Severely Ducked

Remember my first Duck in this post?

Well I haven't bought anymore since then. Despite Duck Scarves being all the rage nowadays, I thought spending hundreds on a piece of scarf was a bit ridiculous. Also, I felt that the scarf was too long, and I didn't know how to style the scarf to be able to show the duck in front.

Despite not buying any, I secretly admired them from afar. I really liked the Limited Editions (LE) Duck Scarves. My special favorite is the Blooming Rose in Pink.

Fast forward to just last week, I had Iftar with my BBGS gang and one of them was wearing my favorite. It was my first time seeing one up close and personal. And I knew I just had to have it.

Easier said than done, really! The Blooming Pink Rose is a favorite for many, and almost everyone is wiling to pay big money for it. Every time one appears on the #duckscarvestoletgo Instagram, it magically disappears in seconds. And I'm not exaggerating; just two days ago I texted an offer barely three minutes after the sale ad was made, and it was already sold. Second option, is to swap with another equally sought for scarf; which is a bit tough for me cos I have none! Third option is to buy it as a combo, which means someone will ask you to buy some other scarf (or bag!) together as one price. Quite pricey, and also really dependent on whether you like the combo. The final option is to of course, pay big bucks. One personal shopper wanted to charge me RM800 for it! (And a friend told me a Caramel Blurred Lines was sold for a bit more than RM1k recently.) Crazy!!!

So this is how I've been spending my last one week; refreshing #duckscarvestoletgo every few minutes. Again, not exaggerating. I do it while I'm waiting for the traffic light, in meetings, between chores, you get the gist. Just last Thursday I was at the Zara sale; I refreshed once before I entered the dressing room and again after leaving the dressing room, only to find out that I had lost an opportunity to purchase a KL City Duck in white.

(Yes yes, with all the time I've been spending on the Instagram, I've apparently managed to cultivate a manic need to get not just the Blooming Pink Rose but rather any/all scarves within the Blooming, KL City and Blurred Lines range.)

So here is the result of my one week Duck Battle. Don't bother asking me what I paid for it (in dignity and in cash)! It wasn't quite the happy ending for my bank account. #sorrykidsnoduitrayathisyear

1. Blurred Lines Mint 
2. Blooming Roses Pink
3. Blooming Roses Black (x2, for future swap purposes *giggles*)
4. Blooming Roses Red
5. Blooming Orchid Lavender
6. Blooming Orchid Blue
7. Blooming Peonies White
8. KL City in Black
9. Songket Duck in Lavender
10. Songket Duck in Green
11. Songket Duck in Brown
12. Songket Duck in Turquoise
13. Mother's Day in Blue
14. Premium Basic Rosewater
15. Premium Basic Shadow

As you can see, I've found what I wanted... and more. But now I'm itching to complete my Blooming series with Orchid Pink, Peonies Pink and Peonies Yellow. Pray for me (and my bank account)! *giggles*

If you want any tips or advise on navigating through (and surviving) the #duckscarvestoletgo marketplace, drop me an email and I'll try my utmost best to help.

Shell Kita

Short post to share my top two Instagram photos from the recent Shell Kita campaign.

I was down with a high fever the night before the event. Tapi demi Fahrin Ahmad, I took a shot in the butt to recover. It was my first time, getting up close and personal with Fahrin Ahmad... all I can say is, the shot on the butt was well worth it, as he is every bit as handsome in real life as his media photos.

He pleasantly agreed for a photo op!

One for my own Instagram. I fueled up and turned my journey into a blessing.

Thanks Shell, not only for the photo opportunity with Fahrin Ahmad, but for allowing me to do my part in improving and transforming the lives of disadvantaged children... all by just fueling up my car. #Shellkita

Making the Most Out Of Your Last 10 Days of Ramadhan with Shell

Alhamdulillah, we are now at the grand finale; the last 10 days of the blessed month of Ramadhan. During this period, the Quran describes one night which will be better than 1000 months (months mind you, not days). Consequently, I am sure most of you are eager to work these last 10 nights to your advantage. In an ideal world, one would persistently exert his/herself in devotion and acts of worship at all times. However, as a mother of two boys juggling household, work and other hectic demands, I know that this is certainly easier said than done. 

Do not despair. It is simply natural to assume that “big actions” such as reciting the Quran, tarawih prayers or even iktikaf at the mosque are the favorable acts to maximize the worshiper’s connection to Allah. In contrary, the idea is to recognize that there are many smaller and simpler deeds that one can perform for great rewards during the holy month. One of the most common deeds recognized and valued by all is charity. Other than just paying your obligated Zakat, find the opportunity to make contributions to various causes and charities.

Well, here is one such opportunity. Shell Malaysia is now giving an opportunity for you to be charitable by just filling up your car with fuel. For every litre of fuel pumped at any Shell station nationwide on 1, 2, and 3 July (this Friday, Saturday and Sunday) Shell will donate 1 cent (RM0.01) to selected charitable organisations.

Frankly, after more than 10 years of working with Shell, I can personally attest to Shell’s commitment to contribute to the well-being of local communities. Throughout my career, Shell has given me plenty of opportunities to be directly involved with several such community outreach initiatives. And I am certainly proud to be involved with this charity drive, especially in the holy month of Ramadhan. This will be the second time that Shell is inviting the motorist to join them in giving back to the community. Shell first held a similar charity drive in 2015, from which funds raised were distributed to five (5) selected organisations to fund educational and development programmes for underprivileged children. This year, all funds collected will be directed to help improve and transform the lives of disadvantaged children in Malaysia. Coincidentally, this charity drive will also kickstart Shell’s 125th year celebration of being in Malaysia.

The contributions will be channeled to six (6) selected charitable organizations across the country - Persatuan Dyslexia Malaysia, Pusat Harian Kanak-Kanak Spastik Bandar Ipoh, Persatuan Penjagaan Kanak-Kanak Terencat Akal Johor Bahru, Yayasan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim Kelantan (Rumah Putera Dan Puteri Harapan), Seri Mengasih Centre Sabah and Lembaga Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim Sarawak.

This 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd July, BonusLink members will also have an option to convert their points to donations. For every 100 points, BonusLink members can contribute an amount of 1 ringgit (RM1.00) to further help in raising funds for these organizations.

Join us and make your balik kampong journey more meaningful this year. By simply fueling up with Shell, you can help make a difference and help empower disadvantaged children by funding organisations focused on improving children's welfare. So remember to fuel up and turn your journey into a blessing this Hari Raya! Visit www.shell.com.my/125csr for more information.

Every journey brings blessings. #Shellkita

Disney’s The Lion Guard, and a Giveaway too!

*UPDATE* Giveaway closed! Winners announced below! 

Just the other day, I was lazing around with Ian in the living hall. He was watching the television (nowadays permanently tuned to Disney Junior), while I was just relishing the luxury… of doing nothing. *smiles* Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a cartoon lion on screen, prancing around to a very catchy African rhythm. I immediately exclaimed, “Ian look, it’s Lion King!”

I am a huge fan of The Lion King. It was released when I was at the tender age of 12, so I was able to relate to the coming-of-age theme of the movie. I marveled at how Simba transformed from a cocky and impressionable cub, to a true leader of the Pride Lands. And of course, the “Hakuna Matata” philosophy by Timone and Pumba seemed so easy to adopt; sometimes awful things happen which you can’t change, so why worry? (If only life was that simple!) Not to mention, the catchy, beautiful and sentimental tunes from the movie. Suffice to say, the heartwarming tale of The Lion King is a Disney treasure.

So imagine my dismay when Ian corrected me in his cute baby babble, “Lion Dartttt, Mummy!” Erm… Lion Guard? Whatever happened to the Lion King? Aiden giggled at my obvious facial confusion and in turn, gave me a crash course of Disney’s The Lion Guard.

Disney’s The Lion Guard is an animated television series featuring Kion, second born and son of Simba and Nala. Each episode chronicles the life of fun-loving and playful Kion as he learns how to be the leader of the Lion Guard – a legendary team that protect the Pride Lands and defend the Circle of Life. If you’re familiar with the character Kiara from the movie The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride; well Kion is her little brother!

Whilst the firstborn cub of the monarch is destined to be the next King or Queen of the Pride Lands, the second born is tasked with leading the Lion Guard. As its leader, the cub is expected to be fierce; hence Kion is blessed with a magical gift called the Roar of the Elders - an intensely powerful roar in which the lion spirits of The Pride Lands past roar along with him, instilling real power in the cry. This gift is traditionally given to the second-born. Interestingly, the last owner was Scar (the villain antagonist in The Lion King), who misused it for evil and eventually lost the gift.

Each member of the Lion Guard has a special skill: Kion is the Fiercest, Bunga is the Bravest, Fuli is the Fastest, Beshte is the Strongest, and Ono is the Keenest of Eye. My personal favourite is Fuli the confident cheetah. Not only is she one of the fastest runners in the Pride Lands, she is also the Lion Guard’s only female member! She is also not ashamed to show her skills, as she shows extreme delight for being able to outpace a pursuer of any species. *girl power*

Aiden on the other hand, adores Bunga the fearless honey badger. Unlike his best friend Kion who goes by the rules at all times, Bunga is a free spirit with an adventurous streak. As Bunga is also the adopted nephew of Timon and Pumbaa, it is simply natural for him to be full of optimism and turn even the direst of situations into a fantastic time.

The series is designed to communicate positive lessons about teamwork, community and diversity, as each episode features the Lion Guards’ journey in merging their unique skills to work together. You can catch a new episode of Disney’s The Lion Guard every weekday at 930am on Disney Junior.

Now comes the fun part! Make your child’s day by answering a simple question about the show to win fabulous prizes. All you need to do is:

1. Like the Lizzieasamummy FB page at https://www.facebook.com/lizzieasamummy/
2. Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lizyahaya/
3. Tell me which member of The Lion Guard is your favorite and why! Submit your answer and email address at the comment section below.

Five lucky winners will win official limited edition merchandise from Disney’s The Lion Guard. Good luck!

*UPDATE* Giveaway closed! Congratulations to Carmen Rudnick, Ezyana Jaafar, Awin, Zie Azi and Eka! Stay tuned, we will contact you via email for prize fulfillment and shipment.

TRANSFORMERS Combiner Wars Menasor, and a TRANSFORMERS Robots-In-Disguise Hyperchange Heroes Giveaway by Hasbro Toy Malaysia!

Aiden is absolutely nuts about TRANSFORMERS. He loves everything about action heroes nowadays, so when Hasbro Toy Malaysia approached us for a toy review, specifically the TRANSFORMERS Combiner Wars (Menasor), Aiden enthusiastically agreed!

The TRANSFORMERS Stunticons are a group of ruthless cars within the Combiner Wars range. Using the Stunticons, you combine them together to form Menasor, a mighty Decepticon that strikes fear with Autobots everywhere!

Beaming excitedly with his gigantic box of TRANSFORMERS Combiner Wars!

If you're new to the world of Combiner Wars, this is a range where teams of Autobots and Decepticons can be merged to become Combiner figures that either protect or take control of Earth. There are different Combiner figure categories, namely the Autobots, Constructicons, Protectobots, Aerialbots (that form Superion) and our favorite (of course!), the Stunticons (that form Menasor).

Cheeky Ian couldn't wait to get his hands on the Stunticons!

The two siblings fighting over who gets first dibs on the best car.

The 6 Stunticons in the box were Blackjack, Motormaster, Breakdown, Dragstrip, Offroad and Deadend. Each standalone car can be turned into its own Decepticon robot with just a few simple steps and transformations. Or you can choose to transform and combine them to form Menasor – his body and limbs. Hence why there are two separate instructions within the box - one to change each car into a Bot, and the other to turn each car into a specific body part to form Menasor. There was also a giant poster in the box too, perhaps just in case Aiden needs a blown up version of Menasor for his bedroom wall. *giggles*

Menasor is the ultimate Decepticon weapon, and Megatron’s way of breaking the Autobot’s dominance on the road. Unfortunately, he has one flaw - he is prone to menacing fits of unfocused rage. This is evident from his facial expression!

Check out that intimidating stance. 

Although you would expect Menasor to be in darker shades to suit its Decepticon stature, the cars are actually bold and vivid in colour. Each Stunticon Bot is very sturdy but easily transformed even with small hands. There will be a “joint” to combine each Bot to form Menasor. This concept also comes with articulation that you are able to pose the Combiner Bot in whichever way you fancy. You can choose to either make it stand straightened or model it with the torso slightly slanted to pose it in “battle mode”. Given the impressive height of the completed Menasor (it is quite tall!) you will have to work with the legs quite a bit for stability.

Bright vivid colours.

Another great thing in the package is the firepower; a giant sword, four other weapons and a cool chest plate. For the boys, the more weapons the toy has, the better! Remarkable detailing can be seen on each part of the robot. The finishing is pretty decent too!

Menasor's imposing chest.

In a nut shell, it was a great family experience to work together to transform each Stunticon Bot into the combiner mode. It provided hours of fun, both in its individual form and the combined figure. Aiden even turned it into a race, to see who could convert a vehicle into a robot the fastest, and vice versa. As for Ian, he was more than happy to just zoom and whoosh each car on the dining table!

Given the price tag, the glowing reviews available on the internet and the availability of a secondary market for preloved Combiners, this is definitely a collector’s item that is well worth your money. Well, if you’re into TRANSFORMERS, that is!

The happy TRANSFORMERS fan.

Now for the exciting bit! The generous folks at Hasbro Toy Malaysia are giving you the chance to experience this cool TRANSFORMERS series for yourself. With the TRANSFORMERS Robots-In-Disguise Hyperchange Heroes, you only need to perform 3 simple steps for a seamless sequence from robot to vehicle. Similarly, to win a TRANSFORMERS Hyperchange Heroes worth RM119.90, all you have to do is perform these 3 simple steps:

1. Like the Lizzieasamummy FB page at https://www.facebook.com/lizzieasamummy/
2. Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lizyahaya/
3. Leave a comment below. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a free product for review purposes. I did not receive any monetary compensation. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product. This giveaway is sponsored by Hasbro Toy (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. The winner will have to disclose his/her contact details for prize fulfillment. Lizzieasamummy is not responsible for prize shipment.

Officially Maid-less

And..... We are officially maid-less!

We left for the airport just after sahur yesterday as her flight was at 9am. I barely slept the night before; must have been the nervous butterflies of not having hired help around the house anymore.

Things didn't go as smoothly as what we planned. As we queued for baggage drop off, I suddenly realized that I had forgot to print the itinerary for her return. Since she was going home for 3 weeks, I couldn't check her in in advance, so she would need the itinerary to help her return check in at the counter. Upon arrival at the baggage drop off counter, I was told that the luggage tag I printed out was too small (I printed on A4)! Not only that, the flight was retimed to 1145am! Just to add salt to the wound, baggage drop off was only accepted 3 hours before the flight time so they could only issue the boarding pass but refused to take the bag. Hence at 7am we were milling around KLIA2 looking for a sweet spot to continue our doze with a huge 20kg luggage in tow.

Unlike Hubby who can sleep just about anywhere, I am not one to sleep in public. So I did some window shopping instead. H&M and Uniqlo were a lifesaver! I found printing service at Plaza Premium Lounge to print the said itinerary and sharp at 845am I was back in queue for baggage drop off. Thankfully we were not charged for new luggage tags.

We eventually woke Ian up (he was asleep the whole time) so that he could say goodbye properly to his "Kakak". Ian and her are practically inseparable as she has taken care of Ian since he was born. The last time she went home, she missed him immensely, and vice versa. So as expected, he wanted to follow her into the gate to go to the "ehyopane" (aeroplane). He refused to go with Hubby and even cheekily waved bye at us! *chuckles* In the end I had to coax him into my arms. He managed to put on a brave face, but at some instances he looked like he was about to bawl into tears!

Cheeky boy waving goodbye!

Ian didn't want to let go of his beloved Kakak.

The two boys still in their pajamas.

By the time we left KLIA2, it was past 10am so we decided to drop by Mitsui Outlet Park. Thank goodness Hubby and I wore decent clothes. The kids on the other hand were still looking slightly disheveled in their pajamas and all. Maklumlah, angkat dari katil terus masuk kereta. Nasib baik tak bertembung with anyone we know. We got some pretty good deals at Mitsui - 3 pairs of Crocs (any design) for RM200 and 2 pairs of clearance Clarks shoes for RM90 each. Incidentally I was wearing a pair of Clarks loafers that I recently bought at the Clarks warehouse sale for (an undisclosed amount of) RMXXX. Imagine my frustration when it appeared on the clearance rack too!!! Grrrrrrr... The Polo Ralph Lauren outlet was good too, but since we had just bought some at the PRL store in KLCC, we decided to give it a miss.

Anyway, here's to Day 1 of being maid-less. One down, 20 days to go!!! Wish me luck!

Iftar Weekend with the SPK and BBGS Girls!

It was certainly a crazy weekend... we had to squeeze two major buka puasa events that same week!

As always, Hubby doesn't like to go out for iftar. He's willing to make an exception somewhat for the first half of Ramadhan; but the last ten days are a big no-no for him. That, plus the dateline of my helper leaving for her Raya holidays... meant that we had to squeeze iftar with both equally important groups, on the same weekend!

On Friday night, the SPK gang came over. Pot luck style as usual. Out of the six, one is always the designated cook. She is so good at cooking and efficient in the kitchen, that she usually ends up making the main dish. The rest supplements it with whatever we can. So that day we had ikan patin masak tempoyak, pucuk tempoyak, ikan talapia sambal, sup tulang (made using that famous Noxxa), ayam goreng, daging hitam, sayur campur... and for moreh, meehoon goreng, satay and murtabak!

Superb dessert line too - cucur udang, buah melaka (some people call it onde-onde), karipap, tepung pelita (Aiden's favourite), keropok (for Ian) and last but not least, I ordered an orange cake with chia seeds. Chia seeds are now all the rage for losing weight, so that night we used that rationale to justify our cake frenzy session!

Extensive spread.

Dessert area... oh my calories! And that's 10 cups of rice for six families. 

The men enjoying their food after solat maghrib. The ladies... lepas azan dah terus makan!

Moreh time!

Cheeky group photo.

After the group photoshoot, we moved to the garden for our yearly tradition. We've been writing messages using sparklers since we became friends in 2011, making this our 5th Eid together. In 2014, we realized that we had to start including the year within the message, so that we could keep track of the photos. So here's a compilation of our sparkler shots since 2012 till now. (Read about our past iftars here and here.)

From bottom to top, 2012 till 2016.

Here are the full shots from this year's attempt:

The full 2016 shot.

That's not PM but rather DM6 - the number signifies the number of ladies in the gang.

This one is a new one - one of the daddies eagerly joined in for the 'underline' at the bottom.

The next day was all about the BBGS ladies. Last year it was held at my house, but this year we decided to beralih angin to Dayang's house. Out of the 7, only 5 were able to make it. Since I was in charge of dessert (they were hoping that I would make pavlova), I took the lazy way out and bought cucur udang instead. #soontobemaidless #malasnakkecahrumah

Aiden was given a huge privilege that night. Since he was the only child fasting that day, he was allowed to sit at the big table with the other adults. I've said this once but I'll say this again - I am really impressed by his dedication at fasting. Hubby and I never expected for him to be able to fast full day, everyday, to date. He has exceeded our expectations!

Kesian Aiden gigit jari tunggu waktu berbuka.

All of us smiling after a full meal of nasi arab.

Then we moved on to desserts!

Meanwhile, the kids were busy in the toy area. Ian seems to really enjoy cooking! #realmencancook

Oh my, two anak dara flanking Aiden!

Ian finally came out to join the fun.

My BBGS girls have started adopting the tradition too!

Here's our shot for 2016. (Dayang, how come you can't even make a straight number 1???) *giggles*

Confident enough to hold it on his own!

While Hubby was taking shots of Ian holding his own sparklers, I was always just by Ian's side to ensure that he didn't touch the fire... or anything of that sort. Of course nothing happened while we were being vigilant. Just a few minutes later while the gang were doing our sparkler messages... as soon as the sparklers died out, I immediately walked to Hubby to review the shot, andddddd guess what happened.... Ian came up to me and grasped the end of my sparkler, in an attempt to take it. Although the fire had died out, it was still hot! He immediately let go and started crying. I was shocked... but thankfully nothing serious - only a slightly reddish mark on his palm. *sigh* Hard lesson learnt - always throw away your sparklers before reviewing the shot!

Last photo for the night.

As if one camera wasn't enough!

Thank you SPK and BBGS ladies, for a wonderful iftar together. You know who you are! *smiles*

Weekend Getaway at Grand Hyatt KL

We had a quick weekend getaway at Grand Hyatt KL just before the start of Ramadhan. Since it also coincided with the end of school holidays, we decided against traveling outside of KL. (Our initial plan was to put up in JB and visit the Singapore night safari but we settled for a city getaway instead.)

Upon arrival, the concierge took our bags from the car and we walked into the ground lobby. There were two counters, one was serving a customer while the other was unmanned. Since I had done my research prior to our arrival at the hotel, I knew that the check in would be done at the sky lobby. But no one was around to show us the way! Finally the concierge walked in and showed us towards the lift. Hmm... Not a good first impression.

The sky lobby overlooking the breakfast area.

The check-in was such a surreal experience. I love love love the sky lobby and the stunning view of the city. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the affability. Upon our arrival, despite some staff milling behind the counter, no one greeted us yet again. In the end I just picked a counter and queued for my turn. Registration was seamless and professional, but somehow I did not get the hospitality that everyone was raving about on Trip Advisor. (I even had to haggle to get a late check out!)

We were walked to the lift by the check-in staff, as he explained about the various facilities available at the hotel. Room was posh and very well maintained (it is a spanking new hotel, after all), and cleverly laid out with an amazing view of the city. (No view of the Petronas Twin Towers for us though.) Floor to ceiling windows, luxurious bed, marble decked bathroom, a spacious walk in wardrobe, even a proper lighted dressing table and stool complete with magnifying mirror for applying make up. 

Our view as we walked through the front door. On the left was the entrance to the bathroom area, or walk straight to enter the bedroom.

Floor to ceiling windows.

Amazing view of the city. Imagine working at the desk with the Petronas Twin Towers in the background!

Kids enjoying the view.

It was not easy to get a decent photo with that much sunlight pouring in!

But of course, the best feature of the entire room was the 'privacy' function at the shower room. With just a press of a button, the clear glass surrounding the shower room would turn 'frosted' for privacy! Amazing! As Hubby said, "This is why I paid so much for the room!" *chuckles* I was so impressed with the whole thing that I took a video of the 'frosting' effect. Its on my Instagram, if you're interested.

Before the privacy button.

After the privacy button!

The view from inside the bathroom with the privacy button turned on and off. Can you see Aiden peeking in curiously?

Roomy walk in wardrobe. The single sink (literally just by the bed) and the dressing table at the end.

Concierge arrived shortly. Very polite and helpful. He asked whether we needed anything else for the room so we asked for extra towels. Unfortunately it never came. (Why ask when you're not going to deliver?)

The square bathtub was a bit impractical for adults, but it was certainly a good fit for the two boys!

They had Nickelodeon too!

The swimming pool was nice and relaxing, the kiddie pool tucked away at the far end of the pool. There were only 3 loungers (some sort of four post suntanning bed) by the pool so you have to make an effort to go over really early if you want to use those. They even provided floats, swim boards and pool noodles for kids, on a first come first serve basis of course. 

The kids helped themselves to a pool noodle each.

There is also a restaurant/bar by the pool. We didn't get the chance to have any meals there though. Next visit hopefully!

The three 'loungers'.

The other end of the pool area. On the left is the walkway leading to the kiddy pool.

Aiden splashing about in the kiddy pool.

Ian posing with his adorable goggles. Check out that button nose and pout!

Aiden and Ian really enjoyed themselves, well until Ian came running to be saying "Akit, akit!" He pointed to his arm, I pushed up his swimming suit sleeve and there was a slight scratch. I gave it a kiss and asked him to go back into the pool but he insisted that it was painful. So I pushed the sleeve up even further and I saw that his upper arm was red and there was a bump with a puncture in the middle. Something bit Ian in the pool! I stopped a staff (must be a high ranking staff as he was in a blazer, mind you) and told him that "my son got bitten in the pool" but I was quite disappointed with the reaction that I got. He walked me to the spa and asked the spa staff to "amik cream, dia kena gigit nyamuk". WTF. Nyamuk ape masuk dalam pool? You didn't even bother asking me what happened and you assumed it was a mosquito. Thank goodness the spa staff were helpful, they even offered to arrange for transport to the clinic if required. We respectfully declined.

Before the drama.

Smiling happily.

We brought the kids back to the room, had lunch then later returned to the pool. The spa staff recognized us and asked about Ian's condition. I appreciated their concern! I'm also glad to report that after our very unimpressive first start, everything started turning for the better. On our way down to the lobby for dinner, we were greeted enthusiastically by a front desk welcome staff (where were you when we checked in??!!), who even walked us out and showed us the shortcut to KLCC. After dinner we returned to the hotel and we were welcomed warmly again. We got back to the room and discovered that room service had entered our room for turn down. Unfortunately they didn't bother making our beds (erm isn't that what turn down service is for, to prepare the beds for use??) so that was a bit odd. Pillows were a bit flat, even for me, who hate pillows that are too 'fat'. Hubby struggled with the pillows, so in the end he used the sofa pillows to sleep instead. Appreciated the electrical sockets by the bed. Strong and fast internet WiFi too.

Getting ready for dinner.

We waited for an hour before we could get a place in Chillis. But I persevered... anything for their chocolate molten cake! 

Playing tourists at the KLCC park.

I didn't realize KLCC had musical fountains, ala Dubai! We had fun watching the captivating music, water and light spectacle.

Best picture we could get at the lobby at night.

Breakfast was beautiful! Beautiful views and beautiful food. I'll save that for a separate post. In a nut shell, it was certainly a culinary tour of the world. Expect the buffet to serve food that are not generally served elsewhere. We really enjoyed ourselves that morning. Superior service from the breakfast staff... they even made time to make small talk with the kids.

We had another round at the swimming pool that morning. We were lucky to score a lounger so I was able to lay down in the shade while Ian played in the water just by my side. Hubby reported that he saw a bee near the swim area, so we deduced that Ian must have been stung by a bee.

Here's a picture of my feet enjoying the sun.

The loungers were actually on a platform surrounded by water, so I was able to let Ian loose in the water by my side while I lazed around.

I love this Ogival floats. It kept Ian's head from being submerged in the water.

So proud of Aiden, he can now float on his back too. Ian on the other hand, wanted to copy his brother. Thank god for the marvelous floats!

Check out and concierge were quick. The checkout staff asked whether I had a good stay. I replied by complaining about the towels and the bee bite. She was very apologetic about it, and even gave Ian a box of chocolates as a gesture of regret.

Checkout with a smile!

Computers in the sky lobby.

Yummy chocolates, courtesy of Hyatt.

My verdict? Mixed feelings about the hotel. Given the price that we paid for the room, I felt cheated in the hospitality department. I felt so much more welcomed at KL Hilton or even at Renaissance JB. But we did meet some very warm, helpful, prompt and efficient staff at the tail end of our stay. So I guess it all boils down to luck? If I return, it would be for the breakfast buffet, top notch furnishings and the stunning views.

Last few pictures before we left the hotel.