Posts Tagged ‘pictures’

Drywall patching

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses,Tags: , , , , ,
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Our home is now over a year old and for our one year, we had our drywall patched up for the areas showing signs of popped nails. Panda and I made a list of everything we noticed so when the guy came, I was able to point them all out. It took a good portion of the morning, with a break in between for the new drywall to dry. I’m always curious about how these things are done and it was totally not what I expected! Granted, I wasn’t really sure how they’d patch things up so I guess breaking off the pieces and filling them in sort of makes sense.

Here’s the damage we observed:

set of nails popping underneath drywall causing bumps

We were seeing some movement underneath.

crack in drywall from shifting walls in home

Some cracks presented themselves.

popped nail under drywall creating obvious dent

A few nails popped quite clearly.

When the guy came, he quickly set out to fix up all those parts of the walls and ceiling.

plastic protectant laid on ground to catch drywall pieces

He carefully laid down plastic to cover areas where he was working.

exposed drywall patch being fixed and redone

The cracks got chipped away and new drywall was put on top. The netting thing was to help things stabilize and adhere.

cat hiding in closet by hanging dress shirt sleeves

Smokey was not happy about the intrusion, so she went to hide in the closet.

wet drywall drying out after patching popped nails

When he left, everything was still drying.

fresh drywall needing paint

Once dry, this is how it looked. For the most part I hardly ever notice the patches, but every now and then they become obvious. Eventually we’ll paint them!

Free L’Occitane Tin with Mini Hand Creams

laelene Posted in deals, lifestyle glimpses,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Deal time! Panda recently notified me of a free offer from L’Occitane, where you can get a cute little tin with two small shea butter hand creams inside.When I found out about it on Friday, I wanted to go to the mall that very night! Luckily, when we went yesterday they were just getting started and we were actually the first to redeem the offer at that location. And here I was afraid they’d run out. 😛 It was so new that the cashier had to read through some instructions on how to handle the offer.

All you have to do it like/follow them, share the offer (I believe this is optional), and subscribe to their newsletter. If you’re not a VIP already, they’ll ask for your info at the store to sign up to be one. Pretty great deal for this set of products, good through next weekend. Hop on it now! #LOVELOCCITANE

Offer details:

-FREE collector’s hand cream tin with Rose and Vanilla hand creams (both 10 ml tubes)

-15% off select best seller items, including shea butter hand cream, foot cream, etc.

-redeem in store or online

  • in store: no purchase necessary
  • online: offer good with any purchase, plus spend $25 to get free shipping

-offer valid April 3-12, 2015 (while supplies last)

l'occitane collector's tin with bag inside of l'occitane collector's tin with two mini hand creams

size comparison of l'occitane collector's tin and mini hand creams against person's hand

Here’s a sense of the size of the items.

Influenster XOVoxBox

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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It’s been awhile, but I finally qualified for another VoxBox! Shipping got a bit delayed, but thankfully they also extended the active period for reviews to accommodate. For awhile I was concerned mine got lost along the way, but then it finally showed up a few weeks ago. 🙂

influenster xovoxbox contents

As always, I got a wonderful box full of products that I enjoyed. Some I will definitely buy again, some I might not, but I liked trying them all.

Colgate Optic White Platinum toothpaste – We’ve used other Colgate Optic products before, but not quite this exact one. I like their tube design that allows us to stand the toothpaste up – it saves on counter space! This felt warm at first and then more minty with further brushing. I like it

Colgate Optic White toothbrush with built-in whitening pen – I’m always happy to get another toothbrush and these bristles feel good. The whitening pen in the handle is a handy design that makes it easier to remember to whiten after brushing. I did find the tip to be rather odd, with the texture that made the paste come out on my teeth in small globs. I like that I don’t have to worry about removing it from my teeth after a certain period. I didn’t notice a huge change in my teeth, but they did seem glossier/brighter after a few uses.

Skinfix Hand Repair Cream – This is a really great healing lotion for whenever my skin desperately needs deep hydration. I get these weird red bumps on my fingers sometimes, which I think are an allergic reaction (typically to frozen cardboard, like the ones for housing goods in the freezer). My fingers itch a lot when that happens and I’m keeping this handy for those situations, to help soothe and heal my skin.

Tide Pods with Febreze – I just love how convenient these are! Throw one in, no muss no fuss, and your clothes come out smelling fresher than clean. I love that there’s no risk of a sticky mess and no need for measuring. What a great solution. They dissolve perfectly and leave no trace at the end, except the lingering Febreze scent. I’ll definitely be using these as my go-to for my laundry needs.

John Frieda 7 Day Volume – So the instructions say to use a blow dryer, but I’m not in that habit so I wanted to see what would happen if I styled my hair normally (which means letting it air dry). I do feel there was a bit more volume to my hair, but nothing super obvious that would scare people away. I’ll have to leave it in longer and try this whole blow drying thing another time.

John Frieda Beach Blonde collection of shampoo, conditioner, and sea salt spray – I like the mint in the shampoo and conditioner! It offers a nice scent that is fresh and sweet. I haven’t noticed them performing differently than my standard hair care products, though the conditioner is more subtle and doesn’t over-slick my hair. The spray has a coconut scent that is oh so tropical. It gives great texture and a bit of tousling helps to give that ocean air-blown hair.

What’s your favorite item in this #XOVoxBox?

[I received these products free for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.]

Reston Town Center April Fool’s

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses,Tags: , , , , , ,
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It looks like the Reston Town Center does a fun joke each year for April Fool’s! Last year the balls were all rainbow colored and this time around they went with a new theme. Pretty fun!

reston town center fountain filled with large plastic beach balls for april fool's

This year, there was a sports theme!

excited girl throwing beach ball in air by fountain filled with balls

I claimed a giant blue one. 🙂

giant blue beach ball being stuffed into backseat of car

There was no way it would fit in the car like that.

giant blue beach ball stuck in door of car

Obviously stuck, and so started the deflation process.

giant blue beach ball squeezing into backseat of car

Getting there…

giant blue beach ball squeezed into backseat of car

Success! Snugly inside.

giant blue beach ball squished in back seat of car

Buckle up for the ride. 😉

view of giant beach ball in rearview mirror of car

This was my view from the driver’s seat.

selfie in car with giant blue beach ball in back seat

Selfie with the ball, of course.

Petit Vour March 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Woo hoo, spring is just around the corner! What a great way to get ready for it, with refreshed, hydrated skin.

Petit Vour is $15 per box (or as much as $30 for international subscribers) and comes with vegan beauty, skincare, and other personal care products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes (email contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you if you sign up!).

contents of petit vour march 2015 box with juice beauty cc cream, msc nourishing lip cream, vert mont perfumery fragrance, the little alchemist face glow, and info card with spring dreaming theme petit vour march 2015 box info card with item details

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream in Warm Glow – Holy cow! I was very surprised to find this in the box and totally thrilled. I’ve wanted to try this for a long time but the price is quite high for something I wasn’t sure would work for me. What a great opportunity to try it! I found it had a pretty thick consistency and provided light coverage. It looked good and blended with my skin tone well. I’ll see how I feel once I use the whole thing and decide if I’ll get more.

Metropolis Soap Co. lavender & spearmint nourishing lip cream – Ah, the lavender scent is just wonderful. Why aren’t there more lip balms with that scent? This is a great lip balm for relaxing with and it provides good moisture. Sometimes I just want to sniff it though! Applying it was very soothing and the spearmint gives a nice cooling sensation. Having the scent right under my nose actually helped calm me AND clear my sinus congestion! Pretty useful, eh?

Vert Mont Perfumery EROS perfume – This is probably one of the boldest fragrances I’ve experienced. There are some really earthy scents going on in there, which kind of remind me of a fragrant sort of wood. It makes me think of my grandmother’s dresser. I can’t say I’d use it though – for reason it reminds me of a fortune teller. It’s a bit too strong for me and the more subtle scents I prefer.

The Little Alchemist Cacao & Banana Face Glow – This is so cool! I love the glass jar and I was surprised to find a powder inside, which makes this a really generous size. I used a small bit for a face mask and was surprised at how well it covered my face. The smell is hard for me to place – sometimes the cacao is obvious, but other times there’s something else I smell. Can’t identify the banana in there at all. It tightened when drying and then felt great washed off. I definitely felt like my face was fresher and less inflamed.

Whoa, I’m impressed by the value of this box. Just the CC cream alone is worth it, but the mask is amazing too! Which items do you like most from this box?

[This post mentions a referral program. Signing up and emailing contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you 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!]

Treatsie March 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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This is the first time I ordered an extra item as an add-on to my box this month! Pretty exciting. I’ve been meaning to do that but then it’s so much effort to look for items to add that I just hadn’t gotten around to trying before.

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!

treatsie march 2015 box contents with quin fruit lollipops, stay sweet macs macaroons, sticky toffee pudding millionaire shortbread, and zingerman's candy what the fudge bar with viveltre layered s'mores jar treatsie march 2015 info card

Quin Candy Fruit Lollipops in strawberry, cherry, tangerine, lemon: These are nice, light candy lollipops. I had one and I couldn’t tell if it was cherry or strawberry though – it was kind of just sweetness. It was really nice and I did enjoy it. They’re so delicate and cute!

stay. sweet. macs gourmet macaroons in half dipped milk chocolate: I found these to be a nice snack, though more dry than I prefer my food. I certainly could have used more chocolate on them. If you like coconut, this is a good snack. I only like my coconut when it’s super moist (think Almond Joy) so perhaps I’ll have to eat these with some hot chocolate to dip them in.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Co. Millionaire Shortbread: Hmm, I expected more flavor in the bread part. The salt kicked in later, but I was hoping for some butteriness too. The shortbread is also more on the crumbly side whereas I prefer crunchy. I think I also imagined something else that I thought was millionaire shortbread, but maybe that is just a figment of my imagination.

Zingerman’s Candy What the Fudge? bar: This reminds me a bit of a Milky Way bar. It’s a bit grainy and packed with flavor. The large size makes it perfect for sharing or eating over multiple sittings. It can be quite sweet, so I like to drink some water or tea with it.

Viveltre Confections Classic Devotion 7 Layer S’mores jar: This is what I sprung for from the store to take advantage of free shipping with my monthly box. Each month, there are certain items you can add to your cart and pay no shipping on because it comes with your subscription mailing. I’m really glad I got this! I was surprised how much I enjoyed the soft, gooey marshmallow layer in contrast to the firm layer of chocolate. Delicious! The crumbs caused quite a mess though, so be careful where you eat this.

Each item this time was a solid product, but not all of them aligned with my personal preferences. I did like trying them out though. What items look good to you? 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!]

A Galileo thermometer saga

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, stories,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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It was a long time ago that I first learned of Galileo thermometers and immediately put it on my mental wishlist (and then my blog wishlist). After many years of waiting, I was super excited when Panda treated me to one – that was four years ago. I proudly displayed it first at my apartment and then in my room at home when I moved back. But just two years into my ownership, Missy managed to break it when she was jumping from a cabinet to my desk’s shelf. Due to the height, and perhaps an impact with part of the desk on its way down, it shattered and left quite an odor in my room. I was bummed and vowed to get a replacement someday.

I’m glad I waited, because I had no idea I would relocate to the east coast and it sure wouldn’t have been easy to transport it on my own. Turns out it was another 2 years before I decided it was finally time to reward myself with that replacement. At first I was sad that I couldn’t get the exact same one I had before. Attempting to reorder gave me an error that none were in stock. I had meticulously compared options and found the 17-inch height with 10 temperature globes inside was the perfect combination for me. I don’t think I would have been satisfied with anything else. I saw 21-inch ones with 10 globes, 17-inch ones with 7 or 8 globes, but not my ideal one. So, I waited.

One day, I just happened to notice they were back in stock! It was pretty thrilling. But then the challenge was that I didn’t want to pay shipping and I was $5 off from the minimum charge to get free shipping. Right around that time, we decided to take a look at headboards, since the furniture store ones were way more expensive than we’d like. Panda found an awesome one for a very good price, complete with shelf space for me. We got that and tagged on the thermometer – yay, free shipping!

cardboard box for galileo thermometer

I was super excited when it came, in the same box I remember.

galileo thermometer and the styrofoam encasing it came in

I carefully opened the box and considered a safe place to display it.

galileo thermometer tinted blue by broken globe inside

I found my spot, but then noticed that strange blue tint. Was it supposed to be like that?

galileo thermometer with broken pieces of globe inside laying at bottom

Turns out one of the globes completed shattered inside and dyed the whole thing blue. Sad times!

Luckily, it only broke on the inside and it wasn’t leaking. I had to file for a return and spent some time trying to figure out how to do a straight exchange. Turns out you can’t when the item is sold by an individual vendor like mine, versus by Amazon itself. All I could do was return and reorder. I printed out a label and a UPS guy even picked it up from my front door one day! Unfortunately, due to the shipping charge, I’d have to order something else to get that free shipping again. I found myself waiting yet again… the item went out of stock, but then eventually came back. I figured out what I could order with it that was around the $5 price range, so I ordered it a second time and hoped that it wouldn’t get thrown around during shipping. About a month after getting the previous one, this one arrived.

galileo thermometer with broken pink globe at bottom

So I got my second one and all looked well until… hey, what’s that pink one doing so low?

bottom of galileo thermometer with pink temperature globe laying leaking

Upon closer inspection, the tip of it was broken just enough to leak.

large red reusable lint roller for cleaning clothes

I got a lint roller in this shipment to pad the cost. I’ve wanted a large one for years!

See the tiny globs of pink liquid escaping? I considered keeping this and having a non-functional globe that looked ok from afar. I couldn’t do it. So again, I returned it. This time UPS even printed the label and applied it! I just packed it up and left the box outside my door. I quickly found another $5ish item to get – a hand boiler toy. I reordered once more before they ran out of stock on me. I almost didn’t dare hope. I mean, shipping had been rough and these things aren’t crazy delicate, but they can’t be thrown around. It might just take some luck to get an unbroken one. How many tries would it ultimately require?

beautiful galileo thermometer on display at home

Thankfully, this one came in mint condition! It is now on display with my other items.

I had to check and recheck this one over the course of a week or two before I truly felt like it was pristine. I was worried I might have missed something! But no blue tint and all globes float! So finally, I have my replacement. Isn’t it gorgeous? This one better last me my lifetime!

Escape Monthly March: Australia Box review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , ,
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Ok, it’s like they’re reading my mind (or maybe I’m just interested in too many places that it’s hard to come across a theme I wouldn’t be intrigued by). I mean, Australia?! Yes please! So while I’ve been meaning to cancel my subscription just to cut on costs, I haven’t been able to pull the plug. I love it down under and I couldn’t wait to see what they had in store.

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.

escape monthly march australia box products showing escape monthly march australia box info card escape monthly march australia box info card opened with fact sheet showing escape monthly march australia box info card opened with details of products included(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

I’m glad that what was included really felt like it was authentic from Australia. I haven’t come across these brands, so I like being introduced to them.

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Living Abroad in Australia – I’m definitely going back to Australia again and hopefully can even live there for awhile, so I’ll keep this handy for when that time comes. I’ve only explored Sydney and the Gold Coast previously; there’s so much more to see!

Australian Gold Face Guard Sunscreen Stick – This is just so fitting! What a nice easy way to apply sunscreen to the face without looking like some pale monster. With so much sunshine in Australia, I’m sure this would be a staple need. Now that spring is coming, we’ll be having lunch outside again and this will come in handy.

Simple Scents Australian soap in Eucalyptus – This is what I smelled as I opened the box and it kind of reminds me of Irish Spring soap. It’s a very refreshing, clean sort of smell that would be great for anybody to use.

clip-on koalas – Oh yes, I’ve definitely gotten these myself before. Can you go to Australia without leaving with one of these clingy little guys? They’re a fun little trinket to have and remind you of the real koalas that you can find there. I think they might also make a good cat toy…

Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft Licorice in Strawberry – Yum! I may not like black licorice, but I can appreciate strawberry and these were so soft and fresh that I wasn’t even sure they are licorice! I really like these.

La Mav Bio-A7 Firming Eye Lotion – I don’t exactly have wrinkles to test this on, but I can say it’s very gentle on the sensitive eye area, and very velvety in texture. It feels nice and luxurious and I love that it’s organic. This is the most high-value item, being an eye product and all.

B’Lure Hibiscus Flower Extract – I wish I’d gotten their original made from butterfly pea, because apparently it changes color from blue to purple to pink with more acidity! How cool is that? It’s like a science experiment in your drink. My hibiscus one does appear more versatile though, with recommended uses including glazes or cream cheese. All the extracts are good for drinks and desserts as a natural sort of food dye. Pretty cool! I’m definitely trying making ice cubes with this, among other things.

I’m pretty pleased with this box, which definitely opened my eyes to some of what Australia has to offer. What products in this Australia Escape Monthly box do you want to have? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): YOURESCAPE or MYESCAPE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

Next month is Japan, so of course I’m staying on board – who could resist that? I’ll keep my Escape Monthly subscription as long as they continue to choose awesome destinations.

[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!]

Beauty Box 5 March 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Spring is starting to show its signs and this month they took a spin on the word, with the idea of springing into gear! The nicer weather sure does make the world seem more conquerable.

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.

march 2015 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 march 2015 information card

Eslor Introductory Collection Second Edition: At first glance you might think they sent a repeat from a previous box, but this is a different set of samples from this brand. It’s the second edition, with a cleanser, peeling gel, mask, and cream. I enjoyed their stuff last time, so I look forward to trying these out too.

Elite Therapeutics Rosemary Eucalyptus Body Cream: This is a nice light formula, perfect for warmer months. The scent combination makes it feel super soothing and slightly cooling on the skin. It absorbed really well and left my hands super soft.

Scandalous by Nanacoco Thickening Mascara in Dark Brown: Something about fatty tubes of mascara just appeal to me. It seems more fun, more bold. This is not a volumizing type mascara, but provides a more subtle boldness. Perhaps part of that is the shade, making it less in your face. I think it’s great for day-to-day wear at work!

Styli-Style Line & Seal Twist Mechanical Eye Liner in Brown Glitter: I can’t say I’ve ever had brown glitter eye liner before. I’m curious, but with how little I use these liners, I think it’s best to put this up for trade.

Laugh Out Loud by Nanacoco Lip Gloss in Call Me Babe: This is a nice neutral shade to provide gloss without being too bright. It makes my lips look just moist enough without being obvious that I have lip gloss on! I’m liking the formula, which is not sticky/gooey at all and applies really well.

The “hustle” theme seemed to bring about more mature products, which are quite good for the office environment. Still, I decided it was time to part ways with this subscription – while I like the products, I’m accumulating too much stuff and I feel the fit is not as good as some of the other boxes I get. Since I was on the quarterly plan, I’ll get one more box because my subscription cancellation kicks in. Which products do you like from this month’s box though?

[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!]

Smokey’s calming collar

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, stories,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Sometimes, Missy and Smokey will get into wrestling matches. I can’t quite tell who is instigating it and who is causing more damage, but Smokey is larger, so just putting her weight on Missy is potentially dangerous. For a long time, I’d just make a loud noise when the fighting appeared to get aggressive. One day, Panda suggested we put collar back on so she can’t sneak up on Missy. We decided to give it a try and we found a surprising result: Smokey appeared to be much nicer overall with the collar on!

smokey cat sleeping on body pillow with red collar on

Look at how angelic she is! She’ll even touch my leg when she’s sleeping.

Not only did she and Missy fight less, but she was less aloof and more tolerant of being held or picked up. It seems that she became more docile, as if it exerted control over her and kept her bad behavior at bay. What a curious effect. It ended up being far more effective than we’d imagined, so now whenever she acts up, we put her collar on. She’ll sit there frozen as we strap it in and then calmly strut around, not looking for trouble. When she sleeps, she actually looks happy. Not alert, or wary, or downright uncomfortable/unhappy. It’s like she’s finally at peace.

This usually works for 2-3 days and then I start to feel bad because she can’t hide from Missy and I also notice her starting to kick at it. So by and by, I remove it and let her be free (but perhaps more prone to attitude too). At least we’ve found something simple that can help curb her issues if they escalate again! Overall she’s getting better at letting us pet her and even hold her at times. I’ll retrain her yet!

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