2020 Christmas Gift Ideas

Finding the perfect Christmas gift that suits your family members, friends, partner or colleagues can be a tall order.  Whether you've got a sister who's obsessed with fitness and exercise, a teenage daughter who aspires to be a You Tuber or a spouse that's obsessed with basketball, you will surely find the perfect gift for them if you invest in a little time shopping for gifts.  I'm talking great gifts like blanket hoodies, smart watches, sports bra, personalized wallet, sports vest and so much more. 

I’ve scoured the web to find thoughtful and affordable gifts and have an ultimate roundup of the best Christmas presents of 2020 for everyone on your list – even those hard-to-shop-for folks on your list, like teenagers, bosses and mothers-in-law!

Whether you have a mother-in-law who treats you like her own daughter, or one who can be a bit more challenging it can be tough to find a gift that both fits her personality and shows you care.  Whether she's a fashionista, an incredible home cook, or a health freak, there are fail-proof gifts for mothers-in-law that are sure to put a smile on her face.  

This Trendy Rhinestone Fragrance Necklace Life Tree Essential Oil Necklace For Women will look elegant on her and she will surely cherish it forever. Other ideas include a luxurious body butter, anti-wrinkle cream, an apron, bedding set in her favorite color or some baking or gardening tools.

I don’t know about you but all the men in my life don't really want anything fancy nor do they love shopping while I can barely keep my shopping addiction under control  😆. When it comes to shopping for gifts, men are the hardest people to shop for.  Nonetheless, I have a few gift suggestions that will work for at least one of the special men in your life.  A rechargeable screw driver comes in handy for all of those light-duty tasks around the house if your man likes installing and assembling things in the house.  You could even get him a set of super comfy faux silk pajamas or dragon print faux silk robe to surprise him.

If pajamas are not his thing, you can't go wrong with a smart corduroy jacket mens in his favorite color.

We parents know that shopping for a teen can be tricky. You surely wouldn't want to gift your teen something that would send his/her eyes rolling or secretly giving the gift away. If you take note of their likes and interests, you might get them a gift that they really appreciate.  If your teenage daughter spends most of her time making videos, you could get her a cool mic or a photography light for the teen who's obsessed with photography.  The teens who love switching their cell phone casing will love adding new phone cases to their collection.  My teenage girls will surely welcome teddy hoodies or hooded sweatshirts. 

As this year has been more difficult and depressing than most years because of a seemingly never ending pandemic, it's especially important to show your appreciation and love to the people who've been with you through it all. Check out New Chic for a great range of affordable and lovely Christmas gifts.  Happy shopping and Merry Christmas!

CMCO Day 185 ~ Friday, 11 December 2020

With half a head of organic cabbage in the fridge bought over a week ago and starting to sprout black spots, a loaf of bread sitting in the freezer for almost a month and some month-old frozen organic boneless chicken thighs in the freezer, our wise chef Sherilyn told me yesterday that she will clear the fridge today. We now plan our meals together but on most days, she wants it her way. She's got one more month to cook for us before school starts in mid January 2021. So I let her try out as many new recipes as she desires to hone her cooking skill. Sherilyn really finds it a joy cooking and baking, just like how she used to love playing with her masak-masak toys when she was a toddler.  

Have I told you that Santarina gave us a new Thermomix for Christmas?!  Our chef Sherilyn is going to have a fun time trying out loads of new recipes with the TMX! 

Today she whipped up chicken katsu sando just to clear the old stuff in the fridge.  She has now mastered the skill of deep frying meat coated with Panko bread crumbs with very little oil splatters. The result is always super crispy and mouth-watering fried chicken and pork that taste exactly like the ones from Japanese restaurants.

Sherilyn even makes her own Tonkatsu sauce for the sando.  In fact, she makes most of the Korean and Japanese sauces herself these days. 

Our teenage chef also tried baking brownie cookies for the first time using dark chocolate.  However, she's not happy with her brownie cookies as she said that the top of the cookies didn't crack like they should. Taste wise, they're  delizioso - very chocolaty and not sweet.  She reduced the organic brown sugar and this could be the reason why the top didn't crack.  Well, you can't have the best of both worlds.  You either eat a healthier version that doesn't look like the real deal or you produce perfect looking brownie cookies that's so sweet you'd be scared shit of getting diabetes after chomping down only one piece😬.

I don't mind the appearance at all as long as what I put into my body is healthy.  I'm pretty non-finicky when it comes to food.  I've been trained from young not to be picky with food or we'd be spanked!  Food must always be finished and there were many times when I had to swallow down my rice (I've disliked rice since young) till I felt like puking with tears in my eyes 😂

I think Sherilyn is going to try baking brownie cookies again and this time with more sugar added so that she gets the cracking top on her cookies.  

Would you buy these brownie cookies from Sherilyn if she baked them again? 😬

Monday, 7 December 2020 ~ Cassandra's DTPA Renal Scan

Cass did a DTPA renal scan at HKL today. For the first time, we needn't have to camp there the entire day. Waiting time was 5 hours, which is considered very fast at HKL. We reached HKL at 8 a.m. and left the hospital at 2-ish p.m.  The renal nuclear scan lasted an hour. Thank God everything went pretty smoothly today. But the report will only be ready in a week's time and my next appointment to see the head of Urology is in early February 2021.  Hopefully we'll be given an earlier date to see the doctor.  

Though we've spent almost the entire year in home quarantine this year, it's nevertheless a blessing in disguise for Cass. Had there been no lockdown, Cass would have to skip school several times and may even need to skip a few major exams to undergo all the diagnostic tests at HKL. With HKL, if you postpone a given appointment, you may have to wait for months for another!  In summary, these are the diagnostic tests that Cass did this year:

1.  MRU 

2.  Cystoscopy 

3.  DTPA renal scan

4.  Ultrasound scan of her kidneys

5.  Several rounds of blood and urine tests

I hope that this will be the last invasive diagnostic test that Cass has to go through and her surgeon will be able to diagnose and tell us how she intends to perform the surgery to fix the issue 🙏. It appears to be a complicated problem (finding the root is perhaps like finding a needle in a haystack) and I pray to God for His direction and intervention in resolving Cass' issue soonest.

This is the waiting room for all the patients injected with nuclear medicine with radiation. They were all waiting for their turns to do their scans. 

 

Some of these patients had to go to IJN for a heart scan and some were redirected to the Cancer Society.  Accompanying relatives/friends were advised to wait outside the room as the waiting room has circulating radiation.  There's even a separate toilet for 'radiation patients' to use.

I killed time by walking up and down the corridor for more than an hour (again!).  This is the only way I can clock in a minimum of 7k steps on a hospital visit day where I have to skip my morning exercise. I walked back and forth the corridor outside the OT for more than an hour when Cass did a Cystoscopy last month.  So to those of you who always say that you have no time for exercise - you can still do it if you are determined.  If there's a will, there's always a way 😉💪

This is Cass after the procedure, waiting for the IV catheter to be removed. She had to wear this oversized hospital pants meant for an adult as her denim skirt has a metal button sewn on it.  All metal accessories and clothing must be removed for the DTPA scan.  This stubborn girl was in a terrible foul mood this morning and refused to listen to my advise to her to wear a shift dress 😠

CMCO Day 176 ~ Wednesday, 2 December 2020 (Hot Pot Night)

We had hotpot again for dinner tonight, cooked by Chef Sherilyn. This time with two flavors for the soup ~ original and super spicy.  I had a shock when I walked into the kitchen and saw a gigantic abalone basking on the plate, ready to be blanched in the pot of soup! This chef didn't ask my permission and quietly opened the can of expensive extra large abalone, which was actually meant to be cooked for some fancy-schmancy dinner with guests at home or for CNY next year.  

Ok la since she's already opened the can and we won't be expecting any guest for at least another half a year, we all had an enjoyable hotpot seafood dinner that cost a few hundred Ringgit 😛.  We're going vegan tomorrow to recoup tonight's expensive dinner!

Assortment of fish balls and 'foo pei' delivered to our condo from Tg. Sepat.

Chef Sherilyn has impeccable meat slicing skills too.  Have I told you that this fearless dare devil has an affinity with knifes? She loves cutting and slicing things with knifes and loves shopping for them too.  She told me several times that she has fleeting thoughts of wanting to become a surgeon in future 😨.

Mille-Feuille Nabe (A Thousand Leaves Hot Pot) ~ Wednesday, 25 November 2020

Sherilyn cooked everyone's favorite dish for dinner ~ Mille-Feuille Nabe (A Thousand Leaves Hot Pot). We used Shabu-Shabu pork slices and thinly sliced boneless chicken thigh for layering with the long cabbage leaves.  We also had Petai & Prawn Sambal from hubby's shop.

Dipping sauce for the meat is Tare, also prepped by our teenage chef. 

Chef at work ~ layering of the Shabu-Shabu pork and chicken between the long cabbage leaves:

My kind of meal ~ a one pot meal with lots of vegetables and meat in a clear broth.  It's not oily, mildly seasoned with salt and Dashi stock and very soothing, healthy and flavorful naturally.

Lunch was chicken chop, Mee Siam, Ayam Goreng Berempah. prawn  and yummy fattening kuih (my ultimate kryptonite) 😆 from Catermate.

Lip-smacking prawn and petai sambal cooked by Catermate's Indonesian chef:

Home-cooked Samgyetang (Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup) ~ CMCO Day 168 (Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020)

It's Korean tonight!  

We're happy guinea pigs again to Chef Sherilyn's new dish ~ a soothing Samgyetang (Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup) to restore our energy. It's complete with her appetizing homemade Banchan ~ long cabbage kimchi, green chili kimchi, spring onion kimchi and pickled radish.   Everyone enjoyed their Korean meal tremendously. Had we ordered all these at a Korean restaurant, it would have cost us double or even triple the price. This meal only cost about RM60 and we had an entire organic chicken.

너무 맛있어!

Dipping sauce and condiments for the chicken ~ her homemade Tare sauce with chopped spring onions and ground black + white sesame seeds with pink sea salt and pepper.

Stuffing inside the chicken cavity ~ Japanese rice, fresh chestnuts, a few red dates and garlic.  Soak the uncooked rice for at least 2 hours before stuffing and cooking.

Online Food Ordering

Though hubby's chef cooks on an almost daily basis and we eat them regularly, I still order food from random home-based sellers on Facebook to support these sellers.   I do this once every fortnightly.   Once or twice a week, I get takeout dishes from our neighborhood eateries to support these business owners, who have become my friends.  A lady boss of our favorite eatery often gave us souvenirs whenever she went for a holiday. She would also gift us mooncakes, tang yuan and bak zhang during these Chinese festivals.  Our girls have been recipients of ang pows from her during Chinese New Year for the past 12 years.  She would sometimes treat us to the roast pork and roast chicken from her shop. And we reciprocate by ordering food from her shop at least once a week.

Ordering food and drinks online makes me a very happy bunny. Now that I can't indulge in my twice monthly retail therapy, ordering food, drinks and buying stuff online give me the same satisfaction I get as when I go mall shopping 😬

Last Saturday, I ordered Western food and fusion Malay food from a random homebased cook on Facebook.  For someone who's non-anal when it comes to food, I'm pretty satisfied with the food.  I thanked the seller for giving me an extra meat ball. But for my 3 finicky girls, especially our Junior Master Chef, they made quite a bit of fuss about the food 😂.  And I paid RM81 for all these including delivery charges.  

In conclusion, they still prefer the food from their daddy's shop 😁

Chicken chop with fries.

Grilled lemongrass chicken thigh with buttered rice. I love the lemongrass chicken with a smokey aroma.

  

 

Chicken pie and fish pie

Monster meat balls.

Flowers For Every Occasion

Everyone loves flowers as they are beautifully created by God to bring joy to people. Since the beginning of time, flowers have been playing their special role in our life. A prominent preacher once said that “Flowers Are The Sweetest Things God Ever Made And Forgot To Put A Soul Into.” This statement holds so much truth in it.  Flowers are such pretty natural blossom and they grow in all shapes, sizes, colors with different unique scents.  Anyone would be in a cheery mood to wake up to a beautiful vase of pleasant-smelling flowers in their house.

Flowers sent to someone when they are going through a tough time can lift up their mood and put an instant smile on their face.  A good friend once visited me with a big bouquet of beautiful flowers during one of the darkest moments of my life when Cass was diagnosed with kidney reflux and was scheduled to go for surgery. I will never forget my friend’s kindness and the joy the flowers had brought me.  

For those of you with good friends and loved ones living in Hong Kong, you can order high quality gifts and flowers online for these people for all occasions from Give.Gift.Boutique. Though you are not able to meet these special people in your life right now due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, send them flowers and gifts from Give.Gift.Boutique to show your care and appreciation for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Mother’s Day or just to tell them that you’re thinking about them.   Hong Kong Give.Gift.Boutique. is a leading florist and gift shop which delivers top quality gifts, hampers, and bouquets. 

I wonder when I’d ever receive something like this Crabtree & Evelyn Body Care Jewelry Box Set With Flowers for Mother’s Day?

Valentine’s Day will only be here in 3 months’ time but it’s never too early to start planning a surprise for the love of your life. You could even plan a proposal to her on Valentine’s Day with a bouquet of 99 red roses with matching greens, wrapped in red gauze and organza bow for a grand presentation alongside a  diamond ring! 

Or fancy sending blue roses arranged in a synthetic purple heart-shape box to the special someone whose favorite color is blue?  I’ll be in seventh heaven if I received this box of bright blue roses 😍

Throughout life, there are so many reasons to gift flowers besides Valentine’ Day and Mother’s Day. Whether it’s birthdays, anniversaries, birth of a baby, housewarming or congratulating a friend for a promotion or grand opening of a shop, flowers are a great way to show that you are proud of their accomplishment. 

A grand arrangement of an assortment of colorful flowers on a basket stand is sure to warm the cockles of the heart of a friend on the grand opening of his shop or office. 

Out of sight does not mean out of mind.  As the world is crippled by COVID-19 and borders remain closed in most countries, our loved ones and dear friends are now more than ever on our minds. Though we can’t meet them, we can spread our love and care to them with unique and wonderful gifts for any occasion.  One of the best reasons to send gifts and flowers is for no reason at all! Receiving a surprise bouquet of flowers on your door step for no reason at all is guaranteed to make anyone’s day a great one. I’ll be in a good mood the entire week if I received a surprise gift or flowers from someone for no specific reason.

It does not matter that you’re currently not able to celebrate with your loved ones and friends who are in Hong Kong on their special day.  No matter which part of the world you are in right now, you can still brighten their days with a luxurious gift or beautiful flowers.   Give.Gift.Boutique helps you spread joy during these uncertain times with special gifts and flowers delivery. You can order gifts and flowers to your loved ones anytime in Hong Kong today!

Life At Home & At Work During CMCO

Everyone has been whispering in the house for the past 1 week - from 8 a.m. through 3 p.m.. And I'm also not allowed to turn on the radio because Alycia is having a trial online exam before the actual SPM trials.  Her high school has never conducted a major exam via online mode before, thus the teachers are testing the effectiveness before Form 5 students sit for their SPM trials via online mode. The silence and whispering has to go on for another week until this Saturday! It's a torture and really inconvenient as I can't live without music while I'm at work. And I can't even dress up shabbily as the camera is turned on!   Alycia usually attends online lessons in her room but the internet has been extremely laggy for the past one week, thus she has to sit at the dining table to receive a better internet connection.  Being seated right smack in the middle of the house, everyone has no privacy to talk, play the piano, guitar or be around her. We can't even have our breakfast or lunch in peace.  I can't even chide off someone; once I did very loudly and Alycia's friends asked  her what happened😅  

 

I'm usually busy with work from home from Tuesdays to Thursdays. Sometimes there's work from Monday to Sunday. Whenever I have the time, I will drive to hubby's shop to help him with photography as I am managing his shop's Facebook page and orders for online delivery.

Here are some behind the scenes photos taken while everyone was busy at work at the shop. Peak hours are from 10 a.m. - 12 noon.  I don't fancy going to his shop a time when he's busy as he'll be a grumpy old man hollering at everyone 😡.  Can't really fault him because if he loses concentration and  switches customers' orders or leaves out something, it's going to be very costly.  Most times, he has to test taste the food before they go into the boxes.   Once, the Mee Siam turned out starchy as his staff bought the wrong type of vermicelli. And guess what? All the Mee Siam was discarded and a new batch cooked again with the right type of vermicelli (100% rice with no added starch).  This happened again last week and the entire big packet of uncooked vermicelli had to be given away to his part-time staff.  It's really not easy to be in the F&B business and you can't rely on your staff 100%. 

 

Food porn overload - these petite and delicate santan jellies in flower and fish shape are too pretty to be eaten. The girls and I love  them to bits!

 

I usually get food from the shop for our lunch or dinner.  We love his Indonesian chef's Nasi Lemak  with Ayam Goreng Berempah, otak-otak and crispy anchovies and peanuts.