New Playground

Since the lockdown, I've taken up a new hobby. You can read about it here! Since then, I've been painting almost daily. I just love it. I wish I had taken up Art & Design when I was in college. Why didn't I? It is never too late to take up something new!

I obviously haven't received any formal training on painting. I haven't got a clue on how to do it. I guess I just go with the flow and Youtube helps. I am no professional nor would I call myself good but I just love creating every piece.

I've been using Youtube tutorials as a guide, sometimes I just take bits and pieces and try to put it together. Whatever goes. There are no rules. You just go with the flow. I've been spending quite a lot of money buying art supplies too. I don't even know what to get but again, I go with my gut feeling and just buy whatever I wanted to buy. I started with acrylic paints, just because! I just went with that and slowly my collection of colours just grew. 

My go to store for art supplies when I started was Advanco in Melawati and Czip Lee in Bangsar. Other bigger art stores like Art Friend are a bit too far for me and I don't really want to go to a shopping mall just to get art supplies.

One day, my friend saw my post on instagram and suggested for me to go to Westar Art Shop in Melawati because I'd go crazy there. Melawati is where I go for my art supplies (Advanco) but how come I didn't see this Westar store before?

I decided to go check it out and OMG. This is my favourite store!!!! I almost fainted when I saw the selection of Golden range of items. Golden is an overseas brand of paints. I see a lot of painters use that brand but I haven't seen this much range in all the other stores I've been to.

I've been looking for this every where and I'm so glad I found it. It's not cheap. It is over RM30 for this 30ml bottle. But I needed it.

My husband was waiting for me in the car and had he not been there, I would have spent longer in the store. I would have spent more money too because there's just SO MANY things to get and so many colours!

But I ended up getting this much and spent RM150 only. Amazing. Few days before, I was at Czip Lee and spent almost RM200 on much less items. I can't wait to come back when I have more time to splurge on new colours.

This hobby aint cheap, I tell you. But I've had my friends texting me and asking me to paint for them already. So who knows, this new hobby might be my new career!

Ha ha.....

Nasi Kandar cravings

During the lockdown, my mum sent some Nasi Kandar over to my house via lalamove. She ordered the Nasi Kandar from this stall in PJ. I'm not really a fan of Nasi Kandar but growing up, if we ever had Nasi Kandar, it would be from this stall. So I have fond memories of it but it is not something I enjoy eating a lot or would normally crave for.

When my mum ordered it, I was quite excited because first of all, I don't have to cook that day and secondly, I haven't had Zainul Nasi Kandar in years!! Maybe more than 10 years! I suddenly remembered how it was when we were growing up and when my mum would bring back ketam and sotong. Yums!

I was hugely disappointed when the food arrived. They got the order wrong and nothing I ordered came. The only thing I had was white rice, the Nasi Kandar gravy and a pathetic piece of fried fish. This don't remind me of my childhood at all! It tasted good tho just not satisfying enough as it was not the usual thing I have. Since then, I've been craving Nasi Kandar. A LOT!

Zainul is across the other side of town for me. I was too lazy to drive all the way there so I opted for the famous Nasi Kandar Kudu in town. Normally the queue is quite long but today, I was glad that I didn't have to queue that long. Their SOP due to Covid-19 is not bad.

It was really fast and I opted for rice, some vege and sotong. I would have chosen more but I didn't want to be greedy!

I got home and opened the pack and couldn't believe how big the portion was. There is no way I could finish this I thought! But I did! I ate it all!

Well, my cravings were certainly satisfied but I think I prefer Zainul to this. I may have to drive to PJ to get Zainul one of these days. Gosh! I ate so much!

I am getting there!!! I need to go back to butterfly days.......

Young Living Essential Rewards

I've been a Young Living member for years. If I remember correctly, it has been more than 4 years. I've never looked back.

One of the things I do to make sure I get my money's worth is by signing up for their Essential Rewards program (ER) . By being on this program, I have to commit to spending 100PV monthly which is about RM400-RM500. I know it sounds a lot to spend on oils every single month but truth is, they have more than just oils and the rewards or rebate I get from it is a lot more. Every month I would need to replenish on items like toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, lotions, vege wash, household cleaner and such for myself and my kids. On the months I don't need to replenish any of those, I will spend on oils. Every month, there is always something to top up in our household because most of the stuff we use at home are mostly from Young Living.

This month, I chose these items and these are all the "must-haves" in my household. I use Lemon essential oil a lot. I like to add a drop in my morning warm water. So many benefits from it. You can see the benefits in this article here.

I also love Lime. I mostly use this as air freshener. I will also add White Angelica essential oil in my lime. The smell is just heavenly. Apart from that, I use Lime in my cleaning products. Just add a few drops of Lime into a spray bottle with a bit of white vinegar and walaaaa, you will get yourself a non toxic cleaner that you can use for any surface around the house.

My favourite oil to use on my face and skin has got to be Frankincense. I actually still have a bit more left but I added this to my ER order this month as I can't afford to run out of it middle of the month. I love this oil for my skin. Watch this video if you need some tips.

Last but not least, the Thieves hand purifier that I have in my handbag ALL THE TIME! It is the perfect size and easy to carry around. I love the smell too as it has peppermint in it!

If you like to be a Young Living member or want to know about oils, you can give me an email at dewdropmummy@gmail.com and I'll be able to advice you.

Being on the ER program, you get points for every purchase. The more you spend, the more points you will accumulate. These points you can use to redeem on Young Living products. I have a big group of people in my team and because of this, not only I get points, I also get an income from Young Living. Awesome isn't it?

For this month only, I am giving out free membership to those who are interested in this business. Guidance will be given, don't worry. In difficult times like now, it is good to earn a little bit extra income. If you're looking for one you can do from home, this is one for you.

Let's connect and I'll share more!

New Normal Shopping Experience

I'm not a shopaholic. I don't enjoy shopping all that much. I don't enjoy window shopping too. I've always been the kind who would only go to malls when I have something specific to buy, go straight to the store, buy it and then leave. I just don't like walking around in malls. I prefer online shopping.

Due to covid-19 pandemic, we now have to adapt to the new style shopping experience. I was in KLCC last week to look for birthday gifts for my husband and I find shopping really stressful in this new condition.

From the carpark, first thing I saw was a long queue to enter KLCC. They will take your temperature first (luckily not manually like other malls!) and then you need to check-in by scanning the QR Code.

Doesn't sound too bad, does it? Well, you have to repeat this at every single store you walk in. I spent a few hours in KLCC that day and after 2-3 stores, I was quite annoyed already.

You are also not allowed to try on clothes too as all fitting rooms are closed. You would need to purchase them, try it at home and if it is not suitable, go back to the store to return or exchange it another day.

I hated shopping before this, and now I hate it even more. My bet is to just buy everything online. Downside is that not all online stores are reliable and of course, some take a long time to get them delivered. Some online stores are not user friendly and their returns policy isn't great. That's why I love shopping on Zalora.

How are you liking the new shopping experience?

Double Celebration

I love this piece from Fleuri Flowers Hartamas

My daughter loves any type of celebration. Her favourite is of course Birthdays. Every birthday in the family is a big deal to her. This weekend, we had a double celebration. My husband's birthday on Saturday and Father's Day on Sunday. We decided to celebrate it on Saturday.

My husband celebrated his 45th birthday on the 20th. We had a good day celebrating it. Although he isn't one who is particularly excited about birthdays, for the sake of our daughter he would usually obliged to singing birthday songs all day, blowing candles and all the works.

We ordered balloons from Alastegiel and it was really beautiful. Exceeded our expectations as we didn't expect it to be too big. It was perfect.

We had a nice meal at Dancing Fish. I particularly enjoyed my cumi bakar (grilled squid) and my son loved the Dancing Fish. At the end of our meal, the ever sporting waiter performed a nice rendition of the Birthday song which blew my daughter away. "Wow, he must have good vocal classes" she said. It was really over the top but it was really good.

My kids haven't seen their cousins since the New Year. They've missed them so much. On Saturday, we invited them out for dinner at Citta Mall Unique Seafood. There were 10 of us and due to the SOP, we had to split to 2 tables, which works out fine because the kids enjoyed their table and the adults can chit chat in peace. Unfortunately, the service and food was quite a disappointment. They were clearly understaffed that night and couldn't cope.

After dinner, we had a cake cutting session, which the kids absolutely loved.  What was supposed to be just 1 birthday song turned out to be 3 sessions. 1 for my husband, 1 for my niece who turned 13 in May during the lockdown and 1 for my mother in law who turned 80 in March. We couldn't celebrate all those due to the lockdown and my daughter suggested for us to sing the birthday songs 3 times. Gosh! It was havoc.

For a second there, we forgot about Covid-19. It felt like how it was during pre Covid days. It felt good. But only for a second. Then we came back to reality and remind ourselves that we shouldn't forget that this war isn't over yet and us going out twice that day was a big deal. Sigh.

My wish is for this to be over and life can go back to normal but I know it won't be for a long time.

Anywho....

We painted this together as a gift for my husband's birthday. We got him other gifts too which I think he preferred than this! ha ha ha! But this one is one to frame.

We love you Papa. Thank you for being our rock and for always putting us first. We are so blessed to have you in our lives.

Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there!

#kitajagakita

The partial lockdown or Movement Control Order (MCO) has officially ended on the 10 June 2020. It has been quite a challenging few months for all of us. The lockdown started in March and since then, we've been at home except for the weekly supermarket trips. I know I can't say we were all on the same boat but we were definitely in the same storm. We all had our own challenges. Mine may not be the same as yours but trust me when I say, it has been a challenge.

This 3 or so months has taught me a lot on what truly matters. The only thing that matters is the people you love. Your family and of course their health. Nothing else matters.

I feel like my perspective in life has somewhat changed too. Those things that was important to me, is not important anymore. Material things. Money. Wealth. What is all that when you are in lockdown? I could be bleeding diamonds, but what good is it if I am stuck at home and when you can't be with your loved ones? Means nothing at all.

Because of the lockdown, my Ramadan was one of the best Ramadan I've ever had in my 40 years of life. It was the most spiritually fulfilled Ramadan and I did that without even trying all that hard. Alhamdulillah. Covid-19 has its blessings too. We got to do a lot of good deeds without even leaving the house. Pahala handed to you on a plate right at the comfort of your own home. It is not something you get every year. Or ever! How lucky were  we?

I don't know why but I feel really emotional that it has come to an end. One part of me is very happy that it is over. I know a lot of people are suffering due to loss of income and some have lost jobs due to this pandemic. I wish I could help them but I know there is not much I can do but offer my doas. One another hand, I am sad that life will go back to normal and we will miss all the opportunities we had being at home.

I'm ready for the next phase. As much as I feel sad that it is over, I am ready.

Thank you to all our frontliners. The doctors, nurses and all the medical staff who works around the clock trying to keep all of us safe. Thank you too to all the Grabfood, Food Panda and all the delivery guys. Without them, we won't be able to dine our favourite meals and I wouldn't be able to send food to my mum and family. Thank you to all the online stores like Shopee, Lazada and courier guys. Without them, I won't be able to start my new hobby, something I hope will continue even after this.
Thank you to our teachers for making sure that our kids learn something. It is not easy, both on your part and ours, not easy for the kids too but we made it! This is the best we can do given our circumstances and I think it was good.

I also want to thank fellow Malaysians. Thank you for staying calm. I know there are a number of bad apples out there but so far we've done quite well. Wearing masks when we are out, washing our hands and maintain social distancing. Thank you for complying to the rules and regulations set by our government.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you too for keeping me sane by reading this blog. Thank you for the messages and PM. Thank you for reaching out. I hope you know that this blog has helped me a lot. I hope you had fun reading too although there isn't much I can share daily.

So stay safe everyone. The war against Covid-19 is not over until we find a permanent solution and vaccine. Remember to look after your hygiene. Wash your hands, wear masks. You know the drill!
Doa lots for God to protect us all.

#kitajagakita

Artsy week

I've always been interested in Art but I never took it up. I guess I never had the time to actually pursue it. I would like to think I am a creative person too but I don't think there's much talent there, unfortunately. I do enjoy art.

Whenever I see abstract paintings, I always say to myself "wow, I could do that!" or "I can do better than that!" but of course, what do I know. I've never really painted anything in my life. I've admired paintings before but I have no idea the process, the techniques that is needed. I basically have no clue but sometimes, I think I can do a better job.

Since we were still in our last phase of the Restriction Movement Order, now is the best time to start painting. Right? I have all the time in the world. With Youtube tutorials, there isn't much excuse to learn anything when you have time. I went and got some art supplies. No idea what I needed, I just went ahead and ordered whatever I felt I needed. Shopee and Lazada was my best friend.

I started with Painting by Numbers. Anyone can do that, right? First few days, it didn't look like anything. I was pretty hard work but therapeutic at the same time. After a week, it is almost done. But the hardest is also completing the last bit. (To be honest, it has been weeks, I am still not 100% done with it. I've somehow lost interest in it!)

I then started exploring the IG of some artists and I found some that is more suited to my style. Boy, I wish I can paint like them. One of my favourite is Elle Byers. I love her paintings!!! I found a youtube tutorial that she did and tried to copy it.

Tadaaaaa... I was pretty impressed. Although it is nothing like the real thing, I was happy with the outcome. I love the colours.

The next day, I wanted to do something on my own. I love the colours and although it didn't turn out like what I had in mind, I was still happy with it. This is so awesome! Who knew painting would give me so much joy?! I am so good! (Even if I have to say so myself!)

My kids saw me painting and wanted to join the fun. I am quite OCD with my paintings and didn't want them to mess it up. I figured, doing abstract is better with kids because you can never go wrong with abstract. I was quite happy with the outcome of our first abstract together. The top piece was what we did together. Everyone had their input in that painting and I think it looked really good.

The piece on the bottom was something I painting in memory of my grandma. I was really therapeutic because as I was painting, tears was flowing down my cheeks. It didn't turn out as I pictured it, the colours didn't turn out like what I had in mind but somehow, I feel like it just works. It is all my grandma's favourite colours and somehow I can picture her in a kurung that colour.

This is another piece I did. Not bad right? I have no experience playing with colours and most of the time, I fail to achieve the colours I wanted but in the end it turned out pretty OK. I did this piece with my daughter. I love it.

My daughter is also keen in art. She wanted us to draw something together and we picked on this tutorial on youtube. It is very easy to do and I think age appropriate for her. My son did this on his own one day but my daughter is more of a perfectionist, it is harder for her.

So there you go, our (My) various art pieces for the week. It has been really amazing and fun. I love sitting in my corner painting while my kids are on their zoom class. I wish I had my own studio. I picture myself with my messy hair, in my pyjamas, with my apron on painting in a studio full of colours but for now, it is just me with my messy hair, in my pyjamas and no apron, on the floor. I wish to continue painting and keep a journal of my pieces. Who knows, someday I may become famous and I can start selling them. ha ha ha..... A girl can only dream....

I was doodling one day

Coffee Break

Yesterday, I invited one of my best friend out for coffee. We haven't seen each other for almost 6 months and I'm dying to meet her to share about my Makkah trip. I haven't even formally told her that I now wear the hijab. I just didn't think I needed to announce it. Most of my friends can see from my posts on social media and some have asked me about it. But otherwise, I haven't really told anyone.

We've been friends since college. We went to the same college in Cambridge back in 1998. We were housemates in college and then we went to the same university in Cardiff. We've seen each other's ups and downs for sure.

I was really nervous and excited to see her because it will be the first time for her seeing the "new" me. She said she might cry.

I got there 20 minutes late. I was fashionably late because I had tudung issues. I swear to God, every time I'm excited, for some reason the tudung will just be a disaster. I ended up trying a few before I chose the safest choice, instead of the prettiest one!

Our meeting was nice as usual. We met up in Huckleberry in Bangsar Shopping Centre. I chose there because I thought it would be quiet but to my surprise, it was PACKED! Whatever happened to social distancing, I wonder. Every table was taken and although they're not exactly close together, I could do with more space!

We were talking for ages. I didn't realised I missed having coffee outside until I was actually there. Coffee never tasted so good too. We also had cake in between. After I was done with my coffee, my friend asked if I wanted another cup. I said ok.

2 cup of hot latte in 3 hours. So what?

I got home and felt funny. I couldn't sleep that night and ended up rewatching Captain Ri until 2.30am. I woke up for Subuh feeling like a zombie.

Moral of the story is, take it easy. It is not the end of the world. There will be another opportunity to have latte again!

Gosh!

But in all honesty, it was good. I had my much needed coffee break!