Healthy Snacks For A Halloween Party

Many months ago, as I was scrolling through pinterest and saw an interesting photo of some sausages and spaghetti.  Upon clicking on the photo and brought to the original post (link here) which talks about children safety during treak or treating.  Photos are from the original post.

TREAT #1: Ghoul Teeth

• Slice some red apples (you can also choose to dip them in some pineapple or lemon juice to prevent browning)
• Spread peanut butter on one side of a sliced apple
• Sandwich some marshmallows between 2 slices of apples and peanut butter

TREAT #2: Spaghetti in Sausages

• Cut some sausages into about 1 inch pieces
• Gently poke through the sausages with uncooked spaghetti
• Boil the sausages and spaghetti as usual
• For a basic sauce:
• Throw in chopped garlic in a pot with a little olive oil
• Pour a can of tomato puree into the pot and 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
• Add some oregano and italian herbs
• OR just use canned/bottled pasta sauce

And there you have some cute yet simple Halloween inspired snacks.  :)

Finding Purpose

Yes, it's been awhile.  It's not that I've neglected this blog or anything.  I guess Twitter and Instagram powers my updates these days.  Haha.  Anyways, this little blog still has a special place in my heart.

These days I find myself in some sort of soul searching mode.  Finding purpose to the rest of my life.  How quickly time flies by, people grow, people leave, some people remain stagnant and then sometimes you realize you're not on the same page as some people anymore.  No bad blood or anything but maybe sometimes you're just not on the same paths.

By end of next year I'll be reaching another milestone in my life.  I'll be 3 decades old.  It doesn't feel like 3 decades has passed.  Well, technically 29 years this year but close enough.  Single, unattached, technically self-employed in a business I barely fathom and encapsulated in the many facets of my 3 brothers' lives.  Where has the twists and turns of my life taken me?  What am I aiming to achieve?

Overall, I am grateful of the things that I have had and still have.  I mean, there's no reason to complain really. Sure, everyone hopes for more but the way I see it, more is a bonus.  *smiles*

My mind is bombarded with ideas upon ideas of any few things in an instance.  If only I was driven enough to learn how to implement those ideas or at least put them into gear.  That would definitely be progress, improvement.  Cue in the procrastinator in me.  Haha.  I need to work on that.

Enough of this somewhat somber mood I'm putting in this post.  Seriously, this is how I start writing on my blog again?  Haha.

Anyways, lately I've been obsessed with an online flash sale site called MySale which is Malaysian base.  Let's just say that it's pretty much a Malaysian version of the famous Hautelook site.  Basically it's a site that conducts sales on selected brands and items (clothes, accessories, gadgets, linens, toys, beauty, etc) for a limited time at varying discounts.  These include international brands, even those not available in Malaysia.  Items are sent 2-3 weeks after the sales closes via Pos Malaysia parcel service with a limited tracking feature (hopefully they upgrade to PosLaju at the very least).

Another site I've been loving is eBates.  If you do online shopping especially on US websites that accept international/Malaysian credit cards, try checking eBates to see if it's listed as a merchant.  What it does is give you a small percentage cash back on your purchase which can be paid out to your PayPal account or -- if I'm not mistaken -- by cheque.  They've also got coupon codes for current promotions and at times double cash back events.  Really, who doesn't enjoy cash backs?  Of course if you're in the US, you're really going to enjoy this site heaps.

Here's on last link love on here for this post.  I've been in love with this Facebook page.  Seriously.  It's the Different Solutions FB page!  Haha.  All that creativity is insane!!  You'll definitely have to check it out.

Alright then, til next time!

The Love Of A Mother

Hello everyone.  Happy Valentine's Day.  These days V-Day isn't just celebrated by couples in love but is made to be a celebration of love in general despite it's history.  I came across this photo less than a month ago and thought it was just super duper sweet and showcases the love of a mother towards her child.

9GAG Link

Although not all mothers are skilled seamstresses, this one was.  Imagine the effort and attention to detail this mother had to transform her child's drawings into actual dollies.  What a gem.

Simple Yet Efficient Organizers

I love things that help you organize.  I love when everything has its place.  Sometimes, there are simple solutions that are not only inexpensive, but efficient in decluttering.

pinterest Link

Now why didn't I think of this?  It doesn't get any simpler than this.  Those black document clips can double up as a cable holder too.  If you're concern the clip will dent the furniture, stick a thin foam to the pressure points to protect your table.  The original post (link here) has more interesting ideas. tips and simple solutions for household related matters.

pinterest Link

If you have lots of ribbons, you'll know what a pain it is to store because it unravels easily and you end up with a tangled mess.  This wonderful idea from Storage | Glee (link here - Check out the blog for more interesting storage ideas) is perfect!  Find a plastic tray that can hold your ribbons (make sure the tray/basket has holes on the sides) and arrange your ribbons nicely in it.  Slot the ends of each ribbon through an individual hole and voila, you are done.  This way you can easily pull out any of the ribbons through the hole (everything stays in place) and cut your desired length.

Need Help With Portion Control?

A dieter's dream?  The best way to diet is not to refrain from eating or punish yourself by not eating food you love that is "bad" for you.  All things are fine, in moderation.

pinterest Link

I'm not sure if and where this portion control tray is available but I've got to say that sure is helpful.  I wouldn't necessary say this is an essential tool but it does make it easier to estimate how much food should be eaten.  Another alternative is to eat with those food trays we used to have when we were kids (or at least we had it in our household) that had a few different compartments for your mains and side dishes.

Awesome Jewelry Organizer

Jewelry, especially costume/fashion jewelry, helps complete an outfit and most girls have their own collection be it big or small.  I would say my stash lies somewhere in the middle and for the moment, I have them in individual slots in my document drawer tower.  I am however still thinking of another way to store them and at the same time make it even more visible and accessible to me so that I'd wear them more.

When I saw this organizing idea on pinterest, I thought it was interesting and well, genius!

pinterest Link

Doesn't that look beautiful?  So neatly organized and all that is are several cutlery trays (wooden and painted white I assume) attached to the wall one on top of the other with hooks screwed in at the top of each vertical slot to hang necklaces and earrings.  The horizontal slot works well to store bangles and bracelets as well as rings.

Corner Drawers FTW

When you have L- or U-shaped (or any other angle with right corners) cabinets, those corners can be a little tricky to design.  These days though, there are many solutions and options to choose from to deal with these pesky corners.  There are pull or swivel out steel frames and of course there's the regular static shelving that requires some limber moves to reach items placed far deep.

Then there are corner drawers:

pinterest Link

The drawers may be oddly shaped but utilizes the corner space a lot more than those steel frames in my opinion.  Plus, things that you put in them are far more easily accessible than conventional shelves (and they're pulled out towards you -- no more rummaging in darkness).  For me, the problem with steel frames is that you can't put too much weight on them or they'll get lopsided and squeaky, especially the swivel kind.  Drawers on the other hand, if fitted properly with the right hardware, can take on heavier loads and you've got to admit drawers are much easier to organize too.

A Spot For The Family

For me, family bonding time, spending time with the family is high up my priority list.  I saw this gorgeous family space set up recently and loved the idea.

Click for more photos

This square family room sofa with plush cushions makes for a beautiful place for chit chatting and catching up be it with family, friends or guests.  This would also work nicely as a chillaxing area to just curl up and immerse yourself in a good read.  The photo above shows a very Middle Eastern inspired deco with the area having a sort of sunken position.

Toothpick Architecture

Remember back in school teachers had us bring toothpicks to school and asked us to make houses and buildings with them.  Equipped with a small cardboard as base, UHU glue and clumsy fingers, I attempted a tiny village hut which never saw the light of day.  Admittedly, I had patience issues.  Haha.

Here are a couple of huge toothpick sculptures I came across at 9GAG.com:

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The elaborate piece above is full of intricate designs made by one man with a 100,000 toothpicks over a span of 35 years.  The dedication of that man is beyond words.  This sculpture took longer to make than I have lived!

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Ode to Potter fans.  An obscene amount of toothpicks and glue later, voila, the masterpiece as seen above is born.  How the artist behind this grand piece figured out the layout of Hogwarts to fully replicate it with toothpicks no less is nothing short of amazing.

Subtle Tattoos

Personally, I'm not a big fan of tattoos especially on myself (although technically, I have tattoo restrictions) but I do understand that to most people, each piece of art on their bodies represents a part of their life.  Having something permanently penned to your own skin is a huge commitment and you don't want to be 60 and have to live with a garish ink art of a mistake you wish would just go away or had never happened.  Of course there's laser removal but that's said to be more painful than the initial tattoo.

Anyways, enough about personal preferences and thoughts, I stumbled upon this photo and felt this particular body art to be... beautiful.

pinterest Link

It looks like skin but embossed.  From what I gather from the discussion they had going on on the page, they might have used white ink for this tatt.  I wonder how this would work on darker skin tones?  Or would they use a tinted version so it'll blend with the skin better?

From The Olympics To Water Park

From being the 2008 Olympics venue to a full blown water park?  The Beijing Water Cube has been transformed into a family destination.  (CNNGo link)

pinterest Link

This looks magical!  The building itself is already perfectly themed from the get go and having all these Avatar-inspired, fantasy underwater world themed water park is perfect.  Apparently entrance is RMB200 (adults) and RMB160 (children) and operating hours are 10am to 9.30pm daily.  Has anyone been there yet?

Flower Art

With a drop of creativity, anything is possible.  I love how beautiful these flower arts are!!

pinterest Link

This is so beautiful.  I love the idea behind the photos.  Flower skirts.  Doesn't art like this just make you wonder how someone got this idea and the amount of time it took to execute it?

pinterest Link

I've seen these before and they are gorgeous!  However, this particular piece of decoration I feel is only suitable for temporary events.  I can imagine that water looking gross over time what with dust, insects and larvae swimming about.  *Way to ruin a beautiful picture, self. Haha*  Glass vases similar to the above are sold in Kaison and IKEA (they should also be available elsewhere but those are the 2 places I'm confident of.  Parkson and Metrojaya might have them too).  Personally, I'll omit the water and put a lid up top to prevent the flowers from getting dirty and deter insects falling in.

That Space Under The Stairs

Most homes have it.  That space under the stairs.  A rather awkward shape and space.  Aren't these designs (specifically for those part of the house) just genius?

pinterest Link

Pull out panels are common designs in kitchens these days.  Why not have them done like this then and utilize the are under the stairs for more storage?  I love how everything can be tucked away neatly out of sight yet incredibly accesible.  I wonder if we could get a contractor to get this done for my brother's upcoming work space.  *taking notes*

pinterest Link

If there's an adjacent wall, this office nook is also a nice idea.  This looks like it can be a DIY project too.  With a little measuring here and there, there just might be a table and some drawers that can be made to fit as pictured above and put up some shelves (that are readily available from IKEA, Parkson or even Giant) to finish it off.

Compact Solutions for Small Spaces

The online community has been abuzz on the tumblr-esque site, pinterest, and I can understand why.  If you're looking inspiration on just about anything, I strongly suggest you give the site a look.

Here are a couple things that I thought was interesting to begin with (yes, this might be my blogging inspiration for the moment):

This idea probably isn't anything new but it's still a pretty neat idea.  The original post is from the Martha Stewart website (link here) which is where I borrowed the images for the above image for the purpose of this post.  I love how the bookcase is neatly tucked away into a corner and opens up revealing a functional office (or as pictured above -- a craft area and storage).  Those are 2 individual same size bookcases joined together with hinges kind of like vintage wooden gift boxes.

I'm not too sure if this piece of furniture is an actual product but wouldn't it be cool? (link here)  Definitely not your conventional sofa bed though.  This would be nice to have in a guest room and spiced up with some bright coloured cushions too.