Celebrate Mother’s Day with Neo Garden!

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Mother’s Day is coming! Fellow mummies, what are your plans? Or rather, have your hubbies planned anything yet? Haha! To be honest, I kinda dread celebrating Mother’s Day on the actual day because everywhere is gonna be just so packed! I would actually prefer having a cosy and intimate celebration at home with my loved ones, away from the crowd! Over the weekend, we had a Mother’s Day Party Set delivered to us from Neo Garden.

Mother's Day menu

You don’t need to have large numbers in order to enjoy buffet catering. Neo Garden’s mini buffet/mini party set option is perfect for 8 to 10 pax! What’s more? The food is served in microwavable containers with full set of disposable wares and serviettes provided, which makes cleaning a breeze! Three Mother’s Day menus are available and they come with free Lychee Rose cake.
Click the image or visit https://order.neogarden.com.sg/Menu/MenuList/MOTHERSDAY to view the food options. Do take note that Mother’s Day Delight ($168) is available for self-collection only. For the other menus, there is a delivery charge of $30 (w/GST $32.10) per order, additional surcharge is applicable for delivery to offshore area and central areas.

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Sin Chow Mee Hoon

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Breaded Scallop

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Fish Fillet with Wasabi Mayo

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Mushroom Broccoli

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Mum’s Favorite Curry Chicken

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Snow Fungus Soup with Gingko Nuts

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Enjoy the Carnation Table Bouquet at a special price of $28 and if you are a Neo Celebrates member, you will get to enjoy it at just $20!

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Neo Garden’s Mother Day’s menus are available till 14 May 2017. More details on terms & conditions can be found here: http://bit.ly/ngcpromos. Visit http://bit.ly/ngcmothersday17 or call 68967757 to order!

Capture Selfie-free Holiday Moments with WanderSnap

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WOW. I find it kinda hard to believe that it has been a little more than a month since we got back from our Bali trip! I will definitely be blogging about our very first vacation with two little ones in tow since I already have a number of requests coming in, but for now, let’s kick things off with our experience with WanderSnap! When misterchewy and I embarked on our three-week long honeymoon trip to Europe in March 2013, we the husband lugged our DSLR and tripod everywhere we went. We got pretty nice pictures at the end of the trip, but it was at the expense of the hubs suffering from muscle strains and backaches! Not forgetting the fact that it was quite a hassle and also time consuming having to set up the tripod and place the camera on self-timer mode!

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Now that we have a baby and a toddler, our aim is to travel light! Bringing our DSLR and tripod is definitely not an option, even though it is quite tempting because of the quality of photos a DSLR can give. I felt worried initially, that we might need to resort to taking boring selfies and end up with poor quality pictures for the entire trip! Luckily for us, we got to know about WanderSnap a couple of weeks before flying to Bali. In a nutshell, WanderSnap is Asia’s marketplace for connecting travellers with local snappers to capture selfie-free moments.

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As of today, there are over 250 snappers across 30 Asian destinations on WanderSnap. Through this platform, I viewed works by various photographers and made my selection based on our travel period, destination, type of camera gear used, and price! For each successful booking, $5 actually goes towards teaching photography to low-opportunity youth so they too can create art for a living!

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Why WanderSnap? It is a safe and trustworthy platform for travellers to engage local snappers to capture their holiday moments at an affordable price. Every snapper has their own styles, and by viewing their galleries, you can select your desired snapper if his or her style resonates with you. You can expect to receive about 10 to 30 edited photos per hour of shoot, which is certainly very reasonable. Online payment is hassle-free and the money will only be released to the snapper after the photos have been provided to the traveller.

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A few days before our trip, I decided to engage Sasha because I really love the photos that she had posted on her gallery. Her photos have a nice rustic feel and more importantly, Sahsa seem to have plenty of experience photographing families with young children!

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3rd of March was our 4th traditional wedding anniversary, and what better way to celebrate the occasion than to have our precious family holiday photos taken in a natural and candid way! I was in charge of our travel itinerary and had planned an entire day of sightseeing that day. We had a local driver to take us to places we wanted to see and Tanah Lot was our last sightseeing destination before returning to our resort.

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I chose to have our photoshoot at Tanah Lot in the evening because I heard that the sunset at Tanah Lot is incredibly beautiful! I think we were supposed to meet Sasha at 4pm to commence our 2-hour shoot but unfortunately, our driver was half an hour late in picking us up in the morning. Plus, the bad traffic conditions made the travel duration longer than expected and I had to text Sasha to postpone the timing of the shoot.

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Thankfully, Sasha was very kind and understanding enough, so we agreed to meet an hour later at the ticketing entrance of Tanah Lot. We didn’t have any problems locating each other and chatted along the way to the temple. The hubs and I were quite surprised to learn that Sasha is a Russian living in Canggu (South of Bali). In fact, she had stayed in Sri Lanka and Thailand for a few years previously. Sounds pretty adventurous to me!

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One thing great about having a local snapper help capture our photos is that we could free ourselves from having to fumble with cameras and selfie sticks. Taking photos of the kids out of the baby carriers would be difficult, especially for Cayla’s case since she’s still a baby. With a photographer to follow us around, we could leave the baby carriers and stroller in the car. It was splendid because there were finally plenty of full body shots of the kids, instead of them partially hidden in the carriers. LOL.

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While some photos were posed, misterchewy and I are glad that Sasha managed to snap candid photos of our little family. As we had a long day, all of us were sweaty, sticky and tired! While it was slightly easier for misterchewy and I to keep smiling for the camera, the girls were a little cranky and not very willing to cooperate. It was tough to get them to smile because both of them wanted to sleep. Haha.

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It was really great that Sasha was being extremely patient and cheerful throughout the shoot. Plus she was really enthusiastic in engaging the girls. Her calm and positive demeanor certainly impressed us!

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Despite having to deal with uncooperative and unsmiling kids during the shoot, the hubs and I are surprised that the photos turned out better than expected! These photos portray what travelling with young children is like and when we look at them again many years down the road, we will definitely be teasing the kids for being so whiny and cranky during the shoot. Haha! Anyway, enjoy the photos and let me know what you think! 🙂 Also, scroll to the end of this post for a special discount code!

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Get $50 credit simply by creating an account with WanderSnap via this link https://wandersnap.co/friend/travelwithcharlene during signup! Till 30th June 2017! Thanks WanderSnap and also Sasha for these beautiful holiday memories of our family!

Little misschewy’s Third Birthday Party!

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Little misschewy turned THREE on 18th March! We held a mini celebration for her in school one day before her actual birthday! Two weeks ago, we told her that we would let her celebrate her birthday with her friends and she had been feeding information to her teachers about her “Peppa Pig birthday cake”! The day finally came and she was so excited that she began skipping and running towards her school. The hubs and I warned her incessantly to stop running because the road is uneven and we couldn’t hold her hand because we had the cake and gifts to carry with both hands. Poor girl fell and grazed her knees -_- Her teachers and auntie cleaner helped to clean her wound, and when she saw her classmates, she exclaimed, “Today is Chanelle’s Peppa Pig birthday party!” LOL. All her friends were jumping up and down (like how Peppa and family loved jumping up and down in muddy puddles HAHAHA) in excitement. So cute really! 😀

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Big hugs and thank you to our favourite BakeAvenue for sponsoring Chanelle’s Peppa Pig birthday cake! Not only does Irene of BakeAvenue bake birthday cakes, Irene also bakes giant cupcakes, macarons, pushpops, Chinese New Year goodies, as well as conduct baking classes! The baking classes are held in a home environment at Hougang Avenue 3 and are great for teambuilding sessions and hen parties. BakeAvenue has been doing very well and they now have their own physical bakery at Blk 6 Hougang Ave 3 #01-66!

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I ordered some Peppa Pig coloring books and crayons for the children but shipment was delayed! Good thing my mum helped me to get two different types of Peppa cookies and some gummy candies as party favors!

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Chanelle’s customised Peppa Pig party hat and Peppa dress arrived just in time for her party! Blur mummy ordered the wrong dress design for her! I didn’t even realise until I snapped a photo and sent it to my mum, and she was the one who pointed this out to me! We had previously agreed on which design to get. Hehe.

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I ordered size 2-3Y but the dress turned out to be way too short for her! Dug out another white tutu skirt for her and luckily they match quite well!

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Group photo with all her friends before cake cutting!

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Chanelle wasn’t the only one who was excited about her cake. Actually, the rest of their kids couldn’t keep their hands off the cake too and their laoshi had to remind them to stay away and remain seated while she helped to light the candles. Haha!

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Laoshi switched off the lights before all of them sang the birthday song and the kids were all clapping in glee.

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I wonder what Chanelle wished for? Hahaha her expression!

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LOL don’t know what’s so funny?! Chanelle was like super high! Hahaha.

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The chocolate sponge cake was really fluffy and moist, while the cream was light and airy. Peppa Pig came in the form of a chocolate macaron. How adorable! Hehe. And I was amazed that the kids are such good eaters! Almost all of them went for a second helping of the cake! :O Luckily, there was enough for all the teachers and staff too! For more info, check out BakeAvenue at http://www.bakeavenue.com/! They also have a Facebook and Instagram account!

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Come to think of it, this was Chanelle’s first time celebrating her birthday in school as we were in Japan last March with Cayla in my tummy! I was looking through our photos and realised that Chanelle has grown so much over the past year! She no longer looks like a little boy now. Hahaha! Ok, now I need to start planning Cayla’s party! 😀

The Chewys’ Valentine’s Day 2017

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The hubs and I celebrated our 7th Valentine’s Day together this year! We didn’t celebrate on the actual day and instead, we took leave from work on Friday that same week to have lunch together. It was a good move because we avoided the ridiculous prices that most restaurants were charging for their Vday set menu and also every other couple who were celebrating the occasion! I suggested having lunch at CreatureS because I wanted to try the food there for the longest time and it was a good opportunity to do so without the kids! We ordered two dishes from the Sharing menu and two other Mains. Food was quite good! The sharing items were way better than the mains though.

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Hainanese Chicken Rice Roll ($20)

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Kong Ba Pau ($22)

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Garden and Crab Risotto ($34)

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Rendang Lamb Shank ($34)

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After our meal, we adjourned to Foxhole Café for dessert! Not that we were not full. I just wanted to check out this pretty café!

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Just a simple update on our Valentine’s Day celebration! 🙂 Have a great week!

The Chewys’ Trip to Universal Studios Singapore

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During Chinese New Year this year, we visited Universal Studios Singapore by utilising the complimentary tickets from our staycation with Swissotel Merchant Court. We went on the fourth day of CNY, when most people should have returned to work. Can’t say that it wasn’t crowded but I think the situation was much better than if we were to visit USS on a public holiday or weekend. We spent almost the entire day at USS which was still quite manageable with the two girls. Although Little misschewy did not meet the minimum height requirement for most of the rides, she did try a small handful of them and enjoyed herself tremendously.

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We spent most of our time in “Far Far Away” and “Madagascar” because that were where the suitable rides were situated for Chanelle. Cayla was either on the stroller or strapped to me using the Tula. My only gripe would be the one and only Baby Center stationed at the entrance of the park which made things very troublesome whenever I had to change the girls’ diapers, etc. Anyway, we had a really good time at USS. Enjoy the photos! 🙂

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Furama RiverFront Singapore Family Staycation Review

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A big HELLO from The Chewys! It’s so difficult to take a proper family photo with two young kids these days and when we checked into Furama RiverFront Singapore for our staycation recently, we just had to pose for one in the gorgeous Family Room that we stayed in. We have made travel plans but it will only take place early next year, so in the meantime, Furama RiverFront promises to create equally memorable moments in their newly launched Family Rooms. Featuring a comfortable space with two queen beds in a colorful setting, The Chewys can attest to that!

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When we tapped the electronic card and entered our room, Little misschewy ran in excitedly before exclaiming, “Wow! So nice!” The colorful wall certainly brightens up the room and we all know how important colors are in our lives!

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The Family Rooms are spacious enough to accommodate up to two adults and two kids. Even though Mini misschewy has her own playpen at home, the four of us always co-sleep in our queen sized bed. It’s also the reason why we didn’t request for a baby cot for our stay at Furama Riverfront. Anyway, two queen sized beds! What luxury! Misterchewy and Little misschewy shared one bed, while I co-slept with Mini misschewy. It was awesome because I didn’t have to push any hand or leg out of my face, if you know what I mean! LOL.

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There was a platter of fruits and some titbits such as iced gem biscuits and peanut candies in the room. Little misschewy was quick to help herself to the biscuits while lounging on the couch watching cartoon. She really knows how to pamper herself la!

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Complimentary bottled water and hot drinks. Ooh there’s Milo too! Instead of using glasses, Furama RiverFront is thoughtful enough to place plastic cups and spoons in the Family Rooms. Don’t have to worry about kids breaking a glass and getting a bad cut from it!

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Look who’s helping herself to a packet of full cream milk from the mini-bar? What you see in there is complimentary!

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Bathrobes and bedroom slippers for adults and the little ones! Adorable!

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Toiletries for children are also included!

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Gotta love the step stool! Little misschewy was able to brush her teeth and wash her hands without having us to carry her.

The Square @ Furama
Credit: Furama Riverfront

After all the excitement, we got really hungry and proceeded to The Square @ Furama for late lunch.

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Credit: Furama Riverfront

Children aged 4 years old and below dine for free when ordering from the special ala carte kid’s menu. Apart from that, there is a dedicated kid’s play area within the restaurant – Tykes @ The Square, with interesting and fun activities such as popular cartoon video screenings, activity sheets and free-play toys. Parents can finally eat in peace, but please don’t forget to watch over your kids while you eat ok!

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We ordered some fresh honeydew juice to quench our thirst on this hot day! Totally refreshing!

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We ordered from the a la carte menu and I had the Hainanese chicken rice. The portion was quite generous and it was so delicious that it definitely satisfied my chicken rice craving!

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It took quite a while for the hubs’ lamb shank to arrive but it was totally worth the wait. The meat was cooked till fork-tender and it was still very succulent! Should have paired it with a glass of red!

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Credit: Furama Riverfront

As part of Furama RiverFront’s efforts to create a family-friendly environment for guests, they have introduced the Kid’s playroom – PAWS at level 1, for juniors aged 5-11 years old. Children get to jump around on the trampoline, build their dream castle or empire with blocks, LEGO, and practice their drawing skills on the black or white board. The little ones can enjoy cartoon screenings at PAWS as well. Babysitting services are available at a minimal cost, and can be arranged by booking a day in advance. Great for busy parents!

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As it had rained earlier that day, we decided to put off swimming to the next day. Furama RiverFront’s location is really convenient! The hubs and I wore the girls and we walked to Robertson Quay for dinner! It was a really short walk which took about 10 to 15 minutes. Loved the nightlife and variety of food choices there! But if you prefer to stay in the hotel, there’s buffet dinner available at The Square @ Furama!

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Watched a bit of cartoon before calling it a night!

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I didn’t wanna get out of bed the next morning because it was sooo comfy! By the time I woke up, it was already past 10am and the buffet breakfast closes at 10.30am! Misterchewy and Little misschewy went down to grab a quick bite while I continued to snuggle in bed with Mini misschewy.

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It’s time for a dip in the pool! Whoohoo!

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Little misschewy loveeees being in the water and she could hardly contain her excitement!

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We brought our own float along but the hotel also provides pool noodles and styrofoam water guns.

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Apart from the main pool, there is a baby pool which is great for kids to waddle in!

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This is definitely the highlight of our stay! A gigantic inflatable waterslide! Even I got excited!

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Little misschewy was initially a little afraid to go down the slide, but with much encouragement from misterchewy and I, she finally did it! It was so fun that Little misschewy kept asking for “last one” when we told her it was time to go! We will be back next time!

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Starting from $268 only, Furama RiverFront is having a special #FuramaKids staycation bundle which includes the following privileges:

– Complimentary breakfast
– Complimentary wifi
– Kids amenities upon request
– Access to swimming pool and Children’s play room – PAWS
– 50% discount for lunch/ dinner at The Square @ Furama and Kintamani
– Room accommodates 02 adults and up to 02 children (below 12 years old)
– Extra-bed is not allowed
– Enrolment to FURAMAfirst program with Gold status

Applies to bookings till 31 December 2016 and for stays till 31 March 2017.

Furama Riverfront
405 Havelock Road
Singapore 169633

For reservations:
Tel: +65 6739 6464
Email: reservations.riverfront@furama.com

PastaMania: Affordable Family Restaurant and Doughworkz Class

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I grew up with PastaMania since my JC days. Back then when I was young(er), my girl friends and I loved hanging out at Lot One after classes (now you know which JC I was from) and most of the time, we would pick PastaMania for lunch. As for misterchewy, he would take the then newly opened Downtown line to PastaMania at Plaza Singapura with his friends after school. Till today, he has fond memories of tucking into a delicious plate of Chicken Bolognese at PastaMania. After a long day of attending lectures and tutorials in campus, what we really looked forward to after school, was a sumptuous hot meal that is affordable for the average student and PastaMania was our ideal choice. Most of the dishes cost about $10 only! My all-time favourites were Al Funghi, Carbonara and Creamy Chicken! Now that we are reminiscing about the past, we can’t believe that PastaMania has been around for more than 10 years already! I guess it’s because PastaMania is always keeping up with the latest food trends and expanding its menu, offering diners plenty of appealing food choices at reasonable prices! It is also a popular choice at my workplace because PastaMania is halal certified and we have Muslim colleagues, so we would sometimes order PastaMania delivery when we are too busy to head out for lunch!

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Recently, The Chewys had lunch at PastaMania and the vast variety certainly made us feel spoilt for choice! There was so much that we wanted to try! I finally decided on the Salmon with Creamy Tomato Sauce and the thick slab of salmon was nicely pan-seared, moist on the inside and flaky with a golden brown crust. The linguine was al dente and the creamy tomato sauce was pretty addictive! This dish comes with a side of salad too! Will definitely order this again on our next visit!

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The hubs knew that he just had to order the Salted Egg Soft-Shell Crab as he was flipping through the menu. Salted egg yolk is all the rage and we are glad that PastaMania made a good move by coming up with this dish! The pairing of salted egg yolk with soft shell crab was simply amazing!

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PastaMania’s drinks menu is also quite extensive! Apart from the usual soft drinks, they have juices and really cool drinks like Milo Maniac and Choco-Licko Gelato Smoothie. It was a real treat for misterchewy and I!

PastaMania kids feast menu

Kids are not forgotten at PastaMania! The Kids Feast Menu consists of a half size pasta, side or dessert and a drink, at just $8.90! This is really affordable and value-for-money, plus there’s no need for parents to split their food portions with their kids. Choose from 6 different types of pastas (beef Bolognese, chicken Bolognese, cheesy meatball, cheesy chicken sausage broccoli, dory fish and carrot, mac & cheese) and either a snack (cheddar cheese sticks, waffle potato, cheesy garlic bread) or gelato (chocolate popcorn, marshmellow mango, vanilla berry).

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We ordered the Cheesy Chicken Sausage Broccoli for Little misschewy because she loves broccoli. It’s served on such a cute plate! We were glad to see her enjoying her meal and she even offered to share some of her yummy pasta with us.

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Waffle potato! Every child’s favourite!

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Little misschewy totally enjoyed her kid’s meal!

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PastaMania promotions

Every now and then, PastaMania comes up with enticing promotions that are really irresistible, so do keep a look out on their website and Facebook page!

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Do you know that PastaMania has been conducting Doughworkz classes for about 4 years now? It is a pasta and pizza making program customised for children from 4 to 12 years old. The hands-on experience gained at each Doughworkz class helps to nourish your kids’ mind and body while the fun facts of food preparation and equipment are to expand their food knowledge. After the class, kids get to eat their pizza too! As PastaMania believes in family bonding, parents are welcome to join in! Doughworkz classes are available at PastaMania Sengkang Sports & Recreation Centre, PastaMania Singapore Management University (SMU) and PastaMania NEX. I can’t wait for Little misschewy to turn 4 so that I can register for the Doughworkz class!

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Take part in PastaMania’s lucky draw by spending a minimum of $40 in a single receipt and stand a chance to win a Doughworkz class! Alternatively, my readers can quote “MISSUSCHEWY” when signing up for the Nov or Dec classes, and get a special rate of $25 per child and $45 per parent & child pair for the family class. Only applicable for sign ups before 18 November 2016! Hurry down to PastaMania and have a great family bonding session over delicious food at affordable prices!

Cayla’s Newborn Shoot by Ashley Low Photography

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Hello chewy chewy friends! I’m finally ready to share Cayla’s newborn photos that were taken by Ashley when Cayla was 7 days old! Ashley is the only photographer in Ashley Low Photography which was started about 4.5 years ago, specialising in Newborn and Baby Photography. She has undergone specialised Newborn Photography training both in UK 2013 and subsequently, in Australia 2015. Besides that, Ashley also provides photography services for maternity, babies (3-12 months old), and family.

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Prior my delivery, I received very detailed preparation guidelines pertaining to the newborn shoot so that I know what is provided by the studio, the duration of the session, what to bring along to the studio, and what to expect after the photoshoot. I was certainly very impressed by all the concise details given in the guidelines and this made me feel at ease before the photoshoot. I didn’t have to ask a hundred and one questions and I definitely didn’t feel lost when we reached the studio. Ashley’s studio is located at Oxley BizHub, and it’s clean, cosy and spacious. It felt as though I walked right into someone’s home!

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Ashley’s studio is very well-equipped and super baby-friendly. There’s a diaper changing station, complete with wet wipes and diapers sponsored by Merries! Parents need not panic if they forget to bring or run out of diapers at any point of the photoshoot. There’s also a private area for nursing, as well as hot water boiled in an airpot every morning, if you need to warm up or prepare milk for your little ones.

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A pantry that is well-stocked with snacks and drinks!

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Look at that huge array of props! It is also a nice area for children to get warmed up before a shoot. It didn’t take long for Chanelle to help herself to the toys!

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Ashley was building rapport with Chanelle and that made Chanelle less shy during the siblings and family shoot.

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According to Ashley, the best time to conduct a newborn photoshoot is when your baby is around 5 to 12 days old because they spend most of their time sleeping and hence, it’s easier to position them in various poses. Not forgetting putting on the cute outfits and accessories too! I was a little worried at first because Cayla was unusually awake at the studio even after her milk feed. To think I had told Ashley that Cayla could sleep hours on end at home! Haha looked like the little one was trying to prove something else! However, my fears were unfounded. It was an eye-opening experience watching how Ashley and Samantha (one of Ashley’s assistants) shush Cayla to sleep by gently rocking her and playing white noise that mimics the womb’s rumbly sounds. Takes plenty of patience too and that’s definitely one of the most important and inherent qualities of an amazing newborn and baby photographer.

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Much to my relief, Chanelle was pretty cooperative during the shoot, despite going through the Terrible Twos stage. Hurhur. I’m also very glad that Ashley managed to make Chanelle smile genuinely, which made the siblings shots turn out extra nice!

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Before the shoot, Ashley had also informed us that if Cayla was unsettled or showed signs of discomfort, she would not attempt to push the poses and would just move on and do what Cayla was comfortable with. It was evident that throughout the shoot, Ashley placed emphasis on Cayla’s well-being and safety, while striving to get the perfect shots at the same time. Despite Cayla staying awake for the first half of the shoot, the photos turned out much better than I had expected and I believe the following photos speak for themselves!

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With the wide variety of props and setups available, Ashley aims to change up to 5 different sets/concepts for each newborn shoot. If you have any preference towards floral, prints, neutral or pastel colors, etc, you can always let Ashley and her team know at least one day prior the shoot so that they can get everything ready and start the shoot pronto. Setup wise, Ashley provides a variety such as fabrics, baskets, beds, beanbags, and themes.

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Fabric setup. Love the bright sunshine yellow colors in this one!

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Hahaha omg Cayla looks 100% like misterchewy here! XD

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Basket setup. This is definitely my favorite setup of all! So heart-meltingly sweet and there’s a whimsical feel to it.

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I brought the name banner and donuts along because of the Donutella character and Ashley managed to incorporate them nicely!

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Bed setup. Awww I could just sit and gaze at sleeping babies all day.

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Theme setup. This was pretty impromptu and I borrowed the Singapore flag from my MIL when we picked Chanelle up for the shoot. Whenever I look at this photo, it will remind me of Cayla’s birth story!

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We had our Family shoot to wrap things up! Chanelle is generally a very smiley and cheerful girl but it’s wonderful how Ashley captured her playful side through all her cheeky expressions! It really brightens up my day just by looking at these photos!

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Our experience with Ashley Low Photography was nothing short of amazing! For more info on Ashley’s photography services, click here and also follow her on Facebook and Instagram!

*Mention MISSUSCHEWY and get $50 off the session fee for any shoots! Valid for full priced session only. Offer is till 30 June 2017.*

Pompompurin Cafe Singapore Afternoon Tea

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Confinement over lo! Hahaha I was supposed to do 40 days of confinement but the agency mistakenly assigned me a nanny who could only do 28 days. Not complaining though! On 9 Sept, we celebrated misterchewy’s birthday and our 5th ROM anniversary. We had a last minute change of plans due to some reasons and I decided we should check out Pompompurin Cafe at Orchard Central!

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The cafe does not accept reservations but we were there on Friday, at a pretty odd timing, thus the place was relatively empty.

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Pompompurin at every table!

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Pompompurin fans will be pleased to know that Pompompurin merchandise is available for purchase at the cafe.

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Took some photos while waiting for the food to arrive, which took waaaay too long! Little misschewy wasn’t very keen to pose for photos and we had to cajole her.

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Our high tea set is here, like FINALLY! We didn’t eat lunch before that and was a little shocked to see what was offered. Ok la my fault for not scrutinising the photo on the menu before ordering. But I don’t think it’s justifiable that the set costs $50! If you are keen to try, it’s only available from Mondays to Fridays, 2pm to 5pm.

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So hard to take a proper photo now. Hahaha. Look at Little misschewy’s expression!

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The high tea set looks cute but taste wise, it was only mediocre at best. Maybe we should have tried other items instead! Shall let the remaining photos speak for themselves!

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Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram for more updates! 🙂

Pompompurin Cafe
181 Orchard Road
#04-08
Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
Tel: 6509 8672

Opening Hours:
Daily
11am – 10.30pm

Baby Cayla’s Birth Story – 9 August 2016

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Chewy Junior #2 is finally here! Our second princess was born on 9 August 2016, which makes her a National Day baby. Just like her elder sister, Baby Cayla was also delivered on a CHEWSDAY (Tuesday lol) and is a 40w5d baby. Amazing, isn’t it? Many people told me that I might deliver earlier since this is my second child. On the contrary, I worked through 40 weeks and 3 days of pregnancy. My last day of work was on 5 August, Friday, and I was joking to my colleagues that I hope the situation would be exactly the same as two years ago. Last day of work on Friday, enjoy Saturday and Sunday, rest at home on Monday, and deliver on Tuesday. Only difference is that it would be extra special because of National Day. My wish came true!

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When I was resting at home on Monday, I was wondering if there is even a possibility of delivering the next day because I didn’t feel anything at all. Knowing that lying down all day wouldn’t help, I decided to exercise as a natural way of inducing labour. I went to wash toilet! LOL. But not very hardcore kind la. Still no feeling. When the hubs came home from work, I told him, “Aiya until now no feeling leh. So sad. Confirm no chance to be the first National Day baby liao”. Hahaha XD Machiam I super patriotic kind.

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The hubs went to bed early but I watched Korean drama until 3am. Then I went to sleep. At around 4am, I felt warm water gush out from you-know-where and I went O_O !!! I didn’t expect my water bag to burst at home because for my first pregnancy, my gynae burst my water bag for me. Initially, I was shocked, and then “National Day baby, here I come!” Hahaha siao I know. I woke the hubs up, “Eh! Zhihao! My water bag burst leh!” He jumped out of bed. I was quite calm on the other hand. Told him to switch on the water heater for me because I want to take a shower and wash my hair first! I think I took too long because he was waiting outside the bathroom and told me not to shower for too long. I even blow dried my hair before we made our way to Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Reached at around 5.30am and went straight to the Admissions counter. Upon knowing that my water bag had burst, the staff told me to sit on the wheelchair, much to my bewilderment. “NO NO I don’t need a wheelchair..!” But of course, I was being wheeled to the delivery ward after the staff said, “Mam, because your water bag has burst. Don’t worry, there’s nobody around at this hour to see you in a wheelchair.”

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Got changed and a couple of nurses prepped me up. Felt a bit of contractions coming in and the intensity grew a little as time passed. Dr Chia Yee Tien, my gynae since my first pregnancy, arrived close to 9am and carried out the vaginal examination. Shall spare you the details but I knew something was amiss from the tone of Dr Chia’s voice as she was speaking to the nurses. Dr Chia said my water bag did not burst fully and instead of baby’s head, she felt baby’s fingers instead. This meant that baby was in a transverse-lie position, which is the most dangerous position before delivery. Dr Chia tried to turn the baby but baby was too high up. I was already panicking and screaming in pain. Both Dr Chia and another nurse pressed hard on my belly, trying to shift baby’s position but in the end, if I’m not wrong, the umbilical cord kinda blocked the delivery pathway too. Ok to cut the long story short, I had to be wheeled into the operating theatre for an emergency caesarian section. There was quite a bit of shouting going on and I nearly broke down. To make matters worse, the hubs wasn’t around because he had stepped out to buy some drinks. I reached out for my iPhone underneath the pillow and sobbed, “Where are you? I’m going for emergency caesarian now..!” I was so traumatised by the sudden turn of events that I started to shake uncontrollably. An anaesthetist arrived and he assured me that I will be alright. I was given anaesthesia to inhale and then I went out like a light.

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When I regained my consciousness, my eyelids were very heavy and I had difficulty opening my eyes. I could only hear what was going on around me and I knew I was being wheeled somewhere. A male and a female, presumably nurses, carried and shoved me onto another bed. I cried out in pain because the area where I was operated upon really hurt! I was groggy and I remembered being super whiny about the pain. I could hear the hubs talking to me and holding my hands but I couldn’t really open my eyes for a while.. I felt cold and sleepy. After the anaesthesia wore off, the hubs showed me a couple of photos he took of Cayla when she was out of the OT.

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Oh my! Cayla looks so much like her jiejie at birth! Hahaha. I pointed to the inhaler thingy and the hubs explained that Cayla was given some oxygen.

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Cayla was 3.38kg and 52cm at birth. Very slightly bigger than her jiejie by 0.02kg and 1cm! Can’t believe they are so similar already!

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Glad we bought the Singapore flag and managed to put it to good use! Never waste our 90 cents lol. And luckily I didn’t forget to bring this milestone card from Toddley Thoughts along!

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Chanelle jiejie came to visit!

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When we asked Chanelle if she wanted to carry meimei, her eyes lit up and her hands were outstretched, ready to carry Cayla.

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A big sisterly hug.

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I was really touched when I saw how lovingly jiejie was gazing at meimei.

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Another big hug because I love you so much!

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Well, it looks as though jiejie is ready to kick the arse of those who bully meimei. Haha let’s hope there’s no need for that.

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This time I stayed in ward 4373. Two years ago, I stayed at the adjacent ward, 4375. If you are keen, you can read about Chanelle’s birth story here.

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Our very first updated family photo taken on 9 August 2016 🙂
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