Today’s Motherhood

Photography By Yew Kwang December Promotion 2011

Order a 12″x12″ collage @ $120 and get a FREE 8″x12″ calender (worth $30)

Offer include:
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Promotion valid till 31 Dec 2011

For details, email us info@yewkwangphoto.com or contact us @ 97608980

Visit us for more information at www.yewkwangphoto.com/blog/2011/12/december-promotion/

LittleDreamer 12 days of Christmas Promotion!

1) Get 12% off everything from now till 31st December 2011.
2) Daily Special Buy Items up to 50% off!
3) Complimentary registered mail for purchase of $50 & above.

To enjoy our special promotion, please ‘LIKE‘ us & subscribe to our mailing list for more information.

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What’s a pregnant mom made of? Sugar and spice and all things nice!

Pregnancy hormones can send us into all sorts of extreme cravings, especially of the sweet kind. However, with the dreaded Gestational Diabetes being a real threat, we have to be careful what we indulge in. Satisfy your cravings while nourishing your baby and body couldn’t get any easier with these simple-but-delish recipes.

* Always check with your healthcare professional about any nutritional and dietary concerns you have.

Stock Up On These

• Juice ( preferably 100% juice, not from concentrate and with no added sugar)
• Frozen fruit ( choose flash-frozen boxed ones. I love the berries!)
• Fresh fruit. My faves: Avocadoes, Bananas, Berries, Lemons
• Sparkling mineral water (Canned soda water is a cheaper alternative)
• Flaxseed meal (for the Omega 3 boost!)

Some nice-to-have items

• Agave Nectar: This natural sweetener comes from a dessert plant similar to Aloe Vera. It’s supposed to be of a low glycemic index, and hence a healthier sweetener option than sugar or honey. Available from NTUC and some health shops.
• Lemon juice concentrate
• Canned fruit in fruit juice

AvoBanana Brekkie-in-a-Cup

• 1/2 a ripe avocado
• 1 ripe banana
• Natural greek set yoghurt
• Milk
• Flaxseed meal

How:

• Put the avocado and banana into the blending cup.
• Spoon in yoghurt enough to bathe fruit in.
• Pour in some milk. Blend.
• Add in more yoghurt and milk to desired taste and consistency.
• Sprinkle in flaxseed meal and blend with a short burst. Enjoy!

Berry Bliss
This is my alternative to sugary soft drinks.

• Frozen/fresh berry mix
• Juice (Apple or Orange)
• Sparkling mineral water
• Ice-cubes
• Sprig of mint

How:

• Put handful of berries into blending cup.
• Pour enough juice to cover berries and blend.
• Add in sparkling mineral water. Taste and if needed, stir in more juice to sweeten.
• Pour into fave drinking cup.
• Top with some ice and a sprig of mint for happiness.

Berry Bombastic Smoothie

• Frozen/fresh berries
• Natural Greek-set Yoghurt (no added sugar/preservatives/sweeteners)
• Your favourite juice
• Some milk

How:

• Scoop handful of berries into blending cup.
• Cover berries, but not drown, with juice.
• Blend till berries turn fine.
• Scoop in about 5 big tablespoons of yoghurt and pour in some milk. Blend some more. Watch the consistency of smoothie. If you prefer something thicker, add more yoghurt. For something more liquid, pour in juice.

Variations: Berry-Crumble-In-A-Cup: Crumble in some digestive biscuits and blend.

Cranberry Delight

• Canned peaches in juice
• Cranberry juice
• Sparkling mineral water

How:

• Mix juice and soda in 1:5 proportion or to taste.
• Chop or blend a peach half into fine pieces.
• Add chopped peach pieces to juice mix.
• For more pick-me-up factor, add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Kiwi Kiss
Fantastic for packing in the Vitamin C punch to boost your immunity!

• 2 ripe Zespri kiwis (regular or the sweeter, golden variety)
• Fresh lemon or lemon concentrate
• Sparkling water

To sweeten: Agave nectar or raw honey.

How:

• Squeeze juice of half a lemon to cup. Remove seeds.
• Spoon flesh of kiwi into cup and mash with the back of the spoon.
• Pour in the fizzies.
• Stir in some agave nectar/ honey to sweeten.

Lemonade Sizzle

• Fresh lemon or lemon concentrate
• Sparkling water
• Agave nectar or raw honey

How:

• Squeeze juice of one lemon to cup. Remove seeds.
• Drizzle in some agave nectar to sweeten.
• Top cup with sparkling water in a ratio of 1: 4.
• Adjust to taste with nectar and soda.

Ribe-For-Popping
And here’s one for childhood comfort…

• Ribena syrup (low glucose if preferred)
• Canned peaches in juice
• Sparkling water

How:

• Mix syrup and soda in 1:6 proportion or to taste.
• Mix in some peach juice/ syrup.
• Pour into favourite cocktail glass.
• Garnish with sliced peaches.

Cool Bananas
Keep cool in our tropical Singapore heat with this homemade low-fat, low-sugar ice-cream alternative.
To make one generous serve:

• 2 frozen bananas
• Some milk or soy or rice milk
• Food processor or blender

How?

1. Thinly slice the bananas. Place on foil and toss into freezer until frozen.
2. Put frozen banana slices into blending cup or food processor.
3. Pour in a little milk . Just one or two splashes to help get the blending going. Avoid drowning the slices with milk as that will cause it to get slushy.
4. Blend till smooth.
5. For a really sweet treat, top with a swirl of honey or better, agave syrup. Continue blending on a short burst to get the honey into the ice-cream.
6. Serve and eat immediately. For a truly decadent dessert, sprinkle chopped nuts and shaved chocolate.

By Sarah Wong

This article was first published in Today’s Motherhood Magazine Oct/Nov 2011 issue Page 8

It’s A Great Weekend At ACM!

Sat 3 Dec 2011, Asian Civilisations Museum
Free Admission from 6pm to 11pm. Activities from 6pm.

Take a walk down memory lane and enjoy the local blockbuster,
“It’s A Great Great World”

Asian Civilisations Museum

Address: 1 Empress Place Singapore 179555
Tel: 6332 3284 / 6332 7798
Website: www.acm.org.sg

Learning Mandarin Through Interactive Media

Media can be a powerful learning tool for children. When used effectively, the use of media in the classroom can be positive to a child’s learning. According to studies, interactive abstract learning that includes the use of media utilizes categorical memory and requires little intrinsic motivation.

LeXuan Centre is currently the first and only centre in Singapore that teaches Mandarin using animated and interactive lessons via videos and a touch screen tablet. Lessons normally being with a song singing session led by the teacher, accompanied by LeXuan Chinese Animation videos. As Lao Shi went to play a short video on the flat screen monitor in the front of the class, cute cartoon characters popped up and a catchy tune starts to emerge.

With an experienced and dedicated team of teachers who work hand in hand with an animation company to create their Chinese Animation Teaching System, this media platform supports sounds, images and colours to deliver vibrant stories and activities, to further encourage and facilitate children in learning Mandarin.

I was surprised when Lao Shi pointed out to me two girls in her class were non-Singaporeans and came from a non-mandarin speaking background. I was told that when they first came, they were not able to speak a word of mandarin. Now, the older sister, is able to sing Mandarin songs and recite simple words confidently. This is in line with one of the main aims of school - to help non-mandarin speaking kids to lovers of the language.

Mrs K, a stay home mum, brings her 2 and a half year old son, Marcus to the programme. Although the targeted age group for this progamme is for 3 years old and above, Mrs K decided to try the Le Xuan programme as Marcus comes from an English speaking home environment; her husband does not speak Mandarin and she is not proficient in the language.

“I wanted Marcus to be exposed to Mandarin. And I think LeXuan’s programme helps in that.  Also, the teacher is passionate in what she does, and I can see that she really makes an effort to ensure the children are learning.” Mrs K adds. Even though her boy is new to programme, Mrs K can tell he is slowly picking up the language.

Indeed, the media can be a powerful teaching tool.

What we saw and liked:
The teacher was patient and enthusiastic with the children. She gave each child individual attention and made sure that each child had a chance with sticking on to the bi hua (strokes) of the Chinese character gōng ‘工’. She was warm and encouraging to the children, praising them whenever they performed a task.

For more information on their programs, you may contact LeXuan at 6791 1390 or log on to their website.

Centre Branches:
LeXuan @ City Square Mall, 180 Kitchener Road, #06-08, Singapore 208539

This Christmas, get cuddly with your favourite Care Bears™ at AMK Hub with a magical Christmas extravaganza for the young and young at heart! From 18 November to 25 December, surround yourself with the splendor of all things Care Bears™ as these lovable creatures pay a visit to AMK Hub to share the joy of Care Bears™ collectibles giveaways, exciting activities and promotions to get you into the Christmas spirit!

Dance, cheer along and snuggle up with Funshine Bear, Love-a-lot Bear and Bedtime Bear at the Care Bears™ Musical Meet & Greet** as they sing and dance their way into your hearts! Also, be sure to take a photo with the Care Bears™ at our meet and greet session!

What’s Christmas without good ol’ Santa Claus? Join in the Spectacular Christmas Parade and double your dosage of fun as Christmas favourites like Santa Claus, Santarina and Snowman join forces with Care Bears™ in a sensational march to the entrance of AMK Hub.

After the Christmas parade, head on to Snow & Bubble Fun and frolic in a winter wonderland as you let an abundance of snow and bubbles create wintry-white magical moments for everyone. After all, it’s not every day that snow falls in Singapore!

Besides these, AMK Hub will play host to an exciting line-up of entertaining live performances to take the festive atmosphere several notches higher. Be entranced by the Christmas Magic Matrix and Magical Half-Lite Prince and let Jikey the Juggling Elf blow you away.

As you do your Christmas shopping, Meet the X’mas Folks with Santa Claus and his trusty companion Santarina, Snowman and many others as they rove around the mall interacting with and entertaining shoppers.

To spread the joy and cheer of the yuletide season, AMK Hub also has a slew of giveaways and fun and games for everyone to enjoy. Bring your favourite Care Bears™ home with you by simply spending $120* ($240* at FairPrice Xtra) to receive an exclusive Care Bears™ Inflatable Plush Stool for just $2. Plus! Members need spend only $100* ($200* at FairPrice Xtra). With four designs and a new one available each week, you can collect all four and create a Care Bears™ wonderland right at home.

Of course, Christmas isn’t Christmas without some fun and games! Get a chance to Be a Winner! by dropping a ball from the top to see if you can score your desired prize as it makes its way down the board. Simply spend $60* ($120* at FairPrice Xtra) to take part. Plus! Members need only spend $50* ($100* at FairPrice Xtra). Limited to one chance per shopper.

Finally, this one’s especially for the kids! While Mommy strikes off the Christmas shopping list, let the young ones have some Care Bears™ fun at Crafts & Games Funland. Kids can unleash the inner artist in them and Get Arty-Crafty! to take home their very own Care Bears™ handicrafts, or participate in Kiddy Games that are bound to bring on the fun and laughter. Just spend a minimum of $30*# in a single receipt to receive two entry passes.

This Christmas, revel in the warmth of the season with these cuddly Care Bears™ as children learn to spread the good cheer of Christmas from our favourite bears, while those young at heart take a trip down memory lane!

The rundown of some of the performances and activities that will be held in conjunction with Care Bears™ Magical Christmas @ AMK Hub is as follows:

All showtimes/activities subject to change/cancellation.

* Plus! Card must be presented to qualify for redemption/privileges. Limited to a maximum of 3 combined same-day receipts and one redemption per shopper/NRIC, per day, regardless of total amount spent. Redemption must be made in person on the same day of purchase at the Basement 1 Information Counter, unless otherwise stated, NRIC and original receipt(s) must be presented for redemption. Redemptions are based on a first-come, first-served basis, while stocks last. Double the qualifying amount spent is required for purchases at FairPrice Xtra, including the shops within FairPrice Xtra. Receipts from purchases of gift vouchers, TicketCharge tickets, lottery tickets, course/school fees, payment of bills, moneychanger, bank/insurance services, medical/dental clinics, pushcarts and promotion space occupied by non-AMK Hub tenants will not be valid for redemption. Other terms and conditions apply.

** Limited seats per session. Admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Each Meet & Greet session is limited to first 40 families only. Passes will be issued at the entrance, 30 minutes prior to each session.

# Limited to 2 entry passes per shopper per NRIC, regardless of total amount spent. Entry passes to activities are for children aged 12 and below. Limited to 1 entry pass per child. Maximum of 2 passes per family.

Big Apple Child Care & Development Centre is Open for 2012 Registration

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Website: http://web.singnet.com.sg/~ivyslh