Never thought I'ld say this but I want to be a Fisherman! (or Woman)

Being the Youngest and coming from a slightly above average family, people always think that both Hubs and I have things easy. We often get remarks like, "it's easy for you, we have to struggle for savings" when people explain to us of their misfortune. Sorry honey, that isn't the case for us. Both of us are working 2 jobs while taking up some projects in order to live our lives. Yes, we do have parents who will support us should there be any need to do so but we were not spoon-fed. We were taught to make the best of what we have.Knowledge of how to farm for a fruitful outcome is more like it (metaphorically).

Things aren't always easy for us. While I was expecting, Hubster had to undergo lots to physio therapy so money was very much a big concern to us. He kept calculating our expenses and we would stay in just cause we did not have the budget for nights out. I was often reminded that there are things (that i crave at that time) we can't afford. So, it'll just be me cooking till my feet swell even more and by 9pm, I'll be fast asleep.


Our normal visit to the market will be like me picking up strawberries looking at Hubs hopefully and him saying, "tak payah la..". Most of the time I would agree with him, some times, I will secretly buy that fancy treat. I kept asking my husband on when will our next trip be since I've been wanting to go to Singapore and Cameron Highlands then but we didn't have sufficient funds as we needed to allocate money for hubs theraphy session and with a baby on the way. We were lucky enough to be given a honeymoon package to Langkawi as a wedding present from AK and Kak Siti.

Honestly, I do envy people who gets things easy. Some people are blessed to have things handed to them. That is till my friend, Lai said something to me that made me rethink about things: Are those who got things easily lucky or should we be thankful to not have been handed things easily? Lai told me off the Fisherman metaphor:
If you were given a fish, you can only cook it. Once you eat it, it's gone. But if you have a fishing net, you can keep on fishing, that way you will always have something on your plate. So, be thankful that you have the knowledge to fish. Now, that brings us to a whole new perspective, don't you think?

People may not always be fair but God is. Because things were not given to me, I've learned how to gain them. Looking things at that perspective, makes me even more thankful for all the challenges that has been brought upon me. I should really start counting my blessings kan.. Also, makes me proud of how responsible and independent my husband is in working hard to provide for our little family. Thank you also for making me a better fisher.. errr...in my case, woman..fisherwoman. Love you always... MUACHSSS!!

Affordable Workout Attire

Living in Malaysia, we have very limited choices when it comes to workout attires. The usual brands that we would go for are Adidas, Nike, Lorna Jane and Puma.

Rita Ora for Adidas

Lorna Jane

Nike

Reebok

One thing about all these commercially established brands is that as awessomely stylish as they look, they tend to burn your wallet (Like a LOT!).

However, after looking around, I've found a few brands available in Malaysia that is less than RM100. Check them Out!

1. H&M Malaysia
   
   
2. Cotton On
   
   
   
   
   
3. Amnig
   
4. Decathlon
   
5. AshBeNimble
   This is my personal favorite! The material is super awesome and very fashionable. Designed in Kuala Lumpur! Support your Malaysian brand! There's a pop up store just opposite my house. Went there last Wednesday and I must say that I fell in love with their collection! Am so asking my husband for a whole outfit for my upcoming birthday in January! Got a pair of pants and can't wait to yoga in them!
   
   

A good video on Moving On....

This is a very good video about moving on post relationship...

We have all gone through phases in life when we will have to move on from our past. There are many things that we have to go through before reaching that state with we are "renewed".

"Only when you don't have to consider on anyone else when you can focus on your life and creating the best possible version of yourself"

Love that phrase. Couldn't agree more, couldn't have said better..
Enjoy watching this video!

Express Warm Up

Pre-Workout Supplement

As I was about to drink my pre-workout drink, I was called by a supervisor on an enquiry. It took a little while that I was late for my gym session when my gym partner, YanaAeonFlux has been waiting for me. She started warming up first. Coincidently, both lifts weren't working so I had to run down the stairs. This could not have happen at a better time. Running down the stairs had my body warmed up and kicked start my routine. Time saved kan? Maybe I should consider running down the stairs before gym... LoL!

Both Lifts Not Working

Running Down the Stairs.. I was holding the phone.. Tu yang sempat ambik gambar... Asalkan boleh...

YanaAeonFlux doing her " Thang".. Ok, Lengan dah slim... bole jadi cam Rio Elani dah.. Haha!!! I Wish!

When asked what zara would like for her birthday present

Zara's Diet

Deciding on how to wean Zara was not an easy task for me. To be frank, I would really like to use the Baby Led Weaning (BLW) approach where instead of starting with purees, they straight away start with healthy whole food for the baby to hold and munch. It is believed that this method teaches the child motor skills and contrary to what the old school taught us, studies shown that BLW babies has minimal chances of choking compared to babies who started with purees. However, the method can be very tedious and it is hard to apply when someone else is taking care of Zara when  I am at work. So we started her with natural purees of vegetables and fruits. 

As time passes by, we (hubs and I) give Zara the chance to explore. We do get a few stares for feeding Zara watermelons, nasi beryani, rice soaked in vegetables, pasta and what not. Seems like she is eating anything like we grown ups do, just at a much softer diet and minimal (like very minimal that there isn't most of the time) salt. Alhamdulillah, she seems to be eating well (not a picky eater). We get asked a lot on what's her diet like. Our answer is simple, as long as the food is not processed, NON-GMO, not salty and does not contain MSG, if she wants to try it, we would give it a go. For example, we were at Hokkaido Sushi when we gave her some of my Salmon Teriyaki (sans the sauce). She really enjoyed it and looking at her excitement was definitely pleasurable.

feeding Zara Mushroom, Chicken and Brocolli Soup.

We really try our best to avoid junk food but give way to rice rusks to help her with the gum itch she's been getting when her teeth is about the come out. Sure, her well being is our main concern. We only let her have the rusks or Organic Puffs when she had her milk and main meals.

Zara sharing Organic Puffs with her cousin Khyra. There's a lot of debate on whether these banana snacks are junk food. However, I'ld rather have her munching these than those GMO stuffs.

One of the best thing about this is watching her enjoy her food and I am glad that I get to contribute by cooking for her. I bought the App called Annabel Karmel's Guide to feeding your baby and toddler. There, they taught us ways of how to add flavour to our food without using salt. For example, prunes and thyme add flavour to bolognaise. The tips I got from there gave me ideas on how to improvise the recipes for my lunchboxes. Eating healthy does not have to taste boring. :p Zara loves the meals i tried from Annabel Karmel. If you have a baby, you should try it. Good luck and Enjoy the Process! 

Back After Long Hiatus

It's been months since my last post and my blog is starting to get outdated. Well, it is already outdated. So many things has changed. My hands are pretty much tied up. Sure, I get a lot of people telling me that If i really want to, i can surely have time for it. I just smile back at them. Sometimes, I feel tired of explaning to them what my priorities are. Sometimes, I wonder whether do I need to explain myself. If you have me on facebook, you might notice that recently, my post has been about packed food, health and fitness; and my family (especially my daughter). Well, that is pretty much what i'm into. Here's what I've been up to:

A) My Family

Being a mom can be pretty handful especially when you have an active daughter. Regardless how my husband and I believe that we must always keep our identity and maintain good relationships with friends, our daughter will always be our number one priority. Next week, she will turn 1 year old. Can't believe how fast time flies but watching her development is a blessing. 

B) TTl Health and Wellness

Previously, I managed to help my husband to reduce his body fat from 23% to 12%. He wanted the same result so I started preparing meals for him based on proportionate eating. We don't go on to strict diet because we want something that is eating to adapt instead of a yo-yo kind of diet. Moderation is the key. A healthier option is chosen but that doesn't mean that we dont cheat once in a while. That way we can avoid cravings. After preparing meals for ourselves, we were requested to prepare meals for others. One thing lead to another and now, we've been preparing lunch packs and delivering them to a few places like Cyberjaya, Mines, KLCC and Taman Tun Dr Ismail. 

C) Health and Fitness 

Health and fitness has always been something that Both Hubster and I are interested in. However, my mommy duties keeps me away from the gym. I did join a few events but just 2-3 sessions a month won't suffice for my body to change for the better. Luckily, my husband just told me that he is confident enough to take care of Zara alone so I spare some time at the gym. Big yeay! I have started 2 warm up sessions with my colleague, YanaZ as we aim for a 4 month challenge to get a bikini worthy figure. #projekbikinibodykami Will prolly talk about it more the next time. 

D) Shaklee

My post on Shaklee may have gotten less but that's only because i'm sharing the space with TTL lunch packs. There's no denying how effective the products are. I'll prolly be repeating the benefits over and over. Being safe for breastfeeding mothers is definitely a plus point. The supplements helped me to exclusively breastfeed up till today and their household cleaning products has definitely made my life easier. I only found that their dishwasher is the best I've ever used! If you are interested in them, please feel free to contact me. 

Being a mom with a day job, part time business which requires me to wake up as early as 4.30 am every morning, fully breastfeeding, a wife to an engineer who is a part time dance instructor, active in gym and football can be pretty time consuming but Alhamdulillah, I can still manage it with a lil help here and there. Of course, I wouldn't be able to make it without my husbands support. Lets pray that I'll be able to keep this blog alive. It should be possible right since I'm a Superwoman in the making! 😉 Haha!! Gotta Aim for the Stars kan? Wish me luck!