Morning Routine of a Father

Beginning of the year, I made a point to wake up at 5 am in the morning and jog for 10-15 minutes everyday, or 2 rounds around the apartment. However, laziness or tiredness will always catch up. Yes, it is not easy to stay true to the routines that you set but the important thing is (for me) is to set an easy target first. Alhamdulillah, slowly but surely, the body will get used to this routine and it will not feel like a chore anymore.

Let me share a little bit of the daily routine that I plan to apply this year:

• 5.00am - Wake up, have a tall glass of water (with lemon), wash my face and go for a jog
• 5.30am - Finish jogging and wash up
• 5.45am - Wake my daughter up, prep her for school and prepare breakfast (if my wife is busy attending the little one)
• 6.00am - breakfast
• 6.30am - Off to send daughter to school and baby to in-laws
• 7.30am - Arrive home and do a quick workout
• 8.00am - Shower (yes, another one) and go to the office
• 9.00am - Office Hour
• 6.00pm - Gym time at the office
• 7.15pm - Off to pick up family and dinner
• 8.30pm - Arrive home and family time, help lil boss with her homework
• 9.30pm - Bedtime for kids
• 10.00pm - Prep tomorrow clothes, do laundry (if any), to do list, read
• 11.00pm - Lights out

That is the basic routine for me but that does not include the work i do for my side business. 

I find my day feels very productive if all of the routine is done accordingly. And also, what makes the day "a good day" for me?

When it starts with good hair day :)

Spring Florals Watercolor Class with Farah Bidin of Paintstobrushes

Aside from cooking, my other hobby is painting. I have always been a big fan of art but I was raised in a traditional asian family where art is a big no-no. Instead, we were encouraged to excel in maths and science. Art classes and supplies doesn't come cheap even back in those days. So, I did like what most obedient child would; brush my interest aside. 

Moving forward to the digital age and a time when I earn my own income, I started to look at videos online, brought materials and dabbled a bit especially while I was pregnant. I find it somewhat therapatic. On Instagram, I started to follow people like Kerrie Hess and a local like Farah of Paintstobrushes. Kerrie Hess has an online masterclass. Unfortunately, it was a bit over my budget. As usual, when it comes to financial matters, just put it aside cause you know, priorities... Hahahahha!!! 

One day, I came across a post on Paintstobrushes Instagram on a workshop on one of the weekends I wasnt working and didn't waste any time to sign up. Big Yay! What's great about her is that she didn't come from an art background and self taught her painting skills. During the workshop, she shared her tips and tricks on how to make things work. She adviced to always start with color mixing to get the "feel". So, even if your painting didn't turn out well, you painted pretty colors. One other useful tip she gave was when painting roses, you can paint outside in so that you won't get carried away (one mistake I always make). 

Here are some pictures from the workshop:

Owh, Farah also shares how to paint on her instagram. So, if you are into painting, follow her on Instagram! Thank you for the wonderful session Farah! Till next time! 

Jovian Mandagie Chinoiserie Raya Collection

On the 26th February, I received an invitation from Arene K for the screening of their latest Chinoiserie collection. 

Since I've always loved Chinoiserie and in search of new clothes for my new figure after baby number 2, the invitation came at the perfect time. I made arrangements with our friend, Elaine who will be coming with her colleague to go there at about 2pm.

The prints are pretty and unlike Jovian Mandagie's collection about 2 years ago, the material was pretty good. I had my eyes on this one here. Unfortunately, it is not breastfeeding friendly. 

So, i checked out the other pieces... 

There were light refreshments served. Even the set up was oriental themed.

Tried on a few pieces. One thing good about them is that they sell the top and bottom separately. That is a very good marketing strategy as in my case, my top is a size M and bottom is S. 

I'm not going to tell which one I got. It'll be a surprise for raya.  

Oh I almost forgot, met my Not So Baby cousin, Erysa who is an intern there. Arene K had good things to say about this lil graphic designer.

When you are the shortest, you will try very hard to make yourself look taller. Unfortunately, I failed miserably. 

Anyway, kudos Arene K, Juliani and JM team! The new collection is awesome! Thank you for having us! 

Chinese Herbal Chicken Soup

One of the easiest YET nutritious dish to cook is the Chinese Chicken Herbal Soup.

Here is what you need: 

1. 500 g Chicken
2. 1.5 litres Water
3. 2cm of Bentong Ginger
4. 10 pieces Red Dates
5. 10 g Wolfberries
6. 1 tsp Salt & some pepper (black or white depends on your preference.. i use black pepper) 
7. 1 packet of Mixed Herbal Soup Ingredients. I bought the one below with Cordyceps. 

This normally cost between rm6-10 but there was a promotion that I got is at ~RM5 a Aeon. 

Owh, by the way, i used a thermomix (TM) because of the convenience of automated cooking... I don't have a maid so this helps a lot so i can so other housechores while cooking. 

First, put in the cordyceps.

Cordyceps looks a bit too much like silk worm, so I Turbo blend for 2 seconds.  This is how it looks like aftee turbo blend.

Next, put in the rest of the ingredients. Insert the simmering basket into TM bowl and pour the water into TM bowl to cook. 

50 minutes / 100 degrees / Speed 1

I let it cook while I do the laundry and other housechores.. 50 minutes later, Voila!

Simple right? It is about the same to cook it manually, you just need to make sure you stir it once awhile as you slowcook. Enjoy trying! 

The other half of this family :)

And hello! I am Ezry, the man in the family.. and a Fit Dad..hmm..

Fit dad..fit dad? Am I that fit? Well of course I'm not but that's the aim. And that is one of the topics that I will be sharing in this blog. My journey in becoming a fit dad, or a SUPER dad to my kids.

There is a saying that once you get married, you will lose your physique and all the belly fat will come out. I don't like that saying and to me, those words come from lazy people, and I don't want to call myself lazy. Well, not when it comes to taking care of my health.

Why is it important to be fit? Its not just about being fit, but more towards becoming healthy. Healthy leads to fat loss, which leads to more muscle which will then lead to a fit physique. Honestly, who doesn't want to look good aging right?

Here's to more posts regarding fitness and my lifestyle.

Introduction from the Queen of the House

Hi! I'm Syaza Nadrah but you can call me Nadrah. I'm just a regular person. Mother of two from the working class with daily struggles to make ends meet. Despite the increasing demand, I am one who really tries to do it all while living life to the fullest. Juggling my role as a person, wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and employee is definitely a challenge. Some chooses to drop some of their roles. However, while I was taking my masters in management, i learnt that, recognizing your roles in life gives you more meaning and purpose. This reflects your worth so that you'll be guided in every path you're going to take. If you are able to perform your roles effectively, then you can be a productive person as well. It is also important because it serve as your guide towards your goal in life. Hence, I am driven to be ambitious that I can do it all. Fortunately, I've a good support system to help me in making my dream a reality. This blog is a channel for me to share my stories as an ambitious mom. From breastfeeding, social outing, chores, fitness struggles, you name it. Nothing in life comes easy. Perseverence, determination and knowing that I am not alone keeps me going. Till next time~