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I wrote this last Christmas but did not post it. Since it is December again (time really flies!) let's not waste this sharing.


***

Hi everyone! It is December, the time of the year. Let's start preparing for Christmas.
Take this time to reflect on the good and bad decisions you have made this year. Take this chance to visualise where you want to be this time next year. Most importantly, take this opportunity to thank those who had made a difference in your life. Thank them for the valuable life lessons and the experiences.


DIY Christmas Sew on cards
DIY Christmas Sew on cards


I am going to share a very easy and idiot-proof DIY Christmas card for your loved ones. Make it yourself and remember to fill every word, fold and thread with gratitude.




What you need:


Scissors
Black stock paper ($1.70)
100 cm long colourful threads
Needle
Star sticker (optional)



Things to note: 

- For the black stock paper, I bought a big piece and cut it into my desired size (if I am not wrong, A5)
- Use a thicker needle as the stock paper is rather thick and hard. 




Steps:


Easy diy xmas card ideas
Colorful DIY Xmas Cards

1. Fold the stock paper into half.
2. Sketch a triangle, I tend to align my bottom vertices to the corner of the papers.
3. Puncture holes along the outline of the triangle with the needle.
4. Choose thread of your desired color, knot it and start threading through!
5. Knot once you're done with a color, try your best to keep it as close to the card as possible.
6. Repeat until a desired design is achieved!
7. Stick on a star sticker or you can choose to draw it on
8. Decorate however you like!

(PS it's so foolproof I don't think I need to take step-by-step photo hor)



diy colourful thread xmas card
DIY Xmas Cards, finished!



Done! So easy but the finished product is really nice. Remember to write your little note to the receiver inside :) If you find the inside of the card ugly (cause of the threads and all), you can glue another piece of paper over it.


merry xmas diy card
Merry Xmas!


Hi guys, how have you been? It has been way too long since I 'disappeared'. Well, at least I was semi-active on other platforms like Instagram. Thanks for your understanding; I am just super occupied with my current (new) life. 


So... let me update a little. 





Graduation





Now first thing first, 
I've officially graduated from education, well sort of. 

So here's a photo from the 'grad' shot I did with the girls and cy.
More about graduation next time. 




Graduation trips

Taiwan with Family

Krabi with the Girls




Penang with Dearests


Went for 3 separate trips with three different groups of people. They are not those fancy trips/Europe trip but I really enjoyed myself. Why enjoy once when you can have it three times, at probably a fraction of the cost? Budget and time were the two main concerns for all of us anyway. Nonetheless, wonderful memories.

PS, finally travelled overseas with my dearest group of friends, well after discussing about it for a good 5-6 years? Not sure how long it took us but at least we did it.






Career

Started my career back in May, officially. It took me a long time to decide, a long time to learn (in fact I am still learning and improving every single day). Appreciate the patience I have from my mentors, the trust people place in me and the encouragement and understanding I've received thus far. They shaped who I am today, this very moment.

It is no doubt stressful at times but I enjoy what I am doing.


For those who have just began their journey, you will do well too! Give yourself some time to polish up and keep learning!




I shall leave updating about other major things next time!
Can't say I am back blogging for good but I will try my best as long as I have the time and energy! Thanks for hanging around~


Mookata originates from Thailand. It is basically a Thai barbecue surrounded by a rim of soup base for steamboat. Best of both worlds in a pot.

People usually use pork lard for BBQing. The catch is that all the juices from the meat/seafood/lard will flow down into the soup while they are on the set. Sinful but it is good~ 

chokchai mookata singapore amk review
Mookata Singapore


ChokChai Mookata is a humble stall located in one of the coffee shops along Ang Mo Kio Ave 1. It is about 7-10 mins stroll from the nearest MRT station (Ang Mo Kio). You can take the chance to burn some calories you have gained (which is so necessary)/spend some quality time with your friends! 



chokchai mookata singapore set meat seafood
Set Menu ($28 for 2-3 pax/$45 for 4-5 pax)
Thai black pepper chicken, Thai garlic lean meat, Pork belly, Prawns, Sotongs, Scallops, Pork balls, Crab sticks, Fish balls, Hot dogs, Xiao bai cai, Cabbage, Golden mushroom, Sweet corn, Carrot, Tang soon, Egg


The set menus are great for sharing. We got the 4-5 pax set and it was just nice for us. 


meat seafood dish for mookata chokchai sg
Close up of the meat platter


Our favourite meat choice for BBQing is Honey pork belly. The two other, thai black pepper chicken and thai garlic lean meat, is not bad as well. People who love stronger flavours may like them better.


I heard the prawns were really good too. 



Other than the BBQ, its counterpart fared even better on my scale. The soup is a m a z i n g. It is light and delicious on its own, great after we started BBQing. No wonder some customers have been asking for a steamboat option.




Remember to pair your food with the Green/Red sauces.

chokchai mookata sauces
Green - Sourish, taste like Tom Yum sauce
Red - Spicy



Their sauces are all made from scratch, something you don't get a lot these days. I like to mix two of them up since I like both of them.  



The menu is quite standard but you can still find a good variety of meat, vegetables, steamboat usual and carbohydrates.


chokchai amk mookata menu price
ChokChai Menu for ref

Prices are reasonable, even for the ala carte menu.



chokchai mookata singapore
ChokChai Mookata!


I really like places away, yet not too far off, from the crowded malls. I get enjoy my food in peace, catch up with my friends without shouting over the noise. You will also be glad to know that ChokChai does not charge GST nor service charge! 




chokchai mookata thai steamboat & bbq ang mo kio
The place

ChokChai Mookata

Blk 340 Ang Mo Kio ave 1
Singapore 560340
Nearest station: Ang Mo Kio 
(7-10 mins walk away)

Operating Hours:
Mon - Sun: 5pm - 11pm

Facebook | Instagram



Thanks Chokchai for my first Mookata experience and Michelle for asking me along. 

Rating: 3/5
It was a pretty 'simple' celebration so there is not a lot to write. Still, let me document it down. Useful to search for it in the future :p


This space has been filled with reviews and more reviews. I know some of you like to read my more personal posts but to be honest, I don't have much to write about. I should probably remove the 'lifestyle' in my blogheader because I have no life T_T



******


salmon themed girls


Theme for Sw's birthday was Salmon (Salmon Party). I really like themed parties. We even dressed up for it! It is fun when everyone is so spontaneous.


salmon themed party card girls


Anyway, first up is salmon sushi card; I modelled it after a photo I found on the Internet (might be umisushi lol)

It was made with foam paper, stuck a harder piece of paper at the back to write messages. I used white glue and it worked pretty well. 


We did a salmon sushi cushion for her too because... The one from naiise is too overpriced.

DIY Salmon Sushi
DIY Salmon Sushi

Turned out much cuter than expected. Thanks to yq's pro designer sis too!




tenryu japanese dining and teahouse girls


Dinner was at Tenryu Japanese Dining and Teahouse. I've already wrote about our wonderful experience there in the previous post. 







Really love what they said so I have to SS it down for keepsake.



So these are the girls I've spent my 6 years with. Saranghaeee! 
Oh ya HAPPY 23TH BIRTHDAY SW!




jjoyis girls
Our tired faces HAHA but still thankful for the time spent tgt


Can't wait for the first full attendance trip soon!!!



With love x
Found this gem tucked away in a quiet private condo. Yes you read it correctly, Tenryu Japanese Dining & Teahouse is located INSIDE a condo (Dairy Farm Estate) along Dairy Farm Road. It is not too difficult to find but at the same time I wouldn't say it is easy.


I will include the direction in the section below, or at least I will try my very best to describe how we got there. 




We chose a Japanese restaurant because the birthday girl hinted her desire for a salmon cake. So we threw a 'Salmon party' for her. More about that next time. Tried our luck at Tenryu and the chef made it happened! Thank you! This is a good idea for people who do not like cakes? :p




salmon sashimi cake food photography
Salmon Sashimi Platter ($24.80, 15 slices)


This is unusual. I don't know why but I have been craving for this ever since that day! The salmon sashimi somehow tasted different, in a good way!! Wasabi was pretty good too. Yes, there are bad wasabis in the market.





sakana don fish cutlet don
Sakana Bowl ($10.80)
Fish Cutlet with egg & onions


The fish was well-marinated, tender and flavourful. The rice is albeit dry/tasteless so it will be perfect if something can be done! Other than that, this is quite a fuss-free meal option.





tori karaange curry rice nice sg
Tori Karaage Curry Rice ($11.80)
Fried Chicken Curry Rice


I will never order curry rice from Japanese restaurants because it is so easy to cook, many places even use pre-mix, but it is often priced around let's say a don. I just don't find it worth the sum I am paying. However, we got this dish because the staff mentioned it is one of the more popular dishes there. 

Glad to know their curry has  their own unique vibe. It is firstly more spicy than the usual Japanese curry and secondly, there is a faint beef taste? I did not check with the kitchen but it was nonetheless a pleasant experience. 





salmon garlic fried rice tenryu jap dining
Salmon Garlic Yaki Meshi ($10.50)
Garlic fried rice with generous salmon cubes


Now fried rice is easy to make but a good plate of fried rice is not. With that in mind, this garlic salmon fried rice and fragrant and oily. Dry fried rice never works you see. Sprinkled with generous amount of salmon bits, this is what people called 'value bowl'. 





tenryu maki sushi salmon torched
TENRYU Maki ($17.80)
Salmon sushi roll with Tenryu sauce


Salmon on the sushi was lightly torched. I am usually a sucker for torched salmon but surprisingly I find this average.


sushi torched salmon


Find it very plain & simple. I still prefer my shiok maki when it comes to maki because it is heavily drenched in sauces.





yuzu beer salon du
Yuzu Beer ($12.80)

Still not a fan of Yuzus, am I the only one? I find the yuzu taste did not value-add except it makes the beer even more bitter. The girls finished it though so I guess... beauty is in the eye of the beholder.



Tenryu Japanese Dining & Teahouse

Now I will definitely recommend you to check out Tenryu Japanese Dining and Teahouse for the very thoughtful service and tasty (yet very pocket-friendly) food. We did not wait for very long too. I love the food and the ambience that night - it was amazing. The top favourites will be salmon sashimi platter and garlic fried rice.

PS, no GST and service charge! 






TENRYU Japanese Dining & Teahouse

Dairy Farm Estate (Condo)
17 Dairy Farm Rd, #B1-06
Singapore 679043
Email: contact@tenryu.com.sg
Tel: 6464 8894

Operating Hours
Tues - Sun (Lunch): 11:30am - 3:00pm
Tues - Sun (Dinner): 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Closed on Monday

Website



Attached the map from the website:

direction to tenryu japanese dining
Direction to tenryu japanese dining 


From Hillview MRT station, walk against the traffic into Dairy farm road. 
Turn into the first small alley on your left.
You will see a small sign stating 'Tenryu' on your right; just head to the security checkpost beside the sign and ask! 
There is practically one main road in the condo so just stick to it. Tenryu is right behind a children's playground





Rating: 4.5/5


***
Thanks guys for guilt-tripping me LOL. I will work on another post later if I have the time before dinner. 



Locking in the date. Edit in a bit!


Refer to This Post for details!
que origin lavender bath wash etude house wonder pore freshener OST C20 vitamin C serum review Etude house face blur review sg
Que Origin | Etude House | C20 Vitamin C 



1. Que Origin Lavender Shower Wash

The scent is the first thing that stole my heart. This lavender bath wash smells divine, or at least to me haha. I really like using this especially at night because it really calms and relaxes me for bed. It doesn't foam but cleansing power is good. It is actually quite moisturising too. The best of all is that it does not irritate my skin as much as many other shower washes because it is formulated from natural ingredients. I have sensitive body/back so if the soap I use is too harsh, I will have a lot of red, itchy spots.

This was sent to me for a no obligatory try out btw. Quote 'jjoyis' for $3 off your first purchase (PS ON TOP OF FREE SHIPPING PROMOTION!)

Alternatively, click the the referral link here and everything is already nicely keyed in for you.

$7.90, 250 mL from Que Origin





2. Etude House 10-in-1 Wonder Pore Freshener

This is my holy grail of the month. Might be my holy grail for my whole life as well. Remember I mentioned (a couple of times) I have been breaking out and nothing is making it better. I mean sometimes it gets better but sometimes, omg please don't talk about it. Opened this last month and my skin is getting better and better! I am so thankful something is working.

I use this like a final cleansing step and it really lifts off any leftover impurities my make up remover/facial wash left out.

I wrote about Erude House wonder pore 7-in-1 (older version) in one of my favourites too. You can read if you are keen. They work quite similarly but I find this 10-in-1 version even better.



$32 (500 mL) @ Etude House stores





3. OST Original Pure C20 Vitamin C Serum 

After all the outbreak, it is common to deal with dark spots/scarring. I find this serum helping in fading those unsightly spots. My skin plumps up and glows after using this for some time. The only drawback is that it can sting, especially if you have open wounds.



$16, 30 mL from Qo10





4. Etude House Face Blur Base 

Received this as a gift from my friend and I loveee it. The texture is light and not sticky for daily use. It brightens your skin slightly and helps to manage sebum production (doesn't control fully though). I use it under make up, I use it on its own. Basically, this is an everyday product. I've been wearing this with a bit of concealer on days I am conducting lessons or heading out to study. It is just so convenient to put on and remove.



$27.50, 35g from Etude House stores






Didn't have a lot of products for Feb but I love all of them. See you guys in Mar's favourites!



Hi guys! It has been a really, really long time since I last sat down to pen something. As much as I want to, I can't. After all, I am not a full timer blogger. Now I can finally, well sort of, understand why many stopped even though it is something they enjoy doing.


Anyway, it has been nearly 3 months into 2016. Let me update a little about my life so far.


2016 has been pretty good and really packed. Still juggling between a few major things in life - school, work, lessons, friends


School

My last semester in University. Or proper education, that is if I do not further my studies. I am trying my best to absorb the last drop of knowledge from the lecturers. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy studying. It is stressful/tiring at times but learning is nonetheless, very fun.

And of course, I enjoyed my fair share of skipping lectures. I will definitely miss the 'flexibility'.
PS, we have online lectures!



Work

This is a new chapter for me. Opened it earlier but so far so good. I might share more about it in the future but I shall keep it offline for now.



Lessons

Nothing much changed. I wonder how long can I continue this for. I know I have to stop tutoring one day but let's not think about that for now. I am happy as long as they are doing well.



Friends

Practically hanged out with the usual few groups + other small pockets of people whenever I can. I feel extra grateful when I manage to spend time with them.

Sometimes I really want to reach out to certain friends first but it is just.. hard. Initiating contact is never easy for me and seeing how people slip away is not making things better. Important people I mean.

So that is why I count my blessing and give thanks every day - for the people who came and never left. 


Nonetheless, I thought I should make it a point to reconnect with more friends this year. If not now, when?


Hahaha why does it feel a little emotional here ah?



**********


Okay what else...?
Nothing.



If you miss me, I am on Dayre (daily crazy moments). Find me @jjoyis! It is quiet there too ahaha. 



Moving forward, I cannot promise I will update more but I promise to update a little everyday so that this space/my social media will not extinct.





chong qing grilled fish aljunied review
CQGF Aljunied Outlet
Chong Qing Grilled Fish



chong qing grilled fish spicy chicken cubes
Spicy Chicken Cubes ($16)

 The amount of chilli looks scary but it is actually not spicy. Quite shiok to have with plain rice!


chong qing grilled fish spicy chicken cubes
The dish is so red! 



cold chicken appetiser chong qing grilled fish
Mouth-watering Chicken ($7.30)

Again this is less spicy than the way it looks. The chicken is the yellow skin chicken (my favourite) hence it is very tender with less fatty skin ^^. However, this dish is served cold - I believe this is the way the locals consume it. I still prefer my meat with some sort of temperature. 




spicy conch chong qing grilled fish
Spicy Fragrant Conch ($14.90)

One of the more popular dishes from Chong Qing Grilled Fish, spicy fragrant conch. 

First time trying this and it is actually pretty good. I just find it quite troublesome to dig the flesh out from the shell with a toothpick. 



Fragrant Smoked Pork with Mushroom chong qing grilled fish
Fragrant Smoked Pork with Mushroom ($16)

Smoked pork that tasted quite like bacon. Comes with some stir fry veg and mushrooms. 



offal slices with stir fry veg chong qing grilled fish
Offal Slices ($8.30)

"One man's trash is another man's treasure"
This is more exotic to many. Offal slices are internal organs of an animal. I believe the innards come from cows. 



Chinese Spinach With Salted & Century Egg
Chinese Spinach With Salted & Century Egg ($11.60)

I am a veg person. And this is totally my dish. Spinach drowned in salted egg yolk sauce. 



chinese spinach with salted egg and century egg sauce
Close up


String Beans with Minced Meat and Dried Chilli
String Beans with Minced Meat and Dried Chilli ($11.70)

CQGF done their String beans/French beans/Long beans well. I cannot differentiate them hmm. Anyway, everything should be stir fry in fragrant garlic hahaa. The beans remained crunchy after all the cooking. Can try if you are eating there. 




What is Chong Qing Grilled Fish without grilled fish right? 
You can choose between Sea Bass ($32/$38) or Grass Crap ($48) cooked in three different sauces. 

sea bass with spicy numbing sauce
Spicy Numbing Sea Bass Grilled Fish

This is like mala Xiang Guo but more on the Ma (numbness) side. My tongue literally seized up hahaha. It was a weird experience haa!




pickled cabbage sea bass chong qing grilled fish
Pickled Cabbage Sea Bass Grilled Fish 

Pickled cabbage sauce is meant to cater for non-spicy eaters. 



hot & sour sea bass chong qing grilled fish
Hot & Sour Sea Bass Grilled Fish

Love this sauce the most! The bomb with rice. I especially enjoyed the sides they added in (mushrooms etc) because the flavours basically seeped in. 


I think I can have 2 bowls of rice (now) drizzled with the yummy sauce. The serving is great for 2-3 pax so order to share ok! There is in fact another additional perk - Startaster delivers them to the comfort of your own home!! Let me talk a little bit more after I finish all the food intro. :)


Fish in general was crispy but it can blend better with the sauce. The fish has that freshwater fish taste though; albeit not obvious when dipped in the sauces.





Next up is also my favourite kind of meal - steamboat. 
So easy and so yummy. 


dual pot chinese steamboat chong qing grilled fish happy pot
STEAMBOAT!

Happy pot comes in two soup bases to satisfy both Mala lover and non-spicy eaters. This is a steamboat buffet spread so you can order as much as you want for $22.90 (per pax)



condiments chong qing grilled fish
Lots of condiments

They have a lot of condiments for you to mix and match, like HDL! 
I really like this concept. 



mushroom for steamboat chong qing grilled fish
What we had

Lot of mushrooms and I love mushrooms!!
Already craving for steamboat (MALA ANY TIME)



chinese steamboat mala pot
Yuan Yang Steamboat
PS THE STEAMBOAT IS NOT FOR DELIVERY




Their food leans towards the numbing side so if you are a big fan of such... Taste? Sensation? You know where to consider. 


supper 2am singapore geylang
and it's a place for supper too!

Chong Qing Grilled Fish 

CQGF Lorong 27 Geylang
重庆烤鱼 - 阿裕尼芽笼27巷分店
No 45 Lorong 27 Geylang
Nearest MRT: Aljunied


Other outlets:
CQGF Mosque Street
重庆烤鱼 - 摩士街总店
18 Mosque Street #01-01

CQGF Liang Seah
重庆烤鱼 - 连城街分店
1 Liang Seah Street #01-05/06

Website



Let me by introducing Startaster. They are offering a wider (chinese) food selection for the consumers. The choices are quite different from Foodpanda.

If you are looking for new food to test out at home, this is a place you can check out. They can assist in making a reservation so if you are keen to 

Not sure when the promo code will expire but here is an additional $5 discount for your first order :D I hope it still works as I received the code quite some time ago.

"054EVNBH" 
for $5 off!


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