Get Well Soon Lego and Build a Bear

When I was a child, we got a special surprise when we were sick, so we'd feel better... My sister always got the best surprises because she managed to get herself hospitalized and brought to the emergency room a number of times. (Typhoid, Seizures, Split chin, stinky ears... you name it, she had it, with the really cool toys to match!) Good thing I sort of convinced her that sharing with her older sister was expected...or else! 

It comes as no surprise that when Sofia is sick, I have an urge to buy Toys R Us for her, so she'll feel better and get well in a jiffy! Hahaha... But kidding aside, I was really glad I hoarded the new Lego Friends line (and I sent it home so we could claim tax rebate) because it came in handy when I brought Sofia to get a blood test to ensure that she didn't have H-Fever, and when I was bargaining with her to wear the flower girl gown before we left for the church.

The LEGO Friends tagline is "The Beauty in Building". 

Bricks in pink, lavander, turquoise and lime are really beautiful!

Sofia and I were looking intently at the Lego Beauty Shop box while she was getting her blood test. It was over before we knew it with no tears. Lego Rules! It just jacks up the cost of a blood test... and I doubt Medical Insurance covers it.

Butterfly Beauty Shop SG$49.90 (Php1,715)
Photo Credit: toyshunt.com.sg

Fif playing with the beauty shop while getting her hair styled

Stephanie's Cool Convertible SG$29.90 (Php1,030)
photo credit: toyshunt.com.sg

I threw in the convertible so she'll wear the gown from the house to the church
(and not just when we got there!)
and to ensure she'll walk down the aisle and smile even if she wasn't feeling a 100% well!

Our last bargain was that I would buy her a new Build-a-Bear if she was well enough to fly back to Singapore with me.

Fif got her first Build-A-Bear as a gift from my friends for our housewarming in Singapore
Step 1: go to the Build-A-Bear Workshop, choose your friend, and fluff him up

Step 2: kids are asked to hug the bear to see if it's fluffy enough

Step 3: the kids put in the heart and they become friends for life
(or something cheesy like that) then the bear is sewn up

Step 4: the kids give the bear a pretend bath and a real brushing

Step 5: the kids pick out an outfit for the bear
This is the part that will instantly double your bill.
The clothes and shoes for the bears are MORE EXPENSIVE than kids clothes!!!

Step 6: Each bear is given a name and comes with a birth certificate
Sofia called her bear Bubblegum.

Then each bear comes in this condo looking box

The experience is so much fun for kids, actually for the parents too... if you just totally ignore the part that you need to pay for it, that Sofia loves any excuse to buy another Build-A-Bear.

Sofia got Choco as a Get Well Soon present a year ago.
The sleeping bag came from the Build-A-Bear sale when I was in South Africa.

Build-A-Bear in Singapore never goes on sale so I sort of went crazy when I saw it on sale in South Africa.

I got Sofia the World Cup Soccer Bears so we could play them against each other.
They were around SG$10 each on sale!
I also got Bubblegum a snowboard.

The more I missed my daughter the more I shopped.
The shoes were NOT on sale, and were more expensive than the bears that come complete with Jersey, flag and football!

I also bought extra shirts for the bears because they were on sale for SG$2!
Fif's friends from the Singapore Zoo Leo and Ely are just borrowing.

Fif still occasionally still plays football with them. 

We also saw Build-A-Bear in Brazil, but that was double the price of the store in Singapore, so I convinced Sofia we will buy in Singapore... when we have a good reason to... but this needs to be saved for another occasion, because after school today, on our way to our Build-A-Bear date, we passed Toys Hunt in Great World City, our favorite Lego Store, and they reserved for us the sets that were not available during our last visit.

Sofia quickly traded her feel-better Build-A-Bear for the SpongeBob Bikini Bottom Undersea Party.

On Sale at 33% off
SG$119.90 SG$79.90 (Php2,744)
photo credit: toyshunt.com.sg

We both needed a Nespresso (Decaf) Fix before we started because we were both so sleepy.
One of us was insisting that we play with it tonight!

I think fif helped with the characters, then it felt like I did the rest.

Fif was supervising while drinking her milk with coffee.

We I only did one bag out of four, but it already had a lot of cool stuff.

Rotating Merry Go Round with SpongeBob and his driving teacher Mrs. Poppy Puff

Patrick Starfish gets to play DJ with records that you can actually move around

Squidward Tentacles was watching the snack stand

Gary, SpongeBob's pet snail, was looking for someone who wanted to seesaw... 

...he flew right up when Mrs. Puff joined him, while SpongBob watched and laughed.

That's basically the preview we got, since we had no more energy to build more of Bikini Bottom.

Here are the other Lego Friends sets that I bought from ToysHunt:

Olivia's House SG$139.90 (Php4,806)
I was dying to buy this the last time but it was out of stock.
photo credit: toyshunt.com.sg

Park Cafe SG$59.90 (Php 2,060)
This one ran out of stock before while I was deciding on which ones to buy.
I shouldn't have bothered thinking so hard since I decided to buy nearly everything.
photo credit: toyshunt.com.sg

I had them wrap it so Fif has a fairly good idea that I got her birthday present,
but she doesn't know what she's getting yet.

Heartlake Vet SG$79.90 (Php2,744)
This is the only one left in my Lego stash in Manila

Lego Friends also has really cool small stuff, which I've bought and given Fif as a surprise for when I had to go to a work dinner, or when I had continuous late night calls.

Emma's Splash Pool and Stephanie's Outdoor Bakery

Emma's Splash Pool SG$10.90 (Php375)

Stephanie's Outdoor Bakery SG$10.90 (Php375)

I always buy our Lego from ToysHunt in Great World City

1 Kim Seng Promenade

#03-26, Great World City

Singapore 237994

Tel: (65) 6333 6936

visit their website www.toyshunt.com.sg

Members get a 10% discount, and don't forget to ask for a tax rebate form if you are taking it out of Singapore

OK, so I admit, as much as the toys make Sofia feel better... it also works for me too :) 

I love Retail Therapy... and it helps lessen the stress of having a sick kid... because it makes you feel that at least you are doing something to make it better. Just Saying.

Plus, I also have this feeling that these are going to be collectors editions one day... and it will make me rich in my old age! (oh, I'm sort of forgetting Sofia owns them) Yaya better make sure we don't lose any of the pieces. Good Luck to her. Hahaha.