Love with Food Deluxe Box Review: April 2015

I realized after receiving my Love with Food box that people felt this was a bit short on snacks. I suppose that's true, since usually there are more items, but these were bigger than a lot of what we normally receive, so maybe that's why? Either way, I actually think this is my favorite box since I like almost everything in it, as opposed to the sort of hit and miss history I have with Love with Food. While I definitely consider it a worthwhile subscription, I do find that there are snacks each month that don't appeal to me. This one was pretty solid overall, on the other hand. 

The first two items were popcorn chips, which is a really interesting new snack. We received kettle and white cheddar flavors, and I am happy with those two flavors. Two of our favorite snacks are kettle chips and Smartfood, so these are a great way to try something new that also isn't so new it feels odd. 

Communication in Friendship

After a year-and-a-half long friendship with Boxy, I finally got to meet her in person this weekend, but that is a post for another time. While I was visiting Boxy and her husband this weekend, though, I got the chance to see their wedding video. They are coming up on 14 years of marriage this year and it was so much fun to watch the two of them on their wedding day. Of course, I couldn't help but share the photos I have on my laptop of my wedding with them as well. Then the three of us realized that we are quickly becoming old. Comments like, "They aren't together any more," "What happen to him," and "Sadly, he died,” started to come up in the conversation. While it is natural that life moves on and things happen, it got me thinking about how many people from my wedding I still talk to. How many people from college and even from high school are still in my life? My thoughts weren't just how many were still in my life, but also why aren't they in my life?

I had a long drive to think on my way home from Boxy’s house about the reasons. One is simply because we have all moved physically. Sure, there are some of my friends from high school that still live close to where I grew up, but even I finally moved away - after living in the same house for 21 years. In this day and age, it does seem like this is a ridiculous excuse to not be in contact with someone whom you once thought of as a friend, though. We have so many forms of technology that enhance our ability to reach one another, so why don’t we? Perhaps we could do some good with our social media accounts. I know Boxy hates social media, so for her, unless she finds another way to talk to people, she's not going to connect on Facebook. For me, however, I don't really know. Has too much time passed?

Ander Blake Company Liquid Chalk Marker Review

Back in February, I received a set of chalkboard labels to review. At the time, I was going label happy on nearly everything in the house, but I had one complaint: the chalk wiped right off and there was no chalk marker included with the labels. Of course, I jumped for joy when I was approached by Ander Blake Company to receive the company's liquid chalk markers to review .

Silicone Lego Style Mold Review by Crafty

Building blocks are essential to so many homes with boys. In our house, there is not a room that does not have a block in it. When I heard I was receiving this product for review, I was really excited to be able to use my imagination to think of fun ways to put these silicone Lego style molds to use.

Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 2

I try to give people a full day to watch the episode before posting, and I minimize spoilers as much as I can, but I feel like it should be said, just in case: IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE SECOND EPISODE OF SEASON FIVE OF GAME OF THRONES, DO NOT CONTINUE READING.

Okay, now that I've said that, on to the show. I really loved this episode. One, it featured my favorite characters and gave us a lot of development for each of them, and two, it showed us some real emotional struggle for many of them.

Geek Subscription Boxes: List, Recommendations, and Thoughts

Everyone is very different, so what I consider a great subscription box could be way off for someone else. However, my husband's students asked him recently about Loot Crate, and he had plenty to say about why that would be a waste of the kids' money, but he couldn't remember which ones were the best. We get so many that it often becomes hard to track what comes from who and what's worth the expense. He asked me to make him a list for his students, but I was already thinking of doing that anyway. Recently, BuzzFeed had its own list and I was excited to see some of the great ones on there that don't get as much hype as the others. Instead of a best kind of list, I decided to do a pros and cons  overview - BASED ENTIRELY ON OUR EXPERIENCES AND PREFERENCES. I collect Funko POP figures and I love Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. My husband and I are gamers and he has read comics since he knew how to read. We don't really play Nintendo and we don't have kids. These are the kinds of things that do make a difference, because what we prefer may not be the same as someone who doesn't like the same things.

I'm going alphabetically and I'm also including a few that are geeky in their own right, although not technically fandom-based. I also included a link to a review for each so you can see the items included in the box.

GlobeIn Review: April 2015

This month's GlobeIn theme was "Picnic," so the items were useful items for such a picnic! Although they seem to be moving away from artisans (which was originally the name of the box) to fair trade companies, I don't really mind. Although when I think artisan, I do tend to think handmade items. 

Included in the box was the basket, which has become a staple for me. I love them, because they're sturdy and pretty good-sized for organizing things. There was also a pack of dried mango and a set of napkins in a drawstring pouch. I love the pouch, because it would fit in a messenger bag or bigger purse and you could add other items beyond the napkins, saving space rather than relying on a full picnic basket. 

New York in Another Light

When Crafty wrote her post about New York, it was strange for me. I don't know how to experience the world the way other people do, because I only know my own experiences. However, she references being afraid of cities and that's just something I don't know. I have never been afraid of cities. I'm terrified of people and extremely shy, but cities? They're just centralized hubs of culture, so what's to be scared of?!

Now, to be fair, I've traveled extensively, but this has always been my attitude. In college, I was really active in the music industry, as well as in nonprofits and activist causes. So I ended up spending a lot of time in New York. It's only a few hours away and everything was based there - or Boston, but Boston isn't big. And I'd spent many weekends in Boston growing up. But it never bothered me being in New York, and this was well before the gentrification started and Disney took over Times Square. Perhaps it was the ignorance of youth, but I found nothing terrifying about roaming the city alone. Now I look back and think I was really stupid, and my parents would be less than thrilled to know about the strangers' lofts I found myself in or the fact that I was too fearless to consider that maybe it was a bad idea to stroll through the Bowery by myself at 2 AM, but I'm here.