Painting Pumpkins For Halloween

Happy Halloween to everyone! Too bad we don't really celebrate it over here in Malaysia. I know my kids would love to dress up and collect a mountain of candy (much to me and my husband's dismay).

I can just imagine the excitement and fun our American friends are having this Halloween season. There are many Halloween activities children can do. Pumpkin carving is a traditional activity but it can be quite dangerous with the knife. Definitely not very suitable for young children. I read about a more kid-friendly option - Pumpkin Painting.

The video below shows how easy it is to paint a pumpkin face.


Painting pumpkin faces looks like a lot of fun. If you're having a kids Halloween party, this would be a good activity. Or if you have very bored children at home driving you nuts, give them some pumpkins and let them be creative. Also a perfect activity for children playgroups. Put a whole bunch of pumpkin faces out in your garden and I'm sure you'll get a lot of lovely compliments from your neighbors.

Click here to discover the easy way to painting pumpkins.

Dove Nutrium Moisture Body Wash

Finally, it's here! 2 1/2 months of waiting, and now it's in my bathroom. What is it? Dove's Nutrium Moisture Body Wash all the wayyyyyyy from U.S.

Yes, they sent me all 3 types: Gentle Exfoliating, Deep Moisture and Sensitive Skin. It's groundbreaking technology okay! This body wash has even been honored with one of Allure magazine’s 2009 Best of Beauty Breakthrough awards. So, how come I'm so lucky to have them send it to me for free? Coz' I promised I'd share with all you online folks what I think about it.So yes, I'm disclosing to you that I'm writing this review coz' they gave me free products to try. (Can you see I'm trying to be a good girl and abide by FTC new rules. By the way, if you still don't know what the new rules are on writing product reviews, you better update yourself quick.)

What's So Great About Dove's Nutrium Moisture Body Wash?
They claim that this new body wash retains your skin's moisture better than other brands. Dove's Nutrium Moisture can penetrate deep into your skin's layers whereas the moisturizers in other body wash only sits on top of your skin. No need for me to explain so much. You can just watch the video below to see how it works.



What do I think about it?

• The body wash is very thick. It doesn't just flow out. It feels like a cream. Doesn't get very foamy. However, it does clean the skin. I don't like how some moisturizing body wash leave your skin feeling oily. This Dove's body wash doesn't. 
• Does my skin feel moisturized? I don't really know. It's definitely not a "WOW, what a difference" experience. I don't think it works overnight too. If the body wash really does moisturize my skin 10 layers deep, I'm sure the results will show eventually. But I don't think it'll put me on any cover magazine :P
• I like the Gentle Exfoliating the best. You can feel the little beads scrubbing your body. Some people may not like the harsh feeling but I like the idea of scrubbing away dirt and dead cells. My son doesn't like it though. He says it tickles his stomach. Hahaha.
• The scent is very mild. In fact, the one that says "Sensitive Skin" has no scent. Definitely not for girls who like to leave a trail of sweet smell for guys to follow. You'll have to use that delicious soft skin to lure them instead :)
• I don't think guys care much about moisturizing their skin while bathing. This body wash definitely appeals more to women. And don't bother asking your husband if your skin feels softer. He probably won't know the difference. Or maybe it's just my husband. Hahaha.

 Well done Dove! Keep those innovations coming. Now, could you come up with a body wash that gets rid of stretch marks?

Baby Is 1 Month Old

Can't believe that baby is already 1 month old. Seemed just like yesterday I was hurrying her to pop out of the womb. She is getting big fast. Her 1 month checkup had her weighed in at 4.3kg. Her legs and cheeks are filling up. No more "chicken legs". Yup, that was my nickname for her the first few days. Her face is changing. We don't quite notice it because we see her everyday. It's more noticeable to church friends who see her once a week.

Okay, so here is a list of "stuff" about babyK at 1 month old:

• The first few weeks, she liked to poo-poo into fresh diapers. Daddy's wallet cringed every time that happened.
  
• She cried the first few times she bathed. But now she likes the water. She will just relax and not make a sound.
  
• A few times she peed into the towel after bathing. Then Mommy got smart. Now after I take her out, I will make the "shee shee" sound and most of the time she will pee. Only after that do I wrap her with the towel.
  
• I think she can recognize who is mommy. This is both a good thing and a bad thing.
  
• Likes to be carried. Which baby doesn't? Daddy is enjoying carrying her while she is still so small. No, we are not scared that we will "spoil" her. I'm a firm believer that if baby needs the security, then we must provide it. They don't need to learn "independence" as a baby. That's not what they need.
  
• Vomits milk quite a lot and quite often.
• Likes sleeping in the baby carrier. She feels more comfortable in an inclined position rather than flat on her back.
• Siblings like to kacau her and wake her up.
  
• One way to put her to sleep is to stroke her hair.
  
• She has a "sleep days" and her "wake up" days. One day she will sleep a lot, and the next day her big-big eyes don't stay close for long. But she's really good at night and will pretty much sleep throughout. Even if she wakes up, she doesn't cry. You'll just hear lots of grunting... trying to do "big business" I guess.
• Stomach is a bit gassy at times. When she gets cranky, I lay her on her back and do "fart exercises". You can check you tube for massages and leg exercises to help baby get rid of wind. BabyK don't really fancy the massages. She enjoys the leg exercises more. It's really simple. I just take both legs and move them up towards the stomach and down while singing "row, row, row your boat". After a while, she really does fart. Hehehe.
  

Traditional "ang ku" kuih for full moon celebration

Of the 4 kids we have, she is the only one we threw a full moon party. Biase? No lah. It's not that we love her more. Everything we do depends on the wallet. Some parents feel that what they do for one, they must do for all, if not there will be jealousy. For example, if one kid has a special ordered birthday cake, then all the kids must have one too. For us, we explain to the kids that it depends on their luck. If daddy's economy is good, they get "stuff". If not, too bad. So, we are fair and equal in a different sense. "Fair and equal" doesn't mean getting the same things. It means for every child, the decision whether they "get" or "don't get", depends on the same factors - daddy's wallet and the current situation :) Makes sense?

Mommy Bloggers Now Required To Give Full Disclosure

Are you a mommy blogger who receive freebies or payments in exchange for reviews and testimonials? If you are, then you need to read these 2 news report. Basically, they are saying you must tell your readers that you have been compensated (either in cash or kind) for writing the blog post. If you fail to do this, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will take action against you. So mommy bloggers, please familiarize yourself with their new guidelines.

• Soon, Bloggers Must Give Full Disclosure by nytimes.com
  
• Mommy Bloggers Could Be Held Liable for Product Reviews by abcnews.go.com

Yummy Butter Cake

Made this yummy butter cake Wednesday just because I felt like eating cake. Probably a side effect of "starving" myself from sweets and dessert after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Not pregnant anymore but can still have cravings. Hehehe. Actually, I'm being naughty coz' I haven't been cleared of the diabetes diagnosis yet. Another glucose tolerance test will only be done in several weeks time before I'll know for sure whether I still have diabetes or not. Anyway, now that baby is out, I don't have to worry that my sweet tooth will result in giving birth to an 8kg baby (btw, did you hear about that big Indonesian baby?)

If you are looking for a simple yet yummy butter cake, try this recipe I found on Martha Stewarts' website. It makes two 9-inch cake layers.

BUTTER CAKE INGREDIENTS
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

HOW TO BAKE

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit (about 180 degrees celcius).
  
• Rub some butter on your cake pans (recommended 9-by-2-inch round cake pans). Dust with flour.
  
• Sift together flours, baking powder, and salt.
• In your mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.
  
• Turn mixer to low speed. Alternately add in the flour mixture, followed by milk. Begin and end with the flour.
  
• Divide batter between the 2 pans. Bake until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. My oven is a small one, so it took between 15-20 minutes.
  

For the frosting, I used the following recipe. One day I want to try to make fondant, but I don't have the ingredients. So for now, this is it.

ORANGE FROSTING
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp milk or water
1 tbsp orange juice and some grated rind (you could use lemon too)
Cream butter and sugar first. Next add the milk and orange juice.
I had to do 2 rounds of this coz' the recipe here wasn't enough for me to cover the whole cake.

Okay, so my decorating skills aren't that great. I don't have the proper tools for it too. Also, baby woke up so I had to hurry and finish it. BUT the cake does taste good. It was gone in 24 hours.
HAPPY BAKING!

p.s. I found a site that offers step-by-step online videos on how to decorate cakes and cookies. They also have how-to articles, ideas, tips & tricks on cake decorating. Get instant access to dozens and dozens of cakes, cookies and candies online training videos, stories, recipes, pictures and so much more. It's truly a one-of-a-kind membership site.
Click here to check it out: BIRTHDAY CAKE AND COOKIE DECORATING IDEAS

Toddlers and Powder

What's with toddlers and powder? And is this a boy thing? Look at the two pictures below:

KokoD taken in 2004

BabyD taken yesterday.

SAME MISCHIEF! SAME CRIME!

Life with baby #4

So, babyK is now about 2 weeks plus. How is life with 4 kids? Still okay coz' DH is handling some areas such as cooking and bathing baby. It's a good thing I have him to help at home. However, things will get more hectic for me the next few more days coz' I have to take back my kitchen duty. I foresee lots of "sandwich" days.

As for sleep, I'm one of the lucky ones that is NOT suffering from sleep deprivation. This baby has been good so far. Doesn't cry at nights. In fact, she's a really good sleeper and would almost sleep throughout the night. Even if she wakes up for a feed, she's right next to me and I feed her lying down. Sometimes I have to wake her to feed.

My SIL asked me "what's the difference between my eldest girl and this baby?" With my eldest, I kept my eye on the clock. Fed baby every 2 hours (even during the nights). Being a first time mother then, I was more...ermm... diligent (I think that is the best word to describe it). I also would breastfeed her sitting up. With baby #4, I don't really recall what time was her last feed. I just feed on demand. Feeding is not dependent on the clock anymore. Feeding time is when she cries or when the boobies starts to leak. Yeah, you gotta love your own body. It's got its own alarm clock. So with baby #4, things are more relaxed.

I gotta tell ya, one of the most beneficial lesson you should learn as a new mother is how to feed your baby lying down. And I'm an advocate of sleeping with your baby. Don't worry about "how am I going to kick them out of my bed later?" To me, it is more important that you first address the question of "how am I going to get enough rest?" Definitely not by getting out of bed 3-4 times throughout the night to take your baby out of the crib so he/she can be fed (or whatever). With baby lying next to you, you just turn to face her/him and have her/him latch on, then you keep on sleeping (well, that's what I do, hehehe). Well, I'll have to get up at least once to change her diaper.

One thing that I've forgotten about newborns is the many, many, many diapers they use in one day. AND, babyK just loves pooping into fresh diapers. I brought 6 diapers to the hospital, thinking it was enough for 24 hours. Before 12 hours was up, I only had 1 spare left. So pregnant mothers, make sure you have PLENTY of diapers in your hospital bag, like half a pack!

I think I've spoilt babyK by carrying her too much. I can't help it. How often does one get to cuddle tiny little babies. They're just not that much fun when they get bigger. Also I think she gets tummy aches (maybe wind). So the cuddling and rocking helps to settle her.

Anyway, I'm glad babyD is a very understanding boy. He doesn't make a fuss or cause any trouble when he sees me carrying baby. If he needs some loving, he now runs to his daddy. Daddy feels like he is 2nd choice. Only when mommy is not available does he get "chosen". Hahahah.

BabyK in her new baby carrier (Halford Elite Classic).

Baby Poop During Birth

Some people wonder, "do baby's poop in the mother's womb?" The answer is NO.

However, it can happen just before or during labor. That's what happened with babyK. I don't know if she actually inhaled the mixture of meconium and amniotic fluid. The doctor or nurses didn't bother to tell me what was going on. All I know is that she was whisked away and then kept under observation for 2 hours. Even after asking "What's wrong with the baby? What's the complication?" All I got out of them was "Your baby is okay".

So, what's the danger in baby pooping in your womb? Well, meconium is what we call baby's first poop. It is sticky, thick, and dark green. If baby inhales it, baby might have difficulty breathing as it can obstruct the airways or cause an infection. You might also want to know that the real term for this is called meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS).

And to think I had to learn this through the internet. Such a simple explanation and yet they couldn't give it to me.

Holiday Recipe Guide

Found a great recipe resource that many of you might be interested in. It's by Carnation and they are giving away a Free Holiday Recipe Guide. You'll have to give them your email though. The recipes sure do look delicious and kid friendly. They also look perfect for busy moms.

Click here to get your Free Holiday Recipe Guide.

p.s. If you're looking to cultivate good eating habits in your children, check out Kids Meal Ideas: Yummy Healthy Tummy

BabyK is Born!

BabyK decided to come a few days earlier than the due date. This is a record in the family as all her siblings were over due.

The labour was really fast. Actually, I was having some pain throughout Sunday (13 Sept). But it was mild and not very consistent. I did wonder if I was dilated though. Next day I went about as usual. Halfway cooking lunch for the kids I had to turn off the stove and conclude that it was indeed time to go to the hospital. Made sure I took a bath first.

Contractions started around 10:30am. I got to the hospital around 11:45am (darn those big lorries and other slow moving vehicles). Contractions were about 3 minutes apart then and quite intense. Nurse did a quick check and found me 9cm dilated (full dilation is 10cm). So everything had to be in rushed mode. The nurse even said, "please don't push yet, you need to give us time to prepare you." The contractions were pretty intense that I had trouble changing into the hospital gown and climbing onto the delivery bed. Once on the bed, the doctor burst my water bag and gave me the go ahead to push if I felt like it. It was as if she said the magic words coz immediately after that I needed to push. With 3 long, hard and painful pushes baby was out. Time of birth... 12:09pm. Baby was 3.37kg.

After I was all stitched up and cleaned, they called DH to come in. So, just for your information, if you deliver at Sg. Buloh hospital, they do allow your husbands to come in for a few minutes and that only after baby is delivered. With regards to the service there, it is okay. I just wished they did a better job at informing me what was going on. For example, I had to ask if I was dilated before the nurse announced I was at 9cm. After delivery, baby was put under observation for 2 hours. I was not told about this and was left in the delivery room waiting and waiting and waiting. Even after I asked what was the complication, there was no explanation, just a simple "your baby is okay". Other than that, the staff is pretty nice.

I was discharged the next evening. Total bill = RM44. Hah! Can you beat that? For my stay, they charged RM3 per day. Most expensive item on the bill was the blood test at RM28. All my prenatal checkups were also free coz' I did them at the g'ment clinic. So you see, you really don't need to spend several thousand dollars to have a baby.

Well, I'm enjoying having a tiny baby to hold again.Breastfeeding is going great. She's been a really good baby so far. Going through a lot of diapers though. Her siblings adore her and all fight for a turn to carry her.

So here we start babyK's story. Check back for more updates.

SpellQuizzer Contest Results

And the winner of the SpellQuizzer Contest is..... ALOHAMOLLY!

Congratulations to Molly. I hope you and your children will enjoy the software. To my only other entry, CrazyMommy, thank you so much for joining in. Next freebie I come across, you'll be the first one to get it. Really appreciate your support.

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner. Baby did decide to come out earlier than the due date. Will update on the new babyK soon.

Kids Meal Ideas: Macaroni

Looking for a quick dish that your children will love? Try these 2 macaroni meals.

MAC AND CHEESE
I haven't really tried cooking Mac and Cheese before. The biggest reason is because cheese here in Malaysia is really expensive. But I wanted to do something simple that the kids would love and so, I came up with this version of Mac and Cheese.


Ingredients:

• Macaroni pasta
• Cheddar cheese (You could add a mixture of different cheese if you want. I wish I had some Mozarrella as well. Just love the stretchy, chewiness of it)
• Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme). You can buy a small bottle of it at the store. It's all mixed together already. Just open the cap and shake-shake onto the dish.
• Butter
• Milk
• Campbell's cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom)
• Campbell's cheese and herbs spaghetti sauce

How to cook?

1. Cook the macaroni in boiling water until al dente -- meaning don't cook it too long until it's too soft. Also, don't under-cook it. When you bite into it, it still has some firmness. So don't boil it in the pot and run away. After about 10 minutes, just scoop one out and try it. When you've got it at the texture you want, remove the macaroni from the boiling water and set aside.
2. Start working on the sauce. Melt butter and then add some milk. If it's too fatty to your liking, you probably can skip the butter and milk.
   
3. Add in the cheese and herbs spaghetti sauce.
4. Add in the cream of chicken. If you use 1 whole can, fill up the same can with water and add to the sauce. Whatever amount of cream of chicken you use, add that same amount of water.
5. Sprinkle in some Italian seasoning
   
6. Put your macaroni in whatever baking pan or dish and pour the sauce over it.
7. Top it off with cheese.
8. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees Celcius or until cheese melts and a little brown on top.

Okay, I didn't list down any measurements because I didn't follow any measurements myself. Heheheh. BUT, this much I can tell you. The bag of macaroni pasta I bought was 500g. I cooked half of that packet. I used 1 can of the cheese and herb spaghetti sauce and 1 can of cream of chicken soup. I felt the pasta was a little salty but the kids and DH said it was ok. Anyway, I think I should have just used 1/2 the cans.
Also, I felt it was too plain. Next time I think I'll try adding some chicken meat or mushrooms. Maybe you could sneak in some veges like broccoli in there too. Anyway, experiment and enjoy.

MACARONI ASIAN STYLE
Okay, this recipe I copied from a church friend. Sorry I didn't take a picture of it before it was all eaten up. It's got a little bit of sweet and sour taste to it.

Ingredients:

• Macaroni
• Sausages. Americans prefer to call them hotdogs. Slice it.
  
• Garlic (2-3 pips all chopped up to small pieces)
• Plum sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Chili sauce (this is not available in the US. Maybe you can substitute with ketchup instead)

How to cook?

1. Boil the macaroni until al-dente then put aside.
   
2. With a little bit of cooking oil (or butter), fry the garlic.
3. Throw in your sliced sausages. Stir fry until they become nicely cooked.
   
4. Add in macaroni pasta.
5. Pour in your oyster sauce, plum sauce and chili sauce. Oyster sauce and chili sauce not that much. Plum sauce you'll have to add quite a fair amount. Just keep tasting as you cook. Stop adding the plum sauce when you're satisfied. Well, at least that's what I did. Heheheh.

Both these macaroni dishes were given the thumbs up by my kids. So, if you've run out of kids meal ideas, I hope this post has helped.

p.s. Recommended e-book on nutritious recipes for kids

YUMMY HEALTHY TUMMY
The Secrets of Raising Healthy Kids Every Parent Should Know

• For parents who want to prepare nutritious meals for their children
• For parents who want their children to choose healthy foods always
• For parents having trouble getting their children to eat the right kinds of foods
  

Click here to discover how you can create healthy meals your kids will love!

SpellQuizzer Review and Giveaway

Here's another effective spelling software for parents who want to improve their children's spelling - SPELLQUIZZER!

AND I have 1 free license to giveaway (valued at USD29.95)

Let me tell you a little bit about this software. I was given a license to this and have tested it on my own children. What can I say, they love it even though there are no cartoon graphics or animation. It's a simple program where you input your own list of words that you want your children to learn.

The interface looks like the image above. So first you click on "create a spelling list". There will be a place for you to type in the word. Then you record your voice and give a sentence that contains the word. So for example, you want your children to spell the word "butterfly". You type in the word "butterfly", then you press the record button and say "Butterfly. A caterpillar grows up to be a butterfly." End the recording session.

So you do this for each word until you've created your list. Obviously you'll need a microphone to record your voice. If you don't have one, you can still use this software. You'll have to type in a description of the word instead. However, it's better to do the voice recording. That way children can hear the word instead of trying to guess the word by reading your sentence.

Click here for a video on how it works:
SpellQuizzer Spelling Software Demonstrations

Don't feel intimidated about recording your own voice. It's quite fun actually coz' you can say funny things to make your children's spelling practice more enjoyable. For example, one of the words I gave my children to spell was "over", and I said "baby like to crawl over jie-jie's stomach". They thought it was so funny. Also, my daughter insisted she wanted to record her own voice. That was even better for me coz' she not only get to practice her spelling, she also gets to practice making sentences.

Actually, you also have the option of importing a spelling list. These lists have been pre-recorded by someone else. Click here to see the downloadable spelling lists.

So after you've created your list, you give it a name and then, when you want your children to practice their spelling, you go to the interface and select "quiz me on a list!" The words will be played one by one. If your child spells it incorrectly, immediately a box will pop up with both the right and wrong spelling (so they can compare and know where they went wrong).

Who is SpellQuizzer for?

• Children who have to take spelling tests in school.
• Children who want to prepare for spelling contests or spelling bees.
• Homeschoolers. (Click here for a page specially for homeschoolers: SPELLQUIZZER FOR HOMESCHOOLERS )
• Parents who want to improve their children's spelling and improve their vocabulary.
  

Here is a video of my 2yrs 8mths old son using this software. He knows the sounds of all the alphabets and can also recognize what they look like. I'm guessing he likes to "play" SpellQuizzer because he gets to type on the keyboard like us adults :) So for him I have a simple list of "a-h". His spelling lists goes something like this "/a/ for apple", "/b/ for ball" etc.... And he just types in the right letters. He does get it wrong sometimes because the keyboard is in capital letters instead of smallcaps.

This is a downloadable kids spelling software, not an online program.

JOIN THE SPELLQUIZZER GIVEAWAY!
As mentioned earlier, I have 1 free license to giveaway. This is what you need to do to participate in this lucky draw. Each action is considered 1 entry for the lucky draw.

1. Leave a comment here, tell me why you like this software. If you want to test it out for yourself, click here to download a FREE TRIAL.
2. Subscribe to my Family Book Store (http://valuebookshop.com). Go to the website and you'll find a box on the sidebar where you enter your email address. There's a button that says "subscribe".
3. Write a short blog post about SpellQuizzer. In your post, use these words "downloadable kids spelling software" and link it to http://valuebookshop.com/2009/spellquizzer-downloadable-kids-spelling-software/. That's where I have my full review of the program. Give me the link to your post.

Since my baby is due to come out 17 Sept 2009, I will have to make this contest short.
Last day for entries: 14 Sept 2009
Who is eligible: Everyone, all over the world

Once again I will assign each entry a number and then use random.org to choose the winning number. I will post who the winner is on the 15th Sept 2009. Hopefully, baby doesn't decide to come out earlier than the due date. Hahahah.

Winners for ClickN Read Phonics and ClickN Spell Giveaway

The 2 lucky winners for the ClickN Read Phonics and ClickN Spell kids spelling software giveaway are... (drum roll)

Sweetmomblog
&
Miela77

Just to give you an idea of how the winners were selected:
1. I assigned numbers to each entry
2. Went to random.org and used the "true random number generator" to pick two numbers.

To the winners, congratulations. You also need to email me the following details so we can set up your free account (send to limailian at gmail dot com):

• First & Last Name
• Email
• Mailing Address
• Phone

To all participants, thank you for joining in. Don't be disheartened, I have one more contest coming up and it involves another spelling software! Check back here soon!

Want To Be A Frugal Mom?

How good are you at being frugal? Would you like to learn more on:

• how to save money?
• how to cook low-cost healthful meals?
• how to become debt-free?

Well, there's a special place where frugal minded moms meet and it's called the Hillbilly Housewife Club. Normal monthly membership is $15 but now there's a special offer where you can have a 7-day preview of the Club for only $1.

So, for 7-days you can access:

• A Monthly Report on a Money Saving Or Homemaking Topic
• More Frugal Recipes both From Susanne and Other HBHW Club Members
• Frugal Living and Homemaking Articles
• Daily Reflections
• Mingle with other HBHW Club Forum members where you can exchange ideas with other members, make new friends and become part of the HBHW Club community

If you've ever wanted a place to go where you could find caring women on the same road as you and get step-by-step action plans, each month, that will help you toward your goals, then you owe it to yourself to take a look at the Hillbilly Housewife Club.

Want to find out more? Click the link below:
I WANT TO BE A FRUGAL MOM

Happy 8th Birthday

We celebrated K's 8th birthday day before yesterday. Nothing fancy, just a special dinner cooked to her request.

I'm grateful that my kids have never asked for a big birthday party. The last "big" party we had was when kokoD turned 1 and K turned 3. It was a 2-in-1 party coz' both of their birthdays are in August. We booked an indoor futsal area and had lots of friends attend. Since then all their birthdays have been really simple - specially cooked lunch/dinner at home cooked by me. I also try to take them somewhere special. Last year I took them to a movie. This year we visited Gardenia's Bread factory. They are also given a budget of RM5 to spend on whatever they like.

In front of the Gardenia Bread factory with their goody bags.

This was K's specially requested birthday dinner:

Mommy's Fried Chicken Drumsticks (finger licking good MFC), chicken fingers, mash potatoes with gravy, french fries and coleslaw.

K enjoyed her chicken drumsticks and coleslaw to the max. I feel blessed that my children can enjoy a relatively inexpensive birthday meal (considering it would have cost me much, much more if ordered from KFC). I guess she also saw how mommy (with her big, big tummy) spent many hours in the kitchen preparing her meal and that made her appreciate the dinner more.

Mama's Parenting Tip on birthdays:

• Don't have to throw an elaborate birthday party each year for your children. You can still make it special in small ways.
• Start a family birthday tradition to make the birthday child feel extra special. For example: a special day out for the birthday child, a new dress/shirt, trip to the bookstore to select a book of their choice, birthday child picks the menu for the day, treasure hunt to find presents bought by family members etc....
  

Most Loving Sibling Contest

MOBS & ComfyBebe are hosting a contest and it's about Loving Siblings. At this very moment, my 2 boys are playing peacefully together. 5 minutes ago one was yelling at the other. That's just typical of siblings. One minute they are at each others throats, the next minute they are best buddies.

Anyway, I'm to choose one photo that exemplifies these "loving siblings". Here's my choice:

These pictures were taken in June 2007. That time Karina was only 6, Damus was 4 and baby Danic was only 5 months old. Baby still couldn't sit on his own yet and so the other two squashed him in the middle (acted as support) and enjoyed their motorcycle ride. I took this picture because it showed 2 things:

1. Even though baby was still very young, the older two included him in their play. They took care of him and made sure he was okay which gave mommy time to do other things.
2. Baby just looked soooo happy to be with his siblings.
   

There are many more examples of their loving relationship. I try to capture them whenever I can.

BabyD giving his koko kisses. He tags along when I send kokoD to school in the morning. He makes sure to give koko a goodbye kiss before koko gets down from the car.

See how he "manja" with the sister sometimes.

Even till today, the 3 of them will gather in their "playroom" every night and do "stuff". There'll be talking, laughter, shouting, teasing, screaming, fighting, playing etc.

Mamas Parenting Tips on Sibling Rivalry:

• Don't take sides. It's not who is right but what is right. So stop the finger pointing and blaming. AND don't ever ask "who started it first?" or "who did it?" You're just asking for more trouble.
  
• Sometimes I "bench" them all and have them figure out a solution to their problem.
  
• Hitting is not tolerated at all. Separate all parties involved until everyone cools down.
• Remove the cause of the conflict e.g. if they are fighting over a toy, I take it away untill they can tell me a good reason to give it back.
  
• Continue to teach tolerance, respect and understanding (even though it seems only the walls are listening).

Latest "sibling bonding" picture:

Totally Free Tuesday for New WAHMs

Are you a new WAHM? Not sure if you're doing things right or headed in the right direction? Well, mark this date down then: 8 Sept 2009 (Tuesday). Mom's Talk Affiliates is having a TOTALLY FREE TUESDAY! It's like an orientation for new WAHMs.

What's happening on that day?

• Free Webinars where you'll hear from other successful WAHMs.
• Free Gifts by eMail
• Special Giveaways

So, when that day comes rolling by, just click on the banner above.

Crispy Brinjal with Dried Shrimp and Garlic

There's a restaurant in Ijok (can't remember the name now) that serves this really nice brinjal dish. It's crispy and has dried shrimp and garlic. Not sure if there are other ingredients (probably yes), and I don't think they are going to share their secret recipe with us.

Anyway, thought I'd try to do a dish something like that. I don't know how they cook it until crispy. So I improvised and coated the brinjals with flour first before frying. Turns out okay. Not too bad. DH gives me the thumbs up. The kids didn't want to eat it at first. But once they tried it, they liked it too.

So, here's my recipe:

Ingredients:

• Brinjal (Egg Plant, Aubergine or whatever else you want to call it)
  
• Wheat Flour
• Rice Flour
• Salt
• Dried Shrimp (Hokkien call "Hay Bee) - wash and chop it to smaller pieces
• Garlic - chopped to small pieces too.

How To Cook?
1. Skin the brinjal. Cut them into longish rectangles (refer to picture below). Soak in salt water so it doesn't turn brown.

2. Mix together wheat flour, rice flour and a pinch of salt. How much depends on how much brinjals you are cooking. Coat the cut brinjals with the mixed flour. The brinjals will be a bit wet still so the flour will stick to the brinjals.

3. Deep fry the coated brinjals until golden brown. Set aside.

4. Fry the garlic and dried shrimp until golden brown. Get rid of the oil.


5. Mix the fried brinjals with the garlic and dried shrimp. Sprinkle a bit more salt for taste.

THAT'S IT!

Give it a try and if you improve on it, let me know.

Get Kids To Help In The Kitchen

You know, people tell me that I'm lucky to have a girl as the eldest in the family. You know what? They are right. K has been a willing helper in the kitchen and that has lightened my load. The 2 main things I have her do are:

• wash the rice
• cut / peel and wash vegetables (see what a good job she is doing with my spinach)

PARENTING TIP:
Don't chase your children out of the kitchen. Take time to teach them how to prepare food. They'll make mistakes, it's okay. You'll get beans cut at different lengths, it's okay. They learn through practice.