30.07.09 / best & good / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (1)
I have been doing a lot of artwork for Mama Patch recently. Besides using the normal Adobe photoshop software, I also learning to use Adobe Illustrator to design the leftlets, bunting and new name cards. Thanks to help from online friends, I am surprise to learn that it is not that difficult afterall to learn using this new software. Thank, Peng and Sasha! You really have been a great help.
Without any foundation in design, I think I can still manage quite well, producing presentable work. If only I have a chance to pursue into art and design through online study and obtain an official certificate from the online degree program, I would be able to make a living with freelance design job working from home.
This blog post is written based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.
29.07.09 / Parenting, QQ / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (20)
QQ at Iris’s 5th birthday party
First she said, “specky is UGLY”. Then she refuse to join the kids for games at her best friend’s birthday party in Mac Donald.
Last weekend it was the second time QQ was invited to attend a birthday party at Mac D. Just like the first time, she refuse to sit in with her friends, but instead “kepit” under my wings with sitting with the parents. When games started, Iris came over to pull her hand to play, but she just refuse (although I tried to bring her out to hold her friend’s hands). The moment, I let go, she will run back to me like a small little children.
I am really sad to see my girl behave this way. Although she is now already 2nd year in pre-school, can see that her confident level is way too low compare to kids her age. Now I am tempted to enroll her into after school classes so that she can mix with more people without me around.
A ballerina pose?
She said she like ballet, but since her friend refuse to join and now she got no one accompany her, now she refuse to join too. Sigh…really don’t know what I can do to boost up her confident level. Any tips to share, mummies?
27.07.09 / Celebration, Chin Nee, Mama Patch / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (27)
Tags: KAM snap press
This is the 2nd year I celebrate my birthday with 3 kids. For dinner, I just prepared nasi lemak for the family. Told hubby not to get any cake but instead he came back home with 3 big slices of cake from Secret Recipe.
Initially I wanted to go to Umai-ya for Japanese buffet (heard so much about this place), but after a second thought, it is really too pricey to spend for a meal like this. Furthermore, it might be difficult also for us to eat in peace since 2 boys will be making lots of noise. Better save the money and go later when they are bigger.
KAM Snap Press
As a birthday present, I got myself a KAM Snap Press for my sewing project. It is indeed a very heavy chunk of metal and now I can easily apply snaps for Mama Patch cloth pad, bags and even repair my kids cloth diapers. If you have anything which requires snap press service, just send over your kids project and I’ll help you to apply the snaps onto your projects 
See also
Picnic @ Damai (organised by Tiny Tapir)
Not knowing what to do on weekends? Take advantage of Tiny Tapir’s lovely grass at their bungalow @ Damai and have a picnic with your family ( some picnic cloths provided). The event is FREE lots of activity for yourself and your children too.
27.07.09 / best & good / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (0)
My mum is a very active share market investor. She has been doing market trading since 30 years back and she could really trade very well with her experience and knowledge about the market condition. With the advancement of computer technology now, she even claimed that the option trading software really helps her picking up the right share to trade, entering at the right time and getting to know that when is the best time to sell.
Unfortunately as she is computer illterate, she still depends strongly on us to help her with the installation and set up of computer. Whenever there is a glitch in the software, she feels helpless and then, we will have to upload everything once again for her.
24.07.09 / Parenting, QQ / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (19)
So UGLY with specs
Few days back the kids were playing and as usual they love to go near to the TV, standing up holding on the low TV cabinet while our big Plasma TV is on. And naturally QQ would rush to pull them away one by one away (while another crawl back to the position). As she understand the danger of standing too near to the TV, she became sad and tired. This was what she said to them:
“Aiya…don’t go near la..later your eyes sight will spoil and you will no longer be handsome but UGLY wearing glasses like me!”
It really breaks my heart to learn that she think wearing glasses is UGLY. I keep on assuring her that she still look very pretty, but she keep on saying her does not want her handsome brothers to wear specs and look like her.
My poor specky girl 
22.07.09 / Health, QQ / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (7)
Avoiding crowded places
Afraid of going to crowded places, it has been quite sometime since we went to the mall. Since it was quite boring on last weekend, hubby suggested we go out but my little girl insisted on having us wearing mask. I am really amaze to learn that she has so much awareness on H1N1 after teacher talk to them about (such as proper way to wash hands, avoiding crowded places and such).
Aiyo…if wanna wear mask, might as well we stay at home, right? Furthermore, how to get my 2 boys to wear mask ler? Eh, we have not get insurance for our kids ler. Since we do not have the budget to increase our monthly premium, we are actually under insured with our current policy. How I wish the life insurance rates are made more affordable for big families like ours.
A trick from cruel mummy
Wanted to go out so much, in the end we just tricked her that there is nothing to worry about since we are only going to a nearby mall (with less crowd). As she still could not accept the fact of going to the mall, I told her we will go drive into the car park to check if there is anyone with H1N1 there (see if we can find anyone wearing a mask). If we do not see anyone with mask, meaning that place is fine and safe (what a bad mother I am for misleading my little girl).
In the end, she gave in. As she saw no one with mask when we arrived at the mall parking, at least she feels relieved.
21.07.09 / Chin Nee, Just info / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (17)
Today Barb asked me how come my blog is not updated. I am really tired these days as there are so many things I need to rush (a proper name card, leftlets, bunting for Mama Patch). As I did not have Adobe software to start off my work (older version as the latest version will not be able to run on my laptop). Although my job is delay, I feel so pressure as I am very worried I will not get them done on time for the coming babywearing events in Augusts). Thus, I am rushing like a mad woman now (be ready as I am going to catch some of you asking for opinion on designs and stuffs).
Pictures taken from official website at http://littlenyonya.mediacorptv.sg/
While waiting, I got stucked to the “Little Nyonya” series which started to air on Astro recently (7pm Mon~Fri). I have been going over to my ex-nanny’s house on time everyday to catch the series for the past one week until I found another brilliant solution, that is to watch online through youtube (only watching subtitile since my sound card mati liao). So, while waiting for my Adobe, I have been guility chasing the series online till wee morning.
Love the drama so much especially the way the beautiful Nyonya ladies dressed up not to mention all the “lengchai” man in that drama. Love the main character too, how nice I can be as slim and beautiful as she is (well, at least if I cannot be as slim as her, I hope to have a good complexion like her with the help of Pronexin natural scrub).
Being brought up in Melaka, a state with this wonderful Baba Nyonya heritage, surrounded by Baba Nyonya friends and neighbours, I have always long to own a original Nyonya kebaya. Although I bought a beautiful piece of embroided cloth way before I got married, believe or not, this beautiful sheer pink fabric is still sitting in my wardrobe until today!
Sad news is, I don’t think I would have any chance to get it done to wear it anymore. What for wearing kebaya, if I no longer able to achieve the hourglass figure anymore, especially with a ugly figure and a very big belly that I am having now
18.07.09 / Just info / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (5)
There are so many places in town which I wish I could go but with 2 boys who are still on bm, it would be difficult for me to leave them at home with Kakak, although for a few hours. In this coming August, there will be events which I have to attend (almost at every weekends) However with 2 tagging along boys, so we will again move in a herd (with hubby, Kakak and my girl). Really can’t wait for them to grow up so I can just leave them behind with hubby and the maid. Although I have not been driving myself around the town, I am sure it would not be that difficult to lost my way with a Garmin GPS installed in my car.
17.07.09 / Mama Patch / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (6)
Tags: babywearing, Mama, pad, patch
It has been a great blessing for Mama Patch since we started creating piece by piece unique handmade Ring Sling for local local mums since March. It is indeed a great and exciting journey for us, especially when each material is selected (with help of QQ) each piece product created and even tested (by my 2 boys) at home, with much of love.
Catch a glimpse on my new product! Fresh out from sewing room. I hope I could launch Mama Pad in a week or two soon!
Mama Patch Baby Wipes for Grabs
Mama Patch Baby Wipes will still be on wholesale price just for you only Rm22 per bundle of 5 different prints (price valid until 22nd July 2009). To order, click here. Grab them while stock last.
Share with us your intimate moments with your lil ones
Send in a picture of you wearing your little one with Mama Patch Ring Sling (min file size 1MB). You can send in as many pictures as you want.
Share with us (in as minimal as a sentence) how Mama Patch Ring Sling has help you in your parenting journey/outings.
Send in your submission to mama_patch@yahoo.com
3 winners (by fair draw) will stand a chance to win our new product (worth more than Rm50) each and your picture will also be featured in Mama Patch new product leftlets.
Subscribe to Mama Patch Mailing List
To celebrate this special month, we have a total of 10 x RM10 Vouchers for grab. All you have to do is to subscribe to Mama Patch Mailing List. Every lucky 8th person* will walk away with a Rm10 voucher. Do share this great news with your friends and family!
Alternately, if you facebooking, do join us as a fan @ Facebook
We love the earth and hope to produce more reusable mother and baby products from our smoke-free and pet-free home for you and your little ones.
15.07.09 / Parenting, QQ, Twins / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (19)
Spot our big picture when you went out shopping at Mid Valley last week?
or did you also see Didi’s picture when you went to our National Art Gallery?
The above pictures are effect from Photo Funia. Great isn’t it? As if I am sitting here so free nothing to do playing online with my own pictures..sigh…
Actually there are 101 plans of Mama Patch sitting in my mind, waiting to be execute but with 2 boys constantly crawling to me, asking me to carry them, I really cannot concentrate on anything. At 1+, their nap time is also getting shorter so I can hardly get anything done.
What’s up with Didi
Didi is getting extremely cranky these days that he wants me to carry him at all time (when he is awake). Luckily the boys still at the crawling stage, (phiew…I hope they walk later) but Didi could already independently stand up on his own, climbing up the stairs and onto the sofa. It is really tiring to keep up with him. With 2 kids around, I can no longer depend on my maid to handle them both (as one will go west, one goes east). His appetite is also going down the drain and he would just spit out after a mouthful of porridge. Taking care of this naughty boy is really testing my patience!
What’s up with Korkor
Still an angel, as ever. He could play by his own given a toy if no one disturb him. As he only learns to crawl on four quite recently, he is still a slower crawler as compare to his younger brother. He could also stand up now holding onto furniture but rather timid, as he dare not go into our kitchen because it is 2″ lower than the living hall.
He is very talkative and calls out to “Ma Meh” at all time. He loves imitate words and he could say many things now. However he also becomes very demanding asking us to fetch things for him, pointing here and there talking in his own language. Since he swallows everything that reaches his mouth, he is also chubbier as compare to Didi.
See how this famous artise sketch on QQ’s portrait?
What’s up with QQ
Last but not least, it is QQ. She now turn into quite obedient and would play softly whenever her brothers are asleep. Just one thing, I could not get her do her homework daily so many homeworks are left undone. She is lucky to attend a not-so-strict school so teachers do not really mind. All undone homework shall be done in school the next day couched by the respective teachers. At 5, they still do not have any exam, spelling or ejaan.
12.07.09 / Baking/Cooking, Celebration, Twins / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (19)
I love celebrations. It has been a while since the TAN’s birthday and I feel bored again. Since we already have so many celebrations for the boys (until QQ also asked me how come her brothers got so many birthdays), I decided just to do something simple here on the actual date of the boy’s birthday. No cake (only small banana cupcakes) and bake wings for dinner….Yummy…!!!
Marinated chicken wings sitting on a bed of cut veges (carrots, onion, potato)
To have some sauce for the dish, I poured all the remaining marinated sauce onto the baking tray which is full of cut vegetables. (please don’t ask me for recipe, I just hantam whatever sauce is available in my kitchen)
A Platter of Bake Wings with Vege, 2 red eggs and a cupcake for neighbours
Since I only had 6 eggs at home, I only did 2 extra platters for a neighbour who help me to transport QQ daily to school and QQ’s ex-nanny who is staying 2 doors away. Guess what happened?
It’s my maid again. She forgotten about the stove and almost burn my house while cooking all the eggs. All water in the pot went dry and the eggs turned black. Grrrr….I was fuming mad because I do not have any more eggs to dye red. Anyway to cut story short, I just get her to go over to nanny’s place to borrow some eggs. In order to “remind my maid for her forgetfullness AGAIN”, she have to pay me back the cost of 6 eggs (I know it does not cost much) and then she had all the burned eggs for herself. I am lazy to scold her anymore, and afterall human tend to make mistakes, so just keep one eye close and not let her spoilt my mood for that night.
10.07.09 / Baking/Cooking, Chin Nee, Family, Just info, Parenting, Tags / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (11)
While posting some choux puffs I baked earlier this afternoon, I just realised that I forgotten to post what I did for my boy’s first birthday on their actual birthday celebration at home. Silly me…don’t know what’s wrong with me these days. Last time I make sure I will upload at least a posting everyday on my blog, but now..haha…almost abandoned, so no mood to blog already. Perhaps lack of blogging income, thus lack of motivation to write.
Choux Puffs (cream puffs) with Vanilla milk cream
(If you need this Japanese recipe and great tips, it is here and here)
Actually it is for my cousin and little brother who is coming over tomorrow. Nothing grand, but just something simple for us to munch at tea time. I thought the batter was a bit dry but luckily they still fluff up very nicely. Phiew…..
I’ll be just making some easy fried mee hoon with my yummy chicken curry for lunch tomorrow. Just learn how to cook great curry from my grandma (actually also it is her curry powder that makes my curry even more tasty).
Hmm..without any exercise and so much of nice food coming out from my kitchen, it is extremely difficult to get slim yeah for someone who loves food as much as I do.
coming up next, my Bake wings and the Burned red eggs….
08.07.09 / Chin Nee, Food review, Melaka, Parenting / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (16)
Tags: alai, Bakar, bay, crystal, Ikan
Believe or not, I have not been to any ikan bakar in Melaka before this although I have been growing up and staying in Melaka for more than 20 years. My mum was strict, so I can’t go out far with friends at night. So when I grow up, I almost forgotten about these places until recently!
So during the last few trips back, we have been going to several places for Ikan bakar, searching for the best. Hubby has been utilizing his annual leave so we could stay 2 nights so we could enjoy more of my favourite food in Melaka.
Hubby looking at the choices of fresh fish from the sea (@ Crystal Bay, Melaka)
We have been visiting or searching for the best ikan bakar among these 3 places:
First visit: Serkam (about 45 mins drive towards Muar direction from Melaka town)
Second visit: Muara Sg.Duyong (only 5 mins drive from Melaka town)
Third visit: Crystal Bay, Jln Alai (about 10mins drive from Melaka town)
Sitting by the river lined up with fishing sampan (boat)
We reached our destination quite early. Great view as we were sitting by the river. QQ loves looking at the sampan on the river although she hardly eat any food there.
Happy Korkor in red
You know why I always talk about Korkor? I kinda miss him as he is always carried by Kakak, while Didi (a more demanding baby) is always with me on the sling. Even in the car, Korkor is always sitted at the back row with Kakak as Didi wants to be with Mummy all time in the middle row. Not fair? What to do…sigh…
Hot BBQ Otak-otak in basket
I forgot my camera and the lousy pics above were taken from my hp. Sorry no pictures of our food as I were too excited when the food arrived, hence busy gobble down the food.
Verdict:
Ikan Bakar @ Serkam - cheapest and nice but the environment is lousy
Muara Sg.Duyong - nearest to the town. Cheap too, but all their food is tasteless. Not worth going at all. We rather drive further…
Crystal Bay, Jln Alai -great food but most pricey among all three places. Still it is consider cheap for many.
Coming up next….map to these places..(I am going to sleep first, will sketch them tomorrow)
04.07.09 / Family, Health, Melaka / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (10)
Situations seems to be uncontrollable everywhere. More and more people are infected with the scary disease and it spread even quicker than AIDS, which we once used to be so afraid of.
We are suppose to head back to my hometown for my cousin’s wedding, but with so many family members and relatives coming from all over the world, it can be quite scary to bring the babies along to attend such functions like this.
Few days back, hubby expressed his concern about attending this wedding. Since I wanted to go back so much, I also have been calling my mum to check with everyone’s well being at home since I do not want to take such a big risk. Talked to my brother who just came back from Singapore, and he assured me he is 100% fine.
Finally we decided to go back this evening. All things are packed and put near the door on the glass tile. We only have to wait for hubby to come back from work, take our lunch and off we take go.
Pray that our trip will be fine this time.
02.07.09 / Save the Environment / Author: chinneeq / Comments: (16)
Tags: Garbage Enzyme
Don’t know what has got into me. First it was Cloth Diapering for my boys (although I was heavily hearted wanted to invest on the CD). Then comes Cloth Pad for myself. Having menstrual used to be a nightmare to me (imagine the discomfort and everything). But now, you would not believe how I look forward to my each menstrual cycle now. Ok, I know I begin to sound like nuts now.
And now comes the making of Garbage Enzyme (turning wet garbage into householrd cleaning solutions).
Benefits:
1. recover our ozone layer and lower global temperature
2. create natural household cleanser to avoid using harsh chemicals
How it can happen:
From day one you start making Garbage Enzyme its catalyses process will release ozone gas (O3). O3 can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere and heavy metal that traps heat in the cloud. Hence heat can be release from the Earth, reducing greenhouse and global warming effects.
How to make: ( Ratio of brown sugar, garbage, water is 1:3:10)
I started off with 100g brown sugar, 300g fruit skin, and 1 L water. For more fragant solution, you can opt to use only fruit skin (citrus like orange and such) instead of vege skin. I use my Lampe Berger container. Not sure what how my enzyme is going to turn out but my SIL said the solution works great as car washer. Can even use them for bath….*eee….a bit geli with the thought also*. Hope by using less chemical at home and eat more healtily now, we could lead a healthier life and will not be needing the Colonix later in life.
More usage are:
# Save money: Turn kitchen waste to DIY natural household cleaners.
# Multiple usage: Natural household cleaner; air purifier; deodorizer; insecticide; detergent; body care; car care; organic fertilizer, etc.
# Reduce pollution: Methane gas released from disposed garbage can trap 21 times more heat than CO2, worsen the global warming.
# Purify air: Remove odour. Dissolve toxic air released from smoking, car exhaust, chemical residues from household products, etc.
# Purify underground water: Enzyme that flow underground will eventually purify the river ad the sea.
# Natural pesticides: Reduce mosquitoes, flies, rats or cockroach, etc.
# Anti-bacterial and virus: Natural antiseptic for your home.
# Prevent drainpipe blockage: Release residues accumulated in the pipe of basins or toilet bowls.
For more details of its benefit for our environment and also how to use it effectively at home, do check out at http://enzymesos.blogspot.com/ for more details.
What’s at my cuisine blog:
Favorite Big Breakfast for SAHM like me. What’s yours then ?
