I just celebrated my 33rd birthday a few weeks ago. At times, I still find it hard to believe how far I’ve gone from my life just almost 5 years before. And in celebration of a good and blessed life, I am enumerating the things in my life that I’m thankful for…plus a few of my favorite (material) things. 

3) My In-Laws
It’s not easy to find couples who can confidently say that they are thankful for their in-laws. In my case, I am very blessed to have in-laws who are very concerned, understanding, supportive and loving. All through these years, they’ve been on my side, always lending a helping hand. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t know how my husband and I could have gone through all the tough times when we first arrived. And now, they are the ones taking care of my son while I work, which is totally priceless. I cannot imagine how our lives would be without my in-laws being there for Aden. 

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law have also been there for us. I still recall my pregnancy days and they helped us with things like baby items, food and other things that we might need. Whether small or big stuff, they’ve been generous and always thoughtful. In this time and life, I know that it’s not everyday for anyone to get blessed with a family like this. 

4) My parents, sisters and brother, and my relatives back home
Life is never easy but we need to find ways to be happy, find simple joys in everyday life. At a young age, I’ve known what it’s like to have a not-so-easy life, and so I learned to work hard, make better decisions to reach my goals. There were a lot of hard times but these hard times made me a tougher person. I learn how to appreciate good times and other blessings even more because I knew what it’s like to be on the other side. 

5) True friends
Good laughs, tears, sweat, tough professors, mean bosses, crushes, shopping…some things are just best shared and appreciated with true friends. Although some of us are very far apart, we still manage to share some laughs, heartaches and all. 

6) Tough Bosses who make you learn important things
I’ve been so blessed to have bosses who manage to bring out the best in me, whether intentionally done or not. I know that we all looooove to complain about our bosses but truth is, they make us tougher and do better than our normal, easy-going selves. People tend to find a comfort zone and without those tough (and sometimes heartless) people in our lives, we wouldn’t be challenged and life will just be boring. 

7) Photographers, Graphic Designers
Working with professional photographers and very creative graphic designers had been, and still is, a great joy in my career. I actually graduated as an interior designer (huwhat?) so creatives, colors and stuff grab my interest. But there’s something about photography and combining graphic design elements into an artwork that really gives me a sense of fulfillment.  

And here are some of my favorite material stuff…not to be mistaken as of equal importance as the above but, nevertheless, these stuff still give a smile on my face:

8) iPhone 5
This is just the best mobile gadget for me. I love the camera, love the speed, love the interface and all. For the past years, I’ve tried different brands, different types…but this, by far, outruns them all. Not everyone will agree but as a personal choice, iPhone 5 works best for me. 

iPhone5: One of my Precious-es

9) MacBook Pro
I guess I just have the ‘need for speed’. I hate working on computers that hang on minor applications, especially when you’re shifting from 1 design program to another. I’m not a full-time designer but I occasionally enjoy photo editing and some small artworks every now and then. The Mac’s interface is just superb with its multi-touch trackpad. Swipe and shift programs easily with your fingers. Quick. Easy. Genius. 
A few years back when I started working for an international lingerie brand and I saw a Mac for the first time, I was awestruck. Well, I thought, will I ever be able to afford that? Will I even understand how to use one? And, thank God, I was. It was worth every RM. 

MacBook Pro: Speed and creativity at my fingertips

10) Kate Spade Red Tote Bag
I’m not really the type who splurges on designer bags, not that I can even afford to. But I saw this bag and it called my name (!). The leather is wonderful, the color is delicious and the design is simple yet classy. At first, I thought that red will be very hard to match with clothes but it just works fine with any color. With the mix-and-match trend in fashion now, sporting a red bag with an attire can make a statement. 

Kate Spade Red Leather Bag with Gold Accents

11) Clairol Herbal Essences Coconut Milk
Yes, yes, like most of the other ladies out there, I am hoping that one shampoo or conditioner can solve all my hair problems. Though it doesn’t magically turn my hair into that soft-flowing, captivating bundle of strands like in TV commercials, this Clairol Herbal Essence Coconut Milk keeps my hair more moisturized than other conditioners that I’ve tried. The lasting scent is a definite plus and it’s very affordable if not cheap for most. The shampoo is just as nice because it doesn’t dry my hair out like others. I even explored  more expensive brands, salon brands, professional brands but I still go back to Herbal Essences. 

Clairol Herbal Essences Coconut Milk Conditioner

12) Canon EOS100D
I finally got my hands on my very first DSLR! I’ve actually been dreaming of owning one for several years. It’s not cheap and for the past few years, I wasn’t confident enough to invest on one because I rarely have time to just take pictures as I’m so busy with work. It wouldn’t be worth it to buy one and just keep it, right? But the time has come for me to pursue my other passion in life while still maintaining my career in marketing. Thank God for all the blessings. I now have some good regular time for my son and myself. 

The Canon EOS 100D was just recently released and in good timing for my decision to buy a DSLR. It is the lightest and smallest DSLR ever launched (for now) and it fits comfortably on a beginner’s hand. And it’s just amazingly light. I’ve been taking photos since I bought it, of course, excitedly, and the results are just so different and a lot better than my normal point-and-shoot digital camera. I can now take photos of Aden even if he moves a lot and take photos for my blogs more beautifully. 

My first DSLR: Canon EOS 100D

13) Perricone MD Intensive Pore Minimizer
I had a post about this great product at http://bit.ly/19BZkY6 This pore minimizer gave me visible results and the longer I use it, the more my skin becomes smoother, the smaller my pores become. I just love how my skin’s texture has improved within the past months. I’ll be finishing it soon so gotta buy another one!

14) Biore Pore Strips
Being obsessed with my huge pores, I constantly explore products to reduce their size or at least, keep it free from blackheads and whiteheads. But this is just almost impossible for me so I’ve been regularly cleaning my pores with pore strips. I do this every Saturday and I’m quite addicted to seeing those tiny, icky stuff all stuck to the strip! I’ve tried different brands at different prices. But Biore pore strips at only RM10.80 for 10 strips have been the most effective. Other strips don’t have cuttings on some corners that should adapt to the curves of our nose and cheeks which make it a bit inefficient. Biore has cutting on several corners, making it follow the contour of the nose, especially the fold between the nose and cheeks. 

15) Crabtree & Evelyn Iris Triple Milled Soap
Normally, I don’t really use bar soaps but when my sister-in-law gave me an Iris bath set, the scent of the triple milled soap was simply bewitching! So I got another set from Crabtree; there’s no 1-piece for sale so I had to get the 3-piece set… But it’s reasonable at only RM65 per set. 

Crabtree & Evelyn Iris Triple Miled Soap set of 3

16) Guerlain Idylle Duet EDP – Rose Patchouli
This is my special occasion fragrance. The floral scent is very classy and smells even lovelier as time wears on. When it comes to fragrance, I go for floral scents, not fruity and not the sporty scent. (Surprisingly, when it comes to skincare products, I have to avoid those with rose and other very floral scents as I tend to get some skin reaction to it.)
I love the sexy bottle, showing very feminine and glamorous curves. I prefer bottles that are transparent where you can see the contents so this makes Guerlain Idylle’s bottle even more attractive to me. Small thing but I don’t like those opaque bottles wherein I need to guess if it’s about to finish or not. And after all, one of the factors that makes a perfume attractive is the packaging. Save, of course, for Chanel No. 5 which has a simple bottle but still remains to be one of the most (if not THE most) popular fragrances in the world. 

Guerlain Idylle Duet – Rose Patchouli

17) The Body Shop – White Musk EDT & Moroccan Rose EDT
On normal days, I like to wear these Body Shop EDTs. The famous White Musk has a light, wonderful and simply soothing scent. It has combined notes of jasmine, rose, musk, lily and I guess some other more beautiful floral scents (I am no fragrance expert, haha). At a price of RM59 for 30ml, this EDT is worth to have as a daily part of my body care routine.

I also love the Body Shop’s Moroccan Rose. By now you can tell that I’m quite addicted to rose fragrance (!). This EDT has a romantic, feminine, light and fresh scent. And being named Moroccan, it adds some mystery and uniqueness to it. Very nice for daily wear and special occasions, too.

The Body Shop Moroccan Rose EDT & White Musk EDT

18) Dorothy Perkins Black Belt
For some time, I’ve been looking for a simple but nice black belt. If not expensive, designer type, I can only see very posh and accessorized belt which I don’t really go for. I needed something simple, good enough for corporate wear so it cannot be too stylized with all those shining stones all over it. One fine evening in Mid Valley, I came across this simple, nice belt from Dorothy Perkins and I loved it! If I remember it right, I got this belt for only RM39. Very reasonable price for a belt like this. 

19) Monthly Issue of Female & Women’s Weekly Magazines
Every month, I must always have a copy of these 2 magazines. I love the beauty and fashion articles, photos and updates. Presentation is very good, writing style is funky and smart. Female always contains the latest in beauty and fashion while Women’s Weekly has very interesting reads about family and life. 

20) Solvil El Titus Purple Watch
I just got this watch last February as a Valentine’s Day present from my hubby. I really love the purple color, the lovely glimmer of stones and the size against my wrist. I like that it has that chronograph style but the extra 3 sets of counters for date, seconds and 24-hour are not too big as the usual chronograph-style watches.

Solvil El Titus Purple Strap Watch

And lastly, my days will not be complete without a few minutes session with my son’s baby feet! I know I’m only left with a short time to enjoy these before they turn into non-baby feet and before he gets old enough not to allow me to play with them…

I have more blessings to be thankful for and a few more favorite things. Sometimes, people, including me, tend to focus on the bad things that happen or those things that cause disappointments. But in life, I should learn how to count my blessings instead, those small things that make me smile or make my life wonderful, even for just a few minutes or seconds in a day. Hope you find your favorite things as well, no matter how big or small they are.