I love loofahs. If you don’t decide to eat them you can just let them dry out and boom, you’ve got yourself a wonderful exfoliating sponge. Not only can you wash your skin with it, it makes for a perfect sponge to clean dishes with. So take your pick on how you choose to use it and then when you’re done just bury it in the ground! A beautifully natural tool for bath and kitchen that will compost away and create no waste when it’s time to get a new one. You can even save the seeds from them to plant yourself for a never-ending supply. Now that’s a great thing.
Posts Tagged ‘products’
365great Day 200: loofahs
laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, beauty, cleaning, eco-friendly, green, health, home, kitchen, nature, pictures, plants, products
30
September
2013
0
8 tips for buying a new car
28
September
2013
Alright, I started to mention some things soon after I got my Kia, but I wanted to put together a more cohesive list of recommendations if you’re in the market to buy a car. One of these days I’ll discuss the decision to lease versus purchase, but for now if you know you want to buy, here are some things that may help:
1. Do your research
This is probably a given, but just in case, I’m including it. Spend time using the various resources online to find out which models you might want and once you have it narrowed down, go for some test drives. Between getting the features you want and having a car that feels good for your driving preferences, you can probably narrow it down. Then you can really hone in on what price you could get it at, using sites like Kelley Blue Book. Your goal is to get at or below the Fair Purchase Price.
2. Take your time
Salespeople will forever be trying to get you to jump on offers pronto, since they want to get that sale in the bag. If they don’t get you now, who knows what might happen – they may never get you as a customer. Don’t let them pressure you into deals you’re not comfortable with. The best way to ensure you’re prepared for this brings me to my next point…
3. Time your purchase
First of all, try to give yourself 2-3 weeks leeway from when you start looking to when you’d actually want/need the car. That way you aren’t in a rush and can go back to dealerships over the course of a few weekends (assuming you can’t make it on weekdays). Secondly, if you know way ahead of time you’ll be getting a car down the road, try to do it as the current year’s models are being phased out and the next year’s are coming in. Dealerships will be much more willing to give you deals on the models that are on their way out. Third, start looking towards the beginning of a month. Many promotions generally end at the end of a month, so this will give you time to browse and still take advantage of offers.
4. Take advantage of promotional offers
There are generally a variety of promotions going on at any given time, so be sure to ask about those and find which ones you qualify for. Even if you don’t, if someone in your family does and is willing to be a co-signer, that’s a great way to save hundreds if not a couple thousand right off the bat. I did this with Panda, who qualified for two promos (recent grad and competitive vehicle). If it was just me… well, I would have had to pay another $1400.
5. Try multiple dealerships
If you live/work within a reasonable distance of multiple dealerships, try visiting them all. I ended up purchasing from the second dealership I went to because it gave me a better vibe and my salesperson seemed to really want to give me a good experience. Plus, you can use it as a way to find a better deal by comparing the different offers you get at each. If you plan on getting all future maintenance with your dealership, you might want to go to the closest one, but if you’re the type to take your car to a smaller local shop, then a further dealer won’t make much difference (and if their service or price is better, it could be worth it).
6. Negotiate the overall rate
Now I’m not sure if all dealers do this, but since all I cared about was the total price I’d pay, including all taxes and fees, the finance guy quoted me a number and he stuck to it. That way, there are no surprises. So if you can, try to get them to commit to the number with everything factored in. After all, what you get for the car may be what you wanted, but then with the freight charge, processing fee, taxes, and who knows what else, you may end up paying thousands more than you anticipated. Watch out for those extra charges and try to negotiate the absolute max that you’d pay all-inclusive.
7. Ask for freebies
A nice way to get some small things you may have wanted buy didn’t want to buy is to use that for bargaining in your negotiation. If they’re at a price you like, try saying you’d sign the paperwork now if they threw in a charging cable, or upgraded floor mats, or what have you. Then you save yourself a few meals’ worth while feeling great about the fun bonuses you got.
8. Get financing with 0% interest
If you can pay for your car over the course of 5 years without incurring a higher price, why not? It frees you up to do other things with your money. Of course, the sales price might be higher if you get this, but it’s most likely you’ll save in the long run compared to if you got a 1.9% or whatever the going rate is now. Make sure to calculate that and know whether it’s worth it. This is assuming you need financing… if you can just pay it upfront then more power to you.
What else would you advise someone on the market for a new car? Have you gotten a great deal before?
365great Day 196: Yorkshire Soap Co
26
September
2013
While strolling through the streets of York, I came across the Yorkshire Soap Company shop. It was filled with delicious-looking soaps in the shape of cake slices, cupcakes, and other such desserts. It reminded me of Lush, but more delicate, if that makes sense. They use lighter colors, more girly glittery and flowery looks, and sweeter scents. It felt like walking into a couture-inspired bakery. The moment I smelled their orange cream cupcake, I knew I had to have it (along with a few other things ;)). Their handmade goodies are irresistible and feel so indulgent. I opted for that cupcake and a set of four bath truffles. I must admit I’ve yet to use them since they just look too cool, but at the moment they are making some very fine fragrances. Whenever I walk by, I get a lovely whiff of them and I can’t wait to use them… once I’ve convinced myself it’s time to ruin them and let them melt away.
365great Day 195: memory foam
laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, brands, comfort, experiences, memory foam, nike, pictures, products, shoes
25
September
2013
Omfreakin’g. I think my feet have found their personal heaven. These memory foam footbeds in my sneakers are fabulous. I’ve often had foot pain due to the lack of padding in my flats, flip flops, and other footwear so this time around I went shopping with just one purpose: comfy shoes that I can stand in for hours. When I started browsing, I happened upon the Nike In Season model of shoe and I knew right away I could get nothing less. I looked for the comfort footbed in other ones, but of the items at the outlet, they were the only ones I could find. Luckily, I liked the colors of this pair, so I got them when I went back. Today I wore them for the first time as a test run throughout the day and never have my feet felt so fabulous. It’s been years since I’ve worn sneakers and now I’m considering wearing nothing but! Or I suppose I could remove the insoles and put them in other shoes. I may not have liked the heavy feeling my head got from a memory foam pillow, but for my feet, it’s a dream come true. Amazingly great!
Escape Monthly September: Oregon Box Review
laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, brush, candles, coffee, escape monthly, food, lip balms, lotions, nuts, oregon, pictures, products, pumice, reviews, snacks, soaps, subscriptions, teas, travel
25
September
2013
I was pretty surprised when my Escape Monthly box came last week. I somehow had it in my head that they ship later in the month, but I guess they go for mid-month. That’s perfect since most other subscriptions come at another time so they help bridge the gap and prevent a dry spell. I didn’t win the trip this month, but alas, there’s always next time. 🙂 Check out my unboxing video and then read below for more!
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)
Ah, the great Northwest. I’ve barely ever been there (through a few airports a few times) and I definitely want to visit after this box! They included a lot of fun products locally made in Oregon, which is fantastic since that’s what subscribers were asking for. They covered mostly food and beauty this time, but I still felt the variety was good. I like how they highlighted so many things Oregon is known for – most of which was all news to me!
Here’s what came in the box:
Moon Handbooks guide to Oregon – Looks like these handbooks are going to be a staple in our boxes. They’re nice and very informative – right up Panda’s alley (he totally got similar books from the library before our UK trip). I do like one subscriber’s suggestion to offer the option to get these as ebooks. It’d save them quite a bit of weight and allow us more portability.
Doug’s Nuts – Normally I don’t like nuts, but hey it said “crazy good nuts” so I had to try them. I like the combo of sweet and salty, which made this one of the best nut blends I’ve tasted. I’m still not crazy about nuts, but I can definitely see myself munching on these from time to time. I’ll have to see what Panda the nut-lover thinks of this blend. He’s usually happy with some cashews so I wonder how he’ll like the sweet undertones.
Metolius Tea and Apothecary – Ooo what a fancy mix of ingredients! I’ve never had a tea with coconut before so that was pretty exciting. The blend smelled wonderfully of coconut and lavender, which is strangely complementary. I’m not used to my tea coming in such small bits, so probably should have used a strainer to brew it. Can you imagine me blowing on it trying to get a hole in the floating parts so I could drink it without consuming the tea too? Well, that’s how it happened and it was quite the spectacle, lol. I like the fragrance of this tea as I’m drinking it! Definitely smell the lavender.
Molly Muriel Volcanic Bliss soap – Yes, yes, yes! I’m a sucker for anything that’s detoxifying and/or has tea tree oil and charcoal. This soap hits all those and more, like neem oil, which is a new ingredient I just learned about at Green Festival over the weekend. I like the branding of this company and I definitely want to try more of their products! Of course I need to work through just a few dozen other soaps first… 😛
Oregon Orchard Hazelnuts – Holy cow, what a special concept. Hazelnuts encased in cherry-flavored milk chocolate? Cool! I’m always wary of cherry-flavored items but this one wasn’t so bad. Pairing it with hazelnuts creates this crazy blend of flavor that lingers in my mouth. What a fun treat. I’m sure most people would love them! Once again, I’m not that into nuts, so while this snack is fascinating I’ll probably just have this pouch and be done.
Oregon Rain Portland Rose Lotion – How cute that they make this lotion with rain that fell in Oregon! I can smell a bit through the seal and I like the sweetness. I don’t want to open it just yet until I use up some other lotions, but I do look forward to trying it eventually.
Portland Bee Balm – Aww, it’s awesome that this is made with local beeswax and includes peppermint for a refreshing cooling sensation. I’ve got a major backlog in lip balms, so I won’t open it just yet. Always good to have a stash though! I’m going to start keeping a lip balm in my purse, car, at my desk, and by the bedside. You never know when your lips might feel dry!
Primitive Lights Beeswax Cinnamon Roll Votive – What an adorable design!! I feel bad burning it so I think I’ll let its cinnamon scent fill the room for awhile before lighting it up eventually. It has an amazing sweet spicy scent that is perfect for the upcoming winter months.
Grounds For Change coffee – I’m not a coffee drinker, but this one actually smells decent! I’m saving it for Panda’s brother, who’s a big coffee drinker. I like that it’s fair trade and carbon-neutral. Definitely conscious of the environment and the welfare of the growers.
wooden pumice brush – I love the bonus items! Is it sad if I say that’s one of my favorite parts of Escape Monthly? Well, honestly I’m all about these accessory type items, like this pumice brush and last month’s loofah. It’s exactly the sort of stuff I want and need and don’t get in other boxes.
What do you think of this Escape Monthly box? Have you been to Oregon? If you want Escape Monthly for yourself, sign up, and try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): ESCAPENOW for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription, TROPICALESCAPE for 20% off, GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.
And a preview of next month:
[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 won this box and wanted to share what I got!]
365great Day 194: free stuff
laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, free stuff, pictures, products
24
September
2013
Who doesn’t like receiving free things? It’s a treat that you didn’t have to pay for, but you probably earned in some sense so it’s rewarding to feel like you deserve it. Sometimes it might be things given to you for free because you put forth a lot of effort. Other times it might be something that doesn’t cost you anything because you were a good person. At least that’s been the case for me – all my winnings have been because I either took the time and energy to try and many of the other free things have been earned through certain behaviors. It always feels so wonderful when I receive items at no cost to me, because it’s like I’m getting a present that I deserved. It’s amazing how different it feels to buy something for practically nothing versus being given something for nothing monetary. Getting free stuff feels great every time!
Goodies Co. September Taster’s Box review
laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, drinks, food, goodies co, pictures, products, reviews, snacks, subscriptions
22
September
2013
Here’s my September Taster’s Box #3, which included a bottle of Nestle Pure Life Splash in Acai Grape, Mario Pitted Snack Olives, barefruit Fuji Red Apple chips, Kashi Sundried Tomato, Basil & Feta Hummus Crisps, Numi Savory Tea in Spinach Chive, Zone Perfect Greek Yogurt Chocolate bar, and Attiki honey. You can find my unboxing video online soon.
I was super surprised by the Nestle Pure Life Splash since I didn’t expect it to have such a strong flavor. I thought it’d be like those waters at hotels where they put some fruits in there to give it a hint of flavor. Instead it’s this sort of indescribable drink that is like drinking water with the taste of juice. Pretty good! I’m not really a fan of olives, but I gave Mario Pitted Snack Olives a chance. Since they’re seasoned with spices, I thought they might taste kind of like a pickled vegetable and I love almost anything brined! Unfortunately, I still don’t like that olive taste though I did like the firm texture of the olives. It tasted a bit bitter to me to though and I can’t say I’ll ever want to eat olives, no matter how they’re flavored. On a completely different note, the barefruit Crunchy Fuji Red Apple chips are something I really like. It’s not new to me but it’s something I enjoy so I certainly enjoy having a little bag to bring to work! Out of the apple types, this is my absolute fav too. Then there’s the Kashi Sundried Tomato, Basil & Feta Hummus Crisps, which are yummy! They have a stronger flavor than the sea salt ones I got to try for free from BzzAgent but I like them both depending on whether I want a strong taste or something more mild. When it comes to the Numi Savory Tea I must admit I’m intimidated. Spinach and chive tea?! I don’t know about that… I’ll have to try it out soon before I lose the nerve, haha. Next up is the Zone Perfect Greek Yogurt Chocolate bar that is quite good. I don’t normally eat bars, but I could see myself eating this regularly after a workout (if I ever worked out!). And then there was the Attiki honey that had me confused at first – was it supposed to go with something? I guess it’s a stand-alone sample and I’m not sure if it’s normal that mine is less than half full. It’s pretty good with a more intense flavor than the honey I’m used to. That must be the thyme they used to make the honey with!
This time the box was ok for me, with some items I already knew and a few I’m not so sure about. There were a few I do enjoy and would definitely get more of though! What did you get in your Goodies box? What are your thoughts on these snacks?
Treatsie September 2013 review
laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, candy, pictures, products, reviews, subscriptions, treatsie
20
September
2013
Treatsie is $15 per box and comes with artisan candy from 3 brands. That usually means 5 or 6 different flavors of treats. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program.
This time around the label was new and shiny.
See how it reflects the light? The old labels were a paper that was matte.
Oh my yum.
Morning Glory Confections Chai Tea & Cashew Artisan Brittle: Ooo, what an exotic-sounding brittle. I’ve only ever had peanut brittle, which is one of the few things with peanuts that I actually like! This is with chai tea flavor and cashews, which is very fragrant and warm. It’s such a perfect treat for the fall and the crunchiness is super satisfying. Watch out if you have sensitive teeth and can’t bite very hard! Might want to put part of a piece in your mouth to let it soften first. Or, if you like hard candies like me you can just dig right in.
Katherine Anne Confections Vanilla Black Pepper and Cinnamon Sugar Marshmallows: The texture of these marshmallows are amazing – soft and supple yet they just melt in your mouth when you bite in. NOM! I loved the uniqueness of the Vanilla Black Pepper, which was sweet with a kick. So much fun! And of course the Cinnamon Sugar was a lovely sweet aromatic flavor for those of you who don’t want the contrast of sweet and spicy.
Grey Ghost Bakery Cinnamon Pecan, Chocolate Espresso, and Molasses Spice Cookies: I think one of these is the amazing smell that came wafting up as I was opening the box. Namely, the Cinnamon Pecan, but I can’t be sure because there were so many cinnamon items in the box! I love it; it totally reminded me of the fall season. The Cinnamon Pecan is a crisp sort of cookie, which is a bit crumbly. The taste is good but I like more soft cookies. I don’t like espresso flavors so I’m saving it for someone else. My favorite was the Molasses Spice that was just the right softness, sweet and fragrant, and had fabulous sugar granules. Oh yes, please.
Did you get a Treatsie box? How do you like these fall-inspired treats?
[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!]
Ipsy September 2013: Classic Beauty
laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, eye pencils, eye shadows, face masks, ipsy, lip balms, makeup, mascara, pictures, products, subscriptions
18
September
2013
Alright! My Ipsy bag arrived on Monday but I’ve been getting home from work kind of late so it’s always too busy at night for me to do a proper video or get pictures (plus the lighting isn’t as nice). Sooo I made sure to get those pictures taken today for this post. 🙂 Oh, and I have the video up now!
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.
I just wanted to note that this was the flattest bag yet, to the point that I almost doubted there was anything in the pouch before I opened it! Funny how that works.
Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple – keep. I quite enjoy the unique shape of Cailyn products. I haven’t really gotten to use the purple eyeliner I traded for from a previous bag, but I did have some fun with it (and discovered I really suck at making good lines). Now this is something I can’t really mess up! The red is more bright and bold than I’d choose for myself, but since it came in my bag I’m all for it. Totally into non-lipstick lip products these days, including lip balms, tinted lip balms, and lip scrubs.
NYX Eye Shadow in Fantasy – trade. This one was unavoidable since everyone got one and while it’s cute, I just don’t use eye shadow. Definitely going up on the trade list, as with any other eye shadow I will ever get. I’ll give Ipsy a pass on this since it wasn’t one of the items that you might have gotten – it was one for all the bags and IpsyMatch certainly can’t unmatch you to a staple item.
It’s So Big Volumizing Mascara by Elizabeth Mott – keep. I’ve started to use a little mascara here and there for work, so this will come in handy. I’m still looking for one that is really waterproof/smudge proof since I always forget and end up rubbing my eyes. I don’t enjoy looking like a raccoon for half the day! We’ll see how this one performs. Volumizing is cool and all, but what I really need is one that will stay on my lashes until I decide to wash it off with oil or makeup remover.
Freeman Paper Masks in Rose, Star Fruit, and Blue Agave – keep. These I’m excited about!! I enjoy masks of all sorts and I’ve been trying a bunch but these would be my first paper masks in a long time. I’ve never tried Freeman before so I’m excited to see what they have to offer. These masks seem really nourishing and I absosultely love that they included three different ones to try! Almost makes up for the fact that they gave me all these eye products that I don’t really use. I’m probably going to want to repurchase these at some point.
Starlooks Eye Pencil in Obsidian – trade. So this is the one I’m most disappointed in, since I already had to get the eye shadow that I won’t use and now I’m getting this pencil that I won’t use, PLUS it’s a product that came in a previous bag. If they had to do that, I would have been fine with a Pop Crayon since I traded mine and then decided I wanted to try one, haha. Even better would have been the Butter London nail polish, which is something I actually really want. Definitely going to try my luck trading for one of those, though I don’t know what colors people got.
Ok, so it looks like IpsyMatch either faltered a bit or just didn’t want to give me the cool high-value nail polish I would have enjoyed a lot. Well, it’s always a risk and at least I’m happy with the masks and I’ll be trying out two of the other items. Thank goodness for trading! Oh, and the bag itself is cute. I like the round zipper tab and the more subtle design. The summer bags have been more flashy and fun so it’s nice to get a change from that.
So what do you think of the items I got? What came in your Ipsy bag this month?
[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!]
365great Day 184: backup cameras
14
September
2013
Learn more about 365great here.
One feature of my car that I find really useful is the backup camera. It’s hard to gauge how much room you have left when you’re in reverse trying to back out of somewhere. This is what makes parallel parking such a challenging task for many, since you want to fit into a small area but you don’t always know how close you are to the curb or the cars next to you. I’m going to get totally spoiled by this feature though I’ll still practice trying to see through the back of the car so I don’t get too rusty at doing it manually. I might even try backing up into spots! That’s really popular in some countries (like Singapore) but not as much in the US. I’m thinking about giving it a shot since my head-in parking has been rather crooked with this car so the opposite approach might work out well for me. Whatever I decide to do, I have my trusty backup camera to help me drive more accurately in reverse. So useful it’s great.
