At my new job, I was just introduced to the BOOing game. Apparently, I have been missing on this fun Halloween tradition!

My colleague, Belle, started it off by leaving a Halloween decoration and some surprise treats for one person on each floor in our office. Along with the “You’ve Been BOOed” sign was a sheet of paper with instructions to BOO two others. This activity quickly spread the Halloween spirit throughout the company. It was fun arriving at work each day and seeing who else was BOO’ed and how creatively it was done. Everyone got into it, and pretty soon every cube and office on my office was decorated.

When it came to my turn to BOO, I looked to my Pinterest archives for inspiration. Here is my Hocus Pocus board on Pinterest.

First, the Halloween Hand Treats. I ended up buying a way too much candy (hey, it was “Buy One, Get One 1/2 Off). Stuffing these gloves was trickier than I thought…but i was filling these while watching “Gotham,” so it was easy to pass the time. Source: The Queen’s Castle: Halloween Hand Treats 

Next up, decor. I had some empty wine bottles, which could be decorated with Halloween bottle labels: Spider Venom, Fresh Red Blood, and Unfiltered Poison. This was the first time since elementary school that I used rubber cement! Old school “cut and paste.” These turned out rather nice – so much so, that I wished had more empty bottles lying around. Source: The elli Blog: Halloween Bottle Labels

To make up for leaving empty wine bottles, I labeled real bottles of Arrowhead water to say: Deadly Spirits, Hallow’s Even Potion, Castle Concoction, and Bug Juice. Source: Today’s Creative Life: Printable Halloween Bottle Labels 

For the final touch, some scary “We’ve Been BOO’ed” signs along with instructions. Source: Sew Licious Home Decor

For more on the history of Halloween, as well as ideas for costumes, pumpkin carving and Halloween decorations, see my post from last year: Hocus Pocus: History of Halloween, plus Costumes, Pumpkins, and Decorations

This post, Halloween Traditions: Ghosting (Booing) Game, appeared first on Live East of Eden.

With its chaos, humidity and traffic-congested streets, Bangkok can overwhelm visitors at first. Bangkok isn’t the best tourist city in the world; it’s dirty and it smells, especially compared to the immaculate streets of Singapore. What I remember about Bangkok are the temples, traffic and shopping. Oh! And the humidity. Wait, I mentioned that already.

Bangkok has a lot of temples; start with a tour of the Grand Palace and neighboring Wat Pho, home to the famous reclining Buddha. Take a boat across the river to Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) to get stellar views of the city atop of the temple. If you are in Bangkok over the weekend, carve out a day for the Chatuchak Weekend Market.

GRAND PALACE

If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it’s the ostentatious Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark. Located on the Chao Phraya River, the gold-spired Grand Palace is one of Thailand’s most important sacred sites. The complex, built in 1782, served as the home of Thai kings for 150 years.

WAT PHRA KAEW

Wat Phra Kaew, more commonly known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is widely regarded as Thailandís grandest and most sacred site. The temple, located inside the Grand Palace complex, was built by King Rama I and houses a statue of Buddha carved out of a single piece of jade. The diminutive but greatly revered Emerald Buddha dates back to the 14th century. It sits atop an elevated altar, barely visible amid the gilded decorations, and is always cloaked in royal robes, one for each season (hot, cool and rainy). The robes on the Buddha are changed with the seasons by The King of Thailand, and forms an important ritual in the Buddhist calendar.

(© 2008 Eden Tsai)

Wat Phra Kaew is guarded by tall and angry-looking yakshas (giants or demons). Everything is covered with gold leaf, ornate jewels and glazed ceramics, all placed on solid marble pediments. Statues of one of the Ramakien star characters, the monkey-king Hanuman, can be seen repeatedly, bearing the weight of chedis or guarding entrances to some of the minor buildings.

The Reclining Buddha is 15 m high and 43 m long, covered in gold leaf

WAT PHO

If you only have time to visit one attraction in Bangkok, make it Wat Pho, which hosts the largest reclining Buddha as well as the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand. The impressive Reclining Buddha, 150 ft long and 50 feet high, represents the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. The figure is modelled out of plaster around a brick core and finished in gold leaf. Dropping a few coins into one of the 108 bowls along the corridor near the statue is believed to bring good fortune (and help the monks maintain the temple).

For more on Wat Pho, see Things to Do in Thailand: Wat Pho Temple

“One Night in Bangkok” (Photography by Trey Ratcliff)

WAT ARUN

Wat Arun, or “Temple of Dawn”, is one of Bangkok’s signature landmarks. After seeing the Reclining Buddha, you can hop on the river boat express and cross the Chao Phraya River. Wat Arun’s courtyard contains five Khmer-style prangs, each held up by porcelain monkeys and tired-looking demons. The prangs are covered in thousands of glistening pieces of broken porcelain. It’s possible to climb about halfway up the steep stairways of the central prang to enjoy the views across the Chao Phraya River.

CHATUCHAK WEEKEND MARKET

At 27 acres with more than 15,000 booths, Chatuchak Weekend Market is among the largest markets in the world. Chatuchak seems to have everything under the sun, from used vintage sneakers to baby squirrels. Itís also where local people go to do everyday shopping, so itís a great way to experience real local life. Come early, to beat the crowds and the heat. Take breaks. Bring cash.

WHAT TO AVOID IN THAILAND

Take tuk-tuks, theyíre great fun. Stay away from the ones that are waiting outside touristy spots as they might try to scam you. Whenever you hail a cab, insist that they turn on their meter. Taxi drivers in Thailand are notorious for ripping off tourists, often coming up with excuses, saying that the meter is broken, etc. etc. Don’t fall for it. By law, they are required to use the meter. If they refuse, just move on to the next taxi.

Don’t believe the “touts” who approach you outside the grand palace or temples and tell you it is closed. These are scammers trying to put you in a tuk-tuk (which takes you all around town to seedy shops trying to sell you things you donít want). Any shop paying to receive customers, whether jeweller, tailor or massage parlor, isn’t going to be a very good shop and the prices are likely to be hugely inflated.

Skip the floating market, as they are aimed at tourists. Once upon atime, Bangkok was “the Venice of the east.” Built upon water, its river and canals (khlongs) formed the thoroughfares until roads were constructed in 1851. Think about it – with the advent of roads and automobiles, does anyone really buy groceries over floating markets anymore?

BANGKOK HOTELS

Oriental Residence Bangkok Oriental Residence residents enjoy an unique location unlike any other in the city, for this hideaway is in the heart of Bangkok’s shopping and embassy district. Oriental Residence is a sleek skycraper with intimate apartment-style suites, combining Eastern designs with modern comforts.

TENFACE Bangkok Situated in the business district of Ploenchit, this modern boutique hotel features floor-to-ceiling windows with Bangkok City views. Featuring contemporary decor inspired by the Sanskrit epic of Ramayana. TENFACE is your source for the lowdown on all the cool, out of the way spots in Bangkok.

A word on BANGKOK NIGHTLIFE…grab a drink at the Sky Bar atop the Lebua State Tower.

The post, Things to do in Bangkok, Thailand (and What to Avoid), appeared first on Live East of Eden.

Who wouldn’t want to be rich? The question is, how do we make lots of money? My friends have heard me wish for winning the lotto or marrying rich, but the truth is that for years I have been following, or trying to, a simple one-step plan.

What could be better than a one-step plan? An automated one-step plan! And that is the simplicity of David Bach’s The Automatic Millionaire. What makes The Automatic Millionaire unique? No need for a six figure salary, budget or willpower. The simple solution? Create a lasting financial change to build real over time by making your financial plan automatic.

“Pay yourself first.”

THE LATTE FACtOR: BECOMING AN AUTOMATIC MILLIONAIRE ON JUST A FEW DOLLARS A DAY

We don’t need to earn a huge paycheck to become rich. It’s all the little things that will add up – like Starbucks runs. Author David Bach coined the phrase “The Latte Factor”, his nickname for wasting money on frivolous items. In his example, a person who spends $3.50 a day for a latte will use up $12,600 for coffee drinks over a 10-year period. I used to work with colleagues who paid for a latte and a pastry every morning before arriving at the office. And in the afternoons, they would take a half-hour “break” for another Starbucks run. If we do the math – at $7 a day, that would add up to $29,000 over 10 years. That’s enough to buy a new car! I’m picturing myself in a (Race Red) Ford Mustang….

“The trick to getting ahead financially…is watching the small stuff – little spending habits you have that you’d probably be better off without.”

The latte factor applies to other purchases –candy, bottled water, soft drinks, eating out and so on. I will admit, I used to have a coke problem – Coca Cola, that is. It was my typical afternoon pick-me-up, and I knew I hit a rock bottom the day I was going around to co-workers to ask for change for the vending machine to support my habit. When my last company subsidized sodas (only 25 cents!), I thought I was in heaven.

The everyday stuff may seem essential, but foregoing purchases such as lattes and sodas will save a small fortune over time. Determine your “Latte Factor” by writing down each unneeded purchase during a typical week, then multiply the total cost to see how much you could save monthly. Instead of wasting your money, invest it.

LEARN TO PAY YOURSELF FIRST

The common perception that a budget is the base of sensible financial management isn’t necessarily true. In fact, budgets don’t work because they aren’t fun. Like a dieter who counts every calorie, and thus remains constantly focused on food, budgeters eventually tire of tracking every receipt. This is also why I don’t believe in diets (or so I say).

“Any system that is designed to control your normal human impulses is ultimately bound to fail. That’s because humans don’t want to be controlled. We want to be in control. ”

Instead of forcing yourself to try to save something at the end of each month, take a few minutes to automatically deduct a percentage for savings. Open a retirement account and fund it with 10 percent of your savings. Believe it or not, you learn to live with a little bit less.

NOW MAKE IT AUTOMATIC

Remove the need for discipline. Set it and forget it. The “pay yourself first” philosophy will not work if you do not save automatically. If your company offers 401(k) plans, sign up for that. At the very least, contribute up the company’s match. And then work up to maxing out your contribution.

“Over time, money compounds. Over a lot of time, money compounds dramatically.”

AUTOMATE FOR A RAINY DAY

Besides becoming an automatic saver, it is also important to save for a rainy day. Here in California it doesn’t rain often, but when it does, drivers all of a sudden forget how to be safe on the road. But, I digress. Determine how much money you would need to cover all your monthly expenses, and then set aside enough money for at least three months. (I would recommend preparing for 6-12 months expenses, but that is a lofty goal.) Open a money market account which will provide a better return by shopping around to find the best rate. I know, it’s not as fun as Black Friday, but it’s still shopping.

“Decide how big a cushion you need. Don’t touch it. Put it in the right place.”

AUTOMATIC DEBT-FREE HOME OWNERSHIP

One of the best ways to become rich is to own your home. Numerous studies indicate that homeowners end up with more wealth than renters. Bach’s secret is to pay your mortgage on a biweekly basis. This way, you can pay off your mortgage five to ten years sooner on a 30-year mortgage than you would through normal monthly payments. Make sure that your extra payments will be applied against your principal, and also ensure that your mortgage has no prepayment penalties.

“You don’t get rich renting.”

AUTOMATIC DEBT-FREE LIFESTYLE

The average American family owes $8,400 in credit card debt. Few people pay off their credit cards on a timely basis, which would be the way to avoid interest charges. Instead, many make only minimum payments each month and getting into further debt. Some steps in Operation No More Debt: renegotiate interest rates, consolidate your debt, devote half of the money you Pay Yourself First to paying off the balance, and lastly, make it automatic.

“Borrow money to make money, not to lose it.”

MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH AUTOMATIC TITHING

The last chapter takes a step back from all this get rich talk and discusses the merits of tithing, how much you should tithe, and how to make it automatic. The more you give, the more comes back to you. This flow of abundance brings us more joy, more love, more wealth and more meaning in our lives.

“We make a living by what we earn – we make a life by what we give.” –Winston Churchill

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS TODAY

Some scoff at David Bach’s common-sense principles. Let them. In the end, you will have the last laugh – all the way to the bank. Your journey begins with one small step. Take your first step to becoming an automatic millionaire.

To go beyond key takeaways, read The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich. David Bach shares time value money charts, explains retirement accounts, appropriate asset allocation, list of investment firms and brokerages, advice on how to pay off credit card debt and more.

This post KEY TAKEAWAYS: David Bach, “The Automatic Millionaire” appeared first on Live East of Eden.

It’s been a while since my last post…I landed a new job earlier this year, and getting situated became my priority. Now that I’ve gotten the hang of things in the new gig, I wanted to share my secret for successful task management: the Bullet Journal.

Out of trial and error, and after a decade of development, designer Ryder Carroll released a system for note-taking that changes the way you work and play, or at least the way you record doing so. It’s designed to be fast, simple and effective. The Bullet Journal is the analog system for the digital age, to track the past, organize the present and plan for the future. Kind of like a modern Filofax – a place to for all your thoughts, whether systematic or creative. All you need is a notebook and a pen; any notebook will do – from Moleskine to Midori Traveler and everything in between.

Why it works: it’s simple and customizable. It can be whatever you need it to be: a calendar, to-do-list, sketchbook, or even a meal planner. You pick and choose the methods based on your needs, or create your own methods.

How it works: entries are logged using short, bulleted sentences and each entry goes into one of three categories: Tasks, Events or Notes. This system of “rapid logging” simplifies the task of capturing and organizing of information. At the end of each month, take a moment to access the remaining open tasks. This “migration” helps you weed out distractions and helps you focus on the things worth your time. Weeding out your tasks every month can be the difference between being busy and being organized.

The Bullet Journal has been featured in New York Times, FastCo Design and Marie Claire.

I was never one for To-Do lists, often relying on memory or the occasional scribble on Post-It notes (provided that I didn’t lose them). Incorporating structured To-Do lists into my daily routine has been life-changing. To be productive and ensure that you are focusing on the right areas, create a To-Do list!

It’s important not to confuse quality with quantity. And don’t set yourself up to fail with a long list of unachievable tasks.¹ What are secrets to a successful to-do list?

Five Best To-Do List Tips

1. Keep it simple. Focus and prioritize. For instance, entrepreneurs should ask themselves, “If you could only do one thing today to move your business forward, what would that thing be?”
2. Write your To-Do list the night before. This helps you start your day with clarity.
3. Tackle the first item on your list first. This starts by completing your most high level, strategic action FIRST, before checking your email or responding to phone calls or other requests.
4. Refocus on 1-3 most important items.
5. Be strategic about your energy. Don’t let a small and menial (uncompleted) task take up an incredible amount of mind space.

To keep a list of tasks from ballooning to unrealistic levels, our lists should be derived from our larger goals and include tasks that move us toward those bigger endeavors. According to Robert C. Pozen, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, some simple tweaks can make your to-do lists a better productivity tool.²

5 Ways to Make Your To-Do Lists More Effective

1. Write it the Night Before
2. Qualify the Contents. Your To-Do list should fit two criteria: it should be 1) something important that you need to do, and 2) something that needs to be done on that day.
3. Assign Time Estimates
4. Use Sections
5. Re-evaluate Items You’ve Put Off. Either it’s not that important or urgent and shouldn’t be on your list or there’s a problem you need to solve to allow you to complete it.

Not only have To-Do lists helped me accomplish more at work, but reviewing the next day’s tasks ensures that I am being proactive and not reactive. On Friday afternoons, I review the priorities for the following week, which makes Mondays a little less hectic. Hopefully these tips help you!

¹ Loder, Vanessa. “Five Best To-Do-List Tips.” Forbes. June 2, 2014.
² Moran, Gwen. “5 Ways to Make Your To-Do Lists More Effective.” Fast Company. February 24, 2014.

This was the 52nd year of the Huntington Harbour Boat Parade, presented by the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee. The Committee had 16 trophies to hand out, in categories from ‘Most Religious’ to ‘Best Commercial Entry’. The Boat Parade is a ‘thank you’ to the homeowners of Huntington Harbour for decorating their homes for the annual Cruise of Lights®.

COHO, Boat Parade Winner

You could cruise the harbor and view all of the other boats and the many decorated houses. The Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Cruise of Lights® offers narrated boat tours through the waterways of Huntington Harbour in Huntington Beach, California. In December, both locals and visitors share the beauty of thousands of lights on brightly decorated homes, docks, decks and boats. To purchase tickets for the cruise, see Cruise of Lights®  The proceeds from your tickets will be going towards a good cause! The Huntington Harbour Boat Parade and Cruise of Lights provides funds for the music education of Orange County school children.

I was lucky enough to watching the boat parade from the deck of a friend’s home. Here are the best photos from that weekend.

To watch a video of the boat parade:

Treasure: Any object or experience that is deeply meaningful can be a treasure.

On a trip to Mammoth Mountain, while my friends were snowboarding or skiing down Black Diamond runs, I was enjoying a leisurely walk by the cabin. Here, in the quiet space in the woods, I got up close to my subject – a pine cone fallen off the tree onto the snow.

Glass: Incorporate a form of glass into your image to add a layer of complexity.

Lobby skylight at the Getty Center, Los Angeles. Architect Richard Meier’s design for the Getty Center sits on a hilltop, with natural light and open spaces. For more on architecture at Getty, see my previous post Getty Center Architecture: Work of Art with a Museum Inside. 

Edge: Today, show us an edge — a straight line, a narrow ridge, a precipice
.

On a trip to Sedona, Arizona, my friends and I rented a cabin with some really custom interior design. These vases sit on the ledge above the kitchen cabinets. At first I thought it was an odd location for pottery, but in this space, it seems to work. For more on things to do in Sedona, see Sedona AZ: Part Great Outdoors, Part Inner Peace.

Double: Today, you and your camera are seeing double.

Spotted at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the Arabian Oryx are the most highly specialized oryx species for living in true desert extremes. Their light color reflects the desert heat and sunlight, and they can erect their hair on cold winter mornings to capture warmth to hold in their thick undercoats. Their horns, carried by both males and females, give the oryx the nickname “spear antelope.”

Triumph: Triumph comes in all shapes and sizes.

The trail to the summit of Diamond Head was built in 1908 as part of O’ahu’s coastal defense system. Much of the trail is a natural tuff surface with many switchbacks traversing the steep interior slope of the crater wall. The ascent continues up steep stairs and through a lighted 225-foot tunnel. At the summit, the postcard view of the shoreline of southeastern O’ahu is stunning!

Portions of the trail are uneven and steep, requiring caution and appropriate footwear. I came across many girls trying to look all cute in wedges, and some folks go casual in flip flops – neither is recommended. From the parking lot on the crater floor, the trail to the summit is 0.8 mile (1.3 km) one way and climbs 560 feet (171 m) in elevation.

Let’s talk about food. I love good eats. But really, who does’t? The challenge these days is sticking to healthy recipes. Thanks to Pinterest, my recipe repertoire has expanded beyond my signature dish, 7 Layer Dip, to maybe a dozen or so dishes. Since I love pretty pictures, I am inspired by the visual ’pins’ and by the fruits and vegetables growing in the garden.

In my previous post, Photography Assignments Days 1-10, I shared an image that symbolized “home”: pomegranates (because no Garden of Eden would not be complete without). What do with pomegranates? Throw it into your favorite guacamole recipe!

Ingredients for Spicy Pomegranate Guacamole:

• 4 avocados (2 mashed, 2 cubed)
• 2 firm medium tomatoes, seeded
• half of a red onion, finely chopped
• a couple of sprigs of cilantro
• not too many jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
• lots and lots of minced garlic
• a few squeezes of lime
• a pinch of kosher salt
• two or three turns of ground black pepper
• a dash of cumin
• top with seeds from one pomegranate

For actual measurements, see the original recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen http://natashaskitchen.com/2012/07/03/spicy-guacamole-recipe/
For easy onion slicing, get the Norpro Stainless Steel Onion Holder

Next up. What does one do with eggplants? Is it even possible to make eggplants taste good? As I was wondering what to do with eggplants, Pinterest came to the rescue again.

Ingredients for Eggplant with Figs and Leeks:

• 1 large eggplant (or, in my case, many small ones)
• lots and lots of minced garlic
• 1 large ball of mozzarella (or, in my case, many small ones)
• a couple leaves of leeks (Fresh out of leeks, I harvested garlic leaves instead. Or substitute with scallions or chives.)
• 1 fig, quartered
• some cherry tomatoes
• olive oil
• dashes of balsamic vinegar
• a bit of sugar

For actual measurements, see the original recipe by Monika Walecka http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://gotujebolubi.pl/my-own-master-chef/&prev=search

Thoughts to ponder: is eggplant a fruit or a vegetable?

Pop of Color: Colors can stir emotions within us, tell stories, and transform our images. Today, use one color to add life or drama to your shot.


Somewhere on the UCLA campus was this purple flower.

Architecture: Study architectural forms, and also train your eye to look for shots that will translate well in black and white.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall would have been perfect for this assignment! Except I already used it last week as my “landmark”. Luckily, I happened to be in Pasadena last week, and snapped a few of the Pasadena City Hall.

Moment: Capture a fleeting moment and experiment with blur and movement.

These baby hummingbirds were left in their nest while their parents were off foraging for food. Shortly after I took this shot, the birds flew the coop.

Swarm: Show us something that overruns your scene, but observe and compose carefully before you click the shutter.

Taj Mahal. I normally don’t like people in my photos, but when you are India’s most notable tourist attraction, what can you do?

Landscape: It’s a big world out there! Show us what you see in a landscape.

My favorite landscape of all time. Here is a view of the the Swiss Alps (The Eiger, The Mönch and Jungfrau) from Murren’s cog station. The hills are alive with the sound of…mooing.

That’s it for this week. Maybe I will scout some more architecture sites this weekend…What are some of your favorite architectural buildings?

HOME: To kick off this course, let’s share an image that means home. What does home look like to you?

From my garden. Some scholars now suggest that it was a pomegranate, and not apple, that led to Adam and Eve’s exodus from the biblical Garden of Eden. It’s only fitting that a girl named Eden would have a forbidden fruit in her garden.

STREET: Today, capture an establishing shot of a street scene in your neighborhood — or someplace new.

Cows freely roam the streets. (Kerala, India.)

WATER: A source of life. A place of recreation. A calming presence, but also a destructive force.

Sitting on the dock of the bay. (San Pedro, Belize.)

BLISS: complete happiness, great joy, paradise, or heaven.
I could never get tired of watching sunsets. As beautiful as they are, I have yet to capture the perfect sunset. (Newport Beach, California.)

SOLITUDE: Capture a snapshot that conveys the state of being alone.

Lone guy fishing along the Mississippi River. (Vacherie, Louisiana.)

CONNECT: In the age of social media, we’re more connected than ever. (But how often do we connect with nature?)
Got my ducks in a row! One doesn’t always get to connect with ducks, especially in the suburbs. It just so happens that I used to live by the lake where these ducks called home.

LANDMARK: Landmarks are everywhere: iconic places, meeting points, markers on a map. Today, consider a unique point of view as you photograph a landmark.

Walk Disney Concert Hall, home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, designed by architect Frank Gehry. Since it was completely overcast that day, it seemed ideal for black & white photography. (Los Angeles, California.)

THE NATURAL WORLD: Capture a moment, big or small, and pay attention to the lines and curves produced by nature.

Along the path on a Mammoth Mountain hike. This tree has seen its better days.

WARMTH: Today, capture an image of warmth, ideally using the sun as your source.

Sun shining against a wall of the Alhambra palace/fortress. (Granada, Spain.)

MYSTERY: Show us something uncertain, and manipulate light around you to enhance the mood of your image.

Manoa Falls Trail. (Honolulu, Hawaii.)