Reverse Osmosis System

Stumbleupon brought me to this site http://waterlife.nfb.ca/ which really started me thinking that maybe we should get a reverse osmosis system under our sink for better quality water. After a lot of research, the Watts Premier Zero Waste Revers Osmosis System seems decent, even though the longevity of it is questionable (the low reviews all site problems after 1-2 years). I'm also going to look into Waste Maid Pro-6 System when I get around to it, and look at the lower cost Watts Premier 3 Stage System, and maybe more features like this one with "ultra violet disinfection" (that could very well be not that useful though). Overall, the criteria is good quality water, less waste (usually takes 4-5 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon, which is such a huge waste) and longevity. I'm also going to see if the Point-to-Use Instant Hot Water System is going to work with the RO setup so eventually I can get instant filtered hot and cold water at my sink thus free up some counter space. Yay for kitchen gadgets!

The Perfect Travel Pillow?

Seems like I'll be flying a lot in the upcoming months, and I got sick of my leaky travel pillow, time to get a new one.

This one

http://www.amazon.com/TravelRest-Ultimate-Inflatable-Travel-Pillow/dp/B001DYDAEK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298772218&sr=8-1

or this one

http://www.amazon.com/Lewis-N-Clark-Adjustable-Pillow/dp/B000SKXROI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1298772218&sr=8-8

Kinda in the mood the venture out for something different like the Travel Rest, but I'm somewhat wary of it leaking in the future, as that's how my last one died, granted that the last one was from Daiso (Japanese dollar store). I think I'll give Travel Rest a shot just to try something different.

According to the review, there are many ways to configure this pillow. It doesn't work too well with international flights if you want to attach it to the seat, though you can wear it on yourself like a shoulder bag. This one review says "All in all, if you like the neck pillows then you probably don't need this. But, if you are a side sleeper, want a larger surface area, or like to hold on to something when sleeping, then you should definitely check this out." I'm a side sleeper and always hold a pillow when sleeping, so this sounds pretty convincing to me. I think it's a buy, what do you think?

Update: I ended up buying this, and so far so very good. I slept really well on my domestic flights, and I can see it working well on international flights as well. It worked well for me because I'm a side sleeper, I don't know how it would work with back or belly sleepers though. Maybe I'll test it out on my husband next time we fly together.

Is Shadora as Shady as They Look?

Well, rest assured that you get what you pay for--they are not going to be top quality jewelry.

Picture is this piece http://shadora.com/products/black-diamond-accent-belt-buckle-ring-in-sterling-silver which I think has a cute design

http://www.vuthy.com/blog/2010/11/23/jewelry-from-shadoracom-review-and-photos/

According to the review above and my own experience, when you see a diamond encrusted piece on this website, what you will get will most likely be diamond chips with studs in a lot of the slots where diamonds are suppose to be. Still, if you get small pieces (I got a key necklace with a flower shape on top similar to this one http://shadora.com/products/silver-plated-key-pendant but it has diamond chips on the flower petals, I like it), and pieces that only has one or two stones, you won't be missing that stone. Granted they are not top quality jewelry, for how often they appear on deal websites, you can often get some okay piece for not much money. I would avoid large pieces and stick with the smaller ones.

Layered Hoodie

I've always been a fan of long hoodies, they give a cute and casual feel and when implemented right can be complimenting to both skinny and rounder figures. This particular set of hoodies have some great colors, but the best part is that they also provide that catchy layered look without the extra bulk. Thumbs up :). http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8494819760

On a side note, I also love the shoes. I'll keep an eye out for them. Let me know if you know where I can get those shoes :).

I saw this picture in a store in China and really liked the outfit. Then I realized that this particular photo shoot with this outfit is posted on just about every other fashion blog in China. Reverse searching is hard, but I finally was able to find the sweater+hat combo online.

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=3568718586

Looks pretty different from the pictures though...the brand is 先潮后人, and they seem to have a really big collection of Korean sweaters.

All the pictures of this outfit is here http://www.yinghuashop.cn/views.asp?hw_id=1820

The Taobao link seems to be the cheapest entry for purchase.

As for the pink skirt, this is the best substitute I could find http://www.yesstyle.com.au/en/shy-shy-pleated-skirt-pink-one-size/info.html/pid.1023787282 but it's out of stock :(.

I guess there's this one http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2440195290095881252qTuIWG and this one http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8620585093 though not ideal.

Dried Umeboshi (dried Japanese plum)

Finally found these! You can only get these in Japan, and not even every store in Japan has them. They are really sour and has a kick to them. I'm totally addicted and I've been looking for them everywhere. I guess with a pretty big mark up, you can them them here too :).

http://cgi.ebay.com/Umeboshi-Dried-Pickled-Plum-Hoshi-Ume-Japan-Kanro-30g-/140506382517?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b6d540b5#ht_2612wt_1139

More oxfords

These are interesting, and the girl has a really nice outfit to go with them.

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=7708243002

These from "Taiwan Museum" (台湾馆) are super adorable. The reviews in Chinese says that the sole of the shoes are bit hard, but otherwise they are really cute shoes and the seller is very responsive. 59yuan+s&h+international shipping, still a pretty good deal.

Classy Oxfords :)

been looking for a good pair of oxfords, these have a very unique color :)

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8754092877&ad_id=&am_id=&cm_id=&pm_id=

Red Patent Flats!!!

Oh these are so cute! Gracegift is the brand, a quick search on Taobao turns up lots of great results :).

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=4930911506

I think I'll try to combine these two recipes at some point to make crunchier nuts with a smooth glaze and more flavors. Had some really good glazed roasted nuts at the Wynn buffet in Las Vegas, and I want to reproduce the flavor. According to the reviews, the first recipe is too salty, so maybe reduce the salt and not enough spices, so I'll add some ground ginger powder and Cinnamon. Should be pretty tasty :D.

http://thanksgiving.food.com/recipe/crunchy-glazed-pecans-45542

http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/sugar_glazed_pecans

Upon further research, this recipe looks pretty good too

http://makinglifedelicious.com/2010/11/10/sweet-and-salty-nuts-101/

and the results looks more similar to the Wynn pecans...except the pecans don't look roasted. I think I'll roast the pecans first according to this link http://www.ehow.com/how_2172724_roast-pecans.html then use the recipe above to make it perfect :).

:( the search for a blender continues.

Looks like a very understated review which basically states that KitchenAid 5 speed blender came on top for the price. The Breville, despite being able to blend in both cases, comes at a price tag of $300 rather than $150.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/tests/4332328

HOWEVER

after reading reviews on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KSB560OB-5-Speed-56-Ounce-Blender/dp/B000CSNVE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298448863&sr=8-1

people have stated that the blender leaks after several months of usage, and that it's noisy and the base vibrates (as you can see in the video). I'm going to have to keep looking :(.

The orange blender does look cute though :(. What a shame. Maybe I should call to see if they have an improved model?

The perfect white flats :D

I've been looking for a good pair of white flats. I think these might be it :D.

http://www.yesstyle.com/en/smoothie-faux-leather-pleated-flats-blue-europe-39/info.html/pid.1024044918