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Snagging an iPad mini retina

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses，Tags: apple, best buy, electronics, gadgets, ipads, pictures, products, shopping, target, technology

07 July 2014

For the past year or so, I’ve been thinking about replacing my iPad 2. I’ve had it since 2010 and it’s bulkier and slower than I’d like. A few months ago, Target was offering $150 trade-ins plus a $50 gift card. That would make the iPad mini retina 16GB only half its original price! I should have sprung on the deal then, but I missed out and the next week they were offering the iPad mini with the same type of deal. I thought the difference between retina and not wouldn’t be a big deal, so I went to check it out. Unfortunately, the instant I looked at a non-retina screen, I could discern the pixels and it was more obvious to my eye than I had hoped. I set my resolve to get an iPad mini retina the next time I could get it at the $200 price point, with trade-in value and gift cards earned and whatnot.

Finally, on Saturday Panda and I got back from our trip and saw the Target ad for this week – $100 gift card for the iPad mini retina! Between that and my trade-in value around $100 for the iPad 2, I was ready to finally get my new device. Sunday morning, I went in prepared to trade in my iPad and get the mini retina. Then I realized that I don’t have to trade in my iPad at Target, which would give me $91 for it. Since I’m just getting a gift card back, why not go to the highest bidder? Best Buy is quoting $126 for the same one. I’ll certainly be able to spend that sort of money there the next time I get a laptop, TV, or other electronics. So I went ahead and bought the iPad mini I wanted at Target without trading in.

Today I went to Best Buy to trade in my iPad 2 and got that $126 gift card, as promised. I’ll be getting a smart cover for my iPad mini when I figure out which color I like best. I also went by Target again since the first time I didn’t put the full charge on my Target RedCard and I missed out on nearly $15 in savings from the 5% off I get with that card! I had thought that any portion of the charge made on my RedCard would result in 5% off the purchase, but it’s just 5% off the amount charged to the card. Makes total sense, and I should have known that. Good thing I checked my receipt and noticed it, or else that’s a nice meal’s worth of money I would have missed out on.

So now I proudly introduce to you my new gadget, in case you’ve never seen Apple packaging before. Ready for the unboxing?

Glad to see they had an info card instead of the whole pamphlet printed.

Of course the plastic part is far more interesting to her.

Just enough for one hand to hold.

Trading in that old iPad… farewell!

Escape Monthly June: Las Vegas Box Review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, candy, gifts, mists, pictures, playing cards, products, reviews, scrubs, shot glasses, snacks, sprays, subscriptions, toffee

06 July 2014

Alright! I’ve been sitting on this box for two weeks (oops) but here’s my review. Panda and I are both teetotalers who aren’t into the party scene, so when we go to Vegas it’s about the sights, shows, and food. I think this box offered a nice balance between the party side of things and the getaway side of things. I’m glad to see they didn’t just focus on one aspect of Vegas.

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. Each box comes with a Moon Handbooks guide for that region. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a lovely recurring referral commission program.

(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

At first I thought I didn’t get the bonus item and I was super bummed, but then I found it hiding against the side of the box! Is it strange that a little thing like that made my day brighter?

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Nevada – I’m keeping this one handy since Panda and I will be going to Las Vegas next month. I’m definitely planning on doing a helicopter ride over to the Grand Canyon this time around, since that’s the one thing I haven’t gotten a chance to do that’s been on my list for ages. Other than that, we’ll see what this guidebook has to offer.

Tahoe Toffee – Anyone who went to college in California or Nevada probably went to Lake Tahoe for some skiing/snowboarding at some point! I know I certainly did (my only time on the slopes so far, actually). It’s lovely to see a brand from that area and it’s a mighty fine toffee they make. When I first saw it, I thought there was a corner missing since from the back, it looked like it was supposed to be a big triangle. When I turned it around, I found out it’s the shape of Nevada, haha!

New York New York clipped casino playing cards – What a simple and unique gift item. I happened to get ones used at the New York New York casino, which I’ve been to many a time (though not to gamble). I’ve been thinking about reviving a game of Snerds with Panda – it was a card game we played all summer as Orientation Counselors at UCLA. Looks like I have my chance now!

Las Vegas shot glass – Even though I don’t drink, I have this thing with shot glasses and mini alcohol bottles. When I was traveling Europe, there were just so many cute ones to get that I have a small collection, so this is a perfect addition! I recently read someone mentioning it’s the perfect portion for drinking water with your daily pills… so if I ever need to take pills, I will certainly keep that in mind. 😉 Note that this is NOT dishwasher safe, so be careful with it and hand wash!

glass die wine stopper – Is it just me or does this remind you of a wedding gift? It might be the white and silver coloring of the packaging. Or it might be the hearts. I don’t have wine to stop, but I really like the look of this glass die so I’ll see if I can find a use for it. If not, my dad or Panda’s brother might have a use for these!

3Girls Holistic Calming Mist spray – This is a nice large bottle of calming mist that sprays perfectly finely, for a nice thin layer of mist. I love that it’s organic and vegan, with very simple ingredients like lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang, and vanilla essential oils. It smells sweet and tart, like a summer garden brimming with flowers.

Iadora Charcoal Body Scrub – Ooo, I can’t wait to use this when my body scrub supply goes down a bit. I’ve had charcoal soap, but never a scrub, so this is fantastic! They’ve got some large salt granules that will provide a super exfoliating scrubbing experience. The oils like to sit at the bottom of the tub, so I flipped it over to allow the drier bits on top to get soaked again.

Vegas nail file – This was the bonus item I thought I didn’t get. Yay for finding it somewhat hidden. 🙂 I don’t really file my nails, so I will keep this as a nice Vegas item until I decide to put it to use. Now that I say that, I kind of want to use it right away!

I’m a big fan of the items for relaxation and enjoyment in this box and whatever I won’t use will make a wonderful gift. What do you like best in this Las Vegas Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): INDIAESCAPE or VEGASESCAPE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

July’s destination is India!! I’ve never been there, but I have some good friends who have been or are from there so I can’t wait to see what I’ll get and whether they approve. This time around they offered a deluxe box as well ($150 for $69.95), since there are so many items they wanted to share. I’m very tempted but I need to cut back on my spending so I hope I don’t regret not springing for it (or maybe they’ll have extras once I see what it comes with).

[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!]

Traveling with a kitty

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses，Tags: cats, experiences, panda, pets, pictures, smokey, travel, vacations

05 July 2014

For the long weekend, Panda and I planned a little trip to Pittsburgh awhile back. Panda got it into his head that we’d bring Smokey along and it’d be a grand adventure, but as we started to train her for the car ride, I became concerned that she would freak out too much. However, it turned out far better than I expected and while I wouldn’t say Smokey is looking forward to another trip, she did seem to have moments of almost enjoying herself. She certainly did acclimate to the new hotel room very quickly, but the whole moving vehicle thing still makes her antsy.

I’m so proud of how she did! We made it home with no issues and boy has she been living it up. I’ve never seen her sleep so well. Well, it was quite the eventful day for her, so she’s pooped. I checked in on her earlier to find her sprawled out along my windowsill and she didn’t even lift her head up when I turned on the light in the room. Here’s a look at how taking our cat in the car for a road trip went:

On our night drive out of town, she found a few favs including this spot.

Upon arriving at the hotel, she decided this was the optimal perch.

The next morning she chilled in her new spot.

We came home to find her staring out the window and eventually coaxed her to bed.

This morning, noises outside made her suspicious.

Got a quick break of playing in before hitting the road.

She loved perching on top of the carrier.

Just trying to get some shut eye.

A few times, she’d get overwhelmed and pant.

She really loved having her paws on the center console and her feet on the back seat… leaving her belly to hang.

Making sure this driving thing is working right.

“Is it over yet?”

Gathering herself for some zen moments.

Nauseous or sleepy?

Hanging on for dear life, lol.

Home! I see home!!

Fabletics Norwalk Tank + Kingston Sweatshirt review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: athletic wear, clothing, fabletics, pictures, products, reviews, subscriptions, sweatshirt, tank

02 July 2014

While browsing the Fabletics site looking for free outfits to claim with the credit I earned, I also happened upon some tops I really liked. Ultimately, I decided to spring for them. I certainly didn’t want to regret missing out on items I’d be pining for months down the line. 😛

Fabletics is just under $50 per outfit credit and comes with a 2- or 3-piece set of athletic wear. Each month, three outfits are selected for you to choose from at the 1 outfit credit price point. You can always get other outfits at their VIP pricing of $50-80 (2- and 3- pieces available) or buy any individual item separately. Outfits are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral program that earns you money towards free outfits.

Get your first outfit for half off with my referral link! All fitted Fabletics items are chafe-resistant and feature four-way stretch for comfort and movement.

collage of front, back, tie, and inside of fabletics norwalk tank in white and blazing yellow

Norwalk Tank in White & Blazing Yellow

This is such a comfy top!! I feel so secure in it because of the built-in sports bra part with pads, yet I have so much freedom to move around because of the loose fit of the rest of it. I’m really enjoying this design that is different from your typical top. It’s so flowy and liberating without compromising on coverage, so I feel good about moving around in it. I love lounging around in this and I’m seriously considering getting the new one they just introduced in purple and gray as well. The retail value for this is listed as $34.95.

Kingston Sweatshirt in White

I love anything that offers nice coverage of my neck, since I feel so much warmer if my neck is warm. This is a nice soft sweatshirt that offers that sort of heat retension where I like it and I like how high the collar comes. With no hoodie to weigh it down, it’s a nice change from sweatshirts I’m used to. You’re protected from zipping your own neck by the nice piece of fabric that also makes folding down the collar a good look. I had to get a size larger since my size was sold out, so it might look a little baggier than you might prefer, but that’s because I was looking for a looser fit. The listed retail value for this is $39.95.

I’m very happy with both these tops and glad I opted for them instead of more outfits. I generally like to change my tops more than my bottoms, so it’s useful to have more of them. I hope there’s an option to swap for two tops in future outfits. Want to get your own? Sign up for Fabletics to get your first outfit for just $25!

Petit Vour June 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, cruelty-free, hair care, nail polishes, petit vour, pictures, products, reviews, serums, skincare, subscriptions, vegan

30 June 2014

This month’s theme is “bon voyage” to get you travel ready. It features a bunch of items you can bring along to take care of yourself while on the go.

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 june 2014 box removed from packaging

A closer look at some of the items.

EVOLVh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner – If you want to feel like you just came out of a salon, you need to try this shampoo. It lathers fantastically well and smells so luxurious! All day long I kept getting a whiff of it (a sweet sort of scent) and thinking I just stepped out of a professional haircut. Definitely one of the nicest shampoos I’ve tried. The conditioner has a more refreshing scent and it didn’t make my hair super slippery like I’m used to. Maybe it was getting absorbed into my hair? It worked pretty well, though I had a little chunk of hair that didn’t smooth out on its own without a hairbrush.

MUN No. 1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum – I’m not sure if this sample is enough to really get a sense for how this serum performs… at first use it feels nice and smells herbal, so it’s promising. I did have trouble getting enough out of the tiny tube and it took awhile to apply the amount I wanted. We’ll see if I notice anything by the time I finish it up.

ncLA 5-free Luxury Nail Lacquer in Santa Monica Shore Thing – I’ve heard of this brand and got their nail wraps in a previous Petit Vour box, but this is my first time trying their nail polish. I got the shade Santa Monica Shore Thing, which is a creamy minty green. On the nails, it’s a slightly darker shade than what you see in the bottle and two coats provides a nice even color. It’s a more liquidy formula that applies well and smells rather like Julep’s polishes… somewhat apple-scented, I’d say.

TAY Rosehip Balancing Cleanser with Seabuckthorn – Immediately fell in love with this – not only is the packaging fantastic, it smells lovely and feels great. I’m a fan of this brand based on that.

Once again, Petit Vour delivered with nice products that I will use all of and would be the sort of thing to bring on my summer vaca. I really enjoy their curation of beautiful, luxurious, vegan products. What do you like best from this month’s items?

[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!]

Sunday stroll

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses，Tags: behavior, bugs, cats, insects, pictures, smokey, stroll, toad, walking

29 June 2014

Yesterday after dusk, Panda went on a walk to Walgreen’s to pick up some food. Along the way, he spotted a ton of fireflies, so tonight we decided to go back along the walk and catch some on our way to get groceries. We got some bug bites out of it, but it was well worth the effort. We both came away with five each, proudly stored in our respective jars. Our little stroll turned out to be a bit of a nature walk and we came across all sorts creatures! As we approached the first area we saw fireflies, a bunny rabbit scurried off. Then I spent a little time poking at an Eastern Bess beetle running across the sidewalk (thanks to my time volunteering at the Smithsonian Insect Zoo for that knowledge!). After getting our groceries, I stopped for a quick look at a June bug and then a toad.

I was pretty thrilled with our little excursion and soon we got home to play with our new firefly pets. Smokey immediately started stalking them even as they climbed around in the jars. We let one out, which she swatted at, so we quickly learned that they are not safe around her. Since they like humidity, we took them into the bathroom and let them fly free as we ran the shower. Seven out of the ten took advantage of that time to crawl out and explore. After my shower, I recaptured them all and then took the jar to the porch to set them free. Again, seven eventually made their way out (some with a little “help” from Smokey) and I decided to retire and keep the last three overnight. Smokey’s been having a blast staring at them so much that I don’t know if she’ll sleep a wink tonight!

Homegrown Collective beeswax wood butter project

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, reviews, subscriptions，Tags: home, home projects, homegrown collective, pictures, products

26 June 2014

About two months ago, I got around to trying the beeswax wood butter project that came as part of the February Homegrown Collective box. I now have some fun wood coasters that we’ve been using. Recently, I found that the sides I chose not to polish up were getting grease marks so I decided to rub in the wood butter to all of them. It’s a full set of wonder wood coasters now. 🙂

ingredients to make wood butter including beeswax and grape seed oil

Making the wood butter required beeswax and grape seed oil.

collage of melting beeswax and adding grape seed oil to make wood butter

Once the beeswax melted, I added the grape seed oil and it coagulated before melting together.

collage of bowl of melted wood butter poured in container

With a nice smooth mixture, I was able to pour it into an empty jar I had. It fit perfectly! The remainder on the glass bowl was used to start the polishing.

And then started the polishing process of rubbing in the wood butter. Check out the difference!

Treatsie June 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, brittle, candy, chocolate, food, nuts, pictures, products, reviews, snacks, subscriptions, taffy, treats

24 June 2014

I had just mentioned how Treatsie seemed to not be using ice packs anymore, so of course I had to be proven wrong. 😛 This time, it was hot enough outside that it warranted some cooling packs again. The box came in an insulated bag with two ice packs that weren’t solid anymore, but did their job along the way.

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!

Salty Road Salt Water Taffy in Peppermint: I would have preferred most of the other flavors that could have come in this box. Peppermint as a breath mint works for me, but for most other things it’s just not a flavor I’d choose. These taffies are interesting, with their salt bits that is completely unique to a taffy. I love that idea and would especially like a caramel-flavored taffy.

Olive & Sinclair Buttermilk White Chocolate: The chocolate was not melted at all, which was wonderful. I wasn’t really into the tangy sort of taste that the buttermilk apparently creates. Pretty sure I would have liked the sea salt dark chocolate flavor better. I like the firmness and smoothness of the chocolate though.

Brittle Brothers Gourmet Cashew Brittle: At first glance, I thought this product was a repeat. Turns out this is their cashew brittle whereas previously I had received their peanut brittle. The difference in nuts does matter! I can’t compare how this one tastes next to the peanut exactly, but I think I prefer the peanut one slightly. Perhaps I’m just not use to cashews in a brittle. It’s super nutty and I really like the sugary bits.

Flavor-wise, this was probably my least favorite box so far. Brand-wise I think it would have been more exciting for me if the flavors matched up to my taste better. I’ll be sharing these with my co-workers or whoever wants them. Which of these treats is your fav? Sign up for Treatsie and get your first box free.

Love With Food Take Me Out to the Ballgame June 2014 review

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: boxes, food, love with food, pictures, products, reviews, snacks, subscriptions

20 June 2014

This is my very first Love With Food box, which I got because it was free (I paid $2 for shipping). For the life of me, I can’t remember where I got that deal (and no amount of searching has helped). But hey, I came across a link to the deal that you can use this month! So try Love With Food free too (and pay for shipping).

Love With Food is $12 per box (or as discounted as $120 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 8 or more snack products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

The box comes nicely packaged and protected from the elements with plastic wrap.

love with food june 2014 box first look with card and snacks in open box

First look! The card shares the theme of the month.

contents of june 2014 love with food box including eight snacks

And the snacks for this month.

love with food june 2014 box info card listing snacks included

Check out the deets here.

Overall, they stuck to the theme well and these are all snacks I can see bringing to a ball game or eating on the way there. I’m not sure about the value, which certainly doesn’t blow me away, but I do appreciate being introduced to some nice brands. My favorites are the Dolcetto chocolate cookies and the Snikiddy baked fries. The cookies attracted Smokey too, and I had to quickly ensure she wasn’t able to eat any lest she get sick. They kind of remind me of those flute/straw cookie things that are crispy and crumbly (just looked it up and apparently they are called Piroulines). The Snikiddy baked fries were strangely reminiscent of onion rings, even though they’re actually made with potato and corn. I really liked them for the super crunch!

The YumEarth fruit snacks were quite good, but it was such a tiny pack and half of it was mango-flavored, which I don’t like. If I could get just the raspberry and pineapple, I’d be a happy camper. The G.H. Cretors Chicago mix was quite interesting and featured a mix of salty cheddar popcorn with sweet caramel popcorn. I’ve never had such a thing before and I enjoyed it. The Stoneridge Orchards dried cherries were pretty good, but I’m not into cherries that aren’t fresh, so I can’t take more than one bite at a time. I would want to try one of their other fruits though!

Finally, I have not yet tried the rest of the items. I’m most interested in The Cookie Department’s cookie because it’s been on my wishlist. I didn’t want to open it for a taste test until I wanted to gain the benefits of this detoxing cookie though. The Tree Hugger Gum gumball is cute, but again, the sample size could have been more generous – say, three gumballs? I don’t chew much gum and if I do it’s almost always to freshen my breath so I prefer a strong mint flavor. The Jolly Oak granola looks more appealing than granola usually does to me, but I still am not interested in granola so I gave this one to Panda for his travels. Great little snack to have handy!

I’m going to keep the subscription and see what the next box or two look like before deciding if I’ll keep this subscription. It’s nice to get more food sent to me again. What do you think about the snacks in this box? Have you tried any of them?

Lightning storm!!

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog, video blog，Tags: beauty, lightning, nature, pictures, videos

18 June 2014

Ok, I’m a total sucker for lightning. It’s such a wonderful phenomenon and I could stare at a light show for hours (if only the need for sleep didn’t get in the way). Tonight as I was drafting my Love With Food box review, Panda came running in from the kitchen to tell me there was lightning outside. That made me happy, to think a thunderstorm might be rolling its way through.

But when I got outside to look, it was so much better than I could have hoped for. Flash after flash of brilliant light lit up the clouds in the sky. A gentle roll of thunder was barely perceptible in the distance. And boom, boom, boom, the lightning kept coming! It was so quiet and peaceful out – the crickets singing in the night didn’t seem to care about the show overhead. Even Smokey meowed at me to let her out and join me on the porch. Together we enjoyed the warmth of the night, the humidity in the air, and the flashes that lit up our faces.

This is so much better than a fireworks show and I even saw lightning that went up for the first time. Freakin’ amazing. So I dropped everything, got some videos and a picture, and of course put off that review for another day. This is far more exciting to me. Check it out: