On your mark, get set, GO! - Cold Storage Kids Run 2013

The sun shone into our window and woke me up with its gleaming rays. I rubbed my eyes and smiled, knowing that it was going to be a sunny day. Better shine than rain on this day, right?

It was the day we had been waiting for, especially Angel. At last, she was going for her first run at the Cold Storage Kids Run!

Slowly, we woke the whole family up one by one, got dressed, packed our essentials and made our way to the Padang.

Despite the fact that the sun was scorching hot and ready to melt anyone who stood under it for ten minutes, we saw a steady stream of participants arriving at the scene. Babies in dressed up strollers, toddlers in over-sized shirts, mums in rarely used sports outfits, dads armed with bulky cameras, and even grandparents who were there to cheer their favourite kid on.



There were mascots of all shapes and sizes. The Gardenia wholemeal bread never failed to make me chuckle every time it walked past.

My girl was in the Blue Sky Chase which was targeted at children 2-4 years of age and consisted of a 800m course. Even though this race was non-competitive, the hubby said that they were going to aim to come in first! While waiting for the flag off, he pinned on Angel's race bib for her.

My girl still appeared half awake so we tried to wake her up with a nudge and a kiss. When all that failed, we told her to open her eyes wide and use eye power to make sure they stayed open.

Soon, it was time for the race to begin! Now where was I? At the sideline cheering my heart out with baby Ariel in the carrier. If not for the one-parent-to-one-child rule, we would have loved to run as a family.

Can you spot the father and daughter?

Zoom in, there they were! It took me ages to scan the crowd and spot them, not to mention that the sun was making me squint every second.

This was the mascot for the Blue Sky Chase. Angel saw it and shouted to me "Mummy, look, big bird!"

Ready, on your mark, get set, GO! The race had begun!

You know what was the joke of the day? The naive me had assumed that even with a baby on my chest and a backpack on my back, I could still jog by the sideline and catch up with my girl.

Who knows, within thirty seconds after the race started, the hubby and her zoomed forward with such speed that I lost sight of them. Best as I could, I half jogged half ran and took a short cut to reach the finishing line. There, I waited eagerly with my camera to catch that golden moment when my girl got to the end and stepped on the line.

After a long wait with my eyes glued to the track, they emerged from behind me and the hubby told me they had longgggg completed the race and went to get the medal and certificate. In fact, he swore that Angel ran at his jogging speed and they ran so fast that they even caught up with the previous group. She only got tired at the last 50m and gave a weary look but finished the race nonetheless. So, he concluded that they must have taken a total of less than ten minutes.

What??!! Ok, I missed that golden shot but still, I must take a picture of the finishing line.

Lessons learnt:
1) Never bite off more than you can chew
2) Never assume
3) Never underestimate the power of the sun. And your kid.
4) Never forget to bring a brolly when you have a baby
5) Never let the hubby leave you his phone and go off in a race

To Angel, I still want you to know how proud I am of you for completing your first race! Woohoo! You are my little champ!

After the run, we decided to brave the heat and explored the rest of the carnival. There were various booths set up for kids to play games and win prizes. In addition, there were also goodie bags being given out but trust me, that queue was intimidating. I guess I would much rather spend time letting my girl have some fun instead since this was a day meant for her.

Angel chose to try her luck at the Yoyo fishing game where she walked away with a water balloon that bounced like a yoyo and a packet of cereal.

Last but not least, she also had the chance to meet and greet Bob the Builder. I didn't know that he could dance too!



Time for some crayons! Obviously, after having just met Bob the Builder, she chose a picture of him to colour too.

As for the little one, thank you so much for enduring the unbearable heat with Mummy. I am probably the worst mum that day because I forgot to apply sunscreen lotion for you and I had no umbrella while you were in the carrier! You were so amazingly sweet to have a quick nap when jiejie was running with all her might. Mummy promises to bring you for a run too when you are older and we can have our first family race!

To the hubby, a heartfelt thank you for accompanying Angel on the run and making her feel like a champion. I hope this will be the start of many more fun races for our family!

Disclosure: A Happy Mum was invited to the Cold Storage Kids Run and Angel received a complimentary entry for the purpose of this event post. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Creativity 521 {linky party} #22 - An emblem of mother's love

We all know that the carnation is an emblem of Mother's Day. But do you know why?

In 1907, Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother's Day, sent 500 white carnations to a church in West Virginia to be distributed among mothers. She chose the carnation because it was the favourite flower of her mother. From then on, it has become a tradition to present carnations on Mother's Day as a token of thanks for a mother's love and care.

"The white carnation is preferred because it may be thought to typify some of the virtues of motherhood; ... whiteness stands for purity; its lasting qualities, faithfulness; its fragrance, love; its wide field of growth, charity; its form, beauty..."

For that reason, I decided that carnations would be my gift this Mother's Day. Well, as someone who loves crafts and is not a fan of fresh flowers, I ended up making some DIY carnations instead.

Materials:

1) Crepe paper
2) Pipe cleaners
3) Binder clips
4) Markers/ Pencil
5) Ribbon
6) Scissors
7) Anything you can use to draw a 3" circle (I used a cylindrical coin bank)

Fold the crepe paper to form a thick square. You can have over 40 layers of crepe paper because it can be easily cut with a sharp scissors! Outline and draw a circle which has a 3" diameter. Cut the circle out carefully, using binder clips to keep the layers in place as you cut.

To give your flowers a more realistic look, use a bold marker and gently colour along the edge of the circles. Make sure the ink permeates all the layers. Work slowly around and make sure the areas under the clips are coloured too.

One flower will need 10-12 circles. Take a pipe cleaner and use it to poke two small holes in the middle. You can use a skewer if your pipe cleaner is not sharp enough. Insert the pipe cleaner into one hole, fold it down and into the other, leaving around one inch at the short end. Twist it together with the longer end to secure the stem.

Next, it's time to scrunch! Taking the base of every layer, being careful not to touch the edges, crumple it so that it looks like a real flower to you!

After you have worked through every layer and are happy with the final look, give the pipe cleaner an additional twist at the base of the flower and make sure it stays in shape.

If you have more crepe paper to share, you can also twist several stalks together, wrap it up, tie some ribbons and voila, you have a mini bouquet. Alternatively, use some shimmery ribbon to wrap around the stems, tie it in the middle and you will have a sturdy stalk to hold.



I used three flowers for a bouquet because three means I Love You, right? This Mother's Day, we made three of these to give away. One for my mum, one for my mother-in-law and one for my grandma.

My girl was fascinated by the flowers and tried to smell them. She was also the one who presented the gifts on Mother's Day, making it even more special and meaningful to these people whom we hold dear.

As for me. I got a big smile, a big hug, a big kiss and many "Happy Mother's Day" wishes from my girl. That beats any big bouquet in the world, doesn't it?

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To fellow bloggers who have a fun craft session, DIY tip or creative idea to share, do join in the party! Highlight and press Ctrl + C to copy my button above, include it in your post/sidebar and add your link below. I will be hosting Creativity 521 every fortnightly and I hope you can join me on the 5th and 21st of every month. Remember: The sky's the limit when it comes to creativity!

My little runner

I don't really like running. Give me a Zumba DVD, a hula hoop, a badminton racket, a skipping rope and I'll gladly use any of them than to put on my running shoes.

On the contrary, my girl has proven that she has not only inherited our sporting genes, she has also grown to love running as a child.

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She loves to run and chase after every duck, sparrow, crow and seagull back in Sweden till they eventually took flight. Yes, even the ducks could fly.

She loves to run on the pavement and ask us to catch her. And when we pretend to be the monster and go after her with big steps, she runs amok and laughs hysterically.

She loves to run at the playground. While other kids are happily playing with slides, ladders and see-saws, she prefers to just go around in circles.

She loves to go the park because there is ample space for her to run freely and even when she falls on the grass, it doesn't hurt as much. 

She loves to run and pretend to be in a race. After reading her hare and tortoise story book, she learnt that you need a starting pose and the empire will shout "On your mark, get set, GO!".

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So recently, we have to say those words at the starting line every time, pretend to shoot with our racegun while trying our best not to laugh at her hilarious "boxing" pose.

In fact, she will ask us to go run with her every other day. With that puppy eye look and high hopes in her heart, it is virtually impossible to say "No, I just want to relax at home" though that is what I would love to do sometimes.

Thankfully, I have a hubby who is an ex-national badminton player and football lover and thus can keep up the pace with our little runner. As for me, I am also slowly learning to appreciate the joy of running, or at least, jogging.

In fact, we went for our first family night run at Punggol Park. Yes, finally my running shoes came out of the shoe cabinet. We wore our sports attire, hydrated ourselves, put the baby in the stroller and off we went. Seriously, the big sis must have run at least 1km that night while the little one was snug in her stroller the entire journey.

Well, after that run, I was so famished that I ate half a spring chicken for supper. Yes, there goes my sweat and efforts but hey, at least I ran, right?

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To my little runner, Mummy is so proud of you, you know that? It's a joy to watch you sprinting around like the happiest girl in the world. I hope you know that even if Mummy cannot keep up with you sometimes, I will always be here to support you, to cheer for you, to give you my loudest applause when you reach the finishing line.

May you have the courage to run up and face your fears, the determination to chase after your dreams, the strength to pick yourself up when you fall and the faith to take small but steadfast steps to get to the end.

Remember that we don't have to win every race in life. It's ok to lose as long as you tried your very best. And you know what? You will always be the champion in Mummy's eyes.

P/S: She is going to attend her first real run at the Cold Storage Kids Run this Sunday! Stay tuned for more updates!

HeART Studio June Holiday Art Classes {Giveaway}

As an avid crafter, I believe that art can be a great way for a child to unleash creativity, grow confidence, improve social skills and discover the world from new perspectives.

Have you wanted to expose your child to art but wondered if he/she is ready? Come this June holiday, it's your chance to find out.

A Happy Mum is giving FOUR June Holiday Art Classes at HeART Studio (worth S$65 each) to children aged 3-4 years old!

Class title: Little Masters Workshop - Painting Fairies and Painting Robots

Class contents: Students will learn to draw and paint on canvas using a combination of colours and lines. They will be allowed to use their creative juices to add in details using both clay and paint. The use of modeling clay helps to enhance the child's fine motor skills through techniques like coiling, pinching and rolling.

Class schedule: 
Painting Robots - 3 June (Mon)
Painting Fairies - 5 June (Wed)
There are three time slots on both days - 10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30, 4:30-6:30.
*If chosen as the winner, you can select your preference based on availability.

Details:
1) This giveaway is open to Singaporean residents only.
2) It is compulsory to leave a blog comment and state your child's name and age.
3) There are 2 x Painting Fairies and 2 x Painting Robots slots to be given away. Please indicate your preference in your comment.

Simply follow the below steps to enter and GOOD LUCK!

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Good news! HeART Studio has also generously sponsored June holiday art classes giveaway on fellow parenting blogs. For more giveaways for 3-4 year old, visit Beanie N Us. For 5-6 years old, visit Princess Dana Diaries. For 7 years and above, visit DinoMama. 

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heART Studio believes in providing quality Arts education for all their students to gain mastery in making art, to nurture their creative potential and to cultivate a community of artists and art lovers of all ages. Its class programmes include age appropriate activities uniquely designed to engage and inspire young artists, aged 3-12, to cultivate their creativity and learn technical art skills. For more information, visit www.heartstudiosg.com.

Read more about my review of Heart Studio here - Part I and Part II.

Disclosure: Angel attended complimentary art lessons at HeART Studio. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

I've always wanted...

I have not told anyone this but there is something in life that I have always desired.

No, not that Louis Vuitton bag or Jimmy Choo shoes. I made it through 30 years without them and I can go on just like that.

But, what I've always wanted is something that can only live in my dreams. For it never came true and it never will.

A sister.

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There are times when I imagine how it would be like to have a real sister.

We would make secret jokes, giggle to ourselves and give each other the wink at dinner table that no one else would understand.

We would go to bed together, hide under the sheets, chat for hours about everything from the neighbour's cat to the latest idol drama and then realise the sun is already up.

We would share our crushes and talk about which type of guy makes the perfect boyfriend.

She would be there for me when my heart gets broken for the first time, offer me a shoulder to cry upon and shower me with lots of sisterly loving care.

At my graduation, my first marathon and every of my achievement, she would come up and tell me "Sis, I'm so proud of you." 

We would go for vacations, bask under the sun at beaches and share tips on cam whoring.

After we get married, we would share recipes, talk about breastfeeding and how to discipline our kids.

No matter which part of the globe we live in, we will always be sisters who love, look out and care for each other. 

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Ok, that may be the just the good part.

In truth, we might also have hair-pulling fights over the new Barbie doll.

We might become rivals in trying to become the apple of mummy's eyes.

We might both fall in love with the boy next door.

We might argue over who gets to bathe first and complain that the other has a bigger scoop of ice cream.

There might be times when we compare and start to feel jealous or even inferior.

We might have screaming contests, judo duels or even conduct our own WrestleMania.

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But at the end of the day, we will come to understand that having a sister is a gift. She is the one friend you know you can depend on all your life and she will always be there to share your laughter and wipe your tears.

So for everyone who has told me things like "Well, two girls. Now all you need is a son to have a complete family", "Don't be sad, you can have a third one" or even "I hope you don't get a girl again", I wish to tell you that

"I love my girls, I have a beautiful family and it is very much complete, thank you very much." 

Fate decided it this way and I am embracing the fact that my girls will grow up knowing that they have a precious gem in their lives and it is called a sister.

May the two of you learn to love, appreciate and treasure each other, my darlings.

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Linking up with 

My first cupcake! - PLAY-DOH Frosting Fun Bakery Playset {Review and Giveaway}

Baking has never been a passion of mine. However, I have to admit that baking is a great bonding activity.

Back in Sweden, friends would gather to learn about baking, icing and piping cakes. When Angel came along, I realised that playing with dough and sprinkling raisins can be such a fun pastime for her. However, cleaning up was always a chore, not to mention that the hot oven always gives me the jitters when my child is around.

So, recently I found the mess-free (ok, just a little mess) solution to let Angel hone her baking skills and let us bond through fun - The PLAY-DOH Frosting Fun Bakery.

PLAY-DOH has always been one of Angel's favourite toys, so you can see how her face lit up when she laid her hands on the new set.

It was a breeze assembling the various parts which was straightforward and required no more than a couple of minutes. The Frosting Fun Bakery set comes with the all new PLAY-DOH PLUS compound, which features a softer, smoother and fluffier texture that allows adding dollops of frosting or fine details like stars, flowers and swirls. 

My girl was all eager to get started and make her first ever cupcake! We were excited to see how 'realistic-looking' our cakes would turn out.

The Cake Stamping Station, which uses classic PLAY-DOH compound, was easy for Angel as she chose her favourite cake cutter shape, placed flattened compound onto the turntable and simply pressed it down.



The Frosting Station, which uses the PLAY-DOH PLUS compound, proved to be the more challenging one. The fact that it was softer made the compound harder for her to handle, not to mention that it required some technique and strength to place the compound into the extruder and push it out using the plunger. We decided that it was easier to take out the extruder and decorate by hand instead.

Another challenge I found was in cleaning up the extruder and plunger after every use as the soft PLAY-DOH compound would get stuck in every hidden corner. A satay stick helps a lot here, the pointed end removes all tiny leftovers and the long body cleans the entire tube.


A cake has to look pretty, right? Next, it was time for us to add on some fine decorations.

While I love that the set comes with many moulds for us to add cute shapes to our cakes, it could be a little difficult to get them out. I find that the most effective way was to use a toothpick to 'pick' it up from a corner and then dab a little to repair the small hole you created. Alternatively, you could use a bigger piece of compound to press into the shape, pull up using the 'extra' bits and then peel them off.

So, are you ready to see some of our creations?

Voila!! Yes, we made each and every one of these. This last cupcake was my favourite, I couldn't get over how pretty the pink frosting looked and those tiny waffle biscuits were too tempting to resist!

We also made a special cookie just for the sisters to 'share'.

Not surprisingly, playing with the Frosting Fun Bakery now becomes a daily must for my girl. For that smile on her face, I guess I can manage cleaning up this little mess every day.

Tip: Always separate the colours and put the compound back in the containers after play. It dries easily but that also means it is not hard to scrape, wipe or vacuum it away.

The PLAY-DOH Sweet Shoppe Frosting Fun Bakery playset retails at S$24.90 and is now available at Toys”R”Us and major department stores. 

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How would you like to have some 'baking' fun with your child?

Good news! A Happy Mum is now giving away ONE set of the Frosting Fun Bakery to a lucky reader. This giveaway is open to readers residing in Singapore only. Simply follow the steps below to enter!

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Disclosure: A Happy Mum received a complimentary PLAY-DOH Sweet Shoppe Frosting Fun Bakery playset from Hasbro Singapore for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions are my own.