Happy Ever Laughter - no regrets!

Phew!

I survived the first week of school!

Honestly , it was a little tough mustering up all the energy for school after the June holidays. Yes, we still had to work during the June hols but the pace was definitely slower.

The one thing that kept me going the whole week was the fact that we were going to laugh our asses off at the end of the working week.

Last night , we went to the Esplanade to catch ......

HAPPY EVER LAUGHTER!

We saw the flyer somewhere in early June and I just knew we had to catch it! I mean , look who the presenters are - Selena Tan , Moses Lim , Chua Enlai, Siti Khalijah, Gurmit, Judee, Sebastian, Michelle Chong, Hirzi & Munah, Najip and of course, our very own Kumar!

We went for the 8pm show and it was such a rush as we had to perform our Maghrib prayers first at the Sultan Mosque. And the traffice to Esplanade had to be super duper slow.With just ten minutes to the start of the show, we joined the extremely long queue of cars going into the carpark. Husby decided to drop me off first while he went to find parking elsewhere.

So I went in alone and left his ticket at the front desk. I looked as if I was stood up by my date with the single empty seat beside me. Not too bad though , husby reached about ten minutes and only missed a tiny part of the first act!

And so my night of tummy-hurting and mind-blowing laughter began! Only ten minutes into the show , I already felt like I had been laughing for a lifetime!

This was how it went. The 12 presenters took turns to perform their stand-up comedies, each giving their own interpretation of what happiness is and of course, that included all the sexist, racist , crude and all types of jokes in between. There were many memorable ones but I am not gonna spoil it here :)

My favourites (as expected) were Selena Tan, Najip, Gurmit, Khalijah and Kumar...while the unexpected favourite was Judee Tan. Omg, she's god-damn funny!!! She carried out her character really well. The least funny , in my opinion , was Moses Lim. Heh. But I have never really thought he is a funny guy , anyway.

An interesting thing to note was that unlike any other shows, the audience is free to snap pics or take videos (as long as there was no flash) since happiness = no restrictions :P But I doubt anyone really took because you wouldn't want to miss any part of the jokes.

This was the only photo I captured in the theatre...

I really had a blast , and it was worth every penny spent! I should plan an exciting event for every weekend so that I do not dread the working weekdays :)

Tickets are almost sold out for every show - we were lucky to even manage to get the Category 2 tickets yesterday as there were only a few left. BUT the happy people are going to add one more show on 8 July 2012.

Don't miss this chance to laugh at yourself and others at the same time! No regrets, I promise! But make sure you are above 18 :P

Breathe in, breathe out....

It has been a hectic two days. I am just counting down the hours to the weekend. And Friday's Happy Ever Laughter. *positive thoughts*

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Grilled Salmon with Happycall

 I know I am a bit late in getting into the craze of the Happycall pan from Korea.

I heard so many good reviews  but was pretty skeptical about it still. I thought it was just another frying pan to enable cooking.

However, when a friend of mine who doesn't really know how to cook told me that she made chilli crab for dinner using this pan, I immediately went on to find out more about it online.

Read reviews, reports and watch real-life videos of cooking sessions using this pan - I was sold!

My sister managed to get it online almost 3 weeks ago but I could only find the time to try it out a few days back.

We bought some salmon and I checked out some recipes online. I found one that was relatively easy and with some modifications, we had Honey Glazed Grilled Salmon for lunch!

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of honey (I used Polleney)
4 tablespoons of soy sauce (you may cut this down to 3 or make it 5, depending on your preference)
Lemon juice , freshly squeezed , abt 3/4 of a lemon
Herbs of your choice
2 teaspoons of oil

 Step 1: Mix the honey, soy sauce and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir well.

Step 2: Glaze the salmon fillets , front and back, with the mixture.

Step 3: Sprinkle the herbs, front and back. I used mixed herbs and italian herbs but you can try out others too , eg rosemary and basil leaves.

Step 4: Heat oil in Happycall fan. Once heated, placed the salmon in the pan. Close the lids till you hear a 'click' sound. Let it cook on medium heat for 8 minutes.

It was my first time so I was quite wary of the salmon getting burnt that I kept opening the lids to check. But don't do that ok? The closed lids will trap the heat inside and ensure that food is well-cooked so if one keeps opening the lids, it'll definitely slow down the cooking.

After 8 mins, you turned over the pan , with the lids still closed , of course. Slow heat for another 5 mins......

and TA DAAAAH!!!!

They were actually cooked but I wanted them to be slightly crispy/burnt so I extended the time by another 4 mins or so. 

See? It is really easy. This pan is a god-send :)

You can serve it with coleslaw, potatoes, asparagus....anything that you feel like.

I decided to sprinkle some potato cubes with pepper and salt, and popped them in the oven for a while - baked potatoes :)

Added in some boiled carrots and we had a healthy and complete meal for lunch!

Oh, there would definitely some extra of the mixture of honey and soy sauce. What you can do is boil it and pour over the salmon later.

Verdict: I think this Hapycall pan has a lot of potential in assisting me with cooking and trying out more dishes. I am gonna try peanut pancake next , hope it will work!

Something bright , something yellow from Marc Jacobs. (Reebonz)

Well, I never really posted anything about my awesome powsome buy , did I?

It all started during our KL getaway last March. We didn't really plan to shop much but seriously, who were we kidding? Put the two of us in a good mall and just let us loose - see what happens :)

Anyway , we were done with our shopping at KLCC and were just browsing through. I went into Gucci first then Kate Spade ( and there was this attractive and striking orange bag!) .. I was just about to pass by Marc Jacobs when something yellow caught my attention.

It was this gorgeous looking bright yellow quilted bag , with dark gold chains as the straps. I held it, smelled it .... and fell in love with this pure lambskin. But we always must face reality so I took a peek at the price tag.

RM4300.

Ok, steep. That's about Sg$1870 - I have never spent more than $1000 on any bags before. However, this one was a tad too big for me so I thought if they have it in a slightly smaller size, it'll probably be more affordable and suitable as well.

They had it but not in stock yet! Going for RM3200 (SGD 1391) ... sounded slightly better. But I had to console myself that it probably was not meant to be and let it go at that.

Weeks passed and after a long hiatus, I decided to pay Reebonz a visit, you know, just for fun. I have not stopped thinking about the yellow bag , though.

And guess what? They just started a Marc Jacobs thread and that exact same bag ( the slightly smaller version ) was for grabs for slightly less than 1k.

Seriously, I got super excited and my heart definitely beat faster! But I could not buy impulsively until I got the green light from hubby.

And yes, I got it! I think he knew how much in love I was with it.

So , in a matter of 3 days, the lovely signature black box and gold ribbon were in my hands...

But I remember I was really tired from work and I actually went to bed without opening it. Yeah, that tired!

It was , however, a worthwhile wait.

Marc Jacobs Yellow Lambskin Quilted Handbag. Mad love!

I am still in love with it . I've used it thrice and stopped there - decided to keep it first while it still smells of leather. Hee hee...

Our first outing together :P

I realise that now when I shop, I tend to look for colours. My staples used to be black and beige, with the occasional pink. But lately, I have been buying tops of solid and bright colours like purple, emerald green , yellow,  orange and sky blue! Very unlike me but somehow I am just so drawn to these colours . Now I am even on the lookout for yellow and green jeans.... perhaps I need the colourful hues to counter my increasing age... heehee...

Next , I am waiting for my Tangerine Tutti Fruitti from Haney Bags, which will reach me in a week. That will probably spell the last purchase for bags this year. I need to save up for more important things :)

Can't wait! It is a cute handcarry with a pop of colour!

I really do hope this will be my last bag for the year. I rarely make such resolutions and I sure pray that this will be a success.

Till the next post , toodles!

Chuggington @ Downtown East

It's Chuggington Time!

Get ready to ride the rails in a traintastic interactive adventure with the loveable locomotive Trainee from Chuggington - Wilson, as he brings you around Downtown East to have tons of fun and meet his friends Brewster, Koko, M’Tambo and Eddie!

It was just meant to be a quick early lunch with parents and nephew.. when he asked if we could have lunch at Downtown East because there was Chuggington. I do not know much about the Chuggington series but since I had some time to spare, why not?

We had lunch at BBQ Chicken before we went to buy tickets for the train ride. Yup, kids get to ride on the train and take a tour around Downtown East. How cute!



Holding on to his passport for the train ride. He was so proud to write down his name when given a marker to do so.



It was quite a while waiting for the other kids before he could board the train, as there were some hand-painting services going on. As expected, nephew refused to do so!

The train made 2 pit stops before coming to an end. At the first station , they were suppossed to take individual photos , against the green screen. However, due to some technical glitches, the kids were given markers to colour the pictures in their passports.

First round of phototaking --- had to redo it because of the glitches.

So absorbed! He was with this "kor kor" throughout the stop at the first station. Kor Kor was very nice to entertain him .

At the next station , they had some games and quizzes on Chuggington. However, by this time, the little nephew was already yawning and showing signs of falling asleep .It was actually his nap time... poor boy...



Done ...on the way back!

I suppose he did enjoy his Chuggington experience and he was really happy to collect his photo at the end of it all. If only he had been more awake towards the end....

This event goes on till 24 June from 1pm - 9pm.

Train ride tickets are $10 each but if you have NTUC PLUS! card or the Explorer Kid's card, it is only $8.

One and a half more weeks before school holidays end, there cannot be a better time! :)






To Desaru tomorrow!

Whee............... we are leaving for Desaru tomorrow morning and I have NOT packed a single darn thing.

The two of us have been doing some mini spring cleanings with the house. ...so not in the mood to do any packing!

But we are always last minute packers. The last few trips to Penang , Hong Kong and KL - everything was done at the last hour. So, I'm sure it'll be the same again this time round. Ho ho ho...

Anyway, there were 2 readers who commented on the blog (but somehow did not appear) and I'd like to reply. But since the comments could only be read through my email, I have no idea how to reply as no details of email was provided.

So , if you are any of those two, do leave another comment or email me at laalaatubby@yahoo.com

Cheers! And have a great weekend, everyone!

Review on Saks.com !

Why keep good things to yourself?

Haven't we always been taught to share and care?

SO, I am sharing with you an online shopping site that you should visit NOW.

It is saks.com

What is that?

Well, if you are familiar with the shopping scene in US, this site is actually from Saks Fifth Avenue - where they sell LOADS of pretty and wonderful things. 

I haven't exactly bought much stuff there except for my Clarins products but let me tell you - I saved  A LOT when I did the recent buy.

Most of the products that are from US or Europe are much cheaper than if you get them in Singapore. (Those from Japan eg , SK II and Shishedo , on this site, are ridiculously more expensive so get them locally!) 

One example is my CLARINS UV PLUS Day Screen High Protection. It costs $74 at CLARINS counters in Singapore and $72 at my favourite Century Square Tins & Bottles. But through this website, it only cost me USD 38 = SGD 49.40 !!!! If that is not called wise shopping, then I don't know what is!

Do you notice the Intensive Serum for USD 69 (SGD 89.70) ? Here, it is about $138!

But then you may question - with the shipping cost and all, it will probably amount to the same thing , won't it?

No, you still save because currently, they are offering a flat EXPRESS shipping rate of USD 19.99 for international orders of at least USD99.That means it doesn't matter how heavy your items are , it will still be USD19.99. You just need to enter the promotion code : ROW12 when you check out your cart. However, codes may change so always double check on the homepage.

But it was a nice surprise for me though because I was only charged USD 14 for freight :)

You do not have to worry about any breakages of your items. Everything was well-packed and bubble wrapped. Plus, delivery is done through DHL so you know your items are safe :)

They have, of course, other things on their site besides beauty products. Such as these, that set me drooling biigggggg time :P ....

B Brian Atwood

Crystal-Coated Suede Platform Pumps

SGD $548.24

Dior

Miss Dior Patent Leather Peep Toe Pumps

SGD $985.44

Tory Burch

Sally 2 Leather Logo Wedge Pumps

SGD $367.80

Marc Jacobs

Thompson Top Handle Satchel

Was SGD $1734.92Now SGD $1040.95 - SGD $1734.92

Giles & Brother

Nara Pavé Bracelet

SGD $242.89

Okay, I'd better stop before I go cross-eyed and get frustrated with the prices. LOL.

NOTE 1 : Although you can view the prices in SGD, do remember to convert to USD when checking out. Somehow, it is cheaper.

I am not sure how long this offer of flat shipping will last so hurry , if u want to benefit from it.

NOTE 2: Any overseas purchase beyond SGD 400 (including shipping) will be taxed once they reach Singapore.Thus, do split your orders if you intend to spend more than that.

barneys.com is also having a promotion - Designer discount up to 40% and FREE international shipping! Shall check that out for my make up items !

Happy shopping, people!

Get ur beauty products at bestbuy-world.com!

If you know me, you would know I am such an avid online shopper.

I have bought so many things online; bags, watches, make up, shawls, brooches, shoes, plates... just name it! :P For a short while last year, I was even 'lost' when I tried shopping physically. I did not know where to start from when I was in any shopping centre. I guess this must be because I was used to having everything in front of my eyes and everything was  just a click away.

Thank god that didn't last long, I got over it after a few more 'practices'. Heehee. I can definitely shop online and offline. :P

Recently, or rather at the beginning of the year, I discovered a local site that sells beauty products - skincare, perfumes, make up etc . I tried it and I think they have earned another loyal customer - me!

It is http://sg.bestbuy-world.com

Can you see there are so many things on their home page? Initially, I was a little turned off - I definitely prefer clean sites , where the interface does not look so confusing or intimidating.

But then, I realised it wasn't confusing at all. They just had to put that many pictures of items / those on promotions so that we , the customers, do not miss out on anything!

 

They have practically almost all the brands you can think of. Easy navigation eventually , all you have to do is click on the correct category.

If you wonder about the authenticity of their products, no worries! They are a reputable company selling only original goods (they also ship overseas).  And of course, any consumer will want to go for a better value for money and this site proves to be so.

One of my recent purchases was the SK II 215ml Facial Treatment Essence , or better known as the "Miracle Water".

 

Retail price over the counter is about $200. Usually, I buy my supply at Tins N Bottles at Century Square for approx $180 but look there! $157! I saved so much!

This site is also recommended if you are one who likes to buy items in travel sizes. I loaded up on my Clarins moisturizer - now I can bring them wherever I go, at a fraction of the original price!

 

I haven't gotten to the best part yet . You need to spend ONLY $50 for free delivery! On top of that, they are really efficient. I did the recent order on Thursday at 4pm and the items were delivered the next day at 1pm!

So you save time, energy and transport costs - all at a click of the mouse!

I cannot believe I have missed out on this wonderful site (heard that it has been around for quite some time) but it is never too late to start, isn't it?

The next time you run out of facial products etc , give this a try :) It is worth your money.

Wildlife-themed Rooftop Playground @ Tampines One

Kids and playgrounds can never be separated.

When I was in primary school, I looked forward to every other Sunday whereby my dad would bring my sister and I to the playground beside our flat. We were never allowed to play at the void deck or playground without parents' supervision (and thank god for that!) so it was really something we treasure.

Playgrounds nowadays are so different from the yesteryears. I remember that I hated the sand that covered the whole floor area of every playground. As kids, it was difficult to walk in the sand and I always tripped whenever I got down the see-saw! Maybe it was just me but getting scratches and abrasions after playing at the playground was nothing uncommon :P

I think most parents appreciate the fact that playgrounds nowadays are much more child-friendly.

The most recent one which we brought our nephew to was the rooftop playground at Tampines One. We did not really plan to bring him there...were just out shopping when I remembered this newly-launched playground. Of course, at the mere mention of the word ' playground', the little boy got excited and kept rushing us through our shopping. Grr.

It was all the way on top (duh, rooftop...) - pretty small to me but big enough for those kids. There were so many of them having fun with one another - what a great place to make friends!

So here we are!

Wildlife-themed Rooftop Water Playground @ Tampines 1

Warming up with his uncle.....

I really wanted to let him get wet and play with the water ... but my mum didn't allow him to so all he could do was wet his hands and feet. Next time, must bring swimsuit!

Making friends with 'Jie Jie' who went a little too fast on the see-saw that he shouted for her to stop. LOL

That's about the most amount of water he got into... heh...



He kept giving this kind of smile that day... I have no idea why.



It's probably not so clear in this photo but at the far end, kids were going crazy over the mini slide that ends in a pool of water. Next time ok , darling?

We only realised that this was meant for 5 - 12 yrs old when we were going home! Hehe...



Sigh....always going against rules.... :P



Now that's better!

There is also a place for you to rest and sit down if you do not feel like mixing around with the kids.

Or, if you are like my mum, who'd rather check her Facebook :P

So there you go - another place to bring ur kiddo, lil siblings, nephews , nieces etc.... just don't forget their swimsuits or a change of clothes! 

The playground is open from 10am to 9.30pm daily (except Mondays 12pm to 9.30pm) and it is FREE admission.

Have fun, kids!