Travelling with Kids to Bali - Villa Kalimaya IV review

Right now,  it is sad that my sun-kissed tan is disappearing tragically and sipping freshly-squeezed watermelon juice in the pool is no longer part of my daily routine. Yes I've returned back to reality from my amazing week spent in this tropical island called Bali. 

This is where you find romantic beaches, magnificent rice terraces and charming towns bustling with the most sincere people. There are so many reasons why this beautiful island can capture the hearts of so many travelers across countries. 

Bringing our sunshine boys along this time (our 3 years old and 5 years old) made this trip a little different from my previous Bali party trips with my girlfriends. However, with the right choice of accommodation and kids-friendly itinerary such as visits to the animals safari, water parks, nature hiking and beach activities down the coastline , this feature-rich island can easily make a great holiday destination for the whole family to create wonderful memories together. 

If you seek a private pool , a bigger running space for the kids and to spend each day surrounded by the personalized service of butlers, housekeepers, chef , in-villa masseuse and a chauffeur , then I would highly advise you to stay in a recommended villa like Kalimaya IV; a sophisticated and secluded two storeys 3-bedrooms villa located in the heart of chic Seminyak.

From the moment we sashayed into the villa, we were already treated like royalty! 
Therefore in this blog entry, I'm going to share more about Villa Kalimaya IV and explain why it deserves to be one of your top choices for family-villa in Seminyak, Bali.

Kalimaya IV offers a contemporary interior design that combines perfectly in an idyllic Balinese setting. This two levels mansion reflects the traditional Balinese culture stylishly between the light tone furnishings and the contrasts of dark wooden beams and frames.

Set within a private lush wall garden and surrounded by lush tropical greenery, this tranquil ambiance makes you want to leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life and just totally switch you into your zen mode. 

Our villa comes with a mini hydrotherapy pool right next to the 13 meter adult pool, which makes a very good spot for my young boys to have their waterplay under our watchful eyes. 

The daybed under a pavilion adorned with Balinese traditional art on the wall, was my favorite spot for all my OOTD shots for this trip.

The far-infrared sauna was a surprise to us as we didn't expect to have our own private sauna that we can use together as a family.

Yup, and I really mean...as a family :)

All bedrooms were tastefully designed in luxurious dark earth tone to reflect the Island's laid-back lifestyle.

Mosquitos are pretty much unavoidable when staying in a villa near to the beach and surrounded by lush greenery. However the housekeepers did their utmost ability to keep them away by burning mosquito coils, fogging twice a day, providing repellent and mosquito nets for all the beds in the villa.  

With oversize soaking tubs and walk-in rain showers that bring you closer to nature, there's nothing more we can ask for ...

We have a kitchen that was fully equipped with all the appliances we need to cook a meal but of course we don't have to lift a single finger because of our private chef! Every morning, the chef prepares our daily breakfast and all would be served nicely on the dining table. So waking up by the aroma of coffee and delicious smells of eggs and bacon is certainly the best way to begin our day.

The villa provides chauffeuring service which is definitely useful and necessary for us to explore other areas of Bali with our boys. Our chauffeur never fail to reach our door step ready to pick us up even before our arranged timing. And with these two noisy young boys in the car, I've to give thumbs up to our chauffeur for his patience and tolerance to them. 
To stuck in the car for two hours with them is no joke haha!

It is so convenient that Villa Kalimaya IV is just 15 minutes walk away to Bali’s most revered lifestyle icon, Ku De Ta! Grobally renowned for its gorgeous beachfront, premium dining , laid-back beach vibe, and vibrant nightlife

My sunshine boys can easily stay out the whole day at the beach, burying their toys , having sand fights chasing after waves ,picking up seashells and just spending moments together under the beautiful sunset. 

Another nearby place to explore would be the Seminyak Village which is just 5 minutes walking distance right outside our villa. There’s nothing compare to a bit of retail therapy to treat myself for this holiday.

We were truly touched by the friendliness and genuine service from the dedicated team of staffs from Villa Kalimaya IV. They were more than accommodating to our active sunshine boys who were just as happy to have them around. The villa manager is always all ready to discuss our concerns, help with the planing of our itinerary and do what they can to ensure we have a wonderful holiday in Bali. And yes we had so much beautiful moments with our sunshine boys at Villa Kalimaya IV and these memories were be forever etched in our hearts. Thank you. 

Follow me on my IG @adebabysuns for more updates.

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Villa Kalimaya IV

Features & Amenties

• Fully equipped kitchen
• Wine fridge
• Juicer
• Formal dining area with seating for 6
• Television
• Sound System
• DVD Library
• DVD Player
• iPod docking system
• Wi-Fi
• Telephone
• Air conditioning
• Ceiling fans

Outdoor Features

• Swimming Pool
• Alfresco dining with seating for 6
• Barbeque
• Wet bar
• Sun loungers
• Parasols

Location

Points of Interest

• 2 km to Seminyak Center with Restaurants, Shops & Nightlife
• 4 minute walk to Seminyak Square

Beach Access

• 0.5 km to Petitenget Beach
• 0.5 km to Kudeta Beach Club
• 1 km to Potato Head Beach Club
• 1.4 km to Seminyak Beach

Airport

• 13.1 km to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

For booking or more infomation, please visit the below sites

http://www.villakalimaya.com/

http://www.elitehavens.com

Click link for video

https://youtu.be/SixrAyfOC-Y

My Mushroom Garden Grow Kit from Mushroom Kingdom

" Where mushrooms come from?" If one day this question is thrown to me by my kids, I guess I'll non-nonchalantly reply "ehh....in the forest...on some dead logs??.." (Isn't that what we always see in cartoons? )

But if I would to throw the same question back at them, their reply is definitely going to be, "Mommy, mushrooms come from NTUC supermarket.."

We have to admit that living in an urban country like Singapore, most of us face the same issue inherent throughout our food culture, losing the connection with whole real food. What we eat always come from the shelves in a store, in the form of packages , tins or jars. Children now lack the knowledge about food, where it comes from, how to grow and how to nurture and harvest. So it makes sense that if they have a chance to learn more about the origins of their food, it will change their perspective towards the environment as well as the ecosystem. In another words, they grow to become more appreciative and responsible to their food. And the way to do this is to first let them see how nature works, and I meant, gaining practical hands-on knowledge of growing their food. 

There was a mix of anticipation and expectation from my boys on the day we received our very first mushroom grow kit from Mushroom Kingdom .My goal for this educational project is to get them to understand the entire life cycle and to learn the growing process of mushrooms. I told them their job is to ensure they mist the mushrooms and to check for bugs. Not that it attracts bugs, but just to increase their responsibility for them to monitor and observe the mushrooms closely.

By following the simple 3 steps instructions behind, we can start to grow our own Grey Oyster mushrooms!

Step 1: Tear open one side of the kit and cut an "X" onto the grow bag

Step 2: Place the kit near a window and mist 4 times a day. Make sure that the kit is in a relatively cool place and not under the direct sunlight. Everyday, the boys have to check on their mushroom kit and ensure it gets enough water, and then nature will take its course over the next few days.

The morale of the boys went dipping low after going through the first four days which they claimed that they see nothing spectacular. It was until the 5th day then we start to see these little "pinheads" popping out from the surface!

It was such a thrill to the boys as every morning the very first thing they do is to run to check on the mushrooms and marveled at how these shrooms have doubled their sizes. They mist them, fondled them for a while and asked me for the 1000th time whether the shrooms are ready to be eaten. The irony part is, my kids are pretty picky eaters and have never been a fan of mushrooms. Still, they were so looking forward to taste the first mushrooms they grew.

And once the oyster mushrooms grew and curl out like this, it's time to be harvested!

Which is what the boys have been waiting for....to pluck them out!

Grey Oyster mushrooms have a delicate texture and a smooth velvety taste. They are also packed with loads of vitamins and minerals which made very good choice of ingredients to cook for children. I gave them a good thorough wash before throwing them into a hot pan with some minced garlic, oyster sauce and sesame oil.

A very simple dish to cook in five minutes. 

My Review Of My Mushroom Garden Grow Kit from Mushroom Kingdom

The mushrooms are of excellent quality and if you follow its concise instructions, you can get really great results. With this kit, you can achieve at least up to three more harvests by turning to the other side of the pack and repeat the whole process again. 

Growing the mushrooms yourself is really fascinating. My kids and I were totally enamored by the entire incredible process as we witnessed how these tiny mycelium gradually developed into these marvelous full-grown mushrooms. It gave us so much satisfaction each time we completed our last harvest. 

I just cant recommend My Mushroom Garden grow kit highly enough and best of all, it came with a very reasonable price tag of only $17.90.

Do visit the website of MUSHROOM KINGDOM to learn more or to get your very own kit today. 

Lash & Co Studio, an eyelash spa specialized in lashes

Ever since the day I put my lashes in the good hands of Kim, the founder of Lash &Co Studio (formerly know as Kim's Stylash) , lash extension has now become a necessity to me, ranking top on my beauty maintenance regime.

 It was just the beginning journey of my pageant days when I often turn to Kim to prepare my flutter-worthy lashes to rock the stage and interviews. Lash extentions add volume and length naturally to your lashes, from long dramatic Bambi style that is good for special occasions, to the natural neat curls for the day to day look. Kim can customise the right lash design for your eye shape,giving you that natural romantic doe-eye effect that you dream of. 

The greatest advantage of lash extension is that it gives lashes a rich and luxurious look, minimizing the amount of makeup needed to pile on your face (yeah no more dumb mascara gobs and eyeliner smudges) and you wake up every single morning with selfie-ready face and whats that not to love?

(Kim, the founder of Lash&Co Studio is also a gorgeous looking mommy who takes really beautiful portraits as well.)

Initially, Kim started off at a relatively quaint little salon at Midpoint Orchard as an "one-man-show. " In her relentless pursuit of lash perfection, she constantly strive to educate and further develop herself on new types of quality lashes, techniques and latest lash fashion. She treats her lashes craft-work as an art form to be polished and is very passionate with what she does. At that time, she believes in focusing only on lashes and be the best in it, with a strong dedication to exceed customers' expectations.  It didn't take long for Kim's reputation to grow as she found solid support and confidence in her satisfied clients to propel forward to expanding her business. It took her around one year to open a bigger and cozier outlet at Riverside Point with a strong team of experienced lash specialists, strictly trained under her.

(Lash & Co Studio's new outlet at Riverside Point.)

All the lash specialists under her wings have to go through a tedious and comprehensive eyelash extension curriculum well-planned by Kim.  

The new outlet of Lash & Co Studio is just like a little piece of heaven that is warm, cozy and inviting. You lie on the bed to take your lash nap while the lash artists work their magic on your eyes. And soon you wake up with gorgeous looking flutters, ready to hit the street.

What make this enchanting boutique really special is the dedicated and passionate team of Kim's. 

At Lash & Co Studio, the experienced lash stylists will go through the procedure with you and customise a set of lashes that suit you , according to your face shape, eye shape and the desired style that best reflect the look that you sought. Each lash is affixed meticulously just above the root of your natural lash, using high grade adhesive that is safe and non-irritating. The products from Lash & Co studio are of premium quality, imported from Korea , Taiwan and USA. Using the lash by lash technique, it gives you that light and natural look without weighing down your own lashes. Lash & Co emphasizes on beautifying your lashes , at the same time keeping your natural lashes strong and healthy. Even if you have weak lashes, they do offer treatment that helps to re-grow them. 

Their price may be slightly higher than some lash salons, but its really worth it for the premium quality of their lash work and fuss-free services since they offer lash primer, aftercare kit and removal of lashes at NO extra charges.

The common question that one always ask, are lash extensions harmful to your own lashes? 

Do take note that lash extensions if done properly by experienced lash technicians, will definitely not affect your real lashes. This is because the synthetic lash is attached on top of your real lash individually, and even if they fall out, it's due to the natural cycle of your own lash, and not due to the extension. 

I myself am a long term supporter of Lash & Co Studio and have been doing my lashes religiously with them for the past one year.

And not that I want to brag, but my lashes are still as flawless as ever :p

(The latest lash design they did for me is this 6D volume coloured lash. Love the va-voom effect!)

Do take a look at their catalog HERE for all the amazing lash designs that Lash & Co Studio did for their satisfied clients.  

PROMOTION : 

Lash & Co Studio is offering UP TO 40% discount off their lashes for the month of August 2017 ! Quote my name "ADELINE" or my blog "OurHappyLittleSuns" to enjoy the promotion which includes FREE eyemask and FREE lower lash extension too! 

I swear this is really the most awesome deal that they ever had. 

Slots are always filling up very fast so you got to call now to avoid disappointment!

LASH & CO STUDIO

Tel : HP 94565671

Riverside Point

30 Merchant Road

#02-07

(Clarke Quay Exit B or E, on top of Jumbo Seafood)

Monday to Sunday, 10am-10pm

(Late night or early morning by special request)

Follow my daily updates on my instagram: adelinelittlesuns

Letters To My Happy Suns: Dreamworks Day Run June 2017 - Reagan's First Race

Dear Reagan, you had no response, not even a single facial muscle twitch after I announced that I've signed you up for a run this June Holiday. It is the 800m Kids Dash at the Dreamworks day race. Mummy knows you have never been a sports-lover and hates the sun like me. You went like "Orh ,ok." Like how you always react when I told you that I've signed you up for another enrichment class again. Hoping to get more emotions from you, I described what you can expect to see during this Dreamworks race and how fun it would be. The only thing that get you that little gleam of excitement was when I mentioned that your best friend Ean ,is going to join you in the race as well.

On that day you were more thrilled to see your friend than the race itself. I was so damn looking forward to this day so it was quite disappointing that The DreamWorks Day Run this year was not as well-organised as I expected. Most parents were confused by the different long queues there and because parents were not allowed to join in the run, they have to wait at the pick-up point for their kids after they completed the race. And that was the problem because no one can give us a good answers where the pick-up point is and that frustrates a lot of parents there. Ean's mummy and I got a little nervous as well, mainly because it was the first time we signed you both up in a run without any adult companions and there were no one there to assure us that despite the minor "chaos", our kiddos will be"returned" to us safe and sound. We reminded you both countless of times to stick together and not to get separated during the run. It was quite amusing when you both asked what if you can't win the first place? We didn't expect to see that unseen competitive spirit inside you boys. I was secretly praying that it'll be very good enough if you can actually complete that 800m distance without giving up midway!

We watched and tried to run along with you boys amidst the crowd of enthusiastic parents. It didnt take long for you boys to head towards the finishing line, tired and panting hard, but you both looks so cute still holding hands and persist on with the running. Halfway the race, you boys got lost from our sight and so we tried to find our way back to the end of the race track, hoping to catch you both dashing through the finishing line. Although we didn't make it in time, we were lucky to have Ean's daddy recording that wonderful moment right with his handphone. Yup he happened to be standing at the finishing line waiting and cheering for the boys too.

I'm not gonna lie. While watching you putting that medal over your head, I was secretly trying to suppress that tears of pride and joy overflowing inside me . Damn it...thinking about it made my eyes watered again.

 It may means nothing to most parents since any kids can receive this medal as long as they finished the race. But, it means a great freaking deal to me. Five years ago , you were this little skinny preemie kitten gasping for every breath and fighting to survive in the ICU. It worries me so much when every of your physical milestones was delayed when you were a baby and you only started to stand on your own when you past the two years old mark.  And now today at five years old, I've just witnessed you raced half a stadium! My darling precious Reagan, you never fail to surprise me with all your amazing abilities and reminds me what an awesome boy you are. Mummy is always gonna be so proud of you, for just being you.

The Immortal Elixir by KLARITY (Review)

I got to admit that my skincare regime has severely suffered ever since I had this clue that I'm now a mom with two preschooler boys surviving the school holiday period without a helper. At the end of a tedious day, I just wanna hit the shower and dive into my bed till the next sunrise. And whoever gets into my radar would suffer the wrath of a mom's fury.

So back to the skin-talk, being close to the mid thirties is what we called the "pre-aging" stage. Your skin is getting more vulnerable and enemies like fine lines, wrinkles and spots are all dying to make that special appearance on your face. 

After this beautiful and youthful teenager-looking boss of KLARITY presented me a couple of their skincare products to try, I got a good reminder to game up on my own skincare regime now.

We are always seeking for that magic potion derives from the mythical fountain of youth. Does the elixir of skin immortality even exist? Aging is an irrevocable phenomenon. We cant put a stop to it or turn back that clock but at least we still have certain power in our hands to let it tick slower or even erase the signs of it. 

KLARITY is a home-grown brand that developed skincare products with high medical grade ingredients through cosmetic science. It is also the first Halal-certified skincare in Singapore.With so much raves from other beauty enthusiasts, I guess it is also worthwhile for me to spend some time on this review, to add on to all the gleaming testimonials you can find online.

This is KLARITY 's star product, THE IMMORTAL ELIXIR , ADSC-MAX that promises instant age reversal and youth longevity.

THE IMMORTAL ELIXIR sounds like a perfect fit for the busy lifestyle of a modern mom. With 10 benefits in the bottle, it already sounds like an amazing time-saving skin savior! The fast-cheat that all moms need!

1. Instant lifting
2. Glow
3. Anti-wrinkle
4. Firming
5. Cell rejuvenation
6. Skin Clarity
7. Anti-acne
8. Minimize pores
9. 24 hours moisture & hydrating
10. Skin renewal

I'm definitely enamored by the detailed oriented packaging and details of the premium ingredients used in THE IMMORTAL ELIXIR.

 ADSC-MAX, the Key Ingredient In THE IMMORTAL ELIXIR

The high concentration of Human Adipose Derived Stem Cells regulate the function of cells to maximize the healing power in the human body. It stimulate collagen regeneration, migrates fibroblasts, lifts skin and improve skin texture instantly. It increases protection, prevents DNA damage and boost skin penetration efficiency for other key ingredients like the perfect combination of Hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C to every dermal layer of the skin, targeting the root of all skin troubles. 

Below are some of its' main ingredients.

The thought of spritzing my face with a water filled with miraculous beneficial ingredients as my skincare regime already sounds very intriguing. And with the hefty price tag of $350 for this immortality potion, I had quite a high expectation for it to give my complexion that burst of radiance with each spritz! 

Therefore, In order to fully experience the real full miraculous effect of THE IMMORTAL ELIXIR, this was the only skincare I applied day and night for the next 7 days before I penned down this review. It is the very first thing i put on my face in the morning after cleansing and before sunblock. I mist a generous amount and let it dry naturally while I get dressed. Throughout the day, I sneak in a couple of spritz to freshen up my face and when night falls, it is the only and last thing that rests on my face before I hit the sack. 

I guess it is unnecessary for detailed instructions on how to use this. Even my 3 years old can help me with it and he is very eager to be involved in my beauty regime. And If I'm gonna be like a really cool mom all the time, flipping my hair back and bringing forward my pretty canvas for my son to mist, it might as well gonna enhance my skin and cut some years back while I'm at it. 

The Review The mist came out ultra fine at the right density and veiled perfectly over my face. It gets my skin intensely hydrated as I can feel that certain weight fixed my dry skin in place throughout the entire day. Therefore there is actually no need to reapply frequently. However sometimes when I feel a little generous that day, I try to spritz more and massage them into my face, hopefully to get the benefits all penetrated into my skin thoroughly. After that 7 days of usage, the main benefit that I truly experienced is that extra layer of moisture constantly on my skin. As for the anti-aging effect, common sense we don't age visibly within a week so its really hard for me to judge with my naked eyes. However, probably due to some slight improvement on my skin clarity and texture , it does gives me a little glow within, as though my skin is wearing a natural highlight even without makeup. Somehow I can understand how the hefty pricetag of $350 comes in as a worthwhile investment, besides factoring in all the premium ingredients. With all the benefits that THE IMMORTAL ELIXIR promises to deliver in this one bottle, just picture the money you saved from all other extra products like toners, whitening serum, eye creams, masks etc. The most awesome part is that it took me like 5 secs to get that whole skincare regime for the day and night to be completed. And for this reason, it totally gets my highest recommendation.

THE IMMORTAL ELIXIR Price: $350 / 50ML (Immortality potion of youth does comes with a price)

For more information about the product or to purchase, you can head to its website at http://www.klarityskin.com/ to find out more.