Do you snore during sleep? Snoring is very irritating; not to the snorer but to the bed-partner as the sleep quality is adversely affected. My hubby, my brothers, my close friends, my ex-colleagues and many people around me are having snoring problem. I discovered their snoring problem usually when I travel or share the same room with them. I also noticed that men snore more commonly than women.

Often, people who snore are not aware of their problem unless being told by those around. We should not blame them as this is not what they want! For loud snorers, besides advising them to consult the doctor, probably we can find something for them that can lessen or temporarily relieve the snoring.

Many devices are sold over the internet. One of them is the Stop or Anti-snoring Pillow. There’s one can get online for RM488 in Malaysia. The price is not cheap but I think it is worth to invest for a better night’s sleep for both you and your partner. Anybody uses Stop Snoring Pillow? What product brand are you using? Can you tell whether it is really effective? I’m considering obtaining one as wedding anniversary gift to my hubby if it really helps.

Although Hari Raya or Chinese New Year is still far from now, I just can’t wait to share this with those who love eating Kuih Rose (also known as Kuih Goyang or Kuih Loyang). This is a special cookie recipe that I just learned from my mother-in-law. Kuih Rose is very popular during festive seasons in Malaysia. It’s my favorite snack too. Many Malaysians buy or make Kuih Rose themselves, and then give away as festive food gifts to relatives and friends. As far as I know, coconut milk forms one of the main ingredients for Kuih Rose. Have you ever tried ones that without coconut milks? I won’t say its more healthier to eat (as it’s still a deep fried cookie), but I recommend it because this recipe is less oily, definitely more tastier and crispier… Wow… don’t you believe me? Just try it out, ok!

Ingredients:

1. 15 eggs
2. 400g sugar
3. 500g rice flour
4. 200g corn flour
5. 250 ml water
6. 1/4 tea spoon “kapur”, dissolves it in small amount of water (note: kapur can be easily purchased in Indian’s sundry shop.)
7. 200g white or black sesame seeds
8. Enough oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Prepare 2 - 3 Kuih Rose brass mould.
2. Put eggs into a mixing bowl.
3. Use hand-held wire whisk to beat the eggs lightly.
4. Add in sugar slowly and stir till sugar dissolves and mix well.
5. Slowly pour in corn flour and then rice flour, continue stirring till smooth and well-combined. Strain.
6. Add water, stir and mix well.
7. Add in “kapur” water and stir till forms a smooth batter.
8. Heat oil in a wok / deep fryer.
9. Preheat moulds in hot oil.
10. Scoop a small portion of the batter up into a smaller bowl. Add in some sesame seeds and mix well.
11. When the mould is hot enough, remove it from hot oil and dip it into the batter. Make sure only the sides and bottom of the mould is coated with batter.
12. Dip mould into hot oil. Shake a little to release the batter from the mould.
13. Deep frying until Kuih Rose turns golden brown and crispy.
14. Remove Kuih Rose from hot oil. Drain and leave to cool on absorbent kitchen paper.
15. Store in air-tight containers.

I Love You & Happy Belated Birthday!

(courtesy from reusablebags.com)

This figure goes like a bomb. We must make every effort to slow it down before it’s too late!

With many media publications, most of us are very well aware of the seriousness of environmental crisis including global warming and pollutions. We, being the most brilliant creature in the world, had caused our lovely planet falling “sick” so badly. Now, It’s even directly affecting our health and also the safety of our future generations. Have you stopped acting harmfully to the earth? Do you really do your part to save the environment that concerns every living features? What actions have you consistently taken to curb global warming? Many people around us just don’t bother or they don’t realized that their actions can really make a difference to our world.

Its a duty of us all to save the earth. The actions of saving the world is a greatest gift for ourselves, so that we can live healthier and maintain a safer environment for our children. The simple decisions we decide, the choices we make, and the products we buy test our commitment to maintain a healthy planet.

In fact, each and every individual plays a very important role in saving the environment. Let us start with a housewife or anyone who performs the main grocery shopping for the family. By making small changes in our daily habits, can have a positive impact on the natural world. Myself, as a housewife, always try to “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” all the household’s consumables whenever it’s possible. There are many ways of doing it:-

• I insist all my family members to segregate the trash. To make it simple, I place three Recycling Rubbish Bins at home. First rubbish bin is for non-recycling trash. The second one is specifically for recycling paper products only including cards, boards, boxes and etc.. The third one is for all other recycling items, like glass and plastic bottles/containers, drinks and food cans, batteries and etc.. Since there’s a recycling center in my son’s school, I can conveniently dispose of the recycling items while sending him to school in the morning. (Tips: It’s important to make sure recycling items are clean before putting them into the bins.)

• I use Reusable Shopping Bags. This can cut down a lot of the consumption of plastic bags. Plastic never actually dissolves completely and it only breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, contaminating soil and much of it ends up in our oceans that killing our marine life and birds. Plastic bags are polluting our environment and we must minimize its usage in our daily life. (Tips: I always keep reusable shopping bags in my hand bag and also in my car so that I could use them whenever I shop.)

• For elderly who still actively shop at wet market, I would recommend them to use Folding Shopping Trolley instead of shopping bags so that they can just buy without any heavy burden on their shoulders while walking on slippery floor.

• It’s very common here using plastic bags for carrying hot food from restaurants and food stores. This increases our exposure to potentially harmful chemicals that may jeopardize our health. Alternatively, I’d rather use my own Layered Stainless Steel Food Containers (3 tier and 4 tier) for carrying hot food. (Tips: I always spare a set of clean and empty food containers in my car just in case I buy food from outside.)

• I bought Reusable Bottles and Lunch Boxes for my son and husband to bring drinking water or food to school and to work. This is not only save our money but also saving the natural resources by cutting down on the usage of “use once & toss” cans, containers and bottles.

• I re-use plastic bags as trash bags. I don’t simply throw away plastic bags as they can be re-used and some are just perfect to line household waste baskets. There are many ideas on how to re-use plastic bags, just check it out here!

Actions speak louder than words. I don’t want to list out more than ten or fifty ways of saving the environment while they’re impractical to be implemented in our daily life. Lets start contributing from the basic ideas above. Alert and encourage our family members, relatives, friends, neighbors, colleagues and etc. to act accordingly. Consider to give earth friendly gifts that can help people to consume less. If you choose to contribute, you can make a difference.

Another monthly test again for my Primary-2 boy next week. Ever since he started his primary school, he’s just so busy in doing stacks of school works every day and also facing with those never ending ‘big’ or ’small’ exams, sigh…. I feel pity for all the modern kids nowadays. They hardly have their own playing times and their school lives are just so pressurised.

While I was tidying up my room yesterday, I found a video CD that recorded our kite-flying experience at Cherating beach in Kuantan. That was back in year 2004. Oh, dear… time flies! My boy still remembered that was his last time flying a kite. It was so fun and enjoyable! But, we couldn’t find our kite after searching through each and every corner of our house.

“Mom, can you please buy me a new kite? I’ll do my best in the exam. I wish I can fly a kite during week end.” My boy whispered to me before he turn in.

In fact, I already have a plan of teaching him to make a simple kite instead of buying. I don’t want to reward the little boy every time with those ready made gift. Kite, is a simple gift that could be easily made by ourself and be appreciated by all kids. As recreation, kite-flying carries all our troubles to the sky and be one of the best ways to relieve the pressures of a stressful life. As competition, it inspires us about life’s philosophy that requires patience and strategy. Flying a kite can also improve our physical fitness by running and following the direction of the kite flying everywhere. Hence, it’s an inexpensive and relaxing hobby that worth to be promoted. A simple activity that the whole family can do together and share the joys.

Dear parents, don’t always try to control everything about our children. Occasionally, we need to let go as children have their own thoughts when they grow up. It’s just like we need to loosen up a bit the string while flying a kite, then only the kite will fly high. Don’t worry, the sky is big enough for EVERYONE!

Kite, a simple and meaningful gift for ALL!

My two years old daughter has recently developed huge interest in reading. She always flips her brother’s books and spends much of her time pretending to read. For her sake, I shopped around many book stores and finally discovered these powerful preschool learning tools. These are laminated colorful flash cards that bound together in flip book style. There are 3 levels for kids 2, 3 and 4 years old. Each level consists of 3 different series that specifically designed to stimulate and develop kids’ cognition, logical and observation senses. I think spending only RM15.90 for each series with bi-lingual presented in Chinese and English is worthwhile!

Important! Maximize early years of right and left brain development is a precious gift to give your child, and its effects can last a lifetime. So… don’t miss the prime time to bring out their full potential. You may consider this useful learning tools as gifts to children for any occasion. It’s a great and meaningful gift that would be appreciated and have fun!

The 2008 Olympic Games is getting closer and many people are very excited for the chances to visit China and to be a part of the Olympics in Beijing. What would you buy as souvenirs for your relatives, friends and colleagues if you happen to visit China during this time? Or what would you wish to receive from those who be back from there? Do you know what “Fuwa” is?

Fuwa is the official mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It will become more and more popular recently. Fuwa consists of five cartoon figures, Fish (Beibei), Panda (Jingjing), Olympic Flame (Huanhuan),Tibetan Antelope (Yingying) and Swallow (Nini) that encompassing five features of nature - sea, forest, fire, earth and sky. Their names when said into one, “Beijing Huan Ying Ni” which means “Beijing Welcomes You!” or “北京欢迎你”. They are produced and sold as key chains, mugs, soft toys, dolls, gold and silver coins/bars, phone straps, badges and …. to commemorate this memorable event.

Besides collecting some beautiful Fuwa and giving them away as simple gifts, let me introduce to you The Beijing Olympics Song by various famous Chinese artists from all over the world!

Enjoys!!

I want a simple but great gift, BICYCLE !

Our people really got a big strike following the government’s recent announcement of 41% increase in petrol price. This announcement was brought forward much earlier than we expected. Presently, the cost of living keeps increasing but majority of our incomes remain. Our spending power is getting smaller, smaller and smaller…. sigh… Although knowing that increase in petrol price is a global issue and it’s an unavoidable move that has to be taken by the government, but still…. just can’t imagine how those lower and medium income groups be able to survive now! 41% increase in petrol price itself is extremely significant. Sooner and later other basic requirements like water, electricity, food and almost everything would be raised as well.

We have no choice but to change our life style now… How? Transportation is one of the major cost of living. By car pool? school bus? or public transports? It’s so inconvenient and time consuming… I just hate it!

I’m thinking what if we use BICYCLE instead! Of course, this is not a good solution for KL or big city people, sorry! What’s important is riding a bicycle is “Petrol Free” !!

I really don’t mind accompanying my boy to school by bicycle as the distance from my house to his school is just about 5-6 km. I can still go marketing (easy to find parking with bicycle) while on my way home. Cycling in early morning is a good exercise but undeniable that after school time is hot. I don’t care! The only thing that I concern is our road condition that has no cycling lane like Singapore’s. Feel so unsecure as the traffic flows are getting much heavier nowadays, or… would it be lesser due to petrol price increase??

For long terms, I hope our government will improve the road system by allocating cycling lane and planting more big trees along all main roads, so that our people have a choice for using a petrol free transport instead. In fact, a lot of Japanese/Chinese in big city wearing coats with ties also ride bicycle to work. Why can’t we? Good for environment as well as save our pockets and health (more exercise), am I right? Malaysia Boleh!

Yes, I want a bicycle as gift, for my birthday, valentine’s (not so romantic but just for this time, ok!), wedding anniversary, house-warming or whatever occasions. Just gift me a bicycle, thank you!

Have you found a perfect gift for your dad?

If your dad is working from a home office (SOHO) with a global reach through the use of technology and he is also a coffee lover, here I have two gift ideas that match perfectly for him.

The Overlay Tray is a perfect and great gift for any modern furniture lover. This portable surface allows your dad to bring the home office anywhere he likes - whether it be his favorite sofa/bed or the living room floor. The design is simple, but incredibly functional and stylish. It provides ample space for his laptop, a cup of coffee plus a holder in between for newpapers, magazines or important documents. It is an ideal tool for doing work in comfort!

What’s the perfect match for this overlay tray? Here it is … a handy Dunk Mug with Biscuit Holder. Other than keeping our favorite drinks, this special ceramic mug has a genius compartment at the bottom to store biscuits prior to dunking. Smart.. eh! To make it even more unique, you may also personalised the mug by making a drawing on it. Mug painting kit can be easily found in marketplace. Not good in drawing? Don’t worry, just make it easy, say “I LOVE YOU, DAD” or “HAPPY FATHER’S DAY” will do!

What does a father expect from his children when comes to the celebration of Father’s Day? What can you give or affordable to give your dad, as he may have given you everything you need? Finding a meaningful gift for the greatest father can be notoriously difficult and challenging. This is because men are not so easily touched by gifts like women.

To view in the perspective of a father, I strongly believe that the kid’s age is the key factor affecting a father’s expection toward gifts being received for Father’s Day. IF YOU ARE:-

• A kid below 10 - just give him an affectionate hug and say : “I LOVE YOU, DAD” would be the greatest gift appreciated by every dad. In addition, you may also write out a simple personal message on a handmade unique card about your appreciation of all his sacrifices for you. Prepare for him a cup of his favorite drink while reading your message. Isn’t it a simple and easy gift that can make him smile for the whole day?

• A teenage below 20 - usually it is your dad who treats you like a king. Today you can PAMPER him a bit by doing these:- a) surprise him by a scrumptious breakfast with a nice table setting (may be you need to ask your mom to help for the cooking part!). b) if he likes reading or watching movies, buy him his favorite new magazine, book or DVD would be perfect. c) offer to do his routine household chores like washing his car, tidying up his room, bathing his pet, catching up on the gardening, etc. I am sure he would appreciate it as this allows him to relax a little longer. d) a dinner of his favourite dishes again served by the children. With all above, your dad will have a most relaxing and enjoyable Father’s Day. He’ll certainly appreciate everything you have done and could just be a perfect gift for him on this special occasion.

• An adult below 30 - now, you have your job career and financially should have no problem in getting a Father’s Day gift that within your budget. You know your dad best. Gift him something related to his hobbies or something he needs. If he is fond of photography, buy him a stylist digital camera. If he has serious snoring problem, may be can just consider getting him a stop snoring pillow. If your father is still wearing that old 10-year-old watch, it’s time to replace it with a new timepiece. If he always complains about tiredness after work, why not buying him a massage chair (can share with your siblings if the price is expensive for a better quality one). Sometimes, a simple but meaningful gift that shows your love and care will just be great for him.

• Above 30 - most likely by then you dad has reached/reaching the job retiring age. He feels bored so easily due to his excessive free time. Giving him your time is the best gift he would expect from you. Surprise him by planning a full day together. If you have children, just bring them along. Drive him to a special and memorable place for both of you. If you live far abroad, send him pictures together with your children. Grandparents love pictures! Alternatively, you may also treat him a holiday trip or get him air ticket for visiting you and meeting his grandkids!

Father’s Day on 15th June! Don’t miss this perfect apportunity to express you love and care to your greatest dad. No matter what kind of gift you give it to him, it really is the thought behind it that counts.