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Yuzen: my first subscription box!

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: eco-friendly, experiences, green, opinion, pictures, products

03 August 2012

I’m beyond thrilled that I finally got a package today! Exactly one month ago, I first got into this whole subscription craze and ordered the anniversary special from blissmobox. Unfortunately, that meant that I’d have to wait until early to mid-August to get my first shipment (and I have been waiting rather impatiently). Luckily, a few days ago I came across Yuzen when I was checking up on one of the blogs I follow. Everything about this brand appealed to me – the name, the aesthetics, the eco-friendliness of their choices, even their messaging! I tried really hard to resist, but honestly I couldn’t. When I caved, I decided that I wanted this to be a special gift from my boyfriend (haha :-P). So, I brought it up to him and spent some time convincing him. I’m an extremely persuasive person, so of course I got my way and he put in the order to get this box indefinitely – yippee!

I feel really fortunate that they still had July boxes available and the very next day, my package was sent out! Now it’s a mere three days later and I got a wonderful surprise at my front door. 🙂 It’s a good thing that a thunderstorm came rolling by, since I only discovered the package when I went to bring in the chairs from outside. Either the post lady didn’t ring the doorbell, or all three of us in the house missed it. Anyway, I’ll stop babbling so much and share some pictures, which I was very obsessive about taking. I meticulously documented just about every single move I made. Another day I’ll go into why I instantly loved Yuzen so much. Today it’s all about joy and happiness and fulfillment and excitement and… ok ok, on with it:

collage of yuzen july box from arrival on doorstep to opening of box

They make it so beautiful! The experience of opening the box is worth savoring.

Upon opening the box, a fantastic scent wafted up – I nearly rushed through the opening process to get to it, but I took a deep breath instead. After all, this is all about bringing a little zen (and happiness) to my day, so why not take it slowly and truly appreciate every little thing? The inside card includes a lovely message from founders Jen & Ted about the wonders of summer, which inspired July’s theme of “bringing joy, discovery and a celebration for the senses.” They sure did accomplish that! I also got a wonderful surprise when I saw the note from Panda (the boyfriend): “This is for my Panda Bear: a monthly commitment to a happy relationship.” Yay! <3

I can’t wait to re-purpose the decorations, especially the Yuzen paper (which I will turn into origami jewelry to be sold at Panda Loves)! When you open up the card, there’s information on each of the brands included in the box, as well as why they chose it. I definitely appreciate this information and soaked it all in.

I carefully took the products out item by item until I found them all. There are Lotus Wei flower essence mists to help you connect with your inner beauty, a Primavera facial scrub to renew your skin, some Himala Salt for a pure addition to your meals, Teatulia teas to enjoy an organic & healthy beverage, a People Towels hand towel to save the world from paper towels, and Kopali Organics mulberries as a superfood snack. I absolutely love these products; what a great selection from Yuzen! I’ll reserve my opinions on the products for some other posts before this one gets too long. Excuse me while I go try them all! 🙂

Curated craze

laelene Posted in general blog, subscriptions，Tags: behavior, eco-friendly, environment, observation, opinion, pictures, products, shopping

09 July 2012

I subscribe to a random smattering of newsletters and daily deal sites, one of which is blissmo. Earlier in the week, I got an email with a special offer that piqued my interest – sign up for a blissmobox membership and get a special edition box free! I’ve been aware of these subscription-based programs that offer a box of curated goods each month, but I had never gotten into them. However, after looking into blissmoboxes, I felt that for $19/box (or just $17.54 if you count the bonus one too) it was worth a shot. After all, I’m a sucker for trying new products and what better way than to let the people of blissmo pick out some eco-friendly ones for me?

This experience got me thinking about this whole “curated” trend that’s been going around. From daily deals that are curated by experts to monthly themed boxes curated by the team at a company, options are popping up everywhere. You can go for environmentally-friendly products like I did, or choose from food only, beauty products, fashion, and countless other angles. I won’t talk about daily deals today, since this whole monthly box thing is my newest interest. I love the idea because you get introduced to a bunch of cool new products without having to scour the aisles yourself. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy receiving a package?

While looking into what the latest blissmobox contained, I discovered a blogger who reviewed a bunch of these services. I’m pretty baffled by how many she subscribes to, but if you cut out shopping in stores and buying snacks yourself, I can see how it wouldn’t cost too much more to exclusively use these subscriptions. There’s definitely a strong appeal to getting on this trend, whether it’s purely because you like to receive packages or you’re actually looking to sample a variety of products to help you choose what to use in your daily life. In fact, I almost convinced myself that it wouldn’t be so bad if I subscribed to just one more…

I remember when I got a mystery gift bag from Burt’s Bees; it was really exciting to open it up and discover what they had put in there for me. Similarly, one of the perks of being involved with Opportunity Green is the chance to score some pretty awesome swag. It’s just so satisfying to get a bag of stuff! Emotionally, it can be very satisfying to sign up for one these curated boxes. On the other hand, to a certain extent it can make sense practically as well, since you often see products that you aren’t sure about and wish you could try. This way, you get a bunch that have been test driven by people at the company providing the boxes, so generally you can expect a pretty good product. You can then test them out yourself to figure out if it’s something you’d continue to use. There’s also the fun factor of not knowing what you’ll get. Most people enjoy a little bit of mystery and surprise to spice things up!

I personally can’t wait to get my first blissmobox and start experiencing this craze. I’ll be sure to post up what I get in each box as they come!

Origami Etsy

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: art, crafts, etsy, origami, paper, pictures, products, sales

29 June 2012

A couple of weeks ago, I decided I was going to try selling some things on Etsy. I’d wanted to do this ever since I discovered the site, but didn’t know what I could make. Well, I’ve decided to put my origami skills to use and make some jewelry! After much planning and material-searching, I was finally able to make my first products. 🙂 Soon I’ll be setting up shop and hopefully getting some sales. Better pictures to come!

two pairs of star-shaped origami earrings made with red, white, cream, blue, green, brown, and gold japanese design

The simpler ones were my first pair, and then I got a bit creative with the second, adding spirals into the metal.

close-up picture of simple origami star earrings

Getting ready for an Etsy listing!

A feast for your skin

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: beauty, pictures, products, skincare

21 January 2012

Right before the holidays, I suddenly found myself in possession of a lot of skincare items! I am excited to try all of them out and see what works for me.

first burt's bees goodie bag i got, with shea butter hand repair cream, pomegranate line-smoothing eye cream, burt's bees wallet, res-q ointment, peony lip shimmer, face towel, lemon butter cuticle cream, pink blossom tinted lip balm, watermelon lip shimmer, beeswax lip balm, aloe body lotion, royal jelly eye creme, and royal jelly day creme

I ordered a grab bag from Burt's Bees, which was supposed to include 14 random items. When I received this and found it wasn't quite complete, I emailed them to complain.

second burt's bees goodie bag i got, with shea butter body lotion, weather-proofing lip balm, sweet pink lip shine, burt's bees wallet, res-q ointment, caramel lip shimmer, face towel, lemon butter cuticle cream, pink blossom tinted lip balm, watermelon lip shimmer, baby bee dusting powder, milk & honey body lotion, and royal jelly day creme

I didn't hear back for a long time, but suddenly got an email saying my items were re-shipping for free! So I got another bag, with some repeat items, but also many new ones. 🙂

bare minerals items ordered from sephora, including deep cleansing foam, purely nourishing moisturizer, mineral veil, face brush, blemish therapy, and blemish brush

I also treated myself to a kit of skincare products from Bare Minerals.

Spiraled shell rings

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: jewelry, pictures, products, travel

18 November 2011

These were pretty cool rings at a store in the Keys, but were way too big for actual wear (at least on my fingers).

Seating reimagined

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: experiences, interesting, opportunity green, pictures, products

08 November 2011

It’s nearly time for Opportunity Green 2011, and I am reminded of these fun Kimball Fit chairs that were on show last year. Who needs a traditional chair when you have this?

two of the lime kimball fit chairs on display at opportunity green 2010

Don't worry, just approach and sit!

enjoying sitting in the kimball fit chair at opportunity green 2010

After a long day, this was a welcome resting spot.

Turning white

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: opinion, products, technology

06 November 2011

Lately I’ve decided that when I get my next phone, it will be white. It’s not just an aesthetic thing though the brightness of white is kind of nice. It’s actually much more practical: you don’t see fingerprints, smudge marks, or greasiness on white quite as obviously as you do on black. The more I use my phone, the more convinced I am of the benefits of a white device. I guess part of the problem is that I use quite a bit of lotion and the smooth screen of the phone gets covered in a layer of it. After a couple months of use, no amount of wiping, buffing, or cleansing seems to work for very long. I even have a microfiber towel handy at my desk to clean off the screen periodically.

My iPad is white and I if it weren’t for the screen turning black when it’s off, I’d probably notice the smudges only once every ten uses instead of once every use. I know a lot of people use screen protectors for this very purpose, but I like how the screen feels with nothing on it to alter it. Unfortunately that also means that I have to clean the thing every time I use it. I think it’ll also be a nice change from all the black devices out there. It’s nice to have a bright spot among all the dark. I wonder if Apple will ever go back to trying to offer their products in a range of colors. I think that could be quite nice too! I’d probably be the odd one choosing orange to tout around, just because it is so cheery and eye-catching. In the mean time I’ll just have to stick with white.

Box Appetit

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: duchess, eco-friendly, food, opportunity green, pictures, products

19 October 2011

At Opportunity Green, you’re bound to find out about cool products like these lunch boxes that come in a cool, sealable design. It also includes a box for a sandwich half, a container for sauce, and a fork!

eco-friendly plastic lunch boxes by black and blum, called box appetit

Duchess and I used our Box Appetit lunch boxes made by Black + Blum for the very first time together!

A stubborn victory

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: behavior, pictures, products, story, storytelling

09 September 2011

It’s been months and I’ve been looking for this hairbrush every time I go home. I knew that I had taken it out to use when I was here and though I searched high and low without success, I refused to give up. I like how it has wide teeth and is made of a fragrant wood. It’s also glossed and I think is even anti-static. Perfect for a quick brush-up in the middle of the day. I used to keep it in my purse, but then one weekend when I was hanging out at home, I lost track of it. Ever since then, I’ve been on the hunt.

Tonight I asked my mom about it again and she said she actually found a wooden comb while cleaning up. Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember where she had put it, so this sent us on a house-wide search for the elusive thing. As it turns out, she was referring to a smaller comb (the kind they give at hotels), which was sitting on the desk. Since I had already searched almost all of the house, I decided to keep going and flipped just about everything around. Then, I thought that I should check the pile of blankets and pillows on the bed upstairs, which I had used for awhile a couple of months ago.

Lo and behold, after lifting up a couple of blankets, I found it lying there, neatly hidden away! I’m really glad to have it back and will make sure to store it safely in my purse again. Yup, being stubborn does get me results.