SANses

My Greenwich V Experience (Part Deux)

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Amazing Race event at Greenwich V. These are the 2 shops that left a big impression on me!

Empire State Restaurant

I loved this cosy restaurant, with its bright red leather sofas and cutesy wallpaper!

But hey, one hardly goes to a restaurant for its wallpaper. The chow is the main draw. And for this, Empire State scores big in my book too!

The Giant Burger was a huge hit with both the adults and the children! Check out Jay’s very excited face! Haha!

The fries was light and fluffy, and our table was the only one to finish all the fries – a feat accomplished only because of the non-calorie-counting children that were in our team! Haha!

We then sampled their pizza, and the sweet teriyaki chick pizza was divine! Yet another dish totally polished off!

Oh, and just when we were feebly protesting our carbo-filled tummies, the gorgeous meatbal spaghetti was wheeled out… and completely finished as well! Hahaha! The tangy tomato sauce and juicy huge meatball was too yummy to resist!

And so maybe it was apt that our first stop in the Race was Berrylite, which offered 100% FAT FREE yoghurt.

Berrylite

The kids were waiting (im)patiently for the goodies to be doled out!

And boy oh boy, we had a chance to savour all of the flavours!

I pointed out the mint flavour to Jay, and he soon “claimed” that for himself. Solely.

Yummy and healthy? SCORE! :)

Greenwich V
1 Seletar Road, Singapore 807011

There are also shuttle bus services available so do check it out at their website: http://greenwichv.com.sg/index.aspx?key=shuttlebus

Amazing Race at Greenwich V

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

It’s been some time since I participated in an Amazing Race-esque kind of competition, and usually I find myself in the organizer’s shoes. But this time, I joined 14 other bloggers to participate at the Greenwich V Experience, which basically involved us running around the mall, and eating, posing, and finding out about what this new mall holds.

It was such a fun time!

I was placed in the Lifestyle team, and our team of 5 was made up of parent bloggers. And guess what, we brought our little ones along for this challenge. I brought ONE little one (which was more than enough for me), but other braver bloggers brought their entire tribe along. So from 5 of us, here’s our ENTIRE team.

(Thanks Alvin for this pic!)

Oh, and if you’re wondering – our team colour is RED, but unfortunately, before we left the house, Xavier was happily snoozing in the room and I decided letting Jay wear a recently-ironed-but-in-the-wrong-colour top beat waking my sleeping prince. Cough. Judge me not, please. Hahaha!

Greenwich V is a new mall at Seletar Hills, and a unique feature is that this mall boasts of shops like perennial favourites like Old Chang Kee, Toast Box, Mai Thai, Home-Fix and more, all set in a outdoor venue, with loads of water features that will be sure to entertain the small ones (I know Jay could hardly keep his hands to himself!)

To kick-start the whole event, we were treated to lunch at Empire State. It was yummy!

After filling our tummies to the brim, we then got down to the proper business of the day! The Race itself!

Our team of 5 (okay 17, if you include the kids & spouses!) did phenomenal, and we breezed through the stations. Some of it required us to EAT. And the extra mouths sure helped to wolf down the yummy food! Altogether we went to 10 different shops!

Yummy & healthy yoghurt at Berrylite (Jay loved the Mint flavour SO much, he insisted on lugging the entire tub for the next 3 stations)

Some of the other stations we went included Cedele’s…

and Paradise Inn!

You can view the rest of the photos and stations here.

It was a great time to meet other parent bloggers, and for our kids to hang out (and feast)!

Oh, and the most amazing thing about this amazing race? We managed to snag second place! Haha! Meet the rest of the team… Klessis, Andy, Phoebe & Paul!

If you live in the area, check out Greenwich V for your amazing experience as well.

Want to win a book for your pre-schooler?

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:07:00 +0000

I love giveaways! And I love the chance to allow YOU (yes, you guys!) have a chance to try out new things.

I’m hosting a special giveaway on my Facebook Page… Hop on over to www.facebook.com/mummyblogs and participate in my Rainbow Bear’s Dinosaur Discovery book for your pre-schooler. Yes, Jay has this book and adores it… and the good folks at Julia Gabriel has passed me another three sets for my readers! Woohoo!

Each set comes with the book, CD and songbook.

To find out how you can win this, hop on over to my FB page now. :)

March holidays fun – plus a giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:08:00 +0000

Holidays spell oodles of fun for the kid, and more importantly, a chance for parents to sleep in as well!

Well, if you’re cracking your head on what to occupy your child with this March holidays, I bring you good tidings… WOWArt Studios has rolled out an array of holiday workshops to entertain and occupy the kids!

From March 12 to 16, the Kids on Canvas (requiring 2 working passes each) and Wow! Workshops will be sure to stir some creativity juices in your child.

Jay attends the regular term classes at WOWArt, and given how very, erm, creatively-challenged I was in school at the subject of art, I honestly never expected Jay to have much of an affection with art. But he has surprised me time and time again with his love for the art classes!

Enjoy an early bird discount of 5% if you sign up for the classes before March 11!

But hey, more good news awaits!

WOWArt is offering a free workshop for Jayvon… and guess what? One lucky reader will also get the chance to attend this same workshop with Jayvon – absolutely free of charge!

Here’s how to win your free session, together with Jay:

“Like” SANses’ Facebook Page – SANses, a Mummy Blogs.
“Like” WowArt’s Facebook Page as well.
Leave a comment below to be in the running for the free workshop class!

That’s it! Easy-peasy!

Who can enter?

Anyone! But your kid (or your nephew/niece/random stranger you will be bringing to the session should be between 2.5 & 12 years old). Jay, at four years old, can attend either age group, which also means this is open to more children!

You can choose which workshop you’d like to attend, and I’ll accommodate to the date/time that suits you!

This giveaway ends on Sunday, 25 February 2011, 2359 hours, and the winner will be announced after that!

Counting my blessings

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000

Having one kid was rough and tough, and when we decided to have the second, we anticipated the toughness and the roughness…

The sleepless nights, the wallet strains, the mucus-wiping and butt-cleaning. The fatigue, the body aches (oh wait, that might be just the age), and did I mention the mucus-wiping and the butt-cleaning? Oh, I did? Yes, and the mummy-nesia that seals the whole deal.

But nothing really prepares us for this.

Two sleepy smiles that greet us each morning.

Peals of shared laughter over ice-cream and biscuits.

Matching clothes.

Long strolls on the beach, hand in hand, enjoying the breeze.

Watching back-to-back episodes of Dinosaur Train on the telly.

Makes up for my cutbacks in shopping (sob!) and overseas travels (double sob!)… but hey, when we see the two kiddos together, it kinda makes it all worthwhile.

Seeing my two boys interact make me roll me eyes and roll on the floor in laughter alternatively. No one ever said motherhood was good for one’s mental health. Haha!

And so I am counting my blessings today.

Two huge ones, to be exact. Healthy, happy, chatty, endearing.

Thank you, God.

I love it whenever Jay randomly, in the middle of doing something else, looks up, looks at me and goes, “I love you, Mummy.” Like totally unsolicited. My jaw kinda drops, my heart stops a second, and I smile back, “I love you too, baby!” I used to have to squeeeeeze those “I love yous” out of him like nobody’s business. And now he doles it out when I least expect it. Of course, doing so gets him a “free pass” whenever he does something naughty. Which for a 4-year-old is about… everyday. Oh, and when Xav gets in on this trick, I expect some fun times ahead.

Singles may think hearing those three magical words from that special someone is the be-all-and-end-all. Wait till you become a parent.

And of course now the question on everyone’s mind is… “So when’s your number 3 coming?”

Linking up with…

Rainbow Bear’s Dinosaur Discovery

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Dinosaurs are truly my little boy’s favourite, and a few days ago, the good people at Julia Gabriel Creations sent me a copy of their second installation of Rainbow Bear – and yes, it was a book on, you’ve guessed it, dinosaurs!

“”An adventure in blends and digraphs”… and if like me you were a bit confused by this, this book is a great teaching tool in phonetics. Basically Jay currently is able to sound the letters of the alphabets, but when you place (or blend) two consonants together, it makes a different sound which this book strives to teach – like “th” or “sh” or “tr”…

The book also comes with a CD and a songbook, which comes in useful, cos it repeats the words in the book (read in Standard English pronunciation) and also has songs that the kids can sing along too!

I read the book to Jay, and he was enthralled by the gorgeous photos of dinos!

Last Saturday, we also made our way to Forum the Shopping Mall for The Dinosaur Stomp! event, and Jay had a blast there!

Entertained by Reuben & Mark, who taught the kids how to do the Dinosaur Stomp, their antics left Jay in peals of laughter!

He came back and practiced his new-found dance moves the whole day!

But the highlight was surely this: Julia Gabriel came up to read out a portion of the book to the children, and Rainbow Bear was also around!

The children were brought to a magical world of dinosaurs, and Jay was absolutely captivated as the dinosaurs came to life!

All in all, it was a fun morning spent, and I am happy that his love for dinosaurs would mean a good opportunity for me to teach him some new letter sounds!

Fun Days in Sentosa

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:38:00 +0000

As a follow-up to our Sentosa Staycation, we also lined up a few more treats for Jay (and ourselves!)…

On the first day, we decided to go to Universal Studios for a day of fun in the sun. It was an awesome decision. And within the first few steps of our entrance, we spotted one of Jay’s heroes.

Kungfu Panda.

And this small encounter with the Panda was enough to seal the day. As being absolutely wonderful for my little boy! Everything else was merely the icing on the cake. Haha!

Check out his various kungfu poses!

We were so thankful to have booked a room at the Rasa Sentosa, cos it meant we could take a breather after lunch to snooze in the room before rushing back for some last rides! Jay even managed to make it up the Transformers ride, thanks to Daphne’s tip to let him wear thicker-soled shoes to meet that 102cm height requirement! I totally digged the ride – pity we didn’t have the time or chance to go back for a second round!

This is the fairy-tale end to our day at the USS… taken at Shrek’s castle!

I had some people ask me what we did in Sentosa…

We went to Underwater World (which is always one of Jay’s favourite places), and as we were probably one their earliest customers that day!

We also went to the Songs of the Sea, and unexpectedly enjoyed ourselves. Yes. Unexpectedly, cos I really wasn’t expecting much.

And not forgetting long strolls along the white sandy Siloso beach. Hot sun notwithstanding, it was a good time playing in the sand.

Well, this little 2D1N staycation was meant to be a time for us to spend with Jay, to celebrate his 4th birthday, and it was good quality family time!

We are soooooo looking forward to our next family staycation or overseas vacation… but till then, time to work HARD. Haha!

Sentosa Staycation (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Staycation’s the latest in-word of late, with a December 2011 CNA report that more Singaporeans are choosing staycations over overseas holidays.

And we have added to this statistic! In mid-January, to spend time with Jay & celebrate his birthday, we decided to go over to sunny Sentosa for a 2-day, 1-night stay. We initially wanted to stay for two nights, but unfortunately our work schedules were really packed.

Our hotel of choice was the Rasa Sentosa, and the stay was absolutely divine. The usual check-in timing was 3pm, but we had requested an earlier check-in at 12 pm. However, we decided to spend the day at USS, so we reached the hotel lobby at 10am, wanting to deposit our bags first – but as it was a lull season, they allowed us to check in to the room then! Wooo! We upgraded to a Family Room (with an extra sofa bed, with a gorgeous pool-side view.

This is the view from our hotel room.

For a staycation, it was pretty perfect. In fact, when some friends asked me about my staycation, I compared it to the Bali holiday I had in the beginning of 2011… While I had fun in Bali, I think to some extent, Sentosa was a better beach resort holiday.

We didn’t do any water activities in Bali (cos I was pregnant with Xav then), but at least in Sentosa we didn’t get accosted by people asking us to rent beach towels and chairs for a fee. Safety-wise, Sentosa also comes up tops, and I felt so safe walking back to the hotel even when the streets were empty. In Bali, it wasn’t as safe due to high traffic, free-flowing alcohol, and beggars lining the streets. Food-wise, I love Balinese food, but it was a “trial-and-error” sometimes, and we relied heavily on Trip Advisor. In Sentosa, the hotel breakfast buffet was yummy, and we could dine at quality and affordable places like Din Tai Fung at Resorts World.

All in all, we had a blast in Sentosa! It was a great mid-week break from work!

More posts coming up about our staycation.

Two is better than one

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

And in a blinking of an eye, the long Chinese New Year holidays are gone, but boy it was such a fun and yet VERY exhausting time with the two boys.

And yes, my name is Sandra and I am a tad obsessed with buying Jay & Xav matching clothes! (& pyjamas… but that’s a whole different support group, methinks. LOL!)

At 10 months, Xav can do a mean leopard crawl but prefers to stand, loves to bite on fingers (his own, his brother’s, his parents… anything goes. He is easy that way), loves to snack on his Gerber’s stars (or anything that Mummy is munching on), and adores his older brother. Any silly noise Jay makes breaks Xav up into peals of laughter. At 4 years, Jay can talk. And talk. And talk. He has a wildly vivid imagination, and his love for dinosaurs has spread to Xav… who now adorably growls “aaaaahhhhh…… aaaaahhhhhh….” at the dinos himself.

The disciplining has also begun for my littlest one. But seriously, it is pretty hard to be stern, the moment he turns his Puss-in-Boots stare at you, grandmas and mummies alike turn to putty. The force is strong with this one.

Jay’s Dinosaur Bash

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

A good birthday party is made up of two very important ingredients.

A yummy birthday cake. And a party pack.

And to tie it all together… to have a theme. The one theme that binds it all.

The theme took Jay a while to decide. I was all for a Jake & the Neverland Pirates theme! And Jay was agreeable, till he decided a Dinosaur theme would be better. Ah well, the “boss” has decided, so us “minions” had to work a way around it.

Firstly, the cake.

I decided to get some customised cupcakes from one of my favourite shops – Twelve Cupcakes. I requested for dinosaur fondants, and it sure was a good decision!

It looked so yummy! Which probably explained why the kids swarmed to the party table once I arrived at the school with the bright pink boxes! “I want this one!” “I want this one!” … the kids all laying claim on “their” cupcakes!

And… the party packs!

I tried to get as much dinosaur-related party favors as I could muster! And placed all these (and much more!) into a dino party bag!

One of Jay’s classmates even asked me, “Are there party packs?” and looked ecstatic when I told her there would be!

Here’s a video of Jay’s classmates singing the birthday song to him! Compared to last year (where he was sulking and whining the entire time, he was basking in the attention this time!)

Happy 4th birthday to my little prince! :)

Giveaway - Art Class!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

I was recently invited by Art Sense to attend their upcoming Open House Event! I think every art school really has a distinctive in terms of their philosophy & teaching methods, so I am looking forward to a new experience both for myself & Jay as well. Their program also focuses on 3D art, and on using recyclable materials which is great for developing a kid’s imagination & environmental at the same time.

And the good folks at Art Sense have very kindly extended this invitation to some readers of SANses as well! Woohoo! Come and join Jayvon & I for an afternoon of art & creativity!

The details of the Open House event:

Venue: ArtSense Studio - 318 Tanglin Road, Blk B, #01-37 (Phoenix Park)
Date: 12 February 2012 (Sunday)
Timing: 1pm to 2pm / 2pm to 3pm / 3pm to 4pm

* Per session - 6 children - per age group (3 to 5yrs / 6 to 8yrs / 9 to 12yrs)

If you’d like to attend this, do leave a comment, with your kid’s name, age, and preferred time slot before next Sunday, Jan 29, 2012, 2359 hours.

A Disney Junior idea for your CNY

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Chinese New Year’s coming! And this is one of my favourite holidays… cos I hardly do any visitation, so it is a time for some R&R, lounging with the family in front of the TV, and deliciously sinful goodies. I can never resist a juicy mandarin orange or pineapple tarts or love letters…

But once you are married, CNY takes on a whole new dimension… that of the tradition of “ang pow” (or red packet) giving! But… it is more blessed to give than to receive. So since last year was a year of soooo many weddings (about five just in my own cell group alone), this is a chance for my friends to experience this wonderful blessing. ;)

Oh, but I digress.

Let me introduce Disney Junior For Grown Ups. A solution for you who need some ideas for CNY decor to bring a little pizzazz to your home and celebrations! Check out their latest website for some awesome ideas (and step-by-step instructions) on how to …

… Create your own Mickey Mouse red packets

… making your own hanging mobiles

… and even a bag to hold the oranges! (Talk about co-ordinating your theme… these would look so adorable!)

… and even creating your very own lo-hei, the Prosperity Dragon!

You can check out the Disney Junior Asia website for more craft ideas & recipes to spice up your CNY! :)

Three months in Art School

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:29:00 +0000

Last November, Jay started his very first term in WOWArt Studios… Looking back, it has been such a fun time! I was looking through some of his created pieces, and decided to put them up here!

I was impressed all over again! Haha! Can hardly believe these pieces came out of Jay’s own hands. I am super proud of my little boy, and happy he has the chance to express his creativity.

He attends ArtPlay, which is catered to 2.5 to 4 year olds. This also means that from this year, he should be “graduating” to ArtStart, which is for the 4 to 12 year olds. What I like about WOWArt is that they do have a pretty clear layout on the progression of the children. And I’ve seen some the artwork produced by the older kids. TOTALLY IMPRESSIVE! Hahaha! One kid showed me her clay creation one day, while I was waiting for Jay. It was a palm-sized piece of a koi. With intricate detailing of its fins and scales.

Well, it’s been three months, and Jay is still enjoying his time there! Looking forward to more lessons, and more art pieces from him. Seeing him engrossed during lesson time, and intently working on his pieces each week never fails to bring a smile to my face!

To find out more about WOWArt, and how the classes can fit your kid, you can hop over to their website or Facebook Page.

WOWArt is located at 200 Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Imperial Court, #01-10 (which is opposite LongHouse – where I happily sip some nice coffee while waiting for Jay!)

Bedtime with Mummy

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:21:00 +0000

Bedtime duty used to be pretty equally shared between Daddy & I.

And I don't know when my prince decided that MUMMY and MUMMY alone should the one to make him sleep. He'd even bargain with us. "Mummy make me sleep at night, and Daddy'll make me sleep in the afternoon." Knowing full well that he is in school on weekdays (and on weekends, he'd happily forget this bargain as well)

It used to be a 45-60 minute struggle to make him sleep. But thankfully nowadays it's SO much easier! All he needs is a good 5 minute talk on any topic under the sun, a prayer, and he would turn to me, smile and say "Goodnight Mummy!"

Aaaah.... Bliss.

It also helps he never fails to bring a smile to my face with his before-bedtime antics.

Like belting out songs from Bruno Mars. "When I see your face, there's not a thing that would change cos u're AMAZING.... JUST THE WAY YOU ARRREEEEEEE...."

Jay (unfortunately) seems to have inherited my pitching. Which sad to say is barely tolerable. Which gives Daddy MORE motivation to send bum for some formal music training. Some things need to be rescued from young. Haha!

O, and prayer time. I love praying with Jay (or rather, hearing his prayers).

And if you follow my tweets, you'd have read his recent prayers... Here's a sampling.

"Dear Jesus, thank you for a wonderful day at the beach! I played the car, had prawns and ice-cream. Jesus please take away Xavier's cough and phlegm. Can u please make him healthy... (pause) and can you make him walk so he can run with me? In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN!"

"Thank You God for a wonderful day. Bless Mummy, bless Daddy, bless Didi, bless Titah. Amen."

"Jesus, please make Christmas come faster. I want to open all my presents. Please tell Mummy & Daddy to buy more dinosaurs for me. I already have e brachiosaurus, the triceratops, the T-Rex and the stegosaurus. I want the velociraptor & the spinning dinosaur, and ALL the dinosaurs in the world. All twenty thousand!!!"
(well, God apparently answered his prayer cos he managed to convince all and sundry to buy dinosaurs for him! Haha!)

And yes... He's just about to turn four. Only. Yikes...

Indoor playground (plus the 2nd giveaway!)

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

I love to bring Jay to indoor playgrounds.

I mean, a confined area where he can use up his energy and have oodles of fun while I can relax and sip coke at the same time? Win-WIN situation, I tell ya! The moment we step into Polliwogs or Amazonia, it’s a shriek, a shout, and flurry of activity as he scrambles in to have fun, leaving his poor ol’ Mommy no choice but to play games on my iPad while occasionally flinging a glance to make sure he is neither trampled not the trampler.

And it took a while before Jay could go and run wild in the playground by himself. Relieving me of the need of contort my body through a playground not meant for anyone above 1.5metres.

So you see, training for my little one starts early too.

I present… my makeshift indoor playground. Perfect for a little tod who can’t really go anywhere.

It entertained him for about… 3 minutes.

But then something else distracted him from wanting out of the ball pit.

Yes. Jay’s brachiosaurus.

As big a hit with Jay as it is with Xav.

Oh… and the winner’s for the first Birthday Giveaway been chosen… Congratulations to KLESSIS! :) I hope you enjoy the Isetan voucher for some nice stuff for your girls (or of cos, you :P)

And now, it’s also time for the next giveaway…

I put ~~a lot~~ some thought, and it must be my frequent movie outings now that GV Katong is up and running… so it is apt, that the next giveaway is for:

A pair of GV Tickets! :)

3 simple steps to win this voucher:

1) “Like” the SANses blog Facebook page.

2) Re-post this giveaway (you can retweet it if you like)

3) Leave a comment once you’ve done it!

I will mail out the voucher, so you’d need to have a valid Singapore mailing address. :)

Simple, eh? You have till this Saturday, Jan 14, 2359 hours to enter, and I will draw a number out of a hat or something to choose the winner!

All grown up, all too soon

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:47:00 +0000

My little prince has his big brother’s crazy antics. Even though he is not even ten months old.

Sitting docilely one second…

and cheekily lunging forward the very next.

When you have no kids… nothing can really prepare you for the first kid.

When you have 1 kid… I realise now, nothing really prepares you for the second as well!

Will it get better with #3? (Erm, I think I will leave THAT question to others to answer! Haha!)

All I know is… my hands are full, feet tired, and eyebags a-plenty with the two little fellas on my plate already! Still, I’d trade nothing for the joy of seeing my two boys growing up happy & healthy together!

Jay’s turning 4 & a Giveaway for ya!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:01:00 +0000

My little prince is turning 4 this month. Daddy & I are planning for a fab dino birthday bash for him in school, and Jay is also super hyped up over it! He can hardly wait for it!

Apart from the dinosaur theme birthday bash, we are also planning a two-day JAY DAY just for him… at the beautiful island of Sentosa! With all the planning and a , I also decided to have some fun for him on the blog!

And this is where YOU come in! To have a happy JAY-MONTH with us! Haha… I will be having a few giveaways to celebrate Jay’s 4th birthday!

Jay loves-loves-loves browsing at Isetan Parkway Parade, and so it is apt my very first giveaway will be…

A S$30 Isetan voucher!

3 simple steps to win this voucher:

1) “Like” the SANses blog Facebook page.

2) Re-post this giveaway (you can retweet it if you like)

3) Leave a comment once you’ve done it!

I will mail out the voucher, so you’d need to have a valid Singapore mailing address. :)

Simple, eh? You have till this Saturday, Jan 7, 2359 hours to enter, and I will draw a number out of a hat or something to choose the winner!

More giveaways coming up… any ideas on what I can put up?

A splashing good time!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Ever since my first trip to the new I12 Katong Mall, I’ve been waiting and waiting to bring Jayvon to play at the rooftop water playground!

Finally, the stars managed to align themselves, and I brought Jay to I12 for some splashing fun!

The ground was made of this material which strangely absorbed the water and yet didn’t leave puddles of water – which made the water play not only more fun, but also safer with little risk of slipping.

Jay was running up and down. And up and down. And up and down. And didn’t slip at all. So I guess the floor really did work! Haha!

While sitting around and waiting for Jay’s energy to run its course, I noticed this…

A huge outdoor screen! Wooooo~! Looking forward to some outdoor movie fun in the near future too.

For parents with kids, I definitely recommend this outdoor water playground. Offers good, clean and more importantly, FREE fun for your little ones.

You can make your way to this playground on the 4th floor, using the glass entrance just beside the GV Theatres!

2011 in review… through my blog posts!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:14:00 +0000

I’ve always said blogging is a way for me to pen down memories, and hopefully once Jay & Xav get a bit older, they can have a laugh at the entries, and also realise what a blessed childhood they have had! Haha…

January 2011
We went for a family vacation to Bali, Indonesia, and spent half a week in this gorgeous island! And after that, we celebrated Jay’s third birthday… and started thinking and preparing about Xav’s impending arrival! What an exciting month that was! Haha…

February 2011
As Jay entered into his third year, he soon exhibited his streak of well, boyish ~~stubborness~~ behaviour. By going through a very disagreeable stage. Oh, that was a tough period. Which basically lasted through the whole year, but tapered off with the help of our trusty Mr. Cane, and also because he soon could understand some reasoning. Some. One has to manage one’s expectations when it comes to a toddler.

March 2011
We watched The Lion King! Yes, even Jay! It was wonderful! Definitely a highlight of my entire year! Apart from making those final ounces of preparation for my new little prince, it was also a period of “turmoil” as my domestic helper bid her final farewell to us, and we welcomed a new person to our household.

April 2011
I popped. And then I was confined. In one of the balmiest months of the year. *shudder!* But with the addition of my new little one, it was time for Daddy & Mummy to also talk to our own “house rules”… Haha!

May 2011
May was the month of the Singapore General Elections. Having just come out of my confinement, I was still kept in the loop about the “goings-on”, and I recall numerous heated and worked up talks and arguments and what-nots both online and in the coffeeshops amongst friends and foes and Singaporeans alike. Here was my very subtle contribution to this whole furore… Haha! Oh, and May was the beginning of another milestone… Jay’s first dinosaur toy, before he began his whole obsession with these prehistoric animals.

June 2011
The month of June saw a couple of outings, to the Science Centre, the Bird Park and even a ride down the Singapore River! Oh, it was also the month I was nominated as a Top 10 Finalist in the Best Family Blog category in the Singapore Blog Awards. Didn’t win, but it was sure a fun ride, and I got to know other Parent Bloggers like Maryann, Kelvin, Yvonne & Corsage. A fellow blogger I met once commented that mummy (and I’m sure he meant daddy too) bloggers are very powerful since we appeal to a very specific crowd of people. True, because we also can “see” the light in our own situations by reading other parent bloggers!

July 2011
I muse a bit about disciplinary actions… balance is always the key. While we are stern with Jay (and Xav in the near future), we also make sure we bring them out for truck loads of FUN! In July, courtesy of Disney Junior, we were transported to Never Land for a morning of fun.

August 2011
More antics by my funny little boy that cracked me up, but August was such a busy month for me, work-wise, we hardly went anywhere, save for a brunch at the now-defunct Tanglin Tree! Sad to see that place go, but at least we managed to squeeze in a visit before it breathed its last.

September 2011
This month, Jay introduced Blackie Smurf to the world. Erm, at least to my blogosphere. Couldn’t resist re-posting Blackie here… He now has a place of “honour” at the top of Jay’s toy cabinet! Haha!

His very own creation, of which I am super proud of him!

Probably why I started sending him for more art classes this month – courtesy of the Art Bug and WOWArt Studios!

October 2011
Jay’s first attempt at being a page boy, and I am still tickled whenever I think of how he went down the aisle. Or to be exact, jumped up and down as he went down the aisle.

November 2011
As Xav gets older, it also means more opportunities for “equal” playtime with Jay. By equal I mean times for play where Jay has a lower risk of accidentally hurting his younger brother. Or crushing him. And when Xav finally sprouted some teeth, it meant more opportunity to share food.

December 2011
And before I could hardly catch my breath, in the blink of an eye, 2012 is a few hours away, and I can only ~~whine~~ reminisce about where my 2011 went to!

Now, in the last few hours of this year, here’s wishing you an AWESOME 2012 ahead. I feel it in my bones, and trust & pray for a good year ahead. 2011 had its challenges, especially because I had to juggle two kids and a full-time job… but at least now that both my kids are getting older, I think (hope/pray) that 2012 will be a smoother ride ahead! :) For the New Year, I pray for:

Good health for my kids, and Nic and myself… and all our extended family & loved ones
Strong & loving relationship amongst my 2 boys
Wisdom on Nic & I to balance and handle the 2 kids well… training them to be godly boy and later men of God
To do and achieve more in our own individual careers
More time spent with friends and family!

What’s your New Year wish?

The gorgeous new mall in town: 112 Katong

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Living in the Marine Parade area practically my whole life (save for 3 years in overly-crowded Tampines shortly after getting married), I am firstly so glad to move back to this awesome area once again.

And the “rich cousin poor cousin” competition has been on for as long as I can remember. Parkway Parade with its spanking look, and family-friendly tenant mix versus the Katong Mall, with anchor tenant Cold Storage, the cool Awfully Chocolate outlet and… loads of tuition centres.

(Photo credit here)

I used to frequent the Cold Storage, primarily because it offered fresh food stuff… and short cashier queues!

But now… to my delight (as well as to almost all residents in this area…), the mall has now undergone a brand new facelift. But more than a facelift, it is as if it went under some major reconstructive surgery!

Meet 112 Katong.

I was invited for a bloggers’ tour, and saw some of the offerings of this mall.

It was an enjoyable walk, and we enjoyed a yummy lunch at Nando’s after that too!

For parents especially, this mall should appeal to you (& the kiddos).

Let me introduce you to some of my favourite places in the mall.

#1: For the Foodies

Any mall worth its chops has to have a food court – with yummy offerings! Since the tour, I have also separately went to try out some of the food offered there.

(Clockwise from top: Popiah, yong tau foo & fishball beehoon soup)

Sure ain’t hawker cheap – but makes for a fulfilling dinner!

Other yummy food offerings include Nando’s (which opens till 3AM on Fridays & Saturdays! Whoopppee!).

Nando’s new offering – Meals for 2/4/6 pax… affordable yums! I also heard that they are having a Breakfast menu – so I am looking forward to trying that out one day too!

Other restaurants include Din Tai Fung, Da Paolo Gastronomia, Canton Paradise, Soup Spoon… and more!

#2: For the Kiddies

Jay has found his new favourite toy store – Natures Collection. Check out their window display!

Chockful of stuffed animals, and the bear even looks to be snoring! Absolutely adorable. Store stocks Billyland animal figurines – which are right up Jay’s alley with their intricate attention to detail.

Other stores to plonk down money for your children include BabyBaby (selling high-end prams and products) & Zero2Six (catering to well, the 0-6 year olds).

And what better way to remember how the old Katong Mall used to be… by also having some tuition and enrichment centres as well! 112 has PerchingKids (an award-winning early childhood education chain from China), the Ballet & Music Company & Z Fencing!

Oh… and a MUST for the children… 112’s awesome rooftop water playground! (due to the dreary weather, I haven’t had to chance to bring Jay for this yet – though I can’t wait to do so!)

#3: For the Sweeties

112 is a dessert haven. Marble Slab Creamery. Seventh Heaven. Gong Cha. Max Brenner the Chocolate Bar. Obolo. –18 degrees.

Oh gosh… God bless my diet plans!

Jay with his Cool Mint icecream from Marble Slab… Very yummy!

#4: Our very own GV Theatre!

This is a HUGE plus for the mall. Finally… after the Republic & Liberty theatres have closed down, we have finally a mall to enjoy. GV Katong… 2 Gold Class theatres… Midnight shows without the exorbitant town charges. Aaah… I love it!

Went to catch Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows with Nic on Christmas Day (after my in-laws gamely gave up their afternoon plans to give us some time off) and I loved it! Will need to try out their Gold Class theatres one fine day (when I am in a more splurging mood… perhaps for hubby’s birthday? Which is in a week’s time, actually… haha!)

The magical 4

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:59:00 +0000

4 years of age, I mean.

My adorably cheeky little boy. Is going to be four years old. In less than a month’s time. And I don’t know about you, there’s something super adorable about an almost-four-year-old sprouting words like “brachiosaurus,” “stegosaurus” and “ankylosaurus” – cracks me up!

And with his birthday falling on Jan 23, which also happens to be the Day 1 of Chinese New Year, it means… I’ve got to start on his birthday party planning soon!

I asked him what kind of birthday cake he’d like, but each time, I get either one of the answers. He either wants a pirate birthday party or a dinosaur one. Pirates? Dinosaurs? Pirates? Or how about Pirates AND Dinosaurs??!? (Jokin’! That’d be tooooo hard!) He can’t decide cos he loves both! Haha!

So I’ve started to look at some cakes, casually browsing through the online cake designs.

Should we get an Ice-cream cake? (A sure hit with the kiddos, though the design would probably not match the theme)

Or maybe cupcakes?! I, oops I mean, Jay loves the cupcakes from Twelve Cupcakes. The Chocolate Chocolate flavour will be a sure hit – especially with him! And customization of a fondant cut-out is pretty affordable, so whichever theme I want to go with should be do-able.

Or another 3D cake? Like how we did it for his safari theme last year. Only dinos or pirates this time round.

Oh decisions, decisions, decisions!

And I haven’t considered the party favors.

And all this for just his school bash! Family & friends wise… I really haven’t thought it through.

Well, a couple more days to try to discuss with my little birthday boy, and hopefully come up with some answers!

My Christmas week has begun!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:15:00 +0000

Very often, my Christmas only begins when, well, it ends. After December 25, to be exact. There are so many things I'd THINK about doing pre-Christmas. Like getting a new hair-do, gel manicures, clothes shopping... And more often than not, I'd be too hard-pressed for time to actually get it done before the 25th.

Which explains why I am only doing my hair on December 26.

As in, right now.

At this moment.

In the hair salon.

Which my hair wrapped in shiny aluminum foil. And painted. Not a pretty picture. Which is why I am not putting any! Hahaha...

Audrey, my hairstylist, has been cutting, snipping, coloring, bleaching, highlighting my hair for, well, ever, it seems! I was first introduced to her by a good friend, Siang, and back in the day, she operated out of her house, where she converted her living room and had 2 chairs. Then the 2 chairs became 4... Then 6... And she converted yet another room. And moved to a "proper" location at POMO centre, and now, a second outlet at Far East Plaza!

And I adore her. For her cut, her ability to bring my lackluster locks to life, and giving me a heart attack, I mean, surprise each time.

A wise Pastor once commented... That when you find that good hairstylist, to not let him or her get away. And I have surely found mine in Audrey!

I even let her snip off my long hair!

THAT is how much I love her, man!

Well, I was (am) bored, but time to get off blogging and fully enjoy my hair experience. See you guys with my new 'do soon!

Now, where did the year go?!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

I remember 2010 well. The year I was pregnant. The year I had so much fun with Jay. The year of loads of work (though that’s hardly new).

But 2011?

I must have entered some kind of alternate universe. Cos I distinctly remember giving birth. And seeing Xavier. And then before I know it…

He’s already 8 months?

EIGHT MONTHS?

I mean, I can’t even call him a baby. He’s more like a toddler. He doesn’t fancy crawling, preferring instead to wiggle and flip his way to the object of his desire, or flashing those huge peepers of his at the nearest available victim to carry him to what he wants.

He still adores his older brother, giving the shy smile every time Jayvon comes near, and breaking out into adorable peals of laughter at his brother’s antics (which are a-plenty!).

Xavier also enjoys *trying* to stand on his own two feet, and shuffling excitedly, so I see some walking in his near future. Haha! He also tries to “talk” to us, pursing his lips, and making funny baby noises, so we also foresee some yakking in the future!

With Jayvon, I think the constant sleep deprivation (waking up every two or three hours for 18 months does this) made me LIVE each day and FEEL each day that much more. And the fact that Xavier is a poster-baby by the very fact he was sleeping through the night before he turned five weeks old (from 8.30 p.m. to morning!) probably allowed me time-off.

What an awesome privilege it is to his Mummy. And I thank God everyday for this precious gift!

While 2011 has slipped past me thus far, I hope to enjoy 2012 more! Hahaha!

An afternoon of art!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Remember the free art workshop giveaway I had a while back?

Justyn was the chosen one, and boy-o-boy we were excited for Monday to come! Justyn’s mummy decided to sign the boys up for Deco My Tree – where the kids would get to make their own Christmas tree decoration!

Jay was used to the WowArt Studio, having had lessons there for the past 2 months, and it didn’t take him long to get to his (usual) cheeky self! Justyn, on the other hand, in an unfamiliar and new environment took a little longer.

But the boys soon got down to it!

Using moldable clay, they formed their Christmas ornament, and then proceeded to draw and paint on it!

This gorgeous purple star is Justyn’s final masterpiece!

And this is my son’s masterpiece!

The boys happily showing off their masterpieces. If it is tough getting ONE boy to pose for the camera, it is worse trying to get both to simultaneously do so. And to SMILE? It’s like codeword for make monkey faces!

The WowArt Holiday Workshops are still underway – so there’s still time to sign your kid up for it! :)

Disney Junior’s latest offering – for grown ups!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

One of my first few blogging assignments (after the tiring last few weeks) was a yummy one – a lunch at La Nonna’s, with some other parent bloggers, to celebrate the launch of a new microsite called “For Grown Ups” (http://www.disneyjunior-asia.com/grown-ups/) on December 10, 2011!

This came at such an opportune time – cos the site offers guides on how to create Disney-themed parties! Is your kid a Jake & the Neverland Pirates fan? Or perhaps princesses are more her thing? This site offers simple enough recipes (even for the culinary-challenged like myself) and also decorations to match the theme!

The restaurant was also decorated, and we all felt like slanging “Aye, matey” ever so often. Haha!

From party hats, to treasures, to gold doubloons… as Mai of Disney Channels SEA showed us the new microsite, I kept thinking…

This time last year, my plans for Jay’s birthday party was already well underway! But now? *Cue the hair-pulling!*

Like I said, good timing this meeting!

Good food, excellent company, and more importantly – a great reminder for me to start preparing for Jay’s 4th birthday come January! (I even *ahem* took back the paper wand, cos it seemed a little too tough for me! Haha!)

If you need some party help, hop on over to Disney Junior’s “For Grown Ups” microsite!