HUAT AH

Riiiight, if you know me, I don't actually say HUAT AH in real life! I always thought it a bit uncouth that people shouted that at weddings or mahjong or other chinese festivities. But, can I just say I totally love, dig, adore its symbolic equivalent of the ong lai or pineapple. (My in-laws were horrified when they found out I was still happily munching the fruit and drinking its juice variations during my pregnancies - I think because it's a 'cooling' food.)

Seeing as Chinese New Year is just around the corner, there has been a proliferation of pineapples on all kinds of merchandise. My friends have been sending me pictures of pineapple-y stuff like there's no tomorrow, so I decided to do a silly post. Here are 10 ong lais for you this CNY - dress yourself up from top to toe, and even your home!

Are you ready for this (over)dose of pineapple?

1/Wristlet, from Little Odd Forest
This quirky outfit has a line of local fruits-adorned wristlets (it's a tough one trying to pick between the pineapple, durian, jambu and mangosteen!) #supportlocal

(Photo credit: Littleoddforest IG, buy here)

2/Sundress, from Flaunt
Because just one of this prickly fruit is simply not enough.

(Photo credit: Flaunt, buy here)

3/Sneakers, from Keds

Ooh, these cute sneakers drop in stores next month so save those angpows! (See more designs on Shape's website.)

(Photo credit: Shape Singapore)

4/Phone case, from Emaley Studio
For those with iphones, how can you pass this one up? This Thailand-based store will be at Public Garden/National Museum of Singapore until today! If you miss it, email them for international orders.

(Photo credit: Emaley Studio, buy here)

5/Watch, from Swatch
The funnest watch maker is launching a line of really juicy wrist candy!

(Photo credit: Catalog Magazine)

6/[For the kids] PJs, from Cotton On Kids
My parents used to buy us new jammies for the new year. And while we don't do proper pyjamas around here any more, these are soooooooooo cute, I might just have to bring back tradition!

(Photo credit: Cotton On Kids, buy here)

7/[For the guys] T-shirt, from Zalora
From their CNY collection, this tee is for the men. And in forest green to match those mahjong tiles!

(Photo credit: Zalora, buy here)

8/Cup, from The Tinsel Rack
Keep yourself cool with this too-adorbs-for-words cup. You need to hydrate after that snacking marathon! (Btw, the model's ong lai top is how cute also.....)

(Photo credit: Arcadianmade IG, buy here)

9/Decor, from Chinatown or any CNY fair
These hanging honeycomb pineapple decor come in all sizes and some are so huge, they are even bigger than Bieny and Bielet!!! A fun idea to consider is this pineapple wreath (tutorial at A Subtle Revelry), in place of those loud, glittery, cartoony door stickers.

(Photo credit: A Subtle Revelry)

10/Garlands, from Green Laundry
Wow your visitors with a string of these whimsy pineapple pom poms. Just be sure no kids nick them before they leave! Exclusively available at Oh Happy Fry's pop-up store, happening from 6 to 15 Feb at Top Deck, 223A Upper Thomson Road.

(Photo credit: Ohhappyfry IG)

Less than two weeks to CNY, better get your pineapples on now!

圣诞节 at KidStartNow

For the past few holidays, we signed Bielet up for art classes but this time round, ZX and I were keen on her trying something different. And you don't get more different than Chinese!

I didn't actively seek out Chinese holiday enrichment camps though. It was actually a toss up between a drama camp - the Singapore Repertory Theatre's Junior Claus camp was my first pick but ZX said "she is drama enough" - and this Chinese camp at KidStartNow, which boasts a curriculum designed especially for English speaking kids. Coincidentally, both were Christmas-themed and popped up as adverts on my fb feed one day! ZX was keen on the Chinese camp (two hours for four consecutive days) so after checking with Bielet that she wasn't against the idea, I registered a spot for her.

Before the camp, Bielet received an invite in the mail. It was in the shape of a small Christmas stocking and the contents were about some wolf stealing presents and ended off with 你能帮我们吗? - or along those lines anyway. (Bieny excitedly tore the invite up before I could take a proper photo. Eep.) The invite wasn't signed though and I didn't immediately associate it with the Chinese camp - until I remembered the review KidStartNow sent to me by blogger mummybean on their June holidays camp, which mentioned an invite.

Bielet all smiles when she opened the mailbox (ZX put the letter back in the mailbox and got her to collect mail that day!)

Seeing as we don't speak Mandarin at home, I did inform KidStartNow that although Bielet was warming up to her Chinese lessons at school, she basically jiak gantang still. (Her new Chinese teacher at nursery wrote in the progress report that I should be speaking reading writing A LOT more to/with Bielet in this language...) On the first day, I dropped Bielet off five minutes late but hung around for 20 minutes just to see how she was adapting. To sum it up? Lost, that's what. 10 minutes into the class, she had started yawning!

That's her on the extreme left! Got 'live' Skype broadcast for each class on alternate days.

But I also saw that she went up to her teacher quite keenly and introduced herself using the 一二三四五六七 song (with the teacher's accompaniment). For better or for worse, I left her to her own defenses and went for breakfast at Chye Seng Huat. If you've seen my ig post on that, you'd know I wasn't impressed with their food. Must be retribution for torturing the kid with Chinese camp LOL

Not really torturous, right? The decor was really festive, in line with their holiday camp theme!

Bielet didn't miraculously start sprouting Chinese on that first day though. I had been hopeful from the parent testimonials I read, that she might be more receptive to speaking in her mother tongue, but all I got out from her after Day 1 was that she learnt about 雪人 and she was really tired. Not entirely an epic fail, I think?

The next few days rolled around and she was really eager to get to camp every morning (we signed her up for 9-11am classes). Here's why, according to me anyhooooo:

1. We let her choose a Chinese book and bring it to class for her teacher to read! Her teacher told me she enjoyed reading them to the class and that the enrichment centre should consider getting the books too (most of those books from Flip For Joy, btw). Bielet told me quite firmly too, that her teacher reads the books "better than Mama". Sob. But I really liked that her teacher was encouraging and doted on the children. According to her teacher, Bielet enjoyed the camp and stories, and was very willing to speak up and perform. As for her Chinese standard, her listening skills are quite good (ummm) and the focus will henceforth be on improving her speaking and vocab acquisition. The uphill journey begins!

Photos KidStartNow sent to me after the camp. Great to see her participating!

2. The camp wasn't all teaching and drills. The kids had to participate in the activities and each got their turn. Making the class interactive ensured due attention was given to every child, and also a way to keep everyone awake too, I guess!

That purple blur of a girl is Bielet. She was running along the marked line before jumping over the three rows of squares (my DIY hopscotch came in handy, huh!) to get a Christmas deco....

then crawl under the pink table and get to the Christmas tree before hanging the bauble.

At the end of each class, they also got stickers in their handbook and we all know how Bielet absolutely goes bonkers over stickers.

Poor little book got tattered and torn by the end of the camp! As for the doodles, Bielet already vandalised it from Day 1.

3. Lessons were somewhat electronic. It might not be something new to others, but since we aren't advocates of apps or gadgets for the girls, the use of computers and e-books during class was kind of a big thing for Bielet. Just like Wednesday is computer class in school. Anyway, on the night of Day 3, we received e-books links from Dan, co-founder of KidStartNow. As I played the first book (a 6min youtube video), Bielet excitedly told me what was going to happen next albeit a total recounting in English. She was also a tad confused over why the boy was 杰杰 because she thought it was 姐姐. Funny kid. (But also good observation that a boy is not supposed to be a 姐姐.)

Bielet loves her songs and picked up the ones taught during the camp fairly quickly. Her favourite is undoubtedly some 圣诞老人 ditty and his 白胡须, 尖尖的帽子, 圆肚子. Hurry, get her to sing the song to you before she forgets it! One week after the camp now (as I am penning this post to be scheduled for later), she has also been trying to incorporate more Chinese in her speech and often asks "what's xxx in Chinese?" When we dine at Chinese restaurants, she is more confident about asking the service staff for cutlery or water or the bill. Baby steps!

And in case you're wondering, yes, we've signed her up for Chinese enrichment classes at the same centre next year. It was always in the plan but we were thinking of Berries (it has a centre close by). We sent an enquiry to HQ, who forwarded it to that centre in mid-Oct and we are still waiting on their reply. Service standard major cmi. I mean, Bielet has registered, started and ended her Chinese camp already. So there, to KidStartNow we will go next year. 加油!

Ending the camp with a photobooth snap! Now Bieny is the one looking lost here... 谢谢老师, (非常)辛苦了!

Psst. For those keen on your preschoolers trying KidStartNow out before committing to an entire term of classes, contact Dan for a trial class at $10 (your child gets to join the regular lesson to see how it goes) either via online at www.kidstartnow.com or mobile 9820-7272.

A Christmas Swatch

It's the start of my crazy (work) period, plus we're heading off for our vacay next week, so it might get a little quiet on the blog-front. Since crazy = lack of sleep = moody, I decided to cheer myself up and buy a little something. Materialistic, much? Nothing fancy though, just a pretty little Swatch one - which happens to be their latest Christmas one! Now who doesn't get all fuzzy when it comes to Christmas? #mamacantwaitforchristmas is my hashtag for that, btw. LOL

Set in gorgeous glitter (speaking as if it's dripping with diamonds heh), the watch looks like the perfect ornament to your festive sprig. I can so imagine a tree with just these glittery, gold watches!

The watch design is pretty simple. There's a generous smattering of gold glitter dusted across the clear strap, making it translucent gold, and reminiscent of a Christmas window display. (Figure of speech, by the way, it's not some cheap glitter that comes off when you move/shake your wrist, but a glitter print on the strap.) A cute touch is the tiny fig tree at the bottom of the watch face, which has a fresh colour every few hours or so. It could be a green tree today, blue base and red atop with white stars tomorrow or even one huge candle the day after. It takes quite long for the pattern to change, although if you can't wait, just twist the dials to come up with a pattern/colour you fancy.

Instead of the usual watch boxes, this Christmas ed comes in a festive cylindrical box and you can turn the outer layer of box to change the colours of those little Christmas trees (like the tree on the watch face).

Maybe it's because everyone else is soaking in the festive spirit, but somehow just putting on the watch every morning before I head out, immediately lifts MY spirits. Too long never buy things for myself?! #asif

During my watch frenzy a few years back, I bought a whole array of corporate-friendly watches to wear for work. I ended up wearing just one rubber Casio G-Shock watch with this hologram-like rainbow rim. My parents used to get me leather-strapped watches in primary and secondary school, and while classy (and expensive!), it was probably not as appropriate for a hyperactive and very sweaty kid. Let's just say the watches smelt rather salty. So I always wanted a rubber watch. And Casio at that.

Then when my sister went to secondary school and started putting on those very cool-looking Swatch watches, I was all like WAH if jie wears this, must be cool club. Granted we two used to fight like crazy growing up - teenage angst, whaddaya expect - I have always looked up to her so I kind of coveted what she had. (Single white female alert!)

This was the watch my sis used to tog almost everyday! 

(Source: www.swatchandbeyond.com)

I guess I must have asked my parents for a new watch: "To spur me on for my A Levels" must have sounded like a fantastic reason (excuse!) so they got me the sushi Swatch. It was a brown strap (like a sushi mat or wooden block) and had varying sizes of sushi rolls adorning it. This particular edition came with a pair of Swatch chopsticks, sushi magnets and a serving dish for real sushi too! I still have those chopsticks and sushi dish :DD

Yummeroos LOL 

(Source: www.swatchandbeyond.com)

When ZX won a climbing comp in uni, he scored a Swatch voucher and instead of getting himself a new watch (he wears the $20 Casio watch that army boys used to wear - now all wear super expensive/branded watches - lucky kids), he got me a feminine bracelet watch in monochrome. SO SWEET RIGHT (married the right man lol).

So girly, eh? 

(Source: rakuten.com)

But this woman, ah, is too much of a tomboy to wear such a girly watch (I need super big, large watch face that usually only come in guywatch-edition) so the poor watch just collected dust (or not, because I kept it in the box). Actually, I still have my sushi Swatch and the rest of the Swatches my sis passed to me (when she spring cleaned and decided she didn't want them anymore). Perhaps I should clean them up, change a fresh set of batteries and put them on again. There's just something about Swatches that are so fun!

Um. Then again, I think I only want my Christmas Swatch now. HAHAHAHA

Frozen-themed Loot Bag: Bieagoodgirl (Budget) Edition

Disney's animated film, Frozen, was released almost a year ago but the craze doesn't seem to be abating anytime soon. I love the movie as much as my two girls, mainly because the plot revolves around sisterly love. Sure, Disney has the whole Princess franchise down pat, but it was either romantic love (Prince Charming, anyone?) or maybe a side plot of doting father-child familial ties (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo).

Anyways, Bielet really wanted a Frozen-themed cake for her advanced birthday celebration in school so I tried to get in touch with a couple of independent bakers. Two cited copyrights (I didn't know it applied here) and another went MIA just after I confirmed my order (she later replied that she had to attend to a family member's wake but I already ordered my cake elsewhere). In desperation, I settled for Bengawan Solo and to our surprise, her classmates loved it! I don't think it was so much the Frozen picture atop, but the chocolate crunchies lining the side of the cake - Winner, with that capital W. The additional three bucks was well worth it.

The birthday girl chose a blueberry flavoured cake because it's her favourite fruit of the moment!

The girls keep fighting over the Bengawan Solo Frozen-themed cake designs pamphlet. 

This was my third one, and the most intact one, I might add.

To match the cake (and dresses that the birthday girl and her sister donned, although it's not visible above), I planned Frozen-themed goodie bags. Duh, seeing that's the title of this post. (Note: This loot bag is exclusively for her classmates. So, friends, if you're seeing this after I give you goodie bags for your kids, you'll understand why I couldn't replicate the below again. Don't think my heart can take the 'stress'.)

How cute are these Olaf backpacks I got at just $1.80 each (excluding postage) from this seller on Qoo10.

Here are the contents of the loot bag!

>> Get the free printable 'Keep Calm and Build a Snowman' poster here <<

'DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN' SNACK PACK
There are plenty of creative minds for you to pick on Etsy (just search for 'do you want to build a snowman') but to save on moolah, I went for a free printable bag topper instead. (I heart free printables!)

Testing out if a 'snowman' could be replicated before packing the snack packs. I adore the bag topper!

Mass production packs

Filled the ziploc bag ($2 for a box of 30 bags from Daiso) with marshmallows, cigar biscuits, raisins and a lemon mint. All ingredients from Daiso except the marshmallows (from Cold Storage). 

I know the snowman doesn't look like Olaf, but frankly, the kids would probably just gobble the tidbits instead of building it! So I swapped the usual pretzel sticks and chocolate chips for cigar biscuits and raisins instead :)) While not the most healthy-diet person around, I try to reduce the junk that the girls consume.

>> Get the free printable bag topper here <<

MINI ACTIVITY BOOKLET
For Bieny's first birthday, I put together a circus/carnival-themed activity booklet. The noob in me pored through their books and scanned and re-printed the pages, then put a booklet together. This time, I googled for free printable activity sheets.

A sampling of what I included!

For the extra test sheets I printed, but that didn't make the cut, Bielet busied herself completing the activities anyway! (Pardon the photobombing hand of a sister and butt+tail of a dog.)

>> Get the free printable activity sheets here and here <<

BLOWER
You know those pretty, cartoon-themed blowers? The economical alternative is, of course, to get normal blowers and decorate with your own pictures.

I got ours from Mtrade (website) but frankly, the ones I ordered were in rather derelict state. They were grubby so I wet wiped them several times, but still a few odd, black marks remained. Also had to toss one which was broken at the tip.

Got another - guess what - YES free printable. These are actually garland decos, which I downsized by printing four sheets on one A4 page.

Then taped them on each blower.

>> Get the free printable garland decos here (part of an entire kit with bag toppers, cupcake toppers/wrappers, invites, fry boxes and straw flags!) <<

SNOW GLOBE
Probably the most difficult part of the loot bag. I wanted something unique for Bielet and her friends, and I finally settled on a snow globe. There were ready made Frozen-themed snow globes online (at $7 a pop!) or blank slot-your-own-picture snow globes at Paper Mart (at the promo price of $4 each). This mama doesn't have that kid of money to splurge.

So I decided to DIY them since my friend Dy taught Bielet how to make her own last year!

Pic taken off KL's insta! This was using an IKEA glass jar.

Using that as a guide, I put together my kid-friendly snow globes. Materials I used:

1. Plastic containers (these from Daiso)

2. Confetti (stars from a stationery shop at Loyang Point, snowflakes from The Party Stuff)

The snowflake confetti took almost a week to arrive from their flagship store. 

As a KS parent, I bought six packs and couldn't even finish using up one. Ugh.

3. Glitter (from the same stationery shop at LP and leftovers from Dy)

4. Glycerine (from Phoon Huat) and Sealant (from a hardware store at LP)

The glycerine is to enable your globe contents to suspend / float. I used it sparingly - 1 or 2 tsp(s) per container - in my version because the bottle of glycerine I got was too small! If you intend to put heavier contents (like confetti) in your globe, consider adding more glycerine. As for the sealant, I actually purchased UHU-esque glue from Daiso but it didn't stick well, so I headed to the hardware store and got the most expensive glue off the shelf. LOL

5. Felt (bought from the same stationery shop in LP)

For a personalised touch, I drew outlines of the children's names on felt and cut them out, to be included in the globes. The original printed fonts were stapled on the backpacks so I knew which bag was for whom!

6. Frozen character rings (from Mtrade too, but the quality of these were far more superior than the blowers!)

So getting down to business!

I wanted the globe to look nice and sparkly (and anyway, I had SO MUCH glitter) so I kind of overdosed on it. The water (normal tap water) looked golden yellow! But oh, I love how the snowflake and star confetti looked.

The lao gong on gluing duty. He glued the container directly because this glue nib was too fat for the lid.

All done!

Trying the swirl! I chose this globe picture (over the dozens I took) because you can make out the main elements: felt name, snowflake confetti and Frozen character ring.

Try as I may, the snow globe wasn't as kid-resistant as I hoped. Yes, even after multiple shakes and tests by Bielet and Bieny at home. In my excitement over the goodie bags, I asked one of Bielet's friends to open the bag in the porch after school so I could gauge her response. After Bielet demonstrated the shake, her friend took over the globe but dropped it in the process! Imagine my dismay as a ginormous crack appeared right across the base and water (and glitter) poured out from the crack.

Actually, I wasn't as appalled as you'd think. Just a little sayang but I told the girl that she could take the ring out and wear it instead! LOL And I promised her a new set of materials for her to DIY herself. I hope there weren't any more snow globe casualties from school to home?

Coincidentally, one of my church friends is the drama teacher for one of the kindy's after-school enrichment programmes and she sent me a picture of Bielet's classmate posing sweetly with the globe and Olaf backpack. So glad that the children liked it! At the very least, Bielet totally loved it. xx

>> For more free printables and ideas, see this awesome site Oh My Fiesta here <<