Saturday, February 28, 2015

My birthday: I'm 30-something this year :)

Thank you Precious friends & Beloved family for the well wishes on my Birthday - every single one of you who SMSed/ Whatsapped/ wrote on my Facebook wall/ wished me in person - you are important to me and don't ever think I do not appreciate your presence in my life!
All my friends, relatives, colleagues and family are like little pieces that make my life puzzle complete.

This year I spent my birthday at work, with my wonderful colleagues, people with whom I share a large part of my time with and confiding about my personal life to, and my clinic which I regard as my "home away from home" as the years go by.
Coincidentally I share the same birthday as my Tiger Mother mentor and birth-week as my partner-in-crime.
I'll leave you to guess who's who.

 
I then spent the evening celebrating over a sit-down Chinese dinner with lou hei (it's still Chinese New Year) with my girl friends, something mandatory we do every February and December.
Girls I've known for life. Cannot forget the crazy times we pontang school, went under the drain and trekked from old Woodlands central to Blk 300+ coffeeshop and emerged from the drain cover like Ninja Turtles, asked our parents to help us machine-sew Home Econs project, go Canto tea-dance and used fake IC until kena detained in their office, and etcetera OMG moments! :P

We are the February (Siew Wei and I) and March (Angeline) girls!
Coincidentally, our birthdays are in the same order as our positions in the photo from L to R: Siew Wei 23/02, me 27/02, Angeline 05/03.



 
And special thanks to my husband, he sent a surprise bouquet to my clinic this morning which totally caught me off guard as this is a first (I used to take leave on my Birthday but happens that this year Hubby is away at reservist and I have nowhere to go so I went to work).
I've never been one to fuss over flowers & soft toys but this year the bouquet came complete with a card that had a mushy (funny) poem.
I asked him where he got the poem from (note: not how he composed it) and he replied without missing a beat that it's from Shakespeare.

Oh how do I begin with this man?
All I can say is, marriage is a funny union where we can talk about our children, life, dreams, and our poop 💩.
The kind of intimacy is almost bizarre.
 
As I get older, the things I wish for become more and more the things that cannot be bought with money. Like kinship and friendship.
With Andy, I found both.
He's the kind of guy you want to go traveling together with, buy a used car or house from, and start a family with. He's fabulous with micro finances, itineraries and stuff that require planning in orderly detail.
They say there's a lid to every pot. Andy is the lid for me.

And lastly, some tips about staying young always:
Source: Pinterest


 

Thursday, February 26, 2015

My home garden: grow your own food.


Well you all know how much I love organic and natural stuff. Hubby calls it my organic sh*t.
I'm taking my organic sh*t to another level by channelling my inner Jamie Oliver and growing my own food.

I started growing some vegetables from seeds in our home garden when I realised what a huge balcony we have with so much under-utilised space.
I started out with capsicum seeds and before I knew it, small flowers started blooming which subsequently blossomed into round, colourful bell-shaped peppers we call Capsicum.
 
 
First try at gardening in 2013:




 
 
These photos were taken sometime in 2013. Fast forward 2 years to 2015, I'm still growing my organic veggies :)
In fact, I recently noticed some eggplants blooming in our home garden.
Initially, the seedlings had aphid and mealy bugs infestation (white, fluffy pests that suck the sap of your plants until your entire crop dies).
I mixed my own concoction of natural pesticide using Young Living essential oils - Peppermint, Lemongrass, and Thieves in white oil (bought from nearby Nursery).
 
I sprayed on the plants and totally forgot about them until recently Hubby noticed little bulbs budding from their purple flowers.
My plants are healthy and thriving indeed.




Even the Capsicum are doing well.
 

Source: Pinterest
 
 
Home gardening is actually not as difficult as you think!
All you need are trench pots, good soil, and seeds!

My veggies are grown on organic soil and compost, and fertilised with organic earthworm castings, and Young Living essential oils to prevent pests.
No GMOs/ harmful pesticides and ambiguous substances.
I like to know what goes into my food because the same food go into my children's bodies :)
 What about you?
 
 
* I'm a Young Living distributor and my member ID is: 1841945.
 

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

A trip to Jurong Bird Park.

Once upon a time, Andy and I decided to bring the boys to Jurong Bird Park.
It's a first for Adam and Ashton, and I was really enthusiastic about exposing them to the aviary.
I even wore a nature themed outfit in blue and green with lots of colourful flowers (which you'll soon find out is the cause of my indignity).


We started off with lunch with the parrots, but halfway through eating, Adam was getting impatient that there weren't signs of any parrots. He started playing games on my phone. I pretended not to be dismayed by his lack of enthusiasm and finally, the emcee appeared and announced that the macaws and cockatoos were making their entrance!
We (I) were getting hyped up until the point the emcee asked me and the kids to go up on stage to volunteer for the performance.


Here I was wearing my jungle-themed top which was sleeveless and I was required to stretch out my arm ninety-degrees, exposing my armpit and granny-flap-arm to approximately 20 families, while waiting for said cockatoo to perch on my arm and husband snapping away on the camera.
It was a glorious moment. The expressions on my children's faces say it all.




 
After that, we adjourned to the rest of the Bird Park, and all the kids wanted was to hurry and make a beeline for Birds of Play, which seemed to be the highlight of the whole trip.

We had spent some good money on tickets to Jurong Bird Park and all the kids wanted was to play on slides with water which are free on the rooftops of many malls.




Ashton's diaper was so soaked that it dropped off and I had to let him change into his cotton shorts.







New thing I learned about my children today - they are not so into birds as I'd thought.

*Edited to add: When two weeks later, we received a notification of Adam's field trip, Andy and I looked at each other and laughed.


Life is uncanny like that!

 

Monday, February 16, 2015

Stay-at-home-son no more.

In the first week of February, I took leave and had dreamed of spending my days sleeping in till noon, going for high tea, doing CNY-shopping, getting my hair and nails done.
Except I did none of those.
My mornings were chaotic trying to get both kids dressed and out of the house on time and settling into The Routine.

You see, the last chick in my nest has started nursery and I'm feeling a little bit sad.
My Stay-at-home-son no longer. I'm like a Mother hen who wants to keep all her chicks in her nest. I get clucky when they start growing up and spending collectively more time away from my nest. At the rate they are growing, I will need new babies to replace them every other year.

Anyway, Ashton took to school like a champ, which made my panicky worries come to nought. That's how my last chick is - good-natured and "easy peasy lemon squeezy" (quote Adam).
He's the kind any mother would love to bring out on errand-runs and meal dates because he's non-fussy and totally compliant to your instructions.
Needless to say, I love both my chicks but I'm extremely fond of this last chick of mine.

Here's a photo of both my chickadees on a school morning:
Adam is sulking because I had literally extricated him from his bed,


Both of them were running late and Adam even missed his school bus because I woke up late, because I woke up at 4am to pee and stayed up surfing Facebook till 6am before dozing off again.
Both kids start at 0830am so Hubby and I dropped Ashton off to his childcare first so that he wouldn't miss his breakfast, then Adam to his Kindy for his (late) assembly.

In case you're wondering, both boys are in different schools because Adam finds the hours at childcare too long for him. He doesn't nap and prefers to go home to play and do his stuff (watch TV/ play iPad) instead of being confined in an institution all day.

Andy accuses me of spoiling the kids but I'm the sort of parent who will listen to what my kids want. Even if they're only 3 years old.
Certain things are non-negotiable to me, such as safety and manners. Other than that, I'm really easy on the kids.

I did offer to transfer him to the same childcare as Ashton, but he rejected the idea.
"What if Ashton has no friends?" I asked Adam.
"Then he has to make friends or be lonely!" came Adam's reply. 
Adam is a little non-conformational like me. I can totally emphasize with this boy. I let him choose his school since he's the one attending it and it's been win-win so far. If I had insisted on making him adapt to childcare, we might lose our minds.

I'm quite a softy and probably not the best disciplinarian in the family.
If you're thinking of getting someone to adopt your dog/ cat/ tortoise/ kids, that someone would be me.
Speaking of which, the other day I tried to convince the husband we could adopt another dog - a Golden Retriever. He asked if we could have sex on alternate days. I said could we not, I'll be more tired than anything. He then finished off with "There, you have your answer".
Oh my wickedly funny husband. I'm trying hard not to want to smack him at times.


Sunday, February 8, 2015

[Sponsored] KIDS FIESTA is coming in March 2015, this time bigger & better!

 
Parents, parents! If you have nowhere to go this upcoming March holidays, there will be exciting stuff lined up at Suntec Convention Centre.
KIDS FIESTA is coming back again, this year even bigger and better than the last!
 
 
 
What is Kids Fiesta and When is it happening?
Held every year, Kids Fiesta is no ordinary kids event. Their aim is to ensure that every child who participates in Kids Fiesta has a ridiculously wonderful experience.
They want to show parents and kids that learning can be fun and not only confined to the pages of textbooks and walls of tuition centres.
 
Mark the dates 13 - 15 March on your calendar!
 
  
 
What are the fun activities we can expect?
You don't want to miss FUNTASY Adventure, where a world of fun awaits!
 
There are adventure zones and activities to keep the little tykes on their toes, such as Orbitor Cars, Pirate Ship, Inflatable Obstacle, Western Train, Laser Maze, and more.
 
Grab a FUNTASY Passport and go on an adventure to the Laser Maze Island where you compete between your parents and friends! The Orbitor Island is also one not to be missed! Plan your trip wisely to enjoy all 9 islands. Be rewarded with a goodie bag worth $50* and stand a chance to win funtastic prizes in our Lucky Draw.
Passports are limited. Grab yours now!
 
There will also be meet-and-greet sessions with your children's favourite characters Dora and Batman.
 
 There are also exclusive promotions from the presenter, Kidz Education City Pte Ltd, which is made up of Genius R Us, Climb Asia, Dancepointe, Cristofori, and LEAP Schoolhouse..
 


All photos copyright to Kids Fiesta.
 
 
 
Where where where???
Suntec Convention Halls 401-402.
 
  
 
How much per entry?
You can purchase the Funtasy Passport at $20 now and receive a goodie bag worth $50*.
Your Funtasy Passport will allow your child on to the various games and rides.
 
 
Ways to order your FUNTASY Passport:
 
 
Call ticketing hotline: 63575165
 
*Stand to WIN 1 FUNTASY Adventure passport. Details at bottom of this post.
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We initially planned to go Cherating ClubMed with the kids but no firm plans as yet. Traveling with the kids ALOT of things to prepare and pack you know?
 Might as well just spend the weekend at  KIDS FIESTA. Don't say I neh say!
 
 
OH, WAIT WAIT WAIT...
Out of goodwill, Kids Fiesta is giving away the following prizes**:
1 x Kids Fiesta FUNTASY PASSPORT (worth $25)
1 x Airport Traffic Control IQ Game (worth $40)
 
To qualify for the contest, simply:
 1) Go to my Facebook post and answer the question, "When will Kids Fiesta 2015: FUNTASY Adventure be held?"
2) Like Kids Fiesta Facebook Page.
3) Share this post on your Facebook wall.
 
 
**Closing date for contest: 21 Feb 2015, 2359hrs.
2 Winners will be picked and announced on this blog.Terms & conditions apply.
This post is a collaboration between Kids Fiesta and Mumzilla. Thank you for your participation :)
 
 

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Bento-making Mumzilla.

Well, well, well. Who'd thought that me, Miss-lazy-to-DIY-and-hence-buy-alot Veron, would try my hands on bento-making?
 
I was inspired by my mummy-friend, Serene, whose son is in Primary One this year (next year will be my turn. Sobs..) and she's making lunchboxes for him to bring to school. Check out her blog for more home-cooked meal recipes.
 
Out of boredom one day, I Googled "bento box for kids" and Woah, a myriad of tutorials and photos popped onto my browser.
I then went to Qoo10 and bought some bento moulds and tools, and Gosh am I addicted or what!
One evening, after dropping Adam off to his abacus class, I even asked Hubby to send me to the nearest Daiso to buy more tools. I thought I had died and gone to Bento Heaven.
He thought I was insane.

Ta-dah! So many cute food picks and more, for $2 each! Including the Panda lunchbox!
The SkipHop lunchbox is about $20 if I'm not wrong.



Car bread-cutter I got from Qoo10. Sprinklers were gift favours from a friend's wedding.

I need more practice on the dusting of cocoa powder.


Fancy a Mickey bread, anyone?

 
How about an Animal Safari themed lunch box?

I've been making Bentos for Adam since the beginning of school term this year.
He likes it so much that he requested me to make one everyday.
Spoil my own market by having to wake up so early daily and also think of what to make *face palm*
I only make bread thus far (thank goodness not asking me to make Furikake or those complicated Rilakkuma/ panda rice!) because his school actually provides snacks like porridge or noodles on certain days.

If you're interested in making bento-boxes for your school-going child, you can get the tools from:
- Daiso
- Takashimaya basement
- Qoo10
- Meidi-ya at Liang Court

Of course there may be more resources but for a start these shops/ e-shops are more than enough to get you going :)
Say, if you have too much free time on your hands in the mornings and have nothing better to do - like me - you can try your hands on Bento-making.