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Posts Tagged ‘plants’

Prospurly April 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, coffees, drinks, essential oils, face masks, flowers, pictures, plants, products, prospurly, reviews, salves, seeds, serums, spring, subscriptions, teas

04 May 2016

Oops, I almost forgot to write about this one! It’s been here since the weekend and I opened it up, but then got distracted with the busy work week.

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

Holy Schmidt Coffee Co. Costa Rica Rio Jorco – Alas, I’m not a coffee drinker so this will have to go to someone else. I don’t know much about coffee, but I like that this is ecologically responsible.

Heather Lane Cosmetics Hand & Cuticle Salve in Garden Blend – This is a great item for spring. I like the unique ingredients, like plantain and mallow leaf. It’s wonderful for the rougher skin you might get from working outside or even washing dishes. My cuticles will be very happy with this!

The Moontree Jasmine Rose Cleansing Facial Serum – How cool! I love the actual flowers and petals floating in the serum and I’ve never had a cleansing serum before. I guess it’s sort of like the cleansing oil I use. I didn’t really smell the flowers though, so I wish they’d added some essential oils for an extra boost. I enjoy rubbing it in and feeling it sink in, softening my skin.

Rishi Tangerine Ginger tea – Totally saving this for school, when I think I will be drinking tea all the time (at least I’ll try). This one’s herbal so I’ll keep it for drinking before sleeping.

Lotus Natural LifeBlends Essential Oil in Allergy – This came at the perfect time. I was having an awful time with allergies I developed recently and I needed everything I could get that would help alleviate the discomfort. This roll-on helps with sinuses and it just feels soothing to apply to areas that I’m itchy too.

Free Mountain Seeds Wildflower Seed Bombs – Perfect for Earth Day and spring in general, these seed bombs will be fun to plant! It’s so exciting to see something sprout and grow, though I’m not good at keeping things alive beyond that initial stage. Still, these will be great to use when I want an assortment of flowers. I’ll probably save most until I’m done with school and have a place to garden. I wonder if my mom would like them…

The Moontree Blush & Blossom Rose Clay Mask – I like how this mask smells and having it in powder form makes it easy to bring along. I love that I can mix it with things other than water, like honey or yogurt. That sounds like fun! I look forward to trying that out.

I enjoyed this box and found many items to be very timely for the season. I’m not sure I’ll be able to give this subscription up! What do you think of this month’s box?

[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!]

Yogi Surprise February 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: aromatherapy, boxes, cards, chocolates, food, macaroons, pictures, plants, products, reviews, salves, seeds, skincare, snacks, subscriptions, teas

28 February 2016

Well I’ve had this box for three weeks and somehow forgot to blog about it. I really need to keep better track of which packages I’ve posted and which ones I haven’t.

Yogi Surprise is just under $36 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with yoga gear, skincare, food, and other lifestyle products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

barkthins dark chocolate almond snacking chocolate – Yum! These are nice and crisp, giving a satisfying break when you bite in. The thinness helps with making me feel like I’ve eaten more than I actually have and the flavor is a rich chocolate. I do sort of miss the crazy sweetness of holiday peppermint bark though.

Zhena’s Detox Renew Me tea – You can definitely taste the cranberry in this tea. I’m not sure if my liver needs much cleansing, but hey herbal tea can be good for keeping everything functioning well, right? I like that these pouches have no string or paper or staples. Tea bags should really move away from that and use compostable materials to make a bag with nothing else.

emmy’s raspberry macaroons – I’ve got to admit, I’m scared to try this. I’m not typically a fan of raw things and this type of macaroon is not usually something I enjoy. I’ll try to get myself to eat these once I sign up for a barre class! Which reminds me, I need to email about that…

Aura Cacia Chakra Balancing insightful third eye aromatherapy roll-on – Ah, what a soothing and mildly sweet scent. This is just the type of thing that we end yoga practice with and a great way to relax the mind. I will enjoy using this before I sleep at night.

Joshua Tree Healing Salve – This is supposed to be good for all sorts of cuts, scrapes, even minor burns. I don’t have any of those at the moment, but I will absolutely pull this out whenever I do hurt my skin the next time. It smells somewhat herbal and reminds me of a Burt’s Bees product that my cousin loves.

Dive in Deck – These cards are all wacky designs with either a question to provoke discussion or a statement followed by “Dive In.” For the statements, I’m not quite sure what the conversation would be, but I guess the point is to let whatever comes to mind flow. I think the most confusing one is “As above, so below. Dive In.” I wouldn’t know what to say to that since it doesn’t really mean anything to me. Overall the cards get you to think about interesting ideas about your personal philosophies in life.

Yogi Surprise Blooming with Love yoga sequence series card – I haven’t practiced yoga in a long time, but these cards are so fun to collect that I really should try them out. Go to their instruction page to download this sequence and the old ones too. That way you can use them too!

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Kohlrabi – Whoa, how cool! I had kohlrabi and apple salad in one of my boxes once and it was quite good, but I’ve never seen purple ones. Purple being my favorite color, I am totally excited to plant these eventually.

There are some items I really enjoyed and some others that were interesting but might not be to my taste. Which of these items would you like to have?

Prospurly December 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: balms, boxes, cooking, food, kits, pictures, plants, products, reviews, scrubs, seeds, skincare, spices, subscriptions, teas

08 January 2016

Ok, with all but one application submitted, I’ve got some time to tell you all about the most recent Prospurly box that I got. I haven’t had time to really dig in with these items, but I look forward to it!

The Savvy Heart peppermint body resurfacer – This leaked a bit in transit, so there were some refreshing oils left in the box. It’s a lovely mint scent that is very refreshing and the granules of sugar rub well into skin. It leaves a cooling feeling that’s great after working out or to start your day invigorated.

Aimee’s Home Cookin’ Germania Gluhwein mulling spices – Ooo it’s the perfect time to use mulling spices to make some apple cider! I love that it comes with its own little reusable pouch to keep the spices in when brewing. The scent is very aromatic and I feel like this would make awesome potpurri. Any chance there’s enough scent left after boiling that it can be dried and used as such? Doubtful, but we’ll see. I can’t wait to try this out since I’ve been loving apple cider lately.

St. Fiacre’s Farm organic loose leaf peppermint patty tea – Whoa, peppermint chocolate tea. Now that sounds interesting. What’s up with this minty theme in the winter? Is that common? I’m trying to stay warm over here! For now I’m keeping this sealed as I work through other teas I have, but come February or so I’ll probably break this out.

Melisa’s bundt cake soap – Mmm, this smells sweet. I think bath products shaped and scented like desserts are awesome. It’s really cute that she includes a recipe for a pound cake on the tag! Now that’s tying in the theme.

St. Fiacre’s Farm Winter Balm – This is a hand balm that smells like none I’ve had before. It definitely reminds me of the holidays and the formula is perfect for winter. Letting a bit start to melt with my body heat, I can then rub it on my hands to keep them nice and soft. I like that this is lightweight yet packs a punch. It’s super cool that it uses natural disinfectants so I can also help ward off some germs every time I lotion up!

jpants Crimson Clover seeds – I’m a little confused because there’s supposed to be stickers and “other goodies” in this pouch according to the card, but what I got was seeds. Did they miss something with mine or perhaps change their mind after producing the cards? Well, whatever the case, I have some nice little clover seeds that look like they will produce flowers! I like that prospect, so I’ll add this to my “to plant” pile and figure out when I want to actually do that. We don’t get much good sunlight indoors, so I don’t think now would be a good time.

jpants Dwarf Mugo Pine Bonsai Tree Kit – Now this is just the type of thing I was hoping to receive from a box like this. I’m all about cute, useful items that I wouldn’t find on my own! Since it takes awhile to grow get this to germinate, I can do some research and then get started later this winter. We’ll see if I’m successful! Usually I can get a plant to grow to a certain stage, but keeping it alive seems to be the hard part. Plus with travel plans, it’s not easy to keep plants well-maintained.

I’ll likely use everything from this box, though I miiiiight share the tea with someone else. I look forward to taking a bath at some point to give myself time to relax and use the scrub. This week has been long and tiring. What do you think of these products?

My cats love plants

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: cats, gardening, hobbies, home, nature, panda, pictures, plants

08 October 2015

To sniff and eat them, that is. Not just catnip either, though I do have that for them. Missy’s more interested in grass most of the time.

My new plants have been growing in a planter I got this summer. I have catnip, various wildflowers, poppies, and a smattering of other flowering type plants. I hope they make it through the colder weather coming up! I’ll have to find a place inside the home to place them later in fall. I recently planted tomato seeds and Panda saved pepper seeds from the last pepper we ate. I’d love to have my own little garden someday, though for now I don’t have a yard so my options are certainly limited.

Escape Monthly March: Ireland Box Review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, chocolate truffle, guide book, ireland, irish, pictures, plants, products, remedy cream, reviews, shamrock seeds, shortbread, soda bread mix, subscriptions, tea bags, travel

24 March 2014

Ok, so the March Escape Monthly box had no sheep, but I still loved it. It was very much food focused, which is perfect for me because I can always use more snacks. We eat far more than we use other products, so this helps prevent an overstock of items. I’m sure Panda will be happy about that. 😛

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)

Of course, who doesn’t think of green when you think of Ireland (particularly around St. Paddy’s Day?). I was actually surprised at how much green all the products have, giving it a very strong theme feel. I so wish I would have won this vacation… alas, hopefully I’ll win one eventually!

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Living Abroad in Ireland – What a wonderful guide to have for any American looking to spend extended time in this beautiful country. I’ll certainly be keeping it handy for when Panda and I get a chance to go visit. And hey, maybe we’ll even be lucky enough to live there for awhile.

Human+Kind Family Remedy Cream – The fun packaging already sets the right tone. Then when I saw it’s all-natural and made in Ireland, this immediately got more bonus points. This cream is meant for all kinds of skin conditions, ranging from burns and scars to stings and sores. You can even use it for brittle nails! It has a cooling, herbal sort of scent that includes tea tree oil. I certainly feels soothing, but I’m going to have to use it more to see if it actually does anything to reduce irritation.

O’Neills Shamrock Shortbread – Mmm, what rich and buttery shortbread! I love the crunchiness and the sweet aroma. The shamrock shapes are large so there are only four cookies in the box, but each one makes a sufficient snack. This makes for a fantastic bit of Ireland that is just wonderful.

Butlers Mint Truffle – It says milk chocolate truffle on the card, but I actually got the dark chocolate mint. It’s a dark chocolate shell with a soft truffle center and little bits of crispy mint pieces. Yum! Certainly a very luxurious treat that tastes fabulous. Wow – it’s like a super fancy mint patty. I don’t usually even like mint chocolate!

Bewley Gift of the Gab tea – I can smell a strong tea through the plastic baggie inside. I haven’t yet brewed this, but it’s definitely the kind of tea I’d drink on an afternoon as a pick-me-up. If I was a breakfast person, it’d be a fabulous substitute for morning tea. Seems like it’s similar to Earl Grey.

Bewley’s Ground Irish Creme Coffee – Well, I don’t drink coffee so this is all Panda’s. I find it quite unique that the coffee grinds came in a can! I half expected them to be soaking in some creme or something. I’m sure Panda will like having a pot of this coffee – maybe we’ll even wait until his brother’s back so they can enjoy it together.

Hogan’s Brown Irish Soda Bread Mix – I’ve heard of soda bread, but I have no idea what it is exactly. I’m not even sure I’ve ever tried it, but it looks wonderful. As a huge fan of bread, I’m sure this will be much enjoyed (if I can make it well enough). I look forward to trying my baking with this product.

Auld Sod Shamrock Seeds – The bonus product is just precious. Shamrock seeds?! I love it and I can’t wait to get a little pot to plant them in. As soon as the plague of winter weather leaves us for good this year, I’m going to plant these! Think I’ll get any four-leaf ones? 🙂

I thoroughly enjoyed the items in this box. I actually discovered that there are variations and I’m quite happy with mine. The other type I saw had marmalade, soap, and a seaweed bath instead of the guide book, tea, and truffle chocolate. I already have the seaweed bath, own way too many soaps, and probably wouldn’t get around to opening a jar of marmalade for ages. What do you like most in the Ireland Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): MEXICOESCAPE or YOURESCAPE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

Next up is Mexico next month! How wonderful that we’re getting another international theme. I love it! I expect some wonderfully bright colors and festive flavors.

365great Day 334: gardens

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, flowers, gardens, nature, pictures, plants

11 February 2014

It’s so peaceful to wander through a garden. I love the variety of plants you can find there and of course the insects that are inevitably attracted to them. My mom loves to plant things in our backyard, making it a rather tranquil place to hang out. We have rose bushes, fruit trees, and other odds and ends. It’s a place that is teeming with life yet so calming all at once. I particularly enjoy gardens with water, benches, and shady parts to hang out by. I could sit and stroll among the plants for ages, basking in the sun or shade. I’d even climb and sit in a tree if I could. It’s very soothing to enjoy nature and decompress away from the stress of day-to-day life. What a great way to step away from our normal surroundings and relax for awhile.

365great Day 284: orchids

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, flowers, pictures, plants, shopping, stores

23 December 2013

Orchids are my favorite flower, probably because they’re one of the few that come in purple. They’re also so beautiful, coming in a wide range of colors and shapes. I love the various patterns and structures of the flowers. It’s always so interesting browsing a selection of them and I can never choose a favorite! They make for a fabulous gift if you’re going to someone’s home and I’m totally going to have to get one for our kitchen when we move in. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in a bouquet arrangement, which is awesome too – I much prefer my flowers to come to me in a pot so they can keep living. Every time I go to the grocery store, I check out their orchids and admire the display. It’s going to be so great when I get to see them every time I’m home in the future. 🙂

Homegrown Collective October 2013 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: antioxidants, boxes, candles, canning, diy, eco-friendly, food, green, pictures, plants, preserving, projects, reviews, subscriptions, superfoods, thanksgiving

13 November 2013

I’ve had this Homegrown Collective GREENBOX for a week or so but hadn’t gotten around to taking pictures! Finally, this morning I braved the cold porch and got these shots. I’m looking forward to trying these fun projects, which are very well-themed for the cooler seasons.

The Homegrown Collective GREENBOX is $39 per box + $9 shipping (or as discounted as $429 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with fun and easy projects to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program you can apply to join.

Project #1, antioxidants & superfoods: Ok, so technically this isn’t a project and they just tell you about the benefits of cinnamon, ginger, and cranberries, which were some of the featured items in this month’s box. I think it would have been nice if they had included some simple suggestions for how to incorporate these into your diet for those health benefits mentioned.

the homegrown collective october 2013 antioxidants & superfoods info card

Learn about what makes these food items so fabulous!

the homegrown collective october 2013 products for antioxidants & superfoods

I wonder if you can make something tasty with all three of these…

Project #2, gourd candle making: How fun! I love candles even if I don’t actually burn them very often. The concept of a gourd as the container is really cool and unique. I can be confident nobody else will have one quite like mine. 🙂

the homegrown collective october 2013 project gourd candle making info card

What a fun way to make a unique candle.

the homegrown collective october 2013 products for gourd candle making

Looks like fun – can’t wait to try it!

Project #3, water bath canning: I’ve never tried canning before, so this is perfect. I like pretty much anything that involves a mason jar these days (I know, it’s a silly criteria). I don’t usually eat cranberries but I’m definitely looking forward to contributing them to the Thanksgiving gathering this year!

the homegrown collective october 2013 project water bath canning info card

Gonna try my hand at canning, how cool!

the homegrown collective october 2013 products for water bath canning

Seems like quite an interesting process. Hope it tastes yummy!

the homegrown collective october 2013 project food preservation 101 info card

And some information about preserving and canning your own food.

Do you receive The Homegrown Collective too? What do you think about the projects this time?

365great Day 227: Venus flytraps

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, nature, pictures, plants

27 October 2013

Aren’t these just the coolest plants? I think it’s amazing that they managed to grow into a claw shape and developed a mechanism to basically become carnivorous. Out of all the insect-eating plants out there, my favorite is the Venus flytrap because it really looks the role. As a kid I really wanted one of these plants and I asked my mom for ages before she finally decided she’d let me. I was crushed when I wasn’t able to find them for sale at the grocery store after that! I looked for years with no luck and while I’m sure I could get some these days, I have yet to actually ever get any. Perhaps with the move to the new condo, I can add that to my list of things to get, but I’ve heard they’re hard to care for so I might just keep postponing it. Whatever the case, I always love it when I come across these awesome plants. The way they’ve adapted creatively is pretty great.

365great Day 213: bamboo

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, bamboo, pictures, plants, products

13 October 2013

Bamboo is such a cool plant. It grows like weeds, but it’s so much more useful. In fact, part of why it’s useful is because it grows like weeds. As a renewable resource that can replenish itself at a rate far more fitting for human consumption, it’s a fantastic alternative to a lot of the other materials we may be using. You can make everything from furniture to super soft cloths with it and – oh by the way – you can eat it too. Since it’s so fibrous, it holds together well in many forms. I’ve certainly written about it plenty of times over the years… like my amazing super-flex skateboard, my crazy soft wash cloth, the time I went floating on a raft in Thailand, the time I nearly got myself a bamboo laptop, my set of bamboo chopsticks from my To-Go Ware set of reusable utensils, and of course that visit to the zoo where I watched a panda chowing down on some stalks. Anything that versatile and easier on the planet is pretty great.

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((little fat notebook))

Posts Tagged ‘plants’

Prospurly April 2016 review

Yogi Surprise February 2016 review

Prospurly December 2015 review

My cats love plants

Escape Monthly March: Ireland Box Review

365great Day 334: gardens

365great Day 284: orchids

Homegrown Collective October 2013 review

365great Day 227: Venus flytraps

365great Day 213: bamboo

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