Subaru XV

Advertorial

So as I told you guys, my car sponsorship with DUO Rewards is that I get to change my car once every 4 months!

The time has come to change my Sylphy into something else, and I actually felt quite sad!!

In the short four months that I drove her, she has become a huge part of my life... It's no wonder that people who drive hardly ever can bring themselves to go back to public transport.

Having your own vehicle, your own private space to travel that you don't have to share with strangers, having a powerful feeling of freedom that you can go anywhere you please... It's a seductive feeling indeed, even with a rental car!!

I've always told Mike that him picking me up to drive me home in Laopokasaurus (that's what we call Mike's car) and me taking a cab home by myself technically isn't much difference since I'm chauffeured in both cases.

But when I am on a cab I feel like I'm still on strange grounds, like I cannot completely unwind yet. I still feel kinda tense in case the cabbie kidnaps me. But the moment I go into Laopokasaurus, I feel like I'm in my second home. I can take off my shoes and put my feet up on the dashboard if I want!

So that feeling rather intensified with the Sylphy. She was my first car (kinda, even though I don't own her) and I've always felt like she's a little mobile home of mine. :') I always feel snug and safe and happy driving her.

That being said, I was still very excited to see what my next car was gonna be!!!

THE DAY:

YAY I'M GETTING A SUV!!!

It's a Subaru XV!!!

Oops so I am blocking the car and you can't see how it looks like.

Hahahaha

Ok this is better... One of my favourite things about the XV's sleek design is that the rims kinda look like flowers!!


Otherwise, it is a rather manly car. Much more manly than the Sylphy somehow! :X

From the fierce looking headlights to the black leather interior...

Also the car gave off a manly cologne scent when I first stepped in. Not sure if it's coz the previous driver was a guy but it made me wanna thump my chest and hunt boar. LOL

Mike likes it a lot for that factor I suppose...

Afterall I've always found men tend to love Subaru cars... Is it because of the All Wheel Drive? Coz the XV has that too.

The peeps at Downtown Car Rentals told me that the XV is actually like a baby SUV. This car is spacious but not super huge. I love that when you are driving it you are really high up and can see the roads clearly from the high angle.

The boot is as spacious as the Sylphy's.

What I love about SUVs is that you can have the option of piling your stuff in the boot up higher if you need to... The rear seats also fold down so you can transport LOADS of stuff! No more paying for Ikea delivery! :D

And people in the backseat can simply reach in and grab stuff if they need to without getting out of the car!

(I've been watching too much Walking Dead but I imagine this is useful in case of Zombie apocalypse and you have all your guns in the boot so you can conveniently shoot out of the window when being surrounded by zombies... versus having a sedan so you have to physically get out of the car to access your armory and will in the process get gnawed on.)

Baby car seat fits perfectly too! Of course what matters the most for baby isn't space... It's SAFETY!!

And the Subaru XV has a FIVE STAR SAFETY RATING. :D It feels so good to know that.


The XV also has a very weird feature that I think many of you will love!!


It is extremely fuel efficient!


During stop lights when you fully compress the brake, the engine actually shuts down.

It rumbles and stops, and it will startle you, making you think the engine has died if you didn't know that this is a specialty of the XV!! In fact, it is only trying to save fuel for you. The aircon and stereo is still on, it's just that the engine stops.

When I was told about this, I was quite scared.

"HUH??" I said. "Then isn't it gonna take a while for the engine to start up again?? And I will get honked by impatient people behind me!"

But the Downtown staff told me it only takes split second for the engine to reignite. Great technology!


Oh yes you may have noticed some of the extra stuff on my car.

Embarrassing and bright thing number 1:

Flowers.

I actually bought two Singapore flags to fly on the car window during the National Day period. After National Day ended, I modified my flag to put on flowers!!! My mom sewed them on for me and the flowers are from Daiso. :D

They look ridiculous I know but it looks so cute when the car is moving and the flowers are flying behind!! Also it makes me easier for me to find my car in a sea of other cars!! It stands out, that's for sure. LOL

I also believe it makes other drivers laugh so they will give way more to me. HAHAHA

Embarrassing and bright thing number 2:

A P PLATE?? N0000000000B!!!!

BITCH PLEASE!!!

Time to throw my P plate away!!! LAO NIANG HAVE HAD A LICENSE FOR A YEAR NOW MUAHAHAHA!! I am no longer a NEWBIE DRIVER!!!

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Want to rent a car too?

Nowadays COE is so expensive, renting is definitely the way to go!!!

Moreover, the holiday season is coming!!

It's probably going to be really tough to get a cab or squeeze into a bus during the holidays...

"Where are all the #$%^@# cabs?"

Why not rent a vehicle so the whole family can travel with ease? Don't have to worry about midnight surcharges after your countdown party and don't have to keep calling that horrible hotline that tells you all the operators are engaged at the moment.

Or squeeze into a train with other sweaty passengers...

Remember to reserve your perferred vehicle early in case all of them are taken!!

You can go to Downtown's website HERE to book!!!

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If you love discounts and free stuff, you definitely definitely should join DUO Rewards, Tan Chong International's loyalty program!!!


Ok here's the deal... You guys think there is a catch or something. Surely you have to pay in some form to get something good right?

BUT THERE IS NO CATCH.

Membership is FREE, it's for life. AND ANYONE CAN JOIN DUO REWARDS, not just drivers or anyone with Tan Chong cars!!

Once you have signed up HERE, you can see a list of all the merchants that DUO Rewards is collaborating with to give you great discounts and offers!!!

Here are some of them - there are too many to list!!

- 10% off for Bintan Lagoon Resort
- Free sessions at True Fitness and True Yoga
- 10% off at Twelve Cupcakes
- 5% off at Pet Lovers Centre

Why pay full prices for some of your favourite products and services when you can get them cheaper by SIMPLY SIGNING UP?? NO CATCH!!

Of course, DUO members also get rewards for every dollar they spend on any services at Tan Chong, be it car rental, car servicing, car purchase or even renting service apartments.


Also, this year, DUO Rewards is the Official Automotive Partner of ZoukOut 2013, happening on 13 - 14 December!

Ticketholders who sign up for Duo at the point of purchase from Zouk�s website HERE will stand a chance to win drink coupons or free entry passes to Zouk + Phuture!!


For those who have not bought tickets yet and would like a shot at winning a pair of FREE ZoukOut passes worth $236, check out the contest below:

You can find out more about the contest at DUO Reward's facebook page HERE and of course remember to like it!!!


LASTLY BEFORE I GO.........


Love your furry friends and want to do your part to help those that need our help??




Get involved... Just click on the picture to be a part of LostPaws and help reunite lost pets with their owners!! It's something kind you can do just by keeping a watch for lost pets near your house!


LostPaws set up a community watch to increase the number of eyes out there to watch out for missing pets... to help ease the stress of both owners and pets!


Don't worry, you won't get spammed once you sign up, merely a notification when there is a missing pet in your vicinity.

DRIVING OFF BYE!!

Daily Dayre

So I was just saying that it is tough for me to continue blogging because I don't usually turn on my computer anymore, I just use my phone.

AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS I FOUND LIKE THE BEST APP TO BLOG FROM THE PHONE!!

Introducing my DAYRE!!!

Been using Dayre for a few weeks now to try to update more... The app is really really a breeze to use and very addictive!

Basically it seems to be quite simple. 12am to 12am constitutes a "day". In chronological order, whatever you update that day will be consolidated into one blog entry!! You can also post an unlimited amount of photos, videos, text and cutest of all, put really fun stickers (ala Line) on your blog post!!

A Dayre sticker

I found myself updating quite a bit there... And even though the content tends to be quite mundane and is mostly made up of baby pictures, at least some blogging is better than no blogging!! (right???)

Today for the first time ever I went to the web url http://dayre.me/xiaxue to see how it looks like on the computer and I'm pleasantly surprised!! It looks great!! I guess I just have really low expectations for an app website... Hahaha!

It looks like just a clean, minimalist blog.

So yeah just letting you guys know I kinda have another blog.

Bookmark THIS please!!


If you wish to also get a Dayre of your own you can download the app on the App Store or Google Play. Free, and very fun to use! Blogging has been dying down and I hope this will make blogging become more popular again. :D

A baby picture before I go.

He found the headband very funny too.

No, not an ad!

The Longest Hiatus

I know you've all missed my blog entries, the ones that aren't advertorials.

I've had my longest hiatus ever since Dash was born, the longest break I ever took from blogging in ten years. And weirdly enough, it's this period of time that the most exciting thing happened in my life (having a baby) and I've had so many new interesting experiences and revelations to blog about, but I haven't been doing it. I wish I had the time to.

Let me explain a little about TIME.

The concept of TIME is a confusing one... My geeky engineer husband told me that time won't exist without the speed of light and that if you can go faster than light, you can time travel. Or something to that effect - naturally I didn't understand him, developed a headache and then decided it's best not to try to understand.

Now after being a mom, the concept of TIME has also changed for me. It used to be I'm not really aware of time wasting away - everyday I'm just happy doing my usual activities: Dolling up, shopping, meeting friends, sleeping, working, eating. I had free periods where I'm feeling bored and I'm diddling on my phone or dug up some old movie to watch.

But nowadays TIME is constantly going tick tock tick tock to me. My timeline is no longer only mine but intertwined with Dash's timeline. Every moment I'm acutely aware that my baby won't stay a baby forever. Soon he will be a toddler, a tween, an adult. It is a conscious choice for me to join my "time and space" with his "time and space", so I can watch him grow, play with him, create memories of him as a cute little helpless puff.

Every moment he could be doing something for the first time - say blowing his lips - and some of these things happen just ONCE. If you miss it, you miss it.

Eating a lemon for the first time

So TIME is a choice, and everytime I choose to spend time away from Dash, his life moves on and I cannot rewind that.

Just a few months ago when he was born... Sigh...

And this is why I haven't been blogging. Is it really that I don't have enough time? Not really, I do spend a lot of time on social media afterall. I do have many short bursts of time. I mostly post my instagram pics when I'm pooping, haha... Right, suggest to my friends not to touch my iphone if possible.

Or I use my phone to post photos and videos when dash is napping. I have time to do loads of other small non-time-consuming stuff, but what I do not have, is a luxurious long stretch of say 5 - 10 hours, when I can truly sit down and complete a good long blog entry. That's how long I usually take including photo editing time. And I don't want to write short patronizing blog posts because I am used to churning blog entries of a certain quality here and people expect that. (Ahem, yes I am aware that ironically this blog entry is quite short and patronizing)

Or rather, I guess I have to say I choose not to spend this time on writing blogs.

My mom is helping me take care of Dash, so of course I can dump Dash with her for a few hours to complete a blog entry. But with Dash just outside the Princess Room playing with my mom, I can hear them, and I simply can't just stay in the room and not go out.

If he chuckles, that's it, I'm done. That's why I have a dozen half written blog entries saved in drafts. I simply didn't bother to finish them because my heart wasn't in it. I keep getting distracted and side tracked. And can you blame me? Something so precious, my baby's TIME, is ticking away outside.

So I just keep telling myself: "Tomorrow, I'll blog tomorrow. Dash is so cute and cheerful today, I can't miss it." But he is cute and cheerful almost everyday. And when he is in a cranky mood, I feel worried and I feel like I need to resolve whatever is making him upset.

And not to mention... It is extremely exhausting being a mom, both physically (Pumping milk is a total bitch) and mentally.

I cannot even describe the mental distress a new mom feels when her baby is crying nonstop and she has no idea why or how to stop it. In the past, I loved to carry other people's babies but whenever they cried, I simply passed them back to the mom, thinking "She will know how to handle it, not my problem".

But now, I realised the moms DON'T know how to handle it.

They are simply playing a guessing game and doing trial and error so baby gets happy again. Is it hunger? Is it a wet diaper? Is it too hot or cold? Does he want to be swaddled or unswaddled? Is it gas and how do I reduce the gas? OR COULD HIS LIFE BE IN DANGER? It's really stressful... And exhausting.

So whenever I get the chance to, I always choose sleep. I used to sleep 12 hrs a day in the past. That's how much sleep I need to not feel grumpy and tired. And let's just say for the first 4 months especially I hit maybe about only half of my daily quota everyday! I was so sleep deprived that when I knew I was about to fall sick, I actually looked forward to it so I can have some guilt free sleep**! (*Guilt free sleep: Sleep that isn't a choice but a necessity, because if I had a choice I know I should be spending time with my baby)

Life is all about balances too... I can't devote 100% of my time to baby care either. I came to realise that motherhood involves a lot of really confusing and complex feelings. If my mom is busy and I spend a few days in a row staying at home with Dash, despite being very happy when I'm with him I also feel dissatisfied and angry. At first I couldn't understand my conflicting emotions - then I realised this is because I needed my personal time, and probably some rest.

It isn't easy having your life completely change when a baby arrives. It's also tough to accept that all the freedom you used to have and all the activities you used to enjoy, unless your favourite hobby was to change diapers, you are not going to be able to do frequently anymore. You love your baby and you love being a mom, but you also love it when he naps and you get a break from him. It's all very confusing.

Even when I'm laughing and playing with Dash, my mind is in protective Mom mode. I am on alert and looking out for any object that can hurt him, or trying to find out why he is whining or when is the next time to feed him. Even when he is sleeping I'm wondering if he is too warm or too cold, or how he might roll off the bed.

So after many hours of baby care, I just want to pass him to someone else I can trust, so I can relax, unwind and do my own shit. I don't want to be in charge of a vulnerable little being's life anymore for the next few hours. I just want to be in charge of my own happiness for a while. Even simply playing Candy Crush or taking a shower seems like ecstasy.

Everyday I thank my lucky stars I have my capable mother to help me. I really don't know how full time moms can do this on their own!! It's no wonder if they go a little crazy!!

The cycle goes on... I happily play with baby and take care of him, then I feel exhausted and someone else takes over (usually my mom), then I do relaxing stuff of my own or maybe sometimes even go out, then I feel guilty about missing time with baby, then I play with baby again. Just like that, SEVEN MONTHS WENT BY - NO TIME TO BLOG.

Today a rare thing happened. My mom brought Dash out by herself. And I'm at home with Mike alone. If Dash were home I won't be on the computer for sure. But he is out, and there is nothing I can do with him except wait for him to come home. I don't have to feel like time's a'wasting or feel guilty that I'm not spending time with him.

So I decided to blog. And at the very least explain why I haven't been blogging for so long. I'm sorry. I know I get a lot of my privileges in life because of my blog. This isn't me being ungrateful or lazy - well in general I AM a very lazy person I'll admit but I haven't been the last 7 months for sure - this is me simply treasuring too much Dash's babyhood. You guys can understand that, right? Right?

I can't resist this face...

And whatever time I have in between when he is asleep, I'm usually unwinding or resting as much as I can. But even as I do those, I'm doing it just to be a better mother for him when I'm done... So I can go back to baby duties without feeling disgruntled, cranky or tired. They say motherhood changes you, I just didn't know the shocking extent.

Now that Dash is older, he is easier to care for, and I hope I will be able to go back to blogging more.

To the little of you still left reading my ol' blog, thank you.



xoxo
Dash's Mom, and occasionally Xiaxue

Datsumo Labo

Advertorial

Don't we all wish to have smooth, baby soft and clear skin? Except on our head, eyebrows and eyelashes, it is best if the rest of our body has no hair at all!!

Unfortunately, hair grows in all the undesirable areas... For me, I'm hairy everywhere... Sigh. If you can believe it, I started shaving my leg hair (and underarms) when I was TWELVE!

There was just one day I saw my mom's razor in the toilet and decided to try shaving my hairy legs for fun. For a day, I was very pleased with the results as it made my legs look smooth and shiny - but only for a day.

Afterwards, I found that the hairs grew back out prickly and gross. From that day onwards I shaved every few days... Then it became weeks when I grew lazier... I am horrified if my boyfriend (then) touches my legs because I know my shins are prickly!

Since I was young I've tried all kinds of hair removal methods...

THEY ALL COME WITH PROBLEMS:

I tweeze for eyebrows and armpits - It's acceptable for eyebrows but super time consuming for armpits. So most of the time I shave.

Shaving makes my skin very dry and painful plus the hair grows back out so gross, and I often have ingrown hair!

I used to bother with brazilian waxes, but cmon, $50 for a 15 min strip off?? WTF PLEASE SUPER OVERPRICED. And it's SO SO SO PAINFUL!!

Epilating also hurts a lot... Hair removal creams - have you accidentally tried putting it on your brazilian area? :O I did, and it BURNS!! And think about it... Something that is so strong it can melt your hair... Can't be good for your skin right?

IPL seems to be the answer - until I tried it and IT HURTS SO DAMN MUCH plus it is so crazy expensive!

In conclusion, the quest to remove undesirable hairs seem to have no ideal solution.

AHA! That is, until I found Datsumo Labo!!

Perhaps you have heard of Datsumo Labo, as it is also very popular with many bloggers and Qiuqiu and Miyake also wrote a review on them!

What is Datsumo Labo? It is the fastest growing hair removal salon with over 50 outlets in Japan! It is very popular in Japan with many celebrities going there too to achieve that baby smooth skin we all envy. In the next two years Datsumo Labo will have salons in many countries with over 100 outlets, and two have arrived in Singapore!! YAY!!

I got invited to try their hair removal treatment and I finally understood why it is so popular and vastly different from all the other IPL/permanent hair removal salons I've ever tried.

1) Datsumo focuses ONLY on S.S.C treatment - stands for Smooth Skin Control treatment - which is the latest hair removal method available in the market. Only one treatment is available, they don't do waxing or have other services like facials or massages in other salons offering IPL/QPX etc. They are specialists. As such, they do a good job on the only job they do.

2) The S.S.C treatment is PAINLESS. 

3) It is very affordable!

You must be thinking now - what is this S.S.C?

Just like IPL, S.S.C also uses light therapy. However, the light works together with their special "beans" gel to permanently remove hair GENTLY without damaging skin. IT EVEN GIVES A WHITENING EFFECT!!

I go to the Tanjong Pagar brand to give the S.S.C treatment a try...

Giant signboard with a great affordable price!

I see pictures of bloggers who love Datsumo Labo too!

I was shown their famous "DEKA" machine from Italy - It looks so bleah. Like seriously, look at it! It's so boringly sitting there on a plain shelf.

Guess how much it costs? 

6 MILLION YEN.

That's right, this machine costs more than 75 THOUSAND SINGAPORE DOLLARS.

 I FEEL LIKE I JUST TOOK A PICTURE WITH A RARE DIAMOND.

And then I was shown the special "beans" gel I mentioned:

Once again, very unassumingly sitting in a bowl.

If you think this is like the cold gel that IPL salons also sometimes apply for their customers, you are wrong!

It is a special gel, really costly at $17 per kg, when ordinary gels only cost $5 or less.

RIGHT... So you are probably wondering the logical. If this Datsumo Labo is so "atas" (high end) and uses only such expensive luxury products, their hair removal services must be damn expensive!!

That's where it is so SHOCKING!!!

Datsumo Labo is very open about the costs... There is no hidden costs and they charge less than HALF of what usual major salons charge!

How is this done?

This is how the salon looks like:

When I went in I had a shock.

Unlike other beauty salons, they have no serene beautiful decorations, no lemongrass scent, no fancy plush settings. The salon, albeit very clean and neat, was barren and in fact it looked like they just moved in a few days ago. Even the chair I sat on was... Economical. I thought maybe the salon is very poor!!

Then I got a shock when I realised the reason!

It is because Datsumo Labo believes in scrimping on the unnecessary costs to keep costs lower for the consumer!! Other than spending money generously on their technology and gels, they keep costs for other items to a BARE minimum!

That's how they save for YOU!! It's great isn't it? Well next time you step into a nicely renovated salon, even though it may look nice, you are inevitably paying for it out of your own pocket!!

Still not convinced? Or maybe you are as hairy as an orangutan and you think no S.S.C can remove your hair for you?? Well for your peace of mind guess what?

DATSUMO LABO HAS A REFUND POLICY!! No Results, FULL  REFUND!! Crazy or what?

Getting ready for my treatment!!

Since I am breastfeeding, I'm not a suitable candidate for S.S.C. Don't worry, it isn't dangerous or will harm my milk production, it is just that the results may not be very predictable for breastfeeding moms as we are chockful of hormones, which affect hair growth. As such, they advice breastfeedings moms to not do treatments until they wean.

However, I was really excited to give it a try so I went for it on my legs! If it doesn't work for me it doesn't really matter, but I needed to try it out to give you guys a valid testimony.

My aesthetician applying the special gel on my legs...

Since I've tried IPL before and even though I have a high tolerance of pain I felt it was almost intolerably painful, I was very apprehensive about their "pain-free" promise and was sweating nervously before treatment started...

If you have tried IPL you will know what I mean. 1,2,3 Snap 1,2,3 Snap - over and over again the light flashes over your skin and each snap feels like a sharp deep jet of hot pain. Once or twice it really isn't bad but over a big area and done for half an hour? Wow, its terrible! And IPL salons always promise it is painless but they are usually lying, it always DOES hurt.

But S.S.C?

I FELT NOTHING. No pain at all. Just as they promised, I felt a swoosh of a teeny bit of nice warmth, that's it. In fact, I very quickly fell asleep. (I'm a sleep deprived mom!!) When I woke up, the treatment was OVER.

I was AMAZED.

My legs were extremely smooth and felt very moisturized and pampered. In fact, the entire treatment felt more like a nice relaxing massage session to me than a torturous hair removal session! I simply cannot believe that for once when people promised painless, it really IS painless.

Verdict? A few days later, I realised the skin on my legs not only got smoother, they got fairer and less dry. As for the hair follicles? Weeks later, ONLY HALF OF MY LEG HAIR REMAINED. I cannot believe the amazing results after JUST ONE SESSION!! ONE!!




I AM DEFINITELY GOING BACK THERE TO REMOVE ALL MY UNWANTED HAIR!!!

Really cannot wait to not have to shave my undesirably hairy areas anymore!!!!!! YES!!! :DDD

And yes if you are wondering about the nice photos... I did a photoshoot with Datsumo Labo!

That's coz I am their new Main Image Model!!

And guess what? YOU can be their Maga Image Model!!!!! You could be selected among over 1,000 applicants and debut in their worldwide magazine! :D

Being a Datsumo Labo Maga Image Model has many advantages... You can find more details HERE!

And of course, I know some of you, like me, must be really sick of hair removal problems too and want to give Datsumo Labo a try. If so, good news!

YAY FOR DISCOUNTS!!!

If you wish to find out the prices for Datsumo Labo's hair removal treatments, or make a booking you can check out their website at http://datsumo-labo.com/booking It takes only 40 seconds to book a consultation!!


Or you can also reach them at:

Orchard Branch
#01-13 International Building
360 Orchard Road, Singapore 238869
dlinternationalbuilding@datsumo-labo.com

Tanjong Pagar Branch
1 Tras Link #02-02, Singapore 078867
dltporchidhotel@datsumo-labo.com

Of course, like their facebook page for more awesome deals. :D

Advertorial

One of the things I've been worried about while I was pregnant was having to cab around with a baby in tow when Dashiel is out. It's just a lot more troublesome to not have your own car when you have to bring a pram and giant diaper bag with you everywhere you go, not to mention it isn't safe for baby to be in a taxi with no car seat!

AND COE KEEPS RISING! It's so crazy expensive to buy a car nowadays!

So I was SUPER delighted to announce that I've gotten one of the best sponsorships in the 10 years of my blogging career - a CAR!!

My Nissan Sylphy and me!! WOOT!!

Because you die of jealousy, I didn't get a free car per se, I have a year's usage of 3 different rental cars, courtesy of Downtown Car Rentals and DUO Rewards, the customer loyalty program for Tan Chong International.

Which is just as awesome so I guess you can still die of jealousy. Haha ok I'm sorry but I'm just so happy with my new baby!! :DDD

Here's some pictures of my shiny machine:

Mid sized sedan with gorgeous LED headlights and in my preferred colour of white! No pink available but white is pretty too!

I decorated my dashboard with blue flowers (from daiso). Gives the car a Hawaiian happy vibe. I always feel like I'm on holiday when I see my car!

The Sylphy is just AWESOME to drive... I confess I don't know much about cars but when Mike was driving it for the first time he kept swooning and saying how the turning radius is great and the brakes are so good and it has powerful acceleration. Very fuel efficient too!

The Sylphy is very spacious! That day I just squeezed a total of 7 people in the car... Not sure if I'm supposed to do that but the 5 at the back still said they had ample space! :O

I love driving very much and singing like a crazy woman inside to my favourite songs... Luckily I can pick my radio stations or fast forward to the next song on my ipod via buttons on the steering wheel!

This is my designated "Dash Corner" in the car... If you are a parent you know how important it is that your child gets the maximum comfort and safety in their car seat. In my Sylphy there is plenty of space for Dash's seat and the head cushion holds my ipad just nicely for him to be distracted with children's songs while I drive! And yes, that little mirror at the top for me to see what he is up to via my rearview mirror.

The Sylphy is also really safe, which is much needed reassurance for me since I'm a new driver!

No fear, numbers to call just in case.

This key system is the BOMBDIGGITY!! Nissan's intelligent key means you can lock, unlock your car and boot, start the engine and drive away... ALL WITHOUT EVER REMOVING THE KEY FROM INSIDE YOUR BAG. It's just perfect... I don't have to dig inside my messy bag to drive! All the girls will love this.

The glove compartment is amazingly huge!! Look at all the things I stuffed in there!

The trunk is also one of the biggest I've seen!! It's crazy, I can fit my pram and still have so much extra space.

Mike took this photo for me and told me to make a joke about expensive housing prices and how people should stay in their trunks to maximize their COE value. -_- I told him the topic is too heavy and isn't funny but he insists it is. So erm... yes! That's me in the Sylphy's boot.

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The current COE price for cars below 1600cc is $74,000. TALK ABOUT SCARY!!

Many of us, especially those with young children, hope to drive but it is simply too expensive to own a car in Singapore nowadays. The value of a car will always depreciate too.

The smarter option is to simply rent a car!

My Sylphy is available for rent at Downtown Car Rentals for a day at only $135 - it is very reasonable!

Drive it around to run errands, do groceries or bring the kiddos out for a picnic. You don't have to worry about insurance or road tax or even servicing the car, it's all inclusive!

Of course, you should also become a member of DUO Rewards, the customer loyalty program for Tan Chong International!

As a member, you get loads of awesome rewards and earn points when you spend on any services at Tan Chong, be it car rental, car servicing, car purchase or even renting service apartments.

The good news is... ANYONE can join DUO Rewards for free! 

And why join? You can win tickets to to awesome events such as K pop concerts, ZoukOut etc... And if you love cars, DUO Rewards organizes complimentary car workshops too!

DUO Rewards is also offering discounts and privileges to DUO Rewards members such as Pet Lovers Centre, Raffles Hotel Singapore Bar and Billiard Room, True Fitness and True Yoga.

Get spotted with the DUO Rewards car decal and you can win Raffles Hotel Dining vouchers!! :D :D :D 

 I hope I win! The contest ends 12 August 2013.

DUO Rewards is also full of love!!

They support LostPaws, a website dedicated to finding a new home for abandoned pets and reuniting lost pets with their owners!

A lot of you are always emailing me asking me to help blog about your lost pets... I do help to tweet for you guys occasionally but Lost Paws is a better option for asking people to help seek a lost furry friend! The service is free!

If you find you want to have a furry little companion in your life, also check out Lost Paws for their dogs, cats and other small animals that are available for adoption! These little animals may not be suitable for their ex owners but could be perfect for you and your family!

If you wish to put up a pet for adoption, you can also do so via LostPaws.

The Guide To Life video on my exciting new ride... CLICK:

Please also LIKE DUO Rewards' facebook page!

http://facebook.com/DUORewards