My Geeky Gamer Crate CHALLENGE

Today is the last day to submit your version of a geeky or gamer crate! Last month I announced the challenge for my readers to create their own themed crate, following the same template as a Loot Crate Subscription. The theme was open to preference, but it had to be geeky or gamer related. For all the rules and requirements Click HERE.

I also gave myself this challenge to create a crate of my own, and I chose the Doctor Who theme. I finally put all the pieces together, and I even created something by hand to give it an extra touch. Don't worry, it wasn't mandatory for you to create something by hand, you may, but you're not obligated to. 

Without further ado, here is my submission to the GEEKY GAMER CRATE CHALLENGE: 

What's inside my box?:

• Inside the Tardis, hand painted box [Free: I painted that myself]
• Tardis Teapot [Free: my friend gave me this, it's worth $29.63 on Amazon]
• Time Fiction T-shirt [$18]
• Doctor Who Blind Bag series [$2.75]
• Doctor Who 10th Doctor Mini Pop Funko [$6.50]
• 2 Doctor Who pins [$.50 for both]

Total: $27.75 spent on this box

Total Value: $63.63

Lucky for me, there were a few sales going on when I was looking for my Doctor Who items. I bought the T-shirt from TeeFury, normally their shirts are $20 each, but I used the "tf10" coupon code for 10% off. There's a few Doctor Who T-shirts that I loved, like the Doctor Selfie, and the Doctor Rockwell, but I chose Time Fiction because it was a play on the movie Pulp Fiction! The T-shirt just begs for the caption, "Say Who again, I dare you!" If you like the Time Fiction T-shirt it's actually on sale this month for $16.

I bought the Doctor Who 10th Doctor Mini Pop Funko, Doctor Who Blind Bag Series, and the two Doctor Who pins at Hot Topic. The entire store was Bogo 50% off your second item. I bought a few things from there along with my Doctor who items, so it worked out in my favor with all the sales combined.  

For my readers' challenge, judging will be done by me, one winner will be selected and announced by tomorrow, June 1, 2015. The challenge that I am hosting for my lovely readers will be judged within the pool of submission that my readers send it, it will NOT be compared against mine. My submission was to fulfill my own challenge that I assigned myself. 

KEEP IN MIND, the deadline for submitting an entry for the reader's Geeky or Gamer Crate Challenge WILL END AT 11:59 PM eastern time, tonight March 31, 2015. 

Rules for Contest: 

This contest is only open to residents in the United States. You must be 18 or older to submit an entry. One winner will be selected. This competition will be judged by me, based on how amazingly awesome it looks for the price of $30 and how well it coordinates with your chosen theme. The prize for the winner will be a specially customized box by yours truly, full of goodies valued at $30 or more based on a theme the winner chooses. You could ask for a box full of candy treats, vintage sweets, geeky goodies, gamer stock, artsy crate, or even a beauty box. I will personally hand pick a special box with you in mind. 

I CHALLENGE YOU!!!
Budget Goal: $30 (your spending cannot exceed this value)
Items: no limit
Theme: You may pick any geeky or gamer theme that you're comfortable with or would love to have or even share! But it must be GEEKY or gamer! (example: Nintendo, Marvel, Star Wars, Big Bang Theory, Diablo, League of Legends, or Adventure Time, just to name a few)
Submission Deadline: May 31, 2015 @ 11:59 PM

Secret BONUS points: Spread the word and have your friends join in on this contest. For extra brownie points for you and your friend, have your invited friend tag you as their reference to this competition.

** Please do not include personal information aside from your first name in your entry submission. I will private message the winner in order to mail out the prize.**

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Sample Entry Format:

Your first name: 

Theme:

Attach the image of your box:

List the price value of each item found in your box: 

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Good luck and have fun!!! 

Birchbox Reward Points

It finally occurred to me why everyone spoke highly about writing reviews for Birchbox points. I vaguely knew about it, but I never bothered to look at the fine print. Apparently, if you review your samples that you receive each month you get 10 Birchbox points PER REVIEW. There’s typically a minimum of 5 samples in each box, which equates to a chance of 50 Birchbox points. That’s $5 worth of points!

Your points get recycled basically. It’s a win win situation if you really think about, because that means you’ll always get full sized Birchbox product on sale. Birchbox is known for their selection of high end products, and you can never go wrong with a sale on the item you really want to get. I’ve been eyeing a few products since I first signed up for the subscription, but I’ve only slowly been working on that wish list because the prices are pretty steep. But now that I can build my Birchbox points faster, this wish list will soon become a shopping list! And with every full size purchase from my wish list, I get 1 point for every dollar spent, and most of those full size products are over $30. If I chose to apply my points I could either get the price reduced or FREE.

Since I’m a Birchbox subscriber anyways, why not make it worth even more by reviewing my samples. The cost of $10 for the monthly subscription will be cut to $5 just by reviewing the sample products. All this requires me to do is be more active with Birchbox each month, which I do not mind. Just keep in mind, if you're shopping through Birchbox and you reduce the retail price of the full size item, let’s say $50 to $10, you only get 10 points from that purchase and not 50 because it’s based on the amount you paid out of pocket.

Here’s the official rule for receiving Birchbox points from reviewing your monthly samples:

AND if you earn 500 Birchbox Points within the calendar year, you’ll automatically gain a spot in Birchbox Ace! Birchbox Ace is their VIP program. Once you’re a Birchbox Ace member, you’ll unlock a whole suite of perks and privileges special to members only! The Ace experience includes: 

• Free Shipping. Automatically get free standard shipping on all orders, plus free 2-day shipping on full-size orders of $100 or more.
• Concierge Service. You’ll receive priority service whenever you contact their Discovery Specialist, if you want a one-on-one consultation to find just what you need for that perfect product or the ultimate gift.
• Exclusive Shop Offers. You’ll be the first to hear about select product launches and get exclusive access to offers from their brand partners.
• Anniversary Perks. Hit your one-year Ace mark and you’ll score a sweet gift.
• Surprises. There will also be gifts and offers year-round for Ace members. This will be announced at a later date, just keep your eyes and ears open for these surprises.

It’s not difficult to become a Birchbox Ace if you really think about it. If you’re already a monthly subscriber, and you don’t mind writing reviews each month, that’s a minimum of 50 points in the bag for each month. So after 10 months you hit your required 500 points, just by doing the bare minimum. I mean, the whole purpose of writing the reviews each month is to save up the points for cheaper full sized items from the Birchbox store. That alone would motivate me to write a small review each month. And on top of buying these full sized items you’ll get 1 point for every $1 you spend. A $65 item will give you back 65 points, and you could always use your rewards towards it to drop the price down to practically zero if you’re patient enough to hoard all your Birchbox points until then. That’s totally something I’d do to be honest. Amidst all the discovering, shopping, reward building and reward redeeming with Birchbox, it will all add up towards your 500 Birchbox points for the Ace status. Redeeming your Birchbox points does not take away from the 500 points going towards the Ace member qualifications. 

Building up points from shopping on their Birchbox website or through their store front in Soho will be much slower if you’re aiming to shop for free, basically build up enough points to make a purchase without putting in a cent, but that won’t be the case for me when I’m shopping for others. Within one year there are enough holidays for me to splurge on people and that alone will make up 50% of my accumulation of Birchbox points. Before I fully understood the Birchbox point system, I spent annually about $200 without the help of Birchbox points. That’s $200 out of pocket, without writing a single review. Christmas shopping made up 85% of the $200 spending. I have an unhealthy obsession of spoiling people.

I enjoy sharing my Birchbox finds with my friends. I’m already looking forward to Christmas, and it’s currently 85 degrees outside. I know I’m silly, but you wouldn’t think that if you were on the receiving end of my Christmas list. It just means I’ve been planning your gift all year long, because you're just that special to me. 

Housewarming Gift Idea

Ta-DA!!! I'm proud to present, the first gift basket that I made! I've been meaning to create one for a special occasion for a while now, and I finally had the opportunity to do so. My first gift basket is a housewarming gift tailored towards a beginner baking recipient. I had so much fun thinking of all the possible arrangements that could go into this gift basket.

This gift basket includes:

- oven mitt

- matching pot holder

- rubber spoonula

- measuring spoons

- measuring cups

- set of 2 kitchen towels

- regular size whisk 

- chocolate chip cookie mix

- DIY sharpie mug with instructions on how to make your own single serving of brownie

***and an adorable wooden crate with handles from Michael's to hold it all in***

I did most of my shopping at Home Goods. I absolutely love their selection of stock. If I had to rank my top favorite places to shop for home accessories, it'd have to be: Home Goods, Pier 1 imports, Target, and The Christmas Tree Shop. This is just based solely on my personal preference, selection of items and the availability of stores near where I live. When I shop for home accessories, I don't necessarily look for the brand, nor the sales. I do however love a good sale or clearance aisle, it makes the item that I like look even more appealing. I base my decision on feeling, whether or not I can picture myself staring at it for years to come and how well it incorporates the theme I have in mind. Home Goods is where I find more of my favorites, compared to the other brand name stores. If I had the luxury of going all out with a bottomless wallet, I'd love to splurge in Crate & Barrel. Just saying.

I totally recommend this gift set for anyone looking to start with the essentials. Whether it's for yourself, or a friend, these are the basic tools I'd recommend to have in the kitchen. Just a note from someone who loves to bake, if you had to decide on having only one of the two, a rubber spatula or a rubber spoonula, always go with the rubber spoonula. It's nice to have both, but if you're just starting out, the spoonula acts as a spatula when you need to gently scrape the batter off on the sides of a bowl, and it's super handy when you're trying to spoon out a mixture or create a nice dollop. I prefer the utility of a rubber spoonula.

If you're interested in the DIY sharpie mug I made, as a personal touch to this gift basket, I'll be posting the instructions on how I made mine in a later post this week.

Free Book Signing May 26

I'm totally looking forward to attending Jamie Tworkowski's book signing this Tuesday! It's going to be my first time attending a book signing!!!

Jamie Tworkowski, is the founder of To Write Love on Her Arms nonprofit organization. Jamie's intentions didn't start out initially as a nonprofit organization. All he was, was a compassionate person who wanted to support a friend, who was going through a difficult time, to share her story. Jamie sold T-shirts to help cover the cost of the treatment center for his friend. He gave her all the support he could, when she was struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury and suicidal thoughts. He wrote about the five days he spent with his friend, Renee Yohe, before she entered a treatment center. Jamie wanted to give Renee's story a home, so he posted it on MySpace and named it "To Write Love on Her Arms."  Read the original story HERE.

From there, the TWLOHA story reached the mass and grew into the nonprofit organization it is today. It's a safe haven for those that seek comfort, without the judgmental criticism. Nine years later, Jamie is set to have his first book published on May 26, 2015!

"If You Feel Too Much" book releases on May 26, and Jamie's book tour will span many cities across the United States. To kick start his book tour, the first location will be here in New York. I'm just so happy that I came across this before he took it to Los Angeles. I've never attended a book signing before, so I'll definitely take it all in when I get there!

You can pre-order the book online to save 40% off. The book retails at $16.95, but if you pre-order from Barnes and Noble online before May 26, you can get it for $10.08! I normally don't get drawn in by the publicity of a new book being published, but this was the exception. For this particular book, "If You Feel Too Much", not only did it hit home with where the origin of the writing aspire from, but there was a single thought that crossed my mind when I heard the title. I had this strong urge that I would find the answer in this book. What can a person like me, someone who's raw to every emotion, both good and the bad, do? Are there answers or even thoughts that I could relate to and find comfort in? I feel this is something worth exploring, this is my personal opinion.

Since the event requires you to have a wristband to show proof of purchase for the book, I'll be heading to Barnes and Noble earlier in the day to pick up my copy. I'm so hyped to get my hands on this new book. For an added bonus I'll get to make it memorable with a free book signing by the author!!!

If this book also interests you, I hope to see you at the book signing! Comment below to let me know if you're attending. I'd love to get a souvenir photo with someone at the event who also shared my thoughts.

DIY Pinch Pot

I've always loved the way air plants accent a room with a minimalist style. One of the best things about air plants is that they don't require soil and they're relatively low maintenance. A friend and I took a trip to Botanica Garden Center in Brooklyn, NY to pick up a few air plants. I ended up buying two different sizes. I knew I wanted to create some sort of display for these adorable new air plants. When I saw the small air plant, a pinch pot came to mind. So for my first DIY project I made a mini pinch pot out of polymer clay to showcase the smaller air plant. Since I had so much fun making the pinch pot I figured I'd share the fun with you all. Below are the instructions on how you can make your very own pinch pot.

 

I hope this DIY tutorial inspires you to create something unique for yourself or as a gift for someone special. 

I also have a printable version of my tutorial if you wish to print it out for reference. Click HERE for the printable copy.

Stay tuned to see what I have in store for my medium sized air plant!

April Favorites

Since I've started blogging, my day to day routines seem more exciting. There are things I constantly find that I can't wait to share in a post. For instant, now that April has come and gone, I discovered some amazing products in just one month. I figured I'd share my April favorites with you all.

Last month I splurged a little on cosmetics, but in doing so, I learned a secret about shopping through the Macy's cosmetic section. Who knew gift sets existed with purchases!? I always wondered what those little display cases were all about. This was my first time trying Lancome products, they're a bit pricey, but I've heard great reviews about their skincare items. I went with Tonique Confort, a rehydrating toner from Lancome to start off my collection towards my daily routine supplies. I figured I'd have to test out a few toners before I settled for the one, but this rehydrating toner leaves my skin feeling so moisturized. This definitely fills my toner requirement in my daily routine. I also tested out the Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover from my free Lancome gift set, and boy is this thing amazing! It took off waterproof mascara with one swipe, even three attempts with my regular makeup remover couldn't do the job. Lancome definitely won me over with these two amazing products so far.

..... I've been searching for a good daily face cleanser, and I think I found one that I actually like, maybe even love. I've tried the Neutrogena's Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub and Garnier's Clean & Balancing Daily Exfoliator for combination skin. Both Neutrogena and Garnier face cleansers stripped my face of oil completely, like the squeaky clean sort of feeling, which apparently isn't a good thing. The St. Ive's Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub on the other hand actual leaves my skin feeling smooth and clean without the dryness. Thumbs up to St. Ive's for making my mornings less irritating! 

..... In the beginning of April, I went to Chinatown with two of my friends, and we were on an adventure to explore a bunch of Korean product skincare stores. I happened to come across one thing that I absolutely had to have. The Nature Republic Soothing and Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel, was a steal for only $6.49 (300ml)! I love products that contain aloe vera and this one feels so light on the skin. It smells great and it'll be perfect for the warmer seasons. 

..... There's one beauty product that I can't live without. The Laura Geller Beauty, Spackle Supercharged Fortified Under Make-Up Primer, it's a mouthful to say but it's my favorite primer ever! There's a shimmery peach tint to the product and this is one of those primers where you can wear alone or follow with foundation. I use this specifically for my eyelids because I don't normally apply full coverage on my face. The one I've been using was a sample from my Birchbox, and it has lasted me for quite a while, well over thirty uses. The primer goes on silky smooth, has a matte finish and it helps nourish the skin. I don't always wear makeup, but when I do, I always use Spackle. 

..... A recently discovered, current favorite mascara, would have to be the NEW Covergirl Lash Blast series, The Super Sizer Mascara. It's so new, it hasn't even hit all the stores yet. I got this mascara complimentary from Influenster, in my Covergirl Voxbox, for testing purposes. Mascaras and I have a love hate relationship. I am the type of person that usually stays far away from mascaras because I've poked my eye twice trying to use them. But the new design for the bristle on The Super Sizer Mascara is remarkable. Not only is it easy for someone like me to use, and I actually feel comfortable using it, it also clearly lengthens the lashes without the messy clumps! I'm not afraid of using mascara anymore!!! But only if I get to use the Super Sizer Mascara from Covergirl.    

..... Since my ZOYA manicures last well over 2 weeks, even through the roughest conditions, without being chipped or worn down, I started to just do one design to last me the whole month. For April, I wore Pippa and Godiva to create a super chic look. Pippa is a bright, warm shade of happy yellow, to me it looks like the perfect shade of a daffodil! Which coincidentally is my favorite flower in the whole world. Godiva is part of ZOYA's PixieDust collection, it's a soft nude with a sugared sparkle matte finish. I love how these two shades paired together with my design.

..... I was totally craving tea last month, specifically for Peet's Hibiscus C blend! I brew myself a cup almost every other day, with just one cube of sugar. This is perfect for when the night gets chilly. The C in Peet's Hibiscus Blend stands for the Three Cs: cinnamon, chamomile, and naturally occurring Vitamin C. Lately it's been pretty warm during the day, so I make myself Hibiscus Lemonade from just one tea sachet. It's super refreshing, if you're interested in trying this drink, feel free to check out my recipe below. You can always tweak it to your taste. 

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Here's my recipe for a single serving of Hibiscus Lemonade:

Ingredients: 

- 1 Peet's Hibiscus C Blend Sachet (or any hibiscus blend sachet)

- 1 glass, 3/4 filled with ice

- 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar

- 1/4 cup of hot water (to dissolve your sugar separately)

- 3/4 cup of hot water (to steep your Hibiscus tea sachet)

- 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice 

Directions: 

1) Set your water to boil. I usually boil extra water because I refuse to drink tap water straight from the faucet. 

2) Once the water has boiled, pour 3/4 cup of hot water into a mug and add your Hibiscus tea sachet. Allow that to steep for about 3 minutes.

3) In a separate small bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar with the 1/4 cup of hot water. This step is to create our simple syrup, using the boiling water to break down the sugar crystals before adding the lemon juice. I find it easier this way instead of adding the sugar into your drink last and trying to dissolve it then.

4) When the sugar has fully dissolved, add your 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice. If you want to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, a medium sized lemon should give you about 3 Tablespoons worth of juice. If you're lazy like me you could always buy the lemon juice that comes in the little plastic lemon. 

5) After the tea has steep for 3 minutes, remove the tea sachet and discard it in the trash. Find your favorite glass and fill it with ice 3/4 of the way. With the mug of Hibiscus tea in one hand and the lemonade in the other, pour both into the glass at the same time. I use the double stream method that way I don't have to find a spoon to stir it together. If you're afraid of making a mess or don't know how to do a double stream, just add the lemonade to the mug with your Hibiscus tea, and pour the content from the mug into your glass of ice. 

6) Taste, and see if you need to adjust the flavors. You could always add a little more lemon juice if you like it tart. Or you can add more sugar if you want it sweeter. (And if you're feeling extra fancy, you can top your drink off with a thin slice of fresh lemon!)

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..... My last April favorite would have to be my newly discovered Black Cherry Merlot scented hand soap from Bath & Body Works! I'm sort of obsessed with Bath & Body Works, it didn't help that one of my best friend use to work there and I always felt obligated to buy a bag full of products whenever I went to visit her at her store. I'm a sucker for fruit scented products, and that store is full of just that. The Black Cherry Merlot, deep cleansing hand soap smells so yummy. Maybe one day I should create a black cherry cupcake with Merlot drizzle. 

What are your favorites from April? Stay tuned for more monthly favorites! I can't wait to see what May has in store for me...

Macy's Perks: Free Gift Sets

Shopping at Macy's for cosmetic products has its perks. At Macy's, brands like Clinique, Lancome, and Estee Lauder offer free gift sets with a purchase of their products. Ever so often they will switch up the gift sets to offer different samples. I was so surprised to learn of this neat little trick. I wrote about this amazing discovery in my Smart Shopping: Tips and Tricks post. While I was there browsing, I witnessed about four back to back purchases from different customers, all trying to get their free gift sets with purchases. I just had to join in on the fun and experience this hype, at least once. I ended up purchasing from Clinique and Lancome. At Lancome, they had a special event at the end of April. If you make a pre-sale purchase, a minimum of $25, not only do you get a free gift set but you also get a free makeover! I totally signed myself up for one of those. Now that I know about gift sets, I've got my eyes peeled for these special deals.

Listed below are my two gift sets that I received, if you're curious as to what these gift sets look like and consist of.

My free** Clinique Gift Set included: 

- Cosmetics Bag

- Mini Bag

- Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion: (1 fl. oz liq./30ml) Dermatologist-reformulated. Delivers all-day hydration and improves barrier strength. Makes skin more resilient. Silky texture penetrates quickly. Spread twice daily all over face/throat, or where needed. For best results, use after Facial Soap and Clarifying Lotion. Perfect for Very Dry to Dry Combination Skin Types.  

- Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief: (poids net wt. 0.5 oz/15ml) Enjoy rapid refreshment and a full 12 hours of soothing moisture with an addictive by-a-waterfall feel. Advanced hydration boosters and a new botanical blend that locks it in. Holds skin's moisture in balance through stressful shifts in humidity. Use daily for immediate moisture. For a midday boost, tap on over makeup. Or use as a 5-minute mask.

- Clinique Eye & Cheek Colour Compact: One kit. Four great shades to shape and define eyes and cheeks. Start with a trio of eye-enhancing colours to wear alone, or layered. Sculpt cheeks with silky smooth blush. All in a sleek compact with brushes.

- High Impact Mascara: (poids net wt. 0.14 oz/3.5ml) Clinique's must-have accessory for lashes. Kicks up the volume of each and every lash for a look that's plusher, longer, bolder. Pure, deep colour only adds to the impact. 

- Dual-Ended Different Lipstick / Long Last Glosswear: One end treats lips to luscious, comforting colour. The other adds a hit of glossy shine that lasts for 8 hours. 

**FREE Clinique Gift Set, with any $27 purchase.

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My free** Lancome Gift Set included:

- Cosmetics bag

- Lipstick case

- Visionnaire: Take your first step to photo-ready skin transformation. NEW Visionnaire delivers 3-in-1 correction to the look of wrinkles, pores and skin texture. [new serum product]

- Absolue Premium: Pamper your skin with luxurious comfort and nourishment, and see revived clarity. Apply every morning after your Lancome serum.

- Blush Subtil in ['Shimmer Pink Pool' Shade]: Get glowing with this luxuriously silky powder blush for natural-looking, long-lasting color.

- Le Gloss in ['Hot Number' Shade]: Glam up your look with a downright dazzling gloss that drenches your lips in captivating color and megawatt shine.

- Definicils: America'a favorite luxury mascara for over 15 years. Define and separate lashes with our #1 mascara.

- Bi-Facil: Whisk away all types of eye makeup, even waterproof with this award-winning formula that conditions lashes as it cleans.

**FREE Lancome Gift Set, with a minimum $25 purchase.