Homemade Buns

Mung Bean Buns

Normal buns (dinner rolls)

This is what I've been busying myself with the last 2 days. The kids have not really been eating the bread loaves I've been making. So, I decided to make sweet buns instead. Looks like I can't make them fast enough. They are gone in a wink of an eye. Just as I take them out of the oven, I will have one kid ask "Mommy, can I eat one now?"

The first batch was made with just bread flour and mung bean filling. Then Sis. Joyce suggested that I mix in some wholemeal flour so the kids' little tummies would feel more full. Tried that and the buns still came out good.

Okay, if you have a breadmaker and want to try making these buns, here is the recipe.

BUN RECIPE
2/3 cups water
2 eggs (beaten)
2 tbsp butter (my butter was hard so I just broke it into chunks)
3 cups bread flour/high protein flour (if you want some wholemeal, make it 2 3/4 cups bread flour, 1/4 cups wholemeal flour)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp yeast

If you want to add some filling, this is what you do. The filling could be red bean, mung bean, chicken floss (expensive) etc.... After the dough is ready, just pinch out a small ball of dough. Oh, put some butter on your hands so it doesn't stick to your fingers. Okay, flatten out the small ball of dough on the palm of your hands. Add in some filling. Fold the dough up to cover the filling. Then, flatten the dough slightly. How big the balls of dough depends on how big the buns you want.
Arrange them on your baking tray. Brush on some egg white on top of the balls of dough (this will give you the nice brown color on top). If you want, you can add to the taste by sprinkling on some sesame seeds (looks pretty too). Leave them on the tray and cover with a cloth for about 30-45 minutes. You'll see the balls of dough grow in size.
Pop them in the oven. Bake 200 degrees for about 15 minutes (until the top is a nice light brown color).

This is how you eat them: OPEN WIDE WIDE... AUM!

Get A Read or Spell Software for F.R.E.E.

Just a heads up for parents with children who are just learning to read and spell. Head over to this blog post of mine to learn how you can get a free ClickN Kids account:

Free Reading & Spelling Program Giveaway from ClickN KIDS

Do You Think Of Death?

Do you have grim, morbid moments? I do. When I was little, I remember waking up one night crying because I dreamed my mother died. My daughter has had a dream like that too. She dreamed I died and she woke up crying. Sometimes, I would ponder... what would happen if my husband died or if I were to lose one of my children. I wonder if I would be able to bear the pain? My parents are getting older everyday. I know one day in the near future, I will have to see them go. Can we ever be ready to handle death?

A friend of mine passed away a few days ago. Earlier in the year, a friend's sister lost her son. I cannot fathom the grief the family is going through. Are there any words that can bring comfort?

Easter is just around the corner and reminds us that Christ has overcome the bands of death for us. We will all be resurrected. There is the hope that families can be together forever. HOWEVER, we will still feel the emotions of losing a loved one.

During those days of mourning, I would think hiring a professional like Funeral Agent is important. I know I will be too devastated to even think how to plan a funeral. It will definitely be helpful if someone else could handle stuff like transporting deceased , paperwork and funeral services. All these things needs to be done competently and with compassion. The last thing you need is more stress.

I pray I will have the strength to face such trial when the time comes. May we all find peace and joy this Easter season.

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"
(John 11:25)

*Brought to you by your friends at funeralagent.com

Mommy, SNAKE!

We had a snake "almost" come into the house yesterday. We were in the living room when our opposite neighbor came calling to tell us our rabbit had run to our next door neighbors house. Next thing I know, my girl is yelling (with real terror in her voice), "Mommy, SNAKE!" At first I thought she was playing a practical joke on her siblings (like she always do) but I looked anyway and saw the snake curled around the grill of the front door.

I quickly asked my neighbor to back away. Yelled for DH to come down. Like a hero, he came to save the day. He managed to kill the snake with a "cangkul" (hoe). Thank goodness it was a baby snake and didn't know how to retaliate yet. We don't know what kind of snake it was. Definitely not the harmless green garden snake. This one was black.

I shudder to think where the mother is. Or if there are other baby snakes. I thank Heavenly Father that we saw it while it was on the grill door. I'm thankful that it didn't slither into the house somewhere to hide in a corner. I'm grateful my DH was around to take care of the problem.

The rabbit was at my neighbor's house probably to escape from the snake. We tried to coax her back but she wouldn't budge. My neighbor said it looked like she was "menggigil" (shivering). Don't know what the snake was doing at my house. Looking to have a nice "rabbit" dinner or maybe "hamster" dinner? Whatever reason it came to my house, it gave me a reason to stop my son from singing Lady Gaga's song. I said all his "ula ulala" made the snake think he was calling him. Afterall, in Malay, "ular" means snake.

The dead snake in the "longkang" (drain).
Who can tell me what snake is this?

MAMA'S PARENTING TIP:

• Tell your children the story about The Boy Who Cried Wolf. It's not funny when the wolf (or snake) is real.
• Make everything into an educational opportunity. Time for me to do a lesson on snakes.
  

Funny T-Shirts For Boring Wardrobe

I like wearing T-shirts. It's comfortable and practical for my "work". It is perfect for cooking, cleaning and running around in this crazy heat. However, there are days when I look into my cupboard and wonder what to wear? Most of the t shirts are plain colored. Some have a little design to it. Sadly I admit, my t shirt collection is quite boring.

Maybe it would help to add a fun shirt like Nerdyshirts funny tshirts. The amount of time I'm spending on the computer these days, I could qualify to be a nerd. But no, the t-shirts there are not just for nerds. It is for anyone who wants a break from their boring t-shirts. They have a white t-shirt with graphics that make you look like you're wearing a working shirt with a black tie. They also have movie t-shirts such as The Hangover t-shirts. That one is quite cool. It makes you look like you have a baby strapped to you. New moms probably won't buy that though. They already have real babies strapped to them. Hahaha.

You know, sometimes life gets busy that we forget to laugh. Just yesterday I looked in the rear view mirror of the car and noticed I'm getting frown lines on my forehead. So, if your life could use a little humor, maybe a funny t-shirt will help. Why not take a humor break now and look at some funny pictures.

*Brought to you by your friends at Nerdyshirts.com

Baby Updates

We finally got around to cutting babyK's fringe. It is no more poking into her eyes but they are also no more wispy looking. I'm bummed about that. She looks so different after the cut. Just goes to show the influence of hairstyles on a person's look. Yeah, I know she still looks cute:)

SHE CAN SIT!!!!!
This is like one of the best milestones for baby. Errr... actually, best milestone for mommy because when we go out shopping, I don't have to carry her that much anymore. She can sit on the shopping cart. Such wonderful relief for my achy arms. However, she's not that steady yet. She will sometimes throw herself backwards. So we still have to kinda support her.
Oh, and that toy musical box she's playing with... that's her sister's. K got it for her 1st birthday. It was a gift from my brother. Can you imagine? That toy has lasted 8 years, through 3 different kids. The battery hasn't worn out and it is still working. Talk about a long lasting toy.

Time To Baby Proof The Home

I was just thinking the other day, in about 3-4 months, babyK will probably be walking. Her older 3 siblings all started walking between 9-10 months. This means we need to again increase our vigilance. It is time to once again look at my home and think what needs baby proofing.

• The baby gate for the stairs need to be installed again.
• Kids like to stick their fingers into "holes" like electrical outlets. I'll need some caps for that.
• They like to play with wires. Need to make sure that all wires are neatly tucked away.
• Look to see which furniture corner needs cushion. You know kids, they run without looking where they are going.
• Keep nagging the kids not to leave stuff on the floor, especially small things that baby can choke on.
• Make sure medication is stored at a place where children can't reach.
• Anything that is poisonous need to be kept properly like Clorox, detergents and cleaning products.
• Check existing toys for choking hazards.
  

It is scary that so many potential accidents can happen in the home. In fact, children are more likely to get hurt at home than outdoors.

If you are wondering how to baby proof your home, you can take a look at KidSafe. They offer the largest online selection of quality baby proofing products and child safety tips. Safety 1st, KidCo, Evenflo and Mommy's Helper are some of the brands they carry. You'll find stuff like Baby Gates, Child Safety Locks, Corner Cushions, Outlet Covers, TV Guards, Door Locks, Appliance Locks, Window Guards and much more. You might want to check out their KidSafe Blog too. They highlight stuff like product recalls, hazardous products, home safety tips and child safety products.

*Brought to you by your friends at kidsafeinc.com

Hyperactive Kid?

There are times when I get worried about my eldest son. He can't sit still and seem to bounce of the walls (and my bed!). I keep telling him the chair is for his butt and not his head or his feet. Yes, he rarely sits down normally. He is either upside down, facing backwards or with his feet on the chair. He also always gets the "do-you-have-ants-in-your-pants" comment from me. His pants doesn't last very long. The knees always gets worn out because he likes to be on the floor (even in public). He was also having holes in his shirt because he kept chewing it. Thank goodness he has sort of stopped doing that now (after many, many angry reminders from me).

I get worried about his aggression too. Sometimes he gets sooooo angry. If he was a whistling kettle, he'd be going "WoooOOOOOOOOooooooOOOOOO" with steam coming out his ears. And his "default" way to handle it is to hit someone.

He likes to make funny sounds; you'd think he had a built-in sound effects system. His mouth can be like a radio that doesn't have an "off" button. Usually, it's on "repeat" mode. For example, he has been singing Lady Gaga's "Oola oolala, rama ramama". And it's that same 1-2 phrase/lines over and over again. (Mommy is going "aiyo-aiyoyo). Talking about yo-yo, there are times when his emotions are like a yo-yo; one minute he is high, the next minute his mood changes to an ugly low.

BUT, he is not always like that. He has his good-boy moments too. Plus, I've not had any complaints from his teachers. He can sit down and read or draw when he wants to. When I give him work to do, he can focus.

It's just those times when he seems to be out-of-control that gets me worried. Even a church friend agreed that maybe I should get him evaluated for hyperactivity.

Soooooooo........... we took him to see a pediatrician yesterday. Guess what? He was on his best behavior. He sat down nicely, quietly and spoke with the doctor decently. Of course the doctor thought me and DH were nuts to bring in such a good boy to be evaluated for hyperactivity.

Well dear Doctor.... YOU'VE BEEN CONNED. My son even admitted that he had cheated the doctor. Sigh! Maybe he is not hyperactive afterall, just very cunning and too much energy. The other day he said to me "Mommy, why are you sleeping? It's only 2pm. It's not even night time yet."

One good thing came out from taking him to the doctor. He had some good advise for my son. Doctor said "Don't watch television, don't play computer games and no fighting. Read more books and listen to music". I paid RM35 for that advise. Ironically, that's what I've been telling my kids all these while. I guess when a doctor says it, it sounds more authoritative. When mom says it, it's nagging :)

MAMA'S PARENTING TIPS FOR LESS HYPERACTIVE CHILDREN:

• No TV
• No computer games
• No fighting
• Read more books
• Listen to music
• Give them more attention
  

Need Help Setting Up Your Own Blog?

You know that people are making money through blogs. I'm sure you'd like to get in on the action too right? Well, the first thing you need is to get your own blog. Of course you can use one that is hosted by blogger or wordpress, but it is recommended that you get your own hosting.

If you feel overwhelmed by all that's involved in getting started, do not fret. My friend Kelly has a great opportunity for you to make the leap in style. All the hard work of installation and theme set up will be done for you - you'll even be able to watch!

It's all part of Blog Week - a special event running from March 15th to 19th. You won't believe the deal she's put together for you. It includes you domain, three months of hosting and a blog set up. Click here to learn more: HELP ME SET UP A MONEY MAKING BLOG

P.S. If you're not sure how to make money through blogs, she's also got another deal where you can upgrade your deal and access her Blog Internship. She'll teach you how to blog, how to promote your blog and how to make money with your blogs.

What you waiting for? Go check it out NOW.


*Yes, the links are affiliate links.

What Would Your Custom T-Shirt Say?

I love this baby onesie that says "bad hair day". It's really perfect for babyK as she really does have some bad hair days. I have another one that says "I love Daddy". Obviously I bought that to "polish daddy's shoes"; motivation for him to take care of her more often so I can have some free time. Heheheh.

So anyway, I was thinking, if you had to write something on your T-shirt, what would it say?

I was looking at some Cafepress custom t-shirts and saw some that might suit me. There's one that says "I'm not bossy. I just know what you should be doing." And I'm sure my daughter would reply with the T-shirt that says " All I hear is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah..." :)

There are some food t-shirts as well. There's a cute one that says "Cereal Killer". DH would probably wear the one that says "Got Chili?" He can really eat spicy stuff. As for me, I would definitely wear the one that says "Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." Some days I would need a shirt that says "What to cook?" If you're a mom who cooks everyday, you'll know what I mean. Sometimes you just want to get away from cooking the same ol' stuff. That's when websites like the Food Network comes in handy.

Other sayings that should be on my T-shirts:

• Go to sleep
• No, you can't use the computer
• They're not my children. I'm just babysitting
• I make milk. What's your super power.
• I'm not nagging. I'm just reminding.
• I'm baby food.

So, what would your T-shirt say?


Brought to you by your friends at cafepress.com

Baby is 6 Months Old

Baby is now 6 months old. Gone is that little baby I once held in my arms. BabyK is getting big. Went for her hepatitis B jab yesterday at the clinic and they weighed her in at 7.5kg.

Gave baby her first taste of solid food. Mixed some rice cereal along with breastmilk. She took it with no problem. I can see she is sooooo ready to eat. No gagging or pushing the food out with her tongue. Plus, she tries to grab the spoon herself. When I'm drinking water, she will try to grab my cup too. Once in a while I've given her plain water to drink. Unfortunately she ends up playing with the bottle more than drinking the water. Nevermind, at least she is exposed to the taste of plain water.

So, what else is this little girl doing at 6 months?

• Discovered her feet. Feet are now a source of entertainment. They seem to taste pretty good too.
• Little explorer. Can't crawl yet but she can move around. She will either tumble around or "worm" around on her tummy. In our home office, she's discovered where we keep the recycled papers (right at the bottom of the book shelf). She will constantly "navigate" herself there to rustle, crumple and eat the papers. If not, she will head over to my chair and try to lick it. I really have to keep 2 eyes on her. I need to grow more eyes and hands. An octopus baby needs an octopus mommy, ya know.
  
• Likes to put her hands on our face and mouth.
• Getting sticky. We're hearing more often the "I want mommy" cry.
• Discovered her voice. It can be pretty noisy when she decides to test out her vocals. A few nights ago I heard her say "Ah mama". I swear that's what she said. Last night I thought I heard her say "nen nen". I'm hoping she learns to say "papa" first. That way, she'll call papa every time she needs a diaper change or a bath or whatever. Heheheheh.
• Can sit up but with support.
• Sense of anticipation. I like to play with her "Round and round the garden, goes the teddy bear". When I say "one step, two step", she already anticipates that I will tickle her next.
  

Chilling out with the BIG teddy bear.

Mama's Parenting Tips

• Siblings really need to learn NOT to leave things on the floor. Baby puts everything in her mouth.
• Mop your floor everyday. Yes, when baby becomes mobile, mommy has more work to do.
• Sing nursery rhymes to baby. You can also start reading to baby.
• Instead of giving baby a pacifier, give baby a good rubber teething ring. I wish they had Sophie the Giraffe here.
• Don't give baby juice to drink. They'll get used to the sweet taste and won't want to drink plain water later on.
  
• When baby gets sticky, a baby sling becomes very handy.
  

Printable Games For Birthdays

What is the most important thing at a kid's birthday party? FOOD!

What is the next most important thing? GAMES!

It's no secret that kids need to be entertained at a party. You're asking for trouble if you invite a bunch of kids over and then leave them to entertain themselves. Here is one solution for you: Printable Birthday Party Games.

If you don't want to waste your energy thinking of what games to play, then take a look at the games below. These are easy and fun games. You can quickly finish your task of coming up with games using the resource below. Just click on the affiliate links below to get what you need. Have a fun birthday bash!
Printable Birthday Games

The Deluxe Birthday Party Games Collection - $19.95 Our entire collection of 44 printable games is included in this collection! Includes all our fabulously illustrated Birthday and Over-The-Hill games, plus the Personalize It! games. As many printouts of as many games as you want. Start printing as soon as you order

Birthday Picture Bingo-$6.99 A bingo for all ages to enjoy, even the youngest players. All squares have pictures so even the younger players can be a part of the fun. Call Card with pictures included. Start printing as soon as you order!

Birthday Charades & Pictionary - $ 6.99 Keep the entire group entertained for hours! Kids can play in teams or individually in this fun game of charades or pictionary with over 90 different cards. Start printing as soon as you order!

Birthday Hunt - $ 6.99 Turn out the lights and get your flashlights ready, it's time to find the Birthday Cake! Players search in the dark for paper cake cut-outs that were secretly placed around the party area. Start printing as soon as you order!

It's Easier To Shop Online

Shopping for young children these days is so convenient. I just have to sit in front of my monitor and click-click here and click-click there. I don't have to deal with restless children in the car. No need to pack 1001 things like diaper bag or snacks. Don't have to stress that the kids are playing kung-fu in the shop. No need to worry if can find parking space or not. I can just sit calmly and take my time browsing the internet for baby and children stuff.

The only problem is you cannot feel and inspect the product first. However, if you buy well known brands, you can usually trust the quality. Yeah, they may be a bit pricey but they usually last longer. You don't know how many toys my children have got that didn't last more than a week. Heck, some didn't even make it past 24 hours. For example, grandma bought a toy helicopter for D2's birthday last year. It had lights, sound and could move. The next day, the body fell apart. Another example, we bought D1 a toy martial arts set that had a plastic sword. Not long after, it broke at the handle. So, when it comes to buying toys for children, try to get good ones that are durable. If not it's like being "penny wise but pound foolish".

Anyway, back to shopping online. It's amazing what you find sometimes. I came across a website that sells Jellycat. Do you know what's a Jellycat? Sounds like something you can eat ya? But no, it's actually a very popular brand of plush toys. Some people collect them. Every year they come out with 2 new designs.They are really, really soft and come in different sizes. The truffle dog looks really cute and hugable.

There's also the Appaman brand of clothing. Apparently, celebrity parents love to buy these. Maddox and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt have been seen to wear it. Feedback says that it's very durable and it is easy to get stains off the fabric. The designs are trendy and most important, kids find it very comfortable to wear.

Barefoot Dreams is another brand that has been used by celebrity children. Their products include luxurious blankets, throws, robes, hoodies and v-necks for children. Suri Cruise (daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise) has been photographed adorning their BambooChic Toddler Hoodie. I guess they, like so many other parents, cannot resist the super soft fabric. I wouldn't mind a cozy, soft blanket for myself.

Well, that's my little find for today. One last tip before I go, to save money shopping online, don't forget to look for coupon codes and sites that offer free shipping.

*Brought to you by your friends at http://www.loulouscorner.com/

The Wrong Way To Protect Your House

DH decided to net up the gate so we could let our rabbit roam free. When I looked out to see what the rabbit was doing, I saw her at the gate, looking out very intently. I thought, "Wow, we have a guard rabbit."

But then DH told me to take a closer look. Actually, she was keeping an eye on the cat outside. I wonder what the cat was thinking? And I wonder what the rabbit was thinking?

Cat: What long ears you have? And where's your tail? Can you meow? You walk funny.
Rabbit: Have you never seen a rabbit before? And no you can't come in. This is my territory.

The Size Of Farts

Poooot.

D2: (Looking at D1) Ewwww
D1: Not me-lah. It's baby. I don't fart small-small.
Me: Then? You fart big-big?
D1: No, I fart medium. You think I fart like "kerbau" ah?
Me: Wakakakaka.

Why he used the word "kerbau"? Because his teacher told the class not to "mandi kerbau".

Translation:
kerbau = buffalo
mandi kerbau = To bath like a buffalo meaning to not bath properly.

Baby is 5 Months Old

Baby is now 5 months old and weigh 7kg. She was a very good traveler when we "balik kampung" for the Chinese New Year celebration. Slept in the car almost the whole time.

So, what is baby up to at 5 months?

• Loves to grab things. I just love to see how she concentrates, trying to improve her hand-eye coordination. The baby gym has come in handy. Play time now is mostly dangling something in front of her to grab.
  
• She can turn onto her stomach and then back again easily. So, we have to be more careful where we put her down. Don't want her falling off the bed or sofa. Usually we just put her down on a mattress that's on the floor.
• Everything she grabs goes into her mouth.
  
• Loves to play peek-a-boo. She will laugh.
• Beginning to recognize people. Just this past week, she started to cry when other people carried her. She didn't do that before. I guess the "glue" is beginning to form :)
• Doesn't sleep much during the day. Her naps are fantastically short; sometimes it is only for 10 minutes. But she sleeps well at night.
• She's starting to wear "bigger" clothes. I had to go through my "storage" of old clothes to see which ones she can fit now. Found some nice dresses. It is more fun to dress a baby girl than to dress baby boys. Hahahahah.
  
• Likes to stand. Grandma keeps complaining that she'll grow up to be bow legged.
  
• Likes us to stand when we carry her. She'll sound her "siren" if we sit down too long.

When we went back home for CNY, both grandmas complained how baby's hair was too long and was making her hot. So, out came the scissors and snip-snip. Daddy was the hairdesser. I had to convince him not to shave her head like what he does with the boys. Take a look at the "before" and "after" photos.

BEFORE

Her hair doesn't stand up so much anymore.

Hair only stands up in the morning. Talk about bad morning hair. Hahahah.

"Messy long hair makes me hot mama."

AFTER

Gone are the cute curls.

Daddy's boy style hair cut.

But the front still very long. We didn't cut the front. Will have to eventually coz' it's getting into her eyes. Baby says "Don't I look nice now?"

Need To Shrink Your Phone Bill?

Save money, save money, save money! That's what everyone is trying to do these days. One way to achieve that is by being a smarter shopper. Unfortunately, it can be quite confusing when trying to compare and choose certain services like credit cards, savings accounts and cell phone plans. All the different companies bombard you with enticing offers left, right and center. Which one to choose?

Life is busy enough... yes, even for us stay at home moms. The last thing I want to do is sit down and maul over which is the cheapest cell phone plans. Bad enough I have to think what to cook everyday. Well, if you want a personalized recommendation for credit cards, savings accounts and CDs, cell phone service and even gas stations, you should take a look at BillShrink.com. They have made it easy for you to choose the best deal. They have you answer a few questions to learn about your situation and needs and then offer recommendations that will save you money.

Now, the website also features an area for business owners. You can go there and have them recommend business credit cards options that will improve your bottom line.

Just in case you are wondering, their recommendations are independent and unbiased. So, to my American friends out there, if you are looking to save a little money, have a look here and see if this is a good resource.

*Brought to you by your friends at Billshrink.com

Scrapping My Lil' Chomper

I used My Memories Suite to do this scrapbook page. Click here to see my step-by-step tutorial on how I did this layout: How To Digital Scrapbook With My Memories Suite

BabyK is my first baby to suck her thumb. Well, sometimes it's more chewing than sucking. The 2 questions I always get when people see her gnawing away are:

• Is she hungry?
• Is she teething?

Neither. She's just at that stage ya'know. I've tried teething rings but she can't hold them properly yet. Her favorite are either her fingers or ours. Anyway, I caught this picture of her so cutely chomping away. I hope it's not going to be a habit that is hard to break.

Securing Your Memories Online

Last time, in the days of our parents and grandparents, when you wanted to walk down memory lane, you opened up the photo albums. Unfortunately, photos don't say much about the memory being captured. I remember always asking my mother "who is this?" and "who is that?" when looking at photos of my ancestors. Sometimes she would answer "I don't know".

Nowadays, we parents are blessed with technology that make record keeping a breeze. We can do digital scrapbooks and write blogs to note down those special family moments.

My Heart Will has taken record keeping one step further. Using their services, you can store your journals, photographs, audio and video recordings, and scrapbooks securely for 10 years. What you upload there is not open for everyone to see. It's an online safe box and only those whom you give visitor status can view the information.

You can use it as a Time Capsule. That means you can write personal messages for your children, husband, grandchildren and have that message delivered at a certain time in the future like their graduation, birthday, wedding day etc.... Pretty cool. So, in a way, you can still live on even when you're already dead. Reminds me of a show where the father died (from illness) when his son was just a baby. So he left video recordings for his son and the mother would play them during his birthdays.

Many of us parents are blogging about our children's milestones. It is scary to think what might happen if our blogs were suddenly wiped out one day. Have you been doing backups? Plus, sometimes it is not so nice (and not very safe) to blog about too personal things. This online safe box is an interesting concept. If this sounds interesting, click here to read more about My Heart Will Store Memories.

* Brought to your by your friends at myheartwill.com

Baby Gym

Mom's got me working out too hard. This is what you call "play-till-you-drop" concept.

Steps To Making Homemade Bread With Breadmaker

Ok, I promised I would put up the steps to making plain white bread with my bread maker. Here it is:

This is what the whole unit looks like.

It comes with a measuring cup and measuring spoon. You just take the bread pan out to put all the ingredients in.

First to go in is 1 1/3 cups of water and 1 tbsp of vegetable oil.

Next is 1 tsp salt, 3 1/3 cups of bread flour, 1 tsp sugar and top it off with 2 tsp of yeast.

Put the bread pan back into the bread maker.

These are all the buttons for different selections. The first button on the right is for you to select the bread's crust color: Light, Medium, Dark. This time round I chose to make a "light" crust. Next is "menu". By default it is set to "basic" setting which is what you use for plain white bread. Other settings are like "french bread", "wholewheat bread" etc.... You have 12 settings. If you want to make buns or pizza dough, you can have the bread maker knead the dough for you and then you put the dough in the oven.
You can also set the timer on. For example, you can put all the ingredients in the night before and have the bread ready in the morning. So, let's say you put all the stuff in at 10pm and you want to eat it at 7am. You just set the timer to 9 hours. Once your press the start button, you can see the timer counting down.

There is a window at the top so you can see what is happening.

Simple white bread will take 3 hours to be ready. The bread maker will beep to let you know it's done. Then it will keep the bread warm another 60 minutes if you don't take it out yet. Oh, forgot to mention that the machine will beep at 2 different times. The first time is to let you know that you can add extra ingredients if you want such as nuts or whatever you fancy. So, don't panic if you hear it beep the first time and see that it's not ready yet :)

Okay, so here is the finished product: nice warm bread. You take the bread pan out and let it cool down for like 5 minutes. Then you turn it upside down to "dunk" the bread out to cool on a rack. If you leave it inside the bread pan or on the table, the bottom will be wet from the steam. So remember, you have to let the bread cool on a cooling rack.

Ok gals, hope that is what you were looking for. Very simple.

Funny Conversation With Kids

On the way to "pasar malam" yesterday, this is a conversation we had in the car. Don't even know how we got to that topic.

D1: Mommy, a teacher died in the toilet
Me: Huh? Who told you that?
D1: Another teacher. He said a teacher died in the toilet because of the smell.
Me: What? Died because of the smell?
D1: Yeah, we cannot go to the toilet so many times. One teacher, one time only. For example, if I go to the toilet when teacher xxx is there, then if I want to go again cannot. But if it's another teacher, then can.
Daddy: You all don't flush the toilets izzit? Nobody wash the toilets ah?
JiejieK: Ya, nobody wash. The toilet "memang" smelly. Every time I go I have to hold my breath.
D1: Oh, I don't do that. I just smell.
Me and daddy: Wakakakakakakaka

And D1 innocently asked, why you all laughing?

The Aroma Of Homemade Bread

For the longest time I've wanted to get a breadmaker. Well, I finally got one. Tesco came out with their own brand and it only costs RM199. That's real cheap compared to other brands, and there's not much choice here in Malaysia.

So, how did my bread turn out? Take a look.

So far I've only done simple white bread. Turns out quite nice. I want to do whole wheat bread because it's healthier. Unfortunately stupid me bought the wrong thing when I went to the baking shop. I was suppose to get whole wheat flour, I got whole wheat instead. Anybody knows what I can do with whole wheat?

Just in case you're wondering how to make bread with a breadmaker, here's basically what you do: Throw in the ingredients in the recommended order (read the instruction manual). Mine says to put liquids first (water, oil, milk), then the dry stuff (flour, salt, sugar) and last of all, yeast on top. Press a few buttons to select the mode and color of crust. Then, press start. Walla! 3 hours later, you have nice, warm bread to eat.

I am going to enjoy my breadmaking the next few weeks. Anybody have a nice breadmaker recipe, please share.

Chinese New Year Decorations

My Chinese New Year decorations every year is very minimal. I usually take 3 angpows, clip them together then string them up. Well, this year I'm inspired by Mumsgather. She wrote a post about how she and the kids spent some time doing angpow crafts. So this year, I taught the kids how to make fish angpows. You can get the instructions here. Here they are hanging on my wall:

When they were done, my girl counted and proudly declared they had made 44. Mommy immediately said "choi, choi, not a good number, make some more." KokoD also made some. But in the end I had to "repair" a lot of his work. I also tried making an angpow lantern. Here is how it turned out:

Mamas Parenting Tip:
Fish angpows are very easy to do. I would say suitable for children 6 years and up. Must be able to handle scissors well and avoid stapling their own fingers :)

Need To Catch Some Lizards?

The other day my daughter walked into the kitchen to get a snack and then came quickly running out while giving the most fearful scream "AAaaaaaaaaargh". This is what she saw:

Sorry, this picture may not be for the squeemish.

This was a box of chocolate almond cookies given to me as a birthday present. I believe my little son had some the night before and may not have closed the lid properly. Anyway, I can understand if there was only one lizard inside. Maybe it got caught by accident. But THREE lizards???? I don't think this was an accident. I think they were after my cookies! And here I thought that lizards only ate insects.

Anyway, I closed the lid tight and left them in there to die (Ewww, no way I was going to let them out). These hardy creatures lived several more days. KokoD observed them like a science experiment those few days. He noticed the cookies were getting less and less. Which confirms the fact that THEY EAT COOKIES!

Anyway, if you are looking for a lizard trap, this could be a solution. This is probably the most bizarre way to catch lizards. Actually, it's not even proven to be successful. Maybe this is just a one time thing or maybe it's just the lizards in my house. I'm definitely not trying again to see if it works.

My first thoughts when I saw those lizards.... "Thank goodness I already ate most of those cookies".

The Power of Rewards

Image via Wikipedia

Last Sunday, when we wanted to return the library books, one book was missing. It was a Magic Treehouse book that K borrowed. We did the usual "interrogation":

• When was the last time you read it?
• Did you read it upstairs or downstairs?
• Did you read it in the car?
• Did you leave it at church?
• Did you take it to school?
• Is it on your bed?
• Have you checked under the sofa cushions?
• What about under the chairs, tv, trampoline etc....
  
• Did you loan it to any of your friends?
• Is it with all our books on the bookshelves?
• Try to remember where you put it.
• KokoD1, KokoD2, did you guys take it? Have you seen it?
• Are you sure you looked properly or not?
  

Then there was the scolding too:

• That's why lah, you always leave your things everywhere.
• Why didn't you just put it back after reading?
• Why are you sitting down again, keep looking lah!
• You have to be more responsible.
• Why didn't you look for it yesterday? Why must you wait until we are leaving the house before you start searching for it?
• Stop whining and giving excuses. Just look for it.
  

Let's not forget the threats too:

• I'm not going to tell the lady at the library the book is lost. You go tell her yourself.
• If you don't find the book, they are going to ban your library card.

Daddy was very kind NOT to report the lost book that day. He told K that she has 1 week to look for the book. If still cannot be found, then only will he let the library know about it. Unfortunately, kids being kids, this girl of mine don't really appreciate the "life line" that has been thrown to her. There still is no urgency to look for the book. She goes on like it's no big deal. Not much effort given to looking for the book.

It has been quite baffling where that book has gone. I know it is in the house. How come we can't find it? Well, I had an idea. While K was in school, I announced to my 2 boys that I would buy a Cornetto or Slurpee to the person who finds the book. Guess what? THE BOOK WAS FOUND WITHIN 10 MINUTES. Where was it? In my girl's bedroom, on one of the bookshelves, between some of the books.

I then asked KokoD1, "What would you like? The Cornetto or Slurpee?"
You know what he said? "Mommy, what is a Cornetto?"
Hahahah, see the power of rewards? He didn't even know what it was. He just knew it was something good and he wanted it.

The moral of this story and Mama's Parenting Tip for today:
Rewards work better than interrogation and threats!

Be Smart When Shopping Online

Today, I bought online a baby gym for babyK. I've been trying to make up my mind for a few days now, wondering whether to buy one or not. Spent a few hours this morning, checking out who else sells the item and if it is worth buying at all.

Do you take a long time before you decide to buy something online too? Me, I'm just trying to be as prudent as I can with my spending. In today's economic situation, we must try to save where and when we can right?

If you're going to buy something, it would be helpful to look around for the best deal. What makes good deals?

• Discounted prices
• Rewards/Redemption program
• Free Shipping
• Free Gifts or Bonuses
  
• Coupons

Coupons is something we don't think much about but it is a good way to save some money. Some merchants have you type in a coupon code when you buy their stuff online. Some merchants have you print out the coupon.

Valentine's Day is coming. Why not lessen the damage on your pocket with Savings Valentine's Day coupons? Love shopping at the Gap? Then use some GAP coupons. A 10% savings is better than nothing. If you're lucky, you may even save up to 50%-80%. So, search out those coupons the next time you wanna purchase something.

Happy shopping and savings everyone!

*This message was brought to you by your friends at Savings.com

I Don't Dare

Every day when I send my children to school, I see a few kids their age cycling to school. Now, the school is not too far from my house. So, if I wanted the kids to cycle to school, it wouldn't be too far for them; probably a 10-15 minutes ride.

BUT I don't dare ask such a thing of them. I would get a heart attack every time I think of a car that might knock them down. Then there is also the worry that someone might kidnap them. And what if they accidentally fell down and hurt themselves that they couldn't walk back home. Or what if it rains?

I asked kokoD1 hypothetically, "Would you cycle to school if I asked you to?" He answered, "No, I don't know where to park my bicycle at school?" (*slaps forehead*). Obviously we are not worried about the same things :)

Anyway, if you had the option of allowing your child to cycle to school, would you? Dare or don't dare?

Do You Have A Special Valentine's Day Memory?

Image via Wikipedia

What has been your most memorable Valentine's Day? For me, I'm still waiting for my DH to give me a romantic surprise. Maybe I'm thinking all wrong. Instead of waiting for him to give me a surprise, maybe I should be the one to give him a surprise.

Anyway, Valentine's Day is coming up fast and I know there are a lot of guys out there thinking "what can I do to make Valentine's Day special for my girlfriend/wife?" Well, let me give you some ideas on what would make any girl happy (these would serve as hints for my DH too).

A Day At The Spa
We ladies like the thought of having a good massage and being pampered. A treat at the spa doesn't have to be for one person. Make it a date and go together.

Romantic Weekend Getaway
Book yourselves a place in a nice hotel. If you are married with kids, arrange to leave the kids with someone you can trust. Enjoy some down time together.

Fresh Flowers With Balloons
I know flowers are such a traditional gift. So what? Doesn't mean we ladies don't like it. How often do we get a bunch of sweet smelling flowers. It doesn't always have to be roses. If you know what her favorite flower is, get those. You can top it off with balloons. Make it more special by writing your love messages on the balloons. Fill her bedroom with all the balloons.

Special Dinner
If your wife is like me who cooks everyday, give her a break. Treat her to a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. You'll make her more happy if you also bought her a new dress to wear to the dinner. Alternatively, you can cook the special dinner yourself. Just make sure you are a good cook first.

A Scrapbook
These days it is so easy to make a digital scrapbook. Why not create one to highlight all the things you love about her. Journal how you feel for her, why she makes you happy, what were your thoughts the first time you met her, why is she special to you and what are your wishes for her. You can make the scrapbook into a slide show and even add her favorite music. If not, print it out into a photobook.

I believe that we should go through life creating special memories. This Valentine's Day is an opportunity for you to create a wonderful memory for your loved one. Unfortunately, the downturn in the economy may make it difficult for you to do certain things. So, you either have to be creative with your tight budget or you could opt for a cash advance.

Message for husbands:
Don't let your wife end up like me. I have no special memory of Valentine's Day... yet. Create a special memory for her; One that she will remember when she's old. Just imagine her sitting down on a rocking chair one day, telling her grandchildren about the day grandpa....

What's More Important?

Conversation between KokoD and myself today:

Me: I would like you to do some work before you start playing on the computer. Because if you play first, then you will be too tired to do any work.
KokoD: I think I better play first. If I do work first, then I will be too tired to play computer.

Obviously, this mother and son has different ideas of what is important. Which makes me wonder too, when did I stop thinking that play was more important than work? Hmmm.....

When Bad Things Become Good

Cover of It Could Have Been Worse

I was reading about the Dragon Boat tragedy in the papers the other day and one of the victim's father made a comment that got me pondering. He mentioned how he would scold his son for spending too much time playing computer games and that prompted the son to sign up for the dragon boat activity. He said he wished he had left his son to play computer games. That way, his son would still be alive.

I guess it struck me because I am one of those parents who dislike the idea of my children gazing hypnotically at the computer screen for hours on end. I don't mind them playing for about 1 hour. However, I would also encourage them to do other "better" things like reading books, activities that require some imagination and creativity, help me clean up the house (their least favorite thing to do of course) and physical activities.

Well, this father's comment got me thinking that maybe, playing computer games is not too bad afterall:

• You know where they are. Having them at home is better than not knowing where they are or having them engage in dangerous or inappropriate activities.
• They can't get injured playing computer games. Their eye sight may deteriorate a little and they may suffer from carpal tunnel later on, but nothing that will have them end up in the hospital.
• Some computer games can aid their spacial abilities and hand-eye coordination (I think).

My heart goes out to the families that lost their children in this tragedy. I cannot fathom what it is like to lose a child. I hope I never know. As parents, we try to bring up our children the best we can. We try to guide them in the right way. It's just that we cannot see the future and therefore cannot predict when bad things may actually be good things (and vice versa).

It reminds me of a children's book I once read. It's called It Could Have Been Worse. The story is about a little mouse who experiences a whole bunch of mishaps like falling into a hole, tripping etc.... But all those "bad" things that happened to him were actually "good" things coz' they saved him from being eaten by predators.

Anyway, my point is, we never know when the "bad" things could turn out to be "good" things. I think I shall take it as a lesson to be less harsh on my kids.

p.s. For those of you who don't know, the Dragon Boat tragedy refers to the recent death of 5 students and 1 teacher as their dragon boat capsized while they were training for the Penang International Dragon Boat Race.

Photobook Your Memories

Last Sunday as I was updating my family journal, I told my daughter that I should get it bound into a book, especially the photos and scrapbooks. Rather than keep everything on my harddisk, I was thinking a Photobook would be appropriate. I'd have to save money and target to do that at the end of the year.

Photobooks seem to be the trend these days. Some people create Photobooks as their wedding album . Definitely more appealing than those bulky and heavy traditional wedding albums. They are also great for other special occasions such as anniversaries, barmitzvah, christening, holidays etc....

There are many photobook services online. For example, if you are in UK, Photo Productions designs and prints Premium Photobooks. They are not like the many design-it-yourself photobooks services that give you cheap prints. They have a team that will professionally design your book using your uploaded photos. Their quality is also exceptional. After you approve of the design, the book goes through a 23 stage digital printing and hand-binding process. In other words, not only are the images vibrant but the book is durable as well.

The service they provide is usually available through a photographer. However, that makes it more expensive. They are the first UK based company to offer such services to the general public. Their website is user friendly. You'll find it no hassle at all. You also get full online proofing of the Photobook designs when they are done. They will ship to anywhere but if you are in UK, shipping is free.

If you are a professional photographer, you can apply for a trade discount. This means more savings for you. Their tagline is 'Premium Photobooks, Not Premium Prices'.

*Disclaimer: I'm getting some pocket-money from this post.

Teriyaki Noodles

Decided to do some cooking experimenting the other day and it came out quite alright. The dish: TERIYAKI MACARONI and TERIYAKI SPAGHETTI.

This was lunch. Tried a recipe I found on the internet and it turned out too sweet. The recipe called for 3 tbsp of brown sugar to 2 cups of water. That's really toooo sweet. Threw in some chicken nuggets and black pepper sausages that were lying in my freezer. I believe most people would use chicken breasts for this type of dish. I guess you can use whatever suits your fancy. Me, I was just trying to finish up whatever food I had in the fridge :)

My Teriyaki Macaroni creation.

Modified the teriyaki sauce for dinner. Used spaghetti this time round. DH gave this a thumbs up. Much better and less sweet. No more chicken nuggets and sausages, so fried up some luncheon meat. Garnished with spring onions.

Here is the recipe for the sauce:

HOW TO COOK

• 1 clove garlic and 1-2 inches ginger. Crush or mince it.
• Stir fry the garlic and ginger in oil until fragrant.
• Pour in 2 tbsp sesame oil and stir fry a little more.
  
• Add 3 cups of water
• Add 6 tbsp of soy sauce
• Add 3 tbsp of BBQ sauce
• Add 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce
• Add 4 tbsp of teriyaki sauce
• Add 1 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar
• Optional: Add 1 tbsp of honey
• Taste to see if it is savory enough for your taste. If not, add some salt.
• To thicken the sauce, add 3 tbsp of cornstarch.

If you cook 1 packet of spaghetti, this recipe will be enough. You may even have more than you need. Enjoy!

p.s. If you need help planning what to cook each week, click on my affiliate link below:
Dine Without Whine - A Weekly Menu Plan & Grocery List Delivered To Your E-mail Box

Baby is 4 Months Old

*This scrap was done with Polaroid My Memories Suite. If you want an easy way to digital scrapbook, click here to learn more about this software: Software For Scrapbooking

BabyK now weighs 6.7kg. She's my first baby who likes to suck her thumb. If she's not sucking her thumb, she's sucking our fingers, arm, shoulders etc.... She has started to laugh out loud. But not everyone can make her do that. So far, only 3 people have succeeded: Daddy, jie-jie Merille and Sis. Lhudy. I guess it depends on her mood too. Jie-jieK is trying very hard everyday to make baby laugh. Unfortunately no success.

She's not sleeping as much as we want her to during the daytime. Sometimes she only naps for 15 minutes. Imagine trying to put her to sleep for 1 hour and then she only sleeps for 15 minutes. She sleeps longer if I sleep with her. So you can imagine how productive I've been. Yes, I guess I should be grateful that I can nap every afternoon :) Unfortunately that means a bit of neglect for my other 2 sons.

Well babyK, mommy is impatiently waiting for you to be able to sit up. This way you can sit on the trolley when we go shopping and I don't have to carry you for 2 hours (or more).

More TV, Good or Bad?

When I was young, there were only 3 channels on TV; RTM1, RTM2 and TV3. When TV3 was first introduced, my house could not receive its transmission. I remember being so bummed out because they had great shows like Smurfs. Yea, back then I felt very deprived because I felt like the only one in school who couldn't watch Smurfs.

These days our children have the luxury of cable and satellite TV. Is that a good thing? Well, in my home we don't subscribe to any extra channels. Even then, the TV is on almost the whole day. Don't be alarmed; it's not the kids watching but their grandfather.

I cannot imagine what would happen if I subscribe to Astro (satellite TV here in Malaysia). It'll be so difficult not to be glued to the TV. I know I will have to be more vigilant in making the kids adhere to TV rules. In spite of that I can think of one good thing it'll do for me... no more never-ending Taiwanese shows. My FIL watches them everyday and boy, the series seems to go on forever. I guess in a way it's our fault; he doesn't have much choice on TV.

So, in your home, do you (or would you) opt for satellite TV? What rules (if any) have you made for your kids and yourself regarding watching TV?

Car Games For Kids

Are your children good travelers? My kids are not too bad. Leaving the house for us is like going on a road trip. It takes us about 40 minutes to get to PJ. And because it's not economical for us to be driving into town so often, we try to do as much as we can when we're out. So, driving here, driving there, doing this and doing that usually takes a few hours.

Sometimes the kids will sleep. But when they're awake, they need something to keep them occupied or else World War III will break out. You'll hear stuff like:

• "why are you taking up so much space?"
• "don't cross this line, ok?"
• "Mommy, he stepped on my feet again."
• "Why you always get to sit in the middle?"
• "Can you stop singing, or I'll ask Mommy to turn off the radio."
• "Mommy, he punched me so hard."

The kids will usually bring stuff to do like books, doodling paper or a mini white board. But that doesn't guarantee peace in the car. They'll end up fighting too e.g. "But I want to use it", "It's my turn, you've used it for so long already" or "Mommy, he snatched it from me."

Car games is a good way to keep them in good spirits. Here are some ideas:

• How many diggers can you find? This one works for my little one coz' he looooves diggers. Plus, there's plenty of construction going on in this little part of the world to supply him with diggers to spot.
• Guessing game. You think of an object or animal and then give clues for others to guess what it is. This is really good for their language skills. It'll help them learn how to use adjectives.
• What word starts with the letter... To make this game more interesting, we ask the children to give words that are related to the gospel. For example, words that begin with the letter "A" could be atonement, Aaron, Almighty or apostle.
• Rhyming game. Give a word and find what other words rhyme with it. If you can, make up a silly poem with the words given.
• Road trip Bingo. Make up a bingo card like the one below. Use items that your children will see along the road. If they spot an item, give them a sticker to place on their card. The winner would be the first person to complete a row either horizontal, vertical or across. This is more fun then the usual Eye Spy game.

Chinese New Year is coming up. That means "balik kampung" (traveling back to hometown). I better get ready my list of car activities if I want a pleasant journey. So, what sort of car games do you play on your road trips?

Early Reading Lessons

One of my New Year resolutions this year is to be more diligent in teaching my children. BabyD is no more a baby. He is turning 3 years old in a few days. His status has been upgraded to become KokoD2. Just in case you didn't know, "koko" means "big brother" in chinese.

Anyway, I've been feeling a bit bad coz' he learns really quickly and my slack means he can't progress as quickly. At this young age, he already knows the sounds of all the alphabets. He can also identify all the letters - small and capital. His counting is excellent. He loves numbers. He will sometimes count beyond 20. His pencil control is also quite good. He colors very well for his age -- tries to keep it inside the lines. He can write the numbers 1-4. Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you this to show that he is a genius or anything. Just to demonstrate that with proper guidance, really young children can learn quickly.

Well, I've decided to start him reading. I'm starting him on recognizing whole words. I'll still continue with phonics such as identifying initial sounds. But at this age, he can't blend sounds yet. So, we'll do memorizing whole words first. I've written down on cards two very simple and common words: "the" and "is". I've put them on the wall where he can see them. I print out text from his favorite books and nursery rhymes that contain those words and have him search for those words. When he finds those words on the paper, I have him color them. Also when we read books, I have him point out those words.

He gets so excited when he finds those words he can read. Take a look at the video below.



Mama's Parenting Tip

• Read to your children often.
  
• Starfall.com is a wonderful website for early reading.
• Learning to read with phonics is one method. Reading using whole words is another. I like to use both.
• Do a lot of pre-reading activities and games with your children.
• Click here for more reading and literacy tips.