Posts Tagged ‘pictures’

On My Mind, episode 6

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Linking up with Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for “Thursday Thoughts” aka On My Mind.

a~ I can’t believe this is my 6th one already! Where did the time go? I’ve been bumming around lately because I’m hoping my first choice in future employment pans out and I’m not that motivated to apply for other jobs just yet, plus I haven’t watched my shows since early February so I’m catching up now that all the seasons seem to be ending. I’m slowly transitioning back to working more and resting less.

b~ On the box front, I have a lot going on! I got into the Influenster Spring Voxbox (yay!) and hopefully I qualify for the summer one as well. I sprang for the May Ipsy bag and while I liked the overall value and items in the bag, I’m looking to trade two items. I’m going to cancel the subscription and wait for June spoilers before deciding if I want to get it again. I got that free Bulu box that I mentioned and I’ve suspended my subscription for now. I liked the box but I didn’t love it, so I’m reluctant to spend money on it when they’re more on the healthy scale than I’m interested in. I also received my first Conscious Box and it was packed full of goodness! Gonna take me some time to get through everything. And finally, I got Panda to get me a Treatsie box subscription because I’m a sucker for treats. Call it a very early birthday present.

c~ Every now and then I get my contacts out of place in my eye and it hurts for a bit, but then I get it back in place. Awhile back, my contact kept creating discomfort in my eye so I took it out and put it back in after washing it down with solution. Still, it didn’t feel right and the next time I took it out I discovered this:

torn/ripped contact lens

Torn contact lens. Ouch!

d~ It has been many long months since I heard from BzzAgent and I was pretty sad they weren’t including me in campaigns even though my BzzScore is pretty high. Then FINALLY I got an email from them and I am IN for the Dr. Scholl’s massaging gel insoles! Pretty excited about that since I’ve always wanted to try them but kind of never got around to figuring out which one I should get. I’m going to put them to the test on my next vacation, where I expect a whole lot of walking. My feet always hurt after standing all day and a massaging gel sounds amazing.

small brown stone owl sculpture and owl face watch

Some of the owl things I’ve gotten.


e~ Is it just me or are owls cute on/as almost any product? I mean, I love them as jewelry and decorations and sculptures and designs and even oil warmers. Something about their round, pudgy bodies and those giant eyes melt my heart. If I could find an owl bag, owl blanket, or gosh even an owl metronome, I’d probably get it. I was pretty tempted to get a felt iPad case made to look like an owl, but I don’t use cases for my iPad so I resisted. I’m that much more likely to get something if there’s an owl involved! I feel similarly about pandas and cats.

f~ I’ve made it a habit of keeping a lot of my skincare and beauty products upside-down lately. Everything from toners to shampoo to nail polish. A lot of these products tend to settle and I don’t like having to shake them up each time, so by keeping them on their heads, I don’t usually have to shake them. And for very thick things like lotion, I don’t have to struggle (as much) to get it to come out. I wonder if they have some sort of adjustable rack that I can use for this purpose?

g~ I’m obsessed with marinated mushrooms!! It was about 10 years ago that Costco stopped carrying the ones they had in their stores and I’ve been checking the pickled goods aisle ever since. In the years since, I managed to find them in the salad bar at Ralph’s a couple times, but it is very expensive to buy them by the salad bar’s weight pricing! Then I happened upon a new brand at Costco out east when I was visiting Panda a few months ago and I was joyous. I took home two jars that day and devoured them. We got some more jars and I happy ate them until I had to come back to SoCal. Unfortunately my local Costco does not carry it. I then had Panda bring me more when he came to visit. A few weeks ago he reported that there were only two more boxes of it left in the store, so I had him help me buy an entire box (8 jars). Gotta stock up in case Costco stops selling them! Yes, I am that in love with these suckers.

h~ When I got a bar of Mrs. Meyers soap in my Yuzen box many months ago, I was pretty excited to try this brand I’d been curious about. Once I started using the soap I found that the smell was too clean for my taste. I was sad and put it aside while trying to figure out what to do with it. Then I had to do some cleaning and I decided to use that soap since it was handy and seemed to cut through grease really well. I’m glad I did! For some reason, using it to clean with is perfectly fine, but using it to wash myself with feels weird. Maybe it’s a psychological thing? I associate that refreshing smell with cleaning but what I use on my body I want to feel more like I’m beautifying. Totally random, but just goes to show that you may not like something for certain reasons at first, but those very reasons can make it great for something else.

What are your random thoughts these days?

365great Day 69: subscription boxes

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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 69: subscription boxesIt’s been about a year since I first got into subscription boxes and it’s a service I hope to use for a long time. I love how they help you navigate through the waters of whatever you’re not knowledgeable in, whether it’s eco-friendly brands or great ingredients to cook with. I’ve seen ones helping you with your child-rearing efforts, ones that offer something fun and useful for guys, ones that offer a complete set of ingredients to cook a fabulous meal, and so much more. I personally have been exploring a lot of skincare and eco-friendly products, most of which I never would have come across if not for these services. They’ve helped me discover amazing brands that I will likely be using for years to come! How great is that?

Goodies Co. Rise & Shine March Taster’s Box

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Been meaning to write about my very first Goodies box and here it is!

goodies co cardboard shipping box

They ship in very large boxes.

look inside goodies co march 2013 taster's box

 goodies co march box product informantion card

 goodies co march box contents

 This was box #4 and included:

~Alo Water Watermelon & Peach drink (like)
~Ola! Vanilla Almond Handbaked Granola (meh)
~Rickland Orchards Toasted Coconut Greek Yogurt Coated Granola Bar (like)
~BelVita Cinnamon Brown Sugar Breakfast Biscuits (yum! like healthy Teddy Grahams)
~Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves (haven’t tried yet)
~Erin Baker’s Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookie (peanut butter’s not my thing)
~Jovan’s All Natural Creamy Vanilla Instant Breakfast (haven’t tried yet)
~Nabisco Newtons Triple Berry (like)

For the most part I enjoyed these snacks, which was nice since I’m not a breakfast person and I wasn’t sure if I’d like the theme. Luckily, all these are great as a snack anytime so it’s not exclusive to “morning foods.” This was sadly the last time they included those nice large info cards, but I guess it’s easier for them to list the varieties online.

365great Day 68: coconuts

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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 68: coconutsI was never really into coconuts, but lately they seem to be cropping up everywhere in my life! It started with a coconut-scented lotion, which combined with lime smells really good. It came in one of my subscription boxes and was a brand I had wanted to try, so I gave it a shot and I love it. Then I got various coconut-flavored food items, from coconut chips to coconut granola bars and even coconut water. I can’t seem to escape this fruit and I even learned of its many benefits from The Book of General Ignorance: its water is sterile and full of vitamins and minerals (no wonder people drink it straight). Coconut oil is quite healthy – it’s been shown to help reduce cholesterol – and is apparently both antiviral and antibacterial. You can use it to make biodegradable products as sturdy as seats, incorporate it into mouthwash, or make a flour from it to clean jet engines with. And, most impressive, you could survive on just coconuts if you ever got stranded on some tropical island. They’re so versatile it’s great.

Never have I ever…

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Remember that game you used to play? Everyone would hold up all ten fingers and you’d go around the room saying “Never have I ever [fill in the blank],” with all those who had done it putting down one finger. This went on until there was only one person left with fingers standing. Sound familiar?

bottle of wine with cork, bag of coffee grinds, green mini alcohol bottle shaped like violin, and shot glass from amsterdam

Some of the things I don’t indulge in.

I played that game quite a few times as an icebreaker and it’s a really interesting way to get to know people. The things that you choose to not do can say a lot about you. After all, self-control isn’t easy, so if you’re making the effort to NOT do something, then it’s probably somewhat important to you (usually). Of course sometimes it might just be because you can’t do it (which can also reveal a lot about you). I saw this post over on FatMumSlim and thought it was a great conversation-starter. Here’s my version!

Ok, so here goes! Never have I ever:

~cursed (on purpose/aloud). I must admit I did stumble over my tongue once when trying to say “shirt” and I have, in my head, considered saying some foul words. But never intentionally at or in front of someone.

~had most forms of alcohol. I tried a can or two’s worth of beer once (way worse than I even expected) for a round of beer pong.

~drank underage. I was 22 when I tried that nasty beer.

~had coffee or energy drinks. I hate the smell of coffee so I stay away. I’m not into over-caffeinating to try to stay away/alert so I have no need for coffee or energy drinks. Good old water is my friend.

~owned a dog. I’m more of a cat person, since they tend to be quiet, don’t need walks or baths, and are just the right size for cuddling. I do like dogs but I don’t really love them. One of the few breeds I might consider one day is a white Pomeranian – they may yap sometimes, but they’re so fluffy and cute I can probably overlook that.

~ridden a motorcycle. I’m not sure if this is something I’m interested in, but for the sake of trying, I probably will one day. The closest I’ve gotten thus far would be a moped. Does that count?

~had my own place. I’ve lived alone at my parents’ house (they were living abroad at the time) and I’ve had my own apartment (but shared it with someone else). I’ve yet to live in a place that I’m paying for by myself and I doubt I ever will. I don’t think I need to though, so that’s fine with me.

~smoked or done drugs. I have been around it and seen plenty of people doing it, but I usually walk away (if possible). In fact, I think that because I disliked smoking so much, I gave myself a sensitivity/allergy to it. One day, suddenly, I found that if I pass by the smell of cigarettes or marijuana, my throat swells up and my voice gets scratchy. Or maybe I just “gave” it to myself because I was around smoke so little. Who knows.

~had a food allergy. Nuts, gluten, dairy, fish, strawberries? Bring it on! I’ve known friends who are allergic to all of the above, but I’m not allergic to anything of the sort. In fact, other than that smoke “allergy” (sensitivity?) I’m not allergic to a single thing.

~pulled off an ollie. Ok, so most people probably haven’t, but what skateboarder hasn’t? I’m partial to long boards for cruising around SoCal style and those aren’t very trick-friendly. I played around with some friends’ short boards before and they taught me a trick or two, but I’ve yet to master the ollie.

~(for the non-skateboarders since the previous one is practically a freebie) broken a bone. The worst injury I ever had was shin splints and the only time I ever needed a hospital was for a minor surgical procedure to remove an odd birthmark.

So how’d you do? How many fingers do you have left standing?

365great Day 67: xiao long bao

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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 67: xiao long baoXiao long bao – “little dragon dumplings” – an awesome name for an amazing dish. They’re also known as soup dumplings, because of the “soup” inside each dumpling that gushes out as you bite in. I absolutely love these bite-size morsels of goodness. It’s the perfect combination of thin skin, juicy soup, and fragrant meat. Oh, and I love eating them with the ginger and vinegar dip too. The eating experience of XLB is really a sort of adventure: first you carefully pluck it from off the paper in the steamer, then you dip it in the vinegar and ginger sauce (add some soy sauce or hot sauce too if you like), and then you delicately bite in as the steam and soup inside heat up your mouth and the salty, tart, sometimes spicy tastes spread across your mouth. Making good XLB is an art form in itself and it shows when you eat it. The skin has to be thin but strong, there has to be a nice pop of soup inside each dumpling, and the filling has to be seasoned well and not over or undercooked. Treat yourself to some one day and I think you’ll agree – it’s great!

Yuzen Summer 2013 edition (May – July)

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Ok, changing it up a bit this time. All my previous posts have been way after the fact so in an effort to be more timely, I will first post up what came in the box and then update as I try the items. The summer box had the most items yet and was just as fantastic as you could imagine.

Yuzen is $26 per quarter (with boxes sent Feb, May, Aug, and Nov) and comes with around 7 or 8 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent quarterly with no option to skip, but you can get one-time gift boxes too. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). :)

collage of unwrapping of summer 2013 may through july yuzen box

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of sukicolor mineral cream makeup included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxSukiColorLuscious Lips Berry Cream Trio Fresh Finish Mineral Cream Makeup: What a cute little palette! I’ve never had this kind of cream that you brush on your lips and cheeks so I’m pretty excited to try it. Might I add that there’s a nice citrus sort of scent coming from at least one of them (I can’t tell if it’s just one or all). I kind of want to lick them! Is that weird? Well, I’ll probably end up doing that once they’re on my lips anyway. 😉

collage of cocomels sea salt caramels included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxJJ’s Sweets Cocomels – Sea Salt Coconut Milk Caramels: Yum! I love caramels and the concept of making them with coconut milk is pretty cool. I didn’t use to like coconut much but it’s definitely growing on me and these are quite the tasty treat. My taste buds didn’t know what to do with the sweet coconut flavor with a hint of saltiness. So unique!

image of phyt's lait hydro nettoyant included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxPHYT’S – Lait Hydro Nettoyant: Wow, this must have come straight from France – they didn’t even translate the product name into English. I actually took French in middle & high school and I know lait is milk and nettoyant is cleanser/washer. So I could tell this would be a face wash. It cleans off makeup too! It looks super soothing and gentle. I have a lot of face washes/cleansers at the moment so I don’t want to open it just yet. I imagine it to be creamy, maybe even silky and either clear or white-ish. We’ll see if I’m right!

collage of level shower bombs included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxLevel Naturals – Shower Bombs: I got these in a different box awhile back and I actually decided to sell them at that time, but this time around I’m going to try them out! The smell is so invigorating and clears up my sinuses in a snap so I’m sure it’ll be very refreshing in the shower. I might have to keep one intact just to sniff because it is super effective at invigorating and soothing me at the same time. When I get back into the workforce I could definitely use these to help wake me up in the mornings since I am not a morning person. In fact, I often doze off a little while showering and getting ready for work (oops).

collage of acure marula oil and argan oil included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxAcure – Marula Oil & Moroccan Argan Oil: I’ve never heard of marula oil, so I’m totally curious about it. It’s supposed to be good for scars, redness, fine lines, and dry skin and if it lives up to all that I will be very impressed. I scar easily so anything to help prevent that would be amazing. I’m familiar with argan oil for your hair but I’ve never tried it on my face or cuticles so I’m going to use this bottle towards that.

collage of sparitual nail polish and top coat included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxSpaRitual – Emerald City Lacquer & Multitasker Base & Topcoat: Love this brand! We got a bold red in the December Yuzen box and now it’s a beautiful green for the summer. I love that they rolled the base coat and top coat into one so you don’t have to get both separately. These are super cute and I like smaller sizes since I never use much nail polish and I’d rather have small ones of a ton of colors so I can change it up all the time. They also apply really well/easily!

image of pritte moisturizing body lotion included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxPritte – Moisturizing Body Lotion: I like the slender tube and push dispenser they use. It makes their brand seem classier than most and it reminds me of some high-end product lines. I tried a bit and it’s a wonderful citrus sort of scent that I enjoy. It absorbs well and hydrates very effectively. I’m going to have to use this on my feet since they tend to get the worst beating. Got a chance to check out more of their products online and I am really loving their packaging! Maybe it’s the use of gold on the labels? I just want to try more of their products, haha.

collage of action wipes large full body wet wipes included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxAction Wipes – Full-Body Wet Wipes: I can see myself using these after a workout or after being outside in the sun. They seem very refreshing and a great way to rejuvenate your body without having to take a shower. I mean, sometimes it’s just not convenient to have to wash up so I’d totally wipe down instead! I can’t wait to try these out. I’d use them on myself and my yoga mat after a class and I’m sure Panda could make good use of these after his workouts. I’ve been trying to get him to cut down on his water usage and if he can save a rinse with these I think that’d be pretty great.

image of juil discount code card included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxJuil – $40 off discount code: Ok, I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of their style of shoes but I love the concept! I had the same problem with Crocs until they started making more designs so I bet the same would happen with Juil. These shoes are pretty pricey so a $40 discount helps out a lot! (Most of the women’s shoes are $85 and the men’s are $95.) I’d be really curious to try these so I can see what grounding shoes feel like but at the moment this sort of thing is not within my budget.

What a fabulous box! Everything is very fitting for the summer months, helping you soothe, relax, refresh, cool down, calm down, and so much more. There is so much to try and I can’t wait to field test everything!

What do you think of the Summer Yuzen box? Did you receive it too? If this looks like something you (or someone you know) would love, but sure to sign up for the fall box! Currently there’s a waitlist so don’t delay any longer! Also, you can get in line for the summer favorites box, which will include items from previous boxes. Gift it to someone special or claim it for yourself, especially if you missed out on previous boxes.

365great Day 66: nail polish

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

365great challenge day 66: nail polishRecently I’ve really gotten back into painting my nails. For many years, I didn’t bother, but I’m finding it to be quite fun to play around with. I like being able to change the color of my nails as frequently as I wish and using it as a way of expressing myself. Sometimes I go for bold, wacky colors and other times I just use a neutral shade that you may not notice. Some colors are happy and bright while others are somber and dark. I also enjoy changing it up with the color combinations I use, sometimes painting all nails a different color while other times using an accent nail. It’s a simple way to try out creativity! And I swear, one day I am finally going to use up one of my bottles of nail polish… I may need to paint the nails of everyone around me, but I will do it! I’m sure it’ll be great fun.

Ipsy May 2013: Spring Fling

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I got my very first Ipsy glam bag because I looked for spoilers and found that 1) there would be a full size Zoya polish, 2) there would be a lip gloss or lipstick (I was really hoping for the lip gloss since I indicated in my preferences that I never wear lipstick), 3) there would be concealer and not eye shadow (whew, I never use eye shadow and it’d be a total waste for me), 4) there would be 2 other products so the value of the bag would be pretty awesome, and 5) the bag design was appealing. So I took the plunge and this is what I got:

ipsy may 2013 bag items including zoya gie gie nail polish, yaby honey concealer, mirabella daydream lipstick, anastasia clear eyebrow gel, and pacifiica island vanilla perfume roller

So my initial thoughts were that the bag is ok, but kind of cheap-feeling. Not a huge deal but I would have preferred better quality (then again for $10 a bag with those products I can’t complain). I don’t wear perfume, so I wasn’t excited about the Pacifica perfume roller, but it does smell nice in Island Vanilla so maybe I’ll use it. I wasn’t sure what the Anastasia brow gel was at first, but now that I think of it, I can get into that. I’m super sad I got the Mirabella lipstick and not the Juice Beauty lip gloss since I clearly stated I do not use lipstick but I like lip gloss. The Yaby concealer seems to be a good shade for my skin tone so I’m looking forward to trying it. And Zoya… oh, my polish. Of the 5 colors they offered this month, this was the only one I didn’t like. I’m just not into pink!

ipsy may 2013 bag items with boxes including zoya gie gie nail polish, yaby honey concealer, mirabella daydream lipstick, anastasia clear eyebrow gel, and pacifiica island vanilla perfume roller

Products with packaging.

My verdict for these items:
Pacifica Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On – keep. I’m willing to dab it on here and there if only so I can smell it.
Anastasia Clear Brow Gel – keep. This could be something good for me to use on my brows.
Mirabella lipstick in Daydream – sell/trade. I would never use this so I’ll try to swap it for the Juice Beauty lip gloss with someone, or just sell it.
Yaby concealer in Honey – keep. My skin could use some concealer and I don’t have any I’m using now. Definitely worth trying!
Zoya nail polish in Gie Gie – trade. I would like to have one of the other shades (preferably purple) so I’m going to try finding someone to trade with me. Let me know if you’re interested!

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

[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 bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Sunday Social: fun times

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , , , ,
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Sunday Social
Joining in on Sunday Social ON Sunday this time! Yippee!

1. What is your favorite kind of surprise?
I’d have to say mystery boxes. While it’s cool to get surprised by a party (my amazing best friend did that for me before) or other unexpected event, I don’t really like being put on the spot. I’d much rather dig into a fun package with special treasures to be found. I’m pretty easy to please so I’m sure I’d be delighted with just about anything. Oh, and sweet little notes or messages are awesome too.

2. Flowers or chocolate?
Chocolate! I mean, I just love to snack and unless the flowers come in a pot, they just can’t compete with delicious treats. I have never been interested in bouquets of flowers – why would I want something that dies in a few days? A potted plant may not look as romantic, but it is so much more meaningful to me than a dead (or dying) plant. But I digress… I’m all about chocolate anyway. 🙂

watermelon sliced3. What is your favorite summertime activity?
Hmm… does eating watermelon count as an activity? I mean, living in California there are few things you can only do the in the summertime, but watermelons just don’t taste that great until it’s the right season! If I lived out east I’m sure it’d be exciting for the pool to open up or to be able to wear flip flops and more light clothing. Luckily, I can do that any time of year here.

4. Do you have any vacations planned this summer?
Absolutely! It kind of happened by accident, but Panda and I will be doing a mini vacation to Orlando. I unknowingly got roped into a timeshare presentation thing, but hey I’m down to learn more about it and get a nice break with my beau. This will help us last until late August, when the big vacation is planned! I would have been sad if we didn’t take some sort of vacation during the height of the summer months.

5. Favorite summer holiday?
4th of July. In certain states, it’s so much fun to play with fireworks. And in other states it’s fun to find a place to watch a fireworks show in the summer heat. I enjoy watching fireflies around this time too, and of course there’s the whole celebrating our nation part that’s pretty darn cool. That and Panda and I seem to be able to enjoy this holiday together every year.

6. What is your dream vacation?
Probably a 2-3 month giant getaway with Panda. I’d want to take him all around the world to my favorite places and explore some new countries with him too. This would involve a tour of Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden or Denmark, and hopefully a lot more. I’m not one to stay put in one location for extended periods.

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