November Favorites 2019

If you couldn’t already tell by now, this is my absolute favorite time of the year. There is just so much joy around the holidays and so many opportunities to think, reflect, give thanks and spend time with people who are most important in your life. I have so many fun things to share with you for this months favorites, and I’m even more excited about this because it means we’re officially moving into December which means we’re that much closer to CHRISTMAS. But before I get ahead of myself, I’m gonna share all the things I’ve been obsessed with this month, including a bunch of stuff from my trip to North Carolina! Enjoy, and I’ll see you tomorrow for Day 1 of 12 Days of Christmas! xx

Skincare Product- Since it is winter and getting super dry out here in LA, I’ve found myself needing to moisturize even more than normal. I use Clinique moisturizers on a daily basis and use the Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Replenishing Hydrator when my skin really needs it. It’s a really good heavy moisturizer that leaves your skin super hydrated without feeling oily or tacky.

Makeup Product- I have been an extreme eyebrow nut for the last five years (in part because they burned off one summer from chlorine and I’ve had to draw them on everyday since), and this month I’ve found myself using the Thrive Causmetics Brilliant Eye Brightener in Champagne Shimmer. It’s an eyebrow highlighter that comes in a pencil/stick form making it super easy to apply. It’s also a beautiful shade that lifts your brow without overexposing it. I love love love this product and will be using it a ton over Christmas.

Nail Color- I told myself I’d wait to get Christmassy nails done until after Thanksgiving, but when I went to get a manicure the other day I just couldn’t wait. I love solid shades with one glitter color, and I found the most beautiful glittery blue at the store so I went with all pastel blue and the glitter on my ring fingers. They’re so fun and perfect for the winter. The pastels make it more classy and chic and the glitter adds a pop of fun. I’ve gotten so many compliments on them, especially with the holidays coming up.

Clothing Item- I did a Dainty Hooligan haul earlier this month and one of my favorite pieces from the order was the Grecian Print Jumpsuit in a deep red and I absolutely love it. I was never really a jumpsuit person but I started becoming obsessed with them this summer. Having a curvy body, it can be really hard to find one’s that are flattering, but this red one fits my body so well. It has an open back with a criss-cross tie string so it hugs your waist really nicely. I wore this for a nice birthday dinner out on a Friday night and was perfect for the occasion. It goes really well with black platform shoes or black heels and simple pieces of jewelry. I love this piece and can’t wait to wear it more this season.

Room Spray- The Bath & Body Works ‘The Perfect Christmas’ room spray has been the most festive part of my evening routine this season. I don’t use room sprays too much (I’m typically much more of a candle and diffuser girl), but I found this one at the store the other day and am so glad I picked it up. I spray it around my bed and it smells like the most lovely fresh Christmas tree (balsam and pine scent) ever and it makes me so so happy.

Candle- But while I love to use the room spray at night, I have candles burning all the time when I’m in the room. I love all of the Bath & Body Works 3-wick candles, but I got the Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow one the other day and it’s possibly one of my favorite fragrances ever. I typically reach for the more fresh and floral scents than sweet ones, but this one is so cozy and festive with a really light vanilla scent which is so lovely.

Sweet Treat- It’s that time of year where all I want to do at night is bundle up on the couch or bed with a Christmas movie on while sipping on a mug full of hot cocoa. I know it’s basic, but I always find myself going for the boxed Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix with mini marshmallows (and I always HAVE to get the mini marshmallows) topped with Peppermint Whipped Cream from Target which is my absolute guilty pleasure during the holiday season (like I literally opened it and poured it in my mouth 10 seconds after I paid… no joke).

Drink- I’m not always a huge juice person, but I do love a good superfood juice every once in a while. I tried the Pressed Juicery Apple Beet Ginger Juice the other day and it is so so good. I was a bit scared to try it because sometimes ginger can be a bit overpowering sometimes, but it was such a good balance of sweet from the apples and sour from the ginger to balance out the spiciness.

Song- I’m sure I’ve talked about them before, but I’m in love with Jess and Gabriel. I’ve been watching their videos and vlogs for a couple years now and started listening to their covers about a year ago. They just released their I’ll Be Home Vol. II EP (on Spotify and Apple Music) a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been listening to it on repeat ever since. It’s a five song album of Christmas songs and it’s such a chill and Christmassy vibe. I absolutely love all the songs, but ‘The First Noel’ is probably my favorite of this album.

Movie- Since the Disney Plus streaming site released earlier this month, I’ve been rewatching all of the Disney Channel Original Movies. I had been waiting months for this to be released, and it has not disappointed. Every single Disney movie or TV show you could ever think of is on this platform, for only $6.99/month (or $69.99/year). Cow Belles, Read It and Weep, High School Musical(s), Camp Rock, Stuck in the Suburbs, I’ve seriously been watching everything you could think of and living my best 10-year old self. And as a bonus, it has all of the OG Christmas movies you could ever want.

LA Spot- At the beginning of the month I made it out to The Huntington Library for the first time since being in LA. My friends and I had been trying to find time to go, but just never made it. We went on a Friday and it wasn’t too crowded. Entrance fee is $22, which seems a bit pricey at first, but is 100% worth it. We spent nearly four full hours walking around before we had to leave, and we barely saw a quarter of the gardens. There are so many different areas to walk through; from the dessert to the Japanese and Chinese garden, and the lily ponds, everything was so beautiful and it’s a lovely place to spend a day. There are also a ton of open, grassy areas to bring a blanket and just sit out for a while. Highly suggest going if you’re ever in LA!

Life Through A Lens #26- LA Feels

Celebrated the first day of fall the only way you do in LA, at the beach // Will Rogers State Beach, Santa Monica

Pretty evening views from my beautiful home // Eagle Rock, Los Angeles

Getting back to campus wasn’t so bad with this view // Eagle Rock, Los Angeles

Sunday morning hike at Griffith… check! // Griffith Park, Los Angeles

Breathtaking views of my home away from home, how crazy is it that I get to live here // Griffith Park, Los Angeles

Weekend brunches and exploration of hidden gems // Highland Park, Los Angeles

I know I say this a lot, but seriously, talk about shopping with a view // Glendale Galleria, Los Angeles

Friday nights in town with people I love // Eagle Rock, Los Angeles

Long meets with this Malibu sunset view aren’t that bad // Pepperdine University, Malibu

And the “I’m obsessed with pretty fall sunsets” season has officially begun // Pasadena, Los Angeles

Ready for Christmas, and so is the mall! // The Grove, Los Angeles

Iconic view of palm tree lined LA streets // Beverly Hills, Los Angeles

Evening drives with sunset views… and we were headed to steamboat for dinner so it made a very happy Aime // Alhambra, Los Angeles

Right behind this was Ulta, Target and Nordstrom Rack in a row, which view was better 😉 // Upland, Los Angeles

Food Adventures #8

Pre-concert dinner of ribs, lobster mac & cheese, slaw and beans from Blue Palms Brewery on Hollywood Blvd.

Along with ribs, our starter was pretzel bites and spinach queso dip from Blue Palms Brewery.

A weekend lunch of mac & cheese, slaw and a pulled pork sandwich with some iced tea from MaxCity BBQ in Eagle Rock.

My favorite way to #treatyourself, some treats from Sugarfina, rose gummies, sour watermelon gummies, champagne bubbly bears and salted caramels truffles.

A weekend in Claremont with some sugary treats. Donuts from Grizzby’s in the Claremont Village.

Second times a charm, breakfast quesadilla and a mint julep from Jane on York.

Mid-week pick me up brunch from Highland Cafe in Eagle Rock. An iced coffee and an egg, cheese and bacon sandwich.

Squid Ink Lumache with Maine lobster nuggets, fennel, meyer lemon and truffle oil from Union Pasadena.

And to go with our main, Olive Oil cake with creme anglaise from Union Pasadena (best dessert I’ve had in a while).

A weekend treat from the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM at the Glendale Galleria.

March For Our Lives

This past Saturday, a historical moment happened. Over 1 million people around the country came together to bring an end to gun violence in the US. While I try not to get political on here, there are some things I feel I can’t avoid. This is not about red or blue, left or right, liberal or conservative, it’s simply life or death. But instead of looking at this from a negative point of view, I am choosing to look at the positives. And while there is nothing positive about the devastation that runs through the country every day, what has come out of that is extremely inspirational. Being at the Los Angeles March on Saturday began to restore my hope and faith that good will win. During times like these, it can be hard to remember that the good outweigh the bad, that there are more positives than negatives. But seeing all the people of different sexes, color and social class come together to ensure that every child going to school, every black man walking down the street and every person attending a concert can walk in and out safe and unharmed was so heartwarming. I walked beside all these people I had never seen before, but yet we stood in solidarity. I praise all the young students of Parkland High School for being the brave young leaders we so desperately need. These are the people we rely on to make change in the country and the world, to preserve the good of the American culture, while protecting the basic right of all citizens, the right to life. I don’t want to go on and on (because I could), but I just wanted to share my thoughts on what happened over the weekend, along with some photos that showed the protest and strength that we need.

And remember, good will win.

 

 

March For Our Lives: https://marchforourlives.com/

Food Adventures #6

Got my Singaporean fix from QQ Kopitiam in Pasadena. The Laksa was super authentic and delicious, just like it would be at home! It was a really generous serving for a super reasonable price (two main dishes and one bubble tea was $21 with tax).

Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/qq-kopitiam-pasadena

Pricing: $

I know I may be a little late to hop on the bandwagon, but I am beyond obsessed with Halo Top. For those of you who don’t know what it is, Halo Top is an extremely low calorie, high protein ice cream (not that you can tell, it’s amazing!). The calories range from 240-360 calories depending on the flavor, so one serving is never more than 90 calories. A few of my favorite flavors are Birthday Cake, Sea Salt Caramel and Mint Chip.

Website: https://www.halotop.com/

Pricing: $4-5

This beautiful spread is from the Granville at the Americana in Glendale. They have a menu full of modern yet homey dishes that are absolutely delicious! This was the bacon & blue burger with a side salad, the Santa Barbara chicken sandwich, a side of sweet potato fries and the uptown mac & cheese. I would also highly recommend the chicken and blue flatbread (not pictures). A perfect stop for lunch or dinner during a day of shopping!

Website: http://www.granvillecafe.com/glendale

Pricing: $$

*As seen on BuzzFeed* Sushi Stop is a super affordable (and yummy) location in Pasadena (they have other locations too). At $3.25 for most of their dishes, it’s hard to spend more than $16 a person (and that’s if you are eating A LOT). Ranging from sashimi sushi to baked rolls to udon and tempura, they have everything you would ever want. To be honest, after eating so mush sushi in Japan, I was a little skeptical of this, but it did not disappoint!

Website: https://sushistop.com/location/sushistop-pasadena/

BuzzFeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com/stevenlim/we-tried-3-sushi-and-250-sushi-to-see-if-its-worth-the-price?utm_term=.roOxJedpE#.wulLQNqV0

Pricing: $

Just throwing this in here because I miss Disneyland. A beautiful mickey mouse-shaped beignet (and some Mint Juleps) from New Orleans Square at Disney.

One of my favorite things about living in LA is finding all the small (what I like to call) hidden gems of the city. Gloria’s Cafe is a small Mexican-inspired breakfast/brunch restaurant tucked away in the back streets of Highland Park. Pictured above is the savory waffle (amazing!) and the breakfast taco. I would also highly recommend their breakfast sandwich which comes on a burger bun with pulled pork and scrambled eggs. For a main dish and (a big a**) iced coffee, I usually pay $14 (including tax and tip).

Website: http://glorias-cafe.com/

Pricing: $$

Where should I go next? Comment your favorite LA spots down below! And if you try one of these places, let me know what you think:)

Life Through A Lens #21- BACK TO REALITY

Perfect way to start the new year!// Manhattan Beach, California

New Year’s sunset, here’s to a fabulous 2018// Manhattan Beach, California

Morning views from the happiest place on earth// Anaheim, California

Magical Disneyland nights// Anaheim, California

PREACH// Pasadena, California

I can’t believe I get to live here!// Occidental College

First swim meet of the year and couldn’t have asked for a more perfect view// Chapman University

Beautiful view on an evening drive through this beautiful state// Orange County

 

A Little Piece of Home- QQ Kopitiam

QQ Kopitiam is a small Singaporean cafe/restaurant located across from the Pasadena City College on Colorado Blvd. A Kopitiam (Kopi for short) is a traditional coffee shop found in many South East Asian countries, including Singapore. As most of you know, I’ve lived my whole life (up until now) in Singapore, and was in serious need of some comfort food.

The restaurant is located on fairly quiet street, but stands out from the big, red sign. Staying true to traditional Kopi style, before getting seated at your table, you order your food at the counter and pay right there. There was an older couple, the wife running the cashier and the husband running the kitchen,  who owned the place. As soon as we walked in, the lady quickly welcomed us and starting listing off suggestions. She suggested the Laksa (rice noodles in a coconut, curry soup) and Hainanese Chicken Rice (steamed rice with chicken boiled in a ginger broth), both of which are famous Singaporean dishes. Once we ordered (I ordered the Laksa), I started up a brief conversation with the couple and found out that they were both Singaporean and had only been in business for around four years. We chatted for a little bit about where in Singapore we lived and what our favorite Singaporean dishes were.

Laksa is a dish that Singaporeans feel very close to, as it’s served at every Kopi and Hawker stall (Singaporean style outdoor food courts). It is loaded with pungent ingredients including curry leaves, lemongrass, and sambal (a type of chili sauce), making it an acquired taste. Foreigners (or tourists) often have a hard time handling the aroma and flavor of laska, but for Singaporeans it’s a bowl of comfort.

I would 100% recommend QQ Kopitiam for anyone in the area, whether you’re Singaporean or not (the friend I went with wasn’t Singaporean and she loved it!). If you stop by QQ Kopitiam, let me know in the comments below and tell me what you think.

Website (Yelp): https://www.yelp.com/biz/qq-kopitiam-pasadena

Number: (626) 696-3179

Address: 1491 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106

Hours: Mon-Fri: 11am to 7pm

Food Adventures #5

May not be Singapore, but this is pretty darn close// Din Tai Fun, Glendale Galleria

A coconut covered treat for a shopping day// Sprinkles, Glendale Galleria

Doughnut Friday to end the week// (haha to be honest I don’t remember where these were from, but they were SO good!)

Basil, chicken, blue cheese and honey flatbread// Granville, Glendale Galleria

My absolute favorite bagel in the whole world, Super Onion// 42nd Street Bagel, Claremont, California

A small road trip to Bishop and a visit to the bowling alley called for a burger and fries// Back Alley Bowl, Bishop California

Bread heaven// Erick Schat’s Bakery, Bishop, California

My new “discovery”, vanilla yoghurt with fruity pebbles, oreos and mochi (definitely a treat!)// 21 Choices, Pasadena, California

The BEST avocado toast I’ve ever had in my life. Brioche with avocado, burrata, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers and a pesto spread// The Mighty, LA, California

Yummy passion black tea with peals (I’m still an SG girl at heart)// Factory Tea Bar, San Gabriel, California

Getting my Thai fix on. Green curry with chicken, Thai toast, Pad See Ew and some yummy Thai Iced Tea// Nine & Nine, Pasadena California

Tonkotsu Ramen from the award winning Ramen chain// Ramen Nagi, Suntec City, Singapore

One of the first meals back in Singapore, of course, was the Singapore- famous Hainanese Chicken Rice// The American Club, Singapore

But the VERY first meal back home was of course dim sum and other Chinese favorites. Siew mai, stir-fried green beans with minced mean, wonton noodle soup, and pan fried carrot cake// Crystal Jade, Singapore

A Day at Disney

I’m not usually the person who gets crazy excited about going to Disneyland, in fact the last time I was there was 10 year ago, but a few months ago my friend and I were talking about what to do for her birthday, and Disneyland seemed to be the perfect choice (after all, we do live 45 minutes away). Since the next time I go to Disneyland will probably be in another decade, I decided to write this blog post full of Disney favorites, tips/tricks and photos.

Favs:

If you’re just going to Disney for one day, it can be hard to choose what to do and what to prioritize, so here were some of my favorite rides to ride and things to do that I would prioritize over other things. My favorite rides were Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, It’s a Small World (I know I’m a 5 year old inside haha!), Matterhorn (my favorite time to ride this is at night, especially during Christmas, because you get an amazing view of the whole park lit up), and Splash Mountain. All of these rides are the ones that typically have long lines, so be prepared to wait or spend an extra $10 on tickets to get fast passes (will talk about this later). Other than the rides, Disney is full of fun things to do and places to go. During our day at Disney, I would say we spent only about 50% of the time riding rides, and the other 50% walking around, eating and soaking in all the Disney vibes. With me being me, one of the things we did that I loved was starting our day at the Starbucks on Main Street. I know this sounds super basic, but I absolutely loved the vibe inside the Starbucks (even though the prices are slightly marked up). The store was PACKED and got me excited for the day ahead (I also would not have gotten through the day without my daily coffee). Other than Starbucks, the other food I would highly recommend trying is the Beignets and Mint Juleps in New Orleans Square. We decided to stop there for an afternoon snack around 2:30pm and ended up sitting there for an hour talking, taking pictures and enjoying our snack. It was a perfect little break from a crazy day. My last favorite, pretty obvious, is to end the day by watching the fireworks in front of Cinderella’s Castle. Disneyland is such a magical place and the fireworks that are perfectly times and choreograph to match all of the classic Disney songs is the perfect way to end a day at Disney. And of course, don’t forget to take tons of pictures throughout the day!

 

Tips/Tricks:

Knowing how much we were spending on tickets, food and transportation for a day at Disney, my friends and I wanted to make sure that we were getting the absolute most of the day. For starters, we decided to add an extra $10 onto each of our tickets to get fast passes. What that allowed us all to do was to use the app to book our fast passes for the rides. We were able to use about 10 fast passes throughout the day (which probably saved us a total of 4 hours from waiting in lines). Another tip if you are going to Disney is to designate one person to book the fast passes by making a “party” on the app. All you have to do is have one person add each person to their “party” and each time they book a fast pass, it automatically gets booked for everyone in the group. And when you get to the ride and get into the line, only that one person has to scan their phone and it scans for everyone in the group. Another tip that was super helpful was to go on the busiest/most popular rides earlier in the morning. We got to the park at 8am, right as it opened, and the majority of the people there were families with young children who weren’t exactly rushing for Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. The lines for the bigger, “scarier” rides are much shorter in the morning than they are in the afternoon/evening.

 

Photos: Because if you didn’t Instagram a photo, did you really go to Disneyland?!

Ready for a day at Disney!

Starbucks pit stop to start the day.

Oh so magical!

My 5 year old self is screaming.

Christmas-themed It’s a Small World.

BEIGNETS!

…and Mint Juleps:)

Obligatory pineapple Dole Whip.

Snow in LA? Only at Disney!

The end to a perfect day!

 

 

 

Top 10 Moments of 2017

As the 2017 year comes to a close, I wanted to stop and reflect on the year that has passed. While there is so much hate and negativity going around in the world, when you stop to think about life, you really only remember the good things. Just like anyone, my year had ups and downs, but at this time I am realizing how small and trivial the downs were, and how uplifting and exciting the ups were. These are my top ten moments (in chronological order) of 2017. I hope this inspires you all to think back on your year to remember all the amazing times.

1. February 2017- The last meet of varsity high school swim career was everything and more that I could have asked for. I was the captain of the team and we were in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for our conference championships. We had all trained super hard the whole season and were excited to see what we could do as a team. To be honest, I was not confident that we would be able to pull out a win, simply because we had a fairly young and new team. The gold medal came down to the very last relay, in which I was swimming. All we had to do was beat one relay team to snag the championship. As nerve-wracking as it was, it was the most amazing race of my life, full of nothing but excitement and adrenaline. As the anchor of our team touched the wall ahead of the other team, we broke out in tears of immense joy. The absolute highlight of my high school swimming career.

2. February 2017- I always knew that I wanted to travel to New Zealand before I graduated high school, and I got the opportunity to visit the beautiful country on a school trip in February. We spent 8 days doing everything from hiking, camping, luging, white water rafting, and visiting and staying in traditional Maori housing. It was a beyond incredible experience (though I have to admit, mentally challenging at times, especially during the hiking) and I am so lucky to have visited the country. I hope I can visit this amazing country again soon!

3. March 2017- One of my favorite parts about living in South East Asia is being able to travel around easily at a fairly low cost. At least once a year, my family goes on a quick vacation to a SEA beach destination. This year we went back to Phuket, Thailand for spring break and stayed at the Meridien. As usual, the beach was clean and beautiful, perfect for a little getaway. We spent our days lounging on the sand and spent our evenings exploring restaurants throughout the town. This five day trip with my family definitely made it into the top ten moments of this year.

4. June 2017- Of course one of the highlights of this year was this milestone, Graduation! It was a crazy and hectic time of the year, but I was so unbelievably lucky to have so many family and friends around me to celebrate. I was one of those people who just loved high school, so this moment was sad as I was saying goodbye to so many people and places, but also exciting as I started a new journey.

Graduation blog post: https://swimeatlove.com/2017/07/09/a-goodbye-to-high-school/

5. July 2017- Instead of coming back to the US for the summer (like we normally do), my family stayed in Asia and I was able to travel around a bit. My mom had a business trip to Seoul, and since I had never been I decided to tag along. Although we were only there for 3 days, we saw and did so much. From exploring the local malls to going to the Korean spa and eating lots of yummy Korean food, it was a blast.

6. July 2017- Every summer my family and I go to our lake cabin in Northern Japan for a few weeks to hang and spend time with family. Last year, we discovered what I like to call a hidden gem of the Tokyo area, Karuizawa. Mainly known for it’s outlet shopping mall, the beautiful suburb is filled with secret spots that are amazing. This year we took a day off from lake life and spent the day shopping, going to the hot springs, and visiting the cutest little vintage shops. Definitely a day well spent.

7. July 2017- Although this was an extremely sad time, it was also a very memorable time. After 18 years of living in Singapore, it was time for me to say goodbye (more like see you soon!) to my beautiful little island. As most of you probably know, I have so much love in my heart for this country. It was fun for me to spend time really appreciating all the things I love about Singapore and doing a little bit of exploring at home. The last week spend at home was full of family, friends, laughs and of course some Din Tai Fung and a Tiger beer for the road:)

8. August 2017- One of my biggest dreams came true this year not only as I started college in LA, but also as I began my career as a collegiate athlete. There have been so many “pinch me” moments these last few months as I’ve experienced things I’ve never dreamed of doing. From my first collegiate swim practice and swim meet to living the LA life, college has been everything and more I ever wished for.

9. October 2017- While being away from home was hard, I was lucky enough to have my dad visit me for a week in early October. We spent the weekend hanging around Downtown LA and Santa Monica, eating to our hearts content. As a foodie, it was a much needed break from the college food scene (though I have to admit, our school has really good food). We found amazing eateries everywhere from Santa Monica Boulevard to Sunset. It was such a fun weekend with my dad, and I was lucky to have him with me.

10. December 2017- After the first semester in college, it was so nice to be home with my family for the holidays. I had counted down the days, and it was definitely one of the best holiday seasons yet. I was lucky to have 2 1/2 weeks at home and spent so much of that time with my mom, dad, little sister and doggy. There was lot’s of Christmas shopping, yummy food, cooking, cheers-ing and laughter. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the year.

Here’s to an amazing 2017 and an even better 2018!

Happy new year!