Sofzsleep Through The Night {Discount Code + Giveaway}

When bedtime rolls round and it's time to settle down to sleep, do you know what this family zeroing in on?

PILLOWS. (Ok, and mummy's elbow for Noey, if he could. Yes, he still tries to reach for it when he thinks I'm not paying attention!)

Noey has two, Mei has two, and the husband… well, he'd have five if I didn't object! Seriously, I'm not even kidding. 

So, as you can imagine, the family was incredibly excited to be given the new Sofzsleep Classic Latex Pillow. More pillowzzz! Everyone was eager to test it out and it quickly became one of the favourites. Here's why:

1. Great Support -- The chief reason that everyone gave the Sofzsleep Classic Latex Pillow the thumbs up was that it was great to sleep on! The pillow was low with a slight contour to the centre, making it comfortable for the kids as well as us adults. Offering the right amount of support, it was easy to fall asleep on and offered the right amount of neck support.

2. 100% Latex -- One of the reasons why the Sofzsleep Classic Latex Pillow offers such good support is because it is made of 100% certified latex. Latex has a natural elasticity and I love how it moulds to the shape of your head and yet springs back in shape once your head leaves the pillow. This latex pillow never needs fluffing and the material is cool and comfortable all night long.

3. Dust Mite Resistant -- Because the pillow is made from 100% premium grade latex, it is dust mite resistant, something that I really appreciate as a mum trying to keep my family safe and healthy. Latex also has natural anti-microbial properties, and is resistant to mould, mildew and fungus. 

4. Good Size -- This pillow is a comfortable standard size, which means it fits into all regular pillow cases. It also fits two cheeky tikes when they choose to!

Thank you Sofzsleep for more comfortable nights! For more information on Sofzsleep's latex pillows and beddings, do visit their website at www.sofzsleep.net and the Sofzsleep Facebook Page. Sofzsleep is also having a special promotion: from 22 Nov 2014 to 4 Jan 2015, get a 15% discount off all products by quoting "Life is in the Small Things"! Place your order through:

• the Sofzsleep Facebook Page (send them a private message); or
• calling 61004569 or e-mailing enquiries_sg@sofzsleep.com

Pillows for the new year, anyone?

GIVEAWAY!

And we have a giveaway for all blog readers too with 1 SOFZSLEEP DESIGN PILLOW (full adult size, RRP: $118) to be won! Let the kids use this pillow or grab it for yourself! To enter this draw, you have to complete the following steps: 

1. Visit the Sofzsleep Facebook Page.

2. Visit the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

(While you're there, we would greatly appreciate it if you could like these pages!)

3. Comment on this Facebook photo telling me why you would like to win AND Tag a friend.

You have to complete ALL 3 STEPS to qualify so don't miss any out!

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

• This giveaway ends on Fri 28 Nov 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. 
• Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. 
• All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. 
• To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.

Good Luck!

* My pillow monsters gladly received the Sofzsleep Classic Pillow from Sofzsleep for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain our own.

Play, Learn and Explore with the Doctor For A Day App {Giveaway}

Since Noey recently declared his intention to be a doctor when he grows up, he was thrilled when I recently told him that I had just the thing for him to get started on his "training": the 'Doctor For A Day' app by Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital! 

Ok, this iPad-starved boy of mine would be thrilled play with any game on the iPad, but this game is one that I, at least, would be happy for him to be spending his screen time on.

The 'Doctor For A Day' App was developed by Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital following the overwhelming response to their 'Doctor For A Day' programme, and allows children to bring their role-playing experience back to their own homes. The first of its kind here, this edutainment application is filled with many learning opportunities to stimulate children's minds and rouse their curiosity about the medical profession. Better yet, children can earn points and unlock achievements while playing the games and exchange these for actual physical doctors' toys. 

Noey was certainly thrilled when I handed him to iPad to give it a go. I sat down next to him while he played and I confess there were times when I wanted to take it over and play on my own -- it's pretty fun! Here's what you can find on this app:

1. Doctor's Office -- Customise your very own doctor avatar to start. There are a whole host of options: you can choose the gender, skin colour, hair style, style of glasses (because all doctors wear glasses, yo. Must be the many years of hard studying...), and moustache (the girls get pretty hair accessories). You can also change the wallpaper for the room.  This is what Noey came up with. He's Dr Smith. Dr Smith earns tools for his doctor kit as he completes his tasks and Noey is just dying to get more stuff.

2. Little Surgeon -- Here the children are taken step by step through surgical procedures like a tumour removal surgery and a cataract surgery. They are taught to inject, incise, and suture, amongst other things. But first, don't forget to wash your hands! This game is easy enough for Mei to manage as well, which she does competently. 

3. Anatomy Memory -- A memory game where you learn the part of the body at the same time. There are three levels of difficulty and as it gets harder, you get more cards and race against the clock to complete. We had quite a bit of fun with this one, and found ourselves racing against each other to get the fastest time after a while!

4. Pharmacy Panic -- Take on the role of the pharmacist and dish out the correct medicine to your patients, but do it quick before their patience runs out! This time based challenge was my favourite. It was panic indeed for us, especially in the hardest level where it got tricky trying to get all the medication right within the time period and before the patients got grumpy! It certainly trains your observation skills and accuracy.

So, fun and educational? This certainly checks those boxes.

The rewards from playing with this app are real too, because from now till 12 noon on 25 November 2014, if you try your hand at the "Hard" level of Anatomy Memory and are among the top 400 players on the Leaderboard, you will receive a Golden Ticket to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital's upcoming Doctor For A Day programme! You can read about Noey's experience during the first run of Doctor For A Day last year here. So if you're keen to let your kids be a Doctor For A Day, here's some incentive to download the app and get cracking! The 'Doctor For A Day' app is available for download on all iOS tablets (not the iPhone) and Android smartphones and tablets here. Recommended for 4 to 8 year olds.

GIVEAWAY! 

Thanks to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, we also have A PAIR OF TICKETS to their popular Doctor For A Day programme to giveaway! This pair of tickets is for the session on Saturday, 6 December 2014 at 3.40pm. (The programme runs for 90 minutes.) Do note that the child has to be between 5 to 10 years old to participate in the programme.

To enter this draw to win a pair of tickets, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Comment on this Facebook photo telling me the names of two of the games you can find in the Doctor For A Day app, AND Tag two friends to join the giveaway as well!

4. Leave a blog post comment here telling me what you like best about the Doctor For A Day app, and leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

You have to complete all 4 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! 

Terms & Conditions:

• The child must be between 5 years to 10 years of age to participate in the Doctor For A Day programme.
• This giveaway ends on Thurs 27 Nov 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. 
• Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. 
• All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. 
• To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.

Good Luck!

[28 Nov 2014]
RESULTS!

Congratulations to Joanne Lee-Ho! You are the winner of the pair of tickets to Doctor For a Day! We will be in touch with you shortly on the registration for the event so please look out for our e-mail. Thank you all for participating!

Getting In The Act with Act 3!

Let the wild rumpus start!

Raaaar!

And so it did, on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks back when both Noey and I got to attend a drama workshop at Act 3 Drama Academy. Yes, you read that right. I rocked up with Noey on a Saturday morning expecting to be watching him have fun but instead found myself taken to a separate room with the other parents and given a short 30-minute session to allow us to experience first hand a taster of what a drama worship at Act 3 Drama Academy entails.

Frankly, I wasn't prepared do be participating in a drama workshop of my own -- it's been more than 20 years since I participated in an Act 3 workshop of my own! -- but I quickly warmed up to the idea as our instructor for the morning quickly put us at ease. We were put through a series of activities which the children would themselves be experiencing in their own group.

First, some Warm-Up Exercises to get us thinking, moving and using our voices.

Then we were encouraged to move around to develop our Spatial Awareness, not just of ourselves but also in relation to the use of space in the room. This saw us moving around creatively, alternately being led by different parts of our bodies like our noses, or our left leg!

Next, we were introduced to the concept of Tableau, where one uses one's body to create a still picture to represent a scene. First by ourselves, then in groups, we moved to music and froze in positions to represent a story. It was fun and funny too! 

Lastly we were given a taste of Improv, and yours truly was roped in to play an annoyed mother. Not something I'm unfamiliar with, thankfully! Together with Edmund (Edunloaded) as the Dad and Mark (Parenting with Purpose) as the rebellious teenage son, the scene involved us parents lecturing our son and we were free to come up with whatever we pleased. This was the trickiest segment since what do in your role is heavily dependent on your co-actors -- what they say and what they do.

I certainly learnt a lot from that short session!

Our improv scene.
(Thanks @olimomok for the pic!)

After we rounded up our session, we went to join the children in theirs. From the moment I walked in, I could tell that Noey had had a great time. They had been exploring the same elements of drama as we had, re-enacting Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are. We watched the children in some scenes and joined in for some others, and I could see that Noey was really in his element, eagerly volunteering for roles, contributing his ideas, and roaring his heart out. I loved watching how uninhibited he was and how much he got into it. 

I also loved how engaging and animated the instructors were, and how there were no right or wrong answers, or right or wrong ways to doing things. We were all free to express ourselves and boy, did we have a lot of fun doing that!

Max sending the wild things away.

Noey here is Max, waving goodbye to the wild things as he sails for home.

Let the wild rumpus start!

The instructor later told me that she found Noey really creative and that she really enjoyed having him in the class. I think I'd overlooked how much of a creative spirit my little man is till it came rushing out at me that morning. Perhaps that ability of his to turn on the tears at will would come in useful for something after all! I think drama is something we would be exploring more of in time to come.

If you're interested to in exploring drama with your kids too, Act 3 Drama Academy has a series of exciting Holiday Workshops this November and December for children from ages 2 years (with accompanying parent) right up to 15 years. These workshops are based on water-inspired classics such as The Snail and The Whale by Julia Donaldson (for 3 to 4 year olds), How The Whale Got His Throat by Rudyard Kipling (for 5 to 7 year olds). Promising to be highly interactive, these workshops seeks to encourage children to think creatively, verbalise their thoughts as well as discover and develop their sensory skills, as well as broaden their imagination. Do check out the following links for more details:

• Whale Of A Time! (for 2 to 7 year olds)
• Love Ooka (for 8 to 10 year olds)
• Moby Dick (for 11 to 15 year olds) 

Thanks for a wonderful morning of discovery, Act 3!

 

Act 3 Drama Academy
126 Cairnhill Road
ONE-TWO-SIX Cairnhill Arts Centre
Tel: +65 6735 9986
Web: www.act3international.com.sg 

Get in the Christmas Mood with Junior Claus {Giveaway}

As we wind down the year, the one thing we look forward to is Christmas. Get in the mood this year with The Little Company's latest production: Junior Claus!

In the North Pole, things are in disarray. With less children believing in Santa, the Belief-o-Meter falls to a dangerously low level, causing Santa to fall into a deep sleep. This allows Grumpo, the greedy elf to seize power as the Chief Inventor in Santa's workshop and put into action his sinister plan to ruin Christmas forever! Junior Claus, the rebellious heir to the immense empire in the North Pole is the only one who can stop Grumpo and save Santa, but will he do it? And will he be able to rekindle the Christmas spirit? Find out in Junior Claus, a musical production which promises to be heartwarming and a lot of fun!

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 31 October to 14 December 2014
Venue: DBS Arts Centre -- Home of SRT
Performance Times: 
Ticket Prices: Weekdays $35 (Cat 1), $32 (Cat 2), Weekends $45 (Cat 1), $42 (Cat 2); There are also family packages available. 
Recommended for: 5 years and above
Duration: 1 hour 30 mins
Booking: At Sistic counters, at sistic.com.sg or by calling 63485555

GIVEAWAY!

Yes, we have a giveaway! Win A PAIR OF TICKETS to Junior Claus on 8 November 2014, 11am! 

To enter this draw to win a pair of tickets, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the Singapore Repertory Theatre Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Comment on this Facebook photo telling me why you want to watch this show, AND Tag a friend!

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

• This giveaway ends on Tues 4 Nov 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. 
• Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. 
• All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. 
• To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.
• Tickets can be collected at the box office at the DBS ARts Centre an hour before the show.

Good Luck!

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Brings A Midsummer Night's Dream To Singapore! {Giveaway}

Shakespeare fans, you're in luck. 

It isn't everyday that a world famous theatre company comes into town to stage one of the bard's best known plays in its full glory -- and I have TICKETS TO GIVEAWAY!

As I mentioned in my previous post, come 13-16 November, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre will be performing A Midsummer's Night Dream at the Esplanade Theatre. Promising to be visual treat with stunning Renaissance costumes and staging, this production, directed by the acclaimed Dominic Dromgoole, will be a re-working of the Globe's award winning 2013 version.

If you are not familiar with the story, A Midsummer Night's Dream is the comic tale involving four young lovers and a group of amateur actors, and their interactions with a band of fairies in the forest through which they wander. Hermia loves Lysander and Helena loves Demetrius -- but Demetrius is supposed to be marrying Hermia… When the Duke of Athens tries to enforce the marriage, the lovers take refuge in the woods and wander into the midst of a dispute between the king and queen of the fairies. Throw in a group of amateur actors rehearsing the play for the Duke's upcoming wedding and some mischief and magic, and what you get is a glittering, hilarious and inventive play about the world's favourite past time -- falling in love. After all don't we all know that "the course of true love never did run smooth"?

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 13 to 16 November 2014
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Performance Times: Thurs and Fri 8pm; Sat 3pm and 8pm; Sun 3pm
Ticket Prices: $148, $128, $118, $98, $78 (Matinee tickets are $10 less)
Duration: 2 hours 40 mins + 15 minute interval
Booking: Sistic at sistic.com.sg or calling 63485555

I am tremendously excited to be catching this show in the coming weeks, and even more excited to be able to share that with you as, thanks to our generous sponsors, I have TWO PAIRS OF TICKETS to be given away! These tickets are for the following performances:

1) 1 pair of tickets for Saturday, 15 November, 3pm (Matinee Show)
2) 1 pair of tickets for Saturday, 15 November, 8pm (Evening Show)

To enter this draw to win a pair of tickets, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the ABA Productions Singapore Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Comment on this Facebook photo telling me which show (Matinee or Evening or either show) you'd like to win, AND Tag a friend!

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

• This giveaway ends on Fri 7 Nov 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. 
• Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. 
• All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. 
• To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.
• The winners of this giveaway will be informed of the ticket collection details closer to the date and will have to collect the tickets at the times and locations stipulated, failing which the tickets will be forfeited. 

Good Luck!

(If you missed it previously, do check out our post with recommendations for Shakespeare stories for kids!) 

Hop & Honk {Giveaway}

You know the story of The Ugly Ducking and you know the story of The Frog Prince, but do you know what happens when one meets the other?

Find out in Hop & Honk, an all-new original production by iTheatre that will be coming your way at the end of this month! 

An ugly duckling who really does not fit in at home…
A frog who thinks he is a prince…
Both need a family.
Both need a best friend.
Both want to be loved but both are very very alone.

Join these two cute but confused creatures in their adventures and misadventures as they seek to find acceptance and security in this production that cleverly intertwines the classic fairy tales of The Ugly Duckling and The Frog Prince into an brand new family musical. 

"We are always on the lookout look for something new and exciting. Telling just one story can be fun, but we wanted to test the boundaries by combining and intertwining two seemingly quite different stories from two of history's most prolific children's authors, Hans Christian Andersen and The Brothers Grimm. It's unusual, but it is a very fun challenge – and the result we think will be double the entertainment value, throwing new light on some interesting aspects of both stories," explains ITheatre's artistic director Brian Seward, the creative force behind Hop & Honk. 

Promising top-class performers, toe-tapping music, spectacular sets, glittering costumes, magical lighting and jaw-dropping puppetry, while bringing across key values like racial harmony, tolerance and understanding as well as the importance of self-worth, teamwork and creative thinking, Hop & Honk sounds like a show that's not to be missed!

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 29 October to 15 November 2014
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre, National Library Building
Ticket Prices: $32 (Cat 1), $30 (Cat 2)
Recommended for: 4 to 18 year olds and families
Duration: 85 minutes + 15 minute interval (100 minutes in total) 
Booking: Sistic at sistic.com.sg or calling 63485555

GIVEAWAY!

Yes, we have a giveaway for you! Win a FAMILY PACK OF 4 TICKETS to Hop & Honk on Saturday 8 November 2014 at 7.30pm! Please note that the winner will have to pick up the tickets at ITheatre's office at 27 Kerbau Road by 24 October 2014. To stand a chance of winning those tickets, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like Life is in the Small Things on Facebook

2. Like the ITheatreSG on Facebook

3. Comment on this Facebook Photo telling me why you should win, AND Tag a friend! 

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

• This giveaway ends on Sun 19 Oct 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. 
• Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. 
• All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. 
• To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.
• The winner of this giveaway will have to pick up the tickets at ITheatre's office at 27 Kerbau Road by 24 October 2014, failing which they will be forfeited. 

Good Luck!

Hairy Maclary and Friends are Coming! {Giveaway}

We are always thrilled to see a familiar face make the jump from the pages of a book to living 3D on the stage, and this time, it's Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy who will be taking centre stage soon in Hairy Maclary and Friends.

We were first introduced to Hairy Maclary and his motley crew of friends when the kids' Godmother gifted us with a set of Hairy Maclary books some years ago. "These are classics!" she said, and hugely popular with kids in Australia and the author's native New Zealand. Upon reading the books, I could see why. Written in rhyming verse, the books proved to be enjoyable read-alouds. The clever use of repetition made it easy for the kids to follow along, even Mei, and soon they both able to recite along as we got to know Hercules Morse as big as a horse, Bottomley Potts covered in spots, Muffin Maclay like a bundle of hay, Bitzer Maloney all skinny and bony, and Schintzel von Krum with the very low tum.

Since we heard Hairy will be coming, we've pulled out all our books and reacquainted ourselves with Hairy and gang. The show promises to be packed with live music, singing, singing and colourful costumes, suitable for ages 2+ and up so we really looking forward to it!

Hairy Maclary and Friends will be playing only 7 shows from 10 to 12 October 2014, so don't miss this chance to get to know these loveable dogs! Visit ABA Productions or hairymaclaryshow.co.uk

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 10 to 12 October 2014
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre, National Library Building
Performance Times: Friday 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am, 2pm, 4.30pm
Ticket Prices: $62 (Cat 1), $52 (Cat 2), $42 (Cat 3), $35 (Cat 4) (Quote ABA2014 and get 10% off all tickets!)
Booking: Sistic at sistic.com.sg or calling 63485555

GIVEAWAY!

Thanks to our lovely sponsors we have a FAMILY PACK OF 4 CATEGORY 1 TICKETS (worth $248)  to giveaway! The tickets are for the opening performance on 10 October at 5pm. To enter this draw, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the ABA Productions Singapore Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Share this Facebook photo and Tag a friend!

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends on Mon 6 Sept 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. Winners will be contacted by e-mail and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.

Good luck!

夜莺 The Nightingale in Mandarin {Giveaway}

As a parent who is really only proficient in English, I am always seeking out different ways and means to expose my children to the Chinese language. There's enrichment class of course, but I think seeing and hearing the language come to alive is one of the best ways to interest the kids in the language, and encourage them to use it.

Which is why I'm always very excited when I hear of Chinese plays or workshops where the children experience the Chinese language in a fun and interesting medium. Like 夜莺, the upcoming Mandarin version of The Nightingale. 

We caught The Nightingale in English and really enjoyed it (click here to read our review!) so I've no doubt the Mandarin version would be equally entertaining. In fact, being a story set in China, it only seems appropriate that this play be staged in Mandarin. Cast members Ann Lek and Timothy Wan will be continuing on to perform this play in Mandarin after starring in the English run (wow!) and will be joined by Edric Hsu and Joanna Dong, the latter of whom will be lending her lovely voice to the nightingale. It already sound like it would be a hit with the whole family. 

夜莺 will be staged at the DBS Arts Centre - Home of SRT from 18 Sep to 11 Oct 2014, with shows at 11am and 2pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, and at 10am on Tuesdays to Fridays. Tickets are priced on Weekdays at $25 (Cat 1) and $22 (Cat 2) and Weekends $35 (Cat 1) and $32 (Cat 2), and can be purchased from Sistic.

GIVEAWAY!

If you are keen to catch the play and missed your chance to win in our giveaway of a pair of tickets to The Nightingale back in August, you are in luck because I'm back with another a bigger giveaway:  a family pack of 4 TICKETS TO 夜莺 on Saturday 20 Sept, 11am!

To take part, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the Singapore Repertory Theatre Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Like and Comment on this Facebook photo, telling me the dates for the run of 夜莺!

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends on Sun 13 Sept 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. Winners will be contacted by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All incomplete entries will be disqualified.

Coming to the Disney Channel - The 7D!

My kids are always happy when the school holidays roll round. I mean, which kid isn't right? My kids barely spend enough time in school as it is (well, enough for me anyway), but they are always thrilled to have extra time on their hands to roll around, read and watch some TV! I still restrict their TV watching privileges so they don't get too much screen time in a week, but I guess we all loosen up a bit during the holidays, including me!

On their list is catch episodes of Disney's The 7D, a new animated series that will be coming to the Disney Channel.

We were recently invited to the media preview of The 7D, an event we went to gladly because we are big Disney fans in this household, and also because we are fond of Eat Play Love Cafe where the event was held. The kids have always enjoyed crafting at Eat Play Love Cafe, but this time round, with The 7D onscreen, they both so enthralled, they chose to watch more episodes of the series instead of craft.

The 7D refers to the 7 dwarves featured in this series, who live in the whimsical world of Jollywood. Queen Delightful relies on The 7D -- Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey, Grumpy and Doc -- to keep the kingdom in order and protect its inhabitants from Grim and Hildy Gloom, the comically evil villains who plot to take over the kingdom by stealing the magical jewels in The 7D's mine. When summoned by the Bing Bong Bell, the brave little heroes rush to the Queen's side and find a way to accomplish each task, much to the chagrin of Lord Starchbottom, the Queen's loyal aide who would much rather handle any crisis on his own. With seven distinct personalities, the 7D also manage to save the day and send the Glooms running back to their evil lair.

We got to watch a couple of episodes and I found myself chuckling along with the kids. Not surprising perhaps, since this series is executive produced by Emmy award-winning Tom Ruegger, who was also behind Animaniacs, one of my sister and my favourite cartoons of all time. I was happy to learn that It also stars voice talents from many of our childhood favourites like Jess Harnell (Wakko from Animaniacs) as Grim Gloom, Maurice LaMarche (Picky and the Brain) as Grumpy, and Bill Farmer (Goofy) as Doc.

The 7D will premiere in Singapore on the Disney Channel (Starhub Ch 312 / SingTel mioTV Ch 234) on Sunday Sept 7, 11am. Don't miss it! 

Bubble Magic by Pep Bou in Singapore this September {Giveaway}

There is a certain magic to bubbles that we never quite outgrow. Every once in a while, my kids love to bring their bottles of bubble solution downstairs to the playground and it never fails to add some extra fun to playground time -- and make my kids instant hits with the neighbours!

We are but bubble novices, so I can imagine the excitement that will be generated will be multiplied 10-fold when the kids encounter award-winning and world-renowned bubble whizz, Pep Bou! From 9 to 14 September 2014, Pep Bou will be bringing a brand new show to town: Bubble Magic -- Pep Bou's Wonderful World of Bubbles!

Pep Bou has been playing with bubbles for more than three decades, delighting audiences of all ages and cultures around the world. In Bubble Magic, expect to be transported into a fantasy-land of beautiful illusions, with skilful trickery and a plethora of gags as this two-man show brings together the beauty of bubbles, clowning, ingenious lighting, music and crazy costumes. The whole family will be thrilled by fishbowl bubbles, animal bubbles, bubbles on a high wire, sliding bubbles, puppet bubbles, and even a train inside a bubbles tunnel! The show promises to be a blend of visual poetry and sheer fun in equal measure.

Here's a sneak preview:

 

Coming direct from its Europe-wide tour, Bubble Magic will run from 10 to 14 September 2014 at the Jubilee Hall at Raffles Hotel. Shows are at 1pm and 3.30pm on Wednesday and 11am and 1.30pm on Thursday to Sunday. Tickets are priced at $85 and $70, and can be purchased from Sistic.

GIVEAWAY!

And yes, we have ONE PAIR OF TICKETS to Bubble Magic to give away to a lucky reader! The tickets will be for Wednesday 10 Sept at 3.30pm. Perfect for an afternoon treat during the school holidays! To enter this draw, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the Lunchbox Theatrical Productions Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Like and Comment on this Facebook photo, telling me the dates and times of the Bubble Magic show in Singapore! 

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends on Wed 3 Sept 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. Winners will be contacted by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All incomplete entries will be disqualified.

P.S. If you'd like to make your own giant bubbles, this a great tutorial from ScissorsPaperStoneBlog!

Playing Dress up with Zalora

I don't know about you, but I decided that it was only appropriate that I spend at least some time during this National Day weekend indulging in one of our national pastimes: SHOPPING. However, with two tikes and a husband who is extremely crowd adverse, I've increasingly taken my shopping online instead of heading to the shopping mall. And why not, when you can find a plethora of options available, sometimes at lower prices than you would find in stores?

Admittedly, some things can be easier to buy online than others. Books, stationery and clothing for the kids top my list of buys. I've also bought household items, food products, and toys, to name a few. But what I do find a bit more tricky to buy are clothes for myself. The fit and the cut of each piece and how it looks on you can be a bit hard to predict on t he basis of measurements and pictures. To be honest, there've been hits and misses. And when something doesn't fit,  I'm sometimes left with trying to give or sell it away since returning an item to an overseas seller is not always a simple (or cheap) proposition.

So I was very interested when my sister-in-law first told me about Zalora and their amazing return policy.

I'm sure you've heard of Zalora, the multi-brand online fashion retailer of apparel, accessories, shoes and beauty products for men and women. But did you know that they have a 30-day free returns policy? If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, as long as the item is unused, with tags and in the same condition as it was received, you can return it for a full refund within 30 days of receipt. Just pack the item with the returns slip and drop it off at any SingPost counter or SingPost POPStation. That's it! You get your confirmation at the counter and a refund processed shortly after. 

This easy process has effectively given me a dressing room in the comfort of my own home. I've ordered items I wasn't so sure of to try, and returned the ones I wasn't so fond of while retaining the ones I liked. When I wasn't sure which size to take for a dress once, I ordered two sizes, tried them both on, and then returned the one that didn't fit as well. It has been very convenient with minimal risk.

This is on top of the fact that there is free courier delivery when you purchase above $40 worth of items, and in my experience, delivery has always been quick. When I've had to contact customer service, once because of a faulty zipper on a dress, my issues were taken care of promptly with minimal fuss. I've been shopping at Zalora since the start of the year and it's honestly been a rather pleasant experience thus far. 

So much so that I've been browsing through again their website again recently in a bid to update my everyday look. Being a SAHM to two kids and being on the go in and out of the house quite a bit, T-shirts and shorts are my standard daily uniform. But I've been recently trying to snap out of my usual sloppy auntie look and I've been eyeing some casual dresses instead -- stuff that would take me smoothly from home to school-runs, and which is still presentable enough for coffee and playdates with friends.

Here are some of my picks from their range of pretty fashion dresses:

From L-R: Ezra by Zalora Colourblocked Fit and Flare Dress ($34.90); Mango Stitched Shoulder Dress ($29 on sale); Mango Belted Printed Dress ($29 on sale); Mango Paisley Print Dress ($69) 

I've also got my eye on some maxi dress which I would like to add to my wardrobe. There's something about a long dress that instantly adds a touch of glamour to a look, which I believe will go a long way in making me look less dowdy.

 From L-R: Ministry of Retail Summer Love Dress ($45.90); New Look Strappy Aztec Print Maxi Dress ($59.90) Glitter Glam Maxi Dress ($29); Something Borrowed Lace Pleated Maxi Dress ($22.90)

I'm inspired, and I hope you are too! Happy shopping!

* This post is sponsored by Zalora. I've been a customer of Zalora for some time and all opinions herein are my own.

Cavalia: A Breathtaking Magical Encounter

There was a tingle in the air as we made our way toward the white spires next to Marina Bay Sands to catch Cavalia on opening night. And well there should, for this is a show that is unlike any other.

It isn't everyday that you get to see horses in the middle of the business district, but that's what you get at Cavalia -- and more. Expect to see exciting acrobatic stunts, some amazing riding, beautiful dream-like sequences, and at the heart of it all, a showcase of that bond between humans and horses.

I went to the show expecting it to be good, but I was honestly quite blown away by the whole experience. It was action from the get go, as the performers thrilled with acts of agility and strength. With a live band supporting them from behind the scenes, there was a raw energy pulsating through that had me clapping and bouncing in my seat. Good as the performers were, the real stars of the show were undoubtedly the horses, and when they first made their appearance, an audible gasp rippled through the audience.

Having met the horses, I can say that they are truly majestic, both on stage and off it. It was quite a sight to see them cantering around the stage, sometimes freely! The beauty of Cavalia however, really shines through that intimate relationship that the horses have with their riders and handlers. I thought this was particularly evident in three acts.

The first was the highly entertaining and thrilling Trick Riding acts. My favourite was the Roman Riding segment, where riders stood astride a pair of horses, rode them and even jumped while standing. Something you probably don't know about me is that I used to ride when in my youth. My parents unbelievably signed my sister and I up for several terms of riding lessons and those were, hands down, the coolest classes they've ever signed us up for. That also means that I have just about enough riding knowledge to know that what the riders like Fairland Ferguson attempt here is truly difficult! My heart was definitely in my mouth at certain points! It takes a great amount of trust and understanding between the horse and the rider to be able to pull it off, especially when additional teams are added. And my, did they pull it off flawlessly.

The traditional art of Dressage is another such act. Dressage is very delicate -- horse ballet, they call it. It actually takes both horse and rider a significant amount of time working together to make it look effortless! I marvelled as we watched the horse here dance lightly on his toes, moving to the music, responding to just the smallest of cues from the rider. While not as arresting as trick riding, it again takes the horse and rider to truly know each other to move in sync.

Finally the act that I felt really exemplified the essence of Cavalia was watching Keith Dupont talk his horses into running in unison, changing direction and even executing synchronised pirouettes with just his voice. The horse whisperer, he was. It wasn't high key but it was incredible to watch. 

The fact that the show was such a stunning visual treat was also because of the amazing set. Featuring a single 50-metre wide stage, with a 60-metre wide screen behind it, the horses are given the space to move and run against an ever-changing digital backdrop. This, together with creative lighting and special effects, draws the audience into the action and into another world. At one point, a water screen forms on which images are projected in tandem with the performances. Even more amazingly, 120,000 litres of water are also pumped in towards the end of the show to create a lake, which the horses thunder through.

Guess it was no wonder that when the show was brought to a close, the audience were brought to their feet spontaneously. Cavalia really is spectacular. We LOVED it. Do yourselves a favour and don't miss it!

Cavalia Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 12 August to 14 September 2014
Venue: Under the White Theatre Tent at Bayfront Avenue beside Marina Bay Sands
Performance Times: Tuesday to Friday 7.30pm; Saturday 2pm & 7.30pm; Sunday 12pm & 5.30pm (No shows on 13, 19 and 26 August)
Ticket Prices: VIP: $308, $288, $248, $208; Standard: $188, $148, $98, $88, $58. 
Booking Through Internet: www.cavalia.sg or Sistic
Booking By Phone: +65 31586735 (Cavalia) or +65 6688 8826 (Sistic)

Cavalia: Meeting the Equine Stars of the Show

If you've been around the Marina Bay area in the last couple of weeks, you would have noticed an addition in the foreground of our city skyline.

Standing tall and proud in the heart of our financial district are tall white fairytale spires, housing the stage, setting and stables for the innovative equestrian theatrical spectacular -- Cavalia, which opened yesterday, 12 August 2014. Created by Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of the world-renown Cirque du Soleil, Cavalia brings together 50 horses and 46 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians to put on a lavish show of fantasy and fun that showcases and celebrates the relationship between humans and horses. It is this focus that make Cavalia truly one-of-a-kind.

I had the opportunity to go meet the horses and their riders last week and I can tell you everyone there that morning were extremely taken by these beautiful creatures. (I mean the horses, of course, though the riders didn't look too bad themselves!) With their glossy manes and fine form, these were some of the most good-looking and well-cared for horses I've ever encountered.

And the bond between horse and human? It was immediately apparent in the interactions between them as we walked through the stables.

A total of 50 horses were flown comfortably over 11,000km on board a 747 aircraft specially equipped with air stalls and settled into their 1,500 square metre stable on site. There they each have a designated box with lots of space to stretch, lie down, sprawl out, roll or relax. An interesting fact I learnt was that the horses' stalls are always lined up in the same order so that they will always have the same neighbours wherever they travel to in the world, to give them that sense of familiarity even with changes in environment.

The genuine love of the riders/trainers underscores Cavalia's training philosophy, which is rooted in patience, trust and deep-seated respect. I was told that while the horses enjoy being on stage, where they perform a choreographed routine, they are also given the latitude to express themselves. Of course, this means that there are times when things do not go according to plan! But that's just how it is when performing with animals. The riders/trainers will prompt, encourage, and maybe offer a treat or two, but if the horse does not feel like doing something, it will not be forced to do so.

At Cavalia, the horses are family. And that's what makes the difference.

After having met the horses, I couldn't wait to catch the show. I was not disappointed -- it was truly SPECTACULAR! 

More on that coming up in my next post!

Cavalia Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 12 August to 14 September 2014
Venue: Under the White Theatre Tent at Bayfront Avenue beside Marina Bay Sands
Performance Times: Tuesday to Friday 7.30pm; Saturday 2pm & 7.30pm; Sunday 12pm & 5.30pm (No shows on 13, 19 and 26 August)
Ticket Prices: VIP: $308, $288, $248, $208; Standard: $188, $148, $98, $88, $58. 
Booking Through Internet: www.cavalia.sg or Sistic
Booking By Phone: +65 31586735 (Cavalia) or +65 6688 8826 (Sistic)