Flora Isabelle

24/07/2020

Working from home with my personal assistant 🤭 Now that we have entered Phase 2, I’m glad that work has resumed towards standards fo most of us. I’m a self-professed workaholic and prior to having a child, I was immensely worried about how I have to juggle motherhood with my career.

As it turns out, I didn’t have to worry much as Singapore is pretty family-friendly in many ways! For me, admittedly being my own boss allows me some flexibility, alongside the various family-friendly spaces and amenities in Singapore. Before this whole COVID-19 madness, I used to bring bubs to a particular family club in the afternoons where he would attend fun classes and play in their sprawling outdoor space and indoor playground while I get to work in common areas or meet clients at their cosy cafe. There’s also the option of preschool in the morning (which can be extended to full-day if necessary) and/or bub’s retired grandparents who live closeby to care for him.

I also have fellow working mom friends (from an online Moms group) whose workplaces have practices that make work-life balance possible by understanding employers and flexible work arrangements during stay home measures.

Additionally, said Moms group has actually been great support for me all these years. We had first met when our kids were infants and we were obsessed with a particular brand of baby carriers but over time, we have progressed beyond baby carriers to being each other’s pillars of support for figuring out our kids’ sleep patterns, food strikes, terrible two tantrums and to share about how much we are loving this terrific three age!

So yup, Singapore can be - with the right support be it at work, at home or at play, we moms can have it all indeed 💪🏻 I believe it will get easier when bubs gets older and more independent and less reliant on me, but for now, I’m so glad I managed to juggle my life without missing out on his milestones :)

15/05/2020

If Flora can cook, so can you 🤭

27/03/2020

The school holidays may be over but if you’re staying home more these days, here are some ideas for entertaining preschoolers!

14/12/2019

Books, toys and a constant reminder to feed my child’s greatness and be committed to the journey of unlocking his true potential. Who here wants to win NTUC FairPrice vouchers or a trip to Denmark? Here's your last chance to win! All you have to do is complete all the mission by Arla Singapore and share your pledge at https://www.woopworld.sg/l-bijnowsd 🥛

04/12/2019

If you have been following my journey with Arla Singapore, you would probably already know this is your last step to win yourself that holiday trip to Denmark (woohoo!!!). Simply complete all steps of the Mission at https://www.woopworld.sg/l-bijnowsd and share your pledge. I have also attached my pledge to ❤️

23/11/2019

Throwback to our last family holiday and I really want to win a trip to Denmark! ✈️🇩🇰
It’s been a fun and enriching journey doing the Arla Singapore challenge. Not only have I became more aware of my parenting styles, I have also tried making small changes in our family’s interaction and communication such as being less pushy and trying to listen more before I reply which has helped us to bond better!

Try it out for yourself at https://www.woopworld.sg/l-bijnowsd and you might even win a trip to Denmark!

14/11/2019

We had a great time at our family staycation at Furama RiverFront, Singapore! Read all about it: https://ilovechildren.sg/blog/2019/10/31/our-weekend-staycation-at-furama-riverfront/

08/11/2019

I recently watched an Arla Singapore video where both parent and child were made to choose items that will make the child great, and one of the missions in the challenge is to replicate the experiment.

So we went to Nate’s playroom and me being the Tiger Mom I am, picked the first book I saw. As for Nate, he decided to wheel his huge balance bike all the way to the living room, flip it around and spin the wheels 🤷🏻‍♀️ Understandably, he is only two and probably doesn’t understand the meaning of Greatness yet, but it got me thinking - that throughout his life and the associated choices he will eventually make, what I feel might be great for my kid may not resonate with what he feels, however, it is ultimately my responsibility to do my best to support him. What about you and your child?

Maybe you would like to give the experiment a try too - and at the same time stand a chance to win $100 NTUC FairPrice vouchers! Simply give this Mission a try at the Arla challenge https://www.woopworld.sg/l-bijnowsd and the top 80 most creative submissions will win. Good luck! ❤️❤️❤️

01/11/2019

Ohai! Interested in feeding nutritious organic milk to your kids while winning $11,000 worth of shopping vouchers or an amazing 5D4N trip to Denmark?! ✈️ Simply participate in the challenge by Arla Singapore at https://www.woopworld.sg/l-bijnowsd to discover your parenting style and be in the running to win these prizes 💪🏻❤️ Good luck!

24/10/2019

Remember I was sharing how my Milk Monster lovessss his Arla Organic Milk? I just watched this moving TVC video by Arla Singapore and it got me thinking again about how I want to raise my children. In particular, it got me thinking about what exactly is Greatness? Is it about experiencing the future or is it about shaping it?

I still remember how I was quite anxious around his first birthday that he wasn’t walking yet when some of his friends already were but I reminded myself to let him develop at his own pace while doing my best to help and nurture him. Fast forward to now that he’s a sprinting toddler, I still try my best daily to feed his greatness and to improve his nutrition with Arla Organic Milk!

On top of that, I also have something exciting to share! Stay tuned for a fun challenge coming up next week, with attractive prizes to be won!



https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GVxSdTmDvfQ

Arla Organic presents: ‘What is Greatness’? Is greatness about experiencing the future? Or is greatness about shaping it? At Arla, greatness needs to be shap...

18/10/2019

My family consumes a lot of milk on a daily basis and right now our current favourite is Arla Organic Milk for bubs, and Arla Organic Low Fat Milk for me!

As a mom, I try as much as possible to only feed Nate with organic produce and this includes his milk as well. Not only is milk an important source of calcium for growing children, Arla Organic milk is 100% European Organic Certified which means no antibiotics and pesticides! I personally love the naturally fresh taste and it being lactose-free, means it’s easier on my tummy as well. Affordably priced at $3.95 per pack and $7.70 per twin pack, Arla Organic is available at all leading supermarkets and Redmart. A little tip, don’t forget to shake the carton before pouring the milk out!

At Arla, they believe there are no shortcuts to Greatness, it is something that must be nurtured every day - so let’s give our children the best too so we can 😌

15/10/2019

The recent debate about the difficulty of the 2019 PSLE math examination got me thinking about grades, and the parenting style I want to adopt when it comes to .

While it will be a good number of years before he takes graded examinations, my personal philosophy is that I want to be nurture my child’s greatness to his maximum - in every possible aspect. And as an unashamed self-professed Tiger Mom, I’ve also been thinking if grades are getting in the way of greatness?

Here’s a rather interesting article on the subject which explains how there is natural greatness in every child and how the realisation of human potential depends on one’s preferences for learning. Perhaps then, it is our ultimate responsibility as parents to feed and nurture this greatness in our children.

By putting so much emphasis on our child's academic performance are we actually making it harder to realise our child's greatness?

14/08/2019

The World Health Organization recommends continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond and yes, I'm still nursing bubs 😌 I hence try my best to have a nutritious diet which includes fresh milk and my current favourite is the Magnolia Fresh Milk with Kurma Real Dates. Remember how we take red dates during confinement for health reasons and to boost our milk supply? Dates are a source of energy and iron and combined with the nourishing natural goodness of fresh milk, this is a healthy and tasty drink that can be enjoyed by the entire family too! Magnolia is a trusted, heritage brand and I particularly love the fresh and creamy taste of this milk with its natural sweetness (there is NO sugar added to this, just 100% Full Cream Fresh Milk & Real Dates) - it certainly makes a healthier alternative to my bubble tea fix haha. Yum! 🥛

01/07/2019

Dads too.

So May is all about Mother’s Day – the flowers, the chocolates, the presents and the fancy dinners. Hands up if you’re a new mom like myself and you received / were expecting flowers from your child aka sent to you by your husband.

09/06/2019

Our recent family trip Down Under!

12/05/2019

To all my favourite 😍 Joe-ann Tan Janice Novelia Cherlyn Yeo Jingxian Lim Jo Low

25/04/2019

Don't we always fight over the smallest things?

It was 9pm in the evening and I had just put the toddler to bed. I came out of the bedroom, slumped on the couch and gave a loud sigh. Before I could mutter “it’s been a long day…” considering the bubs had a sudden case of viral fever and was battling between cranky and refusing to take his ...

17/04/2019

If you love Japanese beauty products as much as I do, then you really ought to check out everythingfrom.jp!

All about Japanese fashion, skincare, makeup and even household items.

10/04/2019

Mornings at ⛅️🌴

08/04/2019

We were recently in Western Australia and spent a couple of days at the stunning Smiths Beach Resort of Small Luxury Hotels 🌤🌊 It’s by far one of the most gorgeous beach resorts I’ve been to EVER and I can’t wait to share more photos in my coming posts x

28/03/2019

I can't stop chomping on these Zelico Seasoned Small Crab Snacks from RedMart!!! These yummy snacks are a JETRO special, specially imported from Japan for the Japan Hyper Fest happening at !



A curated selection of over 100 unique products imported directly from Japan, ranging from specialty confectionery and artisanal snacks to fresh produce, are now available on RedMart until 31st March 2019. Simply head to https://bit.ly/2ulVRvP to shop these Japanese foods and snacks, and all can be delivered to your doorstep in your chosen two-hour delivery slot between 7am and 10pm, seven days a week including public holidays.



More info at JETRO Singapore's page https://www.facebook.com/jetrosingapore/

🍛🍡🍣🥫🍰🍫

25/03/2019

What do you think?

The ideal work-life balance was once drawn up to be: 8 hours for work, 8 hours for sleep and 8 hours to do your other necessary and leisure activities in a day. Whoever came up with that equation wasn’t a Mom cause even 24 hours a day isn’t enough for mothers, am I right? Haha. But jokes aside, ...

25/03/2019

You can take me out of Japan... but you can't take the Japanese (wannabe) out of me If you love travelling (Japan, Japan, Japan!) and food as much as me, you'll be happy to know that has partnered with KrisFlyer to satisfy your belly cravings as well as wanderlust. Get ready to eat your way around the world by signing up as a KrisFlyer member and subsequently order food above S$35 to enjoy 1 KrisFlyer mile for every dollar spent (eg. S$50 = 50 miles). Simply order food you love on foodpanda (like my super yummy sushi from which was conveniently delivered right to the comforts of home) and upon checkout, click on contact info and key in your KrisFlyer membership number. Your miles will then be added to your KrisFlyer account. Plus get an exclusive foodpanda luggage tag when you order the food you love from 25 degrees and Ginett! To find out more, visit https://www.foodpanda.sg/contents/krisflyer 🍣🍜🍙✈️🇯🇵

22/03/2019

I can't say enough how much I love my Japanese food and RedMart - I swear I'm not kidding when I say that I have the RedMart van arriving at my house every other day - and the perfect marriage is now happening between RedMart and JETRO Singapore!

A curated selection of over 100 unique products imported directly from Japan, ranging from specialty confectionery and artisanal snacks to fresh produce, are now available on RedMart until 31st March 2019. Simply head to https://bit.ly/2ulVRvP to shop these Japanese foods and snacks, and all can be delivered to your doorstep in your chosen two-hour delivery slot between 7am and 10pm, seven days a week including public holidays.

Not to be missed are specialty products from Shikoku such as Yoshu Konbu Seaweed Mackerel and Kitou Ehime Yuzu Miso as well as from Hokkaido where you can now get our all-time favourite Snaffles Catch cakes and Fromage cheesecake too!

More info at JETRO Singapore's page https://www.facebook.com/jetrosingapore/
🍛🍡🍣🥫🍰🍫

13/03/2019

You guys know how much I love, love, love Japan and I recently attended the Threats vs Technology: Building Resilient Nations & Businesses panel discussion hosted by the Government of Japan and learned so much! I shared more about it at https://floraisabelle.com/why-you-need-to-visit-hokkaido/ where I also wrote about Hokkaido and why you should visit this amazing prefecture for yourself! Warning: Too many pictures of good food. YUM! 🇯🇵 @ Japan

13/03/2019

Please book that plane ride now.

Did somebody say GOOD FOOD?

23/01/2019

How much are YOU willing to spend on your child?

Some of you might have known from my previous blog posts that I’ve been pre-school hunting. It’s funny how the most early (and probably insignificant) part of their education is taking such huge efforts on my part.The search has taken me months, as if I’m deciding between Oxford and Harvard.

04/01/2019

Are you a PME... Or not? 🤔

Work, work, work, work, work, work

29/12/2018

We recently went onboard the Genting Dream by Dream Cruises and boy, what fun it was!

Start your dream holiday!

19/12/2018

I just received the coolest gift wraps from Heineken Singapore and I can’t wait to use them this Christmas! Not just any wrapping paper, the Heineken Gift Wrap makes every gift - even the most boring ones - awesome because... it can be activated with Heineken beer for your friends! Join me in making every gift a great surprise - even before they open it - by using the Heineken Gift Wrap yourself! I’m giving away 25 copies of the wraps so drop me a private message if you want one! 🍻✨🎄

19/11/2018

Clearly my son enjoys taking pictures as much as his Dad 😏

23/10/2018

Super hearty chicken essence from Tian Yuan Xiang SG - 田原香 新加坡 that tastes NOTHING like what we typically buy off the shelves!

Healthy and hearty chicken essence!

17/10/2018

There should be sympathy cards for having to go back to work after vacation 😏

15/10/2018

I've been a fan of Bifesta Micellar Cleansing lotion for more than 10 years now and here's why!

The No.1 Micellar Water Brand in Japan!

12/10/2018

Sunrise or sunset? 💫