Wordless Wednesday 004

~ Wordless Wednesday ~

 

Posted in Drooling & Cooking | 20 Comments

The box which is the idiot

And these are the programs that I definitely have to watch each week. Other times when I mysteriously find my hand holding the TV remote, I would surf around for other  interesting programs to watch. Often I find myself lingering too long on the Asian Food Channel and realize that I had suddenly become hungry. It was through this surfing exercise that I discovered that the BBCE channel had been removed from my Astro subscription early this month. Upon closer investigation, I found out that BBCE, along with Discovery Home & Health and Discovery Real Time, among others, are in a separate mini package called the Metro Plus package. In due course, the channels under the Metro Plus package will be removed from the subscription of those who do not subscribe to them. These channels started off as free viewing channels though. SIGH…does this mean I’ll have to upgrade my package now? I love watching DH&H and would hate to have that one less channel to surf to.

So… do you think I have a TV addiction problem? My hubby thinks I do. Heh. I am trying to cut down on the amount of time I spend in front of the telly though. By doing what? Oh… cleaning, ironing, laundry, scrapbooking, blogging… hehe. It’s getting harder and harder to keep myself from watching some programs I tell ya. What with American Idol starting soon, and the second part of Heroes Season 2 too!

Hmmm…maybe one of my New Year resolutions ought to be spending less time watching TV huh?

Posted in Close to Heart & Home | 20 Comments

yawnin’ snoozin’ dreamin’

Wake up with a yawn and stretch, then drag drag drag weary self to the bathroom. At work walk around like a zombie and attend to tasks in a grouchy manner. Sound familiar? Yes, this is what sleep deprivation can do to us, and sadly it affects a lot of people nowadays. The root cause of this lack of sleep ranges from a stress-induced life to staying up to watch football, and yes, as most first-time parents would attest to, sleep deprivation is part and parcel of parenthood too.

For me, a relaxing massage and aromatherapy works wonders to guarantee a good night’s sleep, but if you still need insomnia help even after my suggestions and even after trying the conventional milk and cookies trick, then it might be a good time to check out http://www.sleep-deprivation-cd.com/. This CD plays relaxing tones for an hour to soothe and calm you so that you drift into dreamland effortlessly. Hmmm… it has to be good because even writing about this CD and sleep and dreaming makes me wanna go to bed already. Y-A-W-N

Posted in Rainmakers | 1 Comment

Giddy cauldron broils over

So yum. So tantalizing. So seriously non-halal. So giddy. So tau-ewe-bak (soy sauce with pork), with some fat in all the right places. So watercress soup and so nai pai chye (that’s what I know it is called). That was our lunch at home on a fine Saturday afternoon.

One of my New Year resolutions to cook more often certainly has got off to a grand start. Makes it easier when I can afford to work from home Fridays. This way, I get to do some quick marketing at the nearby mini market on Friday morning and then prepare the stuff to cook a day before Saturday. And it looks like this system is working out pretty well.

Having a homecooked meal allows us time for a lazy afternoon siesta too. But last Saturday, I had nothing of that sort. While the two boys, with their tummies satisfied and full, slept soundly, John Grisham’s The Innocent Man kept me hanging on to every word. Finished reading the spectacular book and will be embarking on another novel soon, either Picoult or Kinsella. Flip coin?

***

Oh yeah, so this brings me to the New Year Resolution tag from Wen. Yes, I do make New Year resolutions, but I’m afraid I tend to fall into the *flippant* category. But I am determined to carry them through this year… see, I am already on the right track 🙂 I sincerely hope I can keep this up… it’s only January!

*Start Copy Here*

When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions we seem to fall into four categories: 1) quite serious about them, 2) be flippant about them, 3) do it because we feel pressured to, or 4) do not do them.

So, the purpose of this little game is to let us know which category you are in. Copy from “*Start Copy Here*” through “*End Copy Here*” and post it. Before “*End Copy Here*” tell us who you are, your site(s) (with link) and your New Year’s Resolution, or not.

Then tag as many others as you like, from one to your entire blogroll, your choice.

If you like, create an intro paragraph to your post that also acknowledges who tagged you.

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS:

Juliana – Juliana’s Site – My New Year’s resolutions are looking for a part time job, keep blogging, and learn to cook and bake.

Michelle – Rusin Roundup – 1. Learn to be happier and accept myself for who I am, 2. Is to lose about 25 lbs., and 3. Is to stop smoking.

Karen – Grow Rich Along With Me – My resolution for next year is to achieve $3K per month passive income by the end of 2008.

Mel – Attitude, the Ultimate Power & Complain Complain Complain – “I don’t need no stinking resolutions.” I never hold to them anyway so why frustrate myself by starting them now.

Sandee – Comedy Plus – I don’t need no stinking resolutions either. Years and years ago I did them because everyone else did, but not once did I follow through. Why set yourself up for failure?

Lynda – lynda’s loft – My resolution is to see resolve to that which needs resolution. Like Mel and Sandee, I feel that resolutions give us more stress, however, being a person who sets goals each year, isn’t that the same thing as a resolution??? Goals vs. resolutions? Goals are more general and allow for more time to complete them, a resolution requires a mind-set and immediate action, which is not always feasible… Well, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it…

Amelia – Amel’s Realm – This is a list of my New Year’s Resolution:
1. Health: Continue exercising twice a week, eat enough veggies and fruit, have enough rest, take vitamin C regularly and women’s multivitamin during my period.
2. Spiritual: Improve my Daily Bread reading routine and my prayer life and learn more from God’s Word.
3. Financial: Continue to make money online (my goal is getting €100 per month at least), be more creative in writing posts, and save most of the money.
4. General Life: Continue to learn Finnish AND practice it as best and often as I can, try out more baking and cooking recipes, continue to maintain and share positive thoughts, continue to learn to control my thoughts, continue to learn to catch myself before I start complaining and count my blessings instead, continue to stop and cherish all the little moments in life that oftentimes go unnoticed, and continue to feed my inner child and last but not least, continue to ENJOY my life thoroughly.

Trinity – Rooms of My Heart : My New Year’s resolutions in simple and fast way will be blog less and spend more time with my children and read more good books. I want to start studying about global warming and blog it…

Max – MAX – My New Year’s resolutions are to dedicate more time to my friends; to finally be able to read “Der Spiegel” in German; to be calm when organizing my marriage; to go one last time to my favourite club and dance the night away; and continue to be happy!

Eric – Speedcat Hollydale – I love chicken. Problem is that I really never get to have enough chicken! My New Year’s resolution is to enact “Chicken Tuesday”. On this day I will eat only chicken, blog about chicken, and promote chickens all over the world. (hormone free) Join me, won’t you?

Marzie – Mariuca & Mariuca’s Perfume Gallery – My resolution for 2008 is to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and to expand my Perfume Collection.

Sindi- Life Is A Roller Coaster – My resolution is to complain less, pray more and be a little more thankful for what I have.

Judy – Sugar Queen’s Dream – My New Year’s resolution is:
To take better care of my health.
To eat better, well at least 3 meals a day, I’m lucky these days if I stop for one meal a day….
To help make the world a better place to live, I love the human race, but think there’s always room for change.
To be generous until it hurts.
To live each day as if it’s my last.
To make a book of our personal family recipes and traditions for each of my 3 my children, so that the traditions and family cooking can be passed on in my family line long after I’m gone and finally…….
To help more with the local Human society, Animals like little kids can not fend for themselves so it’s up to each of us to take care of our pets and to step in and care for all animals…..
I hope that through me I can encourage my Children to be better adults and in turn to raise the Children they have or will have, to be good people with good, sound & solid values…. Peace!

Adrian – First Time Dad – My New Year’s Resolution for 2008 is to be a better father…now I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions because I never keep them but this one I better keep! Happy New Year to one and all!

Colin – Life – New Years Resolution? No way…Better to achieve more throughout the year rather than pander to the whims of a one day ‘wishful thought’

Mauro – 1 Million Love Messages – My resolution for next year are: 1. Change my job (maybe work online). I’m really unhappy in the actual one. 2. Dedicate more time to my family and girlfriend… maybe start to get ready for our wedding 🙂 3. Work hard in 1 Million Love Messages and reach 2500 Love messages (or more) in the end of 2008.

MidgetManOfSteel – Mental Poo – To get out of dealing with people who I have no desire in helping at the job I’m doing…catch the eye of someone who can see that I can write and be funny…and get my own ticket to happiness from my humor….and a Ferrari. While I’m doing this, I resolve to get a Ferrari.

Stacy – My Thoughts – My New Year’s Resolution for 2008 – Is to be more understanding to my children and to other people, Not to curse at others while I am driving, try to eat right and exercise, try to volunteer in my community, and to believe more in my spiritual side.

Jason – DatCurious.com & DatMoney.com – Although, I normally don’t do New Year’s Resolutions (because I find it as an excuse to actually do something I should’ve already been doing), this year I will plan on giving back to the blogging community, especially my audience. I’m not sure how I will do it yet, but I definitely will.

Kesa – Little Aussie Cynic – My New Years Resolution is the standard….. to finally get off the smokes and to loose 8kg…. both which are possible just difficult…..Happy New Year to you and yours….Aussie

Ann – A Nice Place in the Sun – “To let the rest of my life begin as soon as possible.”

Wen – Little Paces – I want to sleep early to reduce my haggard and tired complexion. To blog better than last year and hopefully can save money from paid post so that we can immigrate to Australia. To spend more time with my children. To be able to bake.

Giddy Tiger – Giddy Tigers – I resolve to fulfill my resolutions to cook more often, to reignite my reading hobby and to spend more time with my loved ones and with God.

*End Copy Here*

Happy New Year to all the following taggees! 🙂

Rinnah
Paris
LB
Chen

Posted in Close to Heart & Home, Drooling & Cooking, Memes & Tags | 16 Comments

Stumped by the cube…not!

Do y’all remember the Rubik’s cube? Sometime in secondary school, one of my classmates introduced me to the solution to the cube. Yup, *the* formula that will enable me to solve all six sides of cube. Of course, I eagerly learnt the formula and was quite the pro at it. But that was aeons ago, and I have since forgotten all about that. Up till recently, that is.

We succumbed to temptation and bought a Rubik’s cube from Toys ‘R’ Us. Hubbs helped to refreshed my memory on the solution of this popular puzzle and I am now pleased that I am again able solve it in no time at all. Wheee!!!!!

While most people would be contented with the traditional 3×3 Rubik’s cube, alas we were not.  Well, the curious side of me sure wasn’t.  The cube proved no longer challenging especially for my hubby. In an attempt to bend his brain a little more (and also to make him eat humble pie, hehehe), I bought him a 4×4 Rubik’s cube, hoping that he would be stumped for a solution. He started cracking on it December 30, admitting that it was indeed a challenging puzzle indeed.  That certainly deterred him not.  By referring to the internet for some pointers and guidelines, by New Year’s eve, he managed to solve it in less than half an hour! I was shocked.  And he…visibly accomplished. 😛

Me? I’m not there yet… the most I can do is one single side so far. But you know, that is NOT the first step of the solution…

So what do you think?  Should I get him the 5×5 cube next?

Posted in Relax & Celebrate | 10 Comments