I've been waiting for this day for almost a month. And it's finally here...it was like anticipating to go on a vacation, or waiting for a treat. Yes. My kids are finally all back at school.
And of course, this naturally calls for a blog post to celebrate my freedom. Of course I love my kids. Of course I'll miss the constant noises (albeit maybe only a little bit). But oh, any parent would understand. Taking twin boys and one little girl anywhere is just absolute chaos. A 15 minute trip to the grocery store will take 45 minutes. And if I forgot to get something? Well, forget it. It'll have to wait until the next day. I'm not taking 3 kids back to the market! It's constantly going, "stop running!" "don't push your brother!" "stop screaming!" "be nice to your sister!" "I'm the mom, and I'll tell her what to do!" "No, you can't buy that." "No, you can't buy that either." "Where are you guys going?" "Don't run away w/o me!" "STOP fighting!" "Do you want a time-out?" "No TV if you do xyz." "I'm serious now!" O.M.G. I mean, how many times can one person repeat the above orders until your voice becomes hoarse? Every single day this week, I go to bed almost without a voice, because I've yelled so much during the day.
Since my daughter is too young for most camps, and her school offered no summer session this year, for 3 months, I've had her joined at the hips with me. I mean, I can't go to the bathroom w/o her calling for me, can't check my emails, can't cut my toenails, can't do anything w/o her calling, "Mama?" Who knew that the one word I was so eager to hear, before my children could talk, would be the one word that is now driving me UP the wall?!?! It got to the point where I just snap, "WHAT?!" To which she'll reply, "Boo!" Goodness gracious. Like, seriously, WHY is summer vacation SO LONG? When I finally get the chance to go to sleep at night, I find myself so wound up that I actually can't fall asleep. And I literally have to check to see if I was still frowning. Yup. I was. RE...LAX.
I was counting down, literally, counting down the hours yesterday. I contemplated going to sleep earlier so I could pass the day earlier! But seriously, 8pm would've been way too early. When I woke this morning, I was giddy. I mean, actually giddy. I kept thinking of all the errands I could run w/o having 3 little bodies to herd. I can actually stop by the florist and order flowers! I can run to the market for milk! I can send out emails w/o being interrupted! Oh, the joy!
And now, this is what I'm doing. Blogging while watching my new favorite obsession, Sherlock. Oh, Benedict Cumbernatch, you more than qualify as a prize for finishing my 3-month-long confinement.
To all you moms (and dads) out there with children going back to school today. Hooray!!!! Go open up a bottle of champagne and celebrate! We made it through the summer! :)
Xoxo,
Lin
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
Fruits and Veggies Overload!
Hi There!
I was slaving in the kitchen all afternoon trying to use up the mounds and mounds of vegetables and fruits that have been accumulating in my fridge. Chopping, blending, baking, stewing, you name it, I was doing it. And below is a picture of the result of my culinary labor:
Clockwise from left to right: Chicken soup, fruit smoothie, guacamole, and chocolate banana muffin.
I have to say that I'm pretty proud of myself for creating such a well-rounded meal! I got the appetizer, the drink, the entree, and the dessert all down. I was pretty surprised that it turned out this way. I started out with a bunch of leftover vegetables from various other meals I made, 4 lbs of fresh strawberries, 1 pineapple, 2 containers of OJ, at least 6 avocados from my mom's backyard that were ripening, and a few mushy bananas. And after a little bit of brainstorming, I was able to use most of everything.
I chopped up all the vegetables and put them in the chicken soup. I blended the avocados, added chopped onions, cilantro, salt, and lemon juice for the guacamole. I blended the strawberries, pineapple, and OJ for the smoothie. And last but not least, the bananas were used for the muffins.
Needless to say my family had a good meal tonight! And my fridge is a bit less full. Now I don't need to push past a bunch of produce to get to what I want!
Xo,
Lin
I was slaving in the kitchen all afternoon trying to use up the mounds and mounds of vegetables and fruits that have been accumulating in my fridge. Chopping, blending, baking, stewing, you name it, I was doing it. And below is a picture of the result of my culinary labor:
Clockwise from left to right: Chicken soup, fruit smoothie, guacamole, and chocolate banana muffin.
I have to say that I'm pretty proud of myself for creating such a well-rounded meal! I got the appetizer, the drink, the entree, and the dessert all down. I was pretty surprised that it turned out this way. I started out with a bunch of leftover vegetables from various other meals I made, 4 lbs of fresh strawberries, 1 pineapple, 2 containers of OJ, at least 6 avocados from my mom's backyard that were ripening, and a few mushy bananas. And after a little bit of brainstorming, I was able to use most of everything.
I chopped up all the vegetables and put them in the chicken soup. I blended the avocados, added chopped onions, cilantro, salt, and lemon juice for the guacamole. I blended the strawberries, pineapple, and OJ for the smoothie. And last but not least, the bananas were used for the muffins.
Needless to say my family had a good meal tonight! And my fridge is a bit less full. Now I don't need to push past a bunch of produce to get to what I want!
Xo,
Lin
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Eyeliner Trick
Happy Thursday!
I don't know about you, but if I'm going to step out of the house, or even see anyone coming in the house (other than members of my immediate family), I have to do something to my eyes. I definitely have to use eyeliner and eyebrow filler. Otherwise I just look like a zombie who had just risen. Yup, that scary.
I'm always trying to find ways to make my eyes look bigger, and my short Asian eyelashes fuller. Lucky for me, I finally found mascaras that help in extending my lashes. And when I curl them, I lift my lashes up (gently!). Like this:
This definitely helps, I promise. I also recently discovered that if I put liquid eyeliner above and underneath the lash line, my eyes pop even more.
This is what I'm talking about. After you put on your liquid eyeliner and mascara, flip the eyelids up, like this:
You see that strip of bare eyelid right above the eyeball, underneath the lash line? That's what I'm talking about. Line it with more liquid liner. And it will look like this:
Makes a difference, right? My camera phone doesn't take very good pictures. So I apologize for having blurry images. But it definitely does make your eyes look slightly bigger. And here's the end result!
Ok, of course my face is not flawless like pictured above! I definitely used a filter. But you get the point. ;)
Here and here are where you can find the liquid liners I use. I use the Stila one to line my lids above the lashes, and the Lancome one to line my lids underneath the lashes. The reason being, Stila liner is pointier, so it's more precise. The Lancome liner draws more liquid, so it allows me to easily line my below-lashline lids.
Well, here you go. Makeup trick of the day. Happy experimenting!
Xoxo,
Lin
I don't know about you, but if I'm going to step out of the house, or even see anyone coming in the house (other than members of my immediate family), I have to do something to my eyes. I definitely have to use eyeliner and eyebrow filler. Otherwise I just look like a zombie who had just risen. Yup, that scary.
I'm always trying to find ways to make my eyes look bigger, and my short Asian eyelashes fuller. Lucky for me, I finally found mascaras that help in extending my lashes. And when I curl them, I lift my lashes up (gently!). Like this:
This definitely helps, I promise. I also recently discovered that if I put liquid eyeliner above and underneath the lash line, my eyes pop even more.
This is what I'm talking about. After you put on your liquid eyeliner and mascara, flip the eyelids up, like this:
You see that strip of bare eyelid right above the eyeball, underneath the lash line? That's what I'm talking about. Line it with more liquid liner. And it will look like this:
Makes a difference, right? My camera phone doesn't take very good pictures. So I apologize for having blurry images. But it definitely does make your eyes look slightly bigger. And here's the end result!
Ok, of course my face is not flawless like pictured above! I definitely used a filter. But you get the point. ;)
Here and here are where you can find the liquid liners I use. I use the Stila one to line my lids above the lashes, and the Lancome one to line my lids underneath the lashes. The reason being, Stila liner is pointier, so it's more precise. The Lancome liner draws more liquid, so it allows me to easily line my below-lashline lids.
Well, here you go. Makeup trick of the day. Happy experimenting!
Xoxo,
Lin
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Disney's Aulani in Oahu
We love Hawaii. I mean, we really love it. Every year, for 10 years now, we have to visit one of the islands at least once. Yeah, some people have yearly family reunions there, but for a family that doesn't have as much vacation days as those of our peers, at least once a year is saying a lot.
We've only been to either Maui or Oahu. And to Maui more than Oahu. In Maui, we've stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua and The Grand Wailea in Wailea; in Oahu, we've stayed at the Ko olina Beach Villas, and the most recent trip we were at Disney's Aulani, also in Ko olina.
The lagoons in Ko olina are open to the public. Ko olina is like a little city on its own. There are restaurants and convenience shops, art galleries, and souvenir shops. There are 3 different resorts there, and this time we chose to stay at Aulani because of the kids.
Where do I even start? There's so much to tell you! We stayed there for a week, and everyday of that week we were busy doing something. The water play alone...oh my. The water play area is ginormous! There are so many different pools, most of them only 3 feet deep so you don't have to worry too much about your kids. I say most because there are a couple of "18 and over" pools, where we didn't try out, so I couldn't tell you how deep that one is. There is also a lazy river, where you float around the water play area, and go under water falls. There is a water jungle gym area where the smaller kids can play. There is a big bucket of water in that area that sits on a higher level, and dumps water down when a bell rings. The children LOVE it.
There's even an area where you can go snorkeling. No, I don't mean in the lagoon, but in middle of the resort. Yup! You can rent gears from the resort, and snorkel in the resort! We didn't get to try it out, but it looked fun.
My favorite part? The lazy river slide. Oh, it was SO fun! My sons took turns going down the slide with me in a double floaty. Even I was screaming like a baby! It's super safe too; there's a light indicator on the top with a staff member who tells you when it's safe to go. No one bumps into each other, and you end up in a shallow pool below. There's also another slide that doesn't require a floaty, but I was too chicken to go down that one. :)
You can also rent kayaks, paddle boards, boogie boards, and snorkel gear to use in the lagoon as well. My kids and my husband just want to play on the beach, so we didn't rent any of those. Although it might have been fun to go on a kayak. The resort itself even have life vest rentals; I've never seen that before, I thought that was pretty neat, for the little ones that can't quite swim yet.
The resort offers childcare too. Adults can drop their kids off at Aunty's Beach House and go for a massage. Or you can reserve an activity there for the children to enjoy, like making Stitch's Space Goo. However, just a warning...if you want to reserve any activities, you must get there early...like at 7am early. There's a line out the door because space is limited! But that's only for schedule activities though. If you just want to drop the kids off for child care, that would be fine.
It is incredibly safe at Aunty's Beach House. They give you a bracelet that you scan when your child "checks in." And when your child leaves, they have to scan the bracelet again. Adults who enter the facility have to sign in and out. There are plenty of staff that watches your children. There's a playground for them to play. And if you want, you can purchase lunch and dinner for them too. We only left our kids there for a couple of hours once (my husband felt bad leaving our daughter!).
Because we were there over Independence Day, we were able to watch fireworks from our room. Whether you have a view of the fireworks or not from your room doesn't matter though. They fire over the lagoon, so you can always watch on the beach. From what we could see from our balcony, the beach, although open to the public, wasn't too crowded. So everyone got a nice view. Fireworks were accompanied by music, they even played "Let It Go." Needless to say, my daughter was overjoyed!
The food there was pretty good. There's something for everyone. You can do fancy, or casual. The cocktails are great. There's a buffet there, and they make sure allergies are taken care of, by telling you what to avoid. There's a very casual appetizer area, where there are a couple of musicians playing the ukelele for entertainment. I just remember the Pulled Pork Flatbread Pizza that we got at Ulu Cafe that was really tasty. Mmmmm!
Speaking of food. One day we were on our way to the Polynesian Cultural Center, we got to stop by the famous Giovanni's Shrimp Truck for lunch. Their Shrimp Scampi was so good. Garlicky, buttery, goodness. They give you white rice to go with the plate, and the sauce and the rice together makes for a perfect combination!
And as for the Polynesian Cultural Center, at first I was hesitant to go. But after speaking to several friends about it, they all recommended that it was a great place to take kids. There was a canoe parade where all the different polynesian cultures got to show off a little bit of their native dances. Then we got to stop by each culture and witness what they each had to offer. The Hawaiians did their Hula dance, the Fijians did their music, and their grass weaving. It was really fun for the children, and would've been more fun if it wasn't so hot. One of my sons even got on stage with the Samoan host while he made fire with just a piece of wood and a wooden stick.
I would recommend Aulani to my friends now. The first time we went to Oahu, I didn't have as much fun. It was mostly because I was pregnant with my daughter, and I was so nauseous in my 1st trimester. This time we were able to enjoy it so much more since the kids are older and more self-sufficient. This was the first trip we took as a family where we didn't have to bring any baby supplies! It was a big deal for us not having to pack diapers and bottles!
I do have a few tips though. I heard that Aulani is busiest in June and July. And sure enough, we were there late June to early July, and it was packed. Children everywhere. If you want a lawn chair by the pools or on the beach, you have to get there early to save them! Otherwise, you're out of luck until there's an opening. Oahu is so hot, you really do want to find a chair with a shade. However, I'd suggest bringing hats anyway. Just in case.
Also, don't make the mistake I did! Of all things to forget to bring to Hawaii, I forgot all my bathing suits. Yup. I brought everything you can think of for the me and like, 20 different swim suits each for the kids for the 7 day vacation, but I didn't bring a single one for myself. So we had to drive to the closest mall, which, unless you're a teenager with teenage taste, there really wasn't much of a swim suit collection. The "nicer" mall is about an hour away. Oahu only has that one highway, HWY 1, and during traffic hour, it's not a nice road to drive on. Aside from LA having the most traffic in the nation, Honolulu is #2 on that list. So, bring your swimsuits!
You really will enjoy Aulani. Especially your little ones. It's fun with lots of stuff to do for everyone. There are even fitness classes to take. I took a TRX class one day, and that nearly killed me. ;) There's even spinning classes (for a fee) offered at the gym. I may be the only crazy person who wants to exercise myself to exhaustion while on vacation. But hey, in case you're a lunatic like me, at least you'll have options at this resort!
On that note, thank you for reading! I hope I gave you enough suggestions and tips for you to plan your next vacation at Aulani! Click here to check out Aulani's official website to get more info. Maybe I'll see you the next time we go!
Xoxo,
Lin
The lagoons in Ko olina are open to the public. Ko olina is like a little city on its own. There are restaurants and convenience shops, art galleries, and souvenir shops. There are 3 different resorts there, and this time we chose to stay at Aulani because of the kids.
Where do I even start? There's so much to tell you! We stayed there for a week, and everyday of that week we were busy doing something. The water play alone...oh my. The water play area is ginormous! There are so many different pools, most of them only 3 feet deep so you don't have to worry too much about your kids. I say most because there are a couple of "18 and over" pools, where we didn't try out, so I couldn't tell you how deep that one is. There is also a lazy river, where you float around the water play area, and go under water falls. There is a water jungle gym area where the smaller kids can play. There is a big bucket of water in that area that sits on a higher level, and dumps water down when a bell rings. The children LOVE it.
 |
| Small slide in the water jungle gym |
There's even an area where you can go snorkeling. No, I don't mean in the lagoon, but in middle of the resort. Yup! You can rent gears from the resort, and snorkel in the resort! We didn't get to try it out, but it looked fun.
My favorite part? The lazy river slide. Oh, it was SO fun! My sons took turns going down the slide with me in a double floaty. Even I was screaming like a baby! It's super safe too; there's a light indicator on the top with a staff member who tells you when it's safe to go. No one bumps into each other, and you end up in a shallow pool below. There's also another slide that doesn't require a floaty, but I was too chicken to go down that one. :)
You can also rent kayaks, paddle boards, boogie boards, and snorkel gear to use in the lagoon as well. My kids and my husband just want to play on the beach, so we didn't rent any of those. Although it might have been fun to go on a kayak. The resort itself even have life vest rentals; I've never seen that before, I thought that was pretty neat, for the little ones that can't quite swim yet.
 |
| The lagoon |
 |
| Giant Connect Four at the beach |
The resort offers childcare too. Adults can drop their kids off at Aunty's Beach House and go for a massage. Or you can reserve an activity there for the children to enjoy, like making Stitch's Space Goo. However, just a warning...if you want to reserve any activities, you must get there early...like at 7am early. There's a line out the door because space is limited! But that's only for schedule activities though. If you just want to drop the kids off for child care, that would be fine.
It is incredibly safe at Aunty's Beach House. They give you a bracelet that you scan when your child "checks in." And when your child leaves, they have to scan the bracelet again. Adults who enter the facility have to sign in and out. There are plenty of staff that watches your children. There's a playground for them to play. And if you want, you can purchase lunch and dinner for them too. We only left our kids there for a couple of hours once (my husband felt bad leaving our daughter!).
Because we were there over Independence Day, we were able to watch fireworks from our room. Whether you have a view of the fireworks or not from your room doesn't matter though. They fire over the lagoon, so you can always watch on the beach. From what we could see from our balcony, the beach, although open to the public, wasn't too crowded. So everyone got a nice view. Fireworks were accompanied by music, they even played "Let It Go." Needless to say, my daughter was overjoyed!
 |
| Fireworks! |
The food there was pretty good. There's something for everyone. You can do fancy, or casual. The cocktails are great. There's a buffet there, and they make sure allergies are taken care of, by telling you what to avoid. There's a very casual appetizer area, where there are a couple of musicians playing the ukelele for entertainment. I just remember the Pulled Pork Flatbread Pizza that we got at Ulu Cafe that was really tasty. Mmmmm!
 |
| Delicious cocktails |
Speaking of food. One day we were on our way to the Polynesian Cultural Center, we got to stop by the famous Giovanni's Shrimp Truck for lunch. Their Shrimp Scampi was so good. Garlicky, buttery, goodness. They give you white rice to go with the plate, and the sauce and the rice together makes for a perfect combination!
 |
| Shrimp Scampi from Giovanni's Shrimp Truck |
 |
| At the Fijian center |
 |
| C and his fish |
 |
| J & K and their fish |
 |
| C & J hula dancing |
 |
| C "assisting" the Samoan host |
I would recommend Aulani to my friends now. The first time we went to Oahu, I didn't have as much fun. It was mostly because I was pregnant with my daughter, and I was so nauseous in my 1st trimester. This time we were able to enjoy it so much more since the kids are older and more self-sufficient. This was the first trip we took as a family where we didn't have to bring any baby supplies! It was a big deal for us not having to pack diapers and bottles!
I do have a few tips though. I heard that Aulani is busiest in June and July. And sure enough, we were there late June to early July, and it was packed. Children everywhere. If you want a lawn chair by the pools or on the beach, you have to get there early to save them! Otherwise, you're out of luck until there's an opening. Oahu is so hot, you really do want to find a chair with a shade. However, I'd suggest bringing hats anyway. Just in case.
Also, don't make the mistake I did! Of all things to forget to bring to Hawaii, I forgot all my bathing suits. Yup. I brought everything you can think of for the me and like, 20 different swim suits each for the kids for the 7 day vacation, but I didn't bring a single one for myself. So we had to drive to the closest mall, which, unless you're a teenager with teenage taste, there really wasn't much of a swim suit collection. The "nicer" mall is about an hour away. Oahu only has that one highway, HWY 1, and during traffic hour, it's not a nice road to drive on. Aside from LA having the most traffic in the nation, Honolulu is #2 on that list. So, bring your swimsuits!
You really will enjoy Aulani. Especially your little ones. It's fun with lots of stuff to do for everyone. There are even fitness classes to take. I took a TRX class one day, and that nearly killed me. ;) There's even spinning classes (for a fee) offered at the gym. I may be the only crazy person who wants to exercise myself to exhaustion while on vacation. But hey, in case you're a lunatic like me, at least you'll have options at this resort!
 |
| Our little superheroes all ready for water action! |
On that note, thank you for reading! I hope I gave you enough suggestions and tips for you to plan your next vacation at Aulani! Click here to check out Aulani's official website to get more info. Maybe I'll see you the next time we go!
Xoxo,
Lin
Monday, July 28, 2014
Apple Swan
So I came across this video on YouTube the other day, and decided to try it out. Next time you host a party, you can show off to your friends your new skill too! It's super easy to make and looks beautiful!
Follow the tutorial on this YouTube link here.
Xoxo,
Lin
Follow the tutorial on this YouTube link here.
Xoxo,
Lin
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Giada de Laurentiis's Orzo Salad
Hi Y'all!
It's been a ridiculously long time since I wrote a new post. What can I say. The end of the school year was incredibly busy, given I was one of the Room Parents for first grade. Then summer came around, with kids at home and vacations, there's hardly any time to breath, let alone write a post.
But here I am! I made this salad from an episode of Giada de Laurentiis's cooking show on the Food Network. I made it for a party and it was a pretty big hit. It looks absolutely beautiful too, and SO easy to make. I'd say make it for your next pool party or summer BBQ. It's a crowd pleaser!
Here's the link to the Orzo Salad recipe.
And here's a picture of my attempt! I'd say just use the Swanson brand chicken stock. I wouldn't waste my money on an organic chicken stock since all we're using it for is to flavor the orzo.
My 3-year-old daughter saw this picture and her immediate reaction was, "Mmmmmmmmm!"
Enjoy!
Xoxo,
Lin
It's been a ridiculously long time since I wrote a new post. What can I say. The end of the school year was incredibly busy, given I was one of the Room Parents for first grade. Then summer came around, with kids at home and vacations, there's hardly any time to breath, let alone write a post.
But here I am! I made this salad from an episode of Giada de Laurentiis's cooking show on the Food Network. I made it for a party and it was a pretty big hit. It looks absolutely beautiful too, and SO easy to make. I'd say make it for your next pool party or summer BBQ. It's a crowd pleaser!
Here's the link to the Orzo Salad recipe.
And here's a picture of my attempt! I'd say just use the Swanson brand chicken stock. I wouldn't waste my money on an organic chicken stock since all we're using it for is to flavor the orzo.
My 3-year-old daughter saw this picture and her immediate reaction was, "Mmmmmmmmm!"
Enjoy!
Xoxo,
Lin
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Gwen Stacy
Happy Saturday!
Ever since I watched "The Amazing Spider Man 2" with my fam bam, I have always wanted to do a post on a "Gwen Stacy" look. I. Seriously. LOVE. Her. Wardrobe! Every single outfit that Emma Stonw wore as Gwen in that movie is drool-worthy. I didn't grow up with super hero comics since I don't have any brothers. So I don't know the story at all. When (spoiler alert!) Gwen fell to her death, I was devastated. No more cute outfits to oodle at!
Since I own a blue coat, I wanted to do a look that resembled that of Gwen's outfit in that fatal scene. I found a blouse and a short skirt I already owned, threw on a pair of stockings and black boots, then voÃla!
So, here's Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy (I think I have a girl-crush on her. She's SO adorable):
And here's my version. Of course I'm no where as cute as Emma Stone. But given what I had in my closet, I think I did fairly well. :)
So, here's Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy (I think I have a girl-crush on her. She's SO adorable):
And here's my version. Of course I'm no where as cute as Emma Stone. But given what I had in my closet, I think I did fairly well. :)
Coat: J Crew from ages ago. Here's a really cute one (that channels Gwen even better!) from ASOS
Top: Lush via Nordstrom
Tights: Old from H&M, here's a pair that's even more Gwen
Boots: Old from Banana Republic, I'm loving these from Ted Baker via Zappos
Bag: Chanel
So the essential pieces you need for this look is actually pretty simple. A blouse, a mini skater skirt, a pair of stockings, a pair of boots, and a long coat. Then you've got yourself an outfit that even super heroes can't resist! ;)
Have a good rest of the weekend!
Xoxo,
Lin
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Professional But Not Uptight
Hi All!
My goodness, it's been almost about a month since I wrote the last post! It's been too insanely busy these days. I'm sure all of you with school-aged children can relate. The end of the school year is almost as insane as the beginning of the school year. All these activities and field trips. On top of it all, you're trying to plan family vacations for the summer. And not to mention trying to find summer camps to keep your little wild animals busy. Ahhhh...the joy of motherhood. ;)
I had to attend a meeting for the boys' school today. I was one of the room parents for my sons' first grade class. Today was our last meeting (hooray!). I am normally a leggings and a simple sweater kind of mom. But since it's meeting day, I thought I'd step it up a notch. :) You know, days like this, I DO try a little.
So here's what I put together last night before I fell asleep with a (very heavy) 3 year old resting on my stomach. I wanted to look professional but not uptight.
My goodness, it's been almost about a month since I wrote the last post! It's been too insanely busy these days. I'm sure all of you with school-aged children can relate. The end of the school year is almost as insane as the beginning of the school year. All these activities and field trips. On top of it all, you're trying to plan family vacations for the summer. And not to mention trying to find summer camps to keep your little wild animals busy. Ahhhh...the joy of motherhood. ;)
I had to attend a meeting for the boys' school today. I was one of the room parents for my sons' first grade class. Today was our last meeting (hooray!). I am normally a leggings and a simple sweater kind of mom. But since it's meeting day, I thought I'd step it up a notch. :) You know, days like this, I DO try a little.
So here's what I put together last night before I fell asleep with a (very heavy) 3 year old resting on my stomach. I wanted to look professional but not uptight.
Blazer: Topshop via Nordstrom
Pants: Paige Denim via Nordstrom
Shoes: Kate Spade via Nordstrom
Bag: Louis Vuitton Monceau BB Cross Body Bag
I think I pulled off the look pretty well, don't you think? I love the whole peplum look of my blazer. I recently discovered Topshop (I know, I'm so old, how can I have only just discovered Topshop now?!), and came across this beautiful blazer. I'd been looking for a structured white blazer for while, and this one works perfectly! For Mother's Day, my hubby generously bought (ok, it's more like I bought it myself) the cross body bag for me. I had been looking for one for months. I looked at the Valentino Rockstud, the Celine ones, the Prada, Fendi, Chanel, you name it, I looked. Then I finally came across this one and absolutely fell in love with it! Cross body bags are so trendy right now, and I felt this burgundy-ish, eggplant-ish color works well with every outfit. So far, I haven't been able to put it down! It was a great investment! Thank you, Babe! ;)
Have a wonderful Thursday evening, everyone! Oh! Nordstrom is having their Anniversary Sale. Go. Shop. NOW!
Xoxo,
Lin
Friday, May 2, 2014
Mommy Life Hacks
So we've all seen those "Life Hacks" on Pinterest that gives you tips on how to make your life easier. I've got a few up my sleeves as well. I must say these have helped me in one way or another. You gotta give it to a mom of twins to figure out how to do things easier. So...drumroll, please!
1) Tickle them awake - You know those mornings when you have to wake your kids up for school? Maybe you don't, because your kids actually fall asleep at a decent hour. But I have my twins in one room, and even though I put them in bed no later then 8:30pm, who knows what time they actually fall asleep. Once I leave the room, I think they stay up and chit chat for another 30 minutes about Legos or Clash of Clans. So naturally, they can't wake up in the mornings for school! I used to have to yell and threaten and give time-outs. But I finally got smart and thought I'd just tickle them until they physically get out of bed. I mean, it's genius! What else can make you wake up faster than loud, insane laughter? It works SO well. They're wide awake after a couple of minutes of incessant tickling, and I go my merry way downstairs to prepare breakfast. No fights, no anger; everyone is happy. :)
2) Unloading the dishwasher - You don't need to be a mom to use this trick. I read this somewhere but can't remember where. We have two dishwashers at home. But with 5 people in the house, sometimes I feel like I need 10 dishwashers. I don't mind loading them, but it's the unloading that drives me crazy. So now after one load of dishes are done, when I need clean ones, I just go directly to the clean dishes that are still in the dishwasher. That way, as time goes by, there are less dishes in the dishwasher to unload, and less dishes to load into the dishwashers. Love this tip. Even if you have just one, or two, or even more, this trick works.
3) Kids sleep in traveling clothes - Maybe you already do this, but I recently just learned this trick from a dear friend (you know who you are). I was telling her one day how much trouble it would be to get my kids ready in the morning to catch a 6am flight. She told me to dress the kids in the clothes they'd be traveling in when they go to bed. You know, just sweatpants and t-shirts and stuff. That way, you at least eliminate one thing you need to do. I was like, "why didn't I think of that?!" And we've been doing that ever since. It doesn't sound like a lot of time saved for those of you w/o children, but those of you that do have kids, you know what I mean!
4) Save plastic "kids" cups from restaurants - Those plastic "kids" cups that we get from restaurants when we order the kids meals really come in handy. On those mornings when we're running late for school (which is like, every morning), I make the kids breakfast and take them with me, then pour their milk in those kids cups with lids, and there you go! Breakfast in the car. It's nice because those cups already have lids. And it's the perfect portion for a meal. No more having to buy sippy cups at Target, and you get to help Mother Nature by re-using those restaurant cups more than once.
5) Do a potluck picnic instead of a sit-down meal - I thought of this when the boys were still very little. A bunch of our friends decided that we were going to go to the aquarium together with all our little ones. And we wanted to have lunch before we went. We were going to find a restaurant that would accommodate us all. I suggested that it might be better if each family brought some food to share, and just have a picnic at a nearby park. That way, the kids can eat and play at the same time, and we wouldn't be driving ourselves crazy trying to keep them in their seats, which is what we would've had to do had we been in a restaurant. This went well, except we were late and the picnic was over by the time we got there! Ha!
6) Go to dress rehearsals - For those of you with children who have school performances. If the school holds dress rehearsals and the school allows parents to go to those, because they want to accommodate everyone's schedule, then GO TO THOSE. Seriously. It's the same as the actual performance, only with significantly LESS PEOPLE. We just experienced that this week. My husband couldn't go to the actual performance today, so he went to the dress rehearsal yesterday. I went to both. And let me tell you, there were only maybe 10 parents there at most yesterday, with plenty of parking, as opposed to today, where it was almost impossible to find parking, and a mob of people fighting to get the "best" spot so they can see their own children perform and get good pictures. My husband got beautiful pictures yesterday of our daughter. It's a no brainer. Every year we're attending the dress rehearsals.
That's about all I can think of right now off the top of my head. When I think of more, of course I'll post them and share them with you. TGIF!
xoxo,
Lin
1) Tickle them awake - You know those mornings when you have to wake your kids up for school? Maybe you don't, because your kids actually fall asleep at a decent hour. But I have my twins in one room, and even though I put them in bed no later then 8:30pm, who knows what time they actually fall asleep. Once I leave the room, I think they stay up and chit chat for another 30 minutes about Legos or Clash of Clans. So naturally, they can't wake up in the mornings for school! I used to have to yell and threaten and give time-outs. But I finally got smart and thought I'd just tickle them until they physically get out of bed. I mean, it's genius! What else can make you wake up faster than loud, insane laughter? It works SO well. They're wide awake after a couple of minutes of incessant tickling, and I go my merry way downstairs to prepare breakfast. No fights, no anger; everyone is happy. :)
2) Unloading the dishwasher - You don't need to be a mom to use this trick. I read this somewhere but can't remember where. We have two dishwashers at home. But with 5 people in the house, sometimes I feel like I need 10 dishwashers. I don't mind loading them, but it's the unloading that drives me crazy. So now after one load of dishes are done, when I need clean ones, I just go directly to the clean dishes that are still in the dishwasher. That way, as time goes by, there are less dishes in the dishwasher to unload, and less dishes to load into the dishwashers. Love this tip. Even if you have just one, or two, or even more, this trick works.
3) Kids sleep in traveling clothes - Maybe you already do this, but I recently just learned this trick from a dear friend (you know who you are). I was telling her one day how much trouble it would be to get my kids ready in the morning to catch a 6am flight. She told me to dress the kids in the clothes they'd be traveling in when they go to bed. You know, just sweatpants and t-shirts and stuff. That way, you at least eliminate one thing you need to do. I was like, "why didn't I think of that?!" And we've been doing that ever since. It doesn't sound like a lot of time saved for those of you w/o children, but those of you that do have kids, you know what I mean!
4) Save plastic "kids" cups from restaurants - Those plastic "kids" cups that we get from restaurants when we order the kids meals really come in handy. On those mornings when we're running late for school (which is like, every morning), I make the kids breakfast and take them with me, then pour their milk in those kids cups with lids, and there you go! Breakfast in the car. It's nice because those cups already have lids. And it's the perfect portion for a meal. No more having to buy sippy cups at Target, and you get to help Mother Nature by re-using those restaurant cups more than once.
5) Do a potluck picnic instead of a sit-down meal - I thought of this when the boys were still very little. A bunch of our friends decided that we were going to go to the aquarium together with all our little ones. And we wanted to have lunch before we went. We were going to find a restaurant that would accommodate us all. I suggested that it might be better if each family brought some food to share, and just have a picnic at a nearby park. That way, the kids can eat and play at the same time, and we wouldn't be driving ourselves crazy trying to keep them in their seats, which is what we would've had to do had we been in a restaurant. This went well, except we were late and the picnic was over by the time we got there! Ha!
6) Go to dress rehearsals - For those of you with children who have school performances. If the school holds dress rehearsals and the school allows parents to go to those, because they want to accommodate everyone's schedule, then GO TO THOSE. Seriously. It's the same as the actual performance, only with significantly LESS PEOPLE. We just experienced that this week. My husband couldn't go to the actual performance today, so he went to the dress rehearsal yesterday. I went to both. And let me tell you, there were only maybe 10 parents there at most yesterday, with plenty of parking, as opposed to today, where it was almost impossible to find parking, and a mob of people fighting to get the "best" spot so they can see their own children perform and get good pictures. My husband got beautiful pictures yesterday of our daughter. It's a no brainer. Every year we're attending the dress rehearsals.
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| Our beautiful and silly little munchkin |
That's about all I can think of right now off the top of my head. When I think of more, of course I'll post them and share them with you. TGIF!
xoxo,
Lin
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Summer in April
Hi Everyone!
It sure is hot here in So Cal. I don't know what happened...it was pouring last week then all of sudden this heat wave. That's ok, it gives us more reason to utilize our pool.
I've been wanting to showcase this beautiful dress for a while now...just never got the chance to after we returned from Taiwan. It is so much work just pose for pictures! I have to put extra makeup on , curl my hair, decide on what to pair with the dress, etc. I have a whole new appreciation for fashion bloggers now! I'm getting a haircut tomorrow, so I wanted to curl my hair one more time before I sport a brand new 'do. Most moms can relate...it's such a pain having long hair when you're dealing with kids. I find myself putting my hair in a ponytail almost all the time. The time has come to part ways with my long hair. See you next year!
Enough about the hair. I wrote this post to tell you about my clothes. I saw this Alice & Olivia dress online one day and just had to have it. I love it because it has a halter top, which is not very commonly seen. Nevermind that it completely exposes my back; I can only wear it when I go out with either my husband or my girlfriends. ;) I LOVE this dress. I wish I had more opportunity to wear it! Hint, hint to the hubby! ;)
The color of the dress is silver, I'd normally go with silver accessories, but I thought the red in my Saint Laurent clutch would pop against the silver background. And since there was gold on the clutch, I paired my accessories to match the bag.
It sure is hot here in So Cal. I don't know what happened...it was pouring last week then all of sudden this heat wave. That's ok, it gives us more reason to utilize our pool.
I've been wanting to showcase this beautiful dress for a while now...just never got the chance to after we returned from Taiwan. It is so much work just pose for pictures! I have to put extra makeup on , curl my hair, decide on what to pair with the dress, etc. I have a whole new appreciation for fashion bloggers now! I'm getting a haircut tomorrow, so I wanted to curl my hair one more time before I sport a brand new 'do. Most moms can relate...it's such a pain having long hair when you're dealing with kids. I find myself putting my hair in a ponytail almost all the time. The time has come to part ways with my long hair. See you next year!
Enough about the hair. I wrote this post to tell you about my clothes. I saw this Alice & Olivia dress online one day and just had to have it. I love it because it has a halter top, which is not very commonly seen. Nevermind that it completely exposes my back; I can only wear it when I go out with either my husband or my girlfriends. ;) I LOVE this dress. I wish I had more opportunity to wear it! Hint, hint to the hubby! ;)
The color of the dress is silver, I'd normally go with silver accessories, but I thought the red in my Saint Laurent clutch would pop against the silver background. And since there was gold on the clutch, I paired my accessories to match the bag.
Dress: Alice & Olivia, old; for the life of me I can't find it online anywhere, but here's another really cute Alice & Olivia dress
Shoes: Badgley Mischka, super old; these here by Ivanka Trump are similar
Bag: Saint Laurent Ligne Y Clutch
Bracelet: Hermes H Bracelet
Thanks for reading, happy shopping!
Xoxo,
Lin
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Three's A Crowd...Pleaser!
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone!
Today I wanted to share recipes for three dishes. Two of which I made last week, and one that I made last night. Everything is easy-peasy...the third might be a little more time-consuming, but this one isn't mine really, I followed a cookbook. So maybe you can at least incorporate the first two dishes in your dinner plans tonight!
These are the dishes: Broccoli Beef, Tofu with Shitake Mushrooms, and Lemon Chicken.
I. First up, Broccoli Beef. Honestly, I don't make this often. Don't get me wrong, my family loves this dish, even the most picky eaters like C would eat even the broccoli on this dish. But gosh, is it ever so time-consuming for me to have to peel off the broccoli "skin" on the stems! My boys are picky enough that they will only eat the broccoli stems, and if I don't peel of the broccoli skin, then they won't eat them. But if your family isn't as picky as mine, then you don't have that to worry about!
Ingredients:
2-3 bunches of broccoli (depending on your family size)
1 piece of steak (any kind will do)
2 tsp of salt
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 cup of oil
1/2 cup of water
Marinade for beef (see my previous posts here for recipe)
Steps:
1) cut beef into 1-2 inch wide slices, place in marinade and set aside. let marinade for about 10-15 min
2) wash then cut broccoli into bite-size pieces
3) heat 1/2 cup oil in pan
4) when oil is heated, toss beef in. cook until just about done, scoop up, set aside.
5) heat remaining oil in pan, toss in garlic pieces.
6) when garlic is golden brown, toss in broccoli. stir until coated with oil, then toss beef back in.
7) turn heat down to medium, pour water into the dish, cover and let cook for about 10 minutes.
8) turn heat back up, toss the dish and cook about 2 minutes, scoop, and serve!
Today I wanted to share recipes for three dishes. Two of which I made last week, and one that I made last night. Everything is easy-peasy...the third might be a little more time-consuming, but this one isn't mine really, I followed a cookbook. So maybe you can at least incorporate the first two dishes in your dinner plans tonight!
These are the dishes: Broccoli Beef, Tofu with Shitake Mushrooms, and Lemon Chicken.
I. First up, Broccoli Beef. Honestly, I don't make this often. Don't get me wrong, my family loves this dish, even the most picky eaters like C would eat even the broccoli on this dish. But gosh, is it ever so time-consuming for me to have to peel off the broccoli "skin" on the stems! My boys are picky enough that they will only eat the broccoli stems, and if I don't peel of the broccoli skin, then they won't eat them. But if your family isn't as picky as mine, then you don't have that to worry about!
Ingredients:
2-3 bunches of broccoli (depending on your family size)
1 piece of steak (any kind will do)
2 tsp of salt
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 cup of oil
1/2 cup of water
Marinade for beef (see my previous posts here for recipe)
Steps:
1) cut beef into 1-2 inch wide slices, place in marinade and set aside. let marinade for about 10-15 min
2) wash then cut broccoli into bite-size pieces
3) heat 1/2 cup oil in pan
4) when oil is heated, toss beef in. cook until just about done, scoop up, set aside.
5) heat remaining oil in pan, toss in garlic pieces.
6) when garlic is golden brown, toss in broccoli. stir until coated with oil, then toss beef back in.
7) turn heat down to medium, pour water into the dish, cover and let cook for about 10 minutes.
8) turn heat back up, toss the dish and cook about 2 minutes, scoop, and serve!
II. Second dish, the Tofu with Shitake Mushrooms. For my dish I used silken tofu, and although they don't hold up too well, they are delicious. If you like your tofu to remain in the rectangular shape, then I suggest you use firmer tofu.
Ingredients:
1 box tofu
5-6 shitake mushrooms
2 stalk green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup oil
Steps:
1) If you're using dried Shitake Mushrooms, first soak them in warm water. If not, just cut the mushrooms into fours
2) cut tofu into small rectangles, about 1 inch long and 2 inches wide.
3) heat oil in pan, throw in garlic when heated.
4) throw in tofu first, toss and let cook about a minute, then toss mushrooms in.
5) pour soy sauce in dish, turn down heat, cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
6) when just about ready, toss green onions in. Serve!
III. The last but not least, is Lemon Chicken. For this dish, I actually followed the recipe in a cookbook called Quick and Easy Chinese, 70 Everyday Recipes, by Nancie McDermott. You can find it here on Amazon. I made the dish exactly as the book instructed, but I'd do some things differently next time. I find that there were too much of certain ingredients, so next time, I'd cut down. And I'd also marinade the chicken strips with my marinade (referenced above in the Broccoli Beef recipe) beforehand. Because without marinading them first, I find them lacking in taste.
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 lb bonelss, skinless chicken breast (or thighs, which is what I used)
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 lemon juice
1/2 cup oil
2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced like the picture below
Steps:
1) cut chicken into strips, marinade and let stand for 10 minutes
2) mix flour and salt in a bowl, dip chicken in them and set aside
3) in a sauce pan, combine chicken stock, sugar, ginger, soy sauce, salt, and lemon juice.
4) in a small bowl, combine cornstarch with water. mix.
5) bring the chicken stock mixture into a gentle boil, then add the cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil again. Then cover and remove from heat, set aside.
6) heat oil in frying pan. place pieces of chicken in the oil. cook each side for about 1-2 minutes, then transfer them into another dish.
7) when chicken is done, pour lemon sauce over chicken, and sprinkle green onions over the dish.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Double Chocolate Banana Bread Muffins
Hi Everyone!
I hope everyone had a great Easter! We sure did. We had a family Easter brunch with cousins and grandma, the boys and I then went to another Easter BBQ while Daddy took a nap with K. Needless to say, we had a lot of yummy food. The kids had fun hunting Easter eggs; K only gathered the pink ones. What can I say, she's special like that! ;)
Anyway, I've been making this double chocolate banana bread for a long time, but this is my first time making it into muffins. They're SO delicious, and such a good way to use up your old bananas. I got this recipe from Pinterest, I can't take credit for it. But the only thing I changed was the baking time. Instead of baking for the suggested 60-70 minutes, in muffin pans, you only need to bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
The recipe is from this website:
http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2009/05/double-chocolate-banana-bread
Don't forget, if you want to make them into muffins, reduce the baking time to only 30 minutes!
Xoxo,
Lin
I hope everyone had a great Easter! We sure did. We had a family Easter brunch with cousins and grandma, the boys and I then went to another Easter BBQ while Daddy took a nap with K. Needless to say, we had a lot of yummy food. The kids had fun hunting Easter eggs; K only gathered the pink ones. What can I say, she's special like that! ;)
Anyway, I've been making this double chocolate banana bread for a long time, but this is my first time making it into muffins. They're SO delicious, and such a good way to use up your old bananas. I got this recipe from Pinterest, I can't take credit for it. But the only thing I changed was the baking time. Instead of baking for the suggested 60-70 minutes, in muffin pans, you only need to bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
The recipe is from this website:
http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2009/05/double-chocolate-banana-bread
Don't forget, if you want to make them into muffins, reduce the baking time to only 30 minutes!
Xoxo,
Lin
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Chicken Noodle Soup
Hi There!
Ever since I got back from Taiwan, I've been trying to get the fam bam back on track. It took a while to get over the jet lag. I probably cooked a whopping total of once last week. But this week is a little better, therefore I was able to make some delicious dinners.
Yesterday the boys had Chinese tutoring right after school. We didn't get home until 5:30 in the evening. So I decided to make a pot of Chicken Noodle Soup. So easy and quick, and it's got all the nutritious stuff in there. Here's the recipe:
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
7 quarts water
1 whole chicken
6 stalks of celery
4 carrots, peeled
3 small onions
6 Roma tomatoes, or 3 beefsteak tomatoes
3 tablespoons of salt
half a package of pasta (I used min wheels, but any shape will do)
cilantro, chopped up into tiny pieces
Optional
I couldn't find celery in the Japanese market I went to yesterday, so I substituted celery with cabbage and mushroom. Perfect for my husband because he hates celery. And sure enough, he loved the soup last night!
Steps
1) Fill pot with chicken and water, cook chicken until boiling. Dump water. This step is to clean the chicken and cook off all the bacteria.
2) Fill pot with fresh water again, cook chicken until boiling again. Turn down heat and let cook with a soft boil. You will let chicken cook like this for the next 2 hours. Flavor the stock with salt. Add or subtract accordingly.
3) Chop all vegetables into 1-inch size, set aside
4) Cook pasta according to package directions, when done, set aside.
5) When chicken is about an hour into cooking, throw all the vegetables and pasta in
6) Throw in cilantro 15 minutes before soup is done.
7) You can flavor your own bowl of soup with a few splashes of Tapatio sauce if you'd like. Adds a kick to the soup.
Serves at least 8 adults as a meal!
Xoxo,
Lin
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Taiwan in Pictures
Hi there! They say pictures speak a thousand words. So of course I had to talk about Taiwan with not just my lovely Hemingway-esq prose but my Ansel Adam-esq photography too. ;) Ok, all cheesy jokes aside, I finally uploaded all the pictures on my computer! I took some of these photos, and my uncle and cousin took some too. I will post as many as I find interesting and as this post will allow. :) Warning - a lot of good stuff up ahead!
1) Fun Kids Stuff
2) Food
3) Shopping
4) Clubbing
5) Anniversary Pictures
1) Fun Kids Stuff
Baby Boss - kids get to try different "professions" and earn Baby Bucks
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| Mechanics |
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| Magician - she made her own balloon sword! |
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| Artists |
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| Stylist - K got to style her own Barbie! |
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| Robot Engineers - this one you can't get in unless you made enough Baby Bucks from your previous "jobs" |
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| K in Her Pizza Chef Gear |
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| Pizza Chefs Hard at Work! |
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| Enjoying the Fruits of Their Labor! |
Taipei Children's Recreational Center - It's not very big, with only about 7 rides, each ride costing about USD $0.60. But there are arcade games, snacks, and a couple of playgrounds too. The ice cream is imported from Korea and it's extra delicious! We went on a weekday so there were barely anyone there. It's like enjoying Disneyland w/o the lines! It was awesome!
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| Spinning Tea Cups! |
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| Can you tell the boys were SUPER excited to ride their own motorcycles?! |
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| Swings - didn't move too fast. But K wasn't able to go on it. |
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| Mini Farris Wheel |
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| Enjoying Korean Ice Cream with Grandma |
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| Even K got to "drive" her own car! |
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| Of course we had to ride Thomas the Train in the Arcade |
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| One of the Playgrounds |
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| Dragon Boat |
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| Merry-Go-Round |
Ferris Wheel - supposedly the tallest Ferris Wheel in Taipei? It was pretty high up, and we had a clear bottom so I was pretty freaked out!
Swimming - on days we don't have any plans, I take the kids swimming at our hotel. We stayed at the W Hotel
Clay Model Making - on the top floors of most of the department stores, there are instructors that will assist children in making clay models. It takes about 40 minutes to an hour to make it, and costs less than $15 USD. It's amazing what they can make with clay!
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| The boys trying to choose which clay model to make |
2) Food
I apologize I can't recall the name of this restaurant, but it's where my extended family gathered to celebrate my two uncles' birthdays. This dish that this young lady prepared is consisted of deep fried sweet potatoes, glazed with maple syrup, then dipped in cold water to harden the syrup. The lady then used a fork to make hair-like strands of maple sugar with a fork. It's amazing, really, what she did. Then she made the whole maple sugar thing into some kind of sculpture. I was beyond impressed.
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| Hard at Work |
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| The Result - pretty amazing, isn't it? |
This here is from the Shabu Shabu restaurant my cousin brought us to. At the end of our meal, the waitress used the leftover broth and made it into congee (rice porridge). Oh.My.God. It was so delicious. Why doesn't any of the Shabu Shabu restaurants here do that?!
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| Congee |
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| Shabu Shabu sauces |
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| Taro and Red Bean Dessert |
Before we left, I treated my uncle, aunt, and cousin to a meal at our hotel. The food is so good. The Peking Duck had all these parings to go with it. The squash was cooked in chicken stock that's been cooking for 4 hours. And the pumpkin soup had chicken stock mixed in it with bits of crab meat. K thoroughly enjoyed every bite of food!
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| Peking Duck Pairings |
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| Squash with Chicken Stock |
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| Pumpkin Soup - yup, that's a fleck of gold on top! |
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| Tofu Stuffed with Pork |
Fruits - shown here are bell fruit, and dates
Boba Drink - this one is milk tea sweetened with brown sugar. Boba, in case you don't know what it is, is tapioca balls. When cooked right, they are so deliciously chewy and sweetened just right....which is about every single boba drink in Taiwan!
So right before I left, I finally had time to walk around the department store right next to my hotel. And on the bottom floor it was all restaurants and bakeries. I wasn't able to take pictures of the food since I had to feed 3 kids, but I got photos of the baked goods. They are adorable and delicious as well!
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| Donuts |
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| Cakes |
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| Macarons |
3) Shopping
Street Shopping - there are so many street shopping in Taiwan, and street shopping is super inexpensive. My mother got K a few dresses, with each costing $3.00 USD each! But of course, it depends what you buy. :) I don't think little girls' clothes are made out of anything other than your basic cotton.
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| This particular picture was taken at one of the many underground street shopping places |
As you can see, my mom is pretty happy. :) She is releasing her inner shopaholic! I wrote about shopping with my cousin at slightly more expensive places. But sorry I can't provide you with pictures! I was too busy releasing my inner shopaholic! ;)
Department stores - well, I'll be honest with you. I had no interest in shopping in department stores at first. My reasoning is, well, we have department stores here in the States. Why do I need to shop at the stores there? Well, I was wrong. The stuff there in the department stores are not like the ones here. Most stuff are imported from Korea or Japan, and of course there are stuff made in Taiwan and China. I guess because it's a different culture? But stuff there are just...different. More delicate, I guess. The only picture I have is a picture of my cousin with the munchkins. This was after our Shabu dinner, with the restaurant located on the top floor of an especially expensive department store, with Hermes and Chanel and all kinds of other luxury goods stores.
4) Clubbing
I can't tell you which clubs I visited...but everything is seriously within walking distance from my hotel. My cousin and I took the taxi, and we arrive within 5 minutes. They're all in one building, one club to another. It was so much fun. If you're not into dancing, you can start by relaxing at the lounge upstairs. Then work your way down...club hopping. My cousin knew all the ins and outs. She got us to sit at the VIP seats, we hung out with Taiwanese celebrities and club owners alike. Let me tell you, I totally had fun, if you know what I mean! It brings me back to our pre-children days, when my hubby and I would hang out with our friends on the weekends. ;)
5) Anniversary Pictures
And here they are! I only posted a few because my hubby is camera shy. :) Like I said, the Taiwanese are well-known for this. It literally took a village to get these photos done. When I booked the package, I had to select the photographer I wanted. Then the day after we arrived, I had to choose my outfit and get fitted (they alter the dresses for you the day you try them on). Then the next day we arrive at the studio for makeup and hair at 7am, and the actual photo shoot took an entire day. We didn't finish until about 7pm. We got the family portraits done early because, well, those of you with kids know this. Kids don't do well with professional photo sessions. So after the kids did their part, my uncle, aunt, and mom took them out for food and to a local park. Then two days after the shoot, we had to look through and choose our pictures. A week later, looking through and checking the re-touched photos. All in all, the whole process took about 2 weeks, and cost about USD $2,000. This is considered super inexpensive! When my hubby and I got our engagement pictures done 10 years ago, at a similar studio but here in the States, it cost us around USD $8,000. With my Taiwanese package, we got a huge acrylic cover bounded album with 36 retouched pictures, 1 framed 30" picture, 2 framed desktop 8x10 pictures, 2 smaller albums for each of our mothers, and a CD. BTW, these pictures were taken at the studio called Sophia Ritz. The daughter of the former Taiwanese president got her engagement photos done here as well.
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| I love this one because this person shown here is such a fantastic creation! Ha! I'm so not like this in person! ;) |
And that's it for now! I have so many other pictures saved on another disk, but we can't find the camera that it's sitting in. :P But hopefully you got a more thorough look into what Taiwan can offer. We came for our anniversary pictures but wanted to make sure the kids had fun too. We achieved both missions with satisfaction. We all left Taiwan a few pounds heavier, a little less stressed, our wallets a little lighter (ha!), and came back to the US very, very jet-lagged. But we're happy! I'm actually going through my day-to-day routine with less stress and more focus. And I'm more in touch with my family in Taiwan. I'd say this was a spring break well-spent. I hope, through my writing and pictures of Taiwan, I have inspired you to put Taiwan in your future travel plans. It really is a fun place to visit, with something for everyone. :) Maybe I'll see you on our next visit there! ;)
Xoxo,
Lin
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