Plant Therapy

I haven't had the time to update of this product but it is something that you SHOULD really try. Plant Therapy and Bleu Therapeutique essential oils.

It really is affordable, (I usually buy 4-5 different types monthly). So you don't really need to worry about it being too expensive on your pockets.

I loved essential oils even before it was in 'trend'. I was quite skeptical about it being able to provide positive effects on our 'health'.  But then my dear friend told me that her son's hand was ever caught in between a door of some sort. His hand became swollen, badly swollen. Since she was residing in another country and her husband was out at work, she applied lavender essential oil over the affected area, and it subsided. Just like that.

I was intrigued. Then I stumbled upon a lady on facebook who sells plant therapy and bleu therapeutique essential oils. I decided to try a few.

My children were constantly unwell. Being in a childcare (air conditioned at that) they are easily exposed to other children's germs which is quite normal. But I was worried as it became quite frequent at one point of time. If it wasn't fever, it was a terrible cough, runny nose, etc.

I applied bleu therapeutique's cough blend along with plant therapy's sniffle stopper on my children's chest, back and soles of feet, then I would put socks on their little feet before bedtime.

The results were amazing. Say goodbye to nasty medicines (which my son literally hate, 90% of those medicines will end up on my face after he spits them at me).

Then I kept coming back for more. When my children were down with fever, I would diffuse plant therapy's germ destroyer in their rooms and apply it topically along with a carrier oil on their spine, joints on their arms and legs before bed time. It really reduces the fever down.

Then there came  problem of having my kids to sleep. That was when I tried plant therpay's nighty night and sweet dreams. I applied it topically along witha carrier oil on the back of their necks or chests. I applied it once on the back of my neck. I woke up at 6.50am when I was supposed to start working at 7am.

Give it a try. It is worth it.

Cleanliness

Everyone has preferences. I do not know if this is a preference, an obsession or I am just being anal.

But I have cleaning standards. 

It sounds stupid. But it is horrfyingly true. 

I count the number of things I have on the kitchen top and consistently ensure that the these numbers do not increase. 

I have a rice cooker, electrice water kettle, air fryer, reena's milk powder container, irman's milk powder container and the rice dispenser. That is it. I get annoyed if there are more things there. 

All the clothes are folded in the same length and width. 

I hate mess. I will ensure that the house will be presentably clean before I leave the house for work. And I will expect it to remain that way when we arrive back from work. 

This pushed me to wake up earlier in the morning just so I can fold the clothes (if I couldn't finish folding them at night). I hate the sight of unfolded laundry on my couch. 

We have not purchased a study desk, yet. 

And my husband's laptop and other work or his silly online game related items are ALWAYS on the dining table. He will get agitated when I shift his things. He set a rule that no one can touch his things on the table. Because they are important and "where they should be". 

I get irritated with the sight of things on that table. Clutter is not my forte. 

Because of my weird nature, most would not believe that I am a teacher. A preschool teacher at that. 

My class is neat. I arrange things specifically for easy retrieval so that no mess will be made. 

The children had rules to follow in class. Which helped them with their self-help skills. They know that they need to clean up after they made a mess or else it will affect their free play time. Free play occurs AFTER curriculum hours.

I read an article of a beautifully well planned and designed house. Believe it or not but the house owner spent only $4000 on the house to get that quirky look.

I am not a fan of  the industrial theme for a house, because I mentioned this before, I have no idea how to mix and match things around the house. Such as matching mismatched furntiure and still make the house look good. I suck.

But this single mother is seriously doing it right.

But we do HAVE one thing in common. Our non clutter policy. And the very fact that clutter attracts lizards and roaches. And that was the reason why I became a minimalist fan.

Feeling pathetic.

I have tried. Many times. And failed every single time I try.

Loneliness surrounds me. I thought I had it all. I thougt this is the way I should live my life. Having friends around me, having a good career, a wonderful family with no problems whatsoever. I thought this is the kind of blessing that everyone gets.

And I realised much later that He can take everything away from me in the blink of an eye.

He showed me who my true friends are. Unexpectedly very few. And those whom I hardly have a chance to talk to.

He showed me the true colours of someone whom I treasure dearly.

He showed me that every single thing can crumble right before my very eyes.

I watch and fall into complete darkness. Pretending to be alright. Pretending to be happy. While sadness overpower every happy feeling I have.

It is in these tough times, that made me realise that I only have Him. That nothing matters really. Everything I have is but a loan from Him. He can give me happiness. And He can take it away.

Allah is the one who hears my cries. It is invisible to most. I prayed and cried daily begging Him for more strength to go through this.

The suffering continues. And I have no one to talk to about it.

Our journey

It was not easy. Nor was it impossible (but there were countless number of breakdowns). You just need to get yourself up and waltz through difficult times, Insya-Allah, you will pull through.

Despite having savings for the house renovation, the price of the appliances and furniture were overwhelming.

We started out humbly. I remembered my children having to sleep on sleeping bags because there was practically nothing in the house.

I recalled eating whatever we could find in the fridge to 'cook' using the air fryer and rice cooker.

Purchasing things slowly by the end of the month, a few items at a time, to avoid using any form of loan has been a practice for us.

It was tough. Extremely tough. But we made a promise to not use any form of loan to get these things. And we held on to that promise.

In addition to the accumulating number of money spent, Eid is around the corner.

This time, no new bags or shoes for me or Idros. We only bought the traditional family colour themed outfit for the kids and ourselves. We prioritised the kids' items. We got them new shoes and additional outfits for visiting. Eid is definitly not about purchasing expensive things. Many misconceptions arises whenever we talk about Eid. The main reason why new outfits are purchased (especially for growing children as they can't fit into their old ones) is because of visiting purposes. I rarely purchase new clothes for them. I can't get them to wear their PJs for visiting.

We only bought 5 different types of Raya cookies and that was it. The tupperware container for these cookies was purchased as a gift from Idros' aunt.

The furnishings for the house is a never-ending episode on its own. That is why we do not have the capacity to splurge on unimportant stuff.

We recently bought the kids' 3 in 1 bed, a single bed with a pull-out trundle and mattres underneath it for $700+.

Our box divan base for our queen sized mattress (our old mattress) $200+.

The living room curtains and blinds for the rooms and service yard, $1000+.

                Same coloured blinds in all the rooms.

Partially see-through (so it will not be too warm in the kitchen) blinds for the service yard. 

      And the living room curtains. Total black out
                       curtains and day curtains.

And other furnishings like carpet, coffee table cum magazine rack, bookshelves and kids armchair.

Nothing comes in cheap.

But these are far more important than getting ourselves luxurious shoes or bags.

We need the blinds so that we can change in the comfort of our own rooms (we have been changing in the bathrooms) and some privacy of course.

We need the bed to put our mattress on and the kids need to be sleep trained independently, asap.

The one good thing is, by the end of the day, you feel accomplished. Seeing how much you have sacrificed for the children. I kept looking at them sleeping in their beds with a huge sense of satisfaction. They finally get to sleep on their own bed.

I am pleased with the blinds and curtains done up by Sun Classic Decor.

Prioritise your needs and wants to avoid over-spending on luxurious unncessary items.

Many more things to go, taken with one baby step at a time.

Punggol Topaz Update 1

I have been staying over at my humble abode for these past few days. Mainly because, most of our belongings are already there. I have been the one packing and unpacking all the clothes by myself. On cue, "all by myself... song playing at the background"

 The much "bigger" items will have to wait.

We didn't engage movers, and we do not have boxes. So what I did, was to put all our personal belongings in luggage bags. Which calls for numerous trips.

Good thing is, we already have a place to store all our belongings. We paid for built-in wardrobes for all the rooms so we do not need to source out for much after we move in. Also because we can immediately start unpacking once the renovation has died down. I would highly recommend built-in wardrobes for BTO flats because :

1. Built-in  wardrobes make use of every space possible, so the wardrobe can go up to the ceiling, more storage space for us!

2. You do not need to take measurements of the designated space in your room and go through so much trouble in finding a wardrobe that complements the measurement taken. (Leave it to the professionals. Seriously)

3. You can choose or customise the type of laminates and colours to suit your house decor.

Now, the unpacking part takes time and patience. I was never fond of folding clothes. I find it very hassling. But I need to ensure that the clothes will not fall off the wardrobe (and I will have to re-do everything all over again). Therefore I am adopting the appropriate practice of folding ALL the clothes evenly. I used this technique :

I chose a small booklet as my guiding object to fold all the clothes evenly. Which takes time. But the outcome is worth it.

Pretty neat eh?

Speaking of neat, I purchased a few space saving equipment.

A magnetic cloud shaped key holder from qoo10!! At $6.90 only! I love its minimalist look.

I also bought a toothpaste dispenser which comes with a free toothpaste holder from qoo10. Watch how it works through this video

This for only $7.90!

A nice place to store your toothbrushes! I do not like putting toothbrushes in a cup in the bathroom. From my experience, water will tend to fill in over time; in the cup and mosquitoes will breed.

I purchased quite a NUMBER of things from Daiso as well. It saves cost and if you choose the right one, it will blend with your home interior.

The circular hand towel holder is from Daiso.

2 for $2 towel holder from Daiso. I bought the microfibre hand towel from a local hardware shop at my parents' place. $1.80 each.

After the house renovation, your house will smell like an industrial accident. Up to the point that it stings your eyes. Especially the kitchen cabinets and wardrobes. Owen suggested using charcoals. I bought bamboo charcoals from daiso. 8 for $2. And it works like a charm. They eliminated the smell of the "new cabinet smell".

Next up, from Daiso, I purchased 2 children's bowl and 2 children sized wooden spoons, butter and jam spreader, tray, spatula and ladle.

           

                      Pink-themed colour for this.

                               Adorable and cheap.


Home's Harmony was having a sale at Novena Square, right next to my workplace. They have the coolest things on sale, I swear.

                      $12.90 for the laundry holder.
                        Available in a few colours.

                      2 for $3 from Home's Harmony


IF* my husband is WILLING* to travel to Novena over the weekend, I would like to get the side tables for my room. It will act as bedside tables. (*This usually means the odd are forever not in my favour.)

I do not really fancy plants in the house. Be it fake or real. But the fake miniature plant my aunt got for me is gorgeous. It adds that nice homey feel to the kitchen.

  As you can tell by now, I have a fetish in using only 1 brand for specific things. I am using dettol hand soap and dettol washing-up liquid.

       Silkpro shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

            Sebamed bubble bath and shampoo.

My parents purchased a new air conditioner             for their room. And they were given a free vacuum cleaner with it. And they gave me that vacuum cleaner. Yey!

               Sale at Novena Square again. $30 for this comforter set.

And a waterproof mattress cover for my queen sized mattress from qoo10.

An agent from Hyla came and gave me a free mattress cleaning demonstration. She was nice and I agree it is a good product. But $4000 for a vacuum cleaner? My pay does not it even reach up to that amount yet. (Sad but true. Life of a preschool teacher). She also gave me a free water filter for my kitchen faucet. The water here in topaz tastes like it has been tempered with chemical. Therefore, the NEED to have a water filter is a MUST especially when you use water on a daily basis to make children's milk. But it doesn't have to be expensive. 

Yes. It is ugly. But I have no choice. It is either an ugly water filter or disugusting tasting water. Take a pick.

The first night that we were supposed to spend in Topaz, we had an event to go to the day after. Therefore, the need to purchase an ironing board arises. Electrolux iron was purchased by me during the expo sale.

 

                    Filling up the fridge slowly.

BTO renovation Punggol Topaz Part 2

I have been cleaning the house today. 

We sent my children to my in-laws who kindly looked after them while I single-handedly cleaned the house (Idros left for work). 

I started with the masterbedroom first. Then did the toilets followed by the rest of the house. 

By the time I reached the living room, Owen's guests came to view my house (Owen's workmanship).

They were a nice young couple who kept complimenting my kicthen and (unknown to me) they told Owen that they liked my toilet tiles. 

I told Owen that in a few months time, when our fianances have stabilised, I am changing the bathroom doors to frosted glass door and the toilet tiles. It took me a long time to clean the toilet. The dark grey tiles make it harder for you to tell if it is dirt or just the colour of the tiles.

The bathroom doors that HDB provides are made out of wood. What happens when wood is constantly exposed to water? They sprout beautiful mushrooms. Taken from STOMP:

This will happen to my door soon. Before THAT happens, I am changing the door. 

I would love to get the 'wooden effect tiles' for my bathroom tiles. I-Bridge design's, (the interior desigining Company I have engaged) 2nd floor ladies bathroom has the exact tiles that I would love to have. Owen told me it is costly. So that calls for a few more months of saving. But it is gorgeous. 

Now, updates for the renovation. Basically almost everything is ready. Just the masterbedroom wallpaper installation as the feature wall. And the pendant lights for my dining room. Owen needs us to get the dining table. We will be heading to expo and find a suitable one. 

Amin, Idros' friend, came over to assist us. He was a great help. After I have cleaned the house, Amin came over with Idros and both of them unpacked all the major appliances and even placed them nicely to where they belong. 

The fridge is too... big? For my small kitchen. But I love it nonetheless.

            My small kitchen. Owen said this is the first time he tried totally black for a backsplash. But he and I both loved the result. 

 I used serai wangi, a cool Malaysian product to wash the floors with. It gives off a lemongrass smell and it eliminates insects due to the smell that it emits. I used dettol to clean my bathroom. 

 My maternal grandmother got me this rice cooker.

 Reena on the sofa bed that just arrived. My parents got me this. This sofa bed is supposed to be in the study room. But for the time being, (until we find a sofa that fits out budget nicely) we will use this one in the living room. 

 Reena watching the television which has been mounted up by Amin and Idros. Yeah!

 Up close and personal.

 Microwave that is beautiful but... small? Or is the opening too big? Oh well. 

 Fridge from another angle. 

IFan has already arrived. It suits our interior very niecly that we are planning to get another one for the dining room. 

 Supposed to be a full height and length shower screen. But I cut down my cost by opting for the half shower screen panel. Easier to clean too.

 Waterfall faucet.

 $8 towel rack and holder (shipping fee not included) from Taobao. I went to a bathroom fitting shop and they sell the towel racks at $71 each. 

The compartment-hidden mirror for the common bathroom and master bathroom. I do not need a vanity table in my room. Just dump everything in here :) 

Still bare. But feels much more like home now :)