Top Posts + 2013 in Review

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! I can't believe that tomorrow is going to be a New Year. 2013 went by so quickly!

My top 3 posts for 2013 are:

Tangyuan

Chinese Sponge Cake

Traditional Chinese Prosperity Cupcakes

And, for my 2013 in review, here is a list. I don't want to add pictures because it would make this post have too many pictures.

• I can't believe I visited Stanford in March! 
• I started interning for FoodCare, Inc in May 2013. 
• I went to visit Hearst Castle with my grandparents in July 2013. 
• I ran my first half-marathon on October 6, 2013.
• I made it through my semester of 19 units. 
• My group did well on our project about Nepal in my Social and Cultural Aspects of Food class. 
• Visited the U.C. Berkley campus

Oh, before I forget. This is going to be 100% unrelated to 2013 in reviews

At an Asian bakery near Berkely, I saw this Mocha Cream bun. It looked delicious! 

And at Target, I saw these Siracha Chips. 

Instead, I bought these Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips. 

and these:

• Botanics Tinted Lip Balm: Guava Sheer
• Botanics Matiffying Day Cream Shine Away Sunscreen 
• Cover Girl's Mocha Lip Balm  (hey, it was on sale for just over $2)
• And a brush. 

And, I guess that's it!

 My 2013 wasn't too eventful. I am happy that I did run my first half-marathon. And, it was my first race too! Boy, when I do something, I go big. 

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! 

Remember to head over to my new blog tomorrow. Hevil's Healthy Devil.
Also, follow me on my new twitter: @hevilhelen

Blog Update

Hey guys! It's going to be New Year and I decided to switch over to my new blog, Hevil's Healthy Devil. I've been talking about this for a while and now, it's almost here!
Be sure to head over to my new blog tomorrow at midnight (aka, the New Year). That is when my blog will go live!

Once you get there, be sure to subscribe for updates!

There, you will also see my new twitter. Be sure to follow me on my new twitter @hevilhelen

Thank you guys so much for reading! I will see you guys over at my new blog.

P.S. Don't worry. I will occasionally post here but it won't be as often.

Tip of the Week

Hey everyone. How are you guys doing today?

I am doing fine, thank you very much. I'm sorry for posting so late today. My family and I went to see the UC Berkeley campus today. We also went shopping at the Vacaville Shopping Outlet after. I bought two dresses!

Anyway, the tip for this week is to make realistic New Year's Resolutions. Set small goals instead of one large one.

For example, instead of saying "I will lose 20 pounds", say "I will lose one pound a week". That way, it won't seem as daunting.

Instead of cutting out all the "bad" food right away, make gradual changes. That way, you'll be more likely to stick with those eating habits. Each week, switch to a healthier alternative. If you eat white bread, switch to 100% Whole Wheat Bread. If you eat white rice, mix half white rice and half brown rice. Later on, you can switch to 100% brown rice. Switch to whole grain flour when baking. Use half all purpose flour and half whole grain flour. After getting used to the taste and texture, switch to 100% whole grain.

And here is the eating plan I said I would post. It is not 100% complete, but I do know what I will be generally eating. I won't be making up the meals as I go.

Wednesday, New Year, might be a little different since my relatives will be visiting for the New Year. But, hey. Things don't always go as planned. Just make the best of it.

How was your day?
How are you celebrating the New Year?

Weekly Goals

Happy Sunday everyone. I hope your day went well today.

So, I did pretty well on my goals for last week. I did do pilates, I enjoyed time with family and my new blog is almost ready. It will be ready by New Year. Remember that I will post the link of my new blog on the 31st.

My goals for this week are similar to last week's goals.

On unrelated news, here's something you guys should watch. This young man, Uudam, is singing a song, dedicating to his deceased mother. The song, in English, is called "Mother in the Dream". It is a really beautiful song that is sung in Mongolian on a Chinese version of America's Got Talent. His voice is so powerful and it really touches everyone's hearts, including mine. Watch and listen to it .You won't regret it.

That's it for now. I hope you guys had a great weekend.

Do you guys meal plan?
What are your goals for the week?

Fitness Friday

As you can see, my workouts have been on the lighter side recently. I am trying to incorporate pilates into my routine. I did pilates one summer and it transformed my body. But then, I stopped that and did other workouts. I am hoping this will change my body. 

I guess that's it for now. 

Before I forget, I said I would review that frozen Kashi pizza I bought a while ago. Here's how it looks. 

I didn't care for the mushrooms. That was surprising since I tend to like mushrooms. The pizza itself was very flavorful though. The crust was thin and crunchy, which I liked.

Anyway, that's it for today. Remember to keep a lookout for my new blog link. Remember the date, December 31. That is when I will post the link.

How were your workouts this week?
What are your plans for the weekend?

New Year's Resolutions

Every year, many people make New Year's Resolutions. People want to become a better person. They want to lose weight. They want the New Year to be a fresh start for them.

I have to admit, I am one of those type of people. I love setting goals for myself. I love the feeling of accomplishment. So, I am going to post my New Year's Resolutions (related to nutrition and fitness). 

• Take one rest day a week. It can be an active rest day. It's important for your body to recover. 
• Be more diligent on creating meal plans for the week. I will have my breakfast and snacks planned, at the least. My dinner will consist of brown rice but the rest of the stuff will depend on what my parents make. My lunches will either be brought home (brown rice, sandwiches on 100% whole wheat bread) or things bought on campus. 
• Meal prep every Sunday, no matter how busy I am. I will be even busier during the week. 
• Get up every 10 minutes and do jumping jacks, push-ups or squats for one minute. It's just to keep me moving throughout the day. If I am in class, I know I won't be able to do it. But other than that, I will be able too! 
• Try to incorporate pilates and yoga into my workout routine. I hear pilates does wonders to the body. It works the muscles differently than weight lifting.

That's it for now. 

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions? 

If so, share them in the comments below.

P.S. Just a reminder that I will be moving over to my new blog on New Year. I'll post the link on the 31 of December. I can post it now but you guys won't be able to see it until then. It's still a work in progress!

Happy Holidays!

Hi everyone. Merry Christmas! For those who don't celebrate, Happy Holidays!

This post is going to be a quick one before I head to bed.

 I made a cheesecake! I made one yesterday for the first time to try it out and it was so good! My mom loved it. So, I decided to make it for the family potluck. It's the holidays. It's okay to indulge just a little bit (don't judge me). I made it for my family potluck. My cousins loved it.

This Christmas was almost just like any other day. However, we did go to the state capital and walk around (with extended family as well). My aunts, uncles, cousins, and my cousin's children were there too. We took so many pictures! It's our family tradition to go there every year.

Sorry about my bad photography. I used my phone.

Anyway, we walked around, talked and just enjoyed each others company.

So, for Christmas, I got a gym bag and I got a blue dress.

And, here's me rocking the bag.

Yea. I showed you guys the picture before of the dress. That's when my parents bought it for me. Then, they wrapped it for Christmas.

Oh yea. Before I forget, I have to show you guys this Silk Seasonal Nog. It's basically eggnog with no dairy. It tastes pretty good! It's not as creamy as regular egg nog (of course) but it still hits the spot. Ellie mentioned this on her blog and I just had to try it.

Oh! And here is McDonald's Holiday Pie. 

It tasted alright. It was basically a custard pie. I wouldn't buy it again.

I guess that's it!

Happy Holidays and I hope you guys had a great day!