Posts Tagged ‘green tea’

Yuzen Summer 2014 edition review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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It always seems like I sit on my Yuzen boxes for a long time before I finally get the review out. Don’t know why that keeps happening, so I’m finally getting this done before summer is truly upon us! I filmed the video for this a week and a half ago and it should be showing up on Yuzen’s YouTube channel in a few days. But hey, you get to see what comes in the box here!

Yuzen is $33 per quarter (with boxes sent Feb, May, Aug, and Nov) and comes with around 7 or 8 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent quarterly with no option to skip, but you can get one-time gift boxes too. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

unboxed summer 2014 yuzen box with contents shown

ShamanutiSeaweed Toner: I’m a huge fan of sprays and mists, so this toner is just fantastic. It has a light scent that is wonderfully relaxing and has a very soothing effect. I like how it’s ocean-inspired with the kelp they use. Some great skincare comes from the ocean! I did accidentally overspray myself at first because one push of this sends out a lot of product. I learned to hold it at a much further distance to get better coverage. Use code yuzenlove by 8/31/14 for 20% off at Shamanuti.

Kerstin FlorianLavender Body Spray: Wow, this was a major surprise when I tried it. I thought it’d just be a normal spray, but what I got was a sheen of ultra-moisturizing amazingness. A gentle rub into the skin and felt soft and smooth. This is fabulous! I love how the spray head allows me to quickly moisturize my skin with a spray and swipe. That’s all it takes to absorb and heal my skin. I’m very impressed. Use code ZEN20 by 9/30/14 for 20% at Kerstin Florian (restrictions apply).

KneippHerbal Bath in Lavender: What a relaxing bath additive. Lavender is the perfect choice for a bath and this bottle of concentrated goodness promises a most excellent bathing experience. Of course I still need to get around to drawing a bath in the first place… I’ll probably end up doing that within the week, since I’ve been so drained and I could use a good soak. Just smelling it in the bottle is helping ease my mind already. Use code Yuzen14 by 12/31/14 for 10% off the full size product at Kneipp.

MyChelle  Ultimate Lash and Brow Serum: I like this brand and I certainly like the idea of increasing my lash length. This is a small tube, but I’m sure it will last quite some time since you barely need any each time. I’ve applied it to my lashes and I hope it works! It doesn’t smell or feel like anything, though it did tingle a bit when it was drying. The consistency is liquidy enough to come on easily and we’ll just have to wait and see for results. Use code YUZEN25 by 2/1/15 for 25% off at MyChelle.

Aromaflagefragrance & insect repellent: Ok, this has got to be the most unique thing I’ve seen! Taking a fragrance (aka perfume) and making it an insect repellent too? What a brilliant way to make something I’d never care for (perfume) into something I’d actually consider! The scent is very special, with a warmth and citrusy notes. When the bugs start coming, I’m totally using this as my insect repellent. I mean, who wants to go out smelling like bug spray, right? Might as well disguise myself as a fine lady with this scent. It smells more down-to-earth than your typical perfume fluff too. 🙂 Use code Yuzen2014 by 7/31/14 for 15% at Aromaflage.

Hugo NaturalsVanilla & Sweet Orange soap: This is a brand and scent I’ve tried, not as a soap, but as a lotion. Funny enough, that was the same box I got my first taste of MyChelle from too. This is a generous full size bar that will last me ages! I’m saving it until my current soap is done so it doesn’t lose any of its scent or go through too many cycles of drying out and getting wet. I like the sweet scent of this bar that’s perfect for cleaning my body and giving me a fresh smell. Use code VSO20 by 8/31/14 for 20% at Hugo Naturals.

Sencha NaturalsPink Dragonfruit mints: How random that just after receiving these, I was in a store and saw them being sold! Was it just that I had never paid attention before? Granted, it was a completely new store I was in at the time. Whatever the case, funny timing. I love the leaf shapes they use and that they incorporate green tea to help with bacteria (and of course give you some antioxidants). This flavor is sweet with a mint that comes later and lingers nicely. Use code YUZEN15 by 7/31/14 for 15% off at Sencha Naturals.

I definitely feel more prepared for the warmer months, what with insect repellent and super healing products for my skin. And hey, I might just get some longer lashes too! What items are you most interested in from this box?

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. I now receive the boxes for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). 🙂

365great Day 345: green tea ice cream

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , ,
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365great day 345: green tea ice creamIt probably was in college that I first tried green tea ice cream. I grew up used to flavors like chocolate chip, rocky road, and strawberry, so this was completely different for me. The most unique flavor I had before that was black sesame, which is pretty popular in China. You’d think green tea would be common in China too, but I guess because it is made from matcha tea (which is more of a Japanese style tea), it wasn’t really offered. It’s strange thinking of tea mixing with a dessert, but since matcha already has a sort of creamy taste to it, it actually works quite well. I enjoy the taste a lot when I’m looking for an ice cream flavor that isn’t overloaded in sweetness. I like eating the ice cream straight or having ice cream mochi. Both ways make for a great eating experience!

Homegrown Collective August 2013 projects

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Are you ready to see the results of my Homegrown Collective August box?! I sure had a ton of fun with it. 🙂

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.

the homegrown collective august 2013 products for growing alfalfa sprouts with instruction sheet

I started off with the alfalfa sprouts project.

pile of alfalfa seeds in layer at bottom of glass ball jar

I put in just enough to cover the bottom of the jar.

pile of alfalfa seeds submerged in water in glass ball jar

I then filled with plenty of water to submerge them, though I had some floaters.

collage of alfalfa seeds submerged in water after one day then getting water strained out

The next day, the water had browned and I poured it out. It was hard to get the screen on underneath the lid! It’s a tight fit. I rolled the jar and shook it so the seeds got spread around.

collage of alfalfa seeds sprouted in glass ball jar after two days

By the third day, they’d sprouted! I was so surprised I actually gasped out loud when I saw it.

collage of alfalfa sprouts growing in glass ball jar

On the fourth day they continued to grow and I tried to get the remaining seeds to sprout by giving them more space.

collage of alfalfa sprouts growing in glass ball jar filling area

By the fifth day, I noticed that they had orientated themselves upwards even though there was no sun where I kept them. Guess they just knew which way is up!

collage of alfalfa sprouts full grown in glass ball jar and removed

Just six days in and they were definitely full grown and ready to come out. I let the brown seed covers float up and dumped them out.

tray of full grown alfalfa sprouts with green heads after getting sunlight

I then let them sit out in the sun and the heads went from yellow to green. Ready to eat! I had some but gosh, this was waaay more than I could handle.

the homegrown collective august 2013 products for making green tea & lavender epsom salt bath soak with instruction sheet

Next up was a lovely bath soak to pamper myself!

pile of green tea mixed with fresh lavender for bath soak in muslin bag

I put together a few scoops of green tea and some lavender flowers in the muslin bag and mixed them up.

collage of green tea and lavender bath soak with epsom salts and muslin bag filled with tea and lavender flowers in tub

I ran really hot water, put in epsom salts that quickly dissolved, let the tea bag sit in the running water, and then let the bag float around the tub.

green tea leaves and lavender flowers emptied from inside of muslin bag

After my relaxing soak, I flipped the bag inside out to get the tea out, rinsed the rest off, and let it dry for next time.

the homegrown collective august 2013 products for dark chocolate pomegranate wonder cup snacks with instruction sheet

Finally, I got around to trying the pomegranate chocolate cups!

collage of steps to peel pomegranate from cutting skin to removing seeds and soaking in water

It was a slow process ensuring I got the seeds out as whole as possible, but I was rewarded with a nice pile of them.

collage of melting chocolate, drying pomegranate seeds, and putting pomegranate seeds into paper cups

I don’t have a double boiler, so I melted the chocolate with a bowl in the pot. I boiled the water too much and water got in, but it turned out ok. I nearly forgot to pat dry the seeds before putting them in the cups!

collage of melted chocolate and pomegranate seeds then pouring chocolate over the seeds in paper cups

I poured the melted chocolate over the seeds and just about overfilled the cups. I generously sprinkled the salt flakes on top and put it all the in fridge. It came out looking not much different and tasted fantastic, even with my messed up chocolate.

silicone cat-shaped ice cube tray with pomegranate seeds inside

I decided to have some fun with it and make some with my cat-shaped ice cube tray! I accidentally messed up the chocolate again so it didn’t turn out to well, but I’m totally trying again later. Nom!!

So what do you think? Jealous yet? 😉 I loved each of these projects and will definitely be doing them again. I’m also looking forward to the upcoming box!!

If you’re interested in getting it yourself, sign up here!

[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!]

Snow cream

laelene Posted in photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

It was about a year ago when I was first introduced to Blockheads, this mysteriously new dessert place that was all the craze. Maven took me there upon discovering that I, his foodie friend, hadn’t tried it yet!! This whole “snow cream” idea was something new to me – I knew ice cream and I knew shave ice, but shaved ice cream?? I had to see what the fuss was all about. The moment I tried it, I was blown away. From then on it was a long-distance addiction for me. I live too far to justify going there whenever I want, but when I get a chance, I always stop by.

black sesame snow cream with toffee crunch and condensed milk drizzle from blockheads shavery

My very first Blockheads order! What a cute mascot they have.

green tea snow cream with boba and condensed milk drizzle from blockheads shavery

I love how you can see the delicate, intricate texture of the shaved ice cream that makes up “snow cream.”

strawberry and green tea snow cream with boba, rice cakes, and condensed milk drizzle from blockheads shavery

Digging in to my half-strawberry, half-green tea snow cream topped with boba and rice cakes.

cantaloupe snow cream with boba, rice cakes, and condensed milk drizzle from blockheads shavery

I just had to try the seasonal cantaloupe flavor! It was great.

strawberry and green tea snow cream with red beans, chocolate sauce, and chocolate sprinkles from blockheads shavery

My cousin gets bold flavors!

strawberry and original snow cream with strawberries and mango puree from blockheads shavery

My friends opt for a very fruity combo.

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