Birchbox - My First Three Months

It fits in the mailbox!

As I have previously mentioned, any time that I can order something online to take care of my impulse shopping, it will be ordered. Much like Stitch Fix, I heard about Birchbox and knew I wanted to have these adorable boxes of samples sent to me. I learned about Birchbox and Stitch Fix from the same blogger Jenna over at Eat, Live, Run. She must also like getting packages.

The interior box is a great size for small gifts in the future.

First Month: January

The products are packaged in such a way that I can't help but smile when I get the mail on the day it appears.

January Birchbox: apple/pear body lotion, fragrance, face cream, lip gloss, cleansing shampoo.

One of the reasons I thought Birchbox was perfect for me, and probably invented for me to find, is that I recently decided that my face routine was no longer working. My skin is dry, flaky, pores are very visible, I wasn't feeling clean after a wash. I also do not like my makeup in any way. I suppose the ol' "you get what you pay for" is definitely applicable for me. I buy drugstore brands and not even their high-end products. The fact is I don't like the idea that I need to spend lots of money on beauty products. I like to look natural. I don't like to spend too much time on how I look. However, as a professional in my career and with the way I dress for work I knew I had to make sure I am professionally presentable.




Second Month:February

The postcard included in each package includes a witty tie-in to what is going on around the country. This month they focused on love, of course, but mostly self-love. And not in that way. Entirely.

February Birchbox: curl cream, lotion, nail polish, tinted face cream, chocolate.

The renewed interest in finding the right products stems from a certain wonderful past supervisor who once told me, "You always look very natural. But you can also look a little bit like a zombie. You might want to think about makeup products that cover your lack of sleep." She was entirely correct. I don't sleep well and my face is evidence of that. I never thought about it that way until she pointed it out to me. I did not take it personally as it was well-meant. And she did it in a way that was comfortable for me, as in, she used her nerdy knowledge and called me a zombie. The truth was I had not thought about it at all. I was in my mid-twenties and had not spent much time in those years considering my beauty routine as part of an overall look or presentation of self. No matter how many times I told students entering career development workshops, working on mock interviews and finding that perfect suit for interviews, or etiquette workshops, I never internalized the fact that I was ignoring that highly useful information in myself.

Third Month:March

The postcard this month included a partnership with the male side of the Birchbox company and the March Madness that is inevitable.This includes a chance to do brackets and win prizes.No, I did not join the brackets. I am ready for baseball and this whole basketball thing is just a terrible distraction from Spring Training.

March Birchbox: lotion, skin tint, body glaze, fragrance, hair tie, emery board.

So Birchbox has become the way I can dive into all of these crazy products out there and see if any of them help with my concerns. So far, none of it has been entirely perfect but I do like a few of the things I have received. I am really excited that two of the three have included fragrance because I have also been thinking about changing that up. I have used the same fragrance since high school and though I don't wear it often I think changing it up, or having several options, could be a good thing. I also am highly intrigued by the skin stain (here is a link, you may want to check on a non-work device)  and the card that came with it. I would never have thought of something like this. The one product that I have definitely considered purchasing is the Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream. I don't know that it is supposed to be used on the entire face, but for the week I did so I had a lot less dryness issues. Could be an answer to my frustration there.

Overall I really like getting the small packages that bring something new to fixate on for a few days. I will probably continue to do this for a few more months at least to see if anything brilliant and perfect comes my way.

Human Nature versus Dog Nurture

Though it is not an impulse of mine. I am a tried and true dog lover.

I grew up with dogs. Labs to be precise. We bred and birthed them in our home. We cooed at, socialized, and loved them until they went to other homes. We dog-sat for friends and family members while they went on trips. My parents hunted and never are the labbys more happy than when they are prancing through tall grass on the scent. I never knew a dog to be mistreated in my presence.





Then I grew up. We still have dogs, though fewer, and are no longer breeding the beauties. I learned there are people in this world who obtain an animal only to abuse and neglect it at every turn. I won't try to rationalize these actions. It seems impossible but happens every day. And yes, we humans seem to have the nature of hurting the downtrodden or those we deem "lower" than ourselves of any species.

Then Wags & Whiskers came into my life during my random stalking of available pups online. I also will not wax poetic (as if I could) on the wonderful work they do. What I want to say is how much they mean to me. I have found a place where my own love of animals is matched if not exceeded. I have found an outlet for my desire and ability to help organize events and help from afar as I am not able to foster an animal in my own home at this time. I have found a group of people that focus on loving and caring for animals that had nothing before. I have also challenged my own skewed ideas of nature versus nurture in learning about different breeds and training methods. Not only is a dog an extension of the care it receives from the owner it is a direct reflection of that person's inner being.

I hope to live up to the examples set by my parents and the volunteers in this organization.

Wags is currently running one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. If you are so inclined I would love to donate your funds to these animals.




http://www.razoo.com/story/2013-No-Kill-Walk-For-The-Animals-1?referral_code=share

Craft Time with Brother

To sum up my hilariously easy relationship with my brother, an excerpt of a recent conversation:

Me (2/1/13): I think for my bday and to get going on your etsy plans you should make me a swift like this.

The original form of my newest impulsive obsession.

Brother:


Brother (2/25/13 - paraphrased phone call): Hey, I don't have the dude [his son] this weekend, let's make your thingy. Sound good? Do you have anything you can send me on how this thing is made? Cool. See you then.

Pretty!

A backstory. I have become more inclined to buy fancier yarn for my knitting projects. When bought in a cute boutique, such as Lakeside Yarn in Excelsior, MN, they will wind it into a workable ball before I leave the store. That is assuming I remember to ask them to do so. However, when ordering yarn off the internet it comes in a twisted, frustrating "hank." A friend who is infinitely craftier than me has her own swift, shown above, for creating a workable ball. This was completely mind-blowing to me. Now I have knowledge of, and access to, thousands of options for yarn. This could be the end of my discretionary funds.

What the hank looks like unwound and ready for the swift.

I sent my brother the text message above because he is very good at creating things from salvaged parts. He creates things from scrap metals and parts from diesel engines and other such interesting projects from ideas off the top of his head. Hence, his plans to create an etsy shop and let others appreciate these creations.

So really, being the selfless sister that I am, I asked him to create a swift for me for his own personal growth in the creative business.

Measure twice, cut once.

Focus.

Our project took place in the father's shop where we had access to so many different types of wood and tools. Once we decided on the material, Brother took over and created the swift I now call mine. I even got to use some power tools. Don't worry. There was supervision. I cannot otherwise be trusted.

Photo montage of work and materials!

Though it will eventually be stained, and I need a Nostepinne (Scandinavian for Nest-Stick) to wind onto, this swift is ready for business. And I love it.

Don't mind the fake hank. I needed a visual!

Total project time: Less than two hours
Total project cost: Less than $4.00 (all wood except dowel from Father's shop)
Project outcome: Fun times with Brother and using power tools

Also - does this suggest that impulsive behavior is a family trait?

Guest Post by Arianna - The Foodie Penpal package I sent to PA

I just want to start off by thanking Molly for allowing me to hijack her blog for this post. I found foodie pen pals through another blog, Fit In Heels (fitness and fashion, what could be better). Anyway when I signed up for the first time this month, I didn’t know what to expect. Well I was quite pleased with the results! Molly here was very understanding with my vegan lifestyle and tried her best to accommodate. Molly sent me some delicious Dark Chocolate Caramel Pop-Corn with a spicy kick. Since caramel isn’t vegan, I just had to go against my vegan choices and taste this delicious looking popcorn. And boy was it good! Also in this awesome selection of food from Minnesota is a mix for Garlic Cheddar Biscuits. Again not vegan, but I have some Almond Milk and Vegan Cheddar Cheese that I will use with the mix. I’m excited to see how they turn out this weekend! The Wild Rice was really yummy with some Green Peppers, Red Peppers, Peas and Broccoli thrown in. I added lots of spices too. I think I might add some sort of sauce to the leftovers to change it up a bit. There is a salsa that I can’t wait to open up and try, but the rest of the salsa in my fridge has to go first. Lastly there’s a Nut Roll that looks really delicious. That one isn’t vegan, so I’m not sure yet if I’ll be trying it, but someone I know definitely will! One thing that Molly didn’t know was that I’m now eating gluten free too (gluten free vegan I must be crazy!). To be fair, I didn’t know that either until after I received her little taste of Minnesota. Lucky for me, ALL of this food happens to be gluten free so I get to enjoy everything. So thank you Molly for sending me some delicious treats, and for allowing me to use your blog to share how much I enjoyed getting some new foods to try!

Foodie Penpal Package - January 2013

A new year for more new food and fun.

If you didn't see my first post about Foodie Penpals, here is a little information about the program.

-On the 5th of every month, penpals receive their pairs via email. Within 72 hours you must contact your penpal to chat about preferences and addresses. You won't be paired with the same two people so you sent to person A and person B sends to you. Gets you connected to two people per month.
-The boxes are to be filled with fun local foodie things or homemade treats. The spending limit is $15 and the box must also include something written (a note, recipes, etc.).
-Figure out the best method and price for shipping and get it in the mail by the 15th of the month. This gives each person enough time to receive the package, check out the contents and write a post about it if they have a blog. Those without a blog can create a guest post for their penpal if they desire.
-Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents.You will only be paired with others from your country.
-Each month you sign up so if you have a busy month you don't have to participate in that one. If you don't contact or send your package more than once you will not be allowed to participate again. It is meant to be fun for all rather than a chore or a disappointment.
Check out Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean for more info and to sign up for February.

Okay, on to MY food! This month my package was prepared by Kristin over at Making Grand Plans. First off, great package. I was so happy to get it all! If you would like to see what I sent to Arianna, check out her guest post on my blog.

I love that most of this is available at a store I can go to!

Kristin sent me a really terrific group of foods. I have tried, and eaten, almost all of it already. She is from Kansas so the sunflower granola and the BBQ sauce was in reference to her location. The rest of it was from Trader Joe's which is one of my new obsessions so I know I can get more.

The Sunflower Granola is definitely my favorite food in the box and I am really sad that I probably cannot find anything like it around here but I will keep an eye out. Though I lived in the KC area, and with all of my subsequent trips, I only have experienced KC style BBQ once so I will have to find a recipe I want to use the sauce to make.

The pumpkin pancake mix was used for a family breakfast the same week I got the package and I am really glad I found a way to share it because I would have eaten all of it. It was delicious! The pumpkin flavor was not too overpowering but enough that you knew it was there.

I have tried two of the four nut butters and they are definitely an intersting twist for me. I eat peanut butter with an apple every single day as my afternoon snack so changing up the nut butter was fun. I do have to say the maple almond butter did not really have that maple flavor but maybe it was overpowered by the almond. The honey almond butter did have a bit of honey sweetness to it. I am saving the chocolate hazelnut butter for a special dessert or something.

The dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds are a great little "grab a few when you pass" snack. I like the tartness and really like the dark chocolate even though I prefer milk.

Definitely in love with this granola.

Overall great package and fun to get foods from a store where I can buy more. Thanks Kristin!

I am taking a break for February since I have some other things coming up but will definitely participate again in the future. 

2013 Will Come and Go. Learning and Reflection.

Today's impulse: self-reflection and goal-setting.

I have never been one to truly plan on or stick to resolutions. I am generally quite skeptical and negative about that type of thing. I also believe in constant self-reflection, though often more self-critical than self-affirming, but only in about the last two years have I made goals and expectations out of my personal reflections.

I do have goals. I do have passions to pursue. I do have expectations for my life and career. I am more prone to self-reflection and goal-setting on my birthday but found myself lost in thought today. Maybe this year, having written this out for all (read: me) to see I will follow up and through on my thoughts at the beginning of this new year.

A small list of things I hope to accomplish this year: I want to continue my journey to healthy habits by sticking to my exercise plans (5-6 days per week), trying new recipes and restaurants (at least 3 per month), becoming more financially stable and smart, and strengthening the connections I have to my family and close friends. New goals I have are to make career moves and goals at my current institution by June 1, to create a list of at least 20 activities I would like to try before January 1, 2014, and to actually focus on dating.

Today I was reading the January issue of Real Simple, a favorite magazine of mine, and it obviously focused on making 2013 a great year through goals and other things. I really enjoyed the article "10 Things Your Mother Didn't Teach You." My first thought at skimming the 10 ideas was that my mother is truly amazing having modeled much of the behavior included. Upon further reflection, she has done so without really drawing attention to much of it.

One idea from a research expert quoted in the article really stuck with me on one particular goal I set for myself on my 28th birthday. The section was "How to Take a Compliment." The expert, a clinical psychology instructor at Harvard, said that one of the reasons we do not take compliments well is the cultural expectation, however outdated, that we appear humble to praise. He goes on to say that the humility is also "a form of protection: 'We all just want to be loved and valued, but we walk around holding our breath about the ways in which we aren't.'" This really resonated with me. I went through a process of losing weight and becoming a healthier and happier person. This journey came to its culmination around my 28th birthday in reaching my goal weight a few weeks prior and meeting Lifetime Membership status with Weight Watchers, through which I was learning to be healthy the week of my big day. One thing that happened time after time as I went through that process, and also since, has been many compliments and comments about my physical appearance. When I was heavier and unhappy with myself compliments were few and far between as well as received with skepticism and dismissal. I often told myself that not only did I not deserve a compliment on my looks while being overweight and unhealthy but people must be really stretching to say such things to me as they could not possibly be true.

How many of us do this to ourselves? We learn from an early age to be confident in our self and our abilities but not too confident as to appear cocky and prideful. We are told to love ourselves as we are but that there are serums, medicines, clothing, acccessories, makeup, and procedures that can alter our appearance to others' liking. I learned from both of my parents that life is not an easy or obvious road but that you work on what you have and love those around you and you get through it together.

I think one major goal I would like to actually mark off my list in the coming year is to learn how to give and take compliments. This concept does not mean I want to have people tell me how great I look all the time. The skill of taking compliments, and therefore giving them properly, has a lot more to do with being present and being kind. Though I am a highly observant person I often choose not to say complimentary things to people. It is partly as the article stated, I want to appear humble and therefore do not want to invite comments toward myself. It is also often a self-conscious action as making comments on others' appearance, thoughts, or actions shows them just what I am observing and I do not want that to make another person self-conscious as I make myself in similar situations. I want to learn to take a compliment without analyzing why someone would give it and I want to give compliments with the sincerity they deserve.

I think this is also about focusing more on the positive and learning from every experience and person. It is about constant observation, being present, and choosing words wisely. These are all things I would like to say that I do naturally.

Here's to ending 2012 on a high note but expecting so much more of myself in 2013 and beyond.

Happy New Year to you as well. May you find your life filled with happiness.

I love packages!

One reason why I am the perfect online impulse shopper? I love getting packages! I love coming home and finding a box with my name on it outside my door.

When I found out about Foodie Penpals, courtesy of Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean, I knew I had to give it a shot. It combines my love of getting packages with my deeper love of FOOD. Win-win.

Foodie Penpals pairs people from across the country with others to send small, inexpensive packages of food. The point is to have connections but also to experience new and exciting food trends around the states. An interesting piece of the matches is that the person sending me food is not the same person to whom I send my package. So each month I am directly connected to at least two new people through our love of simple, fun, and local foods.

My match, Alexis, sent me an email right away when the matches were sent. After letting her know my personal food habits, which are "gimme," she sent me a wonderful package of delicious foods.

The package must include"something written" so Alexis included an adorable card.

First, how funny is it that someone from Florida sent me a package including a wild rice blend from California? Being a proud Minnesota girl I do love that wild rice. This blend actually includes wild, brown and red rices cultivated in California. I was very excited to see this in the box and have already used it in a delicious Mahnomen recipe (see previous post). It is delicious and has a great texture with the blend of rices.

The package also included sweet potato chips, the Food Should Taste Good brand which I love, and those were eaten quite possibly the next day. They are great with homemade guacamole and salsa.

Alexis also included some Chai Tea (yummy) and hot chocolate mixes (double-yummy). Either I gave her a lot more information than I thought about my food likes or we are the same person. Going into the winter when I love snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and ice skating, these will be used and enjoyed often. I will also use the trail mix and protein bar while enjoying outside winter activities.





In short, this was a great package for me. I get to experience some new rice and drink blends and connected with the wonderful Alexis.

Next month we are forgoing sending packages to penpals in lieu of sending money and supplies for relief efforts of Hurricane Sandy. Thanks, Lindsay, for an awesome movement!