This Mama is back!

Been missing in action as we were away. Subsequently had to have a vacation after the vacation to recover from it all! Lots to update as well but I left my camera cable behind in Ipoh so there won't be pictures until later. Anyway, it's good to be back!

Travelling with a one and a half year old toddler is quite challenging versus when Baby O was just a baby! Although it was only a 4-hour long flight (thank God!), it felt as though it was three times that!

On the way there, we were on a 777 Boeing. The flight attendant was extremely kind to get another passenger to exchange seats with us so we could have a row of 4 seats all to ourselves. The weather was probably not great as the seat belt sign was kept on the whole time and we were advised to keep ourselves strapped most of the time to our dismay. I really wanted to tell the nice flight attendant, who managed to keep her smile on for us each time she passes to remind us to keep Baby O's seat belt on, that it is impossible to keep a one and a half year old strapped! We thought an option to stop Baby O from fussing was to carry her and walk her up and down the aisles but our hands were tied. I have never paid so much attention to the seat belt sign before in all my previous flights!

Baby O was given a little book which helped to keep her occupied for a little while. The on-flight entertainment also managed to distract her a while more before she finally retire for a short nap. Unfortunately, we were on a full 737 on the way back with only one short aisle to traverse made even shorter by the long queue of passengers waiting for one of the two toilets.

Anyhow, we somehow survived and this is a little reminder for future travels:
1. If given a choice, fly around nap or sleep times to minimise upset to child's routine.
2. Bring lots of healthy snacks and activities (eg. crayons, activity books) to keep child occupied before the fuss begins. I will rather over- than under-pack for this one.
3. During take off and landing, allow child to drink (eg. water/ juice/ milk) from a bottle or with a straw, or snack on something chewy (eg. raisins) to reduce discomfort of increased cabin pressure.
4. Don't expect to be able to rest on the flight so have enough rests before!
5. Choose a window seat which allows some form of distraction.
6. Check-in online if option is available.
7. Bring a lightweight and compact stroller that is also easy to carry around at the airport, through customs, on and off public transportation....
8. If flight is not full, try asking for a free row of seat for a more comfortable flight.

Quote of the Day

"Some women are lucky. They gave birth to babies. I gave birth to teenagers."
- Erma Bombeck (American newspaper column humorist and author)

Gustav Klimt's Mother and Child

Are You Ready For Toddlerhood?

Read this article in a baby magazine some time back before Baby O was even one! Managed to find this piece and thought I would share it with you. Baby O is now 17 months old and I see some signs of what's to come!

Shopping with toddlers
Go to your local supermarket with a goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goat out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.

Getting used to messes
Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains. Hide a fish finger behind the stereo and leave it there all summer. Stick your fingers in the flower beds, then rub them on the clean walls. Cover up the stains with crayons.

Getting used to messes in cars
Buy a chocolate ice cream bar and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a coin. Stick it in the CD player. Take a family-size bag of chocolate biscuits. Mash them down the back seats.

Getting ready to go out
Wait outside the toilet for half an hour. Go out the front door. Come in again. Go out. Com back in. Go out again. Walk down the front path. Walk back up it again. Walk down it again. Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes. Stop to inspect minutely every cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.  Retrace your steps. Scream that you've had as much as you can stand until all of the neighbours come out and stare at you. Give up and go back in the house. You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Getting ready for arts and crafts
Take an egg box. Using a pair of scissors and a can of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube. Using only sellotape and a piece of toil, turn it into a Christmas tree. Lastly, take a milk container, a ping-pong ball and an empty box of cereal and make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Taken directly from the Pampers Village Magazine UK (Month 8)

This Mama ♥ Mila's Daydreams!

 

Stumbled upon this site one of those days. Adele Enersen is a genius! She comes out with these daydream scenarios while her baby naps and captures these precious little moments in such an original and creative way! Some might think of her work as bizarre but I think they are so sweet! If I am baby Mila, I would love a little daydream book featuring myself too! View more pictures here.

And we're on!

http://discoveringpenang.blogspot.com/

Rachel Allen’s Lemon Cupcakes

Found out that it was a friend’s birthday yesterday. That meant opportunity to bake! What was next on the list? Rachel Allen’s Lemon Cupcakes of course! Inspired after watching her programme on AFC. Since the Madeira Marbled Cake was a success, the Lemon Cupcake should be good too!

The recipe I found online says this yields a dozen cupcakes. To my dismay, there was just enough batter for eight cupcakes! Even then, I had to scrape every single last bit out for that eight! So, instead of giving nine to our friend, I had to cut it down to just six and the balance two for ourselves.

The cupcakes were for a guy. I didn’t wanted to just present the cupcakes with just lemon buttercream spread on top as it may seem too feminine. So I incorporated a simple, fondant design and this was the result!
Wished the chocolate was of a darker shade but it was getting late...

Oh, and the Lemon Cupcakes tasted light and lemony but I would go for the Madeira Marbled Cake anytime! 

p.s. I also read a tip earlier - make a hole in the middle of the batter in the case to prevent cakes from cracking at the centre like mine here.

Chocolat Chaud

Dear hubby wanted to pay a visit to the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Gurney Hotel, Penang branch along Gurney Drive after dinner last night. Since it was late and I didn’t want to lay in bed with eyes wide open, I ordered a cup of Hot Double Chocolate (with marshmallows) instead. It has been ages since I last had a cuppa yummy hot chocolate (with marshmallows!). Ahh... divine.....

I think I realised last night that I actually love chocolate. Not just any chocolates, but good, dark, rich chocolate. That’s why I also went for the chocolate cake at the cake counter. Yikes! And earlier, I was looking at all these chocolate cake recipes online!! Hmm...

Anyway, I bought a 454g tin of CBTL’s Special Dutch Chocolate Powder since it is now on offer at RM36 instead of RM45. I can make quite a lot of cups with this tin vs having them in the shop!
And the best part of it:

Hmm... time for another cup??