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Friday 31 August 2012

Go Wild Kid's Club


I am always on the lookout for new places to take my little girl to.  I like to discover them. I try to avoid going to the usual suspects like theme parks (obviously not avoiding Disneyland though we haven’t been) and areas where a lot of ball pools are involved. I am also very particular about cleanliness. I can honestly say we have only taken her twice to Snakes and Ladders, both birthday party invites and once at Futures Factory, also for a birthday party invite. I don’t particularly like the smell in those enclosed places, especially at Snakes and Ladders which is such a dated place that it stinks, it urgently needs renovation.



On our recent trip to The Galleria shopping mall in Hatfield (we haven’t been for a long time), we had a pleasant surprise, most especially the little girl. Since it is the school holidays, we were expecting some trampolines and rides, like what they had last year.

This is what we found.


The little girl could not contain her excitement. It is like the “wild” in the middle of a concrete jungle. It is obviously new and the stage mommy likes new places because it means, it is still very clean. I am OC you know. I could have called this blog “OC Mommy diaries” but someone’s blog is called that already, minus the diaries.



I also like the fact that the place does not involve ball pools.



Go Wild consist mainly of stairs, lots of stairs and slides, really long winding slides.



It is very clean and the fact that they have a proper waiting are for the parents is such a bonus. It is on fake grass with picnic type benches and tables. Sitting there made me feel like being outdoors. You can also take food in and eat while you are waiting. With Costa just across the area, it was very convenient.




Another good thing about this place is that being in the middle of a massive building, it remains airy and we all know how it is with sweaty kids and enclosed areas, they don’t mix quite well.



We love the place so much, we went again a week after.


Go Zone

The Galleria
Comet Way, Hatfield
AL10 0XR


Sunday 19 August 2012

Make Mine Skinny

For any weight conscious, calorie counting individual, having the nutritional info of food and drinks in most food establishments now is really handy. I love the fact that you can plan even the day before what to eat or drink to still be within your allowed caloric intake despite being eating out as most have these information on their websites as well.

My favorite is Costa's website. It does not only have a list of the nutritional information, it also has a nutrition calculator which  lets you tailor make your drink be it a hot or cold one, whether you want skimmed milk or whole or if you want a shot of vanilla syrup, hazelnut or what have you. Once you have chosen all the extras on your drink, it will tell you how much calories are on it.


I just wish that they will have this in store where you can just go to a computer in a corner and calculate the calories of what you want to have before ordering in the counter.

The night before I met my friend for coffee in Costa, I was able to plan my order with the calorie count as I am currently trying to lose a little weight. I was able to eat out without worrying about overloading my caloric intake.

I mean, if you are faced with all these delicious treats with a long queue behind you, it is so difficult to decide.


But by being able to plan the night before through their website, I was able to choose a fairly healthy option, a  latte with skimmed milk and a shot of hazelnut syrup with tuna melt panini.


Good job!

Wednesday 15 August 2012

The last 7 Days

I have never been so busy while on holiday from work. Before I became a mommy, my idea of a holiday is waking up late, lounging in my pajamas until the afternoon and watching daytime TV or just be online all day long. 

To say that having kids changes your life is an understatement. I am not complaining though. She is the best thing that ever happened to us and every thing that we do for her brings us joy.

Here are random photos of the last 7 days.

We had picnics. One was during lunch in a field just across our house and the one was on a top of the hill overlooking the city.


We went to the mall several times and each time, we had our  favorites, smoothies and sugar cinnamon pretzels.





In one mall, they have this new play area called Go Wild which is similar to Snakes and Ladders but so much better, clean and airy. She enjoyed it so much and made friends.


I enjoyed it as well as they have a special area for parents to wait. I just wish that they will provide WiFi in the future.


We went to the playground several times as well.



I was just glad that I did not have to take her to Nursery as she is on school holiday also. When the next school year starts in September, we will be a lot busier what with hubby and me back to work, the little girl back to school. All the school activities and extra curricular activities like her Ballet classes as she wants to continue going and other after school activities she might want to pursue and me being a stage mommy, I am going to support whatever she wants to do. With all these in mind, I got myself something handy aside from my iPhone. A fridge calendar, so I will see every morning during breakfast what is on for the day.


What about you stage mommies out there? What's been keeping you and your little ones busy?

Sights and Sounds (and taste) of London Olympics 2012

Just being in and around London was enough to give you the Olympic feel. We did not see any games ( we were to choosy and by the time we have decided, the tickets were gone on the screen) but we did go in to the Olympic park. Our tickets came through the post a week before the date which got us very excited. There was so much to see at the Olympic park which deserves a post of its own, when I get the chance.



There were Javelin trains dedicated to Olympic game ticket holders which only takes 7 minutes from St. Pancras to the Olympic Park in Stratford.


Each train passenger was given an ice lolly as part of the celebration of the sporting event. For a freebie, the ice lollies were delicious, complete with ice cream in the middle of it.


Once in central London, the atmosphere is wonderful and inexplicable that I felt so lucky to be there. 


And while we were walking along the Tower Bridge, it opened up to accommodate a much larger ship.



Once in the Olympic park, you can hear the screams and cheers coming from the Stadium. 


This vibrant city deserves all the accolades in the last few weeks from the opening ceremonies to the event itself and of course, to the wonderful closing ceremony which showcased brillliant British music.


And for you to feel the vibe as well, I leave you with this video.




Friday 3 August 2012

The Angels Have Landed



I have been a fan since the very first time I slathered  Victoria's Secret body lotion on my skin.  It was such a shame that it took this long for the brand to reach English shores. Before now, I would rely on my friends who live in the U.S. to send some over. I am more than glad, if not ecstatic, that it is finally here.

The Flagship store, the first ever and one and only (so far) in England is located at Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford, Central London. After our brief tour of the Olympic Park, I made sure we dropped by at the said shopping centre to get my stash of my favorite Glaced Pear. 

I love using scented body lotions rather than wearing perfume as the latter gives me a headache sometimes, being so strong to the nostrils. The nice thing about scented lotions is that the scent is so subtle, like when you just stepped out of the shower. But I'm not just talking about any scented lotions, I'm talking about Victoria's Secret scented lotion. You can never go wrong with it.

my stash

Let's Stop And Talk Awhile

The stage mommy is happy to announce that the comments section is finally working with the help of Disqus. My readers now have the option of logging in comments using their FaceBook, Twitter, Google + and Disqus accounts. 


I would love to hear from you.