The plan was to spend the entire day at the Singapore Science Centre, going through the Human Body Experience again, and enjoying the Back to the Moon for Good show at the Omni-Theatre. And after all that, we'd end the day at the awesome water play area that the kids really love. What a fantastic plan it was!

Unfortunately, while half of the 5.5 million people in Singapore were camped out somewhere centrally trying to watch the Black Knights' aerial display, the other half shared the same fantastic idea as us.

Thankfully, we had the kids' swimsuits so we made the quick decision to jump into a cab and headed for Jurong Bird Park. There, thanks to our Feather Friends membership, we bypassed the crowds and headed straight into the Birdz of Play area. This is something we wouldn't typically do (head to the Bird Park just for this) but because we've pretty much utilised our membership, we were happy to go to the Bird Park without actually looking at any birds.

This worked out well - the kids had fun, the husband and I were able to smile and have a real conversation (mostly about 'haha what a bad start to the morning but look at us now all having fun') while keeping an eye out for the kids. It was good.

Until it started to drizzle. Slightly. So we let the kids continue to play.

And then the rain grew bigger. And bigger. And bigger. And so we had to shepard 2 very disappointed children into the shower area (which, as my 7-year old pointed out, was a very big shower cubicle - you can see we've been to our share of water play areas and their respective shower areas). And when we emerged, we were greeted with a white sheet of rain.

The start of the long weekend and there we were, stranded at the toilet of Jurong Bird Park.

But this isn't where the story ends. In fact, this is just where it begins. It begins with kindness like we'd never experienced. 2 Bird Park staff offered us umbrellas while they got drenched in the rain. The umbrellas got us to the cafe (which only sold ice cream) where we waited indefinitely for the rain to stop. But at least we were dry. And then these two guys said that they had arranged for a tram to bring anyone who wanted back to the entrance/exit - these tram rides are usually chargable at $5 per adult and $3 per child.

At the taxi queue, everyone (including our kids) was civilised and well behaved despite the pouring rain. Lunch was uneventful and the rain had stopped so at least our spirits were lifted knowing that we could walk home from the MRT station without getting wet. But it was not to be.

We got out from the station only to be greeted by.... you guessed it. Rain. And not a little drizzle either.

So it was back into a shopping mall we went. Which incidently was under heavy renovation. As in only 5 tenants remained. Thankfully one of them was a food court and the kids got a hot Milo and we all had fruit.

But it was at this exact moment, looking at my family laughing and sharing a simple snack together, being happy amidst the day's crazy happenings, that I felt so truly blessed. I knew then at that very moment that I could not choose any better people to spend my crazy days with.

We live a walkable distance from the train station, but because of the rain, we decided to take the bus. And at the bus stop, a stranger laid out a sheet of newspaper on the wet bus stop seats, and gestured to our little ones, asking them to sit. There I was, already feeling incredibly blessed, but this stranger's gesture touched me beyond belief.

The rain was still going on strong so my husband stayed with the kids under shelter while I ran home in the rain to get umbrellas for them. And while I was at it, I grabbed their rain coats and boots so that they could play in the rain.

Because as the saying goes, life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, but dancing in the rain, isn't it? And if anything today's happenings have taught me, it is to appreciate the little things that we have. Because the days can get crazy, but we all need people to enjoy the crazyness with.

Happy crazy long weekend to you :)

As a little girl, my late grandmother stayed 5 minutes away from where I currently live. We used to drive past this estate and I would peep into the homes, wondering who lived here in these beautiful units.

This home welcomed us as a newly married couple, excited at moving into our first real home after 2 years of living in a rental flat. It was here that we threw our heart and soul into decorating. Of course, it helped greatly that we were DINKs, and that I was then working at IKEA. Over the years, the look of our living room changed greatly. Gone are the mocha walls that we once thought would create a cozy feel. Here to stay are our white walls that brighten everything up (I share more on that here).



We love how our living room is the place where we can all congregate together, but yet is also a place where we can be ourselves individually. It's where our firstborn flops on the sofa before getting ready for the school bus. It's where I read at night. It's where our little one plays pick-up-sticks. It's where the kids play with their train tracks or Lego blocks. It's where my husband (sometimes not so willingly) massages my feet. It is our family room, and I share more about it here.





Over the years, the dining table has remained. Our lovely find from the AS-IS section at IKEA. It's large enough to accomodate my family when they visit for dinner (that's 10-12 of us seated at the table!), and cosy enough for our intimate home-cooked meals at home every evening. It's also where Max and I work on our laptops at night after the kids have gone to bed.

This is where we have coffee, spill juice, remind children to eat, drag chairs, let kids set and wipe the table, put dish after dish after dish of homecooked goodness, and create reading forts under the table. We eat here, play card games here, the kids paint and craft here, we read here, and there's always a chase-around-the-table competition going on in the evenings.



When we first moved in, we had no idea what to do with our spare bedroom. Today, it is our kids' room, and we've tried our best to make it welcoming for them. There are pictures of them around, and they are surrounded by things that they love. Thousands of forward rolls have been done here, as part of the gym classes our kids make us take part in.

This is where we read book after book and tell story after story each night before bedtime. It's where they shoo us out, giggling, and emerge ten minutes later, shoulders draped with blankets, and crowns on their heads. This is also where we drag mattresses to on weekends for 'camping'.





As a young couple, we decided to paint our bedroom a deep red. We wanted a dramatic bedroom. Romance! Romance! Dark flooring, dark walls... today I would have chosen a lighter colour. But who could complain about a four-poster bed and a walk-in wardrobe? Surely not I.

This is where both our kids as babies slept, in their cots, at the foot of our bed. Today the cot is gone and it is replaced by children with train tracks. Today it is a favourite hide-and-seek spot. Today, children play at being firemen by sliding down our bed posters. This is where, at one point, we tried to put a work table to work. It ended up being a nice little place to throw computer bags and other work stuff. So I suppose it served its purpose as a 'work table'.


The kitchen is probably my second favourite room in the house. It's where I cook meals that I know are nutritious for my family. It's where, in the mornings, I can put the radio on and prepare meals undisturbed. It's where we do the laundry, and hang bamboo pole after bamboo pole out into the sun. This is where the kids sometimes play with their sensory bins when I walk around them, keeping chopped carrots and potato peels out of their way.

This is the room where we work the hardest, yet it is also the room that serves to remind us of how lucky we are - How lucky we are to have laundry to do, because it means we have a home full of people. How lucky we are to have a full sink, because it means we have had nutritious meals to eat.

This house, it is the place where we've taken numerous photos starting with the ones of our kids as newborns at the front door. It's where we've loved, fought, laughed, cried. This is the only home that our children have known. Where we've hosted our kids' birthday parties. Where my former colleagues hid under the table to throw me a surprise pre-birth party with the dishes I'd been craving for.

This has been a lovely place to live and it's strange welcoming people into our home for viewing sessions. It's almost like we're betraying it. But, like hermit crabs, we have outgrown this shell, and it's time to move into a bigger one. We've had wonderful memories here, and look forward to creating many more in our new home.

If you know anyone who's interested to move into the lovely Tiong Bahru estate, our home is still up for sale, and more information can be found here.

All images have been taken with permission from our real estate agent.

For starters, I must clarify that I am no art expert. Not an artist in any way either. I'm not even good at painting. Just a mama who's been vaguely interested in Vincent Van Gogh's work, owns a Starry Night reprint, and wanting to share that interest with her little ones.

To begin with, my knowledge of Van Gogh was probably as much as every other average person - of Starry Starry Nights, Sunflowers and cut ears. But as I researched more and more about him, the more intruiged I got. So I put all this info into bite sized nuggets for my kids, into a Powerpoint presentation. Powerpoint presentations have taken over lapbooks in terms of popularity!



In the slides, we covered:
- Who was Vincent? : About his family (he was named after a stillborn brother! As well as his grandfather! So in the Van Gogh family, there were many Vincents!), how he was a self-taught artist who was to be a priest, who he was friends with, his close relations with his brother. How he only managed to sell 1 painting in his life, and that frustrated him so much!



- His style : How he often used colours that reflected his mood rather than the actual colours (So I asked them to guess how he was feeling when he painted each painting)



- Some of his famous paintings in detail : I suppose you could call this the 'art appreciation' part! We talked about Sunflowers, Bedroom in Arles (I asked them to compare his painting to a picture of his actual bedroom and if they thought his painting depicted the actual room well), The Starry Night, Night Cafe, Starry Night Over the Rhone, Van Gogh's Chair, The Cafe Terrace at Night, and The Potato Eaters (for the last painting, we talked about how sometimes we do things that are not typically 'us', but just to fit in, as Van Gogh did, in an effort to sell his paintings)

- His competitors : Actually we only talked about Paul Gauguin, his roommate for a while, and we compared two very interesting paintings by Gauguin and Van Gogh - both artists painted a particular cafe at night and while Van Gogh depicted it as a sad, lonely place, Gauguin showed it to be a lively place that people went to socialise. So we talked about perceptions

- Overview of his paintings : And finally, we looked at about 10 more of his paintings and I asked them which they liked
 



Next, we painted. We all tried our own interpretations of Van Gogh's style. If it isn't clear, we we trying for The Starry Night :) I love how Poppy managed to capture the wind!

We had the video of "How to paint like Van Gogh" on repeat while we painted - This gave us an idea of how Van Gogh painted, but we kept it looping because Poppy liked the music. And indeed, why paint when not accompanied by soft soothing music! Why, indeed!



Seldom does my husband get involved in our homelearning efforts, but this time, he pitched in to share a snippet from an old Doctor Who episode, one that involved Van Gogh, depicting a scene where he was brought to a Paris art gallery displaying his work (Van Gogh Visits Museum video). It's a 4-minute long video, and I must say I think the casting for Van Gogh was brilliant!


Katie and the Sunflowers by James Mayhew
Katie and The Starry Night by James Mayhew
Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt
Van Gogh and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt
Vincent Van Gogh: Sunflowers and Swirly Stars by Joan Holub
The Van Gogh Cafe by Cynthia Rylant
Vincent Van Gogh by Iain Zaczek

I hope you'll enjoy learning about Van Gogh as much as we did! Up next.... Picasso? Monet? Who knows! Happy weekend :)

Disclaimer: We were invited by Village Hotel Changi to review its Play and Stay package. All opinions are our own and completely honest. We appreciate that the hotel has asked for our feedback, both on the things we enjoyed, as well as those we thought could be improved upon.

*****

As you know, we're putting our home up for sale and every weekend, we've been welcoming visitors. We always enjoy having people in our home and talking to them about our lovely estate, but truth be told, we missed having entire weekends to ourselves.

It was almost as if Village Hotel Changi could read our minds when they invited us to stay for the weekend and try out their Play and Stay promotion. We also reviewed the refurbished Village Hotel Katong last year and had a lovely time so we said yes right away.


We're a family of 4 and usually when we travel, we squeeze into one room. The kids are still small so this arrangement works well for us. Village Hotel Changi was kind enough to give us 2 adjoining rooms, and I'm afraid that now the kids may never want to go back to the days of sharing a room with their parents!

We loved how bright everything was. To us, brightness brings about a sense of freshness. We loved how the rooms were bright enough for those of us who chose to read instead of nap, yet the curtains were dark enough for those of us who chose to take a snooze.

The bright corridors that greeted us were definitely well received. Hotels tend to have such dark gloomy corridors, don't they? But perhaps the downside of this was that while sunlight was allowed in, so was the heat. To the extent that it felt stuffy and because I'm quite sensitive to stuffiness, my trips from room to lobby had to be done really quickly or I would have gotten lightheaded. 


The decent sized bathrooms were a plus! My kids proclaimed they loved the bathroom (and in particular, the bathtub) the most! I'm always put off by those anti slip rubber mats - do I want to look at the bottom of those, where the suction cups are? No I do not.


Fish feeding is a hit with most kids, and ours counted the koi pond on the 6th floor as their second most favourite thing about the hotel. My husband and I however felt that the sucker fish (and there were quite a few) were really not doing their job, judging by the excessive amount of algae in the pond!




We arrived at the hotel with slight runny noses and no swim suits. But that didn't stop us from checking out the hotel's pools. Creek Pool is on the ground floor and it seemed like the only way to access it is through the cafe. The hotel's Saltwater Cafe, where the complimentary breakfast is served, is lovely, but I don't think I want to be part of diners' morning live entertainment!





Up on the 8th floor is an infinity pool. I'm sure it must be a full sensory experience for any kid - splashing in the pool, watching the planes go by, hearing your mother screaming "Don't go near the edge!!!!".





We also enjoyed exploring the Changi area, something which we wouldn't have done typically because it's quite a distance away and we don't drive. Just across the road is the famous Changi Village and all its yums! Cheap and good food anyone?



The package also came with complimentary Hop On Hop Off City Tour which would have been fun for the kids, but while the tour was complimentary, hotel guests have to arrange for transport to the Singapore Flyer (where the tour pick up is) on their own. We didn't go for this, but for guests who are at the hotel for a short stopover might find this useful.

We only stayed for one night so despite being just a bumboat away from Pulau Ubin and the famed Chek Jawa, we decided to leave that for another time. Instead, we made use of the complimentary bicycle rentals and really enjoyed our first family cycling adventure! 





The only major thing that affected our stay was the fire alarm that went off right at the time we were putting the kids to bed. At first, I dismissed it. But when it went on intermittently for a while, I opened the door to listen out for announcements but nothing could be heard from the corridor. I could hear the muffled annoucement through the glass window though, coming from (I believe) the hotel lobby. So I pressed my ear to the window to try to make out what it was. It sounded like a regular "The fire alarm has sounded, please remain calm while we check it out" announcements but I couldn't fall asleep not knowing - to stay in pajamas or not, for starters?

I ended up trying to call the front desk but no one answered. So for the next 40 minutes or so, I tried calling every number listed on the hotel brochure, including the main line. Finally, I got through to the security extention and was told that it was indeed a technical error and that there was no fire. While I'm glad that everything was a-okay, I couldn't help but worry about the contingency plans if hotel guests needed to be contacted in times of emergency.

Nonetheless, we are grateful and thank you for your hospitality, Village Hotel Changi.

We travel a lot on public transport. While it's getting easier as our kids are growing older, still, long distances are tough on them. And - I won't deny it - for us as well. Because of them!

I don't always have 'props' readily available (and we don't like reading/drawing on moving vehicles), so we're getting quite good at our made-up games. In case you find yourself in such a situation, here are some games that we like, that don't require any props.

Note: Please do not even think of starting to sing 99 bottles of beer on the wall. Or teach the kids "The song that never ends". You might just get thrown off the bus.

1. "I'm thinking of a thing"
We take turns thinking about a 'thing', and the other one has to ask questions to find out what it is. To up the challenge, you can limit it to yes/no questions for older kids. Think of a person, a food item, a place, cartoon character.... the possibilities are endless. Great fun, even for adults. Tip: think of funny things. Like "Grandpa's beard".

2. I predict!
This is a fun bus game - predict who the next passenger to board/alight will look like. Will it be a man or a woman? Will he or she wear glasses? Be old or young?


3. The name game
We think of names of people that begin with all the letters of the alphabet. To jazz things up a little, don't always start at the letter A. You could make it harder by only focusing on boys' names or girls' names. But our rule for this is: only English names. Also works for animals. Or occupations.

4. Story continuation
The kids always ask me to tell them stories on the bus, but it's quite tiring for me. So sometimes we compromise - each person tells 2 or 3 lines of a made-up story, and the next one continues, and so forth.

5. Pick a colour 
Each player picks a colour, and count the things around that are of that colour. Also works with shapes, or if you're travelling on the bus, types of vehicles or particular licence plate numbers.

6. Describe a person
We think of an imaginary person. Then we take turns describing this person. Male or female? What's his/her name? Occupation? Age? Funny habits? Where does he/she live? What does he/she like?

7. I spy
This is a classic. Even the 3-year old loves this. But do remind the kids not to point (or laugh at!) at people!

8. Math alive
We played this a while back, my 7-year old and I, when she was starting on her Math journey. We'd think of combinations that add up to 10. So I'd say "3" and she'd have to calculate how many more she'd need to reach 10. Now we're doing multiplications. Possibilities are endless!

9. The letter game
Agree on a letter, and think of all the words that start with that letter. We are strict with this one - variations of the same words are not allowed! (e.g. If one says "lion", then the others are not allowed to say "lions" or "lioness") 

10. Rhyming games
This is great for slightly older kids (our 7-year old loves it but the 3-year old finds it tough). Think of a word and take turns suggesting other words that rhyme with it

11. "I'm going to the moon"
I think the inspiration for this came from a Charlie and Lola book. We start with one person saying "I'm going to the moon, and I'm bringing a _____ (object 1)". The next person says "I'm going to the moon, and I'm bringing a ______ (object 1) and ______ (adds object 2)". So it goes on until one person messes up and forgets.

12. Guess the song
We hum parts of songs and the others have to guess. Could be a TV show theme song (yes, we watch cartoons with our kids), or something really random like "that song that plays at the end of the Puss In Boots roller coaster ride at Universal Studios Singapore".

13. Old school games
Not the Old Maid kind. More like the kind that start off with 'set set set'. Remember? Like "jelly jelly lom jiam pas"? And我家, 我家chyet.

14. Making choices
We pose silly choice questions to the others like "Would you rather be Big Bird or Grover?", "Would you rather have purple hair or 3 arms?", "Would you rather sit on a pineapple or hug a durian?", "Would you rather be stuck in a drink broccoli juice or eat fried socks?". The sillier, the better!

15. Boosting our ego
We think of positive words about each designated family member. For example, "Mama is ... kind, friendly, funny, a good cook, patient". All of which is true, of course.

And the bonus game..... Cheers and chants
Technically this isn't a game, but it's been fun for us to do. Remember the cheers you used to learn in school? Train rides are a great time to impart them to your kids. Change some words to fit your family. For example: "North South East West, tell me tell me who's the best? Gooooooooo Poppy!"

I hope you enjoyed this post. Good luck with your travels!!

You might also like the following posts:
How to go out with kids without going crazy | Grocery shopping activity for kids |

The first time I lived with my husband in Canada, I was so amazed at how his family bothered to sort their trash and how they brought their empty cans and bottles back to the supermarkets for recycling. Shoppers who did that would get a small discount on their purchases - what a great idea! I'd love to see that take place here!


The good thing is that many companies are now recognising that they can make changes to the way they work and make a big positive environmental impact (look at IKEA's sustainability report - you may weep with the amount of effort its putting in). But many companies exist to supply to consumer's demands - that's you and me - so that means that we too have a part to play.


Sometimes people are also turned off by the term 'environmentally-friendly" or "go green". Many, sad to say, are also inflicted with the "let someone else do it" syndrome. There are also misconceptions about being 'eco-friendly' - that it is expensive or inconvenient.

We can't run away from the fact that the state of this planet we live on is far worse than it was when we were born. And much of that is due to human activity. But we can all do something about it, in both big and small ways. In Singapore, we are far behind in many things when it comes to sustainability, but we are getting there not so slowly, and very surely. And with more people on board, the process can only be sped up!

Folks, I'm sharing all this because in the course of my work, I've been exposed to some of this in greater depth. For many of these things, I just didn't know better. But like a disturbing image that you cannot unsee once you have seen, there are some things that you just have to correct once you know you've been doing it wrong, or have the chance to make better. It's not something that's happening 'far away', but right here, in our everyday lives. 

So with that, here are 100 things that you can do almost immediately, to make this world (yours and mine, thank you very much) a better one for all to live in. All of these things are easily doable. Most of them will save you money. Many of them, you're probably doing anyway! None of them will get you called a hippie, nor involve you doing anything remotely silly or embarrassing.

Remember: Small changes can add up to big impacts!

At home in general
1. Turn switches off when not in use - lights, fans, aircon, TV, oven. That saves energy and money

2. Set the aircon temperature to comfortable level. If you're bundling yourself up in winter wear, that's a sign it's too cold.

3. Draw the curtains when your air on is on in the day. Your room will cool faster and your air con will not need to work as hard

4. Service your appliances regularly - it saves money in the long run. Our air con units get serviced twice a year and most times, they are set on 27 degrees, at one bar.

5. Unfinished water from water bottles can be used to water plants or added to the washing machine.

6. Recycle! Toilet rolls and envelopes our junk mail come in can all go into the recycling bag! So can milk cartons and juice cartons (rinse them before) as well as plastic containers that your ta-pao dinner comes in. We have a regular spot in the house where we put all our recyclables and when the bag is full, we bring it down to the recycling bin. Recycling bins are everywhere now! Singapore is aiming to reach the recycling target of 70% by 2030! Source. To be honest, I think we need all the help we can get!

7. Reuse! We try to give everything another use before we throw them out - Cereal boxes make great file organisers, milk and juice cartons work well as plant pots for smaller plants like kitchen herbs, honey jars make great paint brush holders

8. Buy energy saving bulbs. They may cost more but last much longer. 

Housework
9. Do the laundry in full batches

10. If you have babies or young children who like baths in their little plastic tubs, used bath water can be collected and poured in the washing machine

11. Sweep instead of using Magiclean wipes which get thrown away after each use.

In the kitchen
12. Use the water from rinsing vegetables to water plants

13. Label leftovers so that you don't throw out food. Leftover meats can be used in pastas, salads and used to garnish vegetable dishes

14. Plant your own vegetables! If you have a garden, fantastic! If not, you can still plant herbs at the window sill! Plant them straight from seeds, or buy grown plants from Cold Storage or the wet market.

15. Freeze meats in small portions and as flat as possible (instead of in lumps). They'll freeze faster and defrost faster


16. Cook rice in big portions. We always cook double portions so that we can keep half in the fridge for the next meal

17. Save your drink cans from the trash - we put them aside and bring them to the hawker centre. There are always folks there collecting them (they bring them to recycle and get a bit of money from there). If we happen not to meet any, we'll leave them next to a recycling bin, and most times, someone will pick them up.

18. Think about what you want from the fridge before you open the door - leaving the fridge door open for a longer period of time makes the fridge work harder to cool down again

19. Install a thimble in your tap - it regulates the flow of water. Don't have one? Get one for free from PUB here.

20. Use cloth towels instead of paper towels to wipe up spills

21. Start a compost bin - it's really easy, and your food scraps (vegetables only, no meats or bones) will be reused to nourish your plants! You can do it even with very little space - we live in a small 3-room apartment and we have a compost bin. How to create a compost bin for small apartments here or here. Tip: We prefer putting it in an open area rather than enclosed, simply because of our climate - being enclosed can cause smells and smells can bring pests. No plants? I bet your neighbours will appreciate some compost. I promise you: our plants flourish each time we add compost to the soil.

In the bathroom
22.  Take quick showers. I'm in and out in 3 minutes. I try to get my kids to speed-shower too. 750 million people in the world lack access to clean drinking water. It just doesn't seem right that we abuse shower times. Source.

23.  Turn the water off while you soap and shampoo instead of letting the water run. Bet you remember gasping when you learnt that our Prime Minister's childhood home didn't have a shower until 2003 (up till then, it was a scoop and an earthern jar). Source.

24. Brush your teeth using a mug and don't let the water run while you gurgle and rinse.


 
Out and about
25. It's a great city to be carless in! About 3 million people take the bus and train every day. Source. Affordable? Check. Clean? Check. Reliable? I'd say check (comparing to other countries), but you might disagree.

26. Bring your own water bottle so that you won't have to buy bottled water. Refill anywhere - Tap water is ok to drink in Singapore!

27. Bring your own container (tingkats, anyone?) when you 'tapao' food from eateries. Don't be shy to pack leftovers either.

28. Use reusable plates and cups on picnics. We like IKEA's affordable range of children's plastic plates, cups and cutlery. Designate a colour per person!

29. Skip coffee stirrers at coffee joints; use the spoon instead.

30. If you bring your lunch to work, use a reusable container instead of a disposable one


If you drive - More fuel saving tips here.
Vehicle owners - There are about 1 million cars in Singapore! Source. 
31. Don't leave your car idle while waiting - turn the engine off. You won't waste fuel and the air will be cleaner around


32. Service your car regularly - faulty items can affect fuel consumption!


33. Remove unnecessary items from your trunk so you won't have excess weight (which leads to higher fuel consumption)


34. Use your GPS instead of driving around saying "But I know the way!"


35. Hybrid cars aren't widely available in Singapore, but you can still rent one when you travel!


Purchase decisions
36. Bring your own bag when you go marketing. The plastic bags from the fishmonger, pork seller and chicken guy are probably going to be wet and never reused or recycled anyway.


37. Buy bigger packs of necessities to cut down on packaging wastage. For example, buy 1-litre packs of fruit juice instead of a set of 6 small packs. Buy a 5kg pack of rice instead of a 1kg one. Can't carry it all? Online shopping helps! Honestbee offers a reasonable rate!


38. Don't be afraid to buy second hand stuff. Hock Siong sells reasonably priced second hand furniture and you can get some steals from the Salvation Army thrift shop

39. Reduce! Reduce the number of things you buy - The less we buy, the less packaging we'll have to throw. 

40. Buy refills. Pens, detergents, shampoos, shower gels.

41. Buy local - it travels less to get to you. Less travel means less fumes and carbon emissions from the transport it could have had to take. We may not have many farms in Singapore, but you can get a decent range of vegetables from Singapore and Malaysia at NTUC Fairprice.

42. Buy rechargable stuff. Like batteries.

43. Buy used books - Bras Besar Complex has lots of second-hand book store, and the National Library Board holds a book fair annually (it just passed! I got 25 books at $2 each!)


Office / home office - for more ideas on how to make your office eco-friendly, see Project Eco-Office, an initiative by the Singapore Environment Council.

44. Use paper on both sides. We keep junk mail for the kids to scribble on


45.  Go paperless - switch to paperless bills. Opt for e-tickets or mobile tickets for shows and even plane tickets (that way you also won't have to worry about losing them). Read the news online.

46. Turn your computers completely off (not just put them on sleep mode) for the night and save energy. Office folks, are you guilty of this?

47. Set computers to sleep mode if inactive after half an hour

48. Before you print, think: Do you really need to print it? Is it just going to be filed away, never to be seen again? Need to share documents? Use Google Docs instead! And if you really do, print on both sides. When printing PowerPoint slides, opt for printing more slides on a page.

49. Use paper clips instead of staplers - paper clips are reusable and recyclable, stapler bullets/wires are not. And hey, there are also stapleless staplers!


Involving the kids
50. Start reading books about the environment, pollution, recycling, Earth Day and eco-consciousness to them to raise their awareness.

51. Use items from the recycling bag to create crafts. 

52. Make recycling a way of life and get them involved. It's really nice hearing your 3-year old tell you "That goes in the recycling bin!"

53. TV always appeals to kids - Watch "The Lorax"!


Miscellaneous
54. Donate old clothes or do a clothing swap with friends.
In fact, you can just about donate anything. Check out Pass It On - you can see what various underprivileged families need and donate your preloved things to them.

55. Use recycled paper instead of wrapping paper for presents.

56. Cancel junk mail

57. Make use of social media - "Follow" a well-known celebrity who's openly eco-conscious; who knows, you might feel motivated to do more! (Jennifer Aniston takes 2-minute showers and brushes her teeth in the shower!)

58. Borrow. If there's something that you need but will only use once or for a limited period of time, ask around if someone can lend it to you temporarily.

59. Quit annual planners and calenders - we have all these functions on our phones anyway

60. Tell someone about any one (or more) of these tips and get them to change to! The more, the merrier!

******

Disclaimer: References to IKEA are genuine and unsponsored, but slightly influenced by the period when Writer was employed at IKEA. Writer is a regular person with a regular job with regular kids and is married to Captain Planet.

 
There are hotels that set aside specific areas that cater to kids, and there are hotels like LEGOLAND® Hotel Malaysia that are built for kids, where kids are allowed to be kids at every and any part of the hotel. When it comes to choosing a child-friendly hotel, you absolutely cannot go wrong with LEGOLAND® Hotel Malaysia.

Sometimes a fun day at a theme park can end quite abruptly - the magic stops when you hop off your last ride, wave goodbye to the characters and step out of the park with the upbeat music fading away. The wonderful thing about staying at LEGOLAND® Hotel Malaysia is that our LEGO® adventure didn't end when we left LEGOLAND®. Instead, it simply continued.

All the way from dancing in the elevators, to playing at the reception area, and right in our own rooms. We enjoyed two days at LEGOLAND® with a night's stay at LEGOLAND® Hotel wedged in between, and throughout that entire period, the kids behaved like they were on a sugar high. And with all the fun things happening at every turn, it's not hard to understand why.

See that lift? Cute? Yes. Totally awesome disco complete with disco lights and music? Oh yeah. And each time Mama jumped into the lift, Mama was singin' and dancin' and movin' to the groovin'. Disclaimer: After a few occasions in the lift, your kids might consider disowning you. Especially if you have tweens or teens. 

 
We arrived early with the intention to deposit our luggage and head out immediately to play so the late check-in time of 4pm did not bother us (we eventually checked in at 7pm, after dinner and a full day at LEGOLAND®!) But for those of you who intend to play only on your second day, you might want to take note of this.

BUT.

You'd be mistaken if you were to think that LEGOLAND® Hotel were to leave you in the lurch, waiting indefinitely with cranky kids. Oh no, my friend. No no no no no. Quite the opposite, actually. You see this? It's the reception area. Where your kids will probably want to stay at forever.










And not too far away, is this. Where you can build a life-sized house, or play with regular DUPLO® blocks, or hold dance competitions with the Xbox 360 Kinetic. And if you're lucky, you'll catch a LEGO® character or two on his rounds.




LEGOLAND® Hotel has a total of 249 guest rooms, each equipped with - are you ready for it? - a separate bedroom for the kids! All the Standard and Premium rooms can take up to 5 people, while the Suites sleep a maximum of 8. We stayed in a Kingdom theme room the kids just went craaaaaaazy the moment we stepped in.

We liked the treasure hunt that was set out for the kids (clues were incorporated into the things found in the room), the bunk beds for kids which meant parents could have the huge king sized bed to themselves, the clever idea of having two sinks in the bathroom (one at a regular height, and another at a lower height), and of course, the tub of LEGO blocks because what would a room at LEGOLAND® Hotel be without LEGO® blocks?











Brickfast (you know what I mean) at BRICKS Family Restaurant was a fun experience for the kids, simply because there were so many fun things to look at. But non-morning folks be warned - the upbeat music in the restaurant isn't set on a low volume.



There are two pools, a baby pool and a slightly bigger one, both with fun foam blocks to play with, but we didn't have time for a splash because we couldn't wait to go for some serious fun nearby.





Our kids are 3 and 7 years old respectively, and like most 3 and 7 year olds, they have Lots. Of. Energy. And a theme park filled with rides (like LEGOLAND®!) is the perfect way for them to bounce off all that energy. If you can tear your kids away from the hotel, LEGOLAND® is just a mere 100 steps away, where - wait for it - LOTS MORE FUN awaits. There are usually special deals for hotel guests when they buy LEGOLAND® park tickets, so watch out for them.






LEGOLAND® Malaysia is a good-sized theme park with something for everyone from adrenelin junkies to leisure park cruisers. It is divided into 6 areas, with rides for big kids as well as attractions for littlier ones in each section. There are over 40 rides spread over 70 acres (to give you an indication of size, Universal Studios Singapore is 49 acres large), and even though we were there over 2 very quiet weekdays, we still didn't manage to go on all of them!



Our family really really enjoyed the two days spent at LEGOLAND®. I think being there on a weekday helped - the entire place was absolutely empty! There were never any queues and it was just so pleasant to walk around and explore at our own pace. The kids were able to go on the rides multiple times and liked most of them. But when asked for their favourites, they've narrowed it down to the following:

The top 5 rides according to Calla, age 3: Dragon's Apprentice, AQUAZONE Wave Racers, Royal Joust, Beetle Bounce and Junior Driving School. 


The top 5 rides according to Poppy, age 7: Project X, The Dragon, Dragon's Apprentice, Driving School, Merlin's Challenge, and though it isn't a ride, the Build and Test.



We really enjoyed ourselves so so much! Thank you LEGOLAND® for inviting us - Poppy still remembers her trip from 3 years ago and I'm sure that both our kids will keep talking about this trip for a long time to come. Thank you for giving us these beautiful memories :)

Disclaimer: Our family received a stay at LEGOLAND® Hotel Malaysia and 2-day combo passes to the LEGOLAND® theme parks for purposes of review. No monetary compensation was involved. All opinions, photos and very tired calves are mine.

  
It's funny because usually when I spend time only with one child, I try to make it a special outing - You know, play, ice cream, fireworks. But having said that, I also enjoy bringing them to non typical kiddy places. And because I was hoping for a quiet morning, Poppy and I hung out at Far East Flora at Queensway.

I didn't grow up much with plants. My late grandmother had a garden but she didn't really plant anything. If I had that same garden today, I would go crazy planting vegetables! Or least try to. These days I've grown quite fond of plants, and I dare say we're seeing more green than brown in the house. Green fingers high five!





 

The weather was perfect for a day at the nursery, and my companion was the perfect nursery browser. Together we laughed at some plant names, ooohed at some really pretty ones, smelt some nice ones and really just had a good time looking around. For those of you who cook, there's a nice section of potted herbs as well.

Poppy was really intruiged by the Venus Fly Traps. Oh yes, you can buy one of those too! Watch out for your fingers though, they looked quite hungry. We just loved that wall of seeds - there were so many to choose from, from flowers to vegetables. And at only 90 cents per pack, it's hard to resist buying them all!









We spent over an hour there and didn't even manage to see everything! We ended up getting some pots ($1.20 for small pots made with recycled plastic, awesome!), a Boston Fern (supposedly an air purifying plant), and lots of seeds. Everything was just so neat and tidy, and fresh and green. It was a really nice way to spend a quiet morning.






Far East Flora is situated just behind McDonald's at Ridout Tea Garden along Queensway, which in my opinion, is the prettiest McDonald's location! I can't wait to go back again. And with a bigger budget :D

We're all getting a little um - how shall I put it such that it doesn't make us sound bad - LAZY.

I blame the haze. I stretch and stretch and stretch my creative cells thinking of all kinds of activities to do with the kids but cabin fever is rough for everyone. And so, the youngins of the house have not complained about being introduced to our childhood favourites like the Smurfs, Star Wars and Inspector Gadget. No, not all in one day.

But I'd say we're doing rather decently, and TV time in comparison, is but a small fraction of the entire day - Yes, I am trying to make myself feel better. But in any case, here are some things we have done at home to keep moving and stay active. Oh yes, we have done them all!

I'd love to hear if you have other fun ideas - let's fight cabin fever together! Down with cabin fever!

Disclaimer: These activities are designed to get participants up and moving. For less streneous activites, check out 10 Art Projects for Kids - the trade off is that while you won't get as sweaty, things will surely get more messy! Your call!


Pillow Sumo
I gave them each a big t-shirt and stuffed pillows in the front and back and made them imitate Sumo wrestlers.They found this absolutely hilarious! On that note, Sumo Rolling is also extremely fun. And funny.

Get on the Dance Floor
As a kid, I badly wanted a Dance Dance Revolution set. Now it's somehow not in production anymore. But the wonderful news is that we've tried out Dance Central on XBox Kinect and wow, we all love it. Don't have a set? No worries - just go on YouTube and search for XBox Kinect Dance Central and you'll see a whole list of dance sets to choose from. Just follow the steps and dance away! Shoo my extra calories, shoo!

Twist and Shout
Here's another game from the past - Twister. Actually all you need is coloured paper stuck onto the floor, and yell out parts of the body followed by a colour. So for example, I would call out "feet on blue!" and "butts on green!"

The Great Singapore Workout
Oh yes, you remember it. Seeing it again filled me with a wave of nostalgia; I remember doing this in my old school field together with hundreds of other schoolmates. Here, knock yourself out with the Great Singapore Workout!

Obstacle Course
Turn the kids' room into a huge obstacle course with things to crawl under, things to balance on, things to jump through, things to climb over and things to cross over! This might take a while to set up but they are bound to enjoy it. I bet you'll give any indoor play gym a run for its money.


Fitness Test
Remember the fitness tests we all had to do in school? I sure do. I modified the activity for the kids and they really enjoyed all the running and jumping. It's so cute that at this age, they still fumble with jumping jacks - it comes so naturally to us but 3 year-olds just can't get it!


The Dancing Newspaper Game
Remember the retro game we used to play at every birthday party? Where every kid was given a sheet of newspaper and told to dance, and jump on the paper when the music stopped? And then the paper would be folded in half each time before the music started again? Guess what? It's time to bring that idea back into the house, yo!

Ballon Up!
Balloons are so much fun. Until they float around half deflated collecting dust around the house. But! They are a lot of fun till then. You can hold a race between the kids - who can get from Point A to B with the balloon wedged between their thighs, or between their elbows. Got only one balloon? No problem - see how long everyone can cooperatively keep the balloon off the floor. Want to up it a notch? Sit and make sure butts stay on the ground while balloon is up in the air! It's not as easy as it sounds!

Gym Class
Squat, turn your head in, and roll, roll, roll! (all you need is a mattress on the floor) Do splits (or try to)! Do cartwheels! Do stretches! Get a long piece of ribbon and twirl!

Disclaimer: My kids have gone through/go through gym classes as part of their weekly curriculum in school. So they are familiar with foward rolls and tumbles. Having said that, I never did any of those things formally but it didn't stop me from holding my own 'gymnastics competitions' when I was 7.

(Kriss Kross will make you) Jump! Jump!
Give kids separate washi tapes. Make them peel an inch off at a time, and take turns trying to paste their individual tapes on a designated vertical surface. Like a wall that you know will not get its paint removed when you take off the tapes. Or a door, but be prepared for it to be noisy! If you like, you can even mark zones according to height and see how many stickers end up at the "red zone" or "blue zone". This is more fun when your kids are about the same height.

Remember, the idea is simply to get up and get active, but most importantly, fun should be on the top of that list. Enjoy!

At the end of a long albeit fun day at LEGOLAND, would you rather rush everyone to the car in an attempt to avoid the traffic jam at the Customs checkpoint? Or would you rather face this?


My point exactly.

After 2 days at LEGOLAND, we were on a theme park high, which was great, but it was wonderful that when fatigue finally set in, it chose to do so at a plush hotel with earthy tones and calming views. In the wise words of Kramer from Seinfeld, "SERENITY NOW!" Serenity now indeed.

The recently re-branded Hotel Jen Puteri Harbour, Johor, has 283 guest rooms, half of which have a lovely view of the harbour. One could easily get used to waking up to a view like this. I really enjoyed sitting by the window and admiring the view, pretending to be rich.






Our Deluxe Harbour View Room had a king sized bed, and a bay seat area which looks small but can accomodate an average adult. But the best part is that it comes with a pull-out so our original room for 2 technically became a room for 4. Awesome.



With its large corridors and full length glass panels aplenty, the hotel gives a very open and airy feel, which is wonderful. Because why have a harbour view and not show it off, right?





The former Traders Hotel used to cater to serious business clients but after its rebranding, it adopted a whole new approach. While families aren't its core target (so no, you won't find playgrounds or kiddy slides or drop-off centres), there were many spots around the hotel and beyond that can keep the little ones busy.

But wait, let's back up a little to the new branding. Back when it was Traders Hotel, I imagine it was like any other hotel of its class, with suit-clad staff and clickity-clackity heels across the hotel lobby. Today everyone dresses down - the bellhops are in polo t-shirts, for instance, and everyone has ditched their suits. Which is totally fine because the hotel wants to set the image of welcome guests as friends, and suits tend not to make people look approachable.

I had a slightly hard time with the whole virtual persona of "Jen" though, after whom the hotel is named. The fact sheet explains that "Jen" is a professional hotelier who loves life, travel and the adventure of new places. And all forms of communication are signed off with that name. I suppose it could have been slightly confusing for someone who hasn't read the description. Or maybe a random businessman could get into trouble with his wife for receiving a note from the mysterious "Jen"? :)

But seriously, I personally feel that while efforts to maintain consistency throughout all forms of communication should be applauded, things like safety instructions feel a little downplayed due to the casual tone of voice.


But that was a small issue, and possibly only with me, and it did not affect our stay at all. So, back to keeping the little ones occupied.

On the roof top, there are 3 pools - the gorgeous infinity pool that overlooks the beautiful harbour, a jacuzzi (my favourite!) and the baby pool - the water is salted so it takes a while to get used to. They're all located side by side and the jacuzzi and baby pools are shallow enough for parents to not be in (perhaps enjoy a drink at the sundeck?) while their kids splash around. But really, why not go into that jacuzzi!






Also up on the roof, is a cute little rooftop garden - it was our favourite way to start our mornings. Before breakfast, we'd make a detour up to the rooftop garden, breathe in the fresh air, and feel all Zen-like before heading down for the feast.





I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love hotel breakfasts. Rolling out of a comfortable bed and strolling to a bright and beautiful cafe where you get to pick from a wide range of food (none of which prepared by you), and not having to wash up after. What's there not to love!









The seafood buffet dinner was possibly the best I've ever had. The spread was amazing. Fresh sashimi in the Japanese corner, lots of barbequed and grilled shellfish (oh that scallop!), assam salmon (not a combination I would think of doing but it was surprisingly yummy!), local delights and a whole bunch of desserts. My kids were of course, head over heels with the chocolate fountain.

The 7 year old initiated the 3 year old to the chocolate dream; their conversation went on like this:

"Calla, first you find your fruit, then you put it on a stick, and put the stick into the fountain. Like this" (and proceeds to slather multiple layers of liquid chocolate over small pieces of fruit)
"But why not just put your bowl there like this!"

Oh... the chocolate force is strong in this one.



Poppy's favourite of the dinner was not the seafood, but the noodle counter. Where, I might add, had no seafood at all. She just enjoyed picking the noodles, asking for soup, watching her meal being prepared, and carrying her bowl back to the table. (Two weeks later I asked what she liked the most about Hotel Jen and she said "The food").






For those who'd like to explore eating out, there's a wide variety of eateries nearby - Sushi King, Kenny Rogers Roasters, Ajisen Ramen, Starbucks, Taiwan Shilin and Savaro. But for the little ones, it's not the variety of food that will impress them, but that the hotel is right across from Little Big Town and Hello Kitty Town, and LEGOLAND is a mere 5-10 minute drive away. For those of you who do not drive, Hotel Jen does provide a shuttle service, but it is in the form of a small van so please let the concierge know in advance.

If you prefer to just hang out in your beautiful spacious room but want some entertainment for your kids, there's a Toys R Us Express right downstairs. I'm sure you can find something helpful.

For this stay, we were looking for peace and quiet, and peace and quiet was what we got. Thank you, Hotel Jen Puteri Harbour, for giving us this opportunity to recharge!


Hotel Jen Puteri Harbour
Address: Persiaran Puteri Selatan, Puteri Harbour, 79000 Nusajaya, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia
Phone: +60 7 560 8888
Website: https://www.hoteljen.com/johor/puteriharbour/

Disclaimer: We received a 3D2N stay with meals, compliments of Hotel Jen Puteri Harbour. All photos and opinions are our own.

Hands up if you're a parent who thinks there are just too many toys in the house! My gut tells me I'm not alone in this one. Toys are great, but to be honest, sometimes they can be quite hit and miss. Not to mention space consuming. We love giving and getting games too, but they can be quite pricey.

So what then to buy? With Christmas around the corner, I thought it might be helpful to put together a list of meaningful gifts to get for a child - no toys or games included!



1. Photo books- Depending on how complex you want this to be, it can be something done relatively quickly, or morph into a huge project. Photo books dedicated to them are always fun to flip through. We like ArtsCow for photo books - prices are reasonable, quality is good, and there's always some promo or other going on!

2. Creativity kit - Encourage creativity by giving a gift of craft supplies. And they needn't be expensive either - You'll be surprised at how many fun things you can get from Popular Bookstore or Daiso. Grab some pompoms, glue, glitter pens, cut-out letters, washi tape (Daiso has some really good quality ones!), a drawing pad, and put them all in a cute plastic case. Voila, a personalised creativity kid - hours of fun in a bag!

3. An outing - Some of our best memories are not of presents, but of the pressence of the ones we love. Bring your kid out for a special day, just you and him, or invite his best friend along too. Throw in a meal and some ice-cream, and there you go, a perfect outing.

Here are some suggestions:
Sporty - Forest Adventure / Trampoline Park / Kayaking / Bowling*
Quiet - Prawning / Mini Golf
Easy - Watch a movie or a play
Girly - Go for a manicure together!
Really tiring - Universal Studios Singapore
For bowling, Orchid Bowl at Chevrons or Kallang Bowl at Kallang Leisure Park are our favourite - they have gutter guards so even the young ones can emerge with a respectable score!

4. Posters - Get them posters with their favourite Star Wars or My Little Pony characters to decorate their walls with. Or look for free versions available online.

5. Membership - This is a gift that has a long shelf life! Sign your kid up for a special membership for something that he likes. The most value-for-money one we have is the Feather Friends annual membership at Jurong Bird Park - $18 for unlimited admission for the year? Yes please and thank you very much! ($28 for adults ain't too bad either)

6. Money - I suppose some might frown upon this, but a gift of $10 with a handwritten note saying "Buy something you like at the stationery shop!" is a dream come true for many kids! (Sidenote: I wouldn't mind this gift myself)

7. Books - Don't know what to choose? Check out some of our favourite authors Todd Parr (for inspiring books), Julia Donaldson (for funny rhyming books), Roald Dahl (for really creative stories). We get our books from Book Depository at good discounts.

8. Subscriptions - All kids love mail, even if it's a bank statement! Imagine their excitement when they receive a magazine every other month. National Geographic Little Kids magazine, Discovery Box as well as Young Scientist magazines are great for Primary School aged kids.

9. Personalised magnets - With a little drawing, and a little time on Microsoft Paint, you can make personalised magnets of your kids. Magnetic sheets work great, but if you can't find any, cardboard plus regular magnets can do the trick as well. Doesn't matter if it doesn't look professionally done - they really won't mind!

Or if you want something more professional looking, Sticky9 turns your Instagram shots into square magnets (I've not tried!).

10. Fun classes - Sign them up for a term of inline skating or a breadmaking session (Jamie's Italian offers a really fun breadmaking session and the bread's yummy too!)! Or perhaps something a bit out of the ordinary, like being a little Zookeeper at the Singapore Zoo?

11. Sports gear - If budget allows, who wouldn't love to have a bicycle or kick scooter!

12. A watch - Get an inexpensive digital watch. Children love hearing the hourly beeps, they love fiddling with the buttons, setting alarms and using the stopwatch. It gives them a sense of independance, and is also very useful for school-going kids. Bras Besar Complex sells standard Casio watches at less than $20 - they are durable and your heart won't ache that badly even if it gets lost.

There you go. 12 gifts for 12 days of Christmas! Happy gift giving :)