What I had for lunch - Rolled-up Japanese goodness

Sometimes people ask me, "So what do you have for lunch?" While I'd love to put on my healthy-eater mask and tell them "Oh, I graze on greens" or "Oh, I nibble on nuts and fruits", I couldn't do it with a straight face. Truth is what I eat varies from day to day depending on where my busy day takes me.

Recently I met up with DDs for lunch at a food court and this is what we had:

Sushi. A visually attractive lunch option that I kinda enjoy now and then though I'm not exactly a big fan of the rice portion or the idea of stuffing the whole portion into my mouth which, I'm told, is the correct way to eat it. The rebel in me breaks the sushi in two with chopsticks and load ups on the wasabi (Japanese green mustard) and that's the way I do it!

Takoyaki. Octopus Takoyaki is our favorite but we recently tried Shrimp Takoyaki which is less chewy but pretty good too.Takoyaki is a dough ball made with a batter of eggs, soy sauce, flour and dashi (a Japanese-flavored broth) and crammed to bursting point with chopped green onions, pickled red ginger and the octopus or shrimp, then garnished with green dried seaweed, dried bonito flakes, takoyaki sauce and mayo.

Yums! Soft outside, crunchy and I don't even have to tell you when you get to the octopus inside, so good! What's amazing is how it's even possible to cram so much deliciousness into such a little ball. (Read my earlier post to see the pan they use.)

Though this was such a simple lunch, it was so good over a steaming hot cup of coffee. Now you know why I always look forward to lunch lol. I'll be updating you guys on what I have for lunch from time to time, so stay tuned!

Sweet and sour two ways

If you know me, you know I'm always talking about food. Never mind the fact that it's thundering and pouring outside (again!) and I've just snacked on a big bowl of bean soup, I'm about to start talking about a Korean-Chinese dinner we had in a busy expat suburb one weekend.

As is usual with Korean meals, first to arrive at the table are the side dishes meant to accompany the main meal. Here we got only 3 (instead of the usual 6-8) side dishes - kimchi (square bowl on upper right) - or fermented napa cabbage, a staple of Korean cuisine; yellow pickled daikon (blue flower plate) and pink radish kimchi - a fermented radish side dish. Kimchi and yellow pickled radish are common side dishes but not the radish kimchi.

We ordered sweet and sour chicken which is essentially boneless deep-fried chicken that came on a bed of lettuce topped with onions, peppers, sweet and sour sauce and sesame seeds.

I'm not sure why we ordered two sweet and sour dishes which are very similar in taste but yeah! So here's the other plate piled high with crispy deep-fried pork topped with bokchoy, onions, carrots and sweet and sour sauce, and (surprise!) a side of finely shredded cabbage with thousand island dressing.

These are huge servings meant to be shared and eaten with rice or as an accompaniment to alcoholic drinks, a common Korean practice. We, however, chose to savor them on their own sans rice or alcohol. Of the two sweet and sour dishes, I prefer the crispier pork and the shredded cabbage which was reminiscent of how it's often served with tonkatsu, or deep-fried breaded pork cutlet, at Japanese restaurants.

To round off the meal, we ordered jjampong, a seafood noodle soup featuring large shrimps, squid and mussels. There might've been fish slices in it as well, I'm not sure. As portions go, this is big and meant to be a serving for one person. But we asked for small bowls to portion this out. I like that the soup is spicy but I would've preferred it to have tasted (and smelled), um, a little less fishy.

It's interesting to see the similarities and overlaps in these orders of ours. First off, you have the Korean adaptation of the sweet and sour meat which is a big part of Chinese cuisine. And then you have the sweet and sour pork adapted from the Japanese tonkatsu complete with shredded cabbage. And then you have the seafood noodle soup inspired once again by the countless varieties and flavors of Chinese noodle soups. Well, I love Korean food and Japanese food. So this does it for me lol!

Where food lovers go

It's been raining for the better part of last night and into this morning. My alarm didn't go off. It's still set to Pacific time so maybe that's why it's going off at odd hours lol which is just as well that this is the weekend and going to the mall might not be such a good idea. So I guess I'll sit here and tell you about my latest foodie find which I'm super-excited about. Hopefully, talking about food will bring some sunshine into what's going to be a weekend of isolated thunderstorms.

 A few months ago, a girl friend took me to lunch at a cafe I never knew existed. It turned out to be a hole in the wall completely hidden from view on a relatively busy street. Based on its location alone, you'd never guess how quickly this place fills up with the lunch hour crowd daily. Then again, maybe it's because it has a big menu that offers local, Western and fusion fare as well as cakes and desserts, and prices are reasonable.

On that first visit, I was pretty impressed (for a fussy eater) and couldn't wait to take my daughters there. So we went. One of the items on their monthly house specials was the Grilled Fish which comes with a free drink (from the choice of 3, we picked the ice lemon tea) and free ice cream. The grilled fish turned out to be pretty good. In fact, DD2 (Dear Daughter 2) liked it so much she ordered it again on a subsequent visit.

DD1 had their Chicken Chop which is grilled boneless chicken served with brown sauce, mashed potatoes, a simple salad and slaw. Although Chicken Chop is a Western dish, many Westerners have apparently not heard of it. Word has it that it originated during the British occupation and was later made popular when the chefs who worked in British kitchens back in the day opened up restaurants and started serving this dish on their menu. These days, you can probably only find Chicken Chop at old school restaurants.

And I ordered the perennial local favorite translated loosely to mean "Fat Rice" or rice with lots of fat. People eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner which makes it an all-day favorite. It features an overturned bowl of coconut rice (rice cooked in coconut milk - ooh fattening), chicken and potato curry (also cooked in coconut milk and we're officially in Fat City now), deep-fried anchovies and peanuts, cucumber slices and half a hard-boiled egg. No guilt, super delicious bwahaha!!

As portions go, this is considered fairly large by local standards. Just looking at this plate makes me feel full... and fat before I even dig in lol. Yet I can't resist ordering this every time I come here. It's like the fat is calling out to me. Omg, what am I going to do?!! Thankfully, since the serving sizes of the grilled fish and chicken chop are much smaller, my daughters can jump in and help me finish this. One thing I gotta say is, this is so-oo good. Burp! If you see someone shaped like a coconut rolling unceremoniously out the door to a car parked outside, that would be me lol.

Oh and not forgetting that this unassuming little cafe also serves pastas (we've tried their carbonara which wasn't bad at all), fried noodles and rice and desserts! Omg, did I mention we went out on a limb one time and ordered 2 slices of cakes? It's almost unheard of. When I was growing up, cakes were for special occasions and we rarely had desserts, and that's pretty much how my kids were raised too.

When we saw all these lovely cakes calling out to us from the glass display, we knew we had to come up with some special occasions (pronto!) to order not one but two slices of cakes. Okay, so this mocha caramel cheesecake was to celebrate the fact that I managed to find my way to this eatery purely from memory. Well okay, I did shoot past the junction I was supposed to turn into and had to make a U-turn back but we did eventually get there.

And this banana toffee coffee cheesecake was to celebrate finding a parking spot right outside the cafe. We'd gotten there early, the parking lot was empty and these cakes were delectable. So we're laughing!

The bakery that never stops

Whenever we hit the mall, there's one place that we must absolutely, definitely, totally stop at and that's the bakery. Of the 6-8 bakeries that typically dot a single mall, LB is the chosen one, the one I've been frequenting for years. It's operated as part of a popular Japanese grocery chain but over the years, it's matured into an identity of its own.

What I really like about this bakery is that first off, they have an insane variety of pastries, and second, they're constantly coming up with exciting new, mouth-watering stuff. So it's not like when you walk in, you find the same old stuff that was popular when your grandma was a kid although sure, you may have some well-loved items you hope they'll never stop selling. Here you walk in and you have the perennial favorites, and then you have the trendy fare that they introduce every so often and it's that element of surprise that elicits the oohs and aahs.

The pastry selection we saw recently had us piling our takeout tray faster than you can say wow! On the topmost shelf are the walnut raisin loaves, a well-loved favorite that we've seen going through a 'size down, price up' over the years but that still tastes so good. That said, their prices are reasonable and quality comparable with the other bakeries in the mall, so which would you choose?

And look, we found some new additions in the covered bins along the perpendicular side. This is the fruit cream danish with a cream filling topped with kiwi and strawberry slices and finished off with a drizzle of chocolate and powdered sugar. Looks yummy, will have to try it some time!

This is the open-faced danish topped with almond cream and orange slices.

The blueberry almond cream danish looks good too. Omgosh, what are we going to do? Everything looks so good lol.

In the front of the store are more rolls, muffins and baguettes. Daughter2 has tried their macha cream pastry and likes them. The macha (Japanese green tea) trend has been around for quite a while and is still very popular. Here you see someone with tongs in hand (circled) heading straight for those two-tiered baskets... only to find them EMPTY! OH NOoooo they're all gone!!!

Disappointed, she turns away with a sad face, only to return to the same spot a while later to find the baskets had been refilled with a brand new batch of macha pastries fresh from the oven (OH JOY!)...

 ... at which point, she quickly snags a couple before they're all gone again!! One thing to remember with this bakery is that their pastries go really, really fa-a-ast so if you don't grab' em quick, you'll have to wait for them to bake a new batch.

The mall thing

It's been cloudy these few days and now it's raining quite heavily, just enough to provide some much-needed cooling relief. So that's good, right? Lately the weather's been so unbearably hot and humid we're thankful for anything cool (which may or may not include a McD's strawberry ice cream cone ;). Only trouble is, when it rains, it gets even more humid. So that ice cream will work either way for sure lol.

Rainy days are best spent at home catching an afternoon nap or making up for that workout you skipped missed yesterday. Lately we've been 'hiding out' at the mall often to catch up on new eats under the guise of avoiding the intense humidity outside - shame on us! - which incidentally brings us to an old inside joke that the mall is the best place to be, if for nothing else, for the free air-conditioning.

Of course, there's never a lack of malls to hang out in. While online is predominantly the shopping method of choice in the Western world, malls in Asia are very much in vogue. In fact, trawling the malls may well be the national pastime for the whole family and for good reason...

Here the malls are a one-stop shop for everything from food and fashion to groceries and greenery. Restaurants, coffee shops, fashion stores, bakeries and confectioners, furniture stores, gyms, florists, pharmacies, music stores (some even offering music classes), grocery stores, telecommunication service outlets, pet stores, banks, cinemas, even a post office - pretty much anything you can think of, you can find under one roof.

So it goes without saying that the malls are massive, multi-storey affairs, some with offices and residential condominiums in high-rises above the mall. Some malls have outdoor gardens featuring exotic plants and aquariums. Others boast rooftop gardens and outdoor activity areas for rock climbing, paintball, etc. One mall even has an indoor roller-coaster (what's up with that?!).

So yeah, the mall purportedly has something for everyone so it's not surprising that as the weekend approaches, it starts getting busier and busier (read: crazier and crazier). Parking becomes a nightmare. The trick is to get an early start. I like insist on getting there by the stroke of 10:00 when the mall opens to ensure I get a parking spot instantly without having to circle round like a vulture.

Way back when my kids were younger, we would sometimes arrive at the mall an hour or more after opening time only to circle endlessly and finally leave and go home without securing a parking spot. What a waste of time! So no, we either get there at 10 sharp or we don't go at all, and that's House Rule #108.

The time machine has landed!

Woke up this morning and happened to glance at the date on my computer.

2017!

What?! I tried to blink the sleepiness out of my eyes.

Oh no! I haven't blogged in, what, almost 2 years??!!

Wait a minute, this can't be right! Surely I must've been transported into the future in some kind of time machine, right?!

The last thing I remember looking at the clock on my computer and it was 2015, yup, and I was hammering out a blog post.

How did I get here?

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Okay, I was only kiddin'. I wasn't in no time machine but it sure feels like it. That's how quickly time flies when you're traveling, living life on opposite sides of the planet, meeting some of the most amazing people you'll ever meet...

... and neglecting my blog readers, for which I must apologize. A mom's job is never done. Sometimes it takes precedence over everything else. Sometimes it takes her to far-flung places and fun adventures.

2015 Review in randomness

The last post of the year is always the hardest to write. I'm cracking my head and going: wow, this year sure went fast! At the same time, it doesn't seem like it went that fast at all. Anyhoo, speed aside, I'd say it's been a pretty good year with the usual ups and downs and its fair share of joys and disappointments. But that's life, isn't it?

Along the way, I've met new people, made observations, been places, done new things, gained some insights... I'm not going try and structure everything I want to say. I'm just going to throw my random thoughts out there. Oh and I'm not wearing my rose-colored glasses either so please don't be offended if I say a negative thing here, touch a raw nerve there, even if it's New Year's Eve and we're supposed to be all happy and positive like.

1. Drink more tea. I know bubble tea has been around for ages but I only just discovered it -- by accident - this year. Go me! I've been hooked ever since. No boba for me though, not a fan. Boba is cute and all but the idea of chewing mini starch balls doesn't appeal to me. I usually go for the fruit tea or iced milk tea instead - half sugar, half ice.

2.Loyalty to parents (and siblings) comes first and foremost. This goes without saying but apparently some people don't get it. It's a no-brainer so you shouldn't have to stop and think about whose side to take. Your loyalty should always be to the ones who gave you life, raised you and showered you with love. Without your parents, you wouldn't have been born. End of story.

3. Believe not all that you hear. I've lost count of how many times this year that people have told me one thing and done entirely the opposite - without apology. It's not like I didn't know that already but at a professional level? Yes, sure, why not? If a person is prone to breaking promises, why would they stop just because they're representing a business, eh? Lesson learned!

4. Learn to let go - of excessive sugar, salt, toxic people in your life, things you wish you had but can't or don't, unhealthy habits, soda, processed food... To be fair, I just had a burger at Burger King yesterday and I pretended not to notice that juicy piece of bacon calling out to me. Oh man, so good!

5. Believe not everything that you see on the internet. This one goes out to all the boys and girls who genuinely believe that people actually live the kinds of lives they post on social media. What you see posted are those things about their so-called posh lives that they want you to see which represents only a tiny fraction of their real lives. You don't know what else is happening in their lives so don't be too quick to envy them and think that your own life sucks. I read that some people take their own lives thinking how pathetic their lives are compared to those they see on social media, and it breaks my heart. Don't ever do that! Be happy with who you are and what you have. Your life is beautiful in its own way. There's no need to compare.

6. Try new food. Cook new food. Seriously, when am I not talking about food? I ate a lot this year, discovered new restaurants and cuisines from other cultures, and found new food to love and cook.

Oh wait! Brainwave! I know what I'm going to cook for tonight's New Year's Eve dinner. Smoked salmon linguine it is - woohoo! Right so with that, huge hugs and a gigantic thank you for sticking around during my 2-year hiatus and continuing to read and comment on my blog. Be safe and have a Blessed New Year, everyone!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas to all my loyal readers and followers who have stuck around in spite of my two year hiatus. I love you all! You guys rock!

Christmas rocks too. It has been my favorite season of the year like forever. I love the brightly lit Christmas trees and seasonal store displays and... the shopping, of course, thought these days, I've mellowed down to window shopping. When this time of year rolls around, I somehow feel 'obliged' to join in the rush whether it's just to browse or to grab a bite to eat. I know. It's not like I don't know what it's like to be stuck in traffic. I will go anyway. If I don't, I feel like I'm missing out on all that year-end fun. Yup, that's the kid in me!

To be honest, I don't even celebrate Christmas, not in a religious way, that is. I don't have a Christmas tree up in my living room but I will cook up a storm - roast turkey, brown gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, stuffing and mashed potatoes, the whole works. It's just a good excuse to celebrate.

Have a safe and wonderful rest of Christmas Day. Happy Holidays!

The problem with gift giving

So here we are, knee deep in another gift giving season. It's a time of year I love but! Not to dampen anyone's mood or anything, but isn't gift giving an unnecessary burden these days? With every year, friends and family are expecting ever bigger, more expensive gifts.

I remember the times when gifts were things from the heart, carefully, meaningfully and yes, often painstakingly, selected and didn't have to cost an arm and a leg to be appreciated. It's the thought that counts, I used to remind myself, not the price tag. Somehow those times seem to have been rushed out the door along with Christmas in October.

These days, the topmost questions that ring in my head as I join the holiday shopping rush all seem to have the word 'big' in them. Is this gift big enough? Is the price tag big enough? How big is my gift compared to the ones that everyone else is bringing?

Over the years, it's become all the more apparent to me that gift giving is some sort of contest. Whoever brings the biggest, most expensive gifts wins. The popularity polls, that is. And it goes without saying that people like me who are still hanging on to the good old spirit of it's the thought that counts will inadvertently end up at the bottom of said popularity charts. In fact, I may even have lost friends and family for that reason, and that reason alone.

We'd be fooling ourselves if we thought friendships and relationships are what they used to be. I won't generalize and say that all friendships and relationships are built on posh air and dollar signs but seeing all pretty picture-perfect pictures on social media just may have something to do with it. Or could it be our narcissistic nature at play here?

Even among family, there's this unhealthy contest of who bears the biggest, most expensive gifts. When I used to visit family and friends with my grandmother during the festive season, she would package some fruit or other edibles to bring along. I see nothing wrong with that.

As an adult, I decided I would preserve that tradition of fruits and homemade food gifts. But then I quickly realized it wouldn't work in this day and age. Not when other family members visit each other bearing baskets piled high with exotic foods and wine. Being me with my simple gifts from the heart, I stand a real risk of being labeled Scrooge for life.

Can you see why I'm none too excited about the season of gift giving? Because to me, it's not a contest and it certainly is not about the size and price of the gift.

Who loves onions?

Have I ever mentioned that I'm head over heels in love with onions? Cooked or raw, shredded or diced, boiled or baked, I love 'em just the same. I throw them into practically everything I eat and they always taste good no matter what.

What a difference a bed of shredded onions makes to a slice of grilled salmon!

I know some people are put off by its pungency but to me, what's an onion without that wicked pungent kick that rises up your nose and wakes up your senses all at once? Yeah, okay, maybe I'm a weird one LOL.

Seriously if anyone were to invent an onion-powered car, I'd be the first to buy one! Would you? What's your view of onions? Okay, let's have a show of hands. Love 'em, hate 'em, cry over 'em, put off by 'em? Chime in below.

I'm back!

Hey everyone, I think it was around this time of year that I went off on my short break. Well, the short break turned out to be two years long. Honestly, it didn't seem like such a massive amount of time has gone by... but it has. A lot has happened in this time, and I'll get to that as we chug along.

I think it's only fitting that I start blogging again at around the same time as when I stopped blogging two years ago. I want to thank every single one of you, my followers who have stuck around for the past two years. Two years! In internet time, that's like what, 200 years? Thank you for your patience. You guys are truly amazing. I love you all. And I have missed you.

I am excited to be back and I can't wait to get started...

Short break

Things are getting more hectic than I imagined. I find myself having to catch my breath. It looks like I might have to take a short break after all. I'll try to pop in if I can, and I'll see you guys soon.

Tis the season

Hi guys, I was going through some of my old files, trying to declutter my hard disk, when I found some of my favorite holiday photos to share with you.

The golden Christmas tree at the Hong Kong airport

What is, to me, the fairytalest of fairytale castle - Disneyland, Anaheim

Great memories of New Year's Eve at Universal Studios, Hollywood

Where on earth is Skitch?

Hey guys, remember me? Yes, I know, I haven't blogged in a while. A week, to be exact. Reason number 1, I've been extremely saddened by the passing of Paul Walker. We're huge fans, we love all his movies, me and the kids. It's totally unlike us to be affected by the passing of a celebrity. But strangely, we've not been able to stop talking about Paul. We would've loved to have met him. He seems like a genuinely amazing person, kind and selfless, characteristics which are oh so rare among celebrities. I admire that he's so down-to-earth and humble and isn't all about the money and the fame. It breaks our hearts that he's gone too soon. We will miss him. A lot.

Reason number 2. I've been ultra busy. Aren't we all? And between everything that's going on, I'm just so tired out by the end of the day, my blogging's taken a back seat. But you know I can't stay away for long. Stay tuned.

Food adventure - Mayo takoyaki

Okay guys, I'll be honest, there's a newly-opened Japanese square at our local mall and we could not just walk by without checking it out. No way, not us! And somewhere in that crazy square of brimming heads and tiny tables, this little fast food joint was calling out to us.

Behind the glass display, they were creating these little tako balls by hand. I gotta admit, I love open kitchens. I could stand there all day and watch them pour in the flour mixture and layer on baby octopus, fish flakes, tempura scraps, finely chopped pickled ginger and green onion. They use 2 metal skewers to keep turning and rolling till everything comes together into a ball. Fascinating.

We'd just had lunch but after that round of grocery shopping, we were ready for a little snack of Mayo Takoyaki. Behind the kiosk are these teeny tiny tables where we could park ourselves to savor our newfound snack.

Seriously guys, the space between the tables are so-oo superduper narrow I literally had to hold my breath as me and my J.Lo butt squeezed, actually scraped the table on my way in. Embarrassing! If I'm going to be eating here more often, Imma have to lose some weight, haha!

Okay, so here we go. I made it, whew! I'm finally balancing myself on that tiny little chair possibly with my butt cheeks overflowing on both sides, I don't know. Not a pretty sight. I couldn't bear to look and I sure hope no one noticed! Man, who knew eating a takoyaki could be such a barrel of laughs!

The Macha Honey Lemon is quite a tasty variation to plain green tea (macha). If the taste had been stronger, I would've liked it better though. But I appreciated that it was cold.

The tako comes heavily drizzled with Japanese mayo and topped with chopped green onions. You also get 2 severely malnourished wooden skewers to eat with. Man, look at those skewers, they're the skinniest I've ever seen.

But who cares, they do the job. You use one skewer to cut the tako ball in half, then use both to lift it to your mouth and pray you don't splatter it on your shirt. My first thought was to use the skewers as chopsticks but I didn't think they could take the weight.

Okay, here you see the pink bit of baby octopus in the one I've cut in half on the lower right. I think they also have the shrimp, and unagi (eel) versions. The tako ball itself is light and fluffy with all these chewy bits inside and the mayo gives it a bit of a sweetish tang. Quite the yums.

So tell me, dear friends. would you try this? What have you tried recently that you've not tasted before? Or what food have you've heard about and would love to try?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey friends, just dropping in with a quick note to say how thankful I am of each and every one of your visits and comments. Although this blog is still fairly new, I've been thrilled to have you all come around and visit with me. I make it a point to visit you all back though I admit sometimes I do get swept away by the whirlwind of motherhood.

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I know I'm just a little late here but it's been a very busy day. I hope you all are having/had a great Thanksgiving over good food and family. Love you all.

Basil Chicken Fettucine

Hey everyone, here comes another easy-peasy weekday meal that you can whip up in a jiffy. I know we're all getting busier by the day. Thanksgiving is next week, can you believe that? Between now and Thanksgiving, I won't have much time to do any fancy cooking so the less prep time, the better.

My daughter made this Basil Chicken Fettucine recently and it was a big hit. I thought I'd share this quick and easy recipe which is perfect for a weeknight dinner or weekday lunch.

Here's what we used but feel free to vary the amounts to your liking:

• Spinach fettucine for 3
• 1 large chicken breast, sliced
• Cherry tomatoes
• Fresh basil
• Olive oil
• A blob of butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the fettucine till al dente/according to the instructions on the packaging.
2.  Meantime, in a skillet on medium, heat up a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Add in the chicken and butter. Saute till the chicken is cooked through.
4. Add tomatoes and basil, and saute till tomatoes are slightly softened.
5. Finally add cooked fettucine into the skillet and toss to mix.
6. Season to taste and you are ready to serve.

So easy, right? It literally takes like 20 minutes to put together. I like to add broccoli, carrots or spinach too. So yummy and healthy.

How to get stuff done like a pro

Not that I'm a pro or anything. I'm a pro-crastinator, that I am. But I couldn't very well put that in the title, could I? But now you know. I've got a list longer than Santa's, believe you me, and I'm chugging along in starts and stops hoping I'll wake up one morning and the elves would've done their jobs and there'd be precious nothing left for me to do.

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Hey, wake up! This is real life. If it's one thing I do well, it's procrastinate. For realz. So now as I look at all the stuff I still need to get done, I'm getting a little overwhelmed here. And I don't overwhelm easy, as a rule. So I console myself that I'm not the only one. Am I? Please tell me I'm not.

And so I thought I'd talk about how I juggle the crazy number of balls I have up in the air.

1. Make lists like crazy

You already know this. I've made lists on my smartphone. They didn't really work out. I'm more of a scribbler. I prefer to scribble on pathetic scraps of paper. It doesn't matter as long as you have an actual physical list you can see, you will have a mental picture and won't lose track of what you need to do as easily. That really helps.

2. Bite size, please

I tend to take it a step further and break down the complex tasks into chewable sizes so when it comes to crossing items off my list, it'll look like I got a lot done. Okay, so I need to trick myself into thinking I accomplished more than I really did. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Truth is it gives me great satisfaction to cross items off and watch that list shrink before my very eyes (provided I'm not adding on more items than I'm crossing off, that is!)

3. Grit your teeth and prioritize

Since my list includes many things I'm doing for a bunch of other people aka my kids, it makes prioritizing stuff a whole lot harder. I don't try to do everything at once. That would be foolish. I number everything according to priority. Obviously those numbers change, quite a bit. So renumber them and juggle as best you can.

4. Kick some butt

Some of us think we're superwomen. I'm guilty of that. I always think I can get things done quicker and better than anyone else. My tag line: Don't worry, I'll handle everything. Then one day, I looked around and noticed 3 not so little me's sitting around that I can recruit and train to work for me.

Excellent! Time to delegate, peeps. See, I never thought to delegate. But you know what, those kids we have sitting around on the computer all day, those kids can be put to work. The tasks may take a little longer or may not be done to your high standards, but that's okay, they are inexperienced now but they will learn.

5. Give yourself a pat on the back

My teens are pretty good at helping out. I wish I'd recruited them earlier. They're fast learners and more capable than I dared to imagine at first, and they work for free. Score! That said, I believe in praising and rewarding my crew for a job well done. Not that I mind a little reward myself after all that running around. So I treat everyone to their favorite eats, hang out and just chill afterwards.

So tell me, are you one of those lucky ones that the elves love to visit, or are you (like me) busy as a bee now that the holiday frenzy is gaining on us? Feel free to share whatever tips you have or that have worked for you.

Rainy days and Mondays

Hey guys, how did your weekend go? Mine was pretty quiet. We stayed home. I wouldn't have had it any other way after last week which was, as weeks go around here, pretty fast and furious.

Also it's been raining some, well, a lot. I appreciated getting to sleep in a little over the weekend after running around like a crazy woman all week. The idea of lying in bed and listening to the rain is a welcome one. Well, these days, we're getting thunder and lightning for dramatic effect.

I like the cooler days. It brings a fresh, new outlook to things, as if everything's been washed nice and clean and ready for a new start. Colors are more vivid, nature sounds clearer and today being a Monday, the sunrise was brilliant and I'm hoping it'll chase away those dreaded Monday blues.

I'm going to keep it short as I jump straight into another crazy week. I can't wait for things to get less hectic. If you have a minute, tell me what, if anything, do you like/not like about rainy days and Mondays.

My workout story and philosophy

Hey friends, things have been non-stop around here as you can tell from my somewhat sparse postings of late. I missed my workout today but in my mind, I'm picturing myself working out. Does that count? Oh, well, whatever but since we're on the topic, I thought I'd share my story of how I got started working out.

Source

Up till about 8, maybe 9 years ago, exercise wasn't in my genes. Six teams of horses couldn't get me to lift a finger, let alone drag myself to the gym which is a 15-minute drive away on a good day. But I'd just left my job at the time and I had some time to kill and I thought, heck, let's see if there's anything fun to do at the gym, and basically, I just never looked back.

It still brings a smile to my face when I think of my noob days when I didn't even know how to work the treadmill and had to ask for help. So embarrassing! Well, walking was fun for a while. I progressed from km to km and I was feeling like a hero by the time I could do 3 km at a stretch. I started brisk walking but never got into running. That's so not my thing.

And that's been my philosophy, pretty much. If I don't like an exercise, I won't do it. There's lots of workouts to choose from, so I figure why push myself to do something I loathe or that isn't fun? Personal trainers may not agree but that's how I roll.

Speaking of which, a gym buddy of mine signed up with a personal trainer which made me contemplate the idea. Should I? Could I? tolerate the bashing her trainer was giving her? Umm, nah, I'm not much for a strict, structured routine or for paying someone to kick my butt. I'd rather kick my own butt, thanks, it's cheaper LOL.

These days, I do a bit of everything. A bit of yoga, a bit of pilates, a bit of strength training, whatever. I get bored easily so I'm always changing up my workouts and if something looks interesting, I might just try it. I kinda like to surprise myself and keep my muscles guessing. So on any given day, I'm just doing whatever springs to mind.

I love working out, it's fun and the endorphin rush is well worth every drop of sweat. It makes me feel like a champ every. single. time. So tomorrow, I'm getting back to the grind. Fo'shizzle. It's go, go, go!! No more excuses. End of mental workout.

Okay, your turn. Do you work out or want to? What got you started? What's your workout philosophy? Would you hire a personal trainer? Can't wait to hear what you have to say.