Simply Lambchops

Crocheting a Slugterra Tazerling Joules toy

Craft Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Simply Lambchops crochets Slugterra Tazerling Joules

This crochet project started in October 2014 after I made an Eli Shane costume for L to wear to school on Children's Day. He got me interested in the Slugterra cartoon and after looking at so many pictures of Slugterra slugs, an idea struck. Why don't I make a soft toy slug for him? It'll be fun to have a slug in 3D form instead of on paper!

I searched online and found this beautiful Slugterra Tazerling Joules crocheted by Siew Ping from Something Sweet n' Precious. The best part is, she shares this crochet pattern for free!

And so I picked up my crochet hook once again.

L was very excited and would check my progress every day. I sacrificed my sleep on some of the nights too. This crochet pattern was definitely more challenging than the Minion beanie I crocheted for Ch. There were many more new crochet terms to me, and changing of different coloured yarn really tested my skills. I couldn't figure how to sew the eyes and belly appliques onto the body too. Honestly, I almost gave up on this project, and that explains why I didn't post anything about my progress after October. I was secretly hoping that L would forget about this too.

It was after I crocheted a Fortune Cat amigurumi for the Chinese New Year, that L asked me about his Joules again. Feeling guilty about the delay, I resumed the project. Siew Ping kindly responded to my questions via FB very promptly, and explained the steps patiently. Thank you, Siew Ping!

L's eyes lit up when he saw the completed Joules that morning when I completed it. He gave me a very sweet smile and said thank-you. This mama is very happy and contented even though I had to sacrificed one night of sleep to complete it. Joules now sits proudly on L's bed and accompanies him when he sleeps.

I have another crochet project coming up. Am pretty excited about it as it will be my first amigurumi for a newborn baby.

What about you? Are you a crochet enthusiast too? What have you crocheted recently?

~~GIVEAWAY ALERT~~
*Do hop over to the on-going giveaway on the post below to win a set of Zoom Park tickets!

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Review and Giveaway: Birthday fun at Zoom Park Singapore

all about Ch Thursday, July 23, 2015

For the past 7 weeks without a domestic helper, Ch and L had to help around more. Initially, Ch did show a little resistance as it meant more restrictions to her freedom at home. However, she quickly understood the importance of her contributions. It touches me immensely to see her rising to the occasion and assuming the big sister role to help even before I ask. She takes very good care of K when I'm busy cleaning or cooking. She even knows exactly what to do and where to position herself when she helps to carry the feeding pump while I carry K to go for K's weekly therapies at the hospital. She also guides L with his work and helps him get out of mischief.

This independence and mature thinking she displays is perhaps, a reflection of being older and wiser too? For her recent birthday, Ch didn't want any fancy celebrations, but chose to have a date with her close friends from school. We decided on the indoor trampoline park at Zoom Park Singapore as it is close to us, and trampolining sounds like a super fun activity with lots of benefits.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the place, I realised Zoom Park Singapore is actually located at the premises of the old Pandan Swimming Complex. It is opposite the Cycle and Carriage Motor Dealer, and next to the Ayer Rajah Community Centre.

Simply Lambchops reviews Zoom Park Singapore

The excitement built up during our drive to Zoom Park, and the children got more excited once we stepped into the venue. The upbeat and loud music made them eager to start their session. After we paid for the tickets and collected our wristbands, we wore the Zoom Park grip socks, watched the safety video and were ready to go!

To date, Zoom Park Singapore is the largest indoor trampoline park in Singapore. The layout of the trampoline park is impressive as it is nicely divided into 6 areas with a different focus of play for each area. You will find 2 dodgeball courts (one for conventional play, and one for extreme dodgeball), a 4-lane foam pit, a 5-lane airbag for jumpers to land safely while attempting the challenging high performance mats, 3 basketball slam dunk lanes, 3 long tumble tracks and a spacious main court and a 17-metre lateral rock wall.

We had a 3-on-3 modified dodgeball match, and ended up without a winner as our own rules made the game a never ending one. But it was absolutely fun and we had a re-match. Ch and L picked the dodgeball court as one of their top favourite attractions in Zoom Park.

Top: Dodgeball court; Bottom: Foam pit and 17-metre lateral rock wall

The high performance mats really provide a lot of bounce! One of Ch's friends commented that she almost peed out from the impact of the high bouncing power! Do take note that this is only for jumpers with a height of 1.2-metres tall and above. The more courageous ones can challenge yourselves to some acrobatic jumps here.

Look at EQ on the high performance mat! An excellent split in the air!

How about a Slam Dunk? It was really fun jumping high to reach the basketball hoop to perform a slam dunk like an NBA player. This is one of L's top favourite attractions at Zoom Park.

If you prefer to just jump around or practise some jumping skills, the Main Court provides ample space for that. Just remember to have one jumper per trampoline square at all times to be safe.

Main Court

One thing I like about Zoom Park is that instructions are clearly written to explain the play at each area. There are Zoom Park staff around to ensure safety of the jumpers, so I feel safe to leave the children to play on their own while I rest outside the play area. For children below 4 years old, an adult has to accompany the children at all times.

With such a fun place for the young and old, Zoom Park is definitely a choice location to hold a birthday party. They have 3 birthday party rooms (fully decorated) and birthday party packages are available with an event host and food, on top of a 1h jump. Read here for more info and pricing. Alternatively, you can host your own small celebration like what we did.

Our birthday girl and her friends had a enjoyable 1-hour workout and bonding time, and she is looking forward to visit Zoom Park again.

Here are some tips to make your trampolining time more enjoyable:

[1]

Wear cool, comfortable clothing as it can get rather warm. Just 10 minutes of jumping on trampolines gives you a great workout, so be prepared for lots of perspiration. The good thing is that there are big cooler fans around, and you can just stand in front of the vents to cool down.

[2]

Don't wear jeans or any clothing that has buckles or sharp edges as these may tear the trampolines.

[3]

All jumpers will need to wear the Zoom Park grip socks to prevent yourself from slipping on the trampolines.

They can be purchased at the registration counter for $2.

[4]

Arrive at least 15 mins before your Zoom Park session to buy your tickets, collect the wristbands, store your belongings and watch a safety video.

[5]

Every jumper needs to fill a signed liability waiver form. Do fill out the waiver before you reach Zoom Park else you may be stuck at the computer terminal if there is a crowd.

[6]

Bring a big bottle of water. You WILL NEED IT!

Or, you can purchase drinks and slushee at the cafe. Pricing is reasonable.

A latte costs $4.50 and soft drinks are at $1.50 per can.

Do note that currently the cafe doesn't sell any food items.

There is a $30 surcharge if you bring in food from outside.

[7]
There is no toilet in Zoom Park.
The nearest toilet is located a short distance away.

[8]

Ensure safety for yourself and other jumpers around you.

Do not attempt backflips and stunts if you are not trained.

[9]

Jump as high as you can, and have fun!

For more info, visit Zoom Park website or their Facebook page.

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY (23 - 29 July 2015)!

Zoom Park Singapore has kindly sponsored 2 sets of tickets to my Simply Lambchops readers! Each set of tickets comprises of 2 play passes, and each pass allows one person to jump for 30 minutes in Zoom Park Singapore). I will be doing a random draw for 2 winners using the Rafflecopter widget.

~~In order to qualify for the giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter widget below to complete the following steps:~~

~~a Rafflecopter giveaway~~

This giveaway will end on Wednesday 29 July, 2359 hrs, so hurry! Results of the draw will be announced here.

CONGRATULATIONS to Ms Michelle N. and Ms Gladys T.!

for winning the giveaway!

Please check your email

for details to collect your prize!

To everyone who has participated in

this giveaway, THANK YOU for supporting

Simply Lambchops!

Do continue to visit the blog for more updates!

Giveaway Terms and Conditions

The winner will be contacted using the particulars provided when entering the draw, and has 48 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn.
Claiming of the 2 play passes will be through the sponsor Zoom Park SIngapore.
All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (e.g. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.
This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.
Socks are not included and can be purchased at the registration counter at Zoom Park Singapore.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. No monetary compensation was given for this review and all opinions are ours. We thank Zoom Park for letting us use the party room for the purpose of this review.

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We learn Chinese by making popcorns

all about L Sunday, July 05, 2015

This was L's Chinese homework from his enrichment class. Did you manage to spot his mistakes?

Like many typical Singaporean kids, L does not have enough exposure to the Chinese language as we seldom speak the language. This is probably one main reason why the Chinese enrichment centres are booming in their business here. It doesn't help that we also read more English books than Chinese ones to him. Furthermore, L didn't have a Chinese teacher for a few months back in K2, so he was very far behind others in his Chinese proficiency.

To supplement L's Chinese language learning, I bought a Chinese comic book on the Monkey God and read it with him. I also signed him up for weekly Chinese enrichment classes. I'm glad the enrichment lessons have been interesting enough to engage him, and the centre adopts a multi-modal approach to learning language. In this particular lesson, the children were given a worksheet to fill in adjectives to describe their eyes, ears, popcorn etc. The teachers showed a video of the popcorn making process, and they were also given some popcorns to bring home. L happily showed me his popcorn treat and ate them on the way home.

However, after L completed this piece of homework, I realised he didn't retain the learning from that interesting lesson! He couldn't remember the meaning of the words and how to use them appropriately. I am quite sure it wasn't a failure of the lesson. Instead, it could be because he only looked at this piece of work one week later.

So, my teacher-instincts prompted me to do this...

We made popcorns!

I know that popcorn making is easy and I've seen my mom do this when I was younger. But somehow, I have never made popcorns with my own kids. L's eyes brightened up when I told him that we would make popcorns that day. This boy is a snack-junkie, and he loves popcorns, so this impromptu idea might work on him. My only condition to L was that he had to do most of the cooking himself. He agreed immediately because IT WAS POPCORNS that we were talking about! L read the recipe, followed the procedures systematically, measured the ingredients carefully and did most of the cooking.

Throughout the process, I repeated the phrases from his worksheet and got him to use the Chinese words that he was supposed to learn. Like, when I asked him to describe the popcorn kernels, he had to say 黄黄的玉米。And when the popcorn kernels were popping in the pot, he had to describe the sound by saying 噼啪噼啪的声音。 I also sneaked in some Math concepts.

Slow and steady in measuring out the honey

Look at THAT face! Wonder what he was thinking about.

Popcorns almost done!

Enjoying the fruit of his labour

Learning a language is like this, isn't it? Use it more, and it will stay on longer. Doing it himself also helped him relate the experience with the sentences on his worksheet again, and he managed to correct his mistakes on the worksheet.

Other than language literacy, cooking with children is also one of the best ways to train children to understand and execute the recipe systematically. With enough opportunities, they will be able to plan ahead and their cooking process will be more efficient. These skills also help them greatly in interpreting Science practicals, starting from primary school. You will be very surprised to know that a large number of my secondary school students lack the skills to understand Science experimental procedures properly, so they usually score very poorly in that component. And when I probe further, many of them have never helped out in their kitchen.

You can get that original recipe we followed for this popcorn making process here. We tweaked the recipe a little to include more honey and less salt as we prefer a sweeter version. Believe me when I say this is really super duper easy to make, and you get a pot of buttery, crunchy popcorns within 10 mins!

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Fun Fun SuperFundae by Aviva

Carnivals Wednesday, July 01, 2015

The only carnivals I have ever been to, are those organised by my schools because the usual long queues for food and games, plus the big crowd of people, put me off.

But I couldn't resist the Aviva SuperFundae family carnival after reading about the exciting activities that we would get to do! In fact, I was secretly counting down to 20th June as I was eager to join the Nerf Mission, soap making and Nerf Supersoakers water play, and many more. The kids and I were also looking forward to finding out if there was really going to be a Candy Cannon blasting gummies at us, or would it be just a few staff throwing packets of gummies around.

We were all hyped up upon collecting our Superfundae goodie pack! Other than the useful picnic mat, umbrella and baby wipes (which was absolutely handy for cooling us down as it was a super hot day too!), the kids got to choose a Nerf toy each! How's that for a goodie bag?! I shamelessly asked one of the staff if I could also have one for myself, but of course, she didn't oblige.

Simply Lambchops reviews Aviva SuperFundae

I applaud the organisers for choosing to hold the event at Gardens by the Bay as there was so much space for the kids to run around and have fun. And with SO MANY activities to do, the queues were reasonably short. The many big tents that housed the activities also provided the much needed shade from the hot sun that day.

We strategised after Ch and L looked through the guide, and quickly went for our first station - the Nerf Missions. Did I tell you that we love Nerf? The kids own a Nerf gun each, and the Daddy has one too. Ch and L spent the longest time here as they had a few rounds for each Nerf challenge.

Look at the number of outdoor games and arts-related activities that were available. It was impossible to spot any bored kids around. And parents were also able to join in the games and family challenges. I wanted to do the Milk Dash race with the kids, but they were more focussed on their choice of activities.

Navigating through mini sports circuits set up by Ready Steady Go Kids

Transformers puzzle, Squiggly Car, Skateboard and Ninja Quest challenges and Soap Clay making

One highlight of this carnival was that we could earn stamps at each station when we played the activity. And winning the challenges earned us more stamps. The completed redemption card was then used to exchange for My Little Pony, Littlest PetShop or Transformers blind bags! That definitely motivated everyone to play, including the parents!

Happy kids with their redeemed gifts

Seafood paella, pork knuckles, shepherd's pie, hot dog buns and sushi were some of the good variety of food at the Pasarbella tent. The queue for food was a lot longer during lunchtime, but we managed to avoid by having a late lunch. There was also entertainment by local groups and on-the-spot buskers throughout the day.

What did we enjoy most? We couldn't decide as there were too many enjoyable activities, but one of the most enjoyable highlights for us was definitely the hourly Candy Cannon that fired up free Haribo gummies! The sight of children (AND parents) waiting in anticipation for the cannon to fire up the gummies, and catching as much loot as they could, was priceless. Everyone had an enjoyable time, and there were so many packs of gummies that the kids could share them with strangers who didn't manage to get many.

FREE Haribo gummies and ice cream for all participants!

The other most enjoyable highlight was the CrayCraySpray water play. We left this to the last as forgetful me didn't pack extra clothes for all of us for this activity. And because of that, I couldn't join them.

Cooling down from a game of CrayCraySpray water play with Nerf Supersoakers!

I stood at the boundary of the waterplay area to take pics but soon became a target for the younger kids. Good thing one of their older siblings was kind enough to stop his mei mei and told her not to shoot at me, else I'll have to change my clothes.

Ch and L were totally soaked to their skin after the water play! The Nerf Supersoakers were really useful for cooling them down too! And for the record, the day was so hot that their wrung-dry clothes dried after 15 mins of play in the sun.

The generosity of the organisers and sponsors of this carnival was absolutely appreciated and loved. Ice cream was given freely, and with no limit to how many one can take. No questions, no frowns when someone takes more than one tub of ice cream. There was also free beer for the adults. All these for a really super fun day for the family. Thank you, Aviva! You have indeed raised the bar for family carnivals.

When the kids give a thumbs up for the event, you'll be sure they have definitely enjoyed themselves.

Check out #SuperFundae for more picture memories from other participants!

Disclosure: We received complimentary tickets to attend the event for this review. No monetary compensation was given and all opinions are ours.

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Things to do with a kid who loves dinosaurs

children activities Sunday, June 21, 2015

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{Giveaway} Play ALL DAY at Aviva Superfundae Family Funival!

children activities Sunday, June 07, 2015

How does NERF MISSIONS, TRANSFORMERS CHALLENGES, and SUPERFUNDAE NINJA sound to you and your child?

We are very excited (that includes me!) and this is why!

On Saturday June 20, 2015 from 10am - 9pm, Aviva Superfundae family funival will debut at Gardens by the Bay! This one-day funival is the first-of-its-kind and promises to delight and excite participants of all ages with a plethora of activities!

Be amazed by more than 20 wide-ranging play activities that kids and parents (and even grandparents!) can enjoy! These include:

Outdoor Play

A timed, multi-challenge Ninja Quest obstacle course, kid-friendly milk dashes, mum-and-dad-only dashes, piggy back races with siblings, squiggly car and skate scooter races

The Imaginarium

Mosaic and mural creation workshops, playdough and soap making workshops, exploratory play with Graces Speech and Drama Studio

Free and Easy Wonderland

Nerf Supersoakers water play, Candy Cannon that fires up free gummies every hour (yummy!), imaginative play with giant foam blocks brought in by Kaboodle, perfecting your throwing skills with Hypersport! foam boomerangs and frisbees

What's more - a huge array of food from food vendors like Pasarbella will be on sale, and entertainment from local favourites 53A and PennyLane will be available for families to enjoy in a laidback, picnic setting as well as an all-day garden dance floor! There is even an outdoor movie screening in the evening!

You can enjoy all these great fun at a single price! Tickets can be purchased prior to the event at $28 per pax (excludes $3 ticketing processing fee), regardless of age! For families, you will be able to get the tickets at attractive bundle deals (see pic below)! Kids below 2 years old enter for FREE! Each ticket also comes with a goodie bag worth about SGD50. And you know what? Kids below 12 years old will receive a Mystery Nerf Toy, to be collected at the Redemption Booth on event day! Mystery Nerf Toy will be given while stocks last, and is on a first-come-first-served basis.

More information can be found here.

*Online Price excludes S$3 ticketing processing fee.
**Tickets can be purchased at the door on 20 June 2015 for $37 per person.
^Valid till 19 June 2015.
1Key in 'PA' followed by the first 4 digits of your PAssion Card Number for promo code.

Do remember to bring your water, a cap, sunglasses, sun screen and anything to make yourself comfortable while you play! Water coolers will be available

Aviva Superfundae is happening on:
Date: 20 June 2015, Saturday
Time: 10AM – 9PM
Where: The Meadow@Gardens by the Bay (18, Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953)

*This event is brought to you by IMAGINE+, a local events management company, in partnership with Aviva, a leading provider of retirement, investments, insurance and health solutions.

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY (8 - 13 June 2015)!

Now is your chance to win tickets to join in the fun at Aviva Superfundae! I am giving away a set of tickets worth $112 (each set is for a family of 4) to two readers!

In order to qualify for the giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter widget below to complete the following steps:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will end on Saturday 13 June, 2359 hrs, so hurry! Results of the draw will be announced here.

Terms and Conditions

The winner will be contacted using the particulars provided when entering the draw, and has 48 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn.
All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (e.g. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.
This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.

Disclosure: This pre-event coverage is brought to you by IMAGINE+ and Aviva. We received complimentary tickets to attend the event and no monetary compensation was given. All opinions are ours and all graphics belong to Superfundae Singapore.

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Pages

Crocheting a Slugterra Tazerling Joules toy

Review and Giveaway: Birthday fun at Zoom Park Singapore

We learn Chinese by making popcorns

Fun Fun SuperFundae by Aviva

Things to do with a kid who loves dinosaurs

{Giveaway} Play ALL DAY at Aviva Superfundae Family Funival!

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