We met Po from Kungfu Panda in Sunway Pyramid!

Do you remember Po, the ubiquitous panda bear from Kung Fu Panda? Believe it or not, there will be a third installation of the much loved animation which will be out in the cinemas on 10 March 2016! I sure can't wait to see Po and his friends back in action and I wonder what mischief and adventures that Po will get himself into this time!

 

However, if you feel like waiting to see Po in March is still a long way to go, fret not as you can catch Po live in action in Sunway Pyramid!

Yup, that's the big guy himself! Sunway Pyramid decided to usher into the lunar new year by transforming its orange concourse area into Po's village!  

   

  

 There is a huge lantern hanging above the village which really adds to the festive vibes.

 

Babypie was in awe with the huge lantern and the amazing 'village' that he couldn't wait to get out of his stroller! Seen here he was holding a monkey plush toy, which is redeemable upon purchase at Sunway Pyramid. As 2016 is the year of the Fire Monkey, the mall will be rewarding shoppers with adorable monkey plush toys.  From the 8 till 21 of January, shoppers who spend more than RM1000 in 3 receipts (RM800 for HSBC cardholders) will be able to redeem the monkey plush toys, while those who shop from 22 January till 9 February will receive a mini Panda blankie. Throughout both duration, shoppers who spend RM250 and above (RM150 for HSBC cardholders) will be rewarded with JoyFU angpau packets.

There are a few activities where kids can take part in. For example, they can colour pictures from the Kung Fu Panda movies and the characters from the movies.

 

 Babycakes and Babypie had a nice time colouring some pictures with Faber Castell colour pencils.

Babycakes showing off her colouring page. 

  

As for Babypie, he didn't actually colour anything. He was just busy playing with the colour pencils.

There was also a free face painting session but obviously the queue was long so while waiting, Babycakes decided to strike a few poses, in her panda dress.

Finally it was her turn!

There are a lot of designs to choose from. Most kids chose a character from Kungfu Panda but Babycakes decided to choose a flower design on her arm. 

Done!

While Mummy and Babycakes were queuing for the face painting session, Daddy and Babypie went over to another booth to create their own panda balloon. All they had to do was cut the ears, eyes, mouth and nose of a panda and stick them onto the white balloons which were readily available. DIY your own panda balloon! This is an awesome idea for a panda-themed party.
 

Those who love the traditional Beard Candy and Ting-Ting candy or are in need of new oriental outfits will be able to find them easily in the mall. With over 900 shops to wander, the mall is a perfect choice for festive shopping and dining.Be sure to wear comfy shoes!
 

 

 

You can also take pictures with Po when he makes an appearance in his village. We didn't manage to get a picture with Po but I was lucky that Po was very close to me that I managed to take several of his pics. You can also take an instant picture at the village and have the picture printed on the spot. It was a very fun event and I bet your kids will love seeing Po. Do head on over to Sunway Pyramid to catch Po and don't forget to watch Kungfu Panda 3 in the cinemas in March! For more info, log on to Sunway Pyramid's official website. Have a BountiFu Spring and Happy Chinese New Year!

Giant Monopoly!

If you have been to Quill City Mall recently, you may have noticed that there is a giant Monopoly board in the middle of Ground Floor.

 How can you miss such a humongous Monopoly board and Christmas tree, right?  

 

Not to forget, a giant Mr. Monopoly greeted you when you enter the mall.

To participate in the Monopoly game, you have to spend a minimum RM50 and register yourself at the registration counter. I bought some stuffs for the kids at H&M and used the receipt to enter. When we registered, they told us that our game will start at 6.45p.m. so we went to have some buns and coffee before playing.

So we were contestant number 4. This girl here, my babycakes, was my sidekick and my partner to play the game while daddy kept babypie occupied. We were given a tag and a folder with some Monopoly money in it. They didn't tell us how much was in the folder though.

This is the emcee cum game organizer who briefed us about the game before we start. There are two crews to throw the dices for the contestants and there are also a few other crews on standby to help the contestants along the game.

So we started the game and when they threw the dices for us, we got a chance card. The card directed us to go back to the starting point and collect $200. This happened twice for us! The second time, we stopped in a community chest box and again had to return to the starting point and collect yet another $200. What a lucky day for us!

 The next round, we stopped in this box and scored a voucher from Glow & Glamour. 

The next one we won a voucher from On the 6th, a one stop entertainment place in Quill City Mall. We have yet to explore the place so we have zero idea what it's about. We also stopped at a place where another contestant has bought so we had to pay the rent of $8. The game went on for a few more rounds. We were lucky throughout because we landed on good spots and didn't have to pay for anything else.

After a while they stopped the game. They actually set a time frame for each round so as not to drag and to give others a chance. The crews then collected our folders and calculated each contestant's balance money. In the meantime, babypie went to play on the board.

Not long after, they announced the winner and guess what, we had the most money in our folder so we, contestant number 4, won! Babypie was happy that mummy and babycakes won! Yay!

 While waiting to collect our prize, hubby and babypie went into the 'jail' just for the fun of it.

What did we win? Vouchers! Lots and lots of vouchers! But the best voucher has got to be the RM100 cash voucher from Red Lobster/Longhorn Steakhouse. Since the voucher is expiring on 31 December 2015, we decided to have dinner right after the game. It was well worth it. The other vouchers haven't been utilised as they have a longer deadline.

52 Week Money Challenge

Now that the year 2015 is coming to an end in a few days, I am proud to say that I have saved an extra RM1378 this year. There are a lot of ideas and tips on how to save money but in the beginning of the year, I found this idea on the internet and decided to take up the challenge. It is called the 52 Week Money Challenge where you have to save money for the 52 weeks that comes in a year.

It is very easy and not hard on the pocket too because you save the money on a weekly basis. Here is how it works. For week 1, save RM1, week two, save RM2 and you will have RM3 in week 2. Add the amount according to the week. Week 3 save RM3, week 4 save RM4 and by week 52, which is the end of the year, you will have a total saving of RM1378.

Easy, isn't it? Make sure to be disciplined and never ever touch the money, under any circumstances. I'm sure you have an 'emergency stash' somewhere else, right? Stash the money jar somewhere safe and be sure to tick or highlight after you have saved for the week. Remember not to dip in the jar, no matter how tempted you are.

Download the link here if you are interested to take up this challenge for the year 2016. Do share with me if you have other methods of saving. Good luck! 

Now what shall I buy with the RM1378?

Credit to Life as You Live It.

Lunchbox

No thanks to our #$^&*!#%$ ministers and the government, prices of everything have been increasing like nobody's business. How I wish my salary increases the same! So to cut cost wherever I can, I try to pack my lunch from home. Sometimes I purposely cooked extra for dinner so that I have leftover foods to pack for lunch the next day.

I bought this so-called insulated lunchbox from Mr. DIY a few months ago. I have tons of containers at home and I shouldn't be buying this. It is quite big actually but the only reason I bought it is because it is supposed to be insulated thus keeping my food warm, if not hot. I mean, who likes cold lunches, right? We have a microwave in the office pantry but let's just say that I doubt the cleanliness of it.

I like that this lunchbox has two compartments. The white one comes with a cover so you can separate your foods. Today I brought fried mee and in the white container, I put a small container with some chopped cili padi in vinegar.

Because the container is big and quite in depth, it is probably not a good idea to put your rice in the bottom compartment. It makes eating rice difficult. 

 

 

I figured that rice should be placed in the white container and your dishes can be put inside the bottom compartment. Unlike the fried mee above, it isn't hard to eat it with a fork. Here I put my two dishes in smaller containers and placed them in the bottom compartment and the rice is kept in the white container.

 

The lunchbox unfortunately did not do what it claimed it can do, that is keeping my food warm. By the time I open it for lunch at 1pm, the foods are cold. Kinda defeats the purpose of having an insulated lunchbox, right? And to think that it is huge and bulky, I might as well bring my normal food containers like the ones with the green lid from IKEA. Not in picture is the green lid. I am sure most people know which container I am talking about. Almost everyone I know have them.

In the alternative, there are always the clear plastic container to pack your lunches in. Do remember to recycle them if you no longer want to use them, OK?

A Catlover's Paradise

I love cats. I have loved them since I was small even though my parents don't really approve of them. I like to feed stray cats that wander near my table when I'm eating outside, I entertained stray cats that come by the house, I give them milk, ikan bilis (anchovies) and I even fed the neighbor's cats. One time I had a kitten but since I was staying at a hostel at that time, I couldn't take him with me so I had my parents (my mum, to be specific) to help me look after the cat for me. His name is Nemo, btw. Such an adorable but very naughty cat gosh I miss you Nemo! Even though my father hates cats, he had a cat house/cage custom made for my cats at one time. They also bought tons of cat foods, my mum would buy fishes from the market for my cats and they foot the veterinary bills when my cats got sick. Guess it is true when people say that a parents' love knows no boundaries. Hehehe. 

 

Now that I have my own kids, I am so glad to see that Babycakes loves cats as much as I do. However, since we are staying in a tiny condominium, it is impossible for us to have a pet cat of our own.

Then I found out about a cat cafe in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. The cafe is called Purradise Cat Cafe. I asked hubby to take us there as I know Babycakes will be thrilled. If you are familiar with TTDI, the cafe is located on the first floor of the row of shops, same row with 99 Speedmart supermarket. Or you can just use waze to get yourself there.

We went there on one fine Sunday evening. As you may or may not know, TTDI has a night maarket every Sunday evening and the night market is pretty awesome too with tons of yummy foods -the apam balik is my favourite and the two times I bought papayas from the night market, the papayas were sweet and tasty.

 

OK back to the cat cafe. There is no entrance fee but you are required to buy at least one drink/smoothie each and you can only stay there for an hour. If I recall correctly, you will be charged a few RM if you stay longer. This was when we visited back in August. Do check out their website or fb for more info in case they change the rules.

The cafe is spacious and cozy. They have beanbags strewn on the floor for you to sit on, they have a bright wall with places for the cats to hang out and walk, to jump and to hide.

They also have long tables and high chairs for those who want to sit to enjoy their sandwiches and light snacks.

The staffs feeding the cats.

Babypie was in awe of the cats. At this time, he was still a bit scared of them. He freaked out when the cats pass by him. I hope he will slowly learn to love and appreciate the furry friends.

The place is air conditioned and surprisingly it was very clean and no smell at all. It was a very nice experience for my kids. Do check out the cafe if you are a cat lover like us.

Address: 24A, Jalan Tun Mohd. Fuad 2, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mypurradise 

Website: Purradise Cat Cafe

Dah Makan?

These days, more and more food delivery services are mushrooming in the city, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on how you look at things. The good thing is, your next meal is basically a few clicks away and for busy people who has little to no time to cook, this is a very welcomed idea. All you need to do is order your foods online, make payment and wait for the foods to be delivered right to your doorstep or to your office. The not so good thing is, some of the food delivery services may not be pocket-friendly especially with the increase of prices of basically everything these days. 

I have never ordered from any independent food delivery services before this but recently I heard about a company aptly named Dah Makan. It so happens that my husband's birthday fell on Wednesday so of course I'd want to have a celebration with him. However, it being a midweek and because I have a court hearing in Shah Alam the next morning, the thought of going out to dinner with two small kids is just a bit too hectic. So I told hubby that I will treat him to a proper birthday dinner this weekend. However, we still need to have dinner that night but I was just too lazy to cook something that I decided to make my very first order from Dah Makan.

Wednesday, 9 December 2015 dinner menu was Chili Con Pollo with Sweet Corn and Kidney Beans and Wild Rice Pilaf and Vietnamese Seared Beef Rice Noodle Salad with Fresh Vegetables and Spicy Fish Sauce. I ordered two sets of the Chili Con Pollo and 1 set of the Rice Noodle Salad. they also have drinks and snacks but I didn't order those as I bought two slices of cakes and a slice of pie for him. I set the delivery time for 7.30-830p.m. However, the delivery came at 7.10p.m. Efficient service, I must say. Only thing is, at that time I just reached home and was just about to give the kids a bath when the delivery guy called. Since the delivery reached early, by the time we sat down for dinner at 8+, the foods were getting cold.

This is the Chili Con Pollo with Sweet Corn and Kidney Beans and Wild Rice Pilaf and it is RM18.00 each. In the website, they stated the list of ingredients and the calories for each meal so you know what you're eating (not that I am counting my calories, btw). The meal is nice but honestly it is a bit bland. They claim to deliver healthy foods but healthy foods can be tasty, right? To me, this meal is just OK. Nothing great, really. And to think that I paid RM18 for this, I can say that it is a bit overpriced. The vegetables were tasteless. I feel like eating them with some kicap (soy sauce).

This is the Vietnamese Seared Beef Rice Noodle Salad with Fresh Vegetables and Spicy Fish Sauce. I ordered one set of this.When I opened the box, that is how it looked like. It is basically plain meehoon with some beansprouts, carrots, a few mint leaves and a few slices of beef. The beef slices are no doubt very tender and juicy but the rice noodle is just too bland. The fish sauce barely taste anything. Again, I feel like putting a few dashes of kicap (soy sauce) to enhance the taste. This dish is RM19. To tell you the truth, I should have spent the RM19 to buy a packet of meehoon, some vegetables, fishballs and fishcakes and I can fry my own meehoon which tastes a whole lot better and I will have leftovers to pack for lunch the next day!

All in all I spent RM55 for the above meals. We were full, no doubt about that but we were not satisfied at all. I should have ordered pizza from Dominos or some chicken from Nando's which I know for sure how the taste is like. Oh well, at least I have tried and at least I put something on the table that night. 

But then again, taste is subjective. You may like their foods. And maybe the other foods on the menu taste better, I don't know. But with that price per meal, I will definitely think twice if I were to order again from them.

Before I forgot, there is no delivery charge for my order as I am located within the 'dark area'. Check out their delivery areas for more details. Do let me know if you have ordered from them and tell me what you think. 

Easy Peasy Crust-less Quiche

Quiche (/ˈkiːʃ/ KEESH) is a savoury, open-faced pastry crust with a filling of savoury custard with cheese, meat, seafood, and/or vegetables. Quiche can be served hot or cold. It is part of French cuisine but is also popular in other countries, particularly as party food.

Source: Wikipedia 

However, making a crust is just too much work, especially on a weeknight. These days, there are a lot of recipes for 'crust-less quiches' which can be found on the internet. Quiche can be served as a side dish, as a snack or as a meal on its own. The fillings varies and depends on what you like and what you have in stock.

A few nights ago I made this crust-less quiche for our breakfast the next day. I have a floret of broccoli and some leftover minced meat with potatoes from another dish which I kept in the freezer. Instead of using a pie dish, I used this square baking dish so that the quiche can be cut easily and also for easy clean up.

I cut the broccoli into small pieces and blanched them in hot water for a while to soften them. Typically quiche recipes don't use flour but I wanted some 'body' to my 'quiche' so I mixed some all purpose flour as well. As for the recipe, I simply gauged the amount. Basically for this dish I used:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups full cream uht milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• some butter, melted
• broccoli, cut and blanched
• some minced meat and potatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• cheddar cheese slice, cut into tiny pieces

All ingredients were mixed and poured into a greased dish. I simply grease with butter.

Bake until golden brown and make sure it's thoroughly cooked. Let cool before cutting and serve warm. I packed this for my breakfast and also for my kids. You can eat it on its own or with chilli sauce or ketchup.

In the alternative, you can also make them into muffin sized quiche but cleaning the muffin tin is a pain so I used a dish instead. This was baked somewhere last week and I used sausages and mixed vegetables in this recipe. Like I said, you can add any fillings that you like e.g. tuna, mushroom, tomatoes, spinach, salmon, minced meat. The list is endless. Have fun baking!