My New Best Friend~ ꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡

New category up today~ And given my tendency to ramble I have decided to, very aptly, call it Baby Babble =D *cue awkward applause*

Baby Summer is now 6 weeks old and progressing quite nicely. She's been settling in to a fairly regular routine of feeds, bath time, playtime and naps every 2 or 3 hours in the day and seems to be progressively sleeping better and longer at night~ In the earlier weeks we had to stay up really late and squeeze in an hour or so of sleep between wee hour feedings so that was really tiring. Now, I only occasionally sit at my bed till 3 or 4a.m, expecting her to wake up hungry but she calls my bluff and snoozes all the way till 7a.m.... (-_-;;)

That said, she really is getting more and more adorable as the weeks pass. Now that she's becoming much more responsive, it's a daily highlight for the family whenever she gives us her Mona Lisa half smile and that fabulous open-mouthed smiley face~ I wasn't much of a baby person before, because I never really knew what to do with them, but now I turn to goo every time she laughs and smiles~ (^__^)

One of my favourite moments is when I pat her to sleep and she curls up on my chest, wiggling her way around until she gets herself all scrunched up in her favourite position. It's like crouching real low on all fours on my chest with her head tucked into my neck~ You can't see her legs in the photo but they're all hiked up like a sitting frog =P

And from this point it's hours of uninterrupted sleep.....sometimes for both of us! My Dad has sneaked shots of the both of us concussed in this position before and I love those shots despite the unglam-ness of it all XP (and no I shan't publicise them here.)

Oh! And it was also quite the highlight when she saw her fairy lights above her bed for the first time! She opened her eyes so big and her mouth totally fell open like "OOOoooooo what're these~~~~"

Lapsing into quiet rapture ^^

I love those lights, got them for a steal during the babymoon to Helsinki. They're actually warm lights instead of the cool white in the photos and they're set into felt animal and flower cut-outs. Running on a couple of AA batteries, they were super easy to put up and also super cheap so getting them was a no-brainer.

And then it was off to dreamland after another bout of patting and walking her up and down the living room~

See? I'm turning into goo just looking at the photos and recalling the moment I switched on those fairy lights! ^^

Ok, it's time to squeeze in forty winks again so bye for now! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

My PPP - Post Pregnancy Post =P (Wordy post, sorry!)

So! The pregnancy is over~~~ Hello postpartum woes!

We've embarked on a whole new section of the parenting journey and it largely involves my parents & I slowly but surely turning into a trio of pandas. This is one of those milestones in life when your appreciation for your parents reaches a whole new level and especially towards your mom. Sleeping for 2 hours at a stretch is such a luxury now you would not believe! But this new little button of a housemate is worth it. At the moment anyway. I'm not sure I'll feel the same when going through those turbulent teenage years lol

Messed up sleeping aside, there's the leftover baby weight and kinda saggy paunch to deal with.

The Weight

I gained 14kg over the course of my pregnancy and lost about 5kg through the delivery of little Summer. Without much appetite for the week plus after my delivery, I was eating all 3 meals (confinement cuisine by mom no less) but in smaller portions than I used to. The fact that I was in some pain & discomfort from the episiotomy (the cut made to aid delivery) helped curb any wayward cravings I might have fantasised about.

So through just a lighter diet, I lost another 2 - 3kg. Still have about 6kg to lose but since this is just the 2nd week after my delivery, I'm still fairly optimistic =)

The Paunch

I got quite a shock when I realised there was a big potato sack-looking tummy left after the delivery. I'd expected the reduction in size to be more considerable but I guess one totally underestimates the mass of skin that's left after your baby bump has been deflated. Pfffttttttt.

Engaged a masseuse for the traditional Indonesian postpartum wraps & massage for 10 days and it really helped! The massages hurt (because the lady was on a war against cellulite) and the tight wrap wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world but the majority of the paunch shrunk and only some loose skin on the lower abdomen is bothering me now~ Some toning and tightening is definitely in order.

The Epidural 

I also wanted to share my experience with the epidural though. I think there are quite many people who're rather apprehensive and expect it to be painful so I thought describing the experience might be helpful somehow.

I'd been told I was 1.5 - 2cm dilated at the point of my admission to KKH but they figured I'd take a few hours more before anything exciting was going to happen so The Husband popped out to get some supper. Minutes later, I decided that pacing around my room to distract myself from the contraction pains (about 7 min apart, lasting about 30 sec each by this point) was not working anymore so I trotted myself out and asked if there was some painkiller I could take. As it turned out, I was 3cm dilated and could take the epidural already if I wanted. As a first-timer, I happily thought I could go back to my nice suite and relax with The Husband while waiting to deliver but no. My painkiller request was a one way trip to the delivery room and I'd left my phone up in the suite! Luckily The Husband came back and was directed to the delivery room before anything interesting started.

Sidenote: Take the epidural earlier during labour. You need to be able to stay really still for the anaesthetist in order to get the shot in right. There was another lady delivering some rooms away and she was screaming so loud I had to ask the nurse if that was a delivery with or without epidural. Long story short, she decided she wanted an epidural too late so she couldn't have it.

So how does the epidural feel like? Prior digging around the internet showed that experiences varied so I just went into it with a "what the hell, let's just get this over with" kinda mindset.

I have to say though, that I don't have a huge problem with needles and shots. E.g: A girlfriend had told me that the drip insertion hurt but I was fine with it. Anyway, the anaesthetist artfully kept the needles he was working with out of our sight...to prevent unnecessary freaking out I suppose. After asking The Husband to leave the room, I, seated on the bed, was told to bend over to expose my spine as much as possible.

Mr Anaesthetist (a man of few words) went "ok... I'm just going to clean your back first... Alright now injection on 3, 1.....2.....3..injection."

All I felt was a small pressure in my lower back. Then a second stranger, still small, very slightly prickly pressure as the thin tubing was inserted...imagine poking your spine with a fishing line. Moments later the drugs came in and I felt like warm water was being flooded into my stomach. It's like reverse peeing XP A strange feeling but not uncomfortable....just weird. And after that, it was SO GOOD. After almost 48hours of not being able to sleep due to the contractions, I was so happy to finally get some rest.

Just a little extra - As Summer was lying more on the right side of my tummy, the nurse had me lie on my left to encourage her to shift towards the centre. But by doing so, the epidural effects flooded to my left, leaving my lower left body COMPLETELY numb (totally surreal and quite funny) but still mobile. Problem was my right side could feel the contractions again! So I had to keep alternating between lying on my left and my back for a few hours until I was ready to start pushing.

During the delivery, I could move my legs and push very nicely without experiencing any pain from the contractions or the doctor doing the episiotomy so all in all, definitely no regrets on the epidural. Jury's still out on side effects and all, so Time will be the judge of that I guess.

Alright that'll be all for now, duty calls! And after that, hopefully I can squeeze in some sleep (^--^)v

Ippin Cafe Bar @ Mohamed Sultan - Casual Japanese Home Style Dining [Sponsored Review]

First off, apologies for the recent absence! The last leg of my pregnancy has not been as breezy so I've unfortunately spent a fair amount of time feeling kinda bleagh. But let's not go there lol XD 

Back in April, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an invite for food tasting at a fairly new Japanese cafe bar that labeled itself a Japanese Makan & Drinks Place~ I rarely blog about lifestyle stuff so I was initially quite baffled why I was included in the mix ^^;; But the press kit was enticing and you know how I love Japan so naturally, I accepted.

Abit of background info:

Ippin Cafe Bar only just opened late last year and, being situated along Mohamed Sultan Rd, is across the road from En Dining Bar at UE Square and thus just a short walk from Liang Court. 

They boast their very own certified sake sommelier Ayumi, who is also the owner, and naturally offer a wide variety of premium sake (Prices range $35 - $95 for 720ml), shochu and craft beers. Ippin's head chef Naomi used to be a culinary teacher in Hong Kong, teaching home style Japanese cooking to the domestic helpers of Japanese expats missing the taste of home and I also heard from my Japanese colleague that she used to teach at a very popular cooking school in Japan too!

Aside from food and drink, Ippin also offers a wide range of Japanese home and food products so you can browse while kicking back after a nice meal that incidentally may have been made using a few in-store products! This cafe bar also holds the occasional cooking workshop, flea market and other little projects so be sure to check with the staff if they have anything coming up~

Oh and may I mention that all the menu prices are NETT? I love not having to factor in taxes and all plus there's free Wifi too!

Let's take a look at the place now shall we~

 Lots of natural sunlight =)

Casual atmosphere all set up for the tasting session

I liked the general feel of the place, lots of wood and white with smatterings of colour....abit of Scandinavian and Japanese...kind of like how I would like my own home to be y'know?

Digging this sofa and table set.....

A look at the simple non-alcoholic drinks menu:

Due to the pregnancy I was unable to try the alcohol and much of the tea selection but from the reactions of my fellow diners it seems to be favourable all around! I had the Hojicha since it had the lowest caffeine content, nice!

Most of the food here comes in a set but they've since expanded the menu to include smaller bites like sandwiches and other appetizers. Sets generally come with salad, Japanese rice (with barley so it's healthier!), Hatcho miso soup, a small side of Nikujaga (pork & potato stew) and dessert so talk about a full meal!

The AWESOME Nikujaga up there that should have a set of its own. Seriously I swear the stew is really really good!

On the food tasting menu that day were:

Grilled Oyster & Veggies in Ponzu Butter Sauce Set $20 NETT

Said oysters hail from Hiroshima, famous for their clean tasting oysters. This was surprisingly light, which sort of set the tone for the rest of the session. The oysters were had a very clean taste but I wish the ponzu taste was stronger. I wouldn't have known that ponzu was in the mix if not for the menu description.

Deep Fried Oyster Set $24 NETT

Here's a closer look at the oysters & the dip (tasting size):

I liked the dip (a light but chunky wasabi mayo I think) very much, it was nice & chunky and not any sort of in-your-face taste so it didn't overwhelm the lightly battered/breaded oysters nicely~ I rarely eat oysters because I'm terribly afraid of any sort of overwhelming sea or fishy taste but these oysters (both the fried and grilled versions) tasted nice and clean. 

Oyakodon Set $15 NETT (this set comes with Miso soup and dessert)

Again, the taste is on the light side so you don't feel overloaded with a whole lot of seasoning and sauce. It's really up to personal preference if you'd like this over the usual heavier versions though. I really like the Japanese rice mixed with barley, it makes the dish less heavy and that much healthier! Also available for purchase in-store if you like ^..^ 

Miso Udon Noodle with Oyster Set $15 NETT

Yes, oysters again!!

This is Aichi Prefecture soul food and uses naturally produced red miso that takes 2 whole years to ferment. This set comes with kobachi (small side dish) and dessert.

This was....ok for me. I prefer my soups thinner so this wasn't really my thing since the soup was on the thick side. Pretty rich overall.

And lastly, the Yakisoba Set $12 NETT (comes with a small side dish and dessert)

For some reason I've never been a fan of this daily Japanese fare but some of the diners liked it very much and even bought the noodles which were available in-store.

Last look at some of the sets that were plated to show the usual serving sizes~

Background - Miso Udon Set, Foreground - Grilled Oysters & Veggie Set

Oyakodon set

I noticed this little note on free rice refills on the menu:

Furikake for the rice refills

I think it's nice that they also provide a small selection of furikake (rice seasonings) to accompany your rice refills =)

Poking around the shopping area:

Some of the food & drink selections

A selection of Washi fiber goods

Curetex Washi fiber from the Fukui Prefecture, a natural fabric with a very high fiber count, is supposedly able to absorb odour, is anti-bacterial and block UV rays while providing coolness. Items made from this fabric range from $11 for a dual-side face mitten to $82 for a T-shirt. 

It started to rain before I left so I hung back to chat and the friendly staff at Ippin let me just sit around while waiting out the rain. So I got to see how the cafe is usually arranged and it really is very cosy and casual.

Looking a tad dim due to the rain

And here's what I brought home at the end of my visit:

Clockwise from top left: Wasabi Dressing, Sudachi Honey juice ($3/280ml), Plum Chazuke (tea rice) mix,
Koji Amazake (Sweet rice juice $18/500ml) and Curetex Washi fiber face mitt ($11).

Items without prices were part of our goodie bag for the day (^__^)v

So at the end of my rather long visit to Ippin, I would say that this cafe bar: 

• is a nice place to spend an afternoon with the girlfriends or relaxing dinner and drinks after work. 
• has a nice casual vibe and if you enjoy unpretentious home-style fare cooked with a light touch then Ippin's menu is definately up your alley.
• boasts a wide range of both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks plus even a sake tasting where one can try 3 types of sake from their selection for just $15.
• has friendly staff who're up for a chat if you feel like it.

Would I go back? Yes~~~ For the Nikujaga and the Fried Oysters!! ( ´͈ ॢꇴ `͈ॢ)♡ 

IPPIN CAFE BAR - Japanese Makan & Drinks Place

18 Mohamed Sultan Rd (Just across the road from En Dining Bar at UE Square)

Tel: 6733 4794

Hours: Mon - Sat 11am - 11pm

NETT prices and FreeWiFi

@IPPINCAFEBAR

#BetterThanMom

Last but not least, a big Thank You to Ippin and Hazel for the invite and setting up the tasting session! ♡´･ᴗ･`♡ And thank you too for reading another lengthy post! Hope you've had a good long weekend!

The Kanebo Seasonal Sale 2015 is on next week!

If you haven't already heard, the Kanebo Seasonal Sale 2015 is happening next midweek!

Date: 22 & 23 April 2015 / 10am - 7pm
Where: 83 Clemenceau Avenue #01-35 / 36 UE Square 

My Japanese ex-colleague is all of a flutter~ =D

Past season sales had prices starting from single digits for much of the Kate range and go up to about 70% for the more expensive brands! With my limited spending power now, that sounds really good~ (insert Homer Simpson slobber here)

Still a week to go but~ Happy Shopping Ladies!!

The Heat & Eat Petite Potato - Quick & Easy Eats for 1!

I made a half-hearted attempt to eat less rice-based meals after the onslaught of "Don't eat so much~", "I didn't say it, the doctor said so~ so you better watch it." and "Don't blame me when you get fat and can't lose the baby weight." so I threw together a tub of salad and went shopping for something to keep it company whilst I demolish it hurhur =D

So, it's been awhile since I browsed the range of potatoes available in the supermarkets but the last last last time I definitely didn't see this brand (Kangaringa Station) of Heat & Eat Petite Potato packs. Quick & easy, why not?

S$3.90 for 500g (about 10 potatoes)

Got these at NTUC by the way. Available in all white, all red or mixed packets~ I've never noticed them before, hopefully they'll be stocked often!

Comes with instructions and a quick recipe on the back.

The nifty thing is this is one of those packs that you can throw straight into the microwave (in the sealed pack) if you're preparing a meal for the family, so convenient right? But I was only preparing for myself so I had to skip testing that method..

Used my trusty kitty collapsible steamer thingy from Japan~

The instructions said 6 - 8min in a 1100-watt microwave, I put my 3 potatoes on a 600-watt setting at 8min and set about plating my salad and frying the paprika & garlic mixture in a bit of butter~ Added a dash of dried peppers & seasalt to taste~

8min later...tadah!

Salad with cucumber, tomato & egg with a side of garlic butter potatoes for 1! Ok maybe 1 1/2 haha~ I feel the potatoes were just a tad overdone though so I'd bring it down to 7min next time. Oh and the red potatoes were delish! Sweeter than the white, oh-so-good!! =)

As my luck would have it, my mom then comes after inspecting the fridge and tells me not to eat too much salad cos it's too 'cooling', not advisable for pregnancy =_____=

(；￣д￣）/  "but...but....but salad's my favourite diet food!!!!"

(一。一;;）"too bad"

(✖╭╮✖) 
TSK.

Tengoku Pet Crematorium - Sendoff to the Rainbow Bridge

I know this is primarily a beauty blog but I feel there are people who would benefit from such a review though it may be rather depressing.

As some of you may know, my family has not had the best Xmas. One of our family dogs passed away on Xmas evening from what we now realise was most probably a heart attack. As you can imagine, it was very sudden and unexpected. Some Xmas.

After a few calls to 24hr crematorium services, my dad was quite upset as some of the people who answered our calls did not sound empathetic in the least. Then we called Tengoku, a 24hr standby same-day single pet cremation service located at Pasir Ris Farmway 2, just next to Mutts & Mittens.

Perry, the guy who answered our call and drove by promptly to pick up our old girl, was very professional and respectful of our grieving, explaining gently and slowly the procedures involved and what time we should come by for the cremation the next day (i.e today). He and my dad transferred Miko to a very sturdy and well-designed black (styrofoam I think) Tengoku collection box and brought her back to their facility.

The next day, we arrived at Tengoku at 8.45a.m, 15 minutes earlier than our appointed time and were pleasantly surprised that they were ready and waiting for us. Perry ushered us to a small open air space and wheeled Miko out to us for us to say our last goodbyes. They left us to ourselves for awhile, only asking that we let them know when we were ready.  Some fresh white carnations had been placed between her paws, which was really a beautiful touch and made her look asleep and at peace.

When we were ready they wheeled her round to the furnace and ushered us to the viewing area where Perry stood silently by the side while it commenced. Later we went to the office to fill out some paperwork and select Miko's urn before returning a couple of hours later to pick her up.

Tengoku has a pretty good range of urns though the ones that come free with the cremation are of a very oriental design. So we took a look at the more modern designs and topped up $38 for a round minimalistic white medium urn. Plus the $380 (the price for small breed cats & dogs) for her cremation, it was one of the most affordable rates around and the service (we met another guy at pickup and he was very nice too) was top notch. I regret that we forgot to take his name but he was just as gentle and empathetic as he explained that they don't grind the bones at Tengoku and that they had placed her skull bones at the top of the pile in the urn.

For all of us who have pets, sending them off is an unfortunate part of the package. We've had dogs in the family since the day I was born so I'm no stranger to goodbyes and it doesn't get easier. All we can do is make the best of it and it means a lot when the final steps are as dignified and nicely done as with Tengoku.

So a heartfelt thank you to Perry, Nice Guy No. 2 and Tengoku for their empathy and professionalism, your good work really helped my family with closure.

Tengoku - 24 hr hotline 6749 5039 
www.tengoku.com.sg
11 Pasir Ris Farmway 2 (By appointment only)

MIA Apologies!! And some stuff about Salicylic Acid.

Hi again! Didja miss me? (^^;;;;) Sorry I've been gone for....a little over a month now ahahaha~ Some little developments have me all in a tizzy in more ways than one really. And with all most situations, I have a very good excuse.

And here it is.

Get it? Get it?!?

Yep, 100% natural in the traditional way. LOL

I have to say it wasn't expected but I guess it's about that time in life before I get much ahem older. The Husband's a lot more excited than I am. I guess it's hard to get excited when you feel pretty bleh and slightly motion sick so often throughout the day m(=____=)m yep, that's my life now...constantly clutching a bottle (sometimes 2) of medicated oil. I tell people the kid might have a hearing problem at the rate The Husband keeps yelling into my belly button like it's the Grand Canyon lol Just joking of course, about the hearing problem, not the yelling. That part's true unfortunately XP

Looking forward to including some new topics into the blog with this development and thought I'd start with a small piece that I was checking up this week.

This is especially important if you intend to breastfeed.

In a nutshell, topical use is considered safe as long as it's within 2% (if it's near the bottom of your product's ingredients list you should be fine.). The general opinion is that toners are ok because you do a quick swipe instead of 'soaking' your skin in the stuff but it's safer if you know the concentration of your product. Peels are totally out of the question. ALWAYS check with your gynae if this is a big concern of course.

Oral forms of salicylic acid are a big no-no because the chemical in oral form gives rise to higher risks for miscarriage, heart defects, heart & lung problems for the baby as well as bleeding issues for both mother and baby. These are the same reasons for not taking aspirins during pregnancy.

Sidenote about painkillers: My gynae tells me Panadol (the regular type, not Max or Cold/Flu etc) is fine if not taken often and just 1 tab.

My DHC Salicylic Acid Acne Toner has Salicylic Acid listed fairly high up on the ingredients list, 3rd to be exact, but a check on the website (DHCCare) states 2% Salicylic Acid so I'm slightly relieved. I have just a few drops left in my current bottle so I'll probably down the usage to once a day till it finishes and hunt for a more natural toner option for my combination skin.

All in all, anything that's too concentrated is potentially harmful to your new little best friend. So if your hormones aren't doing kamikaze somersaults and creating absolute havoc on your skin, it's best to go as natural and minimalistic as possible with the skincare routine during pregnancy just to be absolutely safe. OR you can bombard your gynae with a list of products and ask their opinion~ Fortunately my skin isn't breaking out or anything so far...hopefully it'll stay nice and calm for the next 7 months!

Now to stock up on my Konjac sponges again~

Charles & Keith 2014 New Arrivals - Sunday Shoe-Crush!

It's been awhile since I had a shoe crush. Wandering around my neighbourhood malls last week I popped by Charles & Keith for quick look see and this pair tugged at my heart strings a little =)

Pointed Slingback Mules in PU leather S$56.90

Of course the marble print is all the rage now. But faddishness (is that even a word?) aside, I think it's a print that's likely to stand the test of time?

All images from Charles & Keith

I like that the height is quite perfect. After tramping in heels through the gravel, sand & rock on the fortress island of Suomenliina last winter, my feet have never been quite the same and I haven't been able to deal with heels of the steep incline or towering variety ever since. This heel (8.5cm) is enough to give a girl a boost and comfortable enough to be standing around in. Also, these heels are light! Now...if only they'd go on sale for Xmas....... XP

The Tokyo Affair 2014 - DisneySea

Ok so again, it's a belated post 'cos I actually got back last Monday (boohoo). A week was definitely too short for me and since I was playing tourist guide on & off for The Husband, everything was kinda rushed. But still, Tokyo is always a good recharger! =D

We took ScootBiz this year as I'd gotten the sale fare during the Boxing Day sale last year ^_^v Easy flight there and the Taipei transit wasn't as troublesome as I'd thought. Unfortunately, extra leg room doesn't really work for me when there's no leg rest. Note to self - bring a cabin bag to fulfill that purpose if purchasing extra leg room. Another down side was that the return flight was at noon so my last day there was completely wasted. I usually fly Delta so I'd gotten used to having about half a day before my return flight to Singapore. But anyway, I digress.

Random shots on the NEX! I was using the miniature mode thus the blurring on the sides (^__^;;)

This year was my first visit to DisneySea so I thought I would start with that!

Again, very easy to get there, just take the JR to Maihama station, purchase your tickets, hop on the Disney Monorail (with separately purchased tickets) and get off at the DisneySea station.

Once we entered, we joined the crowd for the Legend of Mythica show which was quite a production!

I was terribly fascinated by her wig and tail!

Right? Right? These barges were really beautiful and there was so much going on everywhere you couldn't decide where to look! We also caught Big Band Beat which featured a live big band (y'know, like Swing Girls?) and was a 30min Broadway style music theatre show with singers, dancers and of course the Disney cast. Nice!

Random cuteness.

Sneakshot of the girl beside me =P She was DRIPPING with pluto fashion btw.

The current theme was Spring Voyage so they had lots of these luggage displays scattered throughout the park~

Cute!!

One can also pretend you've visited Venice.

In the American Waterfront, you'll pass Hotel Hightower aka the Tower of Terror. I'd taken this ride in the States when I was much younger. And my brother has never quite forgiven my dad for conning him into taking this ride. What happens is after a tour of the mysterious *waggles fingers* hotel's various floors, you find yourself in a big elevator which is brought up to a niiccceee hiiiiigh height where the huge blocked up windows of the tower swing open to show you the beautiful view of DisneySea before dropping you. Twice. My butt left the seat and I swore never to take it again.

I know it doesn't look THAT high in the photo...but believe me, it is.

Meals weren't as expensive as I'd expected...or maybe I was on a tighter budget last year...and they have your options neatly categorized according to budget in the park map so that was helpful. Restaurant Sakura in the same park area offered a pretty good lunch for about S$50?

Chicken teriyaki set and Beef steak set, a little on the small side but yum!

.....yeah...fish so fresh and yet we didn't have any fish. =___= like seriously man.

The rest of the day was spent wandering around, just taking in all the sights and sounds. Compared to Disneyland, Disney Sea is more grownup so there was less of the It's-A-Small-World-After-All vibe and nowhere near as many mascots appearing for photo ops. Can't quite decide which is better though =\

But obviously, it's a beautiful place and its charm changes as the sun sets...

I also rediscovered those penny presses! Haven't gotten these for the longest time as I remember them from my childhood as rather murky but these new machines are really good! And so many designs to collect! I resisted the temptation and only got 4.

Conclusion - Disney is definitely the place to get your dose of cute and whimsy. Where else can you see 60 yr-olds decked up like Minnie Mouse, 2 thumbs up!

Overall it was a good day, even though the fireworks got cancelled AGAIN due to strong winds. 2 years in a row, what're the odds! Better luck next year huh~ =)