We celebrated this last month

(Back back back ..... dated post)

Pai seh, I missed this out last month. I'm a pure Hokkien therefore on the eve of the 8th day of CNY, we will celebrate 'Pai Tien Kong'. It is the biggest event and a very important celebration for us during CNY. No doubt hubby is not a Hokkien but we do celebrate this special day each year at my mum house. We just pray for a better year for us each time.

This year was rather special as my brother has invited 2 lions dance to perform on that night, right after prayer ceremony. We were so excited waiting for that as all of us are lion dance's fans. Both my girls like to watch lion dance even though both of them feel frightened of it. They watched with both hand closing their ears.

Shannen & Audrey playing the firecrackers happily. 2 full tables of foods for prayer. All prepared by mum except the 'roasted pig'.

Before the dance started, my girls were brave enough to stand beside the lion head for photo.

The whole dance show took more than 30 minutes. Excellent dance!

After the prayer, as usual we will gather to enjoy the fresh roasted pig.... it's really yummy, the meat still warm and juicy! We reached home around 2am and both the girls already slept soundly inside the car. They were too tired. This was how we celebrated our/Hokkien new year 2010.

Meeting Up With Old Friends

We had a very tight schedule during CNY festive as we wish to catch up with our old friends that we hardly see even though we are staying in the same town, city, state and country. So we fully utilized this holidays to meet them up, all of us were so exhausted especially my 2 little kids.

Sometimes, they got to sacrifice their afternoon nap to just a few minutes short nap inside the car. Really pity them as we tend to come back home late too.

How time flies! We still looks the same beside some minor wrinkles you could spot from our face (at least for myself la... ). But our kids have grown up a lot and you could see the differences from below photo.

From left : Audrey, Wei Qi & Li Qi (Photo taken in 2007)

Do you think they have changed a lot?

Our group's next generation getting bigger ......

Decors for CNY & Valentine's

Since the first day of CNY was also Valentine's Day, I have made this simple yet very lovely Valentine's deco at home. My gals like it so much. I got the idea from here.

And this is how my home CNY corner looks like.

"Jin Yuan Pao" bowl bought from morning market, cost me RM3.50 only.

Ang Pow lantern, my first and only hand craft for CNY.

Last but not least, I have these 2 beautiful models to pose for photo session.

*Happy Happy CNY, Happy Happy You & I*

Reunion Meals For CNY

Have you ever face difficulty or headache when making decision on having reunion meals with your family or your hubby's family? I'm lucky as the reunion meal of my family side is all the while being arranged in lunch and my in law always in dinner. Not sure whether this was planned by my mum long long time ago, ever since she realized that she has 4 daughters that when all get married, we will need to go back to in law house for reunion dinner. Well plan, mum. Otherwise we will not having any chance to sit together for such important meal every year.

So, for many many years (past and for future), we will gather at mum house for reunion lunch follow by giving away ang pow from my parents to us, then from elder siblings to younger siblings (ya, we practise this even all of us already married. I'm the second younger sibling in the family, lucky ler, still able to get ang pow every year), then it's our turn to present any pow to our nieces and nephews.

The situation can be quite mess up and you will see all the any pow flying here and there, from one corner to another, shouting here and there looking for owner of the misplace ang pow..... ha ha, this is our CNY but it's full of fun.

Guess your CNY reunion meals also as greats as ours. Enjoy this precious moment with your loved one and family members.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Sin Nian Kuai Le

Sheng Ti Jian Kang

*Happy Chinese New Year*

Cute & Special Ang Pow

Received these cute and special ang pow packets from my colleague (bought from Taiwan). Ai yo so nice, how to give away to kids as most of them will not keep the ang pow after taking out the money. Are you willing to spend on those ang pow packet or just use free ang pow from bank?

First time seeing any pow in cutie bag design.

Open up the bag cover to insert your money.

Another creative ang pow design. All with Disney's characters.

How I wish I could receive such a nice and beautiful ang pow from elderly when I was young ...... :P

2 more weeks!

We went to The Curve & Ikea last weekend. Quite crowded, in fact every where is crowded now as most of us were having the same purpose of being there. Yeah, CNY shopping!

No doubt I told you that we are done with CNY clothes but ‘we’ referring to only the 3 ladies at home. Yes, the only man of us still yet to get his CNY clothes, at least not up to the quantity that we all have....he he. I think all the men are like that, stingy to spend money for their garment. Unlike us (women), spending like no body business especially taking this big festival as an excuses to help to boost up the economics growth index. Luckily he never stops me from buying things either for myself or his 'little gals', :P. But I got to control, control & control myself as I tend to be over excited for coming CNY which could give my pocket a big hole later on.

I already bought 3 pairs of new shoes but this has not stopped me from entering shoes shop .... calm down! calm down!

2 more weeks, 2 more weeks to wish everyone “Gong Xi Fa Cai”….. crazy me!

Another Month To Go.....

Today is the 1st day of the last month in Ox year, meaning to say we have exactly another month to go before Chinese New Year.

Both my gals already started to create the CNY atmosphere at home by watching CNY song DVD. They got so excited about it and requested me to play the DVD / CD for them almost every night. They love watching it so much especially Audrey who likes to sing and dance. They even watch the same DVD at baby sitter house everyday without fail.

Although only one month left, I'm still yet to start my "to-do list" which are quite long. Hai.... from cleaning, cookie baking, housekeeping (to throw old and unwanted stuff), shopping for CNY, perm my hair (yet to decide), etc. Not sure I will be able to complete all tasks within these 4 weekends. However, the only thing I'm done for CNY was the new clothes for all of us. He he..... all the new clothes already washed, iron and hang inside the cupboard.

How's your preparation for coming CNY?

Tuan Yuan Fan

For the past 30 over years, (wah... sounds so old liaw), my family used to have lunch at home as our "tuan yuan fan". Even after we get married, our tuan yuan fan time and venue will be the same without changes except for adding more and more copstick.

This year, my mum has requested to have our tuan yuan fan at the restaurant instead of home cooking. Poor mum, she pays for the bill yet need to get our premission first. Perhaps she felt very tired to handle lunch for more and more headcounts. Of course we fully support her as we have more time to gather for chit chating without any kiosk running here and there to prepare food and arrange utensils.

So finally we went to a restaurant called "Cha Wong Zi Ka" (can be translated into The Tea King's House) which recommended by our "shek ka", my brother. The restaurant is located at a double story shop lot and we were placed at their second floor open area. Basically that floor is meant for us as no other customer occupying on that day.

I would said the dishes served that day was fantastic as their cooking method is different from normal restaurant. And this is the first time I tried "geoduck". I find it so so and nothing to shout about.

See the no of children in our family could fill up a round table soon.