Happiness is... making joy a priority

The year end is always a busy and exciting time as the kids sit for their final exams, as we celebrate festivals like Halloween and Christmas, as we pack the school holidays with lots of activities and travels, and as we prepare to wrap up the year and end it on a happy note.

September marked the start of PSLE written papers for Ariel and while it was a stressful and frenzied period, I wanted to make sure it was still injected with joy and lots of opportunities for play and relaxation.

One of the more crazy decisions we made was to attend Stray Kids concert right in the middle of her PSLE exams! Yup, it was the weekend break and she still had three more papers to go the following week. Initially, the plan was to bring Angel, who is an ardent Stray Kids fan, only. Ariel understood the reason why but when I looked into her eyes and saw her forlorn expression, I asked her if she wanted to go too. She said "Of course, who would wanna miss the concert and just study?" So I decided on the spot to get three tickets instead of two and bring this girl to her first ever concert.

If anything, I think it motivated her to study even harder and it was a decision I do not regret a bit. Eventually, she still managed to achieve her target score and guess what, the thing is she would always remember that concert night and look back knowing that she was very much loved.

No matter how hectic life gets, we'll always try to make happiness our priority. In this post of "Happiness is...", it's about choosing joy.

In leading up to the concert, the girls and I got matchy wear - I bought these printed SKZoo tees online and we got our cargo pants from Uniqlo - and we even did our first ever Kpop cover. I am not a natural dancer and do not have dancing background like these two so learning this Chk Chk Boom song took me way longer than expected. Still, it was so fun doing it as a trio and I can't wait to see if we will do it again. It's one of the ways I can bond with my teens and something I appreciate very much. Check out our dance here on YouTube or Instagram.

On the night of the concert, we made our way to Kallang, ate at Subway before making our way to the National Stadium. It was a night jam packed with catchy songs, amazing dance choreography, heartfelt interaction and lots of squeals and screams from the fans. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and having my girls with me made all the difference, even if we did quibble at the start, haha. I'm not sure if we would attend more concerts in future next time - concerts are truly very costly - but at least we have this to remember for many years to come. And I hope you are happy to see your idols, my love.

Back at home, we still continue with our family movie nights, have McDonalds' breakfast on some weekends and make time for play. It is so important to balance work and play in our lives and I'm thankful that my kids do not attend tuition classes, therefore our weekends are generally free for us to do whatever we want. I especially loved seeing Ariel's smiles and wanted her to feel our love and find joy despite the exam stress.

Since this month marks the Mid-Autumn Festival, we also made time to attend events, such as making our own lanterns and mooncakes followed by taking a night walk at Changi Airport. It was fun for the kids and as a kid till now, I still love lighting up candles and taking DIY lanterns to go for a family stroll. Such joy in such simple moments of life.

You know, after we walked a good distance to see the dinosaurs near Jurassic Mile (we wished we could have walked it all), the kids said they were still hungry and asked if we could go for supper. The hubby said he was tired and wanted to go home to rest, well, so I guess it was all on me then. Of course I couldn't disappoint the kids and we went to their favourite McDonald's to get a bite or two.

We also did that after their Taekwondo practice one day and I had to remind them that fast food is unhealthy and we shouldn't do it too many times in a month. Haha. Oh well, sometimes I have to remind myself that they are kids and teens and if I were to recall my secondary school days, my friends and I would go to fast food chains for lunch and snacks pretty often too, especially after our badminton sessions.

Having exams doesn't mean you have to stop watching movies so we still gratefully attended every movie event we were invited to. Such opportunities are getting rarer now that there are more up and coming parent content creators so I'm just happy to accept whatever that comes and if it doesn't, it's okay too. We also watch movies every weekend and sit on the couch as a family to snack and catch a show on Netflix or Disney+, and this is the one family tradition that I hope will always stay.

Outdoor time, to us, is very important and we don't like to be cooped at home for too long. So we always make time for jogs, strolls, runs and trips to the playground just to catch a breath of fresh air and work out as a family. It's good that Ansel can now scoot on his own because that means I get to finally run but we are not surprised that less than halfway through, he would just go "I tired. I want Mama carry!" to which I would happily oblige too.

My cousin had his wedding this month and even though it was a chaotic period for us, of course we had to make time to attend! From the opening of car door in the morning (my cousin opened the door for my hubby in 2008 and now 17 years later, Asher opened his car door, how nice, right?) to the tea ceremony in the afternoon and wedding banquet at night, we were there gathered with our family the entire day. Awesome memories, precious time spent, especially with those family members who specially came back from overseas to celebrate as one.

Back at home, the brothers still bunk in my room with me but since the hubby is seldom back before wee hours, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love seeing how they adore each other, how they like to wear matching shirts, how they pretend fight, how they roll in bed, how they would come up with a cute show to entertain me on some nights. It doesn't matter if others think that they are too old and should shift to a room of their own, we do what we feel is right and what makes us happy at the end of the day.

The kids love eating kaya toast with half-boiled eggs so we make it a point to have that at least once a month. It's nice that we still hang out together to check out newly opened malls, have family meals and best of all, I don't even need to wash up. Haha. So yes, I totally don't feel guilty about eating out now that the kids are bigger.

Playgrounds form a big part of the kids' growing up memories and even now, we are always on the lookout for new playgrounds to visit. Yes, even the teen daughters still join us too whenever they can and that is something I am truly thankful for.

I remember that we planned a trip to the new Pasir Ris Mall and the original plan was to let the boys play at the indoor playground while Ariel and I revised for her PSLE at the coffee play right beside. That was, until she voiced out that she wasn't really in the mood to study so we scraped the plan and instead, let her join in the fun at the playground followed by the arcade.

There really is no point forcing them to cram for the exams when they are not willing to, right? At least, that is how I feel. We can encourage, motivate and nag all we want but at the end of the day, their attitude and willingness decides everything.

We also took the kids to bowling and they had so much fun that evening with their cousins. It was just two week to PSLE written papers but like I emphasised, I don't really think last minute work helps much so I would rather they take it easy and not stress themselves out too much but instead believe that their consistency efforts would pay off.

Yup, we do dine out but I still make it a point to cook a couple of times a week at least. Otherwise, I would really feel bad since I am a full time SAHM after all. Plus, the kids do enjoy my simple home-cooked dishes so that is a motivation for me to keep it going.

I don't think I would have learnt to cook if I didn't become a mum though, but I kind of had to for the well-being of my kids and considering that I stepped into motherhood in Scandinavia 10,000 miles away from home with no helper. Yup, for me, it's done out of love more than enjoyment for sure.

Meetups with girlfriends are far and few as everyone is very busy in different ways but we try our best to make them happen despite the hectic schedules. I am very thankful to have known a few good friends from this blogging journey and I don't think you need a whole bunch of them, just a few that you hold close to your heart and that you would meet up to celebrate birthdays.

While we did attend a Mid-Autumn event, we still kept up with our own family tradition of taking a stroll in the neighbourhood with our lanterns and ending the night with mooncake tasting, tea and sparklers. Well, the kids wanted to have late night supper after so we happily did that too.

I'm not sure for many years more will this tradition last but while the kids are still happy to play with sparklers and have fun at playgrounds, I will always make time to do this with them on 中秋节. Just make sure to always clean up after and never leave any rubbish, yeah?

One thing that especially warmed my heart was seeing the kids stacking their sparklers on top of each other to create a stronger, brighter spark.

Yup, unity is strength and hopefully the four of you will always remember to stand by, support and love each other and you will be stronger together. 团结就是力量!

I know there will be many more challenges waiting for us to overcome as we approach the last quarter of the year but there will also be lots of fun, joy and laughter for us to experience together too. For now, we are taking things a step at a time and reminding ourselves that our well-being, be it physical, mental or emotional, is of utmost importance.

Joy is not in things; it is in us. Let's all learn to choose joy for ourselves, our kids and the people we love.

A 3D2N getaway at One of a Kind Resort in Bintan

I love our mum-and-kids vacations.

No, it's not that I don't love family holidays with the hubby around, of course I do. It's just that I also love short getaways where it's just me and the kids exploring new sights and trying out new experiences.

With the navy hubby's volatile working schedule, it's actually much easier for me to book a holiday with the kids alone. As it is expensive to travel with four kids, we usually limit it to a short stay in neighbouring countries only. Still better than nothing, right? I was thinking of where to bring the kids in November last year and since it was Angel's 15th birthday and she loves nature and beaches, I decided to bring the kids to a beach resort. After shortlisting and researching on several options in Batam, Bintan and JB, I settled on this one that really stood out with its name - One of a Kind Resort at Trikora Beach, Bintan.

Here's sharing all about our fun-filled 3D2N stay where we saw fireflies, snorkelled in the deep sea, went on a mangrove swamp tour, kayaked to an island, visited the beach, fed lots of animals and more.

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In the morning, we arrived at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Check out our mum-and-kids matching white tops and cargo pants? Yeah, I love it and it makes it easier for me to spot them in the crowd, haha.

We had a quick bite at the cafe and I also stopped by the money changer last minute to get some spare rupiah just in case.

Then it was time for us to board the ferry! I was still feeling 心有余悸 because the last we went on a mum-and-kids ferry ride, Ansel was seasick and puked big time over me and himself and it was a painful experience trying to soothe him and make him.feel better. This time, I told him to be prepared and if his stomach felt upset, we would dash to the toilet. I also made sure the vomit bags were easily within reach.

Well, maybe he grew strong or maybe the seas were not as turbulent this time round, he was fine and we didn't have to clear up any mess, woohoo!

I had arranged for a transfer to the resort so our driver was already waiting for us when we reached Bandar Bintan Telani Ferry Terminal. It was an hour's ride to the resort and we were all feeling happy and excited to see what lay ahead of us for the rest of the day.

Ta-dah, we have reached the resort! After completing the check-in process, we took the buggy to get to our villa. Yes, our very own villa for 3D2N! Let us show you what's inside.

The villa has storeys and on the first floor, there is living area complete with a TV, a sofa bed, a spacious porch with tables and chairs for dining, a toilet and a private plunge pool. Imagine the look of joy on the kids when they saw the pool!

On the second floor, you can find a huge bathroom with a bathtub and smart toilet bowl, a foyer with bench, wardrobe and mirror, a bedroom with a queen sized bed and a glass-bottomed balcony that overlooks the plunge pool. Cosy and beautiful!

What was our sleeping arrangement? Well, the staff helped us to shift the sofa bed upstairs and converted it into a bed on the floor. So two kids slept on that while the other two were with me on the queen bed. It was just nice for the five of us.

There are also two bicycles allocated to each villa so that guests can cycle around the gardenlike premises. The seats were initially too high for the kids but the staff helped us to make adjustments and Asher and Ariel could ride them comfortably, much to their delight.

So the first thing we did after settling down in our room was to explore! Since this was a leisure trip, I wanted to keep the pace relaxed and slow but anyway, we also ended up doing lots of activities within the short stay. Haha. I guess I just wanted to make the most of every moment and fully cherish this trip with my kids.

We took a walk in the surroundings to absorb the beauty of it all - the fountains, kois, boardwalk, lush greenery, blooms and more. Well, we even did an impromptu catwalk upon seeing a 'runway' and that had us in stitches. Watch the video below to find out more.

For lunch, we dined at Azura Bistro Resto which is one of the two restaurants here. Since Oceanhouse was closed, it meant that we had all our meals here but thank to the wide variety of Asian and Western cuisine, they were more than enough to fill our tummies.

In the late afternoon, it was time to see off for our first tour! We went on an interactive mangrove swamp tour where our guide gave us the chance to learn about interesting plants and touch and smell them, as well as took us to hunt for wildlife where we saw snakes, crabs and kingfishers.

The kids said sailing along the mangrove swamp felt like we were in a movie set and the beauty of it all was surreal. I soaked in the moment where it felt like it was just the kids and I and we were cut off from the real world and free of distraction for that couple of hours. 

While it was too cloudy to witness a magnificent sunset, we still caught the beautiful rays shining across the horizon and there was so much to appreciate and be thankful for.

Even though we were on the boat from when the sky was bright till when the night got totally dark, it was still not the end of the ride. In fact, we were only halfway there and the exciting part just began! Yes, we were going to continue with our journey by going for a Firefly Tour, woohoo!

The guide told us that if we were lucky, we might be able to see a crocodile or two and lo and behold, the kids were hoping to see one so badly and were elated when it actually came true. Can you spot it below?

As for the fireflies, we don't have any pictures to show because it was pitch black and my phone was not able to capture anything. But it was the best firefly tour we had even been on because we saw hundreds of them, caught at least a dozen in our hands, felt them crawling across our fingers and were blown away by the sheer beauty and fascinating nature of these pretty creatures. It was simply breathtaking and just too good to be true.

After we disembarked from the boat, the kids were thrilled to get the chance to carry and cuddle the cute kittens and cats that belonged to our guide's family.  While I'm more of a dog lover, my kids love cats and the short interaction they had with these cuties made them happy and brought smiles on their faces.

After the tour, we returned to the villa and stopped by the restaurant to get dinner on the way. A brilliant idea struck me and I asked the staff if it was possible to send the food to our villa and let us dine in. They said "Of course!" and so after ordering the food, we made our way back and I asked the kids "Do you all want go into the pool?" Three of them eagerly said yes and so they changed into their swimsuits and hopped in.

Even though it was cold, they still had fun as they played together. The two older ones would do stunts like spinning jumps into the pool and they competed with the youngest and would purposely let him win which made him the happiest kid in the world. On the other hand, the oldest chose to have some me-time on her iPad which was cool with me and when the food came, we enjoyed a hearty meal together while watching TV. I enjoyed my tom yum soup which the kids' favourite was the nachos.

On the second day, we woke up and made our way to the restaurant to enjoy a buffet breakfast. The food was decent and the variety was quite good too - the kids enjoyed the donuts, waffles, pancakes, freshly cooked omelettes and sunny side ups,  cereal and fresh fruits.

Since we didn't intend to go out, we roamed around the premises, checked out the swimming pool and the kids took the chance to go cycling. Like I said, I wanted the trip to be a leisure, happy trip for everyone so I tried my best to listen to their wants and make them come true. So when they said they wanted to go to the beach, we went back to our villa to get our beach toys, nets and buckets and off we went.

The good thing was the beach was just a short walking distance away and we could get there easily on foot. While the older kids armed themselves with a net each to try to catch some fish, Ansel and I set up our mat and started to build sandcastles.

We also ate some biscuits and snacks that we had brought along before taking turns to fly our kite. It was such a sunny but wonderful afternoon that we spent here and the memories made were priceless.

We then made our way for the second tour of our trip and this was the Snorkelling Tour. I had checked with the resort staff on whether the kids could try it out and except for Ansel who was too young, all the rest could and they were thrilled to hear that because they had never snorkelled before (except for Angel who tried it once at Adventure Cove). Since they said Ansel and I could tag along even if we didn't snorkel, we decided to go ahead with it.

After taking a car to the jetty, we got onto a boat which brought us to Bintan Neemo and I have to say that this tour totally exceeded our expectations. Besides the picturesque scenery, we also did other activities which were fun and memorable too.

Firstly, the snorkelling was an amazing experience for the kids and they were guided by the kind and patient staff who also took videos of them interacting with corals, clownfish and more (check out the footage in our video below). These were given to us at no extra cost which totally took me by surprise. 

When they asked the kids if they wanted to 'jump', they gamely said yes without knowing what it actually meant. So when the kids were told to make their way to a high, standing platform in the middle of the sea and then just jump off from the ledge, you bet they hesitated. It doesn't look that high from far but I can assure you that it is intimidating when you are standing right there right then and told to jump forward.

The thing is, while the kids deliberated for a while - some more than the rest - when they were at the top, they ended doing it - Yes, all three of them! I was so proud to see them doing it and Ansel and I clapped and cheered loudly for them. These precious moment were also captured on film and I was so thankful for that.

We also saw kayaks and when I asked the staff if we could try kayaking, they said "Sure!" and so we took two kayaks and started to make our way to an island. The good thing was they were quite lenient and flexible when it came to small kids and they allowed Ansel to sit in between me and Asher, yay! So the five of us climbed onboard and started to paddle.

It was such a nice, tranquil and gorgeous afternoon and the weather was just perfect. The scenery was dreamy and guess what, we ended up getting off at the island and had it all to ourselves because there was no one else there! The kids had fun exploring, finding sea creatures, picking beautiful seashells, strolling around and just enjoying the warm sun rays. 

I remember that I wanted to take a family picture to remember this perfect afternoon and so I used a box as a stand and filled up a plastic bottle as a support for my phone. No filters were needed to make it look nicer and no words were needed to describe that pure feeling of bliss I felt deep in my heart.

In addition, the kids also got to feed the fishes with bread which were rolled into ball shapes and it was nice to feel their nibbles against our fingers. We also tried our luck at fishing even though we we were it would be hard and yup, we ended up with nothing but it was still fun casting the rod and reel in the fishing line over and over again.

Before we left, we took some really nice solo shots against the sunset as we sat on this net that made the perfect photo spot. 

Ansel was scared to sit on the net so we found an alternative photo spot for him and I loved seeing his huge smiles. I asked him if he was bored because he didn't get to snorkel but he said he was happy and it was fun feeding the fishes and kayaking with us. Awww. You will get the chance to try out more new things as you get bigger too, I promise, my love.

Since we were all dressed in our swimwear already, we decided to jump into the common pool the moment we got back to the resort. It was a beautiful pool surrounded by comfy loungers and the kids loved it so much that we stayed here for hours. The kids raced, they played ball and also hid items for the rest to find.

My hope is that they will always stay close to each other and not drift too far apart even when they have all settled down in life. Sibling bonds are forever and never forget to show love and care for each other, okay?

Back in our villa, we decided to order room service once more so that we could spend a relaxed night eating, soaking in the bathtub, watching TV, feeding the cats and watching a movie night. That night, we caught Geostorm starring Gerard Butler and it again reminded me of how thankful I am for our family movie nights which keep us happy, entertained and bonded.

Fun times are always short lasting and before we knew it, it was soon time to check out of the resort. Well, that was after we spent a nice morning having breakfast in bed (the kids were so happy to do this since this is not allowed in our home, haha) and watching yet another show and this time, we chose an animated film named Spellbound which was about a girl saving her parents who turned into monsters and it was an enjoyable eat-as-you-watch session.

I had planned for some time to spare after checking out and before heading to the ferry terminal so we booked a taxi to take us to one of our favourite places in Bintan - Safari Lagoi. We have been here a few times already and the last was when we had a mum-and-kids trip to Club Med Bintan. Even so, the kids still love every visit very much because they get to see and feed lots of animals including rabbits, deer, fishes, elephants, birds and crocodiles.

It felt like a reunion when we met Emma once more as she was the elephant we fed and took photos with the last we visited. Awwww, we were so happy to get to pat her and give her bananas once more. Some might say it seems cruel for elephants to be kept in zoos but here in Safari Lagoi, the elephants have lots of space to roam around and they are well-fed and happy too. We asked about the chain on Emma's leg and were told this was for safety purpose only during guest visits and since the timings are kept short and limited, Emma would then be free to return to the jungle to join her other pals.

We didn't see a real komodo dragon this time round but this iconic statue is where the kids would always climb on to take a shot. It's kind of bittersweet to look back on photos and realise how time flies and how fast these kids are growing up.

Since we had ample time, we didn't have to rush but instead could let the kids take time to explore and do the things they wanted. 

If they wanted to stay at the pond and feed the fishes longer, we did. If they wanted to return back to the rabbits' enclosure and cuddle them a few more times before we left, we did. If they wanted to go feed the deer or see the sun bears, we did. 

As we bade farewell and exited the safari, our driver was so kind as to ask if we wanted to take some shorts with these majestic-looking orangutan sculptures and this was the first time we stopped by the road just to do so.

This trip has been nothing short of rejuvenating, fun and memorable and as we enjoyed a cold ice cream treat at the ferry terminal, my heart was warm and filled with lots of gratitude. I am so, so glad that we made it for this mum-and-kids trip, experienced a few firsts and did so many fun-filled activities. 

Another drawerful of precious moments to keep in my memory bank. Till our next holiday!

P.S.: Happy sweet 15th, Angel! This trip was booked with your birthday in mind and even though I know you don't need a fanciful celebration anymore, I still hope you had lots of fun and enjoyed all the outdoor activities and opportunities to connect with mother nature. Love you lots!

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Here's a video showcasing all the highlights from this trip, these compilation videos are so precious to me and the kids and I love seeing them over and over again to remember those fond, fun-filled moments. Enjoy watching!