Awesome testimonial from John Christian :)

Allow me to introduce you to John Christian. He's the author of two soul-searching books (with another in the works), and he's also one of my clients (and now friend). I asked him to pen me a testimonial some time ago, and he sent me this wonderfully touching piece... 

John at the launch of his first book Bring Me a Higher Life at MPH.

"I am writing this testimonial for my editor, sanity checker and now, I would like to think, my friend. Why did I write this testimonial? Let’s think, did she pay me? Am I scared of Adline? No. The answer is, I am honoured to say that she’s my editor... She has the ability to read, explore and offer advice without destroying the author’s opinions, views, and in my case, craziness and spots of silliness.  

I’m pleased to say that we have now worked on two books, “Table for two, sex not included,” and my latest piece of dribble that I think is QUITE GOOD... My only regret is that I met her after publishing my first book “Bring me a higher life”... I think it would have been a much easier journey if she was with me during that period, as that was my first book and as a author.

I would say I want an editor who doesn’t limit herself to checking grammar and structure, or worse not checking grammar and structure, or picking up mistakes after being told. Authors and writers want a person that goes beyond reading their words, they want them to become entwined and one with the author’s mind and thoughts, then challenge the author to explain parts that may not connect or even disconnect from the theme of the book. 

If they do this, as Adline does, the finished product would be an enjoyable journey for all who want to indulge and lose themselves within the words of another... So I, John Robert Christian, would recommend Adline to any person, publisher and even the WORLD... Life is Good, so smile and enjoy it!"

Thank you so much John! You always know how to bring a happy tear to my eye and put a smile on my face!

7 Wonders of Walking @ Urban Health magazine

Here's my article, in this month's Urban Health magazine :)

Urban Health Jul 2013 by Adline A. Ghani

My article on Urban Health website

My article on "The 7 Wonders of Walking" is out in Urban Health magazine this month, and it's also featured on the Urban Health website. Here's a screen cap of my article, as featured on the home page this month:

Review: The Everly Putrajaya

The family and I recently had a brief stay at the Everly Hotel Putrajaya. It has only been open for 2 months and it's also the most affordable hotel in Putraya, with a standard room costing a little under  RM200 a night. Check it out...

Here's the front desk at lobby. I like the decor as it's modern, sleek and understated. I found the staff to be quite friendly and helpful too.

This is the sitting area at the lobby. Ample space and fun colours, without looking tacky. 

My debut in - Urban Health magazine!

Hi all! Happy Ramadan! First of all, I must pat myself in the back, as it's day two of Ramadan and I haven't had to go to the Ramadan bazaar. In fact, I've cooked dinner every night for about a week now :) I'm also happy to announce my debut in Urban Health magazine, which was actually back in April, but I've only recently received the back copies (Thanks Ms. Assoc. Editor!). Here's my article called Dance Your Doubts Away, on dance as a form of therapy. Enjoy!

 Urban Health Apr 2013 by Adline A. Ghani

Urban Health is distributed at pharmacies throughout Malaysia, and if I'm not mistaken it will soon be in newsstands too. Do look out for it!

Review: Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifier

We've just had a bad case of the haze recently, and it was just awful. The air was so bad outside, we couldn't open the windows and I didn't let my son to go to school for four days straight. This recent bout of air pollution makes me glad that I bought an air purifier a few months back. At least, even with the windows closed, the air inside my home was cleaner. 

View of the evening sky from a friend's apartment, before and during the haze.

For some time now, I've been reading about how the air indoors is actually worse than the air outside, and that there's such a thing as "negative ions," which are invisible to the eye, but are good for us. According to Ionic Balance, in nature, negative ions are generated by evaporating water, ocean surf and waterfalls. Since not all of us can live by the ocean or a waterfall, we need to use man-made ion generators to bring these good ions into our homes and offices.

Declutter diaries: Solution for my Pax wardrobe

Earlier, I blogged about getting a new Pax (Ikea) wardrobe and that I'd find a way to hide the clothes from view, without buying doors. Well... I found a way!

Here's what my wardrobe looked before I installed... CURTAINS!

Ta daaa!!! Want to know how I did t? 

Crowd funding @ I.M. magazine

How's everyone? Good I hope. As for me... I've been working my butt off :P I've just finished writing a bunch of web articles and editing a PhD thesis. On top of that, I'm in the process of editing a self-help book and some web content. 

I've also signed up for a few magazine and journal articles, but don't worry, I'm not one to bite off more than I can chew. I've planned it all out and I've never missed a deadline yet! Though I've got quite a bit on my plate, I'm pleased to bring you my latest article in the May-June 2013 issue of I.M. magazine:

Crowd funding article IM May June 2013 by Adline A. Ghani

And here's a peek of the latest I.M. mag out in stores now:

Declutter diaries: New wardrobe (Pax from Ikea)

Guys, believe it or not, this is what my dining area looked like a few weeks ago... Not unlike an episode of Hoarders... I know!

What... a... huge mess.... sigh :(

Why the mess? Well, I was in the process of getting a new wardrobe from Ikea. So here's the scoop...

Review: The OSIM USqueeze Fit Foot Massager

Who doesn't love a foot massage, right? Everyone loves one! That's why I bought my husband a foot massager for our 10th anniversary last month. My hubby is a hardworking guy, who's on his feet practically all day. His legs and feet are always hurting at the end of the day, and driving home along the Federal Highway, with its unpredictable traffic jams,  doesn't help his condition much.

Pic by satit_srihin via Freedigitalphotos.net

So when I saw that the OSIM Malaysia website was having a sale on foot massagers, I quickly jumped at the chance to buy him one. OSIM currently has two models of foot massagers, the USqueeze Fit and the UPhoria. The latter costs more than the former, but we've tried it out at shopping malls before and it does feel good, in a painful kind of way that is!

Non-toxic household cleaner from orange peel & vinegar :)

Months ago, I came across a tip on Pinterest on how to make an all-purpose household cleaner using orange peel and vinegar. It seemed like a great idea, so I decided to give it a try. My son loves oranges, so I have a steady supply of peels.

What you need to do is just put the orange peels in a bottle and soak them in vinegar for about a week. Most bloggers who live in cooler climates would recommend soaking them for 2 weeks. But, for hot and humid Malaysia, I find that a week is just fine. If you decide to soak them for longer though, that's fine too :)