Harps is an award winning blogger who shares her remarkable journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Her readers have often coined her words “relatable” and “warming”.
We visited Santa at the Harrods Grotto last year too and I think it’s already become a bit of a family tradition to go every year! Arjun was only 6 months last year and it’s hard to believe a year has passed by already!
We decided to also book the afternoon tea this year as we’ve not tried the Harrods afternoon tea before and also Arjun would be able to enjoy it with us.
Our slot to meet Santa was booked for 12.30 and afternoon tea was at 1.30 – a little bit later than Arjun’s usual lunch time but he had a quick pouch before going in meet Santa to tie him over till lunch.
You’re required to queue up at the designated time slot to meet Santa so if you do go earlier, be prepared to have to kill time (and spend money!) whilst waiting. We ended up getting there about half an hour earlier so walked around. It was really warm and Arjun doesn’t take too kindly to the heat so got frustrated after a little while.
Thankfully, by the time we were queuing, he was in much better spirits. There are several little games for children to play – they had the same last year but we didn’t get to enjoy any of them as Arjun was too small to play.
This year they had a presents sorting game which Arjun absoltueloy loved (it was similar to basketball for him!). He didn’t want to move from this game but the staff were super friendly and patient and were more than happy to have him which was really nice.
The second was a scale for children (and parents) to stand on which indicates whether you’ve been a good girl/boy this year to report back to Santa. Arjun didn’t really know what was going on here but was happy to stand on it.
The third was another he loved – a giant walk on piano. He spent ages walking up and down making music.
If you’re after a grotto that has lots of reindeers and the traditional niceties like letter writing to Santa, this isn’t that place but the games and decor kept Arjun really entertained till it came to our turn to meet Santa. I’m not sure older kids would be as entertained.
There are two places that pictures get taken, one on a scene setter – last year’s was a sleigh, and this years were large boxes infront of a festive backdrop. I personally preferred last years. The second is with Santa.
We got in to meet Santa and were immediately impressed by the fact that Santa is now bi-lingual! He greeted us with “Satsriakal tusi teek ho” (hello and “how are you” in Punjabi) and Arjun immediately warmed to him! I was a bit apprehensive about how he’d react to Santa – he was super happy last year but this year I knew he’d be more aware and you often hear of children reacting to Santa badly. But Arjun loved him. Perhaps as he’s used to long beards from his granddaddies.
Santa asked Arjun what he’d like for Christmas, to which Arjun jumped off and walked towards the fireplace and pointed towards a little mouse figurine – lucky for Santa as the gift was a jingle box with a picture of a mouse on one side! How’s that for luck!? In addition to the jingle box, his little toy satchel included a giant chocolate coin and a badge which he refused to part with!
We then went to view our pictures – they didn’t come out great (only one of each where we’re all looking at the camera!) but we purchased two for our keepsake. It took a while for them to process due to some issue or another with the till which resulted in a very grumpy and hungry Arjun!
We then headed to The Georgian for afternoon tea. I love how spacious and open the setting is here. Everything is also super fancy although not the same extent as the afternoon tea at The Dorchester. It’s a lot more casual and the spread of food isn’t as great. However, it was all yummy. Arjun really enjoyed a plain scone and my favourite thing was the chocolate brownie – the best I’ve ever tasted!
After Harrods, we spontaneously decided to head to Winter Wonderland. We’d parked our car at the Cadogan Place NCP car park where we bagged an absolute bargin by booking in advance as it was on offer from £80 for the whole day to £10! The location of the car park is central to Hyde Park and Harrods so Winter Wonderland was a short distance away and we were all in a good mood!
Again, we’d visited here last year but we’d booked the grotto a lot later in the month and closer to Christmas which meant Winter Wonderland was absolutely rammed! This year it was a lot more enjoyable for several reasons. Firstly because it wasn’t so chaotic and you could actually enjoy walking around without bumping in to others. Secondly Arjun could enjoy it this year as he’s a lot more aware of his surroundings.
I was so excited to take him to Santa Land given he’d appreciate it more this year than last! He got to enjoy two rides (one he went on twice!), got to meet Santa again (wow twice in one day!) and he got gifted his favorite thing ever – STICKERS!
I was also impressed by the increase in vegetarian food available this year – I’m not sure if we missed it all last year due to the rush or if there is a genuine increase in presence of veggie food but I was gutted that I’d just eaten and couldn’t enjoy all the yummy stuff they had!
I was contacted by The Gro Company to review their products. I’d been considering The Gro Clock for a while now so immediately knew that was the product that would best suit us. I was a little uncertain about how the Gro Clock would work for us given Arjun is only 17 months and the clock is designed for age 2 years plus but it’s definitely had some sort of impact although I’m sure we have many more benefits to reap as he grows and understands more!
What does it say on the packet?
The idea of the Gro Clock is that “you stay in bed until you see the sun”. Mr Sun is a bright yellow smiley sun which represents wake up time, and Mr Star signifies bedtime.
The clock comes with an illustrated book which you read at bedtime before saying night night to Mr Sun before he morphs in to Mr Star. There is a super cool stars to sun countdown which is basically 12 little stars surrounding Mr Star which disappear one at a time to signify the passing of time. This will be really educational as Arjun grows and understands a little better.
How did it work for us?
When we first set up the Gro Clock, Arjun was pretty oblivious to it. I made the mistake of setting it up just before bed without introducing him to it before the mayhem of bedtime started. In hindsight, I should have introduced him to Mr Sunshine during the day so he became familiar with him before bedtime.
We were having a few co-sleeping dilemmas (again) so I thought I’d introduce the Gro Clock inline with trying to get him back in to his own room.
Day one was an absolute nightmare but Preetam and I were both prepared for it. Arjun took 0 notice of Mr Sun as he was feeling pretty frustrated as he soon realised he’d have to fall asleep in his cot. We read him the story book and he was pretty engaged by it (but kept flipping the pages back to front!). The book also features Mr Sun and Mr Star too.
When it came to saying night night to Mr Sun, I did so by waving and placed Arjun in his cot. He wasn’t happy.
Two hours, a hysterical melt down, the attempt of using the lava lamp, Ewan and the nightlight slide show later, Preetam and I both found ourselves lying on the floor with Arjun in his bedroom to get him to fall asleep. My aim was to not leave that bedroom as I didn’t want him to think enough tears could get him out. He finally fell asleep and we moved him in to his cot.
As the days progressed, things have gotten a lot better. We passed the phase of having to sleep on the floor, passed the stage of wanting to kill Mr Sun (as it was another thing to throw during bedtime filled tantrums!), passed the stage of wanting to press every single button on Mr Sun (which prompted me to set the key lock function on!), and we’re now at the stage where Arjun and Mr Sun are friends!
I introduced giving big kisses to Mr Sun and now Arjun is in the habit of kissing and waving goodnight to Mr Sun too. Sometimes Mr Sun is inundated with kisses! What Arjun doesn’t quite get is that it’s his bedtime too. Haha! He’s definitely getting better at it but we do still have some nights that are a little more challenging than others. I’m hoping as he gets older, he’ll understand more.
I feel like the introduction of The Gro Clock has made Arjun feel a lot more comforted by having “someone” in his room with him during the night. Arjun has started sleeping through the night since after a few days of us introducing Mr Sun. Another thing I’ve noticed is that Arjun no longer cries when he wakes in the mornings, he’ll happily babble away in his cot – something that’s very different to before we introduced the Gro Clock. I’m not sure if it’s sheer coincidence or if it is that he’s built some sort of trust with this new animated character. Either way I’ll take it!
He hasn’t quite grasped the wake up routine part with the Gro Clock yet but it’s definitely helped a lot at bed times. He’s been sleeping through the night and on a Monday – Wednesday is still fast asleep when it’s time for us to take him to nursery and I’m always filled with guilt when we have to wake him. The rest of the week, he’s waking anytime between 8-9am. This morning we got an extra lie in till 10am as he went to bed very late last night! You’re able to set two different wake up times with the Gro Clock which I’ve not done yet as Arjun seems to be sleeping through for now. This is something I will be setting soon though in anticipation that the sleep through nights won’t be lasting long as experience dictates!
We haven’t used the Gro Clock for nap times as Arjun generally falls asleep himself at nap times and is happy to pull down a cushion when he’s feeling tired during the day.
The Gro Clock has several features in addition to the ones mentioned above. We have never had a nightlight for Arjun, but this acts as just that and as mentioned it seems to form some sort of comfort for him. You can set the brightness to your preference – we’ve gone for the lowest so it doesn’t disturb his sleep. It also has a built in energy saving mode running on minimal electricity which is great.
You can purchase the Gro Clock from the Gro Company for £29.99.
Disclosure: this is a sponsored post either in the form of remuneration or a free product being sent to us for review however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I thought I’d share an updated holiday packing list given Arjun is no longer a baby so my previous ones may not be as applicable! Also, this was our first holiday travelling for 2 weeks and the luggage limit meant I really had to be sensible with my choices. I was a little more relaxed with his clothing packing this time (although it may not seem it! Haha!), because I’m a lot more confident based on the holidays (Dubai x 2 and the Maldives) we’ve had with Arjun.
Here’s what we packed for our 2 week holiday to Singapore and Bali!
Hand Luggage:
Baby Zen YoYo – I love this buggy, it folds up in to hand luggage size which means it doesn’t get bashed about with the check in luggage. It also means we can keep Arjun in his buggy till we reach the plane. Arjun’s quite happy to be in his buggy and used it more on this holiday than any other. Probably because he was tired from all the running around!
Skip Hop Monkey Bag (Nappy Bag)
Instead of our usual change bag, I opted for a much smaller option as I felt it would be a lot easier to carry during our travels. I’m so glad I made this decision because it really helped not having to lug a large change bag around!
In our make shift change bag, I included the following items:
5 nappies
Vaseline
Metanium (just incase!)
Nappy bags
Change mat
A change of clothes in the front pocket
Water beaker in the side slot
Trunki
We also took a Trunki as our hand luggage for Arjun. We purchased the bright green Trunkisaurus Rex version for £35.99. As mentioned in my “Singapore & Bali with a Toddler – The Flights” post, I had my doubts about the Trunki and I’ve explained those here although Arjun absolutely loved it!
In the Trunki we packed the following:
An extra change of clothes
A babygrow
A toy sack which included a chalk board, pencil case with crayons and chalk, a colouring book, building bricks, a soft football, 2 stacking cups, a toy car and a soft turtle
Arjun’s snack box – brilliant as it was used throughout the holiday.
Thin blanket – we didn’t end up using this as we were given one on the flight.
iPad – We also took the iPad but carried that in Preetam’s carry on luggage. The iPad was barely used – I’d taken it as the surprise toy hoping that Arjun would be entertained for hours, I was quickly disappointed! He wasn’t interested at all!
Check in Luggage:
Medication:
I was particularly paranoid about packing for Bali. I was so worried Arjun would get bitten by a mosquito, or that he’d fall sick and there’d be no immediate medical attention. He’d been really poorly a few days prior to our departure and had his first ambulance trip. It was really scary and we weren’t sure we were even going to still go away. But he’d perked up by the time we were due to fly out. I’d packed everything I thought I’d need just incase! But actually our hotel was brilliant and an onsite 24/7 doctor was available. Here’s what we packed anyway:
Baby talc – just incase he developed any rash around his neck from the extra heat.
Calpol – especially as he was so unwell the few days prior to us departing.
Nurofen
Piriton
Thermometer
Anbesol – he was having a bout of teething so I knew we’d need this!
Ashtons & Parsons teething granules
Mosquito repellent – I used the Boot’s own brand and was so happy with it. He didn’t get bitten once even though the rest of us faced multiple bites!
Calamine lotion – I had this left over from when Arjun had chicken pox and read that it was also good for sunburn. Thankfully we didn’t need it for Arjun but I did end up using it!
We didn’t end up actually using any of the above items apart from the last 2 however I’d still pack them just incase.
Nappy Changing:
75 nappies – we pretty much used up all of these. If we had run out, it wouldn’t have been an issue as Bali Collection was right next door to our hotel and they had ample supplies of nappies!
Nappy bags
Wipes – we took 4 packs as we also used wipes during meal times. We ended up using 3 packs. In hindsight I could have taken less and bought more from Bali Collection if I’d needed them.
Swimming and Bathtime:
Baby Swim Float – Arjun spent a lot of time pushing this around but also enjoyed sitting in it. It’s definitely a must with a baby on holiday! We also ended up purchasing arm bands for him while away. Although he wasn’t comfortable with us letting go of him, it was a step closer to water independence!
Zoggs Kids Seal Flips Swim ToyEdit – there were great as swim toys. They were new to his water toy collection and he had lots of fun throwing them and catching them. When you blow on them, they flip over. The pack comes with 5 little spaceship shaped toys and were a great buy.
Hairbrush – we never used this as his curls are too thick to brush over, a comb is what we used.
Haircomb
Baby wash – I took a head to toe wash which we use here in the UK
Face cream – we didn’t end up needing to use this but i took it just incase he suffered with any dryness due to the heat
Swim nappies – I only took one pack assuming he’d only spend half an hour to an hour in the pool each day as he has done on pervious holidays to Dubai and the Maldives. However, in Bali he was in the pool for up to 5 hours a day! We ended up using up our swim nappies on the last day and unfortunately there weren’t any available at Bali Collection. Definitely take enough of these if travelling to Bali.
Sunscreen – the highest factor I could find though he’s more tanned than any of us!
Swimwear x 3– we probably could’ve gotten away with just the 2 but we had them so took them anyway. One of the swimsuits came with a matching swim hat. The other 2 we used regular sun hats with.
Sun hat x 2 – he doesn’t often like wearing hats, so I didn’t go crazy. We used the 2 we did take, mainly in the pool.
Swim towel x 1 – we took the one but didn’t end up using it much other than to pat his face dry as it was so warm and he dried off real quick.
Mickey Mouse beach bag – this goes everywhere with us and houses our camera, poolside nappy changing bits, swim toys and poolside baby snacks
Bath towel x 1 – I normally would’ve taken at least 2 of these, but due to the restricted lugguague allowance, I could only take the 1. We ended up washing it while there.
Nail cutter – definitely a must when away for 2 weeks!
Cotton buds
Massage oil – especially essential after a day in the pool in the sun!
Toothbrush
Colgate
Feeding:
Ready made formula x 35 cartons – i couldn’t be dealing with the faff of having to boil a kettle and allowing it to cool so I took ready made cartons. I’m always uncomfortable allowing Arj to drink milk abroad, not sure why though!?
Fairy liquid – in a small travel bottle for washing his beakers
Weaning bibs x 3 – I took them but he refused to use them which is where the extra wipes came in handy.
Ella’s kitchen fruit pouches x 25 – always brilliant as a snack and when on the go. We used about 20 of them.
Beakers x 3 – for both milk and water
Cutlery – I’d taken a set but we never used it. He ended up using the restaurant spoon or fork, or his hands!
Sleeping:
Cellular blanket – we didn’t end up using this as Arj slept in our bed with us and used the duvet.
Books – I took one book and his masis bought him “That’s not my Monkey” which he read quite a bit
Travel:
SnoozeShade – we didn’t use it at all as we didn’t really use the pram during the day.
Pram FanEdit – I took this but forgot to take batteries which was a real shame! In the end we ended up purchasing another one which also had a water mister from Universal Studios to cool Arj down.
Giant muslins x 2- I took these to use as a cover up if we went for a wakl on the beach after breakfast like we used to in Dubai. We didn’t end up doing logn walks on the beach so didn’t use the muslins at all.
Insect Pram Net – we didn’t end up using this at all as the mosquito repellent on Arj’s clothes was enough. I also don’t thin he would’ve taken too well to a net over his buggy as he loves to see what’s going on around him!
Clothing:
Vests x 7 – didn’t use any of these
Rompers x 8 – we used all of these
Babygrows x 10 – we used all of these for bedtime. I decided to take babygrows as opposed to pyjamas to ensure his top didn’t ride up during the night increasing the risk of mosquito bites. I quickly learnt that Arjun hates having his feet covered though!
Shorts x 8 – we used 5 out of the 8 pairs
T shirts x 10 – we used 9 out of the 10 some of which we used to model mummy’s new kid’s fashion line! 🙂
Polo shirts x 5 – we used 2 out of the 5
Long sleeve tops x 3 – we used 2 out of the 3 for flights
Socks x 6 – we used 3 pairs for flights
Hoody x 1 – we used this for the flights
Long sleeved vests x 5 – we used 1 for the return flight back to the UK
Joggers x 2 – we used both for lounging and the filghts
Sleeveless vests x 4 – we used 1 as it was too hot to leave his shoulders exposed
Leggings x 5 – he wore these on the flights
Shoes:
Swim sandals – I got these from next and they ended up being such a great buy. I didn’t realise how much he’d be running around. The floor was super hot so this was a great way to protect his little tootsies and they dried up pretty quick.
Laundry sacks – I always take these from home although hotels do provide them. I separated all our clothes in to darks and whites so it was easy for me to get the washing done when we got home.
Cellotape – It’s a “thing” I have, cellotape always has to be at the ready! I use it for all sorts like sealing bottles shut when coming back home – the last thing I need is leaked make up all over our clean clothes!
Scissors – again, something that has to be at the ready and always comes in super handy!
For those of you that follow my blog, will know that I’m a sucker for party planning! Arjun’s first birthday party took almost 6 months to plan and every little detail had to be perfect!
So no surprises that the thought of his second birthday often creeps up, given he isn’t even 18 months yet, I do try and push it aside! There’s no harm in thinking about themes though right!?
When I was given the option to review a party pack, I jumped at the chance! Especially given I’d made the silly mistake of buying Arjun’s first birthday supplies individually instead of as a pack.
Party Bags and Supplies have a wide variety of party packs and I was really spoilt for choice, but given Arjun’s so in to dinosaurs at the moment, and it is a theme possibility, I decided to go for the Dino Blast themed party pack.
Each party pack contains 8 cups, 8 plates, 16 napkins, 1 table cover plus 8 filled party bags. Per the website, the Dino Blast themed party bag included 1 x dino glider, 1 x stretchy dinosaur, 1 x dinosaur finger puppet, 1 x finger trap & 1 x set of micro stickers. Each pack costs £28.
I really like how colourful the themed pack is, I’m a fan of lots of bright colours especially for kid’s parties. There’s lots of additional matching décor available on the site which would make it a lot easier to theme the event.
The cups and plates feel like great quality – they’re not thin and flimsy and I love the gloss finish on the plates – it gives them a really good quality feel and also enhances the colours. The napkins are two ply and are large in size.
The table cover is plastic which means its easy to wipe down. It’s a bordered style cover so the centre is white and the sides are printed. This is the type of table cover that would be perfect for the cake table. I made the mistake of using an all over printed table cover for Arjun’s 1st birthday cake table which didn’t allow for the cake to be showcased as much.
I love that the party bags are put together according to the theme. If you read my party bag post from Arjun’s birthday, you’d have seen that I spent a lot of time trapsing the internet to theme them! Having a headstart with pre filled themed party bags would have been great!
The items included as per the website are also similar to the types of things I’d look to include in a party bag such as the glider and the finger puppets and also stickers as they’re Arjun’s new favourite thing! However, there is a disclaimer on the website stating that contents may vary. What I actually received was stickers, a gunky mini egg dinosaur, a stretchy dinosaur figurine, haribos and a finger trap. Other than the stickers and the dinosaur figurine these aren’t items I’d probably choose myself.
If I was to purchase this pack, I’d definitely add to the party bags with another edible and another toy (or two) – something like these dino blow outs. I would also probably swap the plastic party bags with something different like perhaps party boxes. Although the party bags include items for 3+, a lot of the children attending Arjun’s party would be over this age anyway. They wouldn’t be as suitable for the younger children especially items like the gunky mini egg dinosaur.
I really like the pack and I think its great value for money – especially given how much I ended up spending on Arjun’s birthday! The sum of the items bought individually is greater than buying it in a pack by about £4. I’ll definitely be opting for one of these party packs for Arjun’s second party once I’ve definitely decided on a theme, they’re a lot better value for money! I used this company for Arjun’s 1st birthday but just made the mistake of buying individual items! The service I received was great and the items got delivered fast!
Party Bag & Suppliers are kindly offering all my readers a whopping 15% off all orders – use code HBBM15 at the checkout. Happy shopping! 🙂
I was sent this product for review however, all my opinions and beliefs about the product are honest and my own.
Our first stop on our dual destination holiday was Singapore. We’ve visited Thailand and Malaysia already so I was pretty excited about visiting Singapore. I’d heard lots of good things! Our holiday was made up of 2 nights in Singapore, and 8 nights in Bali.
Due to the time difference, we were pretty pooped when we got to Singapore! We left London at 11am and arrived at Singapore 8am local time so we pretty much lost a whole night. It was Arjun’s longest flight to date! I managed to get quite a bit of sleep on the plane but the others were less fortunate (it definitely wasn’t my snoring keeping them up! Haha!).
We stayed at the Sentosa Golf and Spa Resort by Sofitel. The hotel is set on beautiful grounds and there are many peacocks wandering adding an additional splash of colour. We were welcomed in our room by one on the balcony!
The rooms were clean but not overly spacious like we’re used to with a baby. We were fortunate to get interconnecting rooms with my sisters which meant Arjun had a little more freedom to run around. It also meant the passage way to our rooms could be used to store his buggy and bag. I especially liked the bathrooms which came with a big shower and bath tub.
The hotel is located on the beach but we didn’t get the chance to visit the beach. As we were only in Singapore for two nights, we didn’t get to make the most of the hotels facilities which was a shame. The pool looked gorgeous – it’s a shame we didn’t get to use it but our plan was to make the most of exploring Singapore in the few days we had there and to relax once we arrived in Bali.
Arjun had fun exploring the open corridors of the hotel!
The breakfast selection was great, they had continental, Indian, Asian to name a few and they had a great selection of fresh juices which Arjun really enjoyed. I was pretty excited to see him eating like his old-self on the first morning. However it was short lived! He was back to his shrunk appetite soon after.
I was really impressed by the hotels attention to detail where it came to Arjun. Not only did they provide a cot, baby bath and also baby cups but at breakfast they also bought out a plastic plate and cutlery for him. I’ve not seen that before so was really pleased by it.
Be wary when arranging a taxi here, the prices from the hotel are extortionate! A local blue taxi is much cheaper. Our airport transfer was $150 but a local taxi was $55.
Things to do in Sentosa:
Viva Shopping Centre: we popped by here on our first night as somewhere to visit for dinner. It’s like a regular shopping centre with lots of high street shops and local eateries.
Universal Studios: It was super easy to get to Universal Studios from our hotel. We took the complementary shuttle bus to Viva Shopping Centre and then took the Sentosa Express from there straight to Universal Studios (it’s one stop!).
Initially my mum and I weren’t going to go to Universal Studios, we were instead going to go shopping. At the last minute we had a change of heart and decided to join the rest of the family and we were so glad we did! We had such a blast! The last time I visited universal Studios was in America about 10 years ago. I’m always so impressed by the level of effort it must take to build a place like this. The detail in the figurines, rides and set ups must be immense and it really pays off given how much awe you see on those around you as they wander through different lands. You can’t deny that there is a buzz and excitement in the air and it definitely made me feel like a big kid again!
Arjun was fascinated by what was going on around him. There was a lot to absorb, the huge real life characters, the hugest dinosaurs he’s ever seen, different backdrops and scenes bursting with colour and excitement, it was a bit of sensory overload! He loved seeing the huge dinosaurs at Jurassic Park Land and his favourite thing was playing in the water fountains beneath them! I didn’t mind as it was a pretty hot day and he needed cooling off! He also loved Shrek World and playing with the toys in the Shrek shop.
He even got to meet a baby dinasaur called Diana!
As we went on a Tuesday, there were pretty much no queues for any of the rides so we got to see most things. I’m not an adrenaline junkie, infact I really dislike rollercoasters so I skipped a few of them! I did however go on the Enchanted Airways (from Shrek) ride (I kept my eyes shut the whole time!) and my favourite ride was the Transformers simulator ride which felt crazy real even though we were pretty much in the same spot! Amazing what camera tricks and a simulator can do to you!
We took Arjun on the merry-go-round and on the Madagascar ride but he clearly wasn’t impressed! He’d probably enjoy the Madagascar ride when he’s a little taller so he can properly see what’s going on around him. He wasn’t allowed to sit on our lap so his view was probably the security bar infront of him with the tip of the boat as the backdrop for most of the ride!
Arjun got lots of attention here with lots of people wanting to take a snap with him! He embraced it with lots of smiles and waves (as he does!).
We had lunch at the Diner and I was especially excited as they had a veggie burger option there. It was delicious! I’d also recommend the cheesy fries.
We had a really great family day out at Universal Studios. The park is small enough to get around in a day provided there are no queues. There are lots of places to eat and lots of food carts to keep you hydrated and fuelled!
There are also lots of eateries just outside Universal Studios – famous places like Chillis and The Hard Rock Café.
Silat Road Gurdwara: When we are abroad, we always try and locate a Gurdwara. My parents go to the Gurdwara daily here in the UK so for them, a huge chunk of their life is missing when they are away from home. We visited the Silat Road Gurdwara which was 5 minutes away from the hotel. It was really calm and tranquil. There was a really nice atmosphere as the people doing seva (free community work) were chanting simran at the same time. Arjun really enjoyed the langar but insisted on feeding himself – there was more rice on the chair than in his mouth!
Arab Street: My mum and I couldn’t resist! We decided to get in a spot of shopping before our plane took off for Bali. We’re suckers for fabric and had been told Arab Street was the place to go. It cost us $12 to get to Arab Street from the hotel which wasn’t bad given it was about a 25 minute ride. All the shops on Arab Street pretty much sell textiles and fabric. There was lots and lots of it! However it wasn’t necessarily cheaper. We both bought a sari, some loose fabric and I also purchased a new top. It was ok but I’m glad we didn’t miss out on Universal Studios for it as we were done within an hour!
All in all, we really enjoyed our short trip to Singapore. I hope to visit again! x
As you can imagine, I was slightly apprehensive about travelling on a 13 hour flight (14 hour flight on the way back!) with a fully mobile toddler. He was also going through a bout of teething which meant he wasn’t his normal perky self. I was a tiny bit tensed! This was our first holiday since he’s started walking and it would be our first time travelling with Arjun in economy. We’d decided to fly economy as my family had already booked their holiday when we decided to join them. I knew it would be more enjoyable for us to all fly together rather than be split up. Plus the extra pairs of hands would be good!
The reason we usually fly business is because Preetam’s height (6’4) makes it pretty uncomfortable to travel in economy. Also because Arjun is stuck to Preetam like glue for most of the flight, the extra space is really handy with a baby. You forego queuing and also have access to a lounge which is helpful with a baby as they often have a play area and lots of free room for them to run wild before being confined to the teeny tiny space of a cabin!
This was our first time flying with Singapore Airlines and I’d heard great things about them so was looking forward to the experience.
A few things that I was a little disappointed about prior to the flight. Arjun’s luggauge allowance was 10kg. 10kg for a 2 week holiday for a baby (who has more stuff than me!) seemed really crazy. I’d spoken to other friends with babies who’d travelled with other airlines on economy and they confirmed they’ve never had such a tiny limit for a baby. It was quite a challenge packing this time as it was our longest holiday with him and the smallest luggage allowance. Preetam ended up getting the 10kg allowance, and Arjun and I took our full 28kg ;). He doesn’t win daddy of the year for nothing!
Secondly, we’d requested a vegetarian baby meal to which I was told they couldn’t guarantee it would be vegetarian. I’ve had this issue before with other airlines and I find it super frustrating. I don’t really understand why a vegetarian meal can’t be guaranteed for a child if it can be guaranteed for an adult? Especially if they were given over a months notice!
PreFlight
We were fortunate enough to be departing the day the clocks went back which meant we got an extra hours sleep which made the 7am wake up not so bad! We’ve never done a day flight when flying out before and I had mixed feelings about it. Unfortunately picking a night flight doesn’t always mean your baby is going to sleep through (though the chances are a lot higher!) as I learnt on our second trip to Dubai. And as it was a night flight, we were all exhausted by the end of it. So the thought of going on a day flight was welcomed though I was apprehensive about how we’d entertain Arjun the whole way!
I was armed with my snack box, toys consisting of a chalkboard, a doodle pad, crayons in his new pencil case, and the iPad to name a few! He’d never used the iPad before, so I thought we’d use that as his surprise toy this time. I’d loaded it with lots of games and videos as recommended by several blogging buddies. Which kid doesn’t like an iPad right?! … :/
We got to the airport and were shortly greeted by my family. I was so super excited! We decided to do a quick spot of sunglasses shopping and sucker mummy me ended up buying him his very own Ray Bans. He loved walking around with them on all holiday so it was definitely a good buy (though he would have been equally happy donning his £2 Sainsbury’s ones too!).
This time around I’d purchased a Trunki assuming it would be super handy for carrying his stuff and also because he’s aware enough to know what’s his now. Trunki’s are really meant for children 3+. Firstly, this was pretty impractical, the shape of the Trunki made it really difficult to fit all his things in. So we ended up carrying a few bits in other bags which wasn’t ideal as the last thing you want to do on a plane is faff through several bags. Secondly it’s pretty heavy. With a 17 month old toddler, he wasn’t going to push it all the way himself. So a lot of the time we had to hold it.
On the plus side, he was absolutely obsessed with it! He didn’t want to be without it and would have a scream if anyone else tried to touch it (even to transport it!). He refused to get off it when it was time to board the plane and had a mini melt down which was probably pretty entertaining for onlookers but not so entertaining for us!
One decision I did make right was to not take our usual change bag. I took a Skip Hop ruck sack instead for his change items. It was a lot easier to carry especially for nappy changes on the plane. Although smaller, I kept things like his medicines in a separate bag. The main section of the Skip Hop fit 5 nappies, a change mat, wipes, Vaseline, and nappy bags. The front pocket for a change of clothes and his teething gel for easy access. I especially loved taking the ruck sack as it includes a side slot for a beaker which made it very easy to grab if we needed to especially when lugging around a gazillion suitcases!
We had a spot of breakfast and headed towards the gate. We managed to keep Arjun awake till we boarded the plane. The wait time was actually not bad at all given they allow for families with children to board first which is always handy for storing away luggage and settling the baby without a massive audience watching you struggle!
The Flight: London to Singapore
The aircraft felt pretty spacious and we were sat on the seats with extra leg room so I was ok. Preetam really struggled for the 13 hours as he wasn’t able to stretch his legs out, especially once the bassinet had been put in place!
Once we were settled, we gave Arjun some milk prior to take off and he fell asleep just before we took off. He also slept on landing! We’d never used a bassinet on a flight before as there’s always been enough space for him to lie flat on either mine or Preetam’s seat. The lovely airhostess asked if we wanted to give it a go. We decided we would especially as this was going to be a long journey. He slept in it fine but this was definitely his last flight in a bassinet as a) the weight allowance is 14kg, and I’m guessing by February he’ll be past that given he’s 12kg now b) he’s already too tall. We had to roll up a blanket and put it beneath his legs so that they could hand off the edge of the bassinet. Not ideal but we didn’t really have much of a choice.
In flight they had episodes of Mickey Mouse and also Baby TV which was brilliant. Arjun probably watched an episode or two of Mickey but isn’t as excited by tele as much as he used to be. Wish I’d made the most of it then and remembered that nothing lasts forever!
Arjun probably slept for about 6 hours of the total 13 and to be honest it was one of our better flights with him. He was an absolute angel. He had one mini melt down where he was a bit fed up, but thankfully Goov’s bun came to the rescue! He found her hair the most fascinating thing ever! His masis and nana ji an nani ji were brilliant at distracting him and taking him for walks up and down the cabin.
There was another mummy travelling with a baby that was a similar age to Arjun, so every so often he’d pop by there and check up on her! His daddy tried all the tricks in the book to entertain him too – most of which involved him looking like a big goof! 🙂 He loved playing with the entertainment system remote (using it as a telephone), singing nursery rhymes and stowing and unstowing the lap tray. He also loved pouring water from one cup in to another – messy but at least it kept him busy!
The iPad, I tried the iPad. I hadn’t even thought about this failing. It was a guaranteed winner right?! … Apparently not. He wasn’t the least bit interested.
The snack box came in really handy, it entertained him for a long while and gave him freedom to choose what he fancied eating without it being mushed in our bag. I had also packed away some pouches given the airline couldn’t guarantee vegetarian food. In the end they provided us with vegetarian baby jars. He also had a few bread rolls from the adult selection and helped himself to some banana chocolate chip ice cream!
One really disappointing thing about the flight was that they didn’t provide an egg free option for my parents, so they pretty much went without proper food for 8 hours! They also had no egg free snack option which was such a shame given we’d requested this a month in advance.
All in all, the flight wasn’t bad at all. I managed to get quite a bit of sleep as did Arjun. I definitely preferred a day flight as even if Arjun didn’t sleep, it wouldn’t have resulted in Preetam and I being super exhausted as it wasn’t night time. It definitely didn’t feel like 13 hours!
The Flight: Singapore to Bali
Our flight from Singapore to Bali was a late afternoon flight which worked well as it coincided with Arjun’s nap.
The make up was a lot cheaper here than in the UK – I managed to pick up my favourite Clinique eyeliner for £14 vs £20 in the UK!
There are a few food options at the airport, but we stuck to McDonalds fries and meat free cheeseburgers (with extra salad and mayo! … so basically a cheese sandwich!).
The staff at Singapore airport were all so friendly and by this point Arjun had mastered his royal wave! He was in good spirits when we first arrived at the airport but was pretty fed up by the time we got to the lounge. He was demanding to sit on his Trunki but also hold the lead which meant no one was able to pull him along to board the flight.
We figured he was pretty tired by this point – it’s quite sweet, he tells you now that he wants to go in his buggy when he’s tired by pointing to it and trying to climb in it himself.
As soon as we boarded the plane, the air hostess gave Arjun a Minnie Mouse toy which vibrates when you pull the little lead. He was entertained by that for ages! The flight was pretty empty so we’d all planned to reshuffle post take off. Arjun was fine during take off and continued to play with his new toy. The moment we were up in the sky, he fell asleep. We made him his own little bed using 3 seats and a few blankets and pillows. He slept the whole flight!
The only negative on this flight was around the food again – the cabin crew weren’t sure what the main course was which was worrying for those that may have allergies or dietary requirements.
The Flight: Bali to Singapore
There was absolute chaos at Bali airport due to several flights being delayed or cancelled due to an ash cloud. Thankfully our flight was on schedule though there are much worse places to be stuck in!
It was an 8pm flight and Arjun was pretty grizzly, it was probably the combination of tiredness, the heat and the sheer volume of people caving in on us. I was also pretty stressed and snappy which didn’t help! Maybe our holiday blues were just setting in early?!
We had quite a bit of time to kill at Bali airport as we had left early anticipating the chaos. Arjun spent his time running around while pushing a stool which he refused to part with. He even took it outside of the eating area!
This flight was pretty horrendous. It reminded me of the flight we had from London to Dubai where Arjun was awake most of the time crying. All he wanted to do on the plane was run around but he didn’t have the space or the freedom to do so. This would have been a perk of flying business – there is ample space.
Arjun spent most of the 3 hours crying and refusing to go to anyone but his dad. I really felt for Preetam but as always he remained really calm. I was dreading the connecting flight to London which was straight after this one and was our longest flight yet – 14 hours!
I didn’t manage to get any pictures of the drama!
The Flight: Singapore to London
We rushed over from the Bali flight straight on to this flight. The walk was pretty long (from one side of the airport to the other!) and I was feeling pretty anxious and frustrated with Arjun. I was so nervous about the next flight especially as it was a night flight.
This flight Arjun was an angel – he slept for about 8 of the 14 hours and was happy to be entertained by me and my family giving his daddy a little break.
Given he spent 17 hours pretty much continuously on a plane, he did remarkably well! We couldn’t have done it without the help of my parents and my sisters.
You can check out my post on Bali here.
I’d love to hear about your experiences with long haul flights!x
With Christmas fast approaching and me being the crazy organised lunatic that I am, I thought I’d share with you Arjun’s Christmas gift list!
Magnetic White Board
He’s obsessed with magnets and as our fridge is in the conservatory where he doesn’t go often, I thought this would be perfect! It’s also a white board which means he can practice mark making too. We went for a 60 x 90cm one. You can purchase this from here for £19.99.
Melissa & Doug Alphabet Magnets
I decided to get some alphabet and numbers magnets to go with his magnetic board so that they’re also educational. These ones are wooden and so therefore durable. You can purchases these from here for £6.99.
Tractor Convertible Book
I first saw these on the lovely London Mum’s blog and instantly fell in love! Such a fab concept and I know Arjun will have hours of fun! I went for the tractor one. There are lots of different designs to cater for your babies. You can purchase these from here for £13.49.
Bosch Tool Belt
To match his daddy’s. We already gifted him this for Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday which was a few days ago. He loves his tools so we thought this fit well! You can purchase this dinky little belt from here for £15.00.
Munchkin Bath Stacking Caterpillar
He loves cups and also likes to use the jug in the bath to tip water over himself so I thought this would be a great way to combine the two! Vibrant and fun colours with different patterned strainers will make bath time a whole lot more exciting! You can purchase these cups from here for £4.99.
Duplo Basic Bricks
He’s had Mega Block for a while now and though he loves them, he also likes moving his creations around and Mega Blocks don’t hold unfortunately. At nursery he loves playing with Duplo so we thought we’d let his imagination run wild at home too with his own set. You can purchase this from here for £19.97
Wooden Farm Playset
Arjun’s really in to playsets at the moment. He often plays with his cousin sisters Peppa Pig playset so we thought we’d invest in one. We went for a farm one so it would encourage him to also learn animal noises. I love wooden toys, the moulding of these toys are lovely and Arjun will appreciate the colours too. You can purchase this playset from here for £25.99.
We had such an incredible time and without a doubt this was one of my favourite holidays of all time.
I had originally planned on not using my phone much whilst out there and to be honest I didn’t. I only used it when in the hotel room. I felt so free. It wouldn’t be the same sharing my holiday with you after the event. I want to take my blogging family with me through my journey – holidays included in real time! I had planned on not blogging at all while away, but I ended up doing what I love best as I found my blogger brain was able to write a lot better while away! Blogging by the sea/pool is a lot more fun! This was the first time I actually switched off from everything at home but was able to dip in and out of it without feeling pressure or stress.
I know Bali has a lot more to offer than we were able to see given the restrictions with a baby but we loved what we did see. And the main purpose of our trip was to relax which we definitely did. We spent ten days in Bali and although initially I had thought that was quite a long time, it was actually perfect. We thoroughly got to enjoy ourselves and truly relax as we had ample time.
I even managed to get a photoshoot in with Arjun to model some of my new kid’s tee designs which you can find at Baby Brain Apparel!
Let me start off with our arrival in to beautiful Bali – it started off somewhat chaotic. I would strongly recommend arranging a taxi via your hotel prior to landing. It didn’t feel as straight forward and easy to arrange a taxi at the airport and there was also lots of room for being ripped off. We were quoted $35 for a taxi and $55 for the same thing. In hindsight, it’s something I should’ve organised beforehand. It had totally slipped my mind!
As soon as you enter Bali, it’s bursting with culture. It’s full of a colourful rainbow of flowers, stunning architecture and beautiful statues. I didn’t manage to take many pictures due to the taxi fiasco!
Once we finally managed to arrange two taxis to accommodate six (plus a minute) and all our lugguage, we arrived at the Grand Hyatt and were instantly wowed. The lobby itself is so stunning – the tall ceiling with the beautiful white pillars with pockets of beautiful fish filled ponds dotted all over and the spectacular view of the sea in the distance behind a curtain of gorgeous pink flowers was definitely a welcoming sight!
Our first impressions were “wow”. Arjun loved the space and it didn’t take him long to start charming the staff! We’d been told the likes of Barack Obama stay at the Grand Hyatt so we were hoping for good things.
The rooms were really spacious and the staff were great at accommodating our requests of having our rooms located next to each other. We had an interconnecting room with my sisters which worked out so well for so many reasons a) it meant Arjun had even more freedom to run around b) he had a daily ritual of spending his evenings after dinner with them and would walk back in to our room once he’d finished playing c) it meant they were able to jump in and help us if needed. It also meant we had lots of laughs together.
Our rooms overlooked the sea and we woke daily to the view of soft waves. It was a lovely way to start each day. The beds are big and comfy. We didn’t end up requesting a cot as Arjun slept in the bed with us.
One down side compared to other hotels is that I had informed them we were travelling with a baby and would require a baby bath but we weren’t given that and to be honest I forgot as Arjun just ended up having a bath in the main bathtub.
The bathrooms are beautiful and really spacious. I especially liked be idea of open showers as it made the room look even bigger even though it often looked like a swimming pool once I was done showering! Ha!
I was really excited for breakfast and had really high hopes! I was a little disappointed by the breakfast buffet but that may be my own fault for not managing my expectations. I had assumed it would be similar to the Maldives – fresh jams and juices. There wasn’t any of that.
The jams were from a jar and fresh juices were not included as part of the buffet. That was a real shame. I haven’t been to a breakfast buffet in years where fresh fruit juices aren’t present – especially in a place like Bali where the fruit is so delicious and readily available.
Otherwise, the staff were very accommodating to vegetarians and would ask if we wanted anything especially made. We asked for paronteh one day and sautéed mushrooms daily as well as hash browns. They were very accommodating at all restaurants to dietary requirements which was great.
The spread of breakfast wasn’t as great as I’ve seen elsewhere but it was definitely sufficient. I’d still say hands down the most amazing breakfast for spread and taste was the Park Hyatt in Goa if you ever visit Goa!
I can’t commend the staff enough, they were all so super friendly and were so attentive to Arjun too. He had a daily catch up with his waitressing buddies each morning which involved running around like a lunatic with them playing chase!
The main swimming pool (of 5!) was absolutely breath taking! It’s made like a lagoon with lots of rock and cave like features. The pool was surrounded by large bushes and trees full of colourful flowers which would fall in to the pool (Arjun would take a bucket around collecting the flowers!). Arjun absolutely loved it as did we. This pool worked best for us as it offered lots of shade which was especially important for Arjun. Though the pictures are gorgeous, they still do it no justice!
There were also two water slides which the others had a blast on! Arjun could spend hours watching his daddy, Nana Ji and masis go down the slide and would clap enthusiastically when they made it down wth a big splash. He even went on it a couple of times with daddy and seemed pretty unphased! Though Preetam did ensure he kept Arjun above water when they landed.
I was surprised with how much time Arjun spent in the pool as on previous holidays he’s only spent an hour or two max in total daily so I only packed one pack of swim nappies this time assuming he’d do the same. I was so wrong! He spent up to five hours each day in the pool and didn’t even have his daily nap! He loved it so much. Not sure if it was the pool itself, the fact that we had company or just that he now likes water. Either way I was super happy! He definitely became a lot more confident as the days progressed but he still dislikes getting his face wet (just like mama!).
He enjoyed jumping in to his daddy’s arms from the side of the pool, pushing the swim float (rather than sitting in it?!) and doing the actions to “row row row your boat” while in the pool. We took a baby float with us and also some zoggs swim toys as well as his beloved turtle which he was given from the hotel in Dubai on his first holiday. We also ended up purchasing a sand bucket and spade for him while there.
Pre warning swim nappies are almost impossible to find local to this hotel. We were unsuccessful in our atrempts!
The resident huge lizard would sometimes jump in to the pool to cool off too. I thought he was super cute but not everyone shared the same sentiments!
There was also a toddler pool here which is covered by shade. Arjun spent lot of his time in this pool. I saw his confidence grow in this pool as by the end of the trip he’d run up to the fountain where the pool was at its deepest (up to his chest) and stand against the wall. He loved playing with his bucket and spade and collecting flowers from the pool. We did lots of counting too which he always finds hilarious for reasons unbeknown to me! There were no lifeguards at any of the swimming pools here which means you need to be extra vigilant.
Arjun spent a lot of his time wanting to climb the stairs and slopes at the hotel – sometimes very wet ones! He’d have a major tantrum if you refused. I don’t know how or where Preetam finds the patience but I wish I had some of it! I was exhausted after doing it once or twice. They must have burnt a hell of a lot of calories!
Preetams patience and understanding of Arjun is so admirable. It makes my heart melt seeing their bond. At times I find myself getting frustrated and wound up by Arjun’s behaviour.. In his 16 months of life I’ve never seen Preetam lose it with him. He’ll always try and understand why Arjun is behaving how he is as opposed to looking at the behaviour (you can see my post on toddlers and tantrums here). Arjun is super blessed to have such an understanding dada.
It was so nice going on holiday with my family. Especially as the twins have been there since he was very small. It was good for them and his Nana and Nani to spend quality time with him. It was their first holiday with him. He became inseparable from all of them the first day we got there. So much so that he wouldn’t even go to his own daddy! For those of you that know us know that he’s generally stuck to his daddy like glue so it was quite a surprise! But it meant daddy got to enjoy some me time on holiday too.
We really loved our first holiday with my family as we got lots of help. It meant Preetam and I got to relax too. A holiday with a child is so different – long gone are the days where you can snooze by the pool! Now it’s all about ensuring your mobile toddler doesn’t fall in! Arjun became even closer to my family while we were out there – he had a daily ritual of going in to the twins room after dinner and spending hours there playing and entertaining them. He’d ball his eyes out when we bought him back in to our room for bed time. He’s super lucky to have them! His vocab reduced considerably out there to just “Nana”! Even daddy became “Nana” lol. He definitely dotes on his granddad!
He loved splashing around the pool with his masis, reading with them, colouring in with them, dancing with them, chasing them amongst all the other craziness they got up to together!
There’s an on site doctor at the hotel who is on call 24/7 which was very very comforting. I was really nervous about travelling to Bali as I’d read about how it wasn’t easy to obtain medical help if required. The doctor is based on the hotel premises and they also have medication on site at the doctor pharmacy. There is also a hospital a two minute car journey away. Thankfully we didn’t need to use either.
The hotel staff are all so helpful and friendly. I don’t have enough kind words to thank them. They were so attentive to Arjun too – especially the staff at breakfast. They were really helpful in accommodating our request for late check out (5pm) as we had an evening flight.
Bali isn’t the most child friendly place in terms of facilities. We didn’t visit a single place (hotel included), where there were baby change facilities available so it was always a challenge when out and about!
Kid’s aren’t complementary at this hotel which can be painful given he barely ate so a lot of food went to waste. That’s one thing I love about the hotel we stay at in Dubai – kid’s go free. Arjun didn’t eat as much as I’d hoped while we were out there which was a shame. He’s lost his appetite since having chicken pox. In Bali he lived off breakfast muffins, fresh fruit juice, chips, broccoli, watermelon, peanut butter and Cheetos! Odd combination but hey as long as he ate!
The hotel resides on a beach and we spent a few late afternoons there building sand castles. Arjun popped in to the sea a couple of times with his daddy but we did end up spending most of our time by the pool. My dad definitely made the most of the beach!
Arjun had lots of fun building ships and sharks with his masis and daddy. He loves sand so this was like heaven for him!
Another amazing thing to see in Bali is the water blow. We were lucky to have one just by our hotel. It was absolutely breathtaking and so magical! A must see!
Here are a few other things we got to see while in Bali.
Pamper Pamper!
While in Bali, we wanted to make the most of pamper sessions given it’s so cheap. Here are some of the places we visited:
Grand Hyatt Hair Salon: I can be a diva at times (incase you hadn’t noticed), and take any given opportunity to have my hair washed and blow dryed while on holiday. I have super thick long hair, and finding a power shower strong enough while away can sometimes be a struggle. Also, who doesn’t like having their hair done for them?! I was so happy that the hotel had their in house salon! Their sink chairs are super comfy, you get your hair washed pretty much lying down! The staff are so lovely and super friendly – Kristy didn’t believe I was married let alone have a baby haha. It was really relaxing every time I went and they give the most amazing head massages. The in house hair salon was by no means cheap, it cost £27 for a hair wash and blow dry but I was pleased with the result each time.
Tropic Spa: Bali Collection also includes some great spas. We visited Tropic Spa twice for a back massage and once for a manicure and pedicure. I suffer from upper back pain and have had massages all over the world on our travels and I can safely say this is the best massage I’ve ever had in my life. I was massages by two different ladies and the technique and consistency was exactly the same. The massage cost $10 for 30 minutes. Absolute bargain!
The same can’t really be said about the manicure and pedicure – my sisters and mum and I went to the spa for a pamper session on our last day and although we had lots of fun and giggles with the lovely ladies, we all agreed we’ve had a lot better. There wasn’t any consistency between our treatments.
Nom nom!:
One of my favourite things about going on holiday is the food! I was a little bit disappointed with the food in Bali. I imagined the food to be flavoursome and bursting with natural tastes. There were a fed hidden gems:
Pasar Senggol: This Indonesian restaurant is based at the Grand Hyatt. It’s a buffet style outdoor restaurant with gorgeous views at dinner time. The atmosphere is buzzing and there’s a street food style feel. There’s Balinese cultural dance and evening entertainment each day – I loved it as did Arj! He even had a bit of a boogie to the music and made it on to stage with his crazy Harv Masi!
The restaurant manager was super accommodating, as were the staff, in providing us with vegetarian food. They made us fried rice, noodles and BBQ’d corn on the cob especially. The Thai style potato curry was delicious and the selection of crackers was immense. The selection of dessert is also great – lots of ice cream, cakes, fresh fruit (I recommend the mango!) and Balinese desserts.
We ended up visiting here twice during our stay as we really enjoyed the atmosphere.
Queens of India: We were recommended this Indian restaurant by the restaurant manager at the Grand Hyatt. The restaurant was located about a 5 minute car journey from our hotel in Nusa Dua. The food was absolutely delicious!
We’d highly recommend the masala dosa and paneer 65. They were really accommodating in modifying dishes for us – they created paneer 65 instead of potato 65, and also a paneer dosa instead of a potato one! We went back a second time and it was packed full of tourists, locals and a private function which is always a good sign!
Salsa Verde: This is another Grand Hyatt restaurant. I absolutely loved the gorgeous setting of this place, it provided lots of home inspiration for our kitchen and extension!
Again, they were extremely accommodating here. Vegetarian lasagane wasn’t on the menu, but they were happy to make us one from scratch. I’d also highly recommend the mushroom tart – it was delicious!
This was the only restaurant we visited in Bali that had crayons and mats for children to play with – it entertained Arjun for a while which was great!
Out & About:
Bali Collection: The hotel is situated right next door to Bali Collection which is a shopping complex with restaurants and spas. We were so super lucky to have this at our doorstep and visited at least every other day for a stroll and to stock up on fruit and snacks. We were also able to pretty much purchase anything and everything from here from sunscreen to baby swim toys to snacks to clothes! If you are staying at the Grand Hyatt, don’t become too hung up on forgetting bits and pieces at home. If I’d known I wouldn’t have packed so many nappies and wipes. I didn’t see baby milk but they also had jarred food which i’d packed from home.
The souvenir shop is also amazing – it’s huge and full of all sorts. Arjun had a great time charming all the lovely shop assistants at Bali Collection by waving, shaking hands and even blowing them kisses and one lucky lady got a kiss on her hand!
I love how friendly and welcoming the people of Bali are. They are especially crazy about children. As soon as a shop attendant would spot Arjun, they’d all start shrieking and ran over to him. He loved it! He was like a little celebrity there. He got stopped by the locals too who wanted pictures with him.
Arj really enjoyed running around the shops and exploring. He’d play with toys there but was happy to leave them behind. We purchased his sand bucket and spade from here. In hindsight, had I known, I could’ve also purchased his baby float from here.
Ubud Street Markets: Ubud was about an hour and fifteen minute journey away from Nusa Dua. It was quite tiring but I’m glad we did it for the experience. Preetam decided to stay behind with Arjun at the hotel to spend some time with Arjun. I’m so glad he did because it would have been a very unpleasant experience taking a baby there – a) because of the heat, b) because navigating a buggy in between the tiny stalls would have been such a mission. It definitely isn’t impossible, but I don’t think I would have wanted to put him through that.
At the market you find lots of wood crafts, jewellery, fabric and clothing garments such as harem pants. Haggle! Make sure you haggle! – even when you think you’re getting a good deal, the likelihood is you’re probably still getting slightly ripped off but it’s all good!
I found the currency super confusing in Bali. £50 equated to 1,000,000 Indonesian rupiah. You’re dealing with huge numbers which can get pretty messy – especially when at the markets!
Ubud Local Workshops: On our way to the markets, we visited a few local workshops which was a really nice experience. We visited a wood art workshop where statues from the smallest to the largest are carved to such great intricacy. I was fascinated by the craftsmanship. This was definitely my favourite workshop.
We also visited a jewellery workshop and saw how jewellery was made by hand including earrings and necklaces – again a great level of concentration is required.
And finally we visited a fabric printing workshop where fabrics are decorated through different techniques including woven and wax print.
Temples: On our way to Ubud, we stopped off at Batuan Temple. I’m so glad we did. As we entered we were offered a piece of fabric to wrap around our waists as a sign of respect. It was nice to get involved in the cultural side. The temples in Bali are bursting with amazing architecture and intricacy. We really enjoyed being at the temple and exploring the premises.
We presented our traditional Balinese offerings (including flower petals). The temple felt really peaceful and calm. I felt balanced and reenergised despite the heat – the same feeling I get when I visit the Gurdwara.
We decided to skip the Monkey Forest as I’d read really scary reviews and wasn’t prepared to risk it. If we didn’t have Arjun, I may have taken the risk but the last thing I wanted was to get a monkey bite while away!
Overall we had an amazing time in Bali and Arjun really enjoyed himself! I hope to return one day! We met some lovely people – both staff and other visitors which made our stay even more amazing!
I’m super excited to be collaborating with Quorn to recreate their spaghetti bolognese recipe. The original can be found here.
My version is a lower carb one and is also alcohol free. Courgetti bolognese is a treat meal in our house and always goes down well with garlic bread on a cold winters evening and equally well during summer with a colourful garden salad! Arjun also loves it, though he does tend to pick out the Quorn over the courgetti!
Being vegetarian and being married to a gym fanatic that requires (or demands!) a certain protein intake, we love Quorn in our house! It’s low in carbs and fat and is rich in protein.
Coming in such a wide range of products, we find it really easy to get some added protein in our meals. I introduced Quorn in to Arjun’s diet at around 10 months and it has really helped me ensure he’s getting enough protein. Arjun is a super huge fan of their cocktail sausages; I love their sausages and Turkey and sage sandwich fillers; and Preetam loves their chicken style pieces and mince.
For the below recipe, I’ve used mince from the Quorn range.
Here’s my recreation of Spaghetti Bolognese:
Serves: 6
Time taken: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
1 x tin chopped tomatoes
1 x tbsp tomato puree
1 x vegetarian stock cube
A generous handful of fresh basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli
1.5 tsp tamarind
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp of hot sauce (I used Encona)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
60g cheddar Cheese
5 x cloves crushed garlic
1 x large onion
1 x celery stalk
1 x carrot
1 x red pepper
130g mushrooms
2 x courgettes
Parmesan
Method:
Add two tablespoons of olive oil in to a large pan on medium heat. Add in crushed garlic and shallow fry.
Using a food processor, blitz the onion, carrot, celery, pepper and mushrooms to a fine chopped consistency. You could alternatively dice them however I always choose the quicker method! Leave on low heat to cook.
Blitz the tinned tomatoes and heat in a separate pan. Add in the tomato purée and leave to simmer for a few minutes. Then add salt, red chilli, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, chilli sauce, soy sauce, oregano, thyme, roughly chopped basil, the cheese and the stock cube and allow to cook for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens on a low to medium heat.
Add in the Quorn mince to the first pan with the vegetables and mix well.
Once the sauce is ready, mix in to the vegetables and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat.
6. Next shred the courgette using a spiralizer or a handheld shredding device. I use the latter due to kitchen storage issues! Shallow fry for a few minutes until tender.
7. Serve with a layer of the bolognese and season with Parmesan cheese.
Voila! “Lum” (translation: yum) as Arjun would say!x
I’ve finally gotten around to reviewing the Punjabi books I was sent by the lovely Kiran.
I’m so keen on Arjun learning Punjabi from a young age. It’s a part of our heritage and I want him to be able to communicate with his great grandma and also be able to teach his children it one day (what a weird thought! – Arjun with kids!). Although he’s a little young yet, I’m always on the hunt for props and tools that’ll help me teach him as he gets older.
When I was younger I used to really dislike going to Punjabi school. I remember every Sunday my dad would have to bribe us with the prospect of langar at the end (which always worked by the way – yep always been a fatty!). He told us that one day we’d be grateful for his perseverance. He was right. It means I can communicate with my relatives when in India, with my great grandparents and the Giani (priest) at the Gurdwara, it means I can write cute Punjabi cards to my great grandparents who are always thrilled to receive something they can read, and above all, it mean I can read my paat – one of the greatest gift my father has given me was to encourage me to learn Punjabi. I take so much comfort from paat (reciting prayers) and without him I probably never would’ve had that.
Both books are full of vibrant colour and are quite fun in nature. They’re simplistic and the animations are bold and simple making it easier for children to understand.
Both books offer the English word, phonetic pronunciation and the plural pronunciation if applicable. They are more aimed at learning to speak Punjabi than to read or write.
Book 1: Have Fun with Punjabi … Introducing Mother Tongue to Children
This book (as the title says) is an introduction to the basics of Punjabi for little ones.
Counting: what I really like about this section of the book is that it actually shows you blocks coloured in to depict the number. For me, this is really important as Arjun learns to count. I recently attended a Parent Partnership meeting at Arjun’s nursery and it was so insightful – they stressed the importance of the difference between a child counting (memorising a routine) and actually understanding what the numbers mean. The book teaches you how to pronounce numbers continuously up to 30 and then in tens thereafter up to 100. The only thing I’d add to this section is the Punjabi number so children can identify and learn to read Punjabi numbers.
Colours: I love that this section is not only bright and colourful but it’s also super fun. The colours have been illustrated using splashes of paint. All the main colours have been included.
Food and vegetables: This is really good as I feel that once Arjun is talking, he’ll be able to relate by identifying the pictures of the vegetables with those vegetables in the kitchen encouraging him to say them.
What have we learnt so far: This section combines the top three sections outlined in to one. So the number of fruit or vegetables illustrated along with the colour of them. This is really unique in that it combines learnings and tests the plurals too as the child’s learnings progress.
Drinks: the drinks section includes basic drinks that we use on a daily basis like water, juice, milk and tea so are very relatable. Arjun is already familiar with “paani” (water) and “doodoo” (milk).
Days of the week: this book will probably be a good refresher for me!
This is a great first book for learning Punjabi basics and first words. I’m looking forward to using this book as Arjun begins talking more.
Book 2: Have Fun with Punjabi … Exploring Language with Children
This book begins to delve a little deeper in to Punjabi by exploring further.
Family: this is great for learning relations especially as Indian family relations can be so complicated! Did you know that there is a different name for a father’s younger brother (Chacha Ji) and older brother (Thaya Ji)?! The only thing I’ll be doing is customising my version so that the picture of the daddy, grandfathers and applicable uncles have turbans so it’s more relatable for Arjun 🙂
Body: this covers the basics of body parts including the face. I’ll probably combine the pronunciation of words with pointing to the relevant part of the body as he’s probably too young to relate the picture to his own body. Hopefully this will help me teach him the Punjabi equivalent to “head shoulders knees and toes” (sir modeh goddeh pehr”)!. Home: this section covers areas in the home for example kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. combine with first books. I often use English words to describe where things are so combining this with that will be useful in teaching Arjun areas of the home.
Animals: this section is great as his favourite thing ever are animals. I wouldn’t normally have thought to teach him animals unless we were at the zoo or farm (not that often) so this will prompt me to.
What Mummy Says to Me: this includes all the standard things a mummy would say to her baby. All of which I can relate to!
Both books are great to learn to speak Punjabi and would be brilliant combined with Punjabi spellings for when they are older to help with reading and writing first words. I’d recommend the books for a basis with Punjabi speech. Arjun’s going to have a lot of fun with them!
Although I’m aware of most words included in the book, having a physical book in front of us will help me to consciously encourage Arjun to learn Punjabi as he gets older.
You can purchase both books from here at £6.99 each.
x
Hi, I’m Harps, an award winning blogger who shares my journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Readers have often coined my musings “relatable” and “warming”. I have gone on to turn my passion of connecting people into working with brands ranging from household names through to small businesses and sharing with my engaged audience.
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