Haru’s spay surgery will be postponed to next Tuesday as she’s having a tummy upset.
I brought Haru to the vet’s two days ago and Dr Ben gave her some meds for two days. Today is the 3rd day and Haru’s appetite is still not back yet. She refuses to drink water and is not excited like she used to when I gave her chicken. She loves boiled chicken but today she can’t even finish half of what she usually eats.
If Haru’s appetite is still not back by next Monday, I will bring her to the vet’s again for another checkup and will probably have to postpone her surgery again! đż
On the way to the Dr Ben’s clinic.Sherilyn is really good at feeding Haru meds.Happy in mummy’s arms. Love this baby to bits. Hope she’ll regain her appetite soon and can proceed with the spay surgery next Tuesday.
I think I must be the only person who has not gained any weight during the prolonged lockdown caused by the protracted pandemic. In fact, I lost quite a bit of weight and my skin turned a few shades tanner as a result of my daily jogs under the sizzling morning sun. The weight loss is the result of multiple reasons.
Most of my friends have not only gained weight but their skin turned a few shades fairer as they hardly stepped out of their house during the pandemic. A friend of the hubby recently came from Ipoh to KL to meet up with some friends. She had fixed a date to go hiking with her friends. But when she opened up her suitcase and put on her hiking clothes, lo and behold, she could not buckle up her pants and the top was too tight! The hiking date was cancelled and the friend went back to Ipoh.
If you had recently experienced a similar incident, you will have to work hard to shed off the pounds gained. Itâs not very difficult to lose a few kilos if you put in some effort and discipline to follow a strict regimen, which is to exercise regularly, reduce your calorie intake, stave off unhealthy snacks and have an early light dinner. But for short term relief, you can consider wearing slim shapewear to help you tuck in all the bulges so that you can still fit into your clothes.
In the most recent years, shapewear apparels have made a large presence all over the globe. These women’s essentials have hit the shelves in an impressive array of styles, colors, patterns, and shapes. Shapewear and bodysuits can perform wonders to a womanâs bod, including giving her a boost in confidence.
The most common use for shapewear is to achieve a slimmer appearance. Shapewear can be in the form of a slimming tank top, shapewear legging, butt enhancer panty and waist trainer. They are designed in a way that help to eliminate any unwanted bulges or lumps of fat by tucking it all in.
Shapewear can be pretty costly but you can shop for them online and find great bargains during sales. The next mega global sale will be Black Friday and donât forget to check out the Black Friday shapewear at Sculptshe to see what deals you can find.
You donât have to fret over how youâll look this holiday season when you have gatherings with friends and loved ones. Have a plan right now to start on a healthy diet and exercise regularly. If you are consistent and disciplined with your weight-loss plan, youâll be able to slip into your favorite dress this holiday season.
I will call the vet tomorrow to ask if it’s OK for a cat to go for a spay surgery despite having a tummy upset. If it’s not ok, we will have to reschedule the surgery AGAIN!! I can’t wait for the spay surgery to be over and done with pronto. Haru’s last heat was really bad and she was in discomfort and then ended up with a tummy discomfort. Our ears were in discomfort too. I couldn’t concentrate on my work with Haru yowling all day. It drove me bonkers!
Haru was super pissed with us dressing her up like a circus clown. She hissed and spat at us and tried to run away from all her doting sisters who couldn’t resist how terribly cute she looked in the romper, laughing, squeezing her and kissing her, just like a human baby đ»
I had big plans for the year 2020. I had planned for a year-end vacation with my family and parents to some Asian countries â Japan, Vietnam, Korea or Taiwan, as a treat to my girls for completing their major government exams last year. I even planned for our family to wear family matching outfits and take tons of photos and videos during our overseas tour.  Â
I also had plans to get myself a new car as I planned to pass my existing car to Alycia when she gets her driverâs license. I had planned for her to drive to college every day so that she doesnât have to take public transportation to college, which is more than 20km away from our home.Â
But Covid derailed all my dreams and plans. It crushed us. Instead of an envisioned beautiful overseas vacation, we were all stuck at home. Our much-awaited overseas holiday flew out of the window. Never in my wildest dream would I have dreamt that it wouldnât be possible for the girls to go to school for almost 2 years. So many of our girls’ milestones celebrations were snatched away by Covid.
Covid cases in our country are slowly dipping in recent weeks. Our country has recently reopened all the sectors. State lines have also reopened and the tourism sector is revived yet again. I canât wait to go back to Ipoh to visit my parents whom I have not seen since February last year during Chinese New Year. It feels surreal that we can finally travel back to Ipoh. Hubby has bought a bunch of Covid self-test kits at wholesale prices and weâll be using them quite a bit soon before traveling back.
I love traveling with the girls. When they were younger and more willing to wear whatever clothes that I bought, we would be in matching outfits during our trips. Photos always turned out beautiful when the girls were in matching outfits.
When Cass was younger, she and I would sometimes be in mommy and me outfits. I really miss those days when the girls were younger, so willing to be my models and always so obliging to my requests. I used to be obsessed with those mummy and me outfits and would shop for them online from kids clothing stores like Popopieshop.
I love taking photos of a pretty-synced-up family in matching clothes. Matching clothes show that your family is strong, happy, and likes to spend time together. A family in matching outfits shows that youâre the kind of family that likes to have fun and thinks outside the box while ordinary clothes make you blend into society. Matching clothes create a special vibe that makes occasions like Christmas, Chinese New Year and birthdays even more special.
Matching clothes can be pretty affordable when you know where to shop for them online, like from Popopieshop. And if you grab them during sales, you may be able to grab some really good deals. Black Friday sales will start soon and you can start to browse for Black Friday mommy and me outfits at great prices.
This holiday season, try something fun and get your family to dress up in matching outfits for some Instagram-worthy photos!
Our teenage chef whipped up Spanish Paella for dinner early this week. It’s loaded with fish, prawns and homemade sausages. For the grain, she used Japanese rice. It tastes as good as the one that we had at the farmers’ market in Auckland years ago
For the leftover Paella, Sherilyn baked it the next day. She sauteed a handful of chopped big onions with a can of green peas and topped with mozzarella cheese before popping it into the oven.
The entire process at Axiata Arena yesterday was completed in under an hour, including a 15-minute post-shot observation period. While the youths waited at the observation area after their shots, all the parents were asked to leave the hall and to wait outside, under the hot scorching sun at 12 noon đ·. The entire process was quick and very well organized. Kudos to the front liners and volunteers đ
Both Sherilyn and Cass are out of sorts today. They both have similar side effects — fever, chills, headache and joint pain. While Cass was covered in her blanket on the bed, Sherilyn was covered up in a jacket with a cold pack on her forehead. I think they should be well again tomorrow.
With this, Sherilyn will be pretty ready to go back to school for face-to-face learning on 1st November 2021. Cass’ high school has already announced that for junior 1 students, the mode of learning will be fully online until year end. And Alycia’s college will be on a hybrid learning mode – she’ll finally step foot into college on 8 November 2021, yay!
No doubt, Lacoste polo shirts are very comfortable and durable but the price is pretty steep. There are plenty of alternative cheap polo shirts for men that look smart, feel comfortable and luxe and cost a fraction of the price.  Soinyou carries a good collection of smart and fashionable polo shirts at affordable prices. Fans of polo shirts, do check out Soinyou to browse modish Polo designs at prices that youâll love.
Polo shirts are not only meant for tennis, polo and other sports, they represent a certain affluence and status. In the past, successful men and women would wear polo shirts on television and magazine covers.Â
Polo shirts are classic, comfortable and slightly more professional and modest looking than a t-shirt. Polo shirts look good on virtually everyone across all age groups. They make a sharp statement and with a variety of new colour trends and prints, polo shirts are versatile for all settings and functions. They can be worn for a game of golf or tennis, dressed down on casual days, and even dressed up for the office. Celebrities like Mark Wahlberg even walked down the red carpet wearing a black polo shirt while actor Matt Damon wore a classic dark blue suit paired with a dark blue Polo shirt in silk and cotton to the âTonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonâ recently.
The polo shirt might be one of the most versatile pieces in your wardrobe. They can be worn for a game of tennis or golf, dressed up for the office with smart casual dress code and dressed down on casual days. The best polos for men will be able to do all of that while keeping you stylish and comfortable. Below, I rounded up the 5 best polos to add to your wardrobe this fall.
Polo shirts should be worn in the right size – you should not be swimming in it. Yet, it should not be too body hugging as this would make you look like a sausage đ Â
Whether polos are worn all buttoned up, one button down or with popped up collars, youâll look fabulous and dapper in one. Â
Check out the trendiest polo shirts and menâs casual clothing at Soinyou today. Having a collection of well-fitting polo shirts in your wardrobe in everyday neutrals or those gorgeous colours that always seem to get you compliments or even in stripes or multi-color will instantly create a slew of new outfits for you to wear this fall.
Tomorrow will be Sherilyn and Cass’ 2nd dose Pfizer shot. I’m already starting to feel anxious over whether they’ll get side effects or not.
Alycia had high fever (39C) with body aches the day after her 2nd shot. Sherilyn was out of sorts after her 1st shot with mild fever, mild difficulty in breathing and felt malaise for days.
People say that the 2nd dose is always harsher on the body. I didn’t believe it until I experienced it. But I think it’s got to do with how well you take care of your health. I ate durian almost everyday after my 2nd AZ shot and as a result, had mild throat discomfort and felt malaise for weeks. Sherilyn stayed up late to complete her school projects after her 1st shot, despite me nagging her to shower and sleep early, only to be ignored đ€š.
And the littlest brat secretly exercised a few days after her 1st shot, when her sprained ankle recovered… and continued to exercise daily. She locked herself in my room with a yoga mat and came out with sweaty clothes. Stubborn girl!
Cass is hooked on making stovetop popcorn. She made another batch last Sunday. All it takes is just 10 minutes using our trusty old wok. Cass managed it on her own.She gobbled up the entire Tupperware of popcorn for breakfast the next day, while attending online class!Our guilt-free popcorn, popped using organic extra virgin coconut oil and Lakanto zero-calorie sugar (suitable for diabetics).
With most people already fully vaccinated against Covid, the world is finally reopening. This means that we will slowly but surely see some semblance of normalcy in our lives again. People are crossing states to visit loved ones whom they have not seen for more than a year. Border curbs are finally being eased and people are planning to travel abroad. People have also started partaking in outdoor recreational activities again.
One of the activities that I want to resume after a long hiatus is swimming. I was in for a rude surprise when I fished out my two-piece swimsuit that Iâve not worn for 2 years. The elastic band on the bottom had lost elasticity and the padded top is now too loose on me. I have lost more weight during the lockdown and most of my clothes are now hanging loosely on my frame. Isnât this a valid excuse to start shopping for new swimwear? đ
While browsing for swimwear, I came across Lime Ricki brand of swimwear.  The range of swimsuits are just what Iâm looking for. Lime Rickiâs range of swimwear are not too revealing yet incredibly funky, colourful, modish and exude charm and fun. At my age, I am looking for modest swimwear that encompass all the requirements mentioned above. Â
These are my personal favourites.
RETRO DAISY CAGE BRALETTE at a sale price of USD21.99TROPICAL CINCH CROP TOP at a sale price of USD43.99MARINE ONE-SHOULDER ONE-PIECE at a sale price of USD43.99
Lime Ricki range of swimwear are designed by three sisters with a passion for swimsuits. They designed what they wanted to wear and their swimwear collection is practical and suitable for all body types.
Iâve never really fancied one piece swimsuits but the one piece swimsuits from LimeRicki.com are so pretty and snazzy â choose from one shoulder, Tuscany wrap-tie or peony caps; the designs are so alluring.
What I really love about Lime Ricky collection of swimwear are the vibrant and unique colours, bold pretty prints and flirty designs and most importantly, they are pretty affordable. I also love it that a portion of all sales goes to charity in developing nations. Plus point for making a purchase!
When grandma is not at home, Haru has some leeway, like she will jump up the piano top (which is her favorite spot) and rests there. Grandma doesn’t like to see Haru on the piano top and Haru knows it. Like a human child, she will observe grandma – if grandma is napping or in the kitchen cooking, Haru will jump up the piano. But when grandma walks out, Haru will jump down from the piano top, just in the nick of time before grandma sees her. It’s hilarious to see Haru acting like a wayward child. She’s just like a human trapped in a cat’s body đž
Haru is a scaredy cat. She gets scared easily and still hisses at strangers. She likes to hide behind a wall outside our unit and sticks only her head out surreptitiously to peep at our neighbors who wait at the lift area. đž
A few years ago, the hubs gave me a pair of Pandora earrings for Christmas. It was a very pretty pair of silver earrings but I still havenât got the chance to wear it because of the prolonged lockdown. It would be just lovely to get a matching charm bracelet and necklace from Pandora. I’ve always wanted a charm bracelet with all my favorite charms on it. However, Pandora jewelry prices can be quite steep, especially their charm bracelets.
I found out that thereâs an alternative to Pandora, with the brand name Gnoce that has an extensive range of jewelry thatâs priced more affordably.
Pandoraâs designs and quality are unparalleled, but if youâre looking to supplement your existing Pandoraâs collection with charms and matching jewelry pieces, Gnoce is a good bet.
This Pandora snake chain bracelet hand-finished in 14k gold plating has a price tag of USD225. While I found a similar snake chain 18K gold plated bracelet from Gnoce with a price tag of only USD82.21.
Both Pandora and Gnoce partnered up with Klarna and Afterpay. If you donât know what Klarna or Afterpay is, they are two platforms that many retailers partner with where customers can shop and split the total into four installments with zero interest. So if you’re on a tight budget and want to buy something pretty to wear, you can use that payment option on both Pandora and Gnoce.
COMPARISONS
Besides being more affordable, Gnoce has more varieties than Pandora. Whether youâre a fan of elegant or cutesy jewelry, Gnoce has a good range to choose from. They also carry some punk and gothic style jewelry. While both Pandora and Gnoce have Western astrological signs charms, Gnoce has a collection of super cute Chinese zodiac animals charms, which Pandora does not have.
Horse zodiac charm from Gnoce.
Another advantage of Gnoce is their charms fit most European style charm bracelets, such as Pandora, Biagi, Troll, etc. So you can add Gnoceâs charms to your collection of charms on your existing bracelet and necklace.
Iâve read comments that Gnoceâs quality is just as good as Pandoraâs, which is sturdy and good.
Whether you choose Pandora or Gnoce depends on individual preferences. For me, the price is the most important factor, followed by variety and for these reasons, I would choose Gnoce over Pandora.
Whether you want charm bracelets, rings, earrings or a personalized jewelry item, there are are a variety of Pandora lookalikes out there and Gnoce is a great choice.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the globe. It has changed almost every aspect of our lifestyle and routine, our spending power, our priorities and our shopping habits. The prolonged lockdown in almost every part of the world has forced everyone to change the way they shop. Even as the world is opening up with most people fully vaccinated, consumers still feel safer shopping online for essential and non-essential items. From toilet papers to food items, pet food and accessories, supplements, body wave human hair wigs and tech items, online shopping is so convenient, quick and safe.
I am one who has a complete change in my shopping habits. From one who prefers mall shopping, I now buy most of my stuff online. And I must admit that I am now addicted to online shopping!
Our country is preparing to move into the endemic phase and the state where I live in will be transitioning into Phase 4, which is the final stage of the national recovery plan. However, I still have a phobia of getting into shopping malls and crowded places. After almost two years of being cooped up at home and living in fear of being infected by Covid, most of us have developed a phobia of crowded places. Itâs going to take time for our state of mind to heal before we take the leap of faith to step out of our comfort zone into shopping malls and crowded public places once again. But things will never be the same again for a while until Covid is wiped off from the face of the earth.
Iâm sure many of us will continue ordering online out of fear of a pandemic blowback. Whether you need a new pair of unisex tactical army boots for an upcoming hike with your friends or crave for your favourite brownie chips, you can order online instead and safe yourself the trouble of driving to the mall.
When Covid-19 first swept the world, many businesses were not prepared to deal with the new restrictions and shutdowns. As guidelines have been established for retail stores, restaurants and other businesses, many companies have found ways to cope. Many businesses partnered with highly reputed digital providers and incorporated automation and social marketing into their business plans. One such business is Kameymall, a large-scale international online shopping website. This website adopts a commission system, and only collects fees after the buyer and seller have successfully completed the transaction.
As many parts of the world have reopened, itâs time to get out of the house to have some fun and activities, with strict SOP in place, of course. For the past 1.5 years, children have missed out so much on outdoor activities and turned into dopamine frazzled zombies with long hours spent on their electrical gadgets. Organize a fun bumper ball game in the field for the children and their friends. Adults can join in too!
We have all been living with Covid-19 for well in excess of 600 days, so some of the habits we have gotten used to are likely to stick. Online shopping is here to stay for sure.
If youâve been researching different fasting schedules and started ordering your own intermittent fasting mints, chances are youâre interested in trying out intermittent fasting for yourself. However, if youâre currently going through menopause, you may have some questions as to whether fasting is helpful or even safe during this time. Menopause can come with a number of health challenges, from imbalanced hormones to symptoms such as hot flashes and more. However, in some cases, intermittent fasting could potentially help to ease those symptoms. If youâre wondering whether you should do intermittent fasting during menopause, here are the key facts to remember.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Help
When it comes to the connection between intermittent fasting and menopause, there are several potential benefits that could surprise you. Although you may already be aware that intermittent fasting can be part of a healthy lifestyle overall, you may not have known that:
It can help you learn to manage your hunger and approach your diet in a healthier way
It could encourage you to cut out junk foods and focus on eating a whole-foods-based diet complete with balanced food groups
It could help you drop extra weight gained due to menopause
It may help regulate your hormones to improve your mood and reduce hot flashes or other common signs of menopauseÂ
Tips For Making Intermittent Fasting Easier
If fasting for womenâs health still sounds daunting to you, you may want to ease yourself into the fasting process by trying out different regimens to see which one works for you. For instance, you could:
Try fasting for 12 to 16 hours on alternate days throughout the week
Allow yourself to eat normally five days a week but only fast on the weekends
Conduct a full 24-hour fast just once a week
Even if youâre aware of the benefits of fasting during menopause, you may still need some extra motivation to stay on track during your first few fasts. In these cases, all it takes is a little bit of a routine adjustment to help you get excited about the fast again. If you find yourself getting discouraged, it may be helpful to:
Find distractions during fasting periods to avoid snacking and breaking your fast
Stay focused on your long-term goals and the benefits of fasting in order to keep up your motivation levels
Work out and do light weight-lifting while practicing intermittent fasting to make sure you donât accidentally lose muscle mass
Try out a few types of intermittent fasting regimes before committing longer-term to find the one that works best for your body
You’ve read about Enoxella 2.0 and how well it rose on day 2, and it didn’t stink like how Knox did. Cass and I were hopeful that Enoxella 2.0 would be an active and healthy baby. But he died đą. He didn’t grow on day 3 onwards. On the 7th day I told Cass to discard Enoxella 2.0 as time was running out. Cass has to submit her experiment report by 15 October 2021.
So Plan B has to be executed, which is to make regular bread with yeast.
Cass started to prep the dough last night and set her phone alarm to wake up at 6.30 a.m. today to make the bread. Her online class would start at 7.30 a.m.
Cass googled for a fail-proof, quick and no-kneading bread recipe and found Recipe Tin Eats (Nagi). She knows that Nagi is my favorite food blogger who creates magic in the kitchen. Nagi is a Japanese Australian food blogger who also runs a soup kitchen in Australia.
Long story short, the recipe that Cass chose was for an artisan bread. It sounds and looks hard to make but the steps are pretty straight forward and there’s no kneading required except for a few flips. The dough has to be left to proof in the fridge for 10-12 hours.
The bread was quite a success, despite a few boo-boos. Coming from a 13-year old kid who has never baked any sort of bread, cookie or cake before, I would say that this recipe is indeed fail-proof that even a kid can handle with minimal supervision. Cass told Sherilyn and me not to help her as this is her project.
The recipe requires the use of a Dutch oven (Le Creuset) where the bread is placed in a Dutch oven inside the oven.This is how the bread looks like when it first came out of the oven. It looks impressive but the insides suggest that the bread isn’t thoroughly baked. Our pro baker Sherilyn took a look at the bread, went to the oven to check the setting and found out that Cass had set the oven wrongly. The mil made the same mistake recently and she discarded two loafs of gourmet bread that she spent 2 days to make. The mil’s bread has very complicated and tedious steps. The bread, finally. Cass had to bake the bread again for another hour (with the LC lid on and then without lid).
The exterior of the bread is very crispy but the insides are a tad dense and not fluffy. With a slight toast in the oven, good butter, some mashed avocado, omelette and gourmet sausages that hubs recently bought, we’re going to have a Big Breakfast tomorrow with Cass’ homemade artisan bread meant for a Biology experiment on food fermentation đ€Ł
Sherilyn dished out a Korean boiled pork (Bossam) platter with sides of egg rolls, spicy radish salad, Napa cabbage kimchi and Ssamjang dipping sauce for an online contest organized by Green N Fresh. She made everything herself.
It took Sherilyn 2 days to assemble her submission – 1 day for the napa cabbage kimchi and another day for the Bossam, egg rolls and spicy radish salad.
Since the remainder of Knox seemed to have died as he didn’t rise after Cass continued feeding him, I advised Cass to discard Knox and to make a new ‘baby’.
I went to the baking supplies shop to get her some cheap flour as she’s been using her grandma’s expensive imported bread flour from Japan! We didn’t know until Cass almost finished the packet of premium flour and asked me to get another packet đ .
Cass named her second ‘baby’ Enoxella 2.0. Enoxella stands for Knox and Nutella as the consistency of the starter is similar to that of Nutella đ.
Today is day 3 Enoxella is growing in his jar. He’s been rising pretty well with a little bubbles and he doesn’t stink as bad as Knox. The smell is bearable. It smells of fermented soy beans. At least Enoxella doesn’t smell like a rotting animal and 10-day old dirty socks, like how Knox was. There’s also a tad of Hooch inside. Perplexed, Cass asked me what the liquid was. She was worried that the liquid meant that Enoxella’s not going to make it. I was worried too as time is running out. Cass has to submit her experiment report by 15 October 2021. I told Cass to Google for an answer and we found out that hooch is present when the starter is ‘hungry’ and wants to be fed. Just like a baby, with tears đ
Whether or not Enoxella survives is still for us to find out in the days to come. If this attempt fails, by 12 October Cass has to work on Plan B – which is to make a regular bread. Sherilyn and I have been encouraging Cass to experiment with something easier and faster like kimchi, yoghurt or kefir but this strong-willed child of mine has her mind set on sourdough starter and nothing could stop her.
The experiment is on fermentation of foods.
So, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Enoxella 2.0 grows well so that Cass will have some successful sourdough bread photos and write-up to submit to her Biology teacher đ. Anyway, even if the sourdough starter failed, a report still has to be submitted and no marks will be deducted. But our tenacious teen wants her first Bio experiment to be a success! đ
