Platypus to the rescue!

Half-filled on the left, rolled-up on the right

Finally got my Platys yesterday. Ordered them through Li, my eco-friendly products supplier turned friend (do check out her cool website).

For as long as I can remember, I've been re-using those PET soft drink bottles to store my drinking water for school and now work. Even after reading all those emails about how we shouldn't re-use them as repeated washing will cause the chemicals to break down and leach into our drinking water, which by the way is unfounded according to some research I did. I guess they've always been the convenient option since they're light (as opposed to glass bottles), dispense water easily (like pour straight into the mouth) and do not leak.

So yeah, I suppose you could say this was an unnecessary purchase but I love the fact that they're collapsible hence can even pop them into my handbag and tote one around. Also, they're 100% BPA (Bisphenol A)-free and can last for years, according to Li.

Smile....

No, it's not a new-fangled boomerang with fuzzy ends. It's my toothbrush, silly!

Friends of mine who have been on trips with me or stayed at my house may have noticed before this fantastic contraption on my bathroom sink counter. It's called the Zowin Double-head toothbrush. Don't laugh... it may look like something out of "Aliens" but it's won several international awards for innovation.

Was introduced to it 8 years ago and I've not gone back to normal toothbrushes since. It cleans even those hard-to-reach areas effortlessly. My dentist was amazed that I had not had a check-up in 8 years and yet my teeth were hardly stained.

My family usually orders in bulk and I get my stock from them but it's unfortunate that they're seldom sold in conventional retail outlets. I just hope they'll stay in production for as long as I have my set of teeth.

About a car

It's been close to 2 months since I got my new set of wheels so I guess it's probably high-time I blog about it.

Our decision to buy the new facelifted Mitsubishi Grandis did not stem from immediate necessity. In fact, you could say it was an impulse buy after test-driving it one Saturday but one based on what we felt was extremely good value.

Being a full-fledged 7-seater rather than a 5+2, the Grandis's closest comparison in terms of wheel-base and engine size would be the 2.4 litre Toyota Estima. Having said that, the latter costs at least an extra 40%. The facelifted model also comes with a nice-looking set of 17" rims with low-profile tyres and an 8" LCD monitor.

Cool eh? But we haven't used it much since we don't want Nat to get hooked on it.

But what clinched the deal for me was the 5-year manufacturer's warranty and 3-year free maintenance. Yes, call me a paranoid but I'd rather be safe than sorry. My trusty CR-V was still in tip-top shape but age was catching up. It was close to 8 years old and the thought of being bogged down with future expensive repair bills was not a pleasant one.

Since it was year-end when we placed our booking, we insisted on getting a 2008-registered car so agreed to wait till end February for one. However, a glitch in their system extended the delivery by another month. Was a little annoyed at that but all was forgotten when I finally received my keys.

Here's the verdict:-
Pros:

• Easy to manouvre and good turning radius despite it's size and length. I've had no problems parking it and that goes for parallel parking as well.
• All-round visibility (extremely important for me as I hate blind spots).
• Adequately powered even when carrying a full load although the pick-up isn't all that fast. Whaddaya expect? It's no sports car.
  
• Handling is crisp although the steering feel is rather bland (this comes from Hubby and I'll be darned if I understood what he means by 'crisp' and 'bland'. He did say that it under-steers a little but I think it's rather responsive).
• The hardness of the suspension is well balanced. Although my experience suggests that the suspension will "soften" over time, offering a more comfortable ride.
• Surprisingly, the car does not roll when turning corners.
• Fuel consumption not too bad for a 2.4-litre engine. Town-use 480km on a full-tank but when we brought it back to Ipoh, it went up to 520km.
• Extremely stable at high speeds. Hubby has pushed it to the end of the speedo (180kmph) even with 7 adults, a toddler and a full boot and we barely felt the speed.
• Comfort is adequately provided but the driver and front passenger seats are certainly more cushy than the rest. Legroom at the back rows are ample. Then again, we hardly have long legs.
• Multiple seat configurations for convenient expansion.
• Has a flat floor so that passengers can walk through the middle of the car from front to 2nd row and left to right or vice versa albeit the space is tighter than my old CR-V.
• Other noteworthy features: 6 speakers, glass antenna, individual reading lights and air-cond vents at each row with rear control, and plenty of storage space (cool stow-away trays inclusive) and hidden compartments.

Cons:

• No cruise control
• It's embarassing to sound the horn.
• Back passenger doors are swing-type, not sliding.
• Black interior a bit hard to maintain. I would have preferred grey as the dust would easily blend in. So this means I have to keep it clean at all times.
• The service centre is so far from where we live. Bummer!

Roomy!

All in all, the Grandis is a very good balance between practicality, function and looks. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for an MPV. For me, it was definitely worth the 5-month wait!

White is the new black

My wife is a loan shark

I can't remember the last time Hubby and I caught a movie at the cinema. It was probably last June when we got free tickets to watch "Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End". Hmm... that's a good 9 months! Darn! Definitely have not made full use of my Titanium card Buy-1-Ticket-Free-1 benefits.

So it was rather timely when after we returned from Phuket, FIL suggested we take mum and uncle out to watch Ah Long Pte Ltd. It was totally hilarious! I have not laughed so much throughout the duration of a movie.

For those who are unfamiliar with Jack Neo, he's the Singaporean director and actor who brought us gems as "Money No Enough" and "I Not Stupid". But Ah Long certainly takes the cake. Mark Lee was also superbly casted in his role. Can't imagine anyone playing it better. Fann Wong was also not too bad, although a little stiff at times.

Highly recommended for anyone in need of a good laugh. And watch out for the political innuendos. You'll be sure to fall off your seats.

You're cordially invited to an intimate dinner with...

...read the invitation I received from Sunrise. Hubby and I were lucky enough to be selected again for another Sunrise-sponsored event last night. This time, it was a dinner and fashion show at the recently opened Umai-ya at Uptown 37.

The co-sponsors were V-Mag, Omega and Estee Lauder so instead of showcasing apparel, the models went round the restaurant exhibiting Omega's latest watch and jewellery collection. I had a free hand massage except it wasn't so much a hand massage as it was a 3-minute application of hand cream by the promoter.

Dinner was a elaborate 7-course Japanese meal comprising among others sushi, sashimi, unagi tempura and various maki. I breached my dietary restrictions a little by having some soy sauce. Hey, you absolutely cannot eat sushi without dipping it into wasabi and soy sauce, can you? Hubby and I were lucky to get a table for two so we practically had a paid-for date.

the freshest and tastiest sashimi I've had in a long while

Hubby couldn't wait for me to finish taking the shot before poking his chopsticks into the delectable Twin Towers maki

Unagi tempura. Yum!

Overall, it was a well organised event though they could have kept it a little shorter with a bit more planning. Food was good and so were the door gifts. Hubby and I are all for freebies (the cheapskates we are!). Hand them out this way anytime!

Flower Power

A few weeks back I had the fortune of getting acquainted with Josephine who works a few doors away from my office and who introduced me to Phytobiophysics, the science of harnessing the vibration energy of plants to release energy blocks in the human body so that balance is re-established for all levels of consciousness; spiritual, mental, emotional and physical. It is believed that stress, disease and viruses also vibrate at different frequencies that bring disturbance to the healthy, balanced life flows within the body.

A load of mumbo-jumbo? I couldn't agree more at the time. But since Josephine insisted her husband's eczema visibly cleared up within a month of taking the herbal formulas, no harm trying, I thought. Not to worry folks, I'm not going barmy just yet.

Hubby and I brought Nat to see Dr Yeap when we were back in Ipoh over the weekend. Her method of diagnosis was unconventional to say the least. She would form a circuit with the patient and ask him/her to resist her downward pushing motion on his/her outstretched left arm. I ended up acting as the "lever" for Nat and Hubby (a few occasions) and by the end of it, my shoulder was positively aching.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that we were completely sold on the "science" but Dr Yeap handled our questions so well that Hubby and I did end up asking for a consultation as well. We alternated between being skeptical and hopeful of the benefits of the "flower vibrations". Conceptually, Phytobiophysics is as abstract as Reiki but the antidotes are akin to a combination of Homeopathy and Bach Flower Essences. As with most alternative medicines, you can't help but attribute its efficacy to a placebo effect. So as I was telling Hubby, if Nat's eczema really does clear up, we'll know it's for real. After all, you can hardly expect a toddler to be psychologically affected by a sugar pill that she doesn't even know has been dissolved into her drinking water.

In addition to taking the pills, I have to give up quite a lot of foods as apparently I currently don't have the right enzymes to digest them hence they create an energy block within which manifests in the eczema and lower lumbar pain that I have. So just as Eileen urged me to go on a restrictive diet for Nat's sake, I was told by Dr Yeap to give up wheat (or anything with gluten), eggs, soy (that means soy sauce too!), dairy products, beef, lamb and duck for the timebeing till my imbalances are corrected.

It's been three days and I still can't think of anything convenient to eat for breakfast. No eggs, bread, cakes, biscuits, noodles, cereal or milk.... How long will I survive?

Trigger happy!!

I got my first birthday present of the year from hubby on Saturday. It's a Canon Digital Ixus 850IS and I love it, love it, love it!

It's got a 2.5" LCD, image stabiliser, quick startup and high ISO. Best of all, it's got a wide angle lens so no more having to push my back up against the wall to take group photos in a cramped room. So far, we've put it to the test and it produces great photos even in low-light conditions. And unlike my 3-year old Nikon Coolpix 3700, I can even edit the videos here. Also, no more harsh flash lighting. I hated using the flash on my old camera 'coz of that. It even auto-rotates in playback mode which I think is so cool! Now, with a 2GB SD card, I no longer need to download my pics and videos so frequently.

The cons? Flimsy battery door panel (feels cheap and not spring loaded), no quick review button (have to change the mode) and the original case is ugly to say the least. But these, I can certainly live with.

Thank you baby!

Fed on Grain and Love

After a series of postponements, hubby and I finally went for our long-delayed "pak toh" session last week. Since we're cutting down on our carbo, we decided to try out FOGAL meat market at Plaza Damas.

The verdict? Not too bad. I liked Khim's lamb burger which at less than RM15 was value-for-money. Came with a huge pattie, fries and coleslaw. Pic didn't turn out too well though.


Mine was a mixed platter, priced at RM35, that came with a steak (I asked for pork steak but they forgot and gave me beef instead), a choice of 2 kebabs and 2 sausages, a huge helping of salad and mash. I found the sausages too salty though.


We ended the meal with a sticky date pudding drenched in caramel and served with vanilla ice cream. Yummy! I would go back just for that. And if I'm not mistaken, that cost less than RM10.


Hubby kept commenting that the place lacks ambience but hey, with a name like that, whaddaya expect?

Oh yes, I cooked for mum & my inlaws last Wednesday. Attempted making a souffle again and this time with cream cheese and mushrooms and without following any recipe in particular and I'm proud to say that it was the piece de resistance of the meal! It turned out very light and fluffy at the top and creamy on the inside... Now, that's what I call a souffle! However, was busy putting Nat to sleep when the meal started so no pics.

Nose to Tail Eating

A few weeks back, we had a "Chan Kar" Oh-Toh dinner (sans Sim & Eng and Teon & Cheryl and sadly, hubby, as he had a business meeting) at Elcerdo at Werner's Place courtesy of Dad & Aunty. It's a restaurant solely dedicated to porcine lovers including all the usually inedible parts, hence the tagline "Nose to tail eating". The owner's a German who lived in Spain but the cuisine is a mixture of European, Spanish and Mediterranean specialties.

I have been there 3 times so far (4 actually if you count the once where they messed up the reservations and we didn't have a table so they had to usher us to Deutsche Bierhaus opposite but they still gave us 2 suckling pigs on the house) and each time, the place is packed to the brim! I don't think they can even entertain walk-ins as reservations usually need to be made a couple of days in advance.

Highly recommended for porkie lovers but amazingly sinful as you can guess so make sure cholesterol levels are in check. The must-order is a roast suckling pig that's sooo.... juicy and succulent and has none of that gamey taste as the piglets were fed a special diet of corn or something like that. The meat is air-flown in from Denmark I think. But before savouring it, diners have to go through a ritual of chopping it up with a plate and then smashing the plate in a wooden bin for good luck! (The plate has to break or else they'll make you do it again and again till it does. Otherwise no luck.)

FIL demonstrates how crispy and succulent the suckling pig is

Apart from that, the Jambon (cold-cuts), pork shoulder and bacon-wrapped anchovies are also great for meat-lovers. The paella is the best I've tasted in Malaysia, Werner will make sure of it. He once took away ours just as we were about to dig in and brought us another fresh one as he found the first a bit too crusty while serving it.

A divine dining experience but not for the faint-hearted (read : high-cholesterol) or when you're feeling poor.

Show me the money!

No la... where got money to show? With a baby, what we used to call our "lifestyle fund" has been severely depleted to the point that begs the question : "WHAT lifestyle?"

Anyway, we have to constantly look for ways to spend less so here are a few things we have adopted to save money, pre- & post-parenthood.

1. The internet - no longer need to buy volumes of encyclopedias or pay for newspapers or spend money on stamps, paper & envelopes
   
2. Use open-source software or freeware
   
3. CD & DVD burners (read between the lines)
4. SMS - debatable 'coz some people end up spending more money on an SMS conversation than simply making a short call
   
5. Induction cooker (we love ours!)
   
6. Digital cameras - no more expensive batteries and film and less printing costs (C'mon, how many people actually print their photos these days?)
   
7. Rechargeable batteries for all our remote controls (of which we have several)
   
8. Energy-saving bulbs (get some cheap ones from IKEA. RM19.90 for 3!)
   
9. Menstrual cups - funny thing is, I only used mine 3 times before I became pregnant
   
10. IPL - saves time tweezing & money waxing. Tweeze and wax what you say? Any part with hair la.... Seriously, I'm so glad I did this
    
11. LASIK surgery. Okay, a tad extravagant but I'm saving on glasses, lenses, solutions and powered goggles and not to mention the inconvenience in the long run, aren't I?
    
12. Laundry balls - With these, I save on detergent as well as softeners. All I need is the hot water from my 5.5kg Electrolux, throw this Magic ball in together with a handful of scrubber balls for good measure and Voila! I have fresh-smelling clean laundry. Come to think of it, are our clothes so dirty that we need to use detergent on a daily basis? 1 Magic Ball cost me less than RM130 and will last for 3 years based on once daily use. That's less than I spend a year on my SA8 and Comfort! Best of all, I can also wash Nat's clothes without worrying about skin irritation caused by detergent
    
13. Cloth diapers and I don't mean the normal "lampin". These ones can hold 3-4 times more urine and keep babies' bottoms bone-dry and can even be used at night with an additional insert! I have yet to try them but will be receiving my order come Monday. Can't wait!

Feel free to add your money-saving tips. I'd be more than happy to try them out. In the meantime, I'll wait patiently for us to be able to convert our cars to NGVs. I was told an RM8 full tank gives you 150km mileage and when that runs out, you can switch back to petrol. The only thing you lose out on is boot space.

Chiang Mai - the sequel

It was a much-awaited event, the wedding of Teon & Cheryl on 9th June at the Mandarin Oriental Dara Dhevi in Chiang Mai. Apart from being a long overdue holiday with the in-laws (the last time we'd gone anywhere together was 7 years back to Cameron Highlands), hubby & I were excited to take our baby on her first overseas trip and of course, to welcome another sister-in-law into our family.

The two "stars" of the trip. Will upload wedding photos later when we get the professional ones from Cheryl as we were so engrossed in the event that we hardly took any photos

Spending 6 days away from home with a 6-month old was a rather daunting idea to begin with but we thought, what the heck? It's not often we get to go away with the family so why not make the most of it? Moreover, we'll have so many extra pairs of hands to help carry Nat and her tonnes of stuff.

Our princess on her throne at Akaligo Mediterranean restaurant where the buffet lunch was held

The wedding itself was magical to say the least from majestic surroundings and elegant outfits to sublime cuisine and heartwarming speeches. The hotel was easily the most beautiful (although not the most opulent) I've been to so far and service was simply excellent. The magnificent grounds were so spread out that we had to take a buggy everywhere we went. I'm sure the Jim's team (the photographers) had a field day. Teon & Cheryl had a Lanna wedding ceremony steeped in Northern Thai traditions complete with an interpreter to narrate as we went along. Teon even arrived, as regal as a Thai king, on an elephant amidst a procession of dancers, musicians and paraphernalia-bearers.

There was even a wrist-binding ceremony whereby well-wishers tied a piece of string onto the couple's wrists which the couple then had to keep in their pillows for as long as they were married. And no Chinese wedding would be complete without the high-spirited negotiation between the "Chee Muis" and the "Heng Dais" and of course, the requisite Chinese tea ceremony for both families.

The bride resplendent in her "kua"

After the fanfare of Saturday, the rest of our days there were relatively relaxing with the highlight being a Thai culinary class at A Lot of Thai. We all love our Thai food so when Cindy broached the topic, we put in our names almost immediately. The school is run by a very down-to-earth young couple with 2 kids. It was fun, fun, fun! We decided to learn dishes which were native to Chiang Mai so we asked for a tailor-made private class. By the time we cooked the third course, we were all bragging about how our own version was best. Talk about being conceited!

Aprons on

My yummy version of chicken "Kaeng Hang Lay"

I managed to squeeze in 2 sessions of Thai massage but still maintain that I'm more the aromatherapy massage type. The elbow-work is just too scary for me to drift off to la-la-land. Didn't manage to revisit the Raming Tea Lodge and PornPing Palace though.

So what was it like travelling with Nat you ask? Well, for the most part, it was fairly smooth-sailing to my pleasant surprise. Not convenient, but smooth-sailing. I thank God that she was undemanding and allowed everyone to carry her. The only time she fussed a bit was when she was tired. It wasn't too difficult to feed her in public either as I carried the sling with me wherever I went. She was also very good on the plane. Needless to say, she was adored by people everywhere we went. Hubby and I always thought that we think she's cute coz she's our daughter after all but it seems quite a few people share our view too. :) Perhaps it's because of her eye contact with people. The flirt!

Napping on-the-go

However, her routines were disrupted quite a bit and as a result, she became a bit thinner at the end of the trip. All the adults, on the other hand, gained weight. Also, she has also become too used to being carried around so much so it's no longer possible to just lay her down to sleep. My worst fears have been confirmed but what to do?

As for our accommodation at the boutique Tea Vana, the room we got had 2 super single beds so I shared one with Nat while hubby had his all to himself. Since Nat's such a light sleeper, I had to be very careful not to move too much in bed so woke up with a stiff neck every morning.

On the grounds of our hotel

It's fair to say that every one of us enjoyed the whole trip and we're all saving our remaining Baht for a repeat vacation to charming Chiang Mai.

Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum

A few weeks back I got a call from Sunrise Customer Loyalty Programme staff asking if hubby and I would like to attend the Spiderman 3 premier. Since dad had already gotten us free tickets for that, I asked if they had anything else lined up. She told me there was and so I asked to be invited to that instead.

And so, last night, after putting Nat to bed, we headed down to Cathay Cineleisure for our free buffet dinner and screening of "Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End" courtesy of Sunrise Berhad. Aren't they simply an ace developer? I'm sure Aileen will agree.

Sad to say dinner was disappointing but I guess can't blame the caterer since there were no cooking or reheating facilities at the Premier Lounge so they could only serve cold, pre-cooked food.

The movie started at 9.30 and went on for almost 3 hours! Good value, you could say, but up until just before the credits roll, I hadn't a clue what the show was about! Maybe not having watched Episode 1 & 2 contributed to my lack of understanding but Hubby, who had just watched the first sequel a few weeks back was almost just as confused as I was. And there I was, thinking it would be an evening of relaxing entertainment that didn't require me to flex my brain muscles.

For those of you who haven't seen the show, I'm not going to spoil it for you and reveal the plot. And don't let my experience deter you, especially those Johnny Depp fans out there (He's so versatile. Hubby and I absolutely love his Tim Burton collaborations especially "Sleepy Hollow"). I've gotta say he's the highlight of the movie and he doesn't even have to try to be funny. He just is! Miss Knightley's character, on the other hand, could've been better cast. I dunno... she just doesn't have Pirate Mojo.

So there you go, my first blog pseudo-review.

Vision restored

Underwent Lasik surgery last Friday. Hubby was wonderfully supportive. He even accompanied me into the OT. Said it was scarier than my C-section.

Not that I needed someone to lend me courage. I was surprisingly calm and the only time I panicked a little was when I lost my vision for a few seconds as the machine sucked up the cornea tissue before Dr Yeoh created the flap.

The rest of the evening I felt as if I was in a room with a thousand cut onions. Was tearing the whole night and good thing I was given a dose of Stilnox.

The next morning, I could already see quite clearly and the discomfort was more or less gone. I looked fine save for a few burst capillaries (Val says I look like Darth Maul but pointed out to her that it was his pupils that were red and not the surrounding area). Really hope this will clear up by the time we go to Chiang Mai or else I won't look very nice in the family photos. As it is, I'm now having to tell everyone it's NOT conjunctivitis!

Apart from wearing eye shields at night for the past five nights (oh, I hate them so!), I've also had to put 2 kinds of eye drops. One is an antibiotic while the other is an anti-inflammatory.

Bug-eye-boo

I'm glad I chose to have it done at Advance Vision. The whole experience was great. Staff were pleasant and not pushy and Dr Yeoh is a very experienced in this field, having trained under world-reknowned surgeons and worked for 10 years in Ireland. It was when, during my first check-up, he took the time to chat with me and answer all my questions that I was sold on doing it here. What's more, it's his own business so he calls the shots and is not a puppet acting on behalf of investors. Although I went for the microkeratome (i.e. mechanical blade) and not the intralase procedure, I was comforted by the fact that this model of machine has been in use for years with a very high success rate. After all, it's track record, not latest technology, that you want.

I've been wearing glasses for 17 years and contact lenses for 16 years so I forget how it feels not to be myopic. Now everytime I wake up (which is like 5 times a day - once in the morning and at least 4 times at night), I'm like "Darn, did I forget to remove my lenses again?".

I can see clearly now the rain is gone...

Finnegan begin again

The week just past was one of many firsts.

I'm relieved to announce that Monday was the first time Nat slept through the night. Put her to bed at 7-ish and she didn't cry till 5am. Yup, 10 straight hours without a feed! Of course, that feat hasn't been repeated since but still, she has been relatively good. Last night it was 9 hours. I won't be as optimistic as to believe that my sleepless nights have come to an end but I'm hopeful that if she can do it once, she can do it again. It's also reassuring to know that my efforts in sleep-training her have paid off and she's capable of having long uninterrupted rest on some nights at least. So all that screaming and crying were not in vain after all.

Wednesday was the first time I had taken a day off work since I returned from maternity leave. It was Nat's inaugural trip to the photo studio to get her passport photo taken. I brought along her bumbo seat and it made the shoot a breeze. Someone should think of promoting them to photo studios. She looked straight at the camera and had good posture. However, instead of a smile, she had this bewildered look on her face.

Then we went to Fit For 2 in Bangsar (our first time too) for the free mummy & baby Fitball trial class. Met Pipa & Tara there but unfortunately, too many people signed up for the class so as coordinator, Pipa graciously made way for the other attendees. Ee Ran's right, Fit For 2's such a baby-friendly and sparklingly clean place! The class was lots of fun and for the most part, Nat seemed to think so too. My fitness levels are at an all-time low but that didn't stop me from singing along with Debbra during the cardio workout. She said in all the years she has been teaching fitness classes, no one had ever joined her in song.

After that, took Nat home and brought MIL out for a Yong Tow Foo lunch and a 2-hr massage session afterwards. It was a belated birthday treat from hubby and me. We tried Zen Soul in DSH for the first time and glad to say we were not disappointed. Plus there was a 30% happy hours discount from 11am to 3pm so took advantage of that.

On Thursday, Su reported that Nat managed to hold her bottle without any help for the first time! It's moments like these that make me wish so much I was a SAHM. I wonder what other firsts I will miss out on?

The weekend was also adventurous to say the least. We woke up early Saturday morning to attend the Ibu charity jumble sale at their Damansara Heights premises. Was debating whether or not to bring Nat but it was a good thing she was still sleeping when we left the house. With all the stalls set up along the side of the bungalow, some under tents, the crowd and heat were smothering and I wouldn't have been able to browse in comfort carrying her.

Hubby and I actually arrived at Ibu 5 minutes before they let the crowd in, talk about "Kiasu". We were given 2 goodie bags upon presentation of our tickets and were asked to buy a few more lucky-draw tickets at RM2 each for charity so with hubby's prompting, I contributed an extra RM10. Flo arrived soon after and it was also my first time seeing her as a mother-to-be (Yes people, she's 11 weeks pregnant!).

Having a good idea of what to look for, I zoomed in on the only Baby Bjorn around and made no hesitation in asking for it. So desperate was I, I didn't even bargain but at RM100 and in good condition, it was nothing short of a steal. It's by far the most superior baby carrier I've come across and till now, I'm still darn pleased with the purchase. Apart from that, I picked up some Milton tablets (will need those for Chiang Mai), 3 bibs with sleeves (they're ace!), a baby ring float and a cloth book (another thing I was on the lookout for). Flo picked up some good bargains too.

Along the way, met Pipa & Tara and Julia, who was on duty at the gate. Also bumped into Eunice & Tammy (baby Lucas) from Fitball class. Ee Ran came later when I was almost done. My neighbour Dolly at Plaza Mont' Kiara was also there promoting her Embun day spa.

We left at 11.15 and hubby took me for yummy char siew fan at Happy Mansion. Again a first for me. Halfway through our meal, Melissa from Ibu called to say that I had won a free lunch worth RM50 at Fit For 2. However, we had to pick it up before the end of the sale or else she would have to give it away to someone else. Of course we went back! Since I was there, I went on another round just to see if there were any last-minute bargains. Two minutes later, I got another call saying I had won 4 music classes at Gymboree worth RM180! Double whammy! Not bad for RM10, eh?

Later in the afternoon, I packed Nat into the car and went for a free trial Musikgarten class at Character Forever in SS2. It was a half-hour sing-along session led by a qualified Musikgarten teacher. The title of this blog, in case you're wondering, is inspired by one of the phrases we were taught to chant to the babies. Nat was quiet all through the session but when we were done and there was no more music, she began yelling for a good 15 mins, as though to get everyone singing again. It was quite enjoyable but I'm not sure whether it was the syllabus or the fact that I got to meet up with Ee Ran & Brandon, Jessica & Evan and Soo Ching & Niklaus. Nat kept smiling at Brandon and Niklaus. She's quite the flirt! In any case, don't think I'll sign up for the classes now. First of all, it's too late in the afternoon. Secondly, I think she's too young to understand anything despite all the mumbo-jumbo they claim so I'm only paying for myself to learn the songs, really. Lastly, I don't feel like committing to something every week at this point, especially when weekends are my only time to spend as I like.

Later that night, Michelle & Marc (more like Michelle only) gave us (& Keat & Chris & Soo Ching) a treat at this place in Bandar Baru Selayang called Chef Tam. You pick the seafood from Jin Chwan down the road and bring it there to be cooked. Not bad! We would go back there. But the bill must have come up to quite a bit since we had snow crabs.

Sunday morning, FIL had made prior arrangements for us to go for a walk in the park (first time for Nat). Actually, more like him pushing Nat in the stroller and leaving us behind. He was such a proud grandfather. Kept stopping to take videos of her and comparing her with every other baby there. It was my first time jogging in probably a year and it was terrible. Not that I was out of breath (in fact, I was pleasantly surprised that I still had some stamina) but I had never been so well-endowed before and my sports top obviously did not have much support. Luckily I brought a towel which I draped around my neck so I ended up having to hold on to both ends while pressing down on my chest to stop it from jiggling! See, the grass is not always greener on the other side...

Bumbo bee!

My daughter so loves her Bumbo seat. Sure hope she makes it worth the RM179.90 we paid for it!

I have a cup!

My mooncup was delivered to me today. Yay!! Thanks Li! Have to go home and sterilise it first. Can't wait to use it.

It's strange but none of my friends abroad have heard of it, even those in the US and UK. Makes one think "Why don't they promote it more?". Unless... it doesn't work as well as it's supposed to. Won't know until you try, right? And if it works, I can say bye to spending loads of $$ on disposables from now on. Moreover, it's safer for our bodies since you're not inserting anything made of bleached cotton fibre. No risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Mooncup - Made in Brighton UK of surgical silicone


Holds 30ml of fluid


Gee... looks awfully big


Menstrual cup and cloth panty liner... tools for an environment-friendly cycle

Menstrual cups now in Malaysia!

To all my girlfriends, I urge you to check out Femchoices.

You can purchase the Mooncup at their online store. Am getting one myself and can't wait to use it!

Malaysia to Earth

Anyone have an idea when Earth Shoes will be available in Malaysia? If not, is it in Singapore yet?

The wonders of induction

Left the office at 6.15pm and was making my way to SS2 for 6:45pm yoga class but underestimated the buka puasa traffic. Only reached Damansara Intan at 6.50pm so decided not to go after all since Manoj did mention something about locking the doors 10 minutes after class starts (although I'm not sure if it was implemented or not). Called hubby and told him I decided to ponteng so we could start cooking dinner earlier.

Yippee!! Felt guilty about skipping yet another week but what the heck, I'll start next week.

Anyway, I did the prep while hubby cooked up a nice simple meal. We whipped it up within an hour with the use of our Sunhom induction cookers.

Vegetarian pasta a la BK. Julienned vegetables and garlic simmered in a tomato and egg base, garnished with lightly sauteed white oyster mushrooms. Healthy, generous but at the same time, not filling-to-the-brim. It was so satisfying! The pasta was cooked al dente and we had enough sauce for one more person so kept it aside for another day. Topped the meal off with a plate of grapes... not seedless but beggars can't be choosers.














Absolutely no regrets about going home and spending quality time with my husband. Ambient & relaxed atmosphere, delicious home-cooked nosh.... It felt like ages since we've just chilled out in each other's company. And the best part? We didn't have to ask for the bill after we were done!