Malacca with Kids: 2D/1N

What comes to mind when i think of Malacca? Historical sites + the sweltering heat.

Growing up, we've made numerous trips to Malacca but the recent trip with our children brought us to see Malacca in a different light. 

I've always liked the idea of staying in quintessential boutique hotels. More often catered for couples/solo/small group travellers, i've not come across one that is fitting for families with young children.  So, imagine finding one in the heart of the heritage row which not only met our expectations but also accessible for the kids.

Welcome to Aava Malacca Hotel. This 15 room boutique hotel is housed within 3 connecting heritage buildings that were extensively refurbished to give it a modern Peranakan feel yet maintaining the heritage structure and façade of the buildings.

The place oozed a wonderful marriage of the old & new. 

We had the privilege to stay in the Advantage Suite. 
Note: this is not a sponsored post. just sharing treasures as we come across them

Lest you be intimidated by the price tag of a night's stay, don't be, because their rates are quite affordable. The luxurious comfortable sheets & the spacious bathroom were so inviting. I like the fact that the property had little nook & corners here & there, which were nice for photos.

Breakfast in the quaint stairwell dining area was made out of a modest spread of warm croissant, toast, sausages, chicken ham, pancakes, cereals. Good enough to fill our early morning tummies before we hit the streets for another round of local fare & sightseeing. 

In my opinion, our stay at Aava Malacca was a major factor which contributed to making our trip such a memorable one.

Within the property, nestles a small swimming pool which offers guests a clear view of the malaccan river. Suffice for our happy children, waiting to splash away at any opportunity they can.

Unlimited access to old-school snacks at the lobby, much to the delight of the cheeky gal

If i had a say, what i felt could have made the property even more stellar would be to:

i. Feature & house local artisans' wares. 

Was on the lookout for handpainted peranakan tiles or any original handmade wares to take home as souvenirs. Sadly, most of what we came across was a bombardment of the typical standard magnets/keychains of sort at Jonkers
plus,

ii. Snippets of history behind the structure/house/former owners before the hotel came to be would have been nice for guests to fondly remember the place by.

Location of the property was superb as the backdoor opens right out to a section of the malaccan river. We enjoyed a lazy after-dinner night stroll, & the following day; a slow paced morning walk. The row where the property is located is home to many beautiful murals. No need for driving out/hassle of looking for parking to the places we wanted to visit!

It was also just a walk away from discovering hidden gems like the Sin Hiap Hin liquor store from pre-war days. 

Hubby accidentally stumbled upon a small backlane kedai which he ecstatically bought a parang for a steal. No need for bargaining.

Shop selling livestocks eg pigeons, rooster, white mice.

 Amidst these old & weathered shops were hipster cafes waiting to be found. We stopped by this cafe to take a respite from the scorching heat. Notice their signboard below. I like that it didn't had any fancy upmarket name!

The waffles with bacon & caramelized bananas & syrup was a winner 

The steep staircase which only fits one person at a time, leads to the upper floor

Lunch at the much talked-about Baboon House known for its juicy burgers & sumptuous salad. No food or interior photos to show, unfortunately, it was a no-photo zone cafe upon stepping into the premise.

our squinty eyes.. it was that hot!

Our dinner highlight was far from posh but something me & hubby were looking forward too - squatting in little stools, enjoying an abundance of siham (cockles), tauhu bakar, sotong kangkong, century eggs' accompanied by their tangy sauce concoction; in the backlane of Jln Bunga Raya.

 

The kids were learning to slowly adapt to this sort of dining-style. ha! They stuck back to familiar food eg fried kueyteow which i bungkus from the nearby makeshift stall. We still encouraged them to be adventurous in trying new food, which they later did!

Below is a quick highlight of the places we visited (besides Jonker Street)

1. Submarine museum @ Dataran 1Msia Klebang

Would have scored better if the tour was interactive but still, nice that we got to see up close; the submarine & fighter jets.

crammed space - not for claustrophobics

2. Made a pitstop to try the Klebang Famous Coconut shake. Super refreshing to counter Malaccan weather. No photo cos it was gulped down in minutes.

3. Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum 
Educational walk-through for kids.

We opted for a self-guided tour at RM50 for our family of 4. It helped that the kids recently watched a few episodes of Nyonya Singsei on tv & it was quite fun to see them identifying some of the antique pieces they saw.

In my opinion, the best trips are those without fixed itinerary.. going a little off-the-beaten-track. Not knowing what to expect. Venturing out with an open mind, trying new things & then, discovering little bits of history & surprises in every corner. That sense of wonderment. That's what we hope to experience in all our humble travels.

BUDS Oralcare Organics - Monstrously Good Stuff!

These colorful, fuzzy, wide-smile monsters with little toothbrushes in hand are here on a mission to revolutionize toothbrushing!
Getting little children started on a lifelong journey of good oral care has just gotten a whole lot easier, not to mention super FUN!

Ta-da! Introducing Buds Oralcare Organics.
Preservative-free, mild, safe yet effective & having NO nasties like sodium lauryl sulphate, artificial sweeteners & flavors.

I recently attended the launch at Mad About Coco, Publika & came home with a few tips on caring for childrens' teeth.

(1) With sippy cups, liquid stays in the mouth for a long time. Introduction to cup from sippy cup should not be delayed.

(2) In my opinion, to deprive kids of sugared treats = deprived childhood ;)
I like the way orthodontist, Dr Bernard Low puts it.
Limiting the frequency = limiting the total amount of sugar, would be more practical.
Eg, instead of a pack of m&m's throughout the day, a small bar of chocolate after lunch would be a better choice.

(3) Children below 2 yrs @ should use "flouride free" toothpaste
Children above 2 yrs @ should switch to flouride to fight against caries & gum disease

Light hearted & informative presentation by Dr Bernard Low

I'm not a die-hard label reader, but i think it's increasingly important to know what goes into the products we're using.
Buds Oralcare Organic is formulated with Xylitol + Flouride + Aloe Vera + Hydrated Silica.

What is xylitol?
natural sweetener derived from a plant

Is flouride a bad guy?
BUDS take a balanced view on the use of flouride toothpaste. Flouride is essential in strengthening hard tissues of the tooth. And safe when used in controlled dosage.

Aloe vera leaf juice & silica cleanses & soothes teething gums.

Popular local comedian Harith Iskandar & his family were invited to share their childrens' experiences

Buds' user Maryanne's testimonial -
The effects of chemo made her son develop multiple mouth ulcers. The various toothpaste she tried stung the ulcers & made brushing really difficult. Buds organic toothpastes were mild yet cleaned effectively. 

Attractive packaging helps sell to kids. No doubt, i too was smitten by the toofmonsters!

I am personally a sucker when it comes to packaging. I've toned down over the years but still think that folks who pay attention to packaging takes great pride in what they are offering.

pint-size samples. too cute!

The media pack came with a little activity book. I tell ya.. leah couldn't wait to get started on it! It was so brilliantly put together & well thought out. Includes a step-by-step guide to doodle your own Toofmonster, as well as crossword puzzle, story & a really cool toothbrushing chart which got leah diligently brushing since. I found it too be an immensely helpful tool in educating children & giving them a head start to good oral hygiene.

# special thanks to Jean of JeanLamPhotography
for all the beautiful shots above.

Buds Oralcare Organic range comes in 4 fruity flavors ~ 
Green Apple, Strawberry, Blackcurrant & Peppermint.

Luke tried the Blackcurrant & came out of the bathroom wide-eyed, "Mommy, it tastes like gummies! So cool!"

The price of Buds Oralcare Organics range are as follow:-
Oral Gel for Baby Teeth & Gums (0-1 years old) - 30ml @ RM29.90
Children's Tootpaste with Xylitol (1-3 years old) - 50ml @ RM32.90
Children's Tootpaste with Flouride (3-12 years old) - 50ml @ RM32.90

DIY PARTY SERIES: Chloe's Doc McStuffins Party by Yan & Jenly

It's quite rare that i come across fathers who play an active role in the planning and DIY of his child's birthday.

Most would think it's the mom's domain but for a refreshing change, I'm happy to introduce you to Yan who went beyond merely being paymaster for the party but together with his wife, Jenly was hands-on from the planning, DIY-ing, to the setting up of the party.

We welcome Yan to our second installment of Babylicious DIY Party Series.

(1) We are spoiled for choices when it comes to party themes. How did you ended up with this adorable Doc Mcstuffins theme?

Chloe loves the characters from the series. Bonus was that my sis-in-law already had the template for the theme. We just needed to figure out how to complete the look and tie it all together.

(2)  Are you a DIY kind of person? What items did you personally make?

I see a lot of personalized designed labels & printing which were done by you. Could you tell us briefly about the process?

I am an avid DIY-er. We customized the wordings, printed and cut most of the stickers and labels. With the amazing template available from my sis-in-law and from the internet, we started to put all available materials together and had the labels customized.

goodie bag favors made to resemble doctor medical bags

goodies in the bag. visiting the dr has never been this awesome!

kitkat "bandages"

can anyone refuse m&ms "medicine"?

customized labels

(3) With DIY parties, help from others are crucial.
What are the things that you outsourced/purchased or got others to do for you?

Our sis-in-law did a wonderful job putting together the design and template for us. She even printed out the backdrop, and had most of the stickers that were used in the decor & food labels sent all the way to us from Jakarta.

We ordered the main cake homemade by our Indonesian friend residing in Malaysia that came with a special design that matched the theme. We added a Doc Mcstuffin figurine for the finishing touch.

Our  former neighbor was so kind and thoughtful to make a set of customized cupcakes with Chloe's name on it.

Nini's Homemade Cupcakes

Food spread were ordered from our friends except for salads and fruits which were done from home.

(4) What are some of the things which you did yourself which saved you a considerable amount of $$$?

With DIY, we saved a great amount of money which went to the renting of the party venue. We wanted parents to enjoy mingling with friends & food while the kids occupy themselves with rounds of golfing fun.

(5) Anything that you would have done differently?

Any advice or tips for parents who would like to host a party at a particular venue outside the home?

If possible, try not to do too much. We spent a considerable amount of time preparing the sandwiches and fruits on the day itself that we ran out of time decorating the venue. We ended up having our guests helping out in the last minute decor.

DIY-ing may include some level of stress and can be tiring. It took us 5 nights of printing and cutting of labels/stickers (after Chloe went to bed) but we were pleased with the end result. Guests acknowledged the hard work that went to it and we hoped everyone had a good time.

Happy 4th Birthday Chloe!

 

||Credits/Sources||

Photography: Yan YL

Printables: Sis-in-law July @ Suryavi

Cupcakes: Nini's Homemade Cupcakes @ 012 9781327

Food: Yan YL and Restoran Surabaya @ Sunway

"Doctor" bag: Daiso

Venue: Mini Putt

ps: If you hosted a diy party and would love to be interviewed & share it here on Babylicious, do drop me an email on babylicious.info@gmail.com. It'll be fun!
For previous DIY Party Series post, click here.

DIY PARTY SERIES: Sophia's Woodlands Party by Vivienne

I'm delighted to finally reveal our very first DIY Real Parties to kick off the DIY Party Series on this blog! You know me, I get wobbly on my knees when i see a pretty party especially one with a homespun charm to it.

The idea sparked off from a desire to encourage both working & stay-home mommies (and daddies) to give a go at Do-It-Yourself parties.

It definitely involves some extent of research, perhaps several late nights hand-making party items, getting props ready, but i assure you the effort would be immensely rewarding.

I liken the process to childbirth (ha!)

After the chaos & the thought of all the hard work that went into the celebration, you kinda mentally mutter that it'll be your last! Very soon though, that thought would have gone into the non-core memory and you'd find yourself planning the next!

Whether it's a small do or one that calls for the whole clan, hosted at your own abode, a quaint cafe or even the local playground, birthdays are worth celebrating. And even more appreciated & remembered, when sweat & panda eyes were called for in the process.

To start the ball rolling, I'm pleased to introduced you to Vivienne, who recently hosted an amazing WOODLANDS themed party at her home for her lovely daughter Sophia.

(1) I know of many moms in modern day often balking at the idea of hosting a party at home.

From putting up the decor, organizing the food, all this while having to entertain guests, oh! and did i mention the CLEAN UP?!
What made you decide to host Sophia's 4th birthday party from home?

Venue outside home has restrictions and less flexibility in terms of time frame, the hassle of logistics eg transporting food plus setting up the venue would be overly time consuming. It's more intimate to have it at home especially with most guests being family members, and not a whole lot of children attendees. The home setting makes an ideal option & convenient for guests who are mothers with infants.

(2) The party theme would often be at the top of the "to do" list before you decide on anything else.

You chose an enchanting Woodland theme. With the myriad of themes available, what made you choose Woodlands? Tell us briefly about the process.

Frozen was top on Sophia's list. But I was overwhelmed with so many frozen parties featured that i lost the uniqueness and excitement for the theme. I dropped the idea and slowly moved on to her next favorite - fairy!! Woodlands fairy theme seemed appropriate for both genders! With much persuasion, Sophia was game for it too! Tutus and fairy wings - what's not to love?!

little fairies had to have wings & tutu skirts paired with headband & magical wand

(3) With home DIY parties, help from family members are crucial (unless you decide to forego your sanity) What form of help did you get/receive?

When hosting a party at home, family help is most appreciated! I'm blessed to have my mom who is a wonderful cook, who could manage catering to a crowd. My sister who is a talented baker has not only help me with cookies and cake, but also the decor setup & diy. Younger cousins also chipped in to help with many crafty work and moonlighted as kitchen helpers! 

We not only had a party that was diy-ed but one that saw the whole family coming together to make it a success!

(4) For one who enjoys crafting, what were the DIY items you made?

Backdrop using acrylic paint to draw the white branches. The burlap banner "Sophia is 4" was cut and free hand painted

Wooden number 4, diy distressed to match the woodlands theme.
Glitter foam alphabets and paper flowers & ferns were use to decorate the signage

                 

The handmade woodlands masks were the most time consuming as every piece was cut by hand and assembled

Chalk board frames signages

Lace used for holding the desserts jelly spoon & butterfly paper puncher used for decorating food jars

Diy flower cake banner twigs and artificial flowers

diy pinata lantern

oh boy! free flow candies!

Besides balloon decor, paper lanterns were decorated with butterflies clip-ons

Do-It-Yourself craft station for kids

Food and decor for desserts table decorated with mini fairy figurines

(5) What help (services) you decided to hire which you wouldn't be able to do it yourself & you know would make a great addition to the celebration?

On hindsight, I would have outsourced the catering to reduce mom's hard work so that she could have more time to enjoy the party. With budget and sufficient children attending the party, a balloonist/clown helped liven up the event. I wanted a face painting artist but to save cost, I bought some face painting sets and had the kids and parents participate in their own face painting creation.

mom cooking for the whole party

(6) Any piece of advice for moms who would like to attempt a home DIY party?

Plan ahead as soon as you set on the theme. Pssst... physcho your child to stick with the chosen theme and allow them to input ideas and get them involved with the planning. That way, it saves the hassle in case he/she changes his/her mind at the last minute! Start buying relevant items you need for the party decor and making a to-do list. Don't be afraid to get assistance from friends/family to avoid being drowned by overwhelming ideas that simply can't be achieved by a one-man show.

Thank you Vivienne for sharing Sophia's lovely party with Babylicious' readers. 
Seeing family members come together, lending a hand & chipping in their talents for a loved one's celebration ~ that's what makes a party extra special isnt' it?  
I know i came away completely smitten & inspired and i trust our readers will too.

the lovely Sophia in her beautiful fairy attire. 

Happy 4th Birthday!

ps: If you hosted a diy party and would love to be interviewed & share it here on Babylicious, do drop me an email on babylicious.info@gmail.com. It'll be fun!

||Credits||

Photography: Vivienne

Cookies & Desserts: Cookie.my

Food: Vivienne's mom

Clown: Bryant Low @ 016 2633007