#genuinely can’t tell the difference between productive recharge time

[slav-every-day]

[hearts-hunger]

Study Break || Joe Mazzello x Reader

Summary: When your brains are finally fried from studying for exams, Joe proposes a little study break to help the two of you unwind.

Pairings: College!Joe x Reader

Genre: Fluff, smut

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: Smut, fingering, a little bit of dom!joe with a silence kink 👀

A/N: Ok babes! This one’s been in my drafts forever, and I finally finished it for my sweet socks nonnie! College!Joe is my truest love and you should definitely come scream about him with me any time your heart desires. I hope you like it!

“That’s it.”

You flopped down on your bed, staring up at the ceiling with an unfocused gaze, the diagrams from your biology textbook still crowding your head.

“What’s it?” you heard your boyfriend ask. You propped yourself up on your elbow to see him sitting cross-legged on the floor, his pages of noted spread out in a circle around him. He was going through a handful of flashcards, muttering to himself.

“I’m done studying,” you told him. “My brain is fried.”

He nodded but didn’t look up from his notes. “Sounds good, baby.”

You groaned and lay on your back again. “It’s the opposite of good, Joey. It’s bad. You should tell me to keep studying.”

“Keep studying,” he said.

You could tell that he wasn’t very into the conversation, which was fine; you wished you had his single-minded focus when it came to studying. You decided to shush and let him study instead of bothering him with your inability to read one more word of your textbook. You listened to the sound of his soft recitations as he flipped through his flashcards, his voice and the soft rock playlist you had on mixing to a soothing lullaby.

“I thought you were going to keep arguing with me,” Joe said after a minute.

“I didn’t want to distract you.”

You heard the rustling of papers; a second later, Joe was climbing into bed next to you. He took a deep breath as he stretched out on his side, propping his head on his hand.

“Hi,” you said.

The corner of his mouth tipped up. “Hi.”

“Are you finished studying?” you asked.

“Nope,” he said. He leaned down and kissed you, sweet and tender. “But I like you better than studying.”

“But your exam’s tomorrow, Joe,�� you reminded him.

“You doubt my mad skills?” he teased.

You laughed. “No, you’re going to do great on it.”

“Then quit fussing and let me kiss you,” he said, pressing his mouth to yours again. You sighed as he splayed his hand over your stomach.

“Are you sure you don’t want to study?” you asked when you came up for air.

He laughed. “Why? You’d rather me be buried in a textbook than up here with you?”

“No way,” you assured him. “But I feel bad for distracting you. I should be studying too, so I’m not doing either of us a favor.”

“You said your brain was fried,” he reminded you. “So studying any more wouldn’t do any good, right?”

“I guess.”

“Mmh. And everybody knows that you have to take a break every once in a while to stay productive and motivated, so that’s what I’m doing. Quick recharge, you know.”

You smirked. “Just a quick one, huh?”

He gave you a sheepish smile. “Well, maybe not that quick. But I’m good with that if you are. Is your roommate here?”

You absently ran your fingers under his jaw, something you did often in quiet moments because you knew he liked it. “I think so. Why?”

“No reason,” he said easily. “But if you don’t want to broadcast your love life to your roommate, I should probably think of something else to do with my break.”

You gave him a look. “That’s what you want to do with your break?”

He laughed. “Yeah, I mean, only if you want to. It lowers your stress, you know, and all this studying is making me really stressed.”

You gave him an affectionately exasperated look. “You’re something, you know that?”

“Something good?”

“Don’t push your luck, Mazzello.”

You could feel his smile as he kissed you, his hand going to your hip and pulling you closer to him.

“You never said about your roommate,” he said after a moment, pulling back a little to search your face. He knew you didn’t usually like to get it on when your roommate could hear you - what Joe made you say in bed was for his ears only. Tonight, though, you already felt a little blissed out from his heady kisses and his hand on you, soft and warm through your t-shirt.

“I’ll be quiet,” you said.

He raised a brow. “You think you can?”

You gave an incredulous laugh and smacked his shoulder, drawing a laugh from him.

“Joseph Mazzello,” you said. “I am not that loud.”

He smirked. “I beg to differ, sweetheart. But I don’t mind. I think it’s hot.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t have a nosy roommate right next door,” you said. “But whatever, I can be quiet. She never has to know.” You felt that came out wrong and wanted to fix it. “Not that I’m hiding you or anything. I love you, and I love having sex with you.”

He laughed at that, a real, genuine guffaw. You smiled at the sound and the adorable expression on his face.

“I love having sex with you too,” he said when he’d recovered, still amused. “And I love doing everything else with you, because I love you, too. But I get it. We don’t have to if you don’t want to. Or we can go back to my dorm.”

“No, I want to,” you assured him. “And we can stay here, it’s fine, really. I can be quiet. I’ll prove it.”

“I like the sound of that.”

You rolled your eyes. “Don’t go trying every trick in the book to make it hard for me.”

He grinned. “You’re right. This is technically only a study break, so I guess I can’t get too fancy. But I still think you’re not going to be as quiet as you think you are.”

“Try me,” you said tartly.

He kissed you, slowly making it deeper, his teeth catching on your bottom lip. You felt butterflies like you always did as his hand moved up your side from your hip, his touch never failing to make you feel loved and beautiful.

“Just a sports bra, huh?” he teased as his big hand roamed to your breasts. You had changed from your regular bra earlier into one that had pretty much zero support; it was comfortable to study in but still enough to make you feel like you were actually dressed. Under Joe’s skilled hand, it seemed like the flimsiest thing you owned.

“Only the best for you, Joey.”

“You sure are,” he agreed. “Every bit of you.”

You put a hand to his cheek and drew him closer to you as his hand moved down, his touch sending sparks through you.

“Are those - ?” He pulled back from you to look at your underwear, the blue and green striped revealed as he tugged at the waistband of your gym shorts. “They are!”

“What?” you asked, blushing, trying to play it cool.

He gave you an impish look. “I’m pretty sure you know those are my favorites.”

“You think I had you in mind when I was picking out what underwear to put on this morning?” you asked, as if that hadn’t been exactly what was going on in your head at the time.

He smirked. “I think I’m exactly what you had in mind,” he said. “And I think you hoped we’d have ourselves a little ‘study break’, hm?”

“So what if I did?” you asked. “Does that change your mind about it?”

“No way,” he said with feeling, kissing you deeply. You sighed against his mouth as his hand went under your waistband, his palm big enough to cover everything with his warmth. He liked to do that, you’d discovered; he’d keep his palm pressed against you for a minute, his thumb tracing over your inner thigh.

You sucked in a breath as he ran a finger over the fabric of your panties, the friction immediately making you wet. He continued to rub you through your underwear, the fabric getting more and more damp as he did.

“Tell me what feels good,” he reminded you as he kissed under your jaw, his voice low.

“Jesus, Joe, everything feels good,” you said, a little breathless as his fingers slipped under the waistband of your panties and started to rub circles up and down between your folds. You felt that familiar sensation in your stomach, that kind of coiling feeling that tightened little by little in response to his touch.

His fingers glanced over your clit, and before you could stop yourself, you let out a breathy moan, your hips bucking in response to his touch. He stilled and looked up at you.

You blushed. "Sorry," you said sheepishly.

He chuckled. "That's ok, sweetheart. I was just a little surprised.” He gave you a teasing smirk. “I thought you were trying to stay quiet.”

“Oh, shut up,” you said, giving him a kiss. His mouth was warm and lovely against yours as he started to move his fingers again, pressing deep, slow circles against your clit.

“I love you,” he said.

You sighed into his mouth. “I love - ah - I love you too. So much.”

You let yourself relax under him, running your fingers through his hair and breathing in the smell of his cologne and Tide laundry detergent he always washed his clothes in and something uniquely him, warm and something like home. 

His fingers started to move faster, occasionally dipping down to tease at your entrance before circling your clit again. You felt your legs start to shake, your breathing get faster.

“God, Joe,” you said, trying to stay quiet. Every movement of his skilled fingers drew a breathy, high-pitched gasp from you.

He slowed again, expertly drawing you out, giving you little tastes like he was teaching you a lesson on delayed gratification. 

“Joe,” you whined.

“Shh,” he chided. “Relax. I’ve got you.”

You willed yourself to be patient; he knew even better than you did what made you feel good, and could draw out a better orgasm than you could for yourself. You had no patience when you were by yourself, but Joe always took his time, and it was always worth it.

He steadily built up his speed again and your hips rose to meet his hand; you felt the tide of your orgasm rise as he slowly pushed a finger inside of you, teasing you almost unbearably.

“Please, Joey, faster,” you managed, you voice choked and desperate.You squeeze your thighs together around his hand, needing more friction, more depth, more of him.

“You’re a little bratty, aren’t you?” he teased, cool as ever. It was almost funny to you how he could be so collected while you were coming undone under his fingers, but you couldn’t spare the breath to laugh.

“Jesus - fuck, goddammit!” you bit out, trying to keep quiet like you’d said, but you felt a shock of pleasure run all the way through your body as he pushed another finger in and pressed harder on your clit. Your breaths came quickly, each a gasping moan. He eased up on the deep circles and tried something different, brushing his thumb over your clit like he was playing that bass guitar he fooled around with sometimes. Warmth pooled between your legs and you bit your lip to keep from gasping.

It didn’t work, though, as you let out a not-so-quiet, heartfelt “holy shit.” Your hips jerked upwards as he suddenly pressed deeper against your clit again, rubbing fast circles against it and bringing your to the edge so quickly you saw stars.

“Wait wait wait,” you panted. He stopped immediately and studied your face.

“What? You want to stop? Are you ok?” he asked, each question tumbling out without waiting for an answer.

You tried to catch your breath, crumpling the fabric of his t-shirt sleeve in your fist. “Yeah, I just - Jesus, I’m gonna cum if you keep doing that.”

He gave a surprised laugh. “That’s kind of the point, honey.”

“Yeah, but - ” You shook your head, barely coherent with his hand still between your legs, feeling each heartbeat squeeze around his fingers. “It’s gonna be loud.”

Joe grinned. “I knew you couldn’t be quiet.”

“Just - ” You groaned in frustration. You were so close to your orgasm you could have cried. “Joey, what am I supposed to do?”

He bit his lip as he looked at you, and you knew that as amusing as this was for him, he also liked the idea of you trying and failing to keep quiet while he fucked you with his fingers. He put his free hand over your mouth, the movement mixing gentleness and a very enticing dominant attitude. 

“How’s that?” he said.

You nodded.

He bowed his head to nip at your breast through the fabric of your shirt, making you gasp into his hand. “Can I make you cum now?”

Again, you nodded.

He didn’t waste any time, pumping two fingers in and out of you as he rubbed circles against your clit. He did that bass-playing thing again - you’d have to come up with a better name for it, but at the moment, all you could think about was the fact that you were going to be cumming, hard, any second now. You moved your hips against his hand, urging him to go faster; he obliged you, and before you could even warn him, you were moaning sinfully loudly against his hand as your orgasm tore through you. Your moans turned into whines of pleasure as he rubbed you through your orgasm, making your vision black at the edges with the relentless waves of pleasure. You grabbed his shoulders hard enough to leave bruises as he watched you come undone, his expression full of desire and love and wonder.

“Jesus, you’re so gorgeous,” he said breathlessly. “So beautiful, baby. I love you so much.”

You gave a keening moan as his words made the physical pleasure rocking through you even more amazing, knowing how much he loved you and how lovely he thought you were. His hand over your mouth didn’t do much, though that was more your fault than his.

Actually, no it wasn’t. As he drew his hands away from you when you were finally down from your high, he gave you a cheeky smirk; this was all his fault. Your whole res hall knew you’d been well fucked by Joe Mazzello, and it was definitely his fault.

When he kissed you like you were the only thing in the world that mattered, though, you couldn’t bring yourself to care. Let the whole campus know Joe could make you moan like a whore in bed; you didn’t care.

“Did I do ok?” he asked, back to his sweetly bashful smile.

You drew him down to practically lay on top of you, liking the warm crush of your bodies so close together. He laid his head on your chest and you combed your fingers through his hair.

“Passable,” you sighed.

He laughed, and you smiled at the feel of it as it rumbled through his chest. “If passable makes you sing like that, baby, I think we’ll have to be a little more careful when it’s actually good.”

“You knew I couldn’t keep quiet,” you said. “Admit it.”

“I know you, sweetheart,” he said, looking up at you. “Are you mad?”

You gave him an amusedly exasperated smile and shook your head. “You just gave me the best orgasm of my life, Joe. Of course I’m not mad.”

He raised a brow. “Really? Best orgasm of your life?”

“You doubt your mad skills?” you teased, repeating his question from earlier.

He grinned and kissed you. “Not anymore. Thanks for taking a study break with me.”

“Anytime, baby,” you said.

He laughed. “Don’t tempt me.”

You both sat up in your bed, you wincing a little at the stickiness between your legs.

“Shower?” he asked.

“Shower,” you agreed. You tugged lightly on the collar of his Jurassic Park t-shirt. “And you’re coming with me.”

He gave you a grin as you pulled him in for a kiss. “Well, honey, I can’t argue with that.”

forever taglist: @tv-saved-the-teenage-girl @hazah @dashlilymark @punkgeekchic @harrisunn @stephydearestxo @luckytrashgooprebel @someone-get-a-medic @chlobo6

[gg-astrology]

SEVENTEEN: Yoon Jeonghan - Overview

💕Hello! I’m back again this time a (hopefully) semi-short overview on our favourite angel Yoon Jeonghan! I’m trying to get through all members of seventeen as a personal goal for myself -- but who knows if I’ll run out of steam half way through or not haha ;; (sorry!) 💕

Other SVT posts:

Seungcheol | Joshua | Wonwoo | Jun | Hoshi | Woozi | Seungkwan | Vernon | Minghao

I’ll be keeping tabs on the Seventeen Overviews and linking them as I go along to make it easier to navigate between posts.

There’s also a Woozi’s Inner Planet Natal Reading  (lays out his placements, aspects, asteroids) if you’re interested. It’s another series I’ll be doing in the future!   

You can check out my Masterlist for other astrology posts! Overviews/Inner Planet Natal Readings/Full charts/Members Dynamic are my main series! I hope you enjoy! 💕

(he has such a dumb face I love him)

💕Disclaimer: i’m a novice on astrology but these are my interpretations of the signs and how they’re working based on my experiences with them. Everyone has different opinions and studies in astrology, all interpretation and experiences within the realm is valid. However feel free to make your own post or skip if you strongly disagree. There might be inaccuracy and difference in opinions. But the point of this post is to relate, entertain and have a fun time. I’m hoping to validate people with similar experiences and get people excited about the girls+ astrology. Also, since we don’t know most of their birth times, I’m using the standard 12.00pm💕

4th October 1995 (Seoul, South Korea)

Libra Sun (2nd Decan Uranus/Aquarius) Aquarius Moon (2nd Decan ruled by Libra/Venus)

His Libra Sun being influenced in Uranus/Aquarius really describes his personality -- he really is a balance/dichotomy of Chaotic yet Harmonious at the same time.

It brings a sly, demure nature to the native (Libra), yet there’s something sort of mad and ingenious about them at the same time (Aquarius).  A unique charm to the otherwise harmonious Libra placement that he has. 

Uranus often talks about giving to others (the world at large) and with a Libra Sun in the Uranus decan, he has a good balance of trying to give himself to the world/benefit others in a way whilst maintaining a strong sense of self/self-determination. He molds himself somewhat to fit what others expects of him (Libra) , yet at the same time-- he can discern that he can’t be someone else due to his strong sense of individuality either (Aquarius).

Libra Sun works best when there’s an Aquarius somewhere to counteracts them. Jeonghan really has a good balance of his heart and his sense of self (Sun-trine-Moon) in his chart already, combined with his Aquarius Moon/Libra Decan he’s probably a very fixed and balanced person to be around. 

A perfect pillar for others to rely on, yet at the same time that might just be outwardly towards his duties in society/others around him. Not necessarily towards himself. 

Possesses enough cynicism within himself to keep his mind sharp (Aquarius) yet at the same time very creative and emotionally-observant (Libra) of others around him. Can be a bit repressive of his own emotional needs but very responsive/often tolerant of other’s emotional plight.

See here’s the thing, Aquarius/Libra sympathizes greatly with others and they’re very observant/astute. It can come across as ‘serving’ others and make it look like they’re doing it for themselves as well (the way he comes across as diabolical sometimes) -- they’re intellectual signs. And most of the time, when others asks him how he really feels about something, he can be stuck on what to say.

Especially with a strong Aquarius Moon, he tends to need time away to think/process about how he’s feeling. Not prone to just ‘feeling/sensing’ his emotions as they come (unless it’s frustration) he’s often neglectful of his own needs in order to help others around him. 

Can be an understanding person to cry on or be around, and very dependable/comforting to go to (Libra Decan in Aquarius Moon)  -- but don’t expect him to say how he’s feeling on the spot or in a quick question, these things takes time for him since he compartmentalizes his thoughts/emotions it becomes lost in the 12038032 cabinets he keeps inside his own mind sometimes. 

It’s not that he doesn’t want to feel emotions, it’s just that it Tires him out. With Aquarius in his Moon and influencing his Sun, he can have an old-soul kind of feeling about him that’s holds a positivity/optimistic out look (kind of Sagittarius-feeling when they’re Tired)

When he doles out advice to others, it’s often influences by Libra. He’s great at analyzing situation and giving practical, good and sympathetic advice on what to do/where to go. But when it comes showing emotional vulnerabilities?? Hah! Don’t Bother!

Aquarius Moon tends to categorize their own emotions as ‘necessary’ and ‘unnecessary’ sometimes. It can be a bit black and white if it’s undeveloped.  Most often, it’s based on productivity and end results. 

There’s a strong sense of created self-identity in Aquarius (it’s how they keep autonomy/freedom), and it’s created through pick and choosing the part of their emotions they want to identify with and ignoring/repressing the part that won’t productively help them as a person (i.e. sadness, jealousy, anger).

They won’t just let themselves ‘be’ or ‘feel’ something without arguing ‘why’ they’re feeling that way, and if the answer is irrational/doesn’t add up, they’ll push it away as much as they can. 

This boy really has a problem with letting people in on an emotional level. Even though ‘logically, he wants to’. He tries his best, really. But sometimes he can be too doubtful/over-analyses his own feelings that he doesn’t want to say how he feels/when he feels- mostly because of his Moon regulating himself.

See, as much as Aquarius Moon helps with sorting out problems and being extremely adept at seeing past fixed solutions (his unconventional style) it can make him really hard on himself and on his own emotions as well.

There’s an inner frustration to him.  Aquarius Moon gets a bad rep for being ‘emotionally cold’ when really to them it’s more due to not finding enough ‘evidence of emotions’ on their part that makes them clam up and not know how to ‘present’ said emotions sometimes. 

He wants to open up (Libra) but he doesn’t know if he should, and even if he should, he doesn’t know how to....how to phase it in an emotional way. Even when he’s talking about his own emotions, it can come across as something that’s been thoroughly processed and diluted in the emotional level-- sometimes like an essay being read/presented to the class somewhat. 

People with Aquarius/Libra in their chart do possess goodness about them. There’s a positivity to their thinking (Aquarius brings a brighter driven outlook and Libra strives for beauty) and sense of self, and radiates outwards to help those around them. You can tell how genuine they are, and how hard they’re trying to be a better person all the time.  

Aquarius/Libra is such a strong air-combination that it can make him a bit Tired. Needs some alone time away from others, because as much as he’s responsive to other’s plight and is so adept/good at reading others, he can tend to lack those feelings within himself sometimes and needs time to ‘recharge’.

Jeonghan is?? Really transparent. His slow to transpire Mercury makes him catch himself later like ‘oh shit, I should’ve done that’ and not as? ‘fake’ as typical Libra placements who keeps harmony as the main goal. 

Sure, he has a lot of patience/tolerance but he’s much more prone to being honest (Aquarius influence) which really just makes his Libra more tolerable to be honest. Not one for putting up airs. You can tell exactly what he’s thinking. So refreshing to be around, although sometimes he might just feel a little awkward or distance if he’s not used to you. Can be hard to pin down because there’s a strong desire for social relationships (Libra) and independence/freedom at the same time (Aquarius). 

Best way to explain his Aquarius Moon/Libra Sun is his long-hair era. Where his individualism gets to shine best and it empowers him to stand out from others (in the industry at large - Uranus/Aquarius).

Jeonghan’s Sun-conjunct-Mercury gives him an easy banter, talkative and very comforting aura as a person. He’s also extremely observative of others around him, particularly to other people’s emotions/plights (discordance) and has an easier time approaching people. This also makes him prone to side-eyes and sighs, sassy behaviours when he’s frustrated/hasn’t had time to himself in a while (Libra trait - frustrations). 

Sun- Sextile- Jupiter (0 degrees, Jupiter in Sag) makes him popular, anyone with a Sun aspecting Jupiter makes them naturally expansive and generous to others, but with his combination you really can’t understate how much he’s willing to give to others. 

Compared to Seungcheol for example, Jeonghan lives in the outward world of people around him, without that inward sense of self (feels lost inside himself sometimes, but not like he’s lost his footing, just sometimes like he can’t understand water-signs sometimes) 

While Seungcheol has such a strong sense of inward-self identity that once he externalizes outward he doesn’t really know what’s too much sometimes (like a child who grips too hard/doesn’t know his own strength).

They learn alot from each other, and has a sort of yin-yang pace to them where they can see what they themselves are lacking and tries to grow from each other. 

Compared to Joshua, Jeonghan feels more similarly/aligns himself to Joshua. With strong Libra in his chart making him care for others, Joshua’s Taurus Moon (also Venus-ruled) makes him softer and just as caring as Jeonghan is. Jeonghan’s Aquarius/Libra placement also makes him feel somewhat closer to an earth sign (albeilt better at talking to others than Joshua is) due to how fixed/grounded he is, and Joshua’s fun-loving, tender-hearted stabilizing presence probably makes Jeonghan feels like he can learn how to ‘feel’ himself better through Joshua’s example. 

They’re both terrible at talking about their feelings (repressing said feelings are the key, not prone to having many emotional talks BY CHOICE), but there’s a sense of certain acceptance and validation by being in Joshua’s presence (Capricorn stability) that might make it easier for him to open up to than say Seungcheol who already has his own opinion on things, somewhat.   

Jeonghan also has a Moon-square-Mars which makes him finds it harder to be emotional in a softer way. Often aggressively intense in Making a Point that it overlooks the emotional balance he tends to go for after all.

Libra Mercury (R) (2nd Decan ruled by Aquarius/Uranus)

Let’s address that a retrograde isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just means he has to notice how it’s working and actively work on it that’s all. A retrograde is kind of impossible to ignore it once you notice it, so it’s fine if you have any retrograde in your own personal placement! What matters most is noticing if you think your retrograde is making your personal placement reacts in a way you don’t want it to act, and trying to change it/put in effort to make it work for YOU in the future!

With his Libra Mercury in Aquarius it really brings out his charming side. Libra Mercury are usually pretty tactful and tends to be quick to react to any ‘drama’ that has occur. He’s nimble and fast in fixing any situation that arises, and often likes to hustle between the people who has problems individually and encourage them to make up with one another. Diplomatic and feels the most useful in social situation, he has a strong association and pride in the people he associates himself with (the team). 

Sometimes he can be abit indecisive, mostly because he overanalyzes things when it comes to himself. Is a heavy and contemplative thinker, but has a hard time putting the thought through into words. Most of the things he thinks about are bonds/social relationships and human-nature, not really things like state of affairs or the weather.

 He often has a whole reasoning, analytical analysis and back-up citations ready for it (Libras are very thorough when it comes to human relationships) but has a hard time verbalizing it outwards. 

He doesn’t want to ‘disrupt’ the atmosphere in a way, and has a hard time delving into ‘deeper topics’ when he feels the things he wants to talk about can be pessimistic or come across as too ‘heavy’ sometimes. 

Again with the whole repressing himself, when he feels he can’t verbalize what he’s thinking/feeling he just won’t say it at all. Can look/become misunderstood as someone wishy washy even when he’s deeply thoughtful and cares a lot about others around him. Probably feels more comforted and understand being around someone who shares the same kind of deeper philosophy/thought and all he has to do is agree and live precariously through them sometimes (identifies with others and feels touched/moved by their words when it applies to his own thoughts/thinking) 

Jeonghan’s diabolical side (’devil Jeonghan’) is mostly due to him not realizing When To Stop. It’s probably due to letting his Moon gets the better of him (and his Sun) and trying to externalize his sense of self through this Mercury when he’s not Prepared For the Consequence sometimes (Air-signs tends to come through the most in their Mercuries even when their Mercury is in another sign.) 

Most of the time, he has to watch himself and what he says since he can easily not understand himself either. His Aquarius and Libra can try to project a strong self-image, yet at the same time want to be seen for his softer, generous and people-loving nature. 

Can lead to him feeling stunted/confused about Why He Did The Thing (false pride) and then feeling hurt, tries to undo the situation through getting others to understand him (he has to clear his name on how he doesn’t like being called ‘scammer’ Jeonghan). Probably has a hard time understanding how him/himself works sometimes. 

His Mercury conjunct Venus might lead him to becoming more laid back, and lazy with his behaviour. Since he can do so much mental gymnastic he tends to Tire himself out and then get misrepresented when he has to do something (practice for example, even though he does put in so much work as others and probably feels stifled/hurt from the comments)

His sharp intellect and very charismatic gift with his mind/words comes from Mercury-sextile-Jupiter, which not only exemplifies how  incredibly studious he really is but also makes him a very tolerant and generous person.  

Libra Venus (3rd Decan ruled by Mercury/Gemini)

God this boy just has so many Libra placement in him! He’s such a charming and charismatic person! 

Possesses an abundance of love and care for people around him, yet at the same time has a hard time understanding himself.

Often has to find a balance between wanting/needing to be in a relationship (any kind) and holding himself back from doing so at the same time. 

The reason they hold themselves back is because they often have a fairly realistic criteria of what a relationship should hold. And sometimes it can become a bit of a perfectionist streak in them.

Like how he is with his artistry and aesthetics, they’re often a bit more critical and judge-y when it comes to people they decide to be around.  

It’s hard to pin-down a Libra Venus, but they make highly romantic and fair lovers. Libra Venus can often be indecisive, they love the idea of love, has highly attune romanticized ideals inside of their mind -- but they’re also very realistic and wants to be the best lover for others as well.

Can tend to judge themselves and feel like they’re not ‘ready’ for one, even though they deeply want/need to be.  

It’s all about fairness in his relationship, if he feels like he’s being taken advantage of he’ll speak out about it in a scolding manner (’communicating like an adult’ with Libra Mercury can sometimes feel alot like they’re parents scolding you, someone please teach them that it’s not like that and it’s actually very condescending!) . 

As much as he’s willing to cater to others and show them kindness, he often gets defensive if someone accuses him of not being fair/not listening to their emotions.

Tends to run on the analytical side despite possessing an abundance of warmth to their affection. Can be pretty affectionate people but doesn’t ever over-do it. 

Feels a thrill when people share something intimate/personal with them, often it should be reciprocated. Like they instigate an interest and the person trusts them enough to share something personal to them. A sense of intimacy and trust is something they thrive on because it feels productive to building the relationship. 

Likes people who are talkative, or atleast provides interesting conversations with him. Tends to gravitate towards people who jokes around or exhibits light-hearted nature/conversations (fire-signs like Sagittarius)

His Venus is squaring his Uranus and Neptune, so looking for a relationship can sometimes feels more like a burden for him right now. Although he has a large and vivid imagination for relationships (which he puts into his artistry) he realizes the reality of it-- in the scope that he’s giving so much and receiving so much from the world right now (from carats) makes him reluctant on settling down. 

Has a highly refined ideal type and often feels indecisive about his ideal vs the reality of a relationship. He second-guesses himself often and combined with his responsible nature it’s most likely he uses his duties/responsibilities as an excuse to get out of why he doesn’t pursue a relationship (the type to be like ‘if it happens it happens’/ ‘oh well’ attitude if he’s caught off guard and settled into one, but if he’s given the chance to think about it longer he tends to overthink himself and become prone to saying ‘no’ on the topic of being involved in a relationship) 

Ah, see here’s the thing with Libra Venus. It’s not that they like the ‘traditional’ beauty and that’s it. It’s mostly because if they just-- look at someone and see no troublesome ‘aura’ (mostly harmonious) in their outer demeanor, it stops the Libra Venus natives from overthinking  themselves. 

Nobody likes trying to hold someone to a criteria and marking other people up, y know? You can’t live your life grading others according to your standards all the time. Libra Venus are one of those people who just-- wants to feel relaxed. Wants to feel like ‘phew, there’s nothing worrisome about this person’.  

Or like ‘this person can handle themselves, at least to a capacity that I can handle myself up to as well.’ 

What’s important is that the person makes the Libra Venus native feels like they can handle themselves without the Libra being/feeling personally involved in. 

They like people who are just -- kind and nice and is willing to love them. Because that’s what they want to be for others as well. 

Whether the person is actually someone who needs some help or has certain thing going about them or not, that can be dealt with later. Libras are often willing to put in the time/effort to help guide and support others. 

So really, it’s more to do with not stressing themselves out on first glance (and subsequently a few more glances) that’s really what they’re looking for. 

Scorpio Mars 

Despite his more easy-going placement and seemingly laid back nature (Libra) he actually possesses a disciplined and often admirable drive for his work/activities. 

Although we hear that he likes lazing around or enjoys ‘chilling’ -- he’s actually deeply admirable behind-the-scenes, takes his job/criticism very seriously, and one of those core people who possesses powerful ambitions and great concentration when it comes to his artistry/craft.

Work is work, and leisure is leisure. Jeonghan often possesses a self-driven willpower that’s incredibly hard to match up to and once he sets a personal challenge for himself it can be hard to deter him from getting what he wants (stubbornly willful). 

Just because most of the members posseses a chart that talks consistently of having a ‘busy’ or workaholic nature doesn’t mean that Jeonghan isn’t just as hard working. In fact, he’s one of the only members who possess a good work habit and balance between knowing when to step it up, and acknowledging that mental/physical rest is just as important as well.

It’s what makes him such an incredible person to be around, this all-rounded, healthy and balanced nature he has seriously helps the other members cope with the stress of comeback all year round. 

Can get a little insecure due to the teasing of other members (like saying he likes to sleep, etc.) and makes him question himself, but trust that he’s actually an incredibly focused and thorough person. 

Jeonghan has an incredibly concentrated energy/power to him that when he drives into something he won’t stop until he gets it. His will power is honestly amazing and sometimes can become tunnel-visioned in his goals once he gets going. 

Planning, strategizing and then going about getting his goals is the way he does it (almost like a Capricorn, but with more planning/in depth analysis). It’s not outwardly animated or ‘fiery’ like fire signs, but there’s a cool calm and collected deposition to him that lights up like an ice cold flame when he gets going. 

An uncanny ability to see through others which probably helps his Libra alot, but through self-discipline he doesn’t let it manipulate people. Tends to keep himself in check, has insecurities due to this Scorpio Mars placement.

Because his Libra Sun/Venus makes him want to be known for being evenhanded, kind and generous (yield to others) when people comment on his colder, ‘manipulative’ and sometimes ‘obsessive’ Scorpio Mars-- it can feel like he should try to distance himself away from this placement entirely (even when it’s not!) 

Has to grow to be more confident in understanding and learning more about himself, accepting himself and standing firm in his own activities and tapping into this Scorpio Mars as part of his confidence would really fuel him into becoming an influential, charismatic person in the future. 

In fact, this Scorpio Mars is giving him the back bone that he needs. While Libras are willing to compromise, his Scorpio Mars isn’t too forgiving. 

Once he’s been wrong, he’ll hold a grudge for ages. When he’s frustrated, he’s most likely to express himself better. It keeps him cool and not lose his head, but at the same time if something really really offends him he can be prone to lashing out in a way that cuts deeper than he ‘appears’(Libra) to be. 

As much as he gives and gives to others, his Scorpio Mars actually crave being given back to them as well. In fact he’s very excited when he can ‘possess’ a certain secret or part of others that’s shared exclusively with him, intimacy and being trusted to ‘stabilize’ someone else turns them on. 

Under stress, he can tend to lose his Libra’s kind and forgiving nature. Less likely to compromise and has to be heard, his masculinity and pride in his strength comes through in this placement. Can be reduced to a bit of a ‘primal’ appeal to him-- quietly stubborn, confident in himself and can sometimes be abit ‘me-centered’. 

Conclusion

Such good and strong placements? With that Venus in Libra (ruling planet is Venus) and Scorpio Mars (traditional ruling planet is Mars)

Not to mention how Aquarius traditional ruling planet was Saturn, he tends to have a grounded, almost earthy approach to everything that he does. 

Comforting person to be around since the Saturn is influenced sweetly by Libra’s Venus (in his Decan as well) -- very responsible older brother, and someone who is actually so much deeper than he appears to be. 

Probably has a lot of thoughts he doesn’t know how to share with others yet, but he’s very active in showing that he cares and can easily get hurt by others.

Very well-balanced person who probably tends to run himself dry sometimes trying to co-ordinate others, works like a ‘glue’ to the team and helps them keep together. 

Wants to be loved and appreciated for his inner depth as well as his optimistic, joyous nature. 

Much more responsible than he appears to be, has a bit of a traditional side to him despite having an ‘unconventional’ mind. Appreciates structure and stability, and enthusiastically active in pursuing higher intellect. 

Understated on how smart he actually is and his drive towards success/studies/stability. 

He has tremendous love and understanding of human nature/how it works. Curious and self-driven, he’s always searching for a way to better himself and improve his skills. Probably a lot harder on himself than he lets on (Aquarius can act like a Capricorn sometimes)  

Can have a bit of an issue/lower self-confidence trying to decide whether he accepts the ‘harder’ part of himself or not (Scorpio/Aquarius) -- doesn’t like criticism and often feels sensitive/misunderstood when people tease him about things. 

Overall, a very strong and self driven person! He’s abit more stubborn than we expected and may have a hard time determining what path he might set himself onto being, but he seems mostly like the type to come through with it alive and well! A joy to read, and really an amazing person to think about! 

💕That’s it for Jeonghan! I hope you enjoy this analysis of his chart. There’ll be more coming when I touch on his aspects in his Inner Natal Planet Reading which I’m excited to do! But who knows when I’ll touch on that! Next up for the series is Joshua, and I’ll get the GFRIEND sun and moon up soon! I’m going to start a short series that I’m testing out on BTS up and then do a Black Pink one soon if it all goes to plan! I hope you’ve all enjoyed this Lunar Eclipse and spent the day feeling empowered and feeling like you’ve exfoliated your whole life this season! 💕

[bigskydreaming]

Hey you know what’s really funny, in that not at all, actually hey these priorities are kinda fucked, kinda way?

What’s hilarious is how people are more accepting of the sexualization of kids’ shows than they are of the social criticism of kids’ shows.

No, I’m not saying everyone who condemns commentary of kids’ shows with ‘ugh omg chill, its just a kids’ show’ is a hypocrite who simultaneously approves of sexualized art or fics of those shows or characters.

But I am saying that its definitely, definitely a thing, that even people who I see condemning pedophilic works seem to switch gears when it comes to being critical of social justice issues in the same source materials. As though their worldview is more willing to make room for or accept the inevitability of people wanting to sexualize stuff even though they’re clear that its meant ‘for kids’....that they’re willing to make room for the validity of people being critical of the messages imparted in stuff meant ‘for kids.’

And like.....does that not seem fucking backwards?

We need to stop treating stuff ‘meant for kids’ as though kids are somehow separate from the rest of society and immune to the way we’re all affected and influenced and harmed by media meant for adults.

Instead of them being MORE vulnerable, LESS protected, MORE influenced by the media meant FOR them. As though they’re not actively in the stages of being shaped by their media, their influences, their entertainment....instead of at the stages we’re at, where we’re forced to PUSH BACK against all the deeply ingrained biases and assumptions we’ve been mired in.....since we were kids.

Like...this is just so bizarre to me. Of fucking COURSE we need to be critical of ‘just a kids’ show’ or something that’s ‘jeez, meant for kids, remember’. Because if grown adults who see and are aware of the problems in those things, or areas they need work, don’t criticize and condemn and push back against them....who the fuck will?? The kids don’t know enough to protect themselves from toxic ideas and influences, because the toxic ideas and influences ARE WHAT THEY’RE IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING FROM!

Unless, do you somehow think, in this culture where we’re painfully aware of how damn near EVERY piece of media we consume has layers and layers of racism, sexism, homophobia, abuse apologism, rape fetishization....do you think that the second a content creator sits down at their desk and drawing board and goes “okay, but remember, brain, this is for KIDS, think of the kids!” That like.....that content creator suddenly, magically....gets it right? Because its for the kiddies, they’re able to suddenly, like, fucking levitate right over all their own ingrained biases and prejudices and fucked up toxic influences that might spill out unconsciously or consciously if their art was about and for adults....but the mantra ‘its for the children’ just....protects them from all that? Provides sudden, temporary enlightenment where every idea that pops into their brain and emerges through their story is a Right One, a Just One, a Progressive One?

That’s not how that works! That’s not how ANY of this works!

And the most frustrating thing is we all know this!

Why is it, that people who are SO good at calling out an argument as bullshit when they’re IN the discourse, invested, paying attention, putting something on the line.....have no problem snatching up those exact same arguments the second they catch a whiff of a discourse they don’t want to be involved in, or go near, or even entertain (la la la I’m not listening - lol, you’re all dumb, this is a kids’ show, relax, its not that deep)....as though its suddenly, magically, NOT a bullshit argument just because they’re the ones trotting it out because this time, the shoe is on the other foot, and THIS particular discourse makes them uncomfortable for whatever reason?

I get it. The discourse, whatever it is, wherever it is, can be exhausting. Nobody can mire themselves in it 24/7 and not walk away just completely drained. Sometimes we have to check out, take a break, recharge our batteries. Just fucking find something to enjoy. I totally get that.

But the thing is......that thing or that place you go to or look for to recharge in peace and quiet, away from the discourse....it is NEVER inherently going to be discourse free. Never above criticism or recourse. Because no art, no creativity, exists...without coming from the minds of imperfect, flawed human beings who are ALL in our own unique ways, still products of an imperfect, flawed society absolutely RIDDLED with issues and problems we’re all perfectly aware are there. There is NOTHING a product of society can produce, that can not be criticized. Can not be workshopped. Has no room to be MADE BETTER.

Some things get closer than others, sure....or at least some things do, as they relate to us and our personal experiences and beliefs individually. Those are the things we seek out as refuges, the things we don’t have to focus on making better, talking through the flaws that are readily apparent to us, find ways to make something better or more worthwhile out of the rough edges that hurt us when we watch it or consume it, just trying to be entertained or feel better.

But that never means those things are just.....better, overall. That they’re just...above being criticized. That it’s okay to just settle for ‘good enough’ because we ourselves are currently far enough away from whatever rough edges this piece of media has that we either can’t see them at all, or at least like, they’re not actively hurting us.

Just the other people, who came here looking for something to just enjoy too, but can’t get comfortable no matter how much they’d like to, because for whatever reasons, they ARE closer to the rough edges, they’re hurting them or just getting in the way, blocking their view of the movie or show you’re all there to watch.

And like, I’m not trying to pretend that I have all the answers here or tell anyone what to do or how to do it, just.....saying that like, we have to be better at LOOKING for better ways to handle that, that allow us to recharge and abstain from the discourse there, shut it out so we can get what we need from that before charging back in there or elsewhere.....without loudly shouting to everyone complaining about the rough edges “SHUT UP, ITS ALL IN YOUR HEAD, GOD, SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO ENJOY THE SHOW HERE, JEEZ.”

Our enjoyment should not ever require telling people that like......there’s no place here for them to enjoy an inherently flawed piece of media if they can’t like, suck it up and swallow whatever disappointments they have about rough edges that might not be apparent to you from your vantage point, but are just as real as any you’ve complained about in the past, when sitting elsewhere, watching a different show.

We all live in the same fucked up, imperfect society. We all run into stuff that hurts us, gets in our way, makes our daily journeys harder, demands we either suck it up or speak up and ask for some help making smoother sidewalks, clearing clutter out of the way, finding a way around an obstacle.

If we expect to be heard when WE have something in our way or something hurting us, we CAN NOT be content to just....shut down the voices of everyone saying something that makes us uncomfortable or that we think would just take up too much time or energy to deal with and we’re in a hurry to get somewhere, don’t have any energy to spare.

Like, yes, sometimes we legitimately don’t have anything else to give  without actively hurting ourselves, keeping ourselves from getting to an important destination on time, being able to complete our own journey. I’m not saying we owe it to a total stranger to add to our own pain when we’re already hurting and stretched past our limits.

But there’s a difference between acknowledging someone asking for help or confronting what’s clearly an apparent obstacle or hardship for them, while not being able to stop or help because you’ve got other people depending on you or waiting on you or simply do not have the means or resources or spoons to do anything but complete the necessary task or goal you’ve already set yourself towards.....

And like.....raising your own voice to drown theirs out or putting in your earbuds and blasting your music while you rush past them yelling ‘outta my way, I have more important things to do, get a job you lazy bum’ because you feel BAD about not being able to take the time or spend the energy, you maybe feel a little bit guilty, and if there’s a fairly universal human experience, its that nobody really LIKES feeling guilty, it’s one of our more unpleasant emotions, and we tend to look for any way possible to ignore it when it pops up, either with legitimate reason or without.

Again, not saying I KNOW the right way to handle these kinds of scenarios, just that.....the latter is not it, is never it. And yet more often than not, its what too many of us, even those of us yelling the loudest in other discourses perhaps, default to.

Because the other thing is....its not like every criticism out there IS valid. It’s not like everybody to stop in the middle of the street and start making a commotion and making everyone else stop what they’re doing and look what they’re complaining about, what their problem is....

It’s not like there aren’t plenty of times where like....it isn’t genuinely a problem. Where they’re not being HARMED by something, but at most mildly inconvenienced. Faced with a tiny little speedbump that has people who had to stop their own conversations to see what he was yelling about, people who had to pause in the middle of trying to navigate their way around a big five car pile-up blocking their commute, just rolling their eyes at the dude who’s making all that drama, slowing down everyone else’s day, just because he like....wants someone to do something about the little spider he just spotted on his expensive Italian loafers and he’s not even arachnophobic, he just thinks spiders are icky and wants someone to idk....get it off or kill it? Whatever. 

Point being, sometimes there are actually complaints or criticisms that AREN’T worth everyone’s attention, and the person yelling loudly about it is just super privileged and needs to figure out how to deal with not always having things just the way he wants them on his own, nobody can (or should have to) help him with that.

But I mean.....you can only tell that for sure once you’ve actually LOOKED at what his problem is. Heard what it was. And maybe that took just a two second quick glance or an hour for him to get to the bottom of it as he launched into his life story first to make sure you understood just how much he thinks bugs are icky before getting around to saying oh yeah, so there, that’s the problem, see? Icky bug.

But again, like....there’s a difference between feeling like this issue the guy is facing does not merit you taking time and energy away from your own issues to just....make his life marginally less inconvenient.....once you’ve actually given his actual issue some degree of actual consideration.

Versus just.....never actually stopping to listen and blowing past him while laughing with a buddy about what you ASSUME his issue to be based on like....where you’re all standing at the time. Like ‘lol this is a school zone, buddy, its meant for kids and people obviously put tons of time into making sure its all safe and pretty for the kids, so there can’t possibly be anything here that you, a grown adult, should actually be worried about, like whatever you think it is, its not that big a deal.”

And so you just keep on without looking back, laughing about what a dumbass that guy was and so never bothered to notice that the spider he was worrying about was actually deadly as hell, and just because he was the only one to see it at the moment didn’t mean that it couldn’t hurt a kid playing in the park just as easily as him, or that there weren’t a whole nest of similar spiders lurking around and potentially dangerous to all of those kids.

Like. Your priority was not the kids, and it was not whether or not his issue was actually legitimate, it was just whatever you were talking about with your friend that you didn’t want to be distracted from, you were both just having too good a time.

And honestly, like....its not like you’re a terrible person for that, its just.....that’s what it was. That’s what that actual interaction was, and just call it what it was. Not a reason to feel superior because some people just have to manufacture drama wherever they go and can never be happy, not even when something is meant for kids.

And while giving someone’s criticism the proper consideration before accepting it as valid or dismissing it as irrelevant, like...while that can look like a ton of different things?

If you can take the exact argument you used to dismiss or shut down that criticism you heard, switch out a few names and details without changing the structure or context of either the argument or the criticism....

and suddenly, you’re looking at the exact same bullshit argument you’ve seen people use to shut down YOUR criticisms, just when talking about different characters or a different, adult show?

Whatever you gave that criticism you heard here, it was probably not the proper consideration.

[justjennuh]

The Return of School: A few general tips to help prepare

I know there are thousands of blogs talking about getting ready to go back to school. Some of them are very general, others are focused on college or high school, and others are a mix in between. In all these blogs, there are so many great pieces of advice. None of them are relevant to me. I’ll be finishing school as many of you are returning. My young nephews, though, will be joining the masses in just a little over a week. So, here’s my list of advice about returning to school after your summer break. These can work for any age.

 SCHOOL SUPPLIES/CLOTHES

The school supply lists have come out and they are full. After looking through my nephew’s lists, I realized that many of the things on these lists are for the classroom in general. We’re on a budget, so we have to cut that list down as much as we can. If you can afford to buy supplies for the classroom, please do. A lot of those supplies come out of the teacher’s already small paycheck. There are also going to be other students that can’t afford to buy those supplies. This year, my nephews are those kids.

Pull out all the leftover stationery you have, and compare them to your list. Do you have leftover notebooks that you didn’t use much of last year? That’s one notebook that you don’t have to buy. What about leftover pencils or the pens that your mom hoards? More stuff you don’t have to spend valuable money on. If you want to, wait until after the first day to buy your supplies. Take a notebook and a pencil, then make a list of supplies that you’ll really need and use when your instructors give you a personal list.

Look through your town’s community calendar. Sometimes you’ll find that a group of businesses will get together around this time of year to help students in need by giving away supplies, free haircuts, free immunizations, etc. Also, check out the deals that businesses have going on around this time. Price the stuff you need and compare to other stores. Check out price matching too.

When it comes to buying school clothes, my nephews get picky. If you can afford new clothes, great! If not, don’t be worried about checking out consignment stores, resales, garage/yard sales, and other alternative places to buy clothes. Do your research first, but some of them can be great. We accepted that we had a small budget this year and went to a consignment store. We bought them both an entire wardrobe for under $200. The clothes are in great condition and they genuinely like them. Sell your old clothes to help cover the budget if you can.

ROUTINES

Routines are so important when it comes to staying healthy and productive. Don’t wait until the last minute to start getting into them either. A month before their start date, we sat down and created a routine for them. This includes morning routines and evening routines. We have a schedule, a wake-up time, bath time, and bed time.

A week before school, we’ll start shifting to their bedtime. They need 9 hours of sleep a night. Once we had their wake-up time, we counted to their bedtime from there. We start waking them up at that time five days before school. This gives them time to adjust their circadian rhythms. The iPhone has a cool feature called Bedtime. You plug in the time you want to wake up, set the number of hours you want to sleep, and then it will tell you when to go to bed. Two days before school, we’ll sit them down and walk them through their schedule.

HOMEWORK/BREAKS

When you think of school, homework is one of the first things that come to mind. It can be stressful, painful, build up, and reduce you to tears. When the nephews get home from school, the first thing they do is take a break. They use this time for different things. Most days, they go outside and get some fresh air, drink some water, and have a snack. On the harder days, they come home and take a power nap.

Create a space that you use to focus on homework and studying. This space is to be used only for homework and studying. Introduce the Pomodoro method. This method sets a time to work and focus, then follows it with a break time. The typical Pomodoro is 25 minutes of work, then a 5-minute break. After four Pomodoros, you can take a longer break. These times can be adjusted. For my nephews, 25/5 works great. Personally, I work better with 50/10.

Be sure you take breaks. Powering through sounds great, but it can do more damage than you think. Taking a break allows you to recharge and come back more focused than you were. It also prevents you from getting overworked and working at only a percentage of what you’re capable of.

The first few weeks back to school can be a stressful, anxious shock to your system. Preparing will help make it easier. Take some time and talk about any fears or worries with someone. It’s okay to be scared or anxious about going back. Just remember, it will get easier as time goes on.

[droneseco]

Most Powerful Robot Vacuum Yet, But Is It Good Enough? Roborock E35 Review

Our verdict of the Roborock Xiaowa E35: The Roborock Xiaowa E35 is an effective robot vacuum, but its inconsistent performance makes it hard to recommend at its price point.710

If you’ve been skeptical of robot vacuums, you have every right to feel that way. While I’ve seen numerous robovacs in action over the years, this is the first time I was able to use one in my own home for over a week—and I have to say, I’m underwhelmed.

Which is a shame, because the Roborock Xiaowa E35 is great on paper. And it’s not like the Xiaowa E35 is bad, either. On the contrary, it’s more than capable, and I’m genuinely happy that this thing is now in my life. But I had high expectations that it failed to meet. Perhaps that’s on me.

Available for around $359, the Roborock Xiaowa E35 is a sweeper/mopper two-in-one with noteworthy specs and promising features. Here’s my experience with it and whether it’s worth the price.

Roborock Xiaowa E35 Roborock Xiaowa E35 Buy Now On Amazon $359.99

Roborock Xiaowa E35: Specifications

Physical dimensions: 13.8 x 13.8 x 3.5 inches (35 x 35 x 9 cm)

Physical weight: 6.6 lbs (3 kg)

Battery life: 150 minutes (5200 mAh)

Charging time: 240 minutes

Power consumption: 58 W

Suction power: 2,000 Pa

Noise level: 60 dB

HEPA filter: Yes

Dustbin capacity: 640 ml

Wet mopping: Yes

Water tank capacity: 150 ml

Floor types: Low-pile carpet, medium-pile carpet, ceramic tile, marble tile, vinyl, laminate, linoleum, wood

Notable features: Scheduling, mapping, remote control movement, cliff sensor, recharge and resume, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Roborock Xiaowa E35: What’s Included?

The Roborock Xiaowa E35’s box is big but mostly empty. Here’s what you get:

E35 robot vacuum

Charging dock + spalsh pad attachment

Power cable

Mopping attachment + water tank

Cleaning brush + detangling cutter

Spare dry filter + wet filter

Roborock Xiaowa E35: Design and Build Quality

The Roborock Xiaowa E35 is circular—standard fare for robot vacuums—but comes in a sleek space gray color with a darker outer ring, which looks modern and modest and fits well with any kind of interior styling.

  Regarding the dark outer ring, the front half of it is a bumper sensor that’s used for detecting collisions and maneuvering around walls, chairs, tables, etc. It also has a built-in infrared decelerate sensor (causing it to slow down and be more careful when it detects that it’s near obstacles like walls) and four cliff sensors along the front half of its underside (preventing it from tumbling over edges and stairs).

There’s an omnidirectional wheel situated at the front, and that ensures its ability to turn and maneuver no matter what kind of mess it’s gotten itself into. A side brush near the front sticks out and spins so it can sweep debris away from walls and put them in the path of the main brush to roll over.

The 640 ml dustbin is large enough to last a week between emptying if scheduled to run daily, and the dustin supports a HEPA filter that not only catches all kinds of particulates but is easy to wash and reuse.

It also comes with an optional mopping attachment for hard floors, with a built-in water tank that holds up to 150 ml of water and doesn’t leak whether the vacuum is moving or stationary.

The Roborock Xiaowa E35’s build quality is satisfactory. It looks very light, but actually weighs close to 7 pounds, making it heavy enough to push light objects out of the way as it cleans. And never once did I feel like I’d damage the device when picking it up or interacting with it.

Again, all of this sounds good on paper, but the true test is how all of this performs in day-to-day cleaning.

Roborock Xiaowa E35: Usability and Performance

To set up the Roborock Xiaowa E35, you use the Mi Home mobile app and connect to the device via Bluetooth. While connected, you set up a connection to your router, and from then on it’s all driven by Wi-Fi.

Operating the robot vacuum is just as simple: the body has three buttons for Power, Recharge, and Spot Cleaning, but my preferred mode of operation is using the Mi Home app, which can handle everything you need save for turning it on/off.

The Roborock Xiaowa E35 has four cleaning power levels: Silent (700 Pa), Standard (1,000 Pa), Strong (1,400 Pa), and Max (2,000 Pa). At max power, it has the strongest suction power of any robot vacuum on the market. At 60 dB, it’s loud enough to startle my cat but nowhere near as loud as a normal vacuum cleaner.

Normal operation involves cleaning the entire house, traversing until there are no new areas to be found, then returning to the dock to recharge. The optional Spot Cleaning feature causes the robovac to clean in a 4-foot diameter square (1.2 meters) around its current location, meaning you’ll have to pick it up and place it where you want it to clean (or use the remote control to move it to its destination).

The thing about robot vacuums—this one included—is that they’re smart enough to clean, but not smart enough to clean up. You’ll need to do a bit of pre-cleaning (e.g. pick up clothes, tidy cables, make sure there are no stray obstacles) in order for the vacuum to do its thing to the fullest.

For the most part, the Roborock Xiaowa E35 cleans well. I was impressed by how much it collected in its first week, probably because it was able to get under my couch, bed, dresser, and all the other areas I overlook with a normal vacuum. With a height of 3.5 inches, it can go under most things with ease.

I found that it doesn’t completely suck up pet hair even at max power, especially on higher-pile carpeting. The device is only rated for low-pile and medium-pile carpets so I’m aware that this may be outside its operating specs, but it still leaves some hair behind on lower-pile carpeting.

Like most robot vacuums, the Roborock Xiaowa E35 also has trouble cleaning the bases of walls and corners. The main suction wheel doesn’t cover the full diameter of the device, so only areas where the center of the vacuum can pass over are able to be cleaned properly—even with the spinning side brush that sticks out. That side brush is designed to sweep particulates away from walls, but it doesn’t quite work that well.

The product boasts “intelligent path planning,” but I beg to differ. It simply goes line by line in a zig-zag pattern, bumping into obstacles and rerouting around them as necessary. Fortunately, the bumping isn’t hard enough to cause damage.

The Roborock Xiaowa E35 has a mapping feature, but I’m confused as to its purpose. It builds a live map that you can view in the mobile app as it cleans, but the map isn’t persistent; it restarts from scratch with subsequent cleanings. You can’t mark areas to avoid, you can’t create zones, and you can’t use the map to direct where the vacuum should go. As far as I can tell, it only exists to show you where it has gone during the current cleaning cycle. (To prevent the Roborock Xiaowa E35 from cleaning certain areas, you’ll need to buy some Roborock Magnetic Strip, which is a magnetic tape used to demarcate uncrossable boundaries.)

The product description says the Xiaowa E35 uses dual lasers and motion tracking sensors to calculate its direction and displacement so that its map position is always accurate even in complex homes…

…but in my experience, the device frequently drifts out of sync with the map. I’ve run a full cleaning of my apartment seven times so far and its location has de-synced all but one time, reporting itself as slightly off from where it actually was. It doesn’t really matter during cleaning, but proves problematic when the vacuum needs to navigate back to the charging dock—it can’t find its way back because it misjudges the physical layout of my apartment and gets stuck on walls. Given enough time, it’ll eventually find its way back. Just hope the battery doesn’t die first!

The robot vacuum is also supposed to be able to climb uneven surfaces up to 0.8 inches high (2 cm), and while it can do it at times, it’s inconsistent. Sometimes it rides over without a hitch, and other times it thinks it has run into a wall.

Fortunately, maintenance for the Roborock Xiaowa E35 is easy.

The dustbin is simple to remove and dump, and the HEPA filter washes in seconds. It comes with a detangling cutter that quickly cuts through any hair entangled on the main vacuum brush. Do it weekly and you’ll be good. Every month or so, you’ll also need to clean the side brush, the omnidirectional wheel, and the sensors.

As for battery life, it can supposedly run for up to 150 minutes on a single charge. My apartment is 650 sq. feet (60 sq. meters) and it can clean the whole unit in about an hour on max power and have about 50% battery remaining by the end.

Because of this, I wasn’t able to test the “recharge and resume” feature, which has the vacuum return to the charging dock when battery is low, recharges up to 80%, and resumes cleaning from where it stopped. But given the map de-syncing issues described above, I’m skeptical as to how well this feature would work in practice.

Mi Home App Control

The Roborock Xiaowa E35 uses the Mi Home app for configuring and controlling the device. In addition to robot settings, notable features include:

Live map viewing, which was covered above. It’s nifty on paper but offers no practical use beyond novelty at this point. Perhaps a future firmware update will add new functionality that makes it worthwhile.

Timer cleanings, which is the most useful bit. You can schedule it to automatically run on certain days of the week, at a specific time, at a specific power level. You can create multiple schedules and toggle them on/off as needed.

Remote control, which is the second most useful bit. By tapping buttons on screen, you can tell the vacuum to rotate either direction and move forward, which is a handy way to get it out of trouble if it gets stuck or can’t find its way back to the charging dock.

Online firmware upgrades are the saving grace of this device. If Roborock can release a few strong firmware updates in the near future, this robot vacuum could easily go from being a “good” option to a “great” one.

Voice assistant integration with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Naver Clova. I wasn’t able to test any of these, but from what I understand, the available commands are limited as of this writing.

Roborock Xiaowa E35: Final Thoughts

All in all, the Roborock Xiaowa E35 is great when it works—but it doesn’t always work as intended, particularly with regard to pathing. It’s those performance inconsistencies that keep it from being a great robot vacuum.

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At $359, it’s tough to recommend because there are alternatives that perform just as well for less, and the extra bells and whistles aren’t enough to justify the difference. However, if you can get it at a discount or if you have money to burn, it’s easy to use, it cleans well, and it certainly gets the job done.

Enter the Competition!

Roborock Xiaowa E35 Giveaway

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Blog Happy

Agree or Disagree

I believe that there may not be anything better than a well deserved night off after a long work week. Here at Bigg Mellow we have been working extra hard to bring out new products, new ideas, and new content regularly. I personally have been spending lots of time brainstorming about how to kick it into high gear concerning bringing you our best and most exciting ideas, shared right here on the website. I have to tell you though, sometimes the very best ideas come from you guys. Whenever I get the opportunity to speak to some of our followers and the people who believe in the brand I just feel that much more motivated to make that exchange more enjoyable.

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Thoughts About Thoughts

I have been thinking a lot on what I wanted to talk about here with you on the blog, and after talking to a close associate of mine at length, I decided to talk to you about something that touches me every day. Something genuine: happiness and balance.

 Happiness Is Essential

It takes small victories every day to that remind us what is really worth fighting for. Happiness comes to me in the form of working hard and making other people feel good. There are so many people in my life that I am thankful for, and I believe that being grateful leads to happiness. Happy people can move others to make good choices, to build a great life, and to turn bad situations around. Happiness rubs off, and it’s something we all need. What brings you happiness?

 Balance Is Needed In Success

There are differing views on success, but mine has to do with the way we live our lives and how to know when we’re making the choices that will lead us onward to better things and better situations continuously. Balance is needed because of the fine line between working hard, and working your strength away. I feel that rest and relaxation is so important, just as important as creativity and hard work because it allows us to recharge and get ready to do it all again. Balance also brings a mentality that helps us get through the hard times when they inevitably come. I try to remember that when they do, they’ll always end no matter how difficult a situation may be.

 Blog Happy

I'd like to explain to you as to why choose I collaborate with this company that I think is so great. Blogging is something I have always wanted to do, and Bigg Mellow has given me that opportunity. Doing things that make you happy are of such huge importance if you want to maintain balance and at the same time make an impact on those around you.

Speaking of making an impact, there are lots of exciting things coming your way in the next few months and with our Mexico excursion coming up so soon I can say with most certainty that we will be sure to keep you guys in the loop the whole time.

So blog happy my good readers! Stay with us for new content and be sure to write us yourself, and tell us what makes you happy and brings you balance. I can't wait to talk with you again soon!

 With much California love and all our West Coast sunshine coming your way,

Tiffany J.