I spot a bunny

 

Look at how small this bunny is compared to the motorcycle! Bunnies are such cutiepies! <3 <3 <3

pork loin roast

 

I can't remember whether this cut is called pork loin or pork tenderloin... either way, it was good <3

Herbs and spices make roasting meat so easy! (and a huge thanks to my meat thermometer!)

digital meat therometer

 I have finally decided to invest in a digital meat thermometer!! I've used it for about a now, and it is really paying for itself <3 <3 <3... (I had an analog one, but I didn't like it.) I especially love the "hold" feature, and I'm surprised by how quick it can correctly display the temperature :O 

McDonald's ice cream

 

McDonald's ice cream are always served so big :O ... I could be wrong, but did they made a slight change to their formula and made it taste even better?!?! :O :O :O good job McDonald's! 👏 

seasonal plushies

 

I came across these Hallmark seasonal plushies... They are too big to be on a keychain or charm, and yet too small to hug. What do people use them for? 

Tim Horton's

 

This is one of those rare times I'm at Tim Hortons... it looks like they've made changes to their menu and aesthetics. It feels like they are a cross between Starbucks and Coffee Time...? 

I was fortunate to get one of their TooGoodToGo boxes, it was $15 worth of pastries for $5!

Their pastries neither disappointed nor impressed me. (And so... this is probably why I won't be back for a while... unless I have a craving for timbits ;) )

IG

 

I purged and cleaned out my Instagram following list, deleting all inactive accounts and those that were used for marketing purposes. I feel so much lighter! 65 accounts lighter! :D

cream of cauliflower soup

 

I made Cream of Cauliflower soup from scratch! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be (and spoiler: no cream required! :O)

of course... I had to add a sh*t ton of black pepper to satisfy my black pepper craving :P

early morning

 

with the warmer weather approaching... I'm thankful I'm able to take early morning walks! :D I "almost" had the road to myself... :)

black pepper craving

 

Is it the change of season, or is there something wrong with me? I have a sudden urge to add black pepper to EVERYTHING!... Thankfully black pepper is good for us, so I'm reaping the benefits :)

Benefits of Black Pepper: bone health, wound healing, and metabolism

black pepper also contains manganese and Vitamin K :)

bunny in my backyard

 

it is that time of year where bunnies roam around my backyard <3... aren't they cute? 

it was sitting so still <3

Today I Learned... Diet Coke

 

Today I learned that Diet Coke isn’t just a sugar-free version of regular Coca-Cola—it’s actually an entirely different drink with a completely separate formula! 😲 No wonder it tastes so different (and not just because of the artificial sweetener). In fact, before it was branded as "Diet Coke," it was originally launched under the name TaB.

Unlike Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which is formulated to taste more like the original Coke, Diet Coke is based on the TaB formula, not the classic Coca-Cola recipe.

So the next time you sip a Diet Coke and wonder why it tastes so distinct, that’s because it is a different drink altogether!

You can click here for a full breakdown of my findings :)

H&F Belx tumbler

 

I can't believe I have had this glass tumbler for over 6 years! You can read the review I wrote 6 years ago here. It is over 6 years old but going strong! 

The glass actually is flawless, but I accidentally smudged some sunscreen on it before I took this picture... (oops).

They say quality is important, and 6 years ago, when I cringed over the hefty ¥2400 price tag, it is still available, but now it costs ¥3000, thanks to inflation. I'm so glad I bought it, it remains my favourite tumbler. 

Some features I like: easy to clean, no lingering odour, durable, small holes make it impossible for tea leaves and coffee grinds to fall out of the strainer, every nook and cranny can be taken apart and cleaned, and you can add fruits and herbs in the strainer!

AQI 159

 

This seems to be an annual thing now... our air quality has hit 7... it has been quite smoky the past few days. No more outdoor activities until this clears :(

Look at how hazy it is

Look at how the smoke engulfs the forest

We can't even see the CN Tower anymore... look at how the smoke hovers over the city

smoky afternoon

 

This wasn't a cloudy day. The smoke made it look cloudy and gloomy :(

morning of smoke

 

it is getting smoky today... those poor wildfire-affected trees :(

sleeping bunny

 

I got close to this bunny... but I think it was sleeping (when bunnies sleep out in the wild, they close their clear eyelids to make it seem like they are awake.

another view of the moon... I mean, sun

 

clouds covered the sun like the moon

I messed up when I wrote the title of this... this is actually the sun! Not the moon!

Twinings Antioxidant+

 

I usually prefer strait tea, but this tea blend intriged me :)

ingredients:

Green tea, Ginger root, White hibiscus, Cinnamon, Lemon flavour naturally fortified, Echinacea root, Lemon peel, Mango flavour naturally fortified, Natural lime flavour, Vitamin C, Natural flavour.

This tasted so much better than I thought it would <3 <3 <3

cheese

 

I'm in my cheese craving phase :D yum :D

sun, moon, sun?

Is it just me, or does the sun look like the moon? This also indicates that our air quality is bad... I'm looking for the silver lining in this and choose to enjoy looking at the sun, that looks like the moon :D

 

sunset

 

The sun was trying to spill out but the clouds were trying to cover it :O

Stanley Cup upcoming

 

Waiting for the Stanley Cup finals!! :D 

Tithes and Offering

 

I used to be hesitant about tithing 10%, but one day I looked at my paycheck and saw that I gave the government more than 10%. It occurred to me that... hey, if I can give the government that much, and honestly, it wasn't as big of an amount as I thought it was, then why can I give God that much? 

A lot of times, when we hear 10%, it sounds big, but when we look at the actual amount, it isn't as big as we think, and we can have the confidence to give it to God... because we should.

My friend encouraged me to tithe and gave me this Bible verse, which I still reflect on whenever I hesitate to tithe:

Malachi 3:10
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

This is the only place where God asks us to test Him... and we should! I hope this encourages someone to tithe, too :)

munchy pregnant bunny

 

I caught this bunny munching on some leafy greens :)

If I remember correctly, I saw this bunny last year when it was still a kitten... and given its size, I think it is pregnant this year :O 

It was either this one: https://cutiepiestephanie.blogspot.com/2023/09/spotted-another-bunny.html

or 

this one: https://cutiepiestephanie.blogspot.com/2024/08/another-baby-rabbit.html

I wonder if she remembers me 🥰 

Mediheal blemish pads

 

These Madecassoside Blemish Pads are becoming one of my favourite skincare products <3... they make my skin feel so soft and smooth <3... but I recently learned they aren't available in Korea! 😳

sunset

 

another beautiful sunset <3 <3 <3

Schneiders

 

These are one of my favourite meat pies <3

sunset :)

 

Spring sunsets are so colourful :)

Terrible dreams... When Your Dreams Feel a Little Too Real...

Has this ever happened to you?

You’ve had a long, productive day at work—solving problems, attending meetings, powering through emails. It’s been a grind, but you made it. Your manager looks at you with a smile and says, “Great job today. You can head home now.”

Relieved and proud, you gather your things, ready to enjoy a well-earned evening of rest.

And then—BAM! Your alarm goes off.

You jolt awake, still groggy, only to realize that none of it was real. That entire dream workday—the effort, the stress, the sense of accomplishment—was all just that: a dream. And now you have to do it all over again… for real 😣

This has happened to me more times than I’d like to admit, and I hate it to my core. It feels like your brain tricked you into doing a double shift, with no compensation!

Warning to my brain: If you insist on working overtime, you better start paying rent. Until then, I’ll be hoping for dreams about vacations instead of spreadsheets.