Fun and educational ways to connect with your children during the school holidays
With Christmas and the New Year having just passed… personally, I believe this is the best time of the year to take some time to just rest and recuperate from [...]
Happy New Year 2025
When I look through my old blog posts of Happy New Year wishes… I just realised how time flies. I have posts that went way back more than 10 years [...]
The ritual of gifting during festive seasons, and whether it is sustainable?
During Chinese Festive Season, cookies are often given as gifts as they are sweet and auspicious Chinese New Year has just passed. We have enjoyed the festive season [...]
From the kitchen to connections and empowerment
Your kitchen - a natural classroom! My amazing editor, Dana, sent this link to me: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-18/childrens-literacy-study-links-hearing-words-to-reading-ability/8697138 There are two amazing articles in there, but for today, we are going [...]
Happy Mother’s Day 2023
Every year I scribble a very short message wishing all mums, grandmas, foster mums, and the motherly figures of mums all over the world a very Happy Mother’s Day. [...]
Gearing up to the year of the Rabbit
It is only less than 2 weeks before the biggest event for the Chinese community all over the world – welcoming the spring festival. It’s Chinese New Year - the [...]
Happy New Year 2023
It is the start of a brand new year and I would like to wish all of you good health. May the New Year bring happiness, health and joy to [...]
Festivity – Family Connections and Traditions
Christmas and 2023 are just around the corner and Chinese New Year is on the 22nd of January. How will you celebrate this year’s festivities? For the past 2 years, [...]
Happy Father’s Day
Happy Father's Day Wishing all fathers, stepfathers, fathers-in-law, grandfathers, guardians (e.g. foster parents), and family friends who have been a father figure to any child on a very Happy Father's [...]
How to communicate and connect with your loved ones during the pandemic
The new way of connecting during the pandemic It has been a while since I last wrote... I hope you are well. I was reading through some of the articles [...]
Wishing you and family a safe and joyful new year 2021
What a year it has been... and with a blink of an eye, it is that time of year again. We are bidding year 2020 goodbye and welcoming in year [...]
Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother's Day Mother’s day is a day to honour all the mums, step mum, grandmothers, all foster mums and the influences of mums all over the world. Will you [...]
Australia Day
The tradition of having Australia Day as a national holiday on 26 January is a recent one. Not until 1935 did all the Australian states and territories use that name [...]
Nourishing your soul through your Childhood Food
The nostalgic food memory from through a bowl of porridge I woke up to one cold winter morning, and all I could think of was a warm bowl of porridge [...]
How to support your aging parents when you live far away from them – part 2
This is a topic that I know many migrant families will face, especially for those living far away from their loved ones. It is one that I myself am currently [...]
Are card and letter writing still relevant in today’s society?
Are card and letter writing still relevant in today’s society? How often do you write letters to your friends and families? Do your children still use pen and paper to [...]
Electronic gadgets in our modern day family environment
Since I wrote about social media and kids a few years ago, in addition to the electronic games, gadgets and computer, so many new things have evolved – tablets and smart phones [...]
With a blink of an eye
With a blink of an eye, my son celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday. I still remember the day he was born, the day he started preschool, primary school, high school and [...]
Being in a new environment, and opportunity to grow?
What can you learn by being in a new environment? I can't help it; I know… I was planning to take some time off to blog about GoKids | GoParents [...]
Connect and bond with your children through meaningful interactions – Involve them!
I still whole heartedly believe that children can learn so much from HOME, play and interacting with people they love and trust. They learn through being hands on, i.e. helping you [...]
Your House Is Your Home
Your house is your home I first heard this phrase 'Your house is your home' in an Australia comedy – The Castle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4EmJSjS-sY. If you have not seen this movie, I [...]
How to parent without the help of extended families
Parenting is already hard enough, let alone if you have to do it on your own or without an extended family to support you. When my husband (Patrick) and I [...]
Connect and have fun with your extended family
Having some quality time with my aunty and mum When we talk about creating connections with children and family, it is about sharing experiences together. This means making time to [...]
How to connect with loved ones despite being busy
Make time for the people that you love! Just the other day I tried calling an elderly lady (Aunt Cathy) in Adelaide, and I was told that she had recently [...]
Don’t wait until special occasion before we connect again
Don't wait until another special occasion before we connect with family and friends again! A few years ago when we celebrated my grandmother's 100th birthday, we invited a few hundred [...]
Wishing you a wonderful New Year 2019
Just a short message to wish all of you a Happy New Year 2019! Thank you for all your support throughout the year. I hope you are enjoying your end-of-year [...]
In loving memory of my beloved mah mah
My grandmother (Mah-Mah) on her 100th birthday tea ceremony celebration The one in red is me receiving a red packet from my grandmother. I was talking to my mum yesterday [...]
Gearing up to Nyonyalicious
Our breakfast in Penang I just came back from visiting my parents in Malaysia. Even though it was a three week trip, the time just flew by. We spent most [...]
You are not just a home cook!
I was having a conversation with a customer, telling her that I look forward to her feedback about the products she bought and possibly sharing few photos as well. I [...]
Parenting in a new culture and the opportunity for stronger bonding and connections
Parenting in a new culture and the opportunity for stronger bonding and connections As parents, irrespective of our background or culture, our primary goal is to have great relationships with [...]
You are just a click or a card away from your loved ones
You are just a click or a card away from your loved ones In my last blog post, I wrote about making time to connect with your loved ones, especially [...]
Bring Out The Puzzle
Let’s talk about the Jigsaw Puzzle – recently I took out a 1000 piece puzzle and started to assemble the pieces. I enjoyed it especially when I needed to relax [...]
Thank you for the wonderful shared memories
My children learning how to make gyoza (Japanese dumling) with my cousin in Japan I have to apologise for not keeping in touch for the past 2 weeks. It was [...]
United With Shine! the Journey
I am going to take this opportunity to thank you for your support with the launch of my first book - United We Shine!. It was definitely a surreal experience [...]
United We Shine! Parenting In A New Culture – Opportunities For Growth and Deeper Connection
Nyonyalicious store - pdf format Amazon: https://amzn.to/2M5vcvh (Kindle version) I would like to share something really exciting with you today ... Over the past few years I had been thinking of [...]
Make every opportunity to connect and bond with overseas relatives count
Building relationships and bonding with relatives - Make every opportunity to connect and bond count. I have just communicated with my relatives overseas about planning our travel itineraries for the [...]
Hang in there… It will get better
Hang in there.... It will get better! I was with a friend yesterday, who shared with me about an unwell child and being here without family support. This reminded me [...]
Parenting is – a partnership
Parenting is a Partnership!! I spoke about this topic previously. Yet it is such an important topic, and I would like to re-address it. Why do I say parenting is [...]
Strengthen your relationships with your children through your childhood dishes
Strengthen your relationships with your children through your childhood dishes What is your favourite childhood dish or food memory? Why is it so special? Last week I talked very briefly [...]
What are your reasons for travelling back to your birth country?
This whole week is all about Chinese New Year and family connections. Throughout the week, we had many wonderful conversations, chatting with relatives through phone and social media. One of [...]
Why letter writing is beneficial for your well being?
The benefits of hand written letters or cards I love receiving physical cards and letters, especially from friends and relatives living all over the world. Don't you? However nowadays, with [...]
How to build trust with your children?
The most effective way to inspire and influence your children How do you impart your knowledge to or inspire your children? How do you instill values on to your children? [...]
Your children believe what your believe
As some of you may know, Malaysia had its election yesterday, 5th of May, 2013. On my Facebook timeline, it was all about the election. Later today, I should be able [...]
3 simple steps to growing old but not apart
Yesterday when I was having breakfast with my family in Chinatown, next to our table was an elderly couple enjoying their breakfast. While waiting for our order, I was unintentionally [...]
Stop telling and start listening
A few weeks ago I had a chat with a friend who just had a confrontation with her daughter that morning. She said her teenage daughter was really angry and [...]
Don’t forget your spouse
Partnerships are special. I previously wrote about making a date with your spouse. The subject for this week: the importance of re-connecting with your spouse. Simple steps mean we can re-connect. In [...]
How to support your child transit from primary to high school with ease and joy
The challenges of high school What happens when you children moves from primary to secondary school? How would they feel? How do they adjust? During the transition, it is a [...]
The greatest gift you can give to your family – self love!
love, relationship, family and people, Happy couple raise up hands with hat traveling in summer garden “Love is the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our [...]
5 steps on how to nurture a healthy relationships as a couple
I have written about making time and creating opportunities to connect as a couple, and don’t forget to have fun together. I believe that in every relationship you need to put in some [...]
Parenting is a journey
It is not just a box of takeaway noodles - it is about what it represents! What's so special about this box of takeaway noodles? From the first look - [...]
Happy Food Happy Thoughts – Agree?
Do you really know what your life would be like in 5, 10 or 20 years? We can plan, wish and hope, and envision what it would be like, but [...]
The Power of Photo Albums
Yesterday, I decided to put all my work aside and dug out several boxes from the study cupboard. Those boxes had been in the cupboard for as long as I [...]
5 Benefits of volunteering in your community
When I moved to Sydney from Melbourne some 22 years ago, the local library in Chatswood was running a wonderful program to help migrants learn conversational English. I thought it [...]
Why festive seasons are great opportunities for family connections
Festive seasons are great opportunities for connections and to introduce your culture to your family It is few more weeks to Christmas, and I hear people dreading this time [...]
Every Child is Unique
Every child is unique! Many many years ago before I had kids, I always thought that children's characters were "molded" and "shaped" according to our family values and environment. I [...]
It is not about quantity, but quality, and make every meet-up counts
It is not about quantity, but quality, and make every meet-up counts! My uncle and aunty from Canada are spending some time in Penang right now, and this is the [...]
The story behind your favourite dish
What is the story behind your favourite dish? Have you been watching Masterchef? I seldom watch any reality shows, but I quite enjoy Master Chef and have been watching it [...]
How can a glass of root beer bring back so many fond memories?
Sometimes a simple dish or a drink can spark beautiful and wonderful memories. And this A & W root beer with ice cream sure brought back fond wonderful childhood memories. [...]
Your currency of connections – your relationships with your family
Your currency of connections - your relationships with your family This is one of the most precious drawings that my daughter did. I can not recall when she drew this, [...]
Connect with your family through food conversation
Creating memories together through food While watching Master Chef, one of the contestants mentioned about connecting through food. They said that one of the many ways to connect with her [...]
Five common challenges for migrant parents
Moving to a new country, whether it is for work or by choice, involves lots of decision making, planning, research, commitment and sacrifices on all parties involved. It may be [...]
Simple and joyful ways to reconnecting with your family
Reconnecting with your own family/tribe is important for your well-being, as you are reconnecting to your roots, your core values and your sense of self I recently had a conversation [...]
What’s the Difference between Encouragement and Praise?
How can I encourage my children? Something I hear very often, and I have experienced this scenario myself. Why aren't children motivated? I want them to be able to do [...]
Trust yourself! You know your child best!
Whether you are about to have children or already have, you would probably be going through parenting blogs, reading parenting magazines, talking to family and friends, seeking out professional advice [...]
What your Child’s Behaviour is Telling You
Behaviours, whether coming from a child or an adult, are a communication of unmet needs. It is a communication of what we have right now and what we want, and is [...]
Happy Boxing Day everyone!
Happy Boxing Day everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and spending quality time with family and friends. As for us, we had the most wonderful and relaxing Christmas [...]
The challenges of Parental Influence and Setting Boundaries
I was listening to tone of the segments on the Today Show one morning, and one of the panelists was commenting whether there should be a statewide lockdown of pubs/bars [...]
Creating deep loving relationships with your children is more than hugs and kisses
Parenting is one of the most difficult, daunting roles, but yet the most rewarding “job” in the world. We face daily challenges of balancing our commitments, such as career, and other [...]
Cultural Conflict – What does it look like?
Cultural Conflict is very common among migrant families whose culture is not similar with the country they migrate to. How do you overcome those cultural clashes? I was at a [...]
Parenting – The Most Rewarding, Yet the Most Challenging Job in the World
Parenting is the most rewarding job, yet it can be the most challenging job in the world, do you agree? Do you agree that parenting is the most rewarding job [...]
Bridge Generational and Cultural Gaps Through Cultural Dishes
One of many ways to bridge cultural gaps with your children is by introducing your cultural dishes to them. By introducing the cultural dishes to our children, it is [...]
4 simple tips on how to make meal time an enjoyable time with the family
Make One Meal Time a FAMILY time! I am an advocate for making one MEAL time a FAMILY time! It is a time for family to sit down together, enjoy [...]
The importance of role of grandparents in the family
Grandparents are an important part of the family structure. They represent the history, the traditions and the bond that binds family members together. I grew up with my grandparents around, [...]
How to influence, impact and have good relationships with your children?
How to influence and empower your children with ease and joy Connections and communication are major areas that I see many parents struggle with, especially with their older children. I often [...]
It is not your parents’ fault
Parents play an important role in their children’s life – they are supposed to love, care, protect, nurture, and guide their children in their life journey. Children depend on parents [...]
Family recipes
Every family has one - What is your family secret recipe? DO you have family recipes that you love? The past few nights I was on the phone discussing with [...]
Five benefits of walking your children to school
Did you walk to school as a child? Do you walk your child to school right now? I did walk to school when I was young. The kindergarten, primary and [...]
Connections – it is all about shared experiences
Your relationships with your family are about those shared experiences together Making time to enjoy a meal together does not always have to be have to be either at restaurants [...]
Family support comes in many forms
Family support comes in many ways! Hey parents, listen up, you need support too! Recently through the survey I did with a few migrant families, one of the biggest struggles [...]
Three simple steps to opening up communications with you children – with ease and joy
Make your kitchen the “go to” place for your family Have you heard of the saying that the kitchen is the heart of the family. This is a place where [...]