Tiptoptoni | ExpatWoman.com
 

Tiptoptoni

Tiptoptoni
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Latest post on 09 February 2016 - 14:54
After years of using Shop n Ship I've ditched it for MyBox - quite a lot cheaper and so far I have found it just as good as Shop n Shop. The only thing is you can't pay online with Mybox but you can hold the parcels so they all arrive together which you can't with Shop n Ship.
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 13 September 2015 - 14:46
I also highly recommend Dr Sant at Primavera for recurrent miscarriage & the subsequent successful pregancies & births. She is very thorough and experienced in recurrent miscarriages - not all ob / gyns are. Martine Nates is a wonderful british acupuncturist, based at Koster now, also experienced in acupuncture for miscarriage. I highly recommend perservering with getting an initial appointment even though it can be quite a wait & not the cheapest
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 20 July 2015 - 12:58
Believe it or not they don't really have Building Surveyors over here as in the role they would do in the uk (engineers do the sort of things covered by Building Surveyors here) so he will be unlikely to come across any jobs for Building Surveyors as such. He might have more luck trying for Facilities Management or Project Management jobs depending what his experience is.
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 10 July 2015 - 15:31
Champion cleaners do this
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 10 July 2015 - 15:19
We also always used to hire the Ace one and couldn't find a self hire alternative so this time we used a company called Churchill gulf to come and do it and they got our rugs far cleaner than we ever could with the Ace machine and it was no more expensive and far less hassle. It was AED 12 per sq m and a min charge aed 295.
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 10 June 2015 - 12:40
It's been a few years I used it, but try him on 0505587196
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 11 May 2015 - 09:43
Head to Shepherd's Market (it's the name of a street, not a real market) behind Green Park station on a road just parallel to Piccadilly. There's loads of lovely gastropubs and all sorts of restaurants (high end and not too high end). I love to head there when I'm in London. I also second the Wolsey for breakfast. I think you'd need to book in advance and it is very busy though. http://www.shepherdmarket.co.uk/
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 May 2015 - 10:16
Espace are generally pretty good and decent.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 May 2015 - 10:06
I bought some Waterwipes in the UK but are they available in Dubai? (the baby wipes) [url=http://waterwipes.com/product/baby-waterwipes/'>link[/url'>
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 May 2015 - 10:02
Aren't you meant to use your UAE licence anyway if you have one? I thought so too. Plus much better to use your UAE licence - if you happen to get any points while driving in the UK it wouldn't be added to your licence :-)
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 May 2015 - 10:00
With a baby but no car I would look at areas which have as much as possible that you can do without getting in a car otherwise you will feel isolated (unless you are happy to get about in taxis without a car seat or only booking taxis with car seats in them). I would suggest JBR / Marina or Downtown. There will be a tram system opening up pretty soon in Downtown. Although there are a few shops that you can walk to, I think the Greens would be quite limiting and quite a walk to the Metro.
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 30 April 2015 - 11:15
https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/improving-the-quality-and-range-of-education-and-childcare-from-birth-to-5-years 96% (according to this site) of UK 3&4 year olds attend state funded education. (perhaps the other 4% are private?) I don't think this is coming from the KHDA...They are quite seperate from the education ministry which is more AD based. Yes in the UK once they turn 3 they are entitled to 15 hours free nursery per week (and many people pay extra for more hours). I'm not sure whether they call it 'FS1' but I presume that is essentially what it is.
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 30 April 2015 - 10:59
I'm really confused now. I was pretty sure in the UK kids don;t start school until th ey are already 4 and then they go into 'Reception' which I presumed was 'FS2'. I thought in the UK 'FS1' is just nursery and not compulsory whereas here FS1 (again not compulsory) can be done at either school or nursery. I wonder what the KDHD's reasons are for not wanting FS1 to be done in a school?
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 14 April 2015 - 11:24
thanks so much!!!! seventh generation in dubai would be SUCH a find....am flying back to Dubai July 29th and was seriously considering hoarding diapers back!!! how are the naty diapers? The Naty ones are good - never leaked on my boy! No horrible chemical smell like the pampers etc.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 April 2015 - 13:51
http://www.naty.com/baby-care/eco-nappies/ These ones are usually in Spinneys / Waitrose. But stock up on the size you need as sometimes you go and they don't have the size you need for a few weeks.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 April 2015 - 15:43
Dr Siddique at Mediclinic in the Meadows
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 01 April 2015 - 17:25
I've used this company for a while. I think they knock off VAT if delivering overseas too (although I usually just use shop and ship for speed). http://www.visiondirect.co.uk/acuvue-oasys-for-astigmatism
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 March 2015 - 16:38
Some websites don't like it if they can see your IP address is from a country that doesn't match the delivery or billing address country (or sometimes they don't accept certain countries - based on the IP address the order was placed from). <em>edited by Tiptoptoni on 29/03/2015</em>
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 March 2015 - 11:39
Yes I ordered a couple of times from the UK - bedding & pillows. Both times I had no problems and it worked out cheaper than buying here, especially as they will knock off the UK VAT - although you might need to prompt them to do this.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 March 2015 - 15:04
Can anyone recommend a good doctor to get my 2 year old assessed for asthma? Are there any decent docs that specialise in kids & asthma rather than just taking him to his regular paediatrician? Thanks
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 04 March 2015 - 09:50
Yes I've had a few things from them in the past and been very happy with the products and the service.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 15:37
Another thing you could look at is putting your child into one of the feeder nurseries for a school you want to try for FS2. That way you would be much higher up the list for getting in.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 10:01
My worry would be making sure you can get a place in FS2 in a school you are happy with. As you say, there are already waiting lists for FS2 in many schools and only a limited number of places open up in FS2. This is the main reason why I went for FS1 in a school rather than a nursery but if you are only planning on staying here for a year or two more, maybe it's less important.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 12:33
In the UK I got mine valued by a decent jeweller. Maybe they can do that here? Have you tried RSA contents insurance? I'm not sure if the limit is more than AED 75k but I've claimed with them before and they were very good. You'd think in Dubai there should be lots of insurers used to insuring high value jewellery - gap in the market! <em>edited by Tiptoptoni on 01/03/2015</em>
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 February 2015 - 08:10
I think if I were you I would still come just for the adventure of a couple of years, but without driving and with kids I would give up on the idea of living in a villa and live in the Marina / JBR instead. Dubai is really is a lovely lifestyle here for the whole family in my opinion, it would be a missed opportunity for you. Everyone comes for 'just for 2 years' but so many people are here 5 or 10 years later because they love it so much. And quite of lot of people who leave seem to end up back here too. I know you don't want an apartment but they tend to be quite spacious here (3 beds often around 2000 sq ft), there is sure to be a pool in the apartment block and are quite a lot of outdoor areas, and of course the beach, the kids can play in. There are also some indoor things for the hot weather like soft play, cinemas etc. in the Marina. With the tram, plentiful taxis and Metro you can get around fairly easily and won't feel isolated. It's closeish to Jebel Ali for your husband so your only problem would be getting the kids to and from school in taxis which although a bit of a hassle isn't impossible - and maybe your husband could do the school drop off in the morning on the way to work? There aren't any schools actually in the Marina but several within 15 min taxi ride of it (Regent?). The heat in the summer is a bit restricting, kicking in at the end of May to mid October but lots of people with kids leave for a holiday back to their home countries for July & August which breaks it up a bit.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 February 2015 - 16:09
It's all the little things that's so easy to overlook. I think you might struggle living in Jebel Ali without driving - I would find that very isolating with 3 kids. Taxis would be difficult too because you would have car seat issues unless you'd be happy to let the 2 year old ride without car seat (people do that here... but driving - especially taxi drivers- is so dangerous here). Just doing the usual daily stuff - going to the park, going on play dates, to the supermarket, school etc would be quite a hassle. And Jebel Ali Primary is supposed to be brilliant (and a cheaper one) but the reality of getting all your kids in there might be tricky. I also heard the campus will be moving but I don't know anything about it sorry. I'd get the school places sorted before deciding on villas because if you live in jebel Ali and your kids don't get a place there you're really stuck without transport. Coming from Europe 1400 sq ft sounds like a good size, but it's funny how small they are when you see one. I'm pretty sure the 2 bed springs don't have maid's rooms so that would be 3 kids in one room- doable I suppose, but probably not ideal. Sorry if you think some of us are sounding negative here - the salaries sound so huge but they just get swallowed up by the expenses here. Food for a family of 5 will be a significant cost and unless you run around lots of different places sourcing the cheapest of everything from different places (v difficult without a car) I'd be surprised if you can do your food (excluding booze) on less than 6k a month. Dewa will be a minimum of 2k a month, then possibly cooling bills, phone /TV/internet - 500-1000 a month. Any co- pay on medical / dental insurances, school on costs like trips, school doctor, uniform, after school activities, taxis for just getting around. Then all the annual or one off costs like contents insurance, trips back home (even if the flights are covered), repairs the landlord won't pay, bits of furniture like curtains, blinds, bits and pieces for the house, tenancy deposit, agency fee, dewa deposit, etisalat deposit. Of course meals out, petrol, clothes, days out, haircuts, birthdays / Xmas, cleaner (?) would all be extra too. And it's funny but you just need to have a bit more bunce in your budget here because there's always something else you didn't think of, or annual costs going up. Your rent could easily increase by AED 15k in a year. With 2-3 kids the school fee increase could be another 10k after a year so if you don't have a 2k a month bunce you'd quickly fall behind.
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 11 February 2015 - 11:16
Yes that's the one I looked round. Actually I looked round the other Horizon too but far preferred the Umm Al Sheif one from what I could see and hear from the school tour (which admittedly was probably v limited)
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 February 2015 - 10:41
I spoke to RSA and they told me that as long as it was a UK licence, the person was over 25 and they had held their licence for at least 12 months then a visitor on a tourist visa is insured to drive my car. However, they did say that although it's fine from their side that I would need to check if the RTA had any requirements. So I rang the RTA and they said that as long as it is a UK licence and that they are on a tourist visa it is fine. They did say the UK was one of the exceptional countries this applies to. I did ask about if there was an accident and the police were involved - and they said it would be fine and that the insurance would apply. I might ring up a few times to see if I get any different answers....
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 February 2015 - 10:29
Thanks Lafalot. I suppose that was obvious!
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 11 February 2015 - 10:08
On the schools - yes get her on the waiting lists now! You might just get on the waiting list if you're quick. Last year the waiting list for Horizon International opened in early Jan, but I don't know about the other schools. I didn't look round the other schools but I did look round Horizon International and thought it looked like a happy, caring and quite English style school with lots of happy current parents and would have been happy to send my boy there if he hadn't got into his first choice. Just be aware there are two Horizon Schools on different campuses Horzion (near Safa Park) and Horizon International (formerly Star International) in Umm Al Shelf.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 February 2015 - 15:34
Oopsadaisy - do you know where I can buy boric acid? You can buy it at any pharmacy Thanks Polo
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 February 2015 - 15:33
We have more than usual at the mo. We find one or two a week in the house. Just wondering if this is normal for the time of year or if we need to get pest control in and get the a/c cleaned. Thanks. For goodness sake - you really need to ask on a public forum if you need to get pest control in if you have roaches!!!! It's not a stupid thing to ask at all. Lots of people get pest control in spraying nasty chemicals that can affect their health in the long term when it's really not necessary. Cockroaches can often just be got rid of using boric acid and cleaning out where they are coming from and being extra careful not leaving any food source out. Surely better to try that first than risk you and your family's health. Particularly the chemicals the pest control companies use for cockroaches over here should not be used lightly.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 February 2015 - 09:38
Oopsadaisy - do you know where I can buy boric acid?
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 02 February 2015 - 16:49
Dr Isabelle at HealthBay Polyclinic (near Al Manara on the Al Wasl Rd)
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 02 February 2015 - 16:48
Fortnum & Mason is lovely too (but for a more delicate breakfast, lovely teas and a fantastic view on the terrace).
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 28 January 2015 - 11:52
i think you'll find the waiting list is now closed for FS1 Sept 2015. Not sure about FS2.
Tiptoptoni
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Latest post on 27 January 2015 - 13:37
Thanks Cherpie! I'd forgotten about uniforms! I probably won't need to use the transport and certainly not for the first 3 or 4 years. but just curious what to budget for the future. And I meant the budget for canteen/ cafeteria.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 January 2015 - 15:10
Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I'm very impressed with your knowledge....which is way more up to date than mine ? We actually would like to retire out of here so that's another 15 plus years. DH is in construction which so far is stable enough. If you're buying a house here and have to leave before the mortgage is cleared, are you allowed to leave and continue paying from wherever you move to or rent it ? That's my concern really. That's what I meant in my post. At the moment generally speaking, as an expat who will live in the property you need 25% deposit, however an expat that is buying to let out needs 40% deposit. So if you live in it and put down 25% then need to leave the country for whatever reason it is likely that the bank would demand that you have at least 40% deposit in. This is the most likely situation at the moment, however who knows what the mortgage market would be like in 5 or 10 years time - could be better, could be worse, but it should always be in the back of your mind that if you have a mortgage on it when you leave the country you may well have to sell up or find money elsewhere to add to the equity in it. I guess you haven't been here for more than a few years if you are describing construction as stable. It's one of the least stable industries there is, unfortunately. I can almost guarantee that over the 15 year period there would be one, two or three major downturns here in construction where there are mass layoffs. It's easy to say it seems ok at the moment, but a year or two can make a huge difference and when it happens it will be very sudden and little time for planning. Certainly selling a house at that time could mean having to drop the price quite a lot. If you're planning 15 years though, I still think it could be a good buy if you have 40% to put down or at least access to be able to put 40% into it if needs be so you are not tied to selling it quickly when / if you need to leave suddenly.
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 24 January 2015 - 14:02
This is something we are looking into at the moment and I agree with previous posters who say you really need to be in it for the long term - 5 years plus otherwise it's really not worth it. But then you have to weigh up whether that might make you feel trapped, which is probably my major concern. If you're buying with a mortgage, you'd probably need to make sure you had at least 40% equity in it to transfer it to a buy to let mortgage when you leave otherwise you'd need to sell up. There's lots of really unknowns to consider like currency conversions, and the state of the property market when you need to sell.
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 24 January 2015 - 13:29
I would definitely avoid Oceana if your baby has respiratory issues. I'm not sure about the current situation but last I knew of they had terrible issues with damp and mould from the AC.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 January 2015 - 11:06
they always heat it up because it disguises how stale the bread is...
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 28 December 2014 - 15:21
If you are on a tight budget it helps if you can be really flexible in terms of when and where (maybe Home Counties rather than London itself) and ideally if you can do it fairly last minute (ie within about 8 weeks of the enquiry) and avoid Saturdays and May - Aug/ Sept. You could email loads of places (hotel / manor house types) you like the look of and enquire if they have any availability and ask what they could offer for X budget per head. They know they will be unlikely to get many enquiries to fill their free dates in the next couple of months from an enquiry so are more likely to offer a knock down price. Try this group: http://www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/ PS I did my wedding this way and saved sooo much. The only thing was that it only gave guests 6 weeks notice and there were 1 or 2 that couldn't make it because of that. It also limited the choice of wedding dresses I could get in time but as I saved about £12k I didn't really care. <em>edited by Tiptoptoni on 28/12/2014</em>
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 21 December 2014 - 10:36
When I called up a couple of weeks ago Kempinski claimed they were fully booked until mid January for using this offer!
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 12 December 2014 - 21:10
I rarely buy it but bought some a month or two ago from Spinney and that was also off when it was opened. I don't know if it had been opened before as I wasn't the one that opened it but it was definitely very very off and had to be thrown out immediately.
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 December 2014 - 12:35
Don't get me started! I gave up on Christmas shopping in Dubai a couple of years ago for this very reason and just Shopnship it all from the UK. OK, I can't really return it to the UK either but at least I get a much better choice and it often works out cheaper even with the shipping, (and saves me trekking round the malls)
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 November 2014 - 12:30
I thought they were illegal here?
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 02 November 2014 - 12:29
You might want to look into the Babybjorn and read what is written about the poor position for the baby's hips. Some of my friends have had them and thought they were great but found them very uncomfortable after an hour. I didnt actually try the Babybjorn but I did have an Ergo which was amazing. Much better position for the baby, incredibly comfortable too. I could easily wear it 2-3 hours without any discomfort even with an older baby. They do a lightweight one which is perfect for this climate too. You can get them from the little baby shop in Town Centre Jumeirah.
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 17 August 2014 - 11:27
Why would it be granite worktops? They are smooth?
Tiptoptoni
151
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Latest post on 17 August 2014 - 11:25
I thought I was the only person to get these little holes. They are always in the same place. I also thought it was my belt but I also wonder if it could be if the t-shirt gets caught in the top of my jeans zip. I always wear these t-shirts with jeans so that is my best guess....
Tiptoptoni
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 July 2014 - 20:40
I was about to ask the same thing! (Ps if you're looking for one in RAK the Waldorf has a great shaded kids pool)
 
 
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