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Posts Tagged ‘products’

Introducing 365great

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, goals, ideas, pictures, products, project, services, sharing

15 March 2013

Something great, every day.

Whether it’s a fresh idea, a wonderful company/brand, or an awesome experience – I’m challenging myself to my own version of a 365 photo project by posting about some of the wonderful things I come across every single day. As I mentioned in my recent post, great things are abound and I’d love to share what I find to be wonderful things and thoughts. Some of it might blow you away and some of it might just make you muse. A lot of it will probably be as simple as appreciating the little things in life!

Whatever the case, I’ll aim to not only share that great thing of the day, but pair it with an image. After all, people love pictures, so what better way to share ideas than using both the power of words and images?

I invite you to join me if you’re just as passionate about greatness in our world (and in particular, sharing it). Use whichever medium of sharing you like best, but put those wonderful thoughts out in the world and let’s all learn from each other. If you want to share on social media forums, use the hashtag #365great so we can find your “sharings” easily. Find my postings across these sites:

on Facebook at the 365great page
on this blog under the “365great” category
on Instagram as laelene, where I also attempt other photo a day challenges
on my 365great Pinterest board
on Tumblr, with a collection of random snippets I call “snipplets”
on Flickr in my 365great set
on the Twitterverse as laelene, interspersed with other tweets

And if you decide to join in, I’d be more than happy to connect through the Facebook page, create a collaborative Pinterest board, or interact on other sites. Just let me know and I’ll create it!

Here’s a running list of all the things I find great:

MARCH
03.15.13 Day 1 – Fleksy [typing without looking!]
03.16.13 Day 2 – Yuzen [bringing you zen in a box :)]
03.17.13 Day 3 – TED [sharing ideas worth spreading]
03.18.13 Day 4 – Squishable [giant balls of squishy love]
03.19.13 Day 5 – BzzAgent [a hassle-free sampling program]
03.20.13 Day 6 – shea-infused socks [novel, cute, and soft footwear]
03.21.13 Day 7 – Girl Scout Cookies [delicious treats & a lesson in business]
03.22.13 Day 8 – cats! [my furry favorites]
03.23.13 Day 9 – touchscreen gloves [saving you from frostbite]
03.24.13 Day 10 – aromatherapy [tapping into the power of smell]
03.25.13 Day 11 – snow [a gorgeous and magical bit of weather]
03.26.13 Day 12 – Coursera [bringing education online for free via MOOCs]
03.27.13 Day 13 – notebooks [helping you capture inspiration as it strikes]
03.28.13 Day 14 – sea monkeys [cheap and entertaining low-maintenance pets]
03.29.13 Day 15 – Daily Grommet [delightful finds carefully curated for you]
03.30.13 Day 16 – massage oils [pampering skin hydration w/o greasy residue]
03.31.13 Day 17 – photo challenges [opening up a world of creativity]

APRIL
04.01.13 Day 18 – dust plugs [pretty and practical accessories for your device]
04.02.13 Day 19 – cupcake in a jar [delicious, compact, and oh so fun]
04.03.13 Day 20 – packages [doesn’t the thought just make you smile?]
04.04.13 Day 21 – bb cream [turning 5 beauty steps into 1]
04.05.13 Day 22 – marinated mushrooms [tart morsels of delight]
04.06.13 Day 23 – handmade [personalized & made with care]
04.07.13 Day 24 – Korean BBQ [tasty all-you-can-eat]
04.08.13 Day 25 – foaming cleansers [making cleaning your skin fun]
04.09.13 Day 26 – scented pens [colorful, playful, and oh-so-wonderful-smelling]
04.10.13 Day 27 – micro-entrepreneurism [empowering anyone to work flexibly]
04.11.13 Day 28 – eos [uniquely-shaped natural skincare products]
04.12.13 Day 29 – Teatulia [eco-conscious, socially responsible tea]
04.13.13 Day 30 – kaolin clay [soothing, gentle impurity & oil absorber]
04.14.13 Day 31 – freshly baked [mouthwateringly wonderful and warm]
04.15.13 Day 32 – body pillows [amazing to snuggle with for a toasty time]
04.16.13 Day 33 – dry erase boards [reusable office tool great for lists]
04.17.13 Day 34 – spring [a lovely season of renewal]
04.18.13 Day 35 – LUSH [fresh & delicious-looking skincare]
04.19.13 Day 36 – plasma balls [sweet science in action!]
04.20.13 Day 37 – terrariums [mini living sculptures of nature]
04.21.13 Day 38 – 1 Second Everyday [awesome app to record a second of each day]
04.22.13 Day 39 – nature [bringing beauty and peace to our daily lives]
04.23.13 Day 40 – TBD [tune in tomorrow!]

Great ideas

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: business, companies, company, ideas, opinion, products

12 March 2013

I’m pretty addicted to learning about great new things, which I’m currently doing as I read through the profiles of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list for 2013. It never ceases to amaze me (and I should hope it never will) the cool things that are becoming realities and even commonplace in our lives. I love that we live in a world with such wonderful ideas. One of my recent favorites, which I wrote about before, is crowd-sourced, crowd-powered community marketplaces. I love how it empowers people to be their own micro-entrepreneurs and removes so many barriers to more traditional ways of doing things.

One in particular that I’ve learned to see in a new light is Airbnb – not only are they allowing anyone to rent out their space to bring in extra revenue, something else that has blossomed from their service is the availability of unique spaces. I mean, how else would you have gotten to stay in a repurposed jet or an igloo or a treehouse? These are the sorts of things that I only would have dreamed of previously, but now are an attainable reality. I find that truly breathtaking.

Another thing that I’m sure most other people are familiar with by now are those wearable bands (and other technology that is meant to monitor your day-to-day movement). There’s a quiet revolution building up in these gadgets, which at once are high-tech and high-fashion. While right now most of the applications are for health-related issues, I see a lot of potential here. So much data can be gathered about each and every one of us, which can be presented to us in meaningful ways: how active were you today? What places did you visit? How much time did you spend here or there, doing this or that? With each of those answers, we are empowered to understand our lives more and make better choices with that information. More lifestyle changes are coming!

Oh, and speaking of a change in how we do things – I’ve discovered Fleksy, which allows you to type without looking. Quite accurately too. How wonderful would it be to walk down the street and not have to look down at your device? To send out messages on your tablet while watching a show or even taking notes while keeping full eye contact with your professor? These are the kinds of things we’re used to with keyboards that give feedback via clicks and physical movement. Now we can do it on a completely flat screen without any feedback while typing! They’ve tested this on blind people with great success and us seeing folk do pretty well with it too. No more pudgy finger syndrome! Gotta love that. Let’s just hope that Apple actually lets them integrate this sort of technology into iOS, which they currently aren’t. AND, I hadn’t realized how intuitively I type with my thumbs without looking! Added bonus: this app makes you feel smarter. 😉

There are so many great things out in the world, constantly changing and upgrading and becoming even more awe-inspiring. Maybe instead of a photo a day blog, I should do a 365 great ideas blog. Then, I can share something I learned every single day (and that would encourage me to actually be consistently seeking new information). I might just have to do that…

Yuzen September 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, body wipes, eco-friendly, energy chews, facial creams, facial masks, facial wipes, food, green, hand cream, health, mints, pictures, products, review, skincare, snacks, yuzen

06 March 2013

Alright, I know I’m totally late to the game with this one, but I still want to put it out there for posterity. It’s still useful to go through the treats that came in previous Yuzen boxes and who knows, maybe you’re looking for a review of a specific product that was included.

Yuzen is $26 per month and comes with around 5 or 6 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

[Update: the collage below was featured on Yuzen’s Facebook page! How exciting. :)]

collage of unwrapping of september 2012 yuzen box

Even my cat was eager to check out the box this time!

I got so excited to try out this box that I completely forgot to take a shot of all the products together! Oh well…

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.

Cowgirl Skincare – Ranch Hand Cream: My very first reaction to this was of stunned surprise, because the packaging is the exact kind I was looking to use for a product I was working on launching (different dimensions though). What a coincidence! I was happy to get another Cowgirl product, after enjoying the cleanser that had come in the previous Yuzen box. When I first opened this, the flower pattern was just too pretty to ruin! I let it sit around for a couple of weeks as I used up my current solid lotion and then I couldn’t resist anymore. Now this is my go-to lotion whenever my hands feel dry from too much washing. It’s wonderfully hydrating and really fun to apply.

St. Claire’s Organics – Spearmints: I wasn’t expecting brown mints when I opened the tin, so that was kind of cool. It makes these mints feel more natural, as if they’re straight from the earth. I also love the quote inside the tin, which is totally random. The mints themselves are great and not only taste good, but have a good texture. If I ever need more mints, I’d definitely look at St. Claire’s. It’ll probably take me ages to get through just this tin though! I love that Yuzen started adding discount codes so you can save when you do decide to buy more.

La Fresh – Instant Body Soother, Oil-Free Face Cleanser, Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover, & Waterproof Makeup Remover: Wow, wow, WOW! I mean, I am just in love with La Fresh. I had heard of them, was intrigued, but couldn’t make the plunge. Thank you Yuzen for completely converting me into a fan. I was amazed at how effective the nail polish remover was (and how wonderful it smells) – all without acetone! The face cleanser was lightly scented and very soothing. My skin felt so good afterwards I didn’t even apply lotion. The body soother is a great refresher to your skin after a workout or time out in the sun. Its peppermint scent is totally relaxing too. Finally, the makeup remover was gentle and effective for the one time I’ve used makeup since I got it! Thank goodness I had that wipe, so I didn’t have to wash my face multiple times or rub my eyes like crazy. I’ve since bought a ton of things from La Fresh, taking advantage of their free shipping for orders over $50 and 10% discount code for first-timers (8LFFSW5)!

Pangea Organics – Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask & Nigerian Ginger with Lavender & Thyme Facial Cream: Ok, I admit, the hype around this brand has intimidated me. So much so that I have actually yet to open these bottles to try! I just want to really enjoy them and right now I’ve got all this facial stuff that I want to use first. I promise I will try them and update, if you ever come back again… I have tried another product that I got in a later Yuzen box, which I like so far.

Honey Stinger – Pomegranate Passion organic energy chews: These gummies are fun! I’ve got to be careful not to treat them like normal candy, or else I might just down the entire bag. I think this is a great way to get energy, especially since I don’t drink coffee or energy drinks. I haven’t gotten to test how effective the energy boost is though, so that has yet to be seen. At least the taste and texture is good! The energy boost wouldn’t be worth it if they weren’t.

Slick razor upgrade

laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: bzzagent, free stuff, opinion, pictures, products, razors, review, schick, schick hydro silk

03 March 2013

I’ve used a Venus razor since I started shaving some 12-13 years ago. I don’t shave often, so those first couple of replacement heads that came with the handle have lasted me all this time. While I have supplemented my shaving with a few disposable razors and whatnot when I was at hotels, I’ve pretty much been a one-brand gal. Enter the Schick Hydro Silk razor, which I was given to try (for free!) as part of a BzzAgent campaign.

With five blades spaced pretty close together, you get a very close shave and I was actually able to navigate my knees and ankles without fear of nicking myself! They have a strip of “moisture serum” that is supposed to sort of melt from the heat of your shower, but I didn’t really notice it coming off to hydrate my skin. Still, my legs didn’t feel dry so it must have worked, right? Also nice is a little suction cup hanger so you can keep your razor within reach, yet out of the way in your shower.

After trying the Schick Hydro Silk razor, I definitely have a very positive impression of Schick. Prior to this, I hadn’t really known much about the brand or thought of it as highly as I did Gillette, but now that I’ve experienced one of their products, I’d put them on par with Gillette. In fact, they might just be my go-to brand for my shaving needs now. That will be determined as I continue to put their razor to the test over the next few years!

Aerie underwear!

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: aerie, american eagle, free stuff, pictures, products

21 February 2013

Aerie by American Eagle had this promo where you could get free underwear in store, or get it for $0.01 online with a code they texted you. Panda and I happened to get sent a total of 5 codes and since it didn’t say you couldn’t redeem them all, I did! Fun times. 🙂 I am now totally a fan of Aerie and will go to them for my future undergarment needs.

They came in discreet black bags.

five different aerie underwear in plastic bags

So many fun designs!

All set for the week. 🙂

Valentine’s surprise

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: cute, experiences, holiday, jewelry, pictures, products, ring, tous, valentine's

15 February 2013

I’m not usually one for fanfare, but I do love a nice surprise now and then. Look at what Panda got me for Valentine’s! 🙂

seafoam green tous gift bag with pink & red gift tag

What’s this?!

inside of tous valentine's gift bag with red package

Peeking inside…

tous valentine's bag and box with baby panda

Baby Panda checks out the treat.

tous valentine's box open like flower petals

The red box opens up like flower petals to reveal a jewelry box.

round tous jewelry box with elastic band and bell

Cute little round jewelry box topped with a bell!

tous jewelry box opened to reveal bag inside

The next layer is the baggie.

Almost there!

Yay, a cute little ring!

wearing tous bear green & white flower ring on finger

Look carefully and you’ll notice the “petals” are actually the TOUS bear wrapped around a sweet little Murano crystal.

BzzAgent to the rescue!

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: beauty, experiences, opinion, personal care, products

13 February 2013

So I mentioned in my MorningStar Farms post that I got it for free from BzzAgent, which I joined just a few months ago. Since then, I’ve gotten invited to two more campaigns, both of which have been really fitting and timely for my current needs! One was for Schick’s Hydro Silk razor and the other was for Garnier’s Olia hair dye.

I’ve been using the same brand of razor since I started shaving and since I shave so infrequently, I actually have the original handle and am only on the third blade. Granted, I’ve used some disposable ones here and there and once got another brand attached to the shaving cream I bought, but for the most part that original razor has lasted me for a decade or so.

When BzzAgent sent me the new Schick Hydro Silk razor for free, I was pretty excited to try something new. My old razor would sometimes give me knicks and I was always wary of shaving around my knees and ankles because of it. With the Schick though, it glided so smoothly that I had to try a second and third time just to make sure it worked! I couldn’t believe it was so slick against my skin. I love that it has 5 blades that are close together, providing a really smooth shave. Now I have a razor that will probably last me another decade!

Most recently, I was offered to join the Garnier Olia campaign. It’s a revolutionary new hair dye that uses oils to provide permanent hair color with no ammonia. Love it already! Apparently it has a bunch of natural flower oils so it smells great and it conditions and restores hair. I’m about to get my hair cut this weekend and I was literally just thinking to myself how nice it would be if I could get it colored. At this point though, I’m not about to pay for a coloring at the salon. Then along came Olia, which I am getting a coupon for a free box of. I can’t wait to try it!!

I’m pretty pleased with BzzAgent and I’m really excited to keep getting to try out great products like these.

An experiment in meatless

laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: food, pictures, products, review

07 February 2013

I got involved with BzzAgent towards the end of last year and recently started getting some offers through it! It’s been pretty exciting and I wanted to share my first FREE product: MorningStar Farms veggie burgers. I was sent a coupon for a free box and I opted for a very delicious-looking Grillers Chick’n Veggie Patties. Since my mom was home, it took me awhile to finally getting around to cooking for myself and it turned out great!

I made a quick and easy stir fry with two Grillers Chick’n patties, some bean sprouts, and some wood ears (so very Chinese of me). I liked that the packaging was split up into two separate plastic bags so I don’t have to worry about the other two patties getting frosty. When I first opened the plastic bag, the smell of the patties made my mouth water! It doesn’t really need any extra seasoning at all. When I got to cutting, I realized that I probably needed a sharper knife since I got a bit of mush as the patty defrosted. Apparently butter knives don’t cut it (haha).

So here’s my oh so simple recipe, Chinese style (aka no exact measurements)…

Ingredients:

1-2 MorningStar Farms Veggie Patties in the flavor of your choice (depends on your appetite – one is plenty for lunch and two is great for dinner or to share)

2 handfuls of veggies chopped up and ready to stir fry

1 dollop of soy sauce (if you must add some stronger flavor)

Instructions:

1. Chop up the patties & veggies into bite-size pieces.

2. Heat up a wok or stir fry pan and dump in all ingredients.

3. Stir around so nothing burns and turn down heat low if needed.

4. After stirring for awhile, throw on the extra sauce as desired.

5. Turn off burner and enjoy with rice, rice porridge, or alone!

Yup, and that’s how cooking goes in my household. It came out pretty well, though with the strong flavor, I didn’t need the soy sauce. I definitely want to try it as a burger next time. You should give it a try sometime too! 🙂

Total cuteness

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: experiences, health, pictures, products

15 January 2013

Yesterday, I finally got the Harry Otter eye pillow that I won from Herbal Animals (for helping to name him). While he’s much smaller than I imagined, he’s ten times more adorable than I expected! I guess I should have known that an eye pillow wouldn’t be all that large, but for some reason the size I was thinking of would probably be more of a face pillow (if there is such a thing!).
I was pretty thrilled and immediately posted a picture on Facebook. Since I was heading out, I didn’t get to open him up until later in the day. When I did, I had fun playing around with him. He’s cool and soft to the touch and has a fresh minty + soothing/healing scent. It’s a combination of chamomile, lavender, and peppermint. I can definitely smell the chamomile and peppermint, and then the lavender sneaks up on me. These herbs are very relaxing and when I want a stronger dose, I just have to massage little Harry a bit to “awaken” the scent. It’s lovely!

The one thing I would have liked is for him to a bit more filled. Right now when he sits up, his head is just full of air. I think there’s enough room to have more herbs AND allow the free flow of his innards. Still, I appreciate having him nonetheless and now I’m tempted to get him a friend – maybe Peter Panda or Cowlamity Jane! I wish I was crafty like these folks and could make a cool product like this. Someday, I’ve got to learn a skill like that.
Anyway, I was surprised to see that one of my friends on FB then decided to get an Herbal Animal for herself after seeing me post up the picture of Harry! Who knew I’d be referring customers already? 😉 Good times.

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((little fat notebook))

Posts Tagged ‘products’

Great ideas

Yuzen September 2012 edition

Slick razor upgrade

Aerie underwear!

Valentine’s surprise

BzzAgent to the rescue!

An experiment in meatless

Total cuteness

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laelene

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