My Summer Bucket List

As I continue to move through the daily ins and outs with anxiety disorders and agoraphobia, I wanted to do something fun to celebrate the summer. There are a number of things that I love about every season, but many of my absolute favorite things come during the summer. There's just something about this time of year that fires up my senses and makes me feel more alive. I'll probably touch on the things I love about the different seasons as these bucket lists continue, but there's just something about summer for me. Because of my anxiety and health issues, it was always summer that bothered me the most to miss out on. There is always the concern of relapsing and even though it has been a tough time lately with keeping my anxiety issues at bay, I'm going to keep fighting. I knew that I didn't want to spend another summer indoors, especially if I was well enough to at least go out in my local area. I knew that I wanted to push the button a little and do more. And so my idea to create a Summer Bucket List for myself was born. There was tons of inspiration online to draw from, so I was able to find some ideas that I liked from a few of those boards and add in a few of my own. I'll have probably added a few more on to the list below by the time summer is over and I don't expect to be able to do them all within the season, but it'd be absolutely super if I could. Here's my list:

*Mandy's Note: If you don't care about the details of the list, go ahead and skip to the bottom; this is a lengthy post. Otherwise, get a snack and proceed!*

1. Have a water balloon fight--What better way to bring the family together, get out of the house and cool off than a water balloon fight?

2. Set up tent for day camping--I bought a tent a few years ago and still have yet to use it. I have a pop-up tent, but this is a full on tent. I'd like to finally use it.

3. Make s'mores outdoors--Usually when we make s'mores, it's indoors, using the stove. I want to do it the proper way, at night in front of a fire. It sounds stupid, but what can I say, I'm easily pleased. lol

4. Have a paint fight--I saw this in a commercial, I forget which one, and I think it would be an awesome idea. I liked how they involved the neighborhood, which won't be happening here but it's still a fun concept.

5. Have two picnics at the park--I'd like to go on a picnic one afternoon with nothing but my Kindle Cloud app, my tent and some munchies to keep me company. My sister wants to picnic as well and I've been thinking of bringing my sisters-in-law with my nieces so they can join in, make it a 'girls' day out' kinda thing. 

6. Slide down a water slide--I've never been on a water slide. I think I went on a water ride once at the amusement park for my graduation, but that was 10 years ago. lol I've never been on an actual water slide before.

7. Go to the Plaza Film Festival--Every August, my city has a two-week block where loads of classic films are shown and I've never been able to go. It's like a mini-version of TCM's Summer Under the Stars, which I feature prominently over on All Things Vintage. The SUTS promotion and the Plaza Festival overlap each other, so this has grown to be one of my favorite times of the year. I'd love to go to the film festival when it comes back in August.

8. Eat a snow cone--I haven't eaten a snow cone since I was a kid. I have to confess that this is more about the ice they use for snow cones and less about the flavored syrup for the cones, which is usually too sweet for me now. LOL

9. Take a small road trip--This one is just a pipe dream, but it'd be nice to take a road trip to one of the neighboring cities, just for a day or two.

10. Play in the rain--My immune system is crazy low due to some of my lingering health issues, so whenever it is chilly or rainy outside, I won't even go out on the porch. I always felt my freest as a kid when I was out in the rain, dancing around like it was going out of style. I miss that bit of innocence.

11. Build a blanket fort on the bed--Look, I don't care how childish this sounds. I am of the firm opinion that you are never too old to build a good blanket fort. I might have to amend this and make a sheet fort because I'm not trying to die of heat stroke inside the fort, but I love them.

12. Run through sprinklers--This goes back to the rain one, for me there aren't many better ways to capture the carefree elation that often eludes us as adults than running through the sprinklers or out in the rain, with not a worry in your heart and cool drops on your skin. I also just miss running through sprinklers because it's hot as Hades outside.

13. Watch a sunrise & sunset--Two of my favorite things in life are sunrises and sunsets. I have a few too many photos of various 'rises and 'sets that I've taken over the years, and the collection continues to grow. I haven't just sat and watched either one in awhile though, so I'd like to do that this summer.

14. Feed the birds--Birdfeeding/watching is one of my favorite ways to relax and birds have more personality than most would think. I'm single for many reasons, and the reasoning behind this entry is further proof that things are as they should be. LOL

15. Stargaze--What's to explain? A warm summer night, a nice breeze, a can of Dr. Pepper (bc its me, of course it's going to be soda), and watching the darkened sky come alive with stars.

16. Make popsicles--This was on my bucket list when the kids were all younger, but we never got around to doing it. They're all teens or grown now, but none of them are going to turn down a popsicle. It'll still work. lol

17. Have one family game night--A few years ago, I started a family tradition that I was trying to make a long-term thing, so we made Thursday our Family Game Night. The tradition didn't continue, unfortunately, but I'd like to bring it back one last time.

18. Play bingo somewhere--Along with the child who lives for picking dandelions, blowing bubbles and running through sprinklers, there is a little old lady with a bejeweled gold lame hat, a neon-colored fanny pack and leopard print stirrup pants living inside me somewhere. It is a long-standing goal to go to one of those bingo halls and play a game, just once.

19. Make apple granola--I had this apple cinnamon granola a couple of months ago when I tried out the Blossom VoxBox and since then I've been on the hunt for a recipe that seemed similar. I've been open to trying healthier snacks for some time, but since my Wellness Challenge last month I've seriously been looking into new stuff. Apple granola is tasty and good for you...I think. lol It's certainly healthier than Hershey's with Almonds, no matter how much I try to justify the chocolate because of the almonds.

20. Get a hula hoop--Want an easy and cheap way to exercise? Get a hula hoop. It's a good way to loosen the bottom half, it works the muscles and the core, and if you're a parent this is an excellent way to implement exercise in such a way that the kiddos won't even realize they're exercising. I just like hula hooping, but I've found a good reason that justifies it. lol

21. Visit a farmers' market--I've never been to a farmers' market. I keep hearing people talk about how you should purchase your produce from there, that local is better. I just want to see what the hype is about.

22. Go to an antique store--One of the series I've been trying to start up on All Things Vintage is where I go to local vintage businesses and the like, which for me includes antique stores. There are a few here in town but they're pretty far from home so I was always a little anxious about going on my own because it takes so long by public transport. This summer though, it's a challenge I'm willing to accept. I love antiques and can't wait to get some great pics for the blog.

23. Make jam & fresh bread--The next thing to cross off on my to-make list is jam of some kind, so I'd like to make a jar of it along with some bread. I'm a little late to baking, but along with the child and old lady, there's also some really old school broad in me who likes making her own stuff. I'd really like to do it this summer.

24. Brew sun tea--I had a neighbor when I was 13 who, like clockwork every Sunday, brewed sun tea. He used to tell me that it was the best kind of tea I'd ever taste.

25. Go swimming--I usually don't swim. Like, ever. The last time I bought a bikini was 10 years ago and I've worn it exactly 4 times since then. It's hot as demon piss out here, I think it's time I bring the count up to 5. LOL

26. Make glow in the dark bubbles--I saw this on someone else's bucket list and thought it was too cool to pass up. My niece loves bubbles so I can't wait to get the recipe and try them out with her.

27. Try out some recipes--When I think about food, I think about ways to make each dish my own. My mind stays on the run about different ways to tweak various recipes and I'd like to try some of them out.

28. Finish all prelim plans for food truck--Now that I'm working on getting my blogs on schedule, it's time to turn my focus back to my desire for a food truck. The groundwork needs to be laid so I can figure out if or when this idea will be feasible to launch.

29. Do some summer DIYs--I love me a good seasonal DIY. I never know what to do with the finished product after the season is over, but I love them. They help put me in that season's state of mind and inspire me.

30. Make a flower crown/headpiece--I know the Coachella purists probably hate these, but I love them. I want a headband with smaller flowers going around the crown, but I also want a big, obnoxious one because why not?

31. Visit local places I've never been--My city expands all the time, but there's so much of it that I've never seen. I'd like to visit some of these places and see a few of the things I missed.

32. Make fruit ice cubes--I can't remember where I saw this idea, but I saw it a few years ago and have been wanting to try it ever since. I think we're going to give it a go for the 4th.

33. Write and finish a short story--Writing has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember and I have quite a few stories on various thumb drives. The thing is, all of those stories are unfinished. I'd really like to start and finish a short story rather than trying to finish a full-length one.

34. Go to a local show or event--I don't go to any of these. My agoraphobia usually kicks in and there's quite often some boob there who can't hold their liquor. I'm ready to find a local event or show that doesn't have the latter, challenges the former, and is still fun.

35. Make a wish at a fountain--This is just one of those random whimsical things that I love doing. I can't remember the last time I made a wish at a fountain.

36. Make some DIY shirts--I have some shirt ideas that I haven't been able to find in stores, so I'd rather just make my own. There's also a few ideas from my Pinterest board that I'd like to do.

37. Continue facing agoraphobia--This should be self-explanatory. I am more ready than I've ever been to keep fighting my anxiety and challenging myself, and most of the things on this list do just that for me.

38. Find a drive-in--Drive-ins are a vintage treat that I never got to indulge in. I think there's a dirty movie theater in town but that's another post for another blog. lol If there is one and I just haven't found it yet, I will.

39. Go to local business events--This goes with something that's a couple of numbers down on my list, and that's saying yes to the good stuff. I don't know much about the local business climate, but I could use the knowledge and won't get it unless I start going.

40. Do something for Sunday Funday--I always get jealous when people participate in Sunday Funday. Sunday is usually my day for laying around, planning out the week's blog posts (or playing catch-up, which is usually the case lol), and relaxing. I wouldn't call it FOMO per se, but I do feel like I'm missing out on doing something fun because I don't want to break my routine. lol

41. Say yes to the good stuff--I've gotten used to either saying yes to something when I wanted to say no, or saying no to social events. I'd like to re-learn the difference between saying yes because I want to, not because I feel like I should.

42. Get my hair cut properly--Last March, I went to a salon to have my hair evened out, but this broad totally took me for my money and didn't do what I paid her to do. I was pissed but got over it because I was afraid to go as short as I know I need to go. I'm ready now, so I want to get it over with.

43. Finish puzzle wall--I think I mentioned this during the post I did about my room this past spring, but I really like accent walls. I also really like puzzles. I wanted something that was unique to me, so I went for both. My bathroom door is my puzzle 'wall' of sorts, but right now it's only halfway completed. I want to see what it looks like when it's finished.

44. Go on a Ferris wheel--The carnival comes to town 2 to 3 times a year, sometimes more, and I never go. I'm not one for amusement parks, but it's been a long-standing bucket list item to get on a Ferris wheel one day....and not pass out from fear when I got up to the top. LOL

45. Go more places alone--This is a big one for me in confronting my agoraphobia. Usually I won't go too far from my house alone, but I'm determined to start trying again. I'm naturally a very independent person and I hate feeling like I need someone's hand to go anywhere, so I'm trying to get back to when I didn't need it all the time.

46. Join a book club--I haven't joined a book club since high school. Since I do more book reviews right now than any other kind, it'd be fun to find people I can connect with and talk about the books we've been reading.

47. Get a tan tattoo--I saw this on Tumblr and I thought it was great. I tan really easily so this is going to be a walk in the park.

48. Find somewhere to play tennis & volleyball--I'm not usually one for sports, but next to kickball, tennis and volleyball are the sports I enjoy playing the most. Tennis is something I can play alone, and I've always thought volleyball was fun. Now am I good at the latter? Probably not but I'd still like to find out where I can play. lol

49. Make some nerd DIYs--I follow this site called Our Nerd Home and it is a great source of inspiration and motivation for me. They made me feel like it was okay to have video game or other nerdy memorabilia up in my personal space, that it was okay that those things spoke more to my personality than an expensive vase or a abstract wall art piece that I don't understand. I have some ideas that I want to try out, partially because the DIY category here needs more entries lol, and partially because I need to see if the finished result is Our Nerd Home or Hefty worthy.

50. Make at least one "DIY For Cheaper" item--One of the series I wanted to start here is a DIY for Cheaper series of various DIY projects. One of my favorite things to do is recreate something for much cheaper because honestly, many things these days are grossly overpriced. If I can make something for $20 that would cost $80 in-store, of course I'm going to make it. It's not to rip off the store that created the product but if you can't afford it, creating something similar can be just as good.

51. Read a paperback--I was a late convert to cloud books and the like but now that I've been converted, I haven't gone back to paperback except for the rare occasion that I check something out from the library. I want to read an actual book again.

52. Make some jewelry to remember this summer by--I have a thing for commemorative stuff. I like remembering certain periods of my life with something I can wear. Pretty simple.

53. Work on blessings jar--I started a blessings jar at the beginning of the year, but in true Mandy fashion, while I have the blessings written down in a notebook, I haven't put them in the jar yet. I need to put it somewhere I can always see it.

54. Get at least one pet fish--You know you've been alone for too long when you seriously ask yourself if you want the responsibility of feeding a fish everyday and cleaning out the tank. LOL It wasn't one of my shining moments, obviously, but I love fish. I'd like to have some, but then I start worrying about not wanting the responsibility. It's a fish, not a dog. It'll be fine, Mandy. #pathetic

55. Make some "DIY For Cheaper' wall art--There are a few pieces of basic wall art that I really like, but they cost over $100. I'm intrigued by the prospect of finding a cheaper way to create something similar.

56. Make the terracotta smoker--One of the best things about summer is grilling. I keep coming across this idea for a smoker made from a terracotta pot, and it seems legit. And affordable, which was what actually swayed me. lol 

But before I close this out, what's this #SisterSummer I've been posting about on Instagram? About a day after talking about my list with my mom, my little sister mentioned that she had one too. My sister is usually a homebody, buried deep within the depths of her dark little crypt where only fangirling, K-dramas and 5 Seconds of Summer are allowed to dwell, so this was a bit of a surprise to me. Because we'd searched some of the same things, a few of our bucket list items overlapped. Some of the places she wanted to go my mom wasn't comfortable letting her go alone, so I agreed to tag along and that's how we came up with #SisterSummer. Since I'm IG'ing my bucket list, I figured we'd IG the #SisterSummer stuff as well and at the end of the summer, I'll put it all together so we have something to look back on and remember it by. I want our stuff to be easier for me to find though, so I'm changing the tag to #MKSisterSummer so we can keep track of our little adventures. My sister and I are two completely different people, we're at two very different stages in life and we aren't super close to boot, so this has the added benefit of maybe helping to bridge the gap a little bit and get to learn more about each other in the process.

I have to confess, my favorite thing about all of this other than actually being able to go to these places is being able to photograph a moment from all of them. The beautiful thing with photography is that it snaps and freezes one individual moment in a series of moments. It's fun to look back on that one moment and remember where you were, how much fun it was, and to capture the beauty of whatever it was you were doing. If you are sharing an experience with someone else, it's always pretty cool (and insightful) to see which moment they chose to freeze to remember it by. Yes, that sounded cheesy but I make no apologies. That's really how I feel about it. I am determined to make this a summer unlike the decade of other summers that preceded it and really try to enjoy this bit of life. And that's why for you, I challenge you to put together a Summer Bucket List of your own. Start out with 5 things. If you ever come across this post and decide to take on the challenge, let me see it on Instagram by tagging your photo with #rrntbucketlist. Here's to the Summer Bucket List!

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Wet 'n Wild Wildshine Nail Polish

The next product in the new Wet 'n Wild 99 cent line that I wanted to review was the Wildshine nail polishes. I have a few of these as well, and I wanted a few more before I reviewed the line but unfortunately I already have a lot of the same colors from other brands, so I decided to just review what I already had.

From l to r: Clear Topcoat, Matte Topcoat, Kaleidoscope, Blazed, Do Pass Go,
Be More Pacific, Grape Minds Think Alike, Burgundy Frost

Pros:

--The obvious, they're all only 99 cents
--Most have shiny finishes
--Most of them can be used as affordable dupes for more pricey brands
--Wide array of colors offered
--Buildable layers
--Easily removable and doesn't leave stains
--Dries pretty quickly




Cons:

--The cap tends to come unscrewed from the wand
--Some of the brushes apply the polish in streaky and uneven layers
--The formula is a bit watery, which causes the brushes to hold a lot of excess polish
--Doesn't stay on very long without chipping, even with a topcoat








My thoughts:

If you just need a quick replacement polish or don't mind reapplying your coats after a couple of days, then these polishes will be fine. Again, there's a good selection of polish colors you can choose from, there are a lot of fun colors, and they're easy to apply and remove without staining your nails. But as I'm finding to be the case with many of the WnW polishes, they chip fairly easily, even with a clear topcoat. If you do a lot with your hands or get them wet often, then expect these to chip within 24-36 hours of application. I didn't time it exactly lol, but I polished my nails with one of the polishes on Saturday morning and noticed some chipping at the tops of my nails by Sunday evening. The formula is pretty thin and streaky (but the streaks could be due to the brush), so in order to get both intensity and even application, I've found that two coats is the magic amount to go with. Any less than that and you risk having streaky nails, even with a light hand. Any more, however, and it starts to build up so I'd stick with two good coats. It dries quickly, so don't be slow with evening the coats out. If you've got a young one who won't stay out of your polish, this would be a good line to start her off with since they're so affordable. But if you want a thicker formula, a wider brush or more time between touch-ups, I'd go with another line. If you're trying to stick with Wet 'n Wild, then go with the Megalast line. The brush is wider, the colors more intense, the formula is thicker, and it lasts a little while longer with a topcoat.


Do I recommend this product?

Yes and no. I do because I'm never going to turn down the opportunity to buy a nail polish for 99 cents. So I'm cheap. Sue me. lol I think for 99 cents, these are a pretty decent line of polishes. Touch-ups are needed often, but I do like the colors and once your nails are dry and ready to go, they look great. You could try changing the brushes out and see how that affects the application; maybe that will improve things.

But because touch-ups are needed often and it can be a bit of a pain getting the coats evened up, you might as well spend a dollar more and go with either the Megalast line or Sinful Colors since they're the same price. The cons are more annoying than anything else.

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May Favorites

May was a pretty fun month for me in trying out new things. There weren't too many new things this month, but I ended up loving most of what I did try. I haven't been able to try too many new things that weren't apps in quite some time and my favorite 'things' was getting a little stagnant, but there are some new additions this month. Let's get started!

NYC 24-hr Eyeshadow in Brooklyn Mocha, Pond's Dark Spot Correcting Cream

I got the eyeshadow in my Blossom VoxBox from Influenster earlier this month and it was easily one of my favorite products in the box. It was my first time trying out an NYC product other than the eyeliners, and I was very satisfied with it. I've gone to get ready a few times with a planned eye look in my head, but then I look over at that crayon sitting in my makeup caddy looking so tempting and immediately scrap my prior plans so I can use the crayon instead. lol I like the color payoff, I like the longevity, and the versatility when combining it with other colors. If you have a CVS in your area, you can pick this up for $2.99.

The Pond's correcting cream is an old favorite; I used to use this all the time in the small travel size container until my local Wally World stopped carrying it. With consistent usage, it evens out the skin tone and gradually fades dark spots on the face. It did everything it said it was going to do; it kept my face moisturized, was great underneath my makeup, evened out my skin tone and within a month or so, the dark spots on my face had all but faded completely. I found it again last month and I've been using it since. I started using a new scrub with salicylic acid a couple of weeks ago that's supposed to get rid of blackheads, but I'm guessing I'm in the 'worse before it gets better' stage because I've been breaking out like crazy ever since. The cold cream is helping my skin stay moisturized after using the scrub, it doesn't clog my pores or leave a greasy feel behind, and it's already starting to lighten up the dark spots left behind by my breakouts. Other than my sunscreen, it's the only thing I use on my face. I love it. If you're interested in picking it up, you can find it in the section where all the trial and travel sizes of products are located at Wally World for about $1.50. It's a small container, but a little goes a long way so it should last you a good couple of months. 

Caveman Cookbooks series by Angela Anottacelli

I had to review a series of Paleo-themed cookbooks for LibraryThing not that long ago and even though I don't know much about the Paleo concept in general, it has interested me for awhile so when I got the opportunity to review a few of them I was intrigued. There were 4 in total that I received by this author and while they all had different themes, they all integrated the Paleo diet in a way that maintained some sense of normalcy. One reason why I don't like themed diets is because they feel restrictive, and I'm more of a 'everything in moderation' kinda gal myself, so diets and I just don't mesh well. But the Paleo diet doesn't seem like a 'diet' per se, and through these cookbooks you can see that it's actually not so hard to implement if you aren't a purist or very strict on yourself when following diets. It can provide a healthier way to eat without robbing you of the good stuff, which I like. These cookbooks were well-written, I love that the diet principles were integrated into recipes that made it fun for children to eat, and still provided variety in terms of meal options. There are four separate Caveman Cookbooks, so I won't waste your time with posting where you can find them on all the book sites. 

Amazon: Paleo Italian Recipes ($0.99) | Paleo on a Budget ($0.99) | Paleo Mexican Recipes ($0.99) | Paleo Kids Recipes ($0.99)

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

The third series of this Australian-set crime drama premiered at the beginning of the month, and even though it's on my favorites list I have yet to see it. Now that my Thursdays aren't as packed since my shows have since gone on hiatus, I have even more time to lament that I'm not in Australia, where it would already be Friday and I'd get to see the new episode later that night. lol From what I read in the few previews I've checked out, MFMM has picked up right where it left off for the third series. I can't wait until the original run is over and Netflix picks it up. 

WWE Immortals, Skyrim

A new challenge began in Immortals in May, with the grand prize being a rare cyborg Brock Lesnar immortal card. Each challenge is about three weeks long, I think, so if your cards are properly leveled to handle your opponents you should be able to get through the various challenges in time. I'm about halfway finished with 4 days left in the challenge but I don't have two of the cards needed to fully complete it so I know that I won't be able to get the grand prize. I did the ones I could complete and decided to just work on getting some of the minor prizes and leveling up my other cards. Long story short, I'm still addicted; the challenge just provides some legitimacy to my constant need to log on. 

I go through cycles with games quite often; if it's a long-term kind of game like Skyrim, I'll have stages where I play to the point of obsession, followed by periods where I won't do so much as look at the game. The latter cycle is usually prompted by my buying a new game and drowning myself in that one, but I digress. lol My poor PS3 is about to quit me so I've been trying not to game too much, but Skyrim has this irritating addicting trait that keeps drawing me back in so here I am. lol 

Aviary, Phonto, Photo Grid, #SquareDroid

These apps are the ones I use to edit any photos I add to my posts here (I'm growing as a blogger. LOL) or on Instagram. If it's a photo where I'll need both product shots and close-ups, I'll start out with Photo Grid and go from there. If it's just one photo though, I'll start with Aviary, do all of my cropping, editing and border additions, send it to Phonto so I can add my font and finish the photo off in SquareDroid, where I'll upload it to IG from there. Phonto and SquareDroid are new apps for me, but Aviary is a returning app and I've been using Photo Grid for awhile.

Of these apps though, Phonto is probably my favorite. This is a great app to use if you like adding a variety of fonts to your photos. There's a pretty good selection of fonts already in the app but if you'd like to add more, the instructions are easily accessible from the app and simple to follow. Everything about the font can be customized, from size to alignment, its position on the photo to the color(s) used. If I need to add a font to my photos, this is usually the last app in the line before I send it through to SquareDroid if I'm putting it on IG or prepping it for a post on here.

Speaking of SquareDroid, this app is simply for customizing the size of your photo to make it IG ready. There are basic editing options, but I've already edited my photo by the time I get it here so unless I want to add my last filter, I usually don't use them. Aviary is a very solid app for editing your photos and I've been loving it since I re-downloaded it a couple of weeks ago. I had it before, but I wasn't really into editing blog photos back then so not only did I not understand it, I didn't have much use for it so I got rid of it. I just needed to learn how to edit photos without using GIMP. lol It's an awesome app.

Finally, Photo Grid is a great app to use if you need to do product collages. There are tons of options here; you can use this for the obvious collage creation, you can use it as a selfie cam and edit it there, you can simply edit your photo from there, or you can bring in a video slide. After selecting your photos, then you go into the collage menu, where you get to choose the layout you need for your photos. It, like Aviary, has tons of options for customizing your creations so it can function as a standalone app if you prefer. I don't prefer it though lol, but I think I've found a combination of apps that works to give my photos the effect that I want.

Pinterest

Pinterest is an oldie but a goodie. I've been on there a lot for my posts over on All Things Vintage for May's theme, and I ended up getting stuck there. lol The Pin Palace, much like Etsy, is where my to-do lists and blog post schedules go to die. Picnics were the theme over there last month, and I spent a little too much time there researching material to use. That turned into looking for new fonts for both this site and ATV, which then turned into fonts I can download to put in Phonto, that evolved into a search for photography tips which turned into DIY photo studios (which I'm going to get to later) and that turned into dos and don'ts for blog photography. It was a goal of mine this year to step my game up with both blogs, but with limited resources I'm going to have to be the queen of DIY. That's what usually leads me to Pinterest, but then days later umpteen Pin tabs are open and I haven't done what I was supposed to have done. lol It's a problem. 

Nerd decor, blog calendars, in-home photo studios

I love me some nerd decor. A few of my smaller goals are/ to eventually have a tattoo somewhere on me in Dovahkiin font, to integrate the skill charts somewhere into some glow-in-the-dark decor (that I'm going to put on here when I do it), and to have some homage to Pac-Man and Super Mario somewhere in my home. I am a super geek and proud of it. I'd really like my space to reflect my interests, however uncool they may be. I love how creative you get to be with 'geek-' related things, how it can really put some personality into your atmosphere. 

One thing that has helped me to stay at least somewhat on track has been establishing a regular blog post schedule for myself, but having a physical calendar that I can actually look at and make additions--or subtractions--as necessary has done even more to help me stay on track. I like my stuff to be personalized though (because of course), so I've been looking into options to create my own blog calendar rather than just buying a stock one. The longer it takes for me to get something up though, the longer I stay disorganized, so time really is of the essence with that. lol

Like I mentioned earlier, part of my Pinterest party led me to DIY photo studios because I'd really like to learn how to take better blog photos, even without owning a DSLR camera. If I take better photographs, I can feel better about uploading them, which makes me more confident in the content of the reviews that I post. I'm also a YouTube groupie, and thanks to the creators on there I now understand the importance of good lighting and how to properly display a product. So I'd like to start improving those pictures, and some of those home photo studios and hacks are really easy to implement.

Subscription boxes, workout tips, healthy snack ideas, breakfast & snack foods, photography hacks and tips

Hey, I didn't include inspiration boards on this or the DIY section for once! I am growing. LOL Anyway, it's always bothered me that I had to put the SBS on hiatus last summer, so I was really excited to get Urthbox for this month's edition. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in the intro to the Urthbox post, it's gotten a lot more difficult to find boxes within my budget. So unless there is a bit more money or more cheap boxes hit the market, there won't be any more SBS entries again for awhile. The genre itself is still really interesting though, and as the world of subscription boxes explodes it's fun to see the different kinds of boxes that people come up with. 

Unlike last month when one of my entries was 'fitness(wtf?),' I have since come around to enjoy working out again, if it's done in a way that isn't boring. I work out for strength and light toning, not because I'm trying to be a health nut, so I don't put too much pressure on myself. Now that the 30-Day Wellness Challenge is over (and I actually completed it!), I don't have to continue working out if I don't want to. But the thing is that I actually do want to, which was as much of a surprise then as it is now, a week after having this revelation. LOL I'm always on the hunt for good workout tips and tricks, small workouts that give me a good burn and don't take up too much time. 

Although I didn't change my diet during the challenge and still have no intention of doing so, I found that I don't mind changing up my snack habits and am up to the challenge of finding some that are easy to make but taste good. I eat small portions throughout the day and I snack a lot, so finding snacks that have more to offer since I eat them so often wouldn't be such a bad thing. With the plan to start a food truck solidified, I've been kicking my background work into high gear, figuring out the business climate for another food truck in the area, ways that I can set my truck apart from the others, but more importantly finding innovative ways to serve breakfast dishes. It's easy to pigeonhole yourself into your breakfast routine, and it's my goal to break that routine and provide other options for morning commutes and pre-school meals that aren't potato chips. lol 

After several years of blogging, I'm finally learning the importance of a good visual impression. I was a photo snob when I first started out because I allowed myself to be convinced that filters of any kind were deceptive, so I'd just take a photo and post it because I wanted to show the products I reviewed accurately. Wanting to take an accurate photo is fine, but you still have to put some effort into polishing the photos you put out because they're a representation of the quality of your posts and the attention you pay to details. Which leads me to photography hacks and tricks. I'm always on the hunt now for what I can do to improve the quality of my photos, what filters enhance the product without misleading the reader, how to sharpen my eye in terms of photo angles and be more creative. I'd really like to improve the quality of the photos I put up here, but it took me awhile to figure out that 1-your skills will show no matter what equipment you use, 2-if you have the wrong idea about photography in general, you can't improve, and 3-blogging is a multi-faceted job and if you're not good in one of those areas, it will definitely show. Now that I'm aware, I can't stop looking up new things to try.

That does it for me this month. Sorry the "Things" portion was so lengthy, you know, again. lol It's been a month of really fun favorites and new things to try out, but I'm looking forward to what I can get my hands on this summer. I'm finally....finally getting around to all of those old app reviews from when I was on hiatus now that I've got my blog schedule back up and running. I'm still a bit behind on my LibraryThing reviews, but I'm even more behind here so I can put the book reviews away for a little while. There should be another review here in a few days or so, so keep a look out for that. See you soon!

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Subscription Box Series: Urthbox

I haven't done an SBS in goodness knows how long--it's been almost a year, I believe--because now that subscription boxes have become a 'thing,' a lot of the more cheaper companies have either since folded due to competition or hiked up their prices to support the demand. For someone on a budget, I can't see buying a $30-60 box just to sample it for an entry in this series, so I had to put it on hold for awhile while I found some more boxes in my price range. 

What is it?

Urthbox is a monthly box service that specializes in providing health-conscious snacks and beverages. There are four types of boxes you can choose from (classic, diet, gluten-free and vegan) and all of the snacks are GMO-free, organic and natural. A couple of extras, such as energy, vitamin or mineral supplements, hygiene or skincare products, can also be included in your box.

How much does it cost?

Mini--6 products for $8.99/monthly

Small--12 products for $12.99/monthly

Medium--17 products for $26.99/monthly

Large--24 products for $36.99/monthly

These prices change if you'd like to purchase a 1, 3 or 6 month-long subscription. You can also buy an Urthbox for the workplace or purchase it for someone else as a gift in 6-month increments. 

Sign-up and ordering:

Sign-up and ordering are both fairly easy; you can complete your order without needing to sign-up for the site first. After going to the "Get Started" link on the homepage, you select the box you want, followed by the monthly plan you'd prefer. Then you get to choose which of the four box types you want to receive, and the checkout page follows that. If you have a coupon code like I did, this is where you'll get to enter it. After that comes the confirmation page--you should receive a confirmation email as well--and the billing of your debit card, and on the 1st the new month's subscription begins so I'd suggest ordering this box at the beginning of the month to avoid getting two boxes. 

Delivery and cancellation:

Delivery took a couple of weeks but everything arrived in good shape. The box wasn't damaged in any way and everything inside had been packaged well. Cancellation was what I had problems with from Urthbox. Instead of instant cancellation that you can do yourself from the website, which I would have preferred, you have to email your cancellation request to the support team before the 30th of the month to ensure you won't be billed for the next month's box. I'd suggest calling earlier in the month to avoid getting caught up in the end-of-month madness that usually ensues when the company's only cancellation method is by email. You're supposed to get an email informing you that the support team will be in contact within 48 hours, but in my case that never happened so I called the customer support number. Now I'd already called the customer support line not long after ordering my box but after a snafu with the representative in which he'd said that he cancelled my subscription and would be sending me a confirmation email (that I never got), I went with their steps instead of emailing my cancellation request and waiting. I got the automated follow-up but no actual confirmation, so I called and after being told that the wait time would be longer than 10 minutes, I left my name and number on the machine. There was never a callback, so I emailed again and gave them a brief rundown of the prior events and that I was trying to confirm my cancellation before the next month. I finally got my answer a couple of days later and my subscription was cancelled. It took a week total to cancel the subscription. 

Purchasing products you received:

I had to search for the products individually on Google because once you log into your Urthbox account you can access your account information and see what kind of box you ordered, but you don't get any details about the items that came in your box. There is a section labeled "Products," but I couldn't find anywhere to search for the individual products to purchase them from Urthbox. 

So what came in the box?

I ordered the Mini Classic box, and here is what I was given:

1. Pretzel Perfection Salted Caramel Clusters

These are pretzel sticks covered in caramel and dark chocolate with chocolate chips and sea salt sprinkled over the top. For me, these were pretty sweet but they taste so good I'm willing to deal with it. lol I loved the size of the bag, it's more than enough for a snack or two, the bag is resealable which I also liked, and you can't even tell that this is a healthier snack because it tastes so sweet. I'm not normally a big fan of dark chocolate so I wasn't sure I'd like them, but the sea salt and caramel mix with it really well and balance out the bitterness. They're sold out on the company's website (probably from the Urthbox customers who also received these--seriously, these taste great lol) but they should be getting new stock in soon. That last part could be wishful thinking, though. lol If you live in a hot area like I do, I'd suggest refrigerating these or you'll have a melted clump of mess on your hands when you go back in for a snack. 

2. Fuel for Fire Fruit & Protein Fuel Pack in Triple Berry, $17.99

This is the only product in the box that I can say that I truly hated, and hate is still an understatement. I've tried a juice similar to this one before and it too was the stuff of nightmares. I've been trying to find one that doesn't provoke my gag reflex but unfortunately, this wasn't it. When I smelled it, it had that sickly sweet smell one gets when they're drunk and the alcohol is leaking out of their pores, or that smell after the alcohol comes back up. As an emetophobe and a non-drinker, that smell brings back so many bad memories from my younger days at the club trying to spot the ones who couldn't hold their liquor so I could get away in time. LOL The odor was enough to send me running for the hills, but I didn't feel right not trying it so I did. Immediately, I had to fight the urge to gag. The liquid looks like baby v and has this powdered milk/fruit taste that really isn't good. The aftertaste takes awhile to die down and it's bad the entire time. I don't see how people can like these. I even had some of my family try this and much like the other product we got like this, nobody liked it. If this was the only way to get my protein and energy, I'd pass. lol These are temporarily out of stock as well.

3. Chic-a-Peas Baked Crunchy Chickpeas in Sweet BBQ, $2.29

I've never had chickpeas before so I wasn't sure what to expect with these, but to me, the chickpeas taste like Japanese peanuts, but just a bit drier. I didn't get a sweet taste from the BBQ, it just tasted like BBQ seasoning but it was pretty strong. I can see taking these along with me if I'm going to be out for a few hours; I can't eat more than a few at a time but they tasted alright to me. I think they could have left the chickpeas plain and they still would have been okay. I guess these could be considered a healthier alternative to Corn Nuts, that's what these remind me of.

4. Hemp Hearts Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds, $8.99 for 8oz.

I've never had any sort of edible hemp product before but I smelled a hemp shampoo once and thought I was going to die, so I wasn't eager to try these at all. At first these taste like sunflower seeds and it's not so bad, but the aftertaste is pretty dry, like if you ate a bunch of pecans and didn't drink any water afterward. lol I can't see having these as a snack because they don't do much for me, but they weren't awful. 

5. Pnut Punch Cold-Pressed Bar, $11.99 for a 15-piece box

There was no description of these anywhere on the wrapper and the name of the candy doesn't give you much to go on either, but if you've ever had marzipan candies before, that's exactly what this tastes like. It has a stronger walnut taste than regular marzipans, but it's similar in texture and in taste. It wasn't anything new for me; the ice cream trucks here sell marzipans all the time and I used to eat them a lot when I was a kid, but if you've never had them then these candies should be a treat. 

6. Energy Gummi Bears in Citrus, $1.50 for a single pack

One of these bags is supposed to be the equivalent of one energy drink, but to be quite honest, I'd rather just have the energy drink and get it over with. lol I ate a couple of these and I didn't really feel any changes in my energy levels, so I think if you were to have one of these packages you'd have to eat the whole thing at once to get any sort of energy boost. They do taste like citrus though so even if you're not trying to get an energy boost, they'd still make a pretty good snack. 

My thoughts:

I like the concept of Urthbox, and I liked the majority of the snacks I was given. There were a couple of definite misses, but the majority of the products were hits that I'd love to purchase again. I like that there are multiple box types as well as sizes that you can choose from, and I thought it was really cool that you could buy a box for your workplace. I like that the snacks are healthier and portable so you can take them along with you on days out, and I like the variety in the types of snacks that I got. 

I do think there are some points for improvement though. I think that the option for instant cancellation should be added to the website (but that is partially because I have gone through companies who use the email cancellation option and it proved to be unreliable), and the option to purchase the products that came in your box from the website rather than searching on Google should be made available as well. Customer service is where I have the most complaints; they don't always follow through on delivering the cancellation emails (check your spam mail was what I was told; I check mine daily and never received it, but your email may filter any communication attempts there) and it can be like pulling teeth to actually get through and talk to someone. Overall, however, I liked most of my snacks and if not for the problems with getting customer service to respond to you, through either email or the support line, I wouldn't mind ordering from Urthbox again. 

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Blossom VoxBox

I received the Blossom VoxBox from Influenster earlier this month, and I figured I'd give myself time to try everything at leisure before posting my review, which is why it wasn't up here sooner. As always with any VoxBox that I post from Influenster, I received all of these items free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. The post is not sponsored by Influenster or any of the companies who participated by adding their products to this box. Let's get started!

I wasn't quite sure what the Blossom VoxBox was when I found out that I was selected to get one, so I opted to wait and be surprised. Here's what I got in my box:

1. Beanitos Bean Chips in Chipotle BBQ & Original Black Bean, $3.49

When I saw these were bean chips, I was not intrigued. lol I don't eat beans often and I'm not really a fan of black beans, so I didn't think they'd taste good at all. But I did like all the health benefits that the chips boasted and that the ingredients were all natural, so I went ahead and tried them. The nutritional info on the back lists these chips as being gluten, MSG, sodium, They ended up tasting great, at least to me. The original flavor was my favorite of the two; they had a subtle taste with only a hint of black bean at the end. The chipotle bbq reminded me of a less greasy Lay's Barbecue chip with a finish of cayenne or chili powder. It left a heat behind that wasn't overwhelming, but it did mix quite well with the barbecue. The bean taste wasn't strong in this chip either. I think they would both be good chips to eat alongside a burger. I figure I'll get all the good stuff with the chips so that I can get a pass on eating the burger. It balances out. LOL

2. Bear Naked Granola in Sea Salt Caramel Apple & Coconut Almond Curry, $10.49 for 12oz.

I've never had loose granola before, and while I was excited to try the caramel apple version, I did not share the same excitement for the curry granola. The caramel apple has bits of dried apple and pieces of caramel mixed into the loose oats, and the almond curry has bits of shaved coconut slices and almond pieces mixed in with the oats. I absolutely loved the caramel apple. It reminded me of the apple oatmeal and granola bars I used to eat when I was a kid and it tasted great. The curry granola, however, not so much. I don't think curry should be combined with granola. At first the taste is slightly sweet, but then the heat of the curry hits and for me, it just didn't mix well with the oats and coconut. That would explain the significant difference in the amounts I have in the bags. lol

3. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs in Medium, $13.99

My legs are darker than the shade of Airbrush Legs I was given so I wasn't able to get a full idea of how it would work for me, but when I tried it out I noticed a difference in the texture of my legs. The leg without the makeup felt normal and soft, but the one with it felt a bit rougher, sort of how my skin feels when I apply self-tanners or bronzing lotions. The leg makeup did give my leg more of a uniform complexion and after awhile I forgot it was there. It blended in well and disguised the smaller marks on my leg, and it didn't feel sweaty or greasy after a couple of hours. The only complaint I have with the product itself was how parched it made my leg feel. If it had the effect on my skin of a lotion then this would be great. I'm open to trying this again with the shade that matches my skintone.

4. Clairol Hair Food Root Cleansing Shampoo in Strawberry and Ginger, $9.99

On average I wash my hair about once or twice a week; I usually use my conditioner as a leave-in because it helps to keep my hair from drying out or becoming unmanageable between washes. My hair is very dry and weak in general, so I try not to go overboard with washing it or using heat on it. When I do wash it though, I need a shampoo that removes all built-up products or oils and fully cleanses without drying out my hair. The first time I washed my hair with this I noticed that after rinsing my hair, it felt a bit stripped and brittle, so I had to apply the leave-in to put some of the oils back. The second time, I didn't use the leave-in and proceeded as normal; it felt very stripped at first and very tangled. Once it was dried it did feel clean, especially at the root, but it fully exposed how dried out my ends were, and those parts are still prone to tangling even when dry. My hair doesn't feel weighted down per se, but it's kinda got the helmet effect going on--it's not flat, it brought out some of the waves at my roots, but it's not moving. I love the scent though and ends aside, I do like how my hair feels. It feels clean, but it also feels drier and much more brittle. It's gotten good reviews from other bloggers who've tried it and while I did see some of the benefits, I think maybe it just mixes badly with how damaged my hair already is or the texture it already had. I'm going to use it again LOL, just not without my leave-in afterward.

5. NYC 24-hr Eyeshadow in Brooklyn Mocha, $2.99

I've never tried any NYC products before, save for the dual-color eyeliners, so I was excited to try this. I really liked that it was a twist-up crayon. I swatched this on my hand first and I was expecting it to be a shimmery sand, but it actually looks more gray. I applied it over a primer on one eye and left the other eye naked, and that's where I noticed the difference. On the primed eye the color was darker, a bit more intense and smokier. On the naked eye, it was lighter, there was more of a shimmery finish, and the color blended out a little easier. I love the color by itself, but it also mixes well with other colors, makes for a slammin' smokey eye, and would probably be a good base if you'd like a little bit of shimmer to peek out from underneath darker eyeshadows. This is easily one of my favorite products in the box. 

6. Australian Gold Sunscreen in SPF 30, $7.99 for 8oz.

This is a great sunscreen. I don't know that it replaces my other two favorites just yet, but it's right up there. The scent is very summery but doesn't have that irritating sunscreen smell or feel to it. The formula isn't as thick as old school sunscreens, it rubs in very well and it doesn't leave the skin looking or feeling greasy. It makes your skin look moisturized and dewy, and I liked that as well. I applied it before leaving on a midday walk last weekend and when I got back, I had a tan but my skin wasn't as dried out as it normally is when I leave without sunscreen. My skin wasn't leathery or chafed and still felt moisturized. It's also supposed to be water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, so if you're going to spend a couple of hours out by the pool or at a water park, this would be a good sunscreen to take along with you. The size of the bottle that I received makes it very portable, the top doesn't easily come off so it won't spill in your bag, and you won't need to drown your skin in it; you can mix it in with your lotion to get it to stretch. I liked this sunscreen a lot. 

7. Nasoya Pasta Zero Pasta, $2.29

I haven't been able to get to the store to buy sauce for this pasta yet, but let me tell you that I was not intrigued by this when I first saw it in the bag. lol It was delivered very securely though, it was in a bubble wrapped container and that was placed into a Ziploc bag, so I appreciate that I didn't receive noodle juice (lol) drenched all over everything. These noodles are supposed to be cooked in a skillet, then you can add whatever sauces you'd like and eat. When I try this, I'll update the post. 

Extras:

Besides the fact sheet I got on all of the products in the box, I also had coupons for Beanitos and Hair Food products, and an invitation to post some how-to or inspiration tips in order to receive a $25 eBay gift card. I much prefer when I get fact sheets with my boxes; after I review them initially I tend to forget about where I got them, and the fact cards help me keep track. 

The Blossom VoxBox is by far one of the better boxes I received from Influenster, and I'm beyond appreciative that I was selected for this box. I got a couple of new alternatives for healthy snacks, and with this new goal of mine to workout and start being more aware of what I eat, a couple of those snacks couldn't have come at a better time. Thanks again to Influenster for including me in this box and Happy Memorial Day!

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