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Happiness is…

November 21, 2011

When I wake up on Mondays, I have this game where I think of all the reasons I should get out of bed with a smile. Some days, I come up with a nice, long list and some days I lie in bed for 15 minutes but…nada. On those days, I suppose being able to lie in bed for an extra 15 minutes is already a reason to smile.

Today I’ve got a good list and that’s always worth sharing.

1. It’s 35 days to Christmas. The kids just got their first present from their grandparents over the weekend so Christmas has come early this year. We’ll find some time to put up the tree this week – very excite!

2. On the theme of Christmas, I’ll be doing a weekly Christmas giveaway for the whole of December. Stay tuned to the Mother, Inc Facebook page, more to come soon.

3. A good friend gave this to us when we moved into our house several years back. After watching Tintin with the husband, I wanted to yank off the mast to see if there was a treasure map hidden inside but then I ran out of superglue so I didn’t do it. The treasure will have to wait.

4. I finally got every single lens in my Hipstamatic app. It’s good for all the days I don’t feel like lugging around the DSLR, or when there’s bad lighting or when I want to be discreet about my photo-taking.

Husband: Why do you need every single lens?

Me: Because…I just do. You obviously don’t understand photography or blogging.

Husband: Or your compulsiveness. 5 bucks says you won’t use all of them.

Me: Each lens has a different effect. Only a discerning photographer can see that. One day you’re going to need a red glowy effect and you won’t have it but I will. Then you’ll want to borrow my lens.

Husband: Like when I’m taking a picture of your crazy morning hair to scare the kids?

Me: Just so you know, I’m not lending you my lens.

***

For 5 bucks (and winner bragging rights), I am going to try every single lens/film combination if it’s the last thing I do. With that, I bring you a new segment called Hipstamatic Happiness.

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picture perfect

The flower girl with the inside smile

November 7, 2011

Last weekend, Kirsten was supposed to be the flower girl at a friend’s wedding but the HFMD was a bit of a pain and we weren’t sure if she should continue with it. But the bride really wanted her so we developed a plan to get her there just in time for the march-in and whisk her away right after. It was like a clandestine operation to make sure she didn’t come into contact with anyone.

When she woke up on Saturday, we asked her if she was up for it and she held her mouth for a moment but then she took one look at the flower girl outfit and nodded her head.

She held her little sign proudly and made her way down the aisle. Ok, she did freeze and drop her sign after a few steps but she found her groove and made it all the way to the end, which is the important thing.

The whole time, she just looked all sullen-like and basked in the adoration like a very cool angsty teenager. I’m calling this look the inside smile because well, she’s just smiling on the inside.

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a spot of singapore, picture perfect

Jockeys and ballerinas

October 24, 2011

I remember my first ever pony ride. I was 16 and we were in Perth for a family holiday. Despite never riding a horse before, we were given the reins and told to follow the guy in front around a trail.

I got a horse that did not give a rat’s ass about my orders or the fact that I was holding the reins. She must have sensed that I was a newbie because she would randomly stop to chew on leaves and when I told her to stop eating and move along, she would look at me from the corner of her eye and go “pffffff…”

I did still enjoy every moment of it because there’s something about riding a horse all on your own that makes you feel so badass.

So yesterday, we brought the kids for their first pony ride at the Pasir Ris horse stables.

At $10 for a 3-minute walk around the stable, it’s a little pricey but this being the first time and all, it seemed like a small price to pay for the experience.

Besides, there’s always the chance that one of them might turn out to be a champion jockey (my money’s on Truett, he’s already looking the part). Then we’ll look back at this $10 and consider it well-spent.

Kirsten was a little reluctant to go on at first but when she saw her brother have so much fun, she steeled herself and did it. She’s in an “anything kor kor can do, I can do too” phase.

The whole time, she sat like a statue and gripped the saddle till her fingers turned white. But she did it and when she got down, she beamed and said “I ride the horse very well.”

This has nothing to do with horses but I saw her adjusting her shoe after the ride and I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to send her for ballet classes. I was never the ballet sort when I was younger but there’s something about having a little girl that makes you want to put her in a tutu, sweep up her hair in a ponytail and watch her do a pirouette.

Anyone knows of a good ballet school?

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picture perfect

Face Off

October 4, 2011

Some kids are born with special gifts like playing the violin or ballet dancing and it’s our job as parents to discover those talents and nurture them. Ever since the kids came along, I’ve been very diligent in searching out those talents so that we can maximize their potential. Give them a head start and all that.

We’ve discovered that Tru’s talent is in making faces, like the vector face and the blue steel. He used to ask me to explain emotions when he watches TV, like “what happened? The boy is very sad because he lost his balloon? Is he happy? Confused?”

After that he would replicate the expressions. He improvs most of them and really nails it, if I might add.

I’m trying to expand his repertoire so anyone knows how to do flabbergasted?

PS. Episode 5 of the Olay 360 Transformation is here. Hope you guys have enjoyed it so far, there’ll be one last episode before we wrap up the series.

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giveaways reviews ads, picture perfect

Boutique designer baby clothes

August 16, 2011

It was only after I had kids that I realized how pricey kids clothes are. Given how little cloth is required to make one article of clothing, it has always baffled me that a pair of miniature jeans can often cost the same price as a pair of adult jeans, if not more. One pair of my jeans can make at least 5 pairs of baby jeans, do the math.

The husband says it’s all down to the intricate craftsmanship of tiny jeans because it takes a higher level of skill to make a miniature version of something. I’m not sure that’s true because a miniature Eiffel Tower is way easier to make than the actual one.

In any case, I’m constantly on the lookout for great quality kids clothes that are well-designed and provide value for money. I mean, I’d really like to dress the kids in fancy schmancy designer togs but I ain’t selling any organs to fund it so more often than not, we go for the basic and functional.

I was recently introduced to a new website called MyLittleMuse.com, which brings in imported boutique designer brands from all over the world at very affordable prices. Brands like Kutie Protocol, Bob & Blossom, Dandystar and Hucklebones. After browsing the impressive selection, I was immediately in love with their range of jeans. I have like a jeans fetish because I basically live in them and this momma loves me some skinny jeans.

This is Kirsten in an Egg Baby White Jersey Tee and Denim Skinny Pants. (all clothes featured here come courtesy of MyLittleMuse.com)

I typically style her in dresses because all the pants she’s tried on made her look tubby. But this one fit like a glove and the way it tapered at the ankles adds an illusion of height to her tiny frame. It’s also really soft and comfy.

And this is my little man wearing a pair of Kutie Protocol Adam & Eve skinny jeans. I made him take off his shirt so that he could reenact the scene in Captain America where Chris Evans stepped out of the machine with his giant muscles. I watched it over the weekend and there was an audible gasp in the theatre during that particular scene.

Right, back to the jeans. I loved that all the Kutie Protocol jeans are named after famous couples like Bonnie & Clyde, Popeye & Olive because they’re equally suitable for guys and girls. And the cut for this pair is so awesome that I really want one for myself.

And several more pictures for a closer look at the clothes. Or the muscles.

How would you guys like to win an outfit of your choice from MyLittleMuse.com? Simply head over here to pick your favorite outfit and leave a comment below on which item(s) you’d like to win. It can be a top + bottom or a one-piece apparel.

Contest closes on Sunday 21 August and MLM owner Aye Leadbeater will select one winner to walk away with his/her chosen outfit. Happy shopping!

Update: The winner for the Miele S6 giveaway has been announced here! Thanks again to everyone who took the time to join the contest! It’s now going into my list of lifetime achievements that I made 158 people say pure air.

Update x 2: Contest is open to Singapore residents only. Do remember to include your email address so I can contact you if you do win!

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT! Congrats to Adeline, our 16th comment. Drop me an email at daphne [at] motherinc [dot] org with your contact details by 25 August so we can get in touch with you to pick up the gorgeous new outfit for your boy!

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picture perfect, precious moments

Oh Mickey!

August 1, 2011

This is Mickey, my mom’s Westie.

He’s been baby-handled by the 2 kids since they were born and over the years, they’ve come to an understanding. They sneak him food from the table and in return, he lets them do whatever they want with him, on condition that they sneak him more food.

They’re practical like that.

We wanted to bring the kids to the beach yesterday and they were all “pretty please, we need to bring Mickey along.” I wasn’t sure if we could handle 2 kids and an enthusiastic dog in an uncontrolled environment but they were very persuasive (as they usually are) and by the time we stepped out of the house, it was with a leash in hand.

They took turns getting taken for a walk by Mickey and we ran helter skelter trying to make sure none of them got lost. Which was quite a feat considering that there’s 3 of them and only 2 of us.

But we love that they love dogs and watching them have that much fun together was absolutely priceless. I think we might just do this again sometime.

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