I’m sure you couldn’t imagine needing this huge bag….but look at all the practical uses for it!  Here are some of my favorite uses for it…

In the Kitchen:

Clean your produce
Wash fruits and vegetables in a pot of cold water with 2-3 table-spoons baking soda; the baking soda will remove some of the impurities tap water leaves behind. Or put a small amount of baking soda on a wet sponge or vegetable brush and scrub your produce. Give everything a thorough rinsing before serving. 
Tenderize meat
Soften it up by giving it a rubdown in baking soda. Let it sit (in the refrigerator, of course) for three to five hours, then rinse it off well before cooking.
Soak out fish smells
Get rid of that fishy smell from your store-bought flounder filets and fish steaks by soaking the raw fish for about an hour (inside your refrigerator) in 1 quart (1 liter) water with 2 tablespoons baking soda. Rinse the fish well and pat dry before cooking.
Fluff up your omelets
For every three eggs used, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
Rid hands of food odors
Get food smells off your hands by simply wetting them and vigorously rubbing with about 2 teaspoons baking soda instead of soap. The smell should wash off with the soda.
Clean baby bottles and accessories
Keep all your baby bottles, nipples, caps, and brushes “baby fresh” by soaking them overnight in a container filled with hot water and half a box of baking soda. Be sure to give everything a good rinsing afterward, and to dry thoroughly before using. Baby bottles can also be boiled in a full pot of water and 3 tablespoons baking soda for three minutes.
Clean a cutting board
Keep your wooden or plastic cutting board clean by occasionally scrubbing it with a paste made from 1 tablespoon each baking soda, salt, and water. Rinse thoroughly with hot water.
Clean your refrigerator
To get rid of smells and dried-up spills inside your refrigerator, remove the contents, then sprinkle some baking soda on a damp sponge and scrub the sides, shelves, and compartments. Rinse with a clean, wet sponge. Don’t forget to place a fresh box of soda inside when you’re done.
Clean your microwave
To clean those splatters off the inside of your microwave, put a solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda in 1 cup water in a microwave-safe container and cook on High for 2-3 minutes. Remove the container, then wipe down the microwave’s moist interior with a damp paper towel.
Remove coffee and tea stains from china
Remove coffee and tea stains by dip-ping a moist cloth in baking soda to form a stiff paste and gently rubbing your cups and saucers. Rinse clean and dry, then set your table with pride.
Clean a thermos
To remove residue on the inside of a thermos, mix 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart (1 liter) water. Fill the thermos with the solution — if necessary, give it a going-over with a bottle brush to loosen things up — and let it soak overnight. Rinse clean before using.
Freshen a sponge or towel
When a kitchen sponge or dish towel gets that distinctly sour smell, soak it overnight in 2 tablespoons baking soda and a couple of drops of antibacterial dish soap dissolved in 1 pint (450 milliliters) warm water. The following morning, squeeze out the remaining solution and rinse with cold water. It should smell as good as new.
Shine up stainless steel and chrome trim
To put the shine back in your stainless steel sink, sprinkle it with baking soda, then give it a rubdown — moving in the direction of the grain — with a moist cloth. To polish dull chrome trim on your appliances, pour a little baking soda onto a damp sponge and rub over the chrome. Let it dry for an hour or so, then wipe down with warm water and dry with a clean cloth.
Clean burned or scorched pots and pans
Boil a few cups of water (enough to get the pan about 1/4 full) and add 5 tablespoons baking soda. Turn off the heat, and let the soda settle in for a few hours or overnight.
Deodorize your garbage pail
Clean kitchen garbage pail with a wet paper towel dipped in baking soda. Rinse it out with a damp sponge, and let it dry before inserting a new bag. You can also ward off stinky surprises by sprinkling a little baking soda into the bottom of your pail before inserting the bag.

Remove crayon marks from walls
Has Junior redecorated your walls or wallpaper with some original artworks in crayon? Don’t lose your cool. Just grab a damp rag, dip it in some baking soda, and lightly scrub the marks. They should come off with a minimal amount of effort.
Polish silver and gold jewelry
To remove built-up tarnish from your silver, make a thick paste with 1/4 cup baking soda and 2 tablespoons water. Apply with a damp sponge and gently rub, rinse, and buff dry. To polish gold jewelry, cover with a light coating of baking soda, pour a bit of vinegar over it, and rinse clean. Note: Do not use this technique with jewelry containing pearls or gem-stones, as it could damage their finish and loosen the glue.

Bathtubs and sinks
Get the gunk off old enameled bathtubs and sinks by applying a paste of 2 parts baking soda and 1 part hydrogen peroxide. Let the paste set for about half an hour. Then give it a good scrubbing and rinse well; the paste will also sweeten your drain as it washes down.
Bathroom odors
Keep your bathroom smelling fresh and clean by placing a decorative dish filled with 1/2 cup baking soda either on top of the toilet tank or on the floor behind the bowl. You can also make your own bathroom deodorizers by setting out dishes containing equal parts baking soda and your favorite scented bath salts. 
Toilet bowl
You don’t need all those chemicals to get your toilet bowl clean. Just pour half a box of baking soda into your toilet tank once a month. Let it stand overnight, then give it a few flushes in the morning. This actually cleans both the tank and the bowl. You can also pour several tablespoons of baking soda directly into your toilet bowl and scrub it on any stains. Wait a few minutes, then flush away the stains.

Laundry
Adding 1/2 cup baking soda to your usual amount of liquid laundry detergent really will give you “whiter whites” and brighter colors. The baking soda also softens the water, so you can actually use less detergent. Adding 1/2 cup baking soda in top-loading machines (1/4 cup for front-loaders) also increases the potency of bleach, so you need only half the usual amount of bleach.

Use as plant food
Give your flowering, alkaline-loving plants, such as clematis, delphiniums, and dianthus, an occasional shower in a mild solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda in 2 quarts (2 liters) water. They’ll show their appreciation with fuller, healthier blooms.
Scour barbecue grills
Keep your barbecue grill in top condition by making a soft paste of 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup water. Apply the paste with a wire brush and let dry for 15 minutes. Then wipe it down with a dry cloth and place the grill over the hot coals for at least 15 minutes to burn off any residue before placing any food on top

I never really went to a lot of malls before since I didn’t really live near any. But this time around we were on the Island for most our stay so we did lots of mall time. Roosevelt Field Mall is one of the bigger ones on the Island, but sometimes I find malls that are too big are just too much to handle.  The Mall at The Source on Old Country Road has an H&M with a kids section, and a pretty large Old Navy kids section. At H&M, where their regular prices are already quite reasonable, I found children’s clothes on sale for $1 or 100 yen. Old Navy is another place that always has a good sale on kids clothes.

If you don’t mind digging through racks, Century 21 isn’t a mall but a worthy department store to check out for deals. They carry a lot of designer and name brands at a discount, lots of children’s clothes, shoes and accessories. Last time I saw stuff there by Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole, Juicy Couture Kids, Laura Ashley, Von Dutch, and also basics like Carter’s, Adidas, Puma, Nike. The branch in Long Island is a lot less hectic than the one in lower Manhattan but you need a car to get there.

There are a lot of nice children’s shops in The Westchester mall in White Plains and it’s pleasant shopping there – never really too crowded even on a weekend. Such pretty girls dresses and unique printed button down shirts for boys at Janie and Jack. Cute things too at Babystyle. You can also find Pottery Barn Kids and Crew Cuts (J.Crew’s children’s line). During sale seasons you can get some really good deals. I found sun hats at Babystyle marked down from about $30 to $3 or 300 yen and the Athlete’s Foot there had some kids winter crocs marked down 40%.

But for kids trainers I think nothing beats Fulton Mall in Brooklyn. It’s not really a mall in the sense that it’s one building with a bunch of stores. It’s really a long street full of shops lined up next to each other. Yuki also once found a tiny tuxedo for Keiji there for about $15 or 1500 yen.

Happy shopping

Fabric is sold by the meter. The minimum amount of fabric you can have cut is 50 cm. The cost of Keiji’s Kamen Rider Den-O fabric, as well as the other character-print fabric, is about 1260 yen per meter. It seemed expensive at first, but then I realized that 1260 yen is still less than half the price of the Kamen Rider Den-O pajama set which is 3000 yen at Akachan Honpo. So I just go 50t cm and this was enough to make a pair of pajama pants. I still have some left over to make and a small tote bag. 1 meter could make a whole pajama set. There is also a quilted version of the character fabrics, which start at 1900 yen per meter. And there are soft fleece fabrics with prints of Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters. There were only a few selection of these. They’d make nice blankets. Coming here will make you want to sew.

To get to Yuzawaya in Kamata by train, get off at Kamata station on the JR Keihin Tohoku line. Take the West Exit and walk towards Tokyu Plaza. The various buildings are scattered in the area past Tokyu Plaza.

We checked out a few shops inside Marronnier Gate. Arisa’s favorite shop was Hysteric Glamour, which does has a small children’s section. Nice choice! But bad for my wallet. I’ll wait for Grandma.

Also quite noteworthy is the fancy Tokyu Hands in the building (but it’s called Ginza Hands) which has a really lovely section on jewelry beads.

Marronier Gate is close to Yurakcho Station on the JR KeihinTohoku and Yamanote lines.

Every Sunday from 11 am – 4 pm there is a flea market inside the Shinagawa Intercity building. It’s free to enter and there are lots of stalls. I heard from one mother that there are usually good children’s finds there. But when we went I saw mostly women’s and men’s clothing and accessories. There were also saw some toys, ceramics, bags, and a variety of little knick-knacks that people usually sell at flea markets. I expected there to be more children’s items for sale but there wasn’t much selection that day. Unless people came as soon as it opened and bought out everything within the first minute (which really happens). There weren’t any furniture or large appliances although you could find some things like small electronics, clocks, etc. Yuki got us a Mickey Mouse DVD player, bargained down from 3000 yen to 1500 yen. I got a brand new Digimon bento box for 100 yen, a brand new Thomas & Friends dish for 100 yen and for myself a sleeveless top at 100 yen. My friend snagged an Ultraman figure for 50 yen for her son, and for herself a pair of nice, barely worn pumps for 300 yen and some cute leather belts at 100 yen each.

Since this flea market is held indoors, it’s pretty easy to take along the kids – no need to worry about the weather, clean bathrooms, a McDonald’s nearby, and a big outdoor courtyard-like space for the kids to run around and play. Even if you just leave with one thing, it’s always fun to browse at the flea markets. To get to the Shinagawa Intercity Flea Market by train, take JR or Keikyu lines to Shinagawa station and take the Konan Exit.

We saw the Model Trains Show which is being held at the Matsuya department store in Ginza. This is the first time I ever really saw really model train sets complete with landscapes and miniature city props. But from the crowds of boys and men there I can see it is quite a popular thing to collect. There are many cool train sets on display showing all the miniatures of the real JR trains, Shinkansen, steam locomotives, and the private railways.

Matsuya Ginza is about a 10 minute walk from Yurackucho station on the JR Keihin Tohoku and Yamanote lines and Tokyo Metro Hibiya line.  This station has elevators from all lines.

Dagashiyumeya – fun old-school Japanese style snack shop with all sorts of snacks from various prices, some as little as 10 yen

Toy figures of all kinds – anime character dolls, gundam models, kaiju (monsters) figures, superhero action figures, smurf figurines, itchy and scratchy dolls

Bornelund great assortment of wooden toys

TK Sapkid – Kids printed tees and jeans

Looking out onto the LaLaport outdoor court where there is a large garden, a dog run, tables and chairs, fountains and sculptures.

To get to LaLaPort take either Yurakuchuo line or Yurikamome to Toyosu Station. From there it’s about a 5-minute walk to LaLaPort.

Dad-Way – large selection of toys by Sassy and K’s Kids, as well as useful accessories for traveling with babies.

CouCou – cute things for kids’ rooms, all at 300 yen

Aranzi Aronzo
- All Aranzi Aronzo character products including baby goods
Beanstalk Shop – Designer kids clothes and shoes