Disaster Preparation

It feels the world is coming to the end sometimes.  Earthquakes, wild fire, so many natural disasters and so close to home.  It was freaky that last Thursday night, I dreamt all night about a fire coming our way and I was desperately to evacuate the things.  The next morning, first thing I heard about is the San Bruno explosion and fire that happened the evening  before although I didn't hear the news in anyways

Having a disaster so close to home make me think of how little I am prepared for disasters. I think in the next few weeks I need to:

1. Pack a go bag.
2. Store food that does not require refrigeration
3. Store 12 gallon water in total.
4. Call a handy man to fasten all the bookcases
5. Find a data storage site that is away from our city to upload documents and pictures.

Things in the Go bag:

• Pictures of each family member.
• coins for pay phone and small changes
• flash light
• swiss army knife
• some food/water
• a set of change cloth for everyone
• whistle
• a set of contact lens
• list of emergency contact
• tooth brush and tooth paste
• battery operated radio and batteries
• health insurance card and doctor contact
• first aide kit
• allergie medicine
• duct tape?
• extra keys to house and car

Things remember to grab before we go: 

Security blankets for the kids

Anything I'm missing anything major?

New routine

In my recent trip to Seattle, I  had unexpectedly discover that I gained 10 lbs over the last couple of month.  My first reaction was that the scale was broken until my little girl step on the scale.  I blame this little misfortune on our smaller bathroom after last year's move.  The bathroom was so small that you cannot even open the door without bumping the person inside.  Without a scale, I have no conscience when I over eat and not exercise.

I pretty much had the luxury of not worrying about over weight for the past 30 some years of my life, so I shouldn't really complain.  I was underweight for the most part.  In college, I don't even qualify for blood donation because I fail the weight requirement.  My last weight hike is after I finish college and start working.  With regular meal and less all nighters and no walking around campus, I gain 10 lb in mere 6 month.  Funny that I thought the scale was broken too that time.   Having two children didn't effect on my weight.  I had such bad morning sickness, my weight always drop and then come back up to my normal range.   So the last 15+ years, I fluctuated between 110 and 118, but had never past that.

Well, I must be getting old.  The days of eating without consequences has gone.  So here is what I will do in my morning routine.

7:00 -- Get up, boil water for my tea.  Make breakfast for the family.
7:30 -- wake Evelyn up, while hubby will take Aaron. Help Evelyn with her hair.
7:45 -- Eat breakfast with kids.
8:00 -- Pack lunch for everyone. Pack Evelyn's school bag. Take out the meat to defrost. Write our nanny a note for the day
8:10 -- brush Evelyn's teeth
8:15 - kick Hubby and the kids out of the house.  clean up the table. vacuum the floor. clean up kid's bedroom. make the beds. open all the windows downstairs. take the robot vacuum out for a run.
8:30 - fast walk on treadmill for 20 minutes
8:50 - sit ups
9:00-9:15 shower
9:15-9:30 getting dressed. brush teeth, blow dry hair etc.
9:30 out of the door for work

Now this will get me to work about 10:00 everyday, which is a bit late. But consider A lot of my co-worker go workout in the afternoon, I think that should do for now.  Unless I want to get up at 6:30.  Then I can move 8:30-9:00 to 6:30-7:00.  Somehow getting up at 6:30 sounded very dreadful, especially when it comes to the fall. 6:30 is not even light out.

Do you have any tip for losing weight? Especially the guts?  I hate restraint eating.  I am so into food.  Maybe I will eat less Carb.  I must admit, I do eat more Carb more than I used to lately.

Here is an OOTD that I will submit to Cat on her weekly Anthro at work feature.

Top: Vanilla bean blouse I scored during my Chicago Trip
Bottom: Ann Taylor Loft Marisa Capri
Cardigan: AE aerie cardigan.
Shoes: J-41 slingback

Anthro Palo Alto store

My recent obsession with Anthropologie includes scouting different stores for sale items especially the 2nd cut items. However that is not easy with the store in Santana Row.  I finally got a chance to check out the Palo Alto store. My daughter had a shorter school day and an dentist appointment in the morning nearby.  I have to take the day off anyway.  We went after her appointment.

The store kind of located at a obscure place, near Alma street, which is the extenuation of the Central expressway.  It is not close to any other apparel stores.   The store is a steel rusted red color and has a little water fountain outside.  My 4 year old is quite fascinated by it.  I regard it as good Fengsui practice, blocking the road noise on Alma.  There are lots of street parking as it was a weekday, but the car speed on the road is so fast, it is almost scary. I waited for a long time before I can get out of the car.  Just when I thought the road it is clear,  within the time of unclipping my daughter from her seat belt, there are more cars coming.   As she was slowly getting out of car,  I picked her up and ran for our lives as the newly approaching car are not reducing speed , although they can probably see us from distance away.  The car zoom by within arm's length.  My daughter's sunglasses drop in the middle of the street and I was too scared to pick it up.

There were ample space in the store and almost have a warehouse feeling to it. Maybe it was a warhorse before?   It opens from 10-7:00pm during weekday. If you work like me,  chance of making in to the store during weekdays is small.  That probably explains why there were more left overs on sale items than Santana Row.  I was able to pick up the grand island dress in purple with my size.

I was looking for the best of bunches cardigan but they haven't made it to the stores yet.  Somehow the staff in this store doesn't feel as nice and friendly as the ones in Santana Row or any other stores I visited although they are perfectly polite.   I am not sure why I felt that way.  Maybe because they weren't checking up on you as often or offer to start you a room like the other places.  When I approach the SA  asking about the best of bunches cardigan, they continue talking between themselves for quite some time before took notice on me.   There were also less SA available in general in this store too, probably due to less customers.

My daughter soon get bored because I didn't bring a camera and my phone's battery is dying.  I have to save the last breath of the battery so I can call my hubby to coordinate lunch. So I let her took one picture while I was trying the Pholox and Coral coat. Sorry for the poor quality, her little hand always shakes when she take a picture.  In a low lighting, this is probably the best she can do.  Hey, at least this time my head is not cut off....

As many reviewers had tried on before,  the visual of the coat is stunning.  The flower embroidery is very rich and detailed.  I like the coral red trim and the color of the buttons, but the buttons are plastic, which could be better if they are some kind of coral color stone material. To me this is a statement coat and not a very warm one either, probably a good thing for the mild bay area weather.  I have serious doubt about how versatile can it get.  For me, I'd probably only wear it during Chinese new year or something festive as it reminds me of traditional Chinese brocade coat （棉袄) . The collar can be wear stand up or flat down.  The length is mid thigh. Bottom of the coat flares out a bit.  I don't know it has anything to do with the full skirt I was wearing that day.  but the flare make my hip look very wide.  I don't even have much of a hip to begin with. Size wise, I sized up to a 4 because I want to be able to layer it with sweater in the winter. It fit nicely with room to spare.

I think if you already have a million coats and look for something different, this one surely wins. For me,  I need to be able to get enough wear out of the $288 to make the purchase and it certainly not the case.

If you ask a men for fashion advice

I don't know about you, but I am most comfortable cloth shopping with my hubby.  He is usually pretty honest in giving me his opinions.  Sometimes I try really hard convincing him, but there are a few styles he never liked and I am always a sucker for. Here are some examples

a) empire waist.  He thinks it is for pregnant women and non-pregnant women looks like one when they put it on.

b) silk or anything smooth.  He claims it gives him the goosebump just to hear the fabric rub under the arm or touching it.

c) ruffles on trench or anything fancy.  He clams that jacket should be clean looking.  Here is an shining example of what I end up miss out

ANTHROPOLOGIE IDRA TWO PATHS TRENCH COAT

What is on your significant other's no list? Has his preference significantly effect on your purchase decisions? Have you ever back out of your purchase just because he doesn't like it?

Howel's moving castle - random comment

First time I watched Howl's moving castle, it is in Japanese original voice with Chinese subtitle.   This time, with my daughter, we switch to English dub.  I generally dislike voice dub for Japanese Animes.  Japanese, as the language, sounds very cute, which match the big eye, perfect doll like characters very well.  The sound are often short and bursty and very "Kawaii".  However, this time, I am falling in love with the voice dubbing of Howl.  His voice is low and slightly coarse.  To be honest, Miyazaki version of Howl is a bit too soft wimpy and feminine to be liked. The English dub give Howl a more mature charm and transform the character completely. He suddenly became so much more attractive that had inspire my desire to learn more details about the character from the book.

However the book and the movie are very different.  Although much of the setting and plot and characters remained the same, because the way character are portraited, the characters in the book are much more complex and all around therefore more real life like.   In the movie, Sophie, the heroine,  are stamped with Miyazaki's signature.  In all Miyazaki's work, the heroines are more or less the same: strong minded and determined with a somewhat fragile and delicate look and love for the nature.  They all show great courage under the special circumstance and are all very noble, almost too noble and kind for my liking.  The book version of Sophie is more normal, in such way that she react to the scarecrow the same way a normal girl would. Who wouldn't creep out from a one foot scarecrow stalking you?  She also shows more jealousy and can get mean from time to time.  Where in the movie, Sophie is more accepting and kind and despite of all the wrong that has been done to her, remain gentle and kind.

In the movie, Howl's love for Sophie is also more obvious and Sophie's admiration is written on her face from scene one.  With the book, because of the point of view is limited from Sophie's angle, the chemistry between the two are much more subtle.  You literally have to read between the lines to feel the attraction between the two who fights on daily basis.  Both characters are flawed but somehow they complemented each other in a strange way and was always there when needed help most.

And most importantly, the movie has a great deal of anti-war theme,  and that just parted the movie and book their separate ways.

Naturally I was a bit unsatisfied after reading the book, as my original purpose of reading the book, was to search more details about the character Howl.  But because the book and movie are so different, that goal is not accomplished. I honestly cannot say I like one or another better just because they seem to be complete different story to me, much like two historic novel base on the same historical figures if you know what i mean.

I went further search for the voice actor for the dub, and find out it is actually by a profession actor, unlike some of the cheaper production of dubbing.  It is Christian Bale.   All of the sudden, I love batman that much more and hope he come out with more movie soon.

If I can have only one.... Fall lust list

Well, there are so many goodies came out for fall from Anthropologie.  Granted many of those wish bubbles would burst after trying it on as they often do, here is the If I can have only 1 list --

If I can have only 1 vest from Anthro for the fall,

Falling in Love vest

If I can only 1 dress for the fall, it would be

Learning Curve Dress.

If I can buy only 1 jacket  for the fall, it would be

cream confection jacket

If I can buy only 1 sweater it would be

Best of the bunch Cardigan

If I can buy only 1 pair of shoes/boots, it would be

What is your fall lust list?

Stay cool

So temperature should come down a little bit today and tomorrow should go down to the comfortable high 70's.

I forgot to close the patio door in the morning yesterday, so by the time I got home, it was pretty hot.  Usually we take the kids to the pool in hot days like this, but during lunch, I over heard the girl next table mentioning yesterday was the "festival of the ghost" as the "kind of the death" give a break to all his servants who normally guarding the dead spirit.  Basically there will be a lot of dead spirit turn loose on the street during this time of the year, so it is better to stay home.  Well, while it is totally a Chinese superstition and I honestly can't say I believe that, but the conversation creeps me out.  Even I know it is totally ridiculous to feel this way, I cannot feel easy taking the kids to YMCA last night.  So we end up staying home and turn on the water hopscotch toy that we rarely use.   At first the kids are pretty cautious as the water is very cold.  But after a while, they got used to it and had quite some fun.

Here is the outfit for hot weather.  Somehow an extra hot day like this always make me want to wear bright color.  But that was a bit too bright for the gloomy boring work environment so I end up toning it down with a navy sweater.  After all, inside is AC and bringing another layer for someone who is always cold cannot be bad.

Top: Anthro (2008) Bottom: Anthro It Is Your Move skirt Cardi: Anthro blooming Lattice cardigan