Tag Archives: Mums in Singapore

Have a birthday party at OliOli® – what’s new and how it works | New workshops included in the party packages.

September 23, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Birthday parties can be overwhelming but one of the most enjoyable places to have a birthday party is OliOli® for children and their families especially if you are looking for a bit of educational fun. The venue takes away the stress of parenting, and with the galleries, the there is gallery for all children – it’s even hard for my children to choose a favourite gallery. Not only is it enjoyable for the children but also for the parents – most importantly they serve excellent coffee at OliOli® which is a clear winning formula for me.

OliOli® have now launched new creative themed workshops and unique party favors as of of the ‘Awesome Party Experience.’ My children were privileged enough to attend an Oli Oli party with a Slime Factory workshop was included as part of the celebrations and it was a total hit with all the children who then took the slime home. This is such a lovely bonding experience for parents and children who may not want to mess up their own homes – OliOli® is willing to take it on for you.

Birthday Packages

There are three packages to choose from.

The Awesome Party– Providing two hours of play and a choice of three galleries.

The Awesome & Then Some Party– Bringing children two and a half hours of fun and a choice of four galleries.

The Awesomest Birthday Ever– Allowing children to enjoy three hours of pure excitement across all galleries.

OliOli® also provides a feast of healthy and organic party food for kids and a dedicated party facilitator to ensure everything goes to plan. The new party favours are available from AED 15 per child giving children an awesome and stimulating play experience!

Workshops

To make the birthday extra awesome, parents can also add a 30-minute workshop to the package and choose from unique and creative themes that include;

Slime Factory– Make the birthday extra messy, gooey, and slimey as kids get to make and play with their own slime.

Epic Superheroes– Kids can become heroes for the day as they create and make their own capes and masks to keep forever.

Crazy Catapults– 3… 2… 1.. LAUNCH! Kids can use real slingshots to launch fuzzy projectiles in an attempt to knock their opponents’ structures down.

Robo-Jousting– A Robot Jousting Battle where the last robot standing wins! Kids control their robots with an iPad and try to pop their opponents’ balloons all while protecting their own.

All workshops are priced at AED 35 per child* and will add a special touch to the birthday party experience.

Prices

The Awesome Party

AED 130 per child Sunday – Wednesday

AED 150 per child Thursday – Saturday and Public Holidays

The Awesome & Then Some Party

AED 160 per child Sunday – Wednesday

AED 180 per child Thursday – Saturday and Public Holidays

The Awesomest Birthday Ever

AED 190 per child Sunday – Wednesday

AED 210 per child Thursday – Saturday and Public Holidays

All birthday packages are available to book at http://www.olioli.ae/birthdays/

*Workshops are dependent on age

Parenthood

The truth about overbusyness and parenting.

September 15, 2019 admin Leave a comment

It hit me when author Rob Parsons discussed the countdown clock in our children’s lives. When our children are born we have those 18 years – that ‘s the equivalent of 6,570 days. When your child is 10 years old, you have 2,920 days left. In Rob’s words, ‘no amount of money, power, or prestige can increase that number.’ My eldest is 10. I want to utilise those 2,920 days I have left wisely.

It makes you rethink life’s busyness. Life always creates that busyness. It’s no one’s fault but our own. It’s hard to say no.

This is not to say, don’t work or don’t have a life. I think it is just a half-time call to reassess priorities. I truly thought that when my child was 6 months-old, he needed me most. Yes, it’s true, he needed me. I thought that need would dissipate with time as he potty-trained and learnt to feed himself. However, I was truly mistaken.

Most mothers with children around age 5 and above would agree, our children need us even more in a different way. That surprised me. They need us around to discuss their day or random thoughts that fly through their minds, play boardgames, guide them with their homework, to support them when they have a bad day at school, or just be there with them, and the list goes on. My children note how many nights I have out in a week, and they tell me off.

I have always tried to speak with parents with greater parenting experience; often I find it most interesting to observe or speak with parents with children ten years older than my own. It’s an eye-opener to see the path they have experienced to get an idea of what is to come. Think about it, when you meet an 18-year old you know much of what they might experience, and everyone has some gift of wisdom to share. I, therefore, try to ask those parents who have wonderful relationships with their adult children what made the biggest impact of that relationship, what worked, what didn’t. I have amalgamated a wealth of parenting knowledge that they have shared taking some advice that works for my family and me.

However, one thing is most common with all their answers. They said, enjoy it all now. Don’t be filled with regrets about not spending enough time with the children. I feel that already. Therefore, it’s important that we adapt to the new season our children are in. I have reached that new season.

Five Languages of Love

Gary Chapman’s Five Languages of Love should be a must read – I highly recommend it. Even if time is limited, it is important to understand how our children need to feel loved. Sounds simple right? This book was initially written for couples but it works with children, family and friends too. Chapman identifies five main love languages: acts of services, touch, words of affirmation, gifts, and time.

For myself, I feel loved through acts of service – when my husband remembers to make me an espresso for example or helps me with the children’s reading without me asking. For me talking is useless, it’s actions that matters. For my husband, words of affirmation and time matter. Each of us is different. This is similar with our children too. This is a great way to arm ourselves to be an effective parent even if busyness is all around us.

Just the other day, I took time to discuss with my children individually over lunch about what makes them feel loved. My eldest tells me it’s cuddles and tickles. He feels loved when I tickle him until he can’t breath with laughter, and it’s the time he spends with me one on one. Simple tasks like taking him grocery shopping makes him happy.

My third child loves words of affirmation and gifts so praises and presents makes a difference to his week. All totally different children.

It’s amazing what children reveal when we ask them the right questions. Armed with this knowledge, I try to fill up their love tanks so they feel loved. I realised there was little point loving them how I thought love should look. Almost none of my children mentioned acts of service. Obviously, they do appreciate the things I do for them but that wasn’t what filled up their love tanks. Some of those extra tasks I made myself busy with don’t matter anymore, and I ought to spend time with them in ways that fulfill them, not me.

Preparing for a new season

Therefore, this September, I am trying to rework my days. I want to make sure that I am not exhausted by the time I pick them up like doing four meetings in a row. I need to ensure that my love tank is full by the time I see them and that may involve giving myself a break for an hour before pick up. I realise it is also about preparing myself before picking them up at school so I am in the best mental state before seeing them. I take note of what tasks I do that leave me feeling exhausted. I now try to cut those out. I am trying to protect my time to ensure I can handle motherhood in the best way. I don’t always succeed each day, but I wake up trying again and again to make it work.

3pm – 8pm are the most intense hours everyday after school as most mums understand. I need to rework my patience as I read a ‘yellow’ colour band Biff & Chip book for the fourth time with 4th child and I am trying not to shout out in boredom wishing I was doing anything else but this, and this often exacerbated when I am low on energy and overcommitted. It’s important to not let myself get in that state. When I am feeling frustrated doing mundaning parenting tasks, I also try to remember the number of days left.

Illusions

Rob Parsons eloquently put it about a life of illusions when it comes to parenting and over committing ourselves. There are three main illusions.

1. ‘I am doing this for them’ – the number of times I have justified that to myself. The truth is our children would prefer less things and more of us. As one child psychologists said, ‘ We are so busy giving our kids what we didn’t have, we don’t have time to give them what we did have.’

2. We tell ourselves that life will not always be so busy. I do tell myself that this is just a busy season, and that this too shall pass. I will wait to make time to do more with the children. It’s not a busy period, it’s life.

3. The door of childhood will be open forever is an illusion. I am guilty when I say ‘later’ when the kids are begging me to swim or to take them out on a bike ride. My son is 10-years old, and many mums tell me that in a few years, he won’t want bedtime stories, to hang out as much, and to just hang out. I have to savor every moment. Even if I fall asleep reading them their bedtime story, I want to keep trying whilst they will have me. I have read Peppa Pig continuously for 8 years already. I am longing to turn each page, as it is mind numbingly dull but I know there will come a day when my youngest won’t want to share that moment anymore.

We need to remember a useful proverb, ‘If we do this, we can’t do that.’ Therefore, parenting also requires self-care. Like any athlete, its about getting into the right mind set, health, and protecting the energy levels to ensure that we are able to perform to the best of our abilities. If that also means cancelling a coffee morning, lunch or a meeting, it’s worth reassessing.

With that said, I am off to book a massage before pick up today. It was a long weekend with the children. I am trying to be my best self at pick up time. Yes, I do work too but we all need to find time to recharge.

Travel

Disney World | Orlando, Florida | Tips and Hints on the best way to tackle one of the largest theme parks in the world

March 28, 2018 admin Leave a comment

The Magic of Disney | Planning Disney this year?

Disney is probably on every parent’s agenda at some point in the first 18 years of their children’s life. Usually, between 3 – 15 years old would be the peak period when every family undertakes a trip, and at every stage of the children’s life the family will enjoy Disney in a completely different way.

Ever since I was little I had a thing for rollercoasters, the faster the better. I had only been to Disneyland LA once when I was 10 years old, and that trip has been ingrained into childhood memory forever as one of the best holidays. It was my first time on Space Mountain – back then it was so innovative to have a rollercoaster experience in the dark. So when I was invited by the Disney Team back in January to explore Disney World in Florida, I didn’t know how I would feel as an adult – I thought it might be best for children and probably be an anti-climax as an adult. I was totally wrong. For those of you who don’t have children yet, do go now!

For those who have been to Disney will understand how difficult it is to capture the essence of Disney in words. Most of us won’t remember the details but we remember the emotional aspect of the experience. Disney’s goal has always been to be the best storytellers in the world. I can see how and why they remain at the top of their game as Disney Imagineers for generations have brain-stormed to bring every story to life through touch, sound and visual effects resulting in emotionally connecting with park visitors. There is an element of ‘magic’ in it. By walking through the park, you will see rides and go through experiences, and still many years after the death of Walt Disney his parks still remain at the frontier of new experiences. The latest one being Pandora: The Land of the Avatars. Their new simulation ride, Avatar: The Flight of Passage, is a must, and I cannot describe the sensation of flying a banshee. Before the ride, I was warned people cried after as it was such an emotional experience. I witnessed one or two guests in tears. Needless to say, I returned and used my very last Fast Pass + token to ride Flight of Passage again.

Disney World | Orlando

Disney World is made up 4 parks; Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, and two water parks. There are also over 20 hotels & resorts to choose from. By 2020, Disney World, to celebrate its 50th birthday would have expanded with even more attractions and hotels for guests to choose from including Toy Story Land and a Star Wars Hotel.

Children & Organisation

One thing I took away from my week at Disney and from experiencing all four parks is that there will be a great deal of logistics involved when booking your holiday. I am a mother who would prefer to ‘wing it’ normally on arrival and to be spontaneous BUT travelling to Disney with young children will take some thought, planning and consideration as hotel accommodations and restaurants are booked months in advance. With the huge volumes of guests visiting Disney each year everything is booked in advance with restaurant bookings requiring 3-months booking prior to your trip especially for Disney signature restaurants. For mums and dads planning a trip, I would recommend doing some research online and to consult travel agents on how to tackle the parks. Ideally, if possible, I would also recommend staying at a Disney hotel to enjoy the benefits of Disney properties especially the the Disney Hour.

Here is a schedule to start organising your trip.

#6months – 1 year in advance

Start looking at the seasons and when you might like to go. Think about the 27 resorts you might like to stay at.

#6 months in advance

Book your rooms as soon as possible especially for resorts like the Grand Floridian and Four Seasons to guarantee adjoining rooms, concierge state rooms or the villas.

Book your 16- hour flights via Emirates Airlines through Emirates Holidays to guarantee the right days as there is currently only one flight per day, and to ensure Economy or Business Class seats.

Book your VIPGuides. See more below.

#3 months in advance

Organise your restaurant reservations at the top and most sought after Disney restaurants. The top restaurants include:

Tiffins Restaurant in the Animal Kingdom, Be our Guests as you dine at the Beast’s Castle, California Grill at the Disney Contemporary Resort, The Brown Derby at Hollywood Studios, and my favourite 1900 Park Fair at the Grand Floridian where you have breakfast with your Disney’s favourite characters.

#30- 60 days in advance

Organise your My Disney FastPass +. Hollywood Studios has a high demand for FastPass so organise which rides you might like there in advance. There are higher chances of getting Magic Kingdom passes on the day when you have used up all your fast passes.

#1 month in advance

Book also your Magical Express transportation.

#1 week in advance

It’s time to get excited and to get packing. Pack comfortable shoes (I cannot stress this enough as you will be walking a lot), sunscreen, hats, swimsuits, goggles, comfortable clothes, and for my family there will also be some healthy organic snacks. There is a dress code in Disney’s signature restaurants (no shorts, flip flops) so do pack shirts /polo t-shirts for boys and a casual summer dress for the girls.

Top 10 rides for children 8 years and over

Top 10 rides for children 7 years and under

Consider VIP Guides

We hope to take our 4 children to various Disneys around the world at least 3 or 4 times during their childhood. As time is precious in Disney, we will recommend booking at least for half a day a VIP Guide. You can think of them as Disney gurus or high ranking Disney conceierges who make the time spent at the parks extremely efficient including transportation. They are a little pricey but totally worth the investment. They will cost approximately USD1,500 for 7 hours for up to 10 adults and children including infants. The guide will be able to plan your wish list allowing to skip queues, book restaurants in advance of your arrival (again, do give the guides as many weeks notice as possible as everything is fully booked months ahead).

Book 6 months in advance as there are only 30 full-time guides so they do get booked up much in advance. They are all very professional with decades of experience working in the park.

Accommodation

If you are coming from the Middle East, the most popular hotels chosen by Middle Eastern guests would include the following

#1. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Deluxe & Deluxe Villa Resort)

Disney’s Grand Floridian resembles colonial hotels such as the Raffles Hotel in Singapore with its impressive white buildings and red roof tops nestled next to the Seven Seas Lagoon. The property design is inspired by the Victorian era, and the property is furnished with genuine antiques and artefacts collected from around the world. The property has 867 rooms but it doesn’t feel so vast as the rooms are located between 6 separate buildings, with two shared outdoor pools. The hotel has baby sitting and childcare options available upon request. The most popular rooms would be their private villas and adjoining rooms, and it is important to book this 6-months in advance of your stay. It has 7 restaurants of which 1900 Park Fair is one of their signature restaurant and families can have breakfast with Disney characters, but like everything at Disney it is worth booking this 3-months in advance of your stay.

#2. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House ( Deluxe & Deluxe Villa Resort

We stayed at the property, and it was pretty magical to wake up in the morning to see a family of giraffes walking past your window. There are over 30 species of African wildlife and you can spot zebras, gazelles and flamingoes amongst them. Do ask for for view of the safari park as it is not always guaranteed. There is also the Simba Kids Clubhouse for children aged 3 – 12 years.

#3. Disney’s Contemporary Resort Review (Deluxe Resort)

This hotels is at it sounds – a modern take on a Disney resort. It is a contemporary building giving guests a different feel to more traditional Disney hotels. It one of the few resorts that has direct access to the Magic Kingdom via the monorail making accessibility very easy. The resort has two pools and one has a 17-foot slide. Don’t forget to book in advance the California Grill, a Disney signature restaurant at the top of the hotel with beautiful views of Magic Kingdom.

#4. Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort.

It is the only hotel in Central Florida to receive the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award. There is a complimentary kids club, and have an adult pool, family pool, splash zone, lazy river and a water slide. Kids under 5 will eat for free.

Tips for families with children 7 years and under

#Don’t stress and don’t cram. Disney is not a cheap experience and understandably many families try to ensure they schedule as much in as they can. However, be mindful of the fact that if you are travelling with young children, you won’t be able to cover much of the park as it spans 40 square miles. Be realistic with the number of rides you wish to cover in a day, and have plenty of breaks for snacks and let the children experience other activities like Cinderella’s Castle and make sure each day is a Happily Ever After for everyone. The children won’t realise they missed a single ride.

#Bring a water bottle to fill up because purchasing bottled water at every kiosk will quickly start adding up.

#If you stay at a Disney resort, do make use of the Magic Hour which opens one-hour for Disney residents before the general public arrive.

#Do check if there are any closed attractions prior to your trip to avoid disappointment as there are always a few rides closed for refurbishment and safety checks.

#Ensure the children are well-fed before the firework displays in the various parks. Disney’s Magic Kingdom Happily Ever After fireworks begins at 8.55pm and lasts for 18 minutes so it is worth getting there early to find a fabulous spot on the grounds near the Cinderella’s Castle.

#Do purchase a Disney Autograph book (one for the whole family), to collect Mickey’s and the whole cast’s autographs. They will be available usually at the hotel gift shop.

#Download the Disney App which will tell you about the waiting times, shows and locations of various activities

#Do bring a stroller – the kids will be exhausted, and it will be tiring trying to carry them around when they want a quick snooze.

#It is also lovely to get out of the parks for one day by visiting Disney Springs, a lovely retail therapy day for the family. Visit the Lego store, Sephora, Anthropologie and have lunch at Paddlefish.

#If you have time do consider a three-night cruise to the Bahamas on Disney Dream. Click here to find out more.

Travel

Emirates Airlines flies once a day from Dubai to Orlando – 16 hours.

The team at Emirates Holidays will also be able to help you plan the trip as many of the team themselves have experienced Disney World. They can arrange hotels, flights and much more and be able to guide you on the best time of the year to visit.

www.emiratesholidays.com

To find out more about the Disney Cruise

To find out more visit www.disneyworld.go.com

Faith

Motherhood | I can’t do it on my own | How I rely on my faith

May 27, 2017 admin Leave a comment

It has taken me a long time to figure out that I can’t do motherhood on my own. There are many moments I catch myself doing it on my own strength and that’s when problems start.

I found God around 12 years ago. It has been a relationship that has grown over time, and I am certainly still not where I want to be or I will probably never get to that point.

Raising 4 children and being a wife who works part-time makes it difficult of me to juggle everything. I often feel I do a lot of jobs badly. As the old adage say, jack of all trades but master of none. It is easy to succumb to the stress of daily life. All mums face it. You can worry just about everything. Am I giving my children enough time? Am I screwing them up? Have I disciplined them? Do they hold the right values? Are they at the right school? Are their friends good influences? Do they have the right teacher? Do we have the finances to provide? And so the list goes on.

Without God, I would be in a constant state of panic. I have to trust Him that he blessed me with these four children that he is at the steering wheel taking charge of their everyday and their future. Whilst I do what I can, He is ultimately in control. I seek my rest in Him.

God works best when we are at our weakest. We are not, I am certainly not, a super woman. I have seen God take many of my weaknesses and used His strength to achieve his will. Over and over again He has also taken care of many impossible situations over the years. All the while, I felt His peace. A life with God does not mean that there will not be troubles ahead but when you walk closely with God, but it is amazing to see that you can face every situation with a strong sense of peace.

A well-known pastor in the UK, from Holy Trinity Brompton, Nicky Gumbel, shared something. He said that he kept a pray journal. Looking back at his prayer journals over the years, he has seen that God has answered all his prayers on God’s perfect timing. Too many coincidences, you might say. or we can conclude that God exist and He does listen. I can also testify the same.

Matthew 19:26 says ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’

When I first started my walk with God, my mother, gave me Psalm 23 to say everyday. Now every word rings true and it gives me comfort when facing life’s adversities. I really recommended saying this every night with your children even.

Back in March, I felt totally overwhelmed and I let the huge waves of issues and challenges overcome me. I was exhausted and broken. I realised when it was already too late that I was trying to take charge of everything again, controlling everything in my life for fear of not doing enough and I felt I burnt out. Then over the Easter holidays, I took some time to reflect on what I had done, and spent time with God and my children.

During the last few weeks, I felt God minister to me that I put myself, yet again, in the driver’s seat, trying to steer myself through the rough seas of motherhood and everything else. I have taken my foot off the accelerator and I am now waiting on Him.

He told me and he sent a message via family and friends around me that my children are my ministry. That’s the only job He has asked me to do. Then, if that is the case, then I must obey.

I realised that Jesus has ordered our steps. First comes God, then our husbands and then our children. I certainly find more peace when I stay true to these priorities. God has always said that He would never leave us nor forsake us.

I am blessed to have found a church that has helped my children develop their love and passion for God. As a family we pray together and trust God to keep us close and to always have His hand upon us.

Don’t let fear ruin your precious moments with your children. Let God take care of it all.

I would be the first to say that I am not the perfect Christian or the perfect mother. I have faced many challenges but I am also on a journey of faith and hope that God will change me slowly everyday with his refining fire.