Khye Reading Mandarin Flash Cards @ 5 Yrs 4 Mths

It has been awhile since Khye attended the Mandarin class.
And we are so glad to see how well he has progressed, considering the whole household are "bananas" - Daddy, Mummy, Ah-Kong, Ah-Ma, Pho-pho, Yee-Pho, Yee-yee all included. lol.

He has always loves  Chinese / Mandarin, and he even took home to the Best Chinese Reader award from his kindy. 

He has also always been a really good in reading Flash Cards.
He learns to read Mandarin words through Flash Cards in his Mandarin class. And that is how he learns how to read better I guess.

He brings home cards from his class once he knows the word/meaning. So some days he will bring home a card or two. Some days five to ten cards. It all depends.

We don't practise the cards at home.
Why? Because well, I don't have the time. #lifeofmumof3kids
And I think he needs to play more at home.
And also I may teach him wrongly later. Haha.

Last week, he brought home a stack of 51 cards. His teacher told me he knows all these cards in one class. (But then some of the cards he learned before in the earlier syllabus).

And so for fun, to test him out, I took a video of him reading the Flash Cards to me this morning!

I love how he reads it then tells me the meaning in English, with actions thrown in as well! haha. So cute! Love his expressions!

And so I am really proud of how well he has been doing!
Kudos to the teachers in his Mandarin Class! Thank you very much.
It is all their effort and Khye himself!!! :)

Hope you continue to love Mandarin as you do now.

Vern's First Few Days at Playschool

4 January 2018 - Attending Trial Class

And now is time for my littlest baby Yiu-Vern to attend playschool.

He has just turned 2 1/2 years old (30 mo).
Shern koko went to playschool at age 2 years 8 mths.
Khye koko went to playschool at age 2 years 7 mths.
And so it is about time for Vern to go.

I chose the same playschool I sent Khye last time.
He even takes the same Mickey Mouse schoolbag as Khye! #passmedowns #thankyou3kaufu3kaumou
The playschool which I like because it is one of the few playschools in Penang that really emphasize PLAY!

The head teacher there tells me often from Khye's time until now, "When the kid has enough play, it is easy and the kid will be ready to absorb everything!"

How can you not love a playschool like this, right?
And at only 2 1/2 yo, what else do you want them to do other than play?

And so this playschool has lots of playtime and no academics.
They play outdoor for 1 to 1 1/2 hours every day. There are wooden playhouse with slides and ropes and stairs, and a big garden for them to run and to play with the balls, and sand and water, etc.
It's unstructured play which I super love for little kids.

Vern loves the sand and you can find him at the sandpit most of the time. His pants are usually sent home brown and now I send him to school with cheap pants I bought from the market! Haha.
He also loves throwing balls and just running around with the other children.

And they have singing, and art and craft time too.
He comes home singing some CNY songs. I'm surprised to see him repeating songs he learned at just 2 1/2yo.
And I love their unstructured art. They give them crayons and paints and an empty drawing block. And he brings home his masterpieces from time to time. "_"

And oh ya, he still brings his Turtle to school with him. Turtle stays in his school bag during school hours.
Look at him holding his turtle while preparing to go to school! ;)

4 Jan 2018

So how did it go?
First few days of trial classes were fine. He was all happy and smiley.
After 3 days, he grew smarter (just like all my kids when they realized this is an every day thingy!).
He wanted to go to school, but then he also wanted me to stay next to him!
Clever or not!

And so he started crying when I left drop him off in the mornings.
But after 3 days of crying when I left him, he stopped crying when he realized that I will always be there to pick him up after school.
And school is only 3 1/2 hours long! (too short for mummy!)

And so after about a week, there is now no more crying when I leave him there.
Just "kiss and hug mummy at the door" and "mummy will come back very fast"
And this recent 2 days he tells me "mummy go market first and cook rice for Yiu-Vern"! haha.
Very true. I think the aunties there tells him this and so he repeats after them.

And so now happy smiley face near school grounds.
I will say that he is now more or less quite settled in his playschool now.

And it helps when the head teacher quite often send me whatsapp photos of him playing/eating and also reassuring me my son is in good hands and learning to be independent!

11 January 2018

I hope there would be no more crying from now on.
I hope he continues to enjoy school and play hard in school.
Here is Vern giving you a GOOD sign (although he knows how to do good with his thumbs now!)

12 January 2018

And with my littlest baby now away in school, I realized all my babies are growing up.
One in Primary, the other one in Kindy and now the littlest is in Playschool.

Ooooohhhh...don't grow up so fast little Vern!


p/s - The first day Vern saw me picking him up from school, the first thing he said was "I want nen-nen (erm...breastfeeding time!)" and so I needed to tell him we can't have nen-nen in school.
And so now he will tell me "school have playground and food and friends but no nen-nen!"
"_"

Review & Giveaway: Four Cow Farm's Family & Mother's All-Natural Range

I've always been a fan of Four Cow Farm products after I tried their Baby Range a few years back.
And now I've been given the opportunity to try their new range:-  Family Range & Mother's All-Natural Range!
Now let me refresh your memory on who is Four Cow Farm.


SO WHO IS FOUR COW FARM?

Four Cow Farm is a real farm nestled in the hills of the Blackhall Range in South-East Queensland. Four Cow Farm was started by a Midwife, Mum & Grandmother who wanted to make creams and balms that were as good and natural as possible for her two little grandchildren (one of whom was born with eczema). Using her own time-tested recipes and traditional ingredients, Nanna’s labour of love began as a gift to her two little ones. 

Nanna is a former midwife, nutritionist and natural remedies advocate so is very strict and particular about ingredients! It's her recipes and her selection of ingredients that go into the recipes, every single ingredient is food-grade (including preservatives and emulsifiers).  So when you open a jar or bottle from Four Cow Farm, what you see is what you get - the colours, textures and fragrances come from our wonderful ingredients themselves, and nothing else. And every product is still made on their family farm, where she personally oversees (and has a hand in most of the making!) herself. 

Four Cow Farm’s range of products are made right here at the farm, from the finest ingredients from sources and suppliers they know and trust. All their products are made from 100% renewable energy and packaged in 100% recyclable bottles and jars and are 100% biodegradable. And they are animal-lovers ourselves, so no animals are ever harmed in the making and testing of their products.

(Source: Four Cow Farm's Website)

It came in a medium sized box with FRAGILE sticker on it.

Upon opening up the box, I saw lotsa recycled papers stuffed to the brim and also a brochure of the products. This is to protect the products from being bumped around the box.
I could also see how all the individual bottles we carefully bubble-wrapped to minimize spillage, which I really like.
Overall, I like how much care they put into packaging their goods for delivery.

 

However, I received the latest news from Four Cow Farm that they have recently further improved their packaging, and below is their latest packaging.

I love how they no longer use recycled boxes and have their own boxes.

Their packaging are now so simple yet so pretty they make a good gift box too.  

Upon unwrapping, all the bottles were tightly closed and sealed, with no leakage at all. 

  

Now, let'e see all the products all lined up.

I'm going to break them into 2 categories.

A) Four Cow Farm's Family Range

Four Cow Farm's Family Range follows in its footsteps, also made right in Nanna's workshop on their family farm in Australia. The range contains only the finest food-grade ingredients, preservatives and emulsifiers, and is a selection of the best products for soothing and caring for both young and not-so-young skins alike!

This Family Range is completely food grade, and is safe enough to use everywhere on the face and body. Formulated with absolutely no harmful artificial additives or chemicals, and with only the safest ingredients suitable for all in the entire family.

B) Four Cow Farm's Mother's All-Natural Range

 

Their newest Mother's All-Natural products contains also the finest ingredients intended for use on stretched or stressed skin going through the ups and downs of pregnancy or post-natal fatigue, or any skin requiring continuing extra loving care and attention.

It is also safe enough to use anywhere on the face or body, and with only the finest ingredients safe for mothers and newborns, it is the perfect start to caring for skin from pregnancy and beyond!

A) Four Cow Farm's Family Range - i) Traditional Castile Hair & Body Wash

 

First item is this range is the Traditional Castile Hair & Body Wash. It is made ONLY with Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil and Organic Roman Chamomile Essential Oil One ingredient to note is the Organic Roman Chamomile Essential Oil which is excellent for soothing the skin.

This Hair & Body Wash is good for the entire family, from newborn to toddler to adult.

I actually brought this along with me for our trip to Cape Town last year. I didn't want to bring so many toiletries there to save space but I brought this along as this can be used for everyone in our family. 

And this one is for both hair and body as well! How good is that! (But for my long hair, I did use a natural conditioner after that!)

One item for all! 

And for that I had no regrets. If you are used to using natural/organic toiletries then you would not be surprised that it does not lather much. 

I like that it is quite liquid thus easier to pour, though I would prefer a pump opening for this bottle if possible.

And seriously, our skin is so smooth after using it. I actually like this more than the Baby range's Baby Wash. This is because with this one, the whole family can use and the effect is as good as the baby wash! Try it to believe it! ;)

This is also my favourite item for this range. As all Four Cow Farm products, it is 100% Natural and is made with Organic Ingredients. The list of ingredients is with words you can pronounce and is also vegan-free and paraben-free. One thing to note is that it is also nut, soy, oat & dairy-free.  

A) Four Cow Farm's Family Range - ii) Gotu Kola & Calendula Rich Cream Salve

This is the other item in the Family Range - Gotu Kola & Calendula Rich Cream Salve.

This item is an excellent product for hypersensitive and dry skin as it has two core moisturizing ingredient which is the Gotu Kola and Calendula.

I did mention about how I used the Calendula Remedy on Khye's sensitive skin and some rough patches. And I find this equally as good as well. Some rough patches on my kids elbow and knees do go away after some weeks of application. I think it does a good job in moisturizing it. 

And I find that it also helps to sooth the sunburn skins of my kids while they go out and explored Cape Town every day.  

But I don't like the smell of it that much. It smells strongly of olive oil I guess but then my kids didn't complain, so I guess it is just me! But the smell goes away after awhile or maybe because we get immune to it. 

 

And as all its other products, it is 100% Natural and is made with Organic Ingredients. The list of ingredients is with words you can pronounce and is also vegan-free and paraben-free. One thing to note is that it is also nut, soy, oat & dairy-free.  

B) Four Cow Farm's Mother's All-Natural Range -  i) Castile Hair & Body Wash

I am thrilled to be able to try out the Mother's All-Natural Range because it is always the kids that got pampered in all the natural and organic stuff. And now finally, there is a range who understands mum and that is catered just for the mums. Thank you so much Four Cow Farm!

I received this 1 1/2 yrs post partum but it is never too late to pamper oneself I believe. 

And so I was so keen to try on their Castile Hair & Body Wash.

Mother's Wash contains of Organic Pomegranate extract which is known to possess enormous antioxidant benefits and its unique skin fortifying effect.

This is perfect for post-natal mum skin like mine that require greater care. 

By the way, this is also recommended to all ladies and men out there as well. 

Look at the list of ingredients - short and sweet. 

 

This one though I use for my both hair and body, my unruly hair requires the use of a little hair conditioner after it. 

I think I felt weird without conditioner as I am so used to it, but maybe you can try without it and see if it combs alright.

B) Four Cow Farm's Mother's All-Natural Range -  ii) Daily Rich Cream Salve

This is a must for me as I have really dry skin. 

This is especially so after I've given birth to 3 babies (or is it maybe I aged?), my skin especially on my legs are so dry and sometimes I feel like they are not my legs as it looks like some snake skin. 

This Daily Rich Cream is especially useful also on our stretched belly as our skin stretched throughout the pregnancy and so it needs all the pampering and care now. 

I am lucky I do not have those red streak stretch marks but then I can also feel that my belly skin are stretched almost to the max and needs lotsa moisture now. 

Just like the Gotu Kola & Calendula Rich Cream Save, I am not so fond of the smell but then knowing that I am putting so much goodness into my skin makes it worth it. 

This item uses Rosehip Oil and Camellia Oil which are antioxidant-packed and also rejuvenating in nature to help our skin heal. 

B) Four Cow Farm's Mother's All-Natural Range -  iii) Intensive Restorative Oil

I don't use this daily as I find the Rich Cream Salve is sufficient to do its work. 

However, I find it really useful when I am travelling overseas, especially to dry climate countries. We went for holiday a few months ago and the air was very dry there. It was also the cold and dry season.

My skin were dry, especially my legs. And to my amazement, when I applied the Intensive Restorative Oil on my legs, it absorbed into my skin almost immediately. 

This shows how dry my legs skin were and also how good is the oil that allows good absorption.

And a plus point is that this is a small bottle, thus making this portable and good for travel use. 

So this item is on my to-pack list whenever I go out of country. I know my skin will thank me then. 

All in all, I must say I am still a huge fan of Four Cow Farm products.

In fact, this is the only brand that I know that you can practically EAT the products. Yes, the ingredient list is so pure and is food-grade and I'm so in awe of the products from Four Cow Farm. 

I find this especially great for newborns or people with sensitive skins. 

So what are you waiting for? 

Place your order now to try! 

Try it to believe it! 

TO PURCHASE 

Please visit Four Cow Farm's Malaysia Website,
and for more info, please visit their Facebook page.



GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)
I am pleased to announce that Four Cow Farm is sponsoring 2 sets of Family Range & 2 sets of Mother's All-Natural Range to 4 lucky winners!

The set consist of:-1.)  Four Cow Farm's Family Range - 2 sets

each consists of

1 unit x Traditional Castile Hair & Body Wash 250ml

1 unit x Gotu-Kota & Calendula Rich Cream Salve 125ml

2.)  Four Cow Farm's Mother's All-Natural Range - 2 sets

each consists of

1 unit x Mother's Castile Hair & Body Wash 185ml

1 unit x Mother’s All-Natural Daily Rich Cream Salve 185ml

1 unit x Mother’s All-Natural Intensive Restorative Oil 85ml

Win a set for your family , or maybe for your friend's family. :")




HOW TO JOIN 

This giveaway is open to my Malaysian readers. (or as long as you have a Malaysian mailing address!)

Giveaway runs for 1 week and ends on 31st January 2018 (Wednesday) 11.59pm Malaysian time.

Please fill up the Rafflecopter(s) below and follow the instructions to to be eligible for a chance to win this giveaway!
You can enter BOTH Rafflecopters but you can only win ONE prize!



WINNER(S) ANNOUNCEMENT

Thank you to all who participated in this giveaway. 

The winners of the Four Cow Farm's Mother's All-Natural Range  are  Sherming Chua and Shu-Min.

The winners of the Four Cow Farm's Family Range  are Choo Jin Yee & Karen.

Congratulations to all!  
The winners will be receiving an email from me and also from Four Cow Farm on how to collect the prize(s) soon.

[Please reply the email within 48 hours with your contact details (full name, contact#, delivery address). 

If not, another winner will be chosen to replace you.]

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner(s) will be chosen randomly using the Rafflecopter and will be posted in this post and will also be contacted via email.

If no reply from the winner(s) within 48 hours, then I will announce a new winner(s).

* Disclosure: I received the Four Cow Farm's Family Range & Mother's All-Natural Range for review purpose, but no monetary incentive was received. All text and opinions are of my own and represents my honest opinion of the product(s).

Glamping With Kids: Lost World of Tambun @ Ipoh

Camping @ Lost World of Tambun - 6-7 Jan 2018

So last weekend, I took my kids for glamping @ Lost World of Tambun (LWOT) in Ipoh.

Glamorous + Camping = Glamping!

We were initially apprehensive if we should go on with our Glamping plans as just on Friday, a few places in Penang was flooded as it rained for like 12hrs+.
But I've already postponed this trip twice, and I dared not postpone again.
So we decided to just go and try our luck!

So, Hubby & I took Shern & Khye for a 2 hour ride to Ipoh. My sis, Min tagged along too.
I left Vern to my parents as he is a bit too young for all the water slides. If he had went, guess who would'nt get to play? "_"
So thanks to my parents & ah-yee taking care of Vern for the weekend.

Reached LWOT at about 10.15am.
Took a happy photo with these macho guys at the entrance. (Erm, not all are macho. The one next to me has like 6 packs though!)

Us with the Macho Guys

Then we saw this ghostly woman in costume and I asked if they would like to take a photo with her too. Surprisingly, Khye also said yes. And look at his wide smile.
I guess my Khye is a baby no more.  

Shern & Khye with the Eerie lady

We didn't know where to check-in. Went to the Theme Park entrance to ask, then they pointed us to the Hotel to register. The hotel is opposite the road of the Theme Park.  On the way there, saw a buggy driver and he told us checking-in is at the Theme Park entrance.

Went back there and the person at the counter said we have to check-in at the hotel first. No choice but to walk back there again. Upon reaching the hotel, saw the driver and he told us we must register at the Theme Park. I told him we've been going to and fro several times already.
In the end he drove us there and accompanied us for the check-in and registration.

Not a very good start to our day.
But after 15 mins, we got our wrist band tickets and breakfast voucher and everything.
The buggy driver drove us to our campsite which is located in the Theme Park itself.

Us in the Buggy Ride

That's the buggy bringing us to our campsite. 

Upon reaching the campsite, I quickly calmed down as I love how serene the place was.
The campsite is in Adventure Park, just next to the Zip Line activity.

There are 5 campsites just next to each other along one bank of the lake.
And another one near to the toilet.
And lastly another floating tent on the lake itself. (Will never choose this one! I will sure vomit in there lol)

The Floating Campsite

Campsite#4 and #5 were already taken. But the rest, we got to pick since we arrived so early.
We chose Campsite#3, which was more shaded by the trees.
I figured out we needed the shade in case it got too hot. And also needed the shade if it rained too heavily! "_"

This is how our tent/campsite looked like from the side view. 

Look how shaded it was. 

Love the wooden table and bench provided outside our tent. 

Now let's look inside.
Our tent was long in shape.
At one end was the queen sized bed, where hubby & I slept.
At the other end opposite us were the kids' beds.
And there was a small table/drawer in the middle with 2 fans plugged in.
There was even a full length mirror with some hangers behind, and a small close-lid rubbish bin there.

  

4 mineral water bottles were provided (you can ask for more if not enough).
They also provided for us shampoo, body gel and body lotions.
There was also a towel each.
And most importantly of all, there was a power socket for us to charge our phones!

TIP: Bring a 3-way electric socket so that you can charge more than 1 devices at the same time!

They also provide you a padlock with 2 keys to lock up your tent.
But we brought our own coz ours is the lock with the numbers so easier as we don't have to keep the keys!!! :)

This is the view when peering out of our tent "door". So peaceful and nice.

There are kayaks which you can use it to kayak on the lake. Look at the life jackets hanging there.

 Us standing next to our campsite.

 

So many people ask me, "how to go to toilet and shower ah?"
Do not fret.
There is a toilet/shower building just nearby there.
This is the building. Looking really good right?

This is the front view.
On the right is the Shower area divided into Male and Female.
Male and Female has 2 shower rooms each.

And on the left is the Toilet divided into Male and Female.
Male and Female also has 2 toilet rooms each.

In front of the Toilet is the open tap area. This is where you brush your teeth etc.
There is also a sink in the shower area where you can brush your teeth there too.

Oh ya, and the toilet is very, very clean. No smell.

And nearby our campsites is this common area where you can buy some drinks/snacks or just to chit chat and play some darts.

Hot water and Coffee is also provided there.

And this is the place where you can request for buggy rides to get to the entrance / breakfast place etc.

I was glad we went because the weather was nearly perfect.
First of all, we were glad it did not rain the whole day like the day before.
It was cloudy the day we arrived all the way until about 4+pm when it started to drizzle.

By that time, we finished all the Wet Park and everyone was already very tired.
Khye even slept on the Train Ride on the way back to campsite.
We rested awhile there where Khye took a 1-hour nap in the tent.

And then at about 6pm we came out again to have some dinner at the food court and then off we went for the Night Hot Sprint Spa. (will blog more about it in the next blog post).

After that, we went back to our campsite to call it a day.
Everyone showered and brushed our teeth and we all slept at 10+pm!

We zipped up our tent all the way because we didn't want strangers peering into our tent while we were sleeping (just in case!).
But if you want, you can leave one zip open, it will be locked but with a mosquito netting while the air can blow in.

We turned on the fan and we still need the comforters provided.
So I should say it was a really cooling and pleasant night sleep in the tent.


Love again how we were surrounded by the limestone hills and lotsa greeneries.

 Mirror-lake View :)

My kids enjoy their many buggy rides with the very nice uncle driver where they get to sit in front sometimes. :)

Taking photo with the nice Uncles before we checked out.
These guys take shifts and they are the ones taking care of us throughout our Glamping stay.
They are also the Buggy Drivers / Receptionist / Zip Line guides.
They are all very very nice people.

So besides the slight hiccup when we first arrived, it was an amazing stay.
We truly enjoyed our Glamping Stay there where we were so nicely taken care of.

So how much did we pay for it?
We took the Family Package for RM588!!!


Family Package - RM588
> Glamping 2 Days 1 Night for 2 Adults + 2 Kids
> 2 Days Day & Night Theme Park for 2 Adults + 2 Kids (inclusive of Wet Park, Dry Park, Night Hot Spring Park/Spa, Day & Night Petting Zoo)
> Buffet Breakfast for 2 Adults + 2 Kids

Add on - RM120 per adult including Extra Bed, Buffet Breakfast and 2 Days Theme Park.


It was soooooo worth it! Check out the entrance fee and you will see how worth it, it was!
And we had so much fun there!
I will blog more about our 2 days in the Lost World of Tambun in the next post....



p/s - I booked this last year.
It looks like price has been increased to RM788 now for Family Package. (So I paid RM588 only so I lagi feel is super worth it!)

***Please take note that this post is NOT sponsored. I booked the Family Package myself and paid with my own money. All text and opinions are of my own and represents my honest opinion of the product(s)/service(s).