Roosevelt's Diner & Bar prides itself on serving up a wide range of American-style dishes and drinks at affordable prices amid an industrial chic interior, which makes the ambience a tad cozier.

Food-wise, Roosevelt’s offers all-day breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, and salads - good old crowd pleasers which no doubt satisfy those Western cravings. We had the Garlic Prawns (S$12) for starters and while they were deemed a little spicy for the monkies, the wifey and I absolutely relished them!


While we were busy chomping on the crunchy prawns, Ash picked out Teddy's Big Breakfast (S$23), which consisted of the usual suspects of scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, baked beans and toast.


This is part of Roosevelt's all-day breakfast menu, which is served from 8.30am to 6pm daily. And the oldest monkie's verdict? It was simply delish!


Ayd, on the other hand, decided to go all gargantuan and ordered the Teddy's 100% Beef Burger (S$20).


And yes, it was enormous alright.


As with all burgers, the meat patty makes all the difference and with Teddy's, the patty was done just about right - juicy, tender and well-marinated all rolled into one. Considering its size, I recommend it to be good for sharing... unless the one you are sharing with is Ayd, who managed to walloped more than three-quarters(!!!) of the burger.

Ale, though was a much smaller eater. So she stuck with the Kids Menu choices, and had the perennial kids' fave of Fish & Chips (S$10).


All items from the Kids Menu are priced at $10, and include pasta, omelette, grilled ham and cheese, and even oatmeal. The one important thing that I learned from my dining experience at Roosevelt's is that all of the food ingredients are naturally hand-made, much like the fries which are not processed but made from freshly-cut potatoes.


The wifey had the Eggs Roosevelt (S$17), poached eggs atop chorizo sausages and potatoes. If there was a weak link to our brunch affair, this would be it. At best, the dish tasted rather bland and uninspiring.


Luckily, I ended up having the best dish (and Roosevelt's signature) - BBQ Baby Back Ribs (S$22 for half slab). And luckily for the wifey too, the serving was so huge that I just had to share it with her too.


This slab of ribs is by far, the best ribs I have ever tasted. The meat was falling off the bones at the slightest touch, and melted in the mouth with such incredible tenderness and a tinge of sweetness. Happy days.

And what's a full meal without some yummilicious milkshakes?


I have heard that Roosevelt's Salted Caramel milkshake (S$8) is da bomb but with my monkies around, chances are they will go for the more kids-friendly favourites. And so they did - Ash gunned for the Oreos & Cream (S$10) while Ayd settled for the Strawberries & Cream (S$8) milkshakes. Both were definitely above average, though I personally favoured the Strawberries one more.

And as if the monkies needed any invitation for desserts, they licked their lips in anticipation as the Chocolate Banana Waffles (S$12) found its way onto our table.


One can never go wrong with the chocolate and banana combo, even more so when there is a scoop of Vanilla ice cream involved. But the one dessert that really stole the thunder of the waffles was this.


The Flourless Chocolate Cake (S$8) was, as its name implies, flourless. But take nothing away from it, the cake was made of Dark Chocolate and its rich taste clearly showed. It was dense in texture, and the wifey and I thoroughly enjoyed it, together with its pairing of a scoop of ice cream.

And what better way to end our leisurely brunch than with a cup of Latte (S$4.80)?


The coffee's taste bordered on the neutral, not too robust nor was it too weak. I definitely had better coffee elsewhere, but nowhere is it worthy of being compared to horse piss either.


Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the food. Even more so that only fresh and top-quality ingredients are used to prepare the food, and the portions were more than adequate for every dish that we sampled.


Clearly, Roosevelt's has that kind of laid back vibe with that kind of something-for-everyone feeling. It is a casual dining place, with the sort of Western comfort food that puts a smile on everyone's face, adults and kids alike.


Useful Information

Roosevelt’s Diner & Bar
331 New Bridge Road
#01-02 Dorsett Residences
Singapore 088764
Opening Hours: Mon-Thurs 8.30am-10pm | Fri & Sat 8.30am-12 midnight | Sun 8am-10pm
Tel: 6538 3518
Website: http://roosevelts.com.sg/

MILO is a huge thing in our family, especially if you have read about how the monkies assisted the wifey in conjuring up some MILO Muffins for breakfast, or how both Ash and Ayd are able to whip up a mean MILO drink all by themselves.

But now, when it comes to making that cup of hot MILO at home, the job gets even simpler.


You see, NESCAFE Dolce Gusto - the revolutionary multi-beverage system that brews café- style coffee, tea, hot chocolate specialities - has added MILO capsules to its ammunition. On top of that, the all-new MINI ME Automatic System was launched as well.


The good thing about the MINI ME  is that it still retains the advantage of  providing hot and cold drinks in a minute but in a compact little machine without taking up too much space at home. Which is marvelous because our current housing space is already limited, so stuff taking up space at home is not good for the wifey's mental health. And by extension, mine too.

But mini doesn't mean the technology is downsized as well. Inside, it is still the same technology as the other Nescafe machines, with a pump capable of delivering up to 15 bars of pressure, adequate for making that cup of coffee, chai tea, hot chocolate, iced peach tea and yes, MILO.


Naturally, Ayd - who is the biggest fan of MILO on this planet - wanted to make that first cup of MILO and so he did.


To make a cup of luxuriously smooth, creamy and velvety café-style MILO, one will need to pop in 2 pods - one with MILO powder while the other with Skim Milk powder. No sugar needs to be added, and the result?


I had my first sip and my first impression is that it tasted milkier compared to the MILO drink I make from scratch. Somehow, the milk froth did wonders to the concoction and one sip was all it took for Ale to demand that she too be allowed to brew a cup of MILO on her own.

And what the Diva wants, the Diva gets.


Not that I needed to worry she would jeopardize the entire process by making a wrong move. The controls are easy, with a dial up top that lights up as one selects the level of intensity suggested per pod.


In less than a minute, she was done!


Don't these 2 look so cute together? In fact, the MINI ME had clinched both the ‘Red Dot Design Award’ and ‘Product Design’ Award at the International Forum Design 2014 with its quirky contours!


So with the MINI ME being such a darling and simple to use, it is no wonder that the boys have been bugging to make their own MILO drinks - and my coffee - almost every single night!


Looks like I have to stock up on more pods then!


Useful Information

The MINI ME comes in three snazzy shades - Black & Anthracite, Red & Artic-Grey and Artic-Grey & White - and is retailing for S$199 at the in-store boutique in TANGS Orchard, TANGS VivoCity, Takashimaya, Isetan, OG, BEST DENKI, Harvey Norman, COURTS, Fair Price Finest, Fair Price XTRA, selected Fair Price stores, selected Market Place and Cold Storage stores, GIANT and authorised dealers.


MILO pods come in a 16-pod box (8 MILO powder & 8 Skim Milk powder pods) and is retailing for S$10.90 per box.

For detailed store listing and more information about NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto, visit www.dolce-gusto.com.sg, or its Facebook page.

(Daddy blogs)

May is a double whammy of sorts in this family of mine. First, the wifey's birthday, then Mother's Day. It is a double wallet crusher that somehow always catches me off-guard, sprinting around town collecting gift receipts the day before. All in a good way, of course.

More importantly though, today is her birthday. And after 15 years (10 being legally married) of being together, I still love her and it appears that she still loves me. So in celebration the wifey's birthday, here are 15 things I love about her. (I would have gladly done a list in honour of her actual age, but something tells me I will have to sleep in the bathroom if I did that.)

The first is obviously a shoo-in - she loves me (1), even on the days I make that difficult. I love that my wife is a marvelous mum to our three monkies (2). She is patient (3), but always forgiving (4). Even though sometimes her job saps every ounce of energy from her, she still revels in taking on multiple roles of a chef, referee, doctor, counselor and teacher (5) in the family.

When she laughs (6), it is impossible not to laugh with her. And when she simply smiles (7), I smile too because it is intuitive. I love that she insists on holding my hand (8), even when I’m grumpy. She would have no qualms sharing her last bite of ice cream with me if I asked her to (9), something I am ashamed to say I would have a hard time doing myself!

She is extremely nice to my parents (10), and the perfect daughter-in-law I can ever find for my parents. Come to think of it, she is extremely nice to everyone, always putting everyone at ease with her good nature (11). She reminds me to always see the good in everyone (12), especially in our monkies, and to appreciate them for the human beings that they are.

I love that she does not pretend to be perfect (13), but strives to be better than the day before. I love that she is easily contented (14) - a trip to Melaka or Penang will bring her just as much joy as a holiday to Australia - as long as it is enjoyed with the family.

Above all,  I love my wifey because she makes me a better person (15).

But you know what's amazing? As I went about writing this blog post, I realized that I had a problem - it was challenging in keeping the things that I love about my wife to such a low number!

But I guess that sums everything up in the nicest way possible. That I am so lucky to be hers and to be able to call her mine.

Happy Birthday, Dearrie.

The bi-annual event will be held from 16 to 24 August 2014, and will feature the grandest gardens and finest of floral displays. Over a nine-day period, Singapore Garden Festival 2014 will treat visitors to a visual fiesta of exquisite garden and floral displays, created by more than 20 internationally acclaimed garden and floral designers.


We visited the 2012 edition 2 years back and while all of us enjoyed it, it was held at the Suntec Convention Centre which made the entire display a tad artificial as it was indoors. This year's edition however, will be held at the The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, which makes the premise of a Garden Festival more realistic and closer to nature.


There will be plenty of various landscape, fantasy and miniature gardens on display and I will be sure to provide more updates as the festival draws closer. For now though, in conjunction with the official announcement of the return of the Festival, a week-long initiative called 'Share a Plant' has been launched.


Starting from today, a total of 5,000 potted plants will be given out FREE to the public over the next five days across five gardens and parks. Members of the public will be able to pick up a potted plant and share it with someone special.

'Share A Plant' aims to encourage the appreciation of plants and gardening, which is the key objective of Singapore Garden Festival. Not to mention that it too helps to spread the message that everyone - young, old, amateur or aspirational - can garden.


If you do intend to pick up your very own potted plant, be sure to take real good care of it and nurture it well as come the actual Festival, you can bring it back to the Fectival to enjoy a 20% discount on your entry ticket!

But that is not all. There will be a mini-competition - Share A Plant Container Garden Competition - where not only people can bring back their plants to the Festival, they can decorate or arrange it creatively in a 0.5m by 0.5m container, for example, in a dish or basket. A panel of judges will decide the winners, and awards will be given out to the winning displays!


Interested to pick up your own plant? Here are the five locations and their respective timings:

8 May 2014: Gardens by the Bay, 11am onwards
9 May 2014: Singapore Botanic Gardens, 8am onwards
10 May 2014: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, 8am onwards
11 May 2014: HortPark, 8am onwards
12 May 2014: Raffles Place Park, 11am onwards

Do note that the plants are on a first-come-first-get basis.


Singapore Garden Festival
16 - 24 Aug 2014; 10am - 10pm
Gardens by the Bay
Ticket Prices: 
Local Residents: Weekday - Adult $10 | Child (3-12) & Senior Citizens (>60) $5
Weekend - Adult $14 | Child (3-12) & Senior Citizens (>60) $8
Standard Rate: All Days - Adult & Child (3-12) $18 | Senior Citizens (>60) $12
Website: www.singaporegardenfestival.com

Thanks to a tip-off from a relative about some vibrantly coloured objects on its premises, we made our way down to Cafe Melba one Saturday morning for a lazy brunch.


Located in the grounds of the Goodman Arts Centre (near Mountbatten MRT), Cafe Melba exudes a laid-back charm, with a rather spacious interior and exterior to match.


We arrived at the ungodly hour of 8.30am (on a Saturday!), which of course gave us the liberty to pick and choose our lazy spot.

Right in front of these huge cheery objects, as requested by the monkies.


Come every weekend, or public holidays, these 2 bouncy castles will be inflated and no doubt bring joy to every single kid.


My kids, especially.


Nothing like a good workout before plonking down for breakfast, eh?


Speaking about breakfast, Cafe Melba serves up food inspired from Melbourne and Asia (MELB + A = MELBA). Geddit???

And as all brunches go, a brunch isn't a brunch without getting the full works of scrambled eggs, pork sausages, home-cured bacon, roasted cherry vine tomatoes, baked beans, mushrooms, hash brown and home made toast, otherwise known as the Full Melba Cooked Breakfast (S$25).


Something which never fails to entice Ash, who was taking a well-deserved break from all his mid-year exams mugging.


The breakfast platter was hearty enough, just nothing too out of this world. As for the other 2 monkies, they decided to have something sweet and settled for the Pancakes (S$15).


The pancakes came with berry compote, whipped cream and maple syrup, and it was marvelous!


The pancakes were fluffy, rather cake-like and non-greasy. Definitely unlike the hotcakes that a certain clown with red boots dishes out. Well, at $15 for 4 pieces, they had better taste good and luckily, they didn't disappoint.


The wifey chose the Free Range Eggs Benedict (S$20), which had poached eggs and bacon atop toasted english muffins and topped with lemon hollandaise sauce.

Looks great, no? Sadly, the taste test did not fare too well. Eggs were rather puny, and the hollandaise sauce was devoid of taste.


Fortunately, the field of green in front of the cafe makes it up somewhat.


Footballs and rugby balls are freely available for the children to play with and knowing my monkies, they definitely needed no further invitation to do so.


Personally, the food is nothing to shout about and is slightly overpriced. But the huge draw for me (and the monkies) was the vast amount of space that we could indulge in, perfect for some outdoor play time together.


So if I were to overlook the food bit, I would say Cafe Melba pretty much doubles up as a cool hangout with other friends with children too, and being family-friendly at the same time. Parents will no doubt revel in affording a little time to chat among themselves, while still being able to keep an eye on their mini-people as they bound around on the bouncy castle or race across the spacious lawn.


Useful Information

Cafe Melba
90 Goodman Road, Block N #01-56
Goodman Arts Centre, Singapore 439053
Tel: 6440 6068
Opening Hours: Weekdays 10am - 10pm | Weekends & PHs 8:30am - 10pm
Website:www.cafemelba.com.sg

As for Ayd, this is how he feels:

"Dear Mummy, thank you for taking care of me, cooking delicious food for me, helping me to control my anger, giving presents to me on my birthday and Christmas and all the things for me. You are a very loving, kind and beautiful mother. You are definitely the best mother ever! Love, Ayden"


I have to admit I felt incredibly touched when I read those words. Ditto for the wifey, who struggled to contain her tears after she read those paragraphs.

Ayd even upped the ante by giving the wifey a $12 angpow!


He said it was to "reward Mummy for her kindness". Considering that he is one stingy miser when it comes to his personal savings, his gesture totally caught us by surprise, in a warm fuzzy kind of way.

Ale was not to be outdone though. She too drew something entirely on her own - a portrait of her Mummy, with matching earrings to boot.


To the wifey, thank you for the blood, sweat and tears that I never see.

Thank you, for just being you.

(Daddy blogs)

After bidding "Doei!" to Miffy and the beautiful tulips at Gardens by the Bay, it is time to say "Bonjour!" and go on a botanical journey to France with a brand-new floral display in the Flower Dome.


In keeping with the theme of  “Gardens by the Bay Goes around the World” series of floral displays for 2014, the brand new French Faire Floral Display at the Flower Field in the Flower Dome is part of its European leg, bringing a touch of French jardin (or garden) to Singapore.


And one does not get any more French than with - no, not French Fries - the Eiffel Tower, acting as the horticultural centrepiece and all dressed up in a coat of green foliage.


But the main stars are the flowers on display as well, like lavender, lilac, jasmine and gardenia amid a manicured garden setting.


Admittedly, the explosion of colours may not rival that of the tulips at Tulipmania but the frangance of the blooms complemented rather nicely with the various mock-ups of a cafe and florist, giving the entire display a very cozy feel.




A FRENCH SPRING GARDEN TRAIL 
Immerse in the sights and sounds of France as you explore our French-inspired garden at the Flower
Field. Also, learn about well-loved flowers of France, such as Lavender and Jasmine and find out
more about their significance and uses in this round of our Garden Trail!
Date: 12 May - 22 June 2014
Time: 9am – 9pm
Location: Flower Dome
*Admission charge to the Flower Dome applies.
*Trail map is free and available (while stocks last) with every conservatories ticket purchased.

THE FRUIT LOOP WITH MOM 
Go on a scavenger hunt and learn fun facts about fruits and flowers. Pick up a map from the fruity
booth at The Canopy and start looking for clues. Stand a chance to win a special gift for your Mom if
you complete the hunt with her and present the correct answers!
Date: 17 & 18 May 2014
Time: 10am - 5pm (last collection of sheets at 4pm)
Location: Cloud Forest, Flower Dome and Outdoor Gardens
*Programme is free, but admission charge to the conservatories applies


Useful Details

French Faire Floral Display
Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
12 May - 22 June 2014; 9am - 9pm

Admission charges apply. Click HERE for rates.

*GARDENS BY THE BAY FAMILY PACKAGE 
In conjunction with the Tourism 50 initiative by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to celebrate 50 years of Singapore Tourism, Gardens by the Bay is offering a $50 family package for local residents visiting the cooled conservatories.
Price (for 2 conservatories): $50 (UP. $64) for 2 Adults & 2 Children
Terms & Conditions:
- Valid from 5 May to 30 June 2014.
- Promotion is only valid for on-site purchase.
- Promotion is only valid for local residents.
- Offer valid for admission to the two conservatories only.
For more details, visit http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/

Which is a good thing, as Ale loves going to dance class every week.

And the dance class in question? The Melody Bear Melody Movement dance class.


Offered exclusively in Singapore by Rhapsody @ Pek Kio CC, the Melody Bear Melody Movement is a unique dance curriculum which addresses the needs of children aged between 2 and 4. It is tailored to discovering and fulfilling the potential of each child, nurturing their creative development,  while introducing children to concepts of ballet, tap, music and movement.


Each week, a sticker detailing the kind of skill learnt - twirling, making shapes, bouncing - is awarded at the end of the lesson. Sort of like a graded curriculum for the kids, but everything is made fun for them at the same time.


And yes, Ale sure made her lessons look fun!


Only thing is, where does Ale get her desire and ability to dance? After all, I dance like a monkey stuck in quicksand.


But genetics aside, I think that has partly to do with her teacher's enthusiastic and passionate approach to the classes, as well as the supportive and fun environment she fosters during the 30-minute session.


Personally, I like how each class is put together combining movement to music, story telling, counting, rhythm and subtle pre-ballet moves. Coupled with confidence-boosting activities, I think it stands out from other dance schools because Rhapsody's Melody Bear Melody Movement dance classes are subtly underpinned by a thoughtfully constructed curriculum that takes into account of how children develop.

At the end of the day though, what matters is still how much Ale loves her dance lessons. And for me, I love watching her dance, simply because of the joy it brings her.


Useful Information

Rhapsody @ Pek Kio Community Centre
21 Gloucester Road #03-01
Singapore 219458
Phone: 8183 1683
Website: http://rhapsodypekkio.com/cstd-ballet-tap-jazz-and-contemporary-classes/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RhapsodyPekKio

The product concept which distinguishes the Cappi marker pens from all other fibre tip pens on the market can be clearly attributed to this red ring that comes with the markers.


The caps of the marker pens can be simply strung together in a clever ring, which makes losing them very difficult.


With the help of the ring, all pens connected and hung on the ring. A ridiculously simple idea, but a very useful one.


Did you notice the unusual tube shape that the pens come in? That's done on purpose, so that the pens would not roll away onto the floor and can be easily picked up!


Grip-wise, the ergonomic grip zone is something that both Ash and Ayd have grown accustomed to when it comes to writing equipment from Stabilo. The pens fit perfectly to the delicate hands of children, making writing or colouring an even more comfortable prospect.


The amazing thing about the pens is even if the little people do forget to cap the marker pens, parents will be relieved to know that the pens can be left uncapped for 24 hours without drying out!


Oh, and the ink is washable too... something which is a must-have for parents I think.


And not only are the pens great for indoors, they are sensational for outdoor use as well. By having the pens all strung together means that they can be stored easily in the wifey's bag and fished out in ONE complete bunch!


Definitely an ideal set of markers to bring to the restaurants and travelling.


A pack of Stabilo Cappi Fibre-tip Markers (12 colours) is retailing for S$10.20 at Stabilo's online store, or S$10.90 in retail stores.

Or you can just win one of two packs that we are giving away!

To enter, just leave a comment in this blog post or in its corresponding Facebook post HERE to tell me:


Maybe the aliens beamed them away, or the kids ate them? Whichever the reason, just be sure to do so by 22 May 2014, 2359 hours. Giveaway is open to residents in Singapore only.

Not too shabby an effort, eh? Of all the sketches in the world, I personally find that portrait sketches of either a person or an animal to be the most daunting. Of course, he was given pointers along the way as to how to make the sketch more life-like and these pointers clearly showed their usefulness come the following week.


Somehow, the dog looked very 'DUH' to me. Hahaha... but the next sketch when Ayd transferred his portrait to pastel paper showed a remarkable improvement.


But nothing could have prepared the wifey and I when he showed the final product to us in the fifth week.



To take part in this giveaway, all you have to do is to leave a comment in this blog post or on its corresponding Facebook post HERE, stating which class (Nature Composition OR Clay Birds on Canvas) you will want to win for your child. 

• The child has to be 3 years and above, based on the month and year of birth.
• Changing of date or time of the classes is NOT allowed.
• No repeat winners are allowed.
• The giveaway is open only to non-existing customers of heART Studio.
• Winners will be notified by email and they must reply by email or phone call, within three days. Otherwise, a new winner will be picked.
• This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only. 

The entire trail spans 2.5km and consists of 10 stops so initially, I was not too sure as to how the monkies will take the walk.

Infographic courtesy of The Straits Times

So as a precaution (and so that I would not have to carry the Diva for the length of the trail), we got the monkies to bring along their skate scooters.


And as it turned out, it was the wisest decision ever.

The guided tour did not exactly follow the exact route of the above map, as we soon found ourselves looking at a concrete spring door, which used to open up to reveal a stair down to the air raid shelter below.


This was at Block 78 Moh Guan Terrace, which is uniquely designed in the shape of a horse-shoe and hence also known as the "horse-shoe" block.


I had long wondered where the air raid shelters in Tiong Bahru were, and they were actually located from the carpark compound behind the blocks.


Block 78 Moh Guan Terrace holds the distinction of being the first air raid shelter to be included as part of the design of a public housing project in Singapore, which can hold more than 1,000 persons.


It was a pity that the Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail does not include entry to the air raid shelter - there is a separate guided tour for that - but luckily, I managed to sneak a shot through its air vents so that the monkies were able to see how the interior of the air raid shelter looked like.

The next stop saw us at Seng Poh Garden, where we came face to face with the Dancing Girl Sculpture.


In 1972, a landscaped garden at Seng Poh Road was planned and Sarawak-born sculptor, Lim Nang Seng was commissioned to create the Dancing Girl sculpture, where she is seen to be performing a harvest dance. And here is an interesting tidbit of information that I learned - he is the same sculptor who created the Merlion in 1972!

We then took a well-deserved water break at Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre, which reopened in 2006 after an extensive upgrading, and probably has the highest concentration of 'heritage hawkers' in Singapore. The history of Tiong Bahru Market can be traced back to 1945 where two shophouses along Tiong Poh Road were converted into a wet market. In 1950, the Municipal Commission constructed a new market called the Seng Poh Market which occupied the site of the current Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre.

Then, it was time to step out of the enclave of Tiong Bahru flats and this was where things got really interesting.

We headed for the Bird Corner & Former Hu Lu Temple marker, where it commemorates the site of the demolished Hu Lu Miao (葫芦庙), whose name came from a gourd-shaped furnace used for burning incense papers located just outside the temple. But more than that, I am sure this corner (beside Link Hotel) should be rather familiar to all.

This was the place where a coffeeshop called Wah Heng used to be and its owner had erected a metal structure outside his coffeeshop in the 1980s so as to allow bird owners to hang their bird cages while they sipped coffee and chatted.

Things got a bit physical after that, where we had to cross the road via the overhead bridge - yes, skate scooters and all, but it was still manageable as the boys gamely carried their scooters all by themselves.


I think this marker was the most fascinating of the lot, not only for the boys but also for the wifey and me. The grave of Tan Tock Seng faces Outram Road and Tan Boon Liat building and it is one that I have often driven past but yet did not realize that it was the resting place of one of Singapore's early pioneers.

Tan Tock Seng was best remembered as a philanthropist. One of his notable philanthropic works was the donation of $7,000 towards the construction of a Chinese Pauper's Hospital in 1844, now known as Tan Tock Seng Hospital.


I think this marker fascinated the boys greatly. Sure, they knew about Tan Tock Seng Hospital, but they never knew that the hospital was actually named after a famous man in Singapore's history, or just how important a pioneer he was.


We reached the Outram Precinct marker next, which recognises three significant institutions in Singapore's history - the former sites of the former Institute of Health and Coroner's Court. Across Outram Road, at the foot of Pearl's Hill, a civilian prison had been built In 1847 which has since been demolished.


As we made our way back to the heart of Tiong Bahru, our guide brought us to this little-known bungalow behind Hotel 81 Osaka.


Very little is known about the history of this bungalow, except that it once probably belonged to an affluent Caucasian. Now, it seems to be rented out as a storeroom of sorts. What a pity.

One of the last stops of our Heritage Trail brought us to the Monkey God Temple.


Founded in 1920, it is claimed that this was the very first temple in Singapore to be dedicated to the worship of the Monkey God.

Throughout the guided tour, we learnt that the unique pre-war architecture of the Singapore Improvement Trust's public housing project emplyed a modified form of the "Streamline Moderne" architecture style. The buildings were designed to look like cars, trains, ocean liners and aeroplanes with sweeping, streamlined and aerodynamic lines.


Post-war, the architecture of Tiong Bahru's post-war flats was then inspired by the "International Style". A characteristic of this style is the use of boxes in the interior space of the building. Lines are clean and simple, giving the building a modern yet functional look.


As for the wifey and I, we too enjoyed our walking adventures on the Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail. It was such an eye-opener, where we got the chance to not only exercise but also pick up many interesting bits of new information that we never knew about Tiong Bahru.

But is the Heritage Trail suitable for children? I suppose as interesting as the trail is, the history might be lost on younger children as it may be difficult for them to appreciate the heritage of the places. Children aged 5 and above may be more suitable for the Trail but that said, families need not go on the ENTIRE trail.

The National Heritage Board has come out with a Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail Brochure (which you can download it HERE) and it details all the 10 markers listed in the Heritage Trail, complete with history information. So what I recommend parents to do is to pick out some of the interesting sites to visit and intersperse them with a visit to the many quaint cafes around the estate.

If you are still interested to join in the guided tour, unfortunately there are currently none being scheduled at the moment. The tours are conducted by a group of volunteers, and you can visit their event page HERE periodically to see if any tours are lined up.


There is a nominal fee of $2 per person for the guided tour, with proceeds going to the refurbishment of Tiong Bahru Community Centre.

Yes, we had to drag our sleepy bums out of our beds even before the sun had risen... on a SUNDAY! But I guess there is something special in going on a kind of run with filled with kids, customized running tees, race bibs and finisher medals. And clearly, all three of them were pumped up for it.


How they can look so chirpy at 6.50am is beyond me.


I had accompanied the 2 boys on each of their running escapades in all of the previous editions. And this year marked the first time ever that both Ash and Ayd participated in the competitive SPRINT Categories, which also meant that they will be running entirely on their own.


But as glad as I was that I need not be huffing and puffing alongside them, I had reasons to be worried for both of them.

For one, the competitive race route spanned 1.6km. They had only ran 800m in the previous races, and that was probably the longest distance they had ever completed in a single run. Coupled with the fact that they had ZERO training prior to the Kids Run, I was not entirely certain they could finish the 1.6km route.

Well, as it turned out, my fears were completely unfounded.




During last year's run, the wifey was the running companion of choice for the Diva and it ended with the wifey having to carry her for almost of the entire 800m! So this year, I was graciously being volunteered by the wifey to run with Ale.

And the good news was that I had one year to work on those arm muscles. The bad news was, if Ale was hatching a plot to make me carry her when the race started, she wasn't showing it.


On the contrary, she seemed extremely eager to have the air horn sound off and begin the race!


And when the air horn did blare, she was off in such a quick manner that I could barely keep up with her.


300m into the race, and she was still going strong!


By the 400m mark though, I could tell that she got a little tired but she made a determined face and kept plugging away... albeit wanting to hold my hand as we jogged together.

The skies must have taken pity on her because the next thing we knew, a huge downpour ensued. And this possibly gave her the perfect excuse to ask to be carried... which I did, despite my protesting arms. Let me just say that running in the rain, with a 13kg sack of rice in my hands AND trying my darnedest to keep my camera bag from being totally drenched is one trying task, but an immensely FUN one at that too.

Yes, no rain - no matter how heavy - was going to rain our parade and we completed the run, muddy shoes, soaked underwear and all... with a well-deserved finisher's medal to boot!

There is just something special in seeing your children complete a 1.6km race, collecting their prized medals and yet still declaring that they will be back again next year.

There is just something equally crazy too, in carrying your child and sprinting like mad through the pouring rain... and wanting to do it all over again come the same time next year, in a heartbeat.

So when FOX approached us for yet another collaboration, I could not find any reason to turn it down.


After all, how can I say no to having a legitimate excuse to visit FOX Kids & Baby shops AND stock up on more clothes for the monkies? Because you just can't NOT notice the kids apparel inside those shops. The clothes are  vibrant, trendy, full of fun and sometimes super cute too!


And can I just say that it is often not just me that is drawn into their store, but the monkies too?


Especially with the brand new Summer 2014 collection in stores right now, all of the clothes looked like the definitive cotton candies clothing edition.


This Summer range is all about bright colours, striped patterns, trendy boys and girls shirts, denim bottoms and lots of irresistibly fashionable dresses!


But the one collection that caught me eye was that of the FOX Swimsuits Summer 2014 Collection, with some of the cutest range of swimsuits!


You can view most of the range HERE. So needless to say, three sets of swimsuits followed us home.


Unsurprisingly, the boys have grown increasingly vocal when it comes to picking their fashion these days. I guess it is a sure sign that they are becoming their own not-so-little people so I gave them a free rein in picking out a few apparel of their choice.


The boys settled on the denim shorts because as they put it, "The shorts are so soft and comfy!" As for the tops, they decided to get something sleeveless in the end, and sleeveless tops were what went into the shopping bag in the end.


As for the Diva, who's to deny her the freedom of choice too after seeing her 2 older brothers pick out their own clothes?


Her resultant decision? This denim dress. A chic and stylish choice, I must say.


The thing about FOX Kids & Baby is their style of clothing is so easy to love. Well, that and the fact that they carry clothing which feature cute cartoon characters too... which in turn makes Ale pose like those blogshops models. LOL.


To view FOX Kids & Baby latest Summer 2014 collection, visit HERE and HERE.

And to keep updated with the latest news and promotions from Fox Kids & Baby, follow them on Facebook (Fox Fashion (Singapore).

While we want our children to grow up and see as much as the world as possible, some places are best experienced before adulthood. In fact, some of these gems are right here in Singapore, waiting to be discovered!

I guess I don't have to tell you that children learn best while being outdoors, especially if done together as a family. Bringing them out not only brings everybody together but also helps the little people learn and expand their horizons. More importantly though, it is really about the memories because these are the memories that last a lifetime when the kids have long grown up.

So build up a memory bank you will all treasure for a lifetime with this round-up of 12 of the best places in Singapore to take your children before they grow up. Of course, the list is never exhaustive but I have tried to avoid the obvious choices like the Indoor Playgrounds, Outdoor Parks and Playgrounds, Beaches, Water Parks, Theme Parks, Zoo and other usual suspects.

1. Fire Station Open House


Every Saturday mornings between 9am and 11am, ALL fire stations, except Jurong Island Fire Station, open their doors to the public. Unless you are visiting in a group of more than 10 people, no prior registration is required. Just walk in and let the kids clamber onto a real fire engine, spray the water hose and even take a ride up the mechanical ladder! Definitely an experience to thrill every child. For more information, visit HERE.

2. Children Little Museum


Hidden away along Bussorah Street, in front of the Sultan Mosque, is one awesome gem offering visitors a precious glimpse into the past. The Children Little Museum houses an impressive collection of memorabilia and old-school toys. From tikam tikam to tin robots to old-style pick-up-stix, there are surprises waiting to be discovered and reminisced especially for us parents. And it will most certainly be an eye-opener for the children too, giving parents the perfect opportunity to share what kind of toys and items they had while growing up last time.

And when you leave, be sure to check out the mamak store outside the museum which sells all the retro toys that we are familiar, as well as tikam tikam! Oh, and did I mention the admission fees are amazingly affordable too? Only $2 per person! Our experience HERE.

3. KidsSTOP

KidsSTOP, a 3,000-sqm, S$10 million children’s science centre, opens on 6 June 2014. Billed as Singapore’s first science centre catering specifically for children 8 and below, kids will get to imagine, experience, discover and dream about the world around them through a mixture of role-play and hands-on tinkering.

Housed within the Omni-Theatre building, the entire area comprises 17 zones and feature areas, each with a different theme that takes children through a discovery of both the natural and man-made world. Kids can dig up dinosaur bones in the palaeontology pit, get up close and personal with live animals, or build their own flying machines. They can even play pretend roles in the grown-up world, from cashier to construction worker to chef, or whizz down the Giant J, a seven-metre slide where they will experience a sensation of free-fall before sliding to safety.

More details will be released closer to Opening Date.
Website: http://www.kidsstop.edu.sg/

4. Kranji Countryside and its Farms


Let the kids see the lesser known side of Singapore, with a variety of different farms available for exploration. Learn about their farming practices, with farms for eggs, milk and fruits, and others that breed fish, dogs, goats and other animals. View the entire listing of all farms in Kranji HERE.
5. Kampong Lorong Buangkok

Kampong Lorong Buangkok is the last surviving kampong on mainland Singapore. Located near Gerald Drive (off Yio Chu Kang Road), less than 30 families currently live there. For the children (and even some parents), I would truly imagine the place to be an eye-opener as this is not something that we are accustomed to. The houses, connected by dirt roads, are mostly made of wood with zinc roofs and are separated by vegetable patches and wild fruit-trees.

Do bear in mind however, that although one is free to wander around the common areas, the kampong is NOT a tourist attraction so please respect the privacy of the residents as well.

6. Children's Garden at Gardens by the Bay


If there is one attraction for kids that is so glaringly obvious, the Children's Garden at Gardens by the Bay must be it. But I have included this into my list because if you have time (and energy) to bring your children to just one outdoor playground in Singapore, this must surely be it too.

Other than the fact that it is catered to children aged 12 and below, the Children's Garden consists of integrated play equipment and water play features spread over four main play zones - Adventure Trail, Rainforest Treehouses, Toddler Play Zone and Water Play Areas. All amid a luscious garden setting, no less. Yes, it will most definitely buy you more than half a day's worth of peace.

Alternatively, the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden in Botanical Gardens is great for younger kids too!

7. Chek Jawa Boardwalk

Chek Jawa is an intertidal flat on Pulau Ubin. The beauty of Chek Jawa is that several different ecosystems can be seen in one small area. These ecosystems and the plants and animals found there are no longer common in Singapore and are also fast disappearing elsewhere in the world.

In 2007, the boardwalk at Chek Jawa was launched. Facilities include a 1.1km boardwalk (Mangrove and Coastal Loops), and the 20-m Jejawi Tower with a panoramic view of the surroundings. The facilities are open daily from 8.30am to 6pm and admission is free. My recommendation is to go with a guide so that the kids will have a better idea of what to look out for. The Naked Hermit Crabs organises FREE Chek Jawa Boardwalk trips on the 4th Saturday of each month, so you may want to head to their website to register for the next upcoming tour.

Or if you have younger children and prefer something less challenging, you can always try out the Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk first.

8. Haw Par Villa


I'm sure all parents who grew up in Singapore do remember this place along Pasir Panjang Road. This Chinese mythological theme park - if it can be called one - contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant tableaux centered around Chinese folklore, legends, history, and Confucian ideology. With the Circle Line now right at its doorstep, it is so convenient to bring the kids to re-visit their parents' childhood memories. Pity they did not allow the MRT run through the Ten Courts of Hell though.

9. Old Playgrounds


No rubber mats or plastic play equipment here - just hardcore terrazzo, metal, mosaic tiles and of course, sand! Today's kids have grown accustomed to the regular plastic moulds that have become a common sight in all Singapore's playgrounds. So why not expose them to the playgrounds of yesteryear that we parents grew up with? With the playgrounds in the forms of a Dragon, Elephant, Dove, or even Watermelons, it will be a breath of fresh air for the children, and provide an opportunity for parents to share with their children their own childhood too.

10. Lazarus Island

Where can one go to find an 800-metre stretch of beach paradise, without having to chop one's passport? The answer lies on Lazarus Island, a little-known island tucked quietly between St John's and Kusu islands. There are no direct ferries to the island but it is linked to St. John’s Island via a paved bridge.


For a day's worth of off-the beaten-track kind of fun for the kids, Lazarus Island is truly one gem that offers a peaceful day getaway from the mainland. A serene place that boasts a pristine beach and scenic views is hard to come by nowadays in today's modern Singapore so I highly recommend a visit before it loses itself to the effects of modernization. Check out the fun we had HERE.

11. Jurong Fishery Port


Take in the sights, sounds and of course smells at the Jurong Fishery Port where it really comes alive after midnight when all the fishing vessels start to unload their day's catch. Fishing vessels and fish reefer boats calling at JFP usually unload their catch between 11pm and 2am for wholesale through the fish merchants. Just the sight of so many different types of fishes and how the auction of fishes are done should be enough to offset the lack of sleep.
12. Heritage Trails around Singapore

There is no better way to let the children experience the untold stories behind the streets and landmarks of Singapore than going on a trail route. Take your pick from the heartland trails such as Ang Mo Kio, Queenstown, Jalan Besar, Yishun-Sembawang, Balestier and Tiong Bahru walking trails. We went for the latter and the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves!


Or you could savour the cultural and architectural richness of the Peranakan, Kampong Glam, Little India and Chinatown trails, or even step back in time with the World War II Heritage Trail! Visit National Heritage Board's website to download the trail maps.

As part of Children’s Season 2014, the National Museum of Singapore will be presenting the all-new special exhibition titled Masak Masak: My Childhood. Masak Masak will be a mainstay exhibition, under Children’s Season from this year on, and features familiar playgrounds and larger-than-life games of yesteryear. Here are some of the interesting exhibits:

Sculpture Scribble
by Guixot de 8 (Spain) | Glass Atrium, Level 2

Using materials recovered from the selective collection community of Mancomunitat La Plana, Spanish group Guixot de 8 recreates works by famous Dadaist artists into interactive and fun installations that the public can touch and play with. Old and scrap materials are given a new lease of life through this collection of works that combines simple physics and creativity.


The novel thing about these installations is that there are NO instructions provided as to how they are supposed to work. Children are encouraged to explore and figure them out on their own. Brilliant.


Word Out
by NUS Design Incubation Centre | Platform, Level 2

Developed primarily for pre-schoolers, Word Out teaches children the unconventional way of learning letters and spelling by engaging their entire body. Watch how children get creative by using body movements to form letters in front of a screen which picks up their every movement. Flexible.


Rouleaux
by Anastassia Elias (France) | Platform, Level 2

This has got to be one of my favourite installations! At first glance, the entire boarding seems like just a regular one with silhouettes.


But the holes in the wall hide a beautiful secret.


And everyone is straining their necks just to take a little peek.


The holes house intricate paper craft models at its finest... all within toilet rolls!


An eclectic collection of miniature dioramas, Rouleaux depicts different scenes inspired by daily lives, movies and places around the world. Made out of reused toilet rolls, the artist makes intricate cut-outs of shapes and figures using tweezers and manicure scissors. Amazing.


Larger-than-Life Games
in collaboration with School of the Arts (SOTA) | Concourse, Level 1

Share your favourite childhood games like Goli (or Marbles), Pick-up Sticks and Five Stones with your children, but with a twist. The games are transformed into a life-sized scale, with the rules tweaked slightly for the while family to play together. Engaging.


Drawings of Sounds
by Ludicart (France) | Level 3

‘Draw’ yourself a canvas of music in this immersive space with the flashlights that are your ‘paint brushes’. Select sounds from an audio list and conduct your very own symphony of sounds and light! Illuminating.


Also opening on the same day (24 May 2014) as Children's Season is PLAY @ National Museum of Singapore on Level 3. This is a new dedicated space where children aged 3 to 7 can get to know the museum better, and experience history and heritage in a fun manner. It was not ready yet while I was there but I gather that it will feature interactive exhibits and specially-curated programmes that encourage learning through play.

Come and Play
by Justin Lee (Singapore) | Salon, Level 1

Come and Play is an interactive art installation that encourages children to imagine and contruct their ideal home and world - with cardboard!


That's right, the entire room is made up of stuff using cardboard, and these include life-sized houses and household items.


Kids can also get in the action too, by creating their own objects out of cardboard and including them to be part of the installation! Ingenious.


But ultimately, I believe this will no doubt rank as the top fave installation of the lot.


Inspired by old playgrounds of Singapore, expect the dragon and elephant playgrounds to draw your children's attention the moment they set their sights on them. And that is precisely why the bouncy castles are modeled after the Singapore Playgrounds of the old... other than allowing them to play to their hearts' content of course. Fun.


The bouncy castles are modeled after the old Singapore Playgrounds so that they can offer a connection between parent and child - the child will obviously love bouncing and sliding on the bouncy structures but the parent will be able to share with his/her child the kind of playgrounds that they grew up playing as well.


With Singapore Citizens and PRs enjoying FREE admission to all Museums and Heritage Institutions, there is absolutely no reason in not bringing your children down for Children's Season 2014!

How about other museums? Here are some of my recommendations:

Army Museum of Singapore 
Cadets, Fall In! 
Every Fri, Sat & Sun from 24 May – 29 June 2014 | For children aged 6 to 12 years old 
Report for enlistment at the Army Museum of Singapore, as kids get to go through a two-hour “basic military training” programme, which includes activities like mock grenade throwing and simulated marksmanship training. Experience the rite of  “hair-cutting” like every recruit, and graduate with pride in the mini-Passing Out Parade! *Pre-registration is required. For activity timings and more details, please refer to www.armymuseum.sg

Asian Civilisations Museum 
EXHIBITION: Once Upon a Time in Asia: The Story Tree 
An Interactive Exhibition for Children and the Young at Heart 
31 May – 2 November 2014 | 10am – 5pm 
Come play under the story tree. Explore with all five senses. Have fun and make some art of your own to take home. Embark on an exciting trail through the museum to uncover more secrets about trees and arty facts! Also, look out for the story tellers as they spin Asian tales in the galleries. This specially-curated exhibition for children and the young at heart showcases original interactive ensembles inspired by objects in the collection of the Asian Civilisations Museum. Visit www.acm.org.sg for more details.

The Enchanted Tree Weekend Festival
31 May & 1 June 2014 | Activities from 1 to 5pm | Free
Step into a colourful world of tales and art this weekend. Set your imagination ablaze as you venture into the ancient world of the enchanted tree. Create your own sand art, explore nature-inspired artworks and watch performances by kids.

Saturdays@ACM: Crafty Kids
Saturdays, 7 Jun, 5 Jul, 2 Aug, 6 Sep, 4 Oct & 1 Nov 2014 | Activities from 1pm – 5pm | Free
Go a journey to Explore, Discover, and Create! Be captivated by Asian stories, watch fantastical performances, and make art.

Malay Heritage Centre 
ter-ba-BOM! 
7, 8, 14, 15, 21 & 22 June 2014 | For children aged 12 years and below 
ter-ba-BOM! returns with an exciting new Heritage Hunt around Kampong Gelam! This year participants will take on the role of Singapore’s early traders as they ply their wares in hopes for a brighter future. Learn what products they brought and how they made their profits through wit, creativity and sheer hard work! See how your kids can be successful tradesmen! *Registration is required. For registration and enquiries, please call 6391 0450 (Tue – Sun: 10am to 6pm) or email NHB_MHC_Programmes@nhb.gov.sg 

If there is one thing from the new Transforrmers movie that excites me the most, it is that the Dinobots will be finally making their appearance! Somehow, the Dinobots - and especially, Grimlock - have always remained as the fan-boys' ultimate faves.


The boys though, were kept busy by the wide range of Transformers toys... and my, what a mind boggling range it was.


Have younger kids? No problem, how about these super adorable Transformers play things that made even the wifey go, "Wah, so cute!!!"?


Even Ale was not spared from the Transformers madness!


And to further prove that the madness is truly contagious, hordes of people swarmed the Toys 'R' Us at Forum The Shopping Mall at the stroke of 10pm to sweep the toys off the shelves.


As for the boys, they settled on the Grimlock and Strafe Contruct-bots in the end.


The plus point about the Tranformers: Age of Extinction toy line is it features innovative new play patterns - which includes the one-step changers and flip-to-change action - designed to make the transformation process more fun and appealing to younger children.


You can check out the entire line-up of the toys HERE.

Go ahead, click the link. I don't earn any money off it. And as long as we are in a disclosing kind of mood, I make no money off this post either. I did get a large Optimus Prime action figure though... and the boys welcomed the KRE-O playsets.


The toy launch did have one lasting effect on the boys in the end - their love for all things Transformers has been rekindled, so we spent the last few weekends screaming "Autobots, transform and roll out!" at the top of our voices.


And yes, you can be certain we will be catching Transformers: Age of Extinction when it opens on 26 June 2014 in cinemas!

Nestled idyllically amid lush greenery at Pond Gardens (formerly Bishan Park 1) of Bishan - Ang Mo Kio Park, GRUB is the only restaurant there and I have to admit it is actually rather refreshing not to see a McDonald's in the proximity!


GRUB boasts both dining in air-conditioned comfort and al-fresco - it is a tough choice, choosing between the industrial feel of its interior's bricked walls with black-rimmed, floor-to-ceiling glass facade versus the calming breeze in the midst of a luscious green wallpaper.


But that was not the most important bit. The important aspect that I found out about GRUB is that the eatery truly pays attention to the produce that they use. The people behind GRUB strongly believe in eating responsibly. This means cooking with as natural ingredients as possible, without the addition of MSG, artificial preservatives, additives or flavorings. They are also strong advocates of using produce which are sustainable, healthier and natural.

All of which are music to my ears, especially I have three monkies now to feed.

And feed I did, with the Truffled Egg Cocotte (S$7) kicking off our weekend brunch.


Essentially, it is soft-boiled eggs infused with truffle oil and topped off with crispy parma ham, and served with toasted focaccia. An elaborate take on our familiar kopitiam soft-boiled eggs and toast, but the parma ham did raise the taste-stakes a few notches up. The perfectly cooked eggs had a runny center which was a hit with the monkies.


Predictably, the wifey and I hardly had a whiff of the Truffled Egg Cocotte. Luckily, we had the Iberico Sausage Stew (S$14) to take comfort in.


A thick stew consisting of lentils and iberico sausage, it was flavourful and immensely satisfying for a brunch meal. And yes, it is only available for brunch.

Speaking of immensely satisfying, the one dish you can not afford to order when you dine at GRUB is this plate of awesomeness.


The Mentaiko Fries (S$9) - just because Truffle Fries are too mainstream. The specially-concocted mentaiko aioli sauce is the star here, with nori seaweed being generously topped on a mountain of fries. Seriously, it is that good... just ask Ale, who could not seem to stop stuffing fries into her mouth.


Or into the wifey's mouth, for that matter.


The next dish, French toast (S$12, and only available for brunch), had Ayd purring in delight.


It has become sort of a weekend breakfast ritual for both Ash and Ayd to whip up their own French Toasts at home, and it is something that they really forward to whenever the weekend rolls along. So imagine the monkies' delight when something that so familiar appeared before their very eyes.

At first glance though, the sight of French toast with strawberries, sour cream, maple syrup AND a pork sausage may seem rather peculiar. But the sweet-savoury combination did work wonders for the taste buds and I guess Ayd's contented expression said it all.


As for Ash, the GRUB Double Cheeseburger (S$18) did enough to wow his socks off.


Melted with a lava of Monterey Jack cheese over two 100% freshly minced, moist and well-seasoned thick beef patties. What else could one ask for? Definitely not Ash, who gave the burger 98 marks out of a hundred.

I had my eyes set on another burger  - the famous Crispy Fish Burger (S$14)!


Unlike most places that use Dory fish fillet, GRUB uses hake. The fillet was extremely fresh and minimally seasoned to bring out the freshness of it. And as you can probably tell, the serving portion of the fish is generous and served with GRUB's homemade homemade remoulade (a form of tartar sauce but French). All these goodness, sandwiched with one of the softest and fluffiest buns I have ever tasted - which are sourced from a local baker who bakes them to GRUB's specifications.


Vegetarians need not feel left out at GRUB too, because therein lies a kick-ass vegetarian option in the form of the Portobello Burger (S$11).


I have to confess - I will absolutely die if I do not have my meats so I was more than a bit skeptical when this burger plonked right in front of me. After having one bite though, this is easily one of the best vegetarian food that I have ever eaten. The 2 portobello mushrooms were deliciously juicy and the crumbed peta cheese served as the perfect complement to the burger.

Not that I will give up my meats any time soon, but this is a worthy option.


Then, it was time for the wifey to wax lyrical about the newest offering from GRUB, the Sakura Ebi Pasta (S$17).


Available for lunch and dinner, the pasta dish is linguine served with fresh Sakura Ebi, prawns and a hint of Mentaiko. It is a refreshing change from the usual Aglio Olio, with the Sakura Ebi (small shrimps) giving the pasta an extra oomph. In fact, the wifey loved it so much that she finished most of it while I was busy snapping photos! *wail*

Yet another new creation added to GRUB's menu - and yet another dish which Ash and Ayd walloped most of it - is Slow Cooked Pork Belly (S$17).


Available for dinner only, the pork belly was lightly seared until its meat became 'fork tender' allowing for the flavours of the succulent meat to explode in one's mouth. And judging from how I was only restricted to one miserable morsel of the pork belly, I think it is safe to say the boys' mouths exploded more than a few times during our brunch. Luckily though, the sauteed leeks and sweet potato mash provided adequate complements to the dish.


And if we were all feeling extremely full by now, we clearly weren't showing it... not when desserts are involved!


The Chocolate Kladkakka (S$8) is a wondrous mix of sticky chocolate cake and strawberry sauce, topped off with a scoop of vanilla gelato. The result? An empty plate, courtesy of Ash's and Ayd's (mainly him) doing.

The wifey, on the other hand, was kept busy with the Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait (S$8).


Happiness contained within a glass? Definitely, with its heavenly mix of whipped cream cheese, strawberry sauce and muesli crumble.


But for a sure-fire hit to induce a sugary high, there was no way that we could miss out on GRUB’s ever-popular Churros (S$9).


Legend has it that people queue up just to tabao the Churros! And having finally tasted them I can see why. The dough fritters come piping hot, and crispy outside while staying delightfully fluffy inside. Accompanied by the awesome duo of bitter chocolate and crème anglaise, these churros were the darlings of the monkies!


To say they were finger lickin' good would be a severe understatement.


In the end, I guess the empty dessert plates were testament as to how the monkies truly enjoyed them.


The boys washed it all down with a refreshing cup of Yuzu Mint Soda (S$4.50) while the wifey and I indulged in a cup of Latte ($4.50).


All in all, an excellent choice for a weekend brunch. The only downside is that GRUB does not take reservations, so be prepared to wait for a seat if you are there during the peak dining hours. That said, you do not have to wait in line though. Just take a queue number and you are free to wander the park. Once your table is ready, a call will be made to you. And with a water park and playground for the kids to run amok nearby, the waiting time will pass by in a flash!


Oh, and a piece of good news - GRUB is now open for lunch on weekdays too. Perfect if you are looking for an eatery serving natural, affordable and just plain yummy food.

Food that makes one feel all high and want to just drift away.


GRUB
510 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 (Bishan Park 1)
Singapore 569983
Tel: +65 64595743
Opening Hours: Tue-Fri: 11am - 3pm, 5.30pm - 10.30pm | Sat-Sun & PH: 9am - 4pm, 5.30pm - 10.30pm (Closed on Mon and last Tue of every month)
Website: grub.com.sg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/grub.com.sg

The Dark Knight and his other DC Superheroes pals, that's who!


Starting from 31 May 2014 (Saturday), Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman are joining forces to confront The Joker, who has been up to mischief in Singapore. And Faber Peak Singapore has been earmarked as the mission-base of the Justice League.

In celebration of the Dark Knight's 75th birthday, the Cable Car cabins have also been given an entire superhero makeover. 45 cable car cabins will be decked out in ‘DC Comics Super Hero’ graphic wraps on both the cabins’ exterior and interior and ticket-holders have the power to pick from Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Batman-themed cabins.


But that's not all. Once visitors step inside the cabins, they will get the chance to 'fly' with the superheroes through in-cabin Augmented Reality technology, by downloading an app prior to boarding.


Various QR codes can be found within the cabins, and all they have to do is the scan the codes onto their smartphones.


Then sit back, and watch the DC characters come to life on the smartphone and battle The Joker high up in the skies!


Scan the QR codes that appear on the seats of the cable car and you will be able to snap a selfie with them too! Heh.


And once safely landed at Faber Peak Singapore, there will be plenty of photo opportunities with the 3D life-sized statues of DC Superheroes too! Fancy flying just like Superman? You can, with PictureMEX – a latest green screen movie experience with you flying in your very own adventure alongside Singapore Cable Car (chargeable).

But if you really want to meet the Superheroes LIVE in the flesh, be sure to head down to Faber Peak Singapore this weekend (31 May & 1 June 2014) to take part in the Launch Event! Here is the full schedule:

Dates: 31 May & 1 June 2014
Venue: Faber Peak Singapore
11am - 6pm: Craft and Game Booths
1pm - 1.30pm: DC Superheroes Meet & Greet Session
2pm: Create Best DC Superheroes Original Costume Contest
3pm: DC Superheroes Meet & Greet Session
4.30pm: DC Superheroes Meet & Greet Session


So soar through the sky with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern onboard Singapore Cable Car this June School Holidays and join them in battling The Joker to save the day!


Fly with the Superheroes onboard Singapore Cable Car
Dates: 31 May 2014 - 31 March 2015
Cable Car Ticket Price: Adult: S$29 | Child: S$18 (3 to 12 years old)
*Receive an exclusive DC Superhero mask and souvenir booklet for every ticket-holder.
Website:  www.flywithsuperheroes.com.sg

What??? We are halfway through 2014 already? And if you are cracking your brains as to how to keep your children occupied this June School Holidays, I have compiled an easy guide to the various activities for kids taking place around Singapore.


I will be updating the list regularly as more information trickle in so do check back often!




Come aboard on one of the biggest ships in the Republic of Singapore Navy, the RSS Persistence and experience what its like to be in the Navy!


Exhibition within VivoCity and admission to ship tour is free. Admission to ship tour is by balloted tickets only.  Balloted tickets will be available at the information booth at the parade square. Recipients of the coveted tickets will be informed by their mobile phone about an hour before the start of each cruise.



Storytelling with PLAYMOBIL
Wed - Sun; 11.30am, 2.30pm & 5.45pm
Immerse interactive storytelling sessions like The Search for the Magical Unicorn, The Stolen Dragon Heart and Prince Plucky and the Treasures of the Ocean.

PLAYMOBIL Playpit and Sandpit
Be a brave warrior, kind fairy or magic unicorn as your child creates their own stories with the PLAYMOBIL toy sets at the Playpit or Sandpit.

Little Hands & Minds
Create your own unique arts & crafts masterpieces with simple materials at only $5 per activity. Enjoy 1-for-1 deals on every Monday.


Kids get FREE entry to Jurong Bird Park, with purchase of 1 full-priced adult admission ticket this June School Holidays! Simply flash the coupon below at the ticketing counters.


Join the Junior Birdwatcher Academy
Birdwatching is fascinating and to become a true birdwatcher, you'll need some skills and knowledge. Complete the challenges in your junior birdwatcher logbook, and you'll be awarded with our Junior Birdwatcher Certificate!
Dates: 7 – 29 June 2014 (Weekends only)
Time: 12noon to 4.00pm
Venue: Start off at Penguin Coast

The Curious Adventures of Rico
It's showtime! Rico, a passionate birdwatcher, is in search of the elusive Kaka bird. Meet Rico and help him in his adventure quest in Waterfall Aviary in search of the bird!
Dates: 7 – 29 June 2014 (Weekends only)
Time: 1.30pm (30 mins)
Venue: Waterfall Aviary Terrace (Level 2)

Let's Go Birdwatching
Begin your birdwatching journey with our senior birdwatcher as she takes you through a hiking trail in Waterfall Aviary, play a game of spotting the birds and learn all about them in this interactive birding adventure. *Limited to the first 30 kids, aged 5-12 years old. Register at Waterfall Aviary 30 mins before session.
Dates: 7 – 29 June 2014 (Weekends only)
Time: 1.00pm and 2.00pm (30 mins)
Venue: Waterfall Aviary

Bird Feeding at Waterfall Aviary
See the birds in a feeding frenzy! Let the excitement mount as you'll get up close and personal, and try your hand at feeding some of these precious birds.
Dates: 7 – 29 June 2014 (Weekends only)
Time: 10.30am and 2.30pm (15 mins)
Venue: Waterfall Aviary



Reawaken your senses to the beautiful sounds of Fun For All Under The Stars! Loads of fun entertainment for the family. For the full schedule of activities, visit www.turfclub.com.sg/EventsandEntertainment/Pages/Fun-For-All-Under-The-Stars.aspx


The first of a series of Singapore Maritime Trails will bring you on a journey that tells the story of the progress of Singapore’s maritime industry through a guided tour to Fort Canning, Boat Quay, Waterboat House, and other historical maritime landmarks. Registration is compulsory. Please call +65 63255707 (Tuesdays to Sundays, 9am – 5pm) or email enquiries@maritimegallery.sg with the following information:

• Name of Participant
• No of Pax (including participant)
• Handphone number
• Email address

For more details, visit www.smw.sg/singaporemaritimetrails/index.html



Venture into the living classroom at Singapore Zoo! Bond with your little ones over fun and engaging activities this June holidays! *NOTE: Activities available on the following dates only -  7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29 June 2014 (Sat & Sun). All activities are free of charge and weather permitting. 

Kids vs. Film Booth
Calling all young film enthusiasts! Come try your hand at creating your own mini-documentary! If you love television (who doesn’t) or have dreams of becoming a director or producer when you grow up, here’s your chance to live the dream! You will have a chance to experience the process of documentary-making in 30 minutes at our filmmaking booth and also bring home a copy of your own film (1-2 minutes)! Registration is required at activity venue, on a first-come-first-served basis.
Time: 10am – 4pm
Venue: Old Boat Dock 2 (next to Rainforest Kidzworld)
Age:Suitable for children 6yrs and above

Wild Wow Stickers
Bring home animal sticker sheets made with your own fingerprints to remember your special day out at the zoo!
Time: 10am – 4pm
Venue: Old Boat Dock 1 (near White Tiger exhibit)

Animal Enrichment Trails
Observe how our animals enjoy their enrichment time and have a chat with our friendly keepers to learn about how they help animals stay happy and healthy!
Time: Various; please check activity poster on-site.
Venue: Various; please check activity poster on-site.

Origami Bookmark Workshop
Make your own origami bookmark and pledge your support to our animal friends!
Time: 11.30am & 1.30pm
Venue: Rainforest Kidzword Pavilion

Doodle-it-Yourself Badge
Doodle your own animal badge and pin up your love for wildlife!
Time: 12.30pm & 2.30pm
Venue: Rainforest Kidzworld Pavilion

Yoga Workshop
Learn animal yoga poses against a scenic view of the reservoir in this Mom & Kids yoga workshop!
Time: 9am & 4.30pm
Venue: Garden With a View

Stories of the Wild
Have you wondered how the leopard got his spots and how the rhino got his skin? Come along to our storytelling time and join in the story!
Time: 11.45am & 1.30pm
Venue: Rainforest Kidzworld Amphitheatre

Kids Drama Workshop
Imagination is all kids need to bring our drama-based workshop where they will play, create and learn how to express themselves!
Time: 12.30pm & 2.15pm


Ecolife is a 2-hour tour which introduces the park and the biodiversity found in Riverplains through the use of interactive exploration themes and activities. The tour aims to encourage family bonding between parents and child through the process of learning together. Join us as we take you through this tour with worksheets provided and fun hands on activities such as doing up your very own underwater viewing scope.

*Free-of-Charge. Pre-registration is required. One family constitutes one adult and one child. For registration, please email pauline_tan@nparks.gov.sg with the following information: Name of participant, Name of child, Contact number number and Email Address.






Children's Season 2014 is back again and this year, it is bigger and better than before. And when I say bigger, I mean it - more than 40 programmes designed especially for children and families across 21 museums island-wide. Yes, TWENTY-ONE. I am thinking even though Children's Season lasts for slightly more than a full month between 24 May and 29 June 2014, there is absolutely no way that my monkies can finish visiting all of them. For a complete listing of ALL programmes, visit www.museums.com.sg/cs14/index.html

Here are my top picks:

National Museum Singapore
Masak Masak: My Childhood
24 May - 3 Aug 2014
Masak Masak features familiar playgrounds and larger-than-life games of yesteryear, interactive installations, engaging performances, and a special film screening. Suitable for ages three to seven. Read all about my preview HERE.

Army Museum of Singapore 
Cadets, Fall In! 
Every Fri, Sat & Sun from 24 May – 29 June 2014 | For children aged 6 to 12 years old 
Report for enlistment at the Army Museum of Singapore, as kids get to go through a two-hour “basic military training” programme, which includes activities like mock grenade throwing and simulated marksmanship training. Experience the rite of  “hair-cutting” like every recruit, and graduate with pride in the mini-Passing Out Parade! *Pre-registration is required. For activity timings and more details, please refer to www.armymuseum.sg

Asian Civilisations Museum 
EXHIBITION: Once Upon a Time in Asia: The Story Tree 
An Interactive Exhibition for Children and the Young at Heart 
31 May – 2 November 2014 | 10am – 5pm 
Come play under the story tree. Explore with all five senses. Have fun and make some art of your own to take home. Embark on an exciting trail through the museum to uncover more secrets about trees and arty facts! Also, look out for the story tellers as they spin Asian tales in the galleries. This specially-curated exhibition for children and the young at heart showcases original interactive ensembles inspired by objects in the collection of the Asian Civilisations Museum. Visit www.acm.org.sg for more details.

The Enchanted Tree Weekend Festival
31 May & 1 June 2014 | Activities from 1 to 5pm | Free
Step into a colourful world of tales and art this weekend. Set your imagination ablaze as you venture into the ancient world of the enchanted tree. Create your own sand art, explore nature-inspired artworks and watch performances by kids.

Saturdays@ACM: Crafty Kids
Saturdays, 7 Jun, 5 Jul, 2 Aug, 6 Sep, 4 Oct & 1 Nov 2014 | Activities from 1pm – 5pm | Free
Go a journey to Explore, Discover, and Create! Be captivated by Asian stories, watch fantastical performances, and make art.

Malay Heritage Centre 
ter-ba-BOM! 
7, 8, 14, 15, 21 & 22 June 2014 | For children aged 12 years and below 
ter-ba-BOM! returns with an exciting new Heritage Hunt around Kampong Gelam! This year participants will take on the role of Singapore’s early traders as they ply their wares in hopes for a brighter future. Learn what products they brought and how they made their profits through wit, creativity and sheer hard work! See how your kids can be successful tradesmen! *Registration is required. For registration and enquiries, please call 6391 0450 (Tue – Sun: 10am to 6pm) or email NHB_MHC_Programmes@nhb.gov.sg 

Say "Bonjour" to "French Faire" at Gardens by the Bay! Go on a botanical journey to France with a brand-new floral display in the Flower Dome. Take in the beauty and fragrance of blooms like lavender, lilac, jasmine and gardenia amidst a manicured garden setting with the Eiffel Tower as its horticultural centrepiece. My review HERE.


A French Spring Garden Trail 
Immerse in the sights and sounds of France as you explore our French-inspired garden at the Flower
Field. Also, learn about well-loved flowers of France, such as Lavender and Jasmine and find out
more about their significance and uses in this round of our Garden Trail!
Dates: 12 May - 22 June 2014
Times: 9am – 9pm
Location: Flower Dome
*Admission charge to the Flower Dome applies.
*Trail map is free and available (while stocks last) with every conservatories ticket purchased.

A Sustainable Garden
A garden that is all about sustainability... how quaint is that? Learn more about Gardens by the Bay's sustainability strategies with a series of simple experiments and other fun activities over this June holiday!
Dates:  31 May, 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29 June
Time:  10am - 5pm
Venue: Cannnonball Room
Suitable For: Families, and children of all ages
Programme Charge: Free
Spaces are limited and available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Family Fun Under the Sun: Forbidden Fruit
Travel into the mystical realm of the gods as we take a look at fruits that have a special significance in the stories of the Mediterranean region. In June, find out the truth behind the Fig’s identity and discover why the Pomegranate was forbidden.
Dates: 21 & 22 Jun 2014
Time: 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm, 3.30pm
Programme Fee: Free
Location: Flower Dome
Recommended for families and children of all ages. Spaces are limited and available on a first-come-first-served basis. *Admission charges to Cooled Conservatories apply.

Featuring more than 400 fossils and models, as well as over 50 original artworks, this first-of-its-kind exhibition combines four exhibitions from the renowned American Museum of Natural History, San Juan National Science Museum, SCI! Expo at Monash University and artist Peter Trusler.

“Dinosaurs: Dawn to Extinction” will take visitors on a journey from the Precambrian, Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous time periods, offering a refreshing and in-depth journey into the pre-existence, existence, rise and extinction of dinosaurs. Through a timeline thread, visitors will be transported more than 600 million years back in time to learn the unique story of what came before and after the dinosaurs, and gain a deeper understanding on how these species evolved and adapted to changing environmental conditions. Read my review here: www.cheekiemonkie.net/2014/02/dinosaurs-dawn-to-extinction-artscience.html& visit HERE for more information.


It has been said that Nature is the greatest of all inventors; as such many inventors and scientists actually study nature for inspiration to solving their various problems.  In this exhibition, visitors are invited to join us in exploring nature’s design. For more information on the exhibits, visit www.science.edu.sg/exhibitions/Pages/naturesdesign.aspx



With Hasbro Playzone alongside the life-sized Family Monopoly Challenge, family fun promises to continue at Frasers Centrepoint Malls. The Hasbro Playzone features stations where children can play classic Hasbro games such as Jenga, Twister, Nerf, Play-Doh and Kre-O. Simply spend a minimum of $30 and you can challenge yourself to complete all five stations in the shortest time possible! *Children under 7 years old must be accompanied by an adult.


Join us for an event filled with Nickelodeon’s signature SLIME and carnival activities for kids and families to enjoy! Event and activities details: http://web2.nick-asia.com/microsite/slimecup/event


If you’ve always wanted to explore the fascinating workings of the human body, why not dive right in? This journey takes you inside the human anatomy, through organs, muscles and systems, and lets you interact and play with the amazing functions of the body.

This feast of light, sound and pneumatics makes this exhibition a perfect way for adults and children to be educated, excited and enlightened about the human body. You’ll step into the mouth of a 6m tall human face into a journey through the fascinating human anatomy. See, hear and feel what it’s like to be an explorer inside five main systems of your body: the circulatory, digestive, immune, nervous and respiratory systems.

You’ll feel the soft texture of the stomach lining, the rush of air as you approach the lungs; hear the heart beating over sonic sub speakers and experience what it feels like to be swallowed as you squeeze your way through the throat!

Through it all, you’ll hear a commentary of important medical and educational information to guide you along your journey. It’s a larger-than-life thrill, a delightful way to learn, and a completely immersive experience as you feel, hear and sense the experience of being inside a human body!



Find out more about Indonesia through a free interactive exhibition. Stand a chance to bring home a limited edition event souvenir by answering all the questions in the Exhibition Guide. Kids can also win a special prize when they conquer the waves at the Surfing Challenge! Also, they can enter the Marine Fun Zone for some ultimate play! Details HERE.


Be blown away at the safari-themed balloon jungle featuring animal balloon sculptures!
Other Activities: Gigantic Bubble -Every Sat & Sun, 1pm; Face Painting - Daily, 4pm ; Amazing Balloonist: Daily, 7pm


Kickstart the June holidays with a bang at Bornfire Festival 2014! Expect the whole family to witness an exciting series of international circus performances and hands-on activities from 6 to 8 June right in the heartlands at Kallang Community Club.


Watch an ordinary courtyard space come to live as Bornfire Festival 2014 will encourage a wonderful amount of parent-and-child bonding. Enjoy a myriad of free children’s workshops such as Chinese yo-yo (diabolo) and clowning acts, and have fun as kids explore how to play uniquely handcrafted kampung games and stimulating circus games! Bornfire Festival 2014 collaborators will also be featuring free slacklining and parkour activities for the whole family. What’s more - get ready to be wowed by a one-hour array of international circus acts from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Philippines, France, and Japan during the festival’s main stage. This is a show that is not to be missed!

For more details on individual shows, visit www.bornfire.org/


KidsSTOP, a 3,000-sqm, S$10 million children’s science centre, opens on 6 June 2014. Billed as Singapore’s first science centre catering specifically for children 8 and below, kids will get to imagine, experience, discover and dream about the world around them through a mixture of role-play and hands-on tinkering.

Housed within the Omni-Theatre building, the entire area comprises 17 zones and feature areas, each with a different theme that takes children through a discovery of both the natural and man-made world. Kids can dig up dinosaur bones in the palaeontology pit, get up close and personal with live animals, or build their own flying machines. They can even play pretend roles in the grown-up world, from cashier to construction worker to chef, or whizz down the Giant J, a seven-metre slide where they will experience a sensation of free-fall before sliding to safety.

For admission rates, visit HERE. Website: http://www.kidsstop.edu.sg/



The iconic cosplay event is back for the second year running at Funan DigitaLife Mall! Experience a wholesome week of Japanese pop culture right here in Singapore. Activities include cosplay workshops, cosplay meet & greet, anime screenings, card tournaments, maid & butler cafe and so much more in store for you! More details HERE.

More information: www.ikea.com/ms/en_SG/campaigns/2014/spacecamp.html

Travel to infinity and beyond when you visit the IKEA stores and make space for imagination, as they showcase the IKEA Space Camp! Immerse yourself into a galactic realm as both IKEA Tampines and IKEA Alexandra store, transforms into a solar system to bring a family event of astronomical proportions. Bringing along hands-on projects for little aspiring astronauts and galactic gastronomic delights for grown ups, there are indeed loads of space-themed activities waiting in line to be explored, where everyone can flaunt their creativity with.

Perfect for curious munchkins from 3 to 12 years old, future Buzz Lightyears will embark on a space cadet programme to complete a space report mission, build a spaceship and design a space MonStar suit with recycled materials. Pre-registration is required. Slots are limited! Register via HERE.








Meet Grimlock from Transformers : Age of Extinction
Snap a picture with the Dinobot that is 1.5 times taller than a double decker bus!

Optimus Prime & Bumble Bee Meet & Greet
Event Square: 30 May - 10 June & 20 - 29 June
Weekdays: 7pm (except Wednesdays) | Weekends: 3:30pm & 7pm
*Photo-taking passes will be given to the first 30 guests, 30mins prior to appearance!

eXplorerkid: 31 May & 7, 21, 28 June (Saturdays)
5pm - 5:30pm

Entrance of Costa Sands Resort (Downtown East): 6 -8, 20 – 22 & 27 – 29 June (Fri, Sat & Sun)
8pm – 8.30pm

Transformers Zone
Transformers Tattoo Painting, Transformers 3D Paper Crafting & Transformers Face Painting

Autobots Vs Decepticons
Are you up for a challenge? Take your sides, team up with your friends or family and battle in our action- packed challenge. Not only that, you may stand a chance to win Transformers Premiums!
12 - 19 June (except 18 June): 7pm | 14 & 15 June: 3:30pm & 7pm

Saturday Movie Madness at 8pm
7 June - Transformers (2007)
14 June - Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
21 June - Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)





Soar through the sky with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern onboard Singapore Cable Car this June School Holidays and join them in battling The Joker to save the day! Read about my preview HERE.

Weekend Launch on 31 May & 1 June 2014
Venue: Faber Peak Singapore
11am - 6pm: Craft and Game Booths
1pm - 1.30pm: DC Superheroes Meet & Greet Session
2pm: Create Best DC Superheroes Original Costume Contest
3pm: DC Superheroes Meet & Greet Session
4.30pm: DC Superheroes Meet & Greet Session



31 May & 1 Jun 2014
SpongeBob & Patrick: 2pm, 5pm & 7pm

7 & 8 Jun 2014
11am: Slime Cup All Star Opening - only on 7th June
1pm: Dora & Diego
4pm: SpongeBob & Patrick
6.30pm: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles




Barbie Tea Party
7, 8, 14 & 15 Jun 2014; 4-5pm
*Spend $100 in a single receipt

Barbie Make-over
7, 8, 14 & 15 Jun 2014; 1-3pm & 5-7pm
*Spend $100 in a single receipt



6 Jun 2014: Bob the Builder - 11.15am - 12pm; 1.30pm - 2.15pm; 4.15pm - 5pm
7 Jun 2014: Angelina Ballerina - 11.15am - 12.30pm; 1.45pm - 2.30pm; 4.30pm - 5.15pm
8 Jun 2014: Fireman Sam - 11.15am - 12.30pm; 1.45pm - 2.30pm; 4pm - 4.45pm











For a detailed synopsis of the plays and to buy tickets, visit www.acefestival.org/index.php/2014-season/


Swamp Juice brings a surreal world of shadow puppetry like no other; bickering snails, opera singing mice and swamp monsters that leaps out from the screen. An eye-popping 3D finale with just the use of shadow puppets made from rubbish, Achtem presents a gurgling adventure about a life in a swamp. To buy tickets, visit HERE.


The first and only film festival in Singapore dedicated to kids, Big Eyes, Big Minds showcases the best films for children from around the world. These include live-action shorts, animation and documentaries which are made for kids, about kids and sometimes, by kids too! All Big Eyes, Big Minds programmes and workshops are thoughtfully curated to engage children, enrich their worldview and inspire them to think and express themselves creatively.


For more information on the above shows and tickets, visit www.bigeyesbigminds.com.


Performed completely upside down 30-feet above the ground, this Singapore debut is set to enthrall with breathtaking feats of aerial acrobatics, gravity defying juggling and magic tricks delivered in whimsical comedy.


Enter a magical journey though the seasons, as Charlie and Lola discover that everything is different and not the same. What happens when Lola and her best friend Lotta say they will honestly and promisedly look after Sizzles? And follow Charlie and his best friend Marv on a Pirate Squidbones adventure!To buy tickets, click HERE.



Join Dora, her best buddy Boots the Monkey, and the rest of their friends as they embark on an exciting trip to Treasure Island in search of the ultimate pirate party in DORA'S PIRATE ADVENTURE. Help them navigate over Dancing Mountain and through Silly Singing Bridge in pursuit of the Pirate Piggies. Along the way, Dora the Explorer fans will use their map-reading, counting, musical and language skills to successfully help Dora reach Treasure Island and avoid that pesky fox Swiper! For tickets, visit HERE.



Come on down with the young ones for some fun building activities at the Lego creative play area. Exciting gifts await and grab a creative photo opportunity with the Lego Friends!


This June, one of Singapore’s largest kids-only indoor races will be back, and it promises to be even better than before! This year's edition will see more challenges to spice up the race. The entire race will be held in SAFRA Jurong. There will even be football segments to commemorate World Cup 2014. With competitive as well as novelty races like the Parent & Child event, there is something for everyone. Be the first 1,000 to sign up and receive a FREE play ticket to SAFRA Jurong Kidz Amaze! Details HERE.





Click on poster below for more details. To register, visit http://tipex.com.sg/artcom/




Wanna boogie with your babies to some bouncy beats? Come shimmy the afternoon away at ZOUKIDISCO!, a day-time dance party for you and your kids! Expect a whole lot more than just dancing; with loads of family-friendly surprises and activities in store for you! Only kids from 1-9 years of age and their friends and families are allowed entry. Purchase tickets HERE.


Or if you prefer more unique places of interest, check out my list of 12 places in Singapore to bring your kids before they grow up!

Do you have any other activities for children this June School Holidays? Do share them in the comments below! Thanks, and have fun!

Newly opened inside D'Kranji Farm Resort (by MediaCorp Artiste Yao Wen Long 姚玟隆), the Swiftlet Garden Museum is all about - what else - swiftlets and their most prized asset of all, the bird's nest which ranks as one of the most expensive animal products consumed by us humans. And to think it is all saliva.

To tour the museum, only guided tours are allowed. There are no fixed timings - as long as there are people to form a small group, the guide present will start the tour. Oh, and photography is NOT allowed within the museum. So yes, I risked my life to snap the 2 below photos... the things I do for my readers. LOL.


If you are hoping to see real swiftlets or real bird's nests inside the museum, then be prepared to be disappointed. There are plenty of information panels, as well as mock-ups of how the bird's nests are located in caves and in man-made nesting houses.


Along the tour, we learnt the history of bird's nest, the characteristics of the swiftlets, as well as how bird's nest is treated and cleaned with the help of technology.

More interesting for the monkies however, was how most nests are built during the breeding season by the male swiftlet over a period of 30-40 days. The female swiftlet then lays only 2 eggs at one go, and the hatching process takes 3-4 weeks.

The nests take the shape of a shallow cup stuck to the cave wall and are composed of interwoven strands of salivary laminae cement. The nests have high levels of calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium, which probably explains why they are believed to provide immense health benefits.

Personally, I felt the tour was just average but if there is only one reason for you to visit the Swiftlet Garden Museum, then this would be it.


At the end of the tour, there was a chance for us to see some real swiftlets flying in the sky. All the guide had to do was to switch on the swiftlet call and broadcast it via the loudspeaker system. Amazingly, some swiftlets started circling above us almost immediately!


Well, some turned to plentiful and this was what we saw soon enough.


I do not know where they came from, but the sight of so many swiftlets in the sky was enough to thrill the monkies to bits! No doubt this was the best part of our visit.

My final take on the Swiftlet Garden Museum? It is not a strong enough attraction to warrant an exclusive trip down to Kranji. But if you intend to bring the children down to visit the goat, frog, fish, vegetable and other farms, then this might just be a refreshing detour for them.