Need more formal dresses

It looks like I'm going to need to shop for some special occasion dresses as I expect to have some formal functions coming up next year. And God knows if I'm going to be just the size I am or having a little life growing in me by then :)

So it doesn't make sense to shop now although I would like to be proactive and start looking for something suitable now. Haha. First time I want to be efficient and to plan ahead but circumstances are not going to let me.

Oh well, I guess we just have to wait and see...

Does a guy bother about the brand of his tie?

A thought just came to mine, does a guy really care about the designer ties they have, or does any tie even those without brands work just as well?

I find some of the branded ties to carry really boring and traditional designs whilst those that aren't branded are in fact nicer and more creative.

But then again that's my point of view, and a lady's one at it too. So I just wondered if guys see it the same way or they don't mind wearing ties that are generic in brand but looks good? Anyway, you can't really spot the brand, can you?

Fickle minded on skincare brand

I like trying out new brands of skincare even though I've found good ones that work for me. I guess it's just part of that experience of wanting to know what else is great out there. I recently was introduced to jan marini skin care. Never heard of it before. Have you? Not sure if I want to give it a go.

Outdated

I've become quite outdated in terms of catching up with brand names. I went shopping the other day with some girlfriends and when they were talking about brands like Michael Kors, I got lost. I think I may have heard of it some time ago but the name never really registered. I just don't catch up with brands anymore these days.

Are brands important to you now compared to when you were a teenager?

Thinking of Christmas gifts already?

I'm starting to think of some gift ideas for Christmas since it's not going to be long more to go. Today I was asked what I'll be getting for my little boy for Christmas. I have no idea just yet. Definitely not things like PS3 or an xbox 360 yet, he's still far too young for me to spend that kind of money :)

I really have no idea for now what to get for everyone. Seems to get harder and harder every year. Maybe I'll have to start thinking of ideas earlier every year!

What about you, what are some of your ideas for Christmas gifts this year?

Looking for a laptop sleeve

These days I have started lugging my own notebook to work on some days because I use my lunch time to do some of my own things which require my notebook. Since I don't like to carry around a laptop back, I've been carrying it in my hands instead of in a bag. That's when I realise it's probably safer to keep it in a sleeve when carrying around like that.

But these laptop sleeves don't come cheap. I saw some that cost some 3-digit price tag and some which cost only about RM30 or so. Of course I would have to admit that the more expensive ones are nicer in design and feel better in quality. I'm just not so willing so spend too much on a sleeve. Anyone has any better options for me that won't set me back more than 50 bucks?

Now that I have to lug this 14-inch laptop around quite a bit, I've started to appreciate netbooks more than ever. It's really a lot lighter and smaller in size to carry which also makes me look better since I'm rather petite!

But again, I'm not willing to invest in a new gadget just yet. So have to make do with my faithful laptop...

My latest impulse shopping treat

I wasn't planning to shop. I was hoping to save up as much as I can, as fast as I could. But one day, I accompanied a friend to a shoe store because she needed shoes. I wasn't planning on buying any but when I saw this lovely pair in just the right colour and height, I found myself reaching for them to try on.

Did I buy them in the end? Yes I did. What a weakling!

You see, women sometimes just can't say no to shoes. Somehow, people design all these pretty and appealing women shoes for a reason - to make you keep buying them although you may not need them!

But still, I blame myself for the indiscipline, no one else. Not the designer who designed the shoes, the storekeeper who said the shoes are perfect for me, and not my friend who kept nodding in approval when I tried on the shoes. It's me and just me.

Women and their impulsive shopping, it's dangerous! But you know, I somehow am enjoying that little splurge and treat for myself. It's been quite a while since I bought shoes :)

Shopping at The Store

We were back in Muar over the weekend. We hardly go shopping while there because it's really no place like in Klang Valley. The one and most reputable shopping place there is Wetex Parade, where anchor tenants include The Store.

Since we needed to buy some household stuff, we dropped by and while at the household department of The Store for the first time, I was actually quite excited to see the kinds of things they had to offer. There were interesting things that we have difficulties finding or even non-existent in Klang Valley selling on the shelves of The Store. They gave me a sense of nostalgia. Seeing things like those hot water flasks that my Grandma used to use, the kind of pencil case which I had used back in primary school days which I don't find selling in town anymore, tiffin carriers, etc. I hadn't expected to find these kind of things there so you can imagine how "ulu" I was, kept exclaiming my surprise to see this and that.

I was also busy checking out the prices of all these stuff just to check if they were expensive. Just being a busy body to see if they were considered antiques or just the normal everyday stuff. Some of the products didn't come with price tags so I was looking out for a barcode scanner in the store to check the prices, but couldn't find any. But for those that came with price tags, the items were actually selling rather cheaply.

Other than The Store, we didn't visit any other shops at Wetex. Was rushing home to make it in time for the boy's bedtime. But if I do visit the next time and have more time on my hands, I think I would like to go browse more. Who knows, I might even buy some of those things back as keepsakes!

Ikea is having sales

I was so excited when I saw a full page ad about Ikea's upcoming sales. I love to watch out for Ikea's sales because they truly offer great discounts. There were a couple of things that tempted me from that ad itself and I'm sure they have more products on sale than what they put in that print ad.

I have been looking for some nice and cosy table lamps for years but never really found any suitable ones. Maybe I should drop by and check out if their lamps are on sale.

I'm really looking forward to go for the sales but I also don't want to spend unnecessarily. So better not to bring too much cash and definitely not a credit card! Will you be going to the Ikea sales?

A mother's choice

With some bonus just in, I suddenly feel rather tempted to spend on some gadgets. I know this isn't a good time to indulge, and I should be saving up the bonus. But I just keep thinking about 2 things - a better lens for my DSLR camera so that I can capture better pictures, and one of those popular netbooks in the market.

Both are not necessities. It's just nice to have. I could easily put off buying them but once in a while I just feel the urge to check them out online or whenever I pass by the stores and see them on display.

Whenever I feel the strong urge and the voice in me that says "It's a great buy!", I keep reminding myself that times are bad, I don't even know if I will get the next bonus and whether there's going to be any salary increment. And the biggest demotivator for me to buy those stuff is my son. I keep thinking how much I could buy for him with that amount that I spend on the gadgets. And with that, I always end up walking away empty handed of gadget, but probably a few bagful of clothes, books or toys for the little boy :)

And it makes me smile and happy! A mother's choice is always clear. The child will always come first.

Last minute shopping for CNY

CNY is just around the corner! Have you done everything you need to do, spring cleaning, shopping and getting your life on track to usher in the new year? It's always a hectic time preparing for the new year, isn't it?

This afternoon my colleague and I headed to KLCC for lunch and just as we expected, there were still many people doing their last minute shopping. Well I was one of them, too! My colleague and I went separate ways to go get what we needed to buy and when we got back together, I was shocked that she had purchased something like a dozen books! No kidding!

Those books are supposed to last her through the CNY period since it is believed that it's not good omen to buy books during the 15 days of CNY. She initially wanted to order her purchase on Amazon books but found that delivery charges would kill her although the unit price of the books were a lot cheaper. I can just imagine how much her books would weigh after I saw for myself how many books she picked up!

Well those were her last minute CNY purchases, while mine were clothes. I actually haven't been buying any new clothes for the new year for a few years already because I don't believe in buying for the sake of buying new clothes for the new year. But today, I just felt in the mood for it, and ended up buying red tops for myself and Ray. The little one already has plenty of new clothes I bought in advance (including red ones, of course!) so I didn't buy him anything last minute.

Sometimes it can be quite fun to join the crowd in doing last minute shopping. It feels a wee bit merrier! Am I strange or what? :)

Anyway, here's wishing everyone a very Happy & Prosperous year of the Ox. I hope you will have a better year ahead in all aspects of your life.

Did anyone visit the IT store in Ikano?

Some weeks back, the new IT store in Ikano had an official launch during the weekend. I remember seeing an ad in the newspaper about it, and they offered some pretty good deals like being able to buy some of the products for just RM1! We were quite interested in a few things at the time, like a 8G thumb drive and a micro sd card for mom's new phone. There was a special deal for the 8G thumb drive, going for just RM25 but it was only available at 7pm that particular day. We got there a bit early thinking we could stand a change to grab one. But we didn't.

We didn't spend too much time at the store after we found that most of the great deals weren't available anymore. We didn't buy anything that we wanted. In fact, mom managed to buy her SD card somewhere else and at quite a reasonable price too. Good thing we didn't buy on impulse thinking that an opening sale would probably be cheaper, right?

So don't fall victim to clever marketing!

I'm so proud of myself

Last week I went with a colleague to shop during our lunch break. It was she who needed to shop while I was just planning to accompany her. We went to MNG since there was sales going on. She picked out something that she liked and I did, too. We tried it on and I really liked the little black dress. We met outside the changing room and asked "So, are you getting it?". To which we both thought for a while and said no.

The dress was on 50% off and after discount, it cost less than RM100. Before, I wouldn't have thought twice about buying it since I liked it. But now, I surprise myself that I actually pause to weigh it out.

The day after, my colleague came to tell me that she was still thinking of that dress and she said she would go and get it after all. The truth is, I too was thinking of that little black dress of mine! But I decided not to follow her to the store anymore.

Today we went to a mall and when I saw an MNG outlet, Ray said why not go have a look at the dress again (I told him about it). So in I went and found the dress in my size. I looked and relooked and decided to try it on again. I think I spent a good 5 minutes looking at myself in that dress before making up my mind that I shall not get it. My theory is that if I had to think that hard, maybe I can do without the dress. And I think I'm right, I can do without one more dress :)

I was really happy with my willpower. It's not so much the amount that mattered. I felt like I did something right. Instead of spending that money on myself, I spent it on my baby boy. And guess what? It felt great!

Japan is so beautiful!

We had 8 full days in Japan, touring Osaka, various parts of Hokkaido and Tokyo Disneyland. We travelled mostly by bus and took two internal flights. It was freezing cold, especially in Hokkaido where the temperature dipped to -10 degrees Celcius. It was snowing so we got to enjoy some fun time in the snow.

Here's a full account of the trip.

Hotel

We stayed at different hotels every single night. Why did we change hotels everyday? Well Japan is really big and we travelled far and wide to visit the "must-see" places. It makes no sense to travel all the way back to the hotel, so we stayed where we finished off for the day. It was really tiring carrying our luggage day in and day out. But to make up for it, we stayed at some nice boutique hotels in the cities and also got to experience the Japanese style of living in some hotels further out of town too.

This is Cross Hotel, a lovely boutique hotel in Osaka. Very nice, very convenient. Highly recommended!
Nice layout of the bathroom even though it's small.
The shower room is separated from the WC. There's a nice big bathtub to unwind too!
This is a typical Japanese style hotel room. There are no beds in here!
This is my favourite item in the room. A tea serving set.
In the evenings, hotel staff come around to set up mattresses on tatami mats and we sleep like the Japanese.

Food

We feasted on so much seafood that we're staying away from them for a while now. Everything there is huge! I'm not talking about the serving portions but the size of the seafood itself. Scallops, fishes, octopus, squids and crabs are so huge that they look rather frightening. Nevertheless, they were delicious.

Each scallop only cost about RM9.
I don't need to eat a lot to get full!
Grilled mackerel with seafood soup.
This is one huge king crab to be shared amongst 4 people!

Beautiful sceneries

We visited some very beautiful places in Hokkaido. We saw hotsprings in the mountains, the very serene and peaceful Lake Toya, farms that has turned into nothing but a snowground where we went snow mobiling (and got toppled!), and to a place called Otaru where it's well known for its glass products and music boxes. Nice little town.

View of Lake Toya
View of the mountains from Lake Toya.
Taking a break at snow mobiling in the middle of nowhere!
Ray and I, icy cold at a hotspring.

Disneyland

The tour included a day pass to Disneyland. Tine left me a comment earlier about visiting Disneysea instead and I think I have to agree with her. I only saw Disneysea from the outside and it looked more appealing to the adults. Disneyland was fun for me 15 years ago, but now it doesn't hold much.

However, this Disneyland trip is still memorable since it's the first time Ray and I visit it together. We didn't go on much of the rides. Took lots of photos instead. We managed to catch the parade show and did a little shopping.

Ray and I with the fairy-tale casle behind us.
Just checking to see if anyone missed me enough to send me mails :P
Is this the real life Mr. Donald Duck on the grounds of Disneyland?

Shopping

In my post before leaving for Japan, I said I wasn't going to spend a lot because things are expensive. Things were expensive but it didn't stop us from buying. Haha. Ray was always saying "We're here all the way, might as well buy!" How not to spend with that kind of encouragement, huh?

We bought a box full of Japanese food stuff. I also bought 20 puchi puchi, orders from my colleagues. The girl at the shop looked quite shock as I "sapu" all her puchi puchi, digging into unopened boxes to find the colours I wanted!

Then came the highlight purchases of the trip...

The bag is rather small and not too practical, but I couldn't resist!
This one could pass off as a mummy's bag to make up for the small one, right? ;)

Cute stuff

Japan is so full of cute items, attractive packagings and Hello Kitty stuff. I think most people buy a lot of Japanese food and sweets just to look at them instead of eating. Who could blame them?

Apparently these are nice to look at but doesn't taste good.
A moo-moo pack.
Chocolate biscuits in the shape of Hello Kitty.
We had tea and coffee at a cafe where you get to take the cups home. Of course it's all billed for.

To sum it up, Japan is a really nice place to visit, albeit a little on the expensive side. In all 4 seasons, they have equally nice attractions. But I think if we go in the winter times, there's more to experience in terms of snow sports. Anyone thinking of planning a trip there anytime soon? :)

Anyway, I'll leave you with more photos here...

Christmas shopping

It's that time of the year again - Christmas! I took a day off work today and went shopping for gifts. I don't know why but it feels like a harder year to look for gifts. Partly because I'm running out of ideas already. How does one keep up with creative gifts when there are so many present-giving occasions in a year?

Yesterday I went shopping with SIL. We were supposed to get together to buy gifts for others. But guess what? We ended up buying things for ourselves!! Tsk tsk tsk tsk...bad, bad girls! The sales are just too tempting.

My challenge now besides finishing the shopping is to find boxes to wrap the gifts in!