Mochi graduated from puppy school!

Hi Everyone,

I am such a proud mom. My little baby Mochi has finally graduated puppy school yesterday among with 5 other puppies. Too bad her dad was not able to attend. I didn't know what graduation means for a puppy, but I decided to celebrate her big day with lots of delicious treats. So, basically for a puppy to graduate from puppy school they need to pass a list of basic commands and to show that they can interact with other puppies.

On the final day, all the puppies have to leave the play pen and the trainer will call each one into the pen to take their test. Mochi was third in line and was not nervous at all. Hahaha... I am laughing at myself for saying that..... of course she wasn't nervous.... she didn't even know what's going on. Anyways, the test was about 10-15 minutes. The questions that she asked are lessons that were taught in class. For example, she would ask how comfortable is your puppy when you touch her ear, paws, and teeth? She wants to see if you can walk your dog in a straight line, does your puppy interact well with other people, whether if she comes to you when you call her, does she get distracted easily, etc... In addition, we have to demonstrate if she knows how to sit, stay, and down.

After all the puppies took their test, we gathered up in the end to get our certificates and goody bags. It was also a sad day because she won't be seeing the other puppies anymore..... they all played for a bit and said their goodbyes.... I wished I had my camera there to take a picture of her classmates.

What's in the goody bag???!!! We were given a pound of cookie treats, honey comb keychain, another petco keychain, some coupons (you all know I love coupons), a sticker that says, "I'm a proud parent of a dog training graduate."

How cute is this?

I am so jealous of all the treats that she got. I just had to take some out to take a picture. If you have not smell these dog cookies, they smell exactly like regular cookies that we eat, but they look so much more adorable.

These smell like the creme filled cookies that they sell at the store.... what's that brand called? Nabisco!

Here is Mochi... all grown up. All 4.5 pounds of her.

<3 you Mochi Ball!

<3 <3 <3

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

Hi Everyone,

Finding the right foundation for your face is very important because that is what covers all the blemishes and helps provide you with an even skin tone. When you do find that perfect foundation, it should make your face look flawless without looking like you put on a ton of makeup on. I have been using Makeup Forever HD for the last year and I love the coverage it gives me. My color in MUFE is #127. It match my skin perfectly during the winter, but once summer kicks in I need to go 2 shades darker. I also like to switch up my foundation like how people switch up their shampoos. Sometimes I would put on my MAC prolong wear in NW 35 if I want to go darker... but when you do go darker make sure you blend the color very well or mix it with another foundation that is lighter. I will even mix my MUFE with my MAC to get a warmer color that is not too dark for me.

A bottle of Makeup Forever foundation ($40) usually last me about 3-4 months and it would cost me about $160 a year just for foundation ALONE. Gosh dangit! And that is just a piece of my face.
Pros: It goes on light with full coverage, a lot of shades to choose from, doesn't cause my skin to breakout or make it look oily.
Con: Price

The MAC prolong wear foundation is $29.50 per bottle which sounds a little bit better.
Pros: This foundation has a lasting power of more than 10 hours (very true), a lot of shades to choose from,   and has full coverage.
Con: Can be a bit thick and heavy on the face.

Should've clean the bottle up a bit.....

So, taking in the price as a factor, I decided to find a drugstore foundation that I can use as a dupe to my high end foundations. Maybelline came out with their new line called Fit Me. I love how the container looks and was amazed at how many shades they come in. I decided to give it a try since it was a buy one get one 50% off plus I have a 20% discount. Let see.... taking all of this into account.... Fit Me foundation is $7.99 and with all the discount it comes out to about $4.80 per bottle. If we take a step further it cost $20 a year versus $160...... what a big freakin difference!

Looks appealing to me already! I picked my color by matching the tabs on the display with my skin tone and it comes out to #235 pure beige. I have been wearing this for 2 weeks now and I love it. I also got the Fit Me pressed powder that matches the foundation.
Pros: Great full coverage, easy to apply, not too thick, good selection of colors to choose from, and the cost
Cons: Does not have long lasting staying power- need to apply the pressed powder with the foundation. Also, I wish there is a pump on the bottle.

Pressed powders are great. They make my makeup stay on longer and provides a more matte finish.

The Fit Me pressed powder is alright.... it's not as soft as the Makeup Forever Duo Mat. The first day when I used the foundation with the Fit Me pressed powder I had to reapply the powder again during the middle of the day to prevent my face from getting too oily.

On the third day, I decided to use my Makeup Forever Duo Mat pressed powder with the Fit Me foundation and it was amazing. The foundation stayed on and my face is not too oily by the end of the day.

I guess the bottom line is I still found a good foundation I can use without costing an arm. After I am finished with my Makeup Forever foundation, I will stop buying that and continue to use the Maybelline foundation.

I don't usually go cheap with my foundation because it can make or break your skin, but after trying Maybelline Fit Me, it doesn't cause any of those problems so it suits me well.

Yay! This is my cheap dupe. I know there are different skin types and I don't know if this will work for everyone. I hope this helps.

<3 <3 <3

It's Birchbox Time!

Hi Everyone,

Birchbox has sent me another surprise...... filled with goodies. I got the package close to the middle of March and I want to test most of them out before I post a blog about the products. The products for this month is just alright.... it's more like a transition from winter to spring for your daily staples. I am sure most of you have your winter and summer skin regimens because there's different needs due to the change in weather. For me, I like my skin to be a little lighter during the winter and tanner during the summer. Spring is all about giving you skin a little bit more color, applying UV protections, keeping your lips moist, and smelling like tropical fruits. I know I carry a big bottle of Fiji Passion Fruit body splash in my bag.... I would take it out and spray myself at least 5 times a day.... damn! that's a lot don't you think? Yes, that is how much I like that scent.  Hey, you can also use it for other things like when you step into the public restroom and it stank or when you walk by someone who just laid an egg .... spray some in the air and you won't even notice anymore. You will feel like you are in paradise.  That's why I have a big bottle in my bag... what about you?  =)

So, what's in this beautiful box?

Love the hot pink wrapper and black bow.... such an awesome color together.

In the box there are 4 items plus a bonus item.
If you choose to buy any of the items in a regular size bottle or container it shows you how much it cost down below.

First item...... Alchimie Forever Kantic Mask. It comes in a small tube that is about 5ml/0.17oz
It is packed with natural botanicals and also reduces signs of aging. It feel luxurious when I first put it on..... no wonder it cost $60 for a 3.3 fl oz container. It contains blueberries, wild pansies, oats, grapes and vitamin E. To me, this smells like blueberries... pretty nice. Don't forget to wash it off after 15 min with lukewarm water.
Con: 10 minutes after applying it to my face I can feel a slight itch near my forehead and on my cheeks.... maybe because the mask is drying off and it's telling me to go wash it now or maybe it is just me....

Overall, I would apply it again tomorrow, but I don't think I am going to buy it for $60.

 
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad
So, remember what I said... add a little color to your skin for Spring! I have heard of this brand before, but I have not yet never tried it.  These tiny wipes has sunless tanning ingredients that activates your body's own melanin to customized to your skin. You can also build it up depending on how dark you would like to be.... if you just want some light color, you just rub the towel once on your skin in circular motion and if you want it darker, go over it again.

Just recently the weather has been nice so I am going to try the glow pad tomorrow.

Marvis Classic Mint Toothpaste
When I saw this I wasn't too thrilled.... it's just a toothpaste. It is imported from Italy and has a nice peppermint smell. I have tried it and it does leave my breathe minty fresh. I do like the fact that it doesn't leave any gritty residues like some toothpaste. I have to admit.... my mouth does feel especially clean. I am going to save this for traveling.

Pangea Organics Lip Balm
This is what I like the most out of the 4 products. This organic lip balm smells good.... exactly what it says.... grapefruit and sweet orange. The most important thing is how well it stays on my lips. I tested it out for two nights.... I am a person who likes to apply lip balms to my lips before bed because in the morning you will have soft ass lips. This lip balm really keeps your lips moisturized for quite a while.... i know I have my favorite lip balms... but this is also up there somewhere.

The bonus item is the brow brush. It's just like any other brow brush so no need to say too much. I do like to use this to shape my brows and to help fill out the brows after applying the eyebrow pencil.

Well, that's all folks...

Good night!

<3 <3 <3

Room organization in style!

Hi Everyone,

Ever since I got a puppy, I can see myself wanting to keep my room organized and clean. Mostly because I don't like her getting into a lot of my stuff. I gotta say, I have been lucky with Mochi because she doesn't like to chew on wires, shoes, or clothes. She loves boxes and papers though. Again, Hautelook has been posting a lot of cheap home decors that look amazing. I have a large range of taste when it comes to home decorations.... but then I am also a hoarder.... so it makes sense.... I guess....  One thing I enjoy shopping for are antique looking displays that brings character/story to a room. That being said, let's see what I have hauled to store my hauls....

Here are two matching decorative faux leather suitcases that are large enough for any type of storage. What I may put in there are my scarfs and belts for the first one...... for the second suitcase I am thinking about all my curling/flat irons.  
Original: $118
Sale: $45 + I have a $20 credit because they didnt have an item that I want so they gave me a full refund plus a $20 credit!!! Hautelook's service is great. Overall, I paid $25 total for both of these faux leather suitcases.

 
I like how roomy it is inside and it has an old style to it.

    
The next thing I got is a Fiona Mosaic Jewelry box. What captured my attention is the antiqueness of it. This is a very simple wooden box that has a rusty hinge and color to the wood which makes it look like it has been through a lot. The mosaic is also simply put together to make it seem like it is handmade.

Not many pieces of jewelries can fit into this box, but whatever.... the box is cute.

Lastly, these decorative boxes with tray reminds me of pieces from the Roman times...... what comes to my mine is the movie Gladiator. I guess it looks like it is made of iron steel that the Roman would wear when they go to war. Anyways, the rusty brown matches my throw pillow and it helps keep a lot of items that I have on my night stand hidden from view.

A lot of things tend to pile up in my room, but I am a person that likes to keep things organized in containers so it looks a bit more clean.

I find changing up my room once in a while is kind of fun I hope you all have a great night!

<3 <3 <3

Japanese Canmake Makeup

Hi Everyone,

It is sad to see the people in Japan suffering from this horrible triple disaster. One of the most successful and respectful country that is known for its hi-tech and well made products is now in need of help. Despite all the tragedies that happened, seeing them work together and helping each other has put our country in shame. There are no reports of looting or people hurting each other. Wow... kudos to them for modeling the way!

I just need to get that off my shoulder... ok now, let's get into the blog. I have heard a lot of good reviews about Canmake makeup products that are made in Japan. I ordered 3 products a month ago from a website called Yesstyle and I have to say they are very pigmented. Yesstyle is a site that sells clothes, beauty, jewelry, bags, etc from Asia. The products that I got are all for cheeks, but I am sure their other products are just as pigmented.

I got two different colors of the Canmake cream cheek.
The first one is a peachy color..... it doesn't have a name on it just the number which is 05

Oh my, Oh my.... this is such a beautiful color. The product feels soft and creamy with some hint of glitter. I can see some sparkles when the product is in the container, but once I apply it onto my cheek I can't see the glitter anymore which is good because I like to wear this on an everyday basis and not look shiny.

The second color is more of a baby pink and the number is 08.
As you can see I have not used this one yet because the sticker is still on. I wanted to show you how it looks pre-packaged.

These two colors are great for summer. Remember, these are cream and needs to be blended out or else you will look like one of those crazy ass lady who packed on a bunch of colorful makeup.

The third item I got is the Canmake cheek highlighter. I will apply this a little bit above the apples of my cheek to brighten up my face and to give me a dewy look. Again, I love how pigmented these are.

The swatches for the highlights are the ones above the previous 2 colors.

These are great to try if you are looking for new products and if you are like me who likes to carry a lot in my bag...... these items are small enough to fit into a small makeup bag without taking up too much space.

Until next time, have a good night!

<3 <3 <3

Cooking with Sugarcookie #11: Taiwanese style pickled pig's ear

Hi Everyone,

It feels like I have not posted a cooking blog in such a long time and I do miss it. Recently, I was craving for a pickled dish that my mom would make when I was growing up. I love anything from pig's feet to pig's ear. This time I am making Taiwanese pickled pig's ear and....... may be next time I will show you how to cook pig's feet. Pickled pig's ear is usually eaten cold, but I don't mind eating it warm either. I know some culture makes it differently and this is just one way of the many ways to do it. Some people are not fond of the texture, however, the crunchiness of the cartilage and the chewiness of the skin is just the perfect combination. Are you willing to try it?

Pig's ears can be bought at any Asian supermarket and I got mines from Ranch 99. The first thing you want to do is rinse the ear very well.

Here, I have star anise (8-9) and star anise powder (a handful)

After, clean the pig's ear, pour the star anise and star anise powder in a rice cooking pot then add some water. Make sure you add enough water to cover most of the pig's ear.

Once everything is mixed together, we are going to wrap it up and let it sit in the fridge for a day.

Next day.....
When I removed the saran wrap, I can see that my pig's ear has absorbed a lot of the flavor from the star anise because the skin from the pig's ear turned to a light brown color. I do prefer to have it sit in the fridge for 2 days to get more flavor but what the heck... I want to eat it that night.

Now, you can drain the star anise out of the bowl, but don't rinse the pig's ear. Let whatever that is on stay on. Then add some water back into the rice cooking pot.... probably 4-5 cups of water. Just enough to cook the pig's ear in the rice cooker for 30-45 minutes. After it is done cooking in the rice cooker,  don't remove it from the rice cooker just yet. Let it sit for 15 minutes to absorb more flavor.

Ahhhh.... it is nicely cooked when you know you can stick a chopstick through it. Since it is hot, I will let it sit for a bit and then slice the ears in 1/2 x 1 pieces.

The thinner you can slice it, the better it is. I just don't have enough patients to stand there and thinly slice each ear.

Flavor time!!! So, I added a lot of green onions.... it makes it taste fresh and I just love the flavor it adds to the dish. I sliced about 5 whole stalk of green onions. Again, it will look nicer if you thinly sliced the green onions, but here I got pretty messy about it.  =)

I forgot to show that I added 1/2 of cup of white vinegar. But I want to make sure you do add it if you are going to make this dish.

Next, I added my Lee Kum Kee Chili Garlic Sauce. HOLLA to Lee Kum Kee.... I love using this brand... it never disappoints me in the flavor department. Here, you can add as much as you like.... depending on how spicy you like this dish to be.  I like mine to be super spicy!!!!

In addition, add one teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of black pepper.

This is how it looks when everything is mixed. After this step, if you like to eat this as a cold dish, put it in the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours and also it helps for the flavor to mix well

Since, I want to eat this that night.... I just placed it in the fridge for 30 minutes while I make my vegetable dish.

I always like to have a vegetable dish with my meal so I choose to make a simple stir fried baby bok choy with garlic.

First, add chop 5 cloves of garlic and toss it in the pan until it turns golden brown.

Then I rinsed the bok choy with water and tossed it into the pan once the garlic is brown. To keep this dish simple, I just added one teaspoon of salt, 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar and that's it. Wait until the color of the vegetable turn a bit dark green...... don't let it over cook though.

Once, everything is ready.... I plated onto my plate with some white rice.... yum-o! I was sooooo ready to dig in.

The spiciness of the pig's ear and the simple flavor from the bok choy compliments each other very well.

Hope you are all having a wonderful evening.

Bon Appetit!

<3 <3 <3