day six: umba + jab cross hook uppercut

Mixing it up today because I got my umba box! I know, I stopped sharing my umba items...but since I'm here to tell you about working out, I might as well share this:

I got this really lovely lumbar pillow. It's much more blue than it appears in the image. But I'm kind of into it. Not sure it fits in the house, but it's a good month for umba. Visit Basik 855 to see some other pillows.

p90x. Kenpo X today. I punched and kicked a bunch of imaginary people while also blocking their attempts to attack me. My motivation to continue is pretty near rock bottom and I don't know how to resuscitate it. The fact that I've worked out six days in a row is a minor miracle. But how do I keep on doing it? Tomorrow is my rest day, so maybe I'll find some motivation then.

Here's my whine list:

• I am fatter than I was when I started. Like uncomfortably so. My body ballooned. Apparently that's normal but it SUCKS.
• My body hurts quite a bit which is making sleeping really tough. I wake up a lot.
• I am bored while I do it for quite some time.

Verdict: good workout, I managed to do it all but I'm adrift in a sea of hate and I can't find motivation island. Yeah, I just typed that.

6 down, 84 to go. Except really, 7 down, 83 to go. Tomorrow is a rest day so you won't hear from me.

umba

Umba post! This month had one major hit for me and one pretty big flop. Then there's the in between item which I probably won't use any time soon.

Hit!

Elastic hair Ties from Poppy and Elle. I received three total ties - the two pictured on the very right and an orange one. They just feel nicer than normal ties and I think they are a little classier than your average rubberband. Big fan. Do recommend.

Flop!

Insect magnets from Kate Grenier Designs. Let me just say the magnets are of good quality and look pretty nice. And to be fair, after looking at the site, I'm super bummed that I didn't get some of the cuter magnets like some of the plain designs, food or beachy/travel magnets. So if the idea of bottlecap magnets appeal to you, I do recommend this.

Muh? (That's the sound of me shrugging my shoulders and making a noise)

Citronella Buzz Off candle from Green Daffodil. It smells great. I just can't tell you if it works. It's way too hot outside to be sitting in the weather. Also, we're not really outside candle burners. Is that a type of person? I think it might be. If you know outdoorsy people, this might be a great thing to put in like, a gift basket type deal. Or a picnic basket gift.

A great Umba month, again. I can't say enough how much I recommend this little mailbox treat every month. With this box, there was another repeat:

Stewart & Claire Old Fashioned lip balm. In a past box I got Spring lip balm. Which was weird and spicy. This one is also weird and spicy - a bit orangey and cinnamony. I like it but I also don't? It feels great but makes me think of Christmas. Next:

Cards from Oyster's Pearl. I received the card above and then a chevron striped blank card. They are glossy, which is something I'm not used to. I'm used to letterpress matte cards. I absolutely appreciate the difference, it's novel. I look forward to sending these out. And the final bit of the box, my favorite:

Beautiful dangly earrings from estieMade. The earrings are a bit longer than my usual lately but I love them. They don't have a big footprint so the length just works. I also have to admit that I was impressed by the way these were shipped - the earring card was so simple but perfect. Just some thick white paper and (genius) brown matte packing tape - symmetrically and carefully arranged. Bravo.

umba!

A spectacular umba month, such a good one!

Brownie of deliciousness:

The brownie pictured is not the one loml and I shared. The one we shared was a dark chocolate gluten free delight. It tasted like a brownie made of fudge. Not fudge but not a brownie either. Do recommend. From Sinfully Delicious...in Homer Glen, IL!

Foldover clutch:

I am going to try out this baby tonight. Simple but with bold colors...I am very much a fan. From This ♥ That.

Way to go this month umba!

umba!

This month was kind of a weird hodge podge box. And my pictures are terrible, so here's hoping I can find some pictures on the internet to borrow!

First, luggage tag. Pretty lovely and the best thing in the box in my opinion. And sadly, you do have to see my picture.

Dreadful photography, really lovely product. Gray and white chevron luggage tag from Lovell Designs.

Postcards (again, have to use my image, I am so sorry).

Ahoy from Maple & Belmont. Other from Sarah Doriani. Sarah has no link in her little Umba descriptor so I can't send you her way.

Lotion skin stick. Image borrowed from company.

I actually have one of these already. Umba running out of fresh things or just really loving these products? I do like these skin sticks. Lotion on the go. From Rinse.

Shampoo bar!

Kind of excited about this one. It came with instructions and does have a warning about hard water (eh oh). I honestly would like to steal a picture from the site but the freaking website is in FLASH. -10. From Scum Soaps.

And lastly, granola. Worst pic in the lot (though the shampoo bar gives it a run for the money with my centering). I need to take these pictures during the day.

My least favorite thing in the box. I don't eat granola. Loml ate a piece of it and was like, eh. Not a hit in the household - but we're not granola eaters so our review means next to nothing. From SoSoft 7nola.

I'm a day or two off on my whole tuesday/thursday thing this week. And honestly, I expect to be next week as well. But I'm still trying for twice a week! And so it's an umba day!

This month's box is...meh. I do love the little vase, and I plan to use it. But the pin and the dandelion are not useful for me. I will never wear that pin. And the yarn dandelion has already been manhandled, multiple times, by cats. I have found it on the floor a few mornings this week. And by cats I really mean one cat named Mona. But let me show you the St. Patrick's themed stuff.

Vase + dandelion:

Yeah, there's cat hair stuck all over that dandelion. It was loved. Vase from Material Good. Yarn dandelion from Love and Marshmallows.

Pin:

Pin from neogranny. To be fair, this pin isn't for me, but some of the other stuff she makes is rad. So it was fun to look around (not sure i need earrings in the shape of glasses or scissors...but if i ever did, these would top my list!).

Umba! Remember when I was chronicling the monthly handmade goodies I received? Lo 6 months ago? We're back - and sadly, those packages in between are lost to you forever. Things I remember getting: picture album (for instagram pics), weird magnet vase (that has since been donated) and clothespin magnets (on the fridge). I can't remember what else. But forget all those missing months, what did I get this month?

Pear cobbler chapstick!

This stuff has a pretty strong smell - of like...creme brulee? It feels nice, but I'm not sure about the smell. From Live Beautifully.

Coaster desk calendar!

I unabashedly love and am delighted by this calendar. I generally like calendars - I have one hanging in my cube (of pictures by my brother in law of our family trip to Canada) already but needed a desk size calendar. And it came in the mail as a surprise! Bonus! Happy 2013 Umba! By Sugarcube Press.

Umba time! This month I received two handmade goodies. I already wore one today to see if I liked it/could pull it off (I think it went OK).

The bracelet is actually a double length, but in this color. By the pink ruffle. You should know that this bracelet is super soft. Like, insanely soft. Yellow isn't my favorite, but I think I will find uses for this every now and again.

Sadly for you, my next goody isn't represented on the web. So this picture is straight out of my phone. Sorry for the quality.

Six key notecards! Very delightful addition to my stationery collection. From Fourteen-Forty.

Solid, usable month. Umba love.

umba!

Another month, another umba box. For some reason this month didn't knock me off my socks like most months do. I guess that was to be expected, eventually. However, I did end up with a lovely necklace and some lollipops to try so it's completely still a winner of an "of the month" club.

Necklace from Lucid. To be honest, I have a hard time linking you to that site because it's kind of poorly done. I tried to search in the email subscription box. Then when I did find the actual search, all the links that the search was providing were broken. Throwing ugly asp.net errors. So be warned, this website is not awesome. The necklace is small, delicate, with a very short chain. I'm certain I won't be wearing it regularly (as I still mostly avoid gold), but it is nice to have that little bit of difference in my jewelry box.

Lollipops! From The Candied Flower. They're really pretty - if you need a favor for some kind of shower, these in a bunch with a ribbon - fantastic! I received two flavors - Mojito and Citrus. I have yet to try either, I'm saving them for a business trip. You can likely find me in O'Hare or Logan sucking on one of these. If they're truly gross, I'll update here. However, I expect them to be tasty.

Not the most inspiring month...but any surprise present in the mail is better than none. Happy June!

Umba box day! Sorry for the lack of posts. I'm busy doing nothing (yay!). This month was another three item spectacular. Still in love.

Two hairpins! A green and a yellow. I love them. They're wooly and cute. I just have to figure out how to use them in my boring, boring hair. Tomorrow I may take a stab at it! From Willow Handmade.

Picture from Willow Handmade etsy site

Lip gloss! Picture below is not the specific version I have - I received Summer (fitting!). It says "scented with Garden Herbs". It feels pretty nice and has a spicy smell. From Stewart & Claire.

Picture from Stewart & Claire blog

Smelly candle! This candle packs a wollop of smell. I don't know how to describe the smell. It's fairly perfume-y. I think I'm going to put it in the bathroom that holds the litter box. The version I got is much smaller than the one on the site (20 hour burn time). From Patch NYC.

Picture from Patch NYC site

Umba box does it again! Man I love this little monthly gift SO MUCH.

Awesome, blueberry dish towel. Love the feel of the towel and blueberries. Click through for more pictures. By Tina Produce.

Handmade caramels. Fleur de Sel Caramels. I admit that I am not a caramel lover. But I have a few in my life...and they are going to benefit from this gift. There are three caramels. Loml already ate one lovingly. The other two will be fought over later today or tomorrow by family. By the caramel jar.

Cute little, letterpress cover notebook. I work in technology. And I have a really nice new iPhone. But I still like to write lists and addresses in little notebooks. And I've recently found that I love top spiral notebooks. So this little gift will find much use in my hands. By Paper Lovely.

Seriously, getting my Umba box in the mail is a highlight of my month every month. Just in case I've convinced you to treat yourself: Umba!

Umba month 4! So this month was a homemade bath product box, products made by Rinse. I've tried two of the products and the third, a bath bomb, will likely not get any love for six months. That bath bomb is lavender (image links to shop).

The skin stick is kind of awesome. It's like glue sticking your face/arms/body. There is something satisfying about it.

And the third, I'd actually like to offer to anyone interested.  It's a face mask, which I tried last weekend. And it did leave my skin feeling smooth and lovely...but I had a hard time with the mask itself. Because it smelled so strongly of coffee. And I don't really like coffee. So any coffee lovers who'd like a ton of "make it yourself" face mask, let me know. Mailing envelope here and ready for you! Info about the Cafe Mocha Mask here.

I thought I would throw together a quick post tonight - loml gifted me with the awesome umba box for my birthday. I've received three so far and I'd love to share the goodies I get here. It is honestly the best surprise every month. In the future if I can't find an exact image online, I'll take my own. But for this quick consolidated post, you'll have to make do with descriptions.

Month 1:
Stationery from PoochiePrints. It is quite lovely and the lined envelopes rock my world. I think I have two cards left...not sure how I'm going to convince myself to send them off.

Month 2:

As well as a lovely drippy tree branch 5x5 from this shop.

Month 3:

Mine is made with a lovely gray/black leather. It smells fantastic and is clearly well made. I'm not sure what I'll use it for just yet, but..something. It wants to be used...