WHITE LODGE

20 April 2012 5 comments

So Hunter will be entering White Lodge kindergarten when he’s around 18 months.. which is when I give birth. He’ll start off with just 2-days a week, for a half-day session each time. I specifically wanted that because on the one hand, I want him to be able to still get the stimulation and social interaction after I give birth (when I’ll have no time for my daily playdates for awhile), yet I didn’t want a full-time kindergarten that I felt would be too much for him when his world already changes quite a bit with a newborn baby brother.

Why White Lodge? My girl friends and I viewed a lot of schools. And I mean, a LOT. We basically spent all our play dates school-viewing, over the period of 2 months! White Lodge is a little on the pricey side, but I feel it’s worth it because we liked the teachers, the school had nice facilities, and I like their curriculum.

His class has just 5 children, and 2 teachers. And that is an AWESOME ratio! It was one of our priorities when looking for schools, so we’re very happy with White Lodge :)

Our other option was Odyssey, which, frankly, had the most impressive campus. It looked like a sprawling resort! Hunter loved the place and fit right in, and all the kids looked so happy. Unfortunately, they have a waiting list (women actually enroll when they’re pregnant; can you believe that?! Geez), so Hunter won’t be admitted until he’s 3 years old. So until then, he’ll stay at White Lodge..

Painting oyster shells

 

Being a bit of loner and playing in the car, whilst all the other kids do sandbox play

 

Getting cuddles from the principal

 

This is another White Lodge branch that we visited, in Dempsey. Nice central location, but we weren’t a fan because the classrooms were quite enclosed (not much natural light) and the place just seemed rather run-down.

First time in his life he's painted, and he rather enjoyed it! In his usual very serious, concentrating-deeply, manner :P

 

Very pleased with his shopping cart

 

Music and singing time

 

SNACK TIME, yay!

 

The other contender was Mindchamps in Phoenix Park, which we liked as my girl friend knew the principal. The campus is impressive – spacious with a great outdoor play area. Didn’t go for this in the end though, because the location wasn’t ideal and they only offer 5-days.

Cute in her uniform

 

Rather tentative and clinging onto me

 

Showing the kids the aeroplane applique on his belly. LOL!

 

They have a lovely indoor play gym that our kids loved

 

Enjoying play time with his 2 lil girl friends

 

Lovely outdoor playground

 

WHEE!!

 

Hunter darling, please give it a few more years before you place your hands on girls' thighs!!

 

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BAKING AT HOME

18 April 2012 13 comments

I had a craving for sticky date pudding the other day, and we had a couple of prunes leftover from the packet that we bought for Hunter, so I decided to try out making it myself! I used this recipe.

Happily, I ended up with a very soft and moist cake, which was the PERFECT texture imho. The glaze on top was a bit heavy-handed though, and I probably should have poured on about half the portion, because we tend to prefer not-too-sweet deserts. I’d say the end result was very similar to what you’d get in restaurants outside in terms of sweetness, and we tend to have our homebaked desserts at half sugar.

This dessert is relatively low effort to make, and is pretty delicious, especially served with a big dollop of good quality vanilla ice cream. We’ve already eaten the whole thing! I’d make it again for sure :)

Cooking the prunes in water

 

Sifting together the dry ingredients. Love the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg :)

 

Adding the wet ingredients

 

Just before going into the oven

 

Cooking the caramel glaze whilst the pudding bakes. Mmmm... bubbling goodness....

 

Poured on top of the freshly-baked cake

 

Homebaked sticky date pudding :) SMELLS AMAZING!

 

And, I baked a banana bread. Yet again! It seems to be my favourite go-to dish.. I bake it really frequently because we love it, it keeps well, and Hunter LOVES it :) I would never give him store-bought banana bread because I know they have little banana and are loaded with sugar. But when I make it at home, I actually use very little sugar and barely any butter.

My banana bread looks oddly dry, but it’s actually very moist. I cut down dramatically on butter (only a small dollop) and instead use plain yogurt and sometimes some sour cream. It makes the banana bread SO moist and gives a great subtle tang – wayyyy better than using butter imho!

Banana bread fresh out of the oven. Best served with freshly-whipped maple butter :)

[EDIT: upon request, here's the Banana Bread recipe :) ]

  1. Beat 100g butter and 100g brown sugar together until creamy
  2. Add 1 egg and beat in
  3. Add 3-4 mashed bananas, 3 tbsp plain yoghurt and 1 tsp vanilla essence.
  4. Add 225g sifted plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp cinnamon and pinch of salt salt and beat in gradually.
  5. Pour into a greased loaf tin and bake at 180c for about 1 hour or until golden-brown and cooked.

And this was actually eons ago, but I was craving a good sausage sandwich today and remembered these pics ;) It was a small and casual BBQ dinner we had, kids included. I adore BBQs because it always means we have the typical Aussie ‘dish’ – a sausage and grilled onions slapped on thin white bread, and drizzled with tomato sauce. PERFECTION.

A relaxed weekend BBQ

 

Super-healthy pasta salad to off-set the BBQ goodness!

 

Sausage sandwich. LOVE.

 

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ROYCE KIDS GYM

16 April 2012 11 comments

I’m a member of Royce Kids Gym and I reckon it’s one of the better (or even the best) play gyms in Singapore. I think it’s really beneficial for kids to have a safe environment where they can crawl/walk/scramble around in, and a place where there are loads of toys to stimulate and amuse them. An additional perk is you can also witness what kind of toy(s) your kid really likes, and buy that specific one for them at home (or, just go to the gym to play with each time!). That’s important to me, because Hunter has SO many toys (or place looks like a toy shop…….) yet is only particularly keen on a select few.

Royce Kids Gym has a very high ratio of expat kids, ranging from babies to older children. Hunter is one of the little ones, but he really enjoys himself there. He’s been there around 5 times now, and so is quite used to the place and will toddle around looking for the specific toy/equipment that he’s keen on. I do think that being there has helped with his walking skills when he started walking unsupported in the past 2 months, because he keenly watches the older kids there to see how they move, and how they play.

The gym also has really lovely staff, and they make the effort to tidy up the toys ALL the time. They literally are constantly walking around arranging stuff! Everything there is tidy and most importantly, clean. It makes for a great place for kids to have fun, and also to tire themselves out so they take a great nap afterwards and we mummies can then relax ;)

Any play gyms that you take your kids to, that you reckon are awesome as well?

LOVING the wooden train set, which is the first thing Hunter zooms to when he enters

 

The swing sets? Not quite a fan..

 

Lotsa balls!

 

His #1 favourite item in the gym - this specific red car. He seriously loves it with all his heart!

 

A BMW ride-em car that he loves vrrrooommming on as well

 

Loves to climb up those stairs, but still too fearful to go down the slide by himself

 

One of his other faves - all the cooking stove tops the gym has!

 

We also stayed at the Marina Mandarin Hotel the other week, because of Chris’ work and conferences. Hunter seriously enjoyed the big, soft bed and the fluffy pillows. Love seeing his satisfied grin when he *plonks* himself down on the bed!

Oh happiness! Oh joy!

 

Freshly showered and ready for bed

 

A precious moment: father and son bonding time at night

 

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A LIL HAUL OF SKINCARE & COSMETICS

14 April 2012 5 comments

My beauty & fashion posts are a bit skint nowadays.. Partly because I’ve heavily cut down on my skincare regime and don’t use much makeup nowadays (you really do change when you become a Mum, LOL!), and partly because I never get round to photographing or blathering on about my purchases and my reviews of stuff.

But I know heaps of you that read this are into nice girly things, so I really ought to make the effort to do Hunter-free posts here and there ;) So here you go! Here’s a couple of lil things I acquired and what I think.. :)

 

Stila smudge crayon, Stila lip & cheek stain

Got these lil Stila goodies from Sephora here, after I spent the past month or two debating whether or not I should get them :P I’m a long-term fan of Stila, ever since I was a young teen – how can I resist their pretty packaging, sweet colours, and lovely products?

Stila smudge crayon (Waterproof Eye Primer + Shadow + Liner) - I don’t use regular powder eyeshadows in pots anymore, because it’s just too much of a hassle to apply with a brush etc. So now I turn to the stick versions that are easy to swipe on. Problem is, most of them smudge and are way too greasy on me after a couple of hours. It’s why I love this Stila smudge crayon – it goes on super smooth, but then really doesn’t budge!! I have Antique which is a champagne/bronze, a lovely neutral shade that works really well as an eyeshadow, and layered as a subtle eyeliner. It’s so easy to swipe on smoothly, and off I go! Now, I’m after Dazzle, a dark grey shimmer that would be awesome as an eyeliner :)

Stila lip & cheek stain – I got this in Raspberry Crush and OMG the colour is BEAUTIFUL! I’m a tad obsessed with stain blushes, because all the other types wear off on me so quickly. And even so, I like very very few – the only 2 I will use is a Korean one (hard to find!) and MAC coral cast (long discontinued). Well, this Stila one is now my #1 by far. The colour is a pop of sweet raspberry shimmer, and it really does last. I use it over BB cream or tinted moisturizer and I just love the flush it gives. Will re-buy for sure :) I haven’t used it as a lip stain cos I like it as a cheek stain!

 

Phyto secret de nuit

Phyto secret de nuit - this really isn’t cheap in Singapore, grrr.. but I am sucker for hair products. This baby works as an overnight hair-repair treatment and, true to word, is non-greasy and silicone-free. I massage it into my hair at night and I like how it absorbs easily, and the subtle scent. I can’t say if it significantly makes my hair any nicer, but I’d like to think so ;) Personally though I wouldn’t repurchase since it’s pretty pricey..

 

By Terry touche veloutee concealer, Kai perfume oil

By Terry touche veloutee highlighting concealer - I’m a bit of a sucker for concealer so finally bit the bullet and bought this one. I like the portability of this, especially the sleek silver packaging the the great-quality brush. It’s supposed to brighten dark circles and my first impression of this concealer was “this blends like a dream!” It’s unique to other concealers because it just blends so easily and sinks right into the skin. So strange, in a good way! It matches my skin tone perfectly and I simply use my finger to pat it in. Only thing is that it’s not as long-lasting as my favourite concealer Shu Uemura gel cealer but it’s nice as an alternative.

Kai roll-on perfume oil – this is incredibly tiiiiiny for the price, but is really potent and long-lasting since it’s a perfume oil. I like the roll-on glass bottle it comes in, very good for travel! It has notes of gardenia and white exotic florals and is actually very different to what I normally use (which is Hermes jardin sur le nil, since I was 18 years old), so it took me awhile to get used to it. I’ll be frank – it does smell nice and floral and fresh, but nothing flat-out spectacular, apart from the fact that there’s no alcohol smell (since it’s a perfume oil) and lasts for ages without ‘spoiling’ on the skin. Then again, I’m not a perfume maven, so what do I know? :P

 

Laneige snow bb soothing cushion

Laneige snow bb soothing cushion SPF50 - I love my BB creams, which are basically a tinted moisturizer but touted to have healing properties and are actually good for the skin. I don’t use foundation most of the time, because I have to apply it more carefully and don’t really go to fancy places anyway. My daily staple is the BB cream. Most of the ones I’ve tried are the cream-in-a-tube type, which I find difficult to use in Singapore’s humidity, because it ‘melts’ too quickly. Laneige’s caught my interest because it’s a sponge-style, and comes in a nice portable compact. The sponge is really nice and picks up the product well to dab onto my face, though I find I need to keep picking up more product with the sponge since the formulation is pretty sheer and doesn’t transfer much to the sponge each time I press it down. The scent is subtle and coverage is sheer/light. Great for daily use. It’s definitely not oily at all, and actually lasts longer than my creamy bb creams. Win!

 

 

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BAKER & COOK

12 April 2012 7 comments

Another flash-sale site I’m a fan of is Foxysales, which do frequent deep-discount sales on brand name items.

I was SO excited when recently they had a big sale on Oobi baby/kids clothing! I immediately picked a super-soft and thin kaftan top for Hunter, in a navy blue (he looks best in this colour IMHO), cute mandarin collar, and long sleeves. I really like it because the material is really thin (almost see-through) and soft, so it’s fine for Singapore’s weather but also provides a bit of cover in airconditioning or cooler climates.

I also got the matching pants which are also really thin and soft and comfy. They’re slightly on the large size for him, so we’ll get a good few months of use out of it :)

Hunter modelling his Oobi outfit :P

 

Lil comfy boy

 

We also checked out Baker & Cook the other day. They rate themselves as “Singapore’s only true artisan bakery & foodstore” – quite a lofty claim! Stepping in, I’m immediately reminded of Shanghai’s Baker & Spice stores, and it’s also reminiscent of the bakeries in Australia. It also smells WONDERFUL in there :) It’s packed with both locals and expats, and seems to be the go-to place for brunch these days.

The counter is a little chaotic, with no proper queue for ordering/paying. But, I did finally get served and our food came out soon afterwards.

Chaos at the counter of Baker & Cook

 

My man :)

 

Their latte was top-notch. It was served in a teeny tiny glass for the price, which was a little sad, but did contain 2 shots of espresso and so had a fabulous kick to it.

Latte

 

I had the Mince and cheese pie which I didn’t take a photo of below (forgot, oops!!), and I liked that I could choose the type of salad it came with. The pie pastry itself was homemade and utterly delicious and buttery, but the mince was a little too salty for my liking.

The Blueberry bagel with cream cheese was FANTASTIC. Often, bagels in Singapore are really dense and overly chewy (in particular those awful “NYC” brand ones at Cold Storage). But this one was fluffy yet still slightly chewy, and dotted with tons of blueberries. It was lightly toasted and went beautifully with the mild cream cheese. I’d get this again next time for sure!

Blueberry bagel with cream cheese

 

Their croissant was perfect. Very fluffy and oh-so-buttery. It was really light and crisp on the outside, but soft and moist on the inside, and flaked apart with a light tug. It was lovely served with their homemade jam, which is in help-yourself pots on the tables.

Croissant with homemade jam

 

I really wanted to try the custard-filled donut because, well, just LOOK AT IT below!! How to resist??? It was very nice :) Fluffy and golden-brown, with a lovely springy bite, and creamy custard oozing out. Yum.

Custard-filled donut

 

The chocolate muffin also begged my attention ;) I do love my muffin tops! It had a lovely amount of chocolate through it, and wasn’t dry, which is often my fear with muffins. Not bad at all.

Chocolate muffin

 

We brought home some hot cross buns, since they were specially baking them for Easter. They cost around $2.50 per bun (!!) so you’d expect something awesome. I thought they were only okay, but it’s because I’m not a fan of raisins and they put tons in there! Obviously, this is what makes a good hot cross bun, so Chris really liked them.

Hot cross buns

 

I’m looking forward to going to Baker & Cook again. Their breads and pastries are top-notch and, though not that cheap, make for a nice brunch or snack. If you can, go there on a weekday, because weekends get pretty packed!

 

 

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