How To Survive Public Toilet Inconveniences With Kleenex Wet Toilet Tissue

Public toilets in Malaysia are known for its notoriously unhygienic and dirty condition, sad to say. Even toilets in upscale shopping malls are not  very clean either. Not to blame the maintenance but the blame is purely put on the public, the toilet users themselves. How pathetic and sad is it that we see a lot of toilets have to put up reminders and warning signs about toilet etiquette, the do's and don'ts in a toilet when these things are basic things that we do and do not do at our toilets at home. Are Malaysians becoming more and more lack of civic consciousness? Is this attitude derived from the 'tidak apa' attitude? Sad, isn't it? However dirty and unhygienic the public toilets are, unfortunately, when nature calls, nature calls and there's no way of putting off the call, unless you have superpower bladders and gut! 

Kleenex® has recently commissioned an independent online survey which polled some 1,160 women and men in Malaysia.

Overall, the survey revealed that revealed that three out of five Malaysians are extremely hesitant to use public toilets, citing common reasons such as wet, dirty floors or toilet seats, clogged or unflushed toilets, and lack of water or clean water and toilet paper.

Specifically on personal cleaning, participants’ most common complaints were attributed to dirty water hoses (60%) and no water and toilet paper being provided at all (37%). The survey also found that many Malaysians modify their behaviour solely to avoid using public toilets.  For instance, four out of five who were surveyed mentioned that they consume less drinks to minimize visits to the public toilets while they are out and some feel compelled to carry their own supply of cleaning water wherever they go.

The survey results showed that a majority of Malaysians (67%) think that what they wear as well as the things they carry around make it inconvenient to clean themselves properly in public toilets. I have a 4.5 year old girl who is obviously not wearing diapers anymore so every time we go out and she needs to answer her nature calls, I dread a little because the thought of going to the public toilet with her really puts me off. Some public toilets in Malaysia are equipped with child-sized toilet bowl while the toilet bowl in Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang has a smaller toilet seat cover attached to the toilet seat. You can pull down the smaller toilet seat cover for your child to sit on. Even with the toilet seats, most of the time I encounter dirty toilet seats so I had to take out my own tissue because 99% of the time, tissues are not available too! Sigh what a chore going to toilets these days! Guess what, according to the survey, one in two respondents believe that using wet tissues is the most ideal solution as opposed to having to go through the inconveniences of dealing with situations when there is no water or toilet paper available.

With the ever growing problems and inconveniences of using public toilets in Malaysia, Kleenex has cleverly come up with the perfect solution, that is an all-new Wet Toilet Tissue. What is this wet toilet tissue, you may ask.

“Kleenex® Wet Toilet Tissues is the first of its kind in Malaysia, made with consumers’ out-of-home cleaning needs in mind.  Its compact packets are easy to carry around and easy to use – just wipe and flush,” said Mr Raman Tarun, Marketing Director, Kimberly-Clark Malaysia. “Sometimes we don’t realize how a tiny addition like this in our bag can make such a huge difference – it’s just like personal hygiene in a pocket.” *Safe to flush and hypoallergenic, the Kleenex® Wet Toilet Tissues are formulated with 9-step purified water for 99.9% assured clean  and gentle and delicate on the skin, leaving users feeling cleaner and fresher after use. 

Celebrity brand advocate Jihan Muse said, “Surviving a public toilet is like being in an epic tragicomedy – you should see me in my high-heeled sandals and long, flowing dress, trying to juggle shopping bags, negotiating the wet floor while holding my dress up and hoping I don’t drop anything!”I can so relate with you, Jihan! So you can imagine me with my child, shopping bag(s), my handbag and also her handbag and Mimi the cat (yes, my girl carries a handbag and her stuffed cat called Mimi when she goes out, she's a lovely and loving little diva, thank you very much).

 

Since going to public toilets are becoming a chore, don't you wish that you have this 'Public Toilet Survival Kit' with you at all times?

These things will definitely come in handy when going to a public toilet huh? Too bad the kit is bulky to be put in our handbags!

Thanks to Kleenex® Wet Toilet Tissues I am glad to say that I don't have to lug the kit with me all around. All I have to do is put a packet of this wet tissue into my handbag. The size is compact so it feels like bringing next to nothing. Now I don't need to worry about dealing with unhygienic and dirty public toilets anymore and cleaning myself and Babycakes are made easy with Kleenex® Wet Toilet Tissues.

Kleenex® Wet Toilet Tissues are available in three sizes – a pack of 10 sheets that can be placed in one’s pocket or handbag (RRP RM2.10), a value-saving pack of three (RRP RM5.80), or a 40-sheet pack (RRP RM7.40). All three sizes are now available in leading hypermarkets and supermarkets nationwide.

If you are interested to try and learn more about this awesome product, you can join Kleenex® and Jihan Muse today to Survive Public Toilets.

Request a free sample pack and participate in a simple quiz contest to win a year’s supply of Kleenex® Wet Toilet Tissues by registering at www.kleenexcleans.com.my.  Users are also encouraged to share their experience using this brand-new product on social media by using the hashtag, #KleenexSurvivalGuide.

For more information on Kleenex® in general, log on to the Kleenex® Malaysia Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Kleenex.Malaysia) or call the Kimberly-Clark Consumer Care-line at 1-800-82-1188 (toll-free) on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

*Advisable to flush no more than 2 sheets at a time; not suitable for use in septic tank.

My First Wins in 2016

I haven't been winning so much lately, I wonder why. Maybe I haven't been a good girl, maybe Lady Luck doesn't look at me, let alone smile at me. I am still waiting to strike and win big. It has always been my dream to win a house and also cash, like lots and lots of cash. But since I haven't been blessed with such winnings yet, I still take part in contests in magazines, online and also via sms. 

Somewhere before Chinese New Year, I went to a hair salon and had my hair done. While I was doing my hair, I read the Malaysian Women's Weekly magazine and I stumbled upon their sms contests. There are six contests in total and I actually entered all six. Well, you won't know which one you might win so might as well try all!

A few weeks back, I received an email from Blu Inc Sdn Bhd to inform me that I have won a La Prairie Cellular Radiance Voucher (worth RM5000).

  

I read the email and I totally forgot about redeeming my prize. As you can see, there is a redemption date for the prize and by the time I remembered about it, it was way past the redemption date.

 

I only remembered about the first email when I received this second email from Blu Inc. I have won yet another gift which is a Bosst Juice gift card worth RM100! I then sent an email to the contact person and asked if I can still collect my La Prairie voucher. Thankfully she gave me an exception and allowed me to collect the prize, even though it is past the redemption date. See, it never huts to try your luck.

Initially I thought of asking my dispatch clerk to collect on my behalf but since I will be in Shah Alam this morning, I might as well drop by their office in Petaling Jaya on the way back to collect the prizes.

I had to park illegally by the roadside because parking was full. Had to, ok. I went up to Level 3, only to be told (via intercom no less) that the prize collection is at their HQ. I was like, isn't this Lot 7 as stated in the address?

 

Apparently that was Lot 4. Lot 7 is a few metres away so I exited the building and walked to the HQ, which took about 3 minutes. I told the security guard at the HQ that I went to the other office and he smiled at me.

 

So I went in and told the receptionist that I'm here to collect the prizes.

 This is the Boost Juice gift card with RM100 credited into it. How nice! Babycakes likes to have juices everytime we go out so we can have lots of Boost juices after this for free yay!

This is the La Prairie voucher. Honestly I thought I won a skincare set. So the email stated that the vouchers are worth RM5000 but there are either 5-6 winners from what I saw on the winners' list earlier so I'm assuming one voucher costs about RM1000? What facial costs RM1000 and who would pay so much for a facial anyway? Definitely not me. Although La Prairie is an international brand, I don't know who is willing to pay so much for a session of facial.

However, it is sad to say that the voucher is expiring this Sunday, 20 March 2016. No wonder they asked us to collect earlier huh? The facial can be done at either Isetan KLCC, Isetan Gardens or Parkson Pavilion. The question is I am not sure if I am free to do the facial. Perhaps I should take half day off on Friday for some me-time? It would be a waste if the voucher is not utilized but at the same time I am scared if I do the facial, they will start promoting me their packages and products which I know is not cheap. What do you think? I did advertise to sell this on a few Facebook groups, in case anyone is interested. Please let me know if you are! I am selling it at a very discounted price, don't worry.

Sardine Paratha Puff

Again, I saw this recipe and idea on Facebook. It is really very easy and if you love sardine puffs or sardine curry puffs, you must try this.

You can use frozen puff pastry but a frozen paratha works well too.  I cooked the sardine on the stove whereby I sauteed some chopped onions and some potatoes cut into very small cubes. After that I mashed the sardines with a fork. Some people didn't cook the sardine. They simply drained the sardines, added some chopped onions, salt and pepper to taste, a bit of lemon or tamarind juice and chillies, for those who like them hot. Since I want my kids to eat these, I did not put chillies at all. However, I made a silly mistake of not draining the tomato sauce.

 

When your sardine filling is ready, it is time to assemble them. First, take out your frozen paratha and cut them into four triangles, like pizza slices. Honestly I had a hard time filling them with the sardines because my sardine was watery thus making them messy and hard to keep them in. So annoying! I used a fork to attach the sides but as you can see from the picture, some spilled out. So the fourth piece, I gave up and simply rolled the paratha into whatever shape as seen above. LOL. I didn't bother brushing them with an eggwash because making them was so annoying. I simply put them in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius and bake them for about 10 minutes.

10 minutes later, they came out of the oven and clearly some of the fillings spewed out. What a mess. I ate one piece last night after dinner and didn't bother to make more. So this morning I packed the remaining three pieces and asked Babycakes if she wants to try them. I also made an egg sandwich for her to eat in the car on the way to school. She tried one piece and she said it's yummy and whaddaya know, she walloped all three pieces! She even asked me to make more. She only had a bite of her egg sandwich because she was full by then. I'm so glad that she loves them so tonight I'm gonna try and drain a bit of the tomato sauce (if I can) and make more. I shall google on the best way to fold the paratha. Anyway, this is perfect for breakfast-on-the-go, teatime snack, morning snack and also lunchbox friendly.

P/S: Please excuse the unappetizing look but my Babycakes approved them and they're really yummy. :D

Singgah Santai @ PNM

On 27 February 2016, there was a program called Singgah Santai @ PNM. In case you are wondering, PNM stands for Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia. I came to know about this program from my husband.

As you can see, there are a lineup of activities and we thought it would be fun to take the kids there, as opposed to shopping malls which we frequent a lot on weekends.

There are a lot of booths for activities. For example, this booth sells beads on grids where kids get to pick a design, arrange the beads on the grid and then the seller will attach a keychain or a pin on the back of the design, according to your choice. Babycakes chose a little duck and turned it into a keychain. This activity is good for fine motor skills because kids will have to pick the tiny beads and arrange them onto the grid. It takes focus and concentration as well.

After that we went into the kids' library. The library is well-lit, well taken care of, fully air-conditioned and very colourful. It's a good way to instill reading habits among kids. They also have carpeted areas and a place where the kids can watch tv/movie.

 There are also a number of computers for the kids to use and play game on.

Inside the library is a mini auditorium of some sort. We went in and there was a lion dance performance. The lions were tossing mandarin oranges, much to the children's delight.

By the way, before we entered the kids' library, we registered the kids' names and they received a goodies bag each, consists of a packet drink, a pack of biscuits and a mandarin orange (not in picture because Babypie was busy playing with it, thinking it was a ball).

When we were there, we found out that the are having a 'Si Cilik Cheongsam' contest. Of course we didn't bring Babycakes' cheongsam but Hubby was willing and determined to go back home to fetch her cheongsam so that she could join the contest. So hubby actually went back to fetch the cheongsam while we waited at the library. I had to keep the kids occupied.

Hubby arrived about 10 minutes before the contest starts so I quickly dolled her up, tied up her hair into buns and also put a teeny bit of blusher and lipbalm on her, much to her delight. I was glad that she finally got to wear this cheongsam which I bought for Chinese New Year. I was pretty sure that her kindy will be having a CNY celebration which was the reason why I bought it. Unfortunately the CNY celebration is only for the 6 year olds boohoo.

Parents and the other kids were eager for the contest to start. Can you spot Babypie in the picture?

Sad to say, there were only four kids in cheongsam that day so the emcee made an announcement there and then that any children with nice and pretty dresses may join in as well so four other kids went up the stage.

My Babycakes was all excited and happy to be on stage.

I must say that the organizers of this contest had failed on so many levels. I am sure this is not the first time they held such events and contests. For a start, they didn't even take the names of the children who participated in the contest. Secondly, they should come up with a number badge for each contestant so that it is easy to recognize them. The contestants had to do a bit of a catwalk and guess how they were called? The emcee started calling "OK adik yang pakai baju putih, sila ke depan, buat catwalk, posing2 sikit." "Adik baju gown pink pulak" "OK sekarang adik cheongsam biru". OMG how annoying can that be? At least give some recognition to these kids la! It doesn't help that their sound system was out too. One minute there's music, the next it went silent. One minute it was so loud, the next it went down so low.

After all the kids had showed off their cheongsams (and dresses), the emcee called one of the higher ranking person in the library to choose the winner. Well, guess what, the 3rd place goes to the little baby wearing a pink cheongsam. Apparently she won because she was brave enough to go on stage (she was crying and was being carried by the mother, btw) and her cheongsam had some red colour on it which is symbolic with CNY. Okaaaaay. As for the 2nd place, since the organizers decided at the very last minute that girls in dresses can join too, the person said he had to be fair (pffft) so yay he chose the girl in the pink Frozen dress. Okaaaaay one spot left. By this time I know that Babycakes had little chance. And my expectation became a reality because the first prize goes to.....

 

awwww....the girl in the white cheongsam. Smile, girl! You won!

 So these four kids didn't win boohoo.

 They were given 'consolation' prizes. That's my Babycakes receiving her 'prize'.

Guess what she got? Well whaddaya know, the same goodies bag that were given out earlier bwahhahahahah what a joke. Seriously. Yup, it contains the same things- a drink, a pack of biscuits and a mandarin orange.

Oh well Babycakes, I guess it is not your luck this time. It is not so much about the prize, not so much about the hamper (which consists of junk foods and snacks anyway) but I was just so disappointed with the way the contest was organized. They should be more prepared, they should pay attention to details and since it is a 'Si Cilik Cheongsam' contest, I strongly feel that they shouldn't allow anyone without cheongsam to join. But then again, of course they have the right to change and amend the rules as they please. Pffft. Yes, you can call me a sour grape or a sore loser as you wish but I don't think it is fair for those who took the effort and went that extra length to dress their kids in cheongsam. Why not next time just have a 'Si Cilik Bergaya' contest OK?

 

 

As for the whole event, they could do way better. There were a few foods and drinks stalls but hardly any place to sit down to eat. There were also a few booths selling all kinds of everything like scarves, knick knacks, toys, books etc but I think that the pasar malam fares better than this event. We left the place hungry and unhappy, for sure.

Mini Beef Shepherd's Pies

We are in the final week of February, which means this week is the eighth week of schooling for Babycakes (inclusive of the one week Chinese New Year break) so I am kinda out of ideas as to what to pack for her and Babypie's lunchboxes. Yesterday, I decided to make mini beef shepherd pies. I am gonna share with you how to make these, in case you are interested. However, there are no exact measurements as I simply estimated the ingredients. I mean, we are not baking a cake here where exact measurements are required so use your discretion wisely, OK?

Boil some potatoes until soft and tender. I didn't peel the potatoes before boiling so make sure they are washed thoroughly. I then ran through my knife on the potatoes, as if I am going to cut them in halves. Add some salt to the water and once the potatoes are soft, run them under cool water and the skin will peel off easily. But of course, you can peel the skins beforehand if you want to and you can also cut the potatoes in cubes to cut down the boiling time. Alternatively, you can always leave the skin on because the skins have so much good stuffs but since I am making these for my kids, I know the sight of brown bits in their foods will probably put them off so I had to peel the skin. Mash the potatoes when they're done, add a splash of full cream milk and season to taste.

This is the filling. I used a packet and half minced meat so that's around 750g I think. Add some oil into your pan and fry the meat until brown. Then add in chopped onions or shallots, mixed vegetables and cherry tomatoes (optional). I also added a bit of mixed Italian herbs and of course salt and pepper to taste. When the filling was done, I find it a bit dry so I added some corn starch mixed with water and also a bit of full cream milk so that it tastes creamy and not too dry, which the kids may not like. That is why in the end the filling looks more like sardine sandwich filling. :P

This pizza topping is so much cheaper than other brands. However, I don't recommend buying this if you want am ooey gooey and stringy top because I think it has so little mozarella. Sigh, why are cheeses so expensive in KL?

I bought these aluminium foil cups with lids at Bagus Bake Shop. They come in several sizes. I like the fact that they come with lids. It makes freezing them so much easier.

Once you have everything ready, it is time to assemble the pies. First, put a layer of filling into the cups. The cups are quite big so the portion is just nice for my kids.

Next, spread a layer of mashed potato on top and finally sprinkle with the cheese.Feel free to add as much or as little cheese as you like.

The reason why I bought the cups with lids is so that I can freeze these easily. I froze 8 cups in total so these can be packed for the kids' lunchboxes for days when I'm pressed for time.

I baked two cups for me and hubby and the two rectangle cups are for the kids' lunch yesterday. The rectangle cups were bought from Daiso and they do not come with lids. Like I said earlier, the cheese didn't melt as expected. Instead they turn out crispy-ish. I will buy a different brand next time.

So there you go, my mini beef shepherd's pies.You can use chickens and sausages for the fillings and add a can of mushroom soup. You can also use puff pastry for the top and it will become mini pies.