February 2021 – HEALTH FREAK MOMMY

Top Tips for Juggling Childcare and a Career

Parenting is tough. Whether at home with kids or working in an office, a parent’s mind is always on the well-being of the children. Juggling time between outside business and family time can be a real challenge. Those childhood days pass by quickly. Here are some expert tips to make the most of them.

Enlist Help

It really does take a village to raise a child. Quality daycare Desoto TX is worth its weight in gold. Take the time to find a school or center that aligns with your family’s needs and values.

Having family members or friends who you can call on in case of emergency — or just when you need a break — is vital, too. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

Take Time for Yourself

Parenting can easily become an all-consuming task. While providing for your children should be top priority, it’s also vital to take time out for your own interests and needs.

Extend the same patience and care to yourself that you give to your children. Taking care of your own mental and physical health will make you a happier parent, which will reflect in your relationship with your kids. Carve out time to engage in your own hobbies or meet up with friends. Many parents find that scheduling regular time for themselves on a calendar, just as they would any other appointment, helps frame self-care as a priority.

Find the Fun

Amongst all the challenges, appointments and business of family life, don’t forget to let loose and have fun. Take time every week to spend time with your children doing things that you all enjoy.

These activities don’t have to be expensive. Simply taking a walk and making time to listen to your child, engaging in crafts or watching a movie gives you all the chance to relax and connect.

Parenting is one of the most challenging jobs on earth. Make time to enjoy the wonderful moments along the way.

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Thursday, 25 February 2021 MCO Lunner – Homemade Sukiyaki

We had a sumptuous lunner of Sukiyaki prepped by chef Sherilyn today!

The Sukiyaki sauce is made from scratch and it’s actually very simple. Only 3 ingredients are required: soy sauce, mirin and sugar. We omitted sake as we don’t have it.

This is really delish and not salty, unlike super salty ones from restaurants. Will definitely be cooking this again as it’s my kind of dish with lots of veggies (zucchini, mushrooms, Napa cabbage, carrots, leek and lots of onions) and eggs 😋

We used shabu-shabu beef.

Our chef chillaxing with Haru after cooking. Haru loves watching videos with her sisters 😹 😻

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Why I Love Cardigans

Whether you work in a formal or casual setting, you need a few good office cardigans. This knitwear staple can be dressed up or down and paired with so many outfits. When I was working in a corporate setting yonks ago, I had a wardrobe filled with cardigans in all my favorite colors. This women’s outerwear is evergreen and can never go out of fashion. Though I owned over a dozen of blazers, I still preferred the cardigan over the former as cardigans are more comfy, soft and not so hot in our humid weather. The thought of getting out of my comfy arctic room in the office for a 10-minute stroll under the sizzling hot sun to get takeaway lunch already turned me off.

Here’s why I loved and still love cardigans:

1. Versatile Even When You’re Pregnant
Getting dressed for work when you have a huge baby bump is no easy task. But a soft and stretchable cardigan always fits until baby arrives. Just wear it unbuttoned and let your baby bump go free. I still have the free-size cardigans that I wore during my preggers days and they still look fresh and fashionable.

2. It Will Dress Up Anything
A good quality cardigan can add that special something to any outfit, making you look more put-together in an instant. Elevate skinny jeans, a shift dress, a smart trousers or legging with a classic open cardigan made from breathable cotton and everyone will be coming to you for style tips. A plain-colored cardigan can ground a wild print that you might think is a little too crazy on its own, toning things down just enough for the workplace.

3. They Are Evergreen
Cardigans are a need all year round and they just don’t seem to go out of fashion. Just get a black, white, cream and dark grey cardigan and these colors go well with almost all your outfits. Prestarrs have a neat range of cardigans in multiple styles, fabrics and colors.

4. Cardigans Are Affordable
Cardigans are more affordable than their cousins – the blazers and jackets.

5. Cardigans Are Crinkle-Free
Cardigans are usually made from knit fabrics and synthetic fabrics which are usually crinkle-free and require little to no ironing. This saves you from having to iron them, not to mention helps you safe on electricity.

Cardigans will definitely diversify your wardrobe, give it a little comfort and very cosy atmosphere. Cardigans come in a myriad of designs, fabrics, colors, with a belt, cropped, old school style, in pastel colors, earth colors, with pockets and much more. This outerwear is exciting, versatile and is a staple in your wardrobe. If you’re not sure where to buy cheap cardigans, do check out Prestarrs.

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5 Home Improvements That Sell Homes Faster

If you have plans to sell your home in the near future, then there is no doubt you’re already hoping for a quick sale and top market value. This allows you to get into a new home quicker, and without the stress of having your home sit on the market for weeks and even months. But saying that, it’s not a good idea to simply hinge everything on hopes of a fast sale; instead, there are some home improvements you can make before listing the house that can speed up the process.

Here’s a look at some of the home improvements you may want to consider.

Clean Up the Exterior
Here’s a project that doesn’t even necessarily cost any money – it’s really up to you how extensive it will be. Cleaning up the exterior will instantly improve the curb appeal and generate interest in your home. This can include trimming any overgrown trees, bushes, and flowers; keeping the lawn freshly mowed; giving all the windows a good cleaning; removing any clutter; and creating an inviting exterior front entry.

If you are willing to spend some money on exterior improvements, you could paint the front door and garage door; install new exterior lighting; place some lovely potted plants at the front door; buy outside furniture; or create a pathway/walkway to the front entrance.

Give the Interior a Fresh Coat of Paint
If you want to take on a project that provides maximum impact for a reasonable cost, then painting the interior is the way to go. This will instantly make the space feel fresh and new. However, keep in mind that it needs to appeal to buyers of all ages, styles, and taste, so that means it’s best to stick to a neutral color palette.

Declutter the Interior
Decluttering is an essential home improvement step that every buyer will want to do. This means removing not just the clutter, but all those personal items that may detract from the atmosphere as potential buyers walk through the house. You want to create a blank slate.

Install New Light Fixtures
While the light fixtures may not seem like a huge deal, in reality, they are able to set the tone, atmosphere, and help to create flow in the home. This is the perfect time to update and upgrade the existing light fixtures.

There Are Those Who Will Buy a Home “As Is”
If you simply cannot afford to do any home improvements, you don’t have the time available, or you just don’t want to do them, there are those that will buy the home as is. It doesn’t even mean the house will sit on the market longer; it just means that you may have to adjust your expectations and working with a traditional real estate agent may not be the best route. You can visit websites such as Blueprint Homes to learn more about selling a home as-is.

Using these home improvement tips can help you sell your home fast and in a stress-free manner.

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A Little Kitten At Home

Despite having to discard Haru’s poop and pee like 100x a day, empty her litter box and disinfect it with PECA water twice weekly, feed her at 6am even before I feed myself and entertain her throughout the day, Haru is a joy in our lives. She brings much laughter to everyone, except for the someone who doesn’t like to have a cat in the house la.

Hubs told me to just scoop away the poop and pee after several evacuations but OCD me cannot stand the stench (especially poop) wafting in the house as the litter box is just next to the living area and my work area. Now I’m starting to have backache from having to bend over the box to remove the litter box. We really have to get a cage soon as cleaning the litter box is really back-breaking!

Something as simple as a fluorescent pink rope can keep Haru entertained for at least 15 minutes, sometimes up to 30 minutes. The pink rope is currently her favorite toy.

Haru loves playing with thrash too. So I fill up receipts in a plastic bag, tie it up into a ball to keep her entertained. I think she likes the rustling sound from the plastic bag.

Cass is smitten with Haru. She puts her best friend on her lap during online classes while the fur ball with tiny sharp fangs gnaws playfully on her fingers. They keep each other company happily.

Haru always tries her best to be friends with Alycia, who still has a phobia of cats. She’s still trying very hard to overcome her Ailurophobia through holding Haru and playing with her. But if Haru dashes across Alycia’s feet swiftly like a drain rat, Alycia will jump out of her skin and scream “MUMMMMMMMY!!!!” 🤣

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Wedding Suits For Long Awaited Weddings

The first batch of Covid-19 vaccines has reached our shores. Our Prime Minister is the first person in our country to receive the vaccine today. Soon everyone in our country will have the opportunity to receive the vaccine. Onwards and upwards, we hope that our lives will return to normalcy soonest when there’s herd immunity.

There are many things that we are looking forward to do when lives return to normalcy. We hope to be able to go cafe and mall hopping again. And of course travel. Many couples can finally hold their wedding ceremonies. We have friends whose children have postponed their wedding reception several times during the MCO since last year. We’re going to have quite a number of weddings to attend towards this year-end.

When weddings and social gatherings are allowed again, brides-to-be will be shopping for bridal gowns and grooms-to-be for groomsmen suits, among other wedding paraphernalia. It’s such an exciting time shopping for gowns and suits for such a special occasion. However, some people may still be worried of shopping at brick and mortar stores for fear of Covid19 infection. Thankfully there are online stores like All About Suit that carry a great range of wedding suits to help make shopping easier and safer.

Purchasing a wedding suit can feel like a daunting task even for the most seasoned shopper. Here are some tips for choosing wedding suits:

While tuxedos are usually reserved for a black-tie wedding or a formal event, wedding suits are more versatile and can be worn to honor various types of dress codes from casual to black-tie optional. For a casual ceremony, suits in light gray or soft linen create a laidback but polished wedding day look. To take it up a notch for a semi-formal wedding, you can’t go wrong with a wool or twill suit in navy or charcoal gray. And if the dress code calls for formal or black-tie optional attire, grooms will look spiffy in a classic three-piece suit.

If you’re ready to suit up smartly either for your own wedding or to attend one, hop over to AllAboutSuit to browse their complete range of smart wedding suits. New visitors can enjoy a USD20 discount with discount code: NEW

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Yearly Pap Smear and Screening

The time of the year is here again. Today is my yearly pap smear and screening at my gynae’s clinic. I’m feeling extra anxious this year. I know I’ve not been too kind to my body with all the stress, anxiety and other negative emotions that I’ve been feeding my mind the past one year. I’ve also been snacking on junk food!! My favorites are fried tapioca chips and muruku *shake head*. I don’t need a blood cholesterol test to tell me that my cholesterol level is high. But maybe miracles do happen, yeah?

Praying that all will be well today. Wish me luck!

I’ll update everyone on the outcome of the check up soon.

Here’s Haru saying Happy Meowday all and sundry!

Haru in her ‘sakai’ mode switched on – ‘lovingly’ biting me and just being super playful.

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Charm Jewelry For Everyone

As a little girl, Alycia wasn’t vain. She preferred pants over dresses and skirts. She never liked any sort of costume jewelry, belts and didn’t even like to carry any kind of tote bag, sling bag or handbag except for her school bag. She’s a polar opposite of Sherilyn, the vain little girl who always loved to dress up to the nines like a princess. She would accessorize herself like a Christmas tree with half a dozen of hair clips dangling on her hair and wear half a dozen of costume jewelry making her look hilarious yet adorable.

When Alycia turned 16, blimey there was a little transformation in her! She started to wear charm bracelets and necklaces which she and her friends ordered online from China. Later, she added handbags to her collection. Recently Alycia ordered some statement necklaces and chunky chains for herself and her sisters’ birthdays, which she got for a song from an online store in China. How thoughtful and sweet of her 🥰

When I was a teenager, I wanted a personalized name necklace badly. Finally my mom got me a pure gold necklace with my name on it for my 17th birthday. Being obsessed with costume jewelry and gold jewelry is a girl’s thing. Almost every girl loves wearing jewelry to look pretty, feel confident or to showcase social status, especially if the jewelry is made of pure gold and diamonds. Jewelry, whether costume or real gold is a symbol of femininity.

Dude, if you want to express your love and sincerity to a girl, get her one of those promise rings for her which will have her swoon over you. If your relationship is still new and you think she may not be ready to wear your ring yet, you could go creative and get her a funky statement jewelry like gold smiley face, angel, Lucky Cat or an elegant Sternum heart necklace. The choices are endless at Gnoce, a professional jeweler with high craftsmanship.

At Gnoce, all of their products, including personalized jewelry, charms, bracelets and etc., are made from high-quality materials and are greatly appreciated in a variety of markets throughout the world.

There is surely a charm jewelry that everyone will love. Having a charm collection means that you’ll have jewelry for years to come, that can match with anything. You can change the look of your charm bracelet or necklace at anytime by adding new charms, so be sure to stock up for every type of occasion at Gnoce!

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Switching High School

After a month of attending online classes at her new high school (SMK/public school), Cass finally told me that she wanted to switch school – back to the initial high school of her choice, which is a coveted independent Chinese high school (ICHS). She passed the entrance exam in December last year and was accepted into the school. We had paid the registration and January fee. However, she later changed her mind about going to this school and went to a feeder public school assigned to her.

I wasn’t keen to transfer Cass back to this ICHS mainly because, like I’d mentioned in my previous posts, I do not wish for Cass to struggle studying in Chinese for another 5-6 years in a ‘military’ style tough Chinese high school. Plus, this school is well known for emphasizing importance in academics. It’s not uncommon for students to transfer out from this school to a national school when they can no longer cope with the pressure from this ICHS. There’s a minimum average mark that students have to maintain in order to remain in this school. Another reason is the school fees. Hubby’s business and income have been affected since last year when the MCO was imposed in our country at the start of the Covid19 pandemic. With Cass studying in this private school, another huge cost will be added to our monthly expenses.

But I see it pointless for Cass to continue studying at her current high school when she has shown almost zilch interest during online classes. She doesn’t look happy or enthusiastic since the start of online classes in mid January this year. After spending 6 years in a Chinese primary school, the teaching method and language (in BM) seems to have given her a slight ‘culture shock’.

Knowing that chances of our appeal to be accepted back into this ICHS are slim, I still tried my luck and emailed the school. Several days later, a staff from the academics department of the ICHS called to inform me that our appeal has been approved. I had to confirm the switch in school by 3pm on the same day as a lot has to be done for Cass’ data which has been deleted from the school system to be keyed in again so that Cass can start online lessons the next day. The staff warned me that the school’s academic expectations are high and homework is heavy. She warned me that Cass will have a lot of catching up to do as she has missed out on a month’s worth of studies and homework. I explained Cass’ health issues and her impending surgery this year to the staff and she told me to consider carefully on the switch of school as Cass will have to put in a lot of hard work to catch up on studies/homework that she’ll be missing during the surgery and recuperation at home.

Cass wasn’t worried anymore about the heavy homework load and possibility of struggling for another 5-6 years studying Chinese. She just wanted to switch back to the high school of her initial choice. All Science and Math subjects are taught in dual language in English and Chinese.

I called the school back at 3pm on the same day to confirm Cass’ registration, made the necessary payment and Cass started her first online class the next day at 7:20 a.m. Online classes start from 7:20 a.m. and only end at 2:30 p.m. from Mondays through Saturdays. I’ve never seen Cass this enthusiastic in her online lessons since late last year. I hope that she finds her mojo and zeal in her studies again in her new high school. And she’s happiest as her best friend is also studying in this school, albeit in another class.

The next morning, Alycia had to be in school to arrange tables and chairs in preparation for her final leg exam in high school – SPM, which starts next Monday for a duration of one month! After Alycia was done with the arrangement of tables and chairs, she collected her school leaving cert and helped me to buy Cass’ books. And there goes another RM500+ on books and another RM600 for the school’s yearly miscellaneous fees!

Haru like a koala bear on Cass’ hoodie jacket while she attends online lessons 😁

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Updates on Haru Our Pet Kitten

We started feeding Haru with wet kitten food last week, when she’s about 7-8 weeks old. We’re not exactly sure how old she is though. She absolutely loves her Whiskas tuna and mackeral fish. She got so excited trying her first real food that her body was shaking with excitement 😂 and she whined like a puppy to ask for more.

We still feed Haru with milk at least once a day, though she’s not exactly enthusiastic anymore. Her special lactose-free goat milk formula imported from Netherlands costs over RM27 for a small tub, which is way more expensive than our milk powder. I think we can wean Haru off milk after she finishes this tub of formula.

Alycia is still trying her best to overcome her phobia of cats and trying really hard to like and touch Haru. It’s improving by the day and she can now hold Haru without having to wrap her with a towel 😆. However, Haru still gives Alycia the jitters. It’s not easy to overcome a phobia, eh?

Alycia setting up a video call for Haru to meet her brother, Ginger (now named Moon Moon), who’s been adopted by her best friend. Ginger now has a life that every cat dreams off – he’s free to roam in the house, is very loved by her owners and has two avocado cat beds. He’s even allowed to sleep with his owners on their beds. We’re all so happy for Ginger.

Haru with her hooman dad 😁. Daddy is trying his best to convince the queen to allow Haru to roam freely in the house so that we needn’t buy a cage to cage up Haru after all.

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Chinese New Year 2021

Chinese New Year this year is celebrated on a whole different level with no traveling back to our hometown, no house visiting, no mall visiting, no lion dance, no nothing but just sitting at home. The girls miss playing fire crackers with their Singaporean cousins in Ipoh, enjoying koong koong’s homecooked dishes and granny’s cookies. In accordance with the government’s Covid19 SOP for CNY this year, reunion dinner on the eve of CNY is only allowed for relatives staying within a 10km radius in the same district. Our condo Management only allows guests in from 6 – 10pm on the eve of CNY. The only relative who is within a 10km radius in the same district as us is hubby’s cousin. Our reunion dinner was held at hubby’s aunt’s unit, which is 2 floors below ours. This year, I didn’t even bother to buy any CNY cookies (except for some arrowroot chips, emping chips and fried beehives) as my girls are not big fans of cookies and since we can’t be doing visiting and gifting. Fortunately, my younger brother who is on a working trip back to Ipoh will be able to bring some of mom’s home-baked cookies for us!

Tossing the yee sang is also unique this year with everyone donning on face masks as there are vulnerable folks around. You know how the Chinese talk during yee sang tossing right? Imagine everyone’s saliva being tossed inside the yee sang too 😱

On the first day of CNY, the mil cooked the customary ‘jai’ (vegetarian dish). The girls are also not fans of ‘jai’ but they’re pretty easy going and ate them without any fuss.

I really miss going back to my parents in Ipoh this CNY. I’ve not seen them in person for more than a year now.

How has your CNY been this year?

Here’s Cass with her new bestie. She’s absolutely besotted with Haru and loves having Haru next to her all the time 😁. Haru is about 8 weeks old now and is such a charming kitty.

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Some Facts About Haru, Our Pet Kitten

Haru hates her pink collar with a bell. As she’s still a tiny kitten, the collar is too big for her neck, thus we have to put it on her body. We only put the collar on Haru whenever she’s let out of her box for her happy hour. The bell lets us know where she is. Haru is only let out to roam in our house whenever someone who doesn’t like cats is not in the living room or dining area 😏 . Haru always tries to wriggle her body out of the collar.

Check out the scratch marks on my hand. Haru’s nails are super sharp like a tiger’s claws!

At almost 7 weeks old now, Haru still drinks milk from a bottle. Her style of drinking from the bottle is similar to some hyperactive toddlers who cannot lie still when they drink. Her body has to move and wriggle about, she bites the bottle teat, she uses her front legs to push the bottle away while her two hind legs are in the air, she will stop drinking part way and has to roam about, then continue drinking with more ‘pattern’… just like a human toddler.

Haru was litter trained at about 6 weeks old.

Cass loves to put Haru on her lap and stroke her to sleep.

Haru can now climb out of her box, thus we had to tape up the 4 flaps on the box to make it higher… until we buy her a cage. Someone is not happy with the prospect of having a cat cage at the shoe area of our house 😐. Actually I don’t like having a cage in our tiny condo either, but since she’s not allowed to roam freely inside the house 24 hours/day, the cage is the only option.

Sherilyn multi-tasking here: eating her dinner while attending an online tuition class while entertaining a hyperactive Haru.

No. of times viewed = 39

We Love Haru 😻

Alycia did something totally out of our imagination yesterday. While Sherilyn and I were out to buy Haru’s formula milk, Alycia heard Haru meowing. We now know that Haru only meows to let us know that she needs to pee, poo or is hungry. So the girl went to check on Haru and with a towel, she carried Haru out of the box, put her on the litter and after she was done peeing, wiped Haru with a wet tissue and put Haru back into the box.

When Alycia told us that she brought Haru to pee, we couldn’t believe it! The girl with cat phobia helped take care of Haru on her own initiative. Way to go! We’re so very proud of her! Soon she’ll get over her phobia of cats! 🤗

Haru still needs to be bottle fed. I tried to let her lap from a shallow plate (using a Häagen-Dazs cap) but she didn’t know how to lap from it without burying her face in it 😅 and then refused to drink. Just like a human baby, she loves her bottle feeding time and even drinks like a human baby. I love watching her suckle from the bottle. It’s so therapeutic! Check out the below video of Haru drinking from her bottle.

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Haru In Our Lives

Haru is very much loved by her two human sisters. Sherilyn now sleeps early so that she could wake up by 7am to feed Haru. And Cass would pacify Haru whenever she craves for attention – she would place Haru on her lap while she practises the piano or does her stuff on the computer. And never in my life had I ever imagined that I would be litter training a kitten and cleaning up cat litter as I’d never ever had the intention of having a cat as a pet 😁.

Even Alycia is trying her best to overcome her Ailurophobia (cat phobia) so that she could live at ease with having a cat in the house. She’s been strongly influenced by her cat loving best friend and sisters to at least overcome her fear of cats before starting to love Haru. It’s tough for her but she’s trying really hard. Today she mustered all her courage to lift up Haru when she cried for attention – but not without a thick cloth before touching Haru 🤣

Cass has now learnt the art of multi-tasking with one hand holding Haru and another fixing Haru’s milk for bottle feeding.

There was so much drama from Alycia when she tried lifting Haru for the first time today, with a towel. There were so much shrieks and screams, jumping and running away, as if she was trying to touch a rat or cockroach 😆

Haru has definitely brought a lot of joy and laughter to our family and the sisters are getting closer to each other because of Haru the rescued stray kitten 🥰

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