Movies and Me

If i were asked about Harry Potter a few months back, seriously i know nothing about it. For me Harry Potter is just another blockbuster movies and people are phenomenally crazy about it. I often get confused between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings..believe it or not i used to think those two movies are the same..Blame it on my kids hahaha. Being a mum to a 6 and 3 yrs old kids, meaning am stuck with either disney or any animated movies. Just kidding! Myself also do not really into those kind of movies. Moreover, i have a deeper feeling too towards all disney movies especially the classsic ones like Cinderella, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs and luckily my daughther, Aqeelah, share the same feeling with me. She really adores those princesses.

Last 2 weeks they aired "Notthing Hill" on tv. I was then refreshing my hubby memories about the last time we have even been to the movies. And it was 6 years ago. No wonder i missed a lot of good movies. Though there are dvds or vcds but i find myself glued to the tv watching programmes like sitcoms, reality shows, telenovela or travel&living channel. Its hard to concentrate to movies when you have kids at home plus you have to cencored some of the parts. Although i could watch it after kids go to bed but by that time i will be too tired or hubby is already snoring.

Back to Harry Potter, since most of my friend recommended it and by looking at the rating it is a worth watching movie..so i decided to give it a try. What do you think is the verdict? Of course i liked it. Its not as heavy drama as i think and the character are quite cute. All i need to do now is to get all the sequels. I also read about the person behind all this Harry Potter madness, JK Rowling. It is an amazing stories how she started writing about Harry Potter. She said that her life's ambition is to see a book she had written on a shelf in a bookshop. Everything that has happened since then has been extraordinary and wonderful. It was the fulfillment of a dream she had since she was a very small child. JK Rowling, famous creator of the even more famous Harry Potter, once hit the headlines for being richer than the Queen. Wow! You go girl!

To conclude, am still a romantic comedy disney's girl!

Swim..swim away!

I used to be so afraid of water. Afraid of drowning that is. But as i get older and have kids on my own, the needs to learn about swimming becoming more vital. Naturally, we all know kids love splashing themselves in the water. On a very hot day, a dip in a water can cool them off for the rest of the day. At the same time, water can be extremely dangerous and one of the commonest causes of accidental death in young people. Therefore it gives me a very big reason to push myself to learn about swimming. So that i won't be so paranoid letting my kids into the pool.

Obviously swimming is not only a great form of general exercise, it can also be therapeutic for particular conditions and injuries. It is a healthy activity that can be continued for a lifetime. Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness. It is easy to increase your heart rate and stimulate your muscle activity in the water and a great way to tone up and trim down, because to swim you need to move your body against the resistance of the water. Just swimming a few lengths can involve most of the major muscle groups, giving your body a great work out. As the resistance in water is more than ten times that of air, you're also burning up more fat and calories at a rate of about 3 calories a mile per pound of bodyweight.

The other big advantage of swimming is that water supports your weight and takes the stress off your joints, so you can put your body through a good workout without your knees, hips or spine paying the price. As safe as it get, swimming is also a very low impact exercise even a pregnant women can perform it. It is a wonderful exercise in pregnancy. The weight-supporting effect of water means it's especially good in the late stages when you're struggling to get about.

At the end of the day, swimming also another great social outlet where you can make new friends. Exchanging stories, challenging each other, and sharing in the hard work make swimming with others a rewarding experience. Let your mind wander and relax your body as the flow of the water refreshed you and ready to go on with the rest of your day. Swim...swim away!

Tips & Tots: 1

I don't know whether i will have ideas or times to blog every single day but i still want to make contributions to my blog. Therefore i have decided to at least write something that i will call it Tips&Tots. It actually will be simple tips&tots to ponder for the day. Whenever i have extra time or knowledge i will try to gather all tips&tots into one particular column. For today tips&tots is:

From the sun's point of view, there is no reason to stop shining, even for a little rain. Can you do the same?

Have a great week everyone!

Eating out with Children

I cook mostly everyday..breakfast,lunch dinner..although i do not consider myself as a good cook but my kids love it. So is my dear hubby..But Saturday is my day off..where my kitchen will be close. Its my hubby turn to cook for me and by that means we will be eating out. The other day my friends were talking about this fancy restaurant Naili's. They have great settings, where you can sit down and enjoy the food as well as the view. Too bad it is not a family restaurant. I made me think when was the last time i had a quiet,nice time dining out..Nowadays eating out mean we only get to go to selected restaurants. The one with kid-friendly-restaurant. Eating out with children can be, shall we say, a primitive experience: They're hungry, they're loud, and they have no inhibitions. Bring them into a room full of adults talking quietly and enjoying a relaxing meal, and the results could be disastrous. Nevertheless..they just children.. our children. Therefore i have gather few guides that parents can follow when eating out with children.

Pick the right restaurant. Choose a kid-friendly restaurant—one that's casual, loud enough to absorb some noise, and with either a kid menu or a varied enough menu to appeal to children and adults. Let your child choose the restaurant once in a while, or at least consider her preferences.

Go early.Be among the first to arrive for the breakfast, lunch, or dinner hour and you'll be seated and served more quickly. Quicker service means less "gap time" between ordering and food arrival or between courses — and less gap time means less time for your active preschooler to get rambunctious.

Play games. With grade-schoolers, you need to walk the line between respecting their needs as children (who will be bored and fidgety if the wait for food is long) and getting them to respect the needs of their fellow diners, including their own parents. Be ready to play "I spy with my little eye," simple clapping games, or tic-tac-toe.

Stick to the rules you've set. If you back down in public on the expectations you've established, you'll be sending a mixed message. You don't need to become angry, however, or shame your child if he's finding it impossible to sit still. This will leave him feeling embarrassed and he'll connect these negative feelings with excursions to public places. Simply leave quietly, being firm and clear about why you are doing so.

Be realistic. Behaving in a public place often means sitting still and keeping quiet — skills that don't come easily to most kids. If your child is simply unable to follow the rules, take heart in the fact that most "misbehavior" in public places is more often connected to your child's developmental stage than to a willful intent to behave badly.

Finally..try to enjoy the meal eventhough your children is still screaming, spilling the food on the floor or maybe want to go to the loo. Because children will always be children and as much as we want them to behave they just won't get it right everytime. As long as we foster good manners at home and keep it consistant..they will turn out just like we want them to be.

Fruits of the day

My kids loves fruits. From the ripeness of papayas to the everlasting sweet aroma of durian. I usually get my fruits from our local pasar malam-night market. But how can you get the most bang — nutritionally and economically — for your RM while eating all those recommended servings of fruits each day? Don't buy just because of low price. It seldom pays to buy perishable fruits merely because the price is low. Unless the lower price is a result of overabundance of the fruit at the time, the so-called bargain may be undesirable. Buy only what you need. Home refrigeration makes it possible to keep an adequate supply of most perishable fruits on hand, but never buy more than you can properly refrigerate and use without waste -- even if the product is cheaper in quantity. People said follow your nose when choosing fresh produce. It might work sometimes but hey what if you have runny nose that day? So here are some tips on how to choose the freshest fruits:

• Apples: Look for firmness and crispy, well-colored apples. Brown or tan "scald" marks don't affect taste, but soft bruises that are discolored indicate damage.

• Avocados: Available year-round, as they are grown in Florida and California. Choose slightly soft fruit, or if bought unripe, allow three to five days at room temperature to ripen. Refrigeration slows ripening.

• Bananas: Look for bananas which are firm, bright in appearance, and free from bruises or other injury. The state of ripeness is indicated by skin color. Best eaten when yellow with brown speckles. At this stage, the flesh is mellow and the flavor is fully developed. Bananas with green tips or with practically no yellow color have not developed their full flavor potential. Bananas get damaged below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, so never refrigerate.

• Blueberries: Look for uniform color and plumpness; avoid oozing berries.

• Grapefruit: This fruit is sold ready-to-eat; avoid fruit that is too soft (a sign of decay). Scratches and spots on the peel don't usually indicate that anything's wrong.

• Grapes: Select those with green, pliable stems that the grapes don't fall off of easily — a sign that the grapes themselves are fresh.

• Kiwi: Plump, unwrinkled fruit, either firm or slightly yielding. Kiwifruit is fully ripe when it is yielding to the touch but not soft. Firm kiwifruit can be ripened at home in a few days by leaving it at room temperature

• Melons: A stem that's still attached may indicate the fruit isn't ripe. With cantaloupe, avoid those with an overly yellow color and a soft skin, which indicates overripeness. Sniff for a sweet, pleasing smell. Most cantaloupes require two to four days to ripen at room temperature at home.

• Oranges: Should be heavy and firm, indicating juiciness and bright-looking skin which is reasonably smooth for the variety. Avoid light-weight oranges, which are likely to lack flesh content and juice. Very rough skin texture indicates abnormally thick skin and less flesh. Dull, dry skin and spongy texture indicate aging and deteriorated eating quality. Also avoid decay -- shown by cuts or skin punctures, soft spots on the surface, and discolored, weakened areas of skin around the stem end or

• Peaches: Very hard peaches are unlikely to ripen. Choose freestone varieties for eating.

• Pears: Should be firm but slightly soft. Their color depends on the type: Bartletts should be pale to rich yellow, while Boscs are brownish yellow. Shriveled pears will not ripen.

• Raspberries: Stains on the container may indicate mushy or moldy berries inside. Berries should not have their caps attached.

• Strawberries: Look for the cap stem still attached, and avoid fruit with white shoulders or large discolored patches.

• Watermelons: If you want to buy an uncut watermelon, here are a few appearance factors which may be helpful (though not totally reliable) in guiding you to a satisfactory selection. The watermelon surface should be relatively smooth; the rind should have a slight dullness (neither shiny nor dull); the ends of the melon should be filled out and rounded; and the underside, or "belly" of the melon should have a creamy color.

Last but not least the King of all fruits:

• Durian: will have to consult the expert on this for the tips..that is my dear hubby of course since he is what we call hantu durian

These past 2 days me n my sister been very busy...yupp we were like kids with candies..could not sit down quietly for a minute. Spend most of our time updating blogs. My god..could not believe that am actually a bit behind when it comes to blogging..so much to learn...macam-macam ada..so many tools in the webs if you want to update or improve your blog. Yet as i said lots of new things to learn..we could not even differentiate between HTML and URL ni the beginning..but after 2 days we did actually learn something. Alrite will update more..

Why do I still look pregnant?

Again thanks to Babycenter baby Bulletin for this article..hopefully everybody will get some ideas why we still have that so-called-spare-tyres..At the same time..need to excercise and exercise, a healthy lifestyle will keep u up n running all the times

One of the biggest surprises for a woman just after giving birth is the way her tummy looks. The baby is out, but there it is, right around the navel, a big, round, squishy puffball, making you look like you're still six months pregnant. Many women also have a dark line down their abdomen called a linea nigra and a web of stretch marks, which are actually little scars caused by the excessive stretching of skin. Those who had a c-section have surgical scars to contend with as well.The reason you still look pregnant is that it takes time for your body to completely recover from delivery. Imagine your abdomen as a stretchy balloon, slowly inflating as the baby grows. Instead of popping the balloon, childbirth starts a slow leak. But it's a steady one. From the moment your baby is born, hormonal changes cause your midsection to deflate, shrinking it back to its pre-pregnancy state. It takes about four weeks for the uterus to contract back to its normal size. All the cells in your body that swelled during pregnancy will begin releasing their fluids in the form of urine, vaginal secretions, and sweat. And the extra fat you put on to nourish the baby will start burning off (especially if you're nursing and exercising). But it takes at least a few weeks before you see noticeable results.Stretch marks and the linea nigra endure even longer. The good news is that stretch marks usually become considerably less noticeable within about six to 12 months following childbirth. The pigmentation in them fades and they generally become lighter than the surrounding skin (the color will vary depending on your skin color), but their texture will remain the same. The dark color of the linea nigra will gradually fade over the course of a year, but that too, may never completely go away. We've all heard stories of new moms whose tummies are tight and flat immediately after giving birth. This does happen, but it's extremely rare. For most women it takes months to get rid of the "pregnancy pouch," and sometimes it never goes away.Patience is key. It took nine months for your abdomen to stretch enough to accommodate a full-term baby, and it takes many women that long or longer to tighten it back up.The speed and degree of this transition depends largely on your normal body size, how much weight you gained during pregnancy, how active you are, and your genes. Women who gained less than 25 to 30 pounds during pregnancy, exercised regularly throughout pregnancy, and who have had only one child are the most likely to slim down quickly. Others, especially those who put on more than 25 to 30 pounds during pregnancy, have had more than one child, and don't exercise regularly, will be a bit rounder in the middle for months or years to come. It's important to note that if you're not breastfeeding, you need to watch how much you're eating. You'll have to give up those extra snacks you enjoyed during pregnancy. You need fewer calories now that the baby is on the outside.

a busy weekend..

had a busy weekend..start off with swimming class on saturday morning..it was my 2nd session...and yet there were so many things to improve. Tried to be more relax n calm..but gabra tu still ada..takut tenggelam..hahah..but then am proud of myself..tak le seteruk mana pun just need to practice more n pull up my confident level..oo..speaking of swimming...i wear a full body suit and believe me its not a beautiful sight..hahah..too many spare tyres..yupp though my hubby thinks its quite ok compare to others but ..ya right...have to do something about it..tried sit up few times but doesn't work..well it work if only you do it regularly..but me..again..ya right...

Noon: went to a friend's wedding in Keramat. The groom ( our friend's Bobo) look so "berseri-seri" in his red wedding attire..betulla kan when people said aura pengantin baru ni..memang glowing..the food was nice too-nasi beriyani with meat kurma..yummy, chicken rendang, papadum,sambal sotong basah,dalca n orange for desert. And cakes of course..hubby loved it so much..we took like 4 slices home..As usual i didn't get to enjoy the food that much since am sharing it with aqeelah and haaziq..yup..1 suap for aqeelah, 1 suap for haaziq n 1 suap for me..mana cukup babe..hahah..hubby told me to get more rice but am too shy to ask for more..so padan muka i..but then alhamdulillah syukur..Met some friends..Anggerik Desa n Ain..n families..(will post the pictures later)..they could not believe it when i told them aqeelah will be in standard 1 next yr..yupp she's going to be 7..time really flies..Anggerik Desa,Ain, and me ( known as Chempaka Seri) we went to the same university back in 1995-1998..and ur hubbies too..alamak down to memory lane plak..will tell more about this memory lane when the time comes..

Evening: went straight to see my MIL after the wedding at Brisdale Hotel. They arrived thursday morning..no special occasions just came here for shopping n jalan-jalan. Its been a year since we last met them..kids had a good time jumping on the bed with their Auntie Inang..didn't really hear what my hubby buzzing with MIL..since am so occupied with the magazines n rempeyek kacang...stayed there for few hours then went home.

Night: hubby's cousin dropped by.. brought us some food...spagetti yum yumm n popiah ..alhamdullillah rezeki..stayed until 12..just sembang-sembang..though am quite tired..kepala pun dah pening tapi tak apalah..bukannya selalu..

Sunday: after a tiring day on saturday, decided to stay home..but still need to do my groceries for next week..hubby was so busy with his reading..at last decided to postpone my groceries shopping to monday..less people no rush..

My Dear CL

i received a phone call from a dear friend of mine...she's leaving to Bermuda this April..yupp Bermuda..holiday?..nope..she got a job offer.But why Bermuda?..the answer is " it will only take her 2 hrs + flight to see her love one"..though i'm going to miss her, at the same time i think she deserved to be happy too. She's been waiting for this opportunity for years and finally the time has come..I remembered first time i met CL..it was in 1993, back in Kuantan. She was the quiet type n we actually hit off very well. When we were in Boston, she was more than a friend to me..i shared a lot with her..good,sad memories..every time problems hit me,she will be the one with her shoulder to cry on..( esp. problems that involved with my other half)..not just me, but to everyone else. She's always there for us..and now its time for us to be there for her.. supporting her decisions..though we'll be sending her far away from us..as long as she's happy..we'll be too. I wish you the best CL and hope you'll find your happiness..i'm gonna miss you but hey..that's the point of having internet right so we all can keep in touch no matter where we are..

7 Signs that your child loves you

Back in Clover Hill Village Hall,Norwich where Aqeelah attended her playschool, there's one sweet boy who never ever forgot to give his mommy hugs and shouted " i love you mummy" every single time his mum dropped him off..and he wont sit down until he heard the replies.."i love you too"..it was soo sweet n i was amazed because with my kids sometimes i have to remind them.." what do you say after you kiss me or daddy?" tah apa2 kan ...ada ka pula paksa anak2 suruh cakap macam tu..but then hearing them say it, just make you feel so much loved esp. when they want something lagi la panjang looovvve youuu tu..anyway..found this article from Baby Bulletin Center..quite interesting..shows that there are many ways to show your love...and to my darling Aqeelah n Haaziq..i will always love both of you.


1. Your newborn stares into your eyes — he's actually working hard to memorize your face. He doesn't understand anything else about the world, but he knows you're important.



2. Your baby thinks about you even when you're not around. Between 8 and 12 months old, he'll start to scrunch his face and look around when you leave the room — and he'll smile when you return.



3. Your toddler throws wicked tantrums. Nope, those screaming fits don't mean he's stopped loving you. He wouldn't be so hurt and angry if he didn't trust you so deeply.



4. Your toddler runs to you for comfort when he falls down or feels sad. Kids this age may not truly understand the meaning of "I love you," but their actions speak louder than words.



5. Your preschooler gives you a flower picked from the garden, a finger-painted heart, a sparkly rock, or another gift.



6. Your preschooler wants your approval. He'll start to be more cooperative around the house, and he'll look for chances to impress. "Look at me!" will become a catchphrase.



7. Your grade-schooler trusts you with secrets, like his first crush or his most embarrassing moment. You're his confidante, even if he shies away from your hugs in public

my sayang n my comel

2-3 mths ago..i know nothing about blogging..bila org mention about blog..apa kebenda tu..? Nampak sangat dah ketinggalan zaman i ni.. started to read few blogs after that..macam menarik plak..so here i am. Am not a good writer..main hentam ja apa2 yang terfikir...my kids ( kakak sayang n adik comel), my interests, my experiences..bla bla bla...furthermore one of my resolution this yr is to try something new..so kena la try something new kan..there also will be lots of photos. Why? Simply because....i love photos..bring back lots of good memories