#JadoreVoxBox from Influenster

I've started a new job. Well, I've had it for a while but I'm now just telling you. :) It's third shift so it has really turned my life upside down. Third shift isn't new to me but it is hard to focus your entire existence around sleep, of all lame things. I'm working in a microbiology lab so the bulk of patient work has to be done overnight. Being a productive member of society feels good and the steady income is definitely a welcome sight to the sore eyes of my bank account.

Of course I haven't been getting normal sleep so I've kept procrastinating on telling you about the AMAZING surprise I received in the mail!

I received an Influenster VoxBox!!

Okay, the details: Infuenster.com is a fantastic website that I've been a member of since September. Basically it's a product review site where users come together to rate various goods and services. People write reviews about everything from American Airlines to Twizzlers Candy to Burt's Bee's lotion. As you write reviews you are building up credibility with other users and increasing your personal "influence" (provided your reviews are helpful!). As you increase your influenster score, your reviews carry more weight and your reviews matter more. Make sense? 

Anyway, I reviewed so many products that I built up my score enough to receive a VoxBox. It's a special program Influenster develops to test and advertise products. They trust the high scoring Influensters (like me!) to use our social media presence to let everyone know what we think about the products... so they send a box full of goodies. I was not paid for any of my opinions or time but was provided the products free of charge. Pretty awesome, right?

Enough of the chatter, let me show you what I got!

My first item is KISS eyelashes. They look beautiful but I haven't found quite the right place to wear them. I've never really fancied fake lashes but these ones may change my mind. They retail for $3.99 so they're definitely a steal for that night on the town. I'll definitely be sharing the details when I do use them.

And then I received a FAMILY size bag of Hershey's Kisses in honour of Valentine's Day. Do I need to say anything? I don't know anyone on the fringes about a Kiss. Really now, they're a nice size and wonderful for baking. I've been savouring them for a few weeks now but am saving some of the package for peanut butter blossom cookies. (I'm dying to try this recipe. She makes cookies look so trendy.)

I've been a fan of John Frieda products and was therefore delighted to receive a bottle of his Flat Iron spray haircare product. Frizz Ease really does help with those nasty flyaways and uncooperative curls so you can believe that it did wonders as a flat iron spray. A quick warm blowdry and an even quicker run through with my straightener landed me straight glossy hair without retracting my volume. This product claims to retain hair straightness for three days (without washing) and found it was true to its word after two days. 

John Frieda Frizz Ease straightening spray after two days

The J'adoreVoxBox didn't forget about the man I adore and included several questions about him in the pre-box survey I completed. They sent a fantastic bottle of Vaseline's new spray lotion for men. Ladies, you need to get this for your guy. Justin has never used lotion in his life but found this so easy to use because it sprays. Go figure. Vaseline did a great job with the scent and absorption speed. Justin is still using this even after my imposed mandatory use time frame expired. It's that good.

As soon as I opened my VoxBox, my eyes lit upon this face mask by Boots Botanics (and I immediately slathered it all over my face). Coincidentally, the day before the package arrived I purchased Boots Botanics facial toner to try out so I was quire excited to use the sister product as well. I'd never seen this brand before but have been loving it so far. This mask is cooling and leaves my skin soft and bright. It does dry the skin so I smooth some marajuaca oil on after my mini spa treatment.

My face as I'm writing this post

Finally, my favourite item of the entire VoxBox... TEA! Pittsburgh has accelerated my casual enjoyment of warm drinks into a vital necessity. A cup of tea is a priority placed somewhere into my schedule every day. The arrival of two new flavours of Red Rose tea excited me greatly and did not disappoint. Créme Caramel and Lemon Chiffon provided a wonderful touch of elegance to my tea time. The Lemon Chiffon is definitely my favourite. The lemon flavour balanced nicely with a gentle sweetness to eliminate any bitterness from the lemon. A touch of cream and sugar really made this tea feel indulgent! I will be buying a box as it is a great springtime taste.

Thanks, Influenster, for the fantastic experience of my first VoxBox!

Have you tried any of these products?
Which of these would you want the most?

Find out more about these products:
KISS
Hershey's Kisses
Frizz Ease
Boots Botanics
Red Rose Tea

Great Allegheny Passage & Crawford's Cabin

Northeast America is beautiful in the fall. I'm beginning to understand why so many people hype up this season. (I still don't understand the obsession with pumpkin spice lattes and fall wreaths... some things can't be understood.)

Pennsylvania seems to be holding onto summer. The temperatures have been in the high 20s for the last few days. I'm told the weather will cool down tonight though I'm not holding my breath. I hope it stays warm. I love summer.

Because the weather has been so nice, Justin wanted me to visit an amazing bike trail in a town nearby. I'm not much of a biker but agreed to come along. The afternoon was warm but a light breeze kept the air fresh and breathable.

The Great Allegheny Passage is part of a series of bike paths connecting Washington D.C. with Pittsburgh. The GAP trail is 150 miles of the 334 mile trail that travels from Pennsylvania, partially into West Virginia, through Maryland into Washington D.C. The Allegheny Passage portion of trail used to be a railroad track but has since been repurposed into a multi-use public trail. The advantage of its history is that the ground is fairly level, flat, and clean, making it an easy trail to ride. I was thankful for history that day.

Rather than tackling the beast of a path, we took a casual ride a few miles down the path, took photos, and enjoyed the views.

Some cool murals lined the path, presumably painted by local artists. The bright, cheery colours beautified an otherwise nondescript section of pathway.

While on our ride, we passed the little cottage belonging to Col. Crawford. After a bit of digging, I found out that William Crawford was a land surveyor during the late 1700s for Gen. George Washington and fought in the French and Indian War as well as the American Revolutionary war. This cabin is a reconstructed version of Crawfords and is the site of a battle reenactment of the Major General Edward Braddock's crossing of the Youghiogheny River in 1755 (you're welcome, history people).
A beautiful bridge spans the river next to the cabin, geese hang out at an amazing historical site, and all the while the bike path continues on north to Pittsburgh.

Photo from connellsvillehistoricalsociety.com

I'm not much of a history person but walking around places that have such historical significance is pretty cool. It reminds me that so much has happened in the past, lots will happen in the future, but all I can control is today.

You can read more about the Great Allegheny Passage here, Col. Crawford's Cabin here, and General Braddock here.

September Blue

It's September, guys. I know that summer isn't technically over but really, who considers September to be summer? Labour day weekend is the world's way of disguising the fact that business must resume non-summer pace. Slacks and sweaters will begin to replace flip flops and tank tops (unless you're in the Caribbean, in which case you're cheating) and cold days will shorten to give room for long, dark, cold nights...

I love summer an unreasonable amount. In honour of pretending that winter isn't coming, I'm going to blissfully write about blueberries.

Okay, this isn't blueberry ice cream but I did eat it after picking blueberries!

It's hard to beat fresh fruit. Blueberries are the royalty of the family, always bragging about those antioxidants. They're conveniently bite sized and are fantastic in salads, pies, tarts, cheesecakes, frozen, or in smoothies. For me, I grab and handful and eat them all without sharing.

Not sharing is not caring so I took Justin with me to spend a sunny day on the farm.

I may have eaten as much as I picked. A hard day's work deserved a treat! 

The problem is that Blue Haven has the cutest ice cream bar I've ever seen. Half way through picking we sat amidst the bushes to cool off with freshly made blueberry frozen yoghurt. I was already edging on full but managed to find room for more.

The day concluded with successful picking of five pounds of the prettiest berries you've ever seen. They managed to make their way into muffins, a pie, and the freezer for smoothies. Sneaky little things, aren't they?

Sadly, Blue Haven is closed for the season. Definitely make it out next season, if you have the chance.

These photos have thoroughly distracted me from the cold, rainy, miserable weather that exists outside my window. I was planning on blackberry picking today but now I'm not so sure. I can see myself slipping into a tower of thorny branches with no chance of escape. Perhaps an indoor activity would work out better for me.

Now tell me, what are your favourite summer experiences?

Run to win: Radiant Run recap

I tend to be a planner. I research before I do. You know the type: has to check to every single store in the city before they choose a pair of socks. Asking questions like, "What if they're cheaper somewhere else?" "Maybe there's a better colour downtown?!" 

Unfortunately, this isn't always the best method for accomplishing real goals. Sometimes you just gotta close your eyes, forget what could go wrong, and do it. I struggle with this concept but I rarely regret my choice to embrace spontaneity. Giving in to the unknown works for me because I don't tend to be off the wall in my personality. I know this philosophy doesn't work for everyone nor is it always the right choice. Sometimes though, I need to go with an idea even though it seems crazy.

One of my spontaneous moments was blogging my goal to run a 5k. Honestly, when I posted about the Radiant Run a while ago, I wasn't so sure whether I should or could run a 5k. I know, I know, it's only five kilometers. I told you...I think too much. 

As soon as I posted, I knew I needed a buddy to see me through to completion. (Otherwise I'd wimp out and fake an injury.) As I thought about Vancouver (the run's location), I immediately thought of my favourite Vancouver blog: Style on the Side. One blog comment later and I had an amazing running partner all lined up. (We also went shopping. Of course. You can read all about that on her blog.) 

The beautiful Caroline of Style on the Side

Training wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done. However, finding an organized schedule made the workout much more efficient and satisfying. I'd been exercising by dabbling with elliptical, doing some crunches, and maybe trying the chest press, but I was aimless. Having a goal really motivated me to succeed.

I talked to my brother about all of this and he liked the idea so much that he signed up to run with me!

The Radiant Run was worth all of my effort. It was one of the best times I've had and was made all the better by great company and an amazing race track. Lights were strung everywhere along the course with booming music motivating runners to run on. People donned neon clothes and glow sticks creating an otherworldly scene.

Santa made an appearance; jellyfish and robot men danced to music along the way. The sky darkened as we ran making the lights so magical. Onlookers shouted encouragement from the sidelines and offered high-fives to everyone. The Radiant Run vibe was incredible. I had such a great experience for my first official 5k!

The night ended victoriously. Despite having the remnants of a cold, I successfully ran the course. I am beginning to understand the runner's high. It felt so amazing to have finished something I thought improbable. Prizes and dancing filled the evening after the run ended. I caught a pair of free socks so my night was doubly happy. Though I wouldn't have selected those socks myself, I was glad I chose to reach out and grab them. (Do you like what I did there?)

Also, check out Caroline's blog. Style on the Side. She's well worth the read and is quite a nice person.

Question: What are some spontaneous things you've done?