Post Crossing

While having a cup of hot Milo the other day,

I was browsing through my Facebook updates and saw that one of the Home Schooling mamas I know through one of the Homeschool Network Groups have an album on Post Crossing.

This is something new to me...

Interesting too...

Sending and receiving Post Cards like how I used to write letters and on post cards too to pen pals I once had during my younger years.

Chago may be too young to understand this now but I am hoping that by the time he learns to appreciate any of this, we'll have a lot of postcards on the wall scattered and threaded onto countries on a huge World Atlas!

Today, most people communicate by email, social networks and the whole letter writing and postcard thing isn't appreciated much anymore.
I however, actually still do prefer printing my photographs on paper,

Sending Greeting Cards physically than virtually,

Send little silly notes in envelopes to some of my customers sometimes.

All these things adds personal touches to what the other end is receiving...

This is also the reason why I prefer DIY handmade gifts rather than to buy them off stores.

The effort and time put in to do something worth more than just putting money over counters.

ANYWAYS....

Chago and I signed up for Post Crossing and we've sent out 4 postcards to Finland, Russia, Taiwan and Netherlands.

We're excited to get a postcard back!

We got news that one of our postcards have made it's way to Finland! Hooray!

Here's the Postcards that we have sent out.

Photos taken by me, printed them out and turned them into postcards.

Enjoy!

Picture of a Temple near Jalan Sultan, nearby Jalan Petaling in Kuala Lumpur for Brigette Van Der Heyde of The Netherlands

Malaysian Bear Uniting for Peace for Dorofeeva Ola of Russia

A typical rainy day of our local Kampung Air in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah for Piitu L of Finland

A picture I took at Lokawi Zoo of an Orang Utan mum smelling her young for Shiu-Wen of Taiwan

Hope to get ours soon!

Playful Reusable Snack Bags

 I started making these for Chago because I just hated dragging around a big bag to fit in all his snacks etc!

But then after that I couldn't stop. 

I took out more scraps and started putting the pieces together. 

I placed Bananas in them, a small box of raisins too.

I also poured some cereal in one and a piece of toasted bread with honey spread on it.
Yummy breakfast on the go!

And when we got to the coffee shop to have our breakfast,
I simply asked for an empty bowl and a teaspoon (I should have brought my own spoon).
I brought a small chilled box of Fresh milk with me and fixed his breakfast in a flash!
Win-Win situation.
He eats and I get to do so in peace!

Here are the other snack bags with other playful prints I've made :)
You can get them over at my Facebook Page HERE for RM10 each.
Or go ahead and make one yourself!

Till I sew next!

More Than Anything!

I have been subscribing to a few Great, Interesting Parenting sites/blogs

and one of them made me jump this morning!

Mummy's Review made me jump when I read an email on a sponsored 

Montessori Teacher Training Program by Karen Tyler!

This is something I have been talking over and over again with hubby Miguel!

That I just needed this sort of course

Ever Since Miguel had started working,

I have been spending more time with Chago

and have been neglecting my sewing as I have promised myself to committing to home schooling

the Montessori way.

And if you have been following me here and on Facebook

You already know that I have been talking about this sort of parenting style for months now.

Even my Pinterest  has lots of links and ideas based on The Montessori Method.

Chago learning to spread honey and cream cheese onto his bread.

He is also learning to set his table.

I went all the way to buying books, pdf files and scouting for toys

including disposing off toys that didn't give much learning satisfaction to Chago.

I invested in more books for him as he loves reading so much!

And now even thinking about turning

my sewing room into Chago's Learn and Play room. 

It would be great to have an experienced teacher who have had many many years of experience 

to coach me on applying Montessori at home.

I would have to admit that, home schooling scares me a little...

Scares me not because I think it will not work out

Scares me because I am a little afraid that I might not know enough to home school.

I would like, therefore, to have that opportunity to enrol into this course.

To boost my confidence.

To gain better knowledge with an experienced mentor.

And the most important reason of all is,

To give to Chago what he deserves.

The Love, Respect, Knowledge, Confidence and Education 

that I once wished I had as a very "curious" toddler.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

Let it be Us!

Welcoming the year of the Dragon 2012!

The Water Dragon, That is!

We managed to steal this show while we were out and about in town.

Chago got to get up close and personal with these yellow Lions

The loud drumming were irritating both our ears but the performance was excellent!

The other kids decided to join in and touch those funny looking noses haha!

Oh ho! look who is coming?!!

The Dragon himself!

Miguel never fails to get excited over this bit 

Simply because of the stunts and the playfulness of these lions

Loving the festive season always!

Happy Chinese New Year!!

Gong XI Fatt Choi!

Reversible Kung Fu jacket!

This was made especially for Chago as his Chinese New Year Suit

I have searched the net for any free or paid patterns for little men's Kungfu Tops but gahhhh!

Every link either leads me to a grown up women's Cheong Sam

or Very Girlie Qing Paos!

So I got out one of Chago's Traced Shirt Patterns and did some modifications and Tada!!!

He is now a proud owner of a reversible Kunfu Suit!

This is so cool!

Yes, Yes I know,

Self Praise is no praise at all but I am real proud of myself!

Look at the Chinese Button look on the front,

well, they are actually snaps. 

I used an old Bra Strap to link the two snap buttons to give it that Kungfu look.

He's such a poser!

Look at him strip it!

Here's him with the guitar print facing out.

Miguel says he looks just perfect for a Beatles Concert now!

"I'm Sexy and I know it"

hahaha

Okay, enough with the stripping :)

Till I sew Next

Cluck, Cluck Here & A Cluck, Cluck There!

We took a trip down to Labuan Island to surprise my Grandma who had turned 70 last Tuesday..

Well, It WAS supposed to be a surprise

She found out about our trip down the morning we arrived :s

We spend most of our days there wandering around with Chago.

We learnt that my uncle, who lived 2 houses down from my grandma's

apparently, is "breeding" Chickens!

Well, their Nanny, Amy, is actually rearing these chickens.

The Chicken would only listen to her which is really fun to see.

So, Chago and I were excited that we dragged Miguel over to see the chickens.

Amy said they ran out of corn so she got some stale bread out to feed the hen.

Chago was so intrigued by the Chicken,

He started imitating how the chicken was eating the bread off the floor!!!

Too Cute!

He got to pat the hen

He got to chase after it

Even scare it a little

Feed it

And watch what it was doing

He was even clucking to call the chicken over to eat.

He yelled,

"Come!!! Cluck Cluck Cluck!! EAAAAATTTTT!"

No Joke! He really said that hahaha!

What would be so rewarding for this little curious being??

What about a splash in an old aluminium wash basin!

We even made our way to the park for some "Play Ball" time.

Look at him run!

What does a mother like me do when she sees her boys running about giggling all the way?

There's nothing much to do except join in on the fun and giggle away too!

DIY Cardboard Play Fort with tunnels!

While we were out and about and waiting for my dad, I told Miguel to take a drive around the corner to see if there was any Hardware store open during this festive season.

I was looking for unsanded tile grout to start my chalkboard project.

I didn't manage to get it BUT

I managed to get some used boxes from a Moving Company who were in the midst of packing someone's goods up to be relocated.

Brought three boxes (2 tall ones and a shorter one) and got the blueprints in my head.

Got home and started assembling them!

Chago, as always, wants to help.

So he helped me sweep a little on the insides of the box. He did an excellent job!

And even inspected the boxes for me before I actually started assembling them.

He said it looks Great!

Put them together and made sure the the tapes were on right otherwise he would just end up loosening the joints up.

Holes looks right too.

Aha! Who have we got there with you Chago?

Where is he???

WHERE??

Still haven't spotted him?

We moved the fort into the house so he could play with everyone and anyone who came for a visit.

His aunt helped by adding some rafia string curtains on the inside :)

I got the older "kids" interested as well :D