Watch Out 2013!

This should be my post LAST YEAR but don't know why I didn't get around to it. 

 Was 2012 a good year for you? It was for me and certainly no complaints about it, but I know it could have been better. 

Allow me to reflect on the highlights of 2012:

#1 I got married! To my best friend of 8 years. That was totally the highlight of 2012 is to put an end of our courtship and entered something bigger and better.. marriage. Loving every moment of it. Pictures will be posted soon. There are so many of it but I am so MALAS to go about it though. Is this normal? Post wedding syndrom perhaps.

#2 I was introduced to a fantastic business by a friend of mine, Nadia Suhaimi. PB business as we call it. We sell high quality corsets with FIR (far infrared). I am so grateful that I was introduced to this business at the right time as I was in need of financial help for my wedding. Alhamdulillah as it did help me a lot. It turn Those corsets were not difficult to sell. You just have to put your mind to it. Apart from selling and the income that you get, you also get to meet people; various kinds from different walks of life. 

#3 Travel a bit in 2012. Jakarta for numerous times (5 or 6 times? Can't recall!) . Did a lot for wedding while I was in Jakarta. Did my cards there and it was quite a journey. If you are the impatient type, forget it girls. But I was really patient and enjoyed the process of designing, selecting the materials of the card, ribbons, fonts and what not. I also got the materials for my wedding attire, family and bridesmaids there. Good stuff. And lots and lots of spa session! How can you not resist the spa session while you are in Indonesia? Crazy right? It's very traditional, cheap and clean. How come we don't have cheap spas in KL? 

#4 Travel again. FOR FREE this time. To Guangzhou, China. This is an incentive from doing the PB business that I mentioned in #2. Such a 'pampered' trip. Everything was paid for from flight ticket to pocket money! Had lots of fun with the PB girls. Made new friends as well. I killed two birds while I was there. Did some shopping for wedding; door gifts pouches, crystals bowl for VIPs, lace and sequins table runners, cushion covers and more things I could not remember. This was totally a shopping trip. 

#5 Lost 8 kg and gained back 6 kg (as of now!) 

#6 Living life healthily by doing actual exercises. Can you believe it? It has been ages since I last work out. The last time was 2010 perhaps? Towards the end of the year, I started to be around friends who just love to exercise like I love lots and lots of chocolates. How can they do that? I was very much in denial about not getting older .. "lek lu bro, we are still young" and not realizing that body fats are harder to diminish as we get older, but these people made me realize that exercising is not just about diminishing fats and weights. It came with a lifestyle which is highly encouraged for everyone in a long run. I'll be 28 this year and 28 is NOT YOUNG. Better late than never right? So, one of my *gasp* highlights of 2012 is that I actually tried out bootcamp (just for a session) and I survived the session! The only thing I need now is a lot of motivation to be consistent and persistent in doing this! Can I keep up with doing exercise? It may sounds easy, but is it that easy? We shall see more in 2013.

Oh gosh. Only 6 highlights?

I know it could have been better but I am so grateful those 6 happened and has their own significance. Of course there are other mishaps and incidents that happened in 2012 (guess it is not worth mentioning here) but those are just lessons to be learned.

Out for now. 

Watch out 2013!

Of Miso Soup and New Year!

January 2013. Amazing how time flown so swiftly last year and we are now embarking to another 365 days of journey. 

Thank you Allah for another year. 

I anticipated New Year within a low key ambience; the whole family decided to celebrate at home. Nothing extravagant but it wasn't dull as well. We decided to cook at home (my parents hate dining out for dinner) so they requested to us to make something for them. We don't want the typical BBQ, laksa or even beriyani to the least, we decided  to cook something that we have never cooked before.

Sister No. 3 suggested Japanese.

Hmmm.

The only thing that I could think of making for Japanese are

tenpayaki (masak nasi and goreng ayam je)

shashimi (potong je salmon tu)

So tak nak kalah budak tu, she decided to call one of her best friend (cum our neighbour who has lived in Japan many years ago)for recipes. 

Menu:

1. Okonomiyaki 

2. Salmon shashimi
3. California Temaki
4. Miso soup


I cringed when I looked at the receipt of the ingredients that were bought by my sisters. Japanese's ingredients are expensive. But you cant't deny those are good healthy stuff.

Anyhow, some pics to feast your eyes!

 While making the Okonomiyaki!

The end product!

Can't have enough of those!

The usual temaki

The feel good Miso soup


Oh, it was filling and we surely had a good time cooking those food. We end the night by watching fireworks at Publika and glad that it wasn't as pack and crowded like what we thought.

Akemashiteomedetogozaimasu!

I Love My PB Bustier. Why?

PB Business? Have you heard about it?

Hah, meh sini ceq nak habaq ok sikit.

Just a week ago, I decided to do a business. Selling what? 

CORSETS!

Yeah, you got that right baybeh. Corsets as in the undergarment for ladies. Bustier is another word that you can call it. But the corsets that I'm selling, it's not just ANY corsets ok, it's PB corsets. Premium Beautiful corsets.
Ring a bell? Ye, brand ni bukan calang-calang.

So why I decided to do this business?

 

1. Healthier body and happier me!

I've been wearing this corset on and off, since ... I can't remember la. But now, I am wearing it all the time because I need an extra 'boost' to help my body to be in good shape before my wedding. Most of the people that I know and that have been wearing PB all the time (the discipline users!)actually have lost a lot of weight and have cut down to many inches. From a UK 14 to UK 8. My mom is an example. She was a UK 16, now wearing a UK 12. She has been wearing PB since 2008, and she lost a lot of weight and can fit into most of her old dresses and jeans. As for me, since I just started wearing it back just a month ago (yang bukan 'on and off') I feel a bit different comparing to dulu. In terms of weight, I weighed myself today and saw... 2.5 kg lighter. Wow. That was fast. In less than 10 days. The best part is that I could fit into my old baju kurungs that I used to wear during Uni days. More choices of clothes to wear to work then!

Target: To be fit and have a body like Kate Beckinsale. She's not that skinny you see, she was curvaceous. I saw in her real life while I was taking a stroll in Bond Street in 2010. An epitome of a babe. 

PB + Detox + Exercise (twice-thrice a week) and eat well? Insya Allah boleh.

Buttt waiittt, it doesn't end there! I got back my period! My menstrual cycle has been crazzyy for the last couple of months! I haven't been getting it for more than 5 months, and it was worrying. But after wearing PB for less than two weeks, tadaaaa. Amik ko. Nak sangat bendera Jepun kan? But it's very important for women to be concern about their menstrual cycle especially when you want to get married and plan to get babies.

Say NO to irregular periods!

The other perks?

How about making an extra income for yourself? Cukup ke the salary bulanan kita tu?

My answer would be: NO. TAK CUKUP. TIPU KALAU CUKUP.

2. The Mools.

Love is more important than money. 

Ye ke? 

Ok ok, it is true that we must have a balance and yada yada, but let's say you are married 'I love you and I would die if I don't have you by my side', but hutang keliling pinggang? How is that going to work out for you? Memang la cintan, paham.. but if asyik stress pasal duit je, and start blaming each other for this and that. Susah kan? Or both of you work so hard, balik lambat and all, but the salary is just enough to pay the bills, debts and food. Basic food. KFC, Chillis, Sushi King and Nasi Padang Sari Ratu can say sayonara. Would it be nice at least ONCE IN A WHILE to splurge yourself (with hubby and kids)for a good dinner at Tony Romas or Delicious? *ohh now craving for that smoked salmon caesar salad*

If you can't afford to at least buy yourself a nice dinner, how about shopping dude? How?? A girl can never have enough pair of shoes and handbags. Don't la talk about Chanel or LV, Charles and Keith which the handbags and shoes cost 100 times cheaper than those LVs and Chanels pun, terkebil-kebil. I know I couldn't afford it if I  depend on just my salary.

Weddings? *fainting now* It's cost me a fortune. I'm in the midst of preparing my big day and hell yeah it is tormenting. I am not yet tormented, but I will be soon if I'm not careful. Everything needs money in wedding preparation. I'm not going to lie to you and say it's cheap. It's bloody not.  Money don't grow on trees everyday. Money grows on my tree once a month for me (my salary lahh) and I can only use some to service my wedding expenses, and the rest? Debts and commitments. Sigh. It's sucks to be an adult right? 

But then again, there are bigger things in life that we need to think about. Have you ever think about buying a house? Have savings? ASB or Public mutual? Health care? (they don't come in cheap!) Your kids welfare? Insurance? Sign. The list can go on and on and on... 

Let's not focus on just materials guys. How about your parents? You know, there are just  moments when I sit back and 'berangan' about being rich and successful, the first thing I think about is my parents. My parents have given me so so much. It's priceless, even money cannot buy. My parents have sacrificed a lot for me and siblings to the extent when I want to pay them back, I don't even know where to start. The feelings would be so nice to at least give them an amount of money every month without having to calculate our salary *garu kepala* (or without having to be calculative because what we earn every month is just not enough). Chanel and LV are not really my biggest priority (though it would be so niceeee to own them), but to help my parents with their bills and debts as well as to treat them holidays locally and abroad or Umrah, ohh.. how wonderful would it be. Nak nangis pulak.

So, basically, these are the two main reasons why I'm taking part in this business; health and financial reasons. There are other perks that you will obtain along the way while you're doing this like meeting new people, expanding your network, surrounding yourself with positive people and it can also be a hobby to you. Some may question, ada ke masa? Nanti tak terjaga your own career la bla bla bla, but seriously dude, if there's a will, there will always be a way. I was skeptical at first before I joined this, but now, it's the first thing I think about when I start my day. It's just amazing. Seriously guys, it doesn't take much at all.

Oh, and the girls in my group are 90% professionals working in top notch companies in KL, so don't play-play. Ada yang Petronas, ada Bank Negara, ada Ernst and Young and ada yang business sendiri. So, if they can do it, why can't we?

Let's join me for in this fantabulous journey. You will never know until you try. 

Come and contact me at 6013-2033763.

Or email me at rashida.rafar@gmail.com

What Are You Doing New Years Eve?

So, what are you doing New Years eve?

It's the last day of 2011!