Day 1 – 30 days minimalism challenge

Inspired by this minimalism website and the post about Fumio Sasaki, I’m taking up the 30 days minimalism challenge because I feel so guilty that own so much stuff but mostly are not needed like this cosmetic storage box. 
IMG_2252

I have several boxes to hold my cosmetic products and samples but seems I don’t have the habit to finish the bottle before buying a second one with similar functions. So in this 30 days minimalism challenge, I’m going to start from decluttering my cosmetic products.

Here comes my day 1 item – a gold mask sampler given by my sis-in-law, probably 2 years ago. It actually is a good mask that hydrate my skin and leave a temporary glow in my face. I’m happy that one item has been out from my clutter so easily. IMG_2251

Sweet chinese dessert with Eggnog

For those who is hesitate to consume eggnog because of the raw egg ingredient or having too much left over of eggnog after party, here is a super easy recipe to prepare an impressive Chinese dessert in 15 minutes using eggnog.

What you need is eggnog and an egg, plus the help of a steamer. Beat the egg in a bowl and pour eggnog to the top of the bowl, covered with aluminium foil or plastic sheet and steamed for 15 minutes. No extra sugar is needed, but the egg is needed otherwise only the eggnog cannot be solidify. The outcome is something very similar to a traditional Chinese sweet dessert – steamed egg, very silky and smooth texture after all.

Quebec Eggnog - Lait de poule

Quebec Eggnog – Lait de poule

Before steaming

Before steaming

After 15 mins of steaming, super silky and smooth texture of sweet steam egg is ready.

After 15 mins of steaming, super silky and smooth texture of sweet steam egg is ready.

How to access Netflix.com, Hulu and Pandora in Canada

The Canadian version of Netflix has a much smaller collections than the US version, but with a subscription in Netflix.ca do actually gives you access to Netflix.com if your ip address is in the state. Having said that means you can enjoy movies on Netflix.com with a Canadian subscription even though physically you are in Canada only if you have a US ip address.

With more and more streaming services available only to US but not Canada, like Pandora (a free online music streaming service) and Hulu (with most up-to-date TV episodes and show), I would like to explore a way to enjoy these online streaming services in an easy and legal way.

An easy way always comes with a price, especially when you want to do it legally. My plain solution is to get a US ip address for my computer, and I use VPN to do it. It costs me around $7 per month when subscribed for a year, which includes two simultaneous connections but unlimited installation of their software in any computer, Mac or PC, even Apple & Android. It is actually safer when surfing the internet with a VPN service in terms of identity protection and sensitive data transfer. I personally am very happy with this VPN company, all those online streaming services work like a charm.

Netflix.com new arrivals as of Jan 4th 2013, the Canadian version.

Netflix.com new arrivals as of Jan 4th 2013, the Canadian version.

Netflix.com new arrivals as of Jan 4th 2013, the US version.

Netflix.com new arrivals as of Jan 4th 2013, the US version.

My two favourite documentary films in NETFLIX Canada – 2012

Super Size Me (2004) –  A true man show demonstrating what happened to his body and emotion when he eat only McDonald’s 3 time a day for a month. We all know that fast food doesn’t intend to be taken in every meal and everyday. But at the end of the show, they interviewed around 100 nutritionists over the phone and most of them suggested that you should never east fast food, especially for kids, because these type of foods are loaded with ingredients that will make you addicted and attached to. Really, everyone should watch it, parents, teenagers or grandparents. It really makes me more aware of the food I eat. It is the best documentaries I have seen in this year.

Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) – A documentary about the history of the electric car – car uses only battery which was once very popular in California. It is pathetic to see the fate of these electric cars being crushed and shredded in a junk yard, even some are perfectly functioning. The presence of EV-1 proved to us that despite the technology and consumers were there, there is not much we as a end user can do to stop the giant company’s’ stupid decision.

French Verbes Conjugaison – Primaire groupe et deuxième groupe

I made these little tables to help in remembering the French conjugation of the primary and secondary groups verbs. There is always exception in French, but still there is a kind of pattern there. I try to put those verbs in exception but with a pattern in the same table, hope you will find this post useful.

 1er Groupe – ER

  Parler Aimer
Je/J’ Parle Aime
Tu Parles Aimes
Elle/Il/On Parle Aime
Nous Parlons Aimons
Vous Parlez Aimez
Elles/Ils Parlent Aiment

Spéciaux 1er Groupe

  Manger Voyager
Je Mange Voyage
Tu Manges Voyages
Elle/Il/On Mange Voyage
Nous Mangeons Voyageons
Vous Mangez Voyagez
Elles/Ils Mangent Voyagent

 

  Appeler Jeter
J’/Je Appelle Jette
Tu Appelles Jettes
Elle/Il/On Appelle Jette
Nous Appelons Jetons
Vous Appelez Jetez
Elles/Ils Appellent Jettent

 

  Envoyer Nettoyer
J’/Je Envoie Nettoie
Tu Envoies Nettoies
Elle/Il/On Envoie Nettoie
Nous Envoyons Nettoyons
Vous Envoyez Nettoyez
Elles/Ils Envoient Nettoient

 

  Acheter Préférer
J’/Je Achète Préfère
Tu Achètes Préfères
Elle/Il/On Achète Préfère
Nous Achetons Préférons
Vous Achetez Préférez
Elles/Ils Achètent Préfèrent

 

  Commencer
Je Commence
Tu Commences
Elle/Il/On Commence
Nous Commençons
Vous Commencez
Elles/Ils Commencent

 2e Groupe – IR

  Finir Choisir
Je Finis Choisis
Tu Finis Choisis
Elle/Il/On Finit Choisit
Nous Finissons Choisissons
Vous Finissez Choisissez
Elles/Ils Finissent Choisissent

Plus de verbes : Réussir, grandir, maigrir et grossir

Fondue Folie in Sherbrooke

In case you are travelling in Quebec, you gotta try the Quebec style fondue. It listed third on my MUST-EAT list after the famous smoke meat and poutine. The Fondue Folie in Sherbrooke is a restaurant speciality in fondue food, from starter to desert with a reasonable wide range of choices in their menu. I highly recommend you make a reservation for your dinner because the restaurant is quite fully booked, yet you can try your luck if you come really early, like before 6pm. And do spare yourself at least two good hour to enjoy the dinner.

Fondu Folie in Sherbrooke

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Google Nexus 7 won’t power on – Symptoms, solution and prevention

Symptoms:

Did your Google Nexus 7 experienced don’t turn on even you have been charging it for hours? and while charging, there is no icon showing up in the screen too? And are you thinking either the cable or the connection cable or even the tablet has been broken? Are you considering a return to Google for repair? Then wait a sec. Try the following easy method before going any further. Continue reading

Can you really earn some money from online survey?

One way I found can save me some pocket money is doing online survey. Out of many I have signed up to, only two sites really give me   reward points that really can redeem usual products or services. I am not going to disclose the names of those that I found not useful, but some survey companies rewards you chances to their lucky draw or with points that are so little, take you forever to redeem some useful things. By saying useful, I really mean something you are already using in daily life, like Startbucks card, Hertz,  Shell car wash, hotel points etc.

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Needle felting a cat using cat hair

Inspired by the book Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make with Your Cat, I am using my cat’s hair to try out this interesting needle felting technique. The book is fun to read even though you don’t plan to needle felt anything, it contains step-by-step instructions to projects with various difficulties, like small tote bag, book cover and drawing. Today I am trying out the little puppet that shown in the book cover, took me an hour from start to finish, excluding brushing your cat and collecting the necessary tools. I got my felt needle and some extra cashmere (like the white color) from Etsy.

After 3 or 4 steps, the puppet is almost done.

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Copper foiled stained glass – 3 Beginner projects

After a year and half of learning stained glass through a community workshop, I am showcasing my three beginner pieces using copper foiled techniques. The first two pieces have the same pattern but used different color and texture glass for practising purpose. The third one is a window panal for a side window along a stair.  Enjoy the photos!