Starwood Preferred Guests card is different from Starwood Privilege
I always thought they were the same card!
I am a member of the Starwood Privilege card which offers dining and accommodation discounts at Starwood affiliated hotels worldwide. It is very useful when entertaining because you sometimes have vouchers for free bottles of wine or a free cake or special discounts with a certain number of people dining. The best part of course is that when 2 people dine, one eats free which means hefty discounts of up to 50%! Woohoo! 
There are also vouchers for a free hotel night which can be nice but which I hardly use preferring to give it away instead.
However when I recently stayed at the Sheraton hotel in Ho Chi Minh city, I was asked if I was a Starwood preferred Guest. Curious, I asked if it was the same as Starwood Privilege and was told its not. The Starwood Preferred Guest card allows you to collect points to redeem for free stays and you don’t get discounts. Not very useful for me because I don’t stay in these sort of expensive hotels often enough to merit it. Still, membership is free and they signed me up immediately so now I’m a member of the Starwood Preferred Guest too!
Now where shall I stay on my next holiday? Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, W hotels… or my usual budget choices? 
Another journey through time
I was strolling through Starhill Gallery over the weekend when I saw the signs up for the by now annual Journey Though Time hosted by Starhill Gallery, which is currently in its 3rd year.
I went in the 1st year when they were just closing up. The security was super tight where we were tagged as we entered and exited the exhibition and I was wondering why, until I saw that watches could fetch prices of up to RM50,000 and UPWARDS! I was so shocked! Imagine wearing that on your wrist! Its the price of a small car!
The list of exhibitors does not include Chaumet watch but there are loads of others like Armand Nicolet, Breguet, Corum, Harry Winston (I knew they were jewellers but I didn’t know they were watch makers) and Van Cleef & Arpels (another jeweller)
I might try to go this year just to gawk. Usually entrance is free but you have to register and only a selected number of people are accepted a day so you have to be quick as you will be turned away if your name isn’t on the list!
Gifts for babies
I have been shopping for baby gifts in recent years for various friends and early on I made up my mind not to get toys as gifts. I’m pro books and educational toys that don’t require you to install any amount of safety equipment around the baby in case they fall over or have something fall on them.
So I stick to baby cloth books of bright colours to stimulate learning and the eye and other educational toys. However a lot depends also on whether the parents are of the sort who will use the toys with the baby.
I know of some parents who are pro-toys. They shower their babies with toys galore which is nice but then kids get bored so easily. Or they shower them with branded clothes and shoes which to me is rather silly because kids outgrow shoes like crazy!
If you are asian, then the ang pow (lucky red packet) is always acceptable. After all who’s going to say no to cash?!
Are Aussino bedsheets worth it?
I was reading Petaling Street when I came across a notice for an Aussino warehouse sale on shoppingnsales. What would we do without their sale broadcasts eh?
Image from Shoppingnsales
I remembered going to an Aussino warehouse sale quite a few years back when Aussino was quite new in the market. I remember buying quite a few sets of bed linen for myself and for the family. The prices were quite good – they were about RM100 for 300 threadcount sheets. I saw some commentators asking if they had mattresses. I did not know Aussino sold matteress much less discount recliners.
However based on my personal experience I’ve found that Aussino sheets have reduced in quality since I first started using them. I started using Aussino when they were only available online from Australia. It was so much fun ordering and receiving the sheets in the mail.
I’ve since found that whilst the higher quality sheets from Aussino (those of 300 threadcount and above) are nice, as are the embroidered versions, the cheaper lines like the Inspire or printed ones aren’t as worth buying. The quality of the material is rougher and it does not last as long. I have a couple of sets and I don’t even want to use it anymore as it feels so stiff and scratchy compared to other bedsheets I own. Even if they say they have 250-300 threadcount, I find they aren’t as soft or smooth.
I don’t know if its a quality issue or if its just the way it is but I don’t think I’ll be hitting up the Aussino warehouse sale this time.