Skincare & Makeup Staples

Everyone goes through numerous skincare and makeup products, but what are some staple items that just stick year after year, bottle after bottle, tube after tube, lash curler after lash curler? My personal skincare and makeup products aren't comparable in quantity when compared to others, but for me, I found a few items of mine that have have become a staple, go-to item that I'd like to share.

#1: Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve

I have really sensitive skin, and when I had my phase of extremely dry hands, this was my miracle-working solution. It's thick and my skin absorbs it immediately, and lasts through a couple of hand washes so you don't have to constantly reapply every time after you leave the ladies room. It leaves my hands feeling very smooth and soft, and most importantly, not disgustingly greasy. It was the only product that I've purchased in bulk just because I was afraid of it getting discontinued...then what was I going to do with my super dry and tight hands? Now, I look crazy with my box full of my lifetime supply. If you're familiar with this product, I personally feel that the new formula from recent purchases is lighter in consistency compared to the older formula which was very thick, but at the perfect 'salve' consistency for me. Over time, I've found my hands less dependent on products and significantly improve.

#2: Kiehl's Sodium PCA Oil-Free Moisturizer

Since I was in high school, I was introduced to Kiehl's. I have combination-oily skin, but very dry and tight when I step out of the shower, especially during winter. This is great as an everyday moisturizer, no fragrance -- gets the job done perfectly.

#3: Origins Starting Over Moisturizer

This is the newest moisturizer that I've tried and so far, it's great. It might have even bumped my long-time Kiehl's Sodium PCA moisturizer down. It is packed with age-erasing properties with mimosa. It smells like oranges and leaves my skin extremely smooth. Very, very smooth.

#4: M.A.C. Fluidline Eyeliner and Paint Pot in Rubenesque

M.A.C. is my go-to for anything makeup for the eyes. It stays put all day, or longer I'm sure, until you take it off. It never creases, melts, smudges, or "disappears". I've tried the Bobbi Brown gel liner but it disappears over time. The Paint Pot is great as it stays put and doesn't budge one bit. I use it as a "primer" and my darker eyeshadows over it and it really brightens my eyes and allows the other colors to sit on and stand out. I find it complements my skin tone and eyeshadows better than regular primers, such as Urban Decay's famous Potion Primer. 

#5: M.A.C. Mineralize Blush in Dainty

This is my favorite blush. It is a little peachy pink with very subtle glitter for a nice glow. It brightens up my face and is a young, casual, and fun. 

#6: Shiseido The Makeup Corrector Pencil

This amazing little pencil has been my daily concealer pencil for the past 8 or so years. It matches my skin color perfectly and looks very natural. I recommended it to one of my friends and she loved it so much she bought a few more and said she keeps one in her white coat pocket during rotations for any mini touch ups!

#7: Laura Mercier Eyeliner Pencil in Black Gold

I saw this beautiful color on a blogger's makeup post and I fell in love with it. I quickly ran to the closest Sephora and it was a must-have. I use it for the inner corners along the bottom lash line, and boy does it make a difference. The only downside is that it slightly smudges so I have to check up on it occasionally.

#8: Cle de Peau Essence Contour Des Yeux Anti-Cernes

My lunch buddy at NM was the product specialist for Cle de Peau. She would tell me to try this and that. One of my favorite products is this eye cream. Here, it's a deluxe sample size that I bring when I travel. Two of the things I love most about Cle de Peau is the soft and subtle fragrance that is just so luxurious, and the beautiful and elegant packaging.

#9: Chanel Precision Demaquillant Yeux Intense & Neutrogena Oil-Free Makeup Remover

Both are the best among the eye makeup removers I've used. The Chanel makeup remover is very gentle and smells great. The Neutrogena is fragrance-free and is very gentle. Honestly, I love them both equally. But if I were to choose, I'll have to pick the Neutrogena due to quality in relation to price point.

#10: Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara

This is the best mascara that I've used. It looks very natural, lengthens, doesn't smudge, and lasts all day. Perfect!

#11: Chanel & NARS lip gloss, Fresh's SUGAR lip treatment in original and rose

The lip glosses have beautiful colors, great quality, great consistency, and great packaging. Fresh's SUGAR lip treatment is the best lip balm/stick I've ever tried. Once I applied it, I just had to have it. It's very smooth and smells great. Lip products cannot have an unpleasant scent, it's just a no-no.

#12: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

It's not overhyped. Curls instantly, and holds.

#13: Hair "Patch" from Asia

This is one of the most genius products. It holds up my bangs for every morning and evening routine. Thanks to my wonderful "big sister", she brought this back from Taiwan for me along with some other Asian goodies. This is the most useful product I've used. Of course, other items were all food related.

#14: Dior Anticerne Perfecteur Long-Wearing Moisturizing Concealer - discontinued

The best moisturizing concealer. When it comes to Dior and the word concealer, my eyes light up because this is the product that got me through college and concealed all imperfections due to all-nighters. The makers of this amazing product has changed it to a nude colored tube and introduced them in four shades, instead of three (blue tube edition).

I recently picked up Make Up For Ever's  Duo Mat Powder Foundation. I read the overwhelming positive reviews and decided to give it a try. We'll see if it's a new addition to the staple collection family.

What are some of the best products that have become staple items in your routine? 

Tustin Roadhouse

Ever since I moved down to Southern California, I discovered this amazing thing called BBQ. Before, I never liked attending bbq's, like the ones we have in our court for 4th of July. I was introduced to Lucille's by a friend in college and I was hooked.

I've been going to Lucille's about once or twice every month or two. It's conveniently located just 3 minutes from where I currently live. When I feel like having some southern comfort food, I hop on over. My favorites are their garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, and mac&cheese. You can never, never ever, go wrong with mac&cheese (unless it's from a box, no thanks.)

A few weeks ago, I decided to try a different bbq restaurant, with hopes of finding something possibly better, and something for comparison -- Tustin Roadhouse.

It's located in old town Tustin. One thing they definitely got right was the "old" part. I felt like I was in a totally different era, considering it's just minutes from South Coast Plaza. Very different people, very different vibe, very different everything.

I appreciate places with creative coasters. This place had cardboard postcards as their coasters.

For two people, we ordered an appetizer, two entrees, and a dessert. It was a lot more food than we could handle, but we wanted to try this and that.

For our appetizer, we ordered the Spark Plug Buffalo Wings. It came with celery + thick and creamy ranch dipping sauce. It was good, but I felt the seasoning was a bit too overpowering.

We also ordered the full rack of St. Louis Spare Ribs. We were disappointed they didn't have the baby back ribs (what we normally order at Lucille's). It was definitely "fall off the bone" satisfaction, but I felt they forgot the glaze. The meat was good, but the flavoring could have been better. I even thought they forgot the bbq sauce? Thankfully there were condiments on the side so we could adjust to our
taste. On the side, it was served with coleslaw, baked beans, spinach (the dark blob next to the ribs), and a slice of their famous blueberry cornbread. Unfortunately, the only thing I enjoyed in this entire entree was the cornbread.

 

I've heard pretty good things about their Buttermilk Fried Chicken. The fried chicken breast was smothered with thyme country gravy, served with Yukon gold mashed potatoes & garlic spinach. I would say this is my favorite dish of all. The thyme gravy was good, but I quickly got tired of it. Then at the end, it was too heavy.

 

For dessert, we ordered their homemade banana pudding. It came served in a mason jar, which was honestly a bit hard to eat out of. The concept was cute, but that was about it. The pudding itself was just alright. It claimed to have real bananas inside, so I was really looking forward to it. Out of the entire jar, I was sad to only have one slice of banana. If you've ever had Marie Callender's banana cream pie, the ripe scent of bananas was there, but it was definitely not as smooth as Marie Callender's. Inside it had Nilla vanilla wafers, which was alright. I would have probably preferred them to skip the vanilla wafers.

Overall, the service was great. They were very fast and friendly. One thing I absolutely can't stand is slow service. Some say I don't appreciate the dining experience, but I'm really there for the food. I wish I had taken pictures of the inside of the restaurant, because I found it quite unique. I'm not a southerner, or had visited anywhere truly southern, so I would need pictures to describe what I saw.

Our conclusion was that it was good, we would go back maybe in a few months, but our favorite is still Lucille's. I know many people have said that there is way better bbq than Lucille's, but until I find another one I really like, I'll be happy to visit Lucille's as my default bbq location. If there's any bbq places anyone can recommend, I'd be more than happy to try!

Fall Favorites

Fall is my favorite season. I love the crisp and chilly morning air as I'm bundled up with a warm sweater and scarf. Here in southern California, the weather has finally taken a turn and the leaves are slowly starting to change color.

The chilly early mornings and evenings remind me of weather back home in northern California and childhood memories where I always visited Starbucks and Noah's Bagels while strolling along University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto with my mom. Now that I'm hundreds of miles away, the cold and crisp air brings back great memories of years that have passed so quickly.

Moving on to things I love about fall... these are a few things that I feel that makes fall, fall!

1. Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte - When this particular drink rolls around the corner, and Starbucks comes out with their red holiday cups, I feel this is the time to start bundling up, and ... start shopping for holiday gifts!!

2. Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha - I tried the salted caramel mocha the other day, and was pleasantly surprised to find the salty and chocolaty goodness in a cup pretty delightful. I'm not a huge fan of mocha, so I'll try it in a soy latte version next visit.

3. Scarves, scarves, scarves - The softer, the better. The more colorful, the better. You can never have too many scarves. Each and every one is very, very different.

4. Kiehl's moisturizers/lotions - My skin gets tight and dry in the cold winter months, and nothing has worked better for me than my go-to Kiehl's collection of moisturizers, lotions, toners, and creams. I've been a loyal fan of Kiehl's since high school, so that's quite some number of years now. Their company has changed, as I feel some formulas have changed as well. But nonetheless, they still make great products especially for people who have sensitive skin.

5. Christmas in SF - Every Christmas, I find myself enjoying the freezing cold air and the holiday spirit in the beautiful city of San Francisco. In high school, my best friend and I would take the 6am Cal Train from Mountain View to San Francisco and spend an entire day there, just walking around, shopping, and eating. After so many years, I still have so much more about the city to discover and find new favorites.

6. Fall Cosmetics - This is the best time of year, in my opinion, to purchase cosmetics. Vendors start coming out with gift sets left and right. I love looking at what they come up with, and have purchased a few as gifts for friends. I also love the fall collection colors for nail polish and eye shadow palettes.

7. Sephora Friends & Family Sale - I think for most "beauty insiders", this is THE time to run into Sephora and grab all your beauty favorites and "stock up". I personally do not "stock up" because everything takes me a while to use. I usually just pick up something fun that I've been eyeing. Yes, this is exactly what kicks me to one side when I'm on the fence debating if I should buy it or not. For me, I'm debating whether or not I should get the Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palette. Naked or Naked 2? They are both so gorgeous and the reviews on them are equally superb.

8. Neiman Marcus: The Book - It speaks for itself.

9. Friends and Family - Nothing like spending time and catching up with old friends and family at this time of year.

What are your fall favorites? Any recommendations where I should visit when I am in SF?

San Diego Zoo + Hybrid

I don't know about you, but I have not visited the zoo since I was maybe 3 years old?? The only memory I have left was a picture of me when I was very young at the San Francisco Zoo in a stroller.

Over the past weekend, I took my car in for service. She's been great with taking me to and from work everyday, so it was about time to give her a well-deserved spa treatment. In the meantime, I took advantage of getting not any loaner car, but a hybrid loaner. Specifically, the Lexus CT200h. I usually get the identical car, but this time they gave me options. And what do we do with options? We explore! I've been in the Prius before, but never have I actually driven one.

I've been very tense for the past few weeks, so I'm trying to fully utilize my weekends by finding something relaxing to do. I decided to take a day trip down south to San Diego.

We were playing around with the CT, trying to find what speed is the most conservative. It took us under 2 hours to get to San Diego. All I have to say is that the second I drove the hybrid off the lot, I regretted it. It had absolutely NO power for acceleration. Going on the freeway was a PAIN! The big rig behind me even high beamed me and went around me. I was still trying to figure out how exactly this little hatchback was supposed to work in both the city and highway. Yup, so our drive consisted of a lot of people passing by me... The only car that I had to pass was a Prius who was clearly enjoying the scenic drive of views of the Pacific.

The first time I've ever driven a hybrid vehicle, I have to say I was impressed by how incredibly silent it is (almost like a creeper vehicle, great for spying! Just kidding...). I did not like how it felt like it was constantly struggling to accelerate. But I did LOVE taking it to the gas station for a fill up!

First stop: Balboa Park

This is one of the numerous beautiful architectured buildings. Balboa Park is quite large, and is great for strolls and visiting museums. For some reason, this picture really reminded me of the church at Stanford and the pond reminded me of The Oval.

One of the first things I noticed about San Diego is it's humidity. Humidity is one thing that I am not a big fan of. I despise the "stickiness" my skin develops from excessive sweating. Gym sweat I'm okay with, but not humidity sweat.

I really enjoyed admiring the fine details of the architecture. These days, less and less homes have such intricate detail. Everyone is always in a rush and faster is better. These designs really reminded me of how sometimes it's nice to slow down and pay attention to the details. Little details truly make a huge difference!

Next stop: San Diego Zoo

The Skyfari:

The Skyfari is sky lift that brings you well above the zoo to observe the beautiful scenery of the city and Balboa Park. The breeze was really nice (as I mentioned, humidity is a no go for me. Breeze = outdoor AC.... kinda?)

We got to see polar bears! There were two. One was extremely lazy and lying on his back and flopping from one side to another. And the one pictured was very friendly and walked around.

I'm not kidding about being friendly! Isn't he cute??

Below is one of my favorite pictures...

If only she turned around and the glass was removed... hahaha

Next up: Pandas!

How relaxed is this panda? He's even using one elbow to prop himself up. If you look to the left of the tree, you see a giant fan blowing in his direction. He was taking a nap up above in the tree with the fan blowing. Then he woke up, propped himself up by the elbow, and slowly climbed down to walk around. There's actually a camera all over the Panda exhibit for researches to observe and study pandas and help protect these endangered species.

Doesn't he look like Kung Fu Panda?

There were actually two tigers. They were very playful. I've never seen super duper professional DSLR's that looked like telescopes. I'm not kidding. They're even wrapped in waterproof-like-cloth material. They snapped at least 10 pictures or more per second. No joke! There were a lot of people with them, camping out at the tiger exhibit, taking endless pictures of the tigers playing in the water, fighting, and action shots.

This little bear was hibernating earlier. We finally got to see him when we were on a double decker bus tour. He reminds me a lot of myself. Loves to eat, be lazy, has a bad hair day.

There was a papa giraffe, and a couple baby giraffes. The papa giraffe was extremely tall and dark. The darker the giraffe spots are, the higher level of testosterone.

Armor Rhinos. They are not even full grown yet.

Mama Jaguar and two jaguar cubs playing. The mama jaguar was a bit scared of one of the feisty little ones.

The two baby jaguars

The elephant exhibit made me a bit sad. As you can see, the electric wired fence really tore my heart. The elephants are also under observance by researchers.

Lion King sleeping. Very lazy that day.

For dinner, we wanted to try something different. Something we don't have at where we live. Moroccan food! We had dinner at Kous Kous. The food is definitely one of the most flavorful and heavy ones I've had. It's very good, but very very heavy.

We had a long day, so we ordered right away. We ordered the Chicken Tangine and the Berber Lamb Shank. Both are very savory. I'm VERY picky when it comes to lamb, and we both agreed that the lamb was made fairly well. While we were waiting for our entrees, they served "spiced" carrots, which were surprisingly good. You can probably guess the orange plate that is empty was where the spiced carrots were. After a few bites, you get very used to the spice. This is probably one of the only ways I would just eat carrots, straight up.

They make their own spice sauce (in the plastic container). It went well with the carrots. Again, flavor bursting in your mouth. It really prepared us for the entrees.

This is the Chicken Tangine. The sauce went really well with the bread. Alone, it was a bit too much flavor for me. The chicken just fell right off the bone. Tangine is a dish that is marinated for at least 48 hours and cooked in a personal sized clay dish that it gets cooked in. It's dome like and really retains all the flavor.

This is the Berber Lamb Shank. The meat also just fell right off the bone. Great dish.

Any recommendations on what relaxes you? Great places to spend the weekend here in Southern California?

Macaron Madness

Last week before my boyfriend left for vacation to Europe, we decided to hop on over to our local mini downtown and grab a bite. Since we still had time after dinner, we decided to get something for dessert. We were waiting in line at the extremely popular ice cream parlor that has a unique environment that reminds me of Mary Poppins (Yes, they do wear those flat top hats! and the full on outfit like in the 60's!) but we got tired of waiting and heard from my friend that it's not worth it, simply overhyped. We walked around and found this super cute macaron and cupcake shop!

This was my first time stepping foot inside a macaron shop. The display and the setting of the store was just beautiful. I loved how they used very soft yet vibrant colors. I think I was more into the decor of the store than the actual desserts.

The cupcakes looked so perfect and the frosting looked SO marshmallow-y and squishy!! I didn't get one to try. I'm not a huge fan of American sweets, as most of them are too sweet for me.

The macaron display -- it looked like a pastel color palette. So pretty!

At the back of the shop, they had their cakes and macaron displayed for customers to admire from afar. 

A macaron tower -- I absolutely adore the soft pastel colors. Okay, I can't stop emphasizing how much I love the color, the decor, everything I love love love! The shop was just really cute.

Isn't this store just so pretty? There's a few more really famous macaron shops in LA that I haven't had the chance to visit yet.

What is your favorite bakery and what is your favorite macaron flavor?

When I'm left alone with shopping withdrawals...

Happy belated 4th of July! My boyfriend and his family took off to northern Europe for vacation, while I'm staying behind in LA because of work. So, what happens when you leave a gal like ME behind + day off because of holiday + haven't gone to the mall in ages??

This is what you get:

Wasn't feeling well this week to begin with, and who wouldn't want to go outside and spend their beautiful day off? My body wanted to stay in and rest in bed all day, as I've been extremely busy and exhausted from the office, plus spending my weekends working on property. I told myself, no, I better go outside and enjoy it, even for an afternoon.

My boyfriend left for Europe in the morning, so I have the next few weeks alone. I decided to go to South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island (my two relaxation places!) and just browse to see what's new and most importantly, get my mind off of anything work or pain related. No intention to buy anything, and I end up with something I've been dreaming of -- Chanel flats.

A few years ago, I bought my first pair of Chanel flats along with my Dior flats. I ended up returning the Chanel flats because they were too flashy for me. It was the one with the giant CC's smacked on the front side of each foot. Instead, I exchanged them for Tory Burch Revas, which quickly became a staple item to my wardrobe. Long story short, now my Revas have a hole in it from excessive wear and tear, literally, the size of an entire quarter could slip through --- literally. My other flats that I've been wearing to work are getting beat up, and I've even used super glue gel to hold it together.

Walked around, nothing interests me. I sat down and decided to chat with my mom, and she suggested I visit Ferragamo or Nordstrom for some shoes. I decided to first stop in Chanel at Bloomingdale's, since the Chanel boutique downstairs didn't interest me. Oddly enough, I always find something in particular I love at first sight at this specific Chanel, but none at the others! Weird? Fate? Who cares.

I spotted a bag that fitted perfectly within my criteria of what I want in a bag -- handbag/shoulder bag/crossbody + not crossbody awkward. Make sense? I wanted an all-in-one but at the same time, cannot be any bit hideous. Of course Chanel would be the perfect solution.

I really liked the way the bigger one was constructed, but I love how the smaller one looks.

To be honest, I think all Chanel bags look very similar. If I was given one, I couldn't distinguish much of a difference except for type of leather used. If there's any advice out there on which type of leather works best with wear, please advise! I would be using it as a hand bag/shoulder bag/crossbody. I definitely prefer something that doesn't get beaten up easily, and is a size not too big nor too small that I'd later regret, or some bag that ends up in my closet never seeing sunlight because it's uncomfortable to use (Epi Speedy).

Any great work flats/classy flats/extremely comfortable flats out there anyone can recommend? I'm afraid that the Chanel flats with the ruffles pictured above will stretch out too much, as the sides are all elastic. Recommendations please!

Hidden Facts of Humans

What do resume's and grades reflect? Will it ever be capable of showcasing who we truly are? Do we simply just put a label or two on ourself, covering up other hidden talents or nonshowcased abilities we carry?

Usually on a resume, we put down our past careers, education, major/minor, language, groups/charity/organizations we are associated with, all on one sheet of paper to express who we are and what we do. When I have to update my resume for job searches and such, it gives me a headache. I don't believe one sheet of paper will do! If it's too long and too detailed, people get bored. If it's too concise, people think you have no experience. When I look at my resume, I automatically think to myself, there's so much more about me than what this paper states. This paper makes me look boring. All it is, is education in the industry and how you could possibly be a new associate at a company that has something to do with your studies.

What about your talents, your hobbies, and your personal and career goals? Some may say, it's none of the employers' business, but what if you'd like to use that to prove your worth and that you could contribute more in other ways that perhaps your job title doesn't allow you to do so?

For me, I'm currently working at an accounting firm as a CPA's assistant. I'd be labelled as a tax associate/payroll associate/bookkeeping associate/small business start ups associate/foreign start ups/international companies. In a concise way to sum it up, I do everything an accounting firm would have to do. I'm not a specialist in a specific field, as large companies would assign each associate, but rather the only reason why I must be knowledgable and professional in each specific accounting department is because if I don't do it, who will? Forces me to learn, good for me, good for the company, good for the clients.

But how about my goals and hobbies? I've been practicing yoga and pilates for years, more yoga now as I am so grateful to have found my favorite yoga instructor. A long term goal of mine is to become an motivating and inspirational yoga instructor myself one day. I used to do a lot of Zumba, but due to high demand and endless people cramming into a room and my time schedule, it has sadly come to a temporary halt. I love volunteering. I've been volunteering since I started high school, spending every Saturday afternoon at a convalescent hospital, and switching up Saturday mornings and Sundays with serving the homeless, working at the food bank, raise money for disaster relief, working with low income families to prepare their tax return, and such. Over the past year, I've been couponing for donations to charities and religious organizations. I know there are many strong opinions about couponers, but all I have to say is that if it's done legally and the manufacturers and stores and putting coupons out there, why not use it and help the people who truly need these necessities? It's all for a great cause and I make sure none of it is ever wasted.

I also help manage rental property, learn and experience how to fix things around the house, how to get the most out of Home Depot and DIY projects, and let's say that this weekend, I got my first electrical shock.

My immediate goal is to become a licensed CPA. I'm currently working and studying, and keeping myself sane by doing my hobbies on weekends or on any free time I have.

I do count my blessings each and every single day, and I'm grateful for having such loving friends and family. You can always count on them for support. With everything that is going on, no doubt, I find it tiring, stressful, but at the same time rewarding.

How do you uncover these hidden facts about yourself? Any tips on how to stay on top of everything? Methods that have worked or not worked?

Tiny Yet Tremendous

In today's post, I'd like to share with you a few things that make the work week go by much faster, and allows me to really relax after work. I love my job, but I work in a fairly rare environment where many times I find myself thinking about what to do after work to allow myself to call it a day. Amazingly, these little things have such a tremendous impact that make a week fly by.

1. Fairly Legal -- This is one of my favorite shows. First off, it's San Francisco! I love going back home (alright, I'm not from the city, but close enough to frequent there) and I often find myself looking up plane tickets to this amazing place I grew up in. This show does a great job showcasing the beautiful city that I absolutely adore. It raises some level of awareness of different struggles that people encounter and compromising solutions. I'm no lawyer or close to anything of that sort, but I like the idea of mediation. In my work, I work closely with a law firm next door as we share many of the same clients. Hung over from watching too much tv, but I'm always hoping to catch a glimpse of a case to see what it's like to be in a shoes of a lawyer and how they deal with these situations. 

2. The Big Bang Theory -- who doesn't love hilarious science nerds? My favorite is Sheldon. Never fail to bust out a good laugh.

3. The Gym -- The sauna and some cardio works wonders for the body. I used to go during my lunch hour, but now I indulge in this super Asian neighborhood with tons of Asian food left and right. I workout after I eat a light dinner and the sauna is just reeeelaxing and loosens up my tense shoulders and butt from sitting all day at the office.

4. Walking the dog -- I hate walking outdoors around the neighborhood, especially alone. But when you're walking your pet, it's just so much better, time flies, and you get something done.

5. Yoga -- All I have to say is that when you have found a great teacher, stick with him or her! Find one that suits you and your body will thank you.

What do you do that relaxes you and helps your work week move by faster?

Memorial Weekend + Birthday

This past weekend was memorial weekend and my birthday. There was SO much going on. I am absolutely exhausted. I find myself yawning every few seconds throughout the day.

The kick off of the weekend was in fact, a deep sleep that begun around 7:30pm every night. I have no idea why exactly I'm that exhausted throughout the work week, but I'm glad I let myself rest because the weekend was nonstop chauffeuring.

My family and family friends came over to visit for one of the most important and memorable trips that I'll remember forever. We visited one of the biggest temples here together and met with monks from China that have travelled overseas to visit the numerous temples throughout the continental US. We ate at one of my favorite local vegetarian Taiwanese restaurants. Everyone really enjoyed dining at the restaurant. Although there are numerous vegetarian options and restaurants up in the Bay Area, everyone says there isn't quite a Taiwanese vegetarian restaurant like the one we went to. The taste, the ingredients, the display, and the price is unbeatable.

All the food we ate was vegetarian at a local popular vegetarian restaurant. I really liked this homemade jello (no gelatin, of course!) with seaweed inside. The imitation eel tasted just like real eel. The texture and the taste was identical, so phenomenal. Everyone loved this restaurant!

For the actual day of my birthday, somehow I just felt like it was just another ordinary day. Usually, I go to South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island and hit up Newport Beach for shopping, dining, and relaxing at the beach. But this year, everyone and myself was surprised to find that I had no interest in any of that. Instead, I went golfing for my very first time with my boyfriend and his brother. I must say, it's way harder than it looks. Although I'm right handed, I found myself better at hitting the golf balls as a lefty. Does anyone else find opposite hand easier?

After golfing, we went to another vegetarian restaurant for dinner . This was my first time here and this place is huge. I was too focused on taking photos of the food, and not the restaurant.

I love stinky tofu. The stinkier the better! Apparently, that's not how my boyfriend and his brother felt about it when I ordered it. I think they lost a bit of their appetite. I asked them how it was and they forcefully said it was "not bad".

I'm leaving you with a picture of our little bundle of joy. I was eating my late night tiramisu, and this was her underneath the coffee table. She can be the most patient little thing when it comes to waiting for you to drop a crumb of anything you're eating.