Sunday, December 18, 2011

Travel craze!

Hey guys! I hope all had a fantastic weekend!

It's pretty hectic these couple days, I finally finished exams yesterday and stayed up to pack until 5 last night.
Pretty sleep deprived, but everything is all packed and done now and I am heading to the airport in less than 3 hours!

Do you guys wanna see my what's in my travel makeup bag post? Maybe I take some pictures on my way in the airport. Leave a comment and let me know!

Every time I travel, I usually arrive the airport extra early so that I could check out the DUTY-FREE!! I love to check out the makeup/skincare sets that they offer exclusively. I'll probably pick up some last minute Christmas present, for myself and my frds. :) Kill two birds with one stone hahahaha. A little shopping after a stressful packing night never hurts! 


Tip: Remember to stay hydrated during long flights, get a big bottle of water after your checked in to the gate. Also throw some protein rich snacks into your bag in case you need a quick pick me up! I packed up a luna bar and a Kashi bar. :)

See you in da next post in HONG KONG!
xxx
Jenn




Friday, December 16, 2011

Nail of the week: Christmas JEM!

Hi guys! Hope you have a wonderful Friday :)

Christmas is right around the corner, and lots of my friends are done exams, except I have my last one tomorrow. :( So I figured I would paint my nails with lovely Christmas colours today just to cheer myself up.

Purple is my allll time favourite colour. :)

I used Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in - Purple Rain and Zoya's JEM

Zoya polishes are definitely some of my favourite polishes out there. 
This particular colour Jem is a bit more reddish purple on its own, but I layered 1 coat of the Rimmel polish underneath just to add a bit more depth. I love it on its own too, and its completely opaque in 1 coat! How amazing! 

Unless I splurge on a new deborah lippmann polish before Christmas, I will most probably be wearing Jem on its own for Christmas! (That says a lot, right?)

I love alternating cream/metallic/ shimmer shade between fingers. I just think its such an easy way to "glam up" your nails without using any fancy tecnhiques. :)

Exam tomorrow, and time to go home woohoo!
I hope you enjoy my first Nail post and have a lovely day!

xxx
Jenn

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Exciting count down!

Hi guys! Happy Friday!

I cannot believe this year is coming to an end! Only 8 days 21 hours until Christmas!!!
But most importantly.....I'm going HOME int 5 DAYS!
I am so excited since I did not celebrate Christmas in Hong Kong with family for the last two years. I cannot wait to see all my family and loved ones. 4 months is wayyyyy to long. I am really homesick. :(

Also I cannot wait to show you guys tonnes of pictures of food, love, culture of my Hometown. So starting next week I will be doing a series of blogpost about Hong Kong, some outfits of the days, food that I love, and of course HAULS! Let me know what you wanna to see.

While I really do miss some authentic home food (the list will literally be never-ending), I will try my very best not to overindulge. My goal is to make the time to workout every morning, and eat whatever I think that's worth the splurge and avoid the others to the best of my ability. :)

Planning for a festive nail post tomorrow :)
Hope you have a lovely day.

Tip of the day: Make a to-do list the week before you travel.(esp long trips like mine) I find that this really helps me out a lot. Since I usually leave right after I finished my exams, my brain do not have space to occupy all the "to-dos".

xxxx
Jenn


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Exciting Treats :)

Today is one of those days.......
where nothing could curb my sweet tooth, except.....
Apple and Blueberry Crumbles!!!!! :))


I've wanted bake my own apple and blueberry crumble recipe for a long long time! Finally :)
I only have a toaster oven in my place, so I am very worried that they would not turn out right. 
They are super delicious, packed with fiber, no saturated fat, and relatively low in sugar.
I had a pretty hectic and grumpy day today, so this is the perfect treat.

I served it with half a vanilla greek yogurt, but definitely serve it with some frozen yogurt, ice cream if you wish.

Here's the recipe:

Jenn's  Apple and Blueberry Crumble (2 Small Ramekins)

Filling:
1 big apple, chopped roughly into chunks (I used McIntosh)
1/3 cup blueberries (about a handful)
1 tsp stevia 
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp psyllium husk 
squeeze of lemon juice

Topping:
4    Tbsp  rolled oats
2.5 Tbsp of almond flour
2    Tbsp of light olive oil (you could use melted butter/ margarine if you want)
1    tsp honey
1/4 tsp of baking powder

1. Combine all ingredients for the filling. Divide the filling evenly to 2 ramekins 
2. Combine all the topping until you get a dry, crumbly mixture, filled to ramekins. 
3. Baked @375F 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and bubbly.

Last but certainly not the least!

DIG IN!!

My secret to this recipe is the PHYSLLIUM HUSK
1. It adds insoluble fiber, without changing the taste. 
2. Because of its water absorbing properties, it's a perfect substitution for cornstartch/flour (refined carbs) for some original recipes outthere. Physllium husk thickens the juices perfectly, not too runny, not too dry.

UPDATE: Since I'm not a certified nutritionist by any means, please check out the toneitup girls for more nurtitional benefits of psyllium husk! This recipe is actually inspired by Karena & Katrina, sweet and lovely girls! 

I managed to save second one for tomorrow. It was really hard though hahaha.   :))


Tip of the day:
Whenever I decided to treat myself at home with something like vanilla greek yogurt or frozen yogurt, I always buy 1 single serving, instead of getting a HUGE TUB. All the remaining will just be extra temptation, and I hate to waste food.   

Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful day!
Jenn

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Funky oatmeal and Exam survival

Hi guys!

I started of the day with some  funky-looking oatmeal.

If you are at college like me, quick oats is the way to go :)
1/3 cup quick oats, 1 scoop of Chocolate VEGA, splash of coffee and almond milk to thin it out. Topped with a microwaved apple + lots of cinnamon.

Quick and easy and filling. :) Perfect for a pre-exam meal.

The funky colour comes from the Vega protein. Looks weird but I promise it's delicious! Please give it a try its just phenomenal!  I could not stand eating plain oatmeal without my vega now, so bland and tasteless!

1 Serving of Vega the health one gives you 100% of your daily vitamins and minerals! I find this so helpful to keep my energy and immune system up during this time of the year, where a million things are going on...exams, xmas presents, etc etc.


After breakfast, I got ready and went to school for exams.

Tip of the day:
Start your day with a big cup of warm water, prior eating anything. It will help flush/detox our system and really get your day going. (It makes a world of a difference for me.)


I hope you enjoy some tips and tricks for the exam and christmas period! What's your exam/holiday survival tips??? Please let me know


xxx see ya tomorrow for an exciting post!!
Jenn





Sunday, December 11, 2011

Recent Fashion/ Beauty Purchases

Hi guys!

I did not get hv time to post my promised fashion n beauty related fashion post. :(
Last week I did a little shopping. Here ya go!








































I tried on the black and the taupe, since I am all about classic colour, and ended up with the taupe. :)  Thick and chunky heels are so in for the season, best part? It's so much sturdier to walk on them.




































I got mine full price here in Canada, but its on SALE right now!

Now time for some drugstore beauty products!

 L'oreal Colour Infallible Eyeshadow in Black Onyx, and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Berry Rich.

Originally, I wanted to get the new Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, but they were completely sold out, every single colour. I really wanted to get a festive berry lipstick for Christmas, and ended up with this.
















This is as true to colour as I could get.

I am very pleased with this lipstick, its smooth, pigmented and moisturizing. It also has the perfect creamy, semi-matte finish. When I wear a bold colour lipstick, I do not like it super shiny, just looks a bit too bold and not so chic.I think a semi-matte, satiny finish looks so much more modern. :)

As for the eyeshadow....



















The concept is very very similar to Giorgio Armani's Eyes to Kill eyeshadow.
I haven't tried it on my eyes yet and I am super excited! Please let me know if you would like a comparison review!

I also got some nail polishes, but I'll wait till I paint them so I could post pictures.

I'm having my first exam tomorrowwww, so I better go to bed early to get enough sleep.
Wherever you are, I wish you have a good night/ good day/ morning!

xxxx and love
Jenn

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Turkey burger in a bowl?!!!

Hi guys, hope you are having a fantastic saturday!
 What are your plans today? Me, I will probably be staying in and study for exams

Last nights' dinner: Turkey burger in a bowl It's the remaining halve of Stuffed Acorn Squash that I made on wednesday, served with some garlickyyyy kale.
Absolutely DE-lishhhh :)
I just couldn't help it and had a bite, sorry guys. ;)



















Perfect little bowl right there. I ate the skin too!

All credits to the amazing Chef John. This is sooo delicious

 Here's how I modified the recipe:

1.I used lean ground turkey and marinated the meat with what i usually use for my turkey burger: mrs dash extra spicy seasoning, salt and pepper, cayenne, and cumin.
2.Used less rice and more meat for protein, and egg whites instead of whole egg.
3. Almond flour instead of bread crumbs

Gonna get some turbofire going and make some breakfast. :) See ya later in my first fashion/ beauty related post! This is only my second posts. hahaha oh well. Really hope you will enjoy my posts

Tip of the day:
It's really difficult to halve/cut an acorn squash since the skin is pretty tough. My tip for you is to use a sharp knife, cut off a small piece of skin until you see the flesh, then prick the squash with a fork to make little holes. Pop it into the microwave (hole-side up) for 2-3 minutes, this will soften the squash slightly so it's  easier to cut. Let it cool down a bit and cut it to halves. :)


xxx
Jenn