Beach Hopping Saturdays

After our trip to Moreton bay two weeks ago, we haven't stopped going to the beach on the weekends.

Last week we took a drive to Mooloolaba, sunshine coast and had a great time with our body boards. The surf was beautiful and the weather was perfect for a summer's day. Clayton had so much fun with the body board and he was good at catching the waves! It was amazing how he overcame the dislike of stepping on sand and now, he's so good with the ocean.

This morning, we went beach hopping at Kings beach at Caloundra and it was such a great family beach. The surf is more gentle compared to Mooloolaba and the water is equally nice. We bought another Mambo body board two days ago and it was a good buy indeed. We had a lovely time at the beach and with that intense heat, it was just impossible to hang out in the sun for too long! I'm glad I persuaded hubby to buy the beach umbrella and with that, we could sit in the shade and had a little picnic. With all these snacks, I sure need to find out how to lose belly fat very soon! After Kings beach, we had fish and chips at The Fishmonger's Wife, a famous speciality fish n chips place. The fish was fresh and it was a good meal for what we paid for.

It's nice to be able to hang out at the beach as a family on a nice Saturday. The drive was an easy hour and we did so much together and enjoyed the outdoors in old fashioned fun. I'm looking forward to another exciting week ahead and this is life for me in Brissy.

Settling Well Down Under

As the popular saying goes, "Time flies!" and true enough, it's already the last week of February and we are entering the month of March in a couple days' time.

It's been an amazing month with so much happening. We are quite settled now and I'm glad that Clayton is getting used to Citipointe too. I am thankful that he had a good teacher who is good with active kids and I had observed her lesson on some occasions and have been pleased with her style. The school is very focused on lower primary and they believe in giving the kids a good foundation. I am certain we had made the right choice in sending him to Citipointe.

On the home front, I have been busy with cooking and getting things organized. I have met few moms from school and became friends over coffee and meals. Last week, I started my first lesson in Bible Study Fellowship after being invited by a friend I just got to know from school. It was a good experience as I was introduced to the book of Isaiah. Hubby had attended BSF in the men's group too and we are both learning the same book this year. It is a good opportunity for us to know God's word more as we also network with other Christians from other churches.

I have been doing more cooking than before and eating in is the norm here down under. Last week, i was shocked when I saw the numbers on the digital weighing scale and I had decided to do more exercise since. I may not need OxyElite Pro for now but if I don't keep watch, I may need a weight loss plan soon! I blame it on the desserts after meals and the snacks on the table. It's hard to resist those yummy cookies when you shop in Woolworths or Coles! I can't resist choc chip cookies!

We have been beach hopping every weekend and the weather has been nice. More about our beach hopping in the next post...

Shopping and More Shopping

I have been very good since coming to live in Brisbane. I don't go shopping anymore! Other than supermarkets and grocery stores, I hardly go shopping unless I need to buy something for the house or for Clayton.

What I like about here is that I can get decent stuff for the house without spending big bucks. Big W and KMart have lots to offer and shopping in these places taught me that there is no need to buy branded. Big W has lots of good kids clothing and KMart offers lots of good deals every now and then. Target is also a good place to shop but sometimes the stock can be a little dodgy.

That day, I was searching for an adult acne book and found it selling cheap at Big W. That's when I realized that I can buy lots of stuff at good prices in local stores like this. Besides shopping in these stores, I have been buying online from private sale sites and the savings have been rather substantial!

Let me just say that shopping online can be addictive and I'm pinching myself each time I feel like buying something on the web. Sometimes the bargains are so real that you feel that you are missing out if you don't grab it! Maybe I should stop opening those emails and this way, I can curb my shopping habits!

Life in Brissy Continues...

We are back in our home office blogging, researching in the internet and getting our online business going in this new country.

DH has been very diligent in doing all the necessary research and I'm counting on him to set the business directions. I like where we are now in Carindale and hope that we can buy a place in this lovely suburb when the time is right. As for now, staying in Solito is good with the shopping center just across the estate. Sending Clayton to school only takes less than 10 minutes so it's perfect for us!

Since moving into this townhouse, we had done much to settle ourselves down and I've even bought a few herb plants for the yard. I've always love to grow my own herbs and I'm so glad they are growing well. I'm hoping to add more to the collection in weeks to come but first I must find the right nursery to buy them.

Lately I had noticed some pimples appearing on my face. I read about some best acne treatments but I sincerely hope I won't need to use any of them. I'm just trying to sleep earlier so that my skin will look better on its own. It's just been very busy trying to make things right at home and I'm sure it will get better soon.

Clayton has started chinese classes in Tong Xin and I hope he'll enjoy his lessons. He's learning hanyu pinyin and though he's reluctant about going for classes, I can see a slightly more positive attitude after his first lesson with Ni Lau Shi.

It's back to worship centre tomorrow. I'm still praying that we'll settle down in the church He has planned for us to be.

Brissy Life: Trip to Moreton Bay

Has it been two weeks since my last update! Time passes so quickly!

It's already the fourth week of school for Clayton and we are getting used to the time table and schedule. Every friday, I help up in the class after their swimming lesson and it's interesting to see them in action. Clayton loves Tuesday where he has technology and library and Friday for swimming. He is still trying to find some true friends but I'm glad he's happier now.

As for me, I've been busy exploring and experimenting recipes and trying to find time to enjoy the Brissy lifestyle. Last weekend, we went to Moreton Bay and we had a great time with my cousin and her family. The boys had so much fun and the waters at Tangalooma was fabulous. We even bought tickets for another trip as they were offering a 50% discount on the trip. I only wish Rachel and family could join us again as Clayton loves to play with his cousins, Gerald and Gabriel. Alex snorkelled with Alvin and they had a nice time. But let me tell you what was even better... we went boom netting and it was incredibly fun! It was our first time and everyone else's and Clayton enjoyed it 101%! I was glad that the twin boys did it even though they were frightened. It was a fantastic trip and we are now looking forward to visit STradbroke Island with them in one or two weeks' time!

I'm also liking shopping online is deals site and private shopping sites here in Oz. Sometimes it can become addictive! These private shopping sites sell from homeware to baby gifts and the bargains are real and attractive.

It's weekends again and we are heading to the beach if the sun is smiling tomorrow... we can't wait!

Brisbane Updates - February

What a busy and exciting week in the month of February!

This has been a very eventful week and I'm so thankful that the weekends is here. Clayton had finished the second week of school and I'm glad that he's made a few friends this week. This is a very pro active school and there are announcements and notes for parents almost everyday. Being our first year, we are still getting used to the programs and school systems. I'm happy that he ended up with a nice teacher and I can see that he's happy at Citipointe. He told me that the teacher is less 'angry' than his JC teacher - how funny!

Last week was Clayton's first 'Show and Tell' and he had the chance to share his Perhentian trip with his class. The 'show and tell' trains them to speak before the class and teaches them presentations skills at this early age, which is a good thing. He started tennis and I'm glad he had a good session with Mark too. Swimming was less scary than he thought and I hope he improves with time.

More on the homefront, hubby had gout few days ago and it was a painful experience for him. He went to a doctor who prescribed some anti inflammatory drugs and what we didn't know was that he was actually allergic to indomethacin. His eyes started to swell and his nose became stuffy. I got very scared as I had never seen him in this state. Thankfully our cousins took us to the emergency ward at Mater Hospital and they warded him straight away. It was a relief to see that he had looked better after the night's observation and treatment and Mater and he is now recovering from gout. It looks like we need to cut down red meat from now on and he needs to be more careful about his diet.

It's the weekends again and I'm so glad I can take a break from early morning rush. Though it takes only 8 minutes to get to school, I don't normally get home till half past nine. I often end up talking to someone which isn't a bad thing. We are planning to inspect a property at Holland Park West today and then to Super Amart for some furniture shopping. Furniture shopping can be fun here and they sell all kinds of things, from outdoor furniture to clawfoot tubs. DH and Clayton will be heading to school to register for the soccer teams - it will be a fun experience for them.

That's it for the weekends and I look forward to Moreton Bay with my cousin and her family next week.

School, Food and Chinese New Year

It's week two for Clayton next week and I'm excited that he's starting tennis and swimming in school. I only wish he can do more but I thought it's suffice for now.

School week has been smooth so far and I can spot his mischief in class already. I'm glad he has a nice teacher who has more than 20 years of experience and I'm sure he can learn well under her supervision. I haven't made many friends since arriving except for a couple of moms I met in school. I'm not in a hurry to do that right now but I'm focusing on getting Clayton all settled in Citipointe.

I love grocery shopping here. We go to all stores including Woolworths, Coles, Supa IGA, Crisp on Creek and many more. The health and chemist stores here are good too and they sell all kinds of supplements and vitamins, from Olive extract to phenphedrine... the prices are attractive too.

I find myself cooking better over here and I love the turbo oven we bought from Clive Peeters. We had Siew Yok yesterday and it turned out perfect. I'm attempting to do more in the coming months and it's nice experimenting recipes and learning new ones. Inala is a great place to shop for meat and fish and this vietnamese town has much to offer.

It's chinese new year next week and we'll be having reunion dinner at Peter and Rebecca's. It's our first CNY in Brisbane and though it isn't like home, it's a good time to get together with families.

Our Brisbane Activities on a Summer Saturday

After a break for one week, I'm out for my morning walk at the Bulimba Creek this morning. The breeze was nice and the heat wasn't as intense as the last few days. It's a nice summer's day and we are heading to Burleigh Heads later today.

Yesterday we bought couple of body boards and are geared up for the surf today. We thought we should enjoy the summer and do more beach outings before autumn and winter... it would be too cold by then! It's nice to take morning walks here in the parklands and I can some quiet time with God as I walk through the bush. The air is fresh and the surroundings is serene... what a great way to start the day!

Just a while ago, I bought a couple of 'deals' to Moreton island and it was very good at $55 which includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea. Everyday I get a buzz on daily deals from several Australian sites which includes deals for spa, hair treatments, fitness memberships, best thermogenic fat burner packages, restaurant discounts...etc. Daily deals can be a way to save so I'm looking out for them everyday, that's what it means by convenient online shopping!

It's time to do some packing after clearing up all the boxes so that we can head to the beach earlier. It's going to be a great weekend.

Getting Started and Working From Home

The first week of school has ended and I'm glad that Clayton is enjoying his new school. Now that he's in school. we can start to work from home but before we can get started, we need to unpack all the boxes in the garage.

Hubby and myself have been very diligent in our unpacking. After a few days of unpacking and organizing, we had finished opening up all the boxes. The movers had 'repacked' all our stuff so it's been alot of work organizing and repacking for us. I only wish they don't touch what we had packed. We need to clear up the clutter in the garage as we would need the space for a second car in the near future.

DH can't wait to get started with our online consulting business. Basically we will be extending our services to small enterprises or business owners, helping them to gain awareness and increase sales via internet marketing. Whether the company deals with spa packages or funeral arrangements, we can teach them how to optimize their sites and be a consultant to these companies.

I know the weekends is here and I shouldn't be working. I made a resolution to cut down on work when Clayton is at home so that we can spend more quality time together. We are planning to make a day trip to Burleigh Heads and I can't wait to practice on my body board. It is going to be fun and I know Clayton will be the happiest boy as we head for the beaches!

Eumundi and the Beaches

Down at the Eumundi markets, there are lots of crafts and local delicatessen for sale and it's no wonder why it's so popular with locals and visitors all over the world.

It took us one half hours to reach Eumundi but the drive was a smooth and enjoyable one. There are many beaded jewlery stores and I believe there must be many good jewelry making supplies stores in Australia. There is no doubt that Australians are an artistic bunch of people.

There are lots of nice beaches along the Sunshine Coast and Coolum is one of the many great ones. I told hubby that we should visit a new beach every month and the reality is, it might be too cold to head to the beaches in winter. Summer is a great time for beach outings but it's important to put on a good sunblock to protect yourself from the strong UV rays.

Talking about the sun, I have been wearing my sun hat and sunglasses whenever I'm out and about. I'm not too keen in getting more pigmentation at this stage and I would have to work harder to keep them getting worse!

Loving Carindale, the Parks and Bike Trails

School has started this week and my morning walk has been disrupted as I'm in charge of sending him to school in the mornings.

Though I'm missing my walks it is nice to drive him to school without the usual traffic jam I experienced in KL in the last two years. It was a smooth and short drive and I find myself liking Carindale for that reason! But Carindale is a just suburb with lots of nice parks and bike trails, and I'm very happy to be here. Being near Westfield Shopping Centre means we can hop into the shops when we need something in the pantry and banks and amenities are close by.

With the many parks and bike trails, I'm motivated to exercise more and I need to get back to an exercise routine once Clayton settles down in school. Then again, it's too warm to go for walks after 9am so I would need to consider walking in the early evenings when the sun is more gentle. I am considering Fernwood Women's health club which is few minutes walk from Solito as they have many good classes lined up all day. Those who go to gym regularly won't be needing chromium picolinate and weight loss pills if they are disciplined and consistent in their exercise routines.

We have started the ball rolling in the home office and it's time to replan for Midas Mediaworks in the next few weeks/months. For now, I'm looking forward to the weekends and we are heading to Burleigh Heads for more sun and surf before summer ends.

Australia Day in Eumundi and Coolum

It was Australia Day on Wednesday and we made a day trip to the Sunshine Coast. It's been years since I last visited Sunshine Coast so it was nice revisiting the beautiful beaches again.

We have been busy with our boxes in the last one week and there is so much to be done. DH was so busy clearing the clutter in the home office that he has not even fixed up the home speakers yet. We set out very early to get to the Eumundi markets which takes place every Wednesday and Saturday. WE didn't expect ourselves to travel pass the toll bridge but registration was easily done on line. Thank God for relatives which are able to advise us when we are uncertain on local policies and rules. It sure helps a great deal to avoid blunders that way.

Eumundi Markets was nice and there were lots of local stores which is what I like about markets. It's pretty big and I didn't expect myself to end up with a hat, couple of scent pots and some homeware. I would love to revisit this lovely market. After Lunch, we headed off to Noosa heads for the warm waters.

The beach at Noosa was closed when we were there due to stingers being found on the waters. We then drove to Coolum beach which was 15mins away from Noosa. Coolum beach was beautiful and the surf was fantastic. Clayton couldn't wait to jump into the waters!

It was a full day out but we came home feeling happy that we had a great time at the beach.

Heading to Sunshine Coast

Finally, school has started for Clayton yesterday and it's a milestone for him and us!

He woke up cranky and I think he was having some jitteries on his new school. After some coaxing, he finally got to school and I was glad that he was feeling comfortable about his new class. We spent some time in the class organizing his stationery and books before saying good bye. And we were off to our first 'day off'! We spent an afternoon in west end and southbank before heading back to school to pick him up.

It's been a very week since our shipment arrived and we managed to clear up all the clutter in the living room. At least we can position our furnitures at the right place so that we can live comfortably. There are still a dozen of boxes sitting in the garage waiting to be cleared. It was stressful that all our things were repacked by the Msia packers and it was hard locating some things.

It's hubby's birthday next week and I'm at a loss of buying him the right gift. Unlike my girlfriend who grabbed some good cigar deals for her hubby, I find it hard to buy hubby anything! I would love to buy him a bike but I have no idea what he wants!

Tomorrow is Australia Day and we'll be heading to Sunshine Coast to the Eumundi Markets. We will be exploring queensland whenever we can and I enjoy these quality family times spent together. I am thankful for these wonderful times and I treasure every moment spent with hubby and Clayton. That's it for now... it's going to be a great day tomorrow!

Settling Down in Carindale Brisbane

A month before we arrived in Brisbane, we had planned to rent a house since DH wanted more space. But when we arrived, plans change.

After a few inspections, DH had decided that a townhouse will suit him best as he wasn't used to the quietness. Being a citysider, staying in a house where neighbours seem metres apart is not something very comfortable to begin with. But I am so thankful that the resident manager in Solito Carindale had informed me of a vacancy in the area weeks before our arrival and that was an answer to my prayer. I had prayed for a place in the area and God heard me. We inspected the townhouse and DH liked the location as the four bedder is just metres from the parklands. The best part is, the townhouse is across one of the largest mall in Brisbane, westfield Carindale. In fact I can even walk to the shops on a good day but so far, driving seems the best choice as there are often too much to carry returning home.

The townhouse is a simple three bedder with a study near the entrance, I and glad that we have windows looking out from our study or home office now. The furnishings are modern with two living spaces which is a good size compared to some smaller townhomes. Though no glass mosaic tile were used in the kitchen, I love the open concept and the dining is just next to the ktichen. It is cosy and I'm beginning to like it here. DH goes for his jogs every morning at the creek and I did my walks every other day too. We can't wait to get our bikes and start our biking in the parklands.

The weather is getting better and that is all good for those who are helping out in the flood crisis recovery. Though it will take them months to reconstruct the damages, the spirit of the queenslanders is positive and with that, things will be restored very soon.

Container Had Arrived!

After a few weeks of waiting, the container had finally arrived two days ago! It's both excitement and stress for us as we know that the real work will begin!

The only person who is happy and stress free is my six year old who can't wait to reunite with his toys... he was so happy when the container arrived. We didn't have time to think once the shipment came... there was more load than we expected! The delivery was smooth and it was rather mind boggling at first to see those huge boxes entering the doorway. It wasn't long that those boxes were unpacked and we could see bits and pieces of our furniture coming together. My worse fears was the big king bed but they were delivered and moved to the room without much problems. I have to appreciate hubby for fixing the bed so quickly cos the packers claimed that they couldn't help to assemble brand new furniture. And we were told a different story when we confirmed the contract with the packers in Malaysia. Thank God the assembly wasn't a complicated one. We were most thankful that we weren't held up at the customs. Neither did the flood crisis affect our container timing.

The next few days will be lots of unpacking for us as we try to fit everything into our townhouse. Hubby must be pretty stressed as I can see the acne on his face - haha! Maybe I should find him some natural acne treatments since he's been working so hard to put everything in place. I don't think he'll have time to feel homesick when there's so much to do. At the point of writing, there are more than a dozen bags of junk paper to be dumped and they are all sitting in the garage for now!

School Holidays are Out Soon

While kids are happy about holidays, the adults or parents aren't. Clayton is out of school for more than six weeks and I can see that boredom has caused him more trouble than good. Children like routine and when they are out of it, they go wacko.

We went for the interview with the headmaster two days ago and I was so glad that he was well behaved. I am praying everyday that he'll settle down well in his new school and I pray that he will like it there too. He's so bored that he's been irritating us with all kinds of ways and he's probably trying to get our attention. Sometimes he plays pretend games with DH such as wrestler game though he spends lots of time with his lego pieces. I know he can't wait for his toys to arrive from Malaysia.

Carindale is a nice place and we are just a couple of minutes to the bulimia creek. I took a few walks at the creek and bush lands and it was nice. Once we settle down, we will get our bikes and do some family biking fun at the parks. Tomorrow we will be attending Citipointe Church and I heard that they have a very active kids program. I know that Clayton is going to enjoy it and hopefully we can settle down well with a ministry that is close to our individual heart.

A Month in Brisbane

It's been a month plus since we arrived in Brisbane and I'm glad we had finally moved into our new house six days ago. Though we had no furniture in the last few days, we managed to organize our things and unpack our luggges. We finally made a trip to Bunnings and ikea to get all our storages and got all we need for the house before our shipment arrives next week.

It's been nice so far though we were very sad about the current flood crisis in Queensland. Though we may not be as emotional as the locals here we could feel the sadness and pain. Just two weeks ago, we were still strolling, walking and jogging along the riverbanks and traveling in the city ferries but now, all is gone. It will be a while before things are up and running again. The city is still closed and the workers are doing their best to restore powers, clean up the debris and help those who are affected by the floods.

This week, we managed to get our home essentials. Hubby got his Samsung tv and I got my LG stainless steel fridge. I am very happy with my french door fridge and the washing machine had arrived in time too. In a few days' time, the shipment will arrive and we will be busy with all the unpacking and organzing work. And soon, Clayton will be starting and I can't wait for that day to come!

Loving the City, Southbank and West End

The holidays are especially long during Christmas and New Year and I'm glad that all businesses are back at work today! I know some private companies may stay shut but most will resume business and I'm so happy we can finally see some activity in the city and inner suburbs.

We had a great time exploring with the City ferries and Citycat last few weeks despite the drizzly weather here and there. It was disappointing to see so many shops closing at the west end when we were there due to the New Year holidays and I can't wait to check out this lovely suburb again. We've been doing lots of walks and it's amazing that clayton is doing so well with the walking. I can't believe we actually walked from west end to kangaroo point... it was a real long walk. We did it despite the rain on Saturday. My hubby can't wait to revisit that suburb for some nice Vietnamese noodles! At the west end, you find some quirky stores selling from memorabilia to cigars humidor, artistic fashion and organic stores, this suburb has a character.

Yesterday we had hot chocolate at Max Brenner and DH wasn't happy with the queue at all. But we had a nice long walk at the Botanic gardens and Clayton was so happy to spot few monitor lizards who posed smartly for the camera. Southbank is beautiful though touristy and there are still fun things to do.

Today we are planning for another visit to the botanic gardens and Clayton has promised to wake up early for walks too!

it's 2011!

Time really flies and we have been in Brisbane for coming four weeks since we arrived on the 10 Dec 2010 and now it's 2011! Just within less than a month of being here, we had spent Christmas and New Year here... it's been good!

I like the serviced apartment we are currently staying at The Docks. I love waking up with a view of the river and I know I will miss this next monday. As much as I am excited to set up our new home office and new home in Carindale, it's going to be a different experience. We spent a quiet Christmas at The Docks and New Year is the same. Nothing spectacular but just the three of us and a a simple dinner. God is faithful and He has been very faithful to us.

I'm not certain how is it like work wise but I know that God will lead us and open doors for us. What's cool about Australia is that you can get very complete office equipment and all kinds of document management when you walk into stores like Officeworks. We will be visiting the store to stock up our supplies for the new home office.

We will be leaving the Docks in two days' time for the gold coast. It's been an amazing four weeks here and I'm thankful to God for giving us this temporary place to have a nice head start. It's going to be a great year and a wonderful year of new adventures and meaning.

Settling Down in Brisbane - Part 1

It's been slightly more than two weeks since we arrived in Brisbane. We had done so much in the last two weeks - from house inspection to test driving various cars, it's been a busy time for us.

We are quite comfortable in our serviced apartment in Kangaroo Point during this transit period and using a rental car to get around was a breeze with the help of a GPS. It was a change for each one of us and it would take some time before we get used to a daily routine. After a few house inspections, DH decided that he preferred a townhouse over a big house and it was a contrary to what he used to say. Being a city folk for so long, he finds living in a stand alone house very quiet and maintaining a yard is just too much for him. God is good and He provided an available townhouse in Solito Carindale, who happened to be an area I was eyeing on. Months before the arrival, I had contacted the resident manager and she said that she would keep a lookout for me should there be a vacancy and she contacted me few weeks before our arrival on one.

DH liked the place and it is conveniently situated opposite Westfield Carindale, one of the bigger and nicer malls in Brisbane. It was quite fun inspecting houses and finding our way around suburbs with the GPS. Now comes the car. I was eyeing for a Volkswagen and we test drove the mazda CX7, the toyota Rav4, the Subaru Forrester and lastly the VW Tiguan. The Mazda CX7 impressed DH the most and the price was good too. In Malaysia, we would need to cough out RM260,000 for this car but in Brissy, we managed to get it at less than AUD$37K after all the stamp duties and insurance costs. Now we have to shop for a cheap car insurance when everyone returns to work.

Christmas here was a quiet one as everyone celebrates with their family and friends. We had a simple dinner of hot chicken from Coles, a simple salad and roasted potatoes. Though simple, it was meaningful as we dined together overlooking the Brisbane River. It's boxing day today and it's going to be packed in the malls and shops. We are without a car for the next few days cos the car rental companies had their cars all booked out. So we will be moving around in city ferries until our car is ready next week.

More Brissy updates coming soon as we settle down in our new haven.

Hello Brisbane

The day is finally here and after staying in this lovely home for ten over years, it's time to bid farewell. We had used this house as our home office for more than five years and we are so thankful for that.

We had done all our packing and the movers had finally completed the packing. They were so fast in clearing our furnitures, kitchen ware and personal boxes, we couldn't keep up with their pace at one time. After three days of buys packing, cleaning and clearing, we left our home of ten years and said good bye.

It was great staying at The Gardens Residences for four nights and I was so happy that my close friend from Singapore had come to visit. She came to spend some time with us before we leave for good and we had a nice time catching up, shopping and doing some girlie things. I did my last facial and massage at mid valley during that time too.

The day had finally come for us to leave Malaysia and I was too busy to feel emotional about the entire move. All I knew was, I was thankful that God had opened doors for us and we managed to settle all our stuff before the big move. We discovered that we were seriously overweight few days before our departure and had to ship out 2 boxes of personal things vis Pos Malaysia so as to avoid being charged for excess baggage at the airport.

On the day of departure, we arrived at the airport early and was told that our flight had been retimed. We are therefore four hours early to our flight time and I knew God had a purpose for this delay. Before we had time to feel upset our the retime, we found out that we were 20 kgs overweight and thus, they wanted us to pay almost RM1K for that. We managed to negotiate our way out of this since we were told about the retime so late. To cut the story short, we managed to get on the plane with no charges to pay and finally got into Brisbane.

The Docks at Goodwin is located in Kangaroo Point and we got in at 11pm. The one bedroom was neat and cosy though I wished they have a bigger bed. The bathroom was small but the bathroom faucet and basin was big. We will be here for two weeks and hopefully we can get a more permanent home by next week.

So much for the updates, it's time to wind down, get more sleep and start the day early tomorrow at the city and Southbanks. Good day, Brisbane and good bye, Malaysia.

Updates on the Big Move

After three tiring and long days of working with the movers, the boxes and all our furnitures had gone to the warehouse and they will be out in the sea very soon. I can't believe that everything was done and we had even handed over the house.

In a few days' time, we'll be in Brisbane and our new journey will begin. I don't know how and what it's going to be like but I know that God is faithful. He has provided for us and opened doors in many ways and I'm thankful that everything is looking good. The problem now is, we might be overweight as we had many baggages to bring along with us. We would need these things for the next one month before our container arrives on the first week of January. Just a moment ago, I was still trying to unload some stuff to be ship by sea to avoid being charged at the airport.

I would need to shop for few small things before flying off on Friday. A friend has asked me to get some natural diuretics for her and I'll be stopping by that cute shop that sells only ballerinas in the Gardens. Then I'll be spending some time with my close friend who had come all the way from Singapore to see me off. I'm going to miss her and a few more close friends here.

That's it for the updates. All I need now is a good snooze....

Looking Forward to Gardens

In few days' time, we will be at the The Gardens Residences and I'm so happy that my best friend is here to see us off. She'll be here with her girls and nephew and it will be a good time catching up with her before I leave.

She's been a good friend for 25 years and I can count on her for lots of things. After going through a bad patch in her marriage, I'm happy that she's moving forward to something better. Friends are strange.... you don't need to see each other that often and you can still maintain the closeness.

I'm still packing up my beauty stuff and there's still the suitcases that are left untouched. After tomorrow, things would be better and I should be able to go for a last facial and massage before flying off on Friday. I need the therapist to help with pimple popping and getting my stiff muscles loosen after all these work.

We should have arrived in Brisbane the next time I post, and there'll be more things to do before we can truly settle down.

The Big Move is On!

It's been non stop packing in the last couple of weeks and there are still a little more work before we can finally sit down for a rest.

The movers are here this morning and will be doing the same in the next three days. It is a mess in the living room and we are expecting a few furniture deliveries today. The first batch is here and there will be three more in the afternoon. Amidst the very busy schedule I was able to catch up with some good friends are stocking up the things I need for the next 1-2 years. Things are moving so fast and I'm glad to secure a few home inspections upon our arrival. We are excited.

Though we are busy with the big move, we are able to get out to run all the necessary errands and stock up a whole lot of stuff from Daiso! That is a great place to stock household items at a great price. It's RM5 here and I was told that it is AUD$2.80 is down under. We have been warned that things are expensive in Australia especially repairs and manwork. I suppose medical should be fine if you are covered with a good insurance which allows you to claim from dental and eventreatment for depression.

OK... movers are downstairs and I'm off to clear up the necessary.

Back from a Great Shopping Trip in Singapore

I'm back from a four nights stay in Singapore and it's so good to be back again. I was delighted to spend time with my family and close friends and wished I had a little more time.

As I didn't have wifi or broadband in mom's place, I couldn't go online and it took me a while before I got my microSIM from Singtel. I figured that was the best for me cos it only cost $12 and it lasted for 3 days at unlimited usage. At least with a connection, I can check my emails, do some reading, catch up with friends and even did some online shopping.

This was a real shopping trip for me as I stocked up all my Dr Hauschka skincare for a year and I had a great time picking up some cool stuff from Womb. I can never get enough of these funky and stylish tops and bottoms and I enjoyed the specialized service I received there.

Now that I'm back, it's back to packing and more packing in the next week or so before the movers are here. Time is running out... really.

What a Crazy and Eventful Day of Repairs

This is a crazy day as I waited for the contractor to start work on the leakage on the bathroom and ceiling. Little did I expect that the leakage can be so serious and my heart sank as I found out that they needed to hack the wall.

We weren't glad that this is happening when we are out of here in less than three weeks' time. But the leakage is so serious that we can't delay the repair works. After a full day of knocking, drilling and hacking, the contractor left me with a mess in the room. Dust was everywhere and I really hated the cleaning job when I'm home alone with an active and playful boy who demands my attention. The cleaning job took me two hours before we could finally head out for dinner. With all the dust collected on my face today, I think I need to dig out my acne products in the drawer.

Now that the boy is asleep and the night is quiet, it's time for me to finish up some stuff, pack my back for our trip home and get some rest. This had been an eventful day.

On Weight and Losing Calories

Due to my busy schedule I have stopped my Pilates classes since August and I can't wait to resume when I settle down in Brisbane. I've been very tied up with errands, packing and chores and it's hard to find time to step out for a couple of hours.

Though I'm not oversized and neither do I have to worry about excessive weight gain, I need to constantly tone up my flabby tummy on a regular basis. My metabolic rate has since increased after becoming a parent and I don't put on weight that easily like before. I used to read up information on diets for quick weight loss when I was younger but parenting sure takes up lots of energy and uses up lots of calories.

One of the great ways to lose calories is to go shopping! And this is something my hubby doesn't quite agree! haha. I am actually considering adding a luxury watch to my small collection before the move. Then again, it's not my priority and I'll probably go for the camera upgrade first. The weekends is coming and it's going to be a great one spent in Singapore... I'll never grow tired of this homeland!

Online Shopping - So convenient!

What will I do without online shopping, I sometimes wonder. Not that I shop frequently online but there are some things which can only be bought from the US and online shopping makes it possible to buy them.

In the last few years, I have been shopping for kids' apparel online and one of my favourite stores is Dpam.com. They offer free shopping with 100 euros on the bill and the clothing is a good deal when they are on sale. I have also bought vitamins and supplements online and one year, I bought a bottle of body acne wash for hubby. Online shopping tends to offer attractive discounts and you can save much with careful planning.

Perhaps I'll be shopping more online when I move down under and I heard that there are many nice local online stores to start with. Hmm... I think I'll better shift my focus to getting settled down instead of looking at the online stores!

Busy Schedule Before the Big Move

The clock is ticking and I'm counting down on the days to the big move to Brissy. Our last trip to Club Med was a nice one and it's now back to serious business of packing up and moving on.


I did most of my online shopping and managed to order couple of cardigan sweaters before the move. There are some beauty skincare that I wanna buy from Singapore since I know I won't be able to get them in Brisbane. Melbourne is probably the nearest city to buy them and I don't suppose I may go there in the next three months.

I'm toying with the idea of a new Nikon and the D7000 is enticing! But I would need to sell my D80 to offset the cost of the new camera! There are a few other things I would like to get before the move and it looks like the list of to-dos is never ending. What's worse is that there are some renovation works going on in the house during to a leakage and it's eating into my busy schedule!

It's now back to finishing my assignments before my final trip to Singapore before the move. I can't wait to head home again...

Work at Home Mom Prepares for Brisbane

In a few weeks' time, we'll be heading to a new place and it's going to be a fresh new start for our family. I'll continue to be a work at home mom and hubby is looking forward to grow his mobile marketing business.

Everyone is asking us what we'll be doing business wise and it seems hard for anyone to understand that we can make internet business a real business. After few years of earning money from home via the internet, I know it's possible and it involves hard work too. We have tried many kinds of businesses over the years from MLM to seminar business and we find that the online business is one that will continue its growth.

Just imagine how easy and convenient it is to check information online these days. You can read nutrisystem reviews, find a solution to a health problem or search for friends on the internet! People are reunited and reconnected via Facebook - how amazing!

Many of our friends are looking to visit Brisbane since the Gold Coast is only 40 minutes drive away. Clayton's school books list is out and I'm preparing him for his new placement in COC. For now, I hope that our barang can reach us before his school starts so that we can have a complete home.

A Preference to Be a Work at Home mom

Is working at home considered a luxury? I think it is.I have many stay at home moms but if you ask them truly, they would prefer to work at home than to be a stay at home mom. Sometimes you get too complacent if you stay at home just to parent the kids, do housework and take care of the house, unless you are a mom of few kids.

But it's all up to an individual and for some women, they are governed by lots of circumstances and they can't choose to do what they want. My cousin has to be a stay at home mom cos her husband is often attached to an overseas posting. So she spends most of her time parenting her kids and these days, she's into online shopping. She bought from children's clothing to acne treatment cream and she was telling me how addictive that can be.

It won't be long that we'll be setting up a new home office down under and there'll be some adjustments along the way. As the australian currency continues to soar, we'll need to adjust our budget and I'm glad that our new gold business can take care of our daily needs and expenses.

Finally our seminar with Ron is here today and it's the first time I'm still sitting at home when he's on the stage speaking. Well, the fact that we have a new partner means I shouldn't get too involved and somehow, I feel that the time is right to exit the business. Moving forward, a new city with new work challenges is what I am excited about. But for now, the packing continues...

Busy October

The month of October is a full one for me. There was so much going on and looking back at the past few weeks, I realized that I had done so much!

The majority of the work is on the clearing, throwing and packing of the house. After living here for almost 11 years, you can imagine how much we have accumulated. Plus the fact that I'm at work at home mom, there's alot of stuff in the home office. it took us a few days to throw things out. And we are so glad that the junk collectors have been ringing on our doorbell. This means we don't even need to call any trash truck to our place - how nice!

Then I had to organize Clayton's 6th birthday party. He had chosen to have it at the Club at Bukit Utama and this time, he invited quite a few of his school mates. We had a lovely time. The children played all afternoon and everyone loved the Bumble Bee Transformer Cake by Tracey. I was so thankful that his fever had subsided on his birthday celebration as he was down with flu, fever and cough for a few days.

This month, I had some emails requesting for diet pill reviews but I simply have no time to work on them. I think my internet business can only resume when I settle down in Brissy. It's just too much to handle at this moment.

I'm glad that I can still steal some time to finish off my facials at Jurlique and my massage sessions. These are the pampering treats I look forward to. And yes, I've booked myself to a complimentary manicure at La Mer next week! That's what life is all about amidst the busy schedule and tiring days of packing!

Short Updates On Sabah Trip

Oh dear, it's been a really long time since I last wrote. It's been very busy for me - parenting, packing up the house, throwing out what we don't need and earning money from home. Time seems to pass so fast everyday... it's just crazy!

I just got back from a short trip in Sabah. It was great seeing an old friend whom I knew for more than 25 years - long time. We had a wonderful time chatting, catching up and eating. Her husband and herself were so gracious in hosting us and it was great to see her grown up girls too!

We stayed for couple of nights at The Magellan Sutera Harbour. It was a great family resort with lots of activities if you have little ones. My boy was too busy in the pool and he enjoyed himself thoroughly. We had wanted to stay at the Shangrila but due to the renovations at the pool area and some public compounds, I didn't think it was a good idea. The Magellan was a great choice and the sea view was nice to have.


I didn't do any shopping during the trip cos the mall was rather pathetic. Then again, I didn't go with any intention to buy anything but to catch up with old friends. My close friend who came along with her boyfriend bought some discount jewelry and souvenirs at the markets and I guessed that was about the only shopping she did.

Now that I'm back in the home office, the packing continues and I just need to get used to the mess in and around the house! Then again, it's just another few weeks to go!

Packing and Throwing Out

In the last few days, hubby and myself managed to pack away three boxes of clothing to be given to either the Lifezone or Salvation Army.

Many of the discarded clothing are in very good condition but after sorting out what we should keep and what we shouldn't, we decided that we should only give things that are in good condition. It's no point giving to others what's of no use to them. The thing is, after packing away three boxes, there are still more to give away. I've learned to buy wisely from now on!

My hubby was so efficient in clearing the storeroom yesterday... I was utterly impressed! He did such a good job and now, I'm left with only the little sections to pack and clear. Clayton has been doing a nice job in packing away toys he wants to give away. He is the happiest person in this packing project. This boy is about to celebrate his birthday this Saturday and he's recovering from a fever and cough.

There are a few other errands to take care off before our move. I'd need to list down those important things as DH isn't good in these family affairs. I'll probably leave him to handle some home office start up matters when we settle down in Oz but for now, I won't stress him with details. I'm thankful that the web is providing me lots of useful resource and I can even check out rental properties from where I am. Whether it's NC health insurance or any Australian healthcare info, the web has everything I need at this moment.

I'm glad that things are looking good and the packing continues right until the movers come in to help.

On the Move to Down Under

In two months' time, we should be handing over the keys and by then, everything else should be in the container. I'll then take a break from a work at home mom till we settle down in brissy. The excitement is certainly buillding.

I've been looking at realestate.com.au for rental availabilities while keeping track of rental rates. I'm praying that we'll find a good property before the new year so that we can settle down fast and have our container shipped over.

There've been lots of property seminars and talks going on this year and unfortunately these properties are usually not the cheapest in the marketplace. On the investor point of view, they seem attractive but a real investor should be looking for fire sale or better deals such as Duck foreclosures. Hubby thinks this is not a good time to invest and the prices should correct when there's another interest rate hike.

While buying a property may not be our immediate plan, it's still good to monitor the prices and do our research in the first year. By then, I'll be back as a work at home mom in our new home office and hopefully I can have a work desk facing a bushland, park or a good view.

Updates and Updates

The packing has begun and now our house and the home office is showing some mess. For the past couple of weeks, I have been juggling between parenting and work at home plus the major packing for our move.

Somehow, the spring cleaning is enjoyable as I get to throw out some old stuff and rediscover things which I didn't know I have! IT goes to show that there has been much accumulation over the last ten years and it's now time to ditch and start all over. Amidst my very busy schedule, we are spending time with friends over dinners and doing lots of catching up before leaving. It feels like yesterday that I had moved here and in two months, a new journey awaits in down under. I believe that we will enjoy Brissy and the new beginning will be a wonderful one. I am absolutely positive about the change and my heart is all ready to adapt to the new challenges.

Our seminar is leading up in three weeks' time and this is the first time I didn't make any calls to anyone about the program. Over the last six years, I have enjoyed running seminars but somehow, I'm losing the zeal and interest. It's probably because I am ready to pack and leave or it's probably time for a change. For the first time after seven years, I don't liaise with hotels, order any promotional products or talk to any clients. I do enjoy talking to my clients and it's nice to network with different people. But things are different this year!

So much for change and the new journey, I'm praying that Clayton have a speedy recovery and that he's back to his bubbly nature again. It is so tiring when a young child is ill at home....

Work at Home and Packing Up

My vacations are over and now, it's back to reality and I need to get back to work at home.In the next two months, I won't have much time for my online business except for clearing some assignments. It's good that I can still make money online and that's the dream of many stay at home mommies.

I detest the postal system here in Malaysia, simply because I can't even buy a padded envelope from the post office!! I mean, shouldn't the post office provide a one-stop shopping experience to today's customers? As such, I prefer to send online gifts to overseas friends instead of mailing a gift. First, I don't need to worry about the expensive shipping costs and next, I don't need to wait in queue to post my parcel. To those who love to shop for gifts online, check out the Sneak peak at RedEnvelope holiday sale. This is a good site if you are at a loss of what to buy for a birthday or anniversary gift. What more, you don't need to head down to the post office!

On the home front, I've started packing though the pace is slow. I need to speed up in the next few weeks so the stress is lessened. It's seems overwhelming to pack all that we have but I guess I just need to take it one step at a time. It's a good progress and I'm filled with much excitement and anticipation.

My Body Needs Exercise

I woke up this morning feeling lethargic and know that my body needs some exercise. It's been a while since I go for my Pilates classes and I truly need a good stretch.

Working at home is great as I can multi task and plan my time without worrying about traffic jams unless I need to be out running errands. I have been visiting this chinese therapy centre known as OSSO for a treatment on my neck and lower back. I can't wait to buy my new adjustable table from Archi Kids and an ergonomic chair cos my body needs them badly! A wrong table and chair can affect the posture and it isn't good if you spend so much time in the home office.

The packing has begun and though it seems slow now, it should speed up later. All these packing and chores should act as natural fat burners for me but I should still get more exercise. Staying active is good for the body and mind and it is beneficial to my health.

We are now in the third quarter of the year and it's been fun parenting and working at home though it's been a fairly busy year at home. Moving forward, I'm excited to a new life and new beginning down under.

Packing Time for the Work at Home Mom

Due to my extensive travels in the last three weeks, I can see that my skin isn't behaving the way it used to be! It looks like I would need to take time off for a good facial! That's a pampering treat for a work at home mom - facial therapies and a good massage!

From now, I will be busy with packing with for the move in December. I'm glad we had ordered our furniture and now, it's time to start the packing. With less than three months left, I should start throwing out the things we don't want and reduce the clutter little by little.

I was looking at my drawer full of skincare products and I would need to pack them in a designated box for the movers. In the drawer was some best acne products sent to me some time back and I should put them to good use. Then there are racks of clothing to clear - some to be given and some to be packed for shipping.

I'm glad that things are moving along well and the flexible schedule wouldn't be possible if I'm not working from home. So it's part time work for me now until I settle down in Oz.

Back from Hanoi and Back to Work at Home

After being away on and off for three weeks, I'm glad to settle down back home and resume my work at home mom duties. It's been great being on trips with the family but I'm happy to get on to the serious stuff now!

Our trip to Hanoi was an eye opener and I've finally seen this busy city with my own eyes. I finally understood why my friend took half hour just to cross the busy streets in Old Quarter and it took me a while to cross the roads too - with some anxiety of course.

Personally I didn't enjoy Hanoi on the first day as the city was fairly polluted, very warm and humid. But it got better on the subsequent days. We stayed the Hanoi Elegance 5 and the service was impeccable. There is free wifi access so I could do my work in the night. There were some assignments to complete and with the laptop in the room, I could work without any interruption. I even did some surfing for a friend who was looking for some dieting stuff. (see www.lleucine.org)

Our trip to halong bay was the best in the trip and it was nice cruising in the Violet cruise. The suite was gorgeous and the view was fantastic. If only the weather was cooler, I could sit on the balcony while enjoying the view of the bay. It is no wonder why it had been awarded the UNESCO heritage site title.

With Hanoi ending our Asia escapades, it's time for the work at home mom to get back to the busy planning of the big move and finishing up the assignments for the week.

Work at Home on Parenting and Teachers

Just a few days ago, my son told me that he didn't want to attend Gym and Sports class in his ASP and that got me curious. Being a work at home mom I do my best to spend time communicating with him and get him to talk about his problems if any.

He told me that his gym and sports teacher will leave him in the class by himself after dismissal which served as a disciplinary action. While I have no problems with teachers discipling my child, I didn't think it would be right to create that sort of fear, anxiety and phobia in a child. That act had not taught him anything except inducing fear. Sometimes it's hard to explain to a child the good intentions as they may be too young to understand. Yet, many teachers will think that creating fear in children is the way to get them to respect authority. That is the militarian way of teaching.

As parents, we do our best to set examples for our children. It's like, adults should not swear in front of kids and reserve their cigars beind closed doors. Children learn by example and it takes efforts to earn their respect and honor.

I hope that that teacher who did that to my son will rethink his methods and not carry any ill intention or biasness towards him. Now, my boy is still saying he isn't going to attention gym and sports and I need to think of a way to coax him otherwise.

Looking forward to Hanoi Cooking Class

I was told that the labour costs here in Vietnam is low. Therefore, it explains why things are cheaper and you can find quality clothing and accessories at good prices.

Honestly, after doing a walk in several streets, I find that this doesn't seem to be a good place to shop. I do agree that the silk is of good quality but the design of the clothing seems a little loud or out of fashion. Or maybe it's just not my type. I was looking for something simpler, more trendy or contemporary. But navigating through the streets in the polluted air wasn't so nice for my eyes. I can see that unemployment is a problem here and perhaps many have gotten construction employment in the outskirts.

Hanoi cooking class will be a good break and we'll be spending half a day with the Hanoikids. I read wonderful reviews about Hanoikids tour and am excited to learn more about Hanoi from these team members. Tomorrow will be a good day... let's hope that Clayton is a good partner in the cooking class too!

First Day in Hanoi

Early this year, we discussed about our family vacations and hubby expressed his desire to visit Bali and Vietnam before our big move. So we have decided to maximize all the public holidays in this country and take few short trips this year.

This is probably our last overseas trip before moving to Oz and the last stop is Hanoi. I mean, we have heard much about this very busy city but never seen it with our own eyes. Well, we did today. We arrived in Hanoi on time and was soon taken to our boutique hotel by a private car. The check in was smooth and the service was impeccable. I couldn't asked for more.

We did an hour of cyclo tour and it provided great insight of what Old Quarter was like. It truly was busy! We won't too used to the busy scooters and cars and the disorder! There are all kinds of shops in the Old Quarter selling all sorts of things, from horse tack to shoes to mats to household accessories. But somehow I find that they were in a big mess and the busy traffic made it hard to shop around.

So that was my impression of Hanoi on our first day. We'll see how it goes tomorrow... I'm sure Hanoi Cooking Class will be fun.

Work at Home Mom Off to Vietnam

When a work at home mom travels, she thinks practical and that's what I have been doing since traveling with Clayton at 3 months old.

One of the essentials when we traveled with little clayton was to get a good lightweight stroller. It may sound troublesome but the stroller was a great thign to have. We were looking at the old travel photos and I recalled him sleeping on it many occasions. We were thankful that he was such a good traveler too. For those looking for strollers, the web is a good resource. You can read reviews of strollers such as phil and teds explorer and many more.

We will be heading to Vietnam tomorrow and I'll need to do some last minute research of the place before heading off. The work at home mom will be taking a short break and I'm excited to explore this cultural city.

Living Naturally at My Best

With more people getting more health conscious these days, the health food industry is growing everyday. Many work at home moms I know are choosing natural and organic foods for their kids and some have started growing their own organic gardens. How nice!

Being an allergy sufferer, I'm careful not to go near dusty places as they aren't good for my respiratory system. In fact, I dislike entering old buildings and houses as the moldy environment can be detrimental to my health too. Some of you may have heard of Mesothelioma and this is often caused by poorly construction materials.

I hope to grown an organic garden when we move to Brissy. It would be nice to pick herbs from my garden and choose some vegetables for our meals. I may not have green fingers like some mommies but with a little practice and effort, I believe it's possible. Choosing to live naturally isn't that hard if you are willing to put in the time and efforts.

Cooking and the Work at Home Mom

When you work from home, you tend to cook more than moms who have a 9-5 job. For a long time, I have been cooking dinner every evening except weekends and it's a better and healthier choice than eating out all day.

I'm not like some moms who are experts in selecting the best cookware or utensils for their kitchen. Being a practical cook who can't afford to spend too much time in the kitchen, I go for simple meals. I often tell DH that if he wants complicated recipes, we can go to a restaurant. I reserve simple meals for the home kitchen :) What a good excuse. Actually, I would love to attend some cooking lessons if I can spare the time cos it can be so fun learning new recipes! I may need to buy some new cookware to add to the kitchen collection. Some work at home moms told me about enamel cookware and I've yet to find out more.

I'm looking forward to Hanoi Cooking Centre during our trip to Hanoi on Thursday. I read so many good reviews about it and I gather it's going to be real fun cooking Vietnamese dishes while shopping in the local market with Chef Tracey. And now, I'm praying for fine weather for the entire trip!

Building Memories with Vacations

It's nice to take a vacation when you are a work at home mom. Imagine staying at home most hours of the day and not getting out to meet friends... it's not what everyone likes to do!

I've been blessed with many nice vacations this year and I'm glad that we can stay in some nice accommodation. Our stay in Bail was fantastic as I had never stayed in a villa. Then we had a great stay at The Mira Hong Kong and the suite was spacious and comfortable. For a 80sqm room in Hong Kong, you can expect a nice bedroom with a cosy sitting area. Double sinks if there wasn't enough with a see through glass bathroom. We had a great time. I suppose it's likened to a luxurious Branson vacation in the US but for me, a short Asia vacation is good enough!

Most importantly, the family had a nice time traveling together though it wasn't easy coping with three kids and an elderly lady. All went well and I built wonderful memories from the trip. I hope that we can travel together again in the near future and this time, the kids will be older.

While some people don't understand why I don't mind spending a little more for a nice vacation, I am happy that I did what I did. I'm glad that I bought my family the best and I trust that these memories will be treasured for a long time.

Shopping Online for Work at Home Moms

Shopping on the internet is a popular activity among work at home moms these days. I mean, it's so convenient to shop online and the only thing you need to do is to exercise self restraint!

In the last few months, I have bought a few things on the internet and I'm happy with all my purchases. Except for one cashmere cardigan who got lost in the mail, everything came on time and the lady who sold me the cardigan resend a new one out of good will. Among all the online merchants, my favourite has to be DPM from France who sent the children's clothing within five days from the day I confirmed my order!

We work at home moms are constantly looking for good buys and all kinds of wholesale discounts. Even when it comes to travel planning, we search for the best discounts for our accommodation. I often compare hotel accommodation rates at Search Your Hotel.

If you are new to online shopping, here's a tip. Always search in the web for coupon codes before making any purchases and you will be surprised at how much you can save!

Reminiscing New Zealand Travels

With more travel photos from our trips, my macbook pro is running out of space and thus I have to get an external hard drive for my storage.

I was archiving all my trip photos, starting from our first New Zealand travel to the most recent and my son was so excited to see how he was like when he was little. I enjoyed our New Zealand trip and this is such a beautiful country. We rented a car for almost a month and toured the North and South island - it was so memorable.

Renting a car in New Zealand is so common for tourists and travelers and you tend to see more that way. In fact, some rental cars get a 5th wheel warranty so hat you can be safer on the road. Of all the cities, I like Queenstown and Mount Cook but seriously, every city has its own charm and character. It's such a big country!

Looking back, my little boy has grown and in no time, he will be smiling at the photos we took in our Bali and Hong Kong trip this year.

Yummy Food in Hong Kong

Even though I have been to Hong Kong countless times, I never grew tired of this bustling city.

Food is glorious, shopping is great and accessibility is no concern at all. In fact, Hong Kong has improved alot since two decades ago and many food stalls are more hygienic now. These days, it's not uncommon to spot food sellers wearing safety gloves and service is improving too. The influx of China tourists has also humbled the Hong Kong retailers and they have become friendlier too.

Believe it or not, we had Tong Yuen from Chung Kee in Jordan every night and I couldn't have enough of these yummy treats. if I have more time in Hong KOng, I would comb the streets for more yummy food! But it's just not so easy moving around with an active six year old.

We had lunch at the infamous Yung Kee Roast Goose restaurant and we didn't have enough of the goose! Though it's not cheap, it's still one of the best goose I had eaten! Enough of food, let's talk about shopping in the next post!

A Great Time in Hong Kong

After a one week break from the home office, I'm back in my cosy home before re-packing for Hanoi.

It was great to see that everyone especially the children had enjoyed themselves in Hong Kong. If given a choice, I wouldn't want to go to Disneyland but for the kids, it was good fun anyhow. I was shocked to hear that there was no roller coaster... Clayton was disappointed to learn about that.

We stayed at the Mira Hong Kong in TST and it was a great place to stay. The design was fantastic and the location was fabulous. Just 5 minutes walk and we were in the MTR station. The entertainment centre in the room was a delight and free wifi was available in the entire hotel - how nice! This means, you can surf the web for any info - from HCG shots Austin to the best restaurants in Hong Kong, all info is at your fingertips.

Hong Kong is a real shopping paradise with prices that are pretty attractive. I found that the electronic goods are cheaper than Malaysia, so are the luxury goods. We spent a short time at the Citygate outlets in Tung Chung and got a few good deals

That's a quick update for now and more to come.

Msn isn't working!

I'm seriousy annoyed cos my MSN just wouldn't boot after a dozen tries. I don't know what happen but it decided not to work since this morning!

In this day and age, instant chats have become a channel of communication among friends and families, simply becos it's cost saving and efficient. I mean, I even chat with the hotelier online while trying to find out more info about the hotels. That's what we call 'maximizing technology'! Some time ago, I even chat with an online retailer before buying my pair of mbt shoes.

But now that my msn isn't booting up, I need to find out what's happening and a solution. Otherwise, I would just need to revert to calling on Skype and communicate with friends from there.

Birthday Invitations and The List of To-Dos

In one month's time, my little boy is turning six. We were both looking at some old digital photos and he was so thrilled to watch how he was like when he was a baby.

We started discussing about making birthday cards for his birthday. Actually, I'm reminded that there isn't much time to prepare the cards and if I want his friends to show up, I should be quick to send out the invitations. We've been away these two months and it's hard to catch up on things!

Clayton is now so excited about his Disney vacations and he's going to have a ball of a time with his cousins!

So let's see what needs to be done in the next two weeks - design some birthday invitations for Clayton and then start my massive unpacking. It's time to get started before I find myself sinking into a mess of duties.

A Great Bali Vacation for the Family

Last Friday, we took a short vacation to Bali for a few nights during the long weekend and had a wonderful time.

After getting some advice from a Bali is happens to be a Bali expert, we decided to stay at the Ulin Villas and Spa in Seminyak. My work at home hubby has never been to Bali and for me, Bali hardly left me a good impression when my friend got pick pocketed 15 years ago in kuta. But Bali has changed.



When we arrived in Seminyak, we were quite impressed with the many nice looking restaurant snd cafes in the area. You can spot a western crowd right away and I can understand why. Bali is so affordable for the Americans, Europeans and Aussies but for Malaysians, a night's stay in a villa can be expensive. It took me a long time before deciding on Ulin after hearing all the raving reviews at Trip Advisor.

Let me just say that the rate was worth it as we had a lovely time in our private villa which comes with a private 25 m pool. Clayton was swimming day and night and infact, he couldn't wait one minute to get into the pool the minute we stepped in to the villa!

For me, it was pure relaxation and I loved sitting at the outside lounge, watching them swam and sippig my tonic water. The bath tub was set outdoors and we had nice family spas together everyday. Seminyak town isn't big but it's enough to keep us busy. The western food standards in Seminyak is much higher than Malaysia and the price is reasonable. For us, it's better than many restaurants here who charge alot for the mediocre food they offer.

In terms of shopping, Seminyak has lots to offer though they aren't cheap. We took a day out to Ubud and you can buy all sorts of artistic homeware in this quaint town. Our driver took us for a ride where we had a view of Kintamani. If you are into silver accessories, Bali is the place to buy some nice collections. I know of some people who love all things silver, from silver bars to silver crockery.

So after five days, we are back in our home office and the work at home mom is trying to finish up more work before the next trip in two days' time. I am looking forward to another time off again.

Plans in the Next Few Weeks

I know it's too early to make plan for Christmas but I have already received a mailer on Christmas promotions few days ago.

In a week's time, we'll be taking a short vacation during the long weekend break in Seminyak, Bali. After spending weeks of research, I had settled for Ulin Resorts and Villas, which happens to be the most popular specialty lodging in Seminyak. In this day and age, travelers are savvy in comparing hotels for their holidays. TripAdvisor is the best place to go for hotel tips, reviews and travelers' information.




This year, we will be celebrating Christmas in Brisbane. Though we may not be putting pup C9 led christmas lights, but we should be spending it in a different manner. I have booked our short term accommodation in Kangaroo Point while we find a permanent place in the southside.

So many things are happening and there'll be a few more Asia trips and vacation in the next one month. It is definitely exciting for me as a work at home mom but I need to be more efficient in my planning in our relocation plans. And did I mention that I'll be doing my lasik in two days' time and I'm getting a little nervous :)

Back from The Perhentian Islands

We took a good break from the home office a week ago when we spent some time with a few good friends at the Perhentian islands.

That was my first trip to the island and though the journey required two transfers by van and speed boat, it was awesome. Never had I seen such crystal clear waters and the weather was perfect during that time. Just by strolling along the beach or standing at the shore, we could see fishes and it was great fun and excitement for the kids.

Clayton enjoyed himself so much that it was hard to get him out of the beach every time. We took a short boat trip to Rawa island and that was one fantastic place to snorkel. The fishes are aplenty and the kids didn't even have to go far to see tropical fishes. For the first time, I snorkelled in clear waters and it was amazing beholding the parrotfish and corals under the sea. I fell in love with the waters and forgot all about the sun at some point.

The only complaint was the room condition in Perhentian Island Resort which was badly maintained. The lighting was poor and the towels weren't clean at all. Apart from the expensive and badly maintained room, the waters was a great consolation.

The trip ended after four nights and I'm missing those lovely clear waters of Perhentian. I am tempted to check out Sipadan now but that would mean another break from the home office. My schedule is getting busier! And did I say I'm enjoying it!

Off to Perhentian Islands

The month of July is a busy month and the days are passing faster than I expect. This month is filled with errands for parenting and home affairs and I haven't done much work from home.

I've been researching and doing price comparisons for some home and electricals including mattresses, bedding and other big items for the move. How many of you agree that you only shop for mattresses once every 5-10 years? If that's not you, then you must be a real fussy one. We have used our current Dunlopillo for 10 years and it's due for a change. So there are a few in my shopping list - Simmons, Sealy, Tempur and maybe King Koil. All these come with a big price tag especially the back care ones. But I believe that it's important to choose the right mattress for your long term health's sake as we spend one-third of our lives sleeping! Tempur is a good one but I'm not sure if I'll be used to the firmness.

We are leaving for a short island trip to the Perhentian Islands with a big group of friends tomorrow. It is going to be great fun for the kids and a relaxing time for the work at home mom. I would need to pack up my camera, SD card, other swimming gear by this evening. Before taking off, there are still some outstanding tasks so I would need to finish my work at home by tonight.

I'm praying for a good weather at the Perhentian and I'm hoping to snap some good shots too!

What a Busy Week!

What a busy week it is for me! I've only been able to work from home for a short hour in the morning and few more hours spreading through afternoon till night. The depression therapies are taking up two mornings a week and for that reason, I have to stop my Pilates studio classes for a while.



I'm also shopping for a new Mac for our home office. With new softwares and updates, I'm needing a more powerful machine to work with. But after being a Mac user for the last two decades, I won't want to settle for anything less. It's just a great machine to have! The online store at Apple Singapore is offering a free 8Gb iPod Touch free for a Mac purchase (at education pricing) and it's tempting! But who is going to drive my Mac to KL... hubby isn't going to drive to Singapore just to get me an iPod Touch. Not that I need it but it's just a deal that is too good to be missed!

Shopping in Singapore is always exciting and inspiring, especially when there is a sale. The variety is impressive and the best thing is, the stores are not spreaded out like here. I used to buy my prenatal vitamins from Singapore. Most of Clayton's vitamins and supplements were bought in Singapore too. These days, I have been getting my Manuka Health propolis and Comvita products from the Guardian Pharmacy in Singapore.

Enough about shopping. I need to finish off a few assignments as I won't be able to work from home tomorrow. Hubby will be going for Lasik and it will be a busy day for me, chauffeuring him and Clayton, and the new plants from the nursery are arriving in the evening. Two more days and the weekends is here! Yay!

Parenting and Work At Home Tales

Since the beginning of this year, I have resumed my regular coffee enemas and this has been part of my health maintenance. The fact that I'm a work at home mom allows me to prepare my juicing or health drinks every morning.

After being down with two bouts of pneumonia last year, I have put in efforts to work on my immune system and thank God that I've been good this year. The healing room ministries had been a great blessing to me and I have learned to trust God in a new dimension, especially when I'm not feeling well.

Staying healthy is what everyone of us desires and we can all agree that health is more important than wealth. Yet, the irony is, we often lose our health to chase wealth and by the time we realize it, the consequences can be regrettable. So instead of choosing diets for quick weight loss, pay more attention to live a lifestyle that is balanced. Eat a well balanced diet, exercise regularly and choose to be happy. Sometimes, I get so tired from parenting and work at home stresses that I need to get out and recuperate my mind and spirit.

In the midst of your busyness and chores, don't forget to breathe deep, rest well and stay in touch with family and friends.

Work At Home Mom Gets Busy Again

My schedule has been disrupted by a series of events since June and it's making it hard for me to work from home.

I signed on a series of Decompression therapy after the chiropractor showed me a slight rupture on my discs. Since, I have been faithfully going for my therapy at Global Doctors. The people working there are nice and I have a good experience with the centre so far.

In two weeks' time, we'll be heading for the Perhentian Islands with a big group of friends. I know the kids are going to have fun and Clayton will enjoy himself with Jayden, Ashley and Hannah. Since I can't scuba dive, I may go snorkelling and have fun with the kids. Though a trip to the islands is nothing like sailing in the Royal Caribbean, the outdoor adventure fun will make up for everything. This will be a good break for us while we spend time with our friends.

On the home office front, DH has been working very hard on the online business to prepare us for our move to down under. I appreciate him for pointing me to the various channels to the internet business and becos of him, I can continue this work from home dream.

It looks like my schedule will continue to stay full in the next few months with a few more trips here and there. Can't believe that it's now July and the count down has begun...

Update Again From the Work at Home Mom

Oh dear.... I don't even know that my last post in this work at home mom blog was dated on the 23 June! I suppose I've been really busy, busy, busy!

Well, the truth of the matter is that I haven't really 'breathe' since then and so many things seem to be happening all at once. As I'm writing this, I have a basket full of laundry to clear, my floors need cleaning, my internet business need some attention and I've got so many errands outstanding!

I hardly have time to sit down for a good read in the last two weeks and I'm missing that. Hubby was away in Myanmar for a week plus and I was terribly busy during his absence. Now that he's back, there's still no rest cos there are so many things we need to attend to every other day. Tomorrow is another full day out with violin and music, followed by gym and a lunch appointment with two old friends. Then I need to help check out a review on nuphedragen for someone. Though the list of to-do's is long but it's satisfying at the end of the day.

I'm definitely looking forward to some good food this weekend and taking a break from the kitchen. I enjoy cooking as a work at home mom but sometimes it's a tad too much to cook everyday! So onto the weekend and I'm off to order my Tempur Millennium pillow now!

School Has Started and Back to Routine

The second semester has begun and it's back to the daily routine for the work at home moms. It was a relief cos I don't have to scratch my head to keep little junior busy since he isn't allowed to watch the TV all day.

In two days' time, I'll be busier cos DH will be away for his first missions trip. He is very excited about this trip and had started packing his bag since the weekends. I can see the enthusiasm in him and am very blessed by his desire to serve in simple ways. He prepared himself well and did all the necessary shopping for the trip including getting a raincoat, a manual old-style fan and simple treats for the kids.

We had a very nice Father's day celebration in our friend's house and the kids and dads had lots of fun in two inflatable pools. They gave the dads a garden spa and we even had to bribe the boys to 'scrub' their dads at first! I didn't know what to get for DH and looking back, I should get him one of those binoculars for his missions trip.

Since I won't be joining him for the trip, I can support his team in spirit by committing myself to a morning prayer everyday. With work at home and lots of tasks at hand, I don't think I have much time to laze and relax.

Work At Home Back from Camp

After two weeks of in and out from home, I'm finally sitting in my home office clearing up some outstanding assignments and overdue errands. School holidays aren't so great for work at home moms sometimes cos the daily routine is disrupted.

After being in Malaysia for ten years, I finally attended my first church camp here and it was an awesome decision. I have DH to thank cos he wanted us to experience church camp here before our big move. The speaker, Pastor Sam Firina was a great speaker and coach who outlined the simple concepts of how we can live in the favor of the Almighty. It was a great time of renewal and restoration of the core of our hearts and I am so blessed.

Clayton had a great time at the children's church and the teachers from Penang Christian Centre were great too, as they imparted the simple truths of obedience and attentiveness in the kids. I have teacher ST to thank for her sacrificial and undaunting efforts to stay throughout every kid's session that she didn't even attend any adult's service. God bless her faithfulness.

Now I'm back at home and need to settle few things for mom and the home. There are messes to be cleared and I would have to find out more about sell merchant account for the online business too. Not sure if I can take Clayton to Toy Story 3 before holidays end but we'll see. As soon as I sort out the photos, I will post few here too...

Saturdays and It's Still Work Time

This morning, I got as usual on a nice Saturday morning, prepared brekkie for Clayton and waited to send him to Fly Kidz for his gym class. How many work at home moms don't keep track of public holidays when it falls on Saturdays? I'm one of them!

So as you may expect, I drove all the way to Solaris just to realize that Fly Kidz gym was closed! I didn't even know it's a public holiday! Well, as 'blur' or 'sotong' as I may be, it's a Saturday and it's school holidays so I don't even expect it to be a rest day.

Today is one Saturday I need to finish all the outstanding assignments so I have no choice but to let him enjoy some computer games. Anyway, it's school holidays and he's done his Chinese reading so he deserves a little reward. I need to do some writing and complete a review before my trip on Monday. I know nothing about testosterone booster so I'd better do some research online first.

I hope to spend some time with mom next trip as she isn't feeling too well. Besides, I have a big task in convincing her to make a trip to Taiwan before my big move. Let's hope she says YES to my suggestion! It would be nice for her to spend some time with Clayton in a holiday while there's opportunity.

Weekends for the Work at Home Mom

It's the weekends again and though I work from home, my mind automatically goes on a 'rest mode' when it's Saturday.

Saturdays are relaxing. Kitchen is closed and we hang out in our regular joints, take it easy and laze around the house. Somehow, you don't feel that guilty when you are lazing about on a weekend but the guilt is evident on weekdays. My favourite chocolate store, Royce, had opened up in Tropicana city so I'm been indulging a bit. I hope I won't need fat burners after two boxes of soft chocolates in 2 months. I love the soft texture of Royce chocolate... yummy!

Since I'm off to Singapore on Monday, I should just clear up some work and do some packing this weekend. I look forward to my shopping time during the Great Singapore Sale period and meeting a couple of girl friends over lunch. Clayton is always happy to be back in Singapore and he still likes taking MRTs and traveling in public buses. He is such a good traveler and I thank God for that. With the iPhone being a good entertainment device for him, I can now shop in peace in my favourite boutiques when he's with me.

So here's a good weekend to all and may all work at home moms close their kitchens and pamper themselves with some good times.

Work At Home Mom & Food

In our home, we eat in on the weekdays and the kitchen is closed on the weekends. This arrangement can be tiring if you work at home mom cos you need to set aside at least an hour or more to prepare dinner for the family.

As such, I look forward to weekends as that's a break for me and I can indulge in my favourite foods. These days, we avoid going to mega malls and we prefer to go to neighbour ones to get all our necessities. Being stuck in traffic or driving in circles for a parking lot is never too fun and it's time consuming too.

These days, there are two favourite hunts that we frequent. One is situated near Aman Suria called Betty's Mid West Kitchen and the other is WaterLily in Tropicana. Betty serves very yummy pork ribs at the most affordable prices. We love the homestyle cooking and casual environment... nice people too. No frills and just good food.



Salad with BBQ Squid



BBQ Beef Pasta at WaterLily

WaterLily serves contemporary Balinese food which is affordable and good. The BBQ beef and chicken are my favourite plus the satay lilit. WaterLily also serves western dishes with a balinese twist while the local Balinese dishes remain the popular favourites with their diners. Be warned that portions are quite huge so you may want to order to share.

With all the meaty dinners on the weekends, I may need to start looking at fat burners if I don't exercise enough. So I'm stopping here to head to my rebounder for a good bounce and oh yes, the mid term school holidays are here again and there'll be no more rest for the work at home moms :(

Brief Thoughts on Tropicana City Mall

After being here for 10 years and more, I still dread to visit the post office where the waiting is long and the service is still as inefficient as before. Since I work from home, I only drive out for errands and I avoid visiting post office and banks.

But my woe of posting letters is now solved with a Pos Malaysia now opened in Tropicana city. I had to send something to my dear sister in UK and guess what, at 1pm, I was the only two customers. Not too good for the business but it's good for me :) In the last few months, we have been patronizing the mall on a regular basis due to the convenience and close proximity. We have then since avoid traveling to Bandar Utama due to the bad traffic at the highway. I mean, you don't want to waste more time outside when you are a work at home mom... you just want to quickly get home and get things done!

Chocolate lovers may be happy to know that the Japanese chocolate store, Royce is now opened in Tropicana. You can spot it by the pure white and blue shop interiors. Basically Tropicana city mall is great for serving the basic shoppers' needs. Buy your groceries and household clamps from Carrefour and grab a book at Borders. Go for a manicure at Color Culture or have a Japanese dinner at Sushi Tei. It's a pretty convenient mall to be without having to navigate through the jam and crowd.

Ok I am not paid to promote the mall but just thought I would share it briefly here. So work at home moms, take note of the 'not-so-crowded' post office if you need to pay your bills or mail your parcels.

Work At Home Mom Packing Up for the Move

In preparation for the big move, I've started to do some spring cleaning and packing away some old clothes. The thing I love about being a work at home mom is that I can do a few simultaneously.

So when the internet was out few days ago, I took time to pack away some old clothing and that was when I decided to call the movers for some boxes. I don't like to get to stress up with packing and throwing things out last minute so I thought I would start early. More so, I'll be away at least once every month from this month onwards right til October.

With so much to do on the personal front as well as at work, I am feeling tired before the clock hits 12am every night. Sleeping at midnight is norm for us but I'm not sure if age has a part to play but I am getting tired much earlier than that! The irony is, I can't seem to get to sleep right away even though I'm tired. Sleeplessness seems to be a common problem for many people who usually end up with sleep aids. I tried valerian root many years ago but somehow it didn't worked on me!

Tomorrow is a day off for little junior so I work be able to get much done in the home office. The only way is to allow some computer leisure time and that should allow me to finish some urgent work before we head to Singapore next week.