VALUE BOOKSHOPS FIRST LUCKY DRAW CONTEST

DO YOU WANT A RM20 GIFT VOUCHER FOR FREE?
Value Bookshop is having their 1st lucky draw contest.
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What do you have to do?
Visit Value Bookshop and scroll down to "Karina's Korner" to locate her contest questions. Leave your answers as comments at the contest blog post over at Value Bookshop's blog. Your name will then be entered into our lucky draw box. One name will be picked out at the end of the month, and that name will receive a complimentary RM20 gift voucher.Easy peasy right?

Now, don't be selfish and invite your friends to join this contest. Email them (you can use our bookshop's tell-a-friend feature) or blog about the contest with a link to the contest blog post.
The permalink is:

http://blog.valuebookshop.com/2007/value-bookshops-first-lucky-draw-contest

Help me liven things up at the store and you can look forward to more contests and more prizes.

Contest ends on the 30th April 2007. Drawing will be on the 1st May 2007. Announcement of the winner will be done on the same day as the drawing. Make sure you leave us your email address so we can send you your prize.

So try your luck. Enter our contest and earn yourself a shot at becoming Value Bookshop's first lucky draw winner!

Protective Brother

When a new baby is due, you wonder how the older siblings will respond to the new addition. Well, as in my case, it has made D into a very protective brother. When we go to church, it is natural that all the 'aunties' there want to hold the baby. And you know how 'aunties' are, they also like to tease the older siblings too. One of the questions they always ask D (as they are holding baby) is "Can I take baby home?" Let me tell you, never ever ask D that question if you treasure your life. He will fiercely tell you NO. If you ask again, or try to coax him by saying "Can-lah", you will get an even louder NO, plus added physical abuse such as getting kicked or punched in the legs. And his emotion is so intense that getting him to stop takes some effort.

One time he came upstairs after his Sunday School class and saw my friend carrying the baby. His immediate respond was "Why are you holding my baby?"
Even I was not spared; "Mommy, why you let other people hold baby?"
I've tried to explain to him that it's good that baby has soooo much love from many people. But that doesn't help coz' in his mind, baby is his and his alone.

In a way, this protectiveness is good. He is quick to help take care of baby like wiping off drool, bouncing the bouncing net and bringing me all the things needed to clean baby.

Well, just thought I'd let you all know about this. You can carry baby but beware of the protective brother.

Relaxing Bath

Took this picture coz' I thought it was hilarious. Here I am giving baby his evening bath and he refused to wake up. This baby is so funny. When we want him to sleep, he doesn't want to sleep. And when he finally sleeps, we are so careful not to do anything to wake him up. But when it's time to wake up, you can do anything and he won't want to wake up.

Ahhh, I think many of us need a relaxing bath like this sometimes, yes?

Who Do I Look Like?

I had some fun putting together this little scrap. When we had Karina, we didn't use much of a digicam. Most of the photos were blurr. Poor girl. Her better photos are in a photo album. And look at Damus! Look at his hair! Hahaha. So much and so crazy. It was a good decision to give it an army cut.

Anyway, the reason why I did this scrap was because when you have a baby, people will start making comments about who they look like. With my first two, people would compare them to us, the parents. But with Danic, his looks has been compared to the sis/bro rather than the parents. Quite interesting actually.

So far, I've had mixed comments. Some say he looks like the sister and some say he looks like the brother. I thought I'd put their baby photos next to each other to see who was right.
What do you think? Does Danic look like the sister or the brother?

Earn Money Referring Home Tutors

Came across a website called Tuitionmall.com that offers to pay you RM50.00 when you successfully refer their tutor / tuition teacher to your friend.

Successfull referral = Your friend actually engages the services of the tutor = You earn RM50

Many of us are looking to earn some extra pocket money. It's pretty obvious coz' almost every blog we visit now, people are writing paid reviews on their blog. Unfortunately, payment is either a US cheque (takes a long time to get to Malaysia) or through paypal (Malaysians can't cash out). Well, here is an option right at your doorstep. A referral program that you can cash out. Woohoo!
Afterschool tuition classes is not only a norm here in Malaysia, but many even consider it a necessity. So, why don't we take advantage of the situation and fill our pockets while helping out a friend?

Click here for the referral page:
Tuitionmall.com refer a friend program

p.s. I haven't tried out this referral program yet coz' I just came across it. So I'm not sure if it's legitimate. But it's worth a try. If you actually get paid before I do, let me know ok.

Deep Thoughts and Conversation

As I put down the phone:

K: Who is that mommy?
Me: Aunty
K: Which aunty?
Me: My step-mother
K: You have a step-mother?
Me: Yes.
K: How come? Did Amah die?
Me: No. She's in Seremban isn't she?
K: Then how come you have a step-mother?
Me: Amah and Ah Kong had a divorce and Ah Kong married another wife.
K: What is divorce?
Me: (cracking my head)...ummm... it means getting un-married. Divorce is like cancelling your marriage.

Thank goodness she didn't ask why they wanted to cancel their marriage.
Thought the conversation had ended but the next day, one more question.

K: Mommy, then you stayed with Ah Kong ah?
Me: Huh?
K: You know, when Amah and Ah Kong got divorced, you stayed with Ah Kong is it?
Me:No, me and all your "Ah Koos" (uncles) stayed with Amah.
K: How come?
Me: Because we are closer to Amah.
K: Did you miss Ah Kong?
Me: Eeeerrrrr... not really.
K: Why?
Me: Because I was only 2 years old and don't know anything.
K: When you 2 years old, you don't know anything ah?
Me: Yes.

End of conversation.

I never really thought to explain my parents situation to my children. Kind of caught me by surprise when all these questions came up. Next time must be more prepared.

Creative Fun

Pomelo's are common during the Chinese New Year period. My SIL (sister-in-law) is very good at peeling the pomelo. Well, this year after peeling the pomelo, the skin ended up on my son's head instead of the dustbin. Look how nicely it fits. He very much enjoyed this "helmet" and said he would use it the next time he went bicycling. Hahahah. However, that never happened. It soon was converted into a hero's helmet and then later into a race car helmet.
His sister decided she was not going to miss out on the fun. Her head was a little bit too big for the "helmet". But nevermind, she found some other use for it. Check out teddy's new transport. They tied a rafia string to the pomelo skin and then pulled teddy around.

It's quite amazing what kids can do with the ordinary things they have. My mom got my children a skipping rope. After skipping, it was made into a telephone. Then into a microphone. Later, it was attached to my front door and made into a rock climbers rope. Get a stick and whalla, you have a fishing pole. Need to occupy your children for a few hours, get a skipping rope.
Observing my children got me an education on creativity. I guess giving them all those free hours to play does have its benefits.

My Thoughts on Weddings

A friend of mine just had her wedding celebration last week. She is 50 and this is her second wedding. The celebration was simple, a pot-luck dinner at church. Now you might think because of her age and the fact that it is her second marriage, it's ok to have it simple. Well, I think if you are 24 and it's your first marriage, it is still ok to have it simple.

Unfortunately, the pressure to do it like everyone else is great. You MUST have model like wedding photos and you absolutely MUST have a grand dinner for friends and relatives. Anything less is not acceptable. To get married is an expensive deal. It is sad when two people who love each other so much have to put their wedding on hold just because of money issues.

In this sense you could say that my DH and me are rebels. We decided to forego all that wedding fluff. We wanted to be married and decided money was not going to be our reason not to. Our church members were nice enough to have a potluck celebration for us. Dinner was reduced to just immediate family. No, I don't have model like photos but hey, that doesn't make a marriage. I did my own wedding invitations. They didn't look as nice as the ones here: click here for wedding invitations but I knew that the only person to keep my invitation as a memoribilia would probably only be me.

Anyway, my point is to tell all those couples out there, who are waiting to start their lives together as husband and wife, decide today that you are not going to be swept along with the common idea of how to plan a wedding. Don't put your marriage on hold just because of money and just so you can oblige others.

Talking about putting weddings on hold, have you ever heard of a "Save the Date Cards?" It's an invitation to tell someone that you are getting married on a certain date in the future (like for example 1st April 2009) and asking them to keep that date free. So if you are still planning to save some money first before having your wedding, but already have a date, you can send out such invitations. They even have "Save the Date Magnets." for people to put on the fridge.

Personally, I think such cards are unnecessary. People forget or won't commit, plus you are going to send them a wedding invitation anyway. Better save the money for sending out your first baby's birth announcement. Everyone loves pictures of cute babies.