Ahhh ladies... How many times did you find yourself drooling over the bodies of Hollywood celebs, thinking how perfect and smooth their silhouettes are in those tight dresses? If nobody is perfect, then how come they all look so perfect?


Well thing is, nobody is perfect. Not even those celebrities with smooth-looking silhouettes.


I was watching a beauty/style TV show on E! channel some time ago (I think it was Stripped) and went, "ah-ha!" when they revealed one of Hollywood's best kept style secrets. Their secret to get that smooth and seamless look that we see on the red carpet is achieved with a little help from girdles called SPANX!


Apparently a lot of Hollywood celebrities - including Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, Eva Longoria, Queen Latifa, Opray Winfrey, Tyra Banks, etc - rely on Spanx.


Immediately I went online, googled it and purchased one for myself.




The first time I wore it was at the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards last year. I was concerned it would be just like the normal girdles that you can find at department stores (I can only wear those for a couple of hours), but this one is different! It is SO comfortable and best of all, it doesn't make your figure look "awkwardly robotic" - if you know what I mean. And wearing it is easy-peasy. It only took seconds!


Then I found out that Sara Blakely (the creator of Spanx) also makes another brand of shapewear called LoveAssets at a more affordable price. If only I knew about this earlier, I would have bought that instead because you can get pretty much the same thing as my Spanx Hide & Sleek Slip-suit (which is $84 by the way) for only $52!





There are varieties of shapewears for your tummy, thighs, hips and butt from LoveAssets including mid-thigh shapers, slip dresses, camis, tights, pantyhose and leggings, from as low as $12!





Of course wearing them won't turn you into a size 0, but they are great for wearing underneath tops, dresses and pants (especially clingy material) to create a smooth, sleek silhouette. No more VPL (visible panty line) and weird bulging parts!


There's even shaping hosiery for pregnant moms. I want to get one but hubby said I only have a few more weeks before I'm due, so lupakan saja...




Unfortunately, LoveAssets does not ship internationally. But I have a friend who is opening orders for LoveAssets until 10th of July 2010. Check out her blogshop at shopxing.blogspot.com for more info.


But even if you're not into LoveAssets, do give her blogshop a visit because she also sells COACH BAGS among other things! Most of the items are straight from the US and guaranteed 100% authentic.

Labels: Fashion

I'm telling you, looking after a toddler when you're heavily pregnant ain't easy - physically and emotionally, especially when a mini-meltdown occurs. Screaming, crying, merajuk, merengek... the list goes on. Sometimes I feel like my patience has reached its limit and I just wanted to scream, cry, merajuk and merengek as well!


Of course having a great husband helps - A LOT. I'm lucky that my husband is around when I need him. Whenever I am not in the best condition to deal with Ayra's tantrums - like when I'm sick or tired or even when pregnancy mood swings attacked, he will take over.





My husband will do everything from bathing to feeding and playing with her. He would even teach Ayra some pretty cool stuff that he thinks every girl should know.











Tell me ladies, doesn't your heart just melt when you see the two persons that you love the most bonding together?


We can't deny that a daddy's love is just as wonderful as a mummy's love; that's why there's Father's Day to celebrate all daddies in the world. And in conjunction with that, Anmum is having an "Anmum Salutes Dad" contest which will be running from 20th June to 17th July 2010. It's all about paying tribute to all dads this Father's Day and there are 24 fantastic daily gifts awaiting them! The prizes includes shopping vouchers from Nike, Adidas and MPH, wireless walkman, mini Hi-Fi set, grooming kit and digital frame!


However, this contest is only opened for Anmum Club members so if you're not yet a member, you can register on the website itself. Besides being eligible to enter the contest, an Anmum Club member can enjoy benefits such as attending events ranging from educational seminars to Lamaze and post-natal classes, loyalty programme and product redemption, participate in Anmum Club website forum, getting advice and information, and lots more.


Anyway if you'd like to enter the contest, here's how:


1) Log on to www.anmum.com/my.
2) Nominate a person - your husband, your dad, your grandpa, your uncle, or anyone just as long as he is a dad.
3) Browse the newly launched 'For Dad' section on anmum.com/my website to answer 3 simple questions.
4) Write a creative slogan in 15 words: "He makes a wonderful dad because ___________"
5) Once you have submitted your entry, tell your friends about the contest by sending the link to them.


Weekly winners will be announced via email and Anmum Club's Facebook fan Page on the following week. And then at the end of the contest, the best 3 slogans from the weekly winners for the entire campaign will win one of these 3 grand prizes:
- Sony Cinematic Gaming Experience
- 32" Samsung LED TV (Series 4)
- Nikon D5000 camera


By the way, I just realized I haven't wished this: Happy Father's Day to all dads in the world - especially my beloved husband and my dad!

Labels: Advertorials, Mommyhood and Baby, Nuffnang

The other day when I decided to be a "personal shopper" for the first time, I wasn't expecting to get a lot of response. I thought to myself, "Kalau dapat 5 orang jer pun dah ok".


But the response was quite overwhelming that I had to close the order earlier and cancelled a few of last minute's orders as the total purchase amount was higher than I was planning to take. It was after all, my very first time purchasing something online in a big bulk and I wasn't sure if it would go as smoothly as my previous online purchases.


Placing the order on Gymboree.com went on smoothly; the order was completed within 24 hours and the next thing I know, the package was already sent to FedEx for shipment. It was estimated to be delivered to my house within 5 business days upon completing the order, which was supposed to be on a Thursday.


I got a call from FedEx Malaysia on Tuesday, informing me about some tax charges for my package. It was a few hundred Ringgits. Argh! I didn't know there will be tax or whatnot. I mean, I have purchased a lot of stuff online before, including an Anya Hindmarch bag from its website which was delivered via FedEx as well but was never charge for tax or anything. Agaknya sebab banyak sangat barang ek?


Then on Wednesday, I got another call from FedEx Malaysia. I was told that the Malaysian custom didn't agree with the charges that they informed me the day before, so they calculated again - and this time, it was DOUBLE the previous amount! Pengsan! Apparently there's import duty of 20-30% and 10% for tax from the retail price for each and every item. And there were 53 items altogether! But I agreed to pay for it anyway. It's not like I have any other options (they would return the package back to Gymboree if I didn't agree to pay for the taxes).


The package was delivered to me on Friday afternoon by the way - lambat sehari. Geram la jugak. But I was excited when I opened the big box.





Initially I wanted to purchase 7 items and had placed them in my shopping bag, but 2 of them were "grabbed" by someone else before I could place the order. That's one of the things I don't like about online shopping. But I'm happy with my purchases.




And so did all of my buyers, despite the tax charges! In fact, they told me to inform them if I were to shop online again. Ahhh...we women just love to shop, don't we? Especially kalau sale! ;p

Labels: Sales and Shopping

I wasn't feeling so well for a couple of days last week. I had a terrible stomachache that made me vomit twice and my body was so weak, I felt like I needed bed rest for a week. And I've been on an emotional rollercoaster ever since. One minute I was okay, the next minute things really get to me. I was irritable and snappy at everything. It was ugly. I was ugly. And Ayra has been so cranky lately, it just made things even worse for me. She cried A LOT. Like, all the time. And I cried too. At that point I just wanted to get away to an island or somewhere else just by myself. I just wanted to be alone.


I ended up locking myself in the room.


My husband had been looking after Ayra most of the time for the past one week.
I feel like a bad mom. Maybe I am a bad mom.


But anyways, I'm feeling much better now. I had a lot of sleep, naps. I've been reading some good books, drinking a lot of water, pampering myself a little bit (just spending 10 minutes a day to slather on some lotion all over my body makes me feel good!) and getting lots of hugs from my husband.


Only 9 more weeks to go, Iza!
(Or maybe less).

Labels: Pregnancy

When you read or heard news about a man's genital being cut/sliced/chopped or whatever it is by his wife as a revenge for being raped, abused and whatnot, what is your reaction? Do you feel sorry for the man or do you think he totally deserves it?


Take this news for example: Furious Indian wife slices off husband's penis.


I know what the woman did is inhuman and a serious crime, but I can't help feeling "padan muka kau" for the man.


And I was laughing out loud and even said, "Way to go girl!" to myself when I read this:


.... Lorena went to the kitchen and armed with a carving knife, cut off almost half the man's penis and threw it away in a field.


I am so evil!
Ha ha ha *laughs wickedly*


This is my husband's reaction by the way: "Ooooohhh sakitnya!"

Labels: Random Stuff

Gosh, there's only 10 weeks left before I'm due. 10 weeks! Or lesser if this baby decides to follow her sister's step keluar (2 weeks) earlier than the EDD. And I haven't bought a single thing! But I'm not panicking tho because I already have most of the things needed.


I blogged about this checklist some time ago when I was pregnant with Ayra and this time for the second baby, there's only a few stuff to get. I could probably wait until I'm in my 35th week or something to only start shopping for them.


Or maybe not. It's always better to prepare earlier, no? Although it doesn't really consider "early" as I'm in my final trimester now.


Clothes:

• Long sleeve/short sleeve/sleeveless rompers
• Sleepsuits
• Socks
• Scratch mittens
• Hats
• Receiving blankets
• Barut
• Baby laundry detergent
• Drawer for clothes
  

Gee, I feel bad for this baby. Most of her clothing are hand-me-downs from her sister. Maybe I'll buy some more for her... but I need to sort out Ayra's clothes first before deciding what to buy (and I'm sure most of her clothes still look like new!).



Feeding:

• Breast pump (my Avent breast pump went kaput after only like 8 months of usage. I'm thinking of getting one of Medela breast pumps this time)
  
• Feeding bottles + teats
  
• Storage bottles
• Sterilizer
• Bottle & teat brush
• Bottle/food warmer
• Bib
• Burp cloths
• Bottle drying rack
• Bottle cleanser
• Muslin squares
  

Bathing/Baby Care:

• Bath tub
• Baby shampoo/baby bath
• Baby lotion/oil
  
• Diaper rash cream
  
• Cotton buds
• Cotton balls
• Hooded towels
• Wash cloths
  
• Changing mat
• Baby wipes
  
• Top n tail bowl
  
• Brush & comb
• Nasal aspirator
• Baby nail clipper
• Thermometer
• Disposable diapers
• Minyak telon
  

Beddings:

• Baby cot
• Mattress (latex)
• Blankets
• Bedding sets
• Mosquito net for cot
  

Travel:

• Stroller (not really needed yet because last time with Ayra, we only started using the stroller when she was 11 months old)
  
• Car seat (hmm...do we really need 2 car seats? Nampak gaya kena beli van la)
  
• Baby-on-board sticker
• Baby Bjorn carrier
  
• Baby sling (I'm planning to give ring sling a try)
• Diaper bag + travel changing mat (we can still use the current diaper bag, but I kinda want this!)
  
• Head support cushion for stroller

And stuff for myself...


For Mommy:

• Disposable/washable breast pads
• Nursing bras
• Nipple cream
• Maternity pads
• Nipple shields
• Massage oil
• Warm socks
• Indoor slipper
• Nursing tops
• Disposable briefs

That's it!

Labels: Pregnancy

I attended a wedding at Dewan Sri Endon, Putrajaya, last Sunday. No wait, it was 2 Sundays ago. It was a last-minute thing. Like, really last minute. I only knew I had to attend it 3 hours before the event.


Of course I had nothing to wear. NOTHING! At 7 months pregnant, there's no baju kurung that could fit me well - it's either they got stuck at my bump, or I look like a walking mountain wearing something that is too big. I don't know whether it's because of my hormonal phase, but being in that situation (not having anything that fits me well) is really depressing. I was so close to tears. I know, over kan? Takde baju pun nak nangis! ;p


So I wore a pair of black jersey pants and a black tunic instead (macam berkabung pulak) and believe me, that is like the most appropriate thing I have for weddings at the moment. Well maybe it's okay for daytime weddings, but not for formal ones! I have never felt so underdressed and out of place in my whole life. Bahhh! Everyone else was all dressed up in beautiful kebayas and kurungs. I feel like sitting under the table throughout the whole event so that no one could see me.


Seriously I would rather be overdressed than underdressed.
Well, wouldn't you?


But an overdressed pregnant woman might end up looking like a walking Christmas tree. I'm not sure which one looks better - a walking mountain or a walking Christmas tree.


So anyways, we left early because I couldn't stand the embarrassment of being underdressed (altho hubby said there was nothing to be embarrassed about because I'm pregnant. I guess men just don't understand! >_<).


I made a trip to the restroom before heading to the elevator. I saw two doors; one of them had a sign that reads:




For a second, I thought it was a milk storage room. But why on earth would there be a milk storage room here, beside female restroom? What's inside a milk storage room anyway? Milk? (the room was locked so I couldn't take a peek inside).


I almost wanted to look around in case there is Bilik Kopi as well.
And then I noticed the pink fonts and realized it must be a Nursing Room! LOL.

Labels: Random Stuff

When I was pregnant with my first child, I used to read as many books as I can about pregnancy and baby, besides doing a lot of research (online). I just had to know what was going on inside me, what to expect and such, and I find having good books to read about pregnancy is really helpful. I guess that's normal especially for first-time moms.

Now that I'm on my second pregnancy, I don't read pregnancy books anymore. I just skimmed through certain topics when I feel like it (which is like, only 2-3 times so far) because my toddler keeps me busy. I read her books more than I read mine!

The only pregnancy-related reading I do now is the weekly email I get from BabyCenter.com and also this app called What To Expect which I downloaded on my iPhone.




But there is one book that I want to re-read and would highly recommend it to all pregnant women or those who are planning to get pregnant. I've talked about this book before in my previous posts but I want to talk about it again. It's my ultimate favorite pregnancy book - Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.




This book is about natural childbirth and it's a must-read, even if you're not planning to have a natural childbirth because it's very informative and mind-blowing. The first part of the book is a collection of inspiring birth stories. Reading these stories is kind of like a brainwash from all those negative birth stories that were "installed" in your head from what you've heard/saw/read before. The second part of the book is about the essentials of birth.

"Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth takes the fear out of childbirth by restoring women's faith in their own natural power to give birth with more ease, less pain, and less medical intervention" - eNotAlone.com

You know the feeling when you're so afraid of something that's going to happen and you would do anything to really prepare yourself for it? Well that's what I did. I wanted a normal delivery with no epidural so I searched high and low about natural childbirth and came across Bradley method. Then I searched about Bradley method (I wanted to sign up for the classes but they're available in Malaysia) and that was how I came across Ina May's book. I was so convinced to get the book after reading the customers' reviews on Amazon.com, especially this one review from a woman who was planning to take epidural but later changed her mind after reading the book. I thought, wow this book must be really good. And so I bought it. And read it. And fell in love with it. This book played a major part in preparing me for childbirth, 2 years ago. And now I want to read it again, especially because Ayra was born before I could finish reading it.

I hope my second birthing experience will be of ease, insyaallah.

By the way, the last time I checked, the book was only available at Kinokuniya bookstore for RM69.90.


p/s: Can anyone recommend the best book about breastfeeding that you've ever read? I want to get one. Thanks!

Labels: Books, Pregnancy

I was in the midst of lingerie shopping at La Sensa Express when my phone rang. It was my sister, and the first thing I heard was, "Bawal best tak?".


I went like, "Hah??".


Ok she was actually asking about the Bawang Shampoo that I blogged about some time ago. And I feel like sharing it here since a few of my readers had been emailing me with the same question too (and because I was too busy trying on some lingerie that I couldn't really answer Wani's question).


So far I have been using Bawang shampoo and conditioner for over 2 months and I can pretty much say it's a good shampoo. When I say good, I don't mean my hair has totally stopped falling because that's just absurd. I mean, mesti la ada gugur jugak kan. It's just that, it's not as much as it used to. I could see and feel the difference, BUT I can't really say it's 100% because of Bawang hair products tho because ...


a) I'm pregnant and I read that pregnancy hormones give thicker hair or something like that.


And b) I've been alternating with another hair loss shampoo for about a month now. The main reason why I wanted to find another hair loss shampoo was because the Bawang shampoo smells like ginseng which makes me feel like I'm in confinement or something (read: not really that nice).


Then I came across Skinfood's Pomegranate Hair Loss Care Shampoo and Scalp Hair Pack (it's a conditioner by the way).




According to the website,


"This medical treatment shampoo cleanses both scalp and hair thoroughly to prevent hair loss. It improves blood circulation and darkens graying hair for a healthy scalp and smooth voluminous hair. Contains high estrogen content and vitamin C to stimulate collagen synthesis and nourishes coarse hair".


And I was sold! I can't really remember the exact price but I think it was RM96 each (which to me, is quite expensive for a Skinfood item). All of the shampoos and conditioners were sealed and there was no way I could get a whiff of the scent but I bought them anyways because it's pomegranate and pomegranate should smell nice - like passionfruit. Or so I thought.


Back at home, I found that the scent isn't anything like passionfruit. Well of course, because passionfruit and pomegranate aren't the same thing (I've always thought pomegranate and passionfruit were the same fruit because they kind of look the same ;p). But the scent is nice. Sometimes I think it smells like some sort of tea... a fruity tea maybe.


Aside from the scent, I'm very happy with the shampoo and conditioner. I shampoo my hair 3 times a week - twice using Skinfood, once using Bawang. Sometimes I just use the Skinfood shampoo (and conditioner) all 3 times when I don't want to be smelling like a lady in confinement. And I like that the bottle comes with a pump.


So far I'm happy with the result of both shampoos - Bawang and Skinfood, but then again as I mentioned earlier, it could be because of my pregnancy hormones. I guess I'll have to wait for my post-natal hair loss phase then, to see if both shampoos really work! But I do noticed my scalp is less itchy and oily. In fact, I think it's not oily anymore. Or could that be because of pregnancy hormones as well??


If so, gotta love being pregnant! ;p

Labels: Beauty/Skincare

My sister-in-law has a new keyboard... and guess who gets the chance to be one of the first ones to try it?





In case you're wondering, that's how she "plays" the laptop too.

Labels: Mommyhood and Baby

I get really excited when I shop for my girls' (ahh... notice the plural?) clothes. Like, really really excited. More excited than shopping for my own clothes. There are just too many cutesy little things that can make me go gaga... Like this one children's clothing website, Gymboree.com.

Labels: Sales and Shopping

Have you heard the infamous story about a woman who wanted to buy Mrs. Fields cookie recipe and felt cheated when she found out that she was charged $250 on her credit card because she thought it was only $2.50? She was so furious that she started a chain email and gave away the recipe to tons of people.


Apparently, the story is not true (I also heard the same made-up story about Famous Amos cookie recipe long time ago). But the supposedly authentic cookie recipe was so famous and got great reviews that I just had to try it myself.


And I did. And boy it was yummy, I feel like I'm turning into a cookie monster from stuffing myself with these cookies all day!




So here's the "$250 cookie recipe"


1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups oatmeal (blended)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12oz chocolate chips


Cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, blended oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.


Mix both mixture together and add in the chocolate chips.


The recipe uses grated Hershey bar as well but believe me, even without that the cookies are already chocolatey - there are like 5 or more chocolate chips inside each cookie! You can add 1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts too if you want.


Scoop out ball-sized mounds as big or small as you like (I like my cookies to be bite-size) and place on a cookie sheet, which I lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 190 degrees Celsius for about 8 minutes.

Labels: Food and Recipes

I LOVE eggs. So very much. Scrambled, poached, sunnyside up, boiled, in omelettes, in sandwiches, in nasi goreng, in char kuew teow, in nasi lemak... the list goes on. And I especially love when the yolk is still runny. Yum!




Yeah I know, eating runny yolks may cause food poisoning bla bla, especially for pregnant moms, babies and young children. I was actually crushed when I first found out that preggers should stay away from partially cooked eggs because I love my eggs that way!


So I thought I'd have to wait 9 months before I can eat eggs with runny yolks again, until recently when I attended the Safegg Healthy Living event. Yup it's about eggs, but not just any ordinary eggs.




It's about pasteurized eggs.





The event was held at Hilton KL and there was a talkshow which was mainly about educating the public about pasteurized eggs and their benefits as well as health aspects.








The talk was really interesting and I learned a lot from it. Did you know that every egg is born dirty? Well ok maybe you do, just like when human beings are born - covered in blood and whatnot. But even the clean ones (eggs, I mean) are still contaminated with blood, feathers, soil, even droppings (eww!) that could penetrate the eggshells and may be breeding grounds for Salmonella!


In case you don't know, Salmonella is a bacterium that causes food poisoning with symptoms like fever, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and headaches. It can contaminate eggs at any stage - from laying, packaging, transportation and storage, as Salmonella bacteria can double in numbers every 20 minutes at temperatures between 30-40 degrees Celsius.


If you like poached eggs, runny egg yolks or any eggs that are partially cooked, then you might want to consider eating pasteurized eggs. SaFegg are bacteria-free eggs and it's actually the only pasteurized eggs available in Malaysia.






Don't worry, pasteurized eggs taste just as good as the normal unpasteurized ones. They even look the same on the outside.







And good news for me (and fellow preggers and children too), the SaFegg is safe to be eaten partially cooked - runny yolk, poached, half-boiled, whatever. It's even safe to eat them raw if you want!

Labels: Advertorials, Events/Activities, Food and Recipes, Nuffnang