Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday. Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863. Thanksgiving was historically a religious observation to give thanks to God.

I personally think, that it's never too early to start planning for Thanksgiving, especially if you're always caught up in a last-minute whirlwind. So this year, you might want to start organizing your menu earlier and make sure you've got all your Thanksgiving recipes down pat!

Planning earlier also allows you to try out all different kinds of recipes and who knows, maybe you'll be able to introduce your family to one or two new recipes this year. You can still make your signature Sweet Potato Pie, but maybe you can try out some of these wonderful Dessert recipes.

The great thing about trying out new recipes is the fact that you can make it a family activity. You can involve the children by helping them shape their own cookies, or helping you with the ingredients and the part every children love the most, is the tasting session!

At MomsWhoThink.com you can find a variety of recipes for the holiday season, so if you're running out of ideas for your Thanksgiving menu, you can always drop by their website and check out the wide range of recipes list and find what suits you and your family best. I know I will definitely be trying out some of the recipes myself!

Once you're settled with your Thanksgiving menu, who knows.. maybe you can start thinking about Christmas Cookies!

All through high school me and my friends had a band that we practiced in my parents' garage for. Now most of us are separated from each other because only two of us are going to the same college together. Luckily me, the lead singer, and the guitarist are at school together so we're able to get together and get some work done.

We already have the beginnings of a ballad that I think is going to mesh in with the rest of our songs. So the other night we logged onto Skype with my high speed internet Wichita to show our drummer what we were working on.

I think that Tim liked it so once we're all home on fall break we're going to try and flesh out the song more and then practice it so we can put it on our demo during winter break. We had a demo that we released about a year ago and have been saving up the money we made from selling that to people we know to buy some more studio time and cut this demo in a few months.

The holidays are creeping up on us and before you know it, there's Halloween, Thanksgiving.. then Christmas! Yes, people, there's only approximately 3 months left for the year 2010! It's crazy, I know!

Anyways, for those of you looking into finding some awesome unique Christmas cards, I suggest you go handmade. There's nothing more unique then creating greeting cards by yourself. The recipient will never get one of the same, and more likely to cherish your card and put it up on their mantelpiece.

My friend Phatelara a.k.a. Debbie over at Crafty Heart makes excellent handmade greeting cards and I just adored her Christmas greeting cards that she made last year! :) So if you're interested, you can either follow her on twitter, @craftyheart.

Also if you're Malaysian, don't forget to check out her Hari Malaysia Craft Sale going on!

 
The items on sale are PERFECT for the holidays!! Hurry! The sale ends on September 30th, 2010!

Remember that blood drink that was available to all you aspiring vampires out there? Now, not only do you have blood to drink, but also blood to shower with.

The Blood Bath Shower Gel smells like cherry, feels and looks like extra thick blood, and has a rope to hang it from any nook or cranny of your shower. And hang it you will, because then the IV-styled blood bag will really show off its good looks. Retailing for only $8.99 for a bag, you don't need to go stealing from the hospitals like Damon Salvatore anymore! However clean it may make you, it isn't the best blackhead treatment out there, mmkay?

While you're at it, why not also get the Horror Movie Shower Curtain and Bath Mat set?


It retails for only $19.99!

So who wants to have a bloody good time getting bloody clean?

Note: All items are in stock and can be bought from ThinkGeek.

So to all those smokers out there.. do yourself and everyone else a favor.. STOP SMOKING!

Emelda Vincent Gomez is not only a fellow Sabahan blogger (KadazanBonita) but she has become a dear friend to my sister and I. I knew her through Daniel Franklin Gomez, who was her boyfriend then, and her partner for life now (awww!). ;)

Anyways, Mel was recently invited to talk on ntv7's The Breakfast Show to talk about fitness, health and weight loss. For those of you who don't know, Mel is a fitness coach who is currently attached to Celebrity Fitness. And nooooooo, she's no ordinary fitness instructor.

Mel is actually a Rapid Results Training Coach who is in charge of training the personal trainers who, in turn, train mere blubbers like us. She's the trainer of the trainers. The Training Goddess! In the episode, she talks about the ideal exercise regime, best exercise attire and she also discusses the myths of exercise!

So far, Mel has given me lots of motivation and tips on how to lose weight at home, reach my ideal fitness goal and continue to change my lifestyle for the better. She is AWESOME! :D

For more basic info on how to lose weight, you can click here to learn more!

Hey guys,

I just wanted to make sure that based on my previous post, that I'm encouraging unhealthy habits in a bid to lose weight. Just to clarify, yes, although I have googled "how to lose weight fast", I won't be taking drastic measures to lose my weight. I plan to do it slowly but surely. Rest assured, I won't be running out the first thing tomorrow to buy the best fat burner on the market!

My plan is still the hard way out, eat healthily and exercise! Boring but true. No pain no gain right? This time I am determined to sweat it out more than a sinner in church! You can take my word for it!! Why is this time different from any other times before (when I said the same thing)?? Because I have my beloved Omega watch at stake. I lose, my kid sister gets to keep it + RM500 goes down the drain. I sure won't let THAT happen!! I win, I get her Omega watch! If we both achieve our goals, the bet is off!

Wish me luck!

Has anyone seen Jen Hudson's WeightWatchers TV spot? Well, sista is lookin' FIIIIIINEEE!! Not to say that she didn't look FINE with all that junk in her trunk but dayyuummmm girl.. She one SMOKIN' HOT MAMA!! I am ever so inspired to shed all these ridiculous pounds that I accumulated in the past 2 years since I moved here to KL! It's so not funny how much weight I've put on. With the bloggers gathering coming up, believe me, I have googled "how to lose weight fast"!! Hahaha!

I've so got to build KILLER willpower!! Empowered. Me. Powered!

I like it! A lot! ;)

A couple of months back, my mom's friend was talking about a Shaklee product called Vivex. Supposedly it's a liquid supplement that does wonders for anti-aging, with the active ingredient being "resveratrol". Even the anti aging product reviews was impressive! Anyways, I talked my mom OUT of buying the product then but when I was back in my hometown recently, another friend of my mom gave us 2 bottles of Resveratrol Juice to take because she was so impressed with the effect it had on her.

My mom and I both took it but have yet to try it until we know full well that it's safe to take. Dr. Oz (the doctor on Oprah which isn't Dr. Phil.. hehe) has apparently given his endorsement, though. Apparently he reviewed the reservatrol anti-aging pill as one of the few easy ways to extend your longevity.

What do you think? Yay or Nay?

Today was a tiring day for me because there was a lot more unpacking left to do and after practically giving myself high blood pressure, I finally finished unpacking the furniture in my mom's room with the help of movers.

I've always wondered why people would spend money on movers when they can very well do it themselves. After having dealt with movers this past week, the next time I move, I am hiring myself professional movers that include packing and freight services, just like my mom did. It's pretty pricey, though. It's no wonder why people nowadays are venturing into load boards. With the help of sites like GetLoaded.com, it's become super easy!

Anyways, for now though, I'm just glad that all this unpacking and moving is 80% settled. Now I can finally breathe easy! :)

When I was a little girl, every year before the Eid celebrations, my father would bring my mom to the goldsmith to shop for some gold jewelry. It was almost tradition. Now that my late father is gone, my mom still goes, just for the sake of keeping to tradition. However, the price of gold these days are skyrocketing high!

Not only in Malaysia but everywhere around the world. Gold is where the money's at! People are encouraged more and more to invest in gold bullion. In the United States, you can purchase gold directly from the United States Gold Bureau.

Ever since the time of the Roman Empire, Egyptian Pharaohs and ancient Greeks, gold was always the measure of man's wealth. So it's not any different than it is today! If you can't afford it, then I suggest you start diggin'! LOL!

As the plot for Gossip Girl thickens, I find myself making toilet breaks, toast breaks (I LOVE TOAST), storybook breaks (for the lil ones) more often. Season 3 of Gossip Girl just failed to hold my interest for long. I still managed to watch every episode, though. Slowly but surely.

Now that Season 4 of Gossip Girl is back, everyone's favorite love-to-hate Queen B, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) and socialite, Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively) are finally giving fans something to look forward to. The fashion! The first episode, entitled Belles Du Jour, saw the two lovely women roaming the city of Paris.

Now THIS is the time when I finally woke up from the GG snooze fest and sat up and paid attention! For when Gossip Girl meets Paris.. it would be ALL about ze mode...

Here are the highlights of the girls' wardrobe from Episode 1, Season 4 of Gossip Girl.

On Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester):
Dress: Moschino Spring 2010
Shoes: Christian Louboutin "Quepi Reci"
Bag: Chanel "Patchwork"


On Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively):
Dress: Georges Chakra Spring 2010 Couture
Blazer: Rag & Bone "Razor Coat"
Shoes: J. Crew “Camden Suede Broges”
Bag: See by Chloe “Cherry Mini Bag”
hat: Yestdat 76 Trombones

I love the outfits! They are amazing! Who knew that the Georges Chakra Cage Corset Dress could be pulled off as a daytime outfit! *Drool*


During the shopping scene at the posh Avenue Montaigne outside Chanel, my favorite Upper East Siders looked DIVINE in their outfits -- both different to the extreme. Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf maintained her girly, sophisticated image, while the daring Blake Lively showed how impossibly long her limbs were in a more fashion forward getup.

On Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester):
Dress: Oscar de la Renta Spring 2010
Bag: Nancy Gonzalez
Shoes: Christian Louboutin

On Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively):
Top: Stella McCartney
Pants: Suno
Shoes: Dries Van Noten "Rafia Oxford Pump"
Bag: Fendi "Peekaboo"

Later in the episode, during their date night, both characters looked stunning but Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) looked spectacularly amazing!


On Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester):
Dress: Maxime Simoens Spring 2010
Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti
Tights: Falke


Blake Lively as Serena Van Der Woodsen looked great too.. and just in case you were wondering, she was wearing a Haute Hippie "Bowie" jacket paired with Rachel Antonoff shorts and Pierre Hardy heels.

That's all for my fashion report on Gossip Girl and if I'm not too lazy, I'll do a short fashion update on the new recurring character Juliet Sharp (played by Katie Cassidy). Till then, bonne nuit!

Without really realizing it, it seems that there's a One Republic theme going on tonight.. I featured the song Come Home by One Republic ft. Sara Bareilles on my personal blog, My Sweet Escape, and now, yet again, I have chosen another song by One Republic, entitled All This Time. 

I guess it's been playing in my head ever since I heard this song on the second episode of Vampire Diaries.. so it's become my brain itch. I don't mind it, though, since I love the song. If you're a VD fan like me and love the awesome soundtrack to the show, then you might want to check out my entertainment blog, Reel Madhouse for the full track listing of each episode for Season 2 of Vampire Diaries!

Well, without much further ado, here's One Republic with All This Time, taken from their second album, Waking Up. Happy Music Monday, everyone!




Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Last Friday, a whole shipment of furniture and mixed items arrived at home from KL. There were 140 boxes in total brought in by 2 lorries. It would have been super easy if we were moving in to an empty house, but our home is already full to the brim! So like it or not, we have to move half of the stuff OUT.
While I was cleaning my mom's room, I found sooooo many receipts that I was beginning to think my mom owned a receipt printer!

Anyways, all I can say is thank goodness for the movers from CahayaPack, everything is going smoothly!

In KL, I had used the services of Chaze International for dismantling, packing and shipping and when it arrived, the guys from CahayaPack took over for the unloading, unpacking and re-assembling the furniture. Very very satisfied with the services from both movers!!

Anyways, yesterday I had the task of rearranging the living room and bring in the furniture, carpets, etc that just came in.. and this is my end result! I am very very pleased with all my hard work!!

I can never get enough of cool stuff, whether it be gadgets, office furniture or in this case, kitchen appliances.
In another addition of cool stuff from ThinkGeek, I found this super cool LED Faucet lights that makes your water light up, and the color light also changes with the water's temperature. When the water is cold, you see BLUE LED's until the water temperature hits 89 degrees after which the LEDs turn RED (now with a brushed chrome finish)! Having LED lights on your faucet also means that you can see the water in the dark!

The first time I tried out the Shermag Glider, I was in lust!! Truth be told, it made me want to have a baby right then and there!!

Now don't you guys go thinking all dirty on me now.. it is NOT what you think it is.. well, at least not what I think you think it is.. haha!

The Shermag glider is an improvised rocking chair that sits flat on the floor but gives you the same rocking motion as a rocking chair. The comfort of this baby rocker is like no other and comes with a footrest too.

It retails for $289.95 and it really is worth your money especially if your baby doesn't sleep through the night! With this glider, I bet even the daddies will be happy to get up at night just so that they get a chance to sit in it!
For those of you in Malaysia and looking for this Shermag glider, you can try Toys 'R' Us. That's where I first gave it a test run and almost didn't want to get out of it. I forgot how much it retailed here, but I'll be happy to check up on it again and update the price here. It also comes in other colors too.. as well as baby blue and baby pink to match your nursery!

I am going out to do some last minute Raya shopping today and will also be keeping an eye out for door hardware because the recent heavy rain and strong winds practically ruined the door frame and door jamb when it slammed the door too hard. I can see my moolah flying away already... *sigh*

However, first things first, I hope to find a decent and affordable traditional garb for the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations. So far, it's been a struggle finding the perfect outfit without going over budget. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Subang Parade, here I come!

Happy Labor Day weekend to all who celebrate it. And...here we go!

1. Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future..

2. The weather can be so unpredictable; last night the air was so still and it was super hot, unlike the night before when the wind was howling, raining cats and dogs, and the trees were swaying back and forth.

3. I love a really good movie that can make me cry.

4. Anything accompanied with potatoes makes a good meal.

5. I've got the time to do a little bit more shopping before I go back to Sabah for Hari Raya.

6. Can you believe after losing our car in April, the car insurance claims only came through this week: wth!!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to pigging out with my sister and Rafiq at home and watch a movie, tomorrow my plans include doing some last minute Raya shopping and Sunday, I want to start packing so I don't rush to catch my flight on Monday!