I love going for spas. This was developed when I was in Phuket, Thailand as sauna houses were everywhere. You could do spa for a very cheap price plus an excellent service. When I moved to Malaysia, I discovered that going for spa (body, facial, foot, etc) wass not very cheap. So I had to wait until we had to travel to Thailand to do spa... until I found a book called Naturally Beautiful by Dawn Gallagher. She uses natural ingredients so the ingredients are not hard to find. I had been doing spa treatment for Peter and me (not regularly though). And it feels awesome after we do it.

But there's one trend I have discovered when I chanced upon a TV program about women issues and such. They featured this girl going for fish spa. I was so amazed at how people can just discover things like this. Imagine fish "kissing" or "nibbling" your skin. I'm pretty sure it's ticklish.

What are the benefits of fish spa? The fish, as many spa goers say “kiss the skin”, ridding it of all affected and dead skin areas, leaving the healthy skin untouched to continue to grow and repair. The process is both painless and strangely wonderful, leaving behind a unique pleasant tingling sensation. Skin is left smooth, glowing and looking healthier.

I have found that there's a fish spa salon in Subang Parade, a mall me never miss going to. It has been there for quite sometime and only a couple of weeks ago I noticed it was there! And it's 38RM/hour. That's about 10$ for an hour! Going for fish spa is definitely in my to-do list now.

Since our boy started going to school, we have started looking at our budget. Before this, we would just spend and not think about how much we spent. If you have kids going to school, I know you can relate with me on how much school fees we spend a year even just in kindergarten school. It's like sending your kids to college! Good thing Samantha is still too young to send to school, so we have time to save money for her.

Nowadays, parents with many kids are already scratching their heads and wondering where to find money to go to school. One of my family members has a son that goes to a medical school and they have taken loan just so they can send him to university and become a doctor. Some parents that have more than one children that goes to college has really gone into bad debt. Good thing we have companies that offer . Imagine if we don't know anybody who could offer . We would have a real hard time getting up with lots of loans to pay with. With the help of , we can easily get our finances back into shape. So this cousin of mine had to borrow money so that he could finish his medical studies. His parents of course has to do something. Good thing they found a company to with.

So now that I we have two kids, my husband and I are thinking ways to earn and save money. Here are our thoughts:

• I continue with my paid blogging as much as I can
• Bank in my earnings
• Don't simply spend on unnecessary things
• We can save household finances by limiting our electricity usage (turn off power plug when not in use, don't simply turn on the TV - just watch the programs that we really really like)
• Save water bill (by showering together everytime - ahem ahem :)
• Invest in education plan for my kids - we haven't done this yet and we should start doing this soon.
• My husband has to continue doing his sideline job, to do financial consulting and teaching tuition.
• Lastly, to check out Bills IQ as they offer assistance in the understanding of overall financial health and ways to improve our financial score.
  

Docosahexaenoic acid (commonly known as DHA) is an omega-3 essential fatty acid. Fish oils are rich in DHA. Most of the DHA in fish and more complex organisms originates in photosynthetic and heterotrophic microalgae, and becomes increasingly concentrated in organisms as it moves up the food chain. DHA is also commercially manufactured from microalgae; Crypthecodinium cohnii and another of the genus Schizochytrium.[3] Most animals make very little DHA through metabolism; however small amounts are manufactured internally through the consumption of α-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid found in chia, flax, and many other seeds and nuts.

DHA concentrations in breast milk range from 0.07% to greater than 1.0% of total fatty acids, with a mean of about 0.34%. DHA levels in breast milk are higher if a mother's diet is high in fish.here is less DHA available in the average diet than formerly, due to cattle being taken off grass and fed grain before butchering; likewise, there is less in eggs due to intensive farming. DHA is widely believed to be helpful to people with a history of heart disease, for premature infants, and to support healthy brain development especially in young children. Some manufactured DHA is a vegetarian product extracted from algae. Both types are odorless and tasteless after processing.

Source: Wikipedia.

I just thought of posting this because when I was pregnant, I didn't like to eat fish. And I didn't force myself to eat fish. I felt guilty. But then again, there are a lot others which are sources of DHA. I am glad to have found this.

the condominium that is being built across my housing are is almost done. i am quite excited when it opens coz there's gonna be a commercial slots on the first floor. there's a hearsay that carrefour is going to open up a branch there. and there's gonna be coffee shops too. and it's just a walking distance from my house. i've been dreaming actually of acquiring one unit there because there are still a lot of units available. imagine living in a place where everything is just a lift-distance. it's so conducive. but of course, we are still paying for our house mortgage so we won't be buying any housing unit any time soon. so i can just dream.

this led me to wonder what are the things you need to consider when buying a house. probably for me, if it's near a commercial area, school, malls, and banks then i would have to go for it. the house we live in now is like that. everything is so near, including my boy's school. i don't drive (scared lah) so i'm happy to be able to walk him to school.

another thing is to know which realty company can be trusted. some not-so-good ones sometimes ran away with customers' money, without finishing the building! that is so scary. i saw quite a few abandoned projects here and one of them was the my husband almost bought. good thing he didn't buy that property. otherwise he'd be bankrupt without a home by now. recently i have stumbled upon one website called jennifermartinrealty.com. they specialize in Luxury homes and condos, Property Management, sales, and representation buyers in purchasing. They also provide information on current market conditions, how to list your home, or list your condo with them, get marketing information on how they market our listings or they can even feature your home or condo.

i'm not very good in keeping my house clean. what with two kids around, not sure whether i want to clean up every 5 minutes or so. i know i would just drain myself from doing unnecessary works. i would rather just clean up a bit at night, when everyone's ready to sleep or when everyone's asleep already. one of the most challenging household work for me is to keep my sink clean. i have read from one of the magazines i bought that stainless steel sinks are the most easy to maintain sink, among others. having said this, i still dream of having a spic and span house everyday. maybe get another maid? probably not. it's an added stress, no privacy and more finances to spend. so better stick with not so spic and span house and enjoy privacy and less stressed life.

a little bit of weight. it's not much but i have noticed that since i have lessened my coke intake, i started losing a few pounds. i was a bit anxious a few weeks before my brother-in-law's wedding because instead of losing, i was gaining more and more pounds. i had to restrict myself from eating banana leaf rice. the funny thing is... only after the wedding i have started shedding off. it's good because i don't need to take diet pills. some would go to the extent of taking diet pills just so they could lose weight fast. if you're into it, check out Ephedrasil Hardcore reviews. this will take you to a review of diet pills. then you'd know which one is the safest and most effective.

I am not Malaysian but I am married to one and have been in Malaysia for 5 years and 7 months now. For this period of time, I have learned so much about Malaysia, its diverse cultures, food, festivals and even "pantangs" or superstitious beliefs as you call it. Being here this long helped me learn and discover a lot of nice things about Malaysia and its people. And indeed I have fallen in love with Malaysia. So Malaysia, why do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.

• I love the beautiful sceneries I see everytime my husband and I are on travel. My husband travels a lot and sometimes I go with him. The beautiful roadside hills and mountains you see when on Karak Highway are quite stunning.
• I love Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands. Those are my two favorite holiday destinations. Gentings, mainly because it's a cool and fun place for a family. It's where I took my first rollercoaster and spaceshot rides. Indoor games are quite fun too. I love the archery and shooting archives games. Cameron Highlands is good for family retreats. I and my family have been there a few times for rest and retreat. Tell me, who can resist having an afternoon tea and scones in the middle of a tea plantation?
  
• I love the way how different cultures are so distinct. There are 3 major people groups here: The Malays; The Chinese; and The Indians (and some other people groups like Eurasian Orang Aslis (tribal people), Kadazans, Melanaus, etc). When you are with Indians, you would feel like you are indeed in India because they have preserved their traditions and ways of life. You would feel the same thing with Chinese and Malays. Each group will have their own customs and traditions that are still existing. A good example would be the postnatal confinement. After giving birth, for a Chinese, you cannot bathe for 30 days! And when a baby reaches his/her 1st month birthday, they will have a moon cake party for the baby. The mother will have a special diet and will be attended by a special 'carer' (confinement lady) for 30 days. Indians will have a 45-day confinement in which the mother will have to be covered from head to toe without having any fan or airconditioner in the room. The baby will have a special ritual after reaching his first month by having a smoke bath. The first month will be spent with pulling of noses and lifting the mouth palette to create a sharper feature. Malays will have a special massage or urut as they call it for postnatal woman. Their stomach will be bound by a long piece of cloth, to help the woman regain her figure. And of course, there are a lot more varieties of traditions and you can find it out once you come and live here.
  

• I have a flair for Malaysian food, too. My favorites would include nasi lemak, roti canai, briyani rice, curry laksa and banana leaf rice. Banana leaf rice served with freshly-made yogurt is to die for. One thing unique about Malaysians is that they eat 6 times a day: breakfast, morning tea , lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper. Hmmm... no wonder I'm gaining so much weight here. I have a hard time controlling my food intake. By the way, have I told you yet: most of restaurants (mamak stalls) here are open till wee hours of the night? That's because Malaysians love to have fellowship over a meal even when it's like in the middle of the night. And we call that meal a supper. That's one thing unique about Malaysia.
• One more thing. The sun rises at around 7:30am and sets at about 7:30pm also.

I took this shot while my family and I were holidaying in Kuantan.
Beautiful Malaysia.

• lastly (not to say the least), i have fallen in love with a Malaysian. Do I need to say more?
  

It's amazing how advanced researches and scientific studies have gone really far these days. And who to blame? With a lot of diseases discovered and known, concerned people has been in constant research about treatment for known diseases. Who would have thought that even women's menses can be therapeutic even for serious diseases? Once it was considered as a pain in the... down there and a burden because it really causes pain and discomfort and we experience it once a month! Well, at least for those who have regular periods, that is. And so one of the researches that was made was the stem cell found in woman's menstrual blood, done by is amazing how they have discovered preserving menses for health reasons. In fact, if you go to their website, you will learn and get to know more of

So women, I know that we have a lot to contribute to the benefit of our communities. We have a role in raising good kids to become good citizens and worshipers of God. We have a role in being a good support to our husbands. We have a role in keeping our household intact. Now, we can have another role by of course preserving our stem cells found in our once-in-a-month-painful-and-uncomfortable-period. I know it sounds a bit gross to do that. But if we think it can be of great benefit, especially in treating serious diseases, we can probably overlook it and be of great help! We can go and visit C'elle's website and purchase their C'Elle kit during the "Caring is Sharing" get one free promotion and start saving lives today!

my first skywatch friday entry for this blog.

cloudy day at the beach, the sun is trying to peek through the clouds. :)
for more beautiful skywatch entries, visit skywatch friday.

Are you into IT field and you want a career advancement? Nowadays, with latest technology and stuff like that, it's hard to just be content, let our hair down and do nothing to improve our career. You realize suddenly that all your peers are soaring to the top and you are way way down. So what do you do? Of course, we have to take up the challenge. We wouldn't want to be kicked off our job or be left behind, would we? And thank God there's CISCO which once you have it, you'll be assured of a career advancement.

In the CISCO Learning Network, you'll be able to join other IT professionals in enhancing and advancing your IT career. This program brings valuable and measurable rewards to you as an IT person. The first stage in cisco certification system is to gain an entry level. Once gained, you will be a certified associate. This certification is valid for three years and once the 3 years is over, you have to take the next level. This may sound a bit of a challenge but being CISCO certified is recommended. Only then employers will be assured that you have gain enough knowledge in IT networking and specialized job roles like network security specialist, security administrators, and other specialized roles. This certification validates skills including installation, troubleshooting and monitoring of network devices to maintain integrity, confidentiality and availability of data and devices and develops competency in the technologies that Cisco uses in its security structure.

Once cisco certification is obtained, you will find yourself being opened up to a whole wide of job options, enhance your skills, advance your career and the most important of all, a high-paying job.

ever wonder how you can tell whether eggs are still fresh or they're ready to be discarded? test eggs for freshness by placing them in a deep bowl of cold water. if they rise to the surface, throw them away. air permeates stale eggs and makes them lighter! if they tip to one side, use them quickly. if they lie on their sides, however, you'll know that they're fresh.

i have wasted so much eggs in the past coz i didn't know how to test their freshness. i would have cracked 4 eggs into a bowl and suddenly, the 5th one would be spoiled and i had to discard all of them because the 5th one is already mixed in.

i have started posting household hints for a couple of weeks now. if you have your household hints and you want to share with me, please leave a comment. thanks!

one of the blessings i am thankful about is having a set of good eyes. they said that if you read too much, or read in the dark room, it will affect your eyesight. it hasn't affected mine so far. or maybe i don't read enough to spoil my eyes. but there are those who have eye problems and reading too much is not the cause of the problem. sometimes, even those who are newborns have problems with their eyes already. some people develop eye problems or night visions over the years without having any known reasons.

with the evolution of technology we now have a safer and easier way to correct eye problems. from using eyeglasses came contact lenses. the use of contact lenses has been a rave for quite sometime coz not only it helps with a clearer vision, it can also change eye colors. but with the inconvenience of wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses, people has discovered a more convenient way. lasik.

what is lasik? it is a short for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. The procedure involves peeling back a small section from the top of the cornea. A focused laser will be used to reshape the cornea and eliminate any tissue that may be the root cause of the eye problem. While not always a road to perfect vision, LASIK can greatly improve one's eyesight. everyone may not be a good candidate for lasik because it all depends on how thick or thin your cornea is. so if you're planning to have this eye surgery, read all the LASIK information you can get. ask around. there are already many people who have undergone LASIK. here in Malaysia, i have quite a few good friends who have undergone lasik surgery and they're doing better with their clearer visions. can't hurt to ask around, can it?

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:18

This week, I am thankful for:

• God's word that has spoken in my heart regarding humility. Sometimes, when we are hurt, we tend to fight back. But God has a way of reminding us not to pay evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.
• My understanding and supportive husband. I had such a bad stomachache the other day and he didn't leave for work until he was sure I was okay.
  
• My daughter has started her playgroup. And since the playgroup is church-based, we go there for free. Imagine the cost of going for playgroup nowadays. you pay something like 20$ just for a 45-minute session. glad there's a church that offers playgroup for free.
  

What are you thankful about this week? For more thankful hearts, visit:

there are many reasons why. i get to meet new friends for one. it's just so cool to be connected to other people even from far away places and countries. i get to know other people's cultures, see the way they live their lives and get to see their places. you get to travel around the world without leaving the comfort of home. i get to re-acquaint with old friends too, friends whom i thought i could no longer get in touch with. but with blogging and internet, we are once again reconnected. another reason why i love blogging is that i have an outlet. meaning, i could express how and what i feel at the moment. there are some frustrations that i feel i couldn't share with other people personally and i find i could do that with blogging, saving face. and of course, i can share my successes and joys in being a parent and a wife, too.

there are so many bloggers around the world. and the number is growing by the minute (or seconds?). that's because there are so many benefits you could gain from it. the only thing with blogging is when you get addicted to it. yes, it has some disadvantages too. you tend to do more blogging than taking care of kids. you tend to sleep late because of blogging even in the wee hours of the night. and it could result to carpal tunnel syndrome (cts). what is it? carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist, which is sometimes developed through constant typing. i know quite a few friends who have developed cts just because they blog too much... as if there's no life other than blogging. the good news is there's a carpal tunnel relief. isn't that amazing? now we can blog more because there is already a relief to cts. IMAK's products are designed and perfected under the watchful eye of Dr. Ian MacMorran, an orthopedic surgeon with years of experience. And they are very sure of 100% satisfaction for the relief of carpal tunnel syndrome. you can find more about it by clicking the image below.

i love yoghurt. i can eat it like there's no tomorrow. but of course, i have to control myself otherwise, i'd gain weight like crazy also. now i'm trying to make my own yogurt. i haven't been successful with making one yet but here's how you can make your own yogurt:

make you own, greek-style yogurt by first warming 1 liter (35 fl oz) of UHT or sterilized milk to blood heat and then gently stirring in the contents of a small pot of natural yogurt. Pur the mixture into a warmed vacuum flask and screw tightly before leaving the flask and screw on the lid tightly before leaving the flask in a warm place overnight. The next day, pour the yoghurt through either a fine sieve or a piece of muslin draped over a colander to separate the thick yoghurt from any liquid whey. (You could use the whey in cooking or could even wash your hair with it!) If you don't have any UHT or sterilized milk, you need to bring 1 liter of pasteurized milk to the boil, let it cool to blood heat and then continue with the method described above.

our 18 year old cousin, thusiani, is still in the hospital, without progress. she has gone another session of chemotherapy but from what i heard, it didn’t do any improvement at all. she was diagnosed as having cancer in lymphoma two years ago, at stage 4. the doctor said she might live for a couple of months only. two years later, she’s still alive. we’re very glad of that. but lately, her cancer has gone worse and they have changed the chemotherapy process for her, this time, stronger. so she’s supposed to sleep for 8 straight days after the session. now, 2 weeks had passed and she’s still in hospital. they are needing cord blood. now, where on earth are they going to acquire it? and how much?

when i was pregnant, i have researched about Cord Blood banking and such. we have inquired at the hospital where i was going to deliver my baby about it also. but the cost of banking cord blood is so expensive. we thought, never mind, just throw it away. nothing will happen to our family. i was wrong. should we had banked it, thusiani, my cousin who is affected with lymphoma, could have benefited from it. if we knew The Value of Cord Blood, we wouldn't have to think twice of the cost of banking it.

This month, Cryo-Cell, a leading research company of cord blood banking is announcing that July is the month of cord blood banking awareness. I am glad of that. It is good to let people know about the benefits of cord blood banking. With a lot of diseases nowadays, people are finding ways on how to treat them, including Treating Diseases with Stem Cells. All parents and parents-to-be should be aware of this and consider banking our baby's cord blood. for the benefit of our health.

Got this tag from Aisha

ITS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, and things. Nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same first initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Your name: Janet

Four words: Jolly, Juicy, Jest, Just

State/country: Jamaica

Boy name: Jan Schenker (my son)

Girl name: Jan Samantha (my daughter)

Occupation: Jockey

Something you can wear: Jumper

Something found in a kitchen: Juicer

Something you shout: Jeez!

Something you do at school: Jot

Name of an animal: Jaguar

Name of a Beer/or liqour: Jack Daniel's?

Name a holiday:

Name a body part: Jaw

i just can't resist to post these photos. schenker is 3 years and 8 months old now and samantha is 1 year and 7 months old. enjoy!

my son, at 3 years of age, is already aware and conscious of his "muscles." he would sometimes put up his arms and show me his "big muscles." hehehe. he is very funny and cute. what is it with boys and muscles? probably because they wanna be seen as strong and able. you know, the heroic type -male ego thingy. so now sometimes, when we go to the park, he would go straight to the push-up bar. my girl would sometimes imitate him. they look very cute actually. i wonder if my boy, one day, when learns that there is an easy way to build muscles, he would also go for it and use prohormones. LOL.

One of the most memorable places for me and my husband was Cameron Highlands. It was a beautiful and cool place. We chose it as one of our honeymoon destinations because of its cool climate. Tea plantations were everywhere and having tea and scones in the middle of tea plantation was simply awesome. It was truly a romantic place. I'm so craving to go back there again. The last time we went back there was two years ago. Anyways, will have to check out some other holiday destinations. You know, those nice vacation rentals like Outer Banks rentals.

spotted these birds while we're driving to my brother-in-law's wedding.

romance was indeed in the air.

love-birds?

steaming your face over a steam bath opens the pores and encourages the skin to sweat out any impurities. i do this once in a while. my skin has improved a lot ever since i started doing it. i use some essential oils to go with the steam. not only it cleanses impurities, it also helps me to relax, especially when i drop a bit of lavender essential oil into the steam bath. do this for 5 minutes. then splash your face with cool water, pat your face dry and if you have pimples, you may want to apply one of your best pimple creams. it works wonders.

My brother-in-law's wedding reminded me of my wedding almost 5 years ago. It was a blissful day. That was the day of being together with my loved one at last, the day of starting our journey together, the day of discovering and unfolding of each other's selves. Today, almost 5 years had passed, God has shown us that through His grace and mercy, we can endure everything. Our marriage is not perfect, neither of us is perfect. But with God's presence, His grace and mercy, we experience the beauty of marriage. Plus the blessings of its fruits, two lovely kids. This is good reason enough to praise and thank Him today.



Also, there is one song that kept ringing in my ear since my brother-in-law's wedding. This Is the Day by Steve Green:

This is the day that the Lord has made
I’m so glad He made you
With its rising sun you are here by my side
You are more than a dream come true

Oh to have you, to hold you, to love you, to pray
To share with, to care with
To hold hands and say

This is the day that the Lord has made
And I will rejoice, I will rejoice with you.

This is the love that the Lord has made
You and I we are one
Love is a misery, we’re unfolding today
written for us in the sun

Oh for better, for worse, for richer, for poor
Each day have passes, I love you more

‘Coz this is the day that the Lord has made
And I will rejoice, I will rejoice with you.

This is the day…(4x)
This is the day…

Christian Music Lyrics | Christian Gospel Song

If you have been bloghopping lately, you would probably have stumbled in this blog by a famous comedian, Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck's blog has various topics that might be of interest to you. It ranges from current events and politics, family and relationships, faith and inspiration and pop cultures. What's unique about Glenn Beck is that he expresses his opinions and thoughts in a humorous way. He would talk about things in a funny way but in fact, it has a deep meaning attached to it, which could cause everybody to think real hard about what he's talking about.

By the way, if you haven't heard his political comedy show and you wanna hear one, you might wanna check out his annual tour. They will broadcast it LIVE from the Majestic Theater in Dallas into select movie theaters across America. This is happening on Thursday, July 17 and for one night only. You don't want to miss this one. Go ahead and buy your ticket now.

Everytime I go for weddings, I always get teary eyed everytime a bride walks down the aisle. Such a blessing to see weddings. I say, God must love wedding too coz somehow, each wedding will have a special memory for each couple. Each wedding is different. Some may have grand weddings and others may have simple weddings, but the effect is the same... everybody is blessed, all needs (and more) provided and every one happy.

I just attended my brother-in-law's wedding and I can say... it was truly a success. They may have not enough time doing the preparation but everything went smooth on that day. It was very special... and grand in a different way. I say in different way coz my wedding was also grand, but in a different way also.

They had the wedding ceremony at church. My boy was the page boy. And my, how my son looked adorable in his suit, smiling all the way. The ceremony was simple, with just the ring and thali to be given to both. Ring signifies their unity together as done universally. Thali is usually done by indian costums. Thali (a chain) is given to the bride by the groom, as a symbol of ownership.


Indian food was served for lunch right after the ceremony. Tea ceremony came next. It was awesome to see different cultures being put together. It was my first time to witness a tea ceremony. The couple would kneel down and serve tea to the elder who are sitting on the chair. This symbolizes respect to the elders. The elders in return give ang pao to the couple, which symbolizes giving blessing to the couple. Ang pao is a red envelope (with money inside) given by Chinese to family members and friends.

Then we all headed to Cyberviewlodge Resort for the wedding dinner (Chinese style with 9-course meal). It was very grand. Of course since the bride's mom is Filipino, we had a lot of Filipino guests who had flown from all over just to witness this wedding. And when there are Filipinos, you could just guess straight away... there was dancing after the dinner. I had a chance to dance with hubby that night.

The bride and groom were so generous to book hotel rooms for their families. So once again, after almost 5 years, hubby and i had a chance to stay in the hotel. It was awesome. with kids this time, nonetheless, it was great.

Ah! What did I wear? I wore saree in the morning for the ceremony and saree again for the dinner.