How I Stay Sane During Lockdown

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Admin

Our government has extended the FMCO (Full Movement Control Order) to another 2 weeks which will end on 28 June 2021.   During this lockdown, all economic and social activities are not allowed to operate except for essential services.  Shopping malls are closed except for supermarkets, restaurants, optical stores, convenience stores and pharmacies. All F&B outlets can only operate for delivery and takeaway services.  No dine-ins are allowed.  Interstate and Inter-district travel are banned and travel distance is now limited to 10km radius.  Schools are closed throughout the FMCO.  All sports and recreational activities are not allowed except jogging and non contact sports like walking.

As I am now working from home, I only go out to do my grocery shopping twice a week.  On these 2 days, I would go for my run/walk to keep my sanity.  It feels good to be able to go out and exercise.  I would still wear my face mask during my walk because there are other people walking around too.  I would remove the mask when I run though.

Exercise can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and makes a person feel good.  It can also help to reduce the risk of stress, depression and anxiety.

It was raining one evening but I needed to go out to release stress so I went ahead.  It was good to walk in the rain and I am glad I took that walk.

The beautiful sunrise after my exercise in one of the mornings.

So how are you coping lately?

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Cooking Ideas From Tik Tok

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Admin

So we are in Week 3 (I think, because I have lost count) of our Full Movement Control Order or lockdown.  I have been staying at home and working from home when there is work.  Besides doing a Netflix marathon and cleaning the house, I have been cooking a lot. I am not a good cook and often rely on recipes and Youtube video for ideas.

At the moment I am really running out of ideas what to cook at home.  My new go-to places for ideas is Tik Tok.  Yes I watch Tik Tok videos daily for exercise tips, dance moves and just for entertainment purpose.  Whenever I stumble upon some doable cooking ideas, I would save it under Favorites.  Tik Tok is definitely a life-saver.

Missy is quite bored with the usual noodles, udon or pasta that I have been cooking.  At times I would prepare wraps or sandwiches for her lunch.  When she was in school, at least lunch is taken care of as I would pre-order food from the school cafeteria.  Now, I have to cook lunch and dinner and at times, I would cook a big pot so she can have the same food for both her meals.

So, a few days ago, I baked a bread roll for missy and this is one of the ideas I saw on Tik Tok.

I used 6 slices of bread, 3 eggs, 3 slices of ham, 3 slices of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of milk. First, cut of the sides of the bread, then roll the bread to compress them.  Next, add the ham and cheese on the bread and roll them up.  Place all the bread rolls in an over-proof dish.  Beat eggs and add in milk. Then add a pinch of salt and pepper to the mixture.  Pour the wet ingredients into the bread roll dish and bake it for 20 minutes at 180 degree Celsius.  Easy-peasy cooking idea from Tik Tok.  I will be trying out some other recipes so do stay tuned *chuckle*.

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It has been a year

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Admin

Exactly last year today, our dearest Buffy left us and went to the Rainbow bridge.  I hope she is happy and healthy now, running around with her friends and looking down at us sometimes.  We miss you everyday Buffy.

I wrote a post about that day here and here.  We have her ashes in an urn and it was kept on the cabinet.  My mother-in-law recently exclaimed that it was not a good thing to keep the ashes inside the house.  As we do not have a garden, what we did was to get a pot and filled it with soil.  We put the urn with Buffy’s ashes into the pot and place it outside our house.  We also bought a plant with purple flowers and planted it in the pot.

I hope this plant will grow with love. Till we meet again, Buffy.

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Vaccination Against Covid-19 For My Parents

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Admin

As the government has began rolling out the vaccine in a high speed manner, I am glad that my parents, my relatives and friends’ parents have been receiving the vaccine.  My mom received her first dose of Sinovac on 17th May 2021 and the second dose on 7 June 2021.  My dad has received his first dose on 31 May 2021 and will be taking his second dose later this month.  Dad got the Pfizer vaccine.

My mom took her first dose at Desa Tasik Community Hall and that place was quite chaotic and not suitable for big crowd.  Parking was difficult too. Well, I am glad that the government took note of the difficulties faced by people who go to the vaccination centers that are located in the community centers or hall.  They have combined 2 vaccination centers (Desa Tasik and Muhibbah) to Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.  As such my mom’s second dose was at Axiata Arena.  This venue used to host many mega concerts so you can imagine how big the size is.  Mom and I were so impressed with the efficiency of this vaccination center.  There were many personnel around to help those who came for the vaccination.  Everything was in order and from the time we entered the building to mom taking the jab took 15 minutes.  There was no crowd when we were there in the afternoon. Actually I was worried about the crowd as yesterday was the first day they started operation in Axiata Arena.  So all was good.  Mom is fully vaccinated now.

Mum getting her first dose at Desa Tasik Community Hall

Waiting for her 2nd jab

The observation area where mom waited for 15 minutes before we left.

Dad took his at Sunway Convention Center and his appointment was at 9.30am.  Everything went well that morning and it took him about 1 hour plus to get vaccinated.  Hubs took him to Sunway Convention Center.  It was reported in the papers that the following days were quite chaotic at Sunway Convention Center.  That place was packed and people were standing in line from the carpark to the vaccination area.  I believe this was due to people arriving too early for their vaccination time.  All is well now at Sunway Convention too as they have more staff manning the crowd.

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McDonalds BTS Meal In Malaysia

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Admin

So Malaysia is the first country to launched the new BTS Meals.  If you don’t know already, BTS is the highly popular global sensation Kpop boy group that is also known as Bangtan Boys.   

Image via https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLKmE4sbWF/

The BTS Meal includes a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets®, medium World Famous Fries®, medium Coca-Cola, and Sweet Chili and Cajun dipping sauces inspired by popular recipes from McDonald’s South Korea.  The nuggets come in  a special purple box with BTS logo, the Coca-Cola drink comes in a purple paper cup and the whole meal is packed in a brown paper bag with BTS logo.   The only special thing about this meal is the dipping sauces.  I am not sure if this special meal is only available for a limited time or not. 

Of course, I have a Kpop fan in the house and she have to order it. 

This meal costs about RM17 if I am not mistaken.  It is still cheaper than a 9-piece Nugget set meal which cost RM19+

For the sake of BTS, she saved the paper cup after rinsing and drying it.  According to some news online, there are BTS fans or army as they call themselves, saving the paper bag, nugget box, paper cup and also the dipping sauces.  Some even sell the empty meal online for RM15.  I think that is a bit overboard *chuckle*.  Well, back in my days, if there was a McDonalds collaboration with Duran Duran, Culture Club or Anzen Chitai, I would probably save the paper bag and cup too as souvenir. 

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My 2nd Vegetable Delivery From Farm To Home

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Admin

I received my 2nd Veggie Box delivery from Farm To Home Delivery last week.  I love receiving fresh vegetables.  I ordered the napa cabbage, choy sum, ice plant, broccoli, spinach, french bean, ladies fingers, coral lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

I love the greens!

The cherry tomatoes are so sweet and juicy.  I love eating the ice plant and this is the 2nd time I order them because they are so fresh and crunchy.

I am so happy to get the coral lettuce this round.  In the previous order, I was informed that the coral lettuce was not that fresh so I had to replace it with another type of vegetable.  This is lunch I prepared on the days that I want a light lunch.  I have so many vegetables that I gave some to my mom as she loves spinach and the french bean. I have stir-fried the choy sum with garlic and also cooked kimchi jiggae with the napa cabbage.  Sorry I forgot to take photos of them after I am done cooking.

Stay safe and stay at home during this MCO 3.0 lockdown. It is so easy to buy vegetables online without leaving your home.  Order your fresh vegetables online at Farm To Home Delivery and get them delivered to you in a jiffy.

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Packing Tips For Your Family’s Home Moving

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Admin

Moving to another house can be a long process. We all work hard for a better life, there’s time we get to move to a bigger or dream house and experience a smooth house moving. However, no matter if you are moving house for the first time or have experienced moving often, it can be a stressful process.

Some folks want to do it by moving themselves which can be time-consuming and a hassle. Well, there are ways to pack and unpack faster and ultimately make the process go smoother and you can just hire a lorry transport service to save cost. Systematic packing is crucial for your big move.

Here are some packing tips for your family’s home moving:

  • Donate to others and friends

You can donate usable things that are not worth selling for others to use. There are many disaster victims, poor people and children in need of the things you don’t want anymore and thus your donation can help them.

  • Dispose of old belongings

All damaged stuff that is too old to be used again and cannot be repaired should be sent for proper disposal. Hire a furniture disposal service near you.

  • Sell items no longer used

Selling preloved items online or in your community allows you to reach many people. You can get rid of the old but valuable things and at the same time you can earn some money.

Before moving house, there are some packing and moving supplies you will need:

  • Bubble wrap

This can protect your fragile and glass items from being damaged during the moving process.

  • Labeling materials

Label your boxes when you pack, this is an effective way to differentiate your stuff, because it allows you to identify the content of each box without opening them. For example use a marker pen, coloured sticker or sticky note.

  • Used or new boxes

Get a variety of box sizes, shapes and types to make packing easier.

  • Old clothes or blankets

These items function as furniture padding to protect your furniture, electrical appliances and other large items from damage during the loading and unloading process to the lorry.

  • Plastic bins or baskets

Plastic containers are reusable and not easy to break which is very suitable to use while moving. It can save your time by using a reusable plastic bin.

Hiring a professional house moving service can make your moving process easier. You can contact Mover2U as their team offers trusted movers and packers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor that are on-time and efficient. Whenever you are ready to pack your household stuff, give their professional movers in KL a call to get a FREE estimate.

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Where To Watch FRIENDS THE REUNION

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Admin

FRIENDS THE REUNION is set to release on May 27th on HBO Max.  Yes it is happening! It is the news that fans of FRIENDS have been waiting years for and that is 16 years to be precise).  Could we be more excited?  I am a big big fan of FRIENDS.  I have watched all the episodes and re-watched them too. Back in the 90s, I would record all the episodes (236 episodes in 10 seasons altogether)  on the DVD and kept them according to season.  Then when I felt like it, I would do a FRIENDS marathon. When the final episode aired on May 6, 2004, I cried and was heartbroken.  I so miss Central Perk and Monica’s living room.

Friends' reunion teaser out! To premiere on this date, Entertainment News | wionews.com

Friends reunion

According to the news online, the cast returned to the original Friends soundstage on the Warner Brother Studio in California.  This new episode is more of a nostalgic show with the cast as they go behind the scenes and share insights into the show. It will not be a new original episode of the series. The cast will be appearing as themselves and not their characters.

There will be special guests such as David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Tom Selleck, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai.  I can’t wait!

Now if you are in Southeast Asia, you can catch the iconic show FRIENDS THE REUNION if you are subscribed to Astro.  Login to your account and subscribe to Friends: The Reunion using Astro Go or Astro On Demand (information from https://sea.mashable.com/).  Hurry and don’t miss it!  Get ready your popcorn, kuaci (sunflower seeds) or whatever snacks you like. Oh don’t forget some tissues too.

HBO Max releases first full trailer for 'Friends: The Reunion'

 

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Ashley Is 16

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Admin

My young lady turns 16 today.  She is having mixed feelings as today is also the first day of her mid-term exam.  We had an early celebration for her yesterday.  This year is her 2nd birthday celebration in lockdown.  Hope to have a big birthday bash for her next year and there is no more lockdown.   Happy Birthday Ashley.  We love you to the moon and back.  May you always be happy and healthy ♥️

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Sheldon My Mischievous Husky

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Admin

Here is an update on my new furbaby, Sheldon.  Turns out that he is another rascal who goes on a rampage when we are sleeping at night.  So far he has bitten 2 pairs of shoes and 2 pairs of slippers, uprooted my mom’s flower plant and a cactus plant, damaged 2 umbrellas and tore away the plastic sheet that we use to cover our bicycle.  Oh and he also bit the plastic pail that we use to scoop out water as well as the cover of the big black plastic pail for storing water.

Below are some of the mischief Sheldon has carried out.

He can still pose for me next to the damaged umbrella.

My plant.

We put this new plastic pot up on the shelf and he managed to bring it down and bit the plastic bag.

Sheldon looks innocent but looks are deceiving.  I cannot believe that Cooper is now a good boy compared to Sheldon. He had his fair share of mischief too and I have blogged about it here and here.  Huskies are friendly, outgoing and affectionate.  They do not make a very good guard dog but they do look intimidating because of their appearance.  Huskies are very mischievous and stubborn, often ignoring commands and do their own thing.  So having 2 huskies at home is like having 2 teenagers.

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