Little Red Dot: Day 12 - The Baking Mum

August 11, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Little Red Dot: Day 13 - The Beer Entrepreneur

≪ Previous: Little Red Dot: Day 11 - The Neighbours

In the spirit of National Day, I've "interviewed" 31 people, 1 for each day of the month of August. Some are young, some are young at heart. Some are married, some are not. Some have kids, some are kids. What ties them and us all together is that we are all either Singaporeans, or are living in Singapore.

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

I love so many things about her... her kindness, her sensitivity to others' feelings, her unconditional love towards her family n friends,the level of maturity in handling situations, it's all amazing...!!!

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Little Red Dot: Day 13 - The Beer Entrepreneur

August 12, 2013, 9:53 am

≫ Next: Little Red Dot: Day 15 - The Good Friends

≪ Previous: Little Red Dot: Day 12 - The Baking Mum

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

"Have you noticed there are so many new and different beers in Singapore these days? I think it's a neat reflection of how cosmopolitan and open our people have become - different colours, different ideas and indeed, different flavours. And it's all good."

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Little Red Dot: Day 15 - The Good Friends

August 14, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: NIVEA Body UV Whitening Serum: There is Hope for My Knees After All!

≪ Previous: Little Red Dot: Day 13 - The Beer Entrepreneur

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

"We love hanging out with each other after school."

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NIVEA Body UV Whitening Serum: There is Hope for My Knees After All!

August 14, 2013, 5:30 pm

≫ Next: Little Red Dot: Day 14 - The Mum of Twins

≪ Previous: Little Red Dot: Day 15 - The Good Friends

2 weeks ago I said "I do". To the 14-day Nivea Experience Trial.

I used the NIVEA Body UV Whitening Serum everyday. Fine. Not everyday. Almost everyday. And not so religiously too. But I did use it. Sometimes several times a day even. So to make up for the days that I forgot, I had make-up days. So in total I didn't do 14 consecutive days, but I did 14 days. Ah honesty. The best policy.

So. I applied it on my arms and my legs. I shared in my earlier post that my knees were atrocious. So I paid special attention to them. Presenting, my knees, the "before" edition (and this was actually on a pretty good day, sometimes it's really really bad and peeling and cracking and flaky):

From far, they don't look all that bad. But take a closer look - YIKES! The skin on my knees is bumpy, peeling, sometimes cracked, and what's with the dark pigmentation thing going on!

And here's what they look like after 2 weeks. Not exactly smooth as a baby's bottom but there's an improvement don't you think? (The answer is "Yes - your knees look absolutely gorgeous and by the way, so do you!" Yes, flattery gets you everywhere)

Ta da! Nicer knees! The skin on my knees is visibly lighter (though still of a darker shade compared to the rest of my legs) than before, and it's much smoother too. No longer dry, bumpy and peeling!

Mummy friends, I hear you when you say "Where do I find the time to apply anything when I have 2, 3, 5, 10 kids fighting for my attention!". I hear you, sista, I do. But think about how they're already eating away at your sanity. And your energy level. Those are things that are probably out of your control. But saving your skin is! And it takes no more than a minute each time. Find a special reason to send the kids to the Time Out corner so you can apply your lotion or something. //kidding//

Because I tell ya, sista, mums are forgiving and all that when our kids do all kinds of crazy things. But don't expect age and time to be forgiving to you. Cos they sure won't! //not kidding//

I don't know about you but sometimes after applying lotion (any lotion), and I go out of the house, I feel really hot, like the lotion is somehow sealing up my pores and trapping the heat within my body. Sounds hot? It is. Incredibly. But nope, no problem with this one. Phew. Because I don't mind being a hot mama, but I don't want to be a hot mama, know what I mean?

So I slapped it on and went about my usual chores, most of which involved me being out in the sun. Like bringing Poppy to and from the school bus pick-up point. Like walking out to the market (glamour mama alert!). Like chasing Calla around the estate when we go for walks. Like bringing the kids to the playground.

As a family, we alternate between being outdoorsy and homey. Last weekend happened to be a particularly outdoorsy one.

Sentosa Boardwalk, Friday evening

Henderson Waves on Sunday morning (11am - 1pm. Really clever. Not.)

Other weekend activities: Walking to ballet class (1.15pm) and vandalism (5pm)

NIVEA Body UV Whitening Serum has got all cool ingredients like natural Vitamin C from Camu Camu that's supposed to repair and restore accumulated sundamaged skin cells and lighten dull and dark skin. Also, it's a body whitening serum with SPF25, which offers daily sun protection to prevent sun damage and skin darkening. Wow, prevention and cure. I love, reallly love, that it gets absorbed into my skin super fast, and doesn't leave any sticky residue.

My only wish? That it would come in smaller tubes. So that I can bring it up the plane when I go on holidays. Wait, who am I kidding. There isn't even a holiday plan on the horizon. :( But hey, at least my knees are looking better now. Happy face!

After 14 days of application, my skin feels smoother, looks fairer and more radiant. Yes, radiant. Like Wilbur the pig in Charlotte's Web. And at that price (only $9.55!), it sure is great value for money. And I'll let you in on a secret - these days it's cool, not auntie, to be thrifty.

I'll let you in on another not so secret. Mark your calendars because from 21 July to 15 August 2013, NIVEA is giving away hampers worth S$188 every week! And it's so easy to take part - you'll have to take picttures and load them up on Instagram with the following hashtags: #NiveaSG, #UVWhtSerum, #Sunnyfun and #Sunshine.

(I felt like I was reading from one of those Army recall codes on TV. "TreasureChest". "FlashingLight". "NoMansLand". "SilverCoin". - Am I the only one that thinks those are the most random of phrases?)

So anyway. Pictures of you having fun in the sun! Do it! Tag it! Hope to win it!! Good luck and have fun! In the sun!

Disclaimer: This is the second of two posts as part of a 14-day product experience trial, sponsored by NiveaSG. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions expressed, and skin surfaces tested on, are my own. No rabbits were harmed in the production of this post. Nor pancakes.

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Little Red Dot: Day 14 - The Mum of Twins

August 12, 2013, 9:49 am

≫ Next: Little Red Dot: Day 16 - The Working Mum

≪ Previous: NIVEA Body UV Whitening Serum: There is Hope for My Knees After All!

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

"Being a mum is tiring but when the little ones show how special I am to them through their actions, it just fuels me on"

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Little Red Dot: Day 16 - The Working Mum

August 15, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: The Great Bintan Sale: The Big Picture

≪ Previous: Little Red Dot: Day 14 - The Mum of Twins

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

"I find it amusing how my two young spirited and 'chatterbox' kids always manage to push the wrong buttons of aunties at groceries and uncles of taxis :)"

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The Great Bintan Sale: The Big Picture

August 16, 2013, 7:08 am

≫ Next: The Great Bintan Sale: The Small Picture

≪ Previous: Little Red Dot: Day 16 - The Working Mum

The Great Bintan Sale is here and we were invited by Bintan Resorts to experience the 3D2N Family Fun package.

The Family Fun package officially includes the ferry ride and land transfers, accomodation* for 2 nights for 2 adults and 1 child, complimentary breakfast, 1 complimentary lunch or dinner, a mangrove discovery tour, and an elephant ride (or an elephant show, depending on the day of the week).

Upon arrival at the Bintan ferry terminal, we were greeted with a representative from the hotel holding my name plate and chauffeured in a nice car while most other guests took the large hotel coaches. We were also checked in really quickly at a private desk instead of having to queue and felt very much like celebrities indeed!

We were hosted at the very lovely Banyu Biru Villa (more about that in my next post!). Our activities were planned on our second day, allowing us to spend days of arrival and depature at our own pace, which was nice, because rushing on holidays is a big no-no.

First on the list was the mangrove discovery tour. After the warm welcome we received the day before, we were looking forward to an equally seamless journey to the tour. That unfortunately did not happen. There was no one waiting for us, and nobody at the activity desk seemed to have our booking. Finally after 40 minutes and several rounds of checks, a car arrived for us and brought us out for our tour.

Um, actually, a tour that did not happen. See, we got our life jackets on (yes there were adult sizes and kid sizes and even tiny ones for the baby, which was still too big for her), and boarded the boat, but it rocked quite violently at one point and Poppy kind of freaked out. So we made the split second decision to hop off and waved the other guests goodbye.

On hindsight, I think it was a good call. We may have missed out on seeing snakes all bunched up in tree branches, and the various interesting kinds of tree roots found in mangrove swamps, but I would have had my heart in my mouth the entire time holding the hand of a terrified preschooler, and a 16 month-old in an ill-fitting jacket.

See that little patch of sand in the background? The tide rose in the time we were there, and we managed to see the little 'island' disappear! Awesome nature lesson

So, we hung out at the drop off point and waited for everyone to return, only to find out that the boat would be taking them straight to the lunch venue, and they'd be sent back to the hotel from there. Bummer.

But our kind coordinators arranged to have our lunch packed and brought back to us, and hastily cleared up an area for us to have it. For that, we were very grateful.

I have to say though, that while there were life jackets available, I wasn't too crazy about the idea of these boats and their um, choice of seats. Cute, yes, comfortable, maybe, but safe? I'm not so sure. And as a mum of young kids, safety is always my first concern.

After the boat ride that we did not take (correction, kinda took for all of fifteen seconds), Poppy dropped the bomb - "I don't want to go on the elephant", she declared. Uh oh. Where was this holiday headed!

Thankfully, she came 'round, and after the first couple of minutes, announced, "This isn't scary at all, Mama!" :) Mama, on the other hand, clung on with dear life with one hand on the shoulder of the trainer, and the other arm coiled tightly around child. We were about 2 metres off the ground and that's quite a height to potentially fall from!

The elephant ride took us through the jungle where the elephants ate, trampled on tree brunches, pooped ENORMOUS poops that made Poppy laugh. The ride lasted about 20 minutes, but my butt cramp lasted about 2 days. But, it was an experience :) Even Calla went on this one. According to Max, she asked to go on the elephant. She saw Poppy and I on one, then kept pointing at it and tugged on him so he strapped her on the baby carrier, and up they went. But only for a mini 5-minute ride.

For such a large animal, the elephant certainly is very gentle :) And for SGD $1, you can buy a bag of food to feed the elephants, which we did. I've got to say, being so close to the trunk was a little unnerving for me. It felt very much like I was part of Dr Seuss' Horton Hears a Who movie.

So that's that for now. In my second post, I will share more about the resort we stayed at, and the things that we did that were not part of the package (alot!), so don't change the channel, folks!

******

Enjoy up to 60% off your next Bintan vacation! - Confirm your package from 15 August to 15 September, and travel from before 15 December to enjoy these special deals. Find out more about the available packages at the Bintan Resorts page.

Hook up with Bintan Resorts through Facebook so you won't miss out on any great Bintan offers

Disclaimer: My family was invited to experience the Family Fun package under the Great Bintan Sale. Our trip was sponsored but I am not being compensated to write this post. All opinions, mosquito bites (just 2, thanks for asking) and sunburnt marks are my own.

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The Great Bintan Sale: The Small Picture

August 16, 2013, 9:22 am

≫ Next: Little Red Dot: Day 17 - The Artist

≪ Previous: The Great Bintan Sale: The Big Picture

This is part 2 of a 2-part series on my sponsored trip to Bintan. In part 1, I share our experiences on the activities that come in the Family Fun package.

Banyu Biru Villa is part of the Nirwana Gardens group of hotels (which also includes Nirwana Resort Hotel, Nirwana Beach Club, Mayang Sari Beach Resort and Indra Maya Pool Villas). There's a regular shuttle bus service which brings guests of these hotels around in a loop for free, which basically means you can hotel hop and try out the dining options at the other hotels, which is what we did. We weren't particularly impressed by the food, nor the prices, but the awesome beach views really made up for it.

Though it doesn't have its own pool facilities nor eating outlets, Banyu Biru Villa is situated right next to Nirwana Resort, which has a full set of facilities, and guests can either call for a buggy to pick them up (at no cost), or simply take a short 10-minute walk over should they feel like having a dip.

Our girls were running on Singapore time (which was one hour ahead of Bintan time) so they were up bright and early. Which allowed me to, for the first time in my holidaying life, be among the earliest at the hotel buffet line.

And what did they do at 6 (what-time-do-non-parents-wake-on-holidays):45am you ask? Well, play with their leftover light sticks from the previous night, of course.

They walked like that, all tangled up, for all of one metre.

So this was our base camp for 2 nights: a beautiful double storey 2-bedroom bungalow with a spacious living area, dining area and kitchenette. It was a really nice surprise, seeing how we were not told where we were going to stay right up till we arrived at the Tanah Merah ferry terminal. I felt like James Bond going on a secret mission.

Swimsuit: model's own. Baby: blogger's own.

It's a great choice for families with slightly older kids. There are two bedrooms on the upper floor (a double bed in one, and two single beds in the other) with one bathroom in between.

Yes it was gorgeous. But.

Yes, there is a but.

That staircase. That lovely spiral staircase... is a huge hazard for little kids, particularly 16-month olds who love to climb. The little one gave us quite a few heart stopping moments.

There's a little porch that you could probably have your meals at if you should choose to order room service (for some reason, we forgot all about that), or sit and relax with a drink.

It may be right next to the bustling Nirwana Resort Hotel, but it's a whole world of difference in terms of atmosphere. The thing about being situated in a secluded area is this: it's really nice and quiet. But we were there from a Tuesday to a Thursday, so it was a little too quiet for my liking. To the extent of being a tad bit creepy. The roads are dimly lit and there was but one sentry guard on duty.

Would we have let the kids stay out a little and join in the parties had we been staying at Nirwana Resort Hotel next door? Probably. But did we, seeing that we were not staying at Nirwana Resort Hotel next door? No.

We did however, do lots of other stuff. Of course, when you're at a beach resort, you can't not go to the beach. And go to the beach we sure did! The nice thing about this trip (apart that it was sponsored) was that we went during the week, so it was less crowded and on many occasions, had the beach pretty much to ourselves. And with sand so fine, and waters so clear, we were happy to go for a stroll and let the girls run free.

I even held my tongue when an evening stroll turned into a great big water fest when the girls found a little spot to jump in, clothes and all. We went back to our villa wet and sandy, but happy.

We built sandcastles, drew in the sand, watched the waves, found a hermit crab, chased tiny crabs, picked gorgeous sea shells, saw a starfish, learnt about the tides and how sand was made, and quite possibly got two shades darker :)

Hopscotch on an empty beach

As a child, I went on many trips to the beach with my parents but I don't really remember sitting on coastline and just enjoying the view. Perhaps it's because the beaches we visited were either always littered or had murky waters. But Poppy and Calla really really enjoyed running on the smooth white sand, and sitting in the cool clear water.

But this was probably Poppy's highlight of the trip. At $9 for a 10-minute session, it was pretty reasonable, I'd say. The kids can choose to simply bounce (and boy can they go high on that thing!) or do flips and stuff, with the help of the (hopefully trained) instructor below. I didn't ask if adults were allowed on this because it was at the kids' section, but the little ones have to be a minimum of 15kg to be able to sign up.

Right next door there's a sizeable playground for kids to hop on a swing while they decide whether or not they'd like to bounce on an awesome trampoline.

For those who aren't big fans of adrenaline-pumping action, there's always the koi pond at the Nirwana Resort Hotel lobby, and if you're lucky, you might just be in time for a feeding session. Poppy happened to be the only kid around at that time and was lucky enough to have the whole bucket of food to herself.

And on the morning of the 3rd day, a certain little girl was quite visibly moody. She wanted to stay. She wanted to play. She wanted more beach time, more bouncey time, more no-school time.

She really really did not want to leave Bintan!

Thank you, OMY.sg and Bintan Resorts for our trip! We had a wonderful time :)

******

Enjoy up to 60% off your next Bintan vacation! - Confirm your package from 15 August to 15 September, and travel from before 15 December to enjoy these special deals. Find out more about the available packages at the Bintan Resorts page.

Hook up with Bintan Resorts through Facebook so you won't miss out on any great Bintan offers

Disclaimer: My family was invited to experience the Family Fun package under the Great Bintan Sale. Our trip was sponsored but I am not being compensated to write this post. All opinions, mosquito bites (just 2, thanks for asking) and sunburnt marks are my own.

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Little Red Dot: Day 17 - The Artist

August 16, 2013, 9:39 am

≫ Next: Little Red Dot: Day 18 - The Self-Confessed Transformers Fan

≪ Previous: The Great Bintan Sale: The Small Picture

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

"I miss walking down to a hawker centre and order simple dishes like Laksa, Chai Tow Kway and Wan Ton Mee. Here, I have to make everything from scratch."

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Little Red Dot: Day 18 - The Self-Confessed Transformers Fan

August 17, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Little Red Dot: Day 19 - The Serial Entrepreneur

≪ Previous: Little Red Dot: Day 17 - The Artist

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

"Both my husband and I first like The Transformers. When choosing a name for our son, we wanted something unique and meaningful. It was my husband who suggested Optimus and I dared him on it. I didn't expect him to take me on and register it on our son's BC! Later we searched that Optimus was also a Latin name."

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Little Red Dot: Day 19 - The Serial Entrepreneur

August 18, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Human Nature: Effective and Affordable Natural Products do Exist!

≪ Previous: Little Red Dot: Day 18 - The Self-Confessed Transformers Fan

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

"The thing that amazes me is how budding entrepreneurs are so protective of their ideas. Ideas are worth nothing unless they are executed. In fact, if you have a great idea, talk to as many people about it to size up the demand and get early validation."

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Human Nature: Effective and Affordable Natural Products do Exist!

August 18, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Turbo-related Activities for Preschoolers

≪ Previous: Little Red Dot: Day 19 - The Serial Entrepreneur

If I were to tell you that there are products that are safe for you and your baby, the environment, and also does its part to help the poor, would you believe me? Probably not.

But that's what Human Nature products are. 100% no harmful chemicals. Premium products. Natural cosmetics.

I know what you're thinking. They must cost a bomb. Very surprisingly, they don't.

I recently received a little package that contained a little something for the whole family - baby lotion/baby wash/kids sanitization set and kids natural shampoo and body wash for the girls, and lipstick and lip gloss for me. Oh wait, that would mean there was nothing for Max. Note to self: plant lipsticked kiss on his cheek tomorrow before he sets off for work. There. Settled.

The hand sanitizer: This is one thing that is most often found in mums' bags. Kids touch all kinds of things - rocks, footwear, hawker centre tables, drain covers.... you know. And then what do they do with their horribly dirty hands? They hold their little snacks and put. them. in. their. mouths. Faster than you can scream "germ alert!".

We love this. Just a squirt on each hand, and it's shoo, germs, shoo and peace of mind. Phew. Poppy loves the sweet bubble gum scent so much that she claims she wants to eat the bottle. Um, ok.

What's that? How much, you say? How about $4.90. Pretty awesome huh?

The one thing I cannot get enough of is inhaling in the folds of my baby's neck. At 16 months, Calla is quickly trading baby smell for sweaty smell, and these babies (as in the baby wash and baby lotion, not the babies that made their way through my birth canal) do an awesome job of keeping her clean and smelling oh so nice.

With added chamomile, lavender and rosemary, the baby wash is supposed to give baby a calming and soothing effect during the bath. Well, my little critters love splashing around in the bath, so bath time is anything but peaceful and quiet! But hey, it's soothing for me to know that after that big splash around, they're going to hit the hay and yippee that means quiet time for me.

The lotion is very liquid and takes a while to be absorbed. So what I do is usually squeeze a small amount on my palm, apply it on Calla's body, and while waiting for it to dry and putting on her diaper and clothes, I style her hair with whatever lotion I have leftover.


Image: Human Nature

So I was reading about the lipstick. Ok, I was actually spending a long time choosing my colour. You know how difficult it is to choose the right shade when you're testing lipsticks out on the back of your hand in the department store? Yeah well, try finding the right shade when looking at 5 different hues on your computer screen. I finally decided on Lucky in Love and guess what? After all these years, the one lipstick that I don't test is the one that turned out perfect.

So what was I saying? Yeah. I was reading about the lipsticks, and (eww alert!!!!) did you know that carmine, an ingredient commonly used in lipsticks to achieve the bright pink and red pigments, is derived from the crushed bodies of the female cochineal insects? Ewww, ewww, ewww! Do you mean to say that I have kissed my baby's face and put crushed insects on her cheeks? Ewwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank goodness carmine is not found in Human Nature's line of lipsticks. And at only $9.90 a tube, I think it's really worth it. In fact, that's what the whole Human Nature brand stands for - products that are as gentle on the skin as they are on the pocket. Yay!

Wanna hear even better news? Oh yes, a discount! Nothing like a good discount to chase away those Monday blues, eh? Here you go: 15% off when you place your order for the already oh-so-affordable products at the Human Nature website. Simply key in the discount code HNGM15 upon check out. You have a week to place your purchases.... what are you waiting for? Hurry! :)

Discount code is valid till 23.59hrs of Sunday 25 August 2013.

Disclaimer: I received the products for review (and loved them) but was not compensated to write this post. All pictures and opinions are my own.

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Turbo-related Activities for Preschoolers

August 19, 2013, 7:55 am

≫ Next: Project Little Red Dot: Day 20 - The Competitive Archer

≪ Previous: Human Nature: Effective and Affordable Natural Products do Exist!

Poppy and I went on a movie date recently and saw the movie Turbo. To say that she loved it is an understatement. She LOVED it. She liked it from the time she saw the preview and would stand and gaze at the movie poster each time we went by it at the train station.

So I was pretty bummed when I couldn't find many Turbo related activities for her online. I printed some activities for her from here (they're great to bring out as pre-meal entertainment when we eat out!), and made the rest myself.

I gotta say, I'm not a fan of snails (nuh uh, not at all!), but I had fun with these activities too!

But wait, first, food. Turbo dinner! The 'body' is a chicken patty, rolled into the shape of a sausage instead of the usual patty shape, the 'shell' is mashed potato. For the spiral I squeezed some ketchup into one of those little transparent plastic bags and snipped a tiny part of the edge off to control the flow of ketchup (because squeezing it directly from the bottle would just make a huge mess). Oh she loved it. Ate it all with a smile. Calla too!

Today's special at Garden Restaurant...

So we had snail races (as a child I 'raced' real snails. Or actually I watched as my cousins raced them. Once, my grandfather got home and stepped on one of the contestants. And it was 'game over' till the next rainy day I guess).

Poppy really really loved this one. We made little snails with cardstock and washi, then taped a bit of straw to their shells, and strung string through them to make the zip line.

The starting point was always the same - the upper bunk of Poppy's bed. The ending point started first with the back of a little chair, then the top of a big box, and we proceeded to a smaller box. From this activity she learnt about speed - that the greater the slope, the faster the speed - and that taut lines are better than lax ones. Loving these game-lessons!!

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Here, she's adding extra power to the snails (by drawing more engines on them) to make them go faster. Love it!

This was another snail race that we did, this time with magnets. Each snail had a magnetic strip under it, and we raced them by holding a strong magnet under to 'pull' the snails along. Instead of a metal tray, we used a thin plastic one instead, because with a metal tray, the metal at the bottom would simply stick to the metal tray, no? I learn through my preschooler's activities too, yes.

And then there were the usual activity sheets that I drew out for her because I'm too cheap to print them: She's really into 'fill in the blank' stuff these days so I gave her a Turbo related one, something for handwriting practice, a find-your-way-through-a-mess-of-lines kind of thing, and a very simple sticker pasting thing.

Note: I make sure the instructions are simple so that she can read them, and I make her read them with me, and go through everything with her, and she works on them while I put Calla down for a nap, and when I'm out, we go through them together. So far, so good!

And finally, a snail suncatcher. I left Poppy with the cellophane papers with instructions to cut them into smaller pieces and stick them onto contact paper, one colour per sheet, and then I did the rest because we kind of forgot about it and life got in the way, and I want her to see it hanging on her window in the morning. So no, I do not have a picture of it hanging at the window in the day, and yes, I will share one once I have it :)

Happy Turbo-ing! Zoom!

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Project Little Red Dot: Day 20 - The Competitive Archer

August 19, 2013, 9:01 am

≫ Next: The Best Water Play Area in the World!

≪ Previous: Turbo-related Activities for Preschoolers

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

"I practice 3-4 times a week before a competition. It's rather inconvenient to transport my equipment - I have to disassemble everything to transport it legally because it's considered a weapon"

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The Best Water Play Area in the World!

August 19, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: A Preschooler's Play Office

≪ Previous: Project Little Red Dot: Day 20 - The Competitive Archer

This is a sponsored post by Lifebuoy. In other words, we were paid to play. Awesome! Pininterest, Google and too many late nights played a part in idea generation, but opinions and pictures are entirely my own.

******

When "water play" is mentioned, people often think about open air water parks and play areas. Like the Port of Lost Wonder at Sentosa, or the water fountain at Jacob Ballas Children's Garden.

Don't get me wrong; these are wonderful play areas, but I have an energetic 5-year old and a 16-month old who often seem to find things that interest them right away. In opposite directions. So places like these are tricky for a mum alone with two kids.

So what's a mum with two active kids that love water to do? Create her own water fun around home, of course! Here are our top five favourite water activities that are done either at home, or around home.

1) Bombs Away!
Water bombs, that is. Poppy loves helping me fill these little balloons up and I love involving her in all aspects of play (which include preparing for play and cleaning up after!). It really builds up her anticipation level when she fills the ballons up one by one. Then we just chuck them into a pail, head on downstairs, and attack unsuspecting strangers! Kidding. We throw them at each other.

2) Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away!
Disappointed because it's raining and you can't go down and play? But... Why not go down and play anyway? Throw on your rain boots and coat, and go splash away! We're usually in a rush to get home and out of the rain so going out in a drizzle can be a really different and fun experience for the little ones. Just make sure they have a good shower after :)

3) Coloured ice
This is something I love doing with Calla. It's a wonderful quiet baby activity that can keep the little ones occupied for a long time. Picking the ice cubes helps train their fine motor skills (it isn't easy when it's wet and slippery!) and they'll be so amazed to see the colours dissolve! You can read more about it here.

4) Splish Splash but not in a Bath!
No swimming pool? No problem! Round up a few friends and bring your own water toys for a splash! All the better if you have one of them inflatable pool things.

5) The Great Colour Mix-Up
This is something for older kids. It's extremely simple to make. Just squeezy bottles, some syringes, recycled plastic cups or containers, and a couple of drops of food colouring and you're ready to go! Remember to let your child put on an apron or an old t-shirt you don't mind chucking, because this has a very high could-get-messy potential. You can read more about Poppy's first experience with mixing coloured water here.

The best part is that all these activities can be done up relatively quickly. Minimum effort, maximum fun? That's my kind of thing :) Start enjoying the best water play area in the world.... Your home!

This post is sponsored by Lifebuoy. Prevent germs from spreading by washing your hands with an antibacterial soap like Lifebuoy after any form of play. Make it a habit for you and your kids, and keep germs at bay.

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A Preschooler's Play Office

August 20, 2013, 5:42 am

≫ Next: Project Little Red Dot: Day 21 - The Baby

≪ Previous: The Best Water Play Area in the World!

We've got this new crazy rule (thanks to a certain crazy mama) that TV is only allowed on T days. We never used to watch much but at one point it was getting out of hand; Poppy would make a face at whatever I suggested and ask to watch TV instead.

So she's only allowed an hour of TV at most on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And to make it more challenging, if someone (anyone!) invites her for some TV on any other day, if she declines, she gets an extra 10 minutes on the next T day.

TV used to be my go-to thing if I was having a particularly hard day, made worse by a baby who won't nap. So I'd let Poppy watch 2 episodes of Dora, knowing that the risks of her barging into the room and potentially disrupting my efforts of putting Calla to bed would be relatively lower.

Recently, like really, in the blink of an eye, she's been reading independantly. And she really enjoys it. But she is also starting to rekindle her love for activities and crafts with me, so today, out of the blue, I did this for her:

I set up a mini office space for her! - Calculator, her computer, phone, booklet, loose paper, envelopes and stationery

Took me a while to think about what to include, seeing how I've not been in an actual office space for some time :)

But she took one look at it and squealed. Yup, she liked it :)

I also gave her 2 tasks - she did one beautifully, and delegated the other to me. The makings of a boss indeed

And then, after an hour, the office migrated to the floor, and had morphed into a gift wrapping station. She was wrapping her father's calculator, and re-gifting it to him.

This was what greeted me.

If you have a preschooler at home, why not try this activity? They're at the perfect age for pretend play and love imitating us anyway :)

Ps if you have a younger child at home, make sure your older one/s know to set aside dangerous objects (scissors, sticky tape dispenser) when the younger ones are around.

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Project Little Red Dot: Day 21 - The Baby

August 20, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Project Little Red Dot: Day 22 - The Librarians

≪ Previous: A Preschooler's Play Office

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

"Everyday is a good hair day."

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Project Little Red Dot: Day 22 - The Librarians

August 21, 2013, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Review and Giveaway: One More Candle by Merry Susiarjo

≪ Previous: Project Little Red Dot: Day 21 - The Baby

You can see the other featured folks here. Enjoy!

Me: "What's the best part of the job?"
(long pause)
Librarian 1: "Um, that we get to see all these kids."
Me: "What's the most challenging part of your job?"
Librarian 1: "That we have to neaten all these books after they leave!"
Librarian 2: "Yes! They like to push the books all the way into the bookshelves!"

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Review and Giveaway: One More Candle by Merry Susiarjo

August 22, 2013, 8:08 am

≫ Next: Project Little Red Dot: Day 23 - The Sisters/Best Friends

≪ Previous: Project Little Red Dot: Day 22 - The Librarians

"Mama, let's prepare for Calla's birthday! It's coming soon, right?"

Calla's birthday is in April. It's now the end of August. We count the months together and she realises it is a long way away. She ponders about it for a moment, and then says,

"Ok, but we can still prepare for it!"

They make each other laugh in a way that only sisters can

That's the kind of sister Poppy is. She is an awesome sister who looks out for her little sister. They get along fabulously and I feel very blessed (I wrote about it here). But I also know that as siblings, there is always the possibility of jealousy, arguments and "It's not fair!"s.

Calla holds her own little birthday party with cupcakes :)

So when I was invited to review the book One More Candle by Merry Susiarjo, a story about a younger sister who desperately wants one more candle on her birthday cake so that she can be the same as her older sister, I knew immediately that it was the book for us.

Sometimes books have drawings that make my eyes hurt. Not this one. Love the choice of calming colours!

Younger sister Nola wants to have everything her older sister Betty has. So when their parents hold a joint birthday party for them, she is really upset that her birthday cake has one less candle than her sister's. So Nola decides to go off to search for someone to help her light one more candle for her next birthday since neither Mum nor Dad will help her.

That's Poppy's birthday candle! Yes I kept it!

She asks fireflies, the moon, the sun, a lighthouse but of course, nothing works and at the next birthday party, she finds herself with one less candle than her sister on the cake again.

What I absolutely love about the story is the connection portrayed between the sisters. When Nola storms off to sulk, it isn't Mum or Dad that go to comfort her, it's her older sister. And younger sis doesn't push her older sister away; instead she accepts her older sister's hugs and comforting words.

At the party, Betty gives Nola a very simple but meaningful present that makes her happy, and Nola says "Thank you, Betty, you always understand me best."

As a mum reading this, it brought tears to my eyes. Which mother doesn't hope for that kind of closeness between her children?

I see it between the girls sometimes. When Calla refuses to eat, sometimes she will accept a spoonful or two if her sister feeds her. When Poppy cries, sometimes Calla goes to her and strokes her hair (or hit her head a little harder than necessary) in an attempt to sayang her. It's lovely to watch. This book personifies the relationship between sisters beautifully and I would recommend it to anyone with little children, especially those with daughters.

Do I have a giveaway for this? Of course I do - Surely you know me by now.

I've got two copies of One More Candle to give away, a hard copy one, and a paperback version, and they will be autographed personally by the author!

Contest starts NOW and ends at 23.59hrs of 29 August 2013. To enter, you MUST leave a comment on this blog telling me what the best thing is about having a sibling, and you MUST leave your email address so that I can reach you if you win. If you win and I write to you, you MUST reply within 48 hours because if not, then guess what? Nie nie ni bu bu, no book for you.

This is a worldwide giveaway. I repeat, this is a worldwide giveaway. So readers over in Timbaktu (do I have any readers in Timbaktu? - if you are reading this over in Timbaktu, say "Hi!"), feel free to join in the fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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