Happy New 2012 Year!

Year 2011 has come to a close. Wow, the years really do fly by as you get older. One thing I can be proud of is my visit to Korea. If you read my last new year's post you'll know that this trip was really important to me. I wasn't going to let anything get in my way! Now that that's done and over with, I can start planning for next year's trip.....which will most likely be Korea again! Ha.

Aside from that much needed vacation, I'm glad I've accomplished other things along the way.

Reflecting back on my year 2011-

• I visited Korea for 3 weeks
• made new friends
• made more time for friends
• used my camera more to document parts of my life
• stayed active and attended the gym 4-5 days out of the week
• continued my interest in school
• pursued a different job opportunity and got the job
• slowly cut out processed foods
• started juicing and eating more raw vegetables
• got a new car
• enjoyed weekly sushi dates
• ate out less and cooked more at home
• stuck to eating smaller portions
• discovered more blogs/vlogs to add to my favorites
• used more of a positive mindset
• discovered Adele
• reminded myself to not depend on others as they can be unreliant
• less is more
• found interest in other hobbies
• received a nice painting
• saved money by cutting down on my shopping
• got familiar with my kpop before (and after) visiting Korea
• fell in love with shellac nails
• realized that I wore my croc shoes 95% of the time
• went hiking for the first time
• didn't cut my hair at all this year in attempt to grow it out faster
• started buying produce from my local farmer's market
• changed the name of my blog (so unexpectedly and without any notice...*sorry*)
• became a video game nerd again
• Got hooked on Mad Men and use that show for inspiration when picking out work clothes
• visited the northern part of Arizona such as Sedona and the Grand Canyon

For 2012 I hope to visit Korea again along with some other smaller destinations. I really don't have any new year resolutions because things that I wish to achieve are done right then and there. There's no waiting for a new year, month or week. I like to just start now.

'Tis the season

Merry Christmas to you all! I hope this day is filled with happiness, laughter, good times, and memories. I always like to reflect on the things I'm grateful for and the wonderful friends and family that surround me everyday. Cheers!

App Lover

The blogging world has endless amounts and varieties of "personalities." Some days on my day off all I do is hop from one blog to another. My list is getting longer every month and at times it takes me hours to catch up with everybody's current post. This is where my smart phone comes in handy.

 The android market has endless amounts of apps available to help make our lives easier and a lot more convenient. I remember the first week I got my new smart phone I was downloading games left and right. Now I think I have more apps than phone numbers floating around. Being that I love reading blogs everyday Pulse has become my absolute favorite app of all time.It comes in handy when I’m waiting in line or waiting for an oil change. I can just catch up on my daily reads without having to wait until I get home to boost up my laptop. The only downside-you can't leave comments. But that's no biggie.

Here are my other top favorite apps that I use on a daily basis- 

1. Screen Filter- This has helped preserve my battery life by a lot!  This screen filter dimes the background lighting to your liking (I have mine at 78%) therefore extending the battery life.
2. Open Advanced Task Killer- This was a step 2 on helping my battery last longer as well. I didn’t know that certain programs or games stayed active even if you closed it out. With this I can “kill” the running apps and make sure they close for good until I reopen it again.
3. Kakao Talk- If you have friends and family in other countries like I do, this will really come in handy. Unlike standard text messages where you can only text within certain areas/within the US, I can text people in other countries for free. Just make sure both parties have the app and you’re good to go. Plus, the emoticons are so cute.
4. Facebook- Of course this should be self explanatory
5. My Days- This is my portable menstrual tracking calendar. Really handy next time you go to the doctor and they ask when’s your last cycle date.
6. Words with Friends- Remember the game Scrabble? Well, now you can play it all day long with your friends. I’m so addicted to this! I have like 12 games going on.
7. SushiBar- I dream and breath sushi so it only be appropriate for me to get a game about it too. Here you play as the sushi chef and quickly prepare food orders in a certain amount of time. Can you master the pressure?
8. Appreciate- This app helps you find other apps that other people find interesting, fun, or useful. This is how I came across a lot of mine as well.
9. Diversion- A cute little 2-d world were you play as a character collecting gems and costumes. Good enough to keep me busy in a boring doctor’s office.
10. Weatherbug- Yes, I like to check the weather everyday.

Do you have a favorite game or app that you just love? Maybe one that helps smooth out your day? Do share!

Dress like a (Disney) Princess

source

Growing up I would watch my disney movies again and again. I could never get tired of my pretty princesses. I remember my Little Mermaid eventually got worn out (from all that cassette winding) that I had to replace it. Don't we all wish we had their prince charmings?

Life is like a Buffet

Many people love a good buffet as it offers a wide selection of food, and allows them to eat all they can. That aside, you will be surprised by the things you can learn by going for a buffet.

Here are 5 life lessons learned from eating buffet.

#1 Don’t be greedy; it is important to know what you want. In a buffet, there are so many things to choose from, and it is very tempting to go for everything. We need to know what we want, and focus on getting there.

The same logic applies in life. There are plenty of temptations out there. There will always be someone/something better out there; be it a prettier girl, or a better job. Instead of chasing after something that does not exist, we must cherish the important things in life.

#2 Good buffets come at a price, the same goes for everything in life. There is no such thing as a cheap and good buffet. Period. In life, not everything cheap is bad and not everything expensive is good. However, as a general rule, good things come at a price. And by price, I mean working hard for what you want.

#3 Know what you need to do, you are here for a reason. When you are having the buffet, don’t feel guilty about indulging in good food. Eat first, worry later. You can always exercise to burn off the calories after the dinner. In life, things always happen for a reason. You are meant to do something at each stage of your life. Stop looking elsewhere, do what you have to do, and move on to the next level.

#4 Buffets show you the ugly side of humans. If you ever want to learn more about someone, bring them to a buffet.

#5 Taking a break is absolutely necessary for the well-being of our stomachs & minds. Round 1: eat and take a break. Round 2: eat and go to the washroom. Round 3: eat, eat and eat. There are techniques on how to eat at a buffet (more on that in another post), but the point is, it is important to know when to take a break. In life, everyone should take a break once in a while. Go for a short weekend getaway, spend some time with your loved ones. Taking a break helps to keep us alive.

Everyday, I learn so much from food. When the world seems crazy, food makes us believe that there is something worth fighting for. When we are hungry, food shows us how simple life can be so long we have something nice to eat. When people let us down, good food will always be there for us. Food, has a lot of things to teach us about life.

Here are 5 life lessons learned from food.

#1. Life is about taking a risk. People always like to stick with things they are familiar with – be it frequenting the same restaurant over and over again; or eating the same thing all the time. Most people are not very adventurous when it comes to food, so I can understand why they are doing this.

Life is short. Be brave. Step out of your comfort zone. Make mistakes. Do crazy things. Live.

#2. Bad things happen so that we learn to appreciate good things. Bad things happen all the time. We experience bad service, and occasionally we eat in a lousy restaurant that serves bad food. I believe everything happens for a reason, and not everything will be bad.

Maybe it is okay to have “bad food” once in a while so that we will learn to appreciate good food. The same goes for life. If not for the bad times, you wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate just how wonderful the good times are.

#3. No matter what you do, it is very important to manage expectations. You went to try a restaurant after reading about it on my blog, and it wasn’t as good as I’ve described. Was the food really bad? Or was the chef having a bad day? No, I think the definition of good differs from people to people. Taste is subjective, so you really need to learn how to manage your expectations and try out new things with an open mind.

Like what I always say, expectations are the root of all problems.

#4. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, DO IT (before it’s too late). There are some restaurants that you’ve always wanted to visit, but put off because you think that they will always be there. The now-defunct Twelve + One Patisserie and Brown Sugar Bistros were some of the places that closed down before I got the chance to visit them.

In life, timing is everything. We wait too much and believe there is always a tomorrow. But we forget there is only a limited number of tomorrows this life. If you’ve always wanted to do something, do it now.

#5. There are always two sides to every story, don’t be too quick to judge. The food blogger saga is the best example to show how quickly people jump to conclusions. In life, there are always two sides to every story. No matter what it is, make sure you understand the full picture before coming to a conclusion.

                                                              via ladyironchef.com

---

Treeless Mountain

When I'm not reading, blogging or working then most likely I'm netflixing. I'm so glad I signed up a year ago for it because there are endless amounts of shows and movies all for the price of $17 a month. (It used to be $10 up until 4 months ago, but still worth the extra seven bucks.) I always enjoy watching foreign films (especially Korean films or the ones with any type of martial arts.) So in my "suggested things to watch" box this movie called Treeless Mountain popped up. Have you seen it? If you're a sucker for cute little kids like I am, then you'll love this movie. It's about these two little Korean sisters that get abandoned by their mother. The mother pawn off the girls to relatives and the girls live each day wondering when or if their mom will ever return to get them. Some parts had me all chocked up and teary eyed..... These girls are really good actors for their age, bravo. The youngest one, Bin, is my favorite. She's too cute. I just want to squeeze her cheeks. If you see this film, let me know what you think.

Rice Catcher

For you rice cookers out there-
Am I the only one that didn't know about these? It wasn't until recently (when I was visiting Korea) that I came across this cute little rice catcher at Emart. To be honest, whenever I made rice sometimes most of the times I was too lazy to do a thorough rinse. Why? Well, I just had this thing where it bugged me if any rice fell out of the pot I felt like I "lost" the rice cleaning game. So, usually one rinse it was. I know, I know, pure laziness. But hey, now I have no excuse with this thing.

At first looking at it I was a little skeptical. How can this small rice catcher stand against the towering tumbling wave of rice? I figured for $3 might was well give it a shot. The little clip-on tool was sitting in the back of my drawer for weeks until one day I finally got caught cheating on the rice cleaning method. (Not like anyone noticed the difference in texture or taste anyway.)

So I tested this little smiling-plastic-bowl-of-rice thing and.....it works so well! Not a grain could pass it! Now I actually enjoy cleaning the rice and testing the catcher every time. "Will it miss this time? What if I put more rice in it? What if I pour it fast?" Still catches 'em all!

Some Days........

Some days......
-I wonder how my life would be if I could relive certain moments of my life
-I wish I had more
-I dream about traveling all over the world without the burden of work, stress, money
-I feel like futhering my education
-I'm curious to know where my life would be if my parents never divorced
-I wonder if I'm following the right path to my true purpose in life
-I wonder if money could really buy happiness
-I feel like telling people how I really feel about them
-I wonder how different my life would be if I lived in another place
-I wish I saw my friends and family more often
-I compare myself to my peers
-I wish I focused on learning more languages
-I just like to be alone
-I wish I had straight hair
-I wish there were more hours in the day
-I wish I took interest in other career fields
-I wish I could see into my future
-I wish there were shortcuts for everything
-I wonder if my parents are proud of who I've become
-I wish I wasn't so weak
-I wonder what it be like to be a size zero
-I wish I could bump into my exes on a day where I look great
-I imagine myself having kids
-I wonder what it'd be like owning my own business
-I wish I could eat whatever without having to worry about the concequences
-I feel obligated to do things even though it's not expected
-I think into things too much
-I wonder if people really can change

-I love the way that I am

Christmas Wishlist

Steve Madden lace up boots, $80
Steve Madden leopard flat, $54
Longchamp handbag, $75
Michael Kors button jewelry, $240
DOLCE & GABBANA MAKEUP Creamy Foundation Spf15 Natural Beige, $34
Vince Camuto Eau De Parfum 1.7, $60

Have you seen the new music video with Hyuna (the girl from "Bubble Pop") and Hyun Seung (from Beast)? Hmm....a little risque, but I like it.

Think Pink

My new favorite lip colors at the moment-

Wet 'n' Wild lipsticks

color Think Pink and Just Peachy

$2 at drugstores

Blazer Love

My blazer collection has quickly added up. While a couple months ago I only had about a handful, the numbers have now increased to 12 or so. Even though I'm always keeping an eye out for different shapes and colors, these 3 blazers are my current favorites. I like to wear atleast one of these once a week to work.

Remember when I got this salmon colored one? I get the most compliments from coworkers everytime I wear it. I just love how soft and angelic the color looks with my skin tone. I try not to wear it as often though because I'm scared it will get stained or something, especially with my luck. All 3 of these blazers were from Forever 21 and were all under $30. Couldn't beat that!

Words of Wisdom mixed with Karma

In the mornings while aeating breakfast I like to read. Something about it just picks me up and gets me going for the day. (Sometimes I read a little too long and fall behind my work schedule.)

I was at the Barnes and Nobles the other day and these two books caught my attention. I couldn't help but to flip through them curious to know just what kind of words of wisdom they had to offer. Written by the same author both books share an enlightening feeling as your read through each page. Even though the're small in size these books have a lot of motivational expressions to offer.

Here are some of my favorites from each-

Instant Karma-

• believe that the best is yet to be
• be self-reliant
• life is positive; only your thinking is negative
• give your best to the world
• remember that how you say something is as important as what you say
• whatever you cultivate during good times becomes your strength during bad times
• care about the happiness of others
• be gentle and patient with an angry person
• make time for yourself
• give as much as you have received
• acknowledge your own positive features and qualities
• silence is sometimes the best answer
• look at things from someone else's perspective
• see everything in your life as a gift
• make kindness your true religion
• accept forgiveness from others
• seek elegance rather than luxury
• don't jump to conclusions
• do what you say and say what you mean
• wait for a door to be unlocked instead of trying to break it down (my favorite at the moment)

8,789 Words of Wisdom

• do not say no from pride or yes from weakness
• acts indicate intentions
• recognize opportunities
• lost time is never found again
• act like the person you want to be
• darkness teaches you to appreciate light
• you learn more on your own than from other people
• time is more precious than things
• keep good company and you will be counted on of them
• forgiveness is the ultimate lesson
• the smallest deed is better than the biggest intention
• opinions changes with age (so true!)
• the less you want, the more you have
• starve a fever and feed a cold
• people may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do
• character is what your are in the dark when no one is around
• the happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts (learned this first hand)
• there is no elevator to success-only stairs
• you are older longer than you are younger
• Don't throw away the old bucket until you're sure the new ones hold water

I've always had my own life saying. It's pretty simple and kept me in line at times- karma. Yep. That one word would remind me that sometimes I need to sit back, wait, and think before I act.

Do you have an expression or saying you go or live by?

To Keep in Mind

Leo Babauta - 

The Scourge of the Internet
I love reading stuff online, and get a lot of inspiration from blogs. I can spend hours reading online. And thus, I'm annoyed for hours, because there are a ridiculous amount of things that bloggers and websites do that are incredibly anti-reader.


What bloggers and major websites (like news sites) don't seem to understand is that they should want us to read their stuff. They should celebrate the fact that we're taking a few minutes out of our busy schedule to devote some of our precious attention to reading something they've created. They aren't doing us a favor by writing something interesting -- we the readers are doing them the favor of paying attention.


And so readers don't owe a few extra seconds to watch a video ad that we don't want to see just to read your article. We don't want to close your subscription popup just to read your blog post. We don't want a bunch of ads flashing us in the face as we try to read. We don't need a million share buttons at the bottom of your post or all along the sidebar -- we know how to share something on Facebook or Twitter or email or Google+ ourselves.


Let's end this scourge. Here are some things bloggers/websites should stop now if they want to respect their readers ... or else we, as readers, need to stop going to these sites. If we stop going to them, and only read sites that respect us, there will be a growing demand for sites that let us read.


Note: also read my followup post - The Untold Story About Making a Living as a Blogger
https://plus.google.com/u/0/109926473783208635050/posts/5haBJbHZvfW


1. Popups. These might be ad popups on a news site, or subscription popups on a blog. They are utterly annoying and disrespectful to the reader. They tell me that you care more about getting my email address than you do about me reading your post. They make me leave your website forever. They are effective for the short term, but for the long term, they ruin the reader's experience -- you should want to delight the reader, not annoy her.


2. Sidebar clutter. I just want to read. I don't need all your stuff screaming at me from the sidebar. Get out of my way, so I can actually pay attention to what you have to offer. Remove 90% of what you have in your sidebar, so I can just read.


3. Millions of share buttons. They are all over the place. They are annoying. They are unnecessary. I know how to share on my own. You are only distracting me.


4. Sales pitches. I'm always being pitched a product, always. I don't want a product. I want to read your article. Once in awhile, sure, show me something good you've created. Otherwise, leave a link in your sidebar and I'll find it if I want it.


5. Mega sales. A thousand bloggers or programmers put their products together for a short-term sale, and then all thousand announce it on their blogs. How annoying is that, if I subscribe to 10 of those blogs? And why sell me a thousand products when I only want 1 or 2 of them? The reason is that the bloggers make huge amounts of money, but at a huge cost: they disrespect their readers, they send the message that money is more important to them than their readers, and they devalue all the products contained in the sale. If your $50 product is one of 100 products in a $97 sale, how is it really worth $50? It's really worth $1, according to this sale. It's also false scarcity -- why is it on sale for 3 or 4 days only? What logical reason is there for having it at one price for these 3-4 days, and not the rest of the year?


6. Filling every available space on your site. It's usually filled with ads, pitches for your ebook, a big box asking me for my email address, products that you're an affiliate for, and social media stuff. It all distracts me from your article. Leave a lot of white space, so that I can just read in peace. Leave me alone to read!


7. Multiple pages for one article. Why do I have to click on 5 different "next page" links to read one article? Don't frustrate the reader who just wants to get the info.


I realize that most bloggers/sites will ignore this advice. And that's fine. You guys can do what you like, but I will not read you. I will find someone who respects me as a reader. I suggest other readers do the same.

 

 

 

 

I came across this post written by Leo (from Zen Habits) today and couldn't agree with it more. I know that being a blogger has some, if not many, perks to it. Some get wonderful sponsors, nice products to review, and invitations to exclusive events. Those are all great and deserving throughout time. I know bloggers work really hard at what they do and have accomplished many things to get where they are now. I think it's great to experience this growing advanced technology and seeing how social networking has come about to open the doors allowing us to meet people all over the world. Sometimes though all the advertorials and sale pitched posts can really be annoying once it becomes an everyday thing.

There have been a couple blogs I stopped reading because I later on got the impression that the only reason why they even began blogging was to make "lots" of money. Some are now consumed with doing nothing but advertorials and sales pitches just to keep getting their flow of free products.

 If making money is one of their reasons to start up blogging then at least show some appreciation to the readers that helped develop the success. Stay in their community of interest and don't lose sight of them. I've seen many times where a starting off blogger would do anything to catch readers and followers. They would join forums, answer back comments, spam up other people's blogs with their links, and just try to be "seen." Once they succeeded with a certain amount of followers it's like everything changes. The blogger gets this feeling of entitlement and therefor start to slowly disconnect from their readers assuming that they'll always be there. 

Now the sidebars and sponsor links don't really bother me so much like Leo had stated. It's the popups and "follow me back, tweet this to win, sign up for that" that kind of puts a kink in my neck. I feel like some blogs make it a challenging game just to keep up with them. Those  ones are no longer in my reader box, thank goodness.

Are there certain things that you look for or don't like when deciding to become a  loyal reader on someone's blog?

Ginger Eyes

My friend was so nice to give me this duo eyeshadow by Estee Lauder. She knew I was looking for a reliable nude palette of some type and came across this. I've been using it every since and totally skipping out on my L'oreal one. This formula and texture is so much better (of course it would be being that it's a higher brand) and the brown actually shows up without having to add multiple layers. This will last me quite some time.

Glam Bag

Have you heard? Michelle Phan (makeup youtube guru) helped develope this new beauty website called My Glam. It's similar to Birchbox  where you pay a monthly fee and get these cute little makeup samples. From my understanding though, December is already sold out. For only $10 a month I'm thinking about signing up in January. Anyone else heard about this and looking into doing it as well?