Birthday Wishlist 2013

In about a week, I'll turn 27 and as usual, there will always be my shameless birthday wishlist post. LOL!

Here it goes...

For presents:
1. Black Heels

I found one from Charles and Keith that I find quite to my liking. It is priced at 96USD which is approximately RM293.93. My shoe size is 35 ok.. ;) There's also once from Nine West that is about RM429...

2. Melissa's Ultragirl+John Wu

Retails at RM400.. The shop is next to Aldo, One Utama.
Description from their Facebook Page:
The Melissa Ultragirl + Jason Wu is one of the cutest and most versatile flatties ever! The pastel and black tones are generally for the more classical Melissa fans, and also for those who love simplicity with a dose of cuteness! For those who are a bit more adventurous at heart, why not opt for the red and electric green models. Each shoe is crowned with a chic black bowtie featuring the iconic Miss Wu owl logo at the knot. Colours available are Green+Grey, Pink+Grey, Black+Grey, Maple+Grey, Smoke+Grey and Beige+Grey to suit your every mood and personality :)

3. Marc Jacobs' Dot

Ok.. Maybe it's just me being mengada considering that I've already my Crabtree & Evelynn's Lily Perfume and Marc Jacobs Ohh Lola that I've yet to finish but an extra perfume wouldn't hurt right? :p

Places to eat:

1. The Estate at the Intermark, Hilton Kuala Lumpur

I've heard so many things about the desert there. Basically, I'll prolly have the bread basket and order cakes..

2. Daily Grind

I heard so many things about the burgers there and would very much like to try..

3. Dim Sum! 

Trying to get my mom to treat me for a good Dim Sum meal. 

4. Monte's 

The succulent scallops that i miss so much.... 

5. Anywhere with good salad and steak

Haha!!! I know I'm married now but a girl can dream.... Yes, I'm still a girl... Heard of the "forever young" phrase? Haha!!!

So many things So little time...

It has been quite some time since I last had a proper update. Everything has been going on so fast. Too many things happen in such a short duration of time and before we know it, it was already time for the long awaited year end trip. But before I tell you about the trip, I would like to briefly tell you what happened before the trip.

28th November 2012 Bestie Akasha was getting married so we had a mini “Bachelor” party for him. Well, there aren’t many guys in our group so it really wasn’t an all guys event. In fact, Hubster was the only other guy there besides him. It was just us (the close ones who were invited to his housewarming dinner). Just the 6 of us. Well, it is more about the quality not the quantity, right?

11st December 2012 Akasha weds Laura and both Hubster & I were the best man and maid of honor.

2nd December 2012

Faeq turned 8 but I missed his party to represent MIL for a wedding. 

5th December 2012

Belated Birthday celebration for Faeq and Hubster at Chillis One Utama

So, that’s all (so far… hope I didn’t missed anything). We were very much off for our trip on the 7th. It was great having such a getaway. Now, we are back to reality with family events lining up one after another. Back to work when we are very much not over out jet lag. LOL!

Short update..

It's been awhile since i last updated my blog. It's not like nothing happen. It's just the opposite! So many things one after another; so many things to do with so little time! And Guess What?!! I'm in Leuven, Brussels! We arrived in London last Saturday qnd had been meaning to get the sim card but didn't get the chance. As a result, the moment we get connection, everyone became as anti-social as possible. The picture below proves it all. Luckily there's internet at the hotel we're staying here in Leuven. Looking forward to Bruges tomorrow! Till then!!! Muaxhsss!!!!

Moving On

As time pass by, we tend to change from one phase to another. Along the way, we meet new people and they become a part of our lives. Growing up, I’ve never been one of those prim and proper girls who happen to be studious and do things by the book nor was I one of those who parties hard. I’m the kind who goes for parties occasionally (live bands once awhile and I’m one of those who is on the dance floor wiggling) but do things within the limits that I set. I do things in moderation but of course I’m slightly more to my girly side (especially shop). 

Nowadays, I’m adapting to a healthier lifestyle and partying is at the bottom of my list. It really is not because of the fact that I’m married. Things started to change when I’m at my third year of my studying days in university. It started with me being a morning person and starting to go for jogs in the evenings. Then at my final year, I started to not go out after midnight even if it is for supper. I would miss out tea sessions with friends and head to bed early. The next day, I’ll be up really early, take a shower and go to the terminal for breakfast while reading the newspaper. Don’t get me wrong, I still do go out at night for movies and have those girls night out kind of thing, but the ambiance I prefer is slightly more intimate. I also join my friends to hang out at local hangout places like Rasta and once in a blue moon, head for live bands. 

Things got even more relaxed when I got together with my Hubster in 2008.  Sure, he loves to dance but he only dances at the gym (this was before he joined SDC and started performing). Even if we’re on a date at night, he will not only ensure that I’m home in time, he will also try his best to be home by 12 o’clock. Now that I’m married, I do not have the desire to go to clubs/bars nor do I know what the current in electronic dance music is (not saying it’s bad.. some of it are quite pleasant to listen to). Call me dull; call me an old woman, but it is just not my cup of tea. And it is not like I don’t have fun at all; in fact I do go for concerts. 

Sometimes I contemplate to really be transparent about me moving on but at the same time, I do not want them to think as if I think I am better than them. Honestly, I’ve a long way to go. It is just that our preference is very much different now. I even know that some of them didn’t want to contribute nor participate in my bachelorette party previously because their definition of fun is different. Yes, I know about it and honestly, I’m ok with it. I am also not one of those who got all religious after getting married. Sure, it is always good to get closer to God but I do things one step at a time. Yes, I know that Qiamat can happen anytime but I don’t want to fall out after a drastic change. For now, I’m trying my best to perform my prayers without fail. 

Growing up, we are bound to make mistakes and fall. What’s important is that we get back up. Knowing that I’m not perfect, I accept the fact that I’ll screw up even when I’m moving on. The question is now, which happens to be the hardest (and I doubt people would even care that I care), how do I move on gracefully and keep the offense at minimal?

Fajar Menyinsing Bahagian 2

What started 2 years back has now become a tradition. What am I referring to? I’m actually referring to the tradition of watching the Twilight Saga series with Tira, Sri, Dayana and Farah. We may not start at the beginning of the series but decided to make it a tradition after watching it together. After all, Twilight series is really not for guys. They would prolly fall asleep then complain after about how they wasted RM15 to watch a whole load of crap! Haha!!! Hubster vowed to never watch it again after the first movie and I vowed to never watch it with a guy. It is very nice to have something to share with your girlfriends and have it as a some sort of tradition. 

Us at Pasta Zamnai before the movie

With Sri

Dayana, Tira and Farah

Having read the series, I didn’t expect much of the movie. I was very disappointed with the book. The author have a way of having things really exciting as it was approaching to the climax of the story but then, at the peak of the climax, everything pretty much went like a dead line of a life-support machine. Of course, we love the ideology of Edward who loves unconditionally and the idea of Jacob who is oh-so macho but seriously, would there be a guy who is so selfless and is ok that the partner loves 2 person at one time; then later on is ok with the other guy being in love with his (Edward's) daughter? I mean how incest can Jacob be? First you are in love with Bella coincidentally, you’re imprinted to the daughter? LOL!

Shine Bright like a Diamond?

Owh wait! The best part, you know how they portrayed Edward sparkling like diamonds? I found the best theme song to describe that and it is none other than Rihanna’s Shine Bright like a Diamond. LOL! I planted the thought in all of their heads that when Bella was in the position where the sunlight, all of us burst out laughing. We have got to be the noisiest lot because we were pretty much laughing all the way because the show was so corny and the subtitle helps. Who would have thought that Breaking Dawn Part 2 would be translated as Fajar Menyinsing Bahagian 2?!!

Youtube Video of the FlashMob for Jason Lee

Below is the youtube video of the Flashmob for Jason Lee which was mentioned in the previous post:

Hubster turned 27 yesterday!

Hubster turned 27 years old yesterday (Sunday, 25th November 2012). I'm honestly thankful that he is surrounded with so many wonderful people and had almost all of his favorite things on his birthday.

Since he had a celebration for his instructor, Jason's birthday with his Sole to Soul Dance Company / Dance Crew (SDC) peeps, we decided to start the celebration a little bit earlier for the both of us.

The night before, we had a pre-birthday dinner at Hokkaido Sushi, One Utama where he ordered his favorite dishes. We had the Kani Avocado salad, this favorite sushi of his (tofu skin with rice, crab-meat and smoked mayonnaise i think), spider-roll and teriyaki steak. I would say that his tummy was very happy having had all those delicious dishes.

With his favorite Kani Avocado Salad

The whole time during dinner, he was talking about Hot Rod, his favorite transformer  character. I had a strong feeling that he was hinting for me to get it for him as a birthday gift. Of course, I got it way earlier for him. It was hidden in the storage room at his house. I played along and started asking questions. Truth is, I read about Hot Rod at Wikipedia (kinda because I was wondering why he was called Rodimus Prime).

After walking around One Utama, we visited Vhobby (a shop selling all these collectibles). I couldn't find the Hot Rod around so I pretended to ask for it so that I can buy it as his present. When the sales person told us that the toy was sold out, hubster's face changed. He was so disappointed that his eyes got all watery. You see, hubster is a very sentimental kind of person. He has always wanted the toy but had difficulty finding it. It was so unfortunate that when he finally found it at this shop, he had to stop himself from buying it because he needed the cash for our wedding. That was when I knew it would be the perfect gift for him. Being one of those cool person, he tried his best to remain collected and not feel disappointed. He tried to keep smiling but couldn't hide the disappointment from me. So, we went home and he watched the football match on telly quietly.

When the clock struck 12 a.m, I brought the present over to him and wished him Happy Birthday. A huge smile plastered on his face as his took the gift from me.

Me: Do you know what it is?

Hubster: I thought of if while we were walking back to the car..

Me: Are you sure it is what you think it is?

LOL! By that time, he could already see the logo of the box hidden underneath the wrapper. He then carefully unwrap the present. Just look at his expression in the picture below. I'm glad he love it.

Opening his present

*Priceless*

The next day, we had an early start for his birthday breakfast at Delicious with his parents and we were off for a friend's wedding.

That evening, he left early for a party thrown for Jason. Michelle organized the party and they had sessions to choreograph+rehearse for a flash mob. Hubster, together with Michelle, Jean and Natasha, spent almost a whole day to choreograph the dance. I've seen all of them dance before which was why I am quite certain that the flash mob was awesome and hope that Emerson will upload the video on youtube soon. I'ld very much like to see it. I'll share the link later on if the video was uploaded. From what I heard, Jason was in tears, flattered by the whole ordeal. They really put up a lot of effort to put the whole thing together and it was a success! I've attended a few of Jason's class before and could tell why his students would want to show their appreciation. After all, he is a talented and cool instructor. I've always enjoyed his class - both joining and observing. (He really is good OK. The reason why I didn't join his class was because of time restrictions (the role of a wife comes with household commitments) and also because I'm just way too shy to dance in public to work up a courage to join his class. I'm always the one standing right at the back corner in classes. Hubster used to say that if i could, i would prolly want to hide in the wall. I couldn't agree more.)

They also celebrated SDC's November Babies' birthday that night. Hubster's included and Kelvin surprised him with a Manchester United cake decorated with Gummy Bears! Those are two of his favorite things. They also made him this birthday card and I can tell that he was most touched by what Huey Wern wrote (SDC is better with you around- i think). Trust me when I say, Hubster is not the same without SDC. :) He enjoys being in the group and treasures each one of the members just like his very own family. It's great that he gets to share his passion of dancing with this group of wonderful people. Thank you SDC peeps for making Hubster a much happier man.

Hubster with Kelvin

Birthday Cake from Kelvin

Birthday card from Sole to Soul Dance Company

It must have been one of Hubster's lucky Birthdays because besides that, Hubster's favorite football team, Manchester United won the match and one of his favorite F1 drivers won the race. Yesterday was definitely his day and I'm glad that he had a good celebration.

2 weeks count down starts now!

My 2 weeks count down starts now. This is the time when I will start to try my best attempt to boost up my metabolic rate a lil. Even though I'm having a bad muscle sore from yesterday's training session, I pushed myself to do a bit of a cardio workout to burn some fat (which I haven't been.. hence the weight gain... thank god I was still going for my PT sessions so the weight gain are pretty much firm mass). I went on a short interval session on the treadmill - 6 sets of intervals (3 minutes running (9km/h) and 3 minutes of jogging (6km/h)). I wouldn't say that it was the best I've done but it is a good progress I suppose. Well, at least I'm going somewhere.

6 sets of intervals (3 minutes running (9km/h) and 3 minutes of jogging (6km/h)) + Warming up and Cooling Down. Sigh! Only 199 Calories....

Flushed after running

 

Loving my panda tee from FOS. Mind you it only cost RM15!

Maybe it's just me but I strongly disagree allowing children in the gym and even worse, try on gym equipments.You see, they're having this bring your child to work event today. While I was running on the treadmill, a woman brought her 8 year old son into the gym. I was like, Hmmm... Ok... Maybe she's just showing her kid where she goes for Yoga lessons. But then, she had this "brilliant" idea to have her kid go on the treadmill  and try it on so that she can take a picture of him. Like really, I'm really not sure where her brains were. She put the kid at a pace of 3.4 km/h. Even those kids who are training for sports weren't placed on a treadmill at such a young age. Sure, it still seemed doable. Well, that is until the kid starts pressing the buttons and increased the speed to 8km/h. He was really struggling not to fall. Instead of straight away pulling the 'Stop' trigger, the mother struggled to find out how to reduce the speed. Like really woman, you let your kid on the treadmill when you yourself are not familiar with the machine? Where in god's name is your freaking brains? Even if you do go for yoga lessons, it doesn't make you a gym expert! Sure, I do not have kids but I think I know better than to place a kid on the treadmill (especially without expert supervision). I wanted to scold the woman for her actions but decided to try stay calm instead. Sigh! People nowadays....

Anyway, I'm really not sure whether it is the change of lifestyle or something but it sure is even more difficult to maintain the ideal figure after marriage. Wish me luck ok!

Product Review: Melaleuca's Lemon Brite

Our Malaysian cuisine is famous for being rich of taste. Which also means that they are rich of gunk especially oil. Washing the dishes has never been my favorite chore. My hands will normally end up wrinkley and will itch a lot. Axion and Glo are big no-nos for me. Sunlight is pretty much the best solution for me because of the slightly gentler ingredients. I've always hated the icky feeling you get and that smell that sticks to your sponge after washing about 5 plates. As a resolution, you will need to take a break to clean the sponge before continuing to wash the dishes. Even whose when you are trying to clean dishes that is covered in oil. You will prolly need to add more dish washing detergent and wash a plate/serving dish 2-3 times in order to get rid of the stain and that icky texture. Since there are maids at my mom's house and because I'm such a spoilt bratty princess, I leave the dish washing chores to the maids when I get the chance to do so (unless they are like super busy with catering). Well, since my in laws do not have maids, I will have to wash the dishes over at their place. They use Glo's dish washing liquid which has lime if i'm not mistaken. It is stated on the bottle that it was supposed to help remove the smell. Honestly, I doubt it really works because the icky smell is still there when we do the dishes. My sister in law, Kak Ida and I will always soak and rinse the oily dishes with hot water before washing them. Now, just last weekend, I tried Melaleuca's Lemon Brite and I must say that I am very impressed with the result! With just a tiny winie drop, I could wash a few dishes (2 of them were very oily) and the icky smell/texture wasn't there! Also, my hands weren't wrinkled and irritated after washing the dishes. Wohoo! Finally! I found something that works for me. Sorry Glo, Sunlight and Axion, I shall bid farewell. Really, this product is highly recommended.

Lemon Brite® Hand Dishwashing LiquidNormal Price: RM 23.00
Preferred Customer/Member 's Price: RM 15.00

Here are more details of the product from Melaleuca's official website:

Anyone who has ever stood at the sink washing a stack of dishes knows the feeling of dry, cracked hands. That’s because the ingredients that typical dish soaps use to strip grease and dirt off dishes can also strip the natural oils and moisture from your skin. Next time, let Lemon Brite dishwashing liquid bring a natural sparkle to your dishes, and give your hands a break! Long-lasting suds help dissolve grease and grime, so your dishes sparkle.
Softens Hands While It Cleans
Other detergents contain chemicals that can dry out your hands, leaving them red and cracked. Lemon Brite contains naturally derived ingredients that work to dissolve grease quickly without irritating your skin, so your hands feel soft long after the dishes are done.
Earth-Smart Choice
Lemon Brite gives you superior dish-cleaning power and leaves dishes spotless without harsh chemicals. Its formula contains biodegradable ingredients, and even the bottle is recyclable.
Lemon Brite dishwashing liquid is part of the EcoSense family of cleaners. Created with super-concentrated formulas and biodegradable ingredients, EcoSense cleaners are the perfect combination of safety, performance, and value. From dishes and cabinets to floors and furniture, EcoSense gives you a cleaner, fresher home—without caustic chemicals, phosphates, or bleach. It’s the kind of care your home, your family, and the environment deserve. That’s clean without compromise. That’s EcoSense. 

There are also others who are happy with Lemon Brite's performance.
Here are a few blog reviews on Lemon Brite:

1. Life of a Happy Mom: How I Keep My Kitchen Sponge From Smelling
2. Changing the World with Melaleuca : Lemon Brite  

Feel free to contact me if you are interested. I can help you to purchase it.  

Melaleuca

Both my husband and I are pretty skeptical when it comes to Multi Level Marketing even though we've seen a lot of people earning extra cash by joining Premium Beautiful, Cosway, Usana and what not. I've been following newsfeed on Facebook and saw a couple of updates from my cousin, Abg Jaafar about how another cousin's eczema was healing because of this product called Renew by Melaleuca. 

Slowly, word gets around and one after another family member with eczema are trying this product. They too are happy with the results.

A picture of my cousin's sons arm that is healing after using Renew Skin Cream. His hand used to be irritated and scaly because of eczema.

My mom told me about how good the products are and both my hubster and I were encourage to join in support of Abg Jaafar. Initially, we thought of just joining and take orders from my mom. We were asked to meet him at their office in Bangsar near Menara UOA (Just on top of Old Town Kopitiam near the Bangsar LRT Station) for him to explain further. A friend of his (who apparently knows me and my family - sorry for not recognizing) was there to explain about the products. We were wondering why she was there but as we went through the products, I understood why. The products that Melaleuca varies from supplements to household products. They have vitamins, shampoo, soaps, lotions, cosmetics, detergents and the list goes on. What attracted us to the product was that they really promote a healthy lifestyle that is eco-friendly. 

Here are a few reasons why:

1. When introduced to this meal supplement called attain, the product was explained to be a supplement for those who are too busy to grab lunch. Unlike other companies that encourages meal supplements as replacements in order to lose weight. 
2. They have these fitness enhancer such as Access bars (which Hubster is now a big fan of) that helps in fat burning during workout sessions. It states there that it helps to turn fat into fuel. How exactly? We'll talk about it later. From what I know, it does give you that extra energy you need. According to hubster, "penat tu still penat tapi tak pancit" (still get tired working out but he still has the energy to carry on and work that extra mile). I kinda like this because it does not tell you that fat loss is easy.
3. The products are eco-friendly that even the bottles are made from biodegradable materials. You can try burning the bottles, it smells different as compared to normal bottles. 
4. The ingredients used are all natural ingredients. They do not use chemicals. (A plus point considering that I've sensitive skin which often get irritated when  I carry out my chores)
5. Most of the products are concentrated that you do not need to use a lot. Some of the cleaning products can be diluted into 6 bottles which will prolly last you for at least 6 months. In the long run, you end up saving not only the earth but also cash!

Well the list goes on. I would advice you to set an appointment to go there for further explanations. 

You might think that you will have to spend thousands to join and will have to spread the word/ sell the products. But really, the commitment is really reasonable. Monthly, you will only need to spend around RM200-300 which is pretty much the same amount of money you spend monthly at your local hypermarket. Looking through my monthly commitment, it wouldn't hurt hubster's wallet my purse. It's just that instead of buying products from the hypermarket, shop at Melaleuca instead. 

After our visit, we decided to purchase a few products for our own use instead of just for my mom.

The Renew cream helped with hubster's eczema. Hubster now not only use their soap and eczema lotion. He now also uses their herbal shampoo as well for scalp care. Me? I'm still finishing the products I have.

We've been purchasing products from them for 2 months now and so far, we are very happy with our purchase. We will share our experience using their products soon.

Not only that, we are currently helping my mom and aunt to purchase the products for them (so that they can get member's price). Friends and other family members are starting to try out the products. 

Visit http://melaleuca.com.my/ Take a look at the products that they have. They are all toxin free with halal certificates from IFANCA.

Owh, by the way, they are having a promotion till the end of the month. The joining fee is just RM10 instead of RM70. If you are interested, contact Jaafar Wan Ismail at 016-2082850.
 

Abg Amril weds Mazni (or Markonah according to Mr Emir the cheeky boy)

The hall that night.

Kak Ida, Myself and Kak Neny

Hubster, Kak Neny, Thira, Abg Iwan, Kak Farah, Kak Ida, Myself and Abg Ronnie.

007?

Hubster with his brother

With Kak Neny, KakFarah and Kak Ida

With Hubster

In Laws

 

Stage/Pelamin

Bride and Groom

Bride and Groom

Little Miss Hopeful

Little Nayla misses winter and especially London. Whenever she gets the chance, she would wear all her winter clothing even when the weather's hot outside. So when Hubster and I went to their place for winter clothing, she got all excited and wore her winter clothing. She wanted to follow us so much that i told her to ask Hubster whether she can follow.

Little Nayla: Can I go too?
Hubster: Only if u can fit the bag..

She got so excited thinking that she can follow if she can fit in. Oh My! Just look at her hopeful face face in the picture!

So when my sister pass me a bag to put the clothes in, I asked her whether she can fit. (Of course the bag my sister gave was very small.) Little Nayla sadly said that the bag was too small for her. Instantly, puss in boots pitiful look was plastered on her face.

Aww.. If only I can take her along..