Nuffnang

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Back to School with Stickerkid Personalised Labels & Discount Code

[Review + Discount Code]

School holidays just inched in but we are already getting our girl ready for school next year! ^_^



I used to purchase name stickers outside but now it can be done conveniently at the comfort of our home. Simply logon to Stickerkid website, and select the type of stickers that suit your needs.

You can engage your child to personalize the stickers together. Pick the background, logo, font style and colour of his/her liking. There is no rush or stress and you can make multiple edits and take your time to do so.


After submitting my order online, I received email notifications of the orders and also when it has been shipped out. It only takes about a week to arrive at our mailbox from Switzerland!

The stickers are glossy and brightly coloured. Some key features of Stickerkid labels are they survive microwaves, dishwashers, water, sun and sand. Plus, they stick well non glass, plastic, wood and metal.

I was able to label our girl's school books, water bottle and other essential items quickly. Stickers are fairly easy to peel off from the sheet and when I made a mistake in sticking, I was able to remove it without leaving any gluey residue on the surface. The small stickers, being slimmer, makes great labels for stationery such as pencils, pens, ruler, scissors and others.


Stickerkid's shoe sticker is one of my favourite as it is really helpful for my girl to identify her shoes quickly particularly since she attends after school care. The shoe stickers are designed to easily fit inside shoes or in shoe soles. They are waterproof so I don't have to worry when we wash the shoes.

Stickerkid also has iron on labels (removable or permanent) for clothes which will be extremely helpful to identify clothing. Apart from clothing, I am planning to try and iron on bags or cloth pouches.


YES! We are all set for school in 2017! 



STICKERKID DISCOUNT CODE 
(Valid until 15 December 2016)

Thanks to Stickerkid, BPDGTravels' readers enjoy a 10% discount code when you make a purchase online. Simply enter “bpdgtravelsSK” in the discount code field and apply coupon. Kindly note that discount code is only valid till 15 December 2016 and it does not include shipping and handling charges.


If you are interested in their products, check out more information on the following links.

Stickerkid Website : http://www.stickerkid.sg/
Stickerkid Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/stickerkid.english/

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Family Trip to Taiwan (台湾) - 8 Days 7 Nights Itinerary

Our first trip to Taiwan was back in 2005. Denver was 2 years old and he has no collection of his trip. Gladys was born a year later and she has been 'complaining' why we did not take her along. :) After multiple road trips into Johor Bahru, its time we take flight.

We booked our air tickets to Taiwan via Scoot which costs about SGD1830 for our family. Timing is pretty good and we picked to hop on a midnight flight to Taiwan and return back to Singapore in the night.


Planning the itinerary for our 8D7N free & easy tour in Taiwan was extremely difficult. There are so many places that we wanted to go but there are not enough days to cover them all! It took me many weeks and late nights to look through the travel booklets, websites and blogs before I finally streamline and firm up on our itinerary.

*Updated* - We revisited Taiwan in December 2018. Check out our 2 Weeks DIY Family Itinerary if you are planning for a longer trip.

Day 1 (Singapore - Taoyuan)
Taoyuan Airport - Audi Garden Business Hotel (欧帝花园商务旅馆) - Xiao Wu Lai (小乌来风景区)  - Daxi Old Street (大溪老街) - Taoyuan Night Market (桃园观光夜市)


Day 2 (Taoyuan - Taichung)
Zhong She Flower Market (中社观光花市) - Sinkansen (新干线火车餐厅) - CartonKing (紙箱王) - 53 Hotel (宝岛53行馆) - Gaomei Wetlands (高美湿地) - FengJia Night Market (逢甲夜市)


Day 3 (Taichung - CingJing)
Sunshine Room (陽光四人房) : Homestay (黄庆果园民宿) - Green Green Grassland (青青草原) - CartonKing (紙箱王) - Small Swiss Garden (小瑞士花园) - 博望新村 - 好鸡婆土鸡城


Day 4 (CingJing)
HeHuan Mountain (合欢山) - Courtyard Room (庭園四人房): Homestay (黄庆果园民宿) - Nina de Chocolate (妮娜巧克力工坊)



Day 5 (CingJing - Taichung - Taipei)
Taichung HSR (台中站台湾高铁) - Taipei M Hotel Main Station (台北门精品旅店) - Danshui Fisherman's Wharf (淡水渔人码头) - Danshui Old Street (淡水老街) - Shilin Night Market (士林夜市)


Day 6 (Taipei)


Day 7 (Taipei)
MaoKong Gondola (猫空缆车) - Taipei 101 (台北101) - Pacific Sogo (太平洋Sogo百貨) - 乐也日式烧肉 - Ximending (西门町)

Day 8 (Taipei - Singapore)
Ximending (西门町) - Taoyuan Airport

Not all the places we went were included in our planned itinerary. We made changes and added some flexibility to ensure that we have some rest throughout our trip. We also hired transport to bring us around Taiwan so as to shorten the time taken to travel and maximize the places of interest that we can visit in the day. Here is a quick road map for those who are planning on a trip to Taiwan.

Travelling in Taiwan
There are many places of interests around Taiwan but it takes time to travel. With the availability of various modes of transport (Bus, Trains, Private cars etc), we have to weigh between time, cost and convenience.

To save time, we engaged two different drivers to take us on a tour around Taipei and Taichung. Though we can go for trains, but it will take a longer time and it is inconvenient to travel around with our luggage. After searching online and based on friends' recommendations, we have 2 contacts to share where we feel their service and price have been commendable and satisfactory.

Tour around Taichung
Name: 刘先生
Contact: +886 927 888 032
Vehicle Type: Toyota Wish

Contacted Mr Liu via Whatsapp and communicated with him in Chinese. Mr Liu checks in on the destinations that we wishes to go and advice us accordingly. Upon confirmation, he will dispatch a driver and sends us an image with a summary note on the driver's name, contact, car plate number, date of pick up, price (no hidden cost) and our itinerary. It is very detailed and efficient. The driver that is picking us up will also contact us 2-3 days prior to our pick up date. So far I find the drivers very friendly and they were punctual. Both drivers were non smoking and the vehicle is clean.

Tour around Taipei
Name: Wenny
Contact: +886 975 720 272
Vehicle Type: Toyota Wish

Contacted Wenny via Whatsapp and find that it is very convenient to communicate with her as she is able to respond in English. Very friendly and helpful lady and she provided many helpful recommendations and information that I needed as I was planning for my trip - even though the information is not part of the travel route that we engaged them for. Upon confirmation, she quote the price and sends us the driver information. The driver arrives on time as well and he is very experience and knowledgeable.

I am glad that both drivers are non smokers and the vehicles are well-maintained. We had an enjoyable ride and they waited for us at each destination point. Both drivers also gladly help us take family photos and they only receive payment at the end of our tour. Above comments are based on our experience during our trip in Nov 2016.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

New Cable Ski Park @ Singapore Wake Park (East Coast)

[Media Invite]

Image Credit : Singapore Wake Park

Wakeboarding seems like a sport that we would not even think of trying as it looks pretty tough and challenging. However, this is no longer a dream as the surface water sport is brought closer to us with the opening of Singapore Wake Parkthe only cable-ski park in the country, where riders can wakeboard, kneeboard and cable-ski with an overhead running cable system.at East Coast Park!

After a two year hiatus and a change in management, the cable-ski attraction returned to Singapore's watersports scene. The new cable-ski facility features three state-of-the-art cable systems, comprising of two System 2.0s designed for beginners and a full-size cable system for experienced wakeboard enthusiasts all in an enclosed body of water. This means complete novice, seniors and even children as young as six-years old can experience cable-sking as long as participants are confident and able to move in water with a life-jacket, and are physically fit.


When we first learnt about this, the children were extremely keen and excited to give it a try! We arrived at the park in the evening as the sky darkens. Initially, I was concerned if the kiddos can still cable-ski? It turns out my worries were unfounded as there are floodlights to illuminate the park allowing riders to ride in the night too!

Denver & Gladys knew how to swim, though it has been awhile since their last dip in the waters. Dressed in comfortable clothing, their first stop is putting on fitting safety jackets and helmets before proceeding to the System 2.0 cable system with the instructors.


Feeling a little nervous seeing the murky waters in the enclosed zone. Don't worry, there are no crocodiles in the lagoon. 


For beginners, they will start with the Easy Up boards. Only when you are able to cable-ski with the beginner board confidently, then you can progress to the wakeboards. 

The two-tower system is well-suited to novices as only one rider is allowed at a single time, thus allowing instructor to focus fully on the individual. In addition, it has a gentle increase in speed from 0km/h to 25km/h, which helps the rider to anticipate the pull of the cable. Speed is controlled manually by another staff to allow for personalised adjustments.


Denver & Gladys fell in the waters multiple times. After each fall, they swam their way back to the white floating walkways and walk back to the starting dock, and try again. This goes on and on with only one target in their minds - to successfully cable-ski their way straight to the tower at the other end.


Easier said than done... they fell into the waters once again. It was physically exhausting and I am amazed how much resilience and stamina they had to keep on going for nearly an hour (without their goggles and gulping in a lot of water)!
 

Many thanks to Viviane, who gave the kiddos some personal coaching.

This is no easy feet and our boy tried to go as far as he could. 




Gladys on the other hand managed to 'squat' all the way to the end point! Kudos to both of them for their determination!

Our kiddos were unsuccessful to progress further but for those who can, they will proceed to the second System 2.0s where it will be of a longer distance. 

For experienced riders, they get to ride around the park with the new Sesitec full-size cable system which has six towers and six evenly-spaced carriers! With a maximum speed of 31km/h, it takes 66 seconds to complete a round. Up to six riders can ride each time and recommended ages is from 10 years old to seniors in their 50s, with assessment based on individual's water competence and fitness level.


Singapore Wake Park offers many amenities such as shower rooms, changing rooms, lockers for the safekeeping of belongings. You can bring your own padlock to use with their lockers, or simply grab one from the shop for $3.


After a good workout, the children deserve a treat! Apart from cable-skiing, there is a cafe and bar next to the lagoon, Coastal Rhythm, where you can sit around to watch the action on water. It is open to public and Park's visitors, offering a good spread of international and local cuisine on its menu. A great spot for families and friends to gather and chill even if you are not planning to cable-ski.


Nice view from the cafe. It was breezy that evening and the children enjoyed the free wireless connectivity where they can play and catch Pokemon too! Hubby took the opportunity to walk around the park as part of his daily workout.  



Gladys enjoying her drink very much. :)

We spent a great evening at Singapore Wake Park and will definitely be back again for more cable-skiing and dining experience at Coastal Rhythm.



GOOD NEWS! 
Singapore Wake Park is running a opening 2-for-1 promotion for the month of November! Bring a friend and two of you pay the price of one! This means each person pays $20 for 1-hour session. *Promotion is available only on the beginner systems (System 2.0). Check out their website for more details.

Time to plan for another visit for the kiddos to try out the cable-ski before the promotion ends. ^_^


Singapore Wake Park
Address: 1206A East Coast Parkway, Singapore 449891
Opening Hours of Cable Systems:
Mondays to Fridays (10am-10pm)
Saturday, Sundays and Public Holidays (9am-10pm)
Rates: From $40 (weekdays) and $60 (weekends)

Website: www.singaporewakepark.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/singaporewakepark

Coastal Rhythm Cafe
Opening Hours:
Mondays to Thursday (10am-11pm)
Fridays and Eve of Public Holidays (10am-1am)
Saturdays (9am-1am)
Sundays (9am-11pm)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoastalRhythm

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

[JB] Doi Chaang Coffee @ Holiday Villa Johor Bahru

Being frequent traveler into Johor Bahru, we enjoy driving in early across the border to avoid being trap in the traffic jam. BUT what can you do that early in the morning before the malls are even opened? There are many places which serve good breakfast as early as 7am. After breakfast,  we will find a cafe to rest.

During one of our road trip, we chanced upon Doi Chaang Coffee Cafe in Holiday Villa. It used to operate 24 hours where we were able to rest our eyes before continuing our journey. Since September, they have changed the hours to 930am - 330am instead. Nevertheless, we still enjoy dropping by where we can grab a cup of coffee to rejuvenate our bodies.


I love the ambiance of the cafe - clean, spacious and cozy.


On our weekend getaway, the children can spend some time at the cafe catching up on their homework, while Hubby and I enjoy our drinks and rest.

Even though it is a coffee place, the children prefer to order their milk series - Earl Grey, Vanilla, Strawberry. ~ RM11 per cup

Apart from their signature coffee, we also enjoyed its organic tea and pastries. 

Free Wifi and charging points are available which allow us to charge up our gadgets and use our phones within the Cafe. A nice stop over if you arrived early in the morning or if you plan to chill and relax late in the nights.


Doi Chaang Coffee
Address: G-11, Holiday Villa Johor Bahru, 260, Jalan Dato' Sulaiman, Taman Abad, 80250, Johor Bahru 
Operating Hours: 930am - 330am

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Easy Breakfast Recipes with Kellogg

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day yet we often tend to miss it. Hunger has been proven to affect a child's learning ability and potential and despite this, many skip the most important meal of the day or, eat an inadequate breakfast. Studies show that the inability to provide adequate breakfast largely contributes to dietary habit, or the lack of. As a working mother, I am also guilty as charged for not consistently ensuring my children, as well as myself to have adequate breakfast to start our day!

Recently, Kellogg initiated Breakfasts for Better Days, a global programme that focuses on global hunger relief extended from a firm belief that every child deserves to start the day with the power of breakfast.  The 12-month long breakfast programme pledged to provide 100,000 servings of cereal to eligible pre-schoolers. In collaboration with Whampoa Community Development and Welfare Fund (CDWF) and ICAP Singapore, Breakfasts for Better Days initiative will centre its effort around 120 pre-schoolers residing within the Whampoa district, all of whom are on financial assistance subsidy.

During the launch, Sarah Huang, Kitchen Hoarder Blogger and Asian Food Channel Host was there to share 3 easy breakfast recipes! I find Kellogg's Cheesy Corn Omelette easy and quick to make. Plus I can imagine the children loving the cheese and egg combi! Sharing out the recipes and spreading the importance of a hearty breakfast to start our day!