The Norwex Hype

I admit. I am such a sucker. 

I saw some friends posting about this magical cleaning cloth and thought to myself, "I shall give it a go too". I just wanted to know what it is all about. I guess it is the FOMO (fear of missing out) in me.

I ended up purchasing almost RM400 worth of cleaning cloth. Mind you, I have a maid (who has been with me for almost 5 years) and I hardly do any cleaning myself. Why do I even need to spend on a cleaning cloth? This almost RM400 only got me less than 5-6 items. Hence that's why people call this "kain from kayangan".

I laughed at myself when it arrived because it is the last thing I would usually buy. I laughed at myself because it is too funny for me to process the logic behind this purchase but like I said, FOMO got the best of me (and my credit card).

I have no self control at all, do I? I need to also put a disclaimer before I continue with this post. First of all, I hardly ever clean because my maid does all that. My house is usually pretty clean and we have been using ordinary cloth that probably cost RM15 for a pack of 5 or something like that. (When I say "we", I mean my maid. I dont clean much!)Secondly, because of that, I am in no position to compare but just for fun, I'm going to do it anyway. Let's put it this way, if you give me 2 pieces of cloth side by side, I probably wouldnt be able to tell you the difference. I guess I am that hopeless.

I tried the Norwex makeup removal cloth set and to me, it is such a waste of money. The cloth is small and it is supposed to remove your makeup without using any cleanser. If I had used an ordinary cloth and use water, I am sure the results would be the same too. Did the Norwex cloth do what it is supposed to do? Yes, it does. However, you will get the same result (makeup free skin) with oil cleanser and a regular cloth. Yes it is soft but my muslin cloth that I purchase from Mothercare to wipe my face is just as effective and a lot cheaper. My conclusion for this is, use an oil cleanser instead. Skin feels much cleaner and it removes makeup very easily. I dont think I can go on life using just cloth and water to remove makeup and impurities in my face. I dont think it is clean enough despite what they say. 

I also purchase the cloth to clean the bathroom. For the first time, I actually spent quite some time cleaning my bathroom that one day. Yes my bathroom mirror looked cleaner and yes it does get the job done. However, I still feel like I can achieve the same result using a regular cloth that is probably 10x cheaper. With the Norwex cloth, I still had to scrub things off. I am sure if I were to take the regular cloth, I would be scrubbing the same. 

My conclusion is, buy it if you must but dont expect magic. It does work and it can do the job but so does the other cloth in the market at a fraction of its price. Will I be spending more on Norwex? Perhaps yes. But maybe I shouldnt. 

Online Vs Traditional School

It is no competition. Traditional school is of course better in every possible way. Let's be clear of that.

Since March 2020, we have been on online school. Some days are great but some days I wonder if we should even bother attending them. Most of the time, I just wish and pray it would end and my kids can go back to physical school. They miss their friends.

Back in March, after being in lockdown for a while and not having any interactions with their friends and teachers, they were both very excited to see them online. I remember the first week of online class. No one was actually learning anything as they were just excited to see their friends and not focusing at all. Teachers also struggled to keep the class quiet before they discovered how to mute everyone.It was a learning process for all. It is not easy for everyone involved and certainly not an ideal environment. 

Parents are struggling to find a spot for the kids to do the class. Imagine having more than 1 kid. It is so hard to walk around the house when class is in session too. We have to mind our conversations because the other side could be listening and it can be distracting. I've heard so many parents talking in the background many times. I've even heard them shouting and screaming to their staff too(they were working from home). There's also connectivity problems here and there that parents need to be on top of because I can promise you there will be at least once when they cant connect due to poor wifi. We have to be on standby. My new job this year is IT Support. Gosh I hate this title so much!

Kids are struggling because online classes can get really boring sometimes. It is not the same as being in school. Getting the help from teachers is harder to do online than offline. Distractions at home too when the fridge(and snakcs) are just a feet away. They're constantly snacking throughout class and it is not so simple to just stop them from getting drinks during class. 

Teachers are struggling too. It is so much easier to manage a class on site than online. You dont know who is paying attention and who just doze off when you're online. Bless them. They do try and I do feel for the teachers. It is really not easy. They also miss the kids a lot. Most teachers will tell you that they prefer traditional school too.

On top of everything else..... we pay school fees to have our kids in school and getting all the benefits of being there. Some schools dont offer much discount. Parents are paying more to keep their kids home. Yes, their safety is number 1 in everything but we cant discount the fact that we are paying for something we are not getting 100%. 

I wish schools would be more understanding to the fact that online class is not for everyone. Some parents requested to pull their kids out of school (and not attend online class at all) but this is not allowed by most schools. The standard withdrawal procedure would apply in such cases but we are living in Covid time here. Shouldnt they take this into consideration too? Most schools are money making machine and fortunately for them, despite this pandemic they are still making money. I dont think this is fair.

For me, I am grateful that we have an option to send our kids to online school because most arent so lucky. Government school kids dont really have this option and some dont even have electronic devices to support online lessons. So yes, I am grateful that we still have this option BUT I feel the pain in the pocket having to pay so much for something that shouldnt necessarily cost this much. We dont have that option to just opt out at this point but if we did, maybe I might just opt for that. My kids wont miss much academically if I take them out of school completely. I'm not worried about that. For me, the social aspect of school is important too. But like I said, the policy and procedures that we have to follow is such, we cant do that.

I miss seeing my kids playing with their friends in person. They interact and play with their friends online daily but it isnt the same. I miss sending them off to school and listening to their stories when I pick them up. I miss seeing them do stuff other than being on their devices all day every day. 

Covid, please go away!

2020 in review

Just like that, 2020 is almost coming to an end. I cannot believe December is coming to an end and soon, we will be welcoming a brand new year. 2021.

I feel quite sad that we didnt get to do much this year. Felt like we were waiting for 2020 for ages and was so hopeful that it was going to turn out to be so great but in the end, it was such a let down. 

We started our year really well. Back in January 2020, we welcomed the new year in Bangkok and had an amazing time with the family. My kids also had a really nice time with their cousins there. Although there were reports of Covid-19, it wasnt really a big deal back then. We had no clue what was coming. We travelled to Desaru and Singapore too in January. At that time, Covid-19 stories were already detected in Singapore and Johor. We were worried but still, we didnt know how serious it was going to get. I remember Singapore malls were quieter than usual and some people were already wearing masks. At that time, we were still walking around Singapore without masks on. I dont know how to do that anymore. How much things have changed since then.

In February 2020 we were busy preparing for our Mekah trip. It was a journey to remember for me and it was truly one of the most humbling experience of my life. I was blown away by that trip and enjoyed every bit of it. Thinking about it gives me goosebumps and I cant wait to go back there. While we were in Mekah, the pandemic started getting more serious. Arab Saudi decided to suspend all entry for pilgrims visiting the holy sites while we were there. Some of them were already in Jeddah airport and was asked to return. How lucky were we that we arrived only a few days before that happened. I believe, we were really the chosen ones to be there. MasyaAllah. 25 February 2020 is also an important date for me because it was the first time I wore the hijab (to the airport for my Umrah) and I have not taken it off since. I would like to keep and remember this date as the date of my hijrah.

We arrived in KL in March and we had plans to travel to Paris and London during the easter break in April. It was supposed to be amazing to celebrate my mil turning 80. But Malaysia went into lockdown in March just 2 weeks after we arrived back from Mekkah. All the plans we had for this amazing 2020 went down the drain. March 2020 was the first time we had to be in proper lockdown. Police and army seen everywhere even in malls. Going to the supermarket to get groceries was like going to war. It was terrifying. An experience we will never forget.

April was a sad month for me as it was my first experience with death of a close family member. In my 40 years of age I've been blessed to have all my family members with me. I have never experienced real grieve till I was 40(turning 41). You would think that one will be more mature and strong at 40 when dealing with grieve and death but trust me, it is just as hard if not harder. I cried and cried lots that month. I lost the most amazing person in my life. I lost my dear grandma. Someone so dear to me. My biggest fear finally came true that month. It was painful but I am happy that I was there and I got to say my goodbye despite being in lockdown. Al-fatihah Tokmi. You will always have a special place in my heart and I will continue to pray for you till the day we reunite again, InsyaAllah.

Ramadhan this year was probably one of the best Ramadhan for me because I felt like I've done more ibadah than I ever did. I tried to do my terawikh every night and read the Quran more than I ever did. I got myself a digital Quran too and that helped me a lot in my reading. 

In May we celebrated Raya in the new normal. It was a quiet one. In a way it was ok because we were all still grieving. It was our first raya without my grandma. It was hard. For the first time, kids didnt get to celebrate with their cousins. Raya felt like just another day. I didnt even get new raya outfits for the family. For the first time, we didnt have colour coordinated raya outfits, which is a shame because that has been a tradition for many years. The Raya mood was gone.

June, July and August is always a busy month for us because it is our birthday months. One after another. It was pretty low-key but memorable nonetheless. The kids had some friends over for their birthdays and that itself was a nice time for the kids as they haven't seen their friends in months. 

August this year was also a huge milestone for my kids as they moved to a new school. We were very excited and really enjoying the new school very much but our excitement was short-lived because the government announced another lockdown after the Sabah elections. I was so pissed that they had to go back to online classes only just a month after being in the new school. Such a bummer that was.

September went by so fast too. I turned 41! *cries* Alhamdulillah for all the blessings in my life. Although I always have to order my own birthday cake every year (rolls eyes) but I am happy that I am surrounded by good wonderful people in my life especially my husband and family. I celebrated my birthday with people dearest to me and I couldnt ask for more.

On the 2nd of October, my birthday gift arrived. Yay!!! I've been waiting for you for months. 

I also finally got to see my brother and his family. They moved to London for a year (to do his Masters) and we've missed them so much. They're now back in KL for good and I finally got to meet my new baby nephew. Baby Yusof is just too adorable for words. I love that boy so much.

November went by really quickly too. We were going about our usual routine most of the time. I wondered many times if this semi-lockdown will ever end as cases kept rising. I couldnt celebrate my mom's birthday but we spent some time with her at my brother's place and that was fun seeing my nephews and mom. A friend of mine invited me for lunch one day at her new place and that was a lot of fun too seeing everyone to catch up. Small gatherings with dearest friends and family always puts me in a good mood. Something we took for granted pre Covid days. Now that we dont get to do it much, each time we meet we treasure those moments a lot more.

December felt long somehow. The kids ended their online classes for this academic year and we are hopeful that school will reopen in January. Hopefully they will be able to return back to campus again. We had a short break to Legoland this month which was nice too. For the first time ever, theme park was empty and for the first time, we didnt have to queue to get on the rollercoaster, which was a lot of fun for the kids. 

Despite this challenging year, I think we've all done pretty well this year. We all had our ups and downs. Some can be testing to the core but alhamdulillah, we made it! Let's pray for a better year in 2021. 

Happy New Year everyone. May Allah protect us all and bless us abundantly always. 

Croisserie Artisan Bakery, Damansara Heights

We've been coming here for breakfast and their pastry for the past few years. It is located on Jalan Medan Setia 2 in Damansara Heights and few doors away from another popular restaurant HuckleBerry and Gravy Baby. We used to come here almost everyday for breakfast after dropping off the kids to school but since we moved, we dont come here so often anymore. But whenever we miss it, we would drop by. It is recently renovated and since the renovation, it has been busier than ever! Business must be good for them as there is always a long queue outside this little cafe.

I'm not big on bakery but I do love it here. We love their plain croissant and absolutely love the one with ham and cheese too. It is really good. 

Other than their croissant, I also love their beef bacon Quiche. I also love their Pain Au Chocolat. I love their sugar donuts too. For someone who is not big on bakeries, I seem to love a lot of their stuff, dont I?

They have a huge selection and so far, everything on their menu is really good. 

I love their latte although it is more on the bitter side. I've tried their hot chocolate and it is really good and rich too. It does reminds me of the hot chocolate in Paris. 

Everything is good about this place EXCEPT for 3 things. 

1. It is difficult to find parking around the area. You may have to make a few rounds before you can find parking. An alternative is to park at the underground area at Republik which is about 3 minutes walk to Croisserie. 

2. It is pretty expensive. I guess they use really premium ingredients. But ya, it is not cheap. 

3. It is always full. You may need to queue up. They have limited seating areas too. I dont think you can make reservation so if you want to go, please go early. 

Other than that, this is definitely our favourite bakery in town!

RGB @ The Beanhive Jalan Damai

 

My favourite thing to do in the morning is my breakfast with my other half. We have our favourite places to go and as usual, (IF Only is one of them) and we always order the same thing every time. This morning, we decided to explore this other cafe near our house. 

When we reached the cafe, to be honest we were skeptical. It doesnt look pretty. Should we go in or just go back to If Only? But I insisted we check it out as the reviews arent too bad. It is located on Jalan Damai. Jalan Damai is an old area in KL city where you find big old houses. Some of these bungalows we turned into restaurants and there was a spa too that I used to go to once upon a time ago. But I heard the residents werent too happy about it and these restaurants shut down. We havent been to this side of town for quite a few years and I was pleasantly surprise to find this hidden cafe on Jalan Damai. 

My first impression was "They must have good coffee here". Not knowing that RGB stands for Rather Good Beans. duhh! They have quite a lot of stuff on their menu. They have pizza, spaghetti and Big Breakfast. I guess you can say there's something for everyone. I might just bring my kids here someday. 

We ordered a Latte and a Picolo and they were both very good I must say. It was very very good. We also ordered their Big Breakfast to share.

When it came, I wasnt all that impressed. I guess the presentation could be better. The sunny side up eggs looked like something my 10 year old could make. But overall, it tasted pretty good. I particularly enjoy the beans because it had chickpeas in it. It was quite nice. 

Plenty of seating area inside or outside the restaurant. We were there in the morning and there werent too many people but by the time we left, the parking area was full. I'm glad I discovered this quiet and hidden little cafe. I'm not sure if I will come back for the food but I will come back for the latte for sure!

Adopt a Butterfly

A friend of mine posted about adopting a butterfly once and I was intrigued. I've always wanted my kids to learn and see the whole process but somehow didnt know where to get it from. I contacted the Butterfly Reptile and ordered the Pupa Set for my kids. 

This package is awesome because it comes with everything you need. I got 2 sets of this for each child. My daughter wasnt all interested in the beginning but when the package arrived (about 5 days later), she was excited!

The packaging was also very pretty and each set comes with a handwritten note from the Butterfly Guardians which had their mobile number in case you need to Whatsapp them for advice or if you have any questions. 

This is how the Pupa looks like. My son's pupa is green and my daugther's is brown. My son named his "Bob" and my daughter named hers "HC" for Hot Choc. I gave her the idea. I'm always naming our pets after drinks. (Our cat is called Pepsi and our rabbits is Latte). I think it is so cute. 

All we needed to do is to spray the inside of the jar with water daily. Every day, we see something happening to the Pupa. After 2 days, my daughter's pupa became a beautiful butterfly. It wasnt moving much and we were worried to let it go so I texted our Butterfly Guardian and they said it is ready to leave. Bob became a butterfly 5 days later. It was so active and immediately we knew he was ready to leave. I love the experience and kids loved it too. I might just adopt a few more.

This is Hot Chocolate before it left us

Goodbye little butterfly........ now fly away

If Only

 If only Covid-19 didnt happen, life would be a lot different wouldnt it?

Can you believe 2020 is almost over. I know I keep saying this but it's because I just cannot believe just how fast time flies.

In 2020, I discovered this little cafe in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Regal House in Taman U-Thant to be exact. It is just next to the US embassy and facing Jalan Tun Razak. So happy I found this cafe because it is one

of my favourite places to go for breakfast and with no traffic (during CMCO), it only takes me 7 minutes to get there from my house.

The cafe is really pretty. I love everything about it. Parking is easy too and there are plenty around the cafe BUT, it does get really busy especially for breakfast on the weekends. One time I got there at 10.30am and I saw a long queue and I had to detour somewhere else. If you're going to go, best to make reservations. Unless you are there early at 9am (like me!)

What's nice on the menu? Honestly, I dont know because I always order the same thing but I absolutely love their big breakfast. The best part about their Big Breakfast is the Avocado. This is coming from someone who doesnt eat Avocado - ever! I dont know what is so nice about it, but it just goes so well with everything on that plate. We usually share this as I dont think 1 person can finish such a big portion.

I also love their Latte. It is just how I like it. Other than the Big Breakfast and the latte, I've also tried their fresh juices and cold pressed juices. They're nice too. I also tried their Spaghetti. It was yummy.

If you're in Ampang or KL city and looking for a nice place to chill, do drop by If Only. You wont regret it! But dont forget to make reservations. They have pretty nice dinner menu too. 

If only I found this place sooner.....

But better late than never.

Things I love about 2020

 Hello, December!!!

Can you believe it is already the end of 2020? I am finding it hard to believe how fast time has passed. Part of me is glad that it is coming to an end but part of me is wondering what good would 2021 be if we havent found a solution to our problems in 2020?

Whatever it is, new year is approaching and I would like to pen down some of the things I love about 2020. I'm hopeful that 2021 will be a better year. InsyaAllah

Here are the some things I love about my 2020

My Umrah trip

Missing this view

It was such a good trip for my soul. I needed that trip more than I thought and Alhamdulillah I came back a much better, person. That trip was everything! Allah permudahkan everything right from the get-go for all of us. Everything was perfect and we had an amazing experience. I am so blessed that my first time to Mekah was with my husband and both my children. I was so happy that my children got to experience it with me and my husband made it so comfortable for all of us. Thinking about it makes me miss it so much. I cant wait to go back. We all want to go back as soon as the gates are opened and as soon as this Covid-19 over. 

My Hijrah

I never thought I'd wear the hijab anytime soon. I always thought I'd be like my mum. She started wearing the hijab at the age of 60 if I'm not mistaken so I thought I'd probably be like that too. I had no plans to wear it and was struggling at the idea of wearing it in Mekah because I'm just not used to it. Before Mekah, I bought a few designs that I thought would be suitable for Umrah and that was it. I have a few Duck tudungs in my collection (that I bought over the years for tahlil and all that) but I never wore it and didnt know how to style it. I was clueless.

View from my hotel room

But when I came back to KL, I felt like I have to keep it on. It didnt feel right taking it off. I remember getting ready to go to the supermarket for the first time and still debating with my own self if I should wear it or shouldnt. In the end, my good self won. I kept it on and it has been smooth sailing. All my worries about styling, about how people might perceive me, about clothes to wear were all gone. It was as if I've been wearing it my whole life. It was that natural. 

I left for Mekah on the 25th February and that was the first day I had my hijab on and never took it off. That was my hijrah day and 2020 made it possible. At 40 years of age I started wearing hijab. 

My 2020 Ramadhan

Ramadhan this year was so different from the previous years. We were in lockdown and couldnt do much but order food and stay indoors. This year's Ramadhan was the best ever because it was the only time that we got to really spend at home and focus on being a good muslim. We normally have lots of distractions but this year I felt like fasting was easier. Somehow getting up for Sahur was easier too. Terawikh with the kids felt natural. Keeping prayers was easy too because we were at home with not much things to do. I feel like it was the best Ramadhan to date. I started reading the Quran too during this Ramadhan. Although I wanted to Khatam within that month, I didnt get to do it. But InsyaAllah, I'll try harder. 

Quality Family Time

This year we spent A LOT of time at home and not much travelling, which is a shame because we are HUGE on traveling. But despite not being able to do the normal things we do as a family, I feel happy that we are spending a lot of time together. We are usually too busy with the outside world and sometimes hardly have time for each other but this year, we are always together. When we do get together with other family members (cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncle), it is always short but it is always fun because we know not to take things for granted. Alhamdulillah, I think 2020 has brought lots of family closer together. In my case, I think it has and I love that about 2020.

Discovering New Passion

The painting that I am working on now

One of the things I love about 2020 is when I rediscovered my passion for art. I wouldnt have picked it up if it werent for the lockdown. I have so much time at home now and this is how I fill my time. Exploring new ideas and painting. I'm not a professional and far from it. I still dont know what my style is but I love exploring and so far I've gotten quite good feedback from friends and family. 

2020 is not that bad.

Feeling inspired

We are reaching the end of 2020. Can you believe it? 1 whole year of living this way and surviving this pandemic. It has many ups and down for sure but we made it. 

This year has been quite a year. I want to say I hate it but I cant because I have a lot of valuable experiences and wonderful memories of it too. One of the things I found was my passion in art. It took me 41 years to realise that I am actually pretty good at it. I wish I had pursued it in University or when I was younger. I may lead a different life all together if I had done that. Who knows?

Since I started painting this year, I've done mostly small paintings. But after a while, I felt like I could do with a bigger canvas. I bought one in 60 cm x 75 cm. Not big enough for a wall perhaps but big enough to be a statement piece. I soon realise that it is not easy to fill the canvas with the "skills" and tools that I have. I struggled. I did a few version of it and just wasnt satisfied with it. I guess what I having was a creative block, I guess?

One day, I went to KLCC to have coffee. I saw this beautiful mural and was admiring it. I took a photo of it and posted it on my instagram. Surprisingly, many of my friends commented thinking it was my painting. I suddenly felt like hey, maybe I could paint this. 

Tadaaaa!!! This is my version, inspired by that mural I saw in KLCC. I love it. It took me a while to get there but finally, I got it! I'm going to put this up for sale on Carousell. I'm so excited about this painting.

Isnt it an awesome background? It matches this roll on bottle by Young Living, which is my current favourite roll on. The aroma is really refreshing and it can help support your respiratory health. I love it. If you are interested to get in, email me and I'll hook you up with someone who can explain to you more about Young Living oils. 

Anyway, I'm feeling super inspired right now. Time to work on another painting. 

Support Local

 Things are not looking great at the moment. A lot of shops at my neighbourhood mall is closing down. Last week, I was in KLCC and it was empty. Unlike the KLCC I am used to. I sat down at Dome and I was surprised that we were the only customer. It is really sad because one of the things I love to do was to have coffee at a cafe and people watch. That day, there was no one. 

A lot of businesses are going down. People are struggling to keep the economy running and rolling. We think we dont have a part to play but really, we do. We need to support our local businesses. Do your part!

I love supporting friends and their businesses. If you know anyone in your community, help their business by buying their products. 

 

I love Ngaku. I bought few bottles from my friend to support her business. They have lots of other stuff too. Go check them out!

I also ordered these yummy Gluten Free brownies. OMG at first I wasnt sure if I wanted to order them because I'm not a fan of healthy version of something sinful. I just wanted to support my friend so I ordered them. OMG. I swear to you this tasted better than the normal brownies that has more sugar and not healthy at all. This is a healthier version and it tastes so good!

So you see, there is so many ways you can support your community. If like me and you love food, you can buy or order from your local supplier, your friends or maybe your neighbour. We all need a help right now to bring up our economy. There's still hope. We can do it together.

I've been doodling and painting as usual. At the moment I'm not taking orders but I am for friends and family. I love how much support I am getting from my friends and family. I am not getting paid for it yet because I feel I'm not there yet but hopefully someday when I am ready, you'll support my little business too!

Hang in there everyone! We can beat this!

How are you?

 

We need more love in this world

As you all know, the RMCO is extended until 6 December 2020. The year is almost over and everything is crashing down. We still havent found a vaccine (although there are talks saying it is 90% done) and we are still living with lots of uncertainties. Honestly speaking, I am starting to feel demotivated. It is really starting to drain every inch of me.

I know we are supposed to embrace this uncertainty and continue to live our lives the best way we can but some days, I really feel beaten. I keep thinking how almost a year has gone and we are back at square one (after the Sabah election). I hate to see my kids growing up with no physical interactions with their friends and I hate seeing them relying too much on their devices. I know we are lucky that at least we have that option because unlike us, many dont have this luxury. Majority of the people out there (especially in the rural areas) are suffering much more than us. This, makes me even more sad.

Mental health is real. So many are struggling out there. It's not fair to say that we dont feel it or we feel less stressed because I think no matter where we are, no matter how comfortable life is, we all feel it in some way or the other. We all struggle in our daily lives living with this whole pandemic that has taken over everything we've ever known.

Oh God. Please give us strength.

I was talking to some friends about this. Some are working moms, some are housewives. I noticed that we are all going through something. Working from home isnt easy. Being a housewife with kids and husband at home 24 hours a day isnt easy too. Kids being home without having friends to talk to and play with are going through a hard time too whether they notice it or not.

Hope everyone is coping and managing well. Remember that whatever you do, whoever you are...you are not alone. We are all in this together. Hang in there.

Rose oil by Young Living

 

The most expensive oil from Young Living is most certainly the 5ml Rose essential oil. The price for this 5ml bottle is RM845 for members. This oil has been in my wishlist since I became a member 3 years ago. Due to its pricetag, I have put it aside. It is bloody darn expensive for 5ml. 

Why is it so expensive?

First of all, it is one of the most difficult oil to make. It is very time consuming and the process to extract oils from the flower is a tedious process. They say that it takes 6000 lbs to 8000 lbs of rose petals to produce only 2 lbs oil. Some say that it is more expensive than gold. 

I've always been a fan of roses. I love everything about roses. The colours, the smell, how it looks like, everything about it I just love. I used to love walking near Lovely Lace because it smells of roses. In fact, when I first went to UK to study, I bought a bunch of Lovely Lace rose scented items to place in my apartment. I love how my apartment always smells of roses.

Of course over the years, once you learn more about the importance about using natural products and the harmful chemical all these artificial fragrance has, you just dont want to smell it much anymore - or try not to. Hence, it has been my dream to own this damn rose oil from Young Living as it is pure from anything artificial. Finally, I can smell the real rose!!

One of the things I plan to use this oil is to incorporate it in my skincare. I have read that rose oils can hydrate the skin, clear acne, reduce the signs of aging and minimize scars. My friend tells me that it has helped her daughter's eczema too. I have an eczema patch at the back of my neck so I'm really looking forward to get rid of it. InsyaAllah.

As for our overall mood, it can also boost our mood, sharpen our memory and reduce our stress. It is a stressful time now living with this whole pandemic so let's use this oil to help us overcome our stress.

I'm really looking forward to explore this expensive oil. I cant wait!!! 

Memory Lane Pizza

My kids are on their term break for a week from the 24th October. We normally look forward to every break and would usually go out of town but since we are still on our CMCO, we are stuck at home. I've planned out a few activities for us to do together at home and one of it is to make pizza together. We've done it before and not only it is fun, the pizzas are really yummy too.

We order the Pizza Kit from Pizza Lab. For some reason, they dont deliver it to my house on the day I wanted to order them. I thought it was strange because I remember using GrabFood for it the last time. But nevermind. Since it is not available for delivery, I decided to drive there to pick it up. I needed a break from being home too. A drive cant be that bad.

I wasnt sure where the place was. I tried using WAZE to gauge roughly where it is but somehow, I couldnt figure it out. I left my house and off I went. Bear in mind I am a PJ girl (I was born in PJ and grew up there), I still couldnt figure where this place is. For some reason, I felt like WAZE was taking me for a ride. It felt long and I kept asking myself why didnt I just hire GOGET to pick it up for me. 

Finally, I ended up in PJ SS2. Right in front of the house I grew up in. My grandma's house. I lived there with her pretty much the whole time because my mom was working. OMG. Why did I end up here? Why did WAZE take me to SS2? This brought back so many memories. That padang where I used to play with my neighbour. I got really emotional as I was driving around that area. I stopped for a while to figure it out and I suddenly thought of my arwah grandma. I suddenly remembered all the sweet memories I had with her in that house and I got a bit teary. 

I turned WAZE back on and proceeded to the shop. It was across the other side of the taman and I was wondering why WAZE took me to this area. There is a shorter route there for sure. For the remaining of the day, I kept going down memory lane.

We made our pizza that night and it was delicious. It is a very good pizza indeed and what a journey it was today for me. 

It has been almost 6 months since my Tokmi left us. I still think about her every now and then and missing her always. Most days grieving is bearable but sometimes it comes back and it is very overwhelming. I miss her so much it hurts. Especially that feeling of not knowing where she is or how she is doing. 

I kept thinking about her all night. I recited Al-fatihah and read the Quran for her. Going back memory lane to the house today was such a nostalgic feeling. It feels really warm and although it makes me miss her so much, it didnt really made me sad. It's a feeling I find hard to explain. Suddenly I feel like she is OK. She is home, where she belong with her Creator. It's so weird but for the first time, I feel like she really is in a better place. 

The next day, I was having lunch and suddenly my phone beeps. It was a reminder and it says "Tokmi's Birthday" 

OMG. How could I forget??? 

Indeed it was her birthday. She would have been 90. I've been so busy with life that I completely had forgotten about her birthday. Tears fell down my cheeks. Then suddenly it all made sense. It was almost like WAZE took me to our childhood home for a reason. To remind me of my wonderful grandma on what would have been her 90th birthday. MasyaAllah. How great is it that it all worked out like that?

Oh Allah, please take care of my grandma till we meet again. Amin...

Please recite Alfatihah for my grandma Sharifah Ainon Bt Syed Khalid. A lovely person she was and dearly missed by all of us.
 

Are we ready for Darurat?

24 October 2020 marks another huge milestone in our numbers of new cases of Covid-19 in Malaysia. Rumours are going around that the government will declare state of emergency (darurat) soon. What is happening, Malaysia?

I dont know politics and to be perfectly honest, I am quite disgusted by the politics going on here in my country. It's just sad that we have come to this especially since we were doing so well before the Sabah election. I had so much hope during the last election and really was hoping for a change but I guess, we are NOT ready for change.

State of emergency in Malaysia. What exactly does that mean? We seem to think any big change is a good idea but the execution of it, we know we are not ready. What will happen if an emergency is declared in Malaysia? I have no idea other than Parliament will be suspended and elections can be postponed. While all that sounds good because that is the last thing we need right now (elections), I am afraid of the other implications it might have to our country. Fear of the unknown. 

Whatever it is, I hope that our leaders will sort it out, somehow. It is their job and responsibilities to do so. I fear for our children. Living under these conditions for a long time. Taken out of school for long cant be a good thing. Something needs to be done soon so we can get back to where we were. Slowly but surely.

I'm praying for you, Malaysia.

In Covid season

 I saw a video from WHO that is quite depressing. It says that this coronavirus is here to stay. I was in denial when I heard it. I dont want to accept it. Is this really the forever new norm? *cries a river* 

After processing that information, I realise that the sooner we all accept the fact that coronavirus is here to stay, the better it is for us. OK, so I have accepted it. I dont like it but I have to accept it. 

Now, the next stage is the tough part. What do we do when we have finally come to terms to this information? How do we endure another wave or another lockdown? I have figured it out and want to share them with you.

1. Stay calm

In whatever situation we face, we need to BIBO (breathe in breathe out) first! There is nothing much we can do about this pandamic. We just need to stay calm.

2. Get enough rest

Sometimes you think you are at home and getting more rest than when you're out and about. But that's not true for some people. Staying home can be tiring too. Especially for SAHMs, there's more cleaning to do, definitely more cooking, more activities to do with the kids. You're not only physically tired but you're mentality tired as well so make sure you are getting enough rest by sleeping 8 hours a night. 

3. Immune Boosting supplements 

I'm sure everyone is diligently taking their supplements now right? I know I do. I normally am a bit lazy when it comes to taking supplements. Some days I will take them and some days I tend to ignore it. But in Covid season, make sure you do. Try to add immune boosting supplements such as Zinc, Vitamin D and Vitamin C. Of course you can add more to this but if you dont want to take so many, make sure you take these ones as this pretty much covers your immune system. (disclamer: before you try any supplements, make sure you consult your doctor first)

 

4. Drink lots of water & eat nutritious food

If you can, try to add lemon in your water too. It helps keep you hydrated and be sure to check your pee to make sure it is pale or a clear colour. Eat food that are nutritious with lots of fruits and vegetables with different colours. 

Stay safe everyone!

Lockdown version 2

I guess we all saw it coming after the Sabah elections. That election was a big mistake! Politicians might say otherwise, of course but we are not politicians and all we see is the numbers rising after the election. Why is it so important to be Politicking when we are facing a pandemic, I wonder?

Last week, the school announced that they're ready for online classes to resume. At this point, we knew it was a matter of time before school shuts again. Oh no!!! No more online classes, please!!! Seeing how the numbers kept rising, we knew that it was best to shut the school. More and more schools are affected too. It was scary. Sending my kids to school daily is like a big risk that we parents had to take daily. 

Yesterday, it was announced that KL, Selangor and Putrajaya will be under CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order). Honestly speaking, I dont even know what that means anymore because to me, it just means we are all stuck at home again.

What is the plan?

1. I will be painting A LOT more. Yes, since I dont have to go out and no more school runs, I have more free time to paint. I have a few projects lined up. Hopefully I will get to finish them by the end of this month. 

2. My kids will be doing their online classes daily. This will probably drive me nuts but let's pray we will manage OK. 

3. I will be cooking a lot more. Something I am not looking forward to do (I'm sure my husband and kids arent too happy about that too). 3 big meals a day. Thinking about it is giving me anxiety. Thank God for grabfood!

4. Read more Quran. 

5. Netflix! Whats good to watch? Any Kdramas to recommend?

Most important is, to stay calm and stay safe. We are in this together! #kitajagakita

Mental Health Day

 

My doodle for Mental Health Day

On the 10th October, we celebrated the World Mental Health Day. I see many posts on social media on this topic and decided to write one too because mental health is often neglected but yet it is so very important. Especially in this pandemic, a lot are struggling and sometimes we dont realise how it has a huge impact in our lives.

Children these days are required to wear masks whenever they're out. They're not free to play like how they used to and should do too. Schooling environment is not the same anymore. Surely, this will have some kind of impact on their mental health.

When I pray with my kids, I often ask them to talk to Allah the way they would speak normally and a few times they have asked Allah to let things go back to how it used to. This shows that although they're still happy kids, this pandemic has somewhat affected them. 

Our mental health is just as important as our physical health but it is often neglected. I remember a time when I was going through a rough patch in my life and I struggled. I kept saying to myself to move on and keep walking but some days are just tough and I felt like giving up. At that time, I had everything I needed in life but I was not happy. I felt like I was ungrateful. Many others would want my life but yet, I felt depressed and that made me feel like it was wrong to feel depressed. But you know what? Mental health doesnt discriminate. You can have the best life but still depression might kick in. It doesnt mean you are ungrateful, it just means you need help.

Thankfully I got out of it. Looking back, it may not have been THAT bad but when I was going through it, it was hell. I figured for this Mental Health Day perhaps I should give some pointers on how to cope when you feel like your world is tumbling down. I know it helped me so if you're going through something, it might work for you too...

 1. PRAY. I cant stress this enough but talking to your Creator does help you in many ways than you can imagine. When I was going through my rough patch, I prayed. But I noticed that at the time, I only prayed and talked to God only when I'm down. That shouldnt be the way but that was how it was for me. The minute I prayed, I felt better. Alhamdulillah, I no longer pray only when I'm down. I also learnt that now, when I'm grateful, I should pray too. 

2. CRY. Cry your hearts out. Sometimes a good cry really helps. Lock yourself in the room for a while and have a good cry. But not too long, that's not healthy too!

3. Speak to your family or friends. A listening ear can do a world of good when you are feeling down. I do this a lot. My best friend is my go-to person whenever I feel down.Somehow she just have this thing that makes me look at things in a different perspective when I'm down and instantly feel better. I try to hide things from my family because I dont want them to worry so usually I will speak to my best friend but if you are more comfortable speaking to a family member, do that. 

4. Believe it or not, I watch cat videos when I'm down. I'm not a crazy cat person but I do think they're cute and watching cat videos can make me feel happy. Or baby videos. Babies will always make you feel better because they're awww so cute. 

5. Take a break. Life can be overwhelming. Even if you have the best life, it can get overwhelming sometimes. Take a break from your daily routine. Stop and drop everything and just focus on yourself for a second. Go for that haircut or a makeover. Go for a massage or facial. Pamper yourself. You deserve it!

6. Know that there's light at the end of the tunnel. Trust the process. You will get there. Have faith. 

7. Use oils that can help you with your emotions. There are a few that I use but one favourite is Release and Frankincense. Each time I feel a bit off emotionally, I will put a drop on my palms and rub it. Then I will inhale it. Alhamdulillah, that worked for me.

8. If all fails, talk to a professional. There is nothing wrong with being sick. Just like you take a panadol when you have fever, there are medications for your depression or anxiety or whatever you are going through. Speak to a professional and seek help. The only way you can get out of this is if you get help. Dont be afraid to ask for help. It doesnt show weakness, it only shows strength and your willingness to get out of this. I went to a therapist and got help. It doesnt mean I am weak. I came out stronger after that. Nothing to be ashamed of.

For this year's Mental Health Day, I wish you all a good day and ya, 2020 is kind of depressing if you look at it but we also have so many things to be grateful for. Remember to seek help if you're down and InsyaAllah, things will get better for all of us soon. 

Take care and stay safe!

Immune booster

 As you all know, we had a record of 432 new cases yesterday (5th October 2020) and it is the highest so far in Malaysia. Whatsapp has been buzzing all day with forwarded messages from people around KL about the ladies lockdown or cases in nearby area. One Utama, Paradigm Mall, Seni Mont Kiara are some of the places with positive covid cases.

I am worried!!!!

Part of me wants to stay at home and part of me just wants to go out and get on with it. You just never know because it is already in our community. Should we hide in the cave and so self lockdown until this is over?

My plan is to limit our outdoor activities. Since the lockdown in March, my kids havent really been out much. We do go for meals once in a while but mostly, they're home. My husband and I have been eating out as usual but that too needs to cut down soon seeing the number are rising exponentially. We dont go out much but we need to cut down our outings even more.

Another thing we can do is boost up our immune system. We eat our supplements religiously and even more these days. We try to make sure we are strong to fight this virus that cant be seen with out naked eyes.

 

I am also diffusing oils that can support our immune system a lot. Immupower is one of the oils I use regularly these days. I also apply them under our feet before we sleep at night. Unfortunately, this is SOLD OUT at the moment. As an alternative, you can also use Thieves Essential Oil.

On another note, this is the painting I am working on now. Cantik kan? My friend just moved to her new home and this is my gift for her. What colour frame would be nice for this painting? I am leaning towards gold. What do you think??

#accidentalpainter

Lockdown again?

 

Source: MOH Website

Malaysia reported a high 260 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday. Malaysia, are we prepared for another lockdown? I am super worried, are you? 

It all started from Sabah this time around. The election in Sabah last week was a big huge mistake. I dont know why politicians feel that it is important to have an election when we are clearly still fighting this world pandemic. I dont know about politics (obviously) and I probably couldnt care less about it but I am worried and frustrated that we have to start back at square one. We were doing so well, Malaysia!!!

I am frustrated that schools might be closed again when we have just started a routine. My kids have just started to get used to the new routine and the new school. We have just started our extra curricular activities and slowly getting back into the routine. 

What can we do now?

DG said to stay at home as much as we can. Luckily for us, we have been doing that since the start of this pandemic. No more window shopping, especially with the kids. We make sure that we all wash our hands, change our clothes the minute we get home. We wear mask religiously (although we absolutely hate it). In other words, this lifestyle has become our new normal. We hate it, but we do it.

We cant afford another lockdown. This time it is really #kitajagakita literally. So be safe guys. No one can protect our family except for us. I cant wait for all this to be over. Please find a vaccine FAST! I cant take living like this anymore. 

Food Galore

Best Chocolate Cake EVER

I turned sweet 41 last week and I am blessed that I have friends who wants to celebrate with me. I dont know why but birthdays are always a big things for us makchics. 

My birthday celebration started a week before my birthday in Alexis. It was really unexpected as I thought we were there to celebrate a girlfriend's birthday but it turned out to be a double celebration. Food was good as always. I'm a pasta girl and I ordered my usual seafood spaghetti. I was loaded with carbs!

A week after my birthday, my best friends took me out for lunch. Again, it was a double celebration as there were 2 of us celebrating birthdays in September. Food was good and company was even better. We were there for hours. If it werent because we got kicked out (the table we sat for was booked at 4pm), we would have stayed longer. These girls have been my friends from school days. They know my taste very well and ordered this glorious cake. My ultimate favourite. Chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese. It was wonderful.

Ficus in TTDI

Next celebration was with my kakaks. My soul sisters who are always there for me. Sometimes I wonder why they put up with me because I am always in need of a kick in the butt with them for being so lazy. I got a lovely birthday gift from them too. Some art tools and demanded that I paint for them. 

BV

This week, I had another glorious birthday lunch. We opted for Indian food. Food was so so good I dont know what else to say.

Tasty Chapati

 

So I think with this, I am wrapping up my birthday celebration this year. I couldnt be happier. My real birthday gift is arriving in October (according to my husband and kids). I know what it is and although it has been months since we decided on it, I am so so excited!!!! 

Thank you Allah for all the blessings in my life. I am a simple girl. I dont need much to make me happy, really but yet the abundance of things I am getting in my life - my good health, my family and their wellbeing and friendships I have, I am so so grateful. Alhamdulillah.