the following black fri is nt much or fuss, leaving behind stuffs having normal sale. So I was hoping cyber monday will be a great day of sales for items online.
but turn out that there isnt much gd/special deals. its just items buy online will be entitled free shipping.
Black Fri is the friday after thankgiving n thankgiving is the period when ppl start buying things as presents for family or frnds. As christmas is amth away, this give ppl ample time to get ready n deliver their gifts in time for the gifts opening in christmas.
this is our half day load of sale goodies.
office chair, cookware, dinnerware, some electronic devices, bedshts, airbed, some clothes, gloves, toys; some board games(cheap abt USD5 or buy one get another free), tupperware n a snow shovel for car.
Our first stop is Walmart(cos it near our hm), sales start @ 5am. wow the day b4, my hubby n I had a hard time sleeping. Once we reached there, we started to locate the things we wanted(cos on that day, special priced items will be placed all over the area n nt the usual zones). there is nt much hectic situation as walmart got ample of goods. One thing BEST is u no need to queue outside the doors cos walmart is a 24hrs store(freezing cold outside). ppl here r friendly n staffs r helpful n patient when u need help. No rush unlike in sg. Home appliances r cheap but we didnt get any since volt is different from sg. we spent over USD200+ n abt 2hrs of queueing too.
Next stop; we head toward Boise towne sq, hoping to get some mre gd deals. There is crowds of families, teens in the mall. My hubby is looking at toys/ games (quite cheap), whereas im into clothes dept(causal wear). Mainly clothes that on sales r sweaters. we grab some light food to fulfil our starving stomach n continued on. Most sales ended @ noon, we quickly scanned though. Abt 3pm, we decided to call it a day cos we r dead tired. its my turn to drive hm as my hubby is completely burn out. both of us r nursing the coming headaches due to lack of sleep n intense shopping.
no need to mention, we end our nite early tat day n getting ample rest to go for the next day sales..
in fact, my hubby n I r thinking whether to get Wii /PS3 but we decided to shelf later since we nt reali gamers plus i dun think i got time to play when i back in sg. But i will still pinning on it maybe in near future. hehhaha.
This month, we went to a Indian couple's hse for gathering. too many nice food especially the curry got the asian favour. How i miss it. On that day, we celebrate the couple birthdays too. so i bake muffins n try a hand in decorating. Im amazed by the amt of food the host cook, Woww.. all by herself hard work leh. some of guests helped to bring desserts. It was a enjoying day!
Face
Washing your face with a nourishing, rich cleanser is a great idea in winter. Gentle, creamy face washes form a great defense against the elements, and here are one I highly recommend: Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple.
This is a no-foaming cleanser that:
- deep cleanser pores and eliminates makeup build-up
- hydrates
- contains mild cleansing agents and natural oil extracts to help condition skin
- has a light, slightly herbal/lemon scent
It doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight and cleanses thoroughly. The only negative so far is that it did not remove waterproof mascara.
Beat Overeating by learning how you can put a stop to emotional eating and impulse snacking.
- Eat slowly; throughly chew. "It slows the eating process so that the stomach has the time abt 15-20mins, to register that it is full and send a signal to the brain that you should stop eating,"
- Give your food your full focus; If you eat while you're watching the TV, driving or working at the computer, the calories you consume doesn't get registered well in your brain. "These distractions can cause you to eat too much." By being attentive about the whole eating experience, you can more easily derive pleasure and satisfaction from your food too.
- Go for satisfying foods; Avoid foods that have large amounts of calories(especially fat, sugar and refined carbs) as cakes, potato chips, candy and chocolate. load up those that have high fiber and/ protein content. Good choices include whole-meal bread, porridge, all-bran cereal, beefsteak, baked beans, apples and oranges. "The combination of fiber and protein keeps you feeling full for the longest period of time on the fewest calories. The fuller you feel after a meal, the less likely you'll be to overeat at the next meal."
- Put a stop on nighttime snack attacks; nighttime is our bodies have the lowest need for calories. If the habit of eating in front of the television, replace it with something healthy like fruits.To take your mind off food, keep yourself occupied in the evenings with a new book, hobby /evening exercise session. Aim for a balanced high-fiber breakfast n lunch to help avoid overeating later on. "If you eat no breakfast (and sometimes no lunch), by the time dinner comes around, you are famished. As a result, you gorge yourself until bedtime."
- Don't use food for comfort; Do you chomp down an entire chocolate bar when you have a tight project deadline to meet? It's called emotional eating, and it's often unrelated to hunger. The next time when you're reaching for junk food, pause and ask yourself if you're truly hungry /just feeling antsy. "Avoid using food as a stress reliever by learning coping skills, such as exercise, meditation, or listening to music, that do not rely on food as a source of comfort,"
Barely-There Makeup
Inner glow; To achieve a fresh-faced glow, prep your skin with a thin layer of moisturizer, and tackle any dullness with a skin illuminator.
Flawless base; using a primer before foundation minimize unevenness in skin texture such as large pores and scars. To attain the most natural effect, avoid matte foundations, which tend to look too heavy. Apply foundation under natural light, and only where needed, and be sure to blend thoroughly. Set with a light dusting of loose powder using a powder brush. Your powder of choice should be translucent, not bronze-toned nor shimmery.
Beautiful eyes; Keep your brows soft by using eyebrow powder instead of penciling, and rim eyes with dark brown eyeliner. sweep soft pink shadow across the lid and in the socket crease and smudge for a diffused effect. Apply a slightly darke shadow to your under-eye area, but make it very light. Finish with a coat of lengthening mascara to open up your eyes.
Blushing beauty; most natural blusher shade is one that is a couple of tones darker than your natural skin tone, but rosy blush also give an equally flattering flushed look.
Sheer lips; Prettify your pout with a peach-toned lip color. Directly applying nude lip gloss give you a muddy color.
Fashion Trends For All Body Types
. Two-tone dresses - Simulating a chic blouse-and-skirt combo, the two-tone dress is surprisingly versatile and works for day or night. If you have pear-shaped figure, choose a dress with a lighter bodice and darker skirt to balance your proportions. If you have wide shoulders and slim hips, aim for the reverse: Go dark on top and light at the bottom. Elongate your legs visually by opting for an empire-waist cut.
. Rompers - beach-friendly one-piece romper has emerged as one of summer's hottest fashion trends? It's warm-weather perfect, playful and effortlessly chic, too! Got a boy-like figure? Add curves by choosing a romper with a banded waist or a soft fabric like silk or chiffon. For an office-friendly romper, look for one that ends above the knees -- throw on a cropped blazer or cardigan and complete the look with peep-toe pumps and a belt. For a longer, leaner silhouette, go for a romper with a solid color and pair with wedges or heels.
. Neon - 80s-inspired neon hues have made a huge comeback, so go on and accent your look with these acid brights! Hot pink is gorgeous on darker skin tones, while Eva Mendes' bright yellow flatters fairer complexions. you can keep the bold hue to just the top or bottom or keep them to smaller areas, like shoes /bags.
. Floral prints - Pretty floral prints have such a carefree summery vibe. If you're petite, stay away from large patterns. Go for a soft, floral print frock for the ultimate girly look. To toughen up the feminine look a little, team with leather leggings /acid-washed jeans.
. Tulip Skirts - it takes on the shape of an inverted tulip. This skirt is flattering to almost any body type, and makes a great investment piece -- it can be worn for a night out in town /workplace. add curves because of the extra fabric around the hip area - perfect for straighter body types. If you want to create the illusion of more curves in your hip area, buy a tulip skirt with pleats at the top near the hips. If you are top-heavy, opt for a skirt that flares at the bottom to help balance out the overall shape of your body.
Ingredients: (Makes 24 Tarts)
Pastry:
3 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick(1/4 cup) unsalted butter, 1 1/2 sticks shortening or 3/4 cups margarine
4 to 6 Tablespoons warm water
Custard:
3 eggs, 5-6 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Pastry: Mix flour n salt. Add butter n shortening/margarine, cut in til it looks like coarse crumbs. Add warm water and mix to form soft dough. Knead and cut in half. Roll out to 1/8", cut into 12 - 3" circles and place in a muffin tin.
Custard: Beat eggs, add sugar, milk, and salt. Strain mixture and pour into tart crusts. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Serve warm or cooled
for Portuguese Custard
Custard(for 12); 1 cup milk, 3 tbps cornstarch, 1/2 vanilla bean, 1 cup white sugar, 6 egg yolks
Directions
Preheat oven to 375degrees F (190degrees C.) Lightly grease 12 muffin cups and line bottom and sides with puff pastry.
In a saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch, sugar n vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Gradually add egg yolk mixture back to remaining milk mixture, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring constantly for 5mins, or til thickened. Remove vanilla bean.
Fill pastry-lined muffin cups with mixture and bake in preheated oven for 20mins, or until crust is golden brown and filling is lightly browned on top
