Noms!

Top: Zalora | Pants: Gift from Manman/Misguided | Shoes: Charles & Keith (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Nichii (Similar here)

Necklace: Gift from Cyn (Similar here) | Ring: Gift from Cyn (Similar here): Bracelets: Diva (Similar here)

I’ve been trying to eat a little healthier lately – this is tremendously difficult for me because there is not a single fried or super processed piece of food that I don’t like. Also, whenever I’m grumpy (which is probably 80% of the time), I crave sugary carb loaded processed food. I also barely have any discipline – If you put delicious food in front of me, I will eat it.

Nonetheless, as I’ve matured, I’ve come to see the value in a healthy balanced diet, or really, a healthy balanced everything. This isn’t just for the obvious vain reasons, but also for my general well-being.

Because I have the appetite of a bear that’s just woken from hibernation, I pretty much always need to snack and I’ve found a delightful healthy snack to curb my midday munchies. 

QUINOA CUPS!

I first found the recipe from here (I was trying to find a breakfast substitute for my normal Nutella but let’s be serious here, I am NEVER giving up Nutella), and I tried it out using spinach and it was good but tasted a little too healthy, so now I use ham and mushrooms and that’s much yummier, but seriously there are so many options, I might try broccoli one day although it may give the quiche a kind of moldy appearance. 

You can mix up the proportions but I guess you'll need a proportionate amount of eggs to glue it all together

 The Alex style recipe:

• Three quarter cup of uncooked quinoa – this will become about 2 cups when cooked
• Half cup of diced up ham
• One cup of chopped mushrooms
• Three-quarters cup of chopped onion (it really depends on how much onion I have and feel like chopping)
• One cup of shredded Cheddar cheese
• Two tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese
• Three to four eggs (the original says two whole eggs and two egg whites which probably would be healthier but I don’t know what I would then do with two leftover egg yolks and also I don’t know how to do that fancy egg separating thing using the shells)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Get cookin':

1.       Cook the quinoa and let it cool

2.       Chop the ham, mushrooms and onion, shred the cheese, beat the eggs

3.       Put everything into a bowl and mix it in evenly

I chop everything quite finely so it sticks together better

I use mixed quinoa (black and white) but all white probably would look nicer and less like it has ants

4.       Pre-heat the oven to 175 - 180 degrees Celsius 

Sweet Breville* oven of gloriousness

5.       Put the mix into an oiled muffin/cupcake baking tray

Carefully scoop the mix into the tray - Don't drop a single grain, quinoa is EXPENSIVE

6.       Bake in oven for 15 – 20 minutes

7.       Enjoy the deliciousness (actually, might be best to remove it from the tray and cool it a bit or risk burning your mouth. True story.  

Swivel and scoop 'em out

Get in ma belly!

Not only are they healthy, they’re easy to make (chop chop chop mix mix bake NOMS), easy to store (in mouth like a hamster, or in a fridge/freezer for another day) and obvs easy to eat (pop in mouth, chew, hot or cold, it tastes good!)

There are a few cons to making this of course, mainly the price of quinoa (but with my cupcake try of about 2 inch diameter per cup, I make about 24 cups so it seems reasonable I think) and the fact that the things need to be chopped up, which can be a little time-consuming. I’m considering getting a processor because I’m committed to making these babies.

Anyway, I urge you to try it out, and go crazy with the variety of fillings you could possibly use then let me know how it turns out.

Thanks for reading! 

* No seriously, this toaster oven mousie bought for momster is DA BOMB. It cooks so evenly, is so easy to use, have a ton of cool settings (like reheat, warm, bake, toast, grill, roast, zumba... ok maybe not that last one) is large enough to roast a chicken. It's a really great addition to the kitchen for those who are oven-challenged. My regular stove connected oven sucks. 

Busy

Shirt: Padini (Similar here) | Pants: Chicnova | Shoes: Topshop (Similar here) | Clutch: Sportsgirl (Similar here)

 Spiked bracelet: Pop up shop (Similar here) | Skull bracelet: Butler & Wilson | Ring: Jessica Buurman 

So after working for over three years in my current position, the time has come for me to broaden my horizons. I’ll be moving to another department within the company to take on a different marketing portfolio to learn a different side of the business and get more on-the-ground experience.  Doesn't that just sound so grown-up???

The only reason why I’m bringing this up is because it’s likely going to impact my blog a little. Judging by the various emails I’ve seen flying around, as well as my new boss’ description that the team is only ‘busy’ or ‘busier’, I think I will a) be really busy and not have much time to blog b) be really busy and not have time to dress up c) be really busy so I turn into an old hag and feel embarrassed to capture that on camera. 

Nonetheless, I’m excited about my new role, I feel like I’m the kind of person who needs to be really busy and constantly juggling things, so I’m kind of pleased about all this. I will absolutely try my best to keep up with the blogging but it might take a little hit. Which is probably going to be good for the regular readers since I can be super annoying so maybe less is more eh? 

Thanks for reading!

Germ busters

Top: Uniqlo | Skirt: ASOS (skirt's sold out but get the top) | Shoes: YRU (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Bag: Y-3 (Similar here) | Necklace: Tatty Devine | Ring: V&A Museum (Similar here)  

As a particularly weak individual, I fall prey to germs quite easily so I'm often down with some ailment or another. When I get sick, I go on the offense big time. I turn into a walking pharmacy and the following are my must-haves for battling a sore throat or a cough.

If I feel a little itch in the throat... Out comes the Danzen which you can buy off the shelf from pharmacies like Watsons or Guardian. It's a little anti-inflammatory drug that you can take 3 times a day and I don't know if it works but I think part of the fight is psychological innit? I BELIEVE it works and so I feel better.

Little pink pills of goodness

Then the battle rages on with Ho Yan Hor, a black herbal tea that tastes somewhat unpleasant (although not bitter) but works wonders. It's very cooling, as we Singaporeans like to say. For the non-Singaporean, I don't know how to describe it but I suppose it's also anti-inflammatory? Like, if your insides were on fire, then this would be the fire extinguisher.

The boo's mom introduced this to me.

I learned this from the boo who swears by it: gargle with mouthwash to cool that throat and kill icky germs. This Pearly White mouthwash is great because it feels kind of gentle on the throat still. Some mouthwashes tend to be really acidic feeling, as if I just stripped my throat of a layer of lining. Ew.

Minty fresh breath + germ killing = power

My go-to supplement whenever I feel poorly is Echinacea. Momster used to make me drink it in a liquid form which was disgusting. Imagine drinking the liquified bark of the most angry tree in the forest of bitterness and sorrow. Nowadays I just take the pill which doesn't smell great but I swear this thing is the bomb. I don't have a preference for any specific brand, I just like it cheap. Lol.

Tree bark, no bite

Anyway, it's durian season now (YUM!!!) so it's pretty much the right time to be stocking up on these things, although I hope you won't have to resort to using them.

Thanks for reading!

Miss No

Jumpsuit: Smooch the Label | Cape-blazer: Smooch the Label | Shoes: Shutz (Similar here) 

Bag: Mango (Similar here) | Ring: Jessica Buurman | Sunglasses: Karen Walker 

My mother always said 'no' was my favourite word.

'Want to try some [fruit that looks like the love-child of a hedgehog, a shoe and a piece of wood]?' 
'NO'
'Want to go to [cool place where people will be and socialising will take place]?'
'NO' 
'Want to play [fun game that will ultimately make me look like a wobbly noob]?' 
'NONONO!'

Totally my face

Pic from here

I said a big 'no' to wearing jumpsuits but here I am, wearing a jumpsuit. I couldn't help it. I succumbed to the cool print and the overall fashiony vibe. But I have to say, as cool as it is, it felt really ridiculous every time I went to the washroom. Undressing and then dressing yourself every time you need to pee is both silly and exhausting. And I drink a lot of water. I also have a slight fear that I forget to lock the door and someone walks in on me in nothing but my underwear. Or that the fire alarm goes off and I don't have enough time to get properly attired before running out of the burning building of doom.

Perhaps I should just save this piece for special occasions that last maximally 2 hours.

Anyway, here are a list of sartorial no's in my book. But I'm in a jumpsuit so who k(no)ws?

The-Emperor's-New-Clothes gown

Pic from here

Maybe if my bod were as rocking as Beyonce's then we'd be in business, but I just don't understand this sheer trend. It's like paying a lot of money for very little fabric.

The unitard

Pic from ASOS

Oh come on, even the name is stupid. I suppose I might wear this if I decide to turn to a life of burglary or ballet. Burglary seems much more likely. I have the grace of a drunken sea cucumber. 

Tie-dye anything

Pic from here

I just can't. If I had to describe my style as what it is not, I would start with 'Not hippie' first. 

Velour tracksuit

Pic from here

Maaaaaaybe I'd wear something like this in black on a plane... But I doubt it. I just can't carry this look off. Although I had a classmate in uni who wore these all the time, in so many different colours. I don't know why she never felt hot/like she was wearing pjs.

Anyway, not to be a hater, I think if you wear these things, then good on ya, I'm sure you look bangin' but I just can't imagine them on myself. But I said the same thing about jumpsuits, so I guess only time will tell.

Thanks for reading!

I can see again (part 2)

Shirt: ASOS (Similar here) | Shorts: ASOS | Bag: Gift from CC from Sportsgirl (Similar here)

Sunglasses: Ray Ban | Earrings: Accessorize (Similar here) | Shoes: Charles & Keith (Similar here)

Continuing on from my last post where I had Lasik surgery/my eyeballs were abducted by aliens...

The surgery cost us about S$4000 each and I don't think we have regrets although I definitely still feel a little emotional trauma from the actual eyeball suction thing. Also, our eyeballs were a little red for about a week or two after the surgery, caused by that evil suction but it went away with no lasting effects. During the healing process of about a month or so, we weren't allowed to wear makeup around our eyes, go swimming, and rub our eyes for fear that the flap of the cornea would open and I guess we'd go blind or something.

Emo face

The night of the surgery, we went home and were given these goggles to wear to bed to protect our delicate eyeballs in case we scratched or rubbed them. We were also given 2 tubes of eye-drop antibiotic solutions and were told to stock up on Refresh eye-drops to apply at regular intervals to keep the eyes lubricated and help with the healing. The goggles came off sometime during the night because I sleep like a zombie eating brains (lots of grunting and slow but jerky movements). We were to visit Dr. Cheng again the next day and then I think a week after after which we should be more or less out of the woods.

I'm preparing for scientific experiments

Except I visited him maybe 4 times after because I kept accidentally putting sh*t in my eye. Handy tip, do not put your vitamin E oil bottle that resembles your eye drops on the bedside table with your eye drops because you will drop the vitamin E oil into your eyes and it will be oily and you will taste it and it is DISGUSTING. Also, do not let your hair dye from your DIY hair job run down your face into your eye because you will stain your face and it will sting like all hell.

Mousie suffered from the halo effect and continued to be extremely light sensitive. Even a year on, she says she's light sensitive but maybe she's just showing off. I know people who have complained of severe dry eyes but thankfully that didn't affect me that much. I think aside from my general stupidity, I didn't have any adverse effects from the surgery except poverty and fear of aliens. I think my eyesight is quite good, although I wouldn't say it's perfect. I'm pretty sure I still have light astigmatism in my right eye.

I'm happy I got Lasik done, and the more time passes, the more the memory of that extremely scary procedure fades from my mind, and I think that I would probably recommend it to others who are considering it. Dr. Cheng is a nice and attentive doctor with quite good bedside manner, although he does say 'Okay, alright' quite a lot, and in quick succession. And during the procedure, no, I was not okay, alright.

Thanks for reading!

The grumpy travel troll

Shirt: Asos (Similar here)

Pants: Matsuda (Similar here)

Shoes: Charles and Keith (Similar here)

Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here)

These pants are SO comfy and I can probably stick a couple of chickens in them legs.

Necklace: Superspace (Ok seriously it's really difficult to find something similar but this is cool)

Sunglasses: Aldo (Similar here)

Ring: Gift from Alvin and Leona (Same here)

Don't you totally hate it when you're in the airport and you're waiting in line to go through the scanners and the guy in front of you who has been standing there for the past 10 minutes only slowly starts to remove his watch, his belt, his jacket, his shoes, his cellphone, his coins and all of his other various metallic bits from his person when he reaches the front of the queue. And finally when he's extracted every single metal bit from his body, only then does he slowly remove his laptop from its case, and his tablet from his bag and so on. I HATE IT. I mean, okay I get it, you might not be in a rush to get into an enclosed phallic shaped flying object but I really enjoy sitting down so I'm kind of in a rush. MOVE ALREADY.

But before you think this rant is a pointless one, there actually is a lesson to be learned here. Aside from the obvious - don't stand ahead of me in a queue because I'm a grumpy troll. I wear tons of accessories and I'd probably take quite a while to remove all my accessories to enable me to walk through the scanner without being subject to a body search, so here's a pro tip:

Wear as little metal as possible so you don't need to remove things. 

Thanks for reading, and you're welcome.