The Fireworks display was nice. More than I expected for a regional festival. We enjoyed it very much, especially our little girl. It was her first time seeing fireworks in the sky.

We also looked around the fair. There were several food stalls and some fun rides. Lots of people especially kids and teenagers.

Tomorrow will be the first local Community Markets and Dorothy the Dinosaur will be singing and meeting her fans. Hope our girl can get a photo with her if the crowd is not too big.

Several years ago I had to rely on the internet to get the best flight deals as there were no budget airlines in the market here at the time. I had to pick the best ticket price by comparing different airlines from any online real time ticket reservation. It wasn’t a hassle though.

But now that there are a few budget airlines offering cheap flights every now and then, that is where I would look first. Usually we have to be alert to catch their special deals through email newsletters, radio and TV as they tend to sell out quickly.

Body image seems to play a vital role in the media especially when promoted heavily by fashion magazines and Hollywood. Like it or not, some of us are easily influenced by what we see on glossy magazines. Unfortunately some people tend to resort to extreme dieting with the use of weight loss pills such as eca stack in the hope of achieving those super lean bodies on magazine covers.

I guess most photos of models on print could have been airbrushed to look perfect ie less or no frown lines, flat stomachs, blemish free face, slimmer thighs and waistlines, etc? Maybe. Oh my, don’t I sound resentful

I’m gonna be busy for a few weeks. Need to update a whole lot of old digital artwork. Unfortunately I will not have much time to visit other blogs often (not that I had the priviledge to visit many anyway).

Other than meeting the $ write up deadlines on my two blogs, I will not be able to do much else, not even my latest felt mascot obsession given my real free hours is only after the little girl goes to bed anytime between 8pm - 8.30pm. Or whenever hubby is looking after/playing with the little girl (he is home only after 6.30pm).

The last time I have been in a swimming pool was several years ago in the apartment block where we lived. I have not tried the public pools here eventhough there is one within walking distance from our home. Will get around it someday when we enrol our girl for swimming lessons once her skin is more tolerant to chlorinated water. We will need to look into getting some cute pool floats for her then.

Meanwhile, don’t I wish this is me in the picture lying on the float with my butler hubby pushing it around the pool. How blissful will that be? *dreams* Well of course minus those model like bodies! Actually I remembered now, we did swim in the pool of sea water at Manly Beach. I wouldn’t swim in there again, it was a bit scary with those algae growing in the pool. I don’t know what made me do it but I did. Well, it’s just one of those things you do when you were younger and carefree.

Not much interesting activities to write about lately. Mostly because of my obsession with my new craft. I spend at least 4-5 hours on it daily (after my little girl goes to bed at night and sometimes when she naps during the day).

The stocktake sale is coming to an end. I think we’ve taken advantage of the sale though we didn’t buy that much this year which is good!

School holidays starts 5 July (see here for calendar of Australian school terms) - everywhere will be crowded then.

It’s sunny weather again after a long streak of rainy spell since the beginning of winter. We’re entering into mid winter soon (July).

Most of us tend to be ignorant about many medical conditions until unfortunately we know of someone who actually suffers from it. For example, I was not aware that there are disposable diapers for adults until I knew someone who had to wear them due to her medical condition. It must have been difficult for her especially during secondary school years where she had to refrain from participating in any sporting activities. Thank goodness, she has been cured of the condition after successful surgeries upon completing secondary school.

Here is my first attempt at making felt mascots - bunnies.

The Felt Mascot pattern book I ordered will take 2-3 weeks to arrive from Japan.  Being the impatient me, I couldn’t wait for the book to get started, so I simply cut out some patterns of my own.  I made an even smaller bunny not pictured above, measuring a mere 3 inches tall.  The smaller it is, the cuter it gets but it also means all the more difficult to cut out the felt.

The Japanese are really awesome in coming out with amazing crafts!  Before this, I was also into Japanese Paperclay Figurines but that was tough work.  You know how much time it takes to sculp something out of clay especially miniature sculptures but the end result was so darn cute!  That required a lot of time and effort.  With clay, you just have to finish making the whole figurine then and there before it hardens.  Then you need to paint and spray it with a clear lacquer.  I bought several books on this from KL Isetan’s Kinokuniya bookstore.  My two other close friends were also nuts about this back then and they were the ones who got me hooked. 

Making felt mascot is definitely nothing as taxing as paperclay figurines and the best part is I can stop and resume making a doll at anytime. I wonder how long my passion for this craft will last *LOL*

My two year old absolutely loves books just like any other kids do. Most times we find ourselves having to buy separate books on specific subjects such as colors, numbers, shapes, etc. I would like a book that combines all that into one which is exactly what Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten has to offer.

Let’s Get Ready for Kindergaten is made of glossy, wipe clean and not easy to tear material which is great! I don’t have to worry about my kid ripping off the pages or smearing food crumbs onto it.

What I like best is the subject it covers ie from the basic lesson of learning the alphabets, shapes, colors, saying each word to numbers and counting. It is everything I would need in a book to teach my two year old at this stage. No longer do I have to refer to separate books for each individual topic.

As a follow up to the book when my girl gets older, Let’s Get Ready For First Grade takes a step further by teaching about vowels, consonants, pronunciation, punctuation and singular/plural just to name a few. It also covers some basic mathematics, science and how to tell the time. Have a look at the sample pages here.

Thanks to Cedar Valley Publishing for these award winning books which every parent should have. It is also nice to note that 10% of profits from the sale of these books is donated to literacy programs and charitable organizations.

Took up yet another hobby. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk, when will I know how to relax? I am currently a little obsessed with making felt dolls. Even ordered a Japanese Felt Mascot book via eBay (shipped from Japan) so it will take several weeks to arrive. Already made 3 lil bunnies of my own because I can’t wait for the book to arrive. So I made my own pattern, haha!

Hubby was very kind to drive me to the craft store and dollar shops to get my crafting needs. It has been years since I did needlework. My nights are now spent on handsewing dolls besides meeting the occasional $ blogging deadlines.

I have always loved kids apparels with catchy, witty or funny words. My favourite t-shirt for my little girl was one that read “Daddy’s Girl” because she has really got her daddy wrapped around her little finger. Unfortunately she has since outgrown that t-shirt which was a gift from a friend in the USA when my girl was a newborn. In the past year and a bit, I had been looking high and low in Australia for another good quality t-shirt that has the same words printed on it but to no avail.

Imagine my delight (and hubby’s too) when I finally found some “Daddy’s Girl” cool t-shirts at Huddy Buddy! The one I got is simple, cute and the quality is excellent, made from 100% soft top cotton material – perfect for my daughter’s sensitive skin. Here is a photo of my little girl in the adorable and comfy “Daddy’s Girl” t-shirt from HuddyBuddy …. awww don’t you wish to get one for your little girl too? It will melt Daddy’s heart for sure!

If you are looking for a “Daddy’s Girl t-shirt” for your own little girl or as gifts, you won’t be disappointed buying it from www.huddybuddy.com! They also have a wide range of other cool tshirts with cute and witty sayings. There is always something for the big brother or big sister like hip tshirts, sibling tees and for twins too. They make the best and cutest gifts! Just look at some of the photos here (see more at HuddyBuddy.com):

Not forgetting the little bubbas, you can also get cool onesies or hip onesies – perfect gifts for the newborn. Don’t we all love to see little bubs wear something with cute words on them? It is a must see website and remember to bookmark it.

Note: A percentage of every sale is donated to the Huddy Buddy Fund supporting The Hospital for Sick Children.

Credit: Cute t-shirt images Copyright © huddybuddy.com - see more cute designs at HuddyBuddy!

Hubs was raving about this Thai Sweet Potato Curry with steamed white rice he’s been pigging out on at lunch time in the CBD. Yesterday he was very sweet to buy a takeaway for me so that I could try it too.

At only AU$4, it is considered extremely cheap especially from a food court located in the heart of the city! I mean, these days it is almost impossible to get a meal for less than AU$6.50 … meals are usually around AU$7-AU$9 per plate / bowl of anything! Anyway I tried the sweet potato curry … it’s not really something I fancy. It’s interesting that sweet potatos are used. A nice change from the usual potatos.

Hubs said he will buy me PadThai takeaway today (also at only AU$4) … I can’t wait!  Thank you *drools*

I have not got a chance to play tennis with my dear hubby for years. More so now that no one could help us look after our two year old while we play. I guess we will have to wait until she is old enough to learn tennis from her daddy. Can’t wait for that day to come.

Meanwhile, hubby and I enjoy following the prestigious Wimbledon tennis tournament on TV. It would be great and a dream come true if we could afford Wimbledon tennis tickets to watch it live at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Imagine being able to see the world’s top seeds, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in real and among a crowd as enthusiastic about the Wimbledon championship as much as we do. The cheering, the atmosphere and watching it happen every second is something to cherish. It would actually be a lifetime experience for us. I know my dear hubby would be over the moon if we do get to go as he is a keen tennis player.

But alas reality bites. We will most likely have to settle watching our favourite player, Roger Federer in front of our television. Nevertheless it will be an exciting game whenever there is Federer and Nadal.

It is interesting to note that Sydney made it into the world’s 10th best city. More details here here. However a survey by a different company ranked Melbourne ahead of Sydney. So which one is correct? You be the judge.

What didn’t surprise me is that Sydney did not make the top ten safest city in the world.

To me, the best city is where your heart and family is, no matter which part of the world. I am sure those of you who live far away from loved ones, would agree.

I am pretty sure by now, most bloggers would have already heard of SocialSpark. Just in case you haven’t, SocialSpark is a Social Marketing Network connecting advertisers and bloggers via an online advertising marketplace.

The unique thing about SocialSpark is that bloggers get to create their own profiles and promote themselves to advertisers for a chance to write sponsored blog posts or get their blogs sponsored on a daily basis. At the same time, bloggers may also discover new friends and blogs through the social network.

Here is an example of my own profile, Mommibee. Naturally I am picking my own profile to be linked here so that hopefully I could get more exposure for my own blog.

The only thing about SocialSpark is that for people like me who hardly log on to my account there, will not get too many chances of securing a sponsored post. I reckon this is more for people who enjoy and could afford to spend time in social networking and on the computer of course. It could be fun if you are into it.

I am not really into social networking due to time constraint. The old system still suits me better although it has been ages since I took up anything from the old system. However, I’d say give SocialSpark a try, you might like it.