GROCERY SHOPPING UP NORTH

Moving right along, here's a post of one of our trips to Johor Bahru (its a back dated post).

About once a month (if we can), we try to stock up on some cheap groceries in JB. And although the jams at the Causeways (on both sides of the countries) can be vomit-inducing (Ryan can vouch for that!) & sore on me (big) butt ... we "endure" it as best we can. Shopping in Malaysia does saves a lot of money & sometimes the variety is different too. Not forgetting the halal stuff they sell there, far exceeds what we have here in Singapore. Fine dining (if you can call eating in cafes, that) is definitely so much cheaper, especially if they have similar branches back home - like Secret Recipe, Oldtown (which coincidentally, isn't halal in Singapore), etc.

We always end up spending a lot of the time in the bigger supermarkets. Whilst there, Ryan always can't miss out on the kiddie rides, outside.

Looking very confident indeed. See how he "siam" the many supermarket trolleys around him. He's actually pretty good at not knocking people down nor being hit by the other kiddy riders.

Can you see the serious-looking Ryan, peering at the corner of his eyes? He's actually looking out for some errant drivers (kids) around him. Haha ... he hates being hit by them.

We dropped by a kid's playground. Its pretty huge! You would never see an indoor playground, this huge in a Singapore mall.

Finally, its time to eat. We had our makan at a small restaurant called Vivo (I think they're from the U.S - they serve mainly Western food & have other branches across Malaysia). The food is pretty tasty & very reasonably priced. A lot of the restaurants in Malaysia are Halal certified (reflected at the entrance of the shop or on their menus). If in doubt, don't be afraid to ask!

Ryan scribbling on the promotion pamphlet.

Waiting for the food to arrive (which was so bl**dy slow) ... reason being? They forgot one of our orders, arrgh! (I forgot to take photos of the food - no mood by then).

Ryan showing his Daddy the food he wants to eat, next time.

Yes, its (yet) another kiddy ride ... at another mall! The things we do to make our children, happy!

Hubby, the ever-present bodyguard ... not that Ryan needs any protecting, hehe!

Looking to check if Daddy is still behind him.

YOGURT ANYONE?

I know most guys do not fancy yogurt but luckily my boy does. As I love yogurt too, I decided to get my kid to try it when he was much younger. I was ecstatic that he loved eating yogurt. I used to buy the baby version (more expensive) but have since switched to regular ones. I love to eat the fruity flavoured ones, especially mangoes and peaches because they are usually the best combination - not too sweet & not too tart.

I usually buy them (from NTUC) only when they are "on sale" & discounted (@$ 5.50) - its actually a lot of difference from the usual price ($6 +). The expiry date is still at least 3 to 4 weeks, so there's still a lot of time to "demolish" the whole tub easily. I tend to buy the giant tub, its actually more economical but will suggest the smaller single-serving-tub if you have difficulty finishing it before it expires. To those who are interested, the yogurt is also Halal cerified.

These are some pics of Ryan having his usual yogurt fix. Whenever I open the fridge door & he sees the big yogurt tub, he will point to it & say "Burp" - that's what he calls yogurt, haha ... don't ask me why. Everytime we are in the the supermarkets, & we pass by the chillers, Ryan will excitedly point to the same yogurt tubs (with the right flavour) & exclaim loudly, "Mama, burp ... buy burp!" & I have to constantly remind him ... "We still have some at home". So in honour of one of my kid's favourite snack/dessert ... here he is, messy mouth & all ...

I can't help but notice his VERY high forehead. I guess he takes after me ... but his is much higher (than mine) & protudes out even more. I try to cover it with his fringe sometimes but just like mine, I kinda accept it as it is. I don't think you can hide a high forehead that much. Just have to live with it ... just like I did. They say people who have high foreheads are smart ... errm, I dearly hope so, for Ryan's sake ...

Here's not forgetting some random pics ... again. As always, its kiddy rides .... for Ryan!

AUSTERITY DRIVE

I decided 2 transfer my austerity drive ideas onto another blog coz I thought it would look so "messy" here. Besides not everybody's interested to know where I found the cheapest baby clothes, etc.

So here's the other blog's address :
http://our-austerity-drive.blogspot.com/

Do drop by if you are keen on our latest effort to "buy-&-live-cheap". I was also thinking of including a section on delicious food too (Anyone who knows me ... knows how I loove food!). I think I will wait & see how things work out wif the new blog. If the blog is alive & well ... & I can find the time 2 update it regularly, I will try to add more sections of interest.

I hope my "thrift & save" ideas helps. Enjoy reading!!!