{Media invite} Playeum official opening: Children's Centre for Creativity.

Playeum presents a dedicated creative space for children and families - the first of its kind in South-east Asia.

It is also Singapore's first Children's Centre for Creativity, and Adam and Ashton are honoured to be invited for its official opening.

 

 

At Playeum: inspired by this weekend's Formula 1 season, the Centre debuts its first exhibition with F1-themed "The art of speed".
The theme changes three times a year, ensuring a constantly refreshed space in which children can indulge in their imagination and creativity.

Pink elephant spotted at Playeum

Can an elephant be pink? Only in your imagination!

 

 

 

 

In Playeum, there are four spaces for your children to explore:
- The main space

- The dark space

- The workshop

- The play maker space

 

There are staff stationed at every station to render help to children. How awesome is that!

Main space: Create for Speed
In this main space, our children can experiment with zooming cars and ramps of different heights and sizes, with the vehicles they built from scratch.

F1 constructors in the making!

 

 

The Dark Space:

The first season opens with the beautiful Shadow Play installation by Creative Director Isabelle Desjeux.

This will be followed by the Speed of Light art by Patricia Zahnbrecher, and Light Painting by Isabelle Desjeux and Mahyuddin Chan.

Adam enjoyed playing with his shadows and creating different shapes and sizes of shadows by playing with the light source to create giants, dwarfs, tunnels and etc.
It got a little embarrassing when he refused to let Ashton have a turn at it and I had to threaten him. #angrydieme

 

 

 

The Workshop:

The workshop hosts a variety of stimulating programmes for children and parents to engage in in-depth explorations of speed through movement, visual art, and more.

This is also the space where birthday parties and special celebrations will be held.

The Play Maker space:
With an array of materials and tools to choose from, this space allows for meaningful experimentation where children and adults can build objects related to the theme of speed and try them out in other spaces. 

Here, Adam is making a racing car with large wheels from ribbon spools and the body of the car is made from a small piece of plank.
Chopsticks are taped to the bottom of the plank to hold the wheels.

Ta dah~!

Trying out his creation. Ashton followed suit and made the same thing.



Thank you Playeum, for this lovely opportunity for my children to be engaged in 2 full hours of hands-on fun without the use of electronics and gadgets.


Who'd have thought recycled materials can bring my children so much fun!
I highly encourage you to bring your children down to Playeum for some innovative fun to work their creative juices.



Location of Playeum:
Block 47 Malan Road
Gillman Barracks #01-21/23
Singapore 109444.

It is near Hort Park and when you see the signage "Gillman Barracks" at the road side, turn in and continue driving all the way in until you come to the end of the up-slope.

Ticketing:
Child (ages 1-12): $20
Accompanying adult: FREE
Additional adult: $10.
Each child can admit 1 accompanying adult.

*Open everyday of the year except Mondays and Christmas day.

Special rates for schools and groups:
$10 per student.

 

 

 

[Sponsored review] Baby Looney Toons bed linen and comforter set.

Dear parents, if you have read my reviews on King Koil's Foss flakes pillows and bolster review, here is another post on bedding, this time for children!

Sleepwell.SG, the authorized distributor for King Koil, Style Master, and more, are in charge of bringing you quality sleep.

No effort is spared for your comfort, as we all know how important a good night's rest is.

 

Presenting to you their new and complete Baby Lonney Tunes bed linen series which is available on their website for purchase.

 

As a Co-sleeping parent, my children and I always share snatch bolsters and blanket with one another.

Therefore it's important to know how quality and comfy sheets and comforter will affect your sleep.

 

I've ever tried sub-par comforters only to wake up in the middle of the night in sweat so I end up kicking off the covers and snuggling back into them several times a night.

 

Sizes of the fitted bedsheet: Single and Super Single.
Material is Supreme Microsatin at 80TC per 10cm square.

I love the quilt design on the comforter. It's just the right amount of plush without being too hot especially for my kids who sleep with the fan instead of aircon.

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I'm pleased to annouce that the good people at Sleepwell has some promo for Mumzilla's readers.

For purchase of their Baby Looney Tunes bedding (fitted bedsheets, pillow case, bolster case, and comfoter), readers are entitled to FREE home delivery with every purchase (it used to be min. purchase of $120 for free delivery) + a FREE pillow case worth $3.90.

If your purchase is above SGD$120, you will get an additional Pillow protector worth $25 FREE.

Head on to Sleepwell.SG website for the full range of Baby Looney Tunes bed linen for your children :)
Don't forget to use the code "MUMZILLA" for the PROMO~!


Mid-Autumn festival: making Agar agar mooncakes for children.

As a traditional Singaporean Chinese, I love to celebrate the different Chinese festivities like Chinese New Year in Jan/Feb, Qing Ming prayers in April, eating ba-zhangs during Dumpling festival in May, eating mooncakes in August for the Mid-autumn festival, and also tang yuens for Winter Solstice in December.

 

I grew up watching my Mum wrap ba-zhangs (rice dumplings), and during Mid-Autumn 中秋节, tasting the different flavours for Mooncakes is a must in our household! Double-yolk, single yolk, nuts, lotus paste etc etc, you name it!

 

This year, I decide to try my hands on introducing my children to a new flavour they've yet to try:

Milo and Milk agar agar mooncake.

 

 

First and foremost, you will need the jelly moulds, which you can get for cheap at Kitchen Capers, Block 71, #01-531 Kallang Bahru Road Singapore 330071.

It's very easy to find this place from my home, I drive down PIE from East, then exit Kallang Bahru and it's on my right already.

 

Block 71 is like a heartland mart and Kitchen Capers is beside the hawker.

 

You see! Lotsa baking and cooking stuff at super cheap prices.

Any 3 for $5.

My kids always my Number 1 food-tester for any new stuff I cook.

Verdict: two thumbs up!
(Actually I ish asked Ashton to pose like that... muahahahaha.)



For the mooncake on the left, I had initially wanted to make a "yuen yang" pattern but then poured the Milk layer too late and most of the Milo layer had already hardened. Will try again next attempt.

Milo and milk agar agar mooncake (no bake) recipe:

Milo layer:
1 sachet plain agar agar powder
500 ml water
2 sachets 3-in-1 Milo powder

Milk layer:
1 sachet plain agar agar powder
500ml water
100ml evaporated milk (not condensed milk as condensed milk is too sweet)


Mix all powders well in a mixing bowl and bring to boil over slow fire.
Pour into jelly mould.
Let it sit and cool.

*2 sachets of the agar agar powder can make 2 moulds (total 8 jellies)

Meanwhile, you cook the Milk layer and pour on top of the Milo layer once the milo layer is semi-cool (when you gently shake the mould, the liquid should shake but when you touch the top, it forms a little dry film, something like a bowl of Campbell soup left sitting for some time).

Once you complete the different layers, you can pop them into the refrigerator and let it set.

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 P.S. Another Mom blogger has shared a similar recipe before:

http://www.peipeihaohao.com/2014/08/soy-milk-milo-agar-agar-mooncake.html using Soy milk.

P.P.S. Edit to add: There's another shop called Bake King at Haig Road which sells the mooncake jelly moulds for $3 each.
Block 10 Haig Road, #01-363/365, 430010.
Tel: 67428388
 

 

Easy peasy lemon squeezy right?

Happy Mid-Autumn festival in advance! :)

 

 

 

 

[Media invite] Roman tile workshop by B&G Lifecasting studio.

Hello Mumsies! We spent last Sunday morning very meaningfully as a family.

Instead of nua-ing at home or la-kopi at some coffee-and-brunch joint, we went to Orchard Central for a Roman tile workshop Okayyyy.

 

What is this Roman tile workshop and who is the mumpreneur behind it? 

 

If you have not heard of B&G Lifecasting, don't worry, neither have I prior to this!

JJ is the lady boss who set up this casting company.

And how is casting different from impressions?

Ans: Casting is actually concaved outwards to form a 3D image, while impressions are just that - a depression in a mould.

 

 

 

Here we are bright and early at the studio in our half-awake faces! #uglydie

JJ helping us with making the impression first.

After this impression is done, a special medium specially imported from UK is then poured over these hand moulds and left to dry for an hour.

In this hour of waiting, hubby & I MIA-ed to Marche downstairs for brunch while the kids played with JJ's son in the studio :P

The finished product will look like this!

We left our castings with JJ to get the gold painting done. I'm so excited to see what Adam's and Ashton's hand castings will look like!


By the way, B&G Lifecasting has a history of more than 10 years already and I didn't even know that before this workshop.
Right now, the ladyboss JJ is running a charity cause for The Collective Effort for children hoping to sponsor up to 500 kids.

Check out the video below:

 

 

Proceeds from your business at B&G Lifecasting will go to The Collective Effort to help these children.

P.S. I love supporting local businesses especially those run by Mumpreneurs as I know how difficult it is being a working Mummy myself. More so being self-employed as you have to worry about profit & loss and the viability of your business as compared to a salaried worker like me who just waits for money to come into my bank at that time of the month.

 

P.P.S. I love to support charitable causes too! I make monthly donations to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and also to Children's Cancer Foundation (CCF).

 

 

So yeah, please do support B&G Lifecasting as a meaningful way of having your children's hands or feet frozen in time for keepsake :)

 

B&G Lifecasting is available at:
Orchard Central 10 Square
181 Orchard Road Level 10,
Singapore 238896
(Once you exit the elevator, turn left and turn left)

 

Tel: JJ at +65 66505886

 

Free butterfly enclosure in the heartland: Tampines Changkat Butterfly Garden.

Even though I didn't grow up in the Eastern side of Singapore, I married into the East and have since fell in love with the convenience and sustainability of it :)

We have everything conceivable here in Tampines/ Simei, there's really not a need to step into town at all. Banking, shopping, food, schools, library, everything is within reach.

 

As a matter of fact, the only time I need to go to Orchard is for my dental appointments once a month.

 

Recently, while looking for free places to visit during the September school holidays, I found out a hidden gem tucked in the midst of Tampines heartland - the Tampines Changkat Butterfly Garden.

 

 

It's about 15 minutes walk from Tampines MRT if you just follow the path all the way under the MRT track. It's pretty straightforward and you won't likely get lost.
However, you can also take bus 292 from Tampines Bus Interchange if you don't drive or don't wish to walk.

Location: Block 124 Tampines Street 11, opposite Qiao Nan Primary School (which had been announced in end-2014 that there are plans for the school to close down)

Getting nearer...Can see the enclosure now.

Quite a wide variety of butterfly species I must say. I wonder how many I can spot??

 

Some quick facts about Tampines Changkat Butterfly Garden:

It is currently 132sqm big and there are plans by the zone's MP Ms Irene Ng to expand it by next year (2016).

 

Visitors to the butterfly garden, which has more than 100 butterflies flitting about during dry weather, can view the creatures up close at a gathering deck.

Said Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng, who pushed for the garden in 2011: "It is the only butterfly garden within a housing estate in Singapore and is meant to inculcate among residents a love for nature and its conservation, and to provide a beautiful and soothing retreat within an estate." 

 

 

My review of this garden is that it is beautiful and well-maintained, very clean and to my pleasure, I did see many beautiful butterflies fluttering around, dancing gracefully in close vicinity around me.

I was actually expecting it to be disappointing with just a couple of random butterflies but I was so wrong.

One thing however, it is more suitable for adults and older children because young kids may not see the beauty of observing butterflies, and it is not really an enclosed play area.

If you have primary school kids who are keen in learning about butterflies for science, then this is a very nice place to visit.

 

Anyway, it is free so I don't see why not.

Perhaps can wait until the park has undergone full expansion and upgrading next year to visit.