Bits And Pieces

I haven't got the luxury of time to blog lately even though it's school holidays... been busy attending to my children and other things... Just wanna share some of the photos to recap my activities during the holidays... Been practising culinary skills with my daughters...   Attending wedding and meeting old friends, which happened every weekend during the holidays... Went shopping with the family, esp the girls ( the boys would prefer staying home playing their favourite video games) ...

Today is the tenth of Muharram and it's also known as the day of Ashura...  The Day of `Ashura’ has great virtue, and tremendous sanctity (hurma). The virtue of fasting it was known among the Prophets (peace be upon them all). Both Prophet Nuh and Prophet Musa (peace be upon them both) fasted it. The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) used to fast this day even in Mecca, though he had not yet ordered others to do so, as mentioned in both Bukhari and Muslim. [Bukhari (2002), Muslim (1125)] When he migrated to Medina, and found the People of the Book fasting this day and venerating it, he ordered the Muslims to fast it, and encouraged it so much that even the children would fast it.   It has been reported from Abd Allah ibn `Amr ibn al-`As (Allah be pleased with him), that “Whoever fasts `Ashura’ it is as if he has fasted the entire year. And whoever gives charity this day it is like the charity of an entire year.”

In the last few weeks, I've been drinking a lot of coffee ( and still craving for it... ) but now it's time for me to switch to the good old green tea and make sure that it's in my daily intake (even only once a day...) To start with I have to make sure that it's the first thing that I drink in the morning, so breakfast it is...but I could not just sip the plain green tea with nothing... so it needs a complementary meal to go with.Thus, I need to be a little more creative to start my day than just having a toast or sandwich... Green tea and tiramitsu cake (with coffee as an ingredient) ...with rice porridge  ...with banana pancake (lempeng pisang)  And...Fetuccini with prawn 

Wishing all Muslims readers Salam Maal Hijrah (Happy new year). May this new year will bring a new beginning for all of us and we are blessed with joy and happiness all year round....   

So, yesterday the day had finally arrived and its hard to believe that I woke up with the knowledge that it won't be a typical Wednesday morning...(hubby took a day off amidst his busy schedule, thanks dear) its our most awaited anniversary - Our 25th anniversary... I know what we have been through all these years, its not all shine throughout, I must admit and we have our ups and downs. Nevertheless, it was all worth it and those difficult times have made us wiser and our relationship become stronger...it was just a way for us to learn more about our strengths and weaknesses ( I know that I'm still learning even after all these years)... it added spice to our lives... And I'm most grateful to my hubby for those wonderful years that we shared... None-the-less, Every time we celebrate our anniversary, there'll always be the third person who would join our special day because it is also her birthday - Nani has turned seventeen and she is in the middle of h...

I found this Commandments of Human Relation in a torn book that I 'd like to do away. Just like to share it here so it'll not be gone with the book... (L'ecole Des Ettiquette Training guide)  1. S peak to people There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting  2. Call people by name The sweetest music to  any one's ear is the sound of their own name 3. Be friendly and helpful If you want to have friends, you've to be friendly 4. Be cordial Speak and act as if everything you do were genuine pleasure 5. Be considerate of others' feelings This will be very much appreciated 6. Bear in mind others' opinion There are three sides to a controversy - yours, the other person and the right one 7. Be genuinely interested in people You can like almost everybody if you try 8. Be generous with praise; cautious with criticism Remember, the best thing to do behind a person's back is to pat it...

I know its a bit too late for me to be reading this trilogy but what the heck,  better late than never, so the saying goes....When I first laid my eyes on these books last year, I've never thought that I would read them as obviously they are not my types, I don't really go for crime stories (even though, I read Sidney Sheldon's) but last month when my friend told me that she was reading the third book of this trilogy, it occurred to me that these books must be great...so, I bought the first two when I had the chance and they were on discount...     By the end of October I've finished reading both of the great books, it took me about three weeks to finish those books, juggling my times reading and other routine. I must say the story is different from what I've normally read and it doesn't finish even after I've the second one...thus, I needed to get the third book. The third book is the conclusion to all of the mysteries. Even so, f...

 credit  November has always been my favourite month of the year. This is because there are plenty of things that I'm looking forward to this month. The first thing that comes across my mind is that the school holiday is just around the corner. smiles. Secondly, in November there will my wedding anniversary and this year we are celebrating our 25th anniversary. Hmm...hard to believe it's been that long. Nonetheless, before enjoying my holidays and celebrating anything there are loads of things that need to be settled down. First, today Nov. 14th is D Day for SPM candidates to be sitting for their exam. Not only the students are nervous, we the teachers are also having butterflies in our stomachs especially when we were sending them off to the exam hall this morning....I could see some parents were present as well to see their children off to their battle field. How lucky they are... and pity my daughter, Nani for not having even one parent to see her off t...

It's the time of the year when we are having an event that called " Majlis Restu Ilmu". It has become a yearly event at almost every school of late especially when the BIG day is nearing...SPM examination. This is the time when students come to meet all the teachers and ask for their forgiveness and blessings. It was a touching moment for me when some of the students came with tears rolling down their cheeks asking for forgiveness. It does not necessarily mean that they have done great sins or broken my heart or anything like that. Its just their ways of coming clean with us, the teachers, so they believe that they would answer the exam well... Some of them even came with their parents thanking us and asking for our blessings. I believe it was be due to the fact that this year's program was conducted by the president of PTA of our school who happens to be a motivator. He had given a very moving speech that touched deep in our hear...

google image As proud as a peacock and that's exactly how we describe a narcissist. Never in my life  I  thought that I would like to write anything about this. Even though last year when one of my friends had opened a discussion about this issue on facebook, I didn't join in. For me, it's natural for us to possess some amount of narcissism just to boost our self-esteem but when somebody is too obsessed about himself/herself, it becomes so annoying...not that I'm jealous of that person or anything the like, it's just plain simple pain in the neck to be facing this narcissist almost everyday in my working life......The recurring incidents that I experinced in the  past few weeks have prompted me to write this post... I have come to a point that I feel I would burst every time she opens her mouth coz every single word she utters would be about her, her and her, and of course she is always right. Not only that she ...

I'm not the typical kind of person  who reads and believes what your horoscope says about you, but today I stumbled across my horoscope and I think I like to listen to the advice.... If you have been experiencing any problems with your health lately, follow up with a doctor's appointment. This isn't necessarily an emergency situation -- it is probably your subconscious reminding you that you need to take care of yourself! On that note, how are you doing at taking care of your emotional needs lately? There is no crime in saying no to a friend's invitation because you'd rather spend some time alone, you know. Make yourself your top priority. 

Happy Diwali to those who celebrate and happy much needed holiday to me...

The Top 10 Beauty Foods Dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, author of Forever Young, dishes on ten foods to eat to look delicious 1. Wild Salmon: It contains essential omega-3 fatty acids that keep skin supple, hair healthy, and nails strong. 2. Pistachios: Their high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat help nourish the hair and scalp. 3. Watercress: The sulfur found in this peppery green will bring strength and shine to nails. 4. Cinnamon: This spice, rich in antioxidants, stimulates blood circulation, resulting in plumper skin. 5. Olive Oil: It's a healthy fat source that guards against inflammation, which can dull your dermis. 6. Green Tea: Antioxidants called polyphenols help combat complexion woes like rosacea and wrinkles. 7. Turmeric: This spice works as an anti-inflammatory, helping to heal sun-damaged skin. 8. Blueberries: Their phytochemicals (powerful antioxidants) keep fine lines and sagging at bay. 9. Dark Chocolate: Its do-it-all flavon...

It's been a very long time since I posted anything about our pets... Well, they are growing in number now and I 've lost count of the number of baby hamsters....It seems every few weeks there would be new batch of babies....most are survived, some dead and some went missing. The twins don't really care much now about the hamsters cause they are simply too many of them to be taken of and there was not enough space...I'm thinking of giving them away.... On the other hand, for the rabbit it was not as prolific as the hamsters. the first batch of babies died at birth and the second batch was only four survive out of five...now they are about one and the half months and fast growing... This cute black  and white baby rabbit named Panda by the twins for the obvious reason There are drinking milk in a plate (the others are Fifi, Popo and Coco) They were allowed to play in the house a couple of weeks earlier but now all are stayi...

It had been ages since I last followed my hubby to stay at a hotel cause this year things have been different and the timing also seems to be out of synchronization with my school activities...Thus, I complained to him one day and not long after that I received a letter to attend a five-day meeting in PD. (Actually, the letter was not directed to me but I had to be there on behalf on my colleague who was also nominated to attend the other event at the same period of time)...Then, I thought that it was my chance to be away from school for a while and spend my time leisurely by the beach.... The beach and the hotel was not bad while the meeting was suck and the food was even worse...(well, I'm not complaining since we got to eat six times a day). Luckily the meeting ended earlier so i got to get back on Thursday instead of Friday. Came Friday morning, off I went to school as usual following my routine and everything went on smoothly until I was dri...

From time to time, I would face some difficulty to get a good night's sleep. I believe it is one of the common problems that we face especially when we have a big event going on the next day... thus in my search for some tips, I stumbled upon this wonderful site which offers some great ways to fight insomnia through what you eat/drink ...The excerpt below can be found here The causes of sleeping problems can be very diverse, as well as the remedies to treat them, including even some certain foods. Read on to find out which foods are considered to be the best option when it concerns good sound sleep. A good sound sleep is one of the health guarantees. The lack of sleep can cause various disorders. Proper food choices can really help to get rid of insomnia and other sleeping problems. Learn what you should eat (or drink) for good sound sleep . Chamomile Tea This miraculous herbal drink can calm you down before the bedtime, besides it fills our bod...

Life has been hectic for me in the past few weeks, starting from one week before Eid right up to now, thus explains for the lack of posting from me. Been meaning and wanting to write about a lot of things and  I have loads of photos ( but most of them are not relevant anymore now, the previous post was in the draft for weeks...).  Anyway, I think it's not too late for me to post something about   our raya celebration which is still going on until the end of this month... and there will be more open house invitations this coming weekend.... The first activity after 'solat sunat eid-ul-ftr would be the big breakfast with lontong and ketupat. This year my mother in law prepared special dish of laksa Johor ( it was the first time I tasted her laksa Johor after all this year but it worth the wait ).  Then, it was the   photography session for every member of the family. It is done biennially since we alternate our 'first day celebrat...

It has been ages since I last updated anything about my garden... well, now I guess it was abandoned by my hubby since he has been busy with other things... huh, so much for going green lifestyle... Anyway, there are a few things that I would like to share about our so-called garden... First, my pumpkin patch finally has produced some yield, this is the the first one and had been cooked at the middle of ramadhan, now I'm about to harvest the second one... so that I can cook  pengat afterwards...   Secondly,  my screwpine (pandan) has showing some green and I've been using it a few times in my cooking... And, the most exciting of all is when our mango tree is finally showing some flowers for the first time after years of waiting... the thought of eating fresh mangoes right from the tree is sooo thrilling...can't wait...