Coconut Oil!

My mom has been pestering telling me to use coconut oil to cook for a while ever since she heard about its health benefits, and so I picked up a jar on my recent trip to Trader Joe's. I've cooked with it and I must say, I absolutely love it! The coconut oil is so fragrant and makes the kitchen smell utterly delicious. It also leaves a very subtle taste to the veggies (I've used it with cauliflower and broccoli dishes) but doesn't overwhelm their natural sweetness. I heard my aunt has been using it as a moisturizer as well ... definitely not something I would do, but sounds yummy!

DIY Scarf Hanger

I love scarves and I think they are a great way to spice up an outfit. (There's a great video from Wendy's Lookbook that teaches you different ways to wear a scarf.) I previously hung my scarves by folding it in half, draped over a hanger but I find that it took a lot of space. So I googled and searched and came up with my version of a scarf hanger.

What I used:
1. A pant hanger from the dry cleaners
2. Plastic shower curtain rings
3. Binder clips

A picture is worth a thousand words. As you can see, I am using the binder clips to hold my shower curtain rings in place. Now I have more space in my closet to fill! Yay!

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner Review

As you may or may not remember, when I shared my current makeup favourites in this post I failed to mention a favourite liquid eyeliner because I haven't found the one yet. Well, brace yourselves -- things are about to change!

Taking advantage of Sephora's annual November Friends & Family discount, I recently purchased the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black. It had good reviews on Sephora and From Head to Toe had previously raved about this liner and so I thought I would give it a try. Ever since I started using liquid eyeliner, it has become a stable in my makeup routine. If I don't use it, I feel incomplete. I think this is what leads to people wearing more and more makeup, and before you know it, you're looking at Christina Aguilera in the mirror.

If this does happen, someone please be a friend and stop me. I'm sure my mom or husband will. 

So this is what they claim the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner does on Sephora:

Featuring a long-lasting pigmented formula, this black eyeliner has an easy-to-apply, pen-style nib, allowing you to create thick feline flicks and defined lines for a smudge-proof finish. Apply a thin line along the lash line and inner rim or smudge outside the rim for a sultry, smoky effect. This gratifying, color-intense liner doesn't flake or fade and adds a unique touch to any look.

I've only worn it a few times, but gee golly, it sure does work well! I look for longevity and ease of application and the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner gives me both. I LIKE IT! At the end of the day the liner is still intact and I don't see any smudges or flaking. The description says we can smudge it for a smokey effect, so I will try that and use it on my lower waterline to see what happens.

(By the way, I think Christina's makeup is better nowadays where you can see her pretty face shining through. Poor celebrities. It's not really their fault.)

Update (12/22/13): I've used this for several weeks and much to my disappointment, it smudges! I still think it's super easy to use though ... so sad! Grrr!

Wheel Diaper Cake

This past weekend I attended a very lovely baby shower where I had cute sandwiches and tea and good mommy conversation. When I had my baby shower a friend had made me a diaper cake and it was one of my favourite gifts. The only thing I didn't like about it was that the diapers were rolled up and I didn't like the way the diapers curled up when it was unrolled. So when I decided to make a diaper cake this time, I googled and came across this video that made diaper wheels instead. It was really easy and I had fun with my little helper. Read on for what we did!

Make the cake layers first. I am making a three layer diaper cake, so I have three different size pots. Watch the video to learn how to make these wheels. I won't go into details here.

I used paper towel tubes as centres. I had two on hand.

The paper towel tube should be long enough for it to go through and attach all three layers of your cake.

In the future, I will use more opaque ribbons. I had wrapped the pink ribbon around the cake two times already but you can still see the elastic band. In the video, you'll see that you have the option of removing it, but I decided to keep mine on since I didn't have a glue gun to glue the ribbons together. I used double sided tape instead.

I ended up decorating it with silk flowers. Here is the front of the diaper cake.

Side view of diaper cake.

Back view of diaper cake. The flowers were great at hiding the double sided tape.

 Here's the diaper cake wrapped and ready to go. Absolutely delicious!

Super Easy Chicken Recipe

Cooking is not my specialty, so I'm always happy whenever I come across an easy yummy recipe. I blame my mom for my cooking skills -- she's such a great cook that I saw no need to learn. If everything she makes is so delicious, why should I bother cooking myself if I can just eat her food? This Tomato Basil Chicken recipe was sent to me by my mom, who knows what her daughter can and cannot do. Thanks mommy!


Tomato Basil Chicken

Fresh basil
1-2 Tomatoes
Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
3 Bone-in chicken thighs/legs with skin

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
2. Cut up tomatoes into small wedges and spread around the bottom of oven-safe container (I use the 1.5 qt CorningWare Stoneware). Depending on how big your container is, you can put more or less tomatoes.
3. Toss in 4-6 cloves of garlic, skin on. As much or as little as you like.
4. Lay chicken on top of tomatoes and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil on chicken. Use the back of a spoon and smear olive oil evenly across chicken skin. 
5. Place a handful of fresh basil around chicken. 
6. Cook uncovered for 90 minutes. 

The fresh basil is from Elizabeth's garden. She was kind enough to give her mommy some of her precious basil. We can only have this dish every other week because we have to wait until her basil grows out.

This dish is so easy that you can literally just throw the ingredients in. You'll notice that I didn't really give any precise measurements for a lot of the ingredients.

Your chicken will come out delicious! The skin will be crispy and the meat juicy. The garlic will be creamy and the tomato flavourful. Your family will come immediately when you call out, "Dinner!" and your daughter will gobble up everything you put in front of her! Am I the only one with this fantasy? Grrr!

Clean Your Brushes!

Many of us are too busy (or too lazy) and neglect our makeup brushes. Bacteria will build up over time and clog your pores leading to all sorts of nasty things, so wash those brushes! I try to wash my foundation, concealer and blush brushes at least every other week. These are the brushes that touch my face so I'm extra careful. Admittedly, my eyeshadow brushes are ignored for longer periods of time.

Here's how I wash my brushes:

1. Squirt a small amount of baby shampoo/wash into the palm of your hand
2. Swoosh your brush around the shampoo/wash
3. Turn on warm water and swoosh brush against your palm until water runs clear
4. Squeeze out excess water from brush
5. Reshape your brush
6. Hang to dry

 

Be sure to hang your clean brushes upside down so water won't breakdown your brushes over time. For my larger handle brushes, I use a rubber band to hang. For smaller brushes I use a skirt hanger. Voila! Clean brushes for your pretty face.

Book Recommendation: The Kitchen House

If you like strong female protagonists and historical fictions you'll like The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. The writing is interesting and the story moves at a nice pace.

Here's the book description:

When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family.

Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin. Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. Lavinia finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare, and lives are put at risk.

Products I Wish I Never Bought

You would think by 6 months old certain little someone would at least be sleeping for longer stretches through the night if not for the full night ... but of course mine still wakes up frequently. There are bad nights (2-3 times a night) and there are worst nights (4-5 times a night). I've already told myself that I will tolerate this for a year, and after that -- RETURN TO SENDER! I'm requesting a full refund!

Sigh.

Speaking of things I can't return, here are some items that I wish I never wasted my money on:

1. L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner in Carbon Black
Fail! Totally fallible and smudges within the hour ... and this is with eye primer too. It does have a very creamy texture though and smokes out easily. If you usually don't have issues with eyeliners smudging on you, this may not be a fail.

2. NYX Slide on, Glide on, Stay on & Definitely a Turn on Waterproof Eyeliner in Brown Perfection
As if having a long title would guarantee its longevity. Also smudged, but took a little longer than the Infallible eyeliner.

3. Cover Girl Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara in Very Black
The one thing I look for in a mascara is to keep my lashes curled. All mascaras, no matter how crappy, will give some definition (and by definition I mean darkening your lashes to the extent where there's a difference between not wearing mascara and wearing it) but not all mascaras can keep your carefully curled lashes curled. Maybe it's because this one is not waterproof, but this did not hold my curls.

4. L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Crayon Concealer in W1-W2
The only areas I use this for are around my nose and on my chin. It left patchy dry spots. Not impressed.

5. Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Ivory
Again, I found this too drying. If you have oily skin, maybe it will work for you. It gives a great sheen for a healthy glowy skin look. 

6. Schwarzkopf Osis+ Body Me Volume Bodifying Volume Serum
In my quest to achieving big, voluminous hair, I've tried many products and this is one of them. It did not give me the much wanted big hair (hello, Carrie Underwood!), but instead left it feeling weighed down and flat.

7. Schwarzkopf got2b Fat-tastic Instant Collagen Infusion Thickening Plumping Mousse
Just realized this is the same brand as #6! DOH! No wonder it did no plumping.

8. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe and Too Cool
Despite the rave reviews on YouTube, these products did not impress me. I found them too dry to work with. I always have to rub my lids really hard to blend them in.

9. Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow in Siren
I love the colours but find the shadow too crumbly.

10. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Dark Brown
I initially loved using this because it was so easy to swipe on, but found later on that it just didn't look as "natural" as I would like. Of course, how natural can drawn on eyebrows really get? Just trust me when I say it was more "unnatural" than the other pencils I've tried. It was just too filled in. With pencil you can feather the strokes and make it look more hair like.

11. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Ammo Shadow Box
I don't know what I was thinking when I purchased this palette years ago. To this day it remains mostly untouched. I find that I prefer jumbo eyeshadow pencils because they're much easier to put on and I can blend with my fingers.

12. Maybelline Lipstick in Born With It
I wanted a pretty pink lipstick but this one looked purple on me. Yuck.

By the way, I would never give up any of my babies so don't even think about it! I worked hard getting them out and I'm bloody well going to keep them. The little one is teething right now which may be one of the reasons why she's not sleeping well at night. Being sleep deprived and dealing with fussy children during the day is taking a toll on my tender sensibilities. When my husband came home asking me why I'm in such a bad mood, I almost snapped his head off. Ugh! Grrr!

Book Recommendation: The Glass Castle

Written in first person narrative, The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Walls recommended to me by a friend. In short, it's about the author growing up in a unconventional, dysfunctional family and how she pulls through her difficult childhood. By no means am I qualified to offer any sort of critique or review, so I'll just tell you what I liked about the book.

• Any book in first person narrative is a major plus. I love that mode of narration.
• Walls' descriptions of her struggles and hardship wasn't written in self-pity or anger.
• She depicts her irresponsible parents in a way where I don't feel like I have to hate them, and she makes them forgivable.
• She didn't grow up bitter and hopeless (obviously).

All in all, Walls' writing is riveting and engrossing. I was sneaking in the reading as often as I could, between naps and moments where both girls were distracted with their own toys. I'm looking forward to the day when they are both in school and I get to read as much as I want ... uninterrupted! Grrr!

Mommy Knows Best

The whole family went to the mall this past weekend and Elizabeth's favourite thing there is riding the carousel. She was very excited and of course, as a mother, I was delighted at seeing her excitement. It brings me much joy when she's happy. I think that must be one of the reasons why people have kids -- we live through them all over again and remember the innocence of childhood pleasure and untainted elation before we were contaminated by the evils of society and become bitter, disillusioned adults.

I watched with Catherine outside the gated area of the carousel as Elizabeth and her father lined up for the ride. Soon enough, it was their turn and as I circled around to see which horse she chose, I heard a dramatic wail and saw a little girl tugging on her father's arm. My little girl.

"What is going on?" I demanded, annoyed that amongst all the smiling, angelic children, the crying one was mine. "What happened?" Her father explained that she wanted to ride in the wagon instead of on a horse. What?! Why would anyone in their right mind want to sit in the immobile wagon, when a horse actually moves up and down? Both her father and I persuaded (her father, gently; and I, harshly) her to sit on a horse. She was not happy. Throughout the ride, my little drama queen sat with wilful determination not to enjoy herself. Every time the carousel circled around, I waved and smiled like a loving mother that I am, and she stared stonily ahead, resolving not to acknowledge my love. No one had a good time.

Sometimes, as parents, we get caught up with what we deem as the "right thing" and forget what's really important. The purpose of the carousel ride was to make Elizabeth happy; instead, her father and I forced what we thought was best on her. Would riding the wagon really have made her happier than riding the horse? Perhaps she would have realized how boring and mundane the wagon was and in the future, only ride the horse. The important thing is we forgot that the whole point was to make her happy -- not to make us happy.

This is something I struggle with everyday. It's easy to impose my views on my children and forget that they too have a mind of their own. I teach them skills to be independent and yet, when it comes to making decisions big or small, I require them to yield to my choices. Of course, it's really not that simple. Nothing is. I want to direct them down the right path without being oppressive. I want them to learn from my mistakes without having to make it themselves. Why does this sound familiar? Is this a perpetual cycle that all parents and kids go through? I vaguely recall my mom ending a fight with an angry: "When you have your own children, you'll know what I mean!" Now I know. "I told you so." Grrr!

Makeup!

Compared to ladies who call themselves "makeup gurus", I have very minimal amount of makeup. I don't like to hoard stuff, so I usually make sure something is used up before I buy anything else. I'm always curious about what other people are using, so I want to share what I use too. Just in case you want to know.

My skin type: Dry combination, not prone to breakout
Complexion: Fair to light
Main concerns: Even out skin tone and covering under-eye dark circles

1. Foundation: L'Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Foundation in W1-W2
I decided to try this foundation because of the pump dispenser and I'm glad I did. This foundation gives me a luminous finish and does not highlight possible dry patches. It is very watery and offers very light coverage. I apply using the Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki brush.

2. Concealer: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in Fair
This brightens up my eye area without caking or sinking into my fine lines (and those are fine lines, my friend!). I apply using the MAC 190SE foundation brush.

3. Eye primer: Milani Eyeshadow Primer
I previously used E.L.F's $1 primer that worked well, but found that this offered an even greater staying power. The key is to wait at least a minute before applying your shadow or liner. 

4. Powder: Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Light
I use very little on my T-zone and cheeks, just to prep my face for powder blush. I apply with Real Technique Powder Brush.

5. Bronzer: NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny 720
This is used to lightly contour and add colour to my cheeks. Truthfully, I've never used bronzer before this so I have nothing to compare this to. I apply with Eco Tools Bamboo Bronzer Brush.

6. Blush: Milani Baked Powder Blush in Luminoso
I have other blushes, but this one is currently my favourite. It's very similar to the Nars blush in Orgasm, which I also have, but less pigmented. I apply using the Sigma F40 Large Angled Contour brush.

7. Brows: Shiseido Natural Eyebrow Pencil in Natural Black
This is the first time I used a black brow pencil instead of dark brown. I started noticing how obvious my dark brow hair (still noticeable, albeit sparse) was against the brown pencil so I decided to try a black pencil. After trying a couple of different brands, I find that Shiseido's brow pencil is most natural. It's more of a gray than black. Apply with a light hand and build up. You don't want to look like this guy:

8. Eyeliner: Milani Liquid Eye in Brown and Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Charcoal
I tight-line with the Revlon pencil and smudge for a smokey look; then I line my waterline (lower lash line) with the Milani brown pencil. I have really watery eyes and I find the Milani primer and liner combination works well in terms of staying power. I will then use a black liquid liner to go over my top lash line, but I haven't found a favourite yet.

9. Mascara: Covergirl NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara in Black Waterproof and Maybelline Colossal Volume Express in Black Waterproof
After watching JaaackJack's mascara video, I started using two mascaras too and found that this created a nice effect. I first apply the Maybelline Volume Express and then go over it with the Covergirl NatureLuxe. I always buy waterproof mascaras because of my watery eyes and my lashes stay curled all day.

10. Highlighter: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle
I do find this a little bit too frosty but I apply so little it doesn't really matter. I apply a little along the top of my cheeks with the Real Techniques Setting Brush.

I don't wear makeup when I'm at home so it takes me forever to finish a product ... actually, the truth is, I don't even have time to wash my face in the mornings! Not cool, eh? Oh, well ... no one's perfect. Grrr!

Grrr! Top 10

There are many things in the world that irritate me but here's the top ten, not in any particular order. I dedicate this post to my husband, who is a frequent contributor in this department.

1. Ants in the house. On the counter. Everywhere. 
We have been cohabitating with ants for the last month or so. Life was fine and ant-free for the last couple of years since I developed a combat technique that dealt with these tiny terrorists. We would quietly observe the ants and follow the line back to the "source", and then handy mommy would bring out her caulk gun and seal up the crack from which these little devils sprout from. This seemed to do the trick and we were attack-free for two lovely summers. However, when summer rolled around this year, it opened the floodgates and the enemy poured in. We tried everything, and I mean everything -- vinegar, baby powder, perfume, jasmine oil, and little "hotels of delight" that supposedly were to extinguish their entire existence. As I sit here tapping away on my laptop, I can see ants toasting me with their little margaritas that they probably got from the "hotels" I purchased. They are still here. Cheers.

2. Prying open something with your nails and having it jab into the skin underneath.
People who take care of their hands would never use their nails as a tool. I do. Most often I am using them to rip wrapping off a bottle and the plastic would stick underneath my nails and separate the skin from my nails. Not only does it sting for the next two days, the white tips of my nails look funky.

3. Crying and whiny children.

4. Removing my makeup.
Applying makeup is like painting my face; it's very enjoyable and I consider it a type of creative art. It may take as fast as 10 minutes up to 45 minutes. My husband and I developed different "makeup levels" corresponding to the intensity of the makeup.

Level 1: Eyebrow, concealer and eyeliner.
Level 2: Eyebrow, concealer, eyeliner, foundation and eye shadow.
Level 3: Eyebrow, concealer, eyeliner, foundation, eye shadow and blush.
Level 4: Eyebrow, concealer, eyeliner, foundation, eye shadow, blush and bronzer.
Level 5: Eyebrow, concealer, eyeliner, foundation, eye shadow, blush, bronzer and mascara.

You'll often hear him call out, "Level one! Level one!" in the background while I get ready. Of course, I ignore him and usually walk out of the house with Level 4 makeup. Applying makeup is a lot of fun for me and I like to take my time. What I don't like, is taking it off. I take makeup removal very seriously since I believe it is the key to having good skin. If you're smothering your skin for long periods then it doesn't have enough time to breathe and secrete toxins. Unplugging pores and purging toxins is great and all, but a pain in the ass nonetheless.

5. Waking up in the middle of the night to feed, change diapers, and/or get drinking water.

6. Feeding a kid who doesn't like to eat.
I'm sure if you googled "kid who doesn't like to eat" my daughter's picture will show up. She was a normal, chubby baby who grew up to be a stick of a toddler. I've always been opposed to chasing kids around when they don't eat themselves, but when it comes to my kid, well ... WELL! Can you blame a mother for wanting her kid to eat? Can you?! The correct answer is no. It takes 2 hours to feed one meal; breakfast and lunch usually merge into one long torturous experience for both of us.

7. Postpartum hair loss. 
This is the period where all the glorious hair you've retained during pregnancy falls out. ALL. Oh, the horror! The horror!

8. Getting to the lotion at the bottom of the bottle.
My husband's favourite show is "Shark Tank" on ABC, and on one episode a woman tried to sell a long scoopy thingy that would allow you to scoop up leftover lotion, makeup etc. from the bottom of their containers. I thought it was bloody brilliant! Did I buy it, you ask? Hell, no! I wouldn't spend that money (not to say, you shouldn't! You can ... if you want to) ... I just leave the bottle upside down for a day and then clonk and squeeze the leftovers into a smaller container.

9. Waiting 5 minutes for my iPhone to unlock because someone repeatedly try to break into my phone.
Someone = my daughter. The older one. For now.

10. THINGS NOT GOING EXACTLY THE WAY I WANT IT TO.

GRRR!

Anger Management and Mommyhood

Children. Also referred to as "Bundle of Joy" or "Miracle". These are positive and acceptable terms to describe our offspring, but often other less favourable words come into mind when describing mine. This is not to say I don't think my daughters are my B of J or a miracle, because they sincerely are, but that throughout the process of child rearing, we come across obstacles that make these chubby bundles less joyous. Sometimes a lot less joyous.

I have never been described as a violent person, but I can't boast of having a mild temperament. Okay, I admit it -- I'm as short-tempered, stubborn and hot-headed as they come. My husband does not enjoy that about me. So when dealing with children, especially with severe sleep deprivation, it doesn't take too much to get me riled up. Since Catherine is only six months old, poor Elizabeth gets the brunt of most of it. It's not my fault! She started it! If she was less whiny, less stubborn and actually listens to me ...

Before I continue to sound like my three year old daughter, I will step back and have a moment of quiet introspection. I ask myself, how will my behaviour affect my daughter? How will it affect how she behaves when she's older? When she's a student? A friend? A wife? A mother? Having so much influence and responsibility truly does weigh one down. I forget sometimes that my actions have so much impact on her. There's a pair of little eyes that watches my every move.

As Kai-Lan from "Ni Hao Kai-Lan" once said wisely, "Caaaaaallllllllmmm ... calm ... down!" Before I rip out my entrails and braid it into my hair, I need to constantly remind myself that things are no big deal; there's nothing more important than the quality of my relationship with my daughters. Don't sweat the small stuff. Easier said than done. Unfortunately for my darlings, I'm not the quintessential patient, loving mother -- loving, yes, but patient? (Hysterical giggling ensues!)

Thankfully, for my own sanity, I've come to accept that there will always be frustrations (grrr!) and perfection is not always achievable. I will try my best and hope that my children will grow up to be kind, responsible and healthy adults. Perhaps one day they will appreciate my efforts and know just how much I love them. With these thoughts, it certainly makes this mommy ... well, a lot less angry.