Bye Bye 2012

Finally my two private domain blogs are up and running again!! But I am close to a thousand bucks poorer. Fuming mad with my host for not informing me that my domain has exceeded its bandwidth. They should have informed me at least 2 months earlier before they pull the life wires out from my blogs. Now I have to fork out so much money on the 2nd last day of 2012 to keep the blogs alive, aaargh!!!! I only found out that my blog was inaccessible when I wanted to submit an advertisement. Sigh, oh well… that’s money spent to feed my passion, so can’t complain too much.

My parents from Ipoh and brother and family from Singapore are in KL. There have been many food gatherings for the past two days and more to come today through the New Year. Today is the hubby’s birthday so there will be more food binging sessions and wine glass tossing! My girls are enjoying themselves babysitting their cousin, baby Raelyn. Just love this time of the year.

Here’s wishing all my readers a very, very blessed and happy 2013! 🙂

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Our X’mas Eve – 23 Dec 2012

We had dinner at Han Room @ Gardens Mid Valley with some good friends on X’mas Eve 2012.  After dinner, we adjourned to Fresca Mexican Kitchen just opposite Han Room to have some drinks. But the hubs being the foodie that he is, ordered more food, juice for the girls and alcoholic drinks for the adults *BURPS*!

We ordered some tortillas and Quesadilla, which were really very tasty.  I could not believe it that after stuffing ourselves so full at Han Room complete with desserts (we tried almost all the desserts that were available at Han Room!), we could still stomach so much food and drinks!

When Alycia saw the waiter removing  2 gigantic Mexican hats from the wall for other patrons to wear and snap pix, she, too requested the waiter to hand over the hat to her. It’s her first time donning on a Mexican hat.

My new toy from the hubs for X’mas!  It’s a Nikon mini DSLR and something that I have wanted for a long time 🙂  The size is just right — not too bulky and heavy (a regular size DSLR can weigh a few kgs) and can be stashed inside my big handbag.  Now, I’ve got to steal some time to watch the instructions in CD or read it from the manual and this is something which I don’t quite fancy.  I just wish someone could help me read it and teach me how to use it haha!

Cassandra’s Xmas gift – a kid’s nail art set, which she could not wait to try it on…

… with the help from both her che ches.  Girls’ play, how very nice.  But the fake nails were oversized for my baby girl’s nails and looked really hilarious that I laughed each time I saw her finger nails and toe nails.

No. of times viewed = 349

Eve Of X’mas Eve – 23 Dec 2012

On the eve of X’mas Eve 2012, we had planned to go to Ikea to get some stuff for our little nest.  The kids wanted to eat at the Ikea Cafe too BUT when we saw the crazy crowd at the entire Ikea, we detoured and walked across to The Curve. It was only 10ish am but the crowd was horrendous!

As we were all famished, we headed to Marche The Market Place @ The Curve as the place was not too packed and we needn’t have to wait too long for food to be served.

After lunch, we went for a movie and watched Hobbit, The Unexpected Journey. Actually I find spending 2 hours in the cinema pretty boring and a waste of time as I am no big fan of movies.   I’d rather go shopping but since I knew the hubs could not handle the 3 girls all by himself, I had to force myself to enjoy the movie as well.  However, when the ticketing staff told me that the duration of the movie was 3 hours, I flipped and told the hubs that I will definitely snooze off during the movie LOL! And I was surprised that I only dozed off for about 10 minutes and not the entire 3 hours as the movie was indeed very interesting, packed with colorful characters, plenty of action and has plenty of gorgeous settings.

The Hobbit, The Unexpected Journey is a movie that establishes the origin point for the events leading up to the Lord Of The Rings. It tells how and where the Ring originated from. And I think there is definitely going to be a sequel to The Hobbit as the ending seems truncated.

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This year, our X’mas tree came at a very, very late timing. The hubs who has been terribly busy with his new F&B projects in addition to his catering business only managed to squeeze out some time to ferry the X’mas tree back from his office late last night.  The girls helped him to assemble the tree and decorated the tree till way past midnight.

Here’s wishing all my readers, family and friends a very merry X’mas.  Well, I am glad that the world did not end just yet. It is the beginning of another exciting year for us all 🙂

No. of times viewed = 293

Winter Solstice Dinner At Nihon Kai Japanese Restaurant @ Old Klang Road

Last Winter Solstice festival, we had dinner at Han Room @ The Gardens.  That cost the hubs a bomb.   This year, I suggested Nihon Kai Japanese Restaurant as it would cost lesser to dine at a Japanese restaurant on a Chinese festival.   I’m glad we chose Nihon Kai, our favorite family Japanese restaurant as we had a sumptuous dinner and the price was pretty reasonable.  We had so much food that we had enough to take-away for lunch today, so happy coz 1 meal less to prepare today 😀

Nigiri Sushi, Ebi Tempura Maki and fresh salmon sashimi.

See how fresh the raw salmon is. Love this to bits.  Love the freshly chopped raw radish too.

Ramen – authentic Japanese noodles with egg, bacon and Japanese fish cake.

These 2 plates of protein were MINE!  Salmon Butteryaki and my favorite grilled Shishamo (pregnant fish). The 2 huge chunks of salmon only cost RM23, so ‘tai’ and value for money! That’s the reason why Nihon Kai is perpetually packed to the brim.

Edamame beans is one of our all-time favorite Japanese snacks.

Teppanyaki oyster for my seafood fanatic cum foodie hubby but he was dead tired to experience any surge in libido after consuming this plate of aphrodisiac haha!

Tanin Don for my ‘rice pot’ Alycia

This huge Saba Terriyaki only cost RM16.  The portion was so big that we had the fish cut into half — half to be eaten on the spot and half for our lunch today, so happy!

Damage done was RM227.15 for 2 adults and 3 big eaters kiddos.  I think the price was very reasonable as the portion for the dishes was big and we could even take-away for our lunch today!  Really ‘tai toe lan’ (worth it).

The fat daddy pig was so full that he almost dozed off at the dining table, with 3 little piglets resting on his chest muahahahahaha!!

Thanks to a good friend who so kindly gave us some yummy homemade tong yuen for dessert 🙂

No. of times viewed = 457

Little Helpers

In order to earn their outings and rewards, my little ones not only have to help out in house work but work from my online store as well.  Alycia was the most helpful and was very swift in unpacking the stock from the parcels when they arrived on Monday. Her stock checking skill was impeccable too and she managed to help me tally the stock received against my record… over 150 pieces of them without much sweat. She has definitely inherited my attention to details and accuracy plus points.  After she had tallied the numbers and sorted them according to the designs, I spent 2 days checking the clothes and sending them out.  It ain’t easy at all when I had to cook and do house work at the same time without any helpers.

And this princess wannabe could not be happier and satisfied with this princess gown that I ordered for her *rolls eyes*! I wonder if we would have any wedding dinners to attend next year…else she could wear this during CNY, her birthday and for X’mas next year haha!  Then the dress will sit in the closet for 4 years before Cass could wear it. But I think I would have given it away already, before yellow stains appear on the dress.

And the littlest Princess Wannabe wanted to try on one of the sexy Toga dresses too.   Too bad Alycia has no interest AT ALL in dresses and princesses * sobs*

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21 December 2012!

Alycia and Sherilyn had read and heard about 21 December 2012 months ago.  They have also read the book  “Heaven Is So Real”. It is about a true story of a Korean woman who kept having encounters with God in Heaven and she could see the world coming to an end, albeit she could not tell when.  In her many surreal encounters with God, she saw her daughter, grand daughter and loved ones in hell and in pain.

Unless you are living out of civilization, you will know the long forecast by the Mayans on what is  looming on this day – well tomorrow.   Since a week ago, they have been very worried. They have been telling me that they do not want to die. They do want the world to come to an end. They have been asking me a lot of questions which I am lost for words.  No one but God knows what’s in the agenda for tomorrow.   Some people are already organizing “Will The World Come To An End?” parties and some have been preparing for this day. It’s interesting to read from my Facebook wall on the sorts of things people do to ‘welcome’ this day.  For us, it’s just going to be another regular day. It’s the Winter Solstice festival tomorrow and we will be going out to have dinner… that is if we’re still around.  If you ask me how I feel about the percentage of this happening tomorrow, it’s a 90% NO and 10% YES feeling for me.  According to the Bible, the world will indeed come to an end and the signs of the doomsday as mentioned in the Bible  have  already been showing.  In fact, over the past few years, I’ve had nightmares on running for my life with my loved ones. The feelings I experienced in these dreams were really very scary.

How do you feel about 21 December 2012? Would love to read what you think 🙂

No. of times viewed = 369

And The Winners Of The Method To The Rescue Contest Are….

For those of you who have submitted your entries, I am sure you have been checking out my blog regularly to check out if you are one of the lucky 5 winners, eh? 😛

If I were part of the Management of Method, I’d love to reward all those of you who have submitted your entries. I really think that each and everyone of you and your family / friend deserve a Method product. I really love all your stories. It ain’t easy for me to choose 5 winner. Together with my daughters, we have picked these 5 winners, though I’d love to choose all!

And so the lucky 5 winners of the Method To The Rescue Contest are….. (big drums rolling……… rol, roll, rollllll………………………….)

1) Jamy — who submitted her entry on November 11th, 2012:
My mum really deserves Method’s Floor & Surface cleaner. She raised 4 kids and is now helping to raise 3 grand-kids including a 3 month old baby, yet she is famous for keeping her floor squeeky clean! That’s how high her standards are – she absolutely must have clean floors that her feet feel comfortable walking on!

2) JT Lim — who submitted his entry on November 29th, 2012:
Ever since the arrival of our daughter, my wife has been busy juggling her roles as a wonderful wife to our daughter and me. She is so tidy that she only wants to do it all by herself without my help as according to her I don’t do a good job. I have never seen her using any home care products that are truly gentle for her hands. By winning the Method Hand Wash for my wife, I hope that she can get the job done without much worries, as these products are gentle to her hands.

3) kristen — who submitted her entry on November 29th, 2012:
I believe my mum and Method products will compliment each other as both are small wonders, despite being small they are efficient.
Since becoming a grandmother she is more meticulous about the cleanliness of her home. Clean floors and laundry has always been her priority and Method products being biodegradable will fit her perfectly as it is gentle to both her hands and mother nature.
This small size wonder will also ensure a clutter free detergent cabinet.

4) YP Tan — who submitted her entry on December 13th, 2012:
Being a mother, is one of the toughest job in the world. So much dedication and effort is needed to play the role of a mother, as well as a wife. My wife has been doing a wonderful job keeping the family together, for the past thirty years. I really have no complains because everything is done perfectly. She is now 60 and I really hope that she will put herself first above everything else as personal well being is the most important thing for her now. I really hope that I can win a bottle of Method Laundry Detergent as a simple gesture of showing her that I care for her.

5) Lina — who submitted her entry on November 30th, 2012:
I would like to win Method Bathroom Cleaner for my mother. She cleans our bathroom on a daily basis and there is no doubt that it is one of the hardest yet most important room in the house to clean. I personally feel that cleaning grout between tiles can sometimes seem like an endless chore for her. She has also been trying to remove tough stains from sinks and shower. I hope and pray that Method comes to her rescue as it will make a world of difference for her.

For the 5 lucky winners, I need you to email me at shireenyong@gmail.com by Thursday, 20 Dec 2012 and provide me with :

1) your full name
2) your delivery address
3) your mobile telephone number
4) full name of the person in your story who is receiving the gift
5) delivery address of the person in your story who is receiving the gift
6) mobile number of the person in your story who is receiving the gift

IF I do not receive an email from the 5 lucky winners by 20 Dec 2012, I will pick another winner to receive the contest gift ya.

So quick email me with the details now! 🙂

No. of times viewed = 302

Loving Math

My baby girl loves Math more than reading. She never fails to bug me for Math sums whenever she is bored waiting for something, like when we are waiting for our food to arrive or when we are in a car ride. At 4.8 years old, she can solve 2-number additions up to 20+.

5 + 12… 12 is bigger so put that in my head and take out 5 fingers. After 12 is 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Answer is 17! That’s how I’ve taught her to do addition.

No. of times viewed = 323

Too Funny

The sight of my baby girl doing this will surely tickle my funny bone, no matter how angry or stressed up I may be.  And she is doing this not to make me laugh. She is a juggler of tasks and wants to accomplish a lot in the shortest time possible… just like her mummy!  Nope, I did not teach her to do this.  Beats me, I have no idea where she learned this from!

My girls are now pretty good in their clothes-folding chore. They have improved tremendously in this area and sometimes, they do a better job than the laundry shop! And what motivates them to engage in this chore is the TV! My condition for allowing them to watch the TV is that they have to fold all the clothes and keep them at the respective drawers!

No. of times viewed = 275

Bitten By The Princess Bug

Just before we left home to attend Sherilyn’s ballet concert on Sunday, I ordered asked the girls to drink water… to which I got this reply from Cass : “Yes Your Highness, I will drink now”… and she darted to the kitchen to drink water which I had earlier poured into her cup… then darted back to me and said ” mu-um, I have drank water. Now, can we leave yet?” in the most polite and princessy voice ever.  The one week we were in Ipoh last week, she was glued to the TV watching Cinderella during her free time. My mum bought the girls a VCD on Cinderella and she watched it over and over again till I could memorize all the songs sung by Cinderella in the VCD LOL!  I think she must have been bitten by the princess fever bug and is now acting like one too lol!!

No. of times viewed = 2492

Menu of the Day

My very simple, healthy and wholesome menu of the day : 10 Dec 2012…

Morning:
1) Fruits (oranges and apples) and half an hour later – milk
2) piping hot porridge with pork, dried oysters, dried scallops and red dates, cooked for 10 hours from 9pm last night to 7:30am this morning in the slow cooker
3) bread with homemade kaya

Lunch:
1) Egg mayo sandwich with sliced cucumber. Cass helped to mash the eggs 🙂
2) Fresh coconut water

Dinner:
1) Steamed kampung chicken drumsticks with sea salt, red dates, goji berries (gei chi) and a dash of Chinese cooking wine
2) Ipoh style crispy bean sprouts (blanched for less than a minute and add a dash of sesame seed oil, soy sauce, fried garlic oil and chopped spring onions)
3) Braised chicken feet with mushrooms (the girls’ koo por cooked this last night)
4) Served with left over porridge from today’s breakfast or rice (for my fan thoong Alycia)

Planning to cook pork ribs porridge or chicken porridge for breakfast tomorrow. I am now nursing Alycia’s phlegmy throat, so I am trying to keep her on a diet that’s free from deep fried food and oily food.

As I am typing this post, Alycia and Sherilyn are now clearing the dining table and helping to wash the dishes after lunch… without being paid!  *smug smile with chin up*

I am giving myself a big pat on my shoulder for dishing all these out despite the fact that I am now maidless and still have a business running plus 3 blogs and ads to write.  Plus it is the long school hols now and I have 3 rambunctious monkeys at home to entertain * wide satisfied grin *

No. of times viewed = 1136

Post Holiday Blues

We were back in KL yesterday after being away for 10 days.  Since my first step into the house, I have been working non-stop.  I hate being away from my nest for too long. Hate the dusty floors, table and kitchen tops and hate changing the bedsheets.  Hate doing the laundry. I need 2 days to clean up and tidy up in order to have a clean house once again. Called up my part-time maid for SOS relief.  She turned up albeit being sick but did a slip shod work of only wiping the floors and helping me to clean up the kitchen for 2 hours. I sent her back quickly, lest she spread her germs to my kids and I.   Now that my mil is away for a few months, I have even lesser time to be online.  As I am typing this, I still have a few invoices to churn out for my customers, soup is not boiled, lunch is not prepared, water not boiled and my luggage bags are still all over the living room floor, gawd!!!  Fridge is also empty.  HEADACHE!!

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Method To The Rescue Contest – Extension of Give-Away Contest!

So the kids and I have been using Method hand wash for a few weeks now, and I must say the scent and the pretty colours have really won the entire family over. Not only do the hand washes look and smell good, they do the job perfectly – clean our hands thoroughly.
I looked up the company behind the soaps and was quite amazed by what I discovered. Did you know the founders of method are actually 2 thirty-something school mates, one with brand campaign experience and one with a chemical engineering degree from Stanford? I can certainly see where method the baby gets its characteristics from – earth friendly cleaning products with ultra-chic packaging! They’ve gone from hand washes to floor, bathroom, toilet cleaners and all-purpose ones.

Did you know?

Good Guide awarded Method hand wash (and other products) a score of 8.5 out of 10.

– The hand wash was launched in 2002 and is Method’s best selling item (they call it a best smeller :D)

– Method cleaners remove dirt by breaking the bond between dirt and the surface so it is easier to wipe away. Normal cleaners remove dirt by breaking it down with chemicals.

– Method has wicked good videos, sure to brighten up your day. Check out http://www.youtube.com/user/methodmalaysia

– Most users are so bowled over by method’s looks and great smell and that it does the job well, that they forget that it’s an eco-friendly product as well. According to method co-founder Adam Lowry, “to us, sustainability and green are just aspects of the quality of our product – they are not a marketing positioning … I mean everything should be that way. Just build it into the quality of the product and let the experience of the product be the real hero.”

– Over 60 method products have Cradle to Cradle certification, which is an American comprehensive certification for sustainable design and production. Cradle to cradle evaluates product design (formulation ingredients and packaging materials), the manufacturing process and social responsibility.

– Co-founder Ryan Adam’s mum did not take them seriously at the start. She said “you don’t even make your bed and you’re going to start a cleaning company?” She is now a Method convert and their No.1 fan. Ryan is still a messy boy, though.

– Ryan once drank method toilet cleaner! There’s proof that the products are non toxic.

I read good reviews about the floor cleaners too. Can’t wait to try them out for myself. Keep you posted!

Oh by the way, if you want to win some Method products for youself, for your loved ones or for your friends, you can do so in a give-away contest. The contest has been extended and deadline for submission of your entries is on 13 December 2012! Just click on the link to my earlier blog post and write your short story to stand a chance to win some great Method products!

Range of delectable household cleaning products from Method.

 homekit.jpgThe 2 handsome brainchild behind Method…

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No. of times viewed = 2485

Would You Do That?

I saw this cute and colorful boy’s urinals in one of the online stores in Facebook today.  This reminded me of an incident where I saw a lady at a coffee shop with 3 boys. The youngest is a boy who is about 2 years old.  Everyone in the family were well dressed and seemed well to do. While waiting for the food to come, I just could not help staring at this interesting family and comparing it to my own family. While I have 3 girls, this family has 3 boys, interesting!   Half way through feeding her son, this lady fished out a mineral water bottle from her handbag.  Then she stood her toddler son on the chair, pulled his pants down and place his baby carrot (that’s what Cass refers the birdie to LOL!) into the mineral water bottle.  After peeing, she screwed the cap back onto the bottle, put the mineral water bottle into a plastic bag and kept the bottle in her bag ROTFL!!  My jaw almost dropped and I gasped as this lady did this so nonchalantly.   She must have done this with her 2 older sons too.  But to do this in public, oblivious to who is surrounding you and where you are? She should have brought the son to the loo or at least near the loo and not just let the son pee on the dining table chair in front of all other family members who were having their meals… and other patrons next to you who were eating too. Yup this is so convenient and cost you nothing — no need to buy diapers and no need to walk to the smelly loo. But please do not do it in the middle of a fully packed restaurant la.

No. of times viewed = 1543

Where’s The Tooth Fairy?

It’s been 5 days since Sherilyn shed one of her baby teeth.  She had placed her tooth inside a pill plastic bag and left the bag inside the bedroom but day after day, there was no sign of the tooth fairy.  She asked me why the tooth fairy hasn’t come to place a dollar under her pillow and Cass answered her with this “there is NO real tooth fairy!!  Mummy is the tooth fairy!” LOL!   Forgetful mummy just keeps forgetting to place a dollar under the pillow. Sher looked really disappointed that the tooth fairy had forgotten about her and  I kept telling her that the tooth fairy did not reward her as she’s been naughty. Childhood memories are forever etched in our memories. So tonight while it is still fresh in my memory after typing this blog post, I better put a dollar under her pillow and let her get a happy surprise tomorrow morning!

No. of times viewed = 1173

Cassandra’s 6th Post Operation Ultrasound Scan – 30 Nov 2012

Today Cass went for her 6th post surgery ultrasound scan of her kidneys and urinary tract.  As the hubs drove into GMC Penang and as I brought Cass into the X-Ray Dept, once again I relived the nightmares of May 2009.  The faces of the nurses and technicians who were on duty during those days and were still on duty today made the haunt even more real!  The nurses in the X-Ray Dept still remembered me… the hopeless mother who accompanied her baby into the different rooms for different scans and procedures for half a dozen of times that month. *long gasp*

I still felt nervous and anxious thought I had gone through this many times with Cass. All the what-ifs kept teasing me in my head. I dared not ask the doctor who did the scan on the progress of Cass’ kidneys and ureters.  I waited patiently yet impatiently until my appointment with Dr N about half an hour later.

Photo: She waited impatiently whilst I waited anxiously. My very brave baby girl and what kept her positive and in an upbeat mood was the lollipop reward from Dr N! lol!

Photo: 6th post surgery ultrasound scan  All looks A ok!

Scan report showed all is A OK.  Her right kidney is growing well and dilation has been reduced.  The only thing that we need to work on is to get her ‘lazy bladder’  ‘dilligently working’ like any bladder should.   So my resolution for 2013 is to fully potty train Cass, which is going to be lots of hard work ahead, not to mention tons of patience  *looooong gasp* again. Wish us luck! 🙂

No. of times viewed = 3353

HEALTH FREAK MOMMY