Monday, October 27, 2014

Monday, October 13, 2014

Vegan Diaries Posts 2 and 3

October 11, 2014
 
So, it has been about two months since my last post. Diet-wise, nothing has really changed. I still have my banana smoothie for breakfast. For lunch, I usually eat huge salads now because mangoes are out of season. My apple tree finally produced ripe apples, and I did get a ton off of it. The rest are given to the wild animals or added to my compost heap behind the fence.
 
I did learn a few new recipes. I learned how to make vegetable rolls, guacamole, and banana bread.
 
For vegetable rolls, you need to make sticky rice, nori paper, and finely chopped vegetables.
Recipe for sticky rice: http://www.tablespoon.com/posts/how-to-make-sticky-rice-at-home/8109b0e4-ac06-4a0a-aa7f-50d5bcfe3cb9 (I used the steaming method because it was easy).
Sweet Potato Rolls
 
 
If you follow the directions on this site, it's easy to make the rolls: http://makemysushi.com/How-to-make-sushi/maki-roll.html. Also, with these instructions, you can put whatever you want inside them.
 
Recipe for guacamole: http://m.californiaavocado.com/m/recipe/31469/?platform=mobile
 
Recipe for banana bread:
Vegan/Gluten-Free Banana Bread
 
http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/breadsbakery/r/vegan_banana_bread_recipe.htm
For this one, I use rice flower because I am allergic to gluten, and vanilla almond milk. It just tastes amazing that way.
 
During this time, I did a lot of reflecting. I have been trying my hardest to stay in tune with nature and other people. My goal is to become more selfless, think of ways in which I can help others, and act on it. I have also been able to change my way of thinking. I used to feel like "the victim" all of the time, but now I feel like it isn't about me. That old mentality kept me in a bad mood 99% of the time, and I realized that's not how to live. Now, I am even happier, and I am able to thrive. The most important thing is to be grateful and appreciate all the things you have in life because most people don't have the basic necessities. Be happy for what you have. 
 
October 13, 2014

 
While searching for new people to follow on YouTube, I found three people that I really like: izzy .davis, Simply Vegan, and Rice And Raw. I really love their attitudes about life, and I think they are really worth following. These guys are also vegans, and I love seeing them spread the vegan message with their own methods. They also share some really awesome recipes.
 
One recipe that I really like is Izzy's guacamole recipe. It's so delicious. In addition, I find her combination of collard greens/veggies/guacamole salad combination amazing. It is my favorite thing to eat now. I literally ate a whole bag of spinach in one sitting today by just combining that with veggies and guacamole. I can finally say goodbye to the massive sodium dressings now because I don't need them anymore. I have guacamole! Whoo hoo!  

Saturday, October 11, 2014

DressLink Haul and Review #2

Since the weather is changing and becoming colder, I decided to get a few warmer clothes from dresslink.com, a Chinese-based online wholesale store. If you want more information about this store you can check out my first haul from them, or you can go to their site and read all about it.

I will also note that if you do decide to buy from here, measure yourself and check the sizing chart. I wear a medium in U.S. sizes, and on this site I wear between a Large and an X-Large depending on their measurements. If you are not sure about an item, read the reviews. They help A LOT. Also check to see how many items are in stock. If there is an item that says there are 5 or lower in stock, I tend not to buy them because a lot of times the site forgets to update its in stock number. This method has yet to fail me.

This is everything I got and my description:

                  Item
Qty.
Unit price
Price
·         Color - Watermelon red
·         Size - Asian L (US M(8-10),UK 10, AU 12)
*     Because this dress was practically free, I thought why not and bought it. The dress matches the website's picture exactly, and it is made out of a thin chiffon material. It's gorgeous, light weight and perfect for the summer. One thing that made me nervous was the metal clasp that held the straps together in the back because it feels fragile. Also, putting on the dress at first is a little challenging because all of the straps make it confusing by getting in the way. In addition, this dress is a bit sheer, so you can see through it.
 
1
US$ 0.01
US$ 0.01

 ·         Color - DR
 * These leggings are very stretchy  and fit perfectly. The only problem I have with them is that they are shiny. For the design, it looks stupid. In addition, these leggings are a bit sheer, so you can see through them.

1
US$ 5.89
US$ 5.89
·         Color - Light Blue
*     These leggings are very stretchy and fit perfectly. These leggings are a little shiny, but that is okay because it works with the jellyfish design. The jellyfish look so cool on these. In addition, these leggings are a bit sheer, so you can see through them.
 
1
US$ 5.89
US$ 5.89
·         Color - Black
·         Size - EU 39 ( US 8, AU 8 , UK 6)
 
*    The sneakers look exactly like the website's picture. For me, the shoes fit snugly on the sides since I do have wide feet. I did get the right size though because length wise they are okay. The material of these shoes is pretty cheep and thin, but that's okay because I only bought them to wear to special occasions like parties and whatnot. I will note that it is nearly impossible and quite dangerous to wear these on carpet because the platform part of the shoe will sink, which will cause you to trip or twist your ankle. Be very careful with these.
 
1
US$ 8.65
US$ 8.65
 
·         Color - Wine red
*    These leggings are very stretchy  and fit perfectly. They are also shiny, but that is okay because it works with the dragon/fish scale design. In addition, these leggings are a bit sheer, so you can see through them.
 
1
US$ 5.89
US$ 5.89
 
·         Color - Skyblue
*     This dress is gorgeous. The dress is exactly like the website's picture. It is also made out of the same material as the leggings. It's shiny and stretchy. One thing I didn't like was that it was a "one size fits all" dress, which is a little problematic because it is too big. It fits my chest nicely, but from my waist and down, it doesn't hug my body, leaving a bit of extra material.
 
1
US$ 6.01
US$ 6.01
 
·         Color - Khaki
*     This fox purse is super adorable, and I received a ton of compliments. The faux leather material feels super cheap, but you can't tell when looking at it.
 
1
US$ 3.25
US$ 3.25
 
·         Type - 11
*     I just had to have these Lord of the Rings leggings because I am a huge fan. They fit great and are a bit shiny. They are also sheer in the back. One thing I was really fed up about was the image on the leggings. It isn't clear; just extremely pixilated. So not cool. You can only see them decently from far away. I'm kind of sad about that.
 
1
US$ 5.89
US$ 5.89
 
·         Color - Black
*     This watch is cool for guys even though it says unisex. The multiple LED lights are pretty. It was too big on me, and that's saying something because I don't have small wrists. One thing that EXTREMELY pissed me off was the fact that it did not come with any instructions.
1
US$ 4.30
US$ 4.30

                Item
Qty.
Unit price
Price
 
·         Color - Blue
*     I love this sweater so much. It's a gorgeous baby blue, and the rips on the sleeves and bottom make it look even better. The sweater is super thin and see-through, but I knew it would be just by looking at the website's picture. One thing I will mention is that it isn't as long as it is in the photos, which I wish it was. That is not to say that it is short. It comes to just before my pants' pockets.
1
US$ 7.65
US$ 7.65
 
·         Size - Asian XL (US L(12),UK 14, AU 16)
*     This jacket is made with real denim, and I do really like it. It's not too warm though. One thing that did annoy me was the hood. It is buttoned on (when you get it, it's not attached), which is good if you like to wear it without the hood. Personally, I will never take it off. It wouldn't be so bad if the stupid hood stayed on, but no. It keeps falling off, which means I am going to have to sew it on. Size wise, it fits perfectly.
 
1
US$ 12.44
US$ 12.44
 
·         Color - #3 Pink& Green
·         Size - Asian L (US M(8-10),UK 10, AU 12)
*     There is nothing bad I can say about this hoodie. It's cute and soft. It is also a light to medium thickness. The colors also match the website's photo.
 
1
US$ 7.14
US$ 7.14
 
·         Color - Light gray
·         Size - one size
*     This hoodie is pretty thin, and the sleeves are even thinner. The faux leather sleeves give it an awesome look. The pockets are really small, but the website's picture does show that. One thing I will say though is the inside is soft. I still like this hoodie regardless. For being a "one size fits all," it fits perfectly.
 
1
US$ 6.88
US$ 6.88
 
·         Size - one size
*     This top is pretty cool. I have never seen anything like it before. It is thin, and there are mesh cutouts on the shoulder parts.For being a "one size fits all," it fits perfectly. I have no qualms about this top, and it matches the website's photo. 
 
1
US$ 7.60
US$ 7.60
 
·         Color - Red
·         Size - one size
*     I love this top even though it is a bit thin. I usually wear this over something thicker, and it just looks great. The material is very soft too. For being a "one size fits all," it fits perfectly. It matches the picture exactly.
 
1
US$ 7.70
US$ 7.70
 
·         Color - Green blue
·         Size - Asian XL (US L(12),UK 14, AU 16)
*     This shirt was one of my better buys. It was perfect in the fact that it was soft and thick. The sewing job was nicely done too. It matches the picture exactly. I am definitely buying more of these.
1
US$ 8.06
US$ 8.06