So we are back for a month this time!

Other than a week in Hawaii, we actually have nothing planned (though the danna has to work most of the time), so it’s really just living a family life in Tokyo.

This time around things are quite different from last winter. Firstly it’s nearing summer so the weather is getting warmer and warmer (to be honest i actually prefer winter @.@). Secondly, Junya is almost 1 year old now, he is more active and mobile too so how i spend my time with him has also changed.

Flight

We flew with JAL as usual. Junya’s air ticket was about 10% of adult fare until he turns 2, so we plan to bring him travel as much as we can now lolol. #kiasu

It was a night flight so he slept throughout. I’m a little worried about the return flight though since it is the whole afternoon and he can’t sit still for a second now -_-

Rise and shine baby ❤︎

Junya’s first flight food!

At Home

We rented an apartment at the same place in Ikebukuro this time too. It’s spacious, clean, affordable and incredibly convenient.

He can walk a little now so he’s investigating every crook and cranny like Sherlock. It’s both easier and harder. Easier because he can now entertain himself (by pulling all my clothes from the drawer and throw them on the floor, pushing the dustbin from one end to the other…) so i have more time to do other stuff (putting clothes back to the drawer and cleaning up spilled garbage included). Harder because i really reaaally need to keep an eye on him allll the time.

And just within 10 minutes of unpacking our luggages, Junya already knocked himself like 10 times and have tiny bumps on his face -____-. Argh… to have to child-proof a new apartment all over again T_T.

Toilet is his favorite because of all the bidet buttons lolol.

As for me…

This sums up my life in Tokyo lolol.

I FREAKING LOVE GROCERY SHOPPING IN JAPAN!!!

Back in KL i loathe to think what to prepare and cook for the next day. But here… BRING IN ON!!!

I can spend hours just walking up and down different aisles in the su-pa (supermarket). Things are soooooo cheap omg. In Malaysia i usually buy local organic or imported Japanese ingredients because i refuse to eat ambiguous China produce that are probably made of explosives. One very very tiny organic radish can cost RM8 and a small broccoli easily RM10?! But here in Japan, all the local produce are like half the price!!!!!! A giant daikon triple the size is like 100 yen (RM3)?!?!?

And the fish!! Giant scallops, fresh fruits (in season now are cherries and peach!), mentaiko….. Jump into my tummy pls…

Many of you asked about Junya’s meals when we travel. True enough, this time things are a little less flexible because of Junya’s meal time. When we came back last winter he hasn’t started solid yet. But now he eats 3 proper meals.

What does he eat every day for a month?

When we go for short vacations (Singapore/Bali/Penang), i usually stock up packaged Baby Food. You can get them from Isetan. You can buy Kewpie, Meiji, Wakodo, Pigeon. Their baby food varieties are unbelievable. And really yummy (i tried). And safe (using all Japan produce with zero additives) and nutritionally balanced.

But for a month… no matter how tempting it is, it just feel quite wrong to keep feeding my baby compressed food from a plastic pack. Plus i’m keeping all these food to bring back to Malaysia for other travels where baby food is less accesible. Also, Baby Food in KL cost 3 times more -_-. A pack of these usually cost about 100+ yen only in Japan. Buy them ALLLLLL!

Here’s what he usually eats:

Breakfast

Milk bread (so soft yumss), scrambled egg, avocado and yogurt with fresh fruits. You can actually get these from the combini so that’s the easiest meal!

Snack

Fresh fruits. Please try out the Yamagata cherry if you come to Japan.

Lunch

Usually he eats whatever i cook for the adults (me and the danna), minus the seasoning.

Dinner

We can survive as long as there’s a rice cooker.  Takikomi gohan (mixed rice) is the easiest!

Just chop and throw everything inside.

And an hour later you have dinner ready.

I usually cook it at night (Japan rice cooker can keep the rice fresh and warm for up to 5 days. Everyone should invest in one. Zoujirushi is the most popular one!) So the next day i don’t need to cook again. And can eat up to 2 days lolol.

My kicthen. The only seasonings i need are cooking oil, soy sauce, salt+pepper.

You can also buy stuff like these, super useful! Baby wafu dashi/white sauce/comsomme, just melt them and add into pasta, rice, tofu, or make stew.

Going Out

You will be surprised that it is quite difficult to locate baby related products in Tokyo. It’s quite strange but you won’t find diaper or milk powder in supermarkets or departmental stores. You need to go to big drug stores. For us we went to Akachan Honpo in Gotanda, a hugeeeee baby store that has everything you will ever need.

We also bought a new Aprica stroller for Junya!! Turned out to be one of the best investments ever.

Most of the time i will have to go out with him alone, so with a 2.9KG stroller things are much easier!!

Family outing <3

Also this time we tested the limit. I really really really needed to eat Gold Rush the best hamburg in the world (according to me only la. The danna’s god tongue wasn’t so impressed lolol), which is very non-baby-friendly because of how smouldering it is.

But we survivedddd. Although we came out smelling like smoked bacons.

Totally worth it.

Also went back to eat the best Beef toro rice.

That’s the happening parts. Other times i’m just happily being grounded at home as just watch my baby sleep 🙂