Haru is much more than a kitten. We all think that she looks like a multiple- animal of sorts, all rolled into one little adorable kitten. She looks like a tiger cub, a leopard, a penguin, an oversized rat, a lizard (side profile of her face), a monkey, a racoon, a cheetah and of course a cat 😸
She has spots on her abdomen and stripes on her limbs, making her look like a tigard / leoger.
Today Haru spent half a day on Cass’ lap while Cass attended online class. She’s one lap cat who loves being stroked till she falls asleep on Cass and Sherilyn’s lap.
Sherilyn whipped up some yummy Korean fare for lunch and dinner today: Tteokbokki or spicy stir-fried Korean rice cakes for lunch, all made from scratch. This is not my kind of meal as I don’t like starchy food, so she added hard boiled eggs and ‘foo pei’ for me.
For dinner, she cooked ttukbaegi bulgogi (stewed beef with glass noodles), Korean steamed egg and air fried Tteok-bokki. It’s our first time using the Airbot air fryer, a recent gift from my mum, who got the air fryer free when she purchased her 3rd unit of robot vacuum cleaner.
Sherilyn needs to create a vlog as part of her X-Culture program’s requirements and her cooking adventures will be a series in the vlog.
I realized that she loves playing with dough and whipping up cream for her desserts! This tastes almost 100% like the real deal. When there’s passion and love in one’s cooking or baking, it’s all evident in the final product.
When you use cosmetics and skincare products, the chemicals are absorbed into your skin, which can then enter the bloodstream. You might also inhale powder (talc, loose powder, compact powder, etc) or ingest lip products. Certain ingredients present in makeup and other cosmetic products contain chemicals that researches have linked to serious health concerns. Some of these health concerns include:
1. cancer
2. endocrine disorders, which affect the production of hormones in the body
3. developmental delays
4. skin irritation and more.
I certainly wouldn’t mind paying a little more to buy organic and clean makeup that do not contain toxic chemicals. Some of my friends prefer to make their own skincare and makeup products with essential oils. I used to make them too but due to time constraints now, I now buy my skincare products and cosmetics. I try to buy products that are made from plant ingredients without harmful chemicals like Paraben, Triclosan, Phthalates like Dibutyl phthalate, Sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), Formaldehyde among others. As someone who loves animals, I am also a supporter of cruelty-free makeup.
If you’re like me who’s always on the lookout for clean makeup, do check out OFRA cosmetics. All OFRA Cosmetics’ products are made to order and are 100% vegan. OFRA’s organic makeup line and skincare products are manufactured using only the finest, ethically-sourced ingredients available that will not harm our skin, which is the OFRA way. All OFRA products are not tested on animals, they do not allow others to test on their behalf and their suppliers also do not test on animals. The company prides itself on being cruelty-free and committed members of both PETA and Leaping Bunny.
If you’re all about clean and cruelty-free beauty, do check out OFRA Cosmetics. They have a wide range of makeup and skincare products that you’ll love!
Haru’s doting sisters followed her to the vet for her very first vaccine today, which is a 4-in-1 jab. The moment she was placed on the metal table, Haru started to hiss at the doctor and the hissing only got worse with growling and snarling whenever the doctor or his daughter touched her. It was a hair-raising moment for her 😹. She sounded like a venomous hissing snake and angry pup trapped in a kitten’s body throughout her time at the vet’s. The plethora of sounds coming from Haru at the vet gave us an amusement of laughter.
After the jab, Haru seems fine. Hopefully she doesn’t get cranky and clingy later. She’s still hissing at Maria, our part-time helper. She’s fine with Maria around her but the moment Maria tries to pat her, she will start to show her fangs and hiss, which we find hilarious 😹.
Haru sleeping on Sherilyn’s arm. Both Sherilyn and Cass love stroking Haru till she falls asleep.
We had Tteokbokki for lunch today, made from scratch by our in-house teenage chef. This is not my kind of meal as I don’t like starchy food, so Sherilyn added hard boiled eggs for me. For dinner, she cooked Korean beef stew with the remaining Korean marinate sauce that she made (for Korean marinated pork earlier this week).
Sherilyn needs to create a vlog as part of her X-Culture program’s requirements and her cooking adventures will be a series in the vlog.
Here’s Haru entertaining herself with a straw. Simple unwanted household items can keep her entertained and her favorite ‘toy’ are strings, ribbons, shoe laces, ropes, toilet papers and tissue papers 😸
Flower print bridesmaid dresses are always stylish and fresh no matter what time of year you’re planning a wedding. They are breathtaking for a beautiful spring wedding and the budding motifs and blooming bouquets befit any time of year. Florals are an outstanding alternative to solid colours but look equally fresh in a mixed bridesmaid palette to break up solid colors and add dimension. If you’re planning to wear a floral printed wedding dress, blossoming bridesmaid dresses are a beautiful way to continue the theme.
From halter neck floor length to colourful short chiffon and waist-cinching styles, there are plenty of flower inspired patterns to choose from. You can opt for stamped petals for a minimalist take, oversized flowers in sweet pastel colours or go with an embroidered or floral lace pattern for a more intricate take on buds. For something statement-making, opt for an 80s-inspired floral print in saturated hues or a one-shoulder cut to stand out against more classic styles.
If you’re planning a floral themed wedding with floral bridesmaid dresses, check out Alfabridal.com to pick your favorite floral design, from strapless cross-ruched bodice patterned to floral convertible silhouettes and trendy cold-shoulder designs.
Feminine, fresh and whimsical, floral bridesmaid dresses are the perfect choice for any wedding, especially spring or summer. Botanical prints have an everlasting appeal that will never go out of fashion.
When shopping for floral-accented bridesmaid dresses, remember to keep the usual considerations in mind, including your maids’ budgets, their color preferences and the styles that are most flattering for them. Alfabridal.com has a range of elegant floral bridesmaids dresses at only $99.
With a little careful planning, your entire bride tribe will be beaming and give you their best smiles. You’re going to have a stunning wedding that you and your guests will talk about it for years to come.
My yearly pap smear and gynaecological scan are now ticked off my 2021 to-do checklist. The pap smear report is clear. I have one less worry now.
All is quite well but my gynae saw a small fibroid growing in my uterus 😓. I actually had a hunch that there’s a fibroid growing. All the anxiety and stress thrown at me the past one year don’t auger well for my body. But my gynae didn’t look too concerned since the fibroid only measures 1.3 cm.
My first fibroid was detected even before Cass was conceived and it took about 10 years before it grew to a size of 8 cm resulting in a Laparoscopic Myomectomy performed 4 years ago. My gynae commented that most women go through menopause between the ages of 45 – 55 years old and by then, the fibroid would have stopped growing. Hormones play a role in the growth of fibroids. I am 48 this year and I hope that menopause ain’t too far away.
My gynae then referred me to her dietician who gave me a list of what I can eat and should avoid. Looking at the list, I can only graze on organic greens with a little organic chicken and fish. No soy bean products, no caffeine (I can’t say NO to my coffee and matcha!!!), no red meat, no collagen, no processed foods and no beans and nuts as these foods are high in estrogen and progesterone. Well, I can still eat these foods but they must be eaten minimally. I have now switched to decaf coffee but still drink matcha.
But I think that if we can remove all stressors from our lives (ok, maybe 80%) and get 7-8 hours of sleep each day, our health will be better. I am pretty sure that the vicissitudes in my life the past 1 year are the main culprits in the growth of the fibroid as it wasn’t there during my scan in February last year. I have friends who are now in their late 70s who eat anything and everything they like, don’t get enough sleep but they never have fibroid or cancer because they are naturally happy people. Genetics are partly to be blamed too – my mum is also prone to fibroid and benign breast cysts, speaking of which I still have benign breast cysts on both my breasts but again, my gynae is not too worried about them too.
The bottom line: I’ve said this many times. I have to learn to let go and not sweat over the small stuff. Learn to laugh and be happy every day. I’m now laughing a lot more everyday with Haru in our lives. She’s making us laugh with her antics every single day. I know she came into our lives for a reason.
We had Korean and Chinese for dinner yesterday, prepped by chef Sherilyn: ~ steamed mantou (dough mixed in TMX6) ~ Korean Bulgogi pork ~ roast duck (gift from a friend)
The texture of the mantou is 100% perfect — soft, fluffy and pillowy. Super addictive once you start to eat a bite. I tried hard to resist popping more into my mouth since it’s only empty calories.
The Korean Bulgogi tastes 100% like the real deal. Sherilyn marinated the pork for over 24 hours with fresh pear juice, sesame seed oil, soy sauce, sugar, onions, garlic and ginger juice. She blended the pear, onions, ginger and garlic in the TMX6.
As for the roast duck, I am not a fan of duck, so the mil and the girls who love duck had my portion. We gave some to Maria our part-time helper too.
Sherilyn dozed off with Haru on the couch last night and I had to jolt them up from their nap as Sherilyn hadn’t taken her shower yet. Haru gave us all a BIG heart attack today 😱. Read the story at my other blog.
Many brides dream of having a long wedding gown made from light tulle fabric. Whether it is the fairytale-like charm, lightweightedness or frothy appearance that you are looking for in your wedding dress, tulle can help you achieve all that. Some brides prefer to have their chaperoning girls dressed up in long tulle bridesmaid dresses as well to match the wedding theme or the bride’s wedding gown design.
The fabric tulle is a very light, fine and stiff type of netting that can be made of a variety of fibers, such as silk, rayon or nylon. The most common fabric used to make tulle is polyester. Tulle is very popular in the wedding industry because it’s versatile and allows designers to create beautiful, mesmerizing and elaborate designs.
Tulle fabrics are a perfect pick for evening dresses, wedding attire and even gift packaging. Alfabridal has a lovely range of long tulle bridesmaids dresses that even brides can pick as wedding gown. Not only is tulle amazing for creating the illusion of volume, it is also extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear. This means that the bride or bridesmaids won’t need to pull along any extra weight of the dress as they go around the wedding venue. Compared to fabrics like satin or chiffon, tulle creates an ethereal appearance while providing volume like a cloud without looking bulky.
I love the range of long tulle bridesmaids dresses at Alfabridal. You’ll find one shouldered dresses, spaghetti straps dresses, tube dresses, halter neck dresses and much more made from tulle; and you can choose from over 50 sweet colors in 14 sizes or have your dress custom-made to your specification. Below are 3 of my favorite tulle bridesmaid dresses from Alfabridal.com.
Convertible Neckline Short A-line Tulle Pleated Bridesmaid Dress.
This dress comes with a tulle sash that can be tied in multiple ways making this dress highly versatile.
Halter Ruched Crisscross Tulle Blue Bridesmaid Dress.
You or your bridesmaid will look like a Greek goddess in this long flowy tulle dress in baby blue.
This dress is simply gorgeous with a sexy backless cutting. The tulle sash attached to the dress can be tied in multiple ways, creating a new dress each time you wear it!
For the ultimate tulle bridesmaid dresses, check out Alfabridal.com, an online shop where you can get lovely and affordable bridesmaid dresses.
Haru always gets us laughing in the aisles with her antics, switching from a mischievous kitten to a clingy baby monkey, an iguana that claws its way up the mozzie net to a rat that runs across the living room to avoid being caught to be put back into the cage.
She loves to keep us on tenterhooks whenever she climbs on our computer wires, especially when Cass is having her online classes and I’m typing an article. She loves hiding there and probably gnawing on our wires sending us to holler at the little fart. And it’s never easy to catch her as she knows that once caught, she’ll be sent back to prison 😁
Not every bridesmaid has the confidence to bare her shoulders, arms, back or chest. And not every weather is suitable for sleeveless, off-shouldered and spaghetti straps dresses. In this case, modest bridesmaid dresses with floor-length skirts and sleeves are ideal.
Every bridesmaid deserves to look and feel her best on your big day because you will be the centre of attention; and as your tribe are a part of the bridal entourage, they need to look their best too. Your girls deserve to feel comfortable and confident so that they are happy and look radiant throughout your big day.
Are you looking for the perfect modest bridesmaid dresses under $100 for your bridesmaids who prefer to don on something modest on your grand day? Alfabridal has an extensive range of pretty bridesmaid dresses that are all under $100. From modest bridesmaid dresses to elegant, sexy, alluring, sweet, whimsical and chic bridesmaid dresses, you and your bridesmaids will be spoilt for choices.
Half Sleeve V-neck Velvet Long Bridesmaid Dresses
This dress is for the modest bridesmaids who prefer not to bare too much skin on the shoulders and arms. This comfortable dress is suitable for autumn and winter weddings as it comes with half sleeves. Velvet is a popular cold weather fabric as it’s both warm and fashionable in clothing.
Velvet Flutter Sleeve Bridesmaid Dresses With Open Back
What I love about this dress is the classy diagonal hem flutter sleeves – they create visual interest and don’t fit snug to the arm, creating a visually smaller upper arm. This dress has a low back cutting. It is modest yet captivating.
Long Sleeve Velvet Bridesmaid Dresses with Illusion V-neck
Modest with long sleeves yet seductive with a long V-neck cutting and low back. And the best part of this dress? The thigh-high slit! High-thigh slits are in absolute vogue and if your bestie has a toned body and killer legs, this dress is for her.
Take your wedding to the next level with affordable and pretty bridesmaid dresses from Alfabridal.com. Starting with simple dresses to elaborate gowns, there is something here for everyone, even the modest bridesmaids and bride’s mother.
I am of the opinion that a modest wedding or bridesmaid dress is something you feel comfortable in. Modest does not mean frumpy dumpty— in fact, I think a much better word to describe this style is ‘sophisticated.’
It’s been almost two weeks since Cass got transferred to another high school, which is her initial first choice of high school. The transfer was a breeze and since it’s a transfer from a public school to a private school, I needn’t have to go through the hassle of making several trips to the Education Department for a request for transfer.
As this high school is well-known for its strict discipline, Cass has no choice but to be punctual for all her online classes, which start at 7:20 a.m. and only ending at 2:30 p.m. Homework must be submitted on time as well. Failure to be punctual in entering any online class would mean that I’ll be receiving Whatsapp messages from her teacher, which has to be followed up with a letter from the parent explaining why she was late and another online form to be filled out. See how troublesome it is!
As Cass has missed almost 1.5 months of homework from the new high school, she has to do every single one from the day online school started in mid January. Thus she’s been very busy since she joined the new high school on 18 February.
Here’s Cass doing her homework with Haru next to her. She moved from her desk to the big round Ikea kiddo table so that she gets more space for her books with Haru sleeping next to her.
Haru is enjoying all the coddling from Cass, who loves to wrap her fur sister up and stroke her to sleep. Such a good life Haru has but Ginger, Haru’s sibling has an even better life. We are always in awe with Ginger’s toys, his beds and feeding equipment that cost a fortune. We’re so happy that Ginger has been adopted by a family who adores cats.
Tell tail sign – found you Haru! Haru loves playing hide-and-seek with us. We can’t find her most of the time and she loves pouncing on our leg from the back to startle us and to tell us that she won the game! 😆
I have never bought so many gym mats in my life than I did throughout the past one year during the lockdown. The girls and I never really needed a gym mat until our country was put into a lockdown. Suddenly the girls were fighting for gym mats throughout the day. During the first lockdown last year, the girls would do gym mat exercises twice a day. Now that online classes are back in full swing, they only have time to exercise once a day in the evening. During the day, our house is transformed into a learning center (loud speaker mode turned on and I even learn along with them!) and by dusk, like a gymnasium with gym mats placed around the living room.
If only our living room was bigger, I would really love to get a tumble mat for our girls to do more fun floor exercises, roll, tumble, flip and practise dancing and martial arts. It’s great that the air tumble mat can be doubled up as a mattress too whenever we have guests in the house!
Air tumble mats are inflatable air tumbling mats that can be inflated by pumping air using an air pump. They are used on the gym floor, martial arts training hall, fitness clubs, dance studios, gymnasium, yoga studio or as home entertainment.
These air tumble mats can be purchased online and offline. But be careful to only get the best air tumble mats for safety purposes. One air track company that produces good quality air track products is Tumblemat.com, a professional supplier of inflatable air gymnastic tracks. They have several years of experience in producing quality air track products.
The air track products produced by Tumblemat are made from top quality and sturdy materials, used for inflatable boat production. The air track mats are blown up to 16 hours at their factory for pressure test before shipment with finished pictures or video of the Air Track for every customer. Awesome QC they have! And they ship internationally too. Check out Tumblemat.com to find out more on their products.
We had a healthy yee sang alongside a small feast to celebrate the last day of CNY today. Dinner was held at hubby’s aunt’s unit (2 floors below ours) again.
Sherilyn made the yee sang composed of fresh radish, jicama, carrot, purple and green cabbage, cucumber, red bell pepper, green onions, homemade pickled radish, pickled jicama, Pacific clams, black & white sesame seeds, ground peanuts, plum sauce with sesame seed oil and pok pok chui.
Can you see the shape of the ox’s face? We think it looks like an angry feral bull instead of a cow 😆
Braised mushrooms with sea cucumber and abalone.
Steamed fish.
Dried waxed meat and 12345 pork ribs.
Sand ginger chicken (ordered by hubby’s aunt)
Here’s tossing to a better 2021 for everyone — good health, better wealth, prosperity and happiness.
And with this marks the end of CNY 2021 amidst a Movement Control Order (MCO 2.0). It’s the most unhappening CNY ever for us and I’m sure for you too if your country is in a lockdown.
I’m sure Chinese New Year next year will be a more happening one when most of us have already gotten our Covid-19 vaccines. I’ve registered to be vaccinated through the My Sejahtera app. Have you done it yet? If you’ve not, don’t wait and register today. All it takes is just a few minutes and you’ll be on your way to be vaccinated; and may there be herd immunity within our community with hopefully an end to Covid-19 forever.
It was another super hot and sweaty day for us again. It looks like we’re expecting another unwelcomed visitor again – HAZE!
The choice of bridesmaid dresses is a tough decision for many brides. You must take into account many factors including your wedding theme, style, color scheme, venue, and personal taste. And you have to think about your bridesmaids’ body shape and preferences and find the dresses that they will like and feel comfortable in. Long gowns are always a good idea and they look splendid for any type of wedding as the designs and styles are plentiful.
There’s something about floor length chiffon dresses that make them so captivating that every bride and bridesmaid would love to slip into one. Floor-length gowns still have a sense of being classy, festive and formal, while shorter styles are chic, more casual and sweet! However, both lengths can be dressed up or down to fit any event so the real task is determining which is the right length for your big day! If you are planning a formal wedding, long gowns for your girls are the best option.
The variety of styles for floor-length gowns is endless. Chiffon is an especially popular fabric for floor length dresses. Chiffon is usually very sheer which gives it that whimsical, draped look. Chiffon is also one of the most versatile dress materials and most sought after for bridesmaid dresses.
Alfabridal.com carry a lovely collection of floor length chiffon bridesmaid dresses. Every design has its unique features. With so many gorgeous designs and colors to choose from, how is a girl going to choose a dress? I have picked top 5 floor length chiffon bridesmaid dresses that I love for this season:
Light Blue Chiffon Strapless Sweetheart Bridesmaid Dress
Treat your bridesmaids right by dressing them in gowns that flatter them and they’ll look happy, confident and smiling on your wedding day. You want everybody to have a great time and making sure your girls look their very best is a huge part of a successful wedding day.
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