Lunchbags!

I'm trying to break the habit of buying a lunch so have taken to cooking up hoards of foods and packaging it up. I take my lunch to work in a reusable lululemon bag.

This is not my picture. I got it from google, and I think it's a very pretty picture :)

There are a two main things about using this bag as a lunch bag that irks me:
1) My coworkers use the same bag: I can never find my lunch in the work-fridge quickly.
2) Difficult to clean: My Miso soup package exploded in this bag. It looked like a bad case of baby diarrhea. The inside of this bag is made with some tissue-like fabric. I wiped it, but it's still stained brown...and is quite unappetizing to look at when I open up my lunch bag. I might have to try immersing the whole bag into soapy water. (I'm not saying that this is a weight-loss tip; I'm just saying it's gross).

So I am on the hunt, my friends!

I thought this was quite awesome:

 It's the Gourmet Getaway Tote. It also comes in some other fabulous fabrics:

I think this one is my favorite. It has a retro late 60s feel.

I haven't ordered one yet, as I can't decide on what fabric I like the most. You can check it out at Fenigo.com.

These are the product features from the website:

• Safe for Carrying Food
• Insulates hot or cold food & beverage for up to 4 hours (time will vary depending on external temperature)
• Soft-grip handle makes transporting easy & comfortable
• Stretches to hold and protect a variety of items
• Perfect for school, office, camping, travel, beach, etc.
• Machine-washable. Drip dry. Stain resistant.
• Lays flat when not in use
• Made from neoprene, the wetsuit material

If I do get this bag, will keep you posted on how it works out!

EarBudi - an inexpensive way to convert your apple earphones to sport earphones

As I'm doing progressive distance running on the weekends  I wanted to run with music, however, I didn't want to spend a lot on sport earphones. After doing some research on decently priced sports headphones and earphones I came across the Earbudi. With the Earbudi, you clip them on to your Apple earphones and never have to worry about them falling out of your ears!

Pros:

• Inexpensive. I got mine for $9.99 at Amazon.com.
• Ability to convert only one earphone to over the ear (for use at work, or if you would like the ability to hear your surroundings with one ear, and listen to music with the other).
• matches ipod/iphone (although white headphones are easier to find these days, it's nice that these match perfectly).
• Comfy and lightweight.
  

 Cons:

• Apple Iphones aren't the best.
• Although I haven't had the problem, some reviewers on amazon mentioned that the earbudis may break with frequent removal.

Thinking Twice before you "express yourself" via a Cell Phone Case.

Remember back in the days when the Nokia 5100 phones came out, and EVERYONE was personalizing their phones with various accessories? There were faceplates to make the phone whatever color you wanted! There were faceplates that could light up, glow in the dark, etc. you name it, it was probably done.

Old School (kinda)

After awhile, Phones were just phones, and accessories weren't as hot. I mean with the nokias, people were able to match their phones with their outfits!

A few years later, enter the Iphone and various other smart phones with all their cool accessories. At first I got an incase grape colored case:

But it just didn't fully feel like me. So what did I get??? HELLO KITTY I<3 NERDS!

Kawaii Desu Ne?

 I somewhat regret using a hello kitty case. Sometimes I need to check emails during a meeting and I can't keep my phone out and face down because I don't want to get teased by my colleagues. Now don't get me wrong, if it were a meeting with my coworkers, I'd totally rock the Hello Kitty. However, I work in the Construction Industry with lots of "good ol' boys" and manly men who may not take me as seriously if they see this adorable little Kitty Cat that their little daughters adore.  Most of you would think... "I don't care, this expresses who I am!". Which is cool, but I just simply can't take the chance...oh how I dream of the day where I can sport my Bieber Case in public:

Baby baby baby OOOH when do you turn 18? JP JP!!

There are other very cool options for personalizing your phone. Check out Threadless phone cases! (i'm a big fan of Threadless tshirts too)

Threadless Iphone Cases

I also saw some pretty cool StarWars cases too!

It's actually Steve Jobs in Carbonite not Hans Solo

Feel free to use your phone cases to express who you are, but think twice about it just in case ;)

Slippery Shoes - Get back in the Bag

On Mondays, I shove my runners in my gym bag so that I can go for a run afterwork by the seawall.

The Seawall

I always place my runners in a plastic bag, but some how, in the jostle of the commute to work via train and walking, they escape and rub up against my clean clothes. Those ain't clean runners. They pick up who-knows-what when I run trails on the weekends. I really don't mind when they escape the bag and rub up against my dirty clothes though. :P

I was on Amazon and I found the perfect solution: A shoe bag. I'm not talking about the drawstring dust bag one gets for boots. I'm talking about something that will handle even the damp and dirty shoe: Pack-It™ Shoe Cube Medium.

http://www.eaglecreek.com/packing_solutions/packing_cubes/Pack-It-Shoe-Cube-Medium-41063/

Description on the Eagle Creek Website

• Capacity: 500 cu in / 8 L Weight: 4 oz / 110 g Size:12 x 7 x 5 in / 30 x 18 x 13 cm
• A lightweight shoe packing solution
• Top grab handle
• Side ventilation
• LinkSeal Mesh top for dirt resistance and visibility
• 2-way zippered opening

What I Love about it

• It's got air holes. There are grommets along the side so that your shoes can air and dry out. 
• I love the handle. Sometimes my gym bag gets super bulky, and I like to carry my shoes outside of the bag. The handle makes it easy to do this.
• There's no way my shoes are escaping this bag
• I could use it for when I travel and shove it in my luggage.
• There is enough room for the flipflops I use for showering post-run. (FYI, my foot size is 7.5).

Rating

I'm not sure why I always rate things 5/5. I only seem to review the things I love. I'm just going to nix out this section. ha ha.

Recipe: Shrimp & Spinach Pasta - For Lunch!

I was cooking up a batch of pastas a few nights ago for lunches, and randomly came up with this: Mmm! Tasty! I thought I share the recipe. It might be random, but I jotted down everything because I'm counting calories.

Servings : 6
Calories per serving: 362
Ingredients:

• Catelli Whole Wheat Pasta 375g box (6 servings)
• Defrosted - Frozen Cooked and Peeled Prawns (1 bag of 454g)
• 1 Red Onion 3 cups of Tomato Sauce (I used Western Family - the super tall can)
• 2 cups of Spinach 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 5 Large Mushrooms
• 1 Tablespoon of minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar (I used Safeway Select)
• 1 Teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt for preparing the pasta

Steps:

1. Boil the pasta in salt water as you normally would and to your liking (firm, al dente, soft). Drain, and run under cold water. I then divvied it up amongst 6 containers.
2. Divvy up your can of tomato sauce amongst the 6 containers (about 1/2 cup each).
3. Preheat your sauce pan (or wok - cuz I don't have a saucepan!) on medium to high heat Add the ingredients in this order:
• teaspoon of olive oil and garlic
• red onion
• prawns
• red peppers
• mushrooms
• balsamic vinegar
4. Stir fry the above ingredients.
5. Once everything is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in your spinach. There should be enough heat to just cook your spinach.
6. Divvy up the stir fry to each container.

Enjoy!

Breathing Technique for running! Fish Face!!!

You'd think that breathing while running would come naturally. I've read and tried so many things but just can't seem to get it right. I might have a good few days of running but can never pin point what I did to help me breathe better while running to improve my endurance and to prevent side stitches.

General Running breathing technique/tips (gathered from various websites):

1. Develop a 3:2 ratio for breathing, inhale 3 steps and exhale for 2 steps. 
2. Belly Breathe rather than Chest breathe.
3. Breathe through the mouth and nose if possible.

Honestly, I don't think about the 3:2 ratio for breathing, I'm typically chatting up with my coworkers and am not counting my foot strikes. Regarding the Belly Breathing technique, it's funny. I thought I was belly breathing but for a while there, I was constantly hit by side stitches and my breathing was very difficult to control!

My coworker gave me some advice to do a 2 short exhales and 1 deep inhale technique, it helped for one day but I felt like I was doing Lamaze breathing (hoo hoo heeeeeeeee) and this technique seemed to encourage shallow chest breathing for me. (this may work for you though! but it didn't help me).

I finally came really really close to finding something that worked while trying to find out how i could prevent side stitches. One remedy for side stitches that I came across was to purse your lips as though you're about to blow out a candle. This helped train me to exhale with minimal expansion of the lungs in the chest (try it right now!!). The only problem I had with pursing your lips is that your face isn't totally relaxed. So what's the equivalent to a totally relaxed face that's close to pursing your lips???

Fish Face!!

Not to be confused with Fish Lips (where you suck in your cheeks). I noticed when I exhaled while pursing my lips, I was breathing more towards the back of the lungs and deeper. For exhaling, I read somewhere (sorry I've been to so many websites, I tried to google them to see if i can reference them but I couldn't find them again) one website likened it to a Yawn. When I pretended to yawn, similar to pursing your lips, I felt as though I was breathing more towards the back of the lungs. By completely relaxing your face while running and breathing in and out with lips similar to our swimming friend in the picture it's allowed me to breathe properly while running. I'm not sure if this will work for everyone but I used to not even be able to run 100m before getting hit with a massive side stitch or my lungs would hurt like heck. Once I figured out what worked for me for running I'm now comfortable to add on some distance. I even ran over 5miles today without any side stitches or achy lungs!

Share with us what works for you or let us know if you have any questions about fitness :) We're not experts but we'll pretend we are thanks to the power of Google ;P just kidding! or am I?

Review: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock

I used to get manicures from a woman, an Esthetician who had studied laser technology, with the most flawless skin: Barely noticeable pores, unblemished, even skintone, etc. She looked like she fell out of a photoshopped studio picture. We got around to talking about skincare (because how could I not ask her about her skin?), and she said to wear sun protection everyday, even if it's not sunny out. Her biggest tip was to not rely on moisturizers or makeup that already contained SPF.

Mineral makeup with SPF? Forget it. Moisturizers with built in SPF? Slap on that layer of sun protection anyways! After you apply your moisturizer after cleansing, you should apply a separate sunscreen product. It's an extra layer of protection from the sun's harmful UV rays.

Imagine my hesitation! When one says "sunscreen" or "sunblock", I automatically think "greasy", "filmy", and "sticky". The thought of something sitting on my skin made me cringe. However, I was willing to give it a shot! I often hear about how it's good for you, and that it prevents premature wrinkling. As cute as pugs are, I don't think I can pull off that look.

Oh my! How Wrinkly!

I lucked out! The first sun protection I tried became a holy grail! I've been using it for 2 years consistently. I present to you Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry Touch Sunblock.

I'm not sure if you are supposed to use this for your face, as I know Neutrogena also makes sun protection specifically for the face, but I slap this on my face regardless.


Details (on the bottle)
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock provides broad spectrumUVA/UVB protection and combines it with Dry-Touch technology to give an ultra-light, on-shiny finish. This lightweight sunblock absorbs quickly and has a light, fresh scent. The non-oily formula is enriched with Vitamin A, C, and E.

• Waterproof, sweatproof, rubproof
• Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)

Directions (on bottle)
Apply liberally 15 to 30 minutes before going into the sun. Reapply after swimming, perspiring heavily or washing. WARNING: For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes. Discontinue use if rash appears or irritation develops. For use on children under 6 months of age, consult your doctor.


How I Use It
I cleanse my skin, apply my moisturizer, let my moisturizer absorb, and then apply the sunblock. I currently use SPF 30, but have also used SPF 55 (because of paranoia).

Benefits

• It's everything it says on the label: Non sticky, light, absorbs quickly, non-shiny finish, and has a light fresh scent.
• Vitamin A, C, and E: These vitamins are great for anti-aging, and protecting the skin not only from UV light, but also pollution and other cell-damaging free radicals.
• It hasn't broken me out and I wear it for my runs on hot days
• Say no to wrinkles! Prevention is better than botox, or bangs that cover your forehead (especially true, if you look horrible with bangs like I do).
  

Overall Rating
5/5 - Holy grail products deserve this score. I haven't ever considered switching.

I can have pretty nails again! - Gel Nail Polish

I had unintentionally gave up on getting manicures because they don't last very long. I used to get weekly manicures and monthly pedicures. But since my son was born, I hardly ever got my nails done. I'm constantly washing my hands, dishes etc, that the nail polish would start chipping within a few days.

My dear sweet cousin treated me to a manicure and pedicure a few weeks ago. She told me to try Gel Nail Polish (I remember once when Blublu had told me about Gel Nail Polish before too). So i decided to try it out.

What it is: A special nail polish that is UV-cured.
Benefits: Because the polish is cured using a UV light, your nails are completely dry right out of the drying lamp. You can rummage through your purse for your keys with no worries! Gel Nail Polish also lasts for a very long time (approx 2 weeks) without chipping.
Cost: Approximately $10-$15 more than a standard manicure.




Nails Freshly done by Glossnails (Sacramento,CA)

 I chose Gelish brand nail polish. It's been about 3-4 weeks since I had my nails done and they're in pretty good condition despite it starting to grow out. You do need to get the polish soaked off though, regular nail polish won't take care of it.

Gelish Nail Polish!

There are plenty of other brands of Gel Nail polishes. Ask your manicurist if they have Gel polishes! Become a believer. I highly recommend this for people that work in the food industry, crafters, etc. No more worries about nail polish getting chipped, scratched or worn out! :)

Travelling Tips and the Airplane Outfit - From Colder to Hot Climates

I have been on plenty of planes the past three years. With business trips and vacations, I've learned a few things about packing smart, and packing light. No matter where I go, I am able to fit everything I need into a gym bag. Not to mention I've finally figured out what to wear when a girl like me gets on a plane in rainy-and-cold Vancouver, and gets off in a place like hot-and-sweltering Mexico. Clearly, the clothes I bring have to be convertible, as all I have is a gym bag.

WHAT TO WEAR
These are the items I wear on the plane.

Yoga Tights
I wear these on a plane under a dress (which I'll discuss later). I wear them on the way to the airport, and on the plane to stay warm. However, once we land in hotter climates, I whip those suckers off while still seated in the plane - I'll let you know later how it is I do this discreetly.

WHY workout tights? Because I do workout at the fitness center in the hotel, run around the city, or practice yoga in my hotel room or on the beach. This extra functionality makes it so that I don't have to pack an extra pair of pants specifically for working out.

Another reason is because sometimes the plane gets hot, and these suckers are dri-fit.

My favorite pair of tights are Lululemon Wunder Under Crops!

These suckers are four-way stretch, which makes it awesome for when you're sitting comfortably in an awkward position in your tiny little airplane seat for 4+ hours.

I cannot tell a lie! I wear these tights as much as possible! I actually wear yoga clothes to work. I wear these tights, a yoga tank underneath a dressy top, and flats or boots. At the end of the day, I head to the yoga studio, whip off my top, and am ready to get my plank on.


Light-Weight Black Dress
I like to wear a light-weight black tank dress with simple shaping when I'm on the plane. The piece I own is also Lululemon. So again, it's dri-fit, and stretchy - which makes the plane ride more bearable. I wear my tights under these. Once I get off the plane, no matter how hot it is, I certainly do not feel hot (especially since by then, I've whipped off my tights).

What's great about this piece is that you can dress it up with a fancy belt, jewellery, or a big hat! Thus, it's not only for the plane ride, but for a fancier dinner in your destination city, or for exploring - it IS athletic, afterall!

Large Shawl
A large shawl doubles as a blanket on the plane. Mine was large enough to share with my husband. I got mine at H&M for $20. However, since this piece is generic enough, I'm sure you can find it in any department store.

The fantastic thing about this piece is that you can place it over your lap, and whip off/on your tights when your plane lands. It will also keep you warm on your way to the airport if you live in a place like Vancouver where it's wet-cold and chills you to the bone.

I've also worn it on chilly nights in the destination city!

Foldable Ballet Flats

Super comfortable, and easy to whip off when you're going through security at the airport or when you don't feel like wearing shoes on the plane. As well, if you decide to switch to your runners/flip flops (or whatever other pair of shoes you have) on the plane ride back, you can fold these suckers up, and shove them in your carry-on.

OTHER THINGS TO HAVE HANDY ON YOUR PLANE RIDE
Some things to consider...

Feminine Wipes
To stay fresh :) They do come in travel packets at the drug store and sometimes you can find fancier ones at the Spa. Alternatively, you could use panty liners. (I'm really hoping the guys aren't reading this right now.)

These are from a Canadian Company

Misting Toner
The air in the cabin can parch your skin. Consider bringing a misting toner for your face. I don't actually use one, but am going to start. There's Evian Mineral Water Spray,  and Caudalie Beauty Elixer, just to name two. I'm sure you can stop by your local beauty store to check out the selection. You can also use this on your feet if they're feeling tired from exploring your destination city.

Lotion
Don't forget about your hands!

My favorite and in the lovely scent of Lavender!

Tinted Lip Balm
I prefer tinted lip balm because it has color AND it's moisturizing. I like to bring my C.O Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint. The reason being that it helps with the fresh breath factor and leaves your lips tingly.

Get it at Bath & Body Works!

Happy travelling!

Swimming Tip: Protect your Skin from the Drying Effects of Chlorine

Chlorine dries out the skin on my face and makes it itch! I slather on the lotion afterwards, but I still itch, and there's nothing better than prevention. I found a way to minimize the drying effects!

Before I head out to the pool in the AM, I create a barrier on my face. How? As follows...

1. Cleanse with Cetaphil: I don't typically use this as my daily cleanser, but I do use it before I head to the pool. I slather on this cleanser on my dry face, and then I wipe it off with a clean face towel. I do NOT use water. I find that rinsing off Cetaphil is more drying than wiping it off. Before heading out to the pool, I want as much moisture in my skin as possible.


Moisturize: I use Clarins Hydraquench for Normal to Dry Skin. This moisturizer is my holy grail and Cherwhoah also swears by it. However, if you have a moisturizer that works for you, then stick with it!



Holy grail moisturizer!

2. Waterproof Sunscreen: I use Neutrogena's Ultra Sheet Dry Touch, also a holy grail of mine. It is not greasy, is light, does not break me out, and I forget I'm wearing it. This step is especially important as it creates a barrier between the pool and my skin. It basically traps the moisture in the skin, and keeps the chlorine out.
 



Holy grail Sunscreen!

Very important point: Do not rub your face while in the pool. You're rubbing off the barrier!

 

Looking cute while cooking.

As I threw my onions in to saute yesterday, some oil splashed on my shirt :(. Fortunately i did change to some casual clothes before cooking dinner. At first I thought I had splashed some water on my tank, but it never dried up, so i'm pretty sure it's oil. Anyways...I cooked so little in the past that I never had an apron! I did a quick search on amazon and came across these cute aprons:

Sooo Katy Perry!

http://www.amazon.com/Jessie-Steele-Josephine-Polka-Apron/dp/B0025VK8K4/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525574&sr=8-9

 http://www.amazon.com/Jessie-Steele-Josephine-Toile-Apron/dp/B000TK4BLU/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525574&sr=8-15

I got this one for myself :)

 http://www.amazon.com/Jessie-Steele-Carmen-Bib-Apron/dp/B000TK6GEU/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525895&sr=8-12

I got this one for the hubby!

 http://www.amazon.com/Chef-Works-CSBA-BCS-Pockets-27-Inch/dp/B002JM15Z6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525895&sr=8-1

For the days you want to feel skinny or sexy! lol!

http://www.amazon.com/Attitude-Apron-Black-Lingerie-White/dp/B001D20DU6/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525908&sr=8-23



Chicken Breasts and Green Beans in Black Bean Sauce!

Over the weekend, the hubby said to me, "WE need to cook more and WE need to eat out less." (i like how he says "we" when we all know he means me). While I do admit, we probably order in or eat out more often than we should, we do eat at my mom's twice a week, so it's not like we don't get any home cooked meals. I tend to go through phases of cooking pretty consistently and then have one day where I'd feel tired and order-in. Then one day turns into two, two turns into three, and all of a sudden I stop cooking.  I hope to keep with it this time, I'm going to experiment with different marinades, sauces and recipes and share them here!

Tonight I made Stir-fried chicken breasts and green beans in a black bean sauce for the first time. I kinda winged it with this recipe and tried to cook it like my mom does. I don't think I've ever really seen her cook it though. I also don't know the amounts of the ingredients I used so I'll just sorta guess...

Stir-fried chicken breasts and green beans in a black bean sauce

6oz. Chicken Breasts - Cubed

2 Tbsp Black Bean & Garlic Sauce

4 cups Fresh Green Beans

1/2 White Onion - Chopped

Chicken Stock

Soy sauce

Garlic Powder

Vegetable Oil

Cornstarch

1. Marinate the chicken breast cubes with a few dashes of soy sauce and garlic powder (sorry I just eyeball it!) for about 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Blanch Green beans for a few minutes depending on how thick your green beans are and how crisp you like them. I prefer my veggies more on the soft side and blanched my green beans for about 4 minutes.
3. Heat up a wok or frying pan at Med-High heat, add about 2 tsp of oil and saute the onions for a few minutes. Add Chicken breasts, Black bean sauce and sugar to the onions and cook until chicken is almost fully cooked then add the green beans. Stir the ingredients around to coat the green beans with the black bean sauce.
4. Add chicken stock (amount depends on how much gravy you like), stir, and bring to a simmer. Add cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken the gravy (add cornstarch mixture until desired thickness, if too thick, add some more chicken stock). 

That's it! WAH LAH! Jpjp...Voila!

It was very yummy and tasted like something my mom would make! The hubby ate a lot! He even packed some for tomorrow! For my 2-year old son, I pan fried a few of the chicken cubes sans black bean sauce and made a creamed corn sauce to top his rice. He liked that very much!

This is the Black Bean Sauce that I used. There are other varieties (i.e. Black bean chili sauce).

I'm not a great cook, just a girl that has eaten a lot of good home cooked food thanks to her mom. That is where I'm getting inspiration for my home cooked meals. I hope you enjoy this recipe, you can switch up the protein or veggies too!

Quick Kitchen Tip:

The black bean sauce will need to be refrigerated after opening. Black beans are pretty strong in odor, especially with garlic in it. Place some twice or thrice folded over plastic wrap over the the opening of the bottle before capping it to reduce amount of airgaps. If you'd like you can wrap the bottle once more after it's been capped and rubberband the neck of the bottle for super odor protection. Let's make the refrigerator a happier place :)

Upcoming recipes:

Bulgogi Beef! (semi-homemade) Probably not really traditional since I'm Chinese :P

Turkey Meatloaf

Lemongrass Pork (maybe in the form of a banh mi)

Swimmer's Shampoo - Say No to the Stench

I had taken up "swimming" a few months ago. It's in quotations because I haven't actually done a full two laps of front crawl yet. I'm slowly building up.  Since picking up swimming, the chlorine in the pool has infused my hair with stench.

After my laps, I hop in the shower at the Community Centre, lather up, and scrub down. However, I noticed that the chlorine stench stays in my hair and punches me in the face when I take my next shower.

I started my hunt for a Swimmer's Shampoo and had found Ultra Swim at London Drugs! It cost about $9.

Ingredients
Water , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Sodium Lauroamphoacetate , Urea , Polysorbate 20 , Coco Glucoside , Sodium Thiosulfate , Glyceryl Oleate , Propylene Glycol , Diazolidinyl Urea , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Sodium Bicarbonate , Tocopheryl Acetate , Glycerin , Disodium EDTA , Polyquaternium-10 , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice , Fragrance , D&C Violet No. 2 , May Contain: Citric Acid and , or Sodium Hydroxide

Blurb on the Bottle
Pool chlorine strips hair of life leaving it dry, brittle and unmanageable. Ultra Swim shampoo removes chlorine and its odour from your hair while replacing lost moisture. Ultra Swim...

• Breaks the chemical bond that holds chlorine to your hair.
• Removes harmful oxidized metals
• Leaves hair feeling silky soft

Directions (on the bottle)
Wet hair and lather. Rinse thoroughly. Gentle enough for even children's everyday use, AND for permed, lightened or color-treated hair.

How I Use it
After another swim, I lathered up, massaged, let it sit in my hair, and rinsed it out. Sometimes I need to double shampoo depending on how my hair feels.

What to Expect

• No more chlorine stench: The next day, I hopped in the shower, and wasn't greeted with the strong chlorine stench.
• You may have to shampoo twice - I do most times, depending on how my hair feels. I sometimes can't get the lather going on the first go.
• Your hair will be dry, so be sure to use conditioner.
• Lovely generic shampoo scent
• Is a bit watery than my other shampoos

Recommendation and Alternatives

• I rinse my hair with water before jumping into the pool. This minimizes the effects of chlorine on my hair. 
• Use conditioner before and after the swim. If you apply the conditioner before, be sure it's a light coating on your hair. You don't want that stuff floating around in the pool in masses. (I don't, but I'm going to start!)
• Skip the blow dry afterwards and let your hair air-dry. Blow drying can further dry out your hair (unless you apply a balm first).
• Apply an after-wash hair cream, serum or oil - to further moisturize or seal in moisture. (I'm on the hunt for one)
• Wear a swim cap - but keep in mind it doesn't mean your locks will stay dry.
• After I finish this bottle, I am thinking of getting L'oreal Kids Swim & Sport Shampoo.
  

  

  L'oreal Kids Swim & Sport Shampoo

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Yes, it's for kids...but it's cheaper, smells like oranges, is gentler, and doesn't sting if I get it in my eyes. Need to finish up the big people's shampoo first though :)
  
  

Overall Rating
4.5/5 - Is a bit pricey, but it does the job!

Ice Cream Machine!!! Sooo bad yet soooo good :P

The hubby loves ice-cream. He loves it so much, he went on a mission to look for an ice-cream machine. The only problem is, he decided to go get it on Easter! I ended up ordering him one through amazon.com. We got the Cuisinart ICE-30BC.

Pretty, Isn't she?

The first recipe we tried was the vanilla ice cream recipe that came in the Cusinart's recipe book. It was pretty good. I had mine with some fresh pineapples.

My biggest gripe about the recipes is that it always calls for heavy cream and whole milk. For those who know a little bit about me, just last summer I was overweight. I've recently lost 35lbs and am trying to keep it off. Naturally, eating ice-cream isn't going to be too good for me. I'm going to experiment with Frozen yogurt and using substitutes for heavy cream and whole milk. From what I've read,  using half and half or skim milk will make the ice-cream more "icy" in texture. So we'll see.

Today, I made Lychee Ice-cream. I got the recipe from http://www.food.com/recipe/lychee-ice-cream-214114.

The main reason why I chose this recipe is because it didn't require any cooking (some recipes require egg yolks and cooking the ingredients, then letting it cool, etc.). It turned out really good! I used 8 ounces of heavy cream since I had the carton open from the last batch of Ice-cream and used 8 ounces of half 'n' half. The Ice-cream did seem a little lighter, but it was still very delicious and satisfying.

After eating my cup of lychee ice-cream, I realized my power...I can have almost ANY flavor ice-cream that my little heart desires! Also, If I want to make it low-fat, sugar-free, or turn it into a frozen yogurt...BAM! 20 minutes and there it is! Oh dear, I knew this was going to be dangerous!