Saturday, December 14, 2013

we want food


We had our Annual Company Christmas Lunch yesterday at a lovely family-style Italian restaurant. When the food was served, I was reminded of a mini conversion I had with my kids last year.

Me: “Mummy is going for Xmas lunch with office people at a fancy restaurant tomorrow.”
Both kids went: “Oooo... can you bring us?”
Me: “Er... no, cos it is only for people working in my office.”
Kids: “Awww....” looking disappointed.
CF: “Oh, then can you whatapp the food pics to me?” My son really loves good food.
YH: “Yah, yah, can you tabao back for me?”
Me: “............”

hmmm.... so I know... which one is the geek and which one is the practical one.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

慈


原本想拿这张photo参加一个摄影比赛,事情办完后却又忙着处理之前堆积的琐琐碎碎而错过了截至日期。

棚外,雨一直下
棚内,火蝶飞舞
尘归尘,土归土
一路。。。 走好。

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

wordless wednesday: through the looking glass

Parkroyal on Pickering
PARKROYAL on Pickering, recipient of the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award
This shot was taken with my iPhone while on the way to office one day. It was raining very heavily, my cab stopped in front of the hotel while waiting for the traffic light.

Friday, November 8, 2013

in search of ellie


It all started when I was looking for new book titles for YH. I wanted stories that are not about princesses, fairies and boarding schools, stories that YH can relate to. Then a fellow mum blogger recommended Ellie Belly, a series of titles based on a local 7 year old girl very much like my own YH. What’s more, it is written by a local author Eliza Teoh.

So I went in search of Ellie Belly without much luck (ok, I admit, I wasn’t actively looking). Then one day, YH came home from school and passed a leaflet to me. Apparently, Eliza Teoh visited her school to promote Ellie Belly with an autographing session. YH informed me that a book vendor will be at her school the next day and insisted that I gave her some money to buy Ellie Belly. And so we got our first Ellie Belly: Huffy Puffy Panda. I love the simple storyline in a local set up which YH can relate to (hey, Huffy Puffy is about a Panda in Singapore Zoo, you can’t get more local than that). I love the simple English with occasional BIG words thrown in. I love how the BIG words are highlighted in bold and explained in easy-to-understand English in a call out box (knowing very well that most children will not be bothered to check out those words in the dictionary). I love how the author included real diary entries submitted by children (some entries are really funny).

We have since added two more titles to our Ellie collection and we heard that the sixth book has just been launched, awesome! Meet Eliza Teoh at the launch party on 10 Nov, 10am at SMU. There will be titles by other local authors as well. Find out the details on Ellie Belly fans page here. Hope we are able to get an autographed copy this time, see you at the party!

Big words are explained in call out boxes
Sample page of a diary entry

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

wordless wednesday: tree

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

junior is in


Recently, YH has taken to going to office with me on her no-school days. Yesterday was her third visit. So what does she do for the few hours that she’s there? Nothing much really... she reads her book and doodle on our used paper, but most of the time she’s playing games on my iPhone. On one of her earlier visits, one of the bosses actually offered her the spare laptop on seeing her playing on my iPhone. It seems quite boring to me being stuck in the office doing nothing much, so I asked her why does she like to follow me to office? In her words “I get to play iPhone whole day, eat Happy Meal and potatoes chips.” Yeah, games and junk food always work for kids. We have a mini pantry that is stocked with packs of potatoes chips and cheezels which she helps herself to, picking out her favorite flavour.

Just this morning, I asked her whether there’s school tomorrow. She happily replied “No, and I am going to your office.” Then she breaks into her cheeky grin.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

it's an enchanted day

During the school term break in June, we made a trip to the Art Garden @ Singapore Art Museum (SAM). Returning for the 4th year, it is our annual go-to event. This year, Art Garden 2013 features exciting new commissions, mesmerizing artworks and short films by talented artists. Spread across various rooms, each with it’s own delightful theme.

1. LANDscape in the Box: Created by students from NUS Architecture, this exhibits explore the beauty of Singapore landscapes using recycled materials assembled in 134 boxes.
2. ~ 5. The Enchanted Garden City: The most popular room in the Art Garden, this whimsical room is filled with larger than life scenes from our familiar fairy tales.
6. ~ 7. Around the Day in Eighty Worlds: Enter this fascinating world of familiar objects transforming into extraordinary displays.
8. Stellar Cave II: Marvel at the beauty of the glowing constellation of stars made entirely of screws and thread.
9. ~ 10. Les rêves engloutis – Glossy Dreams in Depths: A room filled with fantasy and dreams. Discover peculiar objects, 3D drawings and holograms located at dim corners of the room.
11. LOVE. Revolve the World: A collaborative work between Singaporean sculptor Sun Yu-li and 750 students from different schools. A impressive artwork which represents the connections that exist in the universe.

If you have not brought your little one, there’s still time to make a trip down. Art Garden ends on 1 September 2013.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

I want to fly

After being cooped up at home for two days due to hazardous haze level, we took the chance to venture outdoor when the haze level went down to acceptable level last night.

We made a trip to nearby Downtown East for dinner and had planned to catch a movie. Unfortunately, the good seats are taken. Then my girl, YH, spied the Mega Bounce and wanted to have a go. This is the first time that she’s on a bouncer, did she enjoy it? Here’s what she said:

Me: “Did you have fun?”
YH: “Yes!”
Me: “Why didn’t you jump very high?”
YH: “Because it is very scary, can I do it AGAIn??”

The conversation reminds me once again her love for adventure. When she was about 3 yrs old, we brought the kids to Universal Studios as a special treat for her brother’s 5th birthday. We went up the Junior Roller Coaster Ride, first time for both kids. After the ride, her brother was on the verge of tears and mummy dearest was feeling woozy, but she’s all charged up and ready for another ride up on the coaster. Thereafter, she practically wanted to try every single rides in the themed park.

My little Daredevil......


Monday, March 18, 2013

my little man


You know your little boy is not so little anymore when you said "I think I should hit the gym while waiting for your swim class to end. I can get some muscles." And he goes "Nooooo, then you'll be all muscles and no boobs, like my PE teacher." "How do you know that she has no boobs?" "It's all flat what. Bet she has 6 pacs underneath." 

"............" 

Ok, girls out there, watch out....

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

wordless wednesday: that day we created a rainbow


Step 1: Make a drawing

Step 2: Cut out colour squares

Step 3: Glued the colour squares to fill up the rainbow

Step 4: More gluing and sticking

 
Step 5: Completed rainbow, now to fill in colour for the rest of the drawing

Step 6: Colouring, colouring, colouring.....

Finally completed. A proud piece for ‘Show N Tell’ (it was on 2 Aug 2012). My not so Wordless Wednesday entry.



Tuesday, August 7, 2012

a warm and fuzzy feeling

On my way to work today, I suddenly remembered a friend. I took out my phone and texted “Girl, have been to the doc yet?”. Then, I waited for reply from my dear friend...

It is strange how relationship develops. I still remember the day when we first met. She has contacted me to stock one of the brand that she's distributing in Singapore. And we agreed to meet at Parkway Parade. We chatted for hours. This lady, on our first meeting, shared with me her passion for green products, environmental issues and her ideals of helping the less fortunate. Big dreams for a small-sized lady.

Well, I didn’t list her brand on my webstore eventually and we didn't keep in contact. But we met again when we took part in the same fair with a common friend. From then on, two mummies from different backgrounds, together with our common friend, took part in various fairs. Then in 2010, three of us decided to band together to open a brick and mortar boutique to showcase the brands that we love. It was then my dear friend and I got really close. We share tips and experiences on our businesses, even rants about our daily family life. She opened my eyes to issues on the negative impact clothing manufacturing has on the environment, on how toxic materials are used to produce the lovely toys that our children play, on how workers are treated unfairly by the employers. We search actively globally for social responsible children related products to introduce to parents in Singapore. We wanted to offer better alternatives to what is currently available in Singapore market. Among the three of us, she spend the most time at our boutique, clocking at least 6 hours for 6 days a week. Without my friend, our boutique wouldn’t have lasted 1.5yrs.

Her life has not been smooth sailing but she has overcome each obstacles that were thrown in her path and emerged stronger. Through it all, she’s still able to open her heart to love the people around her. I am always amaze at her energy level and never-say-die attitude. It is comforting to know that she will always be ready to offer a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on or an encouraging pat... whenever I needed them.

So, here’s a toast to you Belinda, my dear friend.... cheers!

pssst... please go see a doc soon.



Sunday, June 10, 2012

new beginning

It has been a wonderful 1.5 years for us at City Square Mall. Though it is sad for us to close our boutique, Moms’ Cottage, at City Square Mall, it is a move we had to make as we restructure our core business. We organized our final ‘Move Out Sale’ from 24 to 27 May 2012. A lot of you came to bid farewell and help us clear quite a bit of stocks, thank you for the love.

It was a big step for us to open a brick and mortar boutique 1.5 years ago and through it, we have learned a lot. From stock taking, budgeting, marketing, customer service to dealing with difficult requests... experiences that we will not have gained if we had remained an exclusive online store. But the biggest gain is we have made some wonderful friends who came into our life as fans of the products we stock. Your over-whelming support is what that has kept us going during this difficult retail time. You know who you are :)

On this page, we would also like to thank our part time helper Yulin. When Yulin first came for interview, we had doubt that she will even last 1 month, after all she’s only 18 (right?) and still in Polytechnic. But she proved us wrong and stick to us for the next 1.5 years. With the same determination that she has in learning the Korean language, she make an effort to learn all our product information, memorize our various on-going promotions, offer her best service and also give us feedback on customers comments. Even when Yulin’s school workload increases, she still offer to help us out on weekends so that our partner can have a break. In a time that committed retail staff are hard to find, Yulin is a blessing to us. Yulin will be starting her internship in September, we wish her success in her selected career path. We will miss you girl.

Our Moms’ Cottage facebook page will still be kept active with products and promotion updates. We are still reachable through facebook. Visit itsy bitsy ME! fans page for social responsible apparel and After Organic (here) for eco-friendly lifestyle products.

Thank you for walking with us as we continue our journey to embrace environmental sustainability. Till we settle in our next retail location, stay connected with us online.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Wordless Wednesday??

And so I just came to know about the term ‘Wordless Wednesday’ among the blogging community. I did a quick search on the WWW and this came up on Wiki Answers: “On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it on their blog. Hence the ‘wordless’ title. The idea is that the photo itself says so much that it doesn’t need any description.”. hmmm... good for me since writing is not really what I do best. So here’s my first entry to resuscitate my blog after 3 years, my not-so Wordless Wednesday post.

This fish flies.
Showing off their balloon catch.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

smooch smooch

It’s the sweetest month of the year. We brought the kids to The Studio Loft for the Valentine’s Day theme studio sitting as planned. We had a really wonderful time. The kids were in great mood, no tantrums, no tears. We can’t resist sharing one of the sweetest shot here, framed in Shabby Princess’s beautiful February desktop, designed by Nicole, fonts by Shabby Princess, a very talented scrapbooking designer.

If you like the February desktop featured on this post, it is available for free download here. While you are there, visit Shabby Princess Shoppe for some of their very inspiring digital scrapbooking kits.

Happy scraping.

Friday, February 6, 2009

new parents pillowcases by Wrybaby

All parents know how exhausting it is to do the night feeds and how it is easy to play the “No, it’s your turn!” with your partner. Wrybaby’s New Parent Pillowcases are a way to get round it and avoid late-night misunderstandings with our reversible pillowcase set. This way, it’s clear, it’s funny and it’ll be less of a drag to get up in the middle of the night!

This makes a wonderful and unique gift for new parents or for a baby shower. Come take a look at Maternity Exchange for this and more gift ideas! Maternity Exchange is the first maternity rental store where you have the choice of renting or purchasing your maternity or nursing wear. And the best part? You won’t have to pay through-the-roof prices for them.

WOW DEAL!
Maternity Exchange is offering all Lollipop Days readers a 15% off the Wrybaby Pillowcases (U.P $49.90)# and 10% off their maternity and nursing wear range. * Quote ‘Lollipop Days’ or ‘itsy bitsy ME!’ to claim the discount.

Maternity Exchange is located at 
6, Raffles Boulevard, #03-108, Marina Square. Tel: (65) 6100-EXCH (6100-3924)

# Wry Baby Pillowcases promotion is only available in store and offer is valid till 31 March 2009.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Not valid for rental packages and ala carte rentals and purchasing after renting.
MEV Basic Range and offer items.
Not valid with other promotions
MX has the right to amend the conditions when necessary, with or without notice to the customer.

Monday, January 26, 2009

it’s Spring time


Spring is here... well... not exactly... it is the time of the year when most Chinese will be busy cleaning up their homes, splurging on new clothes and goodies for family members. We call it the “Chun Jie”, literally translate to Spring Festival which is actually the Chinese New Year.

Just for the fun of it, we decided to bring our little imps to The Studio Loft’s Chinese New Year Walk-in promotion. Well, as it turns out, my girl was not exactly in a ‘strike a pose’ mood though Charlene was a very patience photographer. But we will not give up, the kids will be back for The Studio Loft’s Valentine Day’s promotion.

Here’s wishing you a very happy and prosperous Chinese New Year...mooooooooo........

Thursday, December 25, 2008

christmas giveaway #6: winner

symum’s cutie pie said...
How nice if I could keep my legs warm in this pair of christmas colors babylegs, I definitely would become the most gorgeous princess of my block! Hmmn maybe I could even go to ski in them in my upcoming trip to show off! =)

Cheers
symum's cutie pie

December 24, 2008 10:58 PM

Congratulations to symum’s cutie pie! Please email us at info@itsybitsyme.biz with your name, contact no. and address by Sat, 27 Dec, to claim your prize. Winner is selected using random.org

We apologize for the late update. We would like to thank all who had participated in our first Christmas Giveaway, we had a great time reading all your comments. Do drop by often to see what unique and innovative baby products we find on the net that will make your parenting days full of lollipop sweetness.

Here’s wishing you a merry, merry Christmas and a new year filled with love and happiness.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

christmas giveaway #6



Yeah, we are on our 6th day and it is Xmas Eve! It has been raining non-stop since last night, think it’s going to be a wet, wet Xmas Eve. What better way to keep those chubby legs warm from the wet weather than a pair of super cute BabyLegs. For our final giveaway - a pair of Elf BabyLegs!

To receive this gift, be sure to:
- leave a comment on this post, with your name
- tell us what you think of BabyLegs
- entry will be open till today 11pm (SG time)
(only comments posted before this time will be considered for the giveaway)
- 1 winner will be randomly selected, results will be announced on Lollipop Days tomorrow

* Christmas Giveaway is only open to our readers with a Singapore mailing address.

christmas giveaway #5: winner

Lil Ashten said...

If my little boy could wear the little rock star romper to usher in the New Year! Am sure he will be thrilled and rock the night away! :)

December 23, 2008 4:03 PM

Congratulations Lil Ashten! Please email us at info@itsybitsyme.biz with your name, contact no. and address by Fri, 26 Dec, to claim your prize. Winner is selected using random.org

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

christmas giveaway #5


Day 5, we are giving away an Uncommonly Cute romper/short sleeve Tee in size 3-6m, sponsored by MyLittleAngels Maternity. Uncommonly Cute is made in New York but inspired by trendy (but speechless) babies everywhere. Uncommonly Cute’s t-shirts and onesies not only afford babies a sense of individual style – be they a Diva, a Rock Star or a Fashionista – but comfort as well. Each garment is made of 100% combed cotton and is super, super soft. The clothes are all machine washable, safe, durable and made in sweatshop-free American studios.

To receive this gift, be sure to:
- leave a comment on this post, with your name
- select your preferred style from below, size 3-6m (images HERE):
  Cool chick
  Diva romper
  Lil’ Brother romper
  Local Celebrity - boy
  Rock Star romper - boy
  Rock Star romper - girl
  Uncommonly Cute romper
- entry will be open till today 11pm (SG time)
 (only comments posted before this time will be considered for the giveaway)
- 1 winner will be randomly selected, results will be announced on Lollipop Days tomorrow

* Christmas Giveaway is only open to our readers with a Singapore mailing address.