Downtime

These past week has been rather bland. With my mum sick, the kids sick and the haze, we were cooped up at home, almost self quarantined, and it almost drove me crazy.

For a girl who likes her windows wide open, I had to endure closed windows and doors when the haze PSI level went up to almost 400. It was hot. It was stuffy. It was insane.

And so, the fan and air con had to work extra hard to cool us down. I am bracing myself for the electricity bill when it comes. 

I got sick too, just yesterday. My body felt hot internally but I was feeling cold on my fingers and toes. And to top it off, my pms has been riding quite high and I'm not quite feeling the rainbows. 

I feel really down.

Nevertheless, I am going to chin up and be thankful for:

The husband. 

this was one of the clear days when we venture out to get dinner OUTSIDE.
he knew that I was feeling restless after cooping up at home,
so he decided to be brave and asked if I wanted to go check out JEM.
he super dislikes crowds, so this was his way of loving me.
and the son is doing his 'Thomas' face. this is how 3 year old rolls yo.

Happy kids.

all masked up to beat the haze!

this photo shall remind me that brothers in diapers
are brothers in cahoots.

he always gets excited when he sees his father on the laptop.
so we generously gave him one.
a spoilt one for him to bang away.

 And being vain.

keep calm and put on lipgloss.
loving this shade from Mary Kay!
get yours here!
be pretty and get to do some charity at the same time!

And for all good things to come!

Linking up with:

A-Z

A fellow SMB mummy did this and since I've not much happenings to blog about, thought it'll be fun to join in!

A. Attached or Single? 

Attached for the past 11 years.

B. Best Friend? 

Hmm, I don't have a best friend, but good friends, yes.

C. Cake or pie? 

Cake

D. Day of choice? 

Saturdays!

E. Essential Item?

Toilet paper

F. Favorite color? 

I don't have a favorite color, I like them all!

G. Gummy bears or worms? 

Gummy bears

H. Home town? 

Singapore

I. Favorite Indulgence? 

Bubble tea or chocolates

J. January or July? 

January

K. Kids? 

2.

L. Life isn’t complete without? 

Family, love, laughter, good food

M. Marriage date? 

25th September 2008

N. Number of brothers/sisters? 

1 sister

O. Oranges or Apples? 

Apples

P. Phobias? 

It used to be lizards falling on my head. But I'm not really afraid of them now.

Q. Quotes? 

Live, love, laugh

R. Reasons to smile? 

My kids and sometimes the husband, ha.

S. Season of choice? 

Autmun

T. Tag 5 People. 

To whoever is reading this! Just join in and don't be shy!

U. Unknown fact about me? 

I am afraid of contact lens

V. Vegetable? 

Tomatoes! 

W. Worst habit? 

Procrastinating

X. Xray or Ultrasound?

Are you asking about super powers? Then I take X ray!

Y. Your favorite food? 

Egg mayo

Z. Zodiac sign? 

Libra

Join in the fun too!

iCook

I'm really a noob when it comes to cooking, baking or anything related to making raw food taste good. Just ask my husband.

I only started making food proper was when I had to feed a weaning baby and even then, it was mostly puree or mashed up stuff. Porridge, I had to consult my mother-in-law over the phone and asked her how long more do I have to stir that gooey mush. And noticed I said making food, not cooking, because cooking to me involves alot more untesils and ingredients than a pot and wooden spoon and rice.

So can I just be proud for all of 5 minutes and present to you my awesome dish?

Over the weekend, I made this. Oh yes, I actually did.

Steam Salmon and Brocoli!
All I did was sprinkle some sea salt on it and steam for 10-15 mins.
It tastes really good!
Or either that,the expensive French sea salt really does wonders.

He asked what did the fish die die.
So I told him the fish had to die die so we can eat it.
1 meal, 1 life lesson.

I knew I wanted to get some brocoli for the boys and myself but I had no idea what to paired it with. So I spontaneously grabbed some salmon and then, what?

I'm deathly afraid of frying fish and I have an oven with a broken hinge. So I did what I knew best, when in doubt, steam it. But even then I had to google for 'How to steam fish', 'How long to steam salmon' and 'Can brocoli and salmon be steam together?'

Thank goodness for the gazillion pages of like minded people whom have no idea how to steam a fish. And for those who do, you rock.

Served with pasta or mashed potatoes, it is a healthy dish that meets all your dietary requirements. And with this new found confidence in cooking, I'm going to try out more new recipes for the boys and myself!

Linking up with:

A Juggling Mom

If you have any other fuss free recipes that doesn't require much preparation or washing up, please share! My boys and my stomach will thank you for it! 

Right and good

This morning as I was getting ready for work, I heard the door opened and a little voice sobbing,"Mama, I want you to sleep with me!"

My first reaction was, "Oh man, I should have left 5 minutes earlier!"

But as I watched this little voice sobbing and rubbing his eyes and stretching out his hands looking for me, I stooped and held him real close.

And yet the first words that came out of my mouth was, "Darling, Mama has to go to work".

I know. Face palm right.

After calming him down, I made his milk, carried him back to his bed, and after kissing and whispering I love you, I left.

And I reflect.

I really want to be a good mother. To be that kind of mother that not only works just so to buy the necessities but also to be the kind of mother that will be there to give him whatever support he needs. And I know its easy to say all these because he's just all of three years old now and so cute and fun to be with. But I truly hope when he gets into his teens and with all that emotional baggage that teens often goes through, I can still safely say this.

I will give you my utmost support. I will be with you. I cannot promise you that I will agree with whatever you might be doing, but know this. I am your mother and I love you. I am always thinking of you and it pains me to see you going through heartbreaks, rejection, failure, disappointments and struggles. But if it will make you become a better person, then I'll have to do the right thing. And to do the right thing does not mean it is going to be easy. It might hurt, it might bleed, it will be painful, but as long as its for your own good, then I am going to do it. 

So, I think. Instead of being a good mother, I want to be the right mother.

Because sometimes being good does not mean doing right, and being right does not mean doing good.

A family staycation

Over the long weekend we had a mini family staycation at a new hotel, Park Royal @ Pickering, courtesy of a hotel voucher given by my mother-in-law.

Initially, I had wanted it to be just for the husband and I, but as it turns out, it became a family affair. Well, not to say it was all that bad, because we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, its just that we were really looking forward to some alone time without the kids.

The hotel itself was not too bad but I think it caters more for the business people as it is situated near the CBD area and it has also won some awards for being an eco friendly and green hotel. The service was friendly and prompt, breakfast was a standard spread with English toast, sausages, bacon, eggs, cereal and Chinese fare like porridge and dim sum.

This time round, I didn't take much photos of anything as I was too aware that it might turn out to be what this mum says. And it was good because I got to really pay attention to what the kids were doing. We had loads of fun splashing in the pool, crawling around, napping, going for walks, enjoying the complimentary all day refreshments at the lounge and simply just enjoying each other's company.

this were all I took

It was a short 3 days 2 nights staycation, we are still drained out of energy, but, we are recharged with love, kisses and hugs knowing that it was a time well spent with the kids and we really couldn't trade it for anything else. And as a consolation, there's always the next time for some couple time, right?

Right.

Linking up with: