LittleGirlStory Recommended MUST READ posts – List 5

When I first started blogging, I created this LittleGirlStory Recommended MUST READ post sharing with other readers posts of others that I have read and liked.

I created a little badge to mark my liking of such posts and recipients are welcomed to use this little badge on their post.  A page is allocated on my blog for easy access to these wonderful blogs.

Please check out the ‘littlegirlstory MUST READ blogs‘ tab on the top of my blog next to ‘About’ page.

My last recommended post list was in December last year so this is my first list for year 2014.

The above badge is my creation and if your blog is recommended please feel free to pingback or reblog this post.  You may right click on my MUST READ badge and add it to your post and please link back the idea to this particular post.

This is just my raw idea as a way of saying THANK YOU for sharing your posts.

Please place your mouse on the nomination and click to get you there.

1.  Fish of Gold is a lively blog.  I hated drawing in class and dropped that subject as soon as I could so I cannot remember when I last drew something.  If you wish to learn how to draw, please check out her page to draw or make a toy giraffe in 3 to 5 steps.

2.  Do you like Indonesian food?  There are no Indonesian restaurants locally where I live hence I craved for Indonesian food.  I had a short stint living in Jakarta and visited Bali quite a few times and I so miss those nice tasty dishes.  Thank you Javanese Wanderer for sharing this delicious post – Sundanese Kitchen, a must try culinary trip.

3.  Food, Food and more Food !  This post is a must read indeed and it makes your mouth watered.  Check out what Dana from ‘I’ve got Cake’ got to show us.

4.  Have you heard of Kosher Adobo?  Honestly I had a hard time trying to pick which of her post to share.  Why?  I love the way she writes and I like almost all her posts so which one should I pick?  Let’s meet this 5ft 5ins lady who said she is 100% Filipino.  Want to know more?  Please click here and check it out for yourself.

5.  In a reflective mood?  Missing someone?  Otrazhenie shares with us what ‘missing someone’ is all about.

6.  Knock, Knock …… Are you a banana or an orange?  Mark Coakley will show you the most beautiful orange you have every seen.  Trust me, please click here to find out.

7.  Nola Roots says ‘live life with no excuse and love with no regrets’.  I couldn’t agree more…… and the next thing she said is ‘kick of your shoes’.  Check it out here.

8.  BobaGuy is one hungry guy who brings his camera around the depths of San Francisco Bay Area, capturing all the food he ate (or is about to eat).  That sounded so much like me hence I cannot help but follow him.  Click here to claim the most delicious hamburger in San Francisco.

9.  Are you living in the moment?  Jill once told me she too came from Borneo.  She wrote ‘I am an ordinary girl, with a blog and a million thoughts. I am no different from you are, just a person trying to make sense out of the senseless world we live in. I wonder about life and people…………….’

10.  Are you trying to eat healthy?  Julie from Stovetop Story shares with us how to cook carrot noodles with Kale-Cashew Pesto.  I must try making the Pesto one of these fine days.

Phew …… finally that’s the 10 nominations this round.  It’s so time consuming, I’d rather post a photo challenge or a poem but good things are to be shared so hopefully readers will take some time to read and please visit those nominated bloggers.

I just realized that I am probably short of a couple of weeks into my first anniversary with WordPress.  Presently I am following 138 bloggers so if you know I am your follower and do not yet see your post in this or previous recommendations please watch out this space coming up again soon.

Last but not least, I would like to invite all of you to please check out my Page on “littlegirlstory recommended MUST READ blogs” and please LIKE or comment an introductory of your blog or post and use that page as an interactive page with other fellow bloggers.

Happy Reading !

Daily Prompt: The Best Day Ever

Daily Prompt: The Best Day Ever

by Krista on December 25, 2013

You get to enjoy the best day ever — describe in detail what that means to you. Where are you?   What will you do?  What’s the weather like?  What will you eat?  Who will you see?Photographers, artists, poets: show us INDULGENT.

via Daily Prompt: The Best Day Ever.

I am so blessed and I feel so blessed.  My best day ever repeats itself almost every week unless I chose to trade it and do something else like going fishing in the wee hours of the morning for example.

Today is my best day, one of those that comes weekly.  The only difference today is that it is Boxing Day so I will take my time and go Boxing Day Shopping for great bargains and then perhaps store my purchases away all forgotten.  My weakness and that makes me sound like a hoarder.

I appreciate the simple things in life.  In a simple nutshell, my best day is when I wake up without the annoying sound of my alarm clock and getting away from the daily routine of dressing up and driving the same route to work.

On most of my best days or days off, I caught up on my sleep.  Logged into littlegirlstory and submit a post or two (like now and it’s 2pm).  I may have breakfast in my pajamas or I may even take an hour walk with my dog to my favourite cafe for brunch and walk all the way back home.  No pressure for time and doing things at the sphere of the moment.

Daily Prompt: NOT Keeping up with the Jones’ but the birds & fishes

Daily Prompt: Keeping up with the Jones’by Krista on November 29, 2013.

Tell us about the one luxury item you wish you could afford, in as much detail as you can. Paint a picture for us.  Photographers, artists, poets: show us COVET.

via Daily Prompt: Keeping up with the Jones’.

Water is soothing
Water is cooling
Water is refreshing
Water is comforting.

Life is a breeze
to all birds and fishes
that live freely in or around water
I wish I could afford this luxury.

Like the birds and the fishes, life on the water is a breeze, a luxury I wish I could afford.

Daily Prompt: I Have Confidence in Me

Daily Prompt: I Have Confidence in Me by michelle w. on November 24, 2013

Are you good at what you do? What would you like to be better at.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us CONFIDENT.

via Daily Prompt: I Have Confidence in Me.

My confidence lies in my acceptance of being myself, who I am, what I am and where I am, for better or who worse.  I have confidence in Me.

I strongly believe that God created us the way we are, whether we have small or big eyes, with or without double eyelids, blue or brown eyes, pouted lips with high cheek bones or square or round face.  Physically we were born as what God had created.  Some people went through extremes to have their image changed through cosmetic surgery, perhaps all due to lack of confidence in their physical appearance.  I cannot say that the results will not boost their confidence after being transformed from an ugly ducking to a beautiful swan on the outside but at the end of the day, we are what we are on the inside.  True beauty comes from within.  A beautiful natured person is seen to be confident person in the way he or she carries herself and the kind loving nature he or she portrays will be a joy that exudes to those around.

How did I get to be so confident in myself?

That’s all because I live life reminding myself these 3 things.

1.  Acceptance of who I am.  I am someone whom I have to live with every single minute, every single moment and everyday of my entire life and I must learn to love myself.

2.  Irregardless of situation and circumstances, do not allow myself to wallow in self pity but thank God I am still breathing and knowing there are others in worst situation.

3.  Notice what is good about myself, focus on my best features rather than my flaws.  Discover my passion, a simple example is my love for food and turn this passion into a meaningful past time to share with family and friends and live life doing what I am happy with.

What would I like to be better at?

PHYSICALLY I wish I am 20 kgs lighter but at the end of the day, do I want to grow old skinny with deep wrinkles or do I want to age gracefully with a little extra pounds like the jolly old lady with a twinkle in her eye?  Don’t worry, be happy.

FINANCIALLY I wish I no longer have a mortgage but there are many others in the world that live in poverty and doesn’t even know the word mortgage.

WHAT ELSE?  With constant self reminders, I have learnt to accept being who I am, what I am and where I am that I honestly cannot think of what I would like to be better at.

If I am blessed enough to win the Lotto, will I be better off in any area?   I can perhaps pay off my mortgage but can I get rid of my extra 20 kgs?  Food for thought !

 

 

Daily Prompt: Wicked Witch

Daily Prompt:   Wicked Witch by michelle w. on November 15, 2013

Write about evil: how you understand it (or don’t), what you think it means, or a way it’s manifested, either in the world at large or in your life.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us EVIL.

via Daily Prompt: Wicked Witch.

Evil

Is there anything evil in life or is there anything really evil in this world?

Evil is what you make out of something.  Nothing is born or made evil in its origin.

On the surface, drugs, cigarettes, alcoholism, gambling, pornography and many other addictive habits are considered ‘evil’.  Too much of something is evil, even money.  The love of money is the root of all evil.

Anything taken or enjoyed in moderation is a form of entertainment and it is when addiction kicks in that evil arises.  In a nutshell, evil is one’s own doing, nothing was intentionally born to be evil, wicked or deadly.  No one was born to be a murderer, a drug addict or a drunkard.

This opinion is one person’s viewpoint as prompted by

Daily Prompt : Wicked Witch.

Photo Credit – Little Borneo Girl https://littlegirlstory.wordpress.com

Daily Prompt: Express yourself – Time for another vacation

Daily Prompt: Express Yourself

by michelle w. on October 24, 2013

Tell us about a time you couldn’t quite get your words or images to express what you wanted to express.  What do you think the barrier was?  For bonus points, try again. Photographers, artists, poets: show us EXPRESSION.

via Daily Prompt: Express Yourself.

I was going to tell you all that I am taking a break.

What better way to convey this message across than announcing it along with Daily Prompt.  A Bonus Point indeed !

Have I got my words or images to express what I wanted to express?

No vacation photos to show yet but perhaps colors to express the beauty of what is coming up next when I come back !

Daily Prompt: As Seen on TV – Bedtime stories

Write a script for a late-night infomercial — where the product is your blog.  How do you market yourself?  What qualities do you embody that other “products” don’t?  What are the benefits of reading your blog?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us LATE.

via Daily Prompt: As Seen on TV.

Looking to unwind after a hard day’s work?

Check out your personal bedtime story teller who speaks to you through her stories.  She writes about anything and everything, from the story of her life, to food of all sorts, travel adventures, poems, photos and any random thoughts.

Be sure to CLICK HERE to be treated to a nice sweet surprise every night before you lay to bed.

Now follow these 3 steps to relax and get a good night’s sleep.

1.   Relaxing your body with a hot bath or shower.

2.   Relaxing your mind by reading a book …. ooops, I mean a blog.

3.   Put your head on the pillow, close your eyes and remember the key to a good night’s sleep is to visit this one and only blog again tomorrow night and every night.

For a goodnight’s sleep, read this book (x) correction – read this blog

GOOD NIGHT, SWEET DREAMS,

TALK TO YOU TOMORROW.

Cool down with ice cream, frozen yoghurt, gelato or Ais Kacang

Jandals in the sun – Image courtesy of http://www.123rf.com

Spring time is here, summer is approaching.  The sun is out and time to be out and about.

On a hot day, dressed in shorts and jandals, there is nothing more relaxing than licking a cone of ice cream, gelato or frozen yoghurt.

Gelato – Image courtesy http://en.wikipedia.org

Wouldn’t it be nice to cool down with a bowl of ‘Ais Kacang’ (or Ice Kacang meaning shaved iced beans).  Unfortunately that would have to wait till a trip back to Malaysian or Singapore to enjoy the local hawker speciality.   The true authentic taste is worth waiting for.

Ingredients for Ais Kacang – Image courtesy of Sylvia LeyGeok Kho

An extract about Ais kacang from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ais kacang (or ice kacang) is a Malaysian dessert which is also common in Singapore and Brunei.

Traditionally, a special ice machine is used to churn out the shaved ice used in the dessert, originally hand cranked but now more often motorized.  Many Southeast Asian coffee shops, hawker centres, and food courts offer this dessert.

Nowadays, ais kacang is mostly known as ‘ABC’ (acronym for Air Batu Campur, literally meaning “mixed Ice”).

Formerly, it was made of only shaved ice and red beans, though the number and diversity of ingredients has since expanded.  Today, ais kacang generally comes in bright colours, and with different fruit cocktails and dressings.

Ais Kacang – Image courtesy http://en.wikipedia.org

 

Daily Prompt: ______ is the new ______

Click over to your favorite blog, and pick out the 4th and 14th words (that aren’t “the” or “an”).  Drop them into this phrase:“_____ is the new _____.” There’s your post title.  Now write!  Photographers, artists, poets: show us BLANK.

via Daily Prompt: ______ is the new ______.

I am totally BLANK.
I cannot exactly relate on 4th and 14th
that aren’t “the” or “an”.
What a hard DAILY PROMPT this is.
Wide awake at 2.24am
BLOGGING is the new CLOCK.

I clicked on other submissions
to this Daily Prompt.
Many are as BLANK as me
with no idea what we should pen.
Time check now is 2.48am.
NIGHT is the new DAY.

I stumbled upon Submission 13
which finally made me understand.
Daily prompt is asking for
the 4th and 14th word of a favorite blog
that aren’t “the” or “an”.
ME is the new SEEKING.

I am now ready to submit
my post to Daily Prompt.
Time check now is 3.02am.
Once submitted, I can close my eyes
and see the stars so I now must press
PUBLISH is the new RESULT.

Blogging is the new Clock

Daily Prompt: Release me – Out with the old, in with the new

I just clicked PUBLISH and then read Daily Prompt.

This post is so appropriate. I hope I am now set free.

Tell us about the blog post you were most nervous to publish — and what it was like to set it free.  Photographers, artists, poets: show us FREE.

via Daily Prompt: Release Me.

He wanted to leave,
he wanted freedom,
no longer wanting
a relationship or commitment.

Back home in this country
where we once lived,
he packed his bags and left
while I stayed behind totally lost.

He wanted to stay friends
with me while he freely roam.
Living overseas, he found himself
surrounded by little bees that sucked you dry.

Today he flew home,
out of kindness of heart
knowing he has nowhere else to stay
I allowed him to board with me.

For a short time, my home will be his shelter,
he is physically present yet
what I see is nothing but an empty shell,
of someone who is not worthy to look me in the eyes.

It hurts too much to be kind,
to care or have a soft spot for a past loved one,
here am I, alone, pouring my heart out
comforting myself with every words I typed.

Decisions, decisions, decisions
once his temporary stay is over,
time for a total spring clean,
I must break free so that I can start living again.

Is it natural to still care for a past love?
Or  is it ‘out with the old and in with the new’?
Which one are you?