Perfect Living Exhibition 2010

I purposely take leave to go to this event. My new house has been ready since May, but hubby and I am still not able to make up our mind on who to engage as our contractor, family and work has kept us busy so much so we can't really concentrate on it. Anyway, I am going to this expo aiming to survey the pricing so that easier for bargain later.

hardly got time

 Eversince I finished confinement, I have been going out here and there, shopping and makan makan, seeing doctors for vaccination. By the time I got home, I am so tired that I just want to head to the bed besides attending to baby needs.
Now my new house is ready. Apart from reading parenting books, I got to equip myself with knowledge in house renovation so that I can have a good functionl space, at good price and good quality. On top of that, I got keep watch of warehouse sales, trying to get appliances and house accessories of good quality at much cheaper price. All this need work and time. I doubt I have time to blog as frequently as before especially I am about to be back to work soon. Now also I am also trying to crack my head on time arrangement so that I can organize sending HE and HX to babysitter, then send HE to preschool, pumping time, time to pick up 2 daughters and time to sleep, besides the busy work schedules. Can I have more heads and hands? 

Mom & Baby Expo 2010

My confinement is only halfway through. But it will be ended on 5th May, meaning I may be in time for this expo. Hopefully can grab something at cheaper price, one thing in my mind is storage bags. So far I have bought total 150 bags. Currently I am using about 3 bags a day, meaning I will finish the bags in 50 days itself, not even over maternity leave yet. Also it should be time for me to breath some fresh air outside after being 'confined' for one whole month!

Self made Nursing Cover

During the Chinese New Year season, I visited a friend. She was also breastfeeding her son for 5 months plus then. One interesting things she showed was the hooded nursing cover which she asked her neighbour to make for her. She was kind enough to pass me the extra boning that she had and the website which gave a tutorials on how to make one ourselves.

Being amateur in tailoring, I could hardly understand the instructions until I draw it out accordingly to visualise. As I went to SS2 to have my hair cut, I dropped by one of the shop to get a fabric. I looked for 100% cotton as I thought it should be cooling. Hence the shop keeper recommeded me Japanese cotton as it was better quality. As much as I wanted to have cute pattern, the price really put me off, about RM39/meter! If that's the case, I better got one from here. Since this was just a try out, I got a man shirt like pattern japanese cotton at sale price of RM15/meter.

Then my next move was to look for someone who got sewing machine to sew for me. I thought my babysitter got one but hers couldn't make a straight line hence I resort to a tailor shop. I cut the fabric accordingly ( with extra 6" from the recommended length and width) so that it would be easier for me to explain to the tailor. So on saturday afternoon, I brought the fabric and the boning and the instruction print out to the tailor shop. I even drawed the line to show the connection point. After waited for her to entertain other customer for 1/2 hour, finally I got the chance to talk to her. However, while I was halfway showing her, suddenly she raised her voice " you are wasting my time you know, unless you pay us RM20, otherwise you get your friend to make it for you..." She kept emphasize and repeat "waste our time", "RM20". I really got upset and even got the urge to cry. I hold back and decided I shouldn't be mistreated like this. So I just bought the D-ring and asked her to machine sew the 2 straps and left the shop. But I won't come to this shop anymore.

Instead of looking for people to help, I decided to hand-sew it. My mother and auntie were tailors and I basically grew up in a tailor institute. Ya, I did have some regret for not picking up the skill while having the chance but no time keep regreting. Anyway, after spending 2 days plus burning midnight oil, I finally complete making my very first nursing cover!
Here is my pride:

Here is the supposed view if I wear the nursing cover. The boning form the hood which allow me to see my baby and let the baby see me while nursing. :)

Will try to put up the picture for better illustrations on making the nursing cover if got time.

Motherhood expo 2010

I am into 36 weeks pregnancy now, meaning I am into 39 weeks of pregnancy on the date of motherhood expo! Though I can be in labour ( or already laboured,ha!), I wish to get to go just in time to get some freebies and stuff at discounted price. Wish my little baby behave well. :) Not to mention that I also apply to attend a 3 day seminars in the same time as this expo!

Happy Chinese New Year 2010

I am already 34 weeks pregnant now. Normally we will fly to Kuching to celebrate Chinese New Year, but this year we don't as I can't fly back after 1 week when I am 35 weeks pregnant. Although the free for life can be quite tempting if I ever give birth on the plane, I rather pay for the fare each time I fly rather than risking my and baby life by doing that. But my daughter will get much less Ang Pow this time.

I used to hear that the road is quite clear in KL during Chinese New Year, so this is the chance for me to witness it. But where should I spend the holidays? Shopping complexes? Hubby and I have tried to ask if anyone is staying in KL also so that we can visit them. There is only warm and the feel of celebrating CNY by visiting people. It will be quite pathetic if this festive season is spent in front of TV and shopping complexes. However, many are going back to their hometown too.

Anyway, we have plan too. At least we have 1 friend to visit on the first day, then we are going down the royal town in Perak to visit my old friends. On other days, we just take time to relax.
Boring?...Nowadays, after becoming parents, boring can be a luxury. :)

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEARS!!!

Difference in how I spent holiday after I become mother

Before I am a mother, holiday is a day that allow me to wake up later . I could sleep till 11 am, even 12pm. Then I probably would just be lazy, or had some ad hoc activity, mostly shopping.

After becoming mother, hubby and I can no longer catch the latest movie, as after office hour and every weekend, we are with our daughter. I can no longer shopping freely, taking my time to browse through the collections available in the market, comparing prices. Hence I find that holiday is really precious and I cannot afford not to have a holiday without planning.

Hubby and I now will try to arrange for holiday during working day for a movie day out. Sometime if we couldn't get the normal price ticket, we rather go for the premier cinema as we think its waste of time to queue up. We will also only have good lunch together as we need to pick daughter up during dinner time. In the mean time, I will have a shopping list to ensure that I won't miss buying anything.

If I take leave alone, I will also make sure I can make full use of the day, to do something that can only be done during office hour. If there is nothing, I rather don't take leave as I will accumulate the holidays for better arrangement later.

As I am not taking leave during CNY week, I purposely take leave today to pamper myself. I wake up early as usual working day, and send HE to preschool as normally she is sent by babysitter. After having breakfast, I head to PNB building to have my lost book replaced. After contemplating whether to catch a movie, I decide to go to SS2 to have a hair cut and buy the breastpad from Babyland. I also manage to buy the pork and chicken dried mean (BakHwa) from the famous "Wo Lai Yeh". By the time I reach home, its just 2.30pm. I still have time to blog. and I plan to arrange HE's baby photos. I feel great in using time fully. Such discipline holiday is something that I don't do before I am a mother...

Good customer service from KWSP

Today is Federal day, i.e all people who work in Wilayah Persekutuan get holiday! So I take this opportunity to go to EPF to settle my renomination stuff. Although I have just switch my KWSP status to Pencen Scheme, I feel like I need to do that, just in case any confusion on the policy later.
I manage to find my way to KWSP PJ centre. At the turning into the centre, the movement of cars are already slowing down to almost jam. (in my mind "oh no, have I picked a wrong day to come!"). As I am ready 32 weeks pregnant, I choose to park inside. I see the parking rate is comparable to the shopping centre, 50 sen for 1st half an hour, then RM1.50 for subsequent half-hour, then...hope that I get to it done fast. Parking is quite full, but I manage to spot an outgoing car and park at just outside the main door.

I get the form and the number in pink. As I walk to the designated counter, there is a lady calling" number 96, number 97...". I puzzle. Then I hear from the officer that each colour has 100 numbers, the current one is yellow colour group, then blue, then pink...(huh! Not only I have to wait long but also need to pay a good bit of parking fees!). However, as I check with the lady officer, she sees that I am pregnant and ask me to follow her. Apparently the officers will come to the counters to check once in a while so that pregnant ladies or those with small kids get to process the application first. Within half an hour, my application is done!

I am so happy with the KWSP customer service. Despite the place is congested with people, the officers remain patience and smiling, even some of the bank fails to do that. I am glad that I can see such a good service in a government office. Kudos! keep it up!

Note: Also need to mention, as I am about to follow the officer out of the crowded partition, I am tapped at the shoulder. A gentlement is offering me a sit. It is really kind of him, as he is taking the trouble to probably stand for long hours. There are still polite and thoughtful malaysians. :)