The New Colour : Trendy, Affordable Shopping for the girls!

My friend, Melissa just pushed out TheNewColour.com live for the world to enjoy. It sells trendy and fun clothing for women, at affordable prices. The catalogue is easy for boyfriends, husbands and even girlfriends to comprehend, lots of free sizes so you can't go wrong. It currently accepts payments through Maybank2u and Paypal, and ships worldwide.



And for TODAY only - Look out for her Black Monday shopping...

(PS : Thanks Praveen for the head-ups!)

Waldorf Steiner Play

Shean Wenn with a paintbrush!

Little Miss Picasso

I love bringing Shean Wenn to the Steiner playgroup based inside the kindergarten near our place. The class is cozy, clean, structured but yet allows the child to play using his/her imagination in a safe environment thereby making it a meaningful context of play. All the toys and furniture in a Steiner school is organic - made out of wood, aluminium, and all things natural. Every week, we (the group) will make handicrafts from scratch (combing the wool, putting a few felt pieces together, sew it and stuff it with wool to make a ball?) and I even learnt how to make bread once!

"The integrated development of the physical, psychological and spiritual qualities of each child is fundamental to this educational approach. The central task of Steiner Education is to nurture this development, ultimately allowing each individual to realise his or her full potential." *

The Steiner education believes that during Early Education (0-7 years old) learning is "caught" rather than taught - ie through implicit (vs explicit) teaching methods. So far, Shean Wenn really benefits from the class because she can play indepently without crying out for me, and she also imitates a few times, things she has seen done in the class (putting things away when told).

* Source : The Greenwich Steiner School.

Hotel Review in Orlando, Florida (Disneyland)

They don't call it "The Magical Kingdom" for no reason. From the moment our car (driven by Vincent) drove into the Walt Disney World Resort (WDWR) compound (there were a few themed parks in the whole WDWR), my heart started to beat very fast - I was getting excited. This is VERY UNUSUAL for me because I remember since young, I did not have any desire or inclination towards visiting themed parks - I find theme parks boring, plus... I am not one who likes watching cartoons. I guess this only means that this place REALLY IS magical!

More on The Magical Kingdom later. First, about our family vacation to Orlando (where our main reason was to visit Disneyland). Our host, Angel & her husband accomodated us in their lovely apartment in Miami, which is a 3.5 hours drive away from Orlando. We planned to stay for two nights in Orlando while we checked out Disneyland and Orlando city. Angel suggested we look at this International Plaza Resort & Spa which is about 15mins drive from Disneyland. I took a quick look and we both agreed it looks fab on their website! After surfing around, we decided we would book through Expedia.com because they have a special rate of USD59/night (exc. tax) for us!

When we checked in, we were pleasantly surprised at the room - it is BIG, looks grand, very comfy & it smells nice too! Only down side is that the bathroom is a tad small. We also checked out their facilities around the hotel - they have a few pools and the whole resort is very well-maintained. We really loved our choice! Angel commented that they stayed in Hilton Disneyland the last time they came and it was so much more expensive and probably not as nice. Definitely worth our money!

(In the grounds of the Resort & Spa)

We were so excited, we neglected to take a photo of the room. :)

I've been told Comfort Inn® (With their wide range of hotels worldwide like Quality, Clarion, Cambria Suites, etc) offers some pretty decent rates too with easy online reservations available.


DISNEYLAND - The fun begins!

As soon as we reached the main "Magical Kingdom" by the skytrain (kinda like the M'sian LRT or the UK DLR), we were greeted by the sight of the Cinderella Castle. And believe you me, it really grabs you like how it did on the telly/papers. I was quite awestruck by the sight! (Breathes)



Photos :

1. Visiting Minnie Mouse's house

ALL PINK! With heart-shapes everywhere.....

Shean Wenn getting cosy in Minnie Mouse's house - sitting on her sofa, arm chair and trying to get a sip off her tea!

2. The queues to the rides in the Magical Kingdom is quite long (Depending on which ride). But we only queued for 15mins to get onto a boat ride on this "It's a Small World" trip... and SW was the happiest here - She stood up and danced and stomped her feet to the music the entire 15-20minutes ride!
(The music "It's a Small World" kept playing on and on and on.... so much so that even after you got off the ride, the song keeps playing in your head!) *shakes it off*

3. Shean Wenn meeting her favourite Disney character - Pooh Bear! These photographs with Tigger & Pooh Bear are taken off the Disney website. You get a "Photo Pass" from the official Disney photographer and he/she will take the photos and scan the photopass which you keep with the ID number. When you get online, you just type in the ID number and register to view the photos and memories you took in "THE MAGICAL KINGDOM"! Walt Disney is awesome. Such marketing genius in every corner.







There are also alot of playgrounds for kids to vent their energy, each one is themed to the characters/movies of Disney's. They usually have a water fountain area for them to "cool down". Here is a video of SW trying to touch the water. She looks hesitant doing it because at first I told her "Don't go near the water!" (I was abit cautious because I didn't bring her swimsuit along and didn't want her 2 get drenched and change her. Looking back, I thought I should just chill and let her play. Ahh, lesson learnt.)



4. There was a major parade, called THE PARADE OF DREAMS at 3.30pm. By 2.45pm, there were people already reserving their places behind the ribbon lines where they cordone off to make way for the parade. We found a nice spot at about 3pm and I had my lunch standing there! It was a very long parade, which lasted for a good 20mins? It could've been 10minutes but it felt long. It was very vibrant and people were so enthusiastic watching it.



I must say the USD70+ we paid for the tickets each was well worth it - the experience of spending one day there is so magical & surreal. Everything was so well organised, with ample parking spaces for your strollers, they cater for all age groups of the child and all the people-greeters (Disney personnel) were so enthusiastic and friendly, they will also help entertain your kid. You will often see a people-greeter coming up to say hi to your child, or even ask a child if he'd like a sticker!

We headed off at around 630pm, making way to the skytrain which will transport us back to reality the picking up area. When we turned around to have a last glimpse of the Cinderella's Castle, they were lighting it up! I can hear people gasping in awe at the view. Just magnificent!

Conversations with my 15 MO

Differentiating between HOT and COLD

1. Dinner is served for her and as I scoop a spoonful to put into her mouth, she spits it out

SW : HOK HOK (Hot hot, it means)!!
Me : No, it's not hot, it's warm, can be eaten.
SW : *shakes head* *pushes my hands away* HOK HOK *shows me her tongue* HOK HOK!
Me : *Hmmph!* (wanna spank her!)


2. SW playing by the heater/radiator (which we have switched on for autumn- Low heat)

SW : Ooh! HOK HOK!!! *retracting her fingers from the heater and her mouth making a big "O"-shape*
Me : See, don't touch. (Serves you right :P)

3. Weekday romping at the mall - somewhere in Canary Wharf. I saw Zaza, a newly opened gelato shop. Asks for a single scoop Hazelnut in cup (comes with a baby-cone).

Me : SW, you want ice-cream??? (Scoops and put into her mouth)
SW : *takes a tiny taste of it and turned her head away* HOK HOK!!!
Me : -_-" Not HOT, COLD COLD!
Me : You want somemore?
SW : *Nods* *Opens her mouth - takes a little* HOK HOK!
Me : COLD COLD! Ok, you eat this cone then! *Yayy.. i eat all*


ANIMAL SOUNDS

(SW sees her favourite song on Cbeebies. Claps and dances happily until song finishes)

Me : What does the Tiger do?
SW : *makes roarring sound* GRRRR!
Me : What does the Monkey do?
SW : HAIK!! (Huh?)
Me : Monkey do what?
SW : HAIK! (thinks sumo wrestler? Oh, i see she cannot pronounce Hoohoohahaha)

Here is an UNEDITED video taped using my handphone (very low resolution) but you can hear her saying WA-BEET (Rabbit) with some hand-gestures, and also doing some other animal sounds.




SHOWING PAIN

I heard a loud knock - she has fallen down and knocked herself. Shean Wenn cries.. and composes herself before coming to find me. I hurried out from the kitchen. She brings me to the scene of accident and pats her hand on the floor, showing me where she has fallen down. I said "Oh no, is this where you fell?" She nods, and then uses her hand to "hit" the floor - something I taught her in order to distract her from the pain. She has been doing this quite alot - whenever she falls down, or hit herself while playing. And yes, she still falls down and hits herself quite often, unfortunately!


Speech development

SW bring her favourite book to me (ok, she has alot of fav books!) - this is the one daddy bought for her form Dubai, with buttons at the side that when you press it, it will read out an object.

SW flips to one page, points to the Car.
SW : CAR!
Me : *huh?? Impressed*
SW points to flower
SW : Fwawa!
Me : Yes, you are right.
SW points to ball.
SW : BOR BOR.
Me : Yes, correct.
SW points to boat. Presses the button and it reads BOAT.
SW : Bowp.
Me : *wow!*
Me : SW is a SMART GIRL! *Kiss* (And i meant it!)

Malaysian food in UK

The past 2 weeks, we have been going to Malaysian restaurants in UK, something we rarely do! (Rarely here means probably once a year) I cook everyday during the weekdays and on weekends we usually eat out (chinese, ie HK-style or Italian/Brit) but we seldom ever do Malaysia, I guess we don't have much craving for M'sian food (I only crave for Asam Laksa, something I could NEVER cook). But 2 weeks ago, Meng's colleague booked a place for us in Awana "The finest Malaysian restaurant in London SW3". She booked via toptable, where we get 50% off the total food bill.



I had been craving for satays because the ones on its website look so tantalising! The decor of the place is what you'd expect from a posh restaurant - immaculate & tastefully designed interior reflecting the Traditional Kampung-style Teak-house and alot of dark wood with some traditional malay furniture/instruments dotting the restaurants : Gongs, silk panels along the windows, etc.

It was a party of 6 adults with 1 baby (guess who?). We ordered generously, except for Amy who shared the main course with her husband. Food portion was ok, albeit very small for satay (I ordered corn-fed chicken : 4 skewers for £8). Staff were attentive but yet not intrusive (you know sometimes some waitress/waiters can be a little too enthusiastc and come around every few 10mins to asks if everything's fine? Well, I find it a little intrusive). If I remember correctly, everyone ordered coke (except Amy who had plain water and me who ordered an alcoholic drink). The bill came up to £120 including drinks - imagine if we had to pay full price for it! Nevertheless, the food was reasonably good.

The week after, SIL Alicia asked us for lunch and she recommended Japanese but a quick check and it seems the restaurant she recommended (I read alot of rave reviews about it) isn't open for business on Sundays. She suggested an alternative - Satay House which is located near to her apartment.



We picked her up on the Sunday and headed towards the restaurant, got an off-street parking relatively easy nearby and went in. We were seated downstairs which is good because it was pretty packed upstairs and SW wouldn't have much space to create havoc stretch her legs.

Again we ordered generously from their menu : Satay (this time more servings than Awana), their Ayam Goreng Berlada (SPICY! Yummy), a squid, a fish, Kangkung Belacan (can't do without this eh?) and rice. Our only qualm : The rice serving which, at £4/bowl which you probably need 2 bowls for the 3 adults is HEFTY! Just too expensive for a bowl of plain rice to go with your dishes. I would suggest to them to charge fairly because afterall, what is M'sian eating (ordering dishes to be shared) without rice? Overall, the food is pretty good (Authentic Malay cooking here) and price is very reasonable. We would probably return if we ever crave for M'sian food.

Two weekends in a row having M'sian food. Hmmm... what's next??

George the Bill

While researching for our upcoming trip to the US (NYC & Miami), Meng came to me with two $1 bills; these are the leftovers from his previous trips to the US and he's asking me to put it in my wallet lest he forgets about them.

Upon a closer inspection on one of the note, I was rather annoyed when I saw handwriting on it "Gee, why do people write on notes???!!", I was grumbling to myself, I saw someone wrote this

Track my Travels

wheresgeorge.com
(circling a star sign * of the serial number)

Hmm, is this some kinda joke? I decided to check it out nonetheless. I keyed in the serial number and year and found out that we are the 2nd entry of this note. Not very interesting but I thought the idea of tracking dollar bills are pretty cool - kinda like how some people photograph their garden gnomes (or ipods, or whatever) around the globe and post it up on a site dedicated for it!

I also found pretty interesting stuff to do in NYC, for example for nature-enthusiats, you can plan your travels to NY state to look at the Autumn (or "FALL" as the Americans call it :P) leaves, there is a website on "Foliage Forecast". They have a useful "Leaf Guide" to show you the different colours of the leaves - "clear, sunny days and cool nights with temperatures around the 40's bring out the most striking autum color" (It's colour, tssk!).


(click on the images to view the full info)
I am so excited! Autumn is one of the most romantic seasons (IMHO), and I'm sure Shean Wenn will love jumping and crushing the leaves as she walks along the pavements littered with them.

Guide to Happiness

Shean Wenn's FAST Guide to Happiness :

1. Have a "good hair day", everyday. Jazz up your looks, put on something interesting - life doesn't have to be all dull & boring.

Shean Wenn loved having her hair tied into ponytails (eventhough she doesn't leave it on for long). She puts on the sunglasses herself and checks herself out in the mirror.


2. Have your good friend/BFF (Best Friend Forever) around you - you will find your day to be much more enhanced when you have someone who's company you enjoy most. Share a story, talk, or just BE there for each other.

HUGS!

(Shean Wenn's new friend, Karmen loves to hug SW! So sweet!)

(A hug and a peck!)

(Spending time together doing what we love - Reading!)

3. Aim for the sky - "be an aeroplane!"

(The hubs taught SW a few months ago how to pretend to be an aeroplane; fling your arms to the back, outstretched like the wings of a plane. She LOVES doing the aeroplane whenever you ask her to. Sometimes she even does it whenever she hears a plane flying by the apartment - we live near an airport)


XOXO,
Shean Wenn

This post is part of the "Little Miss" Series

Photo credit : Photos with kaka taken by kaka's mom.

Reminiscing Summer : BBQ & Jewellery Fair

The hub's friends - a couple who live near us, invited us over for BBQ one weekend (one of the last few summer weekends available). It was a perfect Summer Day, especially for a BBQ in your backyard with LOADS of good food and drinks. Our second this summer! (Very hot and sunny day - remember your sunnies)


(Shean Wenn was fascinated by the flowers in their well-manicured garden, exclaiming "Fwawa fwawa!")

SW eyeing the BBQ pit - "When can I get my BBQ stingray with belacan sauce???!"

The couple - actually the husband - did all the cooking. He's got belacan sauce for dipping, a whole assortment of BBQ stuff - stingray, salmon, the usual chicken wings and etc, all very delicious! The wife did a mean Pimms-mix (ice lemon tea?).

SW - "Too warm, let's go into the house...." See how she makes this like her own home, she even wore her shoes running around inside.

There was one other toddler amongst the group of friends, Joshua who is almost 2 years old. At first both of them didn't acknowledge each other but after warming up to each other, both of them were chasing each other aorund the house. At one point, their favourite activity was climbing up (and down) the stairs. Of course, little Joshua is a confident and expert climber (and he can go down the stairs), but they both enjoyed the race, anyway.

Later, after she was tired of running around the house, or of climbing the stairs, she decided to go out to the garden again. She loved the water feature and dipped her hands into it despite me telling her not to. Can't take NO for an answer now, this lady!

Rolling around the grass! How lady-like!

*****

I have also came to know an asian family (from Hong Kong) from around the neighbourhood. They have a little girl, Karmen who is more than 1 month older than SW. Michelle, Karmen's mom had tickets to the International Jewellery London and asked me to go along. We made the journey to Earl's Court that day and both the little girls enjoyed it immensely! Since both of them have been seeing each other so often, Shean Wenn has become very sociable around Karmen. Karmen, on the other hand, has always been a sociable and friendly baby.

See the two little future diamond traders in action!

(What do you think of this lot of items, Karmen?)

("Well, they look ok, but look here, I see some speck of impurities on the pearl...")