Your Thoughts #4 - Dance your way to fitness!

"Since I was a kid, I always have that deep desire to empower women and help them discover who they truly are. That dream became true when I started Tahiti Dance Fitness ( TDF) with my sister Lila. 

TDF is for me the best way to share my passions and skills in order to uplift women the best I can. 

I feel blessed and honoured to be able to offer to every single student, guest or audience what I love doing the most such as dance, fitness, wellness knowledge, singing, playing ukulele, designing artistic costumes & outfits." Beatrice Heitiare Caisson.  

 

I had the chance to be introduced to the graceful (and soulful!) Tahiti Dance last week when a girlfriend tagged me in a shout out for a complimentary trial (Thanks Carolina!). Dumpling was excited to be attending along with her friend and frankly, I was quite curious to see what the dance is about.

Today I have with me, Beatrice, one of the co-founders of Tahiti Dance to share her thoughts with me on Dance and Positive Affirmations.


Me: Hi Bea, Tahiti Dance is such a niche area! Why the thought to start this genre here?

Bea: It's actually a funny story. At age of 23 my goal was to live in Japan for a long time.  I moved to Tokyo, but after some uneasy times, it became clear for me that I couldn’t get a full time job and build a life there. I then decided to fly to Singapore and visit my sister. That's when she shared with me the idea of building a Tahitian dance school together, and that's how we decided to start TDF. 

My sister and I share the same passion about dance, fitness and wellness. We both started dancing and performing since youth. And we believe that beyond the artistic expression of dance, we can also create a fun and easy to follow wellness activity for women willing to stay into shape and improve their lifestyle. That's how we came out with the idea of Tahiti Dance Fitness in 2009. 

We imagined together how fun it would be to share what we love the most in our culture (Tahitian drums, ukulele songs, happy tunes from Tahiti) with dynamic fun shaking easy to follow steps for a great cardio work out combined with our knowledge in health & wellness. That is why Tahiti Dance Fitness is not only a fun dance fitness program for women of all ages; it is also a philosophy and lifestyle we wanted to share by incorporating a unique Wellness part to our classes (relaxation, stretching, and health tips).    

Me: How is this dance good for children (and even mums!)?

The benefits from Tahiti Dance Fitness to children & adults are an improvement of focus, coordination, posture, self-confidence, self-discipline, stress release, staying fit; besides that we also strive to help our students understand that wellness & happiness is a holistic concept, a philosophy of life.

It includes not only the physical form (dance, fitness, physical improvement) but also an inner awareness on oneself & others. In addition to that, we aim to provide an uplifting community of ladies filled with positivity and being supportive to each other.


Me: In the class earlier, I saw Kim (one of the instructors) giving the girls some positive affirmation at the end of a dance sequence. (Kim got the girls to repeat after her, that they can achieve anything that they set their minds to.) Why the affirmation and is this something that is woven into the Tahiti Dance culture?

Bea: We have affirmations sentences in kids class about important values in life (ex: Confidence) and they are a part of our Character Building program in TDF. The purpose is to strengthen our students character to help them blossom into respectful, caring and self-confident individuals. 

The affirmations are not something that is woven in the Tahiti Dance culture. Rather,  we have worked over these past 4 years to come out with a holistic program providing dance, fitness, physical & psychological wellness. 

The class that Dumpling attended is a glimpse of our yearly programs & cycles. The TDF program is built in a way that it offers the very best tools to empower all students towards a healthier & happier lifestyle.

Me: Thanks Bea!

=======================================================

Post note:

The dance class was a fun one for Dumpling. I like that there was positive affirmation being introduced to the girls in class. As it was Dumpling’s first time at a dance class of any kind, I think remembering the sequence was a challenge for her.

By the end of the class, however, the kids were able to do it with the teacher cheering them on and telling them that they can achieve anything that they put their minds to. She got the girls to repeat after her a few times and frankly, after the girls repeated the 'mantra', they started to say it with conviction too. J

 

I also love the fact that the activity helps to boost the children's confidence and the body awareness. The little girls were encouraged to step out and dance in front of their classmates. It was a pleasure to enjoy that energy and buzz in the class and certainly to watch Dumpling step out of her comfort zone and the moment where it 'clicked' and she could suddenly groove!  

TAHITI Dance & Fitness Pte Ltd
www.TahitiDance.com
8374 8408
43 Carpenter Street, #02-01, Clarke Quay MRT, Exit E

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post nor did I receive any compensation. This is part of series where I get to chat people up and share their thoughts! All opinions are 100% mine and so are the grooving genes from Dumpling! J

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram.

Review + Giveaway! My Home – 我的家

It is hard to get books by a local author let alone local contents AND bilingual one at that too. When I first received My Home – 我的家 (set of 2 books - story and activity book) I was attracted to its bright colours and cute illustration. After ripping the shrink wrap off, I was not disappointed as I flipped through the pages on the hardcover story.

:: The story

The story is narrated by a young boy, Jason (小杰) who started out his day looking for playmates. As he roams around the house with his faithful companion Blackie (小黑）looking for unsuspecting ‘victims’ to play with him, the reader is introduced to both Chinese and English terms used in a typical home setting.

The story is told in a fun manner as we stumble upon Jason’s father in the bathroom

 To getting Jason to help Grandma out in the kitchen

To extending the concept of ‘Home’ beyond the apartment but neighbouring facilities.

 

And of course along the way, children are introduced to the various vocabulary on things in the house and outside of the house. To facilitate children in reading, Han Yu Pin Yin is included and the Chinese text is printed above the English copy too.

The font size is big and colourful (good for young readers) and in instances where the story wishes to introduce the Chinese term of the English word, it deploys the clever use of ‘colour’ to make the association.

(The word 玩 is printed in pink to correspond to the English word 'play')

:: The illustration
The illustration is bright and colourful and it certainly attracted Dumpling. What she enjoyed the most was lifting the flaps where it made the reading more ‘interactive’! It was actually quite fun for us to hunt around on each of the pages for the flaps to lift and see what lays behind.

 

 

 :: The activity book

The title also comes with an activity book and while one of my first thoughts when I received the title was that the title could be a tad too simple for a 5+ year old child, the activity book closed that gap for me.

It has a good mix of simpler activities (pasting of stickers) for younger children

 

to activities such as writing and word recognition

Games were also included towards the back of the book too:

 

Up for grabs! I am also pleased to share that I have not one but three sets of My Home worth more than a total of $90 to give away! 
Enter through Rafflecopter for your chance to win!

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a3722ab635/

 

:: Terms and Conditions:

- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- Winners will be notified by email, through the email address provided.

- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only. 

 

Disclaimer: I received this set from Read with Me Mommy in order to do a review on and give my opinion of it. No monetary compensation was received for this post.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram

 

Review + Giveaway: Dr. Lily's Aloe Vera Gel

Review
 
The good thing about having an active lifestyle is that well, I sleep better (having spent my energy) and of course, that I can continue to eat like a horse being the foodie that I am. BUT the bad thing is that it does horrifying things to my hair and (gasp) skin!
 
I recently went on a short trip to Krabi to spend some days under the sun, in the pool and on the beaches. Importantly, I wanted to bring Dumpling for open sea snorkelling.
 

 

Each day after all the fun (AND THE SUN!), I'd head back to the hotel with skin that is dry and a tad hot to touch. Thankfully I received 2 tubes of Dr. Lily's Aloe Vera Gel prior to my trip and decided to bring them along for a 'road test'. 

 

 

It's common knowledge that Aloe Vera has many healing properties and are exceptionally good for sunburns. While Dumpling and I did not get any burns, I am fairly diligent about facial care. With the amount of sun that we are both getting coupled with sea water AND chlorine, I was not going to take any chance.

 

Instead of using something that is oil based which may not be suitable for Dumpling, I smeared Dr. Lily's Aloe Vera Gel all over on our limbs and even our faces - in the morning when we are up and before we go to bed. Being water based, I did not have to worry that the properties are not suitable for Dumpling. The gel was nice, refreshing and cooling on our golden skin.

 

Then on Day 2, being the klutz that I am, I slipped on the stainless steel ladder when coming down from the longtail boat which we were on. I had a fairly large bruise on the side of my shin and I recalled that Aloe Vera has anti inflammatory properties amongst many others. This is how my bruise looks after 3 days; it has basically faded to a pale yellow.

 

The kiddo does not like any sticky or greasy after-feel and neither do I. But of course, we did not have problems with the gel and it was being absorbed quickly. Best of all, this product has no fragrance which works for me as I am picky about scents!

 

 
I am excited to share that I have the below to give away: 

• 1 x 100ml Dr Lily's aloe vera gel
• 3 x mini jars of Dr Lily's aloe vera gel (with essential oil - randomly chosen) &
• 1 x Dr Lily's recycle bag

Here's how you can win this!

• Rafflecopter below
• Share the giveaway on your FB page (as in share this page URL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Being the awesome person that I am (LOL!) I have a discount code for those of you who wish to purchase this! Just quote "Beanie N Us" when you send your order to friends@drlilys.com to enjoy a 15% discount!

:: Terms and Conditions:

- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- Winners will be notified by email, through the email address provided.

- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only. 

Disclaimer: The sponsorship of this giveaway is by Dr. Lily and I received the gels to try so as to give my opinion of it. All 'golden tans' acquired during our vacation are entirely our own. :D No monetary compensation was received for this post.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram! 

 

中秋节 - Free Printable Download

I personally feel that Chinese celebrations and festivals are losing their significance here in Singapore with the kiddos. Ask any kid and he / she can tell you about Christmas or Easter bunny but when you ask them about Dumpling festival or Mid Autumn Festival, not many would know the story or how it came about.

I make it a point to revisit these festivals and how they came about with the kiddo every year. I have been using series of books which is on 传统节日 and for 中秋节 (mid autumn festival), here's how the book looks like:

I bought some ingredients and will be making the snow skin mooncakes with the kiddo. We made them before when she was about 3 though her role was more of the kneading and eating kind. :p

At the same time, I also made a 中秋节 Printable Pack which you can download by clicking on the link (more so a mini pack actually as I was running short on time!) to extend the learning with Dumpling. It's fairly straightforward where she practised a bit of writing,

And thereafter I extended it to some Han Yu Pin Yin work: (you can add on to it like I did or if your child is new to HYPY, you can write the 韵母 but ask your child to fill up the 声母),

And to a bit of drawing / illustration and Oracy fun, I added on the activity below which the child is able to tap on his / her imagination. 

After she drew it, I got her to name the various parts of her 'house' (in her case more so a castle lol!) and she came up with her own mythological creature - a hippogriff which she calls 河马鱼。

For those of you readers who do not have the story book, I have included 1.5 pages of the story in the printable pack along with 2 video links (links are mentioned on the cover page) for your easy reference. There is also a page on word recognition / vocabulary and another on comprehension.

As this was meant just as a 1-2 lesson activity so the pack is relatively short. If you wish, you can extend on your own to make crafts - lanterns or mooncakes like us! I hope that you enjoy this mini printable pack!

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram! 

The Complete Tooth Fairy Kit - Review + Giveaway!

2014 has been a fun yet emotional parenthood ride for me. There have been many firsts and many big decisions amongst which was to enroll her into Primary school for formal education. The kiddo is growing up fast and like all parents, I get sappy when I look at her milestones which remind me that she is growing way too fast.

While her friends cut their first tooth at 7-9 months old, Dumpling cut hers at 11months old so I naturally thought that she will not drop her first tooth until much later, having seen friends’ sharing on Facebook on how their children are dropping their baby teeth. Or so I thought.

Lo and behold, she excitedly screamed to me, one evening, not too many weeks back that her bottom incisor was a bit wobbly. And I was going “oh dear, not so fast!” But of course, she was right, her tooth became more and more wobbly over the next few days with her asking us repeatedly when her tooth would drop. And it finally did, one and a half weeks later when she first discovered her tooth was wobbly.

(Exuberant as you can tell...) 

Frankly, I died a little inside, but at moments like these, what’s a parent ‘gonna’ do except to paste a smile on my face and preserve this momentous milestone, the best that I can.

We were gifted with this kit last year at Dumpling's BD party and my first thought then was that it was really pretty and really cute! 

The kit certainly lived up to its name - it was definitely COMPLETE.

 

:: The kit consists of:

- A sheet of paper (to write to Tooth Fairy)

- A small Tooth / Coin Pouch (for the kiddo to place her tooth inside and for the 'Tooth Fairy' to place a coin in it)

- A door hanger (hey, the kid has to ensure that the fairy makes a definite stop right?) &

- A baby tooth album which comes as a flapbook and has a baby tooth chart (to chart the momentous date of course!)

 

 

The really cool thing is that the album has slots for specific tooth - in our case, it was the bottom right front incisor and this was 'labelled' by way of drawing above the slots too

Besides being able to record the dates, the chart also has information on the approximate 'shedding' date.

 

She also made sure that she hung the Door Hanger on the bedroom door so no one misses out on her tooth... Best of all, it comes in pink AND blue making it a perfect gift!

 

 

I am excited to share that I have NOT 1 but 2 kits (worth a total of $70) to giveaway!

 

Enter the Rafflecopter below and stand a chance to win! Good Luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

:: Terms and Conditions:

- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- Winners will be notified by email, through the email address provided.

- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only. 

 

Disclaimer: The sponsorship of this giveaway is by Chicks and Koalas. No monetary compensation was received for this post.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram! 

 

Book Talk Tuesday - Discover Music with Uncle Peter

Dumpling has been on her violin journey for just around 2 years and it has been a learning journey even for mum here too. :) Learning a musical instrument is a fairly hard journey (to me at least) as it is a very fine line trying to balance the children's interest and ensuring that she needs to learn what she has to for the week.

Amongst the things that I do to help encourage that interest is to bring her for musicals, theatrical plays, listening to music CDs, watch youtube videos of her favorite violinist and attending the concerts by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO). I must say that we are quite fortunate in Singapore as the SSO puts up concerts very frequently and even has concerts for children. Beyond that, there's CDs which they sell at a booth whenever there's any performances. 

I saw this book at one of the booths and bought it many months ago but only opened it recently. The book comes with a CD and has activity pages too.

The CD is narrated by Uncle Peter who gives a general introduction of music to children and a general introduction to the various groups of musical instruments - strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion.

Uncle Peter also takes the children through musical terms (with appropriate accompanying music) and where he also explains dynamics and the 'make up' of the Orchestra.

Using the famous Peter and the Wolf piece by Prokofiev, Uncle Peter also introduces how various instruments are being used to mimic the various animals in the story in a succinct manner.

What the kiddo also enjoys are the activity pages peppered in each section - the illustrations are adorable and the colours are bright and colourful!

 

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!