Christmas is just round the corner and if you're fretting over what to get the young ones this Christmas, don't worry, I've got you covered with some brilliant toys which you might want to consider getting!
If you haven't heard of Janod, then you really must check the brand out! Janod specialises in wooden toys for over 40 years (in other words, high quality toys)! The thing I love about Janod's toys is that they make a lot of educational toys which are not just fun to play with but also really nice to look at (I'm a sucker for well-designed products)!
Here are some of my favourite picks from the Janod range of toys that I got from My Miracle Baby!
If you haven't heard of Janod, then you really must check the brand out! Janod specialises in wooden toys for over 40 years (in other words, high quality toys)! The thing I love about Janod's toys is that they make a lot of educational toys which are not just fun to play with but also really nice to look at (I'm a sucker for well-designed products)!
Here are some of my favourite picks from the Janod range of toys that I got from My Miracle Baby!
Long overdue video but here's Kylie's first runway walk for Fox Kids!
A couple of weeks ago, Shane and I were treated to a couple's hair and face spa at Le Hair Spa!
On the outside, Le Hair Spa really didn't look like much but as we were led through what looked like any other ordinary hair salon..
& through this leather-padded walkway, I instinctively gasped in awe!
Lo and behold, we were greeted with an unexpected sight of luxury! A guest area adorned with a huge chandelier, high ceiling and a grand marble staircase!
We were then led up the stairs and through the corridor to a private couple's room where our much-needed rejuvenation session awaited us!
I really loved the privacy of the room, it made us feel like real VIPs but on top of that, it gave us that assurance to relax without fear of any other prying eyes - cause you know, sometimes it can get quite awkward with people around.
Before the start of the session, we were served drinks which we could choose from a menu (the TWG Silver Moon tea was really good btw!)
With this being my first ever hair spa, I was quite curious as to what the pampering session consists of. Prior to our visit, I was told that the session would take about 2 hours and I really didn't see how anyone could wash hair for 2 hours?! So I was really excited to see what was in for us!
We started out with a really relaxing neck and shoulder massage - Shane and I go for massages pretty often and we're used to the kind where the masseuse uses a lot of strength to "loosen up your muscles and knots in your body" so we could tell that this massage was really just for relaxation purpose but it was enjoyable nonetheless! Shane actually fell asleep!
We started out with a really relaxing neck and shoulder massage - Shane and I go for massages pretty often and we're used to the kind where the masseuse uses a lot of strength to "loosen up your muscles and knots in your body" so we could tell that this massage was really just for relaxation purpose but it was enjoyable nonetheless! Shane actually fell asleep!
Next, we had a facial which involved cleansing, a gentle scrub, and this rich moisture mask that made my skin feel so rejuvenated even on the next day! It was SO relaxing, I was half wishing I didn't have to take photos for this review just so I can fall asleep and really enjoy getting treated like a queen!
After the facial, we were pampered with a wonderful hair wash coupled with a scalp massage and all! I kind of wished we could have had our hair washed while we were lying down cause that would have really added to the shiok factor. They did lead us to a room to lie down and wash the foam off & to condition our hair though!
The only thing I was quite disappointed about was that they didn't have any serum to put on my hair after drying it out. My hair's quite damaged from all that bleaching so a little hair serum would have been nice to have. They did however, add drops of hair tonic to my roots to aid in hair growth!
The only thing I was quite disappointed about was that they didn't have any serum to put on my hair after drying it out. My hair's quite damaged from all that bleaching so a little hair serum would have been nice to have. They did however, add drops of hair tonic to my roots to aid in hair growth!
But apart from that, I would definitely give this place another visit to pamper myself or treat a loved one on their special occasion! It's actually a pretty good place to bring your girlfriend/wife to and have her pampered and treated like a queen!
If you're wondering how much it costs, we had the 2-hour Ultimate Hair Spa which costs $200 but they also have other treatments which you can try!
You can find our more about Le Hair Spa and their services in their website below!
Le Hair Spa
87 Bukit Timah Rd,
Singapore 229834
Tel: (+65) 6222 6807
Website: http://lehairspa.com/
I haven't been writing as much of late. Mainly because I've been trying to focus on the recovery of my own mental health - and am still on it. Things haven't been dandy for me to say the least. In fact, a couple of months ago, certain situations, coupled with the verity of past events made it seem that life had certainly dealt me cards that were more than I could handle; if I could name an event in my 25 years of living that made me hit rock bottom, everything that happened and surfaced in July would be it.
I hit so low, so hard, that for the second time in a span of a year, I thought of shutting down all of my social media - blog included, just because I wanted to get away from the world and literally, vanish from the face of this earth. The lack of updates then on my Instagram and this blog was me taking a time out because I needed space and time to heal and recover from all the trauma I faced. I know the past couple of months, I've not been replying emails as often and even ceasing certain collaborations but that's because I was really overwhelmed with emotions and I felt like there was too many things going on in my life that I just needed a break from certain things so cutting down on my engagement with social media was the first thing that went. I've been seeking the help I need to get back on my feet although most days, it still feels like a train wreck inside of me. I used to think that a broken heart is the worst feeling one could feel but I realise now that it isn't and that the worst feeling in the entire world is trying to escape from the perils of your own mind. But how do you run from what's inside of you? It's impossible.
Life has taught me that people can be downright malicious. It has taught me that the world can really break you and that a happy, healthy mind is really important. I've learned that you can never expect anyone who has never walked a mile in your shoes to understand how you feel. And thinking that everyone is empathetic and kind is the most foolish thought one can ever have. But I've also learned (and struggle with everyday) that sometimes not speaking up but letting go is the best albeit toughest thing you can do for yourself.
I know that I still have a lot to be thankful for - having a job I love is one of them, the friends and family I have is another. Most days, my body just feels like a shell as I try to distract myself from the constant pain I feel deep inside. The reason I distract myself these days instead of letting the thoughts manifest in my head is because I've learned from the therapy sessions and from experience that entertaining these thoughts will only lead to very very dark thoughts that puts myself in danger and it's not a place I want to let myself fall into. I still have a lot going for me, and I need to focus on the majority of the things that are going right for me instead of that one tainted speck. Although this distraction from my own mind had me start out feeling like I was living in denial, I realise now that what Mel said was true, it is undeniably, a step towards recovery. My entertaining these thoughts only brings injustice to myself and the people around me because I discount on the fact I'm surrounded by friends and family who love and care for me each and every day, who go out of their way to make me smile and who continually put in effort to make it up to me in every way possible - I just need to look at the present to see it and that's what I'm going to try to do eveyday from now.
Just a few days ago, I was still feeling really shitty about life but after a shoot a couple of days ago, I realise that there's still a lot of things that I love and am capable of doing and I shouldn't give up on myself or lose faith in life just because of the unfavorable obstacles life throws in my path. I'm still on the road to recovery but I'm a little more determined to focus on the now, the present and to make better of the future instead of wallowing on what has past.
I know it's impossible for me to just get up and get going within a day or even a week or month. I know it'll take a lot of time - 2 years at least before I can finally look back and things will just be nothing more than a fact, an event in my life that I can look back at and not feel anything. I know that before that day happens, I will still constantly battle my own mind, there will still be nights and days where I spend breaking down or trying to fight the tears. Days where I feel like I'm fighting thin air, days where I really feel like giving up, days where rage, revenge, and the feeling of injustice completely shrouds my ability to think rationally but I also know that with every day that passes, every day that I manage to pull through, I'm a step closer to being happy again.
And with that, I promise - not to anyone, but to myself, that I will not let whatever that has passed bring me down. I will get up no matter how long it may take, get myself out there and get better than I was before...because I know I can.
I hit so low, so hard, that for the second time in a span of a year, I thought of shutting down all of my social media - blog included, just because I wanted to get away from the world and literally, vanish from the face of this earth. The lack of updates then on my Instagram and this blog was me taking a time out because I needed space and time to heal and recover from all the trauma I faced. I know the past couple of months, I've not been replying emails as often and even ceasing certain collaborations but that's because I was really overwhelmed with emotions and I felt like there was too many things going on in my life that I just needed a break from certain things so cutting down on my engagement with social media was the first thing that went. I've been seeking the help I need to get back on my feet although most days, it still feels like a train wreck inside of me. I used to think that a broken heart is the worst feeling one could feel but I realise now that it isn't and that the worst feeling in the entire world is trying to escape from the perils of your own mind. But how do you run from what's inside of you? It's impossible.
Life has taught me that people can be downright malicious. It has taught me that the world can really break you and that a happy, healthy mind is really important. I've learned that you can never expect anyone who has never walked a mile in your shoes to understand how you feel. And thinking that everyone is empathetic and kind is the most foolish thought one can ever have. But I've also learned (and struggle with everyday) that sometimes not speaking up but letting go is the best albeit toughest thing you can do for yourself.
I know that I still have a lot to be thankful for - having a job I love is one of them, the friends and family I have is another. Most days, my body just feels like a shell as I try to distract myself from the constant pain I feel deep inside. The reason I distract myself these days instead of letting the thoughts manifest in my head is because I've learned from the therapy sessions and from experience that entertaining these thoughts will only lead to very very dark thoughts that puts myself in danger and it's not a place I want to let myself fall into. I still have a lot going for me, and I need to focus on the majority of the things that are going right for me instead of that one tainted speck. Although this distraction from my own mind had me start out feeling like I was living in denial, I realise now that what Mel said was true, it is undeniably, a step towards recovery. My entertaining these thoughts only brings injustice to myself and the people around me because I discount on the fact I'm surrounded by friends and family who love and care for me each and every day, who go out of their way to make me smile and who continually put in effort to make it up to me in every way possible - I just need to look at the present to see it and that's what I'm going to try to do eveyday from now.
Just a few days ago, I was still feeling really shitty about life but after a shoot a couple of days ago, I realise that there's still a lot of things that I love and am capable of doing and I shouldn't give up on myself or lose faith in life just because of the unfavorable obstacles life throws in my path. I'm still on the road to recovery but I'm a little more determined to focus on the now, the present and to make better of the future instead of wallowing on what has past.
I know it's impossible for me to just get up and get going within a day or even a week or month. I know it'll take a lot of time - 2 years at least before I can finally look back and things will just be nothing more than a fact, an event in my life that I can look back at and not feel anything. I know that before that day happens, I will still constantly battle my own mind, there will still be nights and days where I spend breaking down or trying to fight the tears. Days where I feel like I'm fighting thin air, days where I really feel like giving up, days where rage, revenge, and the feeling of injustice completely shrouds my ability to think rationally but I also know that with every day that passes, every day that I manage to pull through, I'm a step closer to being happy again.
And with that, I promise - not to anyone, but to myself, that I will not let whatever that has passed bring me down. I will get up no matter how long it may take, get myself out there and get better than I was before...because I know I can.
#ConversationsWithKylie - Don't get me involved!
By Esther Rachel Lai. - 9/05/2017
The other day as we were spending some quality time at home as a family, I asked Kylie,
Me: "Kylie, do you think daddy is a good daddy?"
Kylie: "Yes!"
Me: "What about mommy? Do you think I'm a good mommy?"
Kylie: "Super duper uber awesome mommy!"
Me: "Aww...thanks baby, I love youu! Well, do you think daddy is a good husband???"
Kylie: "Don't ask me, he's YOUR husband!"
KYLIE WHY YOU LIKE THAT?! HAHAHA, STOP GROWING UP SO FAST AND TALKING LIKE THAT?!



Now, if you know me, you'll know I'm not the tiger mom sort who's aggressive on pressing my child to hit her milestones, nor do I stress my child in academics at this young age. I literally don't do anything out of the ordinary, yet both my kids have hit their key milestones at a surprisingly early age. Megan, for example, started walking at 10 months (just like her sister). She also uttered her first word before the age of 1 and her development just keeps getting significantly astonishing - even her infant care teachers are amazed by her growth and progress!
A couple of months ago, I thought I'd just teach her to count to ten for the fun of it but to my surprise, when I said "one, two…" Megan continued on with "three!" and then, "four!" I thought I was mistaken but I kept counting on "five, six…" and when we reached "seven", she responded "eight!" It was so clear that even I was shocked! At the end of "ten" she even clapped her hands and celebrated with a "yay!!!"
I could go on about how much she's grown and how her development never ceases to amaze me, but my point here is that the first five years are more crucial to a child's brain development than we realise. In fact, it's important to set the right foundation for them and not underestimate their potential.

Did you know that 90% of the brain develops from the first five years?
Child development is developed in 4 key areas - cognitive, motor, communication and social, with different parts of the body that are responsible for different abilities developing at different rates. A balanced diet is crucial for well-rounded development and your child needs vital fatty acids like DHA, which is an important block for brain and eye development.
Considering that I don't do anything out of the ordinary to stimulate my child's development, I believe it might have something to do with their diet that acts as a catalyst for their development. Just like a tree needs nutrients to grow, a child’s brain needs the right nutrition and stimulation to reach its full potential. Nutrition lays the groundwork for overall development.
My parenting style has changed over the years, but something that has remained a constant both then and now, is the formula milk I've stuck to since 2011.
Since Kylie's time, I've been giving her Enfagrow A+ even up until today. When it was Megan’s turn, I gave her Enfagrow A+ as well and it never dawned upon me to switch to other brands of formula milk. Enfagrow A+ has been my formula milk powder of choice since day 1.
Since Kylie's time, I've been giving her Enfagrow A+ even up until today. When it was Megan’s turn, I gave her Enfagrow A+ as well and it never dawned upon me to switch to other brands of formula milk. Enfagrow A+ has been my formula milk powder of choice since day 1.

For me, I believe that exposing my children to different experiences, sights and sounds at this age is crucial and aids in their development journey. I can't wait to see how my #LittlePioneers are going to blaze the roads ahead of them in the future, and although I don't have high expectations about who or what I want my girls to be when they grow up, I believe that they are going to go places and achieve great things with their future aspirations. No matter what, I will always be there for them just as I am now, laying the foundation for them in the best possible way - even with my choice of formula milk.
For moms who are keen on trying out Enfagrow A+ for your child, you can request a sample and learn more in the link below!
http://littlepioneer.enfagrow.com.sg/
This post is brought to you by: Mead Johnson, Enfagrow A+ with 360°DHA PLUS
*Dekaban, A. S. and Sadowsky, D. (1978), Changes in brain
weights during the span of human life: Relation of brain weights to body
heights and body weights. Ann Neurol., 4: 345–356. doi:10.1002/ana.410040410
If you haven’t heard, Tesco, the leading British retailer in UK has finally landed in Singapore with the best of British favourites and quality international food products! Last weekend, I headed down to FairPrice Finest to check out their range of products offered and was impressed with the variety of products they had to offer!
Boasting good quality products that are big on taste yet affordably priced, I had a hard time resisting grabbing everything off the shelf! Love the packaging of all their products, it made me want to try EVERYTHING cause it all looked SO GOOD!
So anyway, I decided to grab some of their products to whip up a quick and easy dinner for Shane and the kids the other day!
My little family absolutely loves pasta so I was delighted to know that they offered quick and easy solutions for my planned pasta family dinner! Grabbed a bag of Fusilli pasta (they also had the healthier, whole grain option of pasta) and a jar of Mushroom Pasta Sauce to whip up a quick meal under 30 minutes!
I also threw in other ingredients like onions, sausages, mushrooms and minced beef to add more flavour to my Bolognese pasta!
One of my favourite things to do is to cook for the kids and I love it even more when Kylie and Shane help me in the kitchen, allowing us to bond at the same time!
& voila! In just 30 minutes, our simple yet sumptuous dinner is ready!
You can see for yourself that they absolutely loved it! Not a single drop was left! (Megan even did her happy food dance in agreement!)
I’ll definitely be visiting the supermarket to purchase more of Tesco products. Kylie’s been bugging me to bake with her and we noticed that they even offered quick and easy cake mixes -all at really pocket-friendly prices!
The biggest takeaway of all is that they also offer products that are way healthier, from their Organic and gluten-free range. Isn’t it amazing that healthy food can actually taste so good?
Watch the video below to check out our Tesco shopping & cooking experience!!
To find out more about Tesco, check out their Facebook page or Instagram, @tesco.sg!
To find out more about Tesco, check out their Facebook page or Instagram, @tesco.sg!
Megan got baptised on Easter Sunday this year & we had this special day caught on camera for us to remember in the years to come :)
A couple of weekends ago, we were invited to the My Little Genius open house where Kylie and I got to learn about how they teach bilingualism!
Now, everyone who has met Kylie have always remarked about how eloquent and confident she is in the English language. Not many know this but while Kylie excels and has a great vocabulary when it comes to English, her mandarin however, is quite terrible. I've been wanting to send her for mandarin classes since she was 4 but had always been told that she's "still young". Unfortunately, I missed out on the first 5 crucial years to hone her mandarin language skills as she's turning 6 this year and while it's better late than never for Kylie, I'm not making the same mistake again with Megan! (More on that below).
During the open house, Kylie was treated to a balloon sculpting workshop before the actual briefing and trial class begun.
Having always loved getting her hands on crafts, balloon sculpting was one thing she had always wanted to learn so you can only imagine how excited she was!
Her very first self-made balloon flower!
After the workshop, we were given a short introduction about the courses at My Little Genius and I learnt some really interesting facts about about the left and right brain! The right hemisphere of the brain, as we all know, deals with creativity while the left, in logical thinking. But more than that, young children are actively right-brained and the left hemisphere only slowly begins to show dominance as they age. My Little Genius aims to stimulate the right brain from a young age because with a strong right brain, a child learns languages easier, as well as the subtleties of language. Their courses progress with the age of the child and ultimately seeks to simulate both hemispheres of the brain so that children from My Little Genius can graduate and go on to do well in their studies, taking them further in life.
Brain development is the most crucial in the first 5 years of a child's life and there really isn't such a thing as "too young" when it comes to brain stimulation. In fact, what My Little Genius encourages is to start them at a young age - right from the first year!
One of the techniques they use when it comes to teaching bilingualism is through the use of flashcards at an alarming speed. The reason why the cards are flashed at such a fast pace, is to encourage the development of the right brain instead of the left. When done at a slower pace, it becomes a left-brained activity which isn't an effective learning method for young children.
My Little Genius uses a vast variety of learning materials to keep the children engaged throughout the lessons, spending no more than 5-15 minutes per activity which is especially important for infants and toddlers considering that their attention span is incredibly short.
Activities for older children up to age 5 ranges from puzzle solving...
& even simple science experiments!
Children are also taught language through songs which are aided visually using illustrated flash cards.
The lessons cover a multitude of different activities including memory work and so much more!
Currently, My Little Genius offers courses from 1 years old to 5 years old at two outlets - Hougang and Jurong East.
You can check up more on their courses here: http://www.mylittlegenius.com.sg/programme.php#programme
I've signed both Kylie and Megan up for their courses which encourages parents to sit in and participate in the lesson together with their kids and I really can't wait to see how they will progress in their language skills! Kylie really enjoyed the trial lesson and has been constantly asking me when she can start her language lessons so I'm pretty sure Megan would look forward to her interactive bilingualism classes as well! I'll be updating more on their progress in the next few months once they start their courses so do watch this space!
In the meantime, if you're interested, do check out http://www.mylittlegenius.com.sg/index.php for more information!
I know, it's 2017 and I'm still in my own daydream, looking back at our wedding day from last December. But hey, I waited 6 whole years for this, so just let me soak in my own reverie please? Video of our holy matrimony in church above! Still can't help getting all teary eyed even though I've watched this a few times already! Love you @shaneboyyy <3
Been really busy lately but I'm trying my best to keep this space alive. Not sure why but recently, anxiety's been eating at me and on days like today, it seems to be getting worse. Maybe it's just a phase and it's just the stress of the new job but on certain days, it creeps up on me even when there's no reason for me to be anxious about anything at all.
If this is a phase I've to go through, I honestly wish there was a fast forward button because that feeling of anxiety is incredibly dreadful. There are nights I wake up with a horrible sinking feeling in my chest yet fail to comprehend the reason behind the way I feel. Then there are days where I want to lie in bed, curl up and not move and on other days when I'm out and about, all I feel like doing is locking myself up in a toilet cubicle to cry and all these for what reason? I have no idea.
I really should see a doctor soon. This anxiety is crippling and it's turning me into someone I don't even recognise, slowly but surely eating away at me. The only place I feel "safe" and relatively okay is when I'm home with Shane and the kids. Other than that, I walk through every day of the week trying to brush off the dreadful feeling I feel inside of me but to no avail.
"Relax", Shane tells me, "there's nothing to stress about, you're gonna be okay", I know he's trying to help, I know I should relax and there really nothing for me to worry about but why does my mind and body protest against this logic that I know? In the past couple of months, I can't remember going through a week feeling okay. I cannot wrap my head around this menace I feel inside me. I never talked about it to anyone except Shane up until the recent weeks but talking about it don't seem to help either. I tried popping pills twice, but it's only seemed to calm me down on the first and I'm trying not to be too reliant on it but at the rate I'm going, it seems like I really need to see a doctor and get some proper prescription.
I need to chill out.
We visited a local farm a couple of months back and I compiled a vlog on the things to do/see there! Was a pretty interesting experience for the kids, especially Megan who on a couple of occasions, tried to eat the food meant for feeding the animals! haha! Check out the video above!
Megan is terribly afraid of anything to do with Santa Claus and the other day as I was trying to get her to drink her milk (by telling her that if she doesn't, Santa Claus will come and catch her hahaha *don't worry, no babies were harmed in the process*) and while I was trying my best to coerce Megan into finishing her (very expensive) bottle of milk, Kylie said this:
Kylie: "No lah Megan. Don't need to (be) scared okay? There's no such thing as Santa Claus!"
Me: *looks at her half smiling and half annoyed that she's ruining my method to scare Megan into drinking her milk*
Kylie: "What? It's true!! Who would want to live on the North Pole with tiny men (elves)?"
Hahahaha! I never saw it that way but I couldn't help but to note, she does have a point! Who would eh? Haha!
So this is the final series of photos from our wedding, #ShaneandEstherweds! The wedding I'd been waiting for for 6 whole years has been a dream come true. It was everything I ever wanted. Intimate yet fun! It was so nice to see that all our guests were dressed to the nines in suits and dresses even though it was a luncheon. I remember telling Shane "I hope our guests dress nicely to our wedding" because it just feels really good to know that people care enough to dress well to your big day?! So thank you everyone who made the effort to come all glam and suited up and for making our big day such a memorable one!
Shane and I did away with the table-to-table photography and let our photographers capture the real, candid moments instead. Looking through the album, it's such a warm sight to behold seeing how our guests enjoyed themselves! Also wanna give a shout out to The Hubba Bubbas band, Stephanie and Ryan whom we hired for our wedding entertainment for being such fantastic performers, enchanting us with your melodic voices, nailing our first dance song so perfectly and even engaging with the kids as well!
& Thank you to Partyweqs, our sponsor for the snack table for the reception which you can see more of below! Set up was really pretty and I feel that even the photos don't do it justice! Thank you for adding that magical touch to our wedding!
Also, thank you to our other sponsors, Love And Bravery, K.Sisters for the bridesmaids and flower girl dresses respectively!
To everyone who gave us that extra helping hand for the whole planning and execution of the wedding, thank you so so much! Without all of you I would probably have turned into bridezilla which even I surprised myself cause everything was so well-planned that I didn't really have to fret! & even if I had unknowingly turned into a bridezilla (which I highly doubt I did), please forgive me but know that I am very very grateful for all of you guys and girls!
Lastly, to everyone who has supported Shane and I throughout the years of our marriage and relationship, thank you. We wouldn't be the people we are today if it weren't for each and every one of you and your presence to us that day, meant so so much. I'll be uploading the rest of the more intimate family photos on Facebook so if you're a friend/family, do bear with me! I promise I'll post them up soon! & for the rest, here's my favourite few shots from the afternoon itself!