Let’s Bake! (Ensaymada Edition)

I haven’t done a post like this in ages! I have done lots of baking, but nothing I felt like sharing on the blog. I should have taken photos of the russian fudge I made last week as I got lots of questions about it. I’ll keep it in mind for next time!

So Ensaymada was first introduced to me by a Filipino parent at the centre I work at. He brought these in during a family xmas party and I loved it. It’s a light, fluffy little muffin thing, covered in buttercream and topped with lots of cheese. It is so good, so I decided I wanted to try make some.

Anyway, I followed this recipe from Foxy Folksy, a blog run by a lovely couple. I had never worked with yeast before, so I was nervous but I had always wanted to try. So once the dough was all made, I left it in the kitchen for a few hours to see if it would double in size. It did!

I didn’t have a before photo, but it was way less than what you see above. The next step was the most fun. Lots of rolling and kneading to get 16 pieces, which is how much the recipe makes. Then you roll out those pieces again and coil them up to get the shape.

They don’t take too long to bake, and the house smelt so good while they did. After 20 minutes, they were all golden, so I took them out to let them cool.

Little pillowy buns! I whipped up some buttercream then grated some cheese. All these final touches took around half an hour, then we dug in! It was delicious, before we ate more though, I wanted to take some pretty pictures.

Yummy! These ones were not as light as I had tried before, it was a little more denser. More like a muffin texture, but it was still delicious. Both sweet and savoury at the same time, each one felt like a mini meal. Breakfast was set for the next few days!

Have you baked during the lockdown much? I’ve loved trying out new recipes, and also pulling out old trusty ones too!

Angela.

 

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Easter Arts and Crafts

So as part of me working from home, we’ve been uploading activities and mat times and such onto an online platform for the families at my daycare centre. As Easter is coming up, we’ve been sharing lots of themed arts and crafts, and I wanted to share them on my blog too.

I decided to do both religious and secular activities. The first one I found and shared is a tape cross art. Its super easy to do provided you have paint and washi tape. I did not have paint, but I improvised with crayons. I think paint would look cooler, but make do with what you got right?

So all you do is places the washi tape in the shape of a cross on your paper and colour over it. When you remove the washi tape, the image of the cross remains in negative space on your piece of art. Pretty cool! You could even do other designs with the tape too come to think of it.

The second craft is an Easter egg mosaic. This was really fun for me. You need coloured paper, or just regular paper that you coloured in with your crayons. Then you cut them into lots of little pieces and arrange them on your egg. Once completed, you have a colourful mosaic egg!

Finally, the last one was marbled eggs. I was deliberating leaving this one out as I was underwhelmed with the results. The site I got the idea from looked so cool, while mine were a bit lacklustre. Basically you put your hard boiled egg into a mug filled with hot water, a teaspoon of vinegar and a few drops of food colouring for a few minutes. This is to give your egg its base colour.

Then, you place it in a bowl with a little bit of water, 1 tbsp of oil and more drops of food colouring. Spoon some mixture over the top of the egg then leave it in the bowl for a few minutes. Then turn it over and repeat. Finally, pat them dry with a paper towel.

After all this is done, you’re meant to have eggs with crazy, marbled patterns. Didn’t quite work for me, but I didn’t want to keep wasting eggs, so this is what I got. I’ll try again next year.

My last Easter Post was back in 2018 where I made some carrot cake balls which I recommend checking out if you’re also looking for some easter themed treats.

What Easter themed arts and crafts are you planning to make or bake? Or with the current situation, are you not really planning to do much at all?

Angela.

Keeping Cosy

I used to do a lot of outfit posts back when I blogged on an actual schedule. So I thought it would be fun to try do some more. Given the current situation, I thought I’d share my go-to cosy at home outfits.

Red, Black and Yellow

First one is good old fluffy cardigan and leggings.

I got this red sweater from H&M over the holidays. It’s so soft and good as the weather is slowly getting cooler here. I often wear it with my black leggings which are getting older, but it just makes them even more comfortable.

I wanted to accessorize a bit so I threw on my yellow headband to help tame my hair, and my little gold necklace that I’ve been wearing a lot. It’s quite minimalistic which is why I got it. Also, socks, cause my feet were cold.

Finally, I attempted na outfit flat lay, throwing in the shoes I would wear if I was going outside. You can see the texture of the sweater a bit better in this too. It’s super fluffy and fun to feel.

Feeling Spacey

My other choice is my NASA hoodie which I got from H&M and paired it with a classic blue jean.

You can’t beat a hoodie for comfiness. Especially an oversized one. The only downside of this hoodie is that it’s not oversized. I’m still looking for one. Otherwise, it’s comfy, breathable, and also has the NASA logo on it, and I like space.

I wear jeans at home a lot, normally on the weekends. I know some people look down on that, but jeans are comfy too? That and I’m used to wearing them a lot. No accessories for this outfit, cause I’m very covered up.

Another flat lay attempt. Again, if I was heading out, then I would add a bit more. At home I don’t wear a belt with jeans cause it doesn’t matter. I also like pairing this all with good old sneakers.

So yeah, those are two of the things I’ve been wearing a lot lately. Especially as down here we’re sneaking into autumn so it’s getting a bit cooler.

What have you been wearing lots lately while at home?

Angela.

DIY – Memory Scrapbook

So I have a lot of random projects going on to fill my time while I’m on maternity leave. Specifically that awkward time where I’m too pregnant to work, but baby isn’t born yet. So I’m at home, not sure what to do. I have been playing games a decent bit, working on another cross stitch project, and other bits and pieces, including this scrapbook.

I got a HP sprocket for myself back in Christmas 2017. I used it in my little zine which I shared a while ago. I’ve also used it to start filling in this scrapbook album that I bought years ago and did nothing with.

I decided to start it from 2012, as that is officially the first full year that Rory and I were together. It’s also my last year of studying music at uni, and also I just don’t have too many photos from before then. I wanted to devote  a year per page. Trips and special events got their own dedicated page though. As time goes on, these years got at least two pages, as extra special moment began to happen. Engagements, weddings, and even more trips.

I used my sprocket to print out photos, some I would make a collage so that I could have different sized photos around the page, making it look a bit more interesting. Then I looked for inspiration for doodles and frames on pinterest that I could add to the pages. All in all, I love how they came out!

I’ve now filled up the book up to 2017.  I’ve sorted out the photos, but I still need to add the embellishments. I’m also starting to plot out the 2018 pages. I’m looking forward to seeing it get filled up over the years! I’m hoping I can get up to the year 2022, cause then it’ll have 10 years worth of memories in the scrapbook, but we’ll see!

Have you guys ever made a memory scrapbook?

Angela.

A Haul of Sorts

Hello again. I’ve been buying stuff lately, and thought it would be fun to do a random haul post. I also keep falling off the blogging wagon, so let me know how you guys are as well!

Anyway, here’s what I got recently.

2019 A5 Planner

I’ve tried keeping diaries in the past, and I always tend to give up a few months in. However, I got this on impulse as I liked it. It’s got monthly and weekly pages, as well as other random bits and pieces. I think I just have a weakness for stationary in general.

Mickey Mouse Earrings

Again, another impulse buy. But they were cute and on sale, so I figured why not.

Watermelon Shaped Charger

This was sort of an impulse buy. I have been wanting a portable charger for a while, as it seems convenient. I like being able to use my phone without having to be near an outlet cause it’s always running out of battery (cause of all the apps and games, so it’s my fault really). Plus, this is shaped like a watermelon, so I was swayed to get it.

Maternity Work Out Clothes

So now to clothes. Most, if not all, clothes I have bought in the last month have been maternity related. I decided to sign up to a pregnancy yoga class, and used that as an excuse to buy maternity work out clothes. They’re basically really comfy leggings and a top, that are super stretchy and accommodating as my bump grows. My previous workout clothes are not as comfortable now.

Maternity Swimsuit

I also am planning to try out some prenatal swimming classes. It’s like low-intensity water aerobics basically. I always love swimming around in water and being weightless. As my bump gets bigger, swimming is even more appealing. So, I wanted to get a maternity swimsuit that will also grow with me.

Hush Puppies Flats

I invested in some comfy flats. I have a weird habit of buying the cheapest ones and going through at least 2 pairs each spring/summer. This was a long time coming.

Mecca Beauty Box

So I didn’t really buy this. But I’m part of a beauty club programme with Mecca Maxima (a makeup store), and I’ve now spent enough money there that I get complimentary boxes with samples and goodies! I haven’t bought much makeup lately, so I was excited to get this email and see what they sent.

• Too Faced Melted Liquified Longwear Matte Lipstick in ‘Sell Out’
• Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense Black
• Kate Somerville Cold Cream Moisturizing Cleanser + Makeup Remover
• Origins Clear Improvement Mask

I’ve only really tried the lipstick so far, and I like the colour.

fbt

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I also have heard really good things about the liner. The other two, I’ll try out at some point, let me know if you guys have tried any before. I’m really happy with all the samples though, and I can’t wait to get the other boxes throughout the year!

Bassinet

I also didn’t buy this. I was lucky enough to have an old coworker gift us hers. Her own little bub has outgrown it, so she messaged me asking if we would like it. We said yes, and now we have a bassinet! She also gave us sheets and a newborn sleep swaddle too.

That’s all for my haul post. What have you guys bought recently?

Angela.

Maternity Dress OOTD

A few weeks ago, I shared a maternity clothes haul. One of the items I bought was this stripy maxi dress. The dress is so comfy! It’s so soft and feels so nice to wear all day. It’s also perfect as the weather gets warmer.

Sidenote: I also bought these prescription sunglasses recently. Driving was getting tricky without sunglasses as I kept getting blinded. So I decided to splurge on these sunglasses, and I love them so much!

I don’t have too much else to say about this dress. It’s comfy, pretty and definitely my current favourite maternity outfit. It’ll be fun to see how I look in the dress over the months as my bump grows. I have a few other pieces that I’ll probably share down the line as well.

Angela.

Let’s Bake! (Emoticon Cookies Edition)

It’s been a while since I’ve done a baking post. I took another look through my Nerdy Nummies cookbook and landed on these emoticon cookies. They looked easy, fun and colourful, so I set to work!

First, I made lemon sugar cookies and waited for them cool down.

Once they were cool, I made a batch of royal icing. I split them into six bowls to make the colours. For the recipe, you need, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue and black.

The black can be set aside for decorating later. With the other colours, evenly spread them out among the cookies. This took the longest time for me, I don’t have one of those spatulas to smooth icing, so it took a while. Still, they look really bright and festive once they’re all iced!

Once the icing is hardened, then it’s time to add the decorations. I copied the ones Ro did in the book, but you can do any emojis really. This part was definitely the most fun!

These are definitely delicious, and they look so cute! I’m really happy with how they came together in the end.

Angela.

Maternity Clothes Haul

So I’m still not really showing, but I have already started buying maternity clothes in preparation. I’ve been having a lot of fun looking around in stores and online. I’ve bought a few pieces that I thought would share with you guys. Down the line, I’m sure I’ll do some outfit posts with the maternity clothes when the bump is a lot more prominent.

I bought these three from ASOS.

Mummy to ‘Bee‘ shirt, Black Smock Dress, and blue boyfriend jeans

The bee shirt was just too cute to pass up. I wanted at least one ‘novelty’ piece. The smock dress looks floaty and comfy, which will be perfect for the warmer weather. I am also a fan of my jeans, so I knew I had to at least get one pair of maternity jeans.

I’ve ordered these from Jeanswest, and they’re scheduled to arrive early next week. A layered t-shirt, a shirt dress, and striped maxi dress.

More light dresses for the coming seasons. I’m preparing for a hot summer, so I want to be comfortable! I have tried to stick with spring and summer wardrobe choices, as that will be the weather when I’m going to need these clothes.

For now, I’ve stopped looking at more maternity clothes before I get too excited, but I’m sure I may get more down the line. Sorry I don’t have any pictures to share, but I will definitely do outfit posts with them over the next coming weeks.

What have you guys bought online lately?

Angela.

Some New Products I Like

I have some thoughts I want to share about some skincare and hair products I’ve been liking lately. I tried really hard to come up with a snazzy title, but it just wasn’t coming. So anyway, here’s some products I’ve been liking lately.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs & Rosewater

My sister had recommended this to me. It’s fairly cheap, so I figured I’d give it a go. It’s easy to mist on your face, and it feels nice and refreshing. I like to use it in the morning and evening. I mist it on, and it helps to ease redness as well as moisturize a little. For the price it costs, this is really worth it. There’s a few other variations of this spray with different ingredients, so I’m keen to try more.

Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer

I bought this after hearing lots of great reviews. Since my previous heat spray, I haven’t found one I really like. This one has been really good! It’s a lightweight spray and smells really nice (bonus!). It doesn’t make my hair feel sticky or crunchy. My hair is less frizzy after blowdrying now, and feels softer. I really recommend giving this one a go if you’re looking for a good heat protection spray.

Bumble & Bumble Surf Infusion Spray

This is one that can be a little hit or miss. I had heard about sea salt sprays before, and since I like Bumbl & Bumble, I thought I’d try their travel size one. It smells nice and definitely reminds me of the beach. I spray it on damp hair and scrunch it up and leave it to dry. My hair will feel a little sticky/crunchy on bits, but otherwise it leaves it looking ‘naturally messy’. Other times, it’s just a mess. But it has worked on more occasions for me, so I still think it’s worth a go!

What skincare or haircare products have you been liking lately?

Angela.