Insta-Life

Mr. Hotpot surprised me with a Keurig machine on Valentines. Not that I'm a coffee drinker, but at least now I can make better coffee not from 3-in-1s.

 

This is not the most exciting thing to do, but I wanted to be screened for colon cancer. When I told my family physician, she was like "you're not even 50 yet." But I insist.  I'm not a doctor, but I think this is the first step.

 

Lindor is my favourite chocolate.  And cookies & cream are the best!

 

Do you take photos inside the store?  I wanted to see if this will make the cut in our house. It's from my favourite home store, Home Sense.  It's right beside where Sushi goes for Karate class.   That is so dangerous!

 

Another one from Wicker Emporium, what didn't make the cut.

 

My mom brought this sungka (mancala game) all the way from Manila.  If not being played with, it is my tea light holder. 

 

No place like... IKEA.  My source of design inspiration.  This is Pinteresting for my TV room.

 

Joe's Plantain chips.  I'm going back for more to hoard!

 

Please stop snowing.

 

 

Sorry Ballet Flats

I did not bat an eyelash when I saw this pair at Winners. My sister had to remind me not to walk out of the store in them =] My ballet flats - I could not count them - are now green with envy.
Shoes: Liz Claiborne

Shopping Today: Classics

Sushi found these treasures from the Dollarama and wanted to get some.  Without batting an eyelash, I put all of them into the cart.  These chapter books are just a buck fifty.  Not bad!

Today's Treasures

From Home Sense & Marshalls (TJX companies)

So good. I can't put you down.

Random Act of Kindess @ H&M

H&M is offering 20% off any one item through April 22nd via printable coupon here. I don’t pass on deals like this. So while time is on my side, hello H&M, so glad to be back… and alone! The dress second from right from the Conscious Spring Collection 2012 now hangs in my closet. The fern is not revealing just yet.

On my way out I handed my extra coupons to some arbitrary shoppers. Mr. Hotpot thinks I’m going overboard whenever I do random acts [of kindness] like this, but I’m a nerd like that.

Indexed Chopping Boards

My 2 biggest fears in the kitchen – E.coli and salmonella. Me handling raw meat is like me in the Fear Factor show. Hence, I leave the chopping to the butcher. I buy choice cut meat. The meat trays in groceries, they are meant for people like moi. If I have to debone, I can use a chicken breast. If I have to cut, I use the shears and cut straight from the tray, armed with disposable gloves. I use 2 separate tongs when cooking meat, one for handling the raw and one for when the meat is cooked.  I also have several chopping boards for fruits/veggies, onion/garlic, and bread. I use my Hello Kitty one for meat only, though I barely use it in that I do enough prevention to need to.

These chopping boards are from Generate Design It retails for US$79. Wah! Costco sells something similar for under $20.

In the mean time I saw this pretty flexi boards from the Dollarama. You’d think it’s the last place on earth to find nice stuff. You can’t go wrong with $2. While my mismatched chopping boards are, well, mismatched, and old enough for bacteria to lurk in their epidermis, it’s time to bid them adieu. Though this set won’t tackle a whole chicken, it’s pretty and perfect for this non-Meat Ninja.

A Month Without Buying

I have read Judith Levine’s Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping, and thought her exercise was rather too drastic. But guess what, January flew by for me without a trip to the mall, nor any stand-alone shops. And it's doable! Though early in the year, I did visit my Relaxation Mecca and home idea generator - Ikea. I unbelievably came out of the big blue store with nothing. But relaxed and, true enough, with only ideas! And the boys their ice cream.

I am on a quest to buy minimally this year for the self. I say minimally because to say nothing would be a strong commitment, bwahaha. Please no more traps for me – broken camera, whatnots.

But my boy needs a new pair of snowboots. That doesn’t count, right? Besides, It’s. A. Must.

To the mall tomorrow =]

Mickey Handsoap

Cute Mickey & Minnie handsoap from Shoppers Drugmart.

Bento Land

I wasn't leaving Hong Kong without a stop at JUSCO. I'll do what it takes even if I had to bug the hotel concierge around midnight just to get directions.

And I did just that.

Jusco carries Daiso products, most of which are priced at HK$12, unless otherwise noted.

I almost wiped out this section.

日本城 Japan Home Centre was just a few blocks from our hotel. I was able to get Glass & Lock that are cheaper than I would find here in TO. Only they were bulky, but they made their way here =]

日本城 is also in Robinsons Galleria QC.  Everything sells for P66 or P88, but most of the things I bought were P88, tsk tsk, though they have very limited items for bento fixing.

There's more variety in Saizen. I could spend hours in this store alone. I came out with bento boxes, tools and things,.. and lots more! This is uber wasteland.

Saizen & Japan Home Centre
Robinsons Galleria 3rd Floor
Edsa/Ortigas, Quezon City

Jusco Living Plaza- Hong Kong
Unit 310 and 313, 3rd Floor
Star House, No.3 Salisbury Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Japan Home Centre - Hong Kong
G/F., Hilton Towers
96 Granville Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Halloween Shopping

I take the kids to Party Packagers each year to pick costumes for Halloween. Every year I also tell myself, I should make my own. Nah!

The shoppings trips have been more for Sushi, as Sashimi can wear the previous costumes of his older brother until he learns how to object. tsk tsk tsk. It’s the practical thing to do while we can, since these costumes would have been worn only once.

What a lucrative business for retailers selling Halloween treats, costumes, pumpkins and decorations at this time of the year. This is one side of Party Packagers - two of these walls of just costumes - where you pick and order, claim it on the other end of the store, and fit on aisle 5. Decision-making was easy. Sushi picked a cheap one. That's. My. Boy.

Costume is partial. I asked if he really likes to be Ninja or he picked that because it's cheap. He said he did not want me to spend "a lot of dollars" and also really wanted to be a Ninja after seeing Kung Fu Panda 2, The Karate Kid, and after a few classes of Karate in Summer Camp.

Ninja it is.