Monday, July 28, 2014

Legoland - A Squarish Affair

Second time to Legoland, I have to admit it did not excite me much. Firstly, I am not a theme-park person, I don’t like the rides and I don’t like the crowd. Secondly, I don’t really like Legos, probably because I grew up longing for it but never have the chance to owe it. My ego in play here. Nonetheless, with a sponsored trip coming up with the opportunity to bring my girls and also my mother for a short vacation, I have nothing more to complain about. Except maybe the queue at Malaysia customs can really have some improvements.

This is the first time we had a staycation with a theme.

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The famous square blocks greeted us from all angles, it was not possible to miss them at all.

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The entire lobby was filled with all sorts of Lego for the kids to play. And it was definitely necessary since the check-in time was only 4pm, at least the children were sufficiently entertained.

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I went around the hotel to check out some of the nice Lego structures.

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Even the flooring are Lego carpets..

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One of the surprises was the lifts, which are coolly designed with disco lights and music. I swear we can stay inside for much longer, just to enjoy the disco feel.

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Every level in the hotel is a different theme, and we were given the Adventure theme room. Furnished with a double bed, a double-decker bed and a pull out right underneath. Perfect for a family of 5.

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The two beds were separated by a sliding door to provide some privacy for couples. So to make sure the kids are self-entertained, they have their own TV too. The girls were just too excited to be bothered with the parents, and we ain’t complaining.

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Nice deco to fit the “adventure” theme, like bugs, scorpions and butterfly.

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Treasure map on the floor. Have to admit, even me got slightly excited about the cool decos.

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From our hotel room, we had the perfect view of our next day adventure place, the Legoland Water Park! But do take note that the water park is only opened from 10am to 6pm daily. Plan your trip wisely, which means on the day of check-in, you could probably come earlier, play at the water park then do the check-in at 4pm.

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Though the place is pretty huge and equipped with several interesting water slides and such, the Kuan Family is never one for such excitement. We are just happy going round the lazy river and spending some family time at the wave pool.

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Joey tried to learn swimming on her own. Looks like Daddy got to hire a professional teacher after all.

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Jayne was just happy floating and enjoying the sun.

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If you are not too particular about food, the selection inside the water park is still ok.

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We make a good decision to let the girls play out at the water park, cos the sun was getting stronger and before noon, it was time-out for us all. Walked back to the hotel to cool down a bit, play more Legos and next up the Legoland.

Won’t bored you with too much details, just refer to our earlier trip to Legoland for the various features.

Just a few more photos from the miniland.

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Monday, July 21, 2014

CafeHop - Pies & Coffee

The latest hunt for one of our favorite activity brought us to Pies & Coffee. There are altogether 4 branches at Robertson Walk, Rochester Mall, Tanjong Katong and Turf City. We visited the branch at Robertson Walk.

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I like cafes that display their cakes and food right in front for us to choose. This also shows that they are confident of their food.

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You can’t miss the pies if you are stepping into a shop with a name as ‘pies’.

Quiche Mushroom & Sweet Pea (S$6.00)

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Mixed Berry Tart (S$6.90)

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The brunch was the specialty that excites the parents like us. Cos it is not too filling and the portion is just nice for our girls.

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My personal favorite is the Hazelnut Banana Pancakes, stack of pancakes with fresh bananas in between each layer, dripping with thick yet not-so-sweet hazelnut spread. I enjoyed every mouth, almost to the extent of fighting it with my girls.

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Another selling point of the cafe is the above-average coffee. I wouldn’t say it’s the best, but I would give it 3.5 out of 5, which in my view, is not bad for a cafe that also provides nice food.

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It’s a blissful time to see my daughters enjoying a relaxed afternoon with us, cos weekdays are really just about work and studies for both parents and children. I treasure every weekend when we can spend some enjoyable and memorable time with them. This is my conviction, to create memories that the kids will remember forever when they are older and have their own worries and commitments.

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