IKEA living room makeover

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NICE, our living room is much more spacious now.
Kids are keeping their toys and accessories into the colourful Trofast trays.
Everyone got their own set of colour, no more contention.

Neat and elegant, we can configure the cabinets in different orientation too.
Less messy, visually pleasing, we love how the colourful trays seem to increase our living room’s floor area.

Before and after IKEA living room makeover :p

Video : Fast forward, kids took 30 minutes to construct our Trofast

To digress a bit, we all know kids grow up fast. We have been living in Sengkang for 14 years! Our family size has grown bigger, and our decade-old furniture and accessories are showing signs of wear and tear.

When kids were growing and getting heavier, they like to jump from our sofas, chairs etc.

When we were house-tidying for Chinese Lunar New Year, we took the opportunity to replace some of the old furniture.

IKEA was decked in festive decorations, and the Chinese New Year mood is everywhere.

If shoppers are ever clueless about makeover ideas, we would recommend IKEA’s HDB rooms mockup. That was how we came across our Sofa design.

1. You can research and shortlist your ideas from the catalogue or mobile app.

2. Next collect the packaging from the racks.

3. Payment and load into car. We love the whole DIY concept at IKEA.

Kids, however have other ideas when they visit IKEA. Their FUN is not only confined to chicken wings, ice cream cones or SmΓ₯land. The trolleys and luggage bags never fail to provide some sorts of entertainment for them!

Measuring tapes can be handy toys too (Daddy try to hide behind some Billy book shelves, so embarrassing haha)

But when it comes to real work, kids are very efficient with alan keys. With so many helping hands, we diy our own Trofast cabinet in under 30 minutes.

Besides Trofast, we got some additional storage with wheels.

With six family members, our laundry clothes are always piling like a hill. With the wheels, kids can now help to cart the laundry between living room, washer and bedrooms.

Before and after, we are confident our new sofa will have more seating space πŸ™‚

The last thing on our shopping list, a three seater Kivik sofa, should last us ten years (warranty). We do not expect the kids to be jumping on the sofa anymore, three of them will be serving National Service come 2025.

Somehow, parents and kids could not agree on how the sofa will be laid out. We shall see.

Whatever it is, we are eagerly waiting for our new sofa’s arrival. Four more days πŸ™‚

ps.. we are sponsored by IKEA to showcase a different theme each month. February is “Living room makeover” for us. You may be interested in January’s theme “Let there be Light“.

** updated 2015Mar …
Our new sofa πŸ™‚
IKEA sofa

Register to be a Bone Marrow donor today

I donated my Bone Marrow in 2002, my kids were born in 2003, 2005, 2007 and Boon Xin 2009. If someone tells you that donating your bone marrow will harm your vitality, send them to SengkangBabies, ooops I meant Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP). BMDP will gladly help to debunk the myths πŸ™‚

Both me and my Mrs are really happy and contented to see our kids grow up healthily.
If you ask me whether I will donate again, answer is YES, and I am sure my family will support my decision.

Last Friday, 30 plus donors were invited to a special Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) event, the theme was “A celebration of Heroes”. Some of the Bone Marrow recipients were also present.

Ask donor Shalini, it was a joyous occasion as her Bone Marrow recipient graced the event too. Or maybe you can ask BMDP’s patron K Shanmugam (Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law), he did not hesitate to wefie with the donors πŸ™‚

(image credit Wilson)

Everyone loves Birthday parties, the cakes, the songs and the company. Happy Birthday! was especially meaningful to Dave, one year after he received his Bone Marrow transplant.

As Dave shares his story, in the background was a picture of Dave’s happy family. He was 33 (or 34), in the prime of his life, when he was struck with a blood disease. He does not know whether he would be able to see his girls grow up, or who would take care of his family, should the situation turns sour.

A donor came into the picture.

20 years later, to see Dave in the pink of health, daughters all grown up, it was a heartfelt and poignant moment. I can only imagine how grateful Dave was 20 years ago when he celebrated his life reborn.

To Dave, it is not a simple Happy Birthday celebration. He was celebrating Hope, Opportunities, Family, and Aspirations etc.

Photo above. What a small world, I always knew Bob Lee as the Fat Farmer big-hearted photographer. Was glad to know that he was a fellow donor, 2007.


(image credit BMDP)

I was very happy that my two oldest boys were there with me to witness the occasion. They might be too young to understand about Bone Marrow transplant, but I hope to inculcate in my kids the mindset to do the Right thing (做ε₯½δΊΊ).

Video : Real life story of Elliot and Lisa (donor)

Talking to a few donors, most of us were shy to be called Heroes haha.
“No big deal”. “Anyone would have done it”.
But most of us are not shy to admit that we will donate again πŸ™‚

A little sacrifice on our part, and someone else (a son, a father, a husband) might receive a second dose of Hope. To be a Bone Marrow donor is an honor, it is not every day that we get an opportunity to save another life.

Would you volunteer to give someone else a Second Chance?
Pop by BMDP Website and Fanpage to know how you can register to be a Bone Marrow donor. Read my own experience here.