Beauty Nails

I'd like to share with you girls the beauty of being a cheapskate. You do everything yourself and with cheap stuff.

I dont like to spend on pedicure & manicure mostly because I dont really color my nails, I can do pedimani myself and sometimes I do it better than the manicurists themselves. But i do sometimes pamper myself once in a while.

So here's the thing. OPI is way, way, waaaaay too expensive for someone who doesnt really have her nails colored. Elianto is more likely to be the best option. Sometimes when there are promotions, you can get a nail polish for RM1 only. I mean, what more can I say? Its so cheap sometimes you can just use it once or twice and throw it away cos its a bit too thick to be used.

Anyway, I have a dozens of Elianto nail polish but I decided to go with neon funky colors for my nails. I was actually inspired by this. I couldnt really find the colors she used so I used Cutie Pink, Aqua and Yellow instead. BTW her name is Lee yeo Hee and shes so super talented.

I started off by coloring each nails withe the 3 colors. Pardon the palm, cos I did some henna on it and now that its actually faded it looks so weird. Anyway, I put on 2 layers of the color without the base coat cos I was too lazy for that. Since Elianto nail polishes are too cheap, I notice that these colors are basically inconsistent in terms of the thickness of the colors. I found that these neon colors are a bit chalky, in a way that when I apply the colors on my nail, they tend to be really thin and it usually creates lines every time I put them on. It doesnt happen to some other colors but its not that bad. Leave the nails to dry.

Next, take a toothpick and I opt to go for the White to add some 'designs' on my nails. The process is pretty much simple and fun. It's very doable!

Dip the toothpick into the white nail polish and make sure that it forms a tear drop at the top of the toothpick. What you need to do is just touch each of your nails with the tip of the toothpick and create a 'pearl' like dots. Depending on the pressure, thickness and the amount of the nail polish on the toothpick, create something that you favor.

So here what it looks like when its all done. I really love the 'pearl' like effect. When its dry, you can feel the texture that it actually formed. Try not to put on a big lump on your nail cos when it actually dried up, it will create a hallow and it wont look like a pearl.

It's really fun to play with the colors. If you are the kind of person who loves to do things yourself, why not try this? You can also use a lot of other colors and you can play with layers. and if you are confident enough you can actually make a lot of other designs by using the toothpick. imagine its a paint brush, you can actually draw a flower with it. Put other colors on top of the dried up designs so it will create the 3D effect to it.

It's so easy it doesnt need a talent to do it.

Cubalah!

Like, wow!

Check out UK's ELLE magazine for May 2011. like. w.o.w!

These are what inspire me all the time. I do agree sometimes being a mom do takes the confident away from me, which is why it is important that I have a lot of examples to look up to. They drive me to keep on working. To always look as hot as I can =D

The rule is pretty much simple. If they can do it why cant you? Cos theyre a celebrity? They have a lot of money? These are all just excuses to tell yourself that you cant do it. Always tell yourself you can achieve what you want and you will. Frankly, do you seriously think they do it the easy way? I dont think so. No matter how much money they make, it doesnt mean that they didnt work hard to look this hot.

Moms need to look FABULOUSLY HOT, all the time! Do it for yourself, if not for others. Be confident, feel good about yourself and most importantly be satisfied about what you can achieve.

Also, I came across this article. So frankly, I cant wait to be 31!!

Losing Weight

I'm sure I manage to capture a lot of readers with that headline. Yes. I am going to blabla about losing weight.

Prologue
Since I started working last monday, I have lost 1kg. It's only been 3 days. It;s not much but its the beginning of a new healthier lifestyle( I think ) I have to walk to the office from KLCC LRT station to Bangunan MAS and that will probably take me about 20 minutes which is equivalent to more or less about 3KM total. I walk back and forth so I walk about 40 minutes a day. Also, I dont really eat much since I brought my own lunch. I had sushi yesterday and sandwich the day before. On top of that, my dinner is small and I eat before 7pm. I try to take less carbs and oil which makes me on a high protein diet.

Chapter 1
Exercising will only make u lose 30% of your fat. Its the food you eat that determines how are you going to lose weight. Starving yourself will let you lose weight but its not the right way to do it. To me, losing weight shouldnt be a burden. It should be another way of living my life, in this case, it should be a healthier lifestyle.

What I did was, I went on a high protein diet. I totally gave up eating rice and its not impossible. Sure, I do have to fight the temptations, but I am more focused about the results I'll be getting in the end - losing weight.

tips1 - never let yourself starve
I know a lot of people think starving is the best way to lose weight. in a way you will lose weight but its not the healthiest way. Starving is a no no. i dont know if many people realize this but, starving gives you a lot of other problem. Physically and mentally. its obvious it will harm your body but a lot of people disregard the fact that mentally, it affects you and the people around you. because you are hungry, you tend to get moody without realizing it

Who says low carbs diet is boring? looks tasty to me!

tips2 - fighting temptations
its very hard to fight the temptations, I agree. but it is not impossible. it is possible. always start with a very positive attitude. tell yourself that you can do it. never doubt yourself that you cant achieve it. So what you can do is, just imagine you're fasting during the ramadhan. Since we are Malaysia, I'm sure the non muslim have at least tried once in their lifetime to fast like the rest of the muslims. Dont have to starve, but whenever you have the urge to eat the high carbs food(rice) tell yourself you're fasting.

Basically, you can have anything thats not too much oil and not rice. there are other things other than rice like, pasta, mee hoon, chips and etc. better option would be pasta cos its not as fattening as rice

tips3 - smaller portion means bigger results
Always take your food in a small portion than you used to. Theres no need to stuff yourself with food because when you want to lose weight, it means that you want to get rid of the fat, so basically, you dont need that extra energy from the food. So just take what you need on a daily basis. You can count how much calories your body need by doing this simple calculation;

RMR (Resting Metabolism Rate) = 9.99w + 6.25s - 4.92a + 166g - 161

• w = weight in kilograms; if you know your weight in pounds, divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms
• s = your height in centimeters; if you know your height in inches, multiply by 2.54 to get your height in centimeters
• a = age in years
• g = gender = 1 for males, 0 for females

Eg: 9.99(54) + 6.25(165) + 4.92(28) + 166 - 161

= 539.46 + 1031.25 + 137.76 + 166 - 161
= 1713.47

This is the amount of calories that I can take to help me survive my daily life. To lose weight, I need to eat 1713.47kcal or less in a day. By taking more than that will only make me become fatter, and less means losing weight. so you know what to do. It helps to take 6 small meals a day to keep you going rather than having one heavy meals a day. Again, try to cut the rice intake.

tips4 - cut the sugar
Not only that it does a lot of benefit to your health, it will also help you to lose weight. Drink a lot of plain water instead of sweet drinks like sirap, bandung, teh tarik and etc. i know when you go out and have a lepak session at the mamaks, we tend to make it a habit to order teh tarik. Here's the thing, start small. Start by ordering teh tarik kurang manis instead of the tarik only. Get used to that. Then in between, try ordering plain water. Lets say u have a session twice a week, what you can do is on the first session try ask for the kurang manis, and the 2nd session try to ask for plain water. itll take time to get used to it but as long as you want to change, it will be a habit.

Chapter 2
Do you exercise? I know I dont. I know I should at least exercise 20 mins a day 5 times a week. by doing this, you can help to reduce 30% of cardiac risk. it will also let you to lose weight. One of the easiest way to exercise is by brisk walking. It is so simple and it can be done in no time. So instead of driving to the 7e near your house, take a walk. or you can walk2-3 rounds in the park. just do some walking a day.

I'm busy? Then spend some money and hit the gym. Walk on the thread mill for 20 mins. Start with 5-10-5 rules. (5mins warm up speed=3, 10mins brisk walking speed=4 and 5mins cool down speed=3) use the 5-10-5 rules for at least a week, then start increasing the speed with the 5-10-5 rules. Once you are used to doing this, its up to you how long you want to run on the mill.

tips5 - killing few birds with one stone.
Spending time with your kids can help you a lot. Not only you get to bond with your kids, you can also exercise. Taking a walk in the park with you kids is a not a bad idea. then on the weekend, you can do some window shopping in the mall. Try to figure something that you can benefit from that needs you to walk.

Chapter 3
Losing weight is not a race. So take your time when trying to lose weight. Monitor your weight on a daily basis and make a weekly graph for that. To me, I prefer to take it really slow so 4 months work for me. So yeah, dont push yourself too hard. Its not how fast you reach your goal, its more or less about how are you going to reach your goal? It doesnt matter which road you take, as long as you get there. I mean safe road of course.

Along the way, I am sure, definitely your spirits will be shattered. After all, we are human. But that's ok. As long as you dont give up, you can lose weight. you will achieve what you want. It really help a lot to be around with around friends and family that support you. try to avoid those who arent being supportive. Im not saying you shouldnt be friends with them, in this case, just try to not be around them much for that period of time that you need to lose weight. negative vibe will only pull you down. Try to explain to these people how important it is to lose weight and that you need their support.

tips6 - have a motivator
Biggest loser is what keeps us going. It showed me that it is possible to lose weight. Me and my husband cried watching it. like seriously. These people are so determine to lose weight. the spirits and the courage they have to do that, its so touching. Find someone who you think can motivate you and put it as your wallpaper. I know it does seem like a funny idea but it helps, im not kidding. This will motivate you.

tips7 - always be patient
The main reason why people can lose weight is because they are not patient enough. Tak sabar kan nak jadi kurus? they think its not working. The most important thing about losing weight is you have to chill and be patient. Thats the rule. Pretend like you're planting a flower. you have to shower them and you have to take care of them. you will see them grow but it takes time. Just like losing weight, you have to be discipline and you have to be patient. you will achieve your goal.

Epilogue
Losing weight overall is about changing your life style. It helps you to live a healthier life. you have to be patient and always tell yourself that you can do it. Most people tend to stop half way because they dont think its doable. Losing weight is always doable. you need to find the right balance and the right amount of habits and routines that can are willing to let go to in an amount that you can cope during the process. Thats why it is wise to set the goal in a long duration, its so that you can turn it into a habit.

I started to gain weight after i stop feeding my daughter and at that time coincidentally I lost my skinny jeans. I wasnt wearing them so I never know that I cant fit into it until its too late. I was so depressed that I was gaining weight but at one point I stopped and told myself that I cant ignore it and not do something. I knew something needs to be done. My husband on the other hand was alreay gaining weight. I mean, really, he was a bear. his diet was bad and he was at a point when I had to tell him to do something about it as well. so in a way we were not happy about ourselves that we had to do something.

My husband through his own process that suits him. and also he was very determine to lose the extra pounds. but we both went on a low carbs high protein diet.

Award winning picture. See how he was so chubby and how he managed to lose weight? hmm. even i envy him sometimes.
My chubbier days. this was actually taken in 2009 before I started to lose weight. I was constantly eating and eating. I was also on a salad diet which didnt work and let me starve.

Well. I hope this entry could benefit you guys in losing weight. Good Luck!

Jerra's Spring Cleaning Project

Since I have a lot of time to spend, I decided it would be a good idea to go on with my spring cleaning project that I've been holding for quite some time.

Growing up, I have a mom is very particular about 'wasting' things. So to me, she ended up being a hoarder, which i never want to be. So practically, at least once a year a spring cleaning is a must.

It took me a lot of time to do it. A strong determination is very important! I spent almost a week doing this and I couldnt be happier. I usually start from the smallest room to the master bedroom. I always start with the easiest first so I can work my way to the hardest. I'm not the kind of person who saves the best for last.

So, when you want to clean your house, you first need to get rid of the clutter, or the stuff that you dont need to use anymore. You can do this by piling them up in a box according to what they are. Segregate them into few categories like trash, recycle, donate, keep and etc. Only throw away the things that you dont need and wont be needing anymore. Things like broken lamp, old CDs or DVDs, expired make ups and etc. Toys, books, clothes are perfect example for things that can be donated. We should also recycle old newspaper & plastic ware and etc. And the stuff that can be used in the future belongs in the store. I'll get back to that later on how you can store them.

Always start from the master bedroom. This is how i do it. Why? it usually take a lot of time for me to get the whole house done. if you are doing this for the first time, it will take days. but if you are very consistent about spring cleaning(once a year) you will only need a day at least, to clean the whole house. Anyway, I like to start from the master bedroom cos since its a few day project, I need my nest to be clean and clear. it'll get rid of the tension. So, yes. always start from the master bedroom, to the next room and to the last room. Once the rooms are clear, you can proceed to the hall, dining and kitchen. The last place should be the store.

It was an intense cleaning, I had everything changed; the curtain and the bed sheet. Then the windows were cleaned as well up until the ceiling fan. When youre doing the cleaning, always remember to wear a face mask or at least cover your nose from all the dust cos its not good for your health. Like seriously, it does bad things to your lungs, I'm not kidding. haha.

Sorting things up
Seriously, I find that life is often wasted on finding misplaced things. At first I thought I was the only person on earth who always forget where I put my stuff but it turns out that most people forget things. It's because most people like to place things everywhere and here and there. I find it very hand when I got everything sorted, cos I know where to find them.

The store is the place where I put a lot of effort in this project. My store room is so small, probably like 3'x7' so there arent much to store. So what I did was, I segregate my stuff into a lot of categories, like food, diy, containers, etc then I put them into each compartment in the storage. Ikea has a lot of ideas on how you can get your storage organized. I'd really like their storage system. After your done with putting things into each compartment, Always have a label on the box/drawer/etc. I like to use the dymo labels and stick them on those boxes.


Always keep your stuff in the place where they belong. This way you dont have to do much when it comes to cleaning next year. Unlike other 4 seasons countries on earth, I'm glas we're living in sunny Malaysia where its warm all year long. At least we dont have to wait for spring. =D

Good Luck Cleaning~!