Tuesday, September 22, 2015

5 Beauty Tips To Save Mommy’s Time & Keep Her Sane

Being a helper-less mom with 3 kids under 6 to care for, one of which is still a breastfeeding infant, a husband to cook for, a few business ventures to manage (and trying to keep them afloat!), I tend to get frustrated about how I’m always the last one to get ready for anything; and by then, because we are already pressed for time, I’d be thankful to be able to have my teeth brushed and have on my tattered jeans (it’s fashion. I insist) and a clean top. Any top, with no stains and doesn't smell like sweat and yesterday’s dinner and is within reach.

See the thing is, let’s do real here. It’s a ginormous lie if I say I am happy enough to just see that everyone in the household is happy as a lark because mama has cleaned and fed them, never mind the fact that I'm still in my dirty pajamas and starving like a wolf. You know the saying “a hungry man is an angry man”? Yeah, newsflash, it applies to women too.

Truth is, I feel like I keep giving all of me 24/7/365/forever but no one is taking care of me in return and that bums me a lot. The “what about me?” syndrome unconsciously saps my energy and makes me grouchy, which I realized, it has got to stop at some point (at least don’t let it happen so often haha).

So then I figured if anyone would take care of me is really, myself because hey, I don’t think I’d trust my husband to actually dress me or that I would take any beauty advice from my 4-year-old (who thinks wearing a purple leggings under a floral dress is a must).

I started doing “things”, practical little things, to help save me time and they actually work for me. Here I'm sharing a few tips and I hope they will save your life too, well for a little while at least.

1.   Eyebrow embroidery

That’s my first plunge, a little pricey, I admit, but for the long run, it saves me time and money to buy eyebrow pencils AND sanity!

I did some research and found one technician who offers an affordable price, is skilled, and comes with good reviews. The result? Best decision I've ever made in my entire career as a mother! Now, I don’t need to stand in front of the mirror for hours trying to get that perfect black caterpillars (according to my girls) drawn on my brows, and then only to have my hair all pulled out because I got so frustrated with the results of my rushed, shaky hands.

2.   Eyelash extension

This is still on my to-do list. But same theory from above applies here too. With this, you won’t need to bother about curling your eyelashes plus it gives the illusion of you lining your eyes, so that’s cool. This will give you that put together look even without makeup on. But this might require a little more effort to maintain, I understand that you will need a touch up every 1-2 months.

3.  Invest in your hair

I just came back from the salon 2 days ago and I am slapping myself silly for not getting this done earlier! I mean, I felt like a whole new person after I emerged from under my hairstylist’s hair dryer. And I was excited. And happy. And I just love my new do!

But the thing is, I didn't do much – just a digital perm and hair treatment, and I now rock a head of soft curls that lends me an edgy but romantic look. And! Permed hair needs no combing! Ding! Ding! Ding! Just get a good curling lotion, rub it on after hair wash, blow dry (or not hehehe), and you’re good to go. And this means, you skip the step where you need to style your hair before heading out! That just-wake-up-bed-hair-beach-waves is forever in trend ladies!

Note:  remember only use a wide tooth comb to detangle your wet hair. The tip is to smooth out all the tangles while in the shower with hair conditioner, after wash, comb it through, and then curling lotion and don’t touch it any more lest you break up your curls and waves, leaving them looking scruffy and that perm might just won’t last as long.

If perming is not your thing, then do consider relaxing your hair (a treatment term, not literally relaxing. Your hair. Ok never mind, just ask your hairstylist.), the effect is natural-looking straight hair with good bounce and volume. Or even just get your hair a trim and color. Instant lift let me assure you. If all else fails, this leads me to tip numero four.

4.  Buns
Like, literally hair buns. Youtube tutorials are abound on the internet land teaching hipster girls ahem like us how to give that X factor to our go-to hairstyles – ponytails and buns. Master one or two quick tricks, couple it with cool accessories like a pair of big assed sunnies/aviators-only-cool-kids-wear, and let me congratulate you for being the yummiest mommy ever gracing the wet market.

5. Long term hair removal maybe?
I haven’t got this done but am toying with the idea. This essentially cuts down my time in the shower because well, no shaving needed! There are tons of beauty salons out there that offer hair removal services which you can check out. Keep an eye out on groupon, et al too for good deals. I heard the current on-trend technology is electrolysis? If you have done it, share your views!


There. 5 tips. Do you have any to share? Do mommies the world over a big fat favour and add on to the list by sharing your tips down below at the comment section! :)

Saturday, September 05, 2015

Testimony. Our 2014 In One Page.

Shared this testimony on AG Connect (Jan 2015 issue); I'm posting the unedited version here. Be blessed! :)

+++++++++++++++++++++++

The year 2014 had been a year of high ups and pit downs. We had an exciting start to the year as we organized our first family trip overseas and had the time of our life! At the same time, we were offered opportunities to travel as well as a chance to be on a TV show; to top it off, we had just bought a place of our own and renovation works were going on. Soon, we moved in to our new nest and found out I was pregnant with our third baby, one whom we prayed for – a boy – and God answered our prayers! We were elated!

As we rejoice with the happenings and blessings in that season of our family life, one visit to the doctor’s during the first trimester have robbed our joy. The doctor told us that our baby could be a Down syndrome baby. One statement and suddenly, everything became bleak and hopeless as we didn't know what to expect or how to cope with such a child if what the doctor said was true. We won’t deny that abortion was one of the first things that crossed our minds. But God is good, during that dark period, He sent people – both friends and strangers – to encourage us through one sermon that hit home and word of affirmation that gave us courage. He told us to seek Him, trust Him and press on. It was a breakthrough since then and we regained hope to move on by faith.

The pregnancy was dull and I didn't enjoy it, because although I consciously chose to trust that His gift is perfect, the many what if’s were continuously bothering me. I was grumpy and felt a piece of me was missing. Things got almost unbearable for me towards the end of the pregnancy as I started experiencing severe vomiting, heartburn, and breathlessness; I couldn't sleep at night nor take solids, and I was constantly thirsty. This went on for about a month, all the while having 2 young daughters to take care of. If you asked me now how I went through it, I can only say God sustains.

On the 15th of December, my family realized something was amiss and insisted that I went to the hospital. On the 16th, the doctor told us that my liver, kidneys, and heart were getting weaker, hence an emergency c-sect had to be performed on me to deliver the baby.  On the 17th, the doctors confirmed that I was infected with leptospirosis (rat’s urine disease). At that time I was unconscious and was placed in ICU, doctors weren't able to give any hope that I would walk out of this alive. I was later told that had we left it untreated for another 2 more days, that’d be the end of me. The thought of dying due to this crazy, utterly random condition truly have me shudder in heartache and fear but God is amazing!

His hands were truly apparent in this entire ordeal and I'm humbled by His grace, mercy, love, and healing upon me and my family. I am so blessed with a wonderful husband, parents and family members who went through hell trying to hold the fort, and themselves, the entire time, for me and my children. Words can't describe the emotional turmoil they go through everyday not receiving confirmed positive news from the doctors regarding the progress of my health. I truly, sincerely thank God for them!

And that suspected Down syndrome baby? He was a perfect, healthy 6.8 pounder. Results showed that he wasn’t affected by nor was he the cause of the condition. I didn't get to see him until almost a week later but when we did, we both hit it off really well and I was so glad to be able to nurse him too. 

He was named Everett Micaiah Jason – Everett meaning courage, and Micaiah, who is like God? God gave us courage to carry him through despite the doctor’s suspicion. And if it wasn't for him, the outcome of the entire event will be very different. 

We wanted him to be brave, yet he was the one who gave us courage during the ordeal. And God, truly who is like Him? I almost lost my life and my family, His grace has preserved me! Doctors declared both Everett and I a clean bill of health and we were able to go home in time for Christmas.

Christmas 2014 was made meaningful for our family because God has given us an amazing gift and we realized, Jesus is the only reason for the season! 


Friday, August 28, 2015

What The Heck Happened Leishia?!


So the last post was dated back in 2013. And then a very long pause. 2 years to be exact. Wow.

I guess the reason I call it a pause is because deep down, I know I will always return to my first love – writing. But there is just this itty bitty fear that is gnawing away in me; fear of not being funny enough, or relevant enough, or entertaining enough, fear of what people think of me as a crap “blogger”, fears, fears, fears.

There is this huge silent fight going on within me recently, “imma go back to blogging today!” vs “nah maybe not. We'll wait and see. Wait and see”. Like seriously, wait and see for what I have no idea man! But today I say, enough is enough. Just start finger-banging the damn keyboard already Leishia!

So here I am.

Again.

Wow. I am truly so out of touch with the blogging world (but I'm glad I still remember the password back in here! Hah!). I wonder how it is evolving? What’s up? What’s out? How do bloggers do things now? How are you's?

My last memory of this little space was that I posted about Via’s (my second baby) birthday, she turned 1. Today, she is a noisy, crazy 3 year old! And she will turn 4 next month in September! MAJOR CRAY!
Oh. And did I mention? Baby #3 arrived 8 months ago. Hehe.

And oh! I almost died on the last lap of carrying baby #3. But that will be another story for another day. All I can say is, God is freaking amazing!

Anyway, in between all these, quite a bit happened. We finally moved into our own place, and started a few ventures, had our 5 minutes fame on tv via a "social experimental" reality show, the girls started kindie, if you remember Frappy, she is crazy talkative and very tall now. Gosh there’s just so much to catch up on, haven’t we?

But we shall take it slow, aight? For now, I am just so thrilled to be back. Taking the first step is always invigorating.

So. Taken any first steps lately? :)



Friday, May 17, 2013

The Diary of A Noob Gardener

Lots have happened since I last blogged here, I shall catch up slowly with photos as proof, haha. But for now, I just want to talk about my "garden", and that is all I want to talk about all day, everyday!

I don't mean to offend any gardeners, but to me, planting stuff is for old people, aunties and uncles, I mean, who has time for gardening?! Pfft! And then something in me snapped, or clicked, or whatever. Or maybe it's just the aging thing (I am now an aunty!), I now love planting stuff! How magical lol! But, right now, I'm only interested with planting edible stuff. Decorative flowers and bonsais and the rest are a waste of time, and it's just me, ok! Please don't take offence!

If you remember, I did briefly blog about planting a sprouted onion some time back, and then due to my total noobness and impatience, I killed the plant by pulling the whole damn thing out too soon too fast. And that was it. And then a friend gave me a baby basil plant last year end, which I almost killed too, but it's really quite hardy. It's still alive to this day, growing shoots and the leaves are looking lush and green and all that, only I have not an inkling why its... erm, "main" branch looks as good as dead - you know, looking like dead thick twig. But I figured it's ok, as long as it keeps growing shoots, that's the sign of life to me! The best part about having a pot of basil plant at home is that I get to pluck it fresh for my cooking!

And then I got my dad to get me a few Styrofoam boxes from the market and soil, and I started planting whatever I can't salvage for cooking anymore - started with a small piece of sprouted ginger, and then I also threw into the box a rotten tomato, a rotten lime, the leafy top part of a beetroot, and carrot, oh and a sprouted potato, AND I've saved 2 avocado pits. They are sitting in a cup of water now, once the roots start showing, I'll move them to the pots.

So there! Anyway, interesting noob story about my gardening adventure - one day I saw a bunch of seedlings started shooting up like crazy in that styrofoam box in one corner, and in another corner another plant seem to be growing too (and at first I thought it was beetroot, later I decided it's tomato, yes I decided.), so I took  a picture and showed my gardener friend and asked what were they. She told me those shoots look like weeds and she didn't refute me for calling the other plant as tomato, so it was set in my heart that yes, I have a tomato plant growing and I need to re-pot it, which I did.

Until yesterday, after the cleaner closely scrutinized my plants, there were new findings - I first thank God I didn't remove the "weeds" - cos that's the tomato plant, and the plant which I called "tomato", is actually a lime plant! Noob dao~~~~~ But it was all good. The tomato plant has since been repotted and looks ok to me in the new container. Fingers all crossed it'll grow!

Ah, now, picture time! Let me also say, these are my pride and joy (I can't believe there comes a time in my life, I'll utter these words about plants -_-)!

basil

everything-goes-planting-box

tomato plant (earlier these were weeds haha!)

lime (I thought it was tomato earlier! don't laugh)

potato plant


Saturday, March 23, 2013

On Meds, Quest, And THAT Frappy


It’s been an uninspiring, tiring week. In fact, it’s been an uninspiring, tiring first quarter of the year! Everyone in the family has been taking turn falling sick, rushing deadlines, having no fun at all. :(

This week (and the weeks before, but this week especially!), Frappy decided she has the power to push my patience button, oh and she makes sure she puts it to good use. She would defy everything I say, more so if she’s in a cranky mood and give me that shout-cry-scream-tantrum-mommy-go-away drama. And her voice! Let me tell you, Hakka girls are famous for being loud. And she’s half a hakka. So go figure. I was [this] close to poking my eyes blind with a unicorn! Grr. 

Since the hubs has been working late the entire week, the job to put the girls to bed naturally fell on me and let me be honest, I can’t wait until 8pm roll around when I can herd everyone to the room and get ready for bed!

And tonight, after getting them drowsy with milk (neat for oli, and milomilk for frapster) and saying our prayers, in the dark, Frappy mumbled sleepily, almost begging “mommy, no grrk (you know, like that snoring sound? Means sleep? Yeah that). And so I told her “but the sun has set, outside is dark now, it’s time for us to sleep. Remember that lullaby song mommy used to sing to you?” And I went on singing that 10 little fingers, 10 little toes song. I don’t know why, but I was so touched with the memories came rushing back to me, I had to hold back my tears! Those days (erm, ok just 2 years ago), when she was that little bub and I’d lull her to sleep every night, singing, swaying, that tenderness, that bond, that romantic scene. Omg emotional max. T_T 

I mean, she is but a child, barely 3, of course she doesn’t know her boundaries, of course she will piss the adults off by doing and saying things that she shouldn’t be doing and saying. Of course she will be childish. And it is the adults’ job to not be childish right? Instead we should set the example and guide them on the path to enlightenment right? Easier said than done. But true lah I know! T___T

After painfully finishing the song, I said “we’ll wake up to play tomorrow morning ok darling?”  and she replied sleepily “okuay” (I always thought that's the cutest ok!). After a few seconds of silence, she said “mommy, da mam (good night). I o you (damn right you owe me -__- but what she really meant was I love you). Pat pat peese” and proceeded to stick her butt up for me to pat her to sleep. 

SIGH. How to get angry, you tell me?! HOW?! Well, you don’t. You move on. And you pray for God to help both you and your child to adjust to each other better as you both age and grow. That’s what. Oh, what am I to do without God? :(

And while we are at it, let me just quickly jot this little episode we shared.

Frappy: Girl, girl ah, come *signaling me to go to her!*
Me: What did you just call me???
Frappy: Mommy girl ah! Girl, pikurt peese [mommy is girl. Girl, biscuit please]
Me: *what the!* Are you serious?!
Frappy: Yes ah, pikurt, mommy. Peeeeeeeseeee!!!! 

Don't you agree that kids are always more eloquent than adults? :/

This was during CNY. Our meds! 
Just before that my baby was admitted for lung infection and bronchitis :(
But she was an ace, didn't wince a bit during x-ray and blood test! I was majorly proud of her! And took her meds without drama!
The sisters were separated for 2 nights. So naturally they were darn happy seeing each other again

Only cartoons can keep them down and quiet. Tsk!
Oli stealing a kiss! Haha!

Frappy's work of erm, art.

Going on the right track. Let's just hope she keeps to it for like, the next 30 years.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Olive Baby Products Review


The bug came back to play! T____________T

This time, brought everyone down including the old boy too, but I was resilient, I refused to join in the fun! /fistpumpschest because I'm a goody-two-shoe like that haha. Yeah, so they got my throat itch a little and have to cough a little, but no, I’mma strong as a tough old granny!

The week when the girls first came down with the fever and cough, we had no choice but to feed them medicines, we generally try to avoid these as best we could, because we much prefer to let their bodies fight the bugs and recover naturally. Alas, there are also times, we need to do the opposite when things got a little out of our hands. 

So they’ve been on medications and all that. One thing I noticed about Oli is that, every time she’s put on medication, she’d purge. I assume it’s normal? Does it happen to your littings? I didn’t get to ask the doctor though.

So there were times when she purged, we didn’t notice, especially at night during sleep and she didn’t signal us (which she would if she poos), she’d be wearing soiled diapers and that hurts her skin really badly. The private part area was raw and red, and there was even a wound, and boy did that bother her. :( You should see her when she pooed, and knew that I was going to bring her to the bathroom for cleaning, she’d ran and hid in a corner, crying and screaming murder! How heart breaking! T___T

Anyway, I am glad though, just a week or two before they both fell ill, I was approached for an opportunity to try out the Olive skincare products for baby and I thank God for such right timing! 


Originated from New Zealand, these Olive + Tebe (pronounced as teh-be) skin- and bodycare ranges contain extra virgin olive oil, an antioxidant rich in vitamins and minerals which has been used as a beauty secret in the Mediterranean for centuries. Tebe also contains olive leaf extract which is rich in Oleuropein, a natural antioxidant extremely beneficial for one's skin.

Olive + Tebe products are created by the largest olive estate in New Zealand, Simunovich Olive Estate, with over 40,000 trees producing 150,000 litres of high quality, award winning olive oil every year, much of which goes into the creation of their skin care products. The founder of the estate, Ms Branka Simunovich said that “olive oil is like mother’s milk. It is the one product in the world that no one is allergic to and that makes it perfect for beauty treatments.

I’m sure, for a mother, a woman, that statement is like music to the ears! In these modern days, our diets and hygiene regimens are unavoidably filled with all kinds of unwanted chemicals and artificial ingredients that not just pollute the environment, it also affects the state of our health. So these products are like a breath of fresh air to me and I was eager to put them to test.

And so, soon the girls fell sick and Oli with her nappy condition, I started applying the Olive Baby Nappy Cream on her. Before that, I’ve been using the usual nappy cream – Egozite, which works just as well, except, in this case, I’d much prefer something more natural. 

By now, Oli was suffering with her skin condition and was highly uncomfortable, thus cranky and was unable to sleep through the night. It was a nightmare for all of us! I was pleasantly surprised that the first application of the cream already brought relief.  The skin on Oli’s private part was much better, and she’s able to get through the day a happy baby. Best part, she didn’t ran away from me when she pooed like previously, and allowed me to wash her without whining and crying in pain and fear.

It took around 3 days for the wound to dry up and the skin to get back to its normal condition. So I am really, really happy with the product!

One more thing I like about the nappy cream, is that it comes in a tube with an attached lid. So there’s no fumbling in the dark looking for that tiny plastic screw cap during diaper change that got tangled and hidden amidst the sea of pillows and blankets! 

Another product that I received was the Olive Baby Moisture Milk – a light lotion specifically formulated to guard against chapping, chafing, and dryness – according to the pamphlet. When I received the parcel, I was more excited about this lotion than the nappy cream, because my girls have really dry skin, obviously seen on their legs.

While light in texture, the lotion has a very heavy perfume scent which I don’t like. Babies should smell light and fresh, right (I'm pleased with the nappy cream's scent though!)? But that’s just a personal preference.

That said, the lotion, though looks creamy and heavy, is really quite light and absorbs so well and quickly into the skin! And it doesn’t give you that greasy feel and leave you rather handicapped because you can’t do anything with oily hands? Urgh, I hate that, one reason I don't use body lotion or hand cream! Anyway, after a few applications, I can see that those dry, chapping skin’s not that obvious anymore. Win!

Behold my dry skin! T_T
I'm not sure if you can see, but the fine lines/wrinkles are much more softened and smoother!
The bottle comes with a pump for easy application, but it’d be nice if the pump has some sorta turn-and-lock system to avoid children’s itchy hands from having a pump party and waste all the lotion goodness and slippery surfaces for the mommies to clean! Also it'll be handy to carry around in bags for instant dry skin relief!

Overall, I’m really happy with the Olive products for baby and I’ll definitely restock once I’m out of them! Though a little pricey (both retailed at RM92), the all-natural, skin-safe, pH-balanced formulations are more than enough to justify the purchase. If you need more convincing, here’s why:

- The products is said to be proudly made on the estate in NZ
- pH balanced
- Made with natural ingredients
- Made with pure spring water from the estate
- Fast absorbing, non-greasy formulation
- Nutrient-rich, concentrated formulations
- Recycable and reusable packaging
- Not tested on animals
- Gentle and suitable for all skin types
- Formulated in small amounts for greater quality (the nappy cream and the moisture milk is   75ml and 100ml respectively)
- Scented using natural hypoallergenic fragrances

Both Olive + Tebe have extensive skin- and bodycare ranges for women, men, and baby. So definitely there’s something for everyone in the family! Olive + Tebe is distributed under The Skin Topic and you can find them at Pavilion KL (P.5.12.00, Level 5) and Subang Parade Mall (Lot LGC01, Lower Ground Floor).

Also check them out on their website and facebook page for more info on the products, reviews, as well as promotions and contests to win luxurious Olive & Tebe products!

Do let me know how you like them if you happened to be using them now or in the future,  even! :) 


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Sick Bubs

Last weekend the girls threw a party. The Let's Get Sick Together Party. Oh it was glorious, one that involved sweet cough syrup, pink paracetamol - both oral and suppository, sexy antibiotics called Augmentin, and there were even puke fest! We were beside ourselves with glee! There was no sleep and lotsa cranky hacking in the middle of the night, all through the weekend. Ah, good times.

Right now, I'm just happy to bid the sick bugs adieu, and I don't mean to be rude but, good riddance!

Time to clean up and sanitize the whole house. Urgh. 




Thursday, January 17, 2013

Have You Written Your Resolutions Hmm? Pt. 2 + Ellie.Bie Promo



I realized in a haste, I've used a stupid title for my previous post, and so I'm stuck with that "Pt. 2" bit in this post. This really has nothing to do with writing resolutions anymore. Haha. If you haven't, then get on with it because well it's for the good of the mankind! Read my Pt. 1 here! :D

I mentioned in my previous, previous post that I was going to “review” an online clothing site owned by a friend of a bunch of my friends and so we were not really connected, she’s really an acquaintance but we are also friends now, to a certain level. WHY DO I ALWAYS LENGTHEN ALL MY SENTENCES NONSENSICALLY I ALSO DUNNO HAHAHA SORRY I CAN’T HELP THE VIRTUAL ME TALK. OKOK I stop.

So yeah! I’m really excited for her, Elaine, the sweet petite owner of ellie.bie! I’ve always wanted to start some kinda blogshop but for one and all reasons, I never did. And to see someone you know doing it, I admit, it does make me feel a little envious, ok fine a lot. -_- but at the same time, so proud and excited! You know, as if the person is your child that made you proud. Or something…. Never mind me. -.-

So on to ellie.bie. Elaine was kind enough to loan me a couple of her sample pieces to try on, and boy was I sold. I’m not making these exaggerations just “oh because she’s your friend. You can say like that lah!”. The thing is, when I saw the process of how ellie.bie came to be, the hard work and effort Elaine puts into it, and how determined this girl is, really, my heartfelt salute! 

And then when the samples came to me, I was very surprise with the clothes’ quality and cutting! I mean, honestly, there are so many online clothing stores out there, and most of their quality is well, just alright (for the price range around RM50-ish?). So when I saw ellie.bie’s pricing, the “ah it’s just another blogshop” did flash past my mind. How wrong I was.

I picked 2 pieces – one dress and one top – to try on, and both the pieces are made of quality, thick cotton, and so the good fabric lends the clothes a very good, tailored structure when worn.

Ellie.bie stocks mostly office wear, or at least most of the bajus look corporate-ish to me, and so this well-tailored/structured look is important when you are working in the corporate world to look groomed and chic. 

Here this, is a Roland Mouret-inspired Margaret Pencil Dress (RM69.00). I picked the grey one because well erm, I’m a very grey person. Haha. I actually do love grey very much and find the colour so full of character! And this grey on this dress is just simply amazing! It’s very non-flashy, yet it is also very stylish.


The length makes it perfect for the office without losing that sexy edge. Ah, if I’m still an office lady, I’d definitely bag this! 
 
Comes in grey, red, blue.

I also picked out this Sabrina Tulip Top (RM55.00), and went with a safe colour – black, because I’ve been looking for staple pieces for my wardrobe, and I think I’ve found myself one here! I just simply adore this piece! It’s so versatile; it can be dressed up or down. I tried it with a body-hugging bright yellow pencil skirt (which makes me want to go back and sit in an office!), a pair of shorts, and jeans, and I love every pairing! And the fact that it's black, it makes pairing super fun, because you can match it with bright colored bottoms, crazy statement pieces, or simple accessories like an envelope clutch and thin belts. They'll all work, like, mama for real!



I wish I could show you better and more professional photos with perfect angles and that how awesome this top is, alas a full length mirror I have not (@hubs, ONE OF my birthday presents, perhaps? ;), but I did have 2 crying toddlers locked up in the cot when I was trying on these clothes! Oh the stress I tell you! 
 
Anyways!!! ellie.bie updates their site every Thursday at 12pm, so do check them out! Recently they’ve included some biker chick essentials in their stock, and they are all so drool-worthy! AND since Chinese New Year is right round the corner, they have stocked cheongsam-inspired peplum dresses in the most festive of reds and also lots of yummy lace fabrics! 

Here are a few of my favs (click on the pics to bring you to the site):

Love this ensemble!

Cute yet elegant blouse

How cool is this?!

Enjoy a RM5 discount on ALL PIECES (not valid with other promotions) when you make a purchase! Just key in the discount code: letsbrewlove and save! Imagine that, if you buy 3 pieces, that's a saving of RM15! (Hmm, considering this is my birthday month, maybe I should update my wardrobe after all hmm? Hehehe)

Promotion valid till 31st March 2013! (That's a lot of stock updates in between this period! But don't hold out your orders too long, all pieces are quite limited, so grab them before they are gone! :)