My Pomeranian Adventure

Do you remember my previous blog bomb? All about my pomeranian puppy called Poochy? I posted her pics on Instagram and garnered more comments and like compared to my own camho shots. But that's ok cause she can be so cute sometimes. Ya, sometimes!!

When I bought her back for the first time, she was a tiny fur ball weighting at just 1kg and in a short 2 months time, she had grown to double that weight. During that short period of time, she had gone through a week of tummy upset, diarrhea and vomiting. Then she had rebounded full of energy and curiosity.

It was week 2-3 when I started potty training her and it was such a long process. Puppies have small bladder and it is estimated that they can only hold their pee 1 hour for each month. So, if she is 2 months old, she could probably hold her pee for 2 hours and so forth. And they might need to pee every time after a meal and upon waking up. So, I had to set a stopwatch for every hour. If she peed before the time is up, then I need to wait for the next. If she haven't, then I would have to bring her outside and wait till she pees. Since she also doesn't know she has to poo outside, I have to wake up early morning to make sure she was brought outside to perform her pooping ceremony ( which includes bounding up and down, biting random sticks and stones she found in the garden, chewing on my shoes, and eventually poop). As per the instructions online and guidance by the instructors during puppy school, I bring her in immediately after she pee/poo. Maybe that was the reason why she decided to hold 'em in till the very last minute (sometimes for an hour!!) before doing her business because that way she can play outside longer!

Then the next step was house breaking her... before she break my house!! Before this, my friend did warned me to be careful with my furniture so I took an inventory and thought 'hmm... nothing to bite here' but boy was I wrong! She bite my wall cabinets, the edges of my sofa bed and even the floor skirting  I am just grateful that it all were old and probably time for a change soon anyway.

As if not bad enough, she also took to biting me. At first it was the toe, she seemed to have a love/hate relationship with it, poking small holes around my pinky toe. Then when I sat on the sofa bed and she'd learnt to climbed on top of the sofa bed, she took to biting my hair! ('So you think your hair is better than mine, bitch! Take that! and that and that!') She was crazy! So each time she began her erratic behavior, off to the dungeon room she goes. But she wasn't repentant. No... She was a quick learner so when I say 'no' and bent down to pick her up, she scuttled under the sofa bed way beyond my reach. Her look was all 'Can't touch me! Nyeh Nyeh~!'. I did a lot of tactic like saying 'no' with a growl or spraying water to flicking her nose, lightly hitting her snout and feeding her ice (to soothe teething) but it all seems very temporal solution.

My worst wound so far: A deep gash along the length of my thumb's nail

My feet was born not pretty, now it only gets hideous

I bite everything I see

 I asked some fellow pet owners I met during puppy class whether they had the same experience, most told me that their puppy would bite stuff but seldom bite people. And she was lovely in front of everyone she met outside but a devil at home so I got worried that somehow some time I must have trained her wrongly that my puppy hates me.

Not only is she biting, but she is also barking at full force too. One of my earliest memory of our family dog was that we got worried that our puppy would not know how to bark as it is removed from its mother at a young age so we always bark at the puppy so it will learn? Thinking back, it sounds ridiculous. But I have no problem with this one. She was quick to bark and whenever she got surprised or frightened, she barked. Which turns out to be quite often. She also knows how to howl and emit a low growl (especially when she saw her own reflection, talk about self image issues!). I remember one early morning (around 2-3am), I awoke to her barking and I got worried because my neighbors are seniors and it would probably affect their sleep. So I force myself out of my cozy bed to appease her. But she kept barking even when I was in her room, so I found some soothing music for dogs (yes, they are available. Especially for dogs. Amazing) on youtube to try and relax her but she still continued barking. Then I tried coodling her, still she barked. In the end, I got impatient and I threw her a pork bone which she chowed down so happily and remained silent till sunrise. So, I guess she was hungry after all? lol...

And speaking of eating, this one is one picky eater! During her tummy upset period, the vet recommended a canned food that contained rice and chicken meat and she liked it so much. Soon after she got well, I stopped feeding that canned food and continued with eukanuba's dried food for puppies but she didn't want it at all. She would pick a few and choose to go hungry. Hungry means cranky and cranky means she could be such a bitch at times (pun intended). So I had to resort to canned food but this time I chose a cheaper version but she likes it, good enough. So, I consulted the vet and he said small breed dogs can be very picky eater sometimes (as compared to my old mutts, they eat everything except their shit). So I told him it is not like she has impeccable taste or something, she doesn't want eukanuba's dried food but she sometimes eat her own dried shit (which also explains why I DO NOT kiss her). He assured me that it is alright, as long as she is regularly dewormed and vaccinated, she can stomach it. 

All in all, I was a nervous pet owner. Partly because there are strict regulations for dog owners in Australia and also she was the first puppy I ever bought. I never met a pomeranian pup owner in the puppy classes so far, so I was comparing my puppy with other breeds (german shepherd, staffy, jack russell, poodles, etc). I got worried when she can't control her bladder when she gets excited; I got worried when she doesn't finish her food; I got worried when she plays with her own shit; I got worried when she forget everything I trained her when she sees other strangers/dogs. I also got worried that cross breeding of a pomeranian and a papillon has resulted in a much unpredictable temperamental puppy. So worrying~!

But after reading Bubz's take on her own pomeranian, I have to accept that different breeds have different characteristic and we have to work around it. This is the first pup that I spent so much money and effort in understanding and providing for her, like how she communicates and how to train her. And most importantly, I did it alone so it gets quite overwhelming especially since puppy have a short attention span anyway. I can play fetch with her one moment and then she will be alright and then after the fourth or fifth throw, she would scuttle somewhere else, distracted by some foreign sound or object. Or she would be alright playing with her own toys by herself one moment and the next moment biting my exposed toe under my study table. 

In the middle of a game of fetch, she went to investigate something else 

But I guess there are times when I would feel like all the effort and time are worth it; those rare moments when she does something so endearing that you forgave all the wrong she had done and just enjoy her company. Like when I sat in front of my tv and she climbed up the couch with her toy and proceeded to push herself real close to me while chewing her toy. Or the time when I go outside to potty train her but she runs around to look for new stuff and when she found it she bought it back and then sat on my toes while chewing her new found toy. Or the countless time she just rubs herself against me like a cat! wtf! 

It is sometimes hard to accept who they are in exchange for who you expect them to be and equally or even harder to be patient. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that she is only 16 weeks old and had just finish her  vac shot and that she already knows how to come, sit, down, stay (a bit) and still learning. I have to remind myself that although she bites my furniture, she did not bite my shoes even though I just simply placed them on the floor. Although she bites me, she doesn't seem to bite anyone else which makes me look good on the outside. People are sure to say ... 

'Aw... your pet is so adorable! So sweet!'

But most importantly, I love her and sometimes that is all that matters. Take one small step one day at a time. 

Summer Must Have Mask!!

Summer spells beaches, sun and ice creams!! I don't know why but that is summer for me. But so far this year, summer meant air con, internet and LINE Bubble! O yeah, and my honey and tea! 

Since I am so into relaxation mode, masks naturally became essential. Some of my favorite summer masks has been reviewed in the past year, such as Hisamitsu Lifecella mask (Review: here) and Kose's lotion mask (Review: here). Lifecella mask provided very sufficient hydration to my skin while Kose's lotion mask was refreshing. But this year after reading vivawoman's take on homemade masks, I have decided to try other home made masks too. 

The mask I am going to talk about is so good that you can even eat it on its own!

..... and it is .....

Yoghurt Mask!
(Did you think I was going to say Ice Cream Mask?)

So, I bought a small tub of Brownes traditional yoghurt and used one teaspoon for the whole of my face. Slather it on and just do whatever I want, anything I fancy, like reading a magazine or learning a new language. Whatever I do, I take precaution not to frown because the mask dries and tightens and the last thing you would want is premature wrinkles. The other thing I don't do is play with my pet poochy who might then attempt to eat off my face!!

I have been using yoghurt mask 3 times a week now and had just finished half of the yoghurt!! Good to go for another week! *Value for money*

Some of the benefits I noted are:

1. Balancing my face. When I wake up in a hot summer morning, I am usually greeted with oily t zone. But after doing yoghurt mask the night before, I wake up with no oily t zone. *claps hand enthusiastically* The cold yoghurt slathered on the face is bound to cool down the skin hence reducing the excretion of oil. 
2. Hydration. The obvious signs I look for is the tip of my nose and my pores. When the tip of my nose is not flapping skin and my pores got smaller, that is sure sign my skin  is getting the hydration it needs during summer. 
3. And obviously, it is SO cheap!! 

According to ehow, yoghurt's lactic acid content soothes irritation, clarifies the pores, and soften the skin. *whistle*.This mask is also great for sunburned and chapped skin!!

So, I have collected some tips on what to look for when making your own yoghurt mask. 

• Choose plain flavoured yoghurt. Avoid fruit laden yoghurt as it contained lots of sugar and other ingredients which may not be beneficial to the skin
• If you have dry skin, you can choose full-fat or whole yoghurt 
• If you have oily skin, you can opt for low-fat yoghurt 
• If you want to avoid residual hormones and pesticides, try organic yoghurt 

The other great thing about this mask is that you can mix and match other ingredients to better cater to your skin's needs, like honey, oatmeal, avocado, mud (for facial purposes, not the daily-on-the-street kind, puh-lease!!), lemon and cocoa powder! 

So this summer, why not try something new in your skincare regime? You can always eat the rest of the yoghurt if you don't like the mask after the first try. :) 

Know your worth _ 1

On one random day, I asked my hubby to guess between both of us, in terms of potentials and future prospect, who is worth more. 

Without batting an eyelid, hubby told me confidently, 'Of course me la~!' 

To which I laughed, so he asked why. 'Well,' I said. 'Even if individually I may be worth... let's say $1 and you are worth $50. But under our marriage vows to which whatever is yours is mine but whatever is mine stays mine. So, in total I would be worth $1 + $50 == $51! Still one dollar more than you.' hahaha.... 

Ok, that is just a joke. But then my point is that if I were to measure a person's worth, I would have to take into account their worth from the perspective of their loved ones too. Like a piece of art, only those who knows how to appreciate you would know your true worth. Why do we stay fixated on those who doesn't? Why should we constantly shape ourselves to satisfy them? I rather polish myself to be a better myself. 

Like the saying, 'To the world, you may be just another person. But to a person, you may mean the world.'

Hot summer love

You know what is the best drink during hot summer? Well, apart from drinking an ice cold beer at the beach, because in a long run that beer would transform into beer gut and being under the sun long enough, you would sport sun burn all over or worst skin cancer. 

Okay, I don't need you to answer me unlike Dora the explorer... as if she really cared what I said from the other side of the tv. I would just let the cat out of the bag, it is tea and honey!! 

Tea has always been known to contain catechins which is a type of antioxidant with white and green tea containing more antioxidants than black tea. Some studies has even shown that it may be able to combat aging process. Less wrinkles... Yeay! Oo long tea has traditionally been used to lower bad cholesterol level; usually consumed after fatty dim sum meal. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, a good Oo long tea can also help lose weight. Green tea also helps lose weight by increasing metabolism rate. Although tea contained caffeine, a cup of tea contained less caffeine than coffee which also made it a more ideal choice for hydration. It is incredible what you can find when you google it. In another japanese magazine, I read that drinking black tea plus ginger effectively increases body temperature which is a secret to losing weight but that is more applicable in winter, ok?

Recently, T2 (a specialty tea shop) opened a branch near where I live and I am so impressed with their selection of tea leaves. My current love is Peach Sencha and it is so refreshing!! Not forgetting my new love Green Rose! Or Red Sunset (which is a combination of hibiscus, lemon peel and a lot of stuff)! The tea is quite pricey there but omg... I love it! 

If I am taking hot tea, I usually don't add any sweetener like sugar but when I want to consume it cold, I like to dissolve honey in it. The apparent reason is that honey is a natural sweetener that has incredible antiseptic, antioxidant and cleansing properties for our body and health. One of the more renown honey would be Manuka honey with its Unique Manuka Factor which is a measure of its (you thought I was going to say uniqueness, didn't you? hehe...) antibacterial property but it is quite hard to get your hands on Manuka Honey in Perth. Once I asked a honey seller and she replied indignantly, 'That is not WA's honey!'. But Tasmania is part of Australia, haven't you heard? And WA is a state not a country, even Melbourne carries Manuka honey. Soon after, WA promoted its Jarrah Honey with its TA factor which is also a measure of its antimicrobial factor. Now you know! 

Source: www.wescobee.com

With its myriad of health benefits that trumped the other honeys, Jarrah honey comes with a bigger price tag. If you believe its claim, it is worth it. Taste wise, a drop of good Jarrah honey comes with a hint of bitter after taste which is a delight for someone who doesn't have a sweet tooth. But unless you are picky, you'd probably won't taste it anyway. With its apparent health benefits though, Jarrah honey is still not my favorite honey. 

I recently found out about House of Honey in Swan Valley and I fell in love with it much alike T2. They had lots of honey on display; for example, WA honey: Jarrah, Tree Lucerne, and Redgum and flavored honey: Rose Honey (also my favorite!!), cinnamon honey, vanilla honey, ginger honey and even chilli honey (I like it but hubby say it still tastes a bit weird)! They also have sparkling honey drink and honey ice cream, all so delicious! Of the WA honey, I really like Tree Lucerne Honey from Esperance. It has this refreshing sweet taste much akin to a concentrated chrysanthemum drink which is such a delight in summer!!

Source: tripadvisor.com.au

Source: truelocal.com.au

And can't forget, Apple Cider Vinegar drink! I learnt a superb recipe from my hubby years ago and that is apple cider vinegar, honey and black currant cordial (READ: Ribena!!) but I can never get the ratio right (that is why I need hubby around) but it is awesome! Needless to say (because this post is getting longer and longer...), apple cider vinegar is known for its health boosting properties!

Well, that is all for my favorite things to go with summer. What is your favorite things to go with summer, comment below~! Till then, enjoy summer and don't forget to use protection... from the sun! 

Happy New Year 2013!!

Almost 3 days have passed since 'Happy New year' wishes are acceptable, but then I couldn't wait to start the new year with some quality lazing around. 

 Then I had to familiarize myself with writing 2013 instead of 2014 just because it really seemed like time passed so fast. 2012 has been jam packed of happenings that I can't wait to fill 2013 with equally or more significant happenings. 

 In 2012, we bought our first humble abode. It wasn't the most significant of place but at least it is a place of comfort when I feel home sick. In June/July, we moved into the place and started marking our territory. It felt good until spring came and we had to do weeding... >.<  

And we organized our wedding banquet! It is sad that we had to postpone almost 1-1.5 years for our actual wedding banquet. I blamed it on my research commitment and boy was I happy that this year was also the year that marked my official resignation from it. Just like cream does not agree with everyone, such is research not suited for every human being under the sun! I still can't believe it took me soo... long to resign because I have been so unhappy about it for soo... long. That just goes to show how fast time flies!! Anyway, back to wedding... it may not be the most ideal one I had in mind; it was still beautiful. I remember on the 12th and 13th of October, I was raking my brain on how to express my gratitude to each and every one who came. They would tell me the day is mine, I shouldn't thank them. That alone just showed how awesome they are! And I had to thank my hubby, of course. I once told him half jokingly and half seriously that I wanted to get married at the age of 24 and though I may forget, he certainly proposed when I was 23 and we got married when I was 24 (ticked one more item off my list). 

And who could forget Poochy? This year I finally felt at home for the first time in so many years in Perth because I finally have a complete family here! Hubby is now papa and Poochy is now my baby. And who could discount out those awesome girlfriends who continuously inspire and motivate me? You are all now aunties to Poochy! lol... 

But 2012 has come with its low times as well and in every thing, we find our lessons and learn more about ourselves. 

It would be easy to make new year resolutions now and then continue on as if nothing had changed; what's more difficult would be to make new year resolution at needed intervals in the year. So I am not going to bore you with new year resolution, I think it would be far more conniving to divulge in life's little cheat! 

Example:

1. Conditioner can be a very effective, cheap, and convenient shaving cream! Before you go wagging your finger with a smirk on your face thinking I shave some place that I don't, I say this because I can NEVER find the right shaving cream or foam for *a-hem* someone and then it stays on the cabinet and we women should know, one item laying waste on the bathroom cabinet is another space wasted!! (I can put another skincare product there, for crying out loud! *drama queen full on*)

2. If you are lazy to buy lint remover, worry not because a good pair of scissor is more than enough! 

3. Use lip tint and lip balm for a more natural and long lasting color on the lip. 

4. When in need of small talk material, talk about the weather!

5. And don't forget to use concealer! Enough said. 

Here's to wishing each and every one out there HAPPY NEW YEAR!!