Tag Archives: butterflymalaysia

Solo stay at MITC Hotel Melaka

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

My husband brought the kids over to Acheh for the Raya Haji celebration with my dad and his new wife (and kids). Mi amore knew that I was NOT on leave in that particular week due to the usual ‘kuota cuti’. Although my response to his proposal to bring the kids to Acheh was a sing-song ‘you can do that, saya tak cuti‘, the most appropriate response is to CANCEL EVERYTHING. But no, he took it at face value and went ahead on the trip. After more than 10 years of marriage, masih lah tak faham faham. Ha ha.

So, I did the next best thing to console myself. *giving myself a butterfly hug here*. I booked a solo stay at one of the nearest hotels to my workplace. The MITC Hotel. It was only a 15-minute journey to work. I checked in on the evening of EID and just enjoyed the great hospitality. I booked a Superior Double room for a 4D3N stay through Agoda.com. My total was RM 492.94, including taxes and fees. I even have breakfast included. I did have to pay the Melaka Heritage Fee separately at RM3 per night. The fee may vary depending on the hotel’s star rating.

Parking was obviously easy. I can see why some comments on Google reviews mentioned that the room seemed small. It is because the bed is not big, risen and bulky. It looks like our ordinary double bed at home. It feels like a Hobbit home. The pillows were fluffy but a bit odd-sized. It felt like sleeping on the chest of a really muscular bodybuilder. The hotel was pretty generous with its beverages. They provided one cup of instant noodles on arrival. The coffee and tea sachets were replenished daily. The air conditioner was superbly cool. I loved that there was a hair dryer too. There is no fridge in the room, so I basically get my cold water from work and bring it with me to the hotel. I need my cold water.

Do bring your own toothbrush and paste

The location is great. There are plenty of restaurants near the hotel itself. If you are willing to walk a bit further like me, you can go towards the roundabout and find your way to Mydin Mall. Apart from what is in Mydin itself, there are also a few other nice places to eat at Kota Fesyen. I was able to get my steps in daily after work in the evening. Every day, I had dinner outside and would usually come back to the hotel just after Maghrib. I will write about my dinner adventures in a different post.

Breakfast at the hotel starts at 7 am. That means I get a quick 30 minutes at the restaurant before I drive off to work. I only managed to enjoy the buffet at a leisurely pace during my last day there, since it was a Saturday. I have to recommend their Nasi Lemak. The sambal was really good. I put it on top of everything I can, the roti canai, lontong, everything! If they are serving this particular Nasi Lemak as part of lunch, I would actually come here to have lunch. Coffee was OK. It did come from those automatic machines. I also enjoyed their noodles. It was nice. The roti canai and curry were delicious too. Thankfully, the school holiday crowd has yet to arrive during my stay there. Thus, my breakfast was quite peaceful and less hurried. Meaning, I don’t have people staring at my table, wanting to sit there once I get up.

The swimming pool was cute. I think my daughter would have loved it. There was a beautiful courtyard for private events just beside it, too. The overall service and hospitality were great. The staff were so polite. Always with a smile and a tiny nod. The manager even called me a few minutes after checking in, just to make sure that everything was up to my expectations, since I will be staying there for 4 days. No wonder it is a 4-star hotel.

part of the pool
the courtyard

There was no sight of a gym. Even then, as I said earlier, I managed to get my brisk walk in after work by strolling the area. There were so many things to see and try. You will never go hungry because there is a 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant right beside the hotel. I would definitely come here again if I ever need another solo moment because I really felt safe as a female guest.

CTDK – Cinta di awan concert

Posted in Good Things, Just For Fun, Music by

A million thanks to this SitiZoner who shared her moment at CTDK’s concert at Genting Highland. The concert lasted just over 2 hours and it definitely showcased CTDK’s strength as an experienced performer. There was never a moment of boredom. The songs were sung beautifully and putting lyrics on the big screen was a genius touch!

I had no idea that I still remembered some of the song lyrics on top of my head although I haven’t listened to it for quite a while.

CTDK’s cute personality came through which is why she is Malaysia’s songbird, loved by all. Including those who were born past her prime times. I hope that one day I get to see her in a live concert again.

Bright Cow

Posted in Food and Drinks, Reviews by

We’ve always known Farm Fresh as a local company that produces milk products. Despite being local, the price tag is astonishingly more expensive than Dutch Lady, the leading brand in Malaysia. Even then, Farm Fresh has a distinctive taste which is delicious, light and seemingly fresh. It is a very nice milk product to add to my coffee and tea to give it a milky taste.

It was only recently that I found out about Bright Cow. I was doing a search on Shopee for ‘fresh milk’ when this brand emerged as one of the options. Based on the reviews I read, consumers seem to love it a lot and the price is a tad lower compared to other milk brands on the platform. Bright Cow has a dairy farm in Linggi, Negeri Sembilan and they have a range of products from milk to yoghurt and kefir.

I thought I’d give it a try and bought 2 sets of white and chocolate milk in a mini pack of 6 from Shopee. My children loved it. The chocolate drink was not excessively sweet and the ‘normal’ milk tasted nice. It is almost like Farm Fresh but at a lower price range. A set of 6 cartons (200ml) only costs RM10.80. That is less than RM2 per box. Turns out, they are also selling at certain retail stores. I am glad my local Family Store has them too. At least I can buy some for my son. He should have more milk than all those sweet boxed drinks the dad packed him earlier.

So a big thank you to Bright Cow for emerging as an option to moms like me. I wish that they would start selling their yoghurt at my usual aisle.

Malaysian beauty and skincare products

Posted in Beauty Products, Reviews by

Social media has convinced consumers like myself to try our local products. Although some can be on the much pricier side – as long as I believe it is good for our economic cycle, I can afford to do so. These are the skincare and beauty products I have tried this year and I have to say, they leave quite a positive impression.

Simplysiti

I used to be a big fan of this cosmetic and skincare range, especially during the times of Dermagic in dark purple packaging. However, I stopped because I noted that the formula of their moisturizer (back then) felt a bit off and that was when I realized that their main manufacturer had changed from South Korea to Indonesia. They must have tweaked the ingredients a bit, out of innovation, only that it was too noticeable and did not appeal to my liking.

This time I got their serum, moisturizer and sunscreen. The sunscreen was my least favourite because the scent of bubblegum was too overpowering. I did love their moisturizer and serum.

CUURA

I was intrigued by this brand because beauty influencers were all over them with the ‘ooohhh’ and ‘aaaahhh’ for their sunscreen and supplements. I did buy their sunscreen which was great as it had the texture of BOJ and up till now I am still consuming their GLO NECTAR. Recently, I purchased their Travel Kit which has 5 items inside: DetoxCleanser (10mls), Dew Drops Essence (10ml), Hydra Boost Serum (10ml), Aqua Boost Moisturizer (10ml) and Brightening Sunscreen (10ml). It was priced at RM124 but I wished they could make it for less than RM100 or at least lower than RM110. The application is straightforward. I rationed them as I didn’t want them to finish too quickly. Ha ha. It’s great as a trial kit of their products as well.

HYGR

I was sceptical about trying their deodorant at first but once I did – I was in love. Yes, it is pricey but honestly, with it’s combined compact look and lingering scent, I would repeat my purchase. I bought the Citrus and Tea Tree deodorant. I also bought 2 sticks of lip balm in the code, Hibiscus. I gave one stick to my cousin. I chose Hibiscus because I think it complements my skin tone nicely. The fascinating thing about the lip balm is that it is pigmented enough to be used as a mono eyeshadow and a blusher. Hence, it became a great companion for my travels. In fact, I did bring it with me on my trips to Kuching and Miri.

LADY.NURTURAL

The owner of this business was a blogger that I really loved reading about since her younger years. Based on her blogging style, I have always regarded her as one of those with a flair for creativity and empathetic reasoning. Thus, I am overjoyed to see her translate these traits into her home business. You could see the love she put into the making of her product, the packaging and the marketing. I wouldn’t expect any less.

I bought some soaps from her website. I was terribly influenced to try the HUTAN soap bar because I wanted to experience the earthy-wet smell after a shower. Indeed, I did feel like I just got out of a forest, hiking maybe with all the sweat. It had that sort of fresh smell. I also bought the TAWAS soap as a means to reduce body odour. I have another 3 soap bars that have yet to be tried, so it will definitely last me throughout next year. They are too precious to be given away as gifts.

NIHON

NIHON is a skincare line formulated by dermatologists. I didn’t immediately jump on the bandwagon because the founder and those who promoted it in the first place did not appear convincing. However, as times passed with me being desperate to get my pigmentations under control, I decided to take the plunge. I knew that there was no way I would get skin treatment unless I went to Renora Clinic one day and took leave many days afterwards to heal. So, this is perhaps a reliable solution for me to take care of my skin at home.

So I bought the Essence and the Night Repair Creme. I loved the essence immediately and am seriously contemplating replacing my SKII Pitera with it. The creme has retinol which is something I always aim for in my night cream products. However, what I loved most about the creme is it’s tangy, citrus scent. It was uplifting yet calming at the same time for the nighttime application. I am looking forward to exploring other products like their day cream and sunscreen but it will have to wait until I have finished the many others I have at home.

Would you know of any other Malaysian products I can try?

The Ex-Fiance and finding a Home

Posted in Everyday Life by

The ex-fiance is now my husband. Let’s start with that. Saw this photo highlighted on Instagram and saw lots of positive comments on it. Which is good although it did make me wonder, is that not a natural step towards marriage? Preparing a place to stay as a couple, be it a rented place or an abode of your own.

We were engaged sometime in September 2010 which is about 3 months after we started dating each other. The solemnization was initially scheduled in the following year in April but we brought forward the ceremony in December the same year. Part of the reason was of fulfilling the wishes of sick & dying family members. One of my superiors however commented that it was because I am pregnant. Honestly, I was shocked for her to even think about myself as that kind of person. Plus, it was an insult to my fiance too because of all the guys I have ever gone out with, he was the only one who really kept his hands to himself and our conversations never had a sexual innuendo to it. Not even a cuit of the lengan over the blouse! Not even a ‘tak sabar nak kahwin’ remark. Nampak tak betapa terjaganya that relationship. So, make doa to Allah for jodoh that comes from a sekolah agama and eats McDonalds.

Our BMI’s were so ideal back then.. This was our merisik moment

Prior to the wedding, we were living in our respective homes. Mine, a rented single storey terraced house and him in a crib shared with 2 other housemates. A few weeks before we took akad, he found a small house near where we worked. He furnished it accordingly with enough stuff for newlyweds to start functioning as a couple. I moved my things bit by bit to the house as well but only fully moved in after our marriage which is on Day 6 of our new relationship as husband and wife. He paid the rent, broadband and utilities fully. I paid for nothing. HAHAHAHA. Oh wait, I paid for my car and whatever groceries I wanted to get.

Once my son is borned, we moved to Melaka. I stayed with my in laws for just about a year until we found our current home via Mudah.Com. Staying with in laws can be nerve-wrecking but I am grateful to have an understanding MIL and husband of course. I was working shifts at the time and I do not have to worry about leaving my son because I know my husband can look after him competently. After all, his mom is an experienced nurse and can offer sound advice anytime. Alhamdulilah for that.

My D.I.Y dais/pelamin

My current house is on my name solely. I pay for its monthly housing loans and my husband furnishes the interior. It has been a practice in his family to put down the wife’s name on the property. At least, the first one. Later, if he wants he can buy other properties. Which he did and rented out to other people.

For now, we are relatively stable as a family. We have jobs, a roof on our heads, thriving kids and good social support. We are at home. If there is any advice I could give to newlyweds, it is probably to consider to stay or settle down at a place where you could reap from good social support. They can be family, siblings, reliable friends or established institutions. This is because sometimes out of the needs to fulfill a jobs criteria, one would have to move out of their comfort zone. Not everyone has the luxury of choice though. If it comes to that, you need to revise an arrangement where your nucleus family is best taken care of. No one can work and give their best performance if they worry about their wives and kids all the time. Like, if the kids are ill.. who can help out? If both husband and wife needs to be admitted to ward for dengue, who could help to care for the kids? Things like that..

There’s no better way to end this,

Home is Where the Heart is