Hello! After along pause I’m back with my update on Rovaniemi!

Read my first post here.

This is a photo post as Yuria and I set on a journey with Beyond Arctic photography expedition to hunt for the best spots to capture the signature midnight sun, as you already know the sun never sets in mid summer in Rovaniemi!

Evening Nature Photography  Tour

Vikajärvi (Vika Lake)

We started the tour at 21:30, as Markus our guide picked us up from Santa’s Igloo. About 15 minutes later we arrived at our first location, Vika Lake.

This is how bright it looked at 10pm!!

Some of the photos were taken using iPhone, some with my camera and some by Markus’s professional skill haha. You can of course ask your guide to take some photo of you and your friends/family. Think of it as a personal photography tour session! 😀

The lake was so tranquil, it was extra surreal to me because I haven’t been to this part of the world with such landscape for a while. I was usually surrounded my tropical beaches or cityscape.

Gorgeous, gorgeous spot for Instagrammable photos. Except for the mosquitoes. The mosquitoes in Finnish summer were no joke. You will literally need to wear a net on your head if you are out in the wild for a long time.

Otherwise it is perfectly peaceful!

Only until close to 11PM that the sun starts to “set”, so you will get to witness beautiful evening sun at midnight.

Koivusaari

Koivusaari is located just 2KM away from the city center, but it feels like you are far far away in the wild.

A nature trail on a raised wooden path, leading you to discover Rovaniemi’s natural landscape.

This is quite a popular scene you often see on Rovaniemi’s tourism brouchures. I was quite amazed to capture this with my own camera!!

We just walked and walked and walked until past midnight. When we got back home, it was over 1am. The weird thing? Sunrise has begun. We had completely skipped the dark with dawn followed immediately after dusk. We probably caught a glimpse of twilight in all its Lappish mysteriousness.

Afternoon City Photography Tour

The next day we met Markus again who brought us to the key locations around Rovaniemi City to photograph some of its most iconic landmarks.

On the way we caught the sun’s halo! It was like a rainbow in full circle ^^

Arktikum

The Arktikum is probably the most recognized architecture in Rovaniemi. It is a museum and science center where you discover a comprehensive exhibition of the history and culture of Lapland as well as of Arctic knowledge.

It is also a great place to capture all your Insta-worthy shots.

I often see the photos of this beautiful glass building surrounded by snow, but I did not expect it to also be equally beautiful in summer!

Yuria and I were sighing at how amazing the view was.

We really almost took a nap here!

Photo by Markus. It’s also interesting to see how to process our photos differently.

Pöykkölä

In the woods within the city. How amazing is that?

That’s all for this time.

Find out more from Beyond Arctic photography tour if taking beautiful photos is your thing!

Hello! Today Junya turns 4 years and 4 months old, and Sakura turns 2 years and 5 months old.

We spent most of the month in Japan.

Matching outfit, dressed in BAPE.

Actually it wasn’t a very good month for me in terms of parenting, I’m struggling and facing a lot of dilemma with Junya without knowing what to do about it. It’s one of those time I feel that everything I learned and know about parenting is all a lie and that I was never fully ready to embrace all the responsibilities of becoming a parent. I didn’t know bringing together a family is so, so hard.

So I’ll make this one brief and hope it will be a better month for all of us next. Of course, there were bad times, but there were also lots of good time. We did have a lot of fun during our travels in Japan, so I’ll focus on that 🙂

For Junya

Read Junya’s 1st month , 2nd month , 3rd month , 4th month , 5th month , 6th month , 7th month,  8th month, 9th month , 10th month , 11th month , 12th month , 13th month , 14th month , 15th month , 16th month , 17th month , 18th months , 19th month , 20th month ,21st month , 22nd month , 23rd month , 24th month , 25th month , 26th month , 27th month , 28th month , 29th month , 30th month , 31st month , 32nd month , 33rd month , 34th month , 35th month , 36th month , 37th month , 38th month , 39th month , 40th month , 41st month , 42nd month , 43rd month , 44th month , 45th month , 46th month , 47th month , 48 months , 49th month , 50th month and 51st month here.

NORIMONO!

Let’s count how many types of vehicle we have been on last month!! Junya loves all sorts of vehicles, he’s always very diplomatic when it comes to questions about “favorites”.

“Who’s your best friend in school?”
” I like everybody.”

“What’s your favorite color?”
“I like all!”

“Do you like boat or train more?”
“I like both.”

Very boringly inoffensive ok his answers lol.

Air plane 1

We flew 5 times in total this trip. Sit aeroplane is like a piece of senbei now.

From Changi to Haneda on JAL.

Airplane 2

From Haneda to Nagasaki.

Family Bicycle (?)

I tried to look up what this is called but no answer found haha. In Japanese it’s just “bicycle” lol.

This was in Huis Ten Bosch theme park!

Helicopter

co-pilot JunJun ^^

Boat

From Nagasaki port to a nearby fishing port.

Cable Car

Up to Mt Inasa in Nagasaki.

Air plane 3

Junya’s first flight on ANA! Flying to Shonai (Yamagata) from Haneda.

Did you know? For domestic flight children under 3 can sit on your lap without having to pay for their own seat? 😀 Sakura has half a year more to fly domestically for free haha.

Bicycle

I thought it’s time Junya has his big boy two-wheel bicycle debut! This is “Henshinbike” which allows your child to ride without the pedals, once they get used to the balance and get the hang of it you can attach the pedals and they’ll be riding away!

Of course we were also on Shinkansen, densha, buses, taxis, rental cars… norimono (vehicle) is fun!

Ryokan

Lots of different ryokan experiences this month! Love all the cute little yukata ^^

Sakura looooves futon she was always the first one who hide under the fluffy blankets.

Hanabi

These were the sparklers we bought a year ago, they were still working!

Our mini hanabi show.

For Sakura

Read Sakura’s 1st month, 2nd month , 3rd month , 4th month , 5th month , 6th month , 7th month , 8th month , 9th month , 10th month , 11th month , 12th month , 13th month , 14th month , 15th month , 16th month , 17th month , 18th month , 19th month , 20th month , 21st month , 22nd month , 23rd month , 24th month , 25th month , 26th month , 27th month and 28th month here.

Sakuwa says

1. In a restaurant during dinner

Sakura: Mama I want wet wipe!
Mama: You are holding it in your hand.😒
Sakura: *paiseh chuckle* heh. I forgot.

2. During car ride.

Junya: Nyan Nyan!
Sakura: Nii nii are you cat?

3. Relaxing at home.

Sakura: *poot puttt putt putt* (farted)
Sakura: *paiseh chuckle* heh. Like hanabi (fireworks).

For Mama

It was our first time traveling without a stroller and I was surprised at how I didn’t need it at all and it made things so much easier!!! Junya doesn’t take nap (unless super super tired staying up late the previous night), and is able to walk quite a long distance without complaining (actually I get tired easier than him T_T). Sakura refuses to walk all the time so I’ll still need a carrier.

They are 4+ and 2+ now so the things I need to pack for a day time outing are also very minimal! Basically I just need an extra diaper for Sakura in case she poops, and some wet wipes. That’s all. There’s nothing else I need that I can’t find from a combini. Thirsty? Hungry? Combini. Haha.

Yay for more #travelingwithcheesiepetit!

Both Cheesiepetits happily brush their teeth now (usually after some nagging or bribing), but I had a long history (2 years haha) of getting Junya to even let me stick a toothbrush into his mouth.

Oh boy those torturous days. I remember trying so many things! Coaxing (usually won’t work because you can’t give him a candy after brushing to waste all the effort!!!), threatening (also won’t work because he would just tell me “Ok. I like bacteria. I want bacteria to come.”), showing him videos of other kids brushing teeth (not very interested), distracting (it’s useless.)… and finally forcing a brush into his mouth when he cries out loud and did hyper-fast-motion brushing lol. He ended up having more trauma about tooth-brushing.

But well those were the days. Slowly he got used to it as he grew older, and now he’d remind me that he hadn’t brush his teeth when I forget sometimes. That said the habit was not formed without effort!

Here are some of the things I found useful to get the kids into a good habit of tooth-brushing every day.

1.Do it together

Or for each other!!! It helped when I asked Junya to brush my teeth. And as he concentrated on polishing my teeth, I quickly brushed his. I guess it felt to him more like an activity we did together rather than a chore.

2. Anime

I showed this to Junya every time when he was still a baby. It’s a song about toothbrushing in Japanese, very catchy!! Usually it works a little bit (at least for like 30 seconds before he shuts his mouth again haha). Max those precious seconds out for oral hygiene!!

3.  Delicious toothpaste!!

Ahhhh I remember when I was a kid, I love Kodomo Lion so much that I tried to eat it lol. Nowadays there are many more varieties of toothpaste for children and a ton of fun flavors. We keep at least 3-4 flavors at all time for Junya and Sakura to choose from. (Sakura loves strawberry but hates melon, whereas Junya always ask for half grape and half melon. It’s a bit of an extra work but well, whatever works to get them healthy teeth!)

I realized that gel toothpastes are more popular than the usual creamy white paste especially for younger kids. Sakura doesn’t like the minty taste of toothpaste and also I guess the bubbly feel of it puts her off. So I always buy tooth gel instead that’s clear and tastes like jelly haha. She is still learning how to gargle so I get those that’s safe even swallowed.

4. Fun tooth brushes!

I think the most important thing here is the tool – toothbrushes! I tried to buy toothbrushes of the kids’ favorite characters – Shimajiro, Anpanman, etc. It worked for a bit but after a while they get bored.

Recently I switched them to ISSA mini and it worked like magic!!

So these cute brushes are kids’ electric toothbrush with soft silicone bristles!

The biggest difference that sets it apart from conventional toothbrushes are the soft silicone brush head which resists bacteria buildup, gently massages the gums and inhibits over-brushing so that it doesn’t scratch the fragile tooth enamel of little children or damage their gum tissues.

As an electric toothbrush, it is also super lightweight and easy to carry, with no bulky charging dock to transport because each one-hour charge lasts up to 200 uses!! Perfect for families like us who are constantly traveling. It is also 100% waterproof and quick-drying so you may use it in the bathroom during shower time.

Lastly, the most fun part…

ISSA mini not only does the job of cleaning your kids’ teeth, it also get them into a routine of  good tooth-brushing habit.

How??

ISSA mini features Smile Helpers: “Glee,” a happy face, comes to life after two minutes of brushing.  Which means, if your child cut short their routine and brush for less than a full two minutes, “Glee” appears alongside “Glum,” its sad face counterpart.

Yes!! Every day now Junya and Sakura is racing to get “smiley” and happily run to show me when it appears.

“See mama! I get smile!”

“Glum” will also appear if you haven’t brushed for over 12 hours, so it is really a great way for parents to keep tabs on their child’s oral hygiene habits.

Tooth-brushing has never been this fun! It also comes in adult version and even one for little babies, check out ISSA mini by FOREO for more! You may also check out Sephora outlets to shop for FOREO’s products!

(Junya took this photo for me!)

Happy brushing!

Shopping is one of the major things to do if you live in Singapore, and there are many things to make your shopping experience more enjoyable and value-added, such as membership cards, reward programs, vouchers, and more!

I love freebies and discount, but sometimes I also miss out on many good deals because… lazy to keep so many loyalty cards, too kiam to pay for membership fees on shops I’m not sure if I’ll return to, lose my vouchers somewhere or only realize after they have expired… T_T.

What if, you don’t need any of these troubles yet you get to enjoy tons of great benefits, rewards and more?

Introducing CapitaStar!!

CapitaStar is a multi-store, multi-rewards program by CapitaLand, which means that you can enjoy its benefits across all 15 CapitaLand Malls island-wide in Singapore! gives members benefits on top of any existing rewards and card programmes.

There’s no membership fee, no expiry and no hassle of carrying a physical card, AND CapitaStar gives members benefits on top of any existing rewards and credit card programmes! That’s discount after discounts! Are you excited yet? 😀

Here’s how it works!

Download the app “CapitaStar” from your app store.

And start exploring!

Psst. If you sign up using my promo code ‘CHEESIESSC’, you get a headstart with 1,000 STAR$!

Every time you shop at any CapitaLand malls, you can snap a photo of the receipts via the app and accumulate STAR$ to exchange for e-Deals.

You can browse the hottest e-deals that are happening right now, select a specific mall that you are visiting or even search by your favourite brands! I brought Cheesiepetit to Westgate and here are some of the deals that’s ongoing!

I brought Cheesiepetit to Westgate Mall and here are some of the deals that’s ongoing!

And I redeemed 4 deals on that day. Here they are:

Happy Castle

Happy Castle is a mini playground with “sand” pit/ball pit for the little ones to spend time at. The “sand” pit is filled with cassia seeds which is an essential herb in treating a variety of eye infections and helps improve sleep quality! Definitely something safe and beneficial for young kids!

The Deal: You can use 300 STAR$ to get $5 OFF (min $50 spend) or use 500 STAR$ to get $10 OFF (min $100 spend)!

Here’s how to redeem your deals! Find the deals using the filters within the CapitaStar App, and simply click on it to confirm your redemption!

To use the voucher:

1. Inform the cashier that you are using a CapitaStar deal.
2. Click on “use deal” on the app e-wallet and n you will be asked to scan a QR code on the cashier’s device to use your voucher.
3. Top up the balance (if any) with cash or credit card, that’s it!

Remember to snap a photo of your receipts to earn STAR$ on top of your credit card rewards!

Kiddy Palace

Yay for free toys!!

The DEAL: We got a $10 vouchers and I let Junya and Sakura both pick one toy!

Sakura had her eyes on Tsum Tsum Tomica.

They got one new toy each, and I did the same – show the e-deal at the cashier and redeemed it with a breeze.

Done!

YISHION

Yishion is also on the app! One of the leading fast fashion conglomerate, Yishion is recognized as one of “Asia’s most influential brands”.

The DEAL: You can use 3,000 STAR$ for $10 e-Voucher here at YISHION.

Shopping for new outfit!

My little fashion advisors.

Tim Ho Wan

The DEAL: For just 500 STAR$, you can get 1-for-1 Tim Ho Wan Hong Kong Style Egg Tarts!

Yum yum!

Both of them didn’t want to let go of the toys they just got hahaha.

First round of egg tarts are here!

That’s all for our day out today. For all 4 deals I think I saved quite a lot! Not to mention that for all that I have spent, I can also snap a photo of the receipt to accumulate more STAR$!! It’s an endless cycle haha.

Simply go to ‘scan’ to snap a photo of your receipt and add in the amount.

Here’s a video of our shopping adventure with CapitaStar!

You can also accelerate your STAR$ earnings through various mall promotions. Raffles City is giving away 10,000 STAR$ for a min spend of $200 for 3 combined same-day receipts, with at least 1 being from a fashion tenant. Do hop by their Customer Service Counter to find out more! Then… there’s more good news!!
Then… there’s more good news!!

The CapitaStar SuperStar Shopper Challenge is on!!

20 finalists will be selected and given $1,000 (woohoo!) to shop around all 15 CapitaLand Malls as you battle out in a game of strategy and wits for $10,000 (oh my oh my!!!).

On top of that, CapitaStar is also giving away prizes from Ascott, Grab, OSIM and Royal Caribbean!

And the best thing? All finalists get to keep their own purchased shopping items!

Is this not a dream come true or what? Get to shop FOR FREE WHILE WINNING MORE PRIZES!

Sign up for the challenge by following the instructions on this Facebook post!

Find more out here! 

Yes yes yes we all have a million things we wanna do when we finally visit Japan!

What’s the first thing you wanna do the moment you set foot in this amazing land of the rising sun? Hunt for the best ramen in town! Start shopping until you drop right away! Go see famous sight seeing spots! Go up Tokyo Tower or Sky Tree!

Yeap yeap we are all very excited. But… there’s just one problem.

You are stuck with your huge luggage.

Sure you can leave it at your hotel, but it will be a hassle to travel all the way just to store your luggage there especially before check-in time, and head out again. So much time wasted.

Or… you can lug it with you to a train station (imagine all the staircases up and down) and leave it in one of the lockers (if any of them is available). But… at the end of the day you still have to get back to that same station to retrieve it. That’s quite troublesome, too.

Hmm…

What if.

Somebody can take over your luggage at the airport, keep it for you while you go shopping/sight seeing right away, and then when you return to your hotel, your luggage is right there waiting for your return?

Yes. That awesome someone, is Yamato Transport.

The travel theme today is “Enjoy Hands-free Japan”, an effort from Yamato Transport together with the Japan Tourism Agency to create a stress-free and more enjoyable traveling routine for all of us Japan lovers!

What is Yamato Transport?

Well, you may not have heard of Yamato Transport, but I’m sure you have seen this!

Yes!!

TA-Q-BIN! The two black cats logo!

Also known lovingly as Kuroneko (black cat) in Japan.

(By the way, the story behind this logo is that just like how a mommy cat would carry her baby kitten carefully and full of love, Yamato Ta-Q-Bin aims to transport your parcel with utmost care.)

I have used TA-Q-BIN many many times before in Japan, and its service is simply unbelievable.

Did you know that you can schedule your parcels to be delivered at a specific date AND TIME?

“I want my parcel to reach me on Friday, in the morning or 2-4pm!” – Yes, that’s totally possible!!

Next year, year 2019, Yamato Transport will celebrate their 100th anniversary!! Yamato is Japan’s No.1 delivery service that’s safe, secure with a loooooong history. You can be assured that your parcels are in good hands.

How To Travel Hands-free?

You can look for a Yamato Transport baggage service counter throughout Japan. You can check the counter list here.

In Tokyo, they have it in Haneda Airport, Tokyo Station and Ginza.

So yes I tried it for the first time!

I landed at Narita Airport and took a direct train to Tokyo Station. If you land at Haneda airport, you can head straight to the counter!

Here’s the counter at Tokyo Station, Marunouchi North Exit, Baggage Service Counter.

Yes I’m here to enjoy hands-free travel!!

With Japan’s No.1 door to door delivery service – TA-Q-BIN!

And here’s the procedure!

1. I met their friendly, English-speaking staff, and I gave him the address that I want my luggage to be delivered to (my hotel!). He looked the hotel up online and double confirmed that it is the correct address.

2. I then fill out my details such as recipient name (myself), phone number and such.

3. Your luggage size will be measured.

4. Weight will be taken. The fees depends on both the luggage size and weight.

5. You make payment, and then you will be given a receipt.

That’s all!

And… YOU ARE FREE!!

Enjoying Tokyo

I did a little shopping in Tokyo Station (It’s huuuuuuuge and there are lots of amazing shops there!)

Tokyo Station

I really recommend this shop called Amano Freeze-Dry Station which I chanced upon by random walking around, it is located at Kitte Granche building.

They sell all sort of rapidly freeze-dried food such as miso soup and all sorts of other soup, and even nyumen noodles and rice toppings!!! All you need is hot water and you have a quick hot snack/meal in just 10 seconds. Life cannot be more convenient that this omg. It also makes perfect emergency food so I bought lots of these to stock up at home!

Imperial Palace

I then walked to the garden of Imperial Palace, the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family. It was my first time! This is Meganebashi (Eyeglasses Bridge) that resembles a pair of eyeglasses with its reflection in the water.

It’s a really serene oasis getaway from the usual Tokyo buzz.

And then… guess where I went?

Tokyo Tower

Hello!! The last time I was here was 6 years ago!!

And celebrating 60th anniversary!

Went allll the way up this time!

Forever in love.

\

Haha I never dared step on this glass panel ok. Some teenagers came by and started stomping on it omg it gave me a heart attack!!

A cute puzzle I spotted at the souvenir store. The kanji says “Tokyo”. Wait… what??

It makes Tokyo Tower!!! 😱 *mind blown*

Hoshinoya Tokyo

And then I headed to my hotel to check in at 7pm (a hotel on my bucket list!!! You can check my recent IG post for more).

And… my luggage was already waiting for me in my room!!

It was a perfect day. Landed Tokyo in the morning, enjoy a whole day of shopping and sightseeing hands-free, reached my hotel and have allll my stuff ready for me.

(Note: For same day delivery, please check with the counter for the cut off time. For Tokyo Station it was 11am so make sure you head there early!)

Other Services

Other than having your luggage delivered to your hotel upon arriving, Yamato Transport also provide other useful services such as:

1.Luggage delivery between hotels

Changing hotel and have tons of luggages? You will not have to lug them into crowded trains or buses anymore!

2. Luggage Storage and Tourist Information

If you are looking for just a temporary storage, you can leave it at the counter while receiving useful tourist tips!

3. Luggage delivery to the airport

This time, send your luggage back to the airport!! You may have shopped waaaaay too much and don’t want to drag them with you the entire trip, so you can send them in advance to the airport you will be departing from. Do note that you need at least 2 days in advance for this service.

Let’s enjoy Japan and feel like this ~

Haha.

For more information, visit:

Yamato Transport- Hands-free Travel

Hello! I brought Cheesiepetits to Bali for a 2-week-long resort holiday last month, and many people have been asking me how I pack for the kids when I travel, so here it is!

This is not a “how to” guide, but a “how I” kind of post, so feel free to take any tips you find useful or share your pro mommy tips with me! ^^

Summer holiday luggage

So! Usually I will bring one large-size luggage, one side for all my stuff, and the other side for all Cheesiepetit’s essentials.

1. Light Clothings

Summer holiday is sooo much easier because the clothings are light, and you only need one layer of clothes, but under hot weather the kids will also sweat a lot so make sure to bring extra change of outfit! I usually pick the lightest materials that are airy and cool. Of course there’s also swim wear, sun hats, swimming hats and sunglasses.

2. Clothing organizer

These clothing net organizers are perfect for travel! I got them from Muji and it comes in different sizes so you can categorize different items such as clothings, inner wears, socks, etc. I also always pack an extra organizer so fill up the worn clothes for laundry.

3. Diapers!

1-week trip

And here comes the most difficult part -diapers! If you have kids who are still wearing diapers, you are probably in a dilemma whether you should pack for the whole trip or get it from your local destination, because well, these little disaposable baby panties do take up space!!

For me, I always pack all diapers with me if it’s a 1-2 weeks trip because I can never be sure if we have time to get the diapers from local stores and more importantly, if they carry the brand I use (MamyPoko!).

So exactly how many do I pack for a one week trip?

Sakura is still on diapers, nowadays usually she only changes twice a day, which is when morning time she wakes up, and evening time after shower. So for a one week trip, I will pack 2 per day, which is 14, and I will add 3-4 extra one for emergency use haha. It is amazing how long these MamyPoko Air Fit diapers last! Sometimes a diaper lasts an entire day without any leakage at all. It’s really my best bet for traveling.

For Junya, he’s still on diapers for night sleep, so I pack 1 per day for the trip – total 7.

By the way, he’s growing bigger but no worries!! There’s XXL pants from Mamypoko that fits bigger kids up to 25KG!!

Two weeks trip

So, what if we are staying longer than 1 week? How about a 2-week trip? Can I still fit all the diapers in?

Well, I will need 50 diapers if we are traveling for 2 weeks. That sounds like an awful lots of diapers! Can I fit them all in??

Yes it is possible! I managed to fit 40 diapers just using roughly a quarter of the space, because MamyPoko Air Fit is super soft and thin while being ultra absorbant, so it is extremely space-saving!

And then I’ll place another 10 (or more!) on top of everything before zipping the net up, that way it serves like a soft bubble wrap to protect the items too (especially if you have fragile items like camera, bottled shampoo, etc).

I don’t even have to take the trouble to buy a vacuum bag to pack the diapers (of course if you are packing more than 50, you can consider using a vacuum bag!)

4. Miscellaneous 

Of course you have the rest of the travel essentials such as wet wipes, oral care, body care (baby vaseline/ baby sunblock), mosquito repellent, medicines and thermometer, etc.

I usually will put them in a pouch and stuff it inside the sun hat.

5. Your child’s best friends

They are each other’s best friends but we still have room for more, so here jumps in Stella Lou and Gelatoni.

6. Child’s Backpack

I make it a habit for Cheesiepetits to bring their own backpack onto the flight, and inside each of it contains:

1.Water bottle
2.Coloring book and color pencils
3.Jacket (airport and airplane could be cold!)
4. Change of diaper
5. Wet wipes
6. Hand sanitizer
7.Their pick of favorite toys
8. Snacks
9. Plastic bag for trash and soiled diaper

So that’s how I pack for the kids for a 1-2 week long holiday! How about you? Share with me if you have other useful tips!^^