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.

June - A Month of Excitement

Other than being known as a work at home mom, I'm known as a health freak to my close circle of friends.

Well, I don't know where that nickname came from or was it due to my ardent advocacy on organic and natural foods. I'll usually stick to a natural option if I can unless I have no other choice. So I use tea tree oil for natural acne treatment and all insect bites and itch. It works well for me. Lately, I've grown to like the Lucas Paw Paw ointment which works very well for sensitive skin and cuts.

Back in the home office, I'm trying to finish up as much work as I possibly can before the two days of After School Program break. This will be my last busy week before heading to Singapore for my regular break. Not many people will agree with me but heading back to Singapore is a 'break' cos I can reminisce all the quiet and private times and do many things that I like. This trip, I can leave little junior with Garage Adventures again cos the owner is back in business on a part time basis. Though it will cost more than Peekaboo in Kallang but I know he's safer and happier with Ade. She's a great teacher and child carer.

The month of June is here tomorrow and it is going to be a busy month for the work at home mom and dad with so many things happening at the same time. Nevertheless, it is exciting!

Work At Home Pondering on Internet Age

As powerful and useful as the internet can be in today's fast paced world, we ought to be careful when it comes to internet security. Whether you are a work at home mom or not, you should protect all your email and website accounts by updating your password on a regular basis.

Few days ago, I received an email from an acquaintance seeking for some urgent monetary help and in the email, she was said to be robbed to gunpoint and not having a penny to get home. A look at such email will tell you that it is all fake and someone had hacked her email account. I sincerely hope that no one will be naive enough to send money to the account number in the email.

I can't deny that the internet has become an important for me as a work at home mom as my business depends on it. But sometimes, I think I need to step away from being connected and remember how I used to lead my life before. I wouldn't want to become addicted to the internet or feel uneasy when connection is disrupted. Infact, I do feel 'lost' when the internet was down for 2 days a week ago. I read that some teens become depressed when they become too dependent on social networking sites. They chat, make friends and enjoy their circle of virtual friends that if you remove them from this circle, they can sink into depression. For more info on such treatment, click here.

So as we enjoy the convenience and power of technology, let's not become 'addicted' to the internet for surely life must contain a balance of old and new.

Work At Home Mom and Travel

Most work at home moms know that the commencement of school holidays means disrupted work flow and routine in the home office.

In one week's time, mid term holidays will begin and that means the balancing act will get tougher. Thankfully, I'll be off to Singapore for a few days before returning to a church camp two days later. It will be our first church camp and DH thinks we should experience church camp as a family before the big move.

As the countdown begins in a few months' time, a few short trips had been planned. It would be Perhentian island end July, Bali end August and Hanoi in mid September. Honestly, I'm never a big fan of short Asia trips but this year is exceptional. It's too time consuming to go long trips with so many things happening and DH would like to see more of Asia before the big move.

Therefore, I'm excited about these trips especially Bali and Hanoi cos we'll be staying in some cool places. Hanoi will be special cos I never thought that I would say YES to a trip there :) We will be staying in a boutique hotel in the old quarter. From the photo, it looks kinda nice though I don't think there will be a fitness center with treadmills or exercise equipment.

So it's abit less work for the work at home mom next half of the year. But then again, I have more than 50 writing assignments to clear before the break to Singapore!

Work At Home Mom Shifting Blog Focus Back

While sitting in my home office, I was pondering over my blogging journey as a work at home mom. I recalled starting this blog with a passion to update events and happenings in my everyday life. But soon, I got into paid blogging and then along the way, my primary objective of this blog had been shifted.

As a matter of fact, I love to post photos in the blog and it's fun to look back when I'm in the mood for a little nostalgia. But no thanks to the poor internet connection some time ago, I lost the interest and patience to upload photos. Then again, Facebook has overtaken blogger in the last one year.

But I feel that I need to get back to posting more photos in this work at home mom blog for my own keepsake especially if I'm riding on this wagon for a longer time. So from now on, I'm shifting more focus back to the original reason of this blog and will continue from then on.

What's Going On Out and About the Home Office

I can't help but follow the news from my humble home office on what's going on around the world.

The Europe crisis plus the chaos in Bangkok is causing so much unrest and anxieties among the nations and sometimes you wonder when are things going to rest. It is easy to discard these global issues when you work from home cos you are shut from the noises and effects of bad news. But it is important to stay informed.

Back to the home office, DH and myself have been watching some online training videos on video marketing. DH is hoping to incorporate some of the learning points in our new business in Brissy and I have to appreciate him for his efforts. I was just told that some of our relatives will be away for Christmas but it didn't bother me a bit cos we'll be too busy with home search and settling down by then.

Since the weekends is approaching, some of you might be searching for some online shopping sites. A friend referred me to Reebonz and it's a private shopping site for discounted luxury bags and apparel including Gucci, Prada, TODs, Fendi and more. All events will last only for a short time so you need to check out fast if there's something you like.

That's it for today and I'm logging off while it's storming outside of my home office.

Weekly Update From the Work at Home Mom

A friend from Adelaide had just reminded me that our move is around the corner. Actually there are still 7 months to go but we are excited to kick start our work at home business in a new place.

The week had gone fast and I was busy doing chores, finishing up work in the home office and spending quality time with little junior when he comes home from school. It's becoming a routine that we will play a round of Monopoly every afternoon and he is getting rather good at the game! I lost a few rounds in a week and the lesson learned in every game was: Buy and Invest in Properties!

That brings me to a constant update on property outlook at realestate.com.au. I'm hoping to rent in Carindale Solito homes. 100m to Westfield shopping centre - I think I like that convenience! Then again, it's all about timing so I need to pray that everything will happen at the right time, at the right place.

Healthwise, I've been good except for this stuffy nose which I believe is caused by the drastic weather change. It's hot and humid half a day and heavy clouds with rain the other. I don't like this weather. Because I'm a work at home mom, I'm very particular about the air condition in the home and office. So hopefully we won't need so much air condition in Brisbane. That means less allergy problems including sinusitis and eczema.

Enough for this post update, I'm glad we have confirmed our Bali trip and choosing the villas was fun. It's a break from the regular routine of home office duties and I'm now looking forward to a longer sleep tomorrow!