Valen’s Vanity Square

I ‘feel’ so fat. My pants are getting tighter around the waist since last week. Quick! Can someone give me some fast action fat burner, please!

*Sigh* I have not been doing my regular Sunday walking session for two weeks consecutively. Plus, I have been quite bogged down with work, so I am desk bound most of my waking time. I don’t think I even walk 500 steps a day!

PLUS, I had Durian this afternoon.

There’s only energy input, but no energy output. I’m going to become a big fat woman in no time!

My emergency plan now is … … to do a lot of housework tomorrow! Wash the laundry, iron some clothes, sweep and wash the front yard, mop the floor - both upstairs and downstairs. At least I get to burn off the calories from today’s Durian first, haha!

While I’m quite used to shopping online for books and craft supplies, I never like the idea of shopping for electronical and digital devices, such as mobile phone, laptop or Mp3 player, from the internet.

It’s just this fear that I have (I assume most of you have too), worrying that I might receive a laptop with a broken chip, or not knowing where to send my mobile phone for repair if anything happens after that, etc.

But if I can buy a Mp3 online at half the normal price, then I might consider to take a risk after all.

That’s what I saw at Buy.com. They are slashing down the price of Microsoft Zune Mp3 players by more than 50%! Other brands of Mp3 players, new and used, are also selling at discounted prices.

Their offer looks very attractive. The only problem is, I’m not really an Mp3 person, I don’t think I know how to fully appreciate the joy of listening to music all the time. So, I may just forget about the idea.

I am spending a couple of nights at my mom’s while hubby is up at the Genting Highlands for a conference.

One year ago, I would have brought along with me an extra small bag just to carry all my precious skincare products, even if it’s just a two-night stay. Nowadays, I stuff just the basics in one toiletry bag and the cosmetics into a 8×5 inch pouch. And both go into my suitcase. No more large bottles and cans from Kose or Shu Uemura or Estee Lauder, just small canisters from L’Oreal, Simple, L’Oreal and Simple. Okay, may be there’s Elianto, the Ginseng Essence facial mask. That’s all. Really leading a simple life right now. Hahaha!

But l don’t want life to be simple. I want to get my hands on the New Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex from Estee Lauder. I’m using their Advanced Night Repair Concentrate currently. I didn’t buy it, it was a gift when I bought their other products more than a year ago. Haha! But I didn’t start to use it diligently until few months ago. Now, I use it every night, of course not for these few days because I didn’t take it with me.

I only discovered recently that the Advanced Night Repair Concentrate is doing my skin some good. It helps to lock in moisture better than just applying moisturizer alone. I suppose it has helped my skin to recover faster after the white head extraction process during my facial. I think my sometimes lackluster complexion has also improved, I personally feel that I look more radiant these days, haha! Even my beautician from NYSS told me that my face looked very much better when I saw her last week. Hehe… (So, is it the facial or the product doing me good? )

That’s why I figured that I should get hold of the New Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex, formula of which is now enhanced to further optimize night-time repair of the skin. I have not made any enquiry about this product at the Estee Lauder counter, but my guess is that it will cost more than RM200. So, I’m now taking in writing projects non-stop so that I can have extra money to pamper myself to this new bottle of beauty potion soon.

Was watching ‘Queen‘ the Taiwan beauty talk show at my mom’s. Yesterday’s topic was about weight loss products. It’s really ‘amazing’ to learn how actresses would go all their way to try different methods to lose weight!

From prescriptive pills and unknown supplements, to weird diets (e.g. eating a kind of oily fish and green apple together as a form of laxative) and acupuncture. Wow! And all I am doing is controlling my diet and exercise a couple of times weekly.

However, as the doctor in the program mentioned, it is okay to use weight loss drugs, but one has to first make sure a few things:

• What are its main components or ingredients?
• What are the action of those ingredients (e.g. appetite suppressant, oil absorber, fat burner)?
• How to take it (e.g. what time, how much dose, before or after meals)?
• Are there any temporary side effects?

For example, if you are recommended Stimerex ES by a friend, then you should first do some research about this product, either through the internet through professional advice. You want to make sure the product is suitable for you and fits your weight loss plan.

Of course, the best way to lose weight and prevent weight gain, as the doctor mentioned, is to consume less fat (so that you don’t have to take those oil absorbing pills) and stop eating after 8 pm. Eat a wholesome meal for breakfast, moderate for lunch, and the least during dinner. I think I’m doing it the other way round. No wonder… haha!

Woohoo! Our room reservation with Awana Kijal resort has been confirmed!

Unfortunately, their Deluxe single rooms (with King-sized bed) have been fully booked, we are given a twin bedroom. They are putting us on the waiting list though. Anyway, single beds in hotels and resorts are quite spacious. Hubby and I can always share a bed if we want to. Haha!

Now, I should start some research work to find out where to get good seafood around the resort area, and to plan our activities in the resort - pool (i.e. snooker, not swimming pool), golfing (driving range only, la), table tennis (I’m better than hubby in this game), spa (a full body scrub and massage, how exotic!)…

Can’t wait till July!

My beautician advised me to take collagen drinks to maintain the firmness and suppleness of my skin - not only for my face, but also for my arms. She said she can feel that my arms are saggy when she massaged me!

I know. As a woman, I should take care of my body from top to toe, in and out. By right I should be taking supplements such as anti-oxidants, vitamin C, Evening Primrose Oil, calcium, etc, the so-call female supplements. In countries like Taiwan and Hong Kong, beauty drinks such as collagen are very popular. I’ve seen some sold in local pharmacy outlets, but have not had the courage to try.

Even if I cultivated the habit to consume beauty supplements now, how am I going to sustain it till my senior years? We don’t have health plans such as Medicare supplement insurance here. Perhaps I should ask hubby to include this beauty supplement expenditure of my mine into our future retirement living cost, hehe. Old people deserve to be healthy and look great, too. Right?

Finally got our Awana Kijal Golf, Beach & Spa Resort hotel reservation made this morning!

We tried to make an online reservation last night, but was disappointed to find out that the Astounding Saver package that we wanted is no longer available. It was a really good deal, less than RM200 per room per night. I checked their other online booking rates, it was above RM300!

So I decided to write in an inquiry to check if they have other better rates. Glad to receive their reply this morning that they still have standard rooms (known as Deluxe room there) available at RM280 per night (coz our stay will be during the low season). Got husband to SMS me his credit card details and made a reservation via email. Errr, actually, I am still waiting for a confirmation email from the hotel staff, he he. Hopefully I will get a reply today.

I have yet to make a reservation with Awana Kijal Beach Resort for my holiday in July. Actually, we did attempt to make an online reservation last week, since they are having special rates for online booking.

I got to the reservation page and let hubby deal with the rest i.e. putting in his contact and credit card number, while I went to take my shower. But then, we didn’t get any confirmation email after that, even several days later. Hubby checked with the credit card company and found out that no transaction took place at all. That’s why I have to do it again tonight.

I don’t know what went wrong, may be it’s their online booking system. I’m not expecting their system to be so sophisticated like the official Westgate vacation online reservation website, but I suppose their simple set up should have all reservations processed efficiently.

So, perhaps it’s hubby. See, my hubby is not so internet savvy, and has never purchased anything or made reservations online, haha! I don’t know if he filled in all the relevant information correctly in the online reservation form. Looks like tonight I have to sit by him and watch him getting it done. I must have my beach holiday no matter what!

Golfing and horse riding - which is a more expensive hobby?

For golfing, you need a set of golf clubs, your club membership, golfing apparels, etc. You just have to take care of your own needs.

For horse riding, besides an investment in horse riding training, equestrian apparel that makes you look smart and quality horse riding equipment, you also need to take care of your horse. Your horse has its right to own quality horse clothing, horse care products and treats, don’t you think so?

Horse clothing at TheEquestrianCorner.com

But I think hubby and I can never in a million years afford horse riding activities. Golfing is more like the direction we are heading towards. Hubby is considering the idea of buying a couple of golf clubs since there is sales at Jaya Jusco now. We may want to try out the driving range at the Awana Kijal Resort at Terengganu, when we spend a short holiday there in July, hehe.

Woohoo! Going for a beach holiday again!