Month: March 2017

My 44th Birthday – 29 March 2017

It was a low-key celebration again as it was on a school day and the girls have school the next morning. We went to a nearby Japanese restaurant for dinner and then went home for the cake-cutting and camwhoring thingy.

Drama Queen trying her hand at strumming ‘Happy Birthday’ with the ukulele. She’s been attending ukulele classes in school for about 1 month.

It was CoCo day in school;  Cass and Drama Queen came home at 4ish pm. The moment she stepped into the house, Drama Queen presented her gifts to me in a ‘dramatic’ way — first she gave me a thinly wrapped and slim present, which was a straw. When I said “What, a straw?!”, she then gave me a saucy grin (this girl is full of tricks up her sleeves), sauntered to her room and came out with the second gift, which is a mason jar cup.  When we were at Daiso a few days ago, she had discreetly bought them for me!

Drama Queen also prepared a ‘fruit’ cake for me comprising of dragon fruit, guava, straberries and kiwi, ‘creamed’ with sugar-free yoghurt. But I was feeling bloated yesterday and told her that I could not whack the ‘fruit’ cake down. Full of ideas, this fella then chucked the entire ‘cake’ into the Blentec blender and whizzed out a refreshing dragon fruit smoothie. She poured it into the new mason jar cup and I gulped down half a cup.

The chocolate chip banana cupcakes are baked by the mil.

I received a surprise birthday present from my man. It’s a set of DKNY perfume 😁😍  And Cass commented “daddy loves to buy you perfume, yeah mummy?”

 

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Long Silence

Hellooooo everyone! Sorry for the long silence. I’ve been spending days fixing the unloadable photos in my blogs AGAIN.  Darn it, this is happening too often. As I was fixing one of the old posts, I  read that the last time this happened was on 20 August 2016.  I then checked back my most recent pictures and found out that they are all not loading in my blogs too! In total, I have to fix the photos for 17 months (Nov 2015 through March 2017) for my 3 blogs totalling thousands of photos! I am fuming!!   This confirms that I cannot upload the pictures in Facebook and copy the pictures to my blogs.   Pictures uploaded in Facebook are not compatible with blog settings. Thus, I am now using another way of uploading the photos before importing them to my blogs.  Miss Cheapskate here ain’t going to pay photo hosting sites, thus going through all these trouble.  Since Monday, I have been putting the photos back into each post, one by one.  So much precious time has been wasted doing this!

Anyway, I am trying hard not to stress myself too much over this disaster, though it will take me weeks to resolve. Stress is only going to mess up my body and spur the growth of the fibroid. I’m going to chillax, drown myself with Izumio, enjoy my cuppa ginger + lemon grass + green lemon tonic, enjoy a body massage on my Osim uJolly massage chair while I am at it and walk down memory lane reading all my old posts again 🙂

Below – my cup of pure Bentong ginger powder + ginger brown sugar cube + organic lemon grass powder + organic green lemon powder health tonic.

Can you view the 2 photos?

 

 

No. of times viewed = 8

Instructions And Tips On Writing Main Paragraphs For Dissertation

How to write main paragraphs for your dissertation?
Creating a dissertation demands arriving at exquisite, complicated and peculiar ways of texturizing the reflections. The significant aspect is division of the graduation work into purposeful paragraphs. Therefore, you develop your supporting points, and the reader will keep up with the thread of your reflections as they evolve throughout the chapters. This article offers some tips that will ease crafting paragraphs for the thesis. Assignment baron is ready to help you with your academic paper 24/7.

Paragraph determination
Union of conjunct clauses dedicated to a certain theme is called a paragraph. Ability to craft compelling paragraphs will provide the possibility to keep on track while making, drafting, and correcting the text. Besides, valid paragraphing helps the reader to follow the development of ideas contained in the paper. Your ideas may be really great, but you should introduce them in a structured way, or there is a possibility to forfeit the readers, and not to succeed in writing.

Remember: One thought in one paragraph
The golden rule of making paragraphs is to dedicate one thought to one paragraph. If you want to start a new thought, you should start the next paragraph. There exist several easy ways to define whether you are keeping to the same theme or another one. There may be one reflection and more than one confirmation contained in a single paragraph. There also may be more than one point in one paragraph as long as they cover the general theme of the paragraph. If some points are getting too long, then possibly developing each of them and putting them in the paragraphs where they belong is the right thing to do.

Paragraph components
To make an efficient paragraph it should have the following components: unanimity, cohesion, a topic sentence, and corresponding development. These features are partially connected. By utilizing them for your personal goals, you will write informative paragraphs.

  • The whole paragraph must be focused on a single thought. If it is focused on the main deliberation point, it must not be finished with another one; neither should it roam within various thoughts.
  • Cohesion is the feature that simplifies the paragraph for reader. It can be crafted logically and verbally.
  • Logic. One thought of the theme is transferred from clause to clause. Parallel forms may be used for the following clauses verbally, repeating of main words in some clauses.
  • A topic sentence. This is a clause that reveals generally what thought will be covered in a paragraph. Not all paragraphs include distinct topic clauses and sometimes they may appear in various parts of the paragraph. They may become the first clause, the last clause, or be placed in the middle. But if you want the reader to understand the paragraph theme, place the topic clause somewhere in the paragraph beginning.
  • Corresponding development. The theme presented by the topic sentence must be discussed completely and relevantly. This may also vary in paragraphs and depend on the aim of the author, but writers must avoid paragraphs with two or three clauses. In this case, there is a possibility that the paragraph is not developed properly.

Following this simple structure and keeping these components in your paragraphing, you will be able to write strong introductions.

 

No. of times viewed = 6

Times Are Bad

Yesterday I witnessed a thief who was handcuffed by police. That was my very first time witnessing a criminal being apprehended  by policemen.

As I was entering the supermarket with Alycia, we saw the thief sitting on the stairs leading to the supermarket with a policeman each on his sides guarding him. His hands were at his rear and handcuffed. Minutes later, the police car arrived. There were many policemen there and some were holding rifles. The petty thief was being shoved into the car by the policeman.  For a moment, I felt sorry for the thief. He was scrawny and feeble. I heard from a juice promoter at the supermarket that he was caught on CCTV trying to steal food. I felt sorry that he had to resort to stealing food. It could be for his kid or himself.  No way am I condoning a crime ok. But I just felt sorry that someone has to resort to stealing food to curb hunger, knowing the consequences that he has to face should he be caught. The whole scene looked like a very serious crime but it was only a petty theft.  Some people are still treated with respect and pomp though they had committed  much bigger crimes but sadly they are untouchable and unquestionable.

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I could not believe my eyes when this morning, less than 24 hours after witnessing a petty crime, I saw another petty crime taking place right in front of my eyes and less than 20 meters away from the crime scene of yesterday!  As I was driving my car into the parking area to have breakfast at our regular coffee shop, I saw the owner of a mini mart hitting a guy. The guy sped off in lightning speed by foot to the main road. I heard the mini mart owner telling the parking attendant nearby that the thief was trying to steal something from his mart.

A few days ago, a friend’s friend was a victim of a traumatic daylight robbery. When her car was at the traffic lights, a robber smashed her car window, then smashed her head and grabbed her handbag.

Times are really bad. We are feeling the effect of it too. To everyone reading this post, be extra vigilant whenever you are out and about. Do not be the next victim.

 

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Cuti-Cuti Malaysia

This school holidays, we are staying put in KL as it is only a week-long holiday. Plus, Drama Queen has to attend school for the first three days of the holidays to attend UPSR exam preparation classes.  Today I brought the girls to Mid Valley Megamall to chillax. We had a sumptuous dim sum  lunch at Han Room and then did what girls like best – retail therapy 😀

With our Ringgit shrinking to such a miserable value, I doubt we will be having any overseas holiday this year.  We shall be exploring our very own beautiful country, Malaysia.  There are so many places in Malaysia that we have never been to. We have never visited East Malaysia and even in the capital of Malaysia where we live in, there are so many places of interest that we have not brought the girls to.  KL Tower (at present, the world’s fifth tallest structure), Batu Caves (400 million-year old limestone hill with a 100-year old temple incorporated within it) and Istana Negara are some of the places that I have in mind to bring our girls to.

Revolving Atmosphere 360 restaurant at Menara KL Tower (picture below) is one of the to-visit places in my bucket list. Hailed as one of the tallest freestanding structures in the world, Menara KL plays host to a revolving restaurant,  Atmosphere 360.  You can have a meal or enjoy high tea along with the most spectacular view of the city centre, bar chartering a helicopter (though that would be very costly!).  Boasting a theater, an amphitheater, beautiful cascading pools, a fast food restaurant and souvenir shops, this tower is a definite must-visit sightseeing attraction in Kuala Lumpur.

We could even do a staycation at Best Western PJ Hotel or any hotel in the Klang Valley. I know our girls would love to have a staycation in a luxurious hotel to enjoy the rooms, the swimming pool, the hotel food and the feeling of being on a holiday. We can get the best of our holiday right in the heart of where we stay at a fraction of a cost of an overseas holiday.

For an inexpensive half-day tour, we could do a little jaunt in Batu Caves (picture below). Batu Caves, one of Kuala Lumpur’s most frequented tourist attractions, is a limestone hill comprising three major caves and a number of smaller ones. Located approximately 11 kilometres to the north of Kuala Lumpur, this 100-year-old temple features idols and statues erected inside the main caves and around it. Incorporated with interior limestone formations said to be around 400 million years old, the temple is considered an important religious landmark by Hindus.  The last time I visited Batu Caves was exactly 30 years ago!  I was 14 then (Alycia’s age now) and had followed the school on a trip to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. That trip was my first ever trip with my class and school mates as a teenager and remains as one of my fondest memories up until today.

Another place that I would love to go with our girls is Langkawi Island. The hubs and I went to Langkawi for a holiday 17 years ago (with our buddy, Alan Yun) and fell in love with this island. We vowed to visit there again. Our most memorable experience in Langkawi was a deep sea fishing adventure where we caught a huge rainbow trout and then brought the trout to a restaurant in the Langkawi Yacht Club to have it steamed. The rainbow trout was sinfully fresh and sweet, though I felt really sorry for the trout.  One of the island’s highlights that I really want to visit is the Langkawi Sky Bridge (picture below).  It is a 410ft-long curved pedestrian bridge located 2,300 ft above sea level with stunning views.

With so many places to visit in our beautiful country, there is just no necessity to splurge on an overseas holiday in this gloomy economy that we are in now. Here’s a tip for you. To get the best deals on flights and hotels, go to Traveloka Malaysia.

 

No. of times viewed = 21

This Antibiotic Will Ruin You

I had written in my blogs many times before. I am anti-antibiotics. I saw how it wrecked my daughters’ immune system. Being a new mum 14 years ago, I listened obediently to the pediatricians who treated my eldest child by conveniently prescribing her with antibiotics for flu and throat infection. Consequently, she was constantly ill from the year she started pre-school at 3 years old until she was 6.  I saw how the UTI-causing bacteria in Cass’ body got resistant to all the antibiotics to the point where her pediatric nephrologist told me to stop giving her antibiotics.

It was through my years of experience as a mother that I learned from my own extensive reading from the internet on how antibiotics can wreck our system. And this is why now, I am against the use of antibiotics on myself and on my daughters unless it is a matter of life and death, like what happened to Cass in November 2015 when she had a bout of serious UTI attack which caused high fever and flank pain and needed hospitalization with strong antibiotics drips and oral antibiotics.  Post hospitalization, she was very prone to getting colds. And the UTI came back every six weeks. Yes, the bacteria were that smart (those that were not destroyed by the antibiotics and went into hiding behind the bladder walls). They came out to attack her urinary tract when the conditions were conducive and multiplied at amazing speeds. I tracked the timing of those UTI attacks and found out that they would strike every six weeks. But I found a way of eliminating those pesky bacteria and it was tough. I needed to put Cass on a very regimented lifestyle and diet. I sacrificed my sleep and woke up every 3-4 hourly to make sure that she pees and is fed with Izumio and D-Mannose.  I went to school several times in a week just to check on her. I spoke to all her teachers on her medical condition.  I did this for over a year. And it has exhausted me to the point I told Cass that I feel half my life has been snatched away from the lack of sleep, worry, stress and ensuring that she follows the strict regimen. Some of Cass’ friends and even my friends commented that I am too protective over her but they would never know what I have been going through with Cass. So stop judging if you’ve not been in my shoes yet.

It’s been over half a year since the last UTI attack and I am very, very, very ‘pantang’ and paranoid to even comment about this, lest Cass gets another UTI attack soon. My right eye lid has been twitching lately, shit!! Not a day goes by where I do not worry about the next UTI attack. The supplements (Super Lutein) that I am giving Cass has been very helpful in preventing a UTI attack. Super Lutein contains carotenoids, which are known to prevent inflammation.  Cass can feel the difference after taking Super Lutein and she would ask to pop the capsule twice a day.

Lately, I have stopped waking up at 2 a.m. to bring Cass to pee.  The lack of sleep has taken a great toll on my health. The fibroid in my uterus is growing and it’s been causing me very heavy periods. As a result, I am anemic.  The acupunturist and herbalist whom I am seeing has advised me to stop waking up in the wee hours of the morning.  She told me that our liver repairs between 1-3am each day and it is during this hour that I have been waking up every night for the past 1 year+.  Our liver is our body’s primary detoxifier. So keeping it healthy is very crucial to our overall health, including metabolism and function of our hormones. Fibroids are controlled by hormones (estrogen). If our hormones are imbalanced, the fibroid will grow. For the past 1 week, I have stopped waking up at 2 a.m.  I sleep at 11 p.m. and wake up at 5 a.m.  to bring Cass to the toilet. Then I go about with my daily morning chores before I wake the girls up at 6 a.m. for school. 6 hours of sleep is still NOT sufficient for me. I need at least 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to feel good the next day.

My main reason of writing this post is to share with you a blog post I read today. It’s from a woman whose life and health are ruined after she took an antibiotics for a UTI attack.  You can read the post here

The next time your doctor prescribes you with antibiotics, ask if you can avoid taking it.

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Amazing Healthy Snacks From Amazin’ Graze

I received my much-awaited goodies from Amazin’ Graze a few days ago. They are two flavors of granola (salted gula Melaka and hazelnut blackforest), zesty maple glazed nut mix and a bottle of ABC (almond, brazil nut, cashew) butter. All are droolicious! 😋👍

When our girls got home from school, they darted straight into the kitchen to forage for food (as usual!). Their sharp eyes spotted something new at the counter top. After getting permission from me, they ripped open the packet of salted gula melaka granola and oh my, they almost finished the packet of addictive granola.  For once, they fell in love with granola. They are not fans of oats and granola but they love Amazin’s granola!   What makes Amazin’ Graze’s range of granola stand out from other imported brands of granola is that the granola is very fresh, super crunchy (swoon!), nutty and ADDICTIVE!

Below – The salted gula Melaka granola has just the right tinge of saltiness, sweetness and every single piece of oat, cluster and nut inside is oh so crunchy!

I like the granola eaten on its own to get the best out of its crunchiness. This morning I sprinkled some crunchy granola clusters on my chilled overnight organic oats, threw in some crunchy zesty maple glazed assorted nuts and fresh Korean strawberries.  This baby has all the tastes and textures in a cup – from sweet to salty, milky, nutty, zesty, crunchy and fruity.  So yummy, refreshing and filled me up until lunch.

Amazin’ Graze’s crunchy granola clusters are baked fresh daily and packed with superfoods. Each flavour is uniquely delicious and nutritious!  Price is priced reasonably between RM18.90 – RM29.90  for a 250g pack.  There is also a gluten-free range priced at RM22.90 for a 250g pack.

Amazin’ Graze’s ABC butter is another amazing healthy product. Toasty almonds, creamy cashews and earthy brazil nuts team up in this rich and delicious nut butter medley. Stone-ground and natural with no added salt, sugar, or oil, this butter is healthy and harmonious in flavour and nutrition. Use it as a spread, to add creaminess to cereals, as a dip for fruits and vegetables…or just eat it on its own!

Check out Amazin’ Graze’s other amazing nutty butters at their website.

Here’s my creation with Amazin’ Graze’s ABC butter…

ABC butter on crackers topped with crunchy zesty  maple glazed assorted nuts and juicy sweet Korean strawberry, yums!

Our girls are already bugging me to place an order for more granola and nuts from Amazin’ Graze. Snacking on granola and nuts is way healthier than biscuits, ice-creams and cakes.  I don’t mind stocking up our pantry with healthy snacks for our three perpetually hungry piranhas (that’s what the hubs calls them) 😆

To order these amazing healthy snacks, all you need to do is hop over to register online at https://www.amazingraze.co/register/ and receive RM10 off your first online purchase!

Shipping for Amazin’ Graze’s products are RM6 across the whole of Malaysia. You can earn free shipping for delivery to major cities for orders above RM50.

You’ll be truly amazed with Amazin’ Graze’s range of healthy snacks when you are shopping at their website. Happy grazing 🙂

No. of times viewed = 61

Hungry As A Bear

When our girls come home from school each day, the first thing on their mind is to dart into the kitchen. Acting like inspectors, they inspect every nook and corner, every pot and pan on the stove and every drawer to see what’s in for them. Still in their uniform and socks, any cooked food will be quickly noshed down, as if to suppress the hunger pang first before they move on to the bathroom to have a quick wash up. Then they sit comfortably at the dining table with their fruits, the main meal (again) and a good book on hand to continue their lunch.

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It must be the supplements (Super Lutein) that they pop everyday that make them as hungry as bears!

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Caught on camera in action…

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Our girls are always famished when they return from school, every single time. I would be very worried if they come home and tell me that they are not hungry. This would mean that they are unwell.

Are your kids like this too?

 

No. of times viewed = 11

Time-Table For Kids

I have never really made in mandatory to impose a time-table for the girls at home. But of late, someone has been spending too much time on her i-gadget which pisses me off. I told her dad about it yet again, who gave her another pep talk (on same issue again!); and he said she could continue to hold the said i-gadget on condition that a time-table must be drawn out and abided to. And my condition to the girl is the i-gadget must be out of her bedroom and into my bedroom by 9:30pm every night. The girl ain’t happy about this whole thing at all but a mum has to do what’s right but seem unpleasant, period.

After she drew up her time-table, the other 2 sisters followed suit and drew up their own time-table. That is why it is so important for the oldest child to set good examples coz the other siblings are watching. Monkey see monkey do.

Cass has been very serious about her time-table (thank God for that!). But she has an ulterior motive!  She wants half an hour of screen time on her phone or iPad everyday! I am fine with this as long as she finishes her school homework, tuition homework, my BM homework for her and piano must be practised daily. After all, everyone needs to do something that he/she likes to de-stress. She did a draft on her own time-table and I make sure that she follows it. On the first day of using her time-table, Cass was late for bed by half an hour. On the second day, which was yesterday, she was 15 minutes late for bed but lesser time was wasted on dawdling. She was working very fast and she did things without having being told. If she’s late, she would have to forgo her screen time.  Her piano piece was also played perfectly well yesterday, even without me standing next to her guiding her or me hollering to her “B flat, F sharp, rest, timing…!!”  from afar 👏👍

Today is CoCo day at school and she came home late. As of typing this post, she’s at the table doing her school homework. I’ll see if she can still meet the timeline on the timetable.

When I attended a parents’ briefing at Cass’ orientation day 3 years ago, I remember that the parents-students-adviser stressed that without a time-table, a student is less likely to excel, whether academically or in extra CoCo activity. This adviser has 2 kids who are state swimmers with intensive training everyday and yet are in the top class.  I think this is so true. Without a time-table, there is no target to meet and a child tends to dawdle on unimportant things. They tend to sleep late and have trouble waking up in the morning. Ideally, I want my girls to have 8 hours of sleep each day.  Numerous studies have shown the importance of sleep and the effect sleep deprivation can have on our brains. It is well-known that poor sleep patterns can contribute to lack of attention, memory loss and such brain disorders as Alzheimer’s and dementia. A lack of shut eye also shrinks the size of the brain.

Do you set a time-table for your school-going kids at home? Do you ensure that they follow it?

Pix below – a mesmerizing rainbow stretched out beautifully on the sky after a very heavy downpour yesterday evening.

Some where over the rainbow – can you spot KL Tower and KLCC? 🌈

Oh yes, did you manage to catch a glimpse of the super huge orange moon for the past few nights? It was even bigger than the super moon that we saw from our side several months ago.

No. of times viewed = 17

Funky Wigs

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

I used to have thick luscious hair but I have lost a great deal of my precious locks after the birth of my children. Blame it on the hormones. Thankfully when my babies started to creep and crawl, I saw lots of baby hair sprouting and standing atop my crown 😆😅 What glorious sight!

A few months ago, I started to shed hair again. The amount of hair that fell off my scalp after each hair wash was worrying. I wondered what was wrong. Could it be that I am aging? Was it caused by stress and worriment? Or do I lack  certain nutrients?

I later learned that my hair loss was contributed by iron deficiency. After my diagnosis of being anemic with low red blood cells early this year (no thanks to a uterine fibroid), I did some research on anemia and learned that being anemic can cause hair loss too. Ahhh, this explains the unusual hair loss!

I am now on a high iron diet to boost my red blood cells. Hopefully my effort pays off and my hair follicles will strengthen, else I will have to get myself some wigs online!  Actually it’s not that bad an idea to wear a wig.  Celebrities don on them and they look terrific.  Most times, you can’t even tell when they wear a wig.  Keira Knightley has been wearing a wig for years and no one realized it initially.

hair replacement systems in UK

Hair loss happens to even the best of us. Wigs give us fresh hope, positive transformation and confidence.  At BlackHairspray.com, you’ll find a complete range of wigs, weaves, lace front wigs, ponytails, braids and beauty supplies. Buying wigs online gives us the privacy that we need as opposed to buying from brick-and-mortar shops. If you are worried that the wig wouldn’t suit you, no worries, as BlackHairspray.com offers a no hassle, 30-day return policy.

 

 

BlackHairspray.com offers same day shipping on nearly all products when orders are placed before 4PM EST. Looking at the wig samples at BlackHairspray.com (OMG, they look like real hair!) gives me the itch to try out a wig too! Wigs will come in handy on bad hair days. I’ve plenty of such awful days. 😄

No. of times viewed = 8

Our Sunday – 12 March 2017

After church service, we had lunch at Paradise Dynasty @ Pearl Point Shopping Gallery.  Xiao Long Bao is Paradise Dynasty’s signature and award-winning dish.  The xiao long boas sure are droolicious but are a tad pricey.  The innovative 8-flavor / color ones (picture below) are priced at RM29 a set.   There was a good crowd at the restaurant – this goes to show that when it comes to food, we Malaysians are really a generous lot. We really don’t mind paying to fill up our tummies with delectable grub despite the current economic scenario in our country. My connoisseur hubs falls into this category but definitely not me, haha!

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After a sumptuous lunch, we went to Popular Bookstore. That’s our main intention of going to this mall – to get workbooks for Drama Queen who is sitting for her UPSR exam in 5 months (wish it’s 15 months!) and reference books for Alycia.

Next up was an exciting dessert time at Take Eat Easy Modern Bakery & Cafe. This cafe serves up a panoply of gastronomy selections for your ultimate satisfaction; starting from all day breakfast choices, freshly baked breads, pizzas and pastries, multi-cuisine courses, garden salads, sandwiches to gelato for the sweet toothed.  Take Eat Easy opened their outlet at Pearl Shopping Gallery late last year after their successful and booming maiden branch in Kepong.

Below – British Breakfast Set (hello carbs!)…

Below – fresh juice served in a cute light bulb bottle. I love the denim prints on their plates.  Take Eat Easy focuses on classic yet contemporary style in its interior design, i.e. wood and denim. Their chair seats are wrapped in denim fabric with eye-catching prints of your denim pants!

Below – crispy waffle served with fresh cream, strawberries and ice-cream (swoon)!

 

On our way home, we made a stop at Le Point to grab some gourmet bread loaves and buns for the girls’ breakkie the next day.

 

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Silly Girl

Today I was totally thunderstruck when Cass told me that she wore her PE t-shirt that her friend had dropped on the school’s wet and dirty toilet floor!  If you are a product of Malaysia’s public schools, you will know just how dirty, wet and stinky these toilets are. Totally disgusting.

Cass had asked her bestie to follow her to the toilet to change into their PE t-shirt in the morning. After she had passed her PE t-shirt to her friend to hold, her friend dropped it on the stinky floor!  For fear of getting punished by the PE teacher for not wearing PE attire, Cass wore the stinky and wet t-shirt anyway. Oh. My. GAWD!! I get crazy thinking just how she could have worn the stinky and wet t-shirt!! There must have been some rocks in her head!

I gave Cass a long lecture on how she has to use her discretion and her brain to think when situations like these happen.  I told her that she has to learn to speak up and have the guts to tell her teachers of what happened.  She ain’t going to wear a t-shirt smeared with shit just to avoid being punished. She has to learn to speak up for her rights. I hope she has learnt a lesson today.

Below – Cass admiring a mini waterfall created from rain water flowing down gutters, during a thunderstorm at our condo yesterday evening.

new years eve backdrops// new years eve backdrop diy

 

No. of times viewed = 2

Cabinets For A Kid-Friendly Kitchen

When you have children in the home, you need cabinets that are rather difficult to get into but not at such a level that older children feel that they can’t make their own decisions about what to get to eat. There are a few modifications that you can make to the kitchen cabinets St Louis companies work with and install.

toddler in kitchen

One of the ideas for a family-friendly kitchen is to install the cabinets above the counters. Younger children usually can’t climb that far, and older children will usually still be able to reach the cabinets if they want a snack after school or if they are responsible for getting the dishes to set the table. Instead of a kitchen and dining area that is separate from the rest of the home, consider making it a multi-purpose room. You’ll need to keep the appliances separate in most instances, but you could easily blend a comfortable living room with a dining room so that children can be watched while they are near cabinets.

As you look at the cabinets, think about the age of the home and the overall style. You want the space to flow, so it’s best to work with the basic layout. If the cabinets are on the lower level of the room, then think about remodeling them so that they roll out for more space inside and to make it easier to store items and organize the things that you need. Add locks to the cabinets so that children can’t open them.

The hardware on the cabinets is another issue to consider. Handles and knobs that are appealing to children might make them want to open the cabinets more often, but this design can also have its benefits. It will create a modern look to the home, but it can also make it easier to lock the cabinets in place, especially if you have a handle with a straight design. The kitchen cabinets should bring a simple look to the home that also brings out your personality while still offering safety for children who are in the home.

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After School Snacks

Wednesdays are CoCo (CoCurricular) days. Drama Queen and Cass will be home late, at around 4ish pm. Whenever they are back from school, they look and behave like feral dogs — they will dart straight to the kitchen to check every nook and corner in search for food.  At the sight of food, they will stuff them quickly into their mouths, as if they have not eaten for days! Don’t get me wrong. They bring food to school everyday. I feed them well.

Below – Cass’ snacks after CoCo yesterday (Wednesday). She had a packet of Izumio hydrogen water, papaya, a piece of ginger + spice biscuit, grandma’s fresh-from-the-oven palm sugar butter and almond meal cup cake and  a mug of sugar-free Hershey’s cocoa milk. She walloped all these down and 2 hours later, she had a heavy dinner!

 

My girls are growing up really fast. They are no longer the little ones that need coaxing to finish the food. Drama Queen has come a long way. For 6 years of her life, I had to endure with her storing food in her mouth at every meal. On some nights, she would sit at the dining table from 6 – 10pm struggling to finish her bowl of rice + dishes; often she fell asleep at the dining table with food still stored in her mouth. Now, she is the champion of the 3 girls when it comes to eating.

With 3 fast growing girls, the dishes on the dining table are ALWAYS polished off clean. And I have to replenish the stockpile of  snacks in the pantry every SINGLE DAY.

Honey, now you know why I have to do grocery shopping every single day!! 🍗🍕🍔🍎🍏🍒🍖🍱 🙀

 

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How Do I Care For My Eyes?

I  received my pair of blue light blocking eye glasses from Naturally Plus today! As I am typing this post at my desktop computer now, I am wearing the glasses to block blue light from damaging my precious assets. I can really see the difference–with the anti-blue light glasses on, my eyes do not get tired and strained easily from the glare of the monitor.  I really need to take good care of my eyes as I want them to be in tip top condition for as long as I live.

I am turning 44 years old this year and currently, I am doing everything that I can to prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) of my eyes. Here’s what I am doing to preserve the health of my eyes:

1. Take Super Lutein
2. Wear anti blue light eye glasses whenever I use the computer
3. Try to get sufficient rest and sleep (trying real hard!)
4. Exercise
5. Eat a healthy diet

What is age-related macular degeneration?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the developed world. AMD is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving.

Blue light exposure may increase the risk of macular degeneration.
The fact that blue light penetrates all the way to the retina (the inner lining of the back of the eye) is important, because laboratory studies have shown that too much exposure to blue light can damage light-sensitive cells in the retina. This causes changes that resemble those of macular degeneration, which can lead to permanent vision loss. Although more research is needed to determine how much natural and man-made blue light is “too much blue light” for the retina, many eye care providers are concerned that the added blue light exposure from computer screens, smartphones and other digital devices might increase a person’s risk of macular degeneration later in life.

Protecting Your Eyes With Lutein, The Eye Vitamin.  
Lutein is one of two major carotenoids found as a color pigment in the human eye (macula and retina). It is thought to function as a light filter, protecting the eye tissues from sunlight damage. Lutein is called a carotenoid vitamin. It is related to beta-carotene and vitamin A. Foods rich in lutein include broccoli, spinach, kale, corn, orange pepper, kiwi fruit, grapes, orange juice, zucchini, and squash. Lutein is absorbed best when it is taken with a high-fat meal.

Tips for Protecting Eye Health and Preventing Macular Degeneration
These suggestions may help protect vision and improve your overall health, and some may lower the risk of developing AMD. Even if you already have AMD, continue these healthy habits:

  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Eat a nutritious diet that includes green leafy vegetables, yellow and orange fruit, fish and whole grains.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Maintain normal blood pressure and control other medical conditions.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Wear sunglasses and hats when you are outdoors.
  • Get regular eye exams, and consult your doctor if you notice vision changes.

The anti-blue light eye glasses from Naturally Plus cost RM30 a pair and does not require prescription. The lenses are tinted light brown so they can absorb and cut blue light. You can get similar eye glasses from eyewear shops and some pharmacies sell them too.

If you want to try Super Lutein, Japan’s no. 1 supplement for eyes, I can help you get hold of it. Just email me at shireenyong@gmail.com or Whatsapp / call 019 266 4290.

Treat your eyes with tender loving care. It is never too early to start caring for them.

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Homecooked Lunch – 6 March 2017

“What’s for lunch today?”  This is the question that the mil and I would ask each other every morning. Whenever we  shrug our shoulders implying a non-verbal “no to outside food”, she would be quick to suggest home cooked food. Then she would stride to the kitchen to defrost meat and hurriedly whip up a few simple yet most tasteful dishes. Thank goodness she finds so much pleasure cooking unlike me, who finds cooking a chore 😖

This is our lunch today, which the mil efficiently whipped up in under an hour:

Sauteed pork strips with homegrown basil and jar choy (preserved vegetable) and sauteed leek flowers with fish cakes. Cass’ bowl of rice has so much dishes that  the rice is  hardly visible. Her appetite is always voracious and it’s such a joy to see her nosh down her food.  She washed down her lunch with a packet of Izumio 👍

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Fruit of the day for today is papaya and guava. She eats her fruits before the main meal.

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What do you usually  have for lunch? Home cooked or easy way out takeout?

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HEALTH FREAK MOMMY