Tips for Twins #1: Night Feeds

I'm starting "Tips for Twins" for all mommies needing some tips and encouragement on being mothers of twins, or even singletons. It's so hard to be a mom, a very steep learning curve, but I made it, and so can you. I had a lot of advice when I had just given birth, so I hope to pass on these valuable words to you.

If you're a mommy, you'd know that night feeds are the hardest with twins, especially if you've had no help. I didn't have a confinement nanny – hubby took a whole month's leave and we did the first 4 weeks together. He had to go back to work after that month, so it was just me.

I am so not a night-person. Getting up to feed the babies was an immense struggle. All. The. Time. And with twins. OMG. I made it through in a dazed state every night, ignoring baby cries by being too sleepy to bother. To this day, many moms still ask me how I did it. There are some tips to handling this situation in a calm and sane manner.

1. Prepare bottles of formula beforehand. So you can just pour water.
 
2. Warming up pre-expressed breast milk is a tad harder though. From the fridge, they will be cold and take at least 5 mins to warm up. 5 mins is an eternity with little babies. If you're latching on direct, you'd have no problems. So it might be good to do that for night feeds.
 
3. Don't fret if one of the twins are crying. Unfortunately, if there's only you, they'd just have to take turns. That said, it can be extremely stressful when one baby is screaming in the dead of the night while you're trying to handle the other one. But unless you're latching on both at the same time, there's no choice but to let baby wait. Take care of one first, and then the second one -- diaper change, milk, diaper change. Proceed to second baby. If first baby needs more milk (God knows why they sometimes drink so much milk and poop so much!), handle second baby first, then go back to first baby. They won't die from screaming, so don't worry. It's just that your family (or the neighbourhood) might be awakened by the cries.

4. Diaper changes – you have to learn to do them fast, especially in the night. I was somewhat of an expert, able to change two babies in the same time the lady at the next door cubicle in the mall was able to change her one baby. Haha....

5. Sometimes your babies might not want to sleep when you put them back in the bed. This one is a bit of a problem. I mean, you're exhausted and wanna go back to bed, but baby wants to play?! (Or babies!) I'd say pray hard, rock them a little, put them down, and use helping aids like musical mobiles and such. You could cuddle one to sleep, but hopefully the other doesn't need your attention so much.

6. Go to sleep ASAP. You never know when the babies are gonna wake up again! Try to rest as much as possible.

7. If you need help, don't be afraid to ask. Hubby was doing the "night shift" one day and came to ask me for help because one of the girls kept wanting milk and refused to sleep. He left her on the floor and didn't know what to do anymore. Think he fed her 3 times...

8. Get someone to do the morning shift while you get a good nap. I think a 4 hour nap for new mothers should suffice, enough to recharge your body and energy. Rotating in shifts works better for our mental and physical health. If you can, get the husband or someone to do 6 hour rotating shifts for the night and morning. During confinement, hubby did the 12-6am shift, and then I woke up to continue while he went to bed. It was much better than two people being stoned all day because they had to struggle for the night feeds.
9. Cry if you have to, but wipe it up, thank heavens for your baby, and soldier on.

10. Thou shalt all pass. Time flies, and you'd look back and marvel that you made it through. I know I do!


Take care mommies (and daddies)! Ganbatte ne! You can do it. :)

xoxo,
mommy of the crazy twin girls

Impatience and fear.

It suddenly dawned on me that I feel wary and apprehensive when the kids are all smiles and playing happily together. And when the kids are all smiles and playing happily together in public, people smile at me and say they are such lovely kids. I, too, think they are lovely. But often not for long. And this stresses me out greatly. Of late, they are more whiny and irritating than angelic. Is it a phase they are going through? Am I not spending quality time with them? Or am I just an impatient mother with a low tolerance level for unreasonable behavior, something which seems common in small children.

Just this morning, the daughter needed 30 minutes of coaxing to get out of bed to brush teeth. I had to prepare their breakfast, and told her to rinse her mouth by herself. She snapped. Ran to the kitchen with her foamy mouth crying. (Why?!) I seriously couldn't take it, but told her to go back to the toilet to rinse. Her grandma helped her. But she was still in "let's agitate mom" mode after. Time was running out. I grabbed her and brought her to her room to change. She insisted she couldn't go to school, and wouldn't wear the cute cheongsam that was to be the attire for today's Racial Harmony Day. After some struggle, I got her into her dress and gave her milk to drink. She screamed and said she didn't want to drink, and that's when I snapped, and smacked her on her hand. She screamed even louder and I smacked her again. (I just know the smacking doesn't work but I still do it – why?!) Thank God the grandma came to the rescue at that point. I stomped away.

This seems to be happening on a daily basis now (not the smacking, just the bouts of screaming). I don't know what to do. Most days I try to calm myself and ignore them. They've been fighting a lot too, which is difficult because I don't know how to mediate without taking sides. When they are on their best behavior, cheery and cooperative, I hold my breath and tread carefully. I hear this voice telling me that this should not be the way, bringing up kids should not entail fear. Everyday I tell myself this is why I cannot have anymore children -- I am a busy and impatient working mother who struggles with anger and stress management issues -- and yet I hang back on making an official announcement, if only to myself. The working mothers with domestic helpers don't understand. They have screaming kids too, but don't have frazzled lives. People say that work-life balance is important. My work-life balance is a fog of fuzzy boundaries -- I spend time with the kids 7 days a week, and I also work 7 days a week, with whatever time I can spare.

And there are other stresses. Financial issues. Outstanding debt. Retirement preparation. Many times I wonder how far I will remain in this world. I don't know what God has in store for me, but what if it's to suffer and die young? Should I be prepared for this?

Maybe I need to talk to somebody with real problems like mine. Most people look at me and think I am doing a great job, but it hardly feels so. I wonder if my kids will grow up high-strung and a bit crazy like I am. I certainly don't wish so but with my own mother's tendency to jump to conclusions, and my own moody outbursts, I know that if they look at me, they will learn from me.

I must endeavour.

Three.

My kids will be turning 3 soon. How time flies indeed, you can never say this enough! I cannot believe I have had NO time to write any blog entry at all. Perhaps it's because of my new job at the very fabulous The Paper Stone. So many things to do, so little time.

It's another few weeks to their birthday, but I am making some notes as a record of the happenings so far. Ever since Chinese New Year in January, I resolved never to spank them again, never scream or raise my voice (yes, I am really high-strung), and to settle issues in a mature and restrained manner. With the one exception of me spanking Amelie for her tantrums before school in the morning, I've kept a good track record.

Now, I do time-ins with them. I speak softly and try to reason to them as best as they can understand. If they refuse to calm down, I threaten them with restriction of privileges -- no going out, no TV, no toys, no sweets. And when they are good, they get rewarded with special things they love. I have also started a star chart, which really works! They have received three rewards already and I think they really love the system!

Hope to keep this up forever. I want them to be happy girls who learn that in life, one has to bear the consequences of their actions, and that there are certain limits to the things they can and cannot do. I want them to be wholesome and obedient children, generous, kind, helpful, friendly, and loving.

Happy birthday A&A! :)

It's all so surreal...

It's been 3 weeks since I gave birth and it still seems rather surreal. In my home are two adorable little girls (currently having their nap and looking like angels) – my children. I have to pinch myself sometimes to see if I am dreaming...that I finally have the children I've always been praying for. On the other hand, looking after babies is challenging, and I get so tired sometimes I just want to run away, go back to work, back to my previous life.

Again I say, if I didn't have God, I'd be a wreck. I have to constantly remind myself to relax, take a deep breath, and ask Him to guide me and bless me with wisdom and perseverance. Perhaps I should say "we" because Kimmy is going through the same challenges I am. Thank God that he took the whole month off to help me out, together with mother-in-law who has been a wonderful help around the house (she helps us cook and clean and do laundry – yay!).

Moving forward, I hope I will be a good mom, and be able to meet the different challenges children pose. I am grateful for all the help and advice everyone has given me, and I look forward to exciting times with the little ones.

As for now, it's time to get ready for another feed. :)

Am I a worrywart?

I seem to be worrying all the time these days. Will I be predisposing my children to being easily-depressed, unhappy individuals because they are experiencing my emotions whilst they are inside me? I try to cheer up and look at the positive side of things, but sometimes, life really does weigh me down.

Recently, I have had to deal with the passing of my grandmother, the only one I knew. I was sad but I know this is the cycle of life, and she was weak and well in her years. I now worry about my grandfather, whether he will be lonely and sad, and I worry if he will lose his love of life and go too. I feel bad I cannot visit him more often in my state, but I hope to do so in the months to come.

I worry for my father. He spent 3 weeks in the hospital 2 months ago, and came out weak and disoriented. He has recovered his strength and is able to go about his daily chores now, but he is plagued by strange itchiness on his scalp and sudden swellings in his eyes. He eats less and loses appetite easily, and seems to lose weight at every doctor's visit. I encourage him and chide him into eating more but he refuses. I worry he might still be ill, and that hospital doctors are usually too stupid to figure things out until it's too late. He wants to go back to work but I worry he isn't energetic enough. I worry that he worries he will run out of money, and there's nothing I can do to help him out because I can barely make ends meet myself.

I worry for my mother, I hope she isn't stressed out by these events. I worry my dog will be abandoned by my parents on the streets. I worry if it comes down to the crunch, my husband will not accept my dog as part of my life and send her to the SPCA. I worry for my brother who is having problems with his girlfriend, who is also struggling with problems of her own. I worry for their sanity, their life, and their future (although I know it's none of my business).

I worry for my business, whether I can cope with family and work. I worry if I'd have enough financially to help my husband support the house and home. As it is, food and petrol are getting so expensive it's just ridiculous. I worry if I'd be able to be a good mom. I worry if my in-laws will have problems taking care of two little ones, especially since my father-in-law is quite hard-headed and bigoted in thinking sometimes.

I also worry if my babies will be ok. They are so happy kicking around in my belly now I really hope and pray they will be happy, cheerful babies who are smart, have great eyesight and hearing, natural talents and abilities...and not worry all the time like me. I worry if I can survive the birthing and healing ordeal (although many friends have, and if they have, I will too?).

There's also the extremely depressing event that is the March 11th Sendai earthquake, coupled with a few others in the region, and some volcanoes spewing ash and lava for good measure. Will everything be ok again for the people in the affected zones? Or is this the coming of the end of the world?

So am I a worrywart? I certainly believe that without God, I'd be a wreck now. I have to constantly remind myself of that though...that He will be there for me, to carry me and lead me. I am thankful I still have savings, that I have a roof over my head, the means to buy baby essentials, and the tremendous support I have been receiving from friends and family. Am I just hormonal? After all, a life-changing event is going to happen soon, perhaps I am stressed out by it? And I can't share my feelings with my husband – men just aren't hardwired to understand why some women experience worry for others on such a deep level.

In loving memory...

Today is one of those days. A strange celebration of life and death. I will be attending a baby shower, a baby full moon, and a wake.

My grandmother passed away last night. I didn't get to see her since Chinese New Year, and even then, she was fine and alert, though weak and tired.

Popo has been relatively inactive for the past ten years. But most of us attributed it to the fact that she became quite lazy to walk around, preferring to rely on the domestic helpers to push her in a wheelchair, or help her to the living room where she sat the whole day watching TV. She did, however, suffer from arthiritis for nearly 40 years and that was perhaps the worst discomfort. A few years ago, she had a ballooning done on her heart artery. Besides that, and her arthiritis, she had few other problems.

In the last two weeks, her blood pressure and heartbeat dropped drastically. I guess she was just too tired to go on. It's sad for me as she could have become a great-grandma in a month's time or so. Alas, this is not to be.

I shall cherish the memories I have of her, her kindness and love.

Our first purchases for the little ones

I have been putting off buying anything whatsoever for the babies. Maybe I've been a little wary and cautious, disbelieving even, but I didn't want to rush into buying a whole list of items and have something bad happen. Most pregnant women wouldn't worry about such things, but I am not one of them. After numerous setbacks, the possibility of even holding my children in my arms is something I treasure deeply, and maybe even something I can hardly believe is true.

So, after many months, this is what we have got to show.

The hubs bought a (as in one piece) Babyland reusable diaper just to see how it works.


I bought some cute rompers as a gift for the husband's birthday.


Good friend AwwesomePossum gifted us with a gorgeous baby bag that's huge, functional and waterproof! (Thank you soooo much!)


And our first big ticket item - baby cots and mattresses - only because there was a sale with further discounts!

All things happen for a reason...?

Being Christian, I believe in God and acknowledge that He knows and sees all things, and that He makes all things for a reason. In my work and life, I have always felt assured that in the grand scheme of things, He will always work it out for me and provide for me. For example, in my years of running my own business, there have been opportunities, and I have thanked Him for success and providence.

However, in the last year or so, business has been slow and opportunities less. I also question my difficulty in starting a family. Is this all for some reason too? Sure, there are trials and tribulations, but how do I overcome these?

Recently, I have been introduced to some really good products from direct marketing companies. One is the No Work Shower Cleaner by Melaleuca, another is the Renew Moisturiser (also by Melaleuca), and there's the Anion Sanitary Pad which is truly innovative. I've never been an active follower nor a fan of direct marketing companies, but these products, I feel, could serve a greater good, so to speak. Were these all happening to me for a reason as well? Perhaps it was to show me an avenue to earn my keep, as well as help the people I care about.

I have also had the opportunity to get to know a new friend from another country. She chanced upon my blog and I have had the honour to chat with her over email. I'm sure this happened for a reason as well. Maybe in time, we can become good friends?

In the grand scheme of things, I guess only He up there will know why things happen. I can only pray for His shower of blessings and opportunities, because like the weather lately, it has been dry, hot and stifling.

PS - Will review the Renew Moisturiser and Anion Pads when I can.

Why do I feel happy sometimes and sian other times?

"Sian". A Hokkien word used to denote a lot of feelings. Singaporeans all get "sian" at one point or another, at one thing or another. In English terms, some adjectives that describe it would be bored, indifferent, mentally-tired, lethargic, disinterested, frustrated, a general sense of fatigue...

This morning I made Avocado Scramble with sausage slices and tomatoes. Sounds pretty yummy. But after I packed it to bring with me for lunch, I felt sian and wanted to eat something else instead. Perhaps it was the colour of the oxidised avocado, or the bland taste that did not seem to awaken my tastebuds despite salt and sausages. I chucked it in the fridge and promptly texted awwesomepossum to buy me a sushi set from Jasons Marketplace. The sushi seemed very exciting although I had to pay $5 and waste a good amount of avocado and egg.

As I made my way to office, I had the usual encounters on my train journey. Dingy Outram Station where I had to change trains, no 3G network on the SMRT line, unable to send and receive emails, having people block the train doors as I try to exit at Tanjong Pagar. And then there was a long queue of people trying to get their hands on calligraphed Chinese New Year wishes. Sian...everything seemed so dreary and dull, including the scenery, and it's a bright sunny day.

Perhaps I'm just suffering from an early PMS, or insufficient sleep. Next week will be different, not sian at all with the great move!

I dedicate this post...

I would like to dedicate this post to my grandparents' domestic helpers - Agnes, Lily and Maxilline. They have been a constant source of help and comfort to my grandparents, and I am appreciative that they are there to assist us. I would like to thank them for doing the housework, the cooking, and for all the help they provide to my grandparents in their daily affairs. I'm not one who believes in having a domestic helper at home to do my chores, but I truly am grateful that they are there for my grandparents whilst the rest of the family goes out to work in the day.

I've never seen anyone write a blog post to thank their domestic helpers. The people who pay for their services (I'm not one of them) probably think it's their job so obviously, they do what they get paid for. But I think Agnes, Lily and Maxilline are kind people, who genuinely care about their job and their lives here with my grandparents. It helps also that they come from the same country and have a small "community" of their own. There are too many stories of lonely maids who go mad and start to do crazy things. I know there are times too, when family members get rattled and become impatient when the three of them don't work as fast as they would like them to. It is human to err, and perhaps there are just too many orders barking around them to be able to attend to each quickly enough.

I hope they know they are appreciated in the household. My mother prepares a gift for them every Christmas, and whilst I have not actually verbally thanked them, I do try to help them at dinners when there are 20 hungry mouths to feed and only 6 hands amongst them to do the work. :)

Last Post of the Year

It's time to bid farewell to 2009 and say welcome to 2010. Although I usually abhor the passing of time - it flies too fast - and I yearn for the clock to turn back, I must say 2009 was a very long and somewhat depressing time. It all seems like a blur now but earlier in the year, when business was slow and rent too high, everything was bleak, gloomy and seemingly hopeless. Stock markets were bad, inflation abound, and yup, the office phone hardly rang. Add to that my list of personal problems and an Armageddon would have been merciful.

And so here I am on the last day of the year, feeling pensive. 2010 marks the start of a new decade! It seemed just yesterday that I was flying home from a holiday in UK and partaking in the Countdown to 2000 festivities along Orchard Road. It has been an eventful and fantastic 10 years. I can't say I'm regretting or anything like that, and I'm not one to look back and lament. I firmly believe in looking forward and as apprehensive or reluctant that I am, I can confidently say 2010 couldn't be any worse than 2009 was.

Here are some things I potentially can look forward to:
1. New office premises (?!)
2. A longer holiday, one that requires a longer than 7 hour flight
3. More business (!?)
4. Unexpected surprises, hopefully pleasant ones
5. More people knowing Cardblanche

And I gave up making resolutions a long time ago, but here are some I think I should try to attain:
1. Regular workout and gym sessions (at least 3 times a week)
2. More adventures and experiments in the kitchen
3. Improve my dessert skills
4. Meet and know more people
5. Increase awareness of Cardblanche

Happy New Year! And may all your dreams be fulfilled in the coming months!

Using a percolator

I've never used a percolator to make coffee before, and decided I should take pictures. Basically, I find it a novel and fun concept to be able to make espresso with a tiny contraption, and whilst it doesn't taste as fantastic as a cuppa brewed from a machine, it beats 3-in-1 coffees hands down.

Here goes:


1. Fill the percolator with water and tightly pack in espresso powder. (I used Illy-yums!) Put it over a small flame.


2. Heat up some milk if you take your espresso milky. I don't have a steamer to make "steamed milk" or froth up cappucino, so this will have to do.


3. Add in a drizzle of honey/maple syrup. I'm trying to find hazelnut syrup but it's very tough.


4. When the water in the percolator starts boiling, switch off the flame and let it stand until all the coffee appears on the top portion. Pour it into the cup, add the milk and syrup and voila, an easy, fuss-free, home-made cuppa espresso.

Ippudo SG

Ippudo has finally arrived on the shores of Singapore. Braving the long queues and hordes in Orchard Road, I made Kimmy accompany me on an excursion to taste Ippudo Singapore.

Of course I thought we were being smart by reaching the eatery at 1130am. But Singaporeans think alike, and there was a long queue already. That's ok, I was expecting to wait. The wait turned into a 50 minute long torture as I was submitted to incessant chatter by 5 executives in the line behind me complaining about anything and everything, and especially Ippudo. I dunno why they were talking so loudly, and it was so disturbing I couldn't hear my thoughts or write coherent updates on Facebook.

Eventually we got a seat in this ramen joint that's a bit too chi-chi for liking. I don't think a ramen joint needs pretty (and massive) chandeliers and fancy wall decor. They probably just need to add condiments on the table. I was looking for my shoyu, chilli oil, chilli flakes, sesame seeds, garlic, garlic press, ginger slices, pickled vegetables, pepper, etc, etc but it was a big bare table, very utilitarian, shared with other patrons. Kimmy said Ippudo gives or sells this wonderful tao gey (bean sprouts) dish but it wasn't on the menu. What was on it, thankfully, is the gyoza (dumplings), which is quite possibly the best gyoza I've ever eaten. They are miniscule, but full of flavour.

Everything aside, most importantly, the broth lives up to its name. The Shiomaru and Akamaru were both delicious, hearty and full-flavoured. The tamago (egg) was overcooked though. Methinks it was perfect to begin with, but ended up being cooked thoroughly in hot broth. Ippudo should really look into perfecting their onsen-tamago. In the meantime, DO NOT order the egg with your ramen, save that $2!

Final verdict: Delicious but rather expensive at nearly $50 for 2 persons (just for ramen?!). If you love Hakata-style ramen, Ippudo will be worth your wait. Here are some pictures of Ippudo in Singapore and Tokyo.


Delicious gyoza.


Akamaru ramen, pork-flavoured soup with miso paste and garlic oil.


Shiomaru ramen, pork-based soup.


Ippudo SG's fancy decor.


Shiomaru in Tokyo, see any differences?


Ippudo store in Ebisu, Tokyo.

I love my family

I love my family, my extended family with uncles, aunties, cousins, gong gong, po po, and their domestic helpers. When I was younger, I used to grudgingly tag along for Sunday lunches. I loved to eat the food my granddad cooked, but the house was always so noisy, with the TV at top volume, and everyone shouting to get themselves heard. When siblings get together, they try to out-talk each other, so imagine a small 4-room flat with the echoes of loud loud Hainanese!

Years passed and I have grown to understand the relationships and behaviour of everyone in the family. There are still things that irritate me (like pieces of rice on the floor that stick to my socks) but overall, it's the whole fun of enjoying the closeness of the family unit that I appreciate now.

Thank you God for blessing my family all this time.

The holiday that wasn't a holiday

I was recently in Hong Kong on a 4-day holiday, except it did not feel like a holiday at all. It came and went by so fast I feel like I need another break again. Kimmy and I resolved to have a relaxing time and planned a suitably leisurely itinerary for ourselves. Unfortunately for us, Hong Kong is filled with massive and never-ending streets of shopping and we couldn't help but walk our way through the 4 days. No thanks to my lousy pair of shoes, I was suffering from back pains on the first day and it inadvertently affected my enthusiasm for this city that is a sensory overload (nearly as much as Tokyo!) Everywhere, there were things to see, hear, feel, touch and taste, and even though we didn't rush our way through the city (the way one would do at Bangkok's Chatuchak on a weekend), I think we felt even more tired than when we started out. Even a friend of ours we met who's a Hong Kong native agreed that the city (downtown HK areas) seemed to be lined with shops and people, without breaks in between, and it was extremely overwhelming.

So, whilst I wanted to be inspired by pretty things, cool weather (of which there was none) and take lots of pictures, I have only fun memories and a whole load of good food to show for it.


The beautiful skyline of Hong Kong from the cable car going to Ngong Ping.


Really good and cheap dim sum, heavenly!


Ubiquitous trams, which although cheap, I have never had the chance to take a ride on it.


Streets lined with people on a weekday afternoon.


And here is me, looking refreshed on the last day of my vacation, although inside, I was pretty tired.

Some truths and The Ugly Truth

What do you think is the biggest turn-off (disgust) during a date?
I personally haven't been on a lot of bad dates, and thankfully have been spared anymore of those ever since I got married. But there was one particular incident which left me with a bad taste in the mouth. I had a date grab my hand and insisted he kept it warm for me because the cinema was cold. Of course, on hindsight, it was not a very wise decision to go watch a movie with this fella. I don't relish my hand being grabbed on a first date, moreover on such lame pretext as "keeping it warm". Hah. I actually did not even like my date very much and only decided to go out with him because I was free and it was the school holidays. Oh well, that's behind me now.

Why do you want to watch “The Ugly Truth”.
I absolutely want to catch this movie because Gerard Butler's quite dishy. I can't really stand his accent, that lingering Irish, Scottish or whatever accent that he can't seem to get rid of in America, but he makes up for it with his raw sensual energy, perhaps a carry-over from his 300 days. hehe...

I like Katherine Heigl too so...she's always fun, funny, stylish. I liked her in that bridesmaids movie with James Marsden.

Till the movie arrives, be a fan at the official Facebook page and catch The Ugly Truth when it opens in the cinemas on the 17th September 09!

We all become our parents

As scary as it sounds, we will all inevitably become what most of us were afraid of as a child - our parents. I am slowly coming to terms with this as well. As time goes by and I become a responsible adult, all my fears as a rebellious teenager are realised.

For starters, I take life in the slower lane, no more a speed devil, and I find myself cursing the fancy souped up WRXes when they tail me on the highway. I guess I reached an age where I don't think the thrill of the adrenaline rush is worth the risk.

Secondly, because I am financially independent now, I feel I am unable to tolerate the youth and the masses who spend frivolously. Even my brother's poor control over his finances irk me and it begs for a nag.

Speaking of nagging, somehow I nag more nowadays. I remember I used to dislike my parents for telling me the same thing over and over again, but now I do it subconsciously, to my husband who seems to never listen, and even my parents, who seem to forget everything I say!

Last but not least, I find myself nostalgically wishing for the days when music sounded so good, which is when I was younger. I recall my parents liking all that 60s jive sound and I thought it was so "old-fashioned". Now it seems I too, am old-fashioned. I get these moods where I just want to listen to the good 'ol days of the 80s, with bubblegum love lyrics and simple disco tunes. No rap, no hip hop, no angsty nasal-sounding teenage rocker.

Is anybody still getting married?

Despite the recession, I hear stories of people who just got engaged, but not when they have to do their wedding stationery. Why is that so? Is everyone cutting back on their wedding budget and not wanting to do up nice wedding invitations for this once in a lifetime event?

When I was doing up my own wedding invitation a few years ago, I also fretted spending some hundreds of dollars getting stylish chic invitations done. I tried to ring in some favours with my suppliers, but to no avail, I still had to pay for their materials and labour. However, my cards turned out superbly gorgeous and friends were highly impressed.

I hope to give my couples the same "woo-wah" effect with their invitations but they'd have to take that first step in trusting me with this small but essential part of their big day.

www.card-blanche.com/blanche.html

I do have a promotion going on with free upgrades on paper stock, contact me if you are interested. :)

Achievements and Plans of World Domination

Last night at dinner with two very dear friends of mine, we were discussing the different paths our secondary school classmates had taken in the last 15 years. Whilst it seemed increasingly common to have many of them becoming academics and attaining their PHD, there were also many who have settled early into a cosy family life with kids in tow.

The friends who studied for further degrees and in high powered jobs, I admire them for their drive and tenacity. And the friends who are happily tuned to a routine family life, I guess they do have found the meaning to their life.

I was never one to have highly ambitious goals, to rise through the ranks and achieve "world domination" so to speak, but I also don't seem very skewed to a laid back family life with screaming kids on a Sunday morning. I do wish to have children of my own, and while it so far hasn't materialised, I wonder if I would be ready if it does happen.

But until things change in my life, I will be spending much of my time and effort keeping my company afloat until the recession turns for the better. Business has been slow and the customers more penny-pinching. *sigh* I hope things will get better, and then I can get my life back on track.

Beary Cheery Breakfast

I found this bear-shaped saucepan in Giant for $2.99 and decided to get it just for fun. Kimmy made some pancakes with it for me yesterday, here they are, so cute and cheery. Their faces aren't very defined but oh well...they're still sure to bring a smile to your face in the morning :D