The perfect white tee doesn't exi... actually, yes it does. I had been looking for the perfect white tee every summer and I finally found it this year. White tees go with absolutely everything, which is what makes them so essential for summer. Have the perfect flowy skirt? A comfortable pair of denim shorts? Or even a light linen jumpsuit? A white tee goes with all three and more. 

I'm pretty much in disbelief that this upcoming autumn will mark 5 years since I relocated to Hong Kong. How has it already been half a decade? I have now lived in Hong Kong longer than I have collectively lived in New York City, which blows my mind. It seems nearly impossible. I initially relocated here to spend more time with the beau, who first came to live in Hong Kong with his family when he was 6-years old. The beau has lived in Hong Kong since 1990, with a couple of years in Canada and Australia for school in between, so this has always been "home" to him. 

Since becoming parents, date nights have become extra special for us. We do not get to go out on dates as often as we like due to the beau's work schedule and our busy lives with little bean, but when we do we like to get a bit dressed up and go somewhere fun. We have our usual favorite spots that we like to hit up, but lately we have been eager to try some new spots around the city. Some of my favorite cuisines are Italian and Greek, while the beau loves Thai and Vietnamese. However, we both are obsessed with Cantonese and Japanese cuisines, so one night we decided to try a new sushi spot.

Making new friends can be scary, especially on a completely different continent. Add the pandemic and three years of lockdowns, it made making new friends feel like the biggest obstacle course. As someone who is naturally shy at first, making that first step to introduce yourself seems impossible. But thanks to social media, one day I finally had the courage to comment on a fellow HK creator’s post and we became Instagram friends shortly after. She was also from North America and relocated to Hong Kong around the same time as me (she has family here), so we already had that in common. After the lockdowns eased in the city, we began to go out on little friend dates and slowly she began introducing me to her circle of friends. That circle grew, and now I have so many new friends in Hong Kong.

I have a new obsession. We can thank my latest trip to Japan for it. Hojicha tea lattes. How have I never been introduced to them before?! I first discovered my love for hojicha in December 2019 on my first trip to Japan. Hojicha is a delicious roasted green tea, and in Japan it is typically served at ryokans as well as at the end of a meal at a nice restaurant (green tea is said to help aid digestion). Coming from someone who actually loathed tea until 2019, to say that I am addicted to one is a pretty big deal. Sure, I probably could have asked for my typical English Breakfast tea, but I was in Japan and wanted to try something new. 

Summer travel season is upon us, and aside from planning our favorite vacation looks and making sure to pack sandals, beach bags, and sunscreen, sometimes we can find ourselves a bit at a loss on what to wear for our flights. I went from not flying for almost 3 years to flying 20 times last year. At first, it felt like I had forgotten what to wear on the plane! But something that I did remember was that I like to be extremely comfortable on a flight, no matter if it's under an hour or over 13 hours. I am not someone who can ever wear jeans on an airplane; I just personally find them uncomfortable when I'm flying. I'm definitely a leggings or sweatpants kind of girl.

It's almost a crime to visit my home state of New Jersey and not visit the shore. During our nearly 2-week trip to New Jersey this summer, we made a point to visit one of the state's most popular shore destinations - Point Pleasant - and Jenkinson's Boardwalk. Neither the beau or little bean have ever visited the Jersey shore, as during our last visit when little bean was just 6 months old we couldn't find a time that worked for us around her 3 daytime naps. But now that she's down to one small nap (or even some days no nap!), we knew we wanted to spend the morning in the sand and dipping our toes in the ocean. And, of course, I needed to get my hands on some funnel cake!

Summer in New Jersey means it's time to pick some delicious, juicy peaches at the orchard and make yummy peach pie or even a peach and burrata salad. The last time we were in New Jersey, I took a then 6-month old little bean to the same orchard I used to go to all the time as a little girl - Battleview Orchards - because it was literally behind my childhood home in Manalapan. During that visit, we picked fresh strawberries because it was springtime. Now we were visiting in summer, which is prime time for picking the best peaches. 

There really is no place like home. While I get to call Hong Kong my home now, New Jersey will always be my forever home. The last time I was in New Jersey was last spring, when little bean was around 6 months old and got to meet my family for the first time. It was a short trip, just under a week, and little bean was very young. This time, we visited for almost two weeks and got to visit during one of my favorite times of the year - summer. Summer and autumn in New Jersey are my favorite seasons. Looking back, the only time I experienced summers in New Jersey was when I was still attending school, so I have a lot of fond summer memories in my home state.

I'm going to get straight to the point - did you know you can access the roof of the Duomo di Milano and get a bird's eye view of the city from atop one of the world's most iconic landmarks? I didn't! Getting the chance to walk across the roof and touch centuries old stone? Yes please. I had previously been to Milan in spring of 2016, and even then I did not know this was someone one could do. The beau, who has been to Milan many times, has also never been to the top of the Duomo and did not know it was an option. 

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve focused a lot less on makeup and more on skin care. These days, as a busy mom, I don’t have much time to put on makeup. It’s also summertime here in Hong Kong, which means the temperatures are soaring and the humidity is making our sweat look like we just went swimming in the harbour. So I am letting my skin do all the talking.

Summertime makeup is all about that peak summertime glow, where less is more and simple is key. To be completely honest, I’m a busy mom and it’s currently very hot in Hong Kong so I don’t wear any makeup most days (I do cheat by getting a brow lamination and lash lift to help me look more awake!). But when I do wear makeup, it’s usually because I have an event to go to or I’m heading out on a date with the beau. I like to keep it simple, especially after years of heavy makeup in the pageant and modeling industries. When it comes to summer outings and summer travel, keeping it soft and simple is just the easiest way to go.

I'm sure you've seen many others talk about Korean beauty brands before. From face masks to serums, there are all kinds of products that are known to bring out the best in hydration and a natural glow. One big trend is "glass skin" and while I wasn't entirely focused on achieving that, I was mainly focused on smoothing my skin and shrinking my pores. So one night, after baby bean had fallen asleep for the night, I did some lengthy research on some products that I was looking to help my skin achieve what I wanted. After 3 months of daily use, it's safe to say I found some incredible products that have positively changed my skin.

Trigger warning: depression and surgery.

There are several essentials a new baby needs, with a bassinet being one of them. We had a bedside crib in our bedroom, but we needed something for baby bean in our living area where we would be spending most of our time. There was no other bassinet I was considering in my mind - I knew the 4Moms Mamaroo Sleep Bassinet would be the perfect bassinet for my baby bean. When it first arrived just a few weeks before baby bean was born, I instantly became giddy. It was the essential piece I had been looking forward to most.

I wasn’t going to share this story. I was going to keep this story private and amongst close friends and family only. However, as I begin to process what was the most life-changing moment that will ever happen to me, I realized that perhaps I really do want to share what happened as I welcomed my precious baby bean into the world. I know I am not alone in my experience, and I’m sure several of you will be able to relate to what I went through. I’ll give you a little premise: my labor and delivery did not go as I had expected, but nevertheless it was all an experience I will re-live in my mind over and over again despite any chaotic or anxious moments.