Apricot | ExpatWoman.com
 

Apricot

1987
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Latest post on 14 September 2015 - 17:24
I delivered at Latifa Hospital 3 times because I didnt want to experience the "money making tricks" all practiced by private hospitals. The entire process is very transparent in terms of costs. They're too busy to hold your hand, and you need to do your own research on sites like Mothering.com so you can ask them meaningful questions, but their staff have helped me through 3 equally challenging natural deliveries. They can also process UAE birth certificates in Arabic and English on site, so no need to hire a service like Baby Steps or go to Baraha Hospital. The next cheapest hospital for delivery in Dubai is Al Zahra Hospital in Barsha. Medcare Hospital in Al Safa is nice as long as your insurance covers most of the cost. Their drs tend to order tests which my insurance doesnt cover, and I pay exactly what I was charged at a mid-level private hospital in Texas.
1987
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Latest post on 14 September 2015 - 16:11
You can get a diaper cake made to order at Baby Bling in The Village Mall, Beach Rd. There may be other smaller businesses that make these, found on Instagram. Search under "favors", "favours", gifts
1987
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Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 01:35
Kite Beach in Um Suqueim
1987
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Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 01:32
Jumeira Baccalaureate School (favored by my family, which sounds similar to your friend's family) Raffles West Campus in Umm Suqueim (my neighbors send their kids there) Al Mawakeb in Barsha (I wouldn't send my kids to Choueifat, it is no longer the school of choice for Arab families as it was 15 yrs ago, and it is neither British nor IB curriculum) Uptown school in Mirdif has a large Arab student body. My nieces and nephews attend it.
1987
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Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 01:21
I've been following Daza's advice and using coconut oil (from the Organic Store) to clean baby during nappy changes. Has worked well so far!
1987
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Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 01:15
Try the baby souk in Times Square?? or check their Facebook page for updates. I noticed a parent who was selling all of his gently used baby items used for twins, so hopefully you will luck out!
1987
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Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 00:58
Plateau Dates on Beach Rd have a great selection, cheaper than Bateel.
1987
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Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 00:19
Hi, there's a shop called NOON in Dubai Mall near the entrance to the upper level food court (closest to Cinema parking) that sells t shirts with Dubai- or Khaleeji- inspired designs for men and women.
1987
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Latest post on 12 May 2015 - 09:27
JBS has Thursday off
1987
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Latest post on 31 March 2015 - 01:03
Tour the major cities? From north to south: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA, side trip to La Jolla, San Diego. All of these cities have quirky boutique and vintage shopping; some have famous food truck areas (I know LA has a dedicated food truck lot).
1987
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Latest post on 29 March 2015 - 23:15
Hmm, I would take the nursery counselor's "advice" with a grain of salt. Personally I see it as very encouraging that your son didn't engage in sit down activities during his first exposure to nursery--this means he's excited about his new environment and is a healthy boy (most parenting books about raising boys will tell you that boys are less likely to engage in sit down activities than girls during the early schooling years). My DS2 is frequently singled out as being "in need of speech therapy/ motor skills development/ social skills" but he reaches those milestones within 4-5 months on his own. He started nursery at age 2 1/2, and he only spoke at nursery when he felt like it. He failed his KG1 entrance exam at a British Curriculum primary school because he couldn't cut a wavy line using scissors nor successfully draw a happy face, yet 14 months later, he has achieved those milestones at KG1 in a nursery. I have the advantage of access to another, more senior early childhood educator, who observes my DS2 in the nursery setting and also meets with the nursery counselor to discuss the counselor's concerns about my DS2. Interestingly, the early childhood educator concluded that the counselor is just trying to build up a list of private clients from the parents!! The only concern I have with your post is that you mention that your son tip-toes. That should be seen by a podiatrist in a hospital, if you haven't already arranged it.
1987
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Latest post on 29 March 2015 - 22:46
I spent my youth making all kinds of icings using hand-held electric beaters (called "hand mixers" in the UK). They are just as effective as a stand-mixer (for which I recommend a Kenwood over a Kitchen Aid). You can steady the bowl with a damp kitchen towel or sponge cloth. A great tip to contain the "spattering mess" particularly common with icings made from icing sugar is to cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel right before starting the beating process, for the first 10-30 seconds of mixing. I would not use an old-fashioned (manual, non-electric) egg beater to make buttercream icing. I tried it as a kid and the resulting icing was terrible as the butter never aerated nor mixed effectively with the sugar.
1987
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Latest post on 29 March 2015 - 22:20
I bought 4 dozen white shopping bags from Zhongdi trading in Dragonmart for birthday favor bags last year; it was a good experience and I would purchase from them again. You buy each design/ size in packs of 12. Last week I went to a shop in Deira that specializes in retail/ wholesale baby shower favors and decorations called Smart Baby. They also sell shopping/ gift bags in bulk (min retail quantity is 12 pcs/ design). As I drove out of the area, I saw a few other shops that specialize in paper bags, party supplies, party favors, including one named Source. The landmark would be "Choithrams behind Gold Souk" if you get there via taxi (highly advisable as parking is nigh impossible, even at the nearby public parking lot for Al Ras metro station). <em>edited by Apricot on 29/03/2015</em>
1987
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Latest post on 29 March 2015 - 21:59
There's a website based in Singapore called Bake It Yourself who carry oil-based Wilton candy colors and powdered colors suitable for candy and chocolate. I've visited the physical store in Singapore (similar to Tavola, but more extensive) and can vouch for the variety and quality of their stock.
1987
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Latest post on 29 March 2015 - 21:55
I never found it in Dubai; I ordered it, had it sent to my relatives' address in the States and they shipped it out to me here via normal USPS, no prob. HTH
1987
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Latest post on 29 March 2015 - 21:52
I was at Lulu Barsha today and found 4 flavors of these crackers in the reduced to clear area (btwn the ready-cooked food and the bakery). Two flavors are priced at Dhs 5/ pack, and the others are priced at Dhs 10/ pack. There was plenty of stock ;)
1987
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Latest post on 23 March 2015 - 23:01
Kite Beach. sun loungers can be rented daily for dh15.
1987
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Latest post on 21 March 2015 - 22:27
Hi Ummuhammad123, can you pls contact me? I have some further questions. <em>edited by Apricot on 22/03/2015</em>
1987
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Latest post on 21 March 2015 - 01:01
-You can buy a Sitz bath (plastic doughnut shaped) from Life Pharmacy on Al Wasl Rd. -I use Right Maids, they are Dhs 40/hr, 4 hrs each time, and they are generally reliable. I bought some FemeGel pads from Amazon UK, they are gel ice packs to use "down under" postpartum. They helped a lot with my previous postpartum recoveries. You may need a nursing cover, 6-7 comfy nursing bras (I prefer Bravado Seamless Silk, which I bought online), and some nursing-friendly clothes. I wear a varied assortment, ranging from shalwar kameez with 11-inch button or zip down necks, to button down shirts and loose-ish tops paired with pants and skirts. I've never used shaping leggings. I tried a Velcro waist binder/ corset, and it wasn't as effective as the cotton waist wrapping that my postpartum massage lady performed. I'm still searching for a postpartum massage lady. I used the services of one after delivery of my 2nd baby and it made all the difference in my ability to function effectively. Try to sort out a system for outsourcing meal prep. Find a local takeaway you like, whose food you can supplement with easily home-prepared items like pasta, rice, basic green salad, roasted low GI veg, and fruit. Or, start bulk-preparing food and freezing in smallish portions. Place test orders from online grocery places like trolley.ae, greenheart farms, earlybird.ae. Sometimes lack of continued sleep and newborn baby's inability to sleep to a schedule can mean that cooking and getting to a grocery store/ grocery shopping seem daunting, even while waking up hungry.
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 22:57
My advice is to change your maid's travel plans. Have her return at least 14 days before the visa expiry date. It can take up to 14 days for the renewal and medical test to be processed, and you get fined for each day of delay. Personally, I don't renew my maid's annual visa before she travels to her home country. There is always a chance that she won't return (there may be family circumstances beyond her control, weather preventing access to roads, etc), and I'll be stuck with having paid the visa fees, which can't be credited back to me. The visa renewal fees are the same each year.
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 22:41
You're welcome. I wish you a healthy pregnancy and successful VBAC!
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 22:26
Any gynecologist should be willing to remove an IUD. The only potentially painful bit is their use of a speculum (if they're not skilled), then it's out in 5 seconds. I had mine removed by Dr Zainab Kazim at Al Shunnar Clinic in Jumeira.
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 22:04
CP and Anon, how long does the Tefal Actifry take to make a batch of french fries? Last time I checked, it took 40 min per batch, which is a bit longer than when I bake french fries from fresh raw potatoes in my fan oven. (I coat the potato pieces in veg oil and Ina Paarman's Potato Spice prior to baking.) That's the first thing we made today! 4 potatoes took 20 minutes. Thanks Anon! I'll bet your kids were super excited!
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 17:20
Medela. Buy it during DSF or DSS at Baby Shop as the sale price can be cheaper than the price on Amazon UK. It fits with Nuk bottles and Nuk and Gerber bottle nipples. Drink lots of water. Drink fenugreek leaf or fenugreek seeds tea (methi). Drink non alcoholic beer. Keep nursing on demand. Don't feed the baby water during the first 6 months. Baby will get all the water s/he needs from your breast-milk. If possible, have your baby sleep with you in the same bed, and let your baby feed as needed through the night. I bought a bed rail/ bed guard from Baby Shop to stop baby from falling off the bed at night. Other mums just push the whole bed against the wall, and sleep with their babies on that side, and yet others keep a small mattress down on the ground next to their side of the bed (if the parents bed is not high) for baby to either safely fall onto, or for baby to sleep on when not nursing. edited by Apricot on 17/03/2015 <em>edited by Apricot on 17/03/2015</em>
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 17:06
Apricot, did you try the Pizza one at PieFace? They don't taste like pizza at all, but almost like a mild curry one with aubergines, they are delish! Yeah CP, my veggie DH insisted I share it with him! btw I was at C4 MOE today and their ready-made short crust pastry in the refrigerator case is reduced-to-clear, if anyone is inspired to cook their own quiche
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 17:02
Happy St Patricks Day!!
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 16:50
CP and Anon, how long does the Tefal Actifry take to make a batch of french fries? Last time I checked, it took 40 min per batch, which is a bit longer than when I bake french fries from fresh raw potatoes in my fan oven. (I coat the potato pieces in veg oil and Ina Paarman's Potato Spice prior to baking.)
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 16:35
there are some cosmetics sellers on Instagram that carry Beauty Blender and deliver within the UAE. I use Sonia Kashuk's egg shaped make up sponge ;)
1987
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 16:32
DH brought home a few mini pies from Pie Face for us to try. I really liked the steak pie. We firmly disliked the spinach pie as it was very bland and full of (unseasoned) white rice. I recommend the quiches from French Bakery, they have been consistently good.
1987
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Latest post on 15 March 2015 - 22:59
I've seen ready-to-eat kimchi in a number of places including: Carrefour Mall of the Emirates (in the same refrigerator case as the smoked salmon and hotdogs), a small Korean market on the same road as Shakeism and Haji Ali Juice Centre in Al Barsha (Google maps should give you a location/ name), and A-1 Supermarket on Sheikh Zayed Rd in the same shopping center as Just Kidding and Indigo Furniture, just past the Al Hadiqa Rd/ Meydan Rd intersection.
1987
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Latest post on 15 March 2015 - 22:46
I can recommend the Macdonald Alveston House hotel if traveling with young children. We ate at Carluccio's, an easy walk from the hotel, a few times.
1987
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Latest post on 13 March 2015 - 00:12
Hi Chloe, I see a private ob-gyn who is a family friend for the first 4 months ( once every four weeks unless I have an urgent concern or the dr asks me to come more often), then register at my nearest public health clinic (DHA) at 5 months (the idea being that the risk of miscarriage has been averted, and the pregnancy will most likely continue to term.) The DHA has a decent schedule of blood, urine tests and regular ultrasound scans that occur at 5 months. They check the nuchal fold, but don't offer the amniocentesis test. Appointments from 5 months are every two weeks. From 8 months, my appts are at the govt hospital where I am eligible to deliver (based on my residence's catchment area). Everyone living south of Dubai Creek delivers at Latifa Hospital, the public maternity and pediatrics specialty hospital, and everyone living north of Dubai Creek delivers at Dubai Hospital.
1987
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Latest post on 12 March 2015 - 23:49
Dr Raj at American Hospital. Dr Helena Christiansen at Primavera Clinic (healthcare city). Based on my friends' experiences. Another friend was on a lower budget so she registered before 25 weeks at Dubai Hospital and had a successful VBAC.
1987
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Latest post on 12 March 2015 - 23:42
Once you get the waffle maker, a great recipe is Alton Brown's oat waffles, on food network dot com (the U.S. version of the site). I prepare it weekly for my kids' breakfast, using instant (quick) oats.
1987
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Latest post on 12 March 2015 - 23:35
Or Starfish?
1987
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Latest post on 12 March 2015 - 23:29
My SIL recently redecorated her home with items bought from wysada dot com. I can ask her about her experience with delivery.
1987
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Latest post on 12 March 2015 - 23:12
Great American Cookies kiosk in upper food court, Dubai Mall. Sample their normal size before ordering. If you like baking and own 2 x 9 in (21 cm) cake pans, I can post a tested recipe.
1987
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Latest post on 12 March 2015 - 23:05
Two other good options for "fancy" crockery are the Villeroy & Boch outlet in Dubai Outlet Mall and Jashanmal stores during DSF or DSS sales.
1987
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Latest post on 12 March 2015 - 22:55
Try eggsandsoldiers.com, a Dubai based cloth diapering business.
1987
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Latest post on 04 March 2015 - 00:04
Zaroob on Sheikh Zayed Rd.
1987
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Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 15:57
Hi Dogntow, the packets of pierogies at Safestway are btwn the frozen veggies and the frozen french fries. Brand name is "Mrs....". I bought them out of curiosity, but not to my liking.
1987
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Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 15:42
Hi, I also read that advice but I didnt follow it for Baby 2, mainly as Baby1 only slept in his cot for daytime naps.
1987
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Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 00:42
Hi Eve and Mooty, I'm due in March with my 3rd child. It still feels like a miracle to me, given that my first child was conceived after 9 yrs of marriage. The due date keeps moving around; I've been given a range between March 18 and March 30. I plan to deliver my child at Latifa Hospital (the gov't maternity and pediatrics specialty hospital) because having delivered my other two children there in difficult medical situations with positive outcomes and an affordable hospital bill, I trust their staff. I'm re-using lots of clothes and equipment and I splashed out on a new Snuz Pod cot. So, if you need advice on what lasts through use by two babies, I can help!
1987
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Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 00:15
You can contact a labor agency for a full time maid. There are ads for labor agencies in the Arabic Al Waseet newspaper every Friday. They often have "returned maids" waiting in the agency office who you can interview in person and decide whether she's a good fit for your family. Or you can ask them to email you cv's of full time maids. Processing time will be as Reemonita said, 10-15 days. Reliable? That is a combination of luck, your expectations, and the maid's expectations.
1987
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Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 00:08
What do you already know how to make? I have a basic list of dishes that I learned from my Memon grandmother. I've added to that list by buying Madhur Jaffrey cookbooks and practicing her recipes. I'm not married to a Pakistani so I don't cook Pakistani food regularly.
1987
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Latest post on 26 February 2015 - 22:10
Happy Birthday Sarahlou!
1987
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Latest post on 20 February 2015 - 23:58
lets just wheel them round some dried up old concrete place full of sad animals...so many much nicer places for children..and practically across the road from the beach !! lol Actually, Doubting Thomas, I release my children from the stroller upon entrance to the zoo. They [b'>run[/b'> "round some dried up old concrete place full of sad animals". I have taught my children empathy for the animals who look the most "sad" at all the zoos we have visited world-wide. We also visit the beach, wherever it is possible within walking distance. Many sections of the beach have been off-limits due to various "re-development projects". <em>edited by Apricot on 21/02/2015</em>
1987
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Latest post on 20 February 2015 - 23:52
Are you saying then that you feel the animals are healthy and happy and have enough room? How did your children "engage" with the "live creatures" as from what I understand they simply pace up and down in misery? I am a bit confused! Yes, I feel that the animals are healthy, cared for by the staff, and are adequately protected from the elements. Plenty of the animals have adequate room to roam, eg the giraffes, ostriches, deer, barbary sheep, pelicans, smaller simians, cormorants, peacocks, various other birds, marmosets, turtles, sand cats. I teach my kids to observe and appreciate their behaviour. The larger animals pace in their cages. I do comment on that, reminding my kids that their natural habitats are wide, open spaces.
1987
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Latest post on 20 February 2015 - 23:39
I hate to say it, but Apricot's post dismays me! Basically it's convenient for HER and she clearly has little concept or education on animal welfare and what a good zoo environment should be. (wanted to add, that this isn't a reflection on her, as maybe she simply doesn't know any better, which is where education comes in). I grew up in California in a liberal, academic household. My hometown is host to various natural wildlife reserves. I visited San Diego Zoo as a child. Artemis, I visited Houston Zoo in March 2013 and March 2014: as nice as it is, it is far from the best zoo in the world, that claim should go to San Diego Zoo or Singapore Zoo. I take my children to the zoo in each city we travel to. We have recently been to San Francisco Zoo and the National Zoo in Kuala Lumpur. Yes, I do comprehend basic animal welfare. I think the staff at Dubai Zoo do a great job given the [b'>limited resources[/b'> they have been allocated by Dubai Municipality. The most horrific zoo I have visited was the public zoo in Karachi, Pakistan 20 yrs ago. The animals were chained, malnourished, and weren't provided adequate shade. Zoo visitors would taunt and wound the animals and the zoo staff failed to intervene. I haven't seen evidence of the above at Dubai Zoo. When visitors tease the animals, zoo staff are quick to step in and stop the humans.
1987
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Latest post on 20 February 2015 - 22:36
Sure. Here ya go (modified from "Kittencal's Soft Tender Crescent Rolls" on www.food.com): Heat together in saucepan until Crisco mostly melted: 1 cup milk plus 1 t vinegar 1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco 1 t salt 1/4 c sugar Set aside until room temp. Proof together: 1 T yeast 1/3 cup water 1 t sugar Mix together: 3 cups flour (I use a mix of all purpose and chapati flours) the milk mix the yeast mix. Knead for 10 min in a stand mixer. If needed, add up to 1 cup flour. Let dough come to first rise (45 min- 1hr), then divide into 5 equal portions. Roll out each portion into circle, cut into 6-8 triangles, wrap a mini sausage up in each, starting from wide base of triangle. Place on lightly greased baking tray. Cover each tray with damp cloth and let rise again 25 min while oven preheats at 175C. Bake until the bottoms are golden, 15 min/ tray.