The Awesome Month of April & The Marvelous Month of May

April. Gurrrl how fast you go! But you gave me some awesome victories that I am definitely grateful for:

👉🏼  I sorted out my feelings about blogging and this blog. As a result, not only does this blog now enjoy a fresh “coat of paint”, but more importantly, I’m staying true to sharing about me and my life as it unfolds.

👉🏼  I started on a path to beauty because I hit rock bottom on this matter. There was a time when I was younger when I didn’t care about my appearance, and I could get away with it. But now I need to swallow my pride and get help because, as a stay-at-home-mom and as I grow older, I’d rather be an inspiration than a warning 🤭

👉🏼  I discovered a new & interesting author, understand Indonesia better, and no longer feel guilty for a few not-so-nice observations I’ve had about this country and its people (in general) because the author has actually observed the same! As they are fond of saying here “begitulah” (that’s just the way it is)!

👉🏼 I had my first FO of the year 🤩

👉🏼 This month my husband went on his second overseas trip and I’m no longer panicky about it 😀 As a matter of fact, I kinda enjoy the change of atmosphere 😀 It’s not that I no longer worry about what to do & who to contact in the event something unforeseen happens. But I think it’s because I’ve been learning a bit more Indonesian lately and I’m exposed to more people as a result of my new hobby.

👉🏼 And lastly, I think it could be the start of the rainy season. Yay! It’s been raining the past few days and right about time too because the heat was sweltering. (When is it ever not sweltering hot over here, eh? 😜).

And Now for Making May Marvelous

A lot of people have a monthly bucket list and I enjoy reading them. I do agree that it’s a wise & deliberate way to ensure time is well spent. I’m also an enthusiastic goal setter myself (ok, way too enthusiastic most times) although the implementation part is often a bit problematic 🤭

But anyways, in that spirit, here’s what’s on my May bucket list:

👉 👉 Stay away from anything crochet (or knitting) 😁

I just thought it’d be cool to give something I’m obsessed with a break and see what rushes in to fill the void. I’m considering the following in its place:

💄  read a book, maybe 2

💄  learn a new recipe, maybe 2

💄  craft something out of paper, maybe 2

💄  have coffee with a friend, maybe 2

💄  celebrate Mother’s Day in a positive way

💄  buy a doll

 

Now on to YOU:

What are some of your April highlights? Looking forward to something special in May? Do share! 😊

A Poignant Loss, Something to be Happy About & Christmas Greetings

Howdy beautiful people! 😘 Did anyone out there miss me? 😂

Our master bedroom is a huge mess right now. I am surrounded by scattered mountains of stuff that need to be packed into already burgeoning suitcases when ..

my eyes caught on my laptop  👀

And I just had to power it on because ~

A BIG HOLIDAY HUG TO ALL OF YOU!

I felt I needed to greet you a Merry Christmas & I of course sincerely wish you all the joy and warmth and happiness and blessings that the special season brings. Whoever you are, wherever you are, may the force be with you and yours always! 💝 💝 💝

A few updates …

 

Before You Send Someone An Ugly Message

Share Your World 2016 #34

With your answers, please remember we are in the SYW world which may not always match our reality.

What is your favorite comfort snack food?

When the feeling is akin to homesickness, or when I’m tired,  I crave hot (steaming) savory soup 🍲🍲 (Wait, is soup a snack? LOL!) When I’m PMS-ing it’s dark chocolate 🍫 🍫

Is the paper money in your possession right now organized sequentially according to denomination and with the bills right side up and facing the same way?

Yes, ma’am! As a matter of fact, they are organized by currency as well because when in Asia I think it’s normal to chance possession upon several, aside from the currency of my homeland.

So I have Indonesian Rupiah of course, then the Singapore dollar, Malaysian Ringgit, Philippine Peso, Euros, US dollars and Australian dollars. The main compartment of my purse always holds the currency at the time of use and the rest are placed in another compartment.

Many times I’ve been tempted to get a picture of these currencies because I’ve never had these many types in possession! 😀 But maybe that’s for another blog post 😀

If you were a mouse in your house in the evening, what would you see your family doing?

Each face glued to his own piece of technology! 😱😱😱

Would you rather not be able to read or not be able to speak?

Not be able to speak. I think one positive way to look at it is that you don’t offend anyone or that you never say anything you regret. Besides, there’s always pen and paper.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week ~

⭐ I’m grateful for seeing my mom and a couple of dear friends 🙂 ❤

⭐ I’m also grateful for the opportunity to travel and, with all that’s going on in the world right now, to be able to do so safely.

~ and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? 

Nothing in particular, perhaps just getting back to comfortable routine and working on the new healthy habits challenges I took on and mentioned here 🙂

 

And now what are YOUR answers? 🙂 🙂

~oOo~

~oOo~

TGIF everyone! ❤

Share Your World 2016 #29

What is the perfect pizza?

One that’s still piping hot! 😋 And with extra cheese pleese! 😋 😋 😋

What is your favorite time of day?

It used to be early morning but lately I’ve developed amnesia err … insomnia which renders me groggy-like-I’ve-been-hit-by-a-bus whenever I wake up to brew my magic elixir.

I still like mornings in general though because that’s when I get my workouts done and mid-day here in Indonesia is sometimes just too hot to do anything but take a siesta or lock yourself in an airconditioned room reading free Kindle ebooks.  (My that was a long sentence! 😄 😄 😄)

Show us two of your favorites photographs?  The photos can be from anytime in your life span.  Explain why they are your favorite.

Errr … I need more time to decide on this! 😱 😱 😱

Complete this sentence:  I’m looking forward to…. 

December 2016. By then we’ll be moving someplace else and I’m just so excited 💁🏻

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week ~

I am grateful for 2 things mostly:

⭐ I’m grateful for finding happiness in cooking 😊 And this really means I’ve come a looong way in this domestic adventure of mine. About a year ago I couldn’t even see myself cooking – if you’d have asked me to boil water in a saucepan then I’d have burnt that too 😱 I’m serious! I was just never interested in cooking and so developed some kind of fear induced awe (and apathy) towards it.

Well not anymore! 😊 😊 At this point I’m past the oh-so-this-is-how-you-hold-a-knife-correctly stage and have transcended into the what-else-could-I-try-cooking plane. I have begun to receive requests from my husband and mini me and even my “experiments” have had more hits than misses lately. It’s fun! 😊 😊

⭐ I’m grateful for reaching out to an estranged friend and enjoying the friendship once again. We had a falling out a few months ago and I honestly thought I could do without the friendship. I was sorely mistaken there – it just added to the depression I often feel when I crave the feeling of home.

So I’m glad we’re good again. There’s still some apprehension because we haven’t even discussed what went wrong in the first place. But we’re back to exchanging snippets of our lives and that gives me additional ammo against the blues.  (I take whatever I can!) 😊 😊

and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? 

I don’t know yet, lately I’ve been feeling disengaged from the usual things I used to occupy my time with (as you might have noticed from the long silences in between blog posts ✌️🏿 ✌️🏿). I think I’m just taking a break of sorts. I’m reading books and allowing myself to be sucked into time-consuming (but very engaging) games and I’m just not analyzing it too much 🛀

Oh but maybe I can get myself to start a walking/running program. I really want to do this and I think it’s just my perfectionist attitude that’s getting in the way again 😔 I always want to do an exercise every weekday without fail and get discouraged when I can’t. Right now though I’m contemplating maybe just 2 days of being out under open skies would be a great start 😀 😀

Okay, now what are ⭐ YOUR ⭐ answers? 😀 😀

~ oOo~

Fondly written for:

💖 💖 💖

~ oOo ~

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  💋 😀

Disclaimer: all images found on Google.

Share Your World 2016 #7

What are you a “natural” at doing? 

Business correspondence. Virtually anything business related that involved written compositions. Somehow throughout my career life, my writing style would always open doors for me.

Now as a SAHM however, I still have to discover my new super power. But I think I’m pretty good at entertaining, occupying and engaging myself even when cooped up alone at home in a very quiet neighborhood majority of the time. Especially for someone coming from a busy city and having had a career in Marketing. I mean, others would go stir-fry crazy at the stark contrast. Me? I blast Ricky Martin’s “Maria” on my loudspeakers while doing chores in my workout attire. And I like it.

I mean, I did have trouble at first and I’m not saying where I am now is ideal. Just that I found ways to enjoy and find happiness in my current situation and it has cemented in me the knowledge that happiness is really something you engineer for yourself.

Would you prefer a one floor house or multiple levels?

Multiple levels. I love balconies and wide views and, also because going up and down stairs helps tone my lower body 😉

What was your favorite subject in school?

Anything communication related.

Complete this sentence: If only the rain.. 

… would change colors sporadically during its course. Or turn into little flowers and butterflies from time to time. (I’m not weird, I’m just imaginative! XD )

What are you grateful for from last week ~

Last week and at the start of this week my bestie came for a visit, and it made me realize just how much better things are when done with a friend – especially exploring 🙂 I seem braver somehow when I have a ‘hype-girl’ with me. More playful, less girl-scouty.

My favorite part was shopping around for souvenirs and testing out my bahasa Indonesia. I found out I could already make myself understood, the problem part was when they’d respond and I wouldn’t understand a word XD Well, they speak so fast!

~ and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I don’t know yet. Again, it’s gonna be a week open to possibilities 🙂

~ oOo ~

Written for Cee’s Share Your World Challenge

~ oOo ~

Feeling Good Is Receiving Another Award

I love it! Another badge of sexiness. Another kind gesture of thoughtfulness and appreciation from a fellow blogger. Such fun! Such blessing!

Squeal! 😀

This award comes from Be Kitschig, a wonderful & insightful blog I regularly visit but was surprised to find out I hadn’t followed yet! (Dan-dan-daaaaaaan!) 😰 😰 😰

Well this is now not the case so please disregard my severe blushing and let’s (very quickly) move on …

The Rules:

Thank and follow the blog that nominated you.

(she likes garden gnomes so …) 😀

Tell us 11 facts about yourself.

I love to tidy up and organize.

I recently discovered I like guavas.

I’m a bit of a lazy cook and prefer to do the dishes.

In addition to The Tribez I am now also addicted to PVZ.

I believe the best gift you can give to your loved ones is to be a happy person.

I am of mixed nationality. I am also 1/4th enigma & 1/4th dragon according to husband & daughter.

I cannot sing.  But for Karaoke nights I have prepared this and am ready to sing it with gusto.

Have you noticed that the sentences are getting longer?

My tolerance for spicy food has significantly increased while in Indonesia.

I have hooded eyes and want to learn how to make them up so that they pop!

Do a quick body roll if you’re still reading this. Yes, I like to mess with you like that XD

I love to exercise at home using YouTube videos. My favorites are from him and them.

I believe the world would be a much better place if more people got enough quality sleep at night.

(insert cheesy smile here)

Answer the questions that were set for you to answer.

1. Tea or coffee  – coffee!
2. Clinton or Trump? – errrr …
3. Cd’s or vinyl? – downloads 😀
4. Smart or 4WD? – 4WD
5. WordPress or Facebook? – WordPress
6. Art or Kitsch? – both
7. Screaming it out or sitting it out? – definitely screaming it out XD
8. Planning your goals or accept your fait? – planning
9. Opportunistic or idealistic? – idealistic
10. Black and white or shades of grey? – pink, purple & aqua XD
    
11. Cats or dogs? – dogs!!!

Nominate 11 bloggers and set questions for them.

Oh dear … I am fresh out of nominees this coming so close at the heels of this and this. (Shameless plug not intended) 😛

So I’d like to pass the baton on to all my amazing followers – I know you guys deserve this award because I follow you back and you’re all awesome. I just can’t come up with a short-list at the moment as I am blinded by your awesomeness 😎

Here are your questions:

1. What makes you laugh the most?
2. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be and why?
3. What would you sing at Karaoke night?
4. If you could hire someone to help you, what would it be for?
5. Favorite thing to do in the evenings?
6. What are you planning to do on Valentine’s day?
7. Do you collect anything?
8. Name a personal quirk.
9. Colorful or single-color socks?
10. How or why did you choose your blog name?
11. Favorite posts on your blog.  Link them here.

Make it a great weekend, y’all! 🙂 ❤

~oOo~

fondly written for

click on the badge for juicy details!

~oOo~