Wednesday 28 May 2014

Pejabat Pos, Menara TM & 1 Utama

Assalamualaikum!

Lepas je urusan mengepos di Pejabat Pos yg agak cepat sbb takde orang kat kaunter Poslaju, kitorang pergi Menara Telekom, khususnya Telekom Malaysia Convention Centre, sebab ada bazaar yang diadakan khas untuk staff Telekom Malaysia.

First time kot pergi Convention Centre tuh, nak2 lagi Menara Pucuk Rebung ... tak pernah pergi.

Bukaklah WAZE kat telefon dan ikutlah jalan yg ditunjuk utk menghala ke sana.

Sampai2 je, memang agak confusing sikit nak masuk tu, tapi ok lah, walaupun belasah je hahahaha

Ada open space parking, charge RM 10 PER ENTRY ... nah, amik, kalau nak parking betul2 depan convention centre.

Ada 2 orang jaga parking di situ dan skill untuk parking kat bukit perlu ada juga ya sbb parking agak sempit dan kat bukit pun u boleh park kereta gak.

Masuk je tempat tu, terus pergi ke tingkat bawah untuk cari member yg kebetulan bukak booth kat sana.

Macam2 benda ada ... pakaian, makanan, barang2 baby, orang jual insurans pun ada.

Booths ada kat concourse area dan main hall jugak. Surau pulak senang nak cari, terus Zohor kat situ.

Agak rambang di situ kalau orang yg memang suka shopping!

Bazaar ni start minggu ni dan akan berlangsung selama 2 minggu.

Memang senang lah staff2 TM nak beli barang2 untuk Raya ... sebelum puasa dah boleh settle baju2 Raya untuk satu family :)

Habis je urusan kat sini, pergi pulak ke 1 Utama sebab nak amik barang.

Ok, mula2 tu konon lah kan nak guna Federal Highway tembus ke Sunway dan ikut LDP.

Memang tak lah sbb jam kat Federal tu ... sangkut agak lama.

Tetiba bukak lah Waze walaupun bateri dah memang nak kong.

Waze pun suruh exit belah kiri, entah mana lah nak di bawaknya kami.

Pusing punya pusing kat Petaling Jaya, TETIBA je tembus ke LDP dan jumpa Tropicana City Mall kat belah kanan.

Terus memberi reaksi "Wah, gempak nya Waze ni!"

Nasib baik tak sesat dan bateri habis pun masa dah sampai kat 1 Utama *phew*

Settle amik barang, tengok jam dah agak lewat untuk balik sbb confirm trafik jam tak ingat.

Lepak jap minum air dan makan kek serta solat Asar sebelum tu.

Maghrib jap dan singgah di HAMLEY's toy store.

Wah, budak2 memang boleh duduk sini satu hari suntuk! Tak habis main toys kat dalam tu.

Jangan terperanjat kalau tengok adults pun excited beli barang2 di situ hehehe

Habiskan masa kat tempat main Lego sebelum hubby sampai untuk dinner sama2.

Alhamdulillah, selesai je makan tak sedar jam dah pukul 10pm dan 15 minit sebelumnya orang tu dah siap bagi bil untuk bayar.

Keluar je dari 1 Utama, budak kecik tu tidur dalam kereta. :)

Penat sangat hari ni.

Esok, Insya Allah, ada lagi urusan di luar.

Huhuhu tak habis lagi ni nak pack barang2 untuk pindah rumah.

Confirm akan pack sepantas kilat bila dah nak keluar rumah nanti, percayalahhhhhh.


Monday 26 May 2014

Super Busy Weekend

My house is a wreck right now!

Specifically the dining area, living room and our workstation.

Tons of stuff are strewn all over the floor and tables.

Halfway packed boxes for the move, our toddler's toys and stuff for a project that we're doing.

It's a different story with our bedrooms and bathrooms as they are organized and clean, you know, to make sure we have a peace of mind in these rooms.

I try to clear the affected areas and keep things tidy as best as I could but just can't help leaving it as it is considering that we still have to move everything around from time to time.

Want.To.Faint!

Our weekend was packed.

Our toddler spent her afternoon nap in the car, changed her diapers wherever we were at that moment and even had lunch at 3pm. 

There was once when she said "I'm really really really hungry" so we knew she was REALLY hungry. 

We were ordering food at a restaurant and she kept repeating "Chicken and rice, chicken and rice". 

Whilst waiting for the food to arrive, we had to distract her by constantly talking and singing to her, making silly faces at her etc. 

Somehow, I felt that the restaurant was EXTREMELY quiet despite 5 other tables were occupied with big groups ... can't help but wonder if they were actually listening in to our singing and laughing at our silly faces hahahaha 

I just couldn't be bothered and continued to entertain her.

Despite the jam packed weekend, luckily, our toddler was extremely understanding and even helped to carry stuff around or endured the warm weather in the afternoon or climbed three flights of stairs.

Both our hands were full with stuff and she would make sure she walked closely to us and shouts out "Be careful! Car!" if we were about to cross a road.

On the other hand, her flu was getting better, which was a good thing, else she would probably not feel comfortable.

Thankfully on both days, she slept early. 

There was this one night where she slept throughout dinner until we reached home, she continued to sleep. 

I managed to change her diaper prior to that so it wasn't so bad.

The other night, upon reaching home and having a warm bath, whilst I was helping her with the PJs, she said "Ummi, let's go babam."

I knew that she was tired, coz I was too. 

We would continue to run around with her until Ramadhan starts, by then, we're hoping to slow things down and settle down in a clean and organized house.

For now, I'm just going to let things slide a bit so I can focus on my favorite two people and complete the things for our project.

Although it is tiring like crazy, but the fact that our toddler understands and helps out wherever she can, makes it all definitely worthwhile! 

I'm blessed, truly blessed. 

Ok, gotta get back to a coloring session with her. Laundry will have to wait.




Thursday 22 May 2014

We Are Moving! (The House Hunting)

It's not easy, to look for another home which suits your needs, especially if you are renting.

Every opportunity I get, I'd look up ads of houses / apartments for rent on iproperty

Every day when hubby gets home from work, I'll share my findings with him and he'll sift through the options available or make calls to arrange for house viewing. 

We'll discuss through our options, especially pertaining to the amount of expenses we need to fork out for the deposit. 

It's definitely a tiring process and you have to be quick too! 

The good ones are often snapped up even before you could arrange for a viewing!

There are really good agents who are extremely helpful and very efficient in arranging for viewing and getting in touch with the owners in the event we request for same-day viewing.

The agents so far have either arranged for same-day viewing or the next day, which is quick in my view.

Unfortunately, we had an incident with one agent recently.

We saw a beautiful looking house with a decent rental and we quickly arranged for a viewing. 

Despite our toddler and I suffering from flu and that we'd rather rest in bed, we made that trip and arranged for other things to be done so we could maximize our time there.

Upon reaching the house, we saw the agent standing in front of the house but the interior was NOWHERE near how the ad looked.

When we approached her, we asked about the house in the ad. 

Only then she advised that the house in the ad was actually for sale and not for rent, however, the house that she was about to show us was RM300 cheaper.

We were disappointed. I felt sad and of course, felt cheated. 

We've met a whole bunch of agents before her, they were all trustworthy and showed us the exact homes as per the ones they've listed on the website.

But this one particular agent, did not even have the courtesy to include a disclaimer in her ad "Pics shown are not of the actual unit".

Nor did she apologize for misleading us. 

I wanted to cry, then and there, coz I was tired and my toddler was already asleep.

Hubby was of course furious, though he didn't raise his voice at her. 

He told her very diplomatically that this shouldn't have happened in the first place and that she should have notified in her ad that the pics aren't of the actual unit.

She responded with "other agents are doing the same too" liner.

I didn't feel that her remark was fair to other agents who work hard and are trustworthy. 

We didn't want to waste our time nor hers so we thanked her and left.

At that time, I could only pray to God the Almighty to give me the strength to forgive this lady and hope that she won't do this to other potential clients. 

Hubby was still upset, understandably.

A couple of minutes later, there was a heavy downpour. 

It's a blessing, I told hubby, that we hadn't looked at the house, else we might have been caught in the rain trying to get to the car after viewing the house. 

He just nodded and I hugged my toddler closer.

I let out a sigh, thinking how some people could do this to others.

:(



Wednesday 21 May 2014

We Are Moving! (The Planning Part 2)

We have not found a new place to settle down, however, I'm already packing our stuff.

Despite it being a month away for the BIG move, I just wanted to be prepared and have everything ready so that we wouldn't miss out on the vital things ie ensuring that our current home would be clean and look well-maintained for the new tenant. 

Of course, I searched online to look for tips in packing for a move.

Found two useful sites below (with pictures!).


On WikiHow

On BuzzFeed
* Brilliant tips on how to save space and use your existing materials at home ie clothes/socks to wrap other household items.
* Color code your boxes to identify which boxes would go into which room (in the new home).


Who knew? (Of course, not me) ... about the need to pack an overnight bag on those first couple of nights at your new home? 

As you've just settled down and have not unpacked all the boxes or bags, the overnight bag is extremely essential so you'll save time to look for your stuff. 

Clothes, PJs, toiletries and other essentials ... throw in medication too, just in case.

So the first thing I packed, which I felt was super easy, was the overnight bag for the 3 of us.

Once that was out of the way, I've started with the master bedroom and will slowly clear out each room, which I foresee would take a couple of days just to clean out ONE room. 

As usual, every time I spring clean the house, I'll have my episodes and conversations in my head:

Where on earth did ALL the stuff come from?
Did we really need to have three of these?
When was the last time this shirt / pant / etc was worn? 

I foresee these conversations occurring when I'm packing too! 

Wait, I just noticed my toddler running around the house with one of the boxes on her head! 

Ok, the packing MAY take longer with a toddler "in-charge".



Wednesday 14 May 2014

Kemaman Kopitiam @ Damansara Utama

I decided to blog this as I personally feel that the food items here are quite pricey. 

The fact is that our friends feel the same way too. They said that the food was bland and price was steep! They wouldn't mind if the price was slightly more if the taste compensates it.

Taste-wise, you can get better food at the food court just opposite this shop or even the normal kopitiam ie Pappa Rich / Old Town tastes wayyyy better!

Our keropok (pre-packed) was RM3.50
Hubby's nasi goreng kampung was RM10.90 
My bihun goreng with ayam set us back at RM17.90
Hubby ordered lemon grass friend chicken (1 piece) which was RM9.90
My kopi ais? RM6.90 and I only took a few sips as I didn't agree with it's taste, extremely bitter.
Our todddler's roti telur was RM6.90




We went there to grab a quick lunch as hubby was in between work. 

I parked my car in the Damansara Uptown car park (RM1 for 2 hours) and parked at Level 8 as there was a security guard stationed there.

So it feels safe for toddler and me. 

Whilst I was texting hubby to ask where we should eat, hubby suggested Kemaman Kopitiam, which was just opposite the car park. He added that his friends suggested that place too as they HEARD good reviews. But in fact, they hadn't even been there!

So we were the unlucky ones :(

Oh well, sad to say, it was a poor experience and we'll never return.


The address:
Kemaman Kopitiam
68 Jalan SS21/39, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya.

We Are Moving! (The Planning)

I'm feeling really sad. 

Really REALLY sad. 

Hubby just received news from our landlord that she's planning to increase our rental so that she can cover the maintenance fees for this home.

All this while, our landlord had been paying the maintenance fees.

Don't get me wrong. 

She has been a WONDERFUL landlord!

Our home comes with kitchen cabinet, air-cond & fans in all rooms, curtains in all rooms, wardrobe, water heater in all bathrooms, 2 parking bays and our unit is the CHEAPEST amongst all considering that the next "cheapest" is RM500 more. 

We moved in when our toddler was 1 year+ and I was settling down in my role as a full-time housewife / mom.

We took time in installing wooden flooring and hung up personal frames on our walls so that the house feels like a home and not a rented home. 

Friends who came over didn't believe it was a rented home since we personalized the crib. :)

Hence, when we received the news, we knew it was a calling for us to move. 

Hubby works at his office situated a good 20+ minutes drive away from home (during smooth traffic) so when there's massive traffic, it would be close to an hour. Not feasible in terms of expenditure for fuel and tol.

We almost always seem to frequent his area to find cheap / affordable stuff or really delicious food ie rojak! :D Our friends meet up there coz it's the mid-point for everyone else scattered across Klang Valley.

The memories created here are priceless hence why I'm feeling sad. 

You know that feeling when you're packing your baby's stuff to give away?

The baby clothes which she can no longer fit but would be a perfect fit for her newborn cousin sister.

Or those tiny baby shoes she used to wear but she can't use them anymore (which keeps slipping off her feet anyway coz her feet are too small).

Or that baby seat you put up for sale.

So it's time to pack everything to give away, making sure that everything is still in good condition.

OMG, tears streamed down my eyes to the point that hubby said "It's ok baby, maybe we'll just keep them for keepsake." I told him No No, I'm fine, we need to make space for her new stuff anyway.

Heavy lah to my heart!!! Adoi!

So this whole moving thing, we're house hunting to find a decent home for the 3 of us which is closer to Daddy's office so he no longer needs to travel so far.

Me: Don't you feel sad that we're leaving this place? (holding back my tears)

Him: I would, but I've captured a lot of our memories (on camera) in this home. For us to move, it will only get better. 

Why lah he'll always have the right things to say and make me feel better? 

Good also ... so that I won't feel too sad. But of course, even the thought of packing and moving ... fuh, I'm feeling tired already!

Ok, I'm back to my house hunting online (rolls up sleeves).

Till the next update and wish us luck! 




Tuesday 6 May 2014

Arts & Crafts Ideas

I currently follow FB updates from this website Fun-A-Day

They not only share arts and crafts ideas done by them but suggest other activities from other FB pages or websites too.

Seriously, the activities shared are extremely useful for me, a clueless and hopeless mom when it comes to arts & crafts huhuhuhu

I have been following them for quite some time and guided my toddler at the initial stage before she sets off completing the tasks on her own.

Hubby is the more creative one in the family and seeing him produce things out of play dough or boxes or merely scribbling things on a paper is truly impressive!

Today, I decided to cut out some shapes from coloured papers and gave our toddler a piece of paper and a glue.

I didn't tell her what to do nor how to do it and let her be. 

She immediately took the glue and started organising the shapes onto the paper, structuring it in her own way. 

It did look neat and I was truly impressed! 

Me: Wow, good job dear! That looks really good! 
Her: (Smiling) This is a decoration, Ummi! I want to surprise Daddy! Surprise Daddy, Ummi!

I was stunned.

First of all, she used the word "decoration" and for the life of me, I couldn't remember when was the last time I used it! 

Was it yesterday? Last weekend? Or was it something she saw in her cartoon series?

Secondly, she wanted to give her masterpiece to Daddy, as a surprise! 

Aaawwwww my heart just melted! Melted Melted Melted!!! 

Of course, she worked on it halfway, then continued to watch Mister Maker and I Can Cook on BBC. 

Then we had lunch and she continued with her arts for a bit. 

Then she watched TV and I called her in for a nap. 

Once she woke up, I gave her biscuits for her snack and she said "Ummi, I want to surprise Daddy!" So she continued with her work, completing it before her shower. 

As I was performing my prayers, she came running into the room, carrying her artwork, "Ummi! Surprise!" 

As I didn't respond, she said "Uh-oh. Not surprise, Ummi Allahu Akhbar" (means, Ummi is praying) 

Upon finishing my prayers, she showed me her artwork and said "Daddy surprise!" :)

We showered and had dinner without Daddy as he texted earlier saying that he would be extremely late so asked us to go ahead.

It was TV time for her after dinner. 

Suddenly, after she looked out the window and noticed how dark it was outside, she asked:
Her: Ummi, where's Daddy? (with an extremely hopeful look on her face)
Me: Daddy is working, dear. We'll wait for Daddy to come back, ok?
Her: (Smiling broadly and nodding) Ok! Wait for Daddy! And give Daddy a surprise!!!

Melted my heart again. Again! Again! Again!

Monday 5 May 2014

Frisky Goat @ TTDI

Our foodie friends recommended us to check out a newly opened cafe, "Frisky Goat" in TTDI, saying that the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake was to die for.

Hubby and I of course looked at each other, feeling amused with the choice of cafe name tee hee hee

Hubby pointed out that it's a cool name since people would most definitely remember it.

Last Saturday morning, we headed over to the cafe with my siblings.

We drove in separate cars, at separate times, so hubby used his trusted Waze to direct us there. 

Hohoho he nearly missed a junction despite Waze telling him to make a turn to the right, hence, wifey had to point it out to him and he managed to turn into Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi just in time!

Itulah kan orang cakap, GPS - Guna Pun Sesat :P

To help you find the landmark, just in case you are not from around the area: 



Parking may be a bit of a hassle but when we reached this area, a lady from Majlis Perbandaran was making her rounds, jotting down car numbers and placing tickets on windshields, so it is BEST that you pay for the ticket ya!

Whilst hubby went to pay for the parking ticket, my toddler and I went ahead first. 





As you step into the cafe, you would be "greeted" by these wonderful looking bread and pastries which you just can't resist! :)

Unless, of course, there are people queuing there already, blocking your view.

GLORIOUS GLORIOUS LOAVES OF BREAD!!!!






It was approximately 11.30am and my siblings had already secured a table for us, since they arrived earlier. 

The joint was packed with the Saturday-breakfast-hungry crowd (that includes us) and there were even people queuing up both outside and inside the cafe! 

Awesome, eh? 







The specialty was there waffles, apparently, so my siblings had ordered their Eggs Benedict on Belgian Waffles. Of course, dear sister didn't managed to taste the dish since they wolfed it down the minute it arrived, BEFORE dear sister could even warm her seat! Hahahaha

None of us managed to snap any photos of the food since we were too busy talking and eating and ordering and eating and checking out the cakes as well!

I ordered from their breakfast menu (served between 8am-3.30pm).


Breakfast Menu: "The Works"
* Pic taken from their FB page
** What you don't see in this picture, 2 pieces of toast

I guess I was hungry coz I managed to finish the entire portion, despite initially telling hubby that I would be sharing with him :D Taste wise, it was quite fair, just needed a bit more seasoning for their sautéed mushrooms. 

Hubby wanted to have their pasta so waited to order at 12pm (lunch is served between 12pm-3pm whereas dinner is between 6pm-9.45pm). 




Since I'm generous (hahaha), I shall leave you with pictures taken from their FB Album, "Glorious Food at Frisky Goat", below.

Go ahead ... drool ... :P


As the mains were settling in our happy tummies :D we discussed on which cakes to order. 

Hubby and my brother wanted the Red Velvet whereas my sister said she was full but would share my Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake.

I went to their counter to check out what other cakes were available.

OMG there was Chocolate Mousse! I couldn't resist it, so I ordered one.

As the cakes arrived, everyone looked at me and asked where was the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake. 

I told them I didn't order it since the Chocolate Mousse looked more appealing ... hahahaha

I LOVED my Chocolate Mousse. Hubby and my brother found the Red Velvet Cake leaving a bitter aftertaste, so they didn't quite enjoy their cake.

Sorry folks, didn't manage to capture pics of the cakes, we were too busy talking and eating :D

Our toddler shared my toast and had her own croissant, which doesn't come with butter so you'd need to request from them.

Hubby ordered the Iced Mocha, which I honestly didn't fancy, there was a slight aftertaste of chocolate powder. However, I did enjoy my Hot Latte' whereas my siblings enjoyed their Hot Chocolate.

Part of the deco in the cafe which hubby managed to capture:






Important Note: The washroom is through those curtains ... in case you're wondering where you could answer nature call ;)

If you're planning to grab a cuppa or breakfast at the Frisky Goat to battle those Monday Blues, unfortunately, they're closed on Mondays.

You can obtain more details from their website or Facebook page.

Address: 72, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 KL, Malaysia
Business Hours: 8am - 10.30pm (Tue - Sun)
General Manager: Angeline Yap
Email address: angeline@friskygoat.my