Re!gal Themed Romance Wedding Show 2011 by Hotel Re! with UOB Discount - 18Dec11

This actually looks quite nice. Cheaper rate for couples to go too.

Join Hotel Re! for a breathtaking afternoon at this wedding showcase and enjoy great treats and deals from them and their prestigious partners. The Re!gal Themed Romance Wedding Show promises an experience that is truly memorable with five exclusive themes – Retro, Enchanted Garden, Fairytale, Starry Starry Night and Oriental.
The glamorous highlights of the “Re!gal Themed Romance”:

• Themed wedding gown show by Amanda Lee Weddings exclusively designed for Hotel Re! themed weddings & themed make up, hairdo & jewellery by The Make Up Room, Ashley Salon & Ling Jewellery.
• Exclusive photography & videography workshop by Substance Film & Bryan Jean Photography.
• Lucky draw for all couples.

Enjoy fabulous lunch, goodie bags, 0% installment plans, attractive wedding perks & much more!
Plus, stand a chance to walk away with 2D1N stay at Hotel Re! Themed Suite, up to $3000 worth of vouchers!
UOB cardholders will enjoy discounted price of $12nett per couple for this event!
Call 6827 8282 or email events@hotelre.com.sg to register.
Event Detail
Date: 18 December 2011, Sunday
Time: 11am – 4pm
Venue: Re!Joice Ballroom

Baby Baby Fair 2011 @ Suntec

Going for this fair today!

Posted on the go!

Amazon Wish List - Bumbo Seat, Baby Whisperer, Diaper Organiser, Nursing Cover & Makeup Box!

There are a whole lot of things cheaper than the retail shops here when we checked out at Amazon.

Hoping to see if we can ship some of these things together. :)

1) Bumbo Baby seat - tons of mommies are getting these in FB man!
2) Secrets of the Baby Whisperer - Apparently this works
3) Nursing cover - discovered that the "slip your hands through" ones are not as good as the "wear over your head" ones. Comfort is different
4) Diaper Organiser - realised that most organisers are not good on Amazon cos they are quite filmsy. But variety is more on Amazon and wayyyyy cheaper.
5) Makeup Box - For Addy's hobby and sideline. :)

Baby carrier - Manduca

I have been searching for something to transport our one month old baby in as he was growing heavier each day and I am finding it hard to carry him. Was reading some of the reviews by mummies and the comments on the manduca was fabulous. When we went to the shop "Baby slings and carriers" at Square 2, I bought the manduca without much hesitation. After paying for it, Paul was asking the shop owner if we could carry the baby facing forward and she said that we can't and that was when I wondered if it was that great.

Upon reaching home, I went to read further reviews comparing different types of carriers and came upon this site offering some of the comparisons.

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/slings_and_backpacks_chat/940836-Moving-on-from-my-borrowed-Baby-Bjorn-Connecta-or-Ergo/AllOnOnePage

I have been using the manduca for about a week now and I really love the feeling of baby being snugged around my chest! Also if the baby can't be carried facing forward, I can back carry him when he gets older. He falls asleep easily inside the manduca as well:)

Here is one of the comment by one of the parents for reference

I haven't been using enough carriers to make a comparison but so far, I love my manduca..

Ergo - great all-round and also loved by dads, but back/body of carrier could be higher offering more support for bigger babes.

Manduca - as above, but with a higher back and built in infant insert so spot on.

Beco - for me, falls between the Manduca and Connecta. Good high back, funky prints, sleep hood (as do the others) built in infant insert, great front carrier even with heavy babies, neat like the Connecta but some find fiddly for back carries (due to built in insert, i.e. extra buckles/panel)

Connecta - also great with funky prints and everything functional and neat, but I personally prefer the more structured waist band on the Manduca for holding the weight of a heavier baby.

Baby Bjorn - neat and functional for early months, offers forward facing position but otherwise, not the best longterm investment.

 

Just for Laughs

Got this from one of my colleagues. Hilarious. :)

[1] Regular naps prevent old age, especially if you take them while driving.

[2] Having one child makes you a parent; having two you are a referee.

[3] Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is the husband!

[4] I believe we should all pay our tax with a smile. I tried - but they wanted cash.

[5] A child's greatest period of growth is the month after you've purchased new school uniforms.

[6] Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent.

[7] Don't marry the person you want to live with, marry the one you cannot live without, but whatever you do, you'll regret it later.

[8] You can't buy love, but you pay heavily for it.

[9] Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.

[10] Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.

[11] Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway.

[12] My wife and I always compromise. I admit I'm wrong and she agrees with me.

[13] Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

[14] Ladies first. Pretty ladies sooner.

[15] A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

[16] You're getting old when you enjoy remembering things more than doing them.

[17] It doesn't matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends up with the same boss.

[18] Real friends are the ones who survive transitions between address books.

[19] Saving is the best thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you.

[20] Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something

[21] They call our language the mother tongue because the father seldom gets to speak!

[22] Man: Is there any way for long life? Dr: Get married. Man: Will it help? Dr: No, but then the thought of long life will never come.

[23]Why do couples hold hands during their wedding? It's a formality just like two boxers shaking hands before the fight begins!

[24]Wife: Darling today is our anniversary, what should we do?

Husband: Let us stand in silence for 2 minutes.

[25]It's funny when people discuss Love Marriage vs Arranged. It's like asking someone, if suicide is better or being murdered.

[26]There is only one perfect child in the world and every mother has it.

[27]There is only one perfect wife in the world and every neighbor has it!

Biocera Laundry Ball - Detergents No More?

Bought this in a John Little Expo sometime back at a price of $49.90. Was quite glad cos the price I double checked at Kiddy Palace is $69.90.

Was quite enticed by it as it claims not to use any detergents to get clothes clean by its nano technology. Features touted on the website too:

1. ALLERGEN FREE AND DETERGENT FREE LAUNDRY BALL FROM KOREA.
2. NATURAL PERFUME, BETTER ANTIBACTERAL AND STERILIZING WASHING
3. REMOVES ODOR, GERMS AND OTHER HARMFUL BACTERIAS.
4. BIOCERA HAS NO CHEMICALS. CERAMIC BALL INSIDE BIOCERA BALL HAS AN ORIGINAL PATENT AND WERE FIRSTLY DEVELOPMED BY DR. JEON IN 1997.
5. NANO TECHNOLOGY, GREEN PRODUCT, MADE IN KOREA

I used it for a while and it turned bluish from yellow cos of a blue dye leak. I hope it did not "destroy" the ball.

But psychologically, my wife and I "felt" that our clothes were not really THAT clean. This kind of things very hard to tell.

So at the end, we still use some detergent plus the ball to "clean our clothes more thoroughly".

Well, for more info, see the websites below?

Distributer in Singapore
http://www.biounme.com/

Korean Channel and Info
http://www.biocera.co.kr/eng/washingball-en.html


And ZZZZZzzzzzz, Amazon sells it even more cheaply at USD29.95...

Coaxing Baby to Poo

Image by Ian Kershaw via FlickrAfter the flying poo incident, I wanted to see how I can play an active role in ensuring that Immanuel "poos on demand" instead of giving surprise attacks. Maybe even start on potty training early ( i hear some parents saying that i am mad).

Googled and read some articles online which I thought to note down for references.

Some ideas on a website I first stumbled upon
http://www.gladdads.com/2010/03/constipation-situation-how-to-make-your.html

Quite a good article on baby poo
http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Mike-Patrick%20Jr,%20MD-1104/pediascribe-7416.php

My First introduction to Elimination Communication
http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9607/Is-It-Possible-to-PottyToilet-Train-your-BabyInfant-REVISED/#

Can we train infants to poo at desired times?
http://babyparenting.about.com/od/pottytraining/a/Infant-Potty-Training.htm

I almost died laughing when trying to take a leaf out of infant-pooping-training from animals.
http://squirrelrefuge.org/squirrel_refuge_web_site_010.htm

In the wild, baby squirrels are stimulated to urinate (pee) and defecate (poop) by their mother gently licking the genital area until the baby relieves itself.

Potty Training for Dummies - Quite comprehensive
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/potty-training-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html


Perhaps I will start experimenting soon. :)

Taiwan Wedding Photo Taking Trip - Day 5

This is the 5th day of our wedding phototaking trip. Another day of enjoyment and seeing the sights of Taipei, Taiwan.

First stop is the "Window on China" Theme Park - famous for its miniature structures.

The price list of the transportation from the various places to the theme park. Not cheap ley!

Nice landscape features as we enter

Getting our breakfast, more because we were cold than hungry

One of the tastiest sausages we have ever eaten!

Wonderful acrobats!

A welcome note!

Dun ask me what building that is.

Our favourite Doraemon!

Going to another part of the theme park only accessible by this train.

Trying a photo-taking pose.....

Taj Mahal

A mini theme park within the theme park

The Doraemon family

A huge ferris wheel

I was pulled onstage to be part of the performance...

A Doraemon museum - reminds me of the Asian Civilisation Museum

This is a very odd picture to pose in

Chopping the Doraemon stamps

Buying some merchandise

The famous 冰糖葫芦 "Ping Tang Hu Lu"

Do you believe that this is IKEA food? Yea... in Taiwan.

Some crepe..

A huge shopping centre. Nice lights.

Taiwan 101!

The dampener in Taiwan 101

Nice picture of the 101 landscape

There's this street of pet shop. Cat land!

Infamous cheap beef steak in Taiwan night markets

Can't remember which night market this is already...

After a long day out...

..... crashed before the bed is reached...

Cost of Delivery of Baby at Thomson Medical Centre

Image via WikipediaThis is the first time we are paying for bills in the hospital for a delivery of a baby.

We have always heard people giving advice like $4k is ex, $2k is cheap, depending on the type of birth, if possible avoid Cesarean etc. But we had really no idea what the breakdown of the total cost is all about and whether they are medisave deductible.

I took a little pain to tabulate the individual components down to the pill they charge us for. I just wanted to know the cost components and to see whether having babies are huge costs.

Well, just to share. Hope this helps those who are clueless like the previous me.

You can see the details published in a webpage here.

Our newborn son - Immanuel!

A little late but.... our son was born on the 23rd August 2011 in Thomson Medical Centre.

He was delivered normally under epidural.

The whole birth process took 28 hours, inclusive of 2 hours of pushing (a little on the high side).

Indeed, it was an exceptional process and an unforgettable one.

Here's a video of Immanuel at 1 day old, hiccuping. 

Gek Jin Contractors PTE - Our 3 room HDB renovation contractors

The price list we referred to before we engaged Gek Jin

Ultrasound - Baby @ 23 Weeks!

NTUC FREE Gift for your New Born

Image via Wikipedia

https://orgnet.income.com.sg/uinewborn/uiNewBornEntryForm.aspx

I'd thought this was pretty cool when I was surfing to buy my travel insurance.

Anyone know what it is all about? Seems that they will send to the home.

Some Wedding Advice from a friend

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

A friend FB-ed me giving me some advice sometime back. Moderated some of the views. ;p


Bridal Studios:

• White Link - possible headache - hidden costs, flowers not fresh, bad service, etc. (Do due diligence and google their reviews pls.) 
• If you are intending to MTM gowns, you can actually juz go for a studio that can design and make the style Addy likes. No need to go for the actual designer. May be cheaper that way. 
• Signoria Nuziale's fairytale theme is only like 1-2 page of the album. Not the whole album unless you are willing to pay that much. And your ideas muz be communicated properly. Else you will have photos that really dun like, no storyline, etc. This was 1 friend's experience. Though another friend whom I warned after realising he signed with them headed the advice and had a good experience. So key point is muz be careful in communicating.
• Remember to have everything in Black and White & do not make total upfront payment. At least split into 3-4 payments. Do not accept any "no need to write lah, we will give you".
• Style Weddings is another good magazine.
• Read the relevant thread on www.singaporebrides.com before signing with any studio if possible.
• When you see any contract, nego for the following freebies (a) kua / tea dress for tea ceremony, (b) brothers & father's jackets/suits, (c) flower girl & paige boy outfits, (d) more photos / full magazine style aka digital style layout, etc

HDB

1. Try not to get HDB flats with corridor windows. Less privacy and more problems like pple throwing things in (e.g. cigarette butts). (Booo... mine is already one with a corridor window. bo pian. Few with no corridor windows and corner units are hard to find and ex.)
2. Rem to consider reno costs in your budget. Can pay more for the flat if less reno needed. If you need ID recommendations, mine was Kean from Homeguide.
3. Also calculate if you get any "additional housing grant". Not sure what the new terms are.
4. If you do the flat hunting urself, you can also see if you can find an agent to do paperwork for you by paying abit for paperwork fee. But muz find those that accept this and not insist on the 1%. Paperwork fee can be just a few hundred. Not that little but may save you some headache.

Buying a Proposal Diamond Ring

Image via WikipediaIt was more than 2 years ago when I started looking for a ring for my proposal project.

You can see my ring here! 

Knowing that it would be one of my bigger investments for wedding, I wanted to do some due diligence in researching for the most perfect ring (relative to the price *chuckles*) I can get for Addy.

I'd thought I'd relive some of that by writing down my learnings from that experience.

Buying a diamond ring can be helluva easy thing to do. Just saunter into LeeHwa or SooKee and there're a plethora of diamond rings you can pick from. Or for the rich, just head out to Tiffany&Co and choose one blindly.

HOWEVER, if you truly want to choose a GOOD diamond ring, be prepared to invest in lotsa time and effort into it. (The reference links at the btm of the post will demonstrate so).

Since I was not in the "rich" category and I was quite particular in paying good money for good stuff, I did quite an extensive lookup on the web and walking into jewellry shops to get a "feel" of their products. I would suppose that the effort that goes into doing all these matter more than the ring itself.

Basically, selection of your diamond ring (more specifically, your diamond itself) can be summarized into the famous 4 Cs - Clarity, Cut, Colour and Carat. Let's briefly go through each of the 4 Cs.


Carat
The most spoken about yet I would say, the least important. (Hope that did not throw you off your chair). Needless to say, the larger the carat, the higher the diamond costs due to rarity. The best deals falls just under the "magic numbers" where a little carat increase will pose a quantum jump in pricing.


Clarity
Clarity indicates how flawed the diamond is. Flawless diamonds cost more, cloudy (included) diamonds cost less. Simple?
How clear a diamond is can only been differentiated by a loupe (magnifying glass for diamonds)

Colour
Basically, different colours cost differently especially when it comes to the types of cut as well. The most common "colour" is colourless and the more colourless the diamond is (or less tinted), the more expensive it is.

Cut
This is actually the most important and most complicated aspect of selecting a diamond, not the carats! The cut will determine how much light is reflected/refracted. With that, diamonds can "look" bigger too. There are different aspects of a "cut" - polish, symmetry and proportion. For simplicity, go for GIA Excellent or AGS Ideal cuts. They are certified. Or even better, just go for diamond that are "hearts and arrows" which are excellent/ideal in its category.


Here are some more detailed references of selecting a diamond ring that you might want to refer to.
www.proposalring.com - this site provides a good overview of diamonds from a Singaporean guy (the prices are pretty dated)
www.pricescope.com - this is a good forum where diamonds are discussed
www.goodoldgold.com - this is a reliable New York based jeweller (a friend's friend got a diamond from here)
www.whiteflash.com - this is another reliable USA based jeweller.

James Allen - this is where I got my proposal ring! :)