Another year has gone by. I have a lot to be thankful for.
alhamdulillah
For the family that has been given to me. I love my parents despite our differences and the things I discovered about them behind my back. Agaknya itulah ujian saya. I love my siblings. I couldn’t ask for anybody else. Eventhough sometimes they make me geram and want to give up when I want to help.
alhamdulillah
For jodoh and in laws yang baik. I don’t think I could survive having a Mak Leha as a MIL ( reference to 7 hari mencintaimu) . Memang I mintak cerai. No need to put up with the headache. The jodoh may not be perfect just as I am not perfect either. Mana lagi nak dpt laki yang tahu bini dia tak reti masak hebat2 or iron his shirts, one who could handle the kids as well too. So even though he can be a pain, I would usually lower my ego and let him win the argument or cold war, to look at the bigger picture and voodoo him in my mindmove on.
alhamdulillah
For a profession. For a salary. For the ability to drive a car. In a way, I have my own money that I could spend however I want to. I can give it to my mom, to charity of my choice, to whomever that needs it more than I do. I could use it to fund my psychology studies. To eat nice food. To bring my family for holidays.
alhamdulillah
For giving me another year to look forward to. Maybe I will get to go for umrah or hajj next year. I have been hinting Tabung Haji through my online deposits activity descriptions. Things like‘saya nak pergi haji”, ” doakan saya dpt pegi haji”. HA HA HA. Mohon sgt bila print statement nampak benda tuh. Pretty please..
For my birthday, I don’t need streaming wishes or forced Facebook wall wishes. I am happy with the personalized wishes I’ve been getting. I don’t need big parties either. I am happy enough with normal wishes from close friends, intimate meals or small group makan2.
Let’s see, my latest blog update was on the 18th of July. Since then, I have not been blogging much here and on NotaMinci. My mind was occupied by a few things. Mainly, my course assignments, my father in laws stroke, my aunts demise due to Covid-19 (she is one of my favourite aunts), the Basic Life Support course ( I couldn’t really say no, but the timing was honestly shit), buy farewell gift for a superior that I have no idea what kind of person he is (busy sgt ke sampai tak boleh beli sendiri? like hello… aku tak pernah kerja dgn dia.. canne nak personalize gift?) and the prep for The Moss Clan staycation during Eid -Adha.
I am currently breathing a bit. In fact, I am taking leave for 3 days to get my mind sorted out. The exam period for my Psychology degree starts in 11 days.
For The Moss Clan stay cation, I chose a property from Anugerah Homestay Melaka. It was a 5 room villa with a swimming pool. The weekend/public holiday rate was RM890/night. It is located at Durian Tunggal but not far from the highway toll. This stay cation was meant to celebrate Eid and my mom’s 61st birthday.
I chose the place because;
it has a swimming pool that the kids would love together with a BBQ pit
all bedrooms are air-conditioned
they have basic amenities like the fridge, cooking area, cooking and eating utensils. They also provided big garbage bags which were useful to throw our rubbish
ample parking space but limited to a max of 4 vehicles. You can park 2 inside the porch and another 2 outside without bothering the neighbours parking space
washing machine is provided but we didn’t use them
they have sejadah and kiblat direction. alhamdulilah
grocery stores nearby. and restaurants. You can even do your evening exercise and walk over to them. Dekat sangat.
basic Astro is available. bolehlah tgk 7 Hari Mencintaimu
The downside;
it is in a residential area. you have curious neighbours. Although the owner have resurrected a wall near the pool, you still need to be mindful of the neighbours. You do not want to upset them. Children especially, like to peer through the gates and watch you swim in the pool.
NO WIFI, NO COWAY, NO AIR CON in the living room but it’s a minor flaw because I could easily access my DIGI from here, we can open the big windows and doors for circulation and part air tu.. we prepared before hand by buying bottles of mineral water to put in the fridge. We can always boil hot water with the kettle they provided. Nama pun homestay, kalau nak sgt2 selesa.. duduk rumah sendirilah kan..
Limited towels, so bring your own. Shower gels and dish washing liquid are provided.
To make our stay extra comfortable, I brought;
A night lamp. All bedrooms do not have a bedside lamp. So it’s either you sleep in a really pitch black room or open the door a bit.
Extra blankets. The tug of war of blankets resume in homestay. So bawak je la.
Extension plugs
Shampoo
My sister, Aunty L was in charge of our menu. My brothers were in charge of snacks. My parents role is to eat, sleep and enjoy themselves.
Husband cooking breakfast on the last day of our Staycation
Most moms find it easier pre-COVID19 era to shuttle their kids with them as they complete daily chores or business errands. Now that with SOP’s in place which includes refraining high risk groups ( children & elderly) entering crowded places, I believe it does affect mothers in a certain way. For me personally, I cannot bring my kids to Tesco anymore to buy groceries. Nor can I bring them to the mall whilst I get some books and stuff. I cannot bring them to the bank as I want to deposit their duit raya. Nor can I bring them to the university foyer as I check out the library to get some books. So when it comes to a certain need, like the need to get a plant from the nearby nursery, I had to resort to home delivery.
Thankfully, my nearby nursery BABA WAN NURSERY could oblige. It is located at Jalan Bukit Piatu quite near my house, so I might stop by one day without the kids.
My haul came today and I was delighted. It has been ages since I wanted to start my mini- edible garden but time was difficult to find. Plus, I had to adjust my budget a bit. So, these are what I got. Delivery was charged at an additional RM15. I am cool with that.
I got 5 bags of Vonya soil. Allegedly awesome for almost everything. I got 1 bag free. I chose two hibiscus plant in support of our national flower. I am also trying my luck to grow the Polianthes tuberose or as the locals calls it, pokok harum sundal malam. Folklore associated it with vampires (pontianak/kuntilanak) but let’s put the myths out of the way. It is supposed to smell nice at night once it blooms. Mine looks like grass at the moment.
yellow hibiscus
red hibiscus
If I ever manage to grow this plant well, I will sell this in a polybag to my friends at a very very cheap price. IF EVER.
I bought 2 pots of cili padi plant and a pot of daun limau purut (kafir leaves). One pot of cili is for my sister.
Please grow well Chilli and Kaffir leaves
It took me about 3 hours to clear the leaves in my abandoned garden but I was proud of the results. I just bought another plant haul through Shopee and am hoping that it would arrive soon. Wish me luck!
It has been a while since I went online shopping. I was glancing through my skin care products and realized that I haven’t had a proper cleansing, toning and moisturizing for quite a while. I have also been neglecting my sunscreen what more my facial scrubs. As for facials, that practice has been ditched many years ago because I am still traumatized by the one and only facial I had in a wellness spa in Kuching. My friend looked refreshed, I turned out like a lobster. A cooked lobster.
My haul amounted up to RM 326.00. Free shipping. This is a video of me unboxing the haul.
So, let’s break down the purchase.
LANEIGE Water sleeping mask
Price : RM69 (after 31% discount)
I was initially smittened by the simple fact that Soong Hye Kyo is the ambassador for Laneige. But that is not enough to make me want to buy the product. It was really because of the part where they described that it has SLEEP-TOX technology with aromatic SLEEPSCENT that helps one to relax. Never mind if it’s a hoax, I am sold. I had to read on my physiology when it mentioned skin circadian rhythm.
MISSHA Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Rx (150ml)
Price : RM92 (after 39% discount)
This has always been my favourite purchase from MISSHA. This and the BB Cream liquid foundation. Personally, the gold standard for treatment essence is still SK2 but MISSHA I feel, is second to that. I usually dab it lightly onto my face in the morning just before I apply my makeup. On days that I don’t go to work, I would apply it every time after prayers.
MISSHA Time Revolution Artemisia Pack Foam Cleanser (150ml)
Price : 56
It has been a while since I invested in good skin care. I decided to plunge in and purchase this because it has dual function. One as a normal facial cleanser and the other as a claypack. Artemisia is a short shrub known for a few medicinal properties. As for skincare, it is supposed to help ease irritation and redness of the face. So far, I have been using it twice a day and love the earthy smell. Combine that with a cold shower somehow makes me feel like I’m taking a bath in a cold forest somewhere.
KEEP COOL Soothe 85% Bamboo Toner
Price : RM47
I haven’t been compliant to my skincare regime for quite a while and so this toner was one of those impulse purchases. The fact that it was nominated as the 2019 GLowPick makes me want to choose this product formulated from bamboo extract. Plus, there were many positive reviews from Korean influencers. I use this mostly at night before I go to sleep for the cooling effect. And that’s not the only thing I use before going to bed at night.
This is slowly becoming my next favourite product. It made me wonder why did it took me so long to discover this. This is the perfect remedy for the foot after a long day about. All I have to do is spray my foot with it and immediately the cooling effect sets in. And it is not sticky at all! Definitely a repeat order after this. It’s made from menthol/peppermint lead – I am not surprised! It is marketed as a men-friendly product but sweaty women can use this too. It keeps the stinky feet away.
BCOMMONCE Armpit Deo BB Puff (35ml)
Price : RM34 (after 41% discount)
Ok. Definitely got influenced by Tammy Lim on her IG. She is our lovely mamasan in the Butterfly Project community. For this Deo Puff you open it at the cap and immediately the liquid seeps out. The only option you have is to dab it quickly onto your armpit! And then screw the lid back on. To be honest, I haven’t got the guts to try it cause I fear that my work attire will be stained with the BB Cream, so I think I will wait for the weekend or so when I wear sleeveless at home and review the product properly.
I didn’t get my favourite MISSHA foundation because it was out of stock. Next time I am hoping to get some lip tint or eyebrow liner. I also saw raving reviews on this Bamboo face pads.. will give that a try later. Did you get anything interesting from Althea Korea too? Share with me your haul!
Finally, Melaka is not under water rationing anymore. The state have not been getting much rain last year and consequently the water levels in the dam was low. It has been a challenging 2 months but manageable because the Bekalan Air Berkala schedule seems to be well thought out by Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB). Nevertheless people still complain but as the mantra goes, you cannot please everybody.
The rationing affected highly populated residential areas except those near industrial/commercial areas. My housing area was rationed but my MIL’s place was not affected. I was thankful for that because my kids transit at their grandparents house after school. But now with the Movement Control Order (MCO) – all grandchildren are at my MIL’s house driving her crazy as school and nursery are out. I can only pray that Allah will grant my parents in law Jannah for their sacrifice in helping to mind the grandkids while we children go to work.
Previously, we get water running from the tap on alternate days starting from 10am till 10am the next day only. On days that we don’t, we depend on our household water tank and the public tank in our area. Thankfully, our house is near one of the big ones located near the surau.
My motivation to cook was dampened tremendously. Rasa macam tak best to masak and wash the dishes and pots meticulously using rationed water. It feels less great either to leave the dishes till the next day. So, meals consisted of takeouts, intermittent fasting or kids eat at grandparents house whilst us parents grab a bun or something.
Laundry is done at night as water pressure is stronger in the quiet hours near midnight. Mopping are done on those rare weekends where we get water supply. I haven’t wiped down my window grill for ages. I can see lizards pooping everywhere. As for my windows, I am in dire need of rain to help clean it up a bit.
Alas, all the above has come to an end. Alhamdulilah.. now I can start planning my spring cleaning schedule again. I would also like to thank all my re-purposed mini containers and barrels that has helped this family to contain water throughout this rough period of time. It would have not been possible without them.
My personal container I use in the master bedroom. The tangki does not supply this part of the bathroom.
The duo that usually holds my kuah laksa or ice during gatherings and parties… Useful to flush down the toilet and its contents..
Babe in the corner. Used to store rice during kenduri. Switching role as an assistant in the kitchen whilst cooking. In case I need extra water or anything.
One of the most useful ones. To help wash the dishes, hands and milk bottles.
My sister asked if I had to switch off my Coway machine during the water rationing. I find that there’s still some small amount of water being ‘sucked’ into the machine and that we could still get some water out of it. Of course there were days when we are out of hot water and this usually happens on the weekends when we are all at home drinking hot beverages and such. So far, the machine is functioning well and had not broke down yet. I am not quite sure what the representatives of Coway would advice though.
Now that the dry season is coming to an end, it will mean a different challenge for the coming months. While we appreciate rain, we hope there wouldn’t be any floods cause then it’ll be challenging to manage that and Covid-19.
Minci Moss 