Annual visit to Orchard

I am definitely a country gal. Give me a house built in mountains or in big fields with my own animals and crops, and with hardly many people around, I am a happy girl. That is why I hardly go to Orchard Road...unless there is a good reason to.

So annually, we would bring the family to Orchard to view the Christmas lights. But before that, to make my trip more purposeful, I took the train down with the children to Novena, Square 2 first for the Lego fair where they could play Lego there.

I love Lego too as you can build anything you like with it. So simple and creative!

If you like Lego as much as I do, here's a short Lego animated film about how it all began..




The Lego play area will be there till 26 Dec. So if you are interested, do drop by Square 2 Mall for a time of fun for both you and your children.

 

 

After that, it was time in Orchard where we were supposed to meet daddy for dinner before viewing the lights. But we went earlier to walk around first. Caleb got his hands on my camera and he started being trigger happy! Here's some of his shots!

 



 I have to admit that Caleb has a great eye for detail and he also have the 'thickskin-ness' to be a good photographer as he is unafraid or not shy to take pictures of other people.


Met hubby for lunch at Itacho Sushi, Ion Orchard. Better to be early if not there will be a long queue.
The sushi there is fantastic. That is why I didn't even take a single shot of it because each time it arrives, I couldn't wait to put it in my mouth..

 

 

Now my 6 year old son has been made my official photographer!

 

After dinner, we walked from Ion Orchard down to Centrepoint and turned back on the opposite side back towards Tangs.

 

 



Danielle was so tired that she kept pleading with us to carry her..Sigh..I regret giving away my prams.

Finally had a chance to take a picture of my photographer..

 

And here's my all-time favourite mall that puts up great and more importantly, meaningful Christmas decoration each year!

 

 

 

Had an awesome time with the family but was totally drained!! Thank you Lord for the wonderful cooling weather that made the walk so enjoyable!

What to do today?

Everyday, I will start thinking and planning what I should do with the children and if I have nothing on that night, I will probably take them out. However, if I have something on at night, I might just bring the children somewhere nearby to a park or just down my block for cycling.

Last week, I kicked off the holidays in Singapore with a visit to Changi Airport, Terminal 3, Departure Hall. Though my children seldom watch any Spongebob shows, they still found it fascinating. That's what I like about children..always a wide-eyed adventure for them wherever they are- full of enthusiasm and energy as well.

You can visit the pineapple house and it comes alive at certain times of the day. We managed to be there just in time for it to come alive and the house starting blowing out bubbles in the air as we queued up to collect a ball which allowed us to collect a gift.

Exploring the house was interesting as there was even a Santa house in there with the mailroom and fireplace.

 

 

Caleb was writing a letter to Santa...stating that he was a good boy and he wants a present. Ha!

 

 

Love this particular quote on top of the fireplace- "The best Christmas present is family all wrapped up with one another."

 



 

The whole place was nicely decorated and fun for the young and old.

 



 

The children had a great time there. After that, we went to the basement for some more fun as they took the slide for the first time.

After that, we have yet another adventure- the bus ride to home sweet home!

Now wondering, what to do the next day?

Day trip to Tebrau City

For the beginning of the school holidays, we went on a day trip to Tebrau City, Malaysia for food and shopping.

We drove through the Causeway at Woodlands and went Hao Yu Coffeeshop for Brunch. Many stuff were sold out already when we went at about 11am. So I suggest you leave very early and reach there at about 8 or 9am for breakfast.

This coffeeshop is near Jusco Tebrau. So we ate there before going for shopping at Jusco. The dim sum place is popular for its char siew pau and red bean pau. So it was sold out when we went. They also sell century egg porridge which was also sold out. Oh well..

Here's what we had for our brunch. There are also a couple of food stalls selling noodles there. So you can also opt to eat other things if you do not just want to eat dim sum.



 

 

 

Also had fried kway teow

 

Restaurant name: Kedai Makanan Hao Yu
Address: Corner kopitiam at the junction of Jalan Bakawali 91 and Bakawali 76

GPS: 1.539644,103.796424
Hours: 6:00am to 4:00pm (Closed on Sunday)

After a cheap brunch, we were all geared up for our shopping at Jusco.

Walked around in the mall. The children had a go at the arcade centre in the department store after they complained," Why we come to Malaysia for what? So boring..only shopping and eating." They were quite right and I felt for them. So allowed them one game in the arcade to appease them. They walked out happy and satisfied.

I managed to get a blouse and a dress for only $50 ringgit for both from Padini. *Satisfied*

Finally, we did grocery shopping at the supermarket. Did not buy as much as I wanted to as I am not too familiar with the place and moreover, not everything was that cheap. So just bought mostly detergent, milo, noodles, sauces and a few vegetables.

What is very satisfying is the bakery stall. I bought 5 different kinds of buns, including 8 mini butter buns for just $10 Ringgit.

If you ask me if I want to come out again, I would say, maybe once a year. Its not worth going through the jam of the causeway just to do a bit of shopping. I would very much prefer to stay in maybe a night or two to really eat more cheap and good food there and enjoy the hotel!

My time is definitely more precious than saving that bit of money from shopping in JB.

Plans for the December School Holidays 2013

Just before I start to get into the routine of housework after my helper left, the December School Holidays comes and I have to re-adjust my routine to start planning how to occupy them during this month long holiday.

Many stay-home mummies I talked to always lament to me that they do not know how to occupy their child at home or always run out of ideas on what to cook for them.

That is why I came up with a cooking blog to give people ideas on what they can cook for their families. I try to cook simple dishes as go with the idea of "Minimum effort, Maximum result"- easy preparation which will result in tasty meals for the family to enjoy. So do visit the site if you have interest in cooking for your family. But do excuse me as I am not good with measurements as I usually go by feel in the amount of ingredients I add.

Anyway, back to the school holidays...

Here's a list of what you can do with your children during this school holidays which I compiled! With these many programs for the children, there is definitely no excuse as to what you should do with them anymore!

(Click on the headings to get more information)

Free Activities

 SpongeBob Squarepants Christmas At Changi Airport
Terminal 3, Departure Hall
 Daily shows at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm
 

A Changed World: Singapore Art 1950s – 1970s
National Museum of Singapore, Exhibition Gallery 2, Basement

25 Oct 2013 - 16 Mar 2014

10am - 7pm (last entry at 6.30pm)

Free Admission

50 Years of TV: Experience the Magic

National Museum of Singapore

23 Nov 2013 - 19 Jan 2014

10am - 6pm

Free Admission

 

 

 

Hearts on Fire

Asian Civilisation Museum

Fri, Sep 27, 12:00 AM - Sun, Jan 5, 2014, 12:00 AM

Free Admission

 

 

iExperience at Infocomm

Daily, from Mon, Nov 11 - Sun, Dec 08, from 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM.

Esplanade Xchange, connecting to Esplanade MRT Station and the shortest underground linkway between Suntec City and Raffles City

 

 

 

Learn more about the next generation of infocomm technology in a fun and engaging way. Suitable for kids, this self-discovery tours will demonstrate the possibilities of Next services. Various interactive displays and exhibits are open to the public. Kids can participate in various workshops, especially designed for them.Guided tours are also offered, and each tour takes approximately 45 minutes

 

Army Museum of Singapore

520 Upper Jurong Road Singapore 638367

located in the SAFTI Military Institute, near to Singapore Discovery Centre

On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday every week, from Fri, Oct 11 - Wed, Jan 01, from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

 

Central Fire Station

62 Hill Street

On Saturday every week, from Sat, Aug 03 - Sat, Dec 28, from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM.

 

 

The oldest surviving fire station in Singapore, Central Fire Station opens its doors to the public every Saturday from 9am-11am! It’s a fun-filled and educational experience for the whole family.
The young ones will love climbing in and out of the fire trucks, as well as learning how to operate a hose (through putting out an animated fire)! They will be educated on the operations within a fire station, and be particularly impressed with meeting the real fire fighters! Family members will love the interaction, as there is something to learn for all ages.

Winter Wonderland at Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands Ice Skating Rink

Daily, from Fri, Nov 15 - Thu, Dec 26, from 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM.

Free Admission

 

 

 

Children's Festival at the Gardens

6th- 8th December 2013

Various Timings

Free Admission

 

From 6 - 8 December, join us for A Season of Joy, where children will be taken on an unforgettable journey through stories and colourful characters, along with song and dance inspired by nature. Come hear about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the story of the sunflower and the wondrous shooting star, with our roving performances! There will also be crafts to help the little ones express their innate creativity! What's more, they can create their own nature-inspired item to share with their family, from a Christmas ornament, to flowers or even curly birds to add on to the festive spirit.



Paid Activities

Sentosa PLAYcation 2013

Various activities (Free & Paid)

 

Enter into a world of colours and well-wishes for a joyful festive celebration! Join us with your family and friends in creative handicrafts, kids pizza-making, bands performances, and the unconventional Christmas trees along Sentosa Boardwalk designed by students from Temasek Polytechnic to help raise funds for the needy. Don’t miss as the iconic Sentosa Merlion comes alive and “dance” into the night with 3D video mapping on its façade.

 

 

Gardens by the Bay Christmas Sugar Mountain

 Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome

20 Nov 2013 - 5 Jan 2014

9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

 

 

Embark on this sweet Christmas adventure at The Gardens! Be enchanted by a whimsical gardenscape of fruits and vegetables at the Flower Field display – the first-ever designed by an award-winning Japanese guest designer, Kazuyuki Ishihara, a multiple gold medallist at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.

 

 

 

Titans of the Past-Dinosaurs and Ice Age Mammals

25 October 2013 to 23 February 2014  

Annexe, Science Centre Singapore

10am - 6pm daily

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Riding Hood

1 Nov- 15 Dec 2013

Mon - Fri: 10am, 2pm, 4pm | Sat & Sun: 10am, 11am, 2pm, 2.30pm

DBS Arts Centre- Home of SRT

 

 

Care for my World Musical Show

7 Dec 2013

Shine Auditorium

$19, $28, $38, $45

 

 

Hi 5 House Party

20-22 Dec 2013

Fri: 3pm & 6.45pm | Sat - Sun: 11am, 3pm & 6.45pm

Sands Theatre

$45, $65, $95, $105

 

 

 

 

 

And of course, there are the usual Christmas activity happenings in the Malls.. so check out this page for the list of them!

 

Christmas Shows at the Malls 2013

 

Have a fun filled time with your children!