Grocery shopping made cheap!!!

So pre kids, this momma used to go shopping, shopping, shopping all the time!!! Oh wait, which lady doesn't love shopping? But mostly end up window shopping anyways... Lols!!! 

Still counts as shopping right???

When I was living in the States (more than 10 years ago), I used to live just 10mins away from the outlet malls!!! Yes yes yes... shopping marathon every weekend!!! I used "exercising" as an excuse to head to the outlet malls.

But now that we are back in the States, no more shopping for this momma... but wait, it's a different kind of shopping now. Grocery shopping!!!

With 3 EVER hungry, non stop eating machines, I seemed to be buying food non stop! 

So why not shop smartly n cheaply since you have to shop for food anyways? Everybody has to eat right? 

So everybody has to grocery shop!!! 

And since this momma is a stay at home mom (SAHM) ever since baby Si was born and we, living off one income, every little saving adds up!!! More savings = more shopping for this momma... ok now where's my Gucci/Prada bag??? Lols...

Now let me introduce you to this awesome shopping app...

~> Check out Ibotta to get cash back! 

Use my referral code, utndeyx, and you can earn an extra $10. 

Sign up at https://ibotta.com/r/utndeyx

Ok here's the easy peasy breakdown steps:

1) Go directly here to download the app~> https://ibotta.com/r/utndeyx

(Be sure to use the referral code:  "utndeyx" to earn your first $10)

2) Do your normal grocery shopping in your favourite local stores.

3) Keep your receipts.

4) Come home, open your Ibotta app. Look for items you bought that's available on the app. Click "unlock".

5) click "verify purchases"... "choose store"..."scan product barcode"... "take a picture of your receipt"

6) then sit back and relax, while they credit you your $$ within 24 hours (usually it only takes less than 2 mins to see it credited)...different stores varies!

(P/s: your everyday pantry items are available.... milk, banana, bread, eggs)

Do note that they refresh the items every once a week! 

Tips:

1) You can browse and unlock what items are available in your Ibotta app and plan your groceries accordingly before you head to the shop.

2) do note the timeframe given to unlock and get credit for the particular item.

3) You can still use your manufacturer/store coupons while you shop to get additional savings!!! 

By the way, this blog post is by no means sponsored or anything. Just me helping spread the word... and it's a win-win situation!!! Once you signed up the Ibotta app using my referral code "utndeyx" , you get $10 right away in your account!!! 

***Ka-ching***

And I get $5... sweet deal for the both of us!!!

This is a screenshot of my account right now... n do note I only started using this app in July 2016 but have only been actively buying groceries since moving to Charlotte, North Carolina in OCTOBER 2016!!! 

$132.25 earnings...

You can choose to cash out through PayPal (which personally is my choice) or Venmo or u can buy any gift cards from the many choices of stores...

Best part is, it's not only for groceries... it also covers hygiene items, restaurants, Groupon, brand name stores, etc!!!

Shall I screenshot Mr. Hubby's Ibotta account too? (which of course is used by me) Lols... ;)

There's many other apps that's similar to Ibotta...  money saving too! But I find myself using this app more frequent than the rest and my savings are much more. 

There's "Checkout 51", "SavingStar", "MobiSave", etc...

$45.85 of earnings!!! (Checkout 51)

click link below to get started (earn $2 for uploading your first receipt, and $1 for your next three receipts)

https://checkout51.app.link/0GFT8EEZ4Q

$29.03 of earnings!!! (SavingStar)

But if you are a newbie n it's ur first time, I suggest sticking to one app first! Once you are a pro at it, you can slowly use multiple apps at once! Cheers to MORE savings to you!!! 

Let me know how it goes...

Here's a picture of my pantry aka mini grocery store...

Hahaha... Feels sooooo aunty!!!

***Proud of my shopping haul aka stock***

My model Mr. Hubby...Lols!

And here's a picture of my hygiene items stockpile which can lasts us for a VERY VERY LONG time!!!

Sienna doing her hair advertisement...

Sienna and Skyler showing their armpits for a deodorant advertisement...LOLs!!!

But yeah, we share our stockpile with family

 n friends too and recently donated some to the less fortunate to spread some joy during this festive season! 

Let us be reminded how blessed we are and appreciate what we have that others are striving to have! So whatever little help we can do, lets DO IT!

FOR GOD HAS BLESSED US SO WE CAN BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS...

Easy, Cheap and kid friendly homemade yogurt

All of know that yogurt contains an impressive health benefits!!!
I shall not go into explaining all the benefits (Mr. Google it)

I've been making home made yogurt ever since baby Sienna was 6 months old when she started solid food and have been continuously making it up till now (4+ years) for my 2 babies (baby Si and baby Skye) + mummy + daddy!!!

I have to thank my mother-in-grace (Mr. Hubby's mom) for teaching me how to make yogurt aka Indian yogurt which the Indians have been making it for generations...

Good, yummy, nutritious yogurt:

The secret is to use a stainless steel container...keeps the warmness n temperature constant.
(But if you don't have a stainless steel container, boil milk normally in a pot and pour it into a thick glass container and wrap it with a thick hand towel to keep the heat in)

Do this at night before you go to bed...

1) boil (the amount you want) full cream/UHT fresh a.k.a in the USA as vitamin D (red cap) milk in a stainless steel container till bubbles is form almost to the top.
(Medium to low flame).
I usually set my timer and come back just in time it forms tiny bubbles then I stand by the stove to babysit it till it bubbles to almost the top... this takes practise but after a few tries, you will get it right!!!
(or else it will easily spill over and cleaning up "split milk" is no easy task!!!)...
Another "safe" inefficient way is to stand by the stove the entire time... Lols!!!

2) turn off flame n leave to "temperature that is warm enough to touch"

3) take one spoon of store bought plain yogurt (can be straight out of fridge)... Just ONE table spoon is needed... And stir it gently into the warm milk. Cover it with a plate/cover.

4) leave it overnight and voila the next morning u will get solid yogurt...real solid!!! More solid/thick than store bought yogurt!

5) keep in fridge (usually last up to 2 weeks). Once you are running low on supply, repeat same process for a new batch using ONE table spoon of your current batch of home made yogurt. Make sure you take the more "solid"/thick yogurt part. We call this the "starter" aka culture... and then start making your new batch with it!

No more buying expensive store bought yogurt!!! Your wallet n Mr. Hubby will thank you for saving lots of $$...then use that savings to go shopping... Lols!!!
P/s: Store bought yogurt is filled with high sugar content, coloring, preservatives, etc!

If your yogurt is not formed, in a pot, warmed up water (water level should be to the level of ur yogurt). Put the closed container containing the yogurt into the pot until your yougurt forms. Make sure water is not too hot or else it kills the "good" bacteria...

Ideas with using yogurt:
~Add pureed fruit, baby cereal, etc to yogurt.

For older kids:
~add kids cereal, muesli, granola, raisins, chopped fruits, honey, chia seeds, sesame seed, oatmeal, crushed graham crackers, etc

~overnight oats (just substitute milk with yogurt or do half milk- half yogurt).
Here's my simple 5 mins recipe:
Http://karmie080808.blogspot.com/2016/09/breakfast-ready-in-5-mins.html?m=1

~substitute the unhealthy mayonnaise with your healthy homemade yogurt!

~curry chicken!!! Substitute unhealthy coconut milk with your healthy homemade yogurt!

~yogurt rice aka curd rice Indian style...

~Blend it with any of your kids favorite food to make smoothies...
Sienna & Skyler top 3 favorites are mango smoothie, strawberry banana smoothie, peanut butter chocolate banana smoothie. (Be sure to freeze the cut fruits beforehand).

~You can freeze the smoothies and serve it as ice cream on hot summer days!!!
I GUARANTEE you that your kids will cleaned up their bowl in no time n asking for MORE!!!
All these are great for adults too...the whole family can enjoy nutritious yummy food..

Tip:
~ if you are travelling (or wanting a yogurt break) keep a tablespoon of yogurt in the freezer n once you are ready for a new batch defrost it overnight in fridge n it's ready as your starter!!!

~ don't panic if a layer of liquid forms on top when your yogurt is ready. It's called whey. Although it consists mainly of water, whey also contains a little bit of protein, potassium, and calcium.

~make a small batch if it's your first time. Once you are an expert, you can make a big batch using the same steps!

Enjoy!!! ;)

Let me know if you have any tips or how your yogurt making goes... 

All about the author of KarMie's blog

Since this blog has officially been 4 years now, it's time to get to know the author behind it.

15+ random things about baby Si and baby Skye's mummy a.k.a Jamie Chaw

- Am a Malaysian Chinese married to an Indian American = 2 "rojak" mixed Chin-dian American-Malaysian kids: 

Sienna Chaw Naga (2012)

Skyler Chaw Naga (2014)

- Favorite number is 3! It all started when I was in school and had always been placed 3rd ranking academically in class for many consecutive years. Thus the number 3 has stuck with me ever since. 

-my 2 older brothers and I have had 3 different Mandarin Chinese tuition teachers coz we made them ALL CRY! That's the reason why our Mandarin is "baby" entry level! but we are all fluent in Malay + English. Cantonese being average (able to understand mostly, speaking - basic, written -none)

- inherited long slim fingers from my mom (good genes) and the parents decided to send me for piano lessons to make full use of it. Did really well until grade 5? but decided to quit since I couldn't "play by ear". It wasn't worth it since my ultimate goal was to play effortlessly at church and not to play by reading notes!
As a consolation, my dad said that I could be a "hand model"... guess my face can't make it :P

- have a mole on my left arm that could be spotted from a mile away! mr. Hubby commented that I should incorporate it into a tattoo design to make it "prettier". That's one of the reason why I stay away from wearing sleeveless. But the truth is because I have "big arm syndrome" which most ladies can relate to! even after carrying 2 babies, it hasn't "toned up" enough!

- have 7 piercings! But since becoming a mom only 2 piercings have survived...

-grew up with 2 very protective older brothers which I used to hate for being overly protective but am thankful now. Any BOYS who called the house phone will be quickly shot down and rejected if answered by either of the brothers. Also I remember when I was much younger, I left my mark (poo poo-ed) in the living room and was yelled at by the oldest brother and I think it was my first and DEFINITELY the LAST time ever doing that!

-was on the netball team and track n field team all through out my school days! enjoyed every moment of it as I got to hang out with friends and have fun! But now that I'm an adult, I regret having been under the hot sun for LONG hours as it made me "dark" skinned and have always been mistaken as a Malay/Thai/ Indon/etc...but never as a Chinese Malaysian :( I was being questioned frequently especially when I was in the USA (and still am).

-was in a "Hikers outdoor club" where I met lots of wonderful happening friends, did lots of camping in the jungle and hiked the highest mountain in South East Asia, Mount Kinabalu at the age of 15! Am thankful for this opportunity as I learnt a lot of basic survival skill.

-was in the worship team (backup singer) and active in youth activities in church where we did lots of dancing, singing, drama, games, camp, etc. Lots of wonderful memories and lifelong friends were made!

-was in the dance team during my university days in USA - woke up at 5am for practice with the team! It was tough especially during winter months when I had to drag myself up and brave the cold. Got to perform during half time for the basketball and football games.

-graduated from high school and didn't know exactly what course of studies I should go into. So my dad chose Computer Science for me as it was the "IN thing" during my era if you were born in 1982... Lols... so off I went from Malaysia to a private university in Indiana, USA to pursue my bachelors degree majoring in Computer Science and minoring in both MIS and Mathematics.

-graduated uni with flying colors 4.96/5 CGPA to be exact! went to work for a small financial software company called Investigo, Fort Wayne, Indiana and then moved on to a bigger company called Cummins, Inc where I met my then bf and now mr. Hubby! We both worked in the same team and sat an aisle away... he sat across a shared printer machine thus I was his no. 1 regular printing customer!

-Cummins being a diesel engine company and working in the software side of the company, I was constantly surrounded by GUYS...geeky guys to be exact (minus Mr.hubby of coz ;) )!!! hahahaha... thus, I only managed to work as a computer engineer for a total of 4 years.

- decided I needed to quit my job, packed my bags including mr. Fiance and moved back to Malaysia as I wanted to be closer to my parents after being away for 6 years (studies+work). But instead we settled down in Singapore as Cummins had a branch in Singapore and mr. Hubby got transferred (and thankfully we did as we loved it very much). As for me, I was the wedding planner planning our garden wedding from scratch back in Malaysia.

- once married and settled down in Singapore, I decided to pursue my childhood dream. Having grown up in a flying family (dad n bro - pilots, sis in law - stewardess), I had flying blood in me. Thus I became an air stewardess and fulfilled my childhood dreams! Everyday was a HOLIDAY, it didn't feel like work AT ALL! I get to wake up in a different country, eat different cuisines and sight see different places! and shop shop shop...

Here's a video of my training with JetStar (thanks Mr. Hubby who made it):

https://youtu.be/ZXqvUiGAEy8

- been a stay at home mom (SAHM) ever since baby Si (then baby Skye) came into my life and loving every moment of it. Started this blog when baby Si was 6 mths old (to keep our family especially grandparents~who's overseas, up to date) and never looked back! 

Here's my 1st blog post:

http://karmie080808.blogspot.sg/2012/10/my-first-blog.html

Thank you readers for being #SiennaSkyler fans!!!
we've been so greatly blessed by this blog that we got to attend lots of eventful events, made blogger friends, product reviews and best of all creating wonderful memories while experiencing new things!

(P/s: enter your email address on the right side bar to be notified of new blog post or better still follow us on Instagram @jamiechaw n Facebook "Jamie Chaw")

-used to hate being photographed in pictures when I was young. "teenager" phase! It gradually got better and now and then I will be in the pictures as I made it a point to be in pictures with my kids as I don't wanna be absent in memories! But I still rather be behind the camera instead and am pretty good at it!

- if you've been following this blog, we are BIG on travelling n baby Si and baby Skye have probably been to more places than most kids (perhaps adults too)...right now, we are on our BIGGEST adventure yet!!! Conquering USA... Lols... well, we've packed our bags and moved from Singapore back to Mr. Hubby's home land for at least a few years... am blessed and glad for this opportunity especially Mr. Hubby to be able to take time off from work to spend quality time with the family!
Pray for us that God will provide us with guidance and wisdom for our next chapter in life in choosing  a city to settle down and restart our new life adventure!!!

"Proverbs 16:9A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps."

Update: 

Mr. Hubby has started working for a European company which has a strong presence here in USA...and we are glad to call Charlotte, NC our new "home"!!! 

Let me tell u I fell in love with it the first time I stepped foot into #Charlotte #NorthCarolina... there's not many big cities in the #USA that are livable, walkable, lively, clean, family friendly, etc..

It's a good transition for us coming from #Singapore...and I'm glad we found a city both Mr. Hubby and I can settle on (well in actuality, we pretty much didn't have many choices given that we wanted to be close to Karthik's family ~ 4 hrs away)

God is indeed GOOD and works in mysterious ways and in His own timing!!! 

Do leave a comment about yourself. If you have a blog post introducing yourself, leave a link and I'll love to read about YOU... ;)

(Picture taken a days before we left Singapore)

Best.Summer.Ever

Written by Mr. Hubby aka #SiennaSkyler Daddy

************************************************

Best.Summer.Ever.

The 2016 Summer was a very enjoyable one for the Nagas (Karthik's family) and the Viswanadhans (Karthik's sister's family).

The 4 little ones (#SiennaSkyler + cousins) got to bond with each other in New Jersey and West Virginia and with their parents/grandparents also, and Sienna and Skyler traveled to 5 of the United States (and Canada)!

New York: including Manhattan (Time Sq, Statue of Liberty, TODAY Show, kayaking on the Hudson), Brooklyn and Niagara Falls (including the Canada side)

New Jersey: including Newark, Jersey Shore and Jersey City

West Virginia: including Charleston (hiking at Kanawha State Forest, fun programs at grandmom's library), Summersville farm and Huntington (Camden Park)

Indiana: Columbus

North Carolina: Winston-Salem, Raleigh and Charlotte

Sienna and Skyler also got to expand their culinary experiences with lots of great restaurants and delicious home cooked food.  They also got to meet many of mommy and daddy's friends as they traveled to different cities and places.

The 4 kids had lots of learning opportunities at home, with classes in math, reading, Chinese, Tamil, spelling, drawing, gymnastics, sports, dancing, singing, swimming, cooking and MAGIC!

Perhaps most importantly it was a great time to enjoy the time together with family.  Some of these moments have been captured in the video below... 

Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more updates on SkyKarmienna's (Skyler+Karthik+Jamie+Sienna) journeys and adventures!

https://youtu.be/Vp-bcCcA6T4

Breakfast ready in 5 mins!!!

Breakfast READY in 5 mins!!! 

Prep the night before...

This version is as simple as it gets: 

6 ingredients, 5 minutes prep time, 3 simple steps...

No fancy methods and ingredients most likely already in your pantry.

             Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup Oats

1/2 Cup Milk (any kind you prefer)

1 Teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 Cup Bananas, sliced

2 Tablespoon Creamy peanut butter

1 Tablespoon honey

PREPARATION:

1) Mix everything in a container (except sliced bananas).

2) Place the sliced bananas on top.

3) Close the container and place in fridge overnight (or a few hours later) and breakfast is ready!!!

My 2 kids #SiennaSkyler finished the whole thing in less than 5 mins!!! 

Sienna even commented, "mummy, make a lot more n freeze it!!!"... 

It's so simple that mummy can make it every night!!! 

The next day, I substituted honey with Nutella n the rest was history waiting to be repeated every day!!!

So mummies (and daddies)... no more excuses saying 

"I don't know how to cook", "too busy", "no time"!!!

(P/s: you can modify n add ingredients to your liking...dried fruits, fresh fruits, raisins, Chia seeds, yogurt, wheat germ, muesli, etc... the possibilities are endless!!! 

BUT BE sure to do the allergy test for each ingredient with your baby before introducing "new" ingredients)

A healthy start of the day (n a full tummy) makes happy kids (okay, maybe just less cranky)!!!

These overnight oats kept #SiennaSkyler FULL for quite some time...

Okay, I must admit that I was late in jumping in the "overnight oats" craze as I'm not into following the media craze, but I must say "I Should have done it earlier!!!"

So wat's next? Bring it on!!!

                          

Welcome to Canada, eh? Falling in love with Niagara falls....

3-5 August 2016

It was this mommy's and the kiddos first time stepping foot on the Canadian soil. It was a breeze going through the canadian rainbow bridge (immigration) between the USA and Canada as this mommy has a USA GREEN CARD and kids and hubby being American citizens!!! and the bridge being just 300m "long" made it a quick drive. we saw people walking past us leisurely without the need to queue up.

The drive from new jersey (mr. hubby's sister place) to Niagara Falls according to google maps takes about 6 hours! but with 2 small kids and toilet/food/gas breaks, it took us about 7 hrs going ... not bad at all. But I was quite surprise it takes that long to get there. New York is definitely a huge state! Having been lived in Singapore, we've been pampered that we can get from one end to the other in less than 1 hour!

okay less complaining and more grateful as we enjoy the marvelous creation of God.
No words can express how wonderful it is except to BE THERE and experience it YOURSELF!
It's a wonder why Niagara falls isn't one of the 7 wonders of the world...I wonder why? 

Niagara falls is made up of 3 falls:
1) Horseshoe falls (Canadian side)
2) Bridal veil falls (American side)
3) American falls (American side)

After doing just a brief research, it is a wiser choice to be on the Canadian side to experience the full glory of all these 3 falls..




Here's our 3 days 2 nights itinerary:

Day 1

~Left home around 7.30am.
~Arrive at the Canadian side via the Rainbow Bridge 2.30pm.
~Drove straight to Niagara-on-the-lake. It was a scenic drive with lots of wineries along the way. It reminded me of Perth Australia. There are lots of nice looking historic cafes, pubs, restaurants and boutique shops lined the main street. Lots of people were hanging out chilling outside the cafes.
We proceeded to the lake shore where lots of people were sunbathing, having picnics, swimming, walking their dogs, etc. we were just chillaxing by the lake while people watching and admiring the immaculate expensive houses!

~Tried Ice Wine - on the way back from the lake, we stopped by at one of the wineries and tried the famous Canadian Ice Wine. We randomly chose this winery by looking at the parking lot full of cars and lots of tour buses stopped in front.It was our first time trying Ice Wine. According the the wine bartender, Ice Wine originated from Canada (this very particular town) and the popularity has spread over to Asia and Australia. Funnily, neither me nor Mr. hubby has ever heard of it... (maybe coz we're not alcohol drinkers? lols....)
Ice Wine is basically a dessert wine so do expect it to be very sweet. It was very nice tasting but to me (being a Chinese) I can't drink too much of it before being "jelak"! so we just had a glass to taste. It didn't taste like it had much alcohol, but was told it had 10% alcohol content!!!

~we bought BIG delicious peaches along the way as those were in season and being sold everywhere. I was impressed by how this city is so supportive of local produce as everywhere along the way, they had little tents selling fresh local produce and banners that says "support local". Just imagine if every city adopted this practice, we would save mother earth by reducing transportation, emission, packaging, etc!

~evening - we finally checked into our hotel and we took a power nap (kids took their naps in the car) but we, the parents, needed it after the long drive.

~Woke up and took the WeGO bus from right in front of our hotel (the bus is free as it came as a package to our adventure passes that we purchased! more on what the package includes later on). we headed to Queen Victoria Park for the nightly illumination of the falls. We enjoyed the beauty of the lights projected upon the falls that goes from 9pm to midnight. then at 10pm we enjoyed a 5-10 mins fireworks. The fireworks display isn't on every night, only on Sundays, wednesdays and fridays! I would have love to end our Canada trip with this grand finale but with our short trip, we couldnt slot it in on our last day as we were leaving on friday morning. so we treated this as an opening celebration/ welcoming party!

We ate at the famous Tim Hortons cafe. its like Paris Baguette in Korea, Toast box in Singapore...u get the point... it was basically at every corner you look. the sandwiches were nothing to shout about.. it was cold and bland tasting. I could make better sandwiches! but the donuts and coffee were delish! The English toffee coffee was superb! I had it every single day sometimes twice a day...Timbits a.k.a donut holes were recommended but we didn't think it was any different than the ones we get in Kroger USA. But the maple syrup donut was one of the best tasting donuts! comparable to the light and fluffy krispy kreme donuts but it was extra special here as maple syrup originated from Canada...so its a MUST try!

~took the WeGO bus back to the hotel and called it a day!

Day 2

~had breakfast at the local canadian diner called "Flying Saucer" and we had breakfast "angmoh" way! we ordered an order of BIG breakfast that came with 3 eggs,2 pancakes, potatoes fritters, bacon, sausages, sliced meat, toast... all these supposedly for 1 person??? the waitress were shocked that we ordered just 1 and shared by all 4 of us...we left feeling full!

~took the WeGO bus to start our "adventure pass" adventure.
The package includes:
1) Journey Behind the Falls - Explore the falls from a tunnel dug through the gorge. It was quite a scary moment standing behind the powerful falls with water gushing at full speed and getting sprayed by the mist. Felt like I was in a cold sauna!

2) Niagara’s Fury - there are 2 parts to this show. 1st was a short clip animated cartoon explaining about how Niagara falls was formed. 2nd part was a "real" life show that takes you through rivers and near the falls where you get to experience the movements and wetness. It's kind of like a preview of what is to come next on the Hornblower Niagara cruise, the REAL thing!

3) Hornblower Niagara cruise - hop on a boat for an up-close (and saturated) look at the falls. We were on the top deck of the boat to get the full experience. we were a bit drenched but no worries at all as you will dry within 5 minutes under the hot summer sun!

After the cruise, we stopped for Lunch at the food court right after... the food court was a disappointment as it was overpriced and had only 2 choices.

4) White Water Walk - After lunch, we hopped on a green-line WEGO bus (included in the Adventure Pass) headed north along the gorge. We walked south along the rim of the gorge, enjoying the excellent views of the U.S. side of the border. We spent more than an hour strolling close to the river’s rapids.

We then hopped on the WeGO bus and headed to one of the biggest Floral Clock in the world. It's free and we got a scenic bus view along the falls and river on the WEGO route. They change the floral arrangements twice a season! wowww....so much work goes into it...it must be the students from the nearby School of horticulture and botanical that does it!

5) WeGO bus 48 hrs hop on and hop off bus! Came very handy as we didn't have to walk much with 2 kids under the hot sun! Not to mention, parking is super expensive near the falls.

~ dinner time - walk down Clifton Hill (a street with lots of restaurants). we didn't find anything we like coz at this point we were craving for something non "angmoh"! we ran into "Beavers tail" and decided to have dessert instead...so yummy that even president Barrack Obama had it...so it must be good.

~ took the WeGO bus back to hotel and went back to Flying Saucer again for dinner. 

Still "ang moh" food but at least it's local "ang moh" food...Lols!

Day 3

~ checked out the hotel around 930am and headed to Tim Hortons for a last dose of my English toffee coffee and maple syrup donuts. Stopped by the grocery stores for the MUST BUY snacks to bring back.
Pic of my goodies haul!

~ headed back to the USA side.
~ we stopped by the best museum for both kids and adults and did I mentioned its FREE with FREE parking?
The Niagara Power Vista in Lewiston, New York. (only 4 miles from the US falls).
It opens 9-5 daily.
Great way to learn about the importance of Niagara falls and how the power of water is turned into electricity. The whole musuem was informative and left us electrified! It was very interactive where we get our scan cards in the beginning and had to scan it at every station to complete each activity. At the end once we completed the museum tour, we get to scan our cards to see our mission accomplishments and then print out our picture to stick onto our tags! We spent 2 hours there! could have stayed longer but it was way past lunch time and still had a long drive back home.

~drove back to new jersey - stopped by a Thai restaurant in Rochester, New York to get a dose of the much needed non ang moh food we were all craving...and YES, i was craving for something SPICY!!! you can take an Asian out of Asia but you cant take the Asia out of Asians...CHEESY!

Optional items (which we didn't have time for)

~Take WEGO to Niagara Parkway – best scenic view
~Whirlpool Aero Car. Similar to a cable car that brings you from the canadian side and across to the USA side and back (without needing a passport). You’ll have a chance to observe the dangerous and breathtaking whirlpool. - decided to skip this as we've rode on cable cars before.
~Skylon Tower to watch the sunset from the observation deck, 52 stories above the falls. - decided to skip this as we read the waiting lines were long and food so so.
~Dufferin Islands, the Floral Showhouse, and many beautiful gardens just within walking distance
~Ripley’s "believe it or not" museum, Niagara SkyWheel and other touristy attractions at Clifton Hill
~helicopter ride
~ziplining ~ mr. Hubby inquired about it as he was interested but it was full for that day!
~farmer's market on Saturdays

upcoming attractions: bungy jump!

Mummy Tips:
~buy your adventure pass tickets online as its cheaper. Children under 5 is FREE. Yayyy!
~ do note that the WeGO bus goes all the way to Niagara on the lake but we decided to drive as we wanted to stop by a winery.
~stroller friendly ~ on all the rides taken with our "Adventure pass" and the walkways along the falls!
~food choices - be prepared to have ur kids and urself overindulge in angmoh food... lots of fries, pizza and burgers! to our dissapointment, the variety of food choices were little and there werent many food establishments right near the attractions. you have to walk a distance to get to Clifton hill which has lots of restaurants but be prepared for only angmoh food..yet again! (Sienna was asking for noodles n rice the 2nd day)
~raincoats provided - for all the "wet" activities, raincoats are provided so you don't have to prepare it before hand but do note that they do have kids size raincoats but it was very long for both Sienna and Skyler so we had to improvise and tie it at the bottom to make it shorter to prevent them from tripping n falling.

What to eat in Canada:
(Canadian food overall IS American food)
Beavertail, English tofee coffee & Canadian maple syrup donut from Tim Hortons, ice wine, nanaimo bars (too coconut-y for me), maple coated bacon and basically anything and everything with maple on it.

What we wanted to eat but couldn't find:
Bannock (griddled bread), peameal bacon, Montreal smoked meat sandwich, tourtiere (meat pie), poutine (fries with cheese curd + Brown gravy), butter tarts, coffee crisp candy bar.

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