Day in A Life – DIAL with JahBella

Today I’ll be hoping onto the blog train where Jacqueline of The Little Mom left off and I’ll be taking you through a day in my life – our “Helpless Sunday”. 🙂 Yes it is one of those weekends where we require double the energy (because we no longer outnumber the kids) and we are operating on half the rest or wherever rest the kids will allow us that day. :p

8am – Our day starts bright and early between 7am to 8am when our children’s natural body clock demands that the whole family gets up with them as well. We typically spend the next hour getting everyone ready and are all set to leave the house by 9am.

9am – We have decided to keep things really simple today and find ourselves heading to a playground at a nearby mall. It is Jah and Bella’s first time at this playground.

9.30am – The weather decides to make us scramble alitle and it starts to pour, 2 minutes into our play! We decide to have some breakfast at Swensens, hoping the weather would eventually clear up.

10.15am – Thankfully the weather clears up by the time we are done with breakfast and the kids get to burn off some of that energy. Phew!!

What you don’t see in the playground photos, are the multiple trips I had to make to the toilet that morning. Yes both kids decide that this would be an absolutely fabulous time to do a Number 2, one after the other…and mummy was toilet IC for the day…:/

11.15am – It was time to pick up some lunch while the kids are still in a happy mood and can cope with some waiting. The kids also get their much awaited balloons and are super cooperative! Well except for Bella who melts down when her bread was taken away from her in the car….yes she has been eating since 9.30am….zzzzzz

12.30pm – We settled down for lunch as soon as we reached home and the kids are fed, showered and ready for their naps by 1.30pm. Although it is really anyone’s guess how long Bella would actually nap. We are trying out a new routine today with me being in charge of putting both kids to nap (we usually divide and conquer) but lets see how this works..really crossing our fingers today!

1.30pm – Off I go with Bella in my Rose and Rebellion In-Between Carrier (yes this is slightly bigger than a regular baby carrier so it fits a young child perfectly with lots of space to spare) while Joel watches TV with Jah. Mission Completion! The little one falls asleep in 5 minutes!!! Now to remove her from the carrier and hope she doesn’t rouse…:) There is hope for rest today!

1.40pm – Off to ‘collect’ Jah for his naptime – this one takes a little longer to fall asleep but is less torturing on my back since I just have to lie next to him and hug him to sleep. Asleep in 20 minutes! Nap time for mummy until Jah wakes up. 🙂

4.30pm – Kids are up! Activity and snack time!! Yes, Bella has been tasked to clean the table because she was naughty and drew on the table and floor instead of in the book. Tsktsk!

6pm – Off to get some drive-thru Macdonald’s and to get the kids out of the house for alittle while…

8pm – Movie night after dinner..winding down for the evening before I drag Jah off for his shower and bedtime…Tonight we are watching Percy Jackson!

9pm – Off to bed for the kids (takes me about 30 minutes to put Jah to bed) and then some relaxation time for the parents…

930pm – Some relaxation time for the parents…some entertainment and wine!

Just another weekend (and let’s just say this was one of the smoother days :p)..just another day in the life of JahBella’s Mummy.

This post is part of the Day in a Life blog train hosted by Mum in the Making. Click on the button below to take a 24 hour peek into the lives of different mummies, or link up with your own post!

Next Up on the blog train tomorrow!

Pearlyn is mum to a primary schooler and a toddler. She loves her role as a mother, although she wishes she could nah less sometimes. She blogs about how God has blessed her family at Blessed Family.

3Apr2015

Cold Storage Kids Run + Discount Code for JahBella’s readers

Posted in Media Invite, Weekend activities with kids by jahbella

With two extremely active kids (ok 1 extremely active and 1 extremely hungry kid :p ), we have been contemplating bringing Jah and Bella for their first race/ run for some time now. However our main concerns have also been whether they will be able to cope with the length of the run, whether they will be able to cope with the crowd of adult and kids runners and of course safety especially when the run takes us to the road.

I was very excited when I heard about the Cold Storage Kids Run which is back for its 8^th consecutive year, because it is designed specifically with the kids in minds! With 13 categories consisting of competitive (sprint) to non-competitive (family fun) races and ranging from 800m to 1.6km, kids from 6 months to 12 years old will be able to participate.

The fact that the run is a kids-focused running event (Asia’s first and Singapore’s only!) that is conducted within the ground of Gardens By the Bay, addresses a lot of my concerns.

Jah and Bella will be participating in the Family Fun Category which allows for 1 parent to accompany 1 child and they will be attempting 800m under the Jolly Kiwi Category for 2-4 years old. Super duper excited that we will be able to run in the same category as a family (perks of having kids close in age 😉 )

This year, the Cold Storage Kids Run will also be introducing a new 3Gen Family Run category to promote inter-generation fitness and bonding so those who want to include grandpas and grandmas can also do so.

See the chart below for more details on the race categories.

Race Categories

Categories

Kids’ Ages (yrs)

Distance

Sprint (Individual, Boys / Girls)

Speedy Orange

Sporty Apple

Boogey Banana

11 & 12

9 & 10

7 & 8

1.6km

800m

Family Fun (1 Parent + 1 Child)

Happy Grapes

Merry Berry

Jolly Kiwi

Stroller

11 & 12

9 & 10

7 & 8

5 & 6

2 – 4

6 – 23 mths

800m

3Gen Family Fun

(1 Grandparent + 1 Parent + 1 Child)

4 – 12

800m

When I told Jah a few days ago that we will be participating in his first run and he will get his own little race t-shirt (which has green – his favourite colour) and a medal if he finishes the run, he was ectastic! I’m confident that this will be an awesome introduction to the world of running for Jah and Bella! So if you are looking to introduce your kids to a race/ run as well or a fun and healthy way for them to burn some energy, sign up for the Cold Storage Kids Run now!

Do note that this year’s run is limited to the first 5,000 registered participants so do register early. Running Clinics and Dynakids Classes will also be held every Saturday in the month of April and slots are running low for these fun fitness classes so check out this link – http://www.kidsrun.com.sg/fun-camps and register fast!

Oh yes and before I forgot! All readers of Jahbella.net will be entitled to a 10% discount on top of the early bird rates (before 9 April) and off regular rates (after 9 April). Just quote G3TACTIV3JAhB311A when registering for the race! 🙂

Scroll down for more details or visit the official website at www.kidsrun.com.sg for more information.

Happy Running!

JahBella’s Mummy

Race Day Details

Date: 17 May 2015 (Sunday)

Location: The Meadow @ Gardens by the Bay

Time: 7am – 12pm

Registration period: 19 March – 16 April at www.kidsrun.com.sg

(Early bird discounts available if you register before 9th April)

Activities on race day include a sports-themed carnival, running clinics, sports introductory classes and more.

Registration Fees

Category	Early Bird	Normal
Sprint	$32	$35
Family Fun (including 3Gen Family Fun)	$40	$44

Race Pack Collection Details (Fun Fest)

Date: 2 & 3 May (Sat & Sun)

Location: F1 Pit Building

Time: 11am – 8pm daily

Activities include stage games, mascot appearances and more.

14Mar2015

Amazonia Indoor Playground – Review

Posted in Reviews, Weekend activities with kids by jahbella

A long time ago, back in the day when my only child was just starting to explore the wonders of indoor playgrounds and when our old bones were just being introduced to this unfamiliar concept of crawling on all fours for more than 5 seconds, I heard about Amazonia. However my research led me to believe that this particular indoor playground was not suited for my 1 year old child (yes Jah was a really early walker/ runner so we took him to indoor playgrounds really early). I read it consisted of huge structures (3 storeys high) and steep slides and well that was all it took to deter me then.

So when we were brainstorming really hard for a new place to bring the kids on a weekend without help, we thought maybe we could finally give Amazonia a shot. Jah is a lot older now and well Bella is the 2^nd kid and we know how parents get abit more relaxed and ‘complacent’ after the first :p It also helped that we found two Amazonia discount vouchers in the house (don’t remember how we got them).

To be honest, I found the place to be alittle on the pricey side but I suppose that also explains the crowd levels which made it rather pleasant. There were 3 areas for play – 1 area for pretend play/ masak masak near the entrance, a toddler area for under 3s (which I never got close to because Jah just refused to play there) and the huge 3 storey playground structure.

Actually the huge 3 storey structure was pretty forgiving on our adult bones. Given its height and higher ‘ceilings’, I found that I was on my fours a lot less and also because I refused to crawl through tunnels now. It was alittle less forgiving on my knees though, because the distance between steps were pretty wide. While I would say that the structure is probably safer for the older kids, Bella didn’t have much issues getting around as long as we were with her to ensure her safety.

My favourite part about the entire place was actually their café and the fact that they served proper food. A lot of indoor playgrounds which we have been to, would serve the usual nuggets, fries, hotdogs, snacks and the occasional pizza. However we got to order a substantial meal – a hot plate of Beef Rendang and Nasi Goreng which at least meant that we didn’t have to go home hungry after all that activity. Yes, Joel and I were working quite hard for our meal!

Kids Menu – Spaghetti

Kids Menu – Fish and Chips (I apologise for the half eaten pic – there was at least 4 slides of the fish) 🙂

While the place and some of its facilities/ toys seem alittle dated, it is generally a nice place to bring the kids if you are looking for something alittle less crowded or rowdy. Having a café with a good menu also helps and its location in a mall also makes it good for running errands or finding alternate food options. 🙂

JahBella’s Mummy

9Mar2015

JahBella’s Day Out at Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden

Posted in Weekend activities with kids by jahbella

The very first time we visited the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Jah was a mere 5 months old infant. I remember Joel and I pushing him around in his infant car seat cum stroller and taking a stroll through the ‘little park/garden’. Quite obviously we didn’t find anything suitable for a 5 month old and proceeded to forget all about that little place in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Fast forward almost 3 years later and now with 2 kids in tow, we decided to head over to the Jacob Ballas Children’s Gardenfor one of our weekend morning outings.

The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden is free of charge and the only requirement is that kids are accompanied by adults and adults are accompanied by kids. I found that requirement quite cute. :p Oh and also no food and drinks a lot so please feed the kids before going there.

We fed Shaun the Sheep before our visit and we got a happy sheep!

The garden has a small water play area (mainly equipped with little jets and sprays on the ground), a sand pit area, lots of interesting fruits and plants growing along the pathway, a suspension bridge, a nice treehouse with 2 slides and a large sand area as well as lots of other educational areas for the other kids. We spent almost 2 hours at the gardens and most of our time was spent at the treehouse and exploring some of the little nooks and crannies of what Jah calls the deep dark woods! We even had some fun narrating and role-playing the Gruffalo story while exploring the ‘woods’.

We spotted bananas on our walk in…:)

Mummy! The bananas are green! My favourite colour!

Quick guys!!!

Huge treehouse!

The garden is supposedly targeted at 5 year olds to 12 year olds (especially the more educational activities) but my 21 month old toddler and 3 year old kiddo did just fine although you will probably want to keep a close watch on those age groups and follow them around. We also saw lots of kids their age who were happily enjoying the water play area and the other sand pit.

Think the sand there was quite tasty too…

Come meimei…korkor wait for you..

Meimei! We are going on a mission!

Whee!!! Byebye!

A mouse took a stroll in the deep dark woods, a fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good!

Be prepared for the kids to get alittle grubby with all the sand and sweat but nothing a little water and washing can’t solve.

Literally a tree house…

And yes they entered it..

There is also a little café at the entrance of the garden and that was where we headed for our quick lunch. The kids were pretty wiped out by the time we were ready to leave so we figured rather than pack them off somewhere for lunch, a quick fix at the café was just perfect.

The seating area is very family friendly and they even had little chairs and tables for the young ones. The seating area can get pretty packed at times but you will eventually be able to get a seat if you wait around alittle. We were fortunate to find empty tables as we were exiting. The café has a wider ala carte menu however I didn’t notice it and ended up ordering their set menus. The meals took about 10 minutes to be served which was perfect for famished and impatient children. A wonderful morning in all and definitely adding it to our list of places to go that won’t break the bank. 😉

Grubby, sweating…

Thirsty…hungry…

JahBella’s Mummy

9Jan2015

Zoom Park Asia – Trampoline Park – Media Invite

Posted in Media Invite, Reviews, Weekend activities with kids by jahbella

We were recently invited to the newly opened trampoline park, Zoom Park Asia at Pandan Gardens. We have been wanting to bring JahBella to a trampoline park for the longest time but have been abit apprehensive and uncertain if they will be able to handle it. I worry about the people jumping out of control all around them and whether they will find jumping around boring.

I honestly don’t know why I worry so much but I’m so glad that we had the perfect ‘excuse’ to bring them to one.

Jah has been jumping on his bed a lot recently and a trampoline park is just the right place for our boy to get that jumping out of his system (or well get more jumping into his system ;p)!

Zoom Park Asia is not exactly your regular trampoline park. Apart from the usual trampolines, it also has tons of activities like dodgeball and slam dunk (basketball) that are combined with the trampoline jumping. Jah was extremely happy to be jumping around and throwing balls at people. Actually I think Joel was very happy to throw the balls at me while Jah went about collecting balls. (don’t ask me why). My worry about people landing on my kids were also unfounded as we were all briefed on the safety rules prior to starting our session.

Dodgeball

Slam Dunk

The kids were very excited to explore the entire Zoom Park, trying out all the different sections and then coming back to the ones they enjoy the most. There was also a very challenging rock wall which jumpers can attempt to climb horizontally. A foam pit awaits you at the bottom if you should fall and trust me you wouldn’t want to fall because getting out of that foam pit is equally challenging! Yes I was unable to get out of it, too fat, too heavy! Don’t laugh, you have to try it for yourself to know what I mean.:(

Mummy is this a slide?

Rock Wall and Foam Pit

Other innovative ways of playing with the foam blocks according to Jah

Not sure which kid enjoyed himself more :p

The park also has a very good system for tracking when each session starts or ends. Every jumper is given a colour tag that indicates the time of their jump session and announcements are made when the session for a particular colour ends. All in all, very organized and impressive.

You will also find a café in the park who currently serves simple cakes, snacks and drinks. While most parks or indoor playgrounds may choose to charge an arm and a leg to their captive audience, Zoom Park Asia charges very reasonably for the F&B at their cafe.Great for that 5 to 10 minutes break for kids (and for me) before they re-charge and continue their jump session.

Taking a break but extremely happy!

Even though Zoom Park Asia may be on the other end of the island from us, it has definitely been placed on our regular go to places. In fact we brought JahBella’s uncle and aunty there with us last weekend and even they admitted it was really tiring good fun! We will be heading there again this weekend at the request of the rest of the Village :p. After all which parent can resist an outing that = fun for them too and results in a hungry child all ready to eat his lunch and take a 3 hour nap after!

JahBella’s Mummy