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KidZania Singapore Is Opening This Year!

January 13, 2015, 4:35 pm
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Media Invite

Mention KidZania, and the question on both Ash's and Ayd's lips is, "When is it opening in Singapore?" Thanks to the huge doses of fun that they experienced in KidZania Kuala Lumpur, they are eagerly waiting for KidZania Singapore to open in the second half of this year. 

Because more than simply a kid's theme park and a family edutainment centre, KidZania is a kid-sized city where children can pick from a large number of role-playing activities, earn a salary (in the form of kidZos, the official currency of KidZania), pay for goods and services and manage an ATM card - all the things they see adults do in real life. 


In KidZania, kids are empowered to take charge and make their own decisions, through role-play. So it is essential that KidZania Singapore ties up with the appropriate industry partners who share its vision of educating, empowering and inspiring 4 to 14 year olds.

Previously announced partners include Pizza Hut, The Learning Lab, LoomiFunz, KFC, WTS Travel, Spritzer, Nickelodeon, PictureAir, Maybank, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Yakult, Canon, The Soup Spoon, and Killiney Kopitiam. And yesterday, another 9 new partnerships were forged.


Food & Beverage
Create their own candy as a Candy Specialist and bring hand-made candy home at the Sticky Candy Store.

Science
As a food scientist at the Abbott Milk Innovation Lab, children can learn about the science and processes behind how growing up milk is made and create their own packages of growing up milk.

Media
Go on air as a radio DJ to play chart-topping songs, present the news, and co-host programmes with Kiss92 DJs, and bring a copy of the recording home.

Retail
Take charge of a 7-Eleven Convenience Store as a store owner and be a cutting-edge entrepreneur. Or be a financially-savvy shopper and learn to spot the best deals while maximizing the budget.



Specialist Services
Offer the gift of healthy sight as an Optometrist at Carl Zeiss & Nanyang Optical, where they can give advice on how to select the right lenses and frames. Ensure their own eyes are in top condition with an eye check and learn how to care for their own eyes.

Sports
Test their courage, confidence and hone their psycho motor skills as a mountaineer with Camp Challenge. Maneuver through obstacle courses and persevere in their quest for the summit.

Health
Perform an oral hygiene health check to prevent cavities and flash a bright smile as a dentist at the Sunstar Dental Clinic.

In addition, visitors can enjoy authentic Indonesian cuisine in the Warung M Nasir cafeteria.


KidZania Singapore will be a 7,600 square metres facility, which will be part of the new Family Entertainment Centre development at Palawan Beach, Sentosa Island. It will be the first KidZania facility to be located on a resort island, next to a 700-room hotel and many other tourist attractions.


When the construction of KidZania Singapore was first announced in early 2013, it seemed like an agonising long wait. Now, everything is starting to take shape and I'm getting all excited for the boys... even Ale too, who was too young for KidZania KL a few years back. Because only in the land of cool kids known as KidZania can every child play it BIG!


For more information, visit www.kidzania.com.sg.
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Takara Tomy's Tail Battlers: Tail Swishing Fun!

January 15, 2015, 10:59 pm
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Product Review

At first glance, Takara Tomy's Tail Battler looked to be somewhat of a cheap thrill


You see, the dragon-like figurines require no batteries to start up. Instead, a long plastic rod connects the dragon to a rotating handle, much like a fishing reel. Installation was a breeze, which was a good thing considering the boys could not wait to pit each other's dragons together.


Working it was ridiculously easy. All they had to do was to turn the handle as if they were reel fishing. The force generated travels through the rod and makes the dragon spin round and round, swishing its tail in the process. The objective is to strike your opponent's dragon's head to blow off its tail. Hence its name of Tail Battler, get it?


I know what you are thinking. How fun can swishing a tail be? But trust me, I had underestimated the joy in trying to strike something with a few turns of the tail. For starters, attempting to turn the handle as fast as I can to generate a more powerful spinning force AND trying to aim for the other dragon's head is not as easy as it looks.

But it sure was wickedly fun... which even prompted Ale to clamour to have her own Tail Battler.


There are three classes of Tail Battlers - Attack, Defense and Speed - and the armour plates of the dragons can be interchanged for customization upgrades. Attack-oriented Tail Battlers have tails with wider tips for a more devastating attack area, Defense-oriented ones have bulkier armour to fend off attacks while Speed-oriented ones have smaller wheels to enable quick mobility.

So yes, it is not all about mindless spinning.


And definitely not a toy that the monkies will be putting down any time soon.


Tail Battlers are retailing at major departmental stores for $19.90.

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Asian Tales Floral Display at Gardens by the Bay

January 18, 2015, 7:43 pm
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This year, Gardens by the Bay embarks on a story-telling journey with SIX Chapters of colourful floral displays in the Flower Dome. Step into the magical world of folklores, legends, fairy tales and nursery rhymes - as told through the language of plants. 

And first up, the Asian Tales Floral Display to usher in the Year of the Goat!


Yes, you know it's dong dong qiang time when one witnesses an explosion of colours at every turn in the Flower Dome... complete with auspicious Chinese New Year decorations, of course.


Entitled 'Asian Tales', this floral showcase draws inspiration from the scenic landscape of mountains and valleys often depicted in Chinese brush paintings.


But the real centerpiece, or rather centerpieces, of the Floral Display has got to be the wooden goat sculptures. Which is perfect as the coming Chinese New Year will be known as 'Year of the Wooden Goat'.


Perched high above on wooden poles, the life-sized wooden sculptures are made from thousands of pieces of driftwood. Truly majestic-looking, so said the boys. Okay, they mouthed "COOL!" so it's more or less the same thing.


For Ale though, what perhaps stole her heart were these adorable goats made from brightly-coloured flowers.


Definitely cute enough to warrant for a few snaps of the camera!


If you are heading to the Flower Dome, be sure to pick up your free copy of the self-guided Asian Tales Garden Trail from the ticketing counter as well. Take in the picturesque landscape of sculpted mountains as you set your sights on the colourful display of a range of flower varieties like the Dahlias.


Signifying good luck and prosperity, the Dahlia is a symbol of inner strength, creativity and standing strong in your sacred values. Also the national flower of Mexico, it comes in a variety of colours, sizes and shapes and are commonly used to symbolize various ideas such as everlasting union between two people.

Another festive flower that one should not miss is the Boat Orchid, with its name being derived from the hollowness in the lip of the orchid. The plant symbolises nobility, grace, love, beauty and refinement. It is also prized for their long-lasting sprays of flowers.


Oh and don't forget to pop by the Craft Booths within the Flower Dome too! Create something fun and memorable with your children to take home this Spring at the Craft Booth at the Flower Dome (Mediterranean Garden).


And just specially for this weekend (24 & 25 Jan 2015), catch an array of puppet performances within the Flower Dome (South American Garden) and be amazed by the myriad of stories retold with puppets. Check HERE for show timings.


So this Chinese New Year, welcome an auspicious start to the Year of the Goat set in the company of colourful blooms such as cherry blossoms, kumquat plants and chrysanthemums!


Useful Details

Asian Tales - Year of the Goat Floral Display
Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
Date: 16 Jan - 8 Mar 2014
Time: 9am - 9pm daily
Charges: Entry fees into the Cooled Conservatories apply. For admission charges, click HERE.
Website: gardensbythebay.com.sg/springsurprise

Craft Booths @ Flower Dome
17 - 25 Jan 2015
Weekdays 11am - 6pm | Weekends 10am - 6pm

Puppetry Workshops & Performances @ Flower Dome
24 Jan 2015 | 1pm - 1.30pm, 3pm - 3.30pm, 5pm - 5.30pm
25 Jan 2015 | 11am - 11.30am, 1pm - 1.30pm, 3pm - 3.30pm

Chinese New Year Promotion
Visit Asian Tales floral display during the weekends of 31 Jan/1 Feb and 7/8 Feb and stand a chance to be one of the lucky 28 to win a floral hamper from the Gardens! Simply visit between 6pm - 6.30pm and 7pm - 7.30pm when the God of Fortune will be in the Flower Dome to distribute ang pows. Find your floral fortune in the ang pows! There will be 7 hampers given away per session.

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Ordering of Chinese New Year Hampers Made Easy

January 20, 2015, 4:39 pm
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Advertorial

Barely a few weeks after welcoming 2015, the whole town is decked in red once again in anticipation usher in the Year of the Goat! When I was young, I loved whenever Chinese New Year (CNY) rolled along. Of course the collection of ang pows was my fave to-do activity but the other thing I loved doing was unwrapping the hampers that my Dad received from his business associates or friends.

Because unwrapping a hamper is just like unwrapping a Christmas present, but only with yummy goodies like pineapple tarts, cookies and love letters! So I guess Ale must have inherited my love for unwrapping CNY hampers then, upon receiving one such hamper from Wonderful Flora.


Wonderful Flora has been in the business of flowers and gifts for over 27 years, offering reliable and personalised services to its customers. Headquartered in Singapore, Wonderful Flora has over 1,000 products under its collection and delivers flowers, gifts and hampers for all occasions including international flower delivery to more than 25 countries through its network of affiliated florists worldwide.

Which is great news, considering how busy we tend to get as the first day of Chinese New Year beckons. Spring-cleaning, shopping for new clothes, buying CNY goodies - all these definitely take up a lot of time so if you have the added to-do item to send CNY hampers to your clients or friends, Wonderful Floral allows you the convenience of shopping for gift hampers during festive season with a few clicks of the mouse.


For starters, Wonderful Flora has a huge array of CNY hampers to suit every budget (from $68 and up). Oh, and did I mention there is no GST charged and free delivery in Singapore is offered for all purchases? I zoomed in on the Superior CNY Hamper ($88) and, chose my delivery date and time.


With that, the hamper was added into my shopping cart. And that was about it really. Simple to use, and definitely hassle-free.


Come check-out, it was a breeze too as it is not mandatory to create an account with Wonderful Flora.


I just had to enter the sender's and recipient's information and I - or rather, the hamper - was good to go!


And when the hamper was promptly delivered to my place, it should not be difficult to guess who was the one who could not resist making a beeline to the hamper and urging me to unravel the packaging immediately.


The Diva, of course.

You know how some hampers are often packed with many and many layers of sticky tape, making it an arduous chore to free the items in the hamper? Our hamper was not like that at all. In fact, every item was so neatly packed with minimum tape that Ale could unwrap the hamper on her own!

The hamper came packed with the following goodies:

Bird’s Nest with Rock Sugar & White Fungus 70ml x 2
Dragon King American Ginseng Slice 10g
NPH Shrimp Roll 80g
NPH Chicken Floss 100g
Sweet Ching Teng 128g
Kjeldsens Chocolate Chip Cookies 50g
Korean Red Ginseng Candy 60g

And among them, Ale had to pick out the Chocolate Chip Cookies as her fave!



Well, I suppose that means the wifey and I will get to enjoy the Bird's Nest and other good stuff then. Heh.


The products in the hamper were exactly like what were depicted in the photo on its website but the best surprise I had was how it was ridiculously easy to browse and place my order on Wonderful Flora's website, saving much needed time in the process.

And with CNY less than a month away, time and convenience is what we all could do with.
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Spend the March School Holidays with Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf!

January 22, 2015, 5:35 pm
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For the monkies, Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, or 喜羊羊与灰太狼, is the ONLY Mandarin cartoon that they watch and one that they thoroughly enjoy. So when Pleasant Goat and gang last made their stage appearance here in Singapore, they lapped it all up - even Ale!

This year, just because it's the Year of the Goat, Pleasant Goat and Wolffy will be back for yet another stage musical titled “Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf – 3 Wishes".


Plot-wise, the musical is relatively straight-forward (and hilarious):

Five goats discover a bottle with a magician, Kalala, in it. Kalala boasts to grant his master three wishes with his limited magical power. This is overheard by the cunning Wolffy who steals the magic bottle. However, the three wishes of Wolffy do not come true, and he turns into a big pig head instead. 


Through the musical, the adorable Pleasant Goat and family will be sharing more on going green, friendship and also the love for Mother Earth. And if our past experience is anything to go by, the musical will be a highly interactive one, with loads of high tempo songs and kids in the audience being encouraged to brainstorm together to solve problems or just simply stand up and boogie along.

Of course the nonsensical antics of Wolffy would not hurt either.


If you are looking for fun and interactive ways to introduce Mandarin to your kids through catchy music and vibrant stage settings, the live stage show of “Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf – 3 Wishes" would count as one of those.

Even more so since it will be staged during the March School Holidays!


Useful Information

Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf – 3 Wishes
Date: 20 – 22 March 2015
Time: 20 March (7pm), 21 March 2015 (3pm & 7pm), 22 March (11am & 3pm)
Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Ticket Price: $108, $88, $78, $68, $58, $38 (exclude booking fee)
For more information and to buy tickets, visit HERE.


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Feeling Grateful

January 25, 2015, 5:40 pm
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The boys volunteered briefly for the first time when we were one of the Official Bloggers for the Marina Bay Countdown 2012. Then, they mingled and brought much joy to the elderly folks from the Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre. 

We had a few more volunteering activities ever since. But the wifey and I have always been looking for more opportunities to help the less fortunate among us, and involve the kids at the same time too. One such opportunity came up when Community Chest approached me to get the family to help out at its Festive Care and Share Fu Dai event.

In support of SG Care & Share Day, Community Chest arranged for a Fú Dài (Festive Pack) containing sponsored festive items and necessities to be delivered to a person in need (such as a lonely elderly, or a family in difficulty) from its social service programmes. And the number of packs in question? 2,000 of them! 

So last Saturday, we together with scores of other volunteers congregated at Dunman High School to help out in the packing of the festive bags. The same afternoon, we were also tasked with delivering them to the seniors in their homes.


We roped in some of the monkies' buddies for the event, and I was very happy to see all of them being so enthusiastic in offering their help!


After a short briefing, the kids were raring to begin.


I think there were close to 30 items in one festive pack so while the adults had to go draw the items from each respective station, the kids assisted by placing each individual item into each bag. Sounds easy but believe me when I say it was tough work... especially the routine can get really mundane after the novelty wear off with the first few bags.


But we had a quota to meet and for that, the kids really did their jobs well. Perhaps it was the awesome company that everyone had during the packing session but all the festive packs were completed just before lunch time!


Yes, we were on the same packing team as Dr. Jiajia and his two adorable sisters. Very cute, and helpful kids! :)


The kiddos then had a well-deserved lunch break, refuelling in anticipation of our next task.


The wifey and I had a little chat with the monkies beforehand to explain what we would be doing and the reason behind the delivery of the festive packs to the the elderly who were living - often alone - in the poorer estates in Singapore.

So after another short briefing, we set off armed with an address list and 21 festive packs in the car boot. Actually, we had more items on top of the 21 packs. Prior to all of this, the boys had also contributed $20 each from their own savings and purchased additional items like 3-in1 Milo sachets and instant oats, which they would pass them to the elderly folks we were visiting.

As we made our rounds in housing estates, the monkies handed the gifts to the elderly and chatted with them a little while. They lived simply, with many of their homes hardly furnished, filled with either cardboard boxes or plastic bags, and were not in the cleanest of conditions. But everyone was friendly, each having a story to tell.


All of them came to the door, received the festive packs with smiles beaming on their faces and shook our hands warmly as we wished them 新年快乐 (Happy New Year). Their faces lit up when the boys passed them the additional Milo sachets or instant oats, and even more so when they found out the items were bought using the boys' own savings.


Overall, the monkies including Ale were terrific sports. They lugged along their own items, held open the lift doors, knocked on doors and exchanged warm greetings with the recipients. Before the event, we had the intention of setting out to spread some CNY festive cheer and bless the less fortunate with some necessities. Well, it turns out that we were the ones who would be blessed instead.


I am not sure how much difference we made to the lives of the elderly folks that we met, but I am thankful we were able to bring some cheer - however little - to them. But for us and the monkies especially, it was a truly sobering experience to see the other side of Singapore that we hardly come into contact with. Most, if not all, of the elders are living alone and it really made me feel truly grateful for all I had.

Family, friends, nice meals, a cosy bed and above all, a warm home.

These are things the monkies often take for granted, that they do not realize they have been blessed with.



Though the Fu Dai event has ended, you can still contribute in other ways. So do visit www.comchest.org.sg for more information.

*Photos with the elderly folks were taken with permission. 
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Hassle-free Bountiful Harvest Meals this CNY

January 27, 2015, 3:46 pm
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Sponsored Post

No other family meal is as heart-warming to eat - and time-consuming to prepare - as the the Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner. Or if you are intending to head out to eat, chances are the more popular restuarants will have 2 designated dining times which means the reunion dinner is going to be one rushed affair.

OR you could just do it the fuss-free way, and enjoy a sumptuous meal with your loved ones at the comfort of your own home. With professional food catering services, hosting a dinner becomes easier than ever. Slowly savour the food, mingle and chat with everyone by leaving all logistic jobs that may cause a lot of hassle in hands of the food caterers.

Like One Paradise.


One Paradise - the catering arm of Paradise Group - has introduced the Bountiful Harvest Party Set for this year's Chinese New Year celebrations. So much like the Christmas Feast we had last year, we could not pass up the opportunity to sample the new festive offerings!

Already, the sight of just the menu was enough to cause my salivary glands to go into overdrive.

Appetizer

Fortune Treasure Combination 
(Prawn Salad, Japanese Octopus, Marinated Top Shell, Nori Seafood Roll & Vegetarian Shark’s Fin Omelette)

Main course

Braised Duck with Sea Cucumber & Mushroom

Honey Soy Asian Baked Salmon Fillet

Signature Wok-fried Wasabi Prawns

Mixed Vegetables Deluxe
with Trio Mushrooms, Carrots & Black Moss

Seafood Mian Xian

Steamed Pumpkin Rice

Dessert

Chilled Mango Puree with Sago

Mini Macarons

Ditto for Ale, I think.


There seems to be something about the carbs dishes from One Paradise. The Truffle Oil Infused Rice we previously had in the Christmas Menu was a hit with everyone and this time around, the Seafood Mian Xian and Steamed Pumpkin Rice were so flavourful that everyone went for second and third helpings - diet or not.

I also have to single out the Fortune Treasure Combination for special mention. Akin to the appetizer cold dish that most Chinese restaurants serve, the platter consisted of Prawn Salad, Japanese Octopus, Marinated Top Shell, Nori Seafood Roll and Vegetarian Shark’s Fin Omelette.


The Mixed Vegetables Deluxe with Trio Mushrooms, Carrots & Black Moss and Honey Soy Asian Baked Salmon Fillet were pretty decent as well.


But the dishes that had the monkies going back for more were the Braised Duck with Sea Cucumber & Mushroom and Signature Wok-fried Wasabi Prawns. Yes, there was wasabi in the latter dish but the wasabi flavour was mild enough for the kids to feast on.


Of course, a festive meal is never complete without a dessert. And One Paradise's CBountiful Harvest Party Set comes with two desserts, Chilled Mango Puree with Sago and Mini Macarons, that will please every child's sweet-tooth without fail.


Frankly though, I reckon the kiddos enjoyed the savoury food more than the desserts. 


So it was a good thing that while the party set is meant for 10 persons, the portions served are pretty substantial... which means there were more than enough food to go around!


In 3 weeks time, Chinese New Year will be in full swing and it will be the time of the year when family and friends start popping by each other's homes. Instead of whipping a storm in your kitchen and attempting to clean up when you are already totally drained, get someone else to do the dirty work for you.

Worry no more about preparing food, or cleaning the area after the leave of the last guest since all food items are delivered in disposable containers. Instead, make the best use of your time to enjoy the company of your loved ones and usher in the Year of the Goat in the most relaxing manner possible.

GIVEAWAY!


Win a complimentary catering Party Pack, courtesy of Silver Tray Catering, a subsidiary of One Paradise and a Halal Certified Caterer! Visit HERE to take part!



The Bountiful Harvest Party Set is good for 10-12 persons and is priced at $388 (with GST $415.16). For more information on One Paradise CNY Festive offerings, visit www.oneparadise.com.sg/catering-menu/festive.
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A Vacuum Job So Easy & Fun, Kids Will Be Fighting Over It!

January 29, 2015, 4:39 pm
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The Bosch Athlet Handstick Vacuum Cleaner really sucks.

Becasue above all, it is a vacuum cleaner after my own heart: it makes the monkies tussle over the job of vacuuming my house!


The Bosch Athlet is the first cordless vacuum cleaner from Bosch. Boasting a SensorBagless Technology that ensures maximum dust pick-up. this cordless wonder is not only convenient to use but also powerful. All well and good, but what is it really like to use?

The packaging comes with 4 pieces in the box: main vacuum body, vacuum head, handle and charging cable. Putting everything together took mere seconds, as all of the parts easily slotted into the right place with minimal fuss.


If I were to be completely honest, my first impression of the Athlet was that there was absolutely no way this skinny vacuum would be able to replicate what my current larger vacuum does or better yet, do an even more competent job.


Well, I need not have worried because for starters, the Athlet already trumps its larger competitors with its smaller and lighter body. If flexibility is a feature that you care about, the Athlet excels in that.

At approximately three kilograms, the Athlet is a lightweight, and with its low centre of gravity and balanced ergonomics, it handles comfortably. It offers impressive versatility and handling, even for seniors and children! Just ask Ash.


Fitted with a flexible nozzle attachment, it is extremely easy to manoeuver to reach around and underneath sofas, beds, cupboards and in tight spaces. Without a cord dragging behind it, the cordless Athlet can be used just about anywhere and stored away neatly in an instant.


It comes with three suction levels which make it suitable for cleaning various surfaces. The first suction level is for light jobs while the second level is suitable for daily vacuum and the third is for turbo vacuuming.

To ensure users get superior cleaning with this vacuum cleaner, the Athlet is the first cordless handstick vacuum cleaner to boast the proven SensorBagless Technology, a well-known feature on Bosch's corded bagless vacuum cleaners. The sensors ensure excellent airflow and monitor the performance of the unit.


The vacuum cleaner is equipped with Bosch's Lithium-Ion Technology, which is capable of providing power to the unit for 60 minutes depending on the setting selected. The amazing thing is we did not experience any decrease in performance for as long as the battery is active. I was impressed with the Athlet's excellent run time, as this means the monkies will be able to each have their vacuuming turn before the battery runs out!


Okay, so vacuuming is always the easy part but cleaning the filter or emptying the dust can be a pain in the butt when it comes to vacuum cleaners. Again, I was left impressed with the Athlet's quick release debris collection unit - it was so easy to us that both Ash and Ayd were able to empty the dirt container all on their own!

The Athlet's system indicates immediately when the filter cartridge needs to be cleaned. And thanks to its efficient separator system, the dust is separated even before it hits the filter. This ensures that the majority of the dust ends up in the dirt container and not in the filter, keeping the required
maintenance to a minimum. Best of all, there is no subsequent cost because the innovative lifetime filters from Bosch are washable and do not need to be replaced - for the entire lifetime of the appliance.


Frankly, I am struggling to find any fault with the Athlet. Although it is a very lightweight vacuum cleaner, it boasts the performance of a conventional vacuum cleaner and moves effortlessly from different kinds of floors and carpets without any adjustment needed. Its free-standing slim design makes it easy for storage and thus an option for people who have limited space in their homes.

Most important of all, if you are planning to outsource the cleaning to your children, the Bosch Athlet really sucks so good!


The Bosch Athlet is retailing for S$649 at all leading departmental and electrical stores island-
wide.
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FINAL CALL: The Great Cheekiemonkie 10th Anniversary Giveaway

February 1, 2015, 4:36 pm
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50 Sponsors, 55 Giveaways and 130 Winners later, this is it.

We have come to the final day of our 10th Anniversary Giveaway. What started out as an ambitious project became an extremely successful one which have seen such a tremendous support that it had to be extended for another 2 days in February.

And it all has to do with you, my dear readers.

Thanks to your fantastic support - all the commenting, liking, sharing and tagging - the giveaways had been a resounding success.


Truth be told, it was no easy task coordinating everything. The emails to sponsors started in November last year, and some continued right up to January. Every morning in January, I had to consciously update the day's giveaway on the blog and on Facebook. Then I had to consolidate the entries for the various giveaways, pick the winners randomly, churn out the winners' list, contact the sponsors regarding the winners and then the cycle repeats again..

Definitely tiring stuff... but worth every ounce of effort.

Of course, I would love to give every one of you something in return for your participation but that is not possible. If you have won something, congratulations. If you have not, fret not as there are more giveaways in the coming months.

For now though, there is still the task of launching the FINAL giveaway.

So here is DAY 33's Giveaway.


Make no mistake, Montigo Resorts Nongsa is THE place to head to with the kids for a luxurious and fun-filled getaway. The resort is Batam’s first 5-star all-villa resort with villas dotting the coastal shoreline offering unobstructed magnificent views of the South China Sea. Not only do the villas come with three floors of living space, each one boasts a private kick-ass infinity pool - right outside the living room. And the monkies? They loved the Kid's Club, a 2-storey haven for kids which houses game consoles, toys, books, board games including three tube slides and one ball pit. Don't believe? Read all the fun (and havoc) they created HERE.

So was it any wonder that the monkies asked if we could keep the prize for ourselves when they found out that it is a One-night Stay in a Montigo Hillside Pool Villa! Yes, you get to enjoy your very own infinity pool in your villa!

The villa is valid for Weekday stay only and comes with breakfast for four persons. It includes Complimentary return ground transfer between Montigo and Nongsapura Ferry Terminal.

*Do note that return Ferry Tickets to Nongsapura from Singapore are NOT included.

To take part, simply follow the following steps:

1. LIKE Montigo Resorts Nongsa's Facebook page HERE.

2. Email me at contest@cheekiemonkie.net with the following details:
Subject Header: MONTIGO RESORTS NONGSA POOL VILLA GIVEAWAY
Name:
Facebook Name:
Answer: What is the FULL NAME of the Kid's Club in Montigo Resorts Nongsa?
*HINT: Answer can be found HERE.

3. Leave a comment in this blog post OR on our Cheekiemonkies' Facebook corresponding post HERE to let me know once you have completed the 2 steps above.

Important: You have to complete all three steps in order to be eligible for the draw. 


WANT TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING?
Follow us and Montigo Resorts Nongsa (@montigoresortsnongsa) on Instagram AND re-post the image above on Instagram to double your chances! Remember to tag us (@cheekiemonkies) and set your profile to public so that we can see the image.

*Giveaway will end on 5 February 2015, 2359 hours.

GOOD LUCK!
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FLY Social Exchange 2015

February 3, 2015, 5:30 pm
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The phone call was extremely unexpected.

Irene Ang - THE Irene Ang - who is the boss of FLY Entertainment was on the other end of the line and she had a proposition I could not refuse. She invited me to be one of the panellists for her inaugural FLY Social Exchange, which is a platform whereby panelists from different fields will share their perspectives of a variety of topics that matter to us Singaporeans in a light, fun yet meaningful way; as well as to promote positive thinking and conversations among the online communities.

It was an absolute honour, especially when I found out who the rest of the panellists were.


Pat Law, Patricia Mok, Daniel Ang, Tosh Zhang and Haley Woo. All celebrities in their own right and heck, I am not even a celebrity. So you can imagine how awestruck I was to be in such wonderful company.

There were about 60 invited guests and the session at Bar Naked soon kicked off in earnest. With Irene as the moderator, you can be assured of laughter throughout the 1-hour informal sharing and it certainly did not disappoint.

The panel was asked what SG50 meant to us. Patricia offered that although Singapore is now more expensive to stay in but it is still very safe, so she is thankful that Singapore is able to celebrate her independence of 50 years. Haley mentioned it definitely offers a platform for more work while Tosh equates our 50 years to progress.

For me, I shared that SG50 meant the chance to be able to reminisce and expose our kids to the memories of the yesteryears - like the old sand-filled playgrounds. Compared to the newer, plastic ones with rubber mats that the kids know, it was probably more dangerous playing in an older playground, as grazes due to the coarse sand or bruises courtesy of the concrete structures were a common thing. But it was all part of a learning process, and we did eventually learn from our failures then.

Photo courtesy of FLY Entertainment
We were then asked how we can make a difference for the next 50 years. Pat Law believes in walking the talk - instead of just complaining and blaming the government for every single thing, channel the effort to doing something useful for the country instead. Daniel said that food is a big part of our culture as we love to connect over food. As a food blogger, he wants influencers not to be too judgemental in our reviews and to give businesses a chance to improve. After all, he did go back to a restaurant FOUR times just so that he could give them more chances to improve their terrible service.

And since I was in the business of parenting, I shared how I involve my kids in the posting of my blog posts and photos on my social media accounts. Since social media is never going to go away, I believe we should all start educating our kids about the perils of social media at a younger age and not completely ban them. 50 years ago, our parents would have never imagined that we will all be be able to read a book without a physical book so technology in the next 50 years will definitely evolve into something unthinkable. The only thing we can prepare our kids for is to be adaptable and flexible.

There was a short Q&A session after that and with all that done, it was time for selfies! Heh.


Jacelyn Tay, and her husband Brian Wong were present too and I was fortunate enough to converse with him. It turns out that both he and Jacelyn read my blog for ideas on where to bring their 4-year-old son! Wah, so honoured!

All in, it was a thoroughly enjoyable session - full of laughters and wonderful sharing. Thanks Irene, for the invite and here's to the next FLY Social Exchange!


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The New Peugeot 308: Handsome & Nimble with a Big Boot

February 5, 2015, 4:38 pm
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I have got to admit - ever since I took the family up to Melaka in the Peugeot 508 RXH 2.0 Hybrid 4 last year, I (and the monkies) got a new soft spot for Peugeot cars. So when the chance came around for me to test drive the all-new Peugeot 308, it was a no-brainer.


A handsome look is what defines the new Peugeot 308 hatchback. Compared to its predecessor, the 308 is a huge step forward in every regard, particularly design and quality. It certainly does not hurt either, to reign as the current European Car of the Year champion.

Sleek and dynamic, the 308 comes with full LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, a feature that is usually only found on high-end luxury marques. Coupled with the rear lamps that take up the curve theme and its signature three Peugeot lion claws, they give the new 308 a stunning exterior profile.


Interior-wise – in typical French style – there is a completely new layout that is far more stylish than before with an innovative cabin and a minimalist design. Its i-Cockpit interior features four integrated components: a compact steering wheel  for intense dynamic sensations, a high- positioned ‘head up’ instrument panel to easily read the information without taking the driver’s eyes off the road ahead, an enhancing high centre console and a large 9.7” touch screen for intuitive driving.

The decluttered look is a welcome change at a time when cars are laden with buttons and controls. Instead, the majority of functions are controlled through a large colour touch screen. No wonder the 3088 was lauded with the ‘Most Beautiful Interior’ accolade in the United Kingdom.


For parents though, the most beautiful interior will count for nothing if there just is not enough boot space. Simply because, there are tons of accompanying stuff that needs to go into the car when there are children involved.

And for the Peugeot 308, its boot is massive. In fact, its 470-litre capacity dwarfs the boot space that comes with other brands in the same class. Part of that capacity includes two underfloor storage areas and are a handy place to hide valuables.


While I was left floored by the immense boot space the 308 offered, the monkies were no doubt left impressed by this.


Yes, the ultra cool Panaromic Glass Roof that stretches all the way to the back of the car and provides stunning views.

The Peugeot 308 also comes in a Station Wagon variant which for me, appealed far greater. I reckon it had to do with its roomier rear passenger space and a much larger boot - something I am sure most parents will be able to identify with.


As for how it drives, the 1.2L PureTech turbo petrol engine and 6-speed EAT6 gearbox defies its on-paper specs with a strong spread of pulling power from low in the rev range, providing 129hp and 230Nm torque for great city driving and smooth performance. All these, at lower COE and road tax costs!

The new 308 is considerably lighter than its predecessor thanks to a new chassis and this aids the handing which is feels great. The steering has a nice weight to it and it is assured in corners. The ride is also relatively quiet as the cabin is well insulated from road and wind noise at any speed.


Like most modern cars, the 308 comes with a stability control system that can help you regain control if the car starts to slide. What’s more, it has the usual six airbags: four that protect those in the front, plus two that run the length of the car at window level.

Other than safety, fuel economy is a top priority for family buyers and the Peugeot delivers in this respect thanks to its claim of excellent fuel consumption of up to 19.6km/litre. Of course, driving in Singapore may not yield such figures but I was told that realistically, a fuel consumption of 15km/litre can be expected.

But do not take it solely from me. The best option is to head down to the Peugeot showroom to test drive the car for yourself. And bring along the kids too, as there will be ample activities in the showroom to keep them occupied - like these mini vehicles.


Ultimately, the Peugeot 308 is a very competent hatchback. It is a handsome car, in an understated sort of way, plus it is reasonably good fun to drive, comes with lots of luxuries and one of the most fuel-efficient engines in any family car.


Fancy having the Peugeot 308 for one weekend? With a staycation thrown in as well??? Just take part in the Peugeot 308's contest and stand a chance to win a staycation AND a weekend with the Peugeot 308! If you have a blog and/or Dayre, simply pen a post about at least one of your favourite Peugeot 308 feature and why. Just head down to HERE to participate!


Promotional prices start from $113,900 and include 3 years free servicing. 

Peugeot Showroom
305 Alexandra Road
Singapore 159942

Sales Hotline: 6376 2288
Fax: 6477 7373
Website: www.peugeot.com.sg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/peugeotsg
Business hours: Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm |  Sunday and Public Holidays, 10am to 7pm.

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Sharing Happiness with your Loved Ones with Coca-Cola this CNY

February 7, 2015, 4:13 pm
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The Chinese New Year (CNY) is upon us and it has always been one of my top 2 favourite periods of the year, with the other being Christmas. Expectantly, Chinese New Year is the time when we get to embark on a whirlwind tour of house visits which provide excellent opportunities to catch up with many relatives and friends, and of course ample excuses to feast and celebrate.


There is always something in common whenever food is in the picture, no? Especially if it involves the tossing up of food high up into the air. After all, how often can one legitimately play with one's food this way without risking a scolding? No wonder the boys love the yusheng bit the most when CNY rolls along... okay, so collecting ang pows is still their top fave activity but it comes in a close second.


For me though, the most memorable part of the Chinese New Year isn't the festivities on the actual days. Rather, it is the preparation before that... or the making of our very own bak kwa (or roasted sweetened pork) together with the boys to be precise.


The boys and I have been making our DIY bak kwa for the past 3 years, and they love the entire process! Which is a good thing too, considering how the price of bak kwa escalates ever so crazily come every CNY time. But most importantly, it is the time spent together and bonding while kneading the minced pork that truly matters.

Add a refreshing twist on top of bonding with your loved ones by spreading good fortune in the upcoming Year of the Goat with the 8 auspicious Chinese New Year Coca-Cola cans, specially designed for this Chinese New Year!


Each distinctive can bear lucky Chinese characters and comes in eight auspicious designs - "Happiness", "Wealth", "Abundance", "Good Luck", "Prosperity", "Fortune", "Peace" and "A Smooth Year".


Each can signifies a different wish to be shared with special design elements that bring out the symbolism behind each greeting, such as Chinese coins to represent fortune and a rice bucket to symbolise abundance.

The combination of contemporary design graphics with traditional calligraphic greeting characters is used to bridge the generation gap, which makes it a meaningful way to share the drink this CNY.


The 8 auspicious can designs are already available at all stores and frankly, I will be hard-pressed to choose only a few from the designs. So I recommend keeping an eye out for Coca-Cola’s special shrink-wrapped box carton designs if you are intending to spread the joy (and luck) with everyone by purchasing in bulk!


To further up the festive mood and help people connect with one another, Coca-Cola has created a Happiness Greeting Machine which allows friends and family to digitally share good fortune and prosperity with their loved ones - perfect for those with family and friends living overseas.

The Happiness Greeting Machines will be located at 20 hyper/supermarkets across the island and by purchasing any Coca-Cola products (excluding single cans and 500ml bottles), shoppers can create their own personalised New Year greeting message and send it to a loved one or friend, along with a digital auspicious Coca-Cola can, via text message or e-mail!

And for each digital can and Chinese New Year greeting shared, shoppers will also receive an auspicious can of their choice and a free gift from Coca-Cola. They will also be able to spin the Auspicious Wheel of Happiness, with the chance to win other great Chinese New Year goodies. How's that for win-win happiness?


Chinese New Year is all about sharing good fortune with your family and friends.  So if you are looking for a unique way to CNY, an ice-cold can of auspicious Coca-Cola will be the perfect complement to the traditional Mandarin oranges!


For more details on the Happiness Greeting Machines and its store locations, visit www.coca-cola.com.sg.
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PappaRich Plus: Upsize for the Family

February 9, 2015, 6:09 pm
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Media Invite

With over 100 outlets in United States, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, South Korea and China, PappaRich is known for its authentic and affordable Malaysian dishes. And now, the certified Halal restaurant chain from Malaysia opens yet another PappaRich Plus outlet at OneKM, the new shopping mall in Tanjong Katong. 

What, PLUS??? Yes, PappaRich Plus outlets are designed to facilitate communal dining, incorporating larger marble dining tables and booths to encourage families to come together and share a meal. The menu is more extensive, featuring a selection of Malaysian large plates designed for sharing. 


Predictably, the monkies could not wait to get started with their feast at PappaRich and for kids, no appetizer can please them more when it comes in the form of fried chicken wings!


The Pappa Fried Chicken Wings ($8.90) were really juicy and succulent but perhaps more importantly, they did not feel overly greasy. If you prefer something less oily, I strongly recommend the Pappa Hainan Steamed Bread with Butter and Kaya ($3.90), and complement it with two Half Boiled Eggs ($2.90).


This well-loved kopitiam-style Steamed Bread served with butter and PappaRich’s special kaya is freshly baked by an old school Hainanese bakery. The original maker behind the recipe of the bread came from Hainan province and PappaRich had bought the bread factory over so that they could make the bread for its outlets. Talk about being exclusive!

I found out that most of the dishes are prepared with the best ingredients specially sourced from Malaysia, just like the Ipoh Kuay Teow Soup with Steamed Chicken ($10.90).


While the chicken was pretty decent, the kuay teow noodles in the flavourful broth was what blew the wife and me away. At first glance, the bowl of kuay teow soup looked rather plain at best, but the soup was so savoury that even Ayd asked if he could finish the soup! With the kuay teow noodles being noodles imported all the way from Ipoh, this is one comfort food dish that you should not miss ordering.

For the kids, they settled on the Pappa Chicken Chop ($12.90) and Pappa Fish & Chips ($12.90).


Both were above average, but the servings were rather huge. I have to give special mention to the fried rice that accompanied the western dishes because for the first time in forever, Ale ditched the fries in order to finish the rice! But I need not have been surprised, since the fried rice boasted an arresting wok hei aroma and well-seasoned taste.

Of course, a bit of fibre would not hurt and the Broccoli with Shitake Mushroom ($16.90) certainly did not disappoint.


If you love all things curry (like me), then the Curry Fish Head ($34.90) will be like a blast to paradise.


Great for 2 to 3 persons, the curry fish head is not your typical Chinese or Indian fish head curry. Instead, it is a combination of Middle Eastern and Indian influences featuring a mixture of 22 different spices including candlenut and fenugreek seeds. Everything is then slow-cooked for 4 hours to create an aromatic curry base. The fish head, from a Red Snapper, is specially chosen for this dish as its sweet flesh complements the flavours of the curry. And it clearly showed in its full-bodied, robust flavour.

In addtion, PappaRich also offers an array of tasty vegetarian dishes including Nasi Lemak with Vegetarian Curry Mutton and a drinks list which includes diabetic-friendly drinks such as White Coffee sweetened with natural sugar substitute, Stevia and Organic Soy Milk.


We then washed everything down with Pappa ABC Special with Ice Cream ($6.90) and Pappa Cendol ($3.90). Using freshly made cendol and gula melaka from Malacca, the latter was pretty close to what I savoured in Malacca.


The Pappa ABC Special with Ice Cream is shaved ice drenched with palm syrup and evaporated milk, then heaped with grass jelly, chewy palm seeds, sweet azuki beans, creamed corn, green squiggles of cendol and topped off with a scoop of ice cream. A bit like ice kachang, and like all cold desserts, the monkies lapped it all up.


What struck me about the PappaRich Plus was the pricing of the dishes were relatively affordable, with its servings pretty huge so families with young kids can probably share. Or for growing boys whose appetites are fast catching with mine. 


Family-friendly dishes, hearty flavours, affordable prices - I guess we will probably be back sooner than later!


Useful Information

PappaRich Plus
11 Tanjong Katong Road, #01-60/61/62, OneKM, Singapore 437157
Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm daily
Website: papparich.com.sg

Plaza Singapura Outlet: 68 Orchard Road, #01-35, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839

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It Only Takes A Spark

February 10, 2015, 9:27 pm
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What is your passion?

For me, exposing my kids to the wondrous world of nature has always been my top priority ever since I became a Dad. Especially since half of their time are essentially spent looking and swiping at screens these days.

A child’s experience in the natural world can be as small as helping to plant a seed, visiting the numerous parks we have here in Singapore, or just pausing and trying to listen for the sound of a bird on the way to school.

Nature has been widely noted to play a key role in our mental health, so it probably comes as no surprise that it also affects the way we, and our kids, learn. Sadly, such a connection with nature has been slipping away from many of us – and especially so for the world’s children.

So bringing the monkies to explore various parks and nature attractions is what I love to do whenever the weekends roll by. We paid a visit to the new Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Extension and I was pleasantly surprised by the wide array of family-friendly facilities like the Junior Adventure Trail and Mud Experience, where kids are able to step onto the mudflats during low tide and get up close with mudskippers living in the mud!


Young kids need experiences that support their natural affinity with nature and which are directly accessible to them - rather than just reading about it from a book or watching the Discovery Channel. Without an opportunity to experience, children will not have an opportunity to develop appreciation or connections with Nature.

Just like how many kids are more familiar with processed food than natural food these days, it is increasingly unfortunate that most of them have never seen a vegetable growing, or even genuinely believe that vegetables come from the supermarket.

Which is why every kid should know where his/her food comes from, and have at least a basic knowledge of how to plant and nurture a seed to its tasty fruition. Because teaching them how to garden means imparting an important lifeskill, one that would serve them well as they grow up.


Personally, I hope to see more kids-friendly nature attractions in Singapore. Of course, parents need a play a part as well so I wish to see more parents taking the initiative to promote nature learning that is spontaneous and unstructured, using nature as the source of learning and inquiry. Hopefully, school work will also include a more active, hands-on approach to nature.

Only when children have daily opportunities to experience the land, water, and living things in their surroundings will they develop both an attachment to and an understanding of their world and of other species.

Because at the end of the day, this is MY SPARK.


Everyone has got a spark. An inspiration, an aspiration, an idea. It ignites possibilities and where it takes you can be amazing. DBS believes that a simple spark could lead to something bigger and more meaningful but everything starts with a spark.

Do you have a dream or passion? Head down to www.dbs.com/spark to submit your spark just like I had done. No, this is no contest or giveaway because it is all about igniting possibilities and sparking joy. No matter how big or small your dream or passion is, share your spark through the site and DBS may just make it happen!


So, this is my passion. What's yours? 

Share them with the hashtag #MySpark or find out more at www.dbs.com/spark.
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23 Activities to Occupy your Kids this Chinese New Year (CNY) 2015

February 12, 2015, 4:05 pm
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The Year of the Goat is fast skipping towards us and what do you know, the Chinese New Year period is a super long weekend too! Of course, besides the usual business of house-to-house visiting and gorging, it'll be great to spice up the CNY with activities to please the little people too!

So here’s all you need to know on happenings, fun places and activities to do with your kids for Chinese New Year 2015 in Singapore. HUAT AH!

Asian Tales - Year of the Goat Floral Display
Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
16 Jan - 8 Mar 2015; 9am - 9pm daily
Entry fees into the Cooled Conservatories apply
For admission charges, click HERE.


Gardens by the Bay ushers in the Lunar New Year with “Asian Tales”, starting 16 January 2015. This floral showcase draws inspiration from the scenic landscape of mountains and valleys often depicted in Chinese brush paintings.  Spot goats sculpted out of wood and flowers perching on the ridge and grazing in the field, as you take in the picturesque landscape dotted with vibrant dahlias (大丽花) specially cultivated to celebrate the Year of the Goat. Head to Spring Surprise is part of the signature Garden Series presented by Gardens by the Bay. Check out the rest of other highlights, including Craft Booths, Stilt Walkers, Spring Surprise Mascots and Lion Dance here: www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/springsurprise!

Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2014
30 Jan - 19 Mar 2014
Various parts of Chinatown

Usher in the Year of the Goat by thronging the streets of Chinatown, taking in the sights and sounds of the month-long street light-up. Be enthralled by the creativity of the contemporary street light-up design, and drop by the street bazaar for a wide range of Chinese New Year goodies!


Street Light-Up
Venue: Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road and Garden Bridge
Date: 31 Jan - 19 Mar 2015
Time: 7pm – 2am (Friday & Saturday) | 7pm – 12mn (Sunday – Thursday) | 7am - 6am (18 & 19 Feb)

Festive Street Bazaar
Venue: Pagoda Street, Smith Street, Sago Street, Temple Street and Trengganu Street
Date: 30 Jan - 188 Feb 2015
Time: 6pm – 10.30pm (Daily) | 6pm – 1am (Chinese New Year’s Eve)

Nightly Stage Shows
Venue: Kreta Ayer Square
Date: 31 Jan 18 Feb 2015
Time: 8pm – 10.30pm

CNY Eve Countdown Party
Venue: New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street
Date: 18 Feb 2015
Time: 9.30pm – 12.30am

Chinatown Walking Trail (FREE)
Venue: Information Booth in front of the stage at Kreta Ayer Square
Date: 1, 7, 8, 14, 15 Feb 2015
Time: 2pm – 3.30pm & 5pm – 6.30pm

Website: http://chinatownfestivals.sg/

Port of Lost Wonder CNY Celebrations
16 – 22 Feb 2015; 10am – 6.30pm
Port of Lost Wonder, Sentosa
Weekdays $10 | Weekends & PHs $15 | Adults enter Free

Water means prosperity during CNY so what better way to spend it than at POLW? Enjoy the amazing festive celebrations with special themed art and craft sessions and much more! Look out for Lion Dance performances and appearance by the God of Fortune too!

River Hongbao 2015
The Float @ Marina Bay
17 - 28 Feb 2015
Time: 2pm - 11pm daily (CNY Eve: 2pm - 1am)
Free Admission


With larger-than life lantern displays, intricate handicrafts and crowd-pleasing performances featuring local and foreign performers from the region, be prepared to treat your senses to an extravaganza of lights, sights, and sounds this coming Lunar New Year! Crowd favourites include the God of Fortune, and of course, the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. On Handicraft Street, catch 'live' demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy and paper cutting, a display of intricate handicrafts, jewellery, ethnic costumes and other cultural products. A myriad of fringe activities, ranging from amusement rides to carnival games, will ensure that there is never a dull moment. Opera and other street performances round up this colourful extravaganza.
*17 Feb: Fireworks at 8pm
*18 Feb (CNY Eve): Fireworks at 12 midnight

Chinese New Year Celebrations 2015 with Wildlife Reserves Singapore
18 - 22 Feb 2015


This Lunar New Year, usher in the Year of the Goat with wild animal friends at Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Jurong Bird Park & Night Safari and take part in a herd of activities from 18 to 22 February 2015! Be greeted by an a-baa-ndance of surprises as the park is decked out for the Lunar New Year with creative plant displays and festive animal enrichment! 

Singapore Zoo

Southern Lion Dance and photography
A pair of spectacular Southern lions will shimmy their way atop high poles in a high-octane performance filled with martial arts, acrobatic and stage performances.
10am, 2pm and 6.15pm at Entrance Plaza

Prosperity Mascot Appearances - Fu Lu Shou and God of Fortune
10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm and 3.30pm at Entrance Plaza

Goat Kids Photography
Be charmed by the boisterous and adorable herd of young goats at Singapore Zoo, and witness an entourage of six baby goats (called kids) prancing alongside their keepers against the scenic backdrop of Upper Seletar Reservoir. Be sure to snap a souvenir shot with this year’s zodiac animal!
10.30am - 11.30am, 2.00pm - 3.00pm at Garden With A View

Goat Feeding
3.30pm at Rainforest Kidzworld

River Safari

Spin the Wheel
Don’t miss out on the chance to win attractive prizes at River Safari! Simply present your admission ticket for an opportunity to spin the wheel, with a total of 188 prizes to be won daily.
9.00am – 6.00pm at Entrance

Prosperity Mascot Appearances - Fu Lu Shou, God of Fortune & River Safari Mascots
1.30pm and 4.45pm (15 min)at Entrance Courtyard

Jurong Bird Park

Southern Lion Dance and photography
9.30am and 2.30pm at Penguin Coast

Prosperity Mascot Appearances - God of Fortune
11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, and 3.30pm at Penguin Coast

Festive Animal Enrichment
Fly in to watch 'bird nannies' give young parrots enrichment such as ang pows filled with treats and oranges.
10.00am - 5.00pm at Breeding and Research Centre

Wings of Asia Tour
Tour the park's latest attraction and discover threatened species such as the beautiful Bali mynah and Luzon bleeding-heart dove, in an aviary featuring one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Asian birds. Stand a chance to win ang pows during a Q&A session at the end of the tour.
11.45am (15 min) at Wings of Asia

Festive High Flyers Show
Lucky visitors will receive red packets delivered by Sassy the sulphur-crested cockatoo, and well-wishes of 'Gong Xi Fa Cai' from Amigo the yellow-naped Amazon.
11.00am and 3.00pm at Pools Amphitheatre

Night Safari

Southern Lion Dance and photography
7.00pm and 8.30pm at Entrance Plaza

Prosperity Mascot Appearances - LED Fu Lu Shou and God of Fortune
7.30pm and 9pm at Entrance Plaza

Sentosa Celebrates Lunar New Year 2014
19 - 22 Feb 2015
Various locations on Sentosa


Revel in a series of exhilarating Acrobatic Acts and celebrate Spring with the auspicious Lion Dance performances by both the Northern and Southern Lion Dance troupes! Be enthralled by heart-thumping Guinness World Record holder, Wei Wei, who will showcase his martial arts skills! Don’t forget to soak in the festive ambience whilst you stroll down the Prosperity Walkway – with hundreds of lanterns beautifully lined up as it guides you to the Guardian of Prosperity – the iconic Sentosa Merlion.

Guinness World Record holder, Wei Wei
Venue: Emerald Pavilion
Time: 11.30am - 3.30pm 
Northern Lion Dance
Venue: Merlion Plaza
Time: 4.30pm & 6.30pm

Southern Lion Dance
Venue: Wings of Time Concourse
Time: 5pm & 6.15pm

LED Dragon Dance
Venue: Beach Plaza
Time: 7.10pm, 8.10pm, 9.10pm

Acrobatic Performance
Venue: Merlion Plaza
Time: 5.30pm & 7.30pm

Chinese New Year Open House at National Museum Singapore
19 & 20 Feb 2015; 10am - 6pm
National Museum Singapore
Free Admission

Usher in the year of the goat with National Museum Singapore! Enjoy a fun filled day of festivities planned for the whole family from storytelling sessions for the young ones to a walk through our nation's history at SINGAPURA: 700 Years for the whole family.

Activities on 20 Feb 2015:

DIY a Sheep
10am - 5pm (Last admission at 4.45pm) | Concourse, Level 1 | Free
Personalise and bring home your own sheep in the new lunar year. This fuss free and simple craft made with simple materials will make a great bonding activity for you and your child!

Family Portraits Photo Booth
10am - 2pm (Last admission at 1.45pm) | Platform, Level 2 | Free
Head over to the Lunar New Year themed photo booth with your family and friends. Strike a pose, snap away and share the fun @ National Museum of Singapore!

SINGAPURA: 700 Years Lunar New Year Special
10am - 4.30pm | Exhibition Gallery, Basement | Free
Complete the SINGAPURA: 700 Years Family Time activity sheet and redeem Dragon Beard Candies! Experience Singapore’s transformation through the ages as it went from a humble fishing village to the pride of an empire, before finally achieving the status of being an independent nation-state as it is today! Complete our activity sheet to redeem delicious dragon beard candy. Download the activity sheet HERE.
*Candy redemption counter opens only between 2.30pm – 4.30pm, while stocks last!

Lion Dance
1.30pm | Rotunda, Level 1 | Free
Usher in the new lunar year together with the roaring lions. Watch our lion dancers perform the traditional custom of  'cai qing' or plucking the auspicious greens and get blessed with good luck and fortune in the new lunar year.

Storytelling Sessions for Children
3pm (English) & 4pm (Mandarin) | Platform, Level 2 | Free
The Legend of ‘Nian’: A long time ago, there was a ferocious beast by the name of “Nian”. It would emerge every New Year’s Eve, looking for a human delicacy to become his next dim sum! How could people stop their suffering at the hands of “Nian” again?

Chinese New Year 2015 Open House at Singapore Philatelic Museum
19 & 29 Feb 2015; 9.30am - 7pm
Singapore Philatelic Museum
Free Admission


Usher in the Chinese New Year with fun activities and new exhibitions! Admission to the museum is free for the two days while activities are on 20 February 2015 only.

Fun Quiz 
10.00am – 5.00pm
Hunt for clues and win special prizes when you complete the quiz!

Dress, Pose & Snap!  
10.00am – 5.00pm
Fancy being Elvis Presley or Little Bo Peep? How about an adorable lamb? Dress up and take home a photo souvenir (Donation of $5)

Kids Activity Stations 
10.00pm – 5.00pm
See how fast you can piece together a giant stamp jigsaw! Or create your own sheep craft (Charge: $2 per kit)
 
Chinese Lion Dance & Dragon Dance Performance
3.30pm – 4.00pm
Let the traditional dance performances shower you with good luck and prosperity for the new year!

KidsFest 2015
21 Jan - 1 Mar 2015
Various Shows & Dates


KidsFest 2015, a theatrical extravaganza where eight world-class theatre productions from Australia and London’s West-End take the stage from 21 Jan to 1 Mar 2015, features a dazzling array of productions recommended for children from as young as three! Curated by ABA Productions Pte Ltd, the line-up for KidsFest 2015 promises a highly educational and immersive experience for the entire family. For the full schedule, visit www.kidsfest.com.sg/schedule.

Here are some of the shows that will be put up during the Chinese New Year period:

The Tiger Who Came To Tea
19 Feb - 1 Mar 2015

Horrible Histories Barmy Britain - Part 2
19 Feb - 1 Mar 2015

Horrible Histories Vile Victorians 
20 Feb - 1 Mar 2015

Chinese New Year 2015 @ Singapore Flyer
19 - 22 Feb 2015
Singapore Flyer

Fly High and Free at Singapore Flyer
The first 88 visitors during the first four days of Chinese New Year get to ride on the Singapore Flyer for FREE! This promotion operates on a first come, first served basis, and begins at 8.30am each day. Visitors can redeem their free basic Flight ticket from the West Promenade Ticketing Counter No. 8 (limited to one free basic Flight ticket per guest). The first 800 visitors will also receive a pack of limited edition Singapore Flyer red packet with every transaction, while stocks last.

Activities and Performances
Visit Singapore Flyer from 19th February to 1st March 2015, between 12.00pm to 6.30pm, to catch award-winning Dragon and Lion Dance, traditional Chinese War Drums as well Wushu performances from Jalan Besar CC Dragon & Lion Group, Tian Eng Dragon & Lion Group, Yu Ying Secondary School and Shuqun Secondary School. Don’t forget to greet the roving God of Fortune and Lucky Goat mascots too, as they bless you with boundless luck and prosperity for this Lunar New Year. 

Istana Open House
20 Feb 2015; 8.30am - 6pm
Istana (Entrance to the Istana grounds is via the main gate at Orchard Road)
FREE for Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents. 
Other visitors are required to pay an entrance fee of $1 per person.

There will be a variety of performances on the grounds during the Open House. For an entrance fee of $2, visitors could tour selected function rooms in the Istana building and view a special display of gifts presented to the President and the Prime Minister. There are also guided tours of the Istana building, conducted by the Preservation of Sites and Monuments (PSM) volunteers. Istana souvenirs are also sold at the Open House. All proceeds from the sale of the souvenirs and the entrance fees collected are donated to charity.

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station
20 Feb 2015; 9am - 6pm

Starting on 20 Feb 2015, the old Tanjong Pagar Railway Station will be open to the public during public holidays.

Huayi - Chinese Festival of Arts 2015
20 Feb - 1 Mar 2015
Various Shows & Dates
Esplanade


The Magic Ocean
Come on an underwater adventure down below at The Magic Ocean. In this theatrical experience specially designed for 2 – 4 year olds, children will discover a magical world through a visual and aural spectacle that combines shadow play, music as well as interaction. Performed in Mandarin.
27 Feb 2015: 9.30am, 11am & 4pm
28 Feb 2015: 11am, 2pm & 4pm
1 Mar 2015: 11am, 2pm & 4pm
Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio
Tickets: $18 or Package of 4 for $64

FREE Programmes and Activities
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with an exciting range of free performances and activities over two weekends. Enjoy Chinese traditional arts, instrumental music, evergreen hits and performances by talented local singers and ensembles. Don’t miss its exhilarating festival opening on 20 Feb as well! For more details on various shows' dates and timings, visit http://www.huayifestival.com/2015/?page_id=675.

Transformers 30th Anniversary Exhibition
Now til 1 Mar 2015
The Annexe, Science Centre
Adult & Senior Citizen: $30 | Child: $22


Transformers 30th Anniversary Exhibition celebrates 30 years of evolution of the much beloved and world famous Transformers series. The exhibition presents a snapshot of the history of Transformers and the scenes and robots of the Transformers movies in stunning life-like depiction. This exhibition will set visitors on an adventure as they embark on a quest to find out more about Transformers and come face to face with the signature 7m high Optimus Prime and Bumblebee! There’s more to it than meets the eye as the exhibition is filled with activities such as the challenging laser maze, Transformer movie screenings, photo opprtunities, dynamic exhibits as well as a hands-on zone which will keep the whole family entertained and occupied! for more information, visit HERE.

Da Vinci: Shaping the Future
Now til Mid-May 2015
10am - 7pm daily
ArtScience Museum
Standard: Adult $22 | Senior Citizens (>65) $22 | Child (2-12) $14
Local Residents: Adult $18 | Senior Citizens (>65) $16.50 | Child (2-12) $9.50 


Da Vinci: Shaping the Future is a journey through the work and legacy of the most celebrated artist and scientist of all time, Leonardo da Vinci. Presenting original masterpieces by da Vinci for the first time in Southeast Asia, the exhibition focuses on the Codex Atlanticus, da Vinci’s largest notebook. There is a great range of child-friendly activities in Da Vinci: Shaping the Future which can keep children and their parents occupied for hours! From interactive exhibits throughout the route through the exhibition, to take-home activities and creative, hands-on workshops, there is something to suit all ages and learning styles.

*Family Fridays: Starting from 23 January, children under 12 years old enter for free with every adult ticket purchased. Visit HERE for more information.


CNY Celebrations 2015 at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort
1 - 28 Feb 2014; Mon - Thur 10am - 6pm | Fri - Sun 10am - 7pm
LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort
Admission charges apply


Celebrate the Year of the Goat the LEGO way, with traditional performances and unique and exciting LEGO building activities, including an attempt to set a new LEGO building record! Build a goat from LEGO bricks and don’t forget to take a picture of the flock of LEGO goats and be thrilled by the action-packed yet elegant lion dance performances. Visit HERE for more details on shows and timings.

Chingay 2015
27 & 28 Feb 2015; 8pm
27 Feb - Cat 1 $50 | Cat 2 $40 | Cat 3 $28.50
28 Feb - Cat 1 $60 | Cat 2 $50 | Cat 3 $28.50
 F1 Pit Building


In celebration of SG50, Chingay 2015, themed "We Love SG" (我们爱新加坡), will be the grandest Parade ever organised!  The 43rd Chingay Parade Singapore will be presented by 11,000 beautiful multi-cultural performers.  One million colourful "We Love SG Flowers" handcrafted from used plastic bags will form a spectacular sight at the grand opening of the Parade, each Flower representing love and well-wishes for Singapore.  The dazzling grand finale, entitled "Trees of Hope, Singapore Dreams" (希望之树, 狮城梦) will celebrate the hopes and dreams for the future of Singapore!  Expect exciting world-class acts and much more from Chingay 2015! For more details and tickets, visit www.sistic.com.sg/events/chingay0215.

Movies for the Family!


Ah Boys To Men 3: Frogmen - Opening 19 Feb 2015
Shaun The Sheep - Opening 19 Feb 2015

Aesop's Fables
26 Feb - 21 Mar 2015
Tue - Fri: 10am & 2.30pm | Sat - Sun: 10.30am, 2.30pm & 5pm
Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel
Standard $32 & $30


Watch a selection of Aesop's most famous, and most interesting stories, using marvellous mask, puppetry, live action and song. With a mixture of fun, excitement and silliness, witness the lives, lunches and misadventures of a band of scruffy, silly and sometimes stubborn creatures, as they learn life's little wisdoms, and bigger secrets. For more details and tickets, visit HERE.

Roald Dahl's Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs
28 Feb - 14 Mar 2015; 11am & 1pm
Ulu Pandan CC Theatrette
Standard $30


Based on Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, these two classic tales are put together into one "Big Bad" musical of a show. Roald Dahl's imaginative re-telling features music based on the orchestral commissions by the Roald Dahl Foundation. Be sure to catch this howlingly hilarious, and tail-twistingly treacherous show. For more details and tickets, visit HERE.



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A Reminder on Valentine's Day

February 13, 2015, 5:00 pm
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Look, I haven't always been too fond of Valentine’s Day. In my view, it is just a ‘Hallmark Holiday’ which was created to increase sales. If I loved my wife and the monkies every single day throughout the year, every day is Valentine's Day, no?

I was wrong.

Even if I treated every day of the year like Valentine’s Day, the day gives me another opportunity to show my wife and kids love. Especially after the events in the past 2 months.

It all began when we just returned from Cebu in early December. The wifey was feeling nauseous, had extreme stomach pains and suffered a loss of appetite. The symptoms went on and off during the next one month and it all culminated on a Sunday in mid-January when there was blood in her stool.

Obviously, alarm bells rang in our heads and we were done to the A&E department in Alexandra Hospital in a flash. If I may digress, the A&E at AH is totally non-crowded and we were attended to in less than 30 minutes. Anyway, we saw the doctor and an initial diagnosis was peptic ulcers in the stomach. But since there was blood in the stools, an endoscopy was scheduled in early February to be safe.

Naturally, we could not really sleep well in the next few nights after that so we decided that we could not wait for the scheduled endoscopy at the hospital. We went to a gastroenterologist in private practice and she did the scope then and there.

The result was negative. Nothing was wrong with her stomach, which was a relief but it still did not offer us answers to the nauseous feeling, and burning sensation in her stomach and upper chest areas. By now, the wifey had lost close to 5kg due to the loss of appetite. The burning sensation kept her up all night - she could not sleep a wink, and frankly neither could I.

It got really worrying, and also frustrating as we could not pinpoint the exact reason of the symptoms she had been experiencing. By late January, we turned to a TCM practitioner and she started her daily acupuncture sessions.

I don't know if it was the result of the acupuncture but we finally saw signs of improvement. Her appetite slowly returned, she could sleep better at night and more importantly, my old Sharon was back.

We never really found out the real reason behind the wifey's symptoms. It could have been a really bad case of reflux or due to the lining of her stomach but I am just glad she is recovering well - and in time for CNY too!

I simply cannot imagine life without her, and how our monkies would have turned out to be if she was not always there for them, I count myself a lucky man that I ended up with someone who not only tolerates my temper and impatience, but also someone who I really want to be perfect for.


So yes, I may not really need a 'Valentine's Day' celebration since every day of mine is spent dedicated to caring, loving, and supporting her. But it really doesn't hurt to have such a day to remind her (and myself) how much I love her and the kids, how much they love me and that I will always remember this: cherish them more than anything else in my life.

I love you, Sharon.
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All You Need is Love (and Cookie)

February 14, 2015, 10:45 pm
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My wife loves baking. And me? I show my support by eating whatever she bakes. Which luckily for me, isn't a tough job since she whips up tantalising creations every time. So the one time I want to try my hand at baking something - you know, since Chinese New Year is round the corner - the monkies, especially Ale, didn't think I could do it.


I guess Ale's expression said it all. Pretty epic huh?


The only major drawback when it comes to baking though, is the huge amount of work that takes BEFORE the baking process itself - all the organising and making sure I have all the ingredients in, plus a trip to the supermarket or baking shop if I am lacking in any ingredient. All these is enough to make me swear off baking.

Thankfully though, Betty Crocker has the answer for baking newbies like me. To be honest, this was not my first time using Betty Crocker products - we had previously used one of its brownie mix to bake brownies for the monkies' teachers for Teacher's Day. Having saw that the preparation effort was almost non-existent, it was a no-brainer when the monkies requested to bake something for the upcoming Chinese New Year!


So for our weekend bonding session, we settled on the Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. What is in the mix? It is a combination of enriched flour, brown sugar, and of course chocolate chips. And this for me, is where the cookie mix come into its own. I just had to measure out half a cup of softened butter, take out one egg and voila, the monkies were able to take over the kitchen.


I love it that the kiddos were able to do the adding of the ingredients all by themselves with minimal input from me. Kids being kids, they are always so proud that they are able to make things all by themselves, no?


But since this was going to a treat for the wifey, I had a part to play - by kneading the mixture of the cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms.


After everything had come together, Ayd then had the momentous task of scooping spoonfuls of dough onto the baking tray.


And just like that, we were all done!


All that was left to do was to pop the trays into the oven between 8 and 11 minutes depending on the size of cookies, and bake until the edges are light golden brown.


Then came the all important taste test. And the verdict from the monkies was unanimous: the chocolate chip cookies tasted fantastic, with lovely gooey middles and a bit of a crunch on the outside. Definitely sounds like just how a cookie should be!


For the monkies, their motivation in helping out with the baking of the cookies is getting to eat whatever they made at the end whereas for me, I am just happy that there is absolutely no complexity in the baking process at all.

Everything about Betty Crocker bake mixes is just so fuss-free and insanely easy to do. There are no elaborate ingredients to prepare, minimal mess and infinitely easier than baking from scratch especially for people who are new to baking... like me!


But the most important thing of all though, is the chance to involve my monkies in a fun activity at home... without the fear of the kitchen looking like a war zone after we are done.


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Singapore's Top 10 Indoor Playgrounds (REVISED!)

February 16, 2015, 6:07 pm
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Rain or shine, heading down to one of the many Indoor Playgrounds in Singapore and letting the kids release some of that pent-up energy will do wonders for them and us parents too. My last compilation of the top Indoor Playgrounds was in 2012 and since then, new playgrounds have mushroomed while existing ones have opened more branches. 

So here they are, an updated list of top 10 Indoor Playgrounds in Singapore, in alphabetical order, which my monkies have been raving madly about.

1. Amazonia

Boasting an adrenaline-inducing four-tiered wave slide, coupled with a dedicated toddlers' area for those below 3 years of age, this Indoor Playground surely has got the right ingredients to get kids of all ages truly pumped up.

And if that isn’t enough to tire them out, kids can partake in 2 Glow-in-the-Dark games: Spaceball where up to 4 players on each team load up their air guns with foam balls and attempt to shoot target boards located above the opposing team, and 3D Glow Golf where kids can try out the 9-hole putting course under the watchful eyes of Marine animals, Pirates and Dinosaurs!


Website: http://www.amazoniafun.com/

Area: Central

Yay: High fun factor, especially with refreshingly entertaining play features like the 3D Glow Golf, Spaceball and the ultimate Wave Slide.  Also, the cafe is situated right across the main Play area, which makes it easy to watch over the kids.

Nay: The entrance fees. Fun as it may be, the entrance fees and additional charges for the Golf & Spaceball games may be a tad too much for the wallet.

Did you know? The 8-metre slide is the tallest Indoor Playground 4-tiered wave slide in Singapore.

Price: 1-3 years old - $22 for 2 hours | 3-12 years old - $33 for 2 hours | Babies under 1 year old – Free 3D Glow Golf - $8.60 | Spaceball - $5.35

Verdict: 4.5 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address: Great World City, #03-08, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Singapore 237994

Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm daily


2. Cool De Sac 

This is a children’s entertainment play centre like no other. For starters, not only does it have the usual exciting slides and tunnels and a tots play area for kids under the age of 3, the bricks section will make every child (and adult) feel like he is in LEGO heaven!

There are also free crafting materials and a Backstage area where kids can dress up and indulge in some creative role-playing. Even tweens are not left out as there are interactive console games catered specially for the older kids!


Website: cooldesac.com.sg

Area: Central

Yay: The wide variety of educational play stations on top of the usual play structures. Definitely value for money since the rates are for unlimited play time regardless of weekday or weekend.

Nay: There are no toilets or nursing rooms within the premises, although there is a diaper-changing area.

Did you know? The craft activities and role-playing costumes are included in the entrance fees.

Price: Under 3years old: Weekdays - $10.70; Weekends & Public Holidays - $13.90 | 3-12 years old: Weekdays - $21.40; Weekends & Public Holidays - $27.80 | Free for 6 months and below

Verdict: 4.5 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall, #02-379/80, Singapore 038983

Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Weekdays) | 9am – 10pm (Weekends)


3. Fidgets

Boasting three outlets in Singapore, each Fidgets branch offers something different for every child. Fidgets World at The Grandstand is the flagship outlet, with a massive 2,600 sq ft indoor playground divided into three zones with play structures and obstacles of different challenge levels. Mister and Miss Ants-in-their-Pants will find an outlet for all energy in Fidgets’ impressive multi-storey play structure — a maze of tubes, slides, obstacles, and even a zip line.

Fidgets City at Marina Bay Sands is a cosier affair with a multi-level play structure that features an exciting three-way slide, and stations for tiny hands to get creative on art and craft. It is recommended for children aged 7 and below. Fidgets Island at Paragon Shopping Centre offers no adrenaline-inducing slides or play structures but instead, art & craft activities like painting, clay-sculpting and paper art. Perfect for parents who wish to shop in peace!


Website: www.fidgets.com.sg

Area: Central

Yay: Lots of climbing structures, and 3 separate areas for babies, toddlers and older kids. Very affordable entrance fees, which allow kids to play all day for a flat fee.

Nay: May be a tad inaccessible if one doesn’t drive, especially for its flagship branch at The Grandstand.

Did you know? Custom designed and manufactured in Australia by world leader Playtec, the structure includes the first automatic and interactive ball washing machine in Singapore reducing over 99% of germs.

Price: 
Fidgets World: 1-2 years old - $10 for unlimited play per entry | 2-10  years old - $22 for unlimited play per entry | Babies under 1 year old – Free
Fidgets City: 1 and above - $22 for first hour, $10 per hour thereafter | Babies under 1 year old – Free
Fidgets Island: Express Craft: $15 (30-min session) | Classic Craft - $25 (1.5-hour session) | Pick-my-own-Craft - $20 (1.5-hour session) | $8 per block of 30 min thereafter for all craft sessions

Verdict: 3.5 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address:
Fidgets World: 200 Turf Club Road, #03-10, the Grandstand, Singapore 287994
Fidgets City: No. 2 Bayfront Ave, #B1-57, the Shoppes, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 018972
Fidgets Island: 290 Orchard Road, Level 5 Paragon Shopping Centre, Singapore 238859

Opening Hours: Fidgets World 9am - 6pm daily | Fidgets City 10am – 10pm daily | Fidgets Island 11am – 7pm (Mon-Thur) & 11am – 9pm (Fri-Sun & PH)


4. Go-Go Bambini

Priding itself as being one of the pioneers in the Indoor Playground scene here, the 6-metre high play structure features 4 levels of wild fun for the kids to explore. And the list goes something like this: ballpits, two climbing walls, a ball blower, tunnels, flying fox, slides and much more.

Parents can seek solace in the café which offers free Wifi and two computers for use. Food on the menu boasts an impressive range which includes gourmet burgers, organic coffee, kid’s meals and baby food.


Website: http://www.gogobambini.com/

Area: Central

Yay: The use of jungle theme and bright colours to make the entire place a vibrant and fun environment for kids to enjoy play. And not forgetting that the café serves palatable fare too.

Nay: Just like Fidgets, it may be a tad inaccessible if one doesn’t drive.

Did you know? In addition to its in-house recycling efforts, Go-Go Bambini also contributes to the Alpha Biofuels waste oil recycling programme, which helps to recycle used cooking oil into eco-friendly bio-diesel.

Price: 11 months – 11 years old - $25 unlimited play per entry ($25 for 2 hours on public holidays, $6 for each subsequent 30 minutes) | Babies below 11 months: $5 per entry

Verdict: 4 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address: Blk 8 Dempsey Road, #01-15, Dempsey Hill, Singapore 247696

Opening Hours: 9am – 7pm daily


5. Happy Willow

Happy Willow first set up shop at Fushionopolis, and recently added another place of fun at One KM Mall. Particularly suited for kids aged between 9 months and 9 years, Happy Willow is billed as an enchanting playground where fairies and elves roam the Play Garden.

The indoor play area is divided into 2 areas - a Kids' Den for older kids and a Toddlers' Turf for kids below 2 years old. Besides the usual slides, ballpit and zip lines, kids can snuggle up at the Book Burrow reading corner, or dabble in some arty work in the art and craft corner.


Website: http://www.happywillow.com.sg/

Area: West & East

Yay: The kids loved the whimsical fairy-tale like décor of the Indoor Playground

Nay: Play structures are a little limited due to space constraint.

Did you know? Happy Willow has 2 ball pits; one for older kids, and the other for toddlers – which is a welcome relief for parents with young children.

Price: 
Happy Willow FUSIONOPOLIS: 9-23 months old - $10 for Unlimited Play | 2 years old and above - $18 for Unlimited Play | Babies 9 months and below – Free (if he/she is accompanied by a paying child.)
Happy Willow ONE KM: 9-23 months old - $10 for Unlimited Play (Weekends & PH $12 for 3-hour play) | 2 years old and above - $18 for Unlimited Play (Weekends & PH $22 for 3-hour play) | Babies 9 months and below – Free (if he/she is accompanied by a paying child.)

Verdict: 3.5 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address: 
Happy Willow FUSIONOPOLIS: 1 Fusionopolis Way, Fusionopolis, Connexis Tower, #B1-06, Singapore 138632
Happy Willow ONE KM: 11 Tanjong Katong Road #02-01/02 One KM Singapore 437157

Opening Hours: 
Happy Willow FUSIONOPOLIS 9.30am – 6.30pm (Mon-Fri) & 9.30am – 7.30pm (Sat, Sun & PH) Happy Willow ONE KM 10.30am – 9.30pm daily


6. Hokey Pokey

Imagine walking into a toy store and getting to pick whatever educational plaything without a single objection. That is the premise of the two branches of Hokey Pokey at Millenia Walk and Seletar Mall. Its padded play area is strewn with toys, ride-ons, toys, slides, toys, ball pits, toys,  making it perfect for the 6 and under crowd. Imaginations soar with make-believe toys like a kitchen, a castle, game corner, and musical instruments. 


Website: hokeypokey.com.sg

Area: Central & North East

Yay: Finally, an Indoor Playground which is catered with the younger toddlers in mind. The staff do take safety and hygiene very seriously too. There were staff stationed at the various corners of the play areas at all times, and for the 2 hours that we were there, I spotted staff sanitizing the toys no less than 3 times.

Nay: There are no climbing structures or scream-inducing slides here, so older kids might want to look away.

Did you know? 5 mummies had come together to set up Hokey Pokey because they had realised that there were a shortage of play gyms that actually catered to the needs and abilities of younger toddlers.

Price: $26 for unlimited play per entry (2 hours for Weekends & Public Holidays); $8 for an additional hour of play (Admission is for 1 Adult & 1 Child; Additional Adult at $5 per pax)

Verdict: 4 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address: 
Hokey Pokey Millenia Walk: 9 Raffles Boulevard, Millenia Walk #02-42, Singapore 03959633
Hokey Pokey Seletar Mall: 33 Sengkang West Avenue, #B1-28/29, The Seletar Mall, Singapore 797653

Opening Hours: 
Millenia Walk 10am to 7pm (Sun – Thurs) & 10am – 9pm (Fri & Sat)
Seletar Mall 10am – 9pm daily


7. Kidz Amaze @ SAFRA

Kidz Amaze may have two playgrounds under its wings but both of them are as different as chalk and cheese. The one at SAFRA Jurong is unlike other Indoor Playgrounds as it isn’t housed over a sprawling site. Instead, it is equipped with an iInteractive three-storey play system which features one of the highest indoor spiral slides in Asia and the tallest interactive foam ball arena. The entire arena consists of themed interactive soft play centres which serve to stretch a child's imagination. For toddlers, there is also a separate and fully equipped play area with a gated entrance.


Over at SAFRA Toa Payoh, the 12,700 square foot facility features a unique scavenger hunt attraction where kids and their parents can explore 3 custom themed zones in search of tangram puzzle pieces. It is also equipped with Singapore’s first Infant & Toddler Play Zone designed by early childhood experts.

Website: www.safra.sg/en/Enjoy/Kidz-Amaze.aspx

Area: West & Central

Yay: It’s big, fun and full of challenging obstacles, especially for older kids. Even parents can join in the mayhem, if their oversized bodies can fit through the nooks and crannies of the play structure that is.

Nay: Smaller children might get lost in the climb to the summit as the ascent might prove to be too challenging for them.

Did you know? Kids Amaze is the only Indoor Playground in this Top 10 list that offers a Family Package for entrance fees.

Price: 
18 months – 18 years old:  Weekdays - $12.70 for unlimited play per entry; Weekends, PH & Sch Hols - $18 for unlimited play per entry | Less than 18 months old: Free |Accompanying adults: $2.15 | Family package (2 Adults & 2 Children): $38.80

Verdict: 4 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address:
SAFRA Jurong: 333 Boon Lay Way, Singapore 649848
SAFRA Toa Payoh: 293 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310190

Opening Hours: 1pm - 7pm (Mon – Thur), 1pm – 9pm (Fri) & 10am – 9pm (Sat, Sun & PH)
Jurong: Closed for maintenance every last Mon of the month.
Toa Payoh: Closed for maintenance every first Mon of the month.


8. The Petite Park

Designed to be an imaginative, challenging, and fun yet safe environment for children to play and explore, The Petite Park offers 2 main play spaces: Active Play & Pretend Play.

The Active Play area consists of colourful play structures ranging from a ball pit, bubble tunnel to a giant inflatable slide. The Pretend Play area features an impressive selection of play toys for toddlers; from train sets & tables, kitchen toys, make-believe food stalls, to music instruments and educational puzzle toys.

Parents can also observe their young-lings from a distance, by getting a rest on the bar stools right outside the playground while enjoying a cuppa or reading a magazine.


Website: http://www.petitepark.com.sg/index.html

Area: East

Yay: A well-padded Indoor Playground, with its play structures and toys well-thought out for the younger children and complete with toys that encourage role-playing.

Nay: Older children above the age of 6 might not find the play structures particularly challenging.

Did you know? The Petite Park is designed for children under 130cm.

Price: 9 months and above:  Weekdays - $18 for unlimited play per entry; Weekends, PH & Sch Hols - $18 for 2 hours and $6 for each hour thereafter | Less than 9 months old: Free

Verdict: 3.5 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address:
Changi City Point: 5 Changi Business Park Central 1, #02-15/16, Singapore 486038
City Square Mall: #B2-51/52, 180 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208539

Opening Hours: 
Changi City Point 10.30am – 9pm (Mon-Fri) & 10am – 9pm (Sat, Sun & PH)
City Square Mall 10.30am – 9.30pm (Mon-Fri) & 10am – 10pm (Sat, Sun & PH)


9. The Playhouse @Rochester

Housed in a grand colonial bungalow, The Playhouse is unlike the other Indoor Playgrounds featured. It is situated beside an extremely family-friendly outdoor café, with a sole purpose – to provide parents some personal time while their kids play freely in The Playhouse under supervision.

No tall spiralling slides here, but The Playhouse is peppered with loads of toys in every corner - a make-believe cooking kitchen play area, an area where dress-up play is encouraged, and even a mini slide with a ball pit. And there’s more. A train table with lots of trains to keep the boys occupied, while the girls can chill at the craft area to complete some colouring or handiwork.


Website: www.rochesterhouse.com.sg

Area: West

Yay: A recent refurbishment also saw its outdoor area being transformed into a fantastic play area filled with slides, water play and a trampoline!

Nay: Children above the age of five will get bored rather quickly.

Did you know? While parents are allowed in the Playhouse, they are not encouraged to stay inside, as the Playhouse’s concept is to allow parents some personal time while being still near their children.

Price: 1 hour Play-pass $8 | 2 hours Play-pass  @ $10 | Unlimited Play-pass @ $15

Verdict: 4 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address: 7 Rochester Park, Singapore 139218

Opening Hours: Tues - Fri 11am - 7pm | Sat & Sun 10am - 8pm


10. The Polliwogs

Now open at four locations, The Polliwogs has a number of incredible amusements to keep every child busy and happy. At the East Coast Park branch, they are encouraged to run amok and go crazy in the indoor play arena or jump wildy in the outdoor Poliwobbly – one of the largest outdoor inflatable structure in Singapore. At Robertson Walk, children can climb the walls or jiggle on the water bed, all these on top of rampaging through the bigger play arena.

Over at VivoCity, younger kids will adore the Toddler area which is one of the best that I have come across among all of the Indoor Playgrounds so far. The facilities for the younger ones are functional and offered more variety to keep them stimulated and busy. Or if your child prefers scampering through various obstacles and firing ball blasters, Suntec City which is the largest Polliwogs yet will be your best bet.


Website: http://www.thepolliwogs.com

Area: East, Central & South

Yay: A big thumbs up for the giant play area for toddlers, which has got to be one of the largest among all Indoor Playgrounds in Singapore. Also, I love the chill area for parents which come with comfortable seating overlooking the entire indoor play area.

Nay: It can get really crowded during the weekends.

Did you know? Free one-hour art & craft and storytelling sessions take place every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 4pm (usual admission charges apply).

Price: 
East Coast Park: 2-12 years old: Weekdays - $18 for unlimited play per entry; Weekends & Public Holidays - $20 for 2 hours | Below 2 years old: Weekdays - $10 for unlimited play per entry; Weekends & Public Holidays - $10 for 2 hours
Other Branches: 2-12 years old: Weekdays - $20 for unlimited play per entry; Weekends & Public Holidays - $25 for 2 hours | Below 2 years old: Weekdays - $13 for unlimited play per entry; Weekends & Public Holidays - $13 for 2 hours

Verdict: 4.5 thumbs up (out of 5)

Address:
East Coast Park: 1020 East Coast Parkway, #01-02, Singapore 449878
Robertson Walk: 11 Unity Street, #02-18/19 Robertson Walk, Singapore 237995
VivoCity: 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03-12 VivoCity, Singapore 098585
Suntec City: 3 Temasek Boulevard, #02-724 to 727, Tower 4, Suntec City Mall, Singapore 038983

Opening Hours:
East Coast Park & Robertson Walk 10am – 7pm (Weekdays) & 10am – 8pm (Weekends)
VivoCity 10am – 9pm daily
Suntec City 10am – 8.30pm (Sun-Thur) & 10am – 9pm (Fri & Sat)



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Have a Prosperous Year of the Goat!

February 20, 2015, 6:30 am
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How has everyone's Chinese New Year been so far?


For us, it has been the usual house-to-house visiting, feasting, catching up with relatives - and repeat. No doubt the collection of those red packets is the highlight for the monkies!


Here's wishing everyone a Year of Goat filled with Prosperity, Happiness, Harmony and most importantly Good Health!


And hope that your kids'angpow loot will make them levitate with joy!


May the HUAT be with you!
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Get Lost to Escape: A Game of Thinking & Teamwork for Families

February 23, 2015, 12:04 am
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Media Invite

Ever since we walked past an Escape Room shop in a mall last year, Ayd has been badgering me to bring him to one. In case you didn't know, Escape Rooms are real-world games that imprison participants in a room with friends, where you are then forced to hunt for clues within the room, using logic and teamwork to free yourselves in a race against the clock.

So when the chance came to bring the entire family down to pit our wits against one such room, it was an offer the monkies (and I) could not refuse.

Opened late last year, Lost SG originated from Hong Kong and is the top rated escape room franchise there. While most escape rooms depend on a traditional lock-and-key concept to advance in the game, Lost SG banks on automation and simulation technology, which gives them an edge over other escape rooms in Singapore. 


There are a total of 5 escape games to choose from, and we were tasked with Alcatraz, which was given a 4.5 out of 6 difficulty rating - the lowest of the 5 games. Only 4.5 stars??? I scoffed at being allocated with the easiest challenge of the lot. Or so I thought.

After watching a chort video clip to set the premise of the story, we were thrown into prison. Literally.


Actually, the suspense began even before that. We were all blindfolded as we were led to our room and when told to remove our blindfolds, we found ourselves behind bars, with nothing in our cell except for a bench, a locked box and some props.


There were 3 cells in total, with all of us were separated and locked up in individual cells. Time was of the essence - we were given 60 minutes to escape - and we got down to work immediately.


To be honest, the puzzles were harder than I thought. Or it could be due to the fact that we did not sit on the puzzles long enough.


Some required a basic level of arithmetic skills, while other puzzles called for a large amount of teamwork - yes, we had to swap certain items through the cell bars to free ourselves from the prison cells.


After we successfully freed ourselves, we had to converge and figure out a way to escape from the room. I would not want to spoil the fun, but let me just say I was impressed with the use of technology in the room, and how it was incorporated with many of the mechanisms that we had to utilise to move on to the next clue.

Also, not all of the room's puzzles bordered on locks and number combinations. We had to scour the room for clues, read every single line of the documents and use our eyes to look out for the slightest hint.

So... the answer to the big question remain: Did we manage to escape in time?


I suppose the photo above is evident enough. We ran out of time but we did manage to crack the code in the end - after an extra 5 minutes.

And naturally, I suppose the next big question is: Is Lost SG for families with kids?


For Alcatraz, it was devoid of any scary element. Sure, it was dimly lit and Ale was initially a tad scared when she found herself locked in a cell. But as the game progressed, she slowly warmed up to it. In fact, the 5 themed rooms do not feature any haunted themes, making it suitable for families with children.


Even though we did not manage to escape, we still lots of fun attempting to solve the innovative puzzles which are nicely balanced with the relevancy of the storyline. But I guess the best testimonial came from the boys, who cannot wait to take on another room! I think that means we will be back for another round then... and this time, we shall be victorious. I hope.



Useful Information

Lost SG
Address: Peace Centre, 1 Sophia Road, #03-01/02/03, Singapore 228149
Opening Hours: Sun – Thur 11am - 11pm | Fri & Sat 11am – 1am
Price:
Off Peak: Weekdays 11am – 5.45pm $20.90 per person
Peak: Weekends, Eve of PHs & PHs, Weekday (from 6pm onwards) $26.90 per person
Website: lost.sg
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