[Personal] Celebrating Christmas at Pororo Park Singapore

This Christmas, I decided to make it a spacial one with my girl as we visited Pororo Park Singapore for the very first time. We had sort of visited most of the indoor playgrounds in Singapore and Pororo Park Singapore was one of which we had not yet explored. Thanks to Huggies for the complimentary one adult and one kid ticket which allowed us into the park for a 2 hour session.

We reached there about 11.45am and it was already crowded due to the holiday season. Upon entering, we headed straight to queue for the first session of the Pororo Christmas Musical happening at 12pm at the Tong Tong's Little Theatre. It was like an auditorium and kids could sit on the floor in front for a closer encounter to the stage. We were so excited when Pororo and his friend came out and Pororo was even dressed in his Santa suit. They sang and danced to a few Christmas carols and my girl was grooving to the beat to songs like Jungle Bells.

After the musical, we joined another queue outside as Santa Pororo was giving out Christmas presents to the first 100 kids. It was really good to receive a present from Santa Pororo however, we were not able to take a photo with him. It was a take and go kind of session to minimize the waiting time for the rest of the kids. We managed to sneak a few wefie which turned out to be blur.

 We went to explore the rest of the Pororo Park Singapore and these were the different sections inside.

Shark Ball Pool

My girl had a fun time "swimming" inside the shark ball pool filled with lots of blue and white balls. There was a big shark in the middle of the shark ball pool where kids could try to aim and throw the balls into its mouth and the balls would drop out from its stomach. My girl was amused by this but she was slightly too short to reach in and so with my help, we both tried to see how many balls we could feed the shark.

Pororo House

This was my girl's favourite place. Inside Pororo house, the lights were dimmed and there were colourful moving spotlights.  She loved this area so much that she literally treated it like her own house and was telling other kids, "no, you go and play the balls outside" as she wanted to hog the place. Oops. It was really amusing to see her behaved like that. She also started dancing and pretended to sleep on Pororo's bed.



Outside Pororo House, there was a small interactive corner where we could see ourselves on the TV screen.

Loopy's Cafe

We wanted to stay on for the daily carolling with bubble party and found out that I could extend my stay if I purchased at least $15 worth of food at the Loopy's cafe. Since we did not had lunch, I decided why not and I got ourselves a Mac and Cheese with fries and cookie to share. The mac and cheese was creamy and cheesy, just the way my girl and I loved it.

Tong Tong's Little Theatre

After lunch, we went back to the theatre for the carolling with bubble party. It was pretty fun especially now my girl had overcame her fear of bubbles. All the kids seemed to go crazy and wanted to catch the bubbles. My girl, being one of the youngest there demanded me to carry her high up so that she could join in the fun to catch the bubbles too.

Hinoki Pit

 This sensory play area was filled with aromatic Hinoki wood that came all the way from South Korea which was safe for kids of all ages. There were a few toys and digging toy cars to play with. We didn't really like this area as I didn't like the feeling of stepping on the Hinoki wood.

Petty's Supermarket 

This was another play area which my girl enjoyed as she could pretend to shop and buy her favourite fruits and vegetables to whip up a meal for me.

Toddler Area

At the toddler area, she played with the soft gym like slide and rocking horse.

Poby's Play Gym

At the Poby's Play Gym, my girl had the chance to exercise her flexibility by climbing and sliding. I had a hard time chasing after her.

Pororo Express Train 

During specific timing, the Pororo Express train would start operating. It would go two rounds before the kids alight. Only the kids were allowed on the train and initially my girl was unwilling to leave me and got down the train. After much persuasion, she happily rode on the train and waved to me when the train passed by! Instilling some form of independence here as well.

Finally, since I've not bought any Christmas present for my girl, I decided to get it from the Rody's Toystore. I got a set of Tayo bus for her as this was her current favourite show on YouTube and I topped up to arrange for a Private Gifting Session by Santa Pororo! There's nothing more special than receiving a present from Santa Pororo in private and we finally got a chance to take a closed up photo with Santa Pororo. My girl was asked to closed her eyes and walked into the theatre to open her eyes and see Santa Pororo with her gift. Just look at the smile on her face and I know it was worth it. Definitely setting a high standard here for her future boyfriends. Haha.

I must say we spent a very memorable 4 hours+ inside Pororo Park Singapore which I hoped my girl would remember next time. The park was very clean overall and the food was delicious too. Definitely worth spending the time inside. As the theme park is based on a famous character like Pororo, kids would enjoy as the character comes to live and appearing before them. This is really something very exciting for them to look forward to.

We definitely hoped to be back again! 

Pororo Park Singapore

6 Raffles Boulevard,

Marina Square

#02-29

Singapore 039594

Website: https://www.pororoparksg.com/index.aspx

XOXO

[Event] Usher in the Year of the Pig with Exclusive Chinese New Year Deals and Promotions at Millenia Walk

This year, restaurants and stores at Millenia Walk are providing a special experience for everyone to celebrate the Year of the Pig. For those who are looking for a festive reunion meal, Millenia Walk is the perfect place to go to. From unique meat dishes to satisfy your carnivorous cravings to delicious vegetarian options. Not to mention all the various sweet desserts for there sweet tooths, there is  definitely something amazing for everyone.

I was invited to a private and exclusive Chinese New Year luncheon and I was overjoyed to know that I am allowed to bring my hubby and Rena along with me. I definitely appreciate the effort they took to make this special arrangement especially for Rena. We got to enjoy the special highlights of restaurants, eateries and even cafes in Millenia Walk with a 9-course feast.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CHINESE NEW YEAR MENU FROM THE DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS

The event started with a keg breaking session for a free flow of Premium Lager by PaulanerBrauhaus. We never got to try the beer as Rena was around.

Next we gathered around the 3 tables for a mass Lo Hei. Chinese New Year is never short of Lo Hei. Lo Hei is a cantonese word which individually meant tossing and up, it signifies tossing up a good fortune for the new year. However, after various transformation throughout the history, the Chinese in different parts of the world does Lo Hei differently.

In Singapore, we believed tossing higher gives us more luck! Everyone with their friends and family will partake in the tossing of the yusheng, the main of the ingredient in Lo Hei, to usher in good health and wealth for the Chinese Lunar New Year. We had the Original Yusheng, which is halal-certified, from Poke Doke is is full of fresh sashimi and raw vegetables. A total of 19 ingredients were used in this Yusheng. After the session we went back to our seats and the different dishes were served to us.

For vegetarians, there is the option to go meat-free at Elemen that offers a wholesome and eco-responsible meat-free dining experience that doesn't compromised the taste. They used the purest and freshest ingredients to ensure that diners get the very best in every bite . This Double-Boiled Truffle Soup by Elemen, had rich fragrance of truffle shavings and truffle oil, was slow-cooked for over 6-hours with goji berries, monkey head mushrooms and an assortment of Chinese herbs. The truffle taste was not too strong due to the chinese herbs. I was preparing to receive a conflicting taste. However, mix of chinese and western ingredient actually complimented each other. Not only was it nutritional, it also helped to reduce high blood pressure and promote blood circulation.

We came to the meat dish where meat lovers like my husband could rejoice. We were served the Crispy Pork Belly on Potato Cucumber Salad with Parsley Mousse and Paulaner Dark Beer Sauce by PaulanerBrauhaus. This was my husband's favourite dish of all as the pork belly meat was really juicy and soft. However, I found the skin a little too hard.

Next up was another vegetarian dish, the Yam Ring with Assorted Vegetables from elemen. It had a wide variety of vegetables and the yam ring almost melted immediately as I put it in my mouth. The yam ring was in black colour which is very special.

Another seasonal delicacy came next was the Whole Fortune Smoked Corn-Fed Chicken with House-Pickles by Plentyfull. The dish was marinated with 5 spices, smoked over apple wood chips and served with house pickled daikon, carrot and cucumber. The meat was well marinated with the concocted spices. I recommend trying this as it is only available from 14th January to 19th February.

We also got to satisfy our Japanese food cravings when the Tengawa Signature Truffle Oil Chawanmushi by Tengawa Hokkaido White Curry was served. This was a first of its kind in Singapore from Tengawa and was definitely a must-try for truffle lovers. The aroma of the truffle oil filled the event venue when it was served. The normal taste of chawanmushi came first then before the truffle taste. Again, another fantastic fusion dish.

Borrowdale Award Winning Free Range Pork Loin Katsu Gozen by Saboten was made from free-range pigs. The pork is sourced from an RSPCA approved farm and had no added hormones. This ensured diners that what they ate was safe and free from harm. The meat is a bit tough because there was no moisture infused.

For staples, we had the Torimon Ramen by Uma Uma. This is their famous raman which was both a comforting and traditional match of tori (chicken) and lemon. Thin Hakata noodles, chicken thigh and egg were served in a rich chicken broth that was well-balanced with a hint of citrus. The unique thing about this ramen was that it was boiled for 7-hours with chicken bones instead of their signature pork bones. The lemon added a zest of flavours to the already rich and thick broth.

Any meal had to be completed with desserts. We had the Frozen Smores by The Dark Gallery. This delicious sweet treat was made of a Graham Tart Shell with their Signature 80% Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate Ganache, and Torched Marshmallow. Though dark chocolate was used, it did not taste as bitter as I imagined them to be. Do visit them as they also offered a variety of other choices.

Feeling thirsty while shopping? Just drop by Super Tea to enjoy a cup of refreshing 凤梨不知春 or Blossom Pineapple, which was a unique blend of pineapple, passion fruit and peach Oolong that truly reflects the essence of modern tea. I was quite surprised that this drink appealed to me as I was not a pineapple lover.

Overall, we had a very enjoyable time, where flavours, from the style of cuisine, from East to West, spreaded all over our taste buds. Indeed A Reunion To Remember!

We also got to bag home some vouchers and a beautiful card holder from ANASTASIA BY RAINE that is made from vegan microfiber leather.

SPEND AND STAND A CHANCE TO WIN AMAZING PRIZES

Spend $88: Draw of Great Fortune - Try your luck at the Lucky Draw till 19th Feb :

○ 1st Prize - Bedroom Makeover from Harvey Norman worth $3,000
○ 2nd Prize - Dyson Pure Cool Purifying Tower Fan worth $899
○ 3rd Prize - 2D1N Staycation at Conrad Centennial Singapore worth $500

With a minimum spend of $88 a day, which can be combined with up to 3 receipts of the
same date from any shop at Millenia Walk, you stand a chance to win. Each shopper can
claim up to 10 chances in a day. Present your receipts worth $88 or more at the mall's service
desk to enter the electronic lucky draw.

You can come back the next day and shop more at Millenia Walk to increase your chances of
winning till 19th February. All the chances will be accumulated till the draw date at the end of
the campaign. The more you spend, the more chances you have of winning.

Reunion Giveaways - Consolation Prize for lucky draw

20 x $50 vouchers from Rakuzen Japanese Restaurant
10 x $50 vouchers from Saboten Japanese Restaurant

There will also be a variety of other exciting promotions and giveaways during this festive
period, so be sure to stop by Millenia Walk to be rewarded. The highlights include:

● Fashion Fridays Promo: (Every Fri from 18 Jan – 1 Mar)
○ Shop for stylish Chinese New Year outfits at participating fashion stores and get
a $50 Rakuzen Dining Vouchers with a minimum of $350 spent. Valid at Angel
Republic, Stylesuite, Superlatives, Déjà vu Vintage and Hue

● Spend $888 - Sweet Sweet Success Valid till 4 Feb
○ Redeem a box of Kueh Lapis (500g) from The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore*
*Maximum of 3 same-day combined original receipts. Limited to 1 redemption per shopper per day

● Spend $50: Parking Treats
○ Be rewarded with complimentary parking this Lunar New Year

● Spend $228: Packets of Good Luck Valid till 4 Feb
○ Receive an exclusive set of limited edition Red Packets*
*Maximum of 3 same-day combined original receipts. Limited to 1 redemption per shopper per day

● Different decorative Red Packs available for redemption every six days between 12th
Jan and 4th Feb 2019. Receive an exclusive set of Red Packets, with a new design
released every 6 days!

Design 1 : 12 Jan to 17 Jan
Design 2: 18 Jan to 23 Jan
Design 3: 24 Jan to 29 Jan
Design 4: 30 Jan to 4 Feb

*Maximum of 3 same-day combined original receipts, Limited to 1 redemption per
shopper per day.

So with so many great deals and promotions going on, why not make Millenia Walk a choice when it comes to celebrating this Chinese New Year reunion?

Address: 9 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039596
Service Desk Tel: 65 6883 1122
Nearest MRT Station: Right above Promenade Station, Circle Line
Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm
URL: http://www.milleniawalk.com
fb: fb.com/milleniawalkofficial
ig: @milleniawalk


XOXO

[Personal] Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival 2018

Although the Mid-Autumn Festival is not considered a public holiday, I still celebrates it without fail. I hope that this tradition will continues with my girl as I had so much fond memories of celebrating it with the candle lit lanterns and munching on the mooncakes. As years goes by, most of the traditions had evolved. Instead of candle lit lanterns, kids nowadays carried LED light lanterns. The mooncakes had also evolve from the traditional baked ones to the snowskins with so much flavours to choose from. Even the mooncake boxes is now a talking point with so much details put in to making it.

This year, I received some very nice and unique mooncake boxes that I would like to share in this post. 

Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncake

CRYSTAL JADE - DISNEY'S MICKEY AND FRIENDS MUSICAL CAROUSEL COLLECTION

This is indeed a collectible item for any Disney fan. When I was told to collect the mooncake, I was expecting those normal square box of 4 baked mooncakes or those wardrobe kind so I was pleasantly surprise when I saw this. Even took so much photos of this with Rena. The only downpoint was that the box was too big and challenging to store after using. One suggestion I probably could think of is to make it into like a portable lantern. This way, I could carry it out like carrying a lantern and have the mooncakes kept inside.

"Designed based on specially-commissioned drawings by Disney’s artists, the beautiful rose gold-gilded tin box; which is lit from within, is a musical carousel that features the beloved characters of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy, on a merry-go-round ride to the joyful tune of ‘Mickey Mouse March’. 

Within the carousel is a tea-party-ready two-tier dessert tray, with eight petite gems in two delicious flavours. Definite crowd-pleasers, Pandan Lotus with gula Melaka 椰糖班兰莲蓉 (coral pink) is a harmonious blend of two quintessential South-east Asian ingredients, while Chocolate Manuka honey 巧克力麦卢卡蜂蜜 (light brown) marries the intense and rich flavour of premium Manuka honey with quality milk chocolate. The dessert tray is reusable as an elegant table centrepiece after the mooncakes have been consumed!" 

A gift to me from my boss and his wife. 

PARADISE GROUP - TURQUOISE JAPANESE BENTO-LIKE MOONCAKE BOX

This Japanese bento-like box comes in a unique turquoise colour that even the office receptionist loves it. There is also a crystal embedded "樂" which means happy. As there is another restaurant name with "樂" in their name, many got confused with which this is from. The name is actually printed on the mooncake itself. The set also comes with a complimentary tin of Paradise Groups glutinous rice tea that one can enjoy while eating the mooncakes.

A gift to me from one of the clients.  

SINGAPORE MARRIOTT TANG PLAZA HOTEL - WARDROBE TYPE MOONCAKE BOX

This is the most traditional looking box. Red and gold are the favourite colours of any traditional chinese festival. Opened up the door to reveal 4 drawers that can be pulled out for the mooncakes. 

1,000 points from Ryden's M1 account and an additional payment of $20 

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations

This year was first year celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with my girl. I remembered I had a doraemon lantern in the storeroom at my parents house so I asked my mom to search for it and luckily, she found it. It was still in good condition and we carried it to the mid-autumn celebration.We went to the one at organized by our CC.

On the actual day, I received a Mian Bao Chao Ren lantern from my colleague who sat beside me. It was very cute and had two modes, one was to switch the lights on and the other was to switch the lights with music.In both modes, it could move on the floor by itself. When it bumped into an obstacle, it was even able to move away from it. Rena was so fascinated with this and played with it a couple of days. 

Disney Tsum Tsum Themed Mid-Autumn Celebration of Love at VivoCity 

Having seen so many photos of this lovely place that I told Ryden I need to go there before the whole thing was taken down. The last day of the installation was 30th September and we went down on that very last day. The place was located at VivoCity's Sky Park Level 3. The whole entire rooftop garden had turned into a magical Disney Tsum Tsum lantern installations. As it was free entry, the place was very popular and had a huge crowd.

Famous Love Quotes from the different Disney fairy tales at the different sector. My favourite is the one from Mulan.

Next, we moved on to the 40m tunnel of love!

VivoCity is the only shopping mall that has put in so much effort in bringing out the atmosphere of mid-autumn. A pity we didn't catch this at night, it would had been so much more beautiful and cooler. The sun was scorching hot when we went.

That's all for my sharing on Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hope everyone had a wonderful September. 

Counting down to Christmas soon! 

XOXO