trying my BEST

Eat your way to a sexier bum?

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:14:57 PDT

Read this article somewhere... few days ago and let me share it with you!

Five Bottom-friendly foods:

Lean White Meat. Eating lean protein such as skinless chicken or turkey breast will suppress your appetite and boost your metabolism.
Alfalfa. Like fish and kelp (or seaweed), this contains high levels of iodine, which stimulates the thyroid gland and improves sluggish metabolism.
Grapefruit. Compounds in grapefruit prevents the body from absorbing fat and carbohydrates.
Fish and Shellfish. Like poultry, fish is a low-fat protein. Oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, also contain omega fatty acids that keep your metabolism healthy.
Green Vegetables. Just half a cup of spinach or broccoli each day contains enough magnesium to have a powerful effect on sugar cravings.

Five Foods to AVOID

Cheese. At nearly 100 calories per slice, cheese can play havoc with your diet and your backside
Sugars. Whether it's in your tea or part of a cake or biscuit, sugar gives you a quick blood-sugar rush so you crave more. It's then converted straight into fat by your body.
Chips & Crisps & Doughnut. These contain the worst kinds of saturated fats which cause liver damage, contribute to cellulite and are high in hollow calories.
Coffee and Cola. Caffeine contributes to cellulite and causes changes in blood-sugar levels that will make you fat in the long term.
Burgers. Burgers are not only high in calories, but most of the meat offcuts used in patties are also high in fat - even before they've hit the greasy grill.

So, there you go. These are some tips to keep yourself fit and healthy...

oh...not forgetting: Eat small portions, at least 5-6 times a day...so your body will not go in the starving stage/mood and start keeping the fats in our body...

Taro Cake (oh kueh)

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:36:02 PDT

I know! I've been missing in action...for so long.
It's been getting cold, I've been getting lazy and been putting on some weight as well...(so...not good!!)

Husband been sick, so I made this yesterday...after doing some research online...it's pretty easy actually!

It's Taro/Yam Cake (in hokkien-'oh kueh', my dad's favourite)

Stack up 3 bamboo steamer...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup corn flour/tapioca flour
1 liter cool water
4 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup dried shrimps (hay bee), soaked in hot water
2 Chinese sausage/lap cheong/chicken breast, cut in small cubes (optional)
6 big Shitake mushroom, cut in small pieces
400g yam, cut in small cubes about 1cm
1tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
1tsp fine salt & pepper
1 stalk chopped spring onions (for garnish)
lots of fried shallots-from Asian store is fine (for garnish)
some fresh chilli, finely chopped (for garnish)

Method:

Real simple, mix the 2 kinds of flour together with 1 liter of water (yam batter). Set aside.
Saute dried shrimp, sausage/chicken if you're using any in oil till slightly fragrant. Add Shitake, fry for another 1-2 mins.
Add yam, 5 spice, salt & pepper and yam batter.
Cook on medium heat, stirring and scraping the sides of the pan continuously till the mixture is a thick starchy paste.
Taste and season further is necessary.
Transfer to flat dish ready for steaming in bamboo steamer.
Steam for about 40 minutes.
Take out from steamer, garnish over the top and allow to cool to room temperature and serve.

Yum! we didn't wait for it to cool down tho...hahah

Vegetarian version

Little J brought this for lunch today!

Singapore Universal Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:02:54 PDT

Some pictures to share from our trip to Singapore Universal Studio in December 2010.

It was hot! But we had fun!

Eat, Walk, and Shop @ Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:04:37 PST

Singapore is a nice place to shop and eat. They have heaps of choices and places to go.
We spent two weeks in Singapore and I did so much walking I actually lost 2kgs during that short stay! Woww...

Hawker Food Stalls

Fast Food Style

Shopping Paradise (couldn't resist this sun glass from Charles & Keith)

More SHOPPING!

Christmas season in Singapore is filled with lights and huge Christmas trees. Orchard Road is where heaps of people go for the night lights and shopping malls are full of Christmas lights too.

Sexy Santa Clause

Part of Orchard Road

Extreme Decor

Huge Christmas Tree

Shopping at Bugis

I also like the fact that public transportation is VERY reliable. There's no need to buy a car (unless you're super rich or a show off!) because there's MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state.

Make sure you set a budget when you go to Singapore!

or bring a rich man along with you...LOL

Missing in Action...ooppss..

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:40:01 PST

I have been slacking... but I have a really good excuse.
I was on holiday!

Was in Singapore & Malaysia for our Christmas, New Year & Chinese New Year..

It was all good. Had lots of food, spent quality time with families & relatives, went out with few friends, had more food and ended up piling on 5 kgs!

Anyways, lets recall some of the food I've eaten:

Okra with Sambal

Different kind of Sausages - S'pore

Rice with Mixed Vegetables, otak otak and sambal - S'pore

Not so nice Mee Siam in S'pore

Fried green beans with chai poh - S'pore

Some Vegetables - S'pore

Chicken Rice in S'pore

Yong Tau Foo & Korean Fried Fish in S'pore

Sarawak Club Butter Prawns

Mee Pok

Mixed Vegetables with Sambal

Curly Noodle Kolomee

Straight Noodle Kolomee

The best Fried Kueh Tiaw at Arang Road cooked from a 'house' kopitiam

Kuih-pohpia, pangang, chau tau kuih, harm cin peng,

Lots of junk-food!

Tuna Salad at Delizze

Not so nice pizza at Delizze

Mushroom soup at Merdeka Palace

Char Kueh at Song Kheng Hai

Belacan Beehun at Song Kheng Hai

Whole Fish at Fisherman Restaurant

Lau Su Phan

Steam Prawns at Green Mountain

Beehun fried with Mani Chai

Midin with Red Wine & Ginger

Fresh Coconut Juice

Best Kolomee at Green Road

Sarawak Laksa

What's Left in the Fridge?!

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:47:14 PST

The whole family have been very busy these past few days...well...except for little J of course.

We've been looking for a reliable company to mow the lawn.... asking neighbours to check on the fishes.... to collect our posts... packing.... getting gifts.... cleaning the house... all because we're going to Singapore and Malaysia for a long holiday. Seventy two days (72) to be exact!

If we were going for a short trip, it wouldn't be that difficult. We could leave for a week or two and the lawn will not over grown, the water in the aquarium will not decrease too much etc...but because we want little J to experience Chinese New Year and to visit all the relatives there (if possible) we have more work to do prior to the holiday.

To think about it, going back for long holidays can be so much fun when we're there, but not fun at all before we reach the destination.

We also have to finish up the food in the fridge so we can unplug it and that's why I'm having this really simple lunch

grilled chicken breast with spicy mango chutney! YUM

I'll be blogging from Singapore and Malaysia starting from next week.

My First Commercial Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:38:45 PST

Last month, I had the opportunity to visit North Shore Toyota, Lincoln Road and New Lynn Toyota to take pictures of the team for their new website. I was accompanied by Anthony Hurst, the owner of www.propertypix.co.nz

I usually do real estate photography for Anthony, and this was my first commercial photography and I have to say...I'm enjoying it, especially when there's a great team! Everyone was very friendly and easy to work with.

Below are just a small sample of some of the shots I have completed.

Welcome To New Zealand

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:20:27 PST

Not long ago, I was invited to a friend's place for lunch to welcome her teenage son to Auckland, NZ.

She is a good cook and she cooked ALL these ALL by herself!

There's fried stuffed tofu, home-made sausage roll, hash brown, stir fry vegetables, delicious roasted chicken, curry, saffron rice, salad, bee hun goreng (fried rice noodle) & apple cake and lemon yogurt cake for dessert (sorry...forgotten to take pictures)

Little J was smart enough to bring three DVDs to entertain himself. He was also happy that he got to play some computer games with his new friend, played 'connect four', 'guess who' and just hang out with him...

It was a wonderful afternoon with great food, great company and great Margarita and wine!

This was our little basket of gift representing New Zealand!

Backyard Campout

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 23:07:40 PST

We have been talking about going camping during the school holidays...but it never happened.

Camping can be very fun and interesting. It brings back the simplicity of nature, and it is one of the things we would like little J to experience such as teaching him how to set up a tent, outdoor cooking, sleeping outdoor with a sleeping bag, planning for tv-free & computer-free activities, teach him how to respect the nature and the list goes on and on and on...

For weeks.....little J have been asking papa L to make a bond fire because he wants to grill some marshmallows just like Spongebob Square Pants & Patrick in the cartoon.

We thought it's good timing to introduce outdoor cooking to him before we head off to the real camp site...so, over the weekend, L and J went to the park nearby to collect some woods for the fire. They came back, very excited and began their big mission!

They dug hole in the bare (no flower) garden and planned how it should be done. There's discussions, planning and feedback just like adults' talk. It was just so cute to watch! LOL...

Dad bought a three person tent to add to the camping atmosphere!

Careful planning & discussions

Digging done, now..lighting up the fire..

Fire up! Grill that marshmallow...

It was such a success... we ended up grilling our dinner on the pit as well!

J was happy he grilled some marshmallows and mom and dad was happy that J was happy....

Can't wait till our next real camping trip!

Wholewheat Pancakes/Crepes for Breakfast!

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:35:22 PST

Few days ago, we had a delicious yet healthy breakfast. It's always nice to start our day with great breakfast isn't it?

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

100g wholewheat self raising floor
2 eggs
300ml milk
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt
1 banana (roughly cut)
1 apple (roughly cut)

Steps:

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and half the milk. Beat well and gradually beat in the remaining milk to make a smooth batter.
Heat a little oil in (approx. 20cm) omelet pan.
Pour in enough batter to coat the base thinly.
Cook until the pancake has set and the underside is golden brown.
Turn and cook the other side. When the other side is golden brown, move the pancake to a plate and if you want, cover it with a clean cloth to keep warm.
Repeat the process until all the batter has been used.
Put fruits on pancake, roll up pancake and serve.
Optional - spread nutella or peanut butter on the pancake before rolling the fruits in for a different taste and texture.

1 with peanut butter spread, 1 with nutella spread, 1 with just the fruits...

The banana gives it a soft, sweet and mushy feeling/taste and the apple gives that crispy taste....both goes very well together...yummy!!

Armageddon Expo - Auckland, NZ

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:35:22 PST

I got FREE family tickets to the Auckland Armageddon Expo over the Labour Weekend and we went to see what the fuss was all about. Husband told me it's a big expo for:

Manga/Anime/Cartoons/Sci-Fi/Comics/Gaming stuff like that

...well, I'm not a big fan of all these gaming/technology/fantasy thingy but I tag along.

I told little J that we'll meet some cartoon characters in real life instead of watching them on TV.

He didn't quite get it but was happy to go along.

When we got in there, well... I was surprised to see a lot of stalls/booths from different companies showing their products.

There's Lego StarWars, Halloween costumes on sale, Swords, Shields, Wrestler's Mask, Manga DVDs, Japanese Cartoons, heaps and heaps of interesting stalls!

There's also people dressing up as their favourite Manga character, there's also games you could try and a small fun fair outdoor for the little ones.

We all had a great time, yes, including me and my camera died on me few minutes into the expo! shoot!

Its great checking out new things...you'll never know what you'll see/find/like...

Aunt Betty's Dessert Toppings Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:50:45 PST

Received two Aunt Betty's Dessert Toppings by Hansells Food Group Ltd. today:

Temptation Sensation - 380g (dark chocolate topping)
Slimey Limey - 360g (lime flavoured topping)

Yummy! So romantic...strawberries dipped in chocolate sauce!

I waited till little J got back from school so we can all try it together.

Look at how concentrated he was

Finished the Slimey Limey without dipping fruits in it!

J was very excited with the surprise treat. You can tell from his expressions above. He finished the Slimey Limey first and took a bit slower with Temptation Sensation, maybe he's saving the best for last.

Husband also want to give it a try.

Verdict:

Little J: He likes both flavours, can't decide which ones the best. When asked to choose just one flavour, he said he just can't, he wants to mix both together so they becomes one! LOL...

Husband: He likes the Temptation Sensation dark chocolate flavour...Not so much for the Slimey Limey because of the strong sweet concentrated syrup taste. He's just not big fans of syrup. Ooppss..

Me: I also prefer the chocolate flavoured topping but the dark chocolate taste is not rich enough for me. I liked at least 60% cacao chocolates you see...

These Aunt Betty's Dessert Toppings are good when we have unexpected guests. I can just cut some fresh fruits and squeeze the toppings straight from the bottle and desserts served. Convenient!

Great for birthday party as well, for stress free desserts.

I wouldn't be giving it to the family that often. It will be for special occasions and as a reward for little J.

According to the information on the bottles, Aunt Betty's Dessert Toppings for:

Slimey Limey: No Artificial Flavours, 100% Fat Free, Made with Real Lime Juice

Temptation Sensation: No Artificial Colours or Flavours, No Palm Oil

Both are suitable for vegetarians!

Fun Fair!

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:33:16 PDT

Who doesn't like going to the fair on a cool sunny day? Well...I do and so does J. ALL the kids do!
This is one of the fun fair we went to, over the long Labour Weekend. It was held in a school's field and entrance was FREE.

We ate fruits, rice crackers, chickpeas, and drank hot tea under a huge tree.

J had a go at all of the bouncy castles and all of them had loooonngg Qs. Luckily we had sun cream and hats on.

He was also brave enough to go on his FIRST pony ride! AND he liked it!

He wasn't interested in Ronald McD.

Long Q for sweet ice-cream, J had one - $3.50!!

Long Q for sugary mini donuts, J had none.

Long Q for sugary candy floss, J had none.

He also met one of his classmates, had a vanilla ice-cream and wanted so badly a candy floss which he didn't get because its just pure sugar and colouring (we're cutting off white sugar, white flour, white rice in our daily diet) so, instead we got him 'ice lollies' (not healthy too, but it gets diluted by the ice...LOL!)

No Q for sugary syrup. Check out his cute fingers!

Ice Lollies/Ice Balls/Kantong - $3.50!!!

In the end, everyone had a fun day at the fun fair...

Playball

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:38:26 PDT

Over the school holidays, we enrolled J with Kumeu Indoor Sports Centre School Holiday Programme twice a week. They taught him soccer, dodge ball, netball, cricket and t-ball (something like baseball/softball, from what J told me..) The idea was to introduce variety of sports to him and get him active.

The Centre is neat, clean and kid friendly AND they also cater for birthday parties! I'm already thinking where to hold J's 6th birthday party (which is in April), so I'm putting it down on my list. I'm always on the look out for new venues for gatherings and parties!

Outdoor playground & eating area

While I was waiting for J, I had the opportunity to chat with Rebecca, who is the Manager of Playball.

Playball is an Educational Sport Programme and has been around in New Zealand for 4.5 years.
I liked the fact that at Playball, J is introduced the basic of common sports like tennis, soccer, cricket, hockey...and he is also taught to listen to instructions, taking turns and trying out different things and learning about his body movement and ability.

Playball is suitable for children between the ages of two and nine.

Coach Keith watching J closely

Playball
Rebecca - 021-530 260

Kumeu Indoor Sports Centre
250C Main Road,
Kumeu
Harriet: 021-228 8483
Craig: 021-228 8482

One and only REAL ITALIAN PIZZA in Auckland

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:09:35 PDT

When I was living in Zuerich, Switzerland, L and I travelled a lot. I remember eating this delicious, tasty pizza in one small town in Italy (can't recall the name of the town...somewhere near Parma)

The pizza was not like any other pizzas you get from Pizzas Chains. It was full of flavour, the base was fluffy on the crust and really soft in the middle we had to fold it up to eat it. The cheese they used was just different...the smell of the herbs was just heavenly...oohh...Delizioso!!

This is the Queen Margherita D.O.C - Tomatoes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (E.V.O.O), fresh mozzarella di bufala, fresh basil - $19.-

Now, you don't have to fly all the way to Italy to get that delizioso pizza, because the great news is, I've found the FIRST and ONLY pizzeria in New Zealand to receive membership into the prestigious culinary institute Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN). This association is subsidies by the Italian Government to preserve the original Italian Pizza.

Here at Dante's I was told that their wood-fired oven was handmade in Italy and shipped here. Their wood-fired oven takes them four hours everyday to reach the optimal cooking temperature of 800 degrees, where the pizzas are cooked in for only 90 seconds or less!

Our pizza came out pipping hot and it was just divine. I thought I was back in Italy for a minute there. LOL

Chef Kevin Morris, who is half Italian prepares each pizza to order in the time-honoured way of manual hand-skill and there is no need for rolling pins or dough presses. Nothing is frozen and the dough does not contain additives, preservatives, dough relaxers or enhancers.

Awards

F.Y.I - Chef Kevin only have 100 pizzas to sell a day! So, it's best to call and check if you're one of the lucky ones.

I'll be back for more!!

buono appetito!!

Dante's
316 Main Road,
Huapai,
Auckland.
09-412 86 44
www.dantespizza.co.nz

Spring Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 21:00:30 PDT

Winter is over and Spring is here. The sun is out and so am I.

I haven't been shopping for myself for a long time, so I went to the mall to check out the latest fashion. Tried on few clothes from different store.

I'm a jeans and t-shirt girl but this time, I tried on some dresses which I know looks weird on me. Heheh...

from Pagani

from Shanton

from Valleygirl

from Pagani

skinny jeans from Glassons

top from Valleygirl

top from Glassons

Well....I haven't bought any of them. Will definitely go back to try on more clothes and will decide later on...maybe when it's on 'sale'. Hehehe...

Sushi Time

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:32:51 PDT

When we don't have much time to prepare lunch for little J (mostly happens on a Saturday), we usually get him sushi and he loves them. It's better than getting him chicken nuggets from McD or deep fried chicken and chips from KFC or some Chinese takeaways.

Take-away version

From my point of view, sushis are better because they have the right carbo (from rice & veggies), protein (from tuna,salmon & eggs) and fats (from avocado) all in one tiny piece.

When we have the time in the morning, J also brings sushi to school for lunch.
This is our home-made version of sushi with brown rice, chicken, avocado and carrots.

Home-made version with brown rice

Gua Sha (kau sua)

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 02:15:56 PDT

No, no, I'm not being abused.

I'm trying out what ever technique there is out there to remove toxin in my body, so, two weeks ago, I went to a Chinese Health Clinic to have this done to me. It is called Gua Sha.

Gua means 'rubbing' and Sha means 'sand' also known as the stagnant blood. It is done by using the back of a spoon or the edge of a coin to rub the acupuncture meridians of the body. I've seen my grandma doing Gua Sha for my parents when they were not feeling well. It is a well known healing technique in East Asian.

The purpose of doing Gua Sha is to remove toxin, promote blood circulation and Qi (energy), to treat fever, flu, asthma, fatigue, migraines, muscle and tendon soreness and digestive disorder.

The redness on my back faded in 2 days. I was told that if it takes more than 3-4 days to fade, it indicates poor blood circulation. So, I guess I'm in between? Anyway, I felt relieve and light after the treatment.

If its for good health, I'll give it a try.

Watercress

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:14:44 PDT

I grew up drinking a lot of soup during meal time and watercress soup is amongst the popular nutritional soup my parents would make. They claim it is good for 'cooling' the body.

Watercress is a member of the cabbage family along with other green such as mustard greens, kohlrabi, kale and turnip greens.

It also aids weight loss as it contains potassium which has diuretic properties to rid the body of excess fluids.

Watercress soup with tofu, garlic and spare ribs.

Ready, Steady, Shoot!

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:34:04 PDT

Over the weekend, I volunteered to assist a local Auckland Photographer, Sarah from Momentz Photography for her North Shore Multiple Birth Fund-raising Photo Session at Albert Park.

It was a nice experience and the weather was on our side.

All the families have twenty minutes with Sarah and the good thing was, everyone arrived on time.

Sarah definitely knows what she was doing. She can direct her client politely and she was very patient with the children. Trust me...they always do the opposite of what we want them to do but I usually use my 'magic' words. Chocolate! Ice-Cream! Ben 10!, Spiderman!

But it wouldn't last long and I have to come up with something new soon. LOL..

Thanks Sarah, for the experience!

Walkie-Talkie for the Family

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:04:00 PDT

I've always wanted a walkie-talkie, especially when we're out and little J and the husband wants to go to 'their' department and we ended up looking for each other and there was once I lost J in the mall and asked that they announced his name on the speaker! Definitely don't want that to happen again.

So, we bought this pair of walkie-talkie online. I've used them with J the other day when we were out at the mall and it was good. I was able to go to 'my' department and he was able to go to his without worrying about getting lost or where to find him. I feel much more comfortable being able to communicate with him.

Once a while we would checked on each other (he would say "radio check", so cute) and when it's time to go, it was easy to find him!

It is also handy at home. I can tell him "dinner's ready" or "time for homework" or "time for bath" and instead of me chasing him, he came out to me! It's also fun for him too because he feels like a policeman with the walkie-talkie.

Benefits of using Walkie-Talkie:

Instant communication (texting takes too much time when you're not fast enough, like me..)
No call/texting charges
License free
Useful for talking to more than one person at a time (planing on getting another one so L can go to 'his' department too LOL)

Every family with children should invest in a pair or two of Walkie-Talkie.
(they're good for outdoor activities too!!)

Homemade Won Ton

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:42:26 PDT

Won Ton can be very delicious and fat-free when it is homemade and not deep fried. We all enjoy Won Ton and J can have ten (10) of them at one go!
Since it's been almost a year we haven't made Won Ton, L decided to put in some time to fold Won Ton with little J and dad.

My men at work!

Ingredient (no measurement, all estimated according to the amount wanted)

1 packet Won Ton Pastry (we bought 'Choice' brand from Asian store - 100 sheets)
Minced chicken (chicken breast without skin)
Prawns (roughly cut)
Spring onions
Cabbage (thinly cut, a handful)
Minced ginger (very important)
Stir in two eggs

Marinate with oyster sauce, pepper, mushroom stock powder (or salt if you prefer), sesame oil

For dipping sauce:

Julienne fresh ginger (cut in thin strips)
Vinegar
sesame oil

In a separate bowl, put in light soya sauce (kikoman will do), Chinese vinegar, little oyster sauce, pepper, olive oil and sesame oil (these are all according to our taste) add chilli sauce if you want it spicy.

Bring water to rolling boil in a big pot, put in folded Won Ton. Remove them when they floats up. Transfer to the separated bowl mentioned above (the one with sauce)
Stir them around, sprinkle with left over spring onions and fried onions (if you have) and serve while its hot!

Yummy!

L showing little J how its done.


Take a Won Ton sheet, place a teaspoon of filling in the middle, rub small amount of water around the sheet to let it stick together when folded.

Fold to a triangle shape or to whatever shape you fancy!

Boiled and mixed with sauce, ready to eat. Doesn't look nice in the picture, but trust me, its so yummy I can have 20 of them!!

Wine Testing

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:54:43 PDT

Last week, I was invited to attend a Wine Testing Expo organised by Hancocks Wine & Spirit Merchants with a friend and because I'm still in my detox mode I was happy to be the sober driver while my friend enjoyed all the wine she wants.

I do enjoy occasional drinks with good company, nice music, some food and laughs.

The Wine Testing Expo was held at Mt. Eden Rugby Park. It was good to be early, we get to check out all the stand before it gets crowded.

This is the real deal! Champagne from France, not just any sparkling wine that get us bad headache the next day...LOL!

Then there's this Jack Daniel's in limited edition 'black' bottle for its 160th birthday.

Chambord is inspired by a unique raspberry liqueur produced in the Loire Valley of France during the late 17th Century and was introduced to King Louis XIV upon his visit to Chateau de Chambord. Chambord continues to be made in the same 300-year old tradition with only the freshest and finest black raspberries, Madagascar vanilla, Moroccan citrus peel, honey and Cognac. Chambord's versatility lends itself to be enjoyed in cocktails, neat or with Champagne. Chambord readily transforms the ordinary drinks occasion into an extraordinary experience.

They also have this Chambord Royale Deluxe - Old and new bottling all ready for the coming Christmas.

Serious wine tester will spit their wine in this kind of bucket after gargling their wine in their mouth. If I was to test that day, heck, it would go down straight my throat! LOL

They also provided some food that goes well with wine...cheese, cracker, nuts and fruits. I had an apple and a bottle of Samoan Artesian Water

It Runs in the Family...

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:24:54 PDT

J started wearing glasses on the 18th August 2010 (age 5).
He's doing fine so far. No complains, no battle and haven't misplace it yet! LOL...

I advised his form teacher few days before hand and ask that she makes sure the other kids don't laugh at him or say silly things that will discourage him from wearing.

Other ways to help:

I talked to J about wearing glasses. I let him know that its okay to wear glasses and that he looks cool (it helps that both L and I are wearing glasses too)
Showed him how to wipe the lenses, how to put on and remove his glasses
It helps that his favourite cartoon like Scooby-Doo character Velma wears glasses, Chicken Little and Harry Potter.
I also tell him to keep them in his case when he's out playing with friends, but put them back on when he's back in class.

Cyber Clean Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jace) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 20:53:33 PDT

I received a trial pack from Cyber Clean last week and I had a go at cleaning my computer keyboard, remote controls, printer and telephone

75g pack

In case you don't know what is a Cyber Clean yet, it's a soft, yellow squisshy goo that you press on your hard-to-clean item and dust and dirt will stick onto it.

It was easy to use. I just warm it up a little in my hands and started pressing on my computer keyboard and I could see the difference right away. Then I pressed it on the remote control and I have to say its effectiveness declined each time it was used.

It's reusable (you don't need to wash it!) and when the yellow turns to dull green, it's time to replace them.

Cyber Clean is not sticky and it smells fresh. It also leaves my computer keyboard shinny like it's been polished.

Cyber Clean have a pH balance of 7, and is safe to use around the family and it's also biodegradable.

Before & After pictures for your own judgment:

Before

After

Dust & Dirt from Keyboard!!

Before

After

Before

After

Upper part cleaned, Lower part NOT cleaned