🔖 Recent Reads: Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze 🌸 (Plus, Newest Plushies!)

I read this book by Masashi Kishimoto and Tomohito Ohsaki years ago and, even tho I really liked the story, I read it in spanish and, didn't love the way it was written. On my previous post, I even mentioned I would have liked to find it and read it in English. And so, on my last birthday, I received the English version as a pressie.

It's the Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze part of the Naruto Hiden novels.

I love this cover so much.

Honestly, I didn't remember much about the story so, it felt new. But reading my old post about it, I still feel the same about the story and the characters so, because I don't wanna be repetitive, I will link that post here, add a few thoughts and, we'll compare the two editions I have. 

First of all, and I know this is not a popular opinion, I just love Sakura's love for Sasuke SO MUCH. Yeah, I know it can be a little sad at times but, I could relate to her so much at some point in my life. I'm so happy, in the end, they got their happy ending. But, in this book, we don't get to see Sasuke that much, which is not bad, but there's always this hope that he will show up at some point. 

Defo enjoyed seeing the interactions between Ino and Sai this time. She's so cute when he's around her. Plus, my Kakashi Sensei is just the best.

And since, for some reason, I enjoy fighting scenes in general a lot more now, all the fights felt way more exciting this time. Team work was great and, I love the fact that Sakura showed she's strong and can take care of herself without having to be saved by others. Good way to remember why she's one of my favorite characters from the show.

Reading it in English made the experience a lot better. And idk how to explain it but, some of the expressions in the Spanish version felt kinda... weird.

Still think this is one of Sakura's prettiest pics.

It is a very thin and easy to read book, my initial goal was to read a chapter a day and finish it in a week but, I ended up finishing it in less than a week. I guess that shows I did enjoy it.

And, I think that'll be all when it comes to the story, now let's talk compare the books. I mean, it's not like they are way different but, still.

The one on the right is the first one I got. It was published by Panini Manga and it's slightly smaller than the new one. It came with a book sleeve and a matching bookmark which I thought was really nice. I actually used that same bookmark when I read the new one.
The newer one was published by Viz Media, and didn't have a sleeve or a book mark. You can also see that the title in Japanese is written in a glossy finish kinda way, which I think it's really pretty.
The few illustrations inside are the same in both, you can see some of those in the older post.
Both are really pretty.

I never thought I'd be the kind of person who has two different editions of the same book but, here I am, all happy with them.

And well, to finish this post, I want to show you my latest Sasusaku plushies. Especially because I randomly received them, from different people on the same weekend I decided to start reading the novel. It was just a funny coincidence but, it makes sense, they belong together.♡

I'll start with Sasuke cuz I received him first. My friends know how much I love him and got it for me. The pic doesn't really show it but, it is actually a plush keychain and I currently have him hanging from my bag. He is soooo cute!

And, the next day, my mom gave me this Sakura plush. She knows I like her but she doesn't know the characters that well. But she said she really liked her when she saw it and wanted to get her for me. I think in the end she did get a little help from my sister and decided to get her.
I don't have many Sakura goodies so, it made me happy.

I feel like this post was a little all over the place but, I really wanted to share these things. I still want to read the Kakashi Hiden and Sasuke's Story. Hopefully this year, hehe. I want to finish reading what I already have first so, yeah. We'll see what happens.

See you next time~💋

August Recap: Time For Our Monthly Catch Up!

Kinda sad August is over cuz, it's been a fun month! It felt eventful, a little more social and, I just enjoyed it a lot!

Starting with the fact that there's already some Halloween/Fall stuff in some stores. I know it's early for some but, it just makes my heart so happy! My bestie was the one who told me about it and, we went together to check some stuff. We didn't buy anything yet but, we got that very needed Fall boost on a hot summer day. After that day, I started finding more and more seasonal goodies. Can't wait for Fall!

We also celebrated two of my best friends' birthdays cuz they not only share the same name, but also the same bday month. It was a lot of fun. I always have a great time with my friends, I missed reunions like this where we talk about everything, laugh, and eat a lot. 

This might be a little random but, I love Sakura and Sasuke together so, I have to include this here. On a random weekend I received a Sasuke keychain plush from my friends, they know I'm Mrs. Uchiha, haha. He's just soooo cute! And, the next day, my mom gave me a Sakura plush. Sakura is one of my fav characters but, I don't have many Sakura goodies. She's adorbs. To me, it was destiny, hehehe.

Somehow this month was full of K-pop and Korean goodies. Stray Kids released their new album This & That on a wine night so, that was the main focus of it. We listened to it with SKZOO and themed goodies. The album is actually pretty good, it has a little bit of everything and it's been on repeat for me. I hadn't been so obsessed with a kpop group in a while.

Then, we finally started getting some K-pop Demon Hunters food over here. Mom discovered this cup noodles and, of course we had to try them. Both are really good but, the curry one is just delish! Defo my favorite. Alsoooooo, Mc Donald's finally brought the Huntr/x and Saja Boys meals. I had been waiting for this collab for months! At some point I thought we were not going to have it. We tried it the same week it came out starting with the Huntr/x meal that included nuggets, fries with a ramyeon seasoning (that was SO FREAKING GOOD), demon sauce a berries drink and collectible cards. A week later we got the Derpy Sundae, I rarely sundaes but, it was pretty good. No regrets.  I love Mc D's, I really enjoyed it. I still have the Saja Boys meal pending to try. We'll see if I end up doing it next month.

Continuing with the K-wave, haha. I tired South Korean beer for the first time! The one we found was, Kloud. Weird, huh? I've tried different Japanese ones but, never Korean. And, I really liked it. It was so nice and easy to drink! Along with that, we had makgeolli. It had been a while for me and my mom and, the first time for my sister. We found these fun looking Canmak flavored makgeolli at the supermarket and decided to get them. Defo worth it!

I think that's it for the Korean stuff, haha. Let's move on to some of  the things I've been watching and reading and monthly favs.

On my last monthly recap, I mentioned how excited I was to finally start watching Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War: The Calamity and, it was just starting. I've been watching a new episode every week and, it's been perfect! So, I need a moment to fangilr about a couple of things, starting with how cute it is to see Ichigo and Orihime fighting together. Not him fighting to protect her but, working as a team. The way they understand each other is just so, so cute. I love how their relationship has progressed. I had been waiting for it for the longest time. Something else I had been (not so) patiently waiting for was adult Hitsugaya Taichou! I love him, ok? Don't judge me. I mean, he's always been great but his adult form and attacks were so ASDFGHJKL. I can't. I was fangirling like crazy. I need more!! Watching him fight along Byakuya was pretty cool too. They make a good team. I think so far we're halfway through and every episode just keeps getting better.

Along with Bleach, I'm rewatching Jujutsu Kaisen season 2. I'm watching it with a lot more love to certain characters this time so, things hit different. I love my boys, Gojo and Geto and it hurts to see how much their relationship slowly changed. I kinda want to rewatch everything before a new season is released cuz I know the characters better and notice things I didn't the first time I watched these seasons.

Apart from anime, I've been watching other Japanese shows. One is Mampuku, a drama based on the story of Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin Foods. This one is a long one so, I haven't finished it yet but, since the episodes are only 15mins long, I try to watch many when I have the chance. The other is a reality show... yeah. I think sometimes reality TV can be my guilty pleasure, hehe. It's Badly in love, a Netflix reality show in which 11 singles with yankii pasts as live together for 2 weeks to find love, but they end up learning a lot more about life and themselves than just finding love. I finished the first season in like a week and I'm currently watching season 2 cuz, it's still ongoing. I'm obsessed!

I've been watching some movies too but, I'll save those for another post.

As for books, this month I read 2, so yay! Hehe. The first one was Unsolved Mysteries. It took me forever to finally finish it but, we did it! After that one, I read the Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze, I read it in spanish years ago and I honestly didn't remember much of it. This time I read it in English and liked it a lot more. It felt kinda new again and since it's a light novel, I finished it in a week.

To finish this post, I wanna share some things I've been loving lately. I'll start with one I've already shown in a previous post, my ice roller. It's super nice and easy to use evey morning. It has defo helped to depuff my face in the morning and, in a ways, the coolness of it makes me wake up too, hehe. I recently changed the plain water for some green tea.

The other beauty product is one I recently bought and has worked very, very well is the Ecco Bella Desmaquillante Bifásico 3 en 1. This is a supermarket product, pretty cheap and, it does the job. Works great when it comes to gently removing my waterproof mascara and eyeliner with no effort. It's oil based and it hasn't given my eyes (or skin in general) any irritation or reaction. It has vitamins A, C, and E and it's suitable for all skin types.

Last is the Nescafé Espresso Concentrate Vanilla, last month I tried the unflavored one and this month I got the vanilla version. It is slightly sweet, so it's perfect if you want coffee with a little extra something. But honestly, if I had to choose, I'd defo go for the plain one for an everyday coffee.

And, I think that's it! I didn't think this recap would be this long, hehe. Big thanks if you read til the end. The fun part of the year is alomst here and I can't wait!

See you next time~!💋

What's in my bag? | August 2026 |

 My mom recently gave me a new bag so, it's time for an updated What's in my bag? post, hehe. Only a few things have changed since my last post earlier this year but, you know I kinda share one of these posts every time I change bags. 

The bag is a tall olive green - brownish, synthetic suede tote bag that screams fall. It's really big, it has a slip pocket inside, a magnetic snap closure and an adjustable strap.

At first I thought it was going to be a little uncomfortable to carry around but, it is not! And, you can put a lot in it.

Of course I had to personalize it a little by adding a pink scarf, this one was grandma's and my new Sasuke plush keychain my friends recently gave me. He's too precious.♡

Now, let me show you what's in the bag. You will recognize some of these things from my previous bag posts. I'm only going to focus on the newish things so, let's start~

In general, this is what I usually carry with me. My keys and phone are missing in the pic. Sometimes I also keep a snack, like a granola bar or something.

I recently got this book sleeve thingy and, I absolutely loved it! It's a great way to protect your books and carry other bookish items in that same sleeve. Plus, it's easy to move everything whenever you change bags.

I had to change my wallet cuz the zipper broke. My mom gave me this one from Ale Hop. It's the same size as the one I previously had.

Some of the other not so new things~

I think I hadn't shown these sunnies before. They were a bday pressie, I change sunnies every couple of months. Sometimes depending on the season.
I've been addicted to the Kopiko Coffee Candy, I always keep some in my bag, work bag and car.

Other knick knacks. I guess the most random thing here is... the kunai! Haha. The reason why it is there is because it was a gift and, I put it in my bag when I received it. I haven't found a proper place for it so, it's there with me all the time. 
Now I'm also carrying a reusable bag because I always forget to bring one and, you really never know when you're gonna need it.

Now, I'll show you what's in the makeup bag cuz, I don't really use it just for makeup.

The Lulu DK bag was a gift a friend sent me years ago, it is very colorful and pretty and, really big too.
Depending on the day, I also carry other products like my face sunscreen, blush, brush and eyeliner. The lipstick changes as well.
There are times where you can find some pimple patches too.

And, that's it guys, that's my updated bag post, haha. I love watching videos of people sharing what's in their bags so, I hope you enjoyed.

I've been thinking about sharing a What's in my work bag? post but, idk. Let me know if you'd like to see that.

See you next time~!💋

Apartment 07 | My Cups & Mugs Collection |

Months ago, my friend told me I should make a video sharing my cups & mugs collection. I also remember watching some Youtubers I like doing it and, I thought it was a fun idea. I'm not making videos atm but, that doesn't mean I can't share them in here so, that's what I'm doing today, showing you the ones I've collected through the years.

I think I might have mentioned this before but, both of my parents used to collect mugs so, I kinda grew up with that. Plus, we know I'm a coffee lover who needs her seasonal mugs. Especially during Fall and Halloween.

While taking the pics for this blog, I kinda got rid of some of them, mostly the ones I just never used. It was a bit of a decluttering thing too, which is good cuz, somehow I find myself buying and receiving more each year, and I don't have enough space for them.

Anyway, this will be in no particular order, I'll just try to organize them into small groups and tell you a little about some of them.

Let's start with some anime~ You'd think I'd have many but, surprisingly, I don't!

I used to have a Nana mug that was suuuuper old and the pictures were already fading so, I threw it away and a Shingeki No Kyojin one but, I lost it when I moved. It's sad~
At least I was able to find old pics of them to show you.

Starting with one of my favorites, my Bleach Japanese tea cup. I love Rangiku and the 10th Division so, this one is precious to me. It was a gift I received many, many years ago. I can say, it was one of my first Bleach goodies. It came in a set of two, the other one was Hitsugaya's but, the guy who gave it to me, kept it. I believe there are sets like this for all the other Divisions too. I'd love to have Taichou's one day~ I have to say tho, I mostly use it to drink sake, hehe.
Then we have a Naruto mug I received for my birthday a couple years ago. This girl has a big crush on Sasuke, especially his papa Sasuke look. I just love seeing him here, hehe. 

This one is an oldie and you can tell cuz the red color is kinda fading but, it's still one of my favs. My Evangelion NERV mug. I believe I got it at an anime event and it's one of the ones I use the most. I love it so much. 

Moving on, it feels right to share the Japanese style cups I have, which, now that I thing about it, were all from my bestie...

The first two pics are of the same cup, it is from Miniso and it was a bday gift. It has two things I love, sakura flowers and bunnies. The bunny peeking from inside the cup is the cutest thing ever.
Next, there's another sakura tea cup that was also a bday gift. This one is from Dokkoi and I think it's just the prettiest thing ever. Love it so much. Similar to my Bleach cup, I sometimes use it to drink sake instead of tea~ hoho.
Last one was made by the bestie along with a matching plate. I mostly have them for decoration in the house.

The cup and its matching plate. ♡

Now, I'll show you some of the mugs that don't really have a specific category or group, hehe. Some of them are my most used ones.

My M&M's mug is one of my most used ones! It was a bday pressie and I love how big it is, it's perfect for my morning coffee. Plus, that quote it's me every morning. Haha.
The pink "Be yourself everyday" mug was a gift from my dad. The pic doesn't show it much but, it's a little iridescent. I also use this one a lot.
The one next to it was a teacher's day pressie, I think. I use it a lot too, espeically during Fall. For some reason it feels like a Fall mug to me.
The We Bare Bears was one of the first things I bought from Miniso, years ago when they released their merch. I wasn't even a big fan of the show but I thought they were cute. I actually bought many more things from that collab at that moment.
And then we have the Tess mug. That's my most recent one. Mom got it for me and, now I know it's from a tea brand but I only wanted it because of a character from one of my fav anime, Full Metal Panic! Her name is Tessa and sometimes, people call her Tess so, yeah.

My sister and one of my friends have a matching Spice Girls mug too, we custom made them years ago since the 3 of us were big Spice Girls fans. On one side we have the classic Spice Girls logo and pics of them with their signatures on the other side. Even tho I really like this one, I don't use it that often.
In the center, is my makeup cup. I think my mom gave it to me during my makeup obsessed era, haha. Honestly, I think I've used it like twice in my life but, I can't seem to get rid of it. It's fun and kind of unique. Haven't seen a similar one.
Below that one, is a Thundercats mug my dad gave me. I try not to use it much cuz the black color started chipping after a few washes. It's still pretty cool tho.
The black cat mug came in a set of 2, my mom has the other one that's pink with a white cat on it. I like it cuz it's a big one and use it often too.
Last on this pic is my Playful Kiss mug. It's still one of my fav kdramas. I bought it back when I was absolutely obsessed with it. It was a nice surprise to find it in a random store cuz, I watched this drama years after it was released. I don't use it as much anymore but, it still has a very special place in my heart.

This was the cat mug set. One was supposed to be Masha and the other one, Michee.

Pink mugs! Haha. The Hello Kitty one is from Walmart, I bought it many years ago and it's still one of the ones I reach for the most every morning because of how big it is.
The pink cat is from a xmas gift exchange at work. It's super cute and it came with a ceramic lid and a matching spoon. 
The hearts cup was a gift from my mom, even tho it doesn't look big, it is! I really like the heart deet on the handle and if you look closely, it also has hearts all over it. I don't really know how this effect or finish is called tho.
The last cup was also a gift my sister's friend sent me. The size it's pretty similar to he Hello Kitty one so, I use it a lot too. I like big ones!
 

This is the only espresso cup I have and, I've never used it. I got this one as a gift after buying a cocktail promotion at Sanborns on my mom's birthday a few years ago. It's really pretty and colorful but I only have it on display on my coffee station.

This black cat mug is the perfect transition to move to the seasonal/holiday ones. 
It is from H&M Home and it was a gift from one of my cousins. I love it because, it's really big, it has black cats on it and it feels kinda witchy! The gold deets give it an extra something.  

Starting with the seasonal/holiday ones we have, of course, my Halloween and Fall ones. I used to have many more but Masha broke some of the ones I had and I have been trying to slowly grow the collection again. I'm sure I'll get at least 1 new cup this year.

From top to bottom: Ghosty mugs! 
I got the first ghost last year for a small Halloweeny reunion I had at home. I got one for everyone so, of course I had to get one for myself too. The one next to it was part of the Halloween presies my mom gave me last year. It has a great size and I just love the ghosty on the handle. It's too cute! They were both from Walmart.
Then we have my cauldrons! The one on the left was a gift my dad and Sari brought from Universal Studios. It's a Harry Potter mug and, it's just too pretty I didn't want to use it much at first but, I actually love it and start using it as soon as September starts, hehe. I got the "magic potion" one at Walmart many, many years ago. I love it and it's pretty big but, the rim of it is a little too thick, which makes it weird to drink from it.
I honestly can't remember where the witch mug is from, I've had it for years and years now, but there's something about it that reminds me of the show Bewitched and I love it way too much.
The pumpkin is a new one too, it was on of my first Fall pressies last year. My mom got it at Walmart and it came with a lid and a straw so you can also take it on the go.

Even tho I'm not the biggest Christmas girlie, I do have some mugs I use during the holidays. Most of them have been gifts.

The first two are very small and similar. I think those were gifts from students with some chocolates in them. I think one of the is actually my mom's hehe.

The snowman face is the newest, I bought it two years ago to have matching mugs with my mom and sister. It is pretty big and I do use it a lot in December.

The Dallas Cowboys cup was also a gift a student got me when he visited the Cowboys Stadium.

The next one is a bit more wintery than christmassy. My sister gave me that one and I really like how the shape is different from the other I have. It's also pretty big.

The last one is made of a tin like material, it feels kinda old and that's why I like it. I honestly can't remember where it is from or if it was a gift. I don't use it much, cuz it's pretty small but, still like it for some eggnog or something like that. The only thing I don'y like, is that, because of its material, it gets suuuuuuper hot.

We are going to finish this post with my teacher mugs. I feel like I get a new one at least every year, haha. I don't use them much and I've given some of the older ones away in the past.

At the top is a mug a coworker gave me. She got personalized mugs for her 6th graders and was sweet enough to give me a Sailor Moon one. Working at that school wasn't really that great but, I met a few great coworkers and that particular group has been one of my favs so far so, I keep this one with love.
My dad and Sari gave me the Disney cup. It is very big and, even tho I'm not a big Disney fan, I like the design on it. It's pretty different from all the other teacher mugs I have.

These are some of the ones I've received in my current job throughout the years, hehe. There's not much to say really, I'm showing both sides of them and the one in the middle is one of those mugs that reveal the design on it with hot water.

And, I think that's it for the cups and mugs I have. I'm sure I'll be adding some more this year. At least a Fall or Halloween one. Can't be helped, I've already seen one I want online. Hehe.

I also have some thermos, tumblers and takeaway reusable cups (Idk if that's the name) but I didn't include them here because I didn't want to make this post super duper long. 

Let me know if you'd like to see those too.

See you next time~!💋

🔖 Recent Reads: Unsolved Mysteries

I've started this book like twice before and, I finally finished it. This book was given to me a few years ago with the idea of reading some of it with my older students. And, I remember choosing the Black Dahlia murder to read with one of them. I'm not sure if it was the right choice but, you know, it's one of my fav unsolved murder cases, hehe.

Anyway, back then I only focused on the parts of the book that really caught my attention and pretty much just read the unsolved murders part~ Then earlier this year, I tried to read it again but, I received another book as soon as I started reading it and moved on to it, leaving this one on pending again after just reading the first chapter. But this month I was determined to finish it, especially because I want to finish reading what I already have before I start buying new books and, my plan is to do that in October to choose some spookier books.

"There are phenomena we will never understand, and experiences we believe we understand but do not. Not everything follows the rules of logic, and not everything can be deduced from cause and effect. Cryptozoology, parapsychology, uncaught killers, paranormal activity, extraterrestrials, forgotten history, and all types of fringe science fill the pages of Unsolved Mysteries." 

This book is divided into 7 different chapters: Mysterious Origins And Endings, that covers civilizations, biblical and reliegious topics, theories and practices like trepanation, Unsolved Murders like the Black Dahlia and Lizzie Borden murders, Evasive Creatures including Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Mothman andd mythical sea monsters.

Uncharted, Unexplored & Unknown that talks about mysterious events with no explanation.

Enigmatic people & Cultures like Nostradamus and Rasputin and Unexplained phenomena such as UFO's, aliens, and ghosts.

I love a good mystery, especially the darker and creepier ones but, I'm really not into space stuff, UFO's and ancient civilizations so, even tho I did learn a few new things, some chapters felt way more interesting than others. Good thing is, the different topics in this book aren't that long so, I moved on fast from the things that I didn't really like. 

Some of the chapters have a few pictures, I wish it had more tho. 

This book is from 2019 and was published by Publications International Ltd. I found that there are many books with the same title. Since it's not super recent, I feel like some things can be a little outdated now and some of them might have already changed a little but, in general, it was interesting to read, it felt like the Unsolved Mysteries show, in a book version.

It felt good to finally finish it, now I can put it back on the shelf and continue with the others I have on my TBR, before spooky season officially hits.

See you next time~!💋