:::SPAIN SHOPPING::: Chanel Classic

  

Something I have always lusted after for a loooong time now! Let's just say the husband dragged me into the boutique 2 days before his birthday and made a wise choice for his bdae present! Makes my 3rd bag for the year and probably no more for mannnnny years to come!

  

It cost an arm and a leg but the amount of savings in Europe was substantial enough for us to decide to break the bank ;)

 

I got it in lambskin because there was no other choice available :(

Barely a month of owning it and I really want to pull my hairs out from caring for it!

MINIONS

With all that hype about the minions wave that hit SG a while ago, I really regret not stocking up on these banana items when we were in LA Universal Studio earlier this year!

And they had so many baby merchandise!!

I blame it that the wave didnt hit SG sooner and that nobody told me D looks like a minion (read - no hair) sooner.

Look at all the cute bananas behind us!

::TRAVEL:: Bangkok for 3!

I'd never been the kind of girl who've had big dreams, specific dreams tagged on to a number in life - Like that of getting hitched by 2x and becoming a mother by 2x years. Nevertheless, I did have a secret wish to have a first child before 30. And some time along the way, I lusted after a datejust and also secretly hoped to own one before 30.

This year, I celebrated 3. And I might have just gotten what I asked for. :) Except for the weight part.

The Pullman team delivered a cake to our room right before I arrived in BKK to join hubs.

Here's where we spent each morning doing laps (for the great foodienanza day ahead) and soaking in the glorious morning sun. Treasuring the moments cos gotta hang around in a baby pool back in SG!

And this is one reason why we decided to leave baby at home...Sorrie D, mama needs to get the body aches (you gave) fixed. I am sure you ll understand! Oh.. that cracking was soooo SHIOK! Papa didnt quite enjoy the massage though.. and was watching his HK drama throughout the whole session -_-"

Highlights of the trip:

FIRST time on a TUKTUK! Too much food! FREE FLOW bar snacks and drinks from hotel 5-7pm! Very cheap Swensens and DairyCream icecream! Bought one too many treats for Murphy because it's cheaper there!

24 packs of snacks, 6kgs of kibbles and 3 packs of frontline plus for SGD 166 

Some tips for travelling around in bangkok:

1. Cabs are relatively cheaper than BTS is you are in a party of at least 2. They dont go beyond 100 baht by meter for most of our destinations.

2. After taking so many cabs in BKK, we found the blue cabs more reliable than the pink and orange ones. They dont haggle for price and will on the meter when you board. 

3. Dont fall for ANY tuk tuk scams! They usually quote an unbelievably low price, then will ask to bring you to 'one shop' and they will tell you they need the gift coupon to pump petrol or you 'no buy, just see'. Insist on getting only to your destination. They will then quote you a much higher price of at least 10x the original quote. We usually just get off the tuk tuk and find another one. 

4. Be patient when finding a cab/tuktuk. It may mean asking at least 10 cabs or tuk tuks before you get an honest one. We had a hard time trying to get out of Chatuchak on a Saturday evening. Most cabs quoted us around 300 baht for chatuchak to MBK or didnt want to go to MBK! We eventually found a blue cab who used meter and it only cost 82 baht!

5. Lastly, its good to read up on and be aware of tuktuk scams so you know what you are expecting. 

::CALIFORNIA:: The French Laundry

Rated #10 out of the 11 toughest reservations in the world, Eater.com teaches you how to secure a seat in this place - you can book up to 2 months in advance, which gives you an opportunity to put yourself on the waitlist.

Or, you could pull some strings.

We were lucky enough to be able to get a table for lunch during our San Frans trip.

Something to tick off our bucket list! :D

Introducing: The French Laundry

Dress code has to be strictly followed - Gentlemen to be decked in suits and ladies in dresses/pantsuits. And the waitress makes no attempt to assess you from head to toe discreetly.

Here's da man looking smart in his suit with the menu.

The staffs are trained to describe each dish, specific to the origin of each ingredient and the different levels of sensation they bring to the taste buds. Here, every onion and every parsley are no longer just.condiments. There were special mentions of these in the description.

We were left pretty speechless. 

Here's the 9 course chef menu for the day.

....topped with an onion grilled to perfection...

::PREGNANCY:: Soccer Ball

End of June in Kuching

You are so BIG now!!

And momma has to find new clothes for my growing belly!

Momma's back in Kuching early this year in order to finish up all work travel series before you become too big to carry around ALONE. Yeah. Papa and I are still planning some travels if time allows. But Europe has been shelved off cos my poor feet can no longer do long walks nor climb big stairs. And I still cant find any decent comfortable shoe. Even the much raved about Fitflops that everyone from non-pregs to pregs swear by doesn't appeal to my feet. :( 

Back to happier things, CLOTHES!!! The nice laobanniang whom I frequent annually had a hard time finding big clothes for me in her shop but still let me waddle into the fitting room generously with my picks to try on ;p 

They even encouraged me to try on this REALLY tight dress!

And how I really stretched it!!!!

Oh! And that's the cute little popped out belly button that I used to think was SEXY on other preggers' bodies!!! And how I very eagerly anticipated my own to pop out when I first learned about you in me, and how I very confidently proclaimed to all my collics what i thought of its sexiness and how they have to get used to seeing the lil belly button on me because I was SOOOO going to not try to hide it's SEX APPEAL from them! But that is all in past tense.... cos I saw your biao yi's one which did not cave back to its original state >.<" 

I dont think it is sexy anymore. 

Please dont let mine pop out further.

I already have the varicose veins, flabby arms, armpit fats and potentially stretchmarks to be glum about. Though the internet prolly says I should be glowing with the knowledge of what I have inside me. I prolly am. But allow me to whine about all other uglier aspects of nature. I really don't want FLABBY arms!!! Nor a forever protruding belly button!!! :'(

Ok whine finish. Anyway I am happy as long as you grow up healthy and strong. 

That's really all I have in my daily prayers. 

Babymoon

Back from the land of shopping spree and eating spree, but sadly didnt get to accomplish much of the shopping part due to

#1: A whale-ing body = no clothes fit at all :(

#2: Equally whale-ing feets and need for walking stability = difficult to find shoes

#3: Subconscious effort to save the big moohlahs for our little dragon = drool at the super cheap rolexes and shun away from the branded bags queue outside boutiques, just in case I cave in to the tax free haven pffft! So I immediately texted Ser, who was honeymooning in Europe, to BUY AS MANY BAGS AS POSSIBLE!

And when I finally caved in to that pair of ferragamo jellies that my feet needed to walk HK for the rest of the trip, because you know preggy feets are oh-so-delicate and need a pair of good shoes lovin' from the hubba, they were sold out in my size PFFFFT!

Anyway, there are other more fulfilling parts to the trip.

Like catching up with an old friend over din din and a cuppa gelato late at night.  

Bless my belly! Baby, this is your first star encounter yo! ;p