Instead of shopping for art for your walls, why not create your own. As I was spring cleaning and changing our calendars to 2012, I was feeling that it was a shame to throw away some of the beautiful black and white photos of famous architecture from around the world. So, before I threw them …
Here in Seattle there is a controversial issue regarding plastic shopping bags. The local environmentalists want to ban these bags from supermarkets, retail and convenience stores and charge 5 cents for paper shopping bags. You can read more about this issue in the Seattle Times article by clicking here. I understand that “plastic” just doesn’t …
You just can’t separate rice and Asians. Many Asians eat rice daily and if we haven’t had rice for a few days, we sure do crave it. In Hawaii, our family gatherings will often include pasta or potatoes, but regardless, we always have a pot of white rice. That’s just how it goes, you gotta …
When you hear the word origami what comes to mind? I always think of paper cranes in an assortment of colors. Origami can be useful as well as decorative too. Why not try these chopstick rests? This is my attempt at a vlog or video blog. I’d like to try to do more of these …
Now that my boys are in college I realized that there are things I never bothered teaching them and this is one of them: laundry symbols. These are the symbols on the tag placed inside your clothes, where they describe the fabric content and the recommended laundry method. It may seem obvious to many but …
Learn the International Laundry Symbols to Take Care of Your Clothes Read More »
This has been on Youtube for many years but it still seems to amaze me. She folds a t-shirt in just 22 seconds! Photo: Pixabay
Now that we are finally getting warmer weather in the Pacific Northwest, it’s the season to be outdoors. Today many of the new fabrics that are made to keep you dry are basically polyester. Unlike cotton, polyester seems to retain more body odor. I know this from my three boys coming home from their various …
Have you ever bit into fruit that was so dry and tasteless, that you ended up not eating it? Buying good fruit is not always easy but hope these three tips can help. I know only 3 sounds so little but I found that in this day and age of information overload, sometimes too many …
What do you eat when you have the flu? Is it the standard chicken soup and soda crackers, which is always so comforting? Do you make sure you have lots of liquids that include hot lemon and honey tea? These always do wonders for me, but being Asian, sometimes I crave Asian flavors when sick. …
It is the gift giving holiday season! In Asia it is customary to give money during the New Year season and other festive occasions. In China, money is often placed in a red envelope, as the color red is considered an auspicious color. In Japan, money envelopes were often white with red cord, but today …
“What am I going to cook today?” Some days I struggle to think what to make for dinner, especially when I’m short on time. Thinking about what to eat and creating a balanced diet for a family can be stressful. Just to make sure the menu includes proteins, vegetables, carbohydrates, fruits and oils can be …
Last week, good friends of ours invited my husband and me to a talk featuring actor, Ed Begley, Jr. and architect, Matthew Coates at the Seattle Town Hall. It was titled “Leading the Way toward a sustainable future.” Mr. Begley is a successful actor and an environmentalist. You can visit his website here. He easily …
Compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFL’s, are now being promoted as an easy way to conserve energy. Compared to the regular incandescent light bulb using CFL’s can save up to $30.00 over it’s lifetime. It sure sounds good. So, in the beginning I went out and bought many CFL’s in different shapes and wattage. It …
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs – To Use or Not To Use Read More »
Shoyu, or soy sauce made from fermented soybeans, is a liquid flavor base of many Asian recipes, and I would say the main ingredient in Japanese food. I also believe shoyu is addictive. It is known that when traveling outside Japan, many older generation Japanese bring their favorite brand of shoyu with them. However as …
image from freshhome.com Buying furniture can be a very stressful endeavor, as it can be a large amount of money for many people. Unlike clothing, where you can change on a whim, major furniture cannot be switched so easily, plus it will be used on a daily basis for many years and must withstand the …
Everyone’s sense of smell is different. I know my nose is more sensitive than my husband’s because I often ask him, “What’s that smell?” and he has no idea of what I am talking about. My younger sister has had allergies throughout her life, so her ability to smell has also been diminished. Our homes …
