On this day - 26 Jan 2011 & CNY prep

Then ---> In 2011 : I could find the time to bake. These bottles (plus another half bottle not shown in this picture) took me one full day of work. Working from 9am to 2.30pm. Picked che-che. 2nd shift - from 4.30pm to 5.30pm.

Then, I had KZ working for me. If I'm not wrong, I tasked her to help me pick lil' one up from kindy so I didn't have to leave house halfway. I didn't have to cook or do any housework which takes up alot of my time now. 

Che-che used to like this. But she doesn't seem to like it the last 5 years or so. I didn't bake for this year's CNY. My family don't really eat alot of CNY goodies, we often end up discarding them & have rotten oranges (even when we hardly buy a box, we only have like 6-8 oranges for standby at home) after 6-7 days.  

CNY PREPARATION

Anyway, as the year progresses, CNY is more like a day for my girls to do their school/ tuition homeworks. This year feels "lighter" though (last year was hell with both PSLE and O'level kid), one Sec 1 blur sotong still discovering the new subjects while I look from afar, and the highly neglected older kid since I can't do any academic stuffs with her.    

CNY plants

I didn't bother to buy any new plants since I kill them faster than them sprouting new babies.

CNY spring-cleaning

As with previous years, I don't specifically spring-clean my house just for CNY coz I clean my house all the time. However, this is like the only time hubby would help to bring down the heavy curtains to be cleaned. 

CNY goodies

Just buy! There's no need to save $$ on fried crab sticks this year. I told her I wasn't going to waste my time doing this. The girls dropped by Kim Choo on their own, she bought 2 big bottles of keropok which she finished even before lil' doggie wriggles its way out for Miss Piggy, filial her bought 1 bottle of chiku and 虾米 fried mini springroll for me. I've always liked Julie's chocolate rolls, still thinking if I should get a small tin for myself.   

Mini makeover

Che-che asked for a new colour for her room. And the smartest thing this lazy mother did was to taichi the job back to her. We went Ikea on a school day and she chose her new study table, chair and side table from Ikea. Went back home, she fixed everything herself. Not bad for a 16 yr-old
Painting : Even though I claimed that I wasn't going to help her with anything, I ended up helping her paint the corners, all she needed to do was to roll the paint over the walls. Sounds easy right? But I must admit it's no easy task. Painting nails and brushing eggwash on pineapple tarts are so much easier. The end result is a room half-heartedly painted BUT she likes it this way, says it creates some artistic look. I was further reassured what she meant by artistic when I realized we have missed out painting one whitened wall.  Haha! This is my girl. My 16 yr-old girl. Honestly, I think she did a good job coz other kids at this time would choose not to laze around, she chose to do a mini-makeover to her room. 
Mom did ask me why the rush to paint the room. That's because we needed to drill 2 sticks onto the wall to hold the racks and I told her we need to paint the walls first before it's up not after. 
This new room will be ready for her new milestone - her tertiary education life.