Sponsored Review

Singaporeans love Bangkok, but recently I have began to appreciate Thailand even more, after staying at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. Voted the World’s best hotel by readers of many leading magazines, this hotel is the Top Choice for travellers who want to enjoy luxury and service as they go for a holiday in Bangkok, Thailand.

Check out the magnificent views that greeted us the moment we entered the lobby. Simply Jaw-dropping!!! Nothing but Superlatives to describe this hotel!

Located on the Banks of the Chao Phraya River, the Mandarin Oriental is away from the busy areas of Pratunam Market and other shopping malls. This is a place, where you go to relax and  just basically enjoy your holiday.

If you have kids and wondering  whether there are any public amenities nearby, do not fret! The kids were overjoyed with the hotel as there was a Mcdonald’s and a Starbucks for Daddy, just 10 minutes away by foot. The hotel also offers private shuttle boats, which provide daily access to the nearest Skytrain station (Saphan Taksin) and River City Shopping Centre. Therefore, travelling to the city is really very convenient.

From the pictures, I guess you can see why the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is the No.1 choice for celebrities, when they visit Thailand.  Built in 1876, she is the old grand lady of service,style and grace. For Singaporeans, the hotel is the equivalent to the Raffles Hotel Singapore but much much more. The hosts of celebrities who have stayed here are Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson, David Beckham, George W. Bush, Prince Charles and Princess Diana. This is definitely the hotel of choice for the rich and famous!

After checking in, we were excited to see the family room, which we were hosted to stay in. And, it was sweetest and most pleasant welcome around! Placed on the coffee table of the family room, was a toy train made of chocolate, filled with macaroons, marshmallows and sweets. It was the “sweetest” welcome that one could wish for, and a definite BIG HIT with the kids!   (We found out later that the Pastry Chef took 3 hours to make this creation for us! Truly Amazing!!!)

Besides having to face the temptation of snacking non-stop, we were welcomed into the room by our friendly butler. Every floor in the Mandarin Oriental is serviced by it’s own butler, who goes out of the way to know every guest, and to make sure that every guest’s whim and fancy is looked into.  All a guest would need to do, is to press a button at one’s bedside, and the Butler will be alerted via his pager.

And the first thing that our Butler Chatchai brought to us were welcome drinks! Juices for the adults and Milk Shakes for the kids! Besides the food and beverages, the kids were also welcomed with “Angry Bird” Caps, and a little Miniature “Tuk Tuk”. Our welcome was made even warmer, as we were blessed to be serviced by Chatchai, who has been working in the hotel for more than 30 years.

And if you are wondering what the room is like? Check out our piece of Thai heaven for the next 2 nights?

Just one phrase to describe our room…"We LOVED IT!!!”

There was plenty of space for the kids to run around and with the pan0romic views of the river, we were in 7th heaven.

Besides the wonderfully sized rooms, the Mandarin Oriental is always looking into the finer details. For example, they had an in-built shoe rack that was flush into the wall next to the door. This means that all our shoes could be neatly hidden away from the public eye, and not tossed everywhere along the corridor. This definitely made the room neater and cleaner!

The service finesse of the Mandarin Oriental was seen throughout our stay at the Hotel. After going for a walk around the hotel, we came back and realized that our Butler had prepared mini cocktails for us! What a pleasant surprise!

With it’s emphasis on size and luxurious living, the whole family loved the toilets at the Mandarin Oriental. Built bigger than the size of a Singapore HDB room, there was more than enough space for Daddy and Mummy to use the toilet simultaneously. As a frequent traveller, whenever Daddy goes to hotels, I will regularly use their toiletries. However, Daddy was in for a SURPRISE at the Mandarin Oriental. The Amazing thing was that when I came back to the room, the toiletries were replaced with brand new items! The shower Gel and shampoo was replaced with brand new bottles. They even replaced the soap that I used with a brand new one, within the same day!!! And Yes! they do this every day!!!

Their service excellence was further seen when we went out for a short excursion to the nearby Supermarket. When we came back there were bathrobes placed on the bed by our butler and bedroom slippers placed at every bedside. The whole family felt thoroughly pampered by the thoughtful service of our butler.

Check out my little Male Abercombie model, who was more than willing to model for Daddy after his bath!

Do stay tuned for Part 2 our report about the Mandarin Oriental, as we will bring you around to explore the other opulent rooms within this historically beautiful hotel.

Sponsored Review

Looking to expose your kids to World Class theatre?

Great News! As Kids Fest 2014 is coming up, and offering a buffet of World Class Children’s Theatre! Starting from Jan 15 to Feb 9, this popular festival returns with 9 International Theatre Productions.

This year Kids Fest comes with an UPsize package, as it will be introducing Kids Fest Plus. This is an exclusive backstage experience on scheduled productions where participants can come up close with the cast over an autograph or photo session.

What are some of the productions at Kids Fest?

Back by popular demand is the well-loved Gruffalo! Based on the Award Winning Picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, this drama showcases Gruffalo’s child as she ventures into the “deep dark wood” to find the “Big Bad Mouse”. Though the use of sheer wit, learn  how the quick-thinking Mouse evades danger.

Parents can find productions recommended for Different Age groups. Here is a quick list of the shows to expect:

For 3 to 8 years old: The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, What the LadyBird Heard, We’re going on a Bear Hunt, The Boy who cried wolf. The Snow Dragon.

For 6 to 14 years old: Horrible Stories Terrible Tudors, Horrible Stories Awful Egyptians.

For 10 to 18 years old: Private Peaceful

Find out more by Visiting KidsFest! and productions start from Jan 15- Feb 26 2014 (Do check KidsFest for exact dates)

Tickets are on Sale for all productions at Sistic with Prices starting from $35 to $62 

_______________________________________________

And Yes! Once again, we have a GIVEAWAY for all our READERS!

We are giving away 1 Family Package to “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”

(4 Category 1 tickets worth $248 in total)

and

1 Nestle Hamper (worth $30) = Worth $278 in total

- Tickets come with KidsFest+ (an exclusive scheduled autograph session with the cast backstage after the show)

Show is only for Tuesday 4 Feb, 5PM at DBS Arts Centre, and tickets are to be collected on the day of show and hamper can be collected before/ after the show at DBS Arts Centre.

All you need to do to WIN is to:

1. Comment on this blog post, and tell us which is your favourite Kid’s Fest production?

2. Join and LIKE the ED Unloaded Facebook Page and Mum’s the Word Facebook Page, if you have not done so.

3. Share this blog post on your Facebook Wall with the Caption “FREE TICKETS to KID’s FEST!” (For those who are new to this process, you can do this, by copying the internet address of this page and pasting it on your FB status update. Do help me by TAGGING me as well, so that I know that you have done it.)

(Closing Date 25 December 2013, 2359hrs)

Sponsored Review

Looking to get into the Christmas Mood this Christmas? Catch the Dim Sum Dollies at the Esplanade this holiday season from 11-22 December!

Singapore’s very own Power Puff Girls or Dim Sum Dollies is back this Christmas, and we managed to catch them “LIVE” at the Esplanade last weekend. Rated R18, prepare to receive a healthy dose of adult humour, as local theatre Celebrities Selena Tan, Pam Oei and Denise Tan dish out “Wise Korean Pop” Delights.

One of my favourite scenes in the show, was when the 3 girls played popular “Pop Divas” in a XXX talent show. Selena emerged “dressed to kill”, as she had the audience chuckling at her costume. Yes! She comes out as Lady Ga Ga, but with a twist. I will not reveal too much, as I don’t want it to become a spoiler for readers who are going to watch the show. Nevertheless, with their witty lines and anecdotes, I was at the edge of my seat, trying not to miss out on the “punch lines”, as they delivered their lines effortlessly.

Dim Sum Dollies comes sautéed in local humour, and audiences are encouraged to have a strong command of Singlish, with a basic repertoire of local dialects.  I had a foreigner sitting in front of me, and he did seem a bit lost, as the jokes came thick and fast! Singaporeans will love the clever play of words, and it will make a good introduction to local productions, if you have not caught one before.

Other famous theatre celebrities that graced the stage, are comedians like Kumar and Sebastian Tan.  Sebastian is famously known as the “Broadway Beng”, and due to my inept Hokkien, I had to read the LED Translation Panels as he serenaded the audience in one of his numbers. Apart from having to read the subtitles and having a Channel 8 experience, he was entertaining and a worthy addition to the show. Kumar was his usual funny self, and it was great to hear from him again, as I last heard his routine, when I was in National Service (Yes! It’s been that long!)

The whole show is definitely entertaining and offers a much better “dating” experience, than bringing your partner to Golden Village.  For ticketing details, buy them online at Sistic and catch the production for yourself!

SHOW DETAILS
11 – 22 December 2013
Esplanade Theatre
Tuesdays – Fridays: 8pm
Saturdays: 4pm & 8pm
Sundays: 2pm & 6pm
R18: 6pm & 8pm shows
Family-friendly: 2pm & 4pm shows (Matinees)

Tickets start from $19- $107 (Excludes Sistic Booking Fee)
Tickets can be purchased through SISTIC website: www.sistic.com.sg,

Sponsored Review

Christmas is Coming and if you still have not done your Christmas Shopping, and you don’t have time to go down to the stores. How about doing your shopping online at Blessings and Co.

Whether it is for a Baby Shower, Water Baptism or for Christmas Shopping, the perfect gift is just a click away.

In fact, just this week, we were the surprise recipients of a gift from Blessings and Co. Frankly, we thought that we would just be receiving another ordinary parcel. Probably like those packages from Amazon or Sing post. However, upon opening the packaging, we were in for a pleasant surprise!

Our gifts were wrapped and presented to us in classy a exquisite and classy box, and this made the girls even more excited to open up their gifts. Nicole saw a necklace, and could not wait to put on the one with the harmony ball. She just wanted to show it off to mummy as soon as possible!   Girls just love their jewellery, and they certainly start young. Here are a few of her favourite designs:

If you are wondering where the products in Blessings and Co are made from, you will be glad to know that their products from Piccolo. Handcrafted and made in Italy, their children’s products are made of either 9ct Gold or Sterling Silver.

And the great thing about Piccolo designs are that they are lead free and child friendly jewellery, making them safe for baby showers and young toddlers.

Another good reason to hop on over to Blessings and Co, is that they specialize in Crosses and Religious Medals. If your friends and family members just got Water Baptised, you might be looking at getting them a Cross. Currently, there isn’t a shop in Singapore that specializes in quality religious jewelleries like medals and crosses, so Blessings and Co. is the only store that offers customers a wide selection of quality Italian made religious gifts to celebrate important milestones like menarche and Baptism.

For the busy Career Executive, the Good News is that Blessings and Co. offers customers 24hr shopping at the comfort of your own home. And they can definitely  trust in Blessings and Co. to add that Special touch for all your occasions. With beautiful packaging, 12 Month Product Warranty, and FREE 7 day Island-wide delivery, What else can you ask for?

If you want to see the full catalog, hop on over to Blessings and Co or join their facebook page to find out their latest promotions.

And there is a special offer for all Readers during this Christmas Season. Use the Special Discount Code, and enjoy a $15 Storewide discount up till 25 December 2013. *Terms and Conditions apply.

Looking to do something different with your family? How about getting everyone together for some Pilates? Yes! Get the whole family to come together for some Mind Body Exercises to build a healthier lifestyle together!

Hosted by the Moving Body Group, we were introduced to a group of gyms that provides customized programs and training through their 4 studios around Singapore. With a different focus on each studio, the Moving Body, Pilates Inc, Physio in Motion and the Motion Academy all have one thing in common. And that is to help clients achieve “Freedom Through Movement”.

In this review, we were introduced to Pilates at Eastgate, which is opposite Parkway Parade.

What is Pilates?

Pilates is an innovative and safe system of mind-body exercise using a floor mat or a variety of equipment. It evolved from the principles of Joseph Pilates and can dramatically transform the way your body looks, feels and performs. Pilates builds strength without excess bulk, capable of creating a sleek, toned body with slender thighs and a flat abdomen. Soccer player like Ryan Giggs practise it, and it has ensured that he still plays EPL soccer in the top flight at the age of 40!

Knowing the benefits of these exercises, we were excited at the prospect of going for our 1st lesson together as a family!

Initially, we were a bit apprehensive, as we were wondering whether the kids could take instructions well. However, with our friendly instructor kelvin, the instructions were easy to follow, and light hearted as well.

Many of the exercises involved family interaction, and we enjoyed competing against each other, and using each other as obstacles for our exercises. The kids loved crawling under Daddy and Mummy, as we did exercises like “Planks” and “Push ups”.

Next up, was the T-REX, which worked on our core muscle groups. This was certainly something that we have never tried before, and all of us had fun trying to literally learn the ropes.

We thoroughly enjoyed the class, as the kids were able to exercise and stretch together with Daddy and Mummy. And it was definitely very fun, as we laughed at ourselves, as the kids witnessed ,both their Parents struggling through the exercises! Daddy and Mummy learned to isolate certain muscle groups, which we did not know were there! These pointers were important, as they would ensure that we would get the most of our exercises that we practised at home!

If you are interested in their ‘School’s Out’ Package,do note the promotion ends on 31 Dec 2013, and you have to sign up by then to qualify. Upon signing up, you have 8 weeks to utilize the package (Packages can be used up to Feb 2014).

If you are thinking of signing up for a package with the Moving Body group or Pilates Inc, you can simply quote ‘ED Unloaded”, to get a 10% additional discount off Package Prices.

To contact the Moving Body Group, do call:
Amoy Street : 6423 1196
East Coast: 6345 7166