Second Year Anniversary (with a plus one on the way)

Diversion: Actually hor, didn't realise that I have a few fans silent readers who have been following my awesome humble blog despite me not updating frequently, don't take nice photoshop pictures, and having contents that are of no real substance. With those shortcomings, you unknown people still drop by and for that I would like to say thank you. :)

Ok.. enough of self-praise. Let's get straight into the topic.

This year, for our 2nd year anniversary both me and Bear decided to just have a simple dinner and basically to spend quality time with each other. Will most probably be this Friday, hopefully he doesn't get stuck in the usual Friday after-office hour jam * fingers crossed*. Our actual anniversary date 10/10 falls on a Wednesday and Bear felt badminton on that day was more important. Hmmp~ Men~! 

Regardless what some people say, anniversary is very important and ought to be commemorated. Can't stand people who gives me the BS "he loves you everyday what, why need to have a special celebration on a specific date" crap. Please la. That is an overused phrase for a kiamsap person. To me, dates are extremely important and that includes birthdays and anniversaries. And soon-to-be Mother's Day and Father's Day too. I don't expect extravagant celebration, just a simple dinner (and preferably a gift) would suffice.  

Anyway... I managed to coerce convince Bear to get me some bling-bling for my anniversary present. The story goes like this, I asked Bear to set a budget for my birthday present and he gave an X amount. Then, me and my Mum headed to our usual jeweler shop in lala-land Sungei Wang and for a very very good value managed to purchased not one but TWO items. 

So conveniently, I took it as one was my birthday present and the other my anniversary present. See?? To that particular person, I am not a psycho materialistic wife ok! *roll eyes*

And here are my very beautiful blings! Love it to bits and pieces! Here's a tip girls, ask the men to give cash/budget and with that, choose something that you really like! :)

Pretty or not??? :)

Of course, naturally being the loving and understanding wife that I am (I don't condone to taking things for granted), I surprised Bear with a expensive wallet. I think he likes it kua cos he is currently using it now. :)

Almost the same cost of my two blings

So yeah.. there goes our simple anniversary celebration. I guess the biggest gift of all would be the arrival of our little baby bear in about a months' time. :)

Love;

Mummy Geri

My Second Baby Shower

Had my second baby shower at Garden Lifestyle Cafe in Mid Valley recently. Special thanks to Sue who took a very long time to plan for the entire thing (she took a couple of months I think).

Love the quaint venue, the food was decent, and above all I love the guest list even more! All of our closest friends came together to make the event a success. Both me and Bear were really touched knowing that we have such good friends who took their time off to celebrate such a joyous occasion with us. Baby bear is definately blessed to be surrounded by uncles and aunties who cared so much about him. :)

The group had actually pooled in together and got us a very practical gift - Graco Playard Playpen, which was what we wanted because we can place it at my parents' place as an alternative to a baby cot when I start working after my maternity leave.

All in all, it was an awesome outing and gathering to catch-up with each other to basically celebrate my pregnancy and of course the soon-to-be introduced baby bear *heart*

Love; 

A Very Appreciative Mummy  

My Surprise Baby Shower

Trust my girls to spring up with some surprises, props, and thoughtful gifts? Hah ... effortless I tell you! See my elaborate hen's lunch organised by them back in 2010.

My Hen's Lunch

We've been friends since secondary (that's more than 11 years ago!) and have been close ever since. Although we don't meet up as often as we possibly could, we would still keep each other up to date with the latest happenings and events in our lives. Occasionally, we do meet up for dinner/lunch or an all-girls trip just to catch up.

Our recent trip to Langkawi 

So it was just any other random August 11, where we decided to meet up because one of the girls is back for a couple of days from Singapore. As we were deciding on the venue, I suggested for them to come to my condo cos it's more convenient and comfortable.

August 11 came and what greeted me at the door was a whole bunch of them (they timed to come up together), a huge bunch of helium balloons, some props for me to wear, cupcakes, and a goodie bag.

Food was nothing fancy - just KFC and Pizza Hut, but we had loads of fun just to catch up! I love being in the company of these girls *heart*

They made me wear the handmade hideous gigantic bib and baby cap to pose with the camera. Just played along for the fun of it.

Then they brought out these board with random names and I was blindfolded and was asked to choose a name, which would then be my baby's name. The name chosen was Alejandro. -.-"

Being the considerate bunch that they always are, they didn't torture do much with games cos Mummy Geri was pretty tired that night. They proceeded straight with my goodie bag. Each girls bought a thing or two and I love every single one of them. Very very practical gifts which I and the baby can use. *hugs*

We then chatted till about midnight and call it a day. Simple - just how I like it. I am truly blessed to have friends like them. *emo*

Old picture of us

Love;

Mummy Geri

Selamat Hari Raya :)

To those Muslim who are celebrating, I would like to wish you

SELAMAT HARI RAYA ~!

Drive safe if you travelling.

Feast your heart out on the lemang, lontong, serunding, and rendang

- you deserve it!

And for those who are not celebrating ...

HAPPY LONG WEEK-END HOLIDAY!!!

woot~ woot~!

Lots of Love;

Mummy Geri

Enter the Year of the Dragon 2012

First of all .. I would like to wish everyone a blessed KONG HEI FATT CHOI :) Just had my reunion dinner with my hubby's side of the family and as usual the home-cooked food was awesome! Unfortunately this year there is no authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice (my hubby is a Hainanese and yes he has a flat head hehe). After the reunion dinner, we went over to my side of the family for round 2 (more of for coffee and dessert). I have always loved a reunion dinner - not only the food, but the idea of having your close family members surrounding you on that day. :)

For the year of the Water Dragon, my wish is to (no I am not superstitious if you are wondering) : 

1. Have a baby (God-willing).
2. Build up my 'war-chest' aka savings.
3. Have an astounding bonus and increment.
4. Continue to improve on my work (as per my appraisal).
5. Lose weight and tone up via the gym.
6. Eat healthy.
7. Travel more.

Not impossible to achieve right? Yes, I am a very practical person. :) No point setting targets/goals which is beyond your reach. At least that's what I feel la. 

Anyway, gonna end abruptly here. Gotta wake up early tomorrow to visit my relatives. 

HEADING TO JAPAN NEXT WEEK~!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

Love;

Mrs Lee

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas *hugs*

And I am working all the way until the 23rd :( Quite sad lo... cos everyone is already on long leave including those who don't celebrate Christmas but want to fight for leave with me. It is quite depressing to some extent when you are already in the mood to be jolly and merry, and you are force to work and not only that, having to relieve your entire team. *max stress*

Since it's almost the end of the working day, I shall not whine about it. This year, I am starting a tradition - a celebratory Christmas dinner that is .. complete witht he stuffed turkey roast chicken (we don't like turkeys), roast beef, mash potatoes .. yeah you get the drift. :) It's quite exciting actually to be hosting a party like this for my immediate family and kick-starting a tradition that will last for generations. *proud*

And no, I am not cooking. I'm buying. Heh~ *excited*

Presents bought, Christmas tree and decor has been put up, Michael Buble Christmas CD has been bought, and the food has been ordered. I've also send a small Christmas gift to both of my sponsored kids in Indonesia and India. Yes, let's not forget the poor and needy ... after all that's what Christmas is all about. :)

Looks like my Christmas preparation for this year has been done (except for wrapping the presents). And here's to wishing you a

Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year~!

P/S: I STILL WANT MY WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Love;

Mrs Lee

How to Plan for a Baby Shower in Malaysia

The proud daddy and mummy to be :)



Yes, if you notice the title .. I have explicitly stated in Malaysia. Why? Because it is so darn hard to plan for a baby shower here!! There are not enough of resources and information that is relevant and available in Malaysia unlike those overseas countries!! :(

But being the resourceful person that I am *ahem*, I refuse to give up and somehow I managed to pull together a simple and splendid baby shower for a good friend of mine. First for the group. Kau tim everything within a week (cos there was a last minute change of venue - initially was suppose to be a BBQ session in my condo but because of the rainy days, the plan was scrapped off at the last minute). 

And of course, being the nice person that I am, I shall share on tips, pointers, and a how-to guideline on planning for that perfect baby shower without breaking your wallet. *heart*

(1) Theme / Decor:

Initially, I was thinking of hiring those professional party planner to do up a simple decor for the venue. Alas, the pricing was from RM1,000 onwards which is waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy over the budget. So, I opted to DIY instead.

The theme that I had in mind was Yellow Rubber Duckie and trust me I was searching high-and-low for those damn ducks. And it was so darn expensive - around RM20 for a pair. Ridiculous! Refusing to give up, I stumbled upon a toy shop in Old Town PJ (a treasure trove for cheap toys, wholesale arts & crafts items, and junk food) and bought these duckies at a discounted price of RM2.00 each (retailing at RM2.50 each) :p

Direction: The shop is located in the same row as BSL Supermarket in Old Town. Drive further down, you will see a shop on your left selling toys called Hew Sun. Alternatively, you may drive further down along the road and look for a shop named Lin Wah (they sell cheaper).



Quack! Quack!

Of course, the yellow rubber duckies in itself is rather plain, so I bought pink ribbons (cos the baby is a girlie) and tied them to the duckies. To further decorate the place, I bought a few mini carriages and pink glitter butterflies to be put around as centerpieces. The carriages cost RM2.50 each, and a packet of 10 butterflies cost RM9.50.

My pretty carriages decked in pink butterflies.

Direction: The shop is next to McDonalds in Old Town.

Note: For those who has the budget, you may contact and engage in the professional assistance of Razzle Dazzle Party Box or Parties - Party Planner.

(2) Favours / Gifts:

Was thinking on what favors that is cute and affordable to give out to the guests and as I was googling, I chanced upon a site which sells relatively cheap favours - House of Favors. Their service is pretty efficient too so you need not worry about reliability. I bought these cute acrylic pacifiers for RM7.20 for a pack of 12. They come in pink or blue colours. The pacifiers can also double up as decor pieces as well.

Cute blue acrylic pacificiers *heart*

(3) Customized Cakes / Cupcakes / Cookies:

Did you know that cupcakes are so darn expensive over here?? For standard customisation of a box of 20-30 pieces of cupcakes, please be prepared to fork out at lease RM90-100. Yes, you may gasps now. Fortunately for me, in my true blue kiamsap-ness nature, I somehow managed to find one which serves decent pricing and yummy customised cakes/cupcakes/cookies. They are Babycakes by Good Eats and is based in Shah Alam. Really nice and accomodating people. Will definitely purchase more from them in future. :)

For a minimum order of 25 pieces of customised cupcakes (without fondant), it cost just RM1.50 a piece! What a bargain!! And I get to choose two flavors - I chose orange and vanilla. Yums~! Taste-wise, the cupcakes were delicious! :)

Taste as good as it looks :) *ngom* *ngom*

Aside from that, I also ordered customised cookies for each of the guests. The cookies are SO CUTE!! The cookies are individually packed and comes with a customised tag too! Minimum order is 20 pieces for RM2.50 per piece. If you want to insert sticks (like a lollipop), it costs RM3.00 per piece. This makes GREAT gifts and favors for any occasion. I asked for baby rompers and milk bottles. Noticed that the rompers are customised with the parents' initials? So cuteeeeeee ~~!!

Cuteness overload~~!!!

(4)  Poster aka "Guest Book":

Got this awesome idea (in my opinion) from my own wedding not too long ago. Instead of a guest book which will be kept under the bed to collect dust, why not do a poster where the guest can sign their names and write congratulatory messages? That way, the parents can put up the poster and post as a memento.

The poster was of course DIY by yours truly. Pretty simple - just buy the frame from IKEA at RM19.90, and buy a small baby clothes (you may be creative and use a baby bip, napkin, rompers, dress etc) and "frame" it up! I bought the cute baby-top for RM10.00 in a small kiosk in Plaza Damas. Simple, cute, and unique. :)

Nice, eh?

(5) Venue:

This was the toughest because it will ultimately make or break our budget. Plus, for a small pax of 20 people, it was really difficult to find a venue where we could book the entire place. After much toiling searching, I remember driving pass this quaint English-like cafe in Plaza Damas when I go for my Kim Gary lunches during the weekdays.

The said cafe is none other than Elise Coffee & Tea House in Plaza Damas. Quickly called the owner up, and thankfully the venue is available on the date. And the major plus point is I can take the entire venue as it fits comfortably 20-22 pax. Secondly, the pricing is very reasonable! I only need to spend a minimum of RM600.00 only! Unbelievable! :D

What did i tell you about being cosy and English? :)

The buffet costs RM38 per person and it consists of 9 dishes. The array is fantastic and tastes pretty good too:

1. Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
2. Mushroom and Shrimp Spaghetti
3. Pan-Fried Lamb Shoulder
4. Mash Pumpkin
5. Stuffed Roast Chicken
6. Mini Sandwiches
7. Salad with Apple Cider Dressing
8. Tiramisu & Chocolate Mousse (as dessert)
9. Lemongrass (drinks)

Yummylicious

The desserts are kept chilled in a chiller. Presentation wise, it looked really really yummy! It taste yummy too actually. :)

Here are the simple decor that I DIY earlier, just put them randomly to make the already quaint and pretty venue to look more "baby-friendly". Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with the outcome. It matches with the settings of the cafe. Coincidentally, the cafe has also Christmas-y decor which has been put up. It suited the occasion perfectly! 

(6) Games:

Don't forget the games too ya! It makes the baby shower so much more fun and it brings everyone closer together. I've googled for them and came up with 4 simple games; (i) Don't Forget Daddy! (basically it's a game on how well do you know the Daddy), (ii) Finish up the Nursery Rhymes, (iii) Baby Animals, and (iv) Baby Shower Charades. All of the games threw us into fits of giggles. :)

Nursery Rhyme  -Failed!

Baby Animals - Failed!

And there is the 101 guideline on how to plan for a baby shower.
Good job Geri! *pats self at the back*

The Group *hugs*

Love;
Mrs Lee

Christmas Came Early :)

Bear surprised me with an early Christmas present this year. It was a very sweet and unsuspecting gesture from him. Didn't expect anything expensive from him at all simply because we have spent a bit on travelling this year. Nevertheless, it was still a very nice move by him. :)

This year he bought me a Frederique Constant leather strap watch. Actually, I kinda knew he was up to something when he kept WhatsApp~ing me pictures of ladies watches and asking me opinion about them.

What do you think of the present?
Simple and nice, just how I like it. :) 

Love;
Mrs Lee

Happy First Anniversary Love

They say that time flies when you are having fun. Couldn't have agreed more. It is quite unbelievable that me and Bear is already married for 1 year (prior to this, was courting for 7 years!). I can still remember vividly our wedding day and our 7 years of courtship .. it all seems only like yesterday. Of course in this past year, we do argue and have our disagreements because we are still adapting to each other idiosyncrasies. How do we manage so far?  Well here is a 101 on marriage - based on my own experience, the top 5 items in the order of what we disagree the most.

Church Wedding @ 09/10/2010

(5) Household Chores.

Yes, believe it or not we do sometimes bicker about this. Honestly, I for one do not like household chores who does? but I will still do it anyway at my own time. Yes, the key word is at my own time. Sometimes, my husband will come back and pass a comment like "Eh, the clothes are not folded yet.. can you do it soon?" or sometimes "We better mop/sweep/vacuum the floor today etc". If I don't have the mood for it, I won't do it because I simply don't feel like it. Having said that, I would always make sure that whatever that is needed to be done, is done. Eventually. 

Mount Cook, NZ

Solution: Communication! We talk about it. The husband is also kind enough to understand where I'm coming from. To me, most importantly, no matter how I procrastinate I will still get the chores done because it is what I've promised to do. Eventually. :) 

Phi-Phi Island

(4) Habits.

This is something that is unavoidable because you have two different individuals staying together. There are bound to be frictions. There are bound to be things which I find extremely irritating about. Likewise for the husband too. For e.g. he loves to drink straight from the carton, I don't condone to that because it is unhygienic. Or for me, I am quite careless and has a habit of leaving things lying around, yes he does lecture me quite a few times.

Goofing around in the house

Solution: Sometimes it is good to overlook on trivial things. After all, your husband comes in a package deal - you take the good, you take the bad also. However, when there are certain habits that is impossible for you to overlook, it is good to bring it up and discuss about it. But most of the time, you just close one eye and ignore la .. focus on the good attributes only.  

Singapore

(3) Priorities. 

Before marriage, both of you have your own things to do in your spare time, which doesn't include your spouse. For my husband, it is his Monday futsal and Wednesday badminton time with his boys. Of course, I don't oppose to it. But initially when I was married to him, he comes back home really late after his sessions curi go to the mamak I presume. Also, due to the nature of his job, occasionally he tends to work late on weekdays. It came to a point that was so bad that I actually spent more time with my parents (thank God I stay real near to my parents' place) than with my own husband. He also had this weird habit of sleeping outside in the living hall. -_-"

Church

Honeymoon in Jeju Island, Korea

Solution: Before I meletup at his face, I sat him down and explained the situation to him. He was really understanding and tried to make a change so that he spends more time at home. Now he still goes for his boys' thingy but he would regulate his timing as well. Word of caution: NEVER EVER STOP YOUR HUSBAND FROM HAVING HIS ALONE BOYS' TIME!!!  

Lake Tekapo, NZ

(2) Submission.

We've been taught in church that the wife is to submit to the husband as he is the head of the house. Likewise, the husband is to love the wife as how Christ loves us. And let me tell you, submission is not easy especially if you are a working career-minded woman who is used to having things her way. Also, sometimes when I wanna go clubbing with my colleagues he may not allow me, but I will usually die-die also go wan la. Yes, I am still learning ok!  

Wedding dinner in Putrajaya Marriott @ 10/10/10

Solution: In this category, I don't think I fare that badly. To me, it is important to discuss everything with your husband first, not to seek approval, but to get his concurrence and his views/opinions on the subject matter. Remember, there can only be one decision-maker in the house. 

12 Apostles, Melbourne

(1) Finances 

Really really sensitive issue. Every couple will fight and argue over it. Who is to handle the finances of the house? Who is to pay what? Are you suppose to split right down to the middle? Can you trust your spouse with your money? Is he hiding anything from you? Is he spending for his own personal consumption? All these questions do plague me once in awhile, I can't help it. 

Honeymoon in Seoul, Korea

Random Picture

Solution: Talk about it. When it comes to finances, be open and discuss your concerns. Share your thoughts. It is very important to nip the problem in the bud than to let it escalate. The issue of finances can break a marriage.  

Engagement Shoot

All in all, communication is the most important thing in a marriage. Trust comes a close second. We both are still in the first leg of marriagehood, there would be many more joy, happiness, tears, and arguments that will come our way. But, I am confident that we will be able to sail through them because through these experience, it will make only make us appreciate our marriage more.

Phuket, Thailand ... 

Where he proposed back in 31 May 2009 <3

To the most loving, understanding, goofy, and snoring husband of mine. Here's to a long happy marriage and I love you despite the weight gain. Happy First Year Anniversary *muaks~!*

Muaks .. Love you lots busuk bear :)

Love;

Mrs Lee

wonder if I will have a dragon baby or not?