Teachers' Day 2013

I don't know why I'm so in high spirit today. I guess it has a lot to do with me feeling contented to be able to put my children first before work.

THE STORY
Earlier on Tuesday morning, I was telling my colleagues that my daughters were asking me to provide gifts for their teachers on Teachers' Day. I said I wanted to do homemade gifts but I have reports to do thus couldn't have the time. Then they said 'Cutilah!...'

Hmm...I wondered why it did not cross my mind to take leave? Maybe because I was busy thinking about the reports I needed to prepare. Hey! The dateline is Tuesday, so if I really can submit the report on time, I could take a leave on Wednesday and fulfill my kids's request. If I've done my work, why not?! At first I was in doubt and hesitant to ask my boss because this week is our 'report week'. However, I told myself that if this is for the benefit of my children, I should fight for it.

THE LESSON
What struck me was I keep saying that I will always put family first but why in this situation, the idea to take a break from work and entertain my children came from my friends? That really, really struck me like a lightning....


THE EXPERIENCE
As usual I was thinking of buying something decent but then my eldest told me to prepare for 20 teachers! Hmmmm... I decided to bake fancy cookies because it is simple to make, taste good, fancy, cheaper option and the kids can help me out. The homemade trait conveys 'we really appreciate you thus we don't mind spending some time to prepare this for you'...

My wish for better education system:

• To leverage on technology at schools so less deskjob for teachers and they can concentrate on developing the children.
• Good quality teachers who develop the emotional, and spiritual aspects of my children
• Good system that develop the creativity, curious mind and spirit of young children

To all my teachers....My siblings, relatives and friends who teach...Happy Teachers' Day!

Jasmin cutting the dough

Cutting smaller heart shape for friends

Plain cookies ready to be baked

Production line 1_Decorating

The output

Production line 2_Sealing & packaging

Handmade tags

4 cookies for Kasyif's teachers

Made from our sincere hearts for all the teachers :-)

Luxury for me_Coach Handbag

I haven't written about handbags that I've bought, have I? I actually bought my 1st expensive (to me) handbag in Sept 2012. It was Coach Kristin satchel in fawn.

Early of the year, I saw many carrying branded handbags mostly Coach. I didn't think I wanted a Coach and aim for LV instead. I still couldn't save for LV and I also felt challenged that now everyone has a branded handbag. To satisfy my own desire to spend, I bought a Guess clutch for functions about RM160 in Aug. Then, my husband was leaving for Australia and I 'mengecek' mintak belikan handbag there. However based on my survey, I told him it is cheaper to buy online. He said ok and gave RM1k for me to buy it myself.

I said I wanted a Coach Kristin woven satchel in red. In the end, I bought non woven in fawn.  It was very hard for me to decide ok, being it was my first time:

• to buy a handbag costing more than RM200 (I did once purchase a Pacapod baby bag costing more than RM500 but I don't think that counts)
• to buy online. I was worried I might buying fake stuffs

Dilemma_I was contemplating whether the buy was justified, the real reason I wanted to spend so much on a handbag, whether I would use it etc....

Kristin woven in red. Gorgeous!

When I first got it, it didn't look like what I expected. I expected the colour to be lighter. I was still not sure that night

Kristin in fawn. Simple & practical *wink*

Now, I love everything about the handbag. I didn't regret buying it although I think woven Kristin in red is also gorgeous. Since it functions as a handbag, it has accompanied me to weddings, balik kampung and shopping.

Today, I've just paid RM450 (deposit only) for a work bag...Coach Candace Carryall in watermelon.

Watermelon/Snow

Tan/Hibiscus

Both are gorgeous. I decided to buy watermelon because:

• First I wanted to get it in tan although watermelon is screaming at me.Then I saw it at Coach boutique at The Gardens. The red is subtle and would be a great addition to my 'collection'. Tan is classsic too but if I buy, I would have 2 Coach bags with similar colours.
• I got me thinking, this was exactly the same situation I was in when I bought Kristin. So this time, I would get red instead of neutral color.

Kristin and Candace both cost RM840. I'll write more about them as we go along....

Hunting for new armchairs

Went to The Gardens to watch Iron Man 3. Came across IWANNAGOHOME store. Spot few designs of armchairs... and this is what I want! Love! Love! Love!.... Didn't take any pictures, thought I was not allowed. Bengong! Tanya je la...

Price? RM999 each chair, a pair would be RM1,998. What do you think? Expensive? OK? If price is not an issue, I would have bought them! Not sure whether I can get cheaper sets at other shops, if there is any. I haven't been surveying but I know from the last furniture hunt in 2010, I didn't find any shops that fit my taste. Until now....

Are shops in KL have more to offer that fit my taste (but not the price tag!)? Should I start surveying shops in KL? I can't stop thinking about the armchairs now....

At the age of 38

At the age of 38, I strongly feel I want a responsible government. Previously, I didn't feel general election is important enough until I read Rafizi Ramli's entry. He said something about future education. Yes! I too want the public education system to be revamped and offers opportunities as good as private schools. From the way he wrote, only now I feel there is hope for things to change.
However, I didn't vote at GE13 because I still have not changed the voting location to where it is convenient for me to do so :-(

At the age of 38, I think I need to do something about the way I dress, my physical appearance and accept such effort will cost my hard earned money. I started to assess my wardrobe and found out I haven't spent on quality clothes since 2008. I did buy some here and there and the deciding factor whether to buy is the price. Thus some clothes actually don't represent me but I bought them because the offer was hard to miss.

Back then, my choice of clothes also limited to baggy tops to cover my overweight shape and limited trousers. Now that I have embarked on my quest to live healthy and to achieve my ideal weight, I seem to have more clothes to wear (of course since all my quality clothes are in size 12s and that now I can wear them again). I managed to let go pieces that I love but won't suit my age anymore to give way for new collection (yeay!)
I'm also learning to buy quality handbags i.e assess the material and put price as second (I though still set a RM limit to how much I can spend)

At the age of 38, I think I know what my real interest in work. I want to be able to use historical data for assessment of the future of a business (I think....) I'm not really interested in ledgers although to know is an advantage. I'm more interested in doing budgets, strategies, improve stuffs and assess performance. I think...

At the age of 38, I finally understood the role of a wife to a husband.

At the age of 38, I looked back and noticed I haven't done enough for the kids. I should control my anger, complement good behaviour and penalise bad behaviour. Be firm and appreciate them more. Spend more time with them. Not on the road on the way to shopping malls/kampung but more of doing things with them ie gardening, cooking, make the bed etc. If I love them enough, I should be able to find time and instill good values, good behaviour, dream big and care less of what others say. I want to teach them to be able to accept obstacles are always there on the road to success. These values and life survival skills are not taught elsewhere. The best people to do it are parents and the best place to teach them is at home.





A lot of things I have discovered and suddenly make sense to me at the age of 38. Is this what they called maturity? Does this mean I finally mature at the age of 38? If anger is a sign of maturity, my husband is matured long before me because he hardly raised his voice. While I easily got angry in the past, I finally think getting angry won't solve anything...

Finally, at the age of 38 I strongly feel I need good treatment to iron out my wrinkles!

P/S: Election Day 505. Went to cinema to watch Iron Man 3 (recommended) 605.

Jasmin has been good last week! And other updates

Rasa lama tak update. Actually I'm quite busy. But why am I blogging here? Either I've done my tasks or I think I've done them but actually I have not. Just a quick updates:

I'm happy with Jasmin! She woke up early and got ready for school all on her own. I treated her to Doughnut & Coffee on Friday.

We went swimming with Lutfi on Sunday. Everyone seems contented.

Hubby has started consuming Herbalife in his quest to lose weight starting 8 April 2013. I was so happy, alhamdulillah.

Progress of my weight loss: I think I'm facing weight loss plateau. I'm still 65.5kg in the afternoon until today Monday 22 Apr.

Updated. Pinjam. Rezeki. Sedekah

I googled about 'pinjam and sedekah' after I posted the previous post. Alhamdulillah, I got the explanantion that I wanted from their blogs:
Yunus Badawi
Yaya Azura
iezaliz2u

Lesson learnt:
To lend gives more pahala than to donate

And my situation involves 2 parties:

1. me the lender
2. him the borrower

As a lender, by willing to lend him money I actually helping him to settle whatever his problem at that moment. Allah SWT likes that....

Whether he will pay back, it is between him and Allah SWT because as a borrower, he has the obligation to pay back.

Allah has promised my share and that is all I need to know. Better still, if I know he can't pay back, I should just let it go....And at the same time I should remind him about responsibility as a borrower so he too will get blessing from Allah SWT.

Thank you to the bloggers above. Alhamdulillah...alhamdulillah.........

Pinjam. Rezeki. Sedekah

Somebody was asking me to lend him money. He sounded desparate but from past records, the possibility of him not paying back is there. Coincidentally, I did have that much amount he asked for which I kept aside to save for my new handphone which I planned to buy in 2 months (my Iphone 3GS is damaged and currently I'm using a Samsung. He said he will pay back and I said to him 'Please, please pay me back'.

As a background, previously I thought I don't have that much to share. I donate when I feel I have extra. I seldom treat my friends or family, which I do only on special occasion e.g when I get promoted or bonuses. Unlike some people who treats whenever they have or don't have extra. I used to think they make more than I do while my pay was only enough to make ends meet and settle my credit card.
I seldom go on a shopping spree but I don't mind spending on brand and quality. Due to that, I'm willing to save and buy nothing this month so I can get what I want next month. My monthly pay is divided into savings and zakat, car loan, contribution for the household and parents, credit card and monthly maintenance e.g lunch at work and fuel. Most of the time I had to scheme on fuel and lunch because the balance would be just enough and at the same time I thought I should leave it there in the account in case of emergency.
What's lingering in my mind is if the extra money that I save to pay someone else was borrowed by someone else who promise to pay back (which I doubt he will because he has poor cash management), should I ask him to pay back or should I just let it go?

Don't you always heard that we need to have savings  at least 3 months salary for emergency. And save for the things that you want instead of buying on credit card. I followed that advice and now I'm a bit confused on how to incorporate that into the concept of 'rezeki' and 'sedekah'.

I have learnt that when I don't get what I want there and then, it's just not my rezeki. So maybe in this situation, it is just not my rezeki to pay my own debt?

At the moment I'm writing this, I feel relieved of letting go the borrowed money. It wasn't the case yesterday when I was thinking on how to get the money back, because I too owe someone else.

The dilemma now is should I or should I not call him up asking him to pay back when secretly I feel like I'm not gonna get my money?

Another thought is, should I lent him money in future if I know he's not gonna pay? I don't know. Currently I feel like only giving him the amount that I'm comfortable with so I don'thave to worry whether I'll get it back. I'll give it as sedekah.


After reading a book 'Mudahnya Menjemput Rezeki' by Fathuri Salehuddin, I'm learning to accept this situation as this:

1. If he doesn't pay, then it is not my rezeki to pay my own debt. It is his and insyaallah I will get something in return from Allah SWT if I redha.
2. If he pays, then it's good for him and me and the person who I owe. Berkatilah kehidupan kami, Ya Allah.
3. Just let this go, it's only money. What I should be concern about is keredhaan Allah SWT.

I also want to treat/donate as often as I can believing not all that I earn is all my rezeki but some are the rezeki of others...


Ya Allah, aku bersyukur ke hadratMu di atas pencerahan ini. Semoga aku lebih tabah dan redha menjalani kehidupan dengan bimbinganMu, Ya Allah......