Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? We haven't even started and we're already less than 20 days to Christmas! I'm honestly quite stumped for ideas when it comes to Christmas shopping for DH. He's not a fashion geek so no branded clothes for him. He's not a tech geek either otherwise I can consider getting a custom laptop! What do you get someone who has simple needs and wants?! Any suggestions?
I never used to think much of blu ray movies as I'm not much of a movie buff. However, a recent visit to an electronics fair totally changed my opinion! There were various booths showcasing the power and clarity of blue ray movies and the colours and sharpness shown were really impressive! Every detail of the actors faces could be seen with startling clarity and the effects were so good you could feel as if you were in the movie itself! Now I understand why people are willing to pay the premium for blue ray. However, I don't think I watch enough movies yet to justify the premium price for the DVDs and player!
We've been scratching our heads trying to come up with gift ideas for DH's nieces this Christmas. Children today are so lucky! They have simply everything, even things they do not ask for, which makes gift buying so difficult! I suggested buying some gift vouchers such as Borders gift vouchers or aj madison coupons instead of physical presents so the nieces could go buy their own gifts. However, DH is of the opinion that physical presents are a lot more fun compared to vouchers! What do you think?
I recently attended a 3 day training course which included a visit to one of our plants on a nearby island. I really enjoyed the half day tour of the plant which included a bus ride around the various pipes, machinery, engine driven pumps and flare stacks. It was very interesting to see how few workers there were around as everything is so hi tech now that it is all controlled from the control room. That was, in fact, the safest place on the site! It was a really good eye opener. Hopefully I will get an opportunity to visit the other plant in the near future.
DH suffers from eczema and dry skin. While it is not a good thing for him, it's quite useful for me as he is never short of moisturizers and creams. It has been especially recently as I came back from Europe with dry, scabby and peeling skin caused by the dry air. I've read once that wrinkles can happen anywhere, not just the face. So I've been rather diligent in smoothing on the cream every night after my bath. I hope that works in the long term otherwise I'll need to start sourcing for anti wrinkle lotion!
One of the side effects of my pimple breakout in my teens are deep pimple scars and open pores left. Sadly, it means I will never have beautiful and smooth skin like so many other women out there. I have been using vitamin E oils and creams after I read an article on how to get rid of pimple scars. While it does seem to work, the process is a slow one and it can get a little oily when using concentrated vitamin E oil. It seems that only time can cure scarring. Hopefully it does and my scars become less obvious.
I was looking for some reviews of a product called acsonix which was said to be highly effective in curing acne, especially adult acne in a short while.The reviews I found online were all very good with many satisfied users extolling its virtues. Unfortunately, it is still not available in stores here and I will need to wait till it comes in or buy online. Perhaps I will give it some time. I'm cleaned out with shopping!
They say that if your hair starts to grey early, you shouldn't suffer from falling hair and baldness. However, DH has been getting a little worried of late as he has started sprouting some white hair and also noticed his hair getting thinner! He has even started checking out some best hair loss products in the market to see if it will help! I told him that it is likely due to an unsuitable shampoo or an oily scalp and suggested that he try another shampoo instead. Hopefully it works otherwise he'll have to suffer a double whammy with his hair! :P
I used to know someone who was really into exercise and body fat. Initially, I found him quite entertaining but after a while, I got really irritated by his complaints over his figure. He used to moan over how his body fat had increased and how his supplements such as tonalin cla no longer worked in helping him reduce body fat and preserve his lean muscle. Despite his exercise, he still continued to indulge in oily and fatty foods. No wonder he wasn't losing weight! Hopefully he has now realised that losing weight is a two pronged approach, not just one!
I haven't been back to KL for a while already and hence, haven't been seeing my usual dermatologist for my acne treatment. I stopped the antibiotics he prescribed and my acne did get worse right after that. However, thankfully, it's now been brought under control. My skin is rather sensitive and its hard to know what to use exactly for it. Thank goodness my current skin care regiment seems to be working well. Let's hope it continues to improve my skin!
A friend who managed to get her precious baby after several years of trying is determined to bring up her baby the best she can. She diligently breastfeeds her baby although she's at work and several months later, is still continuing to give her baby 100% of her breast milk. According to her, it works on a supply and demand basis so as long as the baby continues to suckle or one continues to pump milk, there will always be milk production. She also took all kinds of natural herbs and teas to increase breast milk production naturally so her baby can continue to benefit. Its great to see this shift back to breast feeding as I personally think cow's milk may not be the best for our children.
Tutoring has become something all too common in Malaysia and Singapore where students are always pushed to excel. Parents spend huge amounts of money sending their children for various tuition classes. However, with technology, there are always great alternatives available. And now, Online tutoring has started to take off. All you need is a good connection and a laptop and your child could have access to some of the best Free math tutoring online or Math answers for their school work. Some of the tutors behind these online services are actually University students from poorer countries such as India who are experts in subjects such as Algebra 1 and Algebra 2. They interact with your child over the computer and patiently provide them with the study help they require, be it Chemistry help or Statistics help. Its great how technology is making everything accessible and affordable, even for students in poorer countries!
I met up with a few friends last weekend on separate occasions. I came away deeply inspired by one of them who set up a blogshop which was different from all other blogsops out there. Her products were high quality merchandise from the US and before she launched her site, spent many days coding and creating a funky website with a managed hosting site. She did all these with a young daughter in tow and a husband who is currently based out of the country. I truly admire her zeal and passion. I should do some soul searching to find out what mine is too.
I really hate spam calls and I've been getting quite a few of them recently. Someone called the other day to talk about weight loss products. Just the other day, someone else called about this other product and told me to check out their website at www.tonalin-cla.net for more details. I got rather irritated as the person was very persistent and refused to hang up although I said I was very busy. I wonder where these people are buying our numbers from and which unscrupulous people are selling those numbers!
DH's eldest niece has taken a keen interest in horse-riding. Out of the many activities she attends, she seems to enjoy that the most and has never once complained about how tedious or boring it is. However, horse-riding is one activity that does not come cheap and her parents have already spent quite a bit on equestrian clothing for her. Then there are the additional things such as the equestrian boots and accessories that constantly change to fit a growing girl. Having children certainly isn't cheap these days!
DH got busy yesterday as he got pulled into a Dinner and Dance meeting. Looks like he has no way to get out of it as all new staff in his company have to help in the organisation of at least one dinner and dance function! He told me they spent most of the time deliberating over where the event should be, the themes and what gifts they should consider - custom mugs, mini plaques or little keychains. From what he mentioned, their budget isn't very high at all so I believe they might have some trouble looking for a nice but affordable venue.
Some time last month, DH and I went to view a place not too far from town. We were very impressed with the finishings they had although the place was a tiny little condo. What attracted me most was how well-fitted the whole unit was from complete kitchen cabinets, electrical goods, downlights, airconditioners and Casablanca fans to complete the luxurious feel. Malaysian luxury condomium developers still have a lot to learn especially in their finishings and fixtures.
Throughout the whole week of renovation, I've noticed that the workers here don't seem to be very well protected despite handling chemicals and cement. All they have is a thin covering of cloth or their own T-shirt around their mouth and nose even when doing hacking. Imagine the amount of dust they are breathing in as they move from block to block to do the hacking! Over time, I'm sure these fine dust particles will have some adverse impact on their health. Probably not to the extend where they'll require a Mesothelioma lawyer but still may not be good for them. The companies should at least be a little more humane in treating their workers.
Some people don't have much tact and seem to think they are allowed to make all kinds of comments just because they are older or related. I used to have quite bad acne when I was a teenager and some well meaning but untactful older women would make comments about my skin and prescribe all kinds of acne treatments that work, according to them. Needless to say, those comments don't do much for a teenager's self-esteem. Teenagers today are much luckier as there is a whole slew of treatments available for them these days, from expensive facials to dermatologists.
I used to see a rather famous dermatologist in KL for my acne problem. He has a renowned reputation for solving most people's acne problems. However, some of the acne pills he prescribes can have a detrimental effect on pregnant women so he will always do a check to see if you're expecting or whether you are on any birth control medication. If you aren't, he will prescribe a milder form of medication instead. I have since stopped taking his pills although my acne isn't totally cured as I have some reservations about taking medication on a long term basis. Hopefully my acne will eventually go away once the reno and dust is gone.
