PRECIOUS (from BBWS 2011)

Guess how much this set of 'Brain Quest' would have cost me outside? When I found them ( only a few left) and a 'gentleman' is trying to conveniently grab them from my box, I gave him that 'stare' ...haha
You can take anything that's meant for me...but never anything that's meant for my children...













Omnibuses from some of my fav authors (like Danielle Steel, Dorothy Koomsoon, Nora Roberts, Ken Follett, David Baldacci) ... for RM10 each. Effectively, that's RM5 per story.











Golds ... some books which I've been wanting very much to read & own but didn't willing to part with my $$. The prospect of finding them was estatic ... particularly Nicholas Sparks - The last song & The lucky ones and Anchee Min - Empress Orchid & The last empress. RM8 each even for hardcover.













Some other books which I'm very glad to find ... Felt like hitting jackpot .. albeit a smaller windfall but nevertheless, never failed to bring smile.

















Some asian writings ... which I start to find intriguing and interesting. Perhaps it's due to the rich culture and something we are able to relate to.

Another set of books from parenting, self help and general ... these are treasures =) RM8 each except for Lilian Too feng shui - RM15.

Last but not least - children books ranging from RM3 - RM6. Except for the 300 over pages Disney storybook collection for RM12. Was lucky didn't get the lace & trace motor skill development kit from another bookfair earlier for RM27. Now I got something similar for RM6 (with six different designs inside) ... yippie.

wth...I've got more important things to attend to.

Today at this time, I'm supposed to be physically present at office testing for DR (Disaster Recovery) exercise.

But here I'm sitting at computer right @ home. Instead I conveniently ask help from another colleague to 'stand in' for me and conveniently told my boss that I'm not able to come and had make arrangement for it. I believe due credit must be given to my colleague for helping me.

I've got a 2nd chance today ... to attend to something which I've been longing to. Never mind that it's taking up a whole day, never mind that I may be rated 'irresponsible / under-performing' at work, never mind all that ...because to me, this is way more important.

till then, wish you have a good day too =)

花花世界花家姐

Just managed to finish watching this ... Next to complete is Secret Garden (Korean series).

next up, big bad wolf (local series) ... =p

previous weekend experiment

白果 fu chuk barley ....

I think I used the wrong type of 'fu chuk' as it took very long time to really melt.

Lesson : ask the shopkeeper for the type for boiling 'tong shui'

chicken leg mushroom + ang ku kueh - what they have in common?

last time it was this

now this

我和 '他' 有一个约会

Tomorrow (or rather today)

I'm having a date with 'him'

I've been eyeing 'him' for god knows how long before I dare to ask 'him' out.

Looking back, it must have been the fear of rejection, feeling of helplessness that were holding me back.

So, last week, I buck up the courage to ask 'him'

and he said 'YES'

I was elated. It was like having a big stone lifted from my heart.

So, now I'm sleepless over tomorrow's date.

It has been some time since I'm in the dating scene, so I wonder whether I'll be 'good enough'

I wonder how's it like when we meet, I'm worried about what should I wear, what are we going to do, what are we going to eat, and when it comes to paying ...

My heart is fluttering, so is my stomach ... how many hours more do I have to wait? Why time seem to pass so slowly...

how to use?

got this gym ball for RM5 from tesco ... now I'm learning how to use it.

This ball come right on time ... just when I need it =)

3000+ steps

Managed to reach 3000+ steps this morning ... although I lost some counts in between when seeing and greeting some neighbours.

Nevertheless, I feel good.

Yah, I know counting steps is childish and non-productive.

But it's effective to get my mind of my worries.

pencil & eraser

Pencil: I'm sorry

Eraser: For what? You didn't do anything wrong.
Pencil: I'm so...rry cos you get hurt bcos of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you're always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time.
Eraser: That's true. But I don't really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I'll be gone and you'll replace me with a new one, I'm actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad. :)

I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They're always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way... they get hurt, and become smaller (older, and eventually pass on).

Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad.

"All my life, I've been the pencil.. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day.

For I know that one day, all that I'm left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have..."

This is to all the parents out there...

By: MacgyverWong Giok Aik

a quiet sunday morning

is what I need most currently

to sort out my life,

to calm my mind,

to accept all the 'shocks'

to get myself back

to finish my 'unfinished business'

God, please give me the strength to carry on..

signing off, preparing for a solitude walk around the neighbourhood to clear my mind, body & soul.

my sky is cloudy, I could not see clearly

It seems that I'm being given big cloud(s) everyday and I'm not sure how long can I hold in the rain before the downpour.

and because of these big cloud(s), I really cannot see clearly.

will I be able to survive through all these and see clearly again?

why are there so many many mountains for me to climb, so huge oceans for me to cross? ... I'm really very very tired.

my RM1 happiness

when I feel like I'm living 1 day at a time,

even a RM1 happiness is worth it...

(RM1 for 12 design pencils from tesco)

when nothing seem right, there must be something that's right..

Of late, nothing seem right ...

so many things happening that I no longer know what's right and what's wrong.

I feel my life at this juncture can qualify for a good drama script.

Every night when I sleep I hope things will go away

only to realise that it will come back the moment I wake up.

I want to cry but I didn't managed to cry.

I think I've slowly learnt to detach myself from myself.

bookfest 2011

the left stack for ah bi while the right stack for mama. Papa don't read paperbook =p

some free bookmark timetable from EPH publishing @ Bookfest 2011. Ah bi likes them.

babybook

Thank you to FL who brave the norm to get a copy of this complimentary book. I've finished reading the book. It is indeed an informative book complete with discount vouchers.

I'll pass this book around (and many other pregnancy & childcare books) for sharing =) do let me know if you need any ..hehe

ps. FL, thank you for the SMURF badge too. Got it!

they are ready but I'm not ...

The fabrics are waiting but I just realised that superstitiously I'm not suppose to sew.

So my project got to wait.

maybe this more time is meant to allow me to get more fabrics leftovers =)

Don' t go breaking my heart + Secret garden

Thanks to CY, I now have many nice movies / series / dramas to catch up =) really got back the joy of watching again.

now I know ..

I must admit that I'm not one who really take note & care about what I eat.

I used to almost always eat everything edible without paying much attention to GI / calories / content of the food.

It wasn't until a few days ago that I was to deal with a blow right in my face. I could not longer eat as I used to. Now I have to be very careful with what I put inside my mouth and swallow.

Now I know how it feels like when we feel like eating something but we can't.

To tell you I'm not sad, it's not true.

To tell you that it didn't affect me, it's not true.

But it's not the end, it's only the beginning.

I'm learning to deal with it.

I'm aware that I still have a long long way to go.

ps. and to a friend who went all the way to give me a booklet on foods & calories guide. Thank you so much for lending me your support and listening ears. Hopefully my results are ok.

thank you gals for the night

Thank you to my friends for taking time for the night. You may not know how much it meant to me =) All I can say is : it is ALOT =)

drug addict?

save junior save

Some 20 over years ago, I still remember those times when I fill up my piggy banks as soon as I possibly could just because I wanted to have more lines in my passbooks ... I thought the more lines I have, the more money I have (without realising that more lines could mean more withdrawal / debits..haha),

because I wanted to get more freebies when I go to the banks. Banks during that era were generous to their junior savers.

I remember not only getting free piggy banks various edition, quarterly children magazines, some stationeries, some drawstring bags, some other goodies.

Fast forward, we opened junior savings account for our children ... I'm secretly waiting for the day when I can bring them with their filled piggy banks to the bank and teach them the benefits of saving (even a dollar a day ... yes, it has to be at least a dollar a day cause a cent a day doesn't really work anymore).

Although I've introduced ah bi to piggy bank and putting coins inside, but I think this is more of a practice of fine motor skills development rather than inculcate savings...don't think can understand yet.

meanwhile, while waiting for ah bi to grasp the understanding of savings, this mother is adding more lines to ah bi's junior account=p

This mother is parking some of her monthly cashflow (pending to pay bills) in ah bi's account to earn a little more interest. Yes, this mother can be this 'calculative' in this sense ... but like I always say a penny earned is a penny earned.

Note that : a junior savings account can offer interest return as competitive as FD rates (2.5%pa - 3.0%pa) whereas a normal adult savings account offer only (0.1%pa - 1%pa).

Now if you are me, where would you put your money?

freeeeee gifts....

Lately, I feel I'm lucky.

Last Thursday, receive a blue storage box from the milk powder company that ah bi drink.

Last Saturday, receive this cute cuddly bunny rabbit from another milk powder company that mama didn't drink.

Milk powder companies today are good at making us mother & children happy =p

Btw, in malaysia, in effort to encourage breastfeeding, milk powder companies are not allowed to give free gift / gift redemption for infant milk powder & milk powder for babies up to 12 months.

falling in love = 走火入魔? =p

阿信与丁当-走火入魔

i like the way the lyricist put it...

falling in love to me is really like 走火入魔 ... hahaha

what he wanted me to do....

Little boy did something unexpected today. Here's how it goes :

Mama seeing there are some yellow and purple wild flowers growing in our garden decided to let little boy explore something new today.

Mama pluck the flowers and pass the flowers to little boy.

Mama : nah,妈妈 给你, 这是什么？

little boy : fo..wer (his pronunciation of flower)

Mama : mama give you flower, what do you say?

little boy : 谢谢

Mama : What colour is the flower? Yeh.... and Pur...

little boy : ...low....purPAL.

Mama : 喜不喜欢?

little boy laughed cheekily while holding the flowers preciously.

Little boy : fower...fower 美美美美

Little boy : give mama ... give mama (give the purple flower stalk to mama)

Mama : 谢谢你. Thank you.

Little boy : 我爱你

Mama : say 'Mama, 我爱你 again (hearing once is not enough for this mama...haha, so I force him to say again =p) ... I was very happy hearing him say that until the next moment...

Little boy refuse to say it again but instead pass the yellow flower to mama as well.

Little boy then take mama's hand and lead mama to the grass area and ...

Little boy : Mama...'PUT BACK PUT BACK'

Mama almost *PENGSAN*

('PUT BACK' is the key word I always use to teach him to keep his toys / put back the things where they are ... haha, I can see that now it backfired)

Mama started LOL ... 'PUT BACK' the flowers which I pluck??? - that's the only one thing I cannot do and this little fella is asking me to do exactly that.

Mama : Mama pluck pluck the flower already, now cannot put back. We keep keep the flowers ok?

Little boy seeing mama didn't proceed as he said, took the flowers from my hand and try to

STICK BACK THE FLOWERS TO THE BROKEN STEM!

I discover 2 lessons today :

1. Always admire flowers without plucking them. 1st - I don't kill the flowers. 2nd - I won't be asked to do the impossible.

2. to a child - nothing is impossible, really.

and he really make my day today, being so innocence yet funny...LOL

blissful night

enjoying blissful night like this :

just relaxing with some chocolate, listening to music and reading some magazines / good book in the peacefulness of the night.

wondering whether I'll still have nights like this in future?

So I better treasure it while I can

oh...and today I've a big achievement .. I went to Sogo member's day sales and did not spend a single cent. That's kind of unexpected out of me. Even I'm shocked. But a good start for a 'spendaholic'

the nesting instinct? @ passion project?

Is this what they call the nesting instinct?
*typing while munching overnight waffle at 4.45am*

after stumbling upon this blog
http://ilikepapercutting.blogspot.com/
I'm inspired to sew some pillowcase + bolstercase + patchwork blanket + tote
* and now I just thought of one more important thing ... the beanie bag for put on baby chest while sleeping to comfort them*

So I found my passion project for this year (maybe spillover next year..never know)
I've come out with plans on how to get leftover fabrics (用剩的布料)
and out of my sudden surge of 'eagerness' ... I crazily went to Kamdar (which is a few streets away from my office) to source cheap cotton cloth.
Don't know coincidence or lucky, there were having big sales due to Hari Raya coming soon ... so I got some 1m cotton cloth @ RM2.50 - RM3.00.
And I came home smiling to myself for the whole night =)

* to my dear friends, if you have any leftover fabrics (no matter how small piece), please donate to me ya.. please help to contribute to helping me achieving my passion project. Thank you very much =) *

the pictures below are from http://ilikepapercutting.blogspot.com/ . Thank you to the blogger who inspired me

the week I turned 30

I call it the lucky pasta pot - got it free from sending in some forms from Malaysian Women's Weekly =)

Thank you to a bunch of colleagues who celebrated my birthday with me at Pizza Hut plus a 'get a taste of everything' cake =)

A special luncheon meat sandwich from Grace sitting next to me a day before... she definately settled my cravings for luncheon meat ... haha =)

A simple treat for myself, ah bi & dear - one of my favourite - red bean desert =)

My birthday present from ah dear ... plus the assembling work =)

The wallpaper on my workstation that never fail to sort of 'motivate' me every morning (on the reason why I still need to come to office tomorrow) ...hehe =)

The lucky bamboo (some call it Guan Yin bamboo) which I saved from the 'dustbin' outside my office ... originally those CNY lucky bamboo type but I dismantled it to let the plant have more growing room.

Have always wanted to bring some lucky bamboo from home but never got to doing it... finally it came itself to me and a bunch of them some more =)

and of course last but not least, thank you for all those warm birthday wishes that flow in =)

my loots for the day

my loots for the day :

(a) a bag I really like for myself (have been known as 'recycle bag aunty' for too long)

(b) some recipe books (because this mama seriously want to learn to cook proper edible food)

(c) pregnancy nutrition & confinement recipe (she suddenly realised the importance of health)

(d) sand play & 2 folders (to keep 'pink booklet' dry)

(e) 2 mini back pack (for training kiddies to carry their own stuff)

(f) 4 water proof paper bag (for carrying kiddies' stuff)

(g) 2 boxes of puzzles

(h) glow in the dark playset (ah bi's favourite night time activity)

(i) 4 pair of children scissors (for training kiddies to use scissors, 4 colours because I can't decide what colour to choose)

(j) hairbands

(k) some bird-motives clips (for 骗小孩子...haha)

If you are interested to get stuffs like these, can go for Mr DIY shop ... I must say they sell almost everything ranging from kitchenware to hardware to women's items to children toys.

ABC...123

the other day, I went on a shopping spree again ... after attending a 2 day training about positive attitude@work.

These are among the many things I bought (some useful, some not-so-useful)

Since the fridge is one of my little one's favourite place while waiting for me to prepare food/drink, cut fruit, do washing, so I decided to make full use of the space.

Moreover, both the sets together doesn't even cost me more than 8 bucks (and it's made of wood).

Previously, what he has is just some smileys and some advertising magnets ... now he has very colourful play set =D

weekend nourishment

I realised I've changed a little .. I used to be very lazy and 'tidak apa' when it comes to nourishing (补) my body.

Nowadays, if possible, I take initiative to prepare or eat something nourishing / nutritious for myself. Perhaps age is catching up and 'engine' already start to need maintenance.

Last weekend, out of nowhere, I miraculously prepare this ...

the white fungus - they say it poor people bird nest, so since I could not afford bird nest .. I settled for 2nd best =)

Not bad ya...since after cook can use to 'buy' my mother in law & ku po's heart =p hehe