Monday, December 31, 2012

Natural Born Shopper! Dumpling and Pink shoes

It's been said diamonds are a girl's best friend. For Dumpling, she goes for anything 'pink' - from hair bands to bows to hair clips to dresses and to SHOES!

Yes, she loves 'em shoes. Not just any colour BUT just pink shoes.

Dumpling has an interesting growth journey where she walked before she cut her first tooth. While the rest of the kiddos had their first two teeth poking out and some as early as 4 – 5 months, Dumpling cut hers at 11months.

She was an early “walker” where she walked unaided (though many times wobbling) at 10.5 months old so shoes was a big thing for us. Her first pair was a very pretty fuchsia pink pair. Then we had a break where we had fun printed shoes in between. But as she got older and subsequently developed her preferences, it was the point of no return for this little girl with a mind of her own.

Here's a look at our past shoes journey. :p 

This is especially the case for her school shoes where she will only choose and wear the pink pairs. So if you have a girl who loves pink as much as mine, here's where you can get them PINK! 

Her first pair with fuchsia pink patent exterior


We got them from Colette at Forum just before her first birthday. This pair is quite broad which fits the shape of Dumpling's feet well but is pricey at almost $60 I believe. However, the base does not have as much friction as I liked so this would be more for toddling than actual walking / running. 

Dumpling started attending Chinese classes at 18 months so she has had quite a few pairs of school shoes. 

We started with some really cute ones from Jack and Lily (I think we have 5 - 6 pairs from them at the minimum!) which were really comfy as they were made from leather and had soft flexible soles (good for toddlers). 

Though not entirely pink but the designs are so cute ~ how not to fall in love with these fun and quirky designs?!?

I have had parents ask us where we got them from. I recalled purchasing them via BP sellers / overseas sprees but you can view the website here



And she moved onto to shoos shoos (we have more than 4 pairs) but here's the pink pair she chose for school



And then Dad got 'serious' and went shoe shopping with Dumpling (their private moment) and bought her first a pair of Adidas! I thought that he did well and I simply love the colour! 



And just for rainy days, she'd put on her rain boots to school and she was gifted with this pair, by a close mummy friend, to add to our collection:



And as she grew, I am concerned about the development and the alignment of her posture, etc., so I invested in a pair of Pediped (pediped® shoes were among the first children’s footwear to be awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for promoting healthy foot development) and in pink too!



What about slippers? The man bought Dumpling her very first pair of Havaianas when we were in Oz when she was around 2YO. 



She took to slippers like a pro for some strange reason and she has since had other pairs of slippers but still falling back to her pink preference



She also has one pair of girlish frilly pumps which she wears to parties and dinners :) 



And her latest pair? Dad got Dumpling her first pink converse! These were from a shoe shop (I think it was Bata) at United Square


While mum bought her another pink embroidered pair (these were from where else but one of the pasar malam shops at Chinatown!) for the upcoming Chinese New Year...



and another pair of rain boots (Hello Kitty, PINK, no less) which kind of look like this but without the handles (am still waiting for the shoes to arrive). :p 



Yes, having a girl is loads of fun and yes, I often end up shopping a lot. But if you think that shoppaholic Mama Sue here shops just because I have a girl, hop over to MummyMoo who definitely leads in the shoe race having bought 14 pairs of shoes for her tot of 14 months (then) and her collection may have since tripled. You have been warned of temptation!

If you are into shopping and you would like to share photos of your loot, buying tips and where to get them, do grab my badge (design compliments of MummyMoo! - Thank you Regina!!!) below:


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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Festive Fare - with a bit of everything...

This Christmas has been rather tame for us because the little one is sick - she caught a bug and basically was down throughout the Christmas period with a fever and a nasty cough.

Our typical Christmas would usually include visiting where we will visit hub's side of the family to catch up and all will bond and chat over a meal (in many cases 3 - 4 meals) over the course of the day. The fare would usually include lots of meat, Devil's curry, salads, turkey and wines too.

This year, we did not do much at all except to partake in a potluck at Dumpling's Great Grandma's place. Great Grandma as you may have been aware was down with a massive stroke and was hospitalised for quite a while and she was finally discharged late last week.

So, our food for this year had no typical Eurasian dishes but it's yummy nonetheless with a little bit of Chinese (the soup!) and a little bit of that! (The sambal and the Christmas cuts!)

Here's to share!
Itek Tim! One of Dumpling's and my favourite!
~ a good salted veg soup needs to be stewed long enough where the vegetables are soft and the soup flavourful. The top layer of oil should also be skimmed off and usually, the meat will literally fall off the bones


Beef stew
~  This was really yummy as the gravy were all absorbed into the meat. The meat was tender and the gravy had the right dash of pepper and the right amount of spices to it


And of course, which Christmas dinner would be complete without the cold cut platter! 


This has to be one of my all time favourite dishes which my mum-in-law cooks - sambal prawns!
~ The paste is spicy yet very fragrant and I usually mix this in with my rice (and also help myself to round 2!) 


And tada! LOL, mixed into a local nasi padang style! 


I wish that we had done more visiting and I have the full on meals to show you but unfortunately, it did not happen. Nonetheless, it was a nice gathering as we had a chance to chat with Great Grandma (who is now wheelchair bound) so I am thankful for that. :)

Here's linking up with Jennifer




Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A day of Kindness

For the month of December, one of the things I wanted to do was a simple “pay-it-forward” kind of idea. I ended up being busy with Advent Activities and did not manage to carry through the "pay-it-forward" intention. Then a fellow blogger mummy Dee Loh reached out in her Spread the Kindness linky where blogger mums can share their “kindness stories”.

When I first read other inspiring stories from mummies such as Angeline Sim who helped out in a community project with her little girl Dana and another kind hearted mummy who even helped to clean an elderly’s house, I was atad intimidated. I mean wow, these mummies mean serious business!

So I was stuck. For many days. Because I seriously did not know what to share and what to blog about. After mulling over it for a few days, it suddenly came to me that I was being ridiculous! Surely (I told myself) spreading kindness need not be this hard or elaborate! I am sure many of us do pockets of kind acts in one way. 

With that, I decided to share “A Day of Kindness” with all of you, where small little acts will also bring a smile to someone’s face. :)

9am:
Waiting for an appointment and I was early so I headed to the supermarket to buy a drink. An elderly man needed help to read off a label on a box of sparkling grape juice (he was illiterate in English). Camera shy, he waved his hand when I whipped out my trusty iPhone. Though no photos, his grateful smile is enough to warm me up. (I am smiling as I am typing this)



11am: 
I held a door open for a few delivery guys

1:30pm:
I treated a fellow colleague to a cup of teh tarek! Here's Tini with her Cheshire-happy-with-my-teh-tarek-smile!




3:20pm:
Gave a colleague a lift to a new office site

7:00pm:
Wrapped all the Christmas presents for Dumpling’s teachers which she gave out the next day

(photo taken on the following day)

9:30pm:
Handed our helper her Christmas present


Though it was not in anyway "big", but the small gestures and thoughts do add up as my day was simply warmer with their smiles. :) 

Thank you Dee, for starting off this initiative!

Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Xmas 2012!

Dumpling and I are taking a short break as we join in the festivities and well, basically having a ball of a time! We will be back soon!

In the meantime, have a super duper HERO-IFIC holiday and for my Christian friends, may we continue to rejoice and seek peace in the Lord! Here's to a blessed year ahead!


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Advent Activities - Dear God...

Dumpling is showing interest in writing since a few months back and hence from a homeschool front, our English focus has been to read tons, discuss and explore whatever ideas / thoughts there are from the stories and expand her vocabulary list.

During this Advent season, as we lead into Christmas, this is what Dumpling wishes to tell God



his activity is part of an Advent Activities series where my co-host Jennifer and I aim to share on a daily basis the various activities we are doing as we lead into Christmas! 

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Linking up:




PS: Jennifer and I are doing a DVD giveaway as part of her review on Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch stole Christmas. Head on over for some Dr. Seuss whimsical fun! 

If you have any posts where you can share on the spirit of giving (gifts), joy of sharing (resources/tips/ideas) or the importance of loving (musings/parenting thoughts/values, etc.), please do link up and grab our badge!  

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Advent Activities - Arthur Christmas DVD Review

Being a Nazi mum, Dumpling has very little TV time since young. Except for the short doses of Baby Signing Time and Signing Time DVD series, I was extremely strict with turning on the TV at home and also at my parents’ place where Dumpling spends some time at.


I only relaxed the rule a bit about a year plus back when I let her watch series such as Sid the Science Kid and The Magic School Bus because of her inquisitive nature where she started asking me about how things work. It was also sometime this year that I allowed her to watch movies but we would very often break it down into 2 parts.

During this Christmas period, I was looking around for some suitable DVD titles and I chanced upon Arthur Christmas at a local DVD store and I decided to give it a try! 




Synopsis
The story centers on Arthur Christmas, son of Santa who discovered that a package was left out for a child and how he ‘jumps through the hoops’ to deliver the present to that child, just in time, for Christmas.

Heartwarming and peppered with adult humour, we like this simple story as it touches on simple values such as ‘responsibilities’ and ‘promises’. It is also a great family movie (suitable for ages 3 and up because of the adult humor) with a modern Christmas high-tech twist (watch the movie and you’d understand) that is great for this festive season. 

Resources:
1) 3 Dinosaurs created 2 cute packs:

Both are great for the younger kids and those who are working on beginning sounds

2) A great FREE PreK pack with counting and pre-reading activities from A Reading Mama

3) A FREE pack with sorting and shape activities from Living Life Intentionally 

4) Free Tot Pack from 1+1+1=1

5)  Easy to do Christmas Crafts from Activity Village
 
This activity is part of an Advent Activities series where my co-host Jennifer and I aim to share on a daily basis the various activities we are doing as we lead into Christmas! 

Image and video hosting by TinyPic


PS: Jennifer and I are doing a DVD giveaway as part of her review on Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch stole Christmas. Head on over for some Dr. Seuss whimsical fun! 

If you have any posts where you can share on the spirit of giving (gifts), joy of sharing (resources/tips/ideas) or the importance of loving (musings/parenting thoughts/values, etc.), please do link up and grab our badge!  

 

Monday, December 17, 2012

My Child and Me Day - an afternoon of foodie choo choo fun!

One of the best thing about working part time is that I have a bit of free time on the weekdays to head out with Dumpling. Though the money is lesser, I have simply no regrets. I love to be able to pick her up from her class and then head out with her for an afternoon of fun.

In the past month, we have fully made use of these afternoons to head to Polliwogs where she spent the rest of the afternoon with her friends, catch a movie and go for her Art classes at Heart Studio.

We recently had one of those lovely afternoons where there was no one else except us. It was lovely. It is nice to take a step back and just enjoy her and really talk to her. About her friends, what she did in classes, what she was thinking about etc.

We started off with lunch at a Japanese restaurant. My order arrived first...


And I jokingly told Dumpling that there's no food for her. Check out her expression! :p 


And then her food arrived. :) Check out the Pocky and jelly snack on the side


And of course she tucked in happily... LOL


After lunch, we headed off to a... PIZZA MAKING WORKSHOP AT MODESTOS!We have been waiting for this workshop after reading a post on a mummy friend's blog and it looked really fun! When I found out that it was available again, I immediately registered for it.

The set up - the area was all set up and ready for the kids when we got there with the rolling pins, dough and flour all laid out properly. Seats were also put aside for the children and parents as we waited for the workshop to start.


The demo!

Once all the kids have arrived, the Chef came out and explained to the children what they were to do and promptly did a demo too. Chef was really good with children as he warmed them up with jokes and had them cracking up and just raring to go!


The task!

And 'with a sprinkle of flour - tinkerbell style", it was off to 'work' for the Dumpling

More rolling before it was finally done!

Waiting none too patiently for her turn

Finally she had a chance to add the toppings to her pizza! 

The chefs were all amazingly good and patient with the children - taking care to ensure that they do not slip or trip and ensuring that all have washed and sanitized their hands properly


Above Pic: Dumpling adding on the full workz to our pizza (THAT'S MY GIRL! :P)


She was so proud of her work and was so happy with her pizza and well... so is the mummy too... (especially the tasting part)


During the workshop, a 'train' was moving outside the restaurant and she insisted on riding it because it reminded her of Polar Express *roll eyes*.

I did not want to waste money on the ride (it was $6 for just a few mins!) but she was very insistent and not only that, she wanted me to ride with her. Sigh... So what else can a mummy do except to relent...

But the $12 was certainly worth it when I see moments like these...



She was just absolutely thrilled to bits! :) 

And of course a shot together to end the lovely lovely afternoon. 

"I love you Lulu. Thank you, for such a wonderful and enjoyable afternoon!" XOXO Mama Sue


Linking up with Mumseword :)


 
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