September Highlights

It is the second week of the school holidays and also the last day of September. Looking back I've only written 4 posts this month which is much less than I would like. 

I am hoping that I will be able to write more in the coming month of October. So for the time being, let me take you back to the posts that I've written in September.

1. The Day I Left My Shopping at the Supermarket : if you left your shopping at the supermarket, do you feel embarrassed to ask for it back?

2. My Playgroup Adventures : why I kept going from one playgroup to another

3.  Pastel Coloured Sweetness : a song with a message

4. Be Original : I may not watch tv shows anymore...but not in the very near future :)

Enjoy your last day of September and watch out for more posts to come!

Be Original

I like watching tv shows.

I also like watching movies.

I love music.

As a mean of escapism, these 3 elements have been a big influence in my life so far.

I grew up watching many memorable tv shows, great movies and just superb music.

But of late, I sort of realised that a lot of the tv shows are not as good as it used to be.

I'm not sure if it is because I have grown a lot older and has a little bit of OCD when it comes to the stuff that I would watch on tv. Or maybe the genres have evolved so much and I am clinging oh so dearly to the tv shows of years gone by.

Maybe both?

Movies are the biggest offender in my opinion.

Do we lack imaginative, passionate script writers to churn out original stories to be made into movies?

Time and time again the movie production companies have come up with movies that are based on story books and comic books.

And then you have all the sequel, prequel and all the in betweens movies that supposedly should have occurred.

Sure, it brings big bucks to the companies.

Fans of the story books and comic books sure are happy that their favourite characters are being brought to life.

I don't know how much longer I can watch these type of movies.

I confess.. I am guilty too.. I am a fan of the Twilight series.

But it stops there.

Period.

So maybe in the not so near future, I'll stop watching movies altogether.

I can't say the same about tv shows though.

Or maybe if I get annoyed enough I will just do that.

Or maybe I'll just turn the tv off.

Or maybe I'll make my own movie.

The only original movie script that I can think of while ranting now is Sharknado.

Do you have a favourite movie that is not based on any living or fictional book characters?

x

Pastel Coloured Sweetness : All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor

I enjoy listening to feel good music and when I find one, I will share it with others.

So today I am going to share with you about my fondness to Meghan Trainor's song All About That Bass.

It has good, positive lyrics.

In a world where body image is a big issue, I think this song has done a good job at telling people that  it doesn't matter how you look like, because every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top. 

Enjoy the song!

x

My Playgroup Adventures

Playgroup is a place to meet up other parents and their kids so both parents and their kids could enjoy the company of others.

A place to socialise and mingle, playgroups should be all fun and jolly.

Having taken my child to oh so many playgroups over the years, I have seen quite a number of very distinct pattern of interactions in the playgroups.

By interactions, I don't mean among the kids.

The kids interacts just like kids do so no issue there.

But I do see how parents mingle with each other, and how they handle their kids.

Playgroups in general can either have a paid or volunteer leader, or be parent-led.

A playgroup leader plans and runs the sessions. 

I have met volunteer playgroup leader before but the reason why they volunteer is because the sessions takes place at a hall that belongs to a church. So apart from running the sessions, the leader was responsible in making sure church properties are being well looked after.

As for paid playgroup leaders, they can either be paid by the council and the sessions are usually held at council owned properties, or they are paid using the playgroup term fees. 

I was a member to a playgroup that charged $50/term for a once a week session or $45/term for a twice weekly sessions. The fee also covers usage of the hall where the sessions were held.

Paid playgroup leaders by the council are subject to the availability of special grant or funding. They are usually with the playgroup for a limited time, about two to three terms until the group can be parent-led, or until the grant runs out. Or both.

Parent-led playgroups are most commonly found. Parents take turn to come early to set up the place for the sessions. Parents are assigned tasks such as clearing up toys for fruit time, clean up after that, cutting of fruits, washing dishes, setting up toys and packing them up before end of sessions. 

With parent-led groups and playgroups with volunteer leaders, gold coin donations for each sessions is an acceptable requirement. 

For all playgroups, a piece of fruit from each participating families is a general rule so that the fruit can be shared during fruit time.

The thing I like about going to playgroups is that my child could see and mingle with other kids. 

Apart from that the eating together during fruit time is a good practice for my child in preparation for kinder. Sharing toys and taking turns are great too.

But sometimes I do have some uneasiness with certain type of people in some playgroups.

I have been to many playgroups over the years and I've met pleasant people and also the not so pleasant people.

Top of my list of the not so pleasant people that I've met is the parents who are cliquey. 

I think I understand their 'need' to be cliquey (because of their race or where they come from), but please don't ignore other parents who are there as well. 

Our kids play together and yet there you are standing with your gang, looking intimidating to people like me!

Yes, they do look intimidating enough that I sort of learnt to ignore them as well.

I don't want to do that,really. But what do you do when you meet people who just don't want to at least smile or say hi to you. 

You either gang up with other ignored parents, or you move  on to different playgroups.

Now you know why I attended many playgroups over the years?

Sometimes I do think it was me. Maybe I wasn't social or friendly enough. But I do talk to other parents and share stories as well. 

Well apparently I'm not the only one feeling like that. Usually I would turn to online forums and read what other parents say about the playgroups available at their area.

Plenty of nasty things too!

Oh well, it was like high school all over again. You get by. No biggie :)

Sometimes I get to meet parents who just don't want to help out in running of the playgroup sessions. 

This usually applies to parents who have cliques. It is pointless asking them over and over again to help out because they will always have excuses.

There are also parents who comes to playgroups and leave their kids running around unsupervised, and relying on the playgroup leader to sort of become the childcare worker for their kids. 

Again this usually applies to parents with cliques.

There was once when I changed playgroup just because the other kids were boys. 

Yes, there were only 2 little girls in the group of 20 kids. The group was very good and pleasant. 

But my child was constantly aggravated by the other boys who plays like boys do; rough and loud.

Plus the pushing and pulling. Err, I thought to myself maybe we could do better in a different playgroup.

Which we did.

Above all the unpleasantness that I've mentioned, participating in a playgroup is a very good experience for the child and the adult.

You'll meet people who irks you.

You'll meet people who delights you.

You'll meet people who are just wonderful.

I'm currently not doing the playgroup rounds, but I'll be very happy to give it another go once the opportunity arises in the future.

x

The Day I left My Shopping at the Supermarket

Do you have days when it is imperative for you to go out to the supermarket with kids in tow?

You're out of milk or bread.

Kids are home with you and there is no way tomorrow's breakfast and lunchbox are going to be filled if you don't go out NOW to get the ingredients WITH kids tagging along.

So I had one of that kind of day recently and never thought that I would ever leave behind my shopping. Not with just 4 types of items.

Off I went to the supermarket.

It was sunny. Beautiful afternoon. 

My kids were on their best behaviour.

We were in the supermarket.

I got the food items.

Then decided to walk down another aisle because there were a couple of trolleys blocking our way to the check-out counters.

The aisle happened to be the medicine/toiletries aisle.

I saw something on sale at the bottom most shelf.

Dettol Touch of Foam Lavender hand wash was on 30% off.

Knowing that it is the favourite in the house, so I grabbed 2 bottles.

Then we walked to the check-out counter.

Usually I would use the self-serve check-out, because I don't have to chat to another human being and my kids like to help scan the items in the shopping basket.

This time however I decided to use the manned counter because I wanted to use my $20 gift card that I could not use to pay for things online,and there are very few places that I would normally go to that accepts that particular gift card.

The lady at the check-out counter was courteous, scanned all my shopping and proceeded with my gift card transaction.

Did it once. It was rejected.

Did it a second time. Successful. She had to key in something though.

Got my shopping bags and off we went home. 

When we got home and as I was unpacking the bags, I realised that something was missing.

Yes, upon checking the receipt the 2 bottles of hand wash were missing.

I have never left any of my shopping anywhere for as long as I could remember.

The next day I plan to see if I could get the 2 bottles of hand wash back.

I wasn't sure if I could get them back, but I wanted to give it a try.

So after the kinder drop-off and despite all the suggestions that people working in the supermarket could treat me harshly, I went to the supermarket and once there I asked a lady staff about my shopping from previous day.

And she said she was the one who put those items away earlier in the morning and told me I could take them back.

Wow, I never thought I could get my shopping back, and I was treated nicely. 

All I had to do was to sign in a log book of items-customers-left-behind-in-the-supermarket.

Happy to get back my items, I am also amazed that a big supermarket chain do keep track of things that could have been left behind by customers.

Moral of the story :

STICK TO ROUTINE

It is okay to leave behind your shopping bags regardless of whether you could claim it back or not.

Just don't leave your kids behind.

That could get you in trouble with the authorities  :-)

x

August Highlights and Welcoming Spring

September is here and it is officially the first day of spring, although I've seen flowers starting to bloom since a couple of weeks back.

A mild winter with many days of above average temperatures, winter, you will truly be missed by me.

A change of season is a welcomed relief, especially for yours truly who grew up in a place of eternal sunshine and sometimes freakish monsoon rain.

With the changing month and also the season, let me take you back to my blog posts in the month of August.

1. Experimental Kitchen - an introduction of one of my blog's feature column

2. Kuih Lapis - a must try delicacy!

3. Blog-Olan: The Name - another feature column, a write-up on my blogging journey

4. Soulful Melody presenting Tahu by Fynn Jamal

5. Understanding Your Refrigerator - how much do you know of this ubiquitous electrical appliance?

6. Blog-Olan: Why Blog - find out my reasons to blog

7. Comfort Food: Egg Roll Biscuits - has a nostalgic appeal to me

8. Father's Day Inspiration - sharing what I've seen of things that can (or you would never EVER) be given to that special father figure in your life

Before I end this post, just to let you know that my tulips are going to bloom soon. Yippeyyy!!! Gardening feature post on this coming soon!

 Both were planted on the same day with two different varieties but one is growing faster than the other

x