November 2013 - Page 3 of 4 - Adventure, baby!

Month: November 2013

Ballerina Swan: Anyone Can Dance

November 14, 2013 / Cheese, Kids, New York Life / 0 comment

With the weather turning to bitter cold again, I was so excited to have the opportunity to check out another kids theatre show with Cheese. After our success with Wanda’s Monster, I was really eager to take her to another show. This time, the show was called Ballerina Swan, produced by Making Books Sing (who also produced Wanda’s Monster).

#ballerinaswan

The theatre/dance performance was based on a book, also called Ballerina Swan, by Allegra Kent – a former NYC Ballet ballerina of 30 years. So yes, she is certainly qualified to be writing ballet books. We were privileged to meet Ms Kent before the performance. While her performing days are over, she still bears the look and poise of a life of ballet.

I love ballet. Love, love, love ballet, since I was about age three, according to my parents. Story goes I begged for lessons for two years until they gave in. I’m thankful for that, as it’s been a life-long love of mine, and one that I am now beyond thrilled to be able to share with Cheese. Lately she’s been asking to go to dance class, and has been mimicking the little ballet dancers she sees going into class at NY Kids Club. With this in mind, I thought this was the perfect show for us to be seeing.

Ballerina Swan tells the story of Sophie, a swan who wants to be a ballerina. She watches dancers in class and tried to join in, only to be derided and chased away by the teacher. Once another, more liberal-minded, teacher takes over the class, Sophie is welcomed with open arms (or wings?) by the children, who admire her for her strengths (great neck movements), and help her with the areas that need more work (it’s hard to accomplish turn out with webbed feet!).

Becoming a dancer is hard work, and Sophie gets frustrated with her slow progress. Her fellow dancers urge her to keep trying and practicing, reminding her that it takes dedication to become a dancer. A good lesson for kids, by the way, since it’s a life lesson for anything they will want to attempt.

Sophie works hard and, over time, becomes the dancer she dreams of being. The dual messages of hard work paying off and of accepting those who are different to us are woven into the beautiful scenes of talented ballet dancers.

The show will appeal mostly to girls (there were a few boys who were protesting having to watch a ballet show), who love all things tulle and tutu. Yes there were a few little girls actually attending the show in tutus … At 50 minutes it was a good length – the story flew (sorry, couldn’t help myself) along quickly, with no lagging moments – critical for keeping the attention of small children. The show is also interactive. There is a really fun moment where the dancers ask the audience to dance. I thought Cheese might be too young, but no, she hopped up and copied the dancers’ port de bras, turns and tendus. It literally brought a tear to my eye to see her first actual dance moves.

#ballerinaswan

Cheese insisted on sitting solo during the show (she also enjoyed folding herself up into the seat over and over and over again …).

#ballerinaswan

After the show we met the cast. Despite looking quite sour in this picture, Cheese actually was brave enough to give Sophie a pat and was excited to meet her.

Ballerina Swan runs from November 9 – 24th, 2013.
Wed-Fri 10:30am, Sat & Sun 11am & 2pm
Tickets $25
Best for ages 3-8
Buy tickets by calling 646-250-1178 or online at makingbookssing.org.
Save 10% on tickets by using the code “POSTCARD”
After every weekend performance, stick around for a 20-minute meet-and-greet with the cast.

Images of the show by Carol Rosegg

I was not compensated for this post. I was given preview tickets for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

REVIEW: Ella’s Botanicals from BetterBeauty.sg

November 13, 2013 / Product Reviews, Singapore / 1 Comment

Ella’s Botanicals is one of the brands stocked by BetterBeauty.sg, an online store based in Singapore that is all about natural, safe skincare for you and baby.

A Canadian-born brand, Ella’s Botanicals prides itself on making products that are 100% from nature. There are no ‘bad bits’ in their ingredients. This makes ideal baby/kid skincare, and I’ve been using two of their products for almost two months now.

Ella’s Botanicals bubblemania – I was particularly keen on the the Bubblemania, as it’s a 3-in-1 Body Wash / Bubble Bath / Shampoo. I usually bring along a body wash as well as a shampoo when I travel, which is both bulky and risky (in case one leaks). I really liked the idea of having a combined product, and bonus points for being bubbly!

My biggest concern was that, being a 3-in-1 and being bubbly, it would dry out my kids’ skin or be too strong. However, I found the formulation very gentle on their skin (it didn’t feel ‘stripped’ or dry afterwards) and I particularly liked how it’s a super gentle, soap-free formula – 100% natural, biodegradable with olive oil, aloe and lightly scented with lavender essential oil.

I’ve actually used up our whole bottle now, because Hunter insisted on using it every evening (yes, it does generate lots of BUBBLES!).

Ella’s Botanicals bottoms up! diaper balm – The solid formula and tin packaging means this is very portable, you can even pop it into your diaper bag for you (works super well as a lipbalm and cuticle/hand balm!) and your baby.

Made with with olive oil infused with skin healing herbs, Ontario beeswax, organic fair trade shea butter and pure lavender essential oil, a swipe of this balm melts quickly on your fingers and thus spread easily on Carter’s bum. It smells good, too 🙂 I use it in his crotch folds (he is… ahem… slightly on the tubby side), to prevent chafing rash. I’ve also used it at night when his bum looks a little reddish, and its gone by morning.

The balm is multi-purpose and very gentle – it can be used on your baby’s dry skin, chapped lips, cradle cap, minor skin irritations, etc. [Psssstttttt: I’ve been using it when the kids take a tumble and get scrapes on their knees. You know when the scabs start to peel off a bit? They can get caught on stuff and yank right off – OUCH!! So I use a spot of this balm on the scab, and it softens it enough to prevent that].

What I like most about it? The balm is cloth diaper friendly!!

I think Ella’s Botanicals is particularly effective for kids with more sensitive skins, and for parents that aren’t fans of heavily-scented products. It’s not easily available in shops around Singapore, but you can buy it online at BetterBeauty.sg (they stock a bunch of other international brands too, for mummy as well as baby!)

(my 2 year old, looking all ready for bed)

Chi Chi’s Cafe: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Waterloo, Sydney

November 12, 2013 / Cheese, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food, Waterloo / 0 comment

Sometimes at the end of a long and arduous week, all you want is to drown your sorrows in some comfort food. Chi Chi’s Café, in Waterloo, is just that: a kid-friendly place that offers no-fuss comfort food when you really need it.

Although Danks Street is lined with cafes (more and more everyday it seems), few are open between that awkward time after lunch and before most people consider eating dinner. Feeling a little desperate for calories, Baby Lukas, my husband Lorin and I stumbled upon Chi Chi’s. It was relatively quiet and it looked like it was closing, but much to our delight, the host ushered us in and assured us all options were on the table. At 4:45pm in the afternoon. Total score.

Lorin decided right away on the beef burger with chips ($14.50) and Baby Lukas convinced me to share a cheese and tomato open melt ($8.50). While we waited for our food, the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming or friendly to Baby Lukas. In fact, Baby Lukas ended up behind the counter in the arms of a waitress, helping her ring in a few transactions.

Chi Chi's beef burger with Chips ($14.50). Photo by Emily Staresina. — Chi Chi’s beef burger with Chips ($14.50).

Chi Chi's cheese and tomato open melt ($8.50). Photo by Emily Staresina — Chi Chi’s cheese and tomato open melt ($8.50).

Our food came relatively quickly and it was good value: big, unpretentious portions with generous servings of side sauces at no extra charge. Such a relief to find this sort of place amongst all the trendy cafes in the neighbourhood.

Last Bite: the next time you’re craving some serious comfort food that’s good value and welcomes kids with open arms, check out Chi Chi’s Café.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No, but kids won’t starve

Chi Chi’s Cafe
Shp 1a/ 207 Young St
Waterloo NSW 2017
Phone: (02) 9699 3510
Prices: $

Brunch Special: Brianne Manz, Stroller In The City

November 12, 2013 / Battery Park, Guest Brunchers, Manhattan Munchies, New York Food / 0 comment

Today’s Brunch Special is courtesy of Brianne Manz, the writer/blogger behind Stroller In The City. She’s mom to three kids (Ryder, 5, Siella, 2, and Gemma, 7 months), and lives in Battery City with her husband, Jason.

Tell us a bit about your pre-baby career.
I was once a fashion showroom owner for women’s apparel. The showroom was based in NYC and represented about 10 designers. We sold the brands to stores all over country. When my son was born I wanted to focus on being a mom and sold my company.

How did you make the transition to writer/blogger?
The whole process happened organically. I started this little blog at the time to write about the adventures I was having while being out about being a mom. I was also determined to find clothing for my son that wasn’t baby blue. Now, five years later, things have changed dramatically in the fashion world for kids.

How has life changed with three kids?
It has changed 100%. Three has definitely been a game changer for sure! You just do not have enough hands. Plus I also did it the opposite way of most by having my second and third pretty close in age (21 mos). My middle daughter is full into her terrible twos, so I pretty much have my hands full. Not to mention the sleeping for all has been extremely hard for us because now the baby (7 mos) is teething.

Fashion-wise — you used to work in fashion, and always look amazing on your site. What do your readers NOT see?
Why thank you! I would say my readers do not see me sitting behind my computer catching up on work in my pj’s; which consist of non matching leggings, sweats, or tanks.

How hard is it to pull together a look now that you have three kids? What do you always make time for, what parts of your beauty and styling routine have you dropped?
I have a big archive in my closet from working in fashion for so many years, so putting an outfit together for me is easy, like second nature. Asking me to pick out furniture, is a whole other ballgame. Interior design is so hard for me.

As for beauty — this is so bad I know, but the one thing I really try to do for myself once a week is get a blow out. I was never able to blow out my own hair, and this is a little “me” thing that makes my life easier when I literally have 5 minutes to shower. I did however drop most of my beauty regimens, like facials or night time masks which I should totally make time for.

What are your key ways to dress stylishly when you’re with the kids — how do you put together an outfit that’s kid-friendly but still looks fantastic?
I think comfort is key especially when with the kids all day long. I am usually wearing comfy shoes or boots with little or no heel because pushing a stroller can take a huge toll on your feet. Summertime I live in long dresses and thong sandals; it’s easy yet chic.

Tell us a bit about your neighborhood: A few of your fave places to go with the kids.
We live in Battery Park. It’s like suburbia of NYC. We have so many amazing playgrounds here, it’s pretty easy to change up the scene. Some of our favorite parks include: West Thames Park, Pier 25 on the Hudson, and Washington Market.

We have so many restaurants down here now, and pretty soon even more will be opening. Although I do like to cook, some days its too much. The kids will usually choose Inatesso Pizza or Shake Shack.

Brianne Manz is a fashion shownroom owner turned mom and blogger/writer. She lives in NYC with her husband and three children. Her blog Stroller In The City boasts about city living, kids fashion and all things that are mommy. Follow Brianne on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

W39 BISTRO & BAKERY: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Clementi, Singapore

November 11, 2013 / Clementi, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Talk about sunshine happy! Just stepping into the cafe will probably lift your spirits. W39 Bistro & Bakery is delightfully decked out in shades of sunshine yellow, bright turquoise and white, and makes for a very whimsical andcheerful cafe experience.

Located in a quiet estate in the west-side, the cafe’s calling card is their sunshine happy staff, and delectable food. The interior is an eclectic and interesting mix of odds-and-ends, and vintage candies and toys.

Being a part bakery, they have a bright turquoise cabinet (gorgeous!) that showcases their golden baked goods. Everything looks so good, I wanted to buy one of each. I settled for the Brioche and was delighted – the fat round disc of bread was soft and fluffy, and had a swirl of custard baked into the top to offer a slight sweetness. It’s delicious toasted slightly, topped with a smear of butter.

It was a hit with the kids too, simply torn and eaten fresh out of the bag!

The dining menu is limited but enticing. There is also a Kid’s Menu available, but our kids were satisfied just munching on the bread, so we left it at that.

My Latte ($4.50) was served in a petite cup, and I wished for it to be double the size, because it was rich and very well made. The Iced lemon tea ($3.50) came in a larger cup and is an excellent thirst quencher for hot afternoons.

We ordered the Seared tuna, avocado salsa, soy glaze wasabi mayo ($12.50) after spotting it on another table, and realising that every single other table had also ordered it. Being nosy, we had to have it too!

And… it was the runaway winner of the whole meal. Reasonably priced, the dish boasted 6 long and thick chunks of perfectly-seared tuna, a dollop of creamy fresh avocado and caviar, and a drizzle of tasty balsamic glaze. It was beautifully presented on a slate, and looked like it should’ve been served in a fine dining restaurant. GET THIS DISH…. you won’t regret it.

The Parma ham and mozzarella panini looked pretty enticing when it arrived, though I can’t comment on the taste as I didn’t have any. My girl friend, however, noted that the staff did not drain the mozzarella properly, so the water was oozing out of the sandwich as she was eating, and had also soaked into the bread, making it soggy. An effective draining technique would have made this dish much better.

My Sake mussels with fries ($20) was a delight, and a dish I’d order again for sure. The mussels were the small kind, but were cooked to juicy and tender perfection! The sake gravy was paired beautifully and gave the dish the right amount of salty taste, and the substantial bowl of fries was sufficient to fill me right up.

An impressive dish. A must-order!

Their cakes are tantalizingly displayed in a glass cabinet, and it was difficult to select one each. So much so that I bought two more to takeaway 😉

My Mister Chocolate ($6.80) was indulgent. A soft chocolate sponge cake, draped in rich chocolate ganache. You’ll love this if you’re a chocolate lover.

The small slice of Crispy Hazelnut cake looked like something out of a French patisserie. It left us wondering if the cafe bakes their own cakes, or purchases them from somewhere else?

The cake was light and I thoroughly enjoyed the gentle crispiness of the layers. I wanted more 🙂

The kids spent ages playing around in the cafe. Fortunately, it wasn’t too crowded on a weekday, and they had a grand ‘ol time pottering around playing with their toys, and playing peekaboo around the large table.

At least it gave us adults a bit of time to relax!

There is also a sweet cat on premises, that hangs around and is as gentle as can be! Even with two toddlers terrorizing it and trying to pat it, it tolerated all that attention like a boss. It means that kids are kept occupied outside the cafe too, and Carter was in much wonder at seeing a real cat up close 😉

Last Bite: W39 Bistro & Bakery is whimsical and cheery, offering a limited but well-executed menu. The food is beautifully presented and delicious! Kids will have a great time ferreting around the old school candies and toys, as well as playing with the gentle cat outside.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: Yes

W39 Bistro & Bakery
39 Jalan Mas Puteh
Singapore 128637
Phone: 9646 5372
Prices: $$
Hours: Tue – Fri: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm, Sat – Sun: 9:00 am – 10:30 pm

Nan’s Place: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Zetland, Sydney

November 9, 2013 / Inner South East, Sydney, Sydney Food, Zetland / 0 comment

The rumour mill has been spinning with whispers that Nan’s Place, a new café in Zetland, serves up food like your nan’s but only (gasp) better and with a twist. Never one not to investigate a promising food rumour, Baby Lukas, my husband and I decided to check out Nan’s this past Saturday.

Looking into Nan's from the outside. — Looking into Nan’s from the outside.

Expecting gaudy, lacy tablecloths on which comfort food like heavily buttered scrambled eggs are served, the first thing that strikes you as you walk up t0 the understated corner café, is a reminder that this is the inner-city: Nan-inspired it may be, but the décor is trendy with food offerings to match.

The interior is small, with a main circular table for communal eating. We decided to eat outside, next to a family enjoying what looked to be a dynamite breakfast. Plus, we figured if Lukas started acting up, his noise would blend with the other kids’.

Looking at the menu, I was intrigued by the offerings and knew I had to try the Half Ruby Grapefruit, Coconut Sugar and Toasted Almonds ($6) with Brickfield’s Sourdough Toast with Preserves ($5). Like any clever wife, I convinced my husband to order another dish I wanted to try: Poached Rock Chic Hen Eggs ($10) with Tuscan Kale, Green Garlic and Garden Herbs ($5).

Poached eggs ($10) with Tuscan kale, green garlic and fresh herbs ($5). Photo by Emily Staresina. — Poached eggs ($10) with Tuscan kale, green garlic and fresh herbs ($5).

Brickfield's toast with butter and strawberry jam ($5). Photo by Emily Staresina. — Brickfield’s toast with butter and strawberry jam ($5).

Ruby grapefruit with toasted almonds and coconut sugar. Photo by Emily Staresina — Ruby grapefruit with toasted almonds and coconut sugar ($6).

While we waited for our food, Baby Lukas made friends with the kids at the next table, as well as the dog tied to the post nearby. By making friends I mean stealing their toys, attempted food theft and pulling the poor dog’s tail. The staff weren’t phased by weaving between children to deliver breakfasts to patrons, which was nice to see, and were more than happy to interact with them in between orders.

Our food came, and I’m pleased to confirm the rumours were true: served on mismatched plates (just like at your grandma’s!), the food was fantastic. The eggs were poached just right (runny but not liquid) and the strawberry jam had real chunks of berry. As for the coconut sugar on the grapefruit – well, let’s just say there’s no going back.

The boys eating breakfast. Photo by Emily Staresina. — The boys eating breakfast.

The one thing missing from making this a total coup was that there weren’t any highchairs, which meant that we had to take turns eating. No big deal, as any seasoned parent knows, but worth considering if you can’t do without one.

Last bite: if you’re looking for a fabulous new kid-friendly café where the food is great and your kids are treated well, look no farther than Nan’s Place.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Limited. If you don’t need one, don’t bring one.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No, but kids won’t starve.

Nan’s Place
2a Portman Street, Zetland
Phone: (02) 8084 0731
Prices: $$
Hours: Tues-Fri 6:30am-3:30pm and Sat 8am-3pm
Get Directions

Halloween in New York 2013

November 8, 2013 / Cheese, Family, Kids, New York Life / 0 comment

This year was the first year that Cheese was old enough to kind of “get” Halloween. She didn’t understand dressing up as someone or something, so I was still able to choose her outfit (yay!). A friend knew that Cheese was into Mickey and Minnie Mouse and passed on a Minnie Mouse dress that they didn’t need for their toddler.

It fit Cheese PERFECTLY. I definitely wouldn’t have thought of it as a costume idea myself (I’m more into a bit of a DIY/thrown-together-kinda-thing), so it was great for Cheese to try something really new. She’s not a “girlie” girl and happiest when unencumbered to run and climb, so it was so my great surprise that she LOVED the frilly Minnie Mouse dress.

She wore it for three days straight (with me washing it in between because she got it filthy every time she wore it), and every time she put the dress on she turned into a different kid. One who twirled and fluffed out her taffeta skirt. It. was. adorable. And, she’s been asking to wear dresses ever since.

It’s always tough to decide what to do for Halloween in Brooklyn as there are so many options. I decided on the DUMBO Under The Archway event because it looked to be a bit less crazy than some of the other options considering I was taking a little toddler. We stroller on down to DUMBO, stopping to collect candy from the stores on the way (kinda of a lazy-ass version of trick-or-treating …) and ended up under the Archway to join the festivities.

My personal fave was the Boothify photo booth. Cheese enjoyed running through it, photobombing everyone else. They also had music playing and a little fake Brooklyn bridge set up that the toddlers enjoyed dancing and running all over, and a free art station with Creatively Wild. We ran into some friends and Alec came home early to join us, making it a super fun afternoon for the toddlers AND for us.

Cheese had the best afternoon possibly of her life, without even eating any candy (oh, alright, she did get in a few licks of a lollypop). Can’t wait to do it all again next year!

SNOOZESHADE GIVEAWAY: One free SnoozeShade Plus Deluxe (worth $74.90)

November 8, 2013 / Giveaways, Singapore / 6 Comments

I’ve used the SnoozeShade for around two years now, soon after Hunter was born. It is, quite simply, my secret to getting my newborn babies (and now, toddlers), to consistently sleep in their strollers – every single day.

It’s no secret that I go out during the day. A lot. My kids join me on my daily outings (I don’t believe in changing my whole life to suit my kids’ eating/napping habits) and so sleeping in their strollers is a must.

And, actually, they fall asleep easily in their strollers because of the motion of being pushed around, the white noise surrounding them, and most of all, because I cover them completely with a SnoozeShade.

The newly released version, the SnoozeShade Plus Deluxe, is….. SILVER! I was delighted because my previous one only came in black. How dull 😉 The silver is more like a gunmetal grey and a bit shimmery, and so soft and silky!

The SnoozeShade Plus Deluxe comes in a handy little drawstring bag, which you can toss into your stroller basket and whip out whenever your baby wants to nap. The SnoozeShade is designed to to be a universal fit for all strollers, due to the stretchy sides and snap-button closures that surround the edge.

There is a horizontal zip along the top, as well as a large window in the middle that can be unclipped… revealing a thin black mesh. I often leave the top layer unclipped, so the kids get more airflow, and so they can look out (they can sort of peek through all the tiny holes so they’re satisfied that they’re not closed in, yet they can’t really see properly so it’s not distracting them from being able to drift off to sleep).

Want to see this in action?

This is the SnoozeShade on my Babyzen Yoyo. The stroller is extremely compact, so you can see the SnoozeShade looks a little oversized for it. But it still fits.

Leaving the exterior window unclipped. It leaves the inside dark enough to fall asleep in, but people can’t peer in.

Oh hullo Carter! Here he is zonked out. This is also a good configuration to have if your child easily gets over-stimulated. This blocks out a lot of distractions, but he can still look straight out (good for kids that cannot stand stuff in front of their face).

It also functions very well as a sunshade. The SnoozeShade has one of the highest levels of sun protection of any product on the market!

SnoozeShade is giving away one free SnoozeShade Plus Deluxe, worth $74.90)!

a Brunch With My Baby giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaway will run from 8 Nov to 14 Nov 2013 inclusive.
All entries will be verified according to the entry criteria(s) before the winner is notified.
The prize will be delivered to the winner’s choice of address.

SnoozeShade can be purchased online at rock a bye lane. It is also stocked in retail stores listed here.

Thank you SnoozeShade!

RAMEN KAGETSU ARASHI: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Buona Vista, Singapore

November 7, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

I am a ramen FIEND.

And I think Ramen Kagetsu Arashi is amazing. Who knew eating ramen could be so fun??

When you’re seated, you’ll note that part of your table is stacked with an array of pots and bottles of…… secret Japanese potions. For us commoners, there’s a note card that details what each one is, and what you put where. It’s informative and had me all eager to get my bowl of ramen so I could start customizing it.

*rolls up sleeves*

But first things first. They specialise in ramen and that’s pretty much all they serve, save for a few side dishes. I opted for the 5-piece pork ramen, because I always find those slivers of pork are way too meager and I like my meat. So I got the Genkotsu 5-piece ramen ($17.80) because it boasts a creamy pork-bone broth, and I like my ramen broth really rich (otherwise known as fatty).

I added $2 to select a side dish and green tea, which is their Set Lunch special. It’s an excellent deal and highly recommended.

My hot green tea, however, was completely tasteless and more like hot water. A bummer, as I love myself a steaming cup of fragrant tea. That said, they provide a jug (!) of icy cold water at the table, so mega thumbs up for that.

Also, how adorable is the kids cutlery set?!

And so my bowl of steaming hot ramen arrived…. and it was KICKASS AMAZING.

The broth was creamy and rich, the noodles were springy (wish there was more though), and the pork…. man… it was so tender it fell apart when I poked it with my chopsticks. I’ve had pork in ramen where it’s tough and chewy, and this was the exact opposite. It was sliced almost paper-thin though, and I would have liked for each piece to be 3x thicker, for the price we’re paying.

Now, the condiments!

I added some special Japanese black pepper (not pictured), but zeroed in on their spicy chives. I’m normally not a fan of spice (nor can I tolerate it), but this gave the broth a stunning kick. It gave a different dimension of flavour, but wasn’t so spicy that I couldn’t take it.

I would fully recommend adding this to your broth (for maximum flavour with minimum spice), or putting it directly on your spoon as you’re eating (if you’re a chilli monster).

And……. freshly squeezed garlic!!!! I do this all the time at home, so I’m not sure why I got so excited. Perhaps it’s the novelty of doing it in a restaurant. I was given 3 cloves of garlic, and all 3 were crushed in. Mmmmm…..

Since the noodles comes with half a hard-boiled egg (WHY??????), I ordered a proper Japanese soft-boiled egg. It was a good move, since Hunter scoffed the entire thing.

Remember the $2 extra I paid for a side dish and green tea? This is the side dish, pork tonkatsu. 4 fat chunks of it. What a good deal! It was delicious, especially the extra crisp and super fresh bread crumbs.

I realised afterwards that Ramen Kagetsu Arashi is actually one of the largest ramen chains in Japan with more than 260 outlets worldwide. I’m not surprised, now that I’ve eaten there. The ramen really is good, and the extra condiments make it so much fun. Kids will love ‘playing’ with the food!

Last Bite: Ramen Kagetsu Arashi makes ramen fun for the kids. Add your own toppings and flavours, and customize the size of your ramen. It’s absolutely delicious to boot!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: No

Ramen Kagetsu Arashi
The Star Vista
1 Vista Exchange Green #01-41
Singapore 138617
Phone: 6339 0335
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Thu: 11:30 am – 10:00 pm, Fri – Sat: 11:30 am – 11:00 pm, Sun: 11:30 am – 10:00 pm

Kiwi Crate Holiday Boxes + Giveaway

November 6, 2013 / Cheese, Giveaways, New York Food, Product Reviews / 10 Comments

While this year isn’t the first holiday season for the toddlers, it is the first year that they are starting to understand what’s going on. This makes me super excited, because I LOVE holidays. I really love getting arty and crafty with Cheese, so trying out the holiday Kiwi Crate holiday boxes were the perfect way to get her involved in preparing for the biggest holiday in our year, Christmas. For our friends celebrating Hannukah, we asked our friends with a crafty toddler to test drive Kiwi Crate’s Handmade Hannukah.

Kiwi Crate boxes are so great for parents like us – people who like the IDEA of being crafty, but whose craft boxes contain little more than crayons, markers and stickers. If we want to make something special, we don’t have any of the right bits and pieces, and, to be honest, I would have no idea where to get things like a few pom poms and ribbon bits that each project requires. Kiwi Crates contain everything you need for the entire project – including things like glue and paint brushes. I LOVE the assumption that we have nothing to being with because, to be honest, we don’t! We have a TINY apartment and have no room for keeping bits and pieces of things in case we need them for crafting in the future.

All Kiwi Crate boxes are also generously stocked with supplies. More than you’ll need for each project, so you have spare materials to customise projects to your child’s preferences, plus have left over materials to make something else with next time.

The Kiwi Crate model is based on subscriptions, where you sign up for a new craft box to be delivered to you every month. They also offer single crates ($19.95 each), each one filled with enough materials for 2 – 3 projects, holiday crates and stocking stuffers.

Kiwi Crate Box One: Crafty Christmas Box, by Christine Knight

The box I was testing out was the Crafty Christmas box ($19.95). It includes materials to make three Swirly Ornaments (for hanging on the Christmas tree), a Gingerbread House and Paper Candies to decorate the house. The kit comes with a user guide for parents or older children, with very detailed instructions.

Gingerbread House

The Gingerbread House instructions had multiple options for house decorating ideas. Now, remember Cheese is only TWO. I had to give her a hand with a lot of the projects, like assembling the house and gingerbread man pieces. It was still a lot of fun for her, even though she couldn’t complete the projects on her own.

She was very interested in certain tasks, like sticking stickers on the roof of the gingerbread house, and especially pouring the paint into the ornaments. She wasn’t interested in anything that took too long, so I had to assemble everything in advance so it was ready for her to add her part or she’d wander off to play with something else. It was a really fun way for us to spend time together, and for me to explain to her what everything was and what it meant.

It was also great to let Cheese experiment with different materials that she wouldn’t usually play around with. She loved pasting the pom pom balls to the Gingerbread House and placing the sticker tiles on the roof.

Swirly Ornaments

The ornament kit was much easier to do with a two-year-old. I prepped the area and pieces and gave the ornament bases to Cheese to squeeze paint into. She really loved that she could squirt the squeezing the paint into the ornaments by herself, and enjoyed turning them to see the colors swirl together. This project was a bit messier (paint!), but also a lot easier for a smaller toddler to work on as there were a lot less steps involved.

After the paint squeezing and swirling, the project was pretty much finished. The ornaments were left to drain excess paint and then dry over night, and Mommy was needed to cork and tie them up, ready for hanging.

Both Cheese and I really enjoyed the craft projects. I’m not a super creative person when it comes to thinking up craft ideas, so I loved being given the framework and materials, and the freedom to decorate however Cheese saw fit. We will absolutely be ordering more of these boxes as Cheese gets older and can tell us what crafts she wants to do.

Kiwi Crate Box Two: Handmade Hannukah, by Dayna Brandoff of chaostheorynyc.com

My daughter Tess (2 and 1/2 years old) and I made the menorah from the Handmade Hannukah box ($19.95) this morning. The box comes with candle holders (that look like slanted cups), tissue paper, paint and glue, plus a dreidel.

The project got off to a great start. I showed her how to do one of the cups — thin layer of glue, then tissue paper, then more glue. She did every step pretty much on her own for the next cup. The next three cups, however, she really only wanted to be the glue painter — which was fine — that was two out of the three steps (although I definitely helped with the second round of glue-painting to make sure the tissue paper would really stick). I will say that the project was not able to hold her attention for nine cups worth of time, so decorating the last four was mainly Mommy’s job. We both had a ton of fun peeling the dried glitter glue off our hands afterward. And Tess was definitely proud of the finished product — and loves the special little battery operated candles. But convincing her to save the batteries until Chanukah? That’s sure to be a challenge.

I also really liked that there’s plenty of tissue paper and mod podge left over to do a similar project on recycled jar . . . .I think we will probably make “vases” for the grandmothers for the holidays using the same technique!

GIVEAWAY

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Brunch With My Baby were sent product samples for reviewing purposes. All opinions are our own.