Thankful for My Helper

This might be a long one peeps so get a cup of tea and read on...

The last time S went back to Indonesia was around 2 or 3 years ago. She was gone for merely 10 days. Back then, I thought that was long enough and when she's back, I was really thankful.

This time round, she'll be gone for 3 whole weeks! Barely 5 days have gone and not one single day did I not wish she's by my side instantly. Let me first share my daily routine with you.

Mon - Thur

Wake up at 5.30 AM and prepare breakfast for First Born and J.

Clean up the dishes, wipe the table, dry the dishes and put them back where they belong.

My breakfast? None! Just a packet of Reserve if I'm lucky.

Sweep the floor, wipe the stairs.

Shower and prepare for work.

Work till 5 PM before making my way home.

Prepare dinner and later, tea and chocolate for J.

Wash the dishes, wipe the table, dry the dishes and put them back where they belong.

Clean up the stove and kitchen floor.

Prepare for First Born's supper.

Wash the dishes, wipe the table, dry the dishes and put them back where they belong.

Clean the sink.

Friday & Saturday is the same routine except that I'm required to prepare lunch also and the portions of all meals are bigger since Fatty and Handsome stays over as well.

Saturday, the kiddos and J have soccer which means I get to wash stinky clothes! How exciting...

Can you sense my sarcasm???

Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday is laundry & iron day.

Think it's easy peasy??? Go ask your mother, care taker, grandmother etc. It's really a thankless job and unappreciated one.

Imagine spending time cutting the ingredients, preparing them, cooking them, serving them and later, washing them. After all that work, a kid or 2 comes telling you that they cannot finish what is on their plate (only 1/4 was consumed!) just because they do not like the chicken or they don't like the bread etc. It's just a different brand of bread or different brand of chocolate milk or I failed to remove ALL fats of the chicken or I selected a Chicken Thigh instead of Chicken Breast etc. The reasons can be plentiful and ridiculous. If you think I don't cook good enough, think again. Even though I've not properly cooked a full meal for years, the cooking skills that I garnered in my first marriage for 7 whole years is still around, I can assure you. First Born, Handsome and J have absolutely no issues with the food I prepare. Only Fatty. I should probably call him Fussy instead of Fatty now...

For a person who usually gets up at 7.30 AM, it's really a BIG deal getting up at 5.30 AM every single day. We're talking about a cut of 2 hours of sleep on a daily basis!

Sure, before S goes home, I told J that he has to help as well. He has to water the plants everyday, he has to do his own coffee, he has to wash J's school uniform on weekdays, he has to prepare lunch for First Born and himself on weekdays and he has to prepare breakfast for ALL on Saturday.

Guess what? He gave up. He simply say he can't do all that.

What did he really do at the end of the day?

Water the plants - He do it on alternate days. Do you drink only on alternate days?! Plants need their water every single day too! What he's doing now is just giving them a slow death in my opinion.

Do his own coffee? Forget it. My job now.

Wash J's school uniform? Yes, he does it but I'm not sure if it's clean. He doesn't soak them, that I know...

Prepare lunch for First Born and himself? He didn't know he has to wash the rice! I'm really not sure where this is heading. He'll most probably say he couldn't do it and get me to pre-prepare sandwiches.

Prepare breakfast for ALL on Saturday? Shit! My job too!

Oh! I've to clean the toilets and make the beds too. Everything in my life changes when S is gone. J's lifestyle stays pretty much the same. My breakfast today was consumed over the sink 'cos I really didn't want to wash another plate or wipe the dining table. Really pathetic... Oh and one more thing! I ALWAYS get to be the last one eating my meals. Why? 'Cos I'm busy scooping food on plates and serving them that's why!

Okie enough of my rant now. For all that I've 'suffered' and will most probably go on 'suffering' for the next 17 odd days, I'm really thankful for S. Sure, she's paid to do her job but STILL, I am really thankful. I'll give her a BIG hug when she's back. I might squeeze a tear or 2 out of my tear ducts. ^^

What impact does her leave have on me? It has been 5 days since I last pooed. Now, I just broke a record. I also started to shout in my sleep. Oh boy...

I sure hope you stop reading now and go give your Mom, Helper, Grandmother, Father or whoever takes care of you a BIG hug and tell them how much you Love them and is thankful they are around looking out for you. Don't think you can get away just 'cos you're an adult. Do the same too!

Have a pleasant Saturday Y'all...

Dreamy C

A Change

I've been busy and didn't have time to complete my draft for my 2nd trip this year to Lush.

S has gone back home in celebration of Hari Raya Puasa.

I planned out all our (J & myself) meals till the day she returns which is 3 weeks later.

On Sunday itself, there's a change in event when First Born has been sent to us to stay.

He hasn't been on good terms with his Mom and I guess she could no longer tolerate him.

Hence, she pushed him to us. It isn't the first...

Now, I got to plan all over again. Why?

With First Born here, there's really a lot more to be done.

So far, I'm doing it without complains. ^^

Last night was officially the first meal I have to cook.

I cooked Japanese Curry Rice for dinner.

I made Lemonade drink for First Born while he's staying with us.

I also baked a Flourless Chocolate Cake for his supper!

This morning, I made him Toast with Butter & Ham with 1 x Hard Boil Egg.

Turned out he don't fancy hard boil egg. He prefers soft boil ones. Ha ha...

I packed 2 x Toast with Butter & Sugar, some caramel crackers and Dragonfruit for his break in school today.

Dinner for tonight will be Prawn & Mango Rice Noodle.

I ironed his school uniform last night. I believe this will be a daily routine during the weekdays.

I swept the floor this morning and I believe I'm going to do the laundry and wash the toilets later today. Oh! I also managed to do a 1.5 km brisk walk this morning!

Woke up at 5.30 AM to do all these. A HUGE sacrifice considering I usually get up at 7.30 AM and sleep is a BIG part of my life... =) Let's see if I can get my entry done on Lush latest tomorrow.

Busy, busy, busy like a bumblebee...

Dreamy C

LUSH Haul - July 2015 (Part 1)

Hi Peeps! Guess what??? I went to Lush yesterday.

Total damage? 170. Shhhh...

The last time I went to Lush was sometime in October 2012. Now, that's quite a few years back!

Anyway, let me show you what I've got.

Herbalism

A cleanser with a light exfoliation.

Verdict: I tried this and I must say it feels good. It got rid of my oil without stripping moisture away from my face. ^^

It says this on Lush's website:

A powerful decongestant for your pores, Herbalism is best suited to those who have tried everything under the sun to clear up their oily and blemish prone skin. Fear not! Herbalism’s heroic blend of rosemary, nettle and chamomile are here to tame problematic skin. Ground rice bran acts as an effective exfoliant, while kaolin (also known as China clay) reaches deep down into pores to clean out dirt and debris. Use this cleanser in combination with Grease Lightning for balanced, even skin.

Previously, I got myself Angels on Bare Skin and you can read all about it HERE.

I went to the outlet in Wisma and the 1st thing which greets me are their masks & cleansers. 

Initially, I wanted to go get a body lotion but I couldn't get my brain to focus that day. Ha ha...

Getting a Body Lotion alone? FAIL!

I was being assisted by a SA named Felicia. She had on Mask of Magnaminty at that point in time.

Hence, I inquired about it.

It says this on Lush's website:

A multi-purpose mask with a mixture of gentle yet effective ingredients to clean, calm and clear the skin - now in a self-preserving formula. Easily smoothed over the skin anywhere you like, this mask is made with peppermint oil to stimulate, marigold oil and chlorophyllin to treat the skin; evening primrose seeds and aduki beans to gently exfoliate as you remove it. There’s also mineral rich kaolin to nourish, antibacterial honey, and peppermint oil to stimulate the blood cells just under the surface of your skin to leave it looking bright and refreshed. 

I do like the peppermint. Hence why I got it.

I've not tried it though...

Tea Tree Water a.k.a. Toner Water

Very refreshing...

Verdict: Nothing special but since it has quite a number of good ingredients such as Grapefruit Water, Juniperberry Water & Limonene, I figured I'm going to buy another when I run out.

Says this on Lush's website:

Suffering from spots, blackheads or excess oil? Don’t fret! And most importantly, don’t use a toner laden with skin irritating alcohol. Blemish-prone skin if often more sensitive than we like to give it credit for. Treating breakouts with alcohol can actually further the problem! Our suggestion? Gently, but effectively, treat your skin with Tea Tree Water. The antiseptic tea tree oil clears out blemish causing bacteria, while grapefruit and juniper water balance oil production. Spritz your face with Tea Tree water throughout the day to refresh and keep oil under control. See? Things are look...

I saw this on YouTube videos and I badly want to try this!

Verdict: Strawberry doesn't smell that strong. Does a good job at shaving. I'm not sure if I should credit this for my smooth legs after shaving.

Says this on Lush's website:

When you’ve had enough of the rough stuff, there’s D’Fluff! This fluffy, sweet shaving soap will have you dreaming of Strawberry Fluff sandwiches while you shave. It’s packed full of effective ingredients: fresh strawberries, egg whites and golden syrup, all whisked together with rosehip oil, coconut oil and maple sugar to create a light, marshmallowy texture that will leave your skin silky smooth. Plus, Fair Trade cocoa butter leaves skin moisturized and helps keep post-shave redness to a minimum.

Massage Bar

Clearly, I've forgotten what the name was, there wasn't a label and I've thrown the receipt away!

Some cherry blossom design on it. You can't miss it. 

Yet to try it. Going to do so tonight! ^^

I bought the tin which cost slightly more than 10 bucks.

I then went to the soap bar section.

Sultana of Soap

Got this as I wanted something moisturizing.

Feels and smells lovely in the shower. Hmmm... LOVE the fruits on it! Dried apricots, dried currants, dried cranberries, bergamot oil etc. Yummy...

Says this on Lush's website:

Revel in Sultana’s majesty, and have a wash with the royalty of soaps. It looks like a fancy Italian dessert; a giant nougat cake topped with succulent currants and apricots. Smooth a slice of our soft decadent soap all over your body for a creamy lather and the most dazzling bergamot and olibanum scent. Your skin will be delighted and you’ll be left softer and smelling like a fancy candy shop with a touch of fruity sweetness. If you weren’t invited to the wedding, at least you can brush shoulders with royalty in the shower.

Bohemian

Love citrus smells? You'll love this! Bet this will smell GREAT in the shower! Can't wait to finish my Sultana of Soap. In fact, can't wait to finish EVERYTHING! Ha ha...

Some of its ingredients are rapeseed oil, coconut oil & lemon oil.

Says this on Lush's website:

When LUSH gets lemons, we make our simple, but beautifully effective mind-clearing lemon soap! A customer and inventor favorite for years, the palm-free soap base and lemon oil are perfect for cleaning and toning the skin. Lemon juice is a natural astringent, perfect for oily skin and to balance skin’s moisture; no more troubled skin! Named for creative types, the bright, uplifting citrus scent is meant to stimulate creative streaks. It certainly helped us create this sudsing masterpiece.

More products which I would like to try but with its hefty price, I couldn't pluck enough courage to do it. Hence, I asked for samples! Totally no shame about it since I'm a genuine buyer! If it's really good, I'll definitely buy it! =)

Vanishing Cream and Enzymion are 2 moisturizers Felicia recommended for my oily complexion.

I tried Vanishing Cream last night and I must say I wasn't impressed.

I found out it's best for people with dry skin though it can work for oily skin if used lightly.

After an hour or more from application, my face starts to oiled up. Meh...

I'm excited to give Enzymion a go though. I found out this moisturizer is good for oily skin! ^^

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner. It's a body conditioner which you can use in the shower. Talk about convenience! After showering, take some and spread it on your body. Leave it on for a min or 2 before rinsing off. I spread them on my legs.

As much as I would like to love this product, I really can't. Why?

I applied it and it has a waxy feel to it which irritates me to the max! It left anything I touch waxy! Even the floor of my shower! I hate it! I did use Sultana of Soap and go through another round of cleaning. The after effect of Ro's Argan Body Conditioner is beyond imagination!

Let me explain further. 

I showered with Sultana of Soap.

I used D'Fluff for shaving.

I applied Ro's Argan.

I showered again with Sultana of Soap.

Got out and dry myself.

My legs felt really smooth! I love Ro's Argan for that but I really cannot bring myself past the waxy feel. I would usually have flaky skin around my knee area especially after shaving. This time round, there's hardly any flakes! Went for a swim and still no flakes! Still felt just as smooth the next morning! I am impressed but no thanks! I shall continue my search for products giving me almost the same result without the wax.

I'm going to drop by Lush again later today. It turns out I forgot to pick up a Body Lotion which was the main reason why I even stepped into Lush! Ha ha... Too many distractions. I also thought of getting some samples of Turkish Delight Shower Smoothie & Dreamwash Shower Smoothie. Either of these might be my answer for smoother skin without the was. ^^

I also intend to give Big Shampoo a try. Hmmm...

Hope you enjoy this post!

Can't bring yourself to read all these? Watch it instead!

Have a great Sunday!!!

Dreamy C

Kuala Lumpur

Yo people... I went to KL for OGA 2015 event. It's a 3-day event but I was only there for a day. My 1st to KL by plane. The last time I went to KL was to my cousin's place via couch. It was pretty easy and fuss free. Just get on the couch, pass through a couple of immigrations and reach my destination!

This time, I'm doing it via plane and it's quite an experience. Instructions were clear and plentiful. If in doubt, open your mouth and ask. Won't hurt unless if you're a very prideful person! I'm not so no problem there... Once at KL airport, J and I proceeded to buy our KLIA Express ticket. This brings you to KL Sentral where you can easily transfer to their monorail to wherever your hotel is. 

KLIA Express runs at 160km/hr and it cost RM35 per person per trip. I don't know if it's cheaper for a round trip as I clearly bought them separately. Journey will take around 30 mins. There's free wifi which is called 'Yes Better Internet For All'.

This is how the ticket looks like and no, you won't get to keep it.

Seats look like this. There are some seats where 2 passengers face one another. A little screen showing some business news etc. I shall show you how the 4 seaters look like.

There you go...

From KL airport to KL Sentral, it takes 28 mins via KLIA Express.

From KL Sentral to KLIA Terminal 2, it takes 33 mins via KLIA Express.

From KL Sentral, one can easily travel around using their different types of train. See below the map I obtained from our Hotel - Novotel Hotel.

The nearest monorail from our hotel is Raja Chulan. From Raja Chulan to KL Sentral, it cost MYR2.10 per pax. You will be given a token which again, you can't keep for keepsake.

So there you go! I didn't know there are monorails in KL. Yes, I am a mountain tortise like that. To get from one stop to the next, it takes around 3 mins, plus minus.

Catch up with you again!

Dreamy C

Healing Touch @ Upper Thomson Road

I signed up for Pilates from the CC few weeks back. I only attended the 1st lesson. I figured it's too boring for me. Pilates is good for people with injuries though. I must say that even after the 1st lesson, you can feel slight improvements already. However, that does not entice me to continue on my lessons. The slow pace, concentration and focus required just didn't work for me. If you are the type who can concentrate and focus much, I say GO FOR IT!

Well, Pilates is not what I'm going to talk about today. However, it's added as a note to those out there who has aches and injuries and refuse to turn to massages and what not to solve the issues. This could be an alternative!

I woke up with a really sore neck on Friday morning. I was busy planning my Taipei - Hualien - CingJing itinerary the night before and only managed to complete it at 1 in the morning. The pain's killing me and so, I went to the trusty Google to search for a massage. I found Healing Touch and was glad to know that they have an outlet in Upper Thomson Road and so, I made a reservation for Deep Tissue Massage on Friday evening. I love massages. With a problem now, I booked for the longest session i.e. 2 hrs.

Did I enjoy it? Oh yes...

The lady who is massaging me is Joanne. Don't talk much which I like. Strong in her massages which is really needed for my ill-treated body. At the end of the 2 hours, I still have sore neck but I was at least able to turn it to my left half-way without much pain. Come Sunday, it has totally healed! I slept really well on Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night. When she turn my body, I hear lots of cracking sound. I'm sure you know what I mean...

I intend to treat my body better by going for a 1-hr body massage on a monthly basis. ^^

Go try it out if you need some massages!

Regards,

Dreamy C

Good-For-Every1 Fish Head Curry

As mentioned in recent post, I went to JB for some Fish Head Curry. It's at a eatery named Kam Long Restaurant.

This is e eatery. Crowded. Queue moved really fast though...

From City Square, exit May Bank which is where the office units are. Walk across to Jalan Wong Ah Fook. Go straight down and within 5 mins of walking, you are there!

We ordered 1 x medium fish head, 1 x medium fish tail, 4 x rice, 5 x cans of drink and additional tau kee for each pot.

Total damage? 80 ringgit which is around SGD29.85 with the rate I change which is 2.68. The rate in JB today was 2.6. Even with that rate, it's only SGD30.80 for a total of 4 x adults. I thought it's pretty good!

Had to have chilli padi. I dare say they aren't spicy at all!

The fish head arrived 1st which is at the top. It came really fast as our order was taken while queuing for a table. Talk about efficency!

The gravy turned redder as time passes. The fish tail came slightly later. While queuing, I saw how they removed the fish scales and thought they did a shitty job as it was fast and don't look thorough. Boy was I wrong... Not only is there no fish scales, they were fresh, meaty and soft! Love! My only complain was that it ain't spicy enough for me. Oh well, it serves ALL kinds of customers. Even those who can't take much heat... I don't mind going back there! Nice curry!

We spent the rest of the day in City Square. Had desserts at one of the stores. Don't remember the name. I think it's called Huai something or Hai something.

That pretty much summed up my Sat!

Too tired. On our way to JB, the queue at Malaysia custom was insane. Waited at least 40 mins for our turn!

I intend to treat my tired feet to some massage tomorrow!

Have a great one Peeps!

Dreamy C

Back Alive...

I'm back but not for long... Ha ha...
On 24th February, I got tired and blogged that I'll be taking a break.
Well, the break was short! Lasted only 1 month 15 days, round about.
I've decided that I will blog as and when I want to or when I've something to share like TRAVEL!

What have I been up to?
I've been exercising!

For a few weeks, I've been jogging for 30 sec and walking for 1 min 30 sec.
This I did for 6 cycles. I start off with a warm up of 5 mins and end with a cool down of 5 mins.
No change in scale.

Then for next 2 weeks, I jogged for 40 sec and walk for 1 min 20 sec.
Again, warm up of 5 mins and cool down of 5 mins.

The next 1 week, I jogged for 1 min and walk for 2 mins.
Sensing that my stamina seemed better, I now jog for 1 min 30 sec and walk 1 min 30 sec.
I've stopped checking the scale.

In all, I've exercised for a month plus now, having started in March last month.
I also signed up for a class in a community centre - Pilates Matwork for Beginners.

All along, I've exercised with my Adidas Seduction.
It was only recently that I got myself a pair of Nike - Air Zoom Pegasus 31.
My Adidas is really good for walking as it's really well-ventilated.
The Nike is good for running due to the amount of cushion.

I usually do the jog-walk exercise on Mondays through Fridays. Nike is the one I turn to.
On Saturdays, I brisk walk for 1 hour followed by 1 x round (370m) jog. Adidas is the one I turn to.
Sunday, I rest.

Other than exercising, I've also been keeping myself busy with BSF and Telios.
My church came up with a program - Telios where it's a deeper study on God's Word.
FDG is a foundation and I completed that last year. Hence, I've moving on to Telios.
In order to keep myself disciplined, I use something called Spiraldex on my planner which helps me plan my time better. This way, I'll be able to finish each task on a daily basis.
If I do not do it this way, time will pass me by quickly and I'll achieve nothing at the end of each day.

What else is coming up?
I'm going to JB on Saturday morning! I read that the Fish Head Curry @ Jalan Wong Ah Fook is really nice. There's also a few more eateries at Jalan Wong Ah Fook. Hence, I intend to check it out!
The ringgit exchange rate is really good by the way! I went and change SGD100 on Tuesday and that got me 268.41 ringgit! Of course, I gave a little extra to make it to 300 ringgit. ^^
While taking a cab to send my overseas client to Botanic Garden, the cab driver told me that many Singaporeans go for massage at the shops near Jusco in Bukit Indah. He said it's cheap and good.
I wouldn't mind a good massage! I'll have to see if my female companions would be interested come this Saturday... I'll blog about my little 'adventure' in JB next week!

That's about all for me thus far... There's a long holiday come August this year. National Day falls on a Sunday and so, the next day (Monday) is a public holiday. Also, the Friday of the week which National Day falls in, is also a holiday since this is the 50th year that Singapore has gained her independence. Thus giving us 4 days of holiday! Whoo hoo...! In my opinion, it'll be such a waste if I stayed in Singapore during that period. I'm planning something now. I'm still comparing the flight. ^^
Keep you updated!

Have a great one Peeps!

Dreamy C