Tag blogging

Well, it’s been awhile. My last post was on January 1st.
It’s already February now! Time flies…
One of the reasons why I haven’t been blogging (or following my so-called blogging schedule) is because my mind wasn’t in a good state – negative thoughts and all that.
It’s important to take care of yourself first – your mental health. So that’s what I did (you should too!).
I’ll be starting a series called #WellnessWednesdays where I blog about wellness in general on Wednesdays (if I manage to follow….) so expect some wellness posts on upcoming Wednesdays! 🙂
Moving on – this blog post is inspired by a Korean short film. I recently watched this short Korean drama series (and it made me cried buckets of tears) – KBS Drama Specials – usually 1 hour+ short films. You can watch it here. It made me realize how there are other people wishing they could live longer and here we are sometimes wishing our life is shorter.
For those of you that need little reminders here, this post is to remind you to not give up and just keep going.
Here are 4 things to remind yourself when life is tough:

1. You are considered lucky.
   In the short film, the main character was wondering why was her life cut short. She wanted to live longer. She was so desperate to live more.
   You were given birth by your very own mother who went through so much of pain just to deliver you.
   You still have a beating heart. You still have a living soul.
   These little things are what counts – you are so blessed already to be able to live and breath like a normal person would.
   Being alive is a very lucky thing. Embrace it – even when life gets in the way.
2. Pain is temporary.
   The pain you are feeling right now, all the hardships, breakups and struggles – it’s only temporary.
   It will pass.
   No pain lasts forever unless you choose to let it consume you. Don’t let it take over your life – be the change. You can have a good life – if you allow yourself to.
   Be kind to yourself, let happiness into your life. Free yourself from all the negativity and the ones that cause you pain or problems.
   Be good to yourself because you deserve it.
3. You are loved.
   Take a step back and take a look at the people around you.
   I know – it sounds so cheesy and cringy. But it’s true. You are loved.
   You never know – you might be someone else’s happiness. You might be the reason they wake up every day. You can even put a smile on their face daily.
   People are happy to have you. You might not know it – but there are those that are happy to have you in their lives. They enjoy your company, they love being around you. They love talking to you.
   Remember them.
4. It can’t be stormy and rainy forever.
   Maybe you have been constantly been let down, so many disappointments, failures and so on. Maybe you feel that you aren’t good enough for your family, girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, friend.. or in general.
   Maybe you are struggling to put food on the table, to make ends meet… to build yourself a good career… to make your loved ones proud.. to be good at a job you’re currently struggling with…
   Don’t think that just because your life sucks right now that it’ll suck forever.It will get better.
   I promise.
   Just hang in there for a while longer – and don’t give up. Just keep pushing yourself – and I promise that you will see rays of sunshine and rainbows at the end.
   Just like the weather, rain and storms come and go.
   Just like the struggles and hardships, they will come and go as well.

I hope all of you have a good month ahead!
Stay positive always.
x chelle

(thanks to my best friend for this postcard)
So.. I finally turned 21. Woohoo! Officially a legal adult! *pops confetti* Although it’s cool and all that I’m considered an adult already….. I’m soooo not ready to be an adult yet. Can I just be a kid forever?!?!?! *insert crying emoji here*
Since I have lived a total of 21 years, I felt like sharing a few things that I have learned throughout my years of life. Some may be relatable or not – well we all go through different shit in life. These are just a few of the things that I think that everyone.. SHOULD learn or at least… know about it if you haven’t turned 21 yet. If you have, hopefully, you have learned these 13 things.

1. Make more effort to talk to people
   
   One thing’s for sure is that I realize if we make effort to talk or approach people, not only does it strengthen the relationship but you also get to know the person even more. Don’t be afraid to make the first move by striking up a conversation with your friends or strangers, even your relatives.
2. It’s okay to not be okay
   
   If you’re not doing so well, don’t think that you are not allowed to feel this way. Don’t ever think that you have to be okay all the time. Allow yourself to have bad days because there will always be good days ahead. Just have your bad days, and pick yourself up the next day.
3. Accept what is meant to be and move on
   
   The boy you loved so much hurt you? The girl you thought was The One turns out not to be? Didn’t managed to get that job? Stop clinging on to something or someone that isn’t meant to be in your life. Learn to let go, and move on. Don’t dwell on the past, focus on your future and see what it’ll bring you. I know it isn’t easy, but for the sake of your happiness, and everyone else.. you have to. Not everything or everyone is meant to stay or be in your life.
4. Forgive yourself
   
   One thing that I am always guilty of is blaming myself for everything. Please, learn to forgive yourself for the mistakes you did or did not do. Everybody makes mistakes, as long as you learn from them that’s all that matters.
5. Forgive others
   
   Why do you need to cause unnecessary stress in your life by not forgiving others for their mistakes? It may not be even their mistake, but don’t shut them off completely. Forgive them, and forget. Trust me, you will feel much better when you do. It feels so much better to put all the drama behind you than holding on to revenge.
6. Don’t let fear conquer you
   
   If you want to try something, GO AHEAD AND JUST DO IT. Don’t think about the what ifs – JUST DO IT! Don’t let fear overcome you and the things that you want to do. You wanna travel to freaking Africa?! Buy a plane ticket right now! Do whatever the heck you wanna do, as long as it makes you happy.
7. Love yourself
   
   You are a precious little creature. One thing that I have learned is that it is SO important to have self-love. Pamper yourself, do whatever. Love yourself because each and every one of you are worth it, you are a goddamn piece of 1000k carat diamond ok – boy or girl.
8. It’s okay to not have things figured out yet
   
   Really, it is OKAY. There is NO rush to plan your future right away, it takes time to get to where you are and where you want to be. It is FINE if you don’t know your future plans or what you want to do in your life. Baby steps, just go with the flow. You’ll be fine. Life is all about trial and error anyway 🙂
9. Believe in yourself
   It is so important to believe in yourself because if you don’t, then who will? Other people can believe in you, but if you don’t then there is no point. In the end, the decisions you have to make will always come back to you. Everything is your choice, so believe in your capabilities. Confidence is the key to everything. Even if you don’t have confidence, fake it. Act like you do because confidence is what creates a great impact on everyone, even yourself.
10. Always be kind
    
    Always, always, always be kind to others. You’ll never know if your simple actions will make that person’s day. When you’re kind to others, in return you will feel good as well.
11. Surround yourself with positivity
    
    Don’t be around people that constantly puts you down, say mean things and make you feel guilty all the time. If that person is always making you upset or hurting you, let them go. Be with people that are constantly lifting you up. You don’t need unnecessary toxic people in your life. There’s just no time for that shit.
12. Life is short
    
    You may have lost someone that you love or someone you know. As each day passes by, you don’t know when will anyone’s deathbed be, even your own. Appreciate every living moment and every single person you know because you’ll never know when will be the last time on Earth. You only live once after all.
13. Choose happiness
    
    Choose happiness. You are in charge of how you feel every day. Even if there are days when you don’t choose happiness, choose it the next day anyway. You are in charge of how you feel every day. It isn’t easy, but it is possible. You can do it.

There’s more, I think… but I don’t want to write too long. Some points might be even the same or related.
Welp, here’s to many more years of… adulthood.
If any of you have anything else that you’ve learned, do share your thoughts! 🙂
x chelle

(Note: ‘Honest Review’ blog posts are basically honest reviews from my personal perspective and in no way affiliated with anyone. These blog posts are my personal opinions.)

Hello!
Recently I’ve been quite packed because my finals are coming up in like.. 2 weeks?
And I’ve started a bit of freelance writing for websites (tbh only one so far cause no time for more than 1 at the moment so you can ignore the ‘s’.)
Last month I purchased a few sample snacks from MYPROTEIN because I’m always looking for ways to increase my protein intake and who can say no to high protein snacks??
For those of you who aren’t familiar with MYPROTEIN, they are a brand from the UK and is now the #1 Sports Nutrition Brand in Europe.
I only bought a cookie, protein bar and wafer because the products are quite pricey (I’m still a student pls).

1. Protein Wafer (Sample) RM11
   Flavour: Cookies & Cream
   Nutritional Info (per packet):
   – Protein: 15g
   – Fat: 9g
   – Carbohydrate: 13g
   Rating: 10/10Guys. I freaking LOVEEEEE this SO much! I love it that much until I actually bought a whole pack (but this is more like a one time purchase cause it’s bloody expensive). The taste is AMAZINGGGGGG. For me, this is definitely the most worth it snack!!! It definitely tastes like cookies & cream and there’s no strong protein taste in it. I HIGHLY recommend this if you guys are interested in buying!
   They have other flavors like chocolate & peanut butter (which I’m sure will taste amazing as well).
   You can get it here.
2. High Protein Bar (Sample) RM10
   
   Flavour: Chocolate Mint
   Nutritional Info (per bar):
   – Protein: 30g
   – Fat: 6.3g
   – Carbohydrate: 24g
   Rating: 7/10I actually have bad experiences with protein bars. Usually, they have this super strong protein taste which I really REALLLYYYY hate.
   Surprisingly, I don’t really taste the protein taste for this bar. The mint flavor kinda overpowers it, so that’s a plus. Although I can still taste that distinct taste, it isn’t as strong as other protein bars that I’ve tried before. Not to mention the whopping 30g of protein in this bar.
   If you like mint (and chocolate of course), this flavour would be good.
   Other flavors include orange chocolate and vanilla honeycomb.
   You can get it here.
3. Skinny Cookie (Sample) RM10
   
   Flavour: Dark Chocolate & Berry
   Nutritional Info (per cookie):
   – Protein: 25g
   – Fat: 3.0g
   – Carbohydrate: 16g
   Rating: 5/10Well. As I mentioned above, I really dislike the strong distinct taste of protein.
   And this cookie… has about 80% of the taste. I was struggling to finish it, but I managed to because at least the chocolate and berries takes away the taste when you bite them 😀
   Maybe because this is a skinny cookie? Not the other types of cookie that they have (they have different types). I guess I chose the wrong cookie to try out LOL. But its okay! I shall try the other types of cookies next round 🙂
   If you’re the type that can handle the strong protein taste, then this cookie shoud be no problem for you.
   You can get it here.

Looking forward to trying other snacks, and also their whey protein.
But that’ll have to wait till next year. Not that long anyway since its already
November….wow time does past fast…. :’)
Well anyway, if anybody has recommendations for other brands or under MYPROTEIN any snacks or other types of products, do let me know!
x chelle

Instagram is one of the best social media platforms for people to find motivation and pursue their fitness goals or lifestyle.
There are countless female fitness accounts all over Instagram.  Aside from the fitness communities in other countries such as the United States or United Kingdom, in Malaysia there is also a fitness community that is getting larger day by day!
These women all aim to promote a healthy lifestyle as well as to encourage women (and men!) to be fit and healthy.
Not only are there new work outs to try out but their posts also encourage you to achieve your fitness goals in terms of nutrition and physique wise!
Below is a list of female fitness accounts that I personally follow (you should too!) for motivation & inspiration:
(Note: The accounts are not in order, it is numbered randomly.)

1. Maggie Wong
   https://www.instagram.com/p/BWcabYGhk55/?taken-by=maggiewong0114
   Maggie started her bodybuilding journey in 2015 and has participated in various bodybuilding competitions. Despite having hyperthyroidism, that does not stop her from being the best she can be! Her Instagram consists of workout exercises, her gorgeous body and her very own healthy meals.
   Instagram Account: @maggiewong0114
2. Andrea Ong
   https://www.instagram.com/p/BY0Ma9HgctH/?taken-by=andrea_ong
   She is not only a fitness model but also a personal trainer as well as one of the top 15 Fitness Influencers! She enjoys hiking during her free time as it can be seen from her Instastory updates. Aside from that she also posts her gorgeous pictures from her photoshoots (she is a model after all!) and workout videos.
   Instagram Account: @andrea_ong
3. Nana Al Haleq
   https://www.instagram.com/p/BaOGxeZAlrl/?taken-by=nanaalhaleq
   It is no surprise to any Malaysian that Nana is one of the top fitness model & motivator. She is also an athlete for PharmaFreak, BeFitMalaysia, Under Armour MY and Australian Strength Performance. On top of that, she is also a Fitness TV Host! She loves rock climbing during her free time. Her job is to motivate and inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle, which can be seen through her Instagram.
   Instagram Account: @nanaalhaleq
4. Joanna Soh
   https://www.instagram.com/p/BZD7DGSDdlD/?taken-by=joannasohofficial
   Who has not heard of this cute Fitness Youtuber!? Her youtube account has close to 1 million subscribers! Aside from her youtube, she also posts her nutrition and workout tips on Instagram as well. You will definitely fall in love with her in general as well as implementing her helpful fitness tips into your lifestyle.
   Instagram Account: @joannasohofficial
5. Ain Ramli
   https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ7r2qsjUrI/?taken-by=ainramli
   She is not only a certified personal trainer but she was also a national athlete for rowing! Her parents were both active in sports, which inspired her especially her father who was a national rugby player. Her Instagram also consists of workout videos, her sculpted body and various other posts.
   Instagram Account: @ainramli
6. Elina Gives
   https://www.instagram.com/p/Bak9147jtRX/?taken-by=elinagives
   Representing all the vegans out there, she is not only a vegan but also a powerlifter! YES, you don’t need meat to get them gainz! She shares tips on being a vegan in Malaysia, and she does a good job at it too! So for those of you who are vegan (or want to be a vegan), her Instagram (and youtube) consists of various vegan meals to eat and locations of restaurants that has vegan food. Besides that, she also posts her workout videos (here’s proof right there that you can lift heavy even without meat!).
   Instagram Account: @elinagives
7. Winnie Yip
   https://www.instagram.com/p/BVWvXM8FMVs/?taken-by=winniesexyyip
   Previously a WFF Asia Pro Ms Bikini U24 Champion, she is also a Freelance model and Fitness Enthusiast! Her Instagram consists of workout videos as well as her bikini model worthy pictures which will definitely motivate you to be as fit as her!
   Instagram Account: @winniesexyyip

There are way more than 7 Female Fitness Instagram accounts in Malaysia. These are just a few of them.
Sometimes motivating yourself to reach your fitness goals is hard, going to the gym is even harder. But don’t put yourself down, if you want that body, go get it!
You only need that tiny bit of hope as a first step to achieve it 🙂
Do whatever it takes to get the body that you’ve always dreamed of.
It is NEVER too late to start living a healthy lifestyle (and maybe even live longer)!
Hopefully these Instagram accounts will help motivate you (if you haven’t followed them yet)! 🙂
x chelle

Picture taken in July 2017, with a genuine laughter (thanks to my adorable bestfriends)

This is just something random that has been lingering in my mind for awhile. The struggle to stay positive, to be happy and have a healthy mind even when life knocks you down. I guess because I came to realize that this is a daily struggle for not only myself but many people as well.
What really is a healthy mind? 
There was a period of time when my mind was not healthy at all. In short, I was not happy. Smiling and laughing took a lot of effort, it all felt fake. For a few years, everyday felt like a struggle to even wake up every morning. It was like I was physically there, but I’m not really there. It took me sometime to get out of that ‘comfort zone’ that I was in. It was a comfort zone to me at that time because I choose to stay in that zone. I keep going back to it, no matter what.
Some of you may or may not have these kind of thoughts before. What am I living for? Is there a reason to live, what IS my reason to live? No one really cares. Why am I not smart enough, or good enough? I’m not capable of doing this and that. I’m below average, or just average. I won’t be able to cope or handle with this and that.
A healthy mind is when you don’t have all these thoughts.
I think we all tend to look down on ourselves at times and compare ourselves with others. We view ourselves as something so small and we lack confidence in ourselves. I believe that everyone has those moments. Sometimes it just comes unexpectedly, especially when something bad happens that impacts you greatly. Maybe it’s the way you were brought up, the environment that you were in that sometimes cause you to feel or think these thoughts. Or it could be because of some bad events that happened before.
One thing’s for sure though, is that everyone has their own purpose in life, and it’s all in your hands. YOU get to choose what you want to live for. YOU have the choice to create your own path in life. Everybody has their own choice on how you want to live your life. Choose the ones that makes you happy, the ones that helps you to become a better person and cause a positive impact in your life.
On a side note, having positive people by your side also influences your life choices and decisions. If you surround yourself with people that help lift you up, you will one day manage to lift yourself up as well.
I used to think that I can’t control what I’m feeling. That it just comes and goes. To an extent, this is true. But you can definitely choose how do you respond to these feelings or thoughts. When it comes, you can choose to either respond negatively… or seek for help from others. It is all about mindset and your willingness to change or control it.
There will be good and bad times in life, but one day eventually you will learn to see the positive sides of even the bad ones. You will be able to believe in yourself and start seeing yourself as a valuable person. You are definitely not alone in this world. I can guarantee you have AT LEAST 1 person (definitely more than 1 though) that cares about you. Sure there will be times when you fall down, so get yo ass back up just like the saying ‘Fall 7 times, get up 8’.
Your life is like a book. There are a few chapters, some chapters are bad and good. One chapter does not define the whole book.
Be the author of your own book.
x chelle

“Um……”
Yup, that was my response when I was asked this question by my final year project client. We had to do a brief introduction on who we are and when it came to me, he asked me a question that I could not think of an answer on the spot. Why? Probably because… I don’t really have a keen interest in software engineering… Ha.
Although after that, I went home and thought about it. I realize that the only thing I liked and don’t mind doing it with love, passion etc etc (okay I’m exaggerating but you get the point) is analyzing the user’s needs and software requirements. In short, what the people who are using the software wants & expects from the software and understanding what the software needs. Yeah, that’s pretty much just it. For those of you that have NO clue what the hell is software engineering, it’s basically where you are involved with the design and development of a software (No.. not THAT kind of design which you are thinking.. it’s much more complicated than that) with some coding involved in it as well.
As some of you already know, I am more interested in the web or mobile development. I prefer doing stuff that relates to graphic designing and also writing. Recently, I have this subject which introduced me to User Experience (UX) and damn, I love this subject. I am goddamn interested in this all this stuff! UX is about understanding how the users (which is basically you, the one reading this now) are experiencing using something, such as websites, products and so on. By understanding this, you can design something that suits everyone. Maybe that’s why I love to make people happy, to please everyone. When I googled on how to find my passion, one of the questions that I had to ask myself was, “What is the one thing in your life that you do that makes you feel happy after?”. 
I realize that I like to make people happy, to satisfy people. It makes me feel so happy afterwards. Basically in a way, this is like satisfying the user’s needs & requirements. This kind of just makes so much of sense, maybe with all the praying I did so finally God decides to path my way through.. LOL.
I can’t say for sure now but… as for now, this is the path that I plan to take.
Btw, after the response I gave (he probably knew that I don’t even know what to say) so he decided to just start with “Oh so you like web development?” and I’m just like OH YESS yeah I’m more into web development actually blablabla etc. THANK GOD he decides to say something or else I’ll just be like.. uhhh uhhhh forever till next year!!!
(Why am I not confident but instead so socially awkward infront of people especially important people?!?!?!?) *facepalm*
x chelle

Well.. only a few would remember that I used to be a blogger, and a very active one at that. I remember how much I enjoyed blogging about my life, whatever that happened in school I would ALWAYS write down all that has happened in school so I can blog about it later. Sigh.. memories indeed. I stopped blogging after there was a little bit of drama between my readers and I, mainly because I was being a very immature brat…
No surprise there since I was only freaking 13 (or was it 14?) years old. I was like an angry, foul mouth teenager… and I was always called out for that. Ever since then I kinda had this fear of blogging because I worry about what will others think of me.. what will they judge me on.. are my blog posts offending people.. and what not. I thought I would never step foot in the blogging world…
until now…? Maybe. I guess I’ll just see how it goes. I just feel like I should not let fear prevent me from doing the things I love and that I enjoy doing.. although I’m the type that gets bored of something after awhile.. Well, obviously as you grow older your hobbies and interests always tend to change.
But as of now.. I will just go with the flow 🙂
x chelle