POPSUGAR Must Have June Box Review

Hey guys! How are you doing today? It is finally Friday!

I look forward to a nice relaxing weekend at home with hubby – some cycling, some swimming, some gardening – a little bit of everything.

Meanwhile, I am combining the two again – my Five on Friday and a review of a super box I received from POPSUGAR Must Have.

I love working with POPSUGAR – great people, very responsible, and you can be sure they won’t send you a bunch of crap when you get a box subscription from them – every experience I had with them (see the Must Have Snacks review) was extremely positive and pleasant.

Speaking of subscription – POPSUGAR Must Have was so kind to send me a $10 discount code to share with you guys, which applies to 3-month subscription:

  • Code: JUNESELECT10
  • Type: Save $10 on a 3-month subscription
  • Start Date: Today
  • End Date: 6/30/14

Click here to subscribe and get your $10 off today!

So here is the box I received in June and the review of some items in it.

popsugar must have box

{ONE} You Smell Wet Wipes

I am not a big fan of wet wipes in general. I hate the way they make your hands sticky and the way they smell.

I have to say, these wipes surprised me by being absolutely none of what you expect a regular wet wipe to be – they smell fresh and don’t make your skin feel like you just wiped it with honey.

We put this product to a good test when we went camping a couple weeks ago. They really helped out – especially for me as I was the “Fire Master” 🙂

popsugar must have box

Two thumbs up for these wipes!

{TWO} Turkish-T Beach Towel

If you’re like me, you like to be wrapped into something thin and light at the beach or by the pool when you get out of the water and had a little bit too much sun already.

This beach towel is just that – light and soft. That has been tested this past weekend by the pool by yours truly 🙂

popsugar must have box

{THREE} One Potato…Two Potato…Hawaiian BBQ Chips

popsugar must have box

I normally don’t buy/eat potato chips. VERY occasionally my husband would buy some and they would be gone before I get my hands on them thanks to the two baby alligators in the house chomping on anything edible 🙂

I had to hide these chips when I got them. Aha – you get the idea 🙂

Now look at the Nutrition Facts label for these:

These are not your regular potato chips, no sir. I actually felt OK about eating them as opposed to the usual guilt and “it’s not good for me” thoughts.

Still not a big fan of potato chips. But if you are – these are definitely a healthier version to go for.

{FOUR} The One and Only by Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin is the New York Times best selling author and The One and Only is her newest novel. I have just started it, and so far it looks like a perfect book to read at the swim club!

{FIVE} SACHAJUAN Body Lotion – Shiny Citrus

I’m in love with this lotion! When it comes to moisturizers, I am VERY picky. Hate the stuff that leaves my skin greasy and shiny. This is just perfect! Gets absorbed fast and leaves you with nice and silky skin.

I also got a pack of three Lollies Hair Ties.

popsugar must have box

Well, I am a little limited in the hair department as far as the use of hair ties goes 🙂

yeah, here's a picture of me NOT in workout clothes for once :)

yeah, here’s a picture of me NOT in workout clothes for once 🙂

I tried giving them to Carmen, but that girl has such thick hair those ties were not big enough for her 🙂 I ended up giving them to my co-worker’s daughter and she absolutely loved them!

So. Here’s the math for a POPSUGAR Must Have Box for you, guys:

Subscription cost: $39.95/month (use the discount code above to get a 3-month subscription and it comes out at $33.29/box!)

Retail value of the items in the June box:

  • You Smell wet wipes – $5
  • Turkish-T Beach Towel – $45
  • The One and Only by Emily Giffin – $16.52 on Amazon
  • One Potato, Two Potato chips – about $.99/bag
  • Hair ties – $8/pack of 3
  • Body lotion – at least $24

Total retail value: $99.51

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me!

And that’s that, friends! Have a great weekend!

Lean Lena

DISCLOSURE: POPSUGAR provided me with a complimentary POPSUGAR Must Have box. The opinions I have shared about the box are my own and POPSUGAR did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

This post has been shared on: Mar on the Run, Northeast Bloggers Network, Let’s Get Real Linkup

Five on Friday – Fitness Geek and a Little More Bling

Hey, guys! Happy Friday!

I hope you had a great week!

Traditionally, Friday post is about five things I am loving lately, want to own, already own and adore, etc. etc. – Five on Friday.

So, here we go.

{ONE} More Swatch Watches

Did I mention I am addicted to them? No? I am addicted to them.

Here is another one from my collection.

Swatch-3

There is an interesting story behind this one – I got it in China in 2007, at the Beijing International Airport duty free. I didn’t have enough money with me to get it at that time, so I had to borrow some from my travel companion. 🙂 Ever since – where ever I go wearing this watch – I always get a compliment.

I have never seen one like that anywhere else.

In fact, I was having trouble finding a picture on the internet until I got on Swatch Official Website and used their search function.

So, for those of you who want one, the model name is Swatch Affecting SFK292G.

{TWO} This awesome T

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I think I am going to buy it as a present for one of my fellow “inmates” 🙂

Buy on Etsy.

{THREE} Stability Ball – Gold’s Gym 

I’ve been eyeing those for a while wanting to get one to exercise at home, and I finally did. I got mine at Walmart. If you ever go out to get one, pay attention to the sizes they come in – the ball diameter you need depends on your height, so read what’s on the box before you grab it – otherwise you will have to go back and deal with the people of Walmart trying to exchange it 🙂

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Can also get it on Amazon:

What I like about this particular one is that it comes with an air pump and an exercise chart! This Wednesday I did some ball exercises every commercial break while I watched Criminal Minds on TV 🙂

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{FOUR} Yoga Props – Blocks

You guys know that I have a couple of rest days a week… Well, what’s a rest day without some home yoga practice in it, right? 🙂 So. I’ve been getting some props for my yoga practice at home. It is amazing how much you need when you try to “do it at home”!

So, I recently read this article by Christine and it inspired me to order yoga blocks.

Yoga block

If you’re into yoga – check out Christine’s blog. She has a great series of posts titled “Ask a Yogini” where you can ask her any question about your yoga practice!

{FIVE} Homemade Granola

Been addicted to it lately. I made a whole batch last weekend, and I have to tell you – put some yogurt on top and you got a perfect filling snack that will keep you going until lunch! That’s pretty good if you’re trying to limit your snacking.

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You can find a recipe for it here.

Do share: what’s your latest favorite finds/likes/addictions?

Have a great weekend, guys, and I will see you on Monday 🙂

Five on Friday – Bling! (Mostly)

Hey guys! TGIF! It is almost weekend and weekends are FUN!

Here’s your pre-weekend fun post – Five on Friday – traditionally the Friday post is about five things I am loving lately, want to get, have and admire, etc.

Here we go – this week’s edition of Five on Friday!

{ONE} Mighty Leaf Tea

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Check out all the goodness I got in my latest Conscious Box:
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I love the non-paper tea bag and the fact that this tea does not look like dust in a paper bag. It tastes DEVINE, too.
Give it a try!

{TWO} Cycling themed jewelry

So I was browsing amazon for some jewelry, and since I am a bike-head, I thought, “Hm…I wonder what comes up if I search for cycling themed jewelry”

And here is what came up:
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Sterling Silver Charm Pendant Cyclist Bicycle Rider * Tarnish Resistant Finish
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Bicycle Chain Bracelet Neon Pink Bike BB29 Retro Cycling Bangle Cyclist Fashion Jewelry
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Bike Charm Bracelet Stretch Bicycle Water Bottle Helmet Z2 Black Blue Sports

Love the pieces above!

{THREE} Thumb Rings

My new obsession! Example:

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Antique Look Decorated Swirl Pattern Sterling Silver Stackable Band Ring, Size 8

How can you not love it, right?

{FOUR} Pinky Rings

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Sterling Silver Aum or OM Yoga Symbol Toe Ring or Pinky Ring

Om in a ring? Yes, please!

 {FIVE} Swatch Watch

This one below is just one of my proud Swatch possessions – bought in Miami, FL two years ago and dearly cherished ever since.

Swatch-1

Do share: what are your Five this Friday?

Have a great weekend, my friends, and stay fit!

Lena

#MNBChallenge, Week 3 Recap – Believe

Hey, guys! Happy Saturday!

How is your weekend going? I hope you are getting a lot of active rest and relaxation!

I am here today to tell you about last week’s happenings of the Move, Nourish, Believe Challenge. If you missed the previous recaps, you can find them here and here.

The past week was about the spiritual aspect of the challenge, which I struggled with the most, and which I think was the most important part of the challenge just because of that.

It is easy to comply with challenges like “eat this, eat that”, or “workout this/that way” for me…Unfortunately, it is not so easy to stop and think, and believe….

I’ve been struggling in the past couple of weeks with my overall motivation (or rather the lack thereof)…I hardly exercised at all and noticed that I started cutting myself a little slack here and there with my food choices. That is not good. Week 3 of the challenge made me stop, think and reconsider. And smell the roses. And realize that whatever is going on with my motivation is ok, and I need to go through this and bounce back. And I am bouncing back 🙂

So, here’s what happened during Week 3 of the MNB Challenge.

{MONDAY} Spoil Yourself!

Now that is an awesome start to any week, isn’t it? I did spoil myself with an at-home manicure.

here's all my gear!

here’s all my gear!

and the final result of spoiling myself

and the final result of spoiling myself

{TUESDAY} 5 Mindful Minutes

On Tuesday we were supposed to meditate for at least 5 minutes.

I am generally not a good meditation person. That is something I am struggling with in yoga – relaxation and meditation. ‘Cos, you know….I’m far better at buzzing around at the speed of light and it is hard for me to stop. Not that I can’t, I just enjoy my own rhythm.

Anyway, challenge is to challenge yourself, so I did.

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My peaceful place underneath the family pictures in the living room 🙂

{WEDNESDAY} Be Happy.

On Wednesday we needed to share our happy place picture. That one took me a while to choose from – I have so many happy places (luckily)! after a thorough selection process this picture was dug out of the cyberspace.

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This was take quite a long time ago, and it is of me sitting on top of a cliff in a nature park just outside the city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, overlooking the beautiful Yenisei River.

That picture made me remember that I am the happiest when I can be alone with nature. Just for a few minutes, to get out of the everyday routine and just sit there looking at the water off of top of a cliff. Perfect!

{THURSDAY} Thankful Thursday.

On Thursday we needed to think and show what we were thankful for.

I am a very lucky woman. I have a wonderful family and friends, I have a good life, everybody I love is in good health and happy. I have a ton of things to be thankful for.

However, none of that would be possible for me if it wasn’t for my mom and dad. They were my answer to the Thankful Thursday challenge – if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have been where I am right now.

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{FRIDAY} #1

On Friday, we had to give a shout out to our number one supporter and motivator.

You all know this guy very well 🙂

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Best “Yes!” I ever said was to him. He’s always been my number one fan, my number one supporter and partner in crime, my best friend and the love of my life!

And that is how we believed this past week!

I can’t believe this challenge is over… It was so much fun to be part of it! Thank you Fit Approach and Lorna Jane for the wonderful 3 weeks of moving, nourishing and believing!

Healthy Living Tips: Q&A about Infused Water

Hi guys!

Happy Hump Day!

I’ve been asked a lot about infused water lately. By no means am I an expert in this, but I thought I’d share some tips I discovered.

I make infused water every Sunday (sometimes twice a week) and I think it is a great healthy alternative to store bought juices, leave alone soda:

  • it does not contain any added sugar
  • it is cheaper
  • it is more delicious
  • it is better for you

So below are answers to some common questions I get about making infused water.Continue Reading

Five on Friday

Hey guys! Happy Friday!

I hope you had a wonderful week and are ready for an even better weekend!

While you’re still waiting for it to come, here’s my “Five on Friday” – a weekly post about 5 things that I have been loving, liking, enjoying, etc.. lately.

{{ONE}} EOS – Lip Balm

Blueberry-Acai

Blueberry-Acai

Love those things! Carmen got me hooked on those – she started collecting them a while ago. I got her a set of lip balm and hand lotion by EOS for Christmas. She already had the lip balm flavor that was in the package, so I kept it for myself 😉

I am not a lip balm/chopstick kind of person at all…But I LOVE this series! It is sweet, too!

{{TWO}} Nike Air Total Core Cross-Trainers

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$70 at Kohl’s.

I have shoes for running and walking, so I was looking for something light and easy to slip on for my cross training. Found it!

I love these shoes! They are extremely lightweight, comfortable and stylish!

Let's go lift some heavy stuff!

Let’s go lift some heavy stuff!

{{THREE}} CND Creative Scentsations Hand & Body Lotion – Pear & Dandelion

It looks like this post is going to be about girly stuff 🙂 Oh well, let it be. Next on the list is this magic hand and body lotion.

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What’s interesting – I don’t like any other kind from this CND series – just pear and dandelion. I absolutely cannot survive the winter without it! I use it mainly as hand lotion, but it is good as body lotion as well. I buy it in 31 OZ bottles. Seriously!

{{FOUR}} Naval Oranges

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Image and Oranges Source

I made my husband go to Walmart at 9:00 PM and get me those the other day. It says it all!

I crave them, I eat at least one a day and I don’t see the end of it in the near future.

{{FIVE}} Ceramic Candle Warmers (Electric)

LOVE those things! After searching everywhere – Target, Kohl’s, Walmart, etc., I got mine from Amazon.

You put in a candle in a glass jar into this thing, plug it in, it heats up and melts the candle. I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful it makes my house smell! I got a candle with the holiday season scent and we enjoyed it so much! It also lasts a lot longer that if you would light up that candle.

Your turn! Share links to your “Five on Friday” posts with me or just comment here! I would love to hear what you’ve been loving lately.