sale in rebates

Yday i wrote about the tempting SALE "system" here in Shanghai. They also have another system where the discount is in the form of rebates. Eg. Buy ¥300 Get ¥100 in rebate. This kind of Sale will make you keep buying and buying... It's never-ending!

I remember when i was here for holiday in 2005, my sis & i went to some departmental stores and everytime we paid for something, we received vouchers...and we had to go look for something else to buy with it... It was sooo tiring!

There's also lots of "touters" who will keep asking you if you wanna sell your "rebate" to them. Eg. for a ¥60 voucher, they might take in for ¥20, and sell for ¥30. Smart huh! Buy & Sell! Yday when i was leaving, a lady also asked me if i have any receipts (i think she wanna claim the free gifts to sell), so i told her i've used it already. These people huh... Cannot believe!!!

Chinese are so intelligent! They find opportunities in every kind of "business". Haha!

P.S. I also wrote before about the touters waiting inside IKEA! That is amazing to me too!

cannot resist a sale

I somewhat couldnt resist the temptation of going to the sale again today...so i finally REALLY got changed and went - despite all the "bad feelings" i had. Keke... Before Joel, preparing to go out was easy ABCs. I could get dressed and do my makeup all in 10mins. After Joel, it takes A LOT of motivation and twice the effort & strength. (Since Joel exceeded 6kg, it's been quite a "drag" to go out alone coz it's really troublesome. Just ask any mom!)

The SALES in Shanghai are somewhat different from Spore's. It kinda feels more attractive. Here, they dont normally do a certain % off...usually, it's a 'Get ¥xx off With Every ¥xxx Purchase'. Also, when it's further further further discount periods, discounts can be as much as 70% off (or even 90%). For this particular sale at Pacific, most things are either:
- Discount of ¥150 with every ¥300,
- Discount of ¥120 with every ¥300,
- Discount of ¥100 with every ¥300,
- Discount of ¥60 with every ¥300...
* New Collections & Electricals are less attractive (subject to brand)
* Cosmetics/Skincare no direct discount but u can get ¥20 in Voucher for every ¥200 spent.
Sounds good???
** Sometimes, u can even see a 30/40/50% off, then followed by ¥150 off every ¥300! Those are the most SUPERB kind of Sale. Haha!
HINT: It's actually a good time to buy items that are usually more expensive like coats & heels/boots. ;)

I went there with nothing in mind...and since i've scoured through the ladies section yday, i headed straight to the kids department on L8 to look at the toys and clothes. Not much sale for the toys...and i think Joel doesnt need any more jackets although some very cheap lah. (I saw some quite nice winter jackets for about ¥150-200+) When i was about to go home, i had only bought 2 "home clothes" for Joel in that Piyo duck print. Not his usual "cool style"...but cheap and super soft cotton is good ¥58 for any 2 pcs (worth ¥150). Piyo Piyo is quite "big" here actually with a really wide range of baby products from clothes to nursing/feeding...and even bath items etc.

As i went from L8 to L3...i saw the jacket which Elvis pointed out to me yday from Basic House. (It's a Korean label which i've seen before in many dept stores but never bothered to look at their clothes). The cutting and style is not exactly what i'm looking for, but i decided to try it anyway. I also tried a Nine West dark blue leather jacket but it looks "old-fashioned" on me and it doesnt fit me well. (Actually I have been looking for the longest time for another leather jacket that fits me well. I also figured that probably the cutting i liked might not suit me coz it kinda "wraps" the tummy where i have lots of FATS! With that realization, i also kinda gave up hope on getting any at all!!!)

The sales staff everywhere were so nice to help me carry Joel while i tried on the clothes. Surprisingly, the Korean brand jacket cutting is not "smart", but it fits me quite well...so I decided to get it! The discount was very good too - ¥150 with every ¥300. (And i didnt need to buy another "smaller item" to max out my discount too! This is a very tricky part about these kind of '¥xx off ¥xxx Discount'. Sometimes, u just need to buy something cheaper to round it up to the next ¥300...so u might kinda get the "extra item" for FREE! Need to do a bit of Maths. Keke!)
My jacket: U.P. ¥3380 = Discount of ¥1650 (11 x ¥150) = Payment ¥1730
That's almost 50% off! Hahaha... Yippie! Finally!
And i got home within 4 hours - in time for Joel's next feed! ;)

* FREE Gifts: Another Thermos mug and a Lock-&-Lock "pour out" pasta/flour container.
(Even their giveaways have a different "system" as Spore's. Here, can choose from 2 gifts from each 600/900/1200/2000/3000... 'Purchase Price Range', PLUS daily lucky draw! Also seems more attractive somehow!)

hurry...

Yday quite shiok coz we went out to shop, then met Daddy for lunch at Afternoon Tea...then we shopped for a while before going home. Actually, we only shopped for about an hour or so...but Daddy managed to buy shoes (again) within 15 mins! 2 new arrivals from Asics Onitsuka Tiger. I also managed to buy a coat and an expensive scarf (which i normally wouldnt have bought). I plan to go back and shop again if i have the energy tomorrow...coz i wanna look at some baby stuff! We were too busy shopping for ourselves we forgot all about Joel. Haha! ;)

I had to lug all these home...plus Joel, plus diaper haversack. Stress!
(Pacific Department Store is having their 15th Anniversary Sale. We got a pillow & a Thermos mug as free gifts too!)

And yes, i'm wearing the H&M CDG collection polka dots cardigan here. Keke... ;p

Daddy will be leaving for Tokyo tomorrow for his company trip. Hopefully he can get to see the CDG collection (coz he likes a shirt & jacket lah). H&M opened its doors in Japan on the day of the CDG launch! Saw on the TV-Mobile that the Japanese also queued for a long time just to get in (and even overnight too)! I guess not just Chinese are kiasu huh?! ;p


Here's Joel's naughty face when we went out for steamboat dinner with Nuch who's here in Shanghai. He's playing with his tongue/mouth again! There were lots of people - from Shanghai, Taiwan, Malaysia, Spore, UK, Thailand - and yes, Joel charmed everyone with his sweet smile! ;)

11 months

Baby Joel is now 11 months - just 1 more month away from his FIRST BIRTHDAY!

He's now 9.6kg and we both think he's getting cuter! He has been 10kg for a few months (no increase)...and has dropped 400 grams now. But i guess it's ok. I think he has been working those (fat) thigh muscles. People still always say that he looks good. ;)

le pasta

Just got to know last Friday that my sister's boyfriend's brother has opened a pasta stall at Bukit Timah Food Centre. I've always heard from them that he's a really good cook (graduated from Shatec with many years of experience at restaurants) who whips up really yummy dishes and pastries too!

I downloaded these pictures from Tricia's Mommy's blog who went there to check it out already! (She has more photos of pasta on her blog) I think this Mushroom Soup looks really good...and even comes with croutons!!!

Do head there and try out the pasta if you're in the area - or even if you're not. Prices are really cheap too! Thanks!

It's located at Bukit Timah Food Centre #02-158.

this week

Yday, we went shopping in the afternoon for some items for my swap packages (to America & Indonesia). Then we went to Ken/Diana's house for BBQ. It rains EVERY TIME we have a BBQ at Ken's...and this is no exception! Haha! It started to rain in the late afternoon...and got heavier by the time we got started. So we had to move the BBQ indoors. This is their cute daughter Kaitlyn who has a room full of toys!

This is my nice nice metallic jacket bought last week. ;)


Today, we went to Crystal Jade for dimsum...then to Gymboree for the trial PLAY class (in the same building). These pictures were taken before the session. (When actual lesson start, cannot take photos) Joel seems to like the session although he cant really catch up (maybe coz it's his 1st time and the other babies were older). We decided to sign up the package for 36 classes first. I feel it's quite expensive but maybe it's good for Joel to interact with the other babies. ;)

After this, we went to stock up on our skincare stuffs coz we can finish a bottle of moisturiser in 1 month in winter. As usual, always get "conned" by the sales to buy more, more, more... Keke... Women! ;p

temptation

New in Shanghai! We saw this on Sunday...


And these from Mochi Sweets (which we bought to Ken's BBQ as dessert).

tricks

Lick, lick...

WAH! Trying to hold bottle with ONE hand! (Joel was actually 98% asleep)

baby toilet

Did you know that yesterday (19 Nov) was WTO? World Toilet Day! I only knew when i saw it on my fav Channel Young program. They showed some of the public toilets around Shanghai...and also some of the more modern toilets...

Finally! There's some toilets equipped with the baby diapering flip-out table (inside the ladies toilet)...and there's a baby "highchair" in the handicap toilet too! The handicap toilet is also very rare here in Shanghai. It's in a new shopping mall called 535. (We dont know the exact location of 535...but it's along Nanjing Xi/Dong Roads. Wanted to check it out last week...so maybe will do so this week if we have the time).

When we first came and i asked the janitors if they have any special room to change the baby's diapers, they will give me "a look"...and point me to the regular toilet which doesnt have anywhere that you can even place a baby! Not to mention the wet and/or dirty sinks...or the tiny cubicles. Haha! That's why...if you're in a nicer mall, you should always use the toilet even if you're not urgent (at that time)...coz you never know what to expect in the next.

So, you cannot imagine how we have been changing Joel's diapers when we're out (!!!). If it's his "big business", even more headache! Arrghh...

spoiling your baby

Should I worry about spoiling my baby?
If I lavish love and attention on my baby, will I spoil him?
No. Young babies are completely spoil-proof. Your baby needs all the care and attention you can give. Ignore the advice of well-meaning relatives who think babies need to learn independence. Instead, listen to your parental instinct — that inner voice that tells you to comfort your baby when he cries.

"Spoiled children" have learned to use negative behavior to get what they want. But your baby is too young to purposefully manipulate or annoy you. He cries to communicate his needs, whether they're for a snack, a dry diaper, or a little cuddling with Mom or Dad. When you respond quickly to your baby, you're building his sense of self-worth. You're also establishing a foundation of trust that can last for years to come.

If you give your baby prompt attention, he'll feel more secure and less anxious, giving him the courage to explore the world on his own. And once he understands that you take his cries seriously, he'll be less likely to cry for no reason. In the long run, responding quickly to your baby's needs will make him less clingy and demanding, not more.

By the time your baby is 6 to 8 months old, he'll be paying close attention to cause and effect — noticing, for instance, that his bowl falls when he drops it from the highchair. He'll also start to see a direct link between his actions and your responses. At this point it's okay to set some limits. If your baby starts crying to get something he doesn't need, hold your ground and give him a hug when he calms down. Similarly, give hugs and praise for good behavior and gently redirect him when he's doing something hazardous.

The right blend of love and guidance will eventually help your child understand his place in the world. But for now, your focus should be on giving him as much attention and comfort as you can. No matter how much you give, it's not more than he needs.
Article taken from BabyCenter

birdy

Joel's warm ¥15/S$3 vest! Reversible fleece & "furry-furry wool". Now, he's dressed like a china baby! ;p

I wanted to get 1 more piece...but there isnt any nicer print! I actually like this birdy print quite a lot...but Elvis thinks it's ugly! Haha! ;p

eat & shop again

Saturday, we went to Daddy Elvis' office in the morning coz he had to see some stuffs. We had to rush a little coz it was pretty early...so we just grabbed Joel's milk. Sorry, no porridge today...back to milk-milk. ;p

You can see in the picture too that Daddy's office has a table-tennis table. (Is this the correct term?) Anyway, this office interior is not as cool as his previous company which is a converted warehouse by the Suzhou river.

Next, we went to take a look at the H&M Commes des Garcons range. Was told that ALL the Mens stuffs were SOLD OUT (within hours from the launch on 13th)...and the Ladies range still have a bit left. Quite disappointed... ;(

Then, we went to another of our favourite shop Y by Codes Combine. Haha! Shopping again! (We're there quite often so some of the staff can even recognize us). This brand is from Korea and they have quite a wide range (of sub-lines) for both men & ladies. Pretty cool things! Daddy very terrible leh...so many jackets still keep buying every week! He has more than 1.5m of ONLY JACKETS!!! I'm not complaining lah coz i also keep telling him to "Buy! Buy!". On the other hand, i have decided to stop buying since i hardly go out now. Also, i dont have to work, so i dont need really need to wear nice nice also lah.


Actually, i feel it's very troublesome to bring Joel out now with his increased weight and more fussing. Somehow, it's also quite inconvenient in winter - wearing and removing the jackets etc... Even change diaper also very troublesome. Maybe it could also be becoz i'm sick lah. So tiring!

We came home early coz Daddy has to go to his office again in the evening. So Joel and i can rest a bit at home. Here's us goofing at home after his poo-ed and before his bath. :)

I also felt very sick (aches, flu, headache etc) so at 8pm, i tricked Joel into thinking that that was his bedtime and both of us went to bed! Haha! Surprisingly, he also didnt even wake up for his last milk feed for the day. ;p

Sunday, we went to Afternoon Tea for lunch (again!!), then to the 7th Shanghai Biennale exhibition at the Shanghai Art Museum. You'll probably know by now, i'm a huge fan of AT. I tried a new pasta (they change their menu every now & then) but still prefer my usual Flying Roe Carbonara. I also think that this pear/chocolate cake is the best! Yummy!

A real (old) train, giant psychedelic ants, skinny horses, red tshirts that link to individuals on a map (on the wall), an aeroplane-car-..., lots of bags including an LV (imitation of course)...


It was the LAST DAY of the exhibition but there was still quite a lot of people. We had gone there when it first opened in Sept but the queue was soooooo long we changed our minds. Somehow, it seems that Chinese everywhere just like to queue & are kiasu. Joel fell asleep shortly after we got in, so we could walk around quite peacefully! ;)
(You can also see that we've brought along the cheap & compact stroller coz Joel hardly ever wants to sit inside the stroller. It practically is used for our bags & shopping!)

I think the best part of the exhibition was the 'Colourful Running Dinosaurs' 《五彩龙腾》by Yue Minjun. It was a display of 41 pieces of steel/copper dinosaurs with human heads - displayed in a dark and narrow space of about 5-meters long.


The smallest was only about the size of my feet.



I also liked these paintings (below) which the artist tries to tell his grandparent's love story. His grandmother was a modern lady who dressed very well and she had to travel back & forth between Shanghai & Beijing to meet his grandfather.


The museum closes at 5pm, so everyone was "chased out". The staff was actually busy keeping some of the exhibits (already!). We walked to the park/Starbucks next door to feed Joel his porridge and walked to Rafffles City. Also went to NIKEiD (along the way at XiZhang/Tibet Road) to take a look.

It's so sinful! We shopped again! Izzue (from Hong Kong) at Novo was having SALE, so Daddy bought a pants and sweatshirt. I also bought a nice sweatshirt (coz with 3 pcs, there's an additional 15% off). Haha! I think it's still quite expensive after all the discount (it's U.P.¥859 for a sweatshirt!!!). But usually, i seldom get anything from Izzue coz their prices have increased quite a bit in the past years...so i dont think it's worth the price now. Anyway, glad we got quite a good discount. And i said i didnt wanna shop!!!??!!! Haha! ;)

And back home, this is Joel's fat butt which i think is so cute! Haha! ;p

O ya, we had Ajisen for dinner again and i cant resist dabao-ing some yummy dessert - mochis and a tub of Anderson's Ice Cream...and Breadtalk for breakfast/supper! I still wasnt feeling too well (no appetite), so snacks & tidbits work very well for me now! Keke... ;p

stella & stew

I checked my email this morning and found out that my friend Stella's bunny just passed away. I have never seen her rabbit, but when i read her blog and when we MSNed afterwards, i just kept crying and crying. It was as if my own rabbit had died! That's weird, coz i dont have a thing for rabbits. ;p

Maybe coz i'm more "motherly" now coz of Joel and also i can imagine what i'll feel if my dog Terry is gone. When Terry was lost (and found) last year, i also cried my heart out. :_(

In memory of Stew
July 2002 - 15 November 2008

for kids only

Last week, i also went to NiHong 霓虹 - the place with "everything for kids" near HuaiHai Road (at PuAn/JingLing Road). Didnt really get a lot of stuffs for Joel coz i think he doesnt really need anything for now. Instead, i saw this fake fur vest in one of the shops and bought it for myself! Haha! It's from Okaidi and tagged for kids 14yrs. That's only ¥80 (about S$16). Dont know if i'll get the chance to wear it now. ;)

The last time we were back in Spore, realized that Okaidi is now in Singapore too! Their clothes are very nice - esp the girls. Not sure about their Singapore's prices but over here in department stores, it's quite expensive.

At NiHong, i only bought Joel some thick socks and one of those "vest" which the China kids here always wear. I chose a cute bird print, and intend to let him wear at home when it gets colder. Surprisingly, it's only ¥15 (S$3) Will post pictures soon! Very cute print (although the design is yucky)!

post-weekend

Xan, Xavier & everyone at home, hope you can catch these before your Tokyo holiday! Glad you liked the video! Keke... ;p
Here's our updates of last weekend...
(a little behind time coz Aunty Jo sick lah...)
We went to Ikea then to meet our friends at GangHui 港汇广场. See, Joel is so happy coz he's surrounded by girls! O, and this cute & very soft Ikea panda. Joel seems to like it a lot! He was laughing VERY LOUDLY! This is inside Chamate 一茶一坐 (from Taiwan) which you can also find in Tokyo. It's a food, flower teas and dessert place. A lot of people like their iced red bean (红豆冰 "hong dou bing") but i like their pudding with caramel.

After shopping around in XuJiaHui 徐家汇, we went shopping at our favourite ChangLe Road 长乐路, and had dinner at a nearby authentic Japanese restaurant (near HuaiHai Road 淮海路). Everyone agrees that the mackerel/saba fish tastes like crab!!! How amazing! There's lots of cute Japanese kids - much much cuter than Joel. (I dont know the name of the restaurant coz our friends brought us there but i will definitely go back again. Very yummy!)

This is funny Ann from Xiamen and pretty FeiFei from Taipei, Taiwan.

O ya, it was also the FIRST TIME we brought Joel's porridge out! 2 meals! The lunch bag we bought was not bad! He had carrot, brocolli and pork porridge.

Sunday, we had Singapore food at Nanyang Cuisine at Infiniti Plaza. Ordered dry curry (rendang) with chicken rice, black carrot cake, roti prata and kangkong sambal. It was too yummy...so i had forgotten to take a picture of it first. ;p

Joel on a highchair now...but still cannot eat our food. He's just pretending to eat here. But the nice aunty steamed a "man tou" for him. It's FREE!

Elvis act cute, act cool and disgusting...

P.S. This must be like a Chinese lesson with so many Chinese words! Haha!

more of joel

Look, Joel can stand quite steadily now! He likes to look at this frame with LOTS OF JOEL...then he walks to the bookshelf...and back again to admire himself!


Note that the whole time, he makes this face with his tongue curled up outside his upper lip! He's been doing this A LOT lately. I also think he looks like a fat aunty wearing sweatshirt & leggings...HAHA...the kind you see at the market! ;p

potty training

Joel tried this potty today...but nothing came out...so we gave up. This is NOT the colour i wanted. Actually, i wanted Blue/White ...but Lijia-Baby delivered a wrong Pink/Yellow yesterday morning...so I got them to change it...but this Green/Blue came today...so i accepted it nonetheless. I think it's quite ugly...but it's just for shitting lah, so nevermind lah.

There is a "drawer" at the back to remove the shit! Haha! So i guess it's not so disgusting having to wash the entire potty. It also has a button on the bear's head...there's random kiddy music and the bear's eyes glow like the Merlion at Sentosa! So scary! ;p

It's only ¥53 (about S$10).

sensory

New fragrances from Gap. It's 100ml and inexpensive too! I like the Ladies packaging (bottle & pack)...so minimalist.
The Mens range: Mixed, Spiked
The Ladies range: Lavender Tea, White Amber, Washed Cotton, Velvet Bloom, Coconut Tuberose, Mandarin Jasmine
Express yourself with our fresh and exciting new eau de toilettes.
Emotion-evoking scents in 6 different combinations burst with refreshing and sophisticated medleys of fruits, teas, woods, florals, spice and everything nice.

cough and cold

I think this picture of the guy in skin-coloured long-johns is sooo funny!
Many people are having flu now coz of the sudden weather change from 20+ to about 15˚C. It can get quite cold at night at 8˚C. Next Thursday, it's been forcasted that it would even go down to 2˚C ...and "real feel" is usually 1-2˚C lower than what's shown. Our apartment also feels colder than the actual coz it's on the 28th floor. We've started to turn on the heater day & night (although it might be sunny in the day). Grrrrr.....

Along with the cold weather, we've all gotten sick...
Elvis has been having (quite serious) flu for a few weeks...he has been working late...so no rest...and it didnt get any better. On self-medication - Panadol Cold & Decolgen.

I also have a bit of flu this week...which got a bit more serious now...plus a bit of cough. Some headache, body aches too. On self-medication - Decolgen - at night only coz i need to remain sober in the day.
* Need to stock-up on medicines next time we're back in Spore.

Joel has a bit of cough this Monday...and we were so "gan jiong" we rushed him to the PD on Monday morning. On a cough strawberry-flavored-powder-mixed-with-water & antibiotics which Joel loves to drink.

Here's the 15-day forecast.

so many hairstyles

Found this cool website that allows you to see yourself in different hairstyles before you go for the big change. The catch, must pay US$14.95.
www.thehairstyler.com
If you're cheapo like me, can also look at the Hairstyle Categories to "read" (not see) if it suits your face shape, hair type lah... ;p