Baju Raya 2012

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From now till 30 April 2012

Ziya’s Birthday Party Planning Checklist

Ziya is a week shy from becoming a 1 year old. Aku mash bersenang-lenang in planning her birthday party. Hubs and I had roughly discussed about it and we already have some ideas on what to have, what to do etc. Now, need to source the stuff around. Which is the biggest task of them all. Here is what I have in mind so far:

1. Date/Time – confirmed. Sent FB invitations a while ago. Now need to call the rest of families. And invite “mulut” few neighbors.

2. Venue – done. Hubs need to talk to building manager, perhaps?

3. Guest list – done. I budgeted about 50 people altogether.

4. Budget - I roughly had a figure in mind. But may need to revise to allocate for food. Good ones, I hope.

5. Theme – No theme. Dah too short notice nak source of coordinating stuff. So, we’ll make do with colorful theme.

6. Food – I kinda have something like soto ayam/meehoon sup in mind. Or maybe nasi ayam. Something not so heavy or too light for the tummy. Given the timing of the party, that is. The rest would be 2 types of kuih muih. This I need to get Umi’s help for a bit. She has a lot of kaki-s I know, in this area.

7. Games and Activities – Will have coloring as I still have leftovers from previous parties that I did. And sand art of course! Means, I need to make a trip to the supplier next Saturday. Told the guests to bring swimsuits as well. Hope that would occupy the kids well throughout the party.

8. Goody bag – Think I would set up a “candy” buffet table this time. So kids are free to take anything on the buffet spread to fill in their goody bag. Am not doing anything elaborate though. Maybe few things like marshmallows, cookies, kek batik. Just to name a few. I have this in mind:

Source

9. Decorations – Will have to check with the caterer later whether they provided khemah and kerusi meja or not. If no, then we need to scout for one really2x fast, obviously. Plan to decorate the whole khemah with colorful balloons. Balloons around the khemah is more like it. And tie a few at the candy buffet table, sand art place and maybe chairs too.

10. Birthday cake – I initially wanted to do rainbow cake to go with the colorful theme. But hubby thinks it requires too much work. Renyah nak bake the 7 rainbow layers. Then I thought of making stacked kek batik and decorate them a little like what I did dulu for a customer. But hubby suggested pavlova. Problem is, my baker gi Langkawi pulak. Postpone oi!

There. 10 things to do/settled before the party. I didn’t miss anything right? Hope so. Wish me well.

Psst!

Aku busy skit lately ni. Busy in all aspects. Busy dengan business mostly. Sebab ada project baru. Busy dengan kerja office jugak. Sebab bulan depan, Insyallah ada cabaran baru. And not to forget, busy di rumah. Sebab dryer aku rosak. So, setiap pagi kena bust laundry. By tengahari, part time maid aku kena datang and jemur kain tu. If I skip a cycle, memang bertimbun lah kain-kain busuk dalam rumah ni. Tapi aku skip jek. Malas!

Sneak Preview Project Baru Aku

Punya lah busy aku ni, sampai dah lama benar aku tak jenguk blog kawan-kawan. Apatah lagi nak update blog sendiri. Last count aku tengok, dah sebulan lebih kot. Tapi dah nama-nya blogger kan, walau tak sehebat mana, rasa aku, there was not even a day that went by, aku tak teringat/ terfikir nak tulis/update something kat blog aku yang dah bersawang ni. Ceeewaahhh! Despite, blog masih tak berupdate-update jugak. Haha! Malas lagi…

And bila aku tak busy sangat, aku busy jugak bersidai di twitter/FB. Takpun baca buku-buku yang aku beli. Or, tengok series-series kegemaran aku yang banyak sangat ditayangkan kat TV sekarang ni. Or, tried to catch up on sleep. And aku mash lagi bangun tengah-tengah malam nak breastfeed Ziya bila dia tersedar from sleep. Macam sekarang ni. Sampaikan dah hilang mengantuk aku. Tapi bagus jugak. boleh settlekan memana yang patut kan. Not!

My Latest Read. Semoga mendapat aura IK. Amin…

Okay lah, sampai di sini saja. Aku budget, maybe sebulan lagi la kot aku update lagi ceritakan kisah busy aku ni. Hopefully masa tu, tone pun dah lain sikit. Agak-agak fresh gitu, sebab dah ada cabaran baru kan? Insyallah…

Cuti di Hari Jumaat

Aku cuti Jumaat lepas. So, I decided to go to spa. Nak redeem vouchers Groupon yang aku beli berzaman dulu.

My personal review…I enjoyed both the apricot scrub and massage services. A LOT. Oil used for massage pun not the tengik type. And it’s not greasy. Bau pun wangi jek.

It was about time pun for me to pamper myself like that. After scrub, I was asked to shower a bit. Lepas lap-lap badan, serious aku rasa that am cerah a bit. Gila banyak kot daki aku selama ni. Haha.

Tak cukup dengan tu, lepas the spa treatment, I decided to continue and do my own facial at home. And I found this page. Lepas dah facial and spa lebih kurang, baru lah rasa segar sikit.

Petang I went to Maxis with hubby. Lepas ditolak ke sana sini by reception, it is now official yo! Counting my days for this…

Finally! This is so long overdue. As most people think. Ramai dah dok bugged me to get a new phone since my current phone is SO not trendy. Aku pakai nokia 6880 kot. For the past 6 years, sejak got back from study. Haha! Siap ler korang aku dok berInstagram manjang. Jakun.

Malam pulak, we had a belated birthday dinner for my town brothers – Amin and Aman. Amin the Groupon (dan sewaktu dengan-nya) junkie has bought coupons for a BBQ buffet dinner at De Palma, Ampang.

Ada oysters kot. Totally worth the money. RM39 jek pun. Dessert spread was a bit lacking. But tercovered oleh kesedapan main courses – roast lamb and the rest of BBQ spread, and also the variety of ice cream flavors. The buffet starts at 630pm. Kami datang on the dot, tapi the staff were still serving and getting the place ready. The hotel was convenient too. Senang nak solar. Ada surau and you can even hear the azan from the makan place. Siap solat jemaah lagi. Pictures from the birthday dinner will be updated later untuk tatapan family members yang jauh di mata, dekat di hati.

All in all, I had a productive day. Berjaya settlekan memana yang perlu. The spa voucher was nearly expiring. Nasib baik sempat redeem. Had to wait a week or two katanya for the iPhone. But am cool. As long as dapat. Plus, am enjoying penjimatan berganda with the staff promotion. The remaining balance that I had to pay, hubby cover as present. So, I basically got the phone for free oi! And the birthday dinner couldn’t have been better. Dengan oysters-nya, dengan roast lamb-nya and not to mention the great company of our beloved families…

Kisah Anak

Sometimes I couldn’t help myself feeling guilty. Guilty dengan anak-anak. Guilty for not giving them my utmost attention, undivided love.

Kadang2x I get remarks like “Kesian Zara, craving your attention. Cakap kuat2 just to get your attention”. Another time, aku plak yang talking to myself “Kesian Ziya, she didn’t get my full attention macam Zara did dulu”.

Kadang aku pk, maybe cepat sgt aku pregnant kan Ziya ni. Tapi bila aku tengok deme mengekek giggling playing together, I couldn’t help thinking to myself, “nasib aku beranak sorang lg, tak perasan boringnya Zara dulu main sesorg”.

So, azam baru aku tahun ni is to give them my utmost attention, undivided love. Nak jadi the best mother to them. Nak bg them chance to try and experience new things. And bak kata @LinGhazale, nak cuba harungi hidup without marah segala.

Semalam aku baca blog @azzamoro, dia pun ada concern yang sama. Aku wonder, semua mak ke rasa gini. Korang macam mana?

Perkembangan Terkini Kami

Lama sungguh aku tak update blog. Agak-agak dah sebulan juga.

Nak kata takde cerita, tak jugak. Plan nak update development progress Ziya pun, hanya tinggal plan jek. Blog business pun senyap sunyi jek. Business tetap jalan, alhamdulillah. Nak kata busy sangat pun, tak jugak. Lebihnya, tidur jek.

In actual fact, aku sebenarnya still adapting to new routine. Life dengan additional family member and minus the maid. Ambik alih kerja-kerja rumah balik. Bahagi-bahagi dengan husband pun ye jugak. The rest pass jek kat part time maid.

Plan aku nak buat activities dgn anak-anak ikut hari pun, dah terbengkalai. Sebabkan takde org nak kemas lepas dah sepah2x. Most of the time, our days are filled with normal routine. Gi kerja, balik kerja. Masak dinner, lepak-lepak and lights off pukul 10pm.

Weekends are slightly better. We normally took time to make breakfast/eat out. Gi playground and sometimes had picnic. Paling recent, we went to TTDI park yang ada sungai kecik tu. Jadi la untuk bebudak kecik main. Weekend tu jugak lah menyaksikan camera aku rosak. Habis disirami air teh tarik.

Kerja ofis pun boleh tahan melambak-lambak. Report tahun lepas pun tak siap-siap lagi. Invoice clients pun ada a few yang masih terbengkalai. Marketing work pun slow jek. Asyik tertangguh. Orang kelantan panggil ‘procrastination’ gitu. Heh.

Sometimes I wonder, bila la semua ni nak habis. Or at least, break sekejap untuk bagi aku some space nak breathe peacefully. Nak pergi holiday pun macam tak tenang. Cos once back, aku tau semua ni masih unsettled. Apa pun, bulan April ni, Insyallah aku akan embark on new journey. Itu pun if all went smoothly. Amin…

Ziya @ 7 months+

Dah pandai angkat punggung.

Dah boleh bergerak sana sini, jelajah rumah ‘commando’ style.

Dah start makan nasi+veges yang diblend halus.

Dah ada gigi bawah 2 ketul.

Currently undergoing sleep training coached by Abah at night.

Normally wakes up at subuh time.

Balik sekolah, harus nak DF sekali.

Last sekali timbang dah 7kg.

Alhamdulillah, masih lagi on Mommy’s milk.

Semoga anak Mami membesar menjadi wanita yang solehah.

Amin.

Zara’s Big Words

Zara is one chatty girl. She talks most of the time. Quiet only when she’s asleep. Sometimes, perjalanan pergi dan balik ke kampung, jadi tak sunyi sebabkan dia dok bersembang. Walaupun aku tidur, in most of them. Buat teman abah-nya kot.

The following took place very recently. All in one day. This shows how fast kids learned. From everything around them.

******

Scene 1: I was putting on baju sekolah on her. When she danced around or more like spinning herself kot.

Zara: Am getting dizzy, mami!

Aku: Hah? U getting what?

Zara: Am getting diz-zy!

Aku: How do u know the word dizzy? Mana kakak dengar perkataan dizzy tu?

Zara: Little Einstein cakap. Sambil sengih.

*****

Scene 2: Zara was merajuk. In my attempt to pujuk her, I tried to be funny and sort of dancing sesuka hati sambil pakai heels. This happened when we were about to leave the house. Masa tiba kat lif, she tried to tiru me.

Zara: Zara tak pandai la mami, dancing macam mami tu.

Hubby: Buat apa Zara, macam mami?

Zara: Tu, macam mami tu. Tap dance.

Aku: Terkejut that she can actually put a name to dance aku yang caca-merba tu.

Both me and hubby laughed.

*****

Scene 3: We were in the lif, on the way to our parking lot.

Zara (while pointing to the signboard): Two D.

Zara (sambil cakap laju-laju) : 2D!

*****

While you may not understand, it was actually her tone, selamba-ness yang membuatkan incident ni funny. A+ for effort!

When look closely, you’ll realise how fast she grows. Kaki pun dah panjang. Akal, jangan cakap lah panjang-nya!

Semoga Zara membesar menjadi wanita yang solehah. Ammiiinnnn….

Halo There!

Lama sungguh blog aku menyepi. Tengok-tengok stats, mostly yang masuk blog aku ni pun sebab nak cari set bersalin NR. Alhamdulillah, ada rezeki jugak di situ.

Links blogger-blogger lain pun dah kurang. Sebab aku rasa, bloggers lain pun dah bukak kedai kopi lain di twitterland.  Rumah asal semua dah bersawang. Aku sendiri, last update pun 2 minggu lepas. Itupun update pasal birthday aku yang dah berlaku 2-3 minggu sebelum-nya. In between that, dah banyak sangat yang berlaku. Tapi nak noted down kat sini tu yang tak menyempat-nyempat.

Sometimes aku rasa, ada anak 2, macam-kan ada anak 10. Itu tak masuk lagi kisah maid aku. The stress created by the maid lebih teruk aku rasa, dari stress menjaga anak. Nanti-nantilah aku cerita kemudian yang  itu. Buat pedoman diri sendiri dan semua yang tak pernah ambik maid. At this time next week, status aku akan bertukar kepada maidless. Selamat.

Kerja kat ofis pun dah start bertimbun. Especially when you need to juggle 3 audits at the same time. Itu pun tak masuk lagi kerja-kerja ad-hoc yang disuruh aku buat. Dalam orang Thai dok sibuk cerita banjir and typhoon segala, ofis aku tetap nak gi buat audit di sana hujung bulan ni. 2 minggu pulak tu. Berkorban nyawa jugak gaya-nya. Paling tak best, timing tu coincide dengan time Ziya nak start makan pula. Apa nak buat. Aku dah cuti 3 bulan dengan happy-nya, while others had to fill in the gap. Ni turn aku la pulak. Fair enough.

And speaking about Ziya. Alhamdulillah, last weekend kami dah selamat buatkan aqiqah untuk dia. Buatkan sekali dengan Aisyah (anak adik aku). After all, they are only 4 days different. Gambar-gambar aqiqah masih lagi tak sampai ke tangan aku. But am all excited jugak nak share apa yang aku bagi as gift hari tu. Sampaikan tak tidur, aku dok buat gifts tu. Sambil-sambil buat prototype untuk ThePartyStuff jugak.

Business pun boleh tahan juga. Contohnya, Izzy Bakery ada order for rainbow cake 22hb ni. Minggu lepas, ada orang siap nak minta tolong aku buat red velvet cupcakes kat kedai dia pun ye. Tempting jek aku nak tolong sebab kesiankan dia yang tengah desperate. Tapi aku pun ada urusan lain masa tu. So, terpaksa let go.

ThePartyStuff pula tengah sibuk preparing for Hafiy’s birthday kat taska. Bisnes Az-Ziya pun boleh tahan. Latest customer kami adalah the famous cikYumx who is now counting days for her 2nd baby. Itu tak masuk lagi kawan-kawan ofis aku yang tengah planning for next year. Insyallah, bertambah la demand-demand untuk maternity/nursing wear yang aku jual tu yek. Aminnnn….

At the same time, aku juga busy melayan emails-emails potential customers about the products yang aku jual. Aku pun dah berani sikit-sikit nak lebarkan sayap to friends of friends juga. Paling baru, aku dah join my sifu dalam Shaklee. Sambil-sambil jual vitamins, dapat juga business coaching serba sikit. Kedai dah ada. Stok jek tak berupdate lagi. Tapi kalau ada yang interested, boleh jek email dulu kat aku. Insyallah, I’ll try my best to answer.

Dan begitu-lah busynya aku lately ni. Dengan kereta masuk workshop lagi. Inalillah. Tapi aku malas la nak stress. Nanti banyak pula benda terbengkalai. Alangkan blog satu yang tak femes ni, tak berupdate 2 minggu, ok la kot. Tugas-tugas lain sebagai mak, isteri, anak, kerja ofis, bisnes masih kena berjalan macam biasa.

Tak gitu?

29th Birthday Celebration

Last birthday celebration aku yang ke 20-an disambut meriah dengan acara makan-makan berkali-kali di merata tempat yang berbeza. Ada yang aku amik gambar, ada yang tak. Layankan…

Walaupun dah dipesan, laki aku masih nak bagi hadiah bunga untuk birthday. Walaupun dah dibagi-tau that the bunga will eventually ended up in the dustbin. Dia masih degil. Takpe la. Orang dah bagi. Aku terima kasih.

Semerbak bau bunga kat ofis aku masa tu. Belek punya belek, baru aku perasan. Flower basket kali ni agak different dari tahun-tahun sebelumnya. Rupa-rupanya ada hadiah lain yang dihantar dengan bunga ni.

Macaronssss!!! And for somebody who knows me really well, hubby got me not one but 3 chocolate flavored macarons this time!!!

The rest are strawberry, green tea/seaweed (not sure), lemon and caramel. I think. Aku main bedal jek semua. Heh.

Then, that same night, hubby took us out for a birthday dinner treat at MeatWorks. Dah lama aku teringin, finally dapat juga aku merasa steak kat sini. Memang sedap. Highly recommended. And the best part, hubby let me do the ordering part. Ikut aku nak makan/order apa. Silap haribulan la beb!

While waiting for the food to come, kami anak beranak harus-lah bercam-whoring dulu.

Tak lama bercam-whore, our appetizer pun tiba. Beef carpacio. Sedaaapppp…despite the funny combination dengan olive.

And punya-lah aku tamak haloba hari tu, aku siap ordered 2 appetizers! Satu lagi adalah….sauteed mushroom.

Followed by spaghetti bolognese which was supposedly from the kid’s menu. Tapi serving adalah huge. So, boleh share-share jugak.

And lastly, our main dishes. I ordered steak and roasted chicken. Dalam menu ada gambar. Habis semua aku nak sapu la kan.

And on top of the above, aku siap dapat chocolate mousse for free lagi!! Sempena birthday kata-kan.

Lepas makan, semua pun dah kenyang and mengantuk. But what’s a birthday without a cake kan. Walau aku tak kisah. Tapi Zara was expecting. So, eventhough she was asleep masa otw back home, hubby tetap singgah di Starbucks to get me a mini birthday cake. More like, for Zara to sing and blow.

Malam tu jugak, we finished the cake. Despite sleepy-ness. Habis cake, semua pun tidur kekenyangan.

Thanks to Hubby dearest for making it happened! Love u lots…