Art-Zoo Giveaway!

[Flash Giveaway]

Art-Zoo is back! Art-Zoo Inflatable Park returns with a pop-up playground featuring six popular animal clusters: Grasslands, Honey Hives, Savannah, Spider, Swamps and Underwater. With larger-than-life animals, plants and ecosystems, Art-Zoo Inflatable Park is a culmination of an experiential playground and art installation in the setting of a zoological garden. It explores nature through alphabets and animals, welcoming both the young and young-at-heart to experience fun in this interactive world.

It is happening right now till 31 July 2017, 11am to 9pm and you can find more details at their official website. But for now, we are looking for 3 lucky readers to win a pair of tickets to the inflatable park. All you need is to complete the following steps by 2359hrs on Thu, 20 Jul 2017!

Giveaway Instructions

1) Like and follow The "Perfect" Father Facebook page;

2) Like and follow Art-Zoo Facebook page;
3) Like and follow Art-Zoo Instagram account;

4) Like and Share this Facebook post publicly; and lastly

5) Comment in the Facebook post why you would like to win (along with hashtags #ArtZooSG & #ArtZooRWS) and tag 3 friends who would love to go too!

Winners will be chosen on 21 Jul 2017 from amongst the answers, with all the above steps verified before winner announcement. You will be issued a redemption letter for ticket collection at the booth onsite to collect your complimentary wristbands before Mon, 31 Jul 2017.

iROO and Dee Hsu

[Media Invite]

My wife was addicted to Kangsi Coming (康熙來了) since we our newlywed days, and counts both the hosts Dee Shu (徐熙娣 a.k.a. Xiao S) and Kevin Tsai (蔡康永) as her idols. So when I knew that Taiwan’s International Professional Super Star was coming down to Singapore to grace the 7th Anniversary of iROO at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, I informed her immediately. For someone who is shy and lazy to attend such events, she agreed to attend the media event very readily. That goes to show how much she adores Xiao S.

iROO launched their first overseas boutique in Singapore with a big bang at Marina Bay Sands back in June 2010, with a huge store space of over 4,000 sqft and had since opened 3 more in "Cities" and 1 in Takashimaya Shopping Centre where the celebration took place last Friday. As I was late for the party, I only managed to hang around outside where the fans gathered. She was really a Super Star amidst all the screaming fans when she arrived.

For a stylish Super Star like Xiao S to be associated to the brand and be its ambassador, I must say that iROO must really mean something. It is definitely well-received by many and my wife loved how spacious and comfortable she felt while inside the shop. My wife was happy just to be in such close proximity with her idol! Thank you for having us over for the celebration and for not looking down on bloggers, like Tony Stark. 

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Shop Locations -

iROO Vivo City:
VivoCity #01-179 ~182 1 Harbourfront Walk Singapore 098585 
Business hours: 10am to 10pm daily
Tel: 6376 8070

iROO Raffles City: 
Raffles City Shopping Centre: #01-11 252 North Bridge Road Singapore 179103
Business hours: 10am to 10pm daily
Tel: 6352 2989

iROO Takashimaya Shopping Centre:
Takashimaya Shopping Centre #B2-36 391A Orchard Rd, Ngee Ann City Singapore 238873 
Business hours: Monday - Thursday: 10am - 9:30pm Friday - Sunday: 10am - 10pm 
Tel: 6732 6616

iROO Marina Bay Sands:
2 Bayfront Avenue #B2-97 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Singapore 018972
Business hours: Sunday - Thursday: 10:30am - 11pm Friday & Saturday: 10:30am - 11:30pm 
Tel: 6688 7046

iROO Great World City: 
Great World City #01-45/46 1 Kim Seng Promenade Singapore 237994
Business hours: Monday - Tuesday:11am - 9pm Wednesday - Sunday:10am-10pm
Tel: 6235 7822

For more information on iROO, check out the following:

 • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iroosingapore

 • Website: http://www.iroo.sg/

 • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iroo_official/

Going Green!

We have limited resources on this planet we live in and yet consumerism had reached such a stage that product packaging often way exceeds the actual product itself. We may consume the water in the plastic bottle in minutes, but the container itself can take at least 500 years to biodegrade. And in the case of PET bottles, NEVER EVER.

These bottles can be given another lease of life!

I am all for sustainable living, if not for us, let it be for our children and theirs, and that meant everything in moderation too, be it toys or whatever. It may be impossible for us to revert back a minimalist lifestyle like that of our forefathers, but we can definitely try to reverse our wasteful nature and minimize our output. For starters, how about reducing out waste, and re-using some of the stuff that we would have usually thrown out as trash?

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Planting Receptacles

I am sure we all would love to have some greenery at home. Besides being pleasing to the eyes, of course plants provide the much-needed oxygen in the house and even purifies the air too! Not many of us are blessed with an outdoor garden, but for those who need to exercise their green fingers, they are always welcomed to join any Resident’s Committee communal gardens. Or you can also use a variety of recycled materials and start your own home garden on a smaller scale!

Plants do not require fanciful pots; it is us humans, who feels the need to get new pots or nice containers for aesthetic purposes. I love gardening from young and would use any containers for my plants. Drink bottles, takeaway containers or whatever pops up, can all be used for planting, and all you need is some imagination and creativity. The following is a way to recycle a drink bottle into a self-watering plant receptacle that is especially useful for a forgetful person -

• Clean and half a drink bottle using cutter / scissors.
• Drill a hole in the cap or use the heated tip of a metal spoon to melt a hole. It should be big enough for a strip of cloth to pass through.
• Cut out a strip of cloth and pass it through the hole. The cloth "wick" should reach the bottom of the bottle.
• Plant as per normal, or use a layer of absorbent vermiculite at the bottom like me. 
• Top up water at the bottom and attach the inverted top to the bottom. If done properly, you will not need to water the plant anymore!

You can have the water bottle painted over to beautiful it too! But I think having it transparent is cool too!

Very often we buy beautiful plants back home, only to see them slowly wilt away indoors. Of course we all know that plants need air, water and some amount of fertilizers at times, but we often underestimate the light they really required, hence their early demise. To prevent that, one would either have to frequently rotate the indoor plants to where they can get sufficient sunlight, or you can actually bring the lights to where they are to ensure they can thrive indoors as well! Lovely to know that IKEA stocks LED bulbs meant for growing plants too!

IKEA items used: KVART Work Lamp, VÄXER LED bulb for cultivation and MÄRKBART Scissors.

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Lighted Bottle Ornaments

I still get calls from my parents at times, when they come across any big liquor bottles at their void decks to ask me if I wanted them. From young, I had been picking up stuff and I always found these glass bottles to be really beautiful and a waste to be thrown away. All you need are some LED strips and you can easily turn this into a working child-safe night light for the kiddos, that is not only beautiful but practical too! My kiddos are kind of terrified of the dark but not anymore now and they can even bring along their own lighted bottle around. But on hindsight, better not, since they are made of glass! 

The vodka bottles come in different designs and are pretty on its own. For other plain bottles, you may wish to use permanent markers or even acrylic paint for some colours.

IKEA items used: SÄRDAL LED lighting chain with 12 lights and ALKALISK Battery alkaline

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Growing Greens Indoors

Well besides up-cycling and growing plants in soil, I am really excited about the KRYDDA / VÄXER range of products that is currently only available in the UK. With everything from the containers, planting medium, nutrients and even lights taken care of, this system is really a plug and play. Getting the kiddos involved in growing their own food, may just be the catalyst required to get their into healthy eating too! From what I read from IKEA Facebook page, the kit is likely to reach our shores only next year though. Check out more details here - http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/ideas/201643_idip18a/.

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IKEA Turned Karang Guni

For those of you who wants to have a change of furniture but do not know where to dispose of your old but still usable furniture, take note! IKEA will actually be giving you up to $60 vouchers in exchange for your unwanted stuff! But do note that this offer is only up to 06 Aug 2017!

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This blog post is brought to you in collaboration with IKEA Singapore!

The Little Company's Red Riding Hood

[Giveaway]

Synopsis

After successfully staging it in English, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT)'s The Little Company now presents Red Riding Hood in Mandarin. Red Riding Hood is an uplifting story about a brave girl named Red who must journey through the forest to reunite her family and save Mother's bakery from closing down.

Will she reach Grandma's house in time? Or will the charming Big Bad Wolf distract her from her quest? Join Red on her adventure into the woods, where no one is what they seem!

 

Filled with humour and packed with original music, this is a fantastic show to be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages.  

 

 

Thanks to the generosity of the sponsor, we are glad to send a family of FOUR to the 11am show on Sat, 29 Jul 2017! So if you are able to make if for the show, remember to take part in the following giveaway!

Giveaway Instructions

Ensure that you complete the following steps before end of Fri, 21 Jul 2017 -

1) Like and follow The "Perfect" Father Facebook page;

2) Like and follow Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) Facebook page;

3) Like and Share this Facebook post publicly; and

4) Comment in the Facebook post once done (tagging your friends who will be interested would be great)!

Useful Information

 

Venue: KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT at 20 Merbau Road, Singapore 239035
Date: Thu, 20 Jul - Fri, 1 Sep 2017
Time: Weekdays: 10am / Weekend & Public Holiday: 11am & 2pm
Booking Website: http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/cred0917

Uncle Ringo Giveaway!

[Flash Giveaway]

We popped by Uncle Ringo's last carnival over at Punggol and the kiddos had so much fun that we were basically soaking in the atmosphere from afternoon till late night! Check out some of the rides and games stores we tried -

The next upcoming carnival will be at the hard court outside Sembawang MRT Station from 16 - 30 Jul 2017. And we are happy to inform that we have 5 game cards worth $25 each to be given away, courtesy of Uncle Ringo. Just complete the following steps before 2359hrs on Sat, 15 Jul 2017!

Giveaway Instructions

1) Like and follow The "Perfect" Father Facebook page;

2) Like and follow Uncle Ringo Facebook page;

3) Like and Share this Facebook post publicly; and lastly

4) Comment in the Facebook post once done and tag 3 friends who would love to go too!

Winners will be randomly chosen from amongst the comments, with all the above steps verified before winner announcement. Please note that prizes are to be collected in person at the ticketing booth (red/white striped container) before Thu, 20 Jul 2017.

Going Japanese @ Bishan Junction 8

I am someone of simple taste and do not live to eat like many of my friends do. But if you ask me what cuisine I love, Japanese would come to my mind immediately. I love my tempuras and sashimi, while the kiddos enjoys ramen and udon with gusto too! Hence the likelihood of the family walking into any Japanese restaurant to shouts of "irrasshaimase" is pretty high. And we are definitely glad that Junction 8 has quite a few for us to choose from, including Japanese desserts!

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Chateraise (B1-19B)

My first impression when I chanced upon this new shop with a name I still do not know how to pronounce accurately, was how expensive the confectioneries were compared to your neighborhood shops but yet still attracts long queue. That piqued my interest and I got myself a whole tiramisu cake the last time I went. Not that I was hungry, but because it was the more economical than getting a single slice! And I tell you, there is no turning back after I tasted that cake. Since then, my family have pretty much tried everything and they are absolutely delicious! You must try their swiss rolls and mochi!

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Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant (#01-33)

Another favourite haunt for our family would be the Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant. The portion served is rather substantial and even for our family of 2 adults and 4 kiddos, we would usually just order a 2-pax set and add on some dishes depending on the level of "hungriness". We would usually have the hotpot (with udon) and their pizza is pretty nice too! We love the kids-friendly environment and it helps that the food was nice too. You can also try out their bubble tea too if you do have cravings like I do!

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Maki-San (#02-27A)

It is quite troublesome to tell the person taking your order to leave certain ingredients out of your food order, or to request for specials. This restaurant actually eradicated that totally by having you fully customize your own maki roll, and have you eat only what you love! The rolls are also package in a beautiful and handy box for easy carrying and makes for a good meal on-the-go. Besides the rolls, you can also customize your own salads, as well as savour different variety of snacks such as kara-age, tempura and fries too. Check out their local-inspired Maki Lemak that is available now, or any of their current available "house rolls" if you are too lazy to "make" your own.

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Yoshinoya (#01-38)

I guess many should be familiar with this Japanese fast-food restaurant. I remember having this quite often in my teens because the rice bowls fill me up adequately and I especially love their delicious beef slices with the streaks of fatty goodness. I would often finish up the rice first, leaving the best for last! They do offer rice bowls with Kara-age, Tonkatsu, Yakitori, Salmon and even Char Siew. For those who do not like rice, they also have ramen too.

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Umeya (#B1-K1)

Looking at the selection of Japanese snacks in the stall reminded me of the stall in Ameyoko, Japan! The stall offers a wide selection of Japanese dried fruits, sweets and other titbits that is priced by the weight. So if you have any cravings for something sweet or sour, check out the outlet just located outside FairPrice Finest!

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This blogpost is brought to you in collaboration with Junction 8!