Beverly Burgess, Author at Adventure, baby!

Beverly Burgess

Beverly is a social media addict, having worked in the online space for 7 years at Microsoft and eBay, before popping out her 1 yr old and 2 yr old boys. She is all about Family, Food and Fashion. She blogs at http://beverlys.net/blog

GIVEAWAY: Win one of five BabySafe Kid Pillows (worth $48.80 each)!

December 19, 2013 / Giveaways, Product Reviews, Singapore / 78 Comments

Chris and I splurged on really nice latex pillows and mattress when we moved to Singapore 2+ years ago. We aren’t alone – most people I know are willing to splurge on really comfortable bedding, rationalizing that we are lying on them at least 6-7 hours a day, even more so than sitting on a couch!

Yet, for some reason, I haven’t seen many quality baby/kid bedding around. They are either just stuffed, or made with foam. And kids sleep on their pillow and mattress for 12 hours a night… not even including their nap times!

Hunter has always used the BabySafe latex mattress and pillow, since birth. The firm and breathable latex provides excellent support and safety for a baby, and I couldn’t find any other bedding that was superior.

When Carter was born, I gave him Hunter’s BabySafe latex mattress and pillow, and got Hunter a regular pillow and cheap foam mattress *ahem*. He used this for a couple of months, and I always felt bad whenever I changed his sheets and saw the poor/crappy quality of the foam! So I was really delighted to finally transition him (back) to the BabySafe mattress and pillow a few weeks ago.

BabySafe latex range is hypoallergenic, and provides firm orthopaedic support for spinal alignment and adjusts comfortably to the contours of the baby’s body. Aside from preventing allergies, it is naturally mold and mildew resistant, inhibiting dust-mite infestation. Being natural, it contains no toxic substance and unlike synthetic materials, does not emit fumes. It is also self-ventilating, reducing the risk of suffocation.

I am super happy that BabySafe are being brilliant and want to offer a giveaway!

BabySafe are giving away 5 Kid Pillows (worth $48.80 each)!

a Rafflecopter 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 20 Dec to 26 Dec 2013 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).
Winners may pick up the BabySafe pillow at the Spring Maternity (Hoi Hup) showroom.

You’ll see below that there are a variety of pillows for babies and kids. Hunter (at 2+ years old) currently uses the BabySafe Kid Pillow and I love how it is molded. My own pillow is a molded latex pillow, so I know how comfortable this is!

Below is the BabySafe Kid Pillow and the BabySafe mattress. The mattresses come in a variety of sizes to suit almost all cots. I like how both come with a soft 100% cotton cover, so they can be whipped off and washed easily.

Here’s a peek at the latex mattress uncovered. Latex holds its shape beautifully, and doesn’t attract dust mites and bed bugs – a huge plus in my book. It’s also a very heavy mattress, which I like because it doesn’t feel flimsy like regular cheap foam mattresses.

BabySafe include one set of sheets when you purchase their products, but I usually go out and get extras. Made of 100% sateen cotton, they are really smooth and soft and come in cute prints. Below you will see the BabySafe mattress, BabySafe Kid Pillow, BabySafe bolster… all in Hunters bed from Mothercare (I believe BabySafe mattresses will fit any Mothercare bed).

Hunter is bizzarely HUGELY fascinated with the latex mattress, and insisted I put it on the ground for him and Carter to lie on. And they did, for ages!! When I tried to cover it up with sheets and put it back in his bed, he had Meltdown Central. Go figure.

Here he is inspecting his new bedding, after he finally allowed me to put it all back in his bed.

He then wanted to hop on in and test it out…

“OK I nap now, Mama!”

REALLY???? Well, go right ahead…..!

Thanks BabySafe!

NADAMAN @ SHANGRI-LA HOTEL: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Orchard Road, Singapore

December 19, 2013 / Food Reviews, Orchard Road, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore / 0 comment

(photo credit: Shangri-La)

I’ve been to Nadaman at the Shangri-La a couple of times now, but have never managed to take photos and/or review the restaurant. I finally did this time, but only managed a few photos, and ZERO photos of the Kaiseki… whoops. I blame it on being distracted by both kids – either trying to get one to nap or one or both to eat, etc, etc. I regret it, because the presentation of their dishes (especially in our Kaiseki) is beautiful!!

The kids appreciate the place because it’s quiet (we always go for weekday lunch) and the service is top-notch. They are extremely attentive, very patient with children, and give an all-round pleasant experience.

Nadaman started in Osaka, Japan, 180+ years ago. The restaurant here, too, boasts refined Japanese cuisine that will delight any Japanese-food lover.

Obviously, their Kaiseki is top-notch and what I always get. Their Seasonal Kaiseki menu ($60) includes an appetiser, soup, sashimi, grilled dish, simmered dish, rice, pickles, miso soup and dessert.

However, this time, I decided to do something different and get the Bara Chirashi (diced raw seafood on sushi rice, with appetiser, deep-fried bean curd, salad and miso soup). At $50, you get a huge amount of sashimi that’s disproportionate to the amount of rice. What can I say? It’s a sashimi lover’s delight!! You won’t be disappointed nor will you leave hungry.

This is the deep fried beancurd that comes with my Bara Chirashi. It’s silky and delicious, and is a hot favourite with my kid (though they eat just the inside tofu and not the deep fried exterior).

We got the kids a set lunch each, of Grilled cod fish (Gindara Teriyaki) ($35). They can polish off a whole set each by themselves!! I discovered I can dip the sashimi into the piping hot miso soup, and it lightly cooks it, resulting in a gorgeously poached slice of fish… yummmm. And that cod fish? Delectable. Silky. Smooth. The perfect kids food.

Last Bite: Nadaman’s refined and elegant ambiance, coupled with delicious food, is a must for any Japanese cuisine lover. Get their lunch sets or kaiseki!

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

Nadaman
Shangri-La Hotel
22 Orange Grove Road
Phone: 62134571
Prices: $$$$
Hours: Daily: 12:00 – 14:30, 18:30 – 22:30

WILD HONEY: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Orchard Road, Singapore

December 17, 2013 / Food Reviews, Orchard Road, Scotts Square, Singapore / 0 comment

Just a quick and cheerful post today, on an oldie but a goodie – Wild Honey at Scotts Square.

If you’re a brunching mum, you’ll probably be well acquainted with Wild Honey. It seems to be the place to be for mums with bubs in tow! It’s not hard to see why – with an all-day brunch menu and a casual ambience, it’s very popular at lunchtime among mums and also the working crowd.

Me? I’m a fan of their hearty portion sizes and how kid-friendly the food is!

Wild Honey do a decent iced latte, but what transfixes me is the cool duo-coloured straw (see below)! I know these straws don’t come cheap, so I was pretty impressed they popped them into each of our drinks. A simple touch but I was adamant it made my coffee taste extra nice 😉

It’s the little details that count!

The Boulevard St Michel was Savoury French toast with double baked cheese & spinach soufflé, parmesan crumbed poached egg, slowroasted tomatoes, grilled back bacon & spicy tomato chutney. Whew, what a mouthful!

It was a HIT with Hunter, and he ate half of the dish. In particular, he loved the double baked cheese & spinach souffle, which had a mousse-like texture. I was personally impressed with the parmesan crumbed poached egg, which oozed molten egg yolk when cut open. Nice!!

The Spanish Hash sounded tasty but salty, as it was Diced Chorizo, house corned beef & potato, two poached eggs & Hollandaise Sauce with grilled ciabatta. Oddly, it was very bland! To the point where it tasted like we were eating…. nothing.

The eggs were perfectly poached (a huge plus), but the tumble of corned beef and potatoes was largely tasteless. It was odd considering I’d expected corned beef to be pretty salty. It was also rather tough and chewy, and largely uninteresting.

Last Bite: Wild Honey’s relaxed ambiance and all-day brunch is their calling card, and we give them thumbs up for their well-sized portions and interesting dishes.

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

Wild Honey
#03-01/02 Scott’s Square
6 Scott’s Road
Singapore 238897
Phone: 6636 1816
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm

BWMB RECOMMENDS: Elly CNY 2014 ‘The Horse Parade’ launches today!

December 16, 2013 / BWMB Recommends, Singapore / 1 Comment

Elly, the popular childrens boutique, officially launches their Chinese New Year 2014 collection TODAY!

Titled “The Horse Parade”, it’s a total eye-candy extravaganza. It’s cute. REALLY cute. It also made me wonder where my invisible daughter is.. because OH MAN THE GIRLS STUFF IS SERIOUSLY CUTE. If you have a daughter, be warned – you’ll be stumped as to how to stop at just one piece. If you have a son, take comfort that there’s still cute boys stuff (especially their shorts!), albeit less designs.

We got a little preview of the clothes in real life, and did a mini photoshoot right there and then after a hearty brunch at GRUB!

The kids are wearing as follows:

Carter (16 months) wears Bermudas in White Horses, in a sz 2. It fits him perfectly around the waist (he wears a diaper), but you’ll see that the shorts go below his knees. I love this size because I’m sure I’ll get at least a year’s wear out of this!
Hunter (2 years) wears Bermudas in Red Horses, also in a sz 2. It’s interesting to see how the same size shorts look different on both kids! On Hunter, it fits around his waist (because he wears underwear), but looks more like fitted shorts on him.

Made of soft but durable cotton, these shorts are easy-wearing and comfy. The kids didn’t fuss in them and I like how the shorts will keep them cool when we’re not in air conditioning.

In particular I LOVE how these are appropriate for Chinese New Year, yet perfectly wearable year-round. They have that cool preppy vibe and I intend to send Hunter to his play school in them.

There are MANY more designs for the boys – in both shorts and shirts. Check out the full range (and buy online with free shipping) at the Elly online boutique.

And the girls? Oh man, oh man. So many pretty prints and colours, you’ll wish they came in larger sizes for yourself 😉 Here we have pictured the Girls Cheongsam and Boys Shirt in the ‘White Horses’ print.

And a photo of the clothes we were going craaazzzzyyyy over!!

The boys went to a birthday party after that, and I changed their tops to give them a sailor look. You’ll see here how the shorts are versatile and how they can be worn with ‘regular’ clothing.

Bummer they don’t do mens sizes in the shorts. I would totally force my husband into a pair to go matchy-match with the boys – teehee!!!!

Elly’s CNY 2014 launches today (16 Dec 2013) in their boutique and online. Hundreds of pieces have been snapped up for reservation already, so get yourself in there quick!

GIVEAWAY: One Y Velo Balance Bike (worth $139)

December 12, 2013 / Giveaways, Singapore / 105 Comments

Hunter is a supremely cautious kid. He’s worried about…. pretty much everything. However, I’ve noticed that when it comes to moving toy vehicles, he becomes quite the speed demon!

He became a pro with his scooter at a very young age, and adored his Ybike – zooming all over the place. It came to a point when I felt the Ybike was too ‘basic’ for him, and he needed a proper bike.

So there’s 2 ways for a child to learn how to ride:

Balance Bike – these are bikes without pedals. The idea is for kids to feel and learn balancing, to be able to kick off and let the bike cruise along, keeping their balance.
Training Wheels – these are bikes with the extra wheels on either side. As the kid gets used to pedaling, you raise (and eventually) remove the training wheels.

Personally, I’ve always preferred Balance Bikes. I don’t like the look of training wheels, and those bikes are really clunky and heavy. I like the idea of learning the courage to balance first (because that’s often the most fearful and difficult part), then putting on the pedals once kids are confident.

Also, I knew Hunter was good with his balance, since he was good with both his scooter and Ybike.

Here’s what I like about the Y Velo Balance Bike:

The seat and handlebars are adjustable – the bike grows with your child.
It’s extremely lightweight – at under 4KG, Hunter can lift it up by himself.
It’s sturdy – made with aluminium, it’s really solid and doesn’t tip over when Hunter rides it, and takes up to 25KG in weight.
It’s the most appealing of all the balance bikes out there – Hunter whole face lit up when he saw it! And I like how it looks like a real bike.

The Y Velo Balance Bike comes in two sizes and colours:

Green (3 years+) ($139)
Blue (18 months+) ($119)

There are only 50 Y Velo Balance Bikes available for sale in Singapore!

These limited bikes are only available (they launched this week!) at multi-label kids boutique nottoobig, as well as selected Mothercare shops. But guess what…….

nottoobig are giving away one Y Velo Balance Bike (worth $139)!

a Rafflecopter 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 13 Dec to 19 Dec 2013 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).
Winner may pick up the Y Velo (green $139, or blue $119) from the nottoobig boutique at Forum The Shopping Mall.

Hunter was delighted with his Y Velo the moment he saw it, and to this day, is still extremely attached to it. It mustn’t look too daunting to a toddler, because he’s under the recommended age of 3 yrs old, but eagerly climbed on and whizzed around.

This photo was taken mere minutes after it was presented to him, showing how he can easily lift and walk around with the bike:

And then when he first got on the bike, taking it for a spin:

These three videos will give you an idea of his progression on the Y Velo..

The first video is his very first time getting on the bikie – you’ll see how slow and careful he is:

This second video shows him riding his Y Velo after a few days of practise – you’ll see how much more confident he is:

And this third video shows him after yet a few more days of practise – you’ll see how he zooms around with BOTH feet off the ground. He’s balancing!!

Carter is too short to use the bike, but it doesn’t stop him from sitting on it and being pushed along by Daddy:

And here’s my friend’s 4+ year old riding it. The bike is set to the lowest setting though, it should be raised higher since he’s much taller than Hunter.

I was surprised by how Hunter, being a cautious kid that shies away from ‘scary’ stuff, was dead excited and hopped onto the Y Velo immediately. It also amazed me that he learned it so quickly and can balance easily on it. If you have an active and/or daring kid, I bet they’ll pick it up even quicker than Hunter did!

The bike’s also quite a hit with other kids and adults.. kids always want a go on it when Hunter brings it out, and parents always admire how it looks and ask me where to get one. It’s definitely eye-catching!

Thanks nottoobig!

BWMB RECOMMENDS: GRUB’s limited-edition Christmas menu!

December 11, 2013 / Bishan, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

What’s that you say?

A fun Cake Pop making session for the kids?

An epic multi-course Christmas set meal, from GRUB’s limited edition Christmas 2013 menu?

A fabulous ‘ol time with the kids running in the park and chilling with coffees and icy cold beers?

Yes. Yes. And yes!

Us mummies and our kids donned our aprons, cracked open a couple of cold beers (only one beer each okay, we don’t promote drinking on the (mummy) job here at Brunch With My Baby!), and rolled up our sleeves for a fun afternoon with the kids at GRUB.

What a blast we had!

The Cake Pop making session captured the kids’ full attention. And ours too. It was actually a very simple process, but I wouldn’t do it at home because it’s just too much prep work and fiddly. Much better to do it in an organized environment like at GRUB!

First we rolled the cake into balls, then chilled them in the fridge.

Then, we stuck a straw into each one and dipped them into liquid white chocolate.

Finally, we decorated them with pretty sprinkles!

SO PRETTY, RIGHT????

It wasn’t much effort, and you don’t need to be a creative genius. Everything just looks pretty with sprinkles, you see. Hunter had loads of fun meticulously dotting his cake pop with silver sprinkle balls. I was delighted, because it kept him occupied for a good 20 mins.

After that, the GRUB crew cleaned up the area (thank goodness for them, and kudos to their patience considering the tables and floor was covered in liquid chocolate and sprinkles!!)…. whilst all of us took the kids out to play in the park right outside. It was perfect, because the kids got a chance to stretch their legs and run up and down and get some fresh air.

After the place was cleaned up, we were ushered back in again (though it was a bit of a challenge herding our active kids back!) for their………. Christmas set meal 🙂 This 3-course set meal is exclusive for December 2013 only, so get yourself down to GRUB asap!

And this is GRUB’s kitchen.. where all the magic happens!

I opted for the Soup of the Day, a Potato, leek and gorgonzola soup. It was my favourite item on the menu, which is a big thing for me as I’m not even a soup person! Hunter polished off the fluffy foccacia bread, and more than half of the soup. With gusto.

The soup was creamy and rich, without being too heavy on the palate. And the gorgonzola was very very subtle but lended a delectable twist to the soup. It was delicious and so comforting. I’m hoping they put this on their regular menu, because it was a total hit with all the kids!

I was suspicious about the Slow-roasted juicy turkey breast with gravy on sweet potato mash and pea tendrils shoots. Turkey is not my thing. To me, it’s like the drier, tougher version of chicken.

I’m not sure what GRUB did with the turkey breast here, but it was soft enough to be cut with a fork, and it was, yes, juicy! Very moist and tender enough that Hunter ate a whole piece himself. It had me astounded, since Hunter is not really a meat eater, let alone a kid that would sit and chew on meat. But he gobbled it up, along with the creamy sweet potato mash and cranberry sauce.

Colour me impressed!

And considering turkey is low-fat and high in nutrients, I’m very pleased that I can order this for my kids whilst it’s available in December.

Everyone gave big thumbs up for their Honey baked ham on mash, apple sauce and french beans. Cast aside your ideas on a ham dish being highly processed and salty. This ham was fat and freshly cooked, and wasn’t salty like what you imagine ham to be. It was very tender too, and was well received by the kids.

I particularly LOVED the french beans it came with, and wanted more! And more of the delicious apple sauce too please! I like lashings of it on my ham 😉

I’m not a Bread and butter pudding lover, so was a bit meh when it came out as a surprise extra dish. I personally am never a fan of bread and butter pudding, because I don’t like the mushiness of it and the raisins in the bread completely freak me out.

Not that it mattered, because Hunter ADORED it and polished it off!! It’s not a small portion either, especially for a 2 year old!!

My favourite dessert was the Banoffee – banana and toffee trifle with freshly whipped vanilla cream. Shhhhh….. I actually scraped most of the cream off (a travesty, I know, since it was freshly whipped!) because I don’t like cream, but I loved loved LOVED the banoffee below!! The delightful salty-and-sweet biscuit base crumbled delightfully on my tongue and was so good I wanted twice the amount. It paired very well with the sweet banana slices also in my glass cup.

GRUB’s new dessert (also on their regular menu now) was also served, the Sticky date cake with burnt caramel, vanilla ice cream and toasted almonds. It’s served very cutely in a coffee cup, and is a combination of hot and cold that really hits the spot. The sticky date is soft and moist, and you really need to eat the sticky date, ice cream, and burnt caramel sauce to appreciate this dessert properly.

The last time we got this (when we were dining at GRUB for dinner), Hunter ate the entire thing. It’s good.

Bellies aching from our meal, the kids and us were sent home with our cake pops! Aren’t they adorable?

The most-heard feedback at the end of the session: PLEASE do more kid-friendly events and lunches! The kids had a fab time and it’s even more fun if you get a couple of friends together for some mess-making and food-eating.

GRUB’s limited edition Christmas 2013 set menu is available from now til 31 December 2013. At $30++ per set meal, it’s a real deal considering the fine-dining quality and presentation you get. It’s also extremely kid-friendly.. all our children ate all the dishes!

Remember to bring your scooters/bicycles/etc so the kids can have some fun at the park too 🙂

CANTON PARADISE @ STAR VISTA: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Buona Vista, Singapore

December 10, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

I’ve been on a bit of a yum cha frenzy as of late. I hadn’t eaten it in years, then suddenly went mad with cravings over it. I’m not pregnant, so I have no idea why this is happening!

And so I’ve been dragging family and friends all over Singapore in my efforts to eat all the dim sum in the country.

We did a quickie at Canton Paradise, located at the Star Vista mall. It was relatively quiet when we rocked up at 11-ish in the morning, but quickly became packed to the brim by the time we were leaving towards 1PM. Guess I’m not the only one that’s a bit of a yum cha fiend!!

Service at this branch was impeccable. Extremely friendly and helpful, and food arrived swiftly. Exactly what you need when you have young children in tow!

Our iced coffee ($3.20) and iced tea/coffee mix ($3.60) was delicious. Well worth it.

The Roast Pork Belly with Crackling ($12.80) was outstanding. It works out to just over a buck per morsel, but it’s so good I’d order it again. The skin was as crisp as potato chips, and the pork wonderously tender. There was a thin layer of melty fat to bring all the textures together, but not too much to gross you out.

My Egg Noodles in Superior Soy Sauce ($8.00) was very tasty but also very oily. It came in a portion to be shared, I suspect.

The Prawn Dumpling Noodles ($7.80) was a hit with the kids, who slurped it all up. I liked the mild taste of the dish, which accentuated the freshness of the prawns.

And…. the best for the last…… the Custard Egg Yolk Buns ($5.20)!! I was fantasizing about this all through my meal, and insisted we ordered it.

The bun was fluffy and light, and the interior molten and yellow. There is a very strong taste of egg yolk, which can feel a bit heavy if you’re not into the high-calorie stuff. You also need to eat them (carefully) whilst they’re hot, because they go rather powdery and weird when they cool down.

Last Bite: Canton Paradise offers impeccable service and an array of lovely dim sum dishes. The Roast Pork Belly with Crackling is a must!

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

Canton Paradise
The Star Vista #B1-45/46
1 Vista Exchange Green
Singapore 138617
Phone: 66942915
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Fri: 11:00 – 22:00, Sat – Sun: 10:30 – 22:00, PH: 10:30 – 22:00

City Square Mall presents… Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

December 9, 2013 / Articles, Singapore / 0 comment

The following article was first published on Material World – a fabulous online magazine 🙂

—-

Is your kid into Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends?

City Square Mall is the place to be next week! Hunter has been a MASSIVE fan since he was a baby, so he was totally stoked to go check out the Thomas show there – never seen before worldwide!! Trust me your kid will be in total awe during the show.

The performance’s premise and theme surrounds around City Square Mall’s values – which is to care for the community and save the environment. And so we kick off with Chad, asking us to help him sort through what is recyclable and what is not. I was impressed with the kids around us – they were all spot on with their answers!

There was a surprise naughty cat that made all the kids squeal with glee, but I won’t give too much away 😉 There were also some (easy) Q&A for the kids, to win a bunch of Thomas bags.

But the kids saved their biggest cheers for…. THOMAS! He arrived in a puff of smoke and was a HUGE train. He’s trundled out to the middle of the stage, and his eyes move and he speaks and puffs away. You’ll see the Fat Controller there, but it was Rusty and Dusty the characters that really stole the show with the kids – thanks to their crazy antics.

There’s a little special surprise for the kids at the end… a flurry of snow! Truthfully, the first thing I thought was “Oh nooooo! This is gonna get messy.” But, oddly, the ‘snow’ dried off and vanished, leaving zero residue or water spots on my clothes and bag, and left our hair looking normal afterwards (despite us being covered in the stuff). I don’t know what it’s made of, but it’s pretty impressive technology!

My kids were so surprised with the snow that they just had this shell-shocked looks on their faces the whole time 😉

The Meet & Greet Session (just spend a minimum of $50 at the mall) is straight after the show and, boy, people are fast to jump into that queue! The characters are hilarious and come up with an infinite number of silly poses for every group of kids that come on stage.

I was pretty shocked my kids were OK with going up (the Thomas train does seem a lot bigger the closer you get to it!) and taking a photo, but they were actually really happy to do so and posed accordingly… in their Thomas tees!

And, if you spend $200 at City Square Mall, you get a free Thomas & Friends cushion and a Christmas Carnival coupon (worth $4) for a ride or game. UOB debit/credit cardmembers need only spend $180 to quality. Limited to one redemption per shopper per day.

So what did we make a beeline for afterwards?

Yep. The Christmas Carnival in the Park! It has super cute rides for young kids and both of mine loved them. It’s all so cheerful and colourful! Carter even managed to sit still for a whole 3-mins during the train ride – I was astounded.

We got an opportunity to Meet the Cast afterwards as well. Considering their thick English accents on-stage, I was surprised to hear…. Australian accents when chatting with them! They hail from Sydney as well 🙂

Here are some little tidbits I learned from them:

They get equal numbers of boys and girls to the Thomas show.
Dusty and Rusty, the dock station hands, are unique characters created for this Thomas show.
They listened to cockney accents on YouTube to perfect theirs.
Kids in SG are more in wonderment during showtime, compared to other countries’ kids.

The kids and I had a ball during the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends show! It’s highly-engaging, very lively, and (bonus points here) has the Thomas theme song performed both the traditional way as well as a beatbox way – hilarious! Pop on down to City Square Mall with your kids to check out the show…. and remember to go early to secure your seats 🙂

EVENT: Christmas with Thomas & Friends Live Show
DATES: From now to 15 Dec (daily except Mondays): Tue-Fri at 2PM & 7PM, Sat-Sun at 1PM, 4PM, 7PM
VENUE: Level 1 Atrium
DETAILS: Free seating. Go early!

EVENT: Meet & Greet with Thomas & Friends
DATES: From now to 15 Dec (daily except Mondays): Tue-Fri at 2PM & 7PM, Sat-Sun at 1PM, 4PM, 7PM
VENUE: Level 1 Atrium
DETAILS: Happens after the Live Show. Redeem an exclusive pass for this meet & greet session with a minimum spending
of $50 (50 passes will be given out 45 mins prior to each show)

EVENT: Christmas Carnival in the Park
DATES: From now to 15 Dec (daily): 1-9PM
VENUE: Level 1 City Green (outdoors)
DETAILS: Kid-friendly and super cute carnival rides, as well as game booths with prizes. $4 per coupon.

EVENT: Festive Light Show and Snowy Playtime
DATES: From now to 15 Dec (daily): 8PM & 9PM
VENUE: Level 1 City Green (outdoors)
DETAILS: A beautiful light show with a kaleidoscope of colours…. and snow!!

COLBAR (revisited): Kid-Friendly Cafes, Buona Vista, Singapore

December 8, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Our lovely guest reviewer Debra first wrote about Colbar, so I got excited and wanted to bring my kids there too! Mum pointed out that it’s actually a bonafide old school cafe, which has been around for decades. It’s changed locations down the road, but still preserves all its vintage charm.

It is REALLY fun for the kids.

The cafe isn’t air-conditioned, but that’s just fine at this time of year-end, when the weather is actually really cool and breezy. It’s very outdoorsy which makes if excellent for the kids to stretch their legs in before and after the food arrives.

Video of the kids around Colbar

The interior is full of old world vintage charm. You could poke around for ages looking at all the knick knacks and vintage posters and photos!

The food is a mix of Western and local dishes. It’s a pretty extensive menu, which left us debating over what to order for ages. In the end, we decided on the Chicken Merry Land ($15.50), simply because quite a few other tables had ordered it. You get pretty good bang for your buck here – the chicken cutlet was breaded well and really crispy, topped with a jaunty sunny side up egg. A scoop of baked beans, a grilled tomato and some potato wedges made for simple but tasty sides, and the dessert portion was a deep-fried battered banana. An excellent dish to get if you’re a big eater.

We also got the Chicken Curry Rice ($11) because it appeared on other tables (yes, I am one of THOSE nosy people that checks out what everyone else is ordering!). I’d definitely get this one again. It was a Japanese-style curry in the sense that it was creamy (made so with potatoes?). It was beautifully rich, and had just the right amount of spice for me. The chicken leg was meaty and tender, and the curry gravy was delicious with the plain white rice. Mmm…

The kids enjoyed the Fried Ho Fun ($8) which came in a decent portion and was studded with lots of chicken and prawn meat. Sadly, it also came with bean sprouts (must remember to ask them to omit these next time). It’s a tad on the oily side, but then again, all fried noodle dishes are.

Colbar do beer. A LOT of beer. A whole fridge stocked full of the stuff.. which you can just go up and select from. Excellent for sitting outside and sipping/chugging from.

The area outside is like catnip for kids. Something about the bits of pavement and drains seem to appeal to them… they had loads of fun pottering around there and getting busy with the grass and dirt.

Right across the road is the Temasek Club! Actually, Hunter spotted it cos he saw their epic playground from across the road at Colbar. He made a beeline in, and, I didn’t realise at first it was part of the club, and thought it was a public playground. I think you actually need to be a member of the club to use it, though! But, errmm… I didn’t know that until we were leaving (I got suspicious cos it seemed too nice to be a public thing).

Anyway, the kids got a couple of minutes of good fun in there!

Last Bite: Colbar is a retro lover’s delight, and the outdoor area is great fun for the kids! Except simple but tasty fare.

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

Colbar
9A Whitchurch Rd
Singapore 138839
Phone: 6779 4859
Prices: $$
Hours: Closed on Mon. Tue – Sun: 11:00am – 10:00pm

GIVEAWAY: 5 Skibz bandana bibs (worth $20 each)!

December 5, 2013 / Giveaways, Singapore / 54 Comments

Hailing from the UK, Skibz bandana bibs are really blimmin’ good.

Let me explain..

If you’ve seen Carter in real life, you’ll know he’s got some sort of…… drool issue.

He was an epic drooler since 4 months old. He’s drooled every day since (he’s now 15 months), a constant free-flow leaking tap, at every waking moment. And it shows no signs of abating. Frankly, I’m impressed he has that much liquid in him! I’m also surprised he hasn’t shrivelled up like a prune.

Because of this, I have an entire drawer stuffed to the brim with bibs. About 90% of them are really insanely cute, but are not usable – he soaks through them in an hour, tops. The remaining 10% of bibs are those double-sided ones or have the waterproof backing… except they’re all the regular U-shaped bib and look, well, baby-ish.

I was pleased with Skibz because:

Skibz look good. I fully admit I like nice-looking stuff. The bandana style is just so *rockstar*! Plus, the adjustable press stud fastening works well for a growing kid.
Skibz soak like crazy. The double-layer backing is highly absorbent and Carter wears this for a TEN-HOUR DAY without the back side getting damp. It’s impressive.
Skibz look good. Oops. I said this already. But really, they’re so freakin’ cute!!!

Rockabye lane are giving away FIVE winners a Skibz bib in your choice of design
(worth $20 each)

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 6 Dec to 12 Dec 2013 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).
Rockabye lane will send each of the five winners a Skibz bib of their choice from available stock, to their nominated Singapore address.

So here’s Carter in his Skibz Red & Blue Stars Bandana Bib. The vibrant star print had me sold! I like pairing it with a solid coloured top, so it really shows off his bib. You have no idea how many times I’ve been asked by strangers “Is that a bib? Really? Where is it from?!” whenever he wears this out…

And the more understated but very dude-ish Skibz French Stripe Bandana. I reckon this looks nice paired with printed tops, because it doesn’t clash and just looks like a cool lil bandana!

There’s a variety of designs, which you can check out below. I just noticed they even have an organic version – oooooh!!!!

Thanks Rockabye lane!