Not A Very Summery July Recap 🌞

Life should feel like Summer but it really doesn't haha. Which is ok because, I don't really like Summer anyway~ Even tho I don't have a break, I feel like work has slowed down a little this month. I was worried at first but, I decided to enjoy it and have some time to myself, spend that time doing some pendings cuz I know in August, life will go back to normal.

One of the things I was the most happy about was finally having Sarada (my car) back. And yeah, I know I can move around using public transport and, I was lucky that my sister lent me her car to go to work but, having it back gives me a lot more freedom to move around safely. It still needs some things but, those aren't urgent and, of course I'll do my best to get them fixed as soon as possible.

This month was my mom's birthday, we called it Mili Fest this year and we basically had small bday things throughout the month and the official celebrations on her birthday week. Since her bday was on a Wednesday and it's a busy day for everyone cuz of work, we turned wine night into a birthday dinner where we gave her part of her pressies and had cake. And on the weekend we took her out for lunch and had a game afternoon at home after that with some drinks, snacks and, more pressies.

I feel like, blogging wise, July was so slow. I wasn't inspired enough and didn't think I had a lot to share. I didn't want to push it and ended up sharing just one post a week instead of my usual 2 posts per week. Oh well, hopefully next month my motivation and inspiration will be back.

Somethings that made me happy on the most random days were some unexpected pressies I received, the first one was a end of the school year gift from one of my students, she gave me some chocolate, a hand cream and a sweet note. I love written notes! There's something super special about them. The other was from one of my neighbors. She wanted to thank me for picking her parking permit while she wasn't here and he gave me a cute pocket mirror and some figs. I've only had figs in syrup from stores before but, talking to my friends, they gave me the idea to try making them myself and, I did. They turned out better than expected. I'm proud of myself, hehe.

And, speaking of making food, this month I've been trying to make a bigger effort in the kitchen, whether it is only for me or to share with others. That includes making iced coffee as my second coffee of the day when I need an extra caffeine boost. I'm obsessed with banana milk coffee now, it's is fun and delish!

Fun fact about me, I don't like banana but, I love banana artificial flavor, so yeah, I'm a big fan of the korean banana milk. Although lately, I've been obsessed with their melon milk. SO GOOD.

Now, let's talk about some of the things I watched and read along with some favs.

When it comes to reading, I'm proud of myself for reading 2 things in a month, and I say things because one was a manga, which to me still counts as reading something but, I can't count it as a book. Can I?

The first one was The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. I think I could've read it faster but there were weeks where I couldn't dedicate as much time to reading it as I wanted to. And the manga was Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu which I received as a birthday pressie back in June. In this house we love Junji Ito and cats so, it was perfect! So different from his other works but still really good! Especially as someone who loves and has cats.

Moving on to TV, I finally finished watching Sold Out On You, it was a fun watch and it's a short drama, idk what took me this long to finish it. It had a little bit of everything, romance, 2 people with trauma helping each other out of love, comedy and a little drama. As expected, it made me cry, hehe. 

I also finished my beloverd Full Metal Panic IV rewatch. Again, idk what took me this long~ Watching it again, I noticed animation isn't that great in this season. Which is weird cuz even Fumoffu had a better one and it was an older season. I guess I was just biased the first time I watched it. I enjoyed it nonetheless. After reading the FMP! Collectors Edition 3 novel, I realized SO many things were not showed in the anime, I'm glad I got to read it before rewatching it.

I've been watching Asian horror, including: Tales Of Terror From Tokyo And All Over Japan The Movie (and also the anthologies, which are also compilations of short stories), Stigmatized Properties, Ring of Curse and 3 Doors of Horror. I'm planning to make a shows and movies post so, I guess I'll talk about them a little bit more there but, they were good. Not super scary but, defo entertaining.

Defo one of my highlights when it comes to TV was the premiere of Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Cour 4 which was my most anticipated show this year. If you've been around here for a while or know me, Bleach is one of my favorte anime and has a very special place in my heart. Sadly, apparently it'll be the last season and a part of me is just not ready. So far I've only watched 1 episode cuz they're releasing one each week but, it did not disappoint. It was defo worth the wait and the hype.

I'll close this post with some other favs of the month, that now that I think about it, it's mostly food, haha.

Not too long ago I saw an add showing Kopiko Coffee Candy and how popular it was in Korean drama, I got curious because they said, since it has caffeine, it can give you a small energy boost. At the end of last month, I randomly found them at the supermarket and, thay have become a favorite of mine. I keep them in my work bag, regular bag, in my office and even in the car for whenever I feel I can use some extra energy. They really taste like coffee since they are made with coffee bean extract grown on volcanic soil. I've tried the two versions, the cappuccino and black coffee. Both are great! I even gave my mom a bag of them as a part of her bday pressie, hehe.

This next one might be a little random but, I had my first pan de muerto of the year! In Summer. Cuz even tho it's a November traditional bread in my country, it's never too early to enjoy it. Haha. I love a little Autumn something in my summer so, no complaints. I love the traditional one but, I'm always happy to try new versions of it and, this time I found one covered in white chocolate with gummy bears on top. So fun! It was filled with cream cheese. It make my Autumn girl heart happy!

Lastly, is the Nescafé Espresso Concentrate which has been great when it comes to making my iced coffee at noon. It's made with a rich Arabica blend and it saves me some money cuz I can make many drinks with just one bottle since I only need 50ml of the concentrate and 250ml of cold liquid of choice. It's strong!

There's also a vanilla concentrate I haven't tried. Maybe I will since I really liked this one.

And, I think that's it for this monthly recap. Can't believe half of the year has already gone. We'll see what happens next month, all I know is, I can't wait for Fall to be here.

See you next time~!💋

Easy Meals I've Had For Lunch Lately Pt. 3 🍽

I didn't really think I'd put a 3rd easy meals post together so fast! I'm really trying to be a little bit more creative in the kitchen, include more veggies and just pamper myself with things I crave. And I'll admit, sometimes I even have some fun with it.

As I have mentioned before, these meals aren't the healthiest, most balanced and even not super attractive for everyone but, I liked them and they make me happy. Haha.

With that being said, let me share some of the meals I'va had lately~

Chicken bake and grape tomatoes. I recently found the chicken bake at the supermarket (because of course I didn't make it) and it's delish! It's filled with chicken, ham and cheese.
This is only half of it cuz it's too big for me so, I divide it and eat it in two separate days. I like grape tomatoes cuz they are easy and pretty cute. They were a great complement.

Cheese gnocchi with sausages. So, this might not be the ideal combo but, it worked for me, it was fast and easy to make considering the gnocchi was instant gnocchi. Despite being instant, it's still pretty good. I made both things separately and added extra cheese to the gnocchi. The sausages were cooked in the air fryer for about 10 minutes (cuz I like them to be extra cooked, hehe) and added them to the gnocchi once everything was ready.

Good old tuna mayo salad with veggies and a boiled egg. It's my go-to when I forget to take food out of the freezer the day before. I like to add some tajin to my tuna salad, it gives it an extra something, hehe.

Chicken popcorn with japanese white rice and vine-ripened tomatoes. I usually make chicken popcorn in the air fryer so they are not all greasy. I made too many tho, and ended up eating them for a few more days. Tomatoes have some tajin on them.

 

Let's take a moment to appreciate how pretty these vine-ripened tomatoes are~

Using the leftover chicken popcorn I made some bean noodles and broccoli with a bit of soy sauce and mixed everything. I love bean noodles cuz they go well with many things.

And with that, we'll close this foodie post. Let me know if you'd try making one of these, hehe. I'm curious!!

See you next time~!💋

🔖 Recent Reads: The Honjin Murders

It's time to share the last book I read, The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. I started reading it last month a finally finished it last week. 

Apparently is one of Japan's greatest classic murder mysteries and it was originally published in 1946.

I love crime stories, especially murder ones and, the fact that this one was set in Japan, gave it an extra something.

"In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions around the village.

Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi household are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music. Death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house. Soon, amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is on the scene to investigate what will become a legendary murder case, but can this scruffy sleuth solve a seemingly impossible crime?"

I'm not gonna lie, at the beginning the story felt a little slow, since we were getting to know the characters and, at some point, I kinda thought the case would be predictable but, I was wrong! As the story progressed there were many different plot twists and things I didn't see coming. I won't spoil the case here but, it became very interesting.

Sometimes reading it felt like watching something from Detective Conan, especially cuz it was a locked-room murder case and the way they were connecting the clues with what and how things really happened so, it was fun. I also thought this book would've been something my grandpa would enjoy reading.

I loved the old Japan setting and the way they described things, plus, even toh the book dones't have any illustrations, they included a map of the house in which the murder happened and, that was kinda cool to me, know how the layout was, helped me understand some things better.

It is a fast read since it's not a thick book, I just couldn't dedicate enough time to reading it because of work and other things but, I think if you like mysteries and murder cases that aren't too graphic or gory, it is a great option.

There are other novels by this author that I'd defo like to check in the future.

That's it for this short book post~

I'll see you next time~!💋

🍓Ozeki Strawberry Nigori 🍶

"With every pour of sake, let's celebrate the now, the new, and the next. For in this liquid poetry, I find the essence of joy"

 Long time no alcohol post! I dunno why or when I just stopped sharing them. Especially because I have tried so many fun and yummy drinks and, somehow I just never shared them around here. Boo!

Nihonshu is defo one of my all-time favorite things to drink, no matter the presentation. There is something so nostalgic and comforting about it and, since not long ago I received this beautiful Ozeki Strawberry Nigori, I thought it'd be the perfect way to bring back these drink posts. Hehe.

Let's start with, what's Nigori. I'm no expert here but I did some reading and, I'm love with the whole process. Nigori is sake that is only coarsely filtered, so there's a little bit of fine rice solids still left in there, that's why it's slightly sweet, cloudy and creamy. It comes in different types, from lightly cloudy to thicker ones.

It goes well with spicy Asian food, creamy desserts, and citrusy flavors. It's suggested to drink chilled and shake before serving.

Until now, I've had only tried the classic, unflavored one and, I love, love, love it. This one, was a very pleasant surprise.

It perfectly combines the creamy and subtle texture of nigori sake with the sweet strawberry flavor. It's funny cuz it has a bit of a sour after taste that makes you feel as if you were really eating strawberries with your sake. 

Look at that beautiful strawberry color!

It contains 9% alcohol, so it is very light, defo lighter than traditional sake and, 4.0 acidity. I loved it cold and paired with some snacks at night. Great way to end my day, honestly.

I think, this (or the natural one) are perfect for those who haven't tried sake yet and kinda want to get started, especially cuz most people feel sake is strong. 

All in all, it is delish! Now I wonder if there are other falvored nigori out there cuz I defo wanna try.

I'll try to share more of my fav drinks or just fun finds in the future. But, that's it for now~

See you next time and, 乾杯~!💋

Time To Catch Up! June Recap 🎂

It's time to say goodbye to June, my birthday month. It was busy, eventful, with its up & downs but, I can say it was a good one even if it was an emotional month for me, it was defo better than May~ 

I started the month with some birthday celebrations, I won't really go into it too much cuz there's already a bday post where I share a little bit more of that. It was fun and great and I'm really thankful to everyone who took the time to make it a special one.

June was also my dad's birthday and father's day. We celebrated birthdays a couple of days apart so, it's always bittersweet cuz we used to celebrate our birthdays together at some point. Not being able to do that, is still pretty hard. And, let's not talk about father's day, talking about dads with my students always makes me feel emotional. It's something I just can't seem to get used to. I cried, yeah, but I also remembered him (and grandpa) with lots of love.

I was very lucky life gave me these amazing men. I love them so much and miss them everyday.

And, even tho I did go out and stuff, I think those were the highlights "socially wise". Work is still busy but I think it might slow down a little during the Summer because some of my students will take a break before the school year begins. We'll see what happens.

Oh! Speaking of going out, this month we went to this fruit shop and lunch counter that recently opened in a mortuary (I know it's a weird combination but, that's what made it attractive, hehe) that is SO GOOD! It's called  Lima Limón Frutería y Lonchería. Food was delish, they use natural ingredients and, portions are pretty big. Loved it.

I don't think I've mentioned it a lot in here but, I have a scrapbook/junk journal that I kinda neglected for a while this year until this month, I wanted to make time to work on it at least once a week cuz, it's fun and relaxing and... the junk was already piling up so, it was needed. And so, I kinda got caught up with what I had saved for the last couple of months (I still have to work on this month's) but, Idk, I like it, it feels like a cozy hobby.

My scrapbook/journal is a thick one, I've had it for years. I know at some point I'll have to start a new one.
Here are some of the pages I worked on this month.

Moving on let's talk about what I've been watching, reading and some favs this month.

I'm not gonna mention the ones I still haven't finished cuz, they keep coming back every month, haha. I finally watched the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie. It took me forever, yeah. But I honestly didn't watch it before because none of my favorites at that moment where part of the movie. Now, I have a lot more love for my boys, Gojo and Geto so, it felt like the right time to watch it. I liked it, yeah. Didn't love it but, it was a fun watch.

The second season of Lethally Blonde premiered this month, so I'm currently watching it every monday when they release a new episode. You know I love my true crime and since it is hosted by Holly Madison, it's a must watch for me.

Lastly. I'm rewatching (cuz I love to rewatch things instead of watching new ones...) Oruchuban Ebichu which is such an old, adult anime I watched many years ago. I've only found season 1 so far but, it's very entertaining to watch.

In my head I was going to read 2 books this month cuz they were not thick but, my work had other plans, hehe. So, I only finished one: Cadaver Exquisito by Agustina Basterrica. My students recommended it and, it was a great book in the worst way possible. Defo my type of reading, hehe.

The other one I'm reading is The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. I'm halfway through it, I'm hoping to finish it next month.

And, since I don't think I have any favorites to share, cuz I recently shared some of my fav skincare products atm and I don't want to make things repetitive, I'll just end the post with some fun yummies I tried this month.

This is something I actually tried at the end of last month, my mom and sister bought them cuz they know how much I love this combo. They are the Sabritas Maple Honey and Bacon flavored chips. I could care less about soccer but, I believe they are a World Cup special edition. Which is sad because I really liked them. They do taste like maple with a slight smoked taste, they are sweet and savory. So yummy.  

Next we have watermelon gummies called Sandita. I love everything watermelon and these are not the exception. They are covered with (non spicy) chili powder. They're addictive.

One of my favorite finds was the Choco Banana Fanta that, I believe, it's a Chinese, limited edition flavor. It such a fun drink! cuz it's like drinking a choco banana milk, but fizzy. I loved it!

Lastly, I have to include the buzzballz drinks I received on my birthday. I already drank the 2 of them and, they are very sweet, but reaaaally good. The ones I've tried were the Watermelon Smash & the Strawberry Rita. It's kinda difficult to choose wich one I liked the most and, now I want to try other flavors. I think they'd be great with some sparkling water just to tone down the sweetness a little bit.

I think that's it for this month guys, I'm looking forward to the new Bleach cour next month. My mom's birthday is also coming so, I believe it'll be a fun month.

See you next time~!💋

Skincare Products I've Been Using & Loving This Year~

This year has been the year I've been back to Korean skincare, I loved it when I was younger and I still do, for some reason I stopped using it for a while but, for a couple of years now, I've been taking better care of my skin because this girl ain't getting any younger so, yeah.

I think I keep my skincare routine pretty simple compared to other people. Here are some of the products I've been using this year, not all of them are K-beauty but, I'm pretty happy with them. some of the products have other posts dedicated to them so, I'll link them in case you wanna read more.

The Hoygi Ultimate Moisturizing Cream is a little more recent than the other products. My sister gave it to me and I've been using it as my day cream while I finish the TEATRICAL Antiarrugas with green tea cream I was using before, and that I forgot to take a pic of while prepping this post.
This cream is good for mature skin since it focuses on reducing wrinkles and fine lines. It hydrates and tightens the skin. Apparently it stimulates collagen production and improves skin elasticity.
It's gentle with my skin and it absorbs quickly and it has a very subtle and clean smell.

Bonnyhill Strawberry Collagen Toner Pad defo one of my favorite products atm. It is a 3 in 1 product. This one has strawberry extract, but there's a vitamin C too.  My skin looks and feels healthier since I started using it. Add to that, the presentation. It's too cute!!

Farmstay Retinol & Collagen Rolling Eye Serum I use it every night, massaging my under-eye area. The roller gives you a nice cooling feeling which is perfect after a long day. It leaves the eye ares softn and hydrated. It also smells really good.

 

e.l.f. Suntouchable Whoa Glow Sunscreen works as a sunscreen and as a makeup primer cuz it's slightly tinted and shimmery. 
It's very lightweight and has SPF 30.
I really think it'd look really pretty on tan skin.

Beauty Of Joseon Matte Sun Stick is the best sun stick to carry around! Application is clean and easy and, you can even reapply it on top of your makeup without ruining it. It doesn't really smell like anything and it leaves your skin feeling super, super soft. It has SPF50+ PA++++.

Zenker Lab Sunscreen with SPF 50. I mostly use it on my body but, every now and then I've used it on my face too. I've been using it for years now and, it's great! It has a light texture,absorbs quickly and doesn't have a greasy feeling. It's very affordable too and I recently discovered there's a spray version, I wanna try it!

TonyMoly Clean Dew Acerola Foam Cleanser I first started using it years ago, and went back to it after receiving it as a bday gift. It is a very gentle, creamy and soft cleanser with antioxidants and anti-aging properties. It smells SOOOO GOOD!

St. Ives Apricot Scrub. This is an oldie, I remember my grandma used it and, we've been using it for years too. It's my favorite scrub to get rid of dead cells on dry or flaky skin in a gentle way. It also enhances the luminosity of your skin.

I first knew about this Beauty Treats Natula Lip Oil because a friend included it on an Advent calendar we exchanged years ago. My lips are usually dry and this one is a great product to hydrate them. I especially like the mint one, cuz it's slightly fresh. I use it as a treatment, usually in the mornings or while I'm getting ready and doing my makeup.

COSRX  Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence This is one of my favorites! As I'm sharing this, I'm starting my 2nd bottle this year. I use it in the morning and at night. 
Since I started using it, I've seen a big difference on my skin. It looks healthy, glowy and feels super soft.

You know I've been using sheet masks for a while now, I like to try different brands but, I especially like the Korean ones. (I love Japanese too but they are difficult to find where I live). These are the ones I recently bought, the Orjena Green Tea Natural Moisture Mask Sheet. I bought a pack of 10 sheet masks.
They are for all skin types and are made with green tea extract. They sooth and reduce wrinkles. It has green tea that works as antioxidant. Lately, I've been putting them in the fridge for a little while before using them and, it is a great, relaxing treat for my skin.

And, that's everything! I didn't include the products I use to remove my makeup, Idk if you'd be interested in that too or, in any other products I use and love. (makeup, hair, etc). 

Let me know!! 💋

Miniso | Fascinating Sakura Perfume🌸|

I recently received this perfume as part of my bday pressies and it quickly became my everyday perfume so, I thought I'd share it with you. 

It's the Miniso Fascinating Sakura Perfume, which is perfect cuz, you know I'm obsessed with everything sakura.

I want to mention the presentation cuz, it's really pretty! It comes in a 20ml bottle, which makes it cute and easy to carry around with you in case you want quick touch-ups throughout the day. I wish they had a bigger version tho.I love the pink sakura flowers on the bottle, gives it a girly touch.

As expected, it is a floral fragrance, according to the internet it has top notes of citrus and gardenia, cherry blossom, jasmine, and rose. And base of green leaves, tuberose, and sandalwood. To me, it's a cheerful and fresh scent, perfect for the Spring/Summer time.

Something that I really liked about it is how long lasting it is, the scent is pretty strong so I try not to wear too much and, I can still smell it throughout the day.

That's it for this super short perfume post, hehe.

See you next time~! 🌸