Posts Tagged ‘pictures’

365great Day 77: dolphins

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

365great challenge day 77: dolphinsDolphins are amazing creatures! They are so smart, so cute, so friendly, and just wonderful. They’ve got personality too! I remember when I met Squirt in Singapore and he would pose beautifully for the women, but then not cooperate when it came to men! He was cool with his trainers, but not a fan of strange men. Totally hilarious. Then there were the bottlenose dolphins in the waters of Hawaii, that came up to our boat and swam with us, always matching our speed, whether we were racing with the wind or just floating. They made it clear they were here to say “hi” and play around and it was so cool. They must have hung around for a good half hour before going on their way. It was perfect, though I’d really love to swim with dolphins sometime. That would be so great!!

365great Day 76: solid lotion

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , ,
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365great challenge day 76 solid lotionMuch like solid shampoo, solid lotion is this fabulous thing that I hadn’t heard of until a few years ago. Was it around longer than that or have I just been clueless? I love how you don’t have to worry about it getting everywhere or creating problems when you’re trying to get through airport security. Plus, there’s something so rewarding about letting it melt against the heat of your skin – it feels rather luxurious. Part of it is probably due to the slowing down you need to do to really get the most out of it. After all, it takes time to let it melt and rub it in. And who wouldn’t love a cool-shaped bar like this one? For the longest time I didn’t dare use it except from the bottom because I didn’t want to mess up the flower. I’ve had similar experiences with all my other ones, which have been shaped like a strawberry and hearts and leaves. Too cute! You should really try them sometime; they’re great!

Gogobot 500 Days of Summer

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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In celebration of reaching 500 members in Gogobot’s West LA Facebook group, the lovely community manager and her interns put together a party that also featured the premiere of the Gogobus Thrift Shop music video that we filmed at the Gogobus Stop Spring Break Party. Of course I had to be there! We took over the outdoor patio at the back of Rush Street in Culver City. It was nice to see some familiar faces from the last event and also get a chance to meet some new ones.

Stay tuned for an update to the music video when it’s posted! [Update: it’s up!! GO WATCH IT (and like please) – I’ve also embedded it below. Enjoy! :)]

rush street in culver city

Approaching the venue.

gogobot 500 days of summer venue

Love the outdoor patio!

gogobot event check in goodies

Upon checking in, you were given a cute beach ball stress ball, some bubbles, and a greeting card and postcard. Photo credit: Steven Lam

gogobot free stuff on tables

Free swag was strewn across the tables. 🙂 Photo credit: Steven Lam

rush street food including pizza, sweet potato fries, and mac & cheese

Quite a delicious spread! Photo credit: Steven Lam

rush street mac & cheese

Perfectly cooked.

cupcakes with blue frosting 500 sign

And of course there was dessert. Some people already snagged a few before I could get a shot.

grabbing cupcakes

I wanted a chocolate one and this looked right but it turned out to be vanilla, lol.

gogobus music video premiere

The Gogobus music video premiere! Photo credit: Gogobot West LA Community Manager Audrey Lo

gogobus music video awards

The awards for the music video! Photo credit: Gogobot West LA Community Manager Audrey Lo

365great Day 75: screen cleaners

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , ,
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365great challenge day 75: screen cleanersI just had to highlight these fun little things after getting some at the Gogobot West LA event tonight. They’re sticky little patches that you can adhere to any non-porous surface (like the back of your smartphone), then peel off whenever your screens need some cleaning! Aren’t they just adorable?! What a great way to not only add some flair to your device, but also have a cleaning cloth with you at all times. Never fear those grease marks or fingerprints again! These are great not just for smartphones, but cameras, glasses (and sunglasses), and really any glass or plastic surface that you may want to keep sparkling. When they get dirty, you can just wash with a little soap and water, let it dry, and you’re good as new! That’s pretty great.

Blissmobox: 4 PM Snacks

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Still playing catch-up with my reviews… this is the Nov box and I chose the 4 PM Snacks one because I’d gotten plenty of beauty products through Yuzen and I wanted more snacks.

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 november's blissmobox: body bliss, 4pm snacks, or pantry picks

The three choices for the November blissmobox.

I opened it at night so forgive me for any weird lighting.

opened blissmobox november 2012 with information card

collage of cinnamon crunch somersaultsSomersault Snack Co.Cinnamon Crunch Somersaults – I’ve tried a bunch of these ever since I was first introduced to them by my friend’s mom a few years back. I don’t know what it is, but I’m just not a fan. Maybe it’s because they are so dense and crunchy that I barely get two bites before I swallow. Maybe it’s just because I’m not that into nuts. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but part of it is definitely because the taste is not quite what I like. I’ve tried sweet ones and salty ones and they’re just not my thing.

collage of nature's bakery whole wheat raspberry fig barNature’s Bakery, Whole Wheat Raspberry Fig Bar – These would make a great snack in the afternoon. They are just packed with goodness and they taste quite good. A very healthy alternative to whatever snack you might have picked up instead. I don’t think you could eat the entire pack of two in one sitting – I found that just half was enough to tide me over for quite awhile. Since I don’t eat energy bars, I think this would be the perfect product to eat to get a similar effect.

collage of scharffen berger bittersweet fine artisan dark chocolate barScharffen Berger, 70% Cacao Bittersweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate bar – I love dark chocolate and this bar was no exception. It was very… sturdy? Haha basically it took a little extra to break it, but I think that’s exactly why it was so smooth and delicious. I have a feeling this is less likely to melt than a lot of other chocolate bars out there, but I have no idea why. Another great treat to have lying around.

collage of numi pu erh mini sampler teasNumi Organic Teapu erh mini sampler – Pu erh tea is something of an acquired taste and while I didn’t find these too strong, they were a bit too fermented for me. This sampler set includes Chocolate, Emperor’s, Jasmine, Basil Mint, Cardamom and Ginger Pu·erhs. I haven’t tried all the flavors (I’m a bit hesitant about chocolate and tea in one drink) but the ones I did try are decent. I wouldn’t go running out to buy them, but I will definitely drink them. Who knows, maybe I’ll develop a taste for pu erh!

collage of honey republic raw wildflower organic honey jarHoney Republic, Organic Raw Wildflower Honey – Wow! What a large jar of honey. The consistency of this brand is less gooey than others I’ve tried, which can be nice when you don’t want to wait ages for the honey to crawl out of the top. The taste is subtly flowery or herby or… something. I can’t quite place it, but it definitely has a little extra beyond regular honey and it’s quite nice. I had no idea Honey Republic made so many other flavors too and I’d love to try the Green Tea with Honey and Lemon flavor! For now I’m working on using up this jar, which will last me a very long time.

collage of pamela's products chocolate brownie mix bag pouchPamela’s Products, Chocolate Brownie Mix – These are gluten-free and non-dairy! I must admit I actually haven’t tried them yet, but I swear I will. I wonder if the flavor would be less rich because there is no dairy. I’ve never tried making microwave brownies before so this would be a great thing to try since I’ve been curious about those “brownie in a mug” things.

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

blissmobox 4pm snacks info sheet

 

365great Day 74: bite-size

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , ,
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365great challenge day 74: bite sizeIt’s so nice when food is in pre-portioned bite-size morsels so you can just pop them in your mouth and enjoy. I remember getting the Hershey’s cookies’n’creme bars when I was younger, then breaking it off piece by piece to eat. Then I discovered these amazing drops that are even more fun to eat! I like most of my foods in small pieces I can just pop in my mouth, which is probably why I enjoy dumplings and chips/crackers and appetizers. Of course, this convenience isn’t always good and it’s far too easy to overeat this way, but boy is it nice. Perhaps this also satisfies my preference for things in mini. 🙂 Give me something in bite-size form any day!

Graze snacks (first two boxes)

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Now that I’m four boxes in with a fifth on the way, I think it’s time to share with you some of the snacks that have been coming in my Graze boxes. If you aren’t familiar with Graze, they send little packs of nutritionally-balanced snacks and offer a rating system so you can influence what you get – read more here. When I first started, I put everything in the Try, Like, or Love categories. I wanted to be open to all the snacks they have, so I didn’t choose Trash just yet. Now that I’ve had a few boxes, I wish I had been a little more stringent with my requirements; I’ve gotten three different types of flapjacks when one would have been enough to try out!

Graze is $5 per delivery (you choose the frequency of deliveries) and comes with four pre-proportioned snacks. Choose from the regular nibblebox or the low calorie caloriecounterbox with a default frequency of every 2 or 4 weeks. You can always increase or decrease the weeks between deliveries to fit your needs, thereby effectively “skipping” weeks as you please. They offer a referral code and link program that gives your referral their 1st and 5th boxes free and earns you $1 off your next box (or you can choose to donate it).

my first graze box with my thai, lightly toasted pistachios, super berry detox, and apple & cinnamon flapjacks

Here’s what I got in my first box, complete with nutritional information.

graze my thaiThe first item I went for was the My Thai, which is a couple of crunchy baked soy bites that have a sweet glaze on them. You dip them in the sweet chili sauce for a delicious treat. I gobbled right through them and wished the portion was bigger! Verdict: LOVE.

graze lightly toasted pistachiosThen I tried the pistachios even though I’m not super into them. These were quite tasty and I did enjoy them, though I’m not sure it’s worth the price tag since it’s something I can easily get elsewhere. I had some fun with these and dipped them in the sweet chili sauce meant for My Thai. I love sweet and salty! Verdict: TRASH (but I will switch back to try or like when it’s been long enough).

graze super berry detoxAfter a few days, I decided to crack open the Super Berry Detox. While it looked cool, for some reason it just didn’t appeal to me. Once I finally tasted it, I found it to be too sweet for my taste. I can see myself adding this to some bland food I have trouble eating alone, but a mouthful of this is super sweet! Strange because I love candy. Verdict: TRASH.

graze apple & cinnamon flapjack Finally, I got around to tasting the flapjacks. I’m not really familiar with flapjacks and these looked super dense. I was totally right – very dense stuff. These were also a bit too sweet for my taste and just half of one of the sticks (there are three in there) was enough to fill me. I probably should have changed the other flavors of flapjacks to trash once I got these, but now I have two other flavors to try. I think I’m going to need some help with those. Verdict: TRASH.

graze napkin

Hidden underneath all the snacks is a little napkin.

my second graze box with toffee apple, olive & rosemary bruschetta, cookies & cream, and tutti frutti

My second Graze box with nutritional info.

graze toffee appleI love toffee, so I was excited to try this. While I’ve never been crazy about apples, lately I’ve found I really enjoy dried apple slices. This was a nice snack, with a hint of tartness from the Granny Smith apple slices combined with the gooey sweetness of the toffee dip. I do want to try others before circling back to this, so my final verdict: LIKE.

graze olive & rosemary bruschettaI’m starting to realize that I tend to prefer the salty snacks for whatever reason. Perhaps because they are generally crispy and I love a good crunch. I liked the herbs they used and the fragrant, yet savory flavor of this snack. I’d definitely eat more. Verdict: LIKE.

graze cookies & creamAt first I was hesitant about this one. It didn’t look that appealing to me and I wasn’t sure about the nuts. But once I took a bite, I found myself rather enjoying the odd combination of sweet and salty and chewy and crunchy. This is definitely a very unique blend and I’d eat it again. Verdict: LIKE.

graze tutti fruttiOnce again a bunch of dried fruits, but this time the pineapple slices were a nice change. They weren’t nearly as sweet as other dried fruits and I liked the larger pieces that I could chew easier. I had no trouble finishing this one, but I want to try out some of their other offerings before circling back. Verdict: TRASH (only until I’ve tried most of their other snacks).

All in all my first two boxes were pretty good! They’re still learning what I like and really I’m still learning what I like.

365great Day 73: foldover elastic

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , ,
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365great challenge day 73: foldover elasticAwhile ago I decided I wanted to make my own hair ties in the Twistband style since I didn’t want to pay those outrageous prices. For the longest time, I couldn’t seem to find the right product to make them with! I knew they were stretchy and shiny and pretty elastic bands, but none of my searches were yielding the results I wanted. Then I finally came across the term “foldover elastic” and it opened up doors for me. I was able to track down a ton of sellers and buy a couple of rolls in a variety of colors. I’ve since experimented with different ways of tying and cutting, which has been fun. And for the price of one Twistband, I was able to make like a dozen of them. These little suckers are great and I’ve enjoyed using them as hair ties as well as “fashion” bracelets.

365great Day 72: mini bottles

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

365great challenge day 72: mini bottlesI love all things in miniature – mini perfume bottles (even though I don’t wear perfume), mini alcohol bottles (even th0ugh I don’t drink alcohol), mini food jars (like jams and honeys), mini candles (even better if they’re extra long-burning like the one pictured), mini lotions (like those Bath & Body Works ones and of course the Tree Hut one pictured), heck, even mini golf (even though that’s not a product)! I’m not sure what it is about the smaller size, but I just love them. Perhaps it’s because they’re more manageable; I’ve always loved deluxe sample sizes since you get to try enough of the product to really get a feel for how it works for you but it’s not so large that you’d never finish it up if you didn’t use it daily. It might also be that they are far more portable and easy to manage, plus you don’t have to worry about it being too big to bring on a plane. Or, maybe it’s just that they’re so darn cute! Whatever the case, I totally collect them and I think they’re great!

365great Day 71: cleansing systems

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , ,
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365great challenge day 71: cleansing systemsNow I wasn’t sure what to call these are first and a quick check brought me to the term “cleansing systems” (mostly facial but some are also for your body too). Basically I’m talking about those vibrating brushes that you use to help cleanse your skin. I got the Toilet Tree brand because it was a price point I liked, but I think it really got popular with the Clarisonics (which I would love to try but certainly not for that price). Nevertheless, my own cleansing system is at least more effective than just washing my face with my hands. I love how it can help slough off old skin and penetrate pores in ways you couldn’t do manually. It’s also rather soothing to have these brushes rubbing your face and I love when my products foam up a bit (ok, a lot). These brushes make my skincare routine fun and that’s pretty great.

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