I realize that we’re about half-way through the month. Things have been busy here. Full-time work, plus full-time carer doesn’t leave much time for room. Even the weekends are busy. Since we live with others who are not considerate when it comes to timing, certain things (i.e. laundry) cannot be done in my free time. My day starts at 6am and goes until about 1am the next day. Unfortunately, I have neglected this blog, and appreciate those of you who are still here.
Continue ReadingSummer is here! The weather has gone from the low 70s to 90+. Okay, it’s not surprising given that we are located in California. I normally look forward to spending time at the beach, cleaning up the trash and honing my photography skills. With the way things are shaping up, this summer will very much be the same as last year, spent mostly indoors, with the exception of grocery shopping. The being said, there are loads of things we can do in our own backyard.
I had kept FFF because, truth be told, it’s fun getting a package in the mail. Is it the most sustainable thing to do? No. But it provided me with a little bit of joy once a quarter. Unfortunately, the boxes have gone downhill. This season, Annual Members were able to choose everything in their box, which I liked. There is a lot of plastic, in terms of product packaging. It’s frustrating because these are all products that work well with my skin. Anything I ended up not using was gifted in my local Buy Nothing group. I’m not sure if the same applied Seasonal Members, but most things sold out right away. I’d been wanting to try PMD’s face cleaner, but realized I have more devices than I could possibly use, so I opted for the towel. I chose things I needed, or would genuinely use, like the sunscreen and ceramic bowls. Unlike previous boxes, there was way less plastic in my box this go around. I can’t help but feel like FFF is going the route of greenwashing with their more “eco-friendly” packaging and product options. There were add-ons that are “sustainable” but, as with many other cases, there is no evidence to back up those claims. Anyway, I’m getting on a tangent.
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Note: FabFitFun recently discontinued their affiliate program, so any links here are not affiliate links. I received the FabFitFun summer 2020 box last week, and have to say that I was really disappointed. My box contained a foot & a hand cream, suncare, pillow cover, hyaluronic said serum, eyebrow pencil, cooler bag, and credits for a food subscription as well as one for wine. The overall value for this box was marked at $265.50.
Continue ReadingThe summer box is sold out, but you can still sign up and receive the Post-Summer Editor’s Box! It will be the first box you receive when you sign up for a FabFitFun subscription. Before we get into it, here is a little disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you subscribe using the link(s), we may earn a small commission. Read more on affiliate links here. There is never any pressure to use them. We would also like to thank My Subscription Addiction for the use of images in this post. Continue reading
Taking a road trip is just what the doctor ordered! It won’t be far, but much needed and well worth it. Do you have any plans before summer ends? Let me know. When I get back, I will have more giveaway details for all of you. I will also try to get in a few haul posts in the next week that will feature Daiso, SPF care, and more!
Stay beautiful!
I know I’ve pretty much been gone most of this month. Things have been pretty crazy, and are finally winding down. Here is a little overview of what I’ve been up to and what is to come:
– Packing, packing, packing!
– Giveaways (one has CLOSED, but there will be at least one more for the summer).
– Traveling (hoping to get to Canada this summer. It has been far too long!).
– Tech Trek (I’ll get into that later).
– Mountainous adventures and visiting family.
– More reviews, and possibly a first video on my YouTube channel (stay tuned!).
– Tips & tricks for makeup, packing, etc.
– Dissertation writing, editing, etc.
– Booking for future events (I already have a room for CES 2016, and am so excited!).
There has been one pretty important event this month, which involves summer camp I work…well, worked. It is only a week (this one in particular ended Saturday), but as with many things, it can feel like it lasts a lifetime. Anyway, this year marked the last Tech Trek I will ever work. For those of you who are not familiar, Tech Trek (AAUW) is a science and math camp for girls who are 12-13 years of age. Many of them are interested in going into a math and/or science field when they grow up, and it is an excellent opportunity for them to see that there is more out there than just the gender-typed professions. I should note that there is nothing wrong with women taking on gender-typed roles; this camp just provides other experiences that girls may not have thought of. I digress…
Each girl is sponsored by a branch that pays all expenses for them (including meals, excursions, etc.), and this year they are going national. It used to only be offered in California. The process is much like that for a job interview. The girls write an essay and are interviewed. Many of them must provide an oral presentation at the end of camp, or produce an essay detailing their experiences. During camp the girls go to a core class, attend a guest speaker panel, network, bond with their dorm mates, go on field trips, and get a lot of hands-on experiences with various workshops. Each camp is different, with varying activities depending on their location. All-in-all, it is a one-of-a-kind experience that any chosen girl is lucky to have.
For the past 13 years, I have been a part of Tech Trek, and due to circumstances out of my control, I decided that this would be my last year. My friend (we met at camp), who has worked camp for 14 years made the same decision. To be honest, we were both much more sad about it than we thought we would be. As Friday night rolled around, I realized that this would be the last time that this group of women would be sitting together. It was the last time we would be in the dorms “shooting the breeze”…everything was really “the last”. You know that moment in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where Tula says that she stopped to take a mental picture of what was going on? Well, I had that moment during their slumber party Friday night. The girls were dancing around, and it was one of the happiest things I had ever seen in all the years of being a part of Tech Trek. And then it dawned on me that this was it. A sad yet serene moment, and now all of us originals are gone. The end of an era.
Darphynia's Diary 
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