Kaki Shopping

… but I will NOT be going.

Yeah, you heard me right….

Why?

I need to refrain from spending excessively and limit my spending to only on my needs. The last few times I visited the GAP when it was on sale, I ended up buying bagloads of stuff. Oh, they were all really cool and gorgeous stuff of course, and all were on sale, some even up to 60% discount! I have THREE black dresses from the GAP now, all favorites of mine and all bought during the sale.

So yeah, of course I am yearning to step into the GAP during the sale, but I am afraid I won’t be able to restrain myself. Well, perhaps if I walk in without a credit card, that could work… and I am also feeling an immensely strong force pulling me to the Baby GAP store too.

HELP!!!!

The GAP Sale starts today, July 4 2008.

As much as I love shopping in malls and shopping complexes, there is a quaint fascination and an almost intriguing, exciting splendor about shopping in tiny shops and stalls, selling all sorts of knick-knacks. I read that the shopping experience in Negril, Jamaica is nothing short of exceptional. Call it the Caribbean shopping experience if you must, but I am sure you will be spoilt for choice with the vast array of hand-crafted products, colorful beachwear (it is, after all Jamaica!), and authentic jewellery pieces that will make you the envy of many.

And once you are all done with your shopping spree, you can check yourself into one of the many splendid all inclusive resorts in Jamaica, which offer adult vacations that cater for everything you have ever dreamed of. Golf, scuba diving, snorkeling, spa and special honeymoon and wedding packages; you name it, they’ve got it.

With shopping and relaxation all rolled into one fantastic holiday, need we ask for more?

Just last week, I was scouring the online bookstores, and physical ones as well, looking for a recipe book on my list of books-to-buy.  Lately I am so into kitchen experiments that I am finding renewed inspirations in recipe books.  In addition, I am addicted to the Asian Food Channel too.

Well, anyway, to cut the long story short, I called up Borders and found that they have a copy of what I wanted, but that Friday, when I visited the store in Queensbay Mall, I could not find it.  Maybe cuz I was in a hurry.  In any case, there were no discounts for the book then.  So I decided to wait it out.

Actually I harbored a secret.  I had looked at my previous Borders spending spree records and discovered that last year, there would be a sale at the end of June.  The sale would entitle me to purchase a full-priced book at a hefty 20% discount, with the purchase of any magazine.

And the wait actually paid off.

Last Friday, when I was out shopping, I was delighted to find out that indeed Borders was on sale.  The sale runs from June 27 - July 6 2008, and yes, the offer of 20% off for a full-priced book with every magazine purchased was on.  Yay me!

Patience definitely has its perks.  Now I can get myself inspired.

Just the other day, I was watching a children’s program on TV together with Ethan, which showed the lead characted being addicted to a new video game.  In fact, he was so engrossed in the game that he did not even want to leave his computer to go out and play outdoors with his friends.  He soon fell asleep and when he awoke, he discovered that he had stayed indoors so long, he had grown all old and haggard, missing out on all the fun and adventure he would have had if he had left his computer.  Of course, he soon discovered that it was all a dream, and it was a good lesson learnt from that dream.

I’m glad there are television programs that still encourage kids to go outdoors and have fun, to bond with nature and well, just to be who kids are.  And I’m glad that Manfred Mantis is on that same right track.  Manfred Mantis is the premium Home Playset system for the 21st century, arriving all the way from Australia and it prides itself in producing gorgeous playsets for kids from 18 months old till 9 years old!  All manfred mantis playsets are appealing because of their aesthetically pleasing designs that are attractive to both children and adults alike.

The creation of these wonderful playsets stems from the good people of Manfred Mantis promoting more kids to spend less time watching TV at home, instead they endorse outdoor activities.  And what better way than to do it with a cool Manfred Mantis playset, huh?

I am a long term sufferer of cracked heels, and believe you me, I have tried everything.  Well, almost… At one point, I even resorted to slathering on THICK lotion and wearing socks to sleep.  Worked for a while, then when I got tired and lazy of wearing socks, the cracked heels came back to haunt me.

Hence it was with great interest that I read Pinkelle’s review on Rosken’s Skin Repair Dry Skin Cream.  She claims it works wonders within 2 weeks to a month.  And since I had tried everything, including those creams specially targeted for cracked heels (but did not work), I bought myself a tub of Rosken’s when I stopped by the pharmacy.  After all, what had I got to lose?

I have been using it every night (almost!) for about a month now, and I am happy to say that this cream really does work!  It’s not as thick as those other creams for cracked heels, but this one does its job well.  I normally rub it on my legs after my shower…okay, I TRY to remember to do it, and right before I hit the sack, I rub some on my heels and feet, and also some on my hands.  See, this cream is so versatile you can use it all over your body!

I especially liked the effects of applying the cream after the fish spa foot therapy I had, though it would have felt even better had I applied it IMMEDIATELY after the therapy and not wait a few hours after.

But I digress.

Rosken is definitely the Dry Skin Specialist they claim to be, and a tub of this cream retails at just RM25.70.  I’m quoting the price from Guardian Pharmacy, but you can get it anywhere.  In fact, I happened to take a brochure back from Guardian just yesterday, and found out that Rosken now has a Skin Repair Feet & Heel Balm (RRP: RM23.90).

Oh, and I forgot to mention that it has quite a light scent that does not overwhelm like some of the other creams I have used.  Another reason why I think this is so good.  Thanks for the fantastic recommendation, Pinkelle!

I find the radio an indispensable item in the car while I am driving. While some people find that it distracts them and interferes with their concentration on the road, I on the other hand, laud it for its ability to keep my mind alert at all times. It is also a source of entertainment for me, and as such, I would automatically switch my car radio on whenever I drive.

I am now yearning for a swanky new high definition radio for my car, though. Besides utilizing digital technology, a HD Radio will also allow iTunes Tagging. What this means is that I will be able to just hit a “tag” button to tag any song that I like on the radio, and then later download and buy the songs I want directly from the Apple® iTunes Music Store.

With a high definition radio too, I am positive I would be able to listen to many more new radio stations. My driving experience would certainly be changed forever!

Just as I was about to log in to Amazon and place my order for the debut novel written by my good friend, Preeta, I discovered that it is available now at mphonline. What’s even sweeter is that it is currently being sold at a hefty 30% discount! This discount is only applicable on purchases made online though.

Of course, I wasted no time in getting a copy, and am now patiently awaiting the arrival of my book. Never mind that I have an unfinished novel sitting by my bedside, I’m gonna read Preeta’s book first!

If you’d like to know what the book is like, please go visit Preeta’s site or click on the article below from June 2008’s TimeOut KL magazine:

One of my very favorite accessories is a quaint little necklace with a shell-shaped pendant, which I purchased from a quaint little store called Beads Zone several months ago. Not only has this unique pendant invited many interesting remarks and comments, I simply love this necklace for its versatility, as it goes with everything I wear.

But wearing this necklace all the time does seem like overkill to me, so I did what any normal person would do. I hopped back into Beads Zone yesterday, hoping to find an equally, if not nicer, necklace to add to my wardrobe.

I spotted a few which I liked, but they were rather pricey, at close to RM30 per piece. At the other end of the spectrum, there were some which were on promotion too, priced at “2 for RM10″ and “3 for RM10″. But none of them caught my eye. In the end, after trying on a few, I ended up selecting one costing RM15.90. This one had a flower-shaped pendant with a smaller floral center made of sea shell material. It had chunky beads on its side too.

Of course, being the frugal person that I am, I asked the salesperson if there was a discount. And she said that a 10% discount would be given if I was a privileged member.

“And how do I become a member?” I asked.
“Oh, you will need to purchase a minimum of RM50 to be eligible for a 2-year membership,” was the reply.

Since I was not prepared to make such a big purchase, I bought the necklace for the regular price.

Depending on the response I get from wearing the necklace, I might consider signing up as a member. You see, Beads Zone has Members’ Day sales off and on with supposedly HUGE discounts, in fact these are the upcoming ones this month:

But you know, if you’re a Penang blogger like me, you can just take the shortcut and blog about Beads Zone to earn yourself a free 2-year membership. Gosh, does that mean I am already qualified? Woohooooo……..SCORE! …Although I am not sure how they will ascertain if a blogger is a Penangite or not… never mind, as long as I get to enjoy the discounts on Members’ Day!

I have always had a penchant for silver jewellery. Somehow, silver appeals more to me than yellow gold. Of course, I prefer white gold and platinum any day, but that’s another story altogether.

Anyway, I am currently in an accesorizing mood, and given the fact that we ought to be thrifty whenever possible, I’d go silver in a heartbeat. Besides, just looking at the pretty Silver Jewellery at Key Silver is enough to make me drool.

I adore intricate pieces of jewellery, which are not loud, but yet convey a message of charm and sophistication, and I found tons of these at Key Silver. I was immediately taken by this charming bangle with a pink stone. Pink is not exactly my color of choice, but there was something about this bangle that made me take a second glance. It was girly and yet mysterious in a way. I would so love it if there were other stone colors available for this bangle too though.

There were also plenty of bracelets and pendants that caught my eye, but since I prefer the latter, I headed straight for the Silver Pendants section, where I found this gorgeous black spinel heart pendant. In fact, if you own one of those plain Silver Bracelets, this pendant can also be converted into a bracelet, but just attaching the pendant to it. So that’s more mileage for your pendant.

I look forward to seeing a more varied selection of silver jewellery on Key Silver in the near future. I know that they deliver free of charge within UK, but it would also be good if the site could provide more information about worldwide ordering and shipping.

Okay, folks….see, this is what I have been up to:

No no…contrary to what you are thinking, I was not dressed like that over the weekend, although Sunday night saw me dressed in an LBD!

Anyway, today, I logged in to Polyvore.com and created my first ensemble, which I, for want of a better name, called it Hot Momma. Actually, this is pretty addictive, I’d say. Remember those days when you were a little girl playing with paper cutouts of dolls and dresses? Well, this is just like it, except it’s all done online. Simply mix and match and fantasize yourself wearing those clothes….

Even more awesome is that creating an ensemble like that would entitle you to a contest entry brought to you by Tongue in Chic and Urbanscapes.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am itching to create another ensemble…. care to join me?