Do you remember The Enormous Turnip?
This was the story where I learnt my first 3-syllabus word: E-Nor-Mas. Quite a huge word literally, for a toddler! I remember they pulled and they pulled and they pulled and I think they got every possible person/animal to the field to pull out that turnip!
It’s such a well-loved tale (actions & big words!) and it’s now an interactive play for kids to watch & join in the fun! I Theatre presents The Enormous Turnip in a fast-paced, funny show with catchy tunes for the little ones. I showed my kids the poster, and they immediately started giggling at the various characters!
Mum’s the Word is partnering with I Theatre again to host a GIVEAWAY! Yes! Two Family sets of four tickets are up for grabs! Join us now to find out who will eventually pull out that enormous turnip!
Here are the details:
~~The Enormous Turnip~~
Date: 1 June 2013 (Sat)
Time: 2 p.m.
Venue: The Alliance Francaise Theatre, Singapore
Prize: One Set of Four Tickets
Contest dates: 2 April – 21 April 2013
Here’s how to join! All the best!!
Results will be announced on 22 April. I Theatre will be contacting the winners directly and prizes are to be collected at I Theatre office, 27 Kerbau Road.
It seems that there’s a *hidden* goal in every woman to find out more about her body type, how to look better, what’s the cheat tips to looking slim, and bottom line, how to simply look more beautiful!
I came to this conclusion whenever there’s a Grooming Workshop/Make-up Workshop/Beauty Workshop etc. Anything that has an Expert sharing the trade secrets… and recently, I was reminded that Mummies are women too! They also want to look beautiful, slim and good!
You see, the Singapore Mom Bloggers organised a workshop on grooming, as part of their one year anniversary celebrations. And the turn out was great, the mummies were all excited to learn and try hands on beautifying themselves! The session was conducted at Style Essence, professionals for skin care, make-up and style coaching. Our facilitator that day was the gorgeous, vivacious Florinda Tay.
First up was the basic introduction to various body shapes and the very important—What to wear and what to avoid!
Then came colours that we should wear and how to match them, based on our colour tone. This was not something new, but as with all women, we all wanted to hear it again—what works and what doesn’t! It’s amazing, we women!
Now came the hands-on part! We were taught how to wash our faces! Haha!! Yes! Something so simple and so basic, but many of us did it wrong! Did you know that we should use only our third and fourth fingers from each hand to wash our faces? So that the pressure on our face is not too heavy to cause wrinkles, not too light to not clean it! Imagine, close to 10 grown women, all mummies, following instructions closely, which direction to move our fingers, where to clean first etc! It was hilarious but so so good!
Then came the half-mask. We didn’t get to do a full face mask, because when it’s half-face, we get to do a direct comparison on how our faces look like before and after a mask! I didn’t get to take a picture of my post-mask, but trust me, there was a difference!
plain
Before I go on, I have to say that Style Essence uses products from Mary Kay. From the skin care products to the make-up, Florinda patiently explained each item—how to use, when to use, who should use. I was very comfortable with her presentation as there was no hard-selling at all, no pressure at all to purchase the products. Every item was put on the table for easy access, we could focus on listening to the beauty regime and follow suit accordingly without worrying about sufficient cream or snatching for the best colour!
Now after cleaning our faces, we did the super fun part—Make-up! Florinda gave instructions for the easy part—foundation and concealer. Thereafter, she did on live demonstration on ONE eye and cheeks for one of the mummies. The very beautiful Sandra was the chosen model cos of her BIG eyes and her lovely lashes!
And that was it! It was now our turn to transform ourselves! And this is the final product!
All the Glam mummies, and we did it ourselves!! Woah!! All these in a 3 hour workshop! It was time very well spent!
Postscript: Over the Easter weekend, I woke up a little earlier, spent a bit more time on doing my make-up the CORRECT way. I figured practice makes perfect! I did get a few compliments in church! Woohoo! Happy is a woman who gets compliments. Happier is a woman who gets compliments for her efforts!
Good news for all Mum’s the Word readers! Style Essence is giving away a Grooming Workshop pass worth $150! And there are three passes to be won! The contest will run for 2 weeks and results will be announced on 15 April 2013! It’s easy to enter! Just use the Rafflecopter form below! All the best!!
*Style Essence will be contacting all winners on the details of the workshop.*
a Rafflecopter giveaway
In celebration with:
Disclaimer: We were invited to attend the workshop, and received no compensation. All opinions are 100% my own.
It’s coming to the end of the first quarter of 2013. I’m been on my Fit & Fab quest for 3 months!!! I’m going on ok, feeling fitting, but unfortunately not exactly feeling more fab.
Let’s see, my stamina’s improved definitely. I have no more adverse reactions to the thought of exercising. My exercise shoes have been out of the shoe cabinet more often than in. But, those muscles are really quite a challenge to develop. Let me show you some random pictures of body parts I’m coveting: (KPI: Slim and toned. No need muscles showing)
That’s all I wanted. And I’m no where close! Wahahaaha… At this point, I really wanna salute those with really fit looking body. I promise I won’t laugh at those you-must-have-worked-so-hard muscles anymore. The effort put in must be so so so so tremendous and you are so so so disciplined! I’m not giving up though. My super ideal (probably many years later!!) is: 
I know, all work leads to profit, no pain no gain, you sow, you reap. So I’m keeping at it. Three months down, we have nine more to go! Leaving you with my Fit Fab Bible Verse for the year:
How do you respond when your man says the sweetest thing? You go Awwwwwww and possibly give a whack and go, “ya right!!”
Now how do you respond when your little man says the sweetest thing? You just go Awwwwwwwwwww!!
On Monday, I went with Nathan (that’s my little man) to Grandma’s house. We were returning her car which we used over the weekend. I was happily listening to my favourite radio station, Class 95 when he said out of the blue:
“Later when you park, remember to change the channel back to Grandma’s radio channel—Gold 905.
It’s her favourite. I want to make it easy for Grandma when she drives her car!”
Now, don’t you just wanna go Awwwwwwwwwwwwww?
The March school holidays just started, and the first thing we did was to catch a movie! (yup, that’s us. Avid movie goers for both Adults & Kids!) There was only one cartoon this time—The Croods, and I must admit I entered the theatre with little or no expectations, simply because there was little publicity and hype. I just didn’t know what it was about!
Well, I exited the theatre with a bit of a teary eye, and laughing out loud with the kids the comic moments in the show. It was good! Our entire family loved it!
The plot (in super summary): The Croods are a family from long ago, literally cavemen. They have not met any other humans, do not know the existence of fire, have really really primitive hunting skills, and are your typical family—A father who is overbearing and hates his mother-in-law, A submissive supportive mother, A teenage daughter who constantly rebels, A spoilt son, A bratty toddler, and A cranky mother-in-law. The show follows the Croods through some self discovery and adventures.
Yes. That’s it. The family is so so typical, ordinary and imperfect that I was really wishing the daughter could be less manly and more feminine, the toddler should just be slapped, and the dad needs a knock on his head. Other that these frustrations, the entire show was a delight. And there were lots to talk about after the show as well.
There were many times when our kids squealed in delight over some silly antics, or when we adults chuckled at the arguments and conversations. Of course the fact that they were in the cavemen era, added fresh giggles throughout the show.
It is a pity there’s so little talk about the show. We enjoyed it tremendously and I’m quite sure you would too! (Ohhh! Although we watched the regular 2D version, the 3D effects should be quite good, as there were a few panoramic scenes and much of the cartoon was in bright vibrant colours!)
Go for the show. I won’t hesitate to recommend it. Even for the big screen.
This year marks my 8th year as a mummy. It also marks my 13th year as a working adult. (you can figure out how old I am!) Out of my working life, 60% was done as a FTWM (for the uninitiated, that’s Full Time Working Mother). I thought that’s pretty amazing! However, I figured & I know for a fact that there are many many others FTWM around, and there’s really nothing much to shout about.
But there is. There’s a cause to celebrate. It is common to paint the really tough and challenging life of a FTWM. (We also describe that for SAHM, WAHM & PTWM…looks like being a momma just ain’t easy!) There are countless valid reasons why one is a FTWM. For most, it’s the practicality of a duo income. Whether it’s a reluctant decision or a willing choice, we are here to stay for sure.
So what’s there to celebrate for a FTWM? Let me count the ways… …
I celebrate my H.U.S.B.A.N.D!
Our husbands play a vital role this parenting business. For me, my husband is fully supportive of me working. He understands when work gets tough, deadlines are brought forward, meetings are delayed, and most importantly, he understands when all the above happen when there’s a stomach flu bug in the house, when there’s no more Bubblegum toothpaste, and when kid #1 pushed kid #2 down and in turn kicked kid #3. And on top of that, it’s the day before Math Test. I will come home knowing that the medication is given, the toothpaste is bought, the kids’ fight is settled. Only exception is Math. Somehow, homework and husbands aren’t friends. hahaha!
Of course this is done vice versa. When he is at work, and everything happens, Mummy fixes everything. But we’ll talk about that another day!
I celebrate my C.H.I.L.D.R.E.N
Yes! They are my pride and joy. I thank God they understand Mummy works. Although cries of “can you don’t work?” has been heard, they love it when I’m off, when there’s a public holiday and when it’s weekend. Do I want to spend more time with them? Of course I do. But until that happens, they are learning independence and discipline to follow time tables and schedules.
When I’m asked what do you really want that would help you now, I always answer TIME. I want more time for the kids and more time with the kids.
I celebrate my W.O.R.K.P.L.A.C.E!
I honestly won’t be able to go so far as a FTWM if not for a very supportive and family friendly environment! From infant to 3 years old, we have a office nursery! Yes, one corner of the office has rooms for babies to sleep, play, eat, and mummies to breastfeed. During lunch or when I want a break, I just pop in the nursery to check out my baby!
Our hours are flexi, we can work from home or in office. The bosses are understanding and it is not surprising that the kids know their names and are friends with them! During the school hols, you can see kids coming in to do work (ahem…assessment books!), or hang out with other kids as the company organises holiday programmes for them!
I celebrate my L.I.F.E!
Yes, I have a life! As I work, I’m keeping myself sharp mentally and learning new stuff. I keep myself relevant, I earn a salary that goes back to me and my family. And the best part, I love what I do!
Would I consider being a SAHM/WAHM/PTWM? I’m ok if the option comes along. But my own mummy was, in my opinion, the best FTWM ever, and before retiring, she was the best FTWGM too! (Full-time Working Grand-Mother) And looking around society now, there are plenty such successful FTWM with gorgeous kids and families.
It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible. We take some and we lose some. For now, this FTWM is here to stay. Celebrate with me! Hop on to read other stories of FTWMs!
Remember Thinkersbox? This is the really revelational centre that showed me if your child was really lazy and inattentive. We sent Nicole for an assessment there and she’s now attending their 10 month programme. It was time for a review, and parents were invited to observe the class and find out what happens during the 2 hours of class.
First thing I noticed was two teachers going quietly from child to child to assist. The 9-12 kids were sitting quietly in their groups doing individual work. It was shocking! haha… imagine 12 kids in a classroom, all focused on doing work. And mind you, it’s not even the same work for all. Child A may be doing Page 4 while Child B is working on Page 19.
Then I realised each child has a tag next to his seat. It shows the task for the day. This was comforting as it assured me the trainers do plan their schedules and everything follows the plan. (I like plans. It shows seriousness in work done!)
The trainer then went through briefly what each station does and how it works. It would be challenging for me to list out the various activities and purposes. So I selected the top two that impressed me!
A bowl of beans are given to the kids—Red beans and Soya beans. The kids have to separate the two. That simple! But oh no! The trainers expect the kids to remained focused at the task, no looking around, NOT EVEN LOOKING UP from the bowl! So during the task, the trainers may randomly shout out your name, and you can’t look up, just keep working on the beans! Woah! Isn’t that a tremendous activity to train your concentration!
Try this next one! From that mass of letters, find five or more letters in sequence such as “ABCDE”. After that, find five or more letters in reverse such as “EDCBA”. I really liked this task! It taught the kids following instructions and checking for details! I think these are VITAL skills in life!
There are other tasks such as computer games which focused on linking themes, or games which emphasised quick math etc. (I was a little nervous the trainers would want to test me. I could identify the areas that needed training for myself!!)
One interesting fact is not every child does these worksheets or activities. Based on the assessment they did, the customised workbook would have the relevant planned task for your child. So after these few weeks of lessons, did Nicole show any improvement?
Yes! And we got a glimpse of that in Legoland! haha! You can read about it here. We were building a part of the longest Lego snake and Nicole was able to count the number of rows we had made without pointing at it! She had definitely improved her EYE co-ordination.
I’m very happy with this 2 hour investment weekly. She enjoys the classes, and doesn’t see it as work! Ain’t that the best? The kids enjoying work without knowing it’s work!
To find out more about Thinkersbox, please call 6773 4886, or visit their website here.
Disclaimer: We were invited to attend the programme, but the opinions are 100% my own.
In my endeavour to be Fit and Fab, I said some things that I never thought I would say. It shocked me when I uttered those words, and mind you, it shocked everyone who heard too!
The following phrases and sentences were used just this week! WAH!!!
Unbelievable ya? My fit fab buddies say that they too are changing their preferences and words. Like the Bible says, out of the abundance of your heart, the mouth speaks!
Wooooo here’s to a fitter and more fab me!! Leaving you with a funny toon I saw this week:
I’ve received some lovely emails and comments about Nadine and I thought should do one post that made me a super proud mummy.
Well, Nadine, with all her therapy sessions have improved tremendously. And here’s a short video of her performing during the school’s Chinese New Year concert. Check out her smile and her enthusiasm!
Can you see her very much improved co-ordination? Her deep concentration to get the steps right? Her attempt to make the entire dance look natural? (I thought the dance steps were a wee bit challenging for a 5 yr old!) And can you see her trying hard to keep smiling throughout? (probably the teacher’s very important instruction to the class!)
So with such little milestones, we just keep giving thanks. Every bit is an improvement, every bit is a testament to God’s faithfulness!
This is part of a series I’ve started – Therapy 101, to document Nadine’s developmental struggles and victories, and to journal my own learning experiences as she goes through hers.
Linking with:
We went to watch The Little Red Hen over the weekend. And it was fantastic!
The songs were catchy, the moral of the story was approved by all parents, and there were really some funny jokes! Ok. To be honest, some jokes were quite lame, but look at the kids’ reaction! PRICELESS! The entire performance was about 55 min, which was just about right for the kids.
And they were all naturally excited to see the cast…(actually, all three wanted to eat the bread that the Little Red Hen baked!!!)
The tickets are selling out fast. So quickly go down to your nearest SISTIC outlet to get the tickets!
I’m not a facial person. That is, my face has only felt the regular cleanser/toner/moisturiser with the occasional mask and scrub. It is totally unfamiliar with exfoliation, steaming, face peel, extraction, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve nothing against facial. I just am not a fan.
So when Porcelain, The Face Spa offered a Restorative Facial, I figured I’ve nothing to lose. The last time I had a facial was so so eons ago, it’s a good thing to go for one now! And what’s best, it’s a Restorative Facial, specially designed for mothers! How cool is that??
I googled a bit and realised Porcelain is not a small time spa. It has been featured in numerous lifestyle magazines, and won beauty awards. Right now, it’s in the running for a World Luxury Spa award! And true enough, when I stepped in the shop, spa, unit, I was in a different world.
It wasn’t a la-di-la new age moment. It was just very quiet and serene. Very very light music at the back, and very faint essential oil scent around the room. It was automatic. You just have to turn your phone to silent mode…you won’t want to be responsible for breaking the ambience.
First, I had a warm foot bath to calm myself. Look around and soak in music, the scent, and simply relax.
Now the facial. This is a new treatment—The Restorative Facial ($195/session).
The Restorative Facial is a six-step bespoke program that helps reduce overall skin sensitivity and water retention, while improving skin tone, hydration and elasticity. The treatment lasts about 60 minutes and combines the traditional style of Shiatsu Facial Massage with hi-tech Hyperbaric oxygen infusion of custom-blended tonics.
Like I mentioned, I don’t do facial often. The therapist was very gentle, and I expected harsh statements about my face condition, or hard-sell tactics on what I should use and products I should get. But nothing. She spoke only when spoken to, and before every step, she gave a brief intro to what will happen next.
The entire experience was very refreshing…and certainly restorative! (Did I mention that this facial is targeted for busy working mummies?) When I left, it was late afternoon. It was a cloudy day, nice and breezy. Well, I felt so restored and rejuvenated, I walked home! Yes, with my workbag on my shoulder, tee-shirt and jeans, and wearing Fit Flops, I walked 6.25 km (3.88 miles) home.
How’s that for a restorative facial?
Give Porcelain, The Face Spa a call to make your appointment for that much needed Restorative Facial today. Trust me, there’s no hard sell of packages or products. I thoroughly enjoyed the treatment!
Address:
15 Cantonment Road
Singapore 089739
Telephone:
(65) 6227 9692
Healthy Diet.
I always thought as long as the food’s not fatty or oily, as long as it’s not carbo loaded, not sugar loaded, not salted excessively, it is healthy.
W.R.O.N.G.
Of course I’m wrong. Any fool Anyone can tell that quantity does make a difference. Sigh.. I just only finally realised this!
You see, this is my regular breakfast since I started my Fit & Fab lifestyle. It looks yummy and is off to give you a great start to the day! I thought I read somewhere, have a good heavy breakfast. So this is my serving size, I pour in low fat milk, and have an apple! Not bad ya?
Well, a couple of days ago, I decided to take my kitchen scales and weigh the portion. According to the box, one serving is 52g. And this is what one serving looks like!!
oh man. I won’t even bother putting both pictures side by side. No wonder the weight loss is slow. I’m eating healthy, but eating too much! (and I’ve not even told you my lunch and dinner portions!!)
Do you watch your serving size for meals? Do you feel the recommended size is just way too small?
There’s this thing about waving bye bye to your child.
It starts when the child can barely speak. I’m not sure why this is one of the very first milestones we expect of our kids. Mind you, it’s not just “WAVE at mummy!” it’s a “Wave BYE BYE!” Poor kid, after achieving this, we actually go off! (maybe to work, maybe to run an errand.. but definitely not hang around!)
Now that my kids are up and about and going to school, we hardly get a wave. Thank God I still get to kiss them goodbye, but to get a wave? Here’s what I got today!
I realised when the wave is from a further distance, the enthusiasm increases. e.g. waving from a moving vehicle, or waving beyond a glass panel or door. I hate goodbyes, and I think kids too!
Do your kids still wave goodbye? Or do you?
It’s coming to two months of keeping fit and trying to look fab!
One of the issues I’m battling with is WHEN to exercise.
Have you thought about it? Here were some questions I had:
Plagued with all these questions, I thought for a while that perhaps exercising at mid-day would be best! You burn the stuff you ate in the morning and get to burn the future calories in the afternoon. But I decided it’s best to ask the pros!
So I emailed the trainers at Insane Home Fat Loss and this was their reply:
We recommend to perform these workouts first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (have plenty of water first), the reason why is because your body is on a deprivation mode at that time, which means your ability to burn body fat as energy is highly increased. Don't worry about losing muscle, the workouts are short and intense and as long as you're eating a full meal right after, you're on the right track. Also i suggest to perform these workouts about 6 days a week and taking one full day off to allow proper recover to occur.
Woah!! It made sense! And certainly explain what many fitness articles say about having adequate sleep, that’s when our body replenishes, and in turn does some burning too.
My schedule, as many of you have read starts at 6 a.m. (My daughter did an article here) With this new initiative to start my day with exercise, check out my alarms for the week:
Life has changed! Here’s to a fitter and more fab me!
What time do you do your workouts?
Join me below for this week’s Fit & Fab Friday!
We had this on our church bulletin last weekend.
Isn’t that what parenting is like too?
With faith, we trust that our children would grow up strong and healthy, have the fear of God, have favour with people around and excel in school. But we know for that to happen, there’s tons of tough love and discipline along the way.
Thank God, love makes all things easy. It really does!
Do you agree?
