Little Walker

I love walking but not a big fan of heat and humidity.

In tropical Singapore, it can get scorching hot at times but decent at others. Thankfully, the Chickadee gets a kick out of walking in any weather.

Walking in Singapore is great. It is generally pedestrian friendly with big proper walkways. When you walk around, you can see the thought that has been put in to ensure the safety and convenience of people on foot.

This island has not just great pathways, they are usually decked up with the right amount of trees. Not to mention the right type of species.

For this country, I wouldn't mind strapping on a good pair of shoes and taking a stroll. 

Flexibly Ballet

There will come a point in your life when your child will ask you if she can learn ballet. I don't know why this happens. Maybe it's the pretty ballerinas or the pink girly outfits that attracts them.

I had that question posed to me even before she turned 3. So I went around to do some research.

Classes in Singapore is definitely pricier than Malaysia. However there is a lot more enrichment classes available in Singapore.  

Ballet classes normally runs for 45 mins and each class costs around $45. So it's really a dollar a minute. It's pretty standard charges by dance studios. 

If you go for those held within the community centres, they are much cheaper but I am not familiar with how the lessons are conducted. I'm guessing it would be simpler.

The dance fees is just part of the total expenses. The child will then need hair accessories, ballet outfit and shoes - the whole ballerina ensemble.
(check out more pictures here: http://zchicchick.blogspot.sg/2014/08/little-ballerina.html)

The Chickadee's ballet class ends with 15 mins of jazz. She also learns tap dancing.

I really wondered whether paying for her ballet and tap classes were just me being an indulgent parent. But honestly, I can see that she has picked up a few great values.

She learnt:

1) Teamwork
2) Discipline
3) How to listen to instructions
4) Importance of Practising
5) Rhythm
6) Physical Flexibility

All the above plus she has genuine fun on something she has a passion for.

Honestly, I no longer question my decision.

 

 

 

 

Little Ballerina

I love taking pictures of the little chickadee in cute ballet outfits with her little ballet bun.



 

 

 

Navy Cute Château de sable

I love the chickadee in anything navy

Peekaboo

Loving Ponies

The Chickadee had her first pony ride recently and she absolutely adores them.

Art with Nature

A kid and a Dog

It was never a hard decision for us to have a dog in our home. We had our dog before the chickadee was born.

I have always had evening walks with our dog and I was adamant that the dog did not feel left out. 

The dog never paid much attention to the kid.

But the relationship that grew between them has been amazing.

We all love our dog and as part of the family, she has been relocated to Singapore with us (you can read more about it here: http://zchicchick.blogspot.sg/2014/07/bringing-our-pet-dog-into-singapore.html)

For those parents sitting on the edge, here are several positive reasons you might not have thought of to bring a pet home for your kids:

(http://www.oprah.com/relationships/10-Reasons-Pets-Are-Good-for-Kids)

• Children who grow up in homes with pets have less risk of developing common allergies and asthma.
• Playing with dogs may help lower blood pressure.
• Kids with pets get outside more—to go for walks, run and play—and enjoy all the associated health benefits.
• Pet owners require fewer doctor's visits.
• Emerging readers often feel more comfortable reading aloud to a pet.
• Nurturing a pet is an acceptable way for boys to "parent play"—to practice being caregivers.
• Feeding and caring for a pet encourages childhood responsibility.
• Children with pets display improved impulse control, social skills and self-esteem.
• Sharing the love and care of a family pet forges an additional common bond among siblings.
• Cuddling a pet reduces stress, loneliness and anxiety.

Growing up Pwetty

The chickadee is looking girlier by the day. 

The whole ensemble was given to her. 

She is wearing a "Frozen" pink t-shirt and a pair of tights that has butterfly patches at both sides.

Super cute if you ask me. But then again I'm bias. 

Pretty in Pink

This is by far my fav picture of the chickadee in this second half of 2014. 

The dress was given by a friend who bought it in HK. The hat from Australia was given by a family member.

Diwali style

Halloween is fun but even more so is the various festivals we have here in Malaysia. Instead of dressing up in costumes, we get to wear traditional outfits which can be worn any other day and is rich with history. I love it. Each traditional outfit has its own story to tell. 

Deepavali is around the corner and the chickadee's playschool requested that the kids come wearing a traditional outfit. 

I found that for children, they normally wear the "Pattu Pavadai/Reshme Langa"

OMG so cute. Where do I even  buy these??
  

For the Chickadee, I got her a set of made-in-India "Salwar Kameez" or more commonly known as the "Pujabi Suit". 

This set has a "Salwar" (loose trousers), a "Kameez" (the tunic top) and a "dupatta" (scarf) which is meant for covering the head.

I decided to go for a bigger size. 

In this picture, she is wearing the "Kameez" as a dress. My plan was to let her wear it as a 2 piece (with the scarf) once she is bigger. But judging by how the top is a perfect fit on her right now, am not too sure how this genius plan of mine will work. 

I had to pair the top with a singlet inside as the collar was a bit uncomfortable for her.

Look at how gorgeous this is. It even comes with lining inside. 

If you do decide to buy a Diwali style outfit for your little girl, you may want to consider the following pointers:

1) Avoid the ones with heavy accessories or "ornaments" attached to them. They are rough and can be heavy.

2) Make sure you feel the inside. With the number of stitches/embroidery, it may not be comfortable. (I don't know how I missed the collar!)

3) Avoid saris. It cuts straight down. This restricts movement. Kids and their freedom to move is very important. 

4) Avoid two pieces with potential bare midriffs. Even if it's "close together", the long skirt will slide down when on a kid. I saw a kid who wore one but ended up wearing shorts after; but with a short top. Not the best look for a kid.

5) Try choose colors and patterns that represents Diwali best. There are lots of patterns and designs out there these days.

6) Feel the material. Some are quite rough. A kid might not like it. 

I spent almost an hour looking through various punjabi suits for the little chickadee. I even desperately eavesdropped on an Indian mother commenting on outfits, hoping to learn a thing or two. It is harder than you think. But it has been a fun hunt and culturally enlightening. 

Sweet Sleeveless Floral Dress

I love to buy clothes for the little chicChick. But I desperately refrain as she has so many hand-me-downs. Plus she is on a vertical spurt spree. 

This is what I've learnt with clothes I do buy:
1) Make sure the hole on top of dress is big enough. Kid's head will grow.
2) Make sure the holes where the arms go through are big enough..

If these two provides sufficient room, the kid can wear it for way much longer.

The chicchickadee has been wearing this dress for a year plus now. It is an amazing thing when an outfit survives that long. Of course the dress is a bit shorter, but it is still at a decent length.

Me and my little gem. I guess the Gen Y would call it a selfie picture. Or is it not cause I'm with the bub? How confusing.

Spaghetti tops for Kids

Spaghetti tops can be defined as tank tops held up by spaghetti straps. 

Depending on how they are designed, these tops can either look pretty cute or pretty indecent on children. 

The little chick got this top from one of my close friends. I paired it with a white singlet inside and the result totally rocks. 

The chickadee looks awesome in green I must say. Children's clothes do not have to be blue or pink all the time. I encourage all parents to experiment with colors.

The Chickadee was wearing the same outfit in her video debut!

http://zchicchick.blogspot.com/2013/09/video-loving-her-ukelele-aka-guitar.html

Chic in Cheongsam

I absolutely adore the cheongsam ~ how it fits, how it feels, what it represents. In English, it is apparently also known as the mandarin gown. 

This traditional dress is a redesigned tight fitting "qipao" (which was a traditional baggy female garment). They were very popular amongst the high society and are known to accentuate the body.

For children, I was a bit skeptical about wearing one on the chickadee. I am totally against her wearing something too mature for her age.

However, I stumbled upon one cheongsam which was sweet and girly. It is light pinkish white splashed with flower prints. The material was neither too thick nor too thin, making it perfect for our Asian weather. 

Just look at how it falls nicely at the back.

This outfit has the typical stiff collar hooked closely on top. The tailor did not take any shortcuts on this cheongsam eventhough it was meant for a kid. 

The only catch about the cheongsam is that the skirt will ride up when you sit down. Same goes for the mini version. So make sure you get the right length dress for your child.

Squeaky Shoes & Why They Exist

I admit that I find squeaky shoes on toddlers seriously annoying. I never understood why parents would wear them on their children.

Recently, I saw a nice pair of shoes that was perfect for the chickadee ~ solid structure, good non-slip base, nice design, pleasant colors. I am a big fan of simple practical classy things. 

When I heard that first squeak, I returned them immediately to the seller and was about to walk away when she told me that the squeakers can be removed! With all the repetitive squeaks I had to endure in malls, I was not aware that this was even possible. 

Given this option, I did what any other parent would do, which was to buy them. Just look at how pretty they are! 

Having bought a pair of squeakers for my own child, I am now curious to find out why this was created in the first place.

I mean yes, obviously it is a lot of fun for the kids as I can see the bub walking and hopping with joy in them; oblivious to my winces. But there must be a very good explanation to these annoying things right?

Right.

Did you know that these little feet noise makers were actually made to encourage kids to walk properly?? Apparently, the squeak only happens when the child walks heel-to-toe. I read that some kids would walk on tippy toes. So these shoes aid in providing an audible feedback when they walk properly.

On the other advantage stated, I would prefer to watch over my child like a hawk rather than use the squeaks to "know where my child is".

I gotta say I haven't regretted buying that pair for the little one. It matches well with a number of her outfits. And we do (rarely) put in the plastic squeakers for her to have a bit of fun. She would jump more than walk when that happens. So I guess the reason for its existence did not exactly work for her. 

The Ukulele - Hawaiian inspired Outfit

The bub absolutely loves the guitar and is in fact, pretty good at strumming one. 

Like any mother hoping for early retirement, I am all for encouraging this musical talent of hers. But seeing that it is too big for her, I got her the next best thing -> the ukulele. 

Because of the little chickadee's interest in the ukulele. I started reading up a bit about its history.

Did you guys know that the ukulele used to be an obscure four-string guitar from Portugal? What are the odds. The Chickadee's paternal grandparents are half Portuguese.

It was brought to Hawaii in 1879 by the Portuguese immigrants and became an instant hit. From what I read, Uku means "Gift or reward" and lele means "to come".  But it also roughly translates as "Jumping Fleas". This is because the Hawaiians were impressed with the speed the musicians' fingers moved. 

There are 4 types of ukulele - soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. The Chickadee is a proud owner of a  pre-loved soprano ukulele which came with a decent price tag. 

If you are thinking of buying small toy guitars, I would recommend that you go straight for the real thing. I have not regretted the purchase and we have sing along with accompanied strumming by the bub almost every night. 

Mahalo!

Check out the little Chickadee in action here: http://zchicchick.blogspot.com/2013/09/video-loving-her-ukelele-aka-guitar.html

Laogudai : Chinese Traditional Outfit

The little bub has two traditional Chinese outfits in her wardrobe. One of them bought by her grandparents. It's always nice to see children in traditional wear. 

From my research online - Traditional Chinese clothing is broadly referred to as "hanfu". "Han" as in Han Dynasty and "fu" which means clothes in Chinese. Apparently Chinese fashion was improved and popularized during the Han Dynasty. 

I did a lot of googling to find out what the chickadee's outfit is called and the closest I can find is that the combination is known as a "Laogudai top with trousers pajamas". It consists of a matching top and bottom. 

I believe they are meant mainly for boys. But as with any generation - us chicks can rock any male clothes.

In this picture, I paired the top with black pants. 

Baby B'gosh

I loVeee Osh Kosh B'gosh. I can say it all day long. 

Did you know that Oshkosh is actually a place in Wisconsin? And that's where it all started. They were producing hickory-striped denim bib overalls for railroad workers and farmers.

It was set to be a winning recipe when they made miniature versions for kids. 

Their fashion is perfect for kids from all walks of life.

The bub just woke up when we threw this outfit on her. And she still rocked the overall. 

Floral Sweet

This is definitely one of my favs. It is an easy to wear dress. 

It is simple and pretty looking and most of all, absolutely practical for Asian weather

Je Suis Chics

I've chosen this as the first picture for this blog

It is tres chic if you ask me. Je t'aime!

Perfect for a day in the mall