Hi all,

Thaks for taking an interest in my blog. Due to the incompatability of WordPress with my MAC browsers, I will no longer be updating this Blog. However, be rest assured that whatever that is in here will still be here for your reading pleasure (not that they are so interesting anyway).

The good news is Jas and I have started a new Family Blog! So see you there!

Cheers!

Dearest Hunny,
I love you, more today…more today than yesterday…
But I love you less today…less then I will tomorrow.
For the record…I still think you are HOT!

Happy Birthday my love!

We arrived at Melbourne airport at about 8 plus in the morning. And God once again answered all our prayers because we ended up skipping all the super long queues and got through the customs very quickly.

Hi folks, as promised I will be sharing the adventures we had in Melbourne Victoria. We really have to thank the good Lord for providing us with the opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle for a while and also to catch up with some very dear people in down under. I must say that between the three of us, Cherise probably had the most fun out of this holiday…she didn’t have to cook, clean and run after herself ha!

There was something that I chanced upon at Changi Airport Terminal 3 as I was leaving for Melbourne…it was quite a sight and I really must share this with everyone.

Something caught my eye as I was taking a leak…
See the black dot?

Can’t tell what it is? Here’s a closer look…
Waiter! There’s a fly in my “bowl”!

I initially thought that some joker was trying to be funny and stuck a sticker of a fly on the urinal. But as it turns out, EVERY urinal has one. Well…I guess it does help guys with the “aiming”part cos’ the toilets were very clean ha ha!

Sigh….how time flies and we’re finding ourselves back at Melbourne airport again…this time for our flight home. On one hand, we’re sad that we have to go home but on the other hand…I’m kinda missing work!!! can you believe it?!?! Anyway, Jas and I decided that we will try and make it a point to come back every year and visit Ken, Eve and little Kate. Ok lah…I’ll update more on our trip when I get back, I have 7 mins left on this terminal and Jas wants to surf! Up up and away!!!

Yes!!! The time has come for our long awaited holiday! Just slightly less than 23 Hrs and we’ll be on our way to Melbourne! It’s been quite a challenge packing for our little family of 3. We thought we could squeeze everything into 1 big bag but we were so wrong! And even with the addition of my trusty SAF duffel bag, we barely managed to make it. It’s not really heavy though, it’s just that most of the things are bulky and they take up a lot of space. For example, Cherise’s pack of diapers (she needs to change REALLY often), her diaper bag, another diaper bag filled with goodies for Kate and Eve (can’t wait to see you guys!!!), the “seat”, foot muff and wind shield for the stroller etc,…well, you get the point.

It’ll be interesting to see how we manage everything tomorrow, the plan is for me to pull the big luggage and carry the duffel bag while Jas will carry the hand-carry luggage and push the stroller with Cherise in the carseat.

This is so exciting! Australia, here we come!!!

The 3 of us took a trip down to Vivocity yesterday to celebrate my birthday. Took us a while to decide what to eat but we finally decided o Wood. It is a semi fine dinning restaurant located at a quiet corner, looks quite posh but you have to be careful not to trip on yourself cos’ the walkways are very dark and everything is painted black. The service was pretty good, you can see that they are trying very hard but I guess the overall service lacks finesse due to the inexperience of the wait staff. But I give them 10/10 for effort.

Latest Update:….

Sorry folks, the Techno XLR has been sold and shipped all the way to Down Under.

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Ok, like I mentioned in an earlier post, here’s an advertorial on the Techno XLR that we are letting go really cheap.

Here’s our coffee brown/powder pink Techno XLR in it’s original state.

For those who are familar with Maclaren buggies/strollers, you will find that the most popular model would probably be the Techno XT since it is the only model that can be reclined fully to accommodate a newborn. Well, the XLR is simply a wider version of the XT with one major difference – it is the only Maclaren model that is designed to accommodate an infant car seat thus making it the only Maclaren Travel system that is available in Singapore.

We bought it in May last year straight from the distributor cos’ it was not readily available then. It is still in very good condition cos’ we’ve been toggling between 2 strollers so we only use it half the time. Plus we are big fans of baby-wearing so she’s seldom in it anyway. Half the time we use it as a trolly cos’ Cherise is in the sling and the XLR is sturdy enough to hold ALL our shopping.

Here’s what so good about it (according to the website):
1) 5 point harness for added security
2) Lightweight
3) Removable washable seat
4) Compact umbrella fold
5) Water resistant hood
6) High-performance aluminium frame
7) Handy mesh shopping basket
Carry handle for easy portability
9)5 second one-hand fold
10) Ergonomically optimised, foam insulated handles
11) Lockable, front swivel wheels

Ok…here’s what WE really like about it:
1) It’s wide and roomy.
2) It’s comfortable cos’ Cherise sleeps really well in it.
3) It’s very stable.
4) The seat liners are reversible.
5) It holds our infant car seat.
6) Can be used as a shopping trolly!!!
7) Easy to fold…but must practice lah…
Removable washable seat.
9) You have the peace of mind that the stroller will not give way due to rough handling.

Here’s a look at the XLR with the safety bar for the car seat.

You don’t really need it if your using the Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix cos the sides of the car seat will lodge itself to the side of the pram. However, you can always fix up the bar for added safety. Just recline the seat to the lowest position, push the car seat in and attach the bar and you are ready to go.

Here’s the specification of the XLR according to the website:
Basic Weight
7.4kg / 16.3lb
(without hood, shopping basket or raincover)

Carrying Capacity
up to 15kg / 65lb (US)

Appropriate From
Birth

Recline
Four seat positions

Wheel Size
16.5cm / 6.5in

Hood
Square, with storage pockets
UV protective viewing window, sun visor, and extra panel for additional sun protection

A few things to note about the XLR though.
1) It is one of the heavier prams in the market though not as heavy as the Quinny or Bugaboo.
2) You will most probably need both hands to open the stroller. Don’t expect it to open and close it with one hand like you would an Aprica or Combi.
3) You have to remove the safety bars for the car seat before you can close the stroller.

Overall, it is a very good pram (especially if you have a big baby hee hee). Like I mentioned in my earlier post, we’re selling it not because we don’t like it but because we’ve found something more suitable for our trip to Melbourne. The retail price out in the market now is about $699. We paid a lot more for it then. However, we are willing to let it go at $350… a steal right?!?! So, interested parties may contact me via my email – soulman792003@yahoo.com. We can even arrange to test out the pram at our place to see if you really like it. So please spread the word!!!

Cherise is one active baby!!! It is really tiring trying to keep her out of the “danger” areas, not that we have not been trying to baby proof the house, it’s just that you can’t possibly pad EVERYTHING!!! Anyway, we’ve been toying with the idea of enrolling her in Gymboree Play and Music so that she can have an outlet to really play and channel all that energy. We are feeling quite bad that we have to keep saying “don’t go there, don’t touch this and that…” Maybe we’ll join one of their free classes and see if Cherise likes it before committing to it.