Mini-Golf for the Mini-Me

Product Review

If there is one sport that both di-di and I love playing together, it will have to be the one which sees us having to frantically hit a small ball into a hole some distance away. Or otherwise known as Golf.

Well, actually it's mini golf and if we had our way, we would love to go to putt a few balls every now and then at the mini golf course. Turns out that the our prayers were answered and the golf course came to us instead.

The myminigolf is a crossover golf game where one can play almost anywhere. Just place the obstacles randomly on the ground and its game on!

The beauty of the golf set is one can change the configurations of the golf course so that you can change the game up each time you play. And as you get better, you can even make the game a little more challenging.

Di-di and I had so much fun putting on the grass that Daddy sought to 'borrow' my club. Hmph.

myminigolf was developed as a learning tool for young people to teach some of the basic skills in putting, while keeping the putting practice both kid-friendly and fun for all.

The obstacle pieces are made in Germany and out of ABS Plastic which makes it hard and durable - definitely capable of withstanding mei-mei's rough handling I'm sure.

We love it how the mini golf set can played on almost every level surface, be it grass, tarmac, carpet or parquet floors. So yes, it would make a great time-filler too on rainy days when we have to be cooped up at home.

Ayd got a hole-in-one!

Too bad we couldn't lug the set home to try... but we certainly did enjoy our time hitting some balls. So Daddy, it'll be the actual greens next I reckon? Heh.

myminigolf is available for rental for birthday parties and other events, as well as for purchase. For rates and more information, visit www.myminigolfparty.com. 

Tulipmania comes to Gardens by the Bay

Media invite

(Daddy plants)

Starting from today, the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay will add a touch of Holland to its ever-changing flower display field.

Tulipmania is three-week event where a captivating floral display of red, pink, yellow, white and purple tulips, together with other beautiful spring flowers such as lilies, hyacinths, daffodils and muscari, bloom alongside each other to creat a spectacular landscape.

How many tulips exactly? Think one, and multiply that by 20,000! All flown in specially from The Netherlands, courtesy of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines who is the official sponsor for Tulipmania.

And in preparation for the big event, more than 100 volunteers - comprising representatives from Temasek Junior College, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Netherlands Charity Association - lent their green fingers last week to help with the tulip planting.

It seemed like so much fun that I had no qualms getting my hands dirty as well!

Actually it was pretty dummy-proof stuff. The individual tulips already came in their own small pots and all we had to do was to arrange them neatly in rows according to their colour-specified plot areas.

And once that was done, we had to pile on the compost to cover the small pots. Nothing too tiring, and it was made even more fun with the great company all around.

This was my first time seeing the flower field display being totally ripped bare and it truly an eye-opener to see all the work that went behind the scenes into the Tulips Display. And now, all that is left to do is to wait for them to bloom.

I was speaking to a staff from Gardens by the Bay and she mentioned that the Flower Dome Cooled Conservatory tempaerature will be kept at around 18 degrees in the daytime during Tulipmania with temperatures dropping down to a single digit come night, just so that the tulips will not perish that quickly. So do bring along a jacket for the kids if they are afraid of the cold!

And here's another tip - do head on down early if you want to catch the full bloom of the tulips at their finest. Tulips typically stay in bloom for 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the climate and weather. But in our climate, I reckon 7-10 days will be an achievement in itself.

A great time to visit would be during the May weekends, as a host of activities has been planned for the young and old alike - discover interesting facts about tulips with the fun-filled Tulipmania Activity Sheet; delight someone with a handmade tulip clip; enjoy cultural activities like Dutch cheese tasting and music; create a tulip postcard and mail it to an old friend; or celebrate Mother’s Day with a bouquet of fresh-cut tulips. There are also special promotions including a 15% discount on admission into the cooled conservatories during Mother’s Day weekend (10-12 May), and a chance to win a pair of tickets to Keukenhof, Holland, in 2014!

More details below:

Tulipmania Activity Sheet

Join in the exploration and discovery in the Flower Dome, as you learn with more fun facts and fun-filled Tulip-themed activities in the special Tulipmania activity sheet. You can also learn a trick or two, and surprise your loved ones with a do-it-yourself Tulip.

Date: 29 April – 20 May
Time: 9am – 8pm
Location: Flower Dome
Programme Charge: Free with purchase of Flower Dome admission ticket
Suitable for families with children, and while stocks last

Family Fun Under the Sun: Clip A Pic

Scrambling to find a right gift for your mum this Mother’s Day? Surprise her with a self-made Tulip, and present it to her with your favourite family photograph - it'll surely make her day!

Date: Saturday 4 May & Sunday 5 May
Time: 2pm – 3.30pm
Location: Entrance of Flower Dome
Programme Charge: Free
Suitable for families with children aged 12 years and below
No registration required
Slots are limited for the activities and available on a first-come-first-served basis

Tulip Cheer!

Date: Saturday 11 May & Sunday 12 May
Programme Charge: Free
Details: Refer to tables below

The Therapeutic Gardens – Messengers of Hope and Love 
Create your very own postcard and share your Tulip Field experience, sending messages of hope and love to your family and friends! How about creating one to celebrate Mother's Day? Mother's Day poems written by children from the Hollandse School Singapore will also be on display!
Timing: 10am – 6pm
Location: Exhibition Room

Snap It!
Tulips have travelled all over the world from central Asia to Europe, and are currently associated with countries such as Holland. In the spirit of cultural exchange, don a Dutch costume and take a picture in the midst of the beautiful Tulip Fields.
Timing: 10am – 6pm
Location: Flower Dome (admission charge to Flower Dome applies)

Crank it up! 
Complementing the visual feast of the Tulip Field, how about treating your ears to a cultural performance using a hand-held organ? This is surely a sight to behold!
Timing: 10am – 6pm (interval: 12pm – 2pm)
Location: Flower Dome (admission charge to Flower Dome applies)

Say Cheese! 
Food, something which Singapore has a love affair with everyday, will also feature in this line-up. Get set to taste some lip-smacking Dutch Gouda cheese and buy some home for the family to enjoy.
Timing: 10am – 7pm
Location: The Canopy (Entrance of Flower Dome)

It wasn't the tulip season while we were in Amsterdam last year and the wifey was the most disappointed one among us. So you can be sure that we will definitely be making over way down to the Flower Dome to see all the tulips in their blooming glory!

UPDATED: The tulips have BLOOMED!!!
Click HERE for my return visit to the Flower Dome, this time with my family!

What. A. Sight.

Useful Details:

TULIPMANIA
Date: Monday, 29 April – Monday, 20 May
Time: 9am – 9pm (as per Flower Dome operation hours)
Location: Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
Charge: Admission charge to the Flower Dome applies.

* During Tulipmania, single conservatory tickets will be on sale for $10 (U.P $12) for Adults and $7 (U.P $8) for senior citizens and children. Do note that this promotional offer is only available to Local Residents, and must be purchased at the ticket booth between 29 April - 20 May, 2013.

Click HERE for other types of admission fees.

* In addition, enjoy a 15% discount on admission into the cooled conservatories during Mother’s Day weekend (10-12 May).

Website: http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/the-gardens/whats-on/tulipmania.html#!/highlights

Heavy Metal Rocks!

Advertorial

(Daddy reviews)

Guess who's back?

Photo courtesy of Official Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Singapore Facebook Page 

Mr. Genius, Billionaire, Playboy and Philanthropist, that's who. And with him, comes an awful lot of emotional baggage too. But first, let's get the official Iron Man 3 synopsis out of the way.

Marvel's Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? 

Photo courtesy of Official Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Singapore Facebook Page

Coming right on the heels of the Avengers movie, the task of following up to one of the greatest blockbusters of all-time was never going to be an easy one. And being a comics fanboy at heart, I thanked my lucky stars that I had the chance to catch the Gala Premiere of Iron Man 3 last week.

My verdict? It is the best Iron Man movie yet.

I loved how the movie made it so personal - that it isn't so much about a hero saving the world anymore, but rather it is about a hero trying to save himself. We see how Tony Stark copes when he is stripped of his iron suit, requiring him to instead use his own wits and techie know-how to defeat the baddies.

But that's not to say there aren't explosive moments, because there are. The all-out attack on Stark’s house is jaw-dropping, with the utilisation of Tony’s new suit – which flies and latches onto him in separate pieces – inventive and impressive. And not to worry, there is nothing too violent nor scary for the younger audience too, save for the loud bams and booms.

And speaking of younger audience... if Ash & Ayd ever had the chance to meet Iron Man, I am sure the first question they would ask him is whether they could hitch a ride in the iron suit. Either that, or how does he pee?

Photo courtesy of Official Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Singapore Facebook Page

Erm, okay... think I will just stick to bringing them to watch the movie then.

OR I could bring them down to Bugis Junction where they would have the chance to be Iron Man!

Photo courtesy of Official Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Singapore Facebook Page

Become Iron Man is an all-new experience from Marvel Studios. Using ground-breaking motion-sensor technology it allows users to assemble and test the new Mark 42 armour, and be immersed in the action of the film.

Photo courtesy of Official Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Singapore Facebook Page

Don't miss out on your chance to "Become Iron Man" at Bugis Junction, 12pm - 9pm daily from now till 5 May!

There has been much talk about Marvel's second phase which kick-starts with Iron Man 3, followed by Thor: The Dark World (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014), and then culminate in The Avengers 2 in May 2015. Judging by the looks of it, Phase Two is truly well underway – and in style too.

Iron Man 3 opens in Singapore theaters on 26 April, 2013 and stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black and is based on Marvel's iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of "Tales of Suspense" (#39) in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with "The Invincible Iron Man" (#1) in May of 1968.

Keep yourself updated with the latest Iron Man 3 news at its Official Facebook page and Official YouTube channel!

Our Volvo V40 Cross Country Adventure

Media Invite

(Daddy test-drives)

The age of fusion is truly upon us. Consumers’ demands have evolved and so have the options available to them. And it is with these in mind that the new Volvo V40 Cross Country brings the unique blend of capable ruggedness and expressive elegance to someone who likes the idea of driving his/her Volvo with a dash of adventure.

And when there is adventure, you can be sure that the cheekiemonkies will never be too far away! So imagine the boys' joy - okay I admit, I did a jiggity jig too - when Volvo Singapore invited us to experience the V40 Cross Country for our own and take a leisurely drive from the showroom to the S.E.A. Aquarium at  Resorts World Sentosa.

At first glance, the V40 Cross Country is indeed a beauty. It is based on the V40 family car, but with some extra body cladding to give it a more rugged appearance. What got my attention first were the aggressive, beak-like bonnet with its handsome contours, and the extreme rake of the windscreen. The rear view is particularly distinctive as well, with its funky tail lights and two-tone tailgate.

And while I was given a tour of the showroom and briefed on the various features that the V40 Cross Country entail, my three monkies were already making themselves at home in the car.

Well, at least I will have a peace of mind since they are in a Volvo because after all, the first thing that comes to my mind whenever Volvo is mentioned is safety.

With the V40 Cross Country, it ups the safety factor further by adding several new features as standard inclusions.

There is the Lane Keeping Aid that helps the driver to stay in the intended lane. It will gently steer the car back into the lane should it show signs of unintentional drifting out of the lane, coupled with a vibrating steering wheel. And should the car sensors assess that the car is moving out of the intended lane on a regular basis, the Driver Alert Control will sound off to alert the driver and advise him/her to take a break.

One cool feature that I love is the Road Sign Information feature which displays speed limit and 'no overtaking' signs in the driver's instrument display whenever the forward-looking camera in the car detects such signs along the roads. The V40 Cross Country also comes with an upgraded City Safety system, which automatically brakes the car (at speeds up to 50 km/h) if the driver fails to react in time when the vehicle in front slows down or stops - or if the car is approaching a stationary vehicle too fast.

Interior-wise, the car has one that is a cut above its rivals for style. In place of the usual analogue meters, there is a digital instrument cluster with three themes - elegance, eco and performance - that can be customised to display different illumination, graphics and information.

Interestingly, the car's interior lighting can also be tuned to seven mood-setting colours... something which delighted the monkies to no end.

And yes, the back row of seats were wide enough to accommodate a child seat in the centre for Ale, a booster seat for Ayd and there was still ample space for Ash to sit comfortably. Failing which, there is always the 355-litres car boot space.

Once everyone was seated comfortably, we were off to the S.E.A. Aquarium! I found the drive to be pleasant, with a perky power delivery. The route didn't allow me the chance to tackle the expressways but on the normal roads, the V40 Cross Country bowls along nicely and comfortably.

As for the monkies, they were kept occupied by the panoramic glass roof (with electrically-controlled blind) which certainly gave the interior cabin a more spacious feel.

All too soon though, we soon reached our destination. And for all of our past car trips, this must have the first time that I heard the two boys exclaim, "What?? So fast reach?"

It was definitely a thoroughly fun morning with the Volvo V40 Cross Country and thanks to Wearnes Automotive for having us! My only gripe? The driving experience was far too fleeting. Heh.

Interested in finding out more? Visit www.volvocars.com/sg/all-cars/volvo-v40-cross-country now!

LG Optimus G Review - Part 1

Sponsored Review

(Daddy swipes)

I have been using the LG Optimus G for slightly over a month now and finally, I have the time to sit down and do a proper review of the smartphone. Having shared my first impressions of the phone last month, I was waiting to see if I had the urge to switch back to my previous iPhone 4S or Samsung Galaxy SIII.

Well, I didn't and here's why.

Design and Handling

I simply love the feel of this phone. As I have mentioned in my previous post, I felt extremely comfortable holding it in my palm, thanks to its subtly curved edges where the sides meet the back. 

Because of its edge-to-edge sheet of Gorilla Glass in the front, the screen is scratch-resistant which is a boon for me. I am quite the chor-lor (or rough) user so I am happy to see that my Optimus G is still devoid of scratches after one month... and this, despite being dropped onto the cold hard floor once by Ale too!

Actually, I adore the clean-cut front look that the Opitmus G sports. It is all glass with no hardware buttons, with three capacitive buttons for navigating through the interface below the screen.

One other thing that I love about the phone is the cool unlock animation. You can swipe anywhere on the screen to unlock the phone and when contact is made on the screen, a bubble appears. It is sort of like a magnifying bubble that grows in size as you swipe your finger across the screen.

Cheap thrill, I know. But it is one of those small things that barely impacts on your use of the phone, but has the ability to make your day all the same. Ayd, for one, loves swiping back and forth on the screen just so that he can watch the bubble grow or shrink in size.

Hardware and Specifications

The Optimus G has a brilliant 4.7-inch display (1,280 x 768) which offers great colour reproduction and looks very sharp regardless of viewing angles. The screen also sports LG’s 'Zerogap Touch' technology, which means the air gap between the screen and the glass surface is minimized to improve the durability and clarity of the display. This results in having less diffused reflection on the glass and makes the screen readable even under direct sunlight.

I found the display to be absolutely excellent. It is arguably one of the best smartphone screens I’ve ever seen so far. The screen panel gets extremely bright and has excellent colour & light contrast.

Internally, it is powered by the impressive 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor and equipped with 2GB of RAM. The Optimus G also comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 32GB storage (25GB useable and no microSD slot), 4G, WIFI, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and a 2100mAh integrated battery. 

For more details on its specifications, visit http://www.lg.com/sg/mobile-phones/lg-Optimus-G-LG-E975.

Performance and Battery Life

Thanks to its powerful quad-core processor, the Optimus G's performance felt geuninely zippy and responsive. Swiping left and right on the phone was incredibly fast and smooth, without any lag at all. 

In fact, it can even display three apps at one time. That's right; three apps. All at once. It's a LG feature called QSlide that allows you to overlay up to 3 different screens simultaneously on one display, allowing users to multi-task. I will expand on this in Part 2 of my review.

As for battery life, it's pretty decent with me seeing a solid day's worth of usage on a single charge. You can opt to turn on the 'Eco Mode', which helps to optimize the use of the quad-core processor. According to LG, the Snapdragon S4 Pro allows each of the quad-core to power up and down independently, hence consuming 40% less power. 

In addition, the high-density 2,100mAh battery has a lifespan of 800 charging cycles compared to the 500 charging cycles offered by the average smartphone batteries.

So far, the LG Optimus G has been meeting my expectations and even surpassing them on some fronts. And some of those happen to be the unique software features and camera functions, all of which I will cover in Part 2 of my review. Stay tuned!

LG has embarked on a “Change for Good” campaign, which aims to encourage and empower Singaporeans to embrace positive changes in their lives through a series of inspirational activities and workshops. A microsite, www.changeforgood.sg, is available for Singaporeans to make their pledges and connect with one another through the various social media platforms such as Twitter Instagram and Google+.A common hashtag (#ChangeGorGood) allows users to view and add to the campaign’s movement.

EatPlayLove Cafe: Craft Paradise Found

(Daddy blogs)

Over the weekend, we had the good fortune of stumbling onto a quaint cosy cafe around the Kampong Glam area and oh my, what a magnificent find it turned out to be.

Situated along Aliwal Road, EatPlayLove Cafe is a stylish retro cafe with all things vintage, whimsical and full of nostalgia. And you know what, the wifey immediately fell in love with the place the moment we stepped in.

I wasn't kidding when I mentioned that the entire place has old school stamped all over it. The cafe sold toys of the yesteryears and even snacks like Ding Dang too!

Those certainly brought back wonderful childhood memories. The boys though, were rather intrigued with a certain vintage typewriter... which incidentally was their first time coming into contact with one.

But that wasn't the main draw of the cafe.

This was.

An entire crafting corner for kids!

All you have to do is make payment for $5 per child for 2 hours worth of unlimited crafting activities.

And when I say unlimited, I really mean it... just check out all the crafting materials that the kids are free to take and use!

Fret not, if your kid does not know where or how to begin. There are loads of crafting ideas and examples scattered all around the craft corner.

There are even crafting books which parents can refer to for some extra inspiration... how's that for that added personal touch?

But as much as the monkies wanted to start on their craft masterpieces immediately, there was still the tiny business of having our dinner. After all, this is a cafe, no?

I'm glad to say that the food doesn't disappoint. The cafe serves a mix of Thai-inspired cuisine, Western dishes and sandwiches, and the best thing is that the prices are rather reasonable with each dish averaging $10.

The wifey had the Spicy Beef Burger - the patty was moist and flavourful - while Ash had the Pineapple rice which he polished off more than three-quarters.

I had the Thai Green Curry Chicken with rice and it was palatable, nothing fanciful but pretty appetising on the whole. It could have been greater if there were more chicken chunks in it though. But that's just the carnivore in me talking.

However, if kids are in your entourage, the one dish which you would not want to miss ordering is the Macaroni with Cheese. Ayd had that and he totally went crazy over it.

Even Ale who was initially sharing the Pineapple Rice with Ash, wanted more after sneaking a mouthful of the creamy and cheesy pasta.

In fact, we noticed that was the default dish of choice among the many teenage customers while we were there!

Of course, no matter how marvellous the food tasted, there was still the nagging thought of getting down to the craft-making proper going through their minds. And this probably explained why they finished up their dinner in record time.

Just so that they can get their hands busy.

Ash had great fun in creating his own alien spaceship out of paper plates, ice cream sticks and bottle caps while Ayd doodled away and made a face out of a paper plate, furry balls and crepe paper. Ale was a tad young to do the more complicated crafty stuff, so the wifey aided her in making a shaker using a Vitagen bottle and some beads... and she was totally ecstatic with that.

Adults need not feel left out as well, as there is a wide selection of more complicated craft work (at a separate charge) to choose from.

The 'Adopt-A-Monster' station was rather tempting for the wifey, where you get to sew and stick knick-knacks on a stuffed toy to create your very own unique monster.

But she eventually settled on the Sock Monkey ($35 for a DIY kit) because it just looks too ultra cute and irresistible to resist... oh, and Ale laid claim to it as well.

With all the monkies being kept busy, there was ample time (and space in the bellies) for some Thai Sticky Rice with Mango dessert. Yums.

And it is GOOD! We got the version with the coconut ice cream and it complemented the sticky rice very well. And in case you are wondering, the green drink is some concoction of ice cream soda, milk and basil seeds. I forgot what is the name of the drink, but it is very good too!

Even better was the peace and quiet that the wifey and I could afford to have while the monkies were busy at their craft corner I say.

So yes, I totally love this kids-friendly eatery... even more so for the wifey I suspect.

At home, I am sometimes reluctant to let the kids go on an all-out art and craft session because I am wary of the mess and mayhem - it's funny how glue always seems to end up on someone's hair - that it can generate. And if there is one thing that the boys love doing other than fixing up their LEGOs, art and craft is it.

So it was really pure bliss that such a place provided them with all the space AND materials that they will ever require... and all these giving the wifey and I the humongous chance of having a peaceful and unhurried meal. What more can we ask? 

Whilst we were on the way home, Ayd popped the question, "I really enjoyed the place. Can we go back again some other time?"

I guess we all know the answer to that one. :)


Useful Details:

EatPlayLove Cafe
28 Aliwal Street
Aliwal Arts Centre,#01-07
Singapore 199918
Opening hours: 12pm - 10pm daily except Tues
Tel: 6444 6400
Website: http://www.facebook.com/eatplaylovealiwal