The Official 'It Ends with Us' Coloring Book Available Soon

Tiktok sensation and bestselling author, Colleen Hoover just announced the release of the official "It Ends with Us" coloring book. "I'm one of the adult coloring book industry's biggest consumers, so to have one of my books turned into a coloring book is a dream come true!" says Hoover.

Source: https://www.simonandschuster.com

What can we expect from this official coloring book?

According to the website, you can immerse yourself in the world of Lily Bloom where you will experience this phenomenal novel’s most iconic scenes and settings through the book. Favorite quotes also come alive with charming illustrations that will make you want to frame them on your wall

The 64-page coloring book is Illustrated by Emma Taylor and published by Atria Books. It is scheduled to be released on April 4, 2023 and now on preorder via Amazon. 

I haven't read the book. Can you tell me more about it? 

'It Ends with Us' is a 2016 romance novel. It features a heart-wrenching story combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters. The book tells us an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price. 

Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence. 

This book has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and has a 4.32 rating on Goodreads.

Click here to order a copy of the book.

UPDATE on 01/12/22: Colleen Hoover posted on her IG stories canceling the release of the coloring after receiving criticisms about the said plans.  

Chinese New Year Food Ideas and Symbolisms

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Have you started with the preparations already? 

To be honest, my family and I prepare more during the Chinese (Lunar) New Year compared to the traditional/ western calendar new year every January 1st. This is because feng shui, a traditional practice that uses energy forces to arrange the pieces in the living space to create balance and harmony between individuals with the natural world and their surroundings, follows the lunar calendar. Thus, the forecasts by feng shui masters actually start during CNY and are applicable during this time as well. 

Filipinos, even those who are not Chinese, have been celebrating the Chinese New Year for a long time. In fact, it has already been declared as a special non-working holiday every year here in the Philippines. 

A lot of beliefs and rituals believed to bring luck and good fortune every New Year is followed by many such as house cleaning, wearing red clothes, giving out red envelopes/ Hong Bao, etc. with the hopes of gaining good fortune and having an auspicious year.  

One of the important things that we prepare during the Chinese New Year's celebration is food. The Chinese New Year Eve's dinner is actually considered the most important meal of the year. In China, family members would see to it that they get to go home and be with their families during the celebration.

Here are some food ideas that you can prepare for the upcoming Chinese New Year:

• Noodles for good health and longevity
• Round cake or round sweets for continuous prosperity and promotions.
• Whole pork dish (e.g. Patatim, Ham, Lechon Belly) for bountiful blessings (Make sure that ham is not sliced)
• Sweet Sticky Rice (e.g. biko, palitaw, bochi, tikoy) for abundance and good luck
• Seafood (except lobster or crabs) for happiness.
• Dumplings (siomai, lumpia shanghai) for wealth
• Fish (must be served whole and with scales, e.g. bangus or lapu-lapu) for prosperity
• Green salad/ vegetables for money
• Good fortune fruits (e.g. oranges, pomelos, tangerines) for fullness and wealth

Now the big question is - when do you prepare and eat this? As mentioned earlier, Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is the most important meal of the year. Thus, you prepare and enjoy this feast the day before the Chinese New Year. Thus, for 2023, it will be on January 21. 

Each family member is expected to have some of every dish EXCEPT the fish to signify that they will have a remainder, savings, or surplus for the year.  

Anyway, that's it for now. We hope that we are able to help you with your CNY preparations. Whether this is true or not, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try as we have nothing to lose in enjoying a bountiful meal with our families.