I’ve been MIA for like 2 months due to life and work getting crazy and not having time for Vine. I feel better asking here than in the main group: what did I miss? what are the general AI current drop times? RFY times? is there any rhyme or reason? It was on the hour when I stopped. Any beauty in AI yet or is it still mainly in RFY?
I’m back after life got crazy busy and I pretty much stopped ordering for like 2 months. Apparently, thankfully, Vine didn’t forget how much I love beauty products because I was welcomed back with some beauty scores…got an Innis Free gift set and Paula’s Choice peptide gloss balm so far!
I also got offered a verrry pricey brand name micro needling hair growth set!?! But sadly I have sebhorric dermatitis so I had to pass because apparently if I accidentally use it during a flare I can CAUSE hair loss. Hope someone who really needed it got to snag it!
Ever since becoming a skincare enthusiast due to Vine, I’ve been trying to up my hair routine. I need some help, or just share yours! I have some good, some ok products but could use recommendations too!
My hair type: naturally thin and sparse, ever since I was a kid. Never dyed it except twice with pure henna, both over 15 years ago.
First step: this is the one I need the most help with. I use BCBG Pro-Growth shampoo and conditioner, got giant bottles of it cheap from Marshall’s lol. I later learned brands like that don’t put much effort in their ingredients so they’re not the best.
Next: about every 2 weeks I use an Elizavecca hair mask. It needs to stay in for about 15-20 minutes so I do all my face and body stuff and shave etc during this time. I also use my Kitsch scalp massager during this time. LOVE how shiny and healthy my hair looks after this mask, definitely recommend.
Last: I end with a Vine product, Growth Bomb supercharge leave-in serum. It has caffeine in it and is supposed to help with shine and growth. Don’t notice as big of a change after using just this (without the mask).
Also, I recently bought a scalp scrub anddddd…how on EARTH do you use it? I can only get a good scrub at my hair part by running my finger with the scrub up and down it. I tried anywhere else on my scalp and my hair blocks it so much I can only get a smidge of my scalp done in that area? My hair is about medium length (ends about halfway down my back) is it easier with short hair maybe since it’s easier to maneuver around?
Just thought this was funny. Was on a road trip last week refreshing AE along the way looking for a possible mayorship. Hit an area with poor reception and this screen showed up 😂 Got excited for a second when I thought I found some sort of unicorn small town where NO ONE at all bought parcels??? Until I saw the rest…
(Random aside we spent almost a week in VT and after learning lots about Champy, I love your screenname, ChampyVT!)
Hey everyone! pre-K special ed teacher here trying to incorporate our smartboard more into our circle time. We finally got one but our school gave us an off-brand one off Amazon. it works very well but uses an Android operating system. Is there an app I can use on my iPad that I can also be signed in on the Android board and use for my students, something where I can allow them to select their name and picture from among several choices, where they can choose their name picture that shows the weather, etc? And then also make small group lessons I can conduct using the smartboard?
This is my new gaming obsession. I regret not getting in at the ground floor with Atlas Earth (in case you’re familiar with that) so now’s your chance with this one. Its also kind of in the vein of Pokemon Go. Its called TerraMine. You buy “mines” that correspond to space in the real world. Each mine earns you real life money at a steady rate. The more you own the faster you earn. You can visit others’ mines and leave messages and you both earn Terra Bucks.
Once you download the game enter my referral code and we both get 1000 extra Terra Bucks which is crazy because that buys us each 10 whole mines!
TM-N4PP4
Download TerraMine:
https://terramine.app/join?ref=TM-N4PP4
Ill also give you a new player tip I learned too late: go for mines in more public places, you’ll earn faster that way AND since there aren’t a ton of players yet you can easily snag good spots!
I’m movin’ on up in the world! I just got my second mayorship, AND two days later got my first badge income from it. Hoping it’s at least a little more profitable than my first mayorship which I’ve had for just over a year but only had 1 other person (besides me) buy my badge.
Hoping I get to keep this one for a while. I’m on vacation so I won’t be back anytime soon, and the old mayor owns lots of towns in the area, plus I only had enough AB to buy like 3 more parcels than she had. But it’s fun while it lasts!
Sharing some photos from our recent visit to Acadia! I miss it already! This was our second visit as a family. We have 4 kids ranging from preschooler to teen, so we had to keep things doable for the 4 year old but exciting enough for the older two. Last visit we did most of the more popular stuff like Jordan’s Pond, stargazing at Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, lighthouse, etc. This visit we did:
Day 1: Hulls Cove Welcome Center, Jessup Path, walk along the Tarn lake (the first few photos are of this view) plus climbing up the rocks next to it, then about a half mile or less on the Dorr Mountain trail (I think, or maybe Dietrich’s climb) before heading back down to the Wild Gardens of Acadia (where I took the bee on goldenrod photo)
Day 2: Flying Mountain hike, spent some time at the beach below, then stargazing at Jordan Pond at night. Took a chance because the night was the only partly cloudy night of our stay and were rewarded with an empty area to ourselves and breathtaking views.
Day 3: Tidepooling at the Bar Island Sand Bar, small walk around Bar Harbor, visit to the Carroll Homestead.
Day 4: Winter Harbor: tidepooling on Schoodic peninsula and then Blueberry Hill. Then back to the main island for the Atiscou gardens. Finally one last hike to end the trip, Compass Harbor trail, where we found some yummy wild crabapples (yes we looked it up you’re allowed to eat what you find!) and walked down the rocks to sit and admire the water and view.
Restaurants we went to and loved were: Helen‘s Restaurant, Govornor‘s Restaurant and Bakery, Jordan’s Snack Bar (all in Ellsworth where we stayed) and The Travelin’ Lobster on Mt Desert Island. Non-Acadia stuff we did were the playground on Bar Harbor (we came upon it by accident looking for a parking spot, very very nice playground) and Lamoine beach (the one outside the state park).
I heard the western side is a better bet during cloudy nights? It’s been/going to be cloudy all nights of our stay and I’d be heartbroken if I didn’t at least try to go stargazing (from the city so even peeks of the stars through clouds will be beautiful to see). where would you recommend for stargazing on the west side of MDI?
TLDR: highly recommend this trail for those with adventurous kids who want some “rock climbing” and more intense hiking, who also want stunning, rewarding views plus a bonus rocky beach at the end. (Obviously recommend to those without kids’s too just giving my specific review with kids!)
Wanted to share thoughts on Flying Mountain! We were a little wary but after my youngest (4) had the best time climbing the rocks around the Dorr Mountain trailhead we decided to give it a try. We did the hike with four kids. It starts off with stairs that turn into rocks to climb. All of my kids had a great time going up and my 4 year old did it almost completely independently. We had to hold her hand over just a handful of areas on the way up (on the way down we did carry her down a few parts).
A few of us did get some scrapes and cuts (and I bruised my knee, hit it hard going down a big rock) but it’s worth it and what good hike doesn’t come with some mild injuries? 😅
We passed several other families with young kids and even a family with a toddler (who was in a backpack). There were also several older adults.
The views at the top are stunning! Sorry I couldn’t get better pictures obviously we all know photos never do a scene justice.
There’s an overlook sign, don’t skip checking out that area too!
As a mom, I will say there were a few points where my heart was in my stomach over the drop off, but nothing horrible, and I have a mild fear of heights, so I’m very picky about cliffs and drop offs but this didn’t feel bad. The family behind us for a bit was very very cautious of their kids though and did seem a bit extra worried at times the way they were calling out to their kids, but it was several young boys who kept running ahead.
Near the end of the hike there is a beach with equally beautiful views.
Just keep in mind there’s still a decent walk to the parking lot after the beach. The info online made it seem like the beach was the end of the hike, but there is a relatively flat, .5 mile gravelly road to walk between the beach and the parking lot. Just something to keep in mind (some of my kids were done with the hike by that point and felt it was a lot, I definitely didn’t mind it but something to keep in mind).
Guys after a lifetime of using Expedia and Priceline (with occasional direct bookings) I’ve recently been hearing all the benefits of booking direct with hotels. Great.
I found the hotel I want and went in on both Priceline and direct to compare prices. Priceline is about $200 cheaper after all taxes etc are added on (of course I ensured dates, room type, and But wait! Hilton has a price match guarantee! Excellent! Then I find out it has to be the public rate, non-VIP. (VIP on Priceline is basically something every member gets). Well too bad because in that case prices are about the same so never mind, might as well book on Priceline. So what’s the point of the price match guarantee?
Then I go through direct and I have 10,000 points saved up from a previous stay. Im like ok I’ll use them so I can book direct. NOPE! Haha. Thought you could save? PSYCH! You have to spend your points on the standard rate!!!
Tell me why it’s better to book direct then? We’re not loyal to any one brand we are budget travelers and take what’s cheapest for the best value. I can also get 8% cash back on Rakuten.
I’ll have an open mind just convince me one way or the other
We loved Acadia so much last summer we’re going again this year for longer (5 days). We already did many of the top sights (hiked Jordan Pond, stargazed on Sand beach, Thunder Hole, Schoodic peninsula, lighthouse at sunset, etc) and would like to see more including some lesser known gems. I already have a basic itinerary for most of the 5 days we’re there but would love advice on more choices of what to do to fill out some of the days.
My husband wants to fish there, what area(s) would you recommend?
We have young kids who love nature and hiking but we have to take into account that we can only do easy-ish hikes and stuff. I’m so glad I found this group and have been reading through everyone’s posts. Just would love to get your recommendations!
We loved the vibe and general experience of Acadia so much we decided to go there again this year for longer. Last year we only spent 3 days in the park. This year we’re planning 4-5. Looking for recommendations for a family with young kids.
-We enjoyed the Jordan Pond hike SO much last year but it was a bit tough length-wise on the kids. So looking for similarly family friendly hikes but shorter, preferably with beautiful views.
-Fishing recommendations? Already have researched all the license stuff. We have our own gear. Just need real people’s recommendations for a good spot.
-Star gazing is a must! We want to do a star ranger program since we missed it last year, what does that involve? Possibly also a night with some quick stargazing of our own, we did Sand Beach last year, thinking Jordan Pond for stargazing this year but can we see good views near the beginning of the trail near the parking lot or is a hike needed to get to a good viewing spot?
-Best tide pool spot recommendations for seeing creatures? My kids would LOVE that. Our timing just didn’t quite work out last time and we missed all good tidepool times.
And honestly anything else you recommend! In anddition to what I mentioned above we also already did the welcome center/museum at Schoodic peninsula (I think? Had the old Morse code machines?) did some rock climbing by the ocean, and thunder hole. No Cadillac Mountain preferably unless it doesn’t involve steep dropoffs and/or tight turns when driving.
Quite the opposite of the inheritance thread. Anyone else know in advance they’ll probably have to help out their parent(s) financially as they age? Important note: I don’t mean to complain and I’m more than happy to support my mom as she supported me growing up. But it stings a bit seeing friends getting help from parents while for me it’s the opposite.
My mom in particular was a stay at home mom most of her life. Divorced from my dad. We already occasionally need to help her out with rent. Thankfully there’s a few of us siblings so we share the responsibility. She hates working and talks about being excited to retire soon (she’s 60) but…yeah. We’ll see how this goes. I wish I was rich and could help her retire now and live comfortably. In a perfect world and all….
For fun I thought I’d show my top Vine favorite beauty products…the ones I tend to reach for day after day that seem to have worked best for me. I can tell these must be doing something collectively haha because my skin feels amazingly soft and smooth even when I take break days from skin care or forget to use stuff that day. I don’t use all of these at once of course, but will use a mix of each every few days, along with other Vine scores mixed in between.
Cleansing/scrub:
Tirtir Milk Pack Cleanser (hate the smell but good gentle cleanser that suds up so nicely)
Apothe Baku-Kaol Brightening Scrub Cleanser (jam packed with tiny gentle abrasive perlite. Love how my face feels afterwards)
Toner:
CRL Pore Refining Toner Pads
Soonding Cool Calming Toner Pads (not pictured) are a close second
Serums:
Lu’Pium Calming Repair Serum (loving cica-containing products these days!)
Soycube Exorepair serum (this smells really good without irritating my skin)
Face creams
Seoul 1988 Repair Cream (fell in love from the first use. Has an overnight smoothing/softening effect on my skin and has high concentrations of active ingredients)
Lu’Pium Calming Repair Cream (another cica product! Also it’s the lightest cream I’ve gotten from Vine perfect for summer)
Eyes
Boncept Retinol Eye Cream (to be honest this is the only name brand undereye product I’ve gotten from Vine 😅 besides Maree which I lost somewhere lol)
Hands/body
Sol de Janeiro Bella Flor Elasti-Cream (the scent is SO good I’m OBSESSED. I love this cream on my hands it hydrates so well. I will use a little on my cheeks occasionally but it’s too scented and thick for my acne-prone t zone so that’s why it’s mostly a hand cream for me. I’d use it elsewhere but I don’t want to finish it lol it may actually be the first Vine product I end up buying after I finish it).
Second pic shows honorable mention products!! Stuff I still love but take it easy on using either due to sensitivity, the scent not being my favorite, or just not seeing as immediate results as my faves.
Sorry that was so long but I had fun writing this all out. What are your favorites? (And for those that don’t have nearly this much, I truly hope you get there soon! I went almost a year before being offered regular beauty!)
Got this from my RFY the other day!!! I only get beauty once every few days but when I do it’s been good stuff! (yesterday I missed some Bumble and Bumble hair primer but was still cool it was in my RFY!)
Sorry I’m sure you get a ton of these. I’m just curious if my daughter might have a teeny bit of the red haired gene in her. I have naturally dark blonde hair but ancestry DNA says I carry the gene for red hair. Plus there are lots of redheads in my family. My daughter‘s hair is a medium brown but very so often, only in bright sunlight, I find myself doing a double take at her hair because I’ll see what seems to be a hint of a red undertone in there. Figured I’d check if there was a Reddit group I could ask and of course there is haha. Is it possible to have a little red in there but not really be a true redhead if that makes sense?
we recently moved and we inherited a backyard garden. I inherited a ton of weeds but also some fig trees and more good surprises. I know for a fact I have quite a few porcelain berries, however, I also have one vine that has the paper-like peeling and seems to be real grape (wild or cultivated maybe not sure). I’m so confused and to make matters worse they seem to be entangled with each other (plus the fig trees and some poison ivy to boot!)
Anyway I’m tackling one issue at a time and do you think these two pics could be actual grapes? The entanglement is so bad I can’t tell if they come form the grape vine. The clusters that seem to be porcelain berries (that are all obviously pointing upwards) are still tiny.
So I posted about my biggest beauty score, I had never heard of the company but the brand website said it was a $305 product!!! the product listing on Amazon though said $9.99, but the listing was removed after I claimed the cream on Vine so looks like it was just a temporary placeholder price, although some were thinking I might receive a sample size.
Then someone pointed out the product listing said .85 oz so I’d probably get a smaller version, but I was sent the 1.7 oz! Crazy thing is though the outer sticker says .85 while the bottle is 1.7?
And wheewww luxury beauty is fancy. Forget about a little plastic spoon this one comes with a heavy (for its size) golden metal spoon engraved with the company name, stored in a velvet pouch. So fancy schmancy. The cream is a cool shade of purple. And it smells really high end, if that makes sense. Like a perfume smell more than a cream smell. It really reminds me of the fancy little creams my mom would get from buying stuff at the mall back in the day (like when they would give you a small night cream, eye balm, and a bag when you bought perfume from Estee lauder or something, she would get people perfume and cologne as gifts and then collect the free gifts).
Just thought I’d share for anyone interested, because apparently just last month it was different.
I was up for re-evaluation on June 6th. On June 6th at exactly 8 pm EST pretty much on the dot (because I checked my RFY at 8 pm sharp then immediately checked my account page) my account page greyed out with the message that I completed my evaluation period. This morning (June 8th at 7 am EST) I woke up to the message that my eval was completed (last night around 2 am was the last time I checked before that and was still being evaluated). So yeah! I figured I’d post since just last month quite a few people were saying they were being suddenly reviewed like a week early or so.