Monthly Archives: January 2013

STAYCATION AT SENTOSA

31 January 2013 9 comments

We had a mini staycation at the club where Hunter’s 2nd birthday party was held. We did this at last year’s party too, and it’s always a fab idea because we have somewhere to dump all our stuff, and Hunter can have a good nap before the start of the party. Plus, it’s sooooooo nice to just go upstairs and crash afterwards! Best. Idea. Ever.

 

Checking in. I like those lounges!

 

In the bathroom. Hunter’s face just makes me LOL

 

Kiddies chilling out in the morning, watching cartoons

 

Morning, sunshine!

 

Just to be cruel, the weather was awesome in the morning.. which was just rude, considering Hunter’s birthday party the day before was such a wash out. It was bright, sunny, and gorgeous!

A wonderful morning

 

Soaking in the sun

 

At the breakfast bistro

 

Hi guys!

 

“Mama, sunnies please. TOO BRIGHT.”

 

Burping the munchkin

 

We went for a dip in the pool after breakfast, since it was still so sunny. The water wasn’t that warm though, since it rained the entire day before. Didn’t stop the kids, they jumped right in!

“Dig my floaties?”

 

Paddling away

 

Too cool for school

 

Walking laps up and down the pool

 

My Dad and Carter sitting in the water… before the Great Fall.

 

So, see the picture above? Carter was sitting on Dad’s knee, quite merrily enjoying dipping his legs into the water. I didn’t bring his swimmers though, so he couldn’t have a swim – a bummer since he’s never been in a proper pool in his life.

Well, Carter had his first swim after all!

Or should I say, dunking? ;)

Where Dad was sitting was a step, which he was resting his feet on. The jacuzzi jets were on, so he didn’t realise it was a step, and thought it was just a shallow pool. He got up to walk with Carter and…. *PLONK*!!

Fell straight into the deep water.

Holding Carter.

At first I wasn’t sure why Dad had jumped into the water.. especially since he’d told me just 2 minutes ago that he didn’t want to swim. Then I realised “EEEEEEK HE HAS CARTER! WHERE IS HE??” and then I realised he was carrying Carter, who had gotten dunked in with him. I think everyone else was just in shock!

Carter, quite unhappy with the shock of the cold water, screamed blue murder for a couple of seconds until we wrapped him up in a warm towel.

So the poor bub’s first swim probably wasn’t the most ideal. Hope it hasn’t scared him off swimming forever ;)

Poor bub after his unceremonious first swim

 

Giving the stink eye to the pool ;)

 

MOMMYGRABS – A FLASH SITE FOR CHILDREN PRODUCTS!

29 January 2013 3 comments

(Pssst….. read on for a free $10 credit!)

I’m a member of… errr… every flash sale site available in Singapore.

I just love the whole concept!

Suppose the most famous would be Groupon, but they almost entirely do flash sales on experiences/dining.  No products at all. There are other flash sale product sites out there, but mostly a mish mash of stuff. I’ve also had….. well… not fabulous experiences with quite a few of these flash sale product sites, because they sell unbranded goods that sound SOOOO good in theory, but when they arrive, they’re really crap quality – to put it succinctly!

Needless to say, I was freakin’ excited when I found out about a flash sale site that specalises in parent/children products! Not only that, but from brands that I recognise and trust. Not random cheapo unbranded stuff that I’d never dare let a baby near.

http://www.mommygrabs.com

 

MommyGrabs is an online private sale site for brands associated with mommies, babies and kids, based in Singapore.

And hooboy they are dangerous.

They roll out new deals daily, and all from great kiddie brands like Playtex, Baby Einstein, Sleepy Wings, etc. The discounts are excellent and they feature cute toys to practical items like high chairs and baby mattresses.

The whole premise is to bring great deals to mums – mums at home that find it difficult to drag their kids out shopping, or working mums that find it easier to shop online at their desk. And Daddies too, can’t leave them out!

And… *psssstttt*…. a little birdie told me that MommyGrabs is currently working with international indie businesses that creates/crafts baby related merchandise. EEEEEK now I’m interested in that!!

You can stay up-to-date with all their goodies (and giveaways, yay) by Liking their Facebook page: http://www.fb.com/MommyGrabs

Here’s a bunch of stuff that’s available now:

 

MommyGrabs are being SUPER generous and offering you guys a FREE $10 CREDIT TO SHOP WITH! It doesn’t even matter if you’re a new or existing member, anyone and everyone is eligible :) You can get your $10 off in 2 ways:

  1. Copy and paste the code BEV10OFF at Checkout if you want to purchase something now.
  2. Email hello@mommygrabs.com with “I want in on MommyGrabs flash sales! Please credit my account (YOUR LOGIN DETAILS) with $10 using the code BEV10OFF” and it will show up as your account as a credit for the next time you find something you want to buy.

Fine print:
- valid till 1st June 2013
- used once only
- minimum purchase of $20

 

Thanks MommyGrabs! Have fun shopping guys :)

 

Kiddie products galore!

 

THE ZHAI BALLET-WRAP TOP GIVEAWAY WINNER IS…….

28 January 2013 2 comments

Thanks to you guys that were keen to win a Zhai ballet-wrap top! I’m going to cut right to the chase:

And the WINNER for my Zhai ballet-wrap top giveaway is…… EDEL!!

 


CONGRATULATIONS EDEL!! Edel is a mummy of two adorable little girls, and works too. Impressed yet? She’s picked out the black top, which is super versatile and so practical to pull on over a cami. Edel, can you please contact me (via the Contact link at the top of this page) with your email address so I can get in touch with you?

Thanks guys for participating and taking the time to tweet and post in your Facebook! Mega thanks to  Zhai.com.sg that sponsored this giveaway. Check out their online store, or better yet, their actual boutique on Haji Lane, if you’re into really soft and feminine clothing. You’ll love the material – it’s divine!

 

Zhai ballet-wrap top – congrats Edel!!

 

HUNTER’S 2ND BIRTHDAY PARTY

27 January 2013 19 comments

The following blog post is unabashedly chockers with photos. You have been warned.

 

Hunter’s party invitation

 

Hunter’s 2nd birthday party was… in the exact same location as last year, in a club in Sentosa. We picked the same place again because we thought it was a brilliant location last year, the staff there are outstanding, and we really enjoyed ourselves. I also liked the fact that I ‘knew’ the area and could plan accordingly. I’m seriously considering using this location for all of Hunter’s birthday parties :P It’s quite nice having something consistent each year, right?

The only super sucky thing this year was that…. IT RAINED. The entire time. Considering the point of the location is an outdoor pool party (ie. chairs and tables are INSIDE the pool), this was a pretty gigantic setback. I was soooo upset I wanted to cry!! I’d envisioned all the kiddies prancing around in the water, everyone sitting inside and chilling out, etc. But it was a total wash out :(

On the bright side, Hunter still really enjoyed himself tottering around with all his little friends, and merrily eating away. So for that reason alone, the party was a success.

 

Welcome to the choo-choo party!

 

The theme? No brainer. Thomas the Tank Engine. Probably not the best for all his girl friends, but I kept it really brightly coloured with lots of reds, so hopefully they weren’t too disdainful at the choice of theme ;) Thanks to the amazing staff, everything was set up within about half hour – very impressed!

Party tables

 

Closeup of the kids table

 

I went the lazy route and bought Thomas goody bags, instead of being a fabulously creative Mum and making them herself. We stuffed them with treats and lots of little Thomas knick knacks. And for the boys, they each got a toy truck. For the girls, hair clips or a hair band.

Party favour bags

 

What went inside the goody bags

 

The party itself actually passed by in a blur for me. I was trying to oversee stuff and make sure all the kids were OK, as well as chatting with my girl friends. I loved seeing all of Hunter’s little friends all together! Hunter had a great time with no meltdowns, and spent most of the time marching up and down and being the boss of the party. LOL.

Carter, mesmerized by Thomas

 

Hunter, somehow convincing Dad, Carter and Chris to march behind him. LOL at all of them wearing red – unintentional!

 

Hunter and his (3 month older) girl friend having a grand ‘ol time rocking away

The sailor boy

 

Boys in blue

 

Strawberry shortcake

 

Kids chowing down

 

Caught eating a fry! Argh. Well, I guess it IS his birthday party..

 

Everyone got free-flow of candy floss and popcorn at the party. I don’t think candy floss is very common in Singapore, because most of the kids there had no idea what it was! So most didn’t touch it, only the older kids did. And me.

The popcorn was awesomesauce. All fluffy and lightly sweetened. I loved it! Ended up eating 2.5 bags worth of it…. *burp*

Yum yum!

 

I HAZ CANDY FLOSS

 

Hunter looking surprisingly happy, for someone whose popcorn is being stolen by a giant evil hand..

 

With 2 of my yummy mummy friends. And a cute baby butt.

 

My preggers cousin with Spiderman

 

OK none of the kids are fussed with the camera, but I think Carter’s expression is hilarious ;)

 

Cake cutting!

 

Closeup. Seeing Hunter’s expression made it worth every penny!

 

Singing “Happy Birthday”

A family pic, albeit with both kids trying to scramble off

 

We tried to get the kids to take a photo! Unfortunately we missed out on a ton of other kids there and forgot to re-take it later.. doh. Still, I like it :)

 

We are… erm.. still in the process of opening presents. We’re trying to give him one present every 2-3 days.. I figure if he opens up every one, he’ll probably play with all of them for a few mins each then get over it. I prefer him to FOCUS on one present at a time and appreciate it properly. He’s a very blessed little boy though, and he received so many thoughtful and spot-on gifts from his relatives and friends!

 

Thank you for all the wonderful presents, aunties and uncles!

 

 

REMINDER: the chance to win a Zhai ballet-wrap top ends TODAY! Last shot chance :)

 

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY, HUNTER!

26 January 2013 18 comments

Doing his “Aren’t I such a pensive model” thing

 

Hunter. Oh Hunter! How to sum up your 2 year old update/progress in just one blog post?

My delightful, charming, willful, maddening 2 year old.

My absolute darling and my first-born child.

The one that, from birth, was very kind to us as new parents.. willingly and quickly sleeping through the night, ate well, had a delightfully laid-back and placid personality… and generally made us think “Hey! This parenthood business ain’t that hard”.

LOL.

That changed once he hit ~18 months. Bring on the Terrible Twos. Wow. I wasn’t sure what happened to my angel child.. who was angelic at times, but could turn into a devil in a SPLIT SECOND. Sometimes I wasn’t quite sure (and this still happens now) if I was supposed to discipline immediately, or better not to bring attention to it (negative reinforcement and all) and ignore him. We still don’t have the answers.

Anyhoodle, onward-ho with stuff about Hunter:

Temperament: He’s a vivacious, extremely talkative, outgoing child…… at home. In a space where he’s familiar, he owns it. He has a hilarious sense of humour, is incredibly cheeky, and just makes us laugh with his silly antics and infectious laughter. Outside and with people he’s unfamiliar with, he’s reserved and quiet. This extends to playschool, where I’m sure he’s going to win the Most Bullied At School award. He hangs back, lets other kids step all over him (ie. snatch his stuff, shove him aside, etc), and is the quiet observer. This is the exact opposite of my own personality, so I find this endlessly frustrating to witness – I JUST WANT TO FIGHT HIS BATTLES! But I know I must not, because he will find his own way in this world, and all I can do is give him guidance.

Why so sad??

 

Eating: Oh man. Source of all stress. This has easily taken off a good couple of years off my lifespan. Best word to sum up his eating? ERRATIC. He picks at food like a little bird. Very very little passes his lips, and he is so thin compared to how gigantic he was as a baby. Sometimes I get so scared by how little he eats, yet he still survives. Mum and/or I cook him the best food, and often he’ll chuck it right back in our faces. He even went through a phase where he would only eat pureed food. He was the only toddler I knew that ate baby food!! To give him credit, he still eats steamed fish, tofu, egg, avocado, fruits (all his fave foods). And of course all those carbs, which every other kid loves too. Apart from that? Barely anything else. For this reason, we withhold candies/chocolates/fried foods almost entirely – because if he gets a bit of that, it’s all over. He’ll eat nothing else for that meal and scream blue murder the entire time. I don’t have a solution as to how to solve his eating habits. We just wait in hope that one day he’ll grow out of if – after all, surely he won’t be 18 and I’ll still be trying desperately to get him to eat a bit of food. Right??

Sleeping: Dream sleeper. Thank goodness. He sleeps by 8PM and goes for 12 hours without waking. Naps for around 2 hours after lunch. Will nap easily in any stroller when I’m out and about, or at home in his bed. I couldn’t ask for more. Yes I am totally gloating here, so sue me! His poor eating and temper tantrums make me want to shoot myself in the head, so I HAVE to feel good about something, right?? :P

Speaking: Chatterbox. I would say his speech is more advanced than boys his age, but on par with girls his age. Guess it’s because he hangs out with mostly little girl friends ;) I love hearing him form his own proper sentences and all those words spilling out of his mouth. He’s very good with music, and will sing accurately along to his fave songs. It’s amazing how quickly kids learn!

Interests: Vehicles, specifically trains. What else is new? It is his #1 passion at the expense of doing little else in terms of play or creative stuff. He actually likes inspecting his toys to see how they move, and is the most detailed-oriented kid I have EVER seen. He’ll study little objects that move with great fascination, and loves any game/toy that requires lots of dexterity (which he’s good at). I see him being an engineer (loves seeing how things work) or a scientist (fascinated with fiddling with things and has the quiet personality to work by himself in a lab) or a construction worker (super into construction stuff, haha!).

Toilet training: He’s a good little pooper (LOL). He’ll sit on his potty and do his poo. Nowhere near for pee though, but I guess it’s because we haven’t tried yet. I’ve noticed his diaper is often still dry after his nap for up to half hour afterwards, so I’m probably going to start taking him to potty a few mins after his nap. Only problem is that we’re out, I obviously don’t have the potty with me! Hmmm…

“Is it poop time?”

 

For his birthday today, we had a fabulous lunch at Tung Lok. We decided on a yumcha lunch cos it’s fun and Hunter likes to pick at his food. He ate pretty well, thankfully!

Very pleased with his present from my parents

 

Tossing the ‘yusheng’, first one for CNY! Carter is all “GET IN MAH BELLY” to the dish though.

 

A luscious cake from Awfully Chocolate

 

Singing Happy Birthday to himself

 

A (very rare) treat cos it’s his birthday. “Cake… ALL GONE!”

 

Our family :)

 

We then took him for a little treat to the Oceanarium in Sentosa. He loved it! There’s something just so mesmerizing about watching fish.. and this newly opened aquarium is impressive. Highly recommended if you have kids!

 

Taking the cable car to Sentosa

 

I don’t think any female has looked at Hunter and not commented on his lashes.. the subject of much envy. I wish mine were like his too. NO FAIR!

 

My fatty fat fat dumpling, who looks just like his Daddy when he smiles!

 

At the Oceanarium. Carter was too fascinated with the fishes to bother looking at the camera

 

Best part? The jellyfish. Except Hunter kept going “ahhm ahhm!” (eating noises) the whole time..

 

A bit freaked out with the Hands On exhibit.. because he’s not a fan of foreign materials on his hands

 

He did gamely reach out and touch a starfish in the end, though!

 

STOMP!

 

And so, just like that, we have a bonafide little boy on our hands. He means everything to me, and just hearing him utter the words “Mama.. cuddle” is enough to melt my heart. Motherhood sure ain’t easy (<– understatement), but I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

 

REMINDER: the chance to win a Zhai ballet-wrap top ends in just two days! It takes just a minute or two to be in the running.. so come and have a go :)