This June holidays, unless most school holidays, we decided to stay put in Singapore and not go traveling. Well, unless you count that one time we took a day trip into Johor Bahru, Malaysia to bring Lil Pumpkin to Angry Birds Activity Park hehe..
With no more school rush, our days lightened up a bit {although we were both still working} and we made use of our time to relax as a family, clean up our home and also explore some of our local kids' attractions and activities. For the first time, Lil Pumpkin went to Amazonia indoor playground, KidsStop at Science Centre, learnt how to do simple coding and also experienced an exciting 3-days Kids Aerial Yoga Workshop at Trium Fitness in Aperia Mall, near Lavender MRT station.
As the boy's shoulder is currently injured, he has stopped CrossFit for a while too and now concentrates more on his own strength training and yoga. Yup, he's been taking yoga classes regularly to help with his mobility and rehabilitation.
For the past 2 months or so, he's been using the GuavaPass to try out different types of yoga classes at different yoga studios. Although it's not available on GuavaPass, one class he's been going to is the Adults Aerial Yoga class at Trium Fitness.
According to Trium Fitness, Aerial Yoga is described as "suspended off the ground in Cirque Du Soleil style, students in this class will enjoy the benefits of spinal decompression, pain relief and ease in inversions among other physical benefits. Combining yoga and aerial acrobatics with the use of a silk hammock, many poses include added benefits of lengthening and anti-aging."
The boy likes the teacher & class so when he found out that the studio was hosting a workshop for the kids {7-12 years old} too, he immediately signed Lil Pumpkin up!
It was the first time Lil Pumpkin tried any type of yoga o((*^▽^*))o
During the 1.5hrs workshop, the kids were taught how to explore aerial yoga in a fun and relaxed environment. Taught by Ming, who teaches the boy during his adult Aerial Yoga class, and another lady, the workshop was also designed to increase the children's flexibility, strength, stamina, self-confidence, and coordination to promote self-discipline, concentration, and teamwork.
Parents aren't allowed inside the workshop so I can't really review how the classes went, but judging from the photos taken by Trium Fitness and from what Lil Pumpkin says, it seems very hands-on. Lil Pumpkin had a really good time & was literally feeling "uplifted" by the experience! (/^▽^)/ Each day after the workshop, she couldn't wait to tell us what she learnt haha..
And I must say that once again, I am sooooo impressed by Lil Pumpkin's boldness. She isn't scared at all of being suspended off the ground or even flipping upside down, despite not trying anything like this at all before.
I find that as we grow up, we let our past experiences and knowledge of the world limit our ability to try new things. And sometimes, the fear of the unknown or of failure cripples us so that we are afraid of stepping out of our comfort zone.
Most children are like Lil Pumpkin, however. They are naturally curious and fearless.. and aren't afraid to push boundaries to see what they can do and achieve. Of course, fear serves a purpose; it’s a natural human emotion to warn us of possible harm - a call for us to protect ourselves. If this fearlessness is not coupled with common sense, it might prove detrimental to their well-being, but overall I think it's a good thing to be fearless {to a certain extent...}.
As her parents, I hope that we will be able to cultivate and nurture Lil Pumpkin's fearlessness to help her be bold and confident in her pursuits... to be able to to face the world head-on and make the most of every opportunity.
I hope that if she dares to dream it, she will dare to achieve it ₊·*◟(˶╹̆ꇴ╹̆˵)◜‧*･
Anyway, the boy's going to check if Trium Fitness holds regular Kids Aerial Yoga classes or if she can join his adult class. If so, Lil Pumpkin might continue on in this and it will be a fun daddy-daughter activity for the both of them to do together ♥
I'm not a terribly big fan of indoor playgrounds, but if I had to bring Lil Pumpkin to one, Amazonia Family Entertainment Centre at Great World City would definitely be my top few choices.
Let me explain why I'm not usually inclined towards indoor playgrounds first. For one, I think it's quite silly to pay relatively exorbitant prices to play at a playground, when there are so many free and spacious playgrounds easily available in Singapore. Some of the indoor playground admission prices I've seen are even comparable to USS or Adventure Cove theme parks!
Secondly, space is a premium in Singapore and most of the indoor playgrounds are rather small and cramped. I advocate "free play", which yeah means being able to play for free, but also to play and run freely in open, spacious areas... one of the reasons why I prefer outdoor playgrounds to indoor ones.
Thirdly, for some reasons indoor playgrounds seem to be always crowded!! What fun is there in waiting long for slide rides or bumping into people at almost every turn?? Plus the noise... oh goodness, imagine one kid screaming excitedly... now multiply that by at least 20-30 in a confined area!!
So why do I think Amazonia is one of the better indoor playgrounds then?
Well, mainly because it is not just an indoor playground, but Singapore's first fully themed and integrated Family Entertainment Centre where children and families can play and dine together in a 9500 sq ft air-conditioned facility. It's like a mini indoor theme park!!
They have the highest indoor Wave Slides {8m}, a 6-storey {!!!} high Adventure Climbing Maze, a Toddlers Play Area, a Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf course, a Glow-in-the-Dark Spaceball Shootout room, an outdoor Crazy Bounce giant trampoline, and their very own AMAZON Bistro which serves quality family meals.
About 2 weeks ago, I went down with Lil Pumpkin, my sis and Lil J for a play-date at Amazonia. It's unlimited playtime on weekdays during the June school holidays and even though there was 40+ preschool kids on an excursion there in the morning, not to mention other customers, it didn't seem that congested at all.
There was plenty of space for the kids {and adults!!} to play and rest #winning
Lil Pumpkin spent most of her time inside the Adventure Climbing Maze. I have no idea where she gets her energy from but thank goodness I train regularly so I could keep up with her. Kinda.. haha.
The Adventure Climbing Maze is fun central with the huuuuge wave slide, mini spiral slides, ball pit, mini trampoline, suspension bridges and tunnels. Recommended for kids aged 3-12 years old, but of course younger kids and those young-at-heart *cough cough* can enter too.
Yup, I really appreciated that adults could freely join the kids in their games and play too. I was half expecting the staff to tell me to get out of the ball pit or don't sit on the slides.. but no such thing hehe.
Even inside the Adventure Climbing Maze, the tunnels, holes, covered slides and walkways etc. were big enough for me to pass through rather comfortably.
Lil J is about 1.5 years old now and she's played inside the Adventure Climbing Maze at times, but mainly stayed around the dedicated Toddlers Play Area with interactive play panels, musical keyboard, ball pit and mini slide.
The Todders Play Area is only for kids 0-3 years old and their parents, and I saw staff ask older kids to leave the area at times for the safety of the young children. However, if the older kid is a family member and there are not many toddlers around, the staff don't mind them playing there too.
Nearer the entrance, there's a small area where kids can play with Lego, wall activity boards and toys for pretend play too.
It may not be as exciting as the games rooms and jungle gym, but is especially appealing to toddlers or for those kids that want to get away from the bustling main play area I reckon.
The Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf course, Glow-in-the-Dark Spaceball Shootout room, and Crazy Bounce cost extra for use. The prices stated below are correct as of June 2017.
The Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf course costs S$8.60/player for 1 round of 9-holes. Long and short golf clubs are provided and you pay at the Bistro's counter to get 1 golf ball. There's no time limit and I think we spent about 15 mins playing one round inside the glow-in-the-dark room. We've never played mini golf in the dark before so it was quite an interesting experience.
The different golf holes is divided into areas with different motion props & themes like Underwater, Pirates, Dinosaur etc. Lil Pumpkin was a little afraid of the area with the Dinosaurs as there was a moving dino statue too haha.
The ball is "eaten" up at the last hole so I guess if you want to, you can just skip the last hole to go for another round haha.
I think Lil Pumpkin loved Glow-in-the-Dark Spaceball Shootout the most! At S$5.35/player for a game of only 5mins, it is most fun, but also the most expensive activity there.
Players try to out-shoot one another by hitting on electronic scoreboards shot from air cannons. The balls are kinda soft, but you definitely have to be careful not to get hit and I don't recommend babies or toddlers in the room.
It was just Lil Pumpkin and me playing this time round but I think it would be even more fun if we came in a bigger group to really compete with one another haha
For me, other than the long wave slide which I must have gone on at least 10 times.. I enjoyed the outdoor Crazy Bounce trampoline the most. Who doesn't like bouncing and jumping to your hearts' content??! It is just outside the Bistro and costs S$12.86 for 20 mins. There's a capacity limit of 6 pax for players to jump safely.
One thing I found a bit off though was that you're still supposed to wear your indoor socks out to the trampoline (o.O)" I asked the staff if I needed to take off our socks or wear shoes instead, but she said no, just wear our socks.
Hmmm.. This means that you actually walk outside on the ground, to the outside giant trampoline and happily bounce, then walk back inside to the indoor activity areas and continue your play there, if you want. Soooo.. your socks would actually be dirty with all the outside grime and germs, and you would be spreading it all over the indoor activity areas. Won't that defeat the purpose of wearing indoor socks for safety and hygiene when playing??
We didn't eat at the Bistro during lunch but headed out to eat at one of the other restaurants in Great World City. Good thing about being located in such an established mall is that they have lots of food choices available e.g. Kenny Rogers, Poulet, Imperial Treasure Steamboat Restaurant, Bangkok Jam, Kuriya, Mcdonald's etc.
And if you have unlimited play at Amazonia, you can go in and out multiple times. Just remember to get your re-entry chop.
The Bistro serves pastas, salads, sandwiches, cakes, smoothies etc. at reasonable prices though. Might try their food the next time we are there.
Tips:
Bring your own socks. I suggest at least ankle-high and non-slip! If you forget your socks, you can purchase them on-site.
Amazonia will list school excursion dates and number of school children visiting on their website. Check it in advance to plan your visit.
Look out for special deals before you visit. There are currently promotions for UOB Ladies, Standard Chartered, Passion, Citibank and Maybank card holders.
2 party rooms with various themed party packages are available for booking.
No outside food is allowed inside Amazonia, except for milk formula and baby food.
No toilets or nursing room inside Amazonia, so you have to exit and use the mall's facilities. The nearest toilet is on the same floor {Level 3} and baby care rooms are at Level 1 & B1
Amazonia Singapore
Great World City Mall
#03-08, 1 Kim Seng Promenade
Tel: 6235 4522
Mon - Thu: 10am - 9pm
Fri - Sun & PHs: 10am - 9.30pm
Admission: Adults - S$1 {for first 2 adults}, Kids - S$33 {complimentary Spaceball / Mini Golf, Mon-Fri only}, Toddlers - S$22 {complimentary Spaceball / Mini Golf, Mon-Fri only}
Playtime: Unlimited for Mon - Fri and 2hrs for Sat, Sun & PHs
Website: http://www.amazoniafun.com/
Recently, Lil Pumpkin has upgraded to "adult headphones" that's a lot more stylish and sleeker - the Sudio Sweden Earphones in Regent White. They definitely are a pair I would gladly use myself too.. ♥
Lil Pumpkin is always on-the-go with us. We don't have a helper so if she's not at school or any of her extra-curricular classes, that usually means wherever we go, she goes. Sometimes this means that she's at work with us {either at my office or at her daddy's clinic}, or even if we go for our gym sessions / fitness classes.
We will always put her in safe areas away from the weights/ exercise areas in clear view, and give her strict instructions to not go anywhere with strangers or stray away.
Usually, the gym / fitness classes we go to have understanding staff who help to keep an eye out for her too and luckily for us, Lil Pumpkin is a good girl who listens to our instructions and knows how to entertain herself with school work, games {current favourites are word searches & puzzles..} or her favourite videos.
When Lil Pumpkin was younger, she used a kiddy pair of headphones from JVC that I bought from Japan. I've seen them in local stores though. I bought them mainly for our travel flights as the airline earphones are pretty uncomfortable and often slip off {can be such a hassle adjusting them with a trayful of food & blankets all over!}, however she also started using them if she watched her videos / listened to music outside of home.
I reckon good kids headphones are those that have an effective volume limiter {experts recommend 70dB or at most 85dB} to protect their sensitive ears, have minimum noise leakage, and fit comfortably on their smaller heads.
The JVC Tiny Phones {HA-KD5} are sturdy and have comfortable, soft padding. It also has an efficient volume limiter {85dB} and restrict noise leakage relatively ok. Cool thing is that it also comes with some stickers for Lil Pumpkin to customise her headphones and they aren't that expensive too. I'd recommend this kids earphones if you're in the market looking for one. They are built for ages 4 and up.
Lil Pumpkin has been using her kids headphones for about 3 years now and although they still work fine, the cords are rather icky and get tangled easily so I'd prefer her to have a convenient wire-free experience.
There are wireless kids headphones in the market but since she's growing up so fast anyway, adult headphones aren't such a bad idea especially if we are looking for quality headphones that last long and are comfortable. Plus, I can use them too! haha
The Sudio Regent headphones are really, really comfortable. There's leather padding on the headband even, and of course the ear cups, but I'm not kidding when I say that the padding is pillowy-soft and feels comfortable even during extended use which don't worry, isn't often. We tell Lil Pumpkin to rest her ears after an hour or so of use... but she usually doesn't use it for long periods at a go unless we're on a plane and she's watching a movie.
Even as an adult headphone, it fits snugly on Lil Pumpkin at the smallest setting. You can adjust the size easily by lifting the headband up and down its gold metal accents so that it fits a wide variety of head sizes.
As with any wireless headphone, Sudio Regent requires its own power supply and has an inbuilt rechargeable battery. It takes about 2hrs for it to be fully-charged and good thing that its battery life is about 24+hours too, because sometimes Lil Pumpkin forgets to tell us to help her charge it haha. Even with its inbuilt battery, it's just 177g and feels pretty light.
The Sudio Regent headphones connect to any devices via Bluetooth 4.1 and supports multi-pairing. We help Lil Pumpkin to set it up as she's still too young to figure it out herself.
All you have to do is switch on Bluetooth for the device, press the Play/Stop button on the headphones, then pair them after you see the blue and red light. Easy peasy. Bluetooth has a range of 10m so technically speaking, if she wants she can move 10m away from the source device and still hear her audio.
I'm no audiophile, but sound-wise I think the Sudio Regent headphones are pretty good. By that I mean that the sound quality is strong, clear and balanced. There's minimal audio leakage as the ear cups form a good seal {just nice for my ear size and covers Lil Pumpkin's ears fully} and you won't disturb others if your volume is too high but we've taught Lil Pumpkin not to do that. Sometimes she forgets, but most of the times she follows the instructions.
{As there's no volume limiter, the only way to really monitor is by checking on the volume every now and then.}
It's definitely good enough for Lil Pumpkin to use for casual music-listening and video-watching.
The white & gold look is very attractive but I know it will get dirty pretty easily, especially when a kid is using it haha, so I try to give it a wipe-down with a slightly damp cloth after each use. If you like, Sudio Regent headphones also comes in Black.
One thing I'd have appreciated is if it came in its own carry pouch but no biggie, we've many empty bags at home to keep it in when not in use. The metal bars protrude out quite a bit though so they aren't very compact though.
While Lil Pumpkin's previous kids headphone came with stickers for customisation, the Sudio Regent also lets you have your own unique headphone with the customisation of its ear caps. Sold separately at S$29 each, you can choose from 4 fun designs that match Sudio Regent White or Black headphones. Lil Pumpkin chose these pink ones herself!
I hope they have more designs and colours in the future though! Or maybe even one where you can draw and design something yourself... like those Starbucks "Create Your Own Tumblers"??
Sudio Regent Wireless Headphones are sold via Sudio Sweden's website at S$299 each and make a great gift for tweens like Lil Pumpkin, teens or adults. If you use my promo code below in addition to the tax rebate, it will cost S$156 i.e. you save S$143!!! That's excellent savings and it's not even a GSS promo haha.
Sudio Sweden delivers to Singapore with free express shipping {takes 3-5 working days} and currently, there is a complimentary summer tote bag {worth S$33} with every purchase. Have a look at their website for more information and product details.
Promo: Quote "sakuraharuka" for 15% OFF for any Sudio Sweden product from their website. Valid until Sunday, 31 Dec 2017. In addition, you get additional 20% instant tax rebate if you purchase outside EU!
P.S. Look out for a giveaway on their latest Wireless Vasa Blå earphones coming up real soon! (•‿•)♬
*Disclosure: This is a review for Sudio Sweden. All opinions are my own.
We've read countless books but how amazing is it to be part of a story where you are the main character and hero??! It must be such a magical feeling and Bookboo personalised books helps to bring that magic alive for families and children.
Based in Singapore, they are the first ever book that can be personalised for any family with 1 or 2 children, even twins and single parents. The story takes the kid{s} on a jungle adventure where the kid{s} rescue their own parents from the cruel Evilor. The story is designed to help children enhance their vocabulary and inculcate life values of kindness, love and courage
Last month, hubby and I ordered the Fun Family Bookyboo book
for Lil Pumpkin and her cousin, Lil J. When the book arrived earlier in the week, Lil Pumpkin was really excited to read it to Lil J so we went over to my sister's home yesterday to chill and for the kids to play together..
It's really such a sweet sight to see Lil Pumpkin reading to her little cousin (*^▽^*)
Since young, she always loved being the "big jie jie" and taking care of younger kids whether in the family, in school or at the playground.. I've no doubt that if blessed with the opportunity, she would definitely be a wonderful, caring older sister.
And that opportunity came along with Lil J (/^▽^)/
Although both of them are just cousins, we hope that they will both grow up to be close like real sisters and
go on many adventures through life together. This book will be a
precious reminder of the bond they share with one another and a way for the children to discover the power of a strong family and sibling love!
To order the book, just go to Bookyboo's website and key in some simple details like the kid{s} name{s}, gender{s} and you can even customise the book for twins or those with single parents.
The illustrations, characters and story will differ slightly based on your customisations. For example, if you put in 2 kids' names, there will be 2 kids as heroes in the story. If you put in 1 kid's name, there will be 1 kid and his pet dino who will go on the adventure in the story.
Unfortunately, you are not able to customise the "look" of each character e.g. hairstyle, hair colour, race, outfit etc. and I hope that Bookyboo will have this option available in the future.
There is only 1 storyline too where the heroes go into a jungle to fight the villian. I reckon it would be more fun if there were seasonal stories you can choose from too e.g. going to a winter wonderland during Christmas to fight a snow monster haha and hopefully Bookyboo will look into this too.
However, can I just say how impressed I am with the website? It is so clean, easy-to-use and loads fast. You can even preview the whole book for free before purchase! Here are some examples with the different customisation options,
Fun Family Bookyboo for twins, 1 boy and 1 girl, with both parents
Fun Family Bookybook for brothers of different ages
Fun Family Bookybook for single child and single parent
And if having your name all over the book and being the hero of the story isn't good enough, you also get a printed personalised message on the first page too! ♥ Hubby and I wrote a special, individualised message for each of the girl's book.
The Fun Family Bookyboo is printed on rich, thick, textured paper. Each page opens up to panoramic full-spread illustrations. Designed for the little ones' easy reading and sharing, each bookyboo is A4 landscape size {297mm x 210mm}.
Fun Family Bookyboo is recommended for kids aged 3-9 years old, and is definitely easy enough for a child like Lil Pumpkin {who is turning 8 next month by the way!} to read by herself. The text is in simple English using fun rhymes.
Delivery time is estimated to be 12 to 15 working days from the order date. You can check the exact shipping days at the time of checkout. For more information or to make your own personalised book, go to Bookyboo website or Facebook page.
P.S. Bookyboo also has another book called My Adventure where it is personalised for the letters of the child's name. I ordered that for a friend's newborn baby but it will arrive later. I'll review that when it comes in a few more weeks' time (≧∇≦*)
Promo: 10% OFF on the second book, and 15% OFF on the third book onwards. These books must all be in one order and have a common shipping address {discount will be automatically calculated in your cart}. Overseas shipping available, and free delivery to addresses in India, Malaysia and Singapore.
I first saw the 3M Post-it Super Sticky Dry Erase Surface in stores a few months ago and thought they were pretty cool.
All you needed to do was to just peel and stick, and you can transform any ordinary surface into “instant whiteboards”. No extra tools needed and no worries about destroying walls!
Using a proprietary dry erase coating so that it erases cleanly every time from whiteboard markers, the Post-it Super Sticky Dry Erase Surface is a rolled, self-stick film product that easily adheres to horizontal or vertical surfaces, converting them into a pristine, dry erase board.
You can apply them to painted walls, steel, finished wood, glass and even existing chalkboards. Unlike some cheaper versions, the stain-proof writing surface makes it easy to write and erase smoothly, and is less susceptible to scratching or marker stains.
I like that it can easily cut-to-size to create customized whiteboards or fun doodling surfaces. Think about the possibilities!! If you ever thought of getting one of those hipster blackboard walls for your kids to unleash their creativity at home but cringed at the thought of painting a whole wall black and cleaning up the chalk-dust {I sure did haha}, you should really consider getting the 3M Post-it Super Sticky Dry Erase Surface.
You can cover a whole wall with it, or even tables and chairs, and let your kids draw freely to inspire and encourage a nature of creativity or even do school work on. If after some time you feel like redecorating, you just have to peel it off and reuse it somewhere else. No need to repaint any walls at all!
Personally, we've peeled if off a few times to adjust / realign the surfaces and our walls seem fine. We've been using 3M tapes for years and I usually find that they do not damage my walls but do note that results may vary for you, depending on the type of walls you have as well.
Why write down fitness goals? Well, if you have a set clear, written goals for the future, you will make specific plans to transform your dreams into realities :) It's highly motivating and all committed athletes do it.
With them clearly out on the Post-it Super Sticky Dry Erase Surface, it's highly visible and motivating!
Since it’s flat and doesn’t jut out to take out any extra space like a traditional whiteboard, we don’t have to worry about hitting it with any of our bars or gym equipment when lifting weights too.
I think children get a reaaaaaaal real kick out of writing/ drawing on walls haha and Lil Pumpkin does like to use it to doodle and practice her spelling or maths sums too.
It doesn’t come with any accessory holder for the markers and whiteboard eraser, but no biggie - you can buy it separately. I do hope that they come out with a magnetic version soon though so that we can also stick notes and messages on it too.
3M Post-it Super Sticky Dry Erase Surface {60.9cm x 91.4cm} retails at S$55.95 {w/ GST} and is available in selected Popular and leading bookstores.
Promo:15% OFF retail price in Popular and selected Self-fix outlets for the entire month of April 2017.
*Disclosure: This is a review for 3M Singapore. All opinions are my own.
