Our Year In Review!

2013 has been a great year for our family! As we enter the New Year, it is time to once again count our blessings, and remember how God has been faithful and made our path shine brighter and brighter.

In the month of January, we were blessed to have been able to record our year with some sponsored studio shots at Face Photo Studio.  This is not a plug for the studio, but we have been to a few family photo shots before, and we enjoyed everyone of them. There is always something special about recording family moments, as every time when we look back at the photos, it seems to bring a smile to our face. As Studio shots can be quite expensive, one can get cheap studio shots taken, by asking an Intermediate Photographer for help and renting a few studio lights. An important tip for choosing a photographer, is the chemistry that the photographer brings. A good photographer is able to connect with the family and make the whole process FUN!

February is a month where Chinese families get to celebrate the Lunar New Year together. As our younger 2 kids are still in Pre-school, we got to catch them performing at their Preschool. We are always so proud to see the kids perform, as they keep on getting bolder and more expressive through the years.  This year is also a year where Nadine was able to get more specialized help at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore, and we thank God for the favour he constantly bestows on the family in this area.

March is a month where more blogging opportunities started coming in. As the kids love every part of their blogging journey, one of the highlights for the family in February was that we were able to take photos with the cast of Sesame Street at Universal Studios Singapore. From Elmo to Big Bird, the kids loved the fact that they could start the morning with the cast from Sesame Street and their favourite American Breakfast.

In April,  I was invited to be a Forum Speaker at the “Excel Fest” which was organized by the Ministry of Education. It was heartening to see so many parents focusing on a holistic approach to their child’s development. Top of the agenda, was how Parents can help their children break their problems of Cyber Addiction. Times are changing but teens and children always need our love and acceptance. It was a great privilege for me to be given a platform to share my experiences in this area.

May was a month whereby we were invited for a staycation at Raffles Hotel Singapore. This luxurious hotel lived up to it’s name of providing quality lodging, service and food! With their famous butler service, and it’s notable history. Not forgetting the Wonderful Raffles Sunday Brunch, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and it was definitely a memorable experience.

June was a month of Birthdays, and we thank the many sponsors who have been supporting our Party Theme Ideas. From the Best Street Magician In Singapore to Birthday Parties at Yoga Bugs and at Tree House Cafe at Turf City, they made their services available to our Blog and friends. It was certainly a pleasure working with these establishments, and we believe that our readers enjoyed engaging their services as well!

In June, we made our appearance on Channel News Asia. We were tremendously blessed to be given an opportunity to share our views on how Parents need not be afraid of the Internet. Education is key in providing a safe environment for kids, and the Internet can be a good asset in any family. For one, I don’t need to lug a dictionary or an encyclopaedia around anymore. When the kids don’t know the meaning of a word, they learn how to “Google it”.

Our Sister Blog “Mums e word” also made her appearance on Channel News Asia. My wife was able to give her views on technology, and how we use it as a platform to help parents whose kids have developmental issues as well.

July was the month that we made the biggest imprint on printed media. We appeared on the Business Times about Blogging and Fatherhood. Who would have thought that 2 words would have gone together, but in the great scheme of things, chalk and cheese can truly stick.

It was also the month of a “Sleepy Adventure with Sealy Beds”. We have never slept in such style till we got this blogging assignment with Sealy. Our luxurious bed has certainly turned our rest into a 7th heaven, and whenever we go on our travels, we always miss our bed at home. This bed is sheer class, and we simply love it!

And not forgetting, July was also the month that we got to go for a mini honeymoon to YogYakarta together with Air Asia. Couple time with your spouse is extremely important, especially when you have 3 kids. We certainly hope to do more of these trips together in 2014, as we always need to give our “Best” to our partners. After all, our partners are our best supporters and they are the ones who complete us.

We continued to make headway into Printed Media in August, as our article about Parenting and the Mobile Phone, made its mark on Parents World. There is No Silver Bullet to solve the Mobile Phone problem with children, but we can certainly help to create the balance in their lives.

 

In that same month, we had another great staycation at Shangri-La Singapore, and the kids and family enjoyed great family time together at another 5 Star Hotel.

September was a bit more difficult on the home front, as our domestic helper decided to return home. Once again, we faced the trials of looking for a new domestic helper, as everyone has those fears of getting someone new to stay with them. God certainly intervened on our behalf, and got us a trustworthy maid. There have been problems adjusting to her, but we have learnt to always focus on the positive, as there is always light at the end of the tunnel!

October was another month where we got to work with another Budget Airline. Tiger Air and Standard Chart Bank came together and sent us to Bangkok, Thailand. This was also a season whereby we were blessed to be able to offer lots of GIVEAWAYS to our Readers. From “First Bike” Bicycles, musical tickets to Strollers, we managed to offer a buffet of FREE Gifts to our Readers. It has always been our desire to be a blessing to our community of readers, and in 2013, we were able to offer a total of 17 GIVEAWAYS in 2013, to our READERS!!!

This means more than 1 Giveaway a month, and we are thankful for our healthy working relationship with our sponsors. We are definitely looking forward to more GIVEAWAYs in 2014.

November was the month where the family got to go for our very 1st Cruise together, as we were invited to board the StarCruise Virgo for a sponsored holiday. We love family time together, and we certainly loved every moment that we spend time together.

And lastly we have the month of December. We ended the year with the BEST Sponsored  staycation ever, as we ended up in the historic Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. Rated as one of the Best Hotels in the world with its own exquisite Butler service for all guests, we certainly enjoyed our stay and our mini adventure in Bangkok.

In summary, it has certainly been a great year for us at ED Unloaded. No one would have thought or imagined how the blog would have gone, when we first started writing. But as we embarked in faith, God has taken us to places that we have never thought possible. It has certainly been a most FUN journey for us in 2013, and we are looking forward to greater adventures in 2014.

And thanks once again to everyone, for taking this e-journey together with us!