Adventures in Winterland

Call for Bloggers: Opportunity to Review & Giveaway Diamond Candles

2011-12-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow bloggers! This is a wonderful opportunity to review a unique soy candle product with ring surprises. Check out the Diamond Candles Campaign Announcement ! They are looking for 100 bloggers to do a review of their soy candles. BUT you must hurry because they are only looking for 100 bloggers to participate!

Visit their website HERE for more information :)

Carmex Review & Giveaway

2011-11-30T02:13:00.000-08:00

As a member of the Carmex Bloq Squad I received the Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream to review. Given that I live in Alaska, one of the skin challenges I have to deal with is dry itchy skin during the winter time because of the extreme dry cold. For example, about 2 weeks ago, we experienced a record low temperature (for November) of negative 41C! Hence, I am always on the look out for products that will help my skin survive Alaska's harsh winter.

My experience:

Both Carmex Healing Lotion and Healing Cream have this gentle mild sweet scent which I like. I am allergic to strong scents and so I was happy that they smelled nice but not overpowering.
The first time I used the Healing Lotion, my first impression was that it did not glide easily on my skin compared to other brand lotions that I use. Although it is non-greasy, I did not feel that it provided the smoothness that I was looking for in a lotion. However, I decided to continue using it to give justice to my review.

After a week of using the lotion, I noticed that it is effective in soothing my dry itchy skin. I found that if I apply it right after a shower, the lotion glides better on my skin. It also feels like it has a small hint of menthol which felt soothing to my skin. In addition, it has aloe and Vitamin E which are known for their moisturizing properties.

As for the Carmex Healing Cream, this seemed more indicated for very dry skin and has a thicker and more concentrated formula with 9 healing ingredients You can apply this cream on your cracked skin and/or rougher areas such as the elbows, knees, hands and feet. Compared to the Carmex lotion, I find that it provides my skin with the moisturizing it needs because of the extreme weather conditions that we have here in Alaska. I use this as my initial protective layer of moisturizer after the shower and I use the lotion for my hands and arms because these parts are the ones that need constant moisturizing.

Want to try the Carmex Healing Lotion and Cream? You can purchase Carmex products at various US retailers such as Walgreens and CVS. What's more they are affordable at $5.99 each regular price.

Now for the giveaway - one lucky reader of my blog will receive the same products that I received:

• One 5.5 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
• One 4 oz Carmex Healing Cream
• One 1 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
• One .75 Carmex Healing Cream

ENTER TO WIN A CARMEX HEALING CREAM AND LOTION GIFT PACK!

Mandatory Entry: Must be a GFC follower of my blog! Just write a comment that you are an existing follower or a new follower AND visit Carmex, tell me what other products you need to try. You need to do to do both! (1 entry)

* Make sure you write your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic) and tell me your twitter handle

2. Grab my button. Leave a link as to where you put it.

3. Tweet and leave a link of your tweet.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on December 5, 2011 (12 AMAlaska time). I will use random org. to choose the winner and he/she will be contacted via e-mail. Winner will have 24 hours to confirm the prize or I will choose an alternate winner. Carmex will directly ship the prize to the lucky winner.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received the Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream to use and to facilitate my review. A similar prize kit will be sent by Carmex to one lucky reader of my blog. I was not monetarily compensated for this post and the review reflects my own experience and opinion while using the product which may vary from yours.

Winner of Carmex Giveaway

2011-09-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

Using Random.Org, the winnner of my Carmex giveaway is comment #15: Jessica! She has been notified and has confirmed her prize. Thanks everyone for joining and supporting my blog. I will be hosting another giveaway next week as "Appreciation Follower" giveaway. Stay tuned for more details!

Carmex Review and Giveaway!

2011-08-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

Since I moved to Alaska, one of my constant concern is dry, chapped lips. Because the weather here is always extreme - super cold and dark in the winter time and hot in the summer (with almost 20 hours of sun), I always make sure that I have a lip balm with me all the time. And so I was super excited when the Carmex Team sent me to review their newest Carmex click stick flavors - Carmex Lime Twist and Carmex Vanilla as a member of the Carmex Bloq Squad.

My experience:

For starters, although the packaging is similar to other lip balms being sold in drug stores, it has a cool feature of being a "click stick" - this helps you regulate the amount of lip balm you want to use. In the past, I have wasted a lot of lip balm because I would turn the dial way too much, forget that I should adjust it back again before putting the cap back on, thereby ruining (and wasting) the whole stick. So I really like this no mess, easy to use feature!

When I tried them, I find that these glide smoothly on your lips and provides longer moisture without feeling greasy or "icky". I also like the menthol cooling properties that they have and that they provide sun protection (SPF 15). A plus for me also is that these products are non-addictive and non-tested on animals!

However, if you are sensitive to certain smells, note that they do come with a bit of a smell but these are true to the flavors that they carry. I was OK with both but I like vanilla a bit more because the lime seemed stronger in terms of smell and flavor for my preference. Overall, the lip balms did a nice job of protecting my lips :)

Want to try the Carmex Lime Twist and Carmex Vanilla? You can purchase Carmex products at various US retailers such as Target, Walgreens, Walmart, Kmart, Kroger, Safeway and many more. For a complete list of stores that carry Carmex products, click here.

Now for the giveaway - one lucky reader will receive the same products that I received: Carmex Lime Twist and Carmex Vanilla click sticks and a cool summer fleece picnic blanket to add to your summer fun!

Mandatory Entry: Must be a GFC follower of my blog! Just write a comment that you are an existing follower or a new follower AND visit Carmex, tell me if you prefer the Lime Twist or Vanilla click stick. You need to do to do both! (1 entry)

* Make sure you write your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:

1. Visit Carmex and tell me what other products you wish to try
2. Follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic) and tell me your twitter handle

3. Follow Carmex Lip Balm on Twitter.

4. Grab my button. Leave a link as to where you put it.

5. Tweet and leave a link of your tweet.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on September 5, 2011 (11:59 AM Alaska time). I will use random org. to choose the winner and he/she will be contacted via e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to confirm the prize or I will choose an alternate winner. Carmex will directly ship the prize to the lucky winner.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received the Carmex Lime Twist and Vanilla Lip Balms from Carmex plus a Carmex fleece picnic blanket to use to facilitate my review. A similar prize kit will be sent by Carmex to one lucky reader of my blog. I was not monetarily compensated for this post and the review reflects my own experience and opinion while using the product which may vary from yours.

My Christmas in July!

2011-07-31T22:51:00.000-07:00

Hope you are all enjoying your Sunday evening. I am trying to catch up on my school work because summer classes end in 2 weeks. I don't feel I enjoyed my summer as much because it has been often wet and cold - I know I live in cold Alaska, but summers here are supposed to be sunny and warm.

But I received wonderful news that helped warm my heart -just found out that I won the Christmas in July prize package hosted by Angela at Fab Find Foodie! The prize package is worth $200 and so I am truly happy :). I actually just found out about the Christmas July giveaways last night and the last day to enter was today. Imagine my surprise when I got an e-mail telling me I won!

OK, got to get back to my papers. . . but here's hoping wonderful things are happening in your neck of the woods :)

Where are you sun?

2011-06-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

So summer came and decided to to take a break. It has been rainy, windy and cold the past three weeks here in Alaska and the sun has been playing hide and seek with us. Friday and Saturday the sun was finally up and I was ready to rejoice. But now, its again raining and cold. On one hand the rains are good to prevent forest fires but after 3 weeks, we need some sun!

I started summer class and my schedule is just crazy - work, practicum and classes take up most of my waking hours and when I am asleep, they still haunt me in my dreams :( Seriously, I am beginning to regret taking summer classes and signing up for this Psychopharmacology class. My midterms is next week and I know should start studying but I feel extremely oppositional to doing any school-related task on my Sunday.

I know I have not been updating this blog regularly as much as I want to and every time I do, I make a resolve to be more active in my blogging .. . only to disappoint myself. Anyway, I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday and out enjoying the sun :)

Happy Mothers' Day

2011-05-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

My Spring semester is finally over and I am SO grateful that I could find the time to update this blog. First, I hope you are all having a wonderful mothers' day celebration. Because I cannot physically spend time with my mom, I would have to content myself with calling her. I do hope she can visit Alaska in October as I have not seen her in almost 2 years since I started grad school here.

Anyway, I still have papers galore to write for school but the worst is over and what a fitting way to cap a crazy week with a special day for our mothers. Alaska at this time of the year is so much more bearable - no more snow, the sun is up till 10PM and you see more people outside.

I apologize for not updating this blog as often as I wished - I do hope to change this now that I no longer have classes to attend. Thank you for being patient with me and for still sticking around! :)

Winner of the Target GC

2011-03-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

Using random.org, the number generated out of 58 entries was #56. Congratulations to the winner: Scott! He has been notified and has confirmed his prize.

Thank you for participating in my giveaway and supporting my blog. I have a CSN gift code giveaway in a few days so watch out for it! :)

And yes, spring break is here, I have more time to write and update this blog!

Whoa, Vicodin is strong!

2011-01-23T17:11:00.000-08:00

My first encounter with Vicodin was last year when I had a core lymph node biopsy in the neck last year (to rule out lymphoma or cancer of the lymph nodes). Because I was too ill back then, I only had a vague memory of its effect on me - all I can remember was that it helped me sleep and and with my pain. Anyway, lately, the same lymph node started swelling again and so I found myself in the hospital twice last week. Sort of deja vu - it was around January last year when I started feeling sick and had swollen lymph nodes. I am waiting for the results of the culture and hoping it is not anything serious. But because of the procedure, I was again prescribed Vicodin last Friday. Initially I tried taking 2 Alleve tablets because I wanted to be functional at school but today, the pain was much more intense so I took one Vicodin. Low and behold, I felt groggy maybe after 15 minutes or so. I was trying to work on my paper for school but I couldn't focus. So I decided to take a quick nap. The first few minutes were sort of weird - I was having bad dreams - monsters and all. But eventually, I fell fast asleep. It was just half an hour of sleep but when I woke up, I felt really rested and my pain is more manageable. Tomorrow I see my doctor again and hopefully, I get good news. Meantime, I am thinking I should hold off on the Vicodin - even if it is effective, I don't like the feeling when I take it - I really feel drugged up. Not a good feeling at all - especially if you have to be in school whole day.

Anyway, hope your Sunday is fun and relaxing (without the aid of strong drugs like mine! :)).

No More Rack, Refer Friends and Earn Prizes!

2011-01-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

I know I may be a little late for this but I just found this site No More Rack where you can earn a $10 gift card just for signing up! Now, you might wonder what $10 can get you - and I assure you that you can get great deals for even less than that from their site. For example, today's deal was a Geneva watch for men ($79.95) for only $9! They have 8 deals a day of authentic designer products with just a flat rate shipping of $2 per item. Deals go live everyday at 12 noon EST and you have to hurry because they get sold out fast.

What's more you can send $10 gift cards to five of your friends too when you sign up. That's a free product for you and your friends :). You also earn cash when friends that you refer sign up and purchase products from the site.

If you haven't signed up yet, here is the link: No More Rack. Happy Shopping!

What I am a size 00?!

2011-01-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

I recently filled out a sizing survey for Little in the Middle Jeans and they sent me an e-mail recommending that I am a size 00. I knew I had lost weight - size 4 was loose for me but size 2 was a bit snug the last time I tried some jeans a couple of months back. But size 00?! Have I become that thin??? The thing is their company is a size up by the hips. And so if I get a 2 by the waist, my hips would be a 4 and so forth. I am not sure if should get a size up because their sizing survey asked detailed questions about your measurements (hip, torso, lower waist etc.) and so I figured if based on what I submitted I am a size 00, I guess I am size 00 (after all they know their products best and that was the whole point of submitting my measurements). But I am still tempted to order a size up just to be sure - I figured I can always wear a belt or gain weight! Returning the product will be the last option because shipping fees are so expensive here in Alaska.

Anyway, my grad classes start on the 18th - not fun and not so looking forward to it. My books are so expensive - I am hoping I can find used ones or borrow from the library. It's Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday so we have a long weekend. Well, technically I have to write my case notes tomorrow and another paper on Monday so I will be working. But I get to do so in the comforts of my home so it is not that bad I guess :) Anyway, hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. My giveaway is still up and running so hope you will join. Enter here!

Sunday

2011-01-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday! The weather today is relatively warm - just -13C (8 F) and so I had a nice walk to church this morning to attend Bible class. I could not stay for the service because I had to meet with my supervisor to discuss my workshop for tomorrow. We also went to Michaels and Office Depot to get some supplies for my workshop. We found some pretty mini-notebooks and blank cards for only $1 and so we bought some for our participants tomorrow as little tokens of our appreciation and also some for ourselves :). I wished I could have stayed longer at Michaels just to check out the rest of the stuff on clearance but my supervisor and I had other things to do. So after our meeting, she dropped me off at the university so I can start preparing for my activity tomorrow. So as I write this, I am holed up in the graduate students area in the basement of our building. I somehow like it because it is quiet . . .I just need to get my act together and start writing for work :)

Hope you are having a great Sunday so far. I have a Target Gift Card giveaway going on so do enter if you haven't entered yet!

Happy New Year and A $10 Target GC Giveaway

2011-01-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011! After all the holiday celebrations, it is back to work for most of us (including me). I hope you all had the opportunity to relax, sleep, eat and unwind during the break. Also that you received and gave wonderful gifts :) Last year I did not get the chance to make or post my new year's resolutions because I started the year being sick. So for 2011, I have the following goals:

1. Exercise and eat more healthy foods

I have started allotting an hour a day for this - either by playing table tennis on the Wii (yes, this was my Christmas gift from my hubby) or the Just Dance program. I have also started making a conscious effort to make more healthy food-choices.

2. Be debt-free and save 10% of what I make monthly

I incurred a lot of medical bills the early part of 2010 and it was tough on our budget. We still have a few of those bills to pay but those are now more manageable. But regardless of how little or how much I make, I think it is important to make saving a part of my lifestyle. Although I only survive on a meager grad school stipend, I could still try to save a portion of it for future use (emergencies, big purchase etc.).

3. Complete my requirements for one class before April 2011

I had an incomplete grade in one of my classes last spring semester due to my illness. I have to start writing those papers this month! I need to really be disciplined with my time and just get them done.

4. Have a positive and grateful attitude

Life will always have its ups and downs and I want to be able to enjoy it more by having a thankful spirit and focusing on the blessings that I receive daily. This needs to be a conscious effort as I am the type who worries a whole lot!

So those are my goals for now . . . I figured I should make my goals short and doable - hence I am only starting with four. I can always add more goals as I go along the year. In this way, it doesn't feel too overwhelming.

Anyway, as my small way of thanking you all for supporting my blog and being with me in my Alaskan journey, I am hosting a $10 Target giveaway. All you have to do is be a GFC follower of blog (if you are already a follower, you can join too - just comment that you are following my via Google Friend Connect). You get an additional entry if you follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic). I will pick a winner on February 14.

Thanks!

I want a Juicy Couture Bag!

2011-01-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

I have been sick for the past two days - and so had been staying in bed most of the time. While surfing the internet, I found this nice blog that reviews cosmetics and fashion (yup, I am vain!). Anyway, for the month of January, it was giving away one Juicy Couture Bag! For a chance to win this, enter at Pink Fairy Bun. Good Luck!

P.S. I will post my $10 Target GC giveaway tomorrow! Promise :)

Winner of the Carmex Giveaway

2010-12-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

Using random.org, the number generated out of 23 entries was #1. The winner of a set of Carmex Tint Lip Balm is Terry. Congratulations! She has been notified and has confirmed her prize.

Thank you for participating in my giveaway and supporting my blog. Hope you are all enjoying your holiday break. Stay tuned for a $10 Target gift card giveaway on New Year's Day :)

Winner of the $35 CSN giveaway

2010-12-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

Using random.org, the number generated out of 38 entries was #13. The winner is Tim of Tim04901. Congratulations! He has been notified and has confirmed his prize.

Thank you for participating in my giveaway and supporting my blog. I have a a set of Carmex Moisture Plus Tint Lip Balm up for grabs so do enter!

Carmex Moisture Plus Tint Lip Balms Review & Giveaway

2010-12-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I received two sets of Carmex Moisture Plus in Sheer Pink and Sheer Peach Tint Lip Balms to review. Living in Alaska, one of my biggest problems is chapped lips due to the winter cold which lasts for over 6 months! So I was super excited to try out this product and test it for the kind of weather that we have :)

I decided to first try out the Sheer Pink Tint Lip Balm because what can I say, I like pink :). First thing I noticed and liked about the product was its packaging. I like its slim sleek look which makes it easier to fit in my pocket without the ugly bulge. I like wearing skinny jeans and having it with me all the time in my pocket did not feel uncomfortable. I also like the tint color - it was just the perfect shade and you could decide to just use it without lipstick or layer it with your regular lipstick. For me, it acted both as a lip balm and as a light lipstick with just the perfect hint of color. Also, because I have asthma, I am sensitive to strong smells and so I was pleasantly surprised that this one had a mild nice fragrance. It also did not have a bad aftertaste - I lick my lips unconsciously from time to time and was glad that it did not taste weird, icky or of chemicals :).

In terms of its effectiveness, it was smooth and easy to apply and it did moisturize my lips. However I noticed that I needed to constantly re-apply it on my lips when I am outdoors (But then again, the weather here is now minus 30F!). Although I am generally satisfied with the product, I hope Carmex can develop a lip balm that is especially suited for Alaskan winter. But if you do not have to be outdoors in extreme weather, I think this lip balm is perfect. It lasts longer if you are wearing it indoors too!

You can purchase Carmex Moisture Plus Tints at Walgreens stores and online at Walgreens.com.

Now for the giveaway - one lucky reader will receive the same products that I received: a set of Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Pink and Sheer Peach Tint Lip Balms.

Mandatory Entry: Must be a follower of my blog! Just write a comment that you are an existing follower or a new follower AND visit Carmex Moisture Plus and tell me what tint of lip balm you prefer. You need to do to do both! (1 entry)

* Make sure you write your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:

1. Visit Carmex and tell me what other products you wish to try
2. Enter my $35 CSN gift code giveaway

3. Follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic)

3. Grab my button. Leave a link as to where you put it.

4. Tweet and leave a link of your tweet.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on December 26, 2010 Sunday (11:59 PM Alaska time). I will use random org. to choose the winner and he/she will be contacted via e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to confirm the prize or I will choose an alternate winner. I will directly ship the prize to the winner.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received 2 sets of Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Pink and Sheer Peach Tint Lip Balms from Carmex. One set was for me to use to facilitate my review and another set to giveaway to one lucky reader of my blog. I was not monetarily compensated for this post and the review reflects my own experience and opinion while using the product which may vary from yours.

$35 CSN Gift Certificate Giveaway

2010-12-04T23:14:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I am back with another giveaway from CSN :) As most of you know, CSN stores carry a wide array of products from stylish briefcases, office furniture, housewares, and even shoes! With CSN, you can practically shop for all your Christmas presents straight from the comforts of your home. They even have some free shipping deals which allows you to save more money.

Now for the giveaway, CSN is giving lucky reader a $35 gift code to use towards any product that you choose from their stores. Below are just a sample of the products that you can get from CSN for that value or even less!

Decode Women's Briefcase

Sauders Beginnings Bookcase

Hamilton Beach Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6 Quart Slow Cooker

* Make sure you write your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:

1. Visit briefcases and tell me which one is in your wish list.

2. Follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic)

3. Grab my button. Leave a link as to where you put it.

4. Tweet and leave a link of your tweet.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only and will end on December 17, 2010 Friday (11:59 PM Alaska time). I will use random org. to choose the winner and he/she will be contacted via e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to confirm the prize or I will choose an alternate winner. CSN Stores will directly ship the prize to the winner.

* Shipping fees may or may not be included depending on your location and choice of product.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive any product or monetary compensation for this post. CSN Stores has generously offered to provide the $35 gift certificate to the lucky winner.

Ice Storm

2010-11-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

So Monday morning, we woke up to freezing rain and icy roads. At about 9:30 AM. I received a call from my clinical supervisor that classes have been suspended and the university has been shut down due to the winter storm. Good thing I haven't left the house yet! Apparently we are experiencing an unprecedented ice storm in interior Alaska and it is expected to continue till Wednesday. I heard that there were car wrecks everywhere because the roads were just too slick with an inch thick of ice from the snow that had melted during the night. My friend said she was heading for the university but decided to turn around because the roads were just too dangerous while another friend's car went for a 360 spin! They both managed to safely get back home, thank God! I have posted some pictures below of the road sitaution yesterday (photo credits to the newsminer.com )

The good news is we have enough food to last us till end of the month and electricity to keep us warm. I also get to have extra free time to putter around the house, do some cleaning and update this blog! Classes have been suspended since yesterday and so I get more time to work on my Statistics exam which is due on Wednesday. So aside from the exam due tomorrow, I just have a critique to write, a proposal, a thought paper and a big paper which will be due by next week. It is not as overwhelming as it seemed last week when I had expected to attend classes for Monday and Tuesday. Anyhow, I hope you are all safe and warm. And yes, the Carmex giveaway will be up and running by tomorrow so do drop by again!

Update and Christmas Giveaway at 5 Minutes for Mom

2010-11-18T00:14:00.000-08:00

Barely 3 weeks left before the end of fall semester. Whew! The semester seemed like a blur to me -it was just so overwhelming doing clinic practicum, taking 12 credits of grad classes and being on a research assistantship. I know that Thanksgiving is just around the corner but I have 2 book chapters to review, write a focus group paper, write my case notes, do a review of literature on quality of health and work on my take home Statistics exam which is worth 200 points. Yes, I need to do all of that from tonight till the 24th. So I apologize if this blog has not been updated as often as I had hoped. I do have a giveaway for you from Carmex and my own personal giveaway of a $10 Target gift card. Hopefully, I could post them during the Thanksgiving break.

Meantime, you can visit 5 Minutes for Mom to join their Christmas Giveaway 2010 contest which started last November 8. They are spreading the Christmas cheer early with lots of wonderful prizes. I am actually hoping to win the printer because I need it for school :) Good luck and advance Happy Thanksgiving!

Sears

2010-11-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

I love shopping at Sears because they have great sales and rebate program. Last time I went shopping, I got a $40 gift card! Anyway, I just found that I'm not Obsessed! is having a $100 Sears GC giveaway. Hurry and check it out if you are interested to join!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

I hope you are all enjoying this special weekend and having fun with your Halloween plans. Because we sort of celebrated Halloween last week with the masquerade party that we attended, today will be a quiet day for me and H. The weather is -11 C today, and I think it will get colder as the days go by. I have a couple of papers due this week and next week and so I will start working on them tonight. Then there is this Stat exercise that is due on Tuesday that I need to also attend to. So far, I have somewhat adjusted to the hectic pace of this semester - life isn't all about grad school and so I am allotting Sunday as my "me time". I need to update this blog more often and I will probably get to do this in November. Meantime, have a Happy Halloween!!!

Masquerade Party

2010-10-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a masquerade birthday party of my classmate's g.f. It was fun to dress up - I have never attended a masquerade party before so I thought it was cool to see ladies in their gowns and heels ( I wore boots though) and the men in their coat and tie. I wore a black shimmery short party dress, black tights and knee high boots, while h wore a suit sans the tie (he didn't feel like wearing one). . .and of course the masks!

Now, I had asked my hubby to get the masks for us last Friday because I was doing my take home Stat exam. While he was at the store, he called and asked me if I wanted a simple mask or a mask with feathers. I said I wanted one with feathers. In my mind, I was thinking of a couple of feathers just to accent the mask. I should have been more specific. .. Well, he comes home and my mask had feathers around it. When I wore it, I looked like I was either going to perform the rooster dance or a tribal dance. Hmmm. .. not my style but I can't really complain because he did ask and I did say with feathers!

Anyway, so off we went to the party with my rooster mask. We brought red wine and since I was into self-care, I gave the celebrant a collection of Burt's bees products (lip balm, lip shimmer, bath products etc.). Wine was flowing but we only had appetizers for food (that was fine because we were told in advance about it). I did enjoy the evening - it was nice to talk about other things aside from grad school, drink good wine and just chill! There were about 16-20 people present at the party but I must admit, I was guilty of just chatting with my classmates. I guess because we never have much chance to socialize apart from being together in the program, we took the opportunity to do so at the party.

SNOW!

2010-10-10T16:11:00.000-07:00

I woke up today to find that the ground outside is covered with snow. I guess it is official then, it is the start of winter again here in my neck of the woods! Although it first snowed last Thursday, the sun was still up most of the time. I didn't think I would say this but I actually like the snow and I also like the fact that it gets dark at 7PM now unlike in the summer when we had almost 20 hours of daylight. I have actually been getting more sleep lately - which is always a good thing especially for an insomniac like me :)

I am sorry I have not been able update this blog regularly. Not counting the hours for school work and studying, I have a total of 47 hours a week of classes, practicum and research work. Except for this weekend, I have been going to the university Monday-Sunday since the semester started. But I think I have started finding my rhythm and will hopefully be able to keep my Sundays free. Yesterday, my hubby and I finally got to spend some time together - we went shopping for a nice winter coat, ate out and took a mile walk. Then I had the chance to clean my closet last night and sort out clothes for laundry. I also stayed up the whole night watching movies instead of studying! Today, I would have to eventually start opening my books but for now, I am back in bed and just enjoying my Sunday :)

Busy

2010-09-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Classes have started for grad school and it has been hectic! I apologize for not updating this blog lately and also for not announcing the winners of my two giveaways sooner.I was in Seattle for 5 days attending a conference and did not get to use internet as much. But the winners have been chosen and notified via e-mail so check out your inbox in case you are the lucky winner.

The conference I attended was very interesting - lots of research on cancer, smoking and nutrition among Alaskan Natives and American Indians. I just wished there were more time for people to network and interact. The schedules were just too packed with activities. But I did get the chance to do some shopping and sightseeing in the late afternoon/early evening of each day such as checking out the Pike's Market, and the Seattle Museum. I stayed at Westin Hotel which had really nice amenities. Overall, I had fun :)

Anyway, I have a couple of giveaways lined up in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more updates. Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hope you are enjoying the long weekend. It has been busy busy busy for me lately and so I am sure glad that we have Monday off. I am trying to stop myself from going to the mall to check out the sales because I know I'd be so tempted to buy stuff just because they are on sale. With school fees and my trip to a Seattle conference on Sept 10, it is not wise for me to go on a spending spree. . . OK I confess, I did visit Sears last Friday and got a couple of tops for myself and a light jacket for H- so technically, I already did some shopping. Saturday, H did the grocery shopping at Fred Meyer and I chose to stay at home because he gets impatient when I wander off to the other departments. I think more than shopping, I like to window shop :)

Anyway, I have TWO giveaways going on right now - a set of Pleasant Dreams Collection Pillow liners from Sleep Scentsations and a $40 CSN Gift Code - both have low entries so your chance is good. . . Who knows, you can win one or both! :)

$40 CSN GC Giveaway

2010-08-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

Good news - CSN stores recently contacted me to either do a product review or host another $40 gift code giveaway for my readers. Because you all have been so supportive of my blog, I decided that one of you should have the wonderful feeling of shopping at CSN stores. With more than 200 online stores, I am sure you would find almost any product you need at CSN -dining room sets, cookware, office supplies, wall decors, rugs and even baby accessories. Also, did you know that CSN Stores now offer over 1 million products?! There are just so many wonderful things you can buy for $40. Below are just some items I found:

Livingware Rosemarie16 Piece Dinnerware Set

6.5 Quart Electronic Wok

3 Tier Corner Bookcase in Wicker and Metal

* Make sure you write your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:

1. Visit dining room sets and tell me which set is your favorite.

2. Follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic)

3. Grab my button. Leave a link as to where you put it.

4. Enter my Pleasant Dreams Collection Giveaway from Sleep Scentsations.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only and will end on September 17, 2010 Friday (11:59 PM Alaska time). I will use random org. to choose the winner and he/she will be contacted via e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to confirm the prize or I will choose an alternate winner. CSN Stores will directly ship the prize to the winner.

* Shipping fees may or may not be included depending on your location and choice of product.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive any product or monetary compensation for this post. CSN Stores has generously offered to provide the $40 gift certificate to the lucky winner.

Sleep Scentsations Review and Giveaway

2010-08-26T01:22:00.000-07:00

I am an insomniac. No matter how much I try to sleep early, I end up laying on my bed for hours till the wee hours of the morning. When I moved to Alaska, I did not anticipate that not only would we have long periods of darkness during the winter time but also long periods of daylight in the summer. So when summer came, my sleeping pattern just went berserk. We have almost 20 hours of daylight and to an insomniac like me, it just made sleeping almost next to impossible. Thus, when I heard of aromatherapy pillow liners from Sleep Scentsations, I became very curious and and I contacted the company to ask if I could review their products. Luckily, they agreed (Yay!) and I received 3 pillow liners from Sleep Scentsations: Day at the Beach, Relaxing Lavender, and Snore Rx.

Basically, these are scented pillow liners that are infused with essential oils and fragrance oils known to promote health, wellness and relaxation. Essential oils have been used for hundreds of years as a natural and alternative medicine to heal the mind body and soul.

My experience: I tried the Day at the Beach scent for this review. Using it was very easy - all you need to do is to peel off the adhesive at the back of the pillow liner and place it underneath your pillow case. Initially, I found the scent too overpowering and so my husband ended up trying it instead on his pillow. I noticed though that I could still smell the scent of the oils from his pillow but this time it was not too overwhelming and I actually liked the scent. The scent had a soothing and cooling effect on me and it helped me feel sleepy. When I woke up the next day, I felt refreshed.

H's experience: My husband did not like it as much as he found the scent too strong. Since it was under his pillowcase, he woke up with his hair smelling like the pillow liner -(this might be a concern for some if you do not wash your hair daily). For our second night, we noticed that the smell was not as overpowering as the previous night - which is what we both preferred. We both had a wonderful sleep. The packet said that the scent lasts for about 4-7 days and we have been using it for 5 days now and so far, we could still smell a lingering, milder scent of the pillow liner which is really nice.

Overall, the Sleep Scentsations pillow liners indeed help create the mood for sleep and relaxation when we used it and for an insomniac like me, it is a big help! However, we probably wont be placing the next liner directly underneath our pillow cases on the first night as we find the scent too strong for our preference. Instead, we plan to put it somewhere in our room (maybe on a table), or flip the pillow so it wont be directly under our face on the first 1-2 nights of use. In this way, we both will be able to enjoy the scent and still get the relaxing benefits that it offers.

Sleep Scentsations offers 8 wonderful scents to choose from and if you are not sure of what scent to get, you can order 1 liner at a time. Just pick a scent you think will help you sleep better, guilt-free for only $3.50 per liner + FREE SHIPPING!

Giveaway: Sleep Scentsations has generously offered a Pleasant Dreams Collection ($24.99) for (1) one of my lucky readers!

Mandatory Entry: Be my friend by following me via Google Friend Connect AND visit Sleep Scentsations - tell me what you learned or favorite scent.

* Make sure you write your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:
1. Follow Sleep Scentsation on Twitter and leave your Twitter name.
2. Follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic) and tweet about the giveaway. Leave a link of your tweet in your comment.

3. Grab my button and leave a link as to where you posted it.

4. Blog about the giveaway and leave a link of your post in your comment. (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on September 10, Friday (11:00 P.M. Alaska time). I will use random org. to choose the winners and he/she will be contacted via e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to confirm the prize or I will choose an alternate winner. The sponsor will ship the prize directly to the winner.

Good luck!

Disclosure: While I was not provided any monetary compensation, I received 3 pillow liners from Sleep Scentsations to facilitate my review. The views above are based on our household's experience while using the product which may be different from your experience.

Pear Tree Greetings: Pen to Paper Challenge

2010-08-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

I love sending and receiving cards and letters to friends and family because I think the act of writing and sending them notes by snail mail are extra little acts of love that show the recipients that they are special to you. I must admit that lately though, because of a very busy lifestyle and the convenience of sending e-mails and e-cards, I have been unable to do this and have felt considerably guilty about it.

Recently, I learned about the Pear Tree Greetings which is an online stationery company that that loves to help people connect, whether it's via a personalized note card, Christmas Card or birth announcement. I really like this idea and so I applied to become a "Pearista" - a group of bloggers sponsored by Pear Tree Greetings that value the power of connecting through stationery. I was so happy when I got accepted and heard that my first task is the "Pen to Paper Challenge". This challenge requires us to write a hand-written note once a week for four weeks. How cool is that?! Of course, I was more than eager and happy to accept this challenge.

Last Saturday, I finally received my 8 beautifully designed note cards from Pear Tree Greetings to use for the challenge - one for me to use and one to include in my mail so that the recipient can also use it to write to someone else . . .or reply to me :)

I decided to send my grandfather a card just to let him know that I miss him and think about him often. When I moved here to attend grad school, I did not get the chance to spend time with him although we had made several plans to have dinner together before I left for Alaska. For some reason or another, it just did not happen. And so I wrote him and told him about my adventures and misadventures in grad school :) Also added some pictures. I am sure the card will cheer him up!

Next note went to a wonderful couple - Sharon and Harry who visited us from Maryland a couple of weeks ago. I just thanked them for spending 2 days of their vacation in Alaska with us and for really being fun to be with.

I really felt good writing the notes - it became a very personal experience as opposed to a hurried e-mail that I normally would type while other window tabs are open. The act of writing helped me to be more introspective and think about the people I was writing to in a special way. It did stir up wonderful memories that I have shared with them, the kind that is sort of bittersweet but overall leaves you with a warm feeling inside. I might end up using all the cards in a week instead of doing one weekly ;)

What about you? Are you ready to take the Pen to Paper challenge as well? The Pear Tree Greetings is a stationery company that makes fun and creative designs at affordable prices - check out their wonderful selection of note cards and start writing those notes to your friends and family! Also, they are offering 15% off ANY Baby related purchase till the month of August - no minimum purchase required. Just use the discount code PEARAUG10 at checkout!

Disclaimer/disclosure: I did not receive any financial compensation from Pear Tree Greetings although they provided me with the note cards to use for the challenge. By accepting this challenge, my blog post will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Pear Tree Greetings discount. All views shared are my own.

Upates and Two Giveaways Coming Soon!

2010-08-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, my days have been flying really quickly lately. Although Fall semester officially starts on September 10 for grad students, there just have been so many things going on with school and work. Here is just a quick update of events that I have been involved with:

August 10 (Tuesday), we had our 2nd Cancer Gathering for Alaskan Natives who have been diagnosed with cancer and/or have relatives who are cancer survivors. It was a very moving experience and it was good to see that people from various sectors in the community are concerned about cancer.

August 14 (Saturday), last day of the Tanana State Valley Fair. Entrance was $10 and rides cost $4-$8. There were so many people and it was fun to just have one day to walk around and check out the booths and watch live shows of new and upcoming bands in town.

Friday (August 20) , I attended the "Prevent Family Violence" event organized by the FNA at the Tribal Hall. We had a booth to promote our 3rd Cancer Gathering which will be on September 22 and had the chance to meet colleagues and friends who are working in the community as well.

Yesterday, my hubby and I went shopping for some clothes (winter clothes) and biked 8 miles (4 miles one way). It felt good to exercise although I was quite tired when we got home.

Today, I will be attending a baby shower for a grad student in the program. She is having the baby shower in North Pole, Alaska (yup! there is a town called North Pole right outside my city). It would be fun though my gifts for her/baby are still in transit via UPS (I ordered it online).

I do have TWO giveaways lined up for you - a set of Pleasant Dreams Collection Scented Pillow Liners from Sleep Scentsations AND a $40 Gift Code from CSN! I will have the giveaways posted in the coming days so do watch out for them :)

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

Winners of the $10 Walmart GC and CoverGirl Coupons

2010-08-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our winners:

Marilyn's Money (comment #2) for winning the $10 Walmart GC and CoverGirl Coupons

Cathy W (comment #3) for winning two $2.00 CoverGirl Coupons

Thanks everyone for joining and supporting my blog!

Panic

2010-08-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

It just hit me: I barely have two more weeks before school starts. I need to start writing my papers! I can't seem to find the focus, momentum and motivation to do them. At the back of my mind I am rationalizing my procrastination by thinking that I have technically a year to turn in those papers for grade completion. BUT I also know that the sooner I write them, the better off I will be. I swear, I will write them. . . after I attend the state fair this week :)

Tomorrow will be a busy day. . .

Happy Friday!

2010-08-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, how time flies! A couple more weeks before the fall semester begins. Today is the start of the Tanana Valley State Fair and it will be my first fair here in Alaska so I am excited to check that out later. But first, I need to get some research work done :)

While you're here, please check out and enter my $10 Walmart and CoverGirl Coupons Giveaway which will end on August 13, next Friday!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead.

Sight Seeing with a Wonderful Couple

2010-08-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

I had two special guests visit me from Maryland - Sharon Chaiklin and her husband Harris (Harry). Sharon is one of the pioneers in the field of Dance Therapy and has helped start Dance Therapy programs in Israel, Japan and Argentina. Her latest book, The Art and Science of Dance/Movement Therapy: Life is Dance which was published last summer 2009 is an important resource in the field of dance therapy. I met her at a conference in Japan in 1997 or 1998 and since then, she has been a great influence in my life and has been so supportive in my interest to pursue dance therapy.

It was also great to finally meet her husband, Harry who is so down to earth yet super smart and accomplished. He earned both his B.A. and M.A. in Sociology from University of Connecticut, an M.S. in Social Work from University of Wisconsin, and a PhD in Medical Sociology from Yale University. (I told you he is so accomplished!). I was SO thrilled that they took two days from their tour of Alaska to spend time with me and my husband.

Sunday, we went to a buffet lunch, walked around Pioneer Park, and just enjoyed the sights and flowers. We discovered this really awesome root beer while we talked about life and got good advice re: my grad school.

Then we watched a live show at the Palace Theater. It was so much fun!!! I wasn't sure if it was Vaudeville but it sure was a great way to end the day.

Monday, we had breakfast together at their hotel before bringing them to the university. From the university we took the campus shuttle to give them a feel and tour of the school.

First stop was the Museum of the North where we were welcomed by Otto the Bear . . .

Then we watched a short video about the Aurora Borealis or Northen Lights. We also went to this special room "The Place Where You Go Listen" where we heard chords based on the movements of the sun and moon as well as seismic activity in Alaska. The patterns constantly change and each chord/ music was unique!

Lunch was at a Thai restaurant near the university. After lunch, we visited the Georgeson Botanical Gardens. It was so beautiful!

From the Botanical Garden, we went to the Large Animal Research Station, where we saw and learned about the muskox and caribou.

We ended the day with some iced coffee before separating ways. (sigh!)I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to spend time with Sharon and get to know her amazing and kind husband. Since I moved to Alaska, I really felt isolated especially to the dance therapy world. Although we were supposed to be the tour guides, visiting the Botanical Garden, Animal Research Center and watching the show at the Palace Theater were also a first for me and my husband. We truly enjoyed touring them just because they are such an awesome couple to be around with!

Counting my blessings . . .

2010-07-31T02:07:00.000-07:00

My husband and I volunteered today to help out at the Homeless Barbeque that was organized for Alaskan natives as well as non-natives. There were lots of clothes and toiletries donated for the homeless and food was served from 11AM-2PM. There were also raffle prizes given out to Alaskan Native Elders which consisted of sleeping bags, backpacks and winter gear. Although we basically spent most of our time helping out in the kitchen and cleaning up after the event, I had the chance to talk to some people who helped me better understand the plight of homeless people in Alaska. I cannot imagine how they survive the winter months up here. Last winter the coldest we had was below 40. It just saddened me to realize that there are so many homeless people in Alaska especially when I now know how difficult it is during the winter months. The experience was humbling for me because I often complain about how difficult my life has been after I moved up here. I realize I have so much to be grateful for and instead of focusing on the things I don't have, I need to learn to count my blessings more.

So as part of my summer goals, I want to involve myself in more community outreach activities. I think helping people is a grounding experience and will keep me to be more pro-active in terms of my outlook and how I live my life in general.

Thursday Mail

2010-07-30T01:40:00.000-07:00

Yay! My long awaited prizes arrived today in the mail. These were my wins from two blog giveaways that I joined.

Speaking of blog giveaways, I recently discovered the Giveaway Scout which is a giveaway search engine. I think this is a cool idea - although my blog is not primarily for product reviews and giveaways, I do occasionally host those. I think this would greatly help bloggers hosting giveaways get more exposure and contest entrants. Additionally, this would be useful for those who wish to be alerted to new and exciting blog giveaways going on.

And yes, I do have a giveaway going on right now as a thank you for supporting my blog - CoverGirl Coupons and a $10 Walmart GC. Hope you will check it out :)

COVERGIRL Mascara Review & $10 Walmart GC Giveaway

2010-07-30T00:33:00.000-07:00

I received a sample of the COVERGIRL LashBlast Fusion Mascara in black from BzzAgent to review. It came in a blue purple tube and boasts of a fiberstretch lengthening formula and an oversized voluming brush to create longer and fuller lashes. I have tried a couple of mascaras in the past and so I was curious to see how different this product would be from the rest of the lot.

My experience: I DID notice that my eye lashes were fuller and slightly longer. However, in terms of its lengthening properties, it did not seem to be distinctly better than other mascaras that promise to do the same. But then again, it delivered what normally two mascaras would - lengthen and increase the volume of your lashes. What I like the most about this product is that my eyes did not turn watery nor itchy (which is what happens with some mascaras I have tried in the past despite being "hypo-allergenic). I also like that my lashes did not clump together which often occurred when I used other brands. It did not smear and my lashes also did not feel heavy nor dry. Overall, applying it was quick and easy which is perfect for my busy lifestyle. Rinsing it off was also not difficult - it was easily washed off when I washed my face with water and my regular facial wash.

The COVERGIRL LashBlast Fusion Mascara comes in Very Black, Black, BlackBrown and Brown. You can purchase it from any leading supermarket or stores in your areas for a suggested retail price of $ 8.99.

Giveaway: BzzAgent also sent me some coupons ($2.00 off) for any COVERGIRL product to share with my friends.

And as a thank you for supporting my blog, I am adding a $10 Walmart GC so one of you could purchase your own COVERGIRL Lash Blast Fusion Mascara.

There will be two (2) winners. One winner will win $10 Walmart GC and a $2.00 off COVERGIRL coupon. Another winner will win 2 $2.00 off COVERGIRL Coupons

Mandatory Entry: Be my friend by following me via Google Friend Connect. Just write a comment that you are an existing follower or a new follower.

* Make sure you write your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:
1. Follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic) and tweet about the giveaway. Leave a link of your tweet in your comment.
2. Grab my button and leave a link as to where you posted it.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on August 13, Friday (11:00 P.M. Alaska time). I will use random org. to choose the winners and he/she will be contacted via e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to confirm the prize or I will choose alternate winners.

Good luck!

Disclosure: While I was not provided any monetary compensation for this review, I received one COVERGIRL Lash Blast Fusion in Black from BzzAgent . The review is based solely on my own experience while using the product which may be different from your experience. The coupons are from BzzAgent while the $10 Walmart gift card is my own personal give away.

Some Updates and Highlights

2010-07-28T01:53:00.000-07:00

I took my meds today and felt the side effects immediately. I normally feel nauseous with my meds but tonight was bad and I threw up 5x. After feeling sick for 3 hours, I finally was able to eat some cereals (without milk) and keep them in. I had planned to post a review and a giveaway but I just feel really exhausted. I'll have them up this week I promise.

As for good news, I just got accepted to be a "Pearista"! The Pear Tree Greetings is a stationery company that makes fun and creative designs at affordable prices. I have partnered with them and would be sharing exciting product reviews and giveaways starting August. Yay!

Also, I found out that my younger sister J will be presenting a paper in Phuket, Thailand on eco-tourism this August. I am so proud of her!

That's it for now and take care everyone!

Winner of the $40 CSN GC Giveaway

2010-07-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

Using random.org, the number generated out of 95 entries was #4. The winner is Michele P. of Creative Writings 101. Congratulations! She has been notified and has confirmed her prize.

Thank you for participating in my giveaway and supporting my blog. I have a $20 Eco-mom GC up for grabs in the coming days so please come back and join. Also I have a couple of Cover Girl coupons to giveaway in my post tomorrow. Hope you all are having a great weekend! :)

CSN Giveaways

2010-07-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

Do you like to win a CSN Stores Gift Certificate? There are several blogs that are hosting giveaways sponsored by CSN. Check them out and try your luck!

The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really) is hosting a $50 CSN Stores Gift Certificate. There are multiple entries and contests ends on 8/20.

The Adventures of Paul Natalie has a $70 CSN Stores GC up for grabs. Contest runs tills 8/12.

The John's Family is giving out a $50 CSN GC but you better hurry because entries are accepted only till 7/27.

And of course, don't forget to join my own $40 CSN Giveaway which ends this Friday (7/23) before midnight (Alaskan time)!

A Bar Night in Alaska

2010-07-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

Last night, my classmate in grad school celebrated her birthday at M. Bar. She and her hubby picked us up at around 8P.M. and we met with another classmate of ours (A. and his girlfriend ) in the bar. Everyone had a great time drinking and catching up. Well, everyone except for me because I didn't drink. For one, I never liked the taste of beer but most importantly because I am still recovering from a serious illness.

My impressions: Generally, the bar was OK - it was not fancy but served good beer (I heard). There was no food either except pretzels and so my hubby and J (the celebrant's hubby) had to grab some pizza from a nearby pizza place. The bar had a live local band playing music and one of the guys started rapping. It felt like a slow monologue though and all I could make of what he was saying were the following "Spray of saliva. . . " because he kept repeating this line over and over again. Listening to him was torture and so we decided to move at the back end of the bar. I was afraid he would start spraying our table with his saliva. . .

I wasn't sure if there was dancing in that specific bar - it felt more like a drinking place. I was pleasantly surprised to find that despite my asthma the bar was not as "smoky" as I had expected it to be. Maybe because it had an open area upstairs where people could sit and smoke. People who came were mostly locals and mostly males although I saw a couple of tourists visiting from the lower 48 states.

Anyway, at 12:30A.M, we decided to go home. It was interesting to come out of the bar with the midnight sun. I even saw some people biking. . .

Overall, although I enjoyed the company of friends, I don't think I would want to go to that bar (or any bar) again anytime soon. In the winter time, maybe going to a bar would be a more appealing option for people to visit but with the long Alaskan summers, I think the bars isn't going to be part of my summer activity. But then again, maybe I am just getting too old for this scene. . .

Summer Plans

2010-07-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

My adviser in grad school asked me what my goals are for summer. I am working for her as a research assistant and although she probably meant my academic goals, that started me to thinking about my summer goals in general.

So here's my initial "Things to do" (hopefully) for what is left of my summer break (July-August 30).

1. Finish writing my 3 papers for Psychopathology class

- I got an Incomplete grade last Spring semester for this class along with another class because of a serious illness. I was able to complete the requirements for the other class shortly after but lost steam and motivation for this one.

2. Watch a movie - The Last Airbender or Despicable Me

- The last time I have been to a movie theater was December with Avatar. Then the next 5 months just became a blur of medical appointments and check-ups, lab procedures, and just being sick while trying to stay in grad school. So hopefully (I like hope) we can do this tomorrow.

3. Go River Canoeing

- Summers in Alaska are like the "manic" phase for people. With LOOONG days (the sun is up almost 24 hours, the darkest we get is around 2AM which feels like 6PM) - there seems to be so much to do outdoors. After hibernating in the long months of winter darkness, people seem to be racing to do so many things in a day. And so I want to experience my share of the outdoors by trying this. I am not sure if I am strong or healthy enough to do this but would like to try.

4. Finish my review of related literature on Cancer Survivorship and Quality of Health cancer scales or measures

- This is work-related stuff. I need to read tons of journal articles on cancer and write a summary of the recent measures being used with the hope of developing one eventually in Alaska for Alaskan Natives. I like what I am learning so far, I like the reading part - it is the writing part where I am getting a bit stuck.

5. Find a moose and take a picture!

- I swear, in almost a year here, I haven't seen a live moose! And people see them all the time - in their backyards, crossing the road. . . I seriously want to see one. But maybe from a distance. I heard that a moose (not just bears) can attack humans too . . .

Well, that's it for now. Will update this list when I think of something more.

Lazy Saturday

2010-07-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Today, my hubby and I were supposed to watch a movie and do some house cleaning. Well, he did wake up early but decided to go back to bed after waiting for me to wake-up (Ha!). Finally at 2PM, he woke up and we decided to just stay at home, watch T.V. and use the internet. No cleaning was done either. Tomorrow hopefully will be a more productive day for both of us. The operative word is "hopefully".

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. Also, I have $40 CSN Gift Certificate giveaway going on right now, so please join if you can :)

CSN $40 Item of Choice Giveaway!

2010-07-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the CSN Stores? It has over 200 stores where you can find home furniture to cookwares and even products for your specific needs like LED Lighting, home medical supply or eco-friendly pet products!

I bought a blender from their Housewares site a couple of months ago and I was impressed by the wide array of products that they offer at reasonable prices. Since I have just moved to Alaska, I am still in the process of buying things I need for our apartment. My next item in my "to buy list" is actually home and outdoor lighting. Below are some of the lighting fixtures in my wish list from CSN's LED Lighting stores:

Traditional Two Light Dragonfly Table Lamp in Verde Green Finish

Great Lodge Semi Flush Mount or Ceiling Fan Light Kit with Antler Accents

Lavender Fairy Solar Light

Now for the good news - CSN Stores has approached me to either do a product review or a giveaway for my blog followers. I decided to do a giveaway because you have all been very supportive of me and my blog. And so, one of you could win a a $40 gift certificate that you could use for any product in their 200+ websites!

Mandatory Entry: Must be a follower of my blog! Just write a comment that you are an existing follower or a new follower AND visit CSN Stores and tell me which product you will get. You need to do to do both! (1 entry)
* Make sure you write your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:
1. Visit LED Lighting and tell me which one is your favorite item from the site.
2. Follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic)
3. Grab my button. Leave a link as to where you put it.
4. Comment on any of my other posts aside from this post.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only and will end on July 23, 2010 Friday (11:59 PM Alaska time). I will use random org. to choose the winner and he/she will be contacted via e-m ail. Winner will have 48 hours to confirm the prize or I will choose an alternate winner. CSN Stores will directly ship the prize to the winner. * Shipping fees are not included unless you choose a product that offers free shipping.

Good luck!
Disclosure: I did not receive any product or monetary compensation for this post. CSN Stores has generously offered to provide the $40 gift certificate to the lucky winner.

Happy Fourth of July!

2010-07-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today, we went biking to the park to watch the 4th of July celebration. We missed the parade but we stayed around for the rides, music and food. First stop was the dog pulling contest. It was amazing to see how the dogs were pulling 2400 lbs of cemented pillars. Because of my asthma, I cannot have pets in the house except for a goldfish maybe. But I love dogs and I was fascinated with the way the owners interacted with their dogs and did all kinds of tricks to motivate them to pull the load!

We also rode the steam engine train which was over a 100 years old. It was a short ride around the park - the waiting to get the tickets ($2 each) took longer than the ride itself. But I thought it was fun to do it for the heck of it.

On our way home, we stopped by the river to take some pictures. It was almost 6 P.M. but because we have long days in Alaska, it felt like it was only noon. The river is just a couple of blocks from where we live (about 5-10 minutes walk) but we have never found the time to really enjoy the scenery since we moved here. And so we decided to do just that :)

It was good to exercise, get some sun and just chill. I hope you all had a great Sunday as I did! Happy July 4th! :)

Touch'd Organic Moisture Myst Winner

2010-06-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Julie of aunteegem@yahoo.com for winning the Touch'd Organic Moisture Myst giveaway. She has confirmed her prize.

Thanks everyone for joining the contest and supporting my blog! I will be hosting another giveaway in the coming days.

I now have a banner and a button!

2010-06-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I joined the "Build a Beautiful Blog" week contest, hosted by Simply Stacie and Kelly's Lucky You. They had several talented blog designers as sponsors and I needed a nice banner and badge. One designer that really caught my eye was Tree at the Button Connection. I loved her designs and so was really hoping my name would be picked at least for a button design. Well, my name got picked - twice and for the same sponsor- Tree! What are the odds?!

Last night, I sent Tree an e-mail of two images I wanted to use for my banner and badge. The next morning, when I checked my inbox, I was pleasantly surprised to find my new button and banner. Tree had already done them and I love her designs! She incorporated the images I sent to her and made sure these fit well with my background. I only needed a minor change in the button design which she graciously accommodated. Because I am not techno-savvy, she also walked me through the steps to upload the new banner and badge. We basically e-mailed back and forth whole afternoon for this. When I still could not figure out how to paste the code for my button, she even offered to do it for me. She is so patient and helpful!

If you need buttons, banners and/or a complete blog makeover, I recommend that you contact Tree at Button Connection. Thanks again Tree, for sponsoring the giveaway and for helping make my blog look pretty :)

Book Review: "The Way To Stillness" - by Anne Alexander Vincent & Gayle Alexander)

2010-06-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

As a graduate student in Psychology, I am on the lookout for books that could enhance my skills in the helping profession. And so when I heard about this book "The Way To Stillness" (Anne Alexander Vincent & Gayle Alexander), I was immediately intrigued by the title and jumped on the opportunity to review the book. Although I received the book in April, I postponed writing the review right away because I wanted to do justice to the book.

The authors of the book, Gayle Alexander and Anne Alexander Vincent (mother and daughter) have over 20 years experience working together in leading retreats on spirituality and meditation. And the book speaks of their wealth of experience in practice and of their theoretical and spiritual beliefs concerning helping people.

I found the book to be quite an easy read - a welcome and refreshing change from all the academic books and journals I have to read for grad school. Although the book is stripped of academic psychology jargon, it borrows several concepts in psychology from the humanistic perspective and blended these with the authors' spiritual beliefs. If you are looking for specific "how to" techniques to achieve "stillness", this may not be the best book to read. The book is about the personal reflections of the authors and it is written more to inspire than to teach. The book also draws examples from stories from the Bible to illustrate certain reflections or concepts introduced. Having said that, I think the the concepts discussed by the authors are very useful to people who subscribed to this world view.

One label that the authors coined is that of the "Love Motiff". According to the book, the "Love Motiff is offering not only our best and healthiest self to another, but also allowing them the freedom to be who they are without limit or condition" (Vincent & Alexander, X; p 3). I was initially a bit turned-off with the term to be honest, because it reminded me of pop psychology. But if you can get past that initial reaction and try to reflect on the content and apply it in your personal life, then you may be able appreciate the significance of the term.

The label "love motiff" may be new but the essence of the concept is deeply rooted in some of the tenets used in the Christian faith - unconditional love, and of Humanistic framework - the idea of unconditional positive regard and that idea of being "present" with another person/client. The book also illustrates how when used in a therapeutic relationship (or any kind of relationship), the “Love Motiff” could facilitate the process of positive change in an individual. The authors wrote "The Love Motiff levels the ground where we stand and allows us to stand together. For as long as I have been practicing, my heart's prayer has been to be fully present for a client, and to clarify and respond to the deepest needs of that client. That is the absolute bedrock of my practice" (p.97).

What I like about the book is that it highlights the authors' rich reflections on their life experiences in the helping profession. It is written in an honest and straightforward manner interspersed occasionally with short examples from the authors' experiences working with clients. Although the concepts discussed in the book may be already familiar to those in the helping profession, I think most could relate with the general themes presented in the book - the importance of spirituality in counseling, genuineness, and unconditional acceptance. Also, if you are into pastoral counseling or a practicing Christian, you may be able to appreciate this book much more.

In general, I find that the value and power of this book largely depends on how much the reader's values and beliefs systems are aligned with that of the authors'; and how much they will allow these to take life and meaning in his/her own life. My experience is you need to make the effort to commit to the process of what was being described in the book to fully appreciate it. I may not subscribe wholly and strictly to the authors' worldview but I recognize and respect the moral themes and positive values that the book espouse, including the concepts they used from humanistic psychology and the Christian faith.

Overall, in a scale of 1-5, with 1 the lowest rating and 5 the highest rating, my personal rating for this book is a 3.

Disclosure: Rebecca from the The Cadence Group provided me with a free copy of the book to review but I did not receive any monetary compensation. The review is based on my personal honest opinion and does not reflect the authors' views.

Touch'd Review and Giveaway

2010-06-11T01:26:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to try out a product from the Touch'd Bath and Body Online store and I received the Organic Sugar Scrub in "Tropical Paradise" fragrance.The first thing I noticed when I opened the jar was its wonderful scent. I really like the way it smelled because it was not overpowering. I have asthma and allergic rhinitis and so I am sensitive to strong perfumes.

Aside from smelling really nice, I like that the scrub was able to exfoliate the dead cells on my skin without leaving it feeling raw and dry. I have tried it on my feet and elbows for three times already and I am happy with the results. Because it has been infused with essential oils and three natural oils - sweet almond, grape seed and jojoba, my skin felt very soft and smooth after using it. It is advisable though that you stand on a wash cloth when using the scrub on your feet because the oils could make your tub slippery.

The founder of Touch'd bath and body Rachel Ferrucci, actually created the organic sugar scrub for her daughter who had eczema. Rachel wanted to provide relief for her daugther's condition but found that medicated creams prescribed by doctors were drying her daughter's delicate skin. This led her to research on the benefits of using natural oils and to develop the organic sugar scrub which is 100% organic and alleviated her daughter's eczema.

Aside from the organic sugar scrub, Touch'd also offers Bath Butter, Moisture Myst, and the Foaming Salt Soak, which is derived from the Dead Sea.

You can purchase Touch'd products at their online store: www.touchd.net and in select boutiques, salons, and day spas throughout Connecticut.

Now for the giveaway - Touch'd is generously offering one of my lucky readers the chance to try the Organic Moisture Myst.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Touch'd and tell me what product and/or scent interests you the most. You must also be a follower of my blog or an existing follower. Please leave an e-mail address in your comment so I can have a way to contact you if you win.

Additional Entries:

1. Become a fan of Touch’d on Facebook

2. Follow Touch'd on Twitter

3. Follow me on Twitter (see my side bar for the link)

4. Subscribe to my blog

Contest ends on June 25 (Friday at 11 P.M. Alaska Time). The winner will be chosen using Random.Org and will have 48 hours to confirm his/her prize. The prize will be shipped by Touch'd to the winner. Continental US only. Good luck!!!

Disclosure: Touch'd provided me with the Organic Sugar Scrub to review. I did not receive any monetary compensation to post this review. The review is based solely on my own experience and personal opinion while using the product which may be different from your experience.

I want this "Twilight Swag Bag"

2010-06-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

(Picture taken from Pure Imagination's "Twilight Takeover" blog)

Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob? Well, I have good news for you-- I came across this giveaway at Pure Imagination's "Twilight Takeover" and got super excited :). I thought I should share this awesome giveaway to all of you who are Twilight fans out there. I sure would love to win this swag bag! I love the Vamp canvas tote bag and the bookmarks and magnets. . . and my sister would love the T-shirt (it's too big for her but I could totally see her still wanting to wear this). If you want a chance to win this cool swag bag, head over to the giveaway site and join! Contest runs till June 30.

Saturday Mail

2010-06-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

The products I ordered from the P&G e-store finally came today. I only paid $1.70 for all the products -- thanks to the $20 e-certificate (inclusive of free shipping) I received from Xmas Dolly who hosted a P&G giveaway! The P&G e-Store also offered online coupons and buy one take one offers and so I was able to get 2 Old Spice body washes for less than $4.00 and get a $2 discount for the Olay soaps. Hence, I was able to stretch the $20 e-certificate to get more stuff like the Crest Whitening tootpaste and the Ivory Snow detergent. I had to order products totaling more than $20 to avail of free shipping and so I had to fork out the $1.70. Given what I got, I'm not complaining :)

My online shopping experience was easy - I like that the P&G e-Store offers online coupons and discounts on their e-Store site and automatically applies it on your purchase. It saves me the trouble and time of collecting and/or printing coupons and having those coupons verified at check out in the stores. With a $5 flat shipping rate regardless of quantity, I will be able to save a lot of money on shipping in future orders. I will definitely shop at the P&G e-Store again!

WINNERS

2010-05-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Out of the 24 entries, the following five (5) numbers were generated using Random.org:
#14- Stephanie
# 5 - Sturberry
#16- Pixie
#11- MageeMommy
#20- Susitravl
Congratulations! All of you won a set of Scrubbing Bubbles Sprayer and Refill Coupons.

And the winner of the $10 Walmart GC is Pixie!!!
All winners have been notified and have confirmed their prizes. I will send your prizes soon. Thank you everyone for joining my giveaway :)

I want to win this!

2010-05-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Rose's Obstacles & Glories is hosting an awesome CSN giveaway worth $100 for her blog anniversary giveaway. I was browsing CSN Home Decor and decided to check out their Lighting and Ceiling Fixtures. Because we have long winter months in Alaska, I figured it will be great to have lamps in the house because my husband and I love to read while staying indoors. I found a great selection of lamps which offer free shipping and it was hard to choose - I love so many of their styles!

Below are my top two choices if ever I would be the lucky winner of her giveaway:

Kenroy Home Holland Three Piece Lamp Set in Brushed Steel

Dale Tiffany Lighting Traditional 2- Light Dragonfly Table Lamp in Verde Green Finish
If you wish to join this contest, click on the badge below to learn how.

We have daylight for 20 hours!

2010-05-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

My first experience of Alaskan summer is quite a treat. I can't get over the idea of having the daylight till wee hours of the morning. It seems like the sun never completely goes away. I have to wear sun glasses at 10 P.M. at night because of the sun's glare. Isn't that amazing?! It is somehow hard to believe that about two weeks ago, it still snowed here. Yes, snow in May! But now, everything is starting to turn green. Yesterday, I saw this tree in front of the library all (suddenly) covered with white flowers! Because of the long days, I guess plants and flowers grow and bloom more quickly.

I am having a hard time falling asleep though - being a naturally insomniac, having daylight for almost 20-22 hours just messes with my body clock. Today, I slept at 5AM and woke up at 12 noon. I start summer class next week and so I need to teach my body to sleep at 12 midnight even if it looks like 12 noon outside. But overall, I definitely prefer this weather than the cold months of long winter darkness.

By the way, don't forget to enter my $10 Walmart GC & Scrubbing Bubbles Coupons giveaway!

Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-a-Clean™ Power Sprayer Review, $10 Walmart GC & Coupons Giveaway

2010-05-17T01:37:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the BzzAgent, an awesome site that allows you to test products and share ("bzz") your experience about these products to your friends. A few days ago, I received my first product to review - the new Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Power Sprayer. Now, I don't exactly look forward to cleaning the bathroom in general but when I get started, I can get pretty obsessive about it and it becomes a loooong, tiring and complex process. And so when I found out that the product came with a battery-operated sprayer that promised to make bathroom cleaning simpler and manageable, I was really excited to try it out.

My experience:

I actually like the idea of pressing the down the trigger just one time and the sprayer releases a continuous spray of cleaning liquid - no constant pumping required. Also, the trigger was not difficult to press, making the whole experience almost effortless. It was a simple case of "point and shoot" and I was able to target hard to reach corners of the faucet, sink, tiles, tub and shower and do so with even foam coverage. I had to open the bathroom window when I used this because although the cleaning liquid came with a nice citrus fragrance, I found the smell too strong for me and quite overpowering. After waiting for a few minutes for the cleaning foam to penetrate the dirt/scum, I wiped the surfaces clean with a wet cloth and then rinsed with running water.

The initial results are quite impressive-- the sink and the tub in particular looked sparkling clean. After rinsing, you could still smell the citrus fragrance but it was a lot milder. According to its website, the Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Power Sprayer is a "periodic cleaner" and that it has active cleaners that can continue to fight soap scum, grime and hard-water stains up to 4 days from initial cleaning because it creates an invisible barrier each time the sink or tile becomes wet. Well, today is Day 3 and so I still need to wait one more day to see if this is true. But so far, I like the results!

You can purchase the Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Power Sprayer starter kit from any leading supermarket or stores in your area for a suggested retail price of $8.99 while the refill is selling for $3.99.

Giveaway:

The good news is I have been given coupons to give away so that you can also try out the Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Power Sprayer. I have already given away a couple of them to my friends but I still have five (5) $5.00 off coupons for the starter kit and five (5) $1.00 coupon for the refill.

So there will be 5 winners of a set of $5.00 off coupon for Scrubbing Bubbles Power Starter sprayer and $1.00 off coupon for the refill product.

On top of this, 1 of the 5 coupon winners will get a $10 Walmart gift card from me! It is my small way of thanking all of you for supporting my blog.

Mandatory Entry: Must be a follower of my blog! Just write a comment that you are an existing follower or a new follower.

Extra Entries:
1. Follow me on Twitter (@mandalarctic)
2. Comment on any of my other posts aside from this post.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on May 25, 2010, Tuesday (12 AM Alaska time). I will use random org. to choose the five winners of the coupons. I will then put all the five names in a hat and draw one winner of the $10 Walmart gift card.

Disclosure: I received one battery operated one touch sprayer head, 2 full sized refills and coupons (see above picture) from BzzAgent. I did not receive any monetary compensation to post this review. The review is based solely on my own experience and personal opinion while using the product which may be different from your experience. The coupons are from BzzAgent while the $10 Walmart gift card is my own personal give away.

Happy :)

2010-04-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

I just got out from my meeting with my advisor who is also the Director of Clinical Training of the Ph.D. Clinical program. He discussed the results of my "Annual Student Professional Development Review" based from the comments/feedback of the whole faculty regarding my progress as a grad student. Except for the domain of Clinical Competence, which I only got a rating of "Satisfactory with some problems", I got ratings of 3 "Satisfactory with no problems/concerns" in the 9 other domains (in a scale of 1-3).

I admit that my performance in Interventions II class (Clinical Competence) was not my best - I am behind with some clinical work assignments and my Intake Interview performance was lacking. I knew I was going to get a B for it. When I was doing the intake interview, I was simply distracted with my own health concerns. It was around that time when doctors had initially suspected that I had cancer and I had not told anyone yet about it. Aside from this, I did feel very inadequate and nervous the whole time during the interview. I felt "rusty" after not having clinical work practice since I started grad school last August 2009. But considering my illness and emotional state at that time, I feel good that I still got a B for that interview.

The positive and glowing feedback from the faculty really helped me feel motivated to continue grad school. I had considered quitting many times so it feels good to know that all my hard work has paid off. I am also grateful that I have very supportive faculty. I am so encouraged by their praises and feel really good about myself right now! :)

TGIF!

2010-04-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's Friday again! I am so relieved and grateful that I survived this week. I was able to submit 2 papers, and had 3 presentations (M,T,W). I still have 6 papers to write which I hope to finish and submit by next week. I had thought I would be getting an Incomplete in all of my subjects this semester because of my illness. I had just returned to school last week and was overwhelmed with all the catching up I needed to do. But now, I am not that that far behind. I am beginning to see some light at the end of this long dark tunnel! A professor has told me that there is no shame in getting an Incomplete especially because I have a medical reason for it. But being the perfectionist that I am, I'd really feel so much better if I don't get an Incomplete grade.

I have book reviews pending and I apologize that I have not posted them yet. I will post them by next week at the latest.

Today is Friday Follow btw, don't forget to spread some Friday love :)

My Deadlines!

2010-04-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot to join the Friday Follow yesterday. I am swamped with school work! Anyway, a quick update of my status on the school front:

Interventions II:

One paper done and submitted (4/22) :)
One paper due on Tuesday (4/27)
Big Presentation - 75% done; due on Tuesday (4/27)- DONE!
Suicide Assessment - due on Wednesday (5/5)

Psychopathology:

Final paper due on Monday (4/26)
Case Study due on Monday (4/26)
Case Study due on Wednesday (5/5)

Rural Psychology:

Big Presentation - 75% done; due on Monday (4/26) DONE!
Book review/Final paper due on Friday - (4/30)

Research Methods:

Big Presentation due on Wednesday (4/28) DONE!
Journal review due on Friday (4/30)
Final paper due on Wednesday (5/5)

OK, I need to get back to work :)

Crunch Time

2010-04-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Classes in grad school end by Friday next week! I need to prepare for 2 big presentations, and write 3 big papers and 4 minor papers. Except for two papers, everything else is due on Monday and Tuesday.

I still need to find my rhythm after being ill for a long time. The doctors told me to take it easy but it is hard to do that when deadlines are hovering over your head. I keep telling myself to stay calm and focus on the now. Wish me luck :)