A wwhhaatt??

It beats me on how the reading level of my blog get to be Genius. In fact the reading level of my 3 blogs are the same. Hmmm ....

Hop over to check yours! *wink*

Touch a card

Almost every family own a computer now, some even have 2 or 3 computers at home. (My FIL has 1 desktop and 2 laptops!) Everyone is so Internet savvy, people hardly send letters and cards anymore. It's emails and ecards now. I don't even have my relatives' addresses, only their email addresses *stick out tongue*

But I personally prefers receiving the real thing. At least you get to feel it and keep it. How many of you keep ecards? Huh? *laughs*

So I present to you my very first (very beautiful) Christmas Card all the way from Dubai, after years of receiving ecards and it's from a online friend I have never met before!

Thank you, June! The card is lovely and you have very nice handwriting too! *wink*

3 in 1 Gift

The lady (as seen above) behind the Sharp family Fair gave me invites for the event. The lady in question is my younger sis. *wink* Yeah, she was put in charge of this event and it was hell for her but that's another story.

To my sis, it doesn't matter, take it in your stride. It will be good for your resume. *wink*

Anyway, I passed some invites to my friends too. Me, 爸爸 and the kids went there to support her too. I didn't think we would get anything but, but, but, 爸爸 did buy something in the end.

This ...
... the Sharp Healsio (TM) Water Oven!

My sis has been recommending this to me this a few days after she started work in Sharp. I would never dare to dream for this gadget. It's way too expensive.

It's an interesting oven. It's like a steamer cum conventional oven. So it can steam, grill, roast, bake defrost and reheat. And best of all, it does not have magnetron, hence it doesn't use microwaves to cook. (I don't like microwave)

Anyway, we saw the oven in action for the first time at the fair and I'm amazed how it can cook a soft-boiled egg without breaking it's shell. 爸爸 decided to get it (for me and without consulting me) after seeing and tasting the grilled turkey and cookies that came out of the oven.

Yes, it's a Birthday cum Christmas cum Wedding Anniversary gift for me. I was teasing 爸爸 ... "buy me gift to make me work more" *giggles* He got it for me because he sees my interest in cooking and the family will benefits from it. *smiles*

Although I would rather he bought me something else (because it's really too expensive, I'm feeling heartache.), I'm glad to have it and I'm looking forward for it to be delivered. Yap, I want to 'fry' and roast chicken, and steam egg and toast bread at the same time with it.

Thank you 爸爸 for the very expensive gift.

Beading a new watch

爸爸 bought me a Pop Swatch when I was pregnant with 妹妹. I was crazy about crystal then and bought a bag of Onyx and Quartz too to go with the watch.

I beaded a elastic crystal band for the watch. I like how it looked like a bracelet when the watch is turned inwards (that's where all the scratches come from) and whenever I get bored with the design, I re-bead again. *wink*

This is the latest design I did recently. I'm not sure if I'll do it again (soon) because it's tiring to think and plan a design. And it's worst when 'someone' keep nagging at you to not to waste time. *stick out tongue*

In the meantime, this is here to stay.

Home-made Christmas Gift

Sometime back, I gave some home-made cookies to an ex-colleague who is also a SAHM. I gave her the recipe too and she tried making it. Somehow she didn't quite get it right and I promised her I bake her some more near Christmas.

Since I had more time yesterday, I baked last night. One canister for her, another for another mummy friend who is forever buying clothes for 妹妹 and a couple more for 爸爸 to bring the office.

My friend will be asking for the recipe again as I did some changes to the original recipe and it's now extra crunchy. *giggle*

Hopefully, I can find time today to make fruit tarts for 爸爸's colleague to thank him for chauffeuring 爸爸 around everyday.

See, this is what penniless SAHM gives as Christmas presents.

Why turn around?

We were having lunch and 妹妹 insisted on having the steamed egg 哥哥 is having. I got her a bowl of steamed egg with some rice in it. I filled her spoon with the eggs and rice and wanted to feed her but she wanted to feed herself...

妹妹 : No ... here, here ... *asking me to put down the spoon*
妈妈 : Okay, you eat.
妹妹 : No. I don't want. *she doesn't want the rice*
妈妈 : No, must eat with rice if not 妈妈 feed you. *she quickly pick up the spoon*
妹妹 : Turn around, turn around. *asking me to turn around and not look at her*
妈妈 : Okay, you must eat ... *and I turned around back facing her but peeking at her*

Guess what she was up to?

She poured the spoon with the rice to a side of her bowl and scoop up the eggs only to eat. When I turned around a look at her. She looked innocently at me happily eating. *faint*

Craft Revealed!

In my last post, I asked if you could guess what the craft I did with 哥哥 was. If you said it was a paper Christmas tree, you got it right! No prize for right answers though. *wink*

LZ Mommy, you are so good! *applause* Did the curly paper strips gave it away? *giggle*

Anyway, if you are interested to find out how it was done, hop over to take a look here.

Paper Cups Christmas Tree

The other day when we were at Starbucks, I saw one of their decorations in their store. It looks like a white tree made out of thick strips of paper. I didn't take a closer look at it but it looks interesting to me and had given me an idea. I thought I'll try to make a similar Christmas Tree with my son and well, it became my personal favourite now. Oh, I did help with curling here because it will take him ages to curl all the strips.

Christmas is around the corner. If you do not have a Christmas tree at home, why not make it to add it a bit of festive feel?

Materials needed:

• 10 Paper Cups
• 1 Rubber Band
• 1 (Balloon) Stick
• 2 Stickers of the same size and shape
• Some Paper Clay or any Self Dry Clay

Tools needed:

• Scissors
• Pencil
• Thick Cloth

How to do it:

1. Measure 0.5cm from the rim of the cup and draw around it.
2. Increase the measurement by 0.5cm for the next cup, ie, Cup No. 2 will be 1cm, No.3 - 1.5cm, No.4 - 2cm and so on.
3. Cut the rim according to the line drew above. Now all the cups will be of different height.
4. Label the cups with the tallest cup as 10 and the shortest cup as 1.
5. Have a thick cloth or folded cloth on your table.
6. Place a cup on the cloth, bottom down.
7. Position the tip of the pencil to the middle of the cup.
8. Pierce the cup to get a hole but don't pierce the pencil through as the hole may be too big.
9. Cut the cup in strips. Don't have to worry about the thickness. Irregular thickness looks nicer in my opinion.
10. Curl the strips using the stick or pencil *hardest part for kids*.
11. Tie a rubber band round the stick to use it as a 'stopper' to prevent the cups from slipping down.
12. Position it 12cm from the base of the stick.
13. Pierce the top of the stick through the cup with the base facing outwards, starting from No. 10, leaving a bit of space in between 2 cups.
14. Put aside.
15. Roll the clay to form a ball, flatten the base slightly.
16. Push the stick with the cups into the base to hold it.
17. Stick on the stickers, back to back, between the tip of the stick or alternatively, you can use cut out pictures and stick with double-sided tape.
18. Cut off excess stick.
19. Now you have your own Christmas Tree!

Note:
I wrapped the dried clay with flower paper (whatever you call that). You can leave it as it is or paint it if you like.

* Boy at Work *

* Our Christmas Tree *

What's this craft?

I did a craft with 哥哥 during the weekends and it became my personal favourite of all the crafts I did with him. Oh, I have not post the craft yet. You can't find it.

Can you tell what is it?

Cruise-Coach trip to Genting Highlands Part 2

I expected a fun full day on the third day of our trip but it was quite the opposite. We were at the outdoor theme park for a few hours. The kids took less than 5 rides, had a bite and returned back to the room. In the late afternoon, it was more just looking at the rides only (poor kids), more walking (aimlessly) around, more eating and again back to the room. Sigh!

I didn't enjoy it at all I wonder how the kids would? With all the rides just before their eyes and they weren't allow to ride. Anyway on the last day of our so-call holiday, it was again, eat and go back to 'rest'. Since, everyone was either at the casino or sleeping in the room, I alone bought the kids out. I bought some hair accessories for 妹妹 and 哥哥 ate all the candies he wanted while 妹妹 gobbled up a chicken sausage. Although it was for a short 40 minutes or so, I enjoyed myself. It was really 'free and easy' for me. I explained to 哥哥, though I wished I could let them take rides, I couldn't because we only had less than an hour before we had to get back to the room. I'm not sure about 妹妹 but 哥哥 said it was at least better than staying in the room . LOL I think it's was the candies he was happy about.

On the way home on the coach, 哥哥 was already 'ordering' his meals for the following day. I'm glad he missed home-cooking. *smiles* The following day, he asked if we could go on a cruise again next time because he said 妹妹 loves playing in the ball pool (in the childcare center). Oh? Or maybe it's you who enjoyed it, I asked? He laughed.

Anyway, here's more photos of the trip ...

* We arrived at Port Klang *

* 妹妹 is so tired she still slept on the coach to Genting *

* Having fun on kiddies rides *


* 妹妹 and 爸爸 *

* 哥哥 and 妹妹 getting ready to go out *

* 爸爸 put some lotion for me, please. *

* Fun at the playground of the Outdoor Theme Park *

* Are the fishes hungry or just greedy? *

* 哥哥 took the ride twice. It's exciting he said. *

* Taking off shoes and socks. Feels better to run in the room on bare feet. *

* Spending time in the room. Lucky 妈妈 brought some toys. *

* Enjoying ice-cream while waiting to board the coach *

* Photo taking on coach home to past time *

Cruise-Coach trip to Genting Highlands Part 1

I'm back! And it feels so good to be back.

As what I have expected, I didn't quite enjoy the trip for various reasons. My only consolation was that the kids did enjoy this trip. They had more fun in the Childcare Center on the cruise.

I won't be blogging about the trip. I don't wish to be reminded of the dreadful trip. *stick out tongue*

Here are some photos I took on the first day of our trip ...

* 妹妹, please don't pinch my ears! *

* Ship? I want to go! *

* Hmmm ... what will we be doing on board the ship? *

* Me, 哥哥 and Star Cruise Penguin *

* WokkingMum's family and In-Laws *

* Me and the kids *

* Who took over the ship? *


* Full speed ahead! *

* Your captain for the day. *


* Apprising rock climbers ... maybe should ask
Chillycraps 哥哥 to teach you both *

* the kids taking a nap to recharge *

* What's for dinner? *

:: Photos taken by the ladies at the childcare center ::

* Having fun in the ball pool *

* Playing with blocks *

* Fun dancing *

Photos taken in Genting coming up next ...