🍁 Pressies from Canada 🍁

At the end of January my uncle and aunt came over from Canada. They usually come every year and visit friends and family. We got the chance to spend some really nice time together catching up back in January and also during this month on a family weekend in Ixtapan de la Sal visiting grandpa, laughing and just enjoying each others' company. Grandpa was very happy to have two of his children together.

They also brought pressies with them and, of course, I want to share in here, hehe. I've mentioned this before, there's something I really like about making these type of posts🤭 so, here I am, sharing another pressies haul with you. 

First we have this cute pink pj's. They are super soft and warm even tho they aren't that thick. Love the color and the silver details on it. 

Second we have a car phone mount, which is something I really wanted and was planning to buy. Mostly because of the vlogging thing but I know they are a very useful thing to have in the car when you're driving.

Redcrest Cardinal Golf Club beanie. It is pretty warm and comfy, perfect for this cold weather. It is something I'll be wearing every year.

Mary Kay hydrogel eye patches. Love, love, love eye patches. This one comes with 30 pairs and they are pink and sparkly!  

Can you see the glitter?✨

Meeting again was a great way to start the year and the month. I love my pressies but I love the memories we made even more. Hope we can repeat this sometime soon! ♡

That's it for this pressies haul / chit chat. 

See you next time~!💋

Valentine's Day Haul 💖

Even tho I said Valentine's Day is not one of my favorite holidays, I do like the aesthetic of it, you know, pink and hearts everywhere. And even tho I don't decorate my house for Valie's Day like I used to many years ago, I still like to buy things to keep as all year round decoration. Everything I got this year is from Walmart. 

Let's get started with the haul.

First, I got this small wooden chalk board. Do I need it? probs not but I think it's cute. I can just write random phrases and put it pretty much everywhere in the house.

This has to be one of my favorite pieces from this haul. It's a ceramic vase with hearts all over it. I loved this one because it doesn't scream Valentine's day, especially because of the colors.

I've seen this small bowls every year and I finally decided to get them this year. They come in a set of 4, they are pastic and great for snacks, dessert or side dishes. They also had them in red but, you know me, I had to get the pink ones.

Maybe these do scream Valie's Day a litte but, I really like conversation hearts, they're too cute. Plus, most of my kitchen cloths and towels are pink anyway.

La Moderna Valentine's Day red pasta. I haven't even made it yet but I loved it when I saw it. It'd be perfect for Halloween too! I think of it as "bloody pasta" haha. I've bought other colorful pastas from this brand before and, they're good. They make them with natural food coloring, in this case beetroot. 

Lastly, I got these stainless steel straws for sale only a couple of days after Valie's. I loved the fact that they have a heart shape, it gives them an extra something. I kept one and gave the other to my mom cuz she always likes to use straws.

And that's it for this year's Valie's haul. I'm not sure if I'll end up buying more things next time I go cuz they already have the cutest strawberry goodies for Spring and... I'm a sucker for strawberry everything. Hehehe.

See you next time~! 💋

L.O.V.E. ♥ Then vs Now | Going through old Heart-to-heart posts

It's Valie's Day and even tho it is not my favorite holiday, there was a time when I was obsessed with love, relationships and well...Valentine's Day. I remember really worrying about having presents for everyone, making plans and especially, if I had someone to spend it with. Don't get me wrong, I'd still celebrate it with the people I love but, it is not something I'm too worried about anymore.

Not long ago, I went through some of my old posts and I couldn't help but to laugh at some of them. For some reason I used to think I was a love and relationship expert which couldn't be further from the truth. But then I thought it'd be interesting to share like an updated version of some of those super cheesy Heart-to-heart posts every now and then and see how much has changed with time. 

The one I chose is just called Heart-to-heart: L.O.V.E. ♥, I wrote it back in 2014 and it was supposed to be a Valentine's month kind of post, that's why I chose it for this month too. I'll link it in case you want to read it, hehe.

I'll start with some things I read there that still feel true to me to this day, the first one being the fact that love shouldn't be celebrated only one day, and I don't mean just romantic love. There are so many ways to demonstrate the people you love that you care all year round. And I don't mean just with gifts; of course it's nice to give and receive pressies but to me, just sharing life and being there no matter what is a great way to show and feel loved. I also still think, and now more than ever, that love doesn't only and always come in a romantic partner. Love also comes in our friends, family, pets and, even ourselves. I've found soulmates in people I have no romantic connections with. And I can say my friends are my most stable relationships ever.

Back then when I wrote that post I was so in love, that's why I said things "Love will find you eventually~!! (trust me!)" which makes me cringe now, haha. I don't believe love magically appears in front of you anymore (not that it happened magically back then either). Relationships in general aren't easy, they need effort, time and commitment from both sides but every now and then you'll find people with whom all this "effort" doesn't feel like it and it becomes fun and natural. I am lucky to have people like that in my life now.

I feel like for a long time I was too focused on saying whether it was important or not to worry about finding a partner, having a relationship and all that stuff, just because I felt I had it all. I've been in love before, yes. Has it ended in the most beautiful, happily ever after kind of way? Of course not. My dating & relationships history suck, and I know the girl who wrote that heart-to-heart at that moment completely changed the way she felt about love and relationships with time. But I guess that is a topic for another post, hehe.

All in all, I don't think the post was that bad, it was cheesy but I can still agree with part of it. Love is an everyday thing and we souldn't worry too much about the labels. Life goes on and it's still fun.

I guess that'll be it for this post, I don't want to make it a super long one. Let me know if you'd like to read more posts like this, I have other H2Hs with "deeper" thoughts we could go through in the future.

Happy Valie's Day y'all! X

BIOAQUA Rose Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Toner

 After running out of the KJ Daily Basics toner I started using this Rose Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Toner from BIOAQUA my mom gave me. I'm already familiar with this brand and I can say it has worked well for me and my skin.

This toner claims to pour moisture into the skin, improve skin vitality, nourish and brighten it, and make it regain its glow by giving it intensive hydration and replenishing nutrition for a delicate and shiny looking skin. Among its ingredients we can find: Glycerin, propylene glycol, rose water and of course, hyalorunic acid.

It is very very lightweight, literally like water and it absorbs quickly. I like it because even tho it contains rose water, it doesn't really smell like it, which is good cuz it is not my favorite scent, hehe.This bottle comes with 100ml, it has a dispenser thingy that makes it easier to use without spilling the product everywhere. I have to add that the presentations is very clean and simple, yet pretty, which is something I always appreciate.

I've been using this product twice a day, in the morning and at night, and it defo has been doing a good job keeping my skin hydrated and moist, especially during these crazy cold days. 

I want to be a lot more constant with my skin care this year, even if I keep it simple cuz this girl isn't getting any younger, hehe~ I know I get lazy at times but, I'm doing a good job so far. 😘

Pink Ranger Haul + Chit Chat 🩷

This is going to be a chit chat with a small haul kind of post… we’ll see what happens. 😅

90s nostalgia is a big thing for me. Everything that belongs to my childhood or represents it, has a very, very special place in my heart. That's why I love throwbacks and walks down memory lane so much.

Usually, on my breaks I do general cleanings, to get rid of the things I no longer use, I give them or throw them away, depending on the condition. This last break wasn’t the exception. But doing this also helps me find some other things that were stored and I forgot I had. This makes me remember things and obsess with others all over again. 

In this case, I realized I had enough things to make a haul (5 seems like a good number of items to me) of a character I've loved since I was a little girl and represents something I really, really like, the color pink. 

Yes, we all know by now I am a big pink lover and I'm proud of it. My life might not be pink but most of the things around it are. I’ve loved it since I was a little girl and that is something that hasn’t changed with time. 

There is definitely a "pink girl stereotype" and I think some people have this idea that if you like pink, you’re not someone to be taken seriously, that you might be dumb, extra sweet or suuuuper romantic which is defo not my case. Yes, I think it can be a very girly color and I love that because I am girly. It's just my happy color!

Growing up I loved Legally Blonde so much (I wouldn’t call it my favorite movie now but I still like it) and even some of my students gave me the nickname “Miss Pinky”, so it was only normal my favorite Power Ranger was of course, the Pink Ranger. 

And that is what I want to show you guys today, some of the Pink Ranger stuff I have which are mostly clothes and a couple of goodies. I used to have more things tho, like an action figure that came with a mini Kimberly, that was the size of a Polly Pocket but I lost it at some point in life. 

I was a big Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fan, especially the first generation(?). Amy Jo Johnson will forever be my favorite Pink Ranger, I still follow her to this day. I think I stopped watching the show as often after she left. Despite what people might say, I also enjoyed the 2017 movie where Naomi Scott played Kimberly. After that movie, I started following her career too. 

I can't with the awkward poses tho

Anyway, enough with the rambling, let me show you the small Pink Ranger haul.

I'll start with some clothes (excuse the colo change in the photos😅):

I bought this tee a couple of years ago, when they celebrated the MMPR 25th anniversary. I love everything about it. I believe it was from Optima. I was surprised they had some PR stuff.

Ok, this might not be Pink Ranger but it's still pink and Power Rangers so, yeah. I don't remember if this one is also from Optima or if it's from Cuidado con el Perro. I don't know if you can tell, but this one has some blue stains on it, I wore it during a paint ball war thing with my students on children's day and sadly, I havent been able to completely remove them, no matter how much I wash it.

This hoodie has to be one of my favorite hoodies ever. It is from Quiubolee! and I was a Christmas pressie from the bestie a couple of years ago. It is the softest, warmest and most comfortable thing ever. I wear it a lot.🩷

I'm not sure where this small articulated figure is from cuz I randomly found her in a garage sale and I couldn't leave her. She's too cute!

Lastly we have this really nice notebook I found at Walmart. They had some of the other Rangers too but I only got this one. It is pretty plain inside tho, I wish they could've added a design or something too but, oh well. I haven't used it yet, I always tell myself I need to find something cool for it. Any ideas?

Those are all the things I could find, I'm not sure if I'll find or buy more in the future. I used to have a black tee with all the Rangers but, I gave it to my sister cuz she also loves Power Rangers and she didn't have anything.

Hope you enjoyed this long and random chit chat/haul kind of post. I know for sure I love sharing these type of things around here, hehe.

See you next time~! 💋

5 super fast and easy meals I often prep 🍲

With my current working schedules, I have more time for food prepping at home. It's no secret I am not the biggest fan of cooking but I still do it because, this girl gotta eat.

I still have to work on a better way to manage my time because sometimes I prep my lunch last minute and usually go for the fastest options. I have to say my airfryer has become big big help and I can't picture my life without it anymore, hehe. 🍲

My point here is, you won't find super elaborated or time consuming meals here. At least not in this post. Plus, most of the time, I just follow what I'm craving without thinking much about if something goes well with something else. 

Anyway, here are 5 super easy meals I make often. I'd lie if I say I eat this in one week cuz most of the time I end up having leftovers and eat the same thing for at least 2 days but, yeah.

Tuna salad with siracha mayo. This is something that takes like 10 minutes to make. You know the deal, you mix some cans of tuna with veggies (I usually go for canned too) and I like to add a mix of siracha and mayonnaise to it. My mom sometimes serves it with boiled eggs but, I was lazy to boil them this time. I really like it that way too. And, I usually eat my tuna salad with some crackers or bread.

Taquitos dorados with rice and sweet corn. This taquitos dorados are by El Cazo. And, to me, it's one of the easiest things to eat when you have a busy day. The package comes with 20 pre-made tacos, you can find chicken or meat tacos. Chicken are my favorites. I usually just cook them for 10min in the air fryer and they are ready to eat. If I want to make a bigger effort I'd add some cream and Valentina sauce to them. Haha.
In this house we love rice so I eat it often and I thank my rice cooker for it, it's one of the best things I bought as a responsible adult, hehe. Something I like to add to my rice (when it's not Japanese rice) is some butter. I started doing it after I saw Sari (dad's partner) doing it. It really makes a difference, rice feels softer and fluffier(?). 
And to add a "salad something" to this meal, I mixed some sweet corn (cuz I L.O.V.E. it) with some... siracha-mayo of course (fav mix ever). It is SO good.

I like chicken more than meat, so I often buy minced chicken instead of meat (not that I don't ever buy it tho). I think this is one of the things I make the most haha, minced chicken with tomato sauce and veggies. I don't always eat it like this but I really like to add some bean noodles to it. They don't really have a taste so they go well with pretty much anything. Plus they are ready in less than 5 minutes.

Teriyaki beef with veggies on a bed of japanese rice. I have to say I like teriyaki chicken a lot more but this mix works too. In thi case, I make plain japanese rice. Love it way too much as it is.

Fish nuggets have to be one of my favorite things to eat, I don't eat them as often anymore tho. Not long ago I found these tilapia nuggets that, at least to me, they are the fancier version of the regular ones, they do taste better. I make them in the air fryer so there's no extra oil involved. This time I had them with some unagi sauce and veggies. I'd usually add some french fries to this dish too but, I didn't this time.

And, that'll be ot for this foodie post. Some weekends I eat out, some others I eat leftovers. It's always changing but, let me know if you'd like to see what I eat on a weekend or a regualr day. 

I'll see you next time~! 💋

Shows I watched in 2024

Completely unrelated photo but, yeah.

I had this list of shows waiting for a longish time now, and even tho it's been a while since I've watched some of these shows, I wanted to share them before it gets any longe. Plus, if I want to make other show recommendations posts, I want to share shows that are recent or at least, that I recently watched. 

This time they are only Asian shows. I've been really into Japanese dramas so, I included a couple in here.

Since I am not good at writing synopsis, the ones you'll find here will be from different websites plus, my personal opinion.

Let's do this!

Anime

☆ Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion is an anime from the 90's, to be more specific 1995. I assume most of you have at least heard of it before. But just in case:

"When violent monsters descend upon Earth to destroy humanity, a reluctant young man joins a small squad of pilots under the command of his cold and dictatorial father to drive back the menace using giant machines that seem to have minds of their own."

I watched it a long, long time ago and I've rewatched it a couple of times and I think, as I grow older, I understand the characters a lot better. Yes, the story is complex and so are the characters but, some of their emotions, trauma and issues can be very relatable.

Evangelion is a classic, in my opinion one of the best anime from the 90's and also, one of my all time favs. Until now, I'm caught up with the show and the movies that came after it. I still want to rewatch the newer ones even if they were not exactly my favorites.

☆ Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Cour 3: The Conflict.

This is the 3rd part of the TYBW. It has 14 episodes and here we'll see the continuation of the Quincy vs. Shinigami's war. I am obsessed with Bleach and I can't recommend it enough guys. But if you haven't watched it, you'd have to at least watch the TYBW first parts to understand it. 

This year Cour 4 will be released and I.Can't.Freaking.Wait!!

Dramas

☆ Would you like a cup of coffee?

"Kang Go Bi learns about coffee and people while working as a barista." Love how short and simple this synopsis is. Haha.

This is one of those easy-to-watch dramas that have a nice story without too much drama or action going on. Don't get me wrong, it is not boring but, is one of those shows you can watch when you don't want something too emotional. It only has 11 episodes and they go by fast. I just wish it could've had a better ending. I felt it left some things a bit incomplete.  

☆ Love next door

"A woman attempting to reboot her life returns to Korea and becomes entangled with her childhood friend with whom she shares a complicated history."

Ah! This has to be my favorite k-drama in 2024. I started watching it because Jung So Min was there but I ended up loving it. It only has 16 episodes so the story develops pretty fast. It has a bit of everything, drama, comedy, romance~ It made me cry a couple of times. 

Something I liked about it is that it doesn't only focus on the relationship between the main characters, we also get to see the stories and relationships of the other characters around them. I kinda felt like watching it again but I got distracted with other dramas. 

☆ Dear Sa-chan

This j-drama was completely different from what I was expecting, not in a bad way tho. I don't usually read synopsis and sometimes I forget to watch trailers. Idk why I thought it was going to be this bubbly romantic comedy... hehehe.

Anyway~ let me share the actual synopsis of this drama:

"Kyosuke relocates to Tokyo to study, leaving his hometown girlfriend. He becomes involved in an affair with a married woman living nearby, leading to an immoral love triangle as he battles to choose between the two relationships."

It's only 12 episodes long and it's very dramatic, but really good! I finished watching it in a couple of days. 

☆ I Will be your Bloom

"After suffering a gutting failure, Asuka was forced to give up her dreams and set aside her career as a teacher. Withdrawing from the world around her, Asuka found herself wandering through her days, aimless and alone. Without any real purpose to her life, Asuka eventually wanders her way into a job working as a live-in housemother for a dormitory in which a struggling boy band resides. Unfamiliar with the group, Asuka is shocked to find that one of her former students, Dan Sagami, is the group’s leader."

This one has to be the cheesiest one I've watched so far. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't say it's one of my favs, I think the younger me would've enjoyed it a lot more. Some of the band members were cute (you can feel free to guess who was my fav), Asuka was fun and she kinda took me back to when I used to smile even when I wasn't feeling my best. 

This drama is pretty short, it only has 10 episodes so, I decided to finish it. It has this super strong friendship and team work message, "fight for your dreams", all that fun stuff. 

Reality

☆ Love is blind Japan

"In Japan, marriage-minded singles meet, date and get engaged -- before ever setting eyes on each other."

Someone on Twitter recommended me this one, I honestly didn't think it'd catch my attention but, I gave it a chance anyway and...OMG it became my guilty pleasure for a while.😅 This is just your regular reality TV show and I'm sure some of you might have already watched Love is Blind from other countries. I think, and from what I've read, that this one isn't as dramatic as others but, I have't watched them yet. I don't feel like it for some reason but, if you have, let me know if they are worth watching!

Movies

☆ Chihiro-san

"The plot revolves around Chihiro, a former prostitute who works at a small bento shop in a seaside town. There, she interacts with people whose emotional scars, inner conflicts, and other problems prevent them from living happily, and her words and actions influence each person's way of life. Chihiro herself suffers from loneliness, which began with her family when she was little. By meeting her customers, she also faces her loneliness and slowly overcomes it."

I chose this movie because of Arimura Kasumi, who played Tomoe in the Rurouni Kenshin Live Action Movies and ended up really liking it. Even tho the story has some dramatic stuff, it's also very heartwarming and easy to watch. 

All the dramas, movie & reality show I shared here are on Netflix, in case you're intereseted. And, that'll be it for this shows post. Next one will include shows that are actually more recent to me, I just needed to get these out of the way, hehe.

Let me know if you have watched some of the shows in this list and, feel free to share some recommendations too!!

See you next time~!💋