I cannot even remember when was the last time I joined a scavenger hunt. I am usually the one planning a hunt for others to join, but actually joining one happened probably only during my school days. =P Since we didn't have any programmes planned for last Saturday, we decided to respond to Sentosa's invitation on Twitter to join their first ever Sentosa Hunt planned specially for their tweeps in celebration of their 40th Anniversary.

I've always loved Sentosa and I mean it. Every time I step onto Sentosa, I feel happy and relaxed. There is something about the atmosphere at Sentosa that makes one feel like they're on vacation. The Sentosa Hunt was basically a scavenger hunt on Sentosa for teams of two-four players each. Every team was given a sheet of instructions and clues and there were compulsory & bonus tasks to be completed during the given time frame. We had our two kiddos who tagged along, so we really weren't looking to win the race. We just wanted to have fun! And it turned out to be very fun indeed. Made waking up at 7am that morning rather worth it. =D

Armed with our clues and the Sentosa maps, we rushed to the various attractions as fast as we could. But of course, we had a stroller and a 6-year-old who constantly complained about the hot sun. Well... =P

I was the happiest to see that one of the stops was at the Luge & Skyride! I had been wanting to go for this attraction for so long, but never had the chance! Our task for this station was to take photos of our dangling legs in the sky! Haha!

I can let you in on a secret but you must promise not to laugh. Both Joey & Jayne enjoyed the skyride very much and were not the least scared. But Isaiah and I were both very nervous when we were high up in the sky. Too.high.up.we.dared.not.look. We were constantly paranoid that either the kids or we might fall off. #epicfail

Riding the luge was very fun though! I wished I could go a second round! =P

To solve the clues given, we covered the Port of the Lost Wonder, Images of Singapore, Cable car station, etc. At various stations, we were to snap photographs as depicted by the clues and then post them on various social media platforms such as Foursquare, Twitter & Facebook.

The Angry Birds were adorable!

We didn't manage to cover all the clues though we did complete all the compulsory ones. By 12pm, we were to report back to Coffee Bean to tabulate our scores. The lovely organisers gave us vouchers to purchase drinks & food from Coffee bean while we rested out feet from all the rushing here & there. =) When the results were announced, we got the 3rd prize! $120 dining vouchers from Coaste, a beachfront cafe at Sentosa! =D All the participating teams also received one-year complimentary membership from Sentosa.

Since we were given complimentary entry into most of the attractions on Sentosa, we decided to go for them after the hunt. Like excited tourists, we covered Merlion, Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom and the Tiger Sky Tower. We really wanted to try the Segway Ride too, but were too tired by the end of the day. Too bad we couldn't wait till night time to catch the Songs of the Sea show - the girls would like it, I believe!

It was one fruitful day at Sentosa! We managed to cover quite a lot of attractions. Hee.. If we've not been to the 4D and 3D shows a couple of times before, we would surely cover them too. =P

I love this photo booth! Looks so 3D! =D (But aiya! I shouldn't have put my arms there on the ledge! It would look more realistic! Joey looked like she's really in the polaroid lor!!)

Thanks Sentosa, for a wonderful Saturday! =)

I am from City Harvest Church, and this is my story.

Unlike many young people who probably grew up in CHC, I joined CHC in my early adult years. I stepped into City Harvest Church for the very first time (at the then Hollywood Theatre) in 2002. I was already a Christian for about 10 years then in another church, and I was looking for another church that I could be planted in and serve in. I vividly remembered how blown away I was during my first visit to CHC. The hall was fully packed with many people, and everyone was praying fervently and with all their might. I even thought I had gotten the service timings wrong, and that the service was ending. Turned out, that was only the pre-service prayer meeting! I was in awe. I came from a charismatic church, and praying in tongues was common, but I had never felt the power of strong prayers like that. The presence of God was so strong and tangible, and I felt so touched even before the service started. This church is really different. Immediately, I knew this was the place I was looking for.

Coming from a Christian background, there were many old mindset and thinking in me that were challenged when I started attending CHC regularly. On the surface, I looked like a happy and carefree girl, but inside of me, there were lots of bitterness, anger and jealousy. Growing up, I had most things that I needed and wanted in life, but that made me a person who could not accept failures and I cared a lot about what people thought of me as a person. I was not happy because I was constantly trying to seek the approval of everyone around me. I was also very competitive and got jealous easily of friends who achieved more than me, or were more popular with people.

Over the years, God begun to mould me into a different person that I am today. Pastor Kong’s sermons are always full of faith and hope, and they gave me a strong foundation upon which I rewired my thoughts and attitudes. Every cell group meeting, service or prayer meeting I attended , strengthened me and made me more confident. The presence of God washed away the bitterness in my heart, and I no longer feel the resentment in my heart towards friends I used to be jealous of. With a renewed mind, I now see things in a different light. I am a new person.

Being in City Harvest Church has also given me the chance to be trained as a cell group leader. I was discipled by wonderful pastors and church leaders, who empowered me in many areas. From a person who was bitter and angry, I have become one who can show compassion and love for my members. From someone who needed help, I could now help others. My outlook on life was refreshed. My life was radically changed.

I am sure most of you would have heard about the investigations and the allegations made against the senior leadership of CHC. I do not know what the outcome will be at this point, but one thing I know for sure – I stand together with Pastor Kong, Sun, Pastor Tan and the rest of them who are facing the trials. They are all good people who have caused such a positive impact in my life, and I would not believe that they would have done anything against their conscience. Like how some of my friends put it, “They have too much fear of God in them to do something like that.’ Of course, systems may have shortfalls and some things could have been done in a better way, but at the end of the day, I trust in their character and integrity. That is enough for me at this point.

Before the case is concluded, let us not pass our own judgment. It does us no good, and it does not serve any purpose. My faith in God is not shaken. My faith in CHC is not shaken. My faith in Pastor Kong, Sun and Pastor Tan is not shaken. As for me and my house, we will continue to serve the Lord and keep my church and leaders in prayers. If you would, please join me in up keeping this whole matter in your prayers as well.

In the end, God always has the final say.

Taking a break from all my photo-intensive entries to do a Talkative Thursday post is a nice idea.

When I first started blogging more than 6 years ago, I actually wrote in two blogs concurrently. One blog was this one that was focused on my kids. The other one was my personal blog, where I penned down my ideas, thoughts and happenings in my life outside of the kids. There was period of time I had inspiration and thoughts like rushing waters through my mind everyday, so writing a piece of article was easy. Mostly, I wrote about my reflections after reading the bible, or things I learnt observing people around me. I was also very encouraged to keep writing then because there were friends who actually told me they used my articles during their cell group discipleship sessions! Haha!

But by and by, I realised that even in my personal blog, I was writing stuffs related to the kids and what I learnt as a mother. The kids were too big a part of my life that I could no longer find non-kids-related stuffs to write anymore. So eventually, I focused only on the kids' blog. The kids' blog was easy to maintain because I was mostly documenting the activities we did with them during the weekends, So photographs became my guiding force. In some posts, words became few because I was just showcasing my photographs and they sometimes tell a better story than words.

Yet I don't want to forget that I love to write. Writing is therapeutic and sometimes when inspiration comes, I can just rant and rant on. That is why if you have been a frequent reader of this blog, you'd realise that once in a while, a post comes up and sounds like it came right out of my train of thoughts. Haha! Ranting is a good way of releasing stress, methinks. It basically gives you the chance to say whatever's in your mind, and at the end of the ranting session, thoughts always become clearer and less clouded.

Motherhood has its good days and not-so-good days. There are days I feel like I could conquer the world and everything's under control. My house is not in a mess, my kids are playing peacefully with each other and I have time to have fun with them. On other days, I just feel like hiding under my blanket while the kids turn the house upside down and turn a deaf ear to all my shouting and screaming. The funny thing is when my kids are with me, I wish I have time to do my own stuffs, but when I am away from my kids, I miss them like crazy. Motherhood is a nasty play on our emotions.

What I've realised over the years is that I function better as a mum if I have a job. While I did enjoy my 4 months of maternity leave, nearing the tail-end, I couldn't wait to get back to my office and get myself busy with all kinds of projects all over again. Leaving the house and going to my office everyday gave me a chance to disconnect from the kids and focus my energy on something else. At the end of the day when I go back to my kids again, I slip back into my role as a mum, but much happier.

During the weekends when I spend all my waking moments with my kids, it can become so overwhelming especially when the kids give it all that they've got to annoy me with their incessant whining, screaming & petty squabbling with each other. And so, the result is I do not suffer from any Monday blues at all, because first day of work in a week feels like a big relief from my weekend vocation: Full time mum. But of course, having said that, I treasure time I have playing and chatting with my girls because I know how fast they grow up.

Blogging has played a big part in helping me deal with negative emotions that arise out of tough motherhood experiences. I am by nature a positive person, so it is not my style to fill my blog with entries that are complaining or generally negative. So whenever I blog, I focus on the positive side of the experiences and package it as a life experience that has made me a better person. This process has been more than liberating both for my mind and for my soul. And as I document down the milestones in my girls' lives or share photographs of excursions and outings we've had, I get reminded of what blessing and joy they have brought into my life. Blogging is my way of staying thankful and grateful for these little ones. That's probably the reason why I still love blogging after 7 years. =)

I think I've been talkative enough for today's post! It's time to start thinking of what topic to write about for next week's Talkative Thursday post! =D

Sponsored Review

Hubby and I have been fans of Monopoly Game since young, and it was one board game that accompanied us through our growing-up years till now. We have the original Monopoly Board and some time last year, bought the Onyx version as well. When I heard that Hasbro has introduced a new two-sided Monopoly Board, I was very curious what it would look like!

The game will feature iconic past and current Singapore landmarks on opposing sides of the board, allowing players to choose which themed era, ‘Then’ or ‘Now’ they would like to play on. Monopoly fans can purchase properties such as ‘Coleman Market’ (presently known as ‘Lau Pa Sat’), ‘General Post Office’ (‘The Fullerton Hotel’) and ‘Oxley Estate’ (‘ION Orchard’) among other historic buildings and sites on the board, providing an educational play experience like never before. Not only do you get to have fun playing a board game, you can also learn interesting names of historical or iconic buildings in olden Singapore! I think the idea's really cool.

To capture the essence of 'Then & Now', the mode of payment used in transactions for the two sides of the board differs, and that was the part that intrigued me the most! It was the first time I saw the 'cashless' payment mode in Monopoly, and that was seriously the coolest thing ever.

Traditionally, Monopoly is always played with paper money and I remember using scotch-tape to tape the badly torn & overused paper money, haha! This set of Monopoly includes the same set of paper money for use on the 'Then' side of the Monopoly Board. But if you and your friends choose to play on the 'Now' side of the Board, you can go cashless with credit cards & card-swipping machine!!!

Capturing the essence of Past vs Present, newly-designed tokens are also introduced! The tokens symbolising the olden days of Singapore are the cute ‘Tiffin Carrier’, ‘Trishaw’ and ‘Wooden Clog’. For modern Singapore, they have ‘Airplane’, ‘Cabriolet’ and ‘Electronic Tablet’. I like it that the small details are taken into consideration as well, to make the whole 'Then & Now' theme stand out.

Other notable changes to the game include the title deeds, ‘Community Chest’ and ‘Chance’ cards which are printed in designs appropriate for the different era. To edify the playing experience, short blurbs of the history and current use of the landmarks are indicated on the title deeds of Singapore’s “Then” and “Now” properties. Very educational.

My girls definitely belong to the 'Now' Generation. They didn't take a 2nd glance at the traditional paper money, but the moment they saw the card-swipping machine, they tried to snatch it from me! Joey has seen it too many times at shopping malls, and she could show me how to swipe a credit card! Haha!

Monopoly is a great game for families. Even young children can play and have fun because it's all a matter of rolling dices, paying for properties and making decisions whether to build houses or hotels. With this new version, the kids can even learn about the history of Singapore even though they have not seen any of those old buildings before.

GIVEAWAY!

Now would you like to own one of these new two-sided Monopoly: Then & Now? I have two sets to give away to you readers, and entering this giveaway is very simple!

1. Like The J Babies Facebook page (if you have not)
2. Share this blog entry on Facebook by clicking on 'Like' below this post, or pasting the permalink of this entry on your Facebook status.
3. Leave me a comment either on the Facebook link of this entry, on this blog entry or drop me an email at telling me which side of the Monopoly Board do you like better -'Then' or the 'Now', and why?

Giveaway ends on Tue, 3 July 2012, 2359hrs! Waiting for your participation! :)

One of the major highlights of our Gold Coast trip was to visit the Sea World. We chose to visit this world among the rest because it was the world that had Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob & SquarePants, both of which are my girls' favourite TV cartoons. It was fortunate that my girls are still scared of man-size mascots now, so we could give Dream World & Movie World a miss. Going for everything would burn a super big hole in our pockets. Plus, none in our entire family dares to take roller coaster rides. It would be a major waste of money.

You can see the happy faces of Spongebob & Squarepants everywhere in the park!

Dinosaur Land is very near to the main entrance and there's the gallery portion as well as the outdoor portion. The gallery looks pretty much like the dinosaurs exhibition at the Singapore Science Centre.

The outdoor portion is more interesting and makes you feel like you're walking back in time as you pass by life-sized dinosaurs on both sides of the road. We didn't spend much time in this portion because our girls were not too fond of dinosaurs. =P

The 'cable cars' in Sea World move in groups of 4, and stop at intervals to let the tourists take photos in mid-air. Quite a pretty sight against the clear blue skies, I thought. =)

While waiting for the SpongeBob & Square Pants Parade to start, we went to the Nickelodeon shop and bought some stuffs for the girls!

Bought cute charm bracelets! =)

The SpongeBob & Square Pants Parade was the main highlight of our trip to the Sea World. I've heard that it's very entertaining to watch, and I was not disappointed! The music and songs were catchy, and there were lots of incredible choreography and dancing. All the kids went wild! (While the adults melted in the sun). I cannot imagine how it would be like if the temperatures were like that in Singapore!

It was a very interesting show with non-stop action and music for 20 minutes.

And of course, the crowd cheered loudly when the stars appeared!

Lots of families sat at the grass patch next to the audience stands. I love how relaxed and carefree everyone looked. =)

Bought this tumbler of Coca Cola for AUD$6.90, and I could top it up with drinks at any of the Worlds in Gold Coast for AUD$3. It was a nice souvenir to bring home with us. =)

Had a quick lunch of nuggets, fries and cold beers, we headed to the kiddy rides while waiting for the Dora Show to begin. This part of the Sea World is a haven for pre-schoolers!

My MIL was obviously very taken aback by how fat the fries were. Yep. It was packed and filled with mushy potatoes. So yummy OMG.

The kiddy rides playground was a very happy place!

The girls rode on the aeroplane, train, horses... And they were so happy.

Quite frankly, going round and round in the sky on the aeroplane was really nice because of the cold breeze blowing at our faces. Very refreshing indeed. =D

I was very happy too, can you see? =P

One of the very few roller roasters in Sea World, and we stared in amazement. Never in a 1000 years would I sit in one of those, TYVM.

Sea World is a park full of water spaces in different places. I liked how beautiful it made the whole park.

And of course, what is a Sea World without sea creatures?? This was the touch & feel pool, where you could touch and feel the different creatures that live in the sea such as stingray, turtles, starfish, etc.

One big attraction in the park was the Shark Bay. The underwater gallery was lovely with lots of pretty fishes and of course, sharks. =)

Finally, we went to the Dora Show! It was yet another entertainment show with props appearing from within the clouds and popping up from the platforms on the floor. Quite interesting. =)

After the show, we fulfilled Baby Jayne's wish to take photo with Diego! It would be perfect if Dora was there too. =)

Finally, our day at Sea World ended with a ride in the merry-go-round. =)

I think we made a wise choice to go to Sea World! It was really a great and fun place for pre-schoolers! =)