Work at Home and Online Shopping

Call me crazy or what... since we work at home, it's getting very convenient to do most of our shopping online. As a matter of fact, I have gotten lots of good deals in private shopping clubs and to date, I had bought from Clayton's clothing, to sportswear to homeware to hotel deals!

Alex and myself enjoy online shopping and we are eyeing at this cool stay at Banyan Tree bangkok for only $399 for 3 nights! Plus you get some champagne breakfast buffet and a premier room at 55th floor and up! We are luring our friends to come along and it will be fun!

Back to more online shopping, we even ordered our business cards online. There are so many business cards printing websites out there and recently, I have been ordering my photos online. I just ordered a photobook and mother's day photo card for my mom in Singapore and I certainly she likes the gift.

I don't know what life would be like with the internet or online shopping.... that's part of the pleasure of working at home. And yes, I get to bake and cook when I need a break! I'm off to baking some savouries for the Mother's day party this afternoon!

School and Activities

It's the second week of school and I'm back to my work at home mom duties with lots more to do!

I get busy on a weekly basis when Clayton has his show and tell and I find myself doing more work than him. I mean, how do I expect a six year old to create a powerpoint... it would be too much for him. But he is learning to do more things himself and I'm glad the school is providing the opportunity for the kid to explore.

I haven't been sleeping too well lately and soon, I would need to find a remedy or get the best eye cream for dark circles! I find it hard to sleep early since Clayton tends to go to sleep only at half past nine. There are some busy days where I need to get some work done and sleeping early is just a luxury!

Today is Mother's day celebration for the year one and there are going to have some fun activities going on. I had volunteered to help at the photo booth and it will be fun snapping photos of the kids and their moms! I'm looking forward to it!

Lovely Anniversary in O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat

It was good that I could sleep in a little in the last two and half weeks of school holidays though I miss some personal time in the day. The spring break had been an enjoyable one and we had a great time in O Reilly's rainforest retreat during our anniversary.

We booked a 2 nights stay at the one bedroom mountain villa and did lots of eco rainforest walks. It was a very outdoor celebration but we had good fun. Clayton enjoyed the bird feeding with the parrots and we loved the tree top walk. Being situated in the Lamington national park, O'Reilly's had lovely views of the mountains and valleys and our villa had a nice sunset view at dusk.

In order to make things easier, I prepare a chicken casserole to take with us and prepared the lamb leg roast for our anniversary night. With a fully self contained kitchen, it was easy to prepare our meals and dining with a valley view was a real treat. Our roast lamb turned out very nice and we had a very comfortable stay for the two nights.

The people at O'reilly's are helpful and there's even a business centre for those who are traveling for a conference. With well equipped computers and brother printers, the retreat is popular with teams and groups of visitors who are all excited with the eco walks and treks. I found myself loving this retreat and walking in the rainforest is nice with autumn's weather. Clayton was quite a trekker and he didn't complained abit of the long walks in the rainforest. He impressed me.

School has started today and he is happy to be back in school to see his friends. As for me, I'm happy to have some personal time but that means no more sleeping in! In fact, I was late in preparing his morning tea and lunch this mornning - that's how it is on the first day of term 2!

Cooking, Eating and Experimenting in Brisbane

Both hubby and myself love food and discovering a good place for dinner has become a real novelty since we moved to Brisbane. In the first couple of months, DH insisted that we go to Sunnybank for Asian meals at least once a week. But after a few disappointments, we decided to stop.

Like they always say, it's always good to ask the locals when in doubt. After speaking to more 'locals', we have discovered few good makan places in Brisbane. One of them is Pine and Bamboo who serves very good Peking duck which cost only $55 for two courses. We like the crispiness of the duck and its owner is a Hong Kong gentlemen name Bill Wong. You can see him cutting up the duck in most dinners esp weekends.

Last week, we had dinner in a Shanghainese restaurant after a friend told us about its yummy dumplings. We had the Mui Choy Kau Yok and it was heavenly! We agreed that it tasted better than the ones in Msia and it was very nicely done. Though it's made of fatty pork, it didn't make us feel 'yucky' after eating. But after eating all these good food, I might need to check out adapexin-p for my waist sake!

This week, I tried out a few new recipes - Mini bacon/cheese quiche with sweet potato, mini rack of lamb, cheese brownies and sambal tumis seafood. So far, all the cooking attempts turned out very well and it motivates me to want to cook more!

We are heading to Toowoomba tomorrow to spend some time with my cousin and the boys are going to have a nice time together. And yes, holidays for Clayton had begun!

Settling Down and Our Brissy Lifestyle

In less than two weeks' time, Clayton will be having his first school holidays here in Brisbane and it's just been so fast that we have ended one school term.

The month of March is ending which means we are entering the fourth month of our stay in Brisbane. It's been very good so far and everyone of us has more or less settled down here. My daily routine has been similar to that of Malaysia but it's somehow more 'relaxed' and calm. We do most of the meals at home and I like to explore different recipes and doing different things. Our home office is smaller but in a nicer layout with lots of light coming through - that's a good thing. With the weather in our favour, I don't feel so lethargic and it's conducive to do more outdoor stuff.

We finally bought Clayton a new bike and he's so happy about it. The new bike is at a good 50% discount and I'm glad he's got more opportunities to ride in the park now. The old bike is too small and he's just not improving his riding skills with it. I'm looking forward to some family cycling in the school holidays and perhaps we should start getting a bicycle rack for the car.

The lifestyle is good for those who love the outdoors. I mean, outdoor activities like cycling, swimming and sports are so popular among families so there's more to do on the weekends. It's common for people to shop for pool supplies, pool lifts, sports equipment, camping stuff...etc. It's casual, relaxed and not pretentious.

I'm planning for a short getaway during the school holidays and it's just so hard to decide with so many options out there. Sunshine Coast, Far North or the Gold Coast.... it's not easy to decide with all these great destinations at the doorstep!

Settling In To the Dailies

After three and a half months of living here, there are few important things that we have yet to sort out and one of them is to get ourselves a private healthcare.

With so many choices out there, it can be hard arriving to a decision on who you should buy it from. Moreover, different people will offer different opinions on the healthcare benefits. I am thankful that we have been very well health wise since arriving here except for that allergy trigger Alex had when he was down with gout. God is good and He has taken very good care of us. The locals here are serious about social security disability and healthcare matters so this is something we need to learn along the way.

After visiting a few churches, we have finally decided to settle down in Worship Centre, pastored by Pastor Clark Taylor. It reminds me of Evangel in the early 90s and we are comfortable of the lack of contemporary loud music prevalent in today's big churches. The older worship songs found familiarity to my ears as I notice that most churches tend to sing their 'own' songs these days. We attended the guests dinner hosted by the church once a month and it was a good time getting to know some people.

It's BSF again tomorrow. This week, I haven't finished all my questions due to my back neck early in the week. The visit to the chiro yesterday was filled with comfort and tears. It was great to get the treatment despite the pain I had to endure. But I was glad that I am on the road to recovery!

Parenting in Brissy

After a couple of weeks of warm weather, it is feeling more like autumn yesterday and today. The temperature is dipping and I was glad i bought a bathrobe from Aldi last week. I got Clayton one too and he is loving the use of it after every shower.

Sometimes I feel that a mother needs to have a strong heart. If others don't need it, I do. I get emotional when he tells me sad stories and encounters he had in school and I often have to pray for strength for him and me. I find this parenting journey tiring at times but God has taught me so many things through my six year old. I learn how to accept him and love him for who he is because that's how the Father accepts me too. My responsibility as a mom is to pray with him and for him, stand by him and teach him how to love God. And I can't do that in my own strength and ability.

It's just been so fast that we will be married for eleven years in a few weeks' time. We won't be traveling far for a little celebration though I want to go somewhere near. Since it's school holidays, it will be a good opportunity to spend a night at a beach or mountain retreat. I think it would be hard getting a gift for DH though a friend suggests that I check out Swisher Sweets but I told her DH isn't a smoker.

Oh well...maybe I should surprise him with a deal from the deals site or buy him a voucher from a private shopping club. I think cooking him his favourite Assam fish or Curry Chicken may be what he really likes for a gift!

Internet Marketing, Blogging and Shopping in Brissy

So where shall we go this coming school holidays, I ask myself and DH and as expected, his reply was to stay at home. I often discard what he said and would try to coax him into something for the family.

Well, I'm hoping to go somewhere new. I checked out a few retreats at Mt Tamborine today and found out that they don't welcomed children - what a shame. It looks like we might end up in a beach resort or a mountain retreat that is child friendly. We have never been to Glass House Mountains so that may be a possible travel destination. I was thinking about Hervey Bay but I thought it might be better to do it during the whale watching season.

Since getting into internet marketing, blogging and online business, it's becoming a common activity for us to shop online too. With all the online resources there is, you can read all kinds of information, from extenze side effects to a health product review. The information is available out there so you might as well find it, read it and learn about it. I just bought a few items of sports apparel at 70% discount.

With the computer at my fingertips, I must remind myself not to overbuy and not to spend on things that are redundant. It's been good so far as I don't find Brissy shopping that attractive. Then again, I have a good supply of Womb clothes every few months and that makes my wardrobe very happy and so am I!

Our First Camping Trip in Yarramalong

We just got back from our first camping trip in Yarrmalong. It was a wonderful experience for our family as we got close to nature and learned the real essence of living in 'the wild'.

The weather wasn't in our favor and it was raining all weekend. Yet, the kids didn't care a bit and played to their heart's content the entire weekend. Seriously, the rain didn't bother us even though our canvas in the tent was wet and I was glad I grabbed a raincoat at Big W on Friday morning! Our plans to do sausage sizzle was changed due to the wet weather and we still had a great time in the tarp of Carlo and Rosa's 'taj mahal' tent. These guys had opened up our eyes to camping!

We were so thankful for the generosity and graciousness showed by various ones who shared their stories and spirit of camping as a community. Alex had the chance to learn how to pitch a tent and I enjoyed cooking in the outdoors with the rest of the ladies. Clayton experienced what was it liked to have a campfire and he was so brave to jump into the creek with the rest of the kids. If the rain didn't persist, they would stay at the creek for the entire morning!

It looks like Alex is keen to get a tent during the Easter sale and I hope we can do more camping as a family in the near future. With the weather warming up this weekend, I hope to head for another beach this weekend! That's what I like about life in Brisbane!

Bible Study Fellowship

It's been three months since we arrived in Brisbane and I am thankful that things are working out well for us.

I was invited by a friend to attend Bible Study Fellowship and I'm glad I did it. Today is my 5th class in BSF and I have been blessed by the book of Isaiah. I am happy that I'm learning about God's word and I can fellowship with other ladies with likeminded faith. I was abit hesitant to take this on at first but I knew I had to make an effort to know His Word more.

I'm benefitting alot of the study on the book of isaiah as it's always a heavy book for me in the past. If I didn't attend BSF, I wouldn't be motivated to know more and dig in the treasures God has intended for me to receive.

After the camp tomorrow, we need to sort few important things next week. I need to check out a rv insurance quote and our private health insurance. DH needs to do his driving test and I hope to do more tennis lessons. There's still gym classes to attend and I'm sure glad I'm going for a 2 hour pampering massage next Friday!

On to our First Outdoor Camp

March is such an exciting month. There are a few things happening this month in school and it's also our third month here in Brisbane.

We have been busy the last couple of weekends. The first march weekend was spent at North Stradbroke island with Rachel and her family and it was another awesome trip. The weather was not like Moreton but we were so thankful that it didn't rained. It was a rainy week and we almost wanted to postpone the trip.

We spent a half day out in the cruise and landed at the McLarens Landing. The highlight of the trip was the sand tobogganing done near the beach. It was a very windy day that afternoon and we were feeling the pain when the sand hit our body! Climbing up the sandy hill was tiring but good fun! The boys had so much fun despite the pain from the sand and wind.

Tomorrow will be our first outdoor camping in Australia. We bought our air bed, lanterns and food necessities and sleeping bags. In Queensland, you won't need electric blanket in the nights during autumn but a sleeping bag is enough to keep one warm. We are excited and Clayton is looking forward to camp in the outdoors! I need to pack the important stuff including my repellent! Tomorrow will be a busy day for me as I cook our Saturday dinner to bring along and pack all the last minute camping gear.

Woohoo... it's been an exciting March and school holidays is here in two weeks' time!

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!