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Spring Break in New Orleans

We just returned from five glorious days in New Orleans! I have always wanted to visit the city and finally decided to go for it by combining the girls’ spring break and J and my anniversary trip.

J and I are too old to participate in the raucous activities that one usually associates with NOLA, and we obviously can’t do it with two tweens in tow. But we still had a great time in the city because it has such a rich history and culture — and the locals are so friendly and welcoming. This isn’t to say that we didn’t have any adult fun. I always had a bloody mary or a mimosa with brunch and a cocktail or two with dinner every night, and they make those drinks very strong in New Orleans!




On our second night, we took a Haunted History Tour — a two-hour walking tour featuring the city’s ghosts, true crime, vampires, voodoo, and other frightful history. Although it was a lot of walking (and a couple of people in our group dropped out midway because they were too tired), our girls had a blast and Aerin even cited this tour as her favorite part of the trip. Who knew Jackson Square, now a picturesque park, had such a gruesome history?

I’ve Been a Bad, Bad Blogger

Harro there! Remember me? I've decided to ease back to this blogging thing with a contrived post that crams my life within the last month through pictures (many which my Facebook friends and/or Instagram followers have already seen) and captions. Can you believe it's already been 3 weeks since Christmas? We kept it low-key again this year with a casual dinner at my parents'. My mother asked me to cook my famous 갈비찜 (kalbijiim, or braised short ribs) and while I was a bit nervous because I hadn't made it in over a year, it still turned out delish and I was proud of myself for not losing my touch. The day after Christmas found me at King Spa. My mother had insisted on treating my...

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High Expectations [The Perils of an Overactive Imagination]

I have never liked going to "tourist-y" attractions when traveling. I know this is the cool thing to do these days — to seek out the less popular, hidden gems when vacationing — but I have always been like this, even from a young age. And the reason for this aversion? Disappointment. The Mona Lisa. The Eiffel Tower. The Sistine Chapel. Starry Night. The Parthenon. The Pantheon. The Colosseum. The Statue of Liberty. Notre Dame Cathedral. The Blue Domed Church in Santorini. The Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Last Supper. Saint Peter's Basilica. Capitol Hill. The Louvre. The Palace of Versailles. Niagara Falls. The Grand Canyon. The Trevi Fountain. The Statue of David. And so on and so forth. Never have I been impressed and/or surprised by visiting these famous...

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Korean Beauty Haul: My Favorite Products, Part 3

see:Korean Beauty Haul: IntroductionKorean Beauty Haul: My Favorite Products, Part 1Korean Beauty Haul: My Favorite Products, Part 2 Sheet Masks, prices varySheet masks are sheets of cloth or thick paper — with appropriate cutouts for the eyes and nose — that are soaked with skin-improving chemicals. Although the instructions for each mask varies between each brand and type, they usually are to be left in place for a period of 10-20 minutes, and upon removal, the leftover liquid to be patted or massaged into the face. (XOVain calls Korea sheet masks the "Lazy (Broke) Girl's Facial." :-P  You can also check out The Beauty Department's "Sheet Masks 101" article for a bit more information and their recommendations.) Like most other Korean skincare products, every mask serves to target specific skincare...

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Korean Beauty Haul: My Favorite Products, Part 2

see:Korean Beauty Haul: IntroductionKorean Beauty Haul: My Favorite Products, Part 1Korean Beauty Haul: My Favorite Products, Part 3 Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX, ($23 at Target)(As far as I can tell, the Water Sleeping Pack_EX is the Asian version of the American Water Sleeping Mask — same formulation but different names. If I am wrong, please correct me.) I've wanted to try this "sleeping mask" ever since Target began to carry Laneige, a popular Korean beauty brand, earlier this year. This is supposedly one of Laneige's best-selling products across all of Asia, and after a couple of weeks' use, I can definitely see why! The Water Sleeping Pack_EX is a thick cream that looks like a translucent blue gel. It glides on smoothly and...

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