A timeline

We need to set a timeline for everything we do. From sleeping to waking up, we need a schedule. 

Life itself is a timeline.The only thing we don't know is when the deadline will be. 

10 commandments of Coding

 

1. Thou shalt comment thy code: Always add comments to explain your code. Future you (or others) will thank you for the clarity.

2. Thou shalt use meaningful names: Choose descriptive names for variables, functions, and classes. Clarity is key to understanding code.

3. Thou shalt format thy code properly: Consistently indent code, use proper spacing, and follow a consistent coding style. It makes code easier to read and maintain.

4. Thou shalt test thy code: Write tests to verify that your code works as expected. Don't rely solely on hope or luck.

5. Thou shalt handle errors gracefully: Anticipate and handle errors in your code. Don't let unexpected situations crash your program.

6. Thou shalt not repeat thyself (DRY): Avoid duplicating code. Instead, use functions, classes, or libraries to reuse code and keep it maintainable.

7. Thou shalt strive for simplicity: Keep your code simple and straightforward. Complexity breeds bugs and confusion.

8. Thou shalt follow best practices: Stay updated on coding best practices and industry standards. Continuous learning is key to improvement.

9. Thou shalt respect thy fellow coders: Be considerate of others who may read or work on your code. Write code that's easy for others to understand and contribute to.

10. Thou shalt refactor thy code: Regularly review and improve your code. Refactoring keeps codebase clean, efficient, and adaptable to change.

Set GOAL and COMMIT

Discipline is key if you're looking to stick to your goals. It involves waking up every day to complete the tasks, regardless of whether you are feeling the best or not. One such activity is blogging (i set my goal on this!); it might sound like an easy thing to do, but it makes a lot of difference in the long run.

To begin with, set clear goals. Ensure that you understand where you are going. Then, divide these intentions into smaller daily activities. Each day can consist of writing a blog post. And even if it is not perfect, still, it is a step in the right direction.

You will need daily discipline that is for guiding you on the right path every morning, though not every day may start off well. Some days you may feel tired or busy to the point of not being able to write but still you do this as first step.

It's about showing up everyday - no matter what. No matter how short the time you spend on it, how imperfect it is.

So....once we set our GOAL let's COMMIT. Keep pushing forward one step at a time!

Time Management 101: Prioritize What Matters Most

Does it ever feel like time is slipping through your fingers and leaves you puzzled at where it all went? Do you find yourself in a place where you regret the loss of hours due to so many distractions around?

Hey, join the club. It's a common struggle for many of us, myself included.

Admittedly, there are so many ways and life-hacks out there to manage our time properly. But now, let's just get real, not all of them fit everyone like a glove. So, let's start easy, fix your biggest time-wasting habits.

What about Netflix? We've all been there - watching for three hours straight. It comes down to this: confine yourself to only one hour and if this is something you can't accomplish, then it may be time to eliminate Netflix from your life.

You will be delighted what 30 hours a month can do to your productivity. Extra 30 hours! Imagine that.

And social media scrolling. We've all been in that situation where it seems like minutes turn into hours before we realize it, and that's when regret begins to kick in. Set a timer for twenty minutes and then return to the work. There are apps for instance, that are designed to help you in the process of getting your life back on track.

A the end of the day - it boils down to what matters most. Is Netflix weaker than financially managing your life? Does wasting time on endless scrolling for no good reason outweigh the benefits of your productivity?

Finally, the decision is ours to make. It is about the act of taking control of our time and setting priorities for what we really need. So, what'll it be?

Embracing 'Ex-Stock'

I'm having a casual chat with a friend, and out of the blue, he throws this question at me: "Can I refill my detergents this week?" Now, here's the kicker – I happen to run a little side gig: a detergent refill station. It's my small way of contributing to the battle against plastic waste, one refill at a time.

Anyway, back to the convo. He drops this term on me: "ex-stock." And I'm sitting there, scratching my head, wondering if it's some kind of secret code. 

So, being the curious soul that I am, I ask him to break it down for me. Turns out, it's just a fancy way of saying "available immediately."

I know, I know – not exactly the most mind-blowing revelation. But hey, you've gotta celebrate the little victories, right? So here I am, geeking out over my newfound vocab: ex-stock. 

Who knew learning could be this thrilling? 😄

Reclaiming Time: Embracing the Write Way Forward

 Isn't it crazy how time just slips through our fingers? One moment we're making plans, and the next, it's a whole new month staring us in the face. But hey, that's life, right?

Lately, I've been doing some serious soul-searching. You know, the kind where you ask yourself the big questions. And one thing I've realized is how often I've used the excuse of being "too busy." But let's be real, is it really about being busy, or is it just a fancy way of saying I've been slacking? Procrastinating.

Well, no more of that for me. It's time to shake off the dust and get back to writing. And what better way to reconnect with my own self by sharing a piece of my world a few times a week?

So, here's the plan: I'm making a commitment to write three times a week. Short, sweet, and straight from the heart. (So help me God!)

Till tommorow!

Hello there my blog!

Ah, December 2023, and guess what? I rediscovered this little blog of mine.

Can you believe it's been ages since I last showed it some love? Time really does fly – a good 18 years of blogging, to be exact.

Looking ahead to 2024, I've made a pact with myself: more writing, more reading. It's time to dust off those soft skills of mine and make each day count.

Here's to enjoying every moment life throws my way. Cheers to a new chapter!

Cloth Diaper stater kit

So you are new parent and don't know how to start with Cloth Diaper (CD) . Yes, i was in your shoes before, totally have no idea on what CD is.

Here in Sabah ( Malaysia,Borneo), buying CD is quite expensive, especially the branded one.  So if you are not sure whether you like cloth diapering or not, you can try these tips:

1. Buy 4 sets of CD first.
Most parents fail with  this one. They tend to buy dozens of CDs and end up not using them. For a starter, you can actually use 4 sets of CDs, so you can decide if it's your thing or not. Of course you will have to wash it daily with just 4 sets, but it will really train you on using CD rite :)

2. Do not buy all the accessories - just yet.
When you are still in decision phase, just use the basic. No need all accessories like they put it on ads. Yes, they helps a lot, but only when you are fully on CD. Remember to just go with the basic.

3. For new born, please use the right size.
Right size for your baby is crucial. Most parents will hate cloth diapering because the size. Yes, size does matter. Use NB size for newborn, or else the urine will end up on your baby mattress, and you will hate Cloth Diaper forever :D.

In Sabah, there a few stores you can visit to buy your starter kit. You can try www.facebook.com/babypeeka . They are located at Kota Kinabalu Sabah, and selling baby stuffs including Cloth Diaper.

I share the costs of my CDs i brought here.

Detox Drinks

Last night i manage to make myself detox drinks, consist of:

1. Lemon
2. Lime
3. Cucumber

 Easy peasy rite? Slice all, and put in a jar, add in water and refrigerate one night.
I drink one glass early in the morning, and take the rest to the office. The taste is so refreshing.

Will update more on this. Lets try first.

My journey on Cloth diapering :)

It's quite tough (when it comes to money) to raise a child nowdays. From their diaper, nusery to formula milk it can cost almost RM1K per month. yea no joke.

I am a working mom, and i am blessed to have my mom to willingly take care my little Surindi. She's too fragile to be sent to nursery. And ya, reading all those horror experience from other mom on sending their baby to nursery, it making me so afraid to let non-family to take care of her.

So ya, talking about cloth diaper, i decided to use cloth diaper for little Surindi. For starting, i bought 6 sets from http://www.lovelyworld.com.my/ which costs me RM440. And adding 3 pcs overnight inserts which costs RM90. So total for her first set is RM530. 

Ya it quite expensive to start cloth diapering. But for long term? RM530 for 24 months is about RM22 per month. The disposable diaper is RM40/pack for 60pcs. 1 month will need about 2 packs which cost RM80.

There it goes. RM80 x 24 is RM1920. Which i can save RM1390 or at least around RM800 to consider the water and detergent used to wash. 

This  is my first experience, so i can't describe much hehe.. but yea, i'll update on it from time to time.

The sweet valentine

I am soooo lazy to do any post now..even with so many free time i had recently.

I am now officially a mother of a beautiful baby girl EmmaJane Surindi! Ha ha..wow so much to share but i'll post slowly ya. haha.

Love of my life

Plan for the meal again :)

Today is Friday and it's mean that my grocery stock have to be topped up tomorrow. I haven't do any meal plan for next week yet, i really have no idea. 

Hubby is coming home by Monday (yeyyyy!) so meal planning have to include him as well. I am not so keen eating outside, since i can cook better (yameh :p) meal myself. Thinking of some authentic Sabah food for the whole next week, and i need to do some healthy juice for hubby, so that he can do it himself later on.

Okey listing down my grocery shopping now! :D

Lemon-Grilled Chicken Breasts Recipe

Sunday ah, time to lazying at home and do all house chores.. usually i'm not in the mood going out on Sunday, except if i missed the Saturday Sunset Mass then i'll go out on Sunday just for church.

And today after doing all the house chores, with my 'ah-poh' hair and so lazy to get dressed, i decided to make my lunch at home instead of going out. So here's my lunch for today tadaaa! :D

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
7 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves $
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

3. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.

There you go..Easy! :)

Budgeting is one hard thing to implement :)

Me and my husband decided to really work with our budget since we are expecting our baby by end of september, and there must be lots of things needed to be spend on baby.

We are actually planning to change the car, but think about it again, it will be another never ending debt. We decided to hang on with our car, and pray that she won't give us another heartache for being 8 years old car :).

There so much to budget..our baby, our new house, our car,husband moving back to Sabah for good..etc. So maybe do it one at a time. And one best practice is, to pay all the debt first..car loan, housing loan, education loan, and all the loans you have. Then only you will live happily ever after :D .

My Budget Menu Plan for 1 week

So i went to WongKok Wet Market ( it's now located at Cybercity ya) yesterday and bought myself a whole bunch of veggies, fruits, chicken and fish hehe.. I haven't really plan my menu yet, but since i already bought them, so i have to plan my 1 week menu based on the items.

So here is my list:

1. Pakis ( Pucuk paku) - RM2
2. Carrot - RM2
3. Tomato - RM3
4. Chicken Thigh - RM4.50
5. Ikan kembung (7)- RM 7
6. Watermelon - RM7  *Current price RM2/kg*
7. Papaya - Rm1.8 *Current Pricce RM1.8/kg*
8. Fresh Chilli - RM1 *Current price RM2.5/kg*
9. Onion, Garlic, Daun limau Purut - RM 2
10. Lime - RM2
11. Bread - RM3

Total : RM 35.30 

So that's basically gonna be my menu this week hehe.

Now, how should i 'compose' my menu :D... Yesterday's lunch i already cook the pucuk paku and ikan kembung. The menu was  ' Pucuk Paku masak pedas' and 'Ikan kembung goreng'. Delicious lunch i must say hahaha...

The pucuk paku can be eaten for 2 times, so right after i cook, i put half into container, let it coll for a while and keep it in the freezer. And i happily finish out the 1 ikan kembung goreng :D.

For tomorrow's lunch box to office, i'm gonna cook 'Ayam paprik'. The ingredients are simple :  Chicken, carrot, long bean ( i still have it since last week ), chilli, tomato&chilli sauce, garlic.


I'll post the recipe later :D.

Till then, happy Sunday!

Change ‘Edit Top 200 Rows" on SQL 2008

Working with live data and 'concerned' clients, i always have to recheck and modify data from database using SQL 2008. 

The default value for editing table only 200 rows, and the rest i have to do it using script. A bit tedious because i cannot actually read the data and edit it. 

But here is the solution yey :D

Tools >Options >SQL Server Object Explorer, Expand this tree > ‘Commands’

I change the '200' to 0 , and i will get all data :)

Hope this will help :)

This pregnancy and my skin become all dry..

When some people says during pregnancy you'll glow and the skin will be softer, plumper and beautiful. Well not everything is a myth, but it's all depend on the person. For me my skin become dry and i sometimes feel like an alligator :(

Now in my 15 weeks, my baby bump become obvious. I am now having problem putting lotion on my leg..It's quite hard to bend haha..i have to sit down and take my leg up so i can put the lotion on. 

How do i prevent or at least minimize the dry skin? Based on some reading i found out that:

1.  Warm but not hot.

Having frequent hot shower / bath will take away the moist on the skin. So avoid it. Try to just lukewarm water. Our skin is not like a sponge (the more it on water the more it absorb), no. Hot water will strip your skin from its natural oil barrier.

2. Avoid alcohol contained cleanser.

Alcohol can make your skin dryer. If can wash with soapless cleanser.

3. Cover up

Never never go out without sunblock. Me myself i use at least SPF30.  Use any sunscreen product suits you.

Well there you go, 3 tips but at least some idea rite :)

   

No juicing during pregnancy?

Yes of course you can!

 During my first trimester i have a very very i mean very bad all day sickness. I lost 5kgs just in 3 months. I would be so happy loosing weight if i'm not pregnant :D .

I really need to get all the nutrient i can get for my baby, but i can't barely eat anything. So i decided to drink lot and lots of juice to gain nutrient. Of course with meal too. During pregnancy you cannot do juice diet! No no and no. Detoxing by juice diet will harm your baby, since you will flush the toxin through your bloodstream and end up you pump it to your baby. So again NO, drink juice but eat your meal.

Here is one juice that i really love.

Ingredients:
1. Cucumber
2. Carrot
3. Celery

Blend it all together and drink immediately. It's yummy!

Homade baby wipes :)

Another 5 months for me n hubby to prepare ( mentally and physically hehe) for our baby.. I haven't do any baby shopping yet since i don't know where to start - i have my long list i haven't really recheck.

But well, i am someone who won't spent a lot for my  baby stuffs. I prefer to save more on my baby's college fund rather than spend it with expensive unnecessary things. I never knew that baby stuffs nowadays is really expensive - well just because some people love to spend on expensive stuffs for their baby. Expensive doesn't mean good, sometimes it's just because of brand and commercial.

Ok i found a very useful tips to do my own baby wipes.

Main Ingredients :
1. Baby wash
2. Baby oil
3.distilled water
Optional :
1. Tea Tree oil (To prevent Rash)
2. lavender oil 
Mixed all together and you can use it with clean,soft fabric. You can wash the fabric after use. Reusable and go green! :You can also check this comparison for branded baby wipes if you prefer to buy.

Top 10 Baby Wipes: A Side by Side Comparison

Shoppers may want a quick go-to guide for a side-by-side comparison of different baby wipes brands. The chart below compares the features of each brand.

Brand	Hypoallergenic	Additions	Flushable	Free of chlorine, parabens, and alcohol	Biodegradable
Huggies	Some	Available with aloe and Vitamin E	Some	No	No
Pampers	Some	Available with aloe and Vitamin E	Some	No	No
Seventh Generation	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Luvs	No	No	No	No	No
Earth's Best	Yes	No	Some	Yes	No
Bambino	Yes	Chamomile, aloe, and lavender	Yes	Yes	Yes
Naty By Nature BabyCare	Yes	Available with scents, lotion, or aloe	No	Yes	Yes
Charmin	No	No	Yes	No	No
BabyGanics	Yes	Skin conditioners and emollients	No	Yes	Yes
gDiaper	Yes	Aloe and Vitamin E	No	Yes	Yes

Get image details using PHP

Syntax

list($width, $height, $type, $attr) = getimagesize("image_name.jpg");

Code

This is a sample code, change image_name to your image name and test it!

list($width, $height, $type, $attr) = getimagesize("image_name.jpg");

echo "Image width " .$width;
echo "
";
echo "Image height " .$height;
echo "
";
echo "Image type " .$type;
echo "
";
echo "Attribute " .$attr;

?>

Simple rite :)

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