Hard Rock Food – Room Service, Kings Club and Restaurants

Posted in Eating Out with Kids, Holidays, penang by jahbella

Penang is definitely the haven for good food and I am always complaining that there is just never enough days on our Penang trip to eat everything we want to eat. This is made even worse when your hotel also serves fantastic food!! Yes it is a torture to be spoilt for choice. :p

We started our trip on a really good note – awesome Italian food at the Hard Rock. We were rather tired by the time we arrived. After an hour long car ride and kids nearing their nap time, I was very worried that waiting for lunch would be a nightmare. However the food was served really quickly and the good service and bubbly staff were really infectious. You can tell from JahBella’s big smiles that they had forgotten about the long journey here already and a nice nap was awaiting for our full bellies.

We over ordered!!! The portions were huge even for the kids meal!

She doesn’t smile when waiting for her food anymore…:( She screams!

First of many mocktails during the trip

We had the standard buffet breakfast at their main restaurant during the first half of our stay (when we were staying in the Lil Rock Star Suite. Given that the hotel was on full occupancy, there seemed to always be seats available at the main restaurant. The variety of the buffet was also really good – from Asian (Hawker fare) to Cereals to Western to their own ‘pau’ section. Kids were also given their own cutlery which made the experience extremely kiddy friendly.

Appetizer?

During the second half of our stay, we enjoyed our breakfast at the Kings Club (when we were staying in the Rock Star Suite). The Kings Club breakfast offered a very limited buffet spread with the standard cereals, fruits, muffins and a small selection of hot food. The real star of the Kings Club breakfast is their ala carte buffet menu that you can order from. Having your food served to you is always welcomed when you have kids to take care of. We were so spoilt for choice and we had to stop ourselves from over ordering.

Its almost like he had breakfast in bed…

Hot breakfast served at your table

Breakfast Menu! Hungry yet?

Staying at the Rock Star Suite also allowed us access to the Kings Club to enjoy teatime snacks and evening cocktail. We were there for a quick evening cocktail before heading out for dinner and Jah was extremely happy with the chocolate tarts and mocktails. 😉

Want to share? 😀

While room service is often a last resort, Hard Rock’s Room service is one of the best I’ve had. The kids were too tired after their morning swim to head anywhere so we settled for room service and discovered a gem! Jah loved his Fish & Chips while we were very very pleased with their Nasi Goreng. We were not expected much but found their Asian fare to be pretty authentic. We also tried their lamb with pea mash and I can tell you that I have never tasted such a good pie before. The room service meals were so good that we actually had it for two days.

So if you are concerned about what to eat in Penang (hmmmm..) especially if your kids might be too tired to head out or if like me, you had a little one with a fever on the last 2 days. Then Hard Rock is the perfect place to base yourself out of and enjoy their wonderful yummy treats.

Next Up – Yummy Food Outside of the Hotel!!!! (Fishing Village Seafood, Nonya Breeze, Golden River Zi Char)

JahBella’s Mummy

18Dec2014

Hokey Pokey – Seletar Mall

Posted in Weekend activities with kids by jahbella

JahBella have been to several indoor playgrounds before but they have never visited Hokey Pokey. So when we found out that they had open an outlet near to us and even nearer to our upcoming new place, we were keen to find out if it could become one of our regular spots.

We arrived at the newly opened Seletar Mall at 10am and there was no lack of parking space (although I heard from my sister that the parking gets very full towards the evening). Hokey Pokey is an indoor playground for babies from 6 months old to young kids up to 6 years old. None of the tedious climbing and crawling through tunnels for us old bones but I was worried that the activity level would be too mild for my active 3 year old.

The entry fee on weekends are $26 for 2 hours of play and upon a quick survey of their environment and facilities, we decided to ‘invest’ in a member’s package. The annual package cost $58 and it consists of 2 free sessions (day of purchase and during birthday month). It also included 1 free soft drink per visit (perfect for the thirsty parent) and discounted rates of $16 on weekends for 2 hours of play. We were also given a sibling discount for our 2^nd package at $38! As we signed up during their Christmas promo, we bagged an additional session + a free Christmas goodie bag and a nice box of cupcake and Christmas cookie. It was a really really nice gesture!

JahBella were the first kids there and they were blown away by the variety of toys there! There was a section with huge trucks, cars and Starwars characters which Jah could not tear himself away from. He alternated between that corner and another section with cars and ramps. Bella, on the other hand was all over the place, from the ball pit to the princess corner, from Thomas the train ride on a ramp to the kitchen corner. She played with everything!

Not a huge space but the variety was huge and the toys were so new!

Jah’s favourite area – he picked an orange Porsche from there and it never left his sight until we left

A wonderland of car ramps

His own Star Wars Battle

Boys can play with doll houses too 🙂

Whee!!

Where’s the baby?

Spoilt for choice

There were so many rides available – personally I find this Crayola ride super cute!

For the hungry parent or kids, there is a small café with a few tables and bar counter that overlooked the play area so you are never too far off from your child.

The two hours past really quickly and while the kids were not totally exhausted and thank goodness neither we were, they really enjoyed themselves. The ‘mild’ activity level was not a concerned because they were kept so occupied. The only problem would be prying them away from their newfound favourite toy or finding a way to say no to their request to buy a certain toy.

Jah declared that he would like to come back soon and yes I am pretty sure we will be.

JahBella’s Mummy

12Dec2014

The Chuggington Winter Snow Party – City Square Mall (Meet & Greet Dec 2014)

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

JahBella’s first encounter with a mall’s Live Show/ Meet & Greet was almost a year ago. My then wide-eyed babies were thrilled at meeting a ‘live’ cartoon character that they recognized from TV however the experience itself was somewhat underwhelming, with the live show being only 10 minutes long. Safe to say, I have been very hesistant since then to bring them for any Live Shows/ Meet & Greet.

After almost a year since their first rather disappointing encounter, we finally mustered enough courage to brave the crowds and take a ‘leap of faith’ :p We were invited to attend City Square Mall’s The Chuggington Winter Snow Party and I have to say it was awesome fun! There was song and dance, playful banter, a light-up and even a snowy finale! Both Jah and Bella were in their own little world and while Jah is still pretty shy when it comes to following the dance moves, he was really transfixed on the show. What I really liked about the show was the fact that the cast came on stage to engage restless kids, 10 minutes before the actual showtime. Consider it a pre-quel but it was very helpful for kids who have been waiting for almost 45 minutes to an hour. A useful tip which I just ‘discovered’ yesterday, is to provide your kid with your own pre-quel. We let Jah watch an episode of Chuggington on Joel’s handphone and he was able to be kept entertained. He only switched it off when Lorie appeared on stage during the pre-show warm up.

Waiting for showtime!

Its showtime!!

Live shows are not just for the big kids! 🙂

This is his focus face, not angry face 😉

Meet & Greet Photo time!

Lots of Chuggington photo ops in the mall

I also have to say that City Square Mall probably has one of the better Christmas experiences this year. Apart from the Live Show/ Meet & Greet that other malls may also do, City Square Mall has a host of fringe activities which is happening outside on the City Green (just outside the mall). The activities include Kiddy Carnival Rides, Christmas Light Show and Snow Playtime and the Choo-Choo City Express. We were fortunate that the rain settled down while we were watching the live show and ended just in time for JahBella to enjoy the Choo-Choo City Express and the Snow Playtime. JahBella really enjoyed their train ride and while I didn’t think much of it at first, I could see why the kids were so taken by it. The train with a real driver and not just a kiddy train ride on little tracks, would take you round the entire City Green (3 times!) and JahBella were happily taking in the sights and people-watching, even I enjoyed it! While I didn’t allow Jah to play in the ‘snow’/foam (sorry mummy is a bit of a control freak with these things) but I saw tons of kids enjoying the ‘snow’ and Jah was equally happy and contented to have me carry him and get ‘snow’ on our hair, face and eyelashes. 🙂

Baby its cold outside!

Lights and Snow Play time

A real driver? Wow!

Say cheese!

Taking in the lovely sights!

Event Details

The Chuggington Winter Snow Party will run from 6 December to 21 December (daily except Monday) at City Square Mall. Fans can also get up close and snap a family photo with their favourite characters by redeeming a Meet & Greet Pass with $50 spent in the mall (terms and conditions apply).

Chugg-ful of Fun At The Park will be on from 14 November to 28 December at the City Green(Park).

Kiddy Carnival Rides

Time: Weekdays from 6pm to 10pm; Weekends from 12pm to 10pm

Christmas Light Show & Snow Playtime

Time: 8pm & 9pm (Daily)

Ride The Choo-Choo City Express

Time: 12pm to 10pm (Daily)

Interested to cuddle up with a Koko, Wilson or Brewster cushion? You can redeem an exclusive

Chuggington cushion with $200* ($250* if inclusive of NTUC FairPrice receipts) spent!

Insisting on hugging his Koko cushion and even for bedtime…zzzz

JahBella’s Mummy

10Dec2014

The Perfect Age – 3 years old

Posted in Our Thoughts by jahbella

We often hear about the terrible 2s, terrible 3s and yes even terrible 4s but we seldom hear about the ‘perfect age’. Perhaps parents are afraid to jinx themselves if they were to talk about how good their children have been. I know I used to steer clear of talking about Jah finally sleeping through or Bella finishing her milk feeds without refluxing because yes then the tides turn. But you know what, I am going to go out on a limb this time and talk about what I feel is the perfect age. Just so that I can soak in this moment…:)

This past weekend/ very long weekend that started from Thursday, I think I finally saw a glimpse of the perfect age. I think we have been so fixated with getting our little ones to grow up, fuss less, reason more, follow the rules that every age until they reach that ‘grown up’ stage is bound to be terrible. Ok no wait, I agree that the terrible 2s are really terrible (we are going through it with Bella all over again, hearing no! at every turn is really quite frustrating).

But this weekend, Jah has shown me that your child turning 3 might just be the perfect age! Ok I admit I don’t know what’s in store at 4 and yes perhaps 4 may even be better, who knows, but for now I would like to savour 3 before its gone.

Why is 3 the perfect age (for us at least)? 🙂

3 years old is about the time I can finally have proper full-on conversations with Jah and it is also peppered with real humour. No, not just little giggles because I made a funny face but real belly-ful of laughter because he cracked a joke or watching him hold back laughter because he was about to play a trick on us.

The start of reason…while I’m sure he will get better at listening to reason (I hope) and while he still fusses when he doesn’t get what he wants. He is getting really good at acceptance and listening to me reason with him. He walks away from toys when we say no or walks up to the toys and declares that we can’t buy this today but we will get it for Christmas. :Z He is able to accept that he can have just one toy and he has to make a choice between two awesome ones. When he fusses (and yes he still does, he is 3), he is able to quieten down and listen to my reason and ‘get’ that big boys do not behave this way.

Independence – He tries very hard to feed himself and even though it may still get alittle messy, he really wants to do it well. He is potty trained in the day (need I say more? 🙂 ) I found out today that he cries when going into class because he doesn’t want the teachers to help with his bag. Today he gave me a hug and said “I love you mummy, I’m going to school” and walked straight into class with his trolley bag.

Social skills – He is starting to enjoy the company of his friends and is able to talk to them and not through us. He is also able to enjoy the quiet or well not so quiet imaginative play with us or on his own. It was an eye-opener for us to see that he no longer needed us to be by his side at every play session and he was comfortable enough to play and talk to whoever else was there.

He talks about the old days. Yes this is abit strange but he talks about himself as a baby and ask us questions that start with “mummy when I was a baby…..” This is really comical because some of the occasions he is referring to, only happened a couple of months ago. But this gives us the perfect opening to say “yes you did that when you were a baby but now you are a big boy right? And what do big boys do?” It’s awesome that even he realizes that things are different at 3 years old 🙂

Now I know what you might say, well all the above points are just going to get better as he hits 4 or 5 or 6…which brings me to my final point on why this is the perfect age. 🙂 It is the perfect age because while all of the above is happening and gives me my talkative, humorous, socialable, independent, reasonable older boy. He still needs mummy to make his milk and put him to bed. He still needs mummy to give him hugs, cuddles and kisses and he gives drool filled kisses back! He still wants mummy all to himself. Despite everything that he is fast becoming and more, it is the perfect age because my 3 year old still needs me. 🙂

Jahbella’s Mummy

8Dec2014

GIVEAWAY and Review – Christmas Bakes from Berries & Batter

Posted in Food, Giveaway by jahbella

We chanced upon Berries & Batter on Instagram last Christmas and were super wowed by how yummy their home baked treats were.

This Christmas, Berries & Batter will be bringing us 12 items from their Christmas Menu! Some are good old favourites of ours while some are new treats that we can’t wait to try.

They were also very kind to put together a simple taster for us to do a taste test and review for our readers. 🙂

White Chocolate Matcha Blondies with Macadamia, White chocolate bits and Cranberries

This is my absolute favourite!!! What are blondies I asked Joel and then after some thought he said “I think it’s the opposite of brownies!” :p For me, these blondies are the perfect combination of a chewy brownie and a gooey cookie. For those who are concerned about the Matcha/ Green Tea taste, I didn’t quite know it was there. But the nutty crunch from the macadamia and the fruity taste of cranberries were there in almost every bite! These blondies come in cube sized portions which makes it perfect for sharing with a loved one or eating all on your own (like I did) 😉

Blackforest Tart: Chocolate Crust, Chocolate Pastry Cream, Cream and Cherries

I am not really a fan of blackforest and definitely not a fan of cherries but I didn’t read the description before eating this tart and I’m glad I didn’t. This tart has to be eaten chilled because the chocolate is just the right consistency when eaten fresh from the fridge unless you prefer it alittle warmer and runnier. The blackforest and cream lends it just the right amount of fruitiness and creaminess. It was also a good balance of sweet and chocolate ‘bitterness’, perfect!

Salted Caramel Tart: Salted Caramel Mascarpone Cream and Salted Caramel Sauce

For those of you who love the taste of burnt caramel, this will be your tart. It is totally different from the blackforest tart I had just before tasting this, but still just as good. I would also recommend eating this chilled because the salted caramel sauce tends to liquidized. Perfect size for sharing between 2 or 3 people especially if you are intending to try more than one flavor of tart. 🙂

Speculoos Cupcake: Vanilla Cupcake with Speculoos Spread Crumble and Speculoos Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I’ll be honest here, I only ate one spoonful of this cupcake because Jah insisted on having everything else!!! He ate two whole cupcakes and while this boy is a cupcake lover or he likes the idea of a cupcake, he never finishes more than ¾. Oh and before you discount the cupcake because the review was done by a 3 year old, let me tell you that this boy has a pretty good palette 🙂 and he was exclaiming yummy! This is good! with every mouthful he took. Oh and for a fan of chocolate cakes/ cupcakes, he has now declared that he will only have vanilla cupcakes in future. Thanks Berries & Batter! 😉

Here is the full 12 item Christmas Menu from Berries & Batter

1.Traditional fruit cake (6″-$30, 8″-$45)
2. Strawberry white chocolate cupcakes ($18/6 cupcakes)
3. Orange-cranberry loaf ($13.50)
4. Nutella bread pudding w crushed hazelnuts ($19)
5. Matcha blondie w macadamia, cranberries and white chocolate chunks ($15/8 pieces)
6. Speculoos cupcakes ($18/6 cupcakes)
7. Granola ($15/500g)
8. Raspberry red velvet in a jar ($12/jar)
9. Black forest tart ($21/3 small, $40 large)
10. Salted caramel mascarpone tart ($21/3 small, $40 large)
11. White chocolate, cranberries and orange bread pudding ($19)
12. Cranberry white chocolate cookie recipe in a jar ($15/jar)

Some of our old favourites include their Raspberry Red Velvet in a jar and the Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie in a jar! Yummy!

GIVEAWAY

Berries & Batter has also very kindly agreed to give away a White Chocolate Cranberry and Orange Bread Pudding to 1 lucky reader. Simply because bread puddings are great for Christmas gatherings!

To join the giveaway, just complete all the steps on below.

Be a Berries & Batter Facebook Page fan
Be a Growing up with Jahbella Facebook page fan
Follow Berries&Batter on Instagram (if you are on Instagram)
Share the Facebook Post and Tag A Friend. Make sure your post is public!
Like and comment on the Facebook post so that I can note your participation

The giveaway will end on 17 December 2014 2359hrs.

Terms and Conditions: Collection of prize has to be done by 31^st Dec 2014 and collection date to be confirmed at least 2 days in advance with Berries&Batter. We reserve the right to select another winner if the selected winner does not reply within 24 hours.

Happy feasting!

JahBella’s Mummy