Shopping – Page 8 – HEALTH FREAK MOMMY

Where To Buy Cheap Bridesmaids Dresses

Shopping for gowns and bridesmaid dresses was hardly my interest (though I’m a self professed shopping queen) until last year when I had 4 weddings to attend. And we have another wedding coming up on the first day of 2020. I started to hunt for cheap gowns last year and it dawned on me that it’s not easy to find these dresses at shopping malls. For the few boutiques that I stumbled upon, these dresses don’t come with pocket-friendly price tags.

Several of my friends bought their wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and wedding paraphernalia from China, via online shopping as these are so much cheaper in China. Just google bridesmaid dresses cheap or cheap wedding dresses and you’ll find thousands of online stores that sell almost similar items at really affordable prices.

When it comes to shopping for wedding dresses or bridesmaid dresses, it’s best to choose an online store like BMBridal.com that not only has a neat range of dresses for you to choose from, but can customize your dress according to the size provided by each bride and bridesmaid so that it fits you like a glove. BMBridal.com carries hundreds of styles, 50 different popular colors for you to consider and various sewing techniques that will help you bring your wedding vision to life.

Now you don’t have to go scrambling across the internet searching for that perfect bridesmaid dress, I’ve found you BMBridal.com and I hope you’ll find what you’re looking for here 🙂

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The Shopping Continues

The search for a dinner and church wedding dress for the girls continued yesterday. That’s Part 3 and it’s more or less settled for Alycia, though I’m still not 100% satisfied with the black cold shoulder dress that I got for her last week. Yesterday Alycia went out shopping for gowns with her grand aunt and sister and she finally found a beautiful off-shouldered midi gown in baby blue for the church wedding.

I still think that the cold-shoulder short dress for Alycia is not grand enough for a hotel wedding dinner. I find it a tad casual and the dress is in black, a color that’s scorned upon by old folks and tabooed at happy occasions like weddings. I would prefer for her to don on a dress in pastel color or some dusty rose bridesmaid dresses, like the one below.

Simple and elegant – I think Alycia will look sweet in this chic Dusty Pink round neck ruffled short bridesmaid dress.

After 3 shopping trips that began since last week, I’ve still not ticked off all the items on my shopping list. I still need to get dresses and shoes for Cass for the church wedding, hotel dinner and tea ceremony. And I’m starting to get tired of hunting for dresses for the fourth time. It’s really time consuming having to scan through every boutique at the mall for suitable dresses for my persnickety pre-teen daughter. I might just shop for her dresses online from BMBridal.com, a one-stop online shop for wedding, bridesmaid and flower girl gowns, jewelry and wedding accessories.

BMBridal carries plenty of elegant dresses for brides and bridesmaids. For those like me who are shopping for dinner dresses or even prom dresses for their daughters will be spoilt for choice with the stunning dress designs. The dresses can be custom made by the tailor to fit you perfectly and you can pick from a palette of 50 colors for your dress. Honestly, I am really tempted to order a gown for myself too but I’ve already bought three dresses for myself for this function and broken my bank!

For those of you who are looking for elegant dresses for wedding dinners and special functions, BMBridal.com is the perfect place to do your shopping.

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Hump Day Shopping Frenzy, 20 Nov 2019

The search for a dinner dress and church wedding dress for the girls for the wedding of hubby’s cousin on 1.1.2020 continues today. We spent a total of 4 hours walking non-stop, hunting for dinner dresses and shoes. I walked over 7k steps just at the mall. And another 7k during my morning exercise. Feeling very satisfied with my achievement today in the fitness department 😊

I bought the black dress for Sherilyn (first picture above). When we got home, a ‘senior relative’ commented that the younger Yaps should not be wearing black at the wedding dinner. She commented that I should bring the dress back to the boutique to have it exchanged with the blue one. So yeah, we will have to make another trip to the mall this Friday for this purpose and also to shop for another dress for the church wedding for Sherilyn. When the school holidays start next week, we will have to make another trip to the mall again to shop for dresses and shoes for Cass. This gives me excuses to go shopping again and again. An ardent shopping queen never gets tired of shopping 🤗 And the icing on the cake is more calories are burnt and I chalk up more steps for the day doing what I love best. 🤩

We found all our dinner dresses at Marry Merry @ Mid Valley Megamall. This boutique carries beautiful and elegant evening dresses and gowns at reasonable prices. And the dresses that I bought today are on a 50% discount! We should have checked out this boutique first before we went to Eclipse and H&M last week and wasted so much time trying 101 dresses futilely.

I got this lilac dress for myself, for the church wedding.

Check out the big girl’s face. She’s pissed off that paparazzi mom stole pix of her wearing heels. This is her very first pair of heels. Other than to wedding dinners and her school’s concert / orchestra, this girl cringes whenever she’s asked to wear dresses and feminine shoes. 😆

Today’s damage is huge and more damage is in the offing 😧

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Medical Alert Bracelets Save Lives

Medical alert bracelets and tags can be extremely important for people with diabetes and other life-threatening diseases or disorders. They can be life-saving.

Years ago, a friend’s aged mother with dementia and diabetes wandered off from her house in the early hours of the morning and was only found a day later. She was finally found a few kilometers away from home by a group of senior citizens who were doing their morning walk rounds. Fortunately my friend’s mother was wearing a medical alert bracelet that probably saved her life. The medical alert bracelet had an emergency contact number and her medical condition engraved on it.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic or life-threatening condition, have food or drug allergies, or take medications, then you should wear a medical alert bracelet. If you are a caregiver, you should also wear a medical alert bracelet to alert emergency personnel of your loved one who needs attention.

A medical alert bracelet or medical identification tag is a small emblem or tag worn on a bracelet, neck chain, or on the clothing bearing a message that the wearer has an important medical condition that might require immediate attention. The tag is often made out of stainless steel, sterling silver, 18k gold plated or black gun plated.

On arrival to a hospital’s emergency department, one of the routine procedures of the evaluation of the critically ill, unconscious, or disoriented patients is to remove their clothing to inspect the body for a cause of their sudden alterations. In these situations, medical alert bracelets can be invaluable as a time saver.

Information That Should Be Put on a Medical Alert Bracelet
The message on your medical alert bracelet should be concise and to the point. “Diabetes” or other medical disorders should be engraved boldly on one side. The other side of the bracelet can have other information such as “insulin dependent” or “medication controlled”. Other important information can include:

1. An emergency contact number
2. The name of your physician
3. A referral to another place for more information, for example “see wallet card for a full medical history”

Where to Purchase a Medical Alert Bracelet or Tag
There are many online shops selling fashionable medical alert bracelets and chains and one good online shop is u7jewelry.com.

Ordering medical alert bracelets is a breeze at U7jewelry.com. After choosing your choice of tag or bracelet, simply key in your medical condition, contact number and other details that you want to be engraved, choose your metal type and add to cart. You can make the tag look more fashionable like a fashion jewelry by wearing the tag with a stylish gold chain necklace.

Besides medical alert bracelets, there are over hundreds of thousands of other beautiful jewelry at U7jewelry.com, ranging from summer jewelry, men’s jewelry, religious jewelry, sports jewelry, music jewelry, heart jewelry, customized jewelry and many more.

Shipping is free for orders of $200 and above at u7jewelry.com. Don’t forget to use promo code U7C to get a 30% discount off your bill.

Happy shopping!

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How To Look Taller And Slimmer

Not all celebrities stand as tall as we imagine they are when they appear on screen. Some of Hollywood’s most famous celebrities are average in height. Though it may not seem like it on screen, celebs are human too, and they can be short too.

You may not have known that Victoria Beckham, Shakira, Emilia Clarke, Christina Aguilera and Scarlett Johansson are just some of the famous celebrities that fall under 5’4″. That’s because they know how to add a few inches to their height with some very clever styling tricks.

Let me show you some ways to master the illusion with the right tops and beautiful elegant dresses for women!

1. Flaunt your legs with short skirts and dresses
This is one of my favorite tricks to look taller! I am 5’2″ and I wear short skirts and short pants all the time 😉 While some of you may not feel comfortable walking around in a mini skirt, don’t be afraid to embrace a hemline that is a little shorter than you might usually go for. Your legs will definitely look longer than if you pick a dress or skirt that falls below your knees, like his Embroidery O-Neck Short Sleeve A-Line Dress and from SheinStore.com

2. Go crop
Just like with your hemlines when it comes to skirts and dresses, the same can be applied for pants and jeans. If you show off a bit of ankle, it will give the illusion that your legs are too long for the trousers and you will immediately add a few inches to your height.

3. Try a crop top
If you wear a crop top with your high-waisted trousers and skirts, it will help to accentuate this illusion even further. Show off just a slither of skin though.

4. Wear skater dresses
Short women should fill their closets with items of clothing that highlight their assets, and one great area to draw attention to is your naturally smaller waist. Skater dresses do a great job of cinching at the waist, then flaring out toward the bottom hem, making you look noticeably leaner. Opt for a short skater dress for the best results!

5. Embrace the high-waist
This is especially important when it comes to wearing slightly longer hemlines, including midi and pencil skirts. It will help create the illusion that the middle part of your body is much longer than the reality.

6. Wear something fitted
I’m not implying that you have to wear bodycon dresses to look tall, but wearing oversized, billowing clothing will accentuate how small you are. So, even if you want to wear a loose-fitted dress like this Embroidery Sleeveless Party Print Maxi Dress with flair skirt, just makes sure it at least nips in at the waist.

7. Dress all in one colour
If you’re dressed from head to toe in one colour, you won’t be breaking up your body and will inevitably look taller than if you chop yourself in two by wearing more than one hue. Check out this elegant Party Pure Color Embroidery Stitching O-Neck Half Sleeve Bodycon Dress from SheinStore.com . The half sleeves make your arms look slender and longer and the short hem flaunts more of your legs.

Now that you know some simple hacks to make you appear taller, it’s time now to go shopping for some fashion slim ruffled party dresses, office dresses or casual wear at SheinStore.com! They are offering free shipping and $5 off to new users! Also apply the promo code BLOG5 for $5 off on all items!

Happy shopping!

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Summer Dresses

Let’s talk about summer dresses now that summer is here 🌞👗💃🏻. I am sure you’re raring to bring out all your summer clothing stashed deep in your closet. But if you need a few new pieces of summer casual dresses to wear for a holiday or hang out with your girlfriends, dresssure.com has a nice collection to check out.

Below are a few of my favorite summer casual dresses from dresssure.com which will be great to wear when it’s hot as hell outside! These summer casual dresses are perfect for casual as well as semi-formal. You can wear it to the office with a jacket over and straight to the cafe or club for a drink, or for a stroll at the park and comfy enough for just about any leisure activity in billy boiling temperatures. I wear similar dresses in our hot country to just about anywhere 🤩

Thanks to these fabulous summer dresses, you’re going to look chic while feeling really cool and comfy in them.

There are lots of elegant sexy party dresses online from dresssure.com as well from off-shoulder pieces to one-shoulder, spaghetti strap, maxi, bodycon, sheer, lace and chiffon for this summer. Check out some of those pieces here:

Specially for Health Freak Mommy blog readers!

Get a USD5 discount off your bill when you shop at dresssure.com.

Just key in discount code BLOG5 during checkout.

Happy shopping! 😉

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Sanitary Napkins Enriched With Negative Ions (Anions), Nano Silver and Far-Infrared Ray

Approximately 15,000 or more sanitary pads are required by a woman in her lifetime. It’s terrifying just to think of the amount of toxins already absorbed by my body over the years from the harsh chemicals used in these sanitary pads! Some brands of sanitary pads that I use cause itchiness and skin chafing at the groin area. This prompted me to Google for alternative healthier brands of sanitary pads and that’s when I found Lavender. I ordered the complete range from day pads to night pads and panty liners to try and love it!

Lavender is a brand of feminine hygienic sanitary pads embedded with Negative Ions (Anion), Nano Silver and Far-Infrared Ray chip. These sanitary napkins are enhanced with natural substances which improve and provide additional benefits to women’s health and wellness.

I find Lavender sanitary pads thin yet absorbent and very comfy to wear. What I like most about Lavender pads is that they are made from non-caustic soft materials (Hydrogel and cotton). It gives me a peace of mind to know that the materials are not made from recycled paper pulp and contains no caustic soda, bleach, softening agent and deodorizer. These robust chemicals are harmful to the skin’s acid and alkaline balance, and can cause to the propagation of microorganisms and infusorian and other skin disorders.

Interesting Facts On Negative Ions or Anions, Nano Silver and Far-Infrared Red

Benefits of Negative Ions or Anions
Often nicknamed as ‘vitamins of the air’, anions have a myriad of benefits to the human body such as energizing the body, improving sleep quality, activating different enzymes in the body, strengthening the body’s immune system, among others.

Benefits of Nano Silver
Nano Silver will not expire and has been used for the treatment of medical ailments for over 100 years due to its natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It can kill more than 650 types of bacteria within minutes and it has the most powerful anti-bacterial effect due to its strong penetration into the bacteria structure. Its bacteria killing effectiveness is hundreds of times more than normal silvers and are used to treat burns, trauma, infection, purulence, acne, skin diseases, gynecological diseases that are caused by bacteria and fungi.

Benefits of Far-Infrared Ray
Far-Infrared Ray is able to promote cell activation, blood circulation and pain relief. The Far-Infrared Ray contained in Lavender’s sanitary pad’s functional 3-in-1 core chip will help to regulate the overall body cell and stabilize a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Why I Choose Lavender Sanitary Pads over other brands of sanitary pads?

COMFORT LEVEL – In comparison to the traditional fibre or rough cotton surface, I like it that Lavender sanitary pad surface is made from softer, thinner and more comfortable sterilized cotton. Strontium Ferrite is added to the anion-chip to prevent various diseases and vaginal itching. It is bio-magnetic and activates the body’s bio-currents.

AIR PERMEABILITY – Unlike most traditional sanitary pads that do not take into account the danger of bacteria multiplication and gynecological diseases, the base of Anion sanitary napkins is permeable to air but not to water.

WATER ABSORBING ABILITY – The surface’s absorption of fluid is three times greater than that of a traditional sanitary napkin. This is possible because there is sufficient hydro gel (from Japan) to hold the fluid in instead of letting it back flow or leak from its sides. So this means the pads are great for heavy flow days.

HEALTH PROTECTION – It gives me a peace of mind knowing that the anion strip inside the cotton helps to prevent gynecological diseases. As it is chemical free, it does not raise the optimum pH of the vagina, i.e. at 4.0 and 5.5.

SAFETY PACKING – Aluminum foil is the material used in the packing of Anion sanitary napkins as it is safe and hygienic. I like it that the packaging can be reused as it comes with a resealable flap that’s easy to pull. This makes it safe and protects it from dampness, mildew and fungus.

SAFE GLUE – Industrial glue is used for most of the traditional sanitary napkin’s base. Although its glutinosity is reliable, it leaves behind residual benzene inside the underwear which sometimes cannot be removed. This residue can cause diseases and endanger the user’s health. But the glue used on Anion sanitary napkin is edible glue and it is non-toxic.

Where To Buy Lavender Sanitary Pads?
These sanitary pads can be ordered online at https://www.pro-care.com.my/

The Lavender sanitary pads collection includes the Day Use, Night Use and Panty Liners.

Recommend Retail Price:
Lavender Night (290mm) 8pcs/pack @ RM14
Lavender Panty Liner (155mm) 30pcs/pack @ RM15
Lavender Sanitary Pad for Day (245mm) 10pcs/pack @ RM14

There is also a special bundle pack that’s beautifully packaged and perfect as a gift.

Lavender sanitary pads and panty liners are hygienically machine packed in an aluminum foil packaging that’s resealable with an easy-to-pull sticker flap.

While checking out at the pro-care.com.my website, I stumbled upon a contest where I’ll stand a chance to win a beautiful Swarovski charm worth RM149 when I purchase Lavender sanitary products. Contest period is from 1st July through 30 September 2019. It’s pretty simple to take part. Just purchase Lavender sanitary napkin products, fill out a simple form and upload the receipt of your purchase. For more details on the contest, click here!

Lavender X Swarovski

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Bridesmaid Dresses 101

There are many things to consider when choosing your bridesmaid’s dresses. You need to consider the most flattering shapes, the color scheme, the theme. the venue and whether there is a one style fits all solution. It can be a challenge appeasing all your bridesmaids but it’s not that difficult if you know just the right place to shop for bridesmaids dresses.

Whether you’re choosing burgundy bridesmaid dresses or bright, glam colors like metallic gold and silver, remember that your bridesmaid dress should match the rest of the wedding theme.

If burgundy is your favorite color and you have this color in mind as the wedding theme color, BMBridal carries absolutely pretty bridesmaid dresses in this hot color, as seen in the photos below. Warm and romantic, burgundy has proven to be the a coveted shade in recent, cooler months – especially with bridesmaid dresses and weddings. Because this color is so gorgeous and rich on its own, I suggest having your bridesmaids carry neutral-colored bouquets to really let the gowns pop!

If you want a relaxed and romantic wedding, you can let your bridesmaids choose their own dresses. But the more formal the wedding, the more similar the dresses of the bridesmaids should be.

If you’re thinking of getting all the bridesmaids wear the same dresses – this concept is quite outdated. If you want to organize a perfect bridesmaid group, you should choose the dresses according to each person’s characteristics and body shapes. As long as the main colors and themes of your wedding are determined, your bridesmaids are free to choose their gowns.

If you’re a bride on a budget, check out BMbridal for the perfect bridesmaid dresses. With hundreds of fashion essentials and unique fashion insight, this site is the best place to find trend-led bridesmaid dresses at affordable prices. There’s no need to worry about the sizing of the dresses as there is a Custom Measurements feature at the site where you can key in your specific measurements and the dress will be customized to your measurements. Isn’t this just awesome?

With a bit of clever sale-hunting, you should be able to nab beautifully designed bridesmaid dresses for your girls that match the quality of your own!

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Creating Fashion Trends

Fashion trends evolve with the times and often move cyclically. Depending on your age, your parents may comment on new clothing and remember times when this clothing received praise from fashionably aware crowds. When browsing the internet or perusing stores for new clothes, the selections available often determine what you wear. Affordability factors in as well, but if you choose standard outlets, you will most likely be following fashion trends as opposed to creating them. Adolescents and young adults are often very impressionable, and this can be used to develop trends of your own.

Owning Your Style
Confident individuals often look good in pretty much anything they choose to wear. When you have an aura about yourself, even older pieces can be augmented somewhat. Streetwear brands, such as Otherlinks, have clothing lines that engage consumers due to unique approaches to fashion. Many people want to purchase this merchandise because of the celebrity attached and the way peers will view these stylish purchases. Individuals that possess unique styles are not rushing to buy the newest clothing each season.

Clothing companies pay personalities to post pictures of themselves while wearing a particular item. While these posts usually garner much attention, try creating fashion trends and make those in tune with fashion step into your world.

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Returning A Parcel To Lazada – Super Troublesome!

Two weeks ago, the mil asked me to order a board game called Rummikub from Lazada. She had played this board game in Hong Kong and has fallen in love with it. I did a search and found out that Rummikub is available at Lazada but it’s shipped from China. I ordered it anyway as the mil was raving about how fun this board game can get and she looks forward to playing it with her 3 grand daughters.

Fast forward 10 days later. The parcel was delivered to us yesterday. When the mil unboxed it, she found out that the four display panels for the number cubes were mal-manufactured. The two stands for the panel cannot be secured tightly onto the holes and the ledge supposedly for the number cubes is so narrow that I can even blow the cubes off the ledge. The printing of the word ‘Rummikub’ is upside down on the four panels. The mil was so disappointed with the purchase.

So what’s next then?

I spent the entire afternoon yesterday chatting online with Lazada customer service to find out about the procedures for returning the product. Each time I needed to ask a question, I had to wait on queue for at least 15-20 minutes, by which time, I would have gotten busy with work (and forgotten that I was on queue as there’s no notification to prompt me, other than stare at the computer) or not in front of my desktop computer anymore. Thus, I wasted my entire afternoon, just to find out how to send the parcel back to Lazada to get a refund. I am not a noob shopper at Lazada; I’ve been shopping at this online platform for several years now but it’s my first time returning an item to them.

In summary, all I can say is that if you are a first timer trying to send a defective item back to Lazada, it would take you hours to find out. Once you know the steps to follow, it takes some time to get about with it. If you are too busy or have no patience with the procedures, my advice is to discard the item and don’t feel sorry for yourself for being unlucky to have received a defective item.

First, you will need to print a Return Label at the Lazada website. This took me some time to figure out where the link was to have the label printed. Printing the item was a tad tricky too. I tried printing several times in different methods before I figured that I had to download the form, save it on my desktop and print it out. Paper, ink and more time wasted = money wasted.

Second, you will need to box up / wrap up your item and insert the Return Label on the parcel.

Third, from the Lazada website, you will have to choose how to send the item back to them with postage charged back to Lazada. Choosing a ‘Near You’ location (aka Return Hub) was the most convenient for me but as I had no experience on how to get about doing it, I had to call the appointed Lazada courier agent at my neighborhood to ask for instructions.

Fourth, download a NearU app onto your mobile phone. Why the heck the need to download this useless app on my phone?!

Fifth, key in a bar code number that’s printed on the Return Label into the NearU app on your phone. I omitted this step as the Lazada customer service staff wasn’t sure what to do and the agent / Lazada courier agent at my neighborhood (which is a pharmacy) didn’t inform me as well. This caused me two wasted trips to the pharmacy this morning. More money and time wasted! The first time when I went, the pharmacy wasn’t opened yet. The second time when I went, I was told that I had to print out another form, which contains a QR code, and attach it to the parcel! WTF!!

GAWD! Lazada must have made the return procedures super troublesome to deter shoppers from returning defective items to them! That’s not very smart. Coz some impatient shoppers will only switch online shopping platforms!

As of typing this post, I still haven’t gotten around with printing the QR code, that’s sent from my phone to my email.

See the ‘mahfan-ness’?? I hate anything that’s time consuming and troublesome.

Tomorrow, I will have to make a third trip to the pharmacy / Lazada courier agent to drop off the parcel, after which, another email will be sent to me for parcel tracking purpose.

Hopefully the defective item reaches Lazada by next week. I can’t wait to get my refund! Mind you, refund is via crediting of the amount into my Lazada Wallet, which means that I will have to use the money to buy other stuff from Lazada.

Is this going to deter me from shopping online at Lazada? Probably not. I just have to be extra careful and make sure I choose a product from a seller with lots of positive reviews and 5 star ratings.

If you do not have a printer at home, then forget about returning your item to Lazada. It would be too tedious and costly to get the two forms printed just to send an item back to Lazada, unless you can get someone to print for you.

Cheap and thin plastic stands that won’t lodge tightly onto the panel. When the stands are attached to the panel, the panel is almost 90 degrees upright, thus the cubes will fall off with just a cough or sneeze that you make!

There’s no way the number cubes can stand on this panel! Note that the words are printed upside down as the panel has to propped up the other way.

This is how the actual panel should look like.

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Flower Girl Dresses

At a church wedding of a very close pal last Saturday, I watched with envy cute little girls dressed up in kids high low dresses and flower girl dresses as they paraded into the church sanctuary holding flowers. It reminded me of the time when Sherilyn was a flower girl at her Sunday School teachers’ church wedding. They are a couple who taught at the Sunday school who eventually got married. Sherilyn had just turned two when she was the flower girl, dressed up in a resplendent white sleeveless flower girl dress with a white halo headgear. She was such a cutie who attracted so much attention on that day. At 14 years old now, she no longer likes to be in gowns and elaborate dresses and would only wear dresses at special occasions like weddings.

When Cass was younger, she would wear anything that I got her. I would doll her up in cute little tutu dresses, ballerina tutu dresses and flower girl dresses online that I bought. She would obediently be the model for my online store and always gave me her most cheerful dimpled smile. I was so proud of her. But when she turned 10 years old, everything changed. She no longer wanted to be in dresses, much less flower girl dresses and gowns. At our close pal’s wedding last Saturday, she was all sulky and glum when I forced her to wear a dress.

Last year, Cass wore a white flowy dress that looks like some first communion occasion dresses to her baptism. That was the last time she wore that beautiful white dress (which she wore less than 5 times) and I guess I now have to donate that white dress which I got from the UK to someone who would love to be in it.

If only my girls would still want to slip into these pretty flower girl dresses like they once loved to…

Princess Sleeveless Kids Prom Dress for Girls With Lace CH0131

Princess Bateau Sleeveless Ivory Organza Mini Children's Prom Dress(AHC049)

Multipatterned Lace Tulle Straps Ball Gown Floor-length Kids Prom Dresses(FGD344)

I do miss the time very much when my three girls were younger and twinkly-eyed. They were not persnickety over their choice of clothing or anything else. They were so much easier to manage and I had so much lesser stress over them then vs. now. But I’m sure that one day, they’ll be looking at these dresses again for their prom night, as bridesmaid and finally as the bride! ☺️

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Black Or White School Shoes?

Many parents are confused with what color of shoes to buy for their children when school starts on 2 January 2019. If you are one of them, the black shoes new ruling for public school children will only be fully enforced in 2021, to give all relevant parties plenty of time to be prepared. So don’t panic yet. For now, schools allow students to choose between white or black. If you are not sure, it’s a good idea to ask your child’s teacher. I’ve just reconfirmed with Cass’ teacher last week and she confirmed that both white and black are acceptable. I needed to know as I wanted to shop for the girls’ school shoes before the school holidays start. I am not going to do anymore last minute shopping this time. Believe it or not, I only shopped for our girls’ school shoes on the eve of the eve of the first day of school this year. 🤭

This time I am already done with shopping for our girls’ school shoes for year 2019! It’s black for Cass and Sherilyn and white for Alycia. As Alycia is in a private school, the color of school shoes remains as white.

I got the girls Pallas again as they like Pallas school shoes. I also got them Pallas shoes two years ago. The prices are affordable, designs are nice and best of all, I can shop for the shoes online! This aunty here is an online shopping queen. I get addicted to online shopping. It’s a sweat-free experience to buy stuff online, most of the time.

Why do I choose black school shoes for Cass and Sherilyn?

Based on past experience, black shoes proved to last longer. Alycia was a school prefect for 4 years while in primary school and had to wear black shoes and black socks. Her shoes lasted much longer than her sisters’ white shoes. When she was in Primary 6, her pair of black shoes lasted her for the entire year!

Black school shoes are more dirt-resistant, thus need not have to be washed weekly, unlike white shoes which get dirty just only after a day in school. Alycia who’s a clean freak (like her mom😆 ) and nice as ninepence used to wipe her black school shoes with wet wipes every other day. Socks are washed daily though.

As students are made to sit cross-legged on dusty school floors, the shoes get black really quickly. Our weekly scrubbing of the shoes with detergent speeds up the wear and tear of the shoes considerably. I need to buy new shoes for our girls every 4 months.

To me both white and black are fine as long as they are clean and are not overly worn out with tears and holes. Just make sure that when your child wears black school shoes, the shoes are cleaned, either with wet wipes / wet cloth or washed regularly.

Whether it’s black or white, you have 2 years to take your pick before it’s all black. You can have a pair of black shoes and a pair of white shoes as spare. Sherilyn prefers white shoes but I got her a pair of black shoes as spare, as well as to get her used to wearing black shoes. She can wear black shoes this week and white shoes next week. This can break the monotony of having same color shoes the whole year round😉 But come end of 2020, all public school children will have to ditch their white shoes for black.

My girls like Pallas shoes as they are comfy and stylish. The rubber insoles have better rebound that are great for prolonged hours of active use in school.

I chose Pallas black school shoes model 407-196ABK at RM45.99 as this model has broader fitting, more space and more comfortable. The design is pretty stylish (very much like sneakers), has a broad cutting and thus, more airy. The outer soles and outer front part of the shoes are thick and sturdy as well.

Not only do my girls like Pallas’ range of school shoes, they love the range of sneakers as well. Pallas sneakers are stylo, very affordable and comfy. I got Alycia and Cass these Pallas sneakers too:

To learn more about Pallas shoes and how to order, check out their Facebook and Instagram sites here:

FB : https://www.facebook.com/PallasMalaysia/

IG : https://instagram.com/pallasmalaysia

Black or white shoes? What’s your pick and what’s your child’s preference?

No. of times viewed = 173

Is Buying To Let Still Feasible?

There are many youngsters who are looking at house for rent in Seremban as buying a house is too expensive. Most people nowadays are working more than just one job to earn some extra passive income. Furthermore, property market is still considered as a popular investment. Are you thinking of buying a property for investment purpose, or to earn some passive income? However, with the recent property hike, although at a slower pace, you are still unsure if buying a property is a good way to earn some passive income as the property market is not stable yet and prices are still fluctuating.

Although our country’s currency is weak compared to the previous years, this does not stop people from investing in the property market. Before you jump onto the bandwagon of buying a property, it is essential to understand the Real Property Gains Tax (RPGT) on how it works, what it is and how it is computed. This article will elaborate on the feasibility of buying a buy to let property in Malaysia.

1. Right target market
Think about your target tenants. Finding the right target market is essential for people who are in the property market. Determine the potential target market depending on the location of your property. Young couples are more likely to rent a place instead of buying as they are not fully settled down yet. Furthermore, buying a property is still a big commitment for them. As for students, they are more likely to be interested in renting a room instead, as all they need is just a room to sleep and study. Furthermore, it is only for a short period.

2. Potential rental yield
A rental yield is the percentage you get in return based on the rental you get from your property after deducting costs incurred in maintaining your property versus total property price. As for capital gain, it is the gain or loss after you sell your property.

In order to know if your property is generating money flow from the rental that you collect is much more than comparing the rental you collect with the monthly installment that you pay, as you will also need to take other costs involved into consideration as well.

To calculate the rental yield, you may use the formula below:

Net rental yield = [(monthly rental x 12 months) – annual maintenance cost] / property price] x 100

Let’s say you are buying a RM750,000, 672 sq ft condominium unit at Verve Suites, Mont Kiara, with RM0.33 maintenance fee per sq ft. The rental rate in the market will then be RM2,800 for a furnished unit, which is equivalent to RM3,500 per annum.

Based on the calculation following the formula above, the net rental yield will then be 4.01% per year. However, the mortgage is not included yet. After taking your mortgage into consideration, your net rental yield will then be -1.16% per year based on the formula below:

Net rental yield = [annual rental – annual cost of maintenance – total instalment] / selling price x 100

Based on the calculation above, the property looks promising as a buy to let investment, and is definitely better than putting your cash in a bank under the fixed deposit scheme with a 4.15% interest rate or lower.

Miscellaneous costs

Buying a property involves other miscellaneous costs as well as you are not only paying for the property price only.

a. Property tax

Property tax is payable for all properties that include shops, lands and factories. Property tax comes in assessment tax where it is based on the annual rental value of the property; and quit rent where it is calculated on a yearly rate.

Assessment tax	Quit rent
6%, flat rate	Paid once yearly for landed property
Can be paid in two instalments	RM0.035 per sqaure foot/year
Based on the annual rental value of property

b. Rental income tax

Rental income tax is only applied to those who have a total rental income of more than RM5,000. However, the cost related with your buy to let proeprty is able to get offset against the rental income.

c. Real property gains tax (RPGT)

Real property gains tax applies to property that is sold lesser than 5 years after purchasing. RPGT charges only the profits that you get after minusing the original property price, renovation and incidental costs, such as stamp duty, legal fees, advertisement fees and etc.

Year	Percentage (%)
1st year	30
2nd year	30
3rd year	30
4th year	20
5th year	15
6th year	0

The imposement of RPGT has its own pros and cons, with lesser impact on genuine buyers as compared to property investors. It is entirely up to you to decide whether it has more pros than cons or vice versa.

In conclusion, you will need to plan ahead and do your research before buying a property in Malaysia. Set realistic goals, build a budget and stay within your means to prevent yourself from getting into a financial debt. Know that there will be its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to investment in the property market.

No. of times viewed = 8

Online Shopping

These days I buy many of my stuff online ~ from witch hazel toner to laundry detergent, computer table, essential oils, personal care products, food stuff, supplements, clothes, bags and my latest purchase was a stand fan. Online shopping really saves me a lot of time from having to brave the horrendous traffic jam to finding a place to park my car in the congested city that I live in.

Online merchants are competing against one another to offer the lowest prices, best deals, best shopping apps and some even offer cash back. I now have over RM20 in my cash back account ever since I joined this online merchant late last year. The more I shop, the more cash back I’ll receive in my account.

Online stores now have shopping apps that make our online shopping experience so much more easier and convenient. In addition, we get extra discount if we use the merchant’s app to shop. One such app is the Tidebuy app, a shopping app by Tidebuy, a global online retail store offering trendy clothes, shoes, bags, bedding, kids clothing, jewelry, wigs, etc.

All you have to do is hop over to the App Store and download the app. Within minutes, you can start shopping already. New users of the Tidebuy app get $138 off coupons! Try them today!

No. of times viewed = 34

Cheesy Online Purchase And I Discovered Something!

I’ve always thought that I am DIY-challenged. I hate anything that’s DIY, including Lego blocks. I have zero patience for DIY stuff. I think they are a waste of my time. Thus, I never buy DIY furniture and fixtures. Why waste an hour assembling a furniture when you can buy ready-made ones? I just don’t get it! But the hubs is the polar opposite of me. He’s a sucker for DIY furniture. For someone who doesn’t have much patience, I’m surprised that he actually has tons of it when it comes to assembling DIY furniture and appliances. Alycia has inherited this DNA of mine, unfortunately, thus I can never count on her to help me in this department. Thankfully I have two other daughters who love this sort of challenges. But I can’t always count on them due to their limited time spent at home.

Last week, I ordered a Felton 5-tier plastic cabinet from 11 Street. It’s my first online purchase from 11 Street and I think it will be my last. I’d stick with Lazada.

5 Tier Drawers Plastic Cabinet / Plastic Furniture / Office Cabinet & Storage
Picture of the cabinet from the 11 Street website.

From the 11 Street website, the plastic cabinet looks pretty good. I chose pink, which is my favorite color. NOTHING is stated under the description section that this cabinet is a self assembled cabinet. I have never once come across a fully dismantable multi-tiered plastic cabinet. The existing multi-tiered plastic cabinets that I have at home are all with a one-piece frame and drawers that come in one piece which I can slot into the frame easily and smoothly. I was in for a huge shock and WTF moment when my parcel finally arrived after 5 days of wait with no update on the website on the status of my parcel. When the medium-size box arrived, I knew I had been ‘scammed’. When I opened the box, confirmed I was ‘scammed’.

See the pieces of the cabinet here. I didn’t order a DIY / FIY cabinet for Pete’s sake. All in there were about 40 pieces with NO instructions. WTF!! How on earth am I supposed to fix this darn thing? I am DIY-challenged and I have absolutely no time to assemble this. And the cheesy quality of the plastic is another WTF moment. Inside the drawers were strands of cut-off plastic. The color of the black plastic looks faded and dusty. The frame bars were crooked and they looked as if they would dent after a few knocks. I wanted to return this piece of crap to 11 Street but I dreaded to think of the tedious return and refund process.

So gung-ho me squatted under the fan in the living room (it was a sizzling hot afternoon) and started assembling the pieces together. I had no frigging idea how to slot the vertical bars into the rectangular frames tightly. The bars just wouldn’t lodge properly. Then I remembered Drama Queen using a hammer to knock on a DIY wooden picture frame with multiple parts, done under the school’s Living Skills project. I used some strength and knocked the bars into the gap on the frame and then I heard the clicking sound. It was secured finally! That’s only for one bar. There were 20 bars and I had to use my cow strength to knock them all into the frame using my hands. Securing the wheels was another WTF and cussing moment. Even the handles of the drawers had to be lodged into the gap of the drawer. I was sweating and mad as hops and vowed that I will never ever order such furniture online again. Long story short, after an hour, the 5-tier plastic cabinet was erected but it wasn’t perfect. As the cheesy plastic frames and bars are not aligned, the drawers can’t shut tightly. Cass found out later that she had to bang on the drawer with all her might to shut the drawer. WTF!! LOL!

This piece of crap is a joke. It cost me RM136 (RM119 + RM17 shipping). I won’t even donate it to charity. It looks like it’s going to end up in our balcony to store our floor mats and gardening tools. The hubs had a good laugh. Well honey, it looks like you’ll have to bring me to the mall to get a better quality one.

On the hindsight, I’ve discovered that I am not that DIY-challenged after all. Even without my handy manny and Drama Queen around to help me, I still managed to assemble a FIY (fix it yourself) furniture. Not bad ya? I won’t deny that this felt like brain surgery to me but nothing is impossible if there’s a will.

No. of times viewed = 15

Women Love And Deserve Flowers

I’ve always been telling my hubs not to waste money on flowers as they will wilt and die anyway. Truth is I still like flowers despite this. In fact, most women love flowers. Yes, we women do love to be spoiled sometimes and no, the gifts don’t always need to be tangible and expensive. We do not always wish for diamond rings or gold necklaces. Receiving a bouquet of flowers at our doorstep unexpectedly in the midst of our busyness from the special someone in our lives do mean a lot to us. One time during one of the darkest moments of my life, a good friend of mine paid me a visit and surprised me with a big bouquet of pretty flowers to cheer me up. I can never tell her enough how much those flowers meant to me.

One of the best places to look for online flowers delivery in Singapore is at Little Flower Hut.

At Little Flower Hut, you will only find the finest range of Flower Arrangement, Hand Bouquet, Baby Hamper, gifts and many more. Perfect for birthday, anniversary, baby shower, get well soon or any occasion. Check out some of the aesthetically arranged blooms from Little Flower Hut:

Lovely tulips:

Flower Delivery Singapore

Birthday cake flower:

Florist Singapore

Classic beauty for mom:

MDAY-109 ALWAYS

Gorgeous blue and white roses for that someone special in your life:

Florist Singapore

Baby pink roses for the pink fanatic special someone:

Florist Singapore

Proposal package, awwwwwww!! Did I tell you that at 44, I still get excited at the sight of a gigantic bundle of colorful balloons?

Flower delivery Singapore

Baby shower package:

Flower delivery Singapore

Have you ever seen a forlorn looking flower? Well, OK, maybe wilting flowers may not look quite as cheerful, but fresh blooms always look so bright and cheery. It’s almost like they bring sunshine and colors indoors with them and a huge bouquet of beautiful flowers always makes you want to smile, well at least to me 😉

No. of times viewed = 8