My hairstylist was lamenting to me that he has lost some of his clients because they never return to use his service after giving birth.  Apparently some of them were too preoccupied being mothers that they no longer have the time or were interested to groom themselves.  At the most, they’ll just settle for a quick fix at the neighbourhood salons.

I think most of us mothers can probably relate to this. 

We lose some of our lifestyles when we advance to the stage of motherhood.  The extent of it will be dependent on how engaged one gets in the new role, whether one is a SAHM or a working mother, whether there is any form of relief if one wants to take some time off, and whether one actually feels a need to upkeep the pre-motherhood lifestyle.

There are some amongst us who get too engrossed in their mothering role that they completely forget to take care of their own needs.  Then there are those who are so hands off, they are more interested in living their lives than changing diapers and potty training.  Probably most of us fall somewhere in between.

I remember an ex-editor of Her World magazine once wrote that she can forget about stepping into a theatre for the next year when she has a child.  And that’s so true.  Because I had to wait like a year or two before I could sneak some time to watch the first movie at the cinema, which was Lord of the Rings.  And all in all, I have only watched like three movies at the theatres, which is such a stark contrast to our previous weekly movie outings.  I would also say I watch less TV programs now, as compared to before.

I also don’t do dinners with friends anymore unless in exceptional cases.  As a matter of fact, my husband and I hardly go out for fancy dinners.  Initially it was because we needed to accomodate to his sleeping schedules, then it fell into a sort of routine.  Occasionally, thoughts of sneaking out to the clubs at night did strike us but we could never outstrip our guilt to act on those ideas.

In fact, when I started going out to the shops again after becoming a mother, I would only buy things for the boy.  Not much for myself.  It took me about two years to start to remember to pamper myself again with things I like. 

But thank goodness I still took care of my face and my hair.  It is something so ingrained that I simply cannot neglect. 

So for those ladies who haven’t any kids, remember to live your lives to the fullest while you can.  Because when you become a mother, you’ll probably need to sacrifice some parts of your lifestyle, at least for the first couple of years.  But of course if you’re super rich, maybe these won’t make any sense to you.

My boy is already coming to four and he still sleeps in his baby crib.  He stopped sleeping in it for about 2 years and then re-discovered it earlier this year.  Since then, he refused to sleep anywhere in the night except in there. 

But he’s really growing fast and we need to find a proper bed for him.  In fact, one of the reasons why we frequent Ikea often is to check out their range of children’s bed.  But after shopping there and checking elsewhere, we still haven’t found a suitable one.  There is always a reason against.  Either the design isn’t country enough, the color isn’t right or the height does not match up to our bed. 

Actually it wasn’t exactly that easy to hunt for his crib at that time.  We had to settle for something solid, yet was more or less able to blend into our room decor.  And seriously, I think during my time, there was a dearth of beautiful country looking cribs, like the kind I see at this baby furniture site.  But at the least, it was easier to make our decision because then, we didn’t have to consult his opinion.

We really have to put in more urgency in this bed hunt.  It’s not getting any headway being on my to-do list for such a long while.  I need to make this one of my 2007 resolutions! 

Funny everytime I blog about some food stuff, I’ll lose interest in them, or I can’t find them soon after.  It’s a curse I tell you!

I cannot locate my Fran blueberry choc sticks again these weeks at my fave outlets.  Maybe they’re out there, but they’re just not there for me!

Then the last time I wrote about Kit Kat Wine and soon after, I couldn’t find them.  But this week, I found these.  Strawberry and Greentea Chocolatier.  I bought the former and boy, I just never learn.  These Kit Kats are potent!  I ate five at one shot and a couple of hours later, I developed symptoms of a sore throat. 

At $5.90 per box for 16 individually wrapped pieces, these kit kats are meant to be savoured ONE PIECE AT A TIME, LIMITED TO ONE A DAY!

I don’t really like to discuss my troubles in my blog.  I usually avoid writing about things that make my heart heavy.  Occasionally I give my readers a glance, but more likely in a non-specific sort of way. 

Maybe I’m fearful of being judged.  Maybe I’m just in denial.  Maybe I don’t really know where to start. 

This however, is very much in sync with my offline personality.

I don’t like to talk about my problems.  Not even with my closest of friends.  Rants and bitching yes but I won’t talk about my deep rooted troubles - those that seem larger than life, and those that don’t want to go away ever.

To me, problems breed negative energy and by talking or writing about them, I’m just giving them too much focus and amplifying my pain.  At the end of it, not only do I get dragged down by that depressing feeling, but people who hear or read about it too. 

It helps that I’m naturally a strong and positive person and one who is easily contented as well.  So despite the challenges I have, I prefer to focus on the small simple everyday happiness.  Of course some days I wake up with an extremely heavy heart, feeling completely vexed and fearing that my world will fall apart.  Fortunately, I have learnt to survive those momentarily thoughts by looking at the small goodies that lie ahead.   

I know some people rely heavily on their religion to help them cope.  For me, I have always relied on my inner strength and my own simple philosophies.  Live one day at a time.  Cross the bridge when I come to it.  Enjoy what I have at the moment. 

So if you’re worrying about something, it’s okay.  But remember to let it go and not dwell on it for too long.  Because worrying is not going to take you anywhere.  Definitely not heaven.  Definitely not nirvana.  And probably not even Christmas.     

I pulled out this old garment to wear for an outing last week.  Before we left the house, I made my man take these pics for me.   He was very puzzled when I told him I wanted to post them up my blog.

“What’s so special about this outfit?“  He asked me.  And I rolled my eyes at him.  He has obviously forgotten that this was what he bought for me about four years back for Chinese New Year. 

At that time, I was stranded at home with our newborn and couldn’t go shopping at all.  I was planning on wearing my old clothes for the festival but the man surprised me by buying two tops for me at GG/5 out of his own initiative.  This was one of them.

“I bought this?”  He asked again and I rolled my eyes at him one more time.

Dang.  Tell me why I should bother to get so sentimental about an old garment when the value is obviously lost on a forgetful other half.