Decorations
Surprisingly my Taobao delivery arrived a day earlier than my arrival. I deliberately delayed my ๅๅ
payment, hoping that by the time my parcel arrives will be few days later after we reach back home. Who was to know they were so prompt this time round ๐.
Didn’t order a lot as I wasn’t going to paste anything on the walls now. Pasted the PES sliding doors, dining area full length mirror.
At last minute, looking at the very plain house, went to buy 6 small pineapples to hang in the living and walkway area. Che-che complained “I turn on the light also cannot see, the pineapples blocking.” I get the hint, I will not hang these next year.
I couldn’t get leek to hang at home this year. NTUC sells them in a huge bunch of 8-10 stalks. I could use some for cooking but only 2 of us eats vegetables at home, or should I say 1.5 of us as I usually lose my appetite after slaving in the kitchen, I’m not a fan of leek anyway (no wonder I’m poor)
Then I came across this photo in FB dated 11th Feb 2021. At first was so proud of it until I realised the following year or maybe 2 years later that it should be hung inside the house. No wonder our money all flew away!!
* correction - 3yrs later. I blogged about CNY 2024
My red table cloth is in a box in the bomb shelter now but I can’t reach it. Che-che bought so much tidbits in Japan until the whole bomb shelter is messy again!! ๐ญ can cry. I was so happy in Nov that tidying the place was in progress. I probably finished everything before Dec (?). Hmm….why didn’t I blog about completion? After tidying I was able to step inside and turn around to reach for things. Damn jialat leh! Only one month plus and they mess it up again. I’m so so tired coz everyone else mess up and I’m the only person who keeps tidying. My work is endless!
Flowers
Most years I would drop by nursery at least a week or two earlier. I didn’t even go nursery this year. I can’t have too many plants coz I don’t have the space for them. My plants are too messy now, I’m hoping to find a one-time-job gardener to help me tidy up my messy plants for me. Oh heck! I didn’t even buy the lucky bamboo. No place to put it at home.
26th Jan 2017 - peach blossom. So pretty but extremely prone to aphids invasion.
I went online to search for preserved flowers but not any that I really love. There are CNY arrangements too but it’ll look odd on other days of the year. Undecided, impatient, stingy so went to order a small and not too expensive one first.
The only new flower arrangement I have is the small preserved flowers
CNY Makan goodies
To minimise wastage I choose not to buy anything except my Julie’s chocolate love letters. Not even a small container of makmur coz somehow we will never finish. Someone should do an assortment CNY cookies tray 4 to 5 pieces each will suffice, I won’t get tired of the taste.
Not even che-che’s favourite spicy shrimp roll or keropok from Kim Choo (which she eats on CNY and non-CNY days ๐คญ). Anyway..we have lots of snacks from Japan and ‘god knows if it’s expired snacks’ from US. We won’t have visitors this year, bro’s last visit to my house on ๅไบ was in 2021 (?), so it’s pointless to have snacks that will be eventually thrown away.
Can’t remember which day hubby came back with a box of oranges. Wah… I don’t understand why he bought. Why can’t he just use the 2 oranges that his office always give and recycle them?
This paper bag is from his office. I kept it aside for keepsake.
Who is going to eat this box of oranges? If only….if only we have ๅๆญๅฑฑใฟใใ I will eat and not exchange them away
TB to Dec. This pack of 6 ๅๆญๅฑฑใฟใใ costs ¥298 only. We should have bought more.
Yup! This is really nice
Forgot che-che started work and she could possibly return home with some ๆฉๅญ. She really came back with some oranges on the eve eve of CNY (27th). How come it’s odd number 5 ๐คญ?
So now we have a lot of oranges at home
Spring cleaning
I just went about with normal days work, but this time I had to double my speed as my home was left uncleaned / dusty since we left for our holiday. My ๅฆๅฆๆธฃๆธฃ cleaning (surface tops, toilet walls, walls, doors etc etc) are usually done on an alternate week rotational basis therefore I was cramping 2 weeks of work into 1!
I ranted and grouched about our spoilt laundry rack which couldn’t come any sooner. Made my laundry work all doubled. #%%*!! suay! I bring the dirty sweaters and thermal wear from the old year to the new year ๐คฃ.
Still have the yard louvre and scrubbing the PES yet to be done but I’m giving up now. Can’t be bothered already. Will just sweep up the damn leaves from the irritating trees in my PES and splash water to rinse PES can liao. As for the louvre I couldn’t clean it as I couldn’t clear my laundry fast enough to have the empty space. Also the climbing up and down the ladder just to hang the socks and undergarments made me so giddy, I can’t be climbing up and down cleaning the louvre windows. Sigh….. if only they allowed installation of sliding windows behind. Would have made my cleaning slightly easier.
New clothes ; new shoes
WTH lah! Totally forgot about it. On Sunday (26th Jan) after our ๆๆ we dropped by Orchard, came across Editors Market. I told the girls to see if they’d like to pick up new clothes. They went in, barely 3 mins later walked out saying it’s no use buying new clothes.
Precisely! We don’t even go anywhere during CNY. Buy also useless.
Prepping the red packets - 25th Jan (Sat)
No new notes as didn’t bother to queue at the banks or ATMs. I go to ATM which is not crowded. Hubby withdrew and gave me a stack of old notes. My girls asked if we can give e-angpow or not ๐. I think once the old old people die die, my grandchildren generation onwards will do e-angpow. Well… in the first place will they even ๆณจ้ๅๅๆฐๅนด?
I was sorting out the red packets and came across a stack of 7 angpows that I had prepared for YL and gang. It’s been that long since we met (since 2019) and exchanged angpows.
Year of the Rat (2020) angpows
After I took the pictures, I threw all the Year of the Rat angpows away ๐คฆ๐ป♀️. I should have kept them for keepsake. #anotherhoarder#
Frankly speaking I don’t have to prepare many angpows coz we only go to one house for visiting.
Number of angpows :
6 :- in-laws side
4 :- our girls
3 + 1 + 1 :- parents and Iggy, extra for Iggy’s BD, helper
Total : 15
I pack a few extras of just-in-case. So in total only less than 25 but we only give out a confirmed 15 angpows. Anything more should be for the restaurant staffs who do the lohei speech.
Personal
Took these out the night before (28th) ๐. Had to remind myself I had to do these. Most of the time always done on the eve night, cause that’s the time I usually finish whatever I needed to do in the house. Also, I can’t colour hair too early as my grey grow out fast. I can’t paint nails too early as colour will chip.
CNY Eve Eve Eve (26th Jan - Sun)
Paid respects to in-laws. I see lesser grandchildren paying respect, most times it’s my girls and J. Can’t remember how many times I’ve seen E and L.
Made me think, my girls also won’t bother with such thing but went coz we made them go. It will be harder when they get married next time lor!
CNY Eve (28th Jan - Tue)
Record breaking - I was able to colour my hair in the eve morning coz hubby offered to send and pick lil’ one to/from school. I stayed home to do housework and then coloured my hair. Now only leaving the nails. Maybe I’ll do that after all the laundry is done and leaves in PES swept up.
Finally painted nails at 9.51pm. Another record ๐ for doing this early
้คๅค (28th Jan - Tue)
Che-che worked from home, lil’ one half day in school.
Dinner at 5.30pm at Uncle Leong.
CNY ๅไธ (29th Jan - Wed)
First thing for the day, not an early one tho coz I woke up late, is to cook something with auspicious meaning for the family (with lots of restrictions)
Kueh lapis - as it is multi- layered it symbolizes longevity and is also often associated with promotion and prosperity
Tangyuan - Symbolizes family unity and togetherness.
I couldn’t find the small niangao. Initially wanted to make one but … usually only hubby and I will ๆๆๆๆ eat 2 pieces each. ็ฎไบๅง! Maybe I’ll use the desiccated coconut and make ondeh ondeh one day?
Just the ๆฑคๅ alone I need to serve 3 styles differently. Think by now you know lil’ one likes it plain so she gets the small cutesy ones. Che-che likes it dry with peanuts. Two old folks like it with ็ณๆฐด. I think I was still feeling not myself that when I drank the ginger sweet soup, it was so comforting to me.
In hubby’s and my bowl were 2 character tangyuan each I got last year from SMantou. Can’t believe time passed by so fast, I remember I was in Ngee Ann City to get the tangyuan ($38 for 10 pcs) and mantous. I still haven’t made any cute tangyuan
Girls pai nian with us at 12.51pm. Got pic but not posting coz all unglam in home clothes and a half naked man ๐คญ.
Went over to bro’s place to ๆๅนด instead of at mom’s coz she can’t cook now.
It was a pleasant surprise to meet E after 22yrs. Met baby ใซใค who didn’t like me ๐, every time I carry he wants to go back to his parents.
Lil’ one arrowed to do the louhei, daddy stepped in to help. And they both have angpow from bro ๐คฃ. Not fair! I helped to open up the containers and I didn’t get any angpow.
The grilled area. More food were placed after this pic was taken.
The steamboat area. Lil’ one asked “got my fishball?” ๐
My baby carrying ใซใค
So funny. $18 for dishing out the soup during reunion dinner. I have no idea which is the medium size coz she couldn’t remember who gave which angpow.
“for work done but didn’t do” ๐๐
I was told that in order to tease lil’ one with the huge angpow, bro woke up early and starting making the red packet.
CNY ๅไบ (30th Jan - Thu)
Lazy day at home. Never even bothered to visit my uncles and aunties, hubby sama sama with his side of the family. So it’s usual that we will rest at home on the second day.
Lunch - sukiyaki . Since jap style, need my togarashi? Took out the recently purchased
@ 1.22pm - halfway thru meal Miss Sunbird dropped by to eat the sweet snack and ่ทๆไปฌๆๅนด
@ 3.04pm - pot washed and night ingredients prepared. All the same thing anyway. The thing about having meals is that I’m always the one who is busy while the rests go to their rooms or sit outside watching TV/tablet/phone. Sigh….
Had some time in between to quickly cook my Peach gum dessert. Ms Thermie was working hard while I busy deleting unwanted holiday photos from my phone.
@ 6.40pm started preparing miso soup. Started our steamboat 20mins later, added tofu to the soup. Make me half identical to Jap miso soup. It’s really yummy. Miso paste is from SIN, once this is finished I can open my my red miso from NGO. All the Japanese style today. Maybe next time I can make my “not that spicy” Tom yum soup? I dunno how many litres I need to prepare tho ๐
The man didn’t like miso and he wanted to mix the liquid in canned abalone into the soup. Yeeks! So we 3 girls ate first until we’re done. He can throw whatever he wants into the soup himself. Was too late to bring down the double pot from bomb shelter when we told him we wanted to do miso soup instead of chicken stock.
Since it’s a working / schooling day the next day, everyone rested early for the night.
CNY ๅไธ (31st Jan - Fri)
@ 12.52am took pic of this. Two hamsters were cracking melon seeds few hours prior ๐. They take after their daddy who loves melon seeds as well.
CNY ๅไบ (2nd Feb - Sun)
Had CNY lunch with hubby’s side of family in the west. Only V couldn’t come as he has prior appointment.
Food is some cheena chinese and it’s not bad. Everytime the dish is placed on the table someone would attack the food so fast that I can hardly take any pictures. The skewered meat is nice! Che-che likes the salted egg prawn. Other than that I can’t remember what are the food they ordered.
A private room was booked and one can sing their heart out. The younger people did just that after the meal, I managed to find a few HSJ songs. Can’t find any ใชใซใ็ทๅญ. Strange.
Lohei #3
She can’t reach the yusheng. Haha!
CNY ๅๅไธ （8th Feb - Sat)
Dinner with my family at Peng Restaurant, an authentic 3rd generation Teochew restaurant situated in an unsuspecting estate in an teochew enclave area. I’m living near to where my parents lak-kok-jiok is ๐คฃ.
Lohei #4
My fav orh nee
Since it was Iggy’s BD, got him a cake and celebrated for him back in our home.
Carried the cake to the restaurant but were too full so adjourned to our home.
Although it’s still CNY, we had nothing to offer the family ๐คฃ. Let them try the peach gum dessert.
CNY ๅๅไบ （12th Feb - Wed)
ๅ
ๅฎต่ is said to be a Chinese Valentine’s Day. To me it’s the day where I can have my decorations up and I simply can’t wait to remove them the next day ๐.
But having said that, certain tradition that I only began doing for the last 3-4 years (I think) is to cook tangyuan on this last day of CNY.
This CNY hubby wanted his tangyuan with peanut soup. So today, I used up the last can for him. And I cooked mine without any ginger sweet soup coz no point lor! Make life easier for self after cooking the girls’ lunch for next day.
Also were left with 10 sesame glutinous riceballs and I didn’t buy the peanuts ones coz it’ll be too much and have leftover. So just cooked the small plain ones for the girls
First time getting this house brand and likes it. It comes with 2 individual packs inside, I didn’t have to deal with ice frozen leftover riceballs. Usually one pack can last me for 1.5 years and it gets hard frozen. I will continue to buy this brand next time. I finished up the remaining opened pack today so YAY! ๐
May our family have sweet blessings and love!
