Hop On Hop Off and Kith & Kin

Bubs and his bestie recently went on the Hop On Hop Off bus and Hubs and I were soooo excited to tag along with his bestie's mum! For Malaysian IC holders, tickets are RM19 for a 24hr pass valid for both the town and beach circuit. Children under 5 get to board for free. The routes were so convenient and well planned with the city and beach interchange hub centralised just outside Gurney Plaza. 

It was raining heavily that morning so Bubs and his bestie were cooped up inside the covered portion of the top deck. That didn't dampen their spirits though, they had so much fun peering out from the windows and chattering non stop.

The rain let up just before lunch time so we hopped off at the Holiday Inn hotel stop for the two of them to burn off their energy at the beach. Bora Bora coffee shop has some tiny huts right on the beach and they didn't seem to mind us having a quick picnic there.

We took a walk along the shore. Both boys were upset that it was too muddy to play in the sand so Hubs blew some old school bubbles (the type that comes in a tube and lasts for ages) for them. That kept them happily occupied as they skipped and hopped.

The sky was so much clearer so we were able to sit in the open air deck. Bubs and his bestie really enjoyed it and for safety reasons, we separated the both of them. It was a lovely ride and exhilarating whenever we saw low hanging tree branches come close to us. "Duck!" the boys would yell as we quickly bend down to avoid being smacked in the face.

By this time around, we were starving and decided to take a bite at Kith & Kin, a chic and very family-friendly restaurant at Vantage Desiran Tanjung, Tanjung Tokong. For Penangites, it's the new-ish shop lots just next to Tesco Sungai Pinang with ample free parking.

The two of them were as thick as thieves and thoroughly enjoying their day.

You can add RM6 to upgrade your mains into a set which will come with an iced lemon tea, soup and ice cream.

I'd the salted egg barramundi (RM19.90) and loved the unsual flavour of the creamy salted egg sauce with the soft fish fillet on top of a potato mash. The flavours were very light and you could tell that no MSG was used. I did feel that the side veg was a little kiddy-like: carrots/peas/corns. Bubs wolfed most of this down.

Hub's choice was the spaghetti with meatballs (RM16.90) and again, I felt that the food was geared towards children. It was decent, the meatballs were more of shaped mince and the sauce not over powering at all.

The playroom was the highlight of the restaurant with all the children rushing to it the moment they polished off their food. It looked so inviting, I was tempted to sit there with my shoes off to relax too.

Phone: 604-898 1813
Opening Hours: 11:30am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm. Closed Mondays.
Address: A-G-9, Vantage Desiran Tanjung, Jalan Desiran Tanjung, 10470, Georgetown, Penang.

Bub's Birthday at School

Bub's 6th birthday celebration at his school was so bittersweet for me as I still can't get over the idea of it being his last year at kindy. Was it really years ago that I held that small, sticky hand tight in mine as we eyed the school with suspicious trepidation? Bubs is having none of it though, he enjoys his worldly status as a 6 year old gege where all the little ones practically look up to him. #stillalwaysmybaby

Hubs and I arrived early at school to bake a cake with Bubs and some of his chums. Following instructions from his teacher, we sifted flour, cracked eggs and poured cocoa inside. We sang songs while stirring the batter and it was so cute to watch Bubs interacting with his friends!

The children then tidied up with the older ones helping the younger ones with the apron knots.

It wasn't raining this year so we followed the children out into the garden to pick flowers for the birthday table decorations. They carried small plates in their hands as they pointed out the different blooms that they wanted the teacher to snip for them.

They were all mightily proud of their colourful selections. They went in to decorate and set up all the crockery and cutlery, complete with dainty napkins for each child.

While waiting for the cakes to be baked, Hubs and I played indoors with the children. As usual, I was fascinated with their toys, all made from natural materials: wood, felt, stones, shells and wool.

I couldn't stop picking each toy up to admire it.

The delicious scent of chocolate cake wafted in and we were then ushered to the table. After Bubs decorated his cake with fresh banana slices and candles, everyone sang Happy Birthday with gusto.

Each child then washed up their plate at the sink.

Hubs and I then joined in circle time with the children while the teacher talked about Bubs at school. At one point, I think Bub's emotions got the better of him and he looked choked up a little, haha ;) Happy Birthday, Bubs - no matter how big you get, always remember that we love you!

The Week Long Holiday in Peek-tures

Bubs has been on a week long school holidays and because my work week was short as well with the multiple public holidays, I was lucky enough to be able to work from home. It gets easier as Bubs grows up as his attention span gets longer and he finds his own things to do around when I'm occupied. 

I was surprised he still finds his Mega Bloks interesting and it's interesting to see what goes on in that lil Bubs mind of his with his creations. He built a dog and an airplane, which was cute ... until he crashed the airplane into the dog.

Even Hubs was taken back by how addicted Bubs is to my collection of 80s British comics. Think along the lines of Dandy, Beano, Whizzer and Chips. They're littered about our place and he developed very strong preferences. "No Buttons, Mummy, that's boring. I like Dennis the Menace." His favorite reading position is bizarre; he throws the comics on the floor, lies on the bed/sofa, stretches down to read.

He misses school a little. He was very quiet the other day and I found him hunched over a blank piece of paper with his colour markers, doing lines and lines of form drawing all by himself. He also refuses to remove the little woven bracelets that his teachers made for him.

My cousin is crazy over Rabbit Softserve and since they opened a pop up booth at Udini Square, Bubs and I went over to try their famed single flavour soft serve during my lunch break.

This weekend's collaboration is with my most-est favourite-est cafe in Penang, The Alley, and it comes with a side serve of either churros or cronuts. I'm not the biggest fan of coffee flavoured ice cream but this was really good, smooth with a rich, authentic coffee kick and dusted with cocoa powder. It's a little pricey at RM15 given that the soft serve does not actually reach the bottom of the paper cup (to Bub's fascination, it's dry ice) but it makes for a nice treat.

My Daily Outfits: Flower Power

Hubs says that I'm the most predictable person ever and my clothes are no exception. "There, you see," he pointed at my wardrobe. "It's either in blue, lace or florals!" After my last shopping spree, I could see his point ;) This was my last week's outfits, all in flower power. 

I know, peplums are probably wayyyyy low on the fashion barometer now but what's not to love about a little skirt at your waist that hides a jelly belly? Not to mention the pretty floral print on this fitted Miss Selfridge sleeveless top that reminds me of Chinese New Year red packets and the fact that it's lined inside as well.

I wore it for Bub's birthday party with skinny dark denim and can't wait to try it with either a pencil or a flared skirt.

This Warehouse skirt made my heart skip a beat the moment I first laid eyes upon it. A pale blue background with fat, pink blooms and yellow bumblebees in an A line cutting. It's going for 50% on the website but it doesn't ship to Malaysia plus it was part of the new arrivals and I was paranoid that by the time it went on sale, there wouldn't be any sizes left so I used my additional 15% discount on the Topshop card to grab it.

I like the bright and cheery colours though I wish it came with pockets. It has a front split for ease of walking and is midi length on me.

This Zara blue striped with lace cut outs is slightly cropped on me, I usually wear it with high waist jeans or skirts but it was a hot, sunny day so I popped on a pair of shorts with it.

Bub's 6th Birthday Bash

Since this was going to Bub's last year in kindy, Hubs and I threw him a birthday party with some of his kindy mates, friends and relatives at Adventure Zone, Golden Sands. I can tell you that all of the children went nuts the moment they stepped in there. Tossing off their shoes and waving a cheery bye to the parents, they whizzed straight into the indoor playground, shrieking with joy at the top of their voices.

Bubs was over the moon, running, chasing and sliding with all his friends. The blue slide was one of their favourites. I can tell you that this time around, I wisened up and refused to wear long sleeves to Adventure Zone, so I wouldn't be pressured into going down this crazy thing. That didn't deter the kids though, they went on it multiple rounds.

I may or may not have pinched Bub's spare socks just to run around in there myself with the children ;)

What happens if there's a traffic jam on the rope bridge? Be like Bubs, he literally climbed over people at the sides, like Spidey, it gave me a heart attack though.

All the children were having so much fun that by the time the 2hrs were up, they were sooo reluctant to leave the play area and even made plans to return after the party. At this point, Bub's voice was hoarse from all the yelling he did.

Siew made the best party planner ever. After hearing my confused ramblings about how I envisioned Bub's cake to be, she went ahead and helped me decorate it. We went with Humble Beginning's mille crepes and I brought along bags of candy plus some Star Wars Lego minifigs. I also stuck some gold and silver stars onto wooden skewers. I wasn't a big fan of the cream checks that Hubs asked the cake shop to pipe on but they did prove useful in making sure that all the bits and bobs stayed stuck on.

Voila, I totally loved the end result, not to mention that the DIY decorations cost a fraction of what it would if we went with a fancy customised cake.

I was too lazy to make up a bunch of party decorations so we went with what we already had at home. The Sigi's staff were soooo nice to lend us that pretty cake platter. All the children loved it and started poking at the toys when they came into the cafe.

The candy topping was a hit as most of them kept requesting for M&Ms and mini Oreos on their extra helpings.

I couldn't tell who was more tired: the children or the adults :P Bubs is already asking if he can have 2 birthdays this year!

Lantern Festival

Hoay kim cheh, chap goh meh

Chia lu ku wah lai jiak teh

The first time Bubs recited this Hokkien ditty, I was confused and it took me a while to understand the words. He practised it daily his school's lantern festival. To my surprise, when Bubs was reciting the first few lines, my Dad completed it - I'd no idea it was such an old poem. 

The children worked hard in preparing for the festivities. They made dozen of colourful little lanterns that were strung around the garden. They also made their own mooncakes that were coloured with the blue flowers that grew in the school.  

They performed many songs and dances for the proud parents who gathered eagerly around them. I can't help but feel wistful that it's Bub's last year in kindy. Bubs was so proud to be considered one of "big children" and took his duty seriously in leading most of the dances. He was happily skipping and prancing away at being the farmer in the dell when his shoe fell off mid performance - it didn't help that when everyone was stunned into silence, Hubs was the first one that started laughing hard at him. 

After a mini dinner of fried noodles, fresh fruit and mooncakes, the children's handmade lanterns were lit up. The rainbow-like glow from the paper lanterns was beautiful in the darkness and the children were singing as they lined up to walk around the garden.

It was a good thing that it was a relatively clear evening as it was pouring cats and dogs earlier in the day. 

I think the children were really excited when the school gates were opened and they were allowed to around out onto the little side road with parents supervising them at the sides. 

My Daily Outfits: Feelin' the Blues

It's always a bit of a joke with my friends and I that I adore the colour blue and almost always have something blue on. 

One thing about having work buddies with similar tastes is that we end up buying the same stuff during lunch breaks and joke about wearing them together at the same time as our office uniforms. This flirty and fun mini is what we call our "Alice in Wonderland" skirt and it's such a easy piece to wear as it goes with virtually anything. I've paired it with a silver, mid open back top for the weekend.

My blush Melissas are one of the best buys I've ever made this year, these saw me through hours of trudging through London pavements and make a dressier alternative to sport shoes. SY, I'm indebted to you for picking such an elegant yet neutral colour for me.

I added a bit of sparkle to my white top - blue jeans combo with my late grandma's brooch fastened onto the pocket. I'd to warn Bubs not to suddenly run into me to avoiding hurting himself or getting a nasty jab myself.

I got this Zara top during my mad power shopping session at Oxford Street and the intricate white lace hem reminds me of Nonya kebayas. I've been using my Cambridge cloud satchel for close to half a year now and it's been the perfect travelling bag with its convenient top handle plus cross body strap. The only issue I've had with it is that with prolonged use, the top handle slips out from the sides. I resorted to tying some twine (and not even in blue, lol) to provide a bit of grip and it works but I'm trying to look for a nicer-looking fix.