Nuffnang

Monday, May 21, 2012

MILO

Since young, I have never quit drinking Milo. I actually quit drinking powder milk and replace with milo drink by using my milk bottle when I was 4 years old. Somehow I just love the chocolaty taste.


When I was in primary school, I will scoop up the Milo powder into a bowl and eat it with a spoon while watching cartoon. I'm glad that I don't have any diabetes problem now. Hmm...really missing the old days. No worries on gaining weight at all.

Milo (tin). I believe 90% of the Malaysia and Singapore family will have min 1 tin at home. 
My princess is now 26-month-old. She refuses to lie down and drink milk using her milk bottle whenever we go out. So I have introduced my favorite Milo drink in packet for her. She just get addicted straightaway. Every time I will make sure her nursery bag has 2 packets of Milo drink so that she can drink in the car seat or restaurant whenever she is hungry.

Yes. This is the one that my princess is addicted like her mother.
I remember during my 2 weeks business trip, when I have to get my parents to babysit her while I went to settle my work in the office, my princess refused to drink a single drop of milk when I wasn't around. She rather starved and acted very stubbornly. That makes my parents very worry. So I told them about Milo. My father brought her out to buy Milo packet drink and finally she was happy to finish them without any delay. (I think she can be called as Milo Princess!)

Whenever my princess saw chocolate milk drink, she will said it's Milo. Too bad Milo packet drink is not available in Australia and we are not allow to bring any dairy milk product there. She took a few days to accept other brands of chocolate milk. From that day on wards, she realized that not all chocolate milk drink is called Milo.

Milo Cereals. Cute chocolate biscuit ball. Can eat it with or without milk.

                                      3-in-1 Milo Fuze. The daily drinks for my whole family.
Milo ice-cream. Try it and get addicted. 

Not available in Malaysia. My sis introduced this to us in Australia and totally loving it.
Wonderful Milo yogurt, taste like creamy ice-cream.
Very different from normal sourish yogurt. 

Love chocolate? Love Milo chocolate bar!

Different packaging for Milo wafer. 

Milo has many products, such as chocolate bar, wafer, cereals, yogurt (Australia), ice-cream, etc. Anything related to Milo will be our priority choice first.

The way we buy Milo drink and 3-in-1 packet drink is also quite scary. We bought in cartons and stacked in our store. The price has increased lately and we felt that it's getting more pricey. Last year we can get 6-packets for RM5.80, but now the cheapest we can get is RM6.99. Most of the places are selling for RM8.40 now. It's a big jump in pricing. (I thought Malaysia has lot of Koko plantation and cheap labors?)


I wonder whether Milo company needs my princess for their advertisement. Hopefully can get FREE milo supply for years after that. Hahaha!


p/s: My sister just teased me the other day that I was so into Milo that I called myself Milo in my ICQ chat last time. (blushed). Ya! And my new Skype ID is related to Milo again. Hahaha!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

My new toy ~ Mint Cleaner

My best friend in USA recommended me this robot cleaner - Mint Plus. This little robot works well in both dry sweep dust, dirt, hair and wet mop to get out deeper dirt and grime from hard surface floors.  It's easy to operate and I love to run it in my kitchen when I go to sleep at night.

Too bad this Mint only goes back to the original place where it get started but no auto-charging function. Anyway, it works quietly and effectively. I love it! Thanks, ST! And I would like to thank my sis who helped me to get this robot too. Hui, thanks again!


More introduction about this cute cleaner:
This smart Mint has NorthStar® Navigation System, Mint tracks where it cleans so it doesn't miss a spot. Simply attach a cleaning cloth, set Mint down and press either the Sweep or Mop button. After cleaning, just throw out disposable cloths or rewash and reuse the included microfiber cloths designed just for Mint.


Mint’s compact size gets under furniture, into tight spaces and other hard to reach places. PerfectEdge™ technology allows Mint to clean right along walls and edges, and around chair legs and other obstacles for a complete clean.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Hugging with my love

My princess, the explorer found 
my younger sister's soft toys in her apartment
 when she went to work. (*Barney is excluded)
 My mother was trying to "kill the germs" of the soft toys by 

hanging them under the sun.
Look at her cheeky and victory smile.  

(photo taken in Damansara, KL)

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse



Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is an American children's television series, that premiered in prime time on Disney Channel.
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto star in the series, which focuses on interacting with the viewer to stimulate problem solving. Pete, Clarabelle Cow,Ludwig Von Drake, Chip 'n' Dale, Willie the Giant, Butch, Figaro the Kitten, Humphrey the Bear,Salty the Seal, and Mortimer Mouse have made guest appearances.
Disney says that each episode has the characters help children "solve a specific age-appropriate problem utilizing basic skills, such as identifying shapes and counting through ten." The series uses "Disney Junior's 'whole child' curriculum of cognitivesocial and creative learning opportunities."
Once the problem of the episode has been explained, Mickey invites viewers to join him at the Mousekadoer, a giant Mickey-head-shaped computer whose main function is to distribute the day's Mousekatools, a collection (usaully 3,4, or possibly 5) of objects needed to solve the day's problem, to Mickey. Once the tools have been shown to Mickey on the Mousekadoer screen, they are quickly downloaded to Toodles, a small, Mickey-head-shaped flying extension of the Mousekadoer. 




By calling, "Oh Toodles!" Mickey summons him to pop up from where he is hiding and fly up to the screen so that the viewer can pick which tool Mickey needs for the current situation.One of the tools is a "Mystery Mouskatool", which is a surprise tool represented by a question mark. (copied and edited from Wikipedia) 




My princess loves the songs in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Other than Elmo, Mickey is her next favorite idol. She will jump and dance together when they sing "The Hot Dog Song" before the show ended. She will count together with the Disney characters and laugh out loud while watching this program. I bought her Mickey Mouse board books for her to read and she loves it very much. She can kept reading them again and again as the books are small to hold and only came with 1-2 sentences on a page. 


We bought her Mickey Mouse Toddler Harness from USA too. She loves to wear it when we bring her to crowded shopping mall. When she is sitting on her car seat or staying in the hotel (when no other soft toy to hold), she will hug this Mickey and cuddle with it for a very long time. 


Watching the advertisement from the display TV in the supermarket 
with the Mickey toddler harness on her back. 


Enjoying her nice, warm milk while hugging her Mickey and watching cartoon at The Garden hotel room.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Milk Bottle Cleanser

For the past 2 years, I have been trying a few types of milk bottle cleansers in the market. There are not much choices in Malaysia. So far the 3 types that I have tried are by the brand of Anakku, Pigeon and Pureen. All these liquid cleansers are safe to use for washing the vegetable and fruits too.

Anakku Liquid Cleanser is easy to get in the market. 
Gentle and mild yet effective in removing stubborn milk fats and stains  
The price ranging from RM15 to RM20.90 each.  
It is formulated with plant based ingredients. 


Pigeon Liquid Cleanser is formulated with edible ingredients that are safe for baby.
This antibacterial cleanser is powerful enough to remove stubborn milk stains, but mild enough for your skin. It has several packaging, ranging from 200ml, 450ml and 700ml (bottle/refill).
The headache part of this portable bottle design - once it's open, 

there's no way to prevent it being leaking out.
So have to be extra careful if you want to bring this for travelling. MUST wrapped in several plastic bags to avoid it "cleanse" all your clothing in the luggage.

Pureen Liquid Cleanser is specially formulate from plant based  too.
This brand has the most flavors:
Mint  Flavour - 250ml & 750 ml & 600ml (Refill Pack)
Orange  Flavour - 750 ml & 600ml (Refill Pack)*NEW* No Flavour  - 750 ml & 600ml (Refill Pack).
I had tried Mint and Orange flavors, would love to try the No Flavor flavor soon. Personally dislike the smell of the Mint. Too strong. ^^




Thursday, May 10, 2012

Basmati Rice

Recently I'm addicted to Basmati Rice. Have you heard or tried any Basmati Rice before?




Basmati rice is a variety of long grain rice grown in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, notable for its fragrance and delicate, nuanced flavour. Its name means "the fragrant one" in Sanskrit, but it can also mean "the soft rice".India is the largest cultivator, consumer and exporter of this rice; it is primarily grown through paddy field farming in the Punjab region.
The grains of basmati rice are longer than most other types of rice. Cooked grains of Basmati rice are characteristically free flowing rather than sticky, as with most long-grain rice. Cooked basmati rice can be uniquely identified by its fragrance. In addition to normal (white) Basmati rice, brown basmati is available, although uncommon. (copied from Wikipedia)
Well, whenever I dine in the Northern Indian restaurant, I will definitely go for their Basmati rice. Then lately my hubby and I decided to buy 5kg of Basmati rice and eat it for 2 meals a day. 
I love to eat rice, and this Basmati rice makes me crave even more. I feel happy to eat it everyday and I realized that the portion of rice I'm eating is getting more and more. 
Too bad my "happiness" didn't last long. Today one of my friend's sister saw me and asked whether I'm expecting. (swallowing my tears) Of course not! @#$%^&* Blame the Basmati rice! 


Basmati rice, listen up, I will eat you later for revenge! 





Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Japanese Restaurant, Sydney

The name of the shop. ^^ 
Sashimi, sushi, tempura etc

Are you drooling now?

Best wagyu beef, which worth for the long wait.

Smile. Hmm....my princess, what is she doing....

My dear sister who brought us there for this wonderful feast.
Arigato gozaimasu. ^^

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Kenny Sia

Guess who had I met in Kuching? 
(well, obviously you can guess it right because it's already written in my  post title) 

Kenny Sia! My favorite blogger! Wahahahahaha!

Well, the first time I met him was in many years ago at the Manhattan Fish Market Restaurant at The Spring, Kuching. 


My younger sister and I were so excited when we realized that the young man who just walked into the restaurant and sitting so 'near' to us (less than 5 meter), breathing the same air (scrumptious food smell), having lunch in the same restaurant is Kenny. Wow!

Then I suggested, "Hey, let's take a photo with him!" 
My sister gave me a look and said, "Are you sure? Please don't do anything silly and make a fool of yourself. What do you wanna say to him?"
I was like errr.....I have no idea. 

Well, I really wish to shake his hand and said hello but I wasn't brave enough. So in the end, I didn't take any action but left the restaurant sadly. Ever since then, I have been regretted for many years. 

However, during my trip to Kuching this time, I met him again at Tom's Restaurant at Jalan Padungan. My friends and I were leaving (our butts were stick on the chairs though) after our wonderful lunch and saw him walking in from the main entrance. I was stunned and wasn't sure whether he is Kenny (well, he does look different compare to many years ago). I kept asking my friends and they have no idea who is Kenny Sia. T_T  

After I told them my 'story' and how much I 'love' him, they encouraged me to step forward without any delay. He was sitting at the corner eating his pasta. I felt so sorry to interrupt him and I nearly back off. My friend looked into my eyes and said, "Are you sure you wouldn't regret if you miss this chance again?" Of course I will regret. I will knock my head on the wall till the wall crack (oh, sounds like I have a harder head)! 

My friend reconfirmed with the waitresses there, double, triple confirmed that the guy is really really THE Kenny Sia, the famous blogger! So finally I took a very, very deep breath, walked to him and had the conversation below:

me:       Hi, are you Kenny Sia? (blushed)
Kenny: Ahar. (His mouth was full of pasta)
me:       I'm sorry to interrupt you. My name is Felicia, and I'm your blog's follower for the past few years. Can I take a photo with you? (My face was like burning, my heart pounded so heavily till I felt like I was going to have a heart attack.)
Kenny: But I'm eating. (still munching)
me:       I know. I'm so sorry to interrupt you. (felt like digging a hole to hide my head in like an ostrich) But I really really love your blog. I'm from Miri (well, originally from Kuching) and I'm leaving soon (still have one week plus before flying back though). Please.... (I think I sounded ridiculous. I have no idea what I was talking. I just know that my face must be extremely red as I can feel my cheeks are burning)
Kenny: Ok. Give me a minute! (he tried very hard to swallow the mouthful of pasta in the shortest time)
me:      Thank you very much. It's very kind of you! (I was over excited!! Nearly jump up to the roof.)
Kenny: It has been a long time for people asking to take photo with me. Haha. (Oh! He is so cute!)
(I was so stiff, didn't dare to move at all. I can even felt my mouth was twitching when I smiled. Gosh! I was so nervous! I wish I had put on some makeup that day!) 
Well, after snapping several photos, here goes our conversation again. 
me: Thank you very much, Kenny! Have a nice day! (Virtual hugs without any action)
Kenny: No problem. Have a pleasant flight! (So sweet! I should have ask for his handphone number but what should I do with the number? Hmm....just a crazy thought.)

Once my friends and I stepped out from the restaurant, I just couldn't stop laughing and smiling. They said I looked silly and I believe so. I can't stop smiling now when I recall back too. Hahaha!

Here are the photos I have with my cute Kenny. ^ ^




Monday, May 7, 2012

The Flowers of War



The Flowers of War (金陵十三钗), previously titled Nanjing Heroes and 13 Flowers of Nanjing, is a 2011 Chinese historical drama war film directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Zhang Xinyi,Tong Dawei, Atsuro Watabe, Shigeo Kobayashi and Cao Kefan.It is set in 1937,Nanjing, China, during the "Rape of Nanjing", at the time of the Second Sino-Japanese War. A group of escapees, finding sanctuary in a church compound, try to survive the plight and persecution brought on by the violent invasion of the city. The film is based on the novel 13 Flowers of Nanjing, by Geling Yan.






Plot
An American mortician, John Miller (Bale), arrives in Nanjing in order to bury the foreign head priest of a convent for Catholic girls, just after the city was bombed and invaded by the Japanese forces. A short time after his arrival at the convent, a group of flamboyant prostitutes from the local red-light district find their way to the compound looking for shelter, as foreigners and foreign institutions seem to be left alone by the marauding Japanese soldiers. 


While the prostitutes hide out in the cellar, Miller struggles with and finally gives in to his feelings of responsibility to protect the teenage schoolgirls, and poses as the convent's priest when the compound is repeatedly visited by Japanese soldiers looking for girls to rape. With the help of Chinese collaborator Mr. Meng (Kefan), who is the father of one of the girls, he starts to repair the convent's truck in case there should be an opportunity to bring the girls out of Nanjing.
Japanese Colonel Hasegawa (Watabe) finally promises to protect the convent by placing guards in front of the gate, and requests that the girls sing a choral for him. After the performance, he hands Miller an official invitation for the girls to sing at the Japanese Army's victory celebration. Fearing for their safety (especially since the guards' main concern seems to be not letting any of the girls leave the compound), Miller declines. Hasegawa informs him that it is not a request, but an order and that the girls are going to be picked up the next day. Before they leave, the Japanese soldiers count the girls and erroneously include one of the prostitutes (who has strayed from the cellar looking for her cat), totalling 13.

Induced by their de-facto leader Yu Mo (Ni), the prostitutes decide to protect the girls by meeting the Japanese on their behalf. As they are only twelve, the former convent priest's adopted son volunteers as well. Miller initially opposes their self-sacrificing decision, but ultimately assists in disguising them, using his skills as a mortician.

The next day, the 13 are led away by the unsuspecting Japanese soldiers. After they have left, Miller hides the convent girls on the truck he repaired. Using a single-person permit Mr. Meng was able to obtain, he drives out of the town. In the last scene, the truck is seen driving on a deserted highway in Western direction, away from the advancing Japanese army, towards safety. (copied and pasted from Wikipedia)
For me, another touching part is how the soldiers protected the students. The way the soldiers sacrificed themselves to protect the country and the people make me feel depressed. After watching the movie, my mind kept flashing back the scene on how the soldiers died, the women get tortured and gang raped. 
My hubby said, I should learn how to see things from different angle. Such as look at how the elegant prostitutes learned to protect others by scarifying themselves, how people survive in the war. 
Well, for me, no matter who died in the war, it's always depressing. Why there must be a war? Can't the people learn not to be greedy and brutal but learn how to be contented and loving? 

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Moneyball by Brad Pitt



Based on a true story, Moneyball is a movie for anybody who has ever dreamed of taking on the system.
Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's and the guy who assembles the team, 
who has an epiphany: all of baseball's conventional wisdom is wrong. Forced to reinvent his team on a tight 
budget, Beane will have to outsmart the richer clubs. 


The onetime jock teams with Ivy League grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) in an unlikely partnership, recruiting 
bargain players that the scouts call flawed, but all of whom have an ability to get on base, score runs, and win games. 


It's more than baseball, it's a revolution - one that challenges old school traditions and puts Beane in the crosshairs of those who say he's tearing out the heart and soul of the game. -- (C) Sony Pictures




I always prefer to watch movies which are based on true stories. Brad Pitt acted very well in this movie and bring out the character of Beane. (if the actor is 'nobody', I don't think I have interest to watch this movie at all.) 


I know nothing much about baseball but seems like in order to win in the game, strategy is very important. 


Nice and worth watching if you need to get motivated!


p/s: My hubby purposely chose this movie for me to watch after I complained to him that I can't wipe off the bad memory on the movie "Flower of War". And this really works!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

How to occupy your child in the restaurant

I love coloring.
My cookie monster is green in color.  

Elmo too. Green tummy and green nose.  

More green on your big tummy, then you will look like Oscar. 
Whenever we eat out, I will make sure my princess has many things to do at her baby chair. Such as coloring books (more than 1 in case she is bored with the same book all the time) with crayon or coloring pencils, books to read (she can read books fast, so have to bring 10 books minimum plus those children picture dictionary books), iTouch (last resource) or sometimes play with her food  let her feeding herself using the toddler feeding set (depends whether she wants the food we are having).

It's ok to let her scribble, doodling the coloring book. Let her be creative without restraining her MUST COLOR within the line. She will learn it by herself slowly. Sometimes, she will color everywhere except the picture itself. Sometimes, she will color the picture itself ONLY. Sometimes she will scribble a bit on every page. Well, as long as my hubby and I can have a peaceful meal, she can do anything she wants.

Look at how she colored the nose and tummy of Elmo. I feel that it's a big improvement for 2-year-old toddler. Her motor skill is better in controlling where she wants to color. (I don't want to enforce too much on how to hold a pencil and how to write or color etc as we should let her explore more by using her right brain. Only after 4-year-old, we can start her on things according to the left brain ability.)

Lately she likes to use all her coloring pencils in the coloring book. She will get the coloring pencil out one by one to 'mix' color happily. She always like to start with red, then orange, yellow, green, blue etc. I'm quite surprised on the sequence as the coloring pencils in the box are not arrange in such at all. I never teach her to mix color. Hmm...maybe she did see me mix the colors before, such as the rainbow?

Will she become the next Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Georgia O'Keefe or Frida Kahlo? Her mother is thinking too much again. Hahaha!



Friday, May 4, 2012

My new toy ~ Rainbow Cleaning System

My hubby bought me a new toy helper - Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner lately which costs him RM8590. It really changed my life after owning this wonderful vacuum cleaner. Thank you very much, my dear.




Before this, I'm phobia in using traditional vacuum cleaner due to my asthma problem. The air + dust that come out from the suction make me suffer too much. So other than buying a vacuum cleaner for my learning centre (due to the carpeted flooring), I only use broom, mop, disposable floor wipe (wet & dry) for the past few years.


I am very particular about the cleanliness of the floor especially I have a toddler at home. It's not easy to maintain the big house especially I have no more maid. It's frustrated to see the dust flying whenever I sweep and the mopping result doesn't reach my standard.

Ok. Don't get me wrong. I'm not mysophobia. Show you the research I have found below then you might be more aware after this.

"One of the most strongly allergenic materials found indoors is house dust, often heavily contaminated with the fecal pellets and cast skins of House Dust Mites. Estimates are that dust mites may be a factor in 50 to 80 percent of asthmatics, as well as in countless cases of eczema, hay fever and other allergic ailments. Common causes of allergy include house dust mites, cat dander, cockroach droppings and grass pollen. 




Symptoms are usually respiratory in nature (sneezing, itching, watery eyes, wheezing, etc.), usually NOT A RASH. However, there are reports of a red rash around the neck. Other allergic reactions may include headaches, fatigue and depression." (copied from http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/dustmites.php)


Allergy sufferers truly benefit from the use of Rainbow products because the water washes the dirt from the air stream that releases back into the atmosphere. This means less sneezing, less allergic reactions, and less choking from dusty rooms that usual vacuum cleaners tend to create. Not only allergy sufferers benefit from the features and capabilities associated with the Rainbow line of products. The HEPA Neutralizer has the ability to trap particles that cannot be seen with the naked eye.


Now this Rainbow vacuum cleaner helps me to clean the floor easily without worrying the dust flying into my nose and cause me sneezing all day long. ^ ^


The most impressive part is how this Rainbow clean my bed. Do you know how dirty our bed is no matter how often we change our bed sheet and pillow case? 




"Beds are a prime habitat (where 1/3 of life occurs). A typical used mattress may have anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites inside. (Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings.) Mites prefer warm, moist surroundings such as the inside of a mattress when someone is on it. A favorite food is dander (both human and animal skin flakes). Humans shed about 1/5 ounce of dander (dead skin) each week. About 80 percent of the material seen floating in a sunbeam is actually skin flakes." (copied from http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/dustmites.php)



"If you could put your sheets under a microscope, you might be surprised - and a little freaked out - by what you would see. Almost every bed has dust mites, which are microscopic bugs that feed off of dead skin cells. These little things live, die and reproduce in the same bed sheets that you sleep in. Here's what you also may be sleeping in:
  • Dead skin cells - Your body sheds about a million skin cells a day, so some of those are bound to come off when you sleep. Unfortunately, dead skin cells are a tasty snack for dust mites.
  • Oils - Your body secretes natural oils as you sleep, which, of course, end up on your bed sheets.
  • Sweat - If you get too hot during the night, your body will sweat to cool off.
  • Bodily fluids - Saliva, blood, urine, fecal matter and bodily fluids from intercourse are all liable to show up on your bed sheets.
  • Food crumbs - If you like to bring that midnight snack to bed, there's probably crumbs and other food particles that are begging to be eaten by bugs."  (copied from http://www.symptomfind.com/health/washing-bed-sheets/)

Scary huh?! Say hello to the dust mites!




We switch it on for air purifier too. During that period, it will take 99.997 percent of all airborne dirt, filth and allergens and thrust them into a hurricane swirling bath of water which is inside the Rainbow's space age plastic water basin. After that air wash, the room will smell as clean as the air outside after it has rained. More importantly, the air in the room will be free of filthy airborne particles and allergens. 


Oh! We got RainJet too. It works extremely well for my tiles and parquet floor. It removes the dust, oil, water easily. No more traditional mop! Yippee! ^ ^ Thank you again, my dearest hubby. Now I can survive better without maid at home. For long term planning, this new toy is definitely cheaper than hiring a maid. Haha!