Monday 31 August 2020

Playing tourists with Let's go tour - Kampong and Marina Barrage

Travelling is definitely out of plan for a long while. Instead, we can play tourists locally, and uncover the many gems within Singapore. It's probably the best we can make out of this crisis.

Over the weekend, we hopped onto two local tours with Let's Go Tour. An award winning licensed travel agency providing immersive Singapore Tours available in both English and Mandarin. We did the Kampong Experience tour, as well as the Water Story & Sustainability tour. On top of these, they have many other educational tours listed in their 'This is Home' series tour. 

Kampong Experience

A 2 hour tour where we walked through Singapore's last standing kampong to know more of its past stories, as well as the development of housings from villages to high rises. This kampong located at Lorong Buangkok is still home to 26 households as of today. Our local guides, Yap and Robin walked us through the village where we were greeted by sounds of crowing roosters, sighted wooden houses sheltered with zinc roofs and spotted interesting plants. It was a good reminder of progression and civilisation. Which in midst, the lost of closeness and neighbourliness. 


Wooden house with zinc roof

 

Spot the 4 digits postal code


The low rise among the high rise


Backyard space

 

Where do we find bamboo in Singapore?!

Taking shelter


Living space

We also had the opportunity to meet land owner, Ms Sng who allowed us to enter her attap guest house and very enthusiastically spoke to us while we were in there. She talked about how close knitted the people are within the kampong, how she cycles out to get her groceries and shared about how visitors are increasingly rising in recent years. It was a nice sit through of story telling. 

It was really interesting to know that the attap houses rental are made extremely affordable without a cent of increment along the years. The monthly rent ranges between $6.50 to $30. 

Do you remember zero point?!

In this meticulously planned tour, the kids also had a go on some childhood games of the past. Making the tour engaging and interactive.



After which we ended our tour with ice pops (sng bao) made by one of the Malay households in the village. She does it for sale to visitors I think. And she kindly invited us into her house to savour the ice pop, and even brought us drinks! The kindness was warm and the savouring of ice pop in a wooden house was just nostalgic.  
 
 
Savouring sng bao

While advancement is necessary, heritage should be preserved. We hope this last kampong will be here to stay. It was a very educational and enriching journey we had. Big Thanks to our guide, Yap for a journey through this well treasured estate.  

With our local guide, Yap

 

Our only advice will be to bring mosquito repellent! Though our guides had it thoughtfully prepared for us. Mosquito bites are part of the experience I guess.


Water Story & Sustainability

In the very same weekend, on a different day, we did the Water Story & Sustainability tour with Let's Go Tour. We embarked on a discovery of our water story and learn about why water is so precious. Our meeting point was at Marina Barrage, and it ended at Gardens By The Bay. 

We took away learning and knowledge on the number of reservoirs we have, and identified the reservoirs that are safe for water activities. Some reservoirs have got sightings of crocodiles! Our guide, Yap also shared on the budget taken to clean up the once polluted Singapore river, as well as the development of marina barrage. It was a pity though that we couldn't visit the gallery and rooftop solar panels. Will be good though if they are included in future tours.

Marina Barrage

Flood gate control model

Past and the present
 

While we may be self sustainable on having clean water, the option of imported water is still cheaper. Water will be priced three times more if we were to be 100% self reliant. Yap also shared on what our 4 national taps are - Local Catchment, Imported, Desalination and Reclaimed water (NEWater).

It was much knowledge shared on water, before we took a leisure stroll over to Gardens By The Bay. 


Cactus!


With the swan
 

Gardens By The Bay is undoubtedly another great pride of Singapore. It is a marvelous rise of horticulture from a barren reclaimed land. And through this tour, we actually discovered a little more about the gardens which we thought we already knew very well of. Not sure about you, but we didn't know there was a little aquarium within the gardens! It was house to some big exotic fishes. 

We scooped some insights to its supertrees too. 11 of the supertrees are capable of performing environmentally sustainable functions. The waste heat created from the burn off of garden biomass is utilized to generate the electricity needed to cool the conservatories.   

Big Fish Aquarium

 

Supertrees!

Do bring your water play gear along too! Have fun in the children's water playground in Gardens by The Bay before or after your tour.

While time and circumstances allow, let us discover and adventure through the many gems in Singapore. There are many histories to unfold and stories for share. Thank you for having us, Let's Go Tour Singapore and AT Marketing Consultancy!


KAMPONG EXPERIENCE TOUR and WATER STORY TOUR
Duration: 
2 hours
Cost:  
Private Tour
$200 per session (2-3 pax)
$250 per session (4-5 pax)
Available daily:
Session 1: 9am to 11am
Session 2: 2pm to 4pm
Session 3: 5pm to 7pm
 
Let's Go Tour 
Facebook: @letsgotoursg
 
 
Disclaimer: Sponsored post 

Wednesday 26 August 2020

Heart Studio - Review (I)

At the age of fabulous four, Juboy has yet to start preschool or any enrichment classes. His first official class started early this month at Heart Studio, where he is attending the Little Boteroart programme for little preschoolers between 3 to 4.5 years old. Their age appropriate programmes are developed in accordance to a child's developmental milestones and readiness.

  • Younger children may not have developed the fine motor skills to help them write and the process of painting helps to develop that.
  • Each lesson builds on skills learnt from the previous lesson. A purposeful scaffolding approach.
  • Older children will benefit from things such as paying attention to details and increase in focus.

I believe an early engagement with the arts has a positive impact on our little ones. It not only unlocks creativity, it also allows them to view things from another perspective and encourages them to nurture their imagination. It doesn't limit creativity and imagination. Before embarking the lessons, I was very much worried about how things would flow for Juboy,  and if he would be independent enough to part me for a good 75 minutes lesson. Worries uncalled for, he sat through the lessons without a single whine.


All focused

Even though Juboy's pencil skills are not very much developed, the class eased him in very well. At this current moment, he is only able to write certain letters and draw simple shapes. Attending art classes was something which I thought was really too early for him. Against my judgement, under the patient guide of his teacher, he was encouraged to try and discover boundaries which he may not have explored in a home school setting with me.

First lesson complete

Juboy drew and coloured fruits during the first lesson. To ease his frustrations, dotted lines were drawn by his teacher to guide him. I love how drawing taps on the intelligence skills of elevating concentration, hand-eye coordination and lines controlling skills. Juboy doesn't really enjoy colouring. When asked what he would like his fruit bowl to be coloured in, he replied that he wanted to leave it the way it was. Yes, not giving it a colour is a choice, but mama thinks it's his lazy escape. His teacher gave some encouragements, which he then decided it should be coloured. So there, he challenged his colouring limit.


Using paint to colour

On second lesson, he was guided to replicate the same art piece he did on his first lesson. But coloured with a different medium, paint. Along the lessons, he was thought how to wash and clean brushes, till real clean without a single tinge of colour.


Third lesson complete

Below is what he has completed after 4 lessons. Same piece with black outline. He completed the outlining well ahead of time, and the leftover time will be used to complete colouring his first piece of work.  

Fourth lesson complete

Colouring of first lesson's artwork

 

I'm already seeing his independence and drawing confidence. Can't wait to share more upon his completion of a term's lesson. Hang around too, because we will be hosting a giveaway!  

Heart Studio

Address: 1 Charlton Lane #01-04, Singapore 539631

Contact: (65) 6554 7563

Email: info@heartstudiosg.com

Website: http://heartstudiosg.com

Instagram: @heartstudiosg

Facebook

Opening hours: 

Wed to Fri: 11.30am to 8.45pm

Sat: 9.30am to 6pm

Sun: 9.30am to 4.30pm

Disclaimer: Sponsored post

Monday 24 August 2020

Hair Care Tips for Mums with Yoon Salon

Mums are extremely busy beings with the many hats to juggle. Through the midst of it all, self-care is often neglected after giving family and career a priority in their schedule. Apart from trying to stay fresh and fashionable, it is vital that we do not neglect the crown on our head. Our precious mane. Okay, thick and gorgeous locks are a thing of my past. Hair loss after each pregnancy is what I went through, and am still trying to recover those lost strands even though the youngest child is already four.

For those who are struggling like me, how about some care tips for your crowning glory:

1. Use a Volumising Shampoo

It is an agony to witness your tresses thinning out along the years. Using a volumising shampoo can help give thin and lifeless locks a boost of texture and thickness to appear healthy looking. Maintaining a lustrous look. It may be your solution to flat and thinning woes. 

2. Dry With Caution

Dry your tresses carefully after each wash. Towel dry gently and avoid rubbing it vigorously with the towel. Chances of your strands breaking away and falling apart is high. If you find that you need a blow dry, select the function on the hair dryer that is at the lowest heat setting. Do not overheat your locks, as that can cause it to become extremely dry. Air drying your mane naturally is probably a better option.

3. Use a Wide Tooth Comb or Brush

In the daily rush of managing family and work, it is only natural that our tresses get messily crazy on the run with us. Do you use a wide-tooth comb or brush to tame your mane? A fine-tooth comb is capable of combing strands off its root. Look through your dressing table and ditch those fine-tooth combs. Replace them with a good ball tip comb instead. When it comes to combing, remember not to over brush your hair. Keep the frequency low and brief.

4. Tie Your Hair

I keep my locks usually tied up when home. The little preschooler in our household often gets rough when playing with me. Keeping my strands neatly tucked away potentially prevents your mane from becoming a casualty. When tying, avoid using rubber bands to keep them together. Use a loose clip or scrunchie instead. Don’t stress that scalp by pulling and tying your strands too tightly together. 

5. Eat a Balanced Diet

Diet has an essential role to play when it comes to a beautiful crowning glory. Nourishing your body well equates to keeping your locks in great shape. Take in a balanced diet with plenty of protein, vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids to aid the hair growth process, and prevent any more loss of strands. Salomon, eggs, peanuts and spinach are some good options that fight breakage and loss, and support healthy and shiny tresses.

 

6. Avoid Washing Daily

This is one that I am still struggling with, even till this day. Our kind of weather is unforgivable, it seems perpetually hot and humid every other day. It is almost intolerable when we skip washing our locks for a day. Reduced frequency in washing helps keep natural oil sebum on the scalp, which keeps our locks moisturised and protects them from becoming brittle and breaking off. Over washing our crowning glory can make it brittle and lifeless. This being said, it is very much to our personal preference on how frequent we would like to cleanse our scalp and strands. Everyone has different hair types, and what suits one may not suit the other. If you have an extremely oily scalp, frequent washing will help. If not, 3 to 4 times a week is good.  

I am still comfortable with daily washes.

7. Consider Short Hair

Having and managing an easy style not only saves time, it also fits our lifestyle more appropriately. This is especially true for Mums with young children in the home. After each pregnancy, I would trim my mane short for easy management. This also prevented my baby from clenching my strands between his fingers, risking further loss.

8. Go for an Easy Hairstyle

I like to always keep my mane rebonded for lazy management. Oops, easy management I meant. It is a style for consideration if you dislike spending too much time on styling. Your locks will always be ready after a wash, and you don’t really need to brush it. Everything falls nicely in place after it’s dried. A great option for the busy mama in you. Be mindful though, not to chemical treat your tresses too often. It can be overly damaging to them. 

 

 

9. Give Your Hair a New Life with Yoon Salon

It may be high time for you to visit the salon for a trim or total makeover. I like to think of our hairstyle as an extremely important consideration in determining the overall look of a person. If a cut or style is totally off, no amount of makeup or outfits can rectify it. While you may know your tresses best, getting advice from a professional hairdresser can help you relook at things from different perspectives.

Visit Yoon Salon for professional ideas, tips and advice on what style suits your face shape and lifestyle. Get online to book your first trial at just $28, for all services listed on their website. Your visit will be made a breeze with 3 of their outlets Island wide. Make an appointment, let the stylists know your hair concerns and hear out the suggestions.

There you go, 9 wonderful hair tips for the mama identity in you. Final 10th tip towards the end. Don’t panic over a thinning mane, or brood over dull looking locks. Losing a certain amount of strands daily is very much normal. What needs to fall will fall. Everyone has a different scalp and texture. The great news is that salons are great redemption to any troubles related to your tresses. There will be something perfect for you.

And this completes the 10th tip - don’t be lazy. There are no excuses for being lazy when it comes to looking awesome. It’s true when we say there are no ugly women, but only lazy women who refuse to put in a beauty effort. 

 

Disclaimer: Paid advertisement

 

Tuesday 11 August 2020

Fun with DIY terrarium kit - Masons Home Deco [Review]

If you have got that green fingers, but don't exactly have a huge garden space for plants, terrariums are perfect. They are small and enclosed environments for certain plants. Think of it as a mini-greenhouse.

There are two types of terrariums, sealed and open. Sealed terrariums have a removable lid while the open terrarium does not. Over the long weekend, we were glad to have built an open terrarium with Masons home decor's, DIY terrarium kit.

Terrarium DIY kit
 
We love having greens indoor, and terrariums fit the bill well. It is a contemporary way to liven up the home, and surely a fun project to do with the kids. It is about owning a piece of nature with exotic plants that requires very little maintenance. They are incredibly easy to look after.

We did think terrariums are some easy to build mini gardens, but they are not exactly as easy as it seems. It involves much patience in building one. Loads of gentleness when handling the succulents too! 
 
Here are the steps to building a terrarium with the DIY kit:
1. Prepare jar: Wash the jar thoroughly to ensure no other pollutants or residue affects the health of the plant.

2.  Add the drainage layer. Since there are no drainage holes in your container, this drainage layer will help by not flooding the plants. Large or small pebbles are good as drainage layer. Build up to about 2 cm in height. 
 
Filling the bottom layer

3. Add soil. Make a hole/s big enough for the roots of the plants to rest. Ensure that there's plenty of room for the roots to fit and grow. We fitted 4 plants comfortably in the jar.

5. Plant. Take the plants out from the pots and break up any hard soil until you are down to the roots. This is a process that must be gently handled as the plants are really fragile. They break up upon every rough touch. We used succulents and cacti. Dig and make space in the soil for plant, then cover up firmly. It is fine to trim any long roots (root pruning) if needed, they'll grow back. 
 
 
Planting in the succulents

6. Add accessories. This must be the kids' favourite part. You may decorate the top layer in any way you love! With figurines, small colourful stones, small toys or whichever you think is appropriate to get on. Along with our kit came some stones and 2 flamingoes. We used these to decorate away.

7. Water. Spray bottles are perfect for watering the plants. However, they do not need much water, unlike outdoor plants. Remove any dead or wilted leaves to maintain a healthy eco-system.

Watering the plants


These were what we planted. I really love how therapeutic it looks, and how versatile it sits in any part of the home. Plants are scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety.


Terrariums are wonderful projects for kids. They teach patience in the process of creation, and it cultivates responsibility in the after process. 
 
A piece of nature, terrarium
 
An all prepared and easy to create DIY terrarium kit is available at Masons home decor. It comes with all you need to build a terrarium, including a set of shovel. We think this makes great gift too! Check them out for other interesting home decoration pieces too. 


Masons Home Decor:

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Disclaimer: Sponsored post. All photos and opinions are solely ours.

Monday 3 August 2020

Pizza Delivery Singapore - Review

Long weekend always rejuvenates us well. We had friends over for BBQ last Friday, and it's always wonderful to complement food with friends.

Apart from the usual BBQ food prepared, I ordered 2 large pizzas from Pizza Delivery Singapore. Including that of our friends, we had 6 kids, I was sure they welcomed pizza anytime. There's a current promotion of buy 1, free 1 medium or large pizza. And all pizzas are handmade upon ordering, with 1 hour delivery islandwide. It's probably the freshest you can get! 


Hawaiian and Margherita pizzas


There is no minimum order required, but a flat rate of $5.90 will be charged if your order is below $60. Free delivery for orders above $60. Pizza Delivery Singapore's pizza prices range from $9 to $39, depending on flavours and sizes. Pizza sizes are available in:

Small 6′ inches (4 slices)
Medium 9′ inches (6 slices)
Large 12′ inches (8 slices)

There's always something for all party sizes, a great option for your next pizza craving or party hosting.

We ordered the Hawaiian and Margherita pizza which were both great tasting. The smoky taste and soft chewy crust were made special by baking them in a masonry oven, also commonly known as a wood-fired brick oven or a stone oven. It is a baking chamber made of bricks, stone or clay and traditionally fired with wood.

This heat is conducted directly into the food and seals steam produced by water in cooking food. A cooking process and taste that one cannot replicate from home.


Photo credit: Owari Photography
Hawaiian Pizza. Photo Credit: Owari Photography


Margherita Pizza. Photo credit: Owari Photography


You can definitely taste the difference with Pizza Delivery Singapore. They are also listed in Best of Singapore as one of the 13 best food delivery deals in Singapore. Considering we got 2 large pizzas at about $35, I attest that this is definitely an awesome food delivery deal.

Who stole the pizza from the pizza box? Hungry kids!

The only downside was that there wasn't a confirmation email or message upon order. That made me wondered if my order was taken in, and a tad worried if the pizzas will arrive to feed hungry kids. And of course, it didn't mattered as long as it came, and on time! If they are late, you will be offered a $10 discount voucher instantly. So don't be shy to take it on if that rare event occurs.

Another long weekend ahead, what's your food plan? We've got your pizza option covered.


Pizza Delivery Singapore:

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Best in Singapore:

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Disclaimer: This post is a collaboration with Best in Singapore and Pizza Delivery Singapore. Opinions and unaccredited photos  are solely mine.