Thursday, January 30, 2014

Floral Hair Pin {Tutorial} 教你做花型发夹


Here is a quick flower hairpin I made for my little bunny using the leftover fabric from her scalloped cheongsam. Now she has a perfect match for her cheongsam. :)


A simple 8 steps tutorial, should take you no more than 30 minutes.

Materials needed:

• 1 long strip of fabric about 12cm long x 7cm width (approximate, depending on how big you want the petals to be)
• thread and needle in matching color
• 1 short bias tape in contrast color or a button shall work too
• a pair of scissors
• 1 alligator clip

The Making:

1. Cut a long rectangular strip of fabric. Fold both sides inward into a long strip of about 3cm width. 

2. Sew along a straight line without back stitching.

3. Now gently pull the thread from the end, the fabric will gathered into scallops.

4. Sew both end together to form a pinwheel. Now a flower shape is formed.

5. Cut a short strip of bias tape or a ribbon of contrasting color.

6. Double fold the bias tape like in the picture.

7. Sew the folded bias tape onto the center of the flower. Your fabric flower is now ready.

8. Using the thread, secure the fabric flower over the alligator clip. (You may sew it into a circular felt and glue it on too, but I had limited supply since I was not at home at the point of making this, I had to make do with whatever available).

That's it, a pretty fabric flower pin to match her little cheongsam!

If you like a tulle flower, check out my previous tutorial here


Happy crafting even on CNY eve! :)



Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

{Book Review} MK Junior Encyclopedia!

My little Captain received this MK Junior Encyclopedia as his birthday present last year, and gosh, how he enjoys reading this book over and over again. It's a really interesting book and I would like you to know why..


MK Junior Encyclopedia

So, What Do We Like about this Book?

Firstly, the book cover comes with a 3D layer where the images "move" as you tilt the book. It captures the kiddos' interest before they even reading it's content.

It's full colored and full of interesting picture and illustration to keep the kids interested. The content is brief and layout makes it interesting & easy to read for the little ones - not too wordy, not too dry. It has many "Quick Facts" and "Fun Quiz" on each chapter that my little Captain really likes. 

Apart from the colorful print, it covers quite a vast topic from Mysterious Space, Deadly Dinosaurs, Active Earth, Wild Weather, Ancient Egypt, Birds & Mammals, Knights & Castles, Super Science; there is surely a topic or two that your little ones will like.
    If there is one thing that I dislike about this book, it's the weight. It is really thick and heavy and I guess it weigh nearly 1kg. So don't bother bringing it for travel, just keep it at home. However, most encyclopedia are thick and bulky, aren't they? ;-)

    A few of my little Captain's favorite chapters..
    • Mysterious Space.  The Sun, the moon, the planet Earth. The stars, the galaxy... We started on this chapter and my boy was hooked instantly that he refused to sleep just so that he can read the entire chapter! He was able to name all the planet and even gave the daddy a quiz over dinner the next day, testing if daddy knows what is the smallest planet in the galaxy (the answer? Mercury. Pluto was once the smallest planet until it's disqualified as a planet).

    Learning about Earth

    • Deadly Dinosaurs. Which kids not fascinated by these huge mammals that longer exist? Why dinosaurs died? can dinosaurs fly? Why are the front legs so tiny? My little Captain had ton of questions and I'm just glad that answers are available in the book! ;-)


    • Active Earth. How is ocean created? What caused to volcano? Where does the lava came from? Things that I don't know how to explain precisely till I have this book which provide the illustration to better explain it. 

    Comes with suggested activities in each chapter

    • Ancient Egypt. Pyramid, Sphinx, Pharaoh, mummies, Nile, anthologist are what this chapter is about. He learnt about Pyramid, Sphinx & Nile river from the Little Einstein series when he was about 2.5 yo, so when he saw the word "Egypt" in the table of content he was so excited and requested to jump to this chapter directly. He kept making noise as we were on this chapter... "Look, the Nile river! where the naughty crocodile lives!", "The Pyramid, just like the one in the Little Einstein!". 

    Bedtime was so much fun, thanks to this encyclopedia.


    How to get kids interested in reading?

    Some of my friends complained their kiddos do not like reading, only likes to flip the pages but no patient in reading... here's some of the techniques I deployed.

    Make it RELEVANT
    Kids will be more interested if they read about something that they can relate to. For example what makes my little boy so fascinated about the Dinosaur chapter? We got him few small dinosaur figurines as his bath toys, one of which is T-Rex and another that we named it "Spiky". He was so excited when he saw his dino appeared in the book and be able to learn more about them.

    Make it FUN! 
    Don't read the encyclopedia word by word. Make it alive like you have all these objects right in front of your eyes, read with excitement and expression. Get the kiddos enter the world of imagination with you and you may be amazed how much they enjoy reading.

    Make it a CHALLENGE!
    Many toddlers love challenge or race, they have the urge to proof that they are not small kids anymore and that they know things. So, after reading each chapter just give an instant quiz, you may have an excited kid who may try so hard to find the answer and keep asking for more quiz. Start with an easy one, like, what is the hottest star in the Solar system?


    You may read the review of the book here, and our copy was purchased from Popular bookstore.

    Happy reading!





    Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

    Saturday, January 25, 2014

    Mad about Cheongsam 为旗袍而疯狂


    This CNY I am absolutely in love with cheongsam. I designed and made few of them for my little girl with the existing stash of fabric I have. You won't believe how much fabric have I accumulated in just 1 year. Most of them were imported fabric directly purchased from US so uniqueness assured. *grinning in pride*

    Anyway, why made instead of buying ready made? Well, I used premium cotton, breathable and comfortable to wear compare to brocade or synthetic fabric which looks good but really makes you sweat. Besides I can choose the fabric prints that is too my liking, I don't quite fancy those loud prints, I prefer something quiet but elegant, or cute and quirky... And most importantly, I get to make my own pattern & design. That's my favorite part. :)

    So here are the Qi Pao I made..

    Scalloped Qi Pao
    This has got to be my favorite. From concept to pattern design to production, exactly how I envisioned it to be. Made of beautiful imported US fabric, Woodcut Garden in Pink by Paula Prass, with matching Chinese buttons. Love the scalloped collar & edges, guess I will make more dress for my little bunny with similar design after CNY.


    The back, before I sewn the button.


    Chicky Cheongsam
    A modern design with lovely fabric which is made up by lots of.. Well, Chics. For that pretty chic in my life. :) another imported US fabric, Puffy Bird in Orange by Patty Young. Planning to make a matching top for my little handsome but inspiration has yet to hit..
     

    Traditional Polkadot Cheongsam
    The first prototype when testing out my pattern using a local cotton. Noticed the matching red polkadot buttons? I love stocking up pretty buttons, never know when they will come in useful for days like this.

    From concept

    To reality.

    So, which is your favorite? :)





    Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

    Drawing with Shapes, Let's get Creative!


    Little Captain loves to draw, we often doodle together while waiting for our meal and to make it more fun, I tried to make him see the objects as combination of shapes. 

    First we drew the basic shapes. My 2yo can correctly identified all these shapes except trapezoid.


    Then we started with Circle, with Star,Triangle, Square and Trapezoid. Just draw one circle and expand accordingly, each drawing takes 3-4 steps.



    Then we used Heart. Little Captain was busy giving ideas and as we drew on, his creativity grow. 

    And finally he drew this without my help - a ferry using circle and trapezoid. Not bad huh.

    Doodling, creativity in the cheapest form. Best of all, you can do this with your little ones anytime, anywhere.

    Check out Muffalo Potato on YouTube to see how he draw with just numbers!




    Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and sp

    Sunday, January 19, 2014

    Cardboard Washing Machine {tutorial}

    It's weekend again. While busy spring cleaning the home in preparation for Chinese New Year, we found this empty biscuit box that we had been keeping in our storeroom for craft project. After completing our cleaning, Little captain and I decided to start our DIY project - a cardboard washing machine!

    Looking like real huh, it's modeled after our Electrolux machine. 



    Complete with a front loading door and 2 dials for washing mode and drying mood, and a On/Off button. Did I mentioned its a washing matching cum dryer? That's the beauty of DIY, you are the sole designer. :-)



    Little captain decided to brand the machine, and we just add all the mode randomly, like balls, soft toys. If only we really have a machine that can do all these functions, that will be ideal.

    He can't wait to use the machine right away, with little sister busy throwing things inside. They washed the balls, blanket, toy bunny... So hardworking.



    This machine cost us absolutely nothing and we have some good used of these "rubbish". Better than spend few hundred bucks for a play set which they may grow bored of it in few weeks time. Go green, recycle. :)

    Interested to make one? Here's how.


    The Making of Cardboard Washing Machine
    Time required: approximately 1 hour
    Materials needed: 
    • 1 rectangular box (we used a biscuit box)
    • 2 Milk carton's cap
    • White glue (craft glue, transparent & easy to wash off with water)
    • Few sheets of A4 paper
    • Marker pens of various colors




    1. Gather your materials, wipe clean and remove any price tags/stickers on the box.

    2. Cut a front door carefully using a cutter. 
    *this step is not for the LO, to be handled by adult only*

    3. Using white glue and A4 paper, cover up the cardboard nicely. Then glue on the caps as dials for the machine. Let dry.

    4. Now start decorating with marker pen & label the dials with your preferred washing mode. We glued on some ribbons for decoration but it uss really optional.

    That's it, your DIY cardboard machine is done. Now your LO can do laundry while you are doing your real laundry work. ;)

    Happy crafting!



    Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

    Friday, January 17, 2014

    DIY Baby Cheongsam aka QiPao 自制小旗袍

    Chinese New Year is only 2 weeks away, it's a tradition to wear new cloths during the CNY but I am quite reluctant to do shopping over weekend thinking of the crowd and long queue make me sweat..

    So I thought perhaps I can make the CNY clothes for my duo, and I have always wanted to make my baby C a QiPao; I have a few QiPao I really like and we can both dress in QiPao for CNY, how sweet is that. *dreaming*

    I have been searching high and low for a QiPao pattern that I can work on, to not much success, finally I decided to design one myself. Turn out, not too difficult as I thought. Hehe.


    Baby Cheongsam - the front view


    The back view

    The polk-a-dot buttons to give it a modern feel

    From concept, to reality.
    The making of Baby Cheongsam

    What I did:
    1. Pattern design
    2. Cutting & assemble 
    3. Sewing & adjust
    4. Final release

    What typical Software Development Life Cycle s like:
    1. Design
    2. Development
    3. Testing (repeat 2-3)
    4. Implement & Release

    Same concept, just different platform. LOL (pardon me for my self amusing act! :)

    Now I'm going to make some correction  to the pattern and make another new piece with my designer fabric collection. Well, when time allows again...


    Happy weekend!  



    Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.


    Thursday, January 16, 2014

    Picnic @ Lake Garden KL, Such a Gem!

    For my little boy's birthday, we got him a new bicycle which he had been dreaming for since awhile ago. So on his birthday, we brought him to the bicycle shop, let him pick the design and accessories he likes & our little handsome was superbly happy for the entire day! 

    We had agreed to take him for picnic and at the same time, let him test ride his new bike in open space. After some research I decided to go Lake Garden, which is also known as KL Botanical Garden, Taman Botani Perdana, 湖滨公园. It's located in KL city center, nearby to a lot of other touristy attraction such as KL bird park, Butterfly Park, National Planetarium and the National Monument (Tugu Negara). You can easily find this place using Google maps or Waze.



    I must admit I was being skeptical of the good reviews I read. As a Malaysian I don't maintain high expectation on cleanliness and facilities provided in our public parks, it just seems to me many of the city dwellers here don't quite care about cleanliness at all. You would know why I was so pessimistic if you live in this city long enough... *sigh*

    However, visit to the Lake Garden totally changed my view. It is really a hidden jewel in the city! Best of all, it's a totally free outings: no entrance fee, no parking charges.. We only paid RM3 for two ice creams for the entire trip. I can't comment much about the food provided at the cafe since we packed our own food and picnic under the shade. 

    That. felt. great.

    Now, let me tell you what impressed me about this place..

    • Complete with 2 large children playground, with multi-tiered slides, hanging bridges, see-saws, children friendly tunnels, the playgrounds can easily accommodate 50 children at one time without feeling cramp.








    • it's called Lake garden for a reason - it has a lake that runs along the entire park, while the water is not exactly that clean (the jade green color suggested high algae population), there is a nice layout of pedestrian walk & cycling track that run along the lake, allowing kids to cycle, scooter & jog around freely. There are at least 4 bridges and lots of trees that shaded us from the hot sun. Walking around at 11am was not as hot as we expected. However crossing the bridge with our stroller was quite a challenge, we carried the stroller and bike to cross the bridge. Other than that, it's really a stroller friendly place. 









    • Trees & plants are really well taken care of, fallen trees were not discarded but were blended into the landscape design which look naturally amazing. It shows the park is managed by environmental friendly people who respect the nature, and for this they gained my respect!






    • Aplenty of picnic locations to choose from. Under the giant tropical trees, next to the playground overseeing the kids, gazebo in front of the pond (with water fountain and allows fish feeding), or just simply any of the island connected by the bridges. Just bring along your own mat if you wish to sit on the grass. 





    • All the trees are well labeled with their names, making it a great place for little ones to learn about the tropical plants. I intend to bring my duo again and this time, we shall collect leaves of different kind and use them for artwork.

    5 star cleanliness, we hardly see rubbish around. There are plenty of thrash bins around the park so I believe that had help tremendously to discourage littering. The public toilet (which they charge RM0.20 per entry) was clean and pleasant too, however I don't recall seeing a diaper change station.

    In short, it very much reminded me of the relaxing time we had in the Kensington Gardens of London, Royal Botanical Garden of Melbourne or even the Avon River in Christchurch, however the major different is the tropical weather which is humid and hot that makes you sweat.

    Ok enough of blah blah blah, I trust I have said enough to have you convinced. (Say yes please... Thank you). Now allow me show off what I've prepared for the picnic.

    I spent about an hour to pack these: food, drinks, mat, balls, mosquito repellent and sunblock. Notice the little vintage suitcase? It was from my Crabtree & Evelyn gift set, a lovely Christmas gift. I love how it gave an old school feeling to our picnic experience and my little boy looked like a little gentleman carrying it. (Yes, I admit I am old school... Although I still qualify to be a Gen Y, LOL)



    All nicely packed in the little vintage suitcase.



    Filled with fresh cut fruits, Hams & Cheese sandwiches, spaghetti in tomato sauce, nuts & raisins, butter cookies and fresh juices. Everything homemade, except the juices. Having them well packed allowed us to have a pleasant picnic without any mess. 



    I brought along a plastic bag to keep all rubbish to ensure we do not leave any trash behind. Mostly recyclable material used here (let's do our bit to reduce unnecessary waste whenever we can..)

    The graffiti paper cups for Princess, Little Captain, Hot Mama and Cool Papa (not in pic). Spontaneous art by mommy.



     
    The duo had so much fun at the park. Running, cycling, climbing, crawling, rolling, munching, feeding fish, playing throw & catch, eating ice cream. Both left the place with rosy cheeks and big smiles. What a fruitful morning.  

    My little handsome test riding his new bike.


    Quality family time, priceless.


    So, if you have no appointment this coming weekend, or wondering where to bring your kiddos or elderly, wonder no more, Lake Garden is a great place for young and old.

    Shopping can wait, homework can wait, TV can wait, iPad can wait... But not the precious family time, childhood shall not be wasted. Let them run, let them play, let them sweat it all out & let's have some real gadget-free family time..

    Psssss.... I'm on the mission to discover more picnic places in KL. So stay tuned and don't forget to "like" this Facebook page if you don't want to miss out the next post! 

    Ciao.


    Getting There
    Jalan Kebun Bunga, Tasik Perdana, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
    Opening hours: 7:00am to 8:00pm.
    No entrance fee
    Visit their official website HERE, location map & other nearby vicinity obtained from the website




    Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

    Tuesday, January 14, 2014

    Little Captain Turned 5... (Airplane Theme Party!)

    Our little boy turns 5 finally, he had been doing doubt down since we celebrated the sister's birthday. When I asked him what cake would he like for his birthday, he shouted, "Airplane cake!"

    That made me sweat, literally (why on Earth did I asked him?!). Making a fondant airplane figurine is not an easy affair for a novice like me unless I decided to use a toy plane, which I know he would most definitely say that is cheating. So, after a round of practice I made him this 2 tier airplane cake just like he requested. Blue skies, white cloudette and a propeller airplane!



    It's a full edible cake with moist chocolate cake underneath. The little Captain had a pair of goggle and was in his favorite green top as requested by my 5yo. 

    The party decoration was simple but creative with zero-cost. No game this time since no kids invited, it's a party only for the family. (After all the recent happenings, we wanted to have a private gathering to have everyone together)

    At the entrance, we setup a "Ethan is 5!" Sign using my good old baking tray and the alphabet magnet pieces from the toy shelve. Took only 3 minutes to prepare, how more easy can it get? 


    In the living hall, a big "5" car made of Duplo blocks aside his LEGO fighter plane.

    And Look, who came for the party?
    Mickey, Minnie, Spiderman, Minion and well, a Happy Birthday balloon. :)



    Notice the "Happy birthday" and the "Ethan" bunting? The name bunting was made some times ago to decorate the children's room and came handy. You may check out the tutorial on making a simple bunting which is a good art & craft project to do with little ones.

    He was really excited when all the guests arrived with the colorful balloons. The duo had more than enough toys at home so I suggested the family to spare the gifts, just bring a balloon each to brighten up the party. That worked well for my duo, kept them super excited!

    A table full of warm dishes, collaboration of mommy (me!) and grandma with her signature longevity noodles, fried rice, crispy barbecue pork and vegetable curry. 


    Here's what I prepared..

    2 dozens of Honey glazed barbecue chicken wings marinated overnight and roasted right before the party, recipe coming soon on my Food 4 Little Ones blog.



    The easy peasy Dory Fish Pasta in tomato sauce sprinkled with some crispy bacon bits and fresh basil leaves. It was emptied within half an hour. I pre-cooked the sauce the night before so I just have to cook the pasta on the party day.



    Some really healthy roasted stuffed cherry tomatoes for finger food (which I forgot to take picture, simply too busy!), took only 15 minutes to prepare before the party began.

    The Cloudette and Star cookies that were baked the night earlier. My little Captain had a special "E" cookie pop all for himself!



    My little Captain E proudly wore the airplane tee personalised by mommy (Interested to make one too? Here's the tutorial...), and the late grandpa's golf cap (whom he dearly missed), looking just fine on him isn't it?



    Good food + Good company = Great time. It was a jolly day for the duo and all.

    Happy 5th birthday my little Captain, may this be the beginning of a great journey in your life.


    Love, 
    Mommy PH.




    Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.