A box of tissues was always the must-have on my bedside table. Cos I have terrible sinus issues T__________T
Every morning when I wake up I have to blow my nose cos sure got runny nose one. And before I sleep, I have to blow my nose too, to clear it of the day’s dust.
But ever since the appearance of Critter 1 and Critter 2 in our lives, the humble tissue box has become even more important to me.
I used to randomly buy whatever brand was on promotion but right now I stick to Kleenex. We use so much of it and we use it a lot on the babies. So I need tissue paper that’s strong and absorbent to soak up messes. Kleenex fits my criteria so I’ve been using it for more than two years already.
Recently I was introduced to Kleenex Scented – Cherry Blossom and Rose Essential Oil scented. Tried using the both of them, and I quite like the Cherry Blossom scented one! The smell is very subtle and not too overpowering that you get choked when you blow your nose.
What else can you do with tissue paper? DIY decorations with it! And that’s what I did at the Kleenex Scented Bouquet Shop recently.
Kleenex set up shop recently to give away Scented Bouquets of tissue roses. 
Wah wah is this Cameron Highlands for tissue flowers! Kleenexron Highlands wtf.
I took part in making these roses to form bouquets to be given away too.
Let me tell you, these things are not easy. You need a certain dexterity in your fingers to achieve a nice shape (or else can end up with a bunch of tissue that looks like you blew your nose in)
The teacher explaining how to make the roses out of tissue paper.
My default look of concentration since young. With tongue sticking out WTF dunno why like this hahahahah ever since I was a kid.
Suffering cos it ain’t easy yo.
Still looking doubtful about my abilities.
How how can pass?
Tadah! One flower down, eleven more to go lolol.
It was very challenging but worth it because the flowers (if done properly) very delicate and pretty!
How it looks when everything is done up nicely.
The best part is? They actually come with a floral scent! Cos this is the latest from Kleenex – Kleenex Scented. The tissue paper is made from natural cotton extract and scented with either rose essential oil or cherry blossom scent.
*sniff sniff* Hehehe. The floral scents somehow make it seem so clean and fresh! Rose is quite distinctive and very “rose like” but I prefer cherry blossom. Like what I’ve mentioned, It’s more subtle and delicate I think.
Doesn’t hurt that the boxes are so pretty too!
Want to get in a sniff yourself? Fill in the form here and get a free Kleenex Scented sample. 🙂
In case you’re wondering what life with a toddler is like, here’s a preview.
Last weekend, Fatty and I took Fighter with us for lunch. My sister in law Fayth came with us too.
Everything was as usual. I took out Fighter’s thermos of porridge and fed him while he sat next to me on the bench watching Peppa Pig on his iPad.
When he’d finished eating, I started on my own food. Fighter on the other hand, walked up and down the long bench we were sitting on and kept himself occupied.
Fatty, Fayth and I were in a serious discussion about an article we’d read about ISIS wtf so we didn’t pay too much attention to what Fighter was doing. He’d settled down behind my back and was playing quietly with something.
Suddenly I heard a loud yell from him.
Jude wash hand! Jude wash hand! Jude wash hand!
I turned around and got a shock. Fighter’s hands were all bright red and he was crying. My first thought was OMG HE’S BLEEDING TO DEATH!!! >_>
(yes we actually have photo evidence. Cannot believe Fatty still got time to take pictures -_-)
After a panicked second I realized it was lipstick!!! Fighter had gotten into my bag, took out my 3CE lipstick and smashed it up and was now complaining cos his hands were dirty which he cannot stand. -_____________-
To make matters worse, in his agitation, he started climbing all over me and getting lipstick on my shirt and arms. T_________T
I lost it. He had already destroyed a couple of my lip balms the same way and I’d scolded him before so he knew he’s not supposed to play with my makeup! I yelled at him but he yelled even harder, waving his hands at me and saying “Jude wash hand Jude wash hand”.
FML.
I carried him to the bathroom to scrub us off with soap all the while scolding him in a very loud voice. God know what the other patrons in the restaurant thought wtf got a crazy mom in the bathroom shouting.
Didn’t manage to get all of it off cos that’s what makeup removers are for wtf. I carried him back to our table and sat him down beside me.
I said, “You sit here and don’t let me see you move.”
Fighter looked around and said, “iPad! iPad!” -________-
I said sternly, “No iPad. You sit still and think about what you did. You’ve been so naughty I’m putting you in naughty corner when we go home.”
He stomped his feet. He slapped his hands on the bench. When I had no reaction, he screwed his face up and fake cried. -_______-
Fatty decided to step in and whisked him outside to yell at him while I finished my food wtf.
By the time we were all done, Fighter was sobbing and hitching his breath and both of us felt like fainting wtf.
Drove home in grim faced silence wtf. Fighter was still sniffing in the backseat while holding his aunt’s hand wtf. It was time for his nap and I knew he might fall asleep from all the crying. Sure enough, I saw his eyes close.
We normally try to keep him awake on car rides so he can go home and nap properly. If he sleeps in the car, he always wakes up when we get home and then he won’t go back to sleep anymore.
Somehow I was already in shouting mode so when I spoke my voice was still damn loud. I yelled, “Fighter! Don’t sleep!”
Fighter jerked awake and I could see him valiantly try to keep his eyes open. But in two seconds his eyes fluttered close again.
I felt so bad T____________T Sure I was terribly angry with him. And sure he had been do disobedient and bratty. But when I saw him try so hard to obey me and stay awake my heart broke a little. I didn’t have to shout at him for falling asleep – he was just a little kid.
I was so angry at him for being disobedient yet not being sorry for it. I was angry with myself and Fatty for not noticing what he was up to. I was frustrated my lipstick was a gone case wtf and so was my shirt. And I was guilty at accidentally doing sleep deprivation torture on a two year old wtf.
I still had to punish him though. When we got home, I woke him up. I crouched down to his level and talked to him very seriously but in simple enough words so that he’d hopefully understand.
“Fighter, mommy is very angry with you because you played with my lipstick. Mommy has told you so many times not to play with my lipstick but you still did. So now I have to punish you and put you in the naughty corner.”
He burst into tears of course. I carried him into the study (which is our designated naughty corner) and put him down. He sprang up and ran to me and hugged my legs still crying loudly.
T_______T
So hard but… I disentangled him from my legs, and put him down again. He refused to stand on his legs so he ended up lying down on the floor, still crying. I quickly shut the door and waited outside. T_________T
Inside I could hear him sobbing and sobbing. I set my watch for 2.5 minutes and just waited and scrolled through Huffington Post wtf.
By the time 2.5 minutes were up, he was still crying but not as loudly. I opened the door and he ran to me and hugged me, still crying.
I sat down on the floor with him and cuddled him. I told him I hated to punish him but I had to because he was being so naughty.
While patting his back I asked, “Are you sorry for what you did?”
He whimpered yes while still sniffling.
“Okay then say sorry to mommy.”
Wah floodgates open again. He gasped, “Sorry Mommy!” and then he burst into fresh tears and burrowed his face into my chest hahahaahha. Super dramatic baby.
And then we went upstairs so I could get makeup remover to wipe him clean.
And I threw away my shirt. FML.
After that he can tell me some more, “Mommy, Jude cry.”
Yea, Captain Obvious I think I know that wtf.
So do you think he learned his lesson?
Two hours later, I saw him running around, brandishing a tube of mosquito repellant balm which I think he thought was another lipstick. -____________-
Hahaha sigh. Welcome to life with toddlers.
Fighter (eating a bowl of noodles): Jude eat nuno.
Me: Jude, here are some potato chips.
Fighter: Oooh!
Me: Can you say potato?
Fighter: Pehtoto.
Me: No, potato.
Fighter: Pehtoto.
Me: Fighter, do you want to come upstairs with mommy?
Fighter: Nghhh (meaning yes)
Something disrupts us and I stay downstairs for a couple more minutes while Fighter wanders away to his play area. When I’m ready I start climbing the stairs and call to him.
Me: Fighter, I’m going upstairs.
Fighter (dashing over to the staircase): Ooh. Ooh. Yay. Forgot
Fighter is playing on one of those toy car rides in malls where you have to put money in for them to work. I’m watching him.
Fighter: Mommy, sit.
Me: No, Jude. Mommy is too big for the car. Mommy’s backside is too big.
Fighter: Mommy’s backside too big.
Five minutes later.
Fighter (to random stranger walking past): Mommy’s backside too big.
Sometimes after dinner, we take a walk to the mini mart in our condo. Sometimes we buy milk or bread and sometimes we just walk there and walk home.
In the minimart.
Fighter: Jude buy ice cream! Jude buy ice cream!
Me: I don’t have money, Jude. Do you have money?
Fighter (looking doubtful): Jude no money.
After a few seconds, he goes and picks a packet of salted nuts and brings it to the counter.
Fighter: Jude buy.
Cashier: Do you have money to pay me?
Fighter: Nghhh (yes)
Cashier: How much do you have?
Fighter (looking at his empty hands): Two hundred.
Sometimes on our evening walks we bump into the neighborhood cats.
Fighter (running and screaming): Cat! CAT CAAAAT!!!!
Cat gets freaked out and scampers away.
Fighter: Cat funny.
In Phuket, we tried letting him get on a kid’s bike for the first time. Cos before his legs were too short to reach the pedals wtf. He couldn’t figure out how to work the pedals though.
Fighter: Bike not working.
The thing about today is that nearly everything can be done online. And that includes shopping. Jeng jeng jeng.
If I had a vice it would be shopping hahaha. And all these online shopping websites will be the death of me (wallet wtf). Don’t say, websites, now even got shopping apps galore!
You’ve probably seen Shopee around for a while now.
But if you haven’t, Shopee is a new app that is a mobile marketplace for buyers and sellers to uhh buy and sell. Hahaha.
Some time ago I asked Careen about it cos she’s on Shopee. Cos… I was thinking of selling old baby clothes that Fighter and Penny have outgrown. Not very old ok, especially Penny’s stuff cos she grows so quickly. O_O
Anyway the app features make it super easy to buy and sell.
And it’s free! No hidden costs to buy or sell.
Registering is simple enough. Register with your email or login with Facebook. For security purposes you will be asked to key in your phone number to verify your identity I guess which makes sense to reduce fraud.
After registering, naturally this was the first category I went to . :X I found it pretty easy to navigate.
The categories available are quite wide and there’s sub-categories as well which makes browsing a breeze. Example if you tap on Toys, Kids & Babies category in the app, you will see the sub-categories such as Kids & Baby Clothing, Kids & Baby Shoes, Toys and many others.
Was clicking away and adding to cart already then realized uhh I’m supposed to be selling stuff here not buying more things. :X
What’s cool is the Shopee Guarantee. If you purchase something, Shopee only releases payment when you have received your product. Btw payment can be made via credit card, online banking or bank transfer. Cash on Delivery is an option but you may want to ask the respective seller how they handle it. 🙂
If you’re not satisfied and want a return or refund, there’s a simple process that can be undertaken on Shopee to exchange or get your money back too.
OMG. I really need this I promise hahaha. When traveling I bring food jars and pouches for Penny (Fighter can eat adult food already) so it’s convenient to have a flask of hot water around. Also good for making milk. It’s here if you also wanna buy.
There’s also a live chat function built in the app! I love this cos I don’t have to send emails which take time, or scour the reviews looking for info I need. And you don’t need to reveal your phone number.
Selling is even easier. To sell, all I have to do is upload a photo from my camera or gallery (can filter some more hahaha), fill out the information which are formatted in a very direct manner, set a price and that’s it. Wait for the orders to start rolling in.
Here are some of the stuff I’ve uploaded so far.
Penny’s fleeces that she wore ONCE in Sydney and then outgrew. And some tutu onesies. Basically stuff she outgrew but which are still in pristine condition.
Here are the details. Whoops condition is not technically new, but it’s like new la cos she literally wore it once wtf. Will be adding more soon (and as they outgrow).
Some readers asked me about buying Fighter’s preloved clothes but I don’t think I will be selling many. Cos Fighter grows reeeeally slowly and by the time he outgrows his stuff, the clothes also become kiam chai already hahaha. Very embarrassing to sell in this condition.
Anyway, check my Shopee HERE.
Download the app on Google Play Store or App Store. You can also shop online on your laptop if you prefer. Website link is here.
For Fourfeetnine readers, I’m giving out a special discount voucher! Use this code ‘FOURFEETNINE’ when you are at the checkout page on the app to enjoy RM 20 OFF with a minimum purchase of RM 50.
This voucher is limited to the first 200 users and for first time users only. This voucher is valid for all categories except the following: Mobile & Gadget, Sports & Outdoor, Supplements, Computers & Accessories, Tickets & Vouchers.
Also, the great Shopee 12.12 Sale is happening on the 12th December 2015. They are offering discounts up to 80% plus an additional 50%! You can use the code ‘1212ONLINE’ to get 50% OFF (discount cap at RM20) on the 12th December 2015 to make purchases on Shopee. Do follow their Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on the sale.
In fact, you can start shopping now! Enjoy Shopee 12.12 Pre-Sale discounts by using the code ‘PRE1212’. Start shopping here.
I think you’ve probably read bits and pieces on my Dayre already but recently we had to do a lot of maintenance on our house.
This is our renovation story.
Two years ago we bought a house here.
So pretty right? 😀
We never moved in though. The house has four bedrooms and we thought it was way too big for us (I think Fighter wasn’t born yet or was just only born.) We continued to live in our apartment and rented it out to a nice guy whose name is interestingly nearly the same as mine WTF only a few letters different hahaha.
He moved out in July so we wanted to do a once-over maintenance round on the house before letting out to a new tenant.
Also cos the house wasn’t without its problems aih.
Take this for example. This photo just makes me want to stab myself.
Shit la!!! I tell you angry or not?
A few weeks before they moved out, the tenant informed me there was a leak or something and it was affecting the wall in the master bedroom. He sent me a photo and I saw some faint brown marks on the wall. I thought ok no biggie I’ll just fix it after they leave so I don’t trouble them with the dust and whatnot.
Two weeks later I went over to see for myself and got the shock of my life. Damn brown marks morphed into the monster that ate my wall????????????
It’s horrific la! My house suddenly looks haunted!
*unearthly scream*
OMG the ghost appear already! No la this is actually the contractor HAHAHAHA. We have a usual contractor who we call for simple maintenance work around our place, but this time he was so busy and business so good he bo chup me. So I enlisted the help of Kaodim.
Kaodim is a website/app that connects customers and contractors. You just fill out a simple form with your details and what kind of services you’re looking for and contractors can submit a quote based on your needs.
And the quotes are free!
You can look for all sorts of vendors and contractors – from renovation and repair to movers, cleaners, even photographers and wedding planners.
Using this service really takes away a lot of the inconvenience! Everyone complains about their contractor so I don’t even know where to look for a new one. So I might as well look based on who can give me the best price, and Kaodim opens me up to their database of vendors.
So I got the quotes and then arranged with four contractors to come and look at our house then give me a quote. Then I just picked the best price.
Besides the horrible leak in the wall, I had a bunch of other problems.
Window sealant had melted (?) away so rain water was seeping in and ruining the window sills. T_____T In ALL the bedrooms. And the living room. *black faced
The master bathroom ceiling was leaking too. Until water dripped onto the floor like this OMG.
Various marks on the walls which needed to be erased/painted over.
And omg my beautiful bathroom cabinets. T_______T They were one of the design reasons why I liked the house in the first place and they were basically destroyed. They are made of simple plywood and when our tenants used the sinks, the water dripped down and warped the plywood. -_______-
I went over the problems with the contractor, Mr A. He told me the leak in the wall was rainwater coming in from the roof and they would be able to fix it. There were also some hairline cracks in the walls which he promised to patch up and give a fresh lick of paint.
As for the bathroom cabinets, we have no plans to move in yet so instead of replacing, we opted for a quick fix – to repaint the cabinets so they’d be more water proof.
After the works were completed, the contractor informed me. We were leaving for London then so I didn’t have time to go to the house yet to check. But because we wanna find a tenant soon, I informed our management about it told them to go ahead and show people the house.
When we were in UK, we received an ominous email wtf. The manager told us our house was in terrible shape and it wasn’t doing us any favors when he brought viewers.
WHAT! NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DONE ALREADY MEH?
We got back and the next day I went right over to the house.
There were paint buckets, brushes, newspapers, and tools all over the place. It looked like a work in progress. An abandoned work in progress.
Headed upstairs to the master bedroom and saw this.
A puddle by the door jamb and warped flooring. *combusts*
Stepped in to the room and this is what I saw. A huge new leak above the door!!!!
The leak was so bad the water dripped down the walls and pooled on the floor OMFG *pulls hair out
Wasn’t the leak supposed to have been fixed!?
The window sills weren’t done either!
The workers had dripped paint all over my stairs and forgot to clean it up
T____________T
And to make matters worse, the work team broke my key WTF.
I didn’t even know it was possible to break a key??????
While we were away, I left the key with the guardhouse so the workers could pick it up and let themselves in to finish the work. When I came back I took the key from the guardhouse without realizing it was broken. Then when I tried to fit in the door, I couldn’t and only realized it had broken off wtf.
The team had at some point broken the key so they just let themselves out using the backdoor. And they left the backdoor unlocked and didn’t bother to inform security or management. Can you imagine how angry I was? I nearly developed preeclampsia again wtf.
I called Kaodim in a fury. To their credit, they were very sympathetic and professional. When they heard what had happened, they did an immediate investigation on what happened.
We found out that the contractor had actually subcontracted the work out to another team and didn’t inform us or manage that team very well. When that team couldn’t show up, he didn’t let us know either. So luckily Kaodim sorted out all this for me or else I might be hospitalized. Or jailed wtf.
The contractors on Kaodim’s platform are all independent vendors, and so I understand that they are not able to micromanage everything they do. But the good thing about hiring contractors via Kaodim is that they make it their responsibility to make sure that you are satisfied with the end result of your project.
It’s fairly common knowledge that carrying out construction and renovation can be risky with many problems – shoddy work, delays, suddenly higher costs than expected, etc so I was really glad to have Kaodim on my side lol. They basically went in and found out what was going on. They dealt with the contractor for me which was a lot of stress taken off me. As far as I know, Kaodim insisted Mr A to send over his people (to which he hired a second batch of worker to clean up the mess) to fix the issue, and they helped me follow up to make sure the job was done and to my satisfaction. I was also told that Kaodim addressed the issues that I’ve face with Mr A to make sure that this will not repeat again on other customers.
And now, everything is finally done! We found out that the leak actually came from a hairline crack in the water tank in the roof, and not from the aircon pipe as initially suspected. The contractor drained the tank, waterproofed it and it seems to have fixed the issue.
So the wall was repainted, and all the stains removed!
The original leaky wall was also fixed and looks pretty good. 🙂
Kaodim hounded them to fix the bad workmanship on my cabinets. This photo was whatsapped to me by them as a progress report. 🙂
Cabinets sorted too.
Windows resealed and refinished.
Removed the paint splatters off my stairs and cleaned them up.
Taking photos hehehe.
These window sills were all fixed too and cracks in the wall patched over and smoothened.
There was a pretty bad crack here too which was also patched.
All in all, I’m glad we used Kaodim for this. I was really not looking forward to the process of repairs cos I know I sure kena some shit wtf. And true enough, the process was painful but I wouldn’t have gotten such a good price for it if not for Kaodim. And I’m thankful they helped me sort out all the problems sure to crop up in any renovation or repair work.
If you’re looking for any service providers, get your free quote from Kaodim!
You may also download the Kaodim app on your phone (available in iOS and Google Play Store)
When you’ve booked a job, you can use my Promo Code: fourfeetnine. Key it in to get RM20 off your first hired job on Kaodim. 🙂 Offer ends 31stDecember 2015.
This post was written in collaboration with Kaodim
There are some things in life you don’t give a thought to… until it’s missing.
Like electricity. Running water. Clear skies.
Recently I bought a new laptop from Low Yat. (Fighter cracked the screen of my previous one -_-)
I don’t have many requirements of a laptop – I don’t need a high powered computer, just one with all the basic features so I can blog, surf and maybe watch streamed movies.
Bought it and the shop guys set it up for me. Brought it home and realized….
No Microsoft Office. -_____________-
I told them I wanted Office on my laptop and I paid for it but guess what they didn’t give it to me -_-. I didn’t have time to go back immediately to fix this so I lived without Office for a while.
Which was a bigger inconvenience than I expected!
I do most of my blog drafts – especially sponsored drafts – on Word so it was super annoying la! My only other option was Notepad which messes up all formatting as everyone knows. And you can’t include photos in Notepad.
I resorted to using cloud based apps which were ok, pretty convenient, but again a lot of formatting options were not available which I got very irritated over.
So that got me thinking – Microsoft Office has become so ubiquitous that we sometimes take it for granted it will always be there that when it’s not it hurtsssss. Lol. And I started thinking of how long Office has been there for me since I was a kid until today, and how Office has changed with the times.
The 90s
In the 90s I was a primary school kid. We had one family computer, which sat in the family room upstairs. It was a huge beige box which looked like it weighed more than me. Ooib and I used it mostly to play Tetris or other DOS games (OMG confirm those in their early 20s won’t know what I’m talking about)
My first encounter with Microsoft Office – and its star player Word – came about because sometimes Mummy Ooi would bring her work home with her.
She’d open up the Word program which looked something like this back then.
Then I’d watch in awe as she deftly tapped away on the keyboard, transcribing whatever it was she’d written in her notebook in shorthand onto the screen. And unlike this generation, Mummy Ooi had gone to school to LEARN how to type. I used to think the way she typed was so soothing, like she was playing the piano.
The early 00s
I was in high school. I remember Form 4 and 5 was the era of group projects. Nobody owned personal laptops yet so to do our work, we’d go over to each other’s houses and socialize do the work together on one computer.
We mostly wrote papers and mini booklets so Word was still our to-go program.
It looked something like this!
And it came with a paper clip character called Clippy who was supposed to help answer any questions you typed for him. Basically a Help resource la hahaha. But he was animated and had a very smug look on his face one hahaha.
I remember getting angry at his smug face whenever I didn’t get the answer I was looking for. :X
2004-2008
I entered Mount Holyoke! Fat Her Ooi bought me my first ever laptop.
HAHA found a old photo to illustrate! This is me and Angela being annoying wtf. And in front of me was my first ever laptop.
I was a liberal arts student so the program I continued to use a lot was Word of course. I used the Word on it to type tonsssssssssssssssssss of papers and assignments you wouldn’t know. Not just papers for class, but also short story writing assignments. That Word was damn prolific ok.
This is what it looked like then.
I also used it to save MSN chat conversations I am so loser.
And of course I typed my senior thesis (that won me honors *ahem*) on it. That paper… I think I constipated over it for a whole year ok.
2008-2012
I graduated and started working!
This was what Word looked like then. I wrote my resume and cover letters out on this Word! Hahaha.
And for the first time, I ventured into using Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint. In fact, I would use these two a lot more than Word.
I worked in a digital media agency so most of my work was doing up campaign proposals on Powerpoint, or media plans and booking schedules on Excel. I remember confessing to my boss that I’d never used these programs before but I think even he was shocked at how noob I was hahaha. I remember the first few months I sweated over trying to figure out how to work the various functions and even how to write formulas for Excel.
I never really got that good at doing PowerPoint presentations; somehow I just suck at laying out a deck la wtf. But I know my way around both PPT and XLS well enough now!
2012 – Now
Since leaving my job to raise a family and focus on full time blogging, I obviously have less use for Excel and PowerPoint. I used Excel for wedding planning and to tally costs, and PPT for making our wedding slideshow lolol. And now I usually use Excel to make lists, keep track and calculate angpau amounts LOLOL.
Of course I still regularly use Word for my blogging work. And sometimes I open a blank Word document for fun so Fighter can bang away at my laptop and pretend he’s ‘working’ like daddy.
Looking back, it’s actually very cool how Office has changed and adapted throughout the years. And how my usage of it has changed along with what is happening in my life.
I wonder where the future will take us.
Even now. I’m using Office 2016 which has recently launched in September and it has already evolved so much with the needs of today. Like you don’t even need a CD to install it anymore! When you purchase Office, you receive a product key. Just go to the Office setup website and key in the product key and install the software from there.
Not to mention it’s cloud based of course.
Not only can I save it on the cloud – OneDrive – I can share documents and group-edit in real time. Meaning seeing Word changes reflected in real time to all users who’ve opened the document.
Good to use when I share my blog drafts with my talent manager and ad ops people – I can easily see their feedback and vice versa. 😀
Another feature I really like is Tell Me. It’s like a Help feature made as easy as possible (definitely better than Clippy lol). 
You just type in what you want to do and you get there immediately without needing to hunt around or follow instructions. Why isn’t this feature available earlier!? 😀
Anyway like I mentioned, Office 2016 is out!
And they’re running a promo for Xmas!
Purchase a Office 365 Personal, Office Home & Student 2016, or Office Home & Business 2016 in the Rugi Tak Beli promotion from now until 31 December at a store near you, and redeem gift vouchers worth up to RM60 (while stocks last).
Customers who buy Office 2016 also stand a chance to win a Surface Pro 3 by sharing a video, photo or story on Facebook of how Office helps you to do and achieve more, and hashtagging #rugitakbeli.
Check out www.microsoft.com/malaysia/belioffice2016 for more information.
This post was written in collaboration with Microsoft Office
I haven’t done a Penny update in some time!
So this little one is eight and a half months now … and I’m in love. *hearts in eyes
The previous times I wrote, I think she was still being fairly difficult. But now she’s nearly a different baby! It’s like a changeling but in a good way wtf.
Her naps are still not fantastic – half an hour usually, 45 minutes if I’m lucky. She still takes 3-4 naps a day. She sleeps best in the carrier strapped to me so sometimes outings are a blessing cos it means she’ll nap more.
She still goes to sleep at 7-8 pm but before I’d be terrified to wake her cos she was such a light sleeper, and now she sleeps more soundly thank goodness don’t need to creep around like a burglar.
She still wakes up for milk every 3-4 hours FML. She had roseola recently which really messed up her sleep I think; she was waking up every 1-2 hours FML.
She can sit up now obviously. She started doing that at 4-5 months and became really stable around 6 I think.
She can also pull herself to stand and she’s very stable! She can hold on to furniture and stand for damn long some more. Can sing the Star Spangled Banner and I think she’ll still be standing.
A few days ago, I realized she can turn around, let go of furniture momentarily and grab something else to stabilize herself.
And Fatty and I both noticed on separate times today that she let go and stood by herself for a couple of seconds before grabbing on to something!!!
She’s also starting to scoot around while holding on to furniture.
She definitely knows her name.
She’s getting good at eating solids! Not just pureed food but food with more texture, rice and baby pasta and other soft shapes. Much easier now cos I’ll just cook whatever for Fighter (usually rice + soup, or noodles/pasta _ soup, or porridge) and give that to her too. If the veggies or meat is too tough I’ll blend it but normally she eats whatever he eats.
She’s developing a pretty sweet sense of humor. 😀 Today she sneezed and looked so surprised I laughed at her. She looked at me and giggled in response hahahaha.
Okay not a milestone or skill but… she is getting so pretty!
Confession time! I’d always imagined my daughter to look like me so when she was born I was slightly disappointed cos she really doesn’t look like me right!? But I wouldn’t have her any other way la and she’s getting so pretty in her own different way!
She used to be very timid and shy but she’s blossomed recently. Last time when I took her out with me I had to tell everyone to ignore her WTF. Cos if talk to her she’d burst into tears hahahaha kelian.
Now, although she rarely lets anyone carry her, if you talk to her and smile at her, she smiles back and leans her head on me (cos I’d be carrying her) like very shy like that hahaha.
Her nickname is now Mochi. For some reason she’s daaaamn attached to me *humble brags wtf. Even if I can’t carry her, as long as she’s touching me can already wtf. Like when she wakes up in the morning and sees me still sleeping, she’ll roll and put her head on my shoulder hehehe. (but sometimes very painful cos she bangs her head into my face wtf)
Penny now knows how to be jealous of Koko WTF. She’s so clingy to me her nickname is now Mochi cos you know, round and sticky hahaha. So every minute of me carrying Fighter is a minute wasted to her. When she sees me holding him, she’ll shout angrily omg. Poor Koko ahaha T_____T
What else ah? Oh yea she’s learned how to clap and is clapping like a very enthusiastic audience member every day wtf.
She also seems to really like other kids and babies! Any time she sees another kid she’ll crow and excitedly try to reach for them hahaha super sociable ah.
But And the most annoying of all…
Nowadays she likes to do this horrible thing when nursing where she’ll bite down on me with her gums and then pull away. And then do it repeatedly annoying or not! Then when I chastise her she beams at me happily hahahaha haih.
(If you haven’t read my post on things you didn’t know about breastfeeding, go here.)
Not learning from our nightmare trip to Sydney, we made the brave decision this time to take another family holiday – this time to Hong Kong.
No la hahaha. This was a family trip with Fatty’s family, and we thought it would be better this time since Penny is older and the entire contingent came along – grandparents, uncles and aunts who could help out if needed.
It was much better! The highlight of the trip of course was Disneyland.
Visiting Disneyland for the first time with kids was a very different experience! Here’s why.
- No more scary rides
Most of me and Fatty’s youthful experiences in theme parks were going for the craziest rides.
Now this was the wildest ride we went on – the Slinky Dog ride at Toy Story Land. We so wild, we went on it TWICE.*woohoo*
Yea twice because this boy loved it so much he cried when it ended so me and Fatty took turns bringing him on it.
2. We spent most of the time in Fantasyland and Toy Story Land
We had two whole days in Disneyland and we only managed to really cover these two lands (reason: babies are slow walkers). Normally I’d skip Fantasy Land but this was the highlight of Disney for Fighter.
Toy Story Land where Fighter and Penny kept looking around in awe at all the colorful thingamajigs.
Fantasy Land which is fantastic wtf.
3. No time spent in the stores
I used to shop a LOT at Disney; the merchandise was basically the highlight of the trip for me hahaha. Now between rushing for the next kid friendly ride, rushing back to the hotel for nap time and rushing to grab food, there was no time at all to go shopping FML. The only time I managed to browse a bit was at the store in the Disney hotel, after the kids were asleep wtf.
4. Speaking of shopping, I used to buy new cute headgear every Disney trip
Wearing Stitch ears the last HK Disneyland trip
NOW I HAVE SOMETHING SO MUCH BETTER TO DO YO.
And that is buy complete costumes for my kids to wear HAHAHA.
Here’s Fighter dressed as Woody.
Complete with hat which sadly is too small for his head wtf.
And here’s Mochi White.
5. KIDS MEALS
Never got a chance to order them till now lol. Now… EAT ALL THE CUTENESS.
6. Missing the fireworks
I used to stay back till the end to catch the amazing fireworks display Disneyland put on every night. It never disappointed.
This time, as it is, it was hard enough to stay until the night parade (at 7.15 pm wtf). Penny’s usual bedtime is 7 pm so on the last day we boh pian forced ourselves to stay until then to catch the parade, knowing Fighter would love it. He did but I spent the entire parade with my hands clamped over Penny’s ears while she snored away in the baby carrier. Then we went back to the hotel before the fireworks started wtf.
7. We now spend time hunting down the mascots
Last time, I’d siam the Disney characters like mad cos (A) super long lines and (B) better time spent on lining up for rides
This time, most of our day was spent hunting down the characters and taking photos with them. Because while Penny is too young and only mildly interested in these funny looking people, Fighter LOVES them. He becomes happy until crazy whenever he spots one hahahaha.
Had to take photo with Woody since Fighter is dressed as him.
And Lotso!
We also went to have buffet breakfast at the Disneyland Hotel because that’s when all the characters come and say hi! If you’re planning to go for this, please book in advance cos it can be difficult to get a table.
And here’s the biggest difference of all…
As a kid, Disney is magic.
When you visit Disneyland as an adult, you go there to enjoy all the cuteness and adorable-ness of it all. Or you go there to relive your childhood and bask in nostalgia, and to study how Disney brings it to life in the best theme park in the world.
But when you go to Disneyland as a kid, everything there is real. Including the magic.
Fighter didn’t walk down Main Street impressed at the level of quirky detail on the stores. To him, he accepted the shops were all real and normal, as were the rides we went on. Instead of a ride that looked like a teacup or an elephant, he accepted he was sitting in a real tea cup and a real Dumbo.
When he saw the characters, he shrieked in excitement because finally instead of being stuck behind a screen, he finally saw his ‘friends’ in person! When I realized that, I started looking at everything with new eyes.
It’s an absolutely awesome experience, discarding the adult baggage that come with experience, and just enjoying Disneyland as kids do – with total acceptance and belief.
Maybe that’s how we should try to see the real world too. 🙂
One thing I really loved was how hard the cast members of Disney work to keep the magic going for the kids. Disneyland isn’t about the adults (although we’re the ones paying FOL). It’s for the kids.
When Fighter spied Chip and Dale, he went crazy. He shrieked with happiness and pointed at them and shook his little body excitedly.
We decided to line up to take photos with Chip and Dale then. Suddenly we noticed Chip (or Dale) leave their post and my heart sank a little, thinking it was break time.
Instead, Chip walked towards us, waving. Fighter saw him and went crazy again, shrieking joyfully and pointing. And Chip gave him a kiss before going back to his photo post.
We happily settled back into line, with Fighter on cloud nine.
After a while, it was time for their real break. I told Fatty maybe we shouldn’t wait anymore since Fighter already had his encounter with them.
But what happens next? Dale comes up to us instead on his way out.
He beckoned Fighter over… and gave him a big bear hug.
That totally made Fighter’s day. He was blissfully happy, all just from two simple gestures from the cast members playing Chip and Dale.
Here’s a snapchat of Fighter going crazy when he saw Chip and Dale.
And him being in awe after getting his hug from them.
The next day, I was holding Penny, standing around waiting for Fatty and Fighter who went to the toilet. We saw Donald Duck doing his thing nearby so I went closer to kepoh.
Again the same thing happened! Donald left his post to come over and tickle Penny and make funny signals at her. Penny was enthralled and reached out to pat him on the beak.
So thank you Disney for creating magic for Fighter and Penny.
Here’s some family photos! With Aunty Fayth and our nanny.
And just the four of us.
Snapchats of our Disney trip.
To other parents of similarly aged kids –
If you’re thinking of taking them to Disneyland now, DO IT. Don’t worry about whether they’ll be too young to enjoy or remember. Maybe at Penny’s age they are, but at Fighter’s (two and above), they will love it.
Sure they may not remember much when they’re older but the younger they are, the more they believe. The Disney magic can fade the older and more jaded they become but when they’re young it will be by far the best day of their lives.
Fighter was so happy and in wonder at all the awesome sights and experiences and I’m so glad we took him!
I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on breastfeeding but I do have a PhD in Googling. So in my total two years or so of breastfeeding I came across a lot of trivia!
And because I’m a trivia nerd, I’m compiling a list of things I learned and making you read it wtf.
10. Breastfeeding puts baby to sleep
Every mom knows the easiest way to put a baby to sleep is stick a boob in his mouth and eventually he’ll drift off to dreamland. But do you know why? Here’s where you insert a lot of science jargon but basically it has to do with the hormones in the milk. At night, higher amounts of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone has been found in breast milk than in the day time, which makes putting baby to sleep easier. And you can get the rest you need!
9. Breastfeeding puts MOMMY to sleep
There is a proper reason besides you being so exhausted that you just fall asleep the minute you sit still. And that is that breastfeeding releases the hormone oxytocin which can make you feel relaxed, loved and sleepy. 🙂 I like to think of it as our bodies taking care to make sure we get enough rest to with a baby around.
8. Breast milk is tailored to baby’s needs
Right after you give birth, your breasts produce colostrum, a special milk which is lower in volume but high in nutrients. Colostrum provides special antibodies needed by a newborn immediately after birth. And as baby grows, breast milk composition changes to match what baby needs.
Heck, it even changes during lactation! During the first few minutes of a feed, foremilk is released which is thinner and more watery to quench baby’s thirst. The later milk is called hind milk and is fattier, which will satiate the baby and keep him full.
7. Your diet doesn’t affect the composition of your breast milk
So for example, even if you don’t eat oranges, your baby will still get her full quota of Vitamin C. Hahaha. That’s because your body prioritizes the needs of your baby and makes sure your milk contains the full complement of goodness your baby needs to thrive. The bad news is that if you don’t eat well, you will deprive your own body of nutrients because the good stuff is all going to the baby. So eating well and healthily is still a must; it’s just that you do it for yourself.
6. Breastfeeding is not just good for baby, it’s good for mom too
Research has shown that breastfeeding may help ward off breast and ovarian cancers! BRB shoving boob into Penny’s mouth.
The oxytocin released during breastfeeding helps the uterus contract, helping you return to your pre-preggers figure. And prolactin, the hormone linked to milk production makes you feel happy and fuzzy, keeping post natal blues at bay.
And let’s not forget that breastfeeding is supposed to burn 500 calories a day! This (and Marie France) is what I attribute to helping me lose my baby weight so quickly.
5. No period!
I know a lot of moms worry about not having enough milk because when they pump, only a certain amount is produced which may not seem enough. But a baby is the best extractor of milk so what you pump out is not a good gauge of what your baby is really consuming. If baby seems contented, that’s enough. 🙂
1. Your mom level does not depend on breastfeeding alone
Every mom’s breastfeeding journey is different. It may be happy, bonding, frustrating, depressing even. Whatever it is, my guess is it is almost always emotional. Breastfeeding can be the most rewarding thing you’ve done or the most taxing and depressing. Whatever it may be, remember that how you feed your child does not determine your worth as a mother. You are the only person who knows how to be the best mom to your child.
This post is in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
Fighter (drinking from his water bottle filled with diluted Ribena): “Jude drink wine.”
Penny is sitting in her walker and apparently Fighter wants to sit in it instead.
Fighter: Mommy. Mommy. Carry baby.
I pick Penny up from her walker and put her on my lap.
Fighter climbs in himself.
Fighter: “Baby sit mommy lap.”
When Fighter is sleepy, he loses his balance HAHAHA.
Fighter is walking around the house when he stumbles.
Fighter: “Jude fall down. Jude sleepy.”
Fighter had a late night, finally falling asleep around 11 pm with Fatty. The next morning, nanny talks to him.
Nanny: “Fighter, what time did you sleep last night?”
Fighter: “Eight thirty.”
Me: “What time did you wake up then?”
Fighter: “Eight thirty.”
When he wants us to unlock the iPad for him.
Fighter: “Mommy! Eight nine ten!”
My password is not 8-9-10 wtf.
Me: “Fighter, mommy is going to the market. Do you want to go to the market?”
Fighter: “Mmhm.”
Me: “What do you want to buy at the market?”
Fighter: “A B C D food.”
Fighter was trying to poop and he doesn’t like an audience when he’s doing the deed.
Fighter (holding daddy’s hand and flinging it away): “Daddy. Walk.”
I showed him our wedding photos on the computer.
Fighter: “Ooh wow. Pretty. Mommy pretty.”
Me: “Mommy pretty? Thanks Fighter.”
Fighter: “Daddy pretty.”
On seeing this big bear… or anything fantastic in his opinion.
Fighter: “Amma goat!”
After some moments of confusion, we realized he was saying “Oh my god” hahahahaahha.
On our last trip back to Penang, Fighter was being a huge brat in the car, whining and crying about everything.
We put on the Frozen DVD for him and he even whined at that and kept telling me to turn it off. Finally I could bear it no longer.
Me: “Fighter stop crying! Mommy is watching even if you’re not! If you don’t want to watch, look out of the window or close your eyes.”
We had five minutes of blissful silence before I peeked at him.
He had his hands over his eyes.
HAHAHAHAHAHA.
Driver told us he peeked on Fighter in the rear view mirror too and saw him steadfastly looking out of the window. Then when he wanted to look in front (where the TV was) he closed his eyes. HAHAHAHAHA.
As I mentioned, Fighter was being an absolute brat in the car.
Me (to Fatty): “I can’t take it anymore. I’m this close to smacking him.”
Later on, Penny was squalling in the car.
Fighter (mumbling): “Smack baby.”
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