Who Says You Can't Have Fun At The Petrol Station?

  

Last Saturday, 2 April 2016, Petronas Sri Hartamas held its Program Mesra Pelanggan or Customer Appreciation Day in conjunction with their 1st year anniversary. I frequent this particular Petronas station every other day or so because of its location which is near to Babycakes' school and to my office. I found out that they were having a colouring contest for kids aged 4-12 so I signed Babycakes up and told her about it and she got excited. Unfortunately, Hubby told us he had to attend an AGM in Puchong that morning. Initially I was hesitant to go because the thought of having to manage the two kids on my own in such event sounds a bit too overwhelming especially in this hot weather. However, I didn't want to disappoint Babycakes so the night before, I told her to pack her colouring pencils because the contestants will have to bring their own colouring tools. So come Saturday morning, honestly I  was lazy to get up but both kids were wide awake at 7ish so I dragged myself out of the bed, got the kids ready and off we went to Petronas.

 We reached Petronas before 9am. Babycakes was excited.

We went to the registration counter to register ourselves.

 They have a host of activities lined up for the day.

They informed us that Babycakes will be doing a sand art contest because she is 5 years old. They set up tents on both sides of the station.

Foods were provided but earlier we went in Kedai Mesra Petronas and bought a few packets of Milo for the kids. There was also a lucky draw that day so we submitted our receipt into the lucky draw jar.

Thankfully they served food because we didn't eat anything before we leave the house earlier. We had the nasi lemak, fried meehoon, kuih talam keladi and I had the teh tarik. They also served popiah goreng bersalut lada and kuih bahulu.

Not long after, they kick started the program by giving out some speech and doa recital. Then they called the kids for the colouring contest. The smaller kids get to do sand art while the bigger kids sat under the tent for the colouring contest. Parents were eager to help their kids but the staffs reminded that parents can only help peel off the sticker and not help with applying the sand. I had to sit with Babypie who was slowly getting irritated because he had to sit in the stroller while Babycakes is having all the fun. 

Babycakes showing off her masterpiece while Babypie looks over. I had to entertain Babypie and keep him cool because it was getting hot! 

That's Awang the clown. He gave out balloons to the kids. Babypie was a bit freaked out with him so Babycakes queued to take the balloons for him as well.

We got popsicles for free too! Who wouldn't want a nice sweet cold popsicle on a hot day, right?

They then had an impromptu popsicle-eating contest and I participated while my kids looked on. Mummy wants to have fun too, right? The contest took a few minutes and the kids sat down quietly enjoying their popsicles with one of the staffs who helped to look after them so all is good. I lost though. There was a guy who gobbled up the whole popsicle in one bite. I mean, are you an eskimo or what? I got brain freeze just biting the popsicle and my sensitive teeth weren't helping either.

There was also a Mummy Wrap game where mums are required to wrap their kid using toilet tissue to resemble a mummy. Another game held was called Dancing maniac. They called that a father and kid to join the contest but then they asked if I wanted to join. I was hesitant at first because Babypie would be left alone if I were to join the game with Babycakes. Then one of the Petronas staff (or was she the owner?) I'm not sure but she was friendly and persuaded me to join with Babycakes. She offered to help look after Babypie. ALhamdulillah Babypie was OK with the lady and he even sat on her lap. For the Dancing Maniac contest, there were 6 pairs of contestants. First we were given a piece of The Sun newspaper. It is a bit like musical chair but when the music stops, both contestants have to stand on the newspaper with both feet inside. After the first round, we had to fold the newspaper in half, and then another half. At one point, Babycakes stepped onto my feet. Those whose feet were outside the newspaper gets eliminated. In the end, the newspaper was folded so small that only one of my foot can stand on it so I decided to carry Babycakes while my other foot was up. Think a flamingo with one leg up! At this point, there were 4 pairs left and one by one were eliminated. I held on but eventually I lost my balance and my other foot touched the ground. However all was not lost as we were the last two pairs standing so we won second prize YAY!

 Just look at the hampers lining up. One of these had my name on it.

 

Awang the Clown did a great job at entertaining the kids with chicken dance which Babycakes joined, spelling bee contest for the bigger kids and Awang did a magic show which got the kids mesmerized. Babypie was getting tired and cranky but he wanted to sit with the big kids so he joined Babycakes. We had to wait for the program to finish because that was the most awaited part- the prize giving ceremony!

The kids were given a goodies bag each so we got two goodies bag.

 

Then they started calling out the winners' names for each game. They called my name for the second prize winner for the Dancing maniac game. Yes, I went to collect my hamper with my two kids tagging along. I feel like an octopus. I wish I was an octopus!

 

And when it comes to the sand art contest, Babycakes' name was called as the first prize winner!

She won two hampers! Well done, Babycakes!

It was totally worth it waking up early on a Saturday morning and holding on despite the heat. That's my kids! 

We did went into Kedai Mesra Petronas for a while for a few times to cool down because it was too hot outside. Honestly I just want to leave at that time but I was secretly hoping to win one of the lucky draw prizes (despite already winning earlier but hey, alang-alang menyeluk pekasam, biar sampai ke pangkal lengan OK) so we waited. Babypie was feeling hot and sweating, thus the romper in this picture. He was excited to see Ipin and dragged the hamper all over. So I did not win any lucky draw prize. I had to ask one of the staffs to help carry my hampers to the car because I had to carry Babypie and push the stroller. Again, why wasn't I still an octopus?

The contents of the goodies bags.

Babycakes was excited to watch the dvd. Of course she wants Mimi the Cat to be in the picture too.

They actually served lunch and invited everyone to eat but even though I was hungry, I had to pass because I was sweating, the kids are tired and cranky so we left at 1ish pm. At one point when the kids were cranky I feel like slapping myself for getting into this trouble when we can just stay at home but staying at home with both of them drives me up the wall equally so might as well let them have fun while we're at it, huh? Overall it was a fun event and my kids had fun. It was challenging to take both of them on my own to such an event where I have to keep an eye on both kids. It would be easier if Hubby was with us but hey, a mum's gotta do what a mum's gotta do! In the end, we went home happy and proud of our achievements! Babypie conked out in the car on the way home.

If you are interested to know more about Awang the Clown, check out this website for more details: http://www.badutmalaysia.blogspot.my/

5 Years Today

1 April 2016 marks my 5th year working in this law firm. This is the third firm I've worked with and alhamdulillah the longest so far. It has been a wonderful 5 years, but definitely not one without its ups and downs. What is life if it doesn't feel like a roller coaster ride, isn't it?

I still remember when I decided to leave my previous firm somewhere in October 2010. Truly, Allah is the best planner. I officially left the previous firm in December 2010, just in time for my wedding in January 2011. I was practically jobless when I got married. I didn't even send my resume anywhere, I didn't even send an application. Things just happen and then I eventually started looking for jobs in March 2011. Hubby and I then moved out of my parents' house and moved to our current place and then there happens to be a vacancy in this firm so I applied and went in for an interview and voila, I started work on 1 April 2011. I have learned a lot in this firm, I have seen a lot, I have done a lot but there is still a very long journey ahead of me. The law itself is so vast and there are so many things to read and learn everyday. Everyday is a challenge, everyday is a lesson. I am still learning, there are still numerous laws and areas that I am not familiar with.

So to mark this date, I am rewarding myself with a piece of cake. As if I need reasons to have a cake but since today is a special day, I feel having this cake is justified.

Whether I am going to move to another firm or to set up my own or to hang my robe indefinitely is yet to be known. I don't know what will happen in the future, I don't know where I will be in the future. Only He knows. All I can and will do is give my best and hope for the best. And of course, never stop praying to Him.

Wouldn't it be nice if I have five little candles on the cake?

Back to Jurassic at Bangsar Village

My two kids weren't really into dinosaurs (see my previous posts on the Prehistoric Trail at Pusat Sains Negara) but when I received Bangsar Village's newsletter on its Back To Jurassic event, I got excited so I dragged the family to Bangsar Village on Saturday evening. I imagined that there will be numerous dinosaur rides and there will be a Jurassic park like area.

 

However, I was a bit disappointed when I saw these.

 

There was barely any Jurassic feeling to it.

 

The kids were excited though.

 

OK so there were three huge dinosaurs- T-rex, Triceratops and another one (I don't know my dinos, sorry guys).

 

And then there were two little dinos in another area, a clear space, no decorations, no dinosaur bones, no fossils, no dinosaur eggs. Nothing. Not even trees and rocks.

  

Your little ones can ride the dinosaurs and the prices for each rides are stated as above. 

  

 There are also some dinosaurs items on sale, including toys and t-shirts.

 

So Babycakes wanted to ride the mini dinosaur, which came to a bit of my surprise because she doesn't like them but the mini dinosaurs are pretty cute so we bought a ticket, RM5 for her. The ride lasted for more than one minute, maybe around 2.5minutes. It went round and round the empty area and the eyes were blinking. She enjoyed the ride. 

   

Unfortunately Babypie couldn't ride it because he is still too small. Sorry sayang! 

Merajuk tak dapat naik. As if you dare to ride them anyway. Hehe.

After the mini dinosaur ride, Babycakes wanted to go on the big dinosaur ride. I asked her many times, are you sure you want to ride that big dinosaur? Won't you get scared? Are you sure you won't cry? She adamantly said yes so I obliged. One ride is RM10 but if you ride all three dinosaurs, the fee is RM20. Considering that she had already rode the mini dinosaur, I only allowed her to ride the big dinosaur once.

Again, to my surprise, she chose to ride the T-rex. She had to climb on the stairs and sit on the chair and wear a seatbelt for safety purposes. The dinosaur would move its head, mouth, blink its eyes and made sounds. As for its body, it hardly moved. It basically just leaned to the front a bit and to the back and that's it. And the RM10 ride takes about 40seconds. Yes, not even a damn minute! If you ask me, it's a rip-off. Of course Babycakes enjoyed the ride so much so she wanted to go on to the other two dinosaurs but I had to say no because she already rode on the mini dinosaur.

 

She threw a bit of a tantrum because I said no so I had to cool her down by buying a Boost Juice for her. I'd rather spend RM25 on healthy and yummy juices, if you ask me.

Thankfully I have a RM100 gift card which I won earlier so we bought two juices and we are all happy. If your kids are really into dinosaurs and you don't mind spending RM25 for a few minutes of entertainment for your kids, go ahead and checkout the so-called Jurassic Park at Bangsar Village. Trust me, your kids will surely want to ride all 3 big dinosaurs and the mini one too.

Stay Hydrated With Coconut Water

Since the days are so hot, my Babypie was down with fever, again. Sigh it is tiring taking care of a sick baby who becomes very clingy and literally hangs onto my boobs 24/7! I have to keep myself cool, I have to stay hydrated to make sure I make enough milk for him and I have to make sure my kids stay hydrated. I keep telling Babycakes to drink tons of water, to make sure she finishes her water everyday in school and to eat more fruits and vegetables. 

One of the ways to get your kids to drink is of course by giving them sweet sugary drinks but we all know how bad sweet and sugary drinks are for our health. So try to say NO to carbonated drinks, sweet cordials and artificial drinks. Instead, try getting them to drink coconut water. 

Luckily both Babypie and Babycakes love this coconut water. I love this drink too as it is very refreshing and is made of 100% pure coconut water. I wish I can get real, fresh coconut water easily but this is the next best thing and the closest and easiest way for me to drink coconut water. 

Currently Kedai Mesra Petronas are selling these for only RM1.90 per pack so every time I send Babycakes to her kindergarten, I would drop by Petronas and buy a few packets. Put them in your fridge and they are best served chilled. Besides, coconut water has amazing benefits. Here are some of the benefits of coconut water.

Health benefits of coconut water

• Coconut water is a very refreshing drink to beat tropical summer thirst. Its liquid is packed with simple sugars, electrolytes, and minerals to replenish dehydration conditions inside the human body.
  
• Research studies suggest that cytokinins (e.g., kinetin and trans-zeatin) in coconut water found to have significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic (anti-clot formation) effects.
  
• Coconut water has been generally offered to patients with diarrhea in many tropic regions to replace the fluid loss from the gastrointestinal tract and to reduce the need for hospitalisation. The osmolarity of tender coconut water is slightly greater than that of WHO recommended ORS (Oral Rehydration Therapy) solution. Presence of other biological constituents like amino acids, enzymes, minerals, and fatty acids may account for this higher osmolarity. Nonetheless, unlike WHO-ORS, its water is very low in sodium and chlorides, but rich in sugars and amino acids. This well-balanced fluid composition, along with much-needed calories, would be an ideal drink instead of any other kind of soft drink beverages available in the markets to correct dehydration conditions.
  
• Coconut water is composed of many naturally occurring bioactive enzymes such as acid phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, diastase, peroxidase, RNA-polymerases etc. In effect, these enzymes help in the digestion and metabolism.
  
• Despite being very light in consistency, its water proportionately has better composition of minerals like calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc than some of the fruit juices like oranges. (Compare the mineral composition of oranges).
• Its liquid is also a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates. These vitamins are essential in the sense that the human body requires them from external sources to replenish.
  
• Coconut water carries a very good amount of electrolyte potassium. 100 ml of water has 250 mg of potassium and 105 mg of sodium. Together, these electrolytes help replenish electrolyte deficiency in the body due to diarrhea (loose stools).
  
• Further, fresh coconut water has a small amount of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid); It provides about 2.4 mg or 4% of RDA. Vitamin C is a water-soluble ant-oxidant.

Source: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/coconut-water.html

I hope everyone is keeping themselves hydrated, cool and healthy in this sweltering heat. Global warming is serious, you guys! Temperatures are rising, forest fires are blazing and ice caps are melting. What are we going to do with our beloved Mother Earth? Don't forget to recycle the packaging OK?

Rainbow Cupcakes with my Babycakes

Yesterday was the last day of a week long school holiday so I decided to make rainbow cupcakes with my Babycakes while Babypie was napping. It is so much easier to bake when Babypie is napping. I only have 3 eggs left in the fridge so I had to make sure the recipe calls for 3 or less eggs. I just installed an app on my phone called Yummly. The app is user-friendly and has tons of amazing recipes. I searched for rainbow cupcakes recipe and after reading the amazing reviews it received, I decided to use the recipe from allrecipes.uk

 

I then gathered my baking materials and tools and with Babycakes as my helper, we set out to bake. She helped me to pour the eggs and milk into the mixer, measure and sieve the flour-which is her favourite part because it reminded her of Frozen and she would start singing this verse while sifting the flour:

"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight

Not a footprint to be seen

A kingdom of isolation,

And it looks like I'm the queen."

Rainbow cakes and cupcakes look pretty and are fun to eat with its bright colours but baking them is quite a chore, really. This is because you have to divide the batter into six and this means you need six bowls and six spoons! You can imagine the cleaning up after!

I try to make Babycakes involved in the baking process as much as I can so she helped to mix the colours. She was amazed at how the colour of the batter changes. I also made her choose which colours to mix first, which bowl and spoon to choose from so she feels very appreciated that she gets to make decisions. i also asked her about the colours of the rainbow and which colour comes first, second, third and so forth.

Then, I made her arrange the cupcake liners onto the baking tray and I started scooping out the batter into the cupcake liners. Obviously I didn't divide the batter evenly so there are a few cupcakes which doesn't have all the rainbow colours while there are about two cupcakes with only green colour. I used a small cupcake liner so that I have plenty and the size is just right for the kids.

The cupcakes went into the preheated oven and once they are done, I cooled them down on  a cooling rack. While the cupcakes were baking, we made play doh too because we have all ingredients on hand and we were playing with colours but I will share about that in another post.

 

 

The top of the cupcake doesn't look like a rainbow but this is how the cupcake looked like. As for the colour, you can adjust the brightness according to your liking by putting as much or as little food colouring as you like. To me, the brighter, the better! I didn't do any frosting for the cupcakes because they are already sweet and beautiful as it is. And fyi, the cleaning up process was another chore. Don't forget you have to wash six bowls, six spoons and the other utensils!

Prehistoric Trail at Pusat Sains Negara

Have you been to the Pusat Sains Negara (PSN)? It was recently renovated and given an uplift so now the dome is in multicolors and if you pass by the Bukit Kiara/Hartamas stretch, you won't miss it. I am not sure if the PSN has reopened to public but in case you didn't know, there is a Prehistoric Trail located outside PSN. 

Yesterday evening after picking up the kids, we decided to go for dinner but since it was still bright, we stopped by the Prehistoric Trail and took the kids to see the dinosaurs.

 There are dinosaurs' footprints all over the trail. It's like they just walked on earth!

There are a few stones with a lot of information about the various eras of the dinosaurs as well. Good education for the kids.We just watched the movie The Good Dinosaur with the kids so we explained to them a bit about dinosaurs.

Unfortunately, Babypie was a bit freaked out by them. Well they are not cute at all, unlike the ones in the movie so I do not blame him. Maybe he'll grow up to love them, we shall see. I am planning to take them to a dinosaur event in Bangsar Village soon but if he's freaked out at the sight of them, I am not sure if it's gonna be a good idea.

 

As for Babycakes, she's not really fond of them either but as usual she's ever so willing to pose and take tons of pictures.

The Prehistoric Trail is just a small compound in front of PSN and it takes a few minutes to cover the area, given that you take tons of pictures.

As much as it is a good place to gain knowledge and information about dinosaurs, I am sad to say that the place is not very well-kept. The grass are starting to grow and there are love grass (kemuncup) everywhere that we got them stuck on our pants! Babycakes' felt a bit uneasy walking on the grass too because the love grass kept brushing her calves making her itchy. Also, because it rained a bit yesterday, some parts of the grass were muddy so Babycakes dirtied her shoes as well. And just look at the picture of the footprint above. One footprint is filled with rainwater so that is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes right there. I hope the maintenance will do a better job at keeping the place clean and tidy, otherwise it would be a fun-filled time walking down the prehistoric trail. If you decide to walk down the Prehistoric Trail, I would advise you go in the evening when it is not hot. Also, it is better if your kids wear long pants and sports shoes for comfort.