Anime and Foodie Family Adventures

We attended an anime SmileFest event at Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton, California and had a good time. Thanks to the forethought of The Huz, we arrived about 2 hours before the event was scheduled to begin. With some teamwork, we were able to scope out the event and get into the correct lines in order to procure the limited complimentary merchandise they advertised including a super nice Ramen Bowl with chopsticks--unexpectedly good quality for free merch.  Pro-tip: when you attend these events, be patient, be kind and also prepare to come early to avoid missing out on desired items.

While in line, The Huz got me a Hawaiian style Vietnamese Coffee from AFK First Coffee.  It's the first vendor you find right at the front entrance. This coffee is not for the faint of heart--it's pretty strong yet delicious.  I am hoping that it doesn't keep me up too late tonight though. LOL.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not one to ever order beer, but The Huz wanted a specific mug that could only be acquired with purchase so he decided to get me a Mango Beer. He doesn't drink alcohol himself.  I, on the other hand, am more of a fruity cocktail person (and not even that much), but I figured, this should be okay.  To be fair, if you enjoy beer, this selection is probably fabulous! But what I learned about myself is that I am not a beer person. Nope. That's something I wouldn't willingly get on my own. 😁

The Youngest has always wanted to try "squid ink" and I have yet to find a place we could try so it was a delight to find that Nandomo by Hironori offered a "squid ink" Ramen selection. The broth is flavorful and the squid ink flavor is subtle. The meat is think and juicy and it all blends together deliciously to make a super tasty bowl. It's a satisfying selection and I could see ourselves coming back for sure.

From Oi Asian Fusion I had to try their Fried Chicken Adobo selection. I was expecting it to be saucier, but it was okay because it was still a tasty selection. The chicken was crispy and juicy. The soft boiled egg it came with was cooked just right. Overall, it was a tasty meal.

  The First-Born was thrilled to complete the tasks that allowed him to get limited edition merch from the event. He was/is a happy collector.

 

 

Churros with a coffee dipping sauce from Banh Xeo Boys. The churros by themselves are "just okay". But paired with that coffee dipping sauce...absolutely fabulous! 

Pandan Horchata and Pork Belly Fries also from Banh Xeo Boys is tasty and filling. They also included some pork egg rolls which were good too!

The anime portion of the event was very lively as well, with a DJ playing upbeat songs and lots & lots of attendees.  There was an enormously long line at the main SmileFest booth because people were vying for a mystery box. It was a fun event and I'm glad my family got to share it together. 

Sending light & love to you all out there. I hope you make time to enjoy the things that make you smile. XOXO 😗

It's A-Hole-in-the-Ceiling Kind of Day

When we had a traumatizing backyard fire that sadly destroyed our shed a few months ago, it was a wake-up call for us to take stock of our electrical wiring and install updates to make sure that we stay safe and lessen our risk of anything like that (or worse) happening to us again. We have a fairly old house and the wiring was designed in a time that technology wasn't a way of life so the house wasn't outlet friendly.  We made due by using extension chords and what-not which are not only hard to manage at times, but could potentially be unsafe for various reasons.  However, re-wiring one's house electrical system is not only very costly but also disruptive to members of the household. We weighed the pros and the cons and decided that we had to make the decision to go ahead with this particular house improvement because it fell under "necessity"--safety and peace of mind.  It was especially difficult for me because I had an unofficial (an internal one I didn't share with other members of my family) goal to make 2021 a "low-buy" year which means that we were going to make an effort to spend as little money as possible and really focus on essentials and necessities. It's actually a movement that many minimalists (I'm not one, but I've been reading up on certain philosophies I would like to incorporate in my life) use to either save money or just make a conscious effort not to acquire more "stuff".  But again, life had other plans for us and that goal will definitely not be accomplished this year. 🤷

So, we begun the whole re-wiring process. The electrician assured us that we didn't need to vacate our property and they would work on segments of the house so that we would never truly be out of power. The drilling began and for the most part we were able to get by.  I'm not going to lie and say it was easy having strangers all up and around my house and space, but I kept telling myself it was all for a purpose and we truly would be better off after it was all over. Despite that self-talk though, I still felt a lot of anxiety. Anyway, to make a long story short, the workers hit a few snags here and there which caused them to take longer than they anticipated and also left us without light sources for a few days (as well as a cooking source since the microwave and oven were without power). Thankfully, they were able to still send power to our refrigerator & freezer because that would have been beyond inconvenient if we had to throw away all that food (goes against my low-waste philosophies and it would just plain suck!). Again, no matter what, there's always something to be thankful for--even when you're living with battery powered light for several evenings and don't have a place to cook meals. We basically ate take-out for two weeks which isn't as fun as one might think especially since I didn't realize that cooking and preparing meals is a big de-stresser for me (it's not just something I do, it's something I need). I'm still learning things about myself, apparently. 🤷 

As we were approaching week three of the whole process, I was in one of the rooms when I heard a loud crash. As these weeks have passed, so much noise has occurred that it was safe to say it was just another thing that was knocked down.  I was curious, but just decided to wait til someone (The Huz and 2 sons were in various parts of our home) informed me what happened. Shortly after the loud noise, the door opens and my First-Born said something like, "You're not gonna wanna come out just yet".  I was like, "Well, that doesn't sound good."   I could hear the vacuum going and some "clean-up" noises just outside the door. The First-Born begins to tell me that there's a giant hole in the ceiling as one of the workers fell through it. 🤯Thankfully, no one was hurt.  But yeah, we have a giant hole in our ceiling. 

The First-Born took a quick snap shot!

After the initial disbelief, I mean, I think I was actually speechless for a few minutes, we actually found a bit of humor in it all. I mean, we were all feeling a bit crazy by this time and it was one of the moments when we all just felt like, "Well, what else could go wrong?"  I think when you have a big hole in your ceiling, being able to find something positive is a helpful coping mechanism. 

Even a big hole in the ceiling is fixable.

A few days later, it was patched up by drywall. It will be sanded and then painted and will never look like anything unusual happened there.  But we all know. And although it definitely didn't feel good when it happened, along with the days of noise, dust and strangers in our house--those moments passed.  They finished and we have safe electrical wiring and more outlets to use. Positive changes. 

Just reminding myself and everyone that needs to hear it, life has its arduous moments. Keep trying, keep moving forward. Sending light & love to everyone. XOXO 😘 

 

Turn the Page & Begin a New Chapter

When you find your favorite genre of books, give yourself the time and energy to enjoy reading! It's an awesome way to self-care. The following selections are Contemporary Romance novels I recommend. Please note: They are for mature audiences only.

MoonStone Beach by Linda Seed:  This story is set in the beautiful backdrop of Cambria, California.  Kate is a local business owner and a divorcee looking to make that leap back into the dating pool.  It starts out pretty hilarious. But as a reader, I related to Kate and couldn't help but root for her.  Jackson is the local upscale restaurant chef and although he seems rough around the edges, underneath it all, a good person exists.  Both characters are likeable and I could picture myself in the setting watching these two do their thing.  This was a beautiful love story.  

 

 

Nothing But Blue Skies by Christie Ridgeway: This sweet story is set on the beautiful island of Abrigo, CA, and it's just as much a living breathing character as any other.  We follow the romantic journey of two couples: Yaeger & Zoe and Deke & Lyssa.  Each person is unique and wonderful on their own--struggling with their own demons or coming to terms with their own realities.  The theme of destiny and meant-to-be's is strong and dare I say, magical. 

 

 

Going Down Easy by Carly Phillips:  What I enjoyed about the main couple, Kaden and Lexie, was that they didn't waste any time letting each other know they were attracted to one another. One of the biggest complications to their romance, however, is that Kaden is Lexie's boss--as if that's going to stop Kaden from pursuing Lexie.  But aside from wanting each other, they both have separate complicated lives that could really derail any progress they make towards a healthy relationship.  Mental illness is a big theme in this story--and a lot of hope. 

 

If you have a chance to read all or any of these, I hope you like them.  As always, sending light & love to all! XOXO 😘

 

This is true for me. I enjoy many things, but reading is a special kind of enjoyment.

 

Let it fly free for all to see!

The perfect book meme and life advice meme. 😉

It's the most affordable way to travel.