Working From Home

I wonder how many of you have tried to join the platform that offers you handsome rewards just by working from home (or wherever you take your laptop with you, for that matter). And I wonder how many of you have been conned by the platform that offers you handsome rewards.

The deceptive idea of wanting to earn money without having to do much work is the very sentiment that these scam platforms prey on.

To be honest, I was one of them before.

Having skills but no outlet to put it to use, being stuck at home day in day out without something different to do other than housework and being overeager in signing up to something that seems credible enough.

Suffice to say that soon after I paid for my registration fee, I heard nothing from the platform administrators and received no reply to my countless emails asking for more information on how to start working on the projects they promised me. After a week, I got the idea that I was conned.

This was almost two years ago.

After what happened to me, I didn’t even bother reading or finding out about other “seemingly credible” work-from-home platforms. For me, they all have the same scripted advertisement and promise the same thing. “Pay $50 for registration fee but you will get $5000 per week. Join now or be sorry that you miss out on this opportunity,” are just one of the many things they say.

Then I chance upon Cristian Mihai’s blog.

He is an awesome writer and I look up to him as a blogger because I’ve always had this romantic idea where my blogs are followed by thousands of people, I have bustling activities going on in my blog and I can write something everyday. He wrote a post about how to be a good blogger and make the best of your blog in Rules, rules, rules. From his blog too I learnt that there are several trusted platforms that pay you to write articles for them.

Trusting him to know what he’s talking about, here are the few that I’ve signed up to and yes, this time around, I wasn’t conned.

• Helium – This platform is open to everyone around the world (some of the platforms only allow US citizens to sign up). There is no registration fee. To write an article for them, you simply need to choose a category you like best or know most about and select a job. Some articles are $1 and some cost more. If Helium purchased your article, then they will credit the money to your Helium account. If they didn’t purchase it, they will still feature your article under that category. You can cash out your earnings after you reach $25 or more
• Elance – I have just started with Elance for about a week but I have received several jobs and received the payment. Elance uses bidding system, where you need to bid for a job with other freelancers. If a client chooses your proposal, then you are awarded the job and will receive the payment after you deliver. For this, you will need English writing skills as most of the jobs require you to write reviews or academic papers for them.  After you have received your payment, you can transfer your earnings into your PayPal account for withdrawal. This is also open to everyone.
• JobDiRumah – This is for Malaysian citizens only. The concept is the same as Elance’s.

These are just a few that I share because there are more on Cristian Mihai’s post. I’m trying to search for the post but at the moment I can’t seem to find it because he does have a lot of posts written and I can’t really remember the exact keyword for me to look up that post. However, once I’ve got it (and I remember that he wrote about platforms that are only open for US citizens), I will post it here so you can read more on other work-from-home platforms that are trusted.

If you are still dubious about this, here’s a photo of what I received from Elance 2 days after I joined.

You should at least check them out. Who knows you can really after all earn while working from home (or wherever you take your laptop with you, for that matter!)

Just Us

We will be 5 years together this May. Or at least 5 years in a full committed relationship.

I think I knew Mohen close to 7 years now. Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s 7 years. It’s amazing how things turned out for the both of us.

Our first photo together during our office annual dinner.
We weren’t even each other’s date that night but somehow we ended up hanging out with each other a lot that night!

When we met, we never thought we would be where we are right now; in a relationship serious enough to have 3 kids out of. Although there were several pretty rough patch that we went through, I would say that I’m having an amazing time with him.

I met Mohen when I wasn’t looking for anything serious. In fact I wasn’t looking for anything at all. We just happened to meet at the smoking area of our previous office and, well, as cliche as this may sound, there rest is just history.

People always say familiarity breeds contempt.

I don’t really know what that means. I mean, I know what it means. But I don’t think I really know what it implies. I suppose when you’re too familiar with a person and you’ve let your guards down or, in the words of Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting – we get to choose who we let into our weird little worlds. His imperfections are just apart of him that I accepted and my eccentricities are probably part of my charm.

We’ve sort of drifted apart these few weeks. Nothing serious but we both know it’s because we have another baby and that keeps me busy and occupied a large part of my time and he’s as always occupied with work. We still talk and laugh and poke fun at each other but we can tell it’s a little different from what we usually have.

It’s not hard being young parents with small kids. There’s just so much that we need to learn and get used to that sometimes we feel as though we have nothing in common anymore. The parenting duties in our household sometimes seems to be so distinctly divided – him working and me doing pretty much everything else at home. Mohen does help around a lot during weekends and even though that eases my job a little as a mom, I would like to have more time with him the way I used to.

We used to go out a lot before we are seriously attached.

I believe in date nights and thank God, so does Mohen.

We’re overdue for our date night for months now. To be honest, I can’t even remember the last time we went out just the two of us. That’s how long ago it was!

I know we’re so in love and are still crazy about each other. I just hope things get settled pretty soon because I can’t wait to go dancing with him again.

Time Out, Mommy!

Things have gone from bad to worse since my last post.

Then it went from bad to a little better and good and then bad and then worse.

I’m really confused with the things that I have to do at home with the kids. For one, I can’t seem to know what to do first. Then even if I do know, I don’t get to do it because everything else happens at the same time at the wrong places. Just the other day, I literally feel suffocated.

Damien is going to be 3 months soon (that quick, huh?) and he has seemed to get day and night mixed up. He would be all sleepy in the morning right up to late evening. Then after his evening bath, he would be wide awake until 2am sometimes. I mean, what’s that about? I’m really glad that he sleeps in the afternoon because that’s when I get to do all the housework and looking after Eros and Sophia.

But by nighttime, I’m spent and I felt like crawling to my bed. And that’s when Damien will be wide awake. It’s okay if he just lies on the bed and roll around entertaining himself but nooooo. I have to pick him up and play with him. It was fun for like the first 30 minutes but when my eyelids get heavy, he seems to be wanting more. I can’t put him down next to me either. He likes to sit up and look around. I mean, I can’t blame him for being curious but at 3-freaking-am?

I feel like I seriously need a break.

Because now, I feel like doing what I do has become obligatory and it’s no longer something that I enjoy doing or something that I get satisfaction from. I feel like I have to do it and I hate that. I don’t want to feel as though I have to look after my kids, I hate to feel like I have to cook for the family. I mean, I know I have to because no one else would but feeling forced into doing it is just, well, sucks.

Oh, well.

Breathe

It’s 7.45pm now and I think I can safely say that it was a good day today.

Amazingly, everything went smoothly today.

I’m so used to things being crazy and hectic that right now I’m perplexed as to whether this is really happening or is there some mishap that is waiting to happen. LOL. I know I don’t want to jinx it by thinking that way but then again, I never truly believe in jinxing anything just by talking about it.

Ever since morning, I was able to do the things I do before – bathe the kids on time in the morning, made them breakfast, nursed Damien for his morning feed, bathed him and put him to sleep. Then I managed to make lunch on time, nursed Damien for his afternoon feed and fed Eros and Sophia their lunch. I even managed to spring-clean my book cabinet that I’ve been wanting to clear out since like forever!

Now Eros and Sophia has bathed for bed and I’m going to feed them dinner in a minute while I wait for Damien to wake up for his evening feed.

I can’t believe things went so well that I actually wait for them to happen rather than running around like a headless chicken wondering why everything is happening at once.

I guess not everyday will be as mad and hectic as it was a few days ago. I hope this will be a prelude to how easy things will get in the future.

And for the first time ever since I’ve had 3 kids, I feel awesome!

Coping Prelude

So we’re back to our own house for the weekend.

Mohen gets 2 days off from work this week so he brought us home. I jumped at the idea because one, I miss my house, second, I want to see what’s like to be doing all the housework without any help from my mother and sisters.  I want to acclimatize myself before I return for good end of this month.

Six hours into the job I thought I’m losing my mind.

First thing I did was to clean up the kitchen and get it ready for me to work  in during these 4 days. Although Mohen didn’t keep the kitchen the way I did, I was really glad that it was clean and in proper order enough without me having to do much. I love how he keeps the rest of the house spotless too.

After I’ve put away the luggage and the groceries, it was time for the kids’ dinner. I thought I was doing okay because I managed to get everything done in time before the kids get hungry. Then I heard Damien’s cry.

I forgot that now I have 3 kids to look after and one is just a wee baby of 5 weeks.

Even with Mohen’s help, I still feel like I was suffocating. I thought I was going crazy trying to meet each of my kid’s need. And all of a sudden they seem to want something different at the same time. Had it not been for Mohen’s being around, I would’ve call my mother to come and pick us up to go back to her place.

It’s going to be day 3 tomorrow.

I hope I will fair better.

Can We Fix It?

My mother gave me an old radio to put in the room so that I can play the Qur’an recital cassette (yes, you read it right. I told you it’s an old radio). It’s one of those old radios where both speakers on the side can be detached and you can have them placed at an individual angles/places.

So my sister was helping me place the radio on the top-most shelf, away from Eros and Sophia’s grasp.

The wires were all tangled up so I took off the speakers and removed the wires from behind the radio to untangle them and my sister was shocked.

She didn’t know that the wires can come off and be fixed into their power outlet again. She thought they were just plug and play and if the wires came off it means it’s broken.

Only then I realized how the new generations are not as Mr Fix-It as my generation is.

When I was small, my grandfather was quite the handyman and there was nothing around the house he couldn’t fix. It’s all about knowing how things work and figuring out where goes where and remembering the basic rule – Leftie loosie Rightie tighty.

That was why we didn’t have to buy so many things back then.

We could fix almost everything ourselves. When something is broken, we didn’t panic. We whip out our favorite tools – screwdrivers, wire cutters and most of the time, good ol’ duct tape. Nothing can’t be fixed with those “power tools” and a few good knock on the item.

I’ll make sure my kids know how to fix certain things so that they will appreciate having stuff and not just chuck out something the moment they stopped working.

Fun Kitchen Stuffs!

I don’t know about you but I am a sucker when it comes to those quirky-out-of-the-norm kitchen appliances. The brighter the colors, the more mismatched they are, the more I will love them!

I’m right now all for these amazing super colorful silicone kitchen appliances.

I used to think that silicone will melt right off the moment it’s near anything hot enough to burn your fingers with but not with these! I just love how smooth and perfectly safe they are. Plus with the vibrant colors, they light up my kitchen like a Christmas tree in a dark room.

How amazing are these dinosaur cake mould? I mean, I totally love dinosaurs and so does Eros so between the two of us, we have so much fun baking cake for snacks with these cake mould! Because it’s made of silicone, it’s rust free and the cakes slide right off. What I love about the mould is that, even though it has details of dinosaurs on them, it doesn’t make the baked cake looking shapeless like some moulds do. And you can use them for frozen lollies and fruit jelly too! Put some Kool-Aid in you have yourself a partay!

In Malaysia, they are selling for RM15 (original price RM22) and there is a 7-day free nationwide delivery. I’m sure there’s something similar in the US too but I have a friend who sometimes shop at a Malaysian online store and have them shipped just because she loves things sold here. Either way, these fun baking trays are to die for if you’re a color-crazy like me and love to bake for fun!

Another thing that I can’t wait to get is these silicone (again!) kitchen gloves. I mean, silicone kitchen gloves? You gotta be kidding right? Not so!

I saw one of these at my friend’s house and they work wonderfully. I was a little scared to have them on while lifting a pot of spaghetti sauce from the stove when I was over at her place but they feel great, they grip the pot securely and yes, since it can withstand heat up to 220C (that’s 428F!), it was perfectly safe to be used, even by little hands like your toddler when they are helping you to hold the cake tray (see above!).

These cute kitchen gloves are selling for RM12 (original price RM20). It also currently offers a 7-day free nationwide delivery.

Wouldn’t these be great for your kitchen? They also look great enough to be given away as Christmas gifts. I know it’s still a couple of weeks till Christmas but I can’t wait for it already!

Simply click on the underlined links above for more information on the items and their deals.

Good Moms

Sweet Corn Custard Pudding

Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 – 20 minutes

 

This was one of my favorite desserts when I was little.

I guess you can say that it’s a traditional dessert because my mom told me that her mother, who was of course my grandmother, used to make for her when she was little.

And when I posted this photo on my Facebook, a lot of my friends remembered having this when they were little. It was nice to see such a simple dessert can invoke so many memories among my friends!

This is the easiest no-bake sweet corn pudding and you can eat it with whipped cream, ice cream or even on its own.

Here’s how you do it:
1 cup canned sweet corn
1 cup custard powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
Vanilla essence

- Mix all ingredients in a deep saucepan or a pot. Give it a few good stir
- Place saucepan or pot on medium heat and with a wooden spoon, stir continuously to break up any lumps
- After about 5 – 7 minutes, the mixture should start to thicken and collect at the end of the wooden spoon
- Bring heat to the lowest and continue to stir until all liquid is gone. Mixture should turn into a really thick goo by now
- Turn off heat and stir for a few more minutes to release hot air
- Press into a mold or a serving tray. Leave to set and cool for about 1 -2 hours
- Pudding can either be eaten after it’s cooled or you can choose to refrigerate it overnight. (I love it chilled because it goes well with the whipped cream!)

*The trick to working with custard powder is to continuously stir in one direction. You want to make sure the pudding comes out smooth by pressing any clumps with the back of the spoon while stirring

Handmade Baby Block

So I’m really into this sewing craze at the moment!

I was looking for things to do because there wasn’t much housework to be done today. I didn’t feel like making another of those monogram letters although I did feel like sewing something.

There were a few bells that I saved from Sophia’s old baby rattle and as I was looking around inside my sewing kit box, I thought I could use them for something tonight.

So after a few minutes of making sure that I have enough material, I made my very own (and first!) handmade baby block!

Took me about 2hours to complete it because I handstitched it. If you were using a sewing machine, then this wouldn’t take you more than 30 – 40 minutes tops, depending on your sewing skills, of course.

This shouldn’t be really hard, I think, even if you’re a beginner. In fact, I think if you’re a beginner, this would probably be one of the simplest thing to try.

1. Cut 6 pieces of fabric into squares. You can have them as big or as little as you like.

2. Sew the pieces together with their right sides facing each other.

3. Continue to sew to attach the fabric together to create one long piece. Sew the ends together so you’ll have something like this.

4. Now sew the top of the block, starting at one corner and making your way around the 4 sides of the fabric.

5. Once you got all the sides done, turn the block right side out and put your stuffing inside. As you can see, I already got the polyester stuffing I was talking about last week! Yay, me!

You can also put in bells or any noisy toys here along with the stuffing. I put in the bell I saved from Sophia’s rattle.

6. Close up the final side of the block with the ladder stitch or the invisible seam.

Here’s Sophia with her new baby block. She loves to shake it and dance to the jingle of the bell!