Eye-brow embroidery

(Nice brow. huh! Marvellous thing it does for me although wearing no traces of makeup as in this pic)

This is taken after i have done eyebrow embroidery, a newer technology then my mom's generation of 'tattoo-like' eyebrow which looks very fake.

Cost me RM 250, but since i had been 'craving' for one since i was pregnant with Elly, and then thought 'Hey, what the heck, Just Do It!' and saves me time on drawing and 'perfecting' my fine and almost invisible eyebrow.

The process of embroidery or simply said, putting the 'paint' into the skin took about 20 minutes. Some friends who have done it say it was very painful but still do it for the sake of beauty. Funny but for me, i dont quite feel the pain. Maybe as a Mommy now, there is no 'pain' like labor pain and I survived!

Mommy's Club

More and more of my friends have been 'promoted' to become 'Mommy', the highest post, with lowest/no pay in the world. If we can measure the kind of work a Mommy does, we shall earn more than a CEO pay! And yet, most of us not only manage to take care of the infants, the home and spend 8-10 waking hours in the office working.

Wow.. when i think back all the things that we can do, it amaze me. So fret not friends, the next time you have a bad hair day, at office or at home, simply because 'Mothers are simply great'! A little mishaps here and there are acceptable.

After reading sharings by Nicole, yeap, i agree, race for 'material' possession does not matter anymore. A smile, a hug or a cheer from the lil' ones makes us happier then striking the lottery.

The World Is Flat

Am reading a book titled 'The World Is Flat' by Thomas Friedman. It's really a good book i recommend for those who want to know more about what is happening to our world, flatten by new discoveries and technologies.

How India and China has wake up from 'sleeping' and boost the economy, how incident of 119 (fall of Berlin wall) and 911(fall of WTC) has changed the world and etc etc

And now i can communicate with all of you regardless of where you are, even as far as Timbuktu! So lucky to live in this era and i begin to imagine the world of tomorrow where my girls will live in, with more new insights and changes.

Instilling more sense of Appreciation

I am not the type of person who can ‘sweet-talk’. To me, perhaps due to upbringing and some traits in me, I always feel that no need to show ‘appreciation so often’, the other party will know and feel the ‘goodness’ if it is the truth.

But now I realized how a little ‘appreciation’ will go a long way. Not only it will brighten someone’s day when we show our expression, it make ourselves feel good too.

So, will try to let more people that know me how much I appreciate them. And if you know me and is more than an acquaintance, let me tell you that I appreciate having you in my life too!

4 glasses of water

Japanese practises drinking 4 glasses of water first thing in the morning. This new habit will cure many sicknesses and as for me, according to the findings, keeping the habit for 10 days consequently will cure my constipation problem.

I am in my 4th day and my constipation or IBS(Irregular Bowel Syndrome) – a new term that I read in a book, seems to get better. Hopefully by the 10th day, it’s all back to normal, and normal means everyday.

Merdeka

In less than a month, it's my country 50th anniversary of independence. We called it 'Merdeka'(independent). Bought a mini flag for Elly and will share with her more about Merdeka. Might be too young for her to understand the true meaning..:)

Wish all Malaysians a happy Merdeka!

20 min in the Gym

I have been frequenting the gym for the 6th day and as i shared earlier i need to stick to it for 21 days in order to direct my brain to stick to this new habit. Initially, i was panting and breathless although only 10 min on the stationary bike.

This week, got slightly better and can complete the 20 min that i set. Plan to do it longer as fat onlygot burn when we do an exercise at least 20 min. Time management gets more important as i need to ensure that i finish my work before rushing to the gym for a 20 min workout.

Hope this regimen can help me to shred the kilos, make my tummy flatter and the lower abdomen 'fitter'. Ganbatte... ganbatte..ganbatte!

Improve my Health

After delivering Emmy, i start to do a 'personal scan' of the condition of my health. These are the findings and i make a pledge to improve the condition by end of the year.

Problematic area:
1.Bad constipation
2.High BMI of 28.5 (to count it, take your weight-kg divided by height-meter square
3.Oily scalp causing dandruff
4.Growing moles (black and brown) on my face

Remedies for the above includes:
1.Drink 4 glasses of water first thing in the morning, drink prune juice, eat more fruits
2.Reduce calorie intake, oily food and less food during dinner
currently able to reduce BMI to 27.3, target is 19.5 (Ganbatte!)
3.Will purchase Head and Shoulders the next time i go shopping
4.No solution at the moment, maybe some 'mini laser' ...(avoid it turn cancerous)

Keeping a New Habit

Recently, started to develop a few new habits. Accordings to findings, in order to keep a new habit and make it stay with us forever, we need to keep it for 21 days and by then, eventually it become part of us already.

My new habits:
1. Wake up 1/2 hour early for some 'personal time'


2.20 min in gym 4 times a week (My workplace has a gym so i can easily stick to it)


3.Drink 4 glasses (4 x 160 ml) water every morning before food


4.Read at least a book once a month


5.Stand instead of sit, walk instead of stand, run instead of walk

Great Books

Have been reading some great books in the month of July which are worth sharing


1.Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

Story was about Eddie who died and went up to heaven and meet 5 people, each with a lesson for Eddie, a stranger, his commando, his dad, his wife and a young girl that he saved that cost his life.

2.For One More Day by Mitch Albom

Story was about who spent another day in his life with his Mom who had passed away. Sounds bizarre huh! But the narration was simple and nice.

3.How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job by Dale Carnegie

This is book that i called 'Self-Help'. Learnt many true and tested ways to enjoy my life and my my job more interesting and most important, how to 'enjoy' my job. Spending most of my day in the office, learning to enjoy my job add colors to my life.

4.Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

Are you and your other-half/children/friends are speaking the same love language? Just like English, Mandarin or Italian, there are actually 5 different love languages to be discovered. Acts of service, affirmation of words, physical touch, quality time and gifts of love. Improve my relationship with my loved ones.

Virtually in OHIO, US

I am in the midst of my 11 days annual leave. Yeah, i can have the luxury of spending a long leave by working in a large GLC. Nah, not travelling or have any special project, just to clear my leave and spend some time at home with my darling Elly and also 'virtually' travel to OHIO, US since Sky is working there.

My awaited long leave

Work 2 more days and i will be off for 11 days.. yeh yeh!

Nah. no special place to go, will be with Elly and spend the good time with her at home. Time to slow down and not do anything.

Strange you may think, but yeap, that is what i plan to do. We are too fast speeding in our life. We want speed in everything, and , before menopause hit us, we will look like an old lady!

So this is the best time to sit back and relax and contemplate. What else will help me lead a better life? I have a good one now (seriously i think i do)

Hmm... (???)

Eye Make-up

From this...




To this...




Learnt some new eye make up from a famout blogger. Check it out at xiaxue.blogspot.com, one of the Feb 2006 entries.

Good luck to you. As for myself, i am practising hard too:)

10,000 steps a day

After 6 months since giving birth to darling Elly, i seem still far from my pre-pregnancy weight. Another 6kg to shred and i am losing the patient!

Then i came upon a book called 'Female Cells after Pregnancy'.. well it is something i need to know. The book really makes me feel better, asking me to treat my body better and take it slow in shredding the fat.

And how to juggle exercise with my new title as Mom. So since finding time to exercise is so hard with Elly around, i will work something easier. Like 10,000 steps a day!

Yeah, i am sure i can do it!

Rediscover my passion

I now BMO(Bring My Own) food for breakfast and lunch to the office since i detected my health problem. Nah, not really cooking but some whole grain stuffs. So after lunch i will go to the library in my office to browse through the mags and books.

I think it had been a year since i last visited the library. Now, since i BMO, i have a lot of extra time to browse the mags and books. And lunch time become a time that i am looking forward to as i can sit quieyly at one corner and read my fav. mags. These includes Readers Digest, National Geographic, Men Fitness(yes, u think i am crazy? to read Men's mag), Anjung Seri, The Peak, PC, and the Newsweek series ie Fortune, Economist, Asiaweek. Businessweek etc etc

I dont actually read all the articles, but browse through the colorful pages and stop to read when there is an interesting article. Through the habit for the past one week, i rediscover myself, and i'm glad it helps me to reflect the life that i have now.

Also, when one dont have the resources(time and money) to travel, through reading it brings me to all the wonderful places in the world. Seeing the pictures in National Geographic impressed me, making me realised what a fantastic place that we are living in.

The wonders that i received through reading is so fabulous. M thinking now how to cultivate the reading habit for Elly...hmmm

Yoga

Woke up early to Yoga on a breautiful Sunday morning. The feeling was just great when i did some of the Yoga poses. Some stretches just made the muscles great. Did some balancing acts and Gosh... i dont realise that i was so poor in balancing myself. The last time i did Yoga was like a year ago, when i was 3 months pregnant.

I made a pledge, to do Yoga more often as I just feel great during and after doing it.

Gotta go now, my darling is awake and she is 'babbling' for attention.

Of course, then, Have a beautiful SUNDAY!

Quotes for Sharing (for Married couple)

I came across 2 nice quotes that i feel i must share to my friends and relatives.

The key to a long and healthy marriage is, honestly, there is nothing worth fighting about. Joy Leno, Good Housekeeping

If my wife is decided to leave home, I will follow her.
Jon Bon Jovi, singer

Lazy Weekend at Home

With a new kid in the family, weekends are normally spend at home sweet home. Not that we dont want to go out, breath fresh air, shopping and sight-seeing, but going out, although to run a quick errand, we have to bring big and small bags of the baby stuffs.

Well, i try to make my weekend more 'colorful' by adding on various activities. Else, life would be boring and dull. Since i found new passion on blogging, normally on weekends, i will spend some time to update my blogs(this and that).

Typical weekends activities will include:
1. Some 'walk-in' friends and relatives to visit Elly or we go visit Elly's grandparents
2.Movie marathon (this month is scary/horror/ghost genre)
includes The Wig, Bangkok Haunted, Cello, The Village, Sister
3.Reading magazines and novels
am reading CLEO, Readers Digest, and Message from NAM
4.Spa.. yeah i am going to include this in my weekend regime)
will try 'yogurt facial' and yogurt body scrub (will update more if i am successful in it)
5.Surfing internet, Friendsters and friends blogs (great to hear updates abt old/faraway pals)
6. Meditate
yeah.. i need to include this activity to tell my mind to take control esp since my health is not good.
7.Exercise
will include some stretchings, yoga and pilates....oh mind oh mind...please be more discipline
8.Morning stroll to nearby market to buy the week supply of food
9.My favorite TV pgms
Guess guess guess, Travel pgm, and Food hunting pgms
10.And all extra time goes to Elly, my darling

***and now i will make myself a yogurt facial spa ***happy...happy***

A New Day Has Come (Celine Dion)

A New Day Has Come Video - Celine Dion lyrics

Celine Dion Music Video Codes

Music Video Codes by VideoCure.com

A new day...
A new day...

I was waiting for so long
For a miracle to come
Everyone told me to be strong
Hold on and don't shed a tear

Through the darkness and good times
I knew I'd make it through
And the world thought I had it all
But I was waiting for you

Hush now

I see a light in the sky
Oh, it's almost blinding me
I can't believe I've been touched by an angel with love

Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new, new sun

A new day has... come

Where it was dark now there's light
Where there was pain now there's joy
Where there was weakness, I found my strength
All in the eyes of a boy

Hush now

I see a light in the sky
Oh, it's almost blinding me
I can't believe
I've been touched by an angel with love

Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new, new sun

A new day has... come

Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new, new sun

A new day has... come

Ohhh, a light

Hush now

I see a light in your eyes
All in the eyes of the boy

I can't believe
I've been touched by an angel with love

I can't believe
I've been touched by an angel with love

Hush now
a new day
Hush now
a new day

An evening in KLCC

Yuhuuu.. it was Friday evening. It was the best day of the working week as i can leave the office at 4.45 pm. Since had made a dinner appointment with Sky and Alex, i head to KLCC for some window shopping while waiting for the 2 gentlemen.

As usual, once stepped out of the LRT station, the aroma of the Mexico bun filled the air. Calorie counting, i was grateful on the zero-calorie smell of the Mexico bun. I stopped at News to browse the latest woman magazines which includes Marie Claire and Malaysian Women Weekly. Nothing special that caught my attention in the magazines beside the latest trends and fashion.

Next i head to Cameleon, a shop that sells girls accessories from hairbands to hairclips, necklaces, etc etc. I realised that the price were so expensive. Imagine a small hairclip is priced at RM 12.90 to RM 19.90! No wonder there is this common saying that women's money is the easiest to be earned.

My next stop was the Kinokuniya bookstore. Browse through some Parenthood magazines and then some Health and Beauty magazines. There was a magazine called 'Prevention' which highlights on Health, exercise and healthy food. An eye-catching phrase caught my attention “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” by Mae West, an actress who lived from 1892-1980.