Babyproof my new home!

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog.

I hope all are well so far, as it is for me! This my friends, have been sitting in my draft post for almost a year, I think! So I better work on this and well share with you guys! Your input would be of great help too! Just leave a comment and allow me 3 days to read and approve ya!

Today we shall touch on baby proofing a home. I have been through baby proofing a house over 5 times. Usually much desired when baby has learnt to roll over right till they are walking all over, with curiosity getting into them every second.

Through all my experience, it being not my own house and it was not our own kid per se, we only did the real basics, like getting those drawer locks, the doorway gate, the corner cushions and such.

You can get those drawer locks at any baby store! And the ones I got are pretty good! 

However, as we age, and us getting our very own house pretty soon, the idea of baby proofing the house right from the start dwell on me. This is probably why I keep telling my husband I want a bare or minimalism concept for our house. I don't wish for some decoration glass cupboard or a pretty corner to place a vase of flowers or anything like that. All I want was everything basics, and that was that.

It only occurred to me about to baby proof our soon-to-be house right from the start even when I haven't conceived because it would be much easier when it calls for it. At least I wont be freaking out to find stuff to cover the sharp corners of everything and having to sell away anything and everything glass because baby is on the way. I guess I rather fuss now than fuss later along with a crying baby in my arms.

So I began to somewhat interview some of my friends, and start asking what they do, and what they would recommend for us to consider while renovating our soon-to-be flat. And here, we shall list it all for people like us who would like to baby proof their flat:

Round up all corners

One of the best tips! A lot of us forget about it and end up buying tonnes of corner cushions that doesn't really keep our worries away.

So ya, tell your contractor to round up all the corners, strictly no sharp corners in the house. This would apply to your new dining table, coffee table and chairs too! Look out for those corners. 

Leaking Gas?

Do I smell gas? Have you found a baby standing and reaching up to those gas knobs? I have! And so someone shared with me what her brilliant contractor did for her gas cooker. He added a switch to allow the gas to flow. If that switch is not turned on, the gas won't be let out to light up the stove. 

This is pretty much about the same with what I have at home, just that we don't have a switch, but it detects somehow that if there is no fire (ie. fire got blown off by wind or we accidentally turn the knob) the gas would automatically gets cut off.

Window Grilles

Yes as much as most BTOs now comes with grilled windows, many forget about the service yard, and aircon ledge windows, which doesn't come with any. Mishaps happen when you least expect them to. So better be safe than sorry.

Doorways/Alleyways

Yup, some of us may get driven away with larger doorways and larger alleyways if possible so you won't be hitting each other when two of you wish to enter the kitchen at the same time.. And then when baby comes, it is so hard to find a child gate lock that is wide enough. ;) Oooppsss..

Don't forget the toilet or wet area too! Make sure the floor mat/rug has an anti slip feature, you wouldn't want to fall head down, and definitely wouldn't want your baby to run and slip.

Feature wall?

Oh don't go overboard with wanting textures and such, because when baby comes, you won't want baby to scrap thru that wall or bang his/her head on it.

Furniture

Yup this is very much a part of your renovation plan. Furniture would complete the whole process, so what shall I look out for furniture?

As per our first point, the sharp corners. Eliminate the designs that has them.

Go away from furniture that are made of glass. You wouldn't want to imagine a baby banging something on the glass table and break it on an unlucky day.

Power Sockets

You know, our old house used to have most, if not all the power sockets, at an adult height, but the new house seemed to have lowered them to almost ground level. So be aware, parents of young kids, get those power socket covers and keep them grounded. I don't have much of a solution yet, so if you do, please let me know.

Keep taking down notes, and don't forget to share with me!

Have a great Friday everyone!

With love,
Jun

Wassalam

Our BTO is building fast.....

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog.

I know and well aware that I've been blogging reviews after reviews.. So now, time for another personal update of my personal emotions, opinions and random rantings...

As the subject suggests, I am touching on my "Built-To-Order" flat that seems to be building fast. So fast, I am freaking out. I know so many newly weds are always on the "oh can't wait for it to be ready" and the "oh can't wait for our very own nest", well in one way yes, we are looking forward to our own home, our own rules, our own whatever you call it, but in many ways, we - or maybe just me - are not ready for it.

Call me spoilt, but I am so used to my parents being around to help me settle things I couldn't do any better. As much as they would continue living with me, I am still very much attached to my parents' home as my own. It won't be the same, I think.

The new place, new location, new environment, new neighbours, new route to work... Will we cope? Will we be able to detach and make do on our own, completely? Can I not?

By paper, our new home would be ready for key collection first quarter of 2016, but the looks of it, it is very possible for a late 2015. I am not ready. We havent scout for any renovation contractor, we haven't got any quotations. We have saved though, but I am always thinking it is not enough, and that I need more time. Am I cheating and lying to myself? Maybe...

It is probably just infinity time that I need to finally be living in my own home, and have my own responsibility to the house, and everything that comes with it. We will be making rules for the house, and my parents won't have rights over me, my decision and what I do to the house. It is painful for me to take, what more my parents? Will they want to live with me still? Or would they detach and live on their own because they don't feel like home at my place? Will I end up living with them still, because I don't want to be far away from them? Or would I break away and feel the freedom I had always wanted?

I don't know. Honestly, I don't. I am just not ready. I still need my parents, even at 30, heck I think I still need my parents when I am 50! And this is why, I never could tell my husband to not visit his parents, I think I'd break down and go beyond crazy if he tells me NO when I want to visit my parents. Parents are just that one in the list that no matter how often you meet them, even if you are with them every hour, you'd still miss them, kindda people.

I don't know how others do it, without visiting or calling their parents. But I cannot imagine myself. Oh I am such an emo wreck right now! Excuse me for a bit...

I have returned, not any less of an emo wreck.... I casually slot in this topic about them living with me in my new home, and renting out theirs so they get income of their own to spend and use for their old age pleasures and medical needs, and about how they are uncomfortable about sleeping over my sisters' no matter nice how everyone treat them. My mom laughed it off before adding...

"I am going to say what my mother always say.. You will never understand until you get there!"

True, I don't understand. How can a mother be uncomfortable in their children's home, when we children always feel at home in theirs? Maybe it is like us in our in laws, as much as there's love, there's this pretence. Not like you do it on purpose, but more like it comes to you naturally. You sit up right, you don't have your leg up on the chair while eating or lick your fingers like you haven't ate in years, you don't lie down and have no care in the world. You can't seem to do that, but you can freely do so in your parents' place.

Recently, I logged in to HDB website to see the progress.. Oh NOT HAPPY.. it is building fast.. Whilst the completion handover date havent changed (1Q of 2016), I have a feeling it will actually be pretty much ready by 4Q of 2015. Scary. I know I don't have to shift right away, but having a flat to your name, is an added responsibility in itself. After checking the website, I secretly checked my bank balance. I wished I wont have to part with my close to successful savings that I actually don't touch without punishing myself severely. I wish that money is there to stay and grow.

Even if we take the tiniest step at a time to make the shift, I think we will eventually have to make the shift. Maybe 2016 would be weekend stays or weekday stays.. then gradually make the change and fully shift in 2017. Or maybe a baby will come, then we have to shift to our new nest.

Up to date, after numerous sit-down-talk with my parents, I still don't know if they are coming along or not, they are giving me the "we will see when the time comes". At the same time, they knew and sort of had already made the decision to stay with me, and I have gladly accepted that way back before I turned 21. I just knew, I'd be the lucky one to care for them.

And I hope my family & I, my husband, and my children, will be bestowed strength, patience and a smile to continually care for my aged parents, to always practice zikr when it gets tough, to always consume anger and let out cheers to remain happy. To constantly remind each other, that they are elders that needs respect and love, positive words and care, nothing less of that. And if things get tough, and anger consumes one of us, I hope the buddy/partner will come to shower us with reminders so we return calm and cool, so we would forgive and seek forgiveness.

I was such an emo wreck, I think I still am.

1Q of 2015 has went by, we are nothing close to even consider looking for any renovation contractors. We shall wait, stand around, and see.. Clearly, we are in denial about having our own house.. As opposed to many young couples who just couldn't wait to settle in their own nest, we are just the couple who probably wants to just hang a little longer so our dollar can stretch further. We are so NOT going to take any loans.

PLUS, we probably have bigger plans than just owning this flat. I really don't know what the future holds, but really, there is nothing wrong with having hopes. I don't know if I will finally have my dreams to be a stay home wife, or if I have to continue working this hard 5yrs down the road.

I don't want to continue in this world full of stresses, if I had to continue working, I'd like to be able to cut down 2 folds, so it'd be less stressful.. Again, who knows what the future holds. If it is indeed written that I have to hang on and stay, then I guess I have to.

It is only 1Q 2015, right? BUT I felt like I already need a long 2 week holiday somewhere.

Anyway, here's my BTO, which is building way too quickly..

Just so you know, I read the so-called advice/tips about choosing your unit. As much as I wish I can agree, the thing is, most of the time we don't have THAT much of choice. And chances are if you don't like it, you won't have much choice to just sell and buy another either. Well UNLESS... Unless you are one rich bugger with tonnes of ready cash (NOT CPF).

It doesn't bother me, because my thinking is set to think that this house I bought, will be the house I stay in until I die, unless we are forced into En-Bloc or something. So yeah... Like it or not, this is where I will live my old self...

The emo wreck,
Wassalam,
Jun