IKEA living room makeover

[ Advertorial ]

NICE, our living room is much more spacious now.
Kids are keeping their toys and accessories into the colourful Trofast trays.
Everyone got their own set of colour, no more contention.

Neat and elegant, we can configure the cabinets in different orientation too.
Less messy, visually pleasing, we love how the colourful trays seem to increase our living room’s floor area.

Before and after IKEA living room makeover :p

Video : Fast forward, kids took 30 minutes to construct our Trofast

To digress a bit, we all know kids grow up fast. We have been living in Sengkang for 14 years! Our family size has grown bigger, and our decade-old furniture and accessories are showing signs of wear and tear.

When kids were growing and getting heavier, they like to jump from our sofas, chairs etc.

When we were house-tidying for Chinese Lunar New Year, we took the opportunity to replace some of the old furniture.

IKEA was decked in festive decorations, and the Chinese New Year mood is everywhere.

If shoppers are ever clueless about makeover ideas, we would recommend IKEA’s HDB rooms mockup. That was how we came across our Sofa design.

1. You can research and shortlist your ideas from the catalogue or mobile app.

2. Next collect the packaging from the racks.

3. Payment and load into car. We love the whole DIY concept at IKEA.

Kids, however have other ideas when they visit IKEA. Their FUN is not only confined to chicken wings, ice cream cones or Småland. The trolleys and luggage bags never fail to provide some sorts of entertainment for them!

Measuring tapes can be handy toys too (Daddy try to hide behind some Billy book shelves, so embarrassing haha)

But when it comes to real work, kids are very efficient with alan keys. With so many helping hands, we diy our own Trofast cabinet in under 30 minutes.

Besides Trofast, we got some additional storage with wheels.

With six family members, our laundry clothes are always piling like a hill. With the wheels, kids can now help to cart the laundry between living room, washer and bedrooms.

Before and after, we are confident our new sofa will have more seating space 🙂

The last thing on our shopping list, a three seater Kivik sofa, should last us ten years (warranty). We do not expect the kids to be jumping on the sofa anymore, three of them will be serving National Service come 2025.

Somehow, parents and kids could not agree on how the sofa will be laid out. We shall see.

Whatever it is, we are eagerly waiting for our new sofa’s arrival. Four more days 🙂

ps.. we are sponsored by IKEA to showcase a different theme each month. February is “Living room makeover” for us. You may be interested in January’s theme “Let there be Light“.

** updated 2015Mar …
Our new sofa 🙂
IKEA sofa

5 reasons to visit Madame Tussauds Singapore

[ Media Invite ]

Without MM Lee and our first generation pioneers, Singapore might be very different today, there might not be kids’ lifestyles to cherish, nor work-life balance to campaign 🙂

Thank you MM Lee, or 老Lee (affectionately).

Behind the astute politician, MM Lee and Mrs Lee’s enduring love story is also stuff of legend.

At PAP’s tea party, our kids were banging table and asking PM Lee “Why no Muffins”! Daddy was mildly embarrassed and tried to hide under the table.

Daddy gently reminded kids to be polite if they should have a chance to visit the Istana.

Boon Wee so chummy with Mr Goh Chok Tong?

We were invited to Madame Tussauds Singapore.

1) Where else can you rub shoulders with three Prime Ministers of Singapore? (without getting death-stares from bodyguards).

Visitors can also get up close with Head of states. It was humbling when Her Majesty and Obama confided that they read SengkangBabies blog too 🙂

We extended an invitation for Queen Elizabeth II to visit Sengkang during SG50.

Kids did not know how to pose with ex-Communist boss Mao Zedong, so Daddy thought “synchronised clapping” Pyongyang-style would be appropriate.

Indonesia’s founding father Soekarno, freedom champions Nelson Mandela and Gandhi.

Singapore’s first President, the late Mr Yusof Ishak, must be amused that everyone is posing with $10, $50 and $100 notes 🙂

One minute, Daddy say Beyonce is CHIO (sexy) and the next minute, Katy Perry Steady (pretty). Kids thought Daddy had gone bonkers.

Please do not think dirty, Daddy is not ogling at Marilyn’s cleavage!
Daddy claims he is impressed with the intricate attention to details.

2) At Madame Tussauds, we can admire lifelike wax models of VIPs, down to the armpit hair, dentures and aura.

Just look at handsome Tom Cruise’s square jaws and DiCaprio’s mustache.

Visitors get to go behind the scene and learn how a wax model is crafted. In the olden days, real “heads” were used for modeling (ghastly!)

At Singapore’s Madame Tussauds, you can mold your hand and perhaps leave your mark at Hollywood’s Walk of Fame (fee applies).

3) Family Fun! Any activity which bonds the family together, go for It!
Parents might need to lead by example and encourage kids to be wacky.

孫燕姿 (Yan Zi) loves our flamingo.
周董 (Jay Chou) invited us to gig for his Singapore opening performance.
Madame Tussauds ticket pricing

While Boon Kang posed with Michael Jackson, Daddy photo-bomb with a moon walk.
Hello “Like a Virgin” Madonna !

Boon Xin posing away, she was very shy when we visited Hong Kong’s Madame Tussauds in 2012.

Hello Director Jack, do you need child models for your next Ah-Boys movies?

Boy chit chatting with handsome chap.
Boon Kang : Uncle David, IPPT very easy to pass. Only need pushup, situp and run.
Beckham : What! So simple? I sure get Gold.

Meanwhile, Boon Yee plays Butterfly (float) with Ali’s Bee (sting).

Boon Xin 1.10m, Yao Min 2.29m, and Daddy 1.81m.
Dunking is chicken feet for Yao Min.

Is she playing Golf or Hockey? Clearly Boon Xin has not seen Tiger on the greens.

Congratulated Serena on her WTA win, and ask Vettel 2015 got chance or not?(Singlish)

Our kids successfully tackled Fandi and Ronaldo. SengkangBabies can really dribble!

4) Laughter is the best relaxation. As long as you are having FUN, no need to be shy about acting the fool.

Bruce Lee, Teresa and Elvis will agree with us 🙂

Kids remarked why so many stars die at such a young age, but are forever remembered?

Terminator’s “I will be back” translated as “我会回来的”. Hilarious!
Kids kept going back to hijack Arnie’s motorbike.

5) Selfie with your idol! How often do you get to selfie with Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, or Bollywood’s Khan.

Hello Nicole Kidman.

Boon Yee and Boon Kang could not agree Andy Lau or Andy Lee more handsome. Daddy say both are dashing.

Caldecott’s 阿哥 阿姐 (Wen Yong and Zoe Tay).

Phua Chu Kang is not the only famous one with moles. Sengkangbabies got raisins for moles too! Love the Boots!

After pedaling an extra-terrestrial Star back to the Moon, kids ask Daddy who is E.T!
They thought E.T is leftover prop from Halloween!

Kids had the most fun at Madame Tussauds, though not all parents would agree swimming (MBS Infinity style) is recommended.

We interviewed Tracy and Oprah, there are various props and wigs for visitors to act funky and zany. All for good clean fun and our family generated so much laughter.

Grab your props and gear. “Take 1, Camera Action!”

At the Exit, Daddy tried to grab Grandpa Moses (R.E.D) magnum. Bruce Willis still has the “Yippie-ki-yay” (cool dude) look from his Die-Hard days.

We have just listed 5 reasons for you to visit Madame Tussauds Singapore. Pop by on a weekday, so you can spend more time getting cozy with your favourite Stars.

Video : Madame Tussauds Singapore funny antics

Madame Tussauds Singapore details :

– Tickets – $26, $16, $23 (Adult, child, senior respectively)
– Click for MT Website and Fanpage
– Nearest carpark is Beach station, then take Bus 1 or 2 (shorter loop)

– Read our friends’ review (LifeTinyMiracles, Cheekiemonkies, TheWackyDuo, AiSakura)
– Our 2012 Hong Kong Madame Tussauds experience (Daddy was jealous of Leon Lai)

Click for more FUN poses on SengkangBabies Fanpage.