Birchbox Review 2 - June 2012

I just received my second Birchbox a couple of hours ago. Yay!

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this one. But since I got at least my money's worth, I can't complain.

Here's what they promised:

And here's what they delivered:

At least this time everything on the list was included in the box. I was, at first, thrown off by men's sample cologne but then I read the card and realized it was a Father's Day bonus. Phew!

The Eyeko eyeliner is a full size product. So that alone makes the $10 subscription worth it. Score! Not to mention I love makeup :D I wish it had been a bolder color, but I can't really complain about basic black either. Will try it out and see.

The Melvita Rose Floral Water smells delicious! It also comes in lavender, which would have been just as lovely. However, I'm not about to pay $22 for a bottle of this stuff. Granted a full size is 6.76oz versus the 0.96oz that I got, but the latter will be more than enough for this summer.

I'm not sure I'd wear the Stainiac in Beauty Queen on my cheeks, but I will try once. I think I was expecting something a bit more lip glossy, but it's definitely a gel. It stains in a purpley-pink (in a good way) and is incredibly light weight. I'll update with a picture of my lips or cheeks if I like it. I got a sample size in my box (0.04oz) and the real deal is 0.3oz for $17. Who prices this stuff!? Oh yeah, it doesn't smell all that good and has a slightly weird taste.

The Yu-Be moisturizing cream came just in time. My feet could use some TLC. Unfortunately I think I can only squeeze out, max, 2 times worth of moisturizer out of that itty-bitty tube. No worries, vaseline does the same job and is significantly cheaper. ($16 for lotion, really?)

Ok, I know I'm a med-geek and all, but these fashion band-aids did nothing for me. I'd go as far as saying, stupid! Really seriously!? Apparently there are idiots out there who pay $15 for 20 band-aids. Suckers!

The men's cologne is a bit meh. Happy Father's Day Daddy! Hope he likes the scent.

I'm very jealous of all the people who got the Stilla One Step Bronzer in their box. That would have been amazing! Hint hint, wink wink!

So yes, overall..not bad. At least this time, it's all useful in some way or another (and I didn't get a lame zip-lock bag like some). I'm hearing some rumors about next month's box already, so fingers crossed I get some good stuff. Off to tweak my profile a bit. ;)

My journey online, through the years

It all started with Yahoo!, where anonymous strangers met in chat rooms pretending to be something they weren't, looking for something they couldn't get and exploring the freedom of hiding behind a screen.

The late 90s were all about hotmail and yahoo: instant messaging was new and cool with their colored fonts and smiley faces, chat rooms let you be anyone you wanted to be, talk about anything you really wanted to talk about, and world-class creeps lurked at every corner.

The creeps still linger today, but I like to think I'm a more sophisticated virtual social entity now. We're more savvy, more open, more honest with our online identities. Maybe it's a bit naive and risky to put out your real name and post a picture of yourself instead of a powerpuff girl (yes, at one point, I had a powerpuff girl DP). But it's also been extremely liberating and rewarding.

Virtual society is so diverse and open minded now, it's not scary to be utterly honest anymore. There will always be the jerks who criticize and shoot off their mouths with nothing reasonable to say. But there are so many more people who give concrete feedback, show genuine care & concern, and just plain get you. That makes being scarily honest worth it.

The early days of "social lurking" were about dipping your toes in here and there, putting up false fronts, about making not so genuine or lasting connections and sporadic interactions. (And if you didn't lie in a Yahoo! Chat group then you're either a saint or too young to have actually Yahoo'd ;D)

Today the online experience is more about networking, discovering, marketing, being a brand, being honest and getting honest feedback. It's all about sharing: experiences, information, ideas and more. It's how we connect, stay in touch and maintain old relationships. It's where we make new relationships, find new friends, discover future employers/employees. Since we've started being more honest and open I have "met" some fantastic people online, and have even made one of the strongest and most lasting friendships of my life.

This change over the past 10ish years makes me wonder what the next 10 will bring...?

Birchbox Review 1 - May 2012

Ooh I received my first Birchbox on May 9, 2012!!!

A little background on Birchbox - for $10 a month you get a monthly package of "goodies" (mostly beauty supplies). They are usually sample size items, but once in a while Birchbox slips in a full size product. Now, most of the stuff in the box is worth well over $10, even at sample size; so the deal-seeker in me was excited to try out this service.

Sadly, my first Birchbox has left me a little disappointed.

Here's what they promised:

And here's what they delivered:

Birchbox has you fill out a questionnaire asking for various information, including your age range, skin type, etc. Having selected the appropriate age range, I was extremely perplexed to receive the Kiehl's Abyssine Cream+. Fortunately, I have no need for this product, yet - now if there had been anything for graying hair, that's a different story. So this one goes to my mum ... nothing says "Happy Mother's Day" like anti-wrinkle cream eh? ;) (ps - some of the ingredients are actually natural)

Back to the top of the list - the Bulgari Omnia Crystalline. It's actually quite nice. Definitely feminine, but not so floral. Smelled more like a crisp, light musk. Not at all overwhelming, but it lingers in a nice way. I do believe I've found my new favorite scent. Not sure I'll ever spring for it at $64.00 for a 1.33oz bottle, but if someone's feeling generous and wants to gift it to me, I won't complain ;)

I didn't get a Color Club nail polish, and clam bake coral sounded perfect for my upcoming cruise. Bummer! Instead, I got a Sugar Rose tinted lip treatment. It goes on smooth and smells like lemonade, which is perfect for summer! There's no way I'd pay $22.50 for a 0.15oz tinted chap stick (with SPF 15), but I'm content with my 0.08oz sample.

The Miracle Skin Transformer Body SPF in 20 Glow promises a lot. I'll try it out on the cruise and let you know if it delivers. The list of ingredients starts off with all sorts of natural things like jojoba oil and soy amino, but of course devolves into some unpronounceable chemicals and silicone. I'm a little skeptical, but still willing to try.

No Twistband hair tie for me. Instead I got a trivia sweepstakes card. Since I don't watch Gossip Girl, this does nothing for me. I would much rather the Color Club nail polish!!!

And finally the bonus xoxo note-card. Cute. Useful. Bit of a cop out.

So not 100% satisfied with my first Birchbox. 2 out of 6 items are hits and will be used with reverence (Bulgari & Sugar Rose), while the rest will be tried/tested and probably never given a second thought.

But I'll stick it out and see what Birchbox has to offer in June. I'm hoping the bounty is better.

There's a referral link at Birchbox, but since I've only had a semi-good first experience, I'll hold off until I get a better feel for it. (every friend referral + sign up = 50pts, 100pts = $10 at Birchbox ... 50pts does not equal $5 however...so sad!)

Why Blog?

Color me stupid! This is what happens when I don't put things on my Google Calendar (and use a new email address with a faulty filter setting).

My sincerest apologies to Melanie Bowen, who tried getting my attention multiple times and was kind enough to be patient with me.

Now you all know I blog about my life and my random musings, nothing really technical or particular. I think blogging is a fantastic way to keep tabs on your own life and to keep others updated. We all want to leave our mark in the world, one way or another. Big or small, blogging about your life, your efforts, your achievements & even your failures is one way to go about it. It's a lasting account of who you are and what you've been through; something others can learn from and maybe even cherish.

Blogging also exposes you to a world of sympathizers and a network of resources that you might not otherwise have access to. You build a community with people who think like you, who disagree with you, who want to learn from you and who want to share their experiences and information with you. It's a support network, a place to get feedback, a way to get your word out, a way to get more and varied information.

There are many forums, organizations and websites that work as a virtual congregations for anything from motorcycle building to physics to health issues.

The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog is one such site that provides a platform for exactly those purposes (and others). It's good to see that people feel confident enough to speak about their struggles in a safe and comfortable environment. Without dialogue, there is never any progress. My best wishes to all the people involved with the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.

Many people choose to create personal blogs to document their personal struggles with health issues. Alice Pyne and Criss's blogs, particular, got my attention and really touched me. They write with brutal honesty simply because it's their reality. I can only imagine the thousands of people who have been inspired and touched by their stories. The same must go for the community of people who are involved, in any capacity, with the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.

Courtesy a Yahoo! article (for once) I came across another very compelling blog about a baby with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). I'm not one to cry too easily, but even I got choked up after reading the article. If this doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will.

Support what you believe in. Put your voice out in the world, because you never know where you will get help from or who you will end up helping. The larger the virtual world grows, the smaller our real world becomes.

Disclaimer: The views, concerns and accounts on the above sites/blogs are not my own, nor do I benefit in any way from mentioning them. These links are posted solely to spread awareness of their existence and that of the individual bloggers efforts & their stories.

10 Tweeps you should follow!

You see, these #FF tweeps deserve a proper explanation and 140 characters just wasn't working out.

Some people/brands/companies/small businesses have taken twitter and juiced it for all it's worth. I'm not talking promoting their service/product, giving out information, networking or selling other tweeps something. (Though, of course, they use it for that as well.) What I'm really impressed with is the way they "keeping it real" (in @VoxLumiere's words).

Customer is service is pretty shit - pardon my French - in most places these days. You've got your rude waiters, your clueless sales-clerks, the pushy phone rep, etc. etc..

But the following tweeps make an effort to reach out to their followers (who may, or may not, be customers/users/what have you). They answer questions, take the time to thank you, point you in the right direction. Basically, they use twitter to "humanize" themselves.

1. @VoxLumiere - I just started following them (ok, just learned about them period) and it's because they noticed a tweet by a friend who was attending their show (though she didn't "@" mention them_ and they responded right away. I happened to mention liking the exchange and, bam, I have new friends! (And yes, I'm definitely going to check out their show the absolute first chance I get to!)

2. @iDoneThis - I was fortunate to hear about them at the beginning of this year. Their concept is brilliant. That aside, they are so friendly! Not only does their app (app?) keep me on track, but they take the time to personally check in on me once in a while to provide encouragement and support. Plus they are always posting links to some really cool and helpful articles!

3. @AskAaronLee - He's cool! Period. Okay, so there's a whole lot more to him. But the biggest, best, quality about Aaron is that he keeps in touch with his followers. He's not like some social media "gurus" who just spout information and automate tweets like a robot. He's really there: interacting, asking questions, replying to your @ mentions, and adding a personal dimension to his tweets.

4. @SimonMajumdar - He's British...isn't that enough? ;) Ok, so I get all giggly and school-girl squeeing any time I get a reply from Simon Majumdar (the Simon Majumdar!). I'm a little star struck by him since he went out and did exactly what I wish I could do with my life (minus the whole I want to be a doctor thing). But really, let's be honest. He is a celebrity. Just how many celebrities reply to your mentions and not just in an off-hand "thanks" way? And then hold a conversation with you? I mean, we discussed Butter Chicken for god's sake! So yeah, I like that he's one of those celebs who not only tweets about his real life, but also responds to his followers.

5 & 6. (other celebs who have responded directly to me - and seem to take the time to do so for many of their followers - are: @deespeak & @vivek_oberoi)

7. @nonprofitcoffee - these are "real" people, doing something really good. They always take the time to say thanks and give shout outs to the people who help their cause. (They also tease you with pictures of their coffee!)

8, 9 & 10. @bufferapp & @LeoWid - I'm a big fan of Bufferapp. Any time I have a question or something seems amiss, somebody is always there with an answer. @TweetSmarter is the same; always ready with an answer or a link/suggestion that points their followers in the right directions. All of them post links to some really interesting and informational articles as well.

So you see why I needed more than 140 characters. What are you waiting for? Go follow them!

And if you've come across any such examples of awesome tweeps who take time to get back to you, pass on the suggestions.

1 down, 12 to go

I can officially cross off one item from my resolutions list! I am now on my 13th pleasure read book.

I am way ahead of schedule on this, but that's mostly because the Gallagher Girls books have been very light and quick reads.

I clearly like my dystopian and spy books, as is obvious from my reading list.

By the way, if you are as much of a bookworm as I am, definitely get a GoodReads account. It's so helpful in keeping track of what you've read and enjoyed. Plus I've gotten so many awesome recommendations from the forums and their recommendation matrix.

Image courtesy Google Image search & inkity.com

Too many resolutions! And how I handle them...

In a fit of enthusiasm and optimism I created a list of 13 resolutions for 2012. Once Jan 1st rolled around I realized just how daunting it all seemed. Now that April 1st is approaching (T-5ish minutes), I'm starting to sweat a little at just how many expectations I've set up for myself. But I'm determined to get through it all because I really want to achieve Resolution #13 in particular!

Making so many changes and achieving everything I have set myself up for will take a lot of effort. To keep myself from floundering through the year and allowing room for failure I've resorted to tried, tested & true  strategies

Lists
-My first list is the 2012 Making a Change Resolutions list - my "master list" so to speak
-Some of the resolutions require sub-lists as they aren't a one step process
-On days that are super busy I have a checklist so that I can  prioritize my work and get through the important stuff

Mini Goals
-These are basically the broken down versions of my main Resolutions. Setting up mini goals goes hand in hand with creating sub-lists for the resolutions list.
-Bite sized steps allow me to stay on track, get things accomplished in a timely manner and feel motivated towards the ultimate resolutions. It's more manageable to say I want to establish healthy eating habits in January than to continually remind myself that I have/want to lose 30lbs by Dec 31, 2012.

Timelines/Deadlines
-If I don't set up a deadline for myself, things seem to go on forever. I come to a deadline by estimating how much time the process will take. This helps make my expectations more realistic. While I prefer that the deadlines be pretty firm, the first three months of 2012 have taught me to be lenient and flexible as needed. This does not mean that I keep pushing things off to a future "some day" because we all know that day doesn't really come around very often.
-Google Calendar is amazing!!! No seriously. I've got 5 calendars for various activities/occasions/deadlines. Everything is color-coded. I have several email reminders that keep me on track. It syncs to my Droid and my chrome extension button does a little dance when deadlines/events are approaching. I have never been late in paying a bill or missed a birthday thanks to my Google Calendar.

Accountability
-This really varies person to person. I've realized I can't just promise myself that I'll accomplish GoalX or TaskY. I chose to turn to my blog in order to fulfill this strategy point. I've been so gung-ho about accomplishing all my resolutions and have given an accurate update of progress over the past three months now, that it would be really embarrassing for me to have nothing to show for it all on Dec 31, 2012.
-If you're not the public-humiliation sort, you could always just turn to your friends, family, colleagues, etc. Once you put it out there, you kinda have to live up to it. If you don't, you're axing your own feet!

Cheerleaders
-My accountability system also provides me with a fantastic network of supporters and encouragers. When I start hitting a slump it's really nice to turn around and find that my family, friends and www-network is cheering me on. When my own faith and resolve starts dissolving, their smiles and 'you can do its' keep me going.

Carrots
-When I reach a certain deadline or achieve a mini-goal I reward myself with something relevant and good for me. (ie: a leisure read book after a particularly strenuous session of preparing for Resolution 2, not a donut after a good workout)
-Whether it's material or otherwise, a little incentive keeps me motivated to reach my goal and is extra-sweet to revel in when I have achieved something.
-For those wondering where the stick went, kindly look above at the Cheerleader section. Not all of the cheering is entirely, erm, positive. Some of it comes in the form of "well you wanted to accomplish this, now get your behind in gear!" That's enough of a stick for me!

I really love my lists. BIG list fan. So I take some time at the beginning of each month to create a goals list for the next 4 weeks and to review my accomplishments from the past month. Such a satisfying feeling checking off every item and realizing you got everything done! (Maybe it's just me...)

What's your favorite strategy? Do you have any add-ons?

2012 Progress Report #3

Ah! Why hasn't anyone yelled at me for not blogging? I need your help to stay on track!

March took a dip down so I should probably call this a regress report instead. Anyway, here goes:

Resolution 2 has taken over my life.

With that being the case, I've only managed to keep up on Resolutions 8 & 11.

Alright, I admit it. I've faltered a bit on my 365day photo challenge. I've missed a day here and there, though I try to make it up by taking extra pics the next day. Once in a while I've managed to snap something on my phone but nothing of good quality. Renewed commitment to this resolution, starting now! But you all also have to remember the badger me to keep it up and post my pics regularly!

Clearly blogging "more frequently" didn't happen in March. I have a few semi-posts all queued up, but no time to refine them to posting quality (blame the efforts & time being put towards Resolution 2).

I managed to make time to read Bossy Pants. It was an interesting read. Not exactly good, just different. I guess I'm just not a big autobio person. I prefer my fantasy (Hunger Games anyone!) That said, I'd still recommend people read it. Tina Fey does a good job grounding life's basic lessons in her personal experience.

Speaking of The Hunger Games ... have you seen the movie yet? If not, GO!!! You'll understand the movie better if you've read the book, but it's not entirely necessary. At most, you need to either wiki-up the series (follow the first Hunger Games link) or find a friend to give you a brief synopsis. Jennifer Lawrence did a fantastic job as Katniss Everdeen. Definitely a fan favorite. They nailed it in every aspect with this movie. It's not one of those, damn they really screwed with the book/plot versions. I felt like every tweak was justified and was really satisfied coming out of the theater. A solid 4.25/5 stars from me.

In other news, something's wrong with my back. That is, something more is wrong with my back. This pain in my lower back started nearly two months ago. Three doctors visits, an MRI and three medications later I'm in no better state. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion things have progressed to worse. So it's back to the docs for me (hopefully I see him for longer than 2 minutes this time). Keep your fingers crossed I don't get another "we can't do anything other than medication and physical therapy" from them. That clearly didn't show any results. I'm not saying surgery (since this is my spine we're talking about), but something is better than the doctor shrugging and showing me the door. sigh


Well it was good to write another blog. I do enjoy writing. Hopefully I didn't bore too many of you ;)

Can you believe we're almost done with 25% of 2012!? Time sure flies. What have you accomplished in the first three months? Are you satisfied with your progress or are you going to give yourself a renewed push like me?

Say cheese!

If you take a peek at my photoblog, you'll notice I favor a certain style of photography. It's called macrophotography. Basically I like taking closeups of inanimate objects.

After a month and a half of nearly nothing but macros, I can see I'm becoming stagnant. I took up the 365-day photo-challenge for a few reasons, mainly because I like taking pictures. But I also took it up to challenge myself in various ways, and today I've realized that I have to shake up my photo-style as well.

It's definitely time to branch out into other styles such as landscapes, portraits, fashion, etc. But I'm nervous...new things always make me nervous. I have grown so comfortable in this one form that I'm reluctant to move on to something new. But new habits are only formed by repetition, so I'm setting a new goal for myself. I must take at least one non-macro photo per week. This way, I'll get more experience in other forms. But since I'm still an all-around amateur, so bear with me through the experimenting.

Any of you lovely readers into photography? Do share links to your work if you post online. Or leave a thought about my work so far or any ideas you have of what else I can take pictures of.

Thank you!

2012 Progress Report #2

One down, 11 more to go. January has been an interesting month, to say the least. Lots of moving ahead in life kind of decisions made. Discovered several very helpful resources (keep an eye out for a blog post about that). And I've made progress on many of my resolutions.

Quick update:

Most significantly, I have been diligent about maintaining my photoblog. I haven't missed a day yet and I don't intend to let that record slip. Finding and/or taking interesting, unique, fun shots has been the biggest challenge. On some days it feels like there's nothing left to take a picture of. It doesn't help that I take multiple pictures every day before deciding on whatever I like the best. But at this rate, this is going to be the most photographed house in the world! ;)

I was running through my bucket list to check out what I might do this year. Turns out, the 365 Photo challenge is also on my list. But I want to push myself to cross off something different as well. Might as well, yeah ;)

I did well with blogging last month, though perhaps I should have spaced them out more. What do you think? And any suggestions for future blog posts? Want to hear my opinion on anything in particular?

I read a book! It's been years since I read a proper, just for fun book. It was nice to have something relaxing to turn to when studying, chores, etc. became too boring.

In the lose weight depart things are going slow. I've made some changes to my eating habits, but more needs to be done. And I definitely need to make a more concentrated effort to go to the gym more often.

The rest of the resolutions are all on track; they are either in the WIP category or shelved for later category.

With goals and progress, maintaining a positive outlook has been much easier so far. Fingers crossed for the rest of the year!