Crate and Barrel is now in Singapore

     Crate and Barrel is now Singapore.  It is located Ion Orchard, #04-25/35, 2 Orchard Turn

Singapore, SG 238801.

     The (very) few times I've been to the US, their shops have always attracted me, but the thought of buying something eludes me.  I wanted furniture, and I can't possibly have them shipped to Singapore.  The freight costs alone would cost more than the sofas or beds that I wanted!  But now that they're here, I am simply delighted!

     I mentioned in my previous post that my husband and the wonder twins will be relocating to Manila soon.  It gave me an excuse to browse the brand new C&B store and I swear, my eyes were twinkling :) and these twinkling eyes rested upon this beautiful white sofa.  It was so inviting that my daughter, Sofie and I immediately sat down on it, just to see if it was really comfortable as what we perceived it to be.  And boy, was it comfy!  I was in love.  I showed it to my husband a few days later, and he totally agreed with me.  So last Saturday, we purchased a Willow Queen Sleeper (aka sofa bed)...

and a Willow chair and a half (aka Sofie's chair)

     I am so excited :).  Shout out to Steven (C&B's GM) and Ong, for helping us!

     I equally love their bed sheet designs.

Marimekko Lumimarja Celery Sheet Sets

Marimekko Pippurikera Sage Sheet Sets

Sakura Sheet Sets

     They make you want to just stay in bed all day!

Thank you for bringing C&B to SG.  

I am, and will forever be, a loyal customer.

Nail Polish for Kids

     Sofie, my daughter, is a girly-girl.  Believe me, she doesn't take that from me.  I was a tomboy when I was a kid.  

     Anyway, she loves nail polish.  And she likes a different color for every nail (fingers and toes).

     We first tried Piggy Paint.  Their nail polish are non-toxic, odorless, hypoallergenic and water based, which makes it suitable for kids.  

     I discovered them on a (local) online store Pupsik Studio.  I'm not sure if they still carry the brand.  Anyway, here's how it looks like on Sofie's hand :)

               

     

     Then, I saw these tiny Little BU nail polish at Mothercare, and it was on sale!  They're also non-toxic, odorless, and with a water based wash-off formula.  Its quite glossy too, and that attracted Sofie the most.

     She loved the colors so much but since its a wash-off formula, the colors disappeared within a day, and that made her a little sad :(.  But, kids are kids, give them a new toy or book, and they'll forget whatever it is that upset them :)

     Don't you just want to nibble those chubby fingers?? :)

2013 milestones...and its just the beginning

     It has been a long time since I last posted in this blog.  My heart keeps reminding me to update, but my mind tells me I have better things to do.  :(

     It has been a blur of activities since we came back from the Philippines for our annual Christmas vacation.  The Wonder Twins passed their entrance exam (for kindergarten) at Xavier School, Nuvali (yay!) resulting in quite a bit of paperwork to accomplish.  There's a short story behind this.  

     We arrived in Manila on a warm and humid Monday evening (surprising for December), went to my sister's house to unpack and repack, then drove to my niece's house to stay there for the night.  She lives near the school where the test was going to be held, so it makes sense to stay there rather than endure the morning rush hour traffic.  The following morning, I was a mass of nerves, while the kids were the least bit worried about the test.  While they were inside the testing room, my husband and I were seated outside in these school chairs.  I prayed the rosary three times, getting more anxious as each minute passed.  Finally, they came out and this conversion with my son ensues:

Momma: How was the test?

Gabriel: Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

Momma: Wow, really?

Gabriel: Yes Momma.  And I did very well on my worksheet!

Momma: And what did you do on that worksheet?

Gabriel: I wrote my name!

Momma: And how many times did you write your name?

Gabriel (in a very serious tone): One time.

     My daughter, Sofia, was a little more pragmatic.  Her response to my query was that some parts were easy, some were hard.  Talk about personality difference! :)  I was more akin to believing Sofie, and I was thinking Gabriel will never live this down, especially with my family.  This will be in the family joke book for the rest of his life had he not passed.  Thankfully they did!

     A week or 2 later after we came back from our vacation, we found a buyer for our 4BR condo (another yay!) - they visited the house on a Saturday morning and that same night, expressed their interest.  They agreed with our selling price and next thing we knew, we had a cheque for the reservation fee.  That was bittersweet.  I was happy that we didn't have to lower our asking price, and at the same, sad, as it has finally come to a reality.  We will soon leave the house we've lived in for the past ten years.  Sigh....

     Since then, my husband and I have been busy planning the relocation.  We requested for quotations from 4 international movers and from 3 pet moving companies, finally making a decision last week.  Moving back to Manila will cost us about SG$8K +/-... Not cheap, but I love my furniture.  I can't bear to sell them.  Those that I would like to sell were bought by the new owners, so that was a relief.  Getting our 2 yorkies relocated as well will cost around SG$2.5K.  

     Amidst all these, we're still getting my sister's spare house renovated.  We will be staying there until we find a place we can call our own.  It's really heard to monitor the renovations when you're living in another country, but fortunately, our contractor is a friend, and he has been updating us on the progress.  With that said, there are still tons of things to buy to get that house ready by the time my husband and the kids move there on April 25.

     Yep, I will have to stay in SG until I find a job in Manila, or until I go crazy, whichever comes first.  I have been in denial for so long, but as time draws near, I am starting to feel dread, sadness, worry, helplessness.  I see myself weeping at night as the twins lay next to me, sleeping peacefully, with nary a thought or worry in their pretty little heads.  

     Reality bites, indeed.  

The Intouchables

     Let me start by saying this blog was supposed to be about Life and TV Shows, but I always end up talking about movies.  Go figure.  Believe me, I have been watching my favorite series religiously, and have added some more to the roster (Downton Abbey and The Mentalist).  But movies that moved me are what I end up writing about.  "The Intouchables" is one of them. 

     Based on a true story, The Intouchables is a french comedy/drama film screened in 2011.  Directed by Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano, its a very touching movie about a wealthy quadriplegic Philippe (starring François Cluzet) and his carer Driss (Omar Sy). 

     It starts with Philippe and Driss in a sports car, driving in the streets of Paris.  Philippe is shown sitting in front and staring out the window, emotionless, while Driss drives on, looking at him with some concern.  Driss decides to drive really fast and is soon chased by the police.  They make a bet, with Driss saying that he can get away from the police.  He didn't and is caught.  Before getting out of the car, Driss bets that they will be escorted to the hospital. 

     Naturally, the police is miffed but Driss tells them that Philippe needs to go to the ER, and that there's a wheelchair in the boot to prove that Philippe is sick.  Philippe then starts to shake and spittle comes out of his mouth, thus making the police believe Driss' story.  As Driss anticipated, the police escorts them to the hospital.  While driving to the hospital, they laugh and listen to Earth Wind & Fire.  And the movie proceeds in flashback.

     Without really getting into too much detail, as you continue watching, you will get to see how the relationship blossomed from patient/carer to best friends.  You will see Driss' life change after he meets Philippe ~ how he's exposed to the arts, classical music, wealth, without losing his own personality.  Driss, on the other hand, brought joy into Philippe's life.  For once, he wasn't treated with pity.  Philippe felt thrill and excitement, he enjoyed Driss' candid conversations, his carefree ways.  Folks, this is bromance to the max :)
     

    Here's some clips from the movie - 

     Why do I like it so much?  Its because I was entertained.  I laughed, I cried, I felt for these two characters.  I was rooting for them.  I didn't have to dig into my brain's darkest recesses to try and analyze it.  I felt GOOD after watching it.  I didn't have this heavy feeling in my heart, I didn't come out scratching my head, wondering, "what was that again??".  And best of all, this was based on a true story - there's still good in this world.  

     Shouldn't that be enough? :)

     Here's the gist, I wouldn't talk about a movie, or a TV series, or a book, if it wasn't worth it.    I do try to follow the saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".

     This one's a keeper.  Now... where's my Earth Wind and Fire CD?

Palmier (Pastry)

     I first heard of Palmier from a blog by Chuvaness.  She was actually gushing over Leaf Pie from Japan and she mentioned that its quite similar to Palmier.    I thought nothing of it until I came upon a Palmier at Paul Boulangerie Patisserie in Takashimaya.  Tried it (price was pretty steep, S$3.60/pc), and I liked it a lot.  The price was the deterrent though.  I figured this will just have to be a rare treat for me.

     Then, last week, we were shopping at M&S Wheelock place and much to my delight, they also had Palmier at their bakery, in a more affordable price of S$1.50/pc.  Bought 2 pcs to try and the wonder twins pretty much gobbled them up and declared that it was their favorite.

     I decided to compare.  I was in Lucky Plaza today and decided, at the last minute, to buy Palmier from both M&S and Paul.  It was a brisk walk from Lucky Plaza, to Wheelock Place, to Takashimaya, then back to LP.  Needless to say, I was out of breath and sweating by the time I got into my car, which was parked in LP.  All in the name of blogging... yeah, right! :)  

     Here's how M&S Palmier looks like - 

   

     Paul Boulangerie's - 

      

 

     Side by Side -

    
My colleague and I tried each one, and here's our assessment:

Paul - crunchy, buttery taste.  Not too sweet

M&S -chewy and sweet

     They both taste good, but I'm thinking S$3.60 price tag is a bit too much on a momma budget.  Sorry Paul.  And since the twins enjoyed M&S version a lot, I'm happy :)

     Next thing to try, Leaf Pie.  Horizons are expanding, thanks to Chuvaness! :)

House Cleaning

     Its been a while since I posted anything on this blog - my apologies.  Our helper went back to her home town for a 2 week home leave, and my husband and I were left on our own to take care of the house, the twins and the 2 yorkies.  I have to admit, I have become so reliant on our helper, Becca.  She cares for the twins like as if they were her own, she cleans the house very well, cooks, irons the clothes, the works.  So you can just imagine the state I was in when there was only a few days left before her departure for a well-deserved vacation. 

     I am totally clueless in the kitchen.  Oh I can bake ~ cookies, muffins, cupcakes, easy stuff.  But cooking?  I can fry an egg, sure.  But that's it.  So, the only solution I can think of for this dilemma was to ask Becca to cook the twins' favorite soups a day or two before she flies off.  I read in a blog by the Soup Chick that you can actually freeze the soups and they should be good for 3 months (non cream soups will keep for 6 months).  That article was a beacon of hope :)  Thank you so much Soup Chick!! 

     Dilemma#1 - check!  (Hubby and I had take-out, natch!)

     My husband was retrenched late last year and has not been successful in finding another job.  The worldwide economic crisis didn't help and his age plays a factor as well.  He's in a semi-retired state as we speak - which is still ok since I'm still gainfully employed.  Timing's actually good - while Becca's away, he can take care of the house.  But then, he has 2 slipped discs that pretty much hampers his movements.  Solution to Dilemma #2?  I will drive the kids to school in the morning, go to the office, then pick them up during lunch time, buy lunch, then continue to work from home in the afternoon.  Thankfully, my manager agreed to this set-up (God bless him).

     So I mentioned the hubby's slipped discs, right?  That just means that he can't really do much cleaning around the house.  So I saw myself changing into my house clothes the moment I arrive, dock in my PC, check emails and then I grab the mop & the duster.  I find myself appreciating these products that helped me clean the house, quickly and efficiently.

3M High Performance Microfibre Mop - It just captures the dust, hair (pet and human), and dirt so effectively.  All our windows are open the whole day, so even if you mop (wet) the day before, you'll still gather so much dust the day after. 

Magiclean Handy Duster - love this!  I have a set in my office as well.  You can see the dust disappear after one swipe.  Lovely! 

Terra Care Marble & Terrazo Floor Cleaner - Ad this with water, mop your marble flooring, let it dry and see your floor shine in no time.  I think they've changed the brand name to Mr Muscle.

    

And the crème de la crème (for me anyway) - even though I'm totally clueless in the kitchen, I do know how to keep it clean.  And Mr. Muscle Kitchen Cleaner is my go to product.  It's sssooo good in getting rid of oil and grease build up on your kitchen tiles, counter, stove top, sink, the works!  Spray it on, let it sit if the scum is too much, wipe it off with a sponge or a cloth, and voilà!  Good as new!!  The only downside here is that it really doesn't smell so nice, as in.  But hey, it works!

    

     And so we managed to survive 2 weeks without killing each other (haha), none of us starved to death, we didn't get sick (that happened after Becca came back, go figure!), and the kids still managed to participate in their school's year end concert!  Woohoo!

     I'm not complaining about the work, mind you.  It was good to see myself sweating from the house work, and I lost 2 Kg!  But I just want to say this - I have so much respect for those working mothers who do not have any helpers at all.  It's really a huge feat - amazing, they are.  And a shout out to the domestic helpers.  People don't realize it, but so much is entrusted on these remarkable people. 

     As for me, I stayed in bed the whole day when Becca came back.  I was back to being a lazy bugger.

Katy Perry: Part of Me (The Movie)

     I recently watched Katy Perry: Part of Me (The Movie) with the wonder twins (my 5 yo kids). 

     They're fans, especially my daughter and I must say, her songs grow on you.  When my daughter was still in nursery school (~3 yo), her teacher heard her humming Teenage Dream while doing her artwork :).

     Anyway, I didn't expect much from this movie.  I thought that it was going to be just self-promotion for her world tour.

     Ha!  I saw myself weeping at the end and actually hoping that she will eventually find THE ONE who will be there for her, who will support her, her dreams and ambitions. :)  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

     The movie shows clips of Katy when she was still young, and talks about her Christian upbringing (along with her sister Angela and brother David).

      She started singing in church and had a gospel record by the age of 15!

     The movie shows how close she is with her family, especially her grandmother.  I remember reading an article about Katy bringing along her grandma in one of those music awards. :)

     Other record companies wanted to mold her into the next so and so, but she refused to budge (good for her!), eventually finding a record label that believed in her talent, liked her for who she really is, and helped her become who she wants to be.

     Despite her parents' trepidation, her first single was "I Kissed a Girl (And I liked it)".  They supported her choice and it turned out to be the song that launched her career.

     Along the way, she met her stylist Johnny Wujek

and make-up artist Todd Delano

and they're still with her all these years.  You can tell that she has their love, loyalty and respect.

     Her best friends are a constant in her life

     and so is her sister, Angela

     In between clips, you will see videos from fans declaring their love for her, how her music and lyrics resonate, and how she inspires them to believe in themselves.  Wow.

     During her gruelling tour, she still makes time to be with her then-husband, Russell Brand.  She jets off to meet him somewhere, no matter how exhausted she was.  Truly admirably.  Sadly, it wasn't enough.  Towards the end of the movie, you see her weeping before her Brazil concert, and you realize that the marriage she worked really hard for, ended.  She's given a choice of cancelling the concert, or still go on.  She decides to go on.  Heart breaking.  You hear her sobbing.  You see her struggling to hold back the tears before she is raised up on a platform to the stage.  With a deep breath, she looks straight ahead and affixes a smile to her face... Brave.  Loyal to her fans.  Strong.

     Though she still hurts, she knows that she has a good life, a beautiful life to be thankful for.  She realizes the pain is part of her journey and she still has so much to live for.

     This movie is very inspirational - a beautiful and hopeful message to the youth, that you never settle, that you have to be true to yourself, and to follow your dreams.

     I am enamored.  :)