We did our spring cleaning on Christmas day 2025. I had wanted to spend just one day so I really cleaned from morning till night. Luckily, we just changed our fridge so there is no need to clean the fridge else I don’t think one day is enough for spring cleaning. We are still left with the storeroom not done which is the most challenging.

The next morning, I dragged my hubby out for a jog along the Sentosa beaches. We set off around 7am and returned to the hotel at about 8.10am, just in time for the hotel buffet breakfast at around 8.30am.

We checked out at about 11am and headed to Kinokuniya at Dash’s request. After that, we went to Bras Basah before checking in to Grand Park City Hall at around 2pm. Dash had a stomach ache, so he rested in the room while my hubby, Violet and I went out shopping. We walked around Suntec City and Marina Square, then bought dinner from Si Jia Ke and brought it back to the hotel room.

The next morning, we enjoyed another hotel buffet breakfast at around 8am, which had a great spread of food. We checked out at about 10am since there wasn’t much else to do in the room.

Staycations may be expensive, but they gave us valuable bonding time with the kids. At home, they usually stay in their own rooms, so this time together was especially meaningful.

Initially, I had booked a Disney Cruise for the kids, but unfortunately the ship’s maiden voyage was postponed from 15 December to 10 March 2026 due to shipbuilding delays, and we had to cancel our plans. As the announcement was only made sometime in September, we were unable to book alternative trips because of the sharp increase in travel costs closer to the dates. In the end, we decided on a staycation in Singapore, which suited the kids well since they are usually reluctant to travel.

On the first day, we visited Universal Studios as it had been a year since our last trip there. A new Minion Park has replaced the Madagascar zone, which was interesting to explore. We went on a weekday, so the crowds were surprisingly small. Since we were not keen on thrill rides, we chose a few simple ones and spent most of our time walking around and taking photos. After lunch at Universal Studios, we took another stroll around the park before leaving.

After that, we headed to Amara Sanctuary Hotel to check in. As our rooms were not ready, we went to VivoCity to shop and buy dinner.

We finally checked in at around 4pm and rested in the hotel room.

The condo has arranged for repainting of interior and exterior of the balcony areas.

After we returned from Shanghai, we immediately arranged for the painters to come over to our house to repaint the balcony.

We took an early flight at 8.20am back to Singapore. As we arrived at Pudong Airport at around 6am and the shops were not yet open, we passed the time by taking photos of the sunrise. Although it was a short trip to Shanghai and Suzhou, the journey was smooth and enjoyable.