December 2021 – HEALTH FREAK MOMMY

What We’ve Been Up To This School Holidays

On the 4th day of Christmas, we went to Mid Valley Megamall as Cass has been badgering me to bring her to the shopping mall. It’s the first time in over half a year that I finally visited a shopping mall! We took a Grab car to the mall as we left the house late. If we leave the house at a time after 9.30am, it will be tough to find a parking spot at the mall basement.

Everything at the mall looks pretty the same, except that some of my favourite shops had closed down. Things are pretty much back to how it used to be before Covid struck. Even though Omnicron is already in our community, people are still going out, hanging out with friends and holidaying. I hope that Omnicron will not cause another wave of infection in our country like it has already in countries like the UK, the US and several other European countries. No one is hoping for another lockdown after almost 2 years of lockdown and just when things are beginning to return to normal.

In a few more days, the decor will be changed to Chinese New Year theme. How time flies!

Our favourite egg waffles in the shape of eggs from Eggette Lab. I love the original (plain) flavor. We’ve not eaten this for so long.

This holiday, Sherilyn has been giving quite a bit of cooking lessons to Cass. I honestly think that if you can cook and bake well, you will never go hungry. And if you are born with a little more creative juice, both your talents will take you to a greater height. Even if you lost your job, you can still cook and bake for a living, from home. I have many friends with a passion in cooking and baking and they are now doing well from a career born out of their passion, whether on a full-time or part-time basis.

Sherilyn gave tutorial to her two sisters on how to make gyoza. The 3 sisters spent half a day churning out 3 huge trays of gyozas.

It’s pretty easy to get a hang of folding and pleating the gyoza skin and the 3 girls did very well.

Haru wants to join in the fun too. She’s actually eyeing the raw meat on the table! She’s been very, very, very greedy and hangry after her spay surgery 2 months ago 😹.

Gyoza filling in two flavors – original and kimchi. The kimchi flavor has chopped Korean noodles added to the mixture.

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Merry Christmas!

I’d like to wish all my readers a very merry Christmas! I hope your Christmas will sparkle with moments of love, laughter and joy. May the year ahead be full of contentment and joy.

Happy holidays and stay safe and healthy everyone!

Our chef S made this sando for brunch. It’s filled with homemade Italian sausage, eggs and homemade pickled cucumber. She found a recipe to make Italian sausage using minced chicken meat and it’s a cinch to make and very, very yummy!

Homemade Italian keto sausages with no casing. They look and taste like gourmet sausages from glitzy restaurants. The secret recipe is the herbs and spices!

Our brunch yesterday – seaweed wrapped with pan-fried spam, omelette and purple rice.

Our dinner last night – Vietnamese pork stew with baguette.

I bought 2 loafs of baguette and they were all gobbled down. We used it to soak up the stew gravy.

Haru wishes everyone “Miowy Christmas and a Happy New Year! 😺

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Our Teenage Chef

Sherilyn showed interest in cooking and baking when she was still a preschooler. She started to help me out in the kitchen when she was about 5 years old. She baked her first cake when she was 11 years old. It was a lovely strawberry cake for my mum’s birthday 70th birthday.

Since that strawberry cake, Sherilyn has baked hundreds of cakes and whipped up jillions of amazing restaurant-style dishes. Partly self-taught and party from observing her grand parents and me in the kitchen, Sherilyn is truly gifted in the kitchen. She could turn simple and cheap ingredients into mouth-watering dishes. She could turn chicken breast (that no one likes) into a juicy, tender and flavorful chicken dish that everyone in the family loves.

But there’s one area that this girl is lacking in and that’s her ingredients measurement. She’s still not well versed with the conversion of unit. For eg. from ounces to ml, from cup to tablespoons, pounds and kilograms, etc. She still needs to refer to an ingredient conversion tool whenever a recipe has measurement units that she’s not familiar with. So, when our chef is in the kitchen, her phone follows her. She checks out recipes, watches You Tube for tutorial and refers to several other websites for reference on her phone whenever she cooks.

Cass is recently under the culinary tutelage of Sherilyn. Cass gets instructions and guidance from her sister on what to do in the kitchen. Together, the two sisters whip up whimsical dishes to whet our appetite. It’s really a great way for the two sisters to bond in the kitchen. Both of them enjoy food and naturally, a love for cooking and baking. Thankfully they are also cautious with their weight and exercise everyday. Sherilyn dances almost every day while Cass watches fitness videos on You Tube, gets tips on workout calories , does Intermittent Fasting and does running and strength training every day.

The school holidays are almost coming to an end. When the girls go back to school, we can only savor their cooking on weekends. But I guess that they may be so exhausted by the time they get home from school that they only want to rest, play fun online games and chillax on weekends.

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Random Updates

One of the privileges of turning 18 is getting a savings account in her own name. With the savings account comes a debit card, online banking facility and a bank card linked to online shopping platforms like Lazada and Shopee. Our young adult couldn’t be happier as she’s been waiting for this day for a long, long time 😁

When Cass heard that Alycia was going to the bank with me, she jumped at the opportunity to follow us as she has a bunch of coins to exchange with banknotes. However, at the bank we were informed that the coin sorting machine had conked out and we had to manually count the coins ourselves!

What a bummer!

Our determined Cass decided to count the coins at the seat of the waiting area while waiting for Alycia to be done. Thankfully I had some empty plastic bags in my tote bag and gave them all to Cass to store her sorted coins. When we passed the sorted coins to the cashier, we were informed that we also had to write down the amount for each denomination and Cass didn’t do that. I told Cass that she’d have to do that at home as there’s no proper place in the bank for her to do it.

We left the bank and had lunch at a cafe next door. Cass sacrificed her lunch and instead chose to count the coins. While Alycia and I had lunch, Cass was hard at work to earn her money.

After lunch, we went back to the bank to deposit the coins. Cass’ lifetime savings of coins was over RM100, less RM18 that she used to buy us lunch as well as gave me a bunch of 50 sen coins as I need them to pay for parking.😁

Sorting out the coins at the waiting area. Thankfully there were not many customers as it was a wet day that morning.

Sacrificed her lunch so that she could count the coins.

And the reason for Cass wanting the banknotes so badly…

Cass’ latest haul from the Big Bad Wolf Sale.
She took these photos for the BBW contest to try her luck to win cash prize so that she could buy more books.
Our book worm likes nothing more than books, stationery items and more books. Oh that’s something else that she likes too – socks 🤭

Cass helping out at her dad’s kitchen since it’s the school holidays. This was for a bulk order.

A client ordered 70 sets of high tea snacks filled in a pretty and dainty tiffin carrier, for an event.

Yummy mee siam from hubby’s central kitchen, Catermate

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5 Must-Haves for Your Vintage-Style Wedding

Once you’ve become engaged and celebrated the good news, the next step is planning your big day. If you aren’t keen on a modern wedding, why not go back in time and pick a vintage theme instead? Vintage-themed weddings have become increasingly popular in recent years, so if you’re set on this idea, here are five must-haves for your special day.

The Dress

When it comes to your wedding dress, you’ll want to go for the biggest wow factor possible. Your dress can come in all kinds of styles. Whatever your preference, if there is one detail of the dress that screams vintage, it’s lace. You don’t have to solely rely on lace to make up your gown, but the feature will elevate how your dress looks and fits with your theme.

Transport

Of course, you’ll want to arrive in style on your big day. If you’ve opted for a vintage affair, it makes sense to look at a vintage wedding car hire in London. As you pull up to the venue, spectators will feel as though they’ve gone back in time! Whether a 1953 Bristol 403 catches your eye, or a 1960 S2 Bentley Flying Spur is more your taste, make sure you pay close attention to transport to ensure you get everything just right.

Beautiful bride sits with wedding bouquet in a retro car and has fun Free Photo

Hair

Once you’ve sorted out your dress and how you’re going to arrive to your big day, the next thing to focus on is hair. Ask any vintage lover and they’ll say a tight bun is the most popular hairdo for a wedding. If you’re not so keen, finger waves are another common choice. If you want to add an accessory to your hair to align with your vintage theme, it has to be a veil.

Colour Scheme

What colour scheme you pick for your vintage wedding can make or break your theme. Therefore, sticking with antique-inspired colours like peach, ivory, burgundy, or gold is a must. Some vintage-themed weddings incorporate several colours, which should be seen in every detail of your big day. From table decorations to flowers, you need to ensure you’ve chosen the perfect colours for your special day.

Centrepieces

Once you’ve tied the knot and settled down for the wedding reception, you’ll want your centrepieces to exude all things vintage. Make sure your tables are scattered with timeless items, including flowers, glass, rhinestones, and candles. There is so much freedom you can have when sorting out table arrangements, so you’ll need to communicate with your partner to ensure you’re both on the same page. Pay attention to smell too. Whether you want guests to be surrounded by a floral fragrance, or an ambient scent, the final decision is up to you.

To achieve the most realistic vintage look for your wedding day, paying attention to the above will ensure you leave no stone left unturned. From décor to attire, you can hold the vintage wedding of your dreams and make it feel as though you and your guests have been transported decades back in time.

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What to Know Before Attending a Baby Shower

If you’ve never been to a baby shower before, you might be wondering what to expect. These popular pre-birth parties have gained more popularity in recent years in the UK, and now it’s rare to hear of an expectant mother who doesn’t want to throw one. They normally happen around six weeks before a baby is born and bring together family and friends to help celebrate and get ready to welcome a new baby. If you’ve received your first baby shower invite, what do you need to know in advance? What should you take with you and how should you dress? We’ll answer all the most popular questions here.

Make Sure You RSVP

In terms of RSVP etiquette, baby showers are no different from any other party. Let the host know if you plan to attend or not, and always ask before bringing a guest along with you. If you’ve RSVP’d to the baby shower, make sure you save the date and actually turn up. Plans can sometimes change, so if you can’t make it, give the host as much notice as possible.

Card of cute giraffe with balloons and clouds Free Vector

Don’t Forget to Bring a Gift

When going to a baby shower, don’t forget to take a gift with you. Popular gifts include baby clothes, bedding, or toys. But you could also consider buying something for the mother, since it is likely she will receive fewer gifts than the baby. Check out popular gifts such as jewellery from regalhattongarden.co.uk or relaxing pamper packages.

Avoid Too Much Drink

One of the main things that sets a baby shower aside from many other parties is that things are not likely to get too wild. Pregnancy obviously means no alcohol, and it’s just bad manners for the other guests to get too drunk. You can expect to see champagne, prosecco, and some light cocktails, but guests should avoid drinking too much and save the wild partying for later.

Ask Questions Beforehand

If there is anything you’re not sure about, ask the host beforehand. Check the invitation first to see whether it includes the answers to your questions, such as dress code or the exact location the baby shower is set to take place. If you still can’t find the answer, get in touch with the host as soon as possible.

Offer to Help with the Baby Shower

Traditionally, the parents of the new baby shouldn’t host their own baby shower. Strictly speaking, it should be organised and paid for by the grandparents and members of the community. Although that doesn’t often happen nowadays, there is no harm in offering to help support the baby shower. Some of the ways to support a baby shower include bringing food or drinks, helping to set up beforehand, and staying later to clean up afterwards. You can offer to do this instead of, or in addition to, giving a gift.

Being aware of the basic etiquette around baby showers can help you to become the perfect guest. If you’re not sure about anything, ask the host beforehand.

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Throwback Photos

Hi-ya all!

I have a few hours of free time on hand today as Maria is here to help me out. I only have time to update my blogs whenever Maria is here. So thankful that Maria can still come into our home 🙏

I was going through my Google Photos and realized that I have not posted these photos yet. So here goes!

Throwback of photos taken in early December 2021:

Strawberry milk that chef S made, using frozen strawberries, fresh milk and Lakanto sugar. She intends to sell this but would you buy it if it’s with a price tag of RM12 – RM15 per bottle?

Very refreshing and pretty filling too. This can be a diet meal. Chef S is going to use fresh strawberries if this is for sale.

*Mui Fan* or *Mun Fan* – Rice doused with silky eggy gravy with lots of prawns, fish cakes, carrots, and veggies. Chef S cooked this dish to satiate her craving.
She first tried it at YMCA restaurant in Ipoh a few years ago when my dad ordered it.

Heartwarming dish served with Basmati rice and black rice.

Pumpkin tart, made with a whole pumpkin and aromatic spices. Tart shell is made from scratch.

Flour-free whole orange cake, made by chef Sherilyn.

Eldest sil from England commissioned chef S to bake this cake for the mil’s 76th birthday on 9 December. This is mil’s favourite cake. It’s my favourite cake too as it’s made using almond flour and 2 whole oranges blended resulting in a very aromatic and very orangy cake that’s not too sweet and not cloy at all.
Chef S used Sweet Williams flowers to decorate the cake.

MIL’s birthday dinner on 9 December 2021.

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Minor Accident At Home

Last week I had a fall while wiping the floor. I was wiping the nooks and corners of the floor and where all the computer wires are, that the Roborock robot can’t reach. I was wiping the floor with a piece of wet cloth and wearing slippers when I fell backwards, landing on my butt and back of head. For a moment, I thought that’s it. I’m finished.

The fall resulted in bruises on both my elbows, a painful butt, and spine, which resulted in pain when I walked. The next day, I had a bad crick in my neck. I could not turn my head and felt horrible.

Cass forced me to put ice pack on my right elbow, which had a bigger patch of bruise and more painful. As a result, the right elbow healed faster than the left. So yeah, it’s tested and proven that ice packs and cold compress works like a charm in reducing swell and pain.

A day later, hubs booked an appointment for me to see a physiotherapist, despite me protesting because of the cost. The first session costs RM225 and subsequent sessions cost RM180, for an hour session. My go-to remedy has always been Salon Pas patches and time, of course, will heal. But hubs forced me to attend the physio session. He believes strongly in physiotherapy and has been attending regular physio sessions for aches and pains caused by sports (basketball) and work.

Physiotherapy at Precise Rehab, Bangsar. The physiotherapist who attended to me was very gentle and patient. After just an hour of physio, the pain subsided by 50% by evening.

After the session, my physiotherapist Whatsapped me photos and instructions on some simple exercises that I should do at home.

As of today, 5 days after the first physio session, the pain in my neck and shoulders is 90% gone. I told hubs that I don’t need another session but he’s forcing me to go for another session 🙄

After our physio sessions (hubs had a session too), we went to a food court in Brickfields to tuck into my favorite Vietnamese fare. The stall in the food court is run by a man who previously worked for a well-known Vietnamese restaurant at Mid Valley Megamall. We love the beef pho and fried spring rolls. I’ve yet to try his Bánh mì and plan to try it this week after my 2nd physio session. The pork noodles at this food court is also superb.
Sorry I can’t remember the name of the food court but I’ll make a mental note to snap a photo of it the next time we go there.

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The Best Women’s Winter Coats

The best winter coats provide the ultimate finishing touch to every outfit. That’s why they need to tick a lot of boxes, such as aesthetic, warmth, versatility, practicality, pockets, hood, and ease of dressing up and down.

The season of bitter breezes, all-around chill, and howling winds is all about statement styles and there are a few top winter coat trends worth your investment.

This season it’s all about women’s long winter coats, trenches, leather jackets, teddy bear and faux fur coats, and anything quilted. If you really can’t decide which style works best, why not buy more than one? You totally can own more than one when you shop at Berrylook, since most of their coats start from just USD27! How about buying a few to keep you warm and trendy this near-freezing season?

Just like a good pair of jeans, your outerwear is supposed to last and be really comfy and warm. It shouldn’t fade or fall out of favour and fashion too soon. So, choose something that’s really decent which you’re likely to wear for a long time and something that matches at least 70% of the outfits in your wardrobe.

If you can’t afford something that’s spenny, do check out these really pretty, decent, and most importantly, affordable coats from Berrylook, a women clothing online store that stocks up a great range of outerwear at affordable prices.

Hooded Fur Collar Plain Puffer Coat @ USD39.64

Band Collar Double Breasted Belt Houndstooth Coats — Band Collar Double Breasted Belt Houndstooth Coat @ USD42.95

Woolen jacket women mid-length thick autumn and winter coat — Mid-length thick woolen coat for autumn and winter @ USD33.95

Mid-length PU Trench Coat — Mid-length PU trench coat @ USD38.70

There are so many options for a stylish winter outerwear. If you don’t like feeling stuffed into a puffy winter coat, you can opt for trench coats, leather jackets or elegant wool-blend coats that will still keep you nice and toasty.

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5 December 2021 ~ Alycia’s 18th Birthday

My ‘precious baby’ is 18!!

Alycia’s the baby that we wanted so badly and who made us go through the wringer for 2 years in order to have her. She’s our miracle baby and now our precious baby is 18!

Her celebration lunch at the Seoul Korea restaurant was our first dining out together as a family in more than half a year. Because of the continuous lockdown and worsening Covid situation in our country, we’ve not gone to the mall or any eatery for more than half a year.

Hubs booked Seoul Korea because Alycia’s a stan of all things Korea! And Seoul Korea is by far the best Korean restaurant that we’ve been to. The owners are generous with the banchan (appetizers) and the food quality has been consistently good.

Although Sherilyn can and have cooked all the dishes that we ordered today, there’s nothing like a dining experience at the restaurant itself and not having to lift our finger to clean up the aftermath of cooking 😁. Cleaning up after cooking drives me insane!

I still thank God for Alycia, my precious baby. May the Lord bless her with many more years of happy and healthy life.

No. of times viewed = 54

Shapewear For A Shapely Body This Holiday Season

The holiday season will soon be upon us, which means that there will be gatherings and parties with friends and loved ones. Some of you are already planning your OOTD for the dinners and parties.

I love shopping for outfits for the holiday season. There are plenty of lovely holiday outfits for those posh parties for you to celebrate in style.

One of the biggest downers of shopping for clothes is when you have finally found your favorite little black dress or velvet mini but that muffin top of yours just won’t cooperate and keeps sticking out like a sore thumb!

Fret not, there’s something called shapewear to help you tuck in that bulge temporarily!

Check out the shapewear from Khaya that I’ve just received!

The shapewear from Khaya is super comfy and feels like I’m wearing a swimsuit. I took a size S for my small frame. It looks pretty small but the material is super stretchy and fits me perfectly.

The fabrics are soft nylon and spandex and don’t make me feel hot and itchy. It comes with a crotch hook and eye closure for ease of removal when I need to use the toilet.

This shapewear will be the perfect accompaniment for all my bodycon dresses!

The straps are removable, adjustable, and non-slip.

Bra pads can be slotted into the bra cavity of the shapewear.

When worn over time, Khaya bodysuit shapewear can trim the waist, compress the belly and lift the butt. It has a double tummy control feature to support and compress your waist.

Always remember that shapewear is not a magic potion that can help you slim down effortlessly. You won’t slim down if you do not watch what you eat and lead a sedentary lifestyle. With healthy eating, regular exercise, keeping yourself active and a little support from shapewear, you’ll have an hourglass figure in no time.

If you’ve never bought shapewear before and planning on getting one to try, do your research and read comments from sites like Amazon before making a purchase.

Khaya happens to have a 10% holiday discount, making it a great time to buy shapewear, whether it’s a repeat purchase or a new purchase.

No. of times viewed = 47

We’ve Got A Roborock S6 Pure Robot Vacuum Cleaner!

Ever since Covid swept the world and kept us all at home, I’ve dreamed of getting a robot vacuum cleaner to save me from the dreadful and endless sweeping, wiping, and moping.

When Maria, our part-time cleaner of 9 years couldn’t come into our home due to the endless lockdown, all the household chores were suddenly thrown to me. I had no choice but to bite the bullet and take each day as it comes.

I know some of you only wipe and mop your house once or twice a week but I can’t do that as I have a bad allergy to dust and pet fur. And I’m OCD, which is contributed by my sinus and allergy.

A robot vacuum cleaner will be one of the best gifts to gift someone with an allergy to pet fur who’s also an OCD. That’s me!

My allergy to cat fur and probably to cat litter would get so bad on some days that both my nose would get blocked. My eyes, arms, and face would turn super itchy too. The nose block would also affect my sleep at night.

When mum saw how much weight I have lost during the MCO, I think it broke her heart. Any mom’s heart would shatter to see their precious child lose so much weight caused by stress.

So mum surprised me with a Roborock S6 Pure Robot vacuum cleaner last week, as Christmas present!

I read that the Roborock S6 comes with a HEPA filter that also traps pet fur. It’s too early to say if the robot has helped put my allergy at bay but I’m very pleased with it.

If Roborock does not help with my allergy to cat fur, I’ll purchase a Levoit air purifier with a filter specifically for trapping pet fur.

Cass helped me with unboxing to downloading the app on my phone to syncing it with the robot and setting up the robot.

This much dust, hair, and dirt were trapped in just half an hour.

Hours later, the robot did its second round of job and this much dust and dirt were trapped.

As expected, Haru was terrified of the robot. Today is her 3rd day with her new housemate and she’s warmed up to her. She tried to swipe the robot with her paw this morning 😁

I intended to buy a Levoit air purifier with a HEPA filter to trap pet fur but I’ll put this purchase on hold first while I test out the Roborock to see if it helps with alleviating my allergy.

Roborock truly rocks!

Thank you once again mummy for the wonderful gift 😘

No. of times viewed = 43

Domino’s Pizza For Dinner

Today is a day where everyone was busy with their respective things. Alycia had a driving trial exam to sit for at the driving academy, Sherilyn had a dental appointment to change the orthodontics rubber band for her braces, Cass had online classes almost the entire day, the MIL has been busy the past two weeks with SIL’s apartment unit that’s just been rented out and I was slammed, both with work and chauffeuring duties.

On days like this, we get takeout food for lunch and dinner. We had chicken rice for lunch and had Domino’s pizza for dinner. The girls always welcome fast food as they don’t always get to eat them. Their eyes lit up when I told them that we would be having Domino’s pizza for dinner 😬

Chatting and laughing all the way while chomping down the pizzas and chicken wings 😆

The food was delivered in under 30 minutes and still hot when we ate them. Best of all, delivery is free!

After we came back from running errands this morning, Alycia asked me if she could practise driving in my car at our condo car park. I’m not going to get into the details but I almost had a heart attack and still have heart palpitations until now 😅.

The yummy pizzas that we had for dinner and the fact that I don’t have to clean up the aftermath of cooking just made my day.

No. of times viewed = 85