Retail therapy

This is what I hope to get the next two hours. Life has been stressful since .... lost track....Really need a looong holiday away from home and this country preferably, but I really wonder when this can happen....

I've not bought new shoes for years and my Clarks sandals I got before Caitlin was born has given way. Other sandals and slip-ons had also given up on my feet much earlier so I really, really need at least a new pair of casuals pronto, plus a pair of comfy sporty shoes for brisk walks with Rusty and 'chasing' Caitlin while she cycles...what to do, no bike of my own to cycle along with her....I also need a haircut badly but doubt I'd have the time today given the fact that I'll have to factor in lunch and travel and waiting time to fetch Caitlin from school.

I still have half of the cash Eugene presented me last December for my birthday to spend on myself. How long do you take to spend 'crazy money' given to you? I guess it depends on how much the sum is and how good a shopaholic you are. some people can spend thousands in just one shop or boutique. As for me, the cash is not much, just in the hundreds, and I'm not a shopaholic plus I don't have time to while away at malls....and I prefer to buy cheap stuff! More for less! However, there's not much you can get for a couple of hundred bucks these days. Money is 'small' nowadays as some people say.

Get your prescription glasses online

I came across this site: Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case! and found it pretty interesting.

If you are too lazy to visit your optometrist and prefer armchair shopping, check out Zenni Optical. It offers you a wide range of stylish frames with the option of single vision lens, sunsensor, bifocal and progressive lens. They also offer tinted sunglasses lens and a children's selection.



As for the frames, you can choose easily with just a click of your mouse from their range of stainless steel, titanium, rimless, half rim or full rim ones.



All of Zenni's orders, including their $8 ones, according the them come with anti-scratch coating, full UV protection, quality hard case, microfiber lens cleaning cloth and full guarantee.

Their shipping and handling charge is only a flat $4.95 per order, no matter how many pairs of glasses you purchase.

This post is sponsored.

Building your own online shop

Online shopping has come a long way. In the early days, if you wish to set up an online shop, you'll probably have to either write your own shopping cart software or find a clever individual or company to do it for you.

It has now become a necessity and a norm for business owners to offer an online alternative to their customers. A shopping site can be set up very easily nowadays with more and more e-commerce software companies now offering quick, easy and affordable services.

Ashop Commerce is one such company offering a web-based turnkey e-commerce solution. It is a web-based solution which does not require any software installation. According to them, thousands of successful merchants in the United States, from novices to professionals, have chosen to use Ashop Commerce.

Ashop Commerce allows a 10-day free trial without a credit card requirement. The software enables business owners to accept credit card payments, customise the design of their site, update contents easily and quickly at an affordable monthly fee.

Its full service also includes technical support and customer service. It is securely hosted, integrated with all major banks, payment gateways and third parties including PayPal.

I tried out one of their demo stores for a test drive of what the software can do. The site admin functions were pretty clear and user-friendly and allows you a lot of flexibility to manage your online store easily. Just by a few clicks on its clearly-labeled menu, you can check your sales, customers' names, products purchased, payment mode and status and tracking numbers. You can also check your inventory, product prices, change your store front theme and view statistics of your site such as page hits, visitor traffic and even a chart detailing the countries you are doing business with.



It sure looks like anyone can start an online shop now with such easy-to-use and affordable shopping cart software from Ashop Commerce. Their packages are priced from as low as $39.95 a month to $189.95 a month.

Last minute again

It's three more days to Christmas and we have yet to get presents for some family members...Looks like every year is the same. There is always some last-minute shopping to be done. We normally start early enough but somehow get stuck along the way because Eugene just has to take his time to find the perfect presents. This is probably the only time every year when he is more of a perfectionist than me....

(sung to Jingle Bells)
Dashing through the shops, in a rush to get presents
Wondering what to get, for everyone we love
Is it this or that, for friends, and mum and dad
Oh what stress it is to get these gifts, and make sure they are right

Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what stress it is to shop
'Tis only three days away!

Deck the malls

All the malls in town are decked up with mega decorations heralding the Christmas season. We visited two malls this week (Caitlin's 'passion')and I managed to capture some pictures shown here. The pictures actually do not do justice to evoke the overall ambience created by the decor.

Caitlin got a free ride on a mini choo-choo train in Santa's village at Sunway Pyramid, which by the way has become totally unrecognisable after its major renovation and extension.


Mid Valley Megamall


The mini train at Sunway Pyramid


A tree at Santa's village


Caitlin and Eugene by the wishing well

Day of Indulgence

After her Mandarin class this morning I indulged Caitlin in her request yesterday for a tiara or crown as she calls it. So off we went to Mid Valley. She was very obedient for once and even agreed to a visit to the washroom first followed by a chicken rice lunch before going to Toys R Us. We found the tiara. It came with a pair of earrings so it was a good bonus for her.



After being satisfied with browsing at all the other toys in the store, we headed to Jusco for the games. She mentioned on her own that she remembered her promise last night to play only one. She chose to play the Japanese drums where you have to beat on cue with the screen and music. That's the game she never fails to play everytime we visit that place.



We both had fun. What's more fulfilling than seeing your child happy, excited, and enjoying herself? The only challenge was carrying all 17 kilos of her out of the car into the lift, unlocking the doors while carrying her, and putting her down on the bed. She had 'knocked out' the minute I strapped her into the car seat after we left the mall.

I'm taking a breather now before I start wondering what's for dinner....

Shopping a female thing?

With online shopping so easily accessible nowadays, that is actually my preferred option. However, one problem is shipping and handling costs. Most shopping sites are out of the United States, European countries or larger cities like Singapore and Hong Kong within Asia. Being in Malaysia, the shipping and handling charges could in fact cost more than the product you have purchased so armchair shopping via internet is still most feasible only for items you really cannot get elsewhere. Also, for some things which still require the touch-and-feel and try-on experience, if you're not familiar with the brand's sizes and cuttings for clothes and shoes especially, I would still have to resort to walking into a physical store.

I've never been a typical girl shopper. What I mean by 'typical' is those generalised as females who simply love going shopping just about anytime, anywhere and buying stuff they fancy, being among the first to visit the latest mall that opens in town, check out the latest collection by a designer or a great sale in a departmental store. I'm glad I'm not like that. I'd have to have lots of spare cash if I were so, considering all the financial commitments we have. Not to mention that Eugene would have giant headaches everytime I tell him to top up our bank account since I'm currently his dependent!

However, I do have that craving sometimes to just go traipse around a mall and feast my eyes on those 'unmeaningful materialistic possessions' one could have simply by pulling out a credit card or some cash. I guess, the female in me who wants to look nice and have pretty things still surfaces once awhile. On second thought, I should say "my human nature" since the opposite sex also has the desire to look nice and have nice things. Yes, men love shopping too.

Of course, there are men who only shop when they run out of something. They will zoom into the exact aisle in the supermarket or deparmental store where what they are looking for is located and head straight for the cashier. Then there are those who only shop for themselves. They would not want to even be found dead in a women's section getting especially some undergarments, sanitary pads or tampons for their better half. But, there are those too who love roaming the malls window shopping and buying anything they fancy.

So who says shopping is a female thing?

Handbags

Ever since I became a work-at-home mum, my need for a chic or business-like handbag to go with my office wear has diminished. However, recently, when work started picking up and required me to go out more, I suddenly realised that my old handbags were deteriorating from lack of use and were somehow not to my taste anymore.

Thus, I'm on the lookout for a bag or bags that are versatile enough for work, casual outings and to also hold all the necessities a mother of a five-year-old would need to carry along when she goes out with her kid, and still look good!

Coincidentally, I was directed to an online shopping site which features a really good range, thousands in fact, of handbags and wallets, among other things.

Checking out the site, I found that it is user-friendly with pictures of the items, pricing, description and store that carries it. This site carries many brands of handbags, from cheap no-name ones (some of the bags ARE nice), to designer labels such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana.

You can search by categories of price range (below USD30 to above USD260), stores, brands, material and even closure (zipper, flap, etc). I saw quite a number of bags that I like from affordable ones to the ones I can only dream of....