Kids Are Our Blessings

My drama queen is my savior at home. She is the most helpful around the house, especially in the kitchen. On days when we have no part-time helper, she would do the dishes, help to sweep the floor and do other cleaning chores. In the kitchen, she will always be the first to help me. Whenever the hubs comes home late to eat dinner, she will be the one who helps to heat up the dishes for her dad, brings the food to the table and clears the table after that. Just last night, I was so burned out that I knocked out by 9 p.m.  When the hubs got home at 10pm and asked for his dinner,  Drama Queen who wasn't in bed yet helped to heat up the food for her dad.  Thank God for my Drama Queen! She's got her flaws, no doubt and the willful  side of her drives me potty ALL the time. She always stretches my patience till it snaps. I always have to keep my socks on in order not to go to pieces when dealing with her. But the other positive qualities in her manage to balance out the 'dark side' of her to an equilibrium state. She's a fun daughter to have. She's chatty, funny, melodramatic and likes to tell me everything about school and her friends. Drama Queen and Alycia are the polar opposites.

The big girl, on the other hand, is an introvert and an ice maiden of sorts. She does not tell me much about her school and social life. She prefers to do her things in her room. When she tells me things, I am in luck!  She dislikes house work but still helps out and the kitchen is definitely not a place for her to be in. But thankfully, she has inherited my cleanliness OCD and her dad's neat freak DNA 😁 She helps to keep the house neat and tidy everyday, cleans the dining area, arranges our messy shoes neatly, throws the garbage in the refuse room and keeps her room clean. When her two sisters messes up the house, she goes into a fit.  Imagine that if I were to do everything myself, I am certain that I would either end up in Tg. Rambutan or have a pre-matured demise! Thank God for my daughters!

As for the littlest one, I must admit that she is a tad spoilt and pampered. Though she has her fair share of household chores on her plate,  this cheeky rat would try to evade her duties and shirks responsibility as much as she can. This drives everyone berserk, especially her sisters who all have duties and chores of their own. She just wants to read her novels all day and if I would allow it, go crazy playing with her phone or laptop all day. She needs a lot of pushing to do her duties each day.  But this little cheeky one is really good at comforting me with her words whenever I am down and out.  Her nimble hands do a good massage job on my shoulders too. When I have an achy gassy tummy, she would make me lie down on the bed and then fetch my peppermint essential oil to massage my tummy. She even knows how to massage and push the gas out of my tummy! She is very appreciative of my cooking and likes writing little thank you notes to me 💓



Thank you God for these 3 little angles. They are indeed my life's blessings 💗

Pre-Surgery Foods

I had this bowl of spicylicious meehoon curry with 'sui kau' dumplings accompanied by a glass of iced milk tea at Taste Good with the hubs last week.  This is my favorite kind of brunch on a weekday, where I can peacefully tuck into my favorite spicy food sans the littlest one pecking on my food.




It looks like this will be the last time I get to indulge in spicy food and tea for this month.  From today, it is only clean eating for me. My laproscopic myomectomy surgery is scheduled for 29 May 2017.

From today, I will be eating more lean protein and eggs (both for a quicker post-op recovery and to increase my red blood cells), kefir (my guts need lots of good bacteria to fight the bad ones post-op), more greens and fresh fruits and lots of Izumio. I have stopped some supplements since yesterday and will only resume popping them after I am discharged from the hospital.


My pre-dinner snack of free-range chicken eggs and roselle kefir yesterday.

7 more days to go! Bring it on! I can take it 💪💪

Protect Your Most Precious Heritage: Ideas on How to Protect Your Baby Against Falls

As a mother, protecting your baby from falling is one of the biggest responsibilities you have towards them. This post shares ideas on how to do that. At Yourwriters best essay writing site, they believe that babies are embodiment of the joy and the hopes of many parents. However, babies are also delicate and vulnerable to many dangers in the home. Some of the hazards that every mother needs to protect her baby from is falling. Unless you take the necessary precautions, you may find yourself being mentioned among those mothers who have lost their babies to falls. That is why this post shares ideas you can implement to keep your baby safe from falling in and around the house.

Be cautious with infant seats 
When you place your baby in an infant seat, you need to be there and watch them unless you have used all the safety straps they have.

Watch out for heights 
To keep your baby safe from possible falls, you need to pay attention to them anytime they are in a place from where they can fall. For instance, you need to attend to your baby anytime they are on the sofa, bed, or a crib when the sides are down.

Think about the degree of injury if the baby falls All baby falls cause injuries.
As a mother who values the safety of her baby, you should be very careful when your baby has a pacifier in his mouth. The reason is that if they fall with such objects in their mouth, they stand higher chances of suffering more injuries. Additionally, do not allow your baby to walk or run around with any object in their mouth.

Instill early training Another step you need to keep your baby safe is instilling early training as soon as they can understand instructions. For instance, you should teach the baby to avoid playing with pets when they are on the stairs. Also, teach them to practice holding the stair rails every time they make movement on the staircase.

Lock doors to danger zones
As soon as your baby begins walking, you should always lock all the doors that lead to any area you know the baby can fall if they are left alone. You should also keep all the keys to such openings away from the baby’s reach.

Beware of the floors 
Other areas you need to take care of are the floors of the house. With babies around, you need to include anti-slip rugs on the floors of your home. You should also do the same in the bathrooms to prevent falling.


Light and clear hallways
To keep your baby safe from falls, you have to pay attention to your hallways. You should make every effort to light them adequately and rid them of any clutter so that babies do not fall.

Take care of playing places Another area you need to take care of is where you allow the baby to play. There are many safe places where your baby can play as long as they are not the balcony, deck, staircase, and porch. If your baby has no other venue to play, and these places are the only available alternatives, you should supervise them.

Mind the tricycles your baby uses In as much as a tricycle is a good tool for your baby’s growth and development, you should ensure it is stable. You should also make sure that it is low to the ground and when the baby is using it, keep a close eye on them so that they do not lose control of the cycle and roll off.

Install rail guards on the bed Another safety measure you need to take to keep your baby from falling is installing rail guards on beds. You should also ensure that the rails are not big enough to allow the child to get trapped and choke or suffocate.



Fix window guards
Installing window guards is another sure way of keeping your baby from falling.

Keep furniture away from windows Make sure that you keep all furniture away from windows so that kids don’t use them to climb windows and fall.

Furniture climbing You should keep a keen eye on babies so that they do not climb furniture, especially tall pieces of furniture.

Know where to place the baby carrier Another measure that will keep your baby safe from falling is placing the carrier on the floor as long as the baby is inside it. If you place it on the table or other pieces of furniture, you will be exposing your baby to a sure fall.

Keep your baby’s head safe To keep your baby safe, you need to take care of their heads, as they start learning and engaging in more activities that are vigorous. Ensure when your child is engaging in activities such as biking, they have a helmet. You should take this measure so that if they fall, they will not incur serious head injuries.

Don’t trust that baby walker For a parent, the best tools to teach your baby how to walk are your hands and legs. Additionally, they are the safest of all baby walking support tools, and they do not cost you any coin. The reason is that baby walkers are not safe. For instance, a baby walker can roll down the staircase and cause your baby injuries. Therefore, don’t gamble with the life of your child by leaving them on that support system.

Be careful how you use the shopping cart with the baby
Shopping carts can be fun for kids when you are busy shopping. However, you need to pay attention to the following precautions to ensure that the baby is safe from falling so that your shopping does not end at the hospital.
● Never leave the baby alone in the cart
● Make sure the cart you use has a wheeled child carrier that has a permanent attachment to the cart. If the cart does not have this provision, then you should ensure that it has a binding strap you can use to belt up your baby. If this feature is also missing, then do not experiment with the life of your baby.

Lock the windows
You need to close and lock out all windows as long as they are not in use.

Open top windows only
If your windows can open from both top and bottom, you should only open the upper ones and leave the bottom ones.

Install safety gates 
You should install safety gates at the top and bottom of all staircases. Such a measure will keep your baby safe from accessing the stairs without adult supervision.



Support the child while on the staircase
Even after installing safety gates, you still need to hold your baby’s hands when you are climbing up or down the staircase. This is the best form of safety you can give your child on the stairs.

Remember, supervision is the best safety measure After all is said and done, you need to supervise your baby as soon as they start crawling. Supervision is the only sure way of detecting and preventing all forms of baby falls in the home.

Final thoughts 
There you are with the best and most practical ideas to keep your baby free from falling. You now have the ball in your court. Protect what matters the most to you—your  precious baby.

Lunch Battle

Every day I go through a lunch battle,  battling with my mind on what to eat for lunch, not so much for myself but for Cass.  The two older girls have their lunches at school as they stay back in school everyday. It's just Cass who comes home to eat lunch. I know it's just lunch but if you have to put something healthy yet not boring on the dining table every single day, not only for lunch but for dinner as well, you sometimes get trapped. I guess I am OCD with what I feed my children and this is what's causing the brain freeze and lack of choices. If I would just allow sausages, burgers, fast food and outside food every single day, I wouldn't have to go through this headache all the time.  I know of someone who used to feed her son with spam meat every other day just so her son would eat his dinner.  On non-spam meat days, she would fry an egg for the son. This routine went on for many years and I am surprised with how his son never got fed up with egg and spam meat!

Just yesterday, the mil and I had a hard time planning what to dish out for lunch. At mid-morning, the hubs came home with some snacks that he had bought from KLCC after a meeting with his client. They were a pack of O'Briens chicken sandwich and a box of droolicious Hokkaido cheese tarts and durian tarts!  I was so happy! Lunch for Cass was settled. This girl loves sandwiches. While Cass had the chicken sandwich for lunch, the mil whipped up a ginger + egg + Chinese sausage fried rice for the both of us. How I love Chinese sausage, though I know it's made from crap 😛, thus I don't allow our girls to eat them often. Cass knows Chinese sausages are bad for her and she would single out almost all the Chinese sausages from her fried rice.




Oh by the way, I think the O'Briens sandwich is nothing to shout about. The bread tasted stale  and there was nothing outstanding about the filling. I guess the sandwich would taste better if it was eaten immediately after purchasing it.  I can definitely prep a tastier chicken sandwich. Even Drama Queen can prep a yummier sandwich.  But the Hokkaido baked cheese and durian tarts were SO good, they should be illegal! They don't come cheap but for tart lovers, you should give it a try. One bite of the tart and you would be in Tart Heaven 💓

Eve Of Mother's Day - 13 May 2017

On the eve of Mother's Day, hubs brought us to a restaurant that we've never visited before. He wanted to treat us to something different on the eve of Mother's Day.  UFO Cat BBQ Restaurant is owned by a Chinese national and they serve dishes for UFOs (just kidding 😆), authentic Chinese cuisine, BBQ dishes and steamboat fare as well.





This humongous steamer does appear like some UFO spacecraft but is in fact a high pressure cooker that can cook up to 12 fishes in only 8 minutes. Pretty awesome and impressive eh?





Below: watermelon slices, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and pumpkin soup given on-the-house.




We ordered some BBQ meat on skewers...




Our fish cooked in 2 flavors, with such seafood as squids, lala and prawns and an assortment of veggies steamed together with the fish. This dish was hot and spicy and even spicy food fans such as moi and our girls could not stomach the level of spiciness. Very typical of dishes from certain parts of China. I remember eating such dishes when I went on a holiday in Bejing and Tianjin with my parents in 1997.




Below : the dish at the foreground consists of some cow innards pickled with parsley and lots of burning hot chillies. One mouthful of it sent steam coming off my ears and head and I had to order one jug of fresh watermelon juice to douse the fire in my mouth.





Below: The best dish came from the BBQ chicken wings.  The BBQ eggplant with lots and lots of garlic and chillies was very flavorful too but it was a tad spicy for the girls' liking.










Below: Our bill. Sorry, this yellow banana can't interpret it. For over RM300, we  did not really enjoy our super hot and spicy authentic Chinese meal.  The kids were panting away and chugging down glasses after glasses of water and watermelon juice.




Onwards and upwards! Hubs wanted to end our dinner on a sweet note, thus he brought us to Mykori Dessert Cafe to indulge in some cool shaved ice desserts to cool our burning tummies. This time, we ordered a Matcha Latte Adzuki Kakigori shaved ice, which is a new item on the menu. And also the girls' all-time favorite of Triple Cheese Taiyaki with oozing cheese within.

Simple Lunch - 11 May 2017

Our 'cincai' lunch yesterday comprising of 'recycled' food 😆



Nah, not exactly recycled, more of transforming unwanted overnight food into something more appetizing and delightful.  We had some leftover roast pork from the previous night. There was also a half red bell pepper sitting in the fridge. So the mil whipped up an aromatic fried rice using leftover Basmathi rice, roast pork, garlic, onions, bell pepper, carrots, sweet corn kernels (also sitting in the freezer for months), eggs, julienned ginger and lots of sesame seed oil. Yums!

I boiled an egg for the extra punch of protein and sliced up some cool kyuri and tomatoes.

Fruits of the day : papaya and organic Juliet apple

Supplements of the day: no other than Izumio and super power Super Lutein 👍💪💓

Heavy Period Caused By Fibroid

My monthly unwanted guest arrived yesterday. My Aunt Flow is by far the cruelest this time, lashing out a massive outflow of my most precious blood. Yes blood is SO precious to me now.  I am hoping that I can avoid a blood transfusion before my surgery.  She caused me a sleepless night yesterday, the entire frigging night. I got up every hourly to change the pads, which would be soaked to my shorts. And I used 42cm pads.  A blanket that I place underneath me was also stained.  Not only was there a massive blood flood, clots were plentiful too. And darn the cramps when the clots are being passed out each time. This morning I got up feeling like a walking dead, looking paler and weaker than ever. The breathlessness crept out again, so did the heart flutters.  After a heavy breakfast and snacking throughout the day, I am feeling much better now. Feeling like someone who is preggers, I have been feeling hungry all the time today.  Throughout the day,  I snacked on 'char siew', 'siew yoke', roast chicken (meat gives me the iron power!), black dates, goji berries, lots of ginger + chlorophyll drinks, wholegrain bread with homemade multi-nut jam, lots of Izumio hydrogen water, my super power Super Lutein and my iron tablets. With such  massive blood loss last night and am still bleeding heavily, I am  surprised that I haven't collapsed yet, thank God I am still alive! 😅 I could still drive around and do house chores.  This episode is making me look forward to the surgery. I can't wait for the fibroid to be removed from my body.  I miss my old pre-fibroid body so much 💔

What Impact Does Writing For Health Have?

This article is about the impact of essay writing on health.

The benefits of expressive writing for physical and mental health 

How often do you write an essay or even homework independently? In today's world, unfortunately, this activity seems pointless to many learners. The world we live in today has created many opportunities to facilitate the work of man.  There are many services and tutors who can do your job quickly and thus savеs your time. According to scientists, expressive writing brings about many benefits to our health.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that writing expressively about stressful or traumatic life events is associated with improvements in physical and psychological health. This is not the same as journal writing. This is writing about stressful or traumatic events in one's life and one's feelings associated with these events and people.

Writing helps to deal with stress, and the habit of recording experiences and thoughts on paper can reduce our emotional stress. Writing about an emotionally charged subject or an unresolved trauma helps you put the even into perspective and gives you some organization to those anxious feelings, which ultimately helps you get through it.

Writing plays an important role in our health because writing can heal our body and mind. Sometimes you need to allocate some time on writing tasks independently in order to feel healthy and not allow the brain to go 'rusty' and shrink.

Let's look at why it is so important to write your own and why writing is good for your health? A few tips that will help you to understand the impact of writing on health.

1. It is easier to learn something. When you write yourself, you remember the facts and information. It trains our brain to work and prevents our brain from degenerating. Handwriting also activates a unique neural circuit, which makes learning easier.   Handwritten words stimulate our brain.

2. Writing develops our memory. It helps us to to memorize the content of lectures and writing cheat sheets are an excellent method of preparation for exams or test.  Writing is a workout not only for the wrist but also for the brain. The act of writing develops motor skills and sharpens memory. Moreover, it helps to maintain the activity and clarity of mind as you age.

3. It's easier to formulate thoughts. It is believed that when you start to write, the necessary ideas come faster and easier laid. In addition, as a rule, the speed of writing approximately corresponds to the speed of thought. Writing for mental health can expand our vocabulary and to generate creative thinking.

4. Writing promotes better execution of tasks to further your learning. The more you write, the more information you possess. It subsequently facilitates your learning process.

 5. Writing helps to deal with stress, and the habit of recording the experiences and thoughts helps to reduce our emotional intensity.

 6. The brain doesn't age so fast when you write. While writing we use different parts of the brain responsible for thinking, speech and working memory. If you write independently regularly and do not utilize essay writing services, the brain will receive additional training to better perform.

No wonder psychologists emphasize the link between the status of cognitive abilities and writing skills. Writing is a momentous component of our lives. It develops our brains. We begin to better express our thoughts. We become a better person and we improve our language.  If we constantly use essay writing service, we will deteriorate mentally. We will become lazy and will soon be unable to  think on our own or express ourselves clearly.

To harness the power of expressive writing, choose a time and place where you're unlikely to be interrupted. Vow to write continuously about something that's upsetting you for at least 15 minutes on a few days consecutively. Don't worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation, verb agreement or other writing conventions; simply pour your deepest, most honest feelings onto paper or a computer screen. No one is evaluating you. Sometimes you have to write a lot of junk before you can get to something meaningful.

How Getting A Massage Can Optimize Your Appearance This Summer

As the summer approaches, many people are thinking about which strategies they need to implement in order to look and feel their best during the season of heat and humidity. There are many beauty issues that people tend to face throughout the summer, and it's important to understand that obtaining a massage can help optimize your aesthetic appeal while also contributing to your health. Read on to learn about some of the many health and beauty benefits that can result from obtaining a massage:

1. Weight Loss. One of the issues that plagues people as the summer months approach is excess fat that resides on their thighs, stomach, and other highly visible regions of the body. The presence of this excess weight can make an individual feel uncomfortable about wearing clothing items like bathing suits and shorts for beach parties or at neighborhood barbecues. Because these types of events abound during the summer season, you want to do all that you can to ensure that you feel confident in your body.




One great way to make weight loss happen is by obtaining a massage. This strategy works for several reasons. First, massages reduce your stress levels, thereby limiting the production of cortisol which is linked to weight gain. Second, massages enhance your metabolism, thereby optimizing your body's ability to burn excess calories when you are at rest. Third, massages help release toxins in the body. This step is important because toxic chemicals in the body generate the release of chemicals called cytokines. These chemicals damage the leptin receptors which help signal the brain to burn fat for energy. Thus by eliminating toxins through the massage, you can get your body on the road to optimized fat burning!

2. Skin Clarity. Another great reason to visit a massage firm this summer is because doing so will take the condition of your skin to a new height. This is the case because massages are known to improve the circulation of blood throughout your body-including to your face. This enhanced circulation is important because blood feeds the skin's surface with beautifying nutrients as well as oxygen. Also note that optimized circulation of blood can help eliminate toxins that may show up on the skin of your face in the form of itchy, dry patches.

In addition to attaining a skin-enhancing massage, consider the value of obtaining facials. Many massage firms are pleased to offer clients a wide range of facials. Some of them include:

 • essential facials
 • hydrating facials
 • sensitive skin facials
 • ageless facials
 • pigment refining facials
 • clear skin facials

In addition to attaining great facials in a massage facility, you can oftentimes obtain a wide range of other skin-enhancing services. Some of them include microdermabrasion, glycolic peels, and LED light therapy.




An Important Side Note
While obtaining massages will help you look and feel great this summer, note that this is not the only strategy you can deploy to optimize your appearance and health. Another technique you should deploy is paying attention to your mental health. Luckily, there are many online resources you can use to gain information on key psychiatric research topics that can help facilitate mental wellness. One website you may want to visit for this purpose is BehavioralHealth2000.com.

Don't Delay: Book Your Massage Today!
If you're serious about looking and feeling your best as the summer months approach, it's important to invest in a massage from time to time. Use Google to start your search for the ideal massage firm in your local area!

Surgery To Remove Uterine Fibroid

Just a follow up on my post.   Two days ago, I consulted a gynae who is highly recommended by a relative.

After performing an ultrasound sound scan of the fibroid, which is now at 7cm, Dr Tan gave me 3 options:

Option 1: To do a Transcervical Resection of Fibroids (TCRF) which is a minimally invasive surgery and involves no cuts.  However, as the fibroid measures 7cm, she needs two separate surgeries to fully remove the fibroid. Oh. my. gawd!!  The first surgery will be performed end of May and the next surgery end of June.  The duration for each surgery is 3-4 hours.  Imagine, going through nightmares twice.  One surgery alone is enough to cause me an overload of anxiety.

Option 2: To do Transcervical Resection of Fibroids (TCRF) but only after shrinking the fibroid through 2 or 3 hormone jabs.  This jab acts to put me on a medically induced menopause and I may (or may not) experience all symptoms related to menopause.  The fibroid may shrink when the body is under menopause.  Each jab costs almost RM600 and only one jab is to be administered each month, with close monitoring via ultrasound scan to see if the fibroid has shrunk.  Once the fibroid has shrunk to below 5cm, a TCRF can be performed. Only one surgery is needed.  I find this too tedious, costly and time consuming. And it prolongs my anxiety. Anxiety is all about emotions and in TCM, the fibroid growth is largely affected by emotions. What if the fibroid fails to shrink to the desired size or worse yet, fails to shrink at all?

Option 3: To do a laproscopic myomectomy with contained power morcellation. One of the Ob & Gyn whom I consulted in February this year informed me that the contained power morcellation procedure is not foolproof whereas  Dr Tan informed me that the bag that she uses is safe and does not leak out fibroid cells. Dispersing fibroid cells can have a very negative impact on the body IF the fibroid turns out to be malignant.  This is my greatest fear right now, though it is rare for fibroids to be malignant. I was told the risk of sarcoma (malignant) is 1 in 1000 cases.

I have chose option 3 and the operation is set for 29 May 2017.  On 28 May, a full blood test will be done at the hospital. Should my blood count show a reading of below 8, a blood transfusion would be performed on 28 May, i.e. a day before the surgery.

The countdown to the big day has begun. Everyday I have been telling Cass that she has to learn to be independent and do things herself as mummy will be away for a few days. My parents will be coming  from Ipoh to shower me with lots of moral support. Thank God for awesome parents!

So folks, I really need lots of prayers from everyone now that the surgery will be 100% successful with a benign biopsy result. And no more regrowth of fibroid post-operation. Thank you 😘

Our Labor Day - 1 May 2017

We had 2 hours of badminton at Sports Arena Sentosa (previously known as Lee Chong Wei Sports Arena) with our usual group of buddies in the morning. It was good to indulge in 2 hours of sports to sweat out the toxins from our body. Cass and Alycia have an overflow of stamina and they didn't seem to get fatigued though they played intensely continuously for almost 2 hours. When it was time to go, Cass was very reluctant to leave. She still wanted to play. It must be the Izumio giving them the  bountiful of energy!  Drama Queen was down with a bout of tummy ache and felt nauseous. She just sat at the bench watching us play, trying hard to stifle a puke and pressing on her tummy.   After giving her half a packet of Izumio, followed by her purging in the loo, she was A-OK already and could play a few rounds of badminton with her friends 👍💪





After a good 2-hour sweat out session, we had quite a feast at our favorite 'tai chau' restaurant, Seng Kee Kitchen.  We ordered plates after plates of glorious melt-in-the-mouth 'char siew' and 'siew yoke' with crackling skin, which are one of the best in the world, I kid you not.  There goes our 2 hours of hard work; we piled up on the calories again, immediately. 😕





While the hubs continued with a 'yum cha' session with his friends at a cafe, I went home with the girls as Alycia had tennis lesson.  Cass had tuition and still has a Math paper to sit for tomorrow and Alycia's first term exam begins on Wednesday. Drama Queen's friends came over to play table tennis and practise sprinting for their school's sports day running events. The girls are taking their exams really lightly this time. Hopefully they'll still score well.

Cassandra's Exam Week

It is not that a stressful exam week as I had imagined it would be.  I guess I have gotten used to going through exam week with the girls for 10 years now.  But I was a tad panicky when the Mandarin tutor Whatsapped me on Monday morning to inform that she'd fallen ill and couldn't come.  Chinese language is Cass' weakest subject and the tutor could not come on the eve of Cass' Chinese paper. And the next day, the tutor Whatsapped me again to inform that she was still sick and thus, could not come on the eve of Cass' Science paper. So I enlisted the help of the mil to guide Cass 😁

Last night, I did some Science revision with Cass and had to rely on Google Translator. I also googled for the tooth anatomy in English when I went through the tooth anatomy (in Chinese) with Cass. I solicited Drama Queen's help to test Cass on some Science questions.

Just now when Cass came back from school, she told me that the Science test paper today was easy. I asked if all her friends said it was easy too and yup, they did.  Strong competition from smart kids from the top class!

On the day after the Chinese language papers, Cass told me that she didn't know how to answer many questions. It's OK, even if Cass fails to remain in the top class next year, I am perfectly fine with it.  I want Cass to continue to look forward going to school everyday (thank God she still prefers to be in school than at home!) and I want her to be an all-rounder and be happy everyday. Let me tell you that she hates doing revision and does not quite have the discipline to revise on her own yet. She gets very crabby and cantankerous when asked to sit down continuously for an hour to study.



Cass during a break from revision and all absorbed in her Enid Blyton novel. 

Cass has been reading so many Enid Blyton novels these days that her spoken English is getting very British.  The other day I asked Cass' opinion on a pink dress that I wore and she commented "the dress is too pale a pink" 😀




My lunch today of nasi kerabu. I shared this with the mil. This is home cooked and a Malay lady in the neighborhood sells it outside her house every morning. It's one of the best nasi kerabu I have tasted. She cooks insanely delish nasi dagang (with curry tuna fish / ikan tongkol) too.  YUMMMSSS!!

Gloomy Wednesday - 26 April 2017

Today I am feeling a tad melancholy. In the car just now, whilst the hubs was driving, I took the opportunity to check all my Facebook updates from friends and fans on my mobile phone while I enjoyed being chauffeured around. Within a short span of 15 minutes browsing Facebook, I read about the demise of 3 friends from Facebook. What saddens me so deeply is that these ladies are still too young. One of them is a young mother in her early thirties with 2 little girls aged below five. Her death came so sudden that it's so surreal.  None of her friends could believe that she's gone in a flash.  The other lady is a mother in her late thirties with kids aged below 10.  And the third is a 47-year old lady. Her loved one who posted the announcement on Facebook on her passing used the word "she has migrated for good".   I didn't ask how they passed on as their loved ones must be so grieved now. They must be busy preparing for the wake and funeral.

It struck me again that our life on earth is so fleeting and we'll never guess when God wants us back to be with Him. It could be today, tomorrow, a year from now or 50 years from now. Anytime. Unexpected, unbeknownst and without warning.  I am one who gets the hung up easily over everything and I have lots of "what ifs" constantly running on my mind.  I then asked myself a question: "What if today is my last day here?"  Have I been happy on my last day? Was I angry? Did I live my life to the fullest?   Did I tell my loved ones that I love them?  Did I leave with a bag of regrets?

Next week I will be seeking a third opinion from a gynae whom my friend strongly recommended. I have exchanged messages via Whatsapp with this gynae and she has suggested a minimally invasive surgery called transcervical resection of fibroid process to remove the fibroid (either whole of partially) from my uterus. It has low risks and I could go home the next day... IF all falls into place nicely.  But a surgery is still a surgery and every surgery carries with it risks.  The gynae has to first perform an ultrasound scan to see the position of the fibroid before she could confirm that this procedure is viable as this can only be done if the fibroid is inside the uterus and not outside of it.

My ertswhile boss lost it all on the OT table during a surgical procedure. He was not even 60 yet. A minister's son recently died while having a dental procedure carried out under GA at a dental clinic.  I have a lot of reservations about going through another surgery (I have gone through 4 major surgeries in my life) but everyone who knows  my problem has advised me to get the fibroid removed.  So yeah, it looks like I will have to go through a surgery even though I am scared shit of all the "what ifs" that could go wrong during the surgery. I am totally not ready to 'migrate for good' yet but like what another friend told me recently, our life is fated. There is nothing to be afraid of.

Our Sunday - 23 April 2017

Today is Jogathon Sunday for Alycia.  I woke up at 4:45 a.m. (on a Sunday!) to get Alycia ready.  Her friend came to our place at 5:30 a.m. and the hubs uber-ed the girls to the place for flag-off at 6:30 a.m.

A banana and Izumio for the big girl to power charge her up for a 2-hour jog. 💪

We met Alycia and her friend at Mid Valley at 11:30 a.m. and had brunch with them at Purple Cane. We wanted to eat at Village Duck and Canton-I but these restaurants were full to the brim. We didn't want to queue up.

Green curry chicken with potato, tofu and sauteed pumpkin with cabbage.

This bowl of curry noodles has a tinge of Chinese tea leaves in the broth.

Braised beef with radish and tea leaves.

Sauteed 'chee cheong fun' with pine nuts, onions and tea leaves.

Deep fried 'yau tiu' with yam and fried chicken.

Fried 'lui char' rice with green tea.

After brunch, I did some shopping at Daiso with Cass while the rest of them had coffee and cakes.  

Below - Alycia with her friend.

Alycia is super proud with the medal that she received after the jogathon today. She didn't get any  medal at last year's jogathon.  She is now determined to participate in more jogathons and marathons!

Cass and I entered a contest organized by Mid Valley / The Gardens and submitted this picture to the mall's Instagram page. I wonder what's in store for the winners.  I submitted in the name of fun 😁

Back home, it is back to the grind - revision with Cass and slavery duties. Cass' first term exam is scheduled for Tuesday this week through the following Tuesday after Labour Day. Wishing her loads of luck in her exam!

Mulberry Leaves Powder

The latest health food added to my daily health regimen is organic mulberry leaves powder. Basically, I am adding more chlorophyll into my diet.  I have been drinking a teaspoon of organic lemongrass powder, half a teaspoon of organic green lemon powder together with a teaspoon of Bentong ginger powder every day for the past one month. Now, I rotate lemongrass powder with organic mulberry leaves powder.


Mulberry leaves


Chlorophyll is a pigment found in all green plants. This includes leafy greens and other veggies we commonly eat, plus certain types of algae or bacteria. Chlorophyll is packed with a range of powerful nutrients. It is a good source of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K and beta carotene. Chlorophyll is rich in antioxidants, vital minerals such as magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium and essential fatty acids.

Chlorophyll aids in restoring and replenishing the red blood cells, which is excellent for me as I am anemic.

Below: my organic mulberry leaves drink.  Sometimes I drink it on its own. Most times, I mix it with Bentong ginger powder and organic green lemon powder with a small cube of ginger brown sugar.




Mulberry leaf contains 18 amino acids, minerals and vitamins such as calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, and vitamin A-B1-2. The most important ingredients are ‘phytosterol’ and ‘gamma-amino acid’ which help to decrease cholesterol level in the blood and high blood pressure.

Healthy digestion -- The Chinese use this tea to regulate the digestive system, as it's loaded with both potassium and fiber. You'll find that the tea also promotes healthy gut bacteria - ensuring proper digestion.

Heart health -- The tea has antioxidants that can fight cholesterol and lower your blood pressure, so it's definitely a heart-smart beverage.

Blocks enzymes -- Mulberry leaf tea has been known to block the enzymes that break down carbs and sugar in your stomach, thereby reducing the amount of sugar absorbed into your body.

Keeps liver healthy -- The leaves are known to be effective at detoxifying the body, which can clear up a lot of the toxins that are clogging up your liver.





You can get a wide range of organic plant based powder from De Market supermarket, at the organic food section.

Mother In Law's Tongue

I had a good laugh today when Cass told me that she saw a plant with a label 'Mother In Law's Tongue' in the garden of her school.  I never knew that the Snake Plant is also called Mother In Law's Tongue! What a name to describe a plant 😆

I can see why it is aptly named Mother In Law's Tongue as the plant has long, sword like leaves that are toxic. Some people have evil mothers in law with sword like tongues that only spew out toxic and hurtful words. 😰






Did you know that if cats or dogs ingest parts of this plant it can cause them to feel unwell?  Your pet will start to vomit or have diarrhea. They are not highly toxic but still can cause uncomfortable symptoms to cats and dogs.

Do you have Mother In Law's Tongue at home? 😝

Sisters Forever

They fight like cats and dogs, they bicker over trivial issues but they are still the best of friends at the end of the day.

When I am too busy with work to steal even 15 minutes to test Drama Queen on her BM Tatabahasa, I will enlist the help of Alycia to do the testing on her sister. With my method of tutoring BM to Alycia, she had always scored 'A' in her BM Paper 1 in all her primary school exams. BM Tatabahasa (grammar in Malay language) is all about memorizing (since BM is not our first language) and purging out by way of doing lots of exercises. With less than 5 months away to the UPSR exam, I am putting pressure on Drama Queen to memorize all the different scopes that fall under the Tatabahasa every day with me testing her at the end of the day.

Picture below - Alycia testing Drama Queen in Kata Kerja, Sinonim, Antonim and Peribahasa.

Learning A Musical Instrument

Are you an adult that has a deep interest in learning a musical instrument? You're not alone. There are a lot of people that have felt the calling to play a musical instrument but never got the chance for a variety of reasons. Maybe you were too busy with sports growing up or your parents didn't see the value in it.

Many adults are turned off from learning the piano because they don't think they will ever be able to get good at it. It is a fact that children are better at learning new things because the human brain is designed for it in that stage of life. There is some truth to this, but you shouldn't let it make you shy away from attempting to learn a new hobby. Here are some tips that will help any adult learn the piano.

1. Play music you like - You probably aren't setting out to become a master piano player who can play all styles of music without fail. Start out by learning some of your favorite songs in your favorite genre of music. First, this will make you more excited to learn because it's fun for you. Second, most music is related, so learning one thing will also help you learn other styles.

2. Get a Teacher - If you have the time, hire a private teacher. These pros will get you started on developing good habits and technique right off the bat, making it much easier for you down the road as you get into more complicated and difficult styles of music. The cost of a private instructor is well worth what you get out of it.

3. Play With Others - If you have friends that play an instrument, try to set up a "jam session". Playing with other people is one of the joys of playing an instrument and will also help you pick up on things you might not have found on your own or through music workbooks.

4. Be Patient - Don't give up. Nothing worth having will come to you easily. There are going to be moments when you get so frustrated that you want to give up, but don't let these deter you because, for every one of those moments, there is a moment of self-discovery and improvement that cannot be matched in any other way. The rewards of playing a musical instrument are unmatched by another discipline.

Shrunken Teviron Singlet

Early last week, my beloved Electrolux washing machine of 8.5 years konked out with clothes and soapy water inside the machine a quarter way into the cycle.  The washing machine technician came and carted it away.  I was devastated. Life is so miserable without my most trusted and helpful electrical gadget around.

When the washing machine door was opened, the soapy water flooded the kitchen floor.  After cleaning up the mess, I quickly put the soaking wet clothes in a pail and hurried off to the laundry shop without even checking what clothes were inside the pail as I had to send food to school for Cass and Drama Queen who were staying back for CoCo activities that day.

When I collected the clothes from the laundry shop in the evening, I was in for a big rude shock when I opened the plastic bag of clothes.  Cass' Teviron negative ion singlet shrunk to half its size!!  And the material hardened too, as if it was coated by a layer of starch.

When Cass saw her singlet, she was in tears. She was very, very upset as this is the singlet that she's been wearing almost every night for the past 3.5 years.

And I was very, very upset as the Teviron singlet cost me about RM200!!  Though it is already worn for 3 years, it is still a very costly imported singlet from Japan.  Oh why didn't I check the clothes before dropping them at the laundry shop?! 😭




Fortunately Cass still has another Teviron singlet. She was really upset that day and was in tears for the longest time. I consoled her and put the shrunken singlet on her favorite soft toy, Lammie the baby lamb and said that the Teviron singlet is now Lammie's night gown 😁

Health Freak Mommy 10th Anniversary

Health Freak Mommy was created in April 2007. This year marks her 10th anniversary in the world wide web, WOW!  Can't believe that I have been blogging for 10 years already!!

Admittedly, my main purpose of setting up a blog back then was to monetize the blog to earn some side income. But after years of blogging and having  made so many good friends and loyal fans from blogging, the main purpose of retaining my three blogs now is PASSION and love.  At times, I have thoughts of giving up on blogging due to lack of time and lost of mojo to keep blogging. Sometimes, just to fill up the space, I write vapid articles.  Sometimes my mind goes blank for days and I struggle to purge out something just to update my blogs. But how can I just let my three 'babies' turn orphans and left hanging in the world wide web neglected with cob webs?  So I guess you'll still be reading crap from my blogs for some time 😁

April is also a special month for me. It is the birth month of Cass, my youngest daughter. In a few days, my baby girl will turn 9. Cass has really come a long, long way from being a sickly baby. Though she still has battles to fight now, which I will be rooting for her all the way, I am pretty sure we can overcome all of them with her positive attitude and determination of steel. 💪💪