Tiny Things That Made Up My Mother’s Day 2026

A Single Carnation Wrapped Like a Tiny Present

Here's my series of small things across the day that somehow came together and quietly became Mother's Day 2026.

I'm beginning to appreciate these kinds of celebrations more as I grow older – soft, sporadic moments that make me pause and think, "This is nice. I want to remember this."

The first thing that marked the days to be remembered as Mother's Day was this simple white carnation. Just one flower wrapped carefully with a ribbon, given free by a restaurant where we went for dinner after Mother's Day Mass..

There is something about single flowers that feels very gentle to me now. Maybe age changes the way we see things. Maybe midlife softens you in unexpected ways.

At this point in life, I think I value thoughtfulness more than grandness.

Apparently Russian Desserts Are Part of My Personality Now

I genuinely did not expect "Russian desserts" to become a 'category' for Mother's Day 2026, but here we are!

The Raspberry Pistachio Medovik (Russian layered honey cake) was rich without being overwhelming, layered with cream and raspberry sauce/jam that somehow tasted both indulgent and comforting.

The Oreshki are one-bite walnut-shaped cookies filled with dulce de leche goodness – the kind of dessert that feels old-world in the best possible way.

I think part of growing older is allowing yourself to enjoy oddly specific things without needing to explain them to anyone.

You know, just a simple "Yes, let's have Russian honey cake on Mother’s Day."

By the way, you can get these Russian desserts at Torte by Linda at Bandar Kinrara 5A, Puchong.

Someone Took the Effort to Make a Heart-Shaped Egg

Honestly, this may be one of my favourite photos! Because a heart-shaped egg is such a tiny, unnecessary detail, which is exactly why it feels meaningful.

It was Mother's Day eve, and the chef at Buttermilk Daddy Cafe intentionally shaped an egg into a heart simply because they wanted the meal to feel a little happier, I guess.

And somehow it is these tiny things that stay with you longer than grand gestures do.

Tanghulu and Midlife Contradictions

At this stage of life, my reality is basically this: Taking magnesium glycinate for better sleep at night while deciding to eat sugar-coated (hello inflammation!) dessert the next day. Haha.

The tanghulu looked ridiculously pretty lined up together: grapes, hawthorns, yoghurt-filled strawberries, mandarins, and blueberries. All with glossy sugar shells catching the light.

Anyway, I think adulthood can become so heavy sometimes that small playful things start feeling important again.

In fact, sometimes shiny sugar-coated fruits on sticks are enough.

Coffee and Cake Might Be One of My Love Languages

There was also coffee. And cake. A delightful combination that has followed me through: work stress, deadlines, motherhood, burnout, healing phases, existential crises. LOL!

At this point, coffee shops feel less like "trendy places" and more like tiny pause buttons in life.

These days, I'm learning that moments of rest with coffee and cake are probably what keep us human in the first place.

Mother's Day Mass Cake Offertory

This year, I had the opportunity to sponsor a cake for the offertory during Mother's Day mass.

What I remembered most, though, was not the cake itself. It was the sudden transition from the calmness and orderliness of mass... to the slightly chaotic cake distribution session afterwards.

The delicious cake with soft buttercream started melting quite quickly, so serving the cake became slightly chaotic.

At one point, the first layer of the cake literally slid off the second layer, resulting in buttercream messiness everywhere. Naturally, serving time became much slower while the queue behind kept getting longer and longer...

It was one of those unintentionally funny moments where everyone was trying their best to stay calm while I was quietly panicking over a collapsing cake. At least I think that's what happened. Haha!

I guess that's also what I like about church events sometimes. Beneath all the formalities, there is still warmth, familiarity, and people simply enjoying small moments together.

And somehow, celebrating Mother's Day with sloppy cake after mass felt very wholesome in a simple way.

Maybe This Is What I Appreciate More Nowadays

A single carnation.
Russian desserts.
A heart-shaped egg.
Tanghulu.
Coffee and cake.
Church cake after mass.

Nothing particularly grand. But all together, they somehow made the days feel memorable in a very "real life" kind of way.

And maybe that is what I want to remember about Mother's Day 2026 after all.

Why I Finally Feel Better (And My Brain Is No Longer in the Longkang 😄)

What Changed?

In my previous post, I shared how speaking with a menopause specialist helped me make sense of what I was experiencing.

It has been six weeks since that consultation session. I realise I have been feeling better: my sleep has improved, my mind feels clearer, and most noticeably, the "brain in the longkang" feeling that I experienced before is no longer so obvious.

It came from a few things working together (as prescribed by my menopause specialist doctor).

1) Supporting hormonal balance (Oestrogel* gel in the morning daily)

2) Improving sleep quality (200 mg magnesium glycinate every night)

3) Correcting underlying deficiencies (25,000 IU vitamin D3 once a week)

*Note: I already have a Mirena IUD (which provides a progesterone-like hormone (levonorgestrel)) to protect my uterine lining, so additional oral progesterone is not required.

Why Sleep Made Such a Big Difference

When my doctor said that my improvement was likely due to better sleep, it made sense. When sleep improves, other areas tend to improve as well. My thinking becomes clearer, my mood becomes more stable, my energy levels improve, and my cravings for sweet things reduce.

Sleep allows the body to recover and function more efficiently.

A More Stable Version of Me

What I am experiencing now does not feel like a temporary boost. It feels like a return to a more stable state. I feel less foggy, less reactive, and more consistent throughout the day.

What I'm Focusing on Next

Following my recent consultation at the 6th-week mark, I now have a clearer idea of what else to work on next on top of the treatment modalities mentioned above.

These are not drastic changes, but practical adjustments that I can build into my daily routine over time.

First, I'm working on adjusting my sleep schedule. The goal is to be asleep before 11:30 pm so that I can wake up around 8:00 am more consistently. Since better sleep has already made a noticeable difference, maintaining a regular sleep rhythm is a priority.

Second, I'm starting to build a morning exercise habit. The focus is not intensity, but consistency. Even a short session in the morning is enough to begin with. The aim is to make movement a regular part of my routine before work.

Third, I'll be scheduling a blood test (at the 16th week) to review my vitamin D3 levels (last I checked, I was in the deficiency band) and check my thyroid function. This is to ensure that there are no other underlying factors affecting my energy, mood, or overall well-being.

These steps feel manageable and realistic. More importantly, they feel aligned with where I am right now.

A Work in Progress

I may not have everything figured out. However, I am learning that this stage of life is not about doing more or pushing harder. It is about understanding my body better and responding in a more intentional way.

I will see how these changes work over the next few weeks and share an update.

My #PerimenopauseAndMenopause Series

If you're new to this series, here's what you can find out more:

Part 1: I Haven't Quite Felt Like Myself

Part 2: Breaking Down or Waking Up

Part 3: When Burnout Isn't Burnout

Part 4: A Visit That Made Me Feel Seen and Understood

I Retook the Sorting Hat Quiz. Now I'm a Ravenpuff.

I took the Harry Potter sorting hat quiz in 2024 and got Hufflepuff as my core, which felt about right at the time. Loyal, steady, generally trying to be a decent human being who doesn't make life harder for others.

Then I retook it this year (2026).

And somehow… I'm Ravenclaw now.

For the record (because of course I tracked it), across THREE quizzes, the pattern was… consistent:

Ravenclaw: Clearly dominant

Hufflepuff: Still present

Gryffindor & Slytherin: There, but not running the show

Which, honestly, feels accurate.

So yes, I'm "owning the bird"!

So, I'm a Ravenclaw now.

The bird. The thinking.

The quiet need to understand how things work before I agree with them.

No, I'm not suddenly quoting obscure facts for fun. But, I will:

- mentally reorganise your sentence structure

- question your logic (silently, most of the time)

- and try to find a cleaner way to say something

It's just how my brain works now.

What might really be happening

(using the biological lens)

Perimenopause isn't just physical; it often comes with subtle cognitive and emotional shifts:

- Lower tolerance for nonsense

- Clearer prioritisation (what matters vs what doesn't)

- Less people-pleasing, more self-trust

- More reflective thinking (pattern-seeing, connecting dots)

This combination does look a lot like Ravenclaw traits emerging more strongly.

Apparently there's also a name for this combination: Ravenpuff

A thinking-first, people-aware hybrid.

I once came across a line that described it quite well:

 

"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."

I wish Ravenpuff sounded as cool as that sentence, but I'll take it.

As a Ravenpuff...

I have significantly less patience for things that don't quite make sense.

- Less tolerance for overcomplication

- Less interest in explaining myself five different ways just to soften the message

- More trust in my own judgement

I did have a moment where I thought, "Am I becoming too self-centred?"

But no. I think I've just upgraded from:

“let me adjust for everyone”

to

“let me make sure this actually makes sense first.”

It's not a dramatic change. Just… a clearer one.

Final thoughts (nothing too deep, I promise)

Maybe nothing really changed.

Maybe this part of me was always there, just quieter before.

Or maybe this is just what happens when you start trusting how you think a little more, and stop second-guessing it.

Either way, I guess I'm a Ravenpuff hybrid now.

And honestly?

It fits.

A Trip That Meant More Than It Looked: Notes from Macau

A Quiet Milestone

This was our first overseas family trip with my in-laws. Not because they have never travelled. In fact, they have travelled far more than my husband and I ever have.

But this time, it was different. This time, hubby and I were the ones bringing them along. There was this quiet, unspoken acknowledgement that we have reached a new stage in life, like a small rite of passage.

A Trip That Became a Mini Pilgrimage

One lovely memory from this trip was how it quietly turned into a mini pilgrimage.

We found ourselves stepping into church after church: Our Lady of Carmel Church in Taipa, St. Dominic's Church, St. Lazarus' Church, Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady (Macau Cathedral), and The Chapel of St. Michael.

We celebrated Palm Sunday at St. Lazarus' Church on a Sunday morning. It was beautiful. There's something about being away from home, yet participating in something so familiar: the same rhythm, the same sense of reverence. It reminded me God remains constant, no matter where we are.

At one point, on our way to the Ruins of St. Paul, we wandered into St. Paul's Bookstore, run by The Daughters of St. Paul. We ended up spending more time there than expected, browsing and choosing little Catholic items like pins, crosses, rosaries, etc., each of us drawn to something in our own quiet way.

As I was writing this blog post, I stumbled upon this piece of news: Macau nuns use travel stamps to evangelise tourists.

The Portuguese Egg Tart Moment

Somewhere in between, there was a Portuguese egg tart. Just one from a shop near the Ruins of St. Paul's, eaten while being surrounded by people, noise, and movement.

And so, I just have to take this photo to immortalise the moment. Haha.

And Then… Pink Lights!

And then, there was a completely different kind of joy!

Standing there, watching The Parisian Macao light up in pink, synced to BLACKPINK's GO... I didn't expect to feel that excited!

It was loud and vibrant, completely opposite of the quiet churches we had been visiting.

Almost Sakura

And then, of course, there was my "almost sakura" moment.

According to the QR code beside the tree, it was Zhongguohong (Cerasus campanulata), also known as China Red, a type of cherry blossom found in Southern China that blooms between January and March.

Sometimes, close enough is enough.

The Small Things I Keep Collecting

Somewhere along the way, I found myself doing something familiar: collecting souvenir stamps.

Not the official kind you frame, but the simple landmark stamps, the kind you press onto paper just to say "I was here!"

It reminded me of Taipei, where I first started this little habit. There's something quietly satisfying about it. A small, tangible way of holding onto moments that would otherwise pass too quickly.

The Stairs...

Also, a small note for anyone romanticising heritage walks, but Macau comes with… a lot of stairs. The kind that immediately brought back memories of my trip to South Korea.

The kind that quietly humbles you while you're trying to look like you have your life together. Hahaha.

What Stayed With Me

Maybe that's what this trip was, without expectations, but still exactly what I needed.

A collection of small moments I chose to notice.

A quiet milestone.

A Palm Sunday far from home, yet deeply familiar.

Not sakura,

but close enough to be beautiful in its own way.