I Can Never Be Who I Was Before

Silly me.

I went to search for myself to realise that I can never the person I once was. I am like the proverbial hermit crab who has outgrown her shell and need to find a bigger, shinier, stronger, better shell.

The person from 10 years ago who was single, without the Love and Mercy of Allah swt, hand-to-mouth-making-ends-meet while looking good in suits and corporate business trips, no dependents whatsover other than plants and bills and mostly spends her entire life working even when travelling.

What was I thinking?

I am so glad I came to realise this. It took me many cups of latte on my own to think straight but the harsh truth came from someone I used to know, who recently reconnected on a professional basis. "You are now a mum of 2. Not single anymore. You wear tudung now."

Wow.

OUCH.

Thanks! I sure needed that rude slap from one of the most rude and selfish persons I have ever encountered. That aside, it is truth is I am a mum of 2. I am married and trying to make my marriage as happy as can be. I do don the headscarf, despite my dugaan of heat and sweat.

On a positive note, I am more aware of my blessings and shortcomings now. I make a conscious effort to improve myself. Stay with me and root for me.

Have a blessed Friday and weekend, my lovelies!

School Gate Fashion

Which is your go-to school gate fashion item, my lovelies?

Do you wear FitFlops, or Varina? Do you don an instant scarf over an abaya, or shorts with tank? Is there a dress code at school that you have to obey?

Girl started going to The Playschool when she was 23 months and I have been improvising on my school gate fashion whenever my budget, time and online shopping opportunities permit since then. 

Work-in-progress, I am.

I started with the basic long sleeved top, jeans, FitFlops, instant bibik headscarf and a handbag. In fact, I still wear this on days when I rush or haven't had time to properly iron my outfit. It is the laziest outfit I know of. The danger is that this can quickly become the complacent uniform and spirals downhill. 

I know because I have been there. The mummy-in-jeans who can handle anything from spills to school bags to vomit to separation anxiety tears; and still be able to cook, clean and have a relationship with the husband.

The best part is when other mums do not judge because they are quite often in the same uniform performing the same duties. I guess only our Chanel Girl and Bangsar Village Grocer's woven bags are what differentiates us. Still, no judgment. At least where The Playschool is.

Then along came Bean. He loves pulling out the pins on my headscarves so Bokitta is my life-saver. I admire the brooches I collect/own, and will someday wear them, InshaAllah. 

In trying to look like I put some effort into dressing up at 6.30am, I have added some jubah and skirt with blouse options to my wardrobe but I confess the comfort of belted tailored pants with a pretty blouse and Bokitta in my haste and tropical humidity. The ever loyal pair of sunglasses hide all my other flaws so glamorously, beat that!

The eye brow pencil, face and hand sunscreen, powder and tinted lip sunblock remain my speedy buddies.

The exception to the above probably fall on official days like Concert Day or Sports Day.

Please suggest more resources and ideas for school gate fashion, my lovelies! It is high-time for a glam revamp.

Shawl Crush

My current shawl crush is this instant slip-on, "stays put without any pins" genius from Poplook. I love how I can go from not-ready-to-receive-any-guests to hijab-compliant just as the Salam is returned behind a locked wooden door. 5-6 seconds, maybe? Perfect for receiving food deliveries and courier, awesome!

My wish is to see them in every colour, considering how affordable and wearable they are. True, I have all 3 colours that they have launched; but I just cannot wait for more! Dreaming of navy, dusty mint, lilac and such...

Shawl swish until my next post. Take care, my lovelies!

Lock&Lock

Pins and brooches.

Snap close et voilà. 

I would then slip my Lock&Lock "Tupperware" into my luggage/over-nighter. I have travelled with this as checked-in luggage without any troubles, and in sha Allah will not have troubles in future too.

In order to prevent creasing up of light chiffon scarves (too fragile to iron) and instant slip-on scarves with "awnings", I place them rolled into rectangular shaped Lock&Lock too. Very useful as they arrive creaseless and ready to wear.

When I am in the mood and have time to spare, a little sachet of potpourri is included into the "Tupperware" to keep those scarves smelling fresh. 

An original idea first handed-down to me by my dear MIL. I guess we are both OCD in our own ways. 

(I also keep The Other Half's battery operated shaver in a small rectangle Lock&Lock case. In case his shavings spill during transit, they are all held together in a case and not all over our luggage!)

How do you travel with your hijab pins, brooches and scarves? Please do share!

Gratitude: Retail Therapy

I rest my case.

I do not always get "me-time" to shop brick and mortar so I quite often desperately resort to shopping online when breastfeeding and putting Bean to sleep.

Today was an exception. An excellent pre-birthday gift of time. Something to be really grateful for, and worthy of a post.

 

The Other Half and The Kids went about playing with toys on display at Hamley's and ToysRUs earlier today at One Utama to allow me some time to hunt for some much needed wardrobe replenishing key items and age defying skincare. 

I was in a bubble of peace and quiet where I could hear myself think. Where I could pick, shortlist, fit on and select pieces to bring to the cashier without chatter clutter and purchase boo boos due to diaper distractions. What a luxury!

However, my age defying skincare mission failed. The Dior skincare counter at Isetan One Utama had shut. I guess it will be Isetan KLCC as usual for me then. 

In that short time at One Utama, I managed to score 2 scarves at 70% discount, a pair of slacks and top at special discount from M&S, and 3 blouses from Isetan (mostly vouchers redemption and cash payment was under RM50!). Excited and anticipating good wear out of those pieces especially for my upcoming birthday and Chinese New Year. 

Self-restraint was quickly put in place as I admired some heels and digitally printed purses at Aldo *pats self on back for not buying wardrobe white elephants*

Ended the retail therapy by checking out and paying for my loot at Poplook close to midnight. Especially love how all the long sleeved blouses are fully lined and shariah-compliant. Shame to me for missing out on the recent sale for pondering too long though. Oh well, win some lose some. It evens out, right?

Alhamdulillah! What an awesome way to end my 38th. It had been a challenging year but I am now optimistic to make my 39th more meaningful. May Allah swt increase and bless me with health, wealth and guidance. Amin!

Hijab Confession

To Duck or not to Duck?

To Lofa or not to Lofa?

I got myself a Duck snow cap inner recently ...

(Photo of the flatlay by The Little Girl, a good start! Psst biased review by Hampshire Mummy of said flatlay, please do not shoot or judge me.)

... and I love the design because it stores neatly...

... but I must confess that the open ended inner from Nafyana has my vote for cooling comfort. I bought one in each available colour just because it is that cooling!

Hot school runs have left me with one simple conclusion: anything which requires a snow cap or neck inner and pins are way too stifling humid for me. I will preciously store my Innara for cooler days, in Sha Allah, such as my York and London balik kampung days. 

I guess it is back to express slip-on headscarves for this mum on the go. Sugarscarf, here I come. Thank you for trying your best to provide style and convenience to Goldilocks like myself.

Section 7, Shah Alam

I was in Muslimah clothing heaven last Sunday. SubhanAllah!

The Other Half had agreed to drop me off at Sugarscarf to pick up some Innara Classic Inners for my MIL. The mission was simple but me being me, I complicated it for myself by having visual overload syndrome when I turned my head left and right to look at the other shops around.

Honestly, I was overwhelmed by the rows and rows of shops filled with myriad of shariah-compliant fashion options. Bank account permitting, in sha Allah, I hope to be back on my own to "reap the racks". 

*drafting a Muslimah's must have items for my closet*

Innara Classic Inner by Sugarscarf

*This is NOT a sponsored post*

My search for the perfect cotton inner has ended and I would like to thank a very kind reader who left a fantastic suggestion in the comment box the other day. Thank you!

Knowing me, no static electricity is already a big win but here are other reasons why I am going to purchase these gems in all colours:

The cotton material is soft and keeps me cool. 

The neck cover can be tucked under shirts for total cover.

The elastic gather at the back approximately where the hair bun ends allows for stretch and easy wearing; and removal without causing the hair bun to unravel. Goodbye ripped inners without elastic bands!

The choice of colours available is a dream come true. If only my favourite colours aren't already sold out. 

The cotton material washes well without too much wrinkling so light ironing is an option.

I feel a little bit like a girl let loose in a candy store. Hang on, Sugarscarf is a candy store! 

*thumbs up!*

To be fair, there is only one small feature that I do not like so much and that is the RM7 Poslaju cost. In this day and age of online shopping, postage is nearly always free, so I was quite surprised. Oh well, what choice do I have? RM7 for convenience! Still, it would be nice for the store to eventually offer free delivery, may I say Amin to this wish?

Happy shopping, my lovelies! Or rather, happy shopping to me. I bet I am the last person to discover this lovely product and brand. 

Happy Monday!

Hello, my lovelies!

I finally got the hang of wearing my inner with Onulaa headscarf using pins and a small brooch. Big bonus: no static electricity with the chiffon material. Proviso: hand wash with Woolite and hang to dry with no ironing. This "success formula" has given me a new zest to rebuild my headscarf collection and bring out my brooch collection. 

However, sheer convenience of button headscarf when in a rush to head out the door must not be underestimated. My favourite is this:

The Neda is so comfortable I feel like buying in my usual black and navy in addition to my gray as pictured above.

Up ahead this week are some work related meetings outside of home and I feel like wearing this:

Do you also plan out wardrobe for the week like I do to save some precious morning minutes? I am all for increasing effectiveness and efficiency to reduce morning school run stress, so I arrange outfit for the week by Saturday evening, leaving my Sunday blue-free.

In order to achieve that and kickstart that, we need to organise ourselves better don't we? To help us all achieve that, I am sharing my discount code at Zalora with you! Please type this 15% discount code upon checkout: ZBAPQA21 for your first purchase as a new customer!

Thank you for supporting vendors that help make Daily Supplications possible. Happy shopping and have a productive week, in sha Allah!

Onulaa

Syukur alhamdulillah for such a lovely gift.  Thank you, JC. I am truly blessed by your warm heart and hand in friendship through all these years. May God bless you and your growing family with much love, happiness and health always!

You can find Onulaa scarfs on Instagram and Facebook, if interested. I have compiled a wish list in the short time that I have learnt about these gorgeous pieces! So timely too, considering that I am in the mode and mood for "revitalising" my head scarf collection. All I need now is the "static test drive" after reading a simple supplication and thanksgiving for this new clothing.

 

"All praises and thanks be to Allah who has clothed me with this (garment) and provided it for me, with no power nor might from myself, Amin!"

Suzanne Pins & Petals were scouted at the concourse level at KLCC outside M&S. I have another pair to look for, to match the reddish/purplish scarf. You can buy these at RM10 for 3 pieces, what a bargain!

Just adore how enterprising this work from home mother is, toiling and building her own brand, SubhanAllah. May Allah swt bless her and her family abundantly for her noble effort, Amin!

Goodbye, S. Hello, M

Part of my wardrobe hijrah is parting with 3/4 sleeved tops. These organic cotton Zara tops were my transition from sleeveless and short sleeves to 3/4 sleeves. After about 2.5 years, I am ready to move a step closer to where I want to be.

I am now ready to part with them, and move to full length sleeves. Hope this pile of 9 will find a good owner soon. 

Also, I am moving to looser tops. Hello, M. Here I come.

Goldilocks Syndrome

Have you ever been in a "Goldilocks" stage of your hijab journey?

I have, and still do! I do not give up, keen on trying out different headscarf styles occasionally, and of course keep to budget as to what I can experiment with.

For a start, I will share my top 10 headscarf boo boos so that seasoned hijabis out there can "rescue" me. I will not write about abaya, jubah, traditional baju kurung, pants and blouses as it would sound like repetition...in this post, at least.

1. Too Loose

The headscarf that is too loose annoys me because my hair at my forehead will somehow escape and peek out. Especially after eating, or a session of struggling with an active toddler. Most slip-on express tudung are marked as free size or medium but I know after 5 years plus of buying them, to try them on first. Try to move my jaws and see if it slips down or backwards. Face downwards, turn left, turn right. That weird lady you saw at the tudung shop probably was me!

2. Too Tight

The headscarf that can magically produce migraines within ten minutes of wearing annoys me too. Too tight, and gives me appearance that I just had a facelift. Don't laugh at my feigned surprise expression, I was probably suffering and couldn't wait to hurry home to change into something more comfortable.

3. Too Long

The wrap scarf that goes on. And on. And on. Anything more than 170cm is too long, for me. Too many layers will also mean too warm. Great during winter, just not downtown KL at midday. 

4. Too Short

The wrap that is too short, leaving a chance of nape being exposed, or see through shape of hair bun. Or becomes too tight because I try completing a wrap. The pin then causes a rip and tear at tension site. Sigh. 

5. Too Colourful 

I am not a big fan of gaudy colours so wearing a gift that is too colourful on me for one photo session, then donating the precious gift to someone else, quietly, works for me. Shhh!

6. Too Dark

Black (headscarf) on black (outfit) is my favourite, but I have been told that it is simply too dark. I sometimes offset the darkness: break the monotony with a pair of non-black flats, or carry a non-black arm candy. I really admire those graceful ladies from Middle East who rock this look with the sashay of their lush cotton hijab, abaya and all. 

7. Too thin

Light cotton, nice and cool, perfect for humid country like Malaysia. Not so good when the outline of hair and neck can be seen. Adding the "snowcap" inner then results in the headscarf being too thick and too hot. Catch 22.

8. Too thick 

Opaque is good, but also sometimes too dense, too thick and too hot! Inners and scarves that are too thick block out sound, and you will find me saying, "excuse me?" a little more than usual. I am not hard on hearing, but have admitted to temporary reduced ability to hear well. Are you laughing at me?

9. Too hot

Combination of too long, too thick. Why haven't I learnt?! I wish online shopping sites would list the cotton thread count so that I can gauge how thick an item of clothing is *wishful thinking* the best cotton inner snowcap that has all the features I love comes from Tudung People (have you seen how fast they sell out all colours at every single restock?!). 

10. Too static

Polyester rayon, viscose, poly blend are all no-go for me. Zap! Zap! I envy those who can wear those materials because they layer so well, and light to pack!

Well, I keep the faith that I will someday be completely comfortable, suitably dressed and totally shariah-compliant. Until then, I will keep trying! As long as my heart and intention are all in the right places, I know I can ace this, Amin! This is my test, this is my test.

Please do share your favourite headscarf wearing style, material and source, my lovelies! 

Jewelry With A Black Outfit

Before I came to know Islam, I used to wear a lot of black skirt/pants suits with white shirts at work. In the legal faternity where I was, it was the dress code.

In order to break that monotony, I used to don necklace (or two!), a pair of earrings, bracelets and rings. 

Then, I committed one of my biggest fashion faux pas/boo boo during my early days of reversion and wearing the headscarf.

I gave away ALL my statement necklaces and pearls to my BFF simply because I did not experiment with wearing them over and on my headscarf. 

Now that I am quite adept with wearing the headscarf in more ways than one, I am "itching" to "decorate" my headscarf and finding refreshed styles to experiment with, I am going to remind myself of these few simple guidelines:

"Black is the easiest colour for women to mix match their choice of jewelry from ghetto gold, sparkling diamonds to bold statement colours. As black is a versatile colour, there are various types of looks which women can pull together and style anywhere they go whether to the office, dinner parties, birthday celebrations or weddings. 

However, women tend to have some confusion on how to choose the right selection of jewelry to pair with the neckline of their dresses. There are 3 jewelry choices for women to add into their fashion wardrobe in order to obtain a magnificent as well as stunning look.

1. Statement necklace

This choice of jewelry is perfect for the ladies who has an outgoing personality and likes to be creative in their own way. It is true that statement necklaces are a bit hard for a woman to pull off but with the right statement necklace, your black dress will definitely look ravishing. The statement necklace and black dress look is suitable for women to wear to a semi-formal dinner party or birthday celebrations."

Mental note: statement necklace will be perfect to brighten up my all black outfit. I think I may just match the burst of colour with one of my handbags or pair of shoes! Maybe I will start with something discreet, such as this:

"2. The Pearls

Pearls are seen to be the utmost classic jewelry which used to be the popular choice for women back in the old days. However, you could also bring it back in style by wearing nice pearls earrings or necklace to exclusive party events or weddings. You can never go wrong wearing pearls with a black coloured dress as it compliments your entire look perfectly."

Mental note: my all time favourite are double strand pearls! I can go from a work related meeting to a school run to a wedding to a wake in my pearls without having to fuss over wardrobe change!

"3. The Gold/ Silver

For the ladies who prefer to stay in the safe zone, opt for the simple gold or silver jewelry collection. There are a wide range of silver and gold jewelries available in the market which will be suitable to wear to any occasions. Women do not have to spend hours of thinking on what jewelry to wear as silver and gold ones will never go out of style."

Mental note: zakat emas for items of gold not worn, it is high time to bring some out to wear soon. A clever/more affordable idea would be jewelry in gold finish, as those lying idle will not attract any zakat emas.

Now, excuse me while I shop for some jewelries and play dress up!

P/S: All photos credit to Zalora.

38

A happy post for a change. 

38 random things about me.

Here we go.

1. I am 38 this year (duh!). I do not feel 38, and I am not entirely sure if I do "behave" like a 38 year old. I love waking up at 9 am and go to bed at 9.30 pm but we all know that this is not possible.

2. I am a work from home mum and never once imagined myself to be this person living this life. Growing up, I always had a vision of me in a power skirt suit, as one of the members of board of directors of a financial institution. Specific dreams, not so accurate in reality. We plan, He decides indeed!

3. I love the colours black, white and navy. My wardrobe mostly consist of these 3 colours. 

4. I love denim pants. They keep me neat, covered and able to chase after my young children. Yes, my resolution to part with them has failed. I give myself another 2 years.

5. I wear the headscarf. Regardless of country I am in because commandment from Allah swt is worldwide, don't you agree? I adjust the thickness according to season. People who incite me not to don the headscarf when I am outside Malaysia really do not understand my faith, or its practices. I wish them well and that hopefully Hidayah will someday enlighten them.

5. I love volume skirts. Provided I am not at the grocer's or baby gym. 

6. I love fruits. Fresh, sliced and wholesome. On its own, in my oats porridge, on my pancakes, mixed through my salad or juiced. 

7. I love vegetables. I wish the organic ones do not cost as much as they currently do.

8. I prefer goats milk over cows milk. No IBS, a good gut start!

9. I sometimes see my life pass me by. Especially when I wait for my children at the play area (2 hours have passed and still they refuse to budge). Hence my relationship with my blog, not so much my Facebook account.

10. I love dark chocolates. 

11. I chew my mouthful of food at least 20 times.

12. I chew with my mouth closed.

13. I do not talk with my mouth full.

14. I put my spoon down between mouthfuls. Not by choice. I have to assist 2 children with their meals. 

15. I love having my elbows on the table. I know this is rude in some cultures but since my Greek girlfriend has yet to tell me off...

16. My second tier favourite colours are green and purple but you will often find gray and beige in my possession. 

17. Despite not liking the colour red on my clothing, I do not mind red on shoes, belts and handbags. Never on my  headscarf though.

18. I am quite neat, and clean.

19. I wash my hair daily. Well, I shower twice a day. Don't you?

20. I learnt to play the piano both by ear and by theory. This year. Online via FaceTime, with my teacher who lives in Melbourne. Awesome, much?

21. I used to doodle and sketch but cannot remember why I had stopped. *looking for my sketch pad and 2B pencil*

22. I enjoy art galleries, plays, stand up comedies, sketches, opera, philharmonic orchestra and movies. YouTube included, provided the content is beneficially entertaining.

23. I enjoy K-dramas with English subtitles but haven't found time to watch any this year. I hear my friends raving about The Heirs!

24. My front tooth on the left started "moving" and I now have to smile for the camera with my lips curled into a smile with my teeth showing. Unless it is a good angle from my left which hides the left front tooth's odd angle. Vain, much?

25. I really enjoy shopping on my own. I make most mistakes when shopping with my children (even when I have a list for groceries and supplies!). 

26. I enjoy the bliss of watching my children sleep. Provided I haven't konked out first. 

27. My electricity bill is scary because I rely on electrical bibik a lot. I am still mentally debating if Kuvings and TMX should join my arsenal as I have limited cabinet space.

28. I have considered hiring a human bibik but I am not ready to share my personal space with one.

29. I am relatively short, at 158cm. I foresee being the shortest person in my household by the time my children are teenagers.

30. I am relatively light, at 48kg. I foresee being the lightest person in my household by the time my children are teenagers. My husband suspects I will be right. 

31. I quite enjoy housework. Mostly due to numbers 18 and 28 above. Seeing a clean flat for my children to live and play in bring me immense satisfaction. I get all irritable and nervous when the flat is messy or dirty. 

32. I detest drama and fake people in real life. I have no. 23, if I want some drama and fake people.

33. I believe in sincerity. 

34. I believe in working hard at work and on myself. Especially myself, and my walk of faith. How to be a better wife, mum, DIL, SIL, servant of Allah swt, friend, colleague. 

35. I do not obsess over any designer brands but will buy what suits me. That has somehow landed me with quite a few designer items which wear well, are comfortable and durable. Equally, there are some local designs and products that are good and serve me well. 

36. I miss working full time from an office (sometimes, wishful thinking moments) but I know that is not possible right now (and I do not envy those who are able to/ have to). 

37. I wish I earn more so that I can give more (be it zakat or charity). 

38. I am blessed and have Allah swt to thank for my life and everything in it. Syukur alhamdulillah!

P/S: this post is easier than I thought! Feel free to post yours *smile*

Kempen Sopan-Santun

I was reading about this current local movement to "save" Malaysia and cannot help but feel like joining the bandwagon.

Start of my community service message:

I have many a times told queue-cutters off. 

Sometimes I tap them lightly on their shoulders and point to the end of the line behind me. At other times I politely reminded them, "please queue up." 

When I get all fumed up because the queue-cutter has cut in front of me, I would and did tell the cashier not to ring up the offender's basket of goods because the person had gotten ahead by cutting queue.

I admit it is wrong for me to feel ashamed for voicing up for my right in line. Heck, if I cannot voice this up, how else can I protect myself? 

Furthermore, what moral values would I be showing my children? I certainly do not want my children to think that it is alright for them to jump queue! 

Or worse, that standing up for what is right, is wrong.

Where do these incidents normally occur?

I will share my top 3 with you:

1. Isetan KLCC supermarket till lines. So what if you have only 1 bottle of mineral water and it won't take as long? Go to the express lane! Which caters for less than 5 items. That means 6 bottles of the same mineral water falls into regular till lines, not the express lane.

2. Suria KLCC ladies toilet. Notorious! The paid toilets are not as crowded but occasionally the queue-cutter harass there too. 

3. Madam Kwan KLCC door queue. Not only there is no line, they wait outside all over the corridor and stop the traffic, literally. 

Alas, the situation worsens on weekends!

I find that the polite folks go to Little Penang Café. Single line, queue against the shop facade and not block the passage way. Regimented, disciplined and best of all: self-regulated. Bravo!

The next time you get your right in line infringed upon, please speak up. Politely. 

"Please queue up."

"Sila beratur."

That should do it. It has always worked for me.

Do NOT say "kurang ajar", or throw provocative accusations like, "awak buta kah?!". That is just getting low into the gutters of bad manners. Statements like that can and I have seen them spiral into cat fights and end up ugly.

Let's start to correct our manners in public. Please bring back the glory of "Sopan-Santun" that was once part of Malaysia. Kindly practice the nation's 5th Rukun Negara, "Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan", with heart.

End of my community service message. Thank you.

Fabric Play

Some of you are aware that I have been busy experimenting and revamping my headscarf style lately.

It is one part of my outward growth which reflects my inner faith. Of course, it takes slightly longer to dress this way, but with practice, those pins and clips are not that scary to master. Having the right inner scarf to hold all my hair seems to be the secret no one has really taught me before!

Let us all say Amin to being fashionably modest. May this journey be one that strengthens our Iman and may our Ibadah to please Allah swt be accepted by Him.

Favourite Colours

Gray, cream with some mint tickled my fancy in matching the gray clouds outside with high chance of rain.

And did it rain that day!

I have been praying for wind to blow clouds over to the local dams so that rain can fall there. 

Please pray with me. Thank you!

The Bag Lady

Who does the packing of luggage when the family goes for vacation in your household?

I always do.

I start with the itinerary, so that I can zero in on the packing list for each member of the family. The big luggage that we use is then divided into imaginary quadrants for space budgeting.

Once everything is packed into its respective boxes/ziplock/towel wrap/nappy lined rolls/long rectangle Tupperware/LockLock (for keeping the awning of my slip on headscarf/tudung express in shape), I would line the entire luggage with unsewn kain sarung before bundling everything in. That is to keep the luggage lining clean. Anal, but preserves the cleanliness!

If any items were outstanding, a post-it note is placed on top so that I can easily place said missing item in once ready. When the packing is completed, and after zipping up, I always lock the luggage with a sigh of relief with a silent prayer of the luggage not going missing in transit.

Once we arrive, I always unpack and put away the luggage until the time comes for packing up to go home.

If travelling overseas, I split everything down the middle to be filled into two luggages. In the unfortunate event that one of the luggage goes  missing, we can survive for at least a day or two until the missing luggage is located/rerouted to us/have sufficient time to shop for new clothes after claiming insurance.

Please, please, please share with me your packing tips. Mine is tedious, I know. Bows head in shame.

From Kate Middleton Style to Short Bob

If you are looking for an independent review dry shampoo during confinement period, go away now. I tried it and it is just not for me.

My hair is all glorious during pregnancy but once I deliver, my hair drops. Another common hormonal pregnancy experience, you'd say.

 

Some Asians believe that washing hair is taboo during confinement, but not I (see why I chased you away in the very first paragraph?)

 

I wash my hair daily, otherwise I feel greasy and not able to sleep well.

 

(I can imagine the disapproving look/daggers some confinement ladies shoot my way).

 

Confession: During confinement, I tend to wash my hair once daily, towel dry and quickly blow dry to have that clean scalp/better mood to care for newborn mood...

 

Which is why...

 

under my head scarf and hijab...

 

is my short bob!

 

Oh, I love how fast shampooing, conditioning, rinsing, towelling, blow drying and combing really is with a short bob.

 

More time to cuddle the newborn and handle The Little Girl, what's not to love about it? *big smile*

 

Great plus: Hair drop looks less scary when hair is short, easier to pick up with fibre dry mop, and hair stays away from baby's burp!

 

Not a secret that hair grows again, and I just adore the sense of adventure in anticipating a new hair-do when it all grows back!

Hijab 2

Some notably funny questions posed to me since 2009:

1. Do you get migraine from wearing tudung?

No. If I tie my pony tail or bun too tightly, then , yes. As would you.
 

2. Do you get dandruff and thinning hair from wearing tudung?
No. Hair and scalp care remains the same for both wearing the head veil and not. The main difference is making sure that my hair and scalp are dry before wearing my head veil, as would you if you were wearing a headscarf. BFF with my hair dryer and serum. 

3. Are you Chinese?
Yes. 

4. Why did you marry a Malay man?
He is a good and loving man.

5. Your parents don't mind?
They have passed away and they would understand if were still alive.

6. Is it not hot?
I am very blessed to live in mostly air conditioned areas. I am more concerned about dry skin from being in the air conditioned areas so much. Malaysia is hot and humid, fact.

7. But Malay girls don't wear them, why must you?
Being described as a Malay amounts to describing a race. I am a Muslim. It is my faith and religion. When I say I am Chinese, I am describing my ancestor link. I am of the human race, seriously. I do not know why people confuse race with religion. Maybe they need to read and travel more.

8. Where is it in the Qur'an that says you must?
Surah An Nur Ayat 30 for men; and Surah An Nur Ayat 31. I really must commit these verses to memory!

9. Don't you want to show off your beautiful dark brown hair?
No. My personality is more important, no?

10. I thought only after Hajj?
Read Surah An Nur Ayat 30-31 again.

I had a good laugh. I hope you do too.