The Eclipses - Actual ones and those in me

I first read about eclipses when I was in Primary 3 or 4. I was fascinated, to say the least! The fact that something like that could actually happen was completely out of this world for my impressionable age :) Knowing that a total (or near total eclipse) could be quite rare for Singapore, I read up on all that I could on both solar and lunar eclipses. It opened up the world of planets and solar system for me and with it, my understanding of the world itself!

In 1988, I read with a racing heart, that a partial solar eclipse could be seen from Singapore on 11 September! Back then, this particular date had no other meanings and I was all excited to be able to see even a partial eclipse! To know more about eclipses in visible in Singapore, go here :)

My granny, was however, very much against me viewing it! Her reason? An eclipse is an "unlucky" phenomena and seeing that I will be attempting a very major examination in my academics that year, she was up in arms against me viewing something that could bring me "bad luck". To her chagrin, I was unstoppable :P How could I ever miss out on something that I had only read about for years and NOT see it when it's literally happening in my backyard! Not a chance!

Back in those days, there were not as much publicity on such events, much less any organized outing to view eclipses! Left to my own devices, I could only use a big basin of water under the hot sun, out in the open, to view the eclipse. I was determined to do so despite getting very funny stares from neighbours :P

It may just be a partial eclipse. It was viewed (very sketchy) on a basin of water. Yet, it was the best eclipse for me :) It was never far from my memory :)

Fast forward to Year 2016, 9 March. I could barely contain my excitement as I read with relish that this eclipse will be 87% coverage at its max and it will be SO visible in Singapore! Gosh! I was like a little girl all over again when I shared this with my firstborn. Thankfully, my firstborn is equally excited as she had read about it but never seen one. Sounds familiar eh?

As reported in Straits Times.

A link to this complete article could be found below.

I soon realized that she will be in school when the maximum coverage occur at 0832hrs :( She was so disappointed that I could not bear to crush her excitement and decided to write to her teacher who will be taking her class at that time. To cut a long story short, My request for a viewing or even a mention of the eclipse when it was happening, was gently but firmly turned down. Whilst I could understand that to organize a viewing for an entire class in the middle of a lesson is rather unthinkable, I was, admittedly, rather disappointed that even a mention was not given due to constraints of lesson time :(

As I break the news to my firstborn, she was disappointed to say the least and I was rather disenchanted. I am not being ungrateful for the first class education system (or so I was told) that Singapore has. Nor am I unappreciative of the work of teachers. Yet, I was disenchanted with the fact that all talk of exposing our young to real life (versus book life) and hands-on experiences (versus virtual) seem to be just that - talk :(

When a rare opportunity presents itself, to have the child experience something that may not come along again in his or her lifetime, is brushed aside in view of academic time constraints, it leaves me flabbergasted! How long could a mention of the eclipse take? 10mins tops including a brief explanation of what it is, what are they seeing or experiencing then. 10mins of academic time in exchange for a live experience of a natural phenomena is more than worth it, in my humble opinion.

This photo was take by hubby dearest. He knew that I was unable to see the eclipse itself with a young toddler alongside so he had ran out to the open when the eclipse was at its peak to somehow snap and send me this. Yes, he was at work. He sure knows me best and I am so so grateful and felt so loved! Thank you my dear!

The very presence of such a large coverage eclipse is breathtaking! The area that was covered by the moon appeared overcast, dark and gloomy even. The side of the area that was not covered, had hot scorching sunlight, seemingly stronger than usual to try and "make up" for the eclipse. This can be strongly felt especially when you are out in the open, with one side being dark and gloomy and the other bright and sunny. It was a sight to behold! I could experience all these despite being indoors then so I could only marvel at the wondrous sight one could see when out in the open!

I took pictures and share what I experienced that morning with my kiddos. How I wish I could have them experience it too! Then again, self-mockingly, I still sent them to school despite knowing that they will miss out on the eclipse. Much lesser than I was worried for the amount of school work missed, but more for the reactions that I will probably get. From hubby dearest's "Eh? Ok then YOU write the excuse letter." to their grandparents' disbelief "Aiyoh then will miss lesson! What if she cannot catch up then how?" I too, fell into the trap of societal pressure of what is education - formal versus experience.

Yet, just like the eclipse, there is still an area that is passionately hot :) Many articles had shown how many schools in Singapore had taken that leap, leading by awesome example of how a real life experience can be, if not more, enriching, with far-reaching influence and impact than an academic lesson could be! My sincere and heartfelt applause for these schools and their educators. Some articles of interest are linked below.

Link below for the complete article.

Solar eclipse set to take over Wednesday morning sky in Singapore and the region

All fired up in Singapore to get view of solar eclipse

Rare astronomical event: Singapore to experience partial solar eclipse on Mar 9

Tens of thousands watch as solar eclipse sweeps across Singapore and the region

In Pictures: Solar eclipse captivates Singapore and the region

Solar eclipse on March 9: What you need to know and where to view it in Singapore

Thus, the eclipses in my life, my dilemma, my quandary :( I can only hope that I will have the strength to let them "ponteng" school for the next eclipse and share in the awe and wonder alongside them.

Wah Mummy Sees - Gardens By The Bay "Blossom Beats Floral Display"

Its the March school holidays! The kiddos are out for a week after 10 weeks of school and amidst the very many school holiday assignments, we decided to bring the kiddos for some much needed fresh air and play. The news segment on the Sakura blossoming was just what we need and off we go today!

 



Gardens of The Bay



 

 

We were not too late there, reaching around 10am+, wanting to avoid the afternoon sun even though it was totally air-conditioned. Parking was hassle free as there were not that many cars so we were able to park pretty near the entrance. Family lots were quickly snapped up but its still not that far a walk for the normal lots. My 2 oldest had been there when it first opened but not my littlest so he was full of awe as we walk towards the Flower Dome for the Sakura display. If you think that the super trees were the ones that caught his eye, think again! It was the diecast bulls that he kept pointing to though I simply have no idea why?! Go figure!

 

We joined the queue like any good Singaporean and was pleasantly surprised when we were lead to another (shorter) queue. We must have looked suitably local I guess and were asked if we were and given the local discounted rate. You can find out more on the rate and can even book the tickets online here :)

 

The sight that greeted us was amazing! One does feel as in Japan! Of course the very strong and "powderful" air conditioning helps a great deal in lulling us into Japan mode :P

 

Warning! From here on, it will be photo heavy :)

 

 

This is just one of the many Japanese styled setup within the Sakura display and it lends a definite Japan feel to the whole atmosphere :) More of these below...

 

 

 

 

 

 

The very famous icon of Japan

 

 

 

A look out from a cave-like setting that gives that awesome framed setting :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is my absolute favourite !

 

 

Below are the main cast itself - the Sakura :) There are actually many many types of cherry blossoms, over 200 cultivars (!!!) but the most famous one being the Somei Yoshino. Its flowers are almost pure white, tinged with the palest pink near the stem and it usually fall within a week, before the leaves emerge.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some close-up shots...

 

 

 

 

 

Of course besides these cherry blossoms, there are many other alluring flowers all vying for your attention!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were there till about 2pm, taking our time to view the cherry blossoms and also the rest of the flowers in the Flower Dome. Indeed the "weather" inside was really very nice (at first) against the backdrop of the merciless sun we have outside. 3hrs into our visit, the kiddos were starting to feel the cold despite layering on for the 2 younger ones. A word of caution here - if you do intend to stay long, please bring along jackets and longer pants for the kiddos especially the younger ones. It does get pretty chilly after a couple of hours! A good alternative to temporarily "relieve" the coldness will be to head up to the highest level of the Flower Dome and catch some sun rays streaming through. It does warm you up abit :)

 

All in all, it was a good break from the usual shopping centres etc. The kiddos enjoyed the flowers, posing and taking photos, the coldness even! For those of us who have larger family size (read - need more $ to travel), this is a good way to just let the kids have a taste of it while we try to save up for the trip :P

 

The display is ongoing from  now till Sunday, 27 March 2016. Go soon though as most cherry blossoms will wilt within a week of blossoming. Even as we stroll through today, there were some that had already started falling! Also, if your kiddos are like mine, fond of taking back "souvenirs" aka fallen Sakura petals, bring along a small ziplock bag for these as they are pretty light and will fly at the slightest whiff of breath :)

 

Enjoy some Japan goodness in our sunny Singapore!

BusyBags - Seeing Doubles Giveaway Winners!

Happy Happy Lunar New Year! Hope that the long weekend and celebrations had been good for everyone!

 

As promised, the winners for the sponsored stickers from Love Stick It will be announced today and they are...

 

MICHELLE TAN

 

AND

 

VELMA TENG

 

 

Heartiest congrats to both!!! Love Stick It will PM both of you at your Facebook account for your choice of stickers and address. Keep a lookout!!! For reference, the stickers you can choose from are pictured below :) Both sets have great duplicates and are awesome to use to try out this busybag :)

 

 

Cupcakes

 

 

Dinos

 

I will be back next week for a new post so meanwhile have a good CNY and catch-up with your family!

Wah Mummy Eats - Sushiro @ Thomson Plaza

Tonight was date night for hubby and myself :) We usually check out new eating places and see if they are child-friendly before bringing our kiddos. Another thing we love to do is to burn fuel aka going for long drives. We will chat throughout, catching up, gossiping or just rant :P Its good therapy for both of us - me for some adult conversations other than "no-no, you cant do that" and him to have all my attention instead of only at most 50% with the other half on our kiddos and their antics.

 

I digress.....

 

What prompted this post was one of the most delicious Japanese ricebowl I have ever tasted! Granted, I am not a food connoisseur but with all my kiddos loving Japanese cuisine, I have more than my fair share of it. I love taking ricebowls. Its a convenient way of splitting food between my kiddos and it doesn't make a big mess *usually*. I am also a sucker for anything duck (no pun intended!) especially grilled duck meat *slurp!*

 

We came to Thomson Plaza this night, so that we can catch up on our grocery shopping after dinner. Hubby had been caught up with work past 2 weekends and apart from the usual errands and must-go places (read tuition, enrichment class), we stayed home. Our fridge is quite bare literally and with CNY round the corner, we better store up some essentials before all shops closes!

 

As usual, we walked around abit as it had been quite some time since we were here. Hubby spied this quaint little outlet selling Japanese food and we were definitely game to try :) The menu was simple but what caught my eye immediately was the "Off Menu" white card that was placed atop the menu. The very first item "Japanese styled glazed duck with onsen egg on rice" caught my attention at once! How not to when its a combination of 2 of my favorite food items! Without even considering other items, I ordered that, making it into a set meal with additional $5 for a bowl of miso soup, sashimi and salad.

 

And this is what I get...

 

 

 

The saying about how presentation of food affects appetite is definitely true for me then! It looks simply amazing and so so delectable! I started off with the miso, always fearing it may be too strong for my liking. It was definitely a pleasant surprise when it DIDN'T taste as if a ton of salt had been poured into it. It was just right, simple and light.

 

I tried the salad next. Close friends will know that I am NOT a veggie eater. I pick and choose my greens and only eat a VERY selected few. This salad had me coming back for more. Credit to the salad dressing which definitely evokes my appetite further!

 

Now the best for the last - the ricebowl. Just looking at it makes me hungry! The runny egg atop was a perfect fit for the sushi rice that is generously laden with the sauce. It makes for very fragrant and delicious rice  and I could have just eaten the egg and rice alone! The duck meat is definitely the prize! One bite and I was hooked! The meat was grilled to tender perfection with just a hint of grilled taste. The slices were sliced just right, not too thick till I was questioning the effectiveness of my teeth and yet not too thin till I barely taste it. The sauce was sweet yet not overtly and in my honest opinion, a perfect fit for the grilled duck slices!

 

Without saying, I polished off every single grain of rice and duck, almost forgetting to save a piece for hubby :P I did eventually and he agreed that it is good. Now, a caveat here - hubby dearest is NOT a duck eater. He claims there is a smell to it. I said it must be his nose! But THIS, he polished off after a first cautious bite. Definitely a testament to how good it is!

 

I am not sure how new (or old) this outlet is, but it is definitely on my food radar now! A check with them confirmed that they have this duck offering every day! Next will be to bring my no. 2 who loves duck almost as much as I do for a try :) My next try will be their Yakidori Don which consist of 4 sticks of chicken meat and a stick of leek.

 

Oh, hubby tried their lean tuna ricebowl and while I do not care for uncooked Japanese food, I "traded" his potato salad for my sashimi :) I must say that the potato salad is good too and I will definitely opt for this in my next order!

 

The sashimi + miso + salad upgrade is $5 while the miso + salad is only $3. You get a choice of either a greens salad or a potato salad. Definitely worth it in my opinion :)

 

Oh, a last thing about this outlet - they have a very cute mascot...

 

 

 

It holds their chopsticks in place and it is a surefire way to get your notice :) Hubby, knowing my penchant for keeping "memoirs" took the 2 (sans the chopsticks of course) we had for my memory album.

 

This is NOT an affiliated post in any way. Just a recommendation of good food that I come across. You can also get more information from their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Sushiro-Singapore-970518079675008/ If you are keen to give them a try, they are at Thomson Plaza, #01-113F, just in front of Gong Cha : Enjoy!   

 

Busy Bag - Seeing Doubles :) + GIVEAWAY!!!

Another very easy to make and a colorful & fun game :)

 

Seeing Doubles - to allow the child to recognize, identify that certain items are the same and are able to group them together. This fine tune their observation skills, recognition of patterns and shapes.

 

What you need:

1) Stickers that comes in duplicates

2) A4 paper, laminated

3) Velcro dots

 

I first created a template in my computer for a table that allows placement of 10 items, 5 in each column. Next will be to select your stickers. As my child is almost three, he is able to distinguish more subtle and subdued colors and patterns. I thus choose more complicated and colorful designs such as the skating shoes and donuts shown below. I made sure that I have 2 of each designs.

 

I place one of each designs onto one column. This is how it will look like...

 

 

 

This then goes through my laminator so that it will be more durable and most importantly - waterproof! Once it goes through the laminator, you can affix the Velcro dots on the other column as shown above.

 

 

I then put through the other half of the duplicate stickers into the laminator and cut them out. I tend to leave a rather big margin so that the kids can handle it easier. You can see how it will look like...

 

 

 

 

 

I then affix the other side of the Velcro dots onto the back side of these cut out laminated stickers.

 

 





 

 

This will be how they look like from the front :)

 

 

 

 

 

Lo & behold, you are done!

 

 

 

 

 

Even though the items can be small, storage is still relatively easy for these loose pieces as I just Velcro them back onto the paper and pop them back into the bag. Another way will be to use a small ziplock bag to hold these small pieces.

 

To step up this game, I will use solid colors first and build up from there. At this point, you can try to teach recognition of colors too. Stickers can sometimes be hard to find. I get these from a webstore at Love Stick It. They are inexpensive with many pieces in one sheet which is perfect for what I use it for :)

 

When I play with my child, I will step up the game by taking turns to put the items back correctly. For young toddlers, this exposes them to turn-taking and patience. By doing so, I also step up another way when I purposely put the item wrongly and ask my child to correct it :)

 

Besides skating shoes and donuts, there can be many different ideas or items to use. I usually select items that my child can recognize which makes it a lot easier and more "relevant" to the child. You can find lots of other such stickers in the form of cupcakes, ice-cream, dinosaurs, vehicles etc at Love Stick It.

 

 

 

And to encourage you to make one of your own, Love Stick It is giving away 2 sets of such stickers to my readers! You will get to choose either a cupcake themed sticker or a dinosaur themed sticker! To enter this giveaway, just need to LIKE Love Stick it at their Facebook page or follow Love Stick it on their Instagram. Links as below:

 

Love Stick It Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lovestickit/

 

Love Stick It Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lovestickit/

 

 

The giveaway will close on 07 February 2016 and the winners will be announced on 10 February 2016. This giveaway is generously open to all my international readers too!

 

I hope that you will give this a try :) Let me know how it goes! Have fun and good luck for the giveaway!

Busy Bag - Popsicle Fun!

This busy bag is one of my personal favourite :) Not only it is easy to make, it is also lots of fun with many different angles to step up the game :) It can be used by very young toddlers, to pre-K ages which makes it a very lasting and durable game!

This is Busy Bag - Popsicle Fun! As the name suggests, it involves play popsicle and it is so easy to make! What you need are:

1) Colored popsicle (ice-cream) sticks (I found mine in a shop in Bras Basah)

2) Corresponding colored felt pieces (Daiso is good if you only want a small piece for each color)

3) Velcro - adhesive-backed (I bought mine online but it can be found in Daiso as well)

This makes for the basic bag and as your child progresses, you can easily step up the game by many different ways!

Step 1

Create a template to cut the popsicle shape. I draw freehand on a piece of cardboard and use that as a template to cut my felt pieces. I did both big and small so that I can use that as a teaching tool to differentiate size :) You can then affix the adhesive backed Velcro onto the back of the "popsicles". Depending on your Velcro, you may want to spread a drop of super glue or fabric glue to affix it more firmly as it will be taken off and on over and over again. This is how it will look like...

Step 2

Cut the Velcro into thin strips that can fit onto the popsicle sticks. Affix the Velcro onto the popsicle sticks. I usually use the rough side on the sticks and the fuzzy part on the felt pieces. Again I usually add a drop of super glue, just to be on the safe side especially if I am giving this to a young child as the Velcro pieces can be quite small (and alluring!) to a young child! This is how it will look like...

Step 3

You are actually done making the items (YES!) and next will be to teach your child how to play :)

For very young toddlers, you may want to start off with just teaching him how to stick the "popsicle" to the stick. It can be played as game of him being the ice-cream man :) This helps him learn hand-eye coordination.

For slightly older toddlers, I will start by introducing colors and teach the child to match the same colors together. Another way of stepping up here will be to include flavors of ice-cream for example, yellow = corn/banana, red = red bean, green = peppermint and blue = blueberries etc. I show my child what the actual food item look like, drawing attention to the color on the food and then the color of the "popsicle".  

A more advanced step up will be to introduce the words representing the colors. This then helps in word recognition and color association. I print and laminate the word of the color and flash it to indicate what "flavor" I want my ice-cream to be :)

This is a simple yet interesting game where older siblings can join in as well, buying the "popsicles", indicating flavors and even big or small size! We will play till he is all "sold out" where he will declare loudly "no more!" and proceed to "collect" back the popsicles :) For fun, sometimes the older sibling will pretend to get a tummy ache after eating too many "popsicles" and we all go "orrrrrr...." pointing our fingers :P

Drop me an email if you need help with any of the materials :) I will love to know how it turns out for you too if you decide to trying making it :)

Enjoy and have fun!

PS. I am thinking of making a simple card of objectives for playing and step up(s) of each busy bag. This will be made available as a free printable on my blog. Let me know what do you think of this :) Would you prefer to have a set of instructions for making it as well? Love to see your comments!

Love Stick It Sticker Subscription Review

Hiya! Victoria here guest blogging on Wah Mommy :) A little about me and myself.

 

I currently reside in Vietnam as my husband is posted here. As a crafter and recently-besotted-planner-girl, I was really quite strapped for any craft materials or planner related items here. I relied heavily on online purchase and tons of Happy Mail from US and Singapore for all my hobby needs *oopsy* wants I mean!  

I was totally psyched when my good friend started a sticker subscription! Needless to say, I was about the first ones to nod my head off for a subscription! It was a complete GODSEND and I REALLY NEED some stickers to spruce up my very very dull and boring planner! So I was more than willing (and honored) when she ask me to do a review on her first kit! *thank you love!*

 

This is my first review, so bear with me :)

 

There were two options for the kit, Jumbo & Dainty. Being so sticker-less *is there such a word?* of course I opted for the Jumbo kit! This kit gives you AT LEAST 15 different sticker sheets and a free gift every month too!

The stickers are all themed and this month's it is "Special Moments" for all the moments in your life! I love stickers of all types, especially more unique ones like puffy, 3D, functional and all! Yea, I am pretty sticker-mad!

 

The sticker sheet that drew my attention immediately were the pearlised heart stickers! These are so dainty and sweet! It works great to denote a special date, anniversary or an extra special moment! Aren't they precious?!

 

 

 

Next are the puffy stickers and there are TWO sheets of different puffy stickers in this kit!!! Stars & Hearts of different colors and designs! These are so flexible and I can see myself using them in my planner, my scrapbook layouts and daily journaling!

 

 

If you are using an undated planner like myself, then you will totally love the next sheet of stickers that features the month along with the holiday that it has. For example, February will have a sticker shaped in a heart and with the word "February" on it. Isn't that awesome?!

 

 

The next sheet blew me away, for its uniqueness and also the generosity! I get a full sheet of kiss-cut index stickers, fully colored!

 

 

Just 2 more sheets to show as I really do not want to spoil the surprise for others! The next two sheets were also amazingly generous if you see them live! And to top it all off, they look fabulous and are functional too! Great choice for the "Special Moments" theme kit I'd say!

 

 

 

Why do I keep saying its so generous? Well this huge kit of 15 different sticker sheets (with a free gift too!) only costs US$10 per month INCLUSIVE of airmail shipping! We all know how atrocious international shipping can costs so this kit is definitely more than value for money!

If you prefer to start with a smaller kit, well there is the Dainty kit giving you at least 8 sheets of stickers and a monthly free gift too! The Dainty kit only costs US$8 per month inclusive of shipping too!

As this kit ships from sunny Singapore, if you live locally or nearby neighboring countries, the costs is even lower!

 

If you just want a try, subscribe away as this is a no commitment kit where u can cancel anytime. The only thing kit owner ask is for you to cancel before the 1st of the month so that she can prep the mails in time :) That is pretty reasonable I think and IMPO, I do not think you will regret your subscription especially the Jumbo kit where each sheet is less than $0.70 (including shipping!) It is truly an amazing kit!

 

After woooing and ahhhing so much, I yet to give you the link to the subscription! Me bad! Here it is!

http://lovestickit.storenvy.com/collections/1255662-subscription

 

Wah Mommy wants me to let you know too that she will be following up with posts on how differently she uses these stickers and seriously I was pretty floored with how creative she is! Lucky kids she has! 

 

Remember to read this blog for all its creativity! Till my next guest blog! Choose happy ALWAYS!