Rolling in the wins

So recently, I've been on a winning steak. Not through gambling, football bets or good old fashion TOTO and 4D, but rather from legitimate ways through participating in giveaways!

And these are what I've won so far:

A Play-Doh Sweet Shoppe play set for the son. Although if you really want to know, I wanted it more for myself. I can't bake, so this is a close second to actual baking.

through Simply Mommie

 A chocolate hamper. For.Myself.

through Miss Tam Chiak

A makeover workshop by Style Essence 

through Mother of Xander

A very pretty dress from Love,Bonito

through So She Says
only the dress, not the model

I am on a roll baby!

Feeling really thankful for all the things that I've won so far because it is truly undeserved. And so to continue this good karma coming, I am paying it forward by having a giveaway of my own!

For this week's giveaway, it is a full size Clarins Lift-Affine Visage Serum.

To win, simply leave a comment with your name and email and I'll use a random generator to pick the winners! 

Do join in this giveaway and share with your friends too! All the best and hope you have fun! I am feeling all shingling and jingling already! 

Giveaway ends on the 17th May 2013. Open to Singapore residents only. 

*Disclaimer: This is my own personal belonging and I was not approached by Clarins for any review.  Users, please use with discretion. 

And we have a winner! 

Congratulations to Dianaruth Guo! I'll be contacting you shortly for your mailing details.

And thank you all for your kind support!

Linky party

Finally Friday is here! So looking forward to the end of the day where I can pick the kids up and to enjoy the weekend together!

And just thought to join in the fun with the fellow SMB and The Accidental Mom Blogger to look see what's  in my bag.

From top.
Bag, erm self explanatory.

Left to right:
Recycle bag which I conveniently 'kope' from the sister's stash. Comes in handy when I need to buy a few things from the supermarket and doesn't warrant a plastic bag. Plus, it really makes me feel I'm doing my part in saving the earth.

Umbrella. A gift from the sister.

Little red pouch. For my headphones.

Staff pass.

Keys. To let myself into my mother's house!

Floral pouch for my womanly needs.

Coach wristlet. A birthday gift from the sister 2 years back.

Bonia coin purse.

Spectacle case. To vain to wear them but too wussy to try contacts.

Ez link card case.

Touch up pouch. All the essentials like oil blotters, lip balm, lipstick, lip gloss, toothpicks, mirror and hair clip.

Chocolate bar. For hungry times and as a bribe to the son. Note to self: MUST always remember to clear any food stuff in the bag! I once found a trail of ants leading to this bag and thats when I found a mouldy pack of raisins in it. Super gross.

Linking up with:

               

                                       

Healing time

I've recently started attending church again after a hiatus of two years. I took a break from Jesus. I took a break from praying. I took a break from the church people.

I wasn't born and raised in a Christian family. I only received Christ when I was in secondary school when my friend invited me to her church service and it was there and then I became one. In the beginning, there was youth service, I went for a while, then stopped for a longer while. Till the same friend again invited me to another church service and there and then, I got really into it.

I joined their youth ministry, actively participated in it, became a youth leader, make friends, encourage friends and from there met my husband. But this is not about our love story, this is going to be how I'm intending to raise my children upon my church teachings.

Because you see, we have been hurt by church people. The very same people who taught us how to love, how to give grace to people, how to forgive has hurt us deeply. Hey, where is all the love you taught? Where is the grace that is undeserved? Where is the forgiveness when we needed it? Where is this second chance at redemption? Where?

And thus we stopped going.

Because for a long time, it became a fame game. People dictating how and what you should do and say, how to behave in a certain way, how to mix with the right kind of people, all the right lingos and whatever nots that took over. It was bright, it was shiny, it was also terribly blinding.

Yes victories are good, victories are worth celebrating, victories are worth mentioning but before the victories, there was the struggles, the pleas, the cries, the darkness. We need the light in those, not the light shining into the light.

And so until recently, I've decided to attend church again.

I wanted to know and feel this Jesus for myself again. To know and feel the realness of him first hand. To fully experience his love before I teach my kids about him. But frankly in the deepest of my sub-consciousness, I feel like I'm doing it more so for the kids. For them to be exposed to the teachings, singing songs, learning about Jesus, just having fun, for themselves, not for anybody or even me. And I'm glad that the son is now singing songs of Jesus loves me and I'm in the Lord's Army although it sounds like he's lost in the army most of the time.

Anyway there is still a jadedness about it all, but I believed the healing has began, layer by layer.

The boy and his long hair

For a long while, the son has been obsessed with the cartoon Tangled, a sort of a re-telling of the classic story Rapunzel whereby the girl has very very long hair who's trapped in a tall tower by her evil stepmother.

I don't exactly remember when we let him watched it but after the first time, it was what he wanted to watch EVERYTIME. He calls it the 'Princess' show.

Whenever we asked him what movie he would like to watch or when we suggest watching a movie to distract him, he will always go, "I want to watch Princess!"

"Sorry, Princess is not free right now darling, why don't we watch another show?" would be my reply. But then the son would go, "Huh? Princess go where Mama?" And then I would go, "Hey look! Its *pa poi! Let's watch pa poi shall we?" Sometimes it works, most times it doesn't. Only Princess can save the day.

His obsession lies entirely in the hair. He would often re-enact some scenes in the cartoon and uses props like his blanket, towel and even my shawl to pretend that it is his long hair. So much so the husband has banned him from watching the cartoon anymore. I think he secretly deleted it from his hard drive.

Am I worried, am I concerned?

Well yes and no actually.

I think it is a phase he is going through although it has been going on a tad longer than it should be and partly also the fact that he had watched it repeatedly before. Although at times in the moment of play, he would address himself as the Princess and I would have to correct him that because he is a boy, he should be a Prince instead. But he would go, "But Mama, girls have long hair, boys no long hair!" Ah well, girls have more fun with their hair ain't it.

He does have his share of boys toys like cement trucks, aeroplanes, racing cars and his precious Thomas and Friends train engines. He enjoys a good shout now and then, enjoys a good jump and enjoys running very much.

Well, who knows maybe after all he might become a very talented hair stylist in the future.

*pa poi: those funny sounds the minions made in the cartoon, Despicable Me.

GIVEAWAY

{GIVEAWAY}

Hello! I am hosting a giveaway of my own and this is my first time doing it with my own stuff!

Reason being, well, I have alot of beauty products and samples given by my sister or friends or from sampling boxes that I've signed up with. So much so I have no room to use them all on my face, ha.

So I thought it will be nice to just share with you all!

And its really simple to join. Just leave a comment with your name and email and I'll use a random generator to pick the winner! Easy as peasy!

For this week's giveaway, it is a sample size L'egere Cream Base and 2 sample size SKII Whitening Spots Specialist.

The L'egere Cream Base works like a BB cream and you can layer it with your foundation for a more polished look. Or you could also just dust some loose powder for a more natural look or pressed powder to set it. This is what I would usually do for my daily make up.

And the SKII Whitening Spots Specialist helps to lighten any dark spots or marks you might have. Personally I have not used this at all, but I have been using their pitera essence and facial wash and I like it! The essence does help to shrink my pores and really gives my skin a nice dewy glow!

Do join in this giveaway and share it with your friends too! I have more giveaways line up!

Giveaway ends on the 3rd May 2013. Open to Singapore residents only.

*Disclaimer: The above opinions are strictly my own and I was not approached by either brands for any review. All products are my own. Users, please use with discretion. 

Sorry. easy to spell, difficult to say.

I yelled at MY mother the other day. The woman who raised me up, sacrificed her body for me, the woman who worked late hours just so we are fed and clothed. The exact same things I'm doing for my sons now.

I went over to her place few days back and as usual when it came to feeding the kid, it was all screams and tears. So I took the kid to the bedroom and tried feeding him again. All was fine till he decided to start crying and screaming. And I continued to feed regardless of all the tears, screams and perspiration from him. I think he lasted for a good ten minutes before my mum came into the room and took him away.

"If he doesn't want to drink, then don't force him! He will be scared one and will get traumatized you know?!" she said.

I was also angry and had been quite down for a while precisely because of this problem and so I yelled back at her.

"You are also not feeding him proper meals, and now he's not drinking milk, how is he going to grow!" I yelled. Ok I screamed back.

Wow, yelling and accusations, well done girl.

And this coming from someone who understood what it was like to look after two active kids for the whole day.

My mum might not be the best cook, best teacher, best anything, but she is doing me a favour now by looking after my two kids.

And so, after I 'complained' to the husband, he said the most wisest thing ever, "I think you better apologized to her."

And it truly reflected upon me, that this is the time to walk the talk. To man up and shoved all ego away. To truly put into lesson what I've always teach the son.

To say sorry when you're in the wrong.

And so, I did. Sort of. I text her.

"Sorry for being rude to you last night."

Be it parent, child, husband, wife or whoever, saying sorry really seems to be the hardest word, whether you're three or thirty years old.

More often than not, it is the hardest when they're the closest to your heart.

IHappy

Recently the son had been quite disobedient and even to the point of being defiant. And he's only three years old.

Whatever we asked him to do and mind you, we always asked him politely too, has been met with a 'No' followed by a shaking of his head. Its driving me nuts. The husband and I talked about it and we conclude that it might be due to us not giving him enough attention.

And so, I decided to spent a weekend alone with him. Just us two.

We went for a MacDonald's breakfast, watched a movie and brought him to Sunday school where afterwards we met one of my friend for dinner. She gave him a Thomas sticker book and he was so happy!

him with his favourite 'jie jie' lol
love his cheeky look here.

And the best best part of it all was just before he slept last night, he turned to me and said, "I love you Mama. I happy."

Priceless.