Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

Whoopee!!

We’re jumping for joy, because Our Everyday Things is again in the finals in the Singapore Blog Awards 2015, Best Family Blog category!

It’s been 7 consecutive years!

We’re so blessed!

Thank you Omy.Sg and thank you thank you panel of judges!! =)

This year, the voting is done a little differently.

ie. The judges will totally decide who the winners will be under the main categories.

BUT.

Members of the public can participate and VOTE for the TOP TEN Most Popular Blogs!

And guess what?

It was such a nice surprise to see that Our Everyday Things is in the Top Ten!!

Whoaaa … thank you thank you for the votes!!

Of course, there is no guarantee that Our Everyday Things will be in the top ten right till the end.

So please please please vote for us?

Please? =)

*unashamedly pleading … mmm, sorry =)*

Voting is open till 6 July, 3pm!

Each time you vote, you have to choose TEN blogs, out of the whole list.

And you’re allowed to vote once a day!

…

Btw, just in case you are not yet familiar, this is how you can vote:

1. Go to http://sgblogawards.omy.sg/2015/whats-on/

2. Click on ‘VOTE NOW’

3. Login, or create an account if you don’t have any free account with SPH

(You CAN vote too even if you’re not a Singaporean, or if you live outside of Singapore=)

4.  Once you’re on the voting page:

– Don’t forget to click on the box next to ‘I AGREE TO THE CONTEST TERMS & CONDITIONS’

– Pick any 10 blogs (scroll down a bit to spot Our Everyday Things! Position may change over a few days if the organiser rotates the positions of the icons =)

5. Lastly, to submit votes:

Scroll to the very bottom, and you’ll see a tiny button that says ‘SUBMIT’, … you must click that to submit the votes successfully.

Then, you’ll see this message!

It means, your votes are in!

Thank youuuu …. =)

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As always, to me … it’s not about winning an award, but it’s more about being able to reach out and inspire more and more people through blogging!

Hope to continually keep this passion for sharing positive messages of family and children to more and more, and for inspiring others to do the same, or better!

We went to Manila in the Philippines, our first time ever, as a family.

We spent a night in Metro Manila and the remaining 2 nights in Makati City.

And it’s at Makati City that we spent our 3day-2night staycation at Makati Shangri-La Hotel!

An early Father’s Day celebration and family staycation at such a strategically located, 5-star Hotel?

Awesomeness!

Thanks Makati Shangrila-La Hotel!

Btw, did you know, … when I shared with my friends in Singapore about how we’re staying at Makati Shangri-La (prior and during our trip), almost immediately I heard positive reviews from them!

They love the buffet at Circles Events Cafe.

They love the bedrooms.

Their service is great, they told me.

And almost all said to me how the hotel’s location is perfect!

…

Now, check out these impressive views from our hotel bedroom, on the 27th floor!

And here’s sharing with you some photos of our bedroom, Deluxe Suite.

In their own words it is a room which ‘offers stylish and luxurious space with modern amenities‘!

Nice and spacious and cosy, riteeeee …. =)

[L’Occitane! Love them!]

Btw, if you’re coming from Metro Manila, Makati Shangri-La Hotel is about 45 minutes by taxi from Metro Manila.

It cost us 300 Peso by taxi (roughly SGD9), I think, and it took us 45 mins to get there because of the slow traffic that afternoon.

…

Anyway.

In the mean time, check out more photos and info of our Makati Shangri-La Hotel Staycation from my Facebook Photo Album.

Click HERE!

Stay tuned for more blog entries about our stay at Makati Shangri-La!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

…

Click to book a room at Makati Shangril-La Hotel! 

Most people today have a Facebook account.

And Twitter, Instagram, Path, etc.

(Mmmm, … I choose to not have a Path account though. Just to many for me to manage =)

…

Typing and smiling on social media is easier than saying hello and smiling sincerely to people (including friends on FB) we actually meet?Now the thing is, I feel, one big issue (amongst many) with today’s modern technology is, (some) people sound more friendly and sociable on social media than in real person.

Typing and smiling on social media is easier than saying hello and smiling sincerely to people (including friends on FB) we actually meet?

(Have you experience this, btw? I know I have, and I seriously hope others don’t find me ‘cold and ignorant’ in real life)

…

For kids, especially, to me, it is really no hurry for them to enter the social media world.

I mean, they won’t miss a thing if they’re 11 and don’t have an Instagram or Facebook account just yet.

Plus, the minimum age to have a Facebook account is 13yo, isn’t it?

Why should kids be encouraged to create a ‘false identity’?

Why should kids be encouraged to create a ‘false identity’?It may seem simple to many parents, but if you ask me, I feel it’d be similar to letting our children ‘pretend’ to be ‘someone else’ in the virtual world.

Starting with, being ‘older’ than who they really are.

(While we may be concerned about a 35yo man pretending to be a 14yo girl and being friends with our kids online, … really, why should we start introducing the idea that it is ‘okay’ for our own kids to be someone they are not?)

As much as I myself am active in the social media world, I try to remind myself as often as I can, that what’s more important is interactions with real people.

What’s important is to stay REAL, though we engage the social media for positive goodness.

We can still choose this, if we want to.

Let’s remind each other.

Food for thought.

As we ride on buses and trains everyday, more than 80% of the commuters we see usually fix their eyes on the phones in their hands.

I too would do the same if I travel alone.

Am glad though that our kids could still enjoy each other’s company throughout the long train ride.

No, they’re not as quiet as they would’ve been if they’re given gadgets, but I personally would prefer it THIS way.

Little giggles and chats.

Interactions, and even resolving conflicts on their own.

Something that is somehow getting less and less with the existence of electronic media in our lives?

Food for thought.

Let’s face it, we parents repeat ourselves a lot, don’t we?

We ask them to do stuff.

Again and again.

‘Finish your food, now!’

‘Speak nicely to your brother, please!’

‘Hurry up and shower now!’

The list is endless.

Whatever it is that we say to our kids, I know for sure that we say it a LOT.

Now, the question is:

among all the things that we repeatedly say to our children, do we also say positive, encouraging things?

Do we share positive values with our young ones, and repeat them again and again?

Or do we perhaps tend to say negative things, offensive personal remarks in our moments of impatience?

‘Why are you so lazy??’

‘You lie to me, ah???!’

‘Can’t you do something right for once??’

This thought crossed my mind recently.

I ask myself: What have I been saying a lot to my kids all this while?

When they are all grown up and are faced with moments of doubt or struggles, what kind of things/values (that we have said in their early years) that will play in their heads?

Like,
at times when our child, who is already in his 30s, needs to make an important, big decision, does he hear (in his mind) us say to him:

‘Ah, you are so hopeless! Anything you do also wrong one!’

Or, does he hear us say:

‘Just do your best. Pray and ask God to give you the wisdom to make the right choice. You’ll do fine!’

…

Whether we like it or not, words are powerful.

What we say to them often STICK, till they are all grown up.

Let’s introspect ourselves.

Let’s add more positive phrases and values to our day, to THEIR day.

‘Just do your best at all times, even when no one is looking’

‘God is good’

‘Mommy still loves you, even when I am very sad with what you just did’

‘Don’t worry about what others do and say. Do what’s right.’

‘Be thankful to God for everything’

‘Be humble’

‘We are responsible for what we ourselves do and say. Choose what’s right.’

‘Love your siblings. They are God’s gift to us.’

Note to self:

Remember to add more positive goodness in what we say to our kids everyday.

Because we never know which words that our kids will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Ah, parenting is not easy.

May God help us.

We are in Manila, the Philippines!

So happy to be able to spend a few good days with the family, away from home and our daily routines.

I guess we all need that from time to time 🙂

Anyway.

Prior to our Manila trip, I was told that there is ‘nothing much’ for families there.

Well, … let’s see what things we can uncover in the 4 days and 3 nights we spend there! 🙂

I have created a photo album on my Facebook to put all photos of this trip in one place.

I share tips and info there, too.

To follow our little family adventure in Manila and Makati City of the Philippines, just click the link below, and check it out yeah!

http://bit.ly/1AMnZZs

Enjoy! 🙂

Helloooo …

We are in Singapore!

*woot*

The last time we’re here as a family was back in 2012, when we left Singapore for good and relocated to Jakarta.

So.

You can only imagine how super excited the kids are about the trip!

They’ve been counting the days!

Literally!

Haha.

Well, to be honest, I too am excited about exploring Singapore once again as a family this June! 🙂

What places will we check out?

How are they?

Any promotions and attractions that you should not miss?

I have created a photo album on Facebook to record our trip, … in a hope that it will be useful to anyone who’s planning their family activities in Singapore during the school holiday!

Come and follow our holiday adventure on Facebook yeah!

So much to do, so little time!

Click the link below to view the photos and to get more info:

http://on.fb.me/1IyHqr4

Hope you have a wonderful time spent with your loved ones too this June!

Travel safe, everyone!

We have officially entered the SCHOOL HOLIDAY!

*woohoo*

There’s time to work hard and, there’s time to … play! =D

So, here we are, … starting our holiday adventure!

We checked out … Taman Mini Indonesia Indah with a group of friends and their kids (and babies!)

Spent half a day at the Bird Park (Taman Burung) and Fresh Water World (Dunia Air Tawar).

Here’s sharing with you photos of our encounters with the birds and fishes!

First, check this out!

It’s ‘Elang Bondol’, the eagle that we can easily spot as the symbol of Transjakarta buses.

Didn’t know this before! =)

A man who looks after the bird came towards our group and asked if we wanted to take photos with the bird.

So we did.

Note:
Don’t forget to give a ‘tip’ the guy.  Officially it is supposed to be Rp.5000 per photo per person, but as we have a big group, we gave a lump sum as a token of our appreciation to him.

We were there at about 8.15am.

(Entrance fee : Rp. 20,000 per person, that’s about SG$2. Kids above 3 years need tickets)

It was a warm day, which was fine to me personally.

Just remember to bring along :

– Your hat
– Sunscreen lotion
– Insect repellant
– Cool bottled water

Tips:

Wear bright-coloured clothes =)

It let you spot your kids easier among the crowd.

Photos turn out better too when the colours of our clothes are happy and bright =)

I know some people don’t fancy being in the outdoors.

They don’t like the warm weather and the possibility of insect encounters.

While everyone of course has their own preferences, … to me personally, being under the sun is part and parcel of being in the outdoors

I’d like our kids to focus more on enjoying the greenery, the animal encounters and learning about world God has wonderfully created for us.

So, did the kids sweat?

Haha, yes they did. But they’re fine … =)

(Somehow I don’t sweat as easily as some people. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not … hmm)

[Vai with a huge Hornbill!]

Plus, I believe … loving and caring for the animal world starts from positive encounters with them, … up, close and personal.

Our next stop was the Fresh Water World, where we got to see creatures that live in the fresh water.

The entrance fee was Rp.25,000 per person, and it included entry to the Insect World next to it.

(We got into our cars and drove from the Bird Park to the Fresh Water World)

When we got there, there were also groups of school kids visiting the place.

If you’re traveling with young children, it’s best to keep them close to you.

Note:
The Fresh Water World is all indoors with not much lights in most places (I guess, it’s better for the animals inside?), so photos taken with your phone may not turn out well.

Some people told us, prior to our visit, that ‘there’s nothing much to see at the Fresh Water World’.

After visiting it ourselves for the first time, I’d say, there ARE A LOT to see and learn from this place.

Here’s my recommendation: 

Come early (eg. Be there between 10am – 11am) and follow the staff who’s feeding the animals.

One staff, Mr. Rohim, who fed the animals yesterday gave us lots of educational info on the animals!

We’re so grateful!

He has worked there since 1993. That’s 22 years!!

This man has learned so much over those 2 decades and I could see how he’s passionate about what he does!

He explained about the different creatures, and patiently encouraged the kids to explore and find out more about the animals.

And look!

Here’s a shot with a REAL PUFFERFISH!

We found out that a pufferfish could survive being NOT in the waters for up to 45 minutes!

Amazing.

Anyway, other than the pufferfish, we also liked watching real archerfishes in action!

What happened was: small food pieces were placed on pins along a stick, hung high up above the waters, and these fishes shot them down with water droplets from their mouth, without jumping out of the waters!

So fun to watch!

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Didn’t get to visit the Insect World though.

Will come and visit Taman Mini Indonesia Indah again next time for sure! =)