The never-fully-renovated home

We could only afford to do piece-meal renovations. So far, to date, i managed to complete what i had been wanting to do... flooring, library cabinet, glass kitchen wall, Nurul's room...

And today i tidied up half of my shoe shelvings. I bought new shoe containers from Daiso. The ones that i've been looking for since I first saw them on Japan hour many years back. I didn't have a snapshot of the 'before' photo but here are the shoe boxes i discarded.

My ol' shoe boxes. Although some are a decade old, they are still hardy boxes. But too bad, i don't have any use for them. Problem wih these opaque boxes is that i need to open them up to see whose/what type of shoes are in there... although some are labelled, they look messy due to the different sizes and colours.

Better visual management of items.

A trial with 4 nos. of boxes purchased. Very good results.

I'm such a sucker for Daiso containers.
So Daiso, here I come again...!!!!! :)

Tangs Teahouse

 

My first time bringing my family to Tang Teahouse at Simpang Bedok.

Detoured there from Sentosa after our Movenpick weekend getaway. I like the dimsum there... and especially the seafood horfun. Double thumbs up! 

Tucked in a little corner, they've got Botak Jones in there. Never tried it but it didn't give us a good impression especially with the supposedly cheese fries! Think they used mozarella cheese and not the molten yellow cheese we usually get from KFC's cheese fries. Such a disappointment from the much-raved-about Botak Jones!

This is their range of dimsum. The seafood horfun i ordered really fed me to the brim of my stomach. Good thing we only got 1 type of dimsum. Couldn't recall what it was called. But the chilli was superlicious! I wanted to try the chicken feet dish, but at my table, i was presumeably the only insane one who could stomach the dish down.

I dunno why but i think Nurul's hair looked very, very nice and flowy that day... :) Pa was pretending to sleep...

Great school progress

Rasing kids is never easy. Especially school going ones. Always curious and demanding to know facts about life; and what revolves around them.

If not for mak, i would have to slog extra hard to see to my kids homework and spellings and what-noughts. I'm amazaed that they can cope with what are on their plates. School, Madrasah (religious class in English), private music lessons... including my and mak's constant naggings....

I'm very happy with what i heard, about an hour ago.

Before she went to bed, Nurul mentioned that 2 good things happened in school today. 

1. Riyan and his good buddy were tasked to carry books for their teacher... means teacher trusts them and i know that their group has always been getting compliments from their form teacher for not being noisy and having good school work examples. I'm so proud that Riyan understands instructions and dutifully carries them out in school.

2. Nurul was the first to be released for recess. She was not making noise in class so Ms Pang let her off early. So the other kids commented why she only her and so the reason was she was a good student... I was being cheeky so i told her in future if it ever happens again, turn to the class and stick out her tongue at them... ;p

Good job, fellas! Show them wat you've got!

Our second staycation

I've always thought 'Staycation' is an Singlish word. No, its not! Anyway, when its staycation, it just means one thing. I have no Annual Leave. Yes, sad but true. Just started off in new workplace, with spanking new office :) So no AL yet. Not till a couple months down the road. Can't wait till June when i'll get all my 24 days AL!!!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!

Our first overnight staycation was in Rasa Sentosa about 2 years back, i think. That was superb cos it was right next to the beach. The room was large with balcony, great swimming pool and complimentary anniversary cake. Downside was that it was not accessible to lots of attractions and Halal food outlet. It was just convenient for us cos we had a car. That time there was a music festival going on so it was packed!

This time round, it was still in Sentosa but we decided to stay at Mövenpick Hotel & Resorts. Maybe next time, we'll try the Amara Sanctuary Spa Resort.

And so, our March staycation began...

Weekly family dinner

I didn't realised that i had 2 phone lines that could be re-contracted. I got a new Andriod using Pa's Singtel voucher and then I was informed that I can get 2 free phones with my current work and personal phone lines.

So I got 2 Samsung Aces. I gave one to Nurul - but didn't get her a new line/pre paid. Just for her video recording and You Tube-ing. The other Pa sold it to a phone dealer in Bendemeer. We got $230 for the phone minus the memory card! With that we used part of the money for a satisfying family dinner at Swenson's.

My kids LOVE Swenson's... the food portion is good for the kids and they get their monthly complimentary ice-cream too! Most importantly, they love it when we have dinner or lunches together... cos we hardly do that with them during the weekdays.

This time round we went to the Tampines Mall branch. Ordered quite a bit cos firstly I was hungry and secondly my appetite seemed to grow really well recently. No, I'm NOT pregnant.

My men...

... my jokers.

Me and my sweetheart.

Pa's and Nurul's fav cheese.... baked rice.

She was eyeing it....

Her usual. Spaghetti bolognaise.

My first time trying Aglio Olio Swenson's version.

Salad with mini seafood platter.

His usual.

Sedap...!

Made our way to Sedap Corner to celebrate a girls nite outing with Zub who came back from Jakarta en route to Hong Kong.

Us, less Sahra...

Highly recommended.

Good that Zub suggested Sedap Corner. Not only it is in the East, where we all live... its food is delicious! Although not my first time there, it was my first time with my girls there. It was KECOH (rowdy in English)! Starting already was kecoh with Naf who was punctual but went was 'lost'. Drove there early cos i was straight from work. I was hearing raeggae while she was hearing jazz??!!? ahahahahahhahaha It was SOOOOOO hilarious. Only then i realised she was at the wrong eatery.

Zubby gave each of us 'dolls'... i love mine!!! and the rest too... Now now an official Harajuku babe... a Harajuku Lover!

ok, Dinner. I wanted to have the vietnamese 'pho' cos i was freaking hungry. But the Thai Belacan rice was too tempting.... couldn't resist the raw mango and onions. It was so full of belacan smell, i love it! All the raw ingredients just complement each other so well! Everyone of us had a different meal. From pasta to rice with mixed veg. Never had a good dinner with such great laughs in a while. Thanks girls!!! Just missing Sahra only... she had school that nite.

MINE, MINE!!!!!!!!   :)

Ours, from Zubby! Thanks babe...  :)

Ain't she sweet...?

Mine.

Naf's.