Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Am off to Boston!

Don't think I'll be blogging there so see you in a week! =)

Monday, April 26, 2010

And the housewife spends...

I was trying to decide on a gift for my pregnant friend in Boston and figured it was time to hit the malls. So I went shopping yesterday.  My first stop was Famous Footwear. Nothing to do with pregnancy but they were having a storewide sale and it was really hard to resist. Some of the shoes were really pretty and I would have gotten quite a few pairs if I hadn't stop to remind myself that 1) I am a homemaker 2) I am spending hubby's hard earned money 3) I do not have that many occasions or the friends to hang out so often with over here. After spending like forever in there, I finally landed myself with this pair of sandals for only $15 (original $54.99)  and they are really comfortable. I just had to get it when a lady passing by stopped to comment on how cute they looked on me.

Next, I headed to T.J. Maxx. I love shopping here because they always seem to have something for me from kitchenware to clothing. Got myself a pretty floral scrub for the toilet, a set of 6 drinking glasses for only $3.50, a bright yellow tote bag (I am not usually into yellow but it is Spring after all) and a few casual tops. And then I realised I haven't gotten anything for my friend! haha. I finally ended up buying a really comfortable leopard print travel pillow for her to travel in style with. She will certainly be needing all the comfort she can get when she flies back to Singapore during her second trimester. Well, I hope she likes it! :)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Hurray to more freebies!

One can never get enough of them! :)

Friday, April 23, 2010

Lost in the Devil's food aisle.

It is ridiculous that I can have a hearty (& healthy) home cooked meal for two for that same amount of money I spend on chips, chocolate, soda and all things sinful.  I really gotta curb this junk food addiction! I need a support group - Junk food anonymous or something. " I am Knickknacks and I am a junk food addict." For now, my Ruffles cheddar & sour cream beckons....

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Back on the fitness track.

Hubs and I finally registered for our gym membership at his workplace wellness center this morning. The center has a comprehensive range of exercise equipment and a swimming pool and they also conduct a variety of exercise classes such as pilates, yoga, spinning, Tai Chi etc. To encourage participation, they provide incentives such as lucky draws and reward points that are redeemable for gifts at their wellness store if you visit the center 6 or more times each month.  How cool is that! And the best part - membership is free for the first year!  Can't wait for my Zumba class tomorrow! I am feeling fitter already! :)

Tick Tock Tick Tock...

That is the sound of my biological clock ticking. Heh.  Well, hubs and I have finally come to an agreement after all these years - it is time to try for a kid.  =)  What better time to try than now when I have practically nothing to do and am absolutely stress-free. I should make a relatively good incubator. :P I've started taking folic acid in preparation. I just hope that it is not too late. *fingers crossed*  Will keep you updated.
Any advice, mummies?

Monday, April 19, 2010

Did I mention I got my driver's license?

I got my driver's license! Yay! =)

The price you pay for a free table

Hub's colleague had offered to give us his study table for free which we shamelessly agreed to take.  So yesterday, we rented a U-Haul van to collect it from his place. The table turned out to be pretty heavy even after we had broken it into parts. Anyway, since we were already committed to taking it, the men loaded it into the van and we were off. Now it was just down to me and hubs carrying the pieces up three storeys up to our apt which I was so not looking forward to. But of course we had no choice and what a back breaking afternoon it was! At some point we were even stuck at the entrance to our apt and had to further dismantle the table so it could fit in. I also happened to break a handle to one of the drawers.  It was quite a nightmare.
Anyway, here is the end product:

It was after we assembled the table that we realised we were missing a piece on the front. Apparently, we had left that one piece behind at the original owner's place. After all that, hubs still thinks it was worth the effort. But I'd certainly be suffering the effects of yesterday's hard work for the next few days! *oh the aches and pains!*

Saturday, April 17, 2010

I think I will go to Boston....



Planning to visit a friend who is currently in her early stages of IVF. Things are going pretty well so far but she's going to be all alone for a week while her husband travels out of state for a conference end of this month.  Will be there to give her some love and her hubby a peace of mind. =)  It'll be fun. Hopefully she will be stable enough to do some outdoor walking by the time I arrive!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Overdose on DVDs

For the past few weeks I have been doing quite a bit of catching up on the movies I have missed previously.  And all for free! (thanks to the local library) Well, here's the list:

1. Definitely, Maybe (Widescreen) : A typical feel good chick flick.
2. The Darjeeling Limited:My friend recommended this but it turned out to be really slow and boring. *yawn*
3. Confessions of a Shopaholic: This one got me in the shopping mood! Ah the wonders of retail therapy....
4. He's Just Not That Into You: Wonderful cast but unfortunately I was just not that into the movie. ;)
5. Revolutionary Road: Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. This one was positively depressing and really painful to watch. I would say give it a miss.
6. Inglourious Basterds (Single-Disc Edition): Many, many thumbs up for this film! Highly suspenseful and great fun to watch if you don't mind a bit of gore. And it has my favourite man...Brad Pitt. *Drool*
7.Up in the Air: This one starring George Clooney had raving reviews online so I was mildly disappointed when it did not meet up to that expectation. But it is still a good movie to watch and it did make me feel a little wistful towards the end.
8. The Reader: Plenty of Kate Winslet and some young man in the nude.  It is rather slow moving but it had me emotionally.  Definitely worth a watch.
9. Slings & Arrows: The Complete Collection: This Canadian production TV series is really enjoyable and hilarious! A definite must see especially if you are a fan of Shakespeare. (Featured plays: Hamlet, Macbeth & King Lear). Too bad it only ran for 3 short season.
10. Divina Confusion (Spanish): Okay, you can definitely give this one a miss...

Am currently looking for some good foreign films to watch.  Worlds Apart seems interesting enough but I have yet to find it in the library. Any other good recommendations?

Thursday, April 15, 2010

What happens when hubby spills orange juice on his desk?

This was from last night.  (& still sitting there today!)
I have absolutely no comments. :P

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Glee


Watched Glee for the first time today and I really enjoyed it. Makes me want to break out into a song myself! Don't you just wish that life is one big musical sometimes? Well, I sure do! =)

Monday, April 12, 2010

Marriage = Engagement Ring, Wedding Ring and Suffering?!


My baby sister is getting married end of this year. Just 2 weeks ago, she told me she is already getting the wedding jitters. A tad too soon, perhaps? The couple have gotten an apartment together and even though she is mainly staying there on her own for now, his occasional stayovers are giving her second thoughts. She cannot understand why he continues to throw his food wrappers and apple cores in the living room despite her repeatedly telling him not to or why he has to leave his clothes strewn all over the ground or why he can't put his dishes in the sink...yada..yada. Sounds all too familiar? That's right, she is getting a glimpse of what married life is all about. I don't think I'm of much help when I told her things are just going to get worse from here. My mum used to take care of everything for me - I didn't have to worry about the laundry, the food, the cleanliness of the home (well, at least just my room) and she even made me tea in the morning! Then came marriage which felt like a huge slap in my face. Suddenly, I was MY mum - not only did I have to manage things I never had to think about, now I had to worry for two people in the house. It was probably the toughest challenge I had in my life and still is (I can see some of you sniggering now "Wait till a kid comes along!" ;)). The thing is marriage is a lot of work. We are talking about two people from different backgrounds/upbringing coming together to create a whole new life. But it is inevitable that our past habits gets incorporated into this little niche we have built for ourselves. Some we can tolerate. Some we simply can't. And that's when we learn to compromise. Seems like a simple enough thing to do but trust me it is easier said than done. 8 years into my marriage and we continue to argue over the same issues (usually heightened during my monthly hormonal season! heh.) The truth is, marriage does take a lot of commitment and to sustain it you really got to build a strong foundation of love, trust and respect for one another. Never take each other for granted and you must always communicate, communicate, communicate. And bear in mind that this is a continual process which means you have to constantly work on refining it. No one is asking you to change your character overnight but at least try to do whatever little part you can to make things work for the both of you. *You reading this, hubs? :P* Only then can death (not divorce) do us apart (well, unless you choose to poison your other half prematurely :P) .
Well, let's hope my sis will overcome her jitters and find happiness as she embark on the adventure of her lifetime!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Healthy Bacon Cheeseburger: An Update


How this unhealthy meal is made healthier:
95% lean ground beef
Center cut bacon
Lettuce, red onion, tomatoes
1 slice swiss cheese
Baked fries
I must admit I didn't bother with the low calories buns though.

The Verdict: Hubs says it is good! =)

*Bleah!*

I passed my driving today but FAILED the maneuver bit! *Sobs* Felt like such an idiot weaving in and out of the cones many times and still not getting it right. I really gotta practise with the right equipment (sticks and cones) to get the landmarks proper! Gonna retake the maneuver test next week. Wish me luck. Again. *Sigh*
Anyhoo, am hoping some Cirque Du Soleil action this afternoon will cheer me up! I really need that.

Friday, April 09, 2010

His Majesty Requests.

I asked hubs if there's any food he would like me to cook and he sent me this:

"I want to eat.
1. Chee Cheong Fun
2. Roti Prata.
3. Healthy Cheeseburger and Bacon
4. Nice Caesar Salad.
5. Tacos and Enchiladas."


They all seem pretty achievable EXCEPT for the "Healthy" in the cheeseburger and bacon bit. Are cheeseburgers and bacon ever healthy?! Anyway, did a google search and it seems that there are healthier alternatives. I might just give this particular recipe a try - it claims to reduce 40% of the calories in their ultra-lean cheeseburger. Not sure how closely I can stick to the recipe but I will try. For hub's sake. =)

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

True love is...


I love seeing how these two have bonded so well. It is true when they say there are no barriers to love. Not nationality (Singaporean vs American). Not breed. Not age (she being old enough to be his mum!). And definitely not looks (he is after all missing one ear :P). Just pure, unconditional love. And I would also like to believe that it is highly contagious. May we all be plagued by eternal love. =)

Our "Mexican" dinner


Lesson learnt: Do not ever leave roasted veggies in the oven to keep warm unless you want them shrivelled like this! *My poor asparagus!*

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Freebies in my mailbox...Yay!


Cheap thrill, I know. But who doesn't like free stuff? =)
Looking forward to more in weeks to come. Heh.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Crappy, crappy day

Yesterday was such a horrible day. Started out on the wrong foot with our encounter with a stoopid traffic police. We had overlooked and parked right next to a fire hydrant. I had come out of the car first and was gathering the books and DVDs to return to the library when the police officer asked me if I could see what was in front of me. When I realised our mistake I asked hubs to back up and thanked him for pointing it out to us. That was when he accused me of seeing it but not doing anything about it. The truth was I really didn't see it and that totally pissed me off. Which idiot would park next to a fire hydrant knowingly with a traffic police standing right in front of them?!! Anyway, so that kinda ruined the morning for me. The good thing was he did not issue us a ticket so I guess we should be thankful for that.
We then had lunch at Mama Santa's Restaurant and Pizzeria at Little Italy which is supposed to serve the best pizza around here. This was what we had.


Can't say it is the best pizza we have tasted but it was still pretty good.
That was uneventful and we headed home after.
Then came evening when I had to practise the maneuvering for my driving test. Hubs had insisted that I bring the test forward to next Sat which kinda freaked me out. I am not someone who can maneuver very well which explains why my parking still sucks to this day and I haven't really had a chance to practise at all! And it didn't help that I was rolling over the cones many times yesterday! So the session ended with me and hubs arguing and me in tears. Boo.
I am going to give it one more go today. If I am still not confident, I will postpone the test. Wish me luck!
Let's hope today would be a better day.

Friday, April 02, 2010

Has technology robbed us of our humanity?

I miss the days when we used to do snail mails. The excitement of finding that a letter has arrived for you in the mailbox. The perfume scented envelope. The hand printed address. And the letters itself of course - pages of composition filled with gossip or simply reportings of day to day stuff from one excited friend to another. An occasional doodle. A random sticker. It was all so fun and so personalized then. But all that has changed with technology. All these can now happen with simply a click of a mouse- thanks to the invention of email, facebook, friendster, twitter and whatnot. You would think that this should allow us to connect better but instead we have created a certain level of superficiality in the way we communicate. Type. Click. Send. Do people even give a thought to what they write anymore?
On my birthday, I received a collective message from a bunch of friends I care about with just two words "Happy Birthday!". That was it. Can the world get any lazier than that? It is just too sad. But there is no turning back now, is there?

Meet My Neighbour



It (or he or she) is always there by the window when I am by mine sipping my morning tea. Now if only it could start scribbling messages like in this video. We could be best friends! Meow.

Thursday, April 01, 2010

What will you do when you only got 100 years to live?



I am a year older today. Once you pass thirty, it's funny how all the numbers become a blur (thirty what??). So here I am in my "prime" age sitting at home thinking of all the fun things I could do while my peers are working their asses off. I guess it's not such a bad thing, is it? We really do not have much time in this lifetime. Perhaps if we are lucky, we might get to live to a hundred years. But then again, it is ONLY a hundred years. Have you gotten what you want out of life? Well, I haven't but I'm going to make sure I do. =)