lunch on the weekend, we opted for this soup to warm us up.
This whole time I had it in my head it was couscous and not quinoa, oops!
A very tasty stew indeed and it felt healthy with the quinoa.
Finally, we made a lunch out of this too since the portion seemed small for dinner.
There was supposed to be an onion, but it got left out. I emailed support and they gave me a $5 credit. I’d say that’s a good deal!
The contrast of spicy with sweet was very intriguing. Wonder how it would have been with the onion.
I had fun with these dishes and would definitely consider trying them again, though I’d want to incorporate some carbs into the shrimp one.
[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!]
365great Day 287: LoveSacs
Back in high school, I first discovered the LoveSac store in the mall with my best friend, Katana. We’d go hang out there on those amazing bags and dream of one day owning one. They’re so cush and fun to lounge around on. In college, they went away and I was so bummed… but then near graduation, I saw a friend wearing their t-shirt and I was SO thrilled to hear they were back in business! When I’d been working for a little while, I decided it was finally time to make that wish come true. I got a PillowSac, which is a square-ish version of the original LoveSacs. Funny enough, I then had a friend lend me his LoveSac (which had been sitting in the office unused). We took this picture the day he came to reclaim his property once he had space for it again. Today I went to check out their Sactionals, which I was considering for our new condo. The price point is beyond what I’m willing to pay at this point, so they shall have to wait. I sure hope I can get them eventually! They’d make a great addition to our home.
Treatsie December 2013 review
Treatsie has decided to increase their offering from 3 confectioners to 4 per box, which in turn means raising their prices slightly. As a preview of what this new box will be like, they sent it out to everyone this month. Per my understanding, I can keep the current 3 brands per box $15 subscription through the end of 2014, or I can choose to upgrade to the new 4 brands per box $19.95 subscription. I’m still undecided on this and might keep the current subscription, checking out what the difference between this and the new one is like before deciding sometime next year.
Treatsie is now $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 4 brands (was $15 for 3 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.
The new standard Treatsie box.
Nutwhats Pecan Scribble: These were the bonus items that got included because of the new subscription style. I wonder if they would have made it into the next box if Treatsie kept the 3 brands per box model. They’re a fun snack, kind of like a brittle bar but kind of like a nutty crunch bar. They’re topped with a drizzle of chocolate and have a very sweet flavor. I like them, but I’ve never been huge on nuts so I don’t think I’d ever crave them. I like how the nuts are ground into tiny pieces so I don’t get a huge chunk at a time. The super crunchy texture is nice and kind of makes me feel like I’m eating a biscuit at times.
Ashby Confections Milk Chocolate Tortoises: Oh yum!! The combination of chocolate and caramel makes me quite enjoy the pecans as part of this treat. I think I also like it because the pecans are soft so I don’t feel like I’m eating nuts at all. The salt on top is a nice detail that makes this candy feel classy. I gobbled this right up and I do believe they’re the best turtles/tortoises I’ve ever had! Right up my alley and my taste buds are happy. 🙂
Tahana Confections caramels in Pumpkin Pie Spice, Salted, Ganache with Sea Salt, & Vanilla: These are addicting. Each piece is quite large so I thought they’d last me a few mouthfuls, but I found that once I bit in I couldn’t stop and just had to eat the whole thing at once. I like how they’re just the right consistency – not too soft and not too firm. The way your teeth sink in ever so gently, yet with little resistance makes it oh so easy to eat it right up. I loved all the flavors and this was the first time I’d tried a caramel with little bits of chocolate hidden inside (the ganache one), which was a fun surprise! I also loved the fragrant sweetness of the vanilla. I would totally buy more of these.
Sucré Milk Chocolate & Almond and Dark Chocolate baby bars: Finally, there were these adorable little bars. As expected, I wasn’t really into the almond ones, but the dark chocolate was yummy. At just 53% cacao, it was on the sweeter side for a dark chocolate, great for those of you who are more of milk chocolate fans. I don’t think I could have more than one piece at a time since the sweetness was quite potent. It’s like they still packed all the flavor of a regular size bar into these minis! That’s good for those who are trying to portion control, since one piece goes a long way.
Overall I enjoyed this box, but was not completely convinced that I should upgrade to the new box. I mean, $15 a month for candy was already a stretch and now $20? I’m going to have to sit on this one a little while. I’m glad that they’re still keeping the original box for another year to let us figure it out. Would you upgrade to the new box?
[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!]
365great Day 286: rainbows
Rainbows are such a fascinating phenomenon. Few things are more awe-inspiring than a gorgeous rainbow appearing as a rainstorm clears the area. It’s a reminder that after the storm can come such beauty, tranquility, and wonder. Nature has amazing ways of showing us how the good and bad often go hand in hand. And of course the actual science behind it is pretty cool too, the way that light behaves in such an unexpected way. I mean, who would have guessed all those colors could come from refracted and reflected light? Today I watched a video of a lady talking about how when things get the hardest and you think you can’t make it through, you’re on the verge of a breakthrough. In a sense, I feel like I might be on that precipice right now. I’m ready for this storm to be over and the rainbow to brighten my day. I smile just thinking about it and anticipating the peace it will bring. I know it’ll be great when it finally comes!
Holiday traditions Asian-American style
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!
My family has sort of stopped, but the holiday season is a time to celebrate in general and that we do, in our own little ways. While the rest of the country was scrambling to get gifts for their loved ones around this time of year, I was sitting back and only had to figure out what to bring to the company white elephant last week. Other than that, I really didn’t have any gifts to get. Since I ended up putting together items I had at home (champagne, cookies, and a hangover drink) for the white elephant, I haven’t had to buy a single gift for the season. This actually seems to be pretty common among many Asian American households, so I doubt we’re that unique.
The last time we broke out the tree was 2006 I think.
Sometime around high school, I began to really notice how impractical it was to wait til the end of the year just to get a camera or some article of clothing that I could have been enjoying long before. One time when I asked my mom for a particular item only halfway through the year, we decided that it would count as one of my holiday/birthday presents. From that point on, it made more sense to get what I wanted/needed when the timing was right and then we’d just do some small thing at the end of the year more as a gesture than anything else. Over the years, that transitioned into a family trip in the winter and no official gifts. We’d also make sure to get at least one meal together as a family. It’s more about the time and experiences now.
This year for Panda I asked what he wanted and he said much of the same. Time spent together now that we’re both back in LA. We’ll visit some of our favorite stomping grounds and also take some time to explore new ones. I’m finally going to get to a restaurant I’ve wanted to eat at for ages! And that’s how I see us celebrating my birthday in a few days – a whole lot of eating, driving, exploring, and picture-taking. Just the way I like it.
The commercial products? We’ll get them as we see fit, when we see fit.
365great Day 285: flying
Being airborne is so surreal. I mean, I’ve done it plenty of times throughout my life (starting at 3 1/2 :-D), but it hardly gets old. I love looking down at the landscapes of earth or even just getting lost staring at the vast ocean. The scale that we’re used to living our lives in falls away and suddenly it’s like being a giant looking down at tiny creatures. It’s fascinating and I get such a kick out of it. I always request a window seat on the plane because I could sit and gaze out for hours on end, lost in my own thoughts and random observations. In fact, I almost never get up if my flight is 5 hours or less. I’d much rather snuggle up in my seat and admire the view. Pollution has marred it over the years, but it’s still a great sight to behold.
Pilot communication styles
I like captains who give updates during the flight and today I experienced the best one yet! I don’t recall what he said prior to takeoff since I was absolutely exhausted and dozed off, but at various points throughout our cross-country journey, he shared little tidbits of information. I loved knowing when we’d reached cruising altitude, when we were flying over various places, and why it was taking longer than usual to get to the gate. This captain was so well-spoken that he really put me at ease and made our trip a lovely experience (of course getting that first class upgrade also helped! ;)).
Oftentimes, pilots will only check in briefly at the beginning and end of the trip, divulging very little. I always wished they’d say a little more when some interesting mountain was visible or a particularly large city. It’s nice to get an idea of how much ground you’ve covered and what you’re actually looking at when you stare down at earth. Whenever I do international flights, I usually don’t bother with the movies offered, but keep my screen tuned to the flight stats screen. I love checking in on our altitude, ground speed, progress, and other facts.
I know some people may not care or want to be disturbed during their flight, but I’m a fan of more communication! I like when the pilot checks in every hour or two with a brief update. Usually it’s no longer than 20 seconds, so surely you could handle that interruption, no? For my inquisitive mind’s sake, I sure hope I get on more flights with captains who are as warm and informative as mine today. It totally enhanced my flying experience!
Our pilot let us know when we were passing over Sedona, Arizona and got a view of Red Rock State Park.
Thanks to the captain, I can identify this area as Big Bear.
365great Day 284: orchids
Orchids are my favorite flower, probably because they’re one of the few that come in purple. They’re also so beautiful, coming in a wide range of colors and shapes. I love the various patterns and structures of the flowers. It’s always so interesting browsing a selection of them and I can never choose a favorite! They make for a fabulous gift if you’re going to someone’s home and I’m totally going to have to get one for our kitchen when we move in. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in a bouquet arrangement, which is awesome too – I much prefer my flowers to come to me in a pot so they can keep living. Every time I go to the grocery store, I check out their orchids and admire the display. It’s going to be so great when I get to see them every time I’m home in the future. 🙂
Journey of happiness
Would you rather be accomplished or happy?
I’m not saying these are mutually exclusive, but if you had to choose, which one is more important to you? I’ve found that in the quest for happiness, people often get caught up in accomplishments that don’t make them happy. Again and again you hear to do what you love – the success will follow. Yet, time after time, you see people putting job titles and salaries ahead of their personal fulfillment. Rather than choosing the roles that would bring them the most satisfaction, they choose the ones with higher prestige, larger paychecks. It’s quite the phenomenon.
Some things bring me pure joy.
It’s something I struggle with all the time – how much do I enjoy my career path, my role? When I get to do what I’m best at and like doing, I’m in the zone. It feels fantastic and rewarding. When I have to do what I’m not strong in and struggle with, I’m at a loss. I try and I try but boy is it hard! My only solace is that when it’s finally over, that rush of relief can wash over me and provide some comfort. On my journey of happiness, I am constantly learning, growing, and evolving. Similarly, I’ve found that in my personal life I travel a parallel path. I’ve learned that finding happiness is not about getting to a destination – after all, what makes us happy is changing too. Rather, it’s about adapting along the way and enjoying the experiences. I’m trying to make the most of each experience and find something to smile about.
It’s funny how all this time I’ve been trying to “find myself” there’s been no “self” to find, really. I am who I am; I am how I am. As I tried to figure out what would make me happy I failed to realize that I was thinking too much about a future self that doesn’t exist yet (and may never exist, depending on what choices I make now). Am I brave enough to let go of all that worry and just live in the present? I crave a certain amount of stability and I feel like I have more control over the future if I make decisions based on how I think it will go. But really, you never know. So maybe I can explore this stage of my journey of happiness a bit more thoroughly while I’m here. I’m just afraid that acting without regard to that fuzzy future will make it become something far worse than I’d want.
Happiness now doesn’t guarantee happiness in the future. Oh, dilemmas… I still can’t quite let go of wanting to feel accomplished AND happy. I’ll try to tip the scales a bit more towards happy though. We’ll see how it goes. 🙂
