I STOPPED DRINKING COFFEE FOR 1 MONTH AND HERE'S WHAT I LEARNED

On the 7th of May (last month), I made a conscious decision to cut back on coffee. Here something you should know about me. I need at least 4 cups of black coffee a day to function. On good days, probably just 3. On bad days, 5 or more. I realized that this was becoming an addiction and I needed to do something about it before I get completely hooked. 

I knew it was going to be difficult because they say it takes 21 days or more to get rid of a bad habit. But just like the clothes challenge I set myself at the beginning of the year, I knew I could do it. So, here's my journey. 

1st week (7 days) 

1) I felt uneasy the first few days, like something was missing. Like a part of me was missing. Friends around me were drinking coffee and the smell was just like a perfume I was addicted to, which made it even more difficult for me to resist. 

2) I felt tired most days because I kept telling myself that I haven't ingested any coffee. 

3) There were so many times when I just wanted to take ONE sip of coffee. 

2nd week (14 days)

1) I thought it would be easier the 2nd week but I was so wrong. It was so so difficult. 

2) Some nights, I would cry for no reason and ask myself is all of this worth it? What is the purpose of me doing this? Some ridiculous thoughts would just appear out of no where (which, I think is completely normal when you're trying to give up something).

3) My mood was all over the place. I snapped at people over trivial things and my tolerance level towards people deteriorated. 

3rd week (21 days) 

1) I started to focus all of my "coffee thoughts" on swimming, which is good because I've been meaning to start doing some form of exercise since the beginning of the year. 

2) The scent of coffee became bearable although it still sucked when I had to order diet Coke or water instead of black coffee in Starbucks or restaurants. 

3) I always drink coffee when I travel but when I was in Lombok recently with my uncle, I felt like I did not really need it. 

4th week (What I've Learned)

1) "Coffee thoughts" don't pop up everyday anymore. 

2) I could still function and live my day without coffee. 

3) My productivity is as good as when I have coffee. 

4) A lot of the times, we think we NEED coffee but that's not necessarily the case. 

5) I'm swimming and exercising more. 

6) Coffee is good but at a moderate amount. 

7) Coffee doesn't control my life. 

8) I saved some money from cutting coffee. 

9) My breath is not always smelling like a coffee machine anymore. 

10) Coffee actually helps with my digestive system and blood circulation.

1 hour ago (19th June), before writing this post, I've finally had my first cup of black coffee since the 7th of May. Yes, I've lasted that long but I do feel like coffee keeps me warm. I don't feel the urge or the need to drink anymore coffee today because I'm functioning perfectly fine. 

My friends, this was my experience and my journey. I hope this helps any of you who are trying to cut back on coffee or trying to cut coffee out of your life. It can be done :) 

x

4 Days in Krabi for RM1,000

Is it possible to enjoy Krabi under a tight budget? 

The answer is YES! 

The truth is, my friend and I went to Krabi with a total of THB 8,051 each, which is roughly RM1,000 per person. In my opinion, that is quite reasonable. So, let me break it down for you. 

Flight ticket: RM188

- book your flights 3-4 weeks beforehand 

- if possible, weekday trips will be more worth it as flights tend to be cheaper on Mondays and Tuesdays

- I booked my tickets via AirAsia 

Accommodation: RM500 (RM250 each) 

- again, book your accommodation 3-4 weeks in advance 

- there are plenty of AirBnBs, hotels and resorts in Krabi, so it's just a matter of how luxurious/budgeted you want your stay to be

- We booked a very nice resort called Baan Ban Dalay via Booking.com and the place is just amazing. Location was great. 

Transportation: RM95 (RM47.50 each for 3 days)

- rent a scooter for THB250/day

- Tuk Tuks will try to rip you off real bad but of course it's for their businesses

- renting a bike/scooter is so much easier and more convenient but if you are confident with a car, it will still be cheaper than taking the Tuk Tuks

Island: RM50 (RM25 each for 2 islands)

- this is your choice. We didn't want to do island hopping so we picked 2 islands that we really liked and paid THB200 for a long-tail boat to each island

- island hopping packages can go up to at least THB1,200 and it will be from 8am-4pm 

- so this option is completely up to you

Up till this point, the total is RM510.50

The rest of the money was spent on food, souvenirs and massage. 

So, RM1,000 for 4 days in Krabi is totally do-able. You get the luxury side as well as the budget side. 

Hope this helps any of you who are interested in visiting Krabi and gives you a little idea on how much you can take with you. 

Here's a video from the trip: 10 THINGS YOU CAN DO IN KRABI, THAILAND 

5 Decisions To Make When You're Moving Into A New Home

As most of you would probably know by now, from previous posts obviously, I've moved into a new apartment. And yes, as I'm writing this now, I have 100% moved in. I've been putting it back for a few days because it was extremely tiring.

Moving into a new home isn't as easy as it seems. 

But I'm sure most of you know it.

So, I just wanted to share a couple of decisions I had to make when I decided to move into a new home. Home doesn't necessarily mean a house. Home is obviously where you live, where you feel comfortable, where you feel safe. And yes, it will take me a couple more weeks to make my new home feel like home as I'm still in the process of unpacking.


Anyway, here are some of the things I considered before moving.



1. Living alone or living with people

To be honest with you, this was my biggest problem. Sometimes, living alone is fun and all that but you do get lonely. And when you're sick, there's no one there to take care of you. You have no one to talk to when you get home whereas if you live with people, you know who to talk to when you've had a bad day. But of course, you don't really have the freedom to do things i.e. cook in your underwear or leave your things wherever you'd like.



2. Cost

Can you actually believe that this factor came in second? Normally, people would always think of the cost first. But anyway, find something that is within your budget range. And find out how much you need to pay a month for electricity, water and gas bills and all that. From there, you can compile everything and see which one fits your budget.




3. Location 

Obviously, you'd want a place that is convenient. My place is super super convenient. A 24-hour clinic, dental care, supermarket, shopping mall (HnM!!!), 7-eleven, train station, food stalls, restaurants - just everything I need, basically. They're all there. So, pick a place where you KNOW it's convenient for you.

4. Furniture and fixtures

I would always look for a fully-furnished place because in my opinion, it is absolutely pointless to buy furniture when you don't own your own house yet. Because imagine moving everything into your next home. So, I would always go for a place that is already furnished.




5. Security 

This for me, is really important. In my previous place, whenever I got back at midnight, security guards would actually guard me to my room to make sure I was OK. I mean, it's not like I needed that but it's just the feeling of being safe and secure. My new place seems to have good security too - guards, key cards that only residents have, double locked doors, all that jazz.




So these are the things I took into consideration before moving to a new apartment. I hope it will help some of you who are looking into moving.

Let me know in the comments what decisions you had to make when you moved to a new place :) 

5 Ways To Enjoy Your Weekend

I used to be the type of person who could just stay in bed all day during weekends. Especially during cold days. I could just stay under the covers for as long as I can, whether that's sleeping or watching a movie on my iPad or reading a book.


Now that I have a job and work every Monday to Friday, I tend to appreciate the weekends more. I explore new places to eat, hang and chill with my friends, dress up in nice outfits instead of work uniforms.

There are probably 3 types of people in the world during weekends:

1) Out-goers: going out every single weekend

2) Insiders: staying at home as much as possible on weekends

3) Mixture of both

Again, I classify myself as a mixture of both. I used to be the 2nd type few years ago, no doubt, but I now consider myself a little mixture of both. So, if you are like me and prefer a bit of both worlds, here are some of the things I would normally do on weekends.

I usually keep things really simple.

AT HOME:

1) Bake

As you can see from my blog, I try out different new recipes every Sunday whether they are cakes, cookies or muffins. Baking has been one of my hobbies since I was young and it sort of soothes me :)

2) Chill

I would normally invite a few of my close friends over and have a nice chill-out time. Have some tea and cake (the cake that I've made, obviously) and watch some Netflix or just catch up on each others' week.

3) Pamper Session

I would always have a nice and easy pamper session for myself and have a little relaxation time of my own. Face masks, body scrubs, soft music and a little alone time are normally what I like to do before starting another week.

OUT:

4) Going out for Food

My friends and I normally make plans to go out on weekends because we are so caught up with work and studies during the week. It's a nice time to unwind and relax. Movies, coffee and food are

normally our thing. It all depends on you, really.

5) Window Shopping

I have to admit - I don't go shopping EVERY weekend but I do window shop every weekend with my girlfriends whether it's online or in malls. In fact, I probably do this everyday. But it's always nice to have some friends with you when you're shopping.

Hope this has helped :)




Have a lovely weekend!






X

Valentine's Day DIY Gift

So, it's that time of the year again - yes, I'm talking about Valentine's Day - an event where some people spend most of their time thinking of what lovely gift to get him/her on this special occasion. 

To be perfectly honest, Valentine's Day is like any other days if you ask me. Everyday is Valentine's Day if you're happy with the person you love. But I do see why people make this day extra special and everyone has their own reasons. 

I've never really celebrated Valentine's Day, to be honest with you all. I've either been very very busy at work/with life or not in a relationship at all (haha). This year, I've decided to actually properly celebrate it with my main man. I don't know what he has planned or what he's giving me on the day but I do know what I'm giving him :D

I think occasions like Valentine's Day and Anniversaries are super personal as compared to birthdays or Christmases or New Years because the day is between just the both of you, which makes it special. So, I feel like for gifts, DIY presents make it even more meaningful and exceptional. 

After scouting through various websites and projects, I've finally decided what to make for him.

This is actually my first ever DIY project and I'm going to call it "The Jar of Happiness". Basically, I picked a little something from projects that I really liked and mixed it with ideas of my own. 

So, I'm just going to share my little DIY gift idea with everyone. It's super easy to make (I made this within 2 hours) and it brings out the creativity in you.

*This gift applies to both HIM and HER*

The Jar of Happiness:

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

. An empty glass jar (whatever kind of designs you desire)

. Some hearts stickers

. Heart and lace threads (Again, whatever kind of threads you desire)

. Unused cards (preferably with bright colours or hearts)

. Colourful notes

. Pictures of you and your partner (this is what makes it special)

. Heart napkins (optional)

TIME TO GET CREATIVE!

Basically, what I did was:

1) Cut the pictures and stick them IN the jar

2) Cut the unused cards into whatever shapes you want and stick them as a background

3) Tie some threads around the jar and around the neck of the jar

4) Paste some napkins as a second background (optional)

5) Write some meaningful messages on the colourful notes and fold them up

6) Put all those messages in the jar along with whatever else you want to put in the jar for him/her

So there it is. My first DIY gift for Valentine's Day. It actually looks really really good :D I hope this post has helped some of you who are actually struggling to find gifts.

*Note: This isn't a finished gift as I have yet to fill my jar up for him. I've only shown him how I've decorated this simple jar and also, he'll be reading my post if I wrote here what I've put in the jar for him. Haha! I want it to be a surprise for him on Sunday so, you get the idea :)