taobao hauls, home edition part 3

I’ve waited for this for freaking long. It took the sea shipment and then it got delayed for another 10 days from the estimated delivery. I have to say this is super worth it! I LOVE MY LIVING ROOM NOW. We were on the hunt for a carpet to match our geometric wall and this. is. perfect! #dayrehomesJust the dish rack alone is not enough to air all the kitchenware so I got this one!Been a while since my last post. Workload has died down a bit, which is good because I finally have time to breathe!

This means going home slightly later or on time, which means I have time to cook and bake!

I’ve finally used my Kitchenaid! And I love love love it so much! The difference between my cakes before the kitchenaid came into our lives and now is so drastically different!

I’ll keep that for another post.

Gonna continue on my #taobao haul as promised!

I still have quite a lot of stuff coming from #ezbuy. Gosh they are soooo slow. But I guess I shouldn’t complain because it’s a trade off. Waiting time vs shipping fee.

Anyway. Here’s my #taobao haul, home edition part 3.

Dish rack

Just the dish rack alone is not enough to air all the kitchenware so I got this one!

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb8
💸: $3

Hanger Holder

I put this above my dryer!

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb2
💸: $2

Pants Hanger

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb6
💸: $4.80

Lock and Lock

My favourite buy of the day. I got it during one of their sales period so it was slightly cheaper than the normal price. So much cheaper compared to getting it locally?! 7 piece set leh!

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb5
💸: $23.70

Lock and Lock (interlock)

Also got it during the sale! 10 piece set, damn worth it!

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb4
💸: $20

Wooden Alphabets

For decoration purposes lol. I’m thinking of painting them but can’t decide on what colour yet!

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb1
💸: $0.20 (but there’s domestic shipping of $1!)

Pyjamas

Comes in various designs and colours! It’s really comfy 😀

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb7
💸: $20.70 for the couple set

Carpet

I’ve waited for this for freaking long. It took the sea shipment and then it got delayed for another 10 days from the estimated delivery. I have to say this is super worth it! I LOVE MY LIVING ROOM NOW. We were on the hunt for a carpet to match our geometric wall and this. is. perfect!

The seller has really pretty carpets! It was so difficult to narrow down to 1. I think I shortlisted 5 and then got the husband to choose.

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb18
💸: $82

 

homesick

After moving out for a month, I got homesick.

It started about a week ago. I was OTing at my vendor’s office and then my brother spammed the family group chat. I was wondering what was it and the moment I saw the messages, I wanted to cry. They celebrated my mum’s birthday a few days early (because she was gonna be out of town on the actual day) and 1. nobody informed me. 2. my brother’s girlfriend was sitting in my usual spot.

I was really upset and I went to the toilet and bawled my eyes out LOL. It was either the homesickness, or stress, or both.

My dad called, explained that he heard from my mum that I was going to OT and that’s why he didn’t tell me. That’s not a valid reason! I told him I could go back for a little while and then return to work if I have to. He passed the phone to my mum and when she realised I was crying (really badly), she shouted to my dad, “她在哭!!”

I was crying my eyes out, I don’t even know if he could fully understand what I was saying in between the sobbing. I burst out saying that now that I’m no longer staying there, they keep forgetting about me. (They forgot to inform me they went to River Hongbao during CNY and I only found out through photos)

For the first time in my life, my dad pacified me. “没有啦没有啦。我们没有忘记你。不要哭啦爸爸最疼你”

My relationship with my dad.. we aren’t exactly the closest. I spend most of my teenage years not talking to him; I only acknowledge his presence when he comes home from work.

It got better after that though. And when I was about to move out, I felt that he focused a little bit more on me, than my brother. I’ve never burst out like this in front of my parents before. To hear him pacifying me, I think it is a personal milestone.

He called me before they left for Malaysia. That’s another first. Usually my mum would be the one calling. This time round, both of them called me. He called me again, when they had decent wifi and even gave me a hotel room tour. Yep, another first. Even A was surprised by it.

While they were away, I went back to my parents’ place to put some beer, and also because we were visiting a friend whose new BTO is just opposite the block. I got all emotional and I guess that was when the homesickness started. I missed my family so much, I spent the last 3 nights crying to sleep.

It feels stupid though. It’s not like I moved to another country or something. I’m just.. 45min away from them. Or is this a part of this whole new journey?

I won’t deny that moving out does help in my relationship with my parents. I’ve come to realise I’m more and more like my mum (that’s a story for another day) and because we are physically apart, I don’t get annoyed by her. I call her once every few days to just chat, ask for cooking advice/tips.

Happiness is.. going back to my parents’ place for dinner by my mum.

Went back for a couple of hours ystd & it was the best night in recent weeks. Contented to have a few hours with my parents, just chatting.

I waited for them to come back from work. (8.45pm)

Mum: of course must wait la! So long never see your face already.
Dad: how come haven’t go home?! later go home very late leh!

Dad kept chasing me home every 30min or so, saying that it will be late once I finish washing up. That’s his way of showing concern I guess.

Mum was happily sharing photos and stories of their recent Malaysia trip.

I guess as we grow older, such time spent together is just blissful. 💕

Still Alive.

Hi guys.

Yes I’m still alive. Radio silence since February and I’m finally back. And good to see that Dayre is still alive, although there are lesser and lesser new posts =/

Work was absolutely crazy, but we survived. 2 whole weeks of OT till 10-11pm is really no joke. It sucks the soul outta you. I had so many sleepless nights. But despite the hiccups and stress, I love my team, I love my colleagues. We were there for each other, we encouraged each other, we helped one another even though we were dying ourselves. They make the tough times better.

The big event is over, and it was worth it when the video we created was played on the big screen, and we received compliments on the work done. Boss is requesting for a day off in lieu for us and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for it!

Another half day work this Saturday which will translate into another off day! Saving all my leaves for the wedding, and our honeymoon (hopefully). I have accumulated.. 31 days for this year so far.

We have also hosted 2 rounds of housewarming for our families and friends. Glad that that’s done! It was really tiring hahaha.

For our families, we ordered our buffet from Good Luck Kitchen and the food was good! No pictures because I was too busy hosting to even snap anything.

For our friends, we ordered nasi lemak from Aliff Nasi Lemak from Serangoon Gardens Food Centre. Why there? We had it at one of our friend’s place and the nasi lemak was soooo good, we decided to keep this contact for our own housewarming.

We ordered Set A x 30, 30 otahs, 15 extra chicken wings, and it all adds up to $160. The rice was super coconuty (YUMS), and the chilli. Oh it’s to die for.

The auntie was very kind! She didn’t collect any deposit from us and she also lent us her rice tub. The rice was still very warm 12 hours later. Happy to say that everybody loved it! The portions are big, so order slightly lesser than your anticipated number.

We got so many bottles of wine, that one might think we are alcoholics 😂😂

I was over the moon when our guests said that our house is very cosy. That was how I designed the house to be. Ultimately, it’s a place that we come home to everyday and I wanted it to be welcoming, cosy, filled with warmth and love. For outsiders to even feel that way, I’ve achieved my goal! 😊

Love coming home to this. 💕

Our ID brought his potential clients over for a tour, and also signed off on our handover at the same time. A few more minor defects to fix and we are really done! He gave us a very nice surprise – we got some money back because we paid too much hahaha. For the amount that we paid for, and the quality of the work done, I gotta say it is quite affordable. #dayrehomes #tohtallylokeyhome

Signing with Dan was the best decision we made for our renovation, even though he drives me up the wall with his slow and very sporadic WhatsApp replies.

taobao hauls, home edition part 2

Finally mid-week! Omg I’m dying and this stress is gonna continue until at least mid-March. And it’s still February! 😭

The only consolation was that I went back to my parent’s place and had dinner by mum 😀

Maybe it’s the stress, maybe it’s just me, but I felt so overwhelmed, I started tearing while having dinner. I really really miss home though. Home where I can behave as a kid, and not an adult, where I go home to a warm nice meal waiting for me, where I don’t have to do housework, where my parents check on me before they sleep. Didn’t manage to see my parents because I had to rush for my #ezbuy delivery.

It’s okay I guess! I saw them on Saturday and they are coming over to my place this weekend!

Speaking of ezbuy, it’s been a while since I did my reviews so here goes!

Wooden mats coasters

Because it’s just too pretty. The entire set comes together. So 1 stand + 6 coasters. There’s many other designs to choose from as well.

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb3
💸: $6

Silicon mat coasters

The cork ones will not last forever, but the silicon ones will last longer! It comes in a pack of 6. Brought some to the office so I won’t have to risk hurting my hands when I use the microwave.

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb11
💸: $6 (1 for $1)

Storage Rack

This rack organiser is very handy when you have bigger cabinets such as the one under the sink. More space to put stuff. I also have one at the dry cabinet to stack my containers.

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb9
💸: $6.30

Alphabet Feltboard

It’s like an Instagram must-have! Bought one from Deko.Deco during their Black Friday sale and back then, I couldn’t find this on TB. Now, I see quite a number of listings and at a fraction of the price too!

The entire package comes with 2 sets of alphabets, the board, and a pouch. This board has a stand at the back!

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb10
💸: $10.60

Ceramic plates

Got these ceramic plates not for the kitchen, but to arrange my vanity drawer 😀 The plus point is that I can use it as a plate if I want to I guess! It’s also safe for oven hahaha. The colour matches my TV wall though!

Using the plates as my drawer organizer!

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb15
💸: $5.90 (big), $3.90 (small)

Rice Dispenser

I like this type because the rice comes from the bottom. So when I pour in a new bag of rice, I’ll be using up the older ones before the new pack! So for this one, when you push the lever down, the rice tray is locked. The only way to pull the tray out is to push the lever up again. 👍🏼

It’s available in OG but definitely much more expensive. 6kg is a nice size for the two of us 🙂

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb17
💸: $15

Sink strainer/stopper

I use this in the toilet and for the kitchen sink.

So much easier to remove hair or food waste from the toilet/kitchen sink. But take note that this 12cm one is slightly bigger for the drains in the toilet. I think a 10cm one would actually fit it.

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb16
💸: $0.50

I use the disposable ones too but it seems a bit wasteful. Still sitting on the fence for this 2!

Rice Washing Bowl and Washing Bowl Set

Rice washing bowl:

This is pretty much self-explanatory yes? Haha.

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb13
💸: $1.40

Washing bowl set:

It comes in a set! The leftover water can be used to water plants. So convenient!

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb12
💸: $4

Storage baskets

Used these baskets to store almost everything. From my canned food, to cleaning items to craft items. Bought 10 and it’s not enough! Carted out another 10 😀

💻: http://bit.ly/ivyytfeb14
💸: $1.40

That’s the end for today! Part 3 coming soon, once I take photos 😀

DIY Jar Label

Over the weekend, the husband was out to visit his secondary school teacher so I stayed home, did some housework and had the whole house to myself!

I think it’s good to have some me-time even when we are living together. Hubs and I have different taste in shows so I got to catch up on my shows (hello The Amazing Race and Black Mirror!)

Still in the midst of arranging the stuff in the kitchen cabinet but I’m more or less there.

I also got to do a bit of #DIY!

Found this on a arohammer’s post and decided to try it. It’s really simple and can be done in 15 minutes! #dayrehomes

First, print the labels that you want!

I just did a simple one via Microsoft word.

Then, use a clear tape and tape over it.

I didn’t have a big enough clear tape so I used scotch tape and overlap them.

Do remember to overlap them if 1 later is not enough because if there’s no overlapping, they will come out in the next step!

Soak them in water.

And the rub the paper away. It should come off rather easily.

And just stick them on!

People often get confused which doorbell to press so I did this HAHAHA

The bottom one is the original from HDB but we bought a wireless doorbell instead.

Tadaaaaa.

Don’t have to worry about the stickiness of the tape. It will still stick on!

As simple as that!

Btw, vinegar mixture (1 part vinegar, 1 part water) is damn good for every single kind of cleaning in the house. Super love it!

Proposal anniversary!

Hehehe the husband proposed to me on this date, 2 years ago.

Thought it would be quite memorable to pen down our proposal on this date. Also for myself to reminisce!

Let’s see.. where do I begin..

January 2016

A friend shared with us about her wonderful dinner at Prive and in turn, i shared it with A because it’s at Keppel Bay – my favourite place!

He suggested for us to go for our monthsary dinner date and my alarms were ringing because we don’t usually go to such fine-dining places for our monthsary dates.

Jan’s monthsary came and went and we didn’t manage to go so we pushed it back to February, and because I started my new job then, we agreed that I’d give him a treat.

February 2016

I kept wondering if he was gonna propose during the dinner because..

1. Our monthsary date
2. It was rare for him to suggest going to such places
3. I mentioned before I wanted a private proposal – just us

But because he kept saying that he looking forward to a treat, I didn’t really think he was going to propose.

26 February 2016

I suggested dressing up since such nice dinner dates were rare, and because I still have the tiniest hope that he might propose. LOL.

We were going to meet at Vivo and head to the restaurant together, but I had to OT. I was quite pissed about staying back in the office because my thoughts were

WHAT IF HE WANTS TO PROPOSE BUT THEN GOT HANGRY AND DIDN’T WANT TO PROPOSE ALREADY?!

My crappy job wasn’t worth missing the proposal for. LOL. To make things worse for my mind, my cab driver missed an exit and we took way longer than it should.

Nothing was amiss when I reached there. We had dinner as usual, and everything was normal. We finished our main courses and still nothing, so I was quite sian and a little upset that he wasn’t going to propose.

The proposal

It took about 20 minutes for our dessert to come. While waiting, I saw someone with a mini birthday cake and I joked saying we should have said it’s my birthday or something so I get a birthday cake as well. He was like, “okay I’ll go tell them” and HE REALLY LEFT THE TABLE!

Our dessert came and then he passed his phone to the waiter and asked him to help us take a photo.

I was really confused because the dessert was nothing special and I could have easily taken a photo of the dessert myself?

The next thing I knew, another waiter passed him a bouquet of flowers and he was kneeling down in front of me!

Will you marry me? 💍

👧🏻: that’s it? where’s my speech?
👦🏻: huh? oh. 40 months ago……..

HE SERIOUSLY DID NOT PREPARE A SPEECH.

We had a seat by a window, and there was an event happening outside. So while he was giving his speech, the people outside realised what was happening and everybody was staring.

Yes I will!

Of course I said yes, and my sparkly ring was on my finger, FINALLY! People started clapping and I was really shy HAHAHAHA. After the attention died down, I was like “HOW CAN YOU NOT PREPARE A SPEECH?!” hahahahahaha.

Anyway, it was 1.5 months after we made payment for the ring, and the ring seems loose on my finger. I LOST 1 RING SIZE IN 1.5 MONTHS. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!

Our sales assistant told us that it is highly unlikely to drop ring sizes and look what happened. 😂

Where’s my photographer?

I am a photo-centric person, so I did tell him before that I would love to have like a hidden photographer or some sort, so that I can have photos to remember our special day. He got the waiter to take video, and some photos, but they were ALL VERY DARK and ugly (as shown above). Like I look fat because of the way I was seated. RAH.

No photographer because our photographer friend, Kenneth (from saidandmeant.co – please check him out LOL) had a concert to attend.

👧🏻: Then you could have gotten our solemnisation photographer, or any other photographers right?!
👦🏻: -quiet-

so no nice photos from the proposal, AT ALL =(

Handmade scrapbook!

A knows I love handmade stuff, like we will gift each other a handmade card on special occasions and he got me a handmade scrapbook.

Some snippets..

He was wondering when he should give me the scrapbook. If he gave it to me before he asked, then I would have known already, so he gave it to me after.

Since we didn’t capture any nice photos during the proposal, we took some of our own after!

 Behind the scenes

I asked about his preparation and even though it’s not a big proposal, he was so thoughtful about everything, and it really touched me.

We paid for the engagement ring (will touch more about it later) on 3 Jan, and it was ready a month later. I was quite surprised that it was so quick.

Ring collection

A collected the ring after work and it so happened that he was in Popular looking for scrapbook supplies when I texted him “WHERE ARE YOU?”

He got a scare, thinking that I saw him in Orchard. 😂 I was just at home, asking him a random question and I had no idea I almost gave him a heart attack. HAHAHA.

Asking for my parents’ blessing

A went to seek for my parents’ blessings a week before he proposed!

He took a day off and visited my parents during lunch. Apparently, when my parents saw him, both of them were like “WHAT HAPPENED?! WHAT’S WRONG?!”

He told them the purpose of his visit and then my mom told him, “Ivy 是我们的宝贝女儿，你要好好对待她”

I didn’t cry during the proposal but I started tearing when I heard this. My parents do not say such stuff so I kept asking him if he was serious that these were the exact words my mom said.

Kopi session with my dad

My dad brought A to have coffee and asked him about our future plans regarding marriage and kids. He asked A about my temper (well I do take after my dad when it comes to temper) and told him that a lasting marriage is all about hard work and compromise.

A shared with him that we intend to have 1 big event per year. So solemnisation in 2016, house in 2017, wedding in 2018.

My dad love kids so naturally he asked about kids. A said he wanted to focus on his career first but my dad worries about late pregnancy (something that I really agree with) He told A to allow nature takes its course. Should we be blessed with kids, we should be happy.

Before he left, he told my parents to not leak it out to me.

I went home after my status upgrade, and when my mom saw the bouquet in my hand, she asked me

Why got bouquet again??

(The first bouquet was for Valentine’s Day)

I replied, 你不要假假啦！

She stared at the bouquet for a good minute then “是今天meh?!”

The only reason why she didn’t leak anything was because she totally forgot about it LOL.

Oopsie!

A said that he thought I would have sense something was wrong because of his text replies on the day he took leave.

He doesn’t usually reply me very quickly, and our weekday messages are about 150 messages? (Between App has the stats, I did not count them lol)

So he replied me very quickly, and seemed very free that day. Thankfully I did not notice his quick replies until he mentioned it!

He took leave on the day of proposal but after realizing his mistakes of replying too quickly, he had to act like he was at work the whole time.

He usually text me when he wakes up and on that day itself, because he didn’t have to wake up so early, there wasn’t any text so I texted him first.

I was a little suspicious about that but I figured he could have forgotten. Lol. I really wasn’t suspecting anything!

Ok more photos since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Got it resized after our solemnisation because I dropped one ring size in 2 months.

No idea how I did it, but I’d love to do it once more before our AD in September!

So that’s my proposal! #tohtallylokey

Not entirely a surprise, but still love it. I did know that it was coming because I chose my own ring, and also because I told him I want to enjoy each status upgrade, so I wanted to enjoy my “fiancee” status for at least half a year before upgrading to “wife”.

 

vegetable soup | flowers

Another attempt at #ivyytkitchenadventure yesterday!

Pretty easy to guess what my dish was yea? #dayrecooks

Chopped all the vegetables up!

Carrots
Tomatoes
Sweet corn
Cabbage
Cauliflower

My mum gave us these to make some soup!

Start by boiling 3.5 bowls of water in med-high heat.

My mum said if it’s just the 2 of us, 2 bowls will do. But.. there’s barely enough water in the pot to cook the vegetables so I added more.

Once the water boils, throw all the vegetables in. When it starts boiling again, change to low heat and let it simmer. Depends on how soft you want your vegetables to be. I let it simmer for 30 min because I like the vegetables very soft.

Threw in some vegetarian meatballs and dumplings.

I cheated by adding a little mushroom seasoning and 大菜头 because I was worried the soup will be tasteless.

It was very sweet indeed 😀 oh and a little too much for 2 pax. I have a bowl left over which will be my dinner for tonight.

It’s a very simple dish, but an achievement for me.

I’m very very scared to attempt Chinese food because I’ve never done it before. If I fail, it means either there’s no dinner, or it’s just very 难吃. Which I’m fine with, if I’m alone. But now there’s the hubs so ya.

Every small step means one step forward, more dishes learnt.

Very happy that I have a kitchen to call my own! Gradually conquering my fear of cooking (Chinese food) haha.

Got these beauties today!

Always wanted some flowers to brighten up the house.

And some thistles.

I picked the main flowers from my solemnisation bouquet.

Still loving this 2 choices!

My end product! For the dining table.

Plenty of thistles left so took some random jar and put a ribbon on. It’s on my coffee table!

taobao hauls, home edition part 1

//Copied from #Dayre//

We have moved in for a week already! It feels like I’m on a very expensive staycation minus the cleaning service and room service. 😂 I’m beginning to understand my mother’s behavior and as much as I try not to be like her, I’m seeing her shadows in myself. #tohtallylokeyhome

Anyway, it’s time for my overdue home edition, #taobao hauls. I know some people have been waiting and I probably would have delayed this if not for the reminders 😅 #dayrehomes

First and foremost, I know i’m going to be buying a lot of things and back then, #ezbuy had the whole taobao drama (and they are slowpokes) so I decided to try other forwarders.

EK LINK

Came to know about this forwarder through the Taobao FB groups. I didn’t do much comparison in prices because most of them are around the same. 1cbm = 500rmb Their FB group: EK LINK TAOBAO SHIPPING

I started by chatting with their POC, Elvis, on WeChat. His WeChat ID: Lam742288. You can also ALWW them (新马代运）I told him I wanted to create an account. He asked for my details and the next thing I knew, I got an email from him. In it was an excel sheet, which you have to fill it up with:

1. your item name
2. quantity
3. price of item
4. domestic shipping company
5. tracking number

They will give you an address to ship to. I happily buy my items from taobao direct and just fill up the form as and when I get the tracking details.

When everything is in, he will let me know the total volumetric weight in WeChat and I will transfer him the amount via DBS Remit. The rates are surprisingly good!

Volumetric weight = L x W x H / 6000

What I do is I will ask the seller what’s the dimensions of the item/package so that I will get a rough estimation of the weight.

Once shipping fee is paid, it takes about 10-12days for the shipment to reach my doorstep! The local courier called me to make arrangements for the delivery when it reached Singapore.

I’ve got quite a bit of items, so bear with me!

Bidet Spray

I didn’t realise how expensive these are until we were buying them!

Got the ones in 1.5m!

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan4
💸: $5

Laundry netting

Essential item! Bought 2 sets (big, medium, small, undergarments)

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec15
💸: $4

Undergarment storage box

Two set for the hubs and I. For me, it was 1 box for my bras, 1 box for bralettes and the last one for my underwear. The husband only use 1 box so the remaining 2 boxes were used to keep our socks.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec14
💸: $5

Disposable cutlery

Because a new house = hosting = parties = guests = not enough plates.

I got everything from 1 shop and it was very affordable.

200 plates (2 sizes), 90 chopsticks, 100 cups, 100 spoons, 100 forks for.. $14.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec9

Boomjoy Mop

One of my happiest purchase. It saves water, and easy to use! It’s a little heavy though! The cloth is washable and I got more of the cloth just in case. The husband’s Godpa saw this and asked us to buy one for him haha. We got the P8!

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan12
💸: $25

Pegs

Got a mixture of big and small pegs. More of small pegs because it we will use hangers more than the poles. Small pegs comes in pack of 60 (!!!!) Bought one pack for my mum too and she was so delighted lol.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec2
💸: $2.50

Got 30 big pegs and I think we still don’t use so many of it yet.. It was 3.80rmb for 1 pack of 10, less than a dollar!

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec13
💸: $0.80

Chopsticks

Got this two sets of chopsticks. Well, I got the wooden one first but the husband likes metal ones so I got the metal set.Then my in-laws came with another set of wooden chopsticks. They said it’s something they have to give us so my set of wooden chopsticks is sitting in the store room now heh.

Wooden:

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan14
💸: $3.50

Metal:

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan15
💸: $3

Cup Holder

Fits the colour theme perfectly! I think getting the one with a plate below (to hold water) would be better though.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan13
💸: $6.50

Knife Holder

Slots for knife and cutting board, I like!

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan9
💸: $8

Hangers

Since I’m going by volumetric weight, might as well get a whole lot right?I had fun with this. I got 240 hangers in 4 different colours 😀

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec4
💸: $38

Shower curtains

The ones in TB are so cute and there is the option of getting them with or without the pole. We got our pole from Ikea already so no pole = cheaper!

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec10
💸: $3

Rainshower Set

Think I’ve mentioned this before! Now that we’ve moved in, I’m finally able to try this out. Glad to say that it’s pretty good and I always feel like I’m in a hotel toilet 😀

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytnov3
💸: $89

Vanity Cabinet

Had a lot of drama with Ezbuy for this one and the entire set finally went up like 1 week before we moved in. Pretty good for our common toilet!The Ezbuy link is OOS so I found something similar from TB. I felt a little cheated because the colour is the photo is light and the set I received was so much darker.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan1
💸: $296

Waterfall tap

Haha this is something that the husband wanted. The ones that we found in SG are all joystick style and he didn’t like it. This is perfect!

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec16
💸: $63

Laundry bags

Placed one outside our MBR toilet, and one at the service yard. Should have bought something that is not cloth, or has a stand so that I won’t have to be afraid of it getting wet. But there’s no space in the toilet for this lah.

🖥 : http://bit.ly/ivyytdec7
💸: $1.60

Dehub

I love this so much. I think I first saw it in thepacartans’ posts and she raved about how good Dehub was. That was when I decided that my bathroom accessories are not going to be drilled in. When I was shopping for Dehub stuff, I realised my mum had one of dehub’s kitchen towel holder!

I bought from many places, and many different links so I can’t consolidate them all, but just google “dehub” in Ezbuy or taobao and you can get a lot of hits.

Kitchen hooks.It doesn’t really stick on my Japanese tiles because it’s a bit rough, so i stuck it on the laminate.

Just don’t stick it on painted walls!

Towel hanger and a holder for my window cleaner.

This one is quite big. I bought 2 but looks like 1 will serve as an extra when this breaks or something lol

For the MBR toilet.

Toilet roll holder and toothbrush holder.

Sponge holder.

These are just a few of the many I bought 😬

Swivel chairs

There’s two different kinds! The hubs has the one with the leg rest, which isn’t really useful for tall people. Feels like it’s gonna give way anytime, so you’re better off getting the one without. It’s $10 more expensive for the leg rest. I got the normal chair and it’s okay so far.The chair comes with a back massager! More of a vibrating back rest than a massager actually lol. It comes with a USB cable.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec11
💸: $43 (without leg rest)

Study table

Got a 1.8m study table so both of us can work at the same time! It’s the perfect length for us though I wish it can be a bittttt longer. =X It’s not easy finding a 1.8m table actually. Most of the designs stop at 1.6m. The quality is surprisingly good. There was only a very slightly damage at the corner of the table but given that it’s taobao, I have no complaints.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan6
💸: $85

Dining chairs

Had a hard time searching for dining chairs which will go with our table and bench. Finally found something that is not too expensive and looks okay! Removable cover as well. Yes my sofa, stool and dining chairs all have removable covers. One of the main criteria when I hunt for my chairs. Ikea has a similar chair selling at $90. The husband said that the parts look really similar lol.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan6
💸: $30

Coffee table

We were warned by many others not to get a big coffee table. Nothing caught our eye in SG so the husband went online to search and found this. When we don’t want it to be in the middle, we just ‘combine’ them together and shift it to the side. The legs were a bit dented but it’s taobao. Oh well. Pretty heavy too.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec6
💸: $75

Stools

I love these stools! I made sure to find the ones with removable cover so if anything happens, at least I can just wash the covers! I’ve got 3 of these, and we’ve already seen its usefulness when we got guests over. Also a good stool for wearing shoes 😀

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytdec12
💸: $5.60

Clothes rack

One of the best buys ever. This is in the spare room where I iron my clothes. So after ironing, I will just hang all of them here and then roll it into the MBR to put it into cabinet. So convenient and pretty! Got the one with the ladder to hang pants, and the ‘antlers’ to hang belts etc.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan11
💸: $33.50

Customised tote bags

Got these customised for my colleagues as Christmas presents. I love what I came up with. They are so apt, and they are great conversation starters hahahah

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan10
💸: $4

Customised aprons

I went on a customising spree LOL got one each for both of us, in different colours. There’s also different sizes to choose from too!

An additional 10RMB for customisation, which is $2? Okay lah.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan8
💸: $5 (without customisation)

Customised coasters

I’ve previously bought from this seller for work and went back to him a second time for our house. Sent him my design and requested for a draft before printing.I’m very amazed by how fast they get the job done. It was also sent out the very next day.

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan7
💸: $0.70

Customised signage

A friend once sent me a photo of a signage and I really loved it. Kept it for the longest time and couldn’t find it on taobao. So while searching for wedding stuff, I found this listing which sells customised names. Decided to try my luck and ask if she can customise according to the photo and she said yes!Got the one in 40cm and requested for it to be sprayed gold.

It was very very fast. I made the payment and in a couple of hours time, she got the draft back to me. The very same day, the signage was done. She sent it out the next day.Told her it was going to be sent to SG and she protected it in thick styrofoam. Would totally go back to her for any customised signs in the future 😀

Received so many compliments on this!

🖥: http://bit.ly/ivyytjan2
💸: $34

———

That’s it for today! Oh wow it’s a very long post.

Got a taobao package today so I guess part 2 soon? 😀

Flowers always brighten up the space, don’t they?

The remaining flowers from my vday bouquet. The hydrangea died after not seeing it for one day.

Hydrangea absorbs water through their petals so I guess one day of not dunking them into water killed them.

Short-lived happiness.

These eustomas are blooming really well though.

Added crushed aspirins into their water to make them last longer so I guess they are druggies? 😂

Thinking of getting some floral and fauna for the house but I hate that they die easily so that means I have to change their water (and them) regularly. Maybe getting dried flowers seems like a better idea?

Loving the scent so far. Puka greets ke the moment I enter the house, and the heavier scent of Bifei creates a really nice ambience for the bedroom.

Now let’s see how long 60ml last us…

My breakfast these days…

Can’t wake up earlier for nuts so i prepare my breakfast the night before.

Rolled oats
Blueberries
Chia seeds
Mixed nuts and berries

And milk!

Yums.

Keeps me really filled till lunch time.

Have been using my Baymax almost every other day and I luuuuurrrrvvvveee it so much.

There’s still a lot of renovation going on in my block and Baymax has been of a great help. I still don’t know how can there be so much sand and dust in my house even though the windows are all closed.

My SIL got version 2, which has the mopping function and it looks pretty cool.

My cleanser brush from @braintango’s spree came!

Comes with the wireless charger.

Charging this right now and can’t wait to use it later!

Finally managed to do some #dayrebrides work!

I kinda freaked out when I realized I haven’t book any MUA for my mum. It doesn’t help that my date is so frigging popular, I can’t even keep count of how many rejections I’ve gotten because the MUAs are all booked.

Finally gotten one from a fellow Sept’s bride recommendation! Her rates are affordable, and the makeup she does looks very natural. She didn’t even collect deposit from me at all!

And I finally contacted my MUA to let her know I want her to stay for my second March-in. Bypassed the bridal studio because it’s so much cheaper like this.

Okay. One item down! So I gotta start doing up my guest list now.

my CNY!

Happy CNY! 🍊🍊

It’s Day 4 and I dragged myself back to work today.

The CNY weekend has been wonderful, though it felt a bit weird because it’s truly the last year of taking angbaos.

And because of that, my mum wanted me to stay the night at their place.

Bittersweet I guess?

Day 1 started with us 拜年-ing to my parents, and then we took our usual family photo!

Yes with our terrapin too!

It’s a bit sad to know this is the last year I’ll do this as the first thing to start off our CNY day 1.

2017.

2016.

2015.

Let’s rewind a bit to the night before. Our reunion dinner is crazy because everybody comes together every single year.

We have like 4 steamboat/bbq pots!

This year was a little bit more crowded because my cousin and her small family came back from Korea, and my aunt’s family joined in too!

This is what you get when you have bulking male cousins hahaha

One half…

And the other half!

I wouldn’t trade this night for anything else.

I hope this is one constant that will never change!

My MIL knows that our big reunion is on 除夕 itself and I’m very appreciative that she lets us have an early dinner with them so we wouldn’t miss this one.

And my #ootd for day 1 – Olivia ruffles dress from #Ohvola!

The hubs came for my day 1 part 2!

And we went back home together 😀

Day 2 was spent with his side of the house, and then to his army’s friend’s place before heading to my uncle’s house.

CNY is truly the biggest holiday in my family. Even though we see each other on day 1, we will not rest until we visit every single house.

And another round of yusheng! This was my.. 4th one already?

黄金满地啊!

Another gambling sesh at night with the clique!

Taught 2 caucasians how to play mahjong. A bit challenging for them because they can’t read Chinese so apart from 东南西北🀄️白板发财，they also can’t read the 万子series.

It was fun though! I won $4 in total 😂😂

So that marks the end of the CNY weekend for me. It was back to work today 😩

My family went to River Hongbao and they didn’t tell me 😭😭

I’m still a bit upset 😦

Is this how it will be like? That I will no longer be joining them as much as before? This transition is really no fun 😭