And guess what?

I did not leave with a basket full of bright, colorful, and aesthetically pleasing stuff that are absolutely unnecessary. 

I could have done it, you know. The husband was a thousand miles away and no one else can dissuade me from buying whatever useless knickknack I fancy. All I have to do is swipe this little devil. 

I have been here for about an hour now. 

While I try to make out what is being broadcasted over the speakers because I can only hear muffled and distorted sounds as if the announcer is gargling the microphone, I have been watching people. 

And so it occurred to me that airports are a home to intensified emotions. Excitement. Anxiety. Happiness. Sadness. Optimism. Fear. Awe. Disappointment. Gratitude. And possibly any emotion that you can think of.

I don't really get my fingernails done. 

My hands look too manly that no amount of hand spa and nail color can make it ladylike. My day to day activities are also not very friendly for long, prettyfied, manicured nails (I wash my children's bum, no thanks). So yeah, a trip to the nail salon is rather pointless.

But today, I went to get a manicure in preparation for an event this weekend. And while at it, I decided to have a softgel extension instead of a regular polish. Because why not? I will be free of kids and unwashed dishes for three days. Yay! 

Do you remember the time when I could not be bothered to look good because I paid so little attention to my outfits? Well, my blog does. 😅

Then I realized how making a simple upgrade to my style just made me feel better overall. It does feel empowering, you know. Every outfit that I chose to rock—despite getting shot at with those disapproving looks for not dressing "like a mom" because I love to flash my belly button out—is a reminder that I can be anything.

For this trip, I prepared about ten outfits. Yes, ten! However, our seven-day trip was unexpectedly cut short, so I only got to wear five. 

The idea was to wear something fresh and appropriate for a hot and humid country. 

I would have loved to put on some light layers just for the aesthetics, but I'm pretty sure my armpits will go on a wild and violent protest. I also thought about wearing a summer dress or that plaid top and mini skirt set I've been meaning to wear for a long time. But I'm afraid I will have that Marilyn Monroe moment while running after two hyperactive toddlers. Or one of them will lift the back of my skirt up and expose whatever horror has been kept hidden there. 😝

So after a few days of planning, I came up with outfits that will still show some skin to keep me cool from the sweltering heat without putting myself at risk for an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.

Yes, OOTD planning is one of my favorite parts about traveling. I like getting creative. But I am never really too eager to go overboard with the spending. So, here are the budget-friendly outfits that I wore in a fine, sophisticated, first-world country, Singapore:

Outfit #1

This is what I wore at the Singapore Zoo. The goal was to look like a zookeeper but make it stylish. 

Love the blazer and short set. Still thinking where else can I wear this.