Kids Craft: Gold Fish & Lantern for Chinese New Year (CNY)

Growing up, I always made crafts out of leftover angpow packets with my mum prior to Chinese New Year. Our favorites (and really easy to do ones) are goldfish 金鱼 and Chinese lantern 灯笼. And this year, I made them with my kids too, some to decorate our house with and some for the kids to bring to school to decorate their classrooms with to create a festive air.

Let's welcome the Year of the Goat ;)

How to Make Gold Fish 金 鱼 using Angpow Packets

What you need: Red angpow packets, Scissors, Stapler

Optional: Googly eyes, Glue, Ribbon

Instructions:
1. First, cut off the flap end from the red packet.  Fold the red packet into half, then cut along folded line. You will have two squares to make 2 fish.

2. Take one square and fold into half to form a triangle. Using a scissors, cut along the folded line to the centre. You will also need to cut the sealed sides. Also, on the opposite end, cut out a small diamond shape for the mouth.

3. Cross the two sides to make your tail. The centre of the fish should be puffed up on both sides to get a nice 3-D shape. Staple the tail to hold it's shape. If you like, you can stick on a googly eye just above the mouth.

4. Cut a length of ribbon or strip from angpow paper and make a loop and staple to top of the fish. You can now hang this fish anywhere in your home.

How to make a Chinese red lantern 灯笼 from angpow packets

What you need: Red angpow packet, Scissors, Stapler, Red thread.


Instructions:
1. First, cut off the flap end of the red packet. Fold it in half lengthwise, then using your scissors, cut thin strips from centre until about 1cm from the top. Repeat for the whole length.

2. Open the red packet and then bring both ends together, bending slightly and then staple to hold shape. Cut a strip of red angpow paper, and then stapler to the top for the handle. Also, cut a length of red thread and tie ends, now you can hang this anywhere you like in your home.

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JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™: For Savvy Students

I am one of those parents who likes scrutinizing labels on food products to see exactly what my kids would be consuming. It is important to me that my kids get the right nutrients so that they can grow up well.

An important nutrient that every growing child should have in their diet is DHA. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that makes up the brain main structure and is essential for growth and functional development of the brain in children.

Recently, I was introduced to JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™, which originates from California, USA. It is a specially formulated chocolate drink with high DHA content and carefully balanced 12 vitamins and 10 minerals, specifically vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, vitamin D, magnesium and iodine - all the requisite nutrients for a child to grow up smart, strong and successful. The DHA content in JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ is one of the highest in the Malaysian market - amazing!

Other than being high in DHA, vitamins and minerals, JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ is also free from trans fatty acid as well as being high in dietary fibre , protein, calcium, iron, and zinc.

Here are several reasons why I think JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ is a fantastic, nutritious drink for my children (and perhaps yours too).

Q stands for Quotients and a child needs complete nourishment to enhance her Q's - IQ (Intelligence Quotient), EQ (Emotional Quotient), CQ (Creativity Quotient), FQ (Fitness Quotient), CcQ (Concentration Quotient) and more. You need to nourish your child's Q's first before your child can achieve those straight A's. JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ can help stimulate the development of your child's Q's. (read more about Qs)

By providing our children with the right nutrients, they are able to do well in their studies. :)

JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ is fortified with iodine, which optimizes thyroid gland functions which in turn helps improve a child's mental growth and intellectual prowess. This is important for me, as I would love for my daughter to be confident, proactive and interactive in school. This way, she will be able to strive for academic excellence.

Going to school, as happy and confident children.

JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ is high in DHA (28mg per 28g serving). DHA, as mentioned previously, is the building block of a healthy mind and body and a crucial nourishment to trigger original thoughts and imaginative plays. This will help our child engage in creative play, thinking "out of the box" and come up with many ingenious ideas. 

Both my kids are pretty creative, as they always create their own games using household products and we enjoy making crafts together using toilet rolls or paper plates. It would be great if JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ can help them further advance their creative potential.

Making snowmen out of toilet rolls at Christmas time

JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ contains magnesium, which will be able to help my daughter improve her attention and concentration in school, and promotes healthy sleep after a long day of school and activities. This is especially important since my daughter spends a long day in school and needs to recharge to face another busy day.

It also contains vitamin B1, B2 and B3 which is crucial for the release of energy from carbohydrate, which children need for cognitive and physical activities. My daughter loves cycling, yoga, badminton and swimming so JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ will be able to provide adequate nourishment to replace the nutrients lost during exercise. JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ is also high in vitamin D and seaweed calcium which enhance the absorption of calcium and promote bone growth in children.

Each box comes with 15 sachets (28g each) of wholesome, nutritious chocolate milk powder and is priced at RM39.90. Simply mix 1 sachet with 180ml warm water and stir until dissolved, and it is ready to drink. We love the rich, smooth chocolate taste of JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ - so delicious, my daughter finished the whole glass in 2 minutes!

Having a glass of JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ after her badminton lesson

JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ is suitable for children and teenagers aged 6 to 18, as well as young adults from 19 to 22 years old. And yes - moms and dads can drink it too, afterall our bodies never outgrow the need for DHA, vitamins and minerals. However, please note that this product is not suitable for infants or for those with lactose intolerance.

Mummy can enjoy it with the kids too :)

JoyAmaze™ Inspired!™ is available at leading pharmacies and Chinese medical halls or you can also purchase it online at Rakuten. Do visit their website, Facebook (JoyAmazeOfficial), or Instagram (@joyamaze) for more info.


*This is a sponsored post.

Merry Christmas + How We Spent Christmas 2014

Wishing all my dear readers and friends...

a very Merry Christmas, 

Frohe Weihnachten,

Joyeux Noël, 

Feliz Navidad

圣诞节快乐!

Have a wonderful, blessed celebration.

*************************

Good morning! For Christmas Day breakfast, we had fluffy "A-Merry-Kan" (American) pancakes with fresh berries, whipped cream, maple syrup and caramel sauce! Recipe can be found here.

After breakfast, we opened some presents... 

Some of the things the kids requested from Santa Claus this year.... Sylvanian Families Pizza Parlor, Ice Cream Van and Candy Cart to add to their collection.

And while the kids were playing with their new toys... mummy cooked lunch..... a really delicious risotto with seared scallops and foie gras! Garnished with some lemon cress. So so good! You can check out the recipe here. Thanks to my team of sous chefs who helped out - The Unc and Hubby :)

Tea Break at 2.30pm - Pandoro, Japonais, Walker's Scottish shortbread, German Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and Wagon wheels. YUM!

Our Christmas Dinner - so pleased that I managed to cook 7 tenderloin steaks to perfection tonight as well as balsamic roasted chicken for my guests who do not take beef. Side dishes include roasted potatoes with rosemary and thyme, brussel sprouts and baby carrots as well as an avocado and tobiko salad.

Paired with Moet & Chandon champagne.. cheers!

YUM.. perfectly cooked steak!

Ending our Christmas celebrations on a high note with this awesome cheese platter, consisting of Camembert, Parmesan, Cheddar, Emmental, Gouda and Blue Cheese, as well as chorizo, dried figs, strawberries, sun dried tomatoes, goose liver pate with truffles and Riesling.

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MARIGOLD UHT Milk: A healthy kid is an active kid

As a full time mum, my days are filled with lots of activities involving my kids. Both Hubby and I encourage our kids to have an active lifestyle as we believe that they will benefit greatly from it.

From the age of 1 plus, both my kids would go for daily evening walks with us. Not only can they keep fit and healthy, we can also bond together as a family. However, nowadays the kids have less time since they have school and homework to do once they get home, but we still find time to play in our garden/decking (something simple like playing ball or catch or jumping around). On weekends, we would take them to the nearby park to play in the playground as well as for jogging/walks.

After a morning of fun in the garden - our kids bonding with each other :)

My daughter and I also started going for parent-child yoga classes this year. We always have so much fun together at our yoga classes and have a good laugh with one another. You can encourage your children to lead an active lifestyle by joining in the fun, being supportive and they will be glad to have your companionship.

An active child will be able to grow and develop well and improve cardiovascular fitness. When we do yoga, it helps in improving our balance and posture - when we first started yoga lessons, our yoga instructor had to remind us to sit tall but now it comes naturally.

Since our kids love to eat (just like their mummy!), being active also helps them maintain a healthy weight. And when they're active, they are usually healthy, strong and have an alert mind. This will also help them academically, to be more motivated and build their self-esteem.

Improved balance

An active lifestyle = an alert mind, so my kids can do well academically too.

Kids need to have a balanced diet in order to get the right nutrients to grow up strong and healthy. For dinner, we will usually have rice/porridge, meat, and vegetables, followed by fruits for dessert. Calcium and protein is important for active children as it helps them grow well, have strong bones and they can get this through dairy products and drinking milk such as MARIGOLD UHT Milk.

Milk is important in building strong bones, which is crucial in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. When kids have strong healthy bones to support their body, then they can do all the physical activities that they want and need to. We love MARIGOLD UHT Milk, as it is enriched with calcium, protein, as well as MARIGOLD UHT Milk's unique BonePlus formulation of Vitamin D which aids in better calcium absorption and bone growth. MARIGOLD UHT Milk - Very Healthy, Very Good.

A child with strong, healthy bones will have a strong foundation to enjoy an active lifestyle

MARIGOLD UHT Milk is available at all leading supermarkets, hypermarts, convenience stores, petrol marts, mini marts and provision stores in Malaysia. For more info on the product, please visit www.marigold.com.my/uht.html.

*This is a sponsored post.


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Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids: How to Make a Snowman with Toilet Roll

We love Christmas month. Every day, my kids would look forward to opening their advent calendar and we have also been visiting the malls to check out and take photos with the Christmas decor. Over the weekend, we got into craft-making mode and made these cute snowmen using toilet roll.

Thanks to my son who likes collecting toilet rolls, we never have shortage of craft supply - toilet rolls come in really handy for crafts. These are really easy to make so you can definitely get your kids involved. Proud to display this in our home for our visitors and friends to see. :)

How to Make Cute Snowmen from Toilet Rolls

Things you'll need: Toilet roll (x1), Red art paper, Orange art paper, White A4 paper, Pom poms (x2), Craft eye (x2), Ribbon, double-sided tape, black marker pen, scissors, glue stick/craft glue.

Time required: 10-15 minutes

Instructions:

1. First, cut out a piece of white paper enough to wrap around the toilet roll. Wrap and secure with double-sided tape or glue. 

2. For the face: Stick on the eyes at the top of the toilet roll. Cut out a triangle-shape from the orange art paper, then stick on under the eyes for the snowman's nose. Draw a mouth using the marker pen.

3. For the ear muffs: Cut out a 10cmx1cm strip from the red art paper. Apply glue to the ends and stick  to the side of the face (at eye level). Stick on the two pom poms with double-sided tape.

3. For the scarf: Cut out a ribbon measuring 28cm. Wrap around the toilet roll and tie a knot at the front. The scarf should be below the mouth, in the centre of the roll. You can also cut out a strip from an old cloth or woolly socks.

4. Using the marker pen, draw buttons below the ribbon.

Note: You can get craft supplies from either Mr DIY, Daiso, stationary shop or any craft shop.

Step-by-step pictorial guide on how to make a snowman

Cute Snowmen with Ear Muffs and Scarves

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MARIGOLD UHT Milk: Building Stronger Bones for Your Child

As parents, we always want to provide the best for our children. In order for our children to grow up strong and healthy, milk is one of the best food we can provide to them as it has the right balance of nutrients. In our home, my children drink milk at least 2 times a day and the adults do not miss out too.

Every morning when the children wake up, they will have a glass of milk before heading off to school. This will give them a good start to the day and enjoy the benefits that milk offer such as calcium, protein and vitamin D. Milk also contains choline that aids with learning and memory which will help them with their studies in school.

When they have a snack in the afternoon, they also like to have another glass of milk - my kids are always happy to drink milk as they think it's a really delicious drink. Secretly, mummy is delighted and rubbing her hands in glee as milk is such a nutritious drink. And just before bedtime, my children will have another glass of milk; milk contains protein which will help to grow as it is essential as a building block for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. It also works together constructively with calcium to aid bone health.

Most importantly, milk contains calcium which plays a vital role in keeping our bones strong and in preventing osteoporosis later in life. Hence, ensuring that our kids get the sufficient calcium through dairy products in their daily diet is important.

Drinking milk will ensure that my kids have healthy bones which can prevent childhood fractures. This is especially important for me since my kids love running and jumping around outdoors. Drinking milk will also decrease the risk of tooth decay and weak gums, so they will grow up with healthy teeth and big smiles. Every day challenges are easier when their foundation is stronger.

We love drinking MARIGOLD UHT Milk, as it is enriched with calcium, protein, as well as MARIGOLD's unique BonePlus formulation of Vitamin D which aids in better calcium absorption and bone growth. Drinking 2 glasses of MARIGOLD UHT Milk per day meets our daily recommended calcium intake.

MARIGOLD UHT Milk has been treated at an ultra-high temperature to ensure freshness. It also contains no preservative and is available in 250ml or 1litre Tetra-Pak packs. We really like the convenient and cute packaging.. my kids are always ask for the milk with the cute "moo-moo". :) There are 4 choices available - Full Cream, Chocolate, Strawberry and Low-Fat.

With MARIGOLD UHT Milk, our children will get all the nutrients required for building stronger bones and healthier bodies so that they can easily take on challenges they face in their daily life. This in the long run will help them build strength, ability and confidence that will last them a lifetime. MARIGOLD - Very Healthy, Very Good.

MARIGOLD UHT Milk is available at all leading supermarkets, hypermarts, convenience stores, petrol marts, mini marts and provision stores in Malaysia. For more info on the product, please visit www.marigold.com.my/uht.html .

*This is a sponsored post.