16
2017
Popular Chinese New Year Snack : Chicken Floss Roll
Chicken Floss Roll is one of the more popular Chinese New Year snack around. It is extremely addictive that once you start, you’ll find it difficult to stop eating them. It is also expensive to buy them so I decided to resume making them this year. I used to make this every year before I have kids. The boys are pretty okay on their own these days so I can sneak some time making one […]
12
2017
Easy Chinese New Year Snack – Seaweed Popiah Crisp
How many days do we have before Chinese New Year? Not many I tell you. If you haven’t start baking, you should. If you still haven’t start doing anything, come, let Sifu Ayden teach you how to make this extremely simple Chinese New Year snack that is very popular with children, adults and even old people that still have their teeth intact. Seaweed Popiah Crisp With just 3 ingredients – seaweed, popiah skin and egg […]
5
2017
Chinese New Year Pikachu
Spot the odd one out. Look who is not so odd anymore Okay maybe the Monkey is getting a bit odd. Soon it will be time to replace it with a Rooster. Our money can’t buy Chinese New Year Pikachu Ayden’s Pikachu is so ready for Chinese New Year thanks to the many Sakae Sushi plushies I have at home. I curik some ornaments from them to dress up our Pikachu and now I have […]
2
2017
Hungry at McDonald’s
Happy New Year 2017 to all our lovely readers. I’ve not been updating the blog as frequent as I wish to as my hands are tied with both the boys at home 24/7. I hope when the school reopens tomorrow, I’ll get more time to spend on my blog as well as hopping into some of my favourite blogs out there. Anyway, we spent the last day of 2016 at one of the boys’ favourite […]
29
2016
Unleash the Superheroes @ Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa
Today’s post is the continuation of our recent Phuket vacation. After spending a great time with the kids at Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort for 3 nights, we transferred to Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort & Spa for the remaining half of our holiday. Located only 10 minutes drive from the excitement of Patong and right across Karon Beach, Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa is the ideal choice for a Phuket Family Resort. Upon arrival, from the reception, we […]
24
2016
Celebrating early Christmas with Friends
Christmas to me is spending time with loved ones so when we got invited by our dear friend Kimmy to join him and family at an event nearby our place, we immediately agree. A fairytale Christmas it is. The boys with Santa. Have they been good or bad this year? Santa giving them sweet lollies again. I guess the boys must have been really good this year to receive so many goodies from Santa Ayden […]
21
2016
How Cosmotots Helps Ethan Build a Stronger Foundation in English
It’s the school holidays and since I have a little more time to spare, I would like to share an insight of Ethan’s journey in improving his grasp on English. I don’t speak, write nor read Chinese so the only language I use at home with the kids is English with a mixture of Bahasa (as I am after all a Peranakan Nyonya). I thought he would not fare too well in the Chinese language […]
20
2016
Kids Are Important @ Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort
We spent a week in Phuket paradise recently. Only 1 hour 15 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia by flight, it is our second time here this year. We stayed at two places this time around – Surin and Karon, both at Novotel Phuket Resorts. We spent several days at Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort before transferring to Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort & Spa. Today I’ll be writing about our experience staying in Novotel […]
17
2016
A party while we were away…
We left the house for 7 days and returned to a warm welcome of a cockroach party. You see, I laid around 4 of these cockroach traps around the kitchen and the washroom downstairs before leaving the house for our vacation. I did not know what to expect when we returned but when I checked.. OMG! There was a lizard stuck in the trap and apparently the cockroaches were nibbling on it as the lizard’s […]
15
2016
Healthy kids make a happy holiday
The school’s academic year is over and that only means holiday is here! We have a lot planned out for our year end break hence I must make sure the boys are in good health to enjoy our holidays. We just got back from a beach holiday. Both Ethan and Ayden enjoyed getting lots of Vitamin Sea They had so much fun under the sun that it was difficult for me to ensure they eat […]
4
2016
Drum with Ethan: Ethan’s Performance at Sunway Giza mall
Today’s agenda is having Ethan perform at Sunway Giza for a musical concert. He performed two Grade 6 exam pieces in front of an audience. A week ago I suggested for Ethan to ditch the book and play by ear as I find it weird to see a drummer playing with a book in front of him. Today, he proves to me that he is able to do that – playing without his exam book […]
2
2016
His Friend’s Birthday
Ethan attended his classmate’s birthday party last Saturday. It was a great start to the school holidays. This is the second birthday party he attended this year. It was held in the evening at a condo, by the poolside so we joined him there. The first birthday party Ethan attended this year was held during the day at a KFC outlet so we just dropped him there and came to pick him up later. I am […]
28
2016
Kids are King @ Holiday Inn Resort Penang
Batu Ferringhi is one of Penang’s most popular destinations. Its long stretch of soft, white sandy beach is filled with a host of accommodation and dining options. When spoilt for choices, how do you decide? Travelling with kids, the most important factor for us is the convenience and comfort of the boys. Having stayed at numerous Holiday Inn resorts around the globe, we now have them fondly embedded in our hearts. The kids love the Kids […]
26
2016
Craft with Ayden: Toilet Paper Roll Octopus
Today we are going to work on Ayden’s motor skills such as grasping and using small finger muscles. We are also going to focus on his hand-eye coordination. As usual, I am also helping him in his speech development by getting him to speak in the video Watch this video to see how Ayden makes an octopus out of the toilet paper roll. I can’t stop laughing at his face when he was unable to use […]
18
2016
Ethan’s Update
Hi all, do you remember Ethan? LoL. I know I have not been updating much about him these days as he has been very busy with school stuffs and activities. He goes to school early in the morning, comes home in the afternoon for lunch. Then up to his room for homework, coming down for tea and then off to the playground for an hour or two of football with the neighbourhood kids. He also […]
15
2016
Gardening with Ayden: Worm Farming
A worm farm turns organic waste into nutrient-rich fertiliser for your plants and soils but all I have are small bins for breeding worms, not those big professional ones for worm farming. I breed earthworms so I can transfer them into my potted plants as they help increase nutrient in the soil and create better drainage. Ayden has been watching me breed earthworms for some time. Today, he requested to have his very own worm […]
14
2016
Taekwondo with Ethan
Ethan participated in his school’s talent night last Sunday. The event is supposedly to start at 7pm but the children were told to be at school by 4.30pm. Parents were not allowed to be around. The gate only opened to parents/public at 6pm. We wanted to send Ethan to school later but this boy was afraid his teacher may not like it and insisted to be there by 4.30pm. The children were served fried rice […]
5
2016
Art Time with Ayden: Handprint Christmas Mitten
November is here and that means Christmas is NEAR! LoL I know, I know, I can get a little over excited sometimes. But it is never to late to start decorating our house. I love filling the house with the kids’ handicraft so I get Ayden to make one today. The elder brother will make more during the holidays. Handprint Christmas Mitten Watch this video to see how easy it is to make this lovely […]
3
2016
Gardening with Ayden: DIY Calcium Powder
Our costs of living is getting higher. It is advisable to grow our own food where possible. I grow spinach, tomatoes, brinjals, ladies fingers, red beans and even corns for our consumption. These are all grown in pots as I don’t have much land at home. To ensure good harvest especially when you are growing fruiting plants such as tomatoes, brinjals, ladies fingers and corns, you need to make sure the soil is fertile and […]
2
2016
The Story of the Empty Milk Carton
Ethan took out a carton of milk from the refrigerator. That is the only carton of milk left that day. He poured out some milk and kept the carton back into the refrigerator. Seeing big brother having milk to drink, Ayden asked for it too so I went to get some only to find that the carton of milk is already EMPTY. Rage mode ON but I decided to play it cool. I gave Ayden […]
31
2016
Art time with Ayden: Sponge Painting
Just the other day I shared the benefits of stamping for toddlers. In case you missed it, you may read all about it here. Today, we explore further on stamping with a new paint tool – sponge. Ayden loves Koi fish so I thought let’s make today’s art activity more interesting by letting him paint his very own koi fish. I did this same art activity with big brother Ethan back in 2012 when he […]
26
2016
The Number76 experience
It has been a year since I started frequenting Number76 at Starhill Gallery for all my hair needs. They introduced me to hair relaxing, a softer and more natural look as opposed to super straight rebonded hair. I became a fan of hair relaxing from then onwards that I don’t think I’ll ever do rebonding again. Number76, Starhill Gallery The Starhill Gallery branch has extended their salon and is now bigger and more spacious. They also […]
25
2016
Art time with Ayden : Why Stamping is important for young children
Ayden is 3 years old. It is important to work on his soft motor skills. At this age, I pay more attention to his finger muscles and hand strengthening as it is crucial in helping him to hold the pencil when he starts going to school. Stamping is one of the best activity to work those finger muscles as he will be utilising all four fingers and his thumb to hold the stamp. It helps in […]
23
2016
Guess where were we …
We were here. The one place I dread to go on a weekend or during the school holidays. I’ll only try to go on a weekday if possible. If not, then I choose not to go at all coz the queue at the counter can be horrible on a weekend. It is especially terrible during the school holidays. Only several weeks left before the year end school holidays and with Christmas approaching, I am sure […]
16
2016
Toy Review – Disney PLANES
Back when Ayden was 3 months old, big brother Ethan received a whole lot of toys sponsorship from Mattel. We shared some of the toys with our readers via giveaways. We also gave out some to our friends. Ayden was too young to be playing with any of those toys back then. I kept some so he can play with them when he is older. Fast forward 3 years later, I have totally forgotten about […]
13
2016
SnoWalk @ i-City
Living in a tropical climate country, we always longed for winter as that is one thing we can’t get here. Due to the boys’ desire to experience snow, we brought them to SnoWalk @ i-City recently. SnoWalk @ i-City Ticket Counter Operation Hours: 11am-1am Before 6 pm Adult Child Malaysia MyKad 25 20 Non-MyKad 35 30 After 6 pm Malaysia MyKad 35 30 Non-MyKad 40 […]
10
2016
PLAY-DOH Town Firehouse Playset Review and Giveaway
Being a stay-at-home-mom and to home-school both my boys during their preschool years is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I have to admit it is more challenging to home-school Ayden compared to elder brother Ethan as Ayden is more playful. Lessons planned for Ayden are usually in shorter durations. What matters most is the learning experience he gained from all these quick sessions. At 3 years old, Ayden’s lessons are majority play-based. We […]
6
2016
Which Flight to Choose from KL to Bali?
Which flight to take from KL to Bali? That is really a tough choice. Initially we wanted to try Air Asia but knowing that it will take 3 hours, I know we have to get food for the kids and us too. So after adding the cost for luggage, FOOD etc, etc… AA is no longer affordable. Next choice – Malindo. With the rates we got from AA, we can get Malindo’s Business Class promo seats […]
5
2016
Hand-me-downs – Ethan’s bicycle is now Ayden’s
When Princess Charlotte wore big brother Prince George’s hand-me-down sweater recently, it broke the internet with headlines such as, “It’s so CUTE! Princess Charlotte wears big brother’s hand-me-down clothes” and many more. But then again, she IS really cute lah though I personally think George is cuter … Anyway, to us commoners, it is a norm for the younger sibling to get hand-me-downs. Ayden has been wearing Ethan’s hand-me-down clothes for a while now and not […]
26
2016
Mid Autumn Celebration at The ARC, Bandar Rimbayu
The kids missed playing lantern and celebrating the mid autumn festival this year as we were in Bali then but today, we got the chance to feast on mooncakes, play lantern and more at The ARC, Bandar Rimbayu’s Harvest, Joy and Unity Under The Moon in Magical Forest event. This celebration is open to public so we took this golden opportunity to let the kids have some fun. Bandar Rimbayu, Kota Kemuning No.1, Jalan Flora 3, […]
24
2016
(In)fertility Treatments: My Story, My Journey
I’m writing this today, 3 years after Ayden was born because I have seen many friends who are in the same situation as I am yet did not seek treatment just because they are not aware about it. Well, maybe they are aware about it but chose to wait and see. I am also writing this because I came across someone sharing an article on abortion access and why it should be allowed globally. For […]
22
2016
Bali with Kids: Holiday Inn Resort Bali Benoa
After my sharing of our self-customised Bali itinerary (with price included), many readers have messaged me asking where we stayed. We stayed in two places; the first in a hotel where we spent minimal time as we were out all day sight-seeing and the second at a lovely resort where we hardly leave as it was the kids’ turn to enjoy the holidays. We chose to stay at Nusa Dua area as it is nearby […]
19
2016
Places to visit in Bali for first timers
We spent 5 days in Bali this school holidays. It was our first time here. Prior to our trip, we took quite some time studying the places of interest in Bali before deciding which one we should go for. I never know Bali is so huge. It was quite tough to narrow down the places of interest we should visit as there are just too many. Although we were in Bali for 5 days, we only […]
12
2016
i-City, City of Digital Lights
Continuation from my i-City Red Carpet post, today I’ll be writing on the City 0f Digital Lights. i-City, especially its City of Digital Lights is a popular weekend and public holidays’ destination hence the place is always extra crowded then. If you are local, try to go there on a weekday. Kasi chance to tourists lah. But having said that, I always go on a weekend also because weekdays are quite hectic with school work […]
9
2016
Back to School..
Huhuhu. UPSR is over and that means it is back to school for the rest of the school kids. Ethan enjoyed a 3-day off this week. He went to school on Monday and school is off on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It is back to school on Friday tomorrow. Ethan went for a school excursion on Wednesday. It’s a day trip to Farm In The City, Chocolate Factory, Sakae Sushi and 3D Art. We paid […]
5
2016
Art & Craft: Sponge Owl
Ethan came home from school one day showing me the instruction for his school craft project. I took a look at it and asked him what is that supposed to be. He said that is an owl. We got into a heated argument as I refused to believe that is how an owl is supposed to look like but he insisted it is an owl. I don’t read chinese so I don’t know if Ethan […]
31
2016
Ayden’s Birthday Dinner
Ayden is THREE! We celebrated his birthday with my in-laws earlier last week. We had a simple cake cutting at home followed by a pre-booked dinner at Regent Restaurant in Seremban. It was my first time dining at Regent Restaurant here in Seremban. The place is really huge and it was full-house that evening we were there. It’s like as if the entire Seremban population dined there that evening Thank goodness my sister-in-law pre-booked our dinner […]
30
2016
Tabung Warisan Anak Selangor (TAWAS)
We finally did it. We finally registered Ayden for the Tabung Warisan Anak Selangor (TAWAS). The closing date for registration is before the child’s 3rd birthday. Ayden will turn 3 on the 31st and as usual it will be a public holiday so 30th is the last day to register him for this. We successfully registered him on the 29th when we actually had 3 WHOLE YEARS to do it! We are champion when it […]
29
2016
Ayden’s Be-Early 3rd Birthday Cake
Ayden’s birthday is on the 31st and yes, it will be a holiday then as it will always be because his birthday falls on Malaysia’s Independence Day but we won’t be able to go back to my in-law’s then as I already have something else arranged for our family. So we went back to my in-law’s over the weekend for the obligatory cake cutting ceremony for Ayden’s birthday. My sisters-in-law always buy a cake for the boys […]
26
2016
Concerns before sending Ayden to school
As you know, Ayden is home-schooled just like his elder brother Ethan during his preschool years. However, I intend to send Ayden to school earlier as I believe he may benefit socially in school. By school I meant those enrichment centres that is not classroom type of learning. We actually planned to send Ayden earlier this year but has been procrastinating as I’ve been busy. We finally made the effort to pay a visit to […]
23
2016
Tooth Enamel Chipping Off in Toddler’s Teeth
We brought Ayden to the dentist end of May for his first tooth filling. You can watch the video of Ayden’s first tooth filling procedure here: Back then, the dentist wasn’t sure what causes Ayden’s teeth to erode. He suspected Ayden’s teeth grinding habit while sleeping to be the culprit but he wasn’t sure. Today, we brought Ayden back to the dentist again as we discovered 4 new ‘holes’ on his teeth. Upon further checks, […]
15
2016
Seri Nyonya Peranakan Restaurant @ Equatorial Melaka
I was in Melaka last weekend for some work at Kota Laksamana. The thing about going back to my hometown but for work purposes means I won’t have time to go back to my parents’ place hence I arranged with them to have dinner together at where I was putting up for the night, at Hotel Equatorial Melaka. For dinner, we have a choice of having their BBQ Seafood Buffet at Rest House Cafe on […]
11
2016
Keeping Cool
This mini USB fan was in a gift bag to one of the event we attended recently. I am very jakun because I’ve never seen such a thing. I have a mini USB stand fan but this is the first time I’m seeing a fan such as this. Instructions at the back. I thought I can use it on my iPhone but kenot. I can use it on the kids’ Samsung Tab though. Can also […]
5
2016
A surprise gift for Ethan
There is this girl. I know her since 2012. I remember her dropping by my mother’s place in Melaka during Chinese New Year to pass me some of her delicious homemade cookies. We are better acquainted over time as we meet often during blogging events. She is also the person behind this amazing Instagram account with such massive followers: @sycookies She takes beautiful pictures of food and she works extremely well with flat lay shots. […]
3
2016
Evening routine
We look forward to playground time every day. It is our favourite time of the day where the big brother plays with his friends from the neighbourhood while little Ayden explores and spends more time with me. Once the daddy is back from work, he’ll join us, taking over Ayden and I’ll get to go for my 2.5km jog. After I get my heart pumping and work out some sweat, I’ll play with Ayden again and the […]
31
2016
A little update
It was a busy yet fruitful Saturday for us. I woke the boys up really early so we can be at Aquaria KLCC by 9am as I have an event to attend. The event was held in Aquaria KLCC so we got complimentary entrance for that day. It is Ayden’s first visit to Aquaria KLCC. The Daddy accompanied the boys during the guided tour of Aquaria while I stayed put in the event hall. I […]
24
2016
Ethan’s Belated Birthday Cake
Ethan’s birthday was last Thursday but he was having his mid term school exam then so we did not go out to celebrate. But I did manage to boil birthday eggs for him on that day. Today, we brought the kids back to my in-law’s to have a simple cake cutting for Ethan. Ice-cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Ethan with my parents-in-law and sisters-in-law. My sister-in-law helped to get the cake coz we came straight from […]
22
2016
Homeschool Activity for Toddlers: Painting
As you may know, Ayden is home-schooled. I did the same with the elder brother until he is ready to go to Primary One in a public school. I intend to do the same with Ayden. I am thankful that I have the luxury of time to guide my kids during their formative years. It requires a lot of discipline to homeschool a child. If I am lazy, my kid won’t be doing much hence […]
20
2016
Toddler DIY activities: How to Make Watermelon Juice
One of the easiest juice to make is watermelon juice. All we need is a blender to get a refreshingly sweet and hydrating thirst quencher. It is so easy to make that Ayden now makes his own watermelon juice to go together with his lunch. We don’t add sugar nor water to our watermelon juice. We love it as it is – 100% pure watermelon juice. You may add water if you find it to […]
12
2016
Holiday Inn Resort Mai Khao Beach, Phuket – The Perfect Family Getaway
I love traveling. Darling and I, we traveled the world before starting a family. We still love traveling now though I have to admit when we make our travel plans these days, priority is given to the kids. We will do prior research on activities suitable for the kids to partake, places of interest for the boys and most importantly, food availability for them. That is the reason why our previous trips with the kids had […]
30
2016
Craft for Children: Footprint Popsicle
It has been a while since our last arts and crafts project. Today’s project is making paper popsicle out of the boy’s footprint. Ayden can’t do much here so Ethan assisted him when it comes to tracing and cutting. Materials needed are coloured paper, popsicle stick, glue, pencil and a pair of scissors. Big brother Ethan helped trace Ayden’s footprint. He also helped to cut it out. Ayden is able to apply glue onto the […]
28
2016
Ethan’s Taekwondo 1st Poom Black Belt
We went to Bukit Gambang Resort City last weekend but before we began our journey on Saturday, we dropped by Ethan’s school for his Black Belt 1st Poom certificate and changing of belt ceremony. Ethan started learning taekwondo in March 2014. I was hesitant to let him learn initially but the father convinced me to let him with the reason it will be a good self-defense. I gave in and from that day onwards, our Saturdays […]
27
2016
Unboxing and Review of TRANSFORMERS Combiner Wars (Superion)
Ethan is a huge fan of TRANSFORMERS. He has a lavish collection of TRANSFORMERS toys but none of them can beat what he is about to unbox – the TRANSFORMERS Combiner Wars (Superion). Ethan got this TRANSFORMERS Generations Combiner Wars Series Pack worth RM529.90 during the recent school holidays. He chose the TRANSFORMERS Combiner Wars (Superion) as they are the Autobots combiner. The Autobots are the heroes in TRANSFORMERS toyline movies and toyline in case […]
24
2016
Unboxing TRANSFORMERS Robots-In-Disguise Hyperchange Heroes – Optimus Prime
Before the school holidays, after collecting big brother Ethan’s report card, we brought the boys to 1 Utama to check out TRANSFORMERS toys. Ethan is a huge fan of TRANSFORMERS and has a lavish collection of them which he is reluctant to share with Ayden. He is afraid Ayden will damage his TRANSFORMERS collection because Ayden will recklessly try to transform them. The boys got lucky this time as Hasbro Toy Malaysia, presented them each […]
23
2016
His shoe vs Mine
It is a state holiday today so let’s go shopping. We woke up early and quickly headed out to our favourite shopping mall because we are afraid if we go later, there won’t be any parking spot available as everyone else is taking this opportunity to do some shopping too. Town folks, tsk tsk! Ayden has been wearing big brother Ethan’s hand-me-down Crocs all these while so we thought it is time to buy him […]
22
2016
Smuggling Popcorns
Mothers are supposed to show good example to their kids as kids usually mimic their parents’ every move. Pity my boys as I am not such a good role model lah. During the recent school holidays, we made popcorn at home. If you follow my blog, you would have read my post about our kitchen project – making popcorn. If you haven’t, then let me share with you the video on how to make popcorn. […]
19
2016
Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya @ the Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia
The inaugural Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia 2016 is being held at Wisma MCA. The month long festival which starts on June 1 brings about 100 people, groups and societies together for a month of arts, exhibitions, stage performances, visual arts presentations as well as culture and folk activities. Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya from Malacca took part in this festival this weekend with my mom and aunt being part of it. I took the opportunity to visit them […]
14
2016
Nickelodeon’s Green Goo Splash @ Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon, Sunway Lagoon
Sunway Lagoon has a new attraction – Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon. It is also Asia’s 1st Nickelodeon Themed Land. Well, it was launched in February 2016 if I am not mistaken but we only got the time to check it out in the recent months. However, we only managed to catch the highlight at Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon – the signature GREEN SLIME last weekend. Nickelodeon’s signature gooey green slime deluge happens daily at 4pm at Spongebob’s Splash Adventure. […]
12
2016
Suspension Bridge @ Sunway Lagoon Amusement Park
We are regular visitors to Sunway Lagoon Amusement Park as my family has the annual pass but we have never stepped foot on their Suspension Bridge until today. We finally found the courage to walk on Malaysia’s Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge at Sunway Lagoon today. It was a breeze initially as we walked on solid wood but as we continued further … we can see through the bridge! My heart dropped when I looked down *sweat* It got scarier […]
9
2016
Homeschooling the Toddler: Reading Progress at 2Y9M
If you don’t already know, I am homeschooling Ayden. I intend to homeschool him throughout his preschool years. I did the same for big brother Ethan but I may send Ayden to a year of preschool for socialising before going to Primary One. I don’t know, let’s see how it goes. Ayden learns a lot at home. We do many things together from art to Math, to reading and skill learning such as cooking and […]