Shopee Top Reviewer

On days like this, I do feel a little like a braggart. But it is a proud moment and I thought I would share it here as well. My review was picked and featured by Shopee! Just in case you missed by brag of the year - I was also named a Shopee Top Affiliate (Read here). But this accolade this time does mean that my ability to write succinctly - short reviews that are straight to the point is finally being recognised! I do feel like my reviews here are pretty long and detailed, so I don't have as much practice on concise writing. Hurray to me for managing to refine my writing:) 

Pororo - Revamped

The last time we've been to Pororo was in 2011 (you can read about our review here). I always felt Pororo was the best indoor playground for the young toddlers given that every corner has protective sponge all over and the train is such a highlight for my kid. It has since been revamped and we were quite keen to check it out since the younger kid hasn't been here!

The key changes was that the old carousel was replaced with 2 sponge-looking carousels, which adults can no longer join the ride. (Not as fun if you ask me). The kids supermarket was replaced with an expansion and fancier cafe. Because the cafe sells food and drinks at a very reasonable price, no complaints from me. Haha. There was a new spinning cup station which pleased the children very much!

The indoor gym area was changed quite drastically. It was definitely a refresh in terms of outlook but I found the play areas pretty mainstream. Their old play area had more interesting areas that couldn't be found in other indoor playgrounds like the human spinner. Generally, the kids couldn't be held down as long in one area. We even had time to watch the shows/ take photos. Either that, I have learnt to better maximise my time. 

Also, they had lowered the age for free entry from 1 YO to 9 months. The train was still a highlight for my #1 but my #2 was crippled with separation anxiety and she is almost 1.5 years old. She preferred watching from afar. She was quite happy to spend most of her time at the ball pit and other pits and was quite reluctant to venture/ try new play areas. She is definitely not here to maximise our money worth, LOL. 

The kids found new love with the Hinoki Pit. I don't remember it being much of a fun the previous time. But they enjoyed loading the pails and pouring the beads over each other, digging holes and placing pails on their head. We spent a great deal of time there. I concluded that kids and their definition of fun is so different. Overall they still had a lot of fun.

Don't really think I will be coming back another time unless I have another kid. Maybe it is just me, but I prefer indoor playgrounds that I can have a bit of fun too. I can't even fit in any of their rides and some of the tiny spaces. It seems like the expectations is just for me to leave the kids to run wild...but what I am really looking for is quality bonding through fun and games. 

Family Friendly Buffets: Edge

Parents do ask me if buffets are suitable for toddlers and my answer is "yes, but it depends on which buffet". A children-friendly buffet usually would need to have good options. I need food which they can self-feed. So this would usually mean pizza, steamed fish/ meats, flavored rice, fruits, pasta, porridge. The last 4 being a bit more messy.  For this options, I would also need some variety because of the different cooking method, my children being a little picky may reject the food. 

The options would also need to satisfy the adults! My husband and I just can't eat baby food. We are not people who eat a lot but we are quite particular on the quality. We are just at a age we no longer can absorb bad calories. For me, the meat and seafood is really important. Buffet is an option when we cannot come to terms on what to eat. So you eat yours and I eat mine. LOL!

Back to food, Edge has an amazing selection. I never thought I would ever get lost in a maze of food, but for Edge I did. I kept finding new areas with new selection of food! I did somehow got tempted so I ate more than I usually would, haha. But it is a good problem because the quality of the food here is pretty high and maintained its standard since I last tried it (read about it here). 

For me, the must try here is the oysters. They are the best-est I ever had. I don't usually do second helpings but I did for this. The grilled lobster was also fantastic but it does run out fast. Good thing our table was stationed right in front of it, so we had the first dips when the fresh batch arrived. Another favorite of mine was the Lobster Eggs Benedict.

What we went was for the Sunday Escapade and I was rather blown away when I realise there was even live music. My toddlers were bobbing along to the tunes they serenaded and the experience was really pleasant. It is quite different from background music. So what's great about this is that the kids (who are both below 6 years old) ate free!!! If your family structure is like mine, your total damage would be $138 * 2 = $276 for the 2 adults (if you don't take the alcohol package).

And for $138, it comes with chilled juices and soft drinks so you don't have to trouble yourself with add-ons. If you haven't got any plans line up for Easter yet, you should also check out their Easter Sunday Brunch on 31 Mar, because it comes with largest Chocolate Easter Egg, filled with

an assortment of candies. And there will also be additional activities such as Balloon Sculpting and Easter Egg Painting. The icing of the cake...Easter Bunny mascot. Good food, good fun to entertain the day, that day is going to be perfect because the parents will finally get a good break and focus on the food. 

Food Tour 43: Off the beaten track at Clementi

We were touring the Faber Hills Estate the other day and fantasizing living in a bigger house (LOL!) and we came across their enclave, so we decided to give it a try since it seems to have people driving in just to try out some of their eateries. Having said that, is there even a way to enter without driving in? The walk in seems long and arduous. 

1. Lee's Taiwanese

I always felt this area lacks good Taiwanese food. I guess I was wrong because this place serves very decent and homey Taiwanese food. We tried the braised minced pork rice ($8.80) and Taiwanese beef noodles ($13.80). Both were very reasonably priced and satisfying. We also added some poached vegetables ($4.80) so that we had some greens to go along so the meal will be more balanced. I had a lot of things I really wanted to try on the menu. Sadly, I didn't bring a big enough group. You know what? I will be there again. Haha. 

2. gelatolabo

Down the street, there was an ice-cream/ coffee joint. The weather was so hot we had to give it a go. This place had quite a bit of good reviews, but...the ice cream were pretty untasty. Another kid literally spat out his cup and refused it as I was ordering. The flavours were truly exotic but not very palatable. The coffee was pretty average. I guess if you are stuck in the enclave and is looking for something/ somewhere to chill, this was your only choice. Otherwise, there is no way I am coming all the way in for this.  

3. Yosakoi

This is definitely comfort Japanese food. Also, it is not very expensive. The only problem is that it is very out of the way. My personal favourite was the Spider Roll Soft Shell Crab Roll ($15.40). It tastes as good as it looks. The food we tried were all above expectations. In fact, the next time I am here, I would like to try their sashimi. Usually, I prefer going to reputable joints because they tend to have fresher cuts. But, I am putting my bet on this. 

They also had a meat bbq which looks really tempting. Can't wait to find an occasion to gather the people to try out their platter. :)

Gem Find: Seletar Aerospace

 

I was joking to the husband that the children were ready for their overseas trip and so he decided to bring them on a "plane ride".  We love this place because apart from its themed playground, the enclave was within black-and-white colonial house and it had lots of interesting food choices around. Most interestingly, there was even the Seletar airport nearby where you can view the take-off and landing of the planes nearby. Unfortunately, no photos allowed on the planes. 

I would have loved to take photos of my colonial houses too, just that they were really run down and my husband scare me by saying they could be haunted. To enjoy a day out there, do remember to bring lots of sunblock and water to hydrate yourself. There is not much shelter and even though there are cafe options, there is only that much sweetened water I can take. The mozzies would slowly arrive in the evening, so mozzie patches are good to have too!

The children really loved this place. They had rounds and rounds of fun. We even brought our own bubble wand. So, there was also some form of variations in what they do. Children being children, they imagined themselved being pilots steering the plane, and then proceeded to play catching. The beauty of this place was also the presence of 2 playgrounds - 1 that was better suited for the older children and the other for the toddlers.

It was quite a safe environment so parents could "eye power" from the side. The place overall had interesting florals which we could also use to engage and educate the children. The public toilet were also extremely clean and there were changing rooms for the diaper change! You may call me bias, but I love this place to bits and will definitely come back in future!

For our break time, we enjoyed some nice cooling beverages and ice cream at Wild Seed Cafe. It was also a place where I refilled our empty water bottles. Our orders was really satisfying and the price is very reasonable. I do want to come back to try other items on their menu with other groups of friends in future. It has a very small area for the kids to play with. Somehow the kids seem very entertain with the minute amount of toys. 

Our dinner place is very unique. It is within a hangar - Hangar 66 Cafe. No photos allowed because it is a private hangar after all. The food was surprisingly delicious and reasonable for a novelty place. One good thing was that it is somewhat within walking distance from the playground area. Go for the dinner slot because the hangar is beautiful when it lights up at night. Again? Of course.

Starbucks Gold: Nothing Special

 

I drank/ ate so much Starbucks that I finally became a Gold (first time in my life). And I don't know what is so special about it. To be honest, I did aspire to one day reach the Gold Level because I was curious and humans generally aspire upwards. But now that I have achieved the Gold Level, I just feel it is nothing fancy. Thank god I didn't purposely spend to achieve the Gold tier. 

And regarding the voucher packs, you just buy and end up spending more. Not that I am complaining because it gives me quite good discounts (since I would naturally still spend on the items I bought). So here's a post for Starbucks Fan like me who always wondered about the Gold Level, NOTHING SPECIAL LA!

Our Early Easter: Featuring our pinata egg

So here's what we got at the bakery - Shophouse! We thought the pinata was really cute and affordable ($68.65), so we decided to bring one home. It was love at first sight for us. In fact, we even rack our brains to find a worthy celebration to justify the purchase. To be fair, we don't usually behave this way. So you can figure how much we love these little chocolate eggs. 

These eggs are fully made of chocolate and not fondue, which means that it was easier (and healthier) for the kids and us to consume it. Each piñata came with an expiry date, which means that you could buy ahead of time. The only problem is storage - you would need to either keep it in the fridge or an air-con room. Because of its size, you would need some space if you intend to buy ahead. 

Initially, we wanted to save for Easter, but the kids couldn't wait. And the fridge didn't have as much space as expected. The joy in the whole experience was watching the explosion of an assortment of sweet treats for the children and the adults. There was also a bit of nice bonding as we broke the pieces and chomp on the sweets. It was quite a bit of a novelty experience and I think this would have been a nice feature cake for any children or kidult party!

I have to admit I laughed out loud literally when my children went to lick the colourful sprinkles. Tips to handle the mess, lay a plastic or baking paper below before exploding the piñata. It was really fun and now we are thinking of the next occasion to get the other cuter designs. :P Great for Easter if you haven't got your chocolate eggs! 

Shangri La: Inspire Inclusion High Tea Review

It is international Woman's Day and it is no better time to celebrate my mother (and myself). After becoming a mother myself, I have learnt to appreciate my own mother more. My Mum never stops mothering. Even now as a grandmother, she will be seen "mothering" my children so that I can take a breather, achieve career goals and basically stay sane. 

This Woman's Day, we brought her to the Inspire Inclusion High Tea for Two Persons at Shangri La. The portion is definitely good for 2, but we brought along 2 more mini humans because their company bring more joy to my Mum than me. LOL. 

One of the other reason why I was confident enough to bring 2 kids on my own to meet my mother there is because Shangri La is quite a spacious hotel and has plenty of room for my kids to roam about. Also, I know the hotel well enough to find scenic spots to entertain my children (even without Buds) and the toilets locations for emergency diaper changes :D

The Inspire Inclusion High Tea was held at the Lobby Lounge and the high ceiling diffuse the loud voices of my children. (No discreet stares from others.) The High Tea itself ranks high on my list. It was not surfeiting and it was easy on the palette. We finished every single morsel. We also appreciate the effort the chef made to make most items in the shade of purple, in line with the colour of their partnering non-profit organisation United Women Singapore (UWS).

The set cost S$98+ and for every set purchased, S$5 goes to UWS and support their causes. The Inspire Inclusion High Tea will be available till 31 Mar 2024. Personally, I think this is a tea set that gets both our tummies and heart and is an awesome place to bring a woman that inspires you to. Just to break the notion that kids are not welcome at tea time. Here's a place which you can embrace your children should you bring to bring them along. 

The savory items on the tea menu is less suitable for the children, but they are bound to love the sweet stuff and scones. Top it up with some fruit juice, their day is made. We even drop by the bakery to get something special, but we will save that for our next post :P

Kidsfest 2024: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

At a sheer 15 months old, we are proud to say our #2 has sat through her first theatre productions. If you are keen to bring your kid to his/ her first theatre show, you can follow our journey here. Given that we have went through the process with 2 kids, I have concluded that the child will never sit through the first show. But they will be ready at the 2nd show you bring them to. 

I guess many parents are just scarred by the experience at the first show...and hence they will never give the kid a second chance at theatre shows until years later. If you are very calculative, I would advise to not invest in the best seats during the first show (since there is high likelihood you will be standing outside viewing through the TV). But for subsequents shows, please invest in the best seats so that your child can enjoy the full and best experience. 

The choice of production that you bring your kids to is very important. Personally, we are huge fans of ABA Productions. Even for its children productions, it maintains professional standards and the sound and light quality is outstanding. Our 4th production and it always never fail to impress and blow our minds. Our #2 clapped through 15 minutes of "10 Little Rubber Ducks" and it is well deserving of all the applause she gave. 

Also wanted to take the opportunity to highlight on Kidsfest (since many people DM me on suitable productions on my IG). The productions are very suitable for children. There is no need to be "paiseh" when you interact with your kids during the production or if you need to bring your kids on a toilet break because the attendees are all parents and they understand the needs of fellow parents. It takes away a lot of pressure and the whole family can enjoy the show. :) 

And this time round, we finally managed to get a nice family shot at the photobooth!