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Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

14 July 2022 – 3:34 pm |

“Thanks” to today’s gadgets, more and more kids tend to say, “I don’t know what I’m good at. I don’t know what I like. I’m not interested in anything actually.” (But somehow they are interested …

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Parenting

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Crafts & Activity Ideas for Kids

How many different things can we do with our little ones at home and outside? Too many.

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Making : A Park Scene, using Cereal Boxes and Eggshells

8 November 2012 | Posted in: Crafts & Activity Ideas for Kids | 3 Comments

I’d like to share an activity idea with you today.

One that we made together sometime back, using 2 cereal boxes, eggshells and water colour =)

(The making process was rather long, about 40 minutes I think, and it’s meant for bigger kids)

Anyway.

We made: A Park Scene, with a Pond, a bench, trees, etc!

 

 

This is what we did:

– Open up the cereal box (see image above). This will be the ‘base’.

– Using the other cereal box, cut out different things that you’d like to have in the park. For our case, we made a pond, a bench, trees, and flowers.

 

 

– Water colour the base with green (supposed to be the ‘grass area’ =)

– Water colour the remaining cut-outs accordingly (eg. A brown bench, a blue pond, etc)

– Water colour the eggshells. We coloured it brown to look like pebbles, rocks and bricks that decorate the park

Note:
To make it simple, skip this step and go straight to the next.

– Crush the eggshells (kids love doing this! =)

 

 

– Stick the cut-outs and crushed eggshells according to how you’d like the park to look like

Note:
When cutting out the trees and bench, I allowed about 1cm extra at the bottom, so I could fold that extra bit, and stick it to the base using scotch tapes (see photos below)

 

And that is it, really!

Vai placed his Lego Man on the bench, parked his small toy cars around it, and basically created stories with what we’ve made.

We. Like.

=)

Happy recycling and crafting, everyone!

Discovering Magic in Our Everydayness

6 November 2012 | Posted in: Daily, Inspirational | 2 Comments


[Captured by my iphone]

 

We all have our daily busyness.

Work. Meetings. Projects. Deadlines.

Housework. Picking up and sending the kids to school and lessons. Caring for the children’s daily needs.

Whatever it is that we do everyday, we all have routines and whether we like it or not, we’re often ‘drowned’ in our routines and overwhelmed by our daily busyness.

So much so that we may forget about appreciating our ‘everydayness’.

Appreciating what we do.

And what we have around us.

The other day, Brie was mesmerised when she saw rain drops on our car’s windscreen.

Such a simple thing that somehow becomes … magical in her eyes.

And it was then that I asked myself :

When was the last time I was mesmerised by … the beauty of my everydayness?

Thank God for little ones who unknowingly teach life lessons to us all.

Giveaway : Zooligans Shoes for Kids!

5 November 2012 | Posted in: Giveaways, Awards & Reviews | 44 Comments

So there they are.

Brie and the pair of shoes she’d pick up – all by herself – when we ask her, ‘Where are your shoes, Brie?’

(Btw, her puppy shoes’ name is Sparky! =)

Well, I’m not surprised why she’d go and choose this pair out of the others : They are just SO cute!!

In their own words, this is what Zooligans shoes are all about:

“Zooligans shoes are the newest line of kids shoes to stampede into the children’s market. Designed for fit, comfort, function and FUN, these little shoes will stand up to everything any little animal can dish out. Available in US size 4-12 (For kids 1-5 yr old).  Visit Zooligans at http://www.zooligans.net for more details”

So, it’s not just cute, but functional and comfortable too.


Recently, I wrote a review of Brie’s Zooligans Shoes on my Facebook Review Album.

Please click HERE to read more about what we think of these Zooligans shoes!

And, here’s the GREAT news!

Thanks to Zooligans Singapore, we have TWO shoes to be given away, worth S$79 each!

*YAY*

One pair will be given to a boy, the other pair, to a lucky little girl!

 

Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

1) ‘LIKE’ Our Everyday Things Facebook Page, if you haven’t =)

2) ‘LIKE’ Zooligans Singapore Facebook Page

3) SHARE this giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter

4) Leave us a comment, telling us :

a) Which of the 4 designs (shown below) you’d like to win, and why!
b) Your requested shoe size

It’s THAT easy to win a pair for your loved ones!

(It’ll be GREAT as a gift too! =)


 

1. Sparky the Puppy Boys Sport Sandal
2. Sparky the Puppy Girls’ Sport Sandal
3. Jacques the Gator Boys’ Sport Sandal
4. Fuzz the Kitty Girls’ Mary Jane

Note: 

–  Open to everyone in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei!

–  Contest ends Friday, 9 November 2012, 11.59pm (SG time)

Have a great week, everyone! Have fun, … and all the best with this giveaway!!

 

[Added : 15 November 2012]

Thank you for participating in this giveaway!

The sponsor has selected two lucky winners, and here are the winners:

a) Jane  – You’ve won a pair of ‘Puppy’ for boys!

b) Juliana – You’ve won a pair of ‘Puppy’ for girls!

CONGRATS!!! =D

Winners: Please email me your mailing address to claim your prize.

Another good news to share:

The sponsor has extended TWENTY PERCENT (20%) discount off if you purchase Zooligans shoes from their website!

Click HERE to go to their Online Shop!

Free shipping in Singapore for purchases of more than S$100!

Code : zooligans20

Discount Code expires : 31 December 2012

Enjoy the discounts, everyone! =)

 

Photos on My Phone This Week

4 November 2012 | Posted in: Photography | No Comment

 

Photos on My Phone This Week – Nine shots found on my iPhone this week. Simple moments I wish to remember.

Loving Each of Our Children

2 November 2012 | Posted in: Daily | 6 Comments


I love all my three children.

But, sometimes I do feel guilty.

Guilty of not spending much time – quality time – with each of my children.

(Well, not the baby. She’s still breastfed and very much physically cared for by me, so we do spend lots of time together)

Perhaps it’s just a feeling that moms of three (or more) tend to have?

Any other moms ever feel the same way?

[OUR CHANNEL] Checking Out : Warso Farm – DURIAN FARM @ Bogor, Indonesia

31 October 2012 | Posted in: Places to Visit | No Comment

Are you a fan of Durians – the King of Fruit?

Or are you repulsed by its distinctively strong smell? Haha.

Anya and I love durians.

Vai doesn’t like it, but can stand the smell.

Hubby is okay with durians.

And Brie, … well, we shall see! =D

If you ARE a fan of this huge, heavy weight, and spiky-skinned fruit, and you happen to be in Indonesia – near Bogor to be exact – come on over and check out this place called Warso Farm!

It’s a Durian Farm!

Located about 10km from Bogor, and with around 900 trees in this farm, visitors can find a variety of local and overseas durians in this farm, as well as a few other fruits (eg. Dragon Fruits).

AND, if you come during the Durian season, you’ll see durians and MORE durians dangling on the branches!

Children can roam around the farm, learn more about agricultural life, play at the gardens, or even watch farmers at paddy fields during harvest time!

Admission is FREE to all, and the price of durians is calculated based on its weight or a fixed price per fruit!

Check out this quick video of our visit to Warso Farm!

(Language: Indonesian)

Too bad it wasn’t Durian Season when we’re there, and as we couldn’t stay for long, we skipped the farm tour and went straight to munching our yummy Durians =D

Hope you have a Durian-Licious Day there, everyone! =D

INFO:

– Warso Farm is open everyday (10am – 5pm)
– Farm tours are available only in the weekends and public holidays
– Address :
Desa Cihideung, Kel. Cipelang, Kec. Cijeruk – Bogor
Tel/Fax: 0251 – 211343
 

Parenting : When Parents Spend ‘Too Much’ On Their Children’s Birthdays

30 October 2012 | Posted in: Inspirational, Parenting | 12 Comments

 

I came across this interesting article today. A thought-provoking one for me.

And I’d like to share it with you.

It’s titled ‘When Spoiling the Kids Goes Too Far‘, by Anita Othman, on the Jakarta Globe.

Click HERE to read the article.

The article highlights what some parents do for their children on their birthdays.

One father bought his 14yo son a Ferrari.

Another father made it a tradition to award his children a car of their choice on their 15th birthday (complete with a driver and a customised license plate)

A mother gave her 15yo daughter an ultra-luxury handbag.

Or, a weekend getaway in Paris with friends, in a private jet.

And the latest, a father bought his teenage son a … helicopter.

A REAL one.

While of course it is totally up to the parents themselves on what they’d like to give to their own children on their birthdays (since they can afford it anyway!), this article made me wonder :

… can they possibly get this message instead, ‘Mommy and Daddy are usually busy and away from you, we hope these gifts can replace what we haven’t done together and the family time lost over the years.

If WE had the financial resources, and we spent it lavishly on the children, will they learn the value of money or hard work?

Do these gifts make us bond better with our children?

Or, can they possibly get this message instead, ‘Mommy and Daddy are usually busy and away from you, we hope these gifts can replace what we haven’t done together and the family time lost over the years.’

Also, I thought 14 and 15 year olds are NOT supposed to be driving anything just yet?

Here’s an extract from the article:

“Perhaps some parents are also guilty of trying to outdo each other? I can just imagine parents thinking to themselves, “If so-and-so held such a grand birthday party and gave such an expensive present, I have to top that or my child might think I love him or her less. Or even worse, people might think I can’t afford to splurge.”

What a scary, materialistic world we live in.

A world filled with many materially-happy children and teens, but time-deprived and disconnected relationships?

We may not buy our teenage children cars or helicopters.

But have we splurged ‘unnecessarily’?

If we are not constantly careful about how we are parenting our children and the kinds of values we pass on to them, I worry we too will follow wherever the ‘currents’ take us.

Food for thought for me.

And for you too, I hope.

Here are three related articles I wrote in the past that I’d like to share with you today:

> What kind of life our kids are living in?

> Children, their ‘comfortable’ living and their fighting spirit

> Are we suppressing our kid’s fighting spirit?

 

Giveaway : Tea Tree Remedy, from Four Cow Farm!

29 October 2012 | Posted in: Giveaways, Awards & Reviews | No Comment


Another giveaway, everyone!

*YAY*

Thanks to Four Cow Farm, we have FIVE x 50g Tea Tree Remedy to give away!

(Psst, this is one organic product we regularly use on Brie since birth!)

It was originally called ‘Nappy Balm’, and it’s recently changed its name to ‘Tea Tree Remedy‘ due to its many goodness – antibacterial, anti-fungal, helps soothe cuts, scrapes, insect bites, you name it.

To enter the giveaway, please go over to my Our Everyday Things Facebook Page!

Click HERE to read more about it!

(Giveaway ends this Thursday, 1 November, and is open to those in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong! Hurry! =)

On her own

24 March 2006 | Posted in: Daily, Parenting | No Comment

With about 5.5 months to go until Baby no.2 comes, I’m trying my best to get Anya become more independent.
Stuff like: getting her own shoes from the cabinet and putting them on herself before we …

VLOG: Movie Review of ‘Joker’ (2019) – English and Indonesian

Do you plan to watch ‘Joker’ the movie?

Here’s my personal review of the movie ‘Joker’ (NO spoilers):
 
> This is a very dark movie.
The movie is all about depression, mental illness, rage, revenge, unfairness, bitterness, …

Tips: Traveling by Plane with a Baby (and Older Kids!)

16 July 2011 | Posted in: Daily, Parenting, Pregnancy & Babyhood | 2 Comments

This trip to Jakarta was baby Brie’s first ever trip on an aeroplane (come to think of it, it’s her first trip anywhere outside of Singapore! =)
So I thought, since it’s also our first time …

The Reality of Marriage

10 July 2008 | Posted in: Marriage & Relationships | 6 Comments

We had our seventh wedding anniversary three days ago. Right on the seventh of the seventh month!
To some, seven years of marriage may seem like a long time. To some others on the other hand, …

The facts of being married

26 February 2005 | Posted in: Marriage & Relationships | No Comment

This was Wilson’s conversation with the guy who cut his hair the other day:
Guy: Oh, so you’re married already? *really suprised* You would’nt have done it so early if you had the choice, would you?
Wilson: …

Marriage: Tips and Thoughts on Avoiding Emotional Affairs

26 September 2016 | Posted in: Inspirational, Marriage & Relationships | No Comment
Marriage: Tips and Thoughts on Avoiding Emotional Affairs

Newly married couples don’t normally think about marital affairs. Unless they’re forced into marriage, newly married couples most likely are in love with each other.
The question is, why then do affairs happen?
(Regardless of whether you’ve …

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