Good Ways to Start a Monday Morning

Happy Monday, everybody!! How are you this morning? I am feeling FANTASTIC!! Even though it is raining outside, I am still feeling good because weather has been sunny for a long time, and it is about time to give some rain. Plus, my mother just planted some flowers, so rain will help them grow. I was wondering how can I share my feeling? And I decided to blog about it. Then I realized, what a great idea!! Monday morning or any mornings during the week will start right by following those steps. 


1. Make sure to sleep well on Sunday:  First, never party hard on Sunday night. Try to get to come home early and go to sleep. Also make sure to have good night sleep. Drink a glass milk and/or do some work out before would help.  Starting of the week should not feel tired. 


2. Dress nice: I usually like to wear something that I like the most or shows my personality. Looking good can make me feel confident.  I think it is the same as everyone else. Don't hesitate to wear fancy and show off to people at work or school.  


3. Eat a healthy breakfast: This is a very important. Every morning deserves a great breakfast.  I recommend to have comfort food for breakfast. Something warm and/or soft such as toast, muffin, pancakes, etc. Also make sure to have a piece of fruit or vegetable and a glass of milk or tea. I usually have warm buns with bowl of congee with a piece of fruit and tea. 


4. Ignore all the negative news: If I have time in the morning,  I will open my computer and check e-mails and news. Sometimes I receive negative news about myself or the society in the morning. Those news can be rejection from anything I applied and/or tragic events happened somewhere. I can't choose what I see, but I can choose how to react. I try to stay positive for whatever happens at anytime. 


5.  Listen to exciting music on the way out: Music motivates me for everything. I like listen something that is teach me to be look forward, but you can choose any music that you like and motivates you. I like Katy Perry's "Firework" and Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston' s "When You Believe". I listen to them in the car on the way to work, school, or gym. 


I hope everyone will have a wonderful week!!

Five Things I Admire About My Mother

Happy Mother's Day. 

Be thankful that you have someone who cooks, cleans, and does laundary for you. 

Because of her, you always have warm food to eat, organized room to study, and clean cloth to wear. 

All those things she does every day seems easy for us, but they are not easy for her.  

Let's show our appreciations to all the great moms in the world. 

This is my mother. Isn't she beautiful? The photo was taken when she was my age. Aren't we look alike? I hope so. 

Since I was a little girl, my mother and I were very close. This is one is my favorite photo from childhood.

And today, we are best friends. This is one is my favorite photo from recent. 








Last year, I shared Five Life Lessons My Mother Taught Me. If you have not read that post, I strongly recommend you to read it. They are all very useful. This year, I decide to share five things I admire about my mother. 

1. She is always on the top of everything: She says there are no people who are naturally smart. If you want to be smart, you just need to prioritize what to do first. Only smart people know how to manage time. She is always well planned and ahead of everything, and she never do things at the last minute. I can always depend on her. 

2. She is capable of performing any task: She can multitask. She can also do a mass of difficult work fast and accurate. These parts of her I get very jealous. I can never multitask, I am a slow person, and sometimes I even make mistakes. Believe or not, she can do the work of three people. She is a super woman. 

3. She is good at keeping her goals: Once she made a decision in doing something, she will accomplish it no matter how much time it will take or how difficult it is. I am weak sometimes. If I set my goal too tough to achieve, I would easily give up. I have to change. I need to learn to not give up. 

4. She is always calm and stay positive for whatever happens: Every time I panic, she can calm me down. Whenever I fail, she encourages me to stand up and tells me to look on the bright side. I like her positive thinking and never shows her desperation. She is such a strong person. Someday, I will be a mom, too. I hope I can be a great example to my children as she did to me.  

5. She is a perfectionist: She is very neat. She likes to make our house clean and organized. She always make sure what she wears are washed and no wrinkles. She hates messy places and dirty things. She is a perfect house wife. Someday, I will have place on my own. I hope I can make my place as neat as my mom cleaned my room.  

I love you, mom. I feel lucky to be your daughter. 

Lastly, to all the great moms in the world, I hope you will have a wonderful day, and feel grateful for everything you do for your family. 

Perfect Portland Day = Beautiful Tulips

As the weather is getting better in Oregon, my family started to explore some fun places to see and play in our town. We are lucky that there are many beautiful parks and gardens near our home. Couple of weeks ago, we went to Woodburn Tulip Festival. The day was very hot and the place was very crowed. There must a lot of tulip lovers. Tulips were just beautiful. 

My mother and I enjoyed taking pictures with the blanket of flowers. 

 

Speaking of tulips, I have some childhood art memories with them. My first drawing assignment back in elementary school was tulips. My class took a little field trip to a local park near from our school, and we scratched the full blooming tulips. It was a very fun day. Tulip is probably the first and only flower that I actually learned how to draw. Since then every time I want to add flowers in a picture, I'd draw tulips because they are the only flower I feel confident painting. I took some paintings throughout elementary to high school, but I do photography more than painting, now. May be I will start to paint again because I still have paints left over in my closet, and I don't want to waste them.     

My mother is beautiful as the flowers. She is an absolute flower lover. She does not only love them, she also love to plant them. She can spend hours working in the garden. She told me there were different types of tulips in the garden. Then I realized that not all tulips look identical. There are different colors, shapes and sizes. She'd like to study and research about flowers. Her knowledge and passion for flowers are expanding. 

Here is an another photo of me with the tulips. This one is my favorite. Aren't they lovely?

Bye Bye Tulips, See you next year. 

Dead/Final Week Stress Management and Study Tips

I have been SO busy, and I am VERY behind on updating blog. Good news is that I got a full-time job. Bad news is that I am still taking a couple of classes, and finals are next week. When do I have time for blogging? This post is about the ways to deal stress and tips to study. 

1. Take a Shower: It is a great way to get refresh.  Dead week and final week are super stressful. Even only ten minutes of showering can reduce a lot of stress. When I feel tired after studying and/or working for so long, I usually take a shower and come back to study. My brain works better on that way.

2. Eat Healthily: I know people don't have time to cook or even eat during the dead and final week, so a lot of college students tend to eat snacks as meal or get fast food. PLEASE DO NOT. I am not asking anyone to take time cooking healthy food during those weeks, but making some simple comfort food would not take long time. Remember to eat breakfast before test at least a slice of fruit.

3. Find a Way to Express Your Stress: When you had a bad day, it's better to let others know that your day wasn't right. There is no need to hide it. Let it out is good. There are a lot of ways to express stress. The common way I see is to just Facebook it. Some people have concerns for facebooking their problems, but I think it is OK. If you don't want someone to know, you can express it by journalizing. I do it sometimes. 

4. Only Study in a Place without Distraction for a Few Hours a Day: Sometimes studying for too long would not be effective. Time is scarce during those weeks, so it is better to use time efficiently. The brain can only focus small amounts of time in a day, and the distractions would waste a lot of valuable studying time.  Plan a study time when the brain works the best, and choose a place where is quiet. Make sure to tell the others to not distract you unless it is emergency and turn off all the technical devices. 

5. Get into Study Groups: I know some people might prefer to study by themselves, but discussing materials with other classmates is definitely a great way to study. I didn't believe study groups are helpful until I experienced it. I actually got help from other classmates, and I gave help to them, too. Perhaps there are places you might missed to study, but another classmates can remind you, so you will catch that. Overall, helping each other score best on the test is nice thing to do. 

6. Put away the Heavy Textbooks and Focus on the Light Notecards: The test is around the corner, and the time is running out. There is no time to focus on the details of the long chapters. It is the time to only focus on the highlights. During the term, I like to make notecards for the key words and important parts for each chapter. When it comes to dead week, I would only focus on the information on the notecards. The good thing about them is that I carry them around everywhere I go, so I can study anytime and anywhere. 

I hope they are helpful!! Good Luck!!

February Food Craziness Part 1: The Best Birthday Brunch

Wow, the month of February went fast. I have been lazy about blogging after my birthday. Sorry!! The month of February is about my birthday and valentine's day. It is my favorite month of the year because it is a month of love and celebration. My family and I had some food adventures during those days, and we had food coma. We usually eat healthily, but indulging ourself once a while is OK, right? I mean the month combines my birthday and valentine's day. They are all about cakes and candies. I am such a foodie. I like to cook, eat, and write about food. I hope you will enjoy.

Birthday Brunch

For my birthday brunch we went to Tasty n Sons. It has been featured on many Portland Traveling Sites, and it was ranked "Top 10 Best Breakfast in the US" on Yahoo. Therefore, I thought it should not be very wrong to try it out. When we entered the cafe, there was a long line. That was a good sign!! We had to wait about 45 minutes. We were glad that there were a lot of Artistic Stores around it to see while we were waiting. 

I felt happy that all the portions were small, so we could try a lot of different dishes. They all were made from scratch and tasted so good!! 

Fried Egg and Boiled Spinach: Although it was a simple dish, but they made it taste so delicious. It was pretty, too. I like the food is not only yummy, but also looks good.

 Biscuits with Cheese, Fried Egg and Chicken: It was probably the BEST fried chicken I ever had. I try not eat too much fried meat because it is usually very oily, but this fried chicken was not oily at all. The biscuit itself was great, too.

English Muffin with Fried Eggs and Beans: Although my family is not a big fan of Mexican food, we really liked the beans. Surprisingly, we were fighting for them. 

French Toast: I love french toast, but I barely order from restaurants because they usually make it too sweet. I prefer making them at home, but that is rare, sadly. The sweetness of this french toast was just right. 

Chocolate Potato Doughnuts: This was my favorite among all the dishes we ordered. The cream dip for the doughnuts was yummy. I wanted to lick the plate. I wished we'd order more than one, so we did not have to share. My mother hoped she could recreate this doughnut at home. Good Luck, mother.

Granola: To be honest, I barely eat any kind of bars. I don't like granola, but I enjoyed this granola. It went very well with the fruits and dairy cream. It was healthy, too.

All in all, it was a fun experience. I was surprised that all the dishes were simple, but Tasty n Sons made them taste amazing!! I liked eating things I don't like or don't usually eat. We definitely want to return even though it is a little far from where we live, and I wish it was closer to my house. 

23 Lessons I Learned for the Past 23 years

Happy Birthday to me. This girl turns 23 today. 

I can't believe, I am 23!! Time went fast. I don't feel like I am that old (mature), yet. Inside I feel very young (less mature). As I grow older, I suppose to get wiser, right? For this post, I am going to share 23 life lessons from 23 years of living. I hope you will enjoy.

1. Just Follow Your Heart: Making the decisions and choosing the right things are hard sometimes, but if we just listen to our hearts, the best answers would come out. I believe our hearts will always tell us what is right to do. Whenever you feel lost or confused during your lifetime, just follow your heart.

2. Keep Calm and Carry On: There are ups and downs in our lives, so we have to learn to be always "Keep Calm" for whatever happens. The part "Carry On" can be anything you like to do or something that will help you release your stress. I usually "Keep Calm and Take a Walk" or "Keep Calm and Bake Something."

3. Only Person You Can Change Is Yourself: Sadly, this is very true. We can never change other people. Seriously, don't even think about changing your friends, relatives, co-workers or bosses. In the same way, only person can change you is YOU. From that, I should not blame someone else for I became or I did. 

4. Just Do It: Don't waste  too much time on thinking about making a decision. A not so good decision can turn into a better decision during your work. Time moves fast, so there are not a lot of time to waste in thinking. Life is about risks and adventures. Do it! It's now or never.

5. You Always Have a Choice: Some of the sad events in life are can not be chosen, but we can choose to how to react with them. That is always a choice. We can always be happy whatever happens.  

6. Write Everything Down: This is one of the lesson my mother taught me. She has a great habit of writing stuff down like appointments and important dates. That is why she never forgets things. Writing things done can help people remember and keep track the daily life.

7. Always Consider Quality Over Quantity: I had a habit of focus on the quantity. I was into the philosophy of "more the merrier." However, sometime it is not true because the large quantity does not guarantee the good quality. Small quantity is still acceptable if it has the better quality. 

8. Your Biggest Enemy Is You: This is a lesson my mother has been always telling me. I should have to be responsible for myself. I have to choose my own battle and fight with it. Win or lose is up to me. Other people's actions and external instances are never an excuse.

9. Doing Anything at the Last Minute Would NOT Work: I used to be a last minute person, and it was a very bad habit. I worked hard to change it. Whatever the to-do-thing is, start it early. Even it is small or easy, there is no guarantee that accident would not  happen in the last minute. Trust me, accidents always happen in the last minute. 

10. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: I really like this famous phrase because I believe no matter how bad the situation is, there is always something to be glad about. Even for failure, at least you learned you will not make it happen again. 

11. Don't Run Away, and Just Face It: I like one of Mariah Carey's songs "Through the Rain." Part of the lyrics states: "Don't be afraid, there is NOTHING you can't face. " I believe it is true. Also when there is a problem, running away from it would not solve it. Only facing it can solve it.

12. Doing the Best Is Better than Being the Best: I might not the best, but I am always doing my best. Do not be afraid to make a mistake, the key is to learn from it. Also there is no such a thing is the "best." I should always consider getting better and trying to improve. 

13. You Are Never Alone: No body should consider himself/herself as alone in the world because there is always someone she/he can love. Reach out to a friend or family for help. Remember good people are beside you when you need them, and bad people are beside you when they need you. 

14. Set a Date and Have a Plan: I learned this when I was studying for GRE exam. Set a date can motivate people. When I set a date for something, I would not put off anymore. Sometimes I would not start doing something until I set a date. When the date is set, then make a plan and stick with it. It is a way to manage time.  

15. Never Say Never and Practice Make It Perfect: This is from Justin Bieber's song "Never Say Never." That song inspired me. I felt it is important to believe in myself and never give up.  When I have a dream, I will do anything to make it come true. I believe nothing is "impossible" and practice makes it perfect. 

16. People Come to This World to Get "Trained": This is a famous idea of Buddhism. Life is hard for all people in this world. When they are young, they have to study. When they grow older, they have to work, make money, raise family etc. Beside education and work, there are difficult life events to face as well. That is why we deal with a lot "trainings" during life time. Whenever my life gets tough, I will consider it as part of my trainings.

17. An Apple + a Treat per Day = Better Physical and Mental Health: This lesson comes from "one apple a day keeps the doctor away." I love apples. It not only makes me healthier, but also makes me smarter by motivating my brain. Besides an apple a day, I also need at least one sweet treat per day to indulge myself. Eating too much sweets can be a problem, but a small portion a day would not hurt.   

18. Only Dislike the Character, Do Not Dislike the Person: We should never completely dislike someone. There is no one who is 100% awful person. He or she just has part of his or her personality that is not acceptable. That is caused by how she or he was raised and educated. All humans come to this world innocent, and the outside world shaped their characters. 

19. One Door Closes, then Another Opens: Get over with something is hard for a person like me, so I have to remember this lesson. The another door might take a long time to appear, but I believe someday I will find it. There will be a lot of gains and losses I will face in my life, so I have to be willing to accept the losses and moving on.

20. Education Never Ends:  My University Principal told us this message on the commencement when I graduated from college. I strongly remember it. Education does not only from books. It can be "everything." I believe if I live one more day, I will learn at least one more "thing."

21. Just Be Yourself: When I was in high school, I tried very hard to be like the smart and cute people. Recently, I realized it is OK to just be myself because I learned that everything in life is about finding the right fit. Do not try to be somebody else, just find the fit that is best for you or let the right fit find you. 

22. Always Have Plan B: It is very important to always have a back up plan no matter how good the original plan is. Stick with one plan is good sometimes, but the plan cannot guarantee that is the best or it will be successful. Keep more options open will expand opportunities. 

23. Life Is Wonderful, and It Is Short: If you can embrace everything you have, you will be happiest person in the world. Happiness comes from only focus on what you have, not think about what you do not have. Also life is too short to be mad at someone or something. Don't waste any time, and make every moment worthy it.

I hope you learned something from this post. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you like what I post, it is the BEST birthday gift ever. Also thanks for everyone who wished me "Happy Birthday" on Facebook. I could not ask anything more. 

This birthday girl is looking forward to learn more about the world. Remember "education never ends." 

Aquarius 1/20-2/19

I can't believe it's already February. Time flies. I like the way the weather is getting warmer. When February comes, my birthday is just around the corner. My birthday is February 11th, which will be next Saturday. I feel happy that it will fall on weekend this year. I am an Aquarius. Aquarius' birthdays are around this time of the year, so I decide to blog about what I believe in describing an Aquarius.

1. Stubborn in a good way: Aquarius are stubborn sometimes because they have the wills for never giving up. When they want something, it can be a goal, dream, award, honor, etc., they are willing to do anything to make it come true. Some aquarius like to dream bigger, and no matter how hard it is, they will never give up. They have strong self-esteem.   

2. Funny and sweet: On the other hand of being stubborn, aquarius are usually funny and sweet. They are kind to people and like to make others laugh. People find aquarius are nice and fun to be with. Aquarius have the best combination of soft and hard because they have a gentle heart and vigorous mind. 

3. People friendly: Most aquarius are easy to talk to and very sociable. They like to make friends with many people, and they have the skills for building a good relationship with their co-workers, teachers, and bosses. Funny and sweet personality makes aquarius attractive in the public and community. This helps most aquarius succeed in making friends at school and cooperating with other people at work. 

4. Compatible with Libra: I don't know anything about that because I never dated a libra. If you are an aquarius and your boyfriend/girlfriend is Libra, both of you must be very good for each other. I don't rely on compatible signs, I just read it for fun. Just like I said previously, aquarius are people friendly, so aquarius people should be compatible to any signs. 

FYI: Famous Aquarius and they have the same birthday with me

Jennifer Aniston (Exactly 20 years older than me) 

Brandy (Exactly 10 years older than me)


Taylor Lautner

Sarah Palin

Thomas Edison