Hyperbiotics

With the constant stress of daily life, we often neglect the importance of health and expect great results from eating fries after burgers after milkshakes, etc., etc. Don't worry, I am also guilty of this. With the workload between blogging, college, and just life, itself, I often forget to treat my body as the temple it is ;)

No, but seriously, let's give our body some love.

No More Ties

For all of you who aren't taiwanese (so most of you), August 8th sounds like dad in mandarin and surprise surprise, that's when we celebrate our father's day. In celebration of the most amazing guy on earth, or at least in my opinion, I have compiled a list of presents that are going to knock the socks off the old pops (& at least no more ties)!

10 Things I Hate About Shanghai

First off, before people start getting defensive, I love this city. I have lived here for 5 years but just like any long term relationship, resentment will bubble up and sometimes you got to let it out. What can I say? Shanghai, you have your issues.

Bloggers Off-Line

Calling all bloggers! Calling all bloggers!

Being part of the Her Campus Blogger Network has many perks but honestly the best part is connecting with other bloggers from all over.

A Girl's Best Friend!

Summer time is one of the few times in a year where you can really pull of BRIGHT, BOLD STATEMENT JEWELRY and it's really exciting to see how all you fashionistas mix and match pieces to make the perfect outfit.

For us, well, jewelry has always been a necessity. Whether its an ivory elephant bracelet from the streets of Bangkok to a classic Tiffany & Co. neckalce, we never skimp on our jewelry.

So, we've decided that this is the best occasion to announce our new boutique launch:

Imported Bubbly

Oh the Horrors...

I am not a fan of scary movies. Just ask anyone I know! Once I watched Grudge with my best friend and no joke, I started crying because I am just that big of a scaredy cat. This month, when the 13th so happened to collide on a Friday, let's just say, I wasn't the biggest fan. However, I am not one to ruin the mood! So in the spirit of today, I've decided to showcase some dark-colored products (under $50) that can certainly brighten up anyone's Friday the 13th!

In the beauty department...

I am loving OPI's Light My Sapphire nail polish. I love how despite it being dark, it's not black and gives this off-black color that is just so unique!

I have been hearing great things about the Tangle Teezer from the blogosphere and I am just loving this chic Rockstar Black one! Not only is it easy to carry around and untangles your hair, it also comes in black (the color that matches all colors)!

From Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, we bring you the Tarred & Feathered Color Correcting Lip Balm Duo! Not only are there shining reviews about this product but we are also loving the sleek packaging and the whole au naturale "100% Vegan & Cruelty Free" thing!

In the accessories department...

This will definitely brighten anyone's dark clouds! I am loving this ELYA Goldplated Onyx Adjustable Ring! It is definitely an amazing statement accessory for when you have a plain outfit that needs some bling. Plus, it's adjustable (one size fits all)!

I always found Zara has the best accessories around but they have really outdone themselves with this classy Navy Blue Mini Shopper with Rings. I can think of a million outfits to wear with it and it would still be the center piece!

In the fashion department...

 Just cuz it's summer doesn't mean it's not time for a gorgeous Maxi dress. I love this Petite Sandy Scoop Neck Maxi Dress from Boohoo!

Summer time means beach time and we sure love this adorable cutout one. Not only is black slimming but this Samui Twist Front Deep Plunge Swimsuit puts the S in sexy!

What is your favorite one? How did you spend your Friday the 13th? Keep me posted in the comments below :~)

Love,

Healthy Living with my Cacti (and other Succulents)

For those of you who haven't been living under a rock (or in a desert), we all know that the newest rage is cacti. Who doesn't love those adorable spiky plants? From tumblr to twitter, people are talking about the cactus, taking pictures with it, and making some really weird jokes about it...

Sadly for me, I have also joined this craze because let's face it, who doesn't want one of these buggers. To my surprise though, I actually found how healthy (and awesome) it is to live with some cacti. So for all of you who has also got sucked into this craze, here are some reasons your succulent is THE BEST (and here are some excuses when people look at you like some One Direction addicted teenager for owning a cactus):

1. THEY KICK INDOOR AIR POLLUTION'S BUTTS Houses today are weatherized and insulated to keep the owner's optimal temperature. We use harmful chemicals to clean our messes and paint with ridiculously poisonous substances. While does make our home more comfortable or aesthetically pleasing, it has also resulted in tainted indoor air that is full of formaldehyde and other sick (not in the good way) gases. However, there is a simple solution: keeping a house plant (yay cacti). Cacti and other plants can release fresh, clean oxygen into the home and can remove poison such as formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, and xylem from indoor air.
2. THEY STABILIZE INDOOR HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE Plants moisturize the air (even in the driest ventilation system) and can significantly cool hot climates. So next time, combat your bad hair day with some humidity-killing cacti!
3. THEY'RE EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY What other plant is this low maintenance? They rarely need to be watered and some cacti (probably not the small, household kind) can live up to 175+ years! If you're like me and want a companion (that doesn't talk back or make you clean up their poop) but suck at maintenance, then get the most resilient organism ever: the cactus!
4. THEIR FENG SHUI ISN'T ALWAYS BAD Although some people believe that sharp edges represents destructive energy flow in classic Feng shui, cacti also represents preserving, balance, and wise spending in ancient Chinese symbols. In fact, cactus plants are powerful Feng shui cures and protective talisman too. Thus, instead of shunning the plant for its bad mojo, place the plant in the right place. Here are some tips for placement:
• Not in the southwestern parts of your house
• Not on a coffee table, kitchen stand, or nightstand (too close to people)
• Place it near a bedroom or bathroom window
• Hide it behind curtains at night
5. YOU CAN EAT THEM?! Research has shown that the Nopal Cactus (also known as the prickly pear) is abundant in health benefits. By eating these sharp cuties, they can improve oxidative damages to lipids and improve antioxidants, prevent inflammatory diseases by inhibiting leukocyte migration, lower cholesterol levels, decrease blood glucose values and help diabetics, and treat gastric ulcers. 
6. AIN'T NO BASIC PLANT Cacti comes in a variety and no two are the same. They differ in color, shapes, flowers, etc. and can be quite aesthetically pleasing in a home. They are as decorative as they are helpful, so why not?

So next time you are deciding whether to buy that cute top or a cacti, don't falter no more and go for the healthier option (or both)!

Love,

P.S. Here are my babies

100 Before 22

Hey darlings! It's the best time of the year, my birthday. Now, I am 18 and finally legal. In celebration of me going out into the big, bad world, I've decided to write a list of 100 things before I turn 22 (Oh oh, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22, everything will be alright, if you keep me next to you!) So enjoy my semi bucket list!

1. Graduate (WoooOOooo high school grad on may 31)
2. Get into college  (University of Michigan)
3. Get a rainbow rose
4. Lose 10 pounds  (gained it all back and more, thanks freshmen fifty)
5. Visit Times Square
6. Share a New Years Kiss with my loved one
7. Finish my "One Line A Day" journal
8. Get a job at a store I love It was Hollister
9. Go to Disneyworld
10. Cook dinner for a loved one (cooked dinner for Amy in toronto)
11. Become a fruitarian for a week In Shanghai
12. Get 1000 followers on my tumblr
13. Print my Camera film Photography class
14. Have a money jar for traveling
15. Own a pug
16. Don't eat fast food for a month
17. Own a Celine handbag
18. Learn to drive Technically have my license
19. Go to ihop (in hawaii, it was the cherry on top of the cherry pie)
20. Do a selfless act (30 hour famine on my birthday)
21. Go on a roadtrip Bruce Peninsula, baby
22. Find a signature drink Vodka Soda cuz I am basic
23. Go a month without Starbucks They don't have Starbucks in Australia really
24. Put a secret in a balloon and let it fly away
25. Scrutinize my things and give to charity (Going to college cleanup wooo)
26. Have a date in Ikea
27. Have a Disney movie marathon
28. Volunteer in another country  (Cambodia for Habitat for Humanity)
29. Spend the 4th of July in America 2017
30. Leave a note in a library book
31. Learn how to play chess (my boyfriend taught me; I suck at it)
32. Go to In-N-Out
33. Go to six flags
34. Get a tattoo
35. Take 100 polaroids
36. Don't swear for a day (my grandparents are visiting)
37. Eat american chinese food (nothing but food in ann arbor)
38. Buy clothes from Brandy Melville
39. Get 1k notes on a tumblr post
40. Get a pair of Doc Martens
41. Eat a whole watermelon with a spoon
42. Look good in a crop top
43. Kiss on a ferris wheel
44. Get a love letter
45. Read 100 books in a year
46. Use a cheesy pick up line
47. See the hollywood walk of fame
48. Read a book in a sitting (Why not me? in a plane, great book!)
49. Spend a day at a cafe 01/07/2016
50. Pull off bold, red lipstick
51. Buy a blazer
52. Spend a day offline (spent a week offline in Mexico)
53. Listen to all the songs in my itunes
54. Take a nice, relaxing bath
55. Own more plants (Bought 4 more cacti; check it out here)
56. Drink eggnogg
57. Wear high heels for a whole outing (still have the blisters if you don't believe me)
58. Dance until my feet hurt (Prom, right now Steve Madden is not my friend)
59. Have a spontaneous kiss
60. Go to Olive Garden
61. Cheer someone up
62. Light my whole room with candles
63. Get Nars makeup (eyeliner, I know it's a random choice)
64. Get a Naked palette Heat
65. Give 50 compliments a day
66. Drink 3 cups of water a day for a month
67. Get flowers for no reason (thanks ex-boyf)
68. Finish a bottle of perfume
69. Fall in love
70. Sleep under the stars Giant window in a mountain hotel room
71. Learn to play the guitar
72. Go paintballing
73. Ride a horse
74. Go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans
75. Have some fried mac n' cheese
76. Cuddle with a loved one
77. Kiss in the snow
78. Make some perfect cookies They weren't perfect but I tried
79. Visit a museum
80. Read The Notebook
81. Send a letter to a loved one Technically it was a small card that went with a present
82. Put up christmas lights in my bedroom (ambient lighting in my dorm room)
83. Go to an aquarium
84. Kiss underwater
85. Fall asleep on the phone  (Skype)
86. Slowdance (prom to the song yellow)
87. Make my own sushi
88. Travel with my best friend (Cambodia trip)
89. Kiss in the movie theater 
90. Make something beautiful
91. Write all my bad memories on paper, burn this paper afterwards
92. Finish a coloring book
93. Attend Coachella
94. Tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue After a lot of saliva
95. Skinny dip  ;)
96. Dip dye my hair
97. Make a gingerbread house
98. Eat something new
99. Watch Sleepless in Seattle
100. Sleep with a guy

81/100 (Jan. 3, 2020) - Fin

200 before 30 (Update Jan 3, 2020)

It's ridiculous but I've been alive for 21 years.

I feel like there is so much I would like to accomplish 

yet I never have the time or energy to do it.

I was on the phone the other day with a dear friend from high school

he expressed how with everything he has accomplished,

he doesn't know if he ever contributed to the world.

I always say I am still young and ready to take the world by storm

but. a few weekends ago, I was doing what 'old' people do

attending weddings, and experiencing death.

One of my acquaintances from university has unfortunately passed away

(RIP Hugo)

and it got me thinking,

if I were to get into an accident tomorrow, 

would I be happy with what I've done in my life?

So this is my bucket list. Before I am thirty, I want to accomplish these things.

I want to give myself a deadline to do things with my life

200 things averages out to around 25 a year for 9 years.

I can do it.

86/200

Here's my bucket list:

1. Graduate from University of Toronto with a Bachelor's degree (graduate of 2014!)
2. Get a big girl job with a promising title  (AA @Ogilvy)
3. Move into my own, first apartment (My Toronto condo!)
4. Scrutinize my closet and donate, store, or toss things I never wear (move from TO to PVG)
5. Go skinny dipping (Muskoka with my BFFs)
6. Find killer red heels
7. Rock short hair (above the shoulders) (Dec. 31)
8. Go zip lining  (Mexico baby)
9. Participate in a flash mob
10. Watch and review a Woody Allen movie
11. Go on a hot balloon ride
12. Share a new years first kiss with someone I love
13. Go to yoga class for one month
14. Keep my one sentence journal for 5 years
15. Buy a pair of Louboutins
16. Go to a wine tasting Many, many times now...
17. Have a staycation  Currently doing it right now... (Christmas 2019 to 2020)
18. Do a body shot
19. Introduce someone significant to the family
20. Drink green juice every morning for a month
21. Eat a cronut (March 8 - La Dolci)
22. Go on a spontaneous trip with my sister, Angella (Does Paris count?)
23. Stop eating fast food for at least a month
24. Tie messages to a balloon and let them go
25. Collect 10 more shot glasses
26. Take his last name
27. Get a promotion (First promotion in my life, April 5th 2017 at JP/TBWA)
28. Carve something permanent into a tree
29. Have courage and ask a random guy out
30. Kiss in the rain
31. Go [fruit] picking - apples, strawberries, etc.
32. Visit a vineyard (hopefully in Italy) niagara, baby
33. Buy a perfect set of undergarments  Calvin Kleins
34. Visit my sister at college before she graduates (University of Michigan baby)
35. Discover 30 new restaurants
36. Go on a no budget shopping spree (no looking at price tags)
37. Kiss under the mistletoe
38. Go to a Pi Beta Phi convention
39. Donate hair to locks of love
40. Go to Canada's Wonderland Surprisingly with coworkers
41. Order room service - perhaps breakfast  It was breakfast!
42. Jump into a pool fully clothed and push/pull someone in
43. Go to a Vegas bachelor/bachelorette party
44. Get 100 likes on facebook page 
45. Buy a beautiful Victoria's Secret pj set
46. Go on a cruise River Cruise 2019
47. Attend a live TED Talks Toronto 2017
48. Finish an entire New York Times crossword puzzle
49. Do 5 random acts of kindness
50. Get a real Christmas tree (cut from the forest)
51. Go on a helicopter ride
52. Learn to pick a lock
53. See 'Wicked' the musical (London July 2018)
54. Be a bridesmaid (E.F. making my dreams come true!)
55. Participate in a colour run
56. Buy a Kitchen Aid mixer
57. Try shooting a gun Christmas 2018
58. Wear only dresses or skirts for a week
59. Purchase a classic Burberry trench coat (Paris La Valle)
60. Visit Disney World - Florida
61. Purchase or receive my own business cards
62. Go on a weekend getaway with a loved one
63. Ride a cable car in San Fran
64. Get my drivers license (got my G2 getting close!) Sept 2018 in Peterbourough
65. Go to Mardi Gras
66. Become a certified bartender Technically I have my smart serve!
67. Dance in the rain
68. Contribute to Pi Beta Phi after I graduate (either start a new alumni club or be an AAC advisor)
69. Get 250 followers on instagram @importedbubbly
70. Go canoeing Oh Sam!
71. Watch the sunrise with a loved one
72. Go or plan an awesome bachelorette party (crashed a bachelor party)
73. Spend a weekend unplugged 
74. Fly first class
75. Manage a team or lead a project at work (Swatch, Ogilvy)
76. Watch 10 TED Talks 
77. Write a letter to myself each year before my birthday and open them all on my thirtieth birthday
78. Have my own car (doesn't car2go count?)
79. Go one month without Starbucks
80. Try the seaweed wrap
81. Make someone I love breakfast in bed
82. Watch a classic musical live (Lion King 2009, 2014)
83. Find my favourite red wine and learn to appreciate it
84. Visit the White House (DC trip, Feb 2014)
85. Fall in love
86. See a shooting star
87. Take a surf lesson
88. Attend a elementary/middle/high school reunion
89. Contribute to someone else's blog (contact me if I can contribute to your blog <3)
90. Go to a legitimate blind date set up by a friend
91. Leave a note in a library book for someone to find Oct 28, 2017 What Color Is Your Parachute?
92. Be vegetarian for a week
93. Make five new friends (Katrina, Hannie, Nichole, Psyche, Echo, Stephy & Ogilvy gals)
94. Gain 500 twitter followers for @imported_bubbly
95. See the ballet live
96. Buy my own statement watch (Michael Kors Rose Gold Watch)
97. Rock hair without bangs Bangs grew too long there was no bangs
98. Go sailing (Emily's daddy)
99. Read 50 books
100. Find my signature dish/meal
101. Perfect my signature dish/meal
102. Find my signature drink I'm 25 right now and honestly it's a Gin and Tonic
103. Perfect my signature drink Pretty easy to master
104. Plan a perfect day for my loved one doing only what he loves all day
105. Organize my iPhoto  (Feb 7, 2014 - took a good four hours but yay)
106. Celebrate a one year anniversary 
107. Speak in public playbooks at Beam Suntory Aug 2018
108. Find and purchase the perfect fancy flats 
109. Watch 10 classic rom-com movies (10/10) reviews here
110. Rekindle an old friendship (z)
111. Buy real flowers for my house for a month
112. See one of my best friends or my sister get married Oh Emily & Z
113. Eat a special meat that I've never tried Kangaroo and Emu
114. See 100 movies in the theater (68/100) reviews here
115. Go to a beer festival
116. Take a 'me' day from work to refresh and get my mani/pedis done (accidentally, I took a wednesday off)
117. Attend a baby shower
118. Read 10 women's bibliography who inspire me (Bossypants - Tiny Fey, Yes Please - Amy Poehler, Why Not Me - Mindy Kaling, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling, #Girlboss - Sophia Amoruso, I'm Fine - Whitney Cumming, Becoming - Michelle Obama)
119. Go on a 'no-buy' month
120. Be in a carriage ride
121. Go to a psychic once a year
122. Adopt a puppy - preferably a corgi
123. Subscribe to a year of trial beauty box
124. Buy a Lilly Pulitzer Pi Bet Phi item
125. Get a bikini wax
126. Go to happy hour with work buddies
127. Own real leather couches 
128. Find a cause I am really interested in and volunteer consistently
129. Learn how to make three desserts from scratch (and not a paper box)
130. Snap a selfie everyday for a month
131. Go to Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto (June 2014 w/Sam)
132. Receive a handwritten love letter
133. Go Skydiving
134. Attend a masquerade ball
135. Try all 10 of 'must try exotic fruits'
136. Have a kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower
137. Say yes to everything for an entire day
138. Learn to crack an egg with one hand
139. Unspoken promise
140. Become a godmother
141. Write everything bad that has happened on a piece of paper and burn it
142. Try the mud bath/mud mask or anything mud spa treatment
143. Sell something on the internet
144. Eat at a restaurant with Michelin stars
145. Save 40% of my pay check for 6 months in a year 
146. Try scotch on the rocks or whisky on the rocks (you remember, loud, crazy night)
147. Learn to whistle with two fingers
148. Build a house of cards (at least 6 stories)
149. Pick a random address from google map and write a kind letter
150. Throw a drink in someone's face
151. Stay in bed for an entire day (definitely more than a day)
152. Join the love locks in Paris
153. Have at least one friend you know for over 15 years Mo & El
154. Do something crazy for love
155. Buy two TVs (one for my bedroom and one for my living room)
156. See a hockey fight live
157. Start a fight - food, pillow, snow or water balloon
158. Get one instaphoto to 1000 likes 
159. Travel for work (Suzhou, Oct 16-17, 2014)
160. Give up something for lent (and stick with it)
161. Celebrate a three year anniversary 
162. Buy my own Tiffany and co jewelry (Hawaii, 2014)
163. Own a pet (preferably a dog)
164. Earn my first million dollars (currency can be TWD, RMB, CND or USD) Combined my first three years = more than 1 mil TWD
165. See 5 new museums (more than 5 from DC)
166. Buy a killer red dress
167. Complete a one month workout calendar
168. Finish my wreck this journal
169. Go one month without taking a taxi thank god for uber
170. Buy something from a flea market or second hand Bloggers Yard Sale
171. Inspire or become a mentor for someone
172. Buy a pair of gorgeous nude heels
173. Try the LSAT again, achieve my goal score
174. Buy a coffee table book 
175. Try the secret at least for a month
176. Attend 5 networking events (Girl Network @ Spokes, Pitt Society @ Albany)
177. Buy myself an apple desktop for my work
178. Clean my phone contacts
179. Clean my facebook contacts
180. Clean my email contacts
181. Learn and make pasta from scratch! (July 2014 w/Angella)
182. Be better with family - text my parents once a week for at least a year
183. Reach 10,000 followers on tumblr - ivegotafoodbaby
184. Learn 5 new hair styles that I can do on a daily basis
185. Clear my episode calendar (only have upcoming)
186. Listen to every single song on my itunes
187. Delete every song you don't actually like Does it count when I deleted the app?
188. Visit 4 continents (Asia, North America, Europe, Australia)
189. Learn how to invest (stocks, bonds, etc.)
190. Watch a musical on broadway in New York
191. Sleep 8 hrs or more a day for a month
192. Pay for vacation for my parents
193. No processed sugar for a month
194. Take self-defence classes enough to feel safe
195. Have professional photos taken for my profession
196. Take cute photos in a photo booth (March 2014 w/Zehra @one of a kind show)
197. Unsubscribe to junk mail from all my emails
198. Reach 50 followers on pinterest @importedbubbly
199. Try 3 Internet challenges (such as chubbybunny, cinnamon challenge, etc.)
200. Finish paying all my mortgages and own my first apartment

Start Date: January 1, 2014

End Date: May 29, 2022

maybe you can all start your own list

or cheer me on :)

New Years Inspiration -- Coco Chanel

Hey Darlings,

It's that time of the year; the time where some things end and others begin. During this change, who better than Coco Chanel to give us inspiration (with a background of young Johnny Depp and Kate moss *swoon*). Anyways, comment below what you did for New Years and what your New Years resolutions are. Don't forget to drink some bubbly!

Lots of love,

 Angella