Magic in the Kitchen - NNIO Glass Airfryer

For young adults espeically in Singapore, most of us are inadequate in cooking. Before I had my kids, I didn't really cook much. One thing I am really good at is fast, nutritious meals. I do make use a lot of sleek cooking equipment. So yes, I am skilled in the oven and also the airfryer. But today, I want to all about the latter. 

Personally, I love my meats but hated cooking over the stove because of how much oil it tends to splutter. The clean-up was always a nightmare. So, I always ate out when I had any meat cravings. But the airfryer was such a gamechanger to both my diet and my wallet. Check out the fancy meal we made using just the airfryer!

Using the NNIO glass airfryer, every time someone works from home, we will whip out our own gourmet dish. :D For me, I use it for my meats (proteins) and vegetables. There are reports that advise against airfrying starch. Prepping is quite easy - usually I add a piece of ginger (to mask the gamey smell) add a pinch of salt and pepper for good flavour and in it goes. At 170 degrees and 12 minutes later, I get a flavourful piece of meat ready to be eaten. Prep work and cooking all within the allocated 1 hour lunch time.

Cost-wise, I save some money but sometimes I end up spending a little more because I choose a better slice of cut. But I am definitely eating healthier because I am making more conscious choice on the ingredients! A lot of the people who know me always ask how I find the time/ energy to cook so much at home - right tools!

Every family needs to have an airfryer, if you haven't already got one. Price-wise, they are all very affordable. We are using the nnio glass airfryer (going below S$100 during sales). I enjoy watching my food getting cook so the glass really appealed to me. They have already preset 8 functions so it is really easy to use. This one is small and compact at 4L, great for cooking for 1-2 pax. We didn't want anything bigger because there was way too many things on our countertop and this one fitted in well with the design/ space of the kitchen.

Cleaning is also quite easy. Usually we soak it in soap water and the residues loosen. My only grouse is that it can't go into the dishwasher but it has already saved us way a lot of cleaning work.  Now, we spend our WFH days experimenting different dishes and finding better way of cooking. Here's us trying slices of fish using baking paper to suck out the oil so that we don't need to wash the Silicone Heat Resistant Mat!

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NNIO is having a sales now. Apart from the airfryer, they have a lot more products. Check out their showroom if you need to see/ feel the products in person!

Yakult Factory Tour Review

Feeling utterly privileged to be invited to the launch of the Peach Flavour Yakult with my little girl. My little girl was feeling very excited because this is one of her favourite drinks! So fun fact, she has only been on this Earth for less than 4 years and this is her 2nd visit. You know how thrilled she is when she wants to take photos with everything. 

Basically, the factory tour starts off with at the entrance with a display of the presence in the world and the different packaging in each countries. We headed up where there is a sharing session on everything Yakult. There, you will be treated to a free bottle of Yakult. Hurray!

For the first time in 46 years, Yakult is introducing a new flavour - Peach to replace Orange. Honestly, I always liked Original and Grape. And I barely knew anyone who had strong feelings for Orange. So I guess this is a great move! My little girl fell in love with Peach at once because it is pink and taste yummy! It is her favourite now!

Next, we visited the production area. No photos or videography, but I always felt that it was fascinating for those who never worked in the F&B Production. You will then understand why bottle designs cannot be changed at any whims and how scientific it can be! For those who has never visited, you must make a trip there at least once. 

Because I am an aunty, my favourite is always at the end where we can buy discounted Yakult. The last round the husband bought home 80! This time, I lugged home 50. It is mainly because it is discounted and there is reduced sugar flavour . Most importantly, you get a gashapon chance when you buy 40 bottles. Most of the merchandise are pretty lame but the kids love playing with it. We got lucky this time and scored the Yakult Gold Coin Box.

For maximum savings, best to go there with the Community Centre. We went there on our own expense and gosh, transport cost killed us. I probably made 0 savings. But I got to spend time exclusively with my girl and doing something she likes. That's special! <3 Will I go again? Of course, but this time with Community Centre and still buying 40 bottles haha!

CJ Hendry Flower Market - Last is Best

Lately, CJ Hendry Flower Market was the craze with scalpers and all. I initially wanted to drop by during the weekends with the family but I scrapped it due to the crowd. And thank god, I didn't go cos the crowd was rowdy and we probably will not enjoy ourselves there anyway. Eventually, they added an extra day and I managed to get a slot. But I missed my slot and ended up as a walk-in. 

Not that it matters (I didn't queue that long), but the whole hall was still crowded. I couldn't take the nice photos I wanted because there was very little variety with lots of gapping holes in the flower area. All I could take was people. I ended up picking a flower I liked and left. To be frank, I only liked 20%, hated a good 40% and felt absolutely neutral to the 100%. And so, I didn't get the mystery bag either.  (Heard it was disappointing as they were trying to clear stock.)

As luck would have it, they moved all the remaining flowers to the foyer and allowed walk-ins. I decided to make another trip with my colleagues after stalking their IG and comments. It was probably one of the better decision because I had a lot more fun and took a lot happier photos. Space matters! The flower options remain limited. It is better quality than most plushie flowers, but frankly I would have little use for them. 

I took home another 1 free flower for the kids. My personal view is that IMBA should have better managed this situation - either charge an entrance fee or manage the flowers that can be bought. I did know CJ Hendry as a result. But most people still didn't even bother to find out about her and her art. She is holding another experiential art - Ju Ju World, but frankly, I would love to see her hand drawn art better. 

If there is one thing I have learnt, some things are worth waiting (for). 

F4 F✦FOREVER Concert Review

 

I was slightly disappointed when I knew the reunion happened in China and I missed the first concert. So when they launched their world tour, I decided I need to get the tickets fast (and at all cost), lest they decided not to continue on. So on to Jakarta we went. We've never been there and thought it would make a nice adventure. 

Apart for the tickets which I actually camped for, I got the top public seats, everything logistical was done on a very last minute basis. Oops. The aunties sure act fast cos it was sold out within 2 hours! (Eventually, there were extra shows added, but I wasn't really monitoring.) While camping, I realized that they have top tier tickets with special fan services but you had to whatsapp some authorised dealers on their website. I texted while I was camping, but no one got back. Maybe I was just too late. 

Inclusive of flight, tickets, hotels, food and shopping, it should be well within S$2K for 2 pax. On the concert day, we headed back to the arena at 4pm (to avoid traffic jam) and all, and that was when things got tricky. Most people don't speak English there. So we were directed back and forth at least 3 times before I could get my ticket band. I was a little anxious with slight panic attacks because I didn't know they were pre-allocated and not band collection dependent. Thankfully, we met Chinese speaking fans who assisted!

We ended up skipping dinner (and having it after) because I was too excited to eat and there is food sold within the arena. I ended up heading back to the hotel (read here) to take a bath and glam up a bit because I was so hot and sweaty from all the unnecessary walking. Plus, I wanted to see Jerry in my best form! HAHAHA! There were unauthorised merch sold outside. Didn't end up getting because there wasn't anything I super like. 

Going to a concert in Jakarta was really amazing! I love the bustling energy of the fans. Pre-concert, there were booths set up with lots of people singing and hyping to F4 songs. During the concerts, there were lots of singing along, screaming, shouting and even standing on the seats towards the end. There were a bit of squeezing and shoving when they walked off the seats towards the fans. But it was nothing too rowdy. Husband: I never knew aunties were so strong, my seat was ambushed everytime they walk past. 

A good 25% of the women brought along their +1. I thought we were pretty lucky that A-Shin joined in, although there may be some purist fans who disagree. We initially thought it would be a short concert given the songs F3 collectively had, but they lasted a good 2 hours. A-Shin even sung some Mayday songs which entertained my husband greatly! (Read here on Mayday Concert!) I did feel bad for him because most Indonesians didn't know him, so I tried to give more support by singing along and dancing to his numbers!

Among the boys, Zai Zai is the most popular in Indonesia. His fans even bought advertisements at the metro for him. Vanness was a solid performer, but I was a bit sad he didn't sing some of his old favourites and focused on his new English songs which I can't sing along too. Jerry sung some songs but not my favourites - 一公尺 and 地心引力.

This was my first time so up close with them. They are indeed very good-looking. I always kinda knew Jerry was quite introverted, but after seeing him perform, I now know how introverted he is. But still, I feel grateful that he chose to still perform. He gave great fan service, noticed me in the crowd (I was wearing a shirt full of little dragons) screaming his Chinese name. I won a smile and a heart-gesture. It was an amazing concert and I felt like I finally did what I wanted to do when I was a teenager. And it was also quite special because this time I had my husband to experience the youth he missed with me.  I left contemplating if I should attend the Singapore one with friends, and if the concert outlay and songs would change. 

After-effects of the concert was crazy, I ended up rewatching Jerry's interviews and was singing/ humming the songs for the next 2 weeks! Lol! And if you include the pre-concert excitement. That's like 3 months of singing F4 songs. Haha. I even made gifs of the videos I filmed there. Can't wait for my next concert already, and to be frank, I won't mind coming back to Jakarta for it. Cos honestly, Singapore concerts doesn't have that frenzy energy I adore. 

*Updates* I failed to get Singapore tickets. Thank god, I got the Indonesia one. 

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** If you are considering to go for a gig trip as well, w\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.

Paw Patrol at One Holland Village

We brought the kids to One Holland Village for the Paw Patrol event. To be honest, I was quite disappointed because the area was pretty small. We didn't get the tickets for the meet-up with the mascots because my children were not too keen in it. But I found the stage for the meet-and-greet tiny too, thought it would have been better without the stage. 

Fortunately, as we didn't pick the meet and greet, our tickets were only S$8 each after discount. Both kids had some fun going through different stations which included colouring, golfing, hop-scotch, magentic tiles building and a tiny bouncy castle. It was mainly just vendors trying to sell their products. But to be fair, the products were things which I would use and the discounts were really good. 

After you complete every station, we will get a goodie bag (worth estimated S$50). The realistic price is probably less than S$8 because most of the items are not very useful. Ended up giving a lot of things away, LOL. Nonetheless, Kids probably viewed fun a lot differently. They both told me it was extremely fun. There was a small booth selling the official toys, not very interesting and also no discount. They should just directly sell the movie tickets there, LOL!

Tickets without mascot meet-and-greets are only for weekday, so you need to take a day off just to bring them out. Fortunately the location is at Holland and there were still quite a lot to see and do around the vicinity. There are quite a bit of changes and Holland just doesn't look the same anymore. Even OHV tenants has become more off-the-mill. Still worth a visit, if your kids love Paw Patrol!

Splashtopia 2026: Ride the Wave of Aloha

Lately the weather is just killing. I am sweating so much and can't live without aircon. When I told the kids Splashtopia is back at Sentosa - Palawan Beach, the kids were celebrating! Something like a combination of swimming fun and bouncy castle, this always bring a smile to the kids. Most importantly, I found their events thoughtful and well-organised. 

Even when the crowd grow, it never gets rowdy with the staff looking out for the little ones. This year, it came back way bigger with eight one-of-a-kind giant bouncy castles and pools with a Hawaiian theme. 

If your children are into mascots, check out the timeslot, as Kiztopia Friends will be making special appearances. There are even mermaids meet-and-greet on specific days which made my daughter extremely happy. Each tickets are sold at 3 hours slots, but by 2 hours in, quite a bit of energy has been burnt. 

Food is sold at a very affordable price and there are always plenty of seats so we don't bother stepping out of their vicinity. Usually the children will gather around1.5hr mark to recharge with their food and water breaks. If your children are still around the baby-stage, I will suggest going during the weekdays as it is less crowded and you would need to join them in the pool. As mine are already toddlers, I can leave them to wander on their own.  

Don't be surprise, but even adults join in sometimes because some slides are incredibly thrilling. I tend to let the children go first. This time round, there are even water gun fights for the older kids! The package price are the best in terms of value. Splashtopia 2026: Ride the Wave of Aloha will be at the Palawan Beach from the June Holidays all the way till 28th June. Sometimes we even go more than once! Ending with a packing list which you can just follow:

• Swimwear
• 1 spare set of clothes
• Sunblock
• Towel
• Shampoo/ Soap (Note that shower facilities are at the beach area)
• Phone to take photos

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Splashtopia 2026: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/208377-splashtopia-2026-ride-the-wave-of-aloha/

** 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.

Great June Playzone at Guoco Midtown and Guoco Midtown II

Starting the June Holidays with a huge bang at Guoco Midtown (Beach Road) and Guoco Midtown II (Tan Quee Lan). I have always wanted to explore it and after being there, I can safely say it is one of the most under-rated malls. The food selection is really unique. And they have an indoor kids play area to keep the young children entertain.

This June Holidays, they upped their game - launching the Great June Playzone! Under the Little Explorer's Play Zone, check out 4 interactive activity areas including doodling, slime play and sculpting etc. You just need to spend S$20 (not difficult) for a complimentary 45-minute session, limited to 10 complimentary slots a day. Otherwise, you can pay S$28 per child and join in at S$10 for adults.

But my favourite was probably the weekend culinary workshops hosted by participating dining outlets across Guoco Midtown and Guoco Midtown II under the Little Creators’ Club series. You simply need to spend $20 in a single receipt during the sign-up period to secure a workshop spot. Pre-registration is required, and one redemption per shopper per day applies.

If you do the maths, this is one of the sweetest deal ever. There is no way such workshops come at S$20. The only catch is that you need to come down more than once - to obtain receipts that fall within the stated sign-up period for each workshop and on the actual day itself to enjoy the workshop. Not particularly difficult given how convenient Guoco Midtown and Guoco Midtown II are...just beside Bugis MRT Stataion!

Pizza Making Workshop:

• Hosted by: British Indian Curry Hut
• Date and Time: 6 June 2026, 2pm to 4pm
• Location: Guoco Midtown (Beach Road), #01-15
• Sign-up Period & Receipt Validity Dates: 27 May - 4 June 2026

Pizza Making Workshop:

• Hosted by: TAG Espresso
• Date: 13 June 2026, 11am to 1pm
• Location: Guoco Midtown II (Tan Quee Lan), #01-04
• Sign-up Period & Receipt Validity Dates: 5 to 11 June 2026

Temaki Making Workshop:

• Hosted by: Mirai Robatayaki & Sushi Restaurant
• Date: 21 June 2026, 12pm to 1pm
• Location: Guoco Midtown (Beach Road), #01-09
• Sign-up Period & Receipt Validity Dates: 12 to 18 June 2026

La Mian Making Workshop:

• Hosted by: Lantingxu Lanzhou Beef Noodles
• Date: 27 June 2026, 3pm to 5pm
• Location: Guoco Midtown (Beach Road), #01-16
• Sign-up Period & Receipt Validity Dates: 19 to 25 June 2026

Guoco Midtown and Guoco Midtown II have climbed to the list of one the most fun malls in my kids' hearts and is now a more consistent hangout place for us. Given how high they set the bar, I have no idea how other malls are going to keep up :D But I sure look forward to all their future events and promotions!