A New And Wondrous Year Ahead, I Hope.

I'm becoming more auntie-like now.

I can't help but browse through every single advert in the papers, hoping to find that cheap bargain. And I'm not talking about apparel or shoes or bag sales. I found myself looking at pots and pans, groceries, diapers, sewing machines, mixers and whatnot. Sigh.

I think about a lot of things. Like, is it necessary to buy expensive clothes for your babies and/or toddlers? Who is the one looking good, you or your child? I remembered I almost wanted to buy a romper from GAP costing almost 50 SGD when I was still carrying DD in my tummy. There was only one reason for wanting to buy - the romper had many tiny whale prints all over it. Back then, Hubby had allowed me to buy it. I stood in front of the rack, deliberating over which size to get. 0-3mths is too small and impractical because babies can grow very fast. 3-6 mths did not seem big enough, I was afraid DD was going to be a big baby(which she still is) and not fit into it. 6-12mths is too ... It was a struggle. We were standing there for a good 5 minutes before deciding to look around, hoping to find other cute clothes for DD. All were expensive, for a baby. Soon, that tiny percentage of practicality in me said, "Look elsewhere." And we left, never to go back again.

I love buying clothes for DD. I think women just like to spend money. Any type of spending is retail therapy for me. And since I no longer want to buy clothes for myself, I buy for DD. And I only get those clothes I like. Not you, not them, but me. So to answer my second question, if your child looks good, the parents look good and to look good, you have to buy expensive clothes, which answers the first one. I figured that is what most parents might have thought. But I can't have myself thinking this way. I can't teach my kid to be brand-conscious. I want to tell her that, while we are not able to give her branded clothings, we are giving her our time and love. I hope she understands that in the future.

Happy New Year.

Boxing Day Lunch

Mushroom and ham pasta in cream sauce

Celery soup

Cooking is addictive, at least to me. But the celery soup wasn't quite what I expected. I should have strained the soup. That will make it smooth and creamy. 

My Christmas Dinner, Not Quite as Planned.

We all had a scrumptious Christmas dinner. Every dish was healthy and low in sodium. But the pasta, which I was most confident of, turned out too bad. It was dry and the pasta was slightly overcooked. The rest were good with my favourite being the mushroom soup. I think my parents were quite impressed with me, tee hee.

 Roast whole chicken with veggies

 Mashed potatoes with gravy

 Cream of mushroom soup

 Simple pasta in tomato sauce

Serves four

Christmas log cake

Ok so I did not prepare the chocolate souffle because Hubby had bought a log cake. Next year, I will be doing one for Christmas. I hope.

Christmas Menu...

Main Course
Roast Chicken with veggies.

2nd Course
Simple pasta in Tomato sauce.

On the side
Mashed potatoes with gravy.

Soup
Cream of Mushroom.

Dessert
Chocolate Souffle.

I pray that everything will turn out ok, because I am inviting my parents to join us for a little Christmas dinner tomorrow evening.

I guess this is one of my ways to thank them for the help they had rendered(still rendering) during my confinement days. Of course, it's hard for me to tell them that tomorrow's dinner is a "Thank You" dinner. I just ask my mum, "Want to join us for dinner this Saturday? I roast chicken for you?" My parents must've thought that this is one of those rare occasions I'm cooking for them. Will be keeping my dishes healthy and low in sodium. So, crossing my fingers.

Ok, I'm Convinced. No TV for You!

And I meant my baby daughter.

But many parents still let their children under the age of 2 watch TV programmes. My brother was the first to tell me about the negative aspects of TV-watching for babies. And truth be told, I had thought it was total bullshit. I was thinking to myself, a little TV won't kill. Sure, it won't kill your baby of course. But then, article after article published in the newspapers and online news site had me rethinking. I then told Hubby about it and he is now a hardcore supporter of "no TV for DD". He does not even allow DD to turn her head towards the TV. Also, another reason why I'm convinced is because my mum's neighbour's granddaughter is behaving strangely.

At 2 years of age, she has been watching TV since she was a baby, according to the grandmother. She would be glued to the TV, ignoring everyone else as if in a world of her own. Physically, she couldn't walk until she was closed to 2 years old. And she couldn't talk. No, I think she wouldn't talk. She didn't call her parents until 2 years old, and even now, she seldom speaks. When she wants something she will just mumble. No words. And when her grandmother switches on the TV, she is happy and will sit down in front of the TV, watching away quietly. She doesn't talk when in childcare neither. Basically her social skills now is close to zero.

And when I googled up this issue a while ago, some parents also reported similar behaviours in their relatives' or acquaintances' kids. While I wouldn't say that TV will ruin a kid's life, it is wise however, to err on the safe side. Oh, don't even count on educational programmes. One parent pointed out that, which I concur, these so-called educational programme-makers want to make money out of you, they care naught about the well-being of your child. It's all about marketing. After all, who doesn't want their kids to be geniuses?

Anyway, it's your call, your take. Just wait till your baby is 2, shouldn't be that difficult, right? Now, where's that remote control.

Never Judge a Muffin by the Way It Looks

Blueberry muffin. They sure look ugly but they taste great~♥　No kidding.

Rooted

There are some upgrading works around my neighbourhood and I am glad that the trees in the playground area were not uprooted to give way to construction. They have been there for as long as I can remember. To me, they are such old trees now, spreading their branches like spider webs across the sky. It is a beautiful sight, at least to me.

And next time when DD grows up, I can tell her that mummy grew up with these trees.

"Shop" Is Opened!

I have decided to sell clothes online in order to earn diaper money. Mori girl style of course. Please visit http://simpleforestgirl.blogspot.com. Just take a look. Deliver to Singapore only.

Today's Lunch and Tea

I'm getting good at this, hee hee.

Spaghetti in mushroom and cream

Chocolate souffle

Today's Dinner

Roast chicken with assorted vegetables.

 Before...

 After...

Nice...

 Looking good...

Dinner's served...

I am so proud of myself. Everything tastes great. From the peppers to the carrot, from the chicken to the potatoes, and from the garlic to the onions- best. Guess what's for Christmas dinner?

AFA 2010

I am thankful I was able to go to this year's AFA. Thanks to Daddy and DD ^u^ though it was a rather rushed one.

 

SG cosplayers are getting better and better and I had a great time photographing them. They were polite, some were cute and fun, some portrayed attitude that was required of the character that they were cosplaying. Some skeptics might think that these young people are spending too much time making themselves looking silly, but I say they beat those parang-wielding gangsters anytime.

When Indecision Strikes

Being indecisive sure is draining a lot of my energy. I kept reconsidering my proposition: go ahead or no, no, wait, stop or ok, I'm sure just go ahead. Till now, I'm still not very confident of my decision!

I'm Glad to Announce...

... that the haze has cleared! I can bring DD out again.


"Finally they are doing something."

This DD...

*shakes head*

...... 

Told her cannot watch TV...


"TV is bad for you."

Ah Zhu's Kong Bah Bao

 Look at the fatty meat!

The bun completes it.

Let's have a taste. Wow~

So nice~~~!

There you have it, Ah Zhu's kong bah bao. Simply delicious. Heavenly taste. The fatty meat just melts in my mouth~ slurp!

Note: Ah Zhu is my mum.

"Who's afraid of being fat?"

Plain Kiasu or Ignorant?

I signed DD up for a Coverpage Baby Photo Contest by Today's Motherhood. It's pretty simple. You subscribe to their mailing list and upload a photo of your child(below 5 years). The photos will be judged internally and decisions are final.

2. Only ONE photo per child (multiple entries will be deleted)


Yup, that is one of the rules of the contest, and one that is horrendously ignored. If you have free time(like me), you can browse through all the participants(which I did), and you will find there are numerous multiple entries. Some entries are with the same photo, which I assumed is because maybe the system had a hiccup that is why some parents submitted the same photo twice. But some, I would have to say are just kiasu parents who badly wanted their children to win. If they are not kiasu, then I am flabbergasted by the literacy level of SG parents. Look at the number of photos that they send per child. Wah lau eh so many! And so many different poses even! C'mon it's only a contest. Even Hubby and I enter DD with a pinch of salt, just for fun.

As the contest will be judged internally, the results might be fixed. Who knows?


"Take things easy, dear parents."

New Look - Mori Style

I'm into this Mori Girl( 森ガール) thingy nowadays so I decided that my blog also needs a face-lift. Very foresty, no? Well that is exactly what Mori Girl style represents. Below are 60 rules that define a Mori Girl.

- You like Q-Pot cake shape accessories
- You like loose looking one piece (yes i do)
- You wear one-piece dress and skirt as everyday dresses. (i would love to)
- You like quirky clothes in a natural looking type fashion (nothing like loudy and or flashy)(yup)
- You care about the fabric
- You Like ethnic clothes (yup)
- You’re attracted to Nothern Europe and want to travel over there one day (lol yup)
- One of your friends told you “you look like a girl in the forest” (without laughing)
- Your clothes describes a A silhouette (well yeah)
- You like to mix deep colors, dark red, dark green, brown…
- Warm colors fit you well
- You like cushy knits, furs and hats with volume(yup)
- You like poncho and bolero (yup)
- You’re not into super sweet fashion (cos I'm an old hag)
- You are a girl with a soft mood (or you’re longing for being one)(the latter)
- You are a girl that gives the impression of transparency (or you’re longing for being one)
- People say you constantly give the impression of a gentle mood
- You like blouses with puffed sleeves(yup)
- You prefer golden accessories to silver ones(yup)
- You like leather bags(yup)
- You like necklaces with large motifs like loupes.(yup)
- You use pochettes for everything
- You’re attracted to old things(yup)
- You like fob watch
- You like animal motifs(yup)
- You like dots and checks(yup)
- You like retro flower prints(yup)
- You like tights and long johns
- In winter you put on your ear muffs
- Your perfume has flower essence
- You like lavanda
- You don’t make up a lot but you like round pink cheeks(yup)
- You prefer natural buttons made of wood or horn(yup)
- Your wear flat shoes most of the time (cos they are comfy for my big feet)
- You prefer round toes shoes(yup)
- If you wear sneakers you turn them into sleepers
- You like to wrap up in stoles and mufflers(sure)
- You like hand-made accessories(yup)
- You like fairy tales(love them!)
- You like white color(I'm cool)
- In winter you wear turtle neck
- You are loose permed hair Or hair in a bob (yup, I even got wigs)
- You like laces(sure)
- You’re a pale skin complexion
- You’d like to be compared to a Russian doll
- Mori Girls are different from “Lolita and so”
- You’re girly
- Your magazines are Fudge, Spoon, So-En and Spur
- You like brands like Tsumori Chisato, Cocue and Cuccia
- You also like Fellissimo, but especially the labels Syrup and Snow
- You like to spare your time in cafés
- You’re a kind of collector(toys)
- You like to take a walk your camera in one hand(dslr)
- You can spare time in grocery stores
- You feel more at ease with short nails.(cos I wear contacts and long nails poke my eyes)
- You’re happy to find cute books in bookshops(yup)
- Spending time in furniture store gives you pleasure thrills(sure)
- You like winter and autumn seasons(yes!)
- You think that Honey and Clover fits to Mori Girl, and consider Hagu as one of them(yup)
- You think that Shizuru Satonaka from “Simply, I love you” is also a Mori Girl

The above "rules" are taken from Tokyo Fashion and Art Factory. It is a cool blog by the way, so take a look at it.

"I'm definitely a Mori Girl, or Hag."

It's A+ Alright.

Unknowingly, I did an experiment which proves(sort of) a rumor that I heard of, to be true.

So the three of us, Daddy, DD and Mummy were sleeping on the same bed, in the same room. Incidentally, Daddy is B+ type, DD is AB+ type and Mummy is A+ type. We slept with the air-condition on, and I switched it off in the middle of the night. Then I started to hear mozzies buzzing around my ears. I went back to sleep anyways. The next thing I knew when I woke up was to find numerous mozzies bites on my neck, shoulder and arm.

I asked Daddy whether he had been bitten by the mozzies and he said no. I went on to inspect DD's body, arms and legs and found nothing. I was bewildered. You mean I am the ONLY one in the house who had been bitten by mozzies? And I recalled that it is not the first time. I heard something from a Taiwan talk show that mozzies prefer to suck A+ blood. At that time I was like, yeah right. Though I admit that I had been frequently "kissed" by mozzies ever since I was a little girl, I didn't think that it would be because of my blood-type.

Clearly, it has to be my blood type, A+.


"Anyways I am glad that the mozzies did not attack DD, phew."

Be Involved

I thought I gave Hubby some very good advice yesterday. I told him, "If you do not intend to get involved with DD's life now, don't expect to get involved with her life when she grows older." 

One cousin told me to enjoy the time spent with DD now because babies grow up very fast. Before you even notice, she will be 1 year old, 5 years old, 10 years old, and soon she will become a teenager. Now try bonding with a teenager if your foundation is not good to begin with. 

I take her word to my heart, for I know this is the truth. That is why I am telling Hubby this. Do the right thing, or regret later. You cannot reverse the growth stages of your child. Once past, it is past. I am beginning to think that being a stay-at-home-mum has its perks now. At least you get to watch your kid grow.

"The bond grows too."

我是谁 我是谁 我是谁

希望每一个人都爱自己。认真爱自己的人最美丽。


“The most beautiful...”

A Time of Peace...

DD is napping, the floors are cleaned, and I am enjoying a piece of brownie and a glass of milk. What more can I ask for?

Happy Anniversary, Daddy/Hubby!

We have been together for 5 years, married for 4 years. Many many more good years to come!

So This Is What It's Like...

... to be a mother.

From waking up every 3 hours just to express breast milk and/or feed DD, to waking up every few minutes just to check on DD, making sure that she is breathing. Ya, no kidding. SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or cot death is freaking me out. And DD was down with flu and cough last week till now, which is really taxing on everybody. I ended up having a flu myself. I dare not pop paracetamol for fear that it might affect DD. If it was the old me, I would have taken MC straight away. But hey, I'm a mother and mothers do not have medical leave!

Everything starts to revolve around DD inevitably. Everything is DD, DD, DD. But of course, she is my precious. Our precious.

On a good day when DD is sound asleep, I can look at her cute chubby face forever; she makes a lot of faces even when asleep. I would take photos of her, and sometimes even videos. I am tired but I could not lay myself to sleep without knowing that someone else would be taking care of her. It's just not safe. You never know when she is going to wake.

Ironically, more than 5 years of graveyard shift did not yield a single dark eye ring on me. Yet, just two months of looking after DD... All I can say is that there are more years to come. But I know it's going to be worth all these.

"You may not believe this but every breath, every sound, even every fart she makes is enough to draw my attention. Mothers are that sensitive."

What Do Babies Dream of...?

I almost had a heart attack when DD suddenly made a loud cry. It came abruptly as DD was soundly asleep. She was having a nightmare, I thought. My mum, dad and I immediately rushed over to her, consoling her, coaxing her. Our hands were all over her; tapping her chest, legs or arms, trying to reassure her that everything was alright. But DD just continued crying, until my mum picked her up.

And the question on my mind was, what was DD dreaming about?

I often see her smiling foolishly while sleeping, only to see her grimacing, as if in pain, next. I would jokingly said,"Ah, she must have a lot of milk in LaLa land because she is smiling." or when she is frowning, "Someone must have taken away all her milk!"

I am curious. Babies sleep most of the time so it's no wonder why they have so many dreams and nightmares. But what do they dream about? I wonder.

DD Turns Her Head

DD finally exercises her neck muscles when she managed to turn her head from center to left, left to center and from center to right when I let her on the bed, belly down. She is now 8 weeks and 4 days old. Me and Hubby were cheering her on. When she finally did it, she was visually happy and got our kisses as reward. She regurgitated milk after that. Sweet.

National Day 2010

What a special National Day celebration this year! Maybe it's because you can see tanks and other armored vehicles roaming the streets of Singapore, something which you don't see every day. Or maybe it's because you don't have to be at the Padang to see fireworks; well, I can see them in my neighbourhood. Or maybe, it's simply because it is the first NDP celebration with dear daughter.

And check out this NDP song for 2010, Song For Singapore, another un-NDP NDP song. Nice vocals by Corrine May.



"Happy National Day, Singapore."

We All Try to Look for the Easy Way Out But...

...guess there are no short-cuts in life.


"... ..."

MotherhOops!

Rate the following processes with 1 being extremely tough to 10 being extremely easy.

1. Pregnancy period.
2. Childbirth.
3. Confinement.

1. Pregnancy period.
I shall give it an 8. I was blessed with a rather easy pregnancy with no morning sickness or other pregnancy complications. Everything went smoothly, except for the 21-kg weight gain. I think that was the only time I was able to finish a Mega Double burger meal all by myself.

2. Childbirth.
I don't want to brag. But I rate it a 9 anyways. It was too easy, way too easy, courtesy of an overdose of epidural which left me, from waist down, complete numbness. You could use a knife and stab both my legs repeatedly and I wouldn't feel a thing. Sarcasm intended, by the way.

3. Confinement.
What do you know? The seemingly easy process made to seem like hell break loose. I would rate it a 2. From eating ginger-laden dishes and rice-winey chicken soup to being paranoid about what the confinement lady might do to dear daughter, to not being able to drink plain water, H2O, to not being able to wash my hair... The list goes on and on. It is, by far, the worst experience I have ever had. So bad, I wouldn't want to have a confinement next time if I have a second child. I think I just do what the angmohs do. Heck!


"The journey of motherhood... never ends."

She Smiled...

This morning dear daughter smiled at me when I kissed her on her cheek!

Ultimate happyness!

幸せよ～！♪~♪ d(⌒o⌒)b♪~♪ﾗﾝﾗﾝ


"Psst, I think she recognizes me."

Water...

I covet, yes, covet, a glass of cool, plain water... Help~


"2 more weeks to go. Gambatte!"

An Appeal To Find This Crazy Dog-beating Woman

This happened in Singapore, sad to say.

Pls, if anybody knows who this crazy woman is, report her to the authorities immediately! Better yet, repost this clip using whatever ways possible. This kind of behavior is not to be tolerated!!





"Sad. Humans, that is."

Call Me Shameless...

... but I think our dear daughter is sooo adorable! ⌒(o＾▽＾o)ノﾟどもども

 （*＾・＾）ＣＨＵ〜☆

"May dear daughter grow up strong and healthy and happy ."

Yay It's Raining...

... and I hope it won't cause any floods this time. Last time, it rained so heavily that the area just outside the MRT station was flooded, though it subsided as the rain slowed.


"Rain, clear away the dust on my windows!"

It's A Blast...

If there's a phrase that can describe my affair with the toilet, "It's a blast!" would be it.

Uh-hem, excuse me.


"It's overwhelming, indeed."

What Do You Call...

a pregnant Angela on a sofa couch?

Answer: A beached whale.

Ya. I spent an average of 40 to 45 seconds just to find the perfect position to get myself up from the sofa without squishing my bump. More than 70% of the time, Hubby would help me up, adding,"Be careful, beached whale." Well, I take that as a compliment though.


"It is going to end, soon."

Justice League

For some reasons, I love the Justice League series. So much that I am watching it for the fourth time :)


"Favorite is the Flash."

Mum's Out and I Have to Cook... III

Part III. Yesterday we had pasta.


"Running out of recipes..."

Mum's Out and I Have to Cook...

... with the help of Hubby, of course.

Huh? Curry rice again? Ya, but I swear it tastes better than Wasabi San's curry rice! Nom nom nom ~


"Can't wait for Mum to be back home."

Water - Say It With A Prayer

Chanced upon this interesting topic while I was searching for some beauty product.

Can water be affected by our words?

Next time, I should really pray before my meals :)


"... ..."

Kids Say The ******** Thing!

What does it mean when a 5-year-old girl said,"Kor kor is not the best, but he is my best."?

My brother told me that this came out of my niece's mouth and I was lost for words, for a moment. Do 5-year-olds normally say that? A statement that is enigmatic and almost code-like. Does she understand what she is talking about? If she does, then she really loves her brother. If she doesn't, still, it's pretty impressive.

But I suspect that she knows what she is talking about because my niece is such a sweet girl!


"I am so defeated by a child's innocence."

Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough

Baby Blanket

Done.

It's a bit out of shape though.


"What's next?"

Nothing To Say...

Interesting.

Former Japanese Whaling Commissioner Validates Sea Shepherd Intervention
Commentary by Captain Paul Watson

I have to say that it is certainly flattering when a nation as powerful as Japan stoops to the pettiness of waging a war costing tens of millions of dollars against one small little non-governmental organization like ours.

In a statement to the media, former Japanese Whaling Commissioner Masayuki Komatsu declared a preemptive victory against Sea Shepherd, going as far as to say that their presence in the Antarctic at this point is primarily to make Sea Shepherd's "final" season at sea as costly as possible, and that whaling has become secondary.

So, first it was about research, and then the Japanese Foreign Minister slips and says that the whaling is about tradition and for whale meat for the Japanese market, and now Komatsu says it’s actually about defeating Sea Shepherd.

Komatsu then goes on to say that Sea Shepherd's actions may have done more harm to their cause than good by indirectly causing the repeal of the whaling ban.

This is amazing. What he is saying is that because we aggressively opposed their illegal whaling activities, the members of the IWC have decided to legalize their illegal activities, because Sea Shepherd intervened to stop the illegal activities that the IWC members did not have the political will to stop themselves.

Komatsu said that this would be Sea Shepherd’s “final” year of opposing Japan in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

We shall see! Sea Shepherd’s position is that as long as whales are being killed in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, Sea Shepherd will protect and defend the Sanctuary. After all, the area has not been designated as the private hunting reserve for the Japanese Whaling fleet.

Whatever the hurdles, whatever the obstacles, whatever the tactics the Japanese whalers and the Japanese government attempt to block us, we intend to find a way to overcome whatever barriers they throw up before us. We will never abandon the whales, and we will never retreat from the Sanctuary. For as long as a Japanese whaling ship remains in the Southern Ocean, there will be Sea Shepherd ships to oppose them.

Komatsu said that Japan has muscled the IWC into repealing the moratorium on commercial whaling, and once the ban is repealed it would invalidate the argument used by activists of the Sea Shepherd organization to justify the sabotage of whaling efforts in the Antarctic Ocean.

Komatsu therefore acknowledges that Sea Shepherd is justified in opposing their operations because of the moratorium. In other words, Komatsu has validated Sea Shepherd’s intervention.

The Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker continues to pursue the Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru in the Southern Ocean.

Tomorrow will mark the 20th day without a single whale being killed by the Japanese poachers in the waters of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Komatsu’s statement that the whalers are trying to make Sea Shepherd’s activities as costly as possible is ludicrous. Sea Shepherd is not a profit-making corporation and we spend what resources are available to us on our campaign, no more and no less. Cost is not a factor. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is getting stronger every year. This year, Sea Shepherd fielded three vessels and lost one. Next year we may have four vessels. As for the loss of a vessel, the Shepherd position is that boats are expendable - the whales are not!

Source.

"I'm frustrated by the stubbornness of the Japanese." 

My Crocheting Journey...

A cardigan-turned-shawl-halfway. ^^|||

A rose... adds cuteness to the shawl.

A pair of angel wings... 

I had failed in my attempt to crochet a cardigan for my baby, again. I just can't seem to get the number of stitches correct. In the end, I thought, well heck, let's turn it to a shawl then. Anyway the function is to keep the cold out hahaha.

"I will try until I succeed!"

秋天别来 - 侯湘婷

I first heard this song a few years ago. I was working OT that day, and napping at the canteen during break time. Suddenly, a loud but soothing music erupted from the jukebox. I woke up and realised that I was alone in the canteen. Everybody else went back to work. But I stayed on and finished listening to the song.

I fell in love with the song immediately.

But I wasn't well-versed in the mandarin music scene. I had no idea what song was that and who sang it. I tried asking friends, with me attempting to hum the chorus but to no avail. Finally, today, I saw someone singing this song on a Taiwanese show!

It is a beautiful song. I especially love the piano accompaniment at the beginning.

"Best listened alone. Just you and the song."

My Birthday

It's my birthday~! Happy Birthday to myself.

"Not alone."

Cardigan Gone Wrong

Haha. It wasn't supposed to be a "mini" cardigan but a baby one. Guess I got the wrong yarn. But I thought I'd give it a try and fortunately, this warm-up exercise allowed me to see my mistakes so I won't make them in my actual project. It is so cute, about the size of my palm. I didn't bother adding the long sleeves though, since it was already non-conforming to the specs.


"Try again."