It’s that time of the year again! Bring out your Kuih Makmur recipe, shop for new curtains, and jazz up your living room with new furniture because the Raya season is here!
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When we think of Raya, there are a few things that come to mind like family gatherings and your grandmother’s famous lontong. For some of us who think about chores and spring cleaning, you know it’s going to be another tiring month to go through. It’s completely natural, we feel you. If you’re aiming to have a fuss-free Raya this year (like us!), start with this first tip.
[GIVEAWAY] Hey, Malaysian readers! In conjunction with Bosch Home Appliances Malaysia Hari Raya Campaign, stand a chance to win a set of Bosch cleaning and care kits for your washing machine (Contest period: 15 May – 2 June 2019!). Click this link to participate and look out for the clues down below!
Before Hari Raya
1. Prepare a Raya checklist
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Between shopping for groceries and finding the right tailor for your family’s baju Raya, there are many things to sort out within these few weeks. It’d be amazing if everyone has a personal assistant in their lives, but you’d be surprised by the amount of work we can complete with a checklist alone!
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Begin by creating your ultimate Raya checklist that covers everything from the chores that need to be done before Raya to the grocery shopping for the annual family cook-out. With a checklist, tasks can be prioritised, and you would be able to manage your timeline easily.
2. Spring clean your home
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If you’re welcoming relatives and guests to your home this Raya, spring cleaning is a must. Instead of rushing to clean your home at the eleventh hour, it’s always good to start small and early. Begin by decluttering your clothes and the things you don’t need. Set them aside in storage boxes so that you can donate your pre-loved goods to charity.
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Next, continue to spring clean room by room. The bedrooms are the best places to start before moving to the kitchen and living room. Remember to target hard-to-reach corners and forgotten spaces such as behind your wardrobe and underneath the fridge. You’ll be surprised to find the number of dust bunnies right there.
3. Stay on top of your chores
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We’ll never truly understand our mother’s struggle of washing the curtains, bedsheets and cushion covers until we’ve done it ourselves before Raya. Thankfully, we have washing machines to do the job for us!
If you’re doing multiple wash cycles for your curtains, cushion covers and bedsheets, you’d want to find a washing machine that is water efficient. The Bosch WAW28440SG Washing Machine is designed with ActiveWater Plus feature, which uses lesser water thanks to the stepless automatic load adjustment system. Another good thing about it? It comes with a childproof lock function! That way your washing cycle will not be affected if you ever catch your children playing with buttons on the washer. Yay, one less thing for a parent to worry about!
4. Plan your Raya outfits in advance
Like everyone else, you’ll want to look your best during Raya. Between helping your Mom with baking and your Dad with gardening, you won’t have much time to plan your family Raya outfits. First things first, wash them early. If you’re wearing last year’s baju Raya, give it a spin in the washing machine, so you’ll have it ready ahead of Raya.
Worry that your washing machine will ruin your silk hijab or lace kebaya? Choose one that cares for your clothes, like the Bosch WAW28440SG Washing Machine. It comes with VarioDrum that’s designed to deliver breakthrough results. With its uniquely designed wave droplets drum surface, it is tough on dirt yet gentle on fabric, giving you perfectly clean laundry. Ironing? Easy peasy! It also has a reduced ironing setting, so you’ll have a lesser crease to deal with. Yay for modern convenience!
5. Have a cooking party in the kitchen
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Ask anyone, and they’ll say the fondest memories of Raya begins in the kitchen. When our grandmother gathers the ladies of the household to prepare a heart-warming spread of beef rendang, sambal goreng and ketupat, you know the food is going to be delicious!
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If you’re the head chef of the kitchen this year, here’s one thing we learn from our grandmothers: delegate the tasks well. The kids can help you with ingredient preparations (save yourself from washing the vegetables and folding the ketupat), and your siblings can read the recipe for you (just kidding, let’s give them a dish to cook as well).
Now, who’s going to do all the dish-washing? Well, let’s leave that task for the Bosch SMS63L02EA Dishwasher! The dishwasher comes with AquaSensor Technology, which monitors the progress of the wash and decides the exact temperature, duration and amount of water used. This is coupled with the load sensor, which determines water usage based on the load weight. It helps to optimise water usage for half or partial loads, resulting in savings for your utility bills – and that’s a financial win for you! Dishwashers are also great to keep things hygienic. Since most wash programmes wash your dishes at high temperatures, it does a better job in removing dirt and germs than the traditional handwashing. Besides, it’ll save you from having wrinkled fingertips during Raya too.
During Hari Raya
6. Lend a hand
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The first day of Raya is a big day for most families. There are many things to do and relatives to meet! Before you hit the panic button, think about your mother who ran the show in the kitchen and living room all these years. She doesn’t just do it with grace and patience but with style too!
Credit: Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi on Flickr
However, we should never take our mother or other family members’ composed self for granted. If you see someone who needs a hand preparing or serving food, ask if you could help. It can be as simple as heating the rendang in the microwave, serving snacks to your guests, or slice fresh fruits for everyone to enjoy. That’s because everyone deserves a fuss-free Raya as much as you do.
7. Prepare to do a lot of cleaning
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We’re not going to lie; there will be a stack of pots and pans waiting for you. With the amount of food you’ll be serving, let’s not forget the plates, bowls and cutleries too. Just thinking about it adds up to your stress meter right?
Everything will be fine when you have Bosch SMS63L02EA Dishwasher in your kitchen. With a 3-stage Rackmatic rack system, the height of the top basket can be adjusted to 3 different heights to accommodate the various sized dishes. Yay to having more convenience and flexibility to load your pots and pans into the dishwasher as well! This dishwasher also takes great care of your ceramics and glasses with the help of its glass protection technology for extra gentle handling. When you have a dishwasher that takes care of the dishes for you, you’ll have more time to spend with your loved ones!
8. Ease your laundry chore
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Catching up with your cousins, offering almond London cookies to your relative and answering your auntie’s “When are you getting married?” question will take up a huge chunk of your day. So much so, you won’t have time to do the little things like replying your group chat’s Raya greetings and drying your laundry (oh no, the clothes are still in the washing machine!).
The truth is, laundry should be the last thing on your mind after a day of visiting. Can you imagine having to dry your family’s worth of Raya clothes? With that amount of laundry to think about, let’s leave it all to Bosch WTE84105GB Dryer, shall we? Thanks to the dryer’s AntiVibration side panels, which reduces vibrations and increases stability, it has improved sound insulation and low noise shock absorbers that dampen noise further. Hence, you’ll be getting a whisper-quiet machine even when drying your clothes at night! It’s so quiet that you can hear someone sneakily open a new jar of honey cornflakes cookies behind your back. Okay fine, you caught us.
9. Get others to help you
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With many hands to shake and relatives to greet, you’ll have your hands full during Raya. As much as you’d love everything to go well under your watch, you need help now and then. The secret is to divide and conquer.
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While you’re making sure that everything runs smoothly in the kitchen, your little cousins can serve Raya cookies, your sister can run to the nearest supermarket to get extra ingredients, and your brother can deal with the pesky marriage questions from your aunties. Don’t be shy to ask for help. You’ll be happy to know that your family is always there to help you when in need.
10. Remember the true meaning of Hari Raya
From decorating your home to managing the house chores, Raya preparations can spell exhaustion for those who are gearing up for the big day. However, you should never allow it to overshadow the true meaning of Hari Raya that is centred around forgiveness, prayers and spiritual devotion. Celebrating the beginning of Syawal also brings families and friends closer during this time of the year.
With that significance in mind, take it easy and remember to spend quality time with your loved ones. The ultimate secret to having a fuss-free Raya is enjoying every moment with every person you meet. When that happens, every preparation and challenge will feel like a step closer to celebrating Hari Raya, and you’d wish that time would move just a little slower.
[GIVEAWAY] You’re in luck, Malaysian readers! In conjunction with Bosch Home Appliances Malaysia Hari Raya Campaign, stand a chance to win a set of Bosch cleaning and care kits for your washing machine (Contest period: 15 May – 2 June 2019). Click this link to participate and spot all the clues in this article!
BONUS! Dreaming of a home makeover? Submit a creative slogan for Bosch Home Appliances Malaysia online and stand a chance to win a grand prize of an IKEA gift card worth RM3,000. Visit Bosch Home Appliances Malaysia from now till 9 June 2019 for more information on their Hari Raya Campaign!
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As much as we’re excited about the dawn of Hari Raya, there are many preparations and challenges to meet before we celebrate over a bite of lemang and rendang. Whether you think of preparing a Raya checklist or do spring-cleaning weeks ahead, find a few tips that work for you, so you’ll have a manageable and fuss-free Raya this year.
This article is brought to you by Bosch.