Kamala Beach in Phuket Thailand is a popular destination for families. A beautiful long beach with clear waters during high season, it features various beach restaurants and shopping options. Swissotel Resort Phuket Kamala Beach 100/10 Moo 3, Kamala Beach, 83150 Kathu Phuket Thailand Tel: +66 76 303 000 Fax: +66 76 303 003 Email: [email protected] The beautiful, idyllic and family-friendly island retreat Swissotel Resort Phuket Kamala Beach is a stone’s throw off Kamala Beach, offering 180 elegant one […]

It is the first day of school. Many young children are attending school for the very first time. To some of these children, it may be the first time they are separated from their parents. They may experience fear or anxiety when being parted from their parents or carers. I was a teacher before giving up my job to be a stay at home mom. Let me share with you my fair share of experience on […]

We were back in Melaka a couple of weeks ago. 2019 is Visit Melaka Year hence we decided to have a head start and be tourists in my own beautiful hometown. We brought my parents for an evening ride on the Melaka River Cruise. We also brought the boys to view Melaka from a bird’s eye view from Menara Taming Sari. Last but not least, you’ll need to catch Encore Melaka at least once when […]

10 minutes drive from Patong and right across Karon Beach, we are back at Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa after two years! We were here a couple of years ago and loved how family friendly this resort is that it prompted us to return when we decided to revisit Phuket last month. Refreshing welcome drink upon arrival. First thing first, we hopped onto the hotel’s complimentary buggy and driven past the hotel’s main […]

The Chinese New Year, Year of the Pig will start on 5th February 2019. It has become a tradition for Chinese families to have a feast on New Year eve which symbolizes family unity. During this moment, people once again are able to gather with their family members to tighten family bond and enjoy the moment of togetherness with loved ones. This significant moment has been extended beyond family members to friends and business acquaintances.  […]

What’s your plan this 31 December 2018? What if I tell you for just RM300+, you’ll get a hotel room stay inclusive of breakfast AND buffet dinner for 2 persons?  Yes, you read that correctly. Grand BlueWave Hotel Shah Alam is offering a special promotion for everyone to celebrate the New Year Eve.  The New Year’s Eve promotion package at Grand BlueWave Hotel Shah Alam is priced at RM300.00+ for two adults.  Offered in one […]

Let it snow, let it snow… It’s Alpine White Christmas at Dorsett Kuala Lumpur this year. We brought the boys to witness the Tree Lighting Ceremony followed by a preview of the hotel’s scrumptious Christmas Eve and New Year Eve’s buffet dinner at Checkers Cafe yesterday.  Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner (24 December 2018) 6:30pm – 7:30pm | 2 serves of drinks & canapes @ Windows Lounge (Lobby) 7:30pm onwards | Dinner @ Checkers Cafe (Level […]

Genki Sushi, the popular Japanese sushi chain with an established presence in most food capitals across Asia debuted its ‘Kousoku Express’ sushi delivery system and signature Dai Man Zoku selection at its latest Sunway Pyramid branch. Ayden loves making his own green tea here. Green tea powder We ordered our food using our own phone here at Genki Sushi. All we needed to do was to scan the code given to us and start ordering. […]

Phuket has some of Thailand’s most popular beaches. We were here a couple of years ago and loved the warm hospitality of the friendly locals. We revisited this beautiful island in the Andaman Sea last week. Only 1 hour 15 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia by flight, it is our third time here. As we were here for 8 days, we stayed at three places this time to explore three out of the many beautiful […]

The Pig is the twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. We’ll be welcoming the Year of the Boar in 2019. I’ve been experimenting with recipes to come out with something cute and came out with this cute Piggy Meat Floss Biscuit. Year of The Boar Piggy Meat Floss Biscuit is very delicious. It takes forever to shape and bake but is gone into […]

Our Lil’ Chef Ayden is back in the kitchen after a long hiatus. This time he does some baking. He baked banana cupcakes using the same delicious Moist Banana Cake recipe.  Ingredients: 220g self-raising flour 140g sugar 2 eggs (lightly beaten) 115g butter 4 bananas 1/2 tsp baking soda 20ml milk 1/2 tsp banana flavouring (optional) Method: 1) Preheat oven to 160 Celsius. 2) Mash the bananas. 3) Break the eggs in a bowl and […]

PJ’s Bar & Grill at New World Hotel Petaling Jaya is the latest rooftop dining and entertainment venue in Petaling Jaya. PJ’s BAR & GRILL Level 30 New World Petaling Jaya Hotel Paradigm, 1 Jalan SS7/26A Kelana Jaya 47301 Petaling Jaya Located on the 30th floor, this is also where the hotel’s infinity pool is located. PJ’s Bar & Grill is currently the highest rooftop bar in Petaling Jaya with stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the […]

During our recent holiday in Langkawi, we took the boys to experience Langkawi cable car. The SkyCab ticket is inclusive of 3D Art Langkawi which is located just next to the iconic Langkawi Cable Car station in Oriental Village hence we took this opportunity to explore this interactive art museum.  With 21,000 square feet build up, it is the largest 3D art museum in Malaysia and second largest in the world.  The interactive 3D Art […]

It’s the final day of 2018 academic calendar. Ethan bids farewell to some of his classmates as the school reshuffled their classes hence some of them won’t be in the same class next year.  Ethan did good, finishing in the Top 3 in his class as well as for the entire Primary 5.  He was also more active this year, competing and winning several Science and Art contests. Next year will be a tough one […]

Handbags, sling bags…which do u prefer? I’m a backpack kind of girl. The only bag I have with me are my eyebags  I received a backpack as a gift recently. It is totally what I like in a bag. Not too big with lots of compartments yet still looking very feminine. This is the bag I am talking about. I love how aesthetically pleasing it is to the eyes. The size is just right for me. […]

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines: Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world applications. It is the end of the academic year for 2018 hence I took the advantage to sign Ethan up for a Parent-Kid Experimental Workshop with me at […]

Ayden has a little blue whale pouch that he brings everywhere he goes these days. In that cute little pouch is Möbi Kids number tiles and Möbi Activity Booklet. WHAT IS MÖBI KIDS? Möbi Kids is a fun, gentle and collaborative math game by the inventors of Mobi – The Numerical Tile Game in a Whale Pouch! Möbi Kids is the perfect introduction to math for the little ones – fun, simple and multi-coloured.  HOW TO PLAY? Each player […]

Celebrate a Tropical Christmas at The Eatery, Four Points by Sheraton With Christmas slightly over a month away, some of us have already started to scout for the best and affordable dinner in town. Four Points by Sheraton Puchong has delightful buffets on the eve of Christmas, Christmas Day, New Year eve and New Year day. Christmas Eve Dinner  RM150 nett per person Christmas Day Brunch  RM108 nett per person New Year Eve Dinner  RM150 […]

There are seven hotels at Resorts World Genting and whilst each one has its own unique quality, the Theme Park Hotel definitely stands out amongst them. The Theme Park Hotel is aptly named as it is a mere stone’s throw away from the upcoming Twentieth Century Fox Malaysia Theme Park.  Guest will be transported to a different world at the Theme Park Hotel at Resorts World Genting which is ultimate family-friendly accommodation. THE LOBBY Forget the […]

We were in Langkawi recently during the Deepavali holidays for a much needed family vacation. We did not plan much as all we wanted to do was to chill and relax. The last I went to Langkawi was more than 15 years ago during my courting days with Darling so we do not have much recollection of what Langkawi has to offer.  I was browsing Facebook one day looking for information on Langkawi when I […]

I dislike last-minute shopping. I always prepare stuffs early especially when it comes to special occasions such as festive celebrations and school related items. I prefer to shop early to avoid the massive crowd closer to school reopening. Would you believe it if I tell you that I’ve settled Ethan’s school uniform as well as school shoes for next year? We went shopping last weekend and I am so relieved that everything is already sorted […]

When was your last visit to Crocodile Adventureland Langkawi? We brought the boys here a couple of weeks ago and had such a great time! Crocodile Adventureland Langkawi is the largest crocodile adventureland in Malaysia. Located at Teluk Datai Bay and about 10 minutes from the Langkawi cable car, Crocodile Adventureland Langkawi has an area of 10 acres with plenty of activities to keep visitors entertained.  CROCODILE ADVENTURELAND LANGKAWI Jalan Datai, Mukim Air Hangat PO Box 50, […]

We can now sing our hearts out up in the clouds at the newly opened RedTail Karaoke, SkyAvenue, Resorts World Genting. Made for singing enthusiasts, there’s a brand new place to unleash your inner diva and divo. RedTail by Zouk has a brand new space at Resorts World Genting: RedTail Karaoke.  This follows the overwhelming success of RedTail by Zouk which has become the hottest hangout at the resort. Spanning 3000 sq ft in addition […]

We had a FUNtastic 3D/2N staycation at RED by Sirocco KL last weekend. Located along the row of Heritage Row, RED by Sirocco is away from the bustling traffics yet is nearby to art galleries, local eateries, nightlife scenes and more. This hotel features a bold mural with a height of 87.1 meters and width 20.6 meters extending the entire length of one wall with a concept reflecting Malaysia as a tropical country. This mural is […]

11.11 is just a couple of days away and SALES are everywhere! During this 11.11 shopping madness, 11street will be rolling out crazy flash deals up to 14 November 2018.  These five days of “Madness Heaven” will see crazy slashing of price with discounts going up to 90%, flash deals, coupons and deals below RM11! Not only that, selected brands will also be offering free shipping throughout the promo period. Do participate in the ‘AIM […]

Ethan celebrated Children’s Day last week at his school. He requested for me to bake something to bring to his class. I asked if he would like to bring a cake or cookies. He said since he already brought cake last year, he would like to bring cookies this time. He requested for his favourite Chocolate Chip cookies so I baked him several tubs to share with his friends as well as to give some […]

We checked out the newly enhanced Swiss-Garden Beach Resort in Kuantan last weekend. SWISS-GARDEN BEACH RESORT KUANTAN 2656-2657, Mukim Sungai Karang, Balok Beach, 26100 Kuantan, Pahang FB: SwissGardenBeachResortKuantan Phone: 09-548 8288 WHAT’S NEW? Swiss-Garden Beach Resort Kuantan has undergone some major upgrading works (in stages) to keep up with times and meet guests’ expectations. It has recently changed to new beddings and lightings for their guestrooms. The resort has also recently launched the all new SPLASH pool for kids with […]

It has been almost 5 months now since Ayden started attending drumming lessons. I shared his videos in this blog as well as on Facebook and received many inquiries from curious moms wanting to start their little kids on drums too. I will continue sharing so you can see his progress and to know what the exam songs are for Trinity Rock & Pop Drums new syllabus. If you are planning to start your kid […]

More and more Malaysians are traveling these days. Be it for business or leisure, travel is becoming more affordable with flights getting cheaper coupled with competitive hotels rates. With the minimalist travelling style today; a backpack is all you need! A major plus point for us Malaysian citizens is we hold one of the most powerful passports in the world. Currently ranking as the 5th best in the world, a Malaysian passport gives us visa-free […]

Don’t you hate it when you buy bean sprouts only for them to turn bad at home just because you delayed cooking them? You can actually grow them in an empty milk carton yourself. All it takes is FOUR days so plan your menu and grow them 4 days before in order to get fresh bean sprouts in your kitchen any time, any day. Here is how you can grow your own bean sprouts in […]

Ethan celebrated his 11th birthday in July while Ayden turned 5 end of August. I often wonder, where have all the time gone?  My boys are growing so fast, soon it will be back to only me and Darling when they both leave home to further their studies. Will it be honeymoon period again for us? Will Darling still see me the same as the beautiful bride he married back then? While it is not […]

You’ve watched Ayden play the simplified version of Uptown Funk from his Grade 1 book. You’ve probably watched me trying to play that same song too. Yes, the keyword there is TRY as I am still unable to play it accurately today. Now let’s see how big bro Ethan does it but of course he’ll be playing the ORIGINAL and COMPLETE version of Uptown Funk. 

I’ll just put it up in the blog that Ethan received his 2nd Poom Black Belt in Taekwondo last weekend so that I won’t forget. This is because it takes quite some time before he can take the next grading test. I remember he took the 1st Poom Black Belt grading test about one and a half year ago. I guess it takes a longer time to climb the ladder in the black belt category.  […]

What have I been reading? No, it’s not the WHALE book. I stopped reading that book midway as my heart can’t accept how absurd everything is. I have a simple mind. I can’t digest complicated matters. I prefer something straight to the point. I love books with lots of graphics and my favourite book distributor – Pansing knows exactly just that. They have recently sent me a copy of Guinness World of Records 2019. YES! The world’s […]

Hello hello! It’s time for another update on Ayden’s drumming. The new Trinity Rock & Pop Drums 2018 syllabus has really some awesome songs in it such as the classic hit Billie Jean and recent hit Uptown Funk and Seven Nation Army. The rest of the songs are quite catchy but I am not familiar with them yet Ayden is determined to learn them all. These days Ayden spends less time on electronic gadget because […]

We traveled to Terengganu over the weekend to learn about Turtle Conservation and to experience releasing turtle hatchlings into the sea. It was organised by Resorts World Genting and boy, such an eye-opening experience we had. We learned a whole lot from it. RESORTS WORLD KIJAL Km 28, 24210, Jalan Kemaman – Dungun, Kampung Meraga Beris, 24100 Kijal, Terengganu 09-864 1188   We stayed at Resorts World Kijal, known not only for its sandy and beautiful beaches […]

Another quick update on our little drummer Ayden. As mentioned earlier, he started attending drum lessons in June this year. He is into the 4th month of drumming and enjoying every moment of it.  Here is Ayden playing Seven Nation Army. If you have not watch any of his previous drumming videos, I’d recommend you to watch this one. He totally enjoyed playing this song and it shows as he shakes his head while playing […]

Apt for these rainy days, steamboat is now available at Chatz Brasserie, PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur for dinner.  Chatz Brasserie PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur Jalan Sultan Ismail 50250 Kuala Lumpur +603 2147 0088 There are FOUR types of broth to choose from – Herbal Chicken, Herbal Chicken with Kei Chi, Tom Yam or Ma La.  The Steamboat Dinner set is made up of a selection of red and white meat, ocean seafood, mushrooms and garden greens. It […]

There can be a plethora of interior design elements that tend to take precedent in any decorating endeavor. Homeowners, however, tend to look at the bigger elements and impart more consideration towards these elements. This is especially so when one is decorating from scratch (take for example, one of those new HDB developments in yishun). When there are more crucial decisions to be made (for example, what color scheme to go for; what key furniture […]

Both my drummer boys are on a roll. They are churning out drum covers faster than I can update my blog  Ethan’s primary school teacher requested for two songs from him – Despacito and 我们不一样 WO MEN BU YI YANG. Ethan gets help from his drum teacher to teach him. I’ve shared 我们不一样 WO MEN BU YI YANG earlier so here is Ethan playing Despacito:  Drummer Ethan @ 11Y1M If you are keen to watch Ethan’s previous […]

 Drummer Ayden may be too young to know who Michael Jackson is but since he learned the song Billie Jean, he is hooked to the rest of MJ’s songs. For those keen to start your little ones on drumming, this is one of the 6 songs available in the 2018 Trinity Rock & Pop Drums Grade 1. Ayden is into the 4th month of learning the drums and here are other fun songs he […]

 Malabar Spinach is high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron and calcium. It is also a good source of magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It can be used raw in salads, stir-fried or soups. We never run out of Malabar Spinach as we grow them at home. To grow Malabar Spinach, first we need to purchase a pack of this vege as our starter pack. Pluck the leaves for cooking and save the stems for […]

After sharing a video of Little Drummer Ayden playing Uptown Funk in my previous post, it’s time to share Big Brother Ethan’s latest drum cover. Can you imagine how great a neighbour we are with these two budding drummers at home?  Ethan’s drum cover this time is a Chinese song – 我们不一样. I don’t know the meaning of this song but I like listening to it. Ethan learns to play shuffle beats on the hi hats for […]

Ayden is into the 4th month of learning the drums and has shown vast improvements as he practices regularly at home. This is the best age to be learning music as he has all the time in the world. He is not burdened with school nor homeworks so he can enjoy playing the drums as and when he wishes. Ayden learned another song over the week. It is his favourite song – Uptown Funk. I […]

I used to use the fire stove to make chicken essence for the boys. You can read my tutorial on how to make chicken essence the traditional way. Today, Little Chef Ayden will be sharing how to make chicken essence using the pressure cooker. It is much easier and faster this way. We use our Philips All In One Cooker so we have the option of either making it really fast using the pressure cooker function […]

31 August 2018. While the nation celebrates our independence day, our little Ayden officially turns FIVE! At such a tender age, he already requested to celebrate with his friends in the Mandarin enrichment class he is attending.  We celebrated his birthday earlier as it is always a holiday on his birthday as it falls on our National Day.  As usual, Ayden and I baked his favourite moist chocolate cake a day before the celebration. I […]

Did you know palm oil is found in over half of all supermarket products, including food, makeup and cleaning products but the impacts of unsustainable production can be devastating. Take a look at the list of ingredients in chocolates, cooking oils, instant noodles and many more, chances are you’ll see palm oil as one of the ingredient including food that kids eat regularly such as pizza and ice cream. It is almost impossible for most […]

We received a pleasant surprise recently when a dear acquaintance delivered a box of mooncakes for my mooncake crazy boys. We are really blessed to be surrounded by such generous and lovely people. We were at the playground opposite our house when we got these mooncakes so it was just nice to have a mooncake picnic.  Conveniently packed with a knife and four little forks (in the box), these mooncakes are good to eat anytime, anywhere.  […]

Ayden grows up seeing big brother Ethan playing the drum and piano. It influences him to learn the piano and take up drumming too.  I use big bro Ethan’s old books to guide Ayden on the piano but that’s about it. He never pursue it further unlike drum. He requested for us to enroll him for formal lessons under Ethan’s drum teacher and we did back in June. It has been almost 3 months now […]

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four most important Chinese festivals. Mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy as we celebrate the beauty of the full moon blooming and spend the night moon watching with our family and loved ones. Enchanting stories be told as we gather to celebrate the beauty of Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncakes from the award-winning Tao Chinese Cuisine. This year, Tao’s 10 exquisite mooncake picks include 6 classic baked-skin flavours, 3 […]

Today’s post is quite backdated. It was dated way back to the 4th day of Hari Raya this year.  This is the story… I have an active Whatsapp group of my former schoolmates. Not of the entire school but about 52 of us. There used to be more but some members left because the group is too noisy for their phone. They claimed that their battery drained quickly because of our never ending chats. We […]

Both Ethan and his father were born a week apart in July. We had a celebration for Ethan with his friends this year but did not do much for the Daddy as he was a little under the weather back then.  The boys surprised the Daddy with their DIY birthday gift and homebaked cake. We did not go out to celebrate so I decided to compensate and treated Darling to lunch last weekend.  I walk […]

It is no secret my boys love chicken rice. It’s the first thing they look for whenever we dine out. Today we’ll be sharing this quick and easy one pot chicken rice recipe that I’ve been cooking on lazy days. It’s so easy even little Ayden can cook this himself on busy days. All he does is just throw the ingredients into the pot and the rice will be ready in 15 minutes.  Ingredients (for […]

A brand new day on a brand new week. Today I would like to share Ethan’s latest drum cover – It’s My Life by Bon Jovi.  According to Ethan, this song is easier to play compared to the more challenging BURN he did previously. BURN remains as his most challenging cover todate.  Ethan is still very much passionate about drumming. We are lucky he has an equally passionate and patient drum teacher to guide him […]

We were in Hua Hin, Thailand for a week recently. I’ve blogged about our visit to the famous Santorini Park, Vana Nava Water Jungle as well as our stay experience at Novotel Hua Hin Cha-am Beach Resort & Spa. Today, I shall blog on another tourist attraction – Plearn Wan, a recreated retro village in Hua Hin offering quaint shops and eateries. Our driver dropped us on the opposite side of the road so we […]

Ethan turned 11 on Saturday. For the first time ever, we allowed him to celebrate with his friends. Since he is a big boy now, I gave him the task of creating the guest list. He was given the responsibility to invite who ever he wants without me questioning it. He also had to personally invite them and get their parent’s contact number without my assistance. I only came in the very last minute to […]

As someone who suffered from postpartum depression after delivering my first born, I am glad that efforts are being taken to address this issue to new moms. Today, I attended Tollyjoy Baby Day 2018 where not only we discussed Infant Health, we also talked about postpartum depression as well. What was once considered a taboo subject was discussed openly in a very relax manner. You can read about me overcoming my postpartum depression in this post […]

We spent a week in Hua Hin during the recent school holidays. I have always wanted to go to Hua Hin but back then it was such a hassle as we had to fly to Bangkok and then take a bus or train to Hua Hin as there were no direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hua Hin previously until June this year.  When I heard AirAsia launched a new route to Hua Hin in […]

We celebrated Darling’s birthday at home. He never wanted anything lavish for his birthday as I guess he knows he’ll be the one paying for it in the end  What can we do for the breadwinner of the house on his birthday then? I assisted the boys in preparing some surprises for their Daddy. First and foremost, we never mention anything about his birthday throughout the week. We pretended like we don’t remember but as […]

My mom’s the best. I was back in Melaka last weekend. Not long before that, I mentioned to her that I will be coming home for the weekend and I’ve invited a dear friend to join us for lunch at home. Not that I’m cooking though. And just like that, she cooked up a storm and prepared a feast for us.  She cooked all these: Babi Satay Buah Keras My mom taught me how to […]