Tag Archives: Lifestyle Blogger

T.G.I. Funko: “I’m Mary Poppins Y’all!”

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I attempted to purchase our first Funko Pop! exclusive, online through a major retailer. There are times where exclusives are released at conventions like the San Diego Comic Con or the LA Comic Con. There are also other exclusives that can only be obtained at a major retail chain, such as Wal-Mart, Toys r Us, Hot Topic or Game Stop.

This is the Yondu Funko Pop! figure from the Guardians of The Galaxy 2 collection. It was an exclusive from the Emerald City Comic Con, shared with Target. My husband and I actually stayed up until midnight on the day of the sale, and I was able to score this fantastic new Pop!

If you want to check out all Funko has to offer, remember to click on the banner on the right (or here) to take you to their official shop. Cheers and T.G.I. Funko!

Clean & Pure at Credo Beauty

Have you heard of the app Think Dirty? One of my co-workers recently turned me on to it, and the concept behind it is that it allows you to scan beauty and personal care products to understand the potentially toxic ingredients in the products we use everyday. Recently, I found out that most of my products rate at a 7 or higher! Products that rate anywhere in the 7-10 range contain ingredients that have potential serious negative long-term health effects.

That same week, Kali of In Spades mentioned she would be at Credo Beauty in Westfield UTC for a beauty event. “All of the brands we carry at Credo must pass our screening process proving they use only safe ingredients (nothing harmful or toxic), are cruelty-free and committed to ethical sourcing and sustainable production.” What a wonderful coincidence that the day after I discover the Think Dirty app I end up at a beauty event featuring #CleanBeauty products!

One of the lines carried there is called Nu Evolution, which is a green make-up and beauty company owned by two sisters Kali met during NYFW. I received this beautiful lip gloss called “Bliss” in the gift bag from Credo. Their products are gluten and cruelty free, made with all natural and organic ingredients such as Cocoa & Shea Butter, Coconut, Castor & Jojoba Oil. This gloss is rich and non-sticky and “Bliss” is a lovely high-gloss pink, that still appears subtle on the lips.

Innersense is a green hair care line whose products all rate at 0-3 on the Think Dirty app, and I got the chance to chat with one of the founders, Greg Starkman, at the event. My hair is quite thick and coarse, and requires nourishment because it can easily dry out, or overly greasy when unwashed. I purchased their Hairbath (shampoo) and conditioner, and received the leave-in conditioner as a gift. My hair is in dire need of repair, and I already feel the wonderful effect of using an all natural product. My hair is softer and takes product well after use.

Thank you Kali for letting me know about the event, and thanks to Diane, Store Manager at Credo Beauty. She really spent some time with me to explain their concept and product lines, and introduced me to my new favorite deodorant by AER, sold exclusively at Credo. I tend to get irritated under my arms, and I needed a totally clean deodorant that would help to calm the irritation but provide the protection I need. Bonus: it comes in a Blood Orange scent!

T.G.I. Funko!

We are a family of hobbyists. We definitely like to collect items, build things, and frequent places that we love. My husband’s latest endeavor has been the Funko Pop! vinyl figures. He started his collection a couple of years ago, but it really started to build during this last San Diego Comic Con and the LA Comic Con. We are known to spend an entire day in search of certain Pop! figures when they are released, and his obsession has now rubbed off on me! Not only have I joined my husband in collecting Pop! figurines, but I recently became a Funko affiliate.

In celebration of my new affiliate status, I will be sharing pictures of our collection every Friday in a post called “T.G.I. Funko!” (Special thanks to my hubby for the title!)

Today, I’m showing selections from my very first “vaulted” items, which are from the Pop! Animation series. When I was in my 20’s, I loved The Animaniacs cartoon series. I immediately snapped up the Dot, Yakko and Wakko Pops when they came out at Hot Topic, and they recently became a part of the Funko Vault (above). When an item is “vaulted”, they are no longer available for retail purchase. That doesn’t mean that you can’t get them through a collector or eBay, but you will most likely be paying outside the retail prices that I paid for my collection.

Recently, I came across another wonderful pair from the same animated series as The Animaniacs, which are Pinky and The Brain (below). These are not vaulted yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they become vaulted soon.

If you want to check out all Funko has to offer, click on the banner on the right (or here) to take you to their official shop. Cheers and T.G.I. Funko!

The 2018 Spring Trend Event with Neiman Marcus

A couple of weeks ago, I attended one of my favorite annual events at Fashion Valley’s Neiman Marcus: The Spring Trend Event! I’m getting back into the swing of things with my posting, so this one will be full of pictures. Although the lunch is fantastic, the fashion is always front and center, as styled by the amazingly talented Alex Yanez.

Check out all of the his & hers spring trends below, cheers!

SPRING 2018 TRENDS FOR HER

My favorite jacket by Gucci

Brights

Statement Sleeves & The Logo Bag

Floral Dresses & The Pointed Toe

Stripes

Sparkle & Glitter Glam, Rainbow Jewelry & Soft Sunnies

As I said on my Instastories, this was my favorite look of the day

SPRING 2018 TRENDS FOR HIM

Tracksuits

Short-Sleeve Shirts & Logo Mania

Shorts & Oversize Aviators

The Bold Blazer & The New Denim

THE SHOES & BAGS

One of the things I love about this event is that we are able to shop all of the clothing, shoes, bags and accessories after the show. More please!

Can you need a bag? Yes, if it’s the Gucci Dionysus…

The Statement Sneaker is big for both men and women, like the Rock Stud Body-Tech Sock Sneaker by Valentino

The Asymmetrical Statin 110m Pump by Rene Caovilla is simply divine!

People Are People

It’s always great when friends can turn you onto a new brand, because it opens up your wardrobe to more choices and creates versatility. Jenna from Lucky Little Mustardseed is one of my favorite local bloggers, who I’m so proud to also call my friend. She has been wearing Cabi for sometime now, and recently turned me onto them after their recent Cabi Clothing Scoop introducing their Spring 2018 collection at the San Diego Convention Center.

What I love about this jacket is that it is SO retro, and completely lends to my style. I wore the jacket with all black, including this now sold-out People are People t-shirt. The shirt is by Christian Siriano in collaboration with Leggo Your Ego. I first saw it on the runway from his Autumn/Winter 2017 collection, where he ended the show with the outfit below. Christian was also featured on Depeche Mode’s Facebook “Fan Takeover”:

I incorporated Depeche Mode’s “People Are People” into our Fall 2017 show at NYFW as a symbol of what I stand for as a brand and designer. We placed the song during the finale walk and I think that got the message across rather strongly because it was placed at the end. The message that is: people are people, we should all be celebrated in our own way no matter what age, size or skin color. It wasn’t a political statement that I was trying to make, but rather a statement on human rights. It’s about supporting everyone, which is why I casted a diverse range of women to walk in the show. Everyone deserves to be represented.

As a brand, it’s important to be inclusive because anyone can be a customer. Clothing should be fun and make women feel beautiful in their own skin.

– Christian Siriano

(Photo from Christian Siriano’s official website)

Believe it or not, Christian Siriano also collaborated with Impress Manicure for matching People are People press on nails! I bought two sets (one to keep and one to wear), and they lasted a little over two weeks. I love the matte finish and easy application. Of course, my retro-outfit was rounded off with some 80’s inspired accessories: a robot cross-body purse, a Duran Duran album cover lip palette (I’m wearing the color “Rock-On”), and a cassette tape cell phone case. Yup, you can take a girl out of the 80’s, but you can’t take the 80’s out of this girl!

Outfit: Windopane Jacket by Cabi (no longer available); “People are People” t-shirt by Christian Siriano x Leggo Your Ego (sold-out); Unknown brand pants; Savannah Animal Print frames c/o Select Specs; Hat from Topshop; Leather ankle boots by Zara; Ring by Wendy Brandes; London Underground cuff c/o designhype; Karl Lagerfeld watch; Cross-body purse from ASOS; Nagel x Urban Decay “Rio” lip palette; Cassette Tape phone cover c/o Banggood

Included this fun outtake, where I’m wearing my sister’s “new wave” sunglasses!

All photos by Rholnna Jiao unless otherwise noted

Cave Tools Veggie Grill Basket Review: Grilling for the “Big Game”!

Who’s getting ready for “The Big Game” today? Football is a big deal in our house, and my husband will be grilling it up, of course! Our game day menu will consist of wings (of various levels of spiciness), hot dogs, slow-cooker chili, corn bread and garlic bread. This tri-tip sandwich would also be addition to any game day menu! My husband made this sandwich a couple of weekends ago, and grilled the vegetables using this fantastic Veggie Grill Basket by Cave Tools.

Before we started using this grill basket, my husband used to make little foil “boats” to grill any vegetables, or we would pan fry the vegetables on the stove-top. Although those methods are convenient, it doesn’t really get the kind of true grilling flavor that he wanted. This grill basket is made of stainless steel and has slats to allow the grill to not only heat up and flavor the vegetables, but also prevents any small bits from falling through. To cook the vegetables and prevent them from sticking, he used a vegetable oil spray and they came out amazing!

To purchase your own Cave Tools Vegetable Grill Basket, click the links below AND, you can get 15% off with the following code!

Vegetable Basket 15% Off: VEGGIE15

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Grill-Basket-DISHWASHER-Accessories/dp/B01G2EIW02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&sr=8-1&keywords=grilling+basket&m=A3IEEDMWTA8OSP&tag=hyacinth12-20

Cave Tools: https://cavetools.com/products/vegetable-grill-basket

FTC Disclosure: I received the product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

The Latest From LEGOLAND®: LEGO NINJAGO Days Jan. 13 & 14

Where did the time go? It’s 2018 already, and we’re starting off with a bang at LEGOLAND^® California Resort! It’s Ninjago Days this weekend to celebrate the opening of the new 4D movie, LEGO^®NINJAGO^® – Master of the 4th Dimension!

We attended the media preview last night, but in all honesty, we missed the movie! After picking up my son and then my niece, we hit more traffic than anticipated and arrived after the last showing. We still caught some of the fun of the evening, and we’ll definitely come back to watch it. But YOU can still catch it this weekend! Check out all of the information below, mixed in with some pictures from the event last night.

I’ve also included pictures from when we attended Ninjago Days last year in celebration of The Ninjago Movie and the new video game back in September 2017. Cheers!

WHAT:

The LEGO^® NINJAGO^® phenomenon continues at LEGOLAND^® California Resort during LEGO NINJAGO Days Jan. 13 & 14 to celebrate the opening of the new 4D film, LEGO^®NINJAGO^® – Master of the 4th Dimension, playing exclusively at LEGOLAND Parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Centers nationwide. Guests are invited to join in the LEGO NINJAGO fun at the family theme park and meet some of their favorite “The LEGO^® NINJAGO^® Movie” characters including Lloyd, Sensei Wu, Kai, Jay and Nya. Guests can also participate in activities such as completing a scavenger hunt in Miniland U.S.A. and put their ninja gaming skills to the test with the brand new “The LEGO^® NINJAGO^® Movie” video game. All activities are included with the price of admission into LEGOLAND California Resort.

WHEN:

January 13 & 14, 2018

WHERE:

LEGOLAND California Resort, Carlsbad, CA

ACTIVITIES:

LEGO^® NINJAGO^® – Master of the 4th Dimension

Become part of the 4D action as you join the NINJAGO heroes at a very special training session in the 4th Dimension in this exciting 12 minute movie

THE LEGO^® NINJAGO^® MOVIE™ Character Meet & Greets

Meet the stars of the “The LEGO^® NINJAGO^® Movie™” in LEGO^® NINJAGO^® World!

Miniland Scavenger Hunt

Find the ninjas in Miniland U.S.A. and complete your entry form for a chance to win a LEGO^®NINJAGO^® prize pack!

WB Family GameSpace featuring THE LEGO^® NINJAGO^® MOVIE™ Video Game

Master new skills and upgrade your weapons in your training to find your inner ninja in this brand new video game.

Images from the Ninjago Days Blogger Event – September 2017

Dominic was masked and ready to go!

Brian Austin , Manager, Brand Marketing Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. He was explaining the game and movie tie-in, in addition to answering questions. He was so nice!

Dominic and Mei-Lin playing The Ninjago Movie video game in the Warner Bros Family Game Space.

The Ninjago Movie tie-ins at Ninjago World

Had to grab my favorite meal, the Bao Buns from The Ninja Kitchen, of course!

Goodies from the blogger event, including a Ninjago Movie video game for Dominic for the XBOX One, and a PS4 version for Mei-Lin!

Cave Tools Burger Press Review: Patties Made Easy!

I love a great burger, especially homemade ones. My husband makes fantastic burgers, filled with onions and other secret ingredients to make it savory and mouth-watering. One tool my husband didn’t have in his arsenal of cooking utensils was a way to make the perfectly portioned burger patty. So earlier this week, he tried the Burger Press Patty Maker by Cave Tools and found a new favorite!

My husband said that using this Burger Press Patty Maker cut his prep time in half, getting these delicious patties to the grill in no time flat!

This Burger Press Patty Maker comes with 200 non-stick patty papers!

To purchase your own Cave Tools Burger Press, click the links below AND, you can get 15% off with the following code!

Burger Press 15% Off: BURGER15

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074ZKMCY9/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&sr=8- 2&keywords=burger+press&m=A3IEEDMWTA8OSP&tag=hyacinth14-20

Cave Tools: https://cavetools.com/products/burger-press-patty-maker

FTC Disclosure: I received the product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Have Tacos Any Day at Senior Taquero!

Rather than Tuesday, Dominic and I had tacos on a Sunday! While out and about just before the Thanksgiving holiday, we had lunch at Senior Taquero in Sabre Springs Plaza. The menu is very straightforward, with so many items to choose from! But we stuck to our favorites: rolled and street tacos. I had the shredded beef rolled tacos topped with lettuce, salsa fresca, guacamole and cheese. Dominic came a little bit out of his comfort zone by having birria tacos (shredded beef short ribs), which comes with salsa fresca and guacamole, much to his delight!

We can always count on our 8-year old to be open and honest about what he likes; not only did he order an additional two more tacos, but he gleefully said, “Mom, we have to come back here, my tacos were so good!” There you have it, out of the mouths of babes, Senior Taquero is a must for tacos anytime!

Senior Taquero is located at 11385 Poway Rd San Diego, CA 92128 and they can be reached at (858) 668 -2467. They are open seven days a week from 8am to 10pm, and you can skip the line by ordering ahead online at their site here.

Cheers!

Shredded Beef Rolled Tacos with lettuce, salsa fresca, guacamole and cheese

Birria Tacos with salsa fresca and guacamole

Dominic approved!

FTC Disclosure: I received compensation to patronize a business at Sabre Springs Plaza. Although I did receive compensation, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Record Store Day Black Friday & Small Business Saturday

The Thanksgiving weekend is always bustling with family, good friends and even better food, but it also means some kind of sale is going on. Typically, we’re in Las Vegas and my mother-in-law and I head out in the extreme early morning to take advantage of doorbusters at places like Target or Walmart. This year, we’re here in San Diego, and last night, my husband and I actually went out after dinner and braved our local mall. He wanted to take advantage of some Funko Pop exclusives at Game Stop and it was just as busy as if it were a regular weekend. It was a bit much, and we headed home after just a round at the mall.

Although I won’t be giving into the craziness that is Black Friday, something we definitely have taken advantage of is Record Store Day’s version of this shopping holiday and participating in Small Business Saturday.

RECORD STORE DAY BLACK FRIDAY 2017

Just like the Record Store Day listing that is put out annually in April, here is this year’s listing for RSD Black Friday 2017:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/recordstoreday/2017/2017_BLACK_FRIDAY_PUBLIC.pdf

Here’s a list of some of my favorite record stores in San Diego. Share some of your finds in the comments below!

Record City

M-Theory Music

Lou’s Records

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY 2017

I am such an advocate of shopping locally and showing the businesses in my local community love and support. You can do the same by shopping small on Saturday and giving back to the community we live in by participating in Small Business Saturday.

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/

Here are links to a few of my favorite local businesses in San Diego, which have been featured frequently here on my blog. Show them some love on Small Business Saturday!

Vocabulary Boutique

Wysh Boutique

Carlsbad Village Faire

Liberty Public Market

Seaport Village