Halloween 2009 was certainly different.. and *slap forehead* .. why i didn’t think of doing Halloween with my daughter.. i don’t even understand it. Every year since Chloe had been doing Halloween, it was her daddy who would drive them around.. and her babysitter would bring her trick a’ treating. But you see .. when we brought her for her rounds this year.. i wouldn’t wanna missed it ever again. The glee.. the smile.. and the joy in her face was priceless. Making money is important.. but spending special moments like these are more important.. because she isn’t gonna be 5.5 for very long.. it only comes once. So even though we were trying to buy a walk in bath by making a few extra bucks online - this is a lot more important.

She now runs up the door .. while PB and I stand back .. and watch her go .. “trick a treat!! ” and then she would say.. ” thank you !” “Happy Halloween!” Too cute to watch.. and so proud of her.

Another door and another house - i don’t think she was really interested in the candies.. i think she had so much fun .. just knocking on doors.. and saying .. “trick a treat!” .. hahahha!!

We went by to Uncle Jerry’s .. and then to Tubby’s .. and Dominic’s but he wasn’t home.. so we went across to Sarah’s .. and had fun there for a bit.

Some of the houses were decorated really good.. and the people were friendly .. and welcome the kids with open arms. You can see that not all that went trick a treating.. were kids.. some were adults as well.

House with huge eyeballs were the one that was the best dressed. And the nice lady - the owner of the house was very nice and welcoming.

Oh.. and we had to go out and buy another halloween costume for her.. because the one grammie sent back .. still smelled of smoke.. the day before Halloween. Poor Chloe.. was devastated and inconsolable till we went out to buy her a new costume.

And what did PB do.. during Halloween..?? stealing someone’s kid.. muahahhahah!!! Pinky is her nickname and she is tubby’s kid.

Our babysitter had been sick for a long time now and we haven’t heard back from her or her father since Monday. But we knew we wanted to get something nice for our friends for Thanksgiving .. so we headed to Swaroski as soon as we could. I don’t know about other parents.. but I love to get good stuff for my kid. Now don’t get me wrong, good stuff doesn’t mean.. 100s of dollars of stuff.. but things that are worth it.. and things that are everlasting.

Chloe loves her pink Swaroski Crystal.. and even though it was at a very good price.. we still only bought her one.. and a few for our other friends. Generous you think..?? nah.. those friends are priceless. Do you treasure your friends..like we do..?

So we are back from our vacation, a short one .. but that was all the time we could afford. We didn’t go very far.. but we did a lot .. more than we had for the last 5 yrs. With your own businesses and a child.. and years of ex-employees that had the “me first” attitude.. there was just no way to go anywheres. This year, we had Katelynn who double up as a part time employee at the store.. and looked after the store.. while we were gone. Yes, she followed instructions to the tee .. and we had no problems with her manning the store.. for she is trustworthy. On top of it.. we had our good friend, Gary come see look.. and help Kate when it was busy - during the days we were gone. Grateful for good friends.. and finally a good employee - we are going for another short break in August before the summer ends. So while PB bought some golf training aids for himself, he bought me this handmade necklace. Love it..!! and he insisted on paying for it.. so i’m happy.

So we finally bought our patio set from my favorite store in town. It was on sale.. and it was a no tax day. For those who are not aware of this, in Canada - taxes are like 13% - pretty high in my opinion.. for a place where one can get a new landed property for as low as $125K as compared to home of $1.3 million. Back home where the standard of living is higher.. the GST we paid were mostly included in the price that we see .. and only at 3%.

Why did we wait so long to get the patio set..?? because we are pretty el cheapo.. and only feel that we will only buy things at the right price.. and not necessary the right time. So PB put it together.. one evening when it was really hot in the house. Glad the man is very handy .. and can do stuff like this on his own. Oh.. and special thanks to Uncle Jerry for helping us bring the patio set home from Superstore.

I had PB’s tuxedo out for the hospital gala’s - a huge event here in our small town. As small business owners… and just about anyone living here, we feel that it is very important.. that we are involved in charitable work. But at the end of March.. yesterday ..we had snow on the ground.. !!!!!! *slap forehead* .. ! when is the warm coming..?? I promised myself to write this down.. so i know.. and wouldn’t hope too much for the sun.. and warm next year. The weather is crazy here.. one day warm.. and one day snow.. or raining. Suxs big time..!

I’m sure you know by now that I’m a picky shopper when it comes to buying jewelry. For one, I have to like the design and secondly the price has to be right. Like any woman on earth, we pride ourselves in knowing where and what to get at the right time. For Designer Jewelry that we like, I need to make sure that i can justify spending the money since it is not a necessity but a luxury and I’m sure you know where I’m coming from.

I also like to pick unique pieces of jewelry and not those that are mass produced because it can be quite embarrassing to be seen with the same piece of jewelry as someone else in a cocktail. Holsted Jewelers have a wide range to suit anyone’s budget, plus they offer free shipping and guarantee each and everyone of their pieces of jewelry. You can’t go too wrong with a place that had been doing jewelries for more than 30 yrs eh.

We went grocery shopping yesterday.. and instead of getting groceries.. we got 3 books for chloe and 1 for myself.. and a diamond heart shape necklace for Keegan - Chloe’s babysitter. Yes.. we already gave her “ang pow” for Christmas.. but i felt she deserved something more.. because she is a really good kid. Keegan helped me out a lot when i had my operation 6 months ago.. and after 4 yrs working with us.. i really think she is by far the best kid in town. Thank you .. Keegan.

9 Yrs in Canada.. and this is the first ring PB bought for me from here. Why..?? all these years.. i never found anything i liked here. I love our Chinese gold.. and the diamonds are not of the best cuts here. For someone who had bought the Lazare diamonds for earrings.. i’m sure you can understand why i don’t think other diamonds.. are just not for me. Yes..! i’m fussy with my jewelry .. and i rather not buy things .. that are sub-standard. I’m not high class, just don’t feel a need to waste money on something i don’t really like… i’m sure you can understand it. Why I bought this..?? it was an unusual pattern here.. you don’t see many of this kind here.. so i bought it. A grocery trip.. ended up.. with PB a few hundred dollars poorer . .because we bought Keegan something too.. muahahahahahah!!!

PS : Chloe took this picture… because she wanted this ring as well.

Coming to Canada and enduring such horrid winters can make one feel quite frumpy and dowdy, if you know what I mean. 6 months of winter here in Nova Scotia sure is hard for just about anyone, but for some in Nunavut like my dear friend Aida, I am sure she can appreciate why I only buy Ugg boots. These are boots that won’t make me or others looking at me go “Uggghhh..!!”. After all it was Jennifer Aniston who wore them first and I love how fashionable she is.

Well of course there is more to it than that, they are made of sheepskin and originated in Australia. Don’t be fooled though because there are lots of imitation Ugg boots out there and you really don’t want those because wearing boots made of synthetic leather is the worst. Your feet smell and it gets pretty sweaty and hot after awhile. One place to look for information about Ugg boots and how to avoid buying fake ones is at http://www.buyitrighthere.co.uk/, do check it out before buying them so you will know how to take care of your Ugg boots and also learn what you are paying for and why they cost more than other brands of boots. Plus, find out if your man would love a pair too.

As the woman of a man who loves his electronics/games & toys, you know that special occasions can be really hard and trying just to get him something decent and affordable that he doesn’t already have. After all, he thinks he knows where to get the best stuff at the best prices. But come on, we women can be tech savvy too, right? This is the 21st century we are talking about here and we should be just as good at, if not better, when it comes to buying the best stuff at competitive pricing.

Online Shopping for electronic goods has never been easier now that I’ve found LightInTheBox.com. Newsmy is a China-based company that carries more variety of goods than anywhere else I know online. From car electronics to digital AV, media players, cellphones, laptops and the works at wholesale prices. Check out their media players starting at $0.99, pretty awesome pricing right? Track all your shipments online and their warranty is good for 1 year.

This company, although based in China, is a global online distributor and has been serving customers from different countries for many years. With more than 100,000 products I know that one can find just about anything and everything here. And the best part - unbeatable prices! So don’t let the man tell you you don’t know where to buy great electronic stuff/gadgets.

When I shop, i can sometimes go a little crazy! don’t believe me..?? ask the man.. and he will tell you the things i do to hide my shopping spree. Well.. that was a long time ago, i learn to control myself a lot after becoming a mother. But then I also have online shopping that makes shopping so easy even when it is -17 out there in the winter months. And then I will be so guilty after spending all those extra money.. and try to justify it to myself. I know you know where I’m coming from.

Well, here is a chance for you and I to win big in this contest, that way we don’t have to feel guilty for what we buy eh. This is what you do, if you ever bought something and hid it from your spouse, your mother or even your siblings, just take a video or write it out like a story, of what you did, what you bought .. and fess up.. and you stand to week $1,500 every month and a grand prize of $15,000. Of course, only the best video/story will win.. so come on and give it your best shot and sign up here.

My girlfriend from Australia sent a UGG Mayfaire that i had wanted to buy for ages now .. and it came as surprised to me.. because I didn’t know she was sending it. I cannot thank her enough for it.. because it was not cheap at all.. and I couldn’t get it over here.. in Yarmouth. For those who don’t know what a UGG is.. they are boots made of sheep skin and absolutely comfy and keeps you warm during winter and during the holiday season. I love it..!! And she doesn’t want me to have her name printed here.. she’s shy wor..

Many of you must know that I met PB online .. over the internet. We spoke for 6 years online before we met.. and the following months just happened.. and i stayed in Canada.. ever since. Well.. i came to visit first.. went home.. he came to Singapore to visit.. and we went back to Canada together. Yes.. but I have a secret..!

Before we even met.. my computer broke down.. and i wanted to get a new notebook computer because i was traveling a lot. And guess what..?? PB was the one who sent me $1K .. to get my notebook. Some 14 yrs ago, $1K was a lot of money.. and to wire $1K to someone whom he haven’t met.. i must say.. he must have had been in love eh..?? muahahahahh!! yes .. he is a good man..! And it’s his birthday today..!!! yes..! and PB is younger than I by 8 yrs.. he is 36 today. Please join me in wishing him Happy birthday will yer.. oh.. go to gatorbyte’s website eh.. don’t leave comment here please.. coz’ he never reads my posts.

Being a mom is not easy.. as you can all see and to lighten up, moms must all wear funny t shirts. Why you ask me..?? pretty simple.. it can get stressful.. when the kid doesn’t wanna listen to you or the spouse kinda dirty the place or even when the babysitter doesn’t show up on time. So with a funny t-shirt.. it can work actually kill 2 birds with one stone, get the message across.. or make things less stressful for you. So i’m all for moms to wear funny t-shirts on bad hair days.

Every year during Christmas we really try and give gifts that mean something to everyone, not just any gift we pick up randomly. But we all know it’s hard to pick gifts for just about everyone.. so to make things easy.. we pick a theme each year. This year we are going nuts about Christmas, so friends and family can expect nuts & chocolates (a little) for Christmas, after all, who doesn’t like nuts and chocolates?

Finding a place with a variety to choose from and who promptly delivers our good wishes with those christmas nuts is important. I want to be able to get the man to do all the online shopping with me. I know he will be more than happy to shop online rather than follow me to the mall and fight with tons of people who are also trying to do their Christmas shopping, with screaming kids in the hallway. Or fight with the weather and try mail them out for me. And worrying whether they will arrive on time.

Anyhow, this year we are shopping smart at ohnuts.com, you can place your orders online or call them by phone if you don’t want to use internet payments for whatever reason. You get to track your orders and know exactly when your gift is arriving. You don’t have to worry about damaged goods because they believe in giving the best to their customers. Go nuts like us this Christmas, the hassle free way.

Christmas is just round the corner and if you know me and PB well, you know that we are master procrastinators when it comes to Christmas gift shopping. Not that we hate shopping or Christmas, it’s because we own our own business and like everywhere else in the world Christmas is the busiest time for us. Since we have lots friends in the United States, it is the season of giving and showing love even though we are so far away and unable to be together.

As far as I know no one refuses Christmas chocolate gifts, even those who are allergic to chocolate. After all if they can’t eat it, they can always share it with someone in the family or party/gathering during this holiday season. With such a large selection to choose from one should have no problem picking up a gift online for the extended family or business associates. What I like best about Oh! Nuts is that they are Kosher, and for those who are not sure what it means, it is food that’s fit for consuming by your Muslim friends. I feel absolutely confident shopping for my Muslim friends here. I wish they shipped internationally, but at the moment I can only be content with sending these chocolates, dried fruits and nuts, to my friends in the States.

When Easterly Showers Fall On Sunny West Episode 5 can be watched on my entertainment blog : www.crazychinesewoman.com and after watching the episode.. i cannot help but feel how stone - hearted Liza’s character in this movie. Plus hor.. she did get pregnant and had a illegitimate son.. when she was very young in this show.. yet she can criticized Charmaine.. for being poor. Wah Lau..!! glad i’m not living back in those old days.. else I definitely would not survived. Guess if i was a man back then.. all i need to get job is to take 1 androsterone to build my muscles up.. to protect those rich man and family eh.

Being a kid in Asia is not easy.. because of how competitive everything is. But being a kid in Canada.. well.. it’s not easy.. on other aspect. Take for example our babysitter .. Keegan, she is shopping for her prom dress now.. and prom is in May 2009. The one she is interested in . .is $500 .. and they are not for rental. By the time the night is over.. she would be at least $1000 poorer. Why..?? well .. first thing first, the dress for $500. She and her friends will be booking a limo.. and then a hotel room.. to store their stuff. Ok.. now the hair.. and then her make up. .and the accessories.. that goes with her dress… and what about her shoes..?? and the many pictures she is gonna take..?? Easily ..$1000 there.. see what i mean.. it’s not easy being a kid here.

The Four Episode 24 will be out tomorrow. A lot of people had asked me at my entertainment blog.. why the are seeing it posted as The Four Episode 23 but the movie itself said 24 .. that’s only because there is a vcd version of it.. and i get whichever one that is the fastest. So don’t fret like me .. and think that i needed more laptop memory because sometimes, i used the laptop to watch The Four TVB Series.

Our babysitter Keegan is in Grade 12 this year it is a big year for her. From Prom to finishing school and then going to nursing school next year, all trying to fall into its place. One of the most important events of the year for all Grade 12 students, if you don’t know by now, is Prom Night. It is definitely a night to remember, almost like telling the whole world that yer a big gal now. So of course Keegan has been talking about looking for evening gowns already, but as you all know we are a very small town and don’t really have many places in the mall for such exquisite looking dresses.

But guess what Keegan said, she was going all out for a puffy dress *slap forehead*. Unlike her, I prefer a practical dress. Something that I can wear again. After all they are not cheap eh? Evening dresses like this one are simple yet elegant. I love the embroidered pattern on the upper part of the dress and the sheer material makes one look really soft and sexy, subtle yet noticeable. It’s in the price range of what Keegan was going to spend on her prom dress too, so if I were her I would buy something like the one pictured below so that I can use it again for other occasions like a wedding or a party/cocktail in the future. In fact, this dress can be worn for dining in a fine restaurant too and we do that a lot. Plus they do ship worldwide, so if Keegan orders a dress from Splendid Gowns, she will be able to get it before Prom Night.