Come and Support the ibu Bazaar 01.05.09 - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS! - WE NEED YOU! PLEASE CALL ALISON AT 20942234 TO HELP! MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK!

ibu 2009 Family Bazaar


The 2009 Family Bazaar is being held on Friday 1st May at Bangsar Village II in the event hall next door to Kizsports on the 3rd floor.

Our vendors will be selling a diverse selection of products including kids’ toys and books, baby equipment and clothes, cards, jewelery ,baby food, personalised towels for kids, bean bags and gift items, as well as various classes ranging from antenatal care and baby massage to personal fitness training.. Bargain hunters will find plenty of pre-loved items for sale including baby & childrens’ clothing, toys, baby equipment, books and designer and maternity clothes for mums.

There will be activities for children, including face painting and a lego table and in addition Kizsports have kindly offered a discount of RM7 on their usual entry fees upon presentation of a bazaar ticket. Child (and parent!) friendly refreshments will be on sale. With goody bags for the first 500 through the door and fantastic lucky draw prizes generously donated by participating vendors and many other retailers, in addition to all the vendors, kids activities and jumble bargains on offer, it is an event not to be missed!

ibu would like to extend special thanks to the event sponsors:
Bangsar Village II, Novozymes, Mead Johnson, Buds and our official online partner, Venusbuzz.

Tickets are RM10 at the door, RM5 in advance, with a share of profits from the event being donated to the Agathians Shelter (www.agathians.org)



VOLUNTEERS
The Bazaar relies on the support of many volunteers to make it a success. There are all sorts of ways in which you can help and any contribution large or small is much appreciated.

On the day itself we need volunteers for the following roles:
• set up
• staff the door and hand out goody bags
• selling tickets
• staffing ibu Jumble table
• staffing ibu table & charity table
• staffing the ibu Food & Beverage stand
• clearing up
In addition we are looking for more volunteers in April to help with preparations including
• sorting and pricing jumble
• stuffing goody bags
• selling advance tickets
• hanging flyers
• collecting goody bag and lucky draw donations

Just email apply@ibufamily.org or sms Jo on 017 346 1441


DONATIONS
If you aren’t in a position to donate your time on the day there are still plenty of other ways you can get involved and help. We are looking for the following donations

• Baked goods for our F&B stand (to be dropped off at the ibu house by 30th April 12.00pm
• Pre-loved items for our ibu jumble table (please contact Alison on 03-2094 2234

We are also still looking for donations for goody bags (eg discount vouchers for products or services) and lucky draw prizes so if you know anyone who may be willing to donate then please contact Melissa Lozano at pr@ibufamily.org or sms on 012 260 5757

Easter Playgroup 2009 04.04.09

SPECIAL THEMED PLAYGROUP – EASTER 2009

Another beautiful sunny day in KL for yet another fun Special Themed Playgroup! This playgroup was so overbooked, many had to be turned away. In total, 35 children and their parents attended.

Fun in the ibu house meant a morning chock-a-block with activities. Art and Craft was egg mobile decorating and Easter themed colouring. For some regulars, the sandpit sufficed!

The highlight of the day was of course the egg hunt which even saw some littlies trying to beat the whistle to get a head start! Many were even spotted ‘casing the joint’ prior to the start! As Malaysia is way, way too hot to do the traditional hiding candy in the eggs trick, we had to resort to giving out Easter chocolates and candy in the shade, in exchange for the eggs all our little hunters brought back to us. There were special prizes too, for the finders of the extra large eggs!

Everyone calmed down and relaxed to Easter stories by the enthralling Anne Ooi, our resident storyteller. It was a great way to end a busy morning.

Everyone went away happy with loads of candy good to last them at least a week!


Many thanks go out to the following persons who helped:

Nikki D’Cruz & Tammie Morris ( for helping with the setup and more )
Paige Head (for the gorgeous artwork and the cupcakes )
Naz Hamid-Hnatko ( for ensuring the cupcakes were not destroyed )
Anne Ooi ( for another great story )
Jo & Greg
Amelie Langdon ( for taking the photos )
And everyone who loaned baskets!!
( and many apologies if I have left anyone out ! )


Written by Karen Loong-Thomas
Activities Coordinator

Arriving bright and early to get the best eggs..


The fun and very busy art and craft table..




Delightful cupcakes for the taking!









The Egg Hunt

TUDM Aircraft Museum Visit - 21.03.09

TUDM AIRCRAFT MUSEUM
FAMILY DAY OUT
21.03.09


25 ibu families were booked in for this excursion and it was very exciting for me. This was the most I had ever had booked in for an event. However, after one hour in traffic, and many phone calls later, I realized that it was not to be. A massive political demonstration outside the Kings’ Palace meant that most roads on the perimeter of the Palace and around KL had been shut by the police.

10 families did manage to make it to the airfield and it turned out to be a pretty fun day for most of them. The dads seemed to enjoy themselves the most as the heat was pretty unbearable for the little ones ( The museum only opens at 10am, and with the traffic, the sun was well on its’ way to high noon! )

The aircraft at the museum itself seemed to be in great need of attention and many were in a state of disrepair, which is a great pity as there is so much potential to be had in a place like this. ( maybe a few letters from the public – hint hint may go a long way … ? )

As the more energetic dads and kids clambered over the aircraft ruins, many mums sought solace from the sun in the aircraft hangar where the reprieve was greatly appreciated. The littler ibu members enjoyed feeding the fish in the ‘helicopter’ pond.

I am not sure if I would arrange another family day out to the TUDM Aircraft Museum until it had some work done to it, but if you are adventurous and the day is quite cool, do check it out.



Karen Loong-Thomas
Activities Coordinator.

CPR & First Aid Course - ibu House 23.08.08

CPR & INFANT FIRST AID
SATURDAY 23rd August 2008
IBU DROP IN CENTRE



Once again, there was overwhelming response to this course, and with a limited number of spaces, some members even had to be turned down. Many members sent their domestic helpers for the course as many have to deal with young children most of their daily lives.

Lynette of ScubaZone has been running the ScubaZone store for 6 years, and has at least 20 years of diving experience , and thus CPR and First Aid behind her.

Lynette outlined the 5 different skills we would be learning:

1) scene assessment
2) rescue breathing
3) one rescuer CPR, Adult/Child/Infant CPR
4) serious bleeding management
5) conscious choking adult/ child / infant management


It was very much a hands on course, with all of us taking turns at the mannequin, blowing hard, trying to inflate the chest, some of us failing miserably, yet some proving themselves highly capable, despite their petite size.

This was a very basic course in CPR and First Aid, however, it gave an adequate insight into it. Some participants had studied CPR in the past, but as with anything, if you have not used it for a long while, you get rusty. So, the refresher was good.

Especially now that many of us have young children or even infants, and along with that the high possiblity of choking, accidents and burns, this course not only taught us what needed to be done, but also what we could do to prevent it. There is nothing like the helpless feeling one gets when faced with a life threatening situation and not knowing what to do.

As they say at Scuba Zone,

ADEQUATE AID PROVIDED IS BETTER THAN PERFECT AID WITHHELD.

Family Day Out - Butterfly Park 16.08.08

Family Day Out
Butterfly Park at The Lake Gardens
16th August 2008

5 ibu families enjoyed a beautiful sunny morning exploring the small but meandering Butterfly Park located within the lovely Lake Gardens vicinity. The Park is looking a little bit old and in need of a revamp, but there are so many things to keep the children busy that no one really appeared to care.

Despite its’ title, the Butterfly Park also houses koi fish, rabbits and turtles/terrapins. There are lovely water features and covered stops, stone crossings and shady areas to stop and take in natures’ beauty.

It can be rather warm, so start the day early and bring lots of cold water. It is not stroller friendly due to the steps, however you can leave your stroller at the top.

As you finish off in the Park, you will come across a huge display of all kinds of butterflies and insects. Try to get the kids to spot the ‘leaf insects’ and the ‘stick insects’.


There is a great little gift shop as you exit the park which in itself is entertainment enough for the younger set! Gifts are cheap and plentiful and you may find yourself a few ringgit poorer, as I did, and a handful of butterfly magnets!

My 2 year old thoroughly enjoyed this visit, and we shall be back soon. Just remember to bring along your local driving license, a phone/water/electricity bill, or some proof that you are a resident in Malaysia, and you get a huge discount!

Wet Market Visit- 20.07.08

Introduction to A Malaysian Wet Market

20.07.08 Sunday 8.00am

New to KL? Never ventured past Cold Storage?
Early one Sunday morning, 5 ibu families went where the locals (and many expats) get the freshest and best produce. TTDI ( Taman TunDr Ismail ) Pasar Besar – literally translated, Big Market. Set aside all preconceived ideas of Malaysian markets. This one is big, spacious, clean and dry!

Whether you are looking to save a few bucks, pick up exotic local produce or just get your hands on the freshest meat, seafood, vegetables or fruit, this is the place to be.

Members were introduced to the best stalls, where the owners speak English and will charge you the same as they charge everyone else! There is no bargaining here,and the guesswork is taken out of the equation as the prices are clearly marked at most stalls. There is stroller access via ramps and lifts and parking aplenty, under in front of or around the market.

There are some interesting (albeit surprising) finds in TTDI Market. One of them being Lizar’s Curry and Spice Shop. If you have dreamed of being able to whip up a spicy local dish you tried during your stay in Malaysia but have no idea where to start, Lizar takes the hard work out of the whole cooking process. She sells freshly ground spices, dry and wet, and prepackaged dry and wet spices complete with recipe on the package! They are truly authentic and you may find yourself braving many dishes at once!

There is also a Fantastic baking goods shop tucked away in a little lane, carrying flour, butter, fresh vanilla beans and everything baking related that you can imagine. Many of the Mums have told me that the prices are cheaper than many of the other baking stores.

Vegetable shops abound and the choice is limitless. I shop at the stall owned by 3 sisters who will just as readily choose the best veges for you whilst giving you tips on how to cook them!

Fruit shops are not prolific but the choice is adequate. Some stalls specialize in only one type of fruit, maybe just papayas or bananas.

Pork is relegated to the ‘Underground’, Malaysia being a Muslim country, this non-halal meat is separated from the rest. Down in the carpark, you will find a booming trade done by several stores. My favourite is the big stall 2nd from right a you enter. ‘Cougar’ my pork man will interrogate you as you order your cuts. He will advise you which cut is better for what dish, and ensure you get the best cut. One of the Mums who bought some pork chops on this trip recently sent me a message informing me that they were, in her husbands’ opinion, The BEST chops he’d EVER had in KL! This, mind you, in the 7 years they’d lived here!

Venture upstairs and you’ll find a few cake shops and a lovely little bakery cum café should you need a respite from the hustle and bustle downstairs.



So, one morning ( except Mondays please – where most stalls are resting from the Sunday madness ) grab the kids and head to TTDI Market. Even if you end up not buying anything, ( highly unlikely ) you’ll most certainly get a culinary adventure and the kids - a colourful and interesting adventure!

Mums On The Run - 10.07.08 Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

BUBBA GUMP SHRIMP CO.
Lot 145, 1st Floor, The Curve

18 Mums and One ibu Dad got together at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co at The Curve to test one of KL’s latest culinary arrivals.



Dinner at Bubba Gump sure is an adventure. Just trying to decide what to eat at this well known American chain is a nightmare as EVERYTHING on the menu sounds great. The Coconut Shrimp was really nice and the Shrimp Sampler is Huge! The desserts are really good, and the one called ‘That Chocolate Thing’ was a hands down favourite. So come hungry if you decide to try it!

Service at Bubba Gump is really fast and friendly, once you get used to their system of flipping the sign on your table, otherwise, you get totally ignored!

Overall, a really fun night out with some great conversation and food. Join us the next time we go out, be it Mums on The Run, or Parents Night Out. We’d love to meet you!