i shall not stop writing.

my inspiration for this entry ;)

It's 11.15pm when I started typing this and am just dreading the moment, if, in case little jj does a number on me the way she did late last night.

Ok, I must say that she has expanded her vocabulary awfully quick. Although most of the time she would talk gibberish, there would be times when we are all surprised by the words that came out of her without us pushing her to repeat after us.

Like the other day, she held her precious giraffe toy and said, "biraffe"...

Then she pointed out a photo of shoes and boots in her counting & colours book and said, "syuuu"...

And she loves to pick up coins from our room or her brother's room and would hand them over to me. Usually, I would say thank you to her but the other day, she said, "kangkoo" before handing over the coins ;)

Yesterday, she saw the birth of a baby giraffe on Animal Planet and said, "goat!" haha...

And we recently saw her acting on her curiosity at mommy's beloved kitchen. Being a toddler, she's a naturally curious munchkin. But, I had always been able to manage that curiosity because she would hear me say, "No", and be very obedient not to touch stuff in the kitchen. Even when I leave a cupboard open, she would just look at the cookwares and plates and stuff and not touch them... until very recently, though. It helped that our kitchen cabinets do not have knobs on them. As it is pretty difficult to open them, she had only learnt the tricks to that and only recently started to rummage through everything. Yup, that she recently did.

Being her mom and knowing her baby's character to the T, I wondered when she'd start getting sick. You know how it is with some beliefs that when a baby starts to acquire certain skills, she'd be down with fever? I remembered when she started to count 1-10 out loud months ago and said few things like 'abang' and 'atuk' and 'nenek' and 'cupcakes' and 'chicken' and stuff, she fell ill right after :D but that was expected because I did read somewhere on the net that a baby's brain can only absorb an X amount of info and too much info all at once can be pretty overwhelming for them.

So, with this belief and an anticipation to be prepared for another bout of fever especially since she's been sneezing a lot too, I got disturbed when she kept crying at many intervals last night although she has turned in by 10pm. It was after midnight when she cried non-stop and though I would like to just ignore it since daddy can manage, I was worried that she actually had developed a temperature.

I was glad, though, that I checked in on her because the top part of her pyjamas was wet from her tears and I definitely didn't want her to catch cold since she sleeps in an air-conditioned room. Changed her into another pair of pyjamas and held her tight while I lay on my back on the sofa in the living room.

Now, this is another new habit she has... she loves to just lie on her tummy while she's either on her daddy, her abang or moi... only the three of us. It's as if she misses hearing the sound of the heartbeat that when she's cranky, she'd instantly become calm when she lies on us that way.

She held me tight as if not wanting me to leave her (since I don't sleep with her anymore) and I actually thought she would fall asleep soon after. To my surprise, she lifted her head and said, "kih kih kih muahh muaahh" while she kissed my face repeatedly hehe...

So, from around 1 am til probably 4.30am, I was with her (while I fell asleep on and off) watching episodes of Chuggington, and Handy Manny... and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, where by this time, she was already on her feet and jumping to the tunes... and Special Agent OSO, and so on. At one point, I actually thought she went into our room because I could hear her say, "beat beat beat", where she would tap on us if she wants to wake someone up hehe... but I later realised that she actually went to her abang's room to get him to play with her. Abang, of course, was snoring heavily as we all had a looooong day yesterday, walking around in Ikea and then picking up daddy before we headed over to Giant's to get diapers.

Oh ya, the one woke up for awhile to accompany us at the living room during all these. In fact, at first I thought he woke up to switch to the sports channel but I guess he was tired as well and went back into the room soon after.

Around 4.30am when I could see little jj being fidgety, I reckon that I should push her to sleep and the only way to do it (when mommy has to put her to sleep in the room) was to offer her my boobies. Yup, although she has weaned off me completely, she still haven't got the hang of no boobies to sleep when she's laid to sleep in the room.... only with mommy, and only when she's in the room. So, by the time she had totally fell asleep was about an hour later.

Damn it was a truly tiring night for me and I was glad that today was a pretty calm day... The best part of it was that little jj fell asleep very easily for her afternoon nap and that lasted a good 3 hours of peace and serenity ;)

As a mom, I am of course extremely happy to see how cute she's become and how much she has developed so far... we are all adjusting to her new habits and even bought a gate for our kitchen. Yup, my fault that I had asked the contractor to remove the door to our kitchen because I felt that it wasn't necessary but then again, I wouldn't feel safe to not know what's happening inside the house if I were to cook with the door closed. So, we're only starting to install the gate.

Her latest habits make her feel so precious to me and I love that bond of holding her tight and keeping her secure. It can be daunting at times when she needs me to be near her almost all the time and it can be pretty tiring when she starts to get very demanding but most of the time, and hearing her talk, I feel so damn proud of her.

I count my blessings and am truly grateful for everything in my life.

Ok... it is already after midnight and I have a feeling she wouldn't be pulling that same stint tonight *cross my fingers*

Owh, it's a Friday already! Shall I plan for a day out to KLCC tomorrow (I mean, today)?? *wink*

little jj did this with my phone for the first time ever...

Last Sunday we had to force ourselves out of the apartment as TNB was doing some maintenance work at our condo and there would be a power outage from 10am-3pm.

We were pretty lazy to do anything at first since we were already out almost an entire day the day before. But... since both our pwincesh and the little munchkin cannot stand the heat these days, we knew we had to find something to do outside.

At first, we even thought of going for a 'picnic' at our poolside... you know, just to swim all day, have lunch from McD's, bask in the sun, and then swim summore... but it's fine if there were just the one and I... it wouldn't be very comfortable for little jj, though, as she'd need her nap and all.

So, by 10ish, we were out having breakfast at our favourite Restoran Subang, opposite FAM. We took our sweet time, have the car washed just behind the restaurant and just lepak. It has been awhile since we relaxed like this. Usually, we'd always be pressed for time, wanting to rush here and there trying to get as many things done as possible. It was a nice change to be able to sit, read the papers, enjoy the food and not worry about what comes next.

We were still contemplating on 2 things... to head over to my mom's place which was just 10 minutes away or we could either head on to IOI Mall, Puchong (because we've never ever been there!) or Mines Shopping Centre because it was far and little jj could enjoy the view of the water way ala Venice or we could just go 1 Utama again because we know what we could do there. When we got into the car, the one suddenly suggested Sunway Pyramid since it is huge enough to while away time until electricity comes back on at our place and also because it has been such a long time since we went there.

So, Sunway Pyramid it was.

First up, definitely and always, the IT section. Since years back, Sunway Pyramid's IT section has always been said to be comparable to the shops at Low Yat. Thus, most of the gadgets that we own came from here, if not the Digital Mall at Section 14, PJ. The one could spend hours in this section especially if he drops by his favourite gaming shop. Heck, even choosing a suitable mouse for his netbook takes awhile before he settles for something he really likes. As for moi, my opinion doesn't really count since I am not a techie geek and have not much techie knowledge, and that my choices are always based on cosmetic factor hehe... so, yeah.. take that orange mouse because it is tiny and cute or that bright red laptop because red is gorgeous ;P then again, I am biased in some stuff like I only use Nokia phones after a not-that-great experience using the Sony Ericsson's K700i and the Motorola's Motoming, and I only use a Mac computer because I think they are the best in terms of its processing system, gorgeous factor and value for money. So, I am not much help in this department ;P

When it was almost close to lunch time, we decided to grab something for little jj since all of us are still full from the big breakfast we had earlier. I suddenly remembered my best buddy, Ai Mei, whom I met on Friday, mentioning this delectable cheese hot dog pretzel from Auntie Anne's. She said that her Jeremy loved it and I thought of giving it a try.

So, there I went, queueing up for the hot dog when the one then gave me a signal that little jj was fast asleep in her stroller hehe... grabbed an additional lemonade and snack for us all to rest our feet before embarking on our journey to dunno whichothershops.

I think we scoured every single inch of the mall! hehe... oh, and I made sure to drop by one of my latest favourite outlet - Marks & Spencer. See... their clothes have always been too large for me but recently, I just discovered that their clothes sit well on my [slightly] heavier bod and their jeans/pants look so perfect on me. If you've never checked them out, you should... they have improved a lot on their designs and they do not look as boring as they did before. Then again, I think our local distributors were the ones who brought in them boring designs from the UK.

I was looking high and low for some of their collection I saw in their catalogue but was disppointed when I checked out their outlets in 1U and KLCC. What do you know... the one in Sunway Pyramid actually has a better variety in their store! Well, at least in my opinion.

The jeans and pants that I've bought in M&S are really smart for us moms with tummies because the waistband is placed so perfectly on our problem area and your tummy will not look bulgy. You know how it is with those low-waisted pants/jeans which will give you that 'spare tyre' look especially when you sit down???... hah... no more of those when I sit ;) Oh, for those of you with 'thunder-thighs', their pants and jeans will fit you well too :)

I also think that their fitting rooms are roomier here... could it be due to the fact that they are built with the Arabs in mind? I mean, we all know the nearby Sunway Resort Hotel is always a popular hangout for those from the Middle East.

Little jj had a really good sleep and woke up around 2 hours later when we were all trying out some healthy fruit concoction just a floor above the skating rink. They were giving out some free-tasting mixed fruit juice and since we were already pretty tired from walking 20km (kidding!) we decided to give them a try.

While we were there, we even caught a couple who ordered just one drink and played a game on their respective iPhones, with each other... kind of reminded us those days when we were dating where we always played scrabble on our Palm, using the infrared to connect to each other after we've formed our words ;)

When little jj woke up, I fed her the hot dog and boy, did she love it... she ate 3/4 of it. I was surprised that she could really eat that much :D

It was almost 4pm when we decided to make a move. But before we left Sunway Pyramid, we went over to their babies' changing room (I love their baby room, as reviewed here before).

When we got home, the electricity was already back on and instead of continuing work, I decided to join my boys and pwincesh in the pool.

I've always been a person who likes things to be well planned according to time and specific schedules so that I could plan out when (and how long I'd need) for house chores like laundry or even work that needs to be done on the computer. But sometimes, in cases like this, it sure was fun to be able to just relax and not be restricted to time. Of course I can't do that all the time because I'd need to prioritise my tasks as I could never tell what will happen next with the baby and deadlines I've committed but it sure was welcoming to be able to just put any worries aside and deal with things as and when.

Oh, I am telling you, it feels great to be able to do something good for yourself... and that doesn't involve a big hole in your pocket. Well, a small teensy weensy damage but nothing worrying ;)

See, I've been wanting to go back swimming for the longest time. The last time I swam was when little jj was about 8 months in my tummy. I was heavy but I floated gracefully ;P

I've always believed in the power of swimming. It must be my best strength training yet because firstly, I never could commit going to the gym regularly. The most was 2 months straight and after that, I kept paying the monthly fees without even showing my face at the gym. Secondly, I just hate the stress of looking for parking and now that there are much more commitments at home, I don't think I have the time. Thirdly, you practically do not sweat from swimming and you can even run in the pool where the heavy load of water makes it a perfect resistance to your movements, making you use most part of your muscles. And when you're tired, you could just lie on your back and float in the pool, with the calming sound of water around you. It's so relaxing.

The best part about staying in a condo is the ability to use the swimming pool. I have always loved the water... since young I always had an ambition to be like our then national swimmer, Nurul Huda Abdullah, who kept winning golds in SEA Games and all. I swam so much that my shoulders became much broader than normal girls my height. But, that ambition became just a dream as I wasn't as fast as most people in swimming. But swimming has always been a part of my life and I just cannot look at a swimming pool without the urge of jumping into it ;P

I haven't been swimming since the baby was born partly because I had difficulties to handle the demands of a breastfeeding baby and loads of work day and night. Partly too because I had body issues... I was still on the chubby side and didn't feel all that comfortable with the way I looked. Of course, these things come in a phase and I managed to get out of it after about a year as little jj drank less from me and my appetite started to be more manageable as I become less hungry. Still, I have always dreamt of getting back into shape and there are no better shortcuts (and cheaper too!) than to swim. I figured out, even with work to be done at night, I could slot in swimming for at least an hour every alternate days so that I have more energy after the exercise and that no one will see my bulges/stretch marks at night. Haha but as usual, there are those excuses after excuses especially since the pool at our condo is ice cold at night.

But but but... seeing another friend my age all geared up to lead a healthier lifestyle (and to obtain a leaner body), I suddenly felt so motivated to actually get off my butt instead of complain and feel bad about myself. I mean, you can't keep on blaming the entire world on your issues and there are things that you need to take control because they are all under your control, really.

I digress.

Yesterday, I put on my old swimming gear that I haven't worn in years and it was so difficult to get in and out of it. But I persevered. I needed to swim.

I got out of the apartment, went downstairs and headed to the pool when I realised it was pouring. Heavy rain, in fact. Damn... it was already so difficult to fight with the inner voice inside my head as it kept telling me to rest at home... that I had so much work to do... and that I could just swim the next day but I fought hard with it... and was totally frustrated at the outcome. It was too dangerous to swim and I did not want to get sick. I guess that is a legal excuse, isn't it?

So worried that it would put off this spirit in me, I kept thinking about Dilla who's on her way to a better self and off I went to get a new bathing suit which I got for only RM58 after a 50% discount. I thought that was a real good sign for me and there I was, happily swimming away after I had cooked dinner for my angels and fed little jj her dinner.

At first I only did half a lap... and then 1 lap non-stop at the swimming pool that's probably half the size of an olympic pool. I then did 2 laps non-stop, enjoyed the peace and serenity and then surprised myself with a possible 7 laps non-stop for 20 minutes (I lost count on how many laps I actually did). I did a relaxingly slow front crawl all the way so that I didn't use too much of my energy and I forced myself to stop so that I didn't over exert myself as I had plenty of things to do tomorrow... can't afford any cramps in my muscles.

After I was done, I went back upstairs and made sure to take some photos of those flabs to see how far I'd go from tonight.

We shall see...

I guess it all takes some little courage to just get up and go do what you've always known you had to do. Once you have gone past that hurdle, it would give you enough strength to keep going, InsyaAllah...

Thanks, Dilla... you don't know what a big influence you had on me.

Made my way with my little tote (little jj, I mean) to Ikea over lunch today to meet a friend, Ros, who was showing me some stuff she was selling.

I had just added her in my fb friends list after meeting her while I visited a friend at the hospital. I've bumped into Ros a few times before but we never got to chat the way we did that day. So, after she had confirmed my request to add her, I went browsing away her fb page and discovered that she owns a blog selling authentic american brand goods.

Anyway, in my haste to get everything done in the morning - like feeding little jj, getting everyone ready, getting myself ready and sending the little munchkin to school, I reached Ikea only to realise that I forgot little jj's baby bag. And I hate when that happens!

See, it is a norm every time we leave the house - that I am usually busy with little jj and my eldest is entrusted with the responsibility to carry his little sister's baby bag. But I guess he had forgotten all about it this morning and since I was so engrossed with chasing after little jj before she gets into the elevator alone, I totally didn't see the lack of one more bag in my eldest's hands.

I was stumped when I couldn't find the bag. Because I had already reached my destination and I have parked the car. What made it worse was that I brought my little handbag instead of my usual large one that contains the entire house :( hehe... almost.

But, in a split second, I decided that I would just meet Ros and rush back home as soon as we're done. After all, I had given little jj milk just before we left the house, I had changed her diaper as well and the things I was worried about was her top getting dirty at lunch as I didn't have her bib, the absence of her favourite water tumbler and if she did a number 2 - which were all points that I deemed manageable, if they did occur.

Oh, but little jj gave me a pleasant surprise, though... she behaved so well and my concerns were unfounded. I placed her in the high chair at Ikea's cafe and she played on her own while I bought lunch. I know she likes fries and I ordered the famous Swedish Meatballs that comes with fries. For her drink, I got her the Spritzer Mineral Water and made sure I got a straw as well. When I got back to the table, she was all quiet minding her own business and Ros and another friend, Aje, were also surprised that little jj didn't cry for me. Wahhh... she's a big girl already *sob sob*

So, I had my meatballs and little jj ate away her fries while I chat away with Ros and Aje. In the middle of it, I fed her my meatballs and little jj truly loved it... so much so that she totally rejected the fries I gave her after that and only wanted the meatballs :) She was so full after the last piece of meatball and she then started to get cranky as she wanted to sleep. Thankfully, I was already done by then. All in all, I think I had a good 1 1/2 hours before I had to grant her my full attention.

Anyway, in the end, I didn't get anything from Ros although I initially thought I would get this sling bag from her. It looked really gorgeous to me but after I tried it on me, it didn't really complement me due to its relatively large size compared to my petite frame. The sling can be adjusted to a handbag but it defeats the purpose since I know I will never use it as a handbag.

Ros also brought other stuff like other types of bags, wallets and even a collared-T. I felt very tempted to get at least one other stuff from her but I realised that I cannot lose focus. I think I've been going on a shopping spree these couple of months and I think I should really stop doing that... I mean, I am worried of this inability to control myself where I cannot stop shopping, and always using the excuse that I haven't been shopping much for myself for the 18 months since little jj was born... that I wasn't able to do anything much until recently when she weaned off of me. There's really no end to shopping and the needs that I keep wanting to fulfill!

So... when I realised this particular factor just a couple of weeks ago, I started to see that having self-control is a form of self empowerment that can make you feel just as good.

Yes, you may be able to afford those things you buy but if you don't really need them in the first place, it may be wiser to keep your mind focused and move on to what's more important in life.

I think I sorta already filled that void I was feeling for the many things I had to sacrifice. I know you may think it isn't much but to those who know me well, and know how much I love the beautiful things in life like dressing up and taking care of my skin, visits to the hair salon and all things vain, the fact that I had pushed them all far back in order to tend to a very clingy baby (and also because money is better spent on the kids anyways), 18 months seem to be a huge achievement for me.

I had so much fun shopping the last couple of months and got plenty of new stuff since I saw my size [almost] returning to normal. I still can't fit into my old clothes and I am too small to fit in those large non-maternity attires I wore during my pregnancy... so you can imagine the many stuff I got to fill the void in my cupboard. But that need didn't go away and I kept going shopping, at times not even bothered about the price tags.

So, with the realisation that it's time to stop as I've enough new clothes, make up and skincare products to get by for another year (yeah yeah... we'll see), I am now keeping my mind focused on this promise I made to myself.

And... since that sling bag wasn't suited for vertically challenged moi, I guess I shouldn't let myself be tempted to spend on other stuff unnecessarily. Gosh... that felt good. I think! ;P

Now, over to more important matters... :)

I received so many enquiries on what happened to the date I had with the one and I regret not being able to write sooner due to moi being tied up with work again and staring at the computer screen for any longer hours even to update the blog makes me nauseous ;P

I must say that we both had a blast. We had an awesome time together. Well, I guess we always had so much fun together except that these past years, most of our conversation always focused on what our children did, what they did not do, what they need, what they don't, well... you get my drift.

This time, thanks to one very useful advise from a friend, we refrained from talking about our kids during the short date and it felt almost like we were out on our first date.

I guess it felt that way for a fact that firstly, I have lost those few kilos (finally!) after more than a year, and... last Friday was the first time that I really dressed to kill for the date. So much so, that I did take the one's breath away hehe... this is not a perasan statement okeh, cos you can also read it here...

Well, I have never worn boots in any of our dates before though I am a fan of boots. And, knowing that the one does have his preference of what kind of clothes he likes me in, I decided to dress waaaay different than what he may think I would wear. The element of surprise is always a risk - you may strike the right chords yet it can even get disastrous. I am so glad, though, that my touch with fashion is still there although I did think I was a little 'over-doing' it - wearing a new pink top I've never worn, with a skirt that I haven't worn in years, paired with that long boots I bought on our UK trip a year back. He has never seen me in that combination and I was afraid that it may be a little too much for a Monday night hehe....

I started preparing so early, even. I went through my wardrobe as early as 3pm and I felt butterflies in my tummy. I got so darn excited that I hoped the one was feeling the same way. After all, we have not gone out alone together since the last 2 years and I was hoping that things will turn out really well.

Little jj didn't quite help as she didn't nap until half an hour before I was to drop her off at nenek's. And we all know that if she didn't get at least half an hour of sleep, she'd be a tough baby to handle. But I wasn't gonna be late since I would need to go through rush hour traffic into KL. Plus, little jj needs time to warm up at nenek's before I could leave her and I had to remain calm so that she couldn't sense any tension... I mean, babies could sense these kind of negative energy and they'd get tensed as well.

So, while she cried from the lack of sleep and was making it a little difficult for me, her favourite baby biscuits kept her happy... she munched on them while watching tv and my mom distracted her before I could leave silently.

When I reached Pavilion KL, I felt so many stares on me. I don't know if it was the outfit or whether my skirt was pulled up and people saw my underwear hehe... I had to look at my reflection many times in order to feel assured that I look normal...

Ok... I have plenty to write but very little motivation ;P so, I'll just leave you with this cute video I took of little jj just last night while I was busy in the kitchen, cooking.

I wonder if you have ever seen such a sight from another 14-month old baby... I am not sure if you could view it clearly because if you don't, let me just give you some heads up. This would be something you'd see at a water cooler station - where you'd press for the water to shoot up while you open your mouth wide for the water to shoot straight into it. But lo and behold... this is no water cooler... instead, it's water being squirted from a baby's bottle ;P

I've seen this done once before but little jj wasn't successful in getting the water into her mouth. And every time she'd do this with her NUK bottle, I would quickly take it away from her as she would get soaked from the water.

Tonight, she got away with it since I was busy cooking and it was close to her bath time. And lucky me, this time I had my mobile with me since the one was coming home late from work and he'd always call before he reaches home. Thus, I was able to capture it on my Nokia N86 8MP :D

Hehe... did you manage to see the water being squeezed into her mouth?

When I showed it to the one, he was truly surprised... imagine that there is a much easier way to drink up and we wonder how she ever learnt this trick. For me, I'd definitely say that the 'noti'ness came from daddy's side ;P

It got me to thinking about those times when I'd take away the bottle from her immediately when I knew she was going to squeeze water out from the teat... and this time when I didn't. Imagine that you'd stop your baby from doing something (within certain boundaries) only because it will make your life more difficult - the cleaning... the mess, etc. Since it is only plain water and doesn't leave any serious mess to the floor/furniture, I guess no harm would come from it... and how good it was to see a baby being creative when you allow them to explore their senses, eh?

I must sell this idea as an advertisement... no need for those milk with DHA or taurine or whatnots... this would be a perfect ad for susu cap gantung! haha... nurturing creativity and thinking out of the box :D

P/S: A quick update - Little jj didn't make it to the 20 semi-finalists of Johnson's Baby of the Year 2009 because J&J didn't think little jj is cute enough. Do you know that the semi-finalists all need to display some sort of talent for them to win? Now, don't tell me that this squirting-of-the-water is one talent all babies have... *in the i'm-a-parent-and-my-baby-is-the-winner mode* Boo Johnson's.

P/P/S: I'm little jj's parent and is allowed to say these things on behalf of her nyehnyeh... ;P

My idea of a facial is one that is not clinical. I would like my facials to be a multi-sensory experience of touch and smell, and I always would look forward to those relaxing shoulder massages since I hardly have time for a full body massage.

Since I’ve been to Clarins and Estee Lauder’s salons before, my visit to Lancome’s Beauty Institute was without high expectations. My main aim was only to have a facial treatment before Raya comes and that I was going to enjoy the 30% off for my first facial – at RM40 cheaper than the salon I usually frequent to, I would be just happy with that 90-minutes relaxation being pampered by a beauty therapist.

Bangsar Village is a little away from home but I just had to take my chances with this salon since it’s only a week before Raya and I am sure other salons would already be fully booked. Parking was a breeze at BVII and LBI was really easy to find.

As I arrived in front of the salon, I was a little perplexed as I didn’t know where their door was – there wasn’t any ‘OPEN’ sign and the entire outlet was decked in see-through glass. But I reckoned that I should walk over to the end of their shoplot and walah… the glass door slided open hehe…

One of them got my name and accompanied me upstairs for a skin consultation. She didn’t introduce herself neither did she wear any name tags. She asked me if I had had my breakfast and I told her I was fasting. The waiting hall was huge with comfy sofas and tables. Despite telling her I was fasting, she asked again if I wanted any drinks. Judging from that, I think she just isn’t well trained for small talks but I have to give her credit for trying to make conversations.

I was asked to fill up their form and had to wait for their machine since someone else was also using it at that time. I had nooo problems with that as she handed me some beauty magazines to flip through.

The consultation came and I was struck by how high-tech and accurate the machine was… I mean, I’ve gone through something like that in Leonard Drake and Clara’s a long, long time ago but all were very stereotype. I mean, I’ve always, always told people (beauticians, especially) that my skin type is oily. O-I-L-Y but time and again, all of them would tell me that it is impossible to have such oily skin since I have passed that 25 mark almost 10 years already. Apparently, those above 30 would normally have combo skin with some dehydration/sensitiveness here and there. Even when my skin gets all shiny and oily, some beautician would tell me that the foundation I was using is the wrong type or that I didn’t moisturise well bla bla bla.

This time however, the first sign of me falling in love with this salon was how the machine affirms my understanding of my own skin’s character. At 34 years of age (oppps… not yet 34, not until December!!), my skin’s oiliness is much higher above the average level all other women of my age. And since I have not been using proper range of skincare, I may have stripped too much of the surface oil, making my pores enlarged most of the time as they try to absorb more moisture from the surroundings. Hence, making the upper dermis really sensitive and dehydrated despite moi experiencing all-day shine.

All that time, she still hadn’t introduced herself and I was too engrossed with what I learnt about my skin that I hadn’t thought about asking her name.

One advantage of having such oily skin is that the reading showed my skin’s firmness and elasticity faring much higher than an average 30-something year old woman. *yeayyy* thus, anti-aging care isn't at all necessary although it wouldn't hurt to start.

She told me that I really need to treat the oiliness yet increase the hydration. So I asked her – how was I able to do that when the moisturisers basically make the skin dry and matte. And she went on to tell me that I need to treat that yet use something else to increase hydration. Ooohhh kayy… I was a little skeptical as I foresee the amount of products I’d need to overlap. And, just as she failed on the small talks, she wasn’t very good at explanation either due to having just a fair command of the English language. Thus, some detailed questions that I have (I sound like a journalist there) like blotchy skin didn’t have a proper explanation from her. But I wasn’t going to be a bitch that day and so I thought I’d just get on with the treatment.

As I read a review here, I went with the intention of getting a whitening facial hoping that my chicken pox marks would lighten a little so that it won’t be too visible in my Raya photos. But I was surprised when told that the whitening facial may be a little too rich for my skin and that I should have my skin properly cleansed first. I was a little disappointed with that but I wouldn’t want to argue either.

When I found out that she was going to work on my face, I asked for her name. Tiffany. My name is Tiffany. Hehe. Ok… that was sorted.

I was brought into this room, all draped in white curtains and just a relaxing chair in the middle. The lighting was in pink, to welcome me in. There was a huge locker for me to put my stuff and I was given a pair of comfy slippers to wear. She left the room and told me to press this one switch in the room once I was ready. Ok.

She helped me onto the chair and I fell in love at how the chair felt totally comfy under me. Compared to other facial salons (with the exception of Leonard Drake as they put a pillow under your legs), you are not subjected to hard flat bed. This one will ensure that the chair (when turned flat into a bed) would follow the crevices of your body, making it perfectly comfortable.

Then, Tiffany turned on the specially composed music that has been customised according to the treatment. Hmmm… the music actually sounded more like those from drama minggu ini days or cheap documentaries you get from FINAS. Hehe. But but but… as the treatment progressed, the music changed into soothing tunes which later just gets switched off from your senses as you enjoy the beauty treatment.

And that came the best parts… for someone who totally enjoys her facials, I noticed all the little details.

Tiffany went on to clean my face, first with the milk and after that, with a Pore Focus cleanser, suitable for my skin type. I’ve always loved the subtle scents in Lancome’s products and this cleanser has micro beads in it where I feel totally cleansed and refreshed. Then, she used a scrub on my face and as if she knew my bad habit, she advised me not to press on my skin hard when scrubbing as the scrub already contained properties to lift off dead cells. I liked that she layered my face with a piece of tissue after every cleansing ritual to take off the excess and then wiped off with wet facial cotton rather than rinse using a sponge, to prevent unnecessary tugging of the skin. Only after the final scrub did she use the sponge and I loved how warm water felt on a thoroughly cleansed skin.

Then, it was the steam and I wondered how she’d perform the extraction on me. I’ve always cringed that part since everybody else I went to had not scored high points in that department with me.

I was pleasantly surprised though that instead of leaving the room while my face was under the steam machine, Tiffany performed what must be one of the best hand massages I’ve ever experienced! If that was a special technique specifically from Lancome, I say, kudos to Lancome (and good job, Tiffany!). She was firm but knew what felt good. I didn’t have to undergo any pain in order to feel good. This already scored high points in my book.

The extraction part came with a wonderful surprise. All these while, my previous beauty therapist was the only person I’ve ever met who could extract my milia, even those painful ones near the eye area, with me feeling less pain. But Tiffany, well… she did better than that! She didn’t need to prick deep into the skin. All she did was a simple quick pierce and the oil seed came out and moi feeling minimal pain. What I liked about the extraction process was the fact that Tiffany had used 2 facial cottons dipped in their signature rosey-scented toner and pressed them together to pinch out my blackheads and whiteheads. That, is so much better than the feeling of cold metal prong being prodded on my skin. Another plus for Lancome (and Tiffany!) *yeayy*…

When that was over, Tiffany used a machine similar to the one used in Leonard Drake where it helped eliminate surface bacteria on the skin. But instead of doing just a shoddy sweep, she rolled in onto every part of the face, twice. *more points*

A peel mask was then put on my face (not a peel off mask but a peel) and Tiffany then left the room. Oh, plus points again for putting on Primordiale eye cream on my eyes (and lips too!) before putting on the mask. This similar process was also done before steaming my face.

10 minutes was probably up and the mask was rinsed away and the lights in the room was instantly dimmed. Tiffany used a relaxing cream and worked her firm hands on my face and upper body.

Instantly, I fell in love with the salon (and Tiffany! hehe…) and my initial intentions of wanting to explore other salons quickly diminished. This salon is here to stay ☺ It was such a good massage and I didn’t feel like I needed more… it was like the method was done perfectly for one to feel just right… that’s good, isn’t it? I’m not sure how long that lasted but after the massage, I felt drowsy and ready to sleep.

Next, she put a hydrating mask on my face. Now, this is one unique experience too since most salons would already double mask me. Here, they do a mask at a time. I fell asleep this time and Tiffany spoke to me in almost a whisper to tell me that she was going to clean my face when that time was up, finishing with such a nice soothing warm wipe on my face, neck and shoulders.

After that, she put on Primordiale Eye Gel to my eyes and lips area, the Hydra Zen serum, Aqua Fusion moisturiser and sunblock with SPF50. Plus points for slathering all those not just on the face but décolletage area as well! Then, the bed was transformed slowly back into a chair and before I got up, Tiffany gave a nice head massage to fully wake me up.

I got up and realised that the entire room was enclosed in white curtains and I couldn’t see the locker hehe. Tiffany pulled one part of the curtain to unveil the locker and then only did I realise the rationale behind it… I guess they had wanted the customers to feel like you’re the focus… and your head won’t feel cluttered seeing all those props, gadgets and products everywhere. I guess that had worked beautifully! All you see is a chair in the middle with curtains all around *applause*

As they had a Raya promotion, Tiffany then explained to me a mix & match package where I would get double the value I’d sign for instead of the usual buy-5-get-1-free. The amount was a little hefty to me but I was game for the double return that I would be rewarded with (plus that heavenly massages that I would get!!). And… they allowed me to pay a partial sum, where the balance is due at a much later interval. That scored another plus point in my book ☺

Really, I am in love.

I love it that their facials cost an average RM180 (some are lower, some as high as RM300 for the whitening facial) yet I get such excellent service and an accurate reading of what my skin is like so that a more effective treatment can be administered. Secondly, I loved that they didn’t rush on me… Tiffany took her own sweet time and experienced enough to know what needs to be done. I forgive her for her lack of communications skills with such firm hands ☺ Thirdly, I am okay with the extractions done on my face and appreciate those little details that Lancome created for a better and less stressful experience.

I love that they didn’t push me to buy any products but since I wanted to revamp my current skincare, I felt so well understood as they didn’t recommend that I buy from the same range. Instead, for the first time ever (which you may not receive such advise from the counters) my problem skin is dealt with more accurately – cleanser for oily skin, toner for sensitive skin, serum from the hydra zen range to increase hydration and the whitening moisturiser that will help slough off dead cells gradually while preventing that tired/dull look and evens out skin tone. Best of all, as pointed out by the one when I returned home, I didn’t look like I had the chicken pox again unlike how I’d look after every facial (and since it is in Bangsar Village, I was able to check out the clearance sale in Zara as well *yeayy*).

I guess if you know that Lancome products work well on your skin, do give Lancome Beauty Institute in Bangsar Village II a visit. Nope, this post wasn’t sponsored and I write truly from my personal experience.

So here’s the number – 03 2287 1084 / 03 2287 1087. It’s on the ground floor and if you’re not sure where you are, it’s the other side of where Coffee Bean is located (I had to walk a bit since there was no directory on site). There’s also one outlet in The Curve but I do not have their number.

Oooohh… I’m still in love as my skin still feels supple today. After more than a year of neglecting my skin, the wait was all worth it ☺

P/S: Another review and photos can be found here.

Ok... we have just subscribed to the cartoon channels on Astro and both my darlings are actually watching Clifford on Disney right now. Errmmm... by way of 'darlings', I meant the one and my 12-year old who has just finished his UPSR exams yesterday.

Surprisingly, little jj wasn't up this morning like she did for the past 2 days. I accidentally slept while feeding her around 3 am and woke up at 5.15am, almost missing our sahur. Thankfully, sahur was already cooked by midnight last night or else we would probably be eating McDonald's again :)

Hokayy... I've been a little 'slow' in my updates recently as I've been plagued by Farmville addiction on Facebook (hahahh!). I was told before how addictive this game can be and never really bothered to try it out until I saw 3 Farmville gifts from my dear cousin, Fida, who's far away in the UK. Once I started, there was no turning back and I even questioned myself why I didn't start earlier as I have missed out on a lot of rewards and wealth-sharing from friends who've started playing it long time ago hehe... yup, i t - i s - b a d, especially when you're also juggling puasa, a little baby, work and housework ;P

5 days of playing, I am already at Level 16 and managed to pull the one into it as well ;P the worst was us fidgeting after breaking fast in Keramat last Sunday as we didn't get to log in to monitor our crops haha.

Anyways, latest developments.......

| Jada has started to sing along to some of her favourite tunes! Our eyes would open so wide when we hear her attempts as her pronunciation is pretty inaudible although the melody part would sound not too bad :) sorry guys... no videos on this yet since she'd surprise us all when she does this and as soon as we realised what she did, we'd all give her one good stare and she'd stop immediately hehe.

| I just cannot resist Hada the Hippo. Found it on TinyTapir and was hooked when I read that its blanket is 5 feet long (because if little jj doesn't use it, I am exactly 5 feet tall haha...).

Ok... little jj hasn't been showing any tendencies of attachment towards any of her soft toys. She has plenty of soft toys but after she turned 6 or 7 months, she has stopped holding any soft toy for more than 3 minutes. Her favourite was once Tucker, the Lamaze tortoise but I now realised that she loved Tucker only because she was truly enchanted by her own reflection that she saw in the mirror attached to its tummy. And although my first born and I both had an attachment towards any teddies or any plush toys, we do not see any of those signs on little jj. Heck, even that thoughtful gift from one of the one's blog readers in the form of a red teddy bear the size of little jj, she only held it for a good minute before ignoring it since the day she saw it. It is bad that the teddy is kinda invisible (to her) and just lying there in her play pen, unattended.

So, when I saw this pink pet zoobie, I haven't lost all hope on little jj. I do believe she's got it somewhere deep inside (hehe...) or mommy would make it mommy's own pet ;P. I guess, part of me fell in love with Hada because I love all 'gadgety' stuff - it is after all, a 3-in-1. If little jj cannot see it for a soft toy, she would have inherited her parents' trait for loving multi-functional gadgets, won't she??

| My current love for gold jewellery has brought me to custom make the anniversary gift from the one. Yes people, our gifts to each other are hardly surprises (although the surprise would come in the form of emotions that entail any purchases hehe). I think I've mentioned before that I hate mind games and I dislike being disappointed with unreasonable expectations. And the one also agrees to this so that we'd get each other something that we both really want, not based on subtle hints. So, with my obvious new interest in gold, the one gave me a budget for the anniversary gift he owed me and I instantly knew the time has come to replace that charm bracelet I've always loved which was a gift from my granny for my first birthday - it was placed on my foot and later on my hand as I grew bigger. Guess that piece of classic bracelet can now be handed down to little jj.

I had to wait 3 months before getting it done since the budget that the one gave me was insufficient which I had found out when getting a quote from my favourite jeweller. I mean, the budget seemed good enough for me but not necessarily so, for the piece of bracelet that I require especially since price of gold has gone up quite rapidly. See... the bracelet has several elements that are meaningful throughout our 4-year journey together (and more to come!). And when it was insufficient, I had decided to wait awhile so that I am able to top up the amount when I get my next payment for some jobs that were already completed, or even maybe have the chance to top up the amount when I get my next hardship allowance from the one ;)

So yesterday, I beamed with happiness for the next piece of meaningful and lasting composition that will act as a simple collector of future gift ideas as it has 8 more tiny rings and 11 elongated hoops to hang 50 more charms. That's another 50 more years of celebration, don't you think? =D

I have plenty more to write but will end here, for now, with hopes to update more before Raya comes. Hope is good.

P/S: just a sneak preview below - I put on a sample of a hand-smocked dress for a writing job I had just completed for an e-commerce website. The dresses are awesome, I kid you not and my N86 8MP doesn't do justice to the dress (especially since little jj was wearing her bodysuit inside). I shall update you mommies out there once the website is up because your little girl should not miss out on wearing at least one of the dresses :)

mommy, this dress is too dark for my complexion... do you have one in pink?

Gosh... vigorous ironing can leave one feeling extremely tired. I mean, ironing a shirt at a time is different than when you iron a whole pile. The last time I did this was when I was due with little jj and I wanted to do vigorous chores as I was trying to induce contractions naturally.

I never liked ironing. Heck, even all my work clothes when I was in a 9-5 were all sent to the dry cleaners. I never did any ironing. Zilch.

I was made to iron my own clothes at a tender age of 7. Yes, in standard 1, my mom had already taught me (and forced me) to iron my own clothes as she felt that these type of chores will build character. Hmmm... I dunno how much that character was built into me but I believe I can count the number of times I've done ironing since the past 10 years. Lucky me, I am blessed with a husband who hates everything else but ironing. Haha... but but but... being a wife, of course it feels nice la to be able to surprise him with crisp ironed shirts every once in awhile, which I haven't really been fulfilling that obligation due to the heavy workload, working from 9pm-5am almost everyday, plus the fact that the baby was sick a few times which later affected moi as well.

Excuses, excuses... and I finally got it done tonight. Whoa... and I am beat. But happy :)

Anyways, today has been a fruitful day for me. In fact, the entire week has been bliss! - well, the 2-month long project is finally over, payments for the last 4 jobs came in earlier this week, the baby's healthy, I am finally out of the crucial chicken pox period, I've started cooking again, the baby has accepted formula in her bottle, I've at long last made way to the one's shirts in replacement of my huge wardrobe of suits and shirts in the closet, I get to handwash the one's work shirts, I've upgraded my skincare routine and I've finally, finally got the chance to finally commission that custom-made chain bracelet for the anniversary gift from the one which I've put aside since May. In fact, I've managed to finally also put up my Ideas on Words website which I had neglected for almost a year due to sheer laziness in learning to manipulate xml codes from the blogger templates... and the amount of work that came in, made that problem worse as I didn't have the motivation to look up for nice layouts and all.

But, with all the positive progress that has happened this week (although the week is not over yet), many more things came into place, which made me feel so blessed and happy.

Oh... how much I love the state I'm in and I am eternally grateful.

So, with that, I'll leave you with another video of little jj's antics, which is my current favourite.



P/S: Would also like to congratulate my SIL, Ana Raffali, for her current development with her self-written "Hujan Bunga Di Kuala Lumpur". We've been voting for her song in Era FM's preview chart and hoping that the song will be eligible for the official chart next week!

I was feeling a little sentimental tonight...

There was a show on NTV7 earlier today that featured David Foster and friends. A friend posted it on her facebook status and I realised how long it has been since I listened to his albums.

I loved David Foster. I loved his songs so much that I even bought an instrumental album by him, called, "Rechordings" where he played his piano in the entire album. It was truly beautiful and I could just sleep with his songs on my earphones after those long study sessions in uni.


I loved his songs so much that I even dedicated one special song that I thought said a lot about how the one meant to me, in my life, when we were dating.

But today, somehow, the mention of David Foster made me google another song, that have always touched my heart. It is called, "And when she danced". When I first heard it, I thought it was truly melodic. I didn't think of anything too special until I saw the movie, 'Stealing Home' on tv that starred a younger Jodie Foster and Mark Harmon, where this song was its theme song. That movie brought tears to my eyes and how the song sums up the story beautifully... I guess that is the beauty about songs from back then where lyrics were so beautifully written and considered the strength to a song.

If you have never heard it, listen to this...

i got this from youtube... this song is a duet by David Foster and Marilyn Martin.

Can you go back in time to a place in your mind
To the one who knew a part of you
That you just couldn't find

If you ask me to choose between a memory or two
When it's said and done
I'll take the one who's love I had to lose

Cause when she danced
I lost my inner sense
I loved her then I always will

She left with me
But still with me
A burnin' memory
She took with her a part of me

If I could get back where I've been
Feel the passion I felt then
I'd be there right now and yet somehow
It never comes again

She had nothin' to gain
No where to go
To the way out of pain
The time when
With a song and dance she lost romance
The world had gone insane

Cause when she danced
Cause when we danced
I lost my inner sense
I loved her then
I love
I always will
I always will

She left with me
He left with me
A burnin' memory
Remember somehow
She took with her a part of me

Can you go back in time to a place in your mind
To the one who knew a part of you
That you just couldn't find

Lookin' back I'm not sure
If I thought I lost the one
When she danced with me
Our hearts were free as far as I could see

I'd be there right now and yet somehow
It never comes again

When she danced with me
Our hearts were free
Were free
As far as I could see

Those days when I never really understood what love was really all about, I always believed that love needed sacrifices... that you would never end up with the person you are truly in love with. In other words, one will never get married to their soulmates.

I always believed that you need to feel hurt to learn how powerful and valuable, that thing called 'love'... that when you find it, you'd be so happy, yet you know that it is never really within your grasp.

One would always think that the best love they ever experienced is one that they never really had it in the first place and I was probably guilty, then, for letting myself think that. Well, I guess I was just making excuses so that I'd feel better about myself, about the person who got away or simply, about life. Everyone says that life is unfair but to me, I have always believed that life is beautiful... life is so extraordinary because it offers you an abundant of choices and you set your own destiny. It's like a huge canvas and you pick out the colours (your own colours) to complete that picture you set out to sketch.

Many people have asked me how love could be so complicated.

Before, I would probably agree that in order to earn something, you need to get down to sweat and tears in order to find happiness.

But...

After I found the one, I started to see things differently... all those bull about hurting yourself to find happiness, they're all a fiction of one's own imagination. It's like a prayer - that when you keep saying those chants, it will all come true.

Love shouldn't hurt. And love is not complicated. It is how you treat it and how you carry it about that shall turn it the way you believed it best. Yeah, you would have that occasional bumpy ride because nothing is that easy in life. But love shouldn't hurt, and love isn't complex... it is simple, it is easy, and it is free.

When you keep looking back at the one that got away, you're only living a dream... and most often than not, magnifying something that wasn't even truly there. Naturally, one only thinks of the good things until one realises that nothing's worth getting so hurt and worked up. It's easy to make up a dream but you'd never really know how it ends unless you experience it for yourself, first-hand.

At times, love is just there right under your nose but we, as humans, set some strange limitations to ourselves by putting set conditions on others. Thus, we miss the opportunity only because we make ourselves blinded by our own perception.

I dunno why I am blabbing about on this issue... guess it's been awhile since something like this touched my heart so deeply and how much I've changed from those days of listening to David Foster. Romantic songs always go hand-in-hand with romance... and it's been awhile since I listened to any good tunes.

I had a perfect weekend last weekend... the best weekend since the past 8 months...

It all started with my parents bringing breakfast over to our apartment on Saturday morning. The environment was so cheerful and we all chatted while I did some work on my Darla (that's what I call my Macmini).

I then had to rush off to a rehearsal where I would be the emcee for an event tomorrow and since I foresee a long rehearsal, we decided that the one should send me there right smack in the golden triangle.

The thing with rehearsals (which I usually hate most) is that I knew deep in my heart that many people won't be punctual and everyone else has to wait. I was so right about it as the rehearsal was supposed to start at 12noon and some of us were super punctual but the rehearsal didn't start until around 2pm. Still, I wasn't that stressed out since the one was handling little jj well (as he didn't call me except to ask where I put the Isomil EyeQ formula). I was also calm since I told the one to pick me up by hook or by crook around 3.30pm so that I could feed little jj direct if she'd get cranky and get all upset not getting mommy's milk.

Things happened as expected and I also played the role of event planner... although I didn't really include this service in my portfolio, I guess I don't quite mind helping out people I am comfortable and familiar with since managing events can be so stressful. It felt really good as this particular client is so easy to work with and allow me to do my job rather than instruct nonsensical stuff or expect me to perform 'magic tricks'.

The one picked me up at a perfect timing and we left busy KL with little jj all excited to see me. She slept in the car while being fed and it was such a beautiful sight.

It rained pretty heavily but subsided upon reaching our apartment, got little jj to sleep and I continued with work. All of a sudden, I remembered that I was supposed to attend a couple's opening of a beauty clinic just 5 minutes away from the apartment. It was going to end in half an hour's time but since the house is in a calm mood, the one thought I should just check it out.

My primary schoolmates, Mahathir and Lina (now medical doctors), has just opened a beauty clinic. It was a modest event but I was so glad I went despite the long day... I chatted with them and it felt so weird that those friends whom you used to play with when you were little, all of a sudden examines your face and skin, as if you are all playing a doctor-patient game ;)

I was happy when told that I don't have much problems with my skin except for that drastic hormonal changes after childbirth and Lina proposed that I try their IPL machine. I've never tried anything like that in my previous facials... usually, they'd just do some manual stuff which includes extraction (ouch!) but it has been over a year since I did my last facial... I think the last one was in February 2008 because I didn't like the hard bed as my back hurts from lying down for 3 hours every session.

Mahathir explained to me the benefits of the treatment and it felt scary at first, listening to the previous patient undegoing that treatment... it sounded so painful and she described it so vividly while under the machine. But... I thought since I was already there, I might as well just persevere. Surprisingly, the treatment wasn't painful as I don't have that much age spots and it was over in less than 30 minutes.

I left the clinic feeling so refreshed, with such a strong feeling towards both my friends... I can safely say that I'd probably see them more in the future to help me age gracefully... you know, when women comes to that age of PMS and hormonal treatment helps.

Somehow, the treatment at the clinic, and the many things that the one did that Saturday, lifted my spirits. The fact that I didn't have to cook, made the weekend even more perfect ;)

More so, I felt really good since I managed to complete a few stuff which includes my latest beading project on a newly completed baju kurung for my latest emceeing stint. I didn't have anything good to wear and decided to use the Thai silk material that I bought in Phuket in 2001. The silk is just too beautiful and smooth that I never really sent it to a tailor before... and I am glad for that as I now have such a simple yet formal wear - simple for its solid colour, formal as I turned it into a Baju Kurung that is considered a formal attire in any events, nicely fitted on my current size ;D.


Little jj can also now stand although not on her own initiative. We are eagerly waiting for her to crawl but have yet to see any developments.


On Sunday, little jj behaved so well... and my skin looked so fresh upon waking up... even the one noticed it! ;)

We went over to my in-laws in the late afternoon and there was a power outage due to an uprooted tree. We thought of leaving before it gets dark but I simply love the feeling at that point of time... the place was dim from the lit candles and little jj seemed to be calmer as well. The one bought all of us dinner and I fed little jj in the dark... she acted as if everything was normal and she then played intently with her bottle of plain water - biting the soft spout and drinking the water at the same time, while all of us ate. I was surprised that we managed to stay until 10pm and little jj went to sleep soon after, all happy with a full tummy.

When we arrived home, the electricity was already up over at my in-laws and the night continued to remain perfect with little jj nicely tucked in bed. Best of all, my skin still looked fresh sans makeup and I felt so happy.

I foresee another busy weekend this week but I hope that it'll turn out as fabulous as it did last week. I know it may sound simple to you but for a SAHM who's been busy with work till the wee hours almost everyday and juggling housework, all that translated to something so rare and priceless. Furthermore, there was that glimmer of hope for a much needed vacation, cropped up last week and I felt all excited and hopeful.

I'll be busy with an event tomorrow night (or tonight, actually, since it is already Saturday) and am hoping that little jj will not give her daddy a hard time ;)