Nowadays I look forward to the weekends. I have been taking time off from work during the weekends and it feels good. As much as I like to work from home, I find that it's hard to stay out of the home office on Saturdays and Sundays. It actually takes discipline to do that!
Last Sunday, we went furniture shopping at the Rozel showroom and it was a fun experience. It's always nice to check out new sofas, dining sets, sit on them, test the cushion, feel the quality...etc. Touch is sensational! It felt nice to touch and feel furniture! I had not done that for 10 years! So now that we had an idea of what we need for the move, it's time to visit the store in a couple of months' time.
Relocating can be both stressful and scary. But when you enjoy the journey and the ride, it can be fun. I'm glad that I don't need to retake my driving when I move to Oz but poor DH would have to reapply for a driving license. Cars in Oz are much cheaper so hopefully I can get to choose the car I want! When the time comes, there'll be more to settle, get auto insurance quotes, hunt for a home, settle into the community and get used to the surroundings. My good friend will be moving in mid year for good... so I have another friend in Brissy.
The new business website is in the making and I'm glad I can continue this work at home journey. Hopefully I have more time to learn a new recipe every week, take up a new course and get into the property market. Dreams, hopes and aspirations - we all need them!
30 March, 2010
23 March, 2010
Work At Home Mom and Pilates
Now that Clayton starts school at 8am in the morning, I have been rising at 6am for a time of prayer and preparation. A work at home mom does have to get up early like any other working person, except that I don't have to rush in getting myself all dolled up for the office.
This morning, I headed for my usual Pilates class. It was a good one though my throat was tickling to a cough during the workout. I enjoyed Sherene's class for many reasons. She's one instructress who knows what how to handle the class and making it interesting. Many of my friends have misconceptions about Pilates and often think that it's a slow exercise that doesn't deliver results. Though the workout does not require anyone to be on no xplode but it sure strengthen the core and tones up the muscles. I personally prefer the reformer classes over the mat ones as they tend to be more interesting.
I believe every work at home mom should find time to exercise, even if it's just a walk in the morning or an exercise routine in front of the tv. DH is one person who never fails to do his exercise every morning, even when he's had a late night. I have so much to learn from him! Only thing is, he doesn't need to do the chores for the house but I do, which means there's alot more balancing left for me. But still, I am thankful that we can work from home and do things that many people can't do with their children. As I write this post, I'm reminded not to take this blessing for granted and I'm once again, very grateful.
This morning, I headed for my usual Pilates class. It was a good one though my throat was tickling to a cough during the workout. I enjoyed Sherene's class for many reasons. She's one instructress who knows what how to handle the class and making it interesting. Many of my friends have misconceptions about Pilates and often think that it's a slow exercise that doesn't deliver results. Though the workout does not require anyone to be on no xplode but it sure strengthen the core and tones up the muscles. I personally prefer the reformer classes over the mat ones as they tend to be more interesting.
I believe every work at home mom should find time to exercise, even if it's just a walk in the morning or an exercise routine in front of the tv. DH is one person who never fails to do his exercise every morning, even when he's had a late night. I have so much to learn from him! Only thing is, he doesn't need to do the chores for the house but I do, which means there's alot more balancing left for me. But still, I am thankful that we can work from home and do things that many people can't do with their children. As I write this post, I'm reminded not to take this blessing for granted and I'm once again, very grateful.
A Meeting with Mover
In the last couple of weeks, I've been learning a few things from the mover with regards to moving our stuff to Oz. Initially we thought we would buy all our stuff in Brisbane and packed everything in loose cargo. But after consulting with the mover and talking to a few friends, we have decided to buy some basic furniture over. And since we are going to earn money from home, we should also think about getting some good home office furniture.
Our mover had advised on what should be brought along and what need to be left behind. He even said that we have to wash our shoes very clean, making sure that there is no dirt or soil on the walking soles. Furniture is fine as long as there is no untreated wood as that will require fumigation. I asked him about bringing dried foods for Asian cooking and he had advised me not to. That was pretty sad for me cos I was planning to stock up some organic seasonings and dried foods. I know of some people who bring lots of paper products such as toilet rolls! Maybe there are also those who would bring their best weight loss products or skin care with them. Well, whatever that needs to be brought, I was told that they had to be thoroughly cleaned! Fumigation at the Oz customs will cost at least AUD$200 and it can be troublesome too.
With so much to plan and do, I'm sincerely thankful that these things can be done as I continue to earn money from home. The flexibility of time allows to make provisions for meetings and phone calls so all planning can be done faster.
Our mover had advised on what should be brought along and what need to be left behind. He even said that we have to wash our shoes very clean, making sure that there is no dirt or soil on the walking soles. Furniture is fine as long as there is no untreated wood as that will require fumigation. I asked him about bringing dried foods for Asian cooking and he had advised me not to. That was pretty sad for me cos I was planning to stock up some organic seasonings and dried foods. I know of some people who bring lots of paper products such as toilet rolls! Maybe there are also those who would bring their best weight loss products or skin care with them. Well, whatever that needs to be brought, I was told that they had to be thoroughly cleaned! Fumigation at the Oz customs will cost at least AUD$200 and it can be troublesome too.
With so much to plan and do, I'm sincerely thankful that these things can be done as I continue to earn money from home. The flexibility of time allows to make provisions for meetings and phone calls so all planning can be done faster.
22 March, 2010
Our Home Office is Moving!
Two weeks ago, we spent a nice afternoon in a friend's house with two big inflatable pools in the garden. Our friend, Viki, was so kind to invite us over for a fun play for the kids and some curry chicken dinner. She just moved to her new home and each time I visited her, I would rave about her cosy home office upstairs.
When you have worked long enough in a home office, it's hard to change this lifestyle. At least this is what DH and myself have decided. We are planning to work from home in Brisbane and DH has been busy with setting up the new website for the business. While he handles the business bit, I'm contacting mover and planning for the move. It's certainly a big task but it will all work out well. I was telling DH that I plan to start a new blog documenting our move to Brisbane. That will serve as a resource stop for anyone moving down under.
A friend commented that I never seemed to put on any weight during our dinner gathering. He was telling me about the many fat burners for women in the marketplace and that I would never need them. Well, I suppose the constant balancing of work and parenting has kept my weight in check and that isn't a bad thing at all.
With the move in place, we'll be shopping for some new furniture in the next few months since everyone is advising us about the huge savings. It is exciting to go shopping for furnitures and the last time we did that was ten years ago! We may see if we can find some good home office furniture here since the prices in Oz can be steep due to currency conversion. Hopefully, the ringgit will strengthen in the next few months so that we can see more in our exchange!
When you have worked long enough in a home office, it's hard to change this lifestyle. At least this is what DH and myself have decided. We are planning to work from home in Brisbane and DH has been busy with setting up the new website for the business. While he handles the business bit, I'm contacting mover and planning for the move. It's certainly a big task but it will all work out well. I was telling DH that I plan to start a new blog documenting our move to Brisbane. That will serve as a resource stop for anyone moving down under.
A friend commented that I never seemed to put on any weight during our dinner gathering. He was telling me about the many fat burners for women in the marketplace and that I would never need them. Well, I suppose the constant balancing of work and parenting has kept my weight in check and that isn't a bad thing at all.
With the move in place, we'll be shopping for some new furniture in the next few months since everyone is advising us about the huge savings. It is exciting to go shopping for furnitures and the last time we did that was ten years ago! We may see if we can find some good home office furniture here since the prices in Oz can be steep due to currency conversion. Hopefully, the ringgit will strengthen in the next few months so that we can see more in our exchange!
More About My Trip Back
During my last trip back to SG, I had a beautiful evening with few old friends in a fine dining Japanese restaurant called Hiroki. I haven't been to dempsey road for a while and it was nice to see that so many restaurants had mushroomed over the last couple of years.
I found out during the dinner that my friend exercises six hours a week. For me, that was truly admirable as my work at home schedule had not allowed me to do that. I miss those body pump and body combat classes in the gym. These days, going for Pilates classes once or twice a week is already a great achievement for me. Body pump classes are one of the best fat burners if you want to lose some weight. Actually I was supposed to pick up kickboxing last year but couldn't find the time for it.
For my fitness goals, I hope to learn a dance this year and probably pick up kickboxing if I can. If I can't do all these, I would have to postpone it till I move to down under. Hopefully I can find time for more hours of exercise by then.
I found out during the dinner that my friend exercises six hours a week. For me, that was truly admirable as my work at home schedule had not allowed me to do that. I miss those body pump and body combat classes in the gym. These days, going for Pilates classes once or twice a week is already a great achievement for me. Body pump classes are one of the best fat burners if you want to lose some weight. Actually I was supposed to pick up kickboxing last year but couldn't find the time for it.
For my fitness goals, I hope to learn a dance this year and probably pick up kickboxing if I can. If I can't do all these, I would have to postpone it till I move to down under. Hopefully I can find time for more hours of exercise by then.
Update From the Work at Home Mom
Ah... it's been two weeks since I last wrote. Well, I don't know even I'm away from this blog for sooo long! When you work at home, time passes so fast and when the routine just goes on and on...
I just got back from a short trip to Singapore. Even though it was only three nights, I felt good about taking a break from the home office. Well, the truth is, I never quite take a complete break even though I am away most of the time cos there are always online work to be done.
Now that Garage Adventures is closed, traveling with Clayton isn't as easy as before. I dropped him off at Peekabook one of the days when I had to get my hair coloured and cut. He was happy playing there since there were many kids during the one week school break. I mean for a mere S$12 per entry, he could play all day so that was a good deal. The only downfall was, the child minders in Peekabook didn't seem to care if he ate his food or not when he placed his order at their cafe. It was nothing like Garage Adventures and seriously, I miss GA so much!
Albeit the challenging task of shopping with Clayton, I still found time to sneak into Womb for a peek and bought a couple of one-offs. I was sad to hear that more one-offs were arriving the following day but I would be in KL by then! I had dinner with a couple of old friends and we were discussing about diets that work while indulging in our prawn linguini!
The next break from the home office would be one month from now and we'll be off to Hong Kong. I pray that the air quality readings will improve by then cos I just read that the air pollution was at record high today. Not so good news for me at this moment. I trust that things will get better and the weather will change for the good in the next few days and weeks.
I just got back from a short trip to Singapore. Even though it was only three nights, I felt good about taking a break from the home office. Well, the truth is, I never quite take a complete break even though I am away most of the time cos there are always online work to be done.
Now that Garage Adventures is closed, traveling with Clayton isn't as easy as before. I dropped him off at Peekabook one of the days when I had to get my hair coloured and cut. He was happy playing there since there were many kids during the one week school break. I mean for a mere S$12 per entry, he could play all day so that was a good deal. The only downfall was, the child minders in Peekabook didn't seem to care if he ate his food or not when he placed his order at their cafe. It was nothing like Garage Adventures and seriously, I miss GA so much!
Albeit the challenging task of shopping with Clayton, I still found time to sneak into Womb for a peek and bought a couple of one-offs. I was sad to hear that more one-offs were arriving the following day but I would be in KL by then! I had dinner with a couple of old friends and we were discussing about diets that work while indulging in our prawn linguini!
The next break from the home office would be one month from now and we'll be off to Hong Kong. I pray that the air quality readings will improve by then cos I just read that the air pollution was at record high today. Not so good news for me at this moment. I trust that things will get better and the weather will change for the good in the next few days and weeks.
11 March, 2010
Planning to Work at Home in Brissy
Clayton's timetable is finally out! After three long months and the school has finally released the new timetable with the new school hours. He'll go to school for four hours the week after the school holidays. That means more time for me to work at home and starting the day an hour earlier!
I suppose this is good for him as the school has included more fun and play activities in the time table. Previously it was all rather cluttered and there wasn't much time for physical stuff. I could see that they had increased the subject duration and snack time which means the kids don't need to rush through their learning and eating.
Back in the home office, DH has been rather diligent in setting up the website for the new business. There's so much potential in the world of internet marketing and I believe that online business will continue to grow in the next few years. People use the Net for everything these days, from searching jobs in New York to seeking for medical answers. Shopping online has become such a common thing with today's cutting edge technology. With this convenience, I can buy stuff overseas and have them delivered to my doorstep within a short duration.
With the new business, we can continue to work at home in Brissy and enjoy the freedom of time. I am excited with this new venture and look forward to achieving new dreams and goals.
I suppose this is good for him as the school has included more fun and play activities in the time table. Previously it was all rather cluttered and there wasn't much time for physical stuff. I could see that they had increased the subject duration and snack time which means the kids don't need to rush through their learning and eating.
Back in the home office, DH has been rather diligent in setting up the website for the new business. There's so much potential in the world of internet marketing and I believe that online business will continue to grow in the next few years. People use the Net for everything these days, from searching jobs in New York to seeking for medical answers. Shopping online has become such a common thing with today's cutting edge technology. With this convenience, I can buy stuff overseas and have them delivered to my doorstep within a short duration.
With the new business, we can continue to work at home in Brissy and enjoy the freedom of time. I am excited with this new venture and look forward to achieving new dreams and goals.
09 March, 2010
So Much to Do in the Home Office
Parenting and work at home can become more challenging when your child is ill. Infact, it affects me emotionally, physically, causes some havoc to my worklife and mental state of mind. I'm so glad Clayton has recovered and he's back to his normal self.
This week, I'll need to get a mover for a quotation for our move. I was hoping that we could buy our one way air tickets during the Malaysia Travel Fair but due to some logistic issues, I have to delay the booking. But I'm certainly happy that I manage to secure good rates for our Hong Kong air ticket and I can't wait for April to come!
I've been advised to buy our furniture here and have them shipped to Brissie but it's hard to decide when we haven't even bought a place. A friend of ours is planning to buy furniture and lighting fixture during warehouse sales in order to accumulate some savings. For us, we treat it as a one-time investment as part of the migration costs.
Just when we get into the routine in the home office, it's school holidays next week and there'll be another one week break. I'm a little tired to travel to Singapore but it'll be a long time away before the next trip back. Moreover, it's just hard to get things going in the home office when Clayton is around.
There are a few things happening in the next couple of months: creating a website for our new business in Brisbane, training the new partner in the seminar, and working out the moving details. With so much to do in the home office, there's no time for slack in the coming months. The move is really ON!
This week, I'll need to get a mover for a quotation for our move. I was hoping that we could buy our one way air tickets during the Malaysia Travel Fair but due to some logistic issues, I have to delay the booking. But I'm certainly happy that I manage to secure good rates for our Hong Kong air ticket and I can't wait for April to come!
I've been advised to buy our furniture here and have them shipped to Brissie but it's hard to decide when we haven't even bought a place. A friend of ours is planning to buy furniture and lighting fixture during warehouse sales in order to accumulate some savings. For us, we treat it as a one-time investment as part of the migration costs.
Just when we get into the routine in the home office, it's school holidays next week and there'll be another one week break. I'm a little tired to travel to Singapore but it'll be a long time away before the next trip back. Moreover, it's just hard to get things going in the home office when Clayton is around.
There are a few things happening in the next couple of months: creating a website for our new business in Brisbane, training the new partner in the seminar, and working out the moving details. With so much to do in the home office, there's no time for slack in the coming months. The move is really ON!
01 March, 2010
Work At Home Mom and Her Busy Long Weekend
It was a pretty eventful week for us last week. On Tuesday, the storm and lightning fried the lights and power in our kitchen, my work at home husband's laptop and our modem.
In the past, we used to have such problems when there was a storm but since switching to 3G networks, we had taken things for granted. Now that we are back on land line for internet connection, we have to be extra careful again when thunders roar! I was glad that we got everything fixed and restored within a short time, at the expense of a new laptop and some running around. Nevertheless, we were back online in less than 24 hours - how thankful was I!
We had a long weekend last week with Friday being a public holiday and I was so happy to have a friend visiting from Singapore. That was a very close girl friend whom I love and treasure. She was telling me how consumers these days were getting home insurance quotes online that she had less to do now - she happens to be in the insurance industry. It was nice fellowship and we enjoyed a yummy dinner at our favourite Taiwanese restaurant at The Gardens.
It was a real break from the home office as we visited a friend's CNY open house and house warming party. Then it was even more tiring when the work at home mom had to nurse her boy who was running a temperature. I tend to be more tired when my boy is ill. He tends to wake up at night and that means disturbed sleep for me.
I stole a little time to make my first natural cleaning enzyme made of aloe vera and some lemon. Hopefully it will turn out well in 3 months' time! I found a way to utilize my growing aloe vera garden!
So it's back to the grind this week and it is pretty busy for me as the work at home dad is away in his hometown. And yes, we are in the month of March now... and in nine months' time, we will be bidding farewell to this land.
In the past, we used to have such problems when there was a storm but since switching to 3G networks, we had taken things for granted. Now that we are back on land line for internet connection, we have to be extra careful again when thunders roar! I was glad that we got everything fixed and restored within a short time, at the expense of a new laptop and some running around. Nevertheless, we were back online in less than 24 hours - how thankful was I!
We had a long weekend last week with Friday being a public holiday and I was so happy to have a friend visiting from Singapore. That was a very close girl friend whom I love and treasure. She was telling me how consumers these days were getting home insurance quotes online that she had less to do now - she happens to be in the insurance industry. It was nice fellowship and we enjoyed a yummy dinner at our favourite Taiwanese restaurant at The Gardens.
It was a real break from the home office as we visited a friend's CNY open house and house warming party. Then it was even more tiring when the work at home mom had to nurse her boy who was running a temperature. I tend to be more tired when my boy is ill. He tends to wake up at night and that means disturbed sleep for me.
I stole a little time to make my first natural cleaning enzyme made of aloe vera and some lemon. Hopefully it will turn out well in 3 months' time! I found a way to utilize my growing aloe vera garden!
So it's back to the grind this week and it is pretty busy for me as the work at home dad is away in his hometown. And yes, we are in the month of March now... and in nine months' time, we will be bidding farewell to this land.
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