Digital Scrapbooking

A few months ago, I posted about creating digital scrapbooks from scrapblog.com. It was a great tool to sort of keep records of my kids growth and progress. Above all, its free. Unfortunately, when the site was upgraded (mind you, I was so excited and couldn't wait to try out the new features) all the previous scrapblog pages I made got lost! It was rather frustrating since I've spent so much time trying to get a few pages done.

I've since discovered another way to create a scrapbook. It's called digital scrapbooking which is same method as normal scrapbooking except that you can design the pages with Photoshop as well as purchase elements online at reasonable costs. It's exciting for me as I can create scrapbook pages using my own skills without having to spend too much time trying to learn something new again as well as keep better track of my kids progress thru pictures. An example of a recent pages I did shown here...

As much as I would love to create my own elements, I can't just yet as I've only got limited time hence I buy them sometimes or download some freebies that are available. My favourite site is Designer Digitals (unfortunately the site is blocked in China).

Animal Bags

Boon has done it again with the new range of beanie bags called Animal Bags. I love how practical they are that not only do they hold stuffed toys but these also serve as the kids seats when they are taking books off their book shelves. Another use is that the kids use this as a landing pad as they jump from the sofa to the floor.

It was not easy ordering these though and getting shipped to Shanghai. But the whole effort was worth it.

Sensible Advise

Parenting nowadays are so different to what it used be when I was growing up...

Since my kids were born, I've almost given up on buying parenting books mostly because majority of them just seem to be either difficult to follow or that author's tone of voice makes me feel like I'm an incompetent mother... Of course with the exception of Miriam Stoppard and Elizabeth Lyon's 'Ready or Not Here We Come!: The Real Experts' Guide to the First Year' and 'Ready or Not . . . There We Go!: The REAL Experts' Guide to the Toddler Years with Twins.'

While reading Parents magazine one time I saw this article about a book called 'Just Tell Me What To Say' and managed to order it from Amazon. Read it and I highly recommend! The first book also that I managed to finish since ages ago.

Snowy Shanghai

Snowy Shanghai
Originally uploaded by arlyna.

It's been more than a decade since Shanghai has seen a major snow fall. This was the record snow fall we've seen since living in Shanghai. It's just amazing how the whole city seem to have been transformed to a scene you'd typically see in Europe or America.

The kids are enjoying slushing in the snow as we walk them to school. I have to hold their hands tight, though, as some streets have turned icy.

The major snow fall came on Monday night when the city awoke to a white Shanghai. This weather has caused some massive transportation problems within the city as well as coming in and out of the city. And now seems like some travellers going home for the Chinese New Year is now stuck in the city.

More snow predicted for Friday, but you never know, we still saw snow falling today even when there's no forecast of snow...

See more photos on my Flickr.

Pantry Magic

Pantry Magic
Originally uploaded by arlyna.

On one of those rare occasion, spur-of-the-moment night after work, Simon and I went to check out the Dongpin Road and Taojiang Road area only to find new changes to this area of the city.

Shops have been updated. New shops have opened. An English pub has closed, an old building converted into a mini 'mall' with a few designer-y shops inside, a French baker has opened a branch here, and new restaurants.

The biggest thing that got me so very excited was Pantry Magic selling cooking utensils and stuff. Similar things I would get at the Panhandler's in Hong Kong. Now finally, there is a real kitchen shop to get western cooking gadgets in Shanghai.

The next thing we need is Shanghai would be an HMV and a PageOne and then we are 'complete'!

'Am I Look Good?'

'Am I Look Good?'
Originally uploaded by arlyna.

My colleague and I attended the opening of a restaurant that we helped develop the identity for. It's called Pipalli and the first shop is in Beijing.

As I was getting ready to board on a flight, saw this poster outside a nice little coffee shop inside the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.

An almost perfect poster. 'Almost' because it is ruined by the Chi-nglish on the bubble... 'Am I look good?'

Scrapblog updated

Scrapblog is now finally back online with an improved interface, more design choices (new backgrounds, stickers, frames, editing tools, etc.), and a lot of other great new features.

The only drawback, I found, was that all the blogs/pages I did before is now gone. But photos previously uploaded are still there. So now I've to find time to redo all my pages.

The Heat Is On!

Summer has descended into Shanghai with force this year. Temperatures have soared up to 39°C yesterday and expected to keep at that temperature for the next couple days. Government has started imposing 'energy conservation' with air-conditioning in offices getting shut down early; 6:30pm at most.

When we arrived back from a quick trip to Hong Kong yesterday, the hot air just came full blast in our face as we stepped out of the airport! It felt like stepping into the sauna. And S thought Hong Kong was very hot and humid more than Shanghai (though HK temperature was less humid). The kids were sweating right away, and not to mention S who was soaked!

With the sweltering heat, the outdoor pool where we go to every weekend was packed by 10:30pm with no lounge chairs left. The club even ran out of clean towels! This reminds us to keep with our early mornings (today was an exception with the kids adjusting to being back home hence we had a late start).

Mini Cooper

Mini Cooper
Originally uploaded by arlyna.

This has to be the coolest billboard ad I've seen around Shanghai. For some time now, I've passed this a few times but never got the chance to actually get a photo. On this very moment when I had my camera and the taxi stopped at the traffic light, I got lucky.

Honestly, I wouldn't think that this location is quite ideal though as it's on a road that don't get a lot of traffic.

Bridge 8

Bridge 8
Originally uploaded by arlyna.

On a rare day out last month (sans the kids), Simon and I went to check out this place called Bridge 8. It's a cluster of renovated old industrial buildings which now houses a design companies, shops, and restaurants.

A bookshop selling design books has also just opened at the annex building's ground floor. We had a great time browsing thru the books and magazines and ended up purchasing some for the office.

The offices within Bridge 8 looked really cool and interesting place to work in but both Simon and I are still happy with where our office is currently at, conveniently located in the heart of the shopping area on Huai Hai Road.

Pixie Hats

Recently, I finished knitting 5 pixie hats for my colleagues. It took me a while to get started with work and kids taking up most of my time. I found a very easy pattern for the hats from craftbits.com. As I did not have the exact yarn specified in the pattern, it took 2 attempts before I got the size right.

For this project, I used 2 strands to knit the pattern. For the edgings, I crocheted a contrasting colour yarn, and used the same yarn colour for the pompoms.

Sheshan

Sheshan
Originally uploaded by arlyna.

Right before the Chinese New Year, we took the kids out to The Le Meridien in Sheshan, about 30 minutes from downtown Shanghai. It was to get away (even for a couple days) and also do a trial run on how it would be to travel with the kids.

The hotel is surrounded by a lot of greenery and even has a man-made lake and a beach! It just felt like a totally different world in spite of it only less than an hour away from our home.

The kids experienced playing in the sand for the first time ever. If only it weren't nippy and we were wearing coats, then it would have felt like we were in a beach resort.

The kids' swimming pool was also great! We were there each day we were at the hotel. The look on the kids' face when they were splashing about and enjoying themselves was just a great feeling, so you can say we enjoyed the pool time as much as they did.

And on top of all these amenities, the hotel also had a playground complete with swings and slides on the other side of the man-made lake which one had to cross via the stepping stones.

The other interesting thing is the kids enjoyed playing in front of the full-sized mirror in our room. They were simply fascinated at seeing their reflections and would sit in front of it, keep walking back and forth, dance, and more. It was just so funny seeing them making faces to see how their reflections looked!

Certainly a place we would go back again.

I've posted some more photos on my Flickr. Check them out now.