UPCOMING EVENT - San Diego 9th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival

Last year the San Diego Japanese Friendship Garden (in Balboa Park) 

held its 8th Cherry Blossom Festival.  I was lucky enough to be able to attend, and

you can check out my post from last year's festival here!

This year the Japanese Garden is hosting the 

9th Cherry Blossom Festival

THIS SATURDAY (MARCH 8TH) from 10:00am - 4:00 pm.

You can read more about the event 

HERE (niwa.org)

& 

HERE

The event was supposed to be last Saturday, but we had really strange stormy weather 

and it had to be moved over a week.

I really recommend checking it out, the garden's beautiful with all the blooming trees!

Admission is $6 general, but $5 for students and seniors/military.
Anyone with a membership pass to the USS Midway Museum gets free admission
into the Japanese Friendship Garden.
They have quite a few traditional Japanese performances (music and dance among
other things), as well as a ton of festival food and craft booths.

Fortunately I can attend again this year - I have a yukata to wear & I'm 

going with my boyfriend - it's his first time!  (I wonder if people will be proposing this year, too?)

I'm planning to bring a little journal, to press a couple of

blossoms from this year as a memento and/or for crafts later!

Last year I collected some in a bottle but they just got wilted.  The bottle smells

really nice inside though, I wish I could make it into perfume.

Some tips:

*Dress comfortably!  There's not much seating other than a couple of benches, or the

seats around the performance stage - prepare to stand!  And it's still a bit chilly, so a sweater 

is a good idea.  (If you're wearing a yukata, bring a wrap along, or a haori if you're fancy!).

*GET THERE EARLY.  I had to park on the opposite end of the Park last time.
Unless you don't mind walking, I'd say show up around 9-9:30 for best parking.
You can stroll around and enjoy the rest of the park for an hour or so!

*Bring a tote or some kind of small bag, to hold your personal things (food, sweater, essentials) as well as any little souvenirs you pick up.  Try to pack lightly, & I recommend a bag
that zips or buttons shut securely to protect your things.

*Bring CASH.  I don't remember if the booths all take cards as well, but I believe the food
tickets were cash-only as well as some of the small souvenir booths.  Just to be safe!

*Camera!  Or your phone for pictures.  You definitely want to take photos

of the cherry blossoms, performances, and a selfie or two with the trees can't hurt.
There's also many lovely ladies and gents out in their best festival attire (yukata etc.),
not to mention quite a few people in cosplay.
Most are quite happy to let you photograph them if you ask permission nicely. c:
Some people bring really nice professional cameras (I did that last year, but it was
really bulky so this year I'm sticking with my old point-and-shoot + cellphone cam.)

*Snacks/some food!  It's a fair, with fair food pricing.  That said, I do recommend
trying the different standard festival treats.  There's a few can't-miss things, personally I love
the taiyaki and snowcones.  You can also get food like (legit) ramen and teriyaki bowls, from the Tea Pavilion restaurant at the front of the garden. They will also give water if you've brought a bottle with you.  Having a few extra treats to munch on will hold you over (& keep it frugal, I'm big on that)!
If you really want to go all-out you can even prep your own bento box!
(JSYK: The food also has notoriously long lines.)

*Water bottle!  STAY HYDRATED.  Really important!

*Small book/journal!  You'll want this to press flowers/hold anything that you'd like

to keep flat.  Last year they had a booth that would make bookmarks with

whatever you wanted, written on them.  I had to carry mine around all day to

keep it from wrinkling!  This will also keep you occupied in the long lines.

*A sunhat/folding fan - it can get hot in the sun!  (I know this contradicts bringing a sweater,
but San Diego does that a lot.)  Better yet, bring the SUNSCREEN. 

*Picnic blanket!  Remember the lack of seating?  There's plenty of green hilly areas to throw
down a blanket and relax in the sunlight.  Also makes for a nice picnic, with the snacks you've brought or bought at the fair.  ALSO makes for a nice blanket to snuggle up under/in, if it gets chilly.
(See how everything on this list links nicely together?  That was all on purpose.)
Maybe some blossoms will even float down on you while you're at it!



That's all I have for now!  I really hope you take some time and check it out, if you're
in San Diego and you're looking for something fun to do this Saturday.  It's
a great cute-date idea, friends/girls' day out (this past Monday was Girls' Day,
what a coincidence!), or even just a fun solo adventure.
Whatever your grouping, it's a really nice Japanese cultural experience.
I'll be making an adventure post with lots of photos after the event as well.
Hoping to see you there!

 Isa 

*updated* VS Pink - Bralette + Panty + Makeup Bag ... for $5.00 (+tax)!!

I have a real thing for pretty lingerie - all the ruching (?), lace, trims, bows...so detailed! 

I absolutely love it, especially things like babydolls and matching sets.

(Obviously Valentine's Day lingerie season is a favorite time of year for me.)

That being said.

Victoria's Secret has a REALLY good deal going on right now!

The picture's really tiny but basically you can get 

any PINK bralette and panty, for $15.00.

The $15.00 deal is good through MARCH 19th.  

That's a massively good deal since the bralettes are around $20-$26 regularly, and a panty is $9.50.

As far as I know you don't need the flyer to get the deal - I just mentioned it to the cashier and he l

rang me through!  

***UPDATE***

[You DO need the flyer to get the deal, that or an email from Victoria's Secret with the 

deal on it.  You can get the flyer in-store by making any cash purchase.]

BUT!  VS also has their Secret Rewards Card promo going on right now through MARCH 30.

You automatically get one when you buy anything in store, and it's guaranteed to be at least $10.

(It can be a LOT more if you're very very lucky - I haven't been yet, fingers crossed!)

***UPDATE***

[ The Secret cards used to be $10 off any purchase but now you have to buy at least $30 of stuff to use the card.  Still a nice deal if you have a haul you're looking to scoop!]

That means the Bralette and Panty would come out as about $5.00.

AND THERE'S MORE.

If you got all the icons on the recent PINK scavenger hunt, you can snag a 

free Pink Bralette with any purchase.

FINALLY.

They're running a free MAKEUP BAG with any PINK purchase starting today MARCH 06!

You just need to get the offer through the Pink Nation app (on smartphone).

So basically if you stack everything, you can get 

2 Bralettes, a Makeup Bag, and Panty for around USD 5.00.

Not too shabby!

I went and scooped mine up a couple days ago:

(I had a free panty coupon from my PINK Angel Card, too - so I 

technically got two full Bralette + Panty sets, yay.)

Sadly I missed out on the makeup bag because the deal hadn't been 

advertised yet, so I didn't know - I would've waited for it! 

***UPDATE***

I found a stray store-credit card so I went and scooped the PINK Spring Break makeup bag!

Here's some more photos of it. 

The front part is clear plastic, with a little faux-leather label (like the one on PINK's backpacks).

The back is printed palm canvas on the inside, and plain black on the outside - same canvas

material as the backpacks, and the zip is the same as well.

(From the promo photos I thought the entire pouch was clear, with black palm print.)

2014 - a fresh new start!

Obviously it's been a long time since I've written anything - at present a lot of changes have happened!

With the new year, I've left my counselor job & returned to SeaWorld (I start mid-March, exciting)!

Along with that, I wanted to catch back up on this blog, as well as a lot of other things

I've been neglecting / putting off.  

That being said, expect several different reviews/hauls/tip/adventure posts - I've been stocking

them up over the past couple of months but never got around to posting them!

REVIEWS

*UD Naked Basics palette*

*Kat von D Trooper Tattoo Liner*

*LUSH Therapy Massage Bar*

*LUSH Honey Trap lipbalm*

*LUSH No Drought dry shampoo*

*LUSH Vanilla Puff powder*

*Batiste Cherry Dry Shampoo (spray can)*

*TooFaced BTS Mascara*

*Tarte Lipsurgence in Energy*
*MAC Lipstick in Viva Glam I*
*The Body Shop Banana Shampoo + Conditioner*
*TBS Satsuma body wash + EDT*
*Ambi Fade Cream*

*Chanel No. 5 Collection update*

ADVENTUREPOSTS

*Adventure to Old Town*

*Adventure to SD Cherry Blossom Festival* (UPCOMING MARCH 8)

*Adventure to Imperial Beach*

Mini-haul c:

So today at lunchbreak I went off to do some errands.

It's a whole hour!  So after I mailed a thing I had a ton of time left.

I work in DT San Diego about 2 blocks from Horton Plaza so

it's seriously closeby, and I had a bunch of Victoria's Secret coupons c;

I grabbed the Pink Nation deal (it JUST expired today I found out, way to

go me, getting in at the last second).

It was a free Mini Cheekster panty & a $10 bralette with any PINK purchase!

Plus I had a free Lacie panty coupon that came in the mail.

I got a black bralette to match with the Lacie <3

They're 2 different VS collections but it turned out as a really cute little set!

(Forgot to take a pic of the free cheekster, but it's striped with mint lace, so cute!)

I always wanted a PINK water bottle & a PINK backpack.

I saved up a bit of my last couple paychecks specifically and got a black

backpack a few weeks ago, & I got the water bottle today as my PINK purchase!

It's HUGE - 32ml.  But that's great because I feel like I *HAVE* to drink all the water in it.

It's like a challenge, how much of this can I drink?

(only downside - it doesn't quite fit into the cupholder for my car...)

Anyway that was my little haul today. c:

The little shopping trip was super great (I had kind of

a rough day at work today, pretty out of the ordinary). 

Meow Puni-puni Cat Paw Strap/Charm!

This is a review for an Electronic Catpaw keychain ("puni puni") 

that I picked up a while ago!

It's been a while so I don't remember what site I bought it from :c

but StrapyaWorld had an item that's very similar in appearance:

Meow! Electronic Kitten Paw

The cat paw came with a little cellphone strap attachment, as well as

a mini ball-chain in case you want to hang it from your keys or such.

It also comes with batteries.

It makes a more realistic cat "meow" noise (the Strapya version says "nya" more than "meow").

Also different from the Strapya - this repeats "meow" three times each time you push one of the buttons.

All of the cute little pink pads are buttons - they're made of some really velvety-smooth plastic.

It's supposed to feel like pressing the pads of a kitten's paw!  (I think it's meant to be relaxing?)

It also came in Black, Orange, Pink, and White so there's quite a variation!

There are NOT any LEDs on the tips of the paw.  I remember seeing some online that had those

but personally I didn't like them (I already have a little keychain flashlight!). 

You can find it really easily online, via google.

It's relatively inexpensive, I think mine came out to about $4-5 with shipping. c:

I think it'd be a nice present for a cat-lover, or for someone (like me) 

who likes cats but doesn't/can't have one.

I'm back - again!

Hey everyone!

 I know I haven't posted for over a month - sorry!  

I've been super busy.  I've been in training for my current job (which I'm now 3 weeks into!)

and it's just been super hectic getting set up and settled in.

...and now they're actually moving me to the branch a little further north, so that's

a fresh uprooting but a whole 'nother story.

Anyway!  I have reviews and haul posts coming up c:

plus a few location/out and about posts!

*Meow Puni-Puni Cat Paw Chain Review*

*HADANOMY Collagen Mist Review*

*a little VS haul from today c;*

*a photo tour of my cube at work!*

*a little photo post of where I've been going around recently*

*ORGANIX Biotin & Collagen products Review*

SW Aquatica in San Diego

Hello!

It was my dayoff today and I had some SW tickets left,
so I went to the Aquatica water park with A. c:

SeaWorld just opened Aquatica on June 1 this year, but it's actually

on the exact same property where Knott's Soak City used to be (right off 805N).

It's super close to my house though, about 10 minutes.  

There are 5 water slides (the main rides), a wave-pool, a lazy river,

and a water playground + kid's waterslides.

It's actually not a whole lot, but it definitely keeps you busy what

with lines and going multiple times on rides.

We both liked Tassie's Twister the best, & went on it 3 times!

It's a water tunnel that goes into a drop, which opens into this massive funnel.

You have to go with someone else (minimum 2 people), but in the funnel you go

up and down the sides from the momentum from the tunnel!  It's really fun.  

(we got deckchairs nearby the lazy river to eat lunch on)

(dippin' dots ice cream!)

(I got so tan)

I'm a bit sad - didn't get a lot of photos because I left my phone & backpack in a day locker.

(I asked a guard and he said they don't really get thefts at all there, but tbh

I don't think anyone left things like wallets/phones in their bags.  I saw really

few bags left around the place, most people got lockers.)

If you're in San Diego I'd recommend going!  It's really good for kids,
but it's also fun for a date or if you want to go with a bunch of friends. c:

Cucumber Point Pad Mask Review

Here's a review for PureSmile's "Cucumber Point Pads"!

They come in cucumber, strawberry, orange, lemon, and kiwi.

Each different type has the extract of the corresponding fruit/veggie!

Here's the front and the back of the package (I already opened it

before I remembered to take photos!)

There's an ingredient list and a description - the purpose is to brighten and soften skin!

There are 10 point pads in each packet.  

Each pad is basically like a mini-face mask, you can put it on a particular spot.

They're paper circles in a sort of clear gel liquid which has phyto-collagen, cucumber extract,

and portulaca oleracea extract.  The size is about enough to cover most of your cheek!

The photo on the back of the package suggests putting them on your cheeks 

or the tops of your feet (?!).  NOTE:  Although they ARE cucumber-shaped,

I don't think/recommend you put them on your eyes - go get some real cucumber for that!

(Or you could put it on your forehead.)

I picked up Cucumber and Strawberry for about $1.68USD per packet, at

the Mitsuwa in SD.  They ran out of them there last I checked, but Marukai

Living (a block down from Mitsuwa on Mercury St.) has all the different kinds in stock!

The first time I used these I put them on my cheeks, and the skin did feel a bit plumper and

definitely soft afterwards.  I left them on for 10 minutes which is pretty standard for paper face masks.

I have dry spots on my cheeks, forehead, and the tip of my nose, so I'd recommend these if you

have similar skin that's only dry in certain areas.  

Life update!

Hello everyone!

I really did mean to be more active so far this summer.

However since I started working at SW, I've either been at work 

or out job searching every day.
(That was a lot of traveling and filling out applications...)

I have a bunch of new reviews and photoposts all set to go,

and next Tuesday I'm going to visit SW's new waterpark in San Diego,

called AQUATICA.  (I get free admish because I work for them, hehheheh.)

Expect a post on that as well!

Finally, I have two big potential life-changing events that may be coming up.
#2's possibility depends on whether or not #1 happens, and I should find out by
Saturday!  I don't want to jinx myself so I'll wait till I know before I post an announcement. c:
(#1 and #2 are the main reason I've basically been offline since June, so it's a relief that the
prep's all done and soon I'll know what's coming in my near future.)

Coronado Island c:

Hi everyone!  I've been working a lot so I haven't updated with any reviews and such - sorry!!

But!  This Tuesday was my day-off so I spent the day at Coronado Island with A~ c:

 It was pretty grey in the morning around 11/12ish, then warmed up a bit.
There were WILD DOLPHINS right off the beach, two with
a baby - I love dolphins, I've never seen wild ones that close (they were literally
maybe 50 feet from me~).

 Then we walked around the island and went to a really cute old movie theater.
It's called the Coronado Vintage Village Theater (long name!), on Orange Avenue!
It used to be shut-down and boarded-up when I was in highschool here, but
a couple of years ago it was renovated and reopened.

 They have a couple new movies usually, and then I think
they show feature matinees (?) of old classic films.
Movies are kinda pricy for a little theater - 10.50 regular, but the first showings of
the day are 8.50 and they have senior/military discounts.
Imho it's a really fun and charming experience, pretty worth it. c:
(Anyway you can go to AMC any old time)

The Lone Ranger was quite funny, idk about the original sadly since I've
never seen the old TV series but I'd recommend it.  It gets a little
dark in some places, but it's pretty family-friendly.
(There were a lot of older folks watching it - I had a feeling they used to be
fans of the TV series way back then c: )

We were in a pretty tiny room (there's 3 rooms) with maybe 25 seats.
It's super oldschool inside though, with really nice paintings of places in San Diego
on the walls, & blacklights!  (Protip: the aircon is blasting so it's SO COLD,
bring a sweater or something if you're going to check it out c: )

So that was my Tuesday - it was a really nice break,
especially since I had to work at 6:30 this morning. :X

I'll be uploading a review later this week for the spot cucumber mask that I posted before,
as well as some cute, fun, and inexpensive ideas for outings in SD this summer. c:
(A and I are both pretty broke college/ex-college students so we're masters at fun on a budget!)