It's really amazing what the Internet can do. This is one of them:

Millie's Cookies and Muffins all the way from UK!

It's the CUTEST cupcake packaging I have ever seen!

***************

I am concerned about BPA in baby bottles, thanks to some of you who informed it. Else, I wouldn't know.


We've decided on Avent ISIS IQ breast pump and Avent Express Sterilizer, so now we -or rather, I am looking for bottles. I personally think it'd be easier to have storage bottles and feeding bottles from the same brand kot.


However, all of Avent bottles that I have came across so far are not BPA-free, including the ones I got that came together with the breast pump and sterilizer (2x 4oz and 2x 9oz bottles). Avent's BPA-free bottles are known as Natural Feeding Bottle with natural honey-colored tint at the neck to distinguish it from its BPA bottles, and that's what I'm looking for. I've hunted Isetan and Parkson, but nada. All of them are Feeding Bottles. Haven't looked at Mothercare yet, but there's none in the website so I doubt if the store has it. Will try Robinsons next. Do you know where else I could find it?


Or maybe... I'll just use the ones I have dulu, then later after 6 months of using them baru tukar, cari lain (a chat friend of mine told me that the longest "safe" usage of bottles with BPA is at most 6 months). If I couldn't find Avent's BPA-free bottles by then, I would either go for Medela or any of these bottles then. Or do you have better suggestions? I really don't know as I'm very new in this area.



On the other hand...


What do you think of Graco car seat? I saw one at Isetan and it's suitable for newborn up to 4 years old. I can't find it online tho, so I don't know the reviews. Maxi-Cosi car seats yang ada kat Isetan are either for newborn till 1 year, or 9 months till 4 years old - nothing from newborn till more than 1 year. Or how about Combi? Britax is not available there. I asked the Sales Assistant for recommendation and her answer was, "All of the brands are recommended. That's why they're here".


Righttt. That didn't help much.


If possible, we would very much like to get a car seat from Isetan....
Your opinions and reviews are very much appreciated! :) I promise this would be the last need-your-opinion entry regarding baby gear.




**Edited**


Found it!


Here's the Graco car seat that I mentioned about, in the same exact color and model:
Graco Junior Mini Car Seat.

(I love the color!)

I realized I am more energized and boleh tahan lapar throughout the day if I take Herbalife shake for sahur, instead of eating rice. Seriously.


I am currently at my parents' house, staying for a week, so I have rice for sahur since everyone else are having rice. This morning I ate more than usual (3 kali tambah, mind you!) to ensure I don't feel hungry like the days before. Then at only 3pm, my tummy was already growling like there's a mad concert going on. And I don't feel energized at all. Letih lesuuu... I can't wait to have the shake again this weekend!


If I take Herbalife shake, the earliest my tummy would start its "rock concert" is at 5pm. Sometimes it doesn't growl at all - and I'm full of energy sauntering each and every boutique at the mall in high-heels for the whole day (like last week). I suppose it has something to do with the nutrients your body gets. It's not the quantity; it's the quality.


I'm not the only one tho. My customers feel the same way too. Let me share with you some of their testimonials during Ramadhan and their weight loss achievements.


Mrs. Z (via email):

Sept 16th 2008

"Thanks a lot for the guidance given below…really appreciate it!

Can really feel the diff for the past week++ ….& I guess those above really shows my progress to you."

Jerra: i ader try gak xmakan shake
Jerra: tapi makan bende lain
Jerra: mmg xbest la
Jerra: cepat jer lapar
iZa: tula kan
Jerra: i kan iza nak gtau u
Jerra: i mmg ada gak skip makan shake
iZa: ohhoo yeker
Jerra: tp still turun gak berat
Jerra: tea mmg xpenah tinggal la
Jerra: kekadang cam dah ngantok sgt, tu yg trus tido xbuat shake
iZa: ouh ic
Jerra: now berat i dah 53kg iza
iZa: bape kg dah lost to date?
Jerra: total 7kg
iZa: wuu...byk tu! bestnyaa!
Jerra: banyaknyer sbb u la
Jerra: u banyak bg i encourage
Jerra: thanx a lot
iZa: aww...ure most welcome
Jerra: ramaiiii sgt org yg dah tegur kate i dah slim n cantik
iZa: really!
iZa: perasaan yg best tu kan!




Jaja (via YM):

9/2/2008 7:15:21 PM

"Hi iza. salam ramadhan. hope baby n u are fine. juz to let u know dgn my perubahan since taking herbalife. yesterday, 1st sept which is the 8th day taking HL, lebih kurang 3.5 inches dah kurang. tapi since 1st few days guna tu mmg dah rasa longgar sikit baju n jeans. perut pun xrasa buncit or bloated sgt. yg best nye, today 2nd day puasa, 2nd sept, i pun gatal la timbang saje2. mcm ada feeling la. dah kurang 0.5kg! seronok sampai ke telinga ni. hope turun lg la berkat puasa ni kan. tapi mmg x lapar sgt la puasa ni. perut rasa bunyi pun start 4pm. ok la tu dah puasa namanya kan. ok nanti if tserempak masa u online, i let u know d detail bout my penurunan..thanx to HL."


About 3+ weeks later...


iZa: caner progress u skang
iZa: u still take herbalife shake?
jaja: amik lg. mesti
jaja: i slalu mcm lose 1kg dlm 7 ke 10 hari la yg i prasan
iZa: ouh ok sgt la tu
iZa: bulan puasa ni amik 2x gak ek
jaja: pose ni, sahur wajib. yg mlm, if i xmkn berat i amik
iZa: aha ic
jaja: tea mmg sahur n mlm
iZa: good2
iZa: so bape inches n kg dah lost so far
jaja: inches bape ek..nant i cari my notes. kg ilang 3 dah lebih kurang
jaja: sluar longgar kdg2 jadi mcm hip hop. dah lame xpakai belt, kne pakai belt
iZa: that's great!
iZa: 3 kg in a month
jaja: ok la kan pasal u said ikut bdn kan, xleh expect turun gile2 kan
iZa: yes true
iZa: especially kalau dah in ideal weight range
jaja: tula i pun mcm terkejut gak jarum tu x penah lg tunjuk kat berat lama
jaja: xpenah la rasa gini b4
iZa: hehe ic
jaja: dulu penah la 1 sem x mkn nasi mlm. baru ilang dlm 5kg
iZa: bape lama 1 sem?
jaja: itu konon2 dekat 20 weeks. ni baru sebulan
iZa: ohho lamanyaa nak ilang 5kg
iZa: dlm 4-5 bulan la
jaja: so ok la herbalife. if org nak try i akan suggest.




Naya (via SMS):


"Tatik, I weighed myself tadi, it was 56.5kg! Previously I was 59kg. I started taking twice daily masa start bulan puasa. U can feel d difference if u sahur with rice n sahur with Herbalife. Not as hungry n definitely more energetic compared to bsahur with rice. My bf agrees! The tea helps as a detox which I take religously b4 sleeping."



As for this pregnant lady... of course she didn't lose any weight! ;p

When it comes to Malay cuisine, I love masakan kampung more than the desserts. I'm not really a fan of kuih-kuih Melayu, but there are a handful that I like.

One of them is Kuih Cara - my mom's Kuih Cara, to be exact.
I love it especially when it's still warm and soft. The warm melting sugar inside is simply divine!


Anyway, I helped my mom to make Kuih Cara for buka puasa today (if you count arranging the kuih on a plate as helping).


Here's how to make it:

Ingredients: Brown sugar, batter (mixture of flour, egg, pandan, coconut milk, salt), coconut oil for greasing.

Spoon batter into a preheated greased mould.

Put 1 teaspoon of brown sugar in the center.

Spoon another layer of batter, and cover the mould.

Once cooked, place them on a plate.

And that's it!

I did some research on strollers at this website some time ago, just to get some ideas on what kind of stroller to get, and I've found my favorites. Here are some of 'em:

Notice that I'm into strollers with single wheel on each side and frame that's made of aluminum or steel? And yes, I want something in red bcoz it's a universal color.


Unfortunately, all the strollers that I have my eyes on either exceeds our budget (like the Stokke - it's nearly RM5k!), is not available here, or doesn't have most of my must-have features.
I want a stroller that has a large storage basket, parent/child tray or at least a cup holder, reversible (so that my baby can face the world or me), and lightweight, besides other important features. Hubby doesn't really mind, except he wants something simple and not bulky.


After surveying some strollers, we finally found the one we like - Valco Baby - at The First Few Years (thanks to my sister and Kaezrin for recommending the store). We weren't actually planning to buy right away on the first visit, but since it's the last one in red and the price is way below our budget (plus I think we've been to nearly all the stores that sell strollers), we decided to get it. I hope we've made a right choice.

It comes with everything I wanted, with an added bonus of an interchangeable play tray (with a cup holder) and a bumper bar both included. The only feature this stroller doesn't have is the reversible option.


Oh well, I guess takpe lah.


Next on the list: a car seat.


Any suggestions, mommies? I was wondering... is it really important to have one just as soon as the baby arrives? Or do you think it's okay to get it 1-2 months after the baby is born? Bcoz I think I would hold my baby for the first 2-3 months when I'm in the car. But I don't know. What's your experience?

hi iza.
im one of your blog readers.

actually, im thinking of buying a body scrub and i need help in choosing the brand. i mean the good one. i think you may be able to help me in regards to this matter.

ive never use any body scrub before. so basically i know nothing about it. hehe.

im looking for a scrub which can make the skin smoother as well as moisturise the skin simultaneously. i can say that the range price can be less than 100 bucks perhaps.

really hope you can help me.

-sd-



Hi sd,


Thanks for your email :)


Okay, there's only one brand that comes to my mind right away, and that's the brand that I have been using for ages. It's The Body Shop.


The Body Shop has a few types of body scrubs - creamy, gel-based, oil-based, salt - and not to mention, a few yummy flavors to choose from! Personally, I prefer body scrubs that are very grainy and creamy in texture than those of soft-textured gel/oil-based scrubs. So that makes the fruity ones out of my list. One of the reasons why I like grainy and creamy scrubs is bcoz they don't melt away/disapear on my skin within 10 seconds of scrubbin'!


My recommendations would be:


1) Olive Body Scrub.

This scrub smells fresh and clean, like the smell of freshly mowed grass. It has exfoliating crushed walnut shells and crushed olive stones which exfoliate the skin without being too harsh. It helps to remove dead skin cells, leaving the skin feeling soft and smooth. One of the main ingredients is Olive oil which helps to moisturize and condition the skin, so it's suitable for normal to dry skin types. This scrub washes off easily and although it's moisturizing, it doesn't leave the skin feeling oily - it makes you feel squeaky clean! The Olive Body Scrub is actually my most favorite of all The Body Shop scrubs.




2) Cocoa Butter Body Scrub

Now if you want a scrub that smells yummy, then go for this one - it has a slight chocolatey scent to it. This scrub contains exfoliating ground rice and almond shell powder to thoroughly exfoliate the skin. The granules are slightly bigger and coarser than the Olive's, so if you're looking for a heavy-duty scrub, this would be it. Since it is cocoa butter, it is best for very dry skin. Of course this one leaves the skin feeling silky smooth and soft too!


The price for each scrub is only RM59.90 for a tub of 200ml, which falls within your budget.
I hope this helps. And remember to apply body lotion/moisturizer/oil after a good scrubbin'!

Empire waist tops/dresses are truly a heaven-sent for pregnant mommies bcoz they camouflage a heavy figure, as the waist line is raised right below the bust. They flare towards the hemlines, giving just enough room for the middle-section of a pregnant woman's body - even the non-maternity ones. Most of my pre-pregnancy clothes that I can still fit in are those of empire waist style.


Anyway, I saw this pintuck empire waist tube top at Topshop today, tried it on and instantly fell in love with it. I love how the slinky fabric falls and hugs my figure. It looks flattering, and most importantly, it's not white! (I've been buying too many white tops already).

I'm planning to wear it with a black cropped cardi (long or 3/4 sleeves), but not just any cropped cardi - not cotton material, nor the knitted ones.


I want something like this Topshop Lace Bolero, except I would prefer something not too lacey.

Do you know where I could find one? I've looked at Warehouse, Principles, Forever21, MNG, Naf Naf, Sisley, M&S, Zara, Massimo Dutti, but couldn't find the right one. *sigh*


Would appreciate if you could help me, bcoz this pregnant lady has almost given up.

I promised to one of my readers that I would blog about buffet place yg best, so here goes...


At Shogun Japanese Buffet

This place is like a food heaven! There are fooooood everywhere! At only RM55+ per person, it's totally worth it. There's sushi (of course), tempura, grilled seafood, cheesy soft shell crab, unagi omelette, sea bass with lobster sauce, seafood pasta, seafood carbonara, seafood pizza, kebab, veggies, chicken, cakes, ice-creams and tons more. Soup dia saja dah 4-5 jenis. Rasanya kalau duduk sana 2 hari pon tak habis makan semua benda kot ;p

Tempura and Shark Fin soup

Steamboat

Cheesy soft shell crab (my fave!) and sea bass, among other things

Grilled cheesy seafood + sushi (I only chose the cooked ones since I'm pregnant) + Unagi omelette

Desserts

I came across this book at Popular bookstore some eons ago. At first glance, I thought it was a cooking book. Or a book about food.

But it's not.
I purchased it anyway.


Comfort Food is a story about Gus, a 50-year-old widow who is a famous cooking celebrity with her own cooking show which took place in her own fab kitchen in the Cooking Channel. (Gee, that was a mouthful). But as time goes by, the number of her viewers dropped and her boss thought if it has to do with her getting older, so he adds a little spice by pairing her up with a gorgeous former Miss Spain to join her in her cooking show. There are other characters in this story as well, including Gus' two daughters and her best friend. The rest of the story tells about how Gus has to deal with her life and others around her.


To me, this is an okay read. I love the parts about the cookings and food. I wish there's more of that. I give it 3 stars out of 5. It took me about 2 weeks to finish reading this one, so it's not really something that you cannot put down. But if you are a fan of Kate Jacobs, then this might be a comfort read for you.

Remember I mentioned about wanting to change my blog layout?


Well after 2 sleepless nights and 8 crap designs, I finally came up with something that I'm happy with (so far). But I don't know, I might change my mind again and start designing a different one.


My husband wanted to help out too, so he designed one for me within half an hour. It was really sweet of him but err, I don't think his design would work for me (sorry honey. But I still love you). You know, the whole situation reminded me of the movie "Click" where Adam Sandler was busy drawing a house when his kids came up to help and showed him their drawings. Sebijik macam tu, except this "little kid" is defensive of his design and insisted me to use it. But after showing him the end result of my design, baru dia boleh terima. Hee hee.


Anyway, I'm concentrating on the header design more than anything bcoz I figured once I got it right, the rest will just fall into place. Currently I'm so into scrapbook/collage styles so that's what I came up with.


I need your opinions in choosing the fonts tho. I like both, but I don't know which one to go for. Dah tak larat nak fikir sendiri. Karang tambah another sleepless night ;p
Now let me give u a heads-up before I show it to you - I am a newbie in this area and my experience comes from my own little creativity and interest in experimenting, so don't expect something grand, hokey!


Alright, here goes...

Thank you!



**UPDATED**


Looks like the Boopee font is leading (yes!).


Oh hey, I just edited the previous header design. Instead of the dotted line, I changed it to this pink swirls.

So let's cast another vote:

I woke up to a dream I wish I didn't have.


It wasn't a bad dream; in fact it was the opposite. But it was a dream that's driving me crazyyy. It left me hankering for something that's far from possible to get.


I dreamt of Millie's Double Chocolate giant cookies and muffins that we once had on our honeymoon trip and also in Paris years ago. Aaahhh... it was sinful - the rich chocolatey taste, the big chocolate chunks found in every bite. It's THE BEST chocolate cookies and muffins ever.

Isk. If only there's an outlet here in Malaysia... *sigh*

I went to Marks & Spencer the other day looking for Millie's substitutes. There wasn't many choices of chocolate chip/chunk cookies so I just grabbed whatever I can find (including my fave chocolate digestive biscuit). But hmm... lainnn. Takde ummpph! I couldn't taste that "X factor" that I'm looking for in chocolate cookies, if you know what I mean.

Can anyone recommend me some really great-tasting, loaded with big chocolate chunks (especially cookies) - besides Famous Amos, Mrs. Fields and Bakin' Boys? This pregnant lady is crazily craving for one!

My husband has an interest in property/real estate/stock market investments thingy (which I never quite fully understand what they are all about - I used to think real estate is something related to rubber plantation bcoz of the word 'estate'!), so when he heard of a seminar being held at an affordable price, he jumped at the opportunity right away... and asked me to come too. It's a 3-hour seminar at Armada Hotel by Milan Doshi, about "How You Can Be A Multi-Millionaire Property and Stock Investor".


I was hesitant at first. If it's about, say "How You Can Make Money Online and Become a Millionaire" sort of thing, then I'm in. But stock market? That's not something I'm interested in. I once belek-belek his books about stocks and option trading and whatnot, wondering if it's as interesting as self-help books, but as soon as I saw graphs and charts, I quickly put the books down. I never like maths subject, and graphs are always related to maths, no? But I remembered in one of the self-help books that I've read about husband and wife should involve together in anything that's related to their future so that both understand and know where the other person is heading. So I thought, okay... Plus, I don't need to pay for the seminar!

While I spent half of the session (the stock market session) doodling and rubbing out my notepad with the new pen I bought from Kinokuniya the other day (it's a pink gel ink pen and it comes with an eraser. How cool is that?), the property session was quite interesting. An eye-opener, I should say. And something Milan Doshi said makes so much sense:

I totally agree! In other words, you get what you paid for. And I can totally relate it to simple things like... shoes.

It's better to have only 3 pairs of good shoes that will last a long time even if it costs more, rather than having 20 pairs of cheap bargain shoes that would worn out by the third time you wear 'em.


I hope my husband understands my needs to get another LV bag ;p

Look who chopped hers!

The fabulous Victoria Beckham.


What do you think?
Well, I like it! I think she looks chic and younger. But am not gonna get a hair-do like that.


Picture from Victoria Beckham Blog.

I saw at least 1001 fabulous tops at the mall the other day.


Okay, I'm just exaggerating that amount. But nearly every boutique I went to, at least 2-3 tops caught my eyes. It's frustrating knowing that I can't wear (and buy) them. Not with this belly.
If I take bigger sizes, the shoulders would be droopy and the sleeves would be too long. Altering is not the solution to it. Might as well I wait until my baby pops out.


Why can't maternity tops be as chic as these?

MNG and Banana Republic

Now I don't usually dig the clothing line from Principles, but these are chic!

*sigh*


Ok, so there are some nice maternity clothes out there, like those from Topshop, but the choices are pretty limited (especially here in Malaysia). It's like a discrimination against pregnant ladies! Just bcoz we have a belly that's the size of a prize-winning watermelon and a bulging belly-button and swollen hands and feet (well, I don't have one yet) and an ugly dark line that divides our bellies into North and South hemispheres (actually it's East and West- but you get my point), it's just not fair that non-pregnant ladies have more choices of clothing than us, especially young-mommies-to-be, like moi! We still want to look fah-buh-lousss and wear our favorite brands. Right, mommies?


Grrrr....

I've been tagged by Nadia.


State 15 weird things/ habits/ little known facts about yourself.
* The 10 people I tag are to then to follow my footsteps and write their own 15 weird things/habits and little known facts.


Let's see...


1) I am a night owl. I sleep really late, sometimes after sunrise.


2) I love Herbalife shakes, period. Even now that I'm pregnant and fasting, I still have to have the shake at least once a day - for sahur (except on weekends when I'm at my parents' house). It's not an addiction. It's a necessity.


3) I am a chatty person online, but not quite so in real life.


4) I don't like parties and crowds. It makes me feel uneasy. Small gathering of close-knit family/friends is okay. Else, I would feel the need to be invisible.


5) I am a high-heel girl. I am not comfortable wearing flats no matter what people say. The flattest flats for me is a 2-inch shoes. I even tiptoed as if I'm wearing heels if I go up a staircase (when I'm barefoot).


6) I love food of any kinds - western, eastern, masakan kampung, Japanase, anything. Just bring it on! I'm not fussy when it comes to food. I can eat (almost) anything. My mom said I am an all-rounder. I'm just a bit fussy of the place where I eat the food.


7) I have a girly crush on Anne Hathaway and Alexis Bledel. It's not a lesbian thingy. I'm just wowed with their beauty.


8) I love trying out new recipes. Or creating one. I have a secret dream to be like Nigella Lawson in my own kitchen one day.


9) I apply lip balm every hour of the day (except when I'm sleeping, of course). I cannot live a day without it.


10) My usual order for drink would be Ice Lemon Tea/Teh O Ais Limau when eating out. Mamak ker, restaurant ker, hotel ker, mana ker.


11) I would get excited receiving letters in the mail. Doesn't matter if it's newsletters from department stores/boutiques, postcards about some products, etc etc. Oh, except Credit Card bill! ;p


12) I heart the Internet. I could go online the whole day, duduk terperap dalam bilik tak keluar2. I have this feeling that the Internet could offer me something big, one day.


13) I love veggies more than fruits. Which is why my favorite 'nasi set' is Nasi Kerabu.


14) My definition of "luar negara" is somewhere outside South East Asia. In other words, a country with different climate and people.


15) I love purchasing stuff online. When they're delivered, it feels like getting presents!


I'm tagging:

The only person I could think of is Wani. Macam semua orang dah buat/kena tag jer...
Anyone is welcome to do it anyway.

This is me at 6 weeks pregnant...

At that time, I was still in my pre-pregnancy weight (46kg) and size. My waist was so tiny - 24 inches!


And this is me currently, at 6.5 months pregnant...

Let's see how much I've grown:


Bust = 6 inches
Waist = 7 inches
Butt = 2.5 inches


...and I weigh 55 kg!
Agak-agak by the time I'm in the 9th month of pregnancy cecah 60kg tak? Coz the doc said, I should expect to gain 2-3 kg per month starting from last month. I am so gonna be huge!


Anyway, I went for my check-up today and did the ultrasound scan as usual... and the baby's sex is still the same as last month's. The doc said, InsyaAllah betul. But I'm still waiting for my 4D and detailed scans which would take place at Pantai Hospital, next month. Kalau lepas tu pon still sama, then maybe I can shop for my baby's stuff (especially clothes) tanpa rasa ragu-ragu. Do you want to know the sex of my baby?


Mmhhh... Tunggu next month after the scans la ek.

Alhamdulillah, so far everything is fine. My little one weighs 1.05kg now, and ever since puasa ni dia bertambah-tambah aktif. Sometimes I can feel the movements 2 tempat sekali serentak - belah kiri and kanan perut. I feel like there's a mini David Beckham inside!




Erkk...


As soon as I have finished typing the previous sentence, my hubby (who has already fallen asleep) suddenly mumbles, "A'ah tu laa", as if responding to me.


Did I just type it out loud? Or is he sleeptalking again?
Heh.

Naya gave me this fun link - YearbookYourself.com. It's a website that transmogrify your look back to as early as 1950, so if you have ever wondered how you look like in the past, go try it. It's hilarious - I just have to share it!


So this is us in 2008 (on our wedding day)...

And this is how we look like in the past! OMG.

1950

1952

1958

1960
(MZ look like the main character in Family Matters kan? haha)

1962

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974

1978

1984

1986

1988

1998

2000