Oulani Renew Serum

Oulani Renew Serum

Meet my new baby. Her name is Oulani. Oulani simply means "heavenly beauty". It started in 2022 when myself and some friends sat down and started talking about our skin. All of us are above 40 and we all lead different lifestyle and have different issues with our skin. We were looking for a skincare solution to meet all our diverse needs. We then teamed up with a lab and worked together to create this all-in-one serum. This serum is formulated to address hydration, anti-ageing and brightening. 

Oulani was born out of a desire to create a high quality, versatile product that could work for various skin types and issues. Using premium quality ingredients sourced from Korea, Japan and Switzerland - we are so proud of this product. We also wanted this product to be affordable for all. We worked very closely with the lab to come up with this incredible serum. 

We just launched a few months ago and it has been great. We are already getting feedback from customers saying how much they love the product and it makes us so happy.

Check out our Instagram Page here. You can also make purchase from our Tiktok shop here. 

Hello 2023

It has been a while since I last posted an update. I somehow do not think that blogging is relevant anymore and as I've abandoned this blog way too long, I have also lost my readers. I mostly post updates, especially on my artworks on Instagram. It is less time consuming for me and I find it to be more efficient.

However, I am online this morning and decided to drop by.

2022 went by really fast. As the economy and country was opening up, many are slowly going back to pre-covid days. Myself included. We started traveling again and that was what I was missing the most the whole time when we were locked down during the pandemic. I missed exploring different countries and just people watching. Our first overseas trip last year was to Manila for my brother in law's wedding and it was an amazing experience. We all had such a wonderful time there. We also went to Bali after more than 10 years. We also ended our 2022 by visiting the holy city of Mekkah and Madinah. What an experience that was. We welcomed the New Year in Madinah and it was amazing. 

I am always one who is hopeful and this year is no different. I want nothing but the best for everyone and I hope we will always continue to live well with the best of health. My wish this year is to improve myself (especially spiritually) and just continue to be grateful with whatever life throws at me. 

I'm very excited that my artworks will be part of the Asia Art Show in Sydney this April 2023. I am looking forward for that and I hope I will find new homes for my artworks this year. 

Till then, have a blessed 2023. I hope everyone is well. Thank you for always supporting my life journey through this blog and have a wonderful 2023. See you soon!

Open Frame Virtual Art Exhibition

One day as I was browsing my social media, I saw an advert on Instagram about this virtual art exhibition and wanted to be part of it. I wasnt so confident that I will make it but I contacted them anyway and submitted few of my artwork thinking, "It would be nice to take part but it's ok if I dont get it", Im still new at this and probably not ready. But when I got an email to say that one of my paintings was selected, I couldnt be happier. I was ecstatic!! 

YAY! I did it!

Can you find me?

I am an intuitive painter. I dont plan what I want to paint and I dont sketch my paintings. I really paint from the heart. I put on a nice music and just let my energy guide me. I also dont usually plan the colours. I just go with the flow. Painting really soothes my soul. I just find it really therapeutic but somehow I cannot paint when I am upset, stress or angry. It just wont come out right and normally, the painting will end up being abandoned until I paint over it again. 

This painting that I submitted for the virtual art exhibition is from my Secret Garden series. I've done a few of these actually and all of them are in their new homes right now, mostly adopted by my friends. I think I've done about 4-6 of the Secret Garden series. I just love that when they take photos at home, I see my paintings on the background. It just makes me happy. But this Z3 Secret Garden is my personal favourite. It's been in my home and somehow I just havent given it away or put it up for sale yet. I really want it to go to someone who loves it as much as I do because it is a very special piece to me. 

Looking at it just makes me happy. (Maybe I shoudnt sell it?) Ah well, the proceeds from this sale is also going to charity, which is another reason why I wanted to be part of this exhibition too. I hope it will find a new home soon but if not, I will be very happy to keep it. ha ha...

This exhibition is organised by Artscape Malaysia and curated by Eugene Nandakumar. 44 talented artists have been selected to showcase their artworks with a mixed genres. There is something for everyone I'm sure. 

Please support us and share!

Beautiful isnt it? If you are keen on any of the artwork or for enquiry, please email them at artscape.malaysia@gmail.com

This Open Frame Virtual Art Exhibition is happening from the 15th March 2022 until 15th April 2022. Click on this link to view all the artwork. Mine is right at the bottom of the page! 

Tips on managing Covid

Lately, I have been hearing more and more Covid cases around me. Alhamdulillah I still manage to dodge it but I always say that dodging this is like a blind man dodging bullets. You just never know when it is your turn. Unfortunately, some of my family members and friends have gotten it. I have compiled some tips from their experience and hopefully it will help others too. 

Covid symptoms usually appear on day 3 or 4 after being exposed to the virus. Try and track back when where you were 3 to 4 days prior getting your symptoms. It wont help with anything but then for your own comfort, I think it is good to know. Perhaps you may want to inform others who were with you of this so they can get tested too. 

1. Do self RTK Covid test

We have tried many brands and all sorts. I dont think I can say which one is better than the other but some of the brands that I feel are reliable are Salixium and Arista. Unfortunately, for some reason it is quite difficult to find Salixium and it is always out of stock. For me, Arista is my no.1 brand when it comes to doing self tests at home. For children, we do self test twice a week (requirement by the school) and I always have the lollipop ones for them. I use Vchek for this purpose and Genrui. I think if the viral load is really high, it will show on all the tests so it doesnt really matter. If you have symptoms, do a reliable brand to be sure.

2. Caring Pharmacy Online 

I find this extremely useful. Go to their website and choose the closest Caring Pharmacy near you. You can whatsapp them with your orders and they will use lalamove to deliver it to you.Choose the closest to you so that the delivery charge wont be so high. My delivery charge is about RM7.50 which is very reasonable as I wont need to drive out. In case you are positive and unable to go out, you can use this service to order all your medicines, vitamins and test kits that you need during your quarantine period. 

3. Take your supplements 

This is to boost your immune system during covid. Even if you dont have Covid, if there are family members in your household that is doing their quarantine at home, it is a good idea to up your intake. This includes Vitamin C (double up!), Vitamin D and Zinc. I also take a glass of Redoxon and Chicken Essence which will help when you are feeling sick and fatique. 

For sore throat, which is quite a common symptom for the current variant, Betadine Spray is a life saver! But unfortunately it is sold out everywhere. I have it at home and it helps! Another alternative would be the Difflam throat spray. It is also sold out everywhere. Try asking your pharmacist or doctor what is available. Keep it at home, just in case.

Other than those, also keep your usual Paracetamol, Zyrtec, cough medicine at home. I'm sure you have that already. 

My tips for managing covid are:

1. Do regular tests at home

2. Eat your supplements

3. Rest well

4. Do light exercises even if you're at home

5. Smell some fresh air (open the windows if you are locked in the room)

5. Take your medications to ease your pain / discomfort

6. Catch up on your latest TV shows / news / read a book

7. Pray! Only God can help you. Lots of doa for recovery

8. Eat fruits and nutritious food during quarantine

9. Shower and get fresh daily!

10. Stay positive. You will fight this and you will get better!

We can do this!!

Take care and stay safe!

2 years later

It's hard to believe that soon, in just a couple more weeks or so Malaysia will transition into the Endemic Phase. We have come a long way. Honestly speaking, as excited as I am about the news, I am feeling really anxious about it.

2 years plus of living with covid around us has been a tough one for everyone. We all struggle in our own ways and no matter who you are or what your social economic background is, we are all struggling to make things work. For me personally, it has been quite challenging. For my kids, online learning is a major struggle. It's not because of their grades but because they miss their friends and they miss being in school. It's like everything was put on hold. So many families lost their income and I can only imagine what they must be going through. In that sense, I am happy and looking forward for us to transition to what is hopefully a new beginning. 

A lot has happened in the last 2 plus years. 

I like to look at the positives first.

I am happy that I found something I am passionate about. Being creative has always been something my soul craves and I guess without that time being locked down at home, I wouldnt have picked up painting. For that, I am happy. I guess for me, that is what this pandemic has brought to my life. 

My maid of 5 years left in November 2021. When she left, it was with a promise to come back. I was skeptical but hopeful and in the end, I was left disappointed and somewhat angry. I could write a long post on how upset I am or how ungrateful I think she is but let's not dwell on that. My take from that is, no matter how nice or kind we are to them, at the end of the day, it is just a job to them. They come and they go and I learned that no one is indispensable. Im hurt that things ended the way it did but I have to be grateful that it lasted as long as it did. Towards the end of her tenure here, she was no longer an asset to me anyway. 

Running a household without help after having help for so long is not easy. It has been almost 3 months since she left and I've been managing well without her. The house is cleaner, the kids are ok, we are having more home cooked meals that I ever did when I had help. Sometimes I dont know how I manage. I am the least domesticated person in the world and I am shocked at how well I am coping without a maid. Laundry, cleaning, preparing kids for school, caring for a cat, everything! I am now a domesticated goddess even if I have to say so myself.

And FYI, I dont have a part time maid coming in too. 

We'll see how long this last because some days I miss having time for myself doing absolutely nothing. 

Time to get moving.... lots to do today. Till next time... stay safe!!!

Hello there

It has been almost a year since my last post. I've been neglecting this blog for so long. I dont think it is relevant anymore since people spend more time on Instagram and TikTok these days. For me, instagram is quick and easy. Dont need to think of long captions and photos say a thousand words sometimes. But I do miss blogging and I do miss ranting (A LOT)

A lot has changed in a year. Oh where do I begin? I think I could write a book on my journey the last year but I shall not bore you. Safe to say that we are well and alhamdulillah, things are all moving slowly and we are soon entering the endemic phase of Covid-19 (or are we already there?).

So many exciting things are happening. I took part in the Pandora Art Exhibition which is happening from now until April 2022 at the Four Seasons Place (the mall connected to Four Seasons Hotel, KL). It's my first exhibition and I am excited to share my painting titled "Lots of Love : Pandora"

It is available for sale and you can purchase them here at the ART MARKET MALAYSIA website. If you would like to view my painting, or any other paintings from our local artisan, you can pop over to Four Seasons Place on level 2. A lot of wonderful paintings available there. Do show your support.

I am also chosen to participate in another online exhibition soon for charity. I'm so excited about this one too as I am giving away one of my favourite paintings that I did during the lockdown titled "Secret Garden". I hope it will sell as 30% from the sale will go to charity.

Most of my paintings are available on Instagram @dewdropmummy

Show some love, peeps!!!

Have a lovely day!

12 Years!

This week, we celebrated our 12th year wedding anniversary. 12 Years? WOW. We've come a long way and Alhamdulillah, I couldnt be happier.

We've gone through so much in this 12 years. So many ups and down but we made it. 

My kids got us flowers (guess who paid for it?) and we painted a big painting for my husband for his new  office. No fancy celebrations but I honestly dont need anything more. 

Like any other couples, we go through a lot together. Marriage is hard work. No one is perfect and there's no such thing as a perfect couple but we try to be the best for each other. 

May Allah bless our marriage and give us strength to continue showering each other with love till Jannah. 

1st Anniversary

On the 25 February 2020, we left for our first family Umrah and it was a life changing journey for me. I didnt have plans to keep the hijab on when I come back. I only bought a few hijab for my trip and that was it. At that time, I didnt know what style suited me or which fabric is good for me. I just bought simple plain ones for my trip. That was it. Honestly speaking, I thought life would just go back to how it was. Changing my image was the last thing on my mind. I just didnt think about it. Or maybe I was in denial. 

While I was there, my aim was to do the best I could and make full use of the experience. It was beautiful. I dont know how to explain it but I really felt at ease when I was there. Even doing the tawaf alone (without my family) was therapeutic for my soul. Walking in the mosque, finding a spot to pray, going to get the zam zam, everything about the whole journey was amazing. Our room had the best view both in Makkah and Madinah. Everything was easy. Unlike some of the stories people tell me. 

Being there for 10 days made me realise that donning the hijab was not difficult at all. All this while I kept thinking about how troublesome life would be but while I was there, it was easy. It was as if I've been wearing it all my life. 

I always believed that when the time is right, Allah will ease the journey. Indeed He did. Alhamdulillah, a year later I am still a work in progress and I still have it on. Somehow, the journey is just so easy for me. It was a natural progression and I dont even miss going free hair like before. 

It took me a while to find a style that suits me. Like I said, I am still a "work in progress" 

I found a few styles that worked for me and looks good on me. I still have to work on it but InsyaAllah it is going in the right direction. 

Friends and family have been really supportive. Their constant prayers InsyaAllah will keep me on the right path. This year on the 25 February 2021, I am celebrating my first hijrah anniversary. Yay me!!!

Viral TikTok Recipe

 

Have you heard of the Viral TikTok recipe? Honestly speaking, I havent until my friend posted it. I'm not on TikTok, in case you are wondering. I saw my friend posted this on her Instagram and being a pasta addict, I asked what it was and she told me it is a recipe viral on Tiktok. Remember the Dalgona coffee hype? Ya, this is kind of like that I suppose. We are still on MCO (although it doesnt feel like it) and I thought maybe I should get on this bus and check it out. 

Two of my friends said it was the bomb!!! So basically it is just a simple baked pasta with cherrie tomatoes and feta cheese. I never ever buy Feta cheese but I quite like it. Off I went to buy my first ever Feta cheese from Village Grocer. FYI, I do eat feta cheese but I never needed it in my cooking at home because I mostly cook Malay dishes. So this was my first time getting Feta for own cooking. 

There are plenty of recipes but this is my spin on it

What you need:

- Cherie Tomatoes (lots of it!)

- Feta Cheese

- Olive oil

- Salt / Pepper / Mixed herbs like oregano, basil etc

- Red Chili for the kick

- Readymade sambal Pucuk ubi for the kill!

- Pasta (I love Penne)

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Step 2: Mix the cherie tomatoes and chili together with herbs, salt, pepper and place the feta cheese in the middle. Bake it in the oven for like 20-30 minutes or until you see the tomatoes & cheese softened

Step 3: Boil the pasta

Step 4: Add the pasta in the melted cheese & tomatoes

Step 5: Serve and sprinkle over some pucuk ubi for the kill

It was da bomb!!!! I had 3 bowls of it. Try it and let me know if you like it!

On another note, this is the painting I did for my friend for her new home. I cant wait to pass it to her next week. I hope she will love this because it is one of the most difficult paintings I've done to date. I love it!

GALentines Day

I forgot all about Valentines Day this year until my friend posted something on the group chat to wish us a Happy Galentines Day. I didnt even know what Galentines Day was. I have become that blur.

We had no special plans obviously. Everyday is just another day. My son has been playing Fortnite with my best friend's son a lot lately (blame covid for their extra screen time!) and one day decided to play together in person. To cut long story short, they decided to do that playdate on the 14 February, which was a Sunday after Chinese New Year. They dont have piano class on that day (normally, they do have class every Sunday) and Monday is the start of school after being on half term break. I thought, why not, let them play since it's their school break anyway. They havent seen each other for ages and I havent seen my best friend in 6 months. That way, I get to see my best friend too. And her husband's birthday is approaching and she had commissioned me a painting that her husband wanted. I had to deliver it to her anyway. Perfect!

Off we went to her house which is half way across town. Luckily there werent any traffic and only 1 roadblock.

I dropped my son off and stayed there for a bit. It was nice to see her kids because I havent seen them for so long. We decided to have some quality GAL time and went for lunch at a nearby cafe. It was empty, which is good.

I had such a nice time catching up and it just felt so so good. We talked about my artwork and she was trying to convince me to sell them. I just feel like I'm not ready to sell but she is my biggest fan and want me to go all out with it. (I love her!!!!) 

At the restaurant, we had so much food and the food was amazing. I havent had a meal outside in so long. I forgot how nice it is to eat out and how much I've missed it.

I painted this for her for her office. She absolutely loved it. It feels so good when someone loves the work that you do, doesnt it? I was over the moon. 

We spent about 2 hours at the cafe before heading back to her house to pick up my son. I gave her husband the painting and he was so happy with his birthday gift. I couldnt be happier.

I got home feeling absolutely excited and my spirit was so high I was so happy. I am happy that my son had a good time playing with the kids. He havent had that in a long time. I am happy that I got to see my best friend and catch up on a lot of things. We talk to each other almost daily but its not the same as talking face to face. I didnt realise how much I missed her until I left her house. I was really so happy.

You know, we might think we are dealing and coping with this whole Covid situation well but sometimes, we dont realise that there are parts missing from our lives that Covid has taken from us. I hope we will be able to keep the numbers low so I can meet up with family and friends more often. I miss my life. I miss being out.

How are you?

We are still under lockdown and I've lost count. I have no clue what day it is or how long we've been in this MCO. When is this all going to be over? 

I've been feeling really down the last couple of weeks. I'm just sick and tired of living this way. I feel like I am wasting my time. I feel like my kids are losing out a lot. But each time I have this negative thoughts or moments of weakness, I snap out of it pretty quickly. I have to count our blessings and remind myself that we have so much to be thankful for. But I'm only human. I have my good and bad days.

This week, my kids started their mid term break. I feel like with online classes, we need breaks and I am so happy that we have no classes this whole week. Chinese New Year is coming up too. Kids have been on their online class since January and I think, this break is needed for us to just chill. We have an art project to do for school. We decided to do it as a family.

Family

This is what we come up with. It is all our initials. This painting is titled Family. We each painted our own initials and chose our colours. This really sums us up. I love the colours and we had fun painting this.

Apart from forcing my kids to participate in this art project (it was not compulsory to do), I also did some painting myself. This is painted on canvas. One morning, I had Sheila Majid music on spotify and just started painting away. Go with the flow intuitive painting. I love how the colours look so nice together. I posted this on my instagram and my friend booked it immediately. I'm still not confident enough to sell my paintings but soon, I think I will. One thing I need to learn is take better photos. 

Yesterday, I went to BSC to do some grocery shopping and stopped by Times Bookstore. I got myself a Sudoku book. Dont ask me why!!! I feel like I'm forgetting things even more lately. Maybe I need to start Sudoku and solving Maths problems or something. I used to do Sudoku a lot but I havent done in years. When I started this today, I couldnt do it as fast as I thought I could. Felt stupid for a while. But once I got the hang of it, it is actually fun to do.

So that's me. I've had a productive week, I think. I just need to keep myself busy. Hope you are all doing the same and keeping busy. Cant wait for this to be over. Stay safe everyone!

Staying Positive

It's hard to believe that we've been living this Covid life for over a year. How did we survive living like this for so long? I got to say that I have good days and I have bad days. Right now, I'm just feeling really exhausted, tired of being at home. I miss seeing my family members, I miss seeing my friends. I miss being around people. I just want things to go back to normal. I feel like I am slowly falling apart.

I spoke to my husband about it and he said we need to be thankful that we have this life. Some people out there are struggling and yet we are still able to sleep very comfortably at night. He is ABSOLUTELY right. 

I am thankful, dont get me wrong. But we do have our little struggles too. It is OKAY to have be weak and have moments when you feel like you are breaking. It is only normal to feel that way but what is most important is to always be thankful because someone out there have it much worse than us.

I have to remain positive. Keep moving and hopefully, this too will pass.

I am so happy that I found my "happy place" in Art. I switch on my Spotify and paint away. It is amazing how calming it is. I recently downloaded old songs I grew up with. Songs from the 90s and early 2000s and boy, they're all so awesome. Brings back lots of old memories. I am singing and painting. It is not a pretty sight sometimes but it makes me feel a thousand times better. 

I hope you have your "happy place" too wherever you are. I pray all this will be over soon. Amin.

Stay positive. Remember, all this will go down in history as something so great we overcome. Not long now, hang in there!

Lockdown 2.0

 

Malaysia are you ready? My kids was in school for 2 days and they were so happy. Too bad for them it is short lived. 

I dont know what else to say but I hope and pray that this lockdown will end soon. Hopefully the numbers will go down and schools can reopen. We have to find a way to live with this virus, somehow.

I miss our life. I miss seeing my kids do regular stuff they so enjoy. I miss them having friends around. This is the best time for them to mix around because their friendships are still pure and genuine. I hope they'll get their lives back soon.

Stay safe Malaysia

Happy New Year 2021

 

I painted this wreath

Hello 2021!!!

It is hard to believe that 2021 is finally here. In 2020 we cant wait to leave the year behind and move on. 2020 was such a trying time for everyone. Alhamdulillah, we are here. We are still given the gift of life and I am hopeful that things will get better. Insya Allah.

We were home this time for New Year's eve. My kids weren't too happy as their cousins we all away in Penang. Initially we thought of going away somewhere too but somehow, we just couldnt make up our minds. I guess there's this fear at the back of our heads if it is even safe to be out. We decided not to waste our money on hotel and instead, went shopping for new clothes. My kids grew so much in 1 year. We havent been shopping in that long. My daughter's shoe size has gone up too that she can no longer wear kids size. Soon we will be the same size.

New Year's Eve

We went out to buy some balloons and party decor. It was just the 4 of us but we just wanted to make it special for the kids. We ended up playing Nintendo Switch (Boys Vs Girls) and that was a lot of fun. Nothing special but there you have it.... we have all the things that mattered to us most. Family, a roof over our heads and food on the table. We are truly blessed.

I wish you all a very wonderful 2021. I pray things will get better for all of us and hopefully we can go back to our normal lives. I pray for covid to go away. 

Happy New Year readers. May God bless us always. 

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