New Season, new plan, new goal

One "sad" thing by live in New England is that you have to wait until end of May to enjoy frost free weather. We just had 2" snow yesterday, in late March! Well, I guess I should get used to it.

Last year, gardening was not successful, even with very few cherry tomato harvesting, many has sadly dead. Three reasons: lack of water, bad soil, and wild animals. So this season, some changes will be made.

I have two ideal lot for both flower garden and vegetable garden. One garden is located in front of my house (west side), and the other one is located on the south side of my house. So my plan is this: turn my front garden in to a formal/rose garden, and make raised bed to grow vegetables at the south side of my house.

For both areas, the key is to improve soil quality. Front garden has tough clay, and south side is very sandy. Neither are great to grow. So, first step is to improve soil. We will add two things into our garden: cow manure compost as well as mulch. Our town provide free mulch, and we will purchase few yards of manure compost to add more nutrients to our soil.

Second step, draw a layout. Since I want two different style gardens, layout is important. I will use amazing Pinterest, google, and visit local flower show to know what is the best layout as well as variety to grow in Zone 4 area. For the vegetable garden, I want to build a functional, efficient, as well as charming vegetable garden.

Third step, add irrigation system for both gardens. Lack of water supply was another key reason that I failed last year, so a "smart" irrigation system is crucial. I will try not to purchase a ready to go system, rather, I'd like to build one on my own. One thing I need to keep in mind is to how to overwinter my system.

The last step, plant! I have already started seedling indoors, I will write another post on how I did it, what to do when "all" my plants went leggy?!!

This year, maybe too greedy, I would like to plant 20 different plants in my garden. I will record each single one, and share with you how I do and my lesson, whether successful or fail. On top of that, I purchased two types of apple trees. I will also record that.

Snow snow, please melt .... I mean, I love snow, but, I need some green now :)

How to Prep your skin for WEDDING / How to know your skin type in 30 seconds

Only two month from my wedding, and I am having some issues with my skin, of course :(

However, I do want to use this opportunity to share few things on how to prep your skin for your BIG day!

As soon as you decided on your wedding date, you start to prep your skin. 

"what? that early?"

Oh yes!

The first thing is to understand the type of your skin. 

We normally see sensitive, normal, combination, dry, and oily types of skin. 

If you don't know the type, then this is a easy way of knowing how to identify:

Normally it is very easy to identify sensitive skin, your face basically get really red if you use harsh facial scrub. 

If you are not sensitive skin, then this is what you do. In the morning, after a good night sleep, you go to your bathroom, and observe. 

- If you have a very oily face, then you have oily skin. 

- If oil only appears on your T-zone, then you have combination skin.

- If your face appear alright, or just a little bit oil, then you have normal type.

- And of course, if you wake up with dry face, then that means you have dry skin.

Once you figure out the type of skin, the next thing you do is still observe.

You want to learn your skin problems. For example, my face start to show some breakouts about a week before aunt flow, so I need to pay extra attention around that part of my time. You want to learn your skin, and what "problems" you want to tackle.

The third step is to actually tackle the problems. Wether you have pore problems, blackheads, acne, fine lines, puffy under eye, etc., you make a list, and help one at a time.

Couple things I also want to say is that, first, try not to experience new products a week before your wedding, you cannot afford any accidents; second, purchase the best product that fits your budget, especially if you have a tight budget, ask for samples before purchasing; and lastly, use sheet mask everyday for the last two weeks if you can, if not, invest in a good sleeping mask to help you stay hydrated on your big day!

BODY | Remedy for dear "aunt flow"

Every girl after certain age will notice a big change, and this change will follow us for few decades. We sometime love it, sometime hate it, sometime looking forward to it, and sometimes excited to see it stopped, or not...

You might guess it, it is dear aunt flow. Among many of us, I have a strong reaction to it, especially on the first day. However, I am not a medicine type person, I prefer natural way of cure. So I want to share with you a really natural way with only few common ingredients to help you go through this "rough" period.

All you are going to need is Ginger, Brown sugar, and a boiling water.

  

Ginger is an amazing root. It has many health factors. It can reduce muscle pain by 25%, which is what we need this for. All you do is to add ginger slices into a hot boiling water, and that gives you ginger tea. Because of its spiciness, which most of people cannot stand, you add a good amount of brown sugar to balance the flavor. 

Not only it will warm up your body instantly, which will help your blood flow, so it reduces the pain, but also it is healthy, no side effects, better than any medication. On top of that, if you have dates on hand, add some that too. It will add nice flavor it the tea.

Also, you can also use this recipe when you have a cold or if you feel like you are getting a cold.

I hope this will help you and all the girls out there. If you can cure in a natural, organic way, why use medication so much?

JE

SKINCARE | DIY Hand Mask with only 2 items. Easy, Natural, Effective!! 👐

I don’t usually like to do any facial DIYs, because it is hard to know whether these natural products can give you the results you are looking for, or will it give you a opposite effect? Like blocking pores? Allergy? etc.

But I am going to show you a DIY hand mask that will absolute work, without any harm, and super easy!

All you need is a Powder Free glove, and coconut oil. 

       

(Photos are from Internet)

And the step is simple: you pore just enough coconut oil all over your hand, then put your glove on. That is IT. You can leave the glove on while you are sleeping, watching shows, house chores, basically anything. I usually leave it for at least 30 minutes. 

After I take off the glove, my hands feels so smooth and soft, it was beautiful.

Try this DIY, it is very affordable and easy, I am sure you will love it!!


JE

SKINCARE | Day Cream: With or Without SPF???

I know that many of us rather spend 1 more minute on beauty sleep than spend that on skincare, including myself, so we try to minimize the morning skincare as much as possible. One of the easiest solution is to combine moisturizer and sunscreen together, but I want to say, I do not recommend this combination.

If you have tried moisturizer with SPF, you will know that it has a sunscreen smell, it feels greasy, and it looks oily. Especially when my husband, who never common on my skin, told me that I look so "shining".

Ok... If my husband said that, then something seriously wrong with my routine.

At that time, I didn't realize what it was, then, less than a week, I saw there are small breakouts under my chin, an area where I never get breakouts. So i started to think, what did I do different?

My morning MOISTURIZER. I started to use a morning cream that has SPF 20!

Then I remember my previous experience with similar cream were never really good. No matter what brand it was. 

So if you have similar issue, the solution is beyond easy. Separate moisturizer and sunscreen.

Even though it is a separate step, it is totally worth it.

Currently my routine is:

+ 

I have to be honest, Neutrogena isn't my favorite, because I don't like the smell. Other than that, it is a fairly good moisturizer. However, you do not have to use the exact combination like I do, just remember, keep them separate.

Fall is here, so you don't need SPF 50, 20 would do. Unless you live in places like California, then "unlucky" you, SPF 50 is highly recommended.

There is nothing wrong to change your routine year to year, season to season, find a good one works for you!

JE