New video ahead!
Sorry I’m making more videos than blog posts lately, but I’m sort of addicted to videos right now! They’re so much fun to make and it’s a whole new challenge from blogging which I’ve been doing for.. *gasp* eleven years now.
So bear with me. 😀
This video is a compilation of some of the fights Fighter and Penny have had recently. Yes, just babies and already fighting. The future is grim wtf.
They’re pretty hilarious though, so please watch!
And if you like my videos, as always please subscribe!
If you haven’t heard, Fighter has released a music video.
Hahahaha I wish! Then I can retire and live on royalties.
So what happened is that Huggies asked us to send them a clip of Fighter laughing. Because babies’ laughter is arguably the sweetest, most precious sound in the world (that is, unless you hear it in the dead of the night when you think you’re all alone wtf).
Huggies compiled sound clips of giggling tots, put them together and made a song of it.
I know right. I admit I was skeptical too but in fact the outcome is pretty darn adorable!
Check it out for yourself.
This is the original footage of Fighter we submitted! I chose Fighter to film over Penny because… he’s just noisier wtf. He’s also quite good at acting so when I ask him to laugh he will happily do it hahaha.
So all I literally had to do was grab my phone, say to Fighter, “Jude, how to laugh?” and he laughed on cue hahahahaha can win Oscars for this.
Oh and he was saying “Jude fall down pool” because Fatty accidentally lost his grip on Fighter and he dipped under the water for a second hahahaha. Drank some water but he was fine as you can see.
I’ve tried a lot of pants and diapers in the market and Huggies has so far been one of the softest feeling and leakproof diapers out there.
This is important because I find pants more susceptible to leaks than diapers. Penny even wears Huggies pants to sleep (cos I normally reserve the softest diapers for bedtime) and nothing happens. 😀
The side of the pants is soft and very stretchy. It’s tight enough that it fits a baby’s tummy well, yet can stretch more “post feed”. Hahaha I find this line very funny cos it’s true – Fighter and Penny’s tummies both expand visibly after eating (and if Fighter hasn’t pooped FHL).
Another look at the waistband. The problem with tape diapers is that the tape sometimes gets too tight and imprints on baby’s waist. And an active, crawling (or walking) baby whose legs are moving gets red marks around their thighs cos of the tape.
The elastic waistband on Huggies pants eliminates this problem.
My babies. Today’s OOTD is Huggies pants. Hahahahaha.
They’re wearing the same size can you believe it hahahaha. Told you it’s stretchable wtf.
Mochi: “Koko I love you…” 
“You so cool… you can walk already.” *awe*
Haha Fighter’s hair is all wet cos they just both had their baths. 
Fighter: “I could have danced all night~~ I could have danced all night~~ And still have begged for more~” #myfairlady #elizadoolitle 
Adoration from his biggest fan lolol.
Crawling baby. Rude leh show backside hahahaa. 
Who wore it better?
For more info on Huggies pants and the Song of Comfort, click here.
My first Youtube challenge! I did the Not My Arms Makeup Challenge with Fatty which is where his arms basically pretend to be mine hahahaha and he does my makeup. The results ain’t pretty wtf.
Omg look like coal miner wtf.
It’s two weeks before Chinese New Year.
Visit an aunt’s house and you’ll more likely than not see sprigs of pussy willow in blue and white porcelain vases, sprays of red firecrackers hanging from the ceiling, red packets strung on potted plants, and round Chinese lanterns by the front door.
And let’s not forget the ubiquitous Fu word plastered on a wall somewhere. 
You will also probably see these two – dubbed Golden Boy and Jade Girl according to Google – hanging out on your aunt’s front door.
That’s what Chinese New Year decor is all about – red, round, and usually very loud – definitely festive but also kind of tacky.
As far as tradition goes, there’s no rule that says you have to decorate your house the way your grandparents did. Here are five elegant ideas to decorate for Chinese New Year that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
A little red goes a long way
The color red is auspicious in Chinese culture, signifying prosperity and good luck. However red as a shade can be jarring when found in big obvious items like cloth banners or giant ball lanterns.
Instead of purchasing obvious decorative items that can only be used once a year, try adding red touches to simple arrangements. Classy and subtle is what you should be aiming for, not overbearing and eyeball-burning.
Source: http://apairandasparediy.com/2013/02/diy-home-chinese-new-year-decorations.html
A quick idea is to add some tissue tassles and some mini lanterns to a scavenged tree branch. The translucent red of the tissue and the wood of the branch contrast nicely with the traditional lanterns to produce a surprisingly pleasing and quirky look. (Tassles tutorial here: http://apairandasparediy.com/2012/04/diy-tassel-garland.html)
Play with floral arrangements
Instead of generic storebought cardboard items, opt for flowers, always an elegant choice to jazz up any room. In Chinese culture, flowers signify the formation of fruits, which in turn represent rewards and wealth. Blossoming flower arrangements and evergreen plants symbolize renewal and good things to come in the lunar new year.
Besides the usual pussy willow branches and lime trees, experiment with other flowers such as plum blossom, narcissus or even peonies.
A small sweet arrangement of peonies lends the perfect finishing touch for your reunion dinner table.
Repurpose items
You don’t need to specially go out and buy decorations when you could make do with things you already have at home. Try repurposing daily items around the house for a inexpensive yet unique look.
Got that paper lantern hanging around since the Mooncake Festival? Turn it into a vase (and fill it with springs of cherry blossoms!). Your side table is instantly transformed into an interesting focal point, and one that looks suitably traditional yet edgy.
Or what about that wreath left over from Christmas? Add appropriately red details such as empty hongbao packets, some silk flowers, old coins (or taels) and you have yourself a gorgeous welcome sign for guests when they come visiting. Bonus: your creative recycling, money saving ways may also impress your mother in law.
Don’t be afraid to DIY
Honestly, nobody really wants to see yet another pair of stylized chubby kids dressed in Chinese finery plastered on your front wall. Make your own CNY decor and stand out from the crowd (as a Pinterest-er in your own right.)
DIY and crafting are not necessarily difficult. Here are a couple of quick easy ideas.
Empty hongbao packets are commonly used in DIY CNY decor, usually folded and sliced into miniature lanterns, but you could try using them in different ways.
Like creating a Chinese paper fan out of them. Instructions here.
If you really must make those paper lanterns, spice them up with tassles or other details that will set your decor apart. Better still, create a feature wall by stringing red lanterns of different sizes along it and impress your friends with your decorating prowess. Tutorial here.
Get your kids involved!
There’s no reason why your children shouldn’t join in the fun and learn a bit more about their culture. It can also be a great bonding activity while getting them to practise their fine motor skills.
Print out a blossom branch printable here and encourage your kids to fill out the blossoms! Ideas range from finger painting to sticking cutouts or buttons, or even crumpling up colored tissue for a 3D version.
Proudly hang this up in your living room. Not only will this make a great conversation starter, it will show those snooty kiasu cousins of yours just how smart your kids are.
Spring cleaning and sprucing up the house done, it’s now time to kick back, eat lots of good food, and enjoy the festivities. Here’s wishing you all a very happy prosperous Year of the Monkey!
The thing about being a semi stay at home mom slash work from home mom is that once in a while I entertain thoughts of starting my own business. Ya, blogging not enough for me hahahaha. Sometimes I think it would be nice to build something I can be proud of. (not that I’m not proud of my blog and Youtube la wtf)
But if blogging is not enough, time also not enough ahaha. Which is why I never actually started anything proper.
But today I met two amazing ladies who basically managed to have their cake and eat it too.
Meet Shan and Lavinie!
If you’re a mom (or dad, let’s not be sexist) living in Malaysia, you’d probaby have heard of Babydash.
Babydash is a website that sells, yep, baby necessities.
They approached me to work with them and I agreed – on condition that I’d get to meet them and listen to their story. Cos learning about the story and the people behind a business is more interesting than just telling you about their website right!
Aud: How did you get started on Babydash?
Babydash started about 5 years ago in 2010. We had been friends since high school and stayed in touch through university and working life. We’d always wanted to work on something together and when they became moms, they hit on an idea. As full time working moms then, we realized that it would be nice if momscould order daily baby necessities – such as diapers, milk, baby bath products, etc – and have them delivered. No need to rush out to the supermarket after work to buy things last minute.
This was before the e-commerce boom really hit Malaysia so it was an uphill battle convincing big brands to get onboard with. The big brands were not confident about bringing their business online then. Luckily we managed to build some good partnerships early on. Karihome (a goat milk formula brand) who was just starting up then too was one such brand!
What’s it like being a mom and owning your own business? How do you juggle all your responsibilities?
The good thing about owning your own business is you’re your own boss. There’s no need to clock in and out of work. As moms, this was great cos we could work around our kids’ schedules.
The bad thing is, you’re your own boss. You end up working around the clock because you’re so passionate about your work. And that’s what you need actually — passion. You need to really believe in what you’re doing.
[Shan]: I’m not afraid to say this — when we were first starting up, my house was a mess. My priorities were our startup and getting my kids fed, clean and sent to school so housekeeping took a backseat. I could live with a slightly messy house. It’s a matter of prioritizing. We have only 24 hours in a day so our advice is – don’t try to do it all. You’re just going to spread yourself thin and achieve nothing.
So what makes Babydash special?
Well, we have the lowest prices online! First of all we’re a purely online business so we don’t have the costs that a brick and mortar business do obviously. We pass these savings back to our customers. Brands normally give us a range of pricing and we always price our stuff at the lowest possible. I think we’re a good 30% cheaper in some cases? As we mentioned, we built strong partnerships with brands early on, so that also helped.
In fact, a lot of our customers are skeptical! They say, “why so cheap? Got warranty or not?” Yes we do! All our products are original and come with warranty! If you see any of our products on other e-commerce sites for cheaper, they’re probably parallel imports and don’t come with warranty.
You have to be careful when buying online if the price is a lot cheaper than normal. We’ve seen fake Jellycats, fake Bumbo seats and even fake carseats which are horrific cos they won’t hold to the same safety standards as the real thing!
Aud: One thing that was interesting to me was how personal the relationship between the Babydash team and customers is. Based on what their customers purchased, Shan and Lavi would guess how old the kids were, what gender and interests they had and include small free gifts in their parcels suited for them!
We also have customers who call us up and instruct us to make up a gift basket, and we’re happy to do it! So what they give to their loved ones is a personalized hamper, suited to their preferences.
We’ve also become friends with customers over the years. The challenge in future when we expand is how to sustain this personal touch.
Aud: That was very cool to me. I’ve certainly never thought of calling up an online retailer for this favor. *I* myself have bought from Baby Dash to make baby gifts but I just ordered the stuff I needed to make the gift myself.
Speaking or ordering, here are some of my favorite buys on Baby Dash.
Merries no need to say. 😀 About the same price as in the stores but I don’t need to travel to Aeon to get it.
Heard a lot of good things about Goo.N! I rarely see it around so good job we can buy from here.
This is a must because both kids basically inhale this wtf. Not cheap some more okay, luckily got special price! 
And this! I love it but still cannot decide whether to get cos Penny might fling it aside for a remote control. -_-
Where do you see Babydash in say five years?
Well, we hope to expand it of course! We’re adding new products every week; right now we have 2,000+ products under us but we’re hoping to double that.
Aud: They told me an “auto reorder” function is in the works too. Basically customers can sign up for regular deliveries of diapers and formula so we don’t need to run out last minute to buy finished supplies. Lavi asked me if I would like that and I was like, do babies cry!? I’d love something like this — I usually order groceries online but often they’re out of stock and I’m dead wtf cos I’d have no diapers or milk hahaha.
Babydash also recently launched a referral program! It’s “mommy get mommy” – so if your friends buy, they get discount, and you earn RM10 for every purchase referral above RM50. Sign up for it HERE.
And lastly! My blog readers get a discount of RM30 for your next purchase (minimum of RM50)!
Just key in the code FF9RM30 upon checkout. Please remember to log into your account to use the code cos it cannot be used as “guest”. Code will be valid till end Feb 2016.
So if you think the life of a blogger is interesting, think again wtf.
Here’s the lowdown of what really happens every day. My previous vlogs have all been sort of focused on key things that happen in a day so I decided to take one day and film the boring, unappealing bits. From how I do my makeup while handling a toddler, to car rides back home with Fighter after school.
Enjoy!
Okay okay I know I am three weeks too late hahaha. The weeks! They just flew by me pesky things so hard to hold down wtf.
Anyway the only time I ever made New Year resolutions before this was last year. I’d always thought they were nonsense, cocked up by people to make themselves feel better about shitty habits hahaha.
But for some reason last year out of the blue I told myself, this year, I would bake and cook more.
And I did! I Pinterested simple recipes for Fighter’s meals and ours too and started cooking. I took up baking which I absolutely love. Unfortunately with two kids now and a new vlogging past time I don’t have much time to bake anymore.
Strawberry custard tart that I made for a potluck.
So since I discovered I’m quite good at keeping resolutions, Imma make some this year too hahahaha. I have three.
Imma continue vlogging!
For the longest time, I resisted making videos. So much so that I’ve had my Youtube account for like ten years or something and never bothered to do anything with it except upload random clips here and there. Because I hate my voice la wtf damn manly. Although now this voice is good for shouting at my kids wtf.
Don’t know what triggered this foray into vlogging! I think part of it is Fatty whose opinion is that people form bond with other people through three main mediums – writing (hello JK Rowling), film (hello Hollywood) and music (uhh hello every artiste alive). I think I have consistently formed a relationship with my readers via my blog and I want now to tell a story in a different way – by video.
It’s a great way to challenge myself too! It’s a completely different ball game and I’ve had to learn my way around it. Frankly, it’s addictive and I hope to keep improving my content and editing skills and hopefully grow my video presence more this year. 😀
Imma learn how to sew
The truth is, I don’t know how feasible this is. I’ve been interested in learning how to sew since last year too — IKR??? So domesticated cooking la sewing la what else next I’d be erecting a greenhouse wtf.
Before Penny was born I actually found a sewing class and attended ONE class wtf. I learned how to read a pattern and cut… templates I think it’s called? Learned how to sort of use a sewing machine too although if you asked me now I’d soon as sew over my own finger wtf. Cos after that no more time and everything thrown back to the teacher.
I’d love to learn how to properly sew and make cute baby clothes for Fighter and Mochi! But I really don’t know if I have the time to this year. If not, I give myself leeway to push this to next year hahahaha. Or when Mochi starts school as well.
I want to do something more besides blogging
This ain’t new though. I’ve always been wanting to do something else besides blogging for income. But until now still dunno what wtf. This year I hope to discover where my passion lies and pursue it. 😀
Not a resolution but… I want to enjoy my life with these three awesome beings below.
Getting a good start to this now hahahaha.
Happy 2016 from us!
What are your resolutions?
Sorry I haven’t done an update in a while that didn’t involve videos!
Fighter fell sick last week and missed half a week of school. I took Fighter for his hepatitis booster shot and Penny for her pneumococcal jab and she also developed a fever and a running nose.
And then it was my turn to fall sick. So all in all, it was a very busy week. Also had to clean up our house for a new group of guests, take Fighter to school, and had a couple of meetings too.
Oh and all right. I find vlogging so fun right now I’d rather edit videos than write blog posts for the moment HAHAHA.
Here’s the newest video.
One weekend we took the kids to a Hello Kitty exhibition. I used to be a huge fan of Hello Kitty (and still am) so I still have tons of merchandise lying around so Fighter loves Hello Kitty and has adopted most of them as his own. If you’re curious to know how many times he screams ‘Hello Kitty!!!!’, watch this!
See you guys soon!
Fighter’s first week of school is over and done with! As a treat, I got Tim and my parents to be there after school on Friday to surprise him. He’s still not very happy about school though although he definitely cries for shorter periods now.
Meanwhile, Penny is extremely happy because she gets my full attention to herself every afternoon now with her Koko off at school wtf.
The truth is, until today I still struggle with balancing my time between the both of them. It’s hard because I am Mochi’s number 1 choice by far wtf. Most of the time, she cries if she can’t get to me and she’s always been such a bad sleeper that my nights are spent mostly with her. As a result, Fighter now associates nanny with certain things – sleep and night time, and sometimes when he’s upset or sick too. For everything else it’s still non-stop mommy wtf but I do feel it when he prefers nanny when he’s sleepy.
In the day time, I try to spend more time with Fighter though. So maybe him going to preschool is good cos it means there’s a few hours in the day that is dedicated to Penny too (and for my work so I don’t need to stay at my laptop at night) (which is what I’m doing right this moment wtf go figure.)
Anyway enjoy!
And if you guys have any ideas for videos besides vlogs please leave a comment!
Penny is nine months now!
It’s so corny but every day I feel I love her more and more hahaha. And to think when I first found out I was pregnant with “Bump”, I cried WTF.
I was hormonal la and unprepared for another baby when my first was only a year old.
But now I think, thank goodness it happened when it did. Sure, I suffered in the early months but imagine if Penny came later. It would be a different sperm and a different egg WTF. She’d be a totally different baby!
And especially since she’s over her super horrible newborn colicky phase, she’s a joy.
At nine months now, she can:
- Kiss! She’s somehow learned that open mouthed slobbery kiss characteristic of baby Fighter (and I’m assuming other babies?) and she’s VERY generous with it! She kisses everyone – me, daddy, nanny, and Fat Her! Fighter don’t need to say cos she adores him and she’d kiss him every chance she gets if he only comes near enough hahahaha. And she kiss super funny one, she’ll go Ahhhh, plant her mouth on your face while still saying ahhhh, then pull back with a smack of her lips hahaha.Oh ya she also kisses her reflection in the mirrow WTF. It’s okay, self love is the greatest love of all ok hahahahaha.
- Open and close her fists. She does this whenever someone sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to emulate twinkling stars lol. The other day Fighter was playing with a musical toy which plays this song and I saw her sitting a bit further away, opening and closing her fists studiously hahahahaha damn cute.
- Can dance and stop on command. Lol. When she hears music she’ll shake her booty. Literally hahaha. If she happens to be standing (while holding on to something), she’ll be waggling her diapered bottom around, super hilarious! Even if no music and you just say, “Dance, dance!” and clap your hands she’ll start shaking wtf. And if you say Stop, she’ll jerk to a stop hahahahaha.
- Clap her hands. Which she loves doing hahaha. She’ll clap if someone sings If You’re Happy And You Know it, she’ll clap if you clap. Basically every chance she gets, she’ll be clapping hahaha.
- Understands simple instructions. Mostly, “No eating!” cos that’s what I’d be shouting most of the time. Because not only does she put everything in her mouth, she specially prefers paper FML. When she gets her hands on paper (tissue or cardboard also included), she’ll immediately stuff it into her mouth. And she does it super fast cos she knows she’s not supposed to! I know she understands when I say no eating though, because today she was trying to eat Fatty’s bicycle wtf and I said, “No eating!” and she jerked up guiltily hahahaha.
- Climb stairs. Hello cardio workout for mommy. Yes she’s taken to scrambling up and down our stairs like a stuntman and guess who is crawling after her wtf. (we really need to baby proof the stairs but so far I can’t find any gates even with extensions to fit our too wide staircase)
- Babble a lot. She started with “Ah ta ta ta ta” and now she’s progressed to Ba ba ba ba and Ma ma ma ma. In fact many times when she’s whining for me, she goes, “ma ma ma ma ma”. I don’t know if she’s trying to say mommy. 😀
- Can laugh with a sense of humor. Few days ago, she picked something off the floor and watched my face as she put it in her mouth. -___- I shouted, “Nooooooo” and she burst into giggles and started crawling away as I lunged after her to pick out whatever it was in her mouth. So not only does she have a sense of humor, my daughter is also a troll.
- Can’t walk or stand on her own yet but is cruising along furniture. Hoping she’ll walk before her first birthday!
Speaking of her birthday omg I cannot wait. It’s in two months and I already started planning for it wtf. My dream come true – to plan a super girly girl party, which I never had before. T______T
Wanna show my Pinterest but better not wtf make it a surprise hahaha. Some people have offered to collaborate on her party so thank you guys!! Cannot wait for it!
Happy nine months, Mochi.
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