If you can't stand it, change your diet!

Wonder what I would have reacted if I was being exiled to Mongolia? All work and no play? children start helping out as soon as they can understand orders? Make me feel so blessed living in this country. Though one say the grass is greener on the other side. I am quite content with the grass right here. Hahaha...
I have seen a couple of shows where families being sent to Africa, Mongolia and yes there was one family sent to spent 9 days if I'm not mistaken with an family the deep forest of Sarawak. Apart from the culture shock that they faced, one thing that really struck me big time. The animal slaughter. What on earth were they thinking every time they took a humongous bite of those greasy hamburgers?? A humanely killed pigs? Hahaha... Would you eat meat with poison in it? Of course not. You'll ended being humanely euthanize yourself. I guess electric shock could do the trick but that would be way too costly.
I guess being brought up in a not so small urban area is not too bad. I've seen cows, goats, chickens and not forgetting rabbits being slaughtered for their meat. And yes I've eaten most meat except for buffaloes. At least I think I've never eaten it. I can understand when vegetarians and PETA protesting these animal abused because they really believed that animals should have their rights to live because they are living beings. What I seems to have problem is with those people who eat their medium raw steak cooked by a well-known chef and claimed that killing animals are cruel and should not be tolerated. Now these hypocrites should be taught some lessons regarding the circle of life. Huhu..

There goes my shopping spree...

Hahaha... NOT!
I have yet to even start my job when another dilemma decided to drop by. It is something both of us have actually put into consideration. But never expected it to visit this soon. MIL requested for us to apply for a maid. We have been discussing the matter of her taking the kids and definitely have put some consideration that she would not be able to handle them with her current condition. Don't get me wrong, she's an angel. She truly is. But for someone with a soft heart to take care of my ever hyper kids would definitely drive to her physical limits. Especially since Imran have started the tendency to bully her baby sister. Of course Hani can defend herself. But both of them would start to wail like no ones business and that would definitely drive everyone crazy!
So, I am already contemplating on how to save money in order to be able to pay for a maid. The initial plan to get a job was to pay my student loan. Which unfortunately have accumulated quite a sum of arrears. Then comes the expenses of commuting to work. Tolls, gas, food etc. Then the car we're about to buy for me. Just some cheapo car will do. But still, the monthly payment? I would like to be able to pay for it. Can't just blindly depend on Hubby. He's already paying for the house, Hilux, insurance, not to mention my make-ups. Hahaha.. seriously. I really do want to help.
We're not a big fan of spending our money for luxury things. We don't shop at boutiques, we don't eat at Tony Roma's because we chose not too. We chose to prepare ourselves with a better future. (I know.. I know.. yada yada.. just bare with me okay? This is MY blog..) Am I wrong for not sending Imran to a well-establish kindergarten just because I feel there's not need for it? He can still learn to read and write at other kindergartens. Hubby and I graduated from Tabika Kemas. And proud of it. As for Hani, I'll let her decide on what she wants when she can.
As for the maid issue, we have deliberate (hah!) and decided to go for it. MIL's trying to get one locally but I'm pretty sure none is available. Most probably we have to settle for foreign aid. I'm not too keen on having a live-in maid but MIL wasn't too keen on nurseries. Hehehe.. Hubby became the tie-breaker and decided on maid. Good for him! I just pray it wouldn't take too long for us to get the right one.

Tips for Stay at Home Moms Going Back to Work - Leslie Godwin, MFCC

From this site.

1. The first thing to do is to be very clear about why you are going to work, what you need to earn, and what schedule will work for you.
I'll be working Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Seems perfect to me.

2. Don't feel that the company who offers you a position is doing you a favor just because you have been out of the workforce a while.
Definitely not. I know I have actually impressed them with my experience and the way I handled the interview even though I was out of the corporate world more then 3 years. (So perasan!)

3. Most moms returning to the work force worry about the gap in their resume.
I actually did worry. How am I suppose to 'sell' myself when all I have been doing is taking care of my children. Then when the interview came, I just realized I was doing management work as well as admin when I was handling the laundry shop. Hahaha!

4. Talk to your spouse and find out what his concerns are.
He requested that I get a job. The main concern? My student loan! Hahaha.. Dang!

5. Talk to your kids.
This one is quite a dilemma. How do you explain to a 3-year-old and 1-year-old that mommy will be leaving them with grandma for maybe up to 10 hours (includes commuting). Not so easy. Especially when the little is still BF.

6. Help is available.
Help is all around us. Thank you for my ever-so helpful MIL. She has been an angel to me and my family. If she can't handle my ever so active kids, there's always nurseries and kindergartens.. Last option, a maid.

7. Practice interviewing with a friend.
Hahaha.. never got the chance to do this. Wish I had.

8. If working outside the home doesn't work, be willing to change jobs, look for work you can do at home, or return to being a homemaker full time.
I pray that I don't have to face this.

Suze Orman's 2009 action plan

I got this from watching Oprah's Best Life show on Hallmark. I got hooked with Suze Orman when my MIL introduced me to her show on CNBC. Just love how she kept saying "NO!!" to ladies who spend too much on luxuries when they're not suppose to. Hihihi...

1. Do not spend any money for one day.
2. Do not use credit card for one week.
3. Do not eat in a restaurant for one month.

One lady could not agree to the third plan. I couldn't agree more with her. Why..? I can get very sick of my own cooking! Hahahaha....
I can stop myself from spending any money for one day. Haha.. Just wait till I get hold of my own money. Wonder what damage I will do. I definitely can live without using credit card for more than one week. Plastic money only for emergency cases. Remember when Hani was admitted to PMC Klang for 3 nights? Had to borrow MIL card because mine had exceed the limit. Hubby was in London. Definitely need a higher credit limit for those emergency expenses. Don't be mistaken, she does have insurance, but had to pay and claim later.
But the part of no eating outside for one month.. I really wanted to give that a try. Especially once I started working. Wanted to see if I can discipline myself to bring food from home. There are loads of one-dish recipes out there. Just need the time, discipline and obviously the gadgets to do so. Haha.. another excuse for shopping? There goes my financial plans!

After the long wait...

As some might have guessed, I went for a second interview last Tuesday. And today I got a call from them asking me to collect my offer letter tomorrow and get myself a medical check-up. Obviously when I said I can start immediately it is acceptable that they wanted me to start next Monday. But given the thought of how am I suppose to leave my kids without some warning would give me terrible guilt feeling. I requested for one week delay.
So I'm head over heels about getting this job. Since I have yet to get back my pre-married size, I have to settle with the traditional Baju Kurung. Courtesy of my mom. I can do a monthly rotational with the ones she gave me. Not including the one I bought for raya. Hahaha...
I pray that my kids would be alright. And I have to start a new cycle for Hani. What was it, reverse cycling watchamacallit?
Gotta go.. Hani and Imran are having fun in the shower.. Geez, wonder how am I suppose to survive the hours without them screaming....

Mission 1/2 Accomplished...

hahaha... funny ain't it? How can I secure a half worked mission...

because I have to wait for the outcome within 2 weeks time.

Thanks to your prayers, (CT and MQ) I have recovered from the nasty cold. Hubby's sharing my antibiotics.. (kad insuran tak dapat lagi, sebab kena bayar dua orang je ambil ubat... huhu..).

Told ya!

See... I completely forgot to update. So here is my first post for the year 2009!

I'm down with a terrible cold, therefore I have to get a full bed rest today. Tomorrow I got a very important mission to accomplish.