Fantasies Comes alive @ ALIVE MUSEUM! {Media Invite} [Giveaway]

We have been out the whole day and it's time for my boys' afternoon nap. I was still considering if I should come another day.

But........they came Alive at the entrance of ALIVE Museum! Boy was I glad! Whew.....

I love the fact that Alive Museum is centrally located at Suntec City, with direct sheltered access from the MRT. After a fun day at the Museum, we can also indulge ourselves in a wide variety of dining and shopping choices.

Welcome to Alive Museum..ROAR!!

Getting all excited when he saw Spiderman......

Cute little mermaid swimming in the sea

This is my personal favorite..it looks pretty real!

What a vicious expression.....

Rayson is really getting into the mood.....

Taking a shower under the Merlion.

Rayson thought of this pose himself

Cheeky Rayson pulling Spiderman's lips

Hubby dancing with Michael Jackson

I love his expression

Instead of dodging his kick, hang on to his feet instead!

I'm better with kicks than punches......

SAVE ME!

Little Rayden riding the trishaw

Blur Rayden washing his brother

Strangled by the cat

Rayson certainly looked exhausted!

Washing clothes?

I'm falling off!

Mummy the giant!

Basketball match between the brothers

Pull! Pull and PULL!

Ooo...my beautiful long legs.....

Adorable in ET's eyes

He looked real terrified......

Brothers saving the penguins.....

And you will be pleased to know that there are 2 new zones "Live.Laugh.Love" and "Young@Heart" which are part of about 30 percent of brand new exhibits created for youthful spirits, families, lovers and friends.

The Young@Heart

Rayden showing off his excellent balancing skills

Rayson jumping into Thumbelina's world of flowers

How about being featured in a magazine?

Live.Laugh.Love

What kind of pose is this?

To end off our day, we reward ourselves with some ice-cream!

Awww...coming to Alive Museum is a great way to end our day. We spent around 1 hour plus taking pictures with more than 80 arts exhibits. What better way is there to bond with your family and friends while unleashing your creativity?

To help create head-turning pictures and wonderful memories, Pose Point and Photo Point icons are also located at each art exhibit, from where visitors can pose or press click to achieve the best and most realistic-looking pictures.

One thing that bothers me though, I feel that the spotlights at Alive Museum are way too bright, making all our faces over exposed.  All of my pictures have not been edited except for some cropping done. Maybe those photography experts would not face this problem.

Good news! Alive Museum have just launched a special 40% discount for their visitors!

Terms & Conditions:
- Valid from 27 May 2016, for a limited period only.
- Other terms & conditions apply. Information is correct as of time of print (May 2016).

******Special Giveaway (10 June - 20 June 2016)******

To add on, Alive Museum will also be giving away one family package ( tickets for 2 adults and 2 children) to one lucky Bento For Love's reader!

To participate in this giveaway, simply follow the steps below:

1) Like Bento For Love Facebook Page
2) Like and Share this Facebook post with the comment "Thank you Alive Museum!"

Terms and Conditions:

• The draw ends on 20 June 2016 2359 hr
• The winner will be chosen randomly
• The winner has 48 hrs to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn
• The winner will be announced on my blog "Bento For Love" on 21 June 2016

                                ******Giveaway has ended on 21 June 2016******

Disclosure: We were invited to Alive Museum and no monetary compensation was received. All pictures and opinions are true to our own.

Splashing good time @ Splash @ Kidz Amaze (Punggol Safra) {Media Invite}

We were really excited to be visiting Singapore's first indoor water playground at Punggol Safra. Spanning 24,000 feet, I am looking forward to having loads of fun at this 'Enchanted Deep Sea'.

First impression when we reached our destination ----- people, people and more people. It was a Saturday evening and there was a long queue forming outside Kidz Amaze. If not for our media invite, we would probably have to return home disappointed.

Please take note that their play hours during weekends are separated into 4-hour blocks, with a maximum of 400 pax each session

10.00am - 2.00pm : 400 pax
2.00pm - 6.00pm : 400 pax
5.00pm - 9.00pm : 400 pax

Registration starts at 9am, on a first-come-first-serve basis. So patrons are strongly encouraged to register early on the day itself to avoid disappointment.

So, I guess you could probably call in advance? Or.......just avoid visiting the place during weekends.

Finally in!

The slides for bigger kids

The green slide and the 2 blue small slides at the side for kids below 120cm

This big octopus separates the water playground into 2 main areas

The other wading area with water guns and mini merry-go-round

The water is not too deep.....

Just nice for my 2 boys......

They also have 3 beautiful themed rooms for holding parties - Penguin's Paradise, Under the Sea and Pirate's Cave. Click link for more details on their rates.

Conclusion

Well, at the end of the day, my boys thoroughly enjoyed themselves and spent more than 1 hour in the water. They are already asking when is their next trip to Punggol Safra. But then again, my boys are easily contented, we visit Jurong Safra's pool frequently and there doesn't seem to be a significant difference in their level of excitement and happiness.

The temperature of the water is just nice, not too cold, because it is constantly regulated. 

This is the perfect place for play dates because we do not need to worry about the weather, rain or shine, there is no need to think of any plan B, C or D. We can just look forward to our gathering without any worries and disappointment.

However, perhaps it is the latest 'in' playground to visit, I do think the crowd during weekends make it so much less appealing. And being a westerner, I would certainly not drive all the way down to join in the crowd.

The toilets aren't in a very good condition either, with toilet papers spewed on the floor and a dirty diaper changing table. I would really be in dismay if I still have a toddler who requires a change of diapers. I was also disappointed that they do not have a showering room just for children, like what they have @ Jurong Safra. The rain shower can be pretty unfriendly for toddlers.

Last but not least, the charges are a bit high for this pretty simple indoor water playground. (I was expecting something more spectacular......). So maybe for now, we would be happy with our Jurong West Swimming Complex water playground or Jurong Safra's pool until the next birthday party or play date comes along.......

In his favorite pool @ Jurong Safra

Admission

Category		Kidz Amaze Member	SAFRA Member	Non- Member
Child (age range 18 months - 13 years)	Off-Peak MON - THU (Excluding PH & Sch Holidays)	$8	$12	$16
	Peak FRI - SUN, PH & SCH HOLIDAYS	$10	$15	$20
Per Accompanying Adult		$2	$2	$5
Off-Peak Family Package (2 Adults & 2 Children)		$16	$25	$35
Peak Family Package (2 Adults & 2 Children)		$20	$28	$40

Disclaimer: We were invited to Splash @ kidz Amaze (Punggol Safra). No monetary compensation was received. All pictures and opinions are ours.

Rayson thinking of Moses and the Israelites........

Took the boys for a day out.  Prepared them mentally beforehand that no matter how tired they are, there will be nobody to carry them because Papa is not around, neither will there be any stroller for them to rest in.

After a trip to RWS, we went Vivo to shop around. There was a lot of walking done but the boys trotted along beside me.

They have woken up early in the morning and it was way pass their usual nap time. Looking at Rayson’s listless face, I sensed that he’s about to act up…….but to my surprise, when he finally talked….

Rayson:“妈咪，他们在旷野的时候也是这么累的吗？”(Mummy, were they as tired as us when they were wondering in the wilderness?)

So….....is Rayson thinking of Moses and the Israelites as a motivation for him to persevere in walking on….? =)

Reminiscing childhood with Canon PLAY! {Media Invite}

It was a lovely day with a fantastic weather, we are all excited about our day ahead because we are going to PLAY! with CANON!...exploring Singapore's various playgrounds. I'm sure my boys are going to love it....

Our first stop is the iconic Dove playground at Dakota Crescent, which is one of the oldest public housing estate in Singapore. 

The dove playground is tucked snugly amid Dakota Crescent's HDB blocks, the old Dove playground is one of the few nostalgic playgrounds left in Singapore. Though it has aged with time, it is well-preserved with rubber tyre swings and a slide sitting on a sand pit.

The Old Dove playground was designed by HDB's Mr Khor Ean Ghee in 1979. A few other well-loved iconic playgrounds designed by Mr Khor still stand, such as the Dragon playground in Toa Payoh Lorong 6.

Goodbye is always the hardest word to say, sadly, Dakota Crescent will be vacated by the end of 2016 to make way for new developments under Mountbatten's estate renewal plans. So, hurry over before it's too late!

Read more in this article published in Straits Times 25 May 2016 regarding a group pushing to save Dakota Crescent.

He's apprehensive about this unfamiliar slide hence he decided to use the stairs instead.

Off to our second stop......admiring Singapore's beautiful sceneries on the bus, I feel like a tourist!

We moved on to Everton Road for our second stop......

A small section of Everton Road has become memory lane. The lifelike images of Singapore's past are the work of Mr Yip Yew Chong, 46, who has lived near Everton Road and walked along the same road every day for about 20 years.

I think the murals look almost 3D!They are amazing!

Next to our third stop....and the one which I look forward to the most because some time ago, I have been thinking of bringing the boys to this playground but somehow, it gradually slipped off my mind so I am very thankful that we are going to explore the adventure playground at Tiong Bahru Park.

Tiong Bahru Park is conveniently located beside Tiong Bahru Plaza.

The playground has an interesting tilting train which is lots of fun for the kids. There is also a merry-go-round, flying fox, maze, swing and a toddler area. It is also one of the few playgrounds around with lots of sand!

Without a doubt, this is my boys' favorite stop. Reluctantly leaving the playground, we head on for our lunch at PoTeaTo Bistro Cafe.

PoTeaTo is nestled at the very hip Yong Siak Street at Tiong Bahru. "PoTeaTo" which is a combination of the words 'potato' and 'tea' sells mainly potato-made dishes and tea.

It is a cozy little cafe with an urban feel, probably because of the bricks and cemented interior design. Sure is a nice resting place after our tiring but fun day out.

And we are absolutely drooling over the refreshments they have prepared for us!

Location: PoTeaTo Bistro Cafe
Address:78 Yong Siak Street #01-18

Tel: (65) 6221 2488

Email: eat@poteato.sg

Opening Hours: 
Tue - Fri: 12.00pm - 10.30pm
Sat: 10.00am - 10.30pm
Sun: 10.00am - 9.00pm

Accompanying us for the day.......CANON POWERSHOT SX 720 HS

Picture taken by Claudia from thelovingmum.sg using Canon Powershot EOS M3

The above pictures are taken by this little beauty. Actually I know nuts about photography, I just want something easy to use, compact, convenient to bring and fast enough to capture my boys in action.

The Canon Powershot SX720 HS features a new 40x optical zoom lens. It has a mostly metal body, and the raised grip found on the front of the camera's body helps to provide a secure hold of the camera.

I think this beauty, with its size and lens reach suits me and is perfect for those who love to travel.

Thank you Canon Sg for this wonderful day!

Disclosure: We are invited to the event by Canon. No monetary compensation has been received. Views and Opinions reflected in this blog are ours. The camera Canon SX720 HS was on loan to us during the event for the purpose of this review.