Jun Le Font - Our First Calligraphy

We have always been looking out for a nice calligraphy piece for our house. But somehow, the husband and I have not agreed on anything until recently. We both came across Jun Le Font separately and his characters caught our eyes. That was when we knew this is the one. 

My husband did a little research and realised that Jun Le is an autistic 16 years old. I wouldn't think that we are people who would buy art simply because the artist had special needs. But we just found the piece more meaningful. We did however put a lot of thought in what we would want him to write - something that encapsulates the values of our home yet not difficult for him. 

In the end, we decided to get the lyrics from a song (with some minor tweaks on my end) because our mandarin was not that fantastic. From enquiring to delivery, the whole process took less than 2 weeks. This was probably his most difficult piece of work to date because of the sheer number of words. But we were so satisfied with it. 

As a parent myself, I know how difficult it can be to raise a normal child, let alone one that is special. Supporting Jun Le Font is not just a mere encouragement to the child that his works are loved but also to the parents that they are doing a good job. Each piece is not particularly expensive so do support them as well if you love this font as much as us. 

Fun Day Out at Jacob Ballas Children's Garden

The heat was sweltering but Botanic Gardens was a ball of fun. We have always seen similar playgrounds overseas and was envious. It was awesome to find something similar in our Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. The Children's Garden was conveniently located near the taxi bay, just a few steps and we were in. 

It was filled with greenery and not overly manicured. We love the slightly wild vibe to it. Also, there were a few playgrounds within the vicinity. The kids could play to their heart's delights. To be quite frank, I was petrified by some of the giant ants and insects we met there. My husband called me an absolute un-nature person. Perhaps he is right because a quick brush and they were off with nature again. 

As we visited during my little girl's actual birthday, we were treated to a personal tour by the gardeners. It made the whole trip so much more enriching because we got to learn more fun facts about the plants and how to grow them. Also, my little girl was allowed to pluck some of the plants. The icing was the warden singing "happy birthday" to her. 

Things to bring for this include lots of sunblock and water. We were sweating buckets and our face were flushed. There were some shaded areas but the children preferred to be out running and playing. We also met some tourists who were impressed by the layout but at the same time desperate to hide from the sun. LOL!

We spent the most time at this playground because my kids absolutely love it. It was actually quite fun to climb around even for an adult for me. We spent nearly half a day there and absolutely no regrets, would be there again a heartbeat. Will probably bring the children there again when they are older :D

Things to do and eat at Jewel: All in a Day

Jewel used to be on of my favourite hang-outs. Even though it was a bit further from home, I would still look forward and cab my way there. The main appeal to me apart from its pretty aesthetics, was the unique mix of food and shopping outlets it hold. After Covid, maybe because of its increased rental prices, the shops have kinda became mainstream. 

Some of the places are still pretty worth visiting, so I thought I would do a post on it. For info, my kid dictated much of the trip in case you are wondering why I missed out some of the more iconic things to do. Haha. 

If you want to dine at a place with a view of the skytrain, Tonito is the place to go to. Its only outlet is in Jewel so if you want a taste of their Latin American cuisine, this is the only place you can find it. The food is not the most affordable, but the weekday set meal is pretty worth it. The service is also impeccable. My boy who was wild about train was offered a make-shift seat (with a lower table) so that he could enjoy a view throughout his entire meal. 

 

Next up was multiple rides on the skytrains to and fro the different terminals. I wished we had more photo opportunities because some of the places were really cutely decorated. But my kid was pretty adamant that he only wanted to be on a train. We also managed to score some nice deals - i.e. bak kwa at half price. The great thing about shopping at the airport - we could avoid the GST charges!

Break time at Andersen's Ice Cream. This is not the only outlet in Singapore. But my kid was so enamored by the train that we had to buy ice cream from them. If you ask me, my preference would be Birds of Paradise, but it definitely not as family friendly and it sure didn't have a train. 

This is truly a must visit place for me - the Poke Center. Oddly, I have never made a purchase there, but I am always there to look around. Jewel and Changi do have occasional pop-ups which I would recommend to go visit. But I was there at a bad time - transition between pop ups, so I basically couldn't see anything. No matter what happens, I always have the Poke Center to rely on. And it helps that my children love them too!

Dinner at Kam's Roast because it seems to have food for the kids and I haven't tried it before despite the many outlets around Singapore. My child's face says it all - the food isn't fantastic.  I expected more from their roasts, but it was quite average, Their service on the other hand was excellent. By dinner time, we were utterly drained and was quite happy to make our way back. I think it will be a while before I make my way back to Jewel. It is no longer much of a destination spot for me. 

Avatar: The Experience

I have been a huge fan of Avatar so this was a must-go for me. Also, I have seen quite a bit of impressive photos taken by my friends on social media. Avatar: The Experience was my first ever night experience at any of the Garden by the Bay's domes. I was so blown away how beautiful the place was with its strobe light. (Note: Please DO NOT go in the day, it is not worth it. The gorgeous part lies in the display of lights!)

But what was fun for Mummy was not necessarily fun for baby. Baby held on to me really tightly throughout and at some point, she asked to go back. One thing for sure, the exhibition was highly realistic. If you have watched avatar before, you would know how tribal and dinosaur-looking some of the creatures are. So I guess it could be quite terrifying if you were a baby. 

In the end, I managed to convince the little one to stay on and she started to enjoy it. She started to feel a little more at ease when I let her touch a few florals. What really spook was when the creatures moved. If you haven't went for it, you really must go because it is truly a feast for the eyes and the side exhibitions look very put together. This used to my less favourite dome cos it was so boring but this exhibition really changed my perspective. 

Our journey was about 2h. I think I would have definitely stayed longer if it wasn't for the kids. We added the day with the free light show at 7.45pm and the baby appreciated it a lot more now that she was used to strobe lights. :) Here's all my unedited photos I took for that day. I have a lot more hehe, but I shall not overwhelm you with them. 

** Use the discount code "BABYNFAM" for 5% Discount For All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

8th Italian Cuisine Week

The Italian Cusine Week promises to immerse participants in both gastronomy and culture. For me, the best way to know a culture is definitely through their week. This edition will last from Nov 13 to 19 and celebrate the excellence of the Italian Cuisine. The highlight this year is the Italian Wine. You many not know but Italy is Singapore's 2nd largest European wine supplier. 

During the launch, I got to taste some fingerfood from At-Sunrise GlobalChef Academy. I have heard about the academy but never did I knew they produced such exquisite tasting food. If you are a budding chef, do visit their courses. :D

My personal recommendations would be:

• 12 Nov: Ravioli Making Class for Kids & Adults @ At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy
• 15 Nov: Wine Dinner Panzano Goes To Sicily @ Bottega di Carna, Mondrian Singapore Duxton
• 18 Nov: FabItalia & Italian Language School Exploring Restaurants Sustainability (Walking Tour On Singapore River)

But of course, you may have other interests so please find find the full list of events here. 

Favourite Products from Wishtrend

 

Here's my haul from H2 from Wishtrend. A quick review for all my readers here:

1. I'm From Honey Mask ($34.20):  I'm From is possibly my next favourite brand after Klairs. I have always been using their scrub/ hand wash so I thought of giving their mask a try. It is pretty gentle on my skin. For people who have sensitive skin like me, I would strongly recommend I'm From series. 


2. Klairs Daily Skin Softening Water ($22.95): I intended to use this as a toning water because I actually don't use any toner. Despite all the good things I have heard from a lot of people on how I should use a toner....toners just don't really create any visible impact on me. 


3. Klairs Rich Moist Forming Cleanser ($15.30): If you have been following me, you will know my old favourite was the Klairs Gentle Black Facial Cleanser. This works as well as that for me, but I prefer the packaging more. The pump method prevents more leaks and dirtying of my bathroom vanity area. :)


4. Klairs Fundamental Watery Oil Drop ($26.35): I would say this product is pretty good and is my holy grail. I leave this in the office for quick freshening if I had a rough night and my skin need a boost so that it looks supple and less flaky! You are definitely going to see more of it here!


5. Vitamin A Bakuchiol Night Cream ($28.05): I got this because of the Vitamin A. Do you know that Vitamin A can help to rebuild collagen and repairs damage from UV Exposure which can reduce wrinkles and age spots that lead to the enhancement of your skin repairing. :) For people who might get pimple from the use of moisturiser, this would work wonder because it is not too oily.