Today was Fighter’s third set of immunization jabs.
Are you ready for the heart wrenching pictures?
Yea neither am I. Every time it gets worse and worse. It’s as if he’s older and smarter so the betrayal gets bigger each time. T_______T
Thankfully this is the last of his jabs for a while. Next one is at 15 months so yay 8 months of reprieve!
Fatty wasn’t supposed to come with us this time but changed his mind at the last minute. He said he didn’t want us to suffer alone hehehe.
Excuse me Fighter the needle hasn’t even touched you yet. Dr Ananda was just listening to his heartbeat and squeezing his limbs to check the muscles I guess, and already he cry like this wtf.
Here comes the needle.
At this point I notice I’m usually hopping up and down next to the doctor and not daring to look at the needle myself wtf waiting for the moment I can get past the doctor and pick him up. T__________T
Then the doctor sat him up to check his back strength. Quite funny la cos he’s still crying at this point but still obligingly let doctor sit him up and keep crying hahahaha.
wuwuwuw
He cried all the time we stayed in the doctor’s office. Then when we went out to the waiting area, he stopped instantly WTF. But then he’d be all calm but occasionally burst into tears again, as if he suddenly remembered his horrible fate wtf.
For record’s sake, Fighter is now 5 months adjusted age, 7 months actual age. He’s 61 cm, 6.6 kg and his head is 43 cm in circumference wtf. Apparently his weight gain slowed a bit but doctor said it’s completely normal cos he’s more active now and probably lost some energy that way. Also more distracted, so he may not focus so much on drinking now. Which is true! Now he damn annoying if I’m feeding him and Fatty talks to me, he stops, pulls away from the nipple and stares at Fatty. Hahahaha. It’s like there must be TOTAL silence when he drinks. Dictator wtf.
His length grew quite a bit though! End of January he was 55 cm and now he’s 61! Thank Buddha for Fatty’s genes wtf. I’m so relieved hahahaha.
Anyway the biggest news of all! Doctor said he’s ready for semi-solids now!
If you read my Dayre, lately I’ve been fretting over getting him started on solids. I never considered it actually (*shamefaced wtf) only I wrote about Fighter waking up at all times of the night now to feed when he used to sleep through 5-6 hours at night before this.
I thought it was a growth spurt he was going through but it’s been going on a month or more. Wiser and more experienced mommies said he could be ready for solids and they were right!
So I’ve been reading up on all sorts of baby solids literature – websites and blogs and even weaning sites for preemies. All say quite contrasting things at times leh! So I wrote down all my questions and cornered Dr Ananda with my checklist wtf.
To cut it short, Dr Ananda told me that usually pediatricians recommend starting solids from 4 months onwards but the WHO set the minimum at 6 months to ensure that parents would continue to give babies breast milk for longer. Therefore at this point, solids should not be a replacement for milk (which is still their key nutritional source) but rather an introduction to adult food.
He told me Fighter was all ready but I strongly suggest you ask your own doctors hor if you’re not sure.
In terms of menu, he said:
Start with rice cereal for a week, once a day, earlier in the day
He said rice cereal tastes the most similar to milk so it would be less of a surprise to baby. At this point Fighter’s swallow reflex is automatic after he sucks so he needs to learn how to actively swallow first. So the rice cereal is to get him accustomed to maneuvering his tongue then swallowing. Then try to feed earlier in the day in case he got allergy, can fasterly go get help (as opposed to allergy in the middle of the night and all clinics are closed)
After a week, move to fruits and vegetables
Try only one type of food at a time, and for three days. This is so he doesn’t get confused, and I’ll know if he’s allergic to anything. Soft fruits like papaya and banana just mash up and feed, harder ones like apples and pears, stew and mash up. Vegetables go for soft ones like potato, sweet potato, squash, pumpkin etc. I asked how about spinach wtf cos I hate all of the above except potato. He said uhh maybe later wtf.
I wasn’t really looking forward to solids cos uhhh it sounds like a lot of work wtf. But I’m quite excited now! So many things to buy and try!
Starting with this booster seat. There, happy photo of Fighter to make up for the above.
I was wondering if I should get a high chair but then I remembered my aunt got us this when Fighter was born. Can’t believe we can put it to use already. This one’s from Fisher-Price.
Actually doctor said he cannot support himself yet so don’t put him in an upright seat like this. >_> These pictures were taken before we saw the doctor la aih.
“What? Time to start solids already?” *suspicious*
“Well no time like the present!”
*gnaw gnaw* “Hmm… kind of bland. Can’t say I like solids much.”
Hi Trouble.
Okay the truth is I was super impatient so an hour before we went to the doctor I already tried to give Fighter rice cereal!
No pictures cos I was holding the bowl wtf. But I think it was quite decent for a first attempt! I slowly fed him two teaspoons and he’d stick out his tongue and lick at the spoon a bit. That way I think he managed to swallow about a third of everything!
Randomly bought this for him from Parkson the other day.
If anyone has any recommendations of good storebought baby food please share!
Also does anyone know where to get the Little Bean food processor wtf.
That’s about it. Can’t wait to bring on the food experiments. 😀
Yesterday I was ranting on Dayre about my stupid maid agent. Now not so angry anymore but die die must tell the world the catastrophe that is Renz Resources.
When I was pregnant with Fighter we applied for a Filipino domestic helper via this agent, Renz Resources. The reason why we chose this agent was because the helper we had identified we wanted was actually the niece of a helper belonging to Fatty’s uncle and Renz was their agent.
We applied in January last year I think. And the helper, AM, was supposed to arrive in Malaysia in June or July. I thought it was a bit early since Fighter was only due in October but it didn’t really matter.
Then with all the havoc that was Fighter’s premature birth in July/August, the helper kind of slipped my mind. By then she should have arrived already!
To put it shortly, the stupid agency delayed the arrival of the helper for FIVE months after July. They had all sorts of excuses.
Oh we thought you didn’t want her to come so early. Then they admitted they hadn’t started applying for her WTF.
Then got typhoon in Manila.
Still got typhoon in Manila, everything is closed.
Oh need to wait for my boss (who is also her husband wtf) to come back from Vietnam to sign something.
Oh we are having problems with our counterpart in Manila, we are changing partners there. The girl needs to resubmit her documents and forms to the new agency in Manila.
Oh the helper needs to redo her medical test because it expired (because it took so long).
Meanwhile the poor girl was just put on hold at her relative’s house in Manila for months. And that wasn’t all. Tons of unanswered calls and messages replied late. A lot of empty promises concerning deadlines that were broken repeatedly. A lot of lies – there was a new delay every day, she was always in a meeting and couldn’t answer her phone, etc.
We suspected they’d taken our payment and used it for something else which is why they delayed so long in procuring the helper, because they were scrambling to get back the money to pay for it. In the end we played good cop bad cop and Fatty came in to threaten media exposure and police reports before we finally got the helper.
By that time, Fatty’s uncle had lent us his helper while we coped with the arrival of new baby and we had gotten used to her. So she stayed with us, while AM went to work at the uncle’s place.
A few months later, a bit before CNY this year, Fatty’s uncle told us he didn’t have a copy of the signed contract. So again I had to contact Gina of Renz Resources.
Thus followed another nightmarish month of me chasing her for the contract and her giving multiple creative excuses.
Not with us, in our office in Klang.
Oh they haven’t sent to you yet? I told them to do it.
What’s your husband’s full name again?
I’m at the embassy now, will send you later.
I’m in a meeting now, will send you later. And so forth.
Dragged on for weeks up till yesterday! I was close to exploding and I said if I don’t get the contract emailed to me by tonight, I am going to the media with this. Actually I meant I would blog about it wtf but I’m not sure she knows what a blog is hahahaha. She said yes ok will send to you.
Next morning, still no email. So I texted her and said “Still no email from you. I’m making a report on this. If your boss asks you why your company image is so bad, you can tell him it’s your fault.”
She said, “why always police report? We also never complain that AM is not working with you. I’ll send you by this afternoon.”
*internal combustion*
Me: “AM is not working with us because you delayed her for so long when we desperately needed help. I’ve been patient with you for so long. This is your job I don’t understand how you do your work. I don’t want to chase you anymore. Safe to say I will never use you again.”
After that, she really did send me the contract wtf.
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE. I am still gonna write about Gina and her husband Rene and her company Renz Resources Sdn Bhd because they are a complete disaster!!! At first I thought the first time maybe they really had unavoidably bad luck with a shitty Filipino partner, then the typhoon.
But something as simple as sending over ONE contract also they’re incapable of doing. I refuse to let anyone experience what I did with them, so I want to warn everyone: if you are planning to engage a helper through Renz Resources, PLEASE DON’T. You will regret it and everyday you’ll be angry and hate yourself for engaging them wtf. Not just the delays, but the lies and false promises and unaccountability. They are a total mess and I’m surprised they’re even still in operation.
*
On to happier things! These are photos and events recently.
I’ve decided that since you know, I have delved into the world of professional blogging, I must be hardworking a bit and go to events and act pretty and elegant all.
This is me being elegant wtf.
Steal the shop’s display sunglasses to wear and take photo wtf. Elegant people always wear big sunnies okay.
Me, Bobo and Hui Wen at Furla’s launch recently.
Audfit: off shoulder eyelet top from Twenty3, pleather leggings from Egoist, yellow wedges from Murua (ok fine Taobao wtf but if I could buy the real one I would!), bag is Furla Candy range of course!
With Bella Kuan.
All the bloggers to the left!
Furla Candy display.
With my two favorite people to go to events with!
Eh Hui Wen you inject collagen into your lips ah wtf.
Me! Photobombed by a very serious Bobo.
Not sure why I so happy here.
Then after that aunties must go to supermarket and stock up on groceries wtf.
First bag, now shoes! Stopped by Melissa in Gardens last night because Melissa generously wanted to give me, Fatty and Fighter a pair of shoes each. ^^
Fighter being amazed by the kids collection.
Mostly girls shoes but they do have some unisex sneakers too.
In the end we chose the red one in the middle. So what if there’s pink! Real men wear pink!
Here’s Jammie babysitting Fighter while I try on shoes hehehe.
Taken with my Xperia z1
Fatty chose this pair for himself super smart looking! I’m wearing my own pair of Melissas here.
Mine! Finally settled on Melissa x Karl Lagerfeld ice cream shoes. Actually I didn’t really see anything I wanted until at the last minute I spied these. It was love at first sight hehehe.
Thank you Melissa! Their anniversary sale starts today, outlets are in 1U and Gardens. They’re my favorite shoe brand cos they’re sooo comfy! And the designs are so varied and I love their different collaborations with designers. Besides the Lagerfeld, I also have a pair by Jason Wu. Next time do a Jeremy Scott please hahaha.
Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Fighter spam!
Taken with my Sony Xperia z1
Sitting up with minimal support from my fist wtf. Yay Fighter!
Taken with my Sony Xperia z1
“Check me out Daddy!”
Taken with my Sony Xperia z1
Watch out ladies these eyes will steal your heart wtf.
Taken with my Sony Xperia z1
He’s learning so many new things so quickly! He’s no longer scared of his baby gym and knows to bat the hanging toys already.
Taken with my Sony Xperia z1
Managed to propel himself off the mat by pushing against the arches with his foot. So technically he flipped himself over and out of the mat.
Taken with my Sony Xperia z1
No doubt very happy with his achievement hahahaha.
Taken with my Sony Xperia z1
Smiling as usual heheheh.
Bobo came over yesterday and took all these pictures! Sorry a bit blurry ah *turns up nose at camera wtf
He’s like asking her “Auntie Bobo am I cute?”
“How about now?” Hahahaha these are her captions from Dayre.
*gnaw gnaw
Reaching for his toes again. I wonder why babies do that!
Speaking of growing, Fighter may be ready for solids now! I noticed that recently he’s been drinking his milk super fast without pausing, and he gets hungry after 2 hours plus instead of 3. I thought it was a growth spurt but some mommies on Dayre said he could just be ready for solids!
He’s 7 months actual age now, 5 months adjusted.
I am so not ready! I sometimes get confused with the whole actual vs adjusted age thing and thought I had a few months to go! I was so comfortable in his milk feeding schedule some more.
Don’t know the first thing about feeding baby solids man. Went out yesterday and hurriedly bought a can of baby rice cereal but what next? How often to feed? When to feed? How much? Which foods are good? What’s a good brand of baby food (the glass jar kind)? Must cook porridge or just steam some fruit or potato can already? Do I need a high chair?
Taking him for his next pediatrician checkup on Tuesday and see what doctor says about starting solids. Cross fingers!
You know how much is my electricity bill?
Rm400-500. Every single month.
SIAO OR NOT SIAO YOU TELL ME.
The culprit obviously is the air conditioning. Everyone knows air cons consume the most energy.
And this is only for a household of 4 people. Me, Fatty, Fighter and our maid, Nancy. And Nancy sleeps with Fighter so that’s only two rooms in use.
When we first started receiving this crazy bill (after Fighter was born and occupied another room in our house), I remember I exploded then went to ask Lay See how much her bill was. And it’s about the same as us.
Sigh it’s because it’s really too damn hot everyday that I absolutely cannot not turn on the AC. Fighter is even worse – he got the Tiah genes (them of the extremely hot blood) so the minute I bring him into a non-AC room, his head starts getting clammy wtf.
And then our air conditioners are quite old la I guess and not energy saving. Some more we have to turn them on for some time only the room gets cold. I did think of changing our air con units – short term mafan but might save us a lot of money in the long run.
I’d definitely opt for the Sharp Comfort Eco Series air conditioner.
I already have the Sharp Plasmacluster Ion air purifier (and hairdryer) so I have complete faith in Sharp as a brand. 🙂
The air purifier is especially recommended. I bought it last time during the haze and it works wonders in getting rid of the hazy smell at home (as well as germs and pollutants la). A few days ago I went crazy because mosquitos invaded our home and bombed the whole place with mosquito coils. Kinda overdid it because we came home and the whole house smelled like Sumatra in the middle of a forest fire wtf. But I just turned on the air purifier and in 3o minutes the air smelled fresh again. 🙂 My parents also have a Sharp air purifier and my mom says it can even get rid of fart smell WTF. *stares pointedly at Fat Her
Anyway back to the Sharp Comfort Eco Series air conditioner.
The most interesting thing for me about it is the Baby Sleep mode.
Cos Fighter’s aircon sucks la either too warm or too cold wtf.
Baby Sleep mode will help ensure that Fighter doesn’t get too hot yet won’t have drafts blowing over him which can give him a chill (as frequently reminded by my mom and MIL). Fan speed is also lowered for gentle quiet operation for baby to sleep well.
I’ve been considering getting an additional air purifier for Fighter’s room because as a preemie his immune system is weaker. 🙁 Therefore more susceptible to infections and falling sick and after the last time he was sick…. I WILL DO ANYTHING TO PREVENT IT AGAIN.
But since Comfort Eco series already has the air purifying Plasmacluster Ion technology can just get a new aircon la no need air purifier!
Plasmacluster Ions clean the air by reducing contaminants (dust, smoke particles) and odors (smoke smell, fart smell wtf etc). Also effective against viruses (VERY IMPORTANT for Fighter) and mold spores (prevent mold from growing indoors).
Other features of the Comfort Eco series is durability of the All-Aluminium heat exchanger.
On hot days, you just wanna run indoors to the aircon but always have to wait for 15-20 minutes at least for the aircon to get cool. In the meantime, forced to turn on the fan as well, using up more energy.
Just run in and turn on the Powerful Jet mode and stand under the aircon to cool down fast.
And the most attractive – the energy saving design.
Also Sharp users don’t need to worry about aircon breaking down or anything because there is an A force team always on standby to provide speedy service if needed.
I also follow the model mother and baby pose above. Hahahahah. Do we look alike wtf.
Photo taken with Sony Xperia
New milestone unlocked for Fighter! He recently learned how to grab his toes! He’s obsessed with them now. I can imagine him eating them soon wtf.
Started a few weeks ago when I realized he suddenly found the existence of his knees wtf. He’d grab on to them like this:
Photo taken with Sony Xperia
Then a few days ago he progressed to touching his toes hehehe so yay I think that’s another milestone achieved!
Actually that’s all la wtf I can see everyone reading this keeping quiet crickets chirping wtf. Eh let me be hahahha I must record down every milestone Fighter achieves okay! And I didn’t expect him to do it also since he still hasn’t rolled over.
(He turns to the side and gets stuck at his big fat arms wtf.)
Ah mommy what la you! You didn’t think I could grab my toes did you!
Did you hear that, Lamb Friend? She thought I couldn’t do it! HAHAHAHA.
This series of photos all taken with my Sony Xperia Z1 by Suet. Photo quality damn nice right!
To celebrate, I will give Lamb Friend a celebratory kiss.
*smooch smooch smooch*
What’s that sound? Oh uhhh hello Giraffe Friend. Me and Lamb Friend were just uhhh talking. That’s it. Just talking. *whistles innocently*
Ahhh you got me! I’m sorry Giraffe Friend but Lamb Friend is just so fat and fluffeh! What’s a baby to do!
And now here I am having a serious discussion with Daddy about current events and poly-ticks.
So Daddy tell me, what are your thoughts on Malaysian poly-ticks?
Hmm. I did NOT understand that.
Pssst Mommy. Give me something intelligent to say. Daddy’s expecting an answer. Mommy?
Oh great Mommy just walked away. I’m on my own then.
So um ticks. Aren’t they the same as mosquitos except itchi—
WOW DADDY WHAT’S THAT ON THE CEILING OVER THERE!
THERE THERE OVER THERE… THAT THAT THING.
(phew that was a close call. Good one, Fighter.)
As you know, Fatty and I are huge fans of Line, the messenger app. ^^
Fatty even blogged about it before! These screenshots were before I got my much beloved and overused Stitch stickers hahaha so I was still using my other favorite, Brown stickers.
Telling Fatty my parents and I were nearly at the restaurant we were having dinner at.
Telling Fatty dinner was ready.
Fatty being annoying with his Doraemon stickers hahaaha.
Even five minutes ago we were just talking on Line. Context: I went to renew my driver’s license today and told Fatty I renewed it for five years. He said why didn’t renew for ten years and I told him maximum is 5 years. And he said no the last time he renewed his for ten years.
So this is what I replied.
LOLOL.
Stereotypical but some truth in it, I admit I’m not the best of drivers. Although I haven’t banged the car in some time! *touches wood
ANyway did you notice Line has different themes available now!! My favorite character is Brown but the Cony theme is pink so Cony it is!
You can do so many things on Line. I use it to text and video call Fatty when he’s away from home. But did you know you can also shop on Line?
Hehehehe punny.
Yes Line Shopping! Line Shopping is not another app on its own but an official account under Line.
Go to Add Friends and just look for Line Shopping under Official Account recommendations. Then add it as a friend.
Basically LINE Shopping gives you awesome shopping deals from brands and e-commerce stores! Brands will put up promotions and special deals only for LINE Shopping followers to take advantage of. ^^
There’s also different fun shopping activities to partake in.
Like the Name Your own Price event! LINE Shopping announces the prize, in this case the Casio EX-ZR800 camera. Then the participant who entered the LOWEST UNIQUE price won this camera at RM 14.54!!!
The entry form will be open for 3 days only after announcement. When you enter your figure, remember not to include the symbol “RM”, just numbers and decimal figures up to 2 digits only. E.g. 12.95.
Only 1 figure will be considered. More than 1 figure entry will be disqualified.
I scrolled down the LINE Shopping timeline and saw this fella won a Galaxy Note 3 for RM10 WTF!!!!!
Special LINE Shopping stickers are coming up soon hehehe confirm they will fit my conversations perfectly.
Go add LINE Shopping now!
And if you’re not on LINE…..
Whatcha waiting for?
Hello everyone!
I know recently I’ve done a lot of ads (and some opinion pieces – which are the ones I really like actually! I wanna do more, just let me get more ideas first wtf) so here’s one of those posts where I open my Add New Post page without any inkling of what I want to say, only that I wanna write an update of what’s going on with me.
Fatty is part of EO (Entrepreneur’s Organization) and at every forum meeting, they update each other on three aspects of their lives, and listing the highs and lows of each one. I think it’s a great way of taking a step back and reflecting to see what’s good and what’s bad that’s happening and really put things in perspective. The three aspects are Work, Family and Personal so it also works very well in categorizing and sometimes you see things aren’t as complicated as you think it is.
So today Imma update in that fashion! Actually only about Work wtf cos I have a lot to say! I rarely talk about work okay so let me.
Work
Work is really good right now! (see told ya.) In a professional sense, I’m doing two things right now – blogging and working part time at a digital/social media agency.
I’ve never dared to let go and let blogging be my only source of income so I still choose to juggle two jobs. Although blogging now is a bigger career for me than it was before!
Blogging is going very well for me! As you can see I post plenty of sponsored posts recently wtf (sorry ah they really all just came at once) and I feel like I’m really coming into my own as a professional blogger. Before I’d always felt that I was never the first choice for advertisers but I hear more and more clients are happy with my work or ask for me specifically which is awesome because …. it’s awesome la wtf need reason ah hahaha.
Actually the other day it occurred to me that… Blogging is such a narcissistic career wtf. Especially for someone like me who doesn’t blog about a niche interest but…myself and my life only.
Not narcissistic meh! It’s not even like being an actor or a singer. An actor assumes another identity so he’s selling you his performance, which he created. A singer sells you his music which he also created. I am selling my personality. I am literally making money from being self centered and talking about myself. Wtf you tell me ten years ago I’d make money talking about myself I’d think you’re mad hahaha.
As for the other work, I can’t remember if I’ve said before but I work n a part time basis with a small digital agency called Sashimi (hahaha) started by my old boss Desmond. Our whole team from my previous company joined us wtf so it’s very lau juak wtf. Anyway before I’d only taken on one account (to manage my time better) but recently the team needed more manpower and I volunteered to take on a new project.
So we’ve been brainstorming and creating presentations and then going to present it to the clients (who love it hehehe yay us) and… I’m loving it. I do miss the vibrancy and energy and camaraderie that comes with working in an ad agency (although not the hours wtf) so I really enjoyed being back in a team and producing something good together.
And when there’s more work there’s more money which is always good. ^^
So those are the highs.
The low for work is that I sometimes still struggle to juggle work and Fighter, although I really am getting better at this. Even something like styling coordinates and taking pictures I consider work (albeit fun work) cos it takes me away from him. And don’t say la, meetings if drag too long I start getting antsy wanting to go home to my baby.
But nothing to complain about really. I’m already super lucky I get to work from home, and do things I enjoy. Then I get to take care of Fighter myself and spend time with him. Nearly as much as a stay at home mom but can earn my own money at the same time. 🙂
Update about Family and Personal another day! Now it’s picture spam timeeee.
Birthday lunch with the Oois! Again there’s someone ruining the picture by closing his eyes and this time it ain’t Fighter. *stares at Fat Her.
Just the Oois (and one Tiah).
Hehehe Fat Her took this lovey dovey shot of me and Fatty which I love.
It’s my birthday and I’ll show my teeth if I want to!
My event partner and I at the launch of Elle Malaysia.
With the girls who went! Bobo, Michiekins, Jane, Nana and Nat.
Sucks la this photographer managed to make everyone short. And everyone there (besides me) is very tall one!
My audfit! Dress from Nasty Gal, shoes are JC Litas, clutch is Kate Spade.
OH yes Fighter scored himself had a hot date for Valentine’s. We were at dinner at Desmond’s place and put him on the baby mat next to Desmond and Jojo’s baby Arissa. He managed to roll himself closer and grab her by the mitten. HAHAHAHA damn cute.
Big Fat and Small Fat. <3
We took Fighter to a baby spa the other day hoping to let him have a swim and then a massage. He cried the entire place down, god knows why. -_- There was another baby crying there so maybe he got a bad vibe wtf.
Didn’t even manage to get him out of his clothes, no need to say into the tub.
Sigh see how la maybe try again this weekend. Although the way he cried (very loud, very frightened, very upset) was quite traumatizing for us too. :X
Actually all these stories were already written on Dayre! Go download it and follow me (@fourfeetnine) there please so I don’t need to repeat myself hahaha.
Fighter trying to stand. And being quite ecstatic about it. Uhhh hello Fighter you don’t feel two hands holding you up meh it’s not your legs that’s doing the work okay. Lol.
Fighter succeeding in holding his bottle (albeit for three seconds before it dropped). He’s actually quite independent and bossy in that he always wants to hold his own bottle and pacifier to make sure it goes into his mouth like so. Sometimes he even pushes my hand away while attempting to hold. -_- Lolol big boss this one.
Just more cute pictures of him!
AHHH THIS PHOTO IS LOVE.
THIS ONE ALSO I CANNOT BELIEVE WHY HE SO HANDSOME ONEEEEE
The other day someone asked me to blog about my skincare/makeup regime, so here is your genie, granting your wish.
(Say as though a lot of people asked, actually only one request wtf.)
Anyway, I’ve periodically blogged about my skincare but skincare always changes ma! So this is my current skincare routine and products used.
1. Kose Sekkisei Save The Blue lotion – received it for a sponsored review and I really like it! After cleansing I pour some of this on a cotton pad and swipe my face with it.
2. DRx Comedone Formula – I gently massage this on to my T zone. It’s amazing for dissolving blackheads and whiteheads! My chin used to be full of whiteheads until I can use my fingernails to pluck out wtf but just a week of using this and no more visible whiteheads, blackheads also reduced. You can get this from DRx Clinic in Sri Hartamas.
3. DRx Max C – Yea I have an entire range of DRx products. Max C is Vitamin C, meant for whitening. Take a small amount and smooth it over my face.
4. DRx Botanical Whitener – A plant based product, also for whitening. Apply it after the Max C.
5. DRx Rejuvenator – A lightweight moisturizer that pairs well with Max C, cos Max C works best if skin is not overly moisturized.
DRx’s products are really very good! I’ve been using them for exactly a year already, and my skin used to be quite patchy with dark or red spots. But now overall more even toned and brighter. ^^
6. Laneige Perfect Renew Dual Touch eye cream – Last step is eye cream. I also dunno why, Laneige says it should be so wtf. I just got this recently; before this I was using Shiseido’s anti-aging eye cream which is super oily wtf. Just switched to this and I like! Texture very smooth and the cream for day even comes with SPF.
7. Clinique Take The Day Off makeup remover – Also love. I usually never stay with one product one, always switching brands to try different products. I used Clinique when I was at Mount Holyoke and I never really found a product as good as this so I went back. ^^
8. Laneige Water Sleeping mask (not in picture) – Oh ya once or twice a week I use this at night too!
On to makeup!
These are all the makeup I use on a daily basis. When I say daily basis, I mean daily basis wtf. My makeup never changes wtf in fact I can totally imagine myself as a 50 year old doing the same makeup I do now and pooh-poohing new-fangled makeup techniques in year 2035 wtf.
I don’t have any different makeup looks. And if I have to go out at night I just draw eyeliner thicker that’s all wtf. #uninteresting #predictable
1. Chanel Healthy Glow cream – I guess this is their version of BB cream ah. Actually thanks to DRx I don’t use BB cream or foundation! I usually just apply sunblock and loose powder that’s all. But sunblock itself rubs away after a while and I wanted something with a bit more lasting coverage. Randomly picked this since I never tried anything from Chanel before. I love it! Nice smell, very light and even coverage. Color also quite nice.
2. MAC liquid concealer – After BB cream, I dab on concealer under my eyes and occasionally around my nose cos I have redness there.
3. Nude Face concealer – Not sure what the brand is wtf but I got it in Japan and the coverage is powerful! It’s good but sometimes it can be a bit thick and white so I don’t really like it for everyday wear. Good for very lasting and strong coverage though.
4. Lancome Le Crayon Sourcils eyebrow pencil in blond – This is also another product I used years ago and reverted to cos it’s really very good. Color is nice, and very easy to draw with. A lot of Japanese eyebrow pencils somehow come out very light and you need to press hard which I don’t like. Also this pencil can last you for years wtf.
5. Stage eyeshadow in Rose Tea – This is my eye shadow du jour. I got it free from an event or advertorial I think wtf years ago. Recently started using it and it’s quite nice! Color is a bit reddish brown and quite pigmented.
6. Super Quick Matte Liquid Eyeliner in brown – Last time when I super into gyaru style everything must be black – eyeliner, mascara, lashes etc. But now I prefer a lighter look so I use brown eyeliner. But brown liquid eyeliner tends to look too light/watery though, haven’t found one I really love yet. This one is so so only la. Got it from Sasa.
7. Majolica Majorca mascara base – I always use mascara base! To protect my lashes and to make them thicker before I put mascara.
8. Dior Show Iconic mascara in black – Got this free also wtf. Quite good also but been itching to try brown.
9. Dolly Wink lash glue – okay okay la. I prefer Koji’s Fix it glue which applies in white but turns clear when it dries. But I think they stopped making it! D: Dolly Wink was a souvenir from Isetan hehe.
10. My Melody lash case – to represent my lashes wtf.
Currently using Amo Pastel half length lashes. The lashes are brown! It’s very nice but I feel it’s a bit too long for my eyes and looks super dramatic in real life. Not in pictures though! Bought in Japan.
11. Dior blusher in Rose Tahiti Paradise Glow what a mouthful wtf – a present from Janice! Looks super natural but not as pigmented as I’m used to.
Add together everything on my face wtf.
Nah show you the lashes and eyeshadow.
Whoops forgot to color in my brows WTF.
Eyeshadow is super pretty hor! I didn’t think a red shade on the eyes would be so nice.
Oh yea also touched up my extensions at 76style. Thanks to Hikky!
Under natural sunlight. Topped off with a sheer orange lipstick from Kate.
Feel free to share your makeup tips/routines whatever for me to kepoh!
Short Mention:
And since I’m on the subject of makeup and being pretty, here’s an announcement. Just comment on this blog post and answer the question:
Are you a ‘Sweet Rose’ or ‘Soft Lavender’? Tell me why.
To stand a higher chance in winning, post your best Japan Inspired OOTD/Make-up Styles/Hairstyles and upload your picture on Instagram with tags #HerbalEssences @Nuffnang and @Fourfeetnine (to track where your entry comes from). Remember to set your Instagram account to public so I can view!
Example like this:
I am rose obviously wtf.
The best comments (4) will win passes to Herbal Essences Neo Gal party (first I’ve heard of)!!! Neo gal is a new subculture of gyaru – coined by ViVi, it’s a sort of mixture between Shibuya and Harajuku style, although some people also include mode brands like Emoda and Murua under Neo Gal style. For example, Alisa Ueno is like the quintessential Neo Gal. Anyway good luck and see you at the Neo Gal party!! I will be there!!! With Bobo, Cheesie, Chuckei, Miasuraya, Nanabwincess and Myamethyst-shea. ^^
See Nuffnang’s blog post on the All New Herbal-Essences : Japan Series for more info.
Ok listen up everyone. I’ve officially found the best product for lazy people.
No not this hands free kit. Hahahahha.
To be precise, the best product for lazy, busy, but still wanna be healthy/vain people.
It’s sitting in our shower cubicle as I type.
What? In-shower skin conditioner?
In layman terms, rinse off body lotion.
Yea when Fatty brought this home I was like IS THIS FOR REAL (eyes narrowed). Because to me anything rinse off is soap and how can soap be body lotion? And even if it is body lotion, how can it possibly be moisturizing if you rinse it off two seconds later?
Yes. NIVEA In-shower skin conditioner is the first of its kind that I’ve seen. It was literally formulated as a hassle-free way for people who are too busy (or lazy ahem) like me to moisturize their skin. So here’s how to use it.
disclaimer: Pictures may be a tad blurry and also taken from different angles and different areas of the room. Do you know how hard it is to take pictures while soaping yourself!? I changed angles repeatedly to find the nicest shots. Even resorted to hanging my camera on the doorknob so I can show both hands in the photo wtf. And I took two sets of pictures over two days but this is the best I could get wtf. What to do hahahah fourfeetnine.com is a one woman show wtf. Never mind! My words speak more than my pictures right right?
Originally also wanted to wear a towel for these pictures for authenticity’s sake but too hard! Already have to juggle product, water and camera later I drop my towel how wtf.
Anyway you just shower like normal with your usual bath gel or soap.
After you’ve rinsed off the soap, just apply the NIVEA Skin Conditioner like how you would apply shower gel.
The lotion is white and texture is pretty much like a regular body lotion.
Then just rinse off again! Unlike hair conditioners, no need to leave it on for a few minutes, just rinse off and towel dry like usual.
Then touch your own skin and feel the difference!
I suffer from really bad dry skin and actually need to apply body lotion religiously every night after my shower. But sometimes when I come home late and shower and I just wanna go straight to sleep or just nuah, I neglect to moisturize.
If I don’t do it for a few nights in a row, my skin turns scaly like a snake wtf. Very very gross one.
So this product is very amazing la! It’s different from normal lotions in that it’s a special water-activated formula so it basically only works in the shower. So I don’t need to spend time rubbing myself with lotion anymore!!! Just do it in the shower which takes like all of 10 seconds (hello I’m 4’9 my body surface very small) and that’s it!!
And unlike normal lotions which when applied can be thick or sticky, this one is rinsed off right away ma. The effect is like… you know when you go for a pedicure and they sometimes massage cream into your legs and then they wipe it off?
My skin feels like that! Hydrated and smooth, not dry and papery anymore. And not sticky or oily like it does with regular lotion.
Model Nadia and host Jason Godfrey also agree. Hahaha.
I was just thinking I’m soooo happy I live in the 21st century where awesome innovations like this NIVEA In-shower Skin Conditioner are invented. Seriously imagine if I lived 500 years ago when to even have soap in the first place I’d probably have to hunt some animal and take their fat to boil into soap wtf.
If you’re itching (dry skin = itchy skin geddit geddit wtf) to try the product, visit NIVEA Malaysia Facebook page for a FREE 10ml trial pack. Or make a pledge with NIVEA to stand a chance to win a full year supply of NIVEA In-Shower Skin Conditioner with your 3 BFFs! All info on Facebook.
Hello! Today was quite an interesting fruitful day for me. I will tell you the story of my daily schedule some other time but let’s just say it usually involves Fighter playing/bathing/feeding/putting to nap and then trying to sneak in some work/blogging/ootd shots/updating social media while he sleeps. :X
So today was a bit different because a camera crew came to our house to shoot me (and Fighter)! I’ve been chosen as one of the ambassadors for Sony Xperia yay me! Ecstatic about the ambassadorship because the product is really awesome. Its best features are the camera and battery life, the two things I require in my phone hahaha.
But more on that later!
Anyway ever since Fighter although I normally like shoots, I’ve been a bit reluctant cos doing shoots means I have to spend the whole day away from home and Fighter. Boobs will be engorged and uncomfortable, and the more time passes, the angrier I get about not being able to go home and see him. Hahahah sounds damn sad wtf.
But this one I don’t mind cos it takes place at home! I’ll be featured in a video that chronicles my (daily) life – what I do everyday (see above) but more glamorously portrayed thank god wtf – and how the Sony Xperia fits and advantages my life!
Crew flew in from Manila to do this shoot some more. D: I love all the shots they got of me! All look so emo and beautiful and loving with Fighter I liiiiike.
Photos below are all taken with the Sony Xperia Z1. No official photos yet!
Fighter features prominently here wtf. Because he’s a huge part of my life! Cut him out and you cut away a piece of me *drama mama
I watch a lot of Donald Duck videos on Youtube with Fighter hehehe so this shot was about that. The Sony Xperia Z1 is big enough to watch videos comfortably.
Cuddling Fighter while the crew gets ready.
They wanted some shots in Fighter’s nursery too so that’s where we were.
Fighter smiling! He saw himself on the screen that’s why hahaha.
He was actually quite good during the shoot! We tried to do it super fast in between his naps and he was very obliging. Cos the crew kept calling out to him also so he kept smiling at them off camera.
Check out all his toys behind. Can’t even play with any of them yet, don’t say the shoes cannot even walk yet also got so many already ah this VIP.
Wah Fighter your double chin. And your face so lansi like HK triad I cannot.
This shot also major love! Looks like a TVC for I dunno milk powder or something.
Then because I mentioned my two passions right now are parenting/family and self love fashion/being pretty wtf so I had to demo a few coordinates…
Why did it never occur to me before to take outfit shots on the balcony!!! Lighting damn gooddddd then got artsy looking orange wall as backdrop some more wtf.
But then I aim wrongly anf take picture with the glass sliding door behind and the potted plant and house slippers wtf.
Get it right Aud wtf.
Shoes of the day! Later show proper outfit shot.
All selfies taken with the Soft Skin function. I actually like the soft skin function here more than my Casio TR15 leh. I like the color of TR15 photos (soft muted colors) but their makeup function sometimes makes things a bit blurry.
Xperia’s Soft Skin function erases blemishes and eyebags all but doesn’t take away the clarity. ^^
Seriously my eyebags are really really bad now. Considering fillers or something to disguise them haih.
Outfit #2.
We were trying to finish up fast so I simply pulled on stuff I’ve posted before hahaha. Knit top and necklace both from Foruchizu x Isetan.
Mandatory #audfit picture!
Leather paneled blazer – Younghungryfree
Mesh turtle neck – Nasty Gal
Leather shorts – H&M
Houndstooth socks – Emoda
Shoes – Murua
Ok fine the shoes were from Taobao WTF. But I think it’s real Murua just hijacked to sell off leh cos the price definitely feels original wtf. I would have bought these original but sold out T___________T
Ok update again when the video is out!!!
Today’s blog topic is something a bit sensitive I think. I thought and thought about whether I should blog about this, and I decided f*ck it Imma just write.
Today’s blog post is about how to up your PR game, especially when it comes to bloggers.
Digression: I hate the term “bloggers”!!! Anyone who has ever had a blogspot account can refer to themselves as “a blogger”. And advertisers and clients always seem to have a shit view of bloggers! Always think they only want free stuff la, very cheap can bribe them with cheap products/meals in exchange for coverage, no brand loyalty, etc etc. So I never introduce myself as a blogger. But Fatty always goes, “this is Audrey, she’s a blogger.” Fats, next time instead how about you say, “this is Audrey, the most awesome person I know” I’d totally be fine with it. Lolol.
Anyway I’ve been blogging for 10 years (ZOMG!!!!!!!!) now and in the course of it I’ve encountered many different kinds of people. As you know, most of my sponsorships and deals come through Nuffnang but on a daily basis I do receive emails from direct advertisers, PR companies too, as well as anyone who wants to spread awareness about something.
So there’s tons of emails, FB messages, tweets I’ve received. Some nice, some professional, some earnest and sincere, some written with bad grammar, some rude, some damn annoying, and some just plain weird. And I thought, (the good ones aside) who are all these people!?! How is it possible they still have jobs in PR wtf. Or if it’s a direct advertiser, who are these weirdos!? Wanna do business but where’s their work ethics? How is their business still standing?
PR stands for Public Relations. Which means a PR person’s job is to build Public Relations – to build the relationship between their brand/client and the public. And the public means everyone else! It means your customers, your mass media and journalists, and yes if you plan to go there, the social influencers you intend to work with. So why are your emails still so appalling wtf.
Someone needs to write a basic guideline on how to work with online influencers and how to be a polite human being. I waited 3-4 years for this but since I still don’t see any, here’s my version. This applies to Malaysia only, and maybe Singapore, since I don’t have a clue how things work elsewhere.
(disclaimer: Most of the people I’ve encountered are generally nice, polite and professional. This is a minority I’m talking about.)
1. Be polite. And check your spelling/grammar
This is so basic I don’t even know why I have to say it. But I do. Thankfully, I don’t think I’ve encountered a PR agency being straight off rude, but many SMEs (small/medium businesses) and online businesses don’t seem to know this!
If you can’t even get your punctuation right, how do you expect me to convince me that you are a business I should be working with, much less that you’re a legitimate advertiser?
I received this email yesterday.
Polite enough. Got wish me good morning and inserted smiley faces.
But the background to this email was, this blogshop in question left a comment on my Instagram picture (which incidentally featured another blogshop) asking if I would be interested in sponsorship.
(1) personally, I find it damn bad taste to hijack another store’s picture by leaving a sponsorship request comment there but never mind, maybe they didn’t know it was sponsored. Although if you’re in the business you definitely know la.
(2) my email address is right on my Instagram profile. Why leave a comment there and not email me? I didn’t reply their first comment, so they left me another on another photo, to which I asked them to email me. Are you serious about wanting to work together?? Why so lazy don’t even bother emailing me or even checking for my email address in the first place?
(3) Email is templated. No sign of my name anywhere in sight. And worse, the email seems to be have written as though *I* am the one asking them for sponsorship, not the other way round. It’s full of assumptions and terms n their part, but doesn’t bother asking me what my terms are, weird considering that THEY are the ones who want to engage me, not the other way round. I found it quite rude and it turned me off towards them.
2. Be professional
This one again is not so much PR agencies la but SMEs (usually online businesses). Based on their emails/communications a lot are little more than one man shows and based on the lack of professionalism showed, I think a lot of them are probably students who have never worked proper jobs in their lives.
If they did, I dunno why like that wtf. One man show businesses are fine because everyone has to start somewhere. But if you plan on sustaining a successful business then you also have to act like it la! I’ve had people ask me to promote their stores for a discount, then further negotiate hard ball even after I say no politely. I’ve had people whom I suspect pretend to misunderstand me to get cheaper prices/max value for themselves. And I’ve had people tell me sob stories and plead with me for lower rates.
It’s extremely uncomfortable having to listen to and deal with all this. You’re putting me in the position of having to be a pasar malam auntie to bargain with you like that. Luckily not so many do this la, and I usually pass these queries to my blog manager at Nuffnang anyway, but sometimes still kena.
And worse, it’s extremely unprofessional for you to tell me your sob stories. Oh you left your job to start this business and have no money but want me to promote you for free? Oh you will give free products? I know how much your stock costs and it’s super insulting for you to imply that my value as an influencer is equal to the cost of your product.
Business is business. How can you ask someone to help you do something for free when you’re hoping to profit from it? It is essentially asking me to help you, so you can make money but I won’t. Like that why don’t you ask your supplier to give you stock for free because you just started your business and your boyfriend ran away with your savings?
I actually fell for these sob stories before a few times FML. And I ended up feeling taken advantage of and unhappy. But noone but myself to blame because who asked me to do it wtf.
3. Just being a nice person
PR isn’t rocket science what! If you want something from someone, try to build a good relationship with them. That’s the entire point of PR isn’t it? And to build a good relationship, it’s as easy as being a nice, easy to work with, professional person. How hard is that?
Like this. A blogshop I worked with before, Supermodels Secrets sent me a CNY package out of the blue – filled with mandarin oranges, a handwritten note wishing me happy new year and thanking me for working with them, and a bunch of other small stuff. It was so small and of little cost to them but it made such a big impact on me! So much so that I’m praising them here for their awesome PR and service. A little goodwill now goes a long way to sustaining a good relationship in the future.
I can’t understand why these PR peeps don’t see that. Maybe they should rethink their field wtf.
2. No saying Dear Editor
One of the things I hate the most is receiving emails that start off with ‘Dear Editor’ or ‘Dear Esteemed Member of the Press’. I am not an editor nor am I a member of the press so I assume this email is not meant for me and usually delete it without reading further.
Maybe it’s okay to send emails to journalists and editors titled ‘Dear Editor’ because they are editors, and no matter how impersonal the email, it is their job to read your press release and write about your event anyway. It’s not my job and sending me a press release starting with ‘Dear Editor’ will not endear you to me. It makes me think that you are just blindly spamming releases without considering the recipient. So I think it’s also okay to blindly delete your email.
3. Assuming bloggers are mainstream media and treating them as such
This is kinda related to ‘Dear Editor’. I guess bloggers can be categorized as a sort of alternative media because many blogs supply information. But PR agencies tend to lump blogs in with mainstream media like newspapers and magazines. When they send event invites, they also expect a post-event writeup.
Here’s an example. The other day I received an email from the PR firm of an alcohol company in my inbox. It started with ‘Dear Editor’ wtf so I deleted it. A few days later I got a call from said PR firm. The lady asked me if I’d received their email. Since I delete on auto pilot I said I didn’t remember and she said no worries, she would send it again. She sent it, I saw it was a press release and deleted it again wtf.
Then the lady texted me to ask if I’d gotten the press release and photos. I said yep. She then asked “whether you will be able to use them if you haven’t already”.
Why? WHY? I am not a newspaper journalist. Maybe you can expect a journalist to cover your event because again, it is THEIR JOB. They receive a salary for doing so. And you have probably bought ad space in their publication which contributes to their salary.
What do I receive!? Free photos to use!?!? I only blog about my life and myself – why would I post photos of an event that I never went to??? I really don’t think my readers would wanna read a press release of your CNY campaign lo wtf.
That’s another mistake PR agencies make – thinking that the information and photos they provide via their press release is of value to me as a blogger and I should be honored and super eager to use them in my blog.
4. Know thy blogger
This is also something so basic that I can’t believe PR agencies in Malaysia don’t do it. If your client is say, a diaper brand, would you contact an unmarried blogger for your marketing activities?
But I kena this a few times! I’ve always written about how much I hate exercise, but I still get exercise related emails.
Or this.
Always receiving emails from Singapore. I don’t know how these people found me and decided they want to work with me, but don’t even know where I’m based. :X
I replied them that I live in KL and then no reply. *crickets chirping
Another incident lately which was the trigger to this blog post was the one I mentioned earlier – the alcohol company asking me if I would be using their press release.
1-2 years ago this company sent me a Xmas hamper via their PR firm. I was pleasantly surprised and appreciated that there were no strings attached so I returned the favor by tweeting a picture and thanking them.
Then a year later they invited me to an event. I politely declined because I was pregnant and wanted to avoid drinking and smoky places. Then a few months later, they invited me to another event. I declined again because I had just been discharged from the hospital and was still in confinement.
Then the fateful press release incident happened a few weeks ago. When the lady asked if I would be blogging for them, I replied, “no I will not. In fact I’m surprised you expect me to considering I am breastfeeding and don’t alcohol companies have strict guidelines against things like this?”
She replied, oh sorry I forgot.
Seriously?? As a PR firm, isn’t it part of your job to keep track of the media and influencers you (want to) work with? Isn’t that what they pay you for wtf. I’ve never worked in a PR firm but if I did, or if I were an advertiser, I would want to know as much details as I could about the lives of my influencers so I could make sure their lifestyle suited for the product, it is plausible that they were using the product/service, that their audience matched my target market and so forth.
Which brings me to my bonus point:
Not all bloggers are created equal
To advertisers, when you want to engage a blogger/social influencer for your brand, find out who they are. Like I’ve said, anyone can create a blog/Instagram and call themselves a blogger/influencer. That does not mean they have any actual influence.
To gauge someone’s influence, look at blog traffic first. And it should be unique views not page views. Unique views means unique people who came to the blog. Page views means how many times your blog loaded/refreshed. So you could have 1 unique visitor, but 5 page views if the fella keeps refreshing the page. If blog traffic not available, Instagram, Twitter, Dayre numbers are a good gauge.
Also don’t forget to look at the engagement – the number of likes and comments received. The more influential a person, the higher the engagement, obviously. And if a person has a high number of followers, say 20,000 Instagram followers but only 20 likes, it’s a big hint that the followers are fake wtf. Cos I’ve heard of people who do that. :X A normal like average based on my own observation is about 5-10% likes of the total followers.
So if your PR company gives you a list of influencers they engaged, it would be a good idea to look at the above criteria to gauge the influence and the effectiveness of their engagement. 🙂
Wah that was a huge chunk of verbal diarrhea.
I dunno maybe I’m just anal wtf. I work in social media ma (not just blogging, but in an agency too) so I guess these are peeves of mine. I don’t think all this is too much to ask for, really, if you or your company wants to work with bloggers, these are the basics right? Be polite, be professional, and know your stuff. And that will probably get you further.
Luck!! 😀
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