SANses

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!

Some blog posts are hard to title

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:11:00 +0000

I wanted to go with “I’m back!!!” … and thought, “Nah, too cliched.”

Then I thought of “Of beaches and…” and my brain froze a little as I continued to stone in front of the CSI playing on my TV.

And so I was gonna title this post “I hate hospitals, those blood-sucking…” and decided to hold my peace.

I can hardly believe my last “proper” blog entry was some almost a month back. Oh. My. Gosh. I hardly know where to start in updating where I’ve buried myself the past many, maaaaany days. Truth be told, the fatigue has also gotten to me.

Well, one week of my life can be explained in this montage…

The whole family (yes… with both kids!) was away to Bintan and then Batam for seven whole days! It was awesome – as we were satiated body (glorious, glorious Indonesian fare), spirit (we were so enriched attending the various sessions with the Pastors) and soul (I managed to sneak in an hour-long massage towards to end of the Retreat! Woohoo!)

It was as awesome as it was humongously tiring! I was on the planning committee for both Retreats, so this meant Daddy had to take care of the kiddos…

Which probably exacerbated his flu condition. And by the 6th night, he was down with a high, persistent fever that refused to go away even after he took some medicine for it. And once we finally made it back to Singapore soil, and once the kids & I were settled at home, Nic went to the A&E of Changi General Hospital – just to check out what was the matter. And he was promptly admitted. Which goes to show, the fun times just don’t end. Haha!

I went to see him the next morning. And here, I must first state that I have the highest respect for doctors, nurses and hospitals. But the ward that Nic was in coupled with the fact he told me the trainee doctor who attended to him tried, unsuccessfully, 5 times to jab him with the antibiotics drip was probably the last straw – and thank God for awesome, resourceful friends. Even on his off day, Kenneth came by to help me transfer Nic to Mount Elizabeth hospital, and got a recommendation for respiratory specialist to attend to Nic.

Well, he stayed a total of three days, chalking up a pretty huge bill, but thankfully now, he is okay.

Thanks all, for your prayers, support… and understanding! :)

Blog paused

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:10:00 +0000

It’s probably been the longest since my last blog entry, and boy – as much as I’ve missed BLOGging, I’ve also been so BOGged down with work, work and as cliched as it sounds… more work!

I am now typing this from the sunny Batam – in two back-to-back Retreats.While I’d ordinarily be happy at the chance to not work, and bask in the sun, the truth is that with me being on the working committee of both Retreats, it means a whole lotta hard work, and non-sun-basking! Hahaha!

Well, I will be back on Sunday, and I look forward to seeing my little baby boy who’s now (hopefully) in the very good hands of my mother. May his good sleeping habits be untainted, and his behaviour not TOO spoilt! Haha!

See you guys soon as well!

Colbar - off the beaten track

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Nic first went to Colbar months back, with his church friends, and has been raving about this place to me. Oh the good food, the wide variety of beer, the relaxed atmosphere, the beer… and did I mention the beer? Haha!

I’m not a beer-drinker. Never could stomach that bitter taste! But hey, since it was our wedding anniversary, I figured what better day to let Nic enjoy a good meal?

A bungalow. Located off the beaten track. Cement floors. Ceiling fans. Mismatched tables with various plastic chairs.

And yet there is that certain charm to the place. Kampung charm.

And we reached early, so managed to snag a table, and by the time it was just past 7 p.m., the place was really getting full. Expats, locals, the old, the young, the wanna-be-young. Quite a large demography of people in the place.

Nic loves the wide selection of beer, and while this bottle was a random choice out of the fridge, he loved it!

Food-wise while it didn’t sing, it was good, hearty, home-cooked fair!

We ordered the Chicken Curry. Curry reminded me a little of japanese curry (with the tinge of sweetness). Tender chicken!

Hainanese pork chops! Loved-loved-loved this dish. If you make your way here, don’t forget to try this. The deep fried pork chop retained its juiciness. And the bits of deep-fried potato hit the spot! Comfort food for me!

Nic also ordered the Marmite Sandwich – his childhood favourite! I am not particularly partial to the saltiness of Marmite, so I wouldn’t say this is my favourite thing, but well… Nic loved it!

Non-airconditioned place. And I never thought I could say this of any alfresco dining area in humid Singapore, but it was a cooling dinner!

Tip if you plan to eat there: They don’t accept reservations, so make sure you reach by 6.45 latest to book your seat!

Colbar (short for Colonial Bar)
9A Whitchurch Road, Wessex Estate

Just the two of us

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:32:00 +0000

As parents, sometimes we need a break. A break from the kids, the cleaning up, the washing up, the feeding, the kiddish chit-chat… And what better excuse can we have than our wedding anniversary? The day we drink a cup of coffee an reminisce the days of when we were before they came about. Hahaha!

Well, we decided to ~~dump~~ set aside our work for the day and left our boys behind, and spent the day relaxing and spending some time together!

Our first stop was this idyllic and calm location…

Located at the Chinese Swimming Club, we enjoyed an hour-long traditional Chinese massage at the FIL Spa. It’s been too long since my last massage, and this reminded me to make a more regular appointment!

We planned to proceed to House at Dempsey to try their high-tea but alas! The manager advised us to try to walk in at 2.45 p.m. as the reservations were already full, but by the time we reached it was too late. No yummy vintage tea party! Sigh… We settled at Jones The Grocer’s for some chow before the movie.

The hugest scone I have even seen. Bigger than my palm, and it smelt and tasted divine, especially paired with the creamy butter and sweet jam.

Nic tried the beef pie, which was pleasant enough for a small bite.

We enjoyed the slow pace of life. Not having to eyeball my active almost-four-year-old. All. The. Time. Nor having to entertain my baby boy. Or having to feed them. Or having to gulp my meals down whenever I was with them. Or the grains of rice or strands of noodles splayed all over the table.

Yes. Life without kids.

We’d almost forgotten how that was like.

Today was a good day, and a good reminder!

We were, before they came about. :)

Oh, and don’t forget – the Art Holiday Workshop giveaway ends this Sunday! So if you haven’t participated, do go over now!

Potty training tips

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:24:00 +0000

In ~~some~~ ~~most~~ certain parenting matters, I take a pretty laid-back attitude.

And when it came to potty training Jay, this showed up my ~~laziness~~ laid-back-ness like you wouldn’t believe.

First off… I decided I wouldn’t do it.

Try to toilet train Jay, I mean.

Cos I figured, as a full-time working mom, I hardly had time to spend with him at home. Much less what to spend it cleaning up pee.

Of course there were the half-hearted attempts. I got a potty for him. Encouraged him to tell me when he felt to “urge” to go. And continued stocking up on the disposable diapers and contributing to the landfill situation.

But then… I also left to him. And the childcare centre I plonk good money each month to help me with this.

So to all you parents struggling over the potty issue, here’s my little list to help you out.

Don’t worry. Kids will eventually learn. Sure it might take a while, but they will get there, and you won’t grow frustrated at them. Haha!
Don’t worry. They won’t go to college in diapers.
Don’t worry. (Just in case you didn’t get it the first two times)

But the clincher and impetus for Jay to finally ditch those diapers?

The arrival of his baby brother! Haha… I think seeing us buying those cloth diapers for Xavier was the “final straw” for Jay, and he quickly wised up to using the toilet like a “big boy.”

Linked up with lovelinks once again! ;)

Bonding over some stars

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:44:00 +0000

Now that Xavier has entered into his seventh month and always giving us the hungrrrrry look whenever he spots us eating, I decided to introduce him to one of Jayvon’s favourite snacks – the Gerber’s star-shaped puffs!

See the anticipation all over his face?

Jay also decided to rediscover his love for these puffs and quickly polished off more than half of this bottle.

Xav was “fighting” for it every step of the way.

But there is the advantage of being the older (and more mobile) brother, as Jay decided to sit on the sofa (and further out of his baby brother’s reach).

But all in all, both had their fair share of the puffs, as refereed by Mummy.

Holiday Art Workshops – and a giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Wondering how to occupy your kid during the upcoming November/December school holidays?

Here’s an idea for you!

WOWArt Studios are organizing a series of holiday programs for the little ones, aged 2.5 to 12 years old. They have full-day camps, workshops as well as special Kids on Canvas programs.

Kids on Canvas are for the 4-12 year olds, and this class is a 2.5-hour session that exposes the kid to a different artist, and introduces them to a variety of form, techniques and application of colouring medium on canvas, to adapt to the styles of the featured artists. Some of the artist’s works to be featured include…

Henri Rousseau’s Jungle

Claude Monet’s Sunset

Gorgeous artwork, and I think the kids will have a blast at this.

The Wow! camps are 1- or 2-day full camps, organized from 10 a.m. to 5.15 p.m, and covers a variety of themes like “Swim with Me” and “Garden Joy” – where the kids are even taken to the Botanic Gardens! They are also suitable for the 4-12 year olds.

The Wow! workshops are for the younger children, aged 2.5-4 years old – right up Jay’s alley! Workshops are highly varied as well, from batik painting, to book making … & even Chinese scroll painting!

If you register for any of the holiday programs before 20 November, you can also enjoy a 5% discount! More details & class schedule on WOWArt’s facebook page.

But the good news…

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!

I will be bringing Jay for his session on either December 12 or 18 (Monday), and classes are 45 minutes each, with slots in the morning or afternoon.

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

“Like” my newly set-up 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 & 4 years old)

You should also be free on either December 12 or 18 – I will also leave it to you to pick the class on either of these days!

This giveaway ends on Sunday, 13 November 2011, 2359 hours, and the winner will be announced after that!

UPDATE (14 NOV):

After a roll of the random.org dice, the winner’s been picked!

Congrats to Valerie! Will drop you an email shortly!

First time to the chiropractor!

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Thanks to Kirolounge, we were invited to their special Mission Day.

Aching backs and sore arms are probably ~~the perils~~ part-and-parcel of parenthood, especially with ~~fat~~ ~~chubby~~ bouncy babies like I have.

(Pst, picture above is Jay, and below is Xav – my 2 gorgeous princes.)

I seriously had to go to see a Chinese sinseh to cure a sprained thumb when Jay was a mere three-month-old babe. And since then, I have trained up my biceps considerably as well. Hahaha! But together with stronger arms comes a weaker and aching back.

And so Nic & I trooped over to Kirolounge.

It was their Mission Day, and they offered free adjustments to all, for a donation of $30, of which the entire proceeds will go to the Singapore Children’s Society & the Lotus Circle International (going towards helping the poor and needy).

I must admit, I almost chickened out.

I know I am a mother of two. But seriously, my threshold of pain is loooow, and the bed looked like some weird painful new-age contraption.

And so I told Nic I wanted to go first. Lest when I see what he goes through, I decide to back out. Nic was pretty expectant on what to expect though! Hahaha! But before we went on to the adjustment, Tiffany did a quick intro on Kirolounge, and what we can expect.

We were then introduced to Dr. Brian, who quickly put us me at ease by explaining how the adjustment would work, and promised a pain-free process.

I must say, it was a tad disconcerting to hear some bones crack. Haha! But the good doctor was true to his word – and there was no pain felt! Dr. Brian said my back was pretty okay (hurray!) though there are some “sore spots” in my shoulder area.

Then it was Nic’s turn!

What a fun first experience at the chiropractor!

We made another appointment in a week’s time, to go back for a more detailed analysis, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the doctor’ll say.

You can check out Kirolounge’s webpage for more information on them.

Kirolounge
Address: 470 North Bridge Road, North Bridge Commercial Complex, #03-12
Tel: 6336 3738

“I saw like-real dinosaurs!”

noreply@blogger.com (San) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Courtesy of the good folks at the Singapore Science Centre, we were invited to visit the Science Centre for an afternoon of fun! After the last time where I flaunted my less-than-impressive science knowledge, I knew that the next time round, Daddy had to come along too. Thankfully he managed to get some time off, so off we went! Reaching the Science Centre, we were greeted with this sight…

… a HUGE dinosaur exhibit!

It was huge, and even moved and had sound effects. Rawrr… Boded well for the rest of the afternoon.

The afternoon’s agenda first involved a movie at the ever-awesome Omni-Theatre. It was their latest movie offering – Flying Monsters, where Sir David Attenborough brings us through the world of the pterosaurs and how they have grown and “evolved” over years. It proved a bit too “heavy” for Jay though, and the thing he enjoyed most was the breathtaking views of the flying lizards.

We then were invited for a 20-minute media preview of a new collaboration between Make*Believe & the Science Centre, and together with Joey, Jay wandered around the various exhibits.

But… the highlight was definitely getting our hands on this.

The Dinosaurs Live! show, which just opened at the Science Centre, and will continue till 26 February 2012. We saw dinosaurs of every size and shape, which moved and roared!

Jay even got his hands dirty, by learning how to dig on a “archaeological” dig site!

Well, he was burying more than digging, but anything that quietly occupies him for 15 minutes gets an A++ from me!

When we reached home, the first thing Jay excitedly exclaimed to our helper was…

“I just went Science Centre, and I saw like-real dinosaurs!”

And I think that pretty much sums it up!

Go to this webpage to find out more about the Dinosaurs Live! exhibit, such as the opening hours, and entry charges!