MoNo - Giving food a second lease of life

If you live/ work near Serangoon area, you must check out MoNo. To keep their concept simple, they are simply a social enterprise that champions the reduction of food waste. You will find items that are either close to their expiry date or slightly pass their best before date. I love how they keep it fun too, because you have to make a donation and you will get a box (the bigger the donation amount, the larger the box) to fill up with all the available goodies. As long as nothing falls out of the box, they are yours to bring home!

What impressed me was really the variety of food. Some were really exotic. As a true blue Singaporean, I tried to stuff as much food I wanted to try inside. You can identify the premium items as you would be limited to specific quantities. And hence, I only managed to snag 2 cans of abalone. Personally, I am not very comfortable with eating food pass their "best before" date so always check the expiry date before grabbing anything. 

Overall, I am pretty pleased with what I managed to snag for the amount I paid. I would have snag more, just that my bag is too full of food and I have another place to run to. It is really a great initiative and I think it is also quite a nice place to pop by maybe once a quarter if you are just up for novelty items. But...if you want to save some money, most of their food here are mostly processed food. Not good to eat too much if you ask me. 

*After Note: The chips is super yummy. 

Artscience Museum: Not too toddler-friendly

The Artscience Museum is actually one of my favourite museums. I like it for a few reasons. One being that it is fancy. It is situated beside the Marina Bay Sands, the place to shop for all things luxury and it is a very pretty place. All the photos tend to look good there. Also, I felt their exhibitions were wonderfully curated.

This is the first ever time I am bringing my children. The Children World has always been touted to be kids friendly and I have seen some of my friends brought their toddlers there, so I was full of anticipation. Caveat: It didn't turn out well. 

1. Frida Kahlo Exhibition

For the adults, I thought this exhibition would be the highlight. Don't be deceived by pretty pictures, the exhibition was poorly curated. I think her life story was repeated at least 4 or more times and no replica of her iconic works were portrayed. I heard many other visitors going so what's her art like? After one whole round, you still don't have a clue. 

It was bad for the kids as well because most of the exhibitions were pretty dark and boring. My son wanted to leave halfway. Some of the animations were kinda of gory as well. If you are paying for your ticket, you can give this a pass. 

2. Future World

This was our next stop because the kids were getting cranky by then. To be frank, it may be more suitable for older children. My kids were ok with it, but they definitely did look like they had more fun at an indoor playground. Most of the exhibitions were just banking on looking good in photos. It was neither educational nor inspiring in any sense. I definitely have seen similar exhibitions before elsewhere. 

My kids couldn't go on one of the exhibition because of height restrictions. Most of the time was spent mindlessly running around. The younger one even picked out a skill of lying on the ground for photos...imitating some nearby influencers. Personally, I still felt the Van Gogh exhibition was better. (You can read my review here here.)

3. Goddess: Brave. Bold. Beautiful.

By now, I am so utterly disappointed I felt nothing can make it worse. But this was truly one of the more amazing exhibits. My husband said it was tantamount to reading the tabloids. If you like to look at movie costumes and the history of the management of female stars, this is one exhibit you would love. Genre aside, this exhibit put in effort. The displayed pieces were the actual items worn during filming. <3 I read everything and I enjoyed myself. I almost wanted to go home at the 2nd exhibition but I was glad I persevered on, otherwise my day would be truly ruined.

If you would like to make a trip down for the exhibitions mentioned above, you can get the tickets here. 

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

Golden Village Gold Class Experience

 

With 2 kids in the tow, it is getting hard to go on a date. So when we do go on while, sometimes we splurge. Quite honestly, every time we go for the movies, we have started to indulge ourselves in the premium seatings. One interesting thing though is I have never tried the Gold Class experience. This was a gift (otherwise we would have to our usual haunt instead) and OMG I absolutely enjoyed it. I think their seats/ exclusiveness etc. might be the best we have experienced to date. 

It also does help that I was watching "How to make Millions before Grandma dies" so I had a lot of privacy to cry from start to end. FYI, I even cried while watching the trailers LOL! Ending up buying an e-deal. 4 movies for $38. It is pretty worth it, just that I haven't quite figured out how the black out dates work. You can use for this movie though, for those who are keen here's the trailer.

   

Food Tour 46: Yummy Food at Tanjong Pagar

I must be spending too much time in this area because I actually accumulated a list of food worthy to share. Without further ado, let's dive deep into what is yummy. 

1. Tracy Juice Culture

I have been eying this for the longest time because of its interesting menu such as the mushroom udon and the wild rice congee. I tried the latter and enjoyed it thoroughly. It did make me feel as though I made a conscious effort to eat healthier, although the cheng tng probably negated the effect. I was initially afraid that the healthy food would taste awful but guess my fears were unfounded. Will probably be back to try out their other products. 

2. Toff Loft Cafe

Usually, I have an extremely soft spot for homey cafes and I am glad that I gave this a try. The food was very healthily prepared and it tasted awesome too. It doesn't taste as cheap as some set meals you can get outside, but the quality of food pretty makes up for it. You can definitely feel the love and effort put into preparing the meal. And I like how most people do takeaways so I get a nice tiny corner all to myself to chill and enjoy the meal. I always go back when I am in that area :D

3. Doco

This is one of my favourite sinful food at International Plaza...until I bought its bundle set 8 for $8 each. I had so much of it, I am way over it for now. Basically, I love how much texture - crunchy and slimy, each bowl had. Personally, the beef rice bowl set taste best - I have tasted almost all they have on their menu. I have bought it home a few times and it still manage to maintain its goodness. Just that, I can't eat 8 on my own and I can't convince my coworkers to use my vouchers (not the easiest to share).

Tea - Not just for 2

Not every group comes in pairs or even numbers, that's my grouse when it comes to tea. Was pretty please with Rose Veranda at Shangri La. Unlike other tea experience, this is per person at S$68++ which means you could come in groups of odd numbers. Extremely value for money, it comes with the savories, a main (yes you didn't read me wrong) and even free-flow desserts!

To get a bigger bang for your bucks, I would suggest having this as lunch instead with your group. Just having a tiny morsel of each item at the desserts buffet is bound to fill you up. I love how this tea session did not shortchange us in any way. The items served at the desserts bar were of quality and good to be served on its own. They were not just "tummy fillers" or food that was just pretty to the eyes. 

Like typical Asians, we decided to try different mains on the menu. We tried the Grilled Angus Hanger Steak, Herb Crusted Confit Salmon and Marget Duck Breast. In terms of taste, the steak was the best. But if you are a guy and needs something that can fill you up more, I would suggest the salmon. There was also the vegetarian version - Honey Carmelised Baby Carrots for your vegetarian friends. 

If you are a scone-person like me, you will be happy to hear that their scones is probably one of the best I have tasted in Singapore. For the desserts bar, my favourite was the sinful chocolate cake. It was those rare moments which I indulged in a whole slice. Oops. 

The Rose Veranda at Shangri La is truly a delightful place. Every inch it is instagrammable. Even my Mum wanted a model shot. LOL! My kids preferred the seat which you could look down and watch the Kois swimming around. This table is near the entrance so it may lack a bit of privacy. It will be available from Friday to Sunday from 12pm to 5pm. If you don't have any lunch plans in your calendar yet, do make a date there. Remember, tea is more than a thing for 2. *Winks*

Inside Out 2 Character Test

This post is truly for people who love Inside Out. After a decade since the first movie was released, the sequel is finally out with more characters. Inside Out ranks pretty high on my Top Movies so the curious me despite not catching the sequel and its trailer yet decided to take the personality test. Please note that this test is in Mandarin (and my Mandarin is mediocre at best), so it was extremely challenging for me to complete it. It didn't help that the results is extremely unrelatable. 

For anyone who wants to give it a go, try it here!

 

Back at the zoo again for the Zoolympix

If you are badge collector like me, this is sure to be something that is up your alley. For clarity, we didn't go there because of the Zoolympix, it just happen to be going on while we were there. But it was a really great event because it always feels great when you get some extra goodies and it was a nice goal to work towards for the adults. (We went with the extended family so the adults may get bored when the little one hang around too long with the animals.)

When we registered, we also got a packet of Milo and Coco-crunch which made the kids really happy. The route for River Safari was quite straight forward. We actually completed it first and took our own sweet time. For the Zoo portion, there was a specific path to take. Because we had less than 2 hours there, we made a mad dash - my brother was eager to complete the Zoolympix so that we can get 3 badges instead of 1. (You get an extra 1 batch for completing both.)

While we were there, we also enjoyed the Champion meal. It was decently priced but very diabetic. LOL! Like most of the Mandai operated F&B, the food quality is pretty decent. If you are very competitive, you must make your way to the Champions Village at the Zoo. There is a bouncy castle (which deflated right before my #1 eyes. He was crushed.) and there are way more events there, which we all missed cos we landed there pretty late in the day. 

Since the kids arrived, we have been the Zoo/ River Safari for multiple times. River Safari if it is rainy and Zoo if we are game to walk. We try to avoid going for both in a day because honestly, the kids have their own opinions and they are more curious and patient to observe than the adults. Also, they can stop very, very long at play areas. Hehe. This was probably the first time we conquered both. 

We also finally managed to catch a show at the River Safari. I was so blown over by how interactive and cosy it was. Definitely the best Mandai show ever, somebody give the hosts a promotion please! I was a walk-in so don't give up if you didn't manage to book any slots. Many times, I give up too early. Truly, good things go to those who wait. *winks* 

Definitely worth a visit this June holidays! You can get your tickets from Klook here!

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

Artground - Finally made it there

Finally, we made it to the orginal artground at the Goodman Arts Centre. Actually the kiddo has been there with the school and the pictures looked super amazing. We were actually pretty excited. Like most indoor playgrounds, you had to bring your own socks. But unlike other places, the area would be re-curated after a period of time. 

Personally, I am not a huge fan of the current theme - M.A.P.. But the kids seem to have an absolute blast. There were different areas that provided them various sensory experience. Admission into The Artground’s Arts Space is free, with a refundable deposit of $15 per group booking when you book online. There is a bit of hassle to set up an account, but given that it is free, it is worth the hassle. Haha. Each session was around an hour which might be a little short. 

The Artground also sometimes host special art programmes. This time round, it was the Beam Show at the WhiteBox. No photos because it was disruptive to take them, but it was really engaging and  enjoyable. Even though a part of the show was in the dark, neither of the kids freaked out and was fixated throughout. 

Overall it was a fun day out but there is nothing much other than the Arground there that was suitable for the toddlers. We travelled out after to have a meal :) This artground is a bit further for us, so it is unlikely we will go frequently. But I am pretty impress with their curated programmes and may actually sign up for the Holland's one :)

KidsSTOP - Mess-ive Science Party

Back at KidsStop yet again because this party seems too fun to be missed. My friend brought her kids there and told me it was really well suited for my kids, so I decided to take plunge. Quite honestly, my first impression was that the tickets didn't come cheap...because I was so used to my discounted price LOL!

Having been there, I have to say it was definitely worth every penny because it had activities that the kids probably won't be able to try at a normal indoor playground. This included - bubble play, hunting for uv candles, spin art...just to name a few. We even snag a door gift. 

Apart from that, some of the labs were open and it was an eye-opener to see how big the place actually was and how much facilities it had. The children also enjoyed their first magic show. It was not just the kids, it was obvious that the husband and I had fun too. It has been a while since I indulged in such child-like party activities and it did bring back joyful memories. 

Each slot was 3 hours. The kids pretty much spent the first 2 hours enjoying the new activities and the last hour holding their father's hand showing him their personal favourites in the usual hangouts. Overall, the event was very well organised and there was barely any queue at any stations etc. Don't get me wrong, the place was packed but they did manage to disburse the crowd well. 

For lunch, we decided to try the Stellar Kitchen Bar which had stellar reviews. (No pun intended). The food and drinks were really good. We know it is good when our picky eater ate 2 slices of their pizza. Apart from that, the price was also reasonable. Initially, we wanted to eat at the nearest mall instead because the food at attractions are usually quite meh. But this was really good and is way more convenient. :)

Great family day out and totally worth making a trip to the west!