Great Christmas Village

One of the best ways of spending Christmas in Singapore is to catch the lights and beautiful deco at Orchard Road. Over the years, there have been many different variations of Christmas pop-ups but somehow I always feel Christmas needs to be celebrated at Orchard Road. Maybe it is nostalgia at play, but it just hits me differently. :P

This year, we brought the kids to the Great Christmas Village outside Ngee Ann City and Shaw House. It has been a while since we saw such carnivals and it was truly so much fun for both the adults and kids. I thought I will create a guide because this was some thoughts that cross through my mind. We went twice during the day, hence a clothes change HAHAHA. I think it may be more beautiful and less warm at night, but I am not a huge fan of crowds. 

Rides that we are all here for - Mainly at Shaw House

There are some rides which definitely caught our eye because it either didn't exist during our time or we knew it was great fun when we rode them as kids! Although the 2 locations are not very far from each other, I thought it was a waste no one highlighted where each ride was so that families could better strategise their time there. Most of the these rides - European Swing, Cycle Jet, Space Shuttle Ride (Brand New!) except for Robotic Ride (Ngee An City) are at Shaw House. 

We took all of them and some twice except for Cycle Jet because the kids' legs are too short to cycle. The #2 just turned 2 YO and she could go on most of the rides.  Special shout-out to Space Shuttle Ride which I think we took so many times because it was so fun and somehow the competitive streak in me came out. Oops. 

Carnival Games that promises a toy - Mainly at Shaw House

If you are here with kids, you know sometimes you can't go home empty-handed. For some, the toy is a must to complete the carnival experience. For guaranteed toys, go for the fishing game (Shaw House) or the Spin the Wheel (Ngee Ann City). To win big, you need to make your way to Ngee Ann. I tried a few but I am absolutely skill-less or luckless, probably the former so I won nothing. 

The claw machines are at Shaw House, but lady luck wasn't on my side, I forced some possible catches to become impossible. Oops. The games at Shaw House allows you to accumulate points so that you can redeem something. The children love the mini arcade and the Space Shuttle Ride. 

Credits Maximising Tips

To get the bang for your bucks, I would suggest setting a budget maybe S$150 and top it up at one shot so that you can get the bonus credits. The credits can be used at other J'Kids organised carnivals. Space Shuttle is my ultimate favourite because it allows you to both have a ride and accumulate points to redeem something. Accompanying parents are half the credits. If your kids are young like mine, you don't really have a choice to save the parent's credit. But I always believe it is better to experience fun together for the playtime to be more purposeful. 

If you want to maximise your fun, then just do whatever you want to do with your budgeted credit. My kids just wanted to go on the ferris wheel, bouncy castle + ball pit. To me, these rides aren't entirely exclusive. But whatever floats their boat, look at how bright their smiles are. A budget of $150 with its extra bonus credits should be able to keep the family entertained for 1.5 to 2 hours.

And you know what, I think we might still be making another trip there ~!~

Christmas Buffet with Edge

As Christmas draws near, I am sure most workplace are preparing for the year-end gathering. A lot of people always ask me where it is the best place to go and I would always recommend buffets. Buffets are great for teammates with black holes for appetite. At least, the basic requisite feed empty stomachs will be met. :D

Also, the bigger the team, the more complicated the dietary restrictions will be. Buffets usually have food for all and everyone gets to pick what they want to eat and leave the place happy. Look out for promotions if you have a tight budget, because sometimes you may also score a 1-for-1.

My buffet recommendation for the year would be Edge. Edge serves a good spread and their quality is always top-notch. During Christmas, they will also serve the specials such the Traditional Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry Sauce and Yuletide Desserts such as logcakes, gingerbread houses etc. They do a good job in deco and bringing the Christmas spirits to the table for smaller teams with no D&D. 

Some of my friends have brought their teams to Edge already for their Christmas buffet and so far the feedback has been great. If you go during the weekdays, there are better promotions and will sit well in the budget. For gifting, do consider their chocolates that comes in shapes of Santa, Snowflakes etc. in little boxes. It is presentable and also very tasty!

I will let my photos do the talking, but I am sure you are feeling as hungry as I am already. Don't know where to feast? I hope I have just solved your problem. *Winks*

Food Tour 52: The Finer Food in Life

It is that month where we tend to eat a little finer, so here's a short list which you can consider for your next celebration! The food is really good and I enjoyed myself fully dining in these places. Do note that the price may be on the higher side. 

1. TungLok Peking Duck

This is the #1 place I would go every time I have a bit of cravings for the Peking Duck, In fact, every time, before the delivery of my children, I am bound to visit there. Haha. I love the experience of having the duck being presented to you as it is being diced and served. I would usually request for the remainder to be cooked into a separate dish. For me I can eat it on its own, but my husband would usually order some carbs to pair. Their noodles are excellent too by the way. I don't think their food ever disappoints, but it can be pricey. Having said that, peking dish is not a cheap dish to begin with. 

2. Yuta

If you are a fan of Omakase, Orchard Plaza is a place with all these hidden gems. I have a little bucket list to try all the Omakase there, so you can do a look out as and when. Note: it is just not possible for me to eat everything at one period la, it is expensive you know. But if any sponsors are keen, please hit me up!

For those who are unfamiliar with omakase, basically you leave the details to the chef. You kinda know there will be x. no of courses and there will be sashimi, sushi, carbs etc. but you don't entirely know how it will all tie up. Yuta lies behind a mysterious blue room and I did my first ever sake pairing with them. I loved the sake they matched for me and even bought a bottle after. The food was really good. I could eat it every day if I had the money. I thought it was a great start for my bucket list :D

3. Angie's Oyster Bar

I may not have shared here before, but I love oysters. But this was one place where I actually could taste the difference and the freshness of the oysters, no joke. Just stepping into this place with its tasteful ambience and all, you probably know your wallet is going to feel a lot emptier. It is located like in an "ulu" place, but there was still a bit of a crowd and reservations were needed. From that, you already know this place is good!

We had the Japanese Little Neck Clams with sourdough bread ($34), servings of assorted clams (~$60) and Linguine Alla Puttanesca Con Vongole ($34) and Ube Cornbread ($18). Everything was good but the dessert in particular blew me away because I never tasted anything like this. But the service was a bit disappointing, I told the kitchen to do something special given that it was the husband's birthday. And no, they couldn't even write a simple happy birthday on the dessert plate. :(

Jumptopia - As good as the reviews

We have read a lot of good reviews on Jumptopia. We caught a good deal for Triple Adventure at Marina Bay and off we go. Truly as per the reviews, it was great fun both for the kids and the adults. Basically, I would describe the place filled with giant bouncy castles. There were variations but by the 3rd spot, we , the adults were pretty much like...kinda the same. LOL!

For certain days that were non-peak, you could actually stay the whole day within the vicinity. But to be quite honest, we stayed for 2.5 hours and we were literally dead beat! The place was considerably humongous, so even though there were a lot of people, the crowd was well scattered and not rowdy. 

Internally, there was a food truck and it was great to see that the price was reasonable. It gave us the necessary yummy fuel to stay longer. The sweetener was that the kids could go home with a complimentary Partiz name band. We ended up buying stuff from their shop as well because generally the price was ok. On top of that, I also shared on my social media, so the kids got additional goodie bags to bring home! You can a token for the claw machine if you like their social media page. So with that, I gave it a try and I can assure you the claws are so weak, it isn't worth investing. 

Personally, I thought it was a great event to bring the toddlers during the holidays. With sales and promotions, the price can add up to be still within acceptable range. Parents beware, some of the ball pits and hinoki pits can be pretty insane. I had a hard time keeping my socks and a few times I dropped my phone (with a bit of fear that it can never be found)! Gasp. 

** Use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" when you book through Klook for a 5% Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

Tile: Made for the lost and forgetful

Before I had my first kid, I was already pretty forgetful. I would always misplace my things because I don't put them back to the same place. I would basically leave them in the most random place and would need to retrace my steps sometimes to find them. It is particularly frustrating for myself and people around me when it comes to critical items because I end up delaying everybody's schedule. 

A solution - Tile came into my life and it is such a life-saver. Basically, Tile is like a tracker and it works very well for people who doesn't use Apple ecosystem. I found a video that describes very well how it works. You just it up and on your bluetooth and you are good to go. 

Although I got the set that comes in 4, I didn't really need that many so my FIL actually took 2 and set the rest in his phone. (Not all has to be tagged to the same phone). They all works the same, but just that different sizes may fit wallets etc. better.  I placed one in my wallet and another in my kid's bag. What I really like about it is that it works 2 way. If my phone was missing, I could also press the button from the tile in my wallet and my phone would start singing a tune.

The technology is definitely pretty cool. I did flaunt it a few times at my workplace. The kids were also very impressed. During hide-and-seek, they would press their tracker to ring me out. Not how it was meant to be used, but yeah. The more people that uses it, the more timely the tracking would be. My only grouse is that the batteries can't be changed. 

You also link it to your other devices that are tile-friendly. My fitbit and dell laptop are smiling :) Generally, for Singaporeans, most people attach it to their pets, kids' bags, car keys and other personal belongings that are of value. Would definitely recommend this buy. I feel less anxious now that my items don't go missing anymore. My quality of life is way better. 

ABA Productions: There's a Monster in Your Show

By now, every reader probably knows what a huge fan we are of ABA Productions. The latest one - There's a Monster in your Show once again impresses. Among all their shows we have went to, I found this the most engaging. Even before the show starts, the cast would be all around, speaking to the children, letting them know when applause would be nice. 

One of the things I really like about all their shows is how much effort and thought they put into the props and backdrops. They never fail to surprise me, how they change the scene with very little disruptions. We got corner CAT 1 seats this time round and it was super near the stage. It was great because there was space at the side for the children to gyrate along to the catchy music. 

Both my kids grew up watching ABA Productions (literally). And they have learned to enjoy the live shows. It tickles me to see them blossom to seasoned "patrons of the art" and they just instinctively take booster seats to their chairs. Just imagine, my 2YO dragging her little booster chair and putting it back right after the show. 

After the first show, it is quite effortless on my part. I can now bring them alone as they don't need much egging to prepare themselves because they are eager for it. The darkness of the theatre is also something they got got used to. I personally prefer the weekday shows sometimes because you get better rates and bang for your bucks. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, here's some discounts you can use. 

	Promo Type	Details	Redemption
1	10% discount	Applicable to all ticket categories Only applicable for weekend shows	Use promo code “SHOW10” at checkout
2	15% discount	Applicable to all ticket categories Only applicable for shows on Thursday and Friday	Use promo code “MONSTER15” at checkout

By the way, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is coming back again next year (you can read our review here), and it is a great production to start them on. You can keep a lookout for Kids Fest for all their other productions if you have caught this one already!

Pinkmas at Plaza Singapura

One of our favourite celebrations is Christmas because there is always so much things going on and the kids calendar gets packed. This year, Plaza Singapura collaborated with Museum of Ice Cream (you can read our review here) for a Pinkmas Celebration. My daughter's favourite colour is pink so she is beyond thrilled. 

All the Christmas magic happens in a wintery igloo. Within, you will find a giant globe which you can pose and take beautiful photos. But nothing was really more exciting than the sprinkler pool for the toddlers. You can definitely join in to capture pretty photos if you are an adult, but you probably won't be able to jump in like the children. Hehe. 

Apart from the sprinkle pool, there is also the Dessert Squishy Painting Workshop for $15 pax. My kids work don't look the best, but I did some adults with very gorgeous creations. Please put aside some time if you intend to give this a go because work of art usually take a bit of time. Apart from that, there is also ice-cream with exclusive flavours such as Brown Butter Ice Cream with Pecan, Double Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge and Marshmallow, Peppermint Chocolate Chip and Strawberry Sorbet with Gold Glitters

There is a light show that takes place from every Friday to Sunday from 22nd Nov to 15th Dec at 7.30pm, 8.30pm and 9.30pm. If you are game for some free ice-cream, post your sweet memories on social media and the first 50 redemption after each light show will get a cup of free ice cream. Because you read to the end, use the code "GIFTNGLEE" on the CapitaStar app to get a $5 eVoucher.

Novotel @ Stevens Staycation Part 1 - Room and Facilities

If you have toddlers like me, and really need a recharge, I would say a staycation would do the deed. I always feel a lot more fresh and less stress after one. This time round we went to Novotel @ Stevens! We always go past it a few times and was always curious. I am glad we made the visit because we were so blown away by the design and the hospitality. 

Our room came with a toilet with glass walls. A blind could be lowered for privacy. For parents, this room worked really well cos we could keep an eye on the other children while showering one. And the kid left in the bedroom didn't feel too left out, so there were no fusses. However, if you are staying with a friend of an opposite gender, you must have a lot of trust. Otherwise, you might want to pick something which provides more privacy. 

We had the Premier Room which came with access to the exclusive Novotel Premier Lounge service at L’Apéritif Lobby Bar with cocktail and light bites from 6:00pm to 7:30pm and also complimentary access to the fridge in my room. If you are on business travel, the lounge is great because there are meeting rooms and printers available. 

As the first day was very gloomy, we ended up checking out the Kid's Room at Level 2. It is not really a drop-off place. The kids were tickled when the staff allowed us to bring some orange juice (in takeaway cups) from the Lounge. They felt so much like little adults. 

The facilities were also pretty awesome. I thought it was cool that the place held a tennis court and foosball table. As I didn't bring my sportswear, I didn't had a go at their gym but I loved the fact that the treadmill had a great view of the busy roads. We spent quite a good amount of time at the pool. There was a lap pool, infinity pool and baby pool. The kids adored just splashing around independently at the shallow baby pool. As the infinity pool had such a pretty view, we couldn't resist taking a dip there as well. 

The place also came with a laundromat. I took a peek at the prices and found it pretty affordable. I have so much photos and things to share that I would need to split this post into parts, LOL. In any case, I spent 3D2N there and this is our itinerary.

Day 1: Check In at 3pm

• Checking out the Lounge and Kid's Room 
• Free Shuttle Bus to Orchard to check out the X'mas Lights (Read Post here!) and Christmas Village (Read post here!)
• Dining and Shopping at Orchard because there is a lot to eat and shop there!

Day 2: Full Day of Fun

• Breakfast at Food Exchange (Read our post of food here!)
• Picnic at Botanical Gardens  (Read our post  of the experience here!)
• Swimming at the pool
• Dinner at Smiths Fish and Chips (Read our post of food here!)

Day 3: Late Check Out

• Breakfast at Food Exchange (Read our post of food here!)
• One last Swim because the kids loved it!

You can book a stay with Klook here! Or direct from their website to enjoy exclusive promotions!

** Use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" when you book through Klook for a 5% Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

Gallop Stable at D'Resort

Given how much the kids love animals, we just had to visit Gallop Stable at D'Resort (You can read about our experience at the Pasir Ris Park's Stable here). Generally, the horse-related activities are similar apart from the stable visits which the kids got to groom the horse. If your kids has never seen or been into a stable, purchasing feeds for $5 each would allow you to enter. We did noticed that the feeds given were a lot more here and the kids could feed a lot more horses. 

As there will always be horse groomers around the stable, the adults had the opportunity to ask horse-rearing related questions. My parents went along and it was quite cute to see how excited my father was. Feeding is not just a kids' activity as you can see. Haha. 

The children were not very sure what was grooming, but they were initially very excited about "combing the horse's hair". As my son could quite effectively understand instructions, he was allowed to groom the horse on his own. I joined my daughter and it was pretty fun. Both of us liked it, but my son wished he had picked horse-riding instead. Haha. 

The groomer at the side was also very informative. He does speak pretty loudly so my introverted son felt a little intimidated. Overall, I still thought it was a pretty good experience and you get to be up-close with the horses. Would really recommend this for the young and old given that it is not really expensive. 

D'Resort Leisure Review

A while ago back, we spent a 2D1N at D'Resort @ Downtown East. It has been a while since I went there so it was pretty exciting. By the end of it, I was quite bummed because there was quite a lot to do internally and even more to do, should you be travelling out (you can refer to this post if you need to find things to do). I definitely will be going back soon. 

The room was really nice and spacious, but a bit poor on lighting at the table. So I couldn't really work at night. It is definitely nothing like a hotel in terms of its amenities, but it was clean enough and we don't really spend much time indoors. There were also a lot of BBQ pits. By evening, you could smell the aromatic grilled food.  For the price of less than S$200 a night, depending on what promo is on, it was really value for money. 

I think it would have been way better if it had been a 3D2N. Here's how we would have planned for a 3D2N.

Day 1 (Check in at 3pm): 

• Gallop Stable 
• BBQ at night (wish we had done that)

Day 2: Full Day at Wild Wild Wet (can tap in and out)

• Meals at Downtown East Shopping Mall 

Day 3: Check out at 12noon

•  Cycling Trail

The hard truths about Long Kang Fishing

 

We have always read how fun Longkang Fishing was and how great it was as a family bonding activity. So this had always been in our "to-do-list" as a family. A family friend told us about Bloop Bloop from People Up, but unfortunately it was no longer operating, so we went to Nature Kindred (Jurong outlet) instead.

The outlet we went to was not the main outlet so it was basically a pond with guppies and goldfishes. For $18, we were given a net and a pail to fish for an hour and you could only bring home 4 fishes. We topped up for another $12 more for the Lego fish tank and some lightings. It was really pretty, but note of caution it is way too small to be a permanent home for the fishes. 

Initially, I felt the 1 hour was insufficient, especially when the fishes could swim really fast. It was seemingly hard to catch. But the truth was the kids got bored within 30 mins. I managed to get the hang of the the technique and was soon catching buckets of fishes. To be quite fair, it was really fun but my wise son told me "there was no need to catch more than needed and it was cruel to put them into unnecessary stress". 

From an education perspective, because I was so bad at it initially, I think it made a good case of "practice and you will achieve". I tried to use this to let the children know that nobody was born skilled and we just need to put in effort to excel. And it was great when the mother was a living testament to it, LOL!

What we wished everyone could be more truthful about was that these creatures don't really live well in captive. Within a day, half of our fishes died in its tiny tank. Initially, we wanted to slowly introduce them to the new water in the bigger tank. But, we didn't really have the luxury to do that. The emotional trauma that I went through was real. The kids were a bit cooler telling me they would breed, but I did have doubts that they could survive till then. 

I was later told by other fish lovers that such fishes tend to be under a lot of stress and require the bacteria in the pond to survive. For the Longkang fishing place we went, there was the option to release back. And I wished we had picked that option. Fortunately, we managed to keep the remaining 3 alive. But to be frank, they still behave very differently from our reared fishes. They prefer scouting for food at the bottom and display signs of anxiety. To be quite frank, this might be the last time we do this activity. 

DBS Spark Personality Test

As you can tell by now, I am hooked on personality test. The personality test by Spark DBS popped up on my IG and I clicked it almost at once. To be honest, this is probably the worse in terms of its accuracy - I am definitely not a timekeeper. My freinds were all sneering and mocking at me for the results. 

I am always late for almost everything. Most would call me a teleporter who does not set aside time for transport. Apart from that, I thought the storyline was considerably engaging and still interesting enough to complete. Plus, the visuals are very pretty. I don't think it will take off like the rest, but it is still fun to give a go. 

CALI: One Night Only Special International Buffet Dinner

My Pop and I went a for a One Night Only Special International Buffet Dinner at CALI. I have been to the other restaurants of CALI before and I have always found them to provide great food and service at affordable price. The Buffet Dinner that night cost only S$38++ per pax and included free flow of alcoholic drinks. No wonder the place was packed! 

It was my first time at this outlet and I love their mini touches of the famous musicians. My Pop couldn't stop taking photos. The food was awesome (as usual) and felt more Indian than International. I am not complaining because most of the selection was something I have not tasted at other places. We had some "hot favourites" (no pun intended) and took double servings for those. 

As this was an one-day event, there was a lot going on. Internationally-acclaims and award-winning culinary masters were within the room tasting and giving critiques to our local flavours. At the other side of the room, there was a 2-men band serenading the rest of the guests. The ambience was pretty good with a nice mix of boisterous festivity yet enough quiet spots for us to have private conversations. It is not everyday my Pop and I have time to ourselves and only us 2. 

I would love to recommend all of you to join, but sadly this is only a one day thing. But you can still enjoy the "Culinary World Tour" menu from 11am onwards at CALI @Novotel Singapore. Separately, there is also a super value-for-money promotion that will be running at all CALI outlets!

From now till 15 January 2025, CALI is offering a "Complete Meal" offer. All 4 CALI outlets. With every main course ordered from the a la carte menu, you will receive a complimentary soup, dessert, and a glass of sparkling wine . No prior reservation is required, though there is a secret code for this one, just tell a staff to "Complete my Meal" :D

Oktoberfest at Edge - Tastes of Germany

To many of our readers, I am sure you guys know how much we love the Buffet at Edge. We love that they always serve the all-time favourites and have seasonal add-ons which give a fresh new take on things. This time round in view of the Oktoberfest, Edge offered guests the "Taste of Germany".

They say food taste best when shared and we can't agree more. So, I asked the kids if they wanted to show their grands around this time round. And my son took up the challenge. He assured me he knew the place very well and would make sure my parents enjoyed themselves. Also, I thought it would be a great bonding session for them.  

The place transformed into a gorgeous blue and gold, which I thought really brought out the Ocktoberfest vibes. The German favourites were all in full glory - Sausages, Pork Knuckles and Pretzels. And not to forget the beer (which is not included in the price). Not to boast how much I know the family, I knew they would go wild about the cooked oysters! (You can read my comments here if you missed it previously, haha.)

The kids basically knew what they liked so it made my parents' life very easy. They peacefully ate their pizzas, steamed fish and pasta. This time round, they also got to try Spezi - a popular German soft drink with cola and orange soda and enjoyed the variety of sausages. We haven't been too courageous when it comes to travelling but I am glad we kinda brought Germany to them :D

My parents only have good things to say about Edge and they actually can't stop talking about it. I read somewhere that relationship grows stronger because of shared experiences and I can kinda of see how true that statement it. My parents would share with me stories of how the kids know precisely where the ice-cream were and that yes I was right, the lobsters were absolutely yummy!

If you have any family/ corporate functions, I would suggest Edge because it provides a really good variety of premium quality. If you have younger kids, then the brunch would be more ideal because of the play area. We are nearing the tail-end, but if you want to try out the "Tastes of Germany”, it is until 26 October 2024. It is priced at is priced at $128 per adult and $64 per child (6 – 12 years

old).

Pasir Ris Mall - Wan To Play

We are not entirely unfamiliar with Wan To Play indoor playgrounds. Guess what, we committed to a pass. For those who were not with them from the start, they used to have a cheaper rate for weekdays, but guess what they scraped it. So if you were playing on a weekday, it is so not worth it! We ended up signing up for a pass because after doing some maths, it seems to be more worth it. 

And it was a great choice because they are great businessman. Apart from giving the kids a goodie bag to bring back (which pleased them greatly), we were allowed to bring an additional adult. So my mother got to experience her first indoor playground, which she concluded was great fun! 

The children spent only an hour, but it was jam-packed. It has the usual delights - kinetic sand, ball pits and slides, dress-up as well as masak masak stations. One of the main difference was that this playground at Pasir Ris Mall had the inflatable giant bubble. The giant husband and I had a go bumping each other in it. It was surprisingly fun as we bounced around and struggled to get up. We only saw one, but it would have been great if there were 2. 

For those who are not familiar with indoor playgrounds, most of the slides etc. can support the weight of adults. My mother had a go and it was quite a heart-warming sight to the children show their grandmother "how to play". Now that the kids were older, I managed to get a bit of me-time to myself exerting eye power, after going one round at every play thing. 

Although this is a familiar model, the children had tons of fun and with the package, you can also book parties at a much discounted price. Because of the packages, we have decided to make Wan to Play as our default indoor playground since they have quite a few outlets which we foresee ourselves to go in the future. 

Hope this review works! After our experience here, I am starting to understand why parents would buy a annual pass/ bulk entrances of an indoor playground!

Lego Mini Steamboat Willie

If you have followed me long enough, you will know how much I love my Legos. I was searching around for a gift and I ended up buying this for myself. Like WTH right? But as you can see from my obsessive photographs, I was so blown away by this because its cute little intricate details. Also, it is my first black-white lego. 

I took really long to get myself this because I was worried that the white would yellow. So long that official Lego was no longer selling and I had to get them from a reputable secondary seller. But when there was a sale, I thought it is time to pamper myself a bit. I anticipated myself not having time to build it, but my kids wouldn't leave it alone. I ended up building it with the toddlers. 

I have never imagined that to be possible, but it sure was. We managed to complete the whole set by 2 hours. Among my Lego, this one was pretty special because it has gears. I thought it was very innovative how they split the different sides (by colours).  I definitely had good fun building it and was amazed by how each part interacts. My smartest piece to date and I am immensely proud of it. 

Advice to all Lego lovers out there, make your decision fast. I feel sometimes I hesitate and it gets sold out and I have to buy from the secondary market. You can never be 100% sure of its authenticity when you buy from a secondary market and it took me quite a bit of research before I found this seller. Hope my sharing helps :D

Gallop Stable - Pasir Ris Park

Call me suaku (Mountain Tortise), but I really didn't know that Singapore had horse-riding facilities. Sometimes, I find ourselves silly. We would go overseas to do things that we could do right on our every doorstep. I was really pleased when the husband found the Gallop Stable because this meant we could actually learn horse riding too. 

For the toddlers, as long as you are 3 years old and above, you can go for a horse joy-ride. Each ride is S$10 and involves a short stroll around the area. I thought it was pretty reasonably priced. For our older child, this was his first ride on the horse and you could see he was visibly nervous. He described the ride as "comfy and slow" and couldn't stop telling us about it. 

For our younger child, we opted the horse feeding which we ended up doing 2 sessions of 2 packets. Each food packet cost $5 each, but I guess I wanted to do a bit of feeding myself, LOL! It was not their first feeding experience, but the first with a horse so they were pretty excited. There was only one old (and greedy) horse around which would cajole the children to feed him more. 

Apart from horses, there were rabbit and wild chickens. Lots of them in fact, the kids had fun chasing after them.  The overall experience took about half an hour. The Gallop Stable offered stable visits but we thought the kids might be too young to appreciate it at this point so we decided to explore the rest of Paris Ris Park which was more rustic and had abit of mozzies. (Check out the Bird Watching Tower if you are there.) Definitely worth a trip there if your kids are into animals. 

Food Tour 50: More Yummy Food

Some of the yummy food we had over this period that is worth having a huge shout-out. Side note, some of these places might have been mentioned before in previous Food Tour post. But since they had an updated menu, I thought it was worth, re-sharing lest you guys are interested. 

1. Chen's Mapo Tofu

This is not the first time I am raving about it. You can read about my other reviews here. The thing about me is that because of its name...I have never ventured beyond the Mapo Tofu. (There is a reason why it is named like this right?) But I have heard how good their other food were, so this time I finally gave their seasonal specials a try. And you know what, it was truly good. Yumz! Till now, this chain outlets is one of my favourite. Love it!

2. Stinky

If you are a fan of durians, you would really need to drop this place a visit. Generally, I am no fan of durian by-products. But this one actually hit my standards. There is always a long queue. Go to the place too late, and the mousse is sold out. You must try the following while you are there: Stinky Bowl, Stinky Bomb, Stinky Roll, and Stinky Chendol. To be quite fair, I have only tried this 4 and I am recommending these 4. You know how much I really love this already. Hahaha! Not all can be taken away, so it is really worth making a trip there!

3. Miam Miam

I think Miam Miam has up its game for sure. I went there once before with some friends and honestly it didn't struck me as anything memorable. But this time round, I went back with my kid and I thought wow the food was really good. We had the breakfast set by the way. Their fluffy pancakes were awesome. Just posting about this is making me drool all over again. Maybe I should give their mains a try too, but now all I want is their breakfast set. Yumz! 

Corporate Jungle Personality Test

Here's another personality test for those who is obsessed. Although the visuals are amazing, but it lacks humour and relatability. Felt like I was going through the motion more than anything. Not the most fun to be honest. But guess we can never expect too much from public service campaigns. So PC! Hahaha

New Exhibition at Science Centre - The Copernican Principle

It has been a while since I last stepped into the Science Centre (I think I go to KidsSTOP more often). With the launch of the roving exhibition on The Copernican Principle, I thought it was a good time to drop by. To be quite frank, I would think the Copernican Principle is quite a complex concept to grapple and Mr Jan Świerkowski, founder of Instytut B61, a science artist did put good effort to curate retro games that were engaging and fun. 

Copernican basically modelled a universe which place Sun rather than our Earth in the center (very revolutionary in his time). The exhibition explored more philosophical elements of the principle though its games - to stop centering around ourselves and start thinking about how our actions can impact the greater universe. 

The exhibition of the The Copernican Principle is not huge but rather impactful. Maybe because they were arcade games, the exhibition was very relatable and popular with the teens. My kid and I had to hang around a bit before we got to play it :) But not to worry, Science Centre is pretty huge and filled with other thoughtful exhibitions. I was quite impressed with how the educators managed to simplify science and make it engaging. 

While we were there, we also explored other exhibitions - such as the active ageing, the concept of fear and oil distillation. I think the older kids would enjoy the fear exhibition. But I chickened out with my kid because I don't handle darkness, clowns well. Some of the exhibitions was quite difficult to explain to my toddler, but it did spark innate curiosity in him along with endless questions. And I think that is a good first step to explorational learning. 

Not all the exhibitions hit me on the right spot. Personally, I am quite freaked out by creepy crawlies (a whole tank of stick insects, somebody spare me please), and AI as human companionship. Much as it was a learning journey for the kids, it was also one for the adults. The world is revolving and I really need to keep up my pace on its development. Science Centre is complimentary on weekdays (non-peak), I guess this gives me a good excuse to come back more and re-learn. 

For those with toddlers, you can check out the waterworks exhibition. I am not sure how much scientific learning is embedded within, but one thing I can guarantee, the toddlers enjoy it. No photos this time round cos time was scarce, but the younger one went once and was wild about it. :)

Staycation at The Bus Collective

If you are into novel travels or parents whose kids love "The Wheels on the Bus", this is a "hotel" you should not missed. It is quite new so it is relatively unknown, but somehow the husband spotted this and I found a good deal on Klook. Currently Klook offers the lowest price. With the discount code "Babynfamklook",  I managed to get it at a more reasonable price of "below S$300 a night", so off we were. 

We have read a few reviews ahead, so we kinda of had some expectations. We knew there will be frequent planes flying ahead (but no, the soundproofing was pretty good at night), we expected the ants/ bugs (so we brought our own mozzie patch, insecticide spray) and we anticipated the poor ventilation (just on the aircon throughout noon to keep your bus cool). To be honest, none of these were deal-breakers or even much of a big deal. 

We took a 4-bedder bus so we could squeeze more people in it (more value for money). :P Mandatory thing we did was to do our check-in photos! Whether in the day or night, the kids were clamoring over the bus seat. Although the bus was no longer functioning, most of the buttons could still be jabbed on and the steering wheel could still be turned. Even at night the photos turned out great!

We were assigned the bus closest to the restaurant area. It was not the most private bus but we suspected that the discounted Klook buses were a reserved few, that were not as premium in their location . Not that it was a problem because there were not many who patronised the inside dining area. Given that we had a stroller, the less aesthetic cement path was easier to navigate instead of a pebbled path. And we always had a clear view of the sky at our outdoor deck when the planes flew by. 

If you have checked on their location, you will know how isolated this place is. True enough, there is nothing much within walking distance in that area. Within half day, we knew we have exhausted the "things to do" around there. We did a 3D2N and basically, we still found enough things to do, just that most were day activities. There was a playground right at the doorstep but it was pretty worn. The one at the Pier is way better. 

Because I think we have quite a solid plan, I am going to share our itinerary here:

Day 1:

- Lunch at Smith Marine Floating Restaurant (Singapore's only kelong)

- Check in at The Bus Collective

- Prepare for BBQ in the afternoon

Day 2  - Realised Pulau Ubin was not very suitable for the kids and replaced with horse riding at Gallop Stable (read or review here) instead.

- Explore Changi Village Hawker Centre

- Explore Pulau Ubin and the pier area

- Dinner at Cosford Container Park 

Day 3

- Breakfast at Changi Village Hawker Centre

- Check out at 11am

** Use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" when you book through Klook for a 5% Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

As for the playground, there is one right at the doorstep of The Bus Collective. However, I found it a bit old. The playground at the pier was definitely worth a walk to. As for the BBQ, you should opt for it if you don't intend to go out. Most reviews were not very informative on this. Basically, you could either bring your own food/supplies or purchase from the restaurant within or  the BBQ store at the Changi Village. 

The staff will not help you to set up the pit (not electric by the way) whether or not you purchase from their restaurant. The items sold within are quite limited though very reasonably priced, so consolidate a list and purchase from the BBQ to prevent multiple times there (My husband went there 3 times LOL!)

Generally, our staycay to The Bus Collective was a good recharge as it felt like we went overseas without the over-zealous packing. I would describe it as an atas chalet which also came with a novelty factor. I think we might actually go again, but with a few years break in-between. To note, there can be quite a bit of ants because it is quite an outdoorsy thing and  especially if you bring food/ milk (like us). It was still bearable but you just need to remind yourself not to leave food out in the open. 

Another thing I did was to toss food waste (and diapers) into our outdoor bin instead of our indoor bin and that helps greatly. And for those who wonder, every night I would collapse the stroller and park it within the bus. Lotsa space! Hope this review helps those who are planning a trip there!