Posts Tagged ‘pictures’

365great Day 105: Skype

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , ,
27 June 2013
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365great skypeSkype has really enabled me to maintain long distance relationships in ways that never could have been possible without it. Between my parents and my boyfriend (now fiance), my closest relationships are really enhanced by having Skype. I use it to connect with them for free and share things visually as relevant. When I was working in Singapore, it was an important way for Panda and I to stay in touch beyond just emails and phone calls. Even when I was on the west coast and he was on the east coast, we’d Skype for hours on end, usually going about our business but having the comfort of knowing that we could share and connect at a moment’s notice. With my parents, it has allowed us to communicate with ease since typing in English or Chinese just feels unnatural. Skype even allowed me to do interviews while abroad, which was super helpful! That’s totally great.

365great Day 104: mobile devices

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
26 June 2013
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365great challenge day 104: mobile devicesWhere would we be without smartphones, tablets, and laptops? It has made my travel experience so different from my childhood’s. I was on my phone almost the entire time we were on the tarmac waiting to take off today, posting pictures on Facebook, blogging, and otherwise staying connected with the world. I think we sat there for 3 hours, but it didn’t feel too long since I was getting my social media on. Oh, and I had Pandora too! Chilling out to music was nice. Before mobile devices existed I would have napped and written in my journal. Maybe read a book if I brought one. Now I can go about my life almost as if I weren’t stick in a on plane. That’s great!

Troublesome travel

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
26 June 2013
0

Had quite the travel experience yesterday. I left through Burbank Airport for the first time and had to get on a different flight because mine was late and I’d miss my connection. They wiped my hands when I was going through security, which never happened before. I guess they were looking for drugs or explosive residue? My flight up to SFO was nice and quick and I had a lovely chat with the guy next to me – Peter? Or Henry…

20130626-173106.jpg

Up in SFO I had a long layover and stood in this LONG line for customer service. There were a lot of delayed flights, missed connections, and cancelled flights to contend with. At first I wanted to see if I could get on an earlier flight but by the time I got to the counter, the only other flight was already heading out. I asked for a meal voucher but since the delay was due to weather, I was rejected. :-/ I got my boarding pass and got some food before settling in to blog and listen to some music.

At night, my flight came in (delayed, of course) and everyone eagerly crowded the gate for a good half hour before we could board. I had gotten a middle seat, but was fortunate enough to get the entire row to myself! I moved to the window seat when I was pretty sure I’d be alone and the lady behind me moved up to grab my aisle seat. I was looking forward to stretching out, dang! The ride was super bumpy and I woke up a few times wondering if we’d crash. I mean, I know how unlikely it is, but sometimes you’re just not sure…

I arrived early in the morning a good 5+ hours later than I should have but it was kind of nice to sleep all night on the plane. It wasn’t nearly enough and I crashed as soon as I got home to a bed. I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep until I woke up from a dream! Now we’re already on our way to Orlando for a mini vacation. Yippee!

365great Day 103: betta fish

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , ,
25 June 2013
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365great challenge day 103: betta fishThese fish make some pretty awesome pets. They’re gorgeous (well, the male ones at least) and so much fun to watch. You just have to be careful not to put males together or even in tanks near each other since they’re known to fight to the death and sometimes go as far as jumping out of the tanks to reach the “enemy” – I definitely had one jump out of its bowl on me! I got this special tank just for them, which has a partition to keep them apart and a lid so I can ensure they don’t jump out. Look at how beautiful they are! Definitely my favorite fish and they’re so accessible too. They’re a way to liven up a space, literally! Absolutely great. 🙂

Engagement celebration

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
25 June 2013
1

The week after Panda and I got engaged, he had some business in the area and was staying at the Hilton Anaheim. We had been there previously and got a rather small room that I was disappointed in, so this time he made sure to request a better room earlier on and also mention that we would be celebrating our engagement. I was much happier with the experience the second time around! Take a look for yourself:

view of california adventure and disneyland from hilton anaheim hotel

We actually got a view of Disneyland/California Adventure this time!

corner room at hilton anaheim with windows on two sides

The room was on a corner so we got windows on two sides.

king bed in corner room at hilton anaheim

The room was nice and big unlike the first one we had.

restroom at hilton anaheim

The restroom was on the side of the entrance hallway, facing one of the sides with windows. I liked that plenty of natural light flowed in.

view of anaheim convention center roof from hilton anaheim

Out the side windows you could see the convention center. They had a bunch of chairs up on the roof for an event!

view of tops of palm trees from 9th floor window

It was weird looking down at the tops of the palm trees. I feel like a giant!

tray with congratulations note, bottle of pinot noir, and plate of chocolate-covered strawberries

To congratulate us on our engagement, the hotel sent up this lovely tray!

hot meal breakfast vouchers and cold meal or starbucks vouchers for hilton anaheim with mickey mouse disney gift card

As a bonus, we were upgraded to hot meals for breakfast in addition to the vouchers we could use to get Starbucks. Sweet! Plus, we earned a Disney gift card for staying 4 nights or more.

dusk from hilton anaheim overlooking convention center

Looking out west past the convention center, we could see the sunset turn into dusk.

disneyland fireworks as viewed from hilton anaheim

Every night at 9:30, we could see the fireworks put on by Disneyland. That little glowing thing beneath the fireworks is the castle.

hilton anaheim hot breakfast with fruit, omelet, waffles, orange juice, tea, and more

In the morning, our hot breakfast included various items like omelets, waffles, pancakes, french toast, fruit, crepes, potatoes, sausages, bacon, oatmeal, and more! They also served orange juice and tea or coffee.

365great Day 102: Legos

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , ,
24 June 2013
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365great challenge day 102: legosOne of the greatest toys of my childhood (and I’m sure many others) was Legos. They are at their core such a basic concept, yet with that simplicity comes great complexity. You take a few blocks of varying sizes and colors and combine them in countless ways. Before you know it, amazing things are being imagined and built, like this magic carpet. I love how the constraints of rectangular pieces allows for some pretty amazing creativity to flourish. I’m a fan of the classic Lego set, with just the standard pieces, but the kits that they’ve created in the years since I last played with them are quite inspiring in themselves. Still, what I find to be most valuable with Legos is the ability to imagine endless possibilities. For a simple toy, that’s pretty great!

In the mail: kitty toys, free stuff, and the SunVoxBox

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
24 June 2013
1

In addition to the subscription boxes and trades I already mentioned receiving, here’s what’s been filling up my mailbox!

powerbank backup battery in boxI did a review of this external battery and charging accessories I got from nomorerack so you can read more there. When I first got this I was concerned whether it’d be some knock-off brand that is shoddy work that won’t last, but I’m happy to report that while the packaging is “meh” the item itself and its performance are great.

cat feeder and toy collageSince I was given an Amazon gift card as part of a focus group (mentioned in this post), I decided to splurge on my cats and get them these fun toys. One is a feeder where the cats need to paw around through the holes to push the food so it falls through the holes in each level until it is caught at the bottom. I’ve included a video below at the end of the post so you can see Missy at work! She really enjoyed it at first but I think both cats are lazy now and just wait for their daily wet food feeding to get them through the day. Maybe if they are desperate enough they will learn to use this properly. At least I know they aren’t overeating now, right?

The other item is a pretty standard track with ball that you can piece together in many configurations. Once again, this is something Missy has enjoyed and will play with, but Molly kind of just looks at it and walks away. Alas, Molly is like 14 and declawed, so it makes sense she wouldn’t want to play with this. At least Missy likes it!

sample of pad, l'oreal revitalift miracle blur, and pampers sensitive wipes
I got a couple of random samples that I had requested from various sites, including a sanitary pad, L’Oreal’s Revitalift Miracle Blur finishing cream, and Pampers sensitive wipes. I’m always on the lookout for free samples to help me find products that I want to adopt into my life! That’s probably why I love subscription boxes so much. 🙂

physicians formula bb powder and letterA long time ago, I entered to receive a free BB powder from Physician’s Formula. This was similar to the first contest I entered (which I wrote a tutorial about), but suddenly there were a lot more people contending. When I went to submit the form, it froze on me and I never got a success message, so I crossed my fingers hoping I was one of the lucky 1000, but I didn’t count on it. Then just a few days ago, what shows up in my mail but this?! I was pretty thrilled since I’m obsessed with trying BB creams and I’ve never seen a BB powder. Can’t wait to test it!

trade with skin, hair, and body products

I already wrote about my previous trades, so here’s just a quick look at the last trade I got. A bunch of lovely samples that I am looking forward to trying. I sent over some L’Occitane stuff and a set of Angry Birds lip balms that I had in exchange for these.

influenster sunkissed voxbox

And finally, my Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox, which I’m sure I will write about coming up. I am very happy with everything I got and I am so thrilled to try them out!

cat eating from food maze from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

 

365great Day 101: Mongolian grill

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , ,
23 June 2013
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365great challenge day 101: mongolian grillI love when your food is cooked in front of you – there’s something so fascinating about that. Plus, it’s so fun how Mongolian grills have their circular stovetops that the cooks walk around as they push your food along until it’s finished. It’s almost like a form of dance or performance. Even better is the option to choose exactly what toppings and how much of each you want, as well as how large a portion of noodles you’d like. Oh, and of course the types of sauces you want to flavor your meal as well! The bread that comes with the meal is also so unique – fluffy yet crunchy and fun to use Hot Pocket style with the noodles. Gosh, all this talk about Mongolian is making me crave it! Makes a great lunch.

Cleaning regimen

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
23 June 2013
0

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.

365great Day 100: celebrations

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , ,
22 June 2013
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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 100: celebrationsCelebrations are a wonderful way to recognize special moments in our lives. Whether it’s an achievement, a birthday/anniversary, or something else, it’s a chance for us to take time to change our routine and give attention to something important. All the joy, positivity, and bonding are a way for us to feel more accomplished and share that with others. I love how it brings people together with a great outlook towards the past, present, and future.

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