Gingerbreadmum: Singapore Mum Blogger

This is Calla, my 2-year old, my second child, my baby. She snorts like Peppa Pig, adores her older sister, loves puzzles, enjoys slides and swings and playing with sand. She looks forward to her swimming sessions where she goes under water with a great big smile and swims short distances into my waiting arms. My darling happy baby.

To a mother, there is nothing more reassuring than to know your child is happy. Because the ultimate reward of parenthood is to see your kids growing up to be happy, joyful and comfortable. Also, when they are happy, then I'm happy too. And when I'm happy, I'm a better mother.

Perhaps it is because I know we only want to have two children, that spending alone time with my secondborn is so special to me now. And I make the most of this time because you know what they say about kids growing up fast? It is so true. Really, where did the past two years grow? Wasn't it just last week that I gave birth to her? Apparently not.

So we go out and find places to explore and things to do. What we see and what we do isn't important, what's important is that we're spending time together and forging memories together. But what's also very important is that she's comfortable because a comfy baby is a happy baby. So I always make sure that she's dressed in comfortable clothes, and a comfortable diaper.

Perhaps the only other thing that spends more time with her apart from me, is the diaper that's on her like a second skin. So it's important to me to find a diaper that makes her comfortable as well - Something that keeps my baby comfortable during quiet times at home, and when she's running around in the park. Something that keeps her poo and pee locked in and yet doesn't dry her delicate skin.

The funny thing about being second-time parents is that you realise your kids can be as alike as can be, yet so different at the same time. Poppy, for example, took her time to be toilet trained. Calla on the other hand, told us early that she was a big girl and was happy to use the potty. And we're very relieved that there have been but a few accidents but we're still a long way from going totally diaper-less - she still puts a diaper on for naps, during the night, and when we're out.

She pretty much goes to the toilet independantly at home - Drypers Drypantz allow her to pull her diaper up and down with ease each time she needs to use the potty. The newer version of Drypers Drypantz also offers a softer and more snug fit around the waist and tummy area. Which is great because then her body is not restricted in movement and she can run around freely and play, which is what she does best.

I'm happy to report that we've not had any problems with leaks. Not even when the diaper was taken off after a big outing and weighed what seemed like 1kg. If you have an active toddler though, you might want to consider buying one size up for greater comfort and mobility.

Standard attire for home-based days

Both girls used Drypers diapers pretty much from the start. Our primary reason was that it was good value for money. I remember though that when Poppy was a little baby, I woke her from her sleep more than once because I was adjusting the tabs on her fresh diaper - they were just too noisy! Also, the tabs didn't seem to fasten as well after being re-adjusted, which resulted in a few leaks in the night. Which were not very fun for anyone, no.

I like letting Calla sleep in one-piece pajamas because they're harder for baby fingers to remove. Because waking up in the middle of the night by a naked baby laughing away and swinging her diaper is not my idea of fun. Which means that she's in the same diaper throughout the night most of the time.

If and when we need to change her in the night, I'm so thankful that the new and improved version of Drypers Wee Wee Dry comes with a specially designed tape that allows for multi-refastening, plus it's reasonably quiet so diaper changing is a breeze and she sleeps right through it. Phew.

All ready for bed - a very happy time for Mama

Absorbancy is one thing but what about comfort? I can only imagine the heat discomfort babies must feel with having a diaper on all night. Which is why I am glad to learn that Drypers Wee Wee Dry has an Active Absorb Layer™ which effectively absorbs and distributes pee which keeps baby's skin dry and comfortable. Its softer cloth-like cover is also 100% breathable, which further ensures that her little bum is comfortable all through the night. Also, it comes with natural plant extracts like chamomile and aloe vera, which provides additional comfort. Or shall I say, ultimate comfort!

Good news for you! Drypers is giving out free samples! Simply fill up your details here and Drypers will send you a sample.

And even better news for you who are already purchasing Drypers diapers or considering making the change to ultimate comfort for your baby by buying Drypers Drypantz or Drypers Wee Wee Dry!

Specially for Gingerbreadmum readers! $10 FairPrice vouchers up for grabs from now until 30 June! Get them, get them, how to get them?

1. Purchase any 2 packs of Drypers diapers
2. Take a photo of your receipt or scan it as proof of purchase
3. Send that together with your particulars (name, address, contact number, child's name and date of birth) to sg.contest@sca.com with subject title "gingerbreadmum"

Please note that promotion is not applicable to the regular Drypers packs and not the mini packs like the Drypers Drypantz (size M that comes in 4 pieces, L-3 pieces, XL-3 pieces, XXL-3 pieces).

This post is sponsored by Drypers - Thank you for keeping my floors pee free. In-the-midst-of-being-potty-trained Calla likes taking her diapers off mid-poo (well because she's afraid of dirtying the toilet bowl. #ohtheirony) and that sometimes results in a lump of poop plonking on my floor but I don't blame you for that.

I wouldn't sing publicly but I do it quite a bit at home. The repertoire of songs has changed quite a bit since the kids came along, but I'm glad that in recent times, I've been introducing 'non kiddy songs' to the girls. And thanks to our new music player, there's music at home all day.

Am I lying about how cute it is? I am not.

The Alilo kids digital player is, ears down, perhaps the cutest product I've ever had to review. We have the G7 Big Bunny and use it as a music player but it also comes packed with stories and poems apart from songs. It can also be used as a night light and turning the light on is Calla's favourite thing to do. Its ears change colours very gradually and it can be quite calming and hypnotising to watch. I love how there are no sharp edges and how it is reasonably drop resistant.

You can even buy a remote control! Its ears light up too and I'm tellin' ya, it can get quite hypnotising to watch!

I thought it might be fun to share with you some snippets of our days, and the songs that best fit each respective situation and time. Welcome to my life!

The morning. Big girl goes off to school. Usually her father brings her to the bus stop and the baby and I wave at them from the kitchen window. Seeing my big girl in her school uniform, in hair that was recently tied but already messy, with that huge grin and giving me hand gestures instructing me to run to the front of the house to continue waving at her, I hug the baby a bit tighter while My Girl by The Temptations plays in my head. She's turning 6, this girl. When did that happen? How did that happen? She's a big girl, yet she will always be my baby.

I got sunshine on a cloudy day

When it's cold outside, I got the month of May

I guess you say, what can make me feel this way

My girl.

But it's far too early in the morning for sentimental Mamas so the little one at I head out. We go exploring and she makes me run, she makes me carry her, we chase birds, wave at people, point out caterpillars, blow bubbles, search for cats. She plays, I hold her hand.

Each time she emerges from behind a pillar, each time I see her head pop out from the top of the slide, each time she runs to me with a huge grin, Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles plays in my mind.

Here comes the sun

And I say

It's alright

Calla is at the stage where she wants to be independant and walk, but also likes to be carried. I don't mind carrying her because you know what? The time will come not too soon that she will not want to be carried. And then the time will come that she'll get too big for me to carry. So I gladly pick her. And sometimes I hug her and sway with her and sing to her gently, yes, even if we're out in public. I kiss her and tell her "I love you so much" and sometimes she repeats it. I sing I Only Want to be with You to her (it's been done by a few singers but I like Vonda Shepard's version) but you know what she does? She shushes me and requests for Let It Go instead.

I don't know what it is that makes me love you so

I only know I never want to let you go

Cos you've started something, can't you see

That ever since we met you've had a hold on me

It happens to be true

I only want to be with you

Back at home, sometimes the little one decides she's had enough of me for one morning and chooses to hang out on her own. She plays with play dough or empties toy boxes on the floor or plays with her puzzles or pretends to read and I sneak up to her and steal kisses.

Sometimes however, I get help with lunch preparation. Cries of "Baby help, Baby help! Baby help wash rice!" can be heard until said baby is given rice grains to wash (and litter kitchen floor with). Take deep breath and rap along to Vanilla Ice's (R)Ice (R)Ice Baby.

Rice rice baby

(dng dng dng dng dng da dng dng)

Rice rice baby

And then it's nap time for her, and rest time for me. Watching my sleeping baby makes Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA (made popular by Meryl Streep from the movie Mamma Mia) creep its way into my head. Kids - they drive you crazy but loook so angelic when they're asleep that you can't help but love them. It's their strategy. So I kiss her hair and inhale at her neck like I'm programmed to.

Slipping through my fingers all the time

I try to capture every minute

The feeling in it

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Do I really see what's in her mind

Each time I think I'm close to knowing

She keeps on growing

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture

And save it from the funny tricks of time

And then the big girl comes home. Sometimes she's happy when she hops off the bus. Sometimes she's grouchy. Sometimes she's happy and then turns grouchy after hearing what I've prepared for lunch.

But the moment the little one sees her big sister on the bus, she squeals and points and yells "Jie jie!" and when they hug and kiss, it's that moment when I feel most blessed as a mother. Their mother.

The rest of the afternoon is spent together. Sometimes we hang out at home. The kids play independantly, they do their own things sometimes (Poppy reads and Calla does whatever Calla does. Like play with her puzzles. And doodle. And irritate her sister), but sometimes they play together. And that's an awesome thing because they are separated by almost 4 years, and at this stage, 4 years is a big difference.

Sometimes they fight too. What about? Oh, just about everything. And anything. She kicked me, she punched me, she threw the cup at me, she took the book I wanted, hey I was using that, Mama look at her! The usual.

Sometimes we head out. Sometimes they're fun to be with on the bus, when we point out to things together and play games together. Sometimes they both test my patience, one with her endless questions and the other not wanting to sit quietly.

Sometimes I whip out my phone and we take pictures of ourselves and send them to Max and ask him to guess where we're headed. When we do that, it makes me think of Happy Together by The Turtles.

Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it has to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together

When it's crazy at home, and it's hot, and the laundry is waiting to be hung, and the kettle is whistling, I've got to prepare dinner and that's when everyone wants a piece of me. "Mama, where's my water bottle?" and "Mama come! Sit here!".

I imagine that if that scene were to be captured on a video, the accompanying song would probably be Bond's Victory. Not that the moment is victorious in any way, but because I can imagine going juggling tomatoes and knives and plates to the beat of the song, in a rather crazy way, like I'm some kind of circus act.

And when it's time for bed, if everyone's in a good mood and nice and calm, I have宝贝快睡
(Bao Bei Kuai Shui) playing gently as I dish out kisses and receive hugs. If there's any screaming involved, or a frustration build up from water requests, pee requests, extra hug requests, this is where it gradually melts away and a say a little prayer for having made it through another day.

And when they're finally asleep, the madness of the day lifts off me and the house is quiet. Peaceful. And I can be me again, not just Mum, but someone who exists for a reason apart from answering questions, filling water bottles, dishing out snacks, wiping bums and nagging. So I melt into the sofa and let Eva Cassidy serenade me with her version (my favourite) of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Just another day in paradise :) Thanks for accompanying me through my day!

Discount!
There's a special promo going on right now with 15% off the range of Alilo Kids Digital Players, and Gingerbreadmum readers enjoy an additional $10 discount off any Ailio digital player from DearBaby when you use the code GMUMROCKS. This is valid till the end of June.

Giveaway!
Thanks to the kind folks at Dear Baby, I also have two units of the Alilo Kids Digital Player A2 (Buddy Bunny) up for grabs!

1. Like The Gingerbreadmum Blog and Dear Baby Singapore (the folks who bring in the Alilo rabbits) on Facebook

2. Leave your answer in a comment telling me about a particular song that best describes a certain part of your day. Any song! Any part of any day! I mean you could literally tell me about how "Let it go!" plays in your head when you're in the toilet suffering from the after effects of last night's fish head curry, but I know you will be more creative than that. The two most creative answers win!

3. Also leave your email address. Winners will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond before I re-draw and pick new winners.

If you share about this giveaway on Facebook, don't forget to tag The Gingerbread Mum. Contest runs from now until 2 June 2014 and results will be posted on 3 June 2014 The Gingerbreadmum Blog Facebook page.

Many times, people comment about how lucky our kids are because I bring them out so often, but I just want to set the record straight: I bring them out because they drive me crazy at home! When we're out, everyone is in a better mood. Plus, that also means there's less to clean up at home.

It's something about being out that brings about big smiles from them. Must be the outdoor air. Or the sun. Whatever it is, I love those smiles.

On Calla: Sparrow print dress, which she calls "the kuku bird dress". I know you're laughing because it means something to you, but she's referring to a "cuckoo bird". Like the cuckoo clock, you know?

Bringing them out allows me to share with them the places that I love, places that are special to me, and places I want them to experience before they make way for oh I don't know, new offices, new cafes, new condos.

On Poppy: Printed denim dress and yellow hat. I'm not very good with accessorising, so I absolutely love that the cotton lace belt is part of the dress! I'm also secretly wishing that they could make this in my size

I never appreciated it when I was a kid but my parents brought me everywhere - we had picnics at Seletar Reservoir, ate at farms and ever so often, lay on the hillock behind the airport runway to watch airplane bellies at night. I often went on bus rides with my grandfather too. If I dig deep enough, I'm sure I can still find pictures of my 8-year old self hunched in front of the Istana, scowling away.

Thankfully my little ones seem to enjoy being out with me. At least for now. We're pretty much a flexi income family so every dollar matters, which is why we're often on the look out for fun and free places to visit. And it's interesting to see what one can find when one looks hard enough!

The local museums for instance, are really getting to be quite fun and child-friendly, fire stations have open houses every Saturday morning, libraries are getting renovated to include more kiddy areas and some parks are really quite gorgeous.

On Calla: Strawberry print dress which she chose - it's one of her favourite fruits. I'm sure that if there were a mango printed dress, she would have gone for that too.

I don't function well with big crowds and I've realised that it's the same for my kids. So one of my favourite parts about being a home-based parent is that on any given day, the kids and I can pretty much go to places that are usually crowded on weekends and evenings. We love roaming around and taking our time to explore. It's almost like the city existed only for us.

On Calla: Strawberry print top with denim basque skirt. I love that the skirt is so versatile and that it's got an adjustable waist band. Which means that it will be in use for a long long time. What value for money!

"Wow, you bring your kids to all these amazing places!" Sorry to tarnish your image of me, folks, but sometimes we just hang out near at the park near home where they play with sand or go on the slides or ask me to push "PASTOR, MAMA! PASTOR!" (she means faster). I love them in dresses but for play time, leggings are really the best!

On Calla: Lei printed top and Daisy print legging

Sometimes, we give ourselves special treats. Poppy and I have been having occasional dates - we'd go to a cafe, share a cake and just talk. We started doing this when Calla was a tiny little thing; it was our way of preserving our special bond, my way of telling her that she will always be special to me, no matter what. We still do that, but now that the tiny little thing is slightly less tiny and little, we're also starting to enjoy going on dates, the 3 of us, and that's a great deal of fun too!

On Calla: Spot ruffle short sleeve top and long relaxed denim shorts. I love the top so much. It's not something that I would typically get for her but it's just so cute. And comfy too!
On Poppy: Floral print tee matched with denim embroidered shorts and heart shaped sunnies. I've got a thing for flutter sleeve tops - they're so comfy and yet so girly at the same time

I don't know about you but sometimes we're walking and I look at my kids and I suddenly feel the urge to hug them close and tell them not to grow so quick. Especially when they look so grown up!

On Poppy: Daisy print dress (and yellow hairband) which she chose for herself because she said it made her look very grown up. I like that it's so comfortable and it comes with adjustable straps as well

Some day I'm going to look at a picture like this and all I'll see is the way their feet dangle above the floor, their messy hair and sweet smiles and blur faces. I won't remember why I thought mothering them was so tough. Every day, there's always one battle or other. But every day, they are growing older. The days are rough but you know what? I never want this period to end.

On Calla: Sparrow print dress
On Poppy: Border print dress. She calls it her long dress and wears it every chance she gets. It really is her fav!

Being with them everyday drives me crazy (oh don't get me wrong; I love them with all my heart but they still have the ability to drive me crazy), and when I'm not with them, I'm planning stuff for them! But it's also given me the opportunity to watch them grow and be part of all their special moments. I suppose it's a fair exchange.

For updates on the places we go and the things we do, follow me on Instagram (it's @gingerbreadmum - I'll give you a moment to click "follow". Ready?). In a few weeks, I will be sharing more on the things I want to remember about this time when my kids are still little. Plus, thanks to my wonderful sponsors, I'll have a special treat from Pumpkin Patch to give away to those who like The Gingerbreadmum Blog page on Facebook. So come back soon!

Disclaimer: The girls' outfits in this post are all sponsored by Pumpkin Patch; they're wearing outfits from the Mid Summer collection. I just love the names of their ranges! - Botanical Dreams, French Countryside, Amazon Tropics, Retro Blossom, French Garden and Retro. All thoughts and pictures are my own. As well as backaches from lugging all the stuff around on our trips.

In case you were wondering, this is the G-rated edition.

So. Husbands. We love them but we complain about them, we nag at them, and sometimes we're downright mean to them. I see all ye guilty faces. I know I'm not the only one. I have magical powers, yes.

Wives! Here are five things you can do TODAY (or maybe tomorrow) to be a better wife to your husband!

How to be a better wife #1 : Ask "How was your day?"
When his keys jiggle in the lock at the end of the day, resist the urge (and I really mean fight it) to lash out at him for not being home earlier because you know that it takes 47 minutes on the train to get from his office to the station closest to home, and from there it's a 6 minute brisk walk so if he's late it means that he's managed to have an additional 7 minutes of free time to himself?!

Resist it. Greet him with a smile when he returns. Save the black face for another time when he really deserves it. Throw the dirty diaper in the bin where it belongs and not at him. Ask him how his day was because it can't always be about you telling him about the number of poops the kids collectively did.

Also, maintain eye contact when he answers. If the kids are climbing on the bookcase, don't rush to pluck them off; hiss at them instead. Or something, I don't know. Just give your husband your full attention. This may not be the easiest thing to do, so I should probably have not started off with this. Sorry. Well, limit this to once a month maybe.

How to be a better wife #2 : Learn about his favourite sports
Make an effort to know about his favourite sport and players. Did I say immerse yourself in it too? I did not. Just know the basic stuff. For example, I know who P.K. Subban and Carey Price are, that the Stanley Cup isn't something you can buy from the convenience store, and that I know what a puck is. Did I just say puck? I did.

If spending 30/60/120/240 minutes on the sofa watching a game you're not interested in does not sound like your idea of fun, then just go ahead and do your own thing but keep an eye out for the following: If your husband lifts his arms up triumphantly, they've scored. That's your cue to say things like "Yay!" or "Whoo hoo!". Say it with the same enthusiasm as when your kid defends himself in a politically correct way against a bully on his own. Go ahead, practice.

And by the way, if the team he's supporting wins, it's "Yay YOU've won!!" and if they lose, well it's "THEY lost". Remember that, sisters, remember that. It could save your marriage.

How to be a better wife #3 : Let him rest and skip the sarcasm
Recognise that your husband too has had a long day (maybe not as physically taxing as yours but still) and that he too needs his rest. So once in a while, take on the night shift without complaints or banging on the door or kicking him on the way out, and say "It's ok, you rest well" without any sarcasm. And then maybe ask for the same privilege some other time.

How to be a better wife #4 : Cut down on your nagging
Notice I said cut down, and not stop? Because, sisters, I recognise that the husband is a very easy target when it comes to releasing the day's pent up frustration, and in a way they deserve it too because they were only too kind to give up the joys of being a stay-home parent, and offer it on a silver platter to you.

But, you are his wife, not his mother. Let his mother do the nagging. Save your own nagging for the kids. So instead of going on and on about "Why you always -" and "Late again?!" and "Why can't you -", just keep your mouth closed and breathe. If what he did was nothing more than get on your nerves, just let it pass.

How to be a better wife #5 : Buy him a beer
I've never understood the joys of alcohol but my man likes a glass of wine or a can of beer occasionally. And sometimes if he's really good, I buy him a can and even chill it so that he can have it with dinner.

Remember, happy husband, happy wife! More tips next week! Or maybe not. I'm kinda busy trying to be a better wife.

Happy weekend!

Oh by the way, hook up with me on Facebook and find out all that's been happening in the land of the Gingerbreadmum.

And if you've enjoyed these drawings, here are more!

If you're wondering about the drawings: I've so been inspired by this mum. Her writing is hilarious and her drawings sometimes make me pee in my pants. But before you go all copycat-kiss-the-rat on me, you may like to read her FAQ page where she states that she 'is not the first ever human to draw pictures', and that she too was inspired by and accused of copying someone else.

The invitation was for a cocktail reception aboard the RSS Persistence, the Singapore Navy's biggest ship, as 'an opportunity for us to unwind and take time away from life's usual hustle and bustle'. We had to decline because there weren't any babysitting options to take care of our 5 year old Hustle and our 2 year old Bustle.

Thankfully the Navy team was very accomodating and gave us the OK to bring them along. And was it an experience indeed. We witnessed the sunset ceremony (it was a very solemn and hair-standingly beautiful ceremony) and were given a special ship tour as well.

If you didn't already know, I have a great admiration for our Navy men and women (I wrote about it here), so when given the opportunity to meet them in person, I knew I had to interview them despite having to take photos and record their answers with one hand, while grabbing a squirmy baby in the other, and dressed in a dress and heels (yeah, about that part - it was written in the invitation to skip dresses and heels but I was too excited to read beyond "You're invited!").

So here you go!

If you haven't made plans for the weekend, check out the Navy@Vivo exhibition at VivoCity. Those lucky enough to have gotten their tickets can visit the ship and ride on board the Fast Craft Utility. If you much prefer to remain on land, there are also displays and other fun activities within VivoCity.

To be kept up to date with Navy happenings, check out their Facebook page. To be kept up to date with Gingerbreadmum's soppy stories and be the first to hear of contests and giveaways (I've got one a week for the month of June! - check out my current giveaways here), hook up with me on Facebook.

So you know, we got married last month. Well actually we got married 8 years ago, and again last month. Yes, we're a little confused too.

You see, we'd already had the big wedding with 200 guests. We already have a big wedding photo album that's since collected dust. We've already gone through the tea ceremony, the honeymoon, the anticipation, the fear. In material terms, what we had last month was a really small wedding. But in a way, it was much more special.

There were no pictures
Everyone's asking for pictures, pictures, pictures. Let me tell you why there are no pictures, pictures, pictures. Because there were four adults - Bride, Groom, plus two witnesses. Well, five if you count the Priest. And there were four kids - two of ours, plus two from the witnesses. None from the Priest. Just clarifying.

So between exchanging rings, getting sentimental, choking with tears, pulling babies out from pews and sending warning "No you can't go there/hey don't touch that!" eye signals to older kids, there was really no time for any of us to take any pictures.

There were no guests
The thing is that we initially thought this was just going to be a small signing ceremony in the church office. So we didn't invite anyone. I told my parents but said it was really OK if they couldn't make it because it was a work day. We only found out 3 days before that it was actually going to take place right at the altar. As in I could do the whole dum dum da dum grand march if I wanted. But that also meant that it was a bit too rushed to invite anyone.

But my mum kind of felt guilty and decided she couldn't miss her daughter's wedding (even if it was a kind of a second wedding) and roped her old school friends along (and kept it real: "I hope the Priest isn't too long winded, we're going to Gardens by the Bay later!") - most of whom had not seen me since my birth - and my dad managed to reschedule a meeting and showed up at the end. It was awesome.

There was no wedding bouquet
But my chief flowergirl did request for purple flowers so we went to buy some at the market on the morning of the wedding. 6 purple gerberas for $3 - what a steal! They ended up having their petals pulled off and throw in the air during dinner. $3 flowers that doubled up as confetti - score!

There was no wedding gown
I had my original wedding gown tailor-made into a two-piece thing with the vision that I would be able to wear the pieces separately on dressy occasions. Never did. I'm kinda guessing I never will. But two days before the wedding I felt so sorry for myself that I bought myself a nice dress, one which I was certain I would wear on more occasions for better mileage.

But you know what? In many ways, this wedding was so much more meaningful. I cried buckets, wait, it was more like "I shook uncontrollably with tears streaming down my face and my voice trembled so much and I needed to squeeze my husband's hands tight to steady myself" (are you surprised? It's me) when I said the words "I will love you in sickness and health, in good times and bad" because you know what? When you say your vows as a newlywed, you say it with dizzy excitement, and of course you mean what you say and will do your darnest best to keep your promises, but you're making promises about the future. And nobody can predict the future.

It's different when you say those words after having already been married for 8 years. In the past 8 years we've been through good jobs, bad jobs, rented homes, new homes, DINK (read: really rich!) times and two-kids-no-money times. We know each others' eating habits, toilet habits, sleeping habits, good habits, bad habits. We've seen each other as parents.

We've picked each other's dirty socks off the bedroom floor, we've stayed up at night worrying about kids with coughs, we've fought over dirty dishes in the sink, we've worked out an ironing agreement, we've had so many wonderful moments, and so many times when we disagreed over the smallest of things.

Saying "I do" to me last month meant that I accepted to marry and live with this person and love him for the rest of my life despite already knowing all his faults, quirky habits and how he cuts his toenails. Hearing him say "I do" to me meant that he still loved me and would continue to love me despite knowing what a nag I can be, what my breath smelt like in the morning and how I curse when I stub my big toe.

8 years ago, we said "I do" to a hope, a dream. Last month, we said "I do" to reality.

Oh and the sound of church bells at your own wedding? The most beautiful sound ever.

The Rainbow Loom. I have a love-hate relationship with it. Much like chocolate.

I have to admit that when the Rainbow Loom Singapore team sent me a box, the box sat on a shelf for a long time. Simply because I was not too excited about the prospect of having 600 tiny rubber bands scattered around the house.

Now I love how it is the perfect quiet time activity, that it allows my 5-year old to concentrate on something and enjoy the joy of completing a project. I love how it contains her attention as much as TV. But I still do not like finding tiny rubber bands all over the house in all kinds of weird places. Like under the carpet. Or in the baby's cot. Or on the dining table. On bookshelves. In books. You get the idea.

I get how it's so popular that it's been banned in certain schools in the US, because they've been a cause of distraction during class, and a cause of playground fights. I get it. Once you're hooked, it can be quite addictive. Not to mention competitive.

Poppy was very happy to loom away day after day, and was (and still is) pretty satisfied with the basic design and makes them for friends as gifts. Some of her friends however, and their mums, have gone way ahead and done some pretty amazing stuff. Like so:

And don't even get me started on the crazy character keychains that some other folks have been creating! Seriously, Elsa and Anna, the rainbow loom edition!

Is it easy to do? The standard design is. Wait, correction - it's easy once you get the hang of it. The box says that it's for 8 years and up, but really I think there should be a disclaimer that excludes 30-something year old Mamas.

We took a long time to 'get the hang of it'. But I have to clarify that I'm really not very good with little things that need very precise movements. Tiny rubber bands fall into this category.

Kids of the 80s, surely you remember playing yeh-yeh? On the right, regular rubber bands. On the left, Rainbow Loom bands

So we turned to our usual helper, YouTube - we watched the videos together and practiced together. At first I had to help her. Then, more and more, she started to make her bracelets independantly.

Each Rainbow Loom box comes with 600 rubber bands that allows you to make 24 regular diamond bracelets. Should you run out and need to replenish your stock, you can get them at any of the retailers, but the Rainbow Loom website has the biggest range - Prices start at $6.90 for a bag of 600regular and mixed bands. Prices go up when it comes to special colours like metalic, glitter, bright neon and duo coloured ones (yes, two colours on one band!). And what about glow-in-the-dark ones? I'm telling you, it's crazy!

And the conclusion is? I'm still at the love-hate stage. Cleaning up is a chore, especially when those way below the recommended age find the box and start playing with its contents. Apart from that, Rainbow Loom all the way!

I really don't know what happened. One minute we were happily looming, and the next minute, this.

If you're an avid Rainbow Loomer, check out the Rainbow Crafters Workshop at Happy Willow (more information here). It happens every Tuesday and Thursday in June 2014 and costs $70 per child per workshop (looms will be provided for use during the class)

Just a note of caution: there are many knock off versions of Rainbow Looms around, some even looking really the original. The fakes have really sharp edges which could cut little hands when they're trying to stretch the bands while doing the designs. The original Rainbow Looms are ASTM tested to be free of lead and other nasties. Check out the About page on Rainbow Loom's Facebook page to see the list of retailers that carry the original.

Discounts!
Use the code GMUMROCKS and enjoy 10% off when you buy Rainbow Looms here. Also, Singapore residents can enjoy free shipping for all orders above $30 (this refers to the nett price, after discounts - so to qualify for free shipping, you could buy one set of Rainbow Loom, plus one pack of extra bands). Discount code is valid from now until the end of June 2014.

Giveaway!
I've got a set of Rainbow Loom worth $29.90to give away to one lucky reader. Here's what you have to do:

1 - Like Rainbow Loom Singapore and Gingerbreadmum on Facebook

2 - Leave a comment on this blog post telling me who what your favourite colour of the rainbow is and why!! For me, it's probably yellow for now because it's such a happy colour!

3 - Don't forget to leave your email address as well. If I can't contact you via email, I ain't sending no homing pigeons or smoke signals.

Contest will run from 2 June until 9 June 2014. Results will be posted on the Gingerbreadmum Facebook page on 10 June 2014. Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond, or I'll have to re-pick!

Disclaimer: We received a set of Rainbow Loom for purposes of review. All photos, words, incidences of cramped fingers and dusty bands found in weird places are my own.

As a parent that often joins in her kids' play time, I believe that test of a truly good kids' game is if parents are able to enjoy the game as well. CitiBlocs is something that everyone in my family enjoys - Poppy started out tentatively, Calla enjoys destroying our creations, Max sets weird challenges for himself, but the one who enjoys it the most is probably me: The self-professed non Engineer is a CitiBlocs convert. Something strange is going on in our neighbourhood indeed.

You don't have to be an architect or engineer; all you have to do is to stack one block on top of another.

Cheh, it's like Jenga lah. Actually it's not. CitiBlocs blocks and Jenga blocks are well, blocks but the similarity ends there.

There are sample designs for you to follow but no instructions; all you see is the finished product and you're supposed to figure it out yourself. To be very frank, there are some designs that are tricky even for adults!

If your kids naturally like building, CitiBlocs is guaranteed to be a hit with them. With my girls however, one is pretty much into Princesses and the other well, enjoying the destroying stage. Very much.

But we invited Poppy to start small and simple because some of the designs can look quite intimidating. To be fair, even for adults, sometimes we get put off when we see something that's too intimidating, right?

So this was Poppy's first CitiBlocs creation. And after that she got more comfortable with it and then the fun really begun.

It looks really simple but there's a fair bit of balance and a lot of Physics going on in there

I would be lying if I said that it was easy. It's not. There are no snaps, no magnets, no connectors, and no hooks of any sort. It only depends on gravity and balance. And when you're past the stage of the instruction manual, you're limited only by the power of your imagination. And the number of your blocks.

But it teaches patience, and I like that. Patience is a virtue that we try to impress upon our kids. When Poppy builds, Calla learns to wait till she's done till she knocks it over. And then Poppy screams and Calla cries, but that's another lesson altogether.

It's fun for all ages, but if you think you're too - ahem - mature for the regular building structures, you might want to challenge yourself to Level 2 where you build on unflat surfaces under a reasonable amount of stress. Like so.

Level up!

Speaking of surfaces, you'll find out soon enough that CitiBlocs works best on solid flat surfaces. They're very light so can easily topple if built upon a table that's been pushed, for instance. The good thing about being lightweight is that they won't hurt (much) or cause any damage when they topple.

Every piece is precisely cut from Grade A Radiata Pine from certified renewable forests in New Zealand. So every piece is exactly the same shape, size and weight. CitiBlocs is safe and non-toxic, and have been tested and approved according to all Consumer Product Safely Improvement Act regulations. Not chemically treated environmentally responsible toys. I like the sound of that very much, don't you?

I'll also let you in on a secret: It makes a great domino set as well. Plus, it's an excellent quiet time activity. That is, until everything comes tumbling down :)

"It's taller than I am, and Mama says I can knock it down!"

CitiBlocs is distributed by My First Games in Singapore, the same team that brings in Froggy Boogie and Viva Topo, both great family games that we also reviewed and enjoyed. CitiBlocs is catered to children above the age of 3. Younger children can enjoy the Little Builders blocks under the CitiBlocs umbrella, which we also loved.

That all said, I hope you're ready to play because I have some awesome news for you!

Good news
Gingerbreadmum readers enjoy 10% off any of the items featured under the CitiBlocs category. No minimum purchase is required; simply use the code "GMUMROCKS" when you sign out. Valid till end of June 2014. Free delivery above purchases of $100.

Better news!
I have a set of CitiBlocs (100 pieces in all natural colour worth $42.90) to give away to one lucky reader! It is an awesome present for a little child. Or adult. Here's what you have to do if you want to win a set (please read the instructions carefully because incomplete entries will be disqualifed! Really, I mean it!):

1) LikeMy First Games and The GingebreadMum Blog on Facebook.

2) Leave a commenton this blog post, telling me why you or your kids would like a CitiBlocs set. I will pick the best answer so think hard, folks! Just to let you know, answers like "So I can sell it off on eBay" isn't going to score any points with me.

3) Leave your name and email in the same comment. You ABSOLUTELY MUST DO THIS ok?

Contest runs from now till 23.59 hours of 16 June 2014. The winner will be announced on my Facebook page on 17 June 2014. This contest is open to Singapore residents only.

Disclaimer: I received a box of CitiBlocs in Hot Colours (red, orange, pink, yellow and natural) for purposes of review. All stray blocks under the bookcase as well as reminders to kids to clear up are my own. Well, also my husband's.

It's late o'clock and I crawled into bed not too long ago. Just as I'm drifting off to sleep I hear the door handle jiggle and a door creaking open. But it's not my bedroom door. It's the door to my daughters' bedroom. Followed by the sound of padded footsteps. And then it's my door.

"Mama?" two little voices call out softly. They belong to two blurry-eyed sleepy little people with messy hair. It's sometimes hard to get angry with them when they're half asleep, holding hands. So I get out of bed groggily and guide them back to their room, kiss them goodnight, listen to and deny most requests, and leave.

A few months ago we shifted Calla into Poppy's room. The change in environment disrupted her sleeping patterns and Poppy's too - She was too short to reach the door handle so she kept having to wake Poppy up. That happened several times a night. It was tiring for everybody.

Thankfully, that's been reduced to once a night, but still, they look for Mama Mama Mama. Hey, that's me. Why don't they call for Papa, you wonder? That's a story for another time. One that involves heightened Spidey senses that mums automatically get when they become mums, but dads don't.

Poppy wakes once a night to go to the bathroom. She can make it there by herself but likes to come into our room to let me know of her intentions. I've long accepted that her reason for doing so is that she loves me so much and feels the need to tell me where she is all the time so that I wouldn't worry. Yay my daughter loves me.

The issue with our kids is that they have trouble falling back asleep on their own. Well, the little one at least. Not that we can blame her; she spent a good 22 months rooming in with us. So the thing for us was to help her learn to fall back asleep on her own. At this point I can imagine everyone who's from a previous generation laughing. How absurd it must sound, to have to teach someone to fall asleep. I can't say I disagree; it does sound quite silly.

But absurd or not, this is a real problem for us. Waking up in the night is tiring, and when I don't get enough sleep, I am grumpy and cranky, and not very fun to be with. Plus, with eyebags down to my chin, I don't look so hot either.

So whatever the reason for waking in the night, it's got to be addressed!

A bedtime buddy can calm a nervous child and offer comfort in familiarity. So a little teddy bear, a security blanket, or a quiet toy. Not a big musical thing.

We're very thankful that our kids haven't yet used the 'I'm afraid of monsters in my room' tactic on us yet, so we're not going the route of "There are no monsters in the dark". Why plant the fear when it isn't even there? But did you know that based on a survey of 300 parents in Singapore, 1 in 2 children are afraid of the dark? And so were their parents!

We love our Sulley night light from Philips. Poppy's watched Monsters Inc but Calla, age 2, doesn't know what a monster is. To her, it's just a cute and squishy toy that lights up when she shakes it. And besides, Sulley's not really doing a good job as a scary monster because the kids fight over who gets to kiss it goodnight. It emits a soft warm glow so it doesn't hurt the eyes if one of the kids decides to hug it to sleep.

Once they realise that there's no cause for anxiety, they'll be able to fall asleep without searching for Mama. One way of conquering the dark is through the means of games. As part of our bedtime routine these days, I stick sheep up all around their room and ask them to find the sheep and count them (brings a whole new meaning to counting sheep eh?).

Did they fight over this? Of course.

Perhaps the cutest torch light ever!

We arm the kids with flashlights and they have to shine around the room to look for the sheep. Letting them know that they have the ability to always create a small amount of light whenever they want makes them feel secure.

Poppy goes to bed with the Winnie the Pooh torch light under her pillow. Having it there reassures her and she actually looks forward to waking in the night to go to the bathroom, and shining her light along the way! Thankfully she now finds it fun to do so and has chosen to go to the bathroom by herself and not wake me to accompany her. Yay!

Another thing we do before bed is to look at the stars. Nope, not outside, but on our ceiling. These stars have been up on the ceiling for more than 5 years. I started off with ambitious plans, thinking I would create constellations ... but didn't manage to, no thanks to a neckache! But having these stars up there is fun for the girls. I ask them to find the biggest star, the smallest star, count the stars, name the stars, say goodnight to the stars.... They're inexpensive and need only about 10 minutes of light (regular room light will do) to charge up and the light can last pretty long.

Letting them see the stars in a dim room teaches them that some things can only be seen in the dark, and that it's nice to enjoy these quiet, peaceful moments.

This is something that we do with our small Winnie the Pooh Philips and Disney torch light - shadow play! Neither of us are experts but the kids are wow-ed anyway.

Um, dog.

Rabbit being chased by snake under light of full moon. Yes I can be quite poetic.

Speaking of experts, this video is bound to wow you - it's the most amazing hand shadow show I've ever seen - not that I've seen many, but still! (Be patient and watch the whole video!)

Do you include stories in your bedtime routine? If so, bring storytelling up a notch with these Philips and Disney Projector lights. Tell classic tales of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, or make up your own stories. These fun lights are guaranteed to send your little princesses off to night of sweet dreams.

Image: Philips

Boys aren't left out either; they'll be dreaming of being world-class race car drivers with the Cars version of projector lights. Project colourful, and fun scenes of Cars and Disney Princesses for a whole new spin on your bedtime routine! I sure wish I had one of these when I was a kid.

Image: Philips

Special thanks to Philips for their invitation the launch of their Imaginative Lighting range, and for the sharing the fascinating results of the Philips bedtime routine survey - glad to know that my kids are among the 68.2% that take up to 30 minutes to fall asleep. I also take great comfort in knowing that when my little ones wake me in the night, 43.5% of parents are up with me.

The range of Philips and Disney SoftPals, Light and Image Projectors, Night Lights and Torch Lights are available from June 2014 here, at selected departmental and mother and childcare stores.

Ahhh! I'm being chased by monsters!

Seen in this post:
Sulley is from the Philips and Disney SoftPals range, priced at $72.90. SoftPals also comes in the form of Mike (from Monsters Inc), as well as Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Jake and Winnie the Pooh are Philips and Disney Torch Lights, priced at $19.90.
Philips and Disney light and image projectors in Cars and Princesses, $38.90 each.

Disclaimer: Philips very kindly sent me Sulley and Winnie the Pooh for review purposes; I am also being compensated for this post. This is all great because not only do I now have a light to make sure I don't bump my big toe against the bed frame at night, I also have some money to replenish those bandaids I've been using for my big toe.

Tiong Bahru: Where Singaporeans turn tourists and stroll among the 4-storey apartment blocks, armed with their big cameras. Where cafes are sprouting up faster than you can say "Welcome to Tiong Bahru!".

Where you'll still see a satay man pushing his satay cart around regularly. Home to Singapore's last remaining World War Two civilian air raid shelter. Yup, it's a pretty cool neighbourhood alright.

Most of this is reasonably interesting to the average adult. But perhaps not so much to a young child. Which is why, over the past 6 months, I've been slowly taking pictures and notes to put a little scavenger hunt together that caters to kids (best suited for 5 to 10 year olds).

You can download a printable copy of the scavenger hunt for your kids to enjoy, and refer to this post for further information that you can share with your kids as they go on their hunt. I'd love if you could come back and let me know your thoughts on the hunt as well!

Ps I also include the questions on the kids' scavenger hunt, so that you won't accidently blurt out the answers to them!

Now get a pair of comfortable shoes on and let's rock Tiong Bahru!

1. TIONG BAHRU POST OFFICE
Question: At Block 28 Tiong Bahru Road there is a post office. Among all the numbers on the P.O boxes, there is one that stands out. It has a different colour and a different font. What is that number?
Tip to parent: It's the one on the top left.

Start your walk at Block 28 Tiong Bahru Road, where there is a post office. That's a good meeting point too if you're working on this scavenger hunt with friends. The post office is open 8.30am till 5pm on weekdays and till 1pm on Saturdays, and is a great place to seek airconditioned refuge!

2. HUA BEE RESTAURANT
Question: Hua Bee Restaurant at Block 78 Moh Guan Terrace is known by something else at night. What is the other name of Hua Bee Restaurant?
Tip to parent: You'll have to go to the back of the coffee shop to see it

If you're doing this hunt in the morning or early afternoon, you might also be able to have a quick bite at this old coffee shop. Hua Bee Restaurant made the news in 2012 when the owners decided to call it quits and sell the coffee shop for a tiny sum of money. Residents who loved it so much petitioned to keep it going, and even set up a Facebook page for it called We Love Hua Bee!

Finally it was decided that the space was to be renovated, and turned into a Japanese yakitori restaurant by night, and regular coffee shop with its mee pok stall and coffee stall by day. If I were to be brutally honest, I would say that the qualiy of the mee pok stall has dipped since the reno, but it's still a fun place to sit in for a drink. Retro coffee shops are hard to come by these days.

You might (or might not) know of/remember the local production Mee Pok Man starring Michelle Goh - some scenes from that movie were filed at good ole Hua Bee.

3. TIONG BAHRU AIR RAID SHELTER
Question: During air raids, some families used mattresses and tables for protection - true or false?
Tip to parent: Look at the posters on the walls of the air raid shelter for clues!

Venture to the back of Block 78: you will face a tranquil parking lot. Look around for the Tiong Bahru air raid shelter. It is the last remaining pre-war civilian air raid shelter in Singapore. The National Heritage Board has conducted tours within Tiong Bahru that have included the air raid shelter; perhaps if you're keen to enter, you can write to ask. We've peeped in once and got the shivers. It looked like there was very little ventilation, and it was dark and a little creepy. Some pictures of the interior of the air raid shelter here.

4. SENG POH GARDENS
Question: Between Block 78 Guan Chuan Street and Block 46 Seng Poh Road, is Seng Poh Gardens. Within Seng Poh Gardents there is a statue. When was this statue unveiled?
Tip to parent: Look for the plaque

Nestled within Seng Poh Gardens is a sculpture, Tiong Bahru's first piece of public art. It stands 1.2metres high and was the work of Lim Nang Sang, who also created Singapore's monumental structure, the Merlion. To me personally, it looks very much like a swan but it's supposed to be that of a girl dancing. Oops.

5. TIONG BAHRU MARKET
Question: At Tiong Bahru Market, there are a few stalls that have no stall names, only numbers. Find out what the stalls 33, 132 and 163 sell.
Tip to parent: Look at the stall sign boards and not the unit numbers

Ah, the famous Tiong Bahru Market. Every time we tell people we live at Tiong Bahru, they say "Oh have you tried the _____ dish? It's the best!". It seems that everyone has their own opinion of best :) any of the stalls are open in the morning, and close by late afternoon.

6. PIN PIN PIAU KAY ECON MINI MART
Question: At the back of the mini mart at Block 71 Seng Poh Road, there is a music studio. What is the name of the music studio?
Tip to parent: You don't actually have to go into the mini mart; you'll be able to see the entrance on the side of the building

7. SEAMSTRESS
Question: At Block 46 Seng Poh Road, there is a seamstress. What is her name?
Tip to parent: She lives on the ground floor; you'll find a sign at her window (sometimes it's on her gate!) with her name on it. Just look, don't touch!

8. WINDOW GRILLES
Question: All around Tiong Bahru estate, you will see lots of unique window designs. Draw out 3 of your favourite designs
Tip to parent: Here are some blocks which have really nice and unique grille designs: Blocks 17, 20, 24, 25, 41, 46, 48

Here are some of them!

Thanks for joining me on the Tiong Bahru Scavenger Hunt. If you haven't had your fill of Tiong Bahru, check out the Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail. It's self-guided, and there are many markers along the way which provide information of each station. It's probably a bit too challenging for kids to do the entire trail, so you may want to pick and choose a few.

I leave you with more pictures of Tiong Bahru estate!

Since this scavenger hunt is made for kids, I've kept everything within a reasonably close walking distance. If you're up to walking more, here are some more fun places to visit: Woods in the Books, Books Actually and The Dispensary Cafe

Also, don't forget to pop by any of our eateries - we have lots of them :)

Here are some of our favourites!

Loo's Hainanese curry rice | Block 71, Seng Poh Road, #01-47
Try: The pork chops!
(note: it's recently moved here from its previous location of Block 57 Eng Hoon Street; many websites still reflect the old address)

Pralet | 17 Eng Hoon Street #01-03/04
Try: The Ayam Tempra!

The Orange Thimble |
Try: The Irish Cream ice cream! Block 56 Eng Hoon Street #01-68

Tiong Bahru Bakery | Block 56 Eng Hoon Street #01-70
Try: The Chocolate Almond croissant and the Kouign Amann

You can download the Tiong Bahru Scavenger Hunt for your own usage, but if you'd like to use it as part of an educational curriculum, I'd really appreciate some credit for the idea and pictures!

Disclaimer: All information is accurate as of 11 June 2014. I am not responsible for any money that you spend at any of the Tiong Bahru cafes, nor do I get a cut from any of them.

I turn 36 today. Wow. That's 3 cycles of the Chinese zodiac. I'm a horse, 3 times over!

I remember a time when I thought 30 was old. Now I feel younger than I did at 30.

So. I'm 36. I don't have a full time job. I don't have a regular monthly income. I don't have a car. I don't go for regular holidays. Or massages. Or facials. Or pedicures.

I have a housing mortgage. I have bad knees ("you're too young to have knees like that" said my doctor today). I have yet to find that perfect bag/shoe/bra. I don't have a regular hairstylist. I don't exercise regularly. I don't have a particular skill I'm proud of. I can't touch my toes.

But I'm in reasonably good shape. I just got married again. I have two kids that are growing well, and that I am able to kiss many many times a day.

I've been managing reasonably ok without being overly reliant on domestic help. I can more or less manage to entertain both kids on a daily basis. I have more black hair than white.

I still enjoy good laugh. I can still learn a new skill or pick up a new language if I want. I have a wonderful husband who's been nothing short of supportive; he understands me so much he's given me the best birthday present ever - a whole day off to myself! I have such awesome awesome parents; they are great with my kids and have never ever said anything to the effect of "why didn't you turn out to be a doctor or lawyer or engineer etc", and have respected all my life choices.

So this isn't where I thought I would land up. But it's not too bad. 20 years ago if someone had told my 16-year old self I'd be "just a mum of 2 kids who works a freelance job", I would have choked. It's funny how we learn to appreciate wealth in so many more non material ways. I have so much to be thankful for. Tail end of the mid-30s? Bring it on!

One day I just suddenly realized that I've been looking at the same pictures over and over on Facebook. Same pictures, just posted by different people, with different faces.

Here are, what I think, the 8 of the most posted types of photos on Facebook. Or Instagram, I'm not discriminating. No I'm not singling out anyone. I'm guilty of some of them myself!

Isn't it wonderful how social media now allows us to show off to so many more people? Awesome!

1. Feet. Or shoes. Or feet in slippers. Possibly captioned within #OOTD, or to show that one is at a special place like a beach or something.

2. Clouds. Because clouds are so awesome, every other day there's someone posting a picture of some cloud formation or other. Possibly at sunset. Either as the view from one's house (coupled with a "glad the day is over" kind of caption), or from a car, with bits of the dashboard showing.

3. Travel shots. Isn't it awesome that now with technology, we no longer have to wait till we get home, develop our pictures and put them in albums before we can show off? We can snap pictures while on holiday and upload them immediately so that all our friends can envy us while we spend the rest of our holidays answering their comments on our pictures!

4. Jump shots. Sometimes there's someone who tries a funny jump. Sometimes there's someone who's not ready. Everyone counts "ok ready? 1...2...THREE!""Wait, jump on 3 or after 3?!" And after a few tries, there usually is a photo that everyone is reasonably accepting of. Admit it. We're all guilty of the jump shot.

5. Food pics. Bloggers are the biggest culprits. Because it's our national duty to share about everything we do, right? So we spend time priming our plates, adjusting the utensils, arranging those peas, blurring out the other plates in the background that we so carefully placed and making sure all hands are off the table. And only after we proclaim "ok!", can the clan finally tuck in.

6. Selfies. As my mother so rightly put it, "selfies are fun!" There are some that take wonderful selfies. Emma Watson's graduation shot is supposed to be THE selfie of the year. Most of us though have our fair share of eyes looking at the wrong direction, food in teeth, arms showing in pic, face too close, oily nose... You get the drift.

7. Random cats. They're minding their own business but us pesky humans just HAVE TO snap a picture of them as we're walking around and exploring (for more photos of course).

8. Kids. Kids at play. Kids laughing. Kids crying. Kids eating. Kids concentrating. Kids sleeping. Kids' art work. Kids' spelling results. Kids' feet. Kids' spit up mashed carrots. Kids posing at signs, movie posters, with mascots, on toy cars, playing with sand, running through water fountains, laughing on the slides.... Lots. Of. Kids. Photos.

Well like I said, I'm guilty of it too. But let's remember to enjoy the special moments more instead of focusing on capturing them to share with others ok?

Happy weekend!

Ohana means family; family means no one gets forgotten or left behind - Anyone who's watched Lilo and Stitch knows what I mean.

In my family, we were taught that we should always stick together, no matter what. It doesn't matter if we don't get along; but it matters that we're there for each other in times of need. It doesn't matter if we have different opinions on all sorts of things; what counts is that at the end of the day, we can count on one another.

It doesn't matter that as kids, we were all brought up by different caregivers; it matters that we were reunited at the end of each day and lived under the same roof. It doesn't matter if we get on each others' nerves or step on each others' tails; when an occasion calls for support, we all rally up the troops and are there for each other.

As children we learnt that blood is always thicker than water. We were taught that there is no excuse for bad manners and that honesty meant doing the right thing even when no one was watching. We learnt that there is no shame in holding your parents' hand, no matter what age you are. We learnt the importance of being on time and keeping promises.

We learnt we should not define ourselves merely by our academic results. We learnt that there were more important things than money. We learnt that no matter what others think of us, we can always be ourselves with our family.

We learnt that a strong relationship with one's spouse is crucial and not to simply let everything to be about the kids, the kids, the kids. Because when the kids, the kids, the kids grow and leave the nest, you'll want to be left with a partner you can enjoy your golden years with, and not a stranger that you've lived with for decades but don't quite know.

As kids, we knew which parent to go to for our specific needs - Each time each of us cried in our mother's arms while chokingly telling her that so-and-so in school had called us mean names, we were reminded that "stick and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me". Each time we ran to our father with a cut or a scrape, we knew we'd emerge with a clean wound and a neat wound dressing.

As children, we were blessed with parents who had a spirit of adventure and a good sense of humour. As a parent now, I appreciate that more than ever.

In recent years, whenever I use the term "family", I am subconsciously referring to the people I am currently living with - my husband and kids. It's something that happens to many people when they move out, get married, and have kids (though not necessarily in that order) - they tend to focus on the ones that need their attention most. So I'm glad we did this photoshoot with The Original Six. It meant so much more to me than simply having nice photos (which was a good thing too because our last photo of the 6 of us was almost 10 years ago!). It was a good reminder to all of us that we're there for each other. Always.

******

I'd like to invite you to share a little about your Original Family - the one you grew up with, not the one which includes your spouse and kids. Share a little memory, or a tradition you still upkeep. You can do that even if you don't want to take part in the contest, no problem; I'd love to hear your stories!

But if you'd like to hang out at Clickz Studio for a photoshoot like we did, I have good news for you!

Giveaway!
I've got three 30-minute photo sessions to give away! Here's what you have to do:

1 - Like Clickz Studio and Gingerbreadmum on Facebook

2 - Leave a comment on this blog post telling me something about your Original Family.

3 - Don't forget to leave your email address as well. If I can't contact you via email, I ain't sending no homing pigeons or smoke signals; I'm just gonna pick another winner.

Contest will run from 16 until 23 June 2014. Results will be posted on the Gingerbreadmum Facebook page on 24 June 2014. Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond, or I'll have to re-pick!

contest is open to residents of Singapore

Disclaimer: I was invited by Clickz Studio to try out their services for purposes of review. I made the mistake thinking that having 6 kids in a photo shoot would be fun. It was not. It was an hour of mums gritting their teeth, pushing props aside, plucking babies from the walls, and bribing kids with all kinds of treats after because all they wanted to do was to play with the props and run around. So we ended up with a lot of pictures, but very few good ones.

That said, I thought the idea was a fun one, and booked (and paid for) another session for my family (The Original Six), and these are the photos you see in this post. Because taking photos (or doing anything else for that matter) with adults is such a breeze.

And this has got to be my longest disclaimer yet.

This post is in no way 1) written by a professional 2) written in a condescending tone or 3) meant to offend anyone.

With those points in mind, enjoy these!

*****

1. Don't expect your kids to be reasonable. That's your job

2. If you outsource tasks, accept that they won't (not "may not be", but "won't") be done the same way as you would have.

3. Steal little pockets of time for yourself in the day to recharge. Drink that cup of coffee or space out just a little when your kids are entertaining themselves

4. Only mix with positive mum friends. Don't bother about those with negative mindsets, they'll only bring you down.

5. Attempt to bring your own bedtime an hour earlier. You'll feel fresher when you wake. The less you sleep, the shorter your fuse.

6. Sift through unsolicited advice and only accept what you find useful.

7. Don't get mad at busybodies. Their mouths belong to them, your ears belong to you. You can't control what they say but you can choose not to listen.

8. When buying special treats for the kids, sneak in a bar of chocolate or ice cream cone for yourself too. Just for you. Don't share it! You deserve it.

9. You don't like it when your kids rub you up the wrong way; offer them the same respect. Then they won't get irritated with you, and you won't get irritated at them being irritated at you.

11. Scream if you must, it's an excellent way of letting off steam. Just do it in the bathroom or something. Alone. Not at them.

12. Hug them more, spank them less. You'll feel better too.

13. Look at your kids often and appreciate each little thing. The way the beads of sweat hang on the ends of your daughter's hair, the way your baby says Bapa Bapa and stretches out her arms to you. They'll change before you know it

14. Instead of whipping out your camera to capture each precious moment, use your eyes instead. You may not be able to see a physical picture of it again but it will forever be locked in your heart. Or write it down in a diary to your kids and take it out to read it occasionally.

15. Hug your kids whenever they accomplish something. Anything. Tell them how great they are. And enjoy basking in that warm feeling of accomplishment together.

16. Make time to ask your kids "how was your day?" and make time to listen to their answers.

17. Tv once in a while, for the sake of your sanity, is not a bad thing.

18. Put on your kiddy goggles often. You'll feel less frustrated at them wanting to pick up leaves instead of running to the playground.

19. They're kids, accept it. They will throw stuff off the high chair. They will be unreasonable. They will sulk. They will cry. That's what they're programmed to do. Accept it. The sooner you do, the better you'll survive.

21. If you look good, you'll feel good. Shave what you need to shave, pluck what you need to pluck (What? You think you're the only one?), slap on some make up and put on a nice top even when you're out with your kids. Maybe - dare I say - even shoes instead of flip flops?

22. Prepare real food for yourself. Don't just eat the kids' leftovers.

23. Give yourself a pat on the back regularly. You are doing an AWESOME JOB

24. Lower your expectations. On housework especially. Who cares if the house is messy? Truthfully, only you do.

25. Do your housework in installments. Don't attempt a big spring cleaning each week; it's just going to get messed up again sooner than you think.

26. Train your kids to say thank you to you as well. Like 'thank you mama for preparing my dinner'. It teaches them manners and you feel appreciated.

27. Don't be afraid to say sorry of you're wrong. Apart from teaching by example, you're also showing your kids that you're human as well and can make mistakes.

28. Forgive and forget. Your kids will.

29. Terrible twos? Hunger strike? Endless sulking? It will all pass. Remember that.

31. Ask your kids what were their most and least favourite parts of each day. Tell them yours.

32. Don't just create play opportunities for the kids. Play with them.

33. Don't be afraid to say 'Mama needs a little break ok?' then take it and quickly recharge and get back to normal

34. If your kids want something absurd, ask yourself what's the worst thing that could happen. They want to go grocery shopping in their Hulk masks and princess costumes? Let them.

35. Stick plasters on them if they ask. Unless plasters cost more than your sanity.

36. Accept that they come to you because they love you and feel safe around you. Even if it means they're tugging at you in the middle of the night every night because of a bad dream, a need to go the bathroom, or that they just want a hug. No, they're not doing it just to drive you crazy. At least I think/hope not.

37. Don't compare your kids to others - everyone develops at his/her own pace. Don't put unnecessary stress on yourself and them.

38. The only person who expects you to know everything is you. Give yourself a break.

39. Don't compare yourself to the 'other fantastic mums' who can bake, craft, homeschool, clean, sing, and can rock an evening gown. You're the best mum for your kids, remember that.

41. You may want the best for them, but sometimes they may have other ideas. Sometimes you'll have to let them make their own mistakes and learn from them.

42. Try to give yourself a regular 'I love me' treat. Try. Slap on a facial mask, have dessert after the kids are asleep, go a walk to enjoy the silence or simply to lock the bathroom door for an unrushed shower.

43. Sometimes they will have down days too; it's got nothing to do with you so don't let it get to you

44. Sometimes you get all psyched up about something that you think is going to be so awesome and so much fun for them, and they just aren't interested. Accept it.

45. Stop trying to suck in your tummy. Nobody cares, really.

46. Observe your children and identify what upsets them then together, try to fix it.

47. Sometimes, let them break the rules. You can be cool like that.

48. Sometimes, let them stay up past bedtime. It won't kill them. Nor you.

49. Think of your own childhood. What made you happy? Then do those things for your kids

50. They're programmed to make a mess. It helps them engage all their senses. Rather than get upset at them, join in the fun and enjoy yourself too :)

If you liked this post, you may also like the 10 things our kids are saying, but are we listening? Feel free to share on what makes you happy! Have a good weekend :)

The Skyline Luge Sentosa is something we pass each time we go to the beaches at Sentosa. Each time we pass it, Poppy looks longingly at it and asks if she can go. Each time I say no. Because? I thought she wasn't tall enough, I didn't know the cost, plus I wasn't too keen on the chairlift thing. Poor wronged, misunderstood Luge indeed.

Thanks to the kind invitation of the folks at Skyline Luge Sentosa, Poppy and I had a lovely date one evening and experienced our fair share of thrills, in both ascending and descending form. And we enjoyed it so much we went up and down 5 times - because really, once is never enough! Sorry there aren't any pictures of us in action. Safety first!

If you, like me, have been giving the Skyline Luge a miss because of lack of info, I thought these points might be useful to you:

1. "I'm scared of heights!!"
Good news for acrophobiacs! The Skyride (that chairlift thing) may look really scary but after the first time, you will be a pro. And this is coming from someone who's not a big fan of heights. Well, I still did lots of reminding for my 5 year old constantly to "please lean back!". If you really don't think you're up for it, and know that you will absolutely freak out at having your feet dangle at 320-metres above ground, then really, just wait on the ground and wave meekly at your friends.

2. "I don't like speed!"
The Luge is a gravity ride and you are given full control over your speed as you descend down the hill. Just make sure you don't road hog because there are no horns on the Luge.

3. "I'm not good with complicated instructions!"
It's so easy that even I could do it. Really, my friends, that says a lot. But seriously, it's just push forward, or pull back. And steer. No gears, no signals, no pedals. It reminds me very much of the go-karts at Road Safety Park of old, but much more fun.

4. "That's it? We just go up and down, and over and over? So boring!"
I suppose that could be true if there were only one route to take, but now there are two and to Poppy and I, both the Jungle trail and the Dragon trail were equally thrilling. And I promise you, Poppy was squealing and laughing all the way down each of our rides.

5. "My kids are not old enough to go on their own"
Kids have to be 6 years old and 110cm or taller to ride the Luge alone. Poppy is 2 weeks shy of being 6, but she meets the height requirement. I was very happy to share my ride with her though cos you know, I'm the kind of Mama who wants her babies to remain babies forever.

How fun to be luge-ing with friends too! Poppy and Dinoboy were so excited to meet each other but spent their time together just making fun of each other. Kids!

6. "That chairlift thing looks really dangerous"
Um would it help if I told you it's been around since 2005 and there've been no accidents? That's what I was told when I was perhaps freaking out a little on my first ride up; Skyline Luge's Sales and Marketing Manager was very kind to accompany us on the Skyride and chose the highest point (320 metres, y'all) to share that news with me. Quite apt, I think. But really, just make sure you don't get too absorbed in your selfies and hold on tight.

7. "By the time I get off work, everything on Sentosa would be closed"
Well lucky for you then, that Skyline Luge Sentosa stays open till 9.30pm!

8. "What? You want me to ride in the dark?"
To be very honest, I preferred riding the Luge in daylight. I have never been comfortable driving (and now I'm talking about real cars on real roads) at night, and I didn't enjoy riding the Luge at night as much as I did in the day. The were coloured LED lights around, which was cool, but still, be careful because it is still rather dim.

If you're looking for a fun activity to enjoy with your kids, do give Skyline Luge Sentosa a go; it's so much fun! And just for you, dear Gingerbreadmum readers.... a giveaway!!!

Image: Skyline Luge Sentosa

Please note:
Family Passes are applicable for families with children below 16 years old.
Children under 6 or shorter than the required height of 110cm to ride alone, may ride in the Luge in tandem with an adult.
Each set includes four sets of 1 Luge + 1 Skyride.

To participate, fulfill the following requirements:
1) Like The Gingerbreadmum Blog and Skyline Luge Sentosa on Facebook.

2) Leave a comment on this blog post telling me if it is "Heights? Ahhhh no!" or "Heights? Yes please!" for you! You can tell me why too if you like.

3) Leave your name and email address in your comment as well

Optional: Like and share this photo on Facebook to spread the love!

This contest will end a week from now, on 30 June 2014, and winners will be randomly picked and announced on The Gingerbreadmum Blog Facebook page. Winners will also be contacted via the email address they have provided and have 48 hours to reply or I will have to re-pick.

We love our home but we may have outgrown it. Plus, the fact that it only has one toilet is getting tricky. So we've been half-heatedly looking around for a while.

Yesterday we learnt of a house for sale. In a lovely neighbourhood. At an unbelievable price. So we went to see it. With our girls. Who also loved it.

So last night I slept with dreams of our would-be home, dreams filled with ideas from IKEA catalogues and Apartment Therapy links I've been hoarding.

In anticipation of the meeting with our housing agent, I spent all morning and most of the afternoon spring cleaning like I've never spring cleaned before. Dust bunnies were swept out, shriveled dead lizards were evacuated from behind the bookcases*, bedsheets were pulled snugly, shampoo and soap bottles were lined up with their nozzles facing the same direction, toys were all in their proper places, the fridge door was cleared of all kinds of crap, the floor was swept twice.

* one dead lizard. And yes I even cleaned behind the bookcases!

This was probably the day that I neglected my children the most. For once I left them almost entirely to their own devices. They read, they did puzzles, they entertained each other with forward rolls while I cleaned, swept and ruthlessly threw out stuff. I probably did more today than I'd ever done in a year. Really, I did that much.

As I cleaned, I thought about the house, our current one. We'd bought it as newly weds, and now our family has grown to include two lovely children.

Like most other couples, we bought furniture and planned our home based on two adults and didn't factor in the space required for kids. So, along the way, we made changes.

Over the years we added a cot, then a bunk bed. We traded our big L-shaped sofa that was lovely for parties and guests, to a more humble two-seater (with washable covers) to create space for a play area. We bought a potty. Our dining table has a high chair and a baby chair. We added toy storage. Lots of toy storage.

This home has seen us grow. This home is where we traded our carefreeness for responsibility. This home witness my surrender of financial freedom. This home saw our transformation into adults.

I thought about all that.

Were we prepared to pack up and move from it? Probably. We love it but we were prepared and looking forward to forging new memories elsewhere.

What we were not prepared for though, was the news the housing agent brought.

Let's just say that I was shaken awake from my blissful dream. Or more like had a bucket of cold water poured on me.

Then reality sank in. Or perhaps it was more like a veil had been lifted from over our eyes. That house would have cost us a fortune in renovations. And we don't have a fortune lying around just waiting to be spent on glass roofs, creation of another bathroom, planters for Bamboos and wooded patio decks.

I moped around a little. I sulked a little. I even felt like crying a little.

Sure, I'm disappointed, but if I had to deal with disappointment versus being heavily in debt, the choice is clear.

Plus, I know that when a window of opportunity closes, a door will open somewhere else. So I'm waiting for that door. Well, 24 hours was a nice long time for a good dream.

For now, I'll enjoy my neat and clean home for as long as it lasts. Clear kitchen counters .... Mmmmm.

Ps If you're on the lookout for a quaint little home, google "Stirling Road HDB terrace houses". And this is what your home could potentially look like (sorry my linking isn't working! http://butterpaperstudio.blogspot.sg/2012/05/stirling-hdb-terrace-home-decor.html) . Invite me to your housewarming party, won't you?

There comes a time in every stay-at-home mum's life when she questions her choice to abandon her career.

Am I ever to return to the work force? Who would want me? How do I explain my years of absence? What's going to happen to the kids?

I've asked myself the same questions countless times over the past 6 years. Sometimes I think I have the answers, sometimes I fall asleep frowning and still wondering.

But this morning the little one and I waved the big girl off on the school bus and spent two hours roaming around with no agenda. We chased pigeons and went to the playground, we searched for cats and tailed dogs. We laughed as we bounced on drain covers and picked leaves to throw into drains.

I know very well that my chances of getting back into my former line of work are getting slimmer with each passing day. But each day that I'm away from the workforce is a day I get to spend with my little ones. I may not teach them all they need to know to be book smart but I'm filling their growing years with love in the hope that they will grow to be kind, responsible and confident people.

This morning I hovered around the two year old as she crossed "the bridge" - something with steps about a foot apart from each other, and 2 feet off the ground - so that I could steady her in case she slipped. She smiled without looking at me and said "S'ok Mama, don't be scared", and I just knew. I knew that it'd been the right thing to do.

All the time spent just being with them and going to places that don't require much spending, all the time reading with them be building Princess forts, all the luxuries I've given up, it's all worth it.

If you're a mum who's taken a break from full-time work to spend time with her kids, I hope that you are enjoying your days with your kids as much as I am. The minutes drag but the years just zoom by; let's be thankful that we've been given the opportunity to enjoy their childhood with them.

The cut in income may mean we may not be able to give them presents, but our presence means so much more in their lives.

I'm linking up with A Happy Mum's Happiness Is linky!

Sometimes it's hard to say what it means to be a child. They're little versions of adults but sometimes we forget that they are just starting out in life and have so much to learn. That's where we as parents come in! And it's a great responsibility. Lucky for us, they're on our side. Most of the time.

Here's an A-Z list on we think children (ours in particular) are. This post took a long time to craft because I wanted to find words that were as positive as possible!

One of the most amazing things about kids is that they are always armed with a spirit of adventure. There's always something to check out, somewhere to explore!

Where there are kids, there is .... noise. 'nuff said!

Oh to be able to live a carefree life! To laugh out loud without fear of being judged, to spin whenever you want, to feel comfortable in your own skin. Absolute bliss!

Many people get asked to snap out of their daydreams but kids? Well, when else will ideas form?

I have no idea where they get their energy from - sometimes at the end of the day, all I want to do is to collapse on the floor, and my kids pull out some reserve energy from goodness knows where and start jumping and running.

As adults, we tend to be wary of certain things but kids? They climb, they swing, they jump, all without fear!

This is probably one of the things that fades as we grow older - the ability to show our true feelings all the time. For kids, it's easy - if they're happy, they laugh; if they're sad, they cry; if they say they love you, they mean it. It's always black or white; there's no grey area. It's so refreshing

The simplest things can make a child happy - this was my 2-year old splashing the morning dew off a few leaves

Ever noticed how they always need to stop to pick up a dried leaf or ten? Or stomp on the grass? Or look at caterpillars? They have no concept of time and perhaps it's for the best, because surely there shouldn't be a time frame for curiousity.

I don't know about you but my kids are jumpier than squirrels! Jumping on the sofa is a favourite past-time in our house. Even though I'm sure I didn't officially give them permission to do so.

They may be loud and never sitting still but I've also discovered that sometimes, kids are the kindest people around. They show compassion to people, animals and even non living things.

Sibilings may squabble but when they're loving toward each other? That's when your heart melts

They may be happy most of the time, but they're also entitled to moodiness once in a while!

"I'm the parent so I make the rules and you jolly well obey!"? Think again dudes! The little ones have a mind of their own; asking kids to conform is like trying to keep a whistling kettle from whistling

As much as they are creatures of habit, they are also, quite strangely, very receptive to new ideas and willing to try out new things. Just think of all the fun they've had at the new places you've brought them to, or the times when you introduced a new activity.

Play is pointless? On the contrary, they learn so much through play!

Oh blimey. Anyone who's been with a child for more than 24 hours can attest to this, I'm sure. All the WHYs and HOWs and WHATs.... Ahhhh!

Responsibility need not be in the form of dishing house chores for the kids to fulfill every day. Nor giving them the task of watching their younger siblings. But if you take a step back and observe, you might sometimes notice that without being asked, they will display little traits of responsibility. Like reminding their baby sisters that climbing on the dining table is really dangers, for example!

To be a child means that you've got the right to have fun anywhere when the mood calls for it!

Sometimes they're happy, sometimes they're not; it's as simple as that.

You never know what kids will do. A supermarket cart is the perfect place to sulk for some, and the perfect place to dance for others.

Worried about them joining a new school? Concerned they won't make new friends in a new environment? You know what - they will probably settle in quicker than you think in new situations. Because they're just so adaptable!

Another wonderful thing about kids is that when they want to do something, they immerse themselves into it, heart and soul, be it a new hobby or a favourite show. Just like how when they try to convince you that the absolutely totally must have the new Frozen costume

This is the only one I cheated a little. Just because there weren't any particularly positive X words to describe kids. So I've gone with "xi" or 喜, because that's what children are: a joy to have.

Sometimes we do forget that don't we? That they are young, that they are children, that they have so much to learn. From us. We have such an immense responsibility. A wonderful, but immense responsibility!

The way they put so much energy into swinging, the way they want to go higher and higher and higher, squealing with each swing. Children have so much zest for life; if only it could last forever.

This post was brought to you by the letters G, P and the number 2!

* G for Gingerbreadmum, P for Pumpkin Patch (kind sponsors of all the clothes seen on the kids in this blog post), and 2 for the 2 very cooperative (well, sometimes not) kids you see in this post.

And now, something really special for you!

If you love the Pumpkin Patch range you see on this post, here's some good news for you: two of my lucky readers stand to win $50 in Pumpkin Patch vouchers! Each!! To take part in this giveaway, please fulfill all 3 of the following steps:

To participate, fulfill the following requirements:
1) Like The Gingerbreadmum Blog and Pumpkin Patch SG on Facebook.

2) Leave a comment on this blog post telling me 2 words that describe your kids - 2 words apart from the 25 you see in this post. In English please. I'm going for creativity here!

3) Leave your name and email address in your comment as well

Optional: Like and share this photo on Facebook to spread the love!

This contest will end a week from now, on 10 July 2014, and winners will be randomly picked and announced on The Gingerbreadmum Blog Facebook page. Winners will also be contacted via the email address they have provided and have 48 hours to reply or I will have to re-pick.

Earlier this morning, I learnt of some unexpected happy news. My blog, this blog, has been shortlisted as one of the finalists in the Best Individual Blog category in the Singapore Blog Awards this year (if you can spare a moment, I'd love if you would throw a vote my way! You can do so at this page - I'm in the Individual Blog category).

It was unexpected because it's been so long since I thought of myself as an individual. In the past 6 years, my main role has been that of "Mama", and most thingsI did centred around that. In the past 6 years, I had immsersed myself in this role so much that I'd pretty much lost my footing as an individual.

In the past couple of years, I've put my family's needs above my own. The kids always came first, and all my decisions revolved around them. They were the reason I left my dream job, they are the reason I've put my career on hold. Without even realising, I slowly gave up the things that were familiar to me - I hardly have the time to read anything more than the back of shampoo bottles, I walk past high heel shoes on display without a second glance, I hardly exercise, and I don't even chew my food anymore.

I juggle many roles - I'm a mother, a daughter, a wife, a sister, a friend - and somehow my life of late has been all about that. With so many balls in the air, it is inevitable to sometimes let one or two fall, but the one that's been neglected for the longest, has been the one about me as an individual. This news has suddenly made me start thinking of myself as an individual. And it's been so long that I've really had to dig deep. And if you're interested to know, here's what I know, about me.

I'm a Gemini, which means that I sometimes enjoy opposing views of things. For example, I enjoy being loud and boisterous and being part of a group, but also relish being by myself in an empty house. Many times I find myself the only one thinking the way I do, kind of like the salmon swimming upstream if you may. There are often times when everyone around me agrees on something and I'm the only one who thinks "Um, but maybe....". I try not to mix around people who are overly negative because I know that I'm very easily influenced, particularly in the emotions category.

Speaking of emotions, you already know what a cry baby I can be (here's an example of me crying at the supermarket, and another at the hair salon - yes, crying in public does seem like my kind of thing). I'm big on emotions, on letting mine show, as well as expressing them to people. I'm a hugger. I give hugs when I'm happy, I need hugs when I'm sad.

I love jumping on to new projects and can spring from 0% to 100% in terms of excitement, but I'm also very quickly distracted - you can perhaps see evidence of that on my blog if you've been reading it for a while. I'm always always striving to improve, and as my parents taught me, to be different. "You've got to be different in order to stand out and get noticed" they said to me as a teenager, and I've used that as my mantra.

Much as I'm afraid of failure like anyone else, I'm also more afraid of losing out on the chances I would have had, had I not tried. "Try everything," my mum would say, "You never know unless you try".

I love the way that I was brought up - my parents never breathed down my neck; they told me that I was responsible for my own actions and pretty much left me to make my own decisions but I always knew that I could go to them for advice if I needed/wanted it. I'm still very much daddy's little girl, and seek his opinion on any big life decision I make.

I have a knack for telling if people are genuine or not. I'm pretty much a simple, low maintenance kind of person, though perhaps my husband would disagree. But then again, he's the kind who just counts a toothbrush and shaver, and a clean pair of underwear as the things he would pack in his survival kit.

Contrary to what some have told me based on the time they've spent with me and my kids, I am not patient. I have the capacity to reach boiling point very quickly. But I recognise that high blood pressure runs in my family, and everyone is hot headed, so I try very hard to control it. I need enough sleep for that. Coffee helps but it's sleep that keeps me calm and well, sedated.

I have zero artistic talent. You'll witness that if you eat with me and I'm doodling to keep my kids entertained. I don't enjoy songs with inaudible lyrics, or anything too loud. I'm prone to noise-related headaches. Thankfully (or not), my kids' vocal chords are not considered 'noise' by my brain.

I love holidaying, or at least I used to. Holidaying now is different. It's nice to go on holidays as a family, but it's different. One of my favourite holiday memories was walking around Stockholm on my own and finding everything I had planned to find. I'd like to do something big on my own, but I'm not quite sure what as yet. You know, one of those "I'm going to climb Mount Everest by the time I'm 40" kind of thing. But no, I don't want to climb Mount Everest.

I've always enjoyed writing and though I never had a full-time job as a writer, I always had a writing component in every job I held. I love that life has presented that opportunity to me know to write on a freelance basis, and to express my views via this blog.

IKEA Family members, have you received your newsletter?

So yeah, I'm absolutely thrilled to be picked as a finalist in the Individual blog category as opposed to a finalist in the Family blog category. It's allowed me to once again see me as an individual. Sure, it'd be nice to win, cos I think the prize is a trip somewhere on my own. But even if I don't, I think the chance to re-discover myself has been prize enough for me.

Thanks for reading this, folks! Once again, if you'd like to vote for me, you can do so on the Singapore Blog Awards 2014 page, I'm under the Individual Blog category, and you can vote once a day per category.

Have a wonderful weekend :)

Yours truly,

Me, the Individual.

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