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Blissmobox: Summer Beauty

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, blissmobox, body polishes, dream water, eco-friendly, facial cleansers, green, health, home, lip balms, lotions, pictures, products, reviews, sleeping aid

06 August 2013

Yay look at what came in the mail a few days ago! This is the July blissmobox, themed Summer Beauty. I had actually missed out on June because I wanted a box that was sold out by the time I went to choose. I decided to do my very first skipped month, which brought me to now. July would have been my last box (my subscription was from July 2012-June 2013, with a bonus month thrown in when I had some customer service issues) but now August will be!

blissmobox is just under $25 per month with shipping (or as discounted as just under $120 for 6 months) and comes with eco-friendly products in themes like beauty, snacks, home, pets, and more. Each month you choose from two or three themes, or skip if none of them appeal to you. They do not offer a referral program.

the choices for june's blissmobox: summer snacks, baking & pantry favorites ii (deluxe value), cleaning favorites, and beauty favorites (deluxe value)

The four choices for the June blissmobox. Can you guess the one I wanted?

the choices for july's blissmobox: savory snacks and summer beauty

The two choices for the July blissmobox.

I went with Summer Beauty not only because of my new obsession with skincare products, but because I didn’t want nuts or popcorn or bars, which seemed to be what the snack theme would include. I like crackers, chips, cookies, candy, chocolate… 😛 I was surprised to find it fit into my tiny mailbox and that it was suuuper heavy! Looks like they rid this one of any packing material and let the items keep each other in place, which was nice.

Own Skin Health, Anti-Aging Rejuvenating Cleanser – Wow, this is one giant bottle! This would last me for ages. I’m still debating if I want to use it since I don’t really need anti-aging benefits at this point and I have a ton of facial cleansers I’m working through. I’ll keep it brand new and consider put it on my trade list. Own is a brand I’ve been interested in so I’m glad to be getting their products. I’m curious how this non-foaming cleanser works, since I’m used to (and love) foaming ones. Even ones that aren’t foaming ones seem to foam when I use them. I’ll keep it in my queue for now and see how I feel later.

Own Skin Health, Dual Protecting Day Lotion sample – This lotion smells ever so lightly of that sunscreen scent, in a nice way. It’s a nice thick formula that’s not drippy and absorbs superbly into your skin. I can see this being a perfect lotion to use when you’re going out and exposing yourself to UV rays. It definitely feels like you’re being protected, unlike with some other products I have that have SPF, but make me wonder if they’re effective. I would absolutely consider purchasing the full size of this lotion when I start running out of lotions. Once again, it’s one of those products that I have so much of right now that I can’t justify getting more.

Trillium Organics, Lemon Ginger Body Polish – Oooo I’m so excited about this! I adore scrubs, whether for your face, body, hands or feet. I currently have all of those! This is a super adorable size too and perfect to bring on travels. I might break and open this before I use up my current scrubs because I’m such a sucker for these things. I really want to try it out right away! I also want to get some of their other products to test out.

Le Buchette, Pucker Up Peppermint Lip Fix – I thought it was funny how they filled up the lip balm over the edges of tube so it had that sort of mushroom cap. I’ve never seen that before! This is a nice cooling peppermint lip balm and I was glad to see it’s good for dry lips, cold sores, and burning lips! Pretty much anything that can hurt your lips can be prevented/healed with this lip balm. I started using it right away to ward off any lip issues. The balm is very sticky and I couldn’t glide it on my lips at first. It has since gotten smoother, but is still more of a sticky formula.

Dream Water, Sleep Naturally Nighttime Nectar – I’ve got a few of these lying around now, from various subscription boxes. I’m going to try one out tonight for the first time since I want to get to sleep earlier than usual for an interview tomorrow morning! I always have trouble falling asleep at night unless it’s way into the wee hours of the morning, so let’s hope that Dream Water comes to my rescue. 🙂

Better Life, Cool Calm Collected Citrus Mint – What a refreshing lotion! The mint is very soothing and this is a great lotion to use on a hot day to help cool you down. It does apply a bit sticky on my skin so I’m not sure I’d get more. Plus, I’m pretty sensitive to mint and I already started to feel cold from the little bit I used on my hands and arms. I do love what I see on their site and it kind of reminds me of Method with their cleaning products. When I move to our new home I might want to get some cleaning supplies from Better Life.

Greek Island Labs, Joint Mud sample – Missing. So I guess they forgot to throw in that sample for my bag, which is no big deal, but it would have been nice to get! I’m going to see if they can remember to add it in to my next box, if they still have samples left.

If you’d like more info on these brands, you can click below to enlarge the photo and read more.

365great Day 142: future plans

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, condo, construction, diagram, future, home, house, map, pictures, plans

03 August 2013

Learn more about 365great here.

Ah, the anticipation of what’s to come! It gives you something to dream about, to hope for, and to think about. One of the main things on my mind these days is that ever-enticing move-in date, when Panda and I will have our brand new condo to call home! Here I took a picture of some construction plans for the site, which has yet to be built but today I saw they started the initial stages of laying the foundation; so exciting!! When you make plans, it gives you something to make decisions around and it often triggers tasks you can do, like buying or selling things, arranging and rearranging your schedule, and perhaps preparing to usher out the old to make way for the new. Sometimes it’s just another part of your day, but sometimes it’s a life-changing event. Whatever the case, our ability to think to the future and run scenarios in our imaginations is a pretty unique skill. So here’s to the future! Let’s make it great.

Our new condo, almost a done deal!

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: experience, family, home, house hunting, panda, pictures

03 August 2013

What a productive morning! Panda’s dad came in on a red-eye and we picked him up around 7:45. We drove him up to our second choice condo just so he could see what the neighborhood looked like and get an idea of what we’re comparing to. After spending some time there, we headed to our first choice, where we were set to meet the sales rep at 10. We decided to show up early so we could show him the community and explain the layout of everything prior to delving into the property more. Just as we were checking out the entryway to the model house that has the same layout as our ideal unit, the sales rep showed up and let us in.

panoramic of living and dining room area of model home

What our future living space will look like.

We spent a good hour going over all the features, analyzing every possible detail and feature. I took a bunch of pictures to share with our family back home so we can fully explain and help them visualize what it’s like to be in that space. Then we proceeded to get into the negotiation, where we laid out the various features that we wanted thrown in. There was a ton of conversation over what was possible, what wasn’t, what was worth it, etc. We also went over to the preferred lender, who showed us what our new numbers would look like now that we’ve decided we’re going to pull together the 20% down to avoid mortgage insurance. With those numbers in mind, we were back to the sales rep to hash out final offers and ultimately came to a good compromise. As long as the big boss approves it, we’re good to go!

We’re going to be family #46 to join (not counting the families already living in the units built by other buildings on the property) and I can’t wait! They estimate our building will be completed in November, so I think we might be in by the holidays. So that begs the question: should we go home for the holiday season or have our families come spend time here with us? We’ll have to see as the time draws closer, but I think it’d be really fun to have a house warming by bringing in our folks.

I’m pretty confident our deal will go through, but I’ve still got my fingers crossed! You never know what might happen before the final approval.

That dream condo

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: building, condo, construction, home, house hunting, moving, panda, pictures

28 July 2013

the three stages of the villas being built: foundation poured, frame up, and exterior completed

Here you can see some of the other buildings going up! Closest to us the foundation has just been laid, then you can see the building where the frame is up, and finally at the end you can just see the one where the exterior is completed. Then of course over on the model home side you can see models of homes with completed interiors as well.

Wow, things are moving fast! It’s only been a week since we first started looking at properties and that first day we came across our dream condo (I’ll call them the Villas). We wanted to keep our options open, so we continued looking and found another great option yesterday in Ashburn (further north and west of the regions we’d been looking in). We had set up an appointment for today to meet with a loan officer working with the builder of the Villas and after another look at them, we’re pretty set on our favorite model. The Ashburn one we like is called the Matisse model and it’s more traditional: 2 storied stacked condos, garage and balcony in the back “alleyway,” and a good 6-8 middle units per building. Meanwhile the Villas have 6 units per building, 2 of which are middle ones. It’s also unique in that is it ranch style and each condo is located on a single floor (not counting the garage space). Plus, the Villas are more high-end, with standard granite in the kitchen, nice large spaces, and a ton of windows.

For both properties, we were really attracted to the end units that allowed for a lot more window real estate. I love how bright and airy they feel compared to their center counterparts. The Matisse had a super cool Roman shower (I wish I took a picture!) with two showerheads on opposite sides and little seats too. I also loved the little window in one of the walk-in closets (totally claimed that for myself!). The Villas boast expansive single-floor layouts with a nice bonus room on the second floor units, a nice large porch, and a huge living room/dining area. For both models I loved the island in the kitchen, which is pretty important to me. On the Villas, Panda really likes how the garages face the road so there isn’t some small alley to maneuver into and you don’t have to walk around the entire building to get to the front door.

the future site of the pool and clubhouse for the community

Our ideal location is a very short walk to the community pool and clubhouse!

As for the location themselves, the Matisse is going to be very close to a future metro stop, which will be great for commuters. If I get a job in Tyson’s Corner, it will be a straight drive/train ride over. The Ashburn area is also a great region that’s developing very well. We loved the community feel though it did feel more crowded in our condo community. However, I’m also looking at jobs in the Arlington and Alexandria regions, which would be nearly twice as far and a much longer commute than I’d want. On the flip side, the Villas are located pretty equidistant from Tyson’s or Arlington, not that far and not that close. It’s reasonable middle ground and it’s very close to Panda’s work in Chantilly. The region is also growing and expanding, but it’s still a little more private and quiet, which we like. Oh, and the Villas will have a community pool and clubhouse whereas the Matisse community will not – definitely a good bonus.

The Villas are a higher price point than we had originally wanted to look for, but with all the bonuses, the nice materials, and a ton more space, I think it’s well worth it. We’d both be really pleased with our living situation (though we certainly could do with a lower price!) and the unit we’d most like in the current building is available! It’s a great place to grow into – we don’t need anywhere near that square-footage right now but in a few years, we wouldn’t feel any pressure to move as we build our family. I checked a bunch of details like the water pressure, the tub size, the window heights, the location of the AC unit (and how much noise it produces), the angle of the sun throughout the day, the availability of ceiling lights (not included but they make it easy to put one in), and the various storage options. I got almost every single feature I wanted and the only upgrade we’d pay for is a better floor tile in the master bath.

Now it’s just a matter of discussing things with our parents to see if they have any additional insights, prepping our financials, really honing in on getting me a job, and then getting ready to commit! I had expected to spend a good 5 or 6 months looking and deciding, but if we don’t lock down this unit soon, the next building they release will have even higher pricing and we don’t like the location quite as much. It’s such a crazy whirlwind, but when we both like the same condo out of all the ones we’ve seen, how can we go wrong? Our dream (first) home will be completed in November (possibly December) so my hopes of spending the end of the year there just might come true!

Blissmobox: Indulge…

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, blissmobox, cacao nibs, candy, chocolate, chocolate bars, dark chocolate, dutch cocoa, eco-friendly, food, green, health, home, kallari, lavender, milk chocolate, peppermint, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, snacks, soaps, somersaults, tea

27 July 2013

Yikes, I’ve got quite some catching up to do with blissmo! I’m nearly done with my subscription and I’ve only reviewed half the boxes. So this was the January box and I chose the “Indulge…” one because I wasn’t feeling the snacks and this one sounded so luxurious!

the choices for january's blissmobox: indulge..., good morning!, and feel good snacks

The three choices for the January blissmobox.

I’m glad I chose this one because it included some cool products that I’m happy to have discovered.

Stash Tea, Lavender Tulsi – I tried one bag of this and it was nice, but nothing I’d crave. Good to have in my stash (haha pun was unintended) but I’m not sure I’d get more since I have so much tea. However, when I do want a more relaxing variety, I will definitely pull these out. They strike me as the sort of thing that you’d drink when you need some calm, are trying to unwind, or are slightly sick. I just get the impression it’s kind of like chamomile tea, perhaps because of the lavender component.

Divine Chocolate, Crunchy Milk Chocolate – A very well-chosen name! They certainly didn’t lie; this chocolate is absolutely divine. This particular flavor doesn’t appear to be sold on their site, but they have a great selection. This was THE smoothest chocolate I have ever indulged in. So creamy and fragrant and wonderful I couldn’t stop myself from gobbling it up. I definitely want to get more! YUM

bambeco, peppermint olive oil soap – Oooo this smells refreshing! I am generally sensitive to peppermint products, whether mints, lotions, or soaps so I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to use this or trade it off. I do love the branding, packaging, and overall look and feel, but I might want to try one of their other scents. Then again, my skin probably isn’t as sensitive to peppermint as my stomach is to it, right? Applying it to skin and consuming it in food/beverages may be different, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be sensitive to this too. I’m really on the fence with this one!

Kallari, 85% dark chocolate – This is a great dark chocolate! Very well-crafted and it’s not that bitter. It definitely feels exotic and exclusive. For some reason it makes me think of Amazonians… must be the name, not that I have a clue what it means or where it came from! I like that they package it in a sealed foil pouch to really preserve the freshness and it breaks off into bite-size squares. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen these at Whole Foods, and I would pick it up again.

Somersaults, dutch cocoa – Oh, Somersaults… I first learned of you back when my friend was graduating and his mom shared some with me. I want to like you and I do enjoy your shape and super crunchy texture, but why don’t I like your taste? I can enjoy sunflower seeds on their own, so why not pressed into little cracker cookies? I don’t understand it and try as I have, I just don’t like you enough. 🙁 However, of all the flavors I tried, this is the one that I’d actually consider getting. Go chocolate!

100% Pure, honey almond & vanilla bean nourishing body cream – I have a ton of lotions to use right now so I’m saving these to use a little later. I plan on keeping them for times when I need ultra portability and can’t or won’t bring a deluxe size lotion around. Say, when I’m going on a hike or otherwise planning on being out for a long time, for example. I haven’t been all that active lately so I probably won’t need to break into these for some time!

Tisano Nibbles, Dark Chocolate Cacao Nibs – These are strangely addicting. It kind of feels like I”m eating coffee grinds that weren’t ground up so well, but gosh who knew I could love that? I enjoy dark chocolate, but sometimes the bitterness is hard to swallow. In this tiny form, popping a few is easy as pie and before I know it, I’ve consumed the whole thing. I love that it’s crunchy with those nibs and that I don’t feel like I’m eating a candy, even though they resemble Nerds.

If you’d like more info on these brands, you can click below to enlarge the photo and read more.

On My Mind, episode 8

laelene Posted in on my mind，Tags: candles, clearance, commute, condo hunting, east coast, famous people, home, house hunting, job hunting, kate middleton, laptops, on my mind, once upon a time, pictures, products, royalty, sale, target, tv shows, ultrabooks, west coast, work

25 July 2013

Been awhile since I last linked up with Jennifer of Ramblings of a Suburban Mom, so let’s do this!

Our future home?

a. ~A lot has been on my mind lately, mostly related to where I want my life to go in the next couple of years. Panda and I have been house hunting (more like condo hunting) and we found a place that is basically our dream home. We love the layout, it’s brand new (not even built yet), it’s super spacious, it’s a nice neighborhood, and it’s on the higher end of our budget but totally manageable once I get a job. The one thing I don’t love is the location in relation to where I might work. It’s looking like I will have a 40-60 minute commute each way, based on the jobs I’ve been applying for. Am I willing to make that commute every day? I was hoping for something less stressful, but we’ll see! If I love the job and my home, a commute isn’t so bad.

b. ~I’m still grappling with the idea of my new life “out east.” I’ve had to resist looking at some very appealing job opportunities in the SF and LA regions, where a lot of cool start-ups are. I really want to find a company culture that I would fall in love with, where they take care of their employees and offer great growth potential. Oh, and I’d really like a job that involves around 25% travel. I don’t need all the crazy cool perks of some companies I’ve seen, like free massages or no dress code or no set hours, but I do want a somewhat laidback vibe. I don’t mind business casual dress or having to show up at a certain time each morning so long as the people are chill and there is room for a ton of learning and evolution of my role. So many companies on the west coast offer that and it’s a little harder to find here, but I have some promising leads.

c. ~The other day I was at Target exchanging a tripod when I happened upon a super cute table. When I checked, it was on clearance for 50% off, which is not ideal, but still a steal! I mean, with something this adorable I just had to snatch it up. Initially it looked like the perfect little thing to put out on the porch, but now that I’ve field tested it in my room I can’t bear to put it outside. We’ll see where it fits in when we move to our future home! I may not be as good as Jennifer when it comes to Target clearance shopping, but I’m learning from her!

d. ~I started looking at laptops today, since that will be my reward for landing a job (in addition to getting a car for myself!). My absolute no-compromise criterion is that it is QUIET. Like, tablet quiet (aka silent). I determined that that basically means I need a solid state drive (SSD), so that’s what I’ve been focusing on. My tier 2 criteria include having a touchscreen, backlit keyboard, 3 USB ports, and 2-in-1 media reader or better. An added bonus would be a button that can turn the display off so I don’t have to wait for it to go idle on its own. Oh, and I was hoping for an ASUS but the only one fitting my specifications is $2250 with a student discount! DANG! Depending on how happy I am with the job I land, I might spring for that just because it really satisfies my needs, whereas all other options are missing this or that.

e. ~Is it just me or do you marvel at how freakin’ perfect Kate Middleton always looks? I mean, she just gave birth and she’s coming out looking like any other day? She’s so composed and elegant and graceful and personable all in one. I doubt we’ll ever see her trip or yell or mess up at all. It’s amazing because I think of how I’d be and well, quite frankly I’d never be accepted into royalty! They’d cringe at the casual wear I go out in, how I don’t wear makeup or do my hair, and all my other imperfections. I am perfectly happy being out of the limelight and I don’t understand how famous people manage; then again, I guess many of them don’t, what with those in rehab and lashing out and whatnot. You won’t be seeing that from the Cambridge royalty though! Always so poised it baffles me.

f. ~I started watching Once Upon A Time as my first deviation from my “normal” shows (crime dramas) and it is tangling up my mind quite well. The relationships are suuuper complex – [possible SPOILER ALERT] I mean, your step-great-grandmother is also your adoptive mother and step-great-great-grandmother was once in love with your grandfather (on the other side of the family) and a bunch of them are trying to kill each other? It’s all sorts of weirdness that I can barely keep up with. No wonder I stick to shows where each episode brings on one less-complicated mini-drama generally not related to previous ones.

g. ~Tonight I finally decided to break in my super cool soy candle from Gettysburg and I love it! This is my first time with a soy candle and I’m pretty sure I’m a convert now. I’ll have to test out other brands, but it burns sooo clean!! I usually have a little reaction to a candle burning due to my over-sensitivity to particles in the air, but I couldn’t even tell this one was burning. This particular candle is also super cool because of the little mug it comes in. I can’t wait to find a way to use it once my candle is all burned up.

That’s it from me for now! What are your thoughts on this fine Thursday?

House hunting

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: home, house, house hunting, panda, pictures, shopping

21 July 2013

Yesterday marks the first official day of house hunting! Panda and I went to one resale not too far from our current location and then up to a cluster of new developments a bit further away. I think it was the first time he saw a basement, because when we went down he was kind of creeped out (even though it was a nice finished basement!). Californians just don’t get that extra space. The rest of the house kind of reminded me of the UK – tight hallways, small rooms, and steep stairs. The interior was nicely upgraded, but the entire place was hardwood and we prefer carpet in the bedrooms. I did like the giant porch in the backyard, complete with plants to offer shade on a hot day. The neighborhood was nice and quiet and this house was located on a roundabout so it wouldn’t receive high traffic. Still, we were nowhere near as enthusiastic as the other couple viewing the house when we were! Oh, the other down side – there was only one bathroom upstairs for the three rooms and the one downstairs was a half bath. Granted, we don’t need any more than that, but it might be harder to resell. In fact, that interested couple was discussing how they could add another one somewhere.

Our favorite building!

Far more interesting to us was the next stop, where there were three builders each building different condos on a shared plot of land. Is that normal? I’ve never seen builders intertwined like that, with everyone in that community sharing the same amenities – a pool, clubhouse, tot lot, etc. Our favorite was the more luxurious ranch-style condos, which are quite unique. The building pictured contains 6 units, each one only one floor. The upper level condos included the extra space over the garages, making them much more spacious. We of course fell in love with the most expensive layout, which would be in our price range if I get a job soon, otherwise it’d be a stretch. We spent a good hour or two exploring these models and chatting with the sales rep about our options.

After all that, we walked down the block to the other two builders’ sales offices and explored their models as well. One had a very strange “2 by 2” plan where they actually stacked two 2-story condos on top of each other, so the upper set would have quite a lot of stairs to climb! That’s also something I’ve never encountered before. I did like being up so high, but dang those stairs would probably get old fast. Dumbwaiter, anyone? Finally, with the third builder we did a quick look-around at their 3-story models. The ground floor had a living room and the 2-car garage (all the others had 1-car garages), the middle floor had the kitchen and other living room, and the top floor had the bedrooms. Very interesting setup that reminded me of some condos I’d seen back in LA.

All in all I found that we prefer a more upscale, luxurious feel to the home, which generally means less cramped. All of these were 3 or 4-bedrooms, which is really more than we need. Ideally we can find a 2-bedroom with nice amenities in the community and a spacious layout. I loved that all of the homes had a ton of windows – sometimes even in closets and garages. That’s totally my style! We got a good idea of what we like and it turns out it’s on the higher end of our price range, so I better get that job soon! We’re off to hunt some more today and check out a few open houses Panda found.

Have you purchased a home before? How long did it take you? Did you use a realtor? Any advice would be helpful! 🙂

What’s in your fridge?

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: behavior, family, food, habits, home, household, insight, pictures, psychology

10 July 2013

Much like finding out what is in your purse or your medicine cabinet, seeing what is in your fridge can be an interesting insight into your life. I know one thing that distinguishes our household’s fridge from most others in the modern world: the lack of alcohol. I’d imagine most homes have at least a wine or a beer chilling in there, but not us. My dad’s the only one who drinks alcohol at all and not all that much. In fact, I don’t think we ever had alcohol in our household until I was in college. Neither Panda nor I drink, so if you ever see alcohol in our fridge, it’s someone else’s (or we got it for them).

Well, what is in our fridge? Let’s take a look:

Let’s start with the door, which has eggs, salad dressing, soda, marinated mushrooms, pickles, and peanut butter. I don’t think there’s ever a time that we are without eggs. They’re a great food item to eat in the mornings, throw in a soup or noodle soup to add protein, or boil and use as a snack. Definitely a staple in my household. Also very important are the mushrooms and pickles – I love love love just about anything brined, salted, preserved, etc. Usually this meas pickles and marinated mushrooms, but I also enjoy kimchi, preserved radishes, and more. This particular bottle of soda was actually free due to a promotion Pepsi is doing for their Pepsi Next product – usually I’d have real Coke or Dr. Pepper and Pepsi cans. The peanut butter is not mine… I’m not a fan.

Then you can see in the body of the fridge, it’s pretty empty. At this stage, Panda and I still eat out quite a bit so there are a bunch of takeout boxes from the leftovers we had at Olive Garden. We love their 2 for $25 deal! You get so much food to eat while there AND there’s plenty of leftovers for the next meal and the next next meal. I also have a bag of black pepper turkey from the deli section, since I don’t eat much meat and Panda thinks I should consume more. We’ve got a nice half of a watermelon left, plus some oranges at the bottom (you can see one peeking through). I don’t eat fruit nearly as much as I probably should and watermelon is just about the only fruit I can eat a ton of. We’re also not so great on the vegetable side of things, so the corn helps out. It’s so easy to gobble down one of them and feel good that you’ve eaten something vegetable-like (I mean, is corn actually a vegetable? Close enough!).

And now let’s peek into the freezer!

Ice cream is a must, no matter what the season. You never know when you might want some chilled goodness. Other than that, we like to fill up with various microwavable items that I can easily heat up for a snack or lunch. We recently stocked up on these and got some taquitos in addition to the Hot Pockets, pot pies, chicken kebabs, and (hidden) bowls of wonton noodles. When you’re lazy and not a very skilled cook, the microwave is your friend. I sure wouldn’t know what to do without it!

So what do you have in your fridge and freezer?

Cleaning regimen

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: behavior, childhood, family, habits, home, lifestyle, panda, patterns, pictures

23 June 2013

How often do you clean?

I grew up not having chores; my parents were far more concerned about my academic and personal development. So, I got to enjoy a lot of time in my room doing my own thing. I didn’t make my bed (never saw the need) or dust or whatever other chores you might need to do to keep your room spotless. I did help out with general household chores ranging from mowing the lawn to washing dishes, but my room kind of remained my sanctuary. I rarely had to do chores within the room itself.

I now have the habit of cleaning only when I see a need – such as water marks speckling the mirror or visible dust on my shelves. I wash the dishes when they’ve filled up the sink and I do laundry when I’m running out of clothes. I don’t do preventative care or have any sort of set schedule or pattern. Meanwhile, Panda is almost the complete opposite. He regularly cleans when things are still “clean” (by my standards at least) and immediately washes dishes after eating. He does laundry at least once a week regardless of how much has accumulated and vacuums frequently too.

cleaning with hands in blue metal bucket/pail filled with soapy water

Last time I cleaned it was so notable I took a video. 😛

It’s really interesting how different our habits are. I enjoy a slightly messy room because it feels lived in. When things are too neat, it feels unnatural. I’d rather focus my time and efforts on living in my space; he’s willing focus his time and efforts on keeping the space neat and clean. When I do get around to cleaning, it’s usually a bit of an overhaul – a spring cleaning, if you will. I like to save up for one big effort every few weeks/months so I can spend a few hours (or the whole day) working up a sweat and really changing the way things look.

Is either way better? I don’t think so; to me, it’s a matter of preference. If cleaning all the time keeps your home in a state that makes you happy and peaceful, that’s probably what you should do. But if cleaning all the time brings on the stress of constantly thinking about it and worrying about all the chores left to do, then what’s the harm in cleaning less frequently? People have developed such an aversion to germs and things that are “dirty” but if society gets too hygienic, there are plenty of health issues to contend with. So why waste all that effort trying to avoid dust and germs only to get sick anyway? I think we could be a bit less uptight about the whole cleaning thing.

Blissmobox: Namaste box

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: argan oil, aura cacia, ayurvedic, beauty, blissmobox, digestif kit, digestion, eco-friendly, esutras, food, green, hair care, health, home, mat renew spray, mouth mist, peach apple chips, pictures, popped apple chips, products, puffed coriander, raw jaggery, review, skincare, snacks, star essences, yoga, yogavive

11 June 2013

Let’s go back to six months ago, when I got the December blissmo box – I had chosen the Namaste one because I enjoy yoga and was definitely interested in products related to that lifestyle.

the choices for december's blissmobox: namaste box, feel good snacks, or skin appeal

The three choices for the December blissmobox.

I opened the box at night because I couldn’t wait for daylight, so the lighting on these might not be so great.

YogaVive, Peach Apple popped chips – Let’s start with my favorite product! These apple chips with peach flavoring were amazing; the perfect amount of sweetness, crispiness, and not a bit of grease, thankfully. I once bought apple chips thinking they were baked only to find they were fried and greasy – totally gross. These are fat free as well! I was pretty excited when I saw them at Whole Foods not long after, so I bought a full-sized bag and devoured it. This is just about the only way I could ever eat more servings of fruit.

Manduka, Soothing Citrus Mat Renew spray – I’m really happy I got this! I had seen it being sold at YogaWorks and it was on my list of things to try, so this is perfect. I haven’t practiced yoga since then, unfortunately, but the moment I do you bet I’ll be spraying down my mat with this. I can’t wait to try it! I think their frog logo is super cute too, not that it means anything towards the performance of the product. Still, I’m liking this brand! Now I just need to get back into yoga…

Star Essence, Luminously Present Yoga Mind Mouth Mist – This is another item I’m holding on to until I get back into yoga. Apparently you spray it in your mouth and it helps balance you and hold in “vibrational frequencies.” Perhaps I can try meditating with it as well. It consists of various flower and gem essences, with some citrus essential oils so I’d imagine a sweet, fragrant scent/taste. Very interesting concept that I will have to test out.

eSutras, Ayurvedic Digestif kit with Raw Jaggery & Puffed Coriander – I should probably eat more of these to help with my digestion, but I don’t really know how to incorporate them! Eating them straight is a little odd and the flavors are strong for me. I could sprinkle it in my salads if I ate those (probably should add that to my diet as well). I thought it was really interesting that coriander is supposed to help with bad breath. I definitely felt these working through my system so if you have digestive issues, this kit would be great.

Aura Cacia, Rejuvenating Argan Oil – Argan oil is useful for skin and hair care, so I’m sure I will enjoy using this. I currently have another bottle I’m using so I haven’t tried this particular brand yet but it’s organic and sustainably sourced from Morocco, so I already like it! I mostly use it for my hair but I should probably start applying some to my skin as well.

This yoga-themed box definitely felt appropriate and included items that I can incorporate into my practice. I’m looking forward to when I can make it to yoga classes again!

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